"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." - Sun Tzu
Judy wasn't sure what to expect from this.
In all her years of work on the police force, she'd encountered all manner of crazy things. From savage jaguars to blackmailing rats, there was no such thing as being too far from ordinary, in her world. However, of all the things that the rabbit had dealt with, she admittedly had yet to encounter (far less make sense of) another mammal crying in a restroom. With a brief glance around, Judy concluded that she was alone with whoever was weeping in one of the stalls. It was just the two of them, as far as she could tell.
Yet that didn't make her any less wary. There could have been some serious trouble behind this, for all that she knew. Regardless, Judy wasn't the kind of mammal to just outright abandon another when they were in a clear sense of distress. It just wasn't in her nature. Slowly approaching the stall with caution, the rabbit cleared her throat.
"Hello? Are you alright, in there?" She asked softly, careful not to startle the source of the crying.
From behind the stall, Judy heard the other mammal stifle a slew of sniffs as they tried to suppress their tears. "I'm fine, just... Just go away."
The voice was female, unsurprisingly, and didn't belong to anyone that Judy immediately recognized. Trying to place a face to the source of the noise, the bunny spoke out;
"Hey now, if you're in trouble, I can help."
From behind the stall, Judy's sensitive ears detected the voice begin to speak up once again, but immediately falter and stop itself, as if it had just realized something.
"That's you, isn't it, Sergeant Hopps?" It inquired softly.
"Yeah, it's me." The bunny replied. "I heard you crying from just outside the hallway, and I came to investigate. Are you hurt, at all?"
"N-No, I'm not hurt... I-I'm just... Just..."
The voice faltered once again, sighing as though it were disappointed with itself. More sniffles ensued as the mammal in the stall tried blowing their nose, likely on a strip of toilet paper. A few seconds of silence passed before Judy heard the sound of a lock unlatching, and the stall door then swung open as the mammal stepped out from hiding.
Judy's eyes traced over the form of a young female sheep just a few inches taller than herself. The ewe's cotton-white fur was braided in plaits along the side of her head, and her small body was coated in the standard-issued Zootopia Police Academy uniform, complete with a simple T-shirt and running shorts. Her large brown eyes were moistened with the remnants of tears, and from the looks of it, she had been crying pretty hard, at that. With the exception of the braids on her head, this sheep seemed to share an uncanny physical resemblance to the tyrannical Mayor Bellwether, which wasn't a comparison that Judy appreciated very much. However, this particular ewe had much warmer eyes, and a more youthful countenance than Judy's old enemy. The differences were so minute in some places, yet so drastic in others. Yet still, the similarities alone were enough to give Judy a momentary pause. The bunny quickly recomposed herself, shaking her head from side-to-side before putting her focus on the young ewe.
Remembering the sheep's name came easy, now that Judy had a face to base it on: Mary Ewever, one of the cadets from the latest batch of ZPD recruits. Judy recalled how Major Friedkin had personally called her out and berated her on the group's first day of training, several weeks ago. The Major's dramatic rants weren't exactly easy to forget.
"So, what's wrong?" Judy asked.
Mary took a few moments to reply. "I'm just having some trouble." She finalized, all the while closing the stall door behind her with a sharp click.
The rabbit nodded politely. "What are you having trouble with? Is there any way I can help you?"
Hesitating, the sheep pursed her lips and glanced off to the side with a sniff of diffidence. Clearly, she wasn't exactly keen on opening up to Judy just yet.
"Hey, it's okay." Judy said reassuringly. "But I can't help if you don't tell."
Biting back her hesitation, Mary locked eyes with her superior. "I... I just haven't been doing as well as I thought I would, here." She admitted.
"What are you talking about?" The rabbit asked skeptically. "I've seen your grades in the classroom: You're top-tier, easy!"
Mary shook her head, causing the braids of wool on the sides of her head to swing. "That's not what I meant. My performance on the obstacle course, and at hand-to-hand..."
The sheep sighed with disappointment. She then concluded;
"Well, they're sup-par, to say the least."
Judy's head tilted slightly to the side as she tried to recall this particular cadet's performance record for the academy's physical training. Unfortunately, she wasn't as good as Nick was when it came to remembering little things like that. Clearing the thought from her head and focusing on the present, Judy resolutely turned her attention to Mary.
"Okay. That's alright!" She tried to reassure. "The obstacle course isn't for everyone, and fighting is a developed skill. I'm sure you'll master both in no time, though!"
The bunny held back on mentioning that if Mary didn't hone either of those two traits, that she might have some trouble graduating the academy. There may have been cops that relied less on those traits and more on other abilities, like Nick, but there was no denying that a strong fighting form made a memorable impression on Major Friedkin.
"I hope so." Mary muttered flatly before sighing, slumping against the tiled wall, and sitting down on the bathroom floor.
Judy felt a pang of sympathy rise up from within her. She approached the sheep slowly before leaning down on one knee and looking her in the eye.
"Hey now, don't be so glum. We've been here for a while, sure, but there's still plenty of time to learn how to run that course, I promise you! Practice makes perfect."
The sheep stifled a slight smile. "My father used to throw that phrase at me all the time. Though, I'm sure he never imagined I'd be in the running to become a police officer."
"My own dad was like that a lot too." Judy added. "Sometimes, our goals and dreams can surprise those closest to us."
"Yeah. I guess so."
There was a momentary period of silence before Judy broke the ice again. "You said your father never imagined that you'd become a police officer. Why is that?" She asked.
Mary took in a deep breath before answering. Her brown eyes narrowed as she recounted the story of her decision to join the Zootopia Police Academy, and become a cop.
"I grew up in the Meadowlands. My parents always wanted me to be a doctor, just like the both of them. But I thought; where's the fun in that? I didn't want to be a doctor. I would see you on TV, risking your life and going on all sorts of adventures, and I knew that I wanted to be just like you. So, I joined the academy, but it's been... A bit harder than I expected. I knew that I would be doing some rigorous physical activities, and I thought I was prepared, but I never could have imagined that they would be this hard!"
"Yeah, the ZPA doesn't hold back one bit." Judy said. "Out there in the real world, it can get pretty dangerous, so you have to be fit both physically and mentally. But I'm glad that you had the heart to join, and follow in my footsteps. That means a lot to me. It takes a lot of courage to join the academy and become a police officer. Don't forget that for as long as you're here. You should be proud of yourself. Must've been a bit on the tight side to join, though, since you're a small mammal and all, huh?"
Mary nodded her head in concurrence.
"Mayor Lionheart may have done some pretty shady things back when he was in office, but his creation of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative was definitely a plus." She said.
"Yeah, that's for sure." The rabbit agreed. "Without it, I probably never would have been able to get to where I am now. Not in those days, at least."
The two mammals shared a quick round of laughter before sighing and returning to silence.
Within her mind, Judy thought back to Mary's backstory about growing up over in the Meadowlands. She likely had a very privileged and easygoing life there, so it came of no surprise to the rabbit that the sheep's abilities in the physical arts were somewhat lacking. Judy's teaching in the classes could only go so far, it would seem, and with her own tight schedule of teaching the recruits, reporting to Major Friedkin, and more, there likely wasn't enough time to instruct Mary on how to fight and run with individual lessons.
That's when an idea came to her: An idea that would allow Mary to learn what she needed to improve her physical fitness, all the while letting Judy stick with her schedule.
"Hey, I know! If you really want to improve your grades on the physical courses of the academy, you should ask for some tips and pointers from Harlan O'Conall!"
Mary's eyes narrowed in apprehension. "Why him, of all mammals?" She questioned sharply.
"Just think about it! He's one of the class's top performers on the physical side of police training: He's a great fighter, runner, and lifter, and can probably help you out with that kinda stuff. Officer Wilde and I are busy enough trying to manage the entire class of recruits, as is, so we can't juggle around individual cadets all that often. If you want some further training, then seeking out Harlan is the best bet! Apparently, he's been practicing combat his whole life. If anyone can teach you how to get stronger, it's him."
"I-I don't know... I don't want to be a burden on any of the other recruits." Mary stammered.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll be fine! Being a part of a class at the ZPD means working together - making friends, and getting outside of your comfort zone. You won't be a burden."
"It's more than that, I just..." The sheep began, but promptly trailed off. "M-Maybe I should just try to train myself. Yeah."
"What? No, you can do it! C'mon, follow me, and we can go ask him now-" Judy started, but faltered as her subordinate spoke out;
"Sergeant Hopps, please, I really don't think that is a good idea."
"Why not?"
Mary bit back her next statement just as she was about to say it. The sheep clearly didn't feel comfortable with answering that question.
"You can tell me anything." Judy reassured.
Without any more reluctance, Mary locked eyes with Judy as she gave her final answer;
"Because... Because he's a wolf."
The weight of that final proclamation hung in the air for a few seconds of tense silence.
"Oh..." Judy muttered at last. "I see."
Mary's ears dipped as though a slight weight had been tied to them, dragging them downward with humiliation. She then stated;
"I know that it's unfair of me... That it's against your hopes, and what you fight for, and therefore my hopes, and what I fight for. But every time I look at him, I just feel-"
"Afraid." The bunny concluded.
Mary's gaze sunk even lower in shame. "Yeah... Afraid." She admitted in a soft voice.
Judy knew plenty about fear: It had driven a wedge in her and Nick's relationship before, and although she had long since conquered her own diffidence towards predators, she couldn't deny that there was once a time when she couldn't look at Nick without feeling wary of him; being scared of what he might do. Clearly, there were still plenty of other mammals who had yet to overcome such mental blockades, even if the city, as a whole, had become more progressive towards predators ever since Judy became a ZPD officer, and a city-wide icon of hope and tolerance for others. Though there were still many hurdles to deal with, the rabbit believed that things were better than before.
Still, such beliefs weren't applicable on levels as personal as Mary's, it would seem. Shaking her head and clearing her thoughts, Judy leaned forward and spoke her mind;
"He may be a predator, but still, that doesn't mean that you can't learn something from him, right?"
"No, you don't understand." Mary retorted. "He isn't just any old predator, he's a wolf - my kind's natural predator!"
"So?" Judy snapped back; a tiny dose of irritation seeping into her tone. "Nick is a fox, my kind's natural predator, yet that didn't stop him from putting a ring on my finger."
That last comment seemed to do the trick. Mary immediately piped down and glanced away; seemingly reevaluating her thoughts.
"I'm sorry." The sheep stifled after a few brief moments of weary quietude.
Judy simply smiled. "There's no need to apologize. You didn't mean any disrespect." She said.
There was a brief period of silence before Judy took to restating her original point;
"But Mary, you have to understand that being a part of the ZPD means being a part of a team: Working with others to build yourself, and make up for any shortcomings. I know you have a lot of admiration for me and what I do, but I'll be the first to tell you that I'm far from perfect. There are many times when I've been reckless, short-sighted, and ignorant... Times when I've almost gotten myself and others hurt. Being part of a team helps you overcome that, because whenever your own weaknesses cause you to fall short, the strengths of your allies help you reach even farther! My husband, Nick, as much as he's been a thorn in my side, has also proven to be an invaluable partner."
Judy momentarily hesitated as memories of all the times that Nick had saved her came flooding back. She then continued strongly;
"I may be a good runner and a fighter, but without Nick's social skills, half the cases I've taken would be unfinished, just gathering dust in the ZPD archives. Nick has talked our way out of all sorts of trouble, and not only that, but he's saved my sorry hide more times than I can even remember. My point is that we compliment each other. We may be different in our appearances and personalities, but working together, we can make all sorts of things happen. In fact, it's our differences that make us strong! I see the exact same principal in you and Harlan: With his strength and your smarts, you could accomplish anything! You'd make a great team! The possibilities for success are there."
The bunny gave a momentary pause for thought before at last concluding her speech;
"It's just a matter of whether or not you're willing to take that opportunity, and give yourself - and Harlan, too - the chance to make it happen."
Rabbit and ewe alike were both encased in silence as the weight of the former's words sank in. Judy noticed the minute changes in Mary's facial features as she pondered over her speech. She could see how her words had an effect on her, and after a few more seconds of thought, the bunny watched as her subordinate then raised her head.
"I... I understand. Thank you." The sheep claimed as she straightened out her spine a little. "Perhaps we could make a good team, together... I'll see if I can find Harlan."
Judy smiled once more, both pleased with herself and proud of her subordinate. "Don't worry, I've got it covered." She promised as she began pacing towards the door.
"You do?" Mary asked, to which the rabbit nodded.
"Oh yeah. For sure. You can head back to the dorms, and relax. I'll make sure to convince Harlan to help you later on."
"How?"
The rabbit briefly stopped in her tracks before glancing back and locking eyes with Mary.
"Something tells me that he'll be on the difficult side to sway. For that, I'll need the smooth talking type. Thankfully, I know just the right guy."
Without providing any further context, Judy marched out of the washroom, leaving Mary all to herself. She figured that the sheep could use the alone-time to finish cleaning herself up before returning to the dorms and getting herself some well-earned rest. After taking a physical beating on the obstacle course, and an emotianal one in the bathroom, the bunny reckoned that she deserved the chance to recover, and gather her bearings once more before resuming work on her goals. Meanwhile, Judy herself closed the door to the bathroom shut behind her, and the proceeded to set out down the hallway and towards the academic wing of the academy, intent on finding Nick.
If anyone could help her with this, it would be him.
Hey Everyone!
Thanks for checking out this latest new chapter update of ours. It's a bit shorter than usual, but I reckon that The Big 100 will be plenty more than enough to compensate, eh? I got some cool stuff in plan for it, so do stay tuned! It'll be much longer than thas one, will reintroduce some characters we haven't seen in a while, shed light on some newer ones, and help set-up the remainder of the story! I have a feeling that the dialogue will be especially enjoyable, seeing as how Nick gets some special time to shine (we haven't seen much of him these past few chapters, have we?), so you can be on the lookout for that. Until then, do please let me know what you thought of this chapter in the form of a review. I'd like that. I always appreciate new Favorites/Followers, as well, so feel free to join in on the fun if you haven't already. Nonetheless, I would like to thank you all for your generous time and consideration, as is.
Also, if you'd like to check out some fan-art of Mary, Harlan, and various other original characters from this story of ours, then you can go and check out my devientart and/or tumblr accounts. There's plenty of fan-art on display, and if any of you ever feel like contributing too, you're more than welcome to do so.
So, reviewers! Tell me whatcha thought of this chapter; of Judy and Mary's heart-to-heart, and what you hope/expect to see from the coming chapters!
Anyhow, that's pretty much all I've got to say, for now. Thanks for tuning in to chapter 99, and do stay tuned for the big 100, comin' your way soon. :)
'Till next time...
Peace!
PS: A good chunk of chapter 100 is already written, I'll have you know, so it won't be too long until it arrives, I would guess. Stay tuned, all the same!