SYKE !
When I started writing TARF, one of my first thoughts was "what would Judy being friend (or more) with Gideon change about the movie's plot. This is my interpretation.
Also, I couldn't help but agree with some comments/reviews about this lacking closure so I threw a bit of it in because we all deserve it.
Bonus Chapter : Consequences
In a small dim lit room, in a the Grand Pangolin Arms appartment building sits a bed, a desk, a suitcase and a small table.
The covers on the bed are neatly put. The desk is void of any item. The suitcase is almost full, aside from a missing police uniform.
On the small table rests a fox repellent.
A red fox wearing a green shirt, a loosely tied tie and beige slacks is strolling down the street. Passing a back alley, he's almost hit by a van, but easily dodges it.
"Hey, watch where you're goin', fox!" The sheep driver shouts, before peeling away. With his lazy smile still plastered on his lips, he gives him a sarcastic wave, before entering the shop his steps led him to, right after one of its customer left it.
He can feel the gazes of the other mammals on him, but it doesn't faze him. He simply waits until he finds himself in front of the line.
"Hello, I'd like a Jumbo Pop please."
The elephant frowns at the fox and leans down on his counter. "What are you trying to pull here?"
"I'm just buying ice cream." The tod says, using his most innocent smile.
"Go buy it elsewhere."
"But they don't have that kind of quality elsewhere."
"Listen, I don't know what you're doing skulking around during daylight hours, but I don't want any trouble in here, so hit the road!"
"I'm not looking for any trouble either, sir. I simply wanna buy a Jumbo-pop for my little boy." The tod says, showing a fennec fox wearing an elephant costume and sucking on a pacifier. He puts his paws on his knees to put himself at eyes level with the smaller predator. "You want the red or the blue, pal?"
The fox waddles to the glass and points at the red one.
"Okay, come on, kid, back up. Listen, buddy, what? There aren't any fox ice cream joints in your part of town?" Asks the pachyderm.
"Uh, no-no. There are, there are. It's just, my boy, this goofy little stinker, he loves all things elephant, he wants to be one when he grows up."
Just as he says it, the fennec pulls up an elephant mask and emits a tooting sound though its trunk.
"Is that adorable? Who the heck am I to crush his little dreams, huh? Right?"
"Look, you probably can't read, fox, but the sign says "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone", so beat it!" Pulling up a little sign, the elephant sternly points at it.
"You're holding up the line!" ads an elephant lady, pushing him.
"Aw, come on, you're not going to throw a kid out on his birth day!" Nick protests.
"I won't if you leave without asking me a third time!" Threatens the elephant, grabbing a large dustbroom from under his cash register and rounding the counter.
"Okay, okay, we're leaving." The fox reluctantly complies, moving to the door and trying to push it. Given it's been built for larger mammals, he struggles with it, witch erodes the elephant's patience further. Slamming it open, he swats the vulpine's back with his improvised weapon and sends hims stumbling forward into the street where he manages to retain his balance. Thankfully, the elephant wasn't heartless enough to give the same treatment to the fennec, and simply ushers him out before slamming the door shut.
"Well, that was a complete fiasco." The fox mutters as he dusts the back of his shirt. His ear twitches as he hears light footsteps approaching. Turning his head, his eyes fall upon a bunny wearing a meter maid uniform who's now only a couple of steps away. He internally rolls his eyes. Of course, he would cross path with the first bunny officer on her first day on the force. So what is it going to be? Suspicious attitude? Condescension? Outright bigotry? He can't wait to find out what kind of idiot is the bunny who decided the best way to waste her life was wearing blue.
"Are you okay?" She asks, stopping in front of him.
Concern. That one was unexpected.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" He asks, perfectly managing a genuine tone while observing her.
What he expects to see is a lightly twitchy nose, fully raised ears, stretched muscles. That bunny is completely relaxed, as far as a cop on duty can be. She looks at him right in the eyes, no traces of nervousness in her attitude.
"You just got thrown out of this place." She candidly answers.
"They're not big fans of foxes." The tod simply shrugs.
"Yeah, that's all too common." She nods before looking inside through the glass store front and frowning.
All the while, the fox is trying to figure out this enigma of a bunny. That last comment should have been made in a way more sorry and patronizing tone. Not one of jaded experience.
"What were you trying to buy?"
"A Jumbo-pop. See, my little guy, he wants to be an elephant, so he wants and elephant pop for his birth day."
"Oh you're so cute little buddy." Judy coos, patting his head. "Do you still want your jumbo-pop?" She asks.
As the fennec nods, she turns to Nick with a grin.
"And do you want a discount on top?"
"If you can manage that, I'll be thoroughly impressed." The fox smiles back as she pushes the door with what looks like very little effort.
As they step in, the bunny makes a beeline for the counter.
"Hey, you're gonna have to wait your turn like everyone else, meter- What's that cur doing here?" The elephant reacts as he notices both the doe and fox.
"Actually, I'm an officer." The doe smiles, showing her badge, totally ignoring his second comment. "I just had a quick question: are your customers aware they're getting snot and mucus with their cookies and cream?"
Hearing that question, an elephant reacts by spitting out his ice cream in the face of his date.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, I don't wanna cause you any trouble but, I believe scooping ice cream with an ungloved trunk is a class-three health code violation."
The employee working the ice cream lets a large ball fall back into its container and wipes his trunk, before trying to innocuously walking out.
"Which is kind of a big deal. Of course, I can let you off with a warning if you glove those trunks and, I don't know, finish selling this nice dad and his son a..."
"A jumbo pop. Please."
"A Jumbo pop." She parrots. "With a nice discount for his mistreatment, of course."
"Fif- Ten dollars." The elephant says between clenched teeth.
The tod struggles to keep his smile straight. That was a nice hustle if he ever saw one. He's starting to like that bunny. But can he let her out-hustle him in front of an associate? No. No he can't.
"Thank you so much." He says before checking his pocket with an air of surprise. "Oh no, are you kidding me? I don't have my wallet! I'd lose my head if it weren't attached to my neck. That's the truth. Oh boy, I'm sorry, pal. Gotta be about the worst birthday ever. Please don't be mad at me." He gives a light peck on the head of the fennec fox before starting to walk away. Coming to a quick decision, Judy slams a ten dollar bill on the counter.
"Officer, I can't thank you enough. So kind, really. Can I pay you back?" The tod asks, walking out with the treat twice his size in paws.
"Oh no, my treat. Actually I'm glad I didn't do a faux-pas by assuming he was your son."
"I- He's taking after his mother. Most people don't notice the difference in species."
"I've known my ex- best friend's sister since she was a baby, they're red foxes like you so… Anyway, I'm glad your son could have his jumbo pop. Just because some mammals can't see beyond species doesn't mean he should be deprived of good things."
"And I'm glad there are mammals like you even things out, officer..."
"Hopps. Judy Hopps."
"Oh, from TV. I knew I had seen you before. I'm Wilde. Nick Wilde."
"Nice to meet you Nick. May I call you Nick?"
"Only if I can call you Judy." He fires back with his most charming smile.
The small fox suddenly scoffs cutting through the moment. The doe turns to him and puts a knee to the ground.
"And you, little guy, you want to be an elephant when you grow up? You be an elephant. Because this is Zootopia. Anyone can be anything." She smiles, putting a police sticker on his chest.
Keeping his snort to himself, Nick discreetly rolls his eyes. How can she pull a hustle like she just did and be that naive?
"Ah, boy, I tell him that all the time. Alright, here you go. Two paws, yeah. Oh, look at that smile, that's a happy birthday smile! All right. Give her a little bye-bye toot-toot!"
The fennec toots with a grin as he starts to walk away with Nick.
"Toot toot!" Judy laughs.
"Bye now!"
"Good bye!"
As they round the corner and find themselves out of view, the fennec spits his pacifier at Nick, who catches it in a smoot motion.
"Dude, next time you wanna make eyes to a piece of bunny ass, maybe don't do it while our livelihood is meltin' in my paws." He scolds in a surprisingly deep voice.
"I wasn't not making eyes, Finn. I was selling the hustle." Nick shrugs.
"Yeah right. 'Only if I can call you Judy'. Ya never talk to marks like 'dat."
- 1 -
Another day, another Zoollar. Nick is finishing counting Finnick's cut before handing him the money.
"Thirty-nine, forty. There you go. Way to work that diaper, big guy! Hey! No kiss bye-bye for daddy?" he asks as the fennec starts the van.
"You kiss me tomorrow, I'll bite your face off! Ciao."
In a cloud of smoke, the large vehicle rolls off. As it moves out of Nick's field of view, it reveals a frowning Judy, who walks up him, pointing an accusing finger at his chest.
"Well. I stood up for you, and you lied to me. You liar!"
"It's called a hustle, sweetheart. And I'm not the liar, he is!" He says, pointing at the other end of street, and making his escape. Unfortunately she notices him turning at the end of the street as he does his best to make it look like he's casually walking away.
"Hey!" She reacts, chasing him. "All right, slick Nick, you're under arrest."
"Really? For what?"
"Gee, I don't know. How about selling food without a permit, transporting undeclared commerce across borough lines, false advertising..."
"Permit, receipt of declared commerce, and I did not falsely advertise anything. Take care."
"You told that mouse the pawpsicle sticks were redwood!"
"That's right." He says smugly, handing her the stick. "Red wood. With a space in the middle. Wood that is red. You can't touch me, Carrots. I've been doing this since I was born."
"You're gonna want to refrain from calling me "Carrots." "
"My bad, I just naturally assumed you came from some little carrot-choked Podunk, no?" He asks, using a porcupine as herd splitter though a group of wildebeests.
"Uh, no. Podunk is in Deerbrooke County and I grew up in Bunnyburrow."
"Okay. Tell me if this story sounds familiar. Naive little hick with good grades and big ideas decides, "Hey, look at me, I'm gonna move to Zootopia, where predators and prey live in harmony and sing "Kumbaya"!" Only to find - whoopsie - we don't all get along. And that dream of becoming a big-city cop? Double whoopsie! She's a meter maid. And whoopsie number three-sie, no one cares about her or her dreams. And soon enough those dreams die, and our bunny sinks into emotional and literal squalor, living in a box under a bridge. Till, finally, she has no choice but to go back home with that cute fuzzy-wuzzy little tail between her legs to become... You're from Bunnyburrow, is that what you said? So how about a carrot farmer? Does that sound about right? Be careful now, or it won't just be your dreams getting crushed."
He grins as she's slaloms between the legs of a rhino walking down the street. She catches up to him again, her frustration bordering on anger. "Hey, hey! No one tells me what I can or can't be! Especially not some jerk who never had the guts to try and be anything more than a pawpsicle hustler."
"All right, look, everyone comes to Zootopia thinking they can be anything they want. Well, you can't. You can only be what you are. Sly fox." He says, pointing at his own chest. "Sumb bunny."
"I'm not a dumb bunny." She fumes.
"Right. And that's not wet cement."
Noticing she's, in fact, standing in cement, she splotches her way through to the edge of the slab. She considers letting him walk away until he speaks his last barb "You'll never be a real cop. You're a cute meter maid, though. Maybe a supervisor one day. Hang in there! "
Hearing the sound of a sprint behind him, Nick turns around, half expecting her to punch him. Instead, he has to recoil as she shoves her phone in his face. On it, there's a photograph of a rotund fox standing behind a counter at a fair, holding a pie.
"What's with the hick?" He asks dubiously.
"The 'hick', is my ex- best friend. You think you have it bad? Try being one of the handful of fox in a country village with backward people. Try having a father that beat you up every other day for no reason, providing for your family in his stead when he's thrown in jail, while attending highschool. Or maybe try achieving your dream job while working for a bigot who you had to prove you were worth more than he thought. Try getting your own legitimate business through hard work and dedication before 25. And maybe, after that, you'll have the right to tell me we can only be what others think we are. He's the best baker in Bunnyburrow and I'm the first bunny cop. Now tell me again why we can't be what we want?" She asks in a commanding voice, a finger pointed at his snout. "You think I don't know that life is hard when mammals like you spend their life trying to remind me of what they think my place is? You think you're the first to undermine me or my dream? I've been proving mammals like you wrong since I was eight. And I. Won't. Stop." She finishes, punctuating her words by knocking her chest with her pointed finger. Closing her eyes, she slowly exhales, settling her temper.
"You done?" He snarks at her with his smug smile still on his face.
"You think I'll ever be?" She retorts before turning around and leaving with as much dignity as her cement covered legs allow her.
His first reflex is to snort as she leaves. Then her speech replays in his head.
Mammals like him.
At least no one sees his mask drop.
She didn't mean foxes. She didn't mean predators, he couldn't peg her as a specist. He doesn't like its taste of truth. But then again, it's not as if he was going to see ever see her again. It's just one dumb bunny that won't ever amount to anything.
The tod pushes the door to his apartment and closes it behind, before throwing his tie on the coat hanger. Five steps, he's at the fridge. Door opens, beer in paw, door slams. The cap goes flying into the trashbin as he lets himself fall on the single armchair of his small apartment. It's drab without being outright ugly. Unkempt without being dirty. It's just a place he stays at inbetween jobs.
His left paw lands on the remote and he flicks the TV on, switching to nutflix for some random mindnumbing show.
Mammals like him.
Swig.
He gets insulted and disrespected almost daily. Mammals roll their eyes, scoff, avoid him. He's been assaulted, spit on, stepped on, threatened…
Swig.
And it's this encounter he's dwelling on.
Swig.
Mammals like him.
Swi- Already empty? Time for a second one.
She doesn't know anything about him. She's just a dumb bunny with dreams too big to achieve. And what if one of her friends managed to get what he wanted? It's just one fox, it's not as if he represented the whole species. He got lucky, is all.
Except did he? Because she didn't lie about him. He would have seen it, she wore her emotions on her sleeve and he knows how to read mammals either way.
No, it's stupid. It wouldn't just so happen that the first bunny cop would have a fox friend. From whom she would have a picture in her phone. And a detailed story. And two slip ups for the word ex…
Mammals like him.
Swig.
What does she know? She grew up in the country where rent is low and life is easy. And sure, maybe she had to face some backlash about her life choice, but it couldn't be as bad as…
Nick rolls his eyes and takes another swig. Great. Now he's thinking about that evening. That evening where he was supposed to become a boy scout, make friends. Be what he wanted to be and not others saw him as. And instead he was mocked and bullied by mammals like-
One last swig. The second beer is empty. He needs a shower.
Judy put down her phone. She knows her parents mean well, and are worried for her, but she could have done without the cheering about being a meter maid.
Closing the app, her gaze falls on her phone's wallpaper. It's a selfie she took with Gideon, Sharla and Bobby, all of them crowded together.
Tapping the screen, she starts browsing her pictures, which mainly consist of selfies with friends. There are a lot of them, but one that sticks out is one she took with Gideon, before leaving for the academy, both of them holding her acceptance letter.
- 1 -
The sky is turning pink as the sun sets. Judy is sitting on the rickety sofa of Gideon's living room as he reads a letter.
"Ya got in!" He cheers, before hugging her. "I knew ya would!"
She hugs him back with a giggle.
"We need to take a picture. Ya know, to commemorate!"
Grabbing her phone, they each grab a corner of the letter so that the camera will catch it. The doe taps her screen and their picture freezes on the screen.
"Ya look good." The tod grins.
"So do you." She smiles back, before folding the letter and sliding it back into the envelope and slumping back on the sofa. "You know, I kind of hoped… I kind of hope the letter would be rejected."
"Is it bad that I did too, a bit?"
"No."
"Cool… So… What do we do?"
"I've been thinking about that for a while." The doe mutters after a minute of silence. She knew that discussion would have to take place, it's why she came give him the news in person. "I… The academy will take me two years, and I won't have a lot of vacation time. And after that… Well, you know, off to Zootopia."
"Yeah..."
"So I've been thinking… You were right, we should probably just… End it. I couldn't- I didn't want to before. I feel like I've just dragged you along, when I knew how it was going to go."
"Ya got nuthin' to be guilty about. I knew it too, and I was happy to at least have… That." The tod smiles, while holding her paw. "You know, I could-"
"I'm not going to ask you to wait for me, on the off chance that I flunk the academy. And honestly, I don't want to be tempted to. Plus… I don't want you to be the guy I'm with because I failed… I don't want you to feel like a default choice, or to be one. You deserve better than that."
"Ya do too. I guess we were never gonna follow the same road…"
"Maybe in another life?" She giggles in a halfway sad tone as he pulls her into a hug.
"I dunno if there'd be a version of ya tha' wouldn't be a cop."
"If there is, I hope she isn't dumb enough to miss her chance with you."
- 2 -
With a half smile the doe leaves the picture folder and opens muzzletime once again, tapping his name when she reaches it.
"Hey Judy!" He greets as he sees her face appear on screen.
"Hey Gid! How are you."
"I'm good. How was your first day?"
"Not great." She states, not feeling as bummed by it as she was a few minutes ago.
"Oh? What happened?"
Nick is pushing a stroller toward his next hustles, while Finnick is taking a nap. He's always amazed that as much as his friend hates to be treated as a kit, he has no qualm totally abusing it to his advantage.
Then he hears the sound of a weak engine beside him and turns his head to see the bunny from the day prior.
"Hi! Hello! It's me again."
"Hey, it's Officer Toot-toot!" He greets, a mask of smugness plastered on his face.
"Ha ha ho... No. Actually, it's Officer Hopps and I'm here to ask you some questions about a case."
"What happened, meter maid? Did someone steal a traffic cone? It wasn't me."
The doe quickly parks her car on the sidewalk in front of him and exits it.
"Hey, Carrots, you're gonna wake the baby. I gotta get to work."
"This is important, sir. I think your ten dollars worth of pawpsicles can wait."
"Ha! I make two hundred bucks a day, Fluff. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year since I was twelve. And time is money. Hop along."
"Please, just look at the picture." She asks, showing a photograph of an otter. "You sold Mr. Otterton that pawpsicle, right? Do you know him?"
"I know everybody." Smirks the fox, giving the piece of paper a quick glance. "And I also know..." The fox trails off, realising what he's doing again. Putting her down, simply because he can. Simply because he thinks she's just a dumb bunny trying to be what she shouldn't. And he's berating her, and putting her down, just like mammals… Like him.
And it tastes sour.
"Alright, show me that picture again." He sighs, extending a paw.
"Dude, what?" Reacts Finnick, opening the canopy of the pram. "Yer gonna help a copper? We got work to do!"
"Buddy, we can spare five minutes for the meter maid." The fox shrugs.
"If ya wanna get roped wid' her be my guest, but yer in it on yer own. And take this. Might be useful." The fennec states, slapping the sticker he took from his elephant costume on Nick's chest before leaving.
"I don't know where your guy is, but I know where he went." Nick says once the fennec fox has disappeared.
"Great! Let's go!"
"It's not exactly a place for a cute little bunny."
"Don't call me cute! Get in the car."
"Okay, you're the boss." He answers with a grin, obeying her order. He'll help her, but it doesn't mean he can't have a little fun while doing so, does it?
- 1 -
As they step out, Nick can see how flustered Judy is. At least she got what she was looking for.
"Well, I had a ball. You are welcome for the clue, and seeing as how any moron can run a plate, I bid you adieu."
The doe freezes and slaps her forehead. "The plate. I can't run a plate. Ooh... I'm not in the system yet."
"That sounds like a you problem. See you around." He shrugs before taking a few steps. He gives a last glance back to see the doe nervously munching on her carrot pen. It's not his problem. Just walk away. "What did you mean by 'I'm not in the system yet?'" He asks, walking back to her.
"I mean, I just started, and they haven't finished entering me into the ZPD system, I can't run a plate."
"Why don't you simply wait to be put in the system?."
"I would, but I only have two days left to solve this case."
"Two days- Wait back up, they gave you a case to solve in less than two days? What happens if you fail?"
"I lose my badge."
Emitting a sigh, Nick grabs her shoulders and pushes her toward the car. "Alright, I got a friend at the DMV that can solve that problem. Let's go."
As she starts the vehicle, Nick plops down next to her and slumps back.
"So, which way?"
"Take a left, and then just go straight until I tell you."
The ride is so slow, the fox wonders if they wouldn't be quicker on foot. The sound of the electric engine feels a bit lulling, and he surprises himself as he starts blinking.
"So… What's it about those two days?"
"Well… It's a bunch of stuff. Basically I arrested that weasel for stealing bulbs-"
"Through little rodentia. You caught Weaselton. Yeah, I heard."
"And there was some city chaos and civilian endangerment… Anyway, he was chewing me down when Mrs Otterton erupted in the office asking about her husband, and I promised I'd take on the case, which he didn't like, and Mrs Bellwether, the assistant mayor, heard and texted the mayor about it."
"Binding his hooves. Bet he hated that."
"Yeah… He gave me 48 hours and it took me almost 6 to find you."
"That still sounds a bit harsh to me. I mean, not that I don't find you annoying-" He grins, getting a light elbow to the ribs. "-but even I wouldn't fire a mammal over that."
"He didn't want me in the force even before that… He made it pretty clear the mayor hadn't asked his opinion when he assigned me to him. I mean, come on! I was valedictorian. I know I'm a rookie, but I didn't go through the academy to be a meter maid!"
"You're sure it's not just some form hazing?" The tod asks.
"Do you honestly believe that?"
"No." He has to admit. "No I don't. Take the next right."
- 2 -
Judy had heard of the sloth's slowness before, but she had never realised how real the stereotype was. But still, at least she gets to run the plate, so it's something. And Nick is proving remarkably more cooperative than she expected. And it took just a bit more than an hour!
"It's registered to… Tundratown Limo Service! A limo took Otterton! And the limo's in Tundratown! It's in Tundratown!"
"Way to hustle bud." Grins Nick to the sloth. "I love ya! Thanks for the help!"
Stepping into the parking lot, Judy takes a few steps and turns to Nick. "Thank you for helping me. I guess I can get rid of that now."
"Get rid of what?" He asks, seeing her holding her carrot pen.
"I recorded you talking about your pawpsicles revenues… I must say you earned quite a lot. And none of it showed on your tax record." She grins, pushing the button and erasing the recording.
"You- what?"
"You might want to get that straightened up, by the way. I won't report you, but if the ZRS comes sniffing around, you'll get in huge trouble."
Nick's flabbergasted expression slowly dissolves into hilarity.
"Ha ha ha! Oh… Oh wow… That would've been a really good pressure point. You'd have gotten me like a newbie… I didn't even see it coming."
"Sorry, I didn't want to resort to that-"
"No, no you did good. I'd have done the same. With a devious mind like that, you sure you want to be a cop? You'd make a great hustler."
"With a mind like yours you'd make a great cop." The doe grins back.
"Harsh but fair, I did insult you before." Chuckles the tod, climbing into the small car. "Anyway, we're burning day light and we got a limo to catch."
"Oh… Uh, you don't need to come. It's a police investigation, and it could be dangerous. And you're a civilian."
"Aw, Carrots, come on! With you shutting down my day, I don't have anything better to do. Plus It's kinda fun, and you could use more of my help."
"And you're just offering it for free?" She asks dubiously.
"Maybe I just want you to feel indebted to me." He grins back.
- 3 -
Judy parks the car in the limo service lot, shivering as the snow falls around them.
"I-I-I didn't think this through." Shivers Nick as he sets his foot down.
"The h-h-heat redirecting system works really well."
"Yup, it's a t-t-tech wonder."
The pair of small mammals make their way between the parked limos toward the small building that houses the renting office.
When they're only a few feet away, Nick stops her with a paw on her shoulder.
"What?"
"I know those guys." He declares, pointing at the polar bears inside.
"You do?"
"They work for Mr Big."
"Mr who?"
"Biggest crime boss in the city and he doesn't like me, so we gotta go!"
"We- I need to ask them about Otterton!"
"You do that, and they'll never find your corpse. You need to come back with back up and a warrant."
"I can't do that! I don't have time." She protests, looking around. "Here's the limo. Let's just take a look okay? See if we can find anything."
"Carrots-" He tries to protest as she escapes her grasp.
As they enter the car, they realise the interior has been ravaged by something. The fake leather has been torn and scratched, the plastic bitten.
"We need to go!" Urges the fox.
"Not yet, I haven't found anything!"
"There's nothing to find! Your otter was attacked and likely killed by those guys! We can't get caught here!" Pushing the door, he pulls her by the paw and find himself staring at a pair of polar bear. "Raymond! And is that Kevin? Long time no see! And speaking of "no see", how about you forget you saw me? Huh? For old time's sake?"
The pair of them get caught and lifted by throat.
"That's a no." The tod says in a strangled voice.
"Ice'em!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
As Judy tries to step away, she and Nick get picked up again from the floor.
"I didn't see nothing! I'm not saying nothing!"
"And you never will."
"Please!"
"Put me down!" Judy protests as a polar bear opens the a trap that shows Tundratown's freezing river.
"No, no, no, no, no! If you're mad at me about the rug, I've got more rugs!"
At the same moment, a female shrew wearing a half sewn dress approaches the crime boss. "Daddy, you need to fire that seamstress! That's the third time she pricks me!" Then she notices the pair of mammals dangling above the icy pit
"Uh! What did we say? No icing anyone at my wedding!"
"I have to, baby, daddy has to. Ice 'em!"
"No, no, no!"
"Wait. Wait!" The shrew reacts, stopping the polar bear. "She's the bunny that saved my life yesterday! From that giant donut!"
"This bunny?"
"Yeah! Hi!"
It's around 4PM when a cruiser arrives at Manchas to pick him up, 6 hours too early for certain sheep with a gun to track him down. The panther refused to step out of his home unless cops were there to protect him. Judy argued that she was a cop, but he didn't trust her to be skilled enough.
It's a very irate Chief Bogo that comes to personally pick them up and drive them back to precinct one. Soon, they're sitting around his desk, the shook feline with a cup of coffee, trying to stop the trembling in his paws.
"I-I-I don't know what more to tell you. He was just savage."
"Savage?" Reacts the buffalo. "Like angry?"
"No. He was… Mad. Violent. He scratched and bit. It was awful."
"And what was the last thing he said to you?"
"He… he said 'it's the Nighthowlers'. He kept repeating it… I don't know what he meant, he was just getting more and more worked up. 'It's Nighthowlers! Nighthowlers!'… I have no idea what he meant."
"Well, he's a florist, so… It might be linked to botany." Nick chimes in.
The buffalo lifts a brow and scowls at the fox. "What are you still doing here?"
"I'm a witness too." The fox grins. "I was a big help."
"He was. But I don't see how Nighthowlers could be linked to botany..."
"There's that great thing called Zoogle..." The tod snarks, taking out his phone, typing it in. "There you go. Class C botanical, also known as Midnicampum holicithius.
"You have to be kidding me." Groans Bogo, rolling his eyes.
- 1 -
"So, Wesselton, tell us what you know about the bulbs." Orders Judy to the weasel sitting in front of her in the interrogation room.
"It's Weaselton, bunny. And I got nuthin' to say to ya!"
On the other side of the one way mirror, the buffalo is intensely staring at both the mammals.
"What's on your mind, big guy?" Nick asks, standing next to him with a coffee cup.
"Nothing that concerns you, fox. And you're lucky I'm allowing you to be here."
"Am I? You're lucky I am here. If it wasn't for me, she would never have found the limo, the witness, or that guy." The tod grins, pointing at the weasel. "Face it Buffalo Bill. She's a great cop, and I'm an invaluable witness."
"Oh yeah?" The doe reacts on the other side of the glass. "You stole 50 zoollars worth of bulb. You'd think it's a small offense, barely worth a fine, but it was a class C botanical. In other words, it's the same level as an illegal drug. Now we're threading on prison sentence territory. But that's not all, it's linked to a disappearance, so why don't we add complicity in an abduction, hm?"
"I ain't an accomplice in anythin'!" The mustelid protests.
"You might or might not be, but I'm fairly certain the bulb you sold weren't for you, and if your client is linked to the disappearance… Well it does make you an accomplice. You better pray that otter is still alive, or we can add complicity to murder to the charge. And that's easily a 15 years sentence on top. So, what will it be?"
"Oh, she's good." Grins Nick as Duke's expression of anger dissolves into uncertainty. "You don't think she's good?"
"Shut it, fox." Seethes the buffalo between clenched teeth.
"It's my investigation!" Judy protests as chief Bogo shakes his head.
"Have you ever been through a SWAT program?"
"I did some training."
"Some."
"I was valedictorian at the academy!" She states.
"And so was I!" The buffalo retorts. "You think my chief would've let a rookie participate in that kind of operation on their first week? I got assigned to a partner, told to shut it and obey orders!"
"So you didn't get assigned to parking duty."
The herbivore bites his lower lip and scowls at her. "No."
"So it wasn't hazing."
"No. I should have assigned you a partner, and treated you like any other ZPD officer. I didn't, it was wrong and I'm sorry."
"Oh..." Judy can only react, not having expected the apology.
"But just because I misjudged you doesn't mean you're ready for this. You're going to sit on the sidelines and that's final. And after that, you'll get all the recognition you deserve for your investigation job."
- 1 -
Judy is following the raid thanks to her colleagues bodycams. A ram wearing a hazmat suit is apprehended. It seems the ammo he's using can't penetrate the cops' body armor, but he manages to shoot a rhino officer on an exposed part of his body.
The pachyderm immediately turns crazy, attacking his colleagues, but gets neutralized thanks to a female elephant officer (Judy believes she's called Francine). Soon, two more sheep get arrested, thrown into the back of a police van and brought to the precinct.
"This is a travesty! I'm innocent! It's all Lionheart's fault! It's the predators! I was only trying to show you what power hungry monsters they are!" Shouts Bellwether as she's being dragged by Judy, who's put the cuffs on her. "It's thanks to me you got this investigation, you ungrateful idiot. I thought we were on the same side, but you're siding with those jerks? You think they'll treat you right? I'm not the bad guy, they'll just use you and throw you away."
"I told you you had the right to remain silent. I really wish you'd exercise it." Judy retorts, pushing her into the police cruiser.
"Did I capture the savage mammals? Yes. Yes I did. But I couldn't take the risk of putting the citizen in danger, and run the risk of them hurting themselves." Smiles the lion to the camera.
"But wasn't there any way to do it legally?" Asks the female snow leopard.
"It implied potentially creating a panic and a rift between the citizen. It could have resulted in riots, hurt mammals. I had to run the risk, even if it meant risking my career and freedom for it."
Nick snorts as he watches the interview. "This guy's good. Ten to one he was only covering his own tail."
"Well, none of the savage mammals are pressing charges, and no one got hurt, so I'd call that a win." Judy answers.
"It doesn't bother you that he'd get them capture for his own gain?"
"It does, but there's isn't much we can do. It was ruled as case of emergency situation, and he has the abductees on his side… I guess only time will tell if he's as good a mammal as he pretends to be."
"You're almost up." Squeaks a squirrel technician near them.
Judy straightens up, smoothing over the small creases of her formal uniform. "You're really going with the Pawaïan shirt."
"Well, I do look fantastic in it." The tod grins.
"Go in three, two, one…"
Walking between curtain, the pair of small mammals walk onto a TV set where a sofa sized for them is waiting on a small podium, at eye level with their host.
"… Happy to present to you, the two mammals that cracked this case wide open. Officer Judith Hopps, and Nicolas Wilde." Says the female feline presenting them.
"Please call me Judy."
"And me Nick."
"Alright, Judy, Nick, how did you two end up working together?"
"May I?" Asks the fox.
"Go ahead."
"Well, Fabienne – can I call you Fabienne? - It's actually a funny story…"
Hester is leaning against Gideon, watching ZNN, and Judy's interview. Her boyfriend looks relaxed and content, his claw gently scratching her back.
"So, she solved one of the biggest case of the decade on her first week." She chuckles.
"Can't say I'm surprised."
"I recall you saying her week didn't start so great."
The tod shrugs. "What can I say, she's Judy Hopps."
Turning his head, his thumb traces the line of her jaw, before leaning in to kiss her.
"I reckon we both got our happy ending."
The End, for real, no fake out