"Hey, watch where you're goin', fox," the sheep called out to Nick, who held his arms open wide in a confrontational gesture.
Wait, Nick?
Judy let out a terse gasp. That was Nick, Nick Wilde! She... knew him? Or, she was about to. Judy grabbed at her temples and had an enormously odd feeling of deja vu. No, it was more than that. She felt like she could "remember" everything that was going to happen with Nick over the next several months. The sensation was overwhelming and she almost fell over, feeling a bit dizzy. Without thinking further, she followed Nick into Jerry Jumbeaux's ice cream parlor.
"Do you want the red one or the blue one, pal?" Nick asked Finnick, who Judy somehow also knew by name, and knew they were hustling. But...
"The red one..." Judy whispered slightly, and saw Finnick go up and indicate this in a childlike manner, just as she "remembered".
Judy made a small scoffing sound and turned her head away. This wasn't natural, nothing about it was. Was she having some weird sort of nightmare? She pinched herself, but nothing happened. More importantly, what should she DO?
Judy felt like she was reading ahead from a teleprompter. She felt like she was cheating. But what would happen if she did even one single thing different than what she "remembered"? She shuddered to think.
"Um, excuse me!" Judy said, walking forward. The words came naturally to her as she let herself "fall" for Nick's simple trick. But, at the same time, every phrase she said, knowing exactly what Nick was going to say in response, it was eerie, almost chilling.
She hoped the feeling would pass, and soon, because she was starting to "remember" more and more.
Judy trudged into her apartment, her feet skill caked with bits of cement. She felt more bewildered than discouraged. When Nick went off on her about how little her dreams meant and how naive she was, she knew he was speaking from his own personal experience. That was something she would learn, what, tomorrow? Or the day after?
"What's going on with me? Judy moaned quietly. "I don't believe in supernatural things..." Judy tapped on her radio a few times. The same order of songs she remembered. She almost wanted to hit the button one more time, but she felt a terrifying impulse like any deviation from the "timeline" she was "remembering" would end up tearing the universe apart. "Or something..." Judy added out loud.
She ripped open her "Carrots for One" microwavable dinner. One wrinkled carrot, just like she thought. Tossing it into the garbage, she looked at her clock.
"My parents are going to call right... now," Judy pointed at her phone, and it started buzzing. Judy put her paws to her cheeks. This was horrible. She shouldn't have knowledge like this. No one should. Regardless, she put on her best happy face, the one she pre-remembered, and answered. "Oh, hey, it's my parents...!"
"Tomorrow's another day," Judy said after the call. Another day that I already know...
"Yeah, but it might be worse!" One of her neighbors called out.
Getting ready for bed and sinking into it, Judy wondered about her pre-knowledge and how spookily reliable it was. She thought of all the mistakes she "remembered" that she was about to make in the days to come. So many important things were about to happen. Things that could affect the very future of Zootopia, especially for predators.
"For Nick..." Judy said very quietly. What should she do? She knew all the answers and the outcome. She tried to remember beyond what would happen at the very end of the case, after the assistant mayor was taken off, but she found she couldn't. She just knew that they won. Judy and Nick won.
Judy rolled over in bed. She couldn't change anything, she knew it. Someone, or something, had given her the keys to ensure Zootopia's future, and she sure as heck wasn't going to screw it up.
"I'll keep on making those new mistakes," Judy whispered to herself. "I'll keep on making them every day. Those new mistakes..."
It had finally arrived. The moment Judy had been dreading ever since she first laid her eyes on Nick and received the knowledge of what was to come. She was standing at the podium at the ZPD. She was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. But she had to, didn't she? She had to, because if she didn't, she wouldn't know what would happen next.
"What can you tell us about the animals that went savage?" A reporter asked.
"Well, um, the animals that went savage... are they all different species? Yes... yes they are," Judy said carefully. She was supposed to glance over to Nick. She did, and saw him pump his fist with pride, giving a thumbs up.
"So what is the connection?" Another question.
"Well, all we know is that they are all members of the predator family," Judy said, as if she had rehearsed it.
"So, predators are the only ones going savage?" A sheep asked. Judy felt a burst of suspicion.
"That is acc- yes, that is accurate, yes," Judy pointed at him.
"Why!? Why is this happening!?" A frantic pig asked.
"We still don't know," Judy said. Her audience gasped in disappointment. A cold feeling of dread crept up Judy's spine. It was time to do it. She felt the weight of conflicting responsibilities crushing her. She almost choked. "But..." She hesitated. "At this point it would be harmful to speculate as to why this could be happening. These are... isolated cases. We can't- no, we must not allow ourselves to give in to fear. We at the ZPD are ready and willing to protect you, and we will remain vigilant against any new cases that arise. ...No further questions."
Judy got offstage and felt like someone had torn something out of her. She'd changed something. The news reporters were buzzing. She looked at Dawn Bellwether. "Was I okay...?"
"Oh, it was great!" Dawn gave a friendly smile. She wasn't supposed to say that. She was supposed to say "you did fine". Judy felt a terrifying sinking feeling. She wandered over to Nick, almost in a daze.
"That happened so fast..." Judy said. "I should have mentioned you, but I got confused and I... screwed everything up."
"What? No, you did great," Nick chuckled. "Proud of you, kit."
"I wasn't supposed to do great," Judy said, panicking. "I was supposed to do horrible!"
"Uh? What are you talking about?" Nick said in a dry voice.
Judy took a deep breath and composed herself. "Nick, you have to have dinner with me tonight. There are some things I need to discuss with you."
"Uh, okay? Sure!" Nick chuckled. "I'll be there, if I get to pick the place."
"Deal," Judy nodded seriously.
Judy tried to gather her thoughts, brushing off the reporters as she exited the ZPD. She wasn't getting any "new" pre-memories. She still "remembered" what was supposed to happen. But now things could never happen that way because she messed up. "Again". Just this time, it was in an entirely new way. She had to admit, she had no idea what to do now.
"You're a vegetarian?" Judy cocked her eyebrow as Nick took her to a place famous for a nice salad bar.
Nick shrugged. "Yeah, kinda. It comes with the whole 'hustling' shtick. If I'm eating in front of a prey, I don't want them to be nervous, so I try to keep from eating anything 'fishy' around them."
"Clever," Judy smiled wryly, rolling her eyes.
"So, what was with you after the press conference?" Nick wondered, digging into his salad. "You looked like you were about to freak out."
"Okay, Nick, I've decided to tell you something that will probably make you run out of the room in disgust in the worst case," Judy said nervously. "And in the best case, you'll think I'm out of my mind."
"This should be good," Nick smirked, folding his arms over the table.
"Ever since I met you, I..." Judy started pensively, looking away. Nick's eyes flew open.
"Carrots, we've known each other two days," Nick whispered loudly.
"Oh, no, not that!" Judy giggled into her fist. "Ever since I met you I... hoo boy, this is hard to say. I've had... pre-knowledge of what was going to happen to me, and us... for a period of about... three months."
"...Okay, you're right, you are out of your mind, and I can't say I saw that coming," Nick winced. Then he scoffed. "But apparently you did?"
"No, not anymore," Judy shook her head. "I... I screwed up. I changed something. ...Now everything is different. In my 'pre-memories', this dinner never happened."
Nick chuckled. "Okay, I don't remember you hitting your head, but something's definitely weird with you, Carrots. Let's say for one moment I believed you. Wouldn't it be fair to say you made a bunch of poor- no, outright stupid choices? Mr. Big especially?"
"I thought if I changed anything... bad things might happen, you know we almost died a few times..." Judy grit her teeth. "I knew... everything would be okay."
"Did you now?" Nick squinted his eyes. "Because that's an awfully convenient excuse. And you still have that fox repellent on you. Did you 'remember' that I noticed that?"
"Yes..." Judy said mournfully. "Because I'm supposed to..."
Nick bowed his head and put it in his paws. "Judy, listen. Okay... we have to sort something out here. Why are you even telling me this?"
"Because I don't know what to do now, Nick!" Judy said, her voice shuddering. "I know what we're supposed to do, but that can't happen anymore!"
"Why!?" Nick pounded the table with his fist, causing Judy to flinch. "Why can't we?" Judy grit her teeth and looked away, not willing to respond. Nick pointed cautiously at her. "Do you want to know what I think?"
"Please..." Judy nodded, her voice sounding desperate. She clasped her paws together softly. This actually gave Nick some pause.
"I think... you're not ready for this all to end," Nick said. "You must thrive on the thrill of all of those near-catastrophes we had. And because you didn't just cause one, you feel scared, because I'm about to go back into the 'wild', and away from you. But it's over, Carrots. Case closed."
"It's not over," Judy shook her head. "Lionheart isn't the real enemy."
"What?" Nick looked very incredulous. "Help me out, here!"
"It's Bellwether," Judy said quietly after looking around in suspicion. "She's behind it."
"I'm afraid your 'future sight' is right, Judy," Nick frowned. "I'm about to stand up and walk out of here. Maybe you were right about me after all."
"I'm sorry, Nick, I'm scared," Judy admitted. "I don't know how we'll... ...I mean, I'll... get her now."
"Well if you know the 'answer' then I'm sure you can come up with something," Nick said curtly. "Give me one good reason to believe you just haven't made up an incredibly ridiculous story."
"I don't... I don't know," Judy mumbled. "Nothing's going to be the same anymore. I don't even know if we'll end up partners..."
"Partners?" Nick narrowed his eyes.
"Partners!" Judy lit up. "That's right, Nick, your application! You filled it out!"
"Okay look, you had a fifty percent shot at that," Nick gave a half-smile wryly. "I'm not going to put any extra faith in your story over that."
"No no no," Judy said, getting excited. "In my pre-memory I remember holding onto it after you gave it to me... and I looked at it almost every day. I know exactly what's on it!"
"Okay, this is getting interesting," Nick smirked. "But why would I have given it to you?"
"I'll get there!" Judy said impatiently. "Now, shall I tell you!?"
"Let's do this legit," Nick said, taking off his tie. "Tie this around your eyes so I can be sure you're not cheating somehow. I know you didn't lay eyes on the form because I folded it up before I put it away and saw you again."
"Okay okay okay!" Judy beckoned with her hands quickly, tying the tie around her eyes. "I'll put the broad part over my eyes so you can be sure I'm not seeing anything."
Nick carefully unfolded his application. "Okay, go."
Judy took a deep breath, centering herself. "Nicholas Wilde, P. You're a citizen of Zootopia, four foot nothing, eighty pounds. You are a predator, a fox. You are applying for police officer."
"Okay, easy enough so far to guess," Nick chuckled.
"The next section, your abilities," Judy went on. "And I quote: 'night vision, excellent sense of smell." Judy gave a small chuckle. "And uh... business savvy."
"Hm, okay, a little spooky, but there's one more bit," Nick smiled deviously. It was a yes or no question, but...
Judy laughed. "Okay, if you've been guilty to any crime, right? You marked both yes and no, and you kinda..." Judy giggled again. "You went over 'no' a few more times and tried to hide that you had marked yes."
"All right, that is weird," Nick admitted. Judy took her blindfold off, returning it to Nick.
"Nick, I've decided that I don't need you to believe me anymore," Judy said. "I just need you to trust me that I'm going to be trying to do what's right."
"Um, okay?" Nick said. "I have to know though, what did you think was going to happen?"
"I was going to make the lives of every predator in Zootopia much worse by implicating that they could just 'go savage' at random," Judy said seriously. "I was going to drive you away for just about three months. We were going to bust Bellwether in glorious fashion and then... well, it stops there. I don't know what would have happened after that. I have this vague wisp of you and I in a police car together, though. Both in uniform, of course! I didn't arrest you or anything."
"Uh huh," Nick shook his head. "So that's one mistake you just couldn't make, huh?"
"I saw how I hurt you, and how I hurt all predators," Judy gave a shaky sigh. "I caused riots. Me, a tiny bunny."
"We were in touching distance of Bellwether more than once," Nick shrugged. "If you were so sure, couldn't you have bagged her then?"
"I have nothing to connect to her, nothing that will stick," Judy shook her head. "That's why I'm so scared... I don't know what I can do now."
"Well, how is that any different from any normal day?" Nick shrugged. "If you've deviated from some sort of script you were handed, what's the problem with writing a new one?"
"I dunno, just that I guess everything turned out well in the end?" Judy held a hand to her forehead. "I mean, for us anyway. I can't say I know about each predator whose life I made worse." She groaned.
"Okay, that didn't happen, so let's focus on the now," Nick held his hands out in caution. "What can we do right now?"
"We...?" Judy said, surprised. "You really believe this crazy bunny?"
"Hey," Nick grinned. "You just said I didn't need to believe you. Just needed to trust you. And I... do. Within reason."
Judy grinned, hunching over the table. "We're going to need some blueberries."
"Mm," Nick nodded once. "Liking this already."
Author's Note: With this, a turning point will be happening in Different Tails. Instead of making new completely different chapters, I will be revisiting and continuing some of the favorite AUs and concepts from other chapters. So, let me know which ones you'd like to see again. I've already got some thoughts in mind, but your votes should tell me what's desired and affect the order I write them in. Bonus points if you give a reason why you'd like to see something. Oh and let me know what you thought of this one too, while you're at it, for even more points!