The arctic hare drummed her fingers on her desk, sighing as she stared at her monitors. She reviewed the footage three or four times before squinting her eyes shut and twisting her mouth.
It was really none of her business. Try as she might, though, she couldn't click off the footage and just get back to what she was supposed to be doing. The words of her father, Steven Skippel, rang in her head: "If you have to do wrong, do wrong for the right reason."
But was it the right reason? And should she even get involved?
Karen Skippel, technical officer of precinct one at the ZPD, looked behind her and narrowed an eye, biting her lip. Judy was right on time for her morning routine; she was carrying two cups of coffee right by Karen's desk.
A stab of anxiety sank into Karen. She figured it was now or never.
"Hopps."
"Mm?" Judy slowed her pace, turning her head in Karen's direction. "Oh! G'morning, Karen."
"Hopps," Karen frowned, "it's... it's none of my business, but has Nick been acting strangely lately?"
Judy tilted her head, twisting her mouth as she stared into the air, trying to recall. "Not more so than usual."
Karen sighed.
"Is something the matter?" Judy blinked twice.
Karen swallowed and let another slow breath out. "Well, um. You might want to take a look at this."
Judy stopped walking and looked at Karen's workstation. "Is that pawn shop footage?"
"Mm," Karen nodded. "The Chief is having me looking at footage of a few pawn shops off of Pack Street. There were a few robberies in the area recently, and I'm looking for any suspicious mammals matching these dossiers." Karen circled her mouse pointer around a few case files brought up on her left monitor. She returned the pointer to her center monitor.
"Okay; is there anything I can help you with?" Judy wondered.
"Not exactly, but take a look at this," Karen looked around subtly to see if any more eyes were on her, and finding none, she clicked a video and scrolled to a particular timestamp. A fox wearing sunglasses entered the pawn shop.
"Oh, it's Nick," Judy chuffed. Her head twitched. "Wait- it's Nick? Is he- what is he- staking the place out or something?" Judy sneered a bit at seeing Nick wearing sunglasses indoors.
"No no...!" Karen waved her hands horizontally in frustration. "Give it a second."
On the footage, Nick approached the counter and set a small box onto it. He opened it to show the hippo cashier and there was a ring inside. Judy placed a hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to gasp.
"...Wasn't Nick supposed to be getting married?" Karen perked an eyebrow up. "That- it looks like an engagement ring to me."
"He was- is... was?" Judy grit her teeth.
"Like I said, it's none of my business," Karen's eyes darted off to the side. "But- y'know, I thought it was strange. The scuttlebutt around the station is still that he's marrying that- what's her name."
"Vicky," Judy frowned. "Well, I'll just have to see if Nick has anything to say for himself."
"You didn't see this from me," Karen winced. "I- I don't know if I should have shown you."
"I didn't see anything," Judy claimed brightly. Karen half-smiled, but her light blue eyes still reflected a bit of worry.
A day went by, then two, then a week. Nick's behavior seemed completely normal, and for Judy's part, she thought she did a very good job keeping her suspicions supressed. Despite this, Judy Hopps was not known for her patience, and it was swiftly running out.
BAPBAPBAP!
Nick all but convulsed at the sharp sound coming from his apartment door, clutching at his chest. He put his TV on pause and cautiously rose from the couch. He delayed answering it for almost a minute.
BAPBAPBAP!
"Gah!" Nick flinched, his shoulders coming up.
"I know you're in there, Nick!" Judy's voice came from the other side of the door.
"Ah, just- just a second!" Nick quickly threw on a pair of shorts over his boxers and slipped on a shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror. Not great, but good enough. He opened the door to see a cross-looking bunny with her hands on her hips. "Carrots! Wasn't- wasn't expecting you!"
"That was twenty seconds, Nick," Judy stormed in.
"Uh, come right in," Nick said as Judy brushed past her. "Jeez, that was only you knocking at the door? I thought you had at least a horse with you!"
"Why is this place such a mess?" Judy flicked her paw at a discarded pizza box.
"It's not a mess, mom," Nick rolled his eyes, "you remember what my other place used to look like."
"And there's no excuse for you to regress," Judy threw her arms out wide. "Where is Vicky!?"
"Uh, she's not here," Nick rubbed behind his neck.
"Obviously!" Judy frowned. She fussily made her way around the apartment, her nose twitching curiously.
"Wha- um, can I help you with something?" Nick rubbed his chest nervously, then willed his smug persona to come back to him. "This place a crime scene?"
"You tell me!" Judy sniffed more. "It doesn't smell like Vicky at all in here! Did you have the place de-scented?"
"Haha, like you could tell that-" Nick replied casually, holding a hand out palm-up.
"Your sense of smell is only about twice as good as mine," Judy narrowed her eyes at him testily. "It could be a lot worse."
"So, Carrots," Nick pressed his paws together and rotated them forward in Judy's direction, "I actually was just leaving on an important errand. Maybe we could catch up later? You know, not so- 'hey, I'm Judy Hopps and I just love dropping in randomly!'?"
Judy kept an eye narrowed. "Nick, what's the matter with you!? Are you going to get married to Vicky or not?"
Nick checked his phone. "Oh darn it, Fluff; the banks about to close and I have something really important to do so I just might as well go-"
"Nick, you coward!" Judy stamped her foot, closing in on Nick. "Talk to me like an adult!"
"Sorry, bunny!" Nick slipped out of the door and into the hallway. "The horoscope says Serendipity's only about a two outta ten today, and I don't like those odds. Better luck tomorrow, maybe?"
Judy lunged after Nick, but once she was in the hallway Nick was already around a corner. The bunny felt her claws threaten to dig into her palms as she balled her fists up tight and let loose a growl of frustration.
The fox's head peeked from around the corner. "Oh, and would you mind locking up for me? Thaaanks, Carrots!" With a quick swoosh, he was gone again.
Judy had half a mind to ignore him, but she let her anger slowly fizzle out of her and locked up Nick's apartment for him. She sighed heavily.
"That idiot..." Judy kicked at the ground with her foot. "He's so flighty today; even if I cuffed him to a lamppost he probably wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know. Since when does he believe in the horoscope, anyway?"
The bunny tapped her forefinger on her fluffy cheeks. She then perked up suddenly and snapped her fingers, her ears shooting up as well.
"Aha! Maybe there's someone that can tell me what's up with him..." Judy's brow fell and she grew a smirk. She left Nick's apartment complex and started to head for the park.
It was quite a pleasant day in Mezzo Park; a light breeze accentuated the mild temperature nicely and made for relaxing, soothing conditions. Judy wasn't there to relax, though, she was there for answers. Nick and Judy had a mutual friend there named Vivian Reddish who sold frozen fruit drinks at the park, and on more than one occasion the two officers had used her as a confidant. Judy figured that if anyone knew what was up with Nick, she would. Even if she didn't, Judy figured Vivian could puzzle out what was happening with Nick given all the clues.
Judy suddenly halted her pace once Vivian's stand came into view. She got more than she bargained for.
Vicky herself was hunched over near the counter of the stand, and her icy blue eyes looked to be bubbling with tears. Judy held a paw near her chest in caution. Though Vivian tried to stop herself, she couldn't help looking over at Judy briefly, and when Vicky followed her gaze, her sorrowful expression changed to one of rage.
"YOU!" Vicky spat, her voice dripping with hatred. She swiped up her drink and went storming over to Judy.
"Uh, h-hey there Vicky-" Judy held her hands up near her chest to show she meant no harm, but Vicky violently thrust her cup at Judy, spilling frigid purple slush all over the bunny.
"Yeow!" Judy shivered instantly at the impact, immediately starting to wipe the slush out of her fur before the cold bit into her skin. "Vicky-"
"You whore!" Vicky shouted, tossing her empty plastic cup at Judy. It deflected off the top of her head as she held up her paws defensively. "Homewrecker! You fff... filthy SLUT!"
"Excuse me!?" Judy shot back. "Listen, I can tell you're upset, so I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you don't calm down I'm going to-"
"What, you're going to arrest me?" Vicky held her arms out wide. "Go ahead, do it! Think I'm a savage risk!? Would be so fitting with how little you think about predators!"
Judy cringed, continuing to try to get the cold slush out of her fur. "I deserve that. Now- please, can we please just talk?"
"What's there to say to you!?" Vicky sneered, pointing dangerously close to Judy's face. Judy's head backed up defensively. "I can't believe you're so deviant- so selfish, that you couldn't leave Nick alone for me! That you- you seduced him into cheating-"
"I am not sleeping with him!" Judy yelled decisively, holding her arms out. "I'm not! Did he tell you I was?"
"It's the only thing that makes any sense!" Vicky put her hands on her chest. "He- he wouldn't tell me why he was giving me up! He just said that it wasn't going to work! And I see why, because he's tail over head for you!"
"I swear, Vicky," Judy grit her teeth, her voice earnest, "I swear I'm not trying to get between you two."
"Well, it's too late for that, isn't it?" Vicky sneered. "I can't trust Nick again. Not after he tore himself away from me for some... some scum of a bunny. He made his den, and now he's going to sleep in it. Alone."
"Vicky..." Judy winced, placing her hands on her own chest, "I've made some big mistakes, and you know that. Everyone in Zootopia does. But Nick forgave me. Maybe you can find it in yourself to forgive him-"
Judy wasn't expecting the flash of brown paw. The backhand caught her across the face and took her head to the side. Steadying herself by leaning harder on her foot, it was only Judy's quick reflexes that kept her from losing her balance and ending up on the ground. Off in the distance, Judy heard Vivian gasp.
"I tried to be reasonable, you vixen," Judy said coldly. Vicky balled her fists at the old female fox slur, growling at the bunny, who stared up at her fearlessly. "C'mon, try me one more time and you'll find your tail in a jail cell before you know what hit you. Here's a hint: it's going to be bunny feet."
The intensity of Vicky's growling got more frightening, and Judy adopted a ready stance. Vicky suddenly backed down and scoffed. "I hope the next thing I read about you in the paper is your obituary," Vicky thrust her head away from Judy as if it took effort and walked briskly away from Judy, tossing her one last hateful glance.
Judy rubbed her stinging cheek as she walked closer to Vivian's stand.
"Do you need me to call the police, Judy?" Vivian said worriedly.
"Present," Judy said wryly, holding up a paw.
"She assaulted you," Vivian said, her brow and eyes fraught with worry.
"She's confused, betrayed, and her emotions are riding high," Judy noted, looking off in Vicky's direction. "I sympathize with her. I mean, I did that to Nick before..."
"But he didn't hit you..." Vivian mumbled.
"So, I guess the wedding's off," Judy shrugged. "Hey, do you have a paper towel or something?"
"Sure is, and here," Vivian handed Judy a paper towel and the bunny began to dab it on her damp fur.
"Can you tell me why Nick called things off?" Judy wondered.
"You don't have to be a detective to figure it out, Judy," Vivian folded her arms across her counter, looking at her with almost scolding eyes. "It's all your fault, because Nick's cheating on Vicky with you."
"What!? Vivian!" Judy placed her paws on her chest. "No! I'm not having sex with Nick!"
"Maybe not," Vivian shook her head, "but you're still his emotional confidant; his closest friend."
"So- so what!?" Judy's eyes started to dart around wildly and she found herself staring at the floor. "So for Nick to be happy, do I have to... do I have to like, separate from him? Is that what I need to do? We- do I need to get another partner?"
"Would that make you happy?" Vivian frowned. "Would that make him happy?"
"Well, I have half a mind to ask him!" Judy shouted up at Vivian. "If... if I'm the only thing standing in the way of his happiness... I can't- I want him to be happy! ...Ugh. If he wasn't my partner anymore, I sure wouldn't be happy..."
"Judy, you know I have some... 'different' beliefs when it comes to relationships, but I can tell you how most foxes are," Vivian looked off to the side. "Most foxes are all about devotion. Vicky is angry because Nick won't fully devote himself to her. And Nick... I don't think Nick could be in a relationship with anyone he couldn't devote himself completely to." Vivian sighed. "I have a feeling I know who that 'someone' he wants to devote himself to is... she's standing right in front of me."
"Are- are you saying..." Judy grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes, "that Nick could only be happy in a relationship if he-... if we..." Judy let out an amazed huff, blinking and shaking her head subtly in disbelief. "I can't believe this."
"It's my guess," Vivian shrugged. "From all I've seen from you two, there's a bunny-shaped hole that's been drilled into his heart, and no vixen will be able to properly fill it."
"What can I give him that a vixen couldn't?" Judy wondered. "Certainly not kits. He told me he wants to be a father..."
"Judy, I can only speculate why he finds you so special," Vivian grinned, "but I know that Nick has very particular tastes and high standards, so I trust his judgement when he made the decision to dump Vicky. But for the full story, you know what you need to do."
"Tie that fox down and make him talk," Judy punched a fist into her other hand. "Hmph. Well, thank you for the insight, Vivian."
"Want a drink to go, on me?" Vivian shrugged her shoulders.
"Sure!" Judy brightened up. "Pour a drink on yourself! I've already had a drink go on me!" Judy flashed an obnoxious grin.
"Listen, you," Vivian leaned over the counter and half-lidded her eyes with a smirk. "Don't be cute."
"Me? Cute? Never," Judy bat her eyes. She giggled. "Yeah, I'll take a drink to go."
After saying farewell to the the cobalt blue-eyed vixen that tended the fruit stand, Judy clasped the grape drink in her paws as she headed back to her own apartment.
Judy didn't care what rating Serendipity had for the next day. She knew that Nick's number was up.