Here we are everyone, back with the newest chapter, as promised :)
It is in the process of being betaed, so it will be updated in a bit and any remaining typos will be removed. Me and my dear friend/beta will see to that - we have been busy going over the fic, luckily enough in a beautiful seaside location ourselves :)
Thank you for reading :)
*Update - betaing is done, no more pesky typos and errors!
"By the sea, bring along your chopper
To the seaside, hoo, hoo
By the beautiful sea"
Sweeney Todd - By the Sea
"There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. After all, hardly anyone expects a rabbit to know how to swim," Nick shrugged in a faintly superior manner and bit into his Oreo cookie with an audible crack.
"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times," Judy returned, maintaining a cool, bored tone. "Of course I know how to swim. How on earth do you think I'd have managed to get through that Tundra Town simulation obstacle course at the Academy if I didn't anyway? And might I remind you of our escape from that dreadful prison of a place Lionheart was keeping all the predators who had gone savage in - whose idea was it to escape through the plumbing, hmm?"
"Fair enough," Nick was chewing up his biscuit noisily, hands in pockets as Judy carefully pulled a small round raft and a pair of paddles over from the shed nearby. "Why are you so worried about getting your tiny paws wet now then, officer Twitchy Nose?"
"There is a difference," Judy replied, huffing a bit, as she lugged the raft over, "between being able to swim and wanting to jump into the water ears first at every possible opportunity. I realize that marine mammals enjoy Aquatica for how closely it imitates their historical habitat of origin - more power to them. I'll avoid getting my uniform soaked unless absolutely necessary though, thank you very much," and with that last word and an almighty push and a shove, the boat was afloat in the small stream trickling in front of them. Judy paused for breath, wiping the beads of sweat from her brow and holding a paw out to prevent the raft that she had manoeuvred into the water with so much effort from floating away from her immediately.
She cast her eyes up at the imposing, glittering structure of the Bubble Business Centre glistening in front of them. As its name suggested, the huge building seemed to be made of a myriad of huge shiny glass bubbles, each one containing offices, conference rooms and so on, the names of the various companies that had their headquarters there flashing in shiny letters above the corresponding bubbles. The various parts of the building communicated between themselves via thin crisscrossing passages suspended between the bubble structures. The entire Business Centre was glistening and sparkling in the rays of the cheerful spring sunshine - an effect that was multiplied dramatically thanks to the fact that the whole thing was set in the middle of an enormous pool of salty sea water. Aquatica - one of Zootropolis' central business districts - was widely favoured by mammals of marine descent. They found it very agreeable to take a short swim across the pool before gaining their office in the morning, or when heading out to lunch or to take the evening commute back home. For other animals who, like Judy, found they preferred sticking to dry land, several sheds providing rafts of various size were available. One had merely to punt one's way across the sparkly still waters and gain the Bubble Business Centre.
"Oh and thank you for the help Officer Wilde," Judy snapped at her partner in sarcasm, as she hopped into the raft and picked a paddle up.
The fox raised his eyebrows nonchalantly, throwing the empty packet of Oreos into a nearby bin before joining her in the vessel.
"Come now dear lady, why the tone? You insist so much on getting everything done yourself and proving to the world what a rabbit is capable of, one hardly dares offer one's assistance around you."
"Duh," Judy pushed off the bank expertly and guided the raft towards the middle of the pool. "Excuses excuses Nick, always the same."
"Now that one hurt," Nick replied dramatically, "Come on then Miss Hopps - give us a chance of redemption after slaughtering us with all that 'you're just no use' talk." He plucked the oars smartly from Judy's paws - the latter had hardly expected it - and set to rowing energetically.
"Relax partner," he said, raising a paw to her protests, "you settle down to figuring out how we'll get about talking to old mister moustache-and-tusks when we get there."
Judy dropped the paw she had stretched out to grab the paddle back, and bit her lip, pulling at her ears a bit in apprehension.
"I know," she let the air out of her lungs with a loud 'whoosh' and squared her small shoulders. "I'm trying to avoid thinking about that actually - but you're right Nick, we'd better have some sort of strategy. Crispy carrot soufflé, Mister Big creeps me out sometimes - but when I think that he's sending us over to see this guy, that he himself doesn't really dare dropping by to see him, even with all his bodyguards in tow-"
"When I think that the old shrew is playing us like fiddles - I mean, he hasn't yet gotten us the blasted building and the penthouse - and we are basically already upholding our part of the deal and digging the dirt up on his would-be competitors," Nick paused in his rowing for a moment and shook his head in disgust. "First time I'm made to pay up before I actually landed my side of a bargain Carrots, and that's a fact."
"Is it Mister Wilde?" Judy glanced innocently at him, raising her eyebrows.
The fox looked back at her nonplussed, and then he grinned widely as the penny dropped.
"Alright, maybe second time, if one counts the time you held that blessed pen of yours, with my incriminating confession recorded on it, over my poor head for days on end. You little long-eared extortionist," he shook his head at her, still smiling.
"Why, a compliment, thank you ever so kindly," Judy pretended to titter and hold a paw to her heart in a would-be touched manner.
"Anytime," Nick fell back to rowing, propelling the raft along. Judy's jokey expression faded as she contemplated the approaching structure of bubble-esque offices. She could see the names of the various companies it harboured clearly now - Timothy's in the signature turquoise blue, Clamier all shiny with polished lettering - yes, there were a lot of jewellers in Aquatica. And finally, emblazoned on one of the central bubbles, the name she had been looking for - Messer Webfoot and associates. Her stomach gave a tiny unpleasant churn. Mister Webfoot was quite a well known jeweller - a greying enormous walrus, who'd established a name for himself in the trade thanks to his exquisite pearl necklaces and diamond tiaras back in the day. His company, at first a modest boutique, had grown in size and in fame over the last couple of decades.
It had been rumoured that some of this success was due to shady business though. What kind of shady business exactly, Judy had no idea, and no official records in the ZPD database could be found to provide any indications. If the rumours - possibly spread by competing jewellers - were to be believed, Mister Webfoot had been efficient in covering his (webbed, as it were) tracks and in not stepping on the paws of any other animals conducting similar suspicious transactions.
No paws except the tiny paws of Mister Big though, it would seem. For the shrew crime boss had no sooner ensured the assistance of Nick and Judy in any investigations he would wish to conduct, as the counter part of his assistance with their lodging issues, that he sent them straight over to investigate the aforementioned Mister Webfoot.
"The pearls come from his divers working out on the coast my child," Mister Big had wheezed to Judy, when she and Nick had stopped by at his unofficial reception point in Tundra Town that morning, as per his voicemail request. "Those diamonds of his though - the latest stock he's gotten in since last fall... that's been pulled straight out of Tundra; there's just nowhere else an animal gets such quality gems. And he has no right to them - who is his inside contact here, that's what I'd like to know. Put a stop to this messy affair my child."
Judy shivered now, remembering the shrew's words, as she imagined just what 'put a stop to it' meant from the crime master's point of view.
"Nick, what will Mr Big do if he finds out who Webfoot's contact in Tundra Town is - provided there is one - do you think?" she asked, appealing to Nick's inside knowledge of the other side of the law.
Her partner pretended to consider her words carefully.
"It depends," he said finally, his voice solemn. "If it is a small mammal, he'll settle for making the culprit into a kebab, or at most a tasteful soufflé. If the animal is large though, I see no reason why a full-fledged ragout would not be ordered."
Judy failed to smile at these quips.
"He'll really kill him, will he Nick?" she faced the fox in earnest. Nick seemed to sober at her expression.
"One thing is sure Carrots," he said finally, slowly as if he were choosing his words. "Big has always hated his Webfootedness - the feeling must be mutual from what I've heard. If one of Big's men is dolling out Tundra town's diamonds to old walrus-breath - well then, despite the fact that the unfortunate animal may be getting a handsome reward, I'd sure as sugar hate to be in his pawtracks."
"Or hers," Judy added, remembering Bellweather.
"Or hers," Nick agreed, jumping out of the raft lightly onto the wide gleaming steps that led up to the Bubble Centre's wide carved silvery gates. He turned to offer Judy a paw out, which she accepted mechanically, her mind still on the affair at stake. Seeing her preoccupation, Nick stayed her for a second, still holding on to her paw.
"Listen up Carrots," he said in a quick and urgent, albeit low, tone. " No need to fret. Follow my lead, would you - with all due respect to rabbits everywhere, you'll remember that I have a bit of experience when dealing with these sort of... business exchanges. And don't forget - no mention of Big, no mention of our following any sort of tip-off of his. Just two police officers dropping by to check out an anonymous tip - which they are so very sorry about, but that is their duty after all, even if the tip may concern an oh-so-respected bijoutier - so once we've established there's nothing amiss, we'd best be on our way, thank you and adieu Mister Walrus Tusk."
"Thank you and adieu," Judy echoed with a sigh. "Except that we do have to get some information out of him, or Big won't be happy with us."
"We do - but we will," Nick reassured her. "We're the face of the law - he'll have to show us something - authenticity certificates, papers establishing the origin of those cursed diamonds - anything. And no matter that those papers may be fake as fake, they could still suffice for Big to pursue the investigation on his end."
Nick went to finish his phrase with an airy wave of the paw, only to realize that he was still clasping Judy's. Dropping it with record speed, he went to straighten his tie in an unnecessary gesture, addressing his partner at the same time.
"What did you put on the report for old Bogo then anyway - you had to justify our going out all the way here to sniff around in some way?"
"Just what you said - that we were following an anonymous tip-off," Judy shrugged. "Given Webfoot's reputation, though it may be strictly oral and off-the-records, Bogo would hardly blame us for checking out such a tip."
"Well-done you then, Long Ears," Nick said, giving Judy a quick smile. "Shall we?" he gestured to the doors of the building looming in front of them.
"I suppose we must," Judy agreed, straightening up and brushing the sleeves of her uniform off, before heading over to the entrance with all the show of professional dignity she could muster.
The reception area was domed, imitating the bubble shapes present everywhere around them. Even the reception desk was shaped like a kind of goldfish bowl structure, the animal manning it seated behind his computer, busily clicking away.
Judy gave Nick one last reassuring smile, as they approached the receptionist - Nick responded with a tiny wink and a minute thumbs up gesture - and then they were in front of the young seal who was tapping away at his keyboard.
"Excuse me, um, Mister-" Judy coughed a bit to get the animal's attention.
"Mister Phoque, Madame," the seal was instantly at their attention, having abandoned his typing. "Brian Phoque. Welcome to Bubble Business Centre - how may I assist you?" he was all charm and professional veneer, but Judy could see that his quick black eyes had darted over their uniforms, their badges and their faces, noting details. She wondered whether all the animals working in Aquatica's shiny hub of activity were involved in the crime activities going on behind the scenes, then wondered whether she was not becoming paranoid.
"Officer Judy Hopps Sir - and this is my partner, Officer Wilde," they flashed their badges at him in the much practised simultaneous gesture of presentation. Mr Phoque looked back at them, his expression carefully blank. "We're here to speak with Mister Webfoot, Sir."
"And have you an appointment, officers?" Mr Phoque's attitude was as pleasant as ever, but Judy noticed that he had made no move to intercom anyone about their arrival, or in any other way to assist them in getting to Webfoot's offices.
"I phoned Mr Webfoot's secretary," Judy replied, her tone neutral, and any impatience in it checked. "She said he'd be in all morning - that we could go ahead and drop by, seeing as how we're here on police business anyway." She gave the seal a pointed look.
"I see," Mr Phoque seemed to reach some internal decision - or just shrug all responsibility off, since the two friends seemed ready to assume it for themselves. "I'll have someone escort you then," and, with that, he reached for the intercom.
As Nick and Judy followed Charlie - the portly and self-important sea lion Mr Phoque had summoned - across the hall in the direction of the elevators, Judy had the strangest feeling that Mr Phoque's eyes were still upon their backs. She gave Nick a quick glance, and the fox seemed to understand her at that. He let fall the infamous carrot pen (that was almost always in the breast pocket of his uniform) with a small exclamation of 'oupsie!' and a studied start of astonishment. Judy allowed the pen to skid backwards over the shiny periwinkle-coloured floor a couple of feet before whirling around to retrieve it - thus allowing herself an excuse to snatch another look at the reception desk. She seemed destined for disappointment as far as the poker-faced Mr Phoque was concerned, for he was not at all following the police officers with his gaze when she looked. She did however see him hurriedly put back the receiver of his old-fashioned intercom and retrieve his right fin from it, as if anxious that no one should catch the gesture. The (perhaps) innocent action seemed somehow ominous, given the circumstances and the reputation of the animal they were about to encounter.
Judy felt far from reassured as she picked the carrot-shaped pen up and hurried after Nick and their escort.
Nick, when questioned on the drive over to Aquatica that morning by his partner, had said that he figured that Mr Webfoot would meet them with an air that was either coldly defiant or falsely friendly. His hustling-days instincts had (as was often the case) seemed to have proven Nick right - the walrus had opted for the latter it seemed; he was all professional veneer and clipped polite tones, heading out in person to meet them as the elevator opened with a smart 'ping' on the floor that belonged to his company.
"So charmed," he boomed in a low, slightly raspy voice that went perfectly with his huge greyish brown bulk that had him towering over the two friends. "Delighted. Officer Hopps, is it? The famous rabbit face of the ZPD. Yes, I keep myself informed, as you can see, well informed on the goings-on in the city," he gave a hearty rumbling chuckle that somehow sent a chill down Judy's back despite the kind words that accompanied it. She accepted Mr Webfoot's fin and shook it with both her paws (as one would hardly have sufficed in size). The mighty walrus proceeded to acknowledge Nick with a nod and another smile, that stretched his huge droopy moustache and showed his long yellowing tusks, but somehow didn't reach his eyes. As Nick finished presenting himself (Mr Webfoot seemed just as well aware of the fox's name as he was of the rabbit's though, so the introduction was rendered superfluous) Webfoot nodded his welcome to them before turning to the sea lion who was still at their side.
"A cup of tea for our guests then, Charles. Step to it, will you? Please," this was uttered to the two officers as Charlie sped off in search of the tea things. "You will accept a spot of tea, though you may be on duty officers? It is a new brand of Oolong they have developed over at the Brothers Oysterton," he waved a fin in the general direction of the enormous windowpanes through which the other bubble office capsules were visible. "They have added a touch of algae to it - the sly devils - that would quite bring out the smoky accents of the flavouring they say. They're handing out some samples to us fellows working here at Bubbles, so we can give them our opinion before the merchandise hits the marketplace, you see officers - and I am sure old Billy Oysterton would be thrilled to have the feedback of two mammals of non-marine descent."
Chatting away in this airy manner, the walrus had steered Nick and Judy over to what appeared to be his office - an enormous room, circular as every single chamber seemed to be in this building, and domineered by a monstrous expensive-looking desk. The two friends took their seats in comfy plush chairs facing the desk, as Mr Webfoot heaved himself into his own mountain of an armchair, and brushed aside with a careless fin several shiny precious and semi-precious stones, that had been spread out before him on a length of black velvet. A monocle that lay next to the stones indicated that the jeweller had been in the process of examining these samples before he had been interrupted by the arrival of the ZPD.
"Some samples my divers have brought in this week," he said, seeing Judy look at the gems. "We're sniffing around a new underwater reserve the boys discovered a few weeks back, down by the cavernous part of Aquatica. The results have been rather disappointing so far though, I am afraid. Take this," he picked a shiny pinkish pearl up - the gem could easily have covered Judy's entire paw if she had chosen to wear it on top of a ring - and turned it over in the light. The pearl really did look rather fine; Mr Webfoot looked less than convinced by its quality though.
"Worthless," he sighed finally, laying it down among its fellows. "The old zeal just isn't there among this new crop of divers. They think that just because a stone twinkles on the side of an underwater stalactite, that means - ah, Charles. We had all but begun to despair."
The sea lion had materialized by their side again and was handing out the steaming tea cups cordially. The entire little ceremony put Judy strangely in mind of the Three Little Bears fairytale her parents had read to her and her siblings when she was a child, for there was accordingly a huge tea mug for Mister Webfoot, a smaller steaming cup for Nick and finally a tiny cup on a seashell shaped saucer for Judy herself. Judy accepted the cup - which would not have sufficed for a thimble for Mr Webfoot - from Charles with a mumbled thanks and looked down into the very faintly hued yellowish drink dubiously. The drink let off a strange stuffy fragrance. Mister Webfoot appeared to have no reservations about the oolong however; he took an almighty sip, accompanied by a bit of some seaweed-scented biscuits that Charles had deposited within their reach, and addressed the two friends once more, this time it seemed a mite closer to what would be the (supposed) real reason behind their visit.
"Omitting the pleasure of our discourse on these matters of pearl-harvesting and tea-brewing, might I ask to what I owe this - pleasure? My assistant was somewhat vague, she did not seem to have gathered much over the phone about why you desired to speak to me - and I must confess, a visit from the ZPD is not something I am generally accustomed to," he gave another laugh that, though short, could never be described as 'little' - so low was the walrus's voice, rumbling deep down in his throat whenever he chose to speak.
Judy rather felt she would have liked to open a line of careful verbal attack - now that they were actually in front of the supposed mafia mastermind and Mr Big's potential foe, she felt braver than when they had hung back outside - she had agreed that Nick should open the questioning though, and it was too late to give him a signal about changing tactics. She therefore took a small sip of her tea (which was bland and tasteless mercifully, despite its odious smell) and waited for her partner to speak, which he accordingly proceeded to do.
"It's all such a shame sir, a hopeless muddle that results undoubtedly in your having to waste your precious time on receiving us," the fox began smoothly, in that would-be-careless tone Judy was starting to know so well. "We are so accustomed to these things by now, working as we are for the force. Why, as my partner Officer Hopps could tell you, it is practically a daily affair - though, given the particular line of your work - costly jewellery as it were - we are unfortunately obliged to check the thing out a bit more thoroughly."
"Indeed? What thing may this be officer?" Mr Webfoot was blowing the steam away from his mug, making his moustache twitch, but Judy could see his cold eyes fixed unblinkingly on Nick.
"Oh, some random anonymous call we received," Nick shrugged apologetically, producing the paperwork he and Judy had prepared that established the pretext for their visit. "Some random animal or other, nothing better to do with their time no doubt."
"Anonymous, you say," Mister Webfoot was studying the report they had laid in front of him carefully, having donned a formidable pince-nez that was maintained in place largely by his moustache; "And from what I can see, this kind concerned citizen of our dear metropolis has the audacity to accuse me-"
"Of stealing," Judy piped up, feeling that it was time she intervened. She looked back challengingly as the walrus turned to give her a long look over his spectacles. "That sounds so harsh of course - and we're hardly saying anyone would believe that kind of phoney line-" she gave a careless shrug the way Nick always did when he was play acting. "The details of this tip-off being rather specific though - you understand, we had to look in - just for protocol-"
"The details are specific," the walrus agreed with her, as he went back to reading the paper. "I see that someone is tipping the police forces off to the fact that I have illegally laid my paws on three hundred specimen of brillianté - the particular type of flawless diamond that is only to be found in the tunnels under Tundra Town. Well well," he twisted the side of his moustache slowly, lost in thought, as Nick and Judy sat waiting, clutching their tea cups. The businessman seemed suddenly to be brought out of his reverie when Judy set her cup back on its saucer with a small clink.
"The report is, of course, a lie," the walrus told them, pulling his pince-nez off and reaching for another digestive. "Tundra Town indeed - that is far out of any gem-hunting my company has ever conducted. What the rascal - whoever he may be - was talking about was probably this - " he reached into an inside drawer of his desk at that and brought a tiny cast iron chest decorated in a coral reef motif. Pulling a heavy ring that held a vast array of keys out of an inside pocket of his suit, the walrus selected a tiny bronze key, which he inserted into the lock of the chest and proceeded to turn with amazing deftness (considering how small the whole affair was for his humongous fins). Once the chest had been opened, the walrus overturned it smoothly onto the top of the desk - and a cascade of shiny tear-drop shaped diamonds fell out, winking and glittering on the desk.
"Diamanté," the jeweller commented drily. "That have never been close to Tundra Town. Not brillianté - bury the thought," he shuddered, as if from some unpleasant notion. After a moment's pause, he continued. "Yes, diamanté - and some of the finest out there, I assure you. To the layman, they may seem to be just as any other diamonds - or as fakes made of glass, indeed - but this is a specific breed of gem, for their hard and robust qualities are not paralleled by any of our synthetic materials as of yet. That would make these particular stones rather valuable for applications going far beyond any fabrication of fashion accessories. These here, they are one of a kind - it is with great difficulty that I have assembled this collection-"
"And, being laymen as you said, all we can do is take your word for what they are," Nick put in. "Sir," he added as an afterthought, and laughed merrily in the large animal's face.
"Quite true," the walrus returned after a pause. "I do tend to prattle along about my work - it is also my passion after all, pray forgive me. One does go along a great deal about one's business, Officer... Wilde, was it?"
It wasn't only Nick, Judy caught the singularly unpleasant tone of Mr Webfoot's voice when he repeated the fox's last name. She wondered suddenly with a qualm whether Nick had not crossed this animal's path back in his criminal days - much like he had done with Mr Big. As to the effect that Mr Webfoot was indeed involved in illegal affairs, she had little to no doubts remaining.
The walrus observed Nick for a quiet couple of seconds, following the latter's admission that his name was indeed Wilde, before turning back to Judy without further comment.
"Out of my goodness, my desire as it were to assist the ZPD in any way I can - as must be the wish of any law-abiding citizen - I will do you the following favour. A favour that will, I trust, enable you to close this business for good," he nodded at the report still spread out before him at that. "I will lend you one of the diamanté here - that you may have them checked out independently and thus see that it is all truth, what I have spoken. Charles will take care of the paperwork, so far as my lending the jewel for police evidence goes," he nodded at the sea lion who had been hovering in the background. The young animal immediately sprang to action, bustling over to collect the indicated stone and prepare the dispatch. Mister Webfoot finished his tea unhurriedly, before looking down at the two animals in front of him.
"What I wonder," he said in a quiet voice that was much like the first sounds of thunder, "is how whoever tipped off the ZPD got his information - for the amount, you see, is precise. I have indeed exactly three hundred diamanté in my possession, but that is not a fact I publicize widely, as you will understand. So how could the animal get his paws on such a notion?"
"I have no idea," Judy said truthfully, her face as blank as she could make it.
"Then I will tell you," the walrus's tone dropped another notch. "I must have a mole - as the saying goes - among my employees. Or a double agent, if you prefer that term."
There was an uncomfortable sort of silence at this. With a visible effort, the aged businessman collected himself.
"But I am boring you with the inner comings and goings of a company," he gave them a very stiff smile. "I must not be holding you back from your duties. Provided this piece of business is the only one you had for me, I will be wishing you a good day - and Charles will see you off with the diamanté specimen and the papers now."
"Thank you very much for your time, that is all," Judy replied, rather grateful for the interview to be over. She picked her cup up and hastily drained its contents - all but spitting it out immediately, for the drink had become incredibly cold in the meantime. Not lukewarm, but actually freezing as snow - it was like it had been stored in an icebox while they spoke. She gave a huge gulp to down the lot and have it over with, trying hard not to choke - and the last impression she had before leaving the office with Nick was of Webfoot's small clever eyes following her out, a distant unpleasant gleam alive in his gaze.
Judy hoped to never cross that particular jeweller again.
"It could have been worse", she said in a philosophical kind of tone as they discussed the day's events that evening, walking down the city streets at dusk. Judy hopped along the sidewalk, paws deep in the pockets of her cropped jeans - she'd stopped by to change after work before heading out, same as Nick.
"I agree," Nick was strolling alongside her, his tie clashing terribly with his favourite shirt in the rays of the setting sun. "It could have gone much worse Carrots - believe you me, for I happen to have dabbled a bit in such dealings. It could have ended with both of us stuck in the boot of a car zooming out of town and heading at breakneck speed to-"
"To the wolves' training grounds?" Judy chortled. "I know how much you hate wolves! Or to a pig nursery? Imagine the squeaking! Or, or-"
"Or to the top of a cliff the foot of which we'd be unceremoniously hurtled to, I was thinking," Nick said drily, cutting Judy's humorous flow off. "Listen here Carrots - you keep extra careful when we're dealing with these chores old man Big is setting for us, will you? You've no wish to be better acquainted with life on the less shiny side of the tracks - trust your old friend who's spent only too much time there, will you?"
"Sure," Judy replied, her voice sobering. She skipped a couple of paces forward and then turned to gaze at Nick curiously. "Did you notice how he insisted about your last name Nick? Why would that be?"
"Why indeed?" Nick replied cryptically. "Where are we to meet the mouse messenger then?"
"Oh, directly there I think," Judy replied, knowing full well that it was no use trying to fish for answers when Nick was in that kind of mood. She peered forwards in the failing light before pointing. "Isn't that him?"
The small mouse dressed in a smart well-pressed suit was indeed barely visible among the surrounding houses, not to mention the late evening commuters and pedestrians, many of whom largely exceeded him in size. The minute animal was waiting patiently on the first step of a massive (for him) staircase leading up to the entrance of a building, peering left and right in obvious anticipation.
The building was far from being a random one - it was the same famous structure that held Nick and Judy's would-be penthouse at the top of its thirty stories proudly. The two animals hurried over to the mouse, who hailed them as he saw them come up.
"Good evening," Judy addressed him, stooping a bit to better be able to speak to him. "Are you -er-"
"I come from Mister Big," the mouse puffed his tiny chest out impressively. "I am his envoy - I have been told to meet you here to convey you a message."
"Please do so," Nick urged him kindly.
The mouse cleared his throat.
"Mister Big," he piped in his high-pitched voice, "would have you know that he has upheld his part of the deal you have struck - he has in your name purchased the building we are at, all floors included."
Judy felt her jaw drop. "What, already?" was all she could say.
"Mister Big is not given to waver," the mouse squeaked reprovingly. "As one of his attorneys, I have been sent to meet you here, that I may inform you of the ownership contract - that you will find in the post-box of the penthouse on the roof - that comes into action tonight, at midnight precisely. I have also to give you your keys," at this he turned to open a huge valise that had been standing at his side. The valise proved to be nothing more than a small box (as far as the two bigger animals were concerned) that contained two hefty sets of keys. "I have here one set of keys for Madam - and an identical set for you Sir-" with these words and huffing slightly under the weight of the keys, the attorney passed them each a set. They accepted them, speechless. "If this is all correct as far as you are concerned, I will be wishing you a good evening then - you will find my contact information listed in the annexes of your contract, should any questions arise."
"Thank you," Judy had the presence of mind to say, as the mouse put his felt hat back on and departed, after bestowing a final nod on them.
Thus they were left standing on the steps, and for a full ten seconds neither animal spoke.
"So that was... fast," Judy said finally.
"Old shrewfather must have been tipped off about our passing at the walrus hole earlier today," Nick said, studying his set of keys carefully. "He assured himself that we'd go through with our part of the deal - so he's going ahead and showing us how handsomely he can uphold his side of it. Well Miss Hopps - all's well that doesn't end in a well - and we haven't done as much, not so far at least - so, shall we?" he indicated the massive doors that loomed in front of them.
"Can we?" Judy looked at the door tentatively, the keys gripped tight in her paws. "He said it was only at midnight that we were really becoming the owners-"
"That's just in a few hours," Nick was already searching for the key that would fit the main door. "And it'll be empty anyway - come one Carrots, after all the work you've put into this," he had managed to find the good key and was turning it in the lock experimentally.
"Penthouse first!" Judy pleaded, as she shot past him and gained the entrance.
"If you wish it," Nick answered, laughing, and she saw that his eyes were shining with as much suppressed excitement as she felt bubbling up inside. "I'll race you to the lift though Cotton Tail!"
"First step would be knowing where the lift is- hey!" Judy shouted, as Nick tore off to the right once they found themselves inside the semi-dark foyer. "Blast your night vision," she said grumpily, as she reached the fox, who was already pressing on the button that summoned the lift. He gave her a toothy grin.
"Cheer up Officer Fluff - I didn't say 'last one there is a rotten head of lettuce' this time."
"I appreciate the gesture," Judy returned, as they climbed into the elevator.
The lift sped them upwards with an industrial whoosh and opened noiselessly onto a carpeted corridor. A tiny flight of stairs ending in a trap door indicated clearly the last stretch they had to complete to access the roof and the penthouse.
Nick hurried up the steps, followed closely by Judy. He propped the trapdoor open, before turning round to give Judy a paw up. In such fashion they emerged for the first time onto the roof.
Night had all but fallen over the city of Zootropolis, although a stubborn orange streak was still visible to the west, indicating where the sun had set. The stars were never easy to see in the city, but a slim moon was hanging overhead, and the lights of the numerous houses surrounding them provided as much illumination as could be wished. Judy looked around, her breath catching a bit at the sight. She had imagined more or less what it would be like to look down on the city like this. It was hardly equal to what she had envisioned though - it was, without a doubt, much better.
"The view," she heard Nick say at her side, and she turned to look at the fox, and saw that his green eyes were shining merrily, as he looked out over the urban lights. "Always choose a place with a view Carrots. We can see all the way to Aquatica from up here - and we've got all the sights of Sahara Square laid out neatly in the palm of our paw - without the blessed traffic noise I may add."
"Well, a bit of the traffic is still audible," Judy corrected him, her ears twitching at the sound of a faraway truck blowing its horn below.
"Of course - for you Miss Long Ears," Nick conceded happily. "Care to check out the fortress then?"
Judy had almost forgotten the actual purpose of their visit and of the whole affair.
"Right!" she exclaimed, turning round to face the little house that occupied the centre of the roof. The rabbit skipped over to the door excitedly, crossing the little roof garden. As the photos they had seen indicated, there was hardly anything noteworthy among the shrubs - they looked both haphazard and unkempt. Judy dismissed the matter with a shrug - her abundant farm experience was more than enough to whip the little patch into shape in no time. She held her keys up and raised an eyebrow at Nick.
"If I may do the honours Mister Wilde?"
"Only fair Miss Hopps," the fox agreed, smiling.
Judy inserted the key that seemed to fit the lock situated under the doorknob and turned it in the latch with a triumphant 'ha!" As the two friends made their way into the little entrance hall - which continued out into the sitting room - Judy fumbled with the switch.
"Don't bother," Nick called over his shoulder. "There'll be no electricity - the previous owner will have cut off his contract." He made his way easily further into the house, unhampered thanks to his ease of perception in the dark.
"Right," Judy said after a pause, before making her way gingerly after him, checking under her paws as carefully as she could to avoid tripping on anything. Once inside the sitting room though, her attentiveness was rendered suddenly unnecessary - a soft whitish light filled the room. Uncomprehending, Judy looked around for its source for a moment, before raising her head upwards - it transpired that an oval window had actually been made in the very ceiling, overlooking a matching oval table set in the middle of the room. The moon was shining its quiet rays into the house through this window - an effect that was cleverly multiplied by a series of tiny mirroring panels that encircled the window at an angle. All in all the effect was very pleasing.
"That architect," Nick commented, looking upwards as well, "will be worth his weight in gold someday soon. And so will this whole house. Hip hip and hooray for us Carrots."
Judy gave a happy little bounce where she stood, bubbling over, before spying a set of doors in the back of the room.
"Look, that's the balcony!" she called, and hurried out to investigate. She was almost obliged to take a hasty step back as soon as she'd gained the outside though - the balcony was at the back of the house and coincided with the end of the roof itself - so that it overhung the full drop of the actual thirty floors, overlooking the busy streets below.
"Yikes," Judy said a bit shakily, holding onto the railing tightly and giving Nick a wobbly grin as he joined her on the balcony.
"Yikes indeed," Nick agreed, after a quick look down. "No hasty jumping out and about now Carrots - let's remember we'll be living sky-high now, kay?"
"Okay!" Judy agreed, staying put stubbornly, without relenting her grasp on the railing though.
For a second they looked out on the city in silence, while a police siren (a familiar sound) blared below, and a couple of soap bubbles a child had obviously blown out drifted up and past them.
"Like it?" Nick asked finally.
Judy looked at him in surprise; the fox seemed to be bent on checking out the robustness of the balcony door though.
"It's great!" Judy stated warmly, waving a paw enthusiastically (though still holding on with the other). "It's a million times cooler than I imagined! A bazillion! When do we move in?"
Nick's paw slipped a bit on the door handle. He laughed at her enthusiasm, as he turned to face her.
"Why, anytime you like," he said easily. "As one owner to the other - it's up to us to decide now, isn't it?"
"It is," Judy agreed emphatically. "I'll speak to my landlady tomorrow then - see how soon I can quit my dump of a flat!" She felt herself grinning at the prospect - not to mention at the idea of what her neighbours' reactions would be.
"Enthusiastic?" Nick had perched on the windowsill back inside the living room, and was rummaging in the cupboard built into the wall of the kitchenette corner.
"You bet," Judy sauntered over to see if there was anything interesting inside too. "It's been such ages since we've been talking about this."
"It has," Nick agreed, pulling out an unopened set of plastic cups someone had left behind in the cupboard and examining it. He tossed it to Judy, before pulling up a supermarket carrier bag he'd had dangling from his wrist the whole time. "Well then, given the fact that we've finally made it - and omitting the minor details of how we will be living here on borrowed criminal money, the loan of which expires within a year, that we have to investigate shady types for the shrew mastermind who loaned us said money-"
"We'll figure things out," Judy said optimistically, turning the pack of cups in her paws. "We have time-"
"And the fact that you still have not told your family anything about moving in with your red-furred predator partner - nor mentioned anything to Harry-the-future-Mister-Judy-Hopps -"
"I hate you Nick, do you know that-"
"All these tiny, weensy-teensy details aside, I'd say we were doing rather well," the fox concluded, pulling a bottle of fizzy orange-hued drink out of the carrier bag. "So here's to us - if you'll unpack those cups one of these days that is, Carrots."
"What's that?" Judy cocked her head at the bottle, surprised.
"It's your disgusting carroty health-drink stuff," Nick replied, busying himself with the cork. "I'm starting on a new healthy lifestyle now that I'm stuck in the same living quarters as you, remember? No better moment to commence than the present," and with a flourish he held up the open bottle.
"Wow," Judy held up two plastic cups for him, feeling a bit touched. "That's nice Nick. Thanks."
"No biggie," the fox replied, pouring the drink out carefully. "I hardly promise you I'll finish my share though." He held his own cup up once he was done with the pouring and peered at it, wrinkling his nose.
"Chin chin then!" Judy said happily, holding her fizzy carrot juice up. "Here's to us! Nick and Judy, heroes of the day!"
Nick shook his head at her in bemusement.
"Full of bottle as always, aren't you Carrots?"
"Yes! And on this historical eve, I drink to the many happy days we'll have here - living it up through thin and thick, even after the year is out!" She brandished her plastic cup in the air defiantly.
"Well then," Nick said, sounding suddenly about a hundred percent more jubilant. "I'll drink to your toast Carrots - bottoms up!" And with that he bravely downed the vegetable beverage in nearly one gulp. He spluttered a bit at the taste.
"You'll get used to it, if you eat more root vegetables regularly," Judy chided him.
"I'm not sure I've been biologically programmed to eat that much healthy plant food Carrots," Nick replied, shaking his head. "Think back to the days on your parents' farm and I'm sure you'll note that there were hardly ever many fox customers at your stands on the fair."
"Do you know what's funny Nick," Judy had finished her own portion of carrot drink happily and was reaching for the bottle for some more, without proposing Nick a refill as he'd obviously had more than enough. "What's funny is that I don't even think about you as a fox anymore - or a predator, or whatever," she nodded at her partner's startled expression that she could just make out in the faint moonlight. "Probably thanks to all we've been through - it's like, Gideon Grey say - he's a friend of the family and all, but I still somehow always remember about him - and it's like some kind of tiny label that says 'fox' flashes in my head whenever I see him, or even hear my parents talk about him. While with you - you're just Nick! Isn't that funny?" she smiled up at her friend.
"Hilarious," the latter returned, after a pause. Judy looked up in surprise at his tone - which she could not really place - but one thing was certain, it was not humorous. The young moon had chosen that precise moment to hide behind a stretch of cloud though, so she could hardly make out more than his silhouette.
"I didn't mean 'funny' like 'amusing', I meant it more like 'unusual'," she supplied. "And why not? What, do you continuously think about me as a 'bunny rabbit'?"
"Absolutely," came the immediate reply, and she could hear that the jokey tone of voice was back. " As a bunny rabbit best described by a certain C-word that will remain unmentioned in public - as a little ball of fluff with two big pointy ears poking out, that continuously consumes lettuce and carrots -" he laughed as Judy poked him with her empty cup.
"For the love of crispy corn puffs," Judy grumbled, shaking her head. "It is just impossible to have two serious words together with you."
"Fair enough - here's two words in earnest then," Nick replied, though his voice was still full of mirth. "Think of me as you may Carrots - I am a fox, you are a rabbit - every animal in this entire city and out of it is what he or she is, and that can never ever ever change. Period, end of story, train departed, no use talking, subject closed. Comprende mi compadre?"
"You're always doing that you know - you just set up all these boundaries for yourself," Judy commented complacently. "I honestly don't see what the big deal is, why one little remark-"
"One little remark is all very well," Nick replied, cutting her off. "But you Carrots - it's like you sometimes forget that you can't just break and make all your own rules - we live here, in this world, and some things you can't ever change or negotiate - not even with your tiny chitter-chatter mouth that never stops talking."
The moon had come back out, and Judy saw that Nick was looking over at her sternly as he finished his little speech, apparently under the impression that he had just delivered some vital point. She blinked at his expression, feeling a bit caught out - in full truth, she'd gone along with the talk, more than a little bit used to their banter, without fully realizing that they'd strayed off the original subject - and that she seemed to have lost the thread of a conversation that had changed gears in terms of seriousness.
"I'm sorry... what are we talking about?" she tried after a moment. "Is it still random points about how I believe the world can change and be a better place and you choose to be crabby and to think that no one will ever really change their mind where foxes' reputations are concerned -"
"Random points make the best topics of conversation Miss Hopps," Nick was holding his paws up in an exaggerated shrug (though Judy could have sworn he had given her a quick searching look as she'd asked her last question). "And you must excuse your old colleague - once you reach my age, you'll know that one does develop a tendency to just harp on and on-"
"You don't have to talk like you're decades older than me each time Nick-" she started heatedly - before being interrupted by a sudden splitting sound overhead. She jumped in shock and instinctively scooted over, a bit closer to Nick, her paw reaching automatically for her belt before she remembered she was dressed in civilian clothing and consequently carried no weapon.
"Whadya know - they've opened the fireworks. Must be midnight by now," Nick commented, his face raised heavenwards.
"You're right, it was today!" Judy gasped, lifting her head too, as another crackling sound was followed by an explosion of colour, and an enormous golden-and-red firework bloomed like a humongous flower in the sky above them, dominating the view they had from the ceiling window. "The anniversary of the city's foundation day - I'd completely forgotten."
"Goes from working like a busy beaver," Nick commented, still looking up.
"You forgot too Nick."
"Yes well - I'm straddled with a tiresome partner at work, who not only goes into every single case like some kind of detail-crazed maniac, but also insists on making deals with criminal overlords in her free time just to generate extra chores for me-"
"I'd trade partners with you I'm sure," Judy returned, matching his flippant tones. "Except that I've got this total slob of a whiner for a partner myself, who all but messes up every report he's given and slacks off while on duty to drink his stinky coffee, and just harps on and on every time we have to do a spot of patrol work-"
"Touché," the fox replied, smiling. "Our welcome at our new home is more than impressive, all in all," he gestured at the salute that was still in full swing above them.
"I'll say," Judy agreed, as she watched the explosions of green, yellow, lilac and orange. A warm feeling of happiness grew inside her like a bright balloon - she remembered suddenly how Nick had told her just a few nights ago that 'perfect', if it ever really happened, was not what one would have imagined it like.
It so happened, she thought tartly, that so far at least things were going better than she could have imagined them to go like. She was standing next to Nick in the penthouse they were finally going to be able to move into - there was a bottle of carrot fizz on the counter - and a fireworks display overhead.
"Perfect," she asserted very quietly to herself, with a little nod of affirmation, as she settled back to watch the last of the salute, Nick whistling faintly by her side.
And that's all for now folks :)
As previously advertised, there are now drawings and mini-polls included with every chapter!
For the latest drawing, check out irina-bourry dot deviantart dot com or irina-bourry dot tumblr dot com - the latest sketch is a summery picture of Judy - something like the outfit she will have been wearing in chapter one when meeting up with Nick, cf his remark about her wearing a dress for once;
Now, for the question! As we hear mention in the film that there are numerous habitats in Zootoropolis and only see a couple (Sahara Square, Tundra Town, the Rainforest District and the Savannah) what kind of other habitats do you think exist in the city? Do you agree with me that there is probably a marine area?
Have a great week everyone, we will be back May 16 with the next bit of the fanfic :)