Hey, guys, I'm back again. Sorry that it took so long for me to update. It's been a really busy school year, so chapters will be farther apart. Still, I will make sure you guys don't go too long without reading about Nick's emotional problems. :)
IN RESPONSE TO: Mrfishy. I am so glad that you listened to Transmissions. I have a pretty good guess at which 4 songs you're stuck on. Whenever I finish this story, I will reveal what song it is. Well, there are technically two songs that describe Nick, so it may end up being two. Don't hesitate to comment when you decide which two, and I hope you guess correctly. I also hope you enjoyed transmissions. Happy guessing!
Nick was back in one of the exhibits of the Zootopia museum, watching a certain innocent looking sheep circle them like a vulture waiting for the right moment to dive. She looked at the two with a devious glee, satisfied at her accomplishment in thwarting their escape. Nick heard her start to explain her plan to turn all prey against predators, but her voice was muffled, distorted. All Nick could hear was the sound of his own heart pounding in his chest. Why was he so nervous? He switched the nighthowler serum with blueberries, there was nothing to worry about.
"What are you going to do?" asked Judy. "Kill me?" Her voice was amplified, as if she were using a megaphone to speak to the bespeckled sheep.
Bellwether made a noise that resembled a laugh, "No. He is." In an instant, she aimed the sleek black weapon at Nick and fired. The impact of the blue orb on his neck sent him backwards, and he began pretending to struggle against the "serum". But as Judy tried to say something else, her voice also became muddled. In fact, everything became muddled. Nick's thoughts, his hearing, his sight all washed away. The fox looked at his friend with constricted pupils, his muzzle crinkled back, showing off his sharp white fangs. Judy stepped back from him, going along with the impromptu plan they had made.
Nick let out a snarl at the bunny, unable to control himself. There was still a small piece of control over his thoughts, and he tried with all his might not to attack, but he couldn't resist. His instincts had completely taken over, rendering his mind and will useless. Judy ran from him, moving surprisingly fast considering her hurt leg, and tossed a fake stuffed gazelle at Nick as he pounced at her. The object hit him pretty hard, and he let out a small whine. Judy was now backed up as far as she could, watching Nick tear the large doll to shreds, still not realizing what had happened to her friend. He tried to fight it, but with each tear of the gazelle under his fangs, it became harder and harder to gain control of himself.
To Nick's horror, as he looked back up at Judy with another snarl, a piece of cotton hanging from his mouth, his thoughts became even more foggy. He could do nothing but watch through his focused and deadly eyes as he closed in on his friend. She was backing up as far as she could against the wall as Nick's head appeared through the tall grass. Only feet apart from each other now, Bellwether smiling at the sight, Judy thinking she knew what was happening, and Nick with his uncontrollable urge, he finally lunged for the last time at her, his teeth closing around her neck. She released a blood-curdling scream of terror, trying to really sell it to Bellwether, but Nick's grip got tighter and tighter, making Judy choke and call his name in an incredulous manner.
But as Nick tightened his grip for the last time, completing his mission as a predator, his surroundings went black. Judy, Bellwether, and even Nick's killing urge disappeared. It took a long time for him to realize that the darkness was actually the lack of lighting in his hospital room. He didn't move a muscle, as if afraid that there was something lurking in the darkness, waiting to strike at any moment. Covered in sweat, his heart beating uncontrollably, and his head spinning with fear, Nick let the reality sink in of what he had done in his dream. He had lost control, he had gone savage and…
Nick slowly turned his head to look at the bunny sleeping peacefully next to him, and an overwhelming guilt went through him. Dream or no dream, the fact that he had done something so horrible to his friend was unforgivable. His eyes suddenly became very moist, and before he knew it, he was crying. The fox shut his eyes tightly, letting the tears stream out like miniature rivers, but refusing to shake or sob, knowing that it would wake Judy. There was no way he could ever afford to tell her, nor could let her see him in such a vulnerable state.
But another reality set in on the fox as he let his emotions get the best of him...the doctor was right. Judy was right. Maybe a therapist wasn't the worst idea in the world. But after years of hiding his weaknesses, how would Nick be able to open up to this therapist? That was a question that he really didn't feel like asking himself, not now. He took another look at his partner, grateful for how supportive she had been to him through everything. No one had done that for him. Then again, that was because no one ever knew as much about him as she did. But one thing was for sure. She definitely wasn't the dumb bunny he had labeled her as the first day they met.
But while he was grateful, Nick also had to question why she was doing such things for him anyway. Yes, she was a loyal friend, but why would she stay with him through his emotional problems? Why did she not just give up when Nick chose not to talk about something? He was starting to get a headache, either from the crying or all of the questions he was asking himself. Judy was sleeping with her back facing him, one arm being used as a pillow, and the other dangling from the side of the bed.
Finally, Nick managed to stop the stream of tears, wiping them from his eyes, and rolled over on his side to try and get back to sleep, blocking the memory of the traumatic nightmare out of his head. Whatever was going to happen, he knew that she would at least be there with him the whole way, and he fell asleep with that in mind.
Judy opened her crusty eyes, feeling refreshed after getting to sleep in a bed instead of an uncomfortable hospital chair. She heard a strange noise in her semi-awake state, not realizing until a few seconds later that it was running water.
'Nick must be getting a shower,' she thought with a laugh. She wouldn't mind a shower of her own. The last shower she could remembered taking was that night that her and Nick were going to watch a movie. That was also the night they had been kidnapped by the polar bears. That got Judy thinking about the case again. If the polar bears had forced Rick to do what they wanted, did that mean they were doing the same thing to Mr. Big? Was that why they had kidnapped him? It didn't make much sense to Judy, as anyone would know that Mr. Big was not the guy that anyone could force to do something. It was all so confusing. She and Nick were not only having to juggle the case, but his anxiety as well.
But it wasn't like she was complaining. She loved big cases. It made her feel like she was in a movie. Of course, she knew that it wasn't a game, but it felt good during the nighthowler case when her or Nick managed to piece together enough evidence to give them a proper lead. Nick's anxiety was less fun to deal with, but Judy was just glad that the fox was finally being more open with her. She shook her head, ridding her mind of those thoughts for now. She would just have to find Weaselton first, then she could go from there. Judy let out a yawn and a stretch before getting out of the bed to set out some clothes for Nick. She walked over to the table embedded into the wall next to the door and opened the suitcase that was inside. Digging through the suitcase, Judy found a black button-up shirt, black sweatpants, and his lucky tie that was sitting next to the case.
She smiled as she set the tie down with the other clothes, wondering what the significance of the article of clothing was. As she let her hand rest on the soft fabric of it, she heard the water stop running and knew that it was her queue to leave the room so her friend could get dressed. As the door shut softly behind her, she leaned against the wall next to it, hoping that the doctor would let Nick out today. As if a flip had been switched, Judy's thoughts changed to their sleeping arrangements the previous night. She couldn't help but feel just a little awkward for sleeping in the same bed with him. Even thinking about it now made a bit of red show underneath her dark gray cheeks, and her ears halfway flattened in embarrassment. The fox didn't even make a joke about it. He was sincere, friendly. Judy wondered if he was just as uncomfortable about the situation, but he would probably make light of it anyway. Jokes and schemes always seemed to be Nick's way of dealing with things he didn't enjoy. A coping mechanism, one could say.
Was she just overthinking it? They were both good friends and Nick didn't want his friend to have to sleep in an uncomfortable hospital chair so, as a good friend would, he offered for her to sleep in a more comfortable bed with him. Besides, with all that Nick was going through, he could have also just wanted to be close to Judy for some comfort, but was too proud to admit it.
Judy could have thought about these things for at least an hour, but the door opened, derailing her train of thought and catching her attention. Her partner was standing there, wearing the button-up and sweatpants that she had laid out for him, the black color contrasting very nicely with the lucky tie he was currently tightening around his neck with a pensive smile. Once the tie was to Nick's satisfaction, he looked up at Judy with that sly smile.
"Thanks for setting my clothes out for me, mommy," Nick said, ruffling the fur on Judy's head like a father with his daughter. After that, there was a strange silence between the two, mostly because of Judy. She could tell that even though he was awake enough to make jokes, there was still a sleepy haze in his mind, focused more on finding coffee than making fun of her. She just didn't know what to say. But thankfully, Doctor Sheldon walked up to the awkwardly silent pair, no clipboard in his hand this time, but a tired smile on his face. Judy was tempted to follow in Nick's footsteps and get a shower herself, but she wanted to stay with the fox for moral support. That was her priority right now.
"Good morning, Mr. Wilde. I hope you slept well," said the doctor, not noticing Judy's cheeks getting redder. "I have excellent news. You have an appointment with Dr. Mona tomorrow at three o'clock. She's very excited to meet you." Nick was a bit perturbed by the fact that this therapist was so available, but chose not to question it and nodded at the doctor in acknowledgement with an uncaring smile. "Also, I'm very happy to say that your wolf friend is awake, and I managed to pull a few strings so you could have a few minutes to talk to him." Not bothering to stay for a reaction, the doctor walked away to tend to other business, leaving the fox and the rabbit to look at each other in minor surprise.
After their brief eye contact, Nick looked straight forward at nothing in particular, almost as if he weren't there anymore, making Judy a bit nervous. She didn't want to lose him again, not like she did at the precinct, so she took a risk and slowly slid her hand in his, hoping that it would give him some comfort. He didn't struggle against the attempt at comfort, but instead tightened his grip slightly, letting her know that he was thankful for it. Verbally, Nick would probably never be able to voice his concerns and cries for help properly, but he managed it through body language and subtle communication.
Judy found herself staring at his paw, now wrapped around hers. She had always known that the fur on his paws was much darker that the rest of him. The paws that he held his ill-gotten money in, the paws that he held those pawpsicles in...the paws that formed threatening claws when Judy had betrayed him at that press conference all those months ago. Why was she so obsessed with that? He had already forgiven her for it, but whenever she thought about their friendship, Judy always went back to that one press conference. It happened, it was over, and it would never happen again, that was all that mattered. So why couldn't she just let it go, already?
Nick's paw squeezed slightly again, once again bringing her back to reality. That was their friendship, their partnership. Judy had taken his hand to bring him back to reality, so he had done the same for her in return. Judy had never had a friend like Nick, who tortured her on a daily basis, but comforted her and made her feel like everything would be okay. One more squeeze from the both of them, and Nick gave her a confident smile, grateful that his wolf friend was okay, but completely unaware of what would happen when they walked in.
Truthfully, Nick was irrationally afraid that Rick would nearly die on him again if he walked into that room to talk to him. It happened last time for no reason, so what was stopping it from happening again? But there was no way Nick could just leave the hospital without seeing his friend to make sure the wolf was okay. So, releasing their grips on each other's hands, the pair walked to Rick's room, looking into the window to make sure he was still awake. There he was, the one-eyed wolf, rubbing his face in a sleepy manner. Judy watched Nick's sly smile turn into more of a relieved one, and the two walked in the room, anxiously awaiting what Rick would have to say to them.
When the two were far enough in the room for Rick to see them, Nick cleared his throat, swallowing the joke that he wanted to make. Greeting Rick with a joke would either end very well, or very horribly, and for once, Nick was not going to take that chance. As soon as the wolf spotted the pair, his eyes widened, not in fear or dismay, but happiness.
"Nick, how ya doing, man?" Rick asked with a bright smile at the fox. Nick knew that Rick was a loyal friend, and tried not to laugh at the wolf's excitement to see him despite everything that happened.
"I could ask you the same thing," Nick responded, leaning against the bland looking wall, crossing his arms. Rick stared at his friend for a bit before raising his arms in defeat, bringing them down on his legs with a slap.
"Man, I don't know how, but the doctor says I was poisoned. I tried to ask him what it was, but he didn't know. He said he'd never seen a poisonous substance of that sort before, not that he's really seen many. He said he would get back to me eventually." As soon as Rick finished what he was saying, Nick remembered something that made him want to slap himself. The doctor had promised to tell him was had happened to Rick last night, but never did.
'Out-foxed by an armadillo,' Nick thought with a proud puff of his breath. 'Doesn't count. I was tired and worried about Rick.' While Nick was fuming about the slick or forgetful armadillo, Judy was trying to not express her disbelief of Rick's story. Whether or not she was just in denial, Judy didn't know if she could believe that the wolf was poisoned so easily in the middle of the ZPD precinct, where he had an officer and the chief watching him the whole time. But she did see a collapsed Rick on the floor when she ran in for Nick.
The white wolf sitting on the bed in front of her had his head down in thought. Judy wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was. Nick even seemed to be thinking about it, all of them in a strange state of thought, none of them quite sure how Rick was poisoned, but painfully aware of that confusion of the predicament with each passing second.
"Look, Nick, I don't got the faintest idea as to how I was poisoned, but I think we can all agree that it was the same guy that sent those polar bears to my place. I miss when this kind of stuff was simpler."
"So do I, buddy. Don't worry about it, we'll find this mystery man and bring him in. I'll even save a few punches for you," said Nick, his smile strong and reassuring to the white wolf. The mammal with the eye patch could almost feel his fist against the villain's face already. Sweet revenge would be his, and it was all thanks to his friend, Nick Wilde. Rick could actually say that, for once, he actually trusted a cop, regardless of said cop being his best friend. And even though he didn't know her that well, if Nick trusted the bunny next to him, so could he.
With that in mind, Rick smiled at the both of them gratefully, thanking Nick for what he said. Nick had to admit to himself that it felt weird to be so nice. He was always nice enough to those he considered friends, but never as supportive as he had been in that moment with Rick. Judy would definitely say something about it. She always noticed it when he wasn't acting like his usual sly self. It would be even worse, he realized, now that he was going to have to go to a therapy session the next day. She would worry about him more and more, and no amount of snarky comments would stop that.
The duo said their goodbyes to Rick and walked out of his room to leave the poor wolf to his much deserved rest. But right before he walked out, Nick stuck his head back around the corner, telling the wolf to call him if he had any other information, and then he offered the wolf to coffee soon.
"It'd be nice to get together under better circumstances," said Nick, disappearing behind the wall, leaving the wolf to his thoughts in complete silence, except for the small click of the gently closed door, signaling that Nick had actually left that time. Rick looked in the direction they came from, not caring what either of them said. Whether they knew it or not, Rick was more than certain that they would end up a couple, if they weren't already, that was.
After leaving the room, Nick grabbed his bags from his room and he and Judy made their way down to the main lobby of the hospital. Judy watched with empathy as they passed a child crying silently into his mother's arms. She could only guess what was wrong with him, but it was still such a sad sight to see. She looked up to share a sad look with Nick, but instead saw the slick fox signing something at the desk. Judy wasn't surprised that he either hadn't noticed or hadn't cared about the crying child. Maybe it was a bit ridiculous to think, but Judy felt it a bit selfish of Nick to ignore such a thing, unless he was earnestly distracted.
The crying sound of the child was drowned out by the sound of Judy's own head and thoughts. All of the other patients around her awaiting to see a doctor faded away into shadows in the back of her mind. It was like being in a playground filled with the many thoughts of one who was trying to live in their own head. Judy knew that Nick had basically lived on the streets, but for how long exactly? What had Nick told her about his past so far? That he had been beaten by those kids, that he had anxiety, even today.
To Nick, a crying child may be a good thing compared to what he had seen before. She couldn't continue her contemplation because she felt a light tap on her shoulders. As if she had been struck by lightning, a jolt went through her, shaking her out of her unexpected meditation session. Nick was standing in front of her, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in that uncaring way, one eyebrow raised, looking at her with amusement.
Judy, now more aware of her surroundings and trying not to beat herself up for not staying alert as a police officer should, looked around to make sure no one was staring at her like Nick was. They were all too invested in whatever had brought them to the hospital in the first place to focus on Judy's recently acquired talent of losing herself in thought. She tried not to look her vulpine friend in the eyes, knowing that he would take the opportunity to make some sort of sick joke.
"Pondering something?" asked Nick, his smile not faltering in the slightest. "Is it about what Rick said?" Judy wasn't sure why he was still smiling. He was asking her an honest question, yet that mischievous smile remained.
"It's just weird how he got poisoned in the precinct, you know? I just can't fathom how that managed to happen with you and Bogo watching him. It's just a little weird, that's all."
"Are you saying that Rick poisoned himself?" Nick asked, no offense evident on his face, but his smile finally disappearing. Judy didn't believe for a second that Nick hadn't thought about it before, but instead that he didn't want to think about it, didn't want to believe it. And she didn't blame him.
"No," Judy said, trying her hardest to choose her next words carefully. "I'm just trying to think of all the options. I doubt that Rick poisoned himself, I just can't think of any other way it could have happened right now." Nick relaxed, changing back into his lazy state, hands in his pockets as if nothing had happened. Judy awkwardly slid one foot in a circular motion around the other, like a small child that had been caught breaking the rules.
"So...Weaselton then?" Nick asked, breaking the silence, taking his hands out of his pockets and placing them neatly behind his back.
"Yeah, but we need to go back to the precinct first." Judy could have sworn that she saw Nick roll his eyes.
The moment that Judy and Nick walked into the ZPD, Clawhauser noticed and, squealing with excitement, almost tackled Nick to the ground in his excitement that the fox was okay. But he almost wished that he had been crushed by Clawhauser after all, because the rest of the officers of the ZPD noticed the scene, and therefore noticed Nick.
Fangmeyer welcomed the fox back, patting him enthusiastically on the back with a smile. Wolfson, much to Nick's surprise, gave him a small hug, saying how glad he was that Nick was all right. The remaining officers asked how Nick was feeling, greeted him warmly, and other things in a blur of blue from their uniforms. He felt embarrassed and touched at the same time, not exactly enjoying the attention, as he preferred to stick to the sidelines, but grateful that his fellow officers actually cared about him all the same.
It was quite strange, Nick thought as they all continued about their business, that after only a few days at the ZPD, everyone was already treating him like he was family, like he was part of a pact, as he had always dreamed. Judy was talking to Clawhauser, who was walking back to his desk, with a smile on her face. She hadn't been expecting such a thing to happen either. In that moment, Nick realized that he really wasn't as alone as he had always been. He had a family, a family dressed in blue, a family that would always have his back in the worst of times.
He still kept a sly smile on his face, but on the inside his chest was swelling with pride and happiness, not unlike the day he was given his badge. Judy had finished whatever conversation with Clawhauser she had been having and returned to Nick's side, glowing with happiness for her friend.
"Well, it looks like someone is pretty popular around here," said Judy, her ears as perked up as ever.
"What can I say?" Nick asked rhetorically. "I'm a really charming guy." Behind that cocky exterior, Judy knew what Nick was thinking, and she was ecstatic that the fox finally felt welcome and accepted.
The two stared at each other warmly until a shadow covered the both of them, and Chief Bogo was standing in front of the duo, his face stern, but his eyes softer. Ever since the events of yesterday, he couldn't swallow the guilt that wriggled around in his chest like a parasite trying to find a way out.
"Wilde," Bogo acknowledged, winning a slick smile from the fox, "It's...good that you're well...and the wolf?"
"He's fine, chief," Nick said, "but I gotta say, I'm kinda disappointed in you. I was expecting a banner, maybe some presents. You could have even jumped out of a cake. You should really think about that whenever one of us has a birthday."
Bogo didn't bother scorning Nick for his joke, not this time. But he still let his eyes harden long enough to let him know that he didn't find the cake remark funny. Thankfully, before Nick could make another joke, Judy stepped in front of him.
"Chief Bogo, we want to go after Weaselton, he's our only lead right now, and-"
"No, Hopps. I refuse to let you and Wilde continue this investigation any longer. You two have gotten yourselves in too much danger too many times. I thought I could just ignore it, but after what happened to Wilde, here, I can't be sure that it won't happen again."
Nick raised his finger in objection, signaling for Bogo not to continue, "Do you even know what happened to me in that interrogation room, Chief? It was shock, the doctor said, from seeing my friend in that state. I'm not very easy to catch off guard, Buffalo Sauce, but to be fair I wasn't expecting anything to happen to Rick here in the precinct. And besides, being a cop is dangerous. We're going to get in danger, Chief, it's part of the job. So, whether or not you like it, me and Ms. Hopps here are going to follow the lead we have." Bogo watched Nick start to walk away in surprise. He'd done it again, the annoying fox, just like that night that Judy had lead him to see a savage Mr. Manchas, only to find the black jaguar gone.
"Fine," Bogo said, realizing that there was no point in arguing with this fox, "but how are you planning on finding him?" Judy, who had been watching the whole thing unfold, gaped disbelievingly at Nick, who turned back around and joined her side.
"Glad you changed your mind," Nick said. "Knowing Weaselton, he's probably somewhere selling illegal products, so our first move would be to take the cruiser and look for him on the street corners." Bogo sighed and tiredly agreed to let them go, shuffling back upstairs to head to his office.
Judy noticed Bogo's sluggish behavior with a bit of concern. The chief had mornings where he would yawn during the assignments of the day, or sometimes he would even rest his head on his desk when it was quiet, but Judy had never seen him this tired. She knew that things were stressful in Zootopia lately, but for it to affect the chief so severely was certainly worrying. Nick was also watching the chief leave, a satisfied smile on his face, either not noticing his exhaustion or not caring, just like the crying child at the hospital.
"Well, I'll go bring the car around so we can search for Weaselton, and you go get your uniform on," said Judy, turning to walk to the door, just a little disappointed in Nick's disregard for their chief's health.
"What about yours?" Nick asked.
"It's at my apartment. We'll swing by there." Judy walked out of the precinct to go get the car, leaving Nick alone to let his smile fall. As it turned out, he did notice the chief's change in demeanor. The buffalo had barely even argued with Nick, he thought as he walked to the locker room where he had last left his uniform.
Minutes later, Nick had his uniform on, his badge neatly pinned to his chest. He looked down at the black tie that came with his uniform, glancing back into his locker with guilt, almost wishing that he had kept his lucky tie on, the comforting accessory laying there for the sole purpose of being forgotten like everything else the fox put in there. For a moment, he lifted his hand, so close to switching ties. No one would care if he had a different tie on with his uniform, and the current black one had no sentimental value whatsoever. So why was it so hard to just switch them?
His hand lingered in the air for a few seconds longer, as if he were trying to make the tie come to him by some supernatural means, before letting it fall to his side, and slamming the locker door with a sudden anger at himself. Thankfully nobody was around to see or hear him have this small mental battle. That familiar feeling in his chest became more and more prominent. His eyes shut as tightly as they could. Nick's breathing became very heavy, and he leaned against his locker, trying to will it to go away.
He eventually managed to get better control of his breathing, and his heartbeat slowed a bit, but that familiar sensation in his chest was still present. So, taking a look around the locker room, making sure that nobody had seen his episode, he opened his locker, grabbed his lucky tie, and shoved it into his back pocket as he walked out, planting a bored look on his face. As he walked across the main lobby of the precinct, trying not to look at Clawhauser devouring a bag of chips, Nick noticed the car at the front of the precinct. By the time he had made it to the car, thanks to the feeling of his lucky tie in his back pocket, his chest felt much better, and the smile he shot at Judy was less fake than usual.
Hours of searching later, Nick and Judy were still driving around the city of Zootopia for any sign of Weaselton. They had already stopped by Judy's apartment so that she could change into her uniform. The form fitting outfit made the bunny feel much more protected and authoritative. She stopped at a red light, taking a glance to her right at her partner, asleep in his seat. She thought about stopping very abruptly several times to wake him up, but every time she was close to doing it, she would look at his sleeping face and just couldn't bring herself to commit to the act. How was it that she couldn't even force herself to torture him the same way he did to her. She had outwitted him, but she just couldn't do anything to disturb his sleep today. Was it pity for his anxiety? Was it fear that he would find a much worse way to get back at her? Or was it last night when she had slept next to him?
Whether or not she let herself admit it, last night had affected her in some way. A small part of her mind that kept unwanted thoughts out peeked open to reveal the idea that she could somehow have feelings for Nick, feelings that were stronger than the 'just friends' stage. But that was ridiculous, Judy thought, shoving those thoughts back down. There was no way in the world that she could have feelings for Nick. It wasn't that the fox wasn't desirable. He had a charming personality, he wasn't bad looking, and on top of it all, he had that cheeky way of getting under people's skin that just made them love him, save for a few who didn't like his sense of humor so much.
But being attracted to him? Impossible. Judy could not picture them as being together in any scenario. But still, as the light turned green, and she drove slowly forward, she couldn't resist the urge to sneak another look at his peaceful sleeping face. Maybe the bunny just had it all wrong. Maybe the feelings for Nick were really just her pity for him, only made stronger by his sleeping state. It was the only time she could see the vulnerability on his face, the vulnerability that he hid so well.
She glanced at the time that the dashboard of the police car showed: 5:00. The bunny groaned. They had been searching for Weaselton for at least five hours. It almost seemed unreal to Judy that they had been looking for one rat for that long. As she continued on her way, she spotted a small coffee shop. Looking at the clock again, realizing that they would have to continue their search until at least nightfall, Judy slowed the car down to a stop right next to the brewery and killed the engine. She took a few seconds longer to admire Nick's face before shaking the fox awake, much to his disappointment.
"Aw, come on, Carrots. Do you really have to-" he stopped himself when he saw where they were. "Oh, coffee sounds nice." Judy rolled her eyes and got out of the car, Nick following sleepily behind her. The two entered the coffee shop, making the small bell above the door ring, signaling more customers. They both ordered their coffees and took a seat at a nearby booth. Nick took his phone out to see the time. "How long was I out?" he asked.
"About an hour," Judy responded. Nick looked at his phone for a bit longer, as if trying to decipher how he had fallen asleep, before returning it to his pocket and staring out the window, watching the cars and mammals of all varieties pass by. With his peripheral vision, he could see Judy staring at him. He resisted shaking his head, knowing that she was probably going to ask him how he was feeling or something of that sort. Of course, he would just redirect it as always. His hand was in his back pocket without his knowledge, feeling the material of his tie as it gave him comfort. He hated when the bunny tried to have heart-to-hearts with him.
Yet, she still managed to do it. He had cracked and revealed a few key things to her, but nothing as serious as the things that still were buried in the deepest and darkest parts of his soul. He knew that Judy could see through him sometimes, but if she were able to look passed the emerald in his eyes, she would see the truth of his life. The truth of his past, a dark past that was to never be shown to anyone. He didn't care what the therapist asked him, he would not let her know anything that Judy didn't, because there was also no way he would be in that room without Judy to give him some kind of support.
At the thought of Judy's support, his thumb stopped caressing the tie. He wished that he could just rely on the bunny as much as he did an object, regardless of how emotionally attached to it he was.
"We've been searching for hours, Nick, and we still haven't found Weaselton," said Judy. "Are you sure that he wouldn't lay low after all of this?"
"He's not that careful. Besides, he knew he was protected by that encrypted footage."
"But what if the guy in charge of all of this told Weaselton that we were after him...or what if he poisoned him too?" Nick tensed, but played it off with a shrug.
"I doubt it. Weaselton's more of a contract at the moment kind of guy. He does one job for you and you never hear from him again." At the look Judy was giving him, he continued. "He's never done any jobs for me, Carrots, I'd never be that desperate, but I do know the guy. He's the rat you hire when you want dirty work done for a cheap price...and he doesn't give off any info about his clients, which you and I fixed thanks to Mr. Big…" Nick was very silent after that, a realization hitting him like a sledgehammer to the gut.
"Maybe that's why Mr. Big is gone," Judy said, reading Nick's reaction like a storybook. "This guy must have known that Mr. Big was one of the few who could get Weaselton to talk, so he made him disappear. But there are still so many unanswered questions here, Nick. How did he get most of Mr. Big's men to rebel against him so easily? And why did he want to rob all of those jewelry stores? There had to be some money involved to hire all of these guys, so he's just wasting his earnings."
"Maybe that's why he got Weaselton to work for him, because he needed to save money, but I see what you mean. He doesn't seem to be too interested in the money based on his actions."
Judy had never felt like they were getting somewhere and nowhere at the same time before, but they were at least doing something besides searching around the entirety of Savannah central for a rat that may not even be in Zootopia anymore. In that moment, Judy heard the bell ring, and Nick grew a sly, confident smile on his face.
"I don't believe in coincidences, Carrots, but sometimes it's hard to doubt that they don't exist," said Nick, nodding his head in the direction of the door. Judy turned her head slowly to see Weaselton himself walking in the shop, chewing on a toothpick as always. "I told you, Carrots," Nick continued, getting her attention, "he's not careful."
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Constructive criticism and the like are accepted, so please do not hesitate.