Chapter 12 Song of the Cheetah
AN: For those who asked, no, the Muchachos Boys Gang was not a mistake. I really did want them to be called, "The Boys Boys Gang", just for the fun of it. XD Now onto the story.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, taptaptaptaptap...
"What to wear… what to wear..."
Judy's foot was drumming against the floor as she stared at her miniscule collection of clothing she could wear for her dinner with Nick that evening. The previous fifteen hours had been a whirlwind of activity. It had taken nearly a half hour for her soldiers to arrive to help her lead the Muchacho Boys Gang back, and she could only huff in annoyance when they had finally shown.
Sixteen soldiers to guard three prisoners… she had thought in the moment, annoyed at the wasted resources and time that the whole situation had become. Though she had learned from the soldiers that this gang had apparently been running rampant for some time, defying each and every patrol sent out after them.
And yet a bunny and a fox were able to take them down… Judy had snickered internally as she led the procession back into town. Word of the arrests had brought many townsfolk out to witness it for their own eyes, as if disbelieving that the gang had actually been captured.
And by the new rabbit Capitán no less!
The few appreciative nods and smiles sent her way buoyed her confidence that had so nearly been shattered by Comandante Bogo earlier, and the metallic grinding sound of the cell of the three hyenas slamming shut was the most satisfying sound in the world at that moment.
It was the sound that, maybe, just maybe… she could make a difference.
As promised the following morning, she aroused her troops at the break of dawn to go over morning drills and for her to verify their training levels. All seemed physically proficient for the tasks she assigned them.
Well, everyone except Clawhauser… Judy through dryly, remembering how the cheetah was left panting just by running on lap around the perimeter of the fort. He did manage to keep up with the rest of the troops though, and by the end of the early morning training, she was immensely proud of everyone, but especially of his performance.
The following four to six hours were filled with her getting to know her troops, setting up patrol schedules in the town, as well as in the nearby farmland. If the Muchacho Boys Gang had been able to run rampant as long as they had, it was time for some discretionary patrols to intimidate any other desperados from trying the strength of the soldiers of Fort Zootopia.
After all that work had been accomplished, it was with a cheerful heart at a day filled to the brim with success that the doe jogged up to her chambers, and now found herself and her mood to be somewhat doused by how meager her personal belongings were, each now lying atop her bed.
You never cared before about having nice clothes, so why do you care now?
Judy scoffed at the voice that had been nagging her the entire afternoon. With just three hours until she was to meet Don Wilde, she found herself realizing that the only clothes she owned were that of her dress uniform, three sets of standard issue uniforms and one set for practice and training.
"Is that all you have?" a voice gasped from behind her.
Shaking her head, she turned to see Clawhauser standing at the entrance to her room, his paws in front of his mouth and his eyes making him look like a kit that just dropped his candy into a mud puddle.
"Sergeant..." Judy chuckled, amused at the cheetah's expression. "When one has given their life to the service, one doesn't find much time for personal effects."
The rabbit let a grin play at the corners of her lips as the cheetah's shoulders slumped. "Oh, and Sergeant? You forgot to salute when you greeted me."
The cheetah gasped as his tail shot out straight behind him. "Oh, s-sorry Capitán!" He offered a crisp salute before Judy did the same.
"No worries, Sergeant," Judy replied, as she lowered her paw. "Just don't make a habit of it, alright?"
"Of course, of course..." Clawhauser rambled, grinning sheepishly before adding. "So… what do you have planned for tonight that you'd be looking at your clothes like you might as well be walking around naked?"
Another shake of her head. "I will be dining with Don Nicholas de la Wilde tonight at his villa. I'm trying to get to know som-"
"Awwwwwwwwwww!"
Judy cringed at the loud semi-wail that came from the cheetah. Turning, she saw his tail swinging playfully behind him as he hid his mouth behind his paws. "You're going on a date with Don Wilde?"
A date?!
Judy's eyes widened in shock as the cheetah began laughing.
"No, it isn't anything like that," Judy tried to explain, only for Clawhauser to bat a paw towards her.
"Oh, you don't have to hide it you little flirt. I mean, I've seen how all the vixens in town swoon in his very presence. Even my darling Valorie has succumbed to many a sigh from his roguish charms."
"Wait..." Judy exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at the cheetah. "You're dating someone?"
The cheetah nodded vigorously. "Of course. A lovely señorita by the name of Valorie Woods." He let out a long sigh as he brought both paws together and clasped them next to his cheek. "She is the loveliest lady to ever grace Zootopia." His eyes widened as he quickly pointed towards Judy. "Oh! We should go on a double date sometime!"
"Clawhuser..." Judy grumbled.
"...And we could maybe go down to the docks and walk the beach, all four of us..."
"Clawhauser..." Judy stated, a bit louder and more forcibly.
"...and I could sing a love ballad for all of us..." the cheetah continued before clearing his throat.
Judy groaned and leaned against the bed, resting her head in her paw as Clawhauser began to croon in a deep baritone that caused Judy's ears to perk up.
"I had once a lonely heartache, of which nothing could supply for me..
My want for adoration, of which I had fain to see.
And then I faint have seen her, against a darkening sky…
A lovely señorita, whose angelic pose attracted me."
Judy was entranced by the song. I didn't know he could sing that well. She was so enraptured by the cheetah's singing, that she barely noticed when the song shifted to a more personal tone.
"The fox who stole her heart, the purest form of love I've seen." Clawhauser sung, startling Judy somewhat from her daze.
"Wait, what?" she asked, eyes widening as the cheetah sang on, unknowing of her sudden discomfort.
"Though eager to profess it, her love for him was pure and sweet..."
"Alright," Judy stuttered, pushing off the bed as she sped towards the cheetah. "Enough of that now."
"She found her one true love, now she only needs to act on it..."
"Enough!" Judy roared, finally managing to distract the cheetah from his singing.
"Alright, enough of that Sergeant," Judy growled as the cheetah jerked to a stop, then chuckled nervously as his tail twitched behind him.
"Sorry Capitán Hopps. I did not mean to be unseemly with the song."
"No, no...it's just..." Judy scowled, then huffed in irritation. "Nevermind."
Clawhauser stared after Judy as she grabbed her bolero from her hat rack, grabbed a small bag of coins from her rucksack, and made for her door. "I'm going out," she stated firmly as she passed the cheetah, who followed after her.
"Where are you going?" he pressed, following closely behind her.
"I need new clothing," she sighed as she trudged down the steps that were much too big for a small mammal like herself.
"Oh, I can help with that!"
Judy paused mid step, causing the cheetah to nearly trample her were it not for her quick reflexes. She leapt to the side of the staircase, rebounding off the wall before coming to a stop at the bottom of the staircase on three paws, with her other held behind her as she landed.
A squeal came from above her. "Oh, that was magnificent Capitán Hopps! I haven't seen anyone do anything like that before!"
Judy grinned at the compliment, though inwardly grimacing at nearly being squashed by the hyper-happy Sergeant. "As you were saying Clawhauser? Before you forgot where you were stepping?"
A mortified expression grew on the cheetah's face as he gasped. "I am so sorry Capitán! I sometimes do not think where my paws are going, which has landed me in quite the trouble oft times."
"Again, just watch where you step," Judy repeated. "Now, what were you saying about being able to help?"
Clawhauser grinned. "Oh, right, right...Well, Valorie, that sweetest of felines and the stars of my night sky, knows a fantastic shop that caters to smaller mammals. We sometimes go there for her little ones to shop..."
The cheetah trailed off when he noticed the frown come upon Capitán Hopps' face. "I'm sorry Capitán. I went too far again didn't I."
He truly doesn't have a filter does he… Judy mused. Besides the comment that he only knew of the shop due to his girlfriend's children shopping there, she was grateful for the advice that he knew of a place where she could go to find clothing. She chose to ignore his comments, as with as little as two days of knowing him, she knew he hadn't meant her any ill-will as there wasn't a mean bone in the pudgy mammals body.
"So… you said you know where it is?"
The cheetah nodded. "Si Capitán. If you'd like, I can take you over to Valorie's, the sweet, adorable kitten that she is, and see if she'd like to take you as I have guard duty in an hour.
"Gracias Sergeant Clawhauser. That would be wonderful," Judy beamed, walking towards the door. The two mammals headed out and towards the entry into the fort when Judy halted. A smile crept upon her and she was full out grinning when she saw what she saw.
The cheetah looked around expectantly. "What is the matter Capitán Hopps? Is something amiss?"
She shook her head, thankful that for once, nothing was amiss. Each guard station had a soldier at it, several were running drills in the courtyard and even the entrance had multiple guards standing at perfect attention.
"Nothing is wrong Sergeant," Judy exclaimed, trying to hide the shiver of excitement she felt at the turnaround her soldiers had already begun taking. Looking up at the cheetah, she began walking forward again. "In fact, everything is perfect."
"That's wonderful to hear!" Clawhauser laughed. "Now, let's get you the perfect outfit to match a perfect day..." he leaned down to Judy with an annoyingly large grin, "...with a perfect fox, no?"
Judy couldn't help the blush that formed as she shoved the sergeant playfully.
"Oh hush. Let's just find this dress and be done with it."
"Si Capitán."
AN: The song that Clawhauser was singing along to is called, "A Rose Tree", and can be found on youtube by typing in "Hildebrands - A Rose Tree". I'd suggest looking it up, and then listening to it as Clawhauser sings it. Hopefully I wrote the original lyrics for it well, since I've never written songs before so it might be terrible...
Let me know though! And what kind of dress do you think Clawhauser and his beloved Valorie will be helping Judy pick out, hmm? Love to hear your thoughts as always! :D