Chapter 21 To Catch a Fox

Edited by R3d Fawkes & KungFuFreak07

AN: Zootopia won the Oscar for Best Animated Picture! WOOT WOOT! And another amazing milestone came this week when "The Masked Fox" hit 500 reviews and over 450 followers! I never thought this story would be this well liked so thank you all so much! Now, onto the next chapter. :)

Credit to Berserker88 for letting me use Sanchez Sandcat in this chapter, as well as Libious for letting me use Jackie Spotters and Drummermax64 for using Max Thrash. Lots of fun OC's in this one. :D

Nick walked to the front gates of Fort Zootopia, a bouquet of flowers held in anxious paws as he saluted the guards at the front gates. Both the cheetah and the sand cat grinned when they saw the flowers, a mix of blue lupine, orange day-lilies and striking violet tulips in the fox's paw, offering nods of recognition as he walked past them.

"I think he's just here to offer that as a gift...as a friend," the female cheetah stated glumly after the fox had passed by her.

"Oh, señorita Jackie," the sand cat replied, chuckling as he watched the fox enter the fort. "Have you forgotten that it is I who wagered that he would be asking the Capitán out on a date, while it is you who said they would just be friends? No?"

The cheetah glowered at the smaller mammal as she crossed her arms, switching her gaze from her fellow soldier to the swishing tail of the red-furred mammal. "A girl can hope, can't she?"

A bellowing laugh came from the smaller mammal. "Oh Jackie, Jackie, Jackie… let me tell you something about the cruelties of love…"

The cheetah's eyes widened as the sand cat reached for a nearby guitar. "Don't you dare start..."

"I have a friend, who fell in love!" the sand cat began crooning while strumming his guitar. "With a fox, from high above!"

"His swishing tail, his handsome eyes!"

"All these combined, she thought sublime!"

"No..." Jackie drawled, dragging her paws down her face before slumping against the walls of the fort. "No… no… no..."

Said fox who was the subject of the song laughed to himself as the verses of the melody continued well into a third verse behind him as he knocked a pattern upon a door that was becoming very familiar to him. The shout that came from the open window above brought a smile to his lips.

"Come in."

"I'll be happy to," Nick spoke to nobody but himself as he removed his bolero and stepped inside. Looking over himself once more, making sure that his clothes were impeccable, he started for the stairs. He had followed Finnick's advice, and at the smaller desert fox's behest, had worn the matching blue pants and matching jacket with gold trim he had worn for their first dinner together. It had taken him two days since he had helped her take down the smuggler's vessel to gather enough courage to officially ask Capitan Hopps out on a da...dat...

Nope...still can't say it...

He stopped at the top of the stairs, still barely believing what he was doing.

You can do this Nick. It isn't like she's coming back. It's been almost a year since she disappeared… you...you can't pine after her memory forever.

The memory of that day… and of the following weeks of him standing outside the gates of Fort Zootopia from sunup to sundown, waiting for the one mammal he hoped to see the most come running towards him, came flooding back to him in a wave of emotions and trepidation.

"Nine months, eight days, Skye…" Nick muttered as he gripped the worn wooden banister and took the first step up the stairs. "I know you'd understand…"

The fox picked up his pace again, walking towards the door, albeit a little more morose than a few minutes prior, despite the otherwise pleasant circumstances he was hoping the day would bring. Only hope that Judy hadn't heard him break form on the ship during their battle kept him moving forward instead of fleeing for his hacienda.

Maybe there is hope she hadn't heard me utter her name on the ship? She hasn't arrested me yet, so maybe?, he wondered as he began ascending the staircase towards Capitán Hopps' study.

Or maybe she actually isn't a rabbit but a deaf armadillo in disguise… the more sarcastic side of his brain told him. He waved that thought off as he reached her door, letting out a soft exhale of air while debating within himself if he would want to simply enter or knock first, as any gentlemammal would do. Does she know me well enough for me to come in? She did say come in...but I should really knock on a ladies door before...

His answer came in the form of a chuckle from within.

"Nick, I heard your sigh, and if you don't come in, then I'll have my soldiers confiscate all your blueberry stores and give them to Sergeant Clawhauser to eat."

The door burst open and a surprised and slightly worried fox entered. "You wouldn't do such a thing to a poor animal as myself, would you?" Nick asked, frantic in his response, his breathing coming heavy until he heard the soft laughter coming from his friend. Seeing the sparkle in his companion's eyes, Nick allowed a sly smirk to appear on his own muzzle. "I will gladly fight you and all your soldiers to keep you from taking my blueberries!" he exclaimed, grabbing a small, rabbit sized unbrella from the nearby stand, swinging it back and forth through the air in front of him in disheveled moves until the umbrella bounced off the wall and konked the vulpine in his muzzle.

"Of course I wouldn't," the bunny replied, smiling at her friend as she walked over to greet him, pulling back his paw from his nose to make sure he was alright. The slight touch sent a jolt of electricity through him and he quickly waved off her consideration, though nearly smacking her with the held umbrella in the process. Thankfully she ducked as it swung over her head with the wave of his paw, then moved back to the bin it came from as Judy took it from Nick's grasp. "Though if my best friend in Zootopia goes another day without seeing me I might have to send a search party out looking for him or do good on that threat," she added with a wink as Nick smiled back at her. Gently taking her paw, he placed a kiss upon it as he smiled.

"Well, would you perhaps be leading that group to find me?"

"Everyday," Judy whispered, eyes glimmering as she said such a simple word that made such a profound impact upon Nick's mind. His breath caught in his throat momentarily as he tried to keep his calm demeanor from breaking as the desire to suddenly kiss more than just Judy's paw flashed through his mind.

Judy stared at him for several moments as he remained stoic before her, before raising an eyebrow. "Nick, are you alright?"

Shaking himself from his stupor, he nodded as he trademark grin reappeared. "Absolutely, one hundred percent, señorita."

"Good!" Judy chirped, before bouncing back towards her desk. "What would my charming fox like to do today? Visit Weidii? Walk the pier..." Judy turned and gave him a smirk. "Sink a ship..."

Nick casually strolled over to the chair, at least as casually as he could for his legs almost giving out at her last statement. The way she stated it left no room for it being a question. "Well, for starters," he mumbled, scratching at the back of his neck. Remember what you're here for! "I've heard that… there's a...a..."

His voice trailed off as he took in what was hanging above Judy's desk, a large map of Zootopia and its surrounding districts, though that wasn't what surprised him the most.

"What is this, Capitán?" he asked, gulping as he saw metal pins dotting the map, red pieces of paper attached to some, green to others and yellow on the vast majority. Drawings and wanted posters of various mammals dotted the perimeter of the map in its entirety, while the space at the top was reserved for the most notable picture of them all...

...a picture of The Fox.

"I don't know," she began, standing on her chair as she placed her paws on the table before she turned her gaze upon him. "You tell me."

Nick chuckled, trying to hide his nervousness. "Maybe a board of the those who need capturing? Like a… a… " he rolled his paw as he pondered a moment, more to help him figure out a way out of his current predicament that wouldn't involve pawcuffs, before his ears stood up. "like...a most wanted board?"

Judy hummed in response. "I like it." Turning back to the board, she offered a soft smile. "Capitán Hopps' Most Wanted Board."

"It has a certain ring to it," Nick replied as he studied the board more closely, especially a set of three drawings in a top corner of the map after seeing several others that he recognized. "Though aren't some of these mammals already arrested?" he questioned. "As I see the Muchachos Boys Gang's poster up there."

A nod from Judy. "Yes, these are all the mammals that have been arrested since I arrived, as well as a few others I am trying to track down. If you notice the captured ones have red marks on them, while those still evading capture remain unmarked."

"Hmm," Nick drawled. "I'm guessing the red pins are places you've captured the wanted thieves and brigands?" At a nod from the rabbit, he continued. "And the pins? Do they match up with...um..." he again waved his paw, before having it drum against the aged wooden table, his claws clacking against it. "Hold on...I know this...Oh! red with red, green with free?"

Judy smiled as her eyelids drooped slightly. "Almost there, Slick Nick." Judy chuckled. "The red are indeed locations where they've been captured, with, the help of Zorro. However, the green pins are locations where The Fox has been seen."

Nick involuntarily gulped, realizing that it might have been a huge mistake on his part to come here today. You knew she knew...you're going to end up in chains and left in a prison to rot, never finding out what happened to Skye, Nick! Do you think anyone else will care enough to figure out what happened to her?

"Oh..." Nick squeaked as he saw just how many green pins dotted the map. How did she gather all this information in just two days?

"Did you know..." Judy continued, as Nick's gaze was stuck upon the map, "that ninety percent of all sightings of Zorro are within seven miles of your property?" She waved at the board, a smile on her face as he nervously shuffled backwards.

"I think I need to invest more in security mammals if he is appearing so often and so frequently near my humble abode," Nick stammered as his eyes again drew themselves across the map. "Maybe a few rhinos? Some jaguars? Maybe a certain bunny?"

"A bunny? Who are you thinking of?"

"Gah!" Nick jumped back in start when Judy whispered in his ear, the rabbit snickering at his reaction. He is so jumpy today...she thought. And for good reason, the other side of her mind told her. You're basically accusing him of being the most wanted criminal in Califurnia when he brought flowers... Judy's eyes wandered upon the bouquet in Nick's paw that was clutched over his heart. Oh...

He placed his paw over his heart, breathing heavily. "Carrots! You almost caused my heart to fail!"

"My, is Nicholas de la Wilde afraid of sudden sounds?"

"Who isn't?" he said, continuing his panting, before looking down at the flowers in his paw. Offering a tepid laugh, he tried to hide them behind his back with a nervous smile.

Judy casually jumped off the chair and strolled up to him, paws behind her back. "I don't know… Zorro maybe?" As she reached him, she leaned around him. "Are those for me?"

"Well, Zorro I am not," Nick replied hastily, mind spinning to come up with some sort of witty statement. "And I uh...brought these for…"

"Yes…" Judy hummed, looking up at him. He continued to nervously look down at her. How can she do this to me so easily… he wondered as he stared into her eyes, becoming more entranced by the second by her gaze. Maybe because she's on to you? Maybe because those violet eyes are so bewitching? Maybe because you just want to lean right in and...

He was finally brought out of it when he found her paw waving in front of his face. "Nick? Don Wilde…? Are you there?"

Blinking rapidly, he shook himself awake, still a bit surprised with everything happening so rapidly around him and in such a state of confusion said the first thing that came to his mind."Sorry Capitán, I looked into your eyes to answer your questions and I couldn't leave them."

Nick heard a slight intake of breath come from the rabbit as her ears shot completely straight up, her paw covering her mouth as the insides of her ears began turning red. "Oh…!"

For a nervous moment, both mammals stood facing each other, the amount of tension and awkwardness soaring to astronomical heights between them. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, Nick began chuckling. The sound shattered the tension like a cannonball, causing Judy to join in with her own laughter, increasing in volume and tempo along with the vulpine's own until both were laughing hysterically.

"I'm sorry," Nick finally managed to say, leaning on the Capitán's chair to catch his breath. "That must have sounded quite cheesy, no? I mean… your eyes are beautiful and your fur quite breathtaking in the afternoon light and…" his voice slowed to a soft muttering sound before he again nervously chuckled and extended his paw with the bouquet in them. "And yes...these are for you. Chosen to match your brilliance in every way. The lupine to match your uniform, showing your indomitable spirit. Day-lilies for your smile, which shines as brightly as the sun and violets, to match the exquisiteness of your eyes and are beautiful to behold."

"Thank you," Judy replied, feeling her heart melting at the vulpine's words. Accepting the offered bouquet, she sniffed it, feelings of home coming soaring back into her mind as memories of her youth came flooding in. "These are beautiful, Nicholas."

"Like yourself," he added.

Judy felt her ears beginning to burn at the onrush of compliments, and let them fall to her back, rubbing the tip of one with her free paw… a tick she always did when she felt nervous around a mammal she liked…

Eyes widened as she abruptly stopped the motion. In front of mammals I like...no...no, no, no, NO! Dropping the bouquet upon her desk, the bunny ran over to the open window, taking in deep breaths of the outside air to replace the scents that currently filled the room.

Judy, you are not allowed to fall for Nick. Not with what Admiral Wilde wants you to do… not with what you have to do to Zorro. You can't fall in love...can't, can't, can't, CAN'T!

A paw on her shoulder shattered her illusions of pushing Nick from her mind.

"Judy, are you alright?"

"Yes!" Judy twirled around immediately, yelling out her answer, feeling instantly sorry as Nick stepped back from her, raising his paws in front of him. "No! I mean yes! I'm good! I'm great! Everything's great!" As if to exaggerate her already odd performance, she grinned toothily, keeping the smile for far too long as the fox stared at her.

"You know, I think maybe I should just go out and come back in," Nick supplied slowly, taking a step back.

Her paw shot out, grabbing his own faster than her mind could tell her body to stop.

"Don't go!"

She watched as Nick's tail froze in place, his eyes turning down to see her paw over his own. Abruptly she pulled it away, again going back to playing with her ears. "I"m sorry, Don Wilde… for today. I don't know what is wrong with me…and...I'm just sorry about everything so far..."

That's a total lie and you know it, Judy… her inner voice told her, and she could almost imagine a tiny version of herself silently judging her from inside her mind.

Oh hush you! she replied. It isn't like he won't realize what you are doing with your interrogating him and all.

Shush! she repeated again, shaking her head. I can do this… He isn't Zorro. He can't be Zorro...not with what you're feeling…

All thought was cut off when she felt two paws placed upon her cheeks. The heat that had slowly begun dying down instantly raged back into an inferno as her gaze shot towards the fox, who had a sad smile upon his muzzle that melted any desire of her to continue what she had been planning on doing to him when he had arrived.

"Capitána Judy Hopps," he began, eyes never wavering from her own. "When was the last time you took a break from making Zootopia a better place?"

Her breath caught in her throat at the close proximity her friend currently had to her. "I… I don't know..."

"And how long have you been in here, doing all this?" He waved his paw towards the map. Judy's heart plummeted in her chest as she began questioning herself all over again.

He heard her mumble something quietly. "Could you repeat that, please?"

"Since I've arrived...fourteen days ago…" she murmured again, still looking into the emerald eyes of her friend. The warmth inside them was mesmerizing and his touch so welcoming. Her paws went to cover his own, "I can handle it though. General Bogo has required it of me to clean the city and catch The Fox… and… and I need to do that...and I can't..which would happen if I'm not working then I'll be dismissed and…"

The fox's paw moved quickly, a single clawed finger placed upon her lips. "Judy, did you sleep at all last night, or the night before?"

Stuck within his eyes, and not daring to look away. She couldn't lie to such a friend as he. "A little…?" she squeaked.

"I think your desk has seen your head more than your pillow," the fox lamented, their gaze still connected and she could have sworn he was growing closer with every second he knelt in front of her. "So I propose something fun between the two of us. A time where you could relax and unwind… where you have to worry about your work and that dastardly Zorro, as well as your offending boss, about as much as a tortoise worries about a sunburn."

His comment brought a slight chuckle from the rabbit as Nick's own smile grew. "Does that sound good to you, my bonita bunny?"

"It does," Judy replied, rubbing his right paw with her own, her fingers lazily tracing through his fur. "But only if I spent it with you."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, eyes brightening instantly. "Then today we will go and enjoy one another's company. Though that isn't the real reason why I came today. You see...I will be hosting a ball in no less than a week. The finest party that Zootopia has ever seen and..." his voice caught in his throat as he nervously removed a paw from Judy's cheek to pull at his collar. "...and I want you to come with me to it."

Judy felt as if her heart had stopped.

Was Don Nicholas de la Wilde… one of the most powerful mammals in the country… asking her out…on a, date?

"Is this a date?" she blurted out without thinking.

"Is that a problem?" Nick replied, suddenly very nervous as his ears shot up and tail swished anxiously behind him. "I mean, we could always go separat-"

"I'd love to go with you to the ball!" Judy interrupted, eyes shining in both surprise and joy. Surprising the fox with her next move, she jumped forward into his arms, the flummoxed fox's eyes going wide as she hugged him. Within a few moments he had recovered enough to move his paws around to Judy's back, patting it gently.

"I guess I can take that as a 'yes' then?"

Taking a step back, while taking Nick's paws in her own, she nodded. "Absolutely, one hundred percent."

Heavy thumping coming from the hallway broke the perfect moment while the sound of drums starting up rather close by, came from outside.

"Capitán Hopps! Capitán Hopps!"

The thumping and yelling came closer as both fox and rabbit turned to see the door open and a flustered Sergeant Clawhauser appear, gasping for breath.

"Capitan Hopps! You have to…"

His words died in his throat as all sound in the room vanished.

"Sergeant, what is it?" Judy asked.

The cheetah's right arm raised, pointing at the pair as a grin split his muzzle. "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

Confused, both fox and rabbit turned their gazes from the cheetah to each other, both realizing at almost the same time what the ear splitting cry from the cheetah was about.

Nick was down on one knee… in front of Judy...their paws clasped together. Muzzles mere inches apart...

Oh…

OH...

OH!

Both mammals broke apart, Nick suddenly finding a nearby corner remarkably interesting while Judy tried to form some sort of sentence, though failing miserably as she only spluttered out a quick, "It's not what you think."

"I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone…" the cheetah grinned, grabbing at the door handle.

"Sergeant Benjamin Garcia Clawhauser!" Judy yelled, halting the cheetah in his tracks. "What was it you wanted to speak with me about?"

A dawning realization hit the cheetah square in the face. "Oh, oh, oh… right. A messenger just came for you. Though they are kind of late since they arrived with the purpose of their message."

Judy's eyebrow arched as the drums from outside grew louder. Walking to the window, she was followed by Nick, both arriving at the same time to see a drummer mammal, who looked like a torch key raccoon judging from his tail and distinct eye mask, in a spotless uniform march into the parade grounds, followed by a carriage being pedaled by two large tigers while another two sat on the back of the vehicle. Twin lines of soldiers marched behind the carriage until it stopped in the center of the parade gronds. The raccoon finished his cadence with an impressive twirl of his drumsticks, turning with a crisp salute towards the nearest flag as a tiger gracefully slid off the back of the vehicle. Opening the door, the large feline bowed deeply as a single white hoof took his larger paw.

Nick's blood ran cold… No..No, no, no, no! She can't be here… Not now...not her. The fox turned to the rabbit, ignoring all the alarm bells currently raging in his mind as he wrapped his arm around the bunny, startling her slightly as he drew her in close, wrapping his tail around her. His sudden drive to protect her over-riding all other instincts in that moment as the mammal whose hoof he saw revealed herself fully in the sunlight.

An immaculately pressed grey dress...

Large, earth toned, horned glasses...

Dull green eyes..

And a single, blue flower, pinned to her dress just below her shoulder.

"It's Magistrate Bellwether, Capitán," Clawhauser gulped. "She has arrived."

AN: Dun dun DUN! So what do you think will happen now? Will Nick and Judy be able to take the rest of the day off as planned? What exactly did Admiral Wilde task Judy to do? Are Capitán Hopps and Don Wilde falling in love? Does Judy know Nick is The Fox? Let me know what you think in your reviews, as I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. :D