HUSTLE
An alternate version for the first meet-up with Nick and how he eventually gets Judy's heart, in one way or another.
Note: I assumed Judy's room in her apartment is on the first floor.
I do not own Zootopia.
- O – O – O – O – O – O –
Judy regretted not bringing the fox tazer along with her.
Her parents turned out to be right.
Foxes were the worst species in the area.
The bunny entered her room with a burned out spirit, thinking of dreary possibilities for her next days as a substitute meter maid.
Even the idea of a carrot dinner did not help her mood.
"Hello there. Who do we have here?"
Literally just outside her window was a silhouette of a fox she had started thinking of as despicable.
"Oh, it's Parking Judy!"
Judy did not spare him any reaction and just closed the window, only to be stopped by a stronger paw.
"Oh, oh, oh! Wait! You're going to crush my slender hands," said Nick as he smoothly raised the window back up, offering a deep smirk. "What do you say the two of us have dinner together?"
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Nick only raised an eyebrow in amusement, and then Judy continued. "Fool me thrice, not gonna happen. Am I like your biggest challenge yet? How about you try my two neighbors, get two animals above your size?"
"Oh, but you have to thank me." Nick seemed to check his surroundings outside and nonchalantly pulled himself inside the room, much to the growing disbelief of the bunny officer.
"And why is that, acting Uncle Nick?" Judy tested sourly.
The red fox gave a curious eye around the room as he spoke, "Something tells me your feet could've gotten in cement if not for me… or maybe that could have happened already in a different timeline."
Judy rolled her eyes, dissatisfied by the answer and sat herself on her desk chair. "What are you talking about now?"
"You're probably already not looking forward to your next days as a meter maid." Nick grunted a minor expression of disgust as he took a brief smell of the trash can.
"Yeah. Thanks to another fox who came just to ruin my life."
"Another?" Nick asked absently as he continued probing around the area. He gave a smirk at the numerous picture frames on the bunny's desk. "Blood relatives!"
When he was about to open her drawers, Judy frowned. "Sir, I'll have you know I am a cop."
"That's good news. You're a very accommodating cop!" praised Nick as he got some predator food from the uppermost drawer. "Here I thought you'd have already donated it to some charity outside. Or were you thinking of trying their taste?"
Judy could not care much, having no actual use or benefit from the food being collected.
"Great. This was your plan all along."
"Definitely," said Nick, muffled by the sustenance he was already taking, as he sat casually on the bed. "And it worked."
"So how did you know where I live?" Judy asked then paused as she felt the ground shake. "Neighbors."
"Cute bunny meter maids have this innocent smell on them." Nick slurped quietly on a blueberry yoghurt cup, looking much satisfied. "Foxes have an excellent sense of smell."
"So it will do me no good to ask you for payment?" the bunny crossed her arms.
The red fox shrugged. "Yeah. You're catching on pretty quick."
"I-"
Both their attentions were caught as Judy's phone suddenly rang, much to the fox's amusement.
"Who's calling you at this hour?"
Judy only furrowed her eyebrows and sighed. "My parents."
Nick hummed as he moved in closer to read the phone notification. "Mom and Dad would like to MuzzleTime… Hey, your Mom looks adorable."
As the phone continued ringing, Judy scolded the fox, "What you're doing is rude and they definitely shouldn't see me with a fox. Especially my Da-"
Nick easily interrupted her with a smile. "Bunny, plaster your biggest smile in your face!"
He tapped the Accept button, forcing a quick flustered reaction from Judy.
"I-uh-you- Hi!" Judy flashed a grin at the camera. "It's my parents!"
She vaguely noticed the red fox beside her retreating a little, enough to get off the camera's view.
"There she is!" a feminine voice spoke from the other line. "Hi, sweetheart!"
"Hey there, Jude the dude! How's your first day at the forest?" a male voice followed.
The bunny heard a snort from the red fox, but she decided not to reproach him.
"It was real great!" Judy answered dutifully.
"Yeah?" her mother eagerly asked. "Everything you ever hoped?"
"Hmm! Absolutely! And more! Everyone's so nice!" Judy gave a short glance at her desk in discomfort of telling the dishonesties. "And I feel like I'm really making a difference!"
"Oh, wait a second…" the father spoke in a shift of tone. "Holy cranks, Bonny, look at that."
Judy initially thought she had been sighted with her meter maid uniform still on, when her mother gasped worriedly. "Oh, my sweet heaven! Judy, is that a fox in your room?!"
"Wha-?"
It was only then that she noticed that the red fox had shown his face on the camera, looking lifeless with his mouth hanging open.
She gave a reprimanding look at the fox, who remained stubbornly still in his position even as she shook him.
"Mom, Dad…I'm- I'm practicing! You know, to defeat the bad guys!"
"Is- is that just a mask?" her father asked in optimism. "That may be of a weird taste but it works, I guess."
"Yes! Yeah, definitely!" Judy laughed weakly as she gave a few soft punches at the fox's face. As much as she actually wanted to do the deed since their first encounter, she was more bent on to have the excuse pass for the sake of her good parents.
"We'll be telling everyone you're kickin' it good!"
"Dad, Mom, you know what... It's been a really long day." Judy dropped the fox face in the camera view as if she had actually been holding it up. "I should really-"
"That's right. You get some rest!"
"Those foxes aren't gonna kick themselves!"
"Byebye!" The call was abruptly cut off, leaving the smiling faces of her parents motionless in her phone.
Judy sighed to herself, as she placed the phone back on her desk. "Byebye…"
Nick raised himself back up, with an entertained smirk. "That's some quick thinking, bunny."
"You! I've had enough of your…" Judy raised a threatening finger as she tried to find an appropriate word. "Your irrationalities! Take your pred food and leave me be!"
"Oh, that was what I was planning," the red fox affirmed, as he neared the windowsill.
Just as he was about to raise a leg over, he paused to ask a question. "Carrots, do you want me to take the door?"
"I want you." Judy gave him the fiercest glare she could muster. "To get out right now!"
With everything over the window, Nick waved back a food container playfully. "Are you sure you don't want a sample of pred food?"
"Sir, I'm sure you don't want to lose a finger or two."
"You don't have to act mean now." Judy saw him turn around, raising a graceful arm. "Night night!"
As much as she wanted to get the night's fresh air for her room, she decided not to risk having leftovers or prank materials by the time she woke up.
She regretfully closed the window and turned off her lamp light.
"Tomorrow's another day."
She did not want to hope much.
The fox was definitely on to something.
