Chapter 17

Nick walked to work, and he was thinking about Judy the whole time. He almost ran into a stop sign. Nick finally got to the precinct without running into anything. Nick walked inside and walked up to Ben's desk. Ben was there eating cereal as usual in the mornings. "Hey, Ben," Nick said as he walked up. "Good morning, Nick! How's the paw working?" Nick lifted his left paw up and made a fist. "Just fine!" Nick said. Ben reached out to touch it, but when he touched it, he was surprised. "This feels just like your old paw!" Ben said. "That's the point, Ben," Nick said. "Hey, Ben, have you seen Judy yet?" "Not yet. It's possible she came in the garage." "Ok. I'll just get over there and check." Nick walked off to the garage, to find Judy. He had an idea he wanted to share with her. Nick walked to the garage, but Judy wasn't there. Nick went back to the lobby and sat on one of the chairs by the wall. After a while, Judy came in. Nick ran over to her. "Judy!" Nick said as he ran up to her. "What is it, Nick?" Judy asked as he reached her. "Carrots, I have an idea. Since my parents' anniversary was June 6, and we want to remember and honor them, and since June is a few months away, how about we have our wedding on June 6?" Judy looked thoughtful. "That's a really good idea, Nick! We'll have a double anniversary every year!" Nick smiled as he knew that Judy liked his idea. Nick and Judy were given a case to solve at roll call, a gas station was robbed, and they are to find the culprit. Nick walked out the bullpen and went to the garage with Judy. Nick jumped into the driver's seat and Judy got in the passenger seat. Nick started the car and drove to Sahara Square, where they would investigate the robbery. They got out and walked to the front door. Nick walked off to look at the window. Judy went inside. The store was open, so there was an antelope at the desk. "Hello. Can I help you, Officer?" the antelope said. "Yes. I'm here to investigate the robbery that occurred the other day," Judy replied. "Oh, yes. I was told you'd be coming. There really isn't much I can tell you, except I wasn't here, and the cameras inside were down for repairs." Judy wrote that down in her notebook. Nick walked inside. "Hey Carrots! I think I found some fingerprints," Nick said. Nick saw some fresh fruits in a basket by the door and saw blueberries. "Oh! May I?" Nick asked the antelope. "Of course." Nick grabbed a small handful and walked outside. Nick was snaking on blueberries while Judy got the fingerprints. "I wonder why the culprit touched the window…" Nick wondered aloud to himself. "We don't know if it's the culprit's fingerprints, yet. Nick, why don't you go see what the outside cameras caught." Judy said. "Ok, Carrots." Nick walked inside and asked to see the security camera monitors. The antelope showed Nick to the back room, to the monitor screens. Nick sat down and started scrolling through footage. Nick watched several animals go in and out, but one otter who went in looked pretty shady and had an empty backpack. Nick kept watching, and the otter ran outside with the backpack looking full. Nick froze frame and got a good look at the face. He saved a screenshot of his face. He continued playing and saw the otter get in a car and drive off. He froze frame again, and saved a screenshot of the license plate. CBO428. Nick printed the two screenshots and folded them and put them in his shirt pocket. Nick left to find Judy. On his way out, he thanked the antelope and grabbed a few more blueberries. Nick ran up to Judy, who was sitting in the cruiser with a laptop. She was running the fingerprints. "Carrots, I got a picture of the criminal, and his license plate!" Nick said. "I've got three citizens these fingerprints match. They were too smudged to get a good print," Judy said. Nick pulled out the two pictures and handed them to Judy. "This otter matches this guy here!" Judy exclaimed as she pointed to Harold Waters. "That's our man," Nick said. Nick grabbed the radio. "Officer Wilde to Dispatch. We need a warrant for a Harold Water's arrest. We have the evidence to convict him." Nick waited a minute. "It is being filled out right now. It will be sent to your phone, Nick," Clawhauser said. Nick looked at Judy and smiled. "Don't you love new technology?" Nick said. Then Nick's phone vibrated. He opened it and saw the warrant on his phone. "Ok. Let's run that plate," Nick said. "Already done. It's registered to our Harold. And this address matches his. Let's go get him!" Judy said. Nick hopped in the driver's seat and drove to the location. The house was in a suburban town outside Zootopia. Nick pulled up and turned the car off. "That's it," Judy said, checking the address. "Let's go get him," Nick said getting out. Nick walked up to the door and knocked. "ZPD! Open up Harold Water! We have a warrant for your arrest!" Nick yelled. The door opened and an elderly otter looked back at Nick and Judy. "What has my son done?" asked the elderly otter. "He has robbed a convenience store last week. We have the proof," Judy told the otter. Nick showed her the warrant on his phone. The old otter looked mad. "He's in here," she said as she started walking into the kitchen with Nick and Judy following. "Harold! What have you gotten yourself into this time?" the otter yelled. "MOM! I'm not in any troub-" Harold said as he walked around the corner and saw Nick and Judy. "ZPD. We have a warrant for your arrest, so I suggest you come quietly," Nick said pulling his handcuffs out and putting them on Water. Nick started walking Harold out. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you desire one and cannot afford one, an attorney will be appointed to you at no charge," Judy said as they were walking out. Nick put Harold in the backseat and shut the door. They got in the cruiser and drove back to HQ. "Dispatch. This is Officer Hopps. We've caught the gas station robber," Judy said into her radio. "Roger that. Good work Hopps and Wilde. What's your ETA?" said Bogo from the radio, which was a little strange. Nick looked at his watch. "Twelve minutes," Nick whispered to Judy. "Twelve minutes," Judy repeated into the radio. "Oh, and Chief? Where is Clawhauser?" "He got sick. I was collecting some papers from his desk when you called." That makes sense. "Roger that, Chief. Over and out." Judy put her radio back in her belt and pulled her laptop out of the glove box. She opened the records and started filling out the report for the Water Case. They arrived exactly twelve minutes later and had Harold sent to the jail. Judy finished the report and sent it to Bogo. Nick and Judy went to the break room and Nick got a cup of hot chocolate. Judy just got a carrot. Nick sat on the couch, watching the tv, playing the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode, Lair of Grevious. Nick was apparently very interested in it, he didn't hear Bogo walk in. "You two can take the rest of the day off. You deserve it. Go plan your wedding." Bogo winked at Judy, who looked surprised. "How'd you know?" asked Judy. "For one, you're wearing an engagement ring, and two, you and Nick seem to be closer lately." Judy looked a little embarrassed. Bogo chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret until you want to tell the rest of the force." Judy was relieved. "Thanks Chief." Bogo started to leave. "You two are one of the best officers I have ever had," Bogo said as he left. Nick turned around and looked at Judy. "Did you know Kit Fisto had an apprentice?" Nick said. Judy rolled her eyes. "I guess you're in fanboy mode now?" Nick smirked and chuckled. "Carrots, you amaze me," Nick said. Judy stared at him in disbelief. "I amaze you? More like you amaze me!" Judy said. Nick looked puzzled. "Did you not hear Bogo?" Judy asked. Nick looked confused. "Bogo came in here?" Nick asked. "Yeah. While you were watching tv." "Oh. I zone out when I watch tv that I like." Judy laughed. "Me too, Nick." Nick got up and took a sip of his hot chocolate, then poured it down the sink. "Blech! Cold hot chocolate." Judy giggled and opened the door to leave. Nick followed her out the door and down the stairs. "Bogo gave us the rest of the day off, so how about we go to my apartment and begin making the wedding plans?" Judy said as they walked to their cars. Nick started walking toward Judy's car. "Sounds good, Carrots," Nick said as he hopped in the passenger seat. Judy got in the driver's seat and drove to her apartment. Judy unlocked the door to her apartment and let Nick in. Judy sat at her desk, while Nick stood beside her desk. Judy pulled some notebook paper out of her desk and got a pencil. "Let's think of a location," Judy said, thinking. "How about the park in front of the precinct?" Nick suggested. "I like it!" Judy said as she wrote it down. Throughout the rest of the day, and into the night, they were working on plans for the wedding. Judy even designed invites she would take to the office supply store tomorrow to get copied. Nick left Judy's apartment excited. The next day after work, Nick began looking for a tuxedo, while Judy started looking for a wedding dress. Finally, the big day came.

Author's Note:

The wedding chapter is going to be a little late. The wedding in the rough draft is so terrible, I can't just copy/paste and do a little editing. It needs a complete re-do. I will be reading around for inspiration. I will publish it as soon as the redoing is complete.