Ch. 18: Jailhouse Blues

Lionheart stayed still, not moving a muscle under Lucy's gaze, her eyes narrowed into glowing slits. Despite her calm air her fur was matted and in clumps, scratches ran over her arms and head as if she had ran her claws furiously over her skin.

"You were dead," Lionheart breathed.

Lucy bared her fangs, "No, but someone is." She suddenly looked over Lionheart's shoulder, her eyes burning with a betrayed hatred.

Lionheart followed her gaze but no one was there.

"What are you doing here, Lucy," Lionheart asked, fearing the answer

Lucy turned her eyes back to him and snarled, "Don't call me that. Now answer my question."

"What question?"
"Where is our father?"

Lionheart furrowed his brow, "What are you talking about?"

Lucy suddenly jumped over the desk and knocked Lionheart to the floor, pressing a paw down on his throat. Lionheart desperately tried to push her away but his sister was stronger, and there was now a crazy look in her eyes.

"Where is our father, Leodore! Someone has to pay and it has to be him!"

"Lucy," Lionheart gasped, "Dad died years ago."

Her eyes widened and she took her paw off his throat, "…What?"

She suddenly whirled around and snarled at the air, "Shut up! I can do this on my own!"

Who is she talking to, Lionheart wondered in fright.

She turned back to Lionheart, now panting as if she couldn't get enough air, "You're lying; you have to be!"

He shook his head, "He died five years ago."

"No, no, no," she started pacing her room, digging her sharp claws into her scalp. "It can't end like this, it can't end like this!"

Lionheart discreetly reached for the phone in his pocket only to flinch when Lucy suddenly picked up his computer and slung in at the wall, smashing it to pieces.

"Shut up, Arachnid!" Lucy's voice cracked and she looked ready to break.

She whipped around to Lionheart, "You're a liar, Leo. Our father is still alive, and when I find him I will make him pay for how he treated me and my mother! And then I'll come back for you."

She turned and ran out of the room before Lionheart could even think of replying.

.

Judy and Nick went to bed with aching feet and sore sides. They had not spoken much since Nick's confession and quietly walked into the guest room they had been given.

There were two beds and Nick silently crawled onto one, only for Judy to climb in beside him, curling into his side. Nick only smiled and wrapped his arm around her, Judy did the same.

Surrounded by Nick's warmth and scent she slipped into the most peaceful slumber of her entire life.

The next morning Judy was the first to wake up, snuggling into Nick's side for a moment before she pulled away and sat up. She smiled down at Nick's peaceful sleeping face. She pulled his tux up slightly to check on his bandages, relieved they looked well in order.

Leaving him to sleep in, Judy walked out of the guest room to find yesterday's clothes, wanting to get out of her now wrinkled dress. Down the hall she heard music and a deep singing voice; she smiled and followed the music.

She found a den and inside was Sven and Charlie and Winter sharing a couch, Charlie snuggled up into her mate's side. To Judy's surprise Finnick was there as well, standing by a CD player that was playing one of his songs, he looked uncharacteristically nervous, his eyes on the ground.

"Good morning, Judy," Fru Fru sat on a table, with her baby in her arms. Baby Judy was holding a stuffed polar bear that was nearly as big as the baby shrew. "I had yours and Nicky's clothes washed." She pointed to said clothes that were folded onto the table.

"Thank you," Judy said and patted her goddaughter on the head who grinned goofily up at the rabbit. "How was the movie?"

"It was cute but I'm wondering what you were up to staying out in the courtyard," Fru Fru asked with a sly grin.

Judy beamed at her, "Whatever makes you think that, Fru?"

"What did you do?"

"Nick and I may have…danced."

Fru Fru placed her paws on her cheeks, elated, "Anything else?"

"…I kissed him."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

The rest of the room turned their eyes on the rabbit. Sven and Winter grinning like mad while Finnick looked like he couldn't wrap his head around it.

Judy let out an adorable giggle, "I kissed him…and he said he loved me."

"YES," Winter practically screeched and Judy was surprised by how happy the fox was for him and couldn't help a twinge of guilt for all the mean thoughts she had once had about her."

"I knew I should've made that bet," Sven shook his head but his smile was big.

"What are you all screaming about," Nick walked in, his tux just as wrinkled as Judy's dress; he opened his jaws in a loud yawn. His eyes found Judy and he gave her a sleepy smile which she happily returned, her heart picking up speed.

"Nothing," Sven, Winter, and Fru Fru said in unison, their smiles practically breaking their faces.

Nick gave them a suspicious look before turning to look at Finnick, "So how'd it go?"

"He found me last night and I listened to a few tracks before going to bed," Sven said, "And then I got up and listened to the rest and I have three words. I. Love. It!"

He jumped up and grabbed Finnick's paw in both hooves, startling the small fox, "You got yourself a contract!"

"O-Oh," Finnick mumbled, looking flabbergasted and embarrassed. "Okay."

While the room congratulated the fennec fox Judy fished her phone out of her pants pocket and was shocked to see she had twenty missed calls, all from Clawhauser.

She called his number, "Hello?"

"JUDY! Where have you been," Clawhauser's voice was loud and panicked.

"I spent the night at a friend's," she answered, "I didn't have my phone on me. What's wrong?"

"Oh, Judy," Clawhauser moaned. "I have awful news. We got a call from Lionheart last night, Ironclaw is still alive."

She nearly dropped her phone, her eyes widening with fear.

"Carrots," Nick was looking at her with concern, "What's wrong?"

She beckoned Nick to follow her outside and once they were in the hall out of the others' earshot she put her phone on speaker. "Clawhauser, tell Nick what you just told me."

"Nick's there," Clawhauser gasped, "Oh thank goodness I heard he was in the hospital. Are you okay Nick? Did you two make up?"

"Clawhauser," the two snapped impatiently.

"Right, right, sorry. Lionheart called us last night and told us he was attacked by Ironclaw."

Nick's eyes widened and a haunted look crossed his face as he placed his paw on his stomach.

"Is Lionheart alright," Judy asked.

"He's fine, according to him Ironclaw mainly talked. She wanted to know where their father was but Lionheart told her he died years ago, she didn't believe him. But he said the weirdest thing was that she kept talking to herself, and even said Arachnid."

"Did Lionheart see him," Judy inquired, thanks to Nick he wasn't a big a threat as before but still who knew what he was capable of.

"No," Clawhauser replied, "She was alone."
"How much do you wanna bet Ironclaw killed Arachnid," Nick asked, starting to pace.

"Bogo is out with some of the officers trying to find her," Clawhauser continued, "But we're back to square one."

"Thanks for telling us, Clawhauser," Judy replied. "Keep us posted."

She hung up and looked to Nick who kept pacing. "Can you think of anywhere she'd go?"

Nick shook his head, "She never said anything about that, oddly enough she thought that museum would actually last."

"If only we could get in her head," Judy sighed.

But Nick suddenly stopped and turned to her with a smile, "Carrots, you're a genius! That's it! We wanna catch a crazy criminal; we get help from a different crazy criminal!"

"You mean…"

"Yes."

.

Decked up in their police uniforms once again Judy and Nick sat in the interrogation room and waited.

The door opened and a police gazelle walked in with a disgruntled sheep with an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.

Dawn Bellwether sat in the chair opposite of the animals that had put her behind bars and fixed them with a glare, a glare they both smirked at.

"Smellwether," Nick grinned and the sheep looked ready to bite his ear off.

"It's been a long time," Judy said, all professional. "How's the food?"

"Terrible," Bellwether replied, "Now cut the small talk and tell me what you want."

"We need your help," Judy began but before she could continue Bellwether threw her head back and laughed harshly.

"You want my help? Oh that is rich! You really are a dumb bunny."

"This dumb bunny played you like a record," Nick pointed out, "So what does that make you?"

Bellwether stopped laughing. "What makes you think I'd help you?"

"Because deep down we know you want what's best for Zootopia, Bellwether," Judy insisted, "Your methods were just…eccentric."

"Crazy," Nick answered, "The word you were looking for was crazy."

"You think I'll help you find that lioness that's been making everyone feral," Bellwether grinned devilishly. "Gee, if only the city had listened to me."

"You laugh, Smellwether but I bet it just burns you up that you're no longer the number one criminal in Zootopia," Nick grinned nastily.

Bellwether snorted, "I can live with it. I'd rather see you two fail to protect the city you love ever so much."

"We'd figure you say that," Judy replied, pulling out her phone. "That's why we had a talk with the Warden and decided if you were going to be difficult we'd move you to a different cell so you can make friends with a brand new roommate."

She pulled up a picture and showed it to Bellwether, it was a mug shot of a crazy looking wolf who bared his fangs at the camera. Bellwether gulped.

"This is Wade Jones, an inmate here who I doubt is going to be released anytime soon. After all…he did spend his entire life chewing on things, from toys to furniture to other animals."

"F.Y.I, his friends called him Frothy," Nick added with an innocent grin.

Bellwether looked ready to strangle them both but then let out a groan, "What do you want me to do?"

"We want you to think," Judy replied. "If you needed a place to hide from the ZPD where would you go?"

"A place where I feel comfortable," the sheep answered, "Which would be my 'office' back at City Hall, the only place where everything went according to plan."

That was something they could go off on, but Ironclaw didn't' have an old office.

"Do you think a house would work just as well," she asked.

Bellwether shrugged, "I guess, it's not like I know the lioness. But there, I helped you, so don't move me into a cell with Frothy. I already have Spittle to worry about."

Nick laughed as they got up to leave, "You got it, Smellwether. Have fun with your prison arts and crafts, and good luck out there on the courtyard."

"When I get out of here fox you will be the first on my hit list," she growled but Nick only smirked at her as the two cops walked out.

They got into their patrol car and Judy made her way to the hospital where Lionheart was.

"Seems a little unnecessary," Nick said on the way. "Clawhauser said he didn't get hurt."

"He's the mayor, people get worried," Judy replied. "But we need to ask him where Ironclaw's childhood home is; I bet that's where she'd hide."

Nick nodded, "But can we agree that after this visit let's avoid hospitals for a while?"

"Agreed," Judy replied immediately.

Sorry if this chapter isn't that great I was in a rush and didn't think I could have added much in this chapter. Anyway I only have three chapters left and will wait until I finish the rest before making another update and I will be making a speech, until then~