"Dinner was fantastic!" Judy chirped, setting her empty bowl aside. She was very glad that Nick wasn't lying about his mother's cooking; the blueberry salad Judy had just eaten was phenomenal!
"I'm happy that you liked it!" Rachel replied, a broad grin on her muzzle. "And you and I both know how much Nick loved it. . . ." her voice teasingly trailed off as the vixen and bunny turned to Nick, who was happily licking his plate completely clean. He paused mid-lick and turned his eyes to the other two mammals at the table, having sensed the center of attention was suddenly on him. He slowly retracted his tongue and closed his muzzle, a sheepish grin creeping over his features; both Judy and Rachel burst into a fit of laughter.
Nick offered to help clean the dishes, which Rachel gracefully accepted. The three mammals quickly cleared the table, and while Nick washed the dishes in the kitchen, Judy and Rachel briefly conversed in the living room.
"So, how's my Nicky been treating you?" the vixen asked, an amused light in her amber eyes.
"Honestly, he makes me feel like the happiest bunny in the world," Judy stated somewhat dreamily, many wonderful memories of all of Nick's shows of affection rushing through her mind. "It's surprising, really; when I first met him, all he wanted to do was crush my dreams."
Rachel nodded sadly. "Yeah, that sounds like Nick. Ever since the Junior Ranger Scouts, he wasn't the same. He hardly played with his friends; his grades started dropping at school; his demeanor became hardened and cold. I was lucky that he was still willing to open up to me, but even that ended when Nick ran away from home at twelve years old."
Judy lowered her head, sad that her fox's past had been quite a harsh one. However, that didn't keep her down for long. "It's a good thing that I found him, then!" the bunny said, beaming brightly. "Oh, and thank you for those recipes; I'm really excited to try them out with Nick!"
Rachel nodded. "Of course! It was really to save you, though; I'm sure Nick would've been asking to have dinner at my house if I didn't hand over the recipes!"
"That, or he would've tried to cook them himself," Judy added. "He may be quite the fantastic cook, but I'm sure he wouldn't have come close to your level of skill."
"You two talking about me?" Nick called from the kitchen, causing the two women to snicker quietly.
"Of course we are, Nick!" Rachel called back. "I'm telling her all of your embarrassing childhood stories!"
"Good!" Nick replied from the kitchen, the smug grin apparent even though Judy nor Rachel could see him. "She's been running low on good teases; this is just what she needs!"
Again, Rachel and Judy laughed. Soon after, Nick entered the living room, having finished the dishes. "There," he said, rubbing his paws together, "all finished."
Rachel stood up and hugged her son. "Thank you, Nick," she said, planting a kiss on the younger fox's cheek.
"No problem, Mom," Nick replied. "Anytime."
Judy scoffed. "Yeah sure!" she said, her tone a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "You're glad to do dishes for your mom, but I'm the one stuck doing dishes at home!"
"Nick," Rachel chided, a playful light in her eyes. "Are you not doing your chores?"
Nick's ears flattened against his head as a sheepish grin crept over his muzzle. Again, he realized he had just joined in the same room the only two mammals that could render his silver tongue useless.
Upon seeing the surrender in her son's face, Rachel turned back to Judy. "Don't worry, Judy," she said, a sharply cunning glint in her eyes. "He'll come around real soon. Now!" the vixen clapped her paws together, a bright smile appearing on her face. "I think I've kept you two long enough; I'm sure you two have a lot of work tomorrow, so you are going to need all the rest you can get."
As Rachel said this, the three mammals made their way to the front door. Placing his paw on the doorknob, Nick turned back to his mother. "Thanks for letting us stay, Mom," he said, giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek. "We'll have to visit more often, especially since I've introduced Judy to your cooking."
"That would be lovely," Rachel replied before turning to give Judy a warm hug. After the bunny was released, Nick and Judy then opened the door and made their way to their car; Rachel stood on the porch, waving goodbye to the two cops.
She watched as Nick and Judy waved back, broad grins on their muzzles as they drove away. Rachel entered her house, still smiling from the wonderful visit. As she walked through the entryway, the vixen spotted a picture of a much younger Nick clad in his Ranger's uniform. The look of pride in his little, green eyes always melted Rachel's heart.
Nick now held that same pride in his eyes, but it wasn't just pride for himself; it was pride towards the bunny who he called his wife. Rachel's smile widened as the vixen's thoughts turned to the rabbit who had stolen her son's heart. At first, she was skeptical of their relationship; she feared that they didn't know what they were getting into or what was coming to them in the future. But as their relationship grew, Rachel realized that they did in fact know – and were ready for – what they were getting into.
A soft knocking on her front door broke Rachel from her trance-like state. Glancing down, she realized she had the picture in her paws, her thumb gently caressing the frame. Chuckling to herself, the vixen replaced the photo before heading to the front door.
Her eyes widened in surprise when she opened the door, revealing an unexpected visitor.
"Victor!?"
Nick glanced over at Judy as he drove through the streets of Zootopia. He happily studied her smile as she stared out the window, her eyes staring into the middle-distance; she was probably deep in happy thought.
"Thanks, Carrots," Nick said, gently breaking Judy out of her trance.
"For what?" Judy asked as she turned towards her husband.
"For being willing to stay for dinner," Nick answered before sighing. "Sometimes I think that you're uncomfortable when we visit my mom. Just, you know, maybe something in the back of your mind saying that you're the only bunny in a room with two foxes."
Judy gently furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why would I think that?"
Again, Nick sighed, "I don't know, Carrots. It's just," he paused, collecting his thoughts before he went on, "I can't help but worry about you sometimes. I know you can take care of yourself, but that doesn't stop my instincts from kicking in. And. . . I don't want you to be uncomfortable because of me."
As he talked, Nick's eyes focused on the road ahead of him, his nervousness keeping him from noticing the warm smile on Judy's face. He lightly flinched when he felt Judy's paw on his arm, but immediately relaxed as she gently stroked his fur. Chancing a glance at the bunny, Nick's heart skipped a beat when he saw the warm light in her violet eyes.
"Nick, you worrying about me like this is just one of the many reasons why I could never be uncomfortable because of you," she said reassuringly, the smile never leaving her muzzle. "But I understand where you're coming from; I get this way whenever we visit my parents."
"You worry about me?" Nick teased, all doubt in his mind dashed from Judy's kind words.
Judy nodded. "Yep! I mean, I never know if my dad's gonna suddenly whip out the fox taser because he thought you looked at him the wrong way!"
"Carrots, you and I both know that your dad is too nice for that," Nick said, a relaxed smile creeping over his features.
Judy half-sighed, half-chuckled. "I know, but still, it's like what you just said: I can't help but worry."
A minute silence fell upon the two as their conversation sank in. Judy happily noticed that Nick's nervousness from earlier was completely gone, replaced by a happy relief. Feeling her own relief at finally getting this off of her chest, Judy continued to fondly rub Nick's arm.
"You know, I think worrying is something that just comes with our relationship," Nick said after a moment.
Judy nodded. "I agree. It's not every day a fox and a bunny get together. But that won't stop us, right?"
Nick chuckled as he very quickly kissed Judy's forehead. "Of course not, Judy. I'm not going anywhere, so I'm afraid you'll have to live with a dumb fox for a long while."
"Well I'm certainly not going anywhere, so you're going to have to live with a sly bunny as well," Judy said, her smug grin rivaling that of Nick's. "Think you can handle it?"
"Do I think I can handle it?" Nick echoed before moving his paw to caress her cheek. "I know I can, Carrots; I have you by my side."
Judy sighed happily as she leaned into Nick's touch. "How much longer til we get home?" she asked, her eyes half-lidded.
"I'm not sure," Nick said as he glanced out the window. "A few minutes I guess? I mean, I can just see the ZPD Headquarters from here."
"Good," Judy purred, her sultry tone sending waves of heat up Nick's neck. It didn't help as she leaned closer to the fox. "There's this fox that I know, and the sooner I get home, the sooner I can – ah," she was practically whispering in Nick's ear now; it was becoming particularly hard to focus on driving, "show him a good time."
The kiss she placed under Nick's ear sent the fox over the edge, his focus and resolve completely giving out. He swerved to keep from crashing into the cars parked alongside the street, thankful that he was coming up to a red light. Once he was stopped, he tried in vain to calm himself, placing a paw over his chest as his rapid heartbeat thumped in his ears.
When the thudding in his ears faded out, a new sound caught Nick's attention: Judy's laughter. With confusion etched onto his face, Nick turned to study the shaking form of his wife. She was doubled over in her seat, clutching her sides as if they would split at any second. Before long, a tear fell from her closed eyes before Judy went to swipe it away.
"You should've seen your face!" she blurted, and another bout of laughter racked her body. "Oh, that was priceless!"
A new kind of blush crept up Nick's cheeks: one of embarrassment. This new feeling counter-balanced the arousal he was feeling earlier, helping his "cluttered" mind clear up. When the light turned green, he was focused enough to confidently drive home without crashing.
"Still think you can handle it?" Judy asked again before being taken by another laughing fit. Nick's frown grew as he sunk his head lower into his shoulders, but he couldn't hide the amused light in his eyes; his bunny was doing him proud with her teasing.
Judy finally began to calm down, reduced to scattered chuckling. "I'm sorry Nick, I couldn't help it," she said between breaths. "It's just too much fun to mess with you like that!"
"Har har," Nick grumbled, expertly hiding his pride from his wife. "Next time, though, don't do that when I'm driving; it's hard to focus on the road with such an attractive bunny whispering in my ear." He wiggled his eyebrows, causing Judy to snicker.
"Would it make you feel better if I said that I do this to only you?" Judy asked coyly, the innocent look on her face failing to hide the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "And that I do it because you're really handsome?"
"While that does something for my self-esteem, the flattery is pushing it, Carrots," Nick joked, a small smile playing at his muzzle.
Judy crossed her arms over her chest, a playful pout on her lips. "It was worth a shot," she mumbled.
Before another silence could fall upon the two mammals, Nick pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex. Turning the car off, Nick became abnormally silent, his gaze distant and empty.
"Nick?" Judy asked, a faint voice of concern piping up in the back of her mind. She leaned forward, placing her paw on Nick's arm.
The deep growling that emanated from the fox set Judy's fur on end. It was the kind of sound that stirred deep-set instincts awake; the kind of sound that heightened her anxiety. She suddenly felt very unsafe in the car, the dread slowly crawling up her spine. As Nick's growl grew louder, he slowly turned to face Judy, his eyes filled with hunger. A tiny voice screamed in Judy's head, telling her to get away. Her ears fell behind her head, suddenly realizing her inevitable fate.
Nick was going to pounce, and she couldn't escape.
Judy gave a surprised squeak as Nick barreled into her, tackling her to the seat of the car. The breath that was knocked out of her refused to return as Nick nuzzled his snout into her neck, causing her to laugh. The fox's growls grew playful as his own laughter joined in.
"Nick! I c-can't breathe!" Judy pleaded, trying in vain to push Nick's muzzle away. "Stop!" Laughter racked her body as Nick mercilessly nuzzled her.
"I can't, Carrots," Nick said into his bunny's neck. "It's your fault for getting me all riled up!"
Judy fought a bit more before her laughter drained most of her energy, bringing her to surrender. As the famous saying goes: "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" and join him she did. The bunny began to rub her cheeks against Nick's as the fox continued to nuzzle her, her body relaxing as she did so.
Nick temporarily stopped his nuzzling and leaned back, happily gazing at his trapped bunny. He saw Judy's ears perk at the sound of his tail happily swishing behind him, a small smile forming on her lips. Acting on impulse, Nick swooped in and planted his muzzle on Judy's. He pulled back just as suddenly, his smile wide and his tail happily wagging.
For a moment, the two mammals simply stared at each other, neither wanting to ruin the moment with something as trivial as conversation. Unfortunately for them, someone else had other plans.
Nick's phone suddenly rang, startling both mammals. With a sheepish grin, Nick released his gentle hold on Judy and pulled out his phone. His eyes slightly widened upon seeing the caller ID, and without another word he answered the call.
"Officer Wilde here," he said, his tone professional. "For what do I owe the pleasure of this call, Chief?"
Thanks to her sensitive hearing, Judy was able to pick up the deep rumbling of their boss from Nick's phone.
"I actually have a question to ask you, Nick," the buffalo said, his tone slightly awkward.
Nick's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Oh really?" he said, somewhat surprised with Bogo's tone more than anything. "Well, fire away."
A long sigh sounded from the other end of the line. "I want to know if you'd be alright with us questioning your mother for information on the Victor Wilde Case," the cape buffalo said slowly, having carefully chosen his words.
Nick's eyebrows shot up in shock. The chief's asking my permission to talk with my mom!? "I don't see why you need my permission, sir," the fox said carefully, choosing to tread lightly in case this was some sort of prank.
"I know, and on normal circumstances, I wouldn't have asked. However, this isn't a normal case," Bogo paused, sighing again before continuing, "I trust you, Nick; you and Judy. You two are the best cop duo we've had in years, and you are a perfect example of the peace between predators and prey. This case is trying to tear this peace apart, and life will only get hard from here. That being the case, I want you two to know that you can trust me."
Nick nodded, glad that the buffalo couldn't see him as the feeling of respect from and for the chief was sending Nick into an emotional tizzy; no one besides Judy had ever told him that they respected and trusted him, let alone the Chief of Police. Clearing his throat, Nick answered, "Thanks, Chief. That means a lot to me," Nick took a breath to calm himself. "Yeah, you can interrogate her. But, if you would, could you send someone who would actually fit in her house? Maybe the new kid, uh," he paused, trying to come up with the name, "Sparrow? Raven?"
"Robin?" Bogo asked, using an irritated tone to hide his amusement with the fox.
"Yeah! The new fox recruit!" Nick said excitedly as if he was the one who remembered the recruit's name. "I'm sure my mom would appreciate that."
Bogo chuckled softly. "I'll look into it. Thank you, Nick," he said.
"You're welcome, Chief," Nick said, genuinely meaning those words.
With that, Bogo hung up, leaving the fox and bunny to their silence.
Nick stared at his phone, still processing the call. Many different and positive emotions rushed through him, but the most prominent one was the feeling of being trusted and respected by others. He felt a paw on his forearm, causing him to turn his head. Nick's smile widened upon seeing Judy's proud smile.
"Well look at me, Carrots," Nick said, his smug smile failing to hide the pride in his eyes, "earnin' the Chief's respect and trust."
"Feels pretty good, doesn't it?" Judy asked, her own smile turning smug.
"I'll say!" Nick said before pulling Judy close, much to the bunny's surprise. "I think we should make this a holiday! Take note, Carrots; from now on, today will be known as National Bogo Trusts Me Day!"
"How will we celebrate it?" Judy asked.
"With lots of snuggling and kissing!" Nick quickly answered. To emphasize his point, the fox placed a kiss between Judy's ears.
"I'm fine with that," Judy murmured before leaving a trail of kisses up Nick's neck. Just before her lips met Nick's, however, Judy hesitated; a particular thought that had been nagging at her all day was now full-on screaming at her.
Nick noticed the hesitation, his eyes filling with concern. "What is it, Judy?" he asked, gently stroking the bunny's back in an effort to soothe her. It worked.
Judy gave a happy sigh as Nick's paws worked their magic, helping her find the courage to bring up her question. "What's our next move concerning the case?"
"If we did continue our investigations, what exactly would we accomplish, Carrots?" Nick asked. "I mean, if we let the other officers do their jobs, they'll figure out anything that we would have."
Judy sighed. "I know, but," she paused, "it just feels wrong to not do just a little bit of investigating, you know?"
"Not really," Nick stated, earning an annoyed huff from the bunny.
"I don't really know either!" Judy said, throwing her paws in the air before crossing them over her chest. She sighed before continuing, "Honestly, I feel left out. I want to be on another big case, but because of your father being the cause of all this trouble, we can't do anything without risking the stability of Zootopia!"
"Now that I understand, Carrots," Nick murmured, hugging his bunny closer. "Though, I also think that I just want to finally meet my dad and prove everything about him wrong; I want to see the good fox my mother made him out to be."
The two mammals sat in silence, hundreds of thoughts and feelings soundlessly rushing between them. Nick's paws continued to stroke Judy's back; the bunny began to feel a bit sleepy thanks to the peaceful effect of the petting.
"I have an idea," Nick said, breaking the silence.
Judy looked up at her fox, a question in her eyes.
"Knowing the chief, he'll probably have us on patrol since we finished all of our paperwork today. Why don't we take your laptop, stop at a Snarlbucks or something, and dig up some more info?
Judy took a moment to process the suggestion before smiling. "That sounds great," she said before burying her face in Nick's chest, the fox's petting pushing her to the brink of sleep.
Nick chuckled and stopped his petting. Upon seeing Judy look up at him with a sad, disappointed light in her eyes, Nick put on a reassuring smile. "I'd keep going Carrots, but there's this certain bunny who promised me a good time," he said, his smile turning smug.
Judy's ears burned in embarrassment as she lowered her head. She heard Nick chuckle softly before his arms gave her an affectionate hug; this helped the bunny's embarrassment some, but her ears were still tinged pink.
With much care, Nick picked up his partner and carried her out of the car. Holding her close to his chest, the fox began to nuzzle the bunny as they walked into the apartment complex. Stacy looked up from her newspaper and, upon seeing the two mammals, opened her mouth to greet them. Noticing their laughter and intimate nuzzling, the cougar closed her mouth and waved quietly. A knowing smile crept over Stacy's muzzle as she turned back to her newspapers and the two mammals entered the elevator.
Nick parked near the front door of Snarlbucks, a flash of hunger in his eyes. Turning to his partner, who was already connecting her laptop to the free wifi, Nick asked, "Want do you want, Carrots?"
Judy thought for a moment. "Carrot cake and a caramel cappuccino, please," she answered. "Thanks, Nick!"
"No problem!" Nick said before exiting the car, leaving Judy to search the World Wide Web for any info on the apparently notorious Victor Wilde.
As soon as Nick entered the building, his nose was assaulted with the concoction of aromas wafting from dozens of pastries and caffeinated drinks. Taking a deep whiff, Nick's smile widened; he had come to enjoy the scent of Snarlbucks, no thanks to being a cop.
Casually sauntering up to the moose behind the register, Nick rested his arm on the counter, his signature smirk plastered on his face.
"How can I help you today, officer?" the moose replied with a bored tone; by the looks of the bags under his eyes, Nick assumed this employee had worked til closing the previous night.
"Well, I've got a simple order for you today, my fine mammal!" Nick said, putting on his friendliest voice; unfortunately, his overabundance of exuberance annoyed the moose more than anything. "I'll have a grande caramel cappuccino and a grande mocha cappuccino. With those, I'll have a slice of carrot cake and a blueberry muffin, please."
The moose sighed out of boredom. "Would you like those pastries warmed up?"
Nick shrugged. "Why not?" he said, pulling out his wallet. "I'm sure the Missus would enjoy that."
After handing the moose the appropriate amount of cash and giving his last name to the moose, Nick stepped away from the register and waited. With a lazy gaze, Nick took in the environment of the shop. Several tables were spread throughout the room, and very few of them were occupied by mammals. Sunlight entered through the many windows lining the front of the store, giving Nick a view of the patrol car where a particular bunny poured over anything she could find regarding the case. The thought brought a warm smile to the fox's face.
Then another thought crossed Nick's mind. What would they do with the info that Judy found, if any? Would they tell Bogo? If they did, would he reprimand them for working on the case that they weren't supposed to be on? Would Nick and Judy go after Victor themselves? Would they be able to bring him in or even talk to him, let alone find him? Uncertainty and fear took the form of an uncomfortable shiver that worked its way up Nick's spine as the fox's thoughts grew more nervous.
That was when Nick noticed that his breathing was a bit sporadic, and his heart rate was increasing. Letting out a disgusted scoff, Nick took to calming his nerves. All of these worries were unneeded in the fox's eyes; he and Judy could handle anything, a fact that they have proven many times in the past. Whatever would come from this small amount of investigating, he and Judy would pull through.
"Mr. Wilde?" the moose said with all the enthusiasm of a rock. After seeing he had the fox's attention, the tired employee gently set two paper bags on the counter. "Your food is ready, and your drinks will be out in just a moment."
"Thanks," said Nick as he bounded over to retrieve the food items. Opened the one that contained his prized muffin, the fox took a deep whiff of the blueberry scent; his mouth watered as he forced himself not to messily eat the pastry right then and there.
True to the moose's word, Nick and Judy's cappuccinos were ready within moments of Nick receiving his food, a small but steady trail of steam rising from both cups. "There you go," said the employee as Nick retrieved the drinks and two cardboard covers to keep from burning his paw. "Have a nice day."
The fox gave his best attempt at a finger gun – both of his paws were full at the moment – before exiting the store. Entering the police cruiser, Nick handed over one of the paper bags and drinks over to his bunny counterpart.
"Here you are, Fluff," he said before taking a sip of his own coffee. "Just the way you like it."
The bunny mumbled her thanks before taking a rather large bite of the carrot cake and immediately returning to her laptop. This brought a smile to Nick's face, though he chose to take a bit of his own treat instead of making a snarky comment.
The two cops sat in near-complete silence, the only sound the clicking of Judy's keyboard and the crinkle of either of the paper bags. Nick took his time in finishing his muffin, savoring every bite of the sweet pastry before washing it all down with a long sip of his coffee.
Setting the cup down, the fox turned to his partner. "So, you find anything yet?" he asked, breaking the silence.
Judy's response was an annoyed huff and another large bite of carrot cake. "No," she said, her tone disappointed. "Nothing useful, at least. All I can find are news articles basically saying the same thing over and over again: Victor Wilde is bad, and he may need to be stopped because we don't really know if he's connected to any of the recent crimes of the year," the deep, authoritative tone the bunny took when saying this last bit caused Nick to snicker. The smile dropped whenever Judy gave another sigh, sounding defeated.
On impulse, Nick reached over and gently stroked Judy's ears, something that always seemed to lift her spirits; luckily, it had the intended effect. "Sorry to hear that, Carrots," Nick said as he moved closer to the bunny, gently pulling her into an affectionate hug. "But with all of the publicity he's getting, I'd be surprised if he was able to go anywhere out in public!"
As Judy softly chuckled at the sad attempt of a joke, Nick's eyes widened as an idea came to him. He stopped stroking Judy's ears as the plan unfolded in his mind, his ears perking as if he could hear it in reality.
"Nick?" Judy asked, looking up at her partner in confusion. Studying the fox carefully, Judy realized that she recognized the look on Nick's face: it was the same look he had on the sky trams three years ago when he had joked about the traffic cameras. Her ears perked up, expecting another revelation that would send them on the right path with this case.
Without another word, Nick gently moved Judy off of his lap before reaching for the bunny's laptop. Judy merely watched as Nick typed away, determination set in his eyes. After a moment, his signature grin reappeared on his muzzle as he turned to Judy.
Holding out the laptop to the bunny, Nick gave a flourish of his paw as he said, "Voila!" with an excited tone.
Judy studied the screen carefully, her eyes darting about the screen. Nick had pulled up a Zoogle page listing the few establishments in all of Zootopia that openly accepted foxes as customers. Suddenly, it clicked for Judy, but Nick still beat her to the punch.
"Because Victor's such a 'celebrity,' he doesn't have a lot of options regarding places where he can relax. So, all we have to do is visit these places and see if he frequents them!"
Judy smiled at her fox's quick thinking before an idea of her own came to mind. "What if we try to narrow down our options?" she asked, taking the laptop from her partner. She clicked the link at the top of the page. "If we can find out a little more about these places, then we don't have to drive over all of Zootopia to find this guy."
Nick nodded as he sat next to Judy, studying the screen with as much intent as the bunny. "Take this place for example," Judy said, gesturing towards the webpage with her paw. "'The Den'. It recently opened and is very accepting of all mammals. It even says they welcome inter-species couples!" Judy's ears perked with excitement as she read this; maybe she and Nick could visit on one of their days off.
As she scrolled down the page, a picture of the cafe's opening day caught the attention of both cops. The Den was a cafe tucked away behind a building, the only entrance a short walk down a cheery alleyway. Around the front door was a decent-sized crowd of mammals, all of them applauding the opening of the establishment. One mammal in particular caught Judy's eye.
He was tucked off to the right, the camera just barely getting enough of him in frame. At first glance, Judy assumed that said mammal was Nick, which immediately confused her. Upon closer inspection, however, Judy realized that the fox in question was not Nick.
"You seeing what I'm seeing?" Nick asked, his gaze on the exact same fox Judy had found.
Judy nodded as her paws slid over the touchpad of the laptop, enlarging the picture on the screen. "Yep. Victor Wilde. Looks like we have a lead, Nick," she said, turning to her partner.
Nick nodded. "Though, he should be careful," he mused, bringing a paw up to his chin. "Just because he was there on opening day doesn't mean that he frequents that establishment."
Judy deflated somewhat, though the determination didn't leave her eyes. "You're right. And we don't have the jurisdiction to go in there and start questioning everyone," she said, the wheels in her head struggling to come up with a way around this.
Nick crawled back into the driver's seat before sending his partner a smirk. "I've got an idea," he said before motioning to the glove box with his snout. "Open that, would you?"
Curious as to what Nick's plan was, Judy obeyed and opened the glove box. Her eyes widened in surprise as she found a familiar, laminated card. One side was a permit to sell pawpsicles; the other side, a Receipt of Declared Commerce.
Nick's grin widened as he studied the expression on Judy's face. "You kept this?" Judy asked, turning to the fox.
The fox nodded. "Yep, but not for the reason you're probably thinking. I don't plan on giving up being your partner for a long time, but I knew that my pawpsicle hustling skills would come in handy someday. All we have to do is make 'em and then sell 'em near The Den, and sooner or later we can get some questions answered and maybe even get a glimpse of my dad!"
Judy was at a loss for words as memories and thoughts rushed through her mind. "Don't look so surprised, Carrots," Nick teased as he started the cruiser. "I was bound to bring this up sooner or later. Heck, I even have everything we need in the back!"
The bunny was finally able to come back to her senses as Nick took to the streets, donning his sunglasses. "If you want me to wear that elephant costume, you've got another thing coming!" she joked, playfully crossing her arms over her chest.
Nick chuckled before glancing at the bunny. "Don't worry, you won't have to," he said, his smug smirk never leaving his face. "Besides, I can barely handle your normal level of cuteness; with you in that costume, I don't think I'd survive!"
"Shut up and drive, Slick," Judy chided, annoyance creeping into her eyes at Nick's remark. He can be so insufferable at times.
"Good morning Officers," Jumbeaux said as the fox and bunny entered the ice cream parlor, the elephant giving a friendly wave of his trunk. "Didn't expect to see you two here. What can I do for ya?"
Nick's casual gait came to a stop a few feet away from the large counter; had he walked any closer, he wouldn't have been able to see the elephant. "Nice to see you too, Tusks," the fox said, earning a small shove from Judy. He could feel the look that the bunny was giving him; it was a look of Are you serious right now? Giving his partner a side glance and a smirk, the fox continued, "As we'd like a Jumbo Pop, please."
Jumbeaux raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he asked. "Are you sure that's what you want? I don't think that even the two of you working together could finish that!"
The fox chuckled. "Oh don't worry! We're taking it straight home to eat what we can and then stuffing the rest in the freezer," he lied with a cheery tone. While his friendly facade was in place, Nick felt rather awkward; this was the first time he didn't have to hustle the Jumbo Pop out of the restaurant, and this was certainly the first time he was paying for it. Glancing over to his partner, Nick's smile widened upon seeing the warm grin from the bunny.
The elephant shrugged. "Alright, your choice. That'll be fifteen dollars."
"What, no police discount?" Nick teased as he fished out his wallet. "The nerve of some animals," he half-heartedly mumbled under his breath as he handed the money to Judy, who in turn used her powerful legs to jump up the height of the counter and hand over the money.
Seconds later, the two cops were walking out the door, Nick carrying the Jumbo Pop over his shoulder. Both mammals had a strong case of Deja vu.
"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Judy softly asked as she wrung her paws together.
Nick chuckled as he turned to Judy. "Sure does; I could never forget the day I met my favorite bunny," he said in hopes of dispelling the less happy thoughts attached to this day. Nick had long since gotten over himself, having grown tired of looking back at this day in shame. Successfully tuning those memories out had made this a day Nick enjoyed looking back on, but he wasn't sure if Judy had done the same. For all he knew, Judy felt sorry for him, thinking that he hated himself for being so demeaning to her.
Judy had started down that path of thought, but upon hearing Nick's positive take on things, Judy's own heart began to soar. He was right! If it wasn't for this chance encounter, she wouldn't have met her best friend, partner, and husband.
"The non-patronizing bunny, right?" Judy asked, throwing a teasing gaze at the fox as they entered the cruiser; Nick's entrance was awkward as he tried to maneuver the massive frozen treat into the confined space. In the end, he ended up gently placing it in the back seat.
Nick gave a loud "Ha!" at Judy's comment as he started up the cruiser and set the air conditioner on freezing; melted Jumbo Pop would be fifteen dollars down the drain and a plan pretty much ruined. "You're absolutely right, Carrots!" he said. "You weren't patronizing; you were downright infuriating. I mean, look at me! A fox being out-foxed by a bunny!"
"Hence 'dumb fox'," Judy said, a smile on her face. "Though you do have your moments."
"And I take a lot of pride in those," Nick stated. "They are all I have left to show off my intelligence."
Judy snickered at the comment before glancing at the giant frozen treat in the back of the vehicle. She had seen Nick and Finnick make the pawpsicles way back when and it had angered her, but now that they were doing it for the "right" reasons, Judy couldn't help but feel giddy. There was something exciting about the whole ordeal, but Judy couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Not much was said between the two mammals as they crossed into Savanna Square, the heat visibly rising off the asphalt. The bunny gazed out the window, taking in all the sights. Many mammals built for this kind of heat went about their day. Judy's eyes flicked from mammal to mammal, still finding a species that she hadn't seen before. She loved that about Zootopia; she got to see so many new and beautiful things!
Out of the corner of his eye, Nick watched his bunny stare out the window, wonder shining in her amethyst eyes. Seeing Judy look at the world with such an innocent and awed expression always warmed Nick's heart; her optimism was something he loved very much about her.
Before long, Nick came to a stop near an alleyway and climbed out of the car. Before he closed the door, however, he turned to Judy. "You comin', Carrots?" he asked.
With a nod, Judy soon exited the car and almost immediately regretted it; the heat was sweltering. She walked around the cruiser to Nick, who had already taken the Jumbo Pop out of the back seat. He glanced inside, his ears folding back as he noticed a small, red stain. "Crap," he muttered. "I was afraid of that."
Judy glanced inside as well, breaking into a giggling fit as she saw what Nick had noticed. "What did you expect, you dumb fox!" she teased. "The cold air would keep that thing frozen?"
Nick gave a shrug that said, 'Well, kinda.' Judy shook her head at her partner, a smile creeping over her muzzle. "You're cleaning that up, you know," she said.
"Figured as much," Nick said before pointing to the trunk. "I've got the jars in there, if you'd grab them for me."
Judy nodded before bounding over to the back of the cruiser. It felt strange, seeing those clear jars. Heck, this whole ordeal felt strange! Part of Judy said that they shouldn't be doing this; sure it was "legal," but there was a certain guilt that came from it. The other part of Judy felt privileged; Nick was allowing her to help with something he had practically mastered. Overall, Judy felt an odd sort of happiness, and she felt content to leave it at that.
With the jars in paw – it was rather difficult with them being nearly her height – Judy returned to where Nick had been, only to find the fox absent. Looking around, Judy was slightly startled when she heard "Up here, Fluff," from above. Tilting her head up, Judy's gaze locked onto the form of her fox standing atop the small building, the Jumbo Pop already melting.
"I assume you know what to do, Carrots?" Nick called down, the smile on his muzzle warm and loving.
Judy nodded before setting one of the jars down under a storm drain and removing the lid. Before long, a steady trickle of sweet, red liquid began filling the clear jar. Satisfied with her work, Judy took a step back and looked up at Nick.
"How's it going up there?" she called, a silly smile on her face as she couldn't help but giggle; she was reminded of the many times she spent playing with her siblings in the barn, calling up to the bunnies who had managed to climb onto the second floor.
"Well, it's rather hot," Nick said blandly. "Don't know how I could've handled this back in the day; I'm dying up here!"
"Well, you are in full uniform, Slick," Judy said, rocking on her feet. Her smile widened as Nick gave an affirmative nod. Glancing over to the jars, Judy realized that the first one nearing its capacity. As if she had been doing this her entire life, Judy quickly replaced the jar with an empty one and carried the full container to the cruiser.
Nick began to pant, the sun's heat bearing down on him; he honestly had no idea how he handled this during his conning days. But that didn't matter as his gaze once again turned to the bunny on the ground below him, staring up at him with those wonderful eyes. Eyes that told him that he was so much more than the world made him out to be. Lifting his sunglasses so that Judy could see his eyes, Nick sent a wink and a smirk in her direction, which she reciprocated with a broad smile that could outshine the sun with its warmth.
A few minutes later, all three jars were filled and stored in the back seat of the cruiser. Judy watched with awe as Nick gracefully slid down the roof and landed on his feet – a move that could only be performed by someone as practiced as him.
"Remind me never to do that again, Carrots," said Nick, rubbing his legs after they entered their air-conditioned cruiser.
"Aww, is someone going soft?" Judy asked, her tease evident in the look she gave the fox.
"Har har," Nick said as he pulled out onto the street. "If anyone's soft here, it's you, Carrots. Besides, it's not the fall that hurts; it's sliding down the roof. That does a number on my feet!"
"I'll keep that in mind the next time I go roof-surfing," Judy joked.
Nick gave Judy a surprised glance, though the bunny couldn't see Nick's eyes behind his reflective sunglasses. "You roof-surf!?" he asked, his tail wagging excitedly behind him. "Man, I wish I was as cool as you!"
Judy snickered at her fox's playful excitement before answering, "Yeah, it's really popular in Bunnyburrow. Unfortunately, it's designed only for bunnies, so I'm afraid I can't teach you; it would be too dangerous."
"You know me!" Nick said, jerking a thumb at himself for good measure. "Nicholas Wilde, afraid of any and all danger!"
"Is that why you cower behind me all the time?" Judy asked, pretending to contemplate the thought. "I never would have guessed."
"Well, you are just a dumb bunny after all," Nick retorted, a victorious smirk on his muzzle.
Judy donned a smirk of her own. "Am I a dumb bunny?" she mused, placing a paw on her chin. "I can't tell. There's this dumb fox that seems to follow me around; maybe he's rubbing off on me?"
Nick chuckled. "You've been practicing your deadpan humor, haven' you?" he asked. When she nodded enthusiastically, Nick nodded in approval. "Nicely done, Carrots. Nicely done."
"Thank you," Judy said before she gazed out the window. The bright white snow of Tundra Town met her gaze. As the windows began to fog over, Nick flicked a switch next to the wheel, causing the windshield's temperature to change. Before long, Nick and Judy could see the road in front of them clearly.
Judy loved the different ecosystems of Zootopia; so much diversity in so little space! She remembered her many days in Bunnyburrow, playing in the snow and pretending to chase bad guys through Tundra Town. Now that she actually did chase bad guys through the icy cold climate, she realized that she may have been a bit overzealous in her pretending; she shivered a bit even as the adrenaline from the chase warmed her body.
Again, Nick coming to a stop brought Judy out of her thoughts. With a sigh to brace himself, Nick stepped out into the cold air, giving an involuntary shiver before turning back to Judy. "You ready?" he asked.
"You know it!" Judy said before hopping out of the car. Immediate regret came the moment her feet sank into the freezing snow; she hadn't brought any protective clothing with her, not having anticipated this course of events to take place today. Carefully, Judy trudged over Nick, her teeth faintly chattering.
"Cold?" Nick asked, a teasing smile on his muzzle.
"I'm not built for this weather, Nick!" Judy complained, though a certain light in her eyes betrayed her tone of voice. "I should have brought a coat." As she said this, she closed the gap between her and the fox, snuggling herself into the warmth of her husband.
Nick chuckled after getting over the small amount of surprise at Judy's action. "This coat needs help with the jars. Think you're up for it?" he asked as he hugged Judy close to him, hoping to warm her up just enough to survive the next few minutes.
Judy nodded before reluctantly stepping away from Nick and picking up one of the containers; Nick carried the remaining two. As the two mammals walked into the snow-covered clearing, Judy's thoughts began to fly through her mind. How were they going to do this? Would Nick have her step in the snow? Would her feet be too big? Would they have enough Jumbo Pop liquid?
"Carrots, you alright?" Nick asked, a light of concern in his green eyes.
Judy set the jar in her paws on the ground and nodded. "I'm fine," she answered. Hesitating slightly, Judy continued, "How are we going to do this? I think our feet are too big for this."
"Don't worry, I've got that covered," he said as he made his way back to the cruiser. Judy watched as the fox opened the trunk and retrieved some items she didn't remember seeing earlier. In one paw was a small box filled with pawpsicle sticks. From where Judy stood, however, she couldn't quite tell what was in the other paw.
Nick watched as the bunny's nose twitched in curiosity, widening his smile and tempting him to pull some snarky prank. He chose against the prank, however, upon watching a shiver race through Judy's body as a gust of icy wind blew through the clearing. His protective instincts kicking in, Nick picked up his pace just a touch; his mind was set on warming her up before another gust of wind came by.
As she tried to get a good look at Nick's other paw, Judy found herself being tightly hugged by the fox. The warmth was immediate, sending a shudder of goosebumps and pleasure down the bunny's spine.
"How's that, Carrots?" Nick asked after a moment.
"You make a really nice coat, Nick," Judy murmured into Nick's chest, reveling in the temporary heat. "But we've gotta get this done."
"Just making sure you didn't become a bun-sicle, Fluff," Nick said before gently releasing his grip from around Judy.
As Nick placed the box of pawpsicle sticks on the ground, Judy finally got a good look at what was in his other paw. Two cushions were attached to sticks, reminding Judy of the stamps used at the DMV. However, the cushions were designed to look like the paws of Finnick's elephant costume; if Judy didn't know any better, she would've guessed that the fabric on the cushions came directly from the costume.
"Here you go," Nick said, handing the stamps over to Judy. "Thought this would be more your style."
Judy smiled at her partner; she still wasn't quite fully used to the fox's soft side, though she was definitely getting there. Without another word, Judy hugged Nick before taking her stamps and the box of pawpsicle sticks and getting to work.
The process was simple: two paw prints in the ground, followed by two sticks placed on top, scoot back and repeat. While Judy created the molds, Nick would come by after her, pouring some of the melted liquid into the crevice. A minute or two later, the liquid was frozen, and the pawpsicles were set in a cooler full of snow. When Nick had pulled the blue container from the trunk of the cruiser, Judy had just shaken her head; he actually had brought everything needed!
Before long, the two mammals had used every pawpsicle stick, and the cooler was filled with the tasty treat. With a lot of effort, the two mammals managed to set the heavy cooler in the back seat before entering the car themselves. As Nick pulled the cruiser back on the street, he nearly forgot to not turn on the heat.
"Wait, Nick!" Judy said, suddenly batting his paw away from the controls. "We can't do that!"
Nick was confused, looking very much like the dumb fox Judy regularly called him. "Why not?"
Judy rolled her eyes and jerked a thumb towards the back seat. A smug grin crept over her muzzle as Nick's eyes widened with realization.
"OH! That! Oops," he said with a sheepish grin. "Sorry."
"And you wonder why I call you a dumb fox," Judy mumbled, rolling her eyes again as she turned away from her partner.
"If it makes you feel any better," Nick said as his sheepish grin transformed into a smug one, "I was turning up the heat for you. It's not fun for me to see you shiver like that."
Judy said nothing as her ears began to burn with a blush. "It's alright," she said, suddenly not cold. Her next statement was completely truthful, "I'm okay now."
However, Nick couldn't see the faint blush as Judy was turned towards her window, so the fox shrugged. "Whatever you say, Carrots. But don't worry, we're almost back in City Center."
The fox's word was true as they passed through the large, weather-changing barrier and emerged into the hustle and bustle of the Heart of Zootopia. These sights, though very familiar to Judy, still managed to captivate her as they had on her first day in the city. The tall buildings, the colorful shopfronts, the diversity of the mammals that inhabit Zootopia. Sure, Judy knew that the city had its dark side; Nick had been kind enough to show her that. But even with this information, Judy still chose to see the city for what it stood for: a place of harmony between predator and prey, where stereotypes were forgotten.
Judy felt Nick's gaze on her, though she knew it was from the corner of his eye. He did that a lot, watching her, studying her. She had thought nothing of it when they were partners, but when she had started to fall for him, it embarrassed her. Eventually, she got over the fear of him finding something he didn't like, and now that watchful gaze brought with it a warm love that was reserved only for her. It was a love that she reveled in and reciprocated as much as she could.
"Alright, last stop for the day, Carrots," Nick said as they pulled up to the alleyway that hid the popular cafe. "Let's go get 'em!"
Judy nodded in affirmation as she followed her partner out of the cruiser. Another few moments of effort, the cooler was set up on the sidewalk. As Judy stared at the sign that hung off the front of the container, a warm smile crept over her muzzle. The only reason she was able to ever meet Nick was because of the icy treats.
"Alright, if you'll stand here a minute, Carrots, I'm gonna change in the car," Nick said, pulling Judy from her thoughts. Before she could question him, however, the fox was already hidden inside the large cruiser.
Moments later, Nick exited the car, dressed in his new blue shirt, red tie, and khaki pants. Upon noticing Judy's confused expression, he smiled. "Come on, Carrots, if you were a possible crime boss, would you want to buy a pawpsicle from a cop?"
"I guess that makes sense," Judy said, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "But what about me? I didn't bring a change of clothes."
Nick chuckled, placing a gentle paw on the bunny's shoulder. "Don't worry, I've got that covered. I need you to keep a patrol out in case I miss him. I've got my radio on me, so if either of us sees anything, we'll let each other know. Got it?"
The smile that he sent her way made all sorts of warm emotions flutter through her, bringing a smile to her muzzle. "What are partners for, Slick?" she asked, wrapping her fox in a warm hug. When she broke the hug, she leaned back to drink in Nick's appearance. "You know, I'm glad I bought that shirt; it looks perfect on you."
Nick took a bow. "Why thank you, Carrots," he said. "Glad to know my fashion sense is appreciated. Now hop along; we've got work to do!"
With a newfound sense of determination and one last hug, Judy entered the cruiser and pulled away. Turning on her radio, the bunny let out a deep breath. They were really doing this: they had set up the trap and bait, and all they had to do now is wait.
"Pawpsicles! Get your pawpsicles!" Nick called, wagging the frozen treat to the steady flow of citizens walking in and out of the alleyway. It felt like putting on an old skin, being here again. There was something else about it, though, something special. Was it the fact that he was doing this on and for the right side of the law? Was it because he had done it with his best friend? Was it both?
Whatever it was, Nick didn't care; he was happy, and that's all that mattered.
After a while, Nick got a steady stream of customers going. They'd be on their way to The Den, see the friendly fox selling ice cream, and walk over. The pawpsicle was bought and promptly eaten as the customers then made their way back to the cafe.
It was easy, being here again; Nick didn't have to think about what others thought of him, didn't have to worry about the outside world. All he had to do was put on a friendly smile and trade a frozen treat for a couple bucks. Simple.
Though, as the minutes ticked by, Nick remembered that the reason he was here was all but simple. He was here to hopefully catch a glimpse of his dad, to see if this was the right place. Nick's breathing hitched as his heart rate increased. What if his dad decided to come over a buy a pawpsicle? Would he recognize him? Would the whole investigation be botched – not only for Nick and Judy – but for the entire ZPD?
Nick was lucky that his stream of customers had thinned down to a non-existent trickle as his mind began to race and his body went rigid. Eyes wide and ears pinned against his head, Nick felt butterflies in his stomach. Butterflies hyped-up on caffeine.
Taking a moment to calm his heart and ease out his breathing, Nick didn't notice the elderly fox taking an interest in the frozen treats less than a foot away from him.
"Rough day?" the fox asked, startling Nick.
And just when I had myself calmed down, too, Nick thought as his eyes met the green eyes of the "new customer."
"You alright?" the fox asked, noticing the many nervous ticks on Nick.
Taking a deep breath, Nick nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just a long day," with some effort, Nick slipped back into his smug persona. "I was also starting to worry that I was losing customers; guess I shouldn't have set up near a popular cafe, huh?"
The elderly fox nodded, and Nick took the opportunity to study the canine. Gray fur mingled with red, especially in the tail. The brown business suit was tailored to the perfect size, almost as if it was custom-made just for the fox. A blue tie finished off the look, the splash of color inviting, much like the soothing light of the angler fish; Nick could smell the intended trap from a mile away. This fox was not to be trusted.
"That was a poor business choice indeed," the fox agreed, a broad smile showing off his teeth. "Though, with how much I visit that place, you could eventually get some good regulars if you stay here long enough. I'm sure these pawpsicles are worth it!"
Nick chuckled. "Try one yourself; first one's free!"
"Why thanks!" the fox said, picking one of the treats from the cooler. Putting the pawpsicle in his maw, the fox practically melted as a satisfied moan sounded from behind the treat. "This is great!"
"Thanks," Nick said, a smug grin on his face. "Though, I did forget to mention one thing: the regular price of a pawpsicle includes the production fee on my side, so I'm gonna have to ask two dollars off of you," Nick was proud of his apologetic tone; it was like he never left the hustling business!
The fox took a moment to process the information before letting out a hearty laugh. "You sly fox, you!" he said, a broad grin revealing his teeth again. "Quite the hustle, there! Nicely done, if I do say so myself," the fox said as he handed the money over.
Nick gave a nervous grin as he took the money from the elderly canine. "Anyway, you have a name, Son?" the fox asked. Noticing Nick's hesitation, the fox laughed again. "I see, not big on strangers, eh? I'll start then," he held out a paw, "my name's Victor. Victor Wilde."
Bingo.
Nick had to fight the urge to smile victoriously as he shook his father's paw. "I'm Gideon Grey," he lied, thinking of the first alias that came to mind. "Nice to meet you, sir."
When Nick's eyes met Victor's however, Nick noticed that the other fox wasn't looking at him. Following his gaze, he turned to see a wolf running down the street, wallet in paw. Nick's wallet.
His paw immediately flying to his back pocket, Nick let out a low growl when his suspicions were confirmed. "Hey!" he called, almost tripping as he began to give chase; Victor helped the fox right himself before Nick took off. "Get back here!"
Judy drove at a slow pace, keeping her eyes peeled for any suspicious behavior. Unfortunately for the impatient bunny, nothing had happened for the past fifteen minutes. It didn't help that she constantly glanced at her radio, waiting for anything from her partner.
Driving in complete and determined silence, Judy nearly jumped out of her seat when her radio crackled to life. She quickly grabbed it from the console, all of her attention now on the small device.
"This is Officer Hopps," she said in a professional tone, glad that she was able to hide her slight hysteria at finally having something happen.
"Judy!?" came the reply, again startling the bunny.
"Nick! What's going on!?" Judy asked, worry lacing her voice.
"My wallet got stolen. I had to leave the premises and am now in pursuit of the suspect. From what I can see, he's a gray wolf, four feet tall, very fast," Nick said breathlessly. "I may need backup."
"Alright, where are you?" Judy said, turning the cruiser into the other lane and pressing on the gas.
"Heading towards North Pine Grove, partner," Nick replied, sounding very out of breath. This concerned Judy, for she was sure that Nick was in better shape that this.
"I'm on my way!" she replied, shaking the thought from her head; he had said that this wolf was fast. She winced slightly as the tires squealed against the asphalt before finding purchase, sending the car flying through the streets of Zootopia.
"I'm on my way!"
Victor smirked down at the radio in his paw before pocketing it. Happy with his performance and thankful for the low audio quality that came with these devices, the fox strolled away from the pawpsicle stand, whistling a merry tune.
"You've still got it, Victor," he said to himself, his smile widening. "You've still got it."
His paw immediately flying to his back pocket, Nick let out a low growl when his suspicions were confirmed. "Hey!" he called, almost tripping as he began to give chase.
Victor stepped forward, helping the fox regain his balance. As he did so, his paw slipped into Nick's other pocket, retrieving the radio. Nick then straightened himself and took off towards the wolf, not aware of the devilish smile on Victor's muzzle.
"Get back here!"
Sweet cheese and crackers, this guy is fast! Nick thought as the wolf gained more speed than before. Ducking under a large elephant, Nick quickly began to catch up, his conditioned stamina keeping his breathing easy. This was almost nothing to the fox.
Up ahead, a team of mammals was moving furniture into a small apartment complex. Without hesitation, the wolf increased his speed and jumped over the couch that two of the mammals were carrying. Nick was close behind, though he chose to slide under the furniture.
The wolf glanced back at Nick, his cold, brown eyes narrowing in irritation as he realized how close the fox was; Nick was practically on his tail!
"Stop!" Nick called, pulling out his badge from the shirt's chest pocket. "ZPD!"
The wolf stepped right before throwing his weight to the left, disappearing into a side alley. Nick quickly followed suit, using the side-step for extra momentum. The rancid odor of garbage and filth hit Nick's sensitive nose, but he felt sorrier for the wolf and his sensitive nose.
Nick rolled his eyes as the wolf threw nearby trash bins to the ground, the garbage spilling out onto the ground and blocking the fox's path. It was a futile attempt, really, and Nick bounded over the toppled bins with ease. The only thing hard about this was ignoring the horrid odor emanating from the trash.
Following the wolf through a few more alleyways, Nick began to feel the fatigue of the chase. His legs burned, and his chest tightened as it fought to get more air. Taking a deep breath through his snout, Nick felt the pain in his legs ease into a manageable, dull thudding that he pushed to the back of his mind.
It wasn't long before the wolf led him out of the alleys and back into the streets. It also wasn't long for the wolf to realize that a particular, uniformed bunny was waiting for him. With a force that could put a rhino to shame, Judy barreled into the wolf, knocking the large predator down to the ground. The wallet flew from the canine's paws as both mammals rolled to a stop.
Judy recovered as quickly as the wolf did, both mammals quickly jumping to their feet. The bunny prepared herself to charge ahead as two large paws lifted her off the ground. Before she knew it, she was being thrown back into Nick, both mammals falling to the ground with a thud.
As Nick watched the wolf pick up his mate, a cold shiver raced down his spine. He realized – as if for the first time – how meek and fragile Judy was in the paws of a large predator. He saw just how small she was, how weightless she seemed to the wolf. Nick felt as if his heart was in the wolf's paws, and it was dangerously close to being severely damaged.
As the small bunny was thrown towards him, Nick dashed forward, his arms outstretched and ready to catch his mate. Judy hit his chest, eliciting an "Oof!" from the fox. Both mammals tumbled back onto the ground, but Nick's arms were wrapped securely around Judy's body.
When Nick and Judy finally came to their senses, they picked themselves off of the ground and looked around for any sign of the wolf. They only thing they could find out of the ordinary was Nick's wallet on the ground; the wolf was gone.
"Judy, wait!" Nick called as Judy ran ahead, holding his paw out towards the bunny. With a groan of irritation, Nick followed suit after picking up his wallet.
Judy didn't go very far, her body sore from her impact with Nick. Disappointment filled her eyes with each passing second that she didn't see the wolf. She finally gave up with a huff as Nick caught up with her.
"We lost him, Nick," Judy said, turning to the fox.
"It's okay, Carrots," Nick said, noticing the hurt look in Judy's eyes; she wasn't used to losing. "I got my wallet back, and you're safe; that's what matters right now."
Judy took a breath and nodded as Nick pulled her into a close hug. "I've got you, Carrots," Nick whispered as he gently stroked Judy's back with his claws. "It's okay."
With her ears so close to his chest, Judy realized that Nick was saying this more to calm himself down than anything; his heartbeat was frantic, but slowing down steadily.
It took a moment, but soon, both mammals were calmed and collected.
"Alright," Nick said, clapping his paws together. "I guess we better radio this in to the chief; he'll want to know that I found Victor."
Judy's ears perked at this news. "You found Victor!?" she asked.
Nick nodded, a smirk creeping over his muzzle. "Yep. He practically confessed that he eats at The Den regularly; we've got some important info for the Chief!" He reached into his back pocket, his ears folding back and his lips curving into a frown. His movements became frantic as he patted down every pocket on his clothes; he even began to search the sidewalk around them, his fur bristling in nervousness.
"Nick, what's wrong!?" Judy asked, her own anxiety rising at Nick's actions.
"My radio!" Nick all but shouted at the bunny, causing Judy to flinch. "I don't have my radio! Oh, Bogo's gonna have my tail for this!"
"It's alright, Nick," Judy said, somewhat relieved that the situation wasn't as dire as she thought. "We can find it!"
Nick groaned in defeat. "No, I probably lost it while I was chasing that wolf," he said dejectedly. "And I am not digging through that filth. I'll just have to ask Bogo for another one."
His thoughts turning to the cape buffalo, Nick let out another groan; with what they had to explain to the chief, this was turning out to be a long day.
The car door opened and shut, pulling Victor from his thoughts. He turned, his gaze meeting that of the wolf in the driver's seat.
"So, how'd it go?" he asked in a light, conversational tone. "You deliver the package, Richard?"
The wolf smiled, revealing the whites of his teeth. "Of course, Victor," he replied as he turned on the ignition. "Did you doubt my abilities?"
Victor chuckled. "Of course not," he said. "I was afraid that the dynamic duo would stop you too soon!"
"With how much you're giving them, they might stop you too soon," Richard stated as they drove through the streets of Zootopia.
The fox chuckled again, but there was no joy in that laugh. It was the cold, calculating laugh of someone who knows that he's won. "Don't worry. Unlike others before me, I don't underestimate their relationship. In fact, the closer they are, the stronger the assurance of my victory."
I'm gonna be honest with you guys: I could have gotten this done earlier, but darn procrastination got the better of me. Luckily, I have figured out a better writing schedule, so the next chapter will be on time! Also, huge thanks to the wonderful Armae for letting me use The Den in my story. To see where this cafe originates, go check out Through the Wall; it's a great fanfiction that deserves the attention is has and more!