Welcome back! It's been a while, hasn't it? Anywho, I'm just here to say that – just like previous chapters – things are dark here, including a panic attack later on. Tread with caution if PTSD or anxiety don't sit well with you!
"Carrots, come on," a voice whispered, barely breaking through the sleep-induced barrier around Judy's mind. "It's time to wake up. We've gotta go to the ZPD today, remember?"
Judy grumbled and rolled over, burying her face into the pillow. "I don't wanna," she slurred as she sluggishly waved her paw at the source of the voice. Maybe that would make it go away.
The bunny heard a chuckle. "Oh really? Is that how it's gonna be?" the voice asked. Judy nodded into her pillow. "I guess that I'm gonna have to resort to drastic measures, then!"
This last statement was ignored by Judy, who was finally starting to drift back to sleep. She almost succumbed to slumber's warm embrace, but then she felt something very cold tickle the back of her neck, startling her awake. "Hey!" she cried, whipping her head around the room to find out who had so rudely ruined her plans to sleep. Upon turning around, she found her husband giving her that smug grin he always seemed to wear.
"Oh good, you're awake," Nick teased. It all clicked in Judy's mind at that moment.
"Did you just –" she began, her paws flying to the back of her neck, "– rub your cold, wet nose on me!?"
Nick shrugged innocently. "I said that I needed to resort to drastic measures, Carrots," he admitted.
Judy scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was too tired to deal with any of Nick's shenanigans right then. It probably showed, because Nick suddenly became empathetic. "Look, Carrots, I'm sorry about that. I did need to wake you, though. Remember, we've gotta get ready for work; Bogo needs to see some evidence that may have Victor's name written all over it."
"I know," Judy sighed as she crawled out from under the sheets. "It's just been hard to go to sleep lately."
Nick enveloped the bunny in a warm hug. "I know. Me too."
Judy felt the tension in her body slowly dissipate in her husband's arms, and the rest of the day suddenly seemed brighter. The bunny smiled into Nick's chest. "Come on, Slick. I can't get dressed if we stay like this."
"Right, but you're much better-looking right now," Nick teased, placing a kiss on the bun's forehead.
Judy couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped her throat as she gently pushed the fox away. "Maybe if you behave today, you'll get to see more, then." She glanced over her shoulder as she walked to the closet, purposefully adding a suggestive sway to her hips. To her delight, Nick's tail began to wag furiously as the fox ogled her.
Oh yeah, he's eyeing you alright. You'd be a tasty dinner for sure, the bunny's mind teased.
Shut up, Judy retorted. Her spirits were too high to be affected by the dark portion of her mind – at least, for right now.
Slipping on the uniform after what felt like forever was like coming home for Judy – it was a reminder that she was where she belonged. Her uniform snugly hugged her body, making the bunny feel like she could take on the world again. Judy glanced to the fox getting dressed behind her. His back was turned towards her, and his fluffy tail flicked about every now and then. Judy smiled as she ogled him; she had almost forgotten how good he looked in that uniform.
The bunny shook her head to refocus herself. Right now she and Nick needed to get their new evidence to Bogo.
It was obvious to Judy that neither she nor Nick had been able to sleep the past night. With the discovery of the driver's uniform on their coffee table, one could assume that Victor was connected to Mr. Big's death in some way. However, they couldn't just waltz back into the ZPD and present the evidence to Bogo – their temporary leave called for at least a week away from work. Granted, today was only the sixth day, but this kind of discovery couldn't wait that long. The anticipation was a sure-fire way to keep their minds buzzing with the possibilities of what could happen when Bogo finally saw the uniform.
Judy continued to dress herself on autopilot as her mind began to wander. While the excitement of the breakthrough had kept her awake, she still had her nightmares. Though not as powerful as the one from the night before, these dark dreams still managed to keep Judy awake at night, shivering fearfully. She was thankful for Nick's hug earlier, and upon glancing at her badge, Judy felt the rest of her doubts vanish, even if only temporarily.
When Judy finished suiting up, she turned around to find that Nick was fully dressed as well. Together, they carefully retrieved the uniform from their closet. The plastic wrap that they had used to keep any pawprints or other contaminating substances off of the cloth was still intact, much to both mammals' relief. They double-checked the house, making sure that a repeat of the previous day wouldn't happen again, and then the two faces of the ZPD were off to work.
The unmarked car that had been left for Nick and Judy was a sorry reminder of what had happened to their beautiful white convertible. From there, the train of thought carried back to the warehouse. Judy shook her head to dismiss any more thoughts on the matter – she wanted to stay focused on the task at hand.
Nick pulled the small, blue sedan out of the parking lot and onto the street. Due to the early time of day, there wasn't too much traffic, making for an easy commute to work. However, the drive was anything but relaxing as Nick turned on the radio.
"There is still no word from Bogo on how he is taking the riots that have started on the front steps of the ZPD and City Hall. However, crowd control units have been dispatched as to make sure that these rioters don't get too violent," came the voice from the news station. Nick changed the channel to another news station.
"As far as we know, these protests are due to the controversy that is the attack on Bellwether from two days ago. It's unclear if the mammals rioting are only trying to support Bellwether, or if they have some anti-pred motive. One thing is for certain, though: these rioters are mad," another station declared. Nick tried one more news station.
"Luckily, there have been no reports of mammals being hurt during these riots. As far as we can tell, these mammals are, to an extent, peacefully protesting against what happened to Ex-Mayor Dawn Bellwether earlier this week. However, with the attitude that these mammals have, it seems very likely that sooner or later, violence will begin to break out."
"A large crowd of mammals at the ZPD?" Judy echoed as Nick turned the radio off. She groaned and cupped her face with her paws. "Why today?"
"It's all because of that fox attacking Bellwether," Nick commented, his lips pursed and his ears twitching out of annoyance. "You think they'd be happy to see us, Carrots?"
Judy mumbled something that sounded like an "I don't know" from behind her paws. A crowd of angry mammals was the last thing that she wanted to deal with today. "Do you think we could use the garage to get in?" the bunny asked.
"It's possible, but remember, Chief Bogo has us on leave. That means he may not let us inside unless it's through the front door, seeing as we are a day early," Nick replied.
Judy groaned again, sinking into her chair as to hide away from the rest of the world. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nick's paw reach over to her. The bunny leaned into the touch as Nick began to gently massage her ears. The tension dissipated from her body, and soon Judy was in a mood that was happy enough to survive a little run-in with some angry mammals.
Nick pulled into the ZPD parking lot and opted to take one of the spots further away from the front doors. Sure enough, both Nick and Judy could see a large crowd of colorful shirts, posters, and signs. Judy's sensitive ears could pick up the angry yells from inside the car.
Her mood faltered as all of her doubts came rushing back at full force. What if this wasn't a "peaceful" riot? Would she and Nick get hurt as they tried to make it inside? What if there were hungry predators in that crowd?
Judy quickly shook her head to get rid of that last thought, yet jumped when Nick placed a gentle paw on her shoulder. She calmed down when her eyes met his, and his reassuring smile was comforting.
"You ready, Carrots?" he gently asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
Judy took a deep breath and nodded, a smile finding its way onto her muzzle. "You bet, Slick," she answered.
With that, both mammals exited the small sedan and began the anxiety-filled trek to the front steps of the ZPD. The mammalian crowd of color stood in a rather foreboding manner, though everyone's back was turned on the fox and bunny. Nick and Judy passed multiple parked cars and steadily drew closer to the large police headquarters, both of them building their defenses. While Judy took a bit longer to brace herself, Nick had his emotional walls up in an instant; a habit from his conning days that he could never seem to shake.
Judy instinctively walked closer to Nick as they finally came to the large group of rioters. She felt the fox's arm protectively wrap around her waist in a side hug, giving her the courage to keep onmoving.
"Excuse us, coming through," Nick declared when they found their path blocked. Mammals turned with surprised faces to see who was talking to them, and upon seeing the uniformed fox and bunny, they politely moved out of the way.
"Hey, it's Officers Wilde and Hopps," came one voice that sounded surprised.
"You think that they're gonna be put on Bellwether's case?" whispered another.
"I doubt it," came the dry reply. "They're the ones that put her in prison in the first place."
Judy hugged herself closer to Nick and used his warmth as a sort of protection from the opinions of the outside world. However, even that would fall apart as the two cops finally reached the top of the stairs. A horde of reporters immediately noticed the uniformed fox and bunny and just as quickly began to swarm them. Brilliant bursts of light attacked Judy's eyes from all directions, temporarily blinding the bunny with incoherent shapes and black dots. She stayed as close to Nick as possible, but even then the reporters seemed bent on tearing them apart as dozens of microphones were shoved into their faces.
Question after rapid-fire question was shouted at the same time, creating a conglomeration of noises that pained Judy's sensitive ears. The camera flashes continued to blind Judy, leaving her with bits and pieces of her surroundings. Faces of the different reporters appeared for a split second before morphing into the white nothingness that encompassed the bunny's vision, and more than once did she see what distinctly looked like fangs.
The mass of mammals closed in, further crushing Judy while pulling her away from her fox. Microphone after microphone was shoved into the bunny's face, and incoherent questions overlapped each other. The fangs reappeared with every camera flash, becoming clearer with each instance. Judy began to hyperventilate as the reporters closed in around her. Nick was nowhere to be seen.
Flashes of light brought the fangs into clear focus, but Judy's mind added the rest. Gideon Grey stood before her, his claws raised and poised for attack. The noise that encompassed the bunny began to morph and change until it sounded like the bully was mocking and laughing at her. Judy tried to run, but wherever she went to move, something poked her face and kept her from leaving.
Despite the pain in her eyes, Judy looked up at Gideon as he brought his claws down to strike her. The bunny screwed her eyes shut as she braced herself for the scratch that never came. Instead, she felt a paw gently land on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. Judy hesitated, but opened her eyes to find Nick gazing at her with concern in his emerald eyes.
Everything slowly returned to normal as Nick's presence calmed the bunny down, though the reporters continued to make their presence known with more questions, flashes of light, and microphone shoving. Just as the fox opened his mouth to ask how Judy was doing, the front doors of the ZPD practically exploded off of their hinges.
"WILDE! HOPPS!" came a bone-rattling bellow that startled every single mammal there into silence. Slowly, Nick and Judy turned towards the front door to see an irate Bogo glaring at them. The buffalo wordlessly ordered them inside and had them follow him to his office. Not a word was said as they walked through the spacious lobby.
Nick and Judy took the opportunity to drink in a sight that had become all too familiar over the last three years. The incredibly high ceiling, the multi-level walkways, the front desk with the energetic, chubby cheetah; it was all still there, yet the very air felt different. Gone was the sense of excitement and purpose that Judy typically felt when she walked through the front doors. All of her fellow co-workers seemed more serious than before – hardly a joke could be heard among any conversation. Even Clawhauser wasn't his usual, enthusiastic self.
It was evident that the attack on Bellwether had left a tremendous impact on the city, and the ZPD was now trying to patch it up. Judy felt a rush of determination swell through her as thoughts of how she and Nick could help swam in her mind. The bunny was jerked from her thoughts when they entered the office, and Bogo slammed the door shut behind him.
As Nick and Judy took the seat across from the desk, they studied the cape buffalo. His fur was ruffled in various places, giving him the appearance of being sleep-deprived. His eyes were on the verge of being bloodshot, and his uniform was wrinkled. All in all, the stoic leader of the ZPD looked tired.
"I hope you can forgive my yelling at you earlier," Bogo began as he took his seat. "It was the only thing I could think of to get you away from all those mammals without too much trouble."
"Well, sir, it worked," Nick stated with a ghost of a smirk. His tone then became sincere. "We appreciate it. I'm not sure how much longer I could've survived out there, let alone Officer Hopps here."
Bogo gave a small nod before leaning forward, his arms resting on his desk. "That brings me to my next question: why are you two here? As I recall, I gave you at least a week's leave with orders not to return here until then." While the buffalo didn't look mad, his tone was still vaguely threatening.
It was Judy who spoke up this time. "Well sir, we had gone for a walk last night, and when we came back, we found that someone had broken into our apartment and left something for us." Nick revealed the plastic-wrapped uniform and placed it on the desk.
"I'd be careful opening that," the fox cautioned as Bogo made a move towards the object. "We've tried to keep it in pristine condition in case any identifiable samples could be found: fur, skin, a pawprint, stuff like that."
The buffalo shot a curious glare at the fox but heeded the advice. Nick and Judy watched with apprehension as the chief slowly and carefully peeled the plastic wrap off of the uniform. However, his reaction was not what they expected. Chief Bogo blankly stared at the driver's suit – he said nothing, did nothing, revealed nothing of what he was thinking at that moment.
Finally, after what felt like hours of painful silence, the cape buffalo spoke up. "What is this supposed to be?"
"Sir, the night before Mr. Big's limo crashed, Officer Hopps and I had gone for a walk before I was jumped by three drunk mammals. In my effort to make sure Judy was safe, I managed to get roughed up pretty badly." Judy inwardly winced at the lie, but said nothing. "Thankfully, Mr. Big's limos pulled up before anyone could get severely hurt. The shrew offered us a ride home."
"This better have a point, Wilde," Bogo snapped, though his face was still expressionless.
Nick nodded. "Don't worry sir, it does. You see, his driver is usually a jaguar named Mr. Manchas – the very same mammal that had gone savage about three years ago. However, the driver was a fox. Generally, I wouldn't find that suspicious if this uniform hadn't appeared on our coffee table two days later with this note." The fox pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it over to the chief.
Judy watched as this happened, and she couldn't help but remember how the message on the note made her feel. "So close, yet so far. Keep trying – V." That was what was written on the slip of paper. It was a simple message that held a complex meaning – the only information that Judy felt was certain was that this was from Victor Wilde.
Silence once again fell over the office as Bogo pulled out his glasses and quietly muttered to himself as he read over the note. When he was finished, he set the note down, sighed, and looked back at the two officers sharing the one chair in front of him. "Am I supposed to know what this means?" he asked.
Nick looked a little disappointed with Bogo's reaction, but quickly suppressed it. "Well, no, sir, not really. To be honest, Hopps and I still aren't one-hundred-percent sure if we completely understand what it means. However, our theory is that Victor Wilde was the one driving the limo that night and had Mr. Big killed. They never found the body of the driver at the crash, and so it's the most plausible explanation."
Bogo glanced between the two officers who were avidly awaiting his response. He could tell that they both were rather eager to get put back on this case, though the exact reason was a lot harder to deduce. While Nick seemed relatively okay, Judy's bubbly yet professional attitude was replaced with a tired and emotionally drained one. However, they both seemed adamant on finding Victor and bringing him down.
Another sigh escaped Bogo's lips. "I will have some officers look into this," he finally answered after picking his words carefully. Just as Nick and Judy opened their mouths to protest, the buffalo held up a hoof to silence them. "Look, I understand that you wanted to be put on this case. Heck, I probably would let you, too, if weren't for the fact that Victor is dangerous. He managed to have you two kidnapped and practically tortured, and if what you're saying about Mr. Big is true, then it's highly likely that Victor has some sort of control over the shrew's assets now. Heck, he even knows where you two live!"
Bogo watched as chagrined expressions crept over the two officers' faces. "For now, the threat put on you two is too high to put you on this case. Victor would know if you were on his trail as soon as you two started investigating, and who knows to what lengths he would go to stop you. I just can't take that risk. However, I'm not just going to make you guys go home, seeing as you wanted to come back to work so badly.
"As you can probably already tell, the attack on Bellwether has had quite a few negative repercussions," the chief began as he pinched the bridge of his snout. "I will admit that the crowd outside is one of the tamer gatherings throughout the city. All of these riots have been keeping my officers busy, leaving me with only a handful of them at a time. So, I'm going to place you two on a sort of riot control until further notice. You'll be taking care of the milder gatherings due to circumstances I'm sure I don't need to repeat. Am I clear?"
Nick and Judy, though disappointed that they weren't put on the Victor Wilde case, were happy enough to just be back on the force. They nodded in affirmation.
"Good," Bogo stated as he leaned back in his chair. "Officer Hopps, you're dismissed. Officer Wilde, if you would wait a moment, I'd like to have a word with you in private." Upon seeing the worried glance from the bunny, a small smile stretched across the buffalo's lips. "Don't worry, Officer Hopps, he's not in trouble. He will be if you don't get out of my office, though."
As embarrassment crept up her cheeks, Judy quickly excused herself and shut the door behind her. She was tempted to stand outside and use her sensitive hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation but soon thought the better of it. No need to get the chief angry right now, was there? With no small amount of anxiety, Judy made her way to the office that she shared with Nick, making sure to stop by and chat with Clawhauser.
"You want to what!?" Bogo repeated, an incredulous look on his face.
Nick stared back at the buffalo with an emotionless expression. "I'm pretty sure I didn't stutter, sir," he quipped.
Bogo leaned back in his chair had loudly exhaled. "I was hoping to avoid this line of action, Officer Wilde."
"I know," the fox replied, "but it can't be helped. It's the only way to keep Judy safe."
"Have you talked to her about this?" Bogo asked, suddenly getting deja vu from about a year ago when Nick had tried to quit the force. It felt no different than what was going on at this very moment.
"No, and she can't know. Not right now, at least." Nick answered. What he said made sense, but it wasn't clear if he was comfortable with what he was suggesting. Bogo shot a hard glare at the fox, hoping to find some crack or weakness in his mask of determination. Nick coolly stared back, his emerald eyes shining with a passion that came from wanting to make the world a better place. It was the same fire that was often found in Judy's eyes.
The chief scoffed. "It never fails to amaze me just how similar you and Officer Hopps are, Wilde," he admitted as the ghost of a smile formed on his lips. "But what you plan to do will inevitably harm your wife more than anything. Are you sure you're willing to take that risk?"
It was a rare sight to see Nick's mask falter, but Bogo saw it nonetheless. The fox's ears folded back against his head, and his gaze lowered in what could have been shame. "I'm sure it'll hurt the both of us, but the damage won't be nearly as severe if I stay here. It's me that Victor seems to be after, not Judy."
Bogo nodded in understanding. He had been willing to do the same thing for his wife back when they were both on the force. "I hate to say it, but I agree with you on this one. Victor has grown far too dangerous, so the less risk there is to my officers, the better. Take all the time you need to get prepared," he ordered with a hint of sorrow in his voice.
Judy had decided to fill out some reports to pass the time, but that was after she had tried everything to keep herself occupied while waiting for Nick to come back from Chief Bogo's office. She could've sworn that there was a path engraved into the ground where she had been pacing for a significant portion of the time she had waited. Luckily, she didn't have to get too far into filling out reports when she heard the office door open. Judy spun around in the swivel chair to find a tired-looking, yet optimistic fox enter the room.
For some reason, the bunny felt the need to rush over and embrace Nick in a strong, warm hug. She gave in to that need, and elicited a surprised yelp from the fox as her arms tightly squeezed around his waist. When she loosened her hug, Nick's arms wrapped around her small figure.
"You need to be more careful, Fluff. I'm just a fragile fox," he quipped.
"Fragile, my tail," Judy retorted as she stepped away from Nick to give him some breathing room. "I've seen you in the sparring ring; you've taken more punches than I care to count and still came out on top!"
Nick chuckled as he ruffled the bunny's ears. "True, but when it comes to cute bunnies, my defenses just go kaput."
"You're lucky the office door was closed, or else no one would have let me live that down," Judy stated as she and Nick began to clean up and get ready to go out to do their assigned work.
"Live what down?" Nick asked.
Judy shot a glance over her shoulder, throwing in a little tail twitch just for the fun of it. "You calling me cute," she replied with a knowing gleam in her eye.
She achieved the desired effect: Nick's eyes quickly glancing down at her tail before the fox caught himself and forced his eyes away. "It's true, though," he admitted.
Yeah, it's true. A cute bunny is always a tasty snack, the dark recesses of Judy's mind teased. Judy's smile faltered as she turned away from Nick, seemingly focusing on her task at hand.
Stop it, Judy. He would never look at you like that. You're his mate for crying out loud! Judy contended.
True, but his biological instincts don't include "bunny" under the "mate" category of his mind. His "food" category, yes, but his instincts just can't comprehend you being anything special to him, her mind retorted.
That isn't true! If I he thought of me as food, I would have been dead when he went savage! Judy shot back.
He still bit you. He still hurt you. If it wasn't for the ring luckily catching his eye, you would have been dead. His instincts don't naturally see you as someone important. They need to be reminded, and who's to say you'll have a reminder around to protect you?
Judy shook her head as she fought back tears. She knew that none of what her mind accused was true, yet why did she feel like she believed it? It's not true. It's not true. It's not true. "It's not true," Judy whispered to herself as she felt the first of many tears roll down her cheek.
She suddenly felt something touch her shoulder, sending a rush of fear through her body and making her instinctively jump away. Her heart mercilessly thumped inside of her chest, and her eyes were wide with fear as they scanned the room for any danger. When they fell on Nick, who had his paw held out, it occurred to Judy that he had been the one who had touched her. Guilt quickly replaced the fear she felt, and the tears began to fall.
Nick was there in an instant, protectively wrapped his arms around his bun. Judy habitually huddled against Nick's chest, releasing the pent-up emotions of the past week in the comfort and safety of her husband's warmth.
Judy's ears picked up Nick's voice as he began to verbally soothe her. Flashbacks of three years ago, when she had apologized to him under the bridge, swam through her mind. Gradually, the tears began to dry up, though Judy was starting to grow reluctant of leaving the embrace. It just felt right and safe to be in Nick's arms.
When her tears had finally dried, Nick carefully shifted Judy and him around until he was sitting on the floor and Judy was sitting in his lap. His paws traced lazy circles on her back, and she rested against his chest as she listened to his heartbeat.
"Are you sure that we're really ready to go to work?" Nick asked as he lovingly licked the base of Judy's ear. "Bogo said that if we feel too stressed that we can wait for a couple more days."
Judy sighed. "As tempting as that is, I'm sure I'll go crazy without anything productive to do," she admitted. "Besides, we're getting the mild riots, right? They shouldn't be too bad."
Nick chuckled. "I'd be careful about what you say, Carrots. You may jinx us."
Judy scoffed. "You actually believe that superstition?" she jokingly inquired.
Nick shrugged. "Well, it's happened too many times to deem it a coincidence. It's just better to stay on the side of caution, that's all."
"We can't stay on the side of caution from in here," Judy reluctantly commented. She slowly picked herself up off of Nick, breaking their embrace. After helping Nick stand up, the two cops exited the office, ready to take on the world.
The world – or namely, Chief Bogo – sent them to one of the many BugaBurgas in Zootopia. Being a more predator-based establishment, the fast food restaurant was a popular pick for the weaker rioters. However, the protests were still large enough to have the restaurants close down, which was bad for business owners and bad for the hungry pred looking for a quick bite to eat.
Nick and Judy pulled into the parking lot and immediately caught sight of the large crowd gathering in front of the establishment. The mammals seemed mild enough, though their loud protests could easily be heard. With a quick glance to each other, the two cops decided that it would be best to park as far from the crowd as possible.
Taking a moment to collect themselves, Nick and Judy exited their vehicle and made their way towards the group. "Hey! C'mon, people, back off!" Nick called out, flashing his badge. Judy took a deep breath as she retrieved her own badge and followed suit.
Heads turned towards the two cops. There were sneers, there were looks of shock, and there were completely indifferent stares as attention was shifted away from the restaurant. At the sight of the uniformed officers, some of the mammals backed off and left – they didn't want any part of going to jail. There were others who calmed down a bit, but still stayed to protest, and then, of course, there were those who became aggravated due to the intervention.
"Seriously, people, I know that Buga Burgers aren't the best thing out there to eat, but that's no reason to get aggressive, right?" Nick chided, putting on his cool, confident mask. "Besides, it's not nice to inconvenience other mammals looking for a quick meal."
"You mean other predators, right?" contended one of the protesters in the crowd. "Like the ones that attacked Bellwether?"
Judy had to keep herself from rolling her eyes while Nick sighed. "No, not like the pred that attacked Bellwether," he answered. "He probably wouldn't be caught dead eating at a place like this."
"You're hysterical, fox," another protester spat. "I knew it was only a matter of time before the ZPD started getting involved. I'm telling you, something's going on here!"
"Whatever you're thinking isn't true," Judy spoke up, keeping her voice cool and collected. "Besides, the ZPD just wants to make sure that nobody gets hurt – to keep the peace. So if you would kindly disperse and leave this establishment alone, that would be greatly appreciated."
"C'mon, we gave preds a chance after the Night Howler Case, but they always seem to fall back to crime no matter what!" one mammal shouted. "We need to jail them all!"
"Sir, please, if you would just listen to yourself and to what you're saying," Judy began, quickly growing tired of this job. "Not all predators fall back to crime! There are plenty of predators with loving families and jobs that contribute to society. Take my partner here, for example. He's a fox, but he's one of the best cops on the force."
Another rioter snorted. "Yeah right. I bet the Mammal Inclusion Initiative let's smaller mammals pass the Academy with lower scores or something; he's not a real cop!"
"Yeah, he is! He and Officer Hopps have done plenty of things for the city!" cried one mammal. Others soon joined him, and it became apparent to the two cops that things were going to get messy soon.
They whipped out their batons, though both were skeptical of the plastic rod's efficiency at this moment. "Hey, no need to get violent, guys!" Nick exclaimed, still keeping his cool. Judy was struggling to do the same, but still managed it anyways.
A few more mammals left the establishment, sensing that things were going to get bad and not wanting any part of it. By now, only the more extreme of the rioters were left, which was not a good thing for Nick and Judy. These guys would be the hardest to convince to cease and desist.
"Officer Hopps and Wilde are just trying to help the city! Maybe the ZPD is, too!" cried one mammal.
"Sure they are," contended another. "What about that other fox on TV, huh? Isn't his name Wilde, too? Maybe they're just trying to cover something up!"
"Yeah! Besides, Hopps and Wilde nothing but disgusting crossers!" this last insult cut deep into Judy's defenses. A glance to Nick told her that while he seemed unfazed, his posture had tensed up ever so slightly.
"Hey, anyone can be anything and all that jazz," another mammal shot back.
"Besides, who are you to tell others how they should live their lives!?" cried another rioter. At this time, it was too hard for Nick or Judy to see who was speaking as other arguments had begun to break out.
"I'm not doing anything other than just saying what Mother Nature already has. Foxes and bunny are just not meant to be together!" was the retort that was heard over all the ruckus.
Nick and Judy shared a knowing look, but neither mammal was too happy about their decision. They put away their batons and replaced them with tranquilizers. "HEY!" Judy shouted at the top of her lungs. This caught the attention of just about every mammal in the crowd, much to Nick's hidden amusement. Judy made sure to keep her voice calm and collected, as that would have a larger impact than if she acted out of aggression. "If you guys don't cease and desist right now, my partner and I will be forced to use our tranquilizers. So I suggest you leave now, rather than later."
Nick and Judy counted themselves incredibly lucky. It didn't take long to get the rest of the mammals to disperse after they had both pulled out their tranquilizers, but they didn't have to fire a single shot. They returned to the ZPD with high spirits which bled into the paperwork that had to be done. As soon as they finished, they were able to clock out and head on home.
The idea of getting something eat was brought up in their conversation on their drive back to the apartment, but Judy was more tired than hungry. All she wanted was some rest, relaxation, and cuddles, and she made this clear to Nick as they rode the elevator up to their home.
"What a day, huh?" Nick sighed as he closed the door behind them. Judy could feel his eyes on him as she trudged to the couch and promptly flopped onto the cushions and stared at the ceiling. Her ears picked up the fox's chuckle from the other side of the room.
"It would be a better day if my husband would come join me," Judy called, eliciting another chuckle from Nick.
"Okay, but are you sure that you're not hungry for dinner? I can quickly whip something up for us," he suggested as he made his way to the couch. As soon as he was within reach, Judy grabbed his tie and gently pulled him onto the cushions next to her. This silenced Nick, and the two mammals just stared at the ceiling together.
Unsurprisingly, the ceiling was incredibly boring to look at, and to Nick and Judy, the mammal to lying next to them was far more interesting. It did not take long for Judy to find Nick's muzzle buried in the crook of her neck as the fox tenderly traced a path of tender kisses and licks around her collarbone. Nick's paws worked on removing her uniform with Judy's help.
The bunny trailed kisses along Nick's muzzle, though, with his face buried in her neck, it was somewhat difficult. Her paws began to explore his fur, digging past the rough overcoat and getting into the soft fur hidden beneath. She felt a faint growl emanate from Nick and took it for appreciation lest her doubts return and sour her mood. All Judy wanted was to get lost in the moment and not deal with reality.
You're just using him, came the voice that Judy was dreading.
No, I'm not, Judy retorted. Her anger at the sudden appearance of her damaged psyche bled into her actions – the paws that had been lazily running through Nick's fur became a bit more aggressive.
Yes, you are. Anytime things have been getting tough, you resort to screwing your husband. It's the only thing that can keep you from getting too scared of him, said the voice in a chiding tone. But you can't keep running from your feelings, Judy. Take it from Nick – keeping stuff bottled up is unhealthy.
It's not unhealthy when it's the only thing that can help me keep him! Judy nearly screamed out loud. Her paws now violently pulled on Nick's fur, and the fox yelped in pain. This immediately caught the bunny's attention, and guilt began to seep through her body as she slowly took her paws off of Nick.
"I-I'm sorry," she quietly muttered as if in shock. Her nose twitched violently, her eyes were wide and on the verge of tears, and her heart beat a tattoo against her chest.
Nick carefully rubbed his paw over the injured patch of fur, but otherwise did not look angry. "It's alright, Carrots," he admitted with a small smile. "I've been feeling a bit pent-up as well. However, I think we should have some dinner first, or else this mid-thirties body wouldn't be able to survive the night." As he lifted himself off of the couch, he gave Judy a wink.
A knock came from the front door, catching both mammals' attentions. Nick's smile faltered a bit as the fox quickly went over a list of possible visitors in his head. When he couldn't find one that was likely enough, he turned to Judy and motioned for her to be quiet.
Nick silently slunk towards the front door, still surprising Judy at how stealthy he could be when he wanted. With bated breath, Judy watched as the fox slowly peeked through the peephole situated in the door. Judy exhaled with relief when she saw Nick relax a bit and open the door.
A male hare in modest clothing – a pair of black denim pants and a gray shirt – stood in the hallway, his paws in his pockets. His fur was a brilliant shade of white that was complemented by the pitch-black stripes on his cheeks and ears. Both Nick and Judy immediately recognized Jack Savage, though it was odd to not see him in a business suit.
"Hi!" he greeted cheerfully, his English accent adding an extra sort of pep to his voice. He glanced behind Nick, and as he noticed Judy lying on the couch, his ears fell back in embarrassment. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Judy watched as Nick followed the hare's gaze and locked eyes with her. The fox quickly turned back to Jack. "No, you're fine. We were about to eat some dinner, actually."
Jack seemed to brighten up at that. "Oh really? That's perfect! You see, and I know this is sort of sudden, but I was wondering if you two would like to come over for dinner? My wife would love to meet you guys, and I would like to still personally thank you for saving my bank."
Nick turned back to Judy, who could see the question in his eyes. The bunny took a moment to think about it. Her train of thought quickly returned to the conversation with her mind earlier, and she figured that going to dinner would be the perfect way to prove herself wrong.
After receiving the nod from Judy, Nick turned back towards the hare. "Yeah, we'll come to dinner. Free food is always nice."
So, I'm not 100% happy with this chapter, but after giving it an edit and getting some help from by betas, it has become something incredibly acceptable for me to post. I still feel that the BugaBurga riot and the ending are still a bit weak, so please, let me know what you think in a review!
Don't forget, I also have a Tumblr under the name Blenderguy15 where I will hopefully post more stuff later in the future, and my YouTube Channel (also Blenderguy15) holds my Fanfiction-based videos and animations. Go check them out if you want!
Finally, if this has gotten a bit too dark for you, never fear! I have just the remedy: A Fluffy Fic A Day Keeps the Boredom Away! It's a one-shot collection filled with nothing but happiness, fluff, and WildeHopps of (almost) all calibers, so go give it a read if you need something to cheer you up. I'm also taking requests for it, so PM me any ideas that you may have! (reviews will NOT be taken into consideration whatsoever unless it is a guest review!)
I hope you're all having a great December as I get the ball rolling again; I know I am!