We're reaching the end of Act 2 of Family Ties. Buckle up, because it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
As the day carried on, Judy grew more and more tired. Her mind felt sluggish and had no desire to dwell on any thought for more than a few seconds. Her body soon followed suit, leaving the bunny to feel somewhat lethargic. And to think that she had felt so rested after confessing to Nick the night before!
The silence in the cruiser was almost deafening. Nick remained stoic in his own way, his eyes scanning the roads ahead from behind his reflective sunglasses. His ear twitched every once in a while, the telltale sign that his mind was hard at work. Judy huffed and turned her attention to whatever was out the window. The streets of City Center scrolled past, slightly blurred due to the speed that Nick was driving. Judy was still able to make out the sights of mammals going about their day, minding their own business and seemingly getting along with everyone else.
Unfortunately, Judy knew the latter was a lie.
Sure, there were those mammals who genuinely got along together, no matter the difference in species. But there was no denying that there were those mammals who were – at best – tolerated by everyone else. Either they were too big and "clumsy" in everyone else's mind; they were small, annoying, and always got in the way of someone else's foot; or they were just off enough to make it hard to truthfully enjoy their company. As much as Judy would like to think that she didn't have these prejudices, it was evident even to her that she was guilty of this kind of behavior. Her visit to the DMV three years ago had proved that.
And then, there were those mammals who were outright hated by almost everyone else. Mammals who, no matter how hard they tried to come off on the right foot, just can't seem to get past the "evidence" stacked against them – be it a lifetime of wrongdoings done by another of the same species or a physical appearance that rubs everyone else the wrong way. Even if someone did trust these sorry people, there was still that underlying prejudice. Judy felt a fresh wave of guilt wash over her as she thought back to the press conference where she had let those seemingly buried prejudices hurt Nick.
However, as soon as the guilt had arrived, it was replaced with a sense of satisfying accomplishment and love. Sure, Judy had hurt Nick in the past, but they both got over it while helping each other. Here they were now, three years later and married. The bunny felt a smile creep over her muzzle, and her ears decided to perk up as she glanced at the ring on her paw. Despite the simplicity of the gold band and small amethyst, Judy never wished she had something or someone different. Nick was hers, and she was his.
She turned to the fox beside her, noticing that his demeanor hadn't changed. That would hopefully change as Judy began to think of ways to get Nick back to his usual, chipper self without breaking the rules about public displays of affection while on duty.
The best option that came to the bunny cop was striking up a conversation with her partner; all she had to do from there is come up with a topic. Almost immediately, the talk with Jack Savage from the night before came to mind. Along with that revelation came the fact that neither Judy nor Nick had thought to discuss it last night before falling asleep. Sure it wasn't the happiest of discussions, but the bunny figured that it could be enough to take the fox's mind off of whatever had him down in the dumps.
Finding her resolve, Judy took a deep breath before speaking up. "Nick?" The silence shattered in an almost visible manner as Nick's ear twitched, picking up on the sound of his mate's voice.
Nick glanced at the bunny from behind his sunglasses. "Carrots?" he asked in return, a ghost of a smile on his lips.
Judy noticed this and felt her own smile widen just a bit. "I want to talk to you about something," she stated as she wrung her paws together to give her mind a sort of anchor.
One of Nick's eyebrows raised from behind the sunglasses. "I thought you told me everything last night." The fox sounded somewhat accusatory, as if he already had enough to worry about with her being afraid of his more predatory features.
Judy quickly picked up on this and went on the defensive. "I did! I did!" she replied almost hectically, waving her paws around as if it were helping emphasize her point. "I want to talk about something else!"
Even though she couldn't see his eyes, the bunny was sure that Nick was glancing at her with faint suspicion. He did seem to calm down a bit, and Judy didn't need to wait too long before he came to a decision. "Alright then. What do you want to talk about?"
Judy had to fight back a sigh of relief as her nerves calmed down. The last thing she had wanted to do was to get Nick riled up, after all. "Well, I was hoping we could discuss our thoughts on what Jack told us last night. I know we would've done it before we went to bed had I not been an emotional bunny." She said this with a bit of guilt, which seemed to surprise Nick.
"Carrots, you don't have to apologize for last night. Ever." He turned his head and gave the bunny a genuine smile. "It was eating away at you, and the only way to get over it was to get it off your chest. And to be honest, I'm glad you told me. At the very least, I know that you trust me enough to come clean with it."
Judy felt a rush of pride as Nick spoke. He was right: she had trusted him enough to confess what was going on, despite what the dark – and thankfully absent – voice in her mind said. The bunny suddenly felt a strong need to cuddle up with the fox sitting next to her, but she decided against it. There would be time for that later. "Thanks, Nick. That means a lot to me."
The smile on Nick's muzzle faltered, though he did manage to give Judy a nod. "You're welcome. Now, back to your original question." The fox paused as he seemed to go over his thoughts on the topic. "What exactly do you want to discuss?"
"I guess we can start with whether or not we believe what Jack brought up about your father and the money laundering," Judy reasoned. "From there we could decide if we want to take any actions ourselves or bring it to the police and IRS."
Nick nodded. "Sounds good. You wanna start, or should I?" He glanced at the bunny after quickly scanning the street. They still had a job to do, after all.
Judy placed her paw under her chin as she mulled over the decision. "I think you should start, seeing as he was talking about your father," she answered after a few moments.
The fox nodded in understanding before falling silent, gathering his thoughts together. Judy studied his mannerisms as he did so: the twitch in his ear, the swish of his tail, the way his eyes scanned the road from behind his sunglasses. All of these signs told of an agitated nature about the fox, which worried Judy. She wanted to cheer him up, not make him worse off.
Finally, Nick sighed and pulled the cruiser into a parking lot. Once the vehicle was parked, and the fox's attention could no longer be divided, Nick turned to Judy, removing his sunglasses as he did so. "I don't know what to believe, Carrots. Honestly," he began, sounding incredibly tired. "We have accounts of my dad from my mother, his business partner, and now his 'apprentice' of sorts. All of them say that Victor's a good mammal, but that was in the past. My dad's present actions continually blow those previous images out of the water and replace them with someone who seems too far gone to save.
"I want to believe that my father is still a good mammal. I really do. But with everything that he's doing, I just can't bring myself to trust that, no matter what others have said about him," Nick explained, sighing as he finished. His gaze locked with Judy's as he waited for her opinion on the matter.
He didn't have to wait long. "I feel that way, too," the bunny began. She paused for a second, her eyebrows furrowing together as she desperately tried to remember something important that should've been easy to recall, but yet was always just out of reach. Finally, she grasped the thought. "Do you remember seeing Victor soon after our crash last week? You know, in that medical ward?"
Nick's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "You had that dream too?" he asked.
Judy shook her head. "I don't think it was a dream, to be honest. Sure, my head was a bit fuzzy, but it all felt too real. If that's the case, then, we have an idea of who could have ordered the attack on us."
The bunny felt a shiver of fear roll down her spine when Nick suddenly snarled, his paws clenching into fists. He had turned away from his partner as he now angrily glared out the window, so he missed the telltale frightful twitch of Judy's nose.
Nick looked like he wanted to lash out at anything but his wife. His fur bristled, and his hackles rose. The growl in his throat wanted to be louder, wanted to intimidate others and chase them away from his mate. But it couldn't as the fox began to calm himself, much to Judy's surprised awe. The bunny watched as Nick repeatedly inhaled oxygen and exhaled carbon dioxide in large quantities while he focused on quelling his anger enough to let his mind have some rational thought.
"Nick, are you okay?" Judy piped up, unsure of what to do. She had never seen Nick so angry, nor had she ever watched him suddenly diminish that anger. It was as frightening as it was impressive.
The fox gave a few nods, waiting for the growl to finally leave his throat before talking. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he croaked. He took another deep breath. "I just got protective, is all. You know how we foxes are about the safety of our mates and all that." Judy could see how this was meant in a lighthearted manner, what with Nick's weak grin, but both mammals knew that the fox was watering down the truth.
Judy quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and crawled into Nick's lap. Immediately, his arms wrapped around her small frame as his muzzled dipped to kiss between her ears. As soon as he did this, however, his instincts kicked in. He began to groom his bunny, his tongue gently running over the gray fur at the base of her ears. Judy felt a warmer, more pleasant shiver roll down her spine as her fox did this. Not only was it calming to her, but she knew that it helped Nick just as much.
While Nick continued to groom the base of her ears, Judy decided to continue with her original thought. "So, as I was saying, Victor definitely hasn't done anything yet to give us any sort of proof that he was once a good mammal. However, it's hard not to believe that fact thanks to the accounts we've been getting. I think there is an explanation, though."
"Yeah, it's not hard to figure out," Nick stated in between licks. "They all spoke of the shutting down of Suitopia and him either losing contact or finding a new job. Whatever that new job was is what we can blame for his present behavior."
"Right." Judy nodded. "Personally, I believe he ended up like you when we first met. You know, accepting the stereotype and all that. Except, he may have taken it a bit more seriously, but that doesn't change the fact that we could get to him. We could help him change. You know?"
Nick chuckled at the bunny's optimism. The small grin he had on his muzzle didn't reach his eyes. "I sincerely hope you're right, if only to see my dad be moved by a cute little bunny like I had."
Judy smiled and huddled further into the warmth that was her fox. "So, does this mean we believe Jack's story?" she asked as her finger began to draw lazy circles in Nick's uniform.
"I would think so," Nick stated as if it were the obvious choice. "It can't be a coincidence how it coincides with the other accounts we've heard, and that hare feels trustworthy. Of course, his trustworthiness could just be Jessica's cooking talking; that lasagna was good!"
Judy couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, she's quite the cook." She then leaned back to meet Nick's gaze, growing serious despite her desire to stay in the fox's lap and let him groom her. "So we believe Jack's story of Victor. Do we believe his theory on the money laundering?"
Again, the fox fell silent as he mulled over this decision. "That one is a bit harder to answer. Now, it's completely possible that Victor is using money laundering to make his funds 'legal,' but we should consider why he would want that. Why would he use money laundering, where the risks of being caught due to a single mistake are quite high?"
Judy scoured her brain for anything to help her answer this question. It took a few moments, but luckily, something clicked. It fit so well, that Judy immediately snapped her fingers and cried, "That's it!" so suddenly that Nick jerked his head back in surprise. Judy noticed this and heard his heart frantically beating, and a sheepish grin crept over her muzzle. "Sorry about that."
Nick quickly calmed down, giving the bunny a nod to indicate that he was fine. "Anyway, I have an idea," Judy continued, though she made sure to keep her excitement in check. "Remember that bank robbery that we stopped on our anniversary? Those four guys were hired by Victor. He wants to launder his stolen money!"
"While that is a good theory, Carrots," Nick began as the wheels in his head began to turn, "there are still a few holes in it. First off, I don't think those four clowns were working for Victor at that time, so that money wasn't his target to begin with. Secondly, even if it was his target, we stopped the robbery before any money was taken. In that case, Victor never had stolen funds to launder in the first place."
"Right, but that theory also has a few holes in it," Judy shot back in a friendly manner. "Remember, Jack said he didn't know how long the laundering had been taking place. However, it's very likely that Victor has been collecting funds well before those four criminals came into play, meaning that he did, in fact, have some money to launder. If anything, I think your father hired some extra paws to help get more funds. You remember how the bank had no idea that they were being robbed until we came and stopped it? Who's to say that other banks haven't already been robbed, but just don't know about it yet?"
Nick took a moment to sift through their combined theories and look for any possible holes. When he couldn't find anything wrong with the idea – besides the one hole that stated that this was all conjecture and not fact – he nodded. "That makes sense. Okay, so he's laundering his illegal funds to make them 'legal' with the newfound help from these four guys."
Judy gave an affirmative nod. "I'd say we have a new case, and we should go looking for leads as soon as possible," she gushed excitedly.
"No, Judy." Just like that, the excitement was crushed by disappointed confusion.
"What?" the bunny asked, locking eyes with the fox in an effort to read what was going on in his head. It didn't work.
Nick looked incredibly tired and dead serious. His usual smugness was nowhere to be found, instead replaced with concern and pain caused by past experiences. "We're not going to investigate this."
"Why not?" Judy asked. "You said it yourself, money laundering is a high-risk operation. All we have to do is find one slip-up, and it's all over for Victor!" Judy emphasized her point by throwing her paws in the air.
Nick used his paws to gently lower the bunny's while he lowered his gaze. "Judy, don't you remember what happened the last time we took on a case by ourselves?" As a look of confusion crept over the bunny's features, Nick groaned. "I think you do, seeing as it had happened over the course of the previous week or two. We tried to get in on the case about my dad, and it ended up with us getting kidnapped and tortured. My anxiety went full-blown PTSD, and you became scared of me. I'm not going to risk something like that again."
Judy wanted to protest. She wanted to make Nick see that she wouldn't mess up again, that she wouldn't let last week repeat itself. She opened her mouth to speak, but Nick cut her off again. "I mean it, Judy. We're cops, not detectives. We can't run around the city looking to solve any and all interesting cases when we have a job to do. Yes, it's not always as exciting, but it's something worthwhile. The more we put ourselves in danger, the greater the risk that I – we – lose what we already have."
The fox sighed and leaned back against the seat. He looked so tired and emotionally spent that it made Judy's heart ache. The bunny leaned into Nick's chest, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Nick halfheartedly returned the hug, his mind still reeling from the fact that Judy had wanted to put herself in danger again.
"I'm sorry, Nick," Judy mumbled into her partner's chest. "I should've thought through that a bit more carefully."
Nick chuckled sadly while his paws began to gently massage the bunny's back. "A bit, yeah," he teased, and for the first time in a while, both mammals knew it was a genuine joke. Judy couldn't suppress a chuckle. "But don't worry, Carrots. We won't let this go unnoticed. We'll bring it to Bogo later today and let him handle it. That sound fine to you?"
Judy nodded into the fox's chest. "That sounds perfect." She leaned back and locked eyes with Nick. "Thank you."
Just as Nick opened his mouth to answer, the radio on the dash crackled to life. "This is dispatch calling for any available officers. A mammal's just been assaulted and severely injured in the Rainforest District," came Clawhauser's voice, sounding as professional as his usually cheery voice could allow.
Judy's ears immediately perked up, gently swatting Nick in the face. She turned to the radio and quickly answered the call. "Dispatch, this is Officers Hopps and Wilde. What's the address?"
"Officer Hopps, perfect!" The two cops could imagine the broad grin on the chubby cheetah's face. "The call for nine-one-one came in just a few minutes ago. The caller said something about Vine and Tujunga."
Now Nick's ears perked towards the radio. Both cops knew that particular corner of the humid rainforest quite well, though not on purpose. Judy turned back to the fox, locking eyes with him for a second to make sure he was on the same page. To her relief, he was.
The bunny turned back to the radio in her paw as she moved off of Nick's lap and into her seat. "Copy that, Dispatch. Officer Wilde and I are on our way." As Judy finished saying this, Nick pulled the cruiser out of the parking lot before the vehicle virtually flew down the streets, making its way to the Rainforest District.
Officers Wolfard and Fangmeyer were already on location, along with an ambulance. The foliage in the surrounding area was washed in red and blue pulsating colors due to the lights on the different vehicles. A few civilians loitered about, most interested about all the commotion.
Nick and Judy carefully crossed over the rickety bridge that spanned the large gap between the street and Mr. Manchas' home. Memories of their first case together came flooding back, though they were of the "I hope we never have to do that again" category. Neither mammal had enjoyed running for their life in the hot and humid environment, and the rain hadn't helped a bit.
"Hopps, Wilde," Fangmeyer, the broad-shouldered tiger, greeted with a professional tone. The feline's gaze was cold, reflecting his dislike of the two's relationship. However, he had made sure not to let his opinions taint his respect for the two, though Bogo had to nudge him in the right direction.
Wolfard, a wolf who wore gray fur everywhere but his muzzle and underbelly, was a bit less stoic. "Hey, guys! Glad you could make it!" he greeted in a sarcastically cheerful tone. He turned to where the paramedics were busy hauling someone onto a stretcher. "You arrived just in time for the most exciting part."
Despite having prepared herself for it, Judy's ears fell when she saw that it was Mr. Manchas who was to be taken to the hospital. "What happened?" she heard Nick ask as she watched the paramedics start to haul the unconscious jaguar to the ambulance.
Wolfard inhaled through his nose as he crossed his arms, his eyes searching the area as if the answers were hidden in the environment around them. After letting out his held breath in a sigh, the wolf turned towards the smaller officer. "We got reports of some ungodly racket coming from here, so I guess someone had finally come around to check up on our favorite jaguar. They found him lying at his doorstep, badly beaten and unconscious. The cops and ambulance were called soon after, though we have yet to find anything that can lead us to who attacked him."
"They were smart," Fangmeyer spoke up, his eyes seemingly scanning the area with an absentmindedness. Both the wolf and fox knew better, though: there was nothing absentminded about the tiger. "Whoever did it left little trace of their existence in the scene. No prints, no fur, not even a scent. However, we did pick up on a cologne that was probably used as a musk mask, but it matches a cologne that Mr. Manchas is known to use often. We'll have to wait until Manchas is treated before we can get answers out of him. But we do know this: this wasn't a random attack, nor was it done by an amateur."
"Do we have any possible leads?" Judy heard Nick say as she joined the other cops. She glanced from the tiger to the wolf as they thought it over.
Wolfard spoke up first. "Anyone who is competent enough to successfully attack and subdue a full-grown male jaguar, and anyone who has a grudge against said jaguar or predators in general." He shrugged. "So, make that a significant portion of the city's population."
Judy's foot began to thump against the dirt as her mind mulled over the scenario. As she did this, Wilde, Wolfard, and Fangmeyer talked amongst themselves, trying to find an angle in this case that they hadn't yet considered. Suddenly, an idea came to the bunny. "What about neighbors?" she piped up, drawing the attention of the other three officers.
It didn't take long for Nick to understand what his mate was getting at, as shown by the visible effect the realization had on his features. The wolf and tiger were soon to follow. "Well, if I remember correctly," Fangmeyer began, pulling out a notebook from his back pocket, "this particular area of the district is more secluded. Houses are built far from each other, sometimes being separated by rivers and the like." The tiger pointed to the long, rickety bridge behind them. "Mr. Manchas' is one such house. However, there are still other mammals that live in the area, giving them the neighbor status. Wolfard and I have yet to visit them, seeing as we had only arrived shortly before you guys did."
"We don't know a lot about the neighbors," Wolfard chimed in, his arms still crossed. "We do know that at least one of them is a prey mammal. A large deer buck, if I'm not mistaken."
"Right, but we still have to consider the other mammals," Fangmeyer stated. "Can't have us stereotyping during a time like this."
"Of course," Wolfard agreed, giving a dismissive wave of his paw. "I'm just letting you know which suspect I'm gonna question first."
The tiger rolled his eyes before turning back to the house. "We'll also have to thoroughly search the house as well; hopefully we missed something that could help us find out who did this."
"Is there anything we can help with?" Judy spoke up, a hopeful smile on her face. Nick couldn't help but roll his eyes and shake his head at his partner's desire to do everything she could to help the city – everything, and all at the same time.
Wolfard chuckled. "We'll be okay. Thanks for the offer, though. As I understand it, you two had patrol duty with orders to stop any and all riots, right?" The two smaller cops nodded. "Well, then you'll want to get back to Headquarters and get your paperwork done before you need to clock out. I can tell you're both tired and need rest. So go get some."
Judy would be lying if she said that she wasn't disappointed that she couldn't help, but the idea of getting home and resting with her fox did sound pretty enticing. "Alright then," she heard Nick say, drawing the bunny from her musings. "We'll see you around, then?"
As the fox waved and turned to leave, Judy smiled up at the wolf and tiger. "Later guys, and good luck!" She began to hop away before she paused and turned back to Wolfard. "Oh, and say hi to my sister for me!" The bunny winked at the wolf before she turned back around and caught up with her husband.
Fangmeyer's eyebrow quirked while the insides of Wolfard's ears went pink. An awkward silence fell between the two partners. Wolfard tried to find some clever way to recover from this situation. Fangmeyer silently worked on coming to terms with the fact that he was surrounded by prey chasers. Good mammals and damn good cops, to be sure, but prey chasers nonetheless.
"Judy's sister?" the tiger asked, his quiet question violently shattering the growing silence between the two cops.
Wolfard swallowed a lump and nodded. "Yep."
"Name?" Fangmeyer's curt questions were starting to make Wolfard very nervous.
"Jenna," the wolf replied. He noticed that neither he nor his partner had moved from their spot, nor had they really moved any part of their body. They were like two uncomfortable statues having a semi-awkward conversation.
"How long?" Fangmeyer asked.
"Ever since sometime after I met her when I went with Wilde and Hopps to the Carrot Days Festival a few months back," the wolf explained. Happy memories of said week suddenly flashed through his mind, and his tail began to wag.
"And were you ever planning on telling me?" the tiger inquired, finally turning towards his partner.
Wolfard turned as well, a sheepish grin on his muzzle. "Well, it was going to be a surprise."
The ride back to Precinct One was silent, but not uncomfortable. In fact, Judy liked that neither she nor Nick had any desire to start a conversation as it allowed her to mull over her thoughts and process the events of the day. While it didn't look like she and Nick had done much over the course of their shift, Judy felt incredibly tired. She was ready to get her reports written and get back home.
Nick pulled their vehicle into the ZPD parking lot, quickly finding their usual spot. They both exited the car and made their way to the front doors. They entered into the vast main lobby, which still did nothing to quell Judy's sense of awe no matter how many times she traversed the marble floors. Clawhauser's nose was buried in his phone, mostly likely pouring through unhealthy amounts of Gazelle gossip. Other officers milled about the room while others went about their respective duties. It was the hustle and bustle of dozens of mammals working to make a difference, and it sent a surge of determination through Judy's heart.
"Hey, Carrots, I'll meet you in the office," Nick said as he made his way to the elevator. "I've just got to ask Bogo something real quick."
Judy stopped in her tracks. "By yourself?" she called back. The fox nodded. "Are you sure? You know how Bogo gets when you show up without warning, especially if he's busy."
Nick shrugged her off as the elevator doors opened. "I'll be fine, Carrots. You've got nothing to worry about; I promise. Now, go get started on your reports," he added with a smile that didn't reach his eyes before the elevator doors closed and carried him up to the floor that held Bogo's office.
Judy had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach, which she shrugged off. She trusted Nick, and she wanted to get her reports written. It didn't take long for her to find the office she shared with her partner, her body on autopilot. The bunny deliberately kept her thoughts away from what Nick could be discussing with Bogo, as she knew she would be risking more doubts from her anxious mind. Instead, she considered what she and Nick could do when they got home. Watch a movie? Go out to dinner? Cuddle under the sheets?
Upon reaching her office, Judy dismissed all other thoughts as she prepared to write her reports. She decided that it wouldn't hurt to write one for her and Nick's visit to the scene of Mr. Manchas' attack, and since that was a little less detailed, the bunny decided to work on that one first. After the first minute or so of filling out the information, Judy's mind began to wander.
Both good and bad theories as to how Nick's talk with Bogo was going popped into said mind. Nick could be asking for vacation days in hopes to help get Judy out of her emotional funk. He could be asking to be moved to another Precinct to give Judy some space. Heck, he could even be resigning for all she knew!
Each theory was a bit more ridiculous than the last, but that didn't stop Judy's mind from considering it. Eventually, the distraction grew strong enough that Judy had to step away from her report and pace around the room. As the bunny walked about the office in a repeating pattern, her foot tried to thump against the floor as her mind went into overdrive.
However, her mind wasn't given much time to consider all of the possibilities before a knocking on the door drew her attention. Judy whipped around to face the source of the noise, hoping that it was Nick. To say that she wasn't disappointed when she saw Clawhauser standing in the doorway with an amused grin on his muzzle was a lie; nonetheless, the chubby cheetah was a welcome change from the train of theories that Judy's mind was cooking up.
"Hey Ben, how are you?" Judy asked as she stopped pacing.
The cheetah's grin widened. "Doing just great, Judy. I thought I heard the unmistakable thumping of a bunny's foot, so I figured I'd come over and see what was up. You're so cute when you get all thoughtful and stuff!" He gleefully chuckled while Judy hid a faint wince. It took a few seconds, but Clawhauser soon realized his slip-up. Covering his mouth with his paws, the receptionist began to profusely apologize to the bunny.
Judy shrugged him off, saying that it was okay for that one time. If she was honest with herself, she had – to a certain extent – gotten over her coworkers calling her cute as they were bound to let it slip from time to time. Besides, with how much Nick used the term of endearment, it was hard to be irked or uncomfortable when the C-word was dropped on accident and on purpose.
Once Clawhauser was sure that he hadn't accidentally offended the bunny, he began to calm down and resume his normal, cheery state. For a moment, he looked ready to let loose a slew of the latest and juiciest Gazelle gossip when he paused and racked his brain. "I know I came in here for something," he muttered as his long tail swished behind him.
Judy patiently waited, knowing that Clawhauser could be a bit absentminded. Luckily, she didn't have to wait much longer when the cheetah snapped his fingers and a broad smile split his muzzle. "Oh, I remember now!" he cried before turning back to the bunny. "Chief Bogo would like to see you."
The bunny cocked her head in question. "Really? What for?" she asked as her brain started to list off the different possibilities. She quickly ignored the growing list, knowing that there was bound to be some ridiculous options on there.
Clawhauser shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't say. But the good news is that he didn't sound angry at all, so I'm sure you have nothing to worry about!" he cheerfully stated.
Judy gave the receptionist a smile. "That's good to hear. Thanks, Ben!" she exclaimed as she began the trek to the elevators. She was grateful for the distraction from Nick and her report, but the bunny still couldn't help but wonder why she was being called up. Hundreds of different possibilities rushed through her mind, but the most prominent one was, "Does it have something to do with Nick?"
The thoughts just kept coming as Judy entered the elevator, though they did become a bit easier to ignore as the seconds ticked away. By the time that the bunny cop reached the floor that held the chief's office, the hundreds of possibilities were nothing more than background noise in her mind. She walked up to the large, imposing sight that was Bogo's door. On most other days, Judy would have hesitated before she even considered knocking, but today was not one of those days.
"Come in," the buffalo's gruff voice ordered soon after Judy had knocked on the thick glass. The bunny cop quickly did as the chief said. Upon entering the room, however, she was both surprised and disappointed to find that Nick was nowhere to be seen.
Bogo must have seen the way she scanned the room, for he quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Hopps. Wilde isn't in trouble. You'll see him after this conversation."
The bunny seemed to calm down, even if just a little bit. Without needing to be told, Judy walked over and hopped into the large chair that sat across from the gets buffalo. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked, initiating whatever the chief had planned.
Bogo gave an amused snort. He wasn't sure if it was because he was both impressed and amused by Judy's sense of initiative or the fact that she was probably operating out of habit, having been in this situation more times than either mammal cared to count. "I wanted to personally check up on how you're doing with Wilde. You know, if the riots have gotten too violent and the like. Your partner told me that you also found something interesting that I may want to know about."
It took Judy a moment to realize what Nick could have possibly referred to, and when the thought clicked, she had to suppress the grin that threatened to split her muzzle. You sly fox, you, she thought before turning back to the buffalo. "Well, we're handling the riots just fine. They haven't gotten too serious, and most of the mammals aren't angered enough nor skilled enough to cause any violence." She paused as she thought to Mr. Manchas' assault. "That being said, Nick and I did answer a call to the Rainforest District earlier today. A jaguar was attacked in his own home. Wolfard and Fangmeyer were already there, along with an ambulance."
Bogo nodded grimly. "I see. And have you managed to find a lead of any sort?" the cape buffalo asked as he leaned forward. "Any suspects or evidence to help pinpoint who the attacker was?"
Judy gave a disappointed sigh. "No. Whoever attacked Mr. Manchas knew what he was doing. However, I still feel like this is related to the riots. I doubt anyone would have assaulted Manchas out of the blue, and a city full of riots is a great excuse to finally take your anger out on someone."
The chief nodded as he leaned back into his chair. "Makes sense. You're doing good work, Hopps," Bogo congratulated.
Judy felt a wave of pride rush through her at the praise, but quickly quelled it before it could go to her head. "Thank you, sir." She nodded.
"Now, what is it that you found that Wilde says is pretty important?" the Buffalo asked, his expression one of mild interest. The way he leaned back into his chair with his arms crossed over his chest felt very informal to Judy, which was odd. Bogo was rarely so casual in the workplace.
"Well," Judy began as she gathered her thoughts. "Do you know about Jack Savage?"
The chief nodded. "Of course. Head of the Furs Zootopia Bank. What about him?"
Judy shifted in her seat, making herself that much more comfortable before she turned back to Bogo. "You see, Nick and I met him at Big's funeral the other day. A few days later, he asked us if we would like to eat dinner with him and his wife as thanks for saving his back a few weeks back. We agreed, of course. Over the course of dinner, Jack explained to us how he knew Victor Wilde before he 'went bad,' so to speak, and how he thinks that his bank is being used to launder money for Victor. He offered to let us investigate for him, but we told him we'd think about it."
Bogo quirked an eyebrow. "Did you and Wilde come to an agreement?" he asked. While there was no irritation in his voice, Judy couldn't help but feel on edge.
"We decided that it was best left to you or the IRS. We've had enough with taking up our own cases for now," Judy replied. She immediately noticed the relief in Bogo's expression.
"That's good to hear," the chief stated as he leaned forward. "I'll make sure to have someone look into it. Anything else I should know about?" His brown eyes studied the bunny as he waited her answer. It wasn't obvious to everyone, but if one was careful enough, it wasn't hard to tell that something was going on between Hopps and Wilde.
If Judy caught the underlying, questioning tone in Bogo's voice, she didn't show it. "I shouldn't think so, sir," she replied.
Bogo snorted. "Then that is all. Find Wilde, finish your reports, and get some rest. You deserve it," he gently ordered, a twinkle of his hidden kindness sparking in his eyes.
Judy smiled and saluted. "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" she happily exclaimed before hopping off the chair and making her way to the large door. The moment she crossed the threshold out into the floor, she could hear Nick's voice coming from the lobby below. Judy smiled as she realized that her partner was currently chatting up a storm with Clawhauser – something he hadn't done in what seemed like forever.
Deciding that the elevator wouldn't get her to her mate fast enough, Judy took to the stairs, happily greeting each and every officer that she passed by. Moments later, the bunny finally made it to the ground floor. She did slow down a bit to conserve energy, seeing as Bogo's office was on the topmost floor of the Precinct. Her ears perked to the sound of the conversation as she drew closer, but Judy had her attention on something else.
"Hey guys!" she greeted the fox and cheetah, a beaming smile gracing her muzzle. Clawhauser's smile grew upon seeing the bunny, but Nick's seemed to falter ever so slightly.
"Oh, hey, Judy! How'd the talk with Bogo go?" the cheetah asked as he leaned forward, propping his weight on the desk with his two elbows. His tail gleefully swished behind him, reflecting the happy mood of the feline it belonged to.
"Yeah, how did it go?" Nick chimed in as he leaned against the too-high-for-him desk. His signature smirk was in place, though it looked more like a mask than anything. However, his ears were perked in her direction – the telltale sign that he was genuinely curious and actively listening to what Judy was about to say.
"It went great," Judy answered as she gently bounced on the pads of her feet. "He asked about how we're handling the riots, and I told him about what Jack brought up to us."
Nick nodded, seemingly pleased with the answer. "What did he say about Jack?" he asked.
"He said he'll get someone to look into it," Judy replied. She noticed the relief that crept over Nick's features. "He also told me to get our reports done and head home."
"Actually, I was hoping we could stop somewhere before we head home," Nick admitted, his expression somewhere between sheepish and serious. "If it's alright with you, of course."
Judy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Well, where do you want to go?" she asked.
"Sir, Officers Hopps and Wilde are here," came the voice over the intercom. Warden Alexander Bratva looked up from his paperwork to acknowledge the device that had interrupted his train of thought. He gave an annoyed sneer at being disrupted, but the news of the two "celebrity" officers visiting again helped weaken his anger.
Reaching over, the large polar bear pressed the intercom. "Okay. I'll be there in second," he replied in his thick accent. The chair beneath Alexander creaked as the warden's weight slowly lifted off of it. The bear decided to ignore the protests of the inanimate object, for all it ever did was comment on the amount of weight he was gaining. With a lingering glare around the room, as if daring anything else to call him fat, Alexander turned and exited the office.
As the bear lumbered down the hallway towards the reception area, Judy sat next to her fox in one of the larger chairs. She could already feel the fatigue of the day settling in as her eyelids were getting increasingly heavy and Nick's side was starting to feel a lot more comfortable and welcoming. Closing her eyes for a bit couldn't hurt, right?
Just as Judy felt her consciousness slip away, the warden entered rather boisterously. "Nick! Judy! Welcome back!" he greeted with a broad grin. The bunny jumped into the air, all of her senses going on high alert thanks to the startling entrance of the polar bear.
Nick, however, put on his smug mask. "Glad to be back. You know, I never realized just how much I missed the excruciatingly cold weather around here. There's just something about knowing that I may lose a finger or two to frostbite that gets me all warm and cuddly." Despite the joking nature of Nick's greeting, Judy couldn't help but feel a bit of hostility rolling off of the fox. The bunny felt a knot of uneasiness form in the pit of her stomach, but she kept her mouth shut. Maybe Nick was just as tired as she was.
"I agree completely," Alexander nodded, apparently not picking up on the faintly agitated tone that came from the fox. "But there must be reason why you visit again, yes? Surely, it is not only for welcoming cold blizzards."
Judy turned to her partner. Ever since they had left work, the fox had kept quiet as to where they were going, much to Judy's annoyance. When the Tundratown Penitentiary had come into sight, the bunny had formulated an idea of what Nick wanted to do, though she couldn't be sure. So now she listened to the fox with avid interest as she waited to see if her guess was correct.
"Yeah, well, we'd like to visit with Bellwether again. I'm sure there are a few details she hasn't told us about her attack, and I'd just love to hear them," Nick responded a bit too coldly. Even Alexander picked up on the tone, if his now tense body was anything to go by.
The warden quickly collected himself and shrugged off the fox's behavior. Who was he to blame someone for holding a grudge against the person that had tried to rule the city through fear? "Alright then, follow me. Should I have a room set up for you guys?"
"If you don't mind," Nick replied as he began to follow the bear into the hallway. Judy followed suit as she tried to ignore the voice of worry in the back of her head.
The scenery hadn't changed a bit since their last visit. Alexander brought them to the same room where they had last talked with the ewe and told the cops to wait while he got Bellwether. Nick leaned against the far wall, his gaze distant as he appeared to be deep in thought. Judy wanted to speak up – if only to break the growing silence – but couldn't find the courage to do so. Something was going on with Nick, and it was starting to make her worry.
Before long, the door opened and in came Bellwether. Alexander nodded to Nick and Judy before closing the door behind them, leaving the two cops with the ewe, who seemed legitimately surprised to see who was waiting for her; however, she wasn't caught off guard. Bellwether had a relaxed air about her – the kind that told others that she was currently happy with how things were unfolding for her. Taking the seat at the table, Bellwether regarded the fox and bunny.
"Well, to what do I owe this visit?" she innocently asked, her hazel gaze flicking between Nick and Judy.
The bunny turned to Nick, waiting to see if he would say anything. Instead, she found him gazing at her with an expression that said, "You go first, Carrots." Somewhat confused and at a loss for words, Judy turned back to the ewe.
"Uh, well, I guess we wanted to see if you had more information on your attacker," she began, unsure of where to take the conversation. A quick glance to Nick told her that she was going in the right direction.
Bellwether giggled. "I've already told you all I know, guys," she answered with a shrug. "I'm afraid I can't be of much help."
Nick scoffed, drawing the attention of the two other mammals in the room. "You'd like for us to believe that, wouldn't you?"
"What do you mean?" Bellwether asked, her smile slightly faltered and filled with confusion. Judy was just as curious while the nagging in her head grew louder.
Nick pushed off of the wall and advanced towards the table. Leaning forward on one paw, the fox coldly regarded the ewe. "What I mean is that you've fooled the city before, what with you being the 'innocent lamb.' But we know better, don't we?" He gestured to Judy as he said this. "I'm not sure if you have some plan up your sleeve once you get out of here, but I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on your 'good behavior.' What I refuse to believe is your lack of knowledge on your attacker."
Bellwether's smile faltered completely, replaced with faint annoyance. "I'm sorry, but you're wrong. I've already given you all I can about that night, and I refuse to answer any more questions on the topic. If you want to ask me about something else, I'm open for discuss-"
Nick suddenly smacked the desk with his paw, startling the ewe into silence. Judy jumped a bit as well, her heart beating rapidly and her nose twitching uncontrollably. "Stop lying!" the fox shouted, his temper rising. Judy could practically see flames dance behind his cold, emerald eyes. "Innocent mammals are getting hurt thanks to the riots that have cropped up due to your little incident, and stupid assumptions are being thrown around! The sooner we can pin down the culprit, the sooner we can smooth things over!"
Bellwether quickly got over the surprise of Nick's outburst and set up her defenses. She'd dealt with many angry predators in her past, and she wasn't going to stop now. "I understand that, Nick. I care for this city as much as you do – well, almost as much, thanks to my rehabilitation," she added under the dry glare from the fox. "However, there is no more information that I can give you!"
"That you can't give, or that you won't give?" Nick growled, leaning in. Bellwether felt a strong urge to back away from the predator, but stood her ground. She noticed a small flicker of surprise in Nick's eyes; he hadn't expected her to remain vigilant.
However, Bellwether kept her mouth shut. The two refused to break eye contact first, leaving Judy to watch the sparks fly between them. It was quite the spectacle, but Judy couldn't find herself agreeing with Nick's tactics. This aggressive behavior just wasn't him.
"Zootopia will be safer if I don't tell," Bellwether finally said, her voice even and cool.
Nick scoffed and leaned back, his gaze still locked onto the ewe. "But you won't. We need this information, Bellwether. I need this information." Judy and Bellwether watched as Nick reached into his paw, grabbed something, and withdrew it. His fingers remained closed, hiding whatever he held.
"I don't want it to come to this, but if this is the only way to get you to talk, so be it," the fox said as he opened his fist. In his palm lay a little pellet about the size of a blueberry. Judy and Bellwether immediately recognized the object and its blue contents. Night Howler.
"Nick, where did you get that?" Judy asked, visibly concerned as to where this conversation was going.
"ZPD lab," was the fox's curt reply. Nick's gaze remained firmly locked onto the ewe, who was now starting to get nervous.
"Why do you have that?" was Judy's second question. Maybe if she kept talking long enough, she could get Nick to stop this act and pull himself together.
The fox ignored her and instead snarled at the ewe. "Tell me who attacked you, and you walk out of here alive." His voice was little more than a growl.
Bellwether gulped, though she seemed to hold some of her composure. "You wouldn't dare. You would be putting Judy in danger." She gestured to the bunny with a gently shaking hoof.
The grin that split Nick's muzzle sent cold chills down Judy's spine. "Oh, she'll be fine. I'm not sure if you know this, but the last time I took Night Howler, I literally couldn't harm her. She has nothing to worry from me, but you do. So what's it gonna be, Fluff?"
Judy's heart skipped a beat when she heard the nickname. It was one of Nick's favorites for her, but to hear it used as an insult for someone else tore at Judy's heart. This was not her Nick. Her Nick wouldn't threaten anyone with death over a little bit of information. Her Nick wouldn't go anywhere near Night Howler if he could help it. Her Nick wouldn't be scaring her as he was now.
"Nick, please," she began, reaching out to the fox. Nick glanced at her, his gaze telling her to back off until he was finished with his work. It sent a bolt of pain through the bunny's heart, and her ears drooped behind her back. But Judy complied, and backed away from her partner.
Nick brought the pellet to his mouth and stuck it between his teeth. He gently bit down on the projectile – not enough to break it, but enough to make both Judy and Bellwether wary. "What's it gonna be?" the fox asked again.
A tense silence fell over the group, and time seemed to stop. Judy glanced between the fox and sheep who were still focused on their staring contest. However, Bellwether did not seem the confident sheep she was just a few moments ago. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she kept glancing at the little blue pellet stuck between the fox's sharp teeth. Nick, on the other hand, remained cold and smug as ever. He knew that he won; it was just a matter of time before he received his prize.
"Alright fine!" the ewe blurted out, finally tearing her gaze away from the fox. "It was Victor!"
Both Nick and Judy's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?" the fox asked, making no move to remove the pellet from inside his mouth.
Seemingly defeated, the ewe nodded. "He didn't attack me, as I had said. He came to me one day and asked that I help him cause some ruckus in the city. Said it would also help me get out of here faster, so who was I to refuse. All I had to do was pretend I had been attacked and make a big deal out of it, and that was that. The rest of the city took it from there."
"So the citizens of Zootopia are hurting each other over a goddamn lie!?" Nick growled. His fangs compressed the pellet, pushing it dangerously close to its breaking point. This time, Judy did intervene to keep the fox from making a mistake.
"Nick, it's okay," she said, placing a paw on her partner's arm. "We have the info, we can tell Bogo, and all will be fixed."
The fox spat out the pellet into his paw and turned towards the bunny. As he did so, he also pulled away from her touch. "I doubt that, Carrots. In this town, once an idea gets into the heads of mammals, it takes a lot more than just a simple, "Oh, he told me to do it" to change their minds." He turned back to Bellwether. "I hope you're happy. Mammals are being attacked thanks to these riots, and it's all because you wanted a way to get out of here sooner."
Bellwether said nothing as she stared back. There was a flicker of guilt in her hazel eyes, but it was too small for even Judy's tastes. "It was bound to happen sooner or later, these outbreaks. Better we get through them sooner than later," the ewe stated.
Nick snarled at the sheep, his hackles raising and his fur bristling. "Better we didn't deal with them in the first place," he growled before turning on his heel and exiting the room. As the door slammed shut behind him, Judy was jerked back from her thoughts.
When Nick had pulled away from her, she felt a stab of something akin to betrayal in her heart. To think that just last night, they had slept in each other's arms after laying bear the problem that was growing between them. Judy could only stand there, firmly rooted to the spot. She ignored Bellwether's existence as she tried to process what was happening to her husband and how she could stop it before she lost him again.
Just for fair warning, there won't be as much fluff in the next few chapters. We're getting closer to the final act, and with that comes with a lot of twists and turns!
Also, a shout-out to WildeHoppsOfBakerStreet and his story A Fox and Bunny Stew, a one-shot collection that's fun to read. If you've read it, then there's a good chance that you found my reference to the story. If you haven't read it, then I recommend doing so; it's a great read!