=Author's Notes=

I know I've been away for a while. But I've been busy. School and exams and what not. This might be my final fanfiction for a long time to come. I know that doesn't mean much to the readers of this fanfiction (Because my other fanfictions were for other fandoms) but I was considering a Zootopia High School AU. However, I won't be writing it. I will focus on my novel, which has been what I've wanted to write for years.

This fanfiction has about two-three more chapters left. Maybe four or five adding an epilogue of some sort. I'll try to leave it at an even 15 chapters, but no promises.

Alex Rayke

Nick stared at the grey fox with curious eyes. Aside from the little ginger fur, that covered his neck and probably the rest of his front body which was completely hidden, the fox – Alex – was completely grey. He had mysterious orange eyes that seemed to be scanning… everything.

There was something very unique about those eyes. Everything they saw seemed to be registered and in a way… owned. Nick felt very weary. He was never a mammal to rely on intuition, but something deep inside told him that Alex, if he tried very little, could own everything he saw.

Then Nick froze, because the same eyes that he was very wary of landed on him. He gulped. They lingered on Nick for a second and then Nick felt very vulnerable. As if somehow Alex had learned everything about Nick in that second. Then Alex turned forward and begun walking. Nick stared ahead, obsessively staring at Bogo, when he felt something soft brush against his leg. He yelped and jumped up.

His fur had spiked up. He looked at Alex whose eyebrow was lifted. Complete curiosity had taken over his face. He'd read that some foxes were hypersensitive of their tails, like Nick, and some others felt almost no sensation. Apparently, it had been an accident. Nick coughed awkwardly and looked away.

Alex turned around and headed towards the desk. Bogo coughed. "Officer Wilde, Officer Hopps. Please meet, Private Detective Alexander Rayke." Nick couldn't believe his ears. Bogo sounded… scared. Nobody could have ever scared Chief Bogo. Yet, this tiny little fox… seemed to make the world around him tremble.

Then Nick heard out a chuckle and the fox spoke. "Alex." He said. His voice was perfectly composed. Every tune in it could have been chosen with perfect care. Alex sighed and turned to Judy and Nick. "If you two would be kind enough to show me your research thus far?"

Nobody spoke for a second. Alex's expression didn't change. He seemed like he had all the patience in the world, yet at the same time none at all. The look in his eyes changed to mild irritation – though his facial expression remained exactly the same – and Bogo coughed. "Yes, of course. Officer Hopps will show you." Bogo pointed at the door.

"Er. Right." Judy said. "This way." She began walking before she stopped abruptly. "Nick?" She asked. Nick saw Alex's eyes looking at him in an inquisitive way, however his face remained unchanged.

"I'll be a moment late. Need to ask chief Bogo something." Nick said. Judy shrugged and left. It appeared, Judy was the one being in the whole Universe not intimidated by Alex Rayke. Alex followed and Nick felt his tail brush against him once more – but this time he suppressed the yelp.

He waited until Alex had closed the door before Nick walked to Bogo's office and sat down. Bogo was already sitting, a hand on his forehead. "You're scared of him Nick said." Even as he said it, it sounded impossible. "You?"

Bogo chuckled. "I may be large, fierce, strong and well… yeah maybe even quite smart too, but…" Bogo took a deep breath. "The world is ruled by smart people, not by strong. And Alex Rayke… he could own the entire world if he wanted to."

Nick stared in disbelief. "His eyes are so weird. As if they-" Nick was cut off.

"As if they own everything they touch, yes. Perhaps they do. They can, that's for sure." Bogo wiped his hand with his face. "I'm sorry." He said.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Bogo sighed. "I had to convince him to come earlier. These disappearings can't go on." Nick nodded. "Alex was looking for a partner… I sent him a few pics of yours."

"WHAT?" Said Nick, his fur instantly spiking up.

"Yeah… I went through archives of yours and saw that an old boyfriend of yours had once been arrested." Bogo said.

Nick felt his fur spiking up even more. "Well it doesn't matter!" He said decidedly. "Because-"

"Of Judy." Bogo completed. "I know you're in love with her." Then Bogo looked down at his feet. "That's why I apologised. At this state, I don't know if even love can or cannot stand between Alex and his goals."

"Yes it will!" Nick said furiously. But he heard the fear in his voice before he realised it. Alex Rayke had only walked into the room and said barely two full sentences, and yet he had managed to do this.

"I hope so. Go to Judy, help him. What's first and foremost is Zootopia, Nick." Bogo said, sitting down. He looked like a mammal defeated.

"You don't like him, do you?" Nick asked before leaving.

"It's nothing like that. I'm terrified of him." Bogo said. Nick turned around, left and closed the door a bit harsher than he meant to. Nick ran until he reached the room where Judy would be. Where all their research was centred.

Judy was showing Alex weeks' worth of research. Alex was just staring at it, his hands into the pockets of his coat. Nick entered the room warily; Alex completely ignored his presence. "And this," said Judy, giving Alex a rainbow-coloured feather, "Is the feather we found underneath all the machines."

"I see." Alex said. He grabbed the feather. "Well, thank you. That will be all."

"Wait!" Said Judy. "Where are you going?"

Alex lifted an eyebrow. "Where would I be going? To analyse this." He showed the feather impliedly.

"Analyse it how?" Judy asked.

Alex laughed. "Don't trouble yourself with that."

He turned around but Judy looked furious for a second before she hopped quickly to stand in front of him. "Of course I'll trouble myself with that! This is our research!"

"Yes." Said Alex. "You've done a wonderful thus far," Nick couldn't tell if he was trying to be sarcastic or not. He wasn't sure if anyone might be able to. "But you've hit a dead end." Judy stared at him, wordless. Alex let out an impatient huff. "If you'd be so kind to reposition yourself."

Judy stared at Alex for a second more before silently moving aside. Alex walked with steady steps, closing the door behind him. Judy seemed dumbstruck. She wasn't saying anything. Then her scream was heard throughout the entire police station.

"Don't worry about it." Nick said throwing his clothes into the laundry basket and closing the shower curtain. Their new apartment had a wonderful shower. Judy was in the bedroom, lying on their bed. "We only have to put up with him until this case is solved. Then he'll be gone."

"Can you believe that little troll's nerve?" She said. She was still furious. "To talk to me like that!" She screamed again. "I'm going to have to take his life." She said in a sad tone.

Nick chuckled in the shower and swallowed some water by accident. He started coughing loudly, trying to breathe. He heard the door open. "You okay in there?" Judy asked.

Nick's fur spiked up. "I'm fine!" he said, his voice was harsh. "Just drank some water by accident."

"Okay." Judy closed the door behind him. Nick sighed as he sat on the tile floor of the shower. He brushed the fur on his face with his paws. What am I going to do with her? He thought sadly. I've moved in with her, yet we're no closer together romantically than we were the day we met. Perhaps, Judy will never look at me that way… An image of Alex flashed across his mind, but It was gone as soon as it had come. Nick had no need for reflection; he already knew. He loved Judy and that was that.

The next day at the police station, Nick was all alone. Judy had decided to stay home for the day. He was eating alone at the lunch cafeteria, a lazy sandwich with avocado, cucumber and Philadelphia when somebody sat across him. Nick lifted his eyes only to be met by piercing orange; Alex was sitting there with his usual grey coat.

"Hello." Nick said indifferently.

Alex chuckled. "I had assumed Bogo would tell you. Don't worry, we've both been played here." He offered an apologetic smile.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "How have you been played?"

"I was promised somebody who would be interesting and challenging. No offence, but you're plain as a book." Alex said.

"Books are plain?" Nick asked.

This surprised Alex. His eyebrows pulled up for a second. "No, they sure are not." His gaze on Nick deepened. It reminded Nick of a camera's lenses focusing. "But they are very easy to read. Judy, you love her." There was no hint of curiosity, it was a statement.

"Yeah," Nick consented. "I do." However, he was a scared of how easily Alex had picked that up. He hadn't had any direct contact with Judy in front of Alex. Barely even looked at her.

"That's fair." Alex said. "I promise I won't try to interfere at all. Really."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Then what motivates you to help out?"

Alex pursed his lips. "I may not like this city very much – or at all, truth be told - but my best friend lives here. I'll do it for her."

"Who's your best friend?" Nick asked before he could stop himself.

"That, my dear," Alex said getting up, "Is none of your business. But maybe I'll tell you someday. See you."

"Wait!" Nick said. "What about the tail-brushing thing?"

Alex laughed. "Oh, right. Sorry about that. it was more of a test. I won't do it again." Then he walked away and left. Nick stared a bit before getting up and following him discreetly. He'd learned enough through training to be silent.

Alex may be a genius, but even his body didn't have super-hearing. Or at least, Nick hoped so. He followed Alex outside the police station waiting to see if he would go to some underground base or something. But Alex merely stopped at a homeless lady who had a hat and was begging for money, through something in the bag and then got in a shiny black car and disappeared as Nick hid behind a wall.

Nick waited for the car to disappear before he went to the homeless lady who looked dumbstruck. He looked into her hat. Then he almost fainted. A bundle of five-hundred-dollar-bills was there. That was when he realised it. Despite everything, Alex Rayke was a very kind creature. And, very, very rich.

"Hey," Said Nick, putting the groceries on the kitchen table. Judy was sitting there, tapping away at her computer.

"Hey,' She said. "How was the police station?"

"Uneventful." Nick lied. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. No event had happened, but it had been an… interesting day, for lack of a better word. Judy just hummed in agreement. Nick looked happily at her tapping at her computer. She's so sweet. He realised. Spending all those hours searching, not for glory or fame. But because she sincerely wants to help Zootopia. She truly wants to make the world a better place. That was when Nick knew that he would always love Judy and only her. Nobody else would ever matter.

=Author's Notes=

Please understand how much of a sacrifice it is for me to write and upload this chapter in the middle of my exams. I already know how the story ends, I did it for my readers. I would greatly appreciate a review.