Part 2: Breaking the News

AN: Hi everyone! I'm back with the second chapter. A reviewer was kind enough to point out that I had made a mistake in the previous chapter about Nick's application. I had forgotten that he had handed it back to Judy instead of throwing it away. Since I don't feel like going back and editing the last chapter, because that would mean I would have to delete what I've already posted and re-uploading it, which might mess up the order in which the chapters go, I'm going to make the mistake be an intentional one. In the midst of all the chaos, Nick himself had forgotten that he had given his application back to Judy, and she will later remind him of that fact. Just so you know, I've divided this story into six short chapters (all one shots), which means I will publish four more after this one. I'm not sure when I will do so, hopefully within the next few weeks. Anyways, back to the story. Finnick will make his first appearance in this chapter. I'm still not sure of whether or not to include him in future chapters, but if anyone wants me to, feel free to let me know and I will do my best to add him in. I still don't own this movie or any references to other movies/products mentioned in this story. If I did, I'd be turning this story into a movie instead of writing it. Enjoy!

The next day, Nick was sitting in the diner where he and Finnick would often meet to discuss possible hustles. Nick was supposed to meet the smaller fox at this diner for lunch, and the red fox was a little early. To pass the time, he was looking through his Muzzlebook feed. He came across a video of a rabbit kit chasing after a very frightened and confused adult raccoon, the kit trying to pet his tail. Nick found himself laughing hysterically at it. Thankfully, the other diners either didn't notice, or didn't care. As he watched the young bunny finally catching up to the raccoon and pouncing on his tail like a big cat attacking its prey, giving it an adorable cuddle, Nick thought of Judy and how she was doing. Just as he was about to send her a text to check in with her, he heard the distinct sound of muffled rap music. Nick knew that music anywhere. He immediately put his phone in his pocket and looked towards the door expectantly. A few minutes later, the door to the diner burst open and a fennec fox entered, scanning the diner with a seemingly permanent scowl on his muzzle. Nick waved to get the fox's attention, a smile on his muzzle that masked his slight nervousness. The red fox knew the moment his friend walked in that he was going to get a verbal beating. Sure enough, the moment Finnick saw Nick waving, he marched over to where the taller fox was sitting and angrily sat across from him.

Before Nick could say anything, the smaller fox yelled, "Where the fudge have you been?! You never call or text anymore, and I never see you around town!" To Nick's embarrassment, the two foxes now had the attention of the entire diner. The rhino chef in the kitchen glared at them angrily through the serving window. Nick tried to calm down his friend, but, as he had learned before, it was very difficult to calm down Finnick once he was in one of his "moods," as Nick liked to call them. Eventually, though, the smaller fox realized he was causing a scene and calmed down, looking down at the table in front of him.

"Sorry, bud. It's just that, after the- 'incident,' you just kinda…disappeared. What's up with that?"

"Funny story, actually," said Nick, trying not to show his nervousness. "I kind of decided to change my career path."

As soon as Nick said this, the smaller fox raised his eyebrows and asked, "Whaddya mean?" Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out the application Clawhauser had given him. Finnick snatched the form from him and looked over it. After a few minutes, he looked up from the piece of paper and burst out laughing.

"Is this a joke?! Tell me you're not serious!"

Nick shook his head. "It's as true as the fact that I have red fur." Finnick stopped laughing for a moment to register what Nick had said. Then, he started laughing again, much to Nick's annoyance.

"You?! A cop?! For real?!" Nick gave him a look that said he was still serious. Finnick immediately stopped laughing.

"You're not messin' with me, are you?"

Nick shook his head, trying to not let Finnick see he was annoyed. "Nope. I'm actually considering joining the ZPD."

There was a pause as the smaller fox registered what Nick had told him. Then, he said, "So, what does this mean for, you know, us?"

"Nothing. Just that I'm going straight now."

Finnick immediately got angry again and shouted, "You son of a jackal! You're just gonna leave me behind while you show off your fancy badge in your fancy frickin' car?!" As Finnick continued to rant, Nick tried to reason with the smaller fox.

"Hey, listen! I'm not going to leave you behind." Finnick immediately calmed down upon hearing his friend say this. He looked at Nick, waiting for him to continue.

"Just because I'll be on the other side of the law doesn't mean I'll forget about you," Nick said, smiling at the smaller fox.

"Really," asked Finnick, not believing the larger fox.

"Yep. After all, why would I ignore the first real friend I made?" This made Finnick think back to all those years ago, when the two foxes had first met. It was Finnick who had convinced Nick to start hustling, and they had formed a close friendship over the next twenty years. Nick was like a younger brother to Finnick. The smaller fox slightly and briefly returned Nick's smile before reverting back to his signature scowl.

"Alright, enough with the sappiness. I haven't eaten at all today, and these napkins are starting to look pretty tasty right about now." Nick took that as a cue that things were still good between them, and he called one of the waitresses over so they could order.

AN: Well, what did you think? I know this was really short, but, like I said, these are a series of one shots. I decided to censor Finnick's swearing because this fic is only rated K+, and I didn't want to change the rating just because of a couple of lines. Also, I (kinda) stole the "son of a jackal" insult from another movie. Try and guess what it is (hint: it's another Disney movie). Until next time, fellow Zootopia fans!