Author's Note:
Bogo finally gets an extended vacation away from fox and bunny. Hopefully it's still a tough job so he's willing to come back! And of course… said fox and bunny went up in rank. Now Nick will have to be super serious! Right? Yes? No, probably not.
If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first timeyou will want to check out Season 1 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^
As always, I do not claim rights to any of Zootopia's existence or it's beautiful characters. I am happy to be able to produce stories for fans of the series to read until such time as they decide to give us more and break all my head-canon. They are pre-forgiven should this occur. Unless anything really bad happens to Nick's mom. Then maybe not. :(
Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 2! You'd be surprised how often I have to go back and add a pronoun because I use someone's name more than once in the same sentence.
Guardian Blue: Season Two
Episode 23: Answers
Judy needed to sit down. Oh, she was already sitting down. Nick stroked her ears, smiling at her. He seemed so happy. Oh! They had been promoted. That happened. She almost forgot. Bogo was stepping in as mayor? But who would be the chief? Who would she answer to? Would she thrive under new leadership with new ideas, even temporarily? Would the new, temporary chief be complicit with the relationship Judy had with her partner?
Wait, if they were both promoted to sergeant, they would be acting in supervisory roles. Didn't that mean they couldn't even be partners? Judy closed her eyes, ears actually ringing from the sudden influx of new information and worries. The newscaster on TV was still talking about the incidents, the murders, the police action in the Interior and the investigation within the ZBI, but Judy just looked up to her partner.
"It's gonna be okay, right?" she asked him, eyes pleading. Nick was certainly that their partnership might not be permanent, as a promotion would likely change that. They had discussed it both when he became an officer, and when they started dating. But now that it was a reality, it frightened Judy. Nick continued to stroke those graceful bunny ears and smiled down to her.
"It's gonna be different, but we can handle it. We're still a team, no matter what." He whispered. That fueled Judy's confidence a lot and she pulled herself up closer to her fox. Her primary worry sated just a bit, she became more focused on what was going on around her again. Bay and Honey had gone upstairs to print some pictures and save video clips for the file to be provided to both the ZPD and the ZBI. The moment Bogo had made his critical announcement, Rosette got on the phone to call someone important to discuss that. Judy wasn't really sure who she called, but the cat had gone out on the back porch to have a quiet phone call. The four hyenas went upstairs to just think about the part of that news conference that meant something to them. Ukweli had been the reason that a terrible crime committed in his homeland over a hundred years ago could finally be investigated and known for the terrible thing that it was.
It happened so long ago that none of the original perpetrators would likely be alive, but the corporation who intended to continue covering it up was going to answer for any real part they played. This included the infiltration of the Interior Affairs department, by appointment or by money. They played dirty and the Lanolin name would burn away faster than any village they had attacked a century before. The idea that there had been a massive conspiracy at the heart of all of this by sheep didn't set well with Judy either. It was obvious that only those really involved in the cover-up were responsible and culpable. However, between the Bellwether plot and this new terrible secret, it was not going to be fun to be a sheep in Zootopia for a while. It wasn't right, but she knew it was going to be the truth.
The lion sisters were in the dining room talking with Vivienne. They were suddenly very interested in who she was, where she came from, and where she learned to use a bow. Cassie predictably asked what Nick was like as a kit, and a picture saved in the vixen's phone gallery was shown before Judy's partner could do anything to stop it.
Jack and Skye had gone out on the front porch to talk quietly on the swing. They had been very close to one another the entire time, and seemed intent on being closer still. The buck's vow made a difference in his vixen, and Judy was encouraged to see that as well. They were so nice together.
"I bet they make Mayumi Tora the new acting chief until Bogo gets back." Nick said, snapping Judy's attention back on him.
"Tora?" Judy asked, "But she only transferred in like… two years ago from the island. She has almost less experience with the City of Zootopia than I do."
"Yeah, but she was still the Assistant Chief." Nick argued.
"In training." Judy countered.
"Can we take a bet?" Nick asked.
"According to you, I own all your stuff anyway," the doe purred, smirking at her lover.
"Oh no," Nick said darkly. "I did this to me. This is my fault." Judy laughed at her fox and rested her head on his chest, just drawing in his scent.
Then her phone rang. Her eyes shot open and she glanced down at it, expecting maybe it was Bogo, calling to find out if she had watched the news conference. It was her mother. Her entire body tensed up. Her mother had seen the news conference. The one that said Judy had been seriously injured on a mission outside the city where other mammals had been killed. It was the same news conference that detailed an attack on the remaining survivors by trusted agents, endangering the bunny again. She was not ready for this call.
"Can you answer this and tell them that I'm napping?" she asked Nick.
"You can handle this, Sergeant Hopps." Nick stated, saluting his bunny. She glowered at him and dropped her ears back.
"…get you back for this…" she mumbled before answering the phone. "Hello!" she chimed brightly. Express energy and happiness. That was the way.
"Congratulations on your promotion dear," offered her mother calmly. Judy relaxed a bit, smiling even though she could not be seen on the phone.
"Thanks mom," the younger doe replied.
"You can enjoy that until I get my paws on you, young lady. Then you'll be glad just to be promoted to stable condition," the bunny matron on the other end of the line growled. Judy wilted a little. Yeah, there it was. Nick's cringe told Judy that he'd heard that too.
Judy sighed and spoke softly. "I told you I would talk to you more about it when the investigation was further along. As you can see, it's kind of a little bit serious." There was a long, heavy sigh on the other end of the phone. There was dead air for a little while.
Her mother finally spoke again. "I don't have to tell you why I'm upset, but I am… glad you and Nick are okay. Is there anything else that you two can tell me about what happened today? The… what was it? An attack on your base? Where are you, even?" she asked.
"New Reynard." Judy answered. She felt like she could tell her mom that, at least. Their enemies certainly had no trouble figuring it out already. It would comfort the mother bunny to know that she was not so far away as the Interior.
"Your father and I will be there in the morning," Bonnie said resolutely.
"What? No, I shouldn't even have told you where we were!" Judy exclaimed. She regarded Nick for his reaction. He was silent-laughing. An elbow to the ribs informed him of the folly of that response. He continued laughing.
"You'll have to have the ZBI stop us at the train station, then," her mother answered.
"It might still be dangerous," Judy warned.
"Oh, you'll be safe 'till I get there, little Bun." Bonnie deadpanned. "It's not an argument we're having here Sweetie. This is an update. See. You. Tomorrow." The phone beeped as her mother hung up.
"I'm so dead," Judy groaned.
"She just needs to see her kit," Vivienne said, coming into the room. "I would feel the same. She's protective. I can be just as bad."
"You put an arrow into a sheep," Nick said with a blank expression, "You have certainly established that." He looked back to Judy, whose ears were pulled over her eyes in dread. Nick grinned and continued, "Your mom would have every right to be jealous if we only let my mom shoot someone to protect us." He grinned, obviously trying to lighten her mood.
"Nick, my mother punted a squirrel across a bar to defend our honor. She already got to participate," the bunny flattened her ears.
Nick smirked. "Hey, you coulda taken him on, but you just stood there with your paws in your pockets, letting your mom have it out with him." Vivienne looked back and forth between the pair with a growing grin.
"You've left some fun things out of your emails, Nick," the vixen said, tail flitting around behind her excitedly.
"What pockets?" Judy asked, gesturing in frustration, "We were all nak-…" she stopped short. Vivienne's eyes widened almost as much as her grin at the implied scandal.
"Oh really?…" She moved closer still, tail really flicking about after that.
Nick crossed his arms in front of him. "Here I was, for the first time, omitting something for you… and you go and do that," he scolded. Judy's beloved fox grinned at her, making it seem like he somehow did that on purpose. It was like he knew that she would call him out on the pockets thing. Now he could just be honest about that story with his mother and it was all Judy's fault! He explained casually, "See, Ca-Judy's mom and sister showed up quite unexpectedly while we were doing an investigation at the naturalist club that's out in Sahara Square."
"I love that place! I haven't been there in ages!" Vivienne exclaimed. Nick's smug face slid right off. Judy grinned as hard as she could.
She practically sang, "Nick and I can take you there when you move back to Zootopia. I was nervous at first but it was ultimately very liberating." Her lover gave the cutest little fox-squeak ever, paws over his muzzle as he watched this disaster play out in real time, powerless to stop it.
"Ca-Fluff…" Nick murmured, having to clear his throat a little, "I… probably don't have to mention why I might not have thought to go with my mom to that place." His eyes were absolutely begging.
The vixen crossed her own arms defiantly at that. "What, you can go there with Judy's mom, but not me?" Her features were overtaken by bitter expression, ears going back, and her tail falling like the setting sun onto the floor. Nick visibly wilted.
"We were… all naked." Nick explained, as if that made some kind of substantial argument.
"I'm gonna have to move to Zootopia," Honey said from the dining room as she entered. Nick flinched. "It sounds like that's where the real party is!" She laughed heartily. Judy turned and smiled at the badger, letting her arrival give Nick a reprieve for the moment. She was seriously considering inviting Vivienne for a day out at the MSO, even if Nick didn't want to go. It would be nice to just spend some time getting pampered.
"Are they going to give you back your bow?" Vivienne asked caringly.
"They said I could have it back after the investigation, most likely," Honey replied.
"I'm glad. I would hate to think I got that taken away from you when I borrowed it without asking," Viv said. It pleased Judy that things like that mattered to Viv. She really was such a sympathetic fox.
"So, I want you to have this, at least," Honey said, handing a folder to Vivienne. The vixen opened it. Inside was a full-page printed image of Vivienne crouched on that large flat boulder with a nocked arrow. The camera position made the image nearly side-on, so it showed her profile, her form, and her expression very well. Honey had zoomed in on her when she saw motion on that camera. It was alarmingly clear, with crisp detail.
"It looks like I'm actually posing for the camera," Viv laughed. "I wasn't even aware of it. Good heavens, it's one of the best pictures of me, and I'm not even wearing something nice."
"Man, those eyes…" Nick said in a whisper.
"Sharp." Honey said.
"This was… just before I fired the arrow?" asked Vivienne. Judy felt a pang of fear ripple through her. Something Viv had said early echoed in her heart. She wasn't aiming for his shoulder. Seeing the fox's keen, smoldering emerald eyes told the bunny that Vivienne meant it when she had mentioned that. She wasn't merely kidding. Those were the eyes of a mother willing to kill for her family. The image instantly seared itself into Judy's mind. Vivienne was, in a special way, the doe's mother too. She glanced at Nick to find that held much the same expression of fearful reverence.
Honey finally countered the tempered moment. "It's a neat image. I'm glad it came out so clear." Vivienne smiled and closed the folder, not seeming to realize how disturbing it was to her family.
"Thank you, Honey! I will get this one framed. Annie's gonna love it." She smiled very genuinely. Nick straightened up a bit.
"Ahh… You want to join us for cards or something, Mom?" he offered, obviously in need of immediate brain bleaching.
"I'd love to, sweetie, but I have to head home to get ready for work in a moment," she answered. Nick gestured frantically.
"You're going to work today?" he asked with distress, flattening his ears.
Vivienne put a finger on her chin and considered that, then pantomimed putting a phone to her ear. "Sorry Annie, you have to work alone for the afternoon rush." She glared at Nick, "… yeah, I shot someone again, so I have to call out." She shook her head, making it clear that was silly. His mother wasn't hurt or upset, so she could still work.
"Again?" asked Nick.
"What?" Judy added.
"Alright, I got more info on our not-friends from the ZBI, are you ready?" interrupted Bay as he inconveniently arrived. "Hey, Honey," he greeted the badger.
"Hey, love," she purred, pushing up close to him.
"What? No! Off!" he nudged her back. She grinned. Bay rolled his eyes, "… just gonna start calling you 'badger'," he muttered. Judy had to smirk at that, wondering how much mileage their hostess actually got off of that joke.
"What's the news?" Judy pushed, wanting to get past that so she could find out if Viv was just messing with them. The vixen was known for teasing and having a slightly dark sense of humor.
"Okay, so, turns out they were likely responsible for a bunch of other dark stuff that's gone down, including a few witnesses going missing, arson of crime scenes, and some other ugly stuff. They might as well just forget what the sky looks like, it's dim fluorescent lights forever for those guys. Fortunately, Orson's partner, Aaron, is a seriously weak link."
"Went down easily enough," Honey said in a dreamy tone. "I watched it over and over and over again." Nick and Judy were already aware. "Seriously, you could publish your own Ewetube series off of that." Nick put a paw over the bridge of his muzzle. Judy knew that the fox hated fighting if he didn't have to. She continued, unabated, "…'Dropping Shady Ungulates', with your host, Nick Wilde!'"
"As I was saying," wrested Bay with a glare at the interruption, "He's probably never had blood on his hooves before so he's rolling over like an armadillo on an incline. As I suspected: Their attack was never about silencing witnesses, it was simply reprisal. Two executives at Lanolin have been named as the 'client' who they were taking payment from for this job. They have been intercepted at the airport, as well as eleven other members of management for that company. I hope none of them were innocently heading out on vacation, because they just landed themselves into a serious long-term inconvenience."
Vivienne growled at the back of her throat softly. "I'm mad that this was all about a bunch of mammals wanting to hold onto cash and a cozy way of life." Nick nodded to his mother.
Honey cut in, "I'm gonna go ahead and surprise all of you, and say I was honestly shocked it was really sheep. I… I mean I talk about the cud-spiracy all the time, but tracking that's been a hobby more than anything for me. Now it's not a hobby and it's… kind of scary," she admitted. "Not so much for me, but think about all the poor cotton-balls out there just tryin' to get by and now… bam. Big sheep conspiracy number two. I feel terrible for them." Judy was a little shocked to hear Honey say such a thing. Maybe it wasn't such a closed-minded bias as it had seemed.
"Honey, I…" Judy began.
"Hope they don't try to stay here to get out of the city…" the badger grumbled. Judy stumbled over her line of thought.
The wolf herded attention back over this his explanation. "Two other employees in the ZBI are on leave as well. They had been ordered to be our relief but had traded shifts with Orson and his partner. We are pretty sure that Orson would have just offered to take over, but it was still against protocol, and could cost them both their job, given the severity." Judy nodded at that.
"Do we know anything else about the situation in the Interior?" inquired Nick. Judy looked back at her fox. He was being remarkably calm after discussing that misappropriated trust that nearly cost everyone in the house their lives in whole-carrot-cake-onto-floor level embarrassment for the wolf's agency. Judy knew her partner was still furious, as it had gone in very much the manner he feared it would when they discussed it with Bogo.
Bay just sighed softly. "The ZBI has taken a bunch of mammals into custody as you already know, and there will be quite a few more. The reach of the company and its subsidiaries was far, but not everyone was actually complicit in wrong-doing. Like honey mentioned, a cashier at Ewe-mart probably wasn't hunting down folks from the interior. It's going to take a long time to get it sorted out. We've pulled forty mammals out of retirement to deal with this mess."
"Will the ZBI be handling the investigation of the crimes committed by Orson?" Nick inquired.
"Yes."
The fox narrowed his eyes. "I wish to add another formal charge, if I may." Judy stood up a little straighter. She knew what this was about.
"You may do so now, yes," the wolf responded.
"I would like him to be charged with the murder of Ukweli, the Interior mammal who helped break this case." Bay appeared very surprised at that.
"Yes, I know who that is. I understand that the Interior disposed of the evidence, having made sure no autopsy was done before cremating the remains. I looked at that file," he explained.
"The ZPD has photos of the scene. Those will likely include pictures of the wound. Measurements done of that weird spear will match, I am reasonably sure." The wolf's yellow widened at that. He then put his ears back, sighing in frustration.
"I am… sure you are right. I will communicate this to my supervisors. I can't believe this maniac was working alongside us. What a damned mess." Bay simply turned and left.
"Oh, that poor family," whispered Vivienne. She moved over and hugged Nick.
"That sheep… killed someone else?" asked Honey.
"Motti's brother," answered Judy. It was going to come out. There wasn't any reason not to tell her. The badger wilted some.
"I will… talk to them later this afternoon about it," Nick explained.
"Yeah, right now they are just remembering him as he was when he was alive," Honey agreed. Judy felt suddenly very gloomy about that. They got out of this pretty unscathed compared to some.
"Geeze, that's just… really sad. I wish we could have gotten to the hotel sooner," the bunny sighed, going quiet. The mammals awkwardly stared at the floor as they considered that. "Sweet cheese and crackers," Judy grumbled. So much could have been saved if they had gotten to Ukweli first.
"You know what…" Nick stood a little straighter, "We should check on the other fox and bunny to see how they're holding up. Can we bring them a drink?" Judy perked her ears a bit and smiled. That vulpine tried so hard to make sure she stayed happy, even when it was okay to be sad.
"Two lime sodas!" the badger retreated into the kitchen a moment.
"Thank you," Judy chimed to her sweet fox.
"Sergeant," he replied with a cursory nod.
"Sergeant," the doe responded.
"Oh my gosh! That's so painfully cute," Vivienne whimpered, melting in her stance a little.
"Thanks, Mom," Judy said.
"Wait, she can call you 'cute'?" Nick asked, flailing in exaggerated fashion.
"So can you, silly. You're mine," Judy grinned back at him. Nick paused and stood there, perplexed, reflecting on it.
He finally sighed dismissively, "Well, plucked whiskers… Now it's not any fun, since it's allowed!" Judy laughed as the four of them headed out to the front porch. When they got there, they found Jack resting on the swinging bench there, his head in Skye's lap. The younger vixen was leaning down and biting softly along her bunny's arm, seeming to enjoy partaking in the classic foxy affection of mouthing over him. He had taken his shirt off, perhaps just to give more bunny for her to bite on and less cloth. They were definitely relaxing as requested.
"W-Wait, no… them too?" sputtered Honey incredulously. Judy perked her ears. That was right, Jack and Skye had been basically hanging out in their room since they arrived.
"Hey, Judy," Skye said sweetly. "We aren't avoiding everyone, we promise. It's just… not our place… all the police and ZBI stuff."
The doe grinned brightly. "Hey, if Nick and I could be doing the same thing right now, we would."
"You knew about this?" the badger asked.
"There's room on the bench," Jack offered jovially.
"… and you didn't think to tell me?" added Honey.
"Another buzz." Skye grinned down at the buck.
"Mine hasn't stopped." Jack replied, laughing, "It's killing my battery. I'm almost scared to look!"
"What?" asked Judy.
The confused badger murmured again, "This is a day that I will never, ever forget,"
"SnootBook is going nuts," laughed the white vixen.
"I haven't looked at that in fluffing days," groaned Judy. "I bet my family's going nuts right now, after the news."
Nick shrugged at that, however. "Hey, they didn't even name you guys in the presser," he rumbled in a mellow tone. "Why should your social media accounts be affected?"
"You should check," Jack said with a smirk. "I forget… do you follow me on SnootBook?" he asked.
"Don't you know?" Nick inquired in a scandalous tone, pretending to be wounded by that. The buck shrugged.
"I would not have noticed. I can't pay attention to new watches all the time." Judy hadn't really given much thought to what social media was really like for a celebrity. She had a couple hundred watchers on her SnootBook, but she barely used it. She was always so busy. It was mostly family and friends of family.
Nick finally answered, letting Jack off the hook. "No. I don't watch you. I don't use SnootBook much because, when I first got it, Finnick thought it was fun to boop me a hundred times in the middle of the night. Just hours and hours of 'LittleMonsterFin just booped you'! It was maddening."
"I watch you, Jack." Judy reassured the buck. The doe didn't want to admit that she hadn't even started watching him until they became friends. She took out her phone and, as expected, there were dozens of messages directed at Judy that she had to slog through. It was mostly folks in Bunnyburrow who were concerned about her. They wanted her to update so they all knew the bunny was okay. She would do that later, she supposed. After scrolling down through about ten of them, she found what was making Jack's phone heat up with messages.
"Oh shhh-ed…" Judy said, snapping her gaze up to Vivienne, not wanting to swear in front of her, then staring at the grinning buck.
"What?" Nick asked. Judy showed him her phone.
Her partner, green eyes wide and round, read it out loud.
"TheActualJackSavage has changed his relationship status to… 'Would you, could you, with a fox?'."
Judy stared at the post again, almost not believing it. There was an included image of Jack, curled up, shirtless and happy on that bench with Skye. She was holding him close and smiling as if no other vixen could ever be happier than she was.
"You went public." Nick stated flatly.
"Of course I did," Jack proclaimed. "You thought I was gonna keep Skye a secret when I gave myself to her forever?" Nick stood there, still looking shocked. Judy was a bit stunned too. She worried a lot about how mammals would feel about a fox and a bunny, and she was about to seriously find out. It might not even matter if everyone knew about her and Nick anymore, not with a celebrity in a similar situation. Who would care, other than family and friends?
"Huh, the responses look pretty positive, really," Nick reported, scrolling down.
"Don't really care," Jack smirked, stroking his fox lovingly.
"Wait, did you tag the location?!" cried Honey.
"No!" Jack laughed. "I never tag my location." The badger sighed heavily.
"Scared the hair out of me," she mumbled.
"Am I missing all the fun on this side?" asked Agent Rosette as she rounded the side of the house.
"Agent, would you be so kind as to take my mother home so she can get ready for work?" Nick asked kind of out of the blue.
"Nicholas, I can jog. It's how I got here," Vivienne protested crossly.
"No, he's right. I would prefer you leaving here in a vehicle," Rosette stated firmly. "Our relief from the ZPD just arrived, so we will be heading out to a meeting with our field office, then coming back for some rest, so I don't mind. I can even run her to work, I want another of those fish-burgers."
"Who's here from the ZPD?" Nick asked.
As if on cue, Honey's dad pulled up the drive in the sheriff's patrol car. Judy and Nick walked to the steps that lead up the porch. The older badger got out and opened the doors to the back seat of the patrol car. Those were not really made to open from the inside. Pawlander and Wolfard stepped out.
"Oh good. I worried that it was gonna be Higgins." Nick huffed with relief.
"Wolfard!" Judy cried happily. "They sent you out here?"
"Well, you know… unattached lone wolf with nothing better to do with his life," the grey-toned canine chuckled, pulling a suitcase out of the car. "I've never been here, Nick. This is a sweet little town. Hey Vivienne!" Wolfard barked sunnily.
"Hello, Timothy!" Vivienne chirped sweetly. Nick folded his ears back. He always felt it was weird that his mom called him that during card games or trivia night. Pawlander remained at the car, discussing things with Sheriff Honeybadger. Wolfard went up the stairs to the porch. He then folded his ears back.
"Why is Jack Savage here?"
Nick gasped. "What, seriously? Bogo sent you and didn't even tell you what's going on?" the fox inquired incredulously.
"Mayor Bogo's got a bunch on his mind," Wolfard stated, openly staring as Jack tilted his head back to let Skye nibble on him some more. "Oh. That… that's uhh… Something new." he said in a much softer tone. The buck grinned, apparently enjoying the reaction.
Nick gestured politely to his lupine coworker to grab his attention. "Well, then we got a bunch to catch you up on before you can be our babysitter. Come inside… so, first, the emergency numbers are all up on the fridge... Don't let the lion sisters have any pudding if they haven't made their bed…" Judy's partner led Wolfard inside. The doe watched Jack and Skye hold each other, seeming to care about nothing else in the world. It could be so complicated, and it sometimes felt like the whole world was working against her, but the bunny had persevered against so many adversaries. The only thing that ever really stood in her way with Nick had been caution. The pair had experienced another brush with death. They had come out on top again. What had she ever really been afraid of?
"Not gonna hide it at all, huh?" Judy finally asked with a smile.
"Nope." Jack said firmly. "Why would I? I love my sweet Magic," he crooned.
"I'm glad," Judy crooned, sitting down beside the pair on the bench. "Because when my parents get here tomorrow, I intend to claim my fox."