At first, Nick wasn't sure what Chief Bogo was angry about when he walked through the front door of ZPD headquarters and found the buffalo yelling at Clawhauser in the lobby. The cheetah cowered behind his desk as the Chief screamed something about not coming forward sooner. Then Nick noticed the angry buffalo was waving a copy of the ZG in Clawhauser's face. When Bogo stopped to take a breath, Nick walked up behind him and said, "Chief, I had no idea you were an avid reader of the Zootopia Gossip, celebrity news for herd and home." The fox knew not every mammal appreciated his humor like Judy did, but he just couldn't help himself. Besides, someone needed to rescue Clawhauser from the Chief's wrath.
The buffalo slowly turned to loom over Nick and silently glared down at him. It took every ounce of willpower the fox had to keep from flinching under the Chief's withering gaze. From experience, Nick knew the only thing worse than Bogo shouting was when he was motionless and silent. Deep down the fox was fairly certain that at times like this, the Chief was contemplating ways of dealing with him that would leave permanent stains in the carpet.
After a few awkward moments, Chief Bogo slowly raised his arm to point upstairs. He bellowed, "I don't, but someone in the mayor's office does. My office. Now."
Several minutes later, when Nick was seated in the chair in Bogo's office while the Chief towered over him, the buffalo straightened out the paper and angrily jabbed at the headline: Hanky Panky or Predator Sexual Harassment? above a picture of Nick hugging Judy in their patrol car.
Nick shook his head as he spoke. "Our relationship is consens-"
Bogo cut him off. "SHUT. IT. I know it's consensual, because she'd kick your head off if it wasn't." Somehow the Chief's voice went up a few decibels when he said, "I can't believe the avalanche of mayhem you've brought down on my desk. I explicitly warned both of you what would happen if you made this a problem."
The buffalo paused to lean back against his desk and massage his temples for a few seconds before he spoke again in a voice that was only slightly less thunderous. "The mayor wants me to put you both on administrative leave, but I convinced him to wait until next week so I could speak with both of you first. Since you're off this weekend anyway, add three more days. Go chase down leads on the missing mammal case, go play hopscotch in the park, I don't care, just get the hell out of my office and try-" He paused and took a breath, the look on his face pleading. Speaking as if to a child, he continued, "Try not to embarrass the ZPD any more than you have already."
Bogo started to walk around his desk to sit when Nick said, "Speaking of the missing mammal case," the buffalo froze, and the fox paused to swallow nervously. Nick looked briefly at the pulsing vein on Bogo's forehead before he continued. "I still haven't received the case file from Northlund."
The Chief closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll see what I can do." Bogo rolled up the newspaper he was holding, and for a moment Nick thought the buffalo was going to swat him on the nose with it, but instead he held it out. In an almost normal voice, he said, "Give this back to Clawhauser on your way out."
Forty minutes later, Nick sat alone on the couch in his apartment. He was not looking forward to talking to Judy about the fallout from the latest ZG article. Nick sighed and decided maybe it would be best to broach the subject with a text:
You busy? Bogo told me I could go home early and that I should stay out until next week
A minute later, she responded:
Just waiting for the train why did he send you home?
But now that Nick thought about it, he felt that perhaps he should wait to tell her. He didn't want to stress Judy out right before her parents arrived. Besides, this was probably a conversation they should have face to face.
He texted back:
Something about me being extra annoying when you weren't around?
Nick imagined her rolling her eyes and grinned. He knew he had to come up with something to divert the conversation, and since Judy had asked him to find common ground with her dad, he sent:
Does your dad like jazz or poker?
Nick knew that teasing was always a good way to distract her. A few seconds later she texted back:
No but he likes folk music and cribbage and whittling. =:-)
Now it was Nick's turn to roll his eyes. He replied:
Maybe I'll use zoogle and find out what whittling is before tonight
He paused and added:
I love you carrots see you at dinner
A few seconds later, his phone dinged and he read her reply:
Love you too slick
Nick knew he'd taken the coward's way out. Trying to take his mind off of his worries, he sat at the table where he'd left his old broken phone. Nick idly played with the phone as he thought about what he could do to recover his mom's last voicemail. He decided to take it to headquarters next week and see if their tech nerd, a raccoon named Aurora, could get anything off of it. Nick might even have her install a few ZPD apps on his new phone that Judy had been pestering him about.
That evening Nick arrived at Antonio's early. He checked his coat and was debating whether or not to get a drink at the bar when he noticed Judy coming out of the bathroom. He grinned and looked at her through half-lidded eyes. "Carrots, I've got to say, you look amazing in that dress."
Nick was glad she'd worn the teal dress he'd always liked, since he'd bought a matching teal tie to go with his gray dinner jacket. She smiled and appreciatively eyed his new ensemble before she spoke. "I wasn't sure if it covered the scars on my leg. You can't see them, can you?" A mischievous gleam in her eye, she turned so he could see the back of her left leg. Nick studiously avoided looking at her tail and slowly leaned over to get a closer look when she spoke again as if reading his mind. "And don't just stand there ogling my butt. Tell me if you can see the scars."
Nick was trying to choose between several snarky responses when he was startled by someone clearing their throat. He turned to see Bonnie and Stu standing just inside the front door of the restaurant.
Nick barely recognized Stu, who looked uncomfortable wearing a well-worn suit that hadn't been in style since sometime before Nick was born. The buck started to reach up to nervously touch the slicked back fur on his head when Bonnie elbowed him and nodded her head at the coatroom attendant. Stu hurriedly helped Bonnie out of her coat before he removed his own and reluctantly handed them over to be checked.
Bonnie stepped forward and hugged Judy while Nick shook Stu's hand. The older doe said, "It's so good to see you, bun bun." Nick smirked at the nickname and Judy cast him an annoyed look before Bonnie moved to hug Nick and Judy embraced her dad. The fox was surprised at the waves of scent rolling off both the older rabbits. He realized that Stu in particular was extremely uncomfortable as they all stood awkwardly for a moment before the gazelle hostess showed them to their table.
Nick stepped forward and pulled out the chair for Judy, who remarked, "Such a gentelfox this evening." Stu noticed what Nick had done, so he rushed over to do the same for Bonnie, who had just started to seat herself. The older doe almost fell over when her husband unexpectedly pulled the chair out for her, but she quickly recovered and smiled at Stu reassuringly.
Nick thought back to what Judy was like the first time they had come here. She'd been impressed by the fancy chandeliers, wood paneling, and small artfully presented food portions. He remembered she'd said it was the most beautiful restaurant she'd ever seen, and after seeing the restaurants in Bunnyburrow, Nick could understand why the older Hopps rabbits felt out of their element. He kept his face impassive as Stu started to put his elbows on the table before Bonnie gave him a disapproving look. The buck sat bolt upright in his chair and Bonnie smiled at him again. She reached out and held her husband's paw.
It wasn't often that Nick saw Bonnie and Stu interact, just the two of them, since he had rarely seen them together when he'd visited Bunnyburrow. They were always so busy keeping the farm running, and they had so many kits to care for.
Nick cleared his throat. "So, how was your trip, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps?"
Both rabbits were quick to correct him, asking him to call them by name, but Nick barely heard them. Since he always sat facing the door out of habit, Nick was the first to notice the disturbance at the front entrance. A woodchuck wearing a lime green blazer and carrying a camera was arguing with the hostess, but the gazelle wouldn't let him into the dining area.
Nick groaned when he realized who the woodchuck was. "Great, it's Ron Marmota."
Judy glanced at the disturbance before turning to her parents. "He's some jerk who's been stalking Nick and taking pictures for some horrible newspaper called the Zootopia Gossip."
Nick said idly, "Should I go bite him?"
All three rabbits gave him odd looks, though Judy had a half smile on her face.
Nick turned to smirk at the rabbits. "What? I'm just kidding. Besides, I bet he tastes terrible."
Stu had a stricken look on his face, but Bonnie giggled nervously and Judy shook her head. She smiled at her parents and said, "He's just kidding, Dad." She turned to look at Nick. "He might not be here looking for you. Who knows what other mammals he stalks regularly."
Nick looked around and realized that there were only a few other predators in the restaurant. "Maybe, but I doubt it."
A burly tiger stepped out of the kitchen behind the woodchuck, who flinched away in surprise. The hostess pointed at the door and the tiger grabbed Marmota's arm before firmly pulling him out of the restaurant.
Bonnie cleared her throat and said, "Oh, that reminds me. I saw Miss Gulch at the train station in Bunnyburrow, and she gave me a copy of the newspaper you mentioned."
Judy grumbled, "It figures that old busybody would read that garbage."
Nick froze as he watched Bonnie dig through her purse while she spoke. "She mentioned something about an article in the paper that I'd find interesting."
Nick was grateful when Bonnie was distracted by the waiter, who had arrived to take their order. After the waiter left, Bonnie asked how things went when Nick had watched Hazel's kits. Nick's stomach clenched and he realized he should have gotten a drink at the bar after all because this was shaping up to be a long night.
As Judy fumbled around to answer her mom's question, Nick decided it would be a good idea to talk about almost anything else. "So, Mr. Hopps, what do you think of the new warren?"
The buck's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Please Nick, I mean it. You can call me Stu." Nick nodded, and the rabbit continued. "I have to say, the way they're running the place isn't what I'm used to. All those newfangled growing techniques and machines." Stu paused and scratched his neck nervously. "I'm not too sure about letting a big corporation have so much say in the way things are run is a good idea, though."
Nick sighed with relief when Stu continued to talk about the warran all through dinner. The fox smiled and nodded his head at the appropriate times, and was glad to see that Judy had Bonnie similarly engaged in a conversation about her siblings that had moved to Zootopia to work at the new warren.
Eventually, the conversation died down as they waited for their dessert and Bonnie remembered the newspaper. Nick heard Stu mention something about a family camping trip. The fox watched in horror while Bonnie again started to dig through her purse.
Nick blurted out, "I love camping."
Bonnie paused to look up in surprise as Stu and Judy said, "Really?" at the same time.
Nick had no idea why he'd said it, so he backpedaled a bit. "Well, I mean I would love to go camping. I've always wanted to go camping. Ever since I was a kit." Which was at least partially true. It was one of the reasons he'd wanted to be a Ranger Scout, after all. Though the idea of wandering off into the woods hadn't crossed his mind in decades.
Bonnie glanced at Stu, who looked uncomfortable, and Judy said in an excited voice, "I think you should take Nick this year, don't you, Dad?" Stu's quiet affirmation was much less enthusiastic.
When the check arrived, Stu reached for it, but Nick snatched it away. The buck frowned and said, "How about I arm wrestle you for it?"
Judy huffed. "Seriously Dad? Besides, you're our guests tonight."
Stu crossed his arms. "I'll arm wrestle you too, you know. Don't think I won't."
Nick noticed Judy's ears had turned bright red and could tell by her scent that she was embarrassed. She fumbled with words briefly before Nick said, "Mr. Hopps," he paused when the rabbit gave him an odd look. "I mean… Stu, I already made arrangements to pay when I booked the reservations. And Judy's right, dinner is on us."
When Bonnie and Judy got up to go to the washroom, Nick respectfully stood as well, as did Stu after he belatedly realized what was happening. While the two does made their way across the restaurant, Nick and Stu sat down again and traded awkward looks in silence for several moments. Nick tried to think of something to talk about, eventually deciding he should ask the buck about whittling, when Stu stammered out, "What are your intentions towards my daughter?"
Nick was caught off guard, and he started to snarkily reply that his intentions were undoubtedly no different than those Stu had towards Bonnie before they were married, but when the fox saw the serious look on the older rabbit's face he paused. Several awkward moments passed and Nick finally replied, "I care for your daughter in a way I've never cared for any other mammal before." He looked at his paws on the table and continued in a quiet voice. "She really brings out the best in me."
Nick was thankful when the waiter arrived with the receipt and their boxes of leftovers. Stu and Nick sat quietly until Judy and Bonnie came back to the table and all four mammals made their way to the exit.
Nick needed some time to himself, so he convinced Judy to drop him off at her apartment before she took her parents to the warren. Nick was already in bed when Judy came back a few hours later.
She spoke to him from the bathroom while she got ready for bed. "I totally forgot about the camping trip my dad goes on around this time every year. Smooth move getting in on that, Slick. Mom likes you, and dad will come around. Besides, you're at a dead end with the missing mammal case until the paperwork arrives from Northlund, right?"
"I guess it won't be too bad if you're there."
She poked her head out of the bathroom and looked at the fox. "Uhh sorry Nick, I have to stay here and help get the warren ready for this weekend. But you should go, you'll have fun. A little bonding time with my dad would be great, right?" She ducked out of sight and Nick heard her speaking again from the bathroom. "My mom thought it was cute how you kept looking at me all night, though it took me awhile to explain to her why you were staring at my butt when they came in the door. I still haven't told them about the scars yet."
Nick hadn't even realized he'd been looking at Judy at dinner, but he smiled when he remembered how beautiful she'd looked in the dress. Judy continued talking about her parents while Nick tried to figure out the best way to discuss why Bogo had sent him home earlier.
Judy came back into the bedroom, dressed in an oversized ZPD t-shirt. She turned off the light before she dove onto the bed, and Nick laughed when she cuddled up next to him. He hugged her and was silent, his mind a jumble as he continued to worry about the conversation he knew they should have. But again Nick avoided talking about the article and instead joked, "Your dad looked really uncomfortable wearing something besides bib overalls."
Judy nodded. "I guarantee he didn't wear that suit willingly." She bit her bottom lip and scrunched up her nose. "Ok, you've been way quieter than usual tonight, so I know something's bothering you."
Nick swallowed uncomfortably, knowing where this was headed. His mind raced as he tried to think of something to say, and he cringed when he blurted out, "I want what your parents have."
She smiled and gave him a puzzled look. "A carrot farm?"
Nick laughed. "Yeah, that's it, Fluff." He cupped the side of her face and said, "Someday I hope you look at me like your mom looks at your dad."
Even in the dark, her eyes shone and Nick could see her smile, the one that always made his heart flutter. Judy hugged him tightly and said, "Aww, you big sap."
They held each other as Nick tried to work up the courage to talk to Judy about the article, but she fell asleep before he could. He too began to drift off, and Nick wondered at how distracted he'd been all day. Worst of all, Nick was annoyed that he hadn't talked to Judy about the ZG article. He finally decided he would bring it up first thing tomorrow.
However, when he woke up the next morning, Nick quickly realized he shouldn't have put off the discussion after he heard Judy talking to her mom in the living room.