Chapter 18 - Rude Goodbyes
Judy realized that she actually enjoyed watching Nick getting dressed in his police uniform. She was a rabbit from a large family and was used to helping her siblings dress for special outings, so helping the fox with his uniform should have felt no different. Only she did feel different. Seeing him in the fur today, brought warm, pleasant feelings that she would not have experienced a few days prior.
She told herself again and again that they were only helping each other to get ready for the day and that it was more of a mutual, friendly, helping paw than anything remotely resembling voyeurism. Yet, why did her heart race and butterflies fill her belly, while she stared at his body?
Mixed feelings fought a terrible war inside the bunny's small frame and her sensible side was slowly retreating. She held back the siege on her heart when her feelings demanded that she bury her nose in the light, creamy fur of his bare chest. Looking up at the handsome todd in his dashing dress uniform, her feelings once again pressed their assault on her sensibilities. It took all of the force of her will to not leap into his arms and plant her lips on the end of his muzzle.
Late morning light had filled the fox's bedroom with it's warm glow. The bright, summer sun, while not yet full in the sky, was filtered and muted through dark, thick curtains that covered the east facing windows. Nick always tried to keep the curtains closed in the morning or the intense rays could damage his sensitive eyes.
With the warm, morning light filling the room, the two lamps sitting next to the bed on small wood tables were turned off and the bed sheets were still rumpled as if the fox had just woken from sleep only moments before. An old novel sat alone on one of the nightstands with several pages that had dog-eared corners.
Near the only door to the room, was a large closet built into the wall. Hanging from a long rod that ran its entire length, were several loud, flowery shirts and ties mixed in with a few comfortable t-shirts and a couple of the fox's everyday uniforms. A small dresser sitting to one side held his more personal items that the watchful rabbit had no interest in seeing. She really didn't care if the fox preferred boxers over briefs.
The rabbit was standing in front of the closet wearing her own dress uniform. She stood behind and far enough to the side of the fox that she could clearly admire all of him in the mirror as well as his back side.
Smiling, she noticed how his dress pants filled out with his well toned hind quarters and the slight bulge of buff muscles that showed through the dark shirt. She liked seeing how well his shirt was tucked in today, even if it was her paws that did the tucking. All the folds and creases in his uniform were in the right places, giving him a sharp, clean appearance. Reaching down with a grin, she removed a dark, fluffy piece of lint from his well groomed tail.
Judy was never known as an overly cautious bunny, but today she was testing the fox, like she would when dipping a toe into a lake before diving into the potentially frigid waters. She was curious to see how easily the predator could handle having a prey like her around in a slightly more domestic capacity. It wasn't a very well thought out plan. She preferred playing things by ear and seeing how they turned out. So far, she was pleasantly surprised by the results and not just with how good her fox looked in his dress blues.
Last night, she had not planned on falling asleep on Nick's couch after their regular movie night, but when she woke in the middle of the night a small plan began to grow. She had awoken to the call of nature and threw off the blanket that she was curled up in. Returning to the couch afterwards, she realized that the fox must have brought her the blanket and tucked her in before he went to sleep in his own bed.
Afterwards, she lay on the couch with the warm, clean blanket that smelled of fox wrapped around her and was overwhelmed with pleasant thoughts. Did Nick actually care about her as much as her mother suspected or was he just being friendly? Her emotions almost won a decisive battle when she hopped off the couch and marched into his room to demand answers to all her questions.
The bedroom door was wide open and she waltzed right in to confront the todd. However, the rabbit halted when she saw him sprawled out on the mattress, with his head laying at the wrong end, and the covers in a pile on the floor. Seeing his fitful state, she could only return the favor and gently placed the sheets back on his slumbering form before returning to the couch.
Laying down on her back, she looked up at the slowly rotating ceiling fan and came up with a plan to carefully extract the information from the poor fox's mind. He was going to show her how he really felt even if she had to drag it out of him, kicking and screaming. With her plans in place, she slowly drifted off to sleep watching the blades of the overhead fan circling above her and plotted the todd's demise.
As the sun rose early over the city, the rabbit was already up, taking a quick shower and making breakfast. She had already called a cab to run home for her own dress uniform, which she left hanging in Nick's closet.
Nick stumbled out of bed to the smell of fresh coffee. "Morning, Carrots," he greeted her as she passed him a steaming mug full of the thick, black liquid. She was wearing one of his long t-shirts while she flipped a pancake onto a plate. Looking around the kitchen, he noticed several pots, pans, and various other cooking utensils strewn about the counters, "What is the special occasion?"
"Chief Bogo gave us the morning off, so that we could prepare for attending the service this afternoon and, a great way to look our best is to start with a good breakfast." She handed him a large plate filled with pancakes, hash browns and fried eggs, just the way he liked them. "Now eat up so you can start getting ready."
Taking a sip of coffee, he sleepily mumbled at her.
"What's that?" she demanded pointing a spatula at him.
He spoke again after another long sip of the hot coffee, "It's four hours before we have to leave, so what's the rush?"
"You need to take a long shower for one. You're starting to smell ripe," she stated with her ears hanging flat down the back of her head. "And make sure to wash out your tail. I know how long that takes, so you had better get started." Nibbling at her breakfast, she pointed at Nick's bathroom and continued, "I already took a shower so the bathroom is all yours."
Once his meal was completely eaten, he placed the dishes on the counter next to the sink along with others that were waiting to be washed. He walked around the corner and into the bathroom when he spotted the rabbit standing over the sink with the water running. She was holding a toothbrush in one paw and squeezed the thick paste onto its bristles with the other.
Embarrassed, he cautiously asked, "Am I interrupting anything?"
"Not at all. Please, join me," she waved the brush, gesturing at him. "There's more than enough room for both of us."
Walking up to the sink, he grabbed his own toothbrush and held it under the water for a few seconds, "You know, I usually brush my teeth after taking a shower."
"First time for everything," she winked at him before scrubbing at her large front tooth.
Watching the red-furred predator standing next to her as he brushed his sharp canines, brought a shiver to her spine that the fox noticed. He quickly spit the foam into the sink and turned to leave, but she grabbed his paw. "Please stay," she begged with a mouth full of toothpaste.
"I'm sorry if I scared you," he admonished.
She giggled and smiled at him through the mirror, "You didn't scare me, Silly. Come back."
"All right," he returned to the sink, grabbed his toothbrush, and continued lathering the insides of his mouth. Puzzled, he could not explain why the rabbit continued to smile at him while he finished brushing.
Once they had finished, she pushed him towards the other end of the room, "Ok, dirty fox, you really need a long shower before we get ready."
"We?" he asked curiously, but she had already hopped out of the room and was closing the door. Stepping towards the combo shower and bathtub, he noticed that a clean towel and his shampoo and other showering items were set out and waiting for him.
"What is really going on today?" he thought before undressing and climbing into the hot stream of water.
The kitchen had been cleaned and thoroughly scrubbed by the time Nick had finished his shower and Judy was reading the latest issue of ZooZoo, with an up-and-coming entrepreneur fox on the cover. Knowing that they still had a few hours to relax before they needed to get ready, he strutted over to the couch.
Judy looked up from the article she was reading to admire the freshly cleaned fox, but instead let out a gasp of disgust, "Nick, I thought I asked you to wash out your tail?" She quickly jumped out of her seat, laid the magazine on the coffee table, and strode into the bathroom. Returning with his personal furbrush, she grabbed his knotted and matted tail and ordered him to sit.
"Ugh, you can be such a mess sometimes," she sat next to him with their hips touching and laid the bushy tail across her lap. Taking the brush, she ran it across his long, glossy fur and gently pulled it through the tangles. It wasn't really as bad as she had claimed, he had done his best to clean it in the shower, but she was curious to see his reaction and had always wanted to give his big fluffy tail a good brushing.
"You know, my mother is the only other mammal who has ever brushed my tail." Foxes were quite strict about letting anyone touch their tails. However, Nick's seemed to have a mind of its own and frequently found its way into Judy's lap or paws at the oddest of moments. It would often find the small rabbit while they were working or would wrap around around her when they watched scary movies.
"Well I wouldn't want to replace her," the rabbit chided, carefully brushing out one of the knots she had found. "But we really need to be looking our best for the services this afternoon."
"I should make sure my dress blues are all ironed and pressed then," he said trying to stand up from the couch, but the rabbit simply grabbed his arm and easily pulled him back down next to her.
"Not before I finish with your tail," she declared and returned to pulling the soft bristles through his sleek fur. After several strokes, she began humming softly. While the fox watched her, his puzzled expression slowly turned to contentment and he eventually leaned back into the soft cushions and closed his eyes.
Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, her phone beeped, causing her to jump. Her ears stood erect as she looked at the time on the large display, "Cheese and crackers, we're going to be late! That wasn't part of the plan." Pushing the tail off of her lap, she called to her partner but he had dozed off.
"Nick, wake up," she climbed on top of him and began shaking him awake. "We're going to be late again if you don't hurry up."
"Huh? What?"
"It's eleven thirty," the rabbit announced holding his collar in both paws.
"Oh shoot! We won't have time to go to your apartment so you can get changed!" He stood up as she scampered across the couch.
"No worries, Slick. I already took care of that," she grabbed his paw and led him to the closet to show him where she had hung her own uniform. Pulling the t-shirt over her head, she turned her back to him and tossed the large cloth into the waiting laundry basket, "We don't have time for modesty either, so hurry up and change."
Topless, she retrieved her dark blue pants from the clothes hook and slipped them over her bright orange panties. Pulling her puffy cotton tail through the hole in the back of the pants, she noticed that Nick hadn't moved and wagged it at him, "Nick. Are you going to stare at my tail all day or are you actually going to get ready?"
The plan to temp her fox was going rather well up to this point. While he may have been staring at her butt, she wasn't fully convinced of his feelings. She was going to have to try a different approach in pursuit of the answers she sought.
With her pants secure, the grey bunny helped the red fox out of his shirt and gave his muzzle a light pat, "I know you just had a nice nap, but you really need to wake up and get changed." She turned her tail to him once again and grabbed the dark blue top that was part of her standard, police-issue, dress uniform, while he climbed into his own dark pants.
After buttoning and tucking in her shirt, she noticed that Nick was struggling with the buttons on his own shirt. She reached out her paws, pushing his aside to grab the front tails of his shirt and began to join the two pieces together with the shiny black buttons. Stopping about half way up, she noticed how his soft, creamy fur stuck through the large 'V' that formed, and she dreamed of burying her little pink nose into his chest and breathing in his thick, clean musk.
Quickly shaking the wild daydreams from her mind, she finished buttoning his shirt with her deft paws and tucked it in at the waist. She let him secure the belt on his own while she climbed up on the edge of the messy bed that was covered in small clumps of black and orange fur and swung her hind paws in his direction. "Could you help me with these straps?" she asked shyly, holding out a pair of rich blue paw straps.
Silently, the fox took a few pawsteps towards her and knelt down before the rabbit. He took each strap from her waiting paws and slipped them onto her long legs. Looking up, as the rabbit looked down at him with a soft smile, he tugged the end of the strap to make sure that it was secure and provided her furry, padless paws with the maximum grip needed for running.
This simple domestic activity warmed her heart and she could clearly see the pleasant smile on his own muzzle as he secured the second strap around her paw. She wasn't at all surprised when he tried to tickle the bottom of the paw he was holding before making sure the strap was firmly secured. Biting her lip, she pretended not to be ticklish, but gave him a gentle kick for his troubles.
Stepping away as her long paw pushed him back, he walked over to the closet and retrieved her short tie. He held it out to her like the dark cloth was the finest of imported silks, "Would madame allow me?"
"Of course," she giggled at his antics and jumped off the bed, walking to the edge of the closet where he waited. He quickly and skillfully tied the royal blue tie around her neck, yet fumbled in the mirror when it came to his own.
Returning from thoughts of earlier that morning and her burning examination of Nick's physical features, Judy saw him undo his tie for the third time and she promptly stepped in front of him, shoving his paws aside. With the knot undone again, she compared the lengths of both ends before beginning the first loop.
While she was busy with the long ends of cloth, Nick tilted his head down to watch what the short rabbit was doing. Holding the half started knot in one paw, she casually raised the other to lift his chin out of her way. Unobstructed, she quickly finished twisting and looping the tie into a respectable knot.
With both their ties completed, the taller fox looked down at the short rabbit and smiled proudly. Looking up at him, her eyes fell onto his long muzzle dreamily. His lips were so close that she imagined how they might feel pressed against her own and dreamed of what they might taste like. Her paws raised slowly and she leaned ever slightly closer and nearly stuck out her tongue, ready to taste the fox's warm lips.
Before she could plant her muzzle desperately against his own, he opened his mouth to speak, and his smirk returned, "It's only fair that I get to return this honor." Without kneeling, he reached out and pinned a shiny, brass badge to her chest.
The large police car purred like a contentedly napping panther as Nick carefully pulled it into the downtown parking lot. One open spot remained on the first floor of the giant structure and the fox carefully eased the oversized vehicle between an orange spotted Zebrus and a bright blue news van.
Turning off the engine, he glanced down at the sports watch on his wrist and chuckled. The watch was a newer model that was paired with his phone and allowed him to track his heart rate and other physical stats while on the job or exercising. He had planned to get one for his partner so they could join in some of the team activities that the watch offered, but she didn't like any of the colors for the new models.
Proudly, he looked over to the impeccable rabbit sitting in the seat across from him. He pointed to the watch and spoke, "Look, we still have ten minutes to spare." With a warm smirk, he winked at her.
Snorting softly, with her ears laying flat behind her head, she opened the door on her side of the car and replied without looking at the fox, "You still didn't have to stop so suddenly when that light turned yellow. It means, caution and to slow down. Not slam on the breaks so your partner spills her coffee." She climbed out of the cruiser and closed the door, leaving the todd alone with his thoughts.
A fluffy, grey and white cotton tail accentuated the rabbit's firm buttocks and shapely thighs. It was a charming, fleecy highlight to her more feminine features and had the curious hint of a curl. The scut flicked slightly as the rabbit hopped from her seat and disappeared through the door.
The door closed with a soft click and the fox slowly realized that he had been staring at his partner's tail again. It was starting to dawn on him that he had been taking way too much interest in her physical features lately. As her friend, it was fun to tease the bunny, but stealing glances of her shapely figure was new, even for him.
He rarely took serious interest in females, especially those of other species, unless it was part of a hustle that Finnick had cooked up. None of the vixens he met between hustles ever wanted anything more than a short fling. Most foxes preferred to live solitary lives and the females of his species only seemed to look at him during a certain time of the year. It was never worth getting emotionally involved, so he avoided vixens whenever he could and practically ran from them in the winter months.
Despite the feelings of his past, the little rabbit that believed in him awakened something inside that he had always tried to bury before. Yes, she had hurt him, as most mammals in the city had, but she had returned. She found his secret place and actually apologized to him. No one ever apologized to a fox, especially not from prey, ever. That was when he decided to stick with the rabbit and become her partner and friend.
It was in the nature of bunnies to be overly emotional and friendly, so he had assumed that all the flirting and the cuddles were also just normal for rabbits. So it never crossed his mind that she might actually be attracted to him, until her parents pointed it out during lunch the other day. The possibility that she might want something more than friendship left him feeling stunned and confused.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts of soft rabbit tails, he opened the door and climbed out of the car. He closed it with a firm click and yanked on the handle to ensure that it was securely locked. Walking around to the rear of the car, he found the rabbit waiting for him with a paw thumping the pavement.
"Now, which way do we go, Slick?" the small officer asked.
Nick pointed past all of the parked cars to a small alcove in the corner of the large cement structure, "I think that leads out to the sidewalk where we can cross the street."
Captivated by her swishing tail and shifting hips, the fox followed the rabbit as she led the way out of the parking lot. Watching her walking away brought a warm mixture of emotions to the surface. He gulped and swallowed them down as he followed after her.
They crossed the street outside holding each other's paw and looked up at the enormous cathedral before them. It was a huge structure that had been built hundreds of years before as part of the renaissance era. There were three lofty towers and a giant, stained glass window in the front that let in the morning sun and a bell could be heard ringing mournfully in the distance.
The cathedral was not as large or ostentatious as many newer versions in the east, but it was still very impressive in its own way. No mammal alive knew how any of the huge stone blocks that formed the foundations were laid around the base of the towers had been carved or even how they had been moved into place.
A large crowd of onlookers and reporters had formed on the long steps that led up to the extravagant building. The uniformed pair released each other's paws before they approached and climbed the steps. Halfway up their climb, they spotted a great cape buffalo standing near the edge of the crowd.
When they neared him, Chief Bogo greeted them with instructions for the day, "Hopps, Wilde. I want the two of you to find Gazelle and stay close to her for the entirety of the services."
Both the fox and the rabbit saluted their boss as he continued, "You are not her body guards, and I don't expect you to act in that capacity. But this event is far too public and there will be a lot of unhappy eyes on her today, so I do expect you to keep a close eye out for anything suspicious."
"Yes, Sir," they both agreed.
Heading up the tall steps and through the massive oak double doors, they entered the holy building. The insides were even more ornate than one could imagine from looking at the architecture alone. Paintings and ancient frescoes hung from every wall and an enormous gold chandelier lit the entry hall.
Off to one side the two small officers saw a small group of mammals crowded around one of the smaller anti-chambers. Through a break in the crowd they spotted a slightly snobbish puma giving instructions to a gorgeous gazelle in a formal zebra-striped dress.
Even with its dark and muted tones the dress still brought out the pop-stars curves and left every mammal gawking at her beauty. The lacy top was left slightly open revealing more fur than the smallest officer felt was decent, but had a very different effect on her male companion.
Barely listening to her manager, Gazelle sniffed a few times and nodded sadly to the puma before stepping through the crowd. She only glanced briefly at the two small officers as she trotted gracefully out of the giant oak doors and down the steps outside.
She walked up to the polished birch podium that had been quickly erected on the cathedrals main steps. The crowd outside turned as if with one mind and pointed their cameras and microphones in her direction.
Standing before the podium, she paused for a moment while taking a few deep breaths, "I would like to put the rumors of my demise to rest." The crowd murmured and cameras flashed while she took another breath. "The mammal who was found in my Palm Court apartment was in fact my sister, Tiffany."
The crowd immediately started asking a plethora of questions, but Gazelle only raised her hoof, "She was my best friend and my twin. And yes, on occasion she even filled in for me, so the confusion is understandable. But I want the world to know that, yes I am still alive and well."
More questions from the crowd caused her pause again and she took another breath waiting for the commotion to die down. "Tiffany was my only sibling and will be greatly missed. Unfortunately our parents could not be here today, so for anyone who wishes to offer their condolences, please feel free to join me inside."
Under her breath she muttered to herself as she turned away from the mics, "It is truly a dark day when a mammal cannot choose whom they wish to love." No one else heard these words except for the entourage standing behind her and a pair of small cops.
With tears in her eyes, Gazelle stepped back from the podium while the reporters continued to ask questions. Sadly she climbed back up the stairs and through the double doors into the grand cathedral.
The funerary ceremony was long and involved. Tiffany's relatives and close friends said their goodbyes, while the priests prepared her spirit to begin its final journey.
Recording devices were not allowed inside the sacred structure, but that did not stop the reporters and onlookers from taking up every available seat. The pews were filled so the two small cops had to stand in the back where they could barely keep an eye on the horned superstar.
After the main ceremony had completed, a small reception was held in a field behind the building where guests could pay their respects to the bereaved family. The small field was more of a well tended garden for mammals of all sizes. Trees, shrubs and flower arrangements were laid out in a way to create large open spaces alongside numerous private areas. Refreshments were spread out on tables around the garden's centerpiece, a small pond with an ancient white tree growing in the center.
Many of the guests disbursed directly after, but a small crowd milled about to sample the food and drinks and to visit with the family of the deceased. Still under orders, Nick and Judy followed the popstar out into the garden where she met with a few relatives and tried to hide her own grief.
Judy's stomach growled from the lack of lunch and she headed off in search of the veggie table, leaving Nick to watch Gazelle on his own. Keeping the ungulate in the corner of his eye he drifted towards the drinks table.
A generous glass bowl sat on a field of plain white, surrounded by several stacks of clear plastic cups. Dozens of small chunks of ice floated on the surface of a bright red liquid that filled about half of the punch bowl. A ladle with a long curved handle allowed smaller mammals to reach the liquid and fill their glasses.
Standing next to the table, Nick was struggling to reach the long handle. He stretched his arm as high as he could and extended his claws out to the curly end, only to nudge the elusive stem further from his grasp. Jumping, he tried to knock it closer to his side of the table to no avail. He only succeeded in pushing it even farther away. Sighing, he watched the scoop sink below the ice and to the bottom of the bowl.
Under the long white table cloth, he spotted a stepping stool for smaller mammals like him. Even with the stool, the handle was still far out of reach from this side of the table, so the fox marched around the full length of the table, past the carefully lined up soda cans. When he once again stood in front of the punch bowl he slid the stool from underneath the table cloth and stepped up on it.
With the ladle in paw, he poured the fruity nectar into his glass. As he finally took a sip of the cool, liquid refreshment he heard the gruff sound of his boss's voice speaking to someone behind him, "I'm very sorry ma'am, we are still looking for the primary suspect."
Nick turned around stepping off the stool and spotted the police chief speaking to Gazelle. She still had a sad look on her muzzle, and the makeup around her eyes was smeared and had run slightly. "I demand to know what you have done with Charlie," she said glaring up at the much larger buffalo.
Chief Bogo let out a deep breath, "He is currently recovering at a secure location."
"A secure location?" she replied angrily. "What exactly does that mean? It had better not be a dark and filthy cell somewhere?"
"No ma'am. He is being well taken care of."
"What does his lawyer think of all this?"
In his by-the-book tone the chief replied, "He doesn't wish to speak with anyone and has denied his right to seek council."
"And why is that hmmm?"
"At the moment, Charles still believes it was his fault."
"Bull dung," the popstar declared with a dark glare. "My sister's boyfriend is one of the sweetest and kindest mammals that I know. I do not believe for one second that he could have ever hurt her. If he won't fight for himself, then I certainly will. When my lawyers arrive at your office in the morning, I expect you to show them exactly where you are holding him."
She took several steps away before turning back and adding gruffly, "I will see that he is released from your custody as soon as possible, and that all charges against him are dropped."
Watching the gazelle storm off, Nick's sharp ears heard the chief let out a quiet, troubled sigh, "He is still a suspect." The larger mammal rubbed his hoof down his muzzle and shook his head with a shrug.
Nick decided to not heed the chief's orders and let Gazelle disappear into the crowd. His mind was focused on another subject at the moment. Visions of a pair of black tipped ears and a white fluffy tail would not release their firm grip on his attention.
Taking another sip from his glass of fruit punch, he wondered why thoughts of a certain rabbit seemed to fill his mind today. As a fox, he had never felt physically attracted to her before. So then why had he been staring at her tail, and why was he so captivated by her amethyst eyes.
The bunny's cheerful optimism always brightened his day, but for the last week something about her changed, or was it him that had changed? Ever since the gazelle was found murdered in her own bed, Judy had gone from tearful to determined, and now she was being a lot more cuddly. Maybe it was just a rabbit thing?
He would admit that he actually enjoyed having her around and he loved her hugs. It was so cute how she would frequently leap into his arms like a spring loaded child's toy and give him a fierce hug. All the hugs and cuddles were definitely a rabbit thing, but was he becoming addicted?
Foxes certainly didn't hug nearly as much as Judy did, well maybe. He remembered that his mother used to enjoy hugging him as a child, but nowhere near as much as his partner, insisting on hugging him three or four times a day at a bare minimum. On their days off, her daily hugging requirement could easily exceed twenty. Not normally a huggy mammal, it took him time to get used to all of the rabbit's attention. However, he found that during the months of being separated, while he was at the police academy, he actually missed the bunny with her bright eyes and her almost perpetual hugs. Now that he was back, and they were working together, he actually looked forward to each and every one, and any day without a warm bunny hug always left him in a dark place.
This week the hugs had changed. They were no longer the warm and friendly ones that he was used to now. Now there was something different, almost enticing to them. The bunny's hugs were longer and her paws would linger on his chest, or the fur of his arm. She would pull him in with her eyes and afterwards he always felt like she had wanted to ask him something important, but had left the question hanging. These new hugs made him feel like he was being hunted like a vixen hunts a todd in the winter.
Even as a small predator, it was a very odd sensation for the fox to feel like he was being tracked. Strangely, the rabbit seemed to be stalking him and he was more than willing to play along with her and find out where it led. The tables had turned since they had met a year ago. She was acting more like a predator and he was her prey.
On the other side of the central clearing Judy gazed across the table that nearly groaned under the weight of piles of fresh vegetables and grasses. She held a small plate that she had roughly filled with a variety of produce. Of course there were carrots, and some bright green broccoli, but also some fried spinach chips and a dollop of a spicy, creamy vegetable dip.
Spotting a small bundle of cauliflower, the bunny placed a few floweretts on her plate. She dipped one of them in the sauce and took a bite before turning to step away from the table.
A tall, female ibex brushed against the rabbit, nearly knocking the plate from her paws. "Excuse me," the rabbit cried, trying to juggle with her food. Without saying a word, the goat glanced back at her coldly.
The rabbit thought she recognized the other mammal's features, but she could not quite place her name. "Do I know you," she asked politely. The goat simply stuck up her nose and bolted into the crowd. Placing the veggie plate back on the table, Judy took off after the disappearing ibex.
Passing through a small group of mourners, the rabbit again spotted the goat again before she dashed behind one of the large, sculpted hedges. Judy lept into full speed to continue the pursuit, but when she reached the next clearing the taller mammal was nowhere to be seen. Her nose twitched and she raised her ears trying to pick up the trail of the fleeing goat, but what she heard was far from pleasant.
"That filthy inter, she was such a little slut," said a snobbish female voice from the other side of the hedge.
Another softer voice replied with almost a whisper, "And I heard that he tortured and raped her multiple times before devouring her heart."
"Disgusting," the first voice continued. "How could anyone stand to be around such a repulsive pred, let alone let one touch them."
"Or kiss them." The rabbit's radar-like ears picked up the sound of a shiver from the first mammal at the other one's comment.
Following the hedge, she turned a corner and spotted the two speakers. The first voice came from an elder sheep wearing a dark dress that was no less than ten years out of fashion. She had a wide brimmed hat with a long, black veil that barely hid any of her features. The other was a slightly shorter and very skinny, lowlands goat, who appeared to be at least a decade younger than her companion. This goat also wore an out of fashion black dress and a neat little black cap, but unlike the sheep, her muzzle was not covered with a dark veil.
Both covered their hooves with tight black gloves and their skirts barely covered glossy black shoes. They each had tasteful rings in their ears, but the older sheep also had an ornate necklace of beads that ended in a golden pendant. The pendant was shaped like a ram's skull, complete with a hollow nose and vacant eyes. A similar emblem was pinned to the goat's chest in cheap brass.
The two rich mammals continued their rude discussion of the deceased as the rabbit officer approached. She marched directly up to the pair with her fists clenched and her ears facing forward. "How dare you say such horrible things about a mammal who just died!" the rabbit confronted the two old maids angrily. "She has every right to choose whomever she wishes to love, and you have no right to spread such horrid lies about them."
Neither bovidae paid the lagomorph any mind as she stomped up and began to chastise them. Only once her angry words had drifted away in the sweet summer breeze did the elder sheep look down at her with an evil, grandmotherly grin, "Aww, look at the cute little bunny playing dress-up."
Leaning slightly towards her companion, the goat covered her muzzle to whisper into the sheep's ears, but her voice was anything but quiet, "I've never even liked bunny scout cookies."
Glaring up at the larger mammals, with her ears firmly pressed against the back of her head, Judy ignored the insults and pointed a claw at them, "What rights do you have to decide who a mammal is allowed to love, or spend their lives with? We live in a free city and should be allowed to make up our own minds, regardless of your small minded opinions. Love should also be free to express itself in whatever form it chooses."
Completely ignoring the rabbit's tirade, the wealthy sheep continued to speak with her companion, "Children should learn to play in the designated areas and stay out of the adult's conversations."
Sipping from a dark glass of wine, the goat nodded in agreement and never once looked at the small police officer, "I am sure I saw a playground set up on the other side of the building."
Frustrated with the snobbish insults, Judy growled under her breath and stormed off. Before she had stepped around the well groomed hedge she once again heard the sheep's posh voice, "I can't believe her parents let her act like that." The sheep scoffed, "What is this world coming to, she even smells like a predator?"
"Truly disgusting," the small goat added.
Back in the main clearing, near the cake and candies table, Nick was speaking to a white hare in a dark tuxedo. Their current conversation was regarding gun laws in the city versus the laws in the hare's home city. It seems that even police were not allowed to carry or train with firearms where he was from.
Nick was explaining the benefits of non-lethal weapons used by the ZPD when a small grey paw grabbed his arm and turned him around. In the blink of an eye he was staring up into a pair of angry purple pools surrounded by irate grey fur.
Judy's emotions had overwhelmed her as she marched through the church garden in search of her partner. When she found him near one of the snack tables she knew what she had to do. She grabbed his arm, turned him around and forcefully bent him over to look into his bright green eyes.
Leaning over the fox their muzzles nearly touched, but when the other rabbit coughed, Judy's sensibilities regained control. Suddenly she realized they were still in public and lifted the fox to an upright position. To cover her embarrassment she grabbed his tie and slightly tightened it, "Umm, your tie was coming loose."
Shock and surprise still covering his muzzle, the fox slowly recovered, "Ah, thanks." He wiped his paws down the tie attempting to smooth it out.
"You're such a slob, you know that?" After regaining control of her emotions again, the uniformed rabbit let out an internal sigh of relief, she didn't want their first kiss to be in anger. She still did want to kiss him, very much, but she wanted it to be something much more meaningful, like after a quiet romantic date.
A plan quickly formed in her mind and she grabbed the fox's arm again, "Nick, can I speak to you in private for a moment."
"Sure thing, Carrots. What's on your mind?" He thanked the suited rabbit and followed Judy through the crowd of larger mammals to a more secluded section of the garden.
"Nick? Do you remember how you promised to show me around the town?" the grey rabbit asked with a twitch in her nose and a glint in her eye.
"I remember we were talking about the best views in the city."
"Right," she practically beamed at him. "And you said you would take me to a very fancy restaurant."
"That was never a promise, Fluff," the fox said slyly.
Folding her arms across her chest she gave the taller, red mammal a look that stated quite clearly that she would not accept any nonsense from him today. "Nick..."
"All right, Cottontail," he said with a wink and looked down at the fluffy white scut peeking out behind her. "If you want to go somewhere really fancy, you will have to wait till I can arrange for some reservations. All the best places take months to get into."
The rabbit's foot began to thump loudly on the grass, "I know you better than that,Slick"
Sighing, he gave into his bunny's demands, "Ok, I will see what I can do."
Her expression instantly went from a scowl to a bright, warm smile, and she leapt into his arms for a strong, tight hug. After the hug she walked back to the center of the garden swishing her tail. She looked back at him and added with a wink, "Those reservations had better be soon, Fox."
[A/N] This chapter was very difficult to write. It was a last minute addition to the story to help break things up and give better context to what happens next. I also felt that, even though the case isn't completely solved, the murder still needed to have a bit of closer while I focus on Nick and Judy's relationship for a few chapters
The other reason this was so hard to write is that this week, work has left me drained, and actually fairly angry. Even as I was working on the last couple of drafts this weekend, my day job kept interrupting with ever more ridiculous requests. It's been extremely difficult to wright a fluffy romantic scene while your angry.
I am really forcing my self to push through all the BS going on with work and finish this story. And for everyone who has been asking, that is the real reason I was never able to finish last year, or three years ago when I first started this project. Work can be such a bastard at time. I guess I should be glad that I still have a paying job, even with all the places that are still shut down here. With all the distractions it makes it really hard to write any quality fluff. :P
Let me know what you thing of this chapter. I wasn't sure how much detail I wanted to put into the funeral services. Last summer I attended a funeral for a co-worker who passed a way too soon, but I didn't want to base the scene entirely from that experience, but it is what I had in mind as I wrote it. Also I am not sure what religion best fits into the Zootopia world so I left things a bit vague. I have seen other authors create various believes for their characters, but I feel like I didn't want that kind of detail in this story. One of my favorite regions that I have read from Zootopian fan-authors is the one written by VariableMammal in the story called The Celestialss. It is a well thought out pantheon with some very colorful deities, and the one I would most likely choose to use for the mammals if Zootopia.
So now on to the comments:
GhostWolf88 - I really enjoyed reading about Judy as a Race Car Driver. It fits her base character and makes for a perfect alternate career choice for her.
Mikey2084 - This is my third interrogation for this story and I feel like they really come naturally for me. I actually enjoy writing them.
NPW - Thanks, I am glad that you are enjoying the story. Personally I prefer reading Zootopia stories with alot of flirty banter so I just could not write one of my own with out tons of it.
imjustlikehumphery - I am surprised by the amount of detail you're putting into your comments, it makes me wonder if your writing a book report ;)
Guest - I would love to hear some of your theories. With all the depth and layers I have put into the mysteries in this story I had hoped that the comments could evolve into a debate about what's going on. Then again if I was ready about everyone's theories I might be tempted to throw in a twist or two and I feel that would't be fair.