Chapter 5: Respite
Zootopia…. Acorn Heights….Nick and Judy's Apartment.
The pair had arrived home exhausted and a few bruises from the accident already starting to feel sore. The stiffness from the fluid taking residence in the joints, attempting to cushion them. The biology of it would certainly go unnoticed but the practicality of it meant for stiff joints and an expected night of aches and pains. It was something that had both been semi used to, the occasional car chase or foot pursuit not to mention all the physical exertion of working with Bureau 13, one would wonder how Kaiden and Kit do it day in and out for years on end. But then Judy remembered that with their cybernetic parts, simple running and jumping were nothing compared to the feats they usually endured.
But that consolation seemed to be at the edge of her mind as Judy tried to peel off her vest, the stiffness of her shoulder, the same shoulder she dislocated as a child had proven to be especially painful. After placing the file folder she brought with her on the nearby table, she had Nick help her out of her police equipment, her duty belt and vest, placing the equipment in their place by the door. She reached under her shirt and lightly rubbed her shoulder, trying to relax the muscle and tendons. She gasped with gritted teeth at the pain of it, and softly walked over to the couch.
"You want me to get that ointment?" Nick asked, thumbing towards the bathroom though already knowing the answer.
"Mmhmm." came the throaty reply, and a soft nod.
Nick retrieved the lotion bottle and made his way back towards the couch. Judy had already unbuttoned her shirt and it was resting halfway down her back. Her head hanging slightly away from the sore shoulder waiting for the hopeful relief.
Nick sat down next to her and applied a glob of the lotion in his paws.
"It's going to feel cold." He warned.
"I know." She said weakly.
Nick delicately applied the lotion to her shoulder, as the cold icy sensation hit her skin, she gasped from the intensity of it. As Nick rubbed gently, he could feel the stiffness and heat from the overworked muscle, though Judy was complaining of a shoulder injury, from Nick's vantage it seemed the entire shoulder blade and muscle was stiff and rigid. As he used his thumbs and the tips of his fingers to work out the kinks, Judy let out an occasional sigh or moan of relief.
"You ok?" he asked.
"It hurts a little bit, but it still feels good." She replied, bending her neck to and fro.
"It's the old shoulder, isn't it?" he asked
"Yeah." she replied sucking air between her teeth.
"Are you ok?" she asked in return
"I'm good." He replied
"I mean do you ache anywhere?" she clarified.
Nick smiled and let out a small airy chuckle.
"I'm gonna let that one slide because you're hurting." He replied
Judy let out her own soft chuckle.
"You ass." She said with a small smile.
He smiled back at her.
"Just keep rubbing." She said.
"Yes, ma'am" he said playfully.
As the gel starting absorbing and feeling warm, the muscles started to relax, she made a low moan from her throat, she moved her shoulder against itself and it made a deep resounding pop. She cried out in pain as the fluid from inside left the joint, and then heaved a heavy sigh as the feeling of relief replaced the momentary shock of pain.
"Better?" asked Nick
"Yeah, much better." She replied.
She turned around and cuddled with him, putting her head against his chest, feeling his chin between her ears. Nick leaned back on the couch making himself into a living fox pillow for her, and just held her there.
That sat in silence for a while, just listening to the sounds of each other's breathing, picking up on almost subliminal sounds they otherwise would dismiss, such as the slight buzzing sound coming from the kitchen light, the deep hum of their air conditioner, the slight drip from the bathroom sink, the occasional rapping of someone's feet on the floor below them, or the resonating sound of a door closing somewhere.
"Ya know, I never realized how noisy this complex is." Judy commented with her cheek pressed into Nick's chest.
She tilted her head to see if Nick had a sly or humorous answer waiting, but met the vision of a sleeping fox, the soft huff of his exhales as they passed his nose.
'Must have been exhausted.' She thought to herself.
She reached up and lightly petted his cheek, his neck and his chin. She scooted up so she could nuzzle into his neck, giving him a soft kiss, before adjusting herself into a more comfortable position. It must have been Nick's warmth and fur or possibly the ointment, but very suddenly, she felt drowsy, and content, for a moment she felt a slight sting of guilt wondering if she deserved to feel relaxed meanwhile a case was afoot. But her tiredness won over, and in the final moments before the embrace of sleep, she didn't care.
Several Hours later.
Nick awoke and reached towards his chest expecting to feel a bunny sleeping on his chest. With eyes still closed he patted around looking for the ball of fluff. Upon realizing that she was missing, he shot up and looked around, the shock awaking him fully.
Judy peered from behind her laptop screen and saw the shocked fox sitting up on the couch.
"Are you OK?" she asked
The dazed fox turned his head in search of the voice, and finally turned towards the table. He huffed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, uh, never mind, it was just a dream." He smiled sheepishly.
"The same one?" she added.
"No, different." He replied
"Anyway, what are you working on?" Nick deflected changing the subject.
"I'm reviewing what we have so far. Whoever it is has a bone to pick with prey animals, and is targeting city officials, clearly a political motive."
"Yeah but what about the obsession with you?"
"I still think it's political."
"Why?"
"Well not to toot my own horn, but people see me as a kind of role model or something, I'm definitely a person of note being ZPD's first rabbit cop. So I'm thinking they are after me because of that, but it does have a taste of the personal, almost as if I offended someone."
"Look carrots, I know you got this Bellwether angle, but do you really think she would go so far as to do all of this just to get back at what you did to her cousin?" Nick asked.
"Moreover, let's say she was into the prey supremacist angle like Dawn was, why would she have the district attorney who is…er rather was very anti-pred, killed. If anything he would be a natural ally." Judy replied, still semi lost in her web of thought.
"Except he turned on Dawn." Nick replied
"So why wouldn't she just pick her bone with him, why drag you and the rest of the city into this?" Nick finished.
Judy tapped her chin with her finger, it certainly was a puzzle. Nick looked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at.
"Watching the video too?"
"Yeah, chief gave me a copy of everything." She commented.
"Can you see his face?"
"No, there never is a moment when the light shines on his face."
"It's too bad you can't just use the computer to brighten the image." He suggested.
Judy suddenly had a realization, to which she smiled, then the smile turned to a giddy chuckle, she turned to Nick and looked into his eyes, who looked back at her puzzled.
"You're a genius." She replied with a kiss on his nose.
"What'd I say?"
"I don't have the equipment or the know-how but I know someone who does."
Judy quickly gathered her laptop, DVDs and case file and went to quickly change into some civilian clothes.
"Come on, get out of that uniform." She demanded.
"We going somewhere?" Nick pointed.
"Yeah."
"Carrots, it's like two in the morning."
"I know, he should just be getting off work."
"Who?" Nick inquired with a puzzled expression.
Zootopia…Hyenahurst….An hour later
The pair had driven to Hyenahurst in Sahara Square, Judy had not let Nick in on the details but he gathered enough that they were going to see someone, a particular someone that she figured could help them with the case. Judy had gotten out and knocked several times on the door, ringing the doorbell, after a few minutes no answer.
"So who are we looking for carrots?" Nick asked almost annoyed
"A friend, someone who could help us." She answered.
"A friend eh? I thought you didn't know anyone in Zootopia other than me?" he joked.
"Well No er yes, I mean, I didn't meet him here, I knew him when I was younger." She explained.
Nick thought about it for a minute.
"It's not an ex…"
"Don't even finish, Wilde." She snapped.
Judy peered into the nearby window, it didn't seem anyone was home.
"Damn, he must not be here." She concluded.
They were alerted when the sound of nearby pawsteps came upon them.
"Can I help you?" asked the mammal addressing Nick.
"Yeah, my partner and I are looking for the person living here."
"Who wants to know?" the figure said with a quirked expression.
Judy came down the stairs and into the street light, the figure looked over at her and smiled.
"Judy? Judy Hopps?" he asked.
"Bobby? Or is it Robert now?" she replied.
"For you? Bobby, always." He answered with a smile.
"Oh my god, how are you?" he asked.
The figure stepped forward and crouched down to get a hug from Judy, the two seemed to know each other, the figure was a Cougar who towered over Judy, tan fur, cream muzzle, darker ear tips, and brown eyes and yet she seemed very comfortable around him. Though Nick hasn't had much experience with Judy's past, it seemed though introductions were in order.
"So?" as if begging the question
Judy finished the hug and stood between them articulating a paw as she introduced them.
"Nick, this is Bobby….Catmull, he was a friend of mine growing up in BunnyBurrow."
"And this is Nick Wilde, partner and boyfriend." She said with a smile.
The Fox and Cougar shook paws.
"Boyfriend you say? Judy….How progressive of you." He replied with a playful tone.
"Well…it took a while for me to get there, but…..I'm really happy."
"Well I'm glad. I never doubted you would get what you wanted Judy, I'm just glad you have someone to share it with." He commented.
I can only imagine how your folks took it. He finished.
Judy chuckled, and smiled nervously.
"Yeah…well anyway, we are working on a case."
"Case of what?"
"A case, a police case."
"Oh? OH!" Bobby going through the motions of realization
"So when you said partner you meant….OH!" he replied pointing at Nick
"Wait….is that allowed?" he remarked puzzled.
"Eh, it's grey area." She replied moving her paws up and down as if they were a scale.
Nick cleared his throat loudly.
"Ahem…The reason why we're here, carrots." Nick said annoyed trying to keep Judy on task.
"Oh…right. Well I remember you being really good with audio-video stuff, and there was something I wanted you to take a look at, that is, if you still do that sort of thing."
Bobby smiled softly.
"You do remember I handled all the stage work for all those high school theatre right?"
"Yeah, but I don't know what you do now."
Bobby chuckled to himself, Judy raised an eyebrow not getting the joke.
"Just come inside, you'll see what I mean."
The three went into Bobby Catmull's apartment, and the understanding became apparent. The large space while furnished had among the décor, several instruments each on their respective stands, a mixing board attached to nearby computers, microphones with stands, and a small handmade booth no larger than a closet with sound proofing on the inside. The place resembled more a recording studio more than a loft apartment.
"Wow." Remarked Judy.
"Yeah, I kind of kept running with it and made a career out of it." Bobby smiled.
"Impressive amount of equipment you have here." Commented Nick.
"Yeah, well I make enough with all the gig work that it keeps me comfortable."
Bobby directed them over to his computer.
"So what is it you want me to look at?"
Judy reached into the file folder and retrieved the DVDs and offered them to the cougar. Bobby took them and ripped them into the computer, putting his over ear headphones on, he watched and listened to the video, and suffers a few reactions as he went through them.
After getting through the last one, he pulls off his earphones and looks at Judy with concern.
"My god Judy."
"I know."
Bobby was visibly flustered, not sure how to react, a freaked out creep up his spine. He huffed a breath audibly through his nose, taking a deep breath.
"What can I do?"
"Is there a way you can mess with the video, I don't know make it brighter somehow, so that we can see the mammal's face?"
"You're talking about some serious computer enhancement, illuminating a face with light that may not have been picked up completely by the camera."
"Can you do it?"
"I don't know, I mean it would take some serious tricks with my equipment."
"Bobby!...Can you do it?"
They sat in locked gaze looking at each other for a moment, until Bobby blinked his eyes, snapping out of his thoughts.
"I'll….I'll do what I can. I can't promise anything." He replied sadly
"It's ok Bobby, whatever you can do, is already helpful."
"Ok."
The two exchanged numbers and gave each other a final hug, as her and Nick walked out.
"I want to thank you for your help Bobby, and please let me know the moment you get a hit."
"I will, I'll get started right away."
"You're a lifesaver."
"Anything for 'Judy on Duty.'" He joked and smiled.
"Judy on Duty?" smiled Nick.
"Oh no…BOBBY!" she whined.
"Sorry." The cougar smiled sheepishly.
Later…Acorn Flats…Nick and Judy's apartment…
The pair had been conversing in the car the whole way home, the conversation filled the hallway as they walked up to their door.
"How come you never told me you had friends in the city?" asked Nick happily as he opened the door for Judy.
"Well as a general rule I don't" she stated.
"Well you have one friend." He countered.
"Ok, so I know Bobby." She admitted.
"Who else from Bunnyburrow has come here?"
"Does it really matter?"
"Well, I suppose not. I mean, I guess I figured you left everything behind and came here without a friend in the world."
"I did."
"Well, I was just worried is all. I mean had I not come into your life, I figured you'd have been a lonely bun." He commented with a smile.
The pair sat down on the couch, continuing their conversation.
"I was lonely. I mean, sure I knew they were here, but at the time, I didn't think I could relate to them."
"I was so single minded into becoming a cop, I didn't focus on anything else. And even when I got it, it dawned on me very quickly that I had no one to turn to."
Judy leaned over and took Nick's paw.
"That's why I love everything we have together Nick. Because we have it….together."
"Carrots, I…."
Judy put a finger on his lips.
"Let me finish."
"I know you always say that I changed your life, but I want you to know how much you changed mine."
"I may have gotten you to see more of yourself, but you have shown me that there is more to life than just work, that it's something to be experienced not just lived in."
"I know that when I'm happy, you're there to be happy with me. I know that when I cry, you're there to cry with me. I've never had that kind of connection with anyone else, even my friends that I grew up with."
"So when I came to Zootopia, I really was alone. I didn't have anyone like I have you. I didn't even know that you COULD have someone like you."
"So when I say that you changed my life, and that you are the most important thing to me, I mean it. I don't want you to ever feel that it's a one way street."
Nick smiled down on Judy, not his usual sly smile but his loving, content smile. With that look in his eyes he only has for her.
"Carrots...Judy." he spoke, his voice starting to waver from the emotion.
Nick was rendered speechless, simply wrapping his arms around Judy as she buried her face into his chest and squeezed him, pushing him on his back.
A few minutes past and Nick looked down at Judy.
"Carrots?"
"Yeah?" she replied contently.
"I need to ask you something."
"Sure what is it?"
"It was something I noticed before and I didn't think anything of it, but it happened again and I gotta ask."
Judy looked up at Nick.
"What is it?"
"I noticed that when Bobby asked you how you parents took to the news of….us, you didn't exactly answer."
"So I'm just going to ask…..Do you parents know about us?"
Judy suddenly looked like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar and buried her face back in Nick's chest.
"Carrots?"
A muffled reply came from Nick's chest.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that." He replied
Judy craned her head up.
"Not exactly." She smiled nervously.
Nick was visibly surprised.
"Do they even know we are living together?"
Judy said nothing, just embarrassed.
"Well gee carrots, are you ever going to tell them?" he asked expectantly.
"Even….tually?" she replied sheepishly
"Are you ashamed of me?"
"Yes constantly, but that's not it." She replied deadpan.
Nick's ears lowered in frustration as to so obviously walked into that one.
"Judy, I'm serious…..Is it because I'm a…..fox?"
"No! I mean it's not me, I, eh, just don't know how my parents are going to react."
"They are very….conservative when it comes to change, it took a lot to convince them to let me go and chase my dreams of being a cop. And even now they still worry."
"When I tell them that not only am I in a relationship but that it's NOT a rabbit, I don't know what they will think."
"Aren't they in business with some childhood fox friend of yours?" he asked.
"Gideon Grey, and he wasn't a friend, he's a bully..er rather, WAS a bully, he's changed though. Point is, that's business. That's one thing." She explained.
"This is way different, I mean when they find out that a fox is um…..'with' their daughter…in that way. That this fox may be the future father of their grandchildren, that's something else entirely."
"Are you scared?" Nick asked plainly.
"I'm terrified actually." She admitted.
Nick's ears drooped, and tried to hide the sad expression on his face. Judy petted his cheek and tilted his head back so his eyes looked at her again.
"I'm scared because I want them to accept you, as you are, and I don't want them to force me into some kind of "It's us or them" kind of decision."
"They are the people that supported me my whole life, I love my family…."
"Ah, and between the two. I see….." Nick replied figuring he understood.
"No you don't….Listen to me."
"I love my family with all my heart, but if they forced me to choose, damn them if they did, but if they did, Nick, I would choose you."
"Judy." He replied, feeling touched by the sentiment.
"I know how that sounds, and maybe I'm over reacting, but I don't want to make that choice, because I know I would choose you even though that would mean they would disown me."
"They wouldn't do that? Would they?" Nick asked almost in disbelief.
"I don't know, I mean generally I don't think so, but this is one of those things that, maybe they could, if they reacted strongly enough to it. I've seen my parents overreact to things I thought they were minor before, nothing this serious."
"Judy, I think they're going to be angry because you're quite literally living a secret life. That you're in a relationship they don't know about, that you're living with me, cohabitating and engaging in….relationship things on a serious and regular basis." Nick explained.
"I know…I've really screwed this up and not handled it well…like at all." Judy admitted.
"I think we owe it to them to tell them." He advised, trying to be honest
"Besides, I've heard you talking to them, they seem like nice bunnies, and I think you're not giving them enough credit."
"You think?" she asked looking to him for support.
"Yeah, I think you're just scared and it's ok, I'm scared too." He admitted.
"What are you scared of?" she asked.
"I keep thinking, is this the day everything goes south. The day I finally say or do something that drives you away or even you drive me away. The day I just hate myself because my fears, my damage keeps me from being myself."
"I was broken down before you met me, miserable and lonely. That time with Sid, broke me even more. Let's face it, I've got baggage." Nick explained.
"We've got baggage" Judy corrected.
"Point taken." He replied.
"Do you remember what you said to me, about us being broken?" she inquired.
"Maybe." Nick tried to remember.
"You said, that 'Maybe we're supposed to take those broken pieces and glue them together, so we can be whole….together.'"
"I remember it was something like that." He concluded.
"Yeah, well, I believe it."
"So do I, I mean look at what we've already been through. Age old conspiracies, Drug rings, terrorists, hell we were even dead for a while." Nick said with a smile.
"Yeah, I guess when you put it like that."
"As long as we are together, we can face anything, even some possibly parochial rabbits, a theory which I do not ascribe by the way."
"I thought giving people the benefit of the doubt was my thing?" she asked.
"Well I thought being cynical about life was my thing." he replied rhetorically
"I guess we are rubbing off on each other."
"Mmm, I wouldn't mind that actually." Nick replied a bit suggestively.
"Come here you goof ball." She replied rolling her eyes and giving him a nuzzle.