A/N: Alrighty. You guys made me do it, and here's another chapter for you all.
Before we get into this chapter, just a quick disclaimer: Kaitlyn the Hedgehog is created by me, as in I am Kaitlyn's original creator. If you guys want to use her in your stories, PLEASE PM ME FIRST. I own the rights to Kaitlyn, and Disney owns the rights to Zootopia and the rest of its characters. Are we clear now? Good.
So in this chapter, we dive into a little bit of Kaitlyn's backstory (basically before she became a cop). Hope you guys enjoy it, and don't worry... I have not forgotten about our favorite fox and bunny duo. Those of you waiting for the WildeHopps romantic and steamy parts, they will be coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get back to the story.
Chapter 3: A Fox, Bunny, and Smart Hedgehog... What Could Go Wrong?
5:00 AM - Snarlbucks Coffee Shop
"I can't believe Zootopia is in danger again..." Judy thought to herself as she sat at a table next to a window inside of a Snarlbucks. "We just stopped Dawn Bellwether from turning every predator savage, but now we have an even worse drug to deal with. Who would create such a hazardous serum that kills a species?"
"You okay, Judy?"
Startled, the bunny looked to her right and sighed when she saw Kaitlyn and Nick standing beside the panicked doe with concerned expressions on their faces. "Oh, yeah," Judy replied, doing her best to shake it off. "I'm just... peachy!"
Kaitlyn frowned and sat down in the chair beside Judy. "Are you sure, Hopps?" she asked. "It seems like this case has you tied up in knots."
"Yeah, no offense Carrots," said Nick, sitting down in the chair next to Kaitlyn. "But you look concerned. I'm starting to think this case has got you wound up."
"Alright, alright!" Judy exclaimed, slamming her paws down on the table, which startled her partners. "You're right. I am very disturbed by what happened to Gazelle, okay? You got me. Now... get me a coffee before I pass out!"
Nick just nodded in response and got up from his seat at the table, giving his beloved bunny what she needed.
"Good idea," said Kaitlyn, smiling gently at the panicked rabbit. "Coffee is definitely the answer."
"It helps me think," Judy muttered. "So... do you want coffee too?"
"Nah, I just had three cups of it this morning!" Kaitlyn chuckled and shook her head. "I'm always prepared," she said, giving the bunny a wink. "Besides... I'm a lot smarter than you think."
"You definitely are." Judy couldn't help but chuckle. The rabbit cop didn't want to admit it, but she seemed to really like her new partner, even though she was a tad smaller and a little bit hyper at times.
"So... I suggest that we start our leg of the case at six o'clock sharp," said Kaitlyn. "That way we can have a head start. But first... I think our leader needs a cup of coffee or two."
"Who said I was going to lead the team?" Judy asked, her eyes wide with confusion. "Aren't you leading us?"
"Well, technically... we're both leading the team. I'm just here to assist you and Wilde, while you both do the actual leading."
"Ah, gotcha." Judy nodded her head in understand and looked back at Nick, who was standing at the counter waiting for her coffee to be prepared. "Hey, Slick!" she called to him. "How much longer on the drink?"
"Not too long, Fluff!" the fox shouted in reply. "Just hang in there!"
"Oh, I'm fine, and he knows that," she muttered as she turned her attention back to Kaitlyn, who just laughed. "What's so funny?"
Kaitlyn shrugged. "You and Nick have great chemistry," she teased. "I smell a romance blooming!"
"Kaitlyn Gemma! Shut it!" Judy glared at the hedgehog, who just giggled and placed her paw over her mouth.
"Sorry, sorry!" Kaitlyn muttered. "Can't help myself when it comes to relationships."
Judy rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Kait," she said. "I'm not mad, but just so we're clear... yes. Nick and I are sorta together."
"Does he know that?"
"No, but I wanna tell him."
"Tell me what?" Nick asked, one eyebrow raised. The fox was standing behind Judy's chair with a pumpkin spice latte in his paw.
"Uh, nothing Nick," Judy replied, taking the coffee from her partner. "Just first day jitters."
"First day jitters? Usually I say that, Judy." Kaitlyn glanced over at the doe with a concerned look. "I think you need to drink that before you get worse," she said.
"What do you mean?" Judy asked, holding the lid of the cup to her lips.
"This case has put you in quite of a mood," Kaitlyn replied. "Coffee will do the trick. You just need to wake up a little bit and you'll be fine."
"Alright, if you say so." Judy took a sip of her latte and smiled at the sweet ginger taste of pumpkin and cream. "Mmm... you were right," she said, taking another sip. "You're so smart. I feel much better now."
Kaitlyn smiled and patted the doe on the back. "Now that's the Judy I know!" she said. "Man, I wish I could be like you."
"Not every animal can be like Officer Hopps, y'know," said Nick, sitting down in the empty seat at the table they sat at. "So... anyone know when and where we should start?"
"Nick, I think Kaitlyn already has a plan," Judy replied, smirking at the fox, who chuckled and turned his gaze towards the hedgehog.
"Yeah, I've got a plan," said Kaitlyn. "I suggest that we start at six o'clock sharp. All the other teams are scheduled to start thirty minutes later."
"And what time is it now?" Nick asked.
"It's only five o'clock," Judy replied. "We have an hour before we can begin."
"And that gives us plenty of time to get to know each other." Kaitlyn stood up from her seat and removed her backpack, placing it on the table in front of them. "So I don't think I told you two this," she began. "But my life before I became part of the ZPD was dark... and sad. Like very sad."
Nick and Judy turned their attention towards the hedgehog, interested in what she had to tell them.
"Mom! Mom!" a distressed voice called out from across the street. "Mom? Where are you?!"
Tundratown was under attack. Hundreds of animals, mostly prey, were held down and mauled by predators. Residents of Tundratown were told to stay indoors due to the incident, but Sapphire Gemma, Kaitlyn's mother, had to run out to get food; she couldn't let the family starve to death. Unfortunately, the purple hedgehog was pinned to the ground by a polar bear who showed no signs of mercy at all. Screams of pain escaped from the hedgehog's lips as the savage predator mauled her from head to toe.
"MOM!" Kaitlyn screamed, running over to her mother, but she was stopped by two police officers who held her back.
"I'm sorry, little girl," one of them said. "You need to stay back. We don't want you to get hurt."
"But that's my mom!" the little hedgehog wailed. "She needs help! She needs me!"
"Don't worry, it'll be okay," said the second cop. "We'll call an ambulance and they'll take her to the hospital to get the help she needs. Until then, you need to stay right here behind us so you don't end up being food to a predator."
Kaitlyn could do nothing but cry as she watched the savage polar bear be held down by another police officer, hoping that her mother would be okay.
"That's enough!" shouted the third cop as he put a muzzle on the polar bear.
"Is my mom okay?!" Kaitlyn asked the cop who subdued the predator.
"We don't know, sweetie," the cop replied with a sorrowful expression. "Your mother is severely injured, and she's one of the smallest animals in Tundratown, so we just don't know. But hang tight, the ambulance is on its way."
Tears fell down the hedgehog's cheeks as she heard sirens coming from down the street. "C-Can I at least be with her?" she asked.
Without a word, the cops nodded. "Take that savage away," one of them ordered.
"Yes, Officer McHorn," said the third cop as he led the polar bear away from the brutally injured hedgehog and into the backseat of the police car.
"Mom! Mom, are you okay?" Kaitlyn asked, immediately running towards her mother. "Mom, talk to me! MOM!"
The purple hedgehog looked up to see her daughter with tears streaming down her face. "Honey..." she said, her voice edged with pain and weakness. "You're... here."
"Of course I'm here, mommy," Kaitlyn sobbed, sitting down next to her mother. "You're gonna be okay. The ambulance is coming. You're gonna live."
"I... don't think... so." Sapphire gasped for air and began coughing, spitting out blood. "Kaitlyn..." she whispered. "You... have to... promise me..."
"Promise you what?" Kaitlyn sobbed. "Tell me anything, Mom! I'll do anything!"
Slowly, Sapphire raised a shaking paw up to her daughter's cheek. "Promise me..." she began. "That you'll... make me... proud... and that you'll... follow your... dream... to become... a police officer. I... believe in you. You can... do it. I love you... daughter."
"I... I love you too, Mom!" Kaitlyn cried, hugging her mother tight. Suddenly, her mother's eyes began to close, and her purple and bloody red paw fell from her daughter's face as she slipped away into darkness.
"NOOOOOOO!!!"
End of flashback
"...so that's what happened," said Kaitlyn, sitting back down in her seat. "Ever since my mother died that day, I kept my promise and decided to become a police officer. She always believed in me, no matter how hard it would be. I just wish she could've survived, and then she would still be here."
Nick and Judy both stared at the hedgehog in shock. They had no idea that Kaitlyn had such a dark backstory, and her backstory was even sadder than Nick's. The vulpine had tears welling up in his eyes after listening to Kaitlyn's past.
"Sweet cheese and crackers," Judy whispered. "That must've been hard. Losing a parent hurts like hell."
"And I thought my backstory was sad," said Nick, wiping away his tears with a napkin. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Kait."
Kaitlyn said nothing and allowed her tears to fall. After a brief moment of silence, she let out a sigh and wiped her tears away. "Eh, it's all in the past," she said, pretending that the wave of emotion never happened. "At least now you know more about me."
"So you're from Tundratown?" Judy asked.
"Mhm," Kaitlyn replied. "That's where my family lived. My mom, my dad, my brother, and... my sister."
"Why did you say that with a pause?" Nick asked, his eyebrow raised in confusion.
"My sister has been missing for a very long time." Kaitlyn sighed. "I really miss her," she said. "She disappeared after Dawn Bellwether was arrested, but she didn't just run away."
"What happened to her?"
"I think she was kidnapped and taken somewhere, but I don't know where she could be."
"That's horrible." Judy placed a comforting paw on her partner's shoulder. "But hey," she said with a reassuring smile. "We are going to crack this case, and we will stop whoever is killing our population and put them behind bars for good."
"But what about my sister?"
"We'll find her. Now then... you said you have a plan, right?"
"Of course I do." Kaitlyn opened her backpack and pulled out a laptop and tablet. "According to what these uses of technology tell us," she began. "We'll be able to get a good lead on this case. So our first market is- oh no."
"What?" Judy glanced at the laptop screen and stared in shock at what she and Kaitlyn saw. On the screen was a location marked "Zootopia Prison", and there was a picture of Dawn Bellwether above the checkpoint.
"Looks like we're going to Zootopia Prison," said Nick. "That crazed sheep better have answers for us."
A/N: Hey everyone, I apologize for the delay on this chapter; real life is messy, so I guess life got in the way of writing. Sorry about that!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. What did you think of Kaitlyn's backstory? Pretty sad, isn't it? Sorry to make you all cry; I wanted my OC to have a darker backstory than Nick's backstory because we all know that his backstory gives us all the feels.
Next chapter we will get right into the case with Nick, Judy, and Kaitlyn, and they'll be paying a certain crazed sheep we all know a visit at the Zootopia Prison. Hope you guys are ready for that!
-Ultra