A/N: While Judy makes an important visit, Nick tries to find out more about the mysterious rabbit who he's crossed paths with.

So…it turns out that having a job that requires 12-15 hours of work a day for one and a half years isn't particularly good for one's mental health. But the experience was enough for me to find a better opportunity elsewhere. Here's hoping for a better work-life balance moving forward. It's been a while, but I am happy to say I am still alive.

Thanks to BeecroftA, Combat Engineer, Jknight97, Minion Master 1, WolfofAvalon, upplet, WingedKatt, HighGSplat, Zojak, J Shute, side-fish, VickyT36, patrickharris98, Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps. Medic 27, , IIIFenrisIII, InTheLionsDenOnDA, Naoko Mint, RassyEyefur, Omnitrix 12, dulce, Guest, iliketurtles50000, Tony Moonstone, and Penelope Valentine for reviewing.

Also, a special thanks to BeecroftA for editing this chapter.

Chapter 15: Someone's Shadow

"It's so good to see you again, Judy."

"You too, Mrs Otterton." Judy replied, walking up to give the little otter a hug. "I'm sorry I never said goodbye after leaving Zootopia a few months ago."

"That's all right, I'm just grateful that you came all the way here to see me. I heard about you on the news, you know."

"Oh?" Judy broke the hug, taking a step back to give them some room.

"Mm-hm. About how Mayor Bellwether was arrested, and how the doctors were finally coming up with a cure. I almost couldn't believe it. Up to now, I'd come down every day to see Emmitt. Seeing him like this every single day, it was so…hard to…" she paused, rubbing her eyes a little.

"I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for you." Judy replied softly.

"It was. But everything's going to be alright now." The otter sniffled a little, before regaining her composure. "And it's all thanks to you."

"That's…I mean…" Judy felt a lump in her throat. "You really think so?"

"Of course I do! You're the brave bunny who took it upon yourself to find my Emmitt, and then you caught the mastermind behind it all to save the rest of the predators in Zootopia. We owe you a great deal."

Yeah, but do those other predators feel the same way? A voice whispered at the back of Judy's head.

"Oh, um, thanks." She managed, before glancing over to the hospital bed next to them, where an unconscious Emmitt Otterton was currently fast asleep. He seemed to be resting peacefully, at the very least. And the restraint straps were tucked under the bed instead of around him, which seemed to be a sign of confidence from the doctors that the cure was going to work.

"Did the doctors say when he would wake up?"

"They gave Emmitt the antidote this morning. He's been out ever since. They said they wouldn't know how long it would take before he wakes up…"

"I'm sure he'll wake up soon. How long have you been waiting here?"

"Since six this morning. I wanted to come in earlier, but the nurses wouldn't let me until the doctors were sure that he was safe."

"That's pretty early. And you've been here all this time? What about lunch?" Judy asked. The otter shook her head.

"I didn't want to leave and miss my Emmitt waking up. I've waited too long for this. Besides, I've got my book and my knitting, and the nurses brought me some snacks and fruits for me to eat. There's some more in that bowl over there, if you'd like."

"Oh, that's all right, Mrs Otterton." Judy held a hand up politely. "Thanks for the offer. I'll help myself later, maybe. Anyway, you better take a seat; you must be exhausted from waiting so long." She motioned to the orange chair beside the hospital bed.

"You're too kind. And please, call me Olivia. There's no need to be so formal around me, you're practically family at this point." She smiled, settling down onto the chair.

Judy nodded in response. But at that moment, she noticed that Olivia had an odd expression on her face. The otter was staring right at her.

"Is everything okay, Olivia?" Judy asked. She suddenly felt very conscious of her face.

"I should be asking you that, Judy. You look worried. Is something troubling you?"

Judy did a double-take. "What makes you think that?"

"It's in your eyes." Mrs Otterton replied, smiling gently. "Also, your ears."

It hadn't even occurred to Judy up to that point. The moment her drooping ears were mentioned, they immediately shot back up.

I really need to tie these things up…

"Ah, you got me. It's nothing, really. Just something on my mind."

"If it helps, you could share it with me." Olivia offered.

"Well…" Judy glanced down at the ground for a moment, letting her voice trail off. She looked back up slightly after a while. "Before I do that, can I ask you something?" she looked straight into Olivia's eyes, with an expression which said that she was completely serious. Olivia returned the look, nodding.

"How has it been for you and your kids over the past few months?"

The question seemed to catch Olivia off guard. She leaned forward in her chair.

"I don't think I understand, Judy. What do you mean?"

"I thought that things were okay in Zootopia once Bellwether was arrested, but I've still noticed a lot of tension between predators and prey. I see it in the city, in the ZPD…and my friend Nick too—he's the fox that was on TV with me. He told me that a lot of predators were having it hard with the accusations of going savage. Did you have that too?" Judy finished.

Olivia's brow furrowed a little. She was silent for a bit, before taking a deep breath.

"Yes, I did. When word spread that I was Emmitt Otterton's wife, a lot of things happened. Sure my friends were there to support me, but they were worried. I could see it in their eyes. And as the situation got worse, they stopped talking to me for a while, cancelling lunch dates, that sort of thing. It was even harder on the kids. Kids aren't subtle about what they think, so you can imagine what they went through in school."

Judy felt her heart sinking.

"I…see. I thought that might have been the case."

"Is that what concerns you, Judy? You don't need to worry about that. It's fine, really. It's normal for people to be scared, with how many predators were affected. And things have been getting better since Bellwether was arrested."

"I know. That's what Chief Bogo told me. And Nick. That's what everybody tells me. But the reason I asked was because, well, I was the one that did the press conference that basically labelled predators as savages. It's what caused Nick to hate me for a few months, until I went back to apologise. It was real stupid of me to even say something like that. He forgave me, but…"

"…You're worried that other predators haven't." Olivia finished.

Judy sighed.

"Yeah. It's been on my mind a lot lately. I'm not really close to many predators, to be honest. Even the other officers in the ZPD. We work together, but we're not close friends or anything. So I don't really know whether they feel the same way like you do. About me, I mean."

Olivia was silent for a moment.

"I won't speak for other predators, Judy. To be honest, I'm sure there are predators out there that won't be too thrilled to see you. But I don't think it's just towards you, though. It's towards prey. It'll heal in time, as all things do."

"The problem is that I don't think I have time. Chief Bogo put me in charge of public relations in the ZPD. They basically made me the poster bunny of the force to try and mend relations between predators and prey. If everybody hates me, how am I even supposed to do that?"

Olivia rubbed her chin, falling silent for a while.

"Well…I can say for sure that you'll never be able to convince everyone. That's just how life is. Even so, I believe there's a reason why Chief Bogo gave you this assignment. What do you think that is?"

Judy pursed her lips, hesitating. Olivia smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"If you ask me, I'd say It's because you're kind, Judy. That's why people look up to you and believe in you. People who think poorly of you just haven't met you in person. If they get to know you like I have, they'll see who you really are: a bunny who really tries her very best to help others. I'm sure Chief Bogo sees it in you. And from what I'm hearing, Nick too. I don't know what the story was between you and him, but I suspect he feels the same."

Olivia gave her shoulder a little squeeze.

"I believe that if you try like you always do, your feelings will be able to reach everyone. Like they did with me. And I can vouch for that."

The otter had a sincere smile at that very moment. Judy felt a warm strength flowing into her from the gentle touch. Slowly, she placed her hand on her shoulder, grasping the otter's hand in return.

"…I think I needed to hear that. Thank you, Olivia."

"Anytime, Judy."

"I'm sorry I put this on you like this. I should be the one comforting you right now, not the other way around."

"Don't say that. We all need to have some help in our lives. Or sometimes, just someone to talk to. I'm just glad I could help you in some way. It's the least I could do to repay you for what you've done for us. I'm sure Emmitt would feel the same…" Olivia's eyes drifted over to her unconscious husband at the mention of his name.

Judy gently squeezed Olivia's hand in hers.

"It won't be much longer. He'll be awake soon, I'm sure of it."

Olivia nodded, returning a sad smile. The room fell silent thereafter, with only the hum of the hospital lights above and the air conditioning. Olivia went back to reading her book, while Judy gazed out the window, at nothing in particular. She kept replaying the conversation with Olivia in her head.

I just have to keep trying. And maybe my feelings can get through to everyone.

And maybe, to Evie Wilde as well.

As it had been for the last few days, her mind drifted towards their imaginary meeting. She imagined herself standing at the doors of a small house, old and slightly worn. She imagined herself knocking on the door, and waiting until an older vixen answered it. Maybe Evie Wilde would recognise her; Judy wasn't sure how popular she was around Zootopia exactly. But surely Evie would have noticed that her son was on the news with the ZPD's only bunny officer. Maybe that would be enough for her to give Judy the chance to explain herself.

Without thinking, she found herself pacing back and forth by the entrance to the room.

But what if Evie isn't willing to speak with me?

If that was the case, then she could bring out the neckerchief. And the photo of Nick wearing the junior ranger scout uniform.

Maybe when Evie saw the neckerchief and the photo, Judy thought, it would be enough to remind her of her son. Of the little fox that she loved. And hopefully it would convince her that he still loved her, even after all these years. Judy's mind began to wander, and she couldn't help but let a smile cross her face at the thought of the two of them having an emotional reconciliation.

A sudden gasp stopped her train of thought. She turned immediately, just in time to see Olivia climb up the bed and embrace her husband.

"Emmitt! Oh…" Olivia was on the hospital bed, sharing a warm embrace with her husband. His eyes no longer had the crazed, feral look that she'd seen so many months back. Any other thoughts Judy had faded away. Olivia turned her head towards Judy, with a look that Judy could not have been happier to see.

"…Thank you." Olivia whispered, still holding Emmitt tightly. Judy nodded knowingly. Right now, there was only a warm happiness in her heart, and a steadily growing hope.

Olivia pulled away from Emmitt after a while longer, looking him over.

"Emmitt…are you feeling alright?" she asked, almost hesitantly. The male otter blinked slowly, looking at his wife, and then at Judy. He opened his mouth, but immediately closed it, swallowing some saliva.

"…Yes. I'm…okay." His voice was raspy and hoarse, like he'd been screaming for days on end.

Oh right. Judy thought. That was exactly what had happened when he…when all the predators went savage. She could never forget the hysterical, crazed screaming and frothing at the mouth. She hoped that she never had to see that ever again.

"The…Nighthowlers…" Emmitt suddenly looked more panicked now. "What happened to the…" his hand travelled up to the side of his neck, gripping it tightly.

"It's okay, Mr. Otterton. Everything has been settled with the Nighthowlers. They won't be affecting anyone anymore." Judy spoke up, taking a step closer.

"That's right, Emmitt. Everything's being fixed now. Just rest now." Olivia gently eased him back onto his pillow. Emmitt's heavy breathing slowed some.

"I…see. Ah, I'm sorry, who are you?" Emmitt coughed, looking at Judy.

"Judy Hopps. ZPD. I'm so happy to see you're okay, Mr. Otterton."

"Judy Hopps…?" Emmitt said, squinting his eyes a little. Olivia saw this, and immediately reached over to the side of the table, grabbing a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

"It's your spare. We couldn't find your other one after we…lost you." Olivia said, putting it on for him. Emmitt blinked a little, his eyes adjusting, before he looked back at Judy. Judy smiled at him. Emmitt returned the smile warmly.

"You're Zootopia's first bunny officer, aren't you? I remember reading about it in the news. That was a few days a…" his voice trailed off as his gaze fell on a desk calendar sitting on the bedside table. "Olivia, that calendar—is it…?"

Olivia nodded slowly. "Yes, it's been several months. Do you remember any of it?"

"No, I don't…the last thing I remember was riding towards Tundratown. It was along a dark forested road. I remember a sharp pain in my neck…" his hand reached up, rubbing it again.

"You were shot. By one of Bellwether's henchmen. They were going around targeting predators with concentrated Nighthowler serum bullets, to make predators go savage."

"Assistant Mayor Bellwether?" his eyes widened. "She was behind this?"

"Mayor, actually. And now ex-mayor." Olivia said, moving over to the side of the bed. "Thanks to Judy. She's the one that helped me find you, darling. She risked her life to find you and the other predators. She's Zootopia's hero."

"Is that so?" Emmitt smiled warmly, pushing himself further upright. "Then I must thank you from the bottom of my heart, Judy. We owe you everything."

Judy felt a little warm in her cheeks at the praise.

"It wasn't just me. A lot of it was Nick too."

Emmitt cocked his head slightly. Olivia chuckled, gently pushing Emmitt back onto the bed.

"Nick is Judy's fox friend. Just rest now, darling. I'll explain everything later. I'll go get the doctor and tell him you're awake."

"If that's the case, I'll probably head out first, Olivia. I'll let you have some time with your husband." Judy spoke up.

"Oh, of course. And Judy? If you ever want to talk about anything, you're welcome to come over to have tea with us anytime. Both you and Nick."

Judy nodded, smiling.

"Of course. I'm sure Nick would love it too."

"Speaking of Nick, where is he, anyway? Is he working?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Oh, he's actually at the police academy now." Judy couldn't help but feel a little welling of pride when she said that. "I asked him to join me as a cop, and he agreed."

"Is that so?" Olivia replied. "How is he finding the training?"

"Well…"

…I'm dying.

Nick sighed, trying his very hardest not to rest his head on his arms. Everything felt heavy. His eyes, his head, heck, even his ears. The monotone droning going on in front of the room was mostly to blame for that.

He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. It felt like it had been hours since he'd lifted his tail from the hard steel chair. He glanced over at the clock that hung on the wall next to the front door.

5.27 p.m.

Nick took a deep breath, before exhaling softly, making sure not to let it turn into a full-blown yawn. Apparently police instructors didn't like it when he yawned in the middle of a lecture. Who knew?

He felt a nudge at his side. He looked over in the corner of his eye, where a brown-furred rabbit was sitting.

"Hey Nick, you awake?" Robbie whispered, also without turning his head.

"Barely." Nick mumbled.

"Just don't fall asleep. You know what happened last time."

"Yes, my arms still remember. They're still sore…" Nick flexed his left arm. It turned out that sarcastic remarks about being forced to do pushups after being called out for a yawn only resulted in more pushups.

Once again, who knew?

"…so, remember to read up on chapters two and three. Next Monday will be the test on civilian communication. Next Thursday will be the test on police codes. Sixty percent to pass for both papers." The bison in front of the room cleared his throat.

There was an audible murmuring from the room.

"That is all. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." The room responded, louder this time.

"Good. You're all dismissed for dinner. Thirty minutes, then be back here sharp." He said, walking out of the room right after.

Nick perked up at the mention of dinner. He nudged the bunny next to him.

"C'mon, let's go. Quick."

The other mammals in the room seemed to have the same idea, because they were already scrambling out of their seats. Thankfully, Nick was a lot smaller than most of them, so it was easy to weave through their hulking forms. The soft padding of feet right behind him indicated Robbie was following close. Nick jogged down the stairs, maintaining a brisk pace up until they reached the cookhouse doors. Nick was feeling pretty good about beating the crowd, until the tail end of a queue came into view. He skidded to a stop, just beside a snaking line that ended right in front of him.

The good feeling wasn't quite there anymore.

Sighing, he got to the back of the line, just as Robbie came running through the doors, coming to a stop right next to him.

"Oh jeez…it's already full." The bunny panted slightly. "They must be from the other units."

"Yeah." Nick craned his neck, looking at the front of the queue. "And to make it worse, it looks terrible again."

"You mean the food?" Robbie asked.

"Technically everything about this place is terrible, really. But yes, the food is terrible too."

Robbie shook his head slightly. "It hasn't been a week yet, ya know. Don't you think it's a little early to be complaining?"

"Not at all, it is one of the things I do best." Nick replied without missing a beat. "And you know, you sounded like Judy for a moment there. You're definitely related."

That seemed to draw quite a big reaction from the bunny, as his ears shot up instantly, his eyes widening.

"I did? Wait, is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide." Nick chuckled. "You know…you seem pretty sensitive about the topic. If you're trying to be discreet about the fact that you're her little brother, you really need to hide it better."

They took a few steps forward as the line moved.

"Well…that's…" Robbie bit his lip. "It's…"

"Like I said before, you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to." Nick shrugged.

"…It's not that. It's just…kinda hard to explain." Robbie was silent for a moment. At this point, the line split into two, one for predators, and one for prey. As Robbie headed left, he looked over at Nick.

"I'll tell you about it later."

Nick didn't get a chance to reply before the bunny moved ahead in the line.

Huh. That was weird. Nick scratched his head. He dismissed it, craning his neck to get a better look at the vats of food on his side of the line. It looked like there were three items on the menu for predators today. Some brown goop in a watery sauce, some white goop that looked vaguely like mashed potatoes, and peas.

At least the peas look normal. Nick thought to himself. Robbie continued walking down his line, to where a pig was serving an assortment of vegetables.

The server for Nick's line was an older tiger, who barely seemed to acknowledge the recruits as they walked by with their empty plates. His movement was surprisingly fluid. Without even moving from his spot, he scooped a single dollop of food from each vat and plopped it onto the passing plates.

Nick was fast approaching the front of the line. He raised his plate as he got closer.

"Hi, I don't suppose you have anything e—"

He didn't even get time to finish, as the food landed on his plate with a loud squelch. Some of it splattered on the side of his paws.

"—dible."

Nick grimaced; he thought of trying to ask again, but many pairs of grumpy waiting eyes behind him convinced him otherwise.

The fox sighed, grabbing a fork and spoon from the tray beside the table, before heading towards the far end of the cookhouse, pausing only to grab a banana from the counter next to him. The sound of light footsteps behind him told him Robbie was right behind. The tables at the far end were reasonably smaller than the rest of the tables in the cookhouse. Probably for the smaller mammals, which were few and far between. A couple of hedgehogs, some beavers, and even a few mice were some of the mammals Nick could see. They were likely administrative staff.

Nick set his tray down on the table, flicking off some of the brown sauce that had splattered onto his arm.

"I'm starting to think I should have just gotten what you got. It looks better than whatever this stuff is." Nick groaned, as Robbie sat across him.

"You eat vegetarian food?" Robbie blinked in surprise.

"I prefer it, actually. But I can still appreciate fish, or a good bug burger. Not…whatever this stuff is." Nick prodded the brown mystery meat, giving it a quick sniff. "…I think I saw it move."

"Right…well, it's not like my food is much better. The vegetables are all stale. Look at these cabbages. They're all yellow and wilted." Robbie leaned closer, sniffing. "And they smell funky too, like they're halfway from turning into sauerkraut."

"Oh, is that complaining I hear? What happened to 'Isn't it too early to be complaining?'" Nick smirked, resting his elbow on the table and leaning his head on his hand. Robbie's ears shot up.

"I'm not complaining! I can still eat it; it's just…not fresh." He replied defensively.

"Of course. And I'm sure you'd know, coming from the fabled Hopps family farm. Love your blueberries, by the way." Nick glanced down at his plate, pushing everything other than the peas to the corner of his plate with his spoon.

"Hopps, huh…" Robbie mumbled, seeming lost in thought all of a sudden.

"What was that?"

"I was going to tell you about me and Judy, wasn't I?" Robbie looked up at him.

"Are you sure you want to do that? I said I wouldn't pry." Nick asked.

"I know, but you're already doing me a big favour. I think it's only right that you know."

"If you say so." Nick shrugged, trying his best to sound nonchalant about it. In truth, he was incredibly curious on what the bunny had to say. "So, what do you want to tell me?"

"Before that, I gotta ask: how much do you know about bunny life?"

"If you heard my answer, you'd probably have the same reaction as Judy. You sure you want to hear it?" Nick grinned, thinking of the puffed-up frowny face Judy inevitably would have had.

"No no, I get the idea." Robbie sighed. "Have you heard of this thing called Warren Syndrome, then?"

"Hmm, can't say I have. It's not contagious, is it?"

"No, it's not a disease." Robbie rolled his eyes, seeming to have expected that answer. "It's just something that a lot of rabbits go through as they grow up."

"What, like a mid-life crisis?" Nick joked.

"Actually, yeah. Look, I probably don't need to tell you this, because I'm quite sure someone like you has already made a ton of bunny breeding jokes…"

Nick gave him a thumbs up between chews. Robbie twirled his fork on his plate.

"…But having so many bunnies around gets really difficult sometimes."

"From what I've seen of bunny culture, it doesn't seem like you can get much peace and quiet. Or privacy." Nick added.

"Yeah, you don't. Not until you're older, anyway. It takes a while before we get our own rooms, and even those are kinda cramped. But that's not really the issue, we get used to small spaces. The problem is trying to find our place in the world."

"Finding your place?"

Robbie nodded. "Did you ever want to do something great when you were growing up? Something that would make people turn their heads at you and say 'Wow, that's really cool! I wanna be like him!'"

Nick stopped mid-chew, doing a double-take.

"I'm gonna be a Junior Ranger Scout! The first fox in the troupe!"

"…sort of, yeah." He mumbled, shovelling more peas in his mouth. "What about it?"

"Well, when there's so many of us, it's nearly impossible to do anything impressive. Whatever you think you're good at, there's a hundred thousand more that can do it better. You wanna try something new, there's a million stories of other rabbits trying and failing. After a while, you just go crazy wondering what the heck you're supposed to be doing with your life. It doesn't help that everybody else thinks that rabbits are only good at being carrot farmers. And multiplying."

"Ah ha ha…you don't say." A past conversation between Nick and a certain meter maid came to mind. "So what happens to bunnies that have this 'Warren Syndrome'?"

"Most of us get over it. We 'settle', as my mom and dad like to say. That's when you give up on all your hopes and dreams of being special and accept that you're just another rabbit out of the millions out there."

"And the rest who don't 'settle'?"

"I dunno. They try doing crazy things, like deciding to join a police academy, without actually thinking through how difficult it probably was going to be." Robbie replied flatly.

Nick paused, feeling a little smirk creeping up his face.

"Don't forget thinking that he could somehow go through the entire six months of training without any of his family noticing." He pointed out.

Robbie looked down at his food, seeming a little wistful.

"Heh, you're probably right about that. At least there's no one else here that knows me. And that you won't tell Judy. I've got that going for me at least."

"But why hide this from your folks?" Nick asked. "I mean, they already let one of their kids become a cop. I don't think they'd discourage you. I'd think they'd be supportive of it, in fact." Nick pointed out.

Robbie let out an amused chuckle, peeling the browned parts of his lettuce and tossing them to the side of his plate.

"Heh, I don't know if Judy told you, but our parents didn't really 'let' her become a cop. They tried everything to stop her, but she did it anyway because…well, she's Judy. And even after she did become a cop, there were still the other bunnies…"

Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Other bunnies?"

Robbie nodded, tossing what was left of the lettuce into his mouth before continuing.

"Yeah; Judy becoming a cop was a really big thing back in Bunnyburrow, especially after she arrested Mayor Lionheart. Everyone was talking about her. Enough so that after a while, a lot of other bunnies tried becoming cops themselves."

"They did?" Nick looked around the cookhouse. "I don't see any other buns here besides you."

"Yeah, that's because none of them made it. One by one, batch by batch, bunnies came back defeated. And after a while, they just stopped trying. Word gets around fast in Bunnyburrow, and peer pressure is really powerful when there's thousands of us."

"And in spite of that, you're still here."

Robbie nodded. "That's exactly why I didn't tell anyone. Especially not my family. If I did, I'm sure someone would have talked me out of me eventually. And the last thing I wanted was to have everyone around tell me 'I told you so'; I'd rather try and fail without anyone else knowing."

"Well, then why not tell her? Your folks may not approve, but I'm a hundred percent sure that she would. I'm sure she'd be oh-so-proud to have her little brother follow in her footsteps to become a cop."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I don't think I could look her in the eye if she helped me, and I still didn't make it through. Besides, she had to figure out everything on her own. She didn't have anyone she could rely on, or ask for advice, and she still managed to become the first ever bunny cop, all by herself." Robbie glanced downwards.

"Sounds to me like you're jealous of her," Nick said, smirking.

"What bunny wouldn't be? She's headstrong, talented, and she's also kind to boot. What's more, she became a cop because she wanted to 'make the world a better place'. Wanting to help people. I mean, I like helping people too, but compared to her, I mean…I'm just here to…" Robbie trailed off.

"…to impress your family?" Nick offered.

"Well, not exactly. I know it sounds like a stupid reason, but…I just want to prove to myself that I can be more than just 'another bunny' in the world, y'know? I thought this was a good way to go about it. But yeah, getting some recognition from my friends and family wouldn't hurt either…"

"Meh, you don't need it. Recognition from other people is overrated. Especially from family." Nick mumbled the last bit. He noticed Robbie's ears twitch slightly, as the bunny fell silent for a moment.

"…What about you, then? Why are you here, Nick?"

"Me?"

Robbie nodded. "I don't really know much about you, other than that you're Judy's friend, and that you worked with her on the Nighthowler case, and that my dad brought a fox taser when he and mom came to see you and Judy…"

"You know about that?"

"Yeah…" Robbie rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "That wasn't my idea, but sorry anyway."

"Nah, it's fine," Nick dismissed. He mused inwardly to himself how getting tased was what led to him moving into Judy's apartment. "Now let's see, my reason for being here? It's a pretty long story. Mostly involving your sister almost getting us killed a few times during the course of our investigation, and then crying her heart out into my chest and calling herself a dumb bunny. It was pretty difficult to say no after that."

A blank look was plastered all over on Robbie's face.

"Judy? Doing all that? I can't tell if you're serious…"

"Oh it's true. She also loves it when I call her 'Carrots'. It's her favourite nickname. You can ask her if you like—if you dare, of course." He winked. Robbie let out a humph in response.

"Very funny. Even if that was true, it feels like there's a lot you're leaving out of your story…"

Nick shrugged. "I'd love to sit around all day and tell you all the little embarrassing details of your sister, but I think we need to get back before they make us hug the ground." He motioned towards the clock. Sure enough, their thirty minutes was almost up. It was definitely way too short for a meal.

Not that there was much to eat, anyway, Nick thought.

"Right, we should go. I'll ask you about it next time." Robbie stood up from his seat. Nick followed suit, heading with Robbie over to the nearby trash cans to dump the uneaten food. After a quick detour to the sinks to wash their paws, they headed out of the cookhouse, maintaining a brisk pace while keeping a wide berth from the larger mammals who were also leaving.

"Y'know, I still can't believe that I had to run into you out of all the mammals in the world. I was sure that I wouldn't have to worry about seeing Judy here, and then you show up with her on the first day and almost blew my cover." Robbie spoke up, on the way back to the classroom.

"Aren't you lucky?" Nick chuckled. "Speaking of that, how are you actually expecting to get through the academy without anyone finding out? Everyone here is going to know your surname is Hopps. Like that loudmouth polar bear Friedkin, she knows Carrots pretty well. You don't think she won't find out eventually?"

"I used my middle name when I applied. And I've already told everyone that I just prefer to be called Robbie. The instructors know who I am, but they agreed not to make a big deal of it. They've seen plenty of bunnies in here the last few months anyway. For my family, I told them that I was going to attend a half-year exchange program in Zootopia. It's far enough away and big enough that nobody would really be looking for me there. And things are busy enough at home, so I don't think anyone would really miss me."

"Carrots lives in Zootopia, you know." Nick replied flatly. "What if she tries to find you?"

"She doesn't know that I'm in 'Zootopia' for an 'exchange program'." Robbie made air quotes with his paws. "And if she did…uh…I guess I'll tell her I'm busy?"

Nick shook his head, chuckling.

"You do know you're just asking for it at this point, right?"

"Like you're one to talk…" A voice in Nick's head echoed. Nick shook it away.

"Hey, she doesn't have a reason to visit me, or the academy. Well, she didn't, until you showed up."

"You're welcome." Nick beamed. "Look at it this way; since I'm here, I can help to 'keep an eye' on a certain bunny cop to make sure she doesn't find out your little secret."

"It's not like I have any other choice…" Robbie sighed. "I'm trusting you on this."

"That's settled then." Nick nodded. "Now, shall we talk about our dinner plans?"

"Dinner? But we just had it." Robbie replied, confused.

"And some dinner that was. I don't think I can get through the next couple of weeks on this stuff they call 'food'."

"…Maybe it'll be better tomorrow." Robbie offered.

"Yes, and maybe tomorrow pigs will fly. Rather than be disappointed, I was thinking of getting some real grub. Like burgers. And an ice-blended coffee. I desperately need something edible in my system."

"Burgers? Nick, you do know that they're not going to let us out for another week and a half, right?"

"Yup."

"And they already said they're not going to let us order anything in."

"Mm-hm."

"You're going to try to order something in, aren't you." Robbie deadpanned.

"Congrats, it only took you three tries to get it." Nick replied with a smirk. Robbie seemed to ignore the sarcastic remark, though, instead glancing around nervously.

"Aren't you worried about getting into trouble?"

"Ah, you see, Flatfoot, that's where the magic happens. You only get into trouble if you get caught. Relax, I've done things like this for years. Just follow my lead, and we'll both have some real food to eat. Whaddya say?"

Robbie raised an eyebrow.

"…Flatfoot?"

"Well, I have to give you a nickname eventually, it's mandatory in my playbook. Not catchy enough? How about Fuzzball? Long-ears? Cottontail? I could be unoriginal and just go with Brown Carrots."

Robbie looked like he wanted to protest, but stopped, placing a hand on his stomach and squeezing it a little. Nick could almost hear the rabbit's stomach growling.

"I don't know…It seems kinda wrong to be breaking rules in a police academy of all places."

"Rules?" Nick chortled. "Rules are there to be followed if they make sense. Things like 'don't punch a cop'. That makes sense. Most of the time, anyway. But this? C'mon, it's not like we're doing anything illegal. And we can't exactly go through the training if we aren't properly nourished."

Oh boy, if Carrots could hear me now.

Robbie was silent for a while. Finally, he spoke up.

"…What's your plan?"

Nick grinned.

"I already like you better than your sister."