A/N: With a month having passed since Judy began her school talks and press conferences, she makes a visit to a friend for tea…and for some advice.

Thanks to Declanflannery, BeecroftA, MapleHoneySyrup, Wolfx1120, aomagrat, Robert Escher, Minion Master 1, Crouto, Bloodfox22, imjustlikehumphery, J Shute, Guest, side-fish, RassyEyefur, Medic 27, BoltDMC, InTheLionsDenOnDA, Mezix, Tony Moonstone, Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps, Mikey2084, Sapperjoe85, D Fox, and Fanficteller for reviewing!

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

Chapter 19: It Might be You

Judy took a moment to look around the room. The living room wasn't all that large, but it was beautifully and caringly furnished from top to bottom. Her eyes were drawn to the many picture frames sitting on the coffee table, the photos within each frame telling their own story. The room was filled with different plants, mostly sitting in the balcony, though a lot of them seemed to creep into the living room. Judy was able to recognise most of them, but there were some that she wasn't too sure about. She reached out and gently stroked the petals of what seemed to be a yellow orchid flower.

"Would you prefer tea or coffee, Judy?" a voice called out from the kitchen.

"Oh, tea would be good, thanks!" Judy spun, letting the flower go. She walked over to the dining table, which was made of a rich mahogany, with a floral-patterned tablecloth laid over it.

Just in case the flowery theme wasn't obvious enough, probably. Judy mused to herself.

There was a single vase on this table, with a bunch of white daisies sitting in it. Wrapped around the stems of the flowers was a small card. Judy bent forward to read it.

"To Emmitt and the Otterton family, from the Tanakos. Glad to hear you're out of the hospital. Hope you make a full recovery soon!"

She pulled a chair up, musing to herself inwardly that it was about the right size for her for once. Ever since coming to Zootopia, she had become used to interacting with daily items that were far larger than she was, but it was always nice to be in a house that made her feel like a normal bunny.

A couple of minutes later, a small otter dressed in a simple green dress came walking out of the kitchen, holding two mugs in her paws. She set them down on the table gently, before taking a seat next to Judy.

"I hope you like it. It's herbal tea. Some of my extended family gave me a few boxes when they came to Zootopia to visit a few months back. I find it helps a lot with stress."

Judy sniffed the tea. It was rather light, not steeped too deeply. It had a rather earthy, fresh smell, which did seem to relax Judy some, though she wasn't sure if it was just because she had just been told so. She raised the mug and took a sip. The warm liquid flowed down her throat, spreading a comfortable warmth through her body.

"It's lovely, Olivia. Thanks for inviting me over for tea." Judy smiled.

"Not at all. I did offer it back at the hospital when you came to visit me and Emmitt; I was hoping you would have taken up the offer sooner, to be honest. It's been almost two months."

"Oh, I didn't want to disturb you while Emmitt was still recovering."

"Recovering?" Olivia giggled. "You wouldn't have thought he was hospitalised at all with the way he's been since being discharged. He was already back in the flower shop a day after leaving the hospital. After worrying about us, the immediate next thing he asked about was his flowers. He does love his flowers."

"That would explain the living room, the balcony, and…the whole house, really." Judy chuckled. "Speaking of that, where are Emmitt and the kids, anyway?"

"He took them both to soccer practice today. I think you could do without the two of them terrorising you for an afternoon." Olivia grinned, before taking a sip of her tea.

"I'm sure they're not that bad…" Judy replied.

"Maybe, but they'd probably ask you a whole lot of questions. And I think you probably get enough of that at work. Visiting schools and making speeches, wasn't it? You must have had a busy last couple of months."

"The school visits? Heh, they've been…interesting, to say to the least." Judy thought back for a moment. She couldn't believe it had already been close to two months since she'd made her first speech at a school. Which meant that it had also been close to two months since Nick had joined the academy. It had been a while, but everything seemed to be working out…so far.

"You were at Rosewood Elementary yesterday, weren't you?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, I was. But how did you…?"

The otter smiled. "My kids told me about you. They didn't get a chance to meet you, though. Apparently you're very popular."

It took a second for it to click, but when it did, Judy's ears sprang upwards.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Olivia! I didn't know your kids were…"

"Oh Judy, there's no need for that. Besides, you're always free to come over and see them whenever you want to. Though I must say that I did warn you…" she winked.

Judy rubbed her neck.

"Well, my throat has been a little dry lately. The kids really love to pile the questions on if the teachers don't stop them. And they're not easy questions, either."

"Like whether you have a boyfriend?"

Judy stared for a moment.

"Oh no, not you too…they asked me that yesterday as well. Why is everyone asking that question?" Judy groaned, making a show of putting her head into her paws.

Olivia giggled. "Kids will be kids, especially around that age. I'm sure my boys would ask you that for sure. Mostly just to see your reaction."

"Well thankfully, I've already come to expect it after being asked…eleven, no, fourteen times now." Judy deadpanned. "Maybe I'll just offer to play soccer with them, to keep them distracted…"

At that moment though, something clicked in her head.

"Oh, that's right! I almost forgot." Judy reached into her pocket, pulling out her wallet. She gently lifted out a worn and crumpled photograph. In the picture was a smiling Emmitt and Olivia with their two sons, who were wearing their jerseys and carrying a soccer ball.

"What's…oh!" Olivia gasped softly once she saw what it was.

"I thought now would be a good time to return it. Sorry it's a little crumpled. It kinda got wet when I fell off a waterfall." Judy replied rather sheepishly. She decided not to add that falling off said waterfall was after being flushed down a toilet at Cliffside. The photo of Olivia and her family was still in fairly good shape, considering what it had been through. She had wanted to return it after Emmitt had been found during her investigation into the missing mammals case, but considering his condition back then, it didn't exactly feel appropriate at the time.

Now that he was fully recovered and out of the hospital, it definitely seemed like the right time to do so. Looking at it again brought back memories of the very first time they'd met in Chief Bogo's office.

That was where it all started, in fact.

Olivia took the photograph in her paws, gazing lovingly at it. For a while, her eyes seemed miles away. But soon after, she looked back up.

"That's so sweet of you, Judy. You didn't have to go through the trouble to bring it all the way back."

"It was nothing, really." Judy looked at the picture once more. "Talking about soccer reminded me of this. It's a wonderful picture; there's a lot of love in there."

"Yes, this is one of our family's favourite pictures. I'd say the only thing that would've made the photo better is if it were taken in the middle of the tulip fields in the botanic gardens."

"I'm sure." Judy smiled. "Are you a fan of flowers too, Olivia?"

The otter gazed around the room, taking in the sight of the assortment of bright, vivid greenery.

"I am. In fact, that was how me and Emmitt first met."

"Really?" Judy's eyes widened slightly.

"Mm-hm. We first met at a weekend market in Sahara square. I was just browsing around, sampling some of the spicy lentils they had on sale. That's when he bumped into me—literally."

"Ooh, I want to know more! Could you tell me more? I'm curious to know now." Judy leaned forward in her chair.

"Haha, of course! So, after he accidentally knocked me over, he got all flustered and started apologising over and over. And suddenly, he offered a single flower from a bouquet he was holding in his arms. It was surprising, to say the least."

"So…it was love at first sight?" Judy asked coyly.

"Oh, heavens no! That is such a fairy-tale notion. I didn't fall in love with Emmitt immediately. In fact, I was mostly just confused at first, to be honest. After handing me the flower, he hurried off in a rather embarrassed manner before I could say anything else. I brought the flower home and kept it for a while, just for fun. Then, a couple of weeks later, I met him again at the same market. Turns out that he liked going there to see the different varieties of desert flowers—which are beautiful, by the way. I personally just went there to see the different spices and vegetables they have on sale there."

"Did Emmitt remember you?"

"He did. When we made eye contact, I went over to say hello. I tried to talk to him, but he didn't say all that much. It was pretty awkward between us at first; he was quite the shy otter back then." Olivia giggled at the memory.

Judy did a double-take.

Emmitt Otterton? Shy and awkward?

Granted, she didn't know too much about him, but considering he was the florist for a mafia boss, and that he did yoga at a nudist club, she certainly didn't expect to hear the word 'shy' being used to describe him. She wasn't too sure if Olivia actually knew about those two bits of information, so she decided to keep them to herself for now.

"So that's how it started?" Judy replied.

"Yes. It started with simple conversation. We would meet at the weekend market to see what was on sale; we would have lunch together; he would show me the flowers, and I would show him the vegetables and herbs. And soon, our interests grew on each other. There's nothing more entrancing than seeing someone talk about their passions. You could listen to them go on for hours."

"How did it become official then? Did he ask you out on a date?"

Olivia's eyes travelled over at the many photo frames on the living room wall.

"By that time, I knew what kind of otter he was. I knew he wasn't the kind to step forward easily. So instead of waiting an eternity, I asked him out. In fact, I was the one who proposed to him after a few years together."

"You mean…?" Judy's eyes followed Olivia's, over to the wall of pictures. There were quite a few that appeared to be taken at a marketplace, showing a younger Emmitt and Olivia. Judy imagined Olivia kneeling on the ground and holding the ring up in proposal instead. What a different image that was.

"Yes." Olivia beamed. "A lot of people believe in 'norms' that relationships are supposed to have. But if you ask me, I think that people should just do what they feel works."

"What works, huh…?" Judy trailed off. Hearing those last couple of sentences seemed to kindle something inside her. A little feeling that had been nagging her for a while now.

"Hmm…" Olivia tilted her head slightly, a smirk growing on her face. Judy felt her heart skip a beat; this situation was starting to seem oddly familiar for some reason.

"What is it, Olivia?"

"You seem particularly interested in this topic. Is there something about your own love life that you would be interested in discussing?"

"That's…I mean…" Judy did a double take, glancing upwards. "…You scare me sometimes, Olivia. It's not my ears again, is it?"

"Hee hee…no, not this time. It's your eyes. They seemed to twinkle when I was talking about how I met Emmitt. And you glanced over to your pocket when I mentioned about me asking Emmitt out. I wonder…could the reason you're interested in my story be that there's someone you're thinking of for yourself?"

Judy wondered for a second whether she literally had something written on her face. She scrambled to find some words to say, shaking her head as she did so.

"…Have you been reading 'The Adventures of The Great Mouse Detective' recently?"

"When Emmitt was in the hospital, I read every book I could find to keep myself distracted. So yes, it's elementary, my dear." Olivia tapped the side of her head with a triumphant grin. "Though I was just teasing—everything I said was pretty much just a guess."

"It was a pretty good guess then." Judy nodded. "To be honest, I haven't really thought all that much about it in my life so far. In bunny culture, finding a mate and settling down is more or less the norm. It's actually pretty hard to find a bunny who's single at my age…or rather, hasn't even started looking at all."

"You've never been on a date?" Olivia asked curiously.

"I have actually. Several times. Usually organised by my parents." Judy rolled her eyes. "That's probably why none of them ended up working out. My folks weren't exactly subtle about trying to get me to settle down instead of doing something silly, like trying to become a police officer."

"Did you ever feel resentful because of it? About relationships, I mean."

"I'm…no, I don't think so. Sure, I did have my attractions growing up; I'm still a bunny, after all. But at the time, I just didn't want distractions to stop me from achieving my dream. But I guess, thinking about it now, maybe I did close myself to the idea of it all."

"And how about now? From the sound of it, I'd say that you have something, or someone in mind."

"I…do. Kind of. It's all the kids' fault, really. I guess when people keep asking, someone has to come to mind sooner or later, right?"

"And is there a problem with that? The way you're saying it, it sounds like there's something wrong with it."

"Ahh…well…it's, I mean it's not…" Judy stammered. The hemming and hawing was uncharacteristic of her, but then again, this wasn't exactly a subject she was familiar with. She exhaled deeply, looking down at her reflection in her mug of tea. After taking a moment to collect herself, she looked back up.

"…Would you have dated anyone who wasn't an otter?"

She was hesitant to maintain eye contact, fully expecting an awkward silence to have followed. But strangely, the silence only lasted a second and a half.

"Ahh, is this what it's about?"

Judy blinked, surprised. Olivia's response was completely measured; she didn't even seem fazed by the question at all. She just took another sip of her tea, seeming to think about it for a moment, before looking back at Judy with a warm, reassuring smile.

"It's a little hard to say, I would think. Everyone's circumstances are different. But if it were still the same Emmitt on the inside, then of course, I would have dated—and married—him again, all the same. So, who's the lucky fella? Does he know yet?"

"No…he doesn't. We've known each other for a while, but I've never hinted, or even joked about it. I'm not sure how he would react, or what he would think about it. I don't even know whether I should be acting on this at all, really. What…do you think?"

Another thoughtful pause.

"Well if you ask me, love is love, and it transcends all boundaries," Olivia replied. "I don't think it matters that he isn't a bunny. You mentioned that you've known each other for a while, right? I'd say there's a fair chance that he's had these kinds of thoughts himself. But you'll never know how he feels until you ask him for yourself."

That's true…but would he actually feel the same way? Judy thought silently to herself. For a moment, she dared to let her mind wander, to even entertain the thought. Multiple snippets of memories raced through her mind, of the little reactions she thought she'd noticed, but hadn't tried to read too deep into.

Maybe, just maybe…

"Who knows?" Olivia continued. "Maybe he's the one you've been waiting for all of your life. When I first met Emmitt, I never thought I'd end up with him, but here we are now. That might be how it is for you too."

"I guess so…" Judy rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"As for whether you should act on your feelings, I'm not the one who can answer your question. You should be asking someone else."

Judy looked up, blinking.

"Who?"

Olivia reached out and gently took Judy's paw, lifting and pressing it against the bunny's chest, right over her heart. She held it there for a few seconds.

"Her. It's real, right? What you feel for him?" she asked softly.

Judy looked at the paw on her chest, which rose and fell in time with her breaths. It was cliché, and a little corny, but at that moment, she really did feel something.

A little flicker of hope.

"…yes, yes it is."

"Then I think you already have your answer." Olivia smiled.

Judy pulled her paw away now, gently lowering Olivia's paw back to her lap.

"Yes…I think I do. Thanks, Olivia."

"You know, I heard a saying once, that a few eventful days can grow relationships better than several normal years could," the otter said thoughtfully, picking her mug up and glancing inside. "More tea?"

"Ah, of course, that would be great." She paused, handing her mug over across the table. "What you just said…that's interesting, but why did you mention it now?"

"Oh, never mind me. Just rambling, you know." Olivia replied coyly, taking the mug from her. It was the kind of response that seemed like there was something more to it, but Judy wasn't completely sure.

As the otter headed back into the kitchen, Judy suddenly felt a vibration in her pocket. She quickly reached in and pulled her phone out to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hopps, it's Bogo." The gruff voice of her boss filled her ear.

"Yes Chief? Did something happen?"

"Not something that I need you to come in for. I understand you're off work today, so I'll make it quick. I'm calling to inform you about your assignment on Friday."

"Are you referring to the visit to City Hall? Kang already told me about it yesterday," Judy replied.

"There's been a change of plans. There have been some complications, so they're bringing the meeting and press conference forward to tomorrow. I need you to be at City Hall first thing in the morning at eight. I'll be there myself once I settle some things at the precinct."

"Understood, Chief. What about Friday?"

Bogo paused for a second, before clearing his throat.

"As it so happens, I received a call from the academy today."

Judy frowned for a moment. This was not something she'd expected to hear, especially on a phone call like this.

"The academy? What for?"

"As you know, the graduation ceremony is still months away, but the academy wants you to be the guest speaker of honour. They'd like to discuss details with you in person. The planning committee will be having a meeting this Friday morning, at eleven. With your schedule clearing up, I believe there shouldn't be any issue with that arrangement?"

Judy let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"No, that'll be fine, Chief."

"Good. Like I said, go straight to City Hall tomorrow morning, and you can go straight to the academy on Friday. No need to come into the bullpen. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Judy replied affirmatively.

There was a grunt of acknowledgement, and the call ended.

"Everything okay, Judy?" Olivia's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Ah yes, everything's fine. The Chief wants me to attend a meeting at the Police Academy this Friday. I'm thinking I could surprise Nick as well while I'm there."

"Oh, that's great news!" Olivia poked her head out from the kitchen, beaming widely. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you."

Right… Judy nodded with a smile. There was still a lot for her to think about, but that could wait for a bit, she supposed. If nothing else, it would be nice to just catch up with Nick. If he wasn't too busy complaining about the training.

Well, it's a Friday. I'm sure he'll be in a good mood.

"Ahh yes, it's Friday again."

"Nick, that's the fourth time you've said that today," Robbie said, rolling his eyes. "Friday's not going to disappear if you don't mention it, you know."

"You can't be too sure," Nick replied, tossing his food waste into a nearby trash can. "And besides, the dopamine hit I get every time I say it helps to make up for the barely edible food that they serve for lunch here. You should try it for yourself."

"Maybe next Friday…anyway, we should get going for our next class." Robbie stood up from his chair, grabbing his own tray off the table with both paws. The moment he lifted the tray off the table though, his grip faltered, and the tray fell clattering to the table.

"Ow ow ow…" the bunny groaned. He was clutching his left wrist, wincing as he did so, though he was trying—unsuccessfully—to hide it.

Nick immediately jogged over to his side, looking at Robbie's arm. It wasn't swollen or bleeding; in fact, it didn't look like there was anything wrong with it at all. But still…

"Alright, that's it—you're going to the medical centre to get that checked out." Nick shook his head. Robbie quickly turned to face him.

"Ahh, no no, it's fine, really. It only hurts when I do this." Robbie clenched and unclenched his left paw with a grin, though it was obviously forced. "I'll just apply some heat spray when we're back in the bunk. It's worked wonders so far.

"Muscle heat spray doesn't magically fix everything, you know," Nick said. "Take it from me, I know someone that ignored a 'small pain', and a couple of weeks later, she had to say goodbye to her dream of being a professional athlete."

"Look I won't overdo it with the arm, okay?"

"That's what you said yesterday, and today you fell from the vine climb, and decided that trying to grab the end of the vine with your bad arm was better than just falling safely into the mud. Need I say more?" Nick crossed his arms.

"…at least I managed to finish the entire obstacle course this time…" Robbie mumbled.

"And you never will again with your arm being the way it is. Now get going, Flatfoot. The doc doesn't have all day."

"I could just attend the training and watch quietly from the sidelines…" Robbie bargained.

Nick sighed.

"You're going to get your arm checked out, or I'm telling your sister."

Robbie froze.

"You wouldn't dare." His voice quivered.

"I'm not going to be responsible for ruining any chance you have at getting through the academy, much less your long-term health. I'd like to sleep peacefully at night, thank you very much. So do a fox a favour and don't do anything stupider than you already have."

Robbie fell silent, looking down at his arm.

"…Fine." He grumbled. "But you'd better run me through everything I miss."

"Relax, it's suspect apprehension. How hard could it possibly be?" Nick chuckled, grabbing Robbie's tray and helping him to empty it. Once that was done, the two of them headed out of the canteen. Nick nudged him towards the medical centre—which conveniently happened to be the building next door. As the brown bunny trudged away, muttering under his breath, Nick called out:

"If it makes you feel any better, I had the same conversation with Carrots when she injured her leg. I almost had to carry her home on my back."

Robbie glanced back for a moment, mumbling something that sounded like 'I guess it does…', before looking back ahead. Nick nodded triumphantly to himself, making an about turn and heading straight towards the training hall where the next training program was scheduled to take place.

Suspect apprehension, eh? Probably how to cuff someone, or how to throw someone to the ground. I wonder if Carrots ever actually managed to flip someone over…Nick mused to himself.

Stepping into the shade of the building, Nick quickly got in line with the rest of the recruits, who were beginning to fill into the hall. This particular hall was the largest one in the academy, usually used for ceremonies and large-scale briefings. At the moment, it seemed like the hall was deserted; it seemed no other unit was here. Nick took a quick glance upwards at the upper level of the hall, which was where most of the academy officers would normally sit and look down at the stage. The upper floor was deserted as well.

With the lack of people, the lights in the room weren't bothered to be turned on. Even though it was late in the morning, the entire place was pretty dimly lit, with sunlight only streaming in from several side doors along the hall. The recruits of Nick's unit were gathering around the centre of the hall, where a large crate sat right next to the officer in charge of this lesson.

The instructor in the middle of the room was a familiar face this time. So far, Nick had encountered five different instructors. This time however, it was the very first one he'd been introduced to: the polar bear, Major Friedkin.

A.K.A. Major Noise Pollution…Nick thought. He made a quick note to himself to give her a wide berth, in order to minimise any more damage to his ears.

When the last of the recruits were inside, Friedkin cleared her throat, beginning to pace around the inner circle of recruits.

"As you all know, with recent developments in Zootopia, our curriculum on close quarters combat training has to be constantly updated. Handling a suspect is a delicate, yet dangerous affair. One wrong move, and guess what? You're dead!"

Nick took a step behind a nearby rhino to avoid having to make eye contact with the polar bear. The dim light in the room was oddly soothing. He would definitely have considered taking an upright nap if it weren't for the grating voice that was echoing throughout the room. Said voice continued speaking:

"…during the Nighthowler incident, many officers were injured while trying to restrain mammals that were turned savage. This is not limited to larger mammals. Even a small mink or otter can cause terrible, terrible damage. We have to be prepared to apprehend such suspects. Which is why today, you lot are going to learn…"

Nick covered his mouth, stifling a yawn that was starting to build up.

"…how to muzzle and apprehend a suspect!"

The yawn caught in his throat, as Nick's body froze completely in place.

Oh no.