Gently resting her head on the cool surface of her desk and blindly fumbling for the bottle of aspirin she kept in her drawer, Judy resolved to fully appreciate how unbelievably amazing the Gazelle concert had been...just as soon as the room stopped spinning.
"That was amazing!" Judy was still bouncing up and down as they left Unity Arena, dancing to music only she could hear.
"Wasn't it?!" Clawhauser squealed, paws pressed to his chubby cheek. "And what about that closing number! And the encore!"
"And those dancers..." Fangmeyer purred.
"Amazing!" The bunny cried happily. "All of it!"
Nick couldn't help but laugh as his partner practically ricocheted off a parked car. "Easy there, Carrots. Come back down to earth with the rest of us."
"Oh, don't be such a wet blanket! Let her enjoy the moment." Clawhouser laughed as he came up beside the fox. "How about you, Nick. Any plans for the rest of the night?"
Nick shrugged. "I was just gonna head home."
Judy spun around, staring at her partner in dismay. "What?! It's way too early to go home!"
"Well, a bunch of us are going to O'Hoggin's for a drink. You two want to come along?"
"We'd love t..." Judy trailed off. "Oh, I can't. The trains are going to stop running soon. I wouldn't be able to get home."
"Don't worry about that, Judy-bee. I don't really drink." Clawhauser waved his paw dismissively. "Come have fun. I'll drive you and Nick home afterward."
Nick missed a step, stumbling as Judy gave the cheetah an uncertain glance. "You mean drive each of us to our respective homes, right?"
"Of course that's what I meant." Clawhauser grinned. "Now, let's get going!"
Although Judy had heard other officers mention O'Hoggin's Bar, she'd never actually been there. It was apparently a regular haunt for the officers of Precinct One and - like any cop bar –probably the safest place in Savannah Central. Looking around, she found herself quite taken with the establishment's old-world décor. Most restaurants in the centre of Zootopia had a chic, modern look to them; lots of glass, marble and polished metal. It was very pretty, but it sometimes felt a little...impersonal.
O'Hoggin's, on the other hand, had a warm and bright atmosphere. The furniture was all wood and the taps at the bar were all polished brass. The wall behind the bartender was lined with dozens of different liquors in bottles of every size.
"I'll say one thing; this place definitely serves the good stuff."
Her attention was pulled back to the table, focusing on her partner as he closely examined the amber liquid in his glass. "Does it now?"
"Oh, yeah." He took another sip and licked his chops happily. "Here, tell me that doesn't smell fantastic."
Leaning over, she delicately sniffed the contents of her partner's glass. Something about it tickled at her memories as she detected sweet hints of apple and cherry, layered over an earthy carrot smell she was so familiar with. "Wait a second..."
She grabbed the glass from her partner's paw, ignoring his protests and taking a small sip. The taste that landed on her tongue only served to emphasize the flavors she'd picked up, underlined with just the faintest hint of vanilla. "Hopps Scotch!"
"Hopscotch?" Nick gave her an annoyed glare, snatching his drink back from her. "I'm pretty sure they only have darts and pool here, Carrots."
"No, not hopscotch." She gave him a gentle cuff on the arm. "Hopps Scotch, with a space in the middle. That's my brother's distillery!"
"No kidding?" Nick sniffed at his drink again. "That's surprisingly cool for a country bunny. Why haven't I met the only cool Hopps?"
"Har har." She rolled her eyes. "Hold my seat, I'm gonna give him a call."
Zig-zagging her way through the crowded bar, Judy made her way outside as she pulled up her brother's phone number. The call connected on the first ring. "Thank you for calling Hopps Scotch Distillery. For our hours of operation, please press one..."
"Adam! It's Judy!" She cried happily.
"To arrange a tour of our distillery, please press two..."
"Cut it out!" She laughed. "I know it's you!"
"If you're interested in serving Hopps Scotch products in your establishment, please press four..."
"You skipped three!"
"...if you're the owner's know-it-all cop sister, please press three."
Judy waited for him to continue, her foot tapping the ground impatiently. "I'm not pressing it, Adam."
"To hear the choices again, please hold the line."
"Come on!"
"Thank you for calling Hopps Scotch Distillery. For our ho...
"Fine!" She jabbed the keypad in annoyance.
"Oh, hey there Judes. What's new?"
"You're annoying?"
"I asked what was new."
She shook her head at her oldest brother's antics, reminding herself not to let him bait her. "Guess what?"
"That fox you're over the moon for finally asked you on a date?" She could practically hear the grin in his voice.
"What? No!" She hissed, glancing quickly over her shoulder to make sure the fox wasn't within earshot.
"You finally asked him on a date?"
"Adam!"
"Okay, I give up." He laughed.
"Cheese and crackers..." She rolled her eyes. "I'm calling because the bar I'm in carries Hopps Scotch! I can't believe you didn't tell me you were shipping to Zootopia!"
"It's a recent development." He replied offhandedly. "Just a couple of places around the city to test the market."
"That's great! I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks, Judes." He chuckled. "But I have to ask, what otherworldly force convinced my goody-two-paws baby sister to go bar-hopping?"
She gave an affronted gasp. "I am not a goody-two-paws!"
"Whatever you say, Ms. Hall Monitor of the Year."
"I was not!"
"Sure." He chuckled. "Say, what's the name of the place you're in?"
"O'Hoggin's."
"Alright, let me make a quick call. I'll get back to you." He assured her, sounding surprisingly sly for a bunny before he hung up.
Shaking her head as she walked back into the bar, Judy kept reminding herself not to let Adam get to her. He had a habit of putting ridiculous ideas in your head. The kind of ideas that would take root and drive a mammal crazy.
She and Nick were just friends!
So what if he'd come with her to Bunnyburrow four times?
What did it matter that they spent nearly all their time together?
The fact that they spoke on the phone every night when he was at the Academy didn't mean she was 'over the moon' for him!
She certainly didn't care about that his eyes sparkled a little when he was teasing her, and just because his fur was super soft and the exact color of a summer sunset back home did not mean she was attract...
"Hey, everyone!" Nick's voice shook her from her inner monologue. "I think Carrots used to be a moonshiner!"
"What?! Nick, I was not a moonshiner!" She leaped back up to her seat and punched his shoulder indignantly, turning to the others. "My brothers and I just...er..."
"Made moonshine?" Nick suggested, gesturing to his glass.
"We made other things too!" Judy slapped a paw over her mouth. "I mean..."
"So, Carrots." Her partner leaned in closely and she felt her ears grow warm. "How does an innocent country bunny end up in the illicit booze business?"
"I don't know." She pushed the fox away. "Lack of options, I guess? Bunnyburrow isn't exactly overflowing with entertainment."
"Well, I just don't know what to believe anymore."
"And we didn't sell it so we didn't break any laws!"
"Chill out, Hopps." Wolford laughed. "Nobody's gonna arrest you for making bathtub wine as a teenager."
Shooting her partner a dirty look, she sighed and turned to her fascinated co-workers. "Actually, we never made wine. Just hard liquors and a couple of dodgy attempts at beer."
"Like whiskey?"
"No, that took too long. Mostly gin and vodka." She smiled ruefully. "Vodka's pretty easy, actually."
Snarloff snorted disdainfully. "I think not. Distilling fine vodka is an art, Hopps."
"I never said anything about fine vodka, Karl. The term 'hooch' is probably more accurate." The bunny confessed, giggling at the polar bear's indignant expression. "And to be totally honest, our first attempts were mostly half-rotten corn mash. Things got a little more interesting later on, when we set up the still in the south barn."
"Wait a second," Nick interrupted, looking puzzled. "I've visited that farm enough times to know that the only thing to the south are the blueberry fields. There's no barn out there."
"You're half right." She laughed. "There's no barn out there anymore."
He blinked. "Oh."
"Been to visit the ol' farm a few times, eh Wilde?" Wolford teased. "Meeting the future in-laws?"
Nick bristled slightly as Judy tried to hide her smile. "Cut it out, Danny."
"Ooh... did I hit a nerve?"
"Keep it up and I'll start a howl the next time you almost ask Fangmeyer out."
The wolf sputtered, nearly dropping his beer as he furiously glanced around. "Dude! Shut up!"
As the other officers started poking fun at the embarrassed wolf about his 'secret' crush on the tigress, Judy's phone began to buzz. Excusing herself, she glanced down to see a photo of her smirking brother. "Hi, Adam!"
"Good news, baby Jude!"
She rolled her eyes at the childhood nickname. "What's that?"
"I arranged for the bar you're in to give away all their Hopps-Scotch inventory as a promotion." He revealed. "Who's your favorite brother?"
"Oh my goodness!" She yelled happily, drawing the attention of everyone at the table. "You are! You're the best! Thank you!"
"Don't worry about it. We renegade Hopps' need to stick together, right?"
"Thank you, Adam! Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. Oh, and bring the Red Menace with you next time you visit home. I've got a blueberry liqueur in the works that might just be enough to loosen you two up."
"Hanging up now!" Blushing, she tucked her phone away.
"That sounded interesting." Nick commented. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"
"That was my brother! He convinced O'Hoggin's to serve all the Hopps Scotch products for free!"
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah! Watch this!" She stood up on her chair to address the entire bar. "Attention everyone! Hopps Scotch drinks are on the house tonight!"
Rather than the uproar she'd expected, her announcement only seemed to produce a couple of laughs and a few strange looks; a mild sense of disappointment washed over her.
"No, Carrots. You're doing it all wrong." He didn't wait for her to respond before turning to Wolford and gesturing to his own shoulders. "Mind putting the Hopps on top, buddy?"
Laughing, the wolf picked the surprised bunny up and planted her on Nick's shoulders.
"What the...?!"
"Trust me, Carrots. You just need a little more hype." Nick commanded, raising his voice to shout over the noise. "FRIENDS! COMRADES! MAMMALS GREAT AND SMALL! THIS IS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION!"
The pair suddenly found themselves to be the centre of attention. Though Judy was by no means a shy mammal, she felt her face heat up and throat go dry under the combined stares.
"That's your cue, Carrots." Nick whispered up to her, giving her knee a comforting pat as he turned to shout to the crowd again. "HAIL HOPPS! THE BENEVOLENT BOOZE-BREWING BUNNY FROM THE BURROWS!"
Looking down at the grinning fox, she felt the nerves and embarrassment fade away. Inspired by her partner's antics, she raised her paws high and took a deep breath. "FAIR MAMMALS, GIVE HEED, FOR I BRING GLORIOUS NEWS!"
Nick chuckled. "Very Shakesbearian, Carrots."
"I'll have you know that I minored in Performing Arts in university." She fired back, laughing. "LET IT BE KNOWN THAT ON THIS EVENING, ALL DRINKS BEARING MY FAMILY'S NAME SHALL BE MADE FREELY AVAILABLE! HOPPS SCOTCH FOR EVERYONE! FOR I AM A RABBIT OF THE PEOPLE!"
The thunderous cheer that followed felt as though it might blow Nick right off his feet. Caught up in the moment, Judy grabbed a bear-sized spoon from the table and leaned around to smack the fox sharply on the rump. "ONWARD, MY NOBLE STEED!" Nick let out a surprised yelp and took off toward the bar, the bunny wielding the spoon over her head like a battle-axe. "TO GLORY!"
If there was one reason ZPD members tended to gravitate toward O'Hoggin's, it was that it wasn't generally regarded as a 'party' place. Unlike the packed bars found in the city centre, officers at O'Hoggin's were seldom called upon to break up fights, arrest drunks, or otherwise keep other mammals from making fools of themselves.
Once Judy practically declared an open bar, however, it didn't take long for the evening to get a little more...lively.
"Pennington, I'm serious! The thing about a good salad is...wait, no, shut up. The thing about a really good salad is that you need really good vegetables or else you've just got a great big bowl of shit!" Higgins stressed this point by slamming his arm down on the table.
"You're right." Francine nodded, emphatically gesturing at the hippo with a bucket-sized martini glass. "Bill, you are so absolutely right. Why don't more mammals get that? You can't just...just make a salad!"
Rolling her eyes, Sofia Fangmeyer leaned over to elbow Wolford. "Hey, Danny. Herbivores, am I right?"
"I hear ya." The wolf laughed, lowering his menu to grin at the enormous pair of vegetarians. "Can't live with 'em. Not allowed to eat 'em."
"That's enough sass out of you, Daniel." Francine scolded, flicking a peanut at him with her trunk. Smirking, she added, "Or are you just trying to get us to leave?"
His tail, which had been wagging merrily, fell limp against the seat behind him. A mildly panicked look appeared on his face and he ducked back behind his menu. "I could really go for some shrimp tempura! How about you guys?"
"We're still herbies, buddy." Higgins reminded him, laughing. "Now you're definitely trying to make us leave!"
The wolf's ears pinned back sharply as he tried to sputter out a response, but he remained hidden behind the menu. As a result, he not only missed the annoyed glare Fangmeyer shot at Pennington and Higgins, but also the affectionate, if exasperated, look the tigress aimed at him.
"Good call, DAnny. That'd really hit the spot right now." She agreed, purring softly and pretending not to notice when the wolf's tail began wagging again. "What do you say we let them to argue about eating houseplants, go grab a booth and order something that's actually edible."
"Huh?" Wolford's head popped up from his detailed investigation of the soup options.
She didn't laugh, though anyone able to see her rapidly twitching tail would know how much effort it took. "I see an empty one right over there."
"Oh..." He blinked owlishly. "I mean..."
"You're not afraid to be alone with me, are you?" Giving in to the instinct to taunt her 'prey', she gave him a playful wink.
"I...I..."
"What's the matter, Danny?" Higgins laughed. "Cat got your tongue?"
"Not yet, Bill." Francine answered him, trying to suppress her grin. "That comes after dinner."
"Sofia, I...
"Guys! Hey, you need see th..."
"What?!" Fangmeyer snapped, glaring over her shoulder and bringing an excited Delgato to a skidding halt.
"It's...it's Hopps."
"What about Hopps?" Her eyes narrowed.
"She's..." He paused, debating whether or not it was worth risking the tiger's wrath. "She's going shot-for-shot...against Bogo."
That was enough to restore Wolford's voice. "Wait...Hopps is doing what?"
"I'm serious! They were standing by the bar and the Chief said it was too bad that such good alcohol was being made by mammals that could barely drink it. Hopps overheard him and said he didn't know what he was talking about." The lion shook his head in disbelief. "After that, things just kind of...escalated."
The wolf let out a despaired whine, eyes darting back and forth between the commotion across the bar and the tiger sitting beside him.
"Danny, listen to me." She gently placed her paw on his. "I think we both know that there's a time to talk, and there's a time to watch a bunny try to drink a buffalo under the table."
"God...it's like you can see into my soul." He whispered, taking a second to gaze at her adoringly before they all scrambled to join the gathering crowd.
The entire bar stood awe-struck as the grey rabbit calmly downed another shot. Grinning at the mammal across the table, she daintily placed the bunny-sized glass atop the ever-growing pyramid in front of her. "You're up, Chief."
The massive buffalo grinned at her as he reached for his next drink. "And you're going down, rabbit." He threw the shot back, emptying the buffalo-sized shot glass and adding it to an increasingly long line that divided the table between them. Each of them watched the other closely, searching for any sign that the other mammal was reaching their limit.
"This reminds me of the first semi-successful batch my brothers managed to distill. It wasn't nearly as smooth as this stuff; burned a bit on the way down." Smiling coyly, Judy smoothly downed her next drink. "On the bright side, it was pretty good at de-greasing engine parts."
"I'm sure it was quite strong, Hopps. For a rabbit's palette, that is." Bogo lifted his own glass in salute and drained it dry. "It's funny you should bring up brothers, though. I've not gone shot-for-shot with someone since my youngest brother's bachelor party. He did well enough, though we did have to postpone the wedding until he regained consciousness."
"I know what that's like. I lost count of how many times I was the last bunny standing." She finished off another shot, flipping the empty glass in one paw before placing it with the others. "Speaking of standing, you're looking a little wobbly. Loose chair leg?"
"I feel fine, Hopps." Downing another drink, he gently tapped the glass against one horn before putting it down. "Perhaps it's your vision that isn't quite steady."
"It's nice to hear you're close to your brother, sir. Family is very important." She tipped the glass back, nose twitching slightly as she swallowed. "You know what's funny? I have a little over one hundred and thirty brothers, and I'm still considered the tough one in the family."
Bogo snorted, his breath creating faint ripples on the surface of each untouched drink.
"By the way, I ought to mention something..." She leaned in closely, forcing the buffalo to lower his head almost to the table's surface. "Would you believe that I heard someone say Gazelle's performance tonight sucked?!"
"WHAT?!" The Chief roared, bursting up from his seat. His vision went red as he scanned the bar, fully intent on finding and skinning the hapless mammal that dared to speak ill of his favorite singer. A few seconds later, the reddish tinge to his vision started to go black as his hasty departure from the chair sent all the blood rushing to his hooves; he felt the room begin to spin. Then, as the mammals behind him scrambled to get out of the way, the thirteen-hundred-pound Cape buffalo pitched backward onto the floor.
"Woo hoo!" Judy leaped onto the table, basking the cheers of her fellow officers. "Bunny metabolism for the win!"
Stepping cautiously around the groaning buffalo, Nick reached up to take her paw as she climbed down unsteadily. "Damn, Carrots. Are you gonna be alright?"
"Of course." She grinned and threw her free paw in the air. "I'm indestructible!"
Trying not to laugh at his partner's smug expression, he looped an arm around her waist and guided her to a nearby table. "Okay there, Supermammal. Maybe you ought to switch to water for a while."
"Pfft! I'll be fine." She scoffed, waving a paw in his face. "Did you even just see that?! I took down the Chief and I bet I won't even have a hangover tomorrow!"
"That was pretty amazing." Nick admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Which makes sense, y'know, because you're kind of amazing yourself."
"Aww! Thanks, Nick!" She gushed, leaning over to give him a quick hug.
"Actually," He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I kinda wanted to talk about that, because I know we've never really, uh, talked about it, but I also think what we have is, y'know, really...amazing."
"That was very articulate, Slick." Judy teased, not quite sure what to make of the stammering wreck that had replaced her usually cool-as-a-cucumber partner.
"I'm serious! It's like… I mean, what we've got is like...uh..." Nick trailed off, his alcohol-hindered brain struggling to form the perfect analogy. "It's like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!"
"Wait...what?"
"But special peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" He insisted, trying to recover. "To me, I mean."
She laughed, running her paw along his arm. "Okay, now I think you've had too much to drink."
"No, listen! It's like, uh, you got peanut butter, and it's all smooth and creamy and everyone likes it but on its own it's just kinda, y'know, there." He waved his paw in a dismissive gesture that almost knocked some empty glasses off the table. "Then you've got jelly, right? It's all sweet, and tangy, and bright, and pretty, and soft..."
"Soft?"
"What?! Oh, right. Uh..." He shook his head. "So, like, those are all really great but all of them together at once can be a little overwhelming. Even if you happen to lo...like jelly. But that's the thing! Because when peanut butter and jelly get together, they both become so much more than they were before! The jelly gets a little smoother and the peanut butter ends up a little sweeter and the whole thing is just...magic."
"Awwwwww..." They both turned to find Clawhouser gazing at them dreamily. "That's so sweet."
"Ben!" Nick cried. "Not a good time, man!"
"You really love sandwiches, don't you Nick?"
"Get out of here!" The fox protested, flailing his paws at their amused friend. "Bad kitty!"
"Okay, okay! I can tell when I'm not welcome." He backed away from the table, grinning. "I'll let you two get back to your important sandwich conversation."
"Stupid sober Clawhauser." Nick muttered at the retreating cheetah's back. "Where's a water gun when you need one?"
"Was that true?" Judy asked, certain that everyone in the bar could see her blushing.
"Was what true?"
"What Ben said?" She hesitated, just for a second. "Do you love...sandwiches?"
"Y-yeah." He nodded slowly. "Very much."
"Because I..." She smiled shyly. "I think I love sandwiches, too."
"Y-you do?"
"I really do. I just don't think I realized how much I needed them in my life till now."
"Well, I've known for a while now." He took her paw once more. "Sandwiches are what keep me going..."
"Nick, I..."
"THIS MAMMAL!" Bogo's overpowering yell seemed to fill the entire bar as he yanked the startled fox into a crushing one-armed hug. "THIS MAMMAL RIGHT HERE IS ONE OF MY BEST OFFICERS!"
"I...I am?" Nick stammered as his poor brain tried to catch up with this new development.
"YES!" The Chief loudly confirmed. "When you first joined the force, I thought you'd be a shifty, lying, thieving, cheating, good-for-nothing crook of a fox." He pulled Nick's face uncomfortably close to his own. "But you're not."
"I...what?"
"I don't even care that your taste in music borders on blasphemy!"
"Thank you?" Nick ventured, leaning as far as he could in Judy's direction. "For the love of god, do something!"
"Chief, maybe you ought to sit down..." Judy began, reaching for her partner's paw.
"NONSENSE, HOPPS! Tonight is a celebration!" Bogo lifted Nick completely off the ground, ignoring his (and Judy's) protests. Tucking the alarmed fox under one arm, the enormous Cape buffalo stumbled toward the dance floor. "Tonight, WE DANCE!"
If she could bear to open her eyes, Judy would've glared hatefully at the sunrise that dared to fill the entire bedroom window. She briefly contemplated getting up to close the blinds, but was certain that if she tried her head would fall off, roll across the room and explode.
Cheese and crackers, why did she have to be on shift that day?
As she lay there, idly wondering if it was possible to die from a headache, the notion suddenly popped into her head that her bed didn't face the window - and that her sheets didn't smell like lilacs. "Where...?"
Reluctantly cracking one eyelid, she peered around for any sign of her partner.
"Nick." She croaked. "You here?"
"Hm?" Came the muffled response. "What?"
"Where are we?"
"We are..." The fox's head appeared at the end of the bed, opening one bloodshot eye to investigate his surroundings. "...at my place."
"Oh. What happened last night?"
A ghost of a smirk danced across his face and he climbed up from the floor. "I rocked your fluffy little world?"
"Not funny." She grumbled. "Ahh! Where are your pants?"
"It's my apartment, Carrots." He countered. "Where are your pants?"
Good question, she thought, pulling the sheets higher as she tried not to think about the heart-print boxers her partner was wearing.
Flopping down beside her, Nick furrowed his brow in concentration. "I remember...lots of alcohol...Karl and Donald breaking a table while arm-wrestling, and...break dancing? Yeah, I'm pretty sure the evening featured break dancing."
"Oh no!" Groaning, she yanked the sheets over her face. "What if we embarrassed ourselves in front of everyone?"
Nick smiled sleepily. "If we did, it was probably worth it."
"This isn't a joke!" She snapped, regretting it immediately as she clutched her head in pain. "Owwww..."
"That's enough of that." He reached out and pulled her into his chest. "It's seven-thirty and we don't start till three, which means it's time for the soft little bunny to go back to sleep."
Indignant, Judy grumbled and squirmed half-heartedly. She eventually decided that, although she absolutely could have fought her way out of her partner's arms, she would choose not to. After all, he was all warm...and his steady heartbeat was so soothing...she was so tired...she might as well...y'know, just for a minute...
Several hours of unnecessarily bright sunshine later, Nick awoke to find that the apartment had become uncomfortably warm. Slowly opening his eyes, he first focused on his bone-dry nose, then outward to the rest of the room. Squinting at the clock, it took his struggling brain a few seconds to figure out that it was almost noon. Letting out a faint groan, Nick sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed, reaching over to shake his partner's shoulder. "Wake up, fluff."
"Ugh. Oh god..." Judy tried to fight off the offending paw as she covered her eyes with one ear. "How do I feel worse than I did this morning?"
"Carrots, I'm pretty sure we were still half-drunk this morning. It's not going to get any better, though." He gave her another shake. "Come on. Hop to it, Officer Hopps."
"I'm not getting up." She groaned, valiantly trying to burrow under his pillows. "My head hurts and I'm sure I made a fool of myself last night. Everything is ruined forever!"
Rolling his eyes, Nick stood shakily and made the eleven-step journey across his tiny apartment to his tinier bathroom. On the return trip he glanced at the kitchenette counter, noticing two large glasses of water, a small bottle of aspirin, and a note written on an O'Hoggin's napkin.
Drink up! Time for another day of making the world a better place! Also, you two are SOOOOOOOOO adorable! -Ben
"Damn sober cheetah..." He muttered, before he gratefully washed down a half-dozen pills. Carrying the other glass over to the bed, he eyed the small pile of blankets that concealed his miserable partner. With an unusually soft smile, he reached down and gave the pile a gentle poke. "C'mon Carrots, we're gonna have to go into work eventually."
"Can't we just call in sick?" She whined.
"Right. After last night, I'm sure everyone will believe us if we call in sick." He chuckled. "How about this? You search for those elusive pants, and I'll make us a couple of sandwiches for lunch. Sound good?"
"Sandwiches!" She cried, sitting up so quickly that she almost knocked the water from his hand. "I love sandwiches!"
Startled, he gawked at the suddenly sharp-eyed bunny. "What the hell, Carrots?! It's just bread and lettuce."
"No! Don't you remember? We talked about it last night!" She grasped the front of his t-shirt and pulled him closer. "We both love sandwiches!"
Gazing into her eyes, Nick could practically feel the gears in his head turning; fractured memories of the previous evening slowly coming together to form a picture of... "Oh my god... We do both love sandwiches."
His paws, which had somehow found their way to her hips, drew her nearer until they were practically nose-to-nose. Their eyes fluttered shut as their lips brushed togeth...
"Wait!" Nick pulled away, drawing a faint whimper from his partner. "Just so I'm clear, the whole sandwiches thing is about us being in love, right?"
Judy stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"
"Heh...gotcha." He grinned, pulling the bunny close once more and capturing her lips in a long-overdue kiss.
The next few hours passed about as smoothly as they could have. The joy of admitting their feeling for one another had been wonderful, but short-lived. It didn't take long for their bodies to remind them that they felt like garbage, and from there it had been a struggle just to get themselves cleaned up and ready for work. They'd had to leave earlier in order to pick up Judy's uniform from her apartment, but she'd thought the extra time on the train was worth it for the opportunity to sleepily rest her head upon Nick's shoulder.
They'd arrived early enough for Judy to make it to their shared desk space, where she'd begun to look for the small bottle of aspirin she kept there. Halfway through her search, however, she'd discovered how wonderful the desk's cool surface felt against her forehead and decided that warranted further investigation.
"You alright there, Carrots?"
Slowly lifting her head from the desk, she gazed up at her partner pitifully. The slightly haggard-looking fox peered back down at her, sunglasses still firmly in place. "No. No, I am not."
"My poor bunny." He smiled and handed her a small cup from the coffee shop across the street. "I got you some of that herbal tea you love."
"Thanks, Nick." She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing gently. "You're a good partner."
Stepping back, she glanced around the bullpen to confirm that their fellow officers had already gone to roll call, then grabbed the fox's tie and pulled him down for a brief kiss. "And you're a good boyfriend, too."
"I try." He smirked, gesturing behind him. "C'mon. Time to face the music."
Cups clutched protectively in their paws, the two of them shuffled miserably into the briefing room. Glancing around, it was clear that they weren't the only ones suffering the consequences of the previous night; most of their fellow officers looked half-dead at best.
Bogo stood at the front of the briefing room, though it was uncertain just how much he was relying on the podium to stay upright.
"Last night..." He paused to take a slow, deep breath. "...some mammals may have said or done things that they might otherwise not have. Others may have seen or heard things they were not meant to. I'm not going to single anyone out, but suffice to say some questionable decisions were made."
Nick's posture stiffened and Judy wished with every fiber of her being that she could just melt into the floor.
"For this precinct to operate smoothly, it is essential that we maintain the utmost professionalism; both in the public eye, and amongst ourselves. Doing so occasionally means having to put one's personal feelings aside."
Her already rapid heartbeat sped up and she fought the desperate urge to reach over to grasp Nick's paw.
"With that in mind - and because it is clear that none of you are in top condition today - I am prepared to authorize all second shift officers to take today as a paid sick day. Officers from the first and third shifts have already been cleared to take as much overtime as is needed to cover patrols. This sick day is available on a single condition. One that you must all agree to." A low murmur floated about the room as the buffalo leaned over the podium, the dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes doing nothing to diminish the fearsomeness of his glare.
"For the rest of your lives, none of you shall ever speak of the break dancing."
Public Service Announcement: Please drink responsibly and exercise due caution when offered free alcohol by family, friends, enemies, frenamies, acquaintances, coworkers, employees, strangers, that person you just met but already feel you have, like, a real connection with, and any police officers / former moonshiners (rabbit or otherwise).
On an unrelated note, I appear to have started shipping Wolford & Fangmeyer. I blame Zanrok. You should go read The Conspiracy, then we can blame Zanrok together.