It was the worst thing she could have said to him. "I just… I just don't care anymore…"
It would have been an exhausting day, but when you line seven of those up in a row it makes for an exhausting week. It had only taken four or five of those to become an exhausting month, and after twelve of those...you get the idea.
Their latest case had been a rough one – the violent murder of an ocelot shop owner, killed while walking home one evening. He'd been beaten to death in an alley just a few blocks from his house; the words NO MORE PREDS scrawled on a nearby wall with the victim's blood.
The victim's wife had been beside herself – and rightfully so - and Judy had come along at exactly the wrong moment. The rabbit had gone practically tharn at the ocelot's barrage of hateful insults, mostly blaming Judy and that damned press conference for the increase in anti-predator hate crimes.
It wouldn't have been so bad if Judy wasn't always so ready to believe it herself. It had been over three years now, but some days it was like the shame of those words still hung like a chain around her neck.
They'd closed the case that day, successfully linking the homicide to a recently emerged prey-supremacist gang. Once upon a time that might have been cause for celebration, but now it was just another in a long line of things that kept them both awake at night.
Now the two ZPD officers sat at the end of the bar, not-quite-celebrating once again reaching the 'exhausting year' milestone. The fox silently peered into his double-whiskey as the bunny rested her head in one paw, idly toying with a small paper umbrella.
Throwing back the last of his drink, he stood and stretched his back.
"C'mon, Carrots. Tomorrow is a brand new year." He laughed tiredly, holding out his fist. "Ready to make the world a better place?"
She eyed his outstretched paw for a moment, then returned to her drink. "No."
He gave her a confused look. "What?"
Laying her head down on the bar, she muttered something he'd never believed he'd hear from her - the worst thing she could have said to him. "I just… I just don't care anymore…"
"Hey now, Carrots. That's quitter talk." Concerned, he sat down again and lay a tentative paw on her shoulder. "You doing alright?"
She shook her head, clearly fighting tears.
"C'mon, Judy. Talk to me."
"I...I don't think I can do this anymore." Her voice hitched slightly. "Every day it's the same thing; get up, breakfast, see horrible mammals do horrible things, lunch, more horrible things, go home late, sleep, repeat."
"But that's why you became a cop, isn't it? To help put horrible mammals behind bars?"
"No, I became a cop so I could help make the world a better place; not so I could watch it go to hell."
Nick's heart broke as she lowered her face into her paws and began to cry softly. He pulled the bunny into a hug, giving the top of her head a comforting nuzzle and silently wishing - not for the first time - that they were brave enough to let their friendship grow into something more. They both wanted to; they'd even talked about it a few times, but those conversations always seemed to end the same way - with sad smiles and a resolution to come back to the idea 'when things calmed down'.
Things never calmed down, though, and the more they were exposed to the city's dark side, the more they needed each other to stay standing. Each of them clung to their partner like a lifeboat in a storm, unable to live without them but too scared to reach out for more. They were so terrified of losing the one thing they needed most that they'd just learned to live with constant longing in their hearts.
Eventually her breathing evened out and the tears stopped coming, though she didn't look any less worn down. He would've felt better if it just looked like she was dreading work the next day, but this wasn't dread. She just looked...defeated. As if she knew just how much pain lay before her and had already accepted it. His fearsome bunny didn't seem to have any fight left in her, and the sight of it shook Nick to his core.
He racked his brain for some way to grant her a short reprieve from the grind of police work, but coming up with something was proving to be more challenging that he'd have liked. If he forced her to take time off, she'd probably sit alone in her hole-in-the-wall apartment and worry about him. God knew that when he took a rare day off, he did the same thing.
On the other paw, even if he somehow managed to arrange time off for both of them - which could be possible, if he spoke to the right mammals - he'd likely spend most of it preventing her from going into work to finish off some piece of neglected paperwork. The truth was that neither of them could really relax while the city was around...them...
A flash of inspiration struck, bringing a wry smile to the fox's face. "Alright, up you get."
She sniffed, but compliantly rose from her seat. "What?"
"Come on, Fluff." He threw her coat over her shoulders and guided her to the door.
"Nick, where are we going?" She asked wearily. The fox didn't respond, practically dragging her from the small bar and out on to the street. Pulling out his phone, he placed a call and set it to speaker.
Judy's eyes widened when Chief Bogo answered, the low rumble of his voice making it very clear how he felt about the late night call. "What."
Suppressing the prickle of fear that crept down his spine, Nick gave Judy a cheeky wink. "Good evening, sir. I hope I didn't wake you."
"Wilde, if you are calling about anything less than the impending apocalypse..."
"Nothing like that, sir." Nick assured him.
Despite his implicit threat, Bogo knew the fox well enough to know he wouldn't have called without good reason. "Then make it quick."
"Sir," Nick paused, giving his partner a brief glance. "Do you recall that misunderstanding a while back? With Precinct Four?"
Judy's ears twitched curiously as the line remained silent for a moment.
"I do." The buffalo responded shortly.
"Then I'm sure you also recall how that whole situation was resolved." Nick continued. "And by whom."
"Of course I do, Wilde." The buffalo snapped. "What of it?"
"Well," The fox took a deep breath. "I'm calling in a favor."
Bogo grunted, but didn't seem surprised. "I knew this day would come. What's it going to be?"
"Three weeks paid vacation, starting now, no questions asked." Nick hesitated briefly. "For both Hopps and myself."
"I...see." Another pause. "Very well, I am a mammal of my word. Three weeks, effective immediately, and you understand this makes us even?"
"Of course."
Bogo grunted and ended the call without further comment.
Betty Lin wasn't expecting any more clients that evening. It was already late and although she'd drawn the short straw for that month's nocturnal shifts, there weren't many mammals that chose to visit a travel agency at eleven-thirty on a Tuesday night. That was why, when an exhausted-looking fox dragged an equally exhausted-looking bunny into the office, the panda felt justified in being a little surprised.
"Hello there." She rose to greet the pair as they shook the rain off their coats. "How may I help you?"
"Good evening." The fox responded smoothly. "What would you recommend as a relaxing destination getaway for a pair of jaded psychological burnouts?"
Despite being a little startled by his question, Betty smiled pleasantly as she reached for the stack of brochures on her desk. "Of course. Naturally, Pawaii is a traditional destination..."
The bunny shook her head, turning to the fox. "Too many tourists."
"I see. Well, arctic cruises are becoming increasingly popular with..." She trailed off at the fox's flat expression. "Or perhaps not."
She turned to her computer and tapped a few keys, pretending to look something up as she mulled the question over in her head.
Somewhere warm, relaxing, not too many mammals...romantic, perhaps?
She peeked over her monitor, sizing the pair up with an experienced eye. They were obviously very close. Every now and again the fox's tail would brush against the bunny's legs, and although the rabbit's gaze moved around the office, one ear was always angled toward the fox. Altogether, Betty got the distinct impression that there was something simmering just beneath the surface.
Not together, per se. But maybe interested? Let's test the waters a little.
"Perhaps you would be interested in an all-inclusive resort?" She suggested, nonchalantly. "It is perfect for mammals who want to avoid any stressful planning. All your meals and activities together would be covered in the price of your room."
Betty watched carefully, gauging the pair's reaction. Sure enough, though each of them gave the other a brief questioning glance, neither raised an objection to her use of 'room' rather than 'rooms'. On the contrary, they continued to gaze uncertainly at one another.
"That...um..." The fox briefly hesitated. "That sounds..."
"Perfect." The bunny finished for him, the smile lighting up her features. "That sounds perfect."
Gotcha.
A real grin broke through the fox's cynical smirk, lighting up his features. "Y-yeah?"
The bunny nodded happily. "Yeah."
Suddenly feeling as though she were intruding on a very personal moment, Betty cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, there are a number of options available..."
"What about that one?" The fox interrupted, pointing at one of the many posters on the wall.
"That...is Isla Paraíso." Betty winced internally as she heard the polished sales pitch come out of her mouth. "A five-star all-inclusive island resort, just south of Bearmuda. Guests have their own seaside bungalows, and each bungalow has a personal valet who sees to the guest's needs during their stay. The entire resort is very private; I understand one can go for days without seeing another soul."
They both seemed particularly interested with that last part, and it pained her to see the shining hope in their eyes. She had, unfortunately, neglected to mention the utterly absurd price tag that came with staying on Isla Paraíso.
I shouldn't have said anything. I should have changed the subject.
Naturally the cost was the fox's next question, and even though they were the only three mammals in the office, she discretely wrote the answer on a slip of paper and handed it to him. Unfolding it with some suspicion, his eyes bugged out at the figure.
"Each?!"
Betty nodded. Despite the pang of regret she felt for disappointing them, she forced her expression to remain impassive.
He turned to his companion - clearly about to make some remark on the subject – but fell silent when he saw her expression. The moment that look of disbelief had appeared on his face, the bunny seemed to just...whither. Eyes that had been sparkling with happiness were now downcast, her ears hanging limply behind her.
"It's okay, Nick." Sighing gently, she half turned to the fox. "It was a nice idea, but we should both head home."
"Judy, I..." The fox...Nick...trailed off.
"Roll call is at seven and I'd like to get at least some sleep." She ran a paw over her face. "We'll just tell Bogo we changed our minds."
Betty's brow furrowed as a glimmer of a recognition appeared in the back of her mind. It couldn't be...?
"Excuse me..." They both turned to face her. "Are you...that is, would the two of you be Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps? The ZPD officers?"
"Recognized us, huh?" The fox sighed. "So which case was it? The Bearnstein kitnapping? The Tundratown Seven? The Nighthowler Crisis is always a classic."
"Oh no, nothing like that." She shook her head. "There was an incident last year, on the Borealis Bridge..." She hesitated, but the bunny...Judy gestured for her to continue. "There was a young mammal...a panda...he was going to jump. You...you stayed and talked with him for two hours. You helped him step back from the edge."
Judy blinked, nodding slowly. "I remember him."
"That was my younger brother, Huan." She looked away, embarrassed. "He had been having some...difficulties. We did not support him the way we should have – the way family ought to. But thanks to you we got a second chance."
Judy's eyes brightened a little. "Is he alright?"
"He is...better." Betty responded delicately. "He still struggles, but every step he takes now is a gift. He would not have had that without you. For that, my family and I can never repay you."
The pair seemed at a loss for words, smiling at one another with a mixture of pride and embarrassment.
"That's..." Judy finally responded. "That's what we do at the ZPD."
As she shook her head in wonder at the bunny's humble statement, Betty was struck by a wonderful idea.
"Just...wait. Please, just one moment." Turning to her computer, Betty began typing rapidly. After several minutes, her printer came to life. Collecting the still-warm sheaves of paper, she quickly sorted them and placed them in a large manila envelope. Smiling, she handed the envelope to the perplexed fox.
"What is this?"
"Your reservation papers and two first-class round-trip tickets to Isla Paraíso. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning."
"Our what?!"
"W-we can't just..." Judy stammered.
"Please, I insist." Betty responded firmly, holding up a paw. "I did not exaggerate when I said that my family can never truly repay you, but please let this represent a small fraction of our gratitude."
"I..."
"I sincerely hope you both enjoy your time in the Caribbean." The panda smiled warmly. "No one has earned it more."
"We will, believe me." Nick assured her, reaching out to take Judy's paw. "C'mon, Carrots. We need to pack."
"Thank you!" The bunny laughed as her partner practically dragged her out the door. "Thank you so, so much!"
As Betty watched the two of them leave, she briefly wondered how she would explain her decision to her boss. He wasn't going to be pleased – the vacation she'd just given away was worth more that she made in a year.
That was a concern for tomorrow, though. Fishing her cell phone from her bag, she dialed a familiar number.
"Hello Huan. How is my baby brother?" She smiled happily at her brother's grumbling response. "Yes, I know how late it is, but you will never believe who just came into my work."
Two chapters in two weeks?! What is happening?!