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Record 10 - The strength of the WildeHopps team

It was a rainy February morning, it was freezing outside, but the rabbit didn't feel it... she was sleeping peacefully in her heated room.

The door slowly opened, revealing her friend with a small strawberry and cream cake and a candle with number 25 on it.

- Happy birthday Judy! - She walked over and woke her up with a hug.

- Oh, you didn't have to.

- I'll never let your birthday pass you by like nothing, you're my best friend and the one who lets me live here rent free, cof, cof.

- My pleasure, I told you, my friend doesn't charge me either.

- How lucky you are to have " a friend" like that! By the way, has he congratulated you yet?

They both went to the kitchen and cut themselves a piece of cake, while the birthday girl was heating water for tea.

-It's barely 5 o'clock, I don't think he's finished his morning jogging.

-Well, I hope he celebrates you in a big way, it was his birthday a month ago and you organized a whole event at the academy.

-And when he graduates, that will be an event. Too bad I was on a case that day.

-But you did make up for it, so don't worry.

- And when your birthday comes...

- You know I hate celebrating, and October is a long way off.

- Oh don't be a party pooper Lana, your mom isn't around, we can celebrate you properly.

-Let's leave my birthday and concentrate on yours. What time do you get off work?

- My shift ends at 5.

- How awful that you work on Sunday!

- Don't worry, well I must go, bye!

- Oh wait, don't go. - The sheep dashed off to her room and came back with a little birthday hat and a silver bracelet. - Here you go, let all of Zootopia know that today is their heroine's birthday.

- The city doesn't care about my birthday, but thank you, it's beautiful! It looks like the one I lost…

- When you turned 18, it's a replica. Seriously speaking, you are like a sister to me, not like the two witches I have at home, a real one, so thank you.

- Same here... See you!

Judy quickly and happily left the apartment, ready to go to work, as she opened the elevator she bumped into the little fennec who looked at the little birthday hat in amusement.

-Don't say anything. - The rabbit sentenced him.

- It would be too easy, see you Hoppsie.

The fox went out and walked to his door, trying to recover from yesterday's party.

-Strange, Wilde didn't tell me the bunny had a birthday today! Well, less work for me. - He gave a big yawn and went inside.

The buffalo's alarm sounded, he felt his heavy eyes trying to open, slowly he sat up, stretching.

-Did you get any sleep Wilde? - Silence was his answer. He peeked around the desk and saw the books stacked, the bed made up and no sign of his partner.

He went to the gym and headed to where he rightly thought he would be.

-Did you know that for the last month we've been allowed to get up at 8 a.m.? To be sane for the exam.

- Yes... I know. -Said the fox as he ran at the fastest speed on the treadmill.

- And because of those bags under your eyes, you didn't sleep reading the manuals.

- Spongy, we are less than 15 days away from the final exam, now is not the time to let your guard down.

-It's not letting your guard down, it's living. What's the problem?

-None, I... promise.

- Whatever... is it that the older a mammal gets, the more stubborn it becomes?

-Don't you have somewhere else to go? - Said the fox between gasps, the other cadet left the gym. - Nothing and no one will distract me . - He thought to himself, before picking up speed.

…

Recording-Hopps 1-J

Birthdays in the Hopps family are not a big deal. I never celebrated my birthday like everyone else. Mom used to get all the birthdays of the month together and we would have group parties, every month, there are always at least 10... it's really weird to be in a place that pays attention on a date just for me. It's no big deal! The good thing is that only Lana knows about it.

Stop recording-Hopps 1-J

…

Judy was skipping merrily down the street, enjoying the coolness and snuggling a bit in her jacket. As she reached the precinct and walked through the gate, a cheetah intercepted her.

- It's about time you got here! - He said in complete concern.

- Benji, what's wrong? It's still 20 minutes before my shift starts. - The doe tried to push him way through, but the feline simply stepped in front of her.

- Yes, I know... But don't worry, you won't have to go to the bullpen today.

-Bogo finally fired me, huh?

- No of course not silly, you and I... we have a secret mission together!

- Will you be in the field with me today? - The doe was quite surprised, in her almost first year, she never saw Clawhauser outside of reception, except of course, when he was moved to archives, but that's something she doesn't like to remember.

- Yes! The boss thinks it will do me good to get out a bit and show you my skills, after all, I have 5 years more experience than you, so come on, come on, come on!

- All right, come on, do you have a patrol?

- No, it's not very far so we'll go on foot... that's the not so good part. But you'll wait for me, right?

-Sure Benji. Do you know what the address is?

- Yeah I have it on my desk.

The cheetah walked over to his spot, grabbed a post it, his box of donuts, put them in his backpack and excitedly prepared to go to their mission.

- All set Officer Hopps!

-Okay, let's go and give me some context on the way. Where are we at?

- It's only a two-hour stakeout. There's some teenagers who look a little dangerous, and there's nothing to prove they're up to anything, you know, "bad", so...

- So we have to keep an eye on them until we have proof, right?

- That's why you're the best. Come on, it's 250 Strato Herbaceous Avenue.

- Sweet carrots, that place is dangerous! Well, at least Nick put it in the area of places a bunny shouldn't go without a fox.

- You guys are so cu...adorables, I mean. - Corrected the cop to his partner's withering gaze. - Did he leave you a map of the dangerous areas?

- Yes, he said he didn't trust me, especially after Christmas.

- Oh, it is because of your accident in December, when by accident you...

- You don't need to remember that! - Judy said as her cheeks colored. - I'll text Nick about tips from the area, give me a second, by this time it shouldn't take him long to answer.

- Yeah no, don't worry Hopps, I've lived here for years too and I know my way around my city, I'm a cop for a reason.

- Why did you stay on the administrative side? Didn't you like being in the field? Or is it because well...? - Sorrow made her unable to continue.

- Oh, you mean my physical condition? No pity Judy, I have eyes! I wasn't always like that, I was also the best in my class... well, after Fangmeyer.

The cheetah reached into his pocket, picked up his cell phone and after a couple of minutes smiled victoriously.

- Here it is! See?

- Wow! Is it really you? - The girl's jaw almost dropped at the sight of the slender and quite muscular cheetah, on his graduation day.

- Quite different, huh? Well yes, that's your old friend Ben. It just so happens that one day while I was chasing the big mob boss of the forest district, "Dino", I had a... little accident... my knee was never the same. But at least, after 10 years, it was me who caught him!

-That's great Benji! Don't you miss the action one bit?

- No, there's a lot of action in answering your calls, getting you leads, it's like being on every case at the same time... And with donuts! You can't eat donuts in the field.

- In theory at the front desk either, but I know what you mean.

They both stopped in front of a large abandoned building, and in one of the worst areas Judy had ever seen in the city, now she understood why there was a red mark on the map of the place. That made her remember her cell phone, and unbelievably, there were no calls or messages since last night.

- How strange!

- I know Judy, this place looks awful!

- No, strange about Nick, he hasn't been online since last night.

- Oh, if he's anything like you, he must be a slave to the books. He's graduating in two weeks, isn't he?

- Yeah, if all goes well and... Get down!

The doe pulled the cheetah and threw it behind some trash cans for cover.

-From the looks of them, I'm guessing they're our potential criminals. - Whispered the girl to her companion.

- It would seem so. - Smiled the cheetah slyly without the doe seeing him.

On the outskirts of Zootopia, more specifically in the ZPA, the young cadets were enjoying their lunch, happy that soon everyone would have their badge, all except the next first fox officer.

- I'm sure I'll be in precinct 2, it's the closest to where Cristy lives. - Trunkers smiled.

- In your dreams bro! Your score is not that high, that place is for me. - The female elephant nudged him with a laugh.

- Hey, where's Wilde? I can't bother him if he's not there. - After Hipoz's question everyone turned to his empty chair and then to his roommate.

- Last time I saw him in the gym. He never came back to the cafeteria?

- No idea Ed, he's your boyfriend, not ours. - Said the tiger cadet and the others burst out laughing.

- I'd better go find him.

The buffalo stood up, headed for the gym and it was empty. He went to the library and the dormitory, but again nothing.

- Where did that fox go! - He thought fearfully, the truth was that his friend had not been the same since a couple of days ago.

After a couple of hours, Eddy went out to get his gym bag, when he finally found his partner running fast on the track.

- Wilde? What the hell are you doing? It's almost three o'clock, looks like it's going to rain soon.

- Don't worry Spongy, I'm fine! I'm almost done.

- When was the last time you fed or talked to your girlfriend? You haven't rested at all!

- I told you, I'm fine, I'm just practicing... The final test is tomorrow.

- You're the best of us! Why the hell isn't that enough!

- Because I haven't made it...not yet.

- Achieved what?

- The score for precinct 1, I'm missing 4 points, which equals a track time mark. If I get it... I will have achieved it.

- I know Precinct 1 is very honorable and all, but why do you have to go there? There are 9 other precincts that you would be good at and help just as much.

- Because I promised her. I've let everyone down before, but never her, I won't start now...if I don't do this myself...I'll never stop being who I was. I have to.

His friend looked at him helplessly and without fully understanding him, annoyed, he began to warm up at least to accompany him for a while.

Eddy admired Nick a lot, without the fox telling him directly, the young mammal was very observant, he realized in details of the conversations that Wilde's youth had not been a walk in a field of flowers exactly, so seeing him there, fighting, earning his place, inspired him to be as good a future police officer as he was. For Edd, that's what it must have felt like to have an older brother.

- I know how important your promise to Judy is, but if there's nothing left of you, she'll have no one to work with. How will you two dismantle conspiracies and prevent genocides if you kill yourself here?

- How do you know about…?

- That you're the "valued citizen who supported Officer Hopps in the case of the night howlers?" Well, you're not very discreet in your calls and I don't think there's another fox with such a famous "Carrots" friend. Why didn't you tell anyone?

-Because I didn't want them to believe that what I accomplished was on their behalf, because I didn't want special deals.

-She sent you to the army in your first month to save you!

- Now you understand. She is an excellent officer, and she asked me to be her partner after solving the case. She trusts me and for the first time in my life... I have a chance to be legitimate, to show my worth, to know that I really have a value and that I can make a difference, she has faith in me.

- And you don't want to fail her... That's why you always do extras.

- It's the least I can do. I wouldn't put up with her adorable little bunny face all disappointed to see me assigned to another precinct, after waiting so long.

- I don't think that's what's going to happen, our partners are good, but they don't have your spirit, believe me, I know when I see a mammal with true spirit. I grew up admiring cops, I know the special ones, those "made as one of a kind and discontinued pieces", believe me, you and your friend are in that category. You just have to trust yourself as much as she does.

- Spongy dude, yes you are an old soul, you talk like a 70 year old mammal. - The fox smiled at him sincerely.

- That's my gift. Now let's go get something to eat!

- Yes, I...

But before he could complete a sentence, the cadet fell unconscious to the ground.

- I should have stopped him in the morning . - Thought the youngest cadet.

The two police officers saw from their hiding place a group of three mammals, all of them predators, judging by their appearance, they would not be more than 16 years old.

-Did you bring him? - Asked the lion.

- Yes, it wasn't easy, I'll have to raise the price a little. - The bear smiled mischievously.

- You said it would be 1500! I won't pay more, not this time. - The smaller lion joined the conversation, facing the big bear in front of them.

- And didn't I tell you that prices go up? It's supply and demand, kid. Do you have them or not?

- We won't give you a penny more! The agreement was 1500 for 300 grams and I demand that you keep your word!

- Are you threatening me, you stupid kitten? - The bear began to corner them, the boys looked genuinely frightened, Judy recognized how dilated and red the large mammal's eyes were.

- Hopps... I think this has gotten dangerous already! - Clawhauser said, feigning terror.

-Don't worry Benji, I won't let them do anything to them.

Without making a sound, the doe slowly approached from behind the vendor, watching his every move. She climbed up a fire escape, took some flight and shot off toward the bear's head, knocking it out instantly and scaring the lions terribly.

- Stop Jude! Don't hurt him! - Her partner came out of hiding.

- What are you doing? Cuff him! I don't have handcuffs his size.

- Bogo will kill me for this but, it's all fake!

- What the hell are you talking about! - Her purple eyes widened in surprise.

- It was a surprise party at the precinct... I had to entertain you for a while. The guys are Delgato's nephews.

- They are? Well, explain to me then, what are these bags of substances of dubious origin that the bear was carrying? - Hopps showed him the merchandise found in the criminal's pocket.

- Wait, wait, wait, wait! He's not... you are not?

The two terrified lions shook their heads in denial.

- You can't be! - The cheetah almost fainted too.

- We will talk, you two will come with us and give me explanations.

Clawhauser cuffed the bear, called for reinforcements, while Judy read the little lions their rights.

After an awkward encounter with Higgins and Jackson, the group arrived at the police station, all shouting, "Surprise!" after a "what?" Upon seeing the arrestees with both pairs of police officers.

- Clawhauser, you took Higgins and Jackson's case management... didn't you? - said the chief as he took off his glasses and massaged his temple.

- The good news is that we already have the distributor and he did in fact help on a case!

All the cops laughed in unison as they approached Judy to congratulate her.

…

Recording-Hopps 2-J

Although I hate being the center of attention... I must admit it was nice to have a birthday like everyone else's... They had never gone to so much trouble for me... I must admit it was... comforting... Now what I need to know is what the hell that fox is up to that he hasn't reported himself! He'd better not have terrorists in the academy again!

Stop recording-Hopps 2-J

…

After that troubled birthday, the big day arrived without further problems. The mammals were still laughing at Clawhauser's post-it confusion and how he had his companions capture the innocent relatives of Delgato and Grizzoli. But that afternoon was special. Judy barely entered the apartment, without even changing out of her uniform.

- It's already 6 o'clock! - She screamed into her room, turned on her laptop and quickly started a video call with the fox.

- Well?- Her voice showed that she was totally tense.

- I don't even deserve a "hello how are you"? "How have they been treating you?"

- Stop kidding Nick!... What does it say?

- Calm down Carrots, as I promised you, I haven't opened the envelope. - The fox held the sealed envelope up to his cell phone camera.

- Well, then open it, use your claws!

-Patience is a virtue, Fluff.

- Not mine, so open it!

- Okay, okay - He cleared his throat and began to read the final results sheet. - Cadet Nicholas Piberious Wilde, it is my pleasure to inform you that you have successfully passed... all academy tests... welcome.

- You did it Slick! You did it! - Her friend shrieked with joy, almost falling off her bed, she really didn't care.

- I... I did it Judy... - Her green eyes held genuine tears of emotion.

Judy looked into her pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, it was Bogo's gift just delivered a few weeks ago on her birthday.

"Officer Judith Hopps, you have been invited to address the graduation speech for the APZ class of 2017." It would be a pleasure to surprise him that day.

The end

Well, Nick's cadet phase is coming to an end, Judy is still making friends with her fellow officers, and catching criminals in the process... I'm dying to get to the part of them as partners!