Judy stared at her reflection in the tall mirror and wondered what was more embarrassing.

"Is that the only dress you've got?" Winters, known to her family as 'Vera,' was sitting on the bed. She'd look like a schoolgirl if it wasn't for her stiff posture. She almost looked like one in the black uniform she'd adorned for her chauffer disguise. Outside the burrow waited a shiny black Genesis Z70 Jack had acquired from God knows where.

"I'm not a dress gal."

"And just to confirm, that is a Homecoming dress."

"Obviously." Judy replied with a curl of the lip. She looked up and down at the blue knee-length dress that screamed High School. She couldn't believe that it still fit.
"Can I be honest?" Winters took Judy's silence as a yes. "That's not nearly enough fabric for a night at Redwood's."

"I know!" Judy threw her paws in the air. "One of my more 'actively social' sisters picked it for me. Figured it would get me noticed by one of the jocks."

"Did it work?"

Judy pulled up a thin strap that was slipping down her shoulder. "Yes, and I am not going to talk about it."

Winters sighed, got up and rummaged through Judy's wardrobe for about a minute. "Is there anything in this wardrobe that you wouldn't wear on a farm?"

"Is there any way you could rephrase that sentence into something that doesn't sound completely insulting?"

"Sorry. Hold the phone." Winters pulled out a pair of black silky pants. "What's this for?"

"Interview clothes." Judy said. "For my last job before becoming a police officer, you know?"

"What did you wear with this?"

"Black jacket and shirt. Not exactly party apparel…"

"One second." Winters pulled out the associated items. She dropped the jacket on the bed and held the satin purple wrap shirt up to eye level. It shone like glass in the light of her bedside lamp.

"I think I have an idea." She said. "Do you mind if we lose the sleeves?"

Judy had not worn the thing in years. "Go ahead. I got a sowing kit in the desk drawer if you need it."

"You know how to sow?"

"In case I got hurt in the field."

Winters pulled out a hidden karambit knife, draped the shirt over the computer desk and set to work, cutting a thin line near the stitching connecting the sleeves to the shirt. "You think you could stitch the excess cloth into the holes?"

Judy did just that, letting Winters hold the shirt still while she rolled what remained of the sleeve inside the hole and stitched it in place. She then put the shirt back on, and applied the black pants to complete the ensemble.

Winters took a step back and smiled. "Now that is more like it."

Judy turned back to the mirror, and couldn't help but agree. Her bedroom door, standing just behind her in the mirror's reflection, opened up. In the doorway stood her mother, Bonnie Hopps.

Winters quick hid her karambit up her sleeve.

"Oh, sweetheart, you look beautiful." She breathed. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. In fact, her entire demeanour was apprehensive, as if she feared her own daughter. Judy didn't know why. That phone call in the van had been a tense one, sure, but it hadn't taken much for Bonnie to convince Judy to come home after all, even for a little while, just to prove to everyone that she was ok. The shock and terror of the gas station incident had weakened Judy emotionally, and she hadn't been stubborn enough to refuse. But now she was glad she'd listened to her mother.

Bonnie inched into the room, holding her jewellery box.

"I thought you might like to borrow a few baubles for the party." She said, procuring a sapphire necklace. "I don't have any amethysts, but blue should do just fine."

Judy took the necklace with an appreciative smile and put it on. "You're right, mom. Thanks."

Winters checked her watch, which she wore upside down. "Party's in two hours. Get your slap on and I'll see you in the car."

She walked out past Bonnie, who didn't take her eyes off her daughter. Bonnie looked over her shoulder to check that Winters was gone.

"So. Your first formal event that isn't a…"
"Funeral?"

Bonnie pursed her lips. "I was going to say wedding. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm gonna be the odd one out." Judy said truthfully, and she wasn't talking about her suspicion that she would be the only one wearing pants.

"You still haven't told us who your plus one is."

"His name is Jack. He's a friend. Sort of."

"Oh."

"Oh what?"

"When you mentioned a plus one, we thought you meant your other friend. Nick, isn't it?"

Judy blinked. She doesn't think… does she? "Is that why you're acting weird?"

"What? Why-"

"I don't know what Nick told you earlier, and I don't know what gave you the idea that we were anything other than friends. Besides, Redwood would never let an ex con into his house, no matter how much he's changed." She immediately hated herself for saying that. She hid her expression from her mother by turning back to the mirror to fiddle with the necklace. It was the prettiest piece of jewellery in her mother's collection, a string of gold and tiny diamonds weighed down by a marquise cut sapphire. Judy remembered Bonnie wearing it for her tenth wedding anniversary, her thirtieth birthday and three of her children's weddings. That she would lend Judy this of all the items in her box… there had to be another reason, but she couldn't figure out what.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wasn't implying anything." Bonnie said gently. "It's only that you talked so much about him, going on and on about how sorry he was for what he did, he never wanted to hurt anyone, how you were going to support him every way you could once he was out of house arrest… I'm actually a little shocked that you're not trying harder for him to be allowed to attend. You're a trier, Judy. You always have been."

Judy watched herself swallow in the mirror. Bonnie was right. If the whole point of her going to the party wasn't to get Jack into the mansion to find that codice, she would absolutely push for Nick to be allowed to go. He would get a taste of the good life he'd been denied solely for what he was.

But she couldn't admit that. It would mean admitting that she did feel something for Nick, something that had been blossoming through the two years she'd supported him through his isolation.

"It's complicated. Besides, Jack's more used to these parties than Nick is."

"Because he's a spy?"

The sapphire bounced against Judy's chest as she spun round.

"Yes, I know why you're really going." Bonnie was wringing her paws now. "And I'm not ok with it. But whatever he's doing has everything to do with those mammals that are hunting you. If completing this mission or whatever the heck it is will help put an end to this, then I won't get in the way."
"… Thanks, mom."

Bonnie's grateful smile shrunk slightly as her ear twitched in the direction of a distant ding Judy had also heard. "Oop! Sounds like the pie's done. Oh, one last thing." She paused in the doorway. "If Nick isn't going to the party, where is he?"

"He's staying at a motel with the others. We decided it would be best if we laid low."

"We still have some spare rooms if they're interested."

"No, mom. It's too dangerous." Judy took a deep breath when her upset mother started to respond. "I'm sorry but I'm putting my foot down on this one."

"Are you staying away, too?" Bonnie asked weakly.

Judy bit her lip. She had to say it. She hoped they would understand.

"Once the party's over we're leaving Bunnyburrow. And we won't be back until NEST is dealt with. We won't contact you either. They could hack our phones. I'm sorry"

Bonnie held her paw to her quivering mouth. Judy turned away, unable to look at the tears beading in her mother's eyes. "I suppose this would be the first place they'd look… Just say goodbye to your father first. Please."

As Judy watched her walk away, she felt lower than soil. She supposed it was a good thing they'd had this conversation before she'd applied the masacara.

Judy could faintly hear the techno music emanating from the mansion as Winters drove the car through the gate at the guard's approval. Jack sat beside Judy in a jet-black tuxedo, resting his elbow and gazing out the window in a contemplative pose.

"You look like the Thinker right now, you know that?" Judy asked. Given the size of the Redwood grounds and the line of fancy cars that preceded them, they had enough time for small talk before beginning the mission proper. The gravel road was lined with lotus-themed lanterns.

"I beg your pardon?" Jack lifted his head from his paw.

"Redwood won't like it if you're that miserable at the party." Judy gave a tentative smile.

She didn't expect Jack to smile back. "Don't worry, I'll cheer up once we're out the car." He paused, the smile fading. "I just wish this had ended two years ago, that's all. This codice had better give us answers."

All Judy could do was utter a quiet, "Yeah."

They reached the driveway sooner than expected. A valet strode up to open Jack's door, while Winters got out to open Judy's.

"Don't worry, Hopps." Jack said. "Once we're in, your role is over. Enjoy the party and leave the codice to me."

Judy nodded, but she still felt sick to her stomach.

The doors opened at the same time. Once outside the car, Jack offered his arm to Judy. Judy allowed their arms to interlock, and together they joined the stream of Bunnyburrow and Deerbrooke Elite up the marble steps, past the Grecian flowerpots adorned with flowers of red and orange, and into the entrance hall.

The magnificent interior of the entrance hall confirmed Redwood's affinity for plants. Imitation plants were everywhere, not just decorating the floor, but also adorning the walls and balconies. Two staircases adorned with grape vines stood on either side of a beautiful waterfall which cascaded into an oval pond gently enough to not spatter the guests. Speaking of which, Judy felt a little relieved that the guests weren't noticing her for the most part. The work she and Winters had put into making her outfit look glamourous was paying off, it seemed.

"Huh. Looks like the Hanging Gardens of Camelon in here." Jack muttered.

"Never one for beating 'round the bush, are you, Jack?" Judy asked. She had almost forgotten that he had a penchant for stating things bluntly. If Nick was here, he would state his opinion differently.

"Huh. If he's so rich, why'd he order plastic plants?"

"Thank God I don't have hayfever."

"Think maybe you could stand by that tree there while I take a picture? I figure those fake figs'll bring out the colour of your eyes."

"What's so funny?" Jack asked, bringing Judy out of her reverie.

"Oh, nothing." Judy let out one last snicker before allowing Jack to lead her onward. Guided by servants dressed in white, the line of chattering elites left the entrance hall through the right-hand exit, continued on through a long glass corridor, and emerged into the expansive back garden of the estate. A large cream pergola adorned with more Camelonian foliage marked the exact location of the party. A banded back by a state-of-the-art sound system stood atop a wooden stage, the source of the techno music. Judy and Jack allowed themselves to be assimilated into the crowd, making a beeline for the bar that stood opposite the stage. When she caught sight of the fancy bar glowing with golden under-bar lightning, she also saw the line of bar seats, of which only two were occupied. For a moment, she imagined Nick sitting in one of them, dressed in a tuxedo just like Jack's and sipping from a Martini. Shaken, not stirred, just for the sake of being funny.

Once on those two seats, Jack treated Judy and himself to a glass of champagne apiece. For a time, they just sat there, enjoying their drinks and engaging in small talk. They talked mostly about what they'd being doing for the last two years. Judy had been helping Bogo to clean up the mess that had been left behind when Koslov and his family had left Zootopia, effectively ending the gang war for good. Mr. Big had been on his best behaviour since then, focusing on his successful and legitimate bakery business while leaving his lieutenants to clean up the bloody mess they and their rivals had left behind.

As for Jack, he worded the tales of his activities very carefully. To anyone eavesdropping, it would sound like he was talking about all the fancy vacations he'd taken since splitting up with his wife. The last one he'd been on was a cruise in Ewerope that hit a reef and sunk.

"Ok, our glasses are almost empty. Now what?" Judy asked. She wanted to go over her role in the plan one more time before they split up.

"We finish our champagne, thank Redwood for inviting us if we see him, and then I excuse myself to take a call from Winters. Once I take that call, you're free to do as you please. So long as you stay here until the call is over."

"Of course." Judy looked around the outdoor ballroom. The majority of the guests were gathered in the middle, so Judy could see the security guards surrounding the pergola- and the firearms they carried. "And exactly how do you plan to take that call with all this background noise?"

Jack eyed the closest guard and smiled. "I have my ways."

"And I just have to stay here?" Judy asked. "Right?"

Jack tilted his head. "You don't seem happy about that."

As a matter of fact, Judy wasn't. Two days ago she'd balked at the thought of aiding Jack and Alyssa in committing a crime. Now that she was here, sitting on this barstool, surrounded by mammals who would look down on her in more ways than one, she felt… differently.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

"Whatever happened to being uncomfortable with this 'heist thing?'"

"I am uncomfortable. Just…"

"Yes, these stools are more aesthetic than ergonomic."

Judy blinked. On second thought, maybe Jack and Nick were not so different.

"Look, all I'm thinking is that we only have a few hours of party time, if that, and we don't even know where to start looking."

Jack leaned on the counter, unperturbed by the complication. Or so it seemed. "So, what do you propose?"

Judy stroked the rim of her glass with her finger. She took one last scan of the crowd. "You know, now that I think of it, the host should have shown himself by now."

Jack took a quick glance of the crowd himself and nodded. "Well, let's find him then."

After some subtle questioning from some of the party guests, they learned that Redwood was in the billiard room playing stripes against an old college friend. They must have been playing for money, for when they approached the door, a boar in a white tuxedo burst out, muttering, "Thousand dollars a ball…" under his alcoholic breath. They let Mr. Goardon storm past them before letting themselves into the room. Redwood stood on the other side of the billiard table, counting a small stack of hundred-dollar bills in his hooves. When he spotted the two rabbits, he stuffed the money in his jacket and picked up his cue stick with a smile.

"Hopps. Savage. Good of you to come!" He walked round the table and shook hands with each of them. "Fancy a game?"

"What're the stakes?' Judy asked.

"Nope, no bets this time." Redwood drawled with the classic Deerbrooke twang. "Gerry there thought he'd finally prove himself as the superior hustler. I was just proving him wrong."

"In that case, you've got yourself a game. So long as I can take turns with my plus one here."

"Two against one? Eh, I can take a challenge."

While Redwood reset the table, Judy sat on the row of flat cushions beneath the bay window and looked out over the grounds. The party was still in full swing; she could hear the music through the glass.

"D'you mind me asking why you're not out there with your guests?" She heard Jack ask.

"I'll be out there soon enough. Once Goardon's cooled down with a few drinks."

Judy spotted Goardon at that very moment, sitting at the bar and ordering the llama standing there to get him something.

A tapping sound drew Judy's gaze from the pergola. Redwood was offering her a cue stick half the size of his own.

"Ladies first?" He asked with a grin.

Judy smiled back, took the cue, and hopped onto the bench that circled the billiard table. Time to get to work.

She didn't expect to win this game. Winning wasn't even the point. All the same, the impressed glint in Redwood's eye when she potted a green striped fourteen on her first shot gave her the jolt of confidence she needed to start talking.

"Before, you said Goardon was trying to prove himself the superior hustler?" Judy asked as she handed Jack the stick.

Redwood leaned over the table and took aim. "Goardon was the President of Horatio Eta Herd back when we were in Uni. To get into the fraternity, you had to challenge the President to a pool game. You pot five out of seven balls before the President pots the black, you're in."

"And you potted…"

The burgundy seven ball sped across the green field into the corner pot. "All seven stripes. And the black. Poor bastard didn't know I'd played this game all my life."

Jack took his time about aiming, glancing at Redwood every now and then.

"So do you have any hobbies outside of the billiard room? Guessing from that display in the hall, you have a thing for plants." Judy noticed an abandoned tray of clean glasses on the small round table in the corner, next to a bottle of red wine. "May I?"

"Help yourself."

While Judy poured a glass, the striped yellow nine bounced off the wall and slowed to a stop in the middle of the table. Jack sighed and handed the pole back to Judy.

"And to answer your question, it's not the plants that interest me. It's the aesthetic. The culture."

"So… the art." Judy.

"Exactly. Redwood circled the table, eyeing the balls that remained, pondering his next move.

"Was it the art that sent you halfway across the world to Ewerope?" Judy sipped the cool red wine.

"You could say that." Redwood stopped at the farthest corner, eyed the purple four, then seemed to change his mind and continue on.

"Whereabouts did you go?"

"Bartoli. Beautiful place. Better than Venice, if you ask me."

"I wouldn't know. I've never travelled that far east." Judy said.

The conversation continued normally from there as the game continued, Jack offering nothing but a blunt comment here and there. Judy questioned Redwood a lot about his time in Bartoli, and the other places he'd visited to experience their culture. He'd even funded and joined an expedition to the Arctic circle just so he could experience the grisly beauty of the 'Blood Falls' first-hand. In turn, Redwood asked her about the trips she and her family had been on recently. Judy answered truthfully, having visited family in most states but never leaving the country entirely. The closest she got to international travel was a week in Mexicow with four of her siblings, a celebratory gift for making it into the Police Academy.

Judy worded each question carefully, keeping her tone casual, maintaining a relaxed pose as she sipped her wine in between shots, leading Redwood in any way she could. She could see her technique was working in the way he immediately responded to her questions. No hesitation. No suspicion. His guard was down, and Judy made sure it stayed down.

When she and Jack had three balls left and Redwood only had one, Judy decided it was time to get to the really meaty questions. She'd studied interrogation in the academy. She'd questioned suspects and witnesses inside and outside the interrogation room. Bogo had taught her a thing or two. So had Nick. She could do this.

"So did you ever bring back any souvenirs from your trips?" Judy asked.

"You mean those cheap t-shirts and cups from the local gift shops?" Redwood asked. "Jesus, no. If I take anything back, I take back real art."

"What, you mean genuine historical artefacts?" Judy wasn't entirely faking her look of concern at Redwood's implied illegal grave robbery.

"Sometimes. Sometimes I acquire paintings and sculptures indigenous to the cultures I visit. All purchased legally of course."

"I didn't think the museums would give up their exhibits so easily." Judy's ear twitched at the sound of Jack taking his shot, potting his first ball since the game started.

"I buy my art from local galleries and auctions." Redwood took aim and potted his last ball. Once the black eight was potted, it was game over.

"I didn't see any paintings in the entrance hall." Judy pointed out, hoping against hope that her opponent would respond the way she wanted him to. She potted the purple twelve.

"I didn't want them clashing with the plants, so I had everything moved to my private gallery with the other artefacts."

Judy didn't need to falsify her excitement. "You have a gallery?"

"Where else would I keep all my souvenirs?" With a smirk of pride worthy of Nick, Redwood potted the black. "And that's that."

Judy laid down her cue. "You mind if we have a look around the gallery before we head back outside?"

Redwood set down his own stick. "I really need to get out there before they start setting up a search party, but literally be my guest. Just make sure you finish your wine and leave the glass here before going inside. Oh, and don't touch anything in there. The displays are attached to an alarm system and we don't want to scare the other guests. You'll find the gallery in the north wing, adjacent to my study."

"Thank you." Judy said, beaming as she and Jack watched Redwood leave the room. "I'm sure we'll find it educational."