Disclaimer: Zootopia and all related characters are owned by Disney. All other characters, product names, trademarks, and copyrights, belong to their respective owners.
…..
Coffee, please, let there be coffee. Nick stepped out of his car parked a couple of blocks away from the town center. He'd driven slowly into town, looking around for a shop that was open this early and might be able to hook him up with a tall cup of the precious black liquid.
Nick was standing in front of a bakery. There were lights on, but he wasn't entirely sure if the shop was open. What he was sure of was the smell of a dark roast brew wafting out a slightly open window.
Nick laughed, 'Gideon Grey's Real Good Baked Stuff,' no guessing what they sell here, gotta love small towns.
Nick pushed open the door and stepped into the dim interior. "Hello, are you open?" He sniffed, smiled, and followed his nose to the side counter. "Coffee, I love you, I need you, where have you been all week?"
"She gets off work at two today if you'd like a little alone time later." Giggling, a ewe with black wool, wearing a red apron over blue jeans and a cotton t-shirt smiled at Nick and continued, "You'll have to have her back home by ten unless you want her dad coming out after you."
"Done!" Laughing now, Nick reached out and shook her hoof. "Nick Wilde, ZPD. I'm working with the sheriff's department and am sorely in need of some caffeine. Are you guys open enough that I can buy a cup?"
"Sharla Woolston, nice to meet you. Help yourself, the cups are in the cabinet under the counter."
Watching the fox prepare his coffee with the same reverence that a priest prepares for mass, Sharla asked, "Are you in from the city? I hadn't heard about any new foxes in town."
Holding the large cup in his paws, Nick took a sip. "Oh yeah." Another sip and then some lip-smacking. "Okay, I'm good now." Turning to Sharla with a smile, "I arrived a few days ago. They're supposed to have a press conference in a few days to announce my assignment. Until then, I get to do deputy things like ticketing trucks for going over fifteen miles an hour and rescuing kits stuck in trees."
"You don't mean the Davidson's kit up north? You know he doesn't like…"
"Yes, yes, I am quite aware and I'd really like to forget everything about the whole incident. No idea what they feed that kit, but it took three rounds of shampoo to get the smell of it out of my fur."
After Sharla stopped laughing, Nick asked, "So, who's Gideon Grey, you know, on the sign outside?"
Sharla went behind the counter and leaning through the kitchen doorway, yelled, "Hey Gid, there's someone here you need to meet."
A voice from the kitchen replied, "Just about done loading the oven, be right there."
A few moments later, Nick smiled as another red fox came ambling out. Gideon was brushing himself off and didn't immediately see Nick. Nick, on the other hand, was happy to see another fox in a town filled with mostly fluff. He remembered Cassy saying a predator ran a bakery in Bunnyburrow, but he'd forgotten to ask what species the predator was.
Nick took note that Gideon was Judy's age and looked like he'd sampled plenty of his own cooking. The more rotund fox was wearing his apron over a white t-shirt and khaki work pants. As he finished cleaning himself off, Gideon looked up at Nick and stopped.
"Hi, I'm..." Nick began.
Gideon barked out nervously, "You're Nick Wilde, the first fox to join the ZPD," gulping he added, "and Judy Hopps' partner."
Gideon had gone wide-eyed and then remembered the form he needed. He started to bow his head and expose his neck when Nick reached out, and lightly placing a paw on Gideon's chest, said quietly, "Whoa there friend, nothing special going on here, just a couple of foxes enjoying a cup of joe in the morning."
Sharla, hearing Judy's name, came back out from behind the counter and asked, "Are you really Judy's partner? You know, we went to school together. Haven't really seen her since high school though. Is she doing okay? I saw her on the news a year ago. That was so scary all those predators being poisoned and going savage. I couldn't believe our Judy solved such a big case, she's so smart."
"Yes, yes I am. I didn't know that. You should call her, I'm sure she'd like to hear from you. She's doing great. She is very photogenic. Yes, it was pretty scary for a while. She actually solved a couple of huge cases, and you're right she's amazing." Nick took a sip of coffee and gave Sharla one of his better smirks.
Sharla's gaze narrowed as she mentally walked through what Nick had just said. "Okay then, I guess that covers everything Judy for the last year or so."
Chuckling, Nick smiled and looked at Gideon, "It's nice to meet another fox in town, especially one that knows his way around a pastry. I've got a friend at the precinct in the city that would sell his soul for a chance to sample what I'm smelling right now."
Sharla went and picked out a blueberry and an apple puff pastry. Bagging them up, she handed them to Nick. "Here you go, on the house. We all know a cop is nothing without a brew and some sweets."
Taking the bag, he lifted his cup in salute, "Thanks, Sharla. I'm here for a while, how about I stop back in for lunch sometime so we can trade stories about our favorite bunny. I could use a little new material for when Judy and I are stuck doing long, boring patrols together."
Nick checked the time on his phone, "I've got to get to work and sign in." Handing Sharla one of his cards, "Here's my cell number and email, let me know when's good and I'll swing by. Nice meeting you both."
Gideon and Sharla watched as Nick left, closing the door behind him. He waved back at them as he climbed into his car for the short drive over to the sheriff's office.
Gideon sighed, "He doesn't know. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stopped me."
Sharla looked at Gideon and asked, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talk'n about what I did to Miss Judy all those years ago." Taking a deep breath, he added, "They're partners and friends, I best be the one to tell him what I did to her, if he hears it from someone else there will be hell to pay."
Sharla looked at the receding car and wondered how Judy's ZPD partner would react when Gideon told him what he'd done. Sharla shook her head, maybe she'd try talking with Judy and see if there was a way she could smooth things over with Nick. Putting Nick's card in her pocket, Sharla went to finish her prep work and open the bakery.
…..
Judy was trying to enjoy the warm morning sun on her fur as she walked from the metro to Little Rodentia. As it was though, she still couldn't get that DoeNet video out of her head. Well, not the video so much, she'd downloaded that and watched it a couple of dozen times, no, she meant what was up with her sister Amy's lewd comment about Nick.
Judy knew that she hadn't been around the warren a lot since she'd left for school and that her sisters were notorious for sneaking around with their boyfriends behind her dad's back, but Nick was a fox. A really handsome fox, but still a fox, which meant that they shouldn't be filming him or watching him walk half-naked down the hall like Amy had been, especially with her hundreds of miles away and not able to keep an eye on him, or, um, his amazingly soft and furry tail.
Finally coming up on one of the small to medium mammal entrances to Little Rodentia, Judy pressed the call box button mounted on the wall next to the gate, "Officer Hopps reporting, please open gate three."
Judy made her way down the broad path to one of the large parks that doubled as a reception area for small or medium mammals like her. This morning was set aside for ZPD outreach. Some daycares and kit's clubs had scheduled field trips for their kits to meet the famous Judy Hopps, and just before lunch, she'd have a couple of photo ops with some of the local leaders.
Bogo had promised her that she wouldn't be giving any speeches. After her failed press conference, a year ago, Judy had sworn off talking to the press. Fortunately for her, Nick had no problem with reporters. She smiled as she remembered the last time they had to do a press conference together.
"Carrots, all these guys want are pictures of some eye-candy and a few non-answers to help them sell ad space. Since you're the muscle on this team, you just stand next to me and look intimidating while I woo the cameras with my foxy good looks and million-dollar smile." Judy couldn't help but roll her eyes again at the memory, especially the part where she had elbowed him in the side for being a dork.
Judy arrived at the open space and sat down in a grassy area near a gathering of young mice, rats, shrews, hamsters, and gerbils. The next couple of hours went by quickly as Judy answered questions, showed off some of her gear and passed out mini-sticker badges to all the kits.
Taking a break while waiting for the photographers to get set up, Judy felt her phone vibrate. Pulling it out, she saw a text from Finn. Hey bunny girl, meet me at the Foxburg Diner after lunch. Near Cedar Ln & Wellington. Come alone.
Judy quickly looked up the location and the nearest metro stop to the diner. Seeing that the closest stop was on the edge of Happytown, she decided it would be best to go straight there from the Little Rodentia metro stop instead of going back to the station and picking up her squad car.
Will do. Followed by a big-eared fox emoji.
Judy's phone vibrated with Finn's terse response, Nice.
…..
Nick and Deputy Buckstein spent the morning staying close to the town center as they walked the various streets and shops around the square. Actually, it was more like moving from bench to chair to stool and back to another bench as Buckstein was really only good for a few blocks before he wanted to sit and 'rest a mite bit' before moving on.
Nick chuckled to himself as Buckstein made himself comfortable, again, out in front of an old diner. Looking over at the building, Nick figured they might as well take lunch and enjoy a comfortable seat.
Nodding toward the diner, Nick asked, "Hey, Buckstein, how about we go in there and get something to eat?"
Buckstein looked at the marquee, 'Hopping Good Eats', "I don't think so, Wilde, how about we go up the street and I get us something to-go from the 'June Bug', I think that'll be better."
"What's wrong with this place?"
"Well, the old geezer that used to run it, Leapwell was his name, didn't really take a shine to predators, and I'm not really sure how the new kits that are runnin' the place would be with you coming in for lunch."
Nick smiled, "Don't worry, Buckstein, I haven't been thrown out of a place in at least a month, how about we go in and see what happens."
Nick led the way into the small restaurant, and once inside he paused to take a look around. The place had a decent sized dining area with tables and booths. It also had an old-style counter with round, cushioned bar stools for those that wanted to get a quick bite. The place had a real homey feel to it.
Of course, the other thing Nick noticed is that the place was empty. Well, almost. Looking over at one of the booths, Nick saw a lone buck typing away on a laptop. The buck looked up and saw the two cops walk in and quickly shut his laptop and made his way out the door.
Walking up to the doe behind the counter, Nick motioned toward the door, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare him off."
The doe shrugged her shoulders, "Don't worry about it, he was just using the WiFi, didn't even bother to order anything."
Nick looked at the doe's name tag and then said, "Well, Brenna, my partner and I are famished. Being as we are cops, I think I'd like a half-dozen glazed and a cruller and my partner here will take an even dozen crème filled. Oh, and we'll each have a diet orange drink."
Brenna started laughing and pointed toward the counter, "Nice, cop humor, I like it. How about you two have a seat at the counter and I'll get you a menu."
Nick and Buckstein sat and ordered a grilled vegetable and potato medley and chatted with Brenna while their lunch was being cooked. After a little while, Nick slowly spun in his seat and took another look around the diner, still empty, and it was getting close to lunch hour.
"Hey, Brenna, pretty quiet isn't it? Is there something going on in town that we need to know about, like a band playing or a free food fest running somewhere?"
Nick turned back to the counter just as a buck wearing an apron was sliding plates in front of him and Buckstein. "No, I wish. We just reopened a few weeks ago and I don't think anyone knows we're here yet." Looking at Nick, the buck put out a paw, "Hi, I'm Brian Leapwell. You must be new in town."
"Yup, Nick Wilde, ZPD and now a new Burrow Deputy."
Buckstein and Brian chatted while Nick sampled his lunch. Brian had a nice variety of vegetables, but the broccoli was severely overcooked while the asparagus was practically raw and the potatoes were cut too thick to cook right. The beans were soggy and even the carrots needed help. There was a good reason the diner was empty and it didn't have much to do with advertising.
"Hey, Brian. So, where did you learn to cook?"
"I used to help my Grandpa out in the kitchen. He showed me a few things and I've been trying to work through some of his recipes. It's been tough though; he didn't write everything down and figuring out some of the details has been a pain."
Brenna huffed from where she was standing leaning against the counter. As Nick and Brian both turned to look at her, she started to chuckle, "I think what Nick's trying to say is you can't cook."
"Brenna, I can so."
"I don't think so."
"Can too."
"Nope."
Nick started laughing, "I take it you two are related."
Brenna rolled her eyes, "Yeah, we're littermates."
Brian added, "Our grandpa left the diner to us when he passed because we were the only ones interested in trying to run it. Now I'm not so sure it was a good idea for us to keep the place."
Nick nodded, "You know, back in the city, I used to work at a couple of restaurants. If you want, I might be able to show you a couple of quick things."
Brian paused and looked at Nick, he wasn't sure that would be a good idea, but…
Brenna yelled, "Yes!" and looked at Brian, "Say no to him and I'll smack you."
Nick laughed and made his way to the kitchen. Within a few minutes, he and Brian were deep into a training session. Brian wasn't really all that bad, he just needed a little help. Nick explained a few good prep techniques and then he showed him the right spices to use for his medley and how best to cook all the veggies so they cooked evenly and their flavors mixed just right. While the first round of veggies was cooking, Nick showed Brian how to make a couple of simple sauces. Nick set aside the veggies and walked Brian through the prep of another dish and a little while later they dragged Brenna back into the kitchen and had her try a couple of things too.
Buckstein was in heaven, a nice relaxing lunch hour (or so), some ice-tea and a little pie. 'Well, not this pie.' The tough, chewy crust hid a load of undercooked apple slices, so Buckstein pushed the plate away and focused on his tea and the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.
A little while after Brenna started helping, all three cooks exited the kitchen with plates of two different kinds of vegetable medley mixes, both of which looked a lot better than the dish served earlier.
Brian placed his plate in front of Buckstein and motioned for him to try it. Sniffing the plate, he looked up at the rabbit buck and smiled. Grabbing his fork, he tentatively tried a bite and then hummed in pleasure.
"Oh, yeah, this is good."
Buckstein stopped talking after that and focused on his lunch. Besides having not eaten for at least three hours, this was way better than even his mate could make."
"See told ya, I could do it," Brian told his littermate.
"Phftt.."
"Thanks Nick!"
"Not a problem, foxes are all about the food. My mom used to say that if a fox wanted to get into heaven, then they'd better be carrying a casserole dish, and for years she tried her best to make sure I knew enough to get through the pearly gates." Sitting down on one of the stools, Nick looked at the littermates and added, "You know, I have a few of my mom's old recipes I could share with you if you'd like."
Brian's ears turned to Nick in a flash, "Really? That would be great!"
Nick smiled, "Yeah, I was thinking, if you're interested in branching out a bit, maybe diversifying and attracting a wider variety of customers, she had some great recipes for predator dishes. Mostly bug-based and a few that use tofu." Leaning in, he added, "Even a few simple ones for some amazing shrimp dishes. All of them are pretty easy, and I know some suppliers in the city that can get you fresh protein-based ingredients shipped out here pretty cheap."
Brian looked at Brenna, "I don't know, Grandpa always had a thing against predators." Quickly looking at Nick, Brian added, "Sorry, no offense, my Grandpa could be…"
"An ass," Brenna added.
"Brenna…"
"Hey, I loved him the same as you, but you know how he could get."
Brian brushed back an ear, "Yeah, Brenna's right, our grandpa didn't always get along with everyone, if you know what I mean."
Nick nodded, "Don't worry about it, we've got some of that going on in the city too."
Brenna spoke up again, "Brian, let's do it."
Both Brenna and Brian nodded as they thought about filling the old diner up with customers again, predator and prey.
Nick had one more idea for the littermates, "One other thing to think about…."
The two rabbits smirked as they looked again at Nick and Brenna asked, "Do you secretly work for one of those shows that tries to save dying restaurants?"
Nick shook his head, "Nope, just a lowly cop looking for a good place to eat for the next couple of months." Motioning to the barely-eaten pie in front of Buckstein, Nick continued. "Baking desserts and pastries involves a whole different skill set than being a cook. I'd suggest you outsource your desserts; you'd get better quality and you'll make a little on each serving without all the hassle. And, I met a great baker this morning, Gideon Grey, and sampled a couple of his pastries. They were amazing, you'd do well to partner up with him for your desserts."
Brian smirked at his sister until she shook her head and laughed, "Fine, I suck at making pie." Turning to Nick, "I'll go talk to him, thanks."
Nick gave the siblings his phone number and email and then wrote down a couple of his mom's go-to predator recipes for them to try until he could find a few other recipes to send them. After looking over Nick's notes, they made a plan for Nick to come back when he was off duty later in the week to help them out a little more in the kitchen.
Buckstein, groaned as he lifted himself off his stool, "Well, I think we best get back to our foot patrol, can't spend all afternoon cookin' and eatin' and talking about cookin' and eatin', now can we?"
Nick didn't quite agree with Buckstein, but said his goodbyes to Brian and Brenna anyway and followed the older deer buck out.
…..
Judy finished up with the photographers and ended up spending a little more time chatting with a couple of Little Rodentia's councilmammals. Both had been interested in expanding the MII to include small rodents in some sort of ZPD role. They said that there was too much reliance on private security and auxiliaries to give the residents the feeling that the city really cared about their safety. Judy promised to bring up their concerns with Chief Bogo and assured them someone would get back to them.
On her way to the metro stop, Judy radioed Clawhauser to let him know that she was going to meet with a CI and to tell Pawson that he was on his own for the afternoon.
About forty-five minutes of Metro rail travel later, Judy pushed open the door to the Foxburg diner. 'Whoa, something smelled good.' Judy hadn't eaten lunch yet, and her stomach was now growling in the hopes that she'd order some of whatever it was that smelled so good.
Standing in the doorway letting her eyes adjust to the dim interior, Judy heard a familiar voice. "Judy, what a surprise!"
Squinting a bit, Judy recognized the source of the voice. "Toni!" Quickly walking over to the vixen, Judy gave her a big hug. "It so good to see you, I didn't know you worked here, how are you doing?"
"I'm great, but more importantly, how are you and your fox doing, hmmm?"
Judy let her ears drop down her back to hide a sudden blush. "It's still complicated."
Toni put her paw on Judy's back and guided her over to one of the booths along the wall. "How about I bring you out something to eat and then we'll see if us girls can't uncomplicate things a bit."
"That would be great, I was stuck doing a PR event and haven't had a chance for lunch yet." Sitting down, she added, "Hey, I'm supposed to meet a fennec fox here. Maybe you've seen him, short, gruff, and always threatening to bite your face off."
"Yeah, Finn, he's the manager and one of the cooks. I'll let him know you're here."
Toni went back to the kitchen while Judy waited. Her eyes finally adjusted and she took a look around. The diner's décor reminded her of something you'd see in an old travel guide. Dark wood booths with thick vinyl cushioned seats all around the walls, old linoleum tables with metal edges and chairs sized to fit small to medium-sized customers.
Judy saw that except for a pair of coyotes paying their bill, everyone else in the diner was a fox. Judy hummed as she scanned the lunch menu. She was surprised to see a nice mix of predator and prey dishes and then she remembered that foxes were omnivores and according to Nick 'Foodies willing to cross any species boundary for the right meal.'
Judy smiled as Toni came out of the kitchen carrying a couple of dishes. Sitting down she passed one to Judy. "Chipotle grilled veggie wrap with a side of glazed carrots." Leaning forward Toni whispered, "I put a few honey and garlic grilled shrimp under the lettuce garnish, you know, just in case."
Leaning back, Toni asked in a normal voice, "So, spill. What's up with Nick and what's going on that's so complicated?"
Judy took a bite of her wrap, "Wow, this is good." Taking another bite and then licking her lips. "Nick's up to something. The Bunnyburrow Mayor asked for him to go to Bunnyburrow and work with the sheriff's department for a couple of months and then I found out my dad invited him to stay in my family's warren."
Toni shrugged her shoulders, "Doesn't seem so bad."
Judy shook her head, "My dad doesn't like foxes. When I moved to Zootopia, he tried to load me down with Fox Away products and I know he still has a drawer full of tasers and sprays at home." Munching down some of the carrots, she added, "Besides his problem with foxes, my dad doesn't really like to be around anyone who's not a rabbit. I hate to say it about my own family, but he's a speciest. Always has been."
"How did Nick end up staying with your family if your dad doesn't like foxes, that doesn't make sense?
"I know, Nick's up to something and my family has gone insane. Nothing for a bunny to worry about, right?"
Toni hummed and then winked, "Why don't you head home for a few days and check on your fox? Might be a good chance to get a little quality time in with him while you make sure everything is okay."
Judy sighed, "I don't know, I'm thinking about it, but I sort of had it out with my dad last week, and I need to not be near him for a while. My littermate Janae has been keeping an eye on Nick, and she's texted me a couple of times to let me know what's going on."
Toni nodded, "Sorry about your dad, you know if you need anything while Nick is away, just give me a call."
Judy smiled, "Thanks." A moment later, Judy's stomach rumbled and both she and Toni laughed.
Looking around quickly to make sure no one was watching her, Judy grabbed one of the shrimp and popped it in her mouth. Chewing it slowly, she covered her mouth as her eyes went wide. Toni chuckled, "Thought you'd like them." Judy nodded and ate the rest before anyone noticed that there was a rare poterant Lagomorph in their midst.
Judy and Toni finished their lunches and Toni was about to go off her break when Judy motioned toward a gray fox that had just walked in. Judy could tell the fox was upset. He stood in front of the door for a moment, squeezing his paws into fists. The tod was wearing dirty overalls over a long sleeve shirt, had a pair of worn synthetic leather gloves hanging from a front pocket and was wearing a beat-up Keep on Truckin' cap.
Toni turned around to look. "Uh-oh. Judy, I'll be right back." As the newcomer sat himself down in a booth, one of the other waitresses set a cup down in front of him and filled it with coffee. Before she could ask if he wanted anything else, the fox swiped his paw across the table and spilled the coffee all over, "Don't want no coffee, leave me be vixen."
Judy straightened up and prepared to intervene if needed. From the corner of her eye, she saw Finn come out from the kitchen. He stopped a few feet from the door and scanned the dining room. Seeing Judy, ears at attention at her table, he paused, narrowed his brow, and stared at her. After a few uncomfortable seconds for Judy, Finn appeared to have made some sort of decision and gave her a quick nod.
As Judy waited to see what Finn was up to, Toni returned to stand next to her and placed a paw on Judy's shoulder.
The dining room went quiet as Finn grabbed a chair from a nearby table, set it next to the booth and jumped on top of it and glared at the gray fox with his arms folded across his chest. The gray fox appeared not to notice Finn and instead just stared down at the half-empty mug and spilled coffee.
Finally tilting his head up and grimacing, "What do you want, Finn?"
"You come into my place, make a mess, and act like an ass. What the hell's wrong with you, Colin?"
"I got fired, the boss accused me of stealing inventory. Finn, it wasn't me. It was that old hog's son. He's been going in there after hours and skimming off some of the stock. I told the warehouse foreman twice, I even told him how the boy lifted the alarm code and was selling the stock to some weasels down by the docks." Swirling one of his claws in the spilled coffee the now dejected looking fox let out a whimper. "Ain't fair, I needed that job. They blamed me and kicked me to the curb like so much garbage."
Judy let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and watched the heart-wrenching scene. Judy felt Toni squeeze her shoulder, "One of Colin's kits has been sick, and he's been working double shifts to cover his mate having to stay home more."
Finn continued to stare down at the fox until Colin looked up. In a loud, rough voice Finn barked out, "You know that's not what I'm talking about, tell me what the real problem is."
"Which problem are you talking about? My landlord's a prick, the doctor won't see my kit without being paid in full up front, my mate is busting her tail and getting stiffed out of her tips, or I just got fired for being a thief. Take your pick!"
Finn glared at Colin, "We need to hear you say it."
Colin and Finn stared at each other while everyone else watched the tension between them rise. After almost thirty seconds, an old corsac fox in the back of the diner yelled out, "Damn pup! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and own it like the rest of us do."
Colin shook his head back and forth in frustration. Judy could see that he was struggling to keep his cool, whatever the problem was it ran deep and it wasn't something he wanted to admit.
Judy started to ease toward the edge of the bench in case she needed to get out and help Finn when Toni whispered, "It's okay."
Colin finally yelled out, "Fine, I'm a fox, that's why it happened, because I'm a fox."
Shaking his finger at Colin, Finn barked back, "Damn straight, you're a fuckin' pelt and don't you ever forget it."
"I'm a fox."
"That's right, no one trusts a fox, no one's going to help a fox and when something goes wrong…"
"Blame the fuckin' fox," Colin finished for Finn.
"Yeah, you can want things to be different, but they aren't right now, and the sooner you recognize that the sooner those things will stop holding you back."
Stepping down from the chair, Finn put a paw on Colin's arm. "Foxes are family too, we watch out for each other, and help as best we can. You clean up this mess and tell Tiff you're sorry for scaring her while I fix you up a couple of meals to take home to the family. Alright?"
"Thanks, Finn, sorry for being an ass."
As Finn walked back to the kitchen, Judy saw another fox give a piece of paper to Colin. "My boss needs some short-haul drivers, here's my number, call me and I can get you hooked up."
Another fox passed him a number too, "If you've got any trade experience, we got some construction jobs. If not, we can train you up as a framer pretty quick."
Judy couldn't stop herself, she slipped out of the booth and with Toni following, went to Colin's table. Pulling out one of her own cards, she held it out for him. "I'm Judy Hopps and I heard what you said about getting fired. I don't know if it would help you get your job back, but if you call me with more details on what happened, I might be able to find enough evidence to show your boss that it wasn't you that skimmed the inventory."
Colin looked at the card and then at Judy, "I've heard of you. From that press conference a year ago."
Judy's face fell, another victim of her ignorant comments. Steeling herself, she set the card down in a dry spot on the table and said in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry I'm not a fox, but I'd still like to help if I can."
With downcast eyes, Judy turned to return to her booth when a paw on her shoulder prevented her from moving. Toni held Judy tight and said, "Colin, Nick Wilde is Judy's fox, and he's forgiven her for what she said at that press conference. If he can forgive her, the rest of us can too. Everyone makes mistakes."
After a moment of thought, Colin picked up the card and smiled at Judy, "Yeah, Finn just made it pretty clear that me blaming everyone else for my problems isn't helping so…" Putting his paw out, he and Judy shook paws, "Thank you for offering to help. It may be best for me to move on from that job, but if you don't mind, I'd like to keep your card just in case."
Feeling much better, Judy smiled and said, "I'd like that."
Judy sat back down in her booth and took a drink of water. Toni was checking her uniform and getting ready to go back on shift.
"Hey Toni, what exactly was that all about?" Nodding over toward Colin.
Toni leaned down to Judy, "It's kind of a fox thing. Actually, I'm surprised Finn let you watch, you know, since you're not a fox."
"Nick and Finn are good friends, and they were partners before Nick became a cop. Finn and I don't hang out, but I like to think we're friends."
"I've seen it happen a few times, for a fox, it's a cathartic experience. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we're on the bottom rung of society. Prey don't like us because they think we're shifty predators trying to either hustle them or eat their kits and large predators look down on us because they think we're lowlife, untrustworthy, scavengers."
"That old corsac tod, pretty much nailed it, for a fox to succeed, he has to own being a fox. Foxes have to accept that other mammals are going to treat them like dirt and then work harder and smarter than anyone else to prove those other mammals wrong."
"It's not all bad though," smiling as she continued to speak, "foxes don't belong to packs or prides, but like Finn said, we still think of ourselves as a loose-knit family, a seriously dysfunctional family sometimes, but one that tries to help when it can."
Toni gave Judy an earnest look, "Just a few things you may want to consider if you're serious about taking Nick as your mate."
Judy blushed at Toni's matter of fact statement and was only able to nod as Toni went into the kitchen to help Finn.
After a few minutes of Judy fidgeting with her water glass, Toni and Finn came out of the kitchen carrying a couple of large to-go bags. Giving them to Colin, Finn said something to Toni and then slipped into the bench across from Judy.
"Hey Finn"
"Hey yourself, Bunny-girl."
Judy rolled her eyes, "I didn't know you worked here. Actually, I didn't know you worked anywhere, what happened to selling Pawpsicles?"
Finn laughed, "That's just a side hustle for my days off and ever since you turned my partner into a respectable mammal, it hasn't been nearly as much fun. So, thanks for that."
Putting a paw on Finn's arm, Judy couldn't help herself, "Don't worry, if you both promise to be good, I'll let Nick out to play with you sometime."
Before Finn could threaten to bite her, Judy added, "So, what have you got for me?"
"First off, since you're tight with my boy, I'm trusting you to keep all of what you just saw under your meter-maid cap, capiche?"
"Gotcha, my lips are sealed."
"Good." Finn lowered his voice so that only Judy would be able to hear. "I know a guy that can help me set up a meet with a fox who's based near the Savanna Central docks. This fox is a mid-level player, and if anyone knows what's going on in the nastier sections of that area, it's him."
"That's great! When can I meet him?"
"Whoa there flopsy, that's not how it works with guys like this. They have to be handled just right if you expect to get anything out of them."
"Okay, so tell me what to do."
"Yeah right, not my job. You need to talk to your boyfriend about how to handle this fox. Tell Wilde, the meet is with Thorn, he'll know who that is."
"Finn, Nick's in Bunnyburrow. I can handle talking to some small-time thug by myself."
Finn's smirk disappeared as he gave Judy a severe look. "Use those ears and listen carefully, these guys are dangerous, you do it wrong, pieces of you will end up being someone's lucky charm, and if Wilde finds out it was me that got you hurt, he will skin me alive. So, no, I'm not setting up a meet until you and Wilde come up with a plan that doesn't end in dead bunny."
"Finn…"
"No, now get out of here, cops make my customers nervous."
Judy slid out of the booth and waved Toni down. "I gotta get going."
"Finn covered your lunch." Toni gave Judy a hug and added, "Are you going to come by for a visit soon? The boys keep asking when you're coming back."
Judy nodded, "Yeah, that sounds great, I'll text you, thanks Toni."
Once outside, Judy headed toward the metro stop. She made it about a hundred yards, stopped and pulled out her phone. Staring at it in her paw, her foot started to rapidly thump. Clenching her jaw, she weighed her options, go back and try again with Finn to set up the meeting with this Thorn character or talk to Nick. She was still angry with Nick, not as much as she had been, mostly because she really missed him, but definitely still irritated. Turning around, she decided she'd work on Finn.
About ten yards later, she stopped again. Squeezing the phone in her paw, Judy looked up in exacerbation, she knew all Finn was going to do was threaten to bite her face off.
Judy stomped her foot and grumbled, "Fine, I'll text him tonight, but I'm staying mad at him!"
"You go, girl! And don't forgive your mate until he deserves it!"
Judy looked up to see a middle-aged female mink giving her a wink as she walked by. Trying not to smile at the thought of her and Nick as mates, Judy called Clawhauser and let him know she was headed back to the precinct.
…..
A/N: Translation: carnivorous (adj) = poterant (Latin)