The first perk of Judy's new temporary job was the fact that she got to sleep in an extra few hours. After her alarm went off at eight o'clock, Judy managed to wake up rather quickly, considering her middle-of-the-night escapade the night before. She crawled out of bed, shut off the alarm, and took a quick shower just as she did every morning. She spent a few minutes deciding what to wear for the day, eventually settling on a yellow sweater, white polo shirt and blue jeans—a casual outfit, but still with a hint of professionalism.
Then, for the first time since she could remember, she found herself in an uncommon position: Judy had time to kill. She was used to speeding through her mornings, getting ready for work and then bolting out the door as soon as she was set. Today, however, she was fully prepared for her day and there was still half an hour before her ride would arrive. She had to ponder for a moment before she thought of things she could do to pass the time. She started by looking through the cupboards for anything she could eat, and she was pleased to find a box of cereal inside that was still mostly full. She grabbed a bowl to go with it, a spoon from one of the drawers nearby, and finally the milk from the fridge, before bringing everything over to the small table in the corner. It was a rare opportunity for her to enjoy breakfast at the start of her day, and she made sure to enjoy every single bite. She brought up EweTube on her phone and watched some videos while she ate, though after a particularly funny clip almost made her snort milk out of her nose, she decided to finish the rest of her cereal in silence instead. Even after she finished eating, there were still ten minutes left. It was close enough, however, and she opted to head outside and wait for the limousine there.
The brisk winter air welcomed Judy as she stepped outside. It was slightly warmer now than it was when she had arrived back at the apartment last night, thanks to the sun peeking above the nearby buildings. The juxtaposition of the cold breeze and the warm sun was perfect. Judy closed her eyes and smiled, basking in the radiance of the sun. She breathed in deeply through her nose, letting the cold air tickle the back of her throat.
She let out a happy sigh. Already, this day was off to a great start.
The sound of a car engine caught her attention. She opened her eyes and turned to look down the street. Her eyes widened.
When she had been told that a limousine would be picking her up this morning, she had no idea that it was elephant-sized. The limo had just turned onto her street and was rolling up to her now. It was so large that the tires alone were almost twice as tall as she was. From her perspective, it almost looked like a building was driving up to her—a shiny, black building on wheels. Judy had never even ridden in a bunny-sized limo before, so she had already been looking forward to this, but the vehicle that came to a stop in front of her now looked so large, she almost wondered if it came with a swimming pool and restaurant inside.
The passenger window rolled down. Judy was too short to look inside, but she heard a deep, booming voice sound from within. "Judy Hopps?"
Judy waved, though she was sure whoever it was couldn't see it. "Yes, that's me!" she called back.
The window rolled back up, and a second later, the rear door popped open on its own, blasting Judy with a wave of warm air. A series of small steps extended from the underside of the limo, perfectly sized and spaced for an animal of Judy's size. Judy hesitated for a moment, suddenly unsure of what exactly she was getting herself into, but finally she walked up the steps and entered the limo.
There was no swimming pool or restaurant, but nonetheless, she was blown away by what waited for her inside. The spacious interior was lined with giant seats on all sides, which looked more like fancy leather couches. In the center was an elephant-sized mini refrigerator—so, about a normal-sized fridge for her. All across the edges of the ceiling were mood lights, currently set to a soft shade of purple, and an array of speakers that she was sure had enough power to rupture her ear drums if they were set to full blast.
She was sure there were more accessories that she did not see immediately, but before she could take a good look around, the same voice from before spoke up, this time behind her. "Allow me, ma'am." Judy turned around to see a tiger standing outside her door, wearing a uniform and hat that indicated he was the driver of the limousine. He had a big grin on his face, and a paw on the door, which he gently closed shut. Judy watched through the windows as he ran around to the front of the car, got in the driver's seat, and turned around to face her through the open partition separating her section from his. "Ricky Blaze." He brought a paw to his hat and tipped it politely. "I'll be your driver this weekend, Ms. Hopps!"
Judy gave him a small wave in greeting. "Hi." She took another glance around. She was still standing in the center of the limo, somewhere between the mini-fridge and one of the seats, and she wasn't exactly sure what she was expected to do or say at this moment, much less where to sit. "Sorry, I feel like a fish out of water right now."
"First time riding in a limo?" Blaze asked. Judy nodded, and he chuckled. "Don't worry, I've seen plenty of first-timers in my day." He gestured to the many seats. "Feel free to sit in whichever one of these you fancy. I only ask that you make sure your seat belt is fastened whenever we are in motion."
Judy took that as a gentle reminder that they had to get going. She sat down in the closest seat, which happened to be on the wall right beside her door. Even though it was a seat that could comfortably fit a fully grown elephant, it was still outfitted with a smaller seatbelt just for animals such as herself. As soon as she buckled in and he heard the click, Blaze started driving down the street. Judy watched with fascination as the buildings started to pass by outside at an elevation she had never witnessed before.
"The fridge is stocked with snacks and drinks," Blaze continued. "We've got sodas, juices, sparkling water—you name it, it's probably in there. And if it's not, I'll make sure it is by the time you ride with me next. And it's all included in the fare, so take whatever you want."
"I just ate breakfast," Judy responded, but she had a hard time peeling her eyes away from the fridge, and found herself imagining all of the treats waiting for her inside. "Maybe later," she added quietly, as if promising herself.
"There's a remote control in that console beside your armrest." Blaze waited for Judy to find it, which took a few seconds since she had to practically shove her entire arm inside before she felt it. When she brought it out, she was pleasantly surprised to find it was just the right size for her to hold comfortably in a single paw. "You can use that to control just about everything. The air temperature, the seat temperature, the floor temperature, the massager, the—"
Judy's ears shot straight up. "Massager?"
Blaze chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Yep. Every seat has one included. Press that blue button near the bottom."
Judy did so, and immediately, she felt two firm objects press into her back. They started near her shoulders, and made their way down to her tail, making small circles all the way down. Then they reversed direction, going back up to her shoulders, this time vibrating a tiny bit as they rolled. Within seconds, Judy felt herself completely relax in the big seat, letting the massager loosen all of her muscles. She let out an involuntary moan of pleasure, and she was not sure she ever wanted to leave this seat ever again.
Blaze heard her and let out another chuckle. "Yeah, that's usually a big hit." He paused to make a turn, then went back to his spiel. "If you wish to close the window between us for some privacy, there's a button for that. You can also control the mood lighting and the music with that remote. If you want, you can connect your phone over Bluefang and play whatever music you want. And finally, your remote also controls the TV."
Judy was so zoned out she barely heard him, but his last line caught her attention. "Did you say TV?" She had not seen one in all the time she was inside the limo, and even looking around again now, she couldn't even spot a hint of a screen anywhere.
"Yep. You see that button on your remote that looks like an old tube TV?"
Judy quickly found it and pressed it. She looked up from the remote, and her jaw dropped at what she saw. A slit in the floor opened up, nearly spreading the entire width of the limousine, and from within emerged a gigantic television. It rose all the way to the ceiling, completely blocking her view of Blaze and everything else on the other side. She had no idea what the screen size was, but she was sure she had never seen a consumer screen this big in her life.
"Holy…" Judy had a hard time formulating words. This was the most over-the-top experience she had ever been exposed to, and it was hard to comprehend the fact that she would have this all to herself over the next three days, even if it was just off-and-on. She couldn't help but feel guilty over how extravagant it all was—and not only was she not paying a penny for it, she was actually being paid a lot of money to enjoy it all.
She did feel a little less guilty, however, when the massager began making another pass on her shoulders.
Blaze called to her from somewhere behind the screen. "We're about five minutes away from the airport, Ms. Hopps. I recommend preparing the cabin for arrival."
Judy smirked. "Isn't that usually what they say on airplanes?"
Her voice was unusually quiet due to her current state of pure relaxation, but he heard her nonetheless. "Well, to be fair, Ms. Hopps, we are arriving at an airport. Simply press the same button as before to stow the TV. You can continue your massage until we arrive."
That was fine with her. Judy moved her finger just enough to press the button on the remote, then went back to enjoying her massage. The rest of the trip flew past before she knew it, and just as she was thinking that perhaps she should find a few minutes this weekend to bring Nick along with her so he could sample this luxury, the limo came to a gentle stop. As soon as it did, the massager stopped on its own, leaving Judy as little more than a contented ball of fluff in her seat.
Blaze exited the limousine, quickly walked over to her door, and opened it for her. "Welcome to the airport, Ms. Hopps," he proclaimed.
Judy forced herself to unbuckle and leave her seat; she had to remind herself that she was going to take many more rides over the next several days, and that this absence was only temporary. She walked out the door and was once again greeted by the nippy winter air, and she let out an involuntary shiver.
"I will be right here when you return." Blaze pointed to the empty spot behind the limousine. "Mr. Hoppkins' limo will be waiting for him right here as well. His driver today will be Jonas Teach." He turned back to Judy and once again tipped his hat to her as she stepped down to the ground. "It is my pleasure to serve you, Ms. Hopps."
"Thanks," Judy replied, not quite sure of what else to say. As he closed her door, though, she thought of one more thing. "Oh, and just call me Judy, Mr. Blaze"
Blaze smiled warmly. "Only if you call me Ricky." He folded his paws behind his back and stood at attention. "You mustn't keep Mr. Hoppkins waiting. I'll wait for you here."
According to the schedule that Bogo had texted her overnight, Hoppkins' plane was due to arrive in the next few minutes. Judy decided that Ricky was right: she did not want to keep him waiting. So she gave a silent farewell wave, then turned and entered the airport.
She had never actually visited Zootopia International Airport, so this was just as new of an experience to her as riding in the limo. The huge automatic glass doors opened up wide for her, and she was met with an assault on the senses. A wide variety of animals crowded her view of the big room; some of them stood in the check-in lines for the various airlines, others meandered toward the security queue, and a few were running as fast as their legs could carry them in an attempt to catch their flight. The noise was a cacophonous mixture of hundreds of mammals making conversation, feet of all shapes and sizes walking to and fro, bags being wheeled across the linoleum floor, the PA system making announcements, and dozens of machines processing an unfathomable amount of information all at the same time.
A few signs hung from the ceiling, indicating which direction to go to reach various areas of the airport. Judy followed them to the security queue, which she was able to skip thanks to her police badge, and made her way to Terminal B. It only took her a minute or two to arrive at the appropriate gate, and as if on cue, the plane was just taxiing into place as she arrived.
She stood out of the way off to the side, and took a moment to mentally prepare herself for her upcoming meeting. She did not know anything about Steve Hoppkins—his age, the color of his fur, or what species of rabbit he was. She knew nothing about what he looked like; in fact, the only thing she knew about him at all was that he was a producer in Hollywool and, apparently, very wealthy. Suddenly, she was worried that she would not be able to figure out which mammal coming off the plane was him.
The second the door to the jet bridge opened, however, her worries were laid to rest. The very first person off the plane was a brown rabbit, dressed in a business suit, holding a briefcase, and strolling straight ahead with an air of authority.
Plus, he was yelling, "Do you have any idea who I am?! I am Steve Hoppkins! Steve! Hoppkins!"
Judy tried to remind herself that first impressions weren't everything, but this particular first impression was not a pleasant one. Hoppkins was a lot more overweight than most rabbits she knew; his blue button-up shirt struggled to keep his pot belly contained. The hair on his cheeks and chin was overgrown and unkempt. His big ears flailed about carelessly in all directions as he jerked his head, and she thought she saw the clerk at the desk recoil when he almost hit her with one of them. And most obnoxious of all, he was yelling, though Judy could not decide if it was directed at the desk clerk, at the flight attendants still on the plane behind him, or even to the crowd of passengers waiting at the gate for their flight.
"I know the president of Southpaw Airlines! If this ever happens again, I'll make sure none of you ever work in the aviation business again!"
The words weren't even meant for her, and yet Judy still winced as she listened. She had dealt with her fair share of unpleasant mammals in her time as a cop, but this was a whole new level of nasty. Hoppkins was the kind of animal Judy had only ever seen exaggerated versions of while watching TV: a self-righteous slob who seemed to be the center of his own universe. She had a feeling when she signed up for this that Hoppkins might have been a bit snobby, but nothing could have prepared her for just how much, and she had only been exposed to him for a total of five seconds.
He started to trudge over to the desk, clearly prepared to yell new insults at the desk clerk. Judy decided that this was as good a time as any to approach him. She quickly ran over before he could start his verbal tirade. "Mr. Hoppkins?"
He whirled to look at her. "What?!" His expression changed as his gaze settled on her, and almost immediately, his eyes widened to the size of golf balls. "Oh. Oh, yes." He looked her up and down, ears to toes, several times. "You'll do nicely."
She felt a chill down her spine as he lingered on some of her more prominent curves, and she could have sworn she saw a tiny bit of drool make its way down the side of his mouth. His blatant ogling caught her off-guard, and she found herself unable to find any words to say, polite or otherwise.
Hoppkins seemed to realize that he was making her uncomfortable, and quickly cleared his throat. "Oh, where are my manners?" He wiped the drool off his mouth, then extended the exact same paw toward Judy without bothering to dry it off first. "Steve Hoppkins. Producer, manager, and opportunist." He wiggled his eyebrows and gave her an open-mouth smile. "And very, very single."
Judy had to force herself to give a half-hearted smile in return before she accepted his paw and shook it politely. "I'm not at all surprised," she responded, not bothering to hide the disgust from her voice.
Thankfully, Hoppkins removed his paw from hers, though his all-teeth grin remained. "So, you're Judy Hopps." She nodded, and he looked over her again. "Wow, you look even better than you do on TV." Before she had a chance to decide whether that was a compliment or not, his smile finally disappeared. "You know, I was really hurt by that clause you tacked onto our contract. I would have liked for these next three days to be the first of many between us."
She was all the more grateful now that she had thought to ask Bogo to add it. If this was how he behaved after knowing her for only a few minutes, she dreaded to think of what the next three days were going to be like—let alone potentially having to deal with him for any longer than that if she hadn't insisted on it.
"I'd like to keep this arrangement strictly professional," she said, making sure to keep her tone of voice as serious as possible.
Hoppkins waved a paw dismissively. "Of course, of course. I've got three days to make you change your mind, right?" His smile returned, and right now, Judy found herself missing the stupid smug grin that Nick wore all the time. He took a look at the watch on his wrist. "Ah, would you look at that, time for us to head to my first meeting. Is the limo out front?"
A voice in Judy's brain screamed for her to bail on this rabbit. Not only was he a total slob and despicable person in general, but he was already starting to lust over her and didn't even bother to hide it. And if this was how he behaved in front of dozens of other people in an airport, she could only imagine what he might do or say to her behind closed doors. Even with some very strict language written in their contract that forbade him from demanding any physical relations from her, she was not sure she could get through three days of having to deal with all of this staring and cringe-worthy attempt at flirting.
But on the other hand…
Judy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Half a million dollars, she told herself. Half a million dollars. Plus a bonus. Plus a hotel room. Plus that limo. That big, comfy, luxurious limo… She exhaled, trying to force the negative thoughts from her mind. She just had to treat it like any other assignment that she didn't like. It might not be glamorous, and it might not be pleasant, but if she could put up with this sleazeball for just a few days, she would be able to pocket a huge paycheck and, best of all, never have to see him again.
She opened her eyes and adopted a polite smile. "Yes, Ricky and Jonas are waiting for us."
Hoppkins raised an eyebrow. "Ricky?" The word barely made it past his gritted teeth, as if he had just spoken an alien language.
"That's my limo driver. He's out by the—"
Hoppkins' face contorted into an expression that Judy guessed was his version of realization. "Oh! I thought you were talking about a car brand." He gave a single loud exhale that was probably some kind of a laugh. "I never heard anyone call a limo driver by their first name!" He shoved his free paw in his suit pocket and retrieved his phone. He brought it up to his mouth, double-tapped a button on the side, and talked into it. "Note for Future Steve: call drivers by their names. They like that or something."
Judy stared at him, not quite sure if he was being serious or sarcastic—or even, possibly, making fun of her.
Hoppkins saw her expression and let out a snarky snicker. "Judy, you should see yourself. You look like a deer in the headlights." He returned his phone to its pocket. "I'm the one who pitched that, you know? Dear in the Headlights." He let out a happy sigh as he reminisced. "Great film. Terrible box office. That's how it goes sometimes."
Judy felt like she was on Canine Camera right now. She wondered if this rabbit in front of her was not really Steve Hoppkins, and at any moment, a camera crew would pop out of nowhere and tell her this was all just some kind of elaborate prank. But, unfortunately, there were no cameras to be seen anywhere in the terminal, and based on what Bogo had told her about him, this was indeed the real Steve Hoppkins: a pretentious, entitled, self-absorbed schmuck. After only being around him for a few minutes, Judy felt like she had been exposed to him long enough to last a lifetime.
And there were still three full days left to go.
Hoppkins seemed oblivious to her discomfort, however. He spun on his heel and began walking toward the airport exit. "Come on, Judy! The first interview is in thirty minutes!"
She felt her skin crawl upon hearing her name leave his lips. In all her life, nobody had ever addressed her in such a way that made her suddenly wish she had a different name. She had been bullied growing up for wanting to be a cop, and she had been threatened as a cop by criminals with all kinds of colorful language—but none of them compared with the repugnance she felt right now. Somehow, hearing this rabbit's voice speak her name was worse than everything else he had done and said so far.
Hoppkins turned around and saw that she had not yet begun to follow him. He placed his paw on his hip and tapped his foot impatiently. "Hey! The day ain't getting any younger!"
Judy brought her attention back to the present, and quickly sprinted over to Hoppkins, though she would be lying if she said she didn't have to persuade herself. Satisfied, he resumed his walk, and she fell into step behind him.
She was not used to being bossed around, and she was usually good at speaking up in her own defense—sometimes to a fault. However, Hoppkins had hired her to essentially act as his bodyguard for the next few days, and undoubtedly, he was used to people obeying him without question in Hollywool. She dreaded spending the next days of her life working with this bunny, but she continued to try and stay positive. She still had her limo, and Ricky seemed like a pleasant guy. There was still the hotel room for her to look forward to. Plus a lot of free food and drinks, and once she received her paycheck, it would make all of this hassle worth it. In the meantime, the least she could do was put her best face forward and counter Hoppkins' loathsome personality with her own cheerfulness.
She decided to start by making small talk. "So, what exactly were you yelling about?"
Hoppkins' expression clouded over. "Oh. That." A growl sounded from the back of his throat—a low, unnatural sounding noise that Judy had no idea rabbits were capable of producing. "My salad had one tomato instead of two."
Judy assumed that he was leading up to something much worse, but after a few seconds of silence, she realized he was finished. She blinked in surprise. "That's all?"
Hoppkins stopped dead in his tracks. Judy reflexively stopped as well, and was met with a look of pure indignation on his face. His eyes were wide open, his mouth agape, and the skin underneath his fur was starting to turn so red that she swore she could see the outline of his veins. "That's all?!" he repeated. He raised his free paw and jabbed it in her direction, barely missing her chest. "I paid for a first-class ticket, and I expected to be treated as such!" He lowered his paw and firmly gripped the handle of his briefcase so tightly that his knuckles started to turn white. He took his eyes off of her and stared straight ahead, focusing on nothing in particular. He continued in a mutter, "If I ever find the guy who boxed that up, I'm gonna…"
Every fiber of her being begged for Judy to cut him off and chastise him for his incredibly rude conduct. However, she had to remind herself that her job was simply to work as his security for the next few days. It would not be appropriate to call him out on his behavior, no matter how much she wanted to, and even if she did, it probably wouldn't do any good anyway. Clearly, Hoppkins was a mammal who was used to a certain level of entitlement, and if she tried to bring him down to a healthier level, it would likely only make things worse.
She gritted her teeth and opted for a slightly less critical comment instead. "I'm sure it was an honest mistake."
Hoppkins' eyes snapped back to her, and it seemed he suddenly remembered that she was still there. Instantly, his demeanor changed back to before: his expression softened, and he straightened his posture, and his phony smile returned. "Ah, you'll have to excuse me." He started walking again. "I forgot. You are but a lowly country bunny. You could never understand."
Judy remained standing where she was for a few extra seconds, completely dumbfounded by Hoppkins' latest quip. Not only had he managed to insult her to her face, he had done so without seeming to care. The rabbit was a complete sleaze, with absolutely no respect for anyone else, some of the worst manners she had ever witnessed, a complete lack of self-control, and the way he looked at her was enough to make her want to go home and scrub her fur in the shower all night long. There was not one thing about him that she liked, and she had a feeling that once these three days were done, she would not be able to find a single redeeming quality to make putting up with this worth it.
Half a million dollars… She closed her eyes once again. Half a million dollars…
"You know, they called it Terminal B because of me?" Hoppkins' voice was far away. Judy's eyes snapped back open, and she realized that he had been walking this whole time, apparently oblivious to the fact that she was not in step behind him. She quickly sprinted to catch up with him, and he continued talking the whole time. "Because I'm a bunny, and they wanted to honor me with my very own terminal. True story." She matched his stride and forced out a half-hearted laugh, but that was all she could manage.
Thankfully, the rest of their walk was in silence. Hoppkins walked surprisingly fast for a bunny in his condition, and in just a few minutes, they reached the passenger pickup area outside. Judy was happy to see Ricky standing beside the limousine, patiently waiting for her with a polite smile on his face. Just as he had promised, a second limousine was parked in the spot behind hers, and it was just as big and elaborate. An elephant was standing beside this one, wearing a uniform identical to Ricky's.
Hoppkins walked straight to his limo, once again leaving Judy behind, but at least this time it was intentional. The elephant opened his door, and without any greeting whatsoever, Hoppkins snapped, "XYZ 13 News." He waved a paw in the air as he disappeared inside. "See you there, Judy!" he called behind his shoulder. The elephant calmly closed the door behind him and started walking to the driver's door on the other side.
Judy couldn't help but feel bad for the elephant. Even though it was his job to be a limo driver—a job that Hoppkins clearly felt was an unacknowledged one—she still felt that he at least deserved a thank-you. Before he could reach his door, she waved a paw. "Jonas?"
He stopped abruptly and looked around, a bit confused that someone had called his name. When his eyes settled on Judy, standing next to the limo in front of him, his body froze. "Um… yes?" His voice was hesitant, and Judy almost wondered if he was worried that she was going to fire him or something.
She offered a warm smile. "I'm Judy." She gave a thumbs-up. "I'm looking forward to seeing you a lot this week!"
She dared not say much, or else Hoppkins might start throwing a tantrum over all the time they were wasting, but still, her words had an immediate impact on the elephant. His posture relaxed slightly, and a big smile spread across his face. He quickly brought the front of his long trunk to his hat and tipped it in her direction, before finally opening up his door and entering the limo.
"That was very kind of you." Ricky opened Judy's door for her as she turned her attention back to him. His smile seemed less forced now and more genuine.
Judy walked up the steps and began to enter the limo. "It's probably the only kind thing he's going to hear over the next few days," she sighed. She paused at the top and looked at Ricky. "Have you ever dealt with Mr. Hoppkins?"
Ricky was silent for a moment while he thought of how to best answer the question. "If you mean, have I ever driven him around myself, no." The faintest hint of a wince crossed his face. "However, I've heard stories from other drivers who were not so fortunate."
Hoppkins' vehicle behind them suddenly lurched forward, and Judy watched with bated breath as it tore out of its parking space and lunged into the through lanes nearby, barely missing the rear bumper of her own limo by inches. As it passed, she could see Jonas' face through a window, looking as if he was in a panic, and then Hoppkins in the very back, screaming something irate and flailing his arms like a blow-up balloon in a used car lot.
Judy had not realized it, but she had instinctively crouched on the top step and gripped the side of the door frame, ready to leap away from the limo and get to safety if she had to. In contrast, Ricky had kept his composure and remained standing in place throughout the ordeal. "I don't envy him." Even his voice stayed calm, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He cleared his throat. "I think we should be on our way now, Judy."
Judy took the hint and slowly finished walking inside the limo. She sat down in one of the rear seats and buckled in, while at the same time, Ricky closed her door and walked around to the front. She struggled to fully process all that had happened in just the past hour, since Ricky had first picked her up from her home all the way up until this very minute. It felt like she was on a roller coaster, and all of her emotions were being exercised to an extreme: her joy riding in the limo, to her disgust interacting with Hoppkins, and everything in-between. In just one morning, she had gone through more excitement than she was used to in a whole month—and, as she once again reminded herself with a groan, there were still three full days to go.
She found herself suddenly exhausted. As the limo started moving forwards, she slumped as far into her seat as she could, felt around the console beside her, and retrieved the remote. She pressed the blue button near the bottom, and a second later the massager in the seat started working on her shoulders.
It was going to be a very long three days, but with all the spoils for her trouble—and a little bit of luck—Judy hoped she would manage to get through it. And, if anything else, at least this was an entertaining story she could share with Nick when it was all over.