"A New Job"

Nick rapped the right rear van door a few times and then quickly jumped out of the way. He knew how his former partner greeted unannounced visitors.

"Who is it!" Finnick shouted as he flung the door open, a golf club ready to drive whoever had disturbed him down a fairway that wasn't there. "Nick?"

"Taking up golf now?" Nick said as he stepped forward. "You usually open your van with a baseball bat."

"It finally broke." Finnick lowered the club and rested it on the inside of the other rear door. His eyes turned downward for a moment to inspect the equipment Nick carried on his utility belt and then turned up a little to contemplate his patches and nametag and badge before finally returning to the red fox himself. "I still can't believe it."

Nick shook his head. "No, you believe it. Don't think I didn't see you sitting in the back row at my graduation. It means a lot that you came."

The slightest smile appeared on the fennec's face. "Well, maybe I am happy for you. Just a little." It quickly faded. "But that doesn't mean I haven't had to make huge adjustments to scrape by on my own."

The corners of Nick's mouth rose slyly as his eyelids lowered halfway.

Finnick groaned. "Not likin' that face, man. Is there somethin' about my struggles that amuses you?"

Nick shrugged off the smaller fox's bitterness. "No, no. It's just ... if I could get you a straight job, would you take it?"

Finnick considered for a long moment before breaking his silence. "Depends. What's it pay?"

"Money."

The smile returned. "Keep talkin'."

"A week ago, there was an overnight break in at Jumbeaux's Café. In addition to all the money in the cash register, two plates imported from Arendelle and sixteen glass sundae dishes were stolen."

Finnick nodded. "Yeah, I saw some police tape outside when I drove by. I was wondering what had happened."

"Who do you think solved the case?"

"I'm guessin' you and the bunny had somethin' to do with it."

Nick nodded. "When Judy and I went to the café together to return the stolen items, Jerry Jumbeaux talked to me nearly the entire time. I could tell he was surprised that a fox of all mammals had been able to help him, and had even wanted to help him. I could smell the guilt he was feeling for having thought so little of us for so long. Anyway, it turns out that the sundae dishes were the items Jerry was most glad to have back. They're family heirlooms that have been in Jerry's family for five generations. He said he owed us a favor for their quick and safe recovery, and I took him up on that offer."

"What'd ya ask for?"

"In addition to a free bowl of blueberry ice cream—"

"You're an addict."

"—I told him that I had seen the 'help wanted' sign in the window and that I have a friend who would be perfect for the job. A friend who knows how to make a special product that could be added to the café's menu."

"A special product?"

Nick smiled. "Cold, delicious, organic pawpsicles. And with the jumbo pops already there, you won't need to play dress up anymore." He chuckled thinking about their old scheme. "As cute as it was, a fox can't really be an elephant, not even in Zootopia. But anyone can turn over a new leaf. So, what do you say, old friend?" He extended a paw to the fennec.

Finnick smiled again, but it was a different kind of smile. One not of greed or schadenfreude or mild amusement, but one of genuine happiness. It was his rarest type. "Thanks, man," he said as he shook the paw of his former partner and reacquainted friend. "When do I start?"