Chapter Text
Judy’s eyes were damp, and she clenched her paws as she stared at the fox in front of her. His red fur rustled in the breeze caused by a train whizzing by. The train station around them bustled with life, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away from Nick Wilde. Her fox. One corner of his lips tilted up, and he leaned down until his bright green eyes were level with hers. His tightly packed suitcase nudged the ground near her feet as he loosened his grip around the handle and brought his paws to her soft arms.
“We already went four years without each other, Carrots. What’s one more?” Nick joked softly. Judy tilted her chin up and squinted her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. As if she needed any reminder of how long they spent apart. It was like the universe had some personal vendetta against them; never wanting them to be in the same place together for more than a couple of months.
“I was just getting used to your disruptive presence, and now I’ll have to start all the way back at square one,” Judy said with a sniffle. Nick chuckled quietly. He straightened up and brought one paw up to her limp ears. He brushed his claws lightly over the soft fur in an affectionate gesture. The movement added another heightened emotion to Judy’s already fraying self-control as she tried to fight against the blush that rose to her skin. The fox sure knew how to make her feel.
“Oh, don’t you worry, Fluff. I still plan on being disruptive. Don’t think hundreds of miles between us is going to change anything,” Nick said, his signature smirk growing just slightly. Her heart panged as she thought about how that sly look used to annoy her to no end, but at that moment she couldn’t imagine going without it. Before she could answer, he closed the gap between them and held her against his body. His soft, red fur tickled hers, and the proximity made her feel dizzy. While the two mammals were officially official, their relationship was still quite fresh, and they were taking things slow. They realized there was still a lot to learn about one another, so they agreed not to immediately dive into the deep end. Judy recognized this was important, but it sure didn’t stop her from getting flustered around him. If she was being honest with herself, every time she saw Nick, she wanted to loosen his tie, grab him by the collar, pull him against her, and--
“Judy?”
She blinked, realizing her racing mind got away from her. Her body still remained flush against Nick’s, and his snout hovered by her ear as he spoke. She resisted the urge to shiver. The combination of her lingering thoughts and Nick’s breath on her ear made it hard for her to focus. She cleared her throat.
“Sorry, I’m just wallowing,” she said, sniffling again to really sell it. Nick squeezed her once then pulled away to evaluate her emotions. He took in her watery eyes and twitching nose, and he grinned.
“While I hate seeing you cry, it’s doing wonders for my confidence knowing you’ll miss me so much,” he said. His grin grew until sharp canines poked out of his muzzle, and her heart squeezed once more. What was this fox doing to her? She was practically a puddle at his feet! While her overheating brain wanted to tackle him and kiss him until they both couldn’t breathe, she instead socked him on the shoulder and rolled her eyes, allowing a small smile to grace her lips.
“Plus, you won’t be wallowing when I become Officer Wilde,” Nick added. His words perked up one of Judy’s ears, and she found her smile becoming genuine. The idea of having a partner already made hope bubble up in her chest. So, knowing that Nick would be that mammal for her made her feel ecstatic. She was barely hanging on as the first bunny cop with the constant need to prove herself and the suffocating air of superiority that clung to the mammals around her when they glanced her way. No one believed she was capable of more than just ticketing cars, so every work day weighed on her already exhausted shoulders just a little bit more. She was losing her spark. Losing the drive that propelled her to become an officer in the first place. She needed a win. Badly. Shaking herself from the negative train of thoughts, Judy jumped up and placed a quick kiss on Nick’s cheek. She watched his normally orange fur gain a redder tint as his skin flushed, and his calm persona faltered briefly. He brought a paw up to gingerly touch his cheek, raising his eyebrows.
“You’re just making it harder for me to leave, Carrots,” he said. Judy smiled sheepishly and ran a paw over her ears.
“As much as I want to say ‘then don’t’, future Judy would not be happy with me. She needs her fox partner ASAP,” the grey bunny said. Nick laughed, swiping his thick suitcase off the ground with one paw and using the other one to ruffle the top of Judy’s head. She leveled him with a flat look, causing another bark of laughter to escape his muzzle.
“You know you love me,” he said confidently. Judy sighed and shook her head. She looked up at the sky exasperatedly before letting her gaze fall back to his.
“Do I know that? Yes, yes I do,” she said. Nick sported a boyish grin as he began to walk away from the stationary rabbit. Her ears pressed harder against her head, and she felt tears cloud her vision once more. Nick winked at her as his figure retreated further from hers and closer to the swarm of mammals trying to get on the same train.
“Keep the streets of Zootopia safe while I’m gone!” Nick yelled. Judy choked out a watery chuckle. That time, the tears flowed down her cheeks freely, and she didn’t bother to stop them.
“If only they’d let me,” she whispered to the open air. Nick was already swept up in the crowd, and she couldn’t see his familiar face anymore. She stood there in the busy station, eyes droopy and mind feeling heavy. Mammals streamed by her, some in a hurry while others strolled casually. She remained still.
Eventually, when Nick’s train began to crawl forward inch by inch, Judy finally moved. She shoved the palms of her paws into her eyes to rub away leftover emotions then slowly walked her heavy feet away from the train station toward her fox-less apartment.
***
While Nick attended the police academy, Judy assumed her year would continue on as normal. Wake up, feel absolutely useless for eight hours, sleep, then repeat. Somewhere in that strict schedule, she planned to call Nick as much as possible to hear about his experience at the academy, but also just to hear his voice. She was embarrassed to admit it, but it provided a sense of comfort that she couldn’t find elsewhere. He’d speak in that smooth, confident lull, and she would feel the tension seep out of her stiff muscles. However, what Judy wasn’t expecting was an opening to prove herself at work. An opportunity that, at the time, seemed like a dud, but ended up being so much more than that.
While her coworkers at Precinct One were beyond competent, it somehow took them an unusually long time to find the fourteen mammals. When they finally stumbled upon all the missing predators in rare primal states, the city of Zootopia’s foundation was rocked. The predators were all locked in cages, seemingly abandoned while they scratched at whatever they could get their claws on, absolutely lost to the world. Once they were found, more predators started suffering from transformative savagery. The state of the mammals created a sense of unease throughout the city. Everything appeared normal on the surface, but tension threaded its way through the citizens. If they couldn’t trust the sanity of the mammals around them, who could they trust? The ZPD was desperate to understand the reason behind the savage predators, and Judy was desperate to help. She kept her ears perked at all times while she worked, hoping to pick up on any hint that would allow her to conduct her own secret investigation.
It was a typical morning at Precinct One when Judy finally heard something that piqued her curiosity. She stood by the coffee maker in the break room nursing a fresh cup of caffeine when her coworkers, Wolfard and Delgato, walked in. They spared her a quick glance, uninterested expressions donning their faces. They made a beeline to the fridge to place their lunch boxes in a cold environment. Once they reached a significant distance away from Judy, they started speaking in a hushed tone.
In the most inconspicuous manner she could manage, she swiveled her ears in their direction. As much as she hated being practically invisible to her peers, she had to admit it came in handy at that moment. Their voices funneled into her big ears, and she heard them as clearly as if they were right next to her.
“So, what do you think about what that weasel said? Do we trust him?” Wolfard asked in a growly whisper.
“Bogo needs us to find something. I say we believe it and try to find this guy,” Delgato answered. Who were they talking about? Judy needed a name. She needed more.
“But he’s a weasel. Bogo’s gonna laugh in our faces,” Wolfard snarled. Judy stilled, forcing her gaze to remain forward instead of rolling her eyes. Of course they were being specieist. To keep up with appearances, she sipped her lukewarm coffee and pretended to inspect her dull claws. The clock on the wall seemed to tick louder along with her thudding heartbeat. She was on the precipice of new information, and it excited her. The possibility of being able to conduct her own investigation thrummed in the back of her mind, and she had to bite her lip to hold back a grin.
“We. Need. A. Lead, Wolfy,” Delgato bit out. Desperation laced his tone, and she felt bitterness pool in her mouth. She could have been a resource on the case, but instead they excluded her altogether because of their own biases. A beat of silence enveloped the two mammals until Wolfard eventually spoke.
“Fine. Let’s go over what we all know. The weasel mentioned a ram named Doug. That’s it,” Wolfard said. Judy risked a glance over at the two mammals, and she saw the wolf giving his partner a flat look. Delgato had a determined glint in his eyes as he regarded the disgruntled mammal in front of him.
“So, we start by searching for rams named Doug who have an anti-pred history.”
“That’s going to take us forever.”
“It’s a start. Chances are we’ll find something before we have to search through all of them.”
“Let’s hope.”
The tone of finality in the word ‘hope’ spurred Judy into motion. She relaxed her ears and finished her coffee in one big gulp, trying to seem distracted and not like she was hanging onto their every word like a lifeline. The clock on the wall told her there were five minutes until she needed to be in the bullpen, so she washed her coffee mug as quickly as she could while Wolfard and Delgato trailed out of the room looking significantly droopier than when they entered.
Judy’s mind whirled as she milled over their conversation. She desperately wanted to know what led them to the weasel and how they knew the savage missing mammals were a product of predator hate. While she walked to the bullpen, she wrote down everything she remembered, underlining the name Doug twice. She needed to work quickly, but not quickly enough that it drew suspicion from her coworkers.
As much as she hated parking duty, it gave her the opportunity to mull over her options. Her first thought was to talk to the only mammal who seemed to like her at the ZPD: Benjamin Clawhauser. She would casually ask him to look up the name Doug for her with some fake backstory about why she needed it. Her cop skills were a bit rusty considering she spent most of her time handing out tickets, but she was determined to find something useful. She was determined to be useful.
After her shift, she skipped into the precinct with extra pep in her step, stopping right before the desk that towered over her. She gripped the bottom of her overly bright parking jacket and straightened it, looking up at the friendly mammal with what she hoped were persuasive, kind eyes.
“Clawhauser! My favorite cheetah! How has your day been?” Judy asked, sickeningly sweet syrup coating her words. The feline peered over the side of the desk with his chin in his paws, and his bottom lip stuck out in awe.
“Ohh Judy! You’re looking even cuter than normal! My day just got better,” he said with a dreamy look on his chubby cheeks. Judy inwardly cringed at his use of the word “cute”, and she regretted not telling him about the connotations of that word the first day she met him. However, she didn’t have time to dwell on it, so she moved on.
“It’s a pleasure to see you too! Hey, do you mind if I ask you for a favor?” she asked, beaming at him with enthusiasm. He looked like he was about to respond with equal enthusiasm, but he was cut off by a gruff voice coming from above them.
“HOPPS!” Chief Bogo shouted from his second-story office. Judy’s ears immediately dropped as she turned to face him. His eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared.
“Your shift is over. Stop distracting the mammals that are still clocked in.”
The Chief’s stern voice carried throughout the lobby, and a handful of her coworkers stopped what they were doing to stare. Her eyes darted to all the judgmental expressions fixed on her, and her nose began to twitch rapidly. She was the smallest mammal in the room, but somehow, each eye knew where to find her. Clawhauser noticed this and cooed at her softly.
“I’m sorry, Judy. We can talk whenever you come in for work next, alright?” He said. He regarded her with a look of pity which almost tipped her over the edge. Her foot thumped against the ground, paired with burning skin and pressure behind her eyes. She was just so frustrated. She wanted to rip off her meter maid jacket, throw her badge at Bogo, and never come back. But Nick.
Nick was at the academy to become her partner. He was working hard, putting himself through hell to be there for her. She had to stay strong for him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, imagining the familiar green eyes and soft smirk. When she opened them, her foot stopped thumping, and her eyes remained dry. She nodded firmly at Bogo, then walked to the precinct locker room to change before she headed home. She kept her head held high and her stare straight ahead, paying no mind to the mammals around her.
When she finally made it to the locker room, she dropped against a locker and let out a shaky sigh. She dipped a paw in her pocket and fished out her phone. A message from Nick blinked across the screen.
Nick: the lack of beautiful grey bunnies here really is a tragedy.
Judy smiled through teary eyes and huffed out a laugh. Somehow, her heart already felt lighter.
Judy: That’s a shame. How will you survive?
Judy waited for a reply, but she knew it was hopeless. She knew how demanding the academy was, and chances were he wasn’t going to check his phone anytime soon. After powering off her device and standing back up, she slowly pulled off her metermaid uniform with tired muscles. She ached with anticipation of something that she feared would never come. She yearned to become a real cop. To dust off the cobwebs in her brain and solve a case. That desire burned somewhere in the back of her mind, slowly becoming dimmer as time went on. With one last heavy sigh, Judy slammed her locker shut and began her trek home.
Later that night, she scrambled to pick up the phone that buzzed on her desk. She flipped it over with barely concealed anticipation, unable to suppress the grin that grew on her muzzle when she saw who was calling. Nick’s name flashed across the screen. At the thought of talking to him, her mood brightened.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite fox,” Judy said as his face filled the small device. She could barely make out what part of him she was looking at because he was so close to the camera. She brought a paw to her mouth and giggled.
“That’s not a hard feat, Carrots. You don’t know many foxes,” he said. He seemed to be shuffling around, getting ready for bed. Oh, how she wished he was with her. Even just his simple existence had her feeling giddy. With a laugh, she corrected herself.
“Well, if it isn’t my wonderful boyfriend.”
Judy watched Nick pull the phone away from his face to offer her a cheeky grin.
“Atta girl. Property of Judy Hopps, reporting for duty,” he said with a wink. Judy couldn’t stop the smile that split her muzzle. Her cheeks hurt with the size of it, but she couldn’t dim it down. Her ears burned with a faint blush before she cleared her throat and attempted to get herself together.
“You are not my property, Nick!” she said, laughing incredulously.
“Well, you are the owner of my heart, Carrots,” he replied. That time, Judy couldn’t stop the blush that flooded from her ears down the rest of her body. She sighed in contentment and turned off her overhead light, creeping over to her creaky bed to tuck herself in. She slipped under the covers and wiggled down until the blanket was pulled all the way up to her chin. Once she was cozy, she asked Nick how the academy was treating him, and they fell into a comfortable conversation. The tension from the day melted off of her as she sank deeper into her bed, listening to the calming lull of Nick’s voice.