Chapter Text
Chapter 1 - Aw hell
Nick and Judy sprinted for their lives, running from the crazed sheep and her ram minions. The fox was weighed down by the injured bunny he clutched to his chest, the bunny holding on firmly to the steel case they had salvaged from the ruined subway car mere minutes ago. Moving deftly through the exhibits, Nick emerged into the main atrium once more, pushing his tired body to keep moving for the double doors at the end of the hall. A sudden clack of hooves from ahead had him turning his gaze to the large, horned ram who came up alongside the two mammals. His head down, the ram butted Nick in his side causing him and Judy to fall more than a dozen feet into the wildlife exhibit in the middle of the hall. Dazed and winded, the pair quickly scrambled together for protection. Looking around, Nick thought that if they found the steel case they might be able to use the weapon against Bellweather. His hopes were soon dashed as he heard a sneering voice from above.
"Looking for this, pelt?" Nick growled as he watched the sheep pull the deceptively harmless dart gun from the case in her hoof. "You know, this wasn't part of my plan at all." Nick slipped his cell from his rear pocket slowly and, without looking behind him, pawed the 'record' button. He slid it into the fake fern he was resting on. "I was content with letting the random preds attack each other. Maybe a few prey maulings to make it sell better to the masses. But now. Oooh boy. I get to see this for myself. A predator lose control. Kill their friend. Be lost forever in the shame of what they have done. Who knows. Maybe I'll even use the antidote to bring you back to sanity, fox. Let you weep over the dead body of your little friend. Maybe see how long it takes for you to hang yourself over the guilt."
Bellweather turned to Judy. "You know. At first I thought we could be friends. I thought I could turn you into an ally. But then I saw you were too much of a goody-goody to ever want to join me. So I did the next best thing. I used you to depose that stupid oaf, Lionhart. Poor fool couldn't even see what was happening under his own nose. And then your failure of that conference speech? You had the city eating out of my hand! At least you were good for something. Too bad that's over now."
"What are you gonna do?" Shouted Judy. "Kill me?"
"No. No no no," laughed Bellweather. "He is." At that moment, the crazy sheep turned the dart gun on Nick and let loose a bluish-purple orb at the stunned Vulpine. He steeled himself for what was about to come, knowing he was going to lose himself to the animalistic rage of his ancestors and murder his friend when a bullet of gray and white sailed in front of him, the Night Howler projectile rupturing and dousing her side with the liquid.
"Oh god… Carrots!" Nick leapt to her side as he watched her face begin to contort. "Why Carrots? Why would you do that?"
"You can...restrain me…dumb fox!" Judy gasped with each word as she fought to keep her sanity. Her logic was sound though, he thought. As a larger predator, she would never have been able to fight against him, not when she was injured. However, a small, injured rabbit could easily be held down by that same predator.
"Well, this is certainly a twist." Amusement in her voice, the sadistic sheep stared down at the pair of mammals in the pit. "I haven't seen what this does to prey. I wonder if she'll pick your bones clean like you would do to her."
Nick went to reply with a few choice words but before he could open his mouth, he felt a strong hind paw catch him in his chest. The impact drove all of the air from his lungs, leaving him horribly winded and unable to get any oxygen. Gasping at the lack of breath, he focused on his attacker. The small gray bunny had begun moving around the enclosure, her movement's limited due to the gash in her leg but she was still formidable. Acting on instinct, she was unmoved by thoughts of morality or decency, unlike Nick who was focused on subduing his friend without causing her any harm. Easier said than done, he thought to himself as he massaged his bruised ribs.
Stalking the rabbit, he cautiously moved behind her and put himself in position to grab her from the side, avoiding the powerful hind legs. Sensing his presence, she turned quickly, launching herself at her target only to find herself sprawled on the ground, her leg stinging fiercely. Unable to put any weight on it, the gray bunny used her one good leg to shove herself off the ground in a strong, low hop. Two quick bounds and she was on top of the predator chasing her, her claws digging into his skin through his shirt, drawing blood. She opened her mouth and bit down hard into his shoulder causing him to yelp as his coppery blood filled the psychotic rabbit's mouth. Knowing that pushing her away would likely mean part of his neck being torn open, he used both his paws to pry open the surprisingly strong jaws of the rabbit at his throat.
Bellweather watched on with glee at the scene below her. It was working out perfectly for her. Either the rabbit dies and he secures the 'preds are savages' or the fox dies and the 'hero rabbit officer' is seen as tainted and I can use this for a frame job if need be.
She was so distracted she didn't notice the full compliment of ZPD officers now standing behind her. Chief Bogo took one look at the scene below them and the dart gun in the hands of the maniacally laughing mayor and became enraged. "DAWN BELLWEATHER! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" Bogo's booming voice echoed off every wall causing the mammals in attendance to grab their ears, all except the two currently fighting for survival in the pit. "Take these disgraced fools into custody as well!" He gestured towards the uniformed rams.
Moving to the side of the exhibit, Bogo called down to the pair, serious concern on his face as he saw the fox pinning the rabbit beneath him. "FOX! What the hell do you think you are doing?!"
Nick gasped for air, his energy reserves severely drained. "That sheep…hit her with Night Howler toxin...makes animals go savage. Prey aren't immune obviously," he gestured to the several slashes and bites on his torso, neck, and face. "I have the whole confession on my phone but you gotta get someone down here and tranq her. She's already injured and if she keeps going she's going to get far worse."
Bogo called out for someone to get the necessary ammunition. "Wilde, is it?" Nick nodded. "We're not equipped for rabbit-sized doses of tranquilizer. They're going to get one now, but it will take a few minutes. Can you hold her like that for now?"
Nick narrowly avoided another claw mark to his abdomen as he pinned the bunny down into the dirt. "I can handle it. But I'm almost spent. This has been one crazy ass day." Bogo snorted and nodded at the fox.
Turning back to his officers, he supervised the evidence gathering and the arrests of the mayor and her ram cohorts.
Nick struggled a little to keep his friend in check. Her thrashing was become increasingly erratic as her instincts to survive became overwhelming. "C'mon Carrots, you can fight this. You're the most stubborn, foolhardy mammal I know. If anyone can find a way to beat this it's you." There was several more violent thrashes. He felt a sharp pain in his paw as she bit him, drawing even more blood. "Alright, that does it Carrots. I'm not your damn chew toy. This is gonna suck but at least it should stop you until they can put you out." Leaning forward, he encircled his arms completely around her torso, locking her arms to her chest. He moved his legs and wrapped his knees around hers preventing her from moving them as well. Laying down across her back, he pressed her head into the dirt floor trapping her from being able to turn and bite her.
Well. This isn't awkward at all. Nick imagined they looked quite the spectacle from above the enclosure. I don't recall ever being this literally close to someone and now it's a 'savage' bunny of all mammals. He chuckled to himself at the audacity of the day he was having. Too bad you aren't here to laugh with me, Fluff. I'll have to remember to tell you all about I-…Wait. What the hell? Nick suddenly realized there was some movement happening from his captive. And it was not from a place that he would normally associate as dangerous, but now may be the most dangerous of all.
Glancing down as best as he could, he noticed the feral eyes of the bunny beneath him were glazed over. Her nose was twitching as her open mouth panted rapidly. He closed his eyes trying to forget what was currently happening but he couldn't. Her tail was flicking against him, sending nervous shivers up his spine. Her waist was wiggling across his thighs, her hips rolling backward, pressing against him. "Oh jeez, Carrots. I knew the serum is supposed to make you go crazy, but not this kinda crazy. Do you have any control over this at all?" In answer he felt her hips buck against him, nearly causing him to lose his grip. Son of a bitch.
"Hey Buffalo Butt," Nick called to the mammal at the top of the pit. The Cape Buffalo glared down at him.
"What do you want, Wilde? We're still a few minutes out from the tranquilizer. Is Hopps okay?"
"You need to clear everyone out right now, except yourself. I'll explain as soon as it happens," he said quickly as Bogo raised his hoof to speak.
Bogo snorted before ordering everyone to clear the building. The strangeness of the order was not lost on anyone and several attempted to peer into the pit only to be caught by Bogo's stern glare. As soon as everyone was out, he turned back to the, now distressed, fox. "What the hell is going on Wilde?!"
"Well O' Mighty Chieftain, it's like this. Originally Carrots was aggressive and attacking me, trying to rip out my throat. Now for some reason she's aggressive and attacking me in an entirely different manner."
Bogo took a second to process this as he took a closer look at the situation his rookie cop was in. His eyes widened as he saw the bunny frantically throwing herself back into the fox. "Are you trying to take advantage of her?!" He bellowed.
A look of rage flashed across the fox's face as he glared back at Bogo. "You dirty, rotten, son of a bitch! Carrots is my best friend. I would NEVER hurt her like this. I'm only keeping her pinned because I'm worried what will happen if I let her go! She's not herself, obviously. I wanted the rest of the officers to leave so that she wouldn't be a joke around the precinct after she worked so hard to earn their respect! This could destroy everything she's worked for!" The sincerity of his outburst reassured Bogo that he was not trying to harm her but during his ranting he hadn't noticed his grasp slip slightly on the rabbit. With one mighty push of her hindpaw she was free.
Nick's astonishment turned to trepidation as he saw his friend turn directly towards him, her eyes still feral. Her movements were no longer erratic and dangerous, but slow and methodical. As if a part of her savage mind knew exactly what she wanted. She crept slowly towards the fox who was frantically crawling backwards as far away from the bunny stalking him now, the only thought going through his mind was the concern of what would happen when she caught him. Based on her earlier actions, he was scared out of his mind.
With one large leap, Judy launched herself onto his chest. Nick was paralyzed as his brain just shut down. He eyed her with worry, both for her and himself. Judy stretched her paws and kneaded his shirt. He looked down at the holes she was making. "Dammit Carrots, these are silk." She snagged her claws into his shirt and tore the front open. Curling up against his bare chest, she buried her nose into his neck and breathed deeply before falling asleep.
Nick froze as he looked up at a similarly bewildered Chief Bogo. A single thought flashed across both of their faces. What the hell just happened?
Chapter 2: Scent-sational
I'm stuck beneath a sleeping, savage rabbit who an hour ago was my happy-go-lucky friend who was only interested in solving a big case and saving Zootopia and now is only interested in my fur apparently. Nick Wilde had been exposed to many strange things in his life. A lot of them during the chaotic 48 hours he had spent with the little bunny cop. But nothing he had ever seen could explain what the hell was going on right now.
"Ahem." Nick looked up to see the confused scowl of the cape buffalo above him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Wilde. But don't savage animals usually attack anyone nearby? I mean, Hopps was attacking you just a few minutes ago."
"Am I a scientist? No, no I am not. This is only my third day as a P.I., Buffalo Bill. I have less answers than you do. And I don't know anything about bunnies besides what I learned from Carrots, here." Nick attempted to lift the sleeping bunny from his chest only for her to dig her claws in deeper. Okay. Okay. Mr. Fox stays. Got it. He was lost as to what to do now. "So. Bogo. Know any good jokes? I got one. What do you call a three hu-"
"Can it, Wilde! The ambulance will be here soon to take you both to the hospital." A wolf approached him from the side with a tranq gun in hand. "Thank you, Wolford. Okay Mr. Wilde, I'm gonna knock her out so you can get her up to us when the ambulance pulls up."
"Oh do we have to? I'm enjoying the whole 'not moving' thing with my back up against a bunch of fake rocks. It's doing wonders for my spine."
Chief Bogo rolled his eyes at the fox's ceaseless sarcasm. He took aim at the rabbit on his chest and let the dart fly. The bunny felt the impact of the dart hit her rear hindquarter, causing her to leap upward and snarl viciously before rubbing her nose into Nick's fur and settling down again against his chest. Relieved she was finally asleep, Nick picked her up an lowered her to the floor to stand up. Stretching his legs, he moved to grab the phone with the recorded confession on it a few dozen feet away. Before he had made it halfway across the exhibit, he heard a strangled cry from Judy. Whipping around he saw her thrashing around, her mouth open and panting. She let out a high-pitched cry as if she were in tremendous pain even though she was still asleep. Nick froze before running over to his friend, completely baffled at how to help her but knowing he had to try something.
His fear dissipated as he picked her up and she quieted immediately, rubbing her face against him. Once more he looked up at Bogo who was standing, speechless, on the ledge above. The charcoal wolf officer next to him seemed stunned as well. What the hell is going on? Hearing the ambulance arrive, Nick visibly began to calm down, knowing help for his friend was moments away, but inside he was freaking out.
Two EMT's burst into the hall with a bunny-sized stretcher easily carried between them. "We were told a rabbit was injured. Where's the savage animal?" a male antelope asked. Chief Bogo pointed down into the enclosure. They looked in and saw the fox holding the motionless rabbit. "There's a savage fox with the rabbit in his paws and you haven't shot him yet?!" He scrambled for the tranquilizer in Bogo's hand only to be shoved back, hard.
"Mr. Wilde wasn't the one who went savage. Ms. Hopps, the rabbit, was." He glared at the EMT who had fallen to his knee from the force of the push.
"A…a rabbit? But only predators are turning savage! It's their DNA, right?" The antelope nervously glanced at his ocelot partner who stood there glaring, his tail flicking angrily.
The Chief sighed. "It turns out that Mayor Bellweather was using a flower called a 'Nighthowler' to produce a serum that would make any mammal turn savage."
"...Oh. Well. Let's um, let's get on with it then." The two EMT's set up the stretcher, the antelope purposefully avoiding the gaze of his fellow co-worker's heated glare, while Bogo lowered a ladder down for them to climb into the enclosure. Upon reaching the ground, the two medical personnel made sure Judy was safe and checked her over for injuries. They bandaged her bleeding leg that had been cut open on the mammoth tusk during their run through the museum. She had some blood on her claws and mouth but was quickly assured by Nick that the blood was his, showing the scratches and bite marks to prove it.
"I took extra caution to make sure was never hurt while I restrained her." Nick inwardly shuddered at the thought of causing her harm.
Watching them take Judy up the ladder on the stretcher, he let out a hopeful sigh. She's gonna get better now. Maybe we should catch a movie when she gets out of the hospital.
Like a date?
What? No, not like a date. A friggin movie.
Dude, you want to date a rabbit. That's all kinds of fucked up.
Talking to myself is what's fucked up.
During his inner dialogue, the EMT's had reached the hallway of the museum and were moving the tranq'd bunny out towards the ambulance when the unconscious bunny started thrashing and crying out in pain. The two med techs were stupefied. Under a tranquilizer, no mammal should be able to move, let alone cry or feel pain. "Can't you give her something?" Bogo shouted at the frightened techs.
"We can't give her anything without risking serious harm to her!" The clinicians looked at each other, unable to think of any solutions to help their patient.
"HEY!" Reaching the top of the ladder, Nick's voice was harsh as he yelled at the useless animals. "What the hell did you do to Carrots?!" As he got closer, Bogo put out his hoof to stop him.
"Leave it Wilde. They know what they're doing."
"Oh really? Then why did I hear them say they can't do anything to help her?"
"Wilde," Bogo growled. "You aren't helping anyone by being a little prick. Head to the hospital. You can check on her tomorrow."
Nick felt his temper rising. "Fuck you, Buffalo butt! That's my friend over there! Now how come a 'lowly, dirty, no-good fox' can keep her calm but two trained techs are baffled at how to do their goddamn jobs?" Ducking under the massive arm of the Chief he got several steps towards his friend before he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and lifted off the ground.
Bogo snorted into Nick's face, his own temper at the breaking point. "You are testing my patience, fox!"
Nick opened his mouth to spout another rant at the asshole in front of him when one of the EMT's noticed something. "Shut it, both of you."They looked over at the bunny who had ceased her cries and was desperately sniffing the air.
"What is she doing?" Bogo's question was directed at no one in particular but the ocelot chose to answer.
"It looks like she is seeking a particular scent." He glanced at the fox. "You said she was calm near you, yes?" Nick nodded. "Let him down. Come over here Mr… Wilde was it?" Nick nodded again. "Mr. Wilde." Bogo slowly let the fox down, his own curiosity outweighing his current hatred of the mammal.
Nick walked steadily towards the stretcher, the ocelot eagerly encouraging him. Every step that he got closer to the bunny, Judy would visibly calm down a little more. Once he was standing next to her, she reached out and grasped his paw, drawing it in for her to sniff the scent before calming back to a deep rest. "What the hell was that?" Nick asked the paramedic, the phrase quickly becoming his most used for the week.
"I have no idea, " the ocelot said while grinning. "But I'm pretty sure you're gonna have to ride in the bus with us."
A shrill ringing sound caused the older doe to jump at the sudden noise. Leaving her husband to continue filling the customer's order, she sidestepped away from the carrot stand and pulled the phone from her pocket hoping it was from her daughter, Judy. Seeing an unknown number she frowned slightly before answering. "Hello? Yes this is she...Yes, that's my daughter...SHE WHAT?!" Slamming the phone down onto the counter, she raced over to her husband. "Judy's been hurt! We need to get to Zootopia NOW!"
Stu started hopping frantically trying to think of how to get there. "Bon, she took our truck! And the train doesn't come for another couple hours. What are we going to do?"
Bonnie wrang her paws together before she thought of something. "The Higgins! They just bought that new car! We can borrow it from them!"
Stu winced at the idea of asking John Higgins for a favor. The younger buck wasn't a very nice individual, especially not to Stu and his boys. "He's probably not going to let us borrow it. What do we do if he says no?"
The old doe grabbed his ear and yanked him to her. "Then I'm taking it," she growled.
Ten minutes later, Stu found himself holding on for dear life as Bonnie sped the 500HP convertible up the road leading away from Bunnyburrow. Hold on, my baby girl. Momma's comin'.
Chapter 3 - Privacy? Mammal, please.
Nick looked around at the hospital room he was currently stuck in. Why are the walls always white? A little olive green, few yellows, it would really make this place easier to deal with. He always hated hospitals. Hospitals meant something was wrong with you. Something wrong with you meant they were going to fix you. Fixing meant charging and charging meant you lost your ass if you weren't insured, which he never was. He had long ago swore off hospitals and their lumpy, uncomfortable beds with their bad cafeteria food. As he sat in the hospital in his lumpy, uncomfortable bed eating his bad cafeteria food he looked over at the second bed directly beside him where a small gray bunny rested peacefully, her paws handcuffed to the bed rails. She was still under the effects of the night howler serum, although the hospital scientists did say they were close to a cure as Doug, the unfriendly ram, had explained how he formulated one in exchange for a lighter prison sentence. However, unlike the other savage animals, Judy was still asleep long after the tranquilizer should have worn off, her savagery only shown during a few growls while turning in her bed and the occasional claw marks she would leave on her sheets.
For unknown reasons, she still required Nick to be present within a very short range. They determined he couldn't move more than 20 feet away or she would start to panic, even while asleep. Luckily that was within range of the bathroom so he could still make frequent use of it as the saline drip was still in place. He was unable to close the door however, as the same problem would occur. "I swear you're faking all of this just so you can get a good look at my tail, Carrots," he chuckled as he came back from the last trip to the facilities. Judy simply rolled a little in her sleep, mumbling chitters and growls. "You look so damned cute like that, Fluff. And since you can't even hear me, I can say 'cute' all I want without fear of being hit. Haha! Cute cute cute, you are still so damn cu-OW!" Nick looked around wildly until his gaze fell upon an old doe glaring at him from behind her spectacles.
She brandished a clipboard at him as she poked him again with the pen she held in her paw. "Don't let me hear you call that poor girl 'cute' again. Got it Mr. Wilde?"
Nick swallowed hard. "Got it, doc." What is it with female bunnies and their desire to beat me up all the time? "So what's the diagnosis? Am I free to go?"
"Well, your scratches are mild. They will heal on their own but you should change the dressing twice a day. The bite marks are more severe. The lacerations went pretty deep as rabbits tend to have quite large front chompers. The one on your hand and one of them on your neck were stitched up so you should be fine in a week or two. Your ribs were bruised but no fractures so I'm writing you a prescription for some light pain medication. Other than that, you came out fairly unscathed."
"Great! So I'm good to go?" he asked hopefully.
"Oh heavens no." Nick raised an eyebrow at that. "Mr. Wilde, for some reason that young doe over there has formed an attachment to you that requires you to be near her at all times or she becomes increasingly agitated to the point her heartbeat starts fluctuating rapidly. Without your constant presence, she may very well go into cardiac arrest."
"Are you freaking kidding me? I'm stuck here in this room until a bunch of nerds in lab coats can make the antidote? Do you know how long that could take? I might be stuck here for days! Weeks even!" He raked his claws down the sides of his face. He flashed a smirk her way. "I have things to do, doc. I can't sit here all day."
"And are your errands' worth risking this bunny's life?!" The doctor was nearly beside herself with anger.
The smirk was gone in an instant, replaced with somber sincerity. "I could never risk anything happening to her, doc. She's my best friend. She's saved my life several times over. She also knows that sarcasm and bad jokes are just part of who I am. She'd probably be very concerned if she heard us talking like this."
The doctor made a quick note on her clipboard. "Well then, this will be our little secret, Mr. Wilde. Now, it's been a very hectic day for you two and I want you to get some rest. Hopefully they'll have the Night Howler cure ready tomorrow and we can get Ms. Hopps back on her feet and we'll see if that doesn't solve this little 'space' problem."
Nick chuckled. "Alright. 'Doctor's orders' and all that." The doctor simply smiled as she left, dimming the lights. Looking over at his friend, he felt a pang at what she must be going through. "G'night Carrots. Tomorrow's another day, right? Can't be as crazy as this one" Laying back, Nick closed his eyes, the smirk disappearing from his face as he thought about the day's events. Whispering softly, Nick looked over at Judy, "I'm sorry, Carrots. For whatever I did to you, I'm sorry." He felt his eyes mist up as he let a single tear roll down his cheek. Stupid, dumb fox.
A bright light flashed overhead, piercing the eyelids of the sleeping fox. Yelping in pain, he covered his eyes with his paw before a voice cried out. "I'm so sorry! I forgot about foxes and their eyes. Here," the lights dimmed immediately. "Is that better?" Nick nodded as he fumbled blindly towards his bedside table. Finding his sunglasses, he slipped them on feeling the relief instantly. Still groaning a bit, he forced himself into a sitting position before opening his eyes, seeing the antelope nurse staring at him, concerned for her charge.
"Don't worry abut it. It's not like it's never happened b-" Nick cut off as he tried to wave is arm in a vague gesture only to find it being held back. Glancing over, he saw his paw intertwined with Judy's smaller one, her face nuzzled right up to it softly smiling. At some point during the night, he had either reached across to her while he slept or she had reached out and dragged his arm to her, her paws no longer cuffed. While he was slightly embarrassed in front of the nurse, inwardly he felt a bit happier.
"There's been a lot going on here about you and that bunny," The nurse said, her grin subtle but still noticeable. Nick raised an eyebrow in her direction causing her to quickly raise her hooves. "No no, nothing like that. That woul- sorry, I shouldn't make judgments. Anyway, it's been all over the news that you foiled the mayor's, well second mayor's as well, plot about predator animals going savage. But what really has us all talking is the odd attachment you two seem to have developed. We've never seen anything like it." She trailed off as the fox continued to stare at her, making her feel a bit awkward.
"How is she? Did they develop an antidote yet?"
"Oh yes," the nurse hastily replied, thankful for the change in topic. "They gave it to her a couple hours ago. She should be waking up within the next hour or so if the other patients are any indication."
"That's good. Hoping this will get us unattached from the hip. She probably is going to want to be back on duty as soon as possible and that isn't going to work very well if she can't move more than 20 feet away from me."
"Well, I'll leave you two alone. When she wakes up, please push the call button. We need to run some tests before we can clear her parents to come up and see her."
"Her parents are here?" He became a bit guarded after hearing from Judy that it was them who gave her the fox repellent. They obviously had no great love for foxes. "Why did they not visit her already?"
"Chief Bogo's orders as well as the hospital's. Savage animals are granted no visitations due to their violent tendencies." He raised the arm currently attached to the sleeping bunny, shooting her a questioning look. "Oh you two are a special exception. We can't separate you due to whatever has happened. She goes into full on panic and since she is unconscious we can't question her in order to treat her."
Oh boy, he thought bitterly. Her fox hating parents are going to find out that a fox had gotten to spend the entire night with their daughter when they, as her parents, were barred from seeing her. This is going to go spectacularly.
The nurse seemed to understand what must be going on through his head as she quickly spoke up. "Don't worry. We'll have a doctor here when they come in so there won't be any problems." His relief was evident although he was still a bit apprehensive.
"Alright, I'll put my trust in the hospital that I won't be tazed by an overprotective rabbit dad." The antelope laughed as she left the room. He could still hear her as she walked down the hallway until the door swung closed. Turning back to his friend, he picked up the remote and clicked on the news. "Alright Carrots, let's see what the news is saying about us."
'Us' had been a broad statement as they mentioned Judy numerous times, citing her as exposing the new mayor's plot to harm the city's predator population by using toxic flowers to cause them to go savage. Nick, for his part, was mentioned only once as an 'unnamed local fox' that 'assisted Officer Hopps' in her daring plan. That was just fine with him He was never one for glory and fame. That usually got him in trouble for others to know his name or where to find him. And with no mention of Judy being turned savage or any leak from the hospital about their problematic 'attachment' issues he felt quite a bit happier.
"I can't believe they didn't mention you," a soft voice said from beside him. He whipped around to see the gray bunny rubbing her eyes and sitting up. "I mean you were with me the whole time, and during the last case too"
"CARROTS!" Nick scrambled over to her bed, hugging her tightly. "Thank god you're awake."
Judy sat stunned for a minute before giggling meekly. "Jeez Nick. You foxes, so emotional." Nick started chuckling before he let her go and sat back. "Where are we?"
"Hospital. We were taken here after the, um, pit incident." He eyed her warily to see if she would remember anything from the day before.
"Pit incident?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall what had happened. "We got the evidence. Then I remember I got hurt,"Looking down at her bandaged shin, she knew that part was right. "Then we got, yes, that's right, we got knocked into that exhibit. And then…" Her eyes grew wide. "The serum! I was hit! Did I d-" she looked over at Nick and saw the multiple bandages on his hands and chest, including a large one on his neck. "Oh Nick! I'm so sorry!" Her eyes started welling up before she let out a sob and turned away from him.
He climbed behind her and gave her a hug. "Carrots, don't worry about it. It was the best way to handle it. I was able to restrain you without being injured that badly. If it had been me, you would be dead, and I would never have forgiven myself for that." He stroked her ears hanging down her back, rocking her slowly trying to calm her down. After a few minutes, her sobs had stopped and she was leaning into the rocking motion, comforted by the scent of him which she couldn't fully explain.
"Right, um," she broke the trance, both of them appearing a bit embarrassed by what had happened. "I uh, I need to wash up so I'll just, uh, go over there." Getting up she headed for the bathroom.
Nick watched her go, his mind still affected by what had just happened when he realized where she was going. "Carrots! You can't close the door!"
Judy looked back at him, her blank face suddenly developing a scowl. "I'm not going to stand here so you can sneak a peek at my backside, Nicholas Wilde!" She started to close the door.
"No Carrots, you don't understand!" He scrambled to get out of bed as the door closed shut. Running for the door, he heard a small gasp of pain followed by the sound of something crashing to the floor. Halfway across the room, the door burst open and Judy ran out clutching her chest. Nick fell to his knees and hugged her tightly. The small bunny was trembling as she shoved her face into his neck. Her body instinctively breathed in, the scent of the fox permeating her whole body as she felt the pain fade and disappear.
They stood there for a few minutes as she calmed down, her shaking quieting before stopping altogether. "What the hell just happened?" Judy stared at him, her eyes begging him for an explanation.
Nick sat her down in his lap stroking her ears as she continued to sniff him, letting the scent calm her as he told her everything that had happened after she was hit by the Night Howlers. How he had needed to restrain her (although he was unable to meet her questioning gaze at this), to the times when he had moved too far away from him and she went into panic mode, to their long overnight stay. "They still don't know what is going on with us. Apparently we're the talk of the hospital." Judy blushed at that, the insides of her ears turning pink. Nick slapped himself in the head. "I totally forgot. I was supposed to ring the nurse when you woke up. Here, let's get you back on your bed."
Judy let him scoop her up and place her back on the bed. She felt a small sense of panic form as he let her go until he climbed up on his bed next to her and reach out his paw. He could see how much being apart distressed her so he was willing to live with the limited mobility for now as long as it helped her. As he called the nurse, she gripped his arm tighter at the foolish thought he would be taken away. Her apprehension increased for reasons she couldn't understand when the antelope nurse entered the room. "Oh good," she said cheerfully. "We've been hoping you would wake up soon. I just need to get some tests done." She pulled a pen light and shined it in Judy's eyes. "Follow my hoof. Okay good. Any spots? Blurred vision?" Judy shook her head. "And can you tell me your name?"
"Judy Hopps."
"Ok good. And can you tell me where you are?"
"I'm in a hospital."
"Yes you are. Savannah Central Hospital in fact. Now, do you know who the mayor is?"
Judy's face grew red as she shook with rage. "It better not be that backstabbing ewe after all we went through yesterday!" Her paws clenched tightly.
The nurse threw her head back and laughed. "I think it's safe to say you're doing just fine." Chuckling she marked down the results as she took her blood pressure. "Everything seems good so I'll let the doctor know and we'll let your parents come up. Your Chief is also here to talk to you, so you'll be having a busy morning. Now, Mr. Wilde, any change on the, um, 'issue' you two have been experiencing?"
"I already told her about it, and no, no change."
The nurse's face fell slightly before she smiled again. "No matter. We'll figure it out. I'll let her know." She left, leaving the two mammals alone.
"My parents are here? Well, can't really expect them to not be. They're always so concerned with my safety here." She smiled grimly. "Guess they were right this time."
"Don't worry, Carrots. The Doctor will explain and so will Chief Buffalo Butt. You saved the city. They'll be so proud of you."
Sniffling, Judy crawled over to his bed and laid her head on his chest. "I don't know why, but this helps me so much." Nick stroked her ears again, wanting only to keep his friend safe, even if it was from herself.
Hearing the door swing open, they glanced at it expecting to see the doctor only to see instead two middle-aged brown rabbits. The doe was surprised and slightly embarrassed at the display in front of her. The buck stared at the pair impassively. The couple on the bed broke apart as Judy went back to her bed.
Finding her voice, the older doe cleared her throat. "Um, Judy. Who's your friend?" she asked, a bit confused.
Nick let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Well, that could've gone worse. Maybe this won't turn out as bad as I thought. That is until he turned his gaze back to what must be Judy's father and saw him slowly slip his hand into the bag he was holding, his paw tightening on something. Aw crap.
Chapter 4 - The bonds we make we cannot break... without dire consequences...
The movement Stu had made did not go unnoticed by the trained cop eyes of his daughter. "Dad..." Judy started. "You better pull your paw out slowly from that bag and set down whatever you are holding in there."
Bonnie had not been watching her husband, her gaze instead drawn toward the fox who had only a few seconds ago been holding his arms around her daughter. At Judy's words however she glanced over at her husband and saw him pulling a pink can of fox repellent out of the bag. Bonnie gasped and she hit him on the arm with her purse. "Stu!"
"I'm just being cautious," muttered the embarrassed buck.
Judy rolled her eyes as she turned and gave Nick a reassuring smile, letting him know that no one was going to be attacking him. "While it's pretty sad for me to admit this, I'm proud of you that you at least didn't bring the tazer." Nick's ears flattened at this as he became even more worried. Stu mumbled something incoherently. "What was that, dad?"
"Security…they uh, they took the tazer." Stu looked at the ground, humiliated by his own actions.
"And a good thing, too, Mr. Hopps. Assault on any citizen in my city will not be tolerated, no matter who your daughter is. Not to mention Mr. Wilde saved your daughter's life several times yesterday." Behind the two small bunnies towered a gigantic cape buffalo in police blues and a gold badge on his massive chest.
"Chief Bogo, sir!" Judy jumped to salute but quickly fell back down as her leg failed to support her weight. Bonnie and Stu hurried forward, their faces fearful as they saw their daughter's bandaged leg give way. Bonnie fussed over her, saying soothing words as she ran her paws over her bandage. Bonnie was not a nurse but after having to treat all 275 of her children for cuts and scrapes she could probably pass the exam. Stu for his part just stood there bouncing on his toes looking worried.
Bogo walked into the room and held up his hoof. "Easy Hopps. We don't need you injuring yourself further. The doctor said you should be back in form in two or three weeks and I expect to see you back on duty then."
Judy looked shocked. "But sir… I resigned. I mean my police career ended, didn't it?"
"Actually Hopps, you were undercover. Remember? The day you 'turned in' your badge was the day your undercover mission started to dig in deeper trying to find the source of the savage attacks." He held up his hoof and tossed something at her. Something that glinted in the sunlight. Judy ran her paw over the gold badge in her paw. Her badge. The one she never thought she would see again. "Now this doesn't leave this room, Hopps, but having an officer 'undercover' and foiling Bellweather's scheme is a lot easier to defend in court than an ex-officer taking the law into their own paws and recruiting a conman for help. No offense Wilde."
Nick had a smug look on his face. "None taken."
Bogo snorted at the red fox. "Like I said before, Hopps. The city needs good cops like you. So welcome back, officer."
Judy beamed as she looked at Nick who was equally as happy for her. "Congrats, Carrots." Bonnie and Stu exchanged a look, mouthing 'Carrots?' Nick scratched his chin, thinking. "So does helping you mean I get a pass the next time I get caught buying a jumbo pop?" At this all 3 mammals in the room were confused.
"Not a chance, Slick," laughed Judy. "But you know," she pulled a crumpled yellow form from her jeans laying over the chair. "You could always join me. What do you say?" She was nervous as this wasn't the setting she had in mind for bringing up this idea again.
Nick looked down at the ZPD application form he had filled out. "Carrots…This was 3 months ago. You've been holding onto it this entire time?" Judy blushed, her ears turning a bit pink. Nick couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "Well well well. Looks like Fluff has a soft spot for hopeless cases like myself." Judy had turned crimson as her blush deepened. Bonnie and Stu noticed this with raised brows. "Well Carrots, if it means that much to you I suppose I can join up and be your foxy partner." The wink he sent her threatened to make her face look like a tomato as she felt her blush spread across her body. She opened her mouth to tell him to stop but found she really didn't want him to and so she closed it again.
Stu looked like he was getting ready to have a stroke and began to open his mouth only for the doctor to enter the room. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Hopps, I'm Doctor Bales. And good to see you're finally awake, Ms Hopps." She turned to the buffalo. "Chief Bogo, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. I will make sure you get a full report on our discussion as it pertains to Ms Hopps' ability to come back to work." Bogo nodded and left the room.
"Now, Miss Hopps, can I call you Judy?" Judy nodded. "Wonderful. Now Judy-" Doctor Bales was cut off as Stu spoke up.
"Wait a minute doc. Why is that fox still here?"
"Stu!" Bonnie gasped.
"DAD!" Judy shouted angrily.
For his part, Nick lost none of his cool, laid back attitude as he surveyed the pissed off rabbit. The smirk was getting to Stu as he felt his temper rising. "This is a family matter and this fox," he spat with venom, "is not part of this family." At this, Nick felt himself lose a bit of his self-control.
"Alright, daddy dearest, you wanna know why I can't leave? Huh? You want to see what happens?" He started stalking towards the door.
"No!" Judy's cry brought him up short. "Please Nick, I can't take it. It hurts too much." She started to sob quietly, the very memory of the experience overwhelming her, her breathing ragged. Nick was at her side in a flash.
"Carrots, I am so sorry." He stroked her ears as he felt her bury her nose in his neck, breathing his scent in deeply. "I wasn't thinking. I would never hurt you. Please forgive me." Judy's body quieted down almost immediately as she let his scent calm her.
"Dumb fox."
"Sly bunny."
Stu had been staring at the two during this whole exchange, completely and utterly confused. His other half, Bonnie, had instead focused on the name her daughter had called the red fox. 'Nick' she mouthed, repeatedly. A sudden realization hit and she jumped up and down in excitement. "This is that Nick, Judy?" Judy blushed before nodding. Bonnie finally had a face to the name her daughter had been mentioning during her miserable stay at the burrow. "Well, you never mentioned how orange your friend was but at least we get to meet the mysterious Nick."
Nick looked over at Judy who was currently hiding behind her ears. "You told your mom about me?" Grinning widely he turned to the older doe, "Whatever she said it's all lies and slande-OW!" he rubbed his, now bruised, arm as he glared at Judy who had once again disappeared behind her ears. Bonnie giggled at the exchange, her daughter's emotional state the last few weeks now made quite clear.
"Ahem." The four mammals turned to look at the old doe doctor. "If you are all quite done we have several things we need to discuss." They all mumbled an apology under the angry glare of the doctor. "Now then. Mr. Hopps, if you cannot control yourself I will have to ask you to leave. There will be no speciesm in this hospital and I will not tolerate your prejudices." The doe turned to Nick. "Mr. Wilde, if you try to pull stunt like that again, I will personally strap you to that bed and let the tech interns practice drawing blood on you. And Judy, if you stand on that leg again I will make you take at least a month off from work. Do I make myself clear?" A sharp 'Yes!' came from all parties.
"Good. Now, what I am about to explain to you may be hard to grasp so we'll hold off on questions until after. At some point during her most recent case, Judy experienced massive mental trauma when she was turned savage due to Night Howler toxin." At this her parents charged in, their voices echoing off the walls. The old doe glared at them causing them to close their mouths and take a step back. They obviously had not yet been made aware of her being infected. "Prey appear to react the same way that predators do when exposed, but since Judy is a bunny, something unexpected occurred." She eyed the parents waiting to see if they would jump in again. "Whatever happened it caused Judy to focus her emotional state onto Nick, more specifically his scent. They are unable to be apart farther than his scent can travel to her enough to keep her stable. Once the scent is cut off, her body starts to panic and will eventually cause cardiac arrest." Stu and Bonnie were horrified.
The doctor was about to continue when Stu interrupted. "How do we fix this?"
"It can't be 'fixed,' Mr. Hopps."
"You're saying my daughter has to chained to this f- ummm, this mammal for the rest of her life?"
"What I'm saying Mr. Hopps, is for me to finish with my report." Stu looked sheepish as he backed up a few feet. "Now. Has anyone heard of 'Scent bonding'?" Judy and Stu shook their heads, Nick along with them. Bonnie however clapped a paw to her mouth. "One out of four," the doctor noted. "I'm not really surprised. It's an extremely rare bunny condition. It's only happened three times in the last hundred years, four times now with you, Judy. Scent bonding happens during a period of severe emotional distress. In this case, during your night howler exposure. Mr. Wilde, at any point during your time restraining Miss Hopps did you have to become dominant?"
"Dominant? I don't unders-…" Nick trailed off as he remembered having to curl over her body to restrain her, effectively immobilizing her, with her face pressed into the ground. Almost as if I were mounting her. And those hip wiggles from her…well that makes more sense now. He looked over in horror at Judy. "Oh god, Carrots. I'm so sorry. I did this to you."
Judy smiled sadly. "It's okay, Nick. I forgive you."
"Actually you should be thanking him, Miss Hopps." Their shocked faces made the doctor sigh. "Your mind became so overwhelmed that your body compensated by attaching itself to someone that you trusted completely, allowing their strength to aid in yours. Without Mr. Wilde being there, you would most likely have gone insane."
Wait," Nick raised a paw. "Trusted completely?" He shot a look at Judy who blushed and turned away.
"Oh yes," the old doe replied. "For this to have happened it would have required the patient, in this case Judy, to have a very strong emotional attachment to you already, whether that be in the form of trust, affection, love, any of those would work. I'll leave Miss Hopps to decide on which." Judy's blush became even deeper while her mother looked on, a worried expression on her face. Scent bonds were extremely rare but also extremely serious.
"Doctor," Bonnie had moved closer to the bed and was laying a paw on her daughter's shoulder. "Is scent bonding the same as marking?" Both Nick and Judy swung their heads around to look at her, their jaws hanging slightly open.
"No, not at all." The fox and bunny looked relieved although Judy also looked a little disappointed. "While two of the cases did end up with the bonded pairs becoming couples, the third did not and both of them ended up married and having a family, just close by so the bonded one could still be taken care of."
Judy spoke up next. "Doctor, how will I be able to work as a police officer? I can't stay pawcuffed to Nick at all times and still do my job."
"Luckily dear, it only requires his scent to minimize your condition. If he, for instance, scented a shirt you were wearing, you could walk around without him nearby as long as it didn't fade. You would only need to be near him a few times a day to get the scent and then you would be free to move about as you wish." Judy looked a bit happier as did Nick. They liked each other and hanging out was great, but they both appreciated their freedom. "Now, close proximity and especially physical contact will be far more effective so I would suggest a little time of each happen each day. Now, I'd like to speak to my patients alone, Mr. And Mrs. Hopps. You are welcome to come back tomorrow for visiting hours then."
"Bye hon." Bonnie kissed her cheek.
"By Jude," said her father, with a wary glance shot at Nick. The two older rabbits left while mumbling to each other.
The doctor turned back to the pair on the beds. "Now, I wanted to mention this part to you two alone as I doubt very much your parents could handle it well, Judy. The eventual problem with scent bonding is that it is progressive." She looked at her charges carefully before sighing. "To sum it up, basically scent stops working and physical interaction is required. Strenuous physical interaction." With that the doctor turned and left.
Nick and Judy watched the door close. They sat very still for what seemed like days before they simultaneously looked at each other. "Well g'night," they both cried, turning their backs on each other and trying to fall asleep as fast as possible.
Chapter 5 - Admiring the view
The next morning was awkward to say the least. Whereas the previous day the two mammals were perfectly fine being next to each other the whole day, teasing each other, comforting one another, now the reality of their situation was truly setting in.
I'm tied to him, to Nick, for my entire life.
Isn't that what you wanted anyways?
Well, not really. I mean yeah I've been having feelings for him and all but a lifelong deal, that's way more than I had been thinking about.
It's not like you have a choice now. You either live with it, or you die. That's the reality.
It's a stupid reality.
That's why it's called reality.
Judy got herself changed in the bathroom while Nick stood in the window alcove. It was close enough that Nick's scent was still distinguishable but they wouldn't be able to look at each other as they changed. It seemed silly considering their current situation but they hadn't fully discussed how they were going to proceed with this new change in their relationship.
Nick was currently mulling over that himself. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. He certainly felt guilty as he blamed himself for what had happened to her, but what about any other feelings? She's my friend, I know that much.
But is she more? Is she more to you than just a friend?
I don't know. It doesn't feel like it.
You know she feels differently, don't you?
Yeah. Yesterday definitely proved that anyways. Once we figure out our next course of action I'll have to sit her down and talk to her.
Lost in thought he hadn't noticed the nurse walk in until he heard a muffled squeak. His head snapped over to see the startled antelope, her hooves covering her mouth as she stared at the fox. Straightening up, he noticed her turning her gaze while she failed to keep herself from running her eyes up and down his body. "Are you okay?" He called to the startled doe. She could only nod as she kept her head turned to the side.
Judy, now mostly dressed, headed out of the bathroom when she heard the small commotion and Nick's concerned question. Seeing the petrified mammal avoiding looking at the window area, she turned to ask Nick what had happened only to see him standing there. Bathed in sunlight. Nude.
"Nick!" She cried out. Nick turned to her, startled. "You're…naked." Her entire body blushed a deep crimson as she too found herself unable to keep her eyes from roaming the unclothed fox. Nick gave a start and glanced down. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed as he quickly turned his back on them and grabbed his boxers.
Judy couldn't help but ogle his backside, his fluffy tail swishing back and forth over a toned set of hindquarters covered in gorgeous orange fur. Quickly shaking herself, she looked over to see the nurse was also staring at him. Catching her eye, the nurse now looked straight at Judy. She raised her hooves and separated them a ways. She raised her eyebrow at the bunny and Judy quickly mouthed back 'I know' and started giggly soundlessly. The doe smirked and gave her a big wink as she left the room fanning herself with her hoof.
Judy waited as long as she could, admiring the newly enhanced view of her hospital room before sneaking off to finish getting dressed. The doctor would be by shortly to give them their discharge papers and some certain instructions they would need to follow as theirs was a very special case. Scent Bonding was so rare and so localized to one species that many doctors and hospitals refused to even believe it was a reality so they were very lucky they had a doctor who knew about rare bunny conditions.
Nick meanwhile was hastily getting dressed, his embarrassment from the two ladies seeing him naked fresh in his mind. Although he wasn't a fan of putting himself on display, he did find the attention welcoming. He also was a bit amused by the nurse who had been unaware that the light in the room cast a decent enough shadow onto the wall that he hadn't missed her hooves being spread out rather generously. He looked at his ruined shirt before shrugging and putting it on. He couldn't change what had happened, all he could do was extort the money from Judy to buy a new one.
As if on cue, Judy exited the bathroom and immediately clapped a paw to her mouth. "Nick, what happened to your shirt?"
He grinned widely before speaking. "Well interesting you should ask that, Fluff. First an angry bunny tore a couple holes in it with her claws, then a very horny bunny ripped my shirt open tearing it in half."
Judy's eyes widened. "H-horny?" Nick's smirk grew to legendary proportions. "Wha-…what did I do?"
This is too perfect. "Well Carrots, if I demonstrated the hip movements I would probably get tossed out for indecency."
Judy groaned, her face hidden in her paws. "Please Nick, tell me no one else saw it. I…I had just gotten some respect around there."
Nick's smirk faded as he put aside his joking. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry, Carrots. I had Bogo send them away before anyone saw. Obviously Bogo did but he seems like the trustworthy sort and I needed his cooperation. Really though, you didn't do much even after you got free." He remembered the ending fondly. "Actually all you really ended up doing is cuddling up on my chest and going to sleep."
"Well that's comforting, I suppose. Although I'm not going to be able to look Bogo in the eye for at least a month," Judy remarked bitterly.
"Then it's a good thing you're off for 3 weeks, huh?" Judy glared at him and pouted, her arms over her chest. "You know, you're the only mammal alive that I think hates time off."
Judy started to object when the doctor came in. "Alright you two. I have your discharge papers here. Light work for both of you. If either of you have stitches that have popped I want you in here immediately. Now Miss Hopps, I know you will hate me for this because I hate me for this, but you will need to use these crutches for at least the first week." Judy scowled at the offending pieces of wood in front of her. "Yes yes, we all hate the crutches and the mammal who invented them. Infernal things. But unless you want to be in a wheelchair for a week these will have to do. Now then, on to the more special instructions." She looked them both in the eye making sure they were paying careful attention. "Now, Miss Hopps will be returning to work in 3 weeks time. She will need to be monitored during this time, Mr. Wilde. Both her leg and her condition. We need to determine how far you two can push the limits of this condition to see if she's even capable of going back to work without it risking her health."
Judy started to speak, angry at the idea of being kept from her job when Nick spoke up first. "What do you mean by 'pushing the limits'? We're supposed to be reducing the strain on her, right?"
"Yes, but we also need to know if we can help her exist outside the small bubble you two currently have. Working, traveling, even showering you won't be able to stay together at such a close space for your whole lives. Eventually something would factor in and it would be devastating. Now, our current idea is to scent rub something she has to wear so that the scent is kept close to her. Obviously this won't work as a permanent solution all day but it will help for several hours at a time. If we keep pushing the limits we may find a way to help for significantly longer." She marked down some notes on her clipboard. "Now, this may be an unorthodox prescription but you will follow it regardless of your opinion, understood?" Nick and Judy looked at each other before turning back and nodding. "Right. You two will have to begin living together, preferably in Mr. Wilde's apartment." She held up a paw as Nick began to object. "I said you will follow it and I meant it." She raised her brow at the baffled tod until he finally acquiesced. "Now, I suggested Mr. Wilde's apartment because it should already be saturated with his scent so Judy should be able to freely move about the apartment."
"That's fine with me," murmured Judy. "I…don't exactly have anywhere else to go." Nick looked over at her curiously. "I gave up my apartment when I quit the ZPD and moved back home. It's already been rented so I don't have anyplace to stay."
"Well then. It's a good thing you're already coming home with me or I woulda just offered it right then," Nick smirked at the blush rising up the bunny's ears. "You know, you're really cute when you blush-OW! Dammit doc!" He rubbed his arm where the doctor stabbed him with her pen.
"I warned you!"
"Maybe, but it was totally worth it," Nick chuckled, his amusement short lived as Judy punched him in the stomach. "OOF! Slightly less worth it."
The doctor gave Judy an appraising look. "I like you, little lady. You keep this rascal of yours in check." With that she handed the papers to Judy and left them alone.
"Well Carrots," Nick offered her his arm to support her leg, grabbing the crutches in his other paw. "Shall we go home?"