The Bud of a Beginning

Nick sat in the passenger seat of the squad car and drifted off into space. Something was bugging him, an idea that both plagued his dreams and his thoughts. It was like a bug that would never leave him alone, except in an even more horrifying way. Instead of buzzing, all he could hear were the feminine screams and wails of a bunny. Not just any bunny, as he did not know many, but his partner and best friend Officer Judy Hopps. As he went to lay his head on the dashboard of the cop car, the vehicle screeched to a stop. His head hit the window and he wailed in pain.

"Carrots, how did you ever get your driver's license," he sneered. "Too bad I don't have enough authority yet. If I did I would revoke your license. Clawhauser would find it in one of his doughnuts and you would never see it again," Nick said while giving her a look of extreme frustration.

Judy replied innocently, "you looked like you were about to fall asleep in the middle of our investigation. And knowing you, you would kill yourself if you didn't get to see this."

Kill himself? Yes he would if he had committed such atrocities like murder said the voice in his head. The thought plagued his consciousness yet again.

What if I didn't switch the serum out with a blueberry? What if Bellwether shot me with the serum and I went savage? What if I mauled Judy to bits and killed her? How would I live with myself knowing that I killed a mammal? Even worse, my best friend.

He loved her attitude. Her naivety and positivity about everything. It just gave him so much joy. There's that word again, love. The word he used most to describe her, though he wasn't quite sure what it meant. Did he love her as a friend, a companion, or just someone who he could mess with. Whatever the case, he enjoyed being with her.

Judy jumped out of the car not before giving Nick a small wink. "Come on let's go. The bear we're going after has a violent record. There's no telling what he'll do now that he escaped." Her feet slapped the pavement as she started running to the scene.

She stopped and turn to hear Nick's voice.

His ears raised up in confusement, "I thought you said this was a bank robbery."

She groaned in frustration, "Were you paying any attention during the briefing I was giving you in the car?"

He pretended to think before answering the obvious question. "Um, no. Anyways I zoned out when you were telling me the importance of this case. Actually, once you said convict five times in the same sentence, I jumped the ship." Nick chided trying to annoy her while laughing. Anything to keep his mind off the thought.

The two ran down the street as Judy playfully punched him.

"Why was it because you were dreamily staring at me," she mocked with air quotes.

"Actually, that was spot on," he teased. "Except, I was regretting my choice to work with you." Sometimes you're just so annoying. I hope your 200 siblings aren't like this. Or is it from the lack of attention as a child..."

Before Nick knew what was happening, Judy cuffed his paw to a street sign and ran away laughing.

She looked at his priceless reaction, complete disbelief. The rabbit dangled the keys in the air as she ran to stop the criminal.

"You dumb fox."

Nick started pulling with his free arm, trying to break free.

He shouted in return, "Sly bunny."

Realizing in defeat that there was nothing to do about his situation, he grabbed his cuffed wrist and slowly pushed the handcuffs to the ground, allowing him to sit on the cement. In typical fashion, the fox straightened out his tie with one paw and watched his partner run down the street. He admired her graceful movements. She bounced from one lamp post to another until she had caught up with her perp.

He so desperately wished that he could be as good of a cop that Judy was. She knew all the police codes and laws while he struggled to keep focus on the task in front of him. The jobs and cons he used to pull off were surprisingly much simpler. All he and Finnick had to do was make and sell pawpsicles. How difficult was that?

The sound of police sirens in the distance brought him back to earth. Their red and blue sirens lulled him to sleep but gave him a headache too.

Carefully, he craned his neck to see the cop cars drive by, without injuring his wrist. A few blocks down the road, he could barely make out the outline of Judy and the others shoving the bear into a car.

In a way he wished that he could have helped with the capture. The adrenaline rush of the chase, the warmth of running alongside his partner, and the credit of accomplishing something big. More importantly, the feeling that justice was achieved and that he was contributing to the effort to make Zootopia a better place today and for the next generation.

However, everything he tried to do had always backfired on him. From the day he tried to join the scouts to his previous jobs and the police force, he always somehow managed to mess things up. Maybe it would be better if he was cuffed here, on the side of the road.

Watching this go down is like watching a crime show, but in real life. He thought to himself as a smile crept onto his face instantly lifting his crestfallen mood.

"Hey prisoner, are you trying to hitchhike or did you surrender to an animal half your size?" Judy said running to Nick. She felt just a bit guilty for leaving her trainee partner locked to the street sign. His problem though, she thought, is that he has no sense of discipline. That's what Chief wants me to teach him.

Forgetting where he was, the fox jumped up only to be pulled back down by the cuffs. His carelessness left him sprawled over the curb on his back. Judy toyed with the keys and put her hands on her hips. She bit the inside of her lip to avoid laughing at the sad, pathetic sight. He always was the one to mess with her, but now it was her chance to revenge him. Judy wasn't going to miss such an opportunity. With a grimace, he looked up into her eyes and read her mind.

"Alright, alright. What do I have to do, to get you to let poor old me go," Nick said while flashing his white teeth.

Judy gave him a mischievous smile, realizing all the power she had. She could get him to do so many things for her. However the guilt factor was setting in as Nick winced, obviously in pain. In the corner of her eye, she saw his wrist at an odd angle, mildly dislocated. On the other paw, she thought, Let me savor this moment when I finally beat him. It's time he learns who's in charge here.

"Hmmm," She whispered, pretending to think long and hard. "Well I am quite hungry…."

"Carrots, let me stop you right there."

She folded her small arms and gave the fox a death stare like none other.

"Officer?"

"No."

"Cottontail?"

"Definitely not."

"Judith."

"Getting there."

"Judy!" He exclaimed, looking overly proud of himself. "So I can't call you carrots anymore? Hmm, that's a real disappointment, because that's what I know you by." A smug smile covered his muzzle.

Judy bent down to the imprisoned and helpless animal, "You're really not helping your case right now Nick."

He sighed in defeat, annoyed that he had somehow lost, but a plan formulated in his mind. "You win. Why don't we meet at a restaurant, sit down and have dinner. I'll pay if that makes your little bunny mind happy. Though now that I think about it, I'm not sure if they serve carrots," he said sarcastically.

"Nicholas Wilde," Judy questioned, with a smile.

"Ugh I haven't heard that name in years."

"Nick..." she started again, slightly annoyed, "are you asking me on a date?"

He winced again while pushing against the pole trying to relocate the joint. A loud pop resonated in his ears as Judy felt another wave of guilt pass over her.

"There we go, alright…. It depends on your interpretation of the offer. We could be going on a date, or we could just be celebrating the bust at a restaurant. I'll let you decide," he smirked.

"Deal?" Nick asked as he stretched out his arm.

Judy sat on the ground and noticed his discomfort. "Deal."

They shook on it. Judy pulled out the keys and unlocked the crippled fox and pulled him up. Much to her surprise, he was pretty light. Together they got into the squad car as Nick stretched and cracked his back the whole way home.

Haha! I went back and edited the story! Those of you reading for the first time, enjoy!