Today was, for Judy Hopps, a day like any other. Her alarm went at a typically early hour, annoying her rowdy neighbors. She showered, brushed her teeth, and put on her uniform with a practiced efficiency. She zipped out the door with a smile on her face knowing that today she would be working with her best friend to make the world a better place.

Outside Precinct One, it was a chilly morning. The dew still laid on the grass of the park when the rabbit strolled through. She shivered when a brisk breeze ran through her fur, though the weather did not manage to put a damper on her mood. She pushed open the precinct door and greeted the officers in the lobby, noticing the absence of her partner. Judy perched herself on Clawhauser's desk and chattered with him to pass the time. She made sure to keep an eye on the door for the fox.

After some time talking to the cheetah, Judy started to glance more and more at the clock. While he still had time to arrive before roll call, there was no denying it. Nicholas Wilde was late. Clawhauser noticed Judy's worried expression and casually noted, "You do know that Nick was in earlier this morning? He had to meet with the Chief about something. I'm sure he'll be back in time." She breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him, and bounded off to the bullpen.

Something was definitely wrong. The customary morning cacophony before roll call had started in earnest, and the fox was still nowhere to be seen. The chair the two shared seemed much bigger and much lonelier. Bogo walked in with an expression even more dour than usual. The tension built inside Judy's chest while he rattled off the morning assignments, as she waited for news on what, exactly, was happening.

When he finally reached the bunny, his announcement was short. "Officer Hopps, my office." The bunny jumped in her chair.

Her voice quivering slightly, she asked, "Is there something wrong, Chief?" He turned away wordlessly, and her heart sank. The walk to the buffalo's chambers was agonizing. Judy climbed up into the massive chair, and waited. Sitting across from her, the Chief seemed just as unhappy to be there. He cleared his throat, seeming to take a moment to gather the resolve to speak. In a slightly too formal tone, he read off a short statement scribbled on a leftover file folder.

"Officer Hopps, I regret to inform you that your partner, Officer Nicholas Wilde, decided to resign from the ZPD this morning for reasons which he wishes to be kept confidential." It felt like somebody had stabbed Judy in the heart. The Chief continued, the air of formality slowly slipping into clear sympathy, "In consideration of the impact of this news, you are given the rest of today as paid leave. I would recommend that you use this time wisely. Go find him, and bring him back to us."

The rabbit processed the statement for a moment. With her gaze fixed on the floor, she managed to ask weakly, "Can you tell me something…anything about why he left? I need to know…please."

Her superior appeared conflicted about the request, although he seemed to be expecting it. After a pause, he uttered a measured response, "I suppose you have a right to know at least this. He seemed to be very concerned with what would happen to you. You'll have to ask him to find out anything more." The silence was palpable, and although Judy desperately wanted to find something to say, she couldn't think of anything at all. Bogo mercifully filled the void. "I think you should go now Hopps, before he's too far gone." She nodded gravely and walked out.

In all her time in Zootopia, Judy had never felt so small. The city she loved now threatened to swallow her up. The rabbit left the precinct in a daze, unsure of what to do, or what she had done. She sat down on a park bench, the chill of the fall now seeming almost dangerous. She stared up at the churning gray skies above, searching for something to do. Her thoughts slowly began to coalesce on one simple idea. "I'm finding Nick, and he's coming back." The belief that things could return to normal for the bunny and her fox was like a shot of adrenaline. She leapt up from her seat and bolted for the subway, the determination evident on her face.

When Judy reached the station, a sudden realization stopped her in her tracks. She had no idea where her best friend lived. A sense of shame began to arise in her, but she pushed it down so that it would not distract her from her goal. The bunny sprinted back to the precinct and fetched his address, 1355 Cypress Grove Lane. She punched it into her phone, finding that he lived in Sahara Square, more than three hours from the precinct. She whispered to herself, "He commuted three hours just to come here every day?" She suddenly regretted all the times she had encouraged him to come to work earlier and stay later. How much more did she know nothing about?

Hastened by the realization that she was almost three hours from even having the chance to see Nick, the bunny bounded out of the precinct and onto the subway. As the doors closed and the train pulled away from the station, she found a seat and was again alone with her thoughts. They swirled around her head, a mixture of guilt, anger, and hope. As the ride continued, she realized one thing. She wasn't about to lose her friend a second time, and she was sure of that.