I couldn't wait until new year.

What were you doing last Monday at five in the morning? Nick and Gideon were waiting for the train that'd took the first back to Zootopia.

It was finally happening; after two weeks of coexistence – with everything it conveyed, from new experiences and outlooks on life to the couple pounds the older had gained during his stay in the Burrows – they were going back to their individual lives. The fear of not seeing each other for a while meaning they wouldn't meet again had disappeared, it was stupid; of course they'd miss being together, and playing, and touching... but Gideon's job keeping him away had worked as some kind of training, and they knew it didn't mean their relationship had to change. They made the most of their weekend together anyway, not that they needed an excuse for that, which translated to whatever you could imagine the vulpine couple doing without leaving the comfort of the baker's apartment much, plus some purposeful, slightly more dramatic moments: preparing for what was to come, Nick would occasionally stop whatever he was doing, look out a window with a sad, nostalgic expression as he touched the glass, and sigh as loudly as he could. At first the baker found it unsettling; they were going to spend some time apart, sure, but Nick could come back whenever he wanted. However, after getting all of his windowpanes covered in paw prints, the joke got too tiring and Gideon made the older clean every glass he touched; he'd get the other to take his mind off whatever he could be imagining, and he'd also get some scrubbing done. Everybody won.

At one point Nick expressed his concern of being too clingy and Gideon reassured him he thought the same of himself, but that if it meant spending time together he'd do whatever. In the end, they agreed on one idea: it's good missing your significant other from time to time, that way the rapture of seeing them again is greater… and, well, spending some time with other mammals couldn't hurt them. You know your own little world is getting too narrow when the only one you can talk about in a positive way is your partner.

Besides, it was a new experience too, pausing their shared living in such a joyful note. It was nothing like Zootopia, they didn't even get angry or cry! Who knows, maybe they had gotten over the teenage romance phase of their relationship once its foundation was solidly established; one can be both in love and in charge of their duties, and turns out your significant other doesn't disappear when you blink. Did they mature, or did they have a big enough stash of memories to reminisce about for whatever long they'd spend apart? Well, it's doesn't matter, what's important is that they were calm, because even after choosing such diurnal-nocturnal hours to bid farewell peacefully once again, they weren't alone; a sheep couple was doing the exact same.

They were impossible to ignore; both were bawling like babies and declaring how much they'd miss each other. Sometimes they stopped to breathe and/or kiss, and that picture made the foxes cringe a little, not due to the couple itself, but because it reminded the fox duo of themselves.

"Look, Gid." The older whispered, hiding his face behind his light suitcase, not so much to avoid being seen but to abstain from staring. It wasn't a pretty thing to watch, but boy was it mesmerizing. Just like a window to the recent past.

"I'm looking." Gideon on the other hand was hooked, as if he were witnessing the most relatable theater play ever. Were Nick and him so melodramatic? Probably, yes, but he couldn't feel regret at the moment; he was too invested in the other couple's woes. Given their reaction he could only guess one of them was going to war.

"I kinda wanna laugh, but..." He'd be a huge hypocrite if he did; he preferred his houses made of any material more durable than glass.

"Yeah, yeah." Gideon felt the same, but he wasn't laughing either; at best he was annoyed. They didn't sleep much that night for obvious reasons, and since they were already wide awake at four in the morning, the foxes decided they could get to the station early and maybe do some stargazing or just enjoy the chilly breeze that blew at such unascertained hours; by the time they arrived, the ovine pair was already there, doing their thing. The baker was sure they hadn't even noticed their presence.

You could say they were thankful when the train arrived, at least the noise gave them a minute to say goodbye without being eclipsed by the other couple; compared to theirs the predators' farewell was very dry. They were just standing there, facing each other with mirrored sad smiles, lowered ears and sleepy eyes, suppressing the urges to touch their counterpart and letting occasional titters escape their throats.

"I'm gonna miss you."

"I know."

"Are you gonna miss me?"

"What do you thi-"

Someone from inside the vehicle decided to interrupt their not so romantic instance yelling "fox, you getting in or what?!" and before the vulpine to whom was directed that exclamation could reply, the younger spat back an equally assertive "hey fuck you, buddy." A confident, restless and sleepless Gideon wouldn't allow anyone to interrupt them while they were trying to have a moment. For god's sake, couldn't they have a little respect? At the bare minimum, no Zootopian disrupted them while they were doing the same in the capital.

But no matter how much Gideon could insult a disembodied voice and how much Nick could love it, it was time; they had to go their separate ways. This time without tears, external anger and sorrow, or trembling voices.

"Well, I'll be seeing you."

What they felt was uncertainty, the same sensation you have when you go to the doctor with nothing but a cold, but that thought of 'what if it's something else? What is going to happen?' is still on your mind. Not exactly fear; it was the nervousness of experiencing something they weren't expecting. What would happen once Nick left?

"Oh, you will. As soon as I make sure the electric company is happy I'm coming back."

They didn't know, but whatever it could be they wouldn't let it bring them down; they were strong enough to endure spending some time apart. It was a 'see you later,' no biggie.

There wasn't much of an audience and the chubbier vulpine wasn't too worried about his surroundings, so before Nick got in that train, he tried to compensate all the time they had lost to the sheep couple by placing the swiftest of pecks on his lips. They couldn't think of a better farewell. Their sad smiles were no more; big, goofy grins had replaced them, and their uncertainty had turned into a single, more tangible and mundane thought: 'too bad we're not having lunch together.'

They weren't losing anything; they'd be mature about it. The only thing they were going to miss was each other's touch, and technology could help with everything else.

Nick waved from behind one of the windows and Gideon imitated him; the next moment, they were out of each other's sights. Their first minute alone after two weeks, and how was it?

"Man, I love that fox!" Gideon voiced what he was thinking at a respectable volume since the only spectator there was the ewe from before, and she was too busy crying on the ground to pay attention to whatever anyone had to say. The baker even made himself laugh; he had said it out in the open and was still alive! Well, unlike the sobbing sheep he had places to be, a business to attend to… and a new text from Nick? When he looked at his phone, Gideon found a picture of the wailing ram that got in the same train his boyfriend did.

05:03 -[hey gid look. it u]

Very funny… no, really, the baker couldn't deny it. That was him one week ago.

[Hope he sees you and kicks your ass]

[No I don't I love you and his girlfriend is doing the same] - 05:04

05:04 - [loving me?]

[Crying] - 05:05

05:05 - [dont cry babe, i love you too. gonna try and catch a wink w i get there]

[Ok, I'm getting ready for work. Talk later?] - 05:06

05:06 - [you know it]

Texting Gideon felt weird. It was the first time they did it, and even if Nick read his messages in his voice it wasn't the same. Matter of getting used to it, he guessed. Anyway, he had three hours to kill; time to find a seat that didn't smell like ass and rest his eyes.

…wait. He hadn't told anyone he was going back to Zootopia…

Eh, he'd pop Judy a text once he got there. She had gone back to her place, right? It was Monday, she had work… whatever, he could get home by foot.

Back in Zootopia! Wow, things sure had… stayed the same. Nick had been away for a week, what could he expect? Same streets, same mammals, new ads on the bus stops; as long as his apartment hadn't changed its location he was happy. But first things first: telling Gideon he had arrived. If he was at work a text would do.

[im alive, i arrived, the ram cried for two more hours and i couldnt sleep]

[have a good day?] - 08:09

He'd get better at texting non snarky remarks… with time… maybe.

Nick made his way through the usual Monday morning haziness the entire city was in, power walking in the least noteworthy manner he could as he avoided the large crowds plaguing the crosswalks and sidewalks; he wanted to get home quick, striking a friendly conversation with strangers that stared at him wasn't part of his plan. Shortly after he reached his destination, and his apartment had never looked better; everything was clean and tidy, his food reserves almost as full as they were when he left, and what used to be a bunch of dirty clothes wasn't anymore for they laid on his bed folded and without any fox musk adhered. Man, Judy was a great housekeeper.

Speaking of the rabbit, he had to let her know he was back. He sent a quick text informing her of his arrival, and against all odds, she replied a few minutes later; when the fox asked if she was misdoing and ignoring her obligations during work hours she said she was not and that she'd be having breakfast with Bogo and Clawhauser at a donut place not too far away from his old precinct an hour from then or so. Such event was completely out of the ordinary, so uncommon you could say it was weird as fuck; did they decide to forget about their responsibilities and have some time for themselves? That wasn't like them, the trio did care about their jobs. When Nick asked why, all he received was an invitation to join them, and given he had lots of free time and that his curiosity had peaked he accepted.

But first he had to go pay the bills that had brought him back to Zootopia; the electric company was quick sending envelopes written in red and the fox didn't want that. Two cups of black coffee from his still relatively new machine and one "I'll unpack my stuff when I get back" later he was ready to do all the walking he didn't do during his stay with Gideon; the bank and the donut place were in opposite directions and the caffeine was kicking in. Alright, it was time to do boring, responsible adult with a somewhat active social life shit.

Without getting into much detail, Nick's bank wasn't the kind grannies go to cash their retirement checks. What would you expect from a business Mr. Big had dipped his paws in? On the bright side, they didn't ask many questions and he didn't need to visit it too often; perks of being an economics guru.

No matter what his business was there, his presence surely didn't go unnoticed; as soon as he stepped foot outside the shady institution, Nick's phone rang, and it was none other than the crime lord arctic shrew himself. The first thing that crossed the fox's mind was 'of course;' the rodent's underlings had seem him, he knew Nick was back in Zootopia, and given how their last conversation went he thought he deserved an apology. The vulpine was sleep deprived enough and fueled by nothing but coffee and apathy, and he had some time to kill before meeting with his ex-colleagues; he'd respond, he'd swim in that shark pool. However, the development was nothing like he thought. Mr. Big wanted to talk about something different; his sudden orphanhood, and how he still considered the former con artist a member of his family, never mind his transgressions towards the Mafioso's actual bloodline. Can you guess how Nick reacted?

"Is this a fucking joke?!" He didn't love it, that's for sure. The call was getting so heated, on his end at least, that he had to put in on hold and go back home before continuing so he wouldn't cause a scene.

"Am I supposed to believe you've been taking care of me all this time? That- that my parents told you to look after me or something?" That's what the fox got out of everything the shrew said, and you could understand why he'd be incredulous; suddenly, out of the blue and after attempting murder on Nick several times he cared about him like a son? Was that pity for his parents' disappearance? Was the Godfather his actual godfather? No, fuck that.

"Believe what you want, Nicky. Would you care if I told you I bought you baby clothes?" No, he wouldn't. Why would he, anyway? The vulpine worked for him for a short while, so what? What relation did he even have with-? No, no; he wouldn't think about any of that, he was over it, he'd hang up and go meet with Judy, Ben and Macario.

"Look, I don't have time to-"

"Nick, listen to me." The insistence of the Mafioso was well known, things usually went the way he wanted, especially when it was himself taking care of things. He was in part responsible for Nick's current life; he thought that at the bare minimum he deserved to be heard.

"..." The fox could have finished that call right then, but something didn't let him; maybe curiosity, maybe the fact that he was without a debt thanks to the older mammal, or maybe he did want to listen to whatever he had to say. Would he believe it? That's a different story.

"You know how I work, I know what you've been up to-" Oh, Nick didn't doubt that; that call wasn't a coincidence.

"Mr. Big-"

"If I wanted you dead, you'd already be." Such sharp statement got the undivided attention of the younger. Mr. Big wasn't a bad strategist, he wouldn't leave any loose end roam around for no reason; if Nick was a real threat to him or his affairs he'd be sleeping with the fish, yet the arctic shrew did the opposite. His apartment, his lack of problems whether they were with justice or with the Treasury, the fact that he was still alive… there had to be a big motive behind that; a connection beyond any business they could had started to make sense.

"...where are you going with this?"

"Let me tell you a story. Growing up my grandmama taught me something: if you have a chance to do something, take it. That's what I've done all my life, that's what brought me where I am now. Your kind and I have something in common; bigger mammals look down on us. They looked down on me, they looked down on your father-" Not this again… what was his relation with Charles, anyway?

"What do you know about him? About my father?" Nick sounded a bit too eager there, but he couldn't help himself; the tension of the moment plus his caffeine rush and legitimate curiosity led him to spit his questions without any restraint.

"Nicky, you know you must not interrupt me."

"...sorry." He'd let the shrew speak; it was a pot of bitter broth he was stirring, but the fox found himself invested in what the other had to say, if still reticent to believe his every word.

"Your father and I met by accident. He asked my uncle for a loan, but instead he was given a job; I used to own a humble tuxedo shop, and he was a good tailor. We worked together and we became good friends, I even considered him part of my family. As time passed, mammals ignored what species we were and came to us because we knew how to do our job. Then I had the chance to move on to bigger things, and I took it; I asked your father to join me but he said no. He told me he wanted to succeed in his own way. I can respect that, an independent mammal that wants to make his accomplishments his own... but what I thought was - orgoglio, how is it - ah, pride, was actually foolishness. We parted ways, but that didn't mean we weren't friends anymore; I cared about him, and about Veronica... then one day, he changed. I heard he mixed with bad company, he started pushing me away but I always wanted to help him, and by the time you were born, he didn't want to see me anymore."

Okay. Okay, yes. So… uh, his father and Big used to work together. Okay. And he was a good tailor, fine; oh, and the Mafioso knew his mother too. Great, yes. The vulpine needed a moment to assimilate the new information, but he had a new question; why didn't he tell him any of that before?

"You still with me, Nicky?"

"Yeah… yeah, I'm listening..." He'd pose his inquiries later; it seemed the sorex wasn't done.

"Good, good... by then I had already seen what happened to mammals like him... he thought he was doing the right thing, but I can assure you he wasn't; it was a pity, really, seeing someone so promising getting lost like that."

That was a good chance to interject. "You mean his addiction?"

"It's... complicated, Nicky." He didn't have to tell every single detail, Nick didn't need to know; if knowing that was enough for the fox, he wouldn't explain much more. "Your mama was dragged too, they had debts, they- I heard your father had something to do with what you'd call the black market."

"God..." Nick muttered to himself; just what kind of mammals were his parents?

"The point is, I wouldn't let that happen to you; I couldn't do much when you were a kit, but I prayed for you. My Fru Fru was a baby too, and every night she woke me and my mogl- my... wife with her cries, I thought about you. I didn't even know if you were alive, but I prayed for you." The shrew took a moment to recuperate his respiration; so far his monologue only had paused because of Nick, and his breath faltered for an instant when he mentioned his wife. It was all the same for the fox, at that point he needed to know where that conversation was going; if anything, it justified his feelings toward his parents, and probably toward his kin too.

"Where I come from, life is only another valuta."

"Another what?"

"Moneta - currency, means to get something you want... I feared that your parents would go as far as to trade your life for something they didn't need... no child deserves that."

Nick's jaw clenched involuntarily. He could feel goosebumps as tiny spikes pushing his fur outwards from inside, and his eyes, which he had closed during most of their exchange after reaching his home, opened abruptly, revealing two tiny black dots drowning in green, trembling just as the rest of his body did; his caffeine-powered imagination wanted to take him to the kind of scenarios that could have happened if they ever sold him. Fuck… it was terrifying… just imagine being a slave for one of those foxes… "I see..."

"That's why when I heard you dropped out of school I got so happy; your education was important, but knowing you were alive was more than that. When they told me there was a fox roaming my streets, I was curious; and when I found out it was you, I wanted to meet you. I couldn't, the situation didn't let me, but ever since I had eyes on you." That was ominous, but not as worrying to Nick; Mr. Big had eyes on everyone.

"You had people following me?"

"No, but mammals that surrounded you were willing to do things for me. I was… busier back then."

"And that guy I met at the hospital? The one that told me to go pay you a visit?" It couldn't be a coincidence; he tried to kill himself and a guy just happened to be there ready to offer him a new job? For the then upcoming underground leader no less?

"Collateral damage, Nicky; Alfredo was - come se... entu - enthusiastic, but too stubborn. I heard you weren't doing too well and I needed an excuse to meet you, to help you. He shot himself just so he could deliver that message."

"Damn... I should thank him..." It was undeniable, that was some dedication.

"He's been behind bars for a while now, he keeps picking fights, but I'll send him your regards." The rest was history; Nick started working for him, he sold him the rug that broke their partnership, yadda yadda. The arctic shrew seemed to be done, he could finally ask what he really wanted to know.

"So what you mean with this-?"

"What I mean is that I care for you Nicky; I've loved you like a son, I know you're better than your father, and I want to give you another chance." Better than his father… that wasn't hard to do.

"You want me to work for you again?"

"No, I want you to work for yourself."

"What do you mean?" He wanted Nick to start his own mafia? Because those days were over for the former con artist, and he wasn't fond of the violence that he learnt was common in such business.

"I told you foxes are leaving their territory; my men have been keeping an eye on them and most of them behave like regular mammals. They're scared to let the rest see them; they know many have things against them, but what they don't understand is that they didn't choose to be foxes." That was… unexpected; since when was Mr. Big interested in mammal rights?

"What would I have to do?"

"You'd have to speak on their behalf; if the first fox that joined the forces supports the insertion of the rest of his kind, if he offers them his help and proves they deserve to be treated as any other mammal would, that fox in due time could own this city."

Nick didn't want that, he was happy with his current life; but unlike the last time they talked, the ex-officer was more dubious. "I don't know..." He had learnt… shit, a lot of things he could've gone without knowing, things that almost made him appreciate the kindness of the Mafioso. That offer clashed with his principles and ideas, he didn't think too highly of his own kind, but he couldn't say no right away. It was… too much.

"If that doesn't convince you, just think about how you've been treated for being what you are. Wouldn't you want that to stop? To never happen again? To be accepted just like a wolf or an otter would?"

"I... I have to think about it." It wasn't so simple; not every fox is the same, not every fox is good, not every fox is bad, not every fox is-

"Nicky, I know firsthand that foxes aren't bad, don't let anyone think they are; think about what you've been through... think about what your life would have been like if the rest didn't believe you were scum just because you have a big tail. You're good with words, you'd just have to-" He had already thought about that; he had spent years thinking about it, and he wasn't going back to those days.

"Why are you so insistent?!"

"Because I don't like injustices! Not so long ago, Little Rodentia was a ghetto too. I'm offering you the chance to change many, many lives." Nick didn't want that.

"Can we... can we talk some other time? I have something to do right now..." He still had to go have that coffee or whatever with Judy and the guys. It would either improve his suddenly crushed mood, or he could die on his way there; both options were good.

"Okay Nicky, but I'm hoping you say yes; I've already made a few investments."

"It's not an easy choice..." Going against his own ethos for some strangers he just happened to share species with? It really wasn't something he could agree to lightly. "Hey, Mr. Big, one last thing?"

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?"

"I didn't think it was necessary, but you met your father and… his death has brought the spirit of change. Just like I am for mine, he was important for his people." He was like the fence that kept them in their territory or something, wasn't he?

"How did he die?"

"...overdose, Nicky. It was a matter of time, better than the alternative, he had many enemies." At least Nick could rest knowing he didn't kill him. Directly, perhaps his visit had something to do, but- fuck, no, he couldn't care about that. No, no; he didn't care when it happened, he wouldn't care then.

"And my mom?" If the Mafioso knew her too, he could have some information on her whereabouts or her heartbeats. What would Nick do with it? Only he knew, but seeing her again didn't feel… right. He had spent his entire life thinking it was him who betrayed her, yet the truth was another; Veronica wasn't the poor single mother that had spent years and years missing her rebellious son – fuck, no, he wasn't about to care about her either. He was curious, that's it.

"I don't know; I heard she left the city."

"Alright, thank you." What, you think maybe he was feeling guilty? Not at all, it was the opposite; Veronica and Charles were too alike, and if he didn't want to have anything to do with one, why would he with the other? The information he had received did but validate what he felt, and it also made harder agreeing to Mr. Big's offer; was their behavior a fox thing, or was it something exclusive to his parents? He had been to their district, and even if it wasn't a humble thing to do, he guessed that he was the odd one; Nick didn't like living in poverty, in constant fear, surrounded by violence… and Gideon didn't either, he was another exception. How different could the rest of foxes be?

"And Nicky, come visit soon; you gotta see how big little Judy's getting."

"Sure thing."

And that's all he said. Nick would find out soon enough what Mr. Big's intentions were, trusting the arctic shrew often wasn't the smartest thing to do; even if apparently he wanted the best for the vulpine kind because of what happened to his parents, and if the Mafioso had been secretly worried about Nick, something in the back of his head told him there was more to it, something he was missing...

"Fuck…" Well, maybe that conversation had depleted his energy, but he still had to go have breakfast with his friends. "…if I'm lucky Bogo will punch me to death." Lovely and cheerful.

[You don't know how much I'm missing you right now, Gid] - 09:18

"Nick!" The first thing the fox noticed about the trio was their looks; none of them was wearing their uniform. "How have you been?!" The second was Clawhauser's excited voice and his tight bear hug as soon as he entered the cafeteria; boy, he was strong. "How did it go? Did you have a romantic week? Did you bang in the train?" And third, once he could breathe again, were Bogo's and Judy's tired expressions. Did they spend the entire weekend working?

He'd ask later, now he was the asked one, and he had never been gladder for Ben's indiscretion; playing with the chubbier predator and talking about his Gideon would take some of the newfound stress away. Before speaking, he cleared his throat and grinned just like the cheetah did, mocking his excitement without real malice as they walked towards the table the other two enforcers of the law seated at.

"Oh, it's been delightful! First he rammed me raw once in every car of the train, then we said we wanted something more, went to Vegas, got married, adopted one of those super cute baby zebras, argued about how to raise him, divorced, came back together not without hours of hot, steamy, dirty, muddy, greasy sex and forgot about our child who understandably was traumatized, and-" Reaching the table meant the end of their fun; Judy heard every word the fox said and she felt compelled to interject and put an end to it.

"Nick, we get it." The rabbit looked legitimately peeved, and his former boss didn't look too happy either – he couldn't tell, reading his face was a difficult task - but the receptionist cop was getting into it.

"Don't listen to her, keep going." You know as well as I do Nick loved some jokes, but if Judy's droopy ears were any indication, the mood wasn't the best; he'd have to keep it short and casual.

"Ben, he's been working and I binge watching shows I didn't know existed. Nothing special." Hey, being friends doesn't mean you have to reveal your real intimacies. It was Gideon and Nick's thing, and knowing Clawhauser, he'd probably die of lack of oxygen if he heard the actual story. A mammal can only gasp and scream so much... but there were more mammals there, and he had to address them as well.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" When Nick asked the buffalo and the cheetah looked at each other and then at Judy, who refused to look directly at any of them. It was Bogo who questioned the grimacing rabbit, and by the tone of his voice the fox could tell he was... angry? Nonchalant? Really, reading that guy was hard.

"You didn't tell him?"

Judy just sighed; she didn't feel like talking about whatever happened.

"We quit." So Benjamin took it upon himself to inform the slimmer predator about what they had been up to. "I mean, we were gonna get penalized or maybe fired if we refused, so I guess it's half and half? We… quired." The cheetah sounded so much more comfortable and casu- wait, what?!

"You what?! Why?" Were they serious? At least they looked serious… except for Clawhauser, he didn't seem that affected. But they made Nick yell in a public place, and if it was a joke, they were great actors; no, but really, what the-

"Keep it down." It was the buffalo's warning that stopped the former con artist from going full 'WHAT HAPPENED?! ANSWER ME!' What bothered him the most was that Judy even refused to tell him she was unemployed; fuck, so much for a best friend... he knew her, and if she had lost her dream job she wouldn't be laughing and cracking jokes, but - did he have the right to be mad? He didn't care; his previous conversation made him feel impotent enough already, and now this... shit, were they okay? Why did the three of them quit?

"Can someone please tell me what's happening?" Through gritted teeth he asked, and with a full mouth he received an answer; Ben offered himself to explain the events that occurred while he was away.

"Gif' me a fec'." He had to swallow first, though; maybe he wasn't a cop anymore, but he still ate like one.

The story was… convoluted.

"You know Macky had his differences with the mayor."

"I do, yeah."

"You know where those came from?"

"No, your Macky and I haven't talked that much." Hearing Nick say that name made Bogo miss his gun, if only for the instant he pronounced it. That didn't feel right, only his Benny could call him that; on the other hoof, he didn't care about the differences part. It was true he didn't get along with the official, and it was a risk given that Robert Clearfangs was basically his direct superior; he could fire the buffalo without any previous warning.

"Well, he had some strange requests, like the day you quit he made the chief of police send his men to a district that wasn't even part of their jurisdiction, or when he forced him to withhold public information about perps from the citizens." Bogo commented that at least Lionheart left him do his job properly, and Clawhauser agreed since his favorite bovine had been more stressed after Clearfangs was elected. "But last Thursday things got freaky."

Benjamin took a sip of whatever he was drinking and looked at Nick with one of the most solemn expressions he had seen on the cheetah; it felt so unnatural not seeing any trace of a smile on his face… and the tension he was building didn't help either. He just wanted to know why his friends weren't cops anymore, it would have sufficed with a 'we didn't like the blue anymore,' but Clawhauser wanted him to know the whole truth because it affected him too.

"Now, Nick…" His serious voice was deeper than the one the fox was used to, and unnerving too given it wasn't of common use. What was he supposed to expect? A terminal illness?

"…this is about foxes."

"I am that."

"Bad things involving foxes." That was it? Fuck, he got the vulpine worried for a moment; 'bad things involving foxes' was a pleonasm, a given, nothing extraordinary.

"Ben, you could say you wish all foxes got shot and I'd agree..." Gideon was a fox too. "...mostly. Don't beat around the bush, I won't cry." If they did in fact get shot he wouldn't have to go see Mr. Big, and he wouldn't hate that.

The cheetah was taken aback; he had no idea Nick had such thoughts about his own kin. Although, in that context, it almost made things easier.

"Alright…"

Last Thursday, by the time the trio and the rest of officers arrived at the ZPD station, they had some visitors waiting for them; it was none other than the mayor himself, along with a group of bodyguards and some kind of representative, like a weasel spokesmammal. Once everyone entered the building, the entrance was locked and a search was performed on every animal there; once they made sure the law enforcers weren't carrying anything that could be considered unsafe or incriminating, they were forced to turn off every surveillance device they could have. None of what was about to be said could leave the station, and no one could get in or get out until the hijackers allowed them to.

They had a few requests – no, not requests; direct orders. To put it simply, more and more foxes were appearing in the city, and the mayor wanted them to lie; did he want the cops to incriminate them so they could be sent to jail? No, quite the opposite; he wanted the vulpines to appear as innocent as possible.

In the short span they had been roaming the main districts of the capital, some of them had gotten in trouble; mammals were reporting them, five had gotten caught doing one illegal activity or another, and two got killed by other citizens in self-defense. As far as the officers knew, the ones they had heard of weren't free of sin; dangerous was the most appropriate word to define them. The orders they received were clear; they had to destroy every document that contained any information about the vulpines, free and then execute the ones behind bars, and if they were asked about foxes at all the only thing they would respond was that they only knew about their ex-colleague Nick Wilde, who had left the force to pursue more fulfilling endeavors.

"That's not exactly a lie… but so far the whole thing is really messed up."

"Can I keep going?"

"Sure."

In essence, Clearfangs wanted to turn the minority of canine perpetrators into victims, he didn't want records of any illegal activity they might have committed to exist, and he wanted their past, present, and future deeds and deaths to be ignored by the police; when Bogo asked the wolf about the reasons behind those insane commands he wouldn't respond, he just said it was the best for the city. Of course, the buffalo refused to comply; he cared about his men, he knew the kind of reputation such irresponsibility would bring them, and everything he was intended to do was illegal. Foxes or not the law was the same for everyone; he couldn't just kill them because the mayor wanted him to, and turning them into martyrs couldn't be beneficial for Zootopia. If anything, it would make citizens feel more insecure.

"The mayor wanted perps to look innocent?"

"Basically, yeah."

"By killing them?"

"It's one of those 'the punishment is bigger than the crime' situations, but here the crime is erased and the punishment is death, and if no one knew why they were murdered..."

"People would start thinking there's a serial killer?"

"Probably, but many mammals dislike foxes."

"Then?"

"We don't really know; my theory is that the mayor hates your kind and he just wanted paws willing to kill them. If there's no intel on them and no one knows them, their deaths only mean more meat in the morgue."

"And people wouldn't wonder who did it?"

"Nick… you know what's the popular opinion on your species."

"Right…"

After a heated argument, Macario said he wouldn't do any of what Clearfangs said, and before the wolf had the chance to fire him, the then chief of police grabbed his badge and tossed it at the mayor. He was there because he believed in justice, and even if his sense of such concept had faltered at times, he wouldn't become anyone's puppet. Then the weasel that acted as a spokesmammal gave the rest of officers some documents; contracts that'd allow them to receive twice their salary every month if they accepted to keep the secret, aside from other favors they'd be apt to ask for if they proved to be trustworthy to the mayor.

"He wanted to buy you?"

"He wanted to enslave us; if we didn't agree to his conditions we would be penalized, and if we did and then broke the contract we'd be fired. I'm not big into legislation but I'm sure a mayor can't do that… and he wanted to kill some foxes that were caught stealing or in possession of drugs for whatever crazy reason, what do you think he would have done to us?"

"God, now I know why you got out of there."

You couldn't entirely blame some of the mammals that accepted; they needed the money, they had families to feed even if they knew they were doing something wrong. Some others had different motives such as greed, fear of getting on the mayor's bad side, or simply being granted the freedom to impose their own law. Judy Hopps and Benjamin Clawhauser were exceptions, and given that what the mayor imposed went against what made them join the ZPD in the first place, they had no reason to stay there. Ben wouldn't be anyone's puppet either, and if Bogo was leaving too, what was there for him to do?

Judy took a harder blow; she had learnt the planet was crooked, that there were many problems that'd never be solved because some important mammals didn't want that to happen, but being forced directly to choose between her beliefs and someone else's was… rough; it wasn't only a matter of opinions, it's what those opinions implied, what would make her do.

She quit her dream job because it would force her to act against the justice she believed in; in a way it reminded her of the Night Howlers case. Back then she left the force because she didn't feel like she deserved the praise she was getting, back then she felt like she was to blame for what happened, back then Bogo told her the world was broken and that's why they needed good cops… but there'd be no more good cops; they either had to quit or become bad cops. Foxes were the smallest minority in Zootopia, but what did that change? Maybe it was due to her relationship with two of them, maybe – fuck, not even her old prejudices could compare with that.

Killing them and making them look like victims? That's how you protect and serve a city?

"And that's why we're here today."

The mayor had to choose a new chief of police, but that's all they knew.

Sitting through all that was an experience, but it prompted a new thought in Nick's brain; were the deaths of those foxes what made Mr. Big ask him to speak on their behalf? It made sense; even if cops weren't allowed to say a word about what happened, at least part of the media surely knew about their killings. His guess was proven right when Clawhauser lent him his phone and let him read what they had to say about it.

Conservative sources claimed foxes were dangerous, that their deaths were deserved and surely it was their own species who killed them, and that if anything they were a benefit for the city; progressive ones said they were victims of the rampant hate towards them, that there was no evidence that supported they were killed for any valid reason, and that they'd go extinct if no one did anything to improve their environment and help them survive. He didn't know how much attention they were getting, but since they were polar opposites whoever decided to support one or another would find themselves with a bunch of new enemies. Still, what surprised him the most is that some mammals were defending the foxkin; like… why?

"Some say your kind shouldn't exist, and some others say you must be protected."

One extreme had vulpines as their target, and attacking them would fuel the other's fire; so far all threats had been done on the internet and it was a local and somewhat isolated thing, but social media was getting heated. More traditional and common media hadn't covered it yet, probably because – well, they're foxes – and it wasn't being promoted publicly. The articles the cheetah showed Nick were rather obscure, but if someone found out about the mayor's doings or the whole thing kept growing in popularity, the consequences could reach the entire state, or maybe even the nation.

Perhaps that was the mayor's plan, making the police look incompetent and cause outrage. Why? Who knows… there's a chance it was some kind of political tactic. Another alternative was that he wanted foxes to be eradicated, but there were other ways of doing that; deleting their criminal records was counterproductive. For example, justifying their deaths using them as an excuse would make things simpler.

However, who could say Clearfangs hadn't blackmailed and silenced other institutions? The four mammals seated at that table could try and use social media themselves to bring him to justice, but yelling 'THE MAYOR ORDERED TO KILL THE FOXES SO THEY WOULD BE SEEN AS VICTIMS' on the internet without any evidence or solid theory could make them look… bad. And besides, except for Clawhauser, they didn't use them much.

The only true neutral take was in the police reports that probably wouldn't even exist anymore.

"The city is all kinds of fucked up, Nick." Whoa there; sure, the situation was sticky to say the least, but Clawhauser cussing? That was going too far. "After what happened some mammals wanna go to the foxes' district and… well, that thing you said about shooting them, and some others have started campaigns to make it part of Zootopia again."

"It isn't?" He was referring to the badlands, right? That ravaged place Charles lived in?

"Not exactly; the- Macky, what was the district's name?"

Nick remembered that report, so he replied to Ben's question instead. "Nocturnal Haven."

All Bogo could do was shrug and say "he's right." He thought Nick was probably born there, why wouldn't he know it?

"Well, there. Turns out that's sovereign land; even if we were still cops we'd have no jurisdiction." So when he went to meet his father he actually left the city… interesting, to say the least. "Now that people are digging deeper into what foxes have been up to they've found out the kind of shady business happening there."

"Drugs?" Nick sounded casual but he knew what he was talking about; well, partially. Mr. Big said Charles was in some shit that had to do with the black market and all the former con artist knew about that was the name of some providers, so surely there'd be more to it.

"Drugs, and murder, and even politics… let's say that if Bellwether and Lionheart did the whole turning preds savage thing there, we couldn't have done a thing."

"Really? Nothing?" Experimenting on live, breathing mammals and turning them in wild creatures wasn't a crime against the animal kingdom where his dad lived? Even they had to have a sense of morality.

It was Bogo who replied next, allowing Clawhauser to take a break; his mouth was going dry, and even if he liked to talk, he preferred more entertaining topics. "Nothing; sovereign lands are exempt of many of our laws. What you may know as the badlands today used to be a sacred place for all kinds of predators, then Zootopia came to be and your kin didn't like it; they did whatever meant necessary to stay there and keep that place for themselves." His tone wasn't accusatory; given that Nick was a fox and that his species was in the spotlight at the time for less than favorable reasons, you could imagine he'd hold some type of grudge against the officer that deserted them. However, when he referred to the foxkin he almost sounded compassionate; he had nothing against Nick, and he knew he had nothing to do with what happened. If anything, he disliked that someone he considered as a friend or at the bare minimum a close acquaintance could get harassed for problems he wasn't involved in.

"We had heard rumors, I even went there myself once when I was younger, but I didn't dare explore much. Turns out it's a cesspool of crime and everyone is welcome; some names are coming to light, popular and important names, and it's a matter of time before something more drastic happens."

Nick had seen the state of it; maybe it was some kind of sanctuary at some point, but today it was a literal hellhole. If he thought about it, that was a predator-exclusive place, just like the theme park he once wanted to build; would the same have happened to it? Was it such a dangerous idea? Could his species have ruined his former dream? Taking into consideration how things were, maybe settling for Judy's life goal for a while had been for the best.

"Shit… I really was born under a black star."

Clawhauser had to agree on that; he didn't know that much about Nick's past, but given how he sounded when he talked about his kind, the cheetah could guess that meeting Judy and Gideon was the best luck he had ever had. Both were cute, and as far as he was concerned his best friends… and lover? He might go back to that later. "The problem is – you know what? Everything. Mammals try to protect your kind, try to eradicate it, we're unemployed, we've spent the entire weekend researching all this, this mayor is as crooked as the rest, my knee's been hurting again, and this time Gazelle isn't coming to tell citizens to get along." Turns out Benjamin was actually afflicted by those events; he sounded specially exasperated by the last thing he said, but aside from his personal feelings towards the singer, having a celebrity saying she didn't like Zootopians being divided did help last time that happened… and they got a free concert out of it.

"God, maybe I should've stayed in Bunny Burrows…" It wasn't necessarily Nick's fault, but perhaps if he never moved from Gideon's place it would've never happened? He was happier on that cloud of warmth and fur, ignorant to the real world, and as soon as he stepped back into it… poof, he found himself at a crossroads and about to be run over from all sides.

"I can't believe you just said that." Judy said that! She was finally raising her voice! "But it's a good thing you and Gideon left; it's better if you stay under the radar, and spending the weekend with these two has been enough." She sounded bitterer than usual, but he'd take what he could get; besides, he knew she was strong. After that visit to the lowest part of the dumps she'd come back, she'd grab the mayor by the balls, and she'd rip them out; Judy Hopps never gave up, did she?

"I can do that." Nick found himself smiling as he pronounced his reply; at least she didn't look as devastated. And about what she said, not standing out was his specialty; now that he lived a different life all he had to do was avoid crowded places... unless he accepted Mr. Big's offer, but that wasn't his main priority. "And what do you mean these two? You stop being a cop and you don't respect your boss anymore?" Yes, nothing like a little unemployment humor to cheer the crowd.

"I was at Mack- Bogo's place looking up all this stuff, and without the uniform he's as shameless as they come." So that was the real reason why she left his place… research and nudity…

"And I know how to make him do that." Clawhauser felt compelled to add that, further befuddling the fox. Did they- did they do it in front of her? She had seen Gideon and Nick kissing and she found it too obscene; what boundaries did the other couple have?

Nick looked at Bogo in hopes of finding an answer; was Judy's mood caused by the mayor's actions alone or did the cheetah and the buffalo have something to do with that too? "…anything you wanna add, chief?"

"My house, my rules."

"Right…" Stoic as ever.

Judy began rocking back and forth, staring at the paper cup before her with her eyes wide open and a dead expression on her face as she chanted to herself like a traumatized child. "It reaches the knee, Nick; the knee… it was there, hanging… down to the knee… how… how can it fit-"

Okay, okay, that was enough. Please let's talk about killing foxes again.

"So it's been only you guys leaving?"

Bogo decided to answer the question directed at no one in particular; he was there too when the mayor showed up, and he remember certain specific details, like the insults that were hurled the official's way or who almost got killed. "Not exactly... you know Fisher has a short temper, right?"

Fisher, Fisher... wasn't that the asshole bear that liked to terrorize rowdy teenagers? If he was who Nick thought he was, the guy could be called a cub predator, but instead of his dick he whipped out his stun gun the first chance he got. Not someone Nick had talked much to for obvious reasons.

"Yeah, I think so."

"When the representative said it'd be best not to disclose the truth and to - well, lie because the mayor said so - he refused; the weasel insisted and as soon as he finished saying foxkin Fisher had him by the neck, ten feet above the ground." Either he had a strong sense of honor and justice, or he didn't want to do anything that could remotely benefit foxes no matter how sick and twisted it was. Or maybe… he liked foxes? Nick couldn't tell, the bear never tried to actively befriend him. "He's been kicked, now awaiting trial."

"I can't say I'm surprised." At the very least he wasn't part of the… what could Nick call that? 'Genocidal salvation?' Even he thought that shit was wrong; he didn't care about whatever his kind did as long as that didn't affect him. That was all, he wanted to live his life… god damn it, every time he thought about it Mr. Big's offer came to mind; but his friends' problems came before his species'.

"Have you filled a claim, impeached the mayor, talked to your representatives or whatever you gotta do in these cases?"

"Yeah, but we've been discredited; they're saying we're crooked cops, not to be trusted, not a priority. We have an appointment for next month, but it doesn't look too good."

"Can you clean your name? Do you need a lawyer? A place to stay?" Nick was already imagining the worst case scenarios, and they looked too much like his homeless days; was society going to reject them? Would they become outcasts that had to eat from the trash to survive?

"Nick, we'll manage, don't worry."

He was worried, he cared about them, and he didn't want them to go through the same shit he did; he'd do anything he could to stop that from happening. "No, listen to me; if you need money or anything please tell me." Was he that caring before meeting Gideon? He couldn't know, it was the first time something like that happened; giving money to his mother after he put an end to his not so legal career didn't count, that was out of guilt.

Judy said she'd be okay; she saved most of the money she made anyway, her family didn't need help, and if things got too ugly she'd tell her parents the truth and would go back to the Burrows. She'd keep it a secret for as long as she could; it was… humiliating and shameful, not only to her, but to anyone who believed in fairness.

Bogo and Ben had savings too, plus an extra Clawhauser received every month after getting shot. He was legally disabled because of his metal knee: he had pains from time to time, his movement was limited, and he'd need to get a new one in a few years, but overall the cheetah's optimistic demeanor didn't let that bring him down.

"Okay, but if you need anything, I'm here." The fox was somewhat relieved after hearing they would be able to stay alive, but his own experience wouldn't let him rest that easily. Add that to his dying caffeine rush and the adrenaline of hearing what had happened during his absence, and his state wouldn't be too different from the one he was in after his exchange with Mr. Big. God, his entire morning had revolved around foxes…

"We'll keep it in mind, Nick. Thank you."

Macario Bogo paid close attention to Nick's reaction; for once he wasn't acting, he was genuinely concerned about their wellbeing, and if the sarcastic one of the bunch got pessimistic as well they were doomed. "What's up, Nick? Feeling guilty for leaving us?" His tone and smirk told him he was joking, and who'd have said his taciturn and serious ex-boss would be the one trying to cheer things up? He had a sense of humor too, if he remembered correctly, but his timing was a little off.

"No, but I wouldn't want you two going through the pains of showering together and all that." Nick too knew he had to calm down, and he could appreciate the buffalo's attempt at improving the general mood. Man, city life sure was stressing.

Clawhauser joined in on their little chitchat with an exaggerated "oh no, Macky, can you imagine? Us, having to shower or even live together?"

"Sounds like the suffering of this weekend." And the couple complemented really well; they even finished each other's jokes.

"Please not again." They could even traumatize Judy in just one weekend and without any help! He had to remind himself to ask her about what Bogo's place was like… he was sure he had a room where he bench-pressed Clawhauser and kept on feeding him so he could lift more. Also maybe the fox needed a nap.

The good thing about not being coworkers anymore is that the buffalo and the cheetah could focus on their relationship without so much secrecy after being dating for… a year and a half? A decade? Whatever, they had something enviable going on. Judy had been there too, but they were close friends, they assumed she wouldn't mind acting less officer-y in front of her and that she'd keep the secret; she would, but if she had reached that level of friendship with them, she had the right to complain and be traumatized in exchange.

The two males were trying out living together for the first time, and so far, they had made the most of it. Sure, they missed their jobs, they had spent most of that time looking at books and screens, and many things didn't look too good, but they could finally live as a couple, more or less. If it worked out, they were thinking of moving in together and Ben of getting rid of his apartment. If Judy's scarring was any indication, they were doing great in that field.

"Good for you, guys. I hope it works out." Nick had been there not so long ago, perhaps still was, but it was nice knowing someone else was enjoying a little romance. Wasn't that sensation the best?

Once again, Bogo replied to his genuine statement with the fake malice that usually characterized the fox. "Is it working out for you?" Get it? Because he had left to be with Gideon? The buffalo needed improv classes.

But Nick hadn't lost his Nick-ness; he had been using it less, yet he was still capable of pulling out his inner sharp, sly tongue. Half lidded eyes, smug and secure grin, looking straight at the other's peepers; it was coming.

"Like the ending of every Giraniffer Aniston movie." That… sounded so much better in his head; god, that was bad banter.

However, Macario understood the response perfectly; turns out he and Nick shared guilty pleasures. But don't tell anybody, only Clawhauser knew that. "In Oldie-weds she ends up eating a sandwich alone in an airport bathroom. Do you need counseling, Wilde?"

Nick ignored that reply, there was something more important implicit in it. What's better than comparing their romantic comedy knowledge to take the edge off their original conversation? Pretty much everything, but they didn't have many options. Still, it helped the fox see his former boss under a new light; who'd have said the buffalo liked and felt things? Incredible.

The group left right before midday; Bogo and Clawhauser had plans, and Judy and Nick could use some rest as well. The couple bid their farewell from the buffalo's car and the fox and the bunny decided to walk home; they weren't too far from their apartments and they always had interesting conversations when they were alone. If anyone had a chance to cheer her up, it was Nick.

"So you've spent the weekend with Macky and Benny?" Referring to his ex-colleagues in such manner - even if it was jokingly - sounded so preppy and disgusting; okay, they came from having brunch with them and he had learnt a couple personal things about the duo, but he didn't want to be spit roasted by a buffalo and a cheetah. Oh, he should come up with new nicknames for them…

"Do you really want to know about that? Because I spent my first four hours there crying before accepting the world is a cold, rotten place." God, Judy didn't sound like Judy; she sounded like he did when he was fifteen. 'Yeah dude everything sucks' wasn't a valid response, they were adults and adults… I don't know, got married sometimes?

"Look at the bright side, Cottontail; now you can get in the dating business too." That didn't help, the rabbit looked at him in absolute repugnance and her face twisted and wrinkled as if she had just licked the sourest of lemons. What was she into, anyway? Would a good dicking help her, or would a good… pussying work better? Perhaps she preferred a wholesome and completely nonsexual experience with someone she had a connection with? Because that was harder, dating apps aren't magic.

"Yeah, I'm sure a boyfriend can replace having the dream of my life taken away from me for sticking to justice." Nick thought about starting a debate about the concept of justice, but she didn't look like she was in the mood for more self-questioning. Her ears were droopy, her feet dragging, and he hadn't heard her voice change the few times she spoke; she sounded monotone and bored, and that was what he wanted to change.

"It worked for me."

"Really? Are you admitting you left because of Gideon?" Hey, she showed some interest there! Alright, he could try talking about himself and the baker if that kept her thoughts away from her recent unemployment.

"No, that's a long story; let's say losing the coffee machine in the break room was a deal breaker."

"You did fall asleep in the car a few times."

"I did, but then you set us up and-"

"Oh, please, not this again." That was his chance; turn that annoyance into laughter, Wilde, come on.

"Don't let your nose twitch just yet, bunny rabbit; I'm not complaining. Did you know Gideon is a rapper?"

"Sure."

"And a great one at that."

"Uh-huh." Well, she was indifferent… he'd have to try harder.

"It's crazy because it's been like fifteen years since he last heard a song from another mammal, I think he's one of those gifted children or something." Did you know that if you tell an unbelievable truth in the most honest of manners people will think you're joking? Nick did, and his history of sarcastic humor preceded him, which added to the bunny's assumed-to-be-true knowledge about the baker explained her lack of interest and incredulity.

'And I'm a flying lion that sweats ranch dressing.' Sure, Gideon with his stutter, his softy looks, his pink apron and his... limited lexical abilities was all about the hood and - he called the baker a gifted child, right? - maybe proving string theory with croissants? Of course he was, yep, he had been all along.

"You sure like him, huh?" Nick made her go from sad to condescending… fuck it, he ignored her tone and finished his tirade of honesty.

"Me? Gideon? Nah, maybe just a little bit." Hey, that wasn't exactly a lie; she chose the wrong verb starting with an L.

And there they were, the bifurcation that led to their apartments; Judy was ready to go home, but the fox thought that spending some time together could be for the best.

"You wanna come over? I have… lots of frozen things. To eat, I mean." However, the rabbit had reasons not to accept his offer.

"I'd say yes, but no matter how many windows I opened everything reeked of... fox love. And knowing how things are, I'm afraid a protest can start around you any moment now."

"Come on, Jude, I bet we can get you a gas mask or somethi-" Nick had gotten used to having good company, and he'd avoid being alone if he could; he knew he was going to miss Gideon and think a little too much about what he learnt that day as soon as he were by himself. Besides, Judy was still his best friend - well, second best; Gideon took that position too. Still, he was sure she'd like some company too. Although...

"Did you just call me Jude?"

"Yes?" Oh, she didn't like that.

"Try not to get killed." She turned ready to leave, apparently angered and holding back her true feelings, but before doing so she looked at Nick with what could be called an evil grin. You could call it that, but on her face it was more of an extra toothy genuine smile. "See you around, Gideon." And left, not looking back once and stomping away like a businesswoman on her way to fire someone. Had the fox succeeded in his attempt at improving her mood? Probably, anger was still better than sorrow, right?

Besides, Nick couldn't take what she said as an insult; sometimes he wished he could be more like his Gid, but he understood what she implied and deep inside he felt something he repressed: the urge to call her a bitch. Well, given what time it was he still had to wait one hour or so before he could call the aforementioned vulpine; he'd be done with work by then. Now… how could he kill some time without worrying about being murdered by an ex-coworker because the mayor said so or about representing a group he was involuntarily part of and didn't hold in high regard?

He tried unpacking his suitcase, which helped him for one minute; he just unzipped it and dumped its contents in front of his washing machine. That was an issue for later. The only friend he could pester with texts at that time was Finnick, but even he said he was 'working' and would be for a few days; Nick was running out of options. He had videogames, but he couldn't find any entertainment in sitting there alone getting killed time and time again by giant squids; the only other time he had played was when Gideon was there and he kept reminiscing about their time together. Fuck, that's what a long distance relationship felt like?

Twenty more minutes until he could call the baker and sleepiness was starting to set in. Well, screw it, he'd give in to one of the threatening thoughts roaming his mind; was he going to die? Sleep-deprivation spoke for him: 'I don't have a badge anymore, but I'm still a trained professional; if I see someone carrying a banner or a cop looking at me like I used to look at food that I didn't find on the ground I'll break their neck.' He got on all fours on his couch and tried to remember what he did that time he pretended to go savage. 'Yeah, my animal instinct will kick in and I will- I will…' He growled to himself, but since he didn't want to bother his inexistent roommates and next door neighbors, he did it quietly, resulting in a sound that resembled the ones feral ghouls made in Fallout 3, which was something not present in the world of Zootopia, of course making Nick a sound designer and a creative genius.

…

Okay, that was enough, time to video call the baker. God, smartphones are the best.

It only took two beeps before Gideon connected, and there he was! The plump vulpine's… nose. A few seconds of "can you see me? Can you see me now?" later they were facing each other; that was the best thing that happened to them that day.

"Giiiiid! You're in a tiny screen! And you're wearing your glasses!" Nick had a goofy smile stuck on his face and he felt lightheaded and a little dizzy, but he was happy to see his favorite fox again. Too bad he couldn't touch him…

"I am! And you're tiny too!" The baker wasn't much better himself, their sleepless state was similar plus he had a day of work on his shoulders. Shenanigans and silliness aside, their conversation wasn't too extraordinary; that was until Nick asked the younger about his day and he told him he had received a letter from the Hopps. Such letter was actually a binding agreement of sorts that forced Gideon to obey every order the lapin family gave him; so far their partnership had been an oral contract, but the rabbits wanted something more serious.

"Basically it says they're in charge; they want a bigger cut for selling my stuff, they expand my responsibilities - which means they want me to do more things for them in exchange of absolutely nothing – and they can drop me anytime they want without any explanation if I don't, uh- perform according to their expectations. Also, our business partnership will end if I don't respect it or if I don't sign it." Gideon had spent the entire morning going over it, making sure he understood everything written on that paper, and sadly he did; sad for the Hopps, at least. The baker knew that if he agreed to sign the contract, he was literally giving them his life.

"Why would they do that? I mean, you give them what they ask you for, right?" Nick didn't like one bit of what he heard, and it was clear why; the rabbits wanted to enslave his boyfriend. Who the fuck did they think they were?

"Yeah, but I don't really know, they haven't said a thing; a mailmammal brought it this morning, but it had no stamps or anything. If I had to guess I'd say they think the leash is getting too loose and want to tie me short." It was a rough comparison, but not necessarily inaccurate; surely they had noticed Gideon wasn't as submissive as he used to, and that was their way of telling him they didn't like it.

"Wait, do you have to sign it with a notary present?"

"No, there's a note saying I gotta give it back signed but that's all."

"That thing has no legal value, you don't have to sign it." Gideon's face asked what his mouth did not. Why did Nick know that? "I used to get in trouble sometimes, and I wasn't gonna waste my hard earned cash on a lawyer, so I kinda learnt to represent myself; if there's something I know about is illegal contracts." Well, that was… convenient. And somewhat alleviating; considering what his old job consisted in and that he hadn't slept in many cells, he couldn't be too bad of a self-taught lawyer, even if his field was limited.

In any case, that didn't help Gideon much. The loss of customers not agreeing would suppose was too great; he wouldn't only lose the mammals that bought his products from the Hopps, but given their reputation and his, the rumors and slander that'd surely spread would reduce his clientele even more. What was he supposed to do? The bakery was all he had.

Sure, maybe the contract wasn't legal, but that didn't mean much in the Burrows; whatever option he chose, he was damned. There was only one thing he knew without a doubt; he'd rather set his business on fire than let them have it.

"What are you gonna do?" And Nick had one more thing to worry about too. Fuck, leaving Gideon's side seemed like a mistake, but what would his hidden presence in the Burrows change? He could try to comfort him in person… and that's it.

"I don't know... I'm thinking of going there tomorrow to talk about it." On the other paw, the baker didn't look that concerned, at least on the outside; he was peeved more than anything. However, it confirmed his lucubration on what the Hopps thought about him wasn't too wrong; once the pity and the manipulation were gone, they didn't like the fox anymore.

"I wish I could help you, Gid, but I don't know how." Nick felt impotent once again that day. He knew his favorite fox could take care of himself, but there was a chance he would break down or perhaps retaliate for the rabbits' offense.

"You don't have to worry, this is my problem..." And his choice; no matter how much he loved Nick, his business was only his. "But anyway, no more sad stuff – we keep going back to that, damn it - what about your day?"

"Ah… well, I caught up on what the city's been up to." Nick proceeded to tell him what had kept him busy that morning, excluding some details about his conversations, mainly what Mr. Big told him about his parents and the emotional state of the Hopps' descendant; Gideon's relationship with Judy's parents didn't have that much to do with her, and at the time the baker surely didn't want to hear anything related with the lapin family.

"It doesn't look like you're doing any better." That's the impression the younger got from what the ex-officer said; and to think just twelve hours prior they were lying in Gideon's bed thinking about nothing… was that going to become a trend? The world was going to yell "hey, fuck you" even louder as soon as they separated? Hopefully not, unless it meant they had to spend more time together in order to be in peace, which they wouldn't oppose.

"Personally I'm okay, I just gotta avoid maniacs and the town hall; I guess I'm not going out much, but what I'm gonna miss the most is having sleepovers at the mayor's." The last thing he intended on doing was giving his Gid more shit to worry about; just like he said referring to the Hopps' contract, that was his problem. Although it could be Gideon's too if the whole killing foxes drama reached the Burrows, which was unlikely but not entirely impossible, or if he went back to Zootopia, which was… a possibility? If he had free time? Maybe? "And the guys look don't look too bad, tired if anything; they've been working on solving their problems and I've already told them to ask me for anything they need."

"Aw, you're so nice." Perhaps Nick had in fact become more caring since their relationship started…

"What can I say? I don't want them to be homeless." He knew well about that, and it wasn't fun. He cared about them before meeting Gideon, of course, but who knows if the same thing would have happened prior to them meeting. Maybe a pat on the shoulder and a "that's rough, buddy" would have been all he had to offer back then.

"And are you gonna accept?"

"You mean Mr. Big's offer? I don't think so... that's not my thing, I'm not a spokesmammal." And the group he had to defend, even if it was at risk, was far from his cup of tea; more like a barrel of sewage.

"You're good at speaking." He was, sometimes, but he preferred to choose the topics himself; talking positively about something you hate sounds like some kind of modern shock therapy - like laughter therapy minus the laughter, and probably with a bigger audience.

"Yeah, but this is different, I wouldn't be convincing anyone to buy a broken vacuum or telling you you're very cute."

"You too."

"And I don't know if I can trust him; you think he'd really do something like helping foxes have a better life and not expect something in exchange?" As far as he knew, the arctic shrew's intentions weren't necessarily bad, but… fuck, he wasn't a good guy.

"You know him better than I do, and my opinion of him is not good; you sure it's not a trap?"

"That's not his style, he doesn't kill anyone he's invited personally."

"That's... comforting." If he were to kill Nick he'd do it somewhere else? Sure, absolutely relieving; but to be fair, the baker was tired and the Hopps' letter wouldn't abandon his mind, and he knew his boyfriend wouldn't let himself be killed that easily. He had seen that personally.

"You really think it's a trap?"

"I don't know, Nick. He called you after your dad died, you think he wants you to be the new fox boss or something?"

"No. Fuck that, absolutely not." Besides, as far as he was concerned, the Mafioso didn't approve of his father's… life choices. "I might go one of these days and see what's all that about, but really, I'm leaving if he says something like that."

"Be careful, and tell me how it goes if you survive."

"Will do, Gid." They didn't have much more to add, how were they supposed to say goodbye? Kissing the screen?

"I'm gonna eat something and take a nap, I didn't sleep much last night." Ah, Gideon had a good excuse.

"I know, it was my fault."

"It kinda was, yeah."

"But I already paid my bills, and as soon as I get this Mr. Big bullshit sorted out I'm coming back; I still have your clothes here." Nick had a good excuse too, though for a completely different purpose. Perhaps he could skip the mafia boss thing a go back with his Gid…?

"And I have almost eighty grand."

"I know they're in good hands." What was the former con artist supposed to do with that money anyway? He had more at home and in his bank account, and he liked knowing Gideon had a cushion just in case he could need it.

What followed was a moment of somewhat awkward silence; they didn't know what to do next since they weren't used to those types of calls - or many phone calls at that - but even if it pained them, there was only one way things would end like.

"Well... we hang up now?"

"I guess?"

"I miss you."

"You have no idea how much I'm missing you too."

"Talk again soon?"

"Please."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Not as good as the real thing, but some emotional support was better than nothing.

Science couldn't advance fast enough; when would they get teleportation? He couldn't touch his Gid, but maybe he could smell him. Perhaps his scent was still stuck to the sheets they shared or to the clothes that came in his suitcase, and he could-

"No, I'm not doing that. I'm not that creepy."

Okay then. Nick would find another way to entertain himself. In fact, one thing he did miss about Zootopia was his bathtub; after a week of showering in a tiny square that hated him and all the stress he had avoided being dumped on him all at once he could use a relaxing bath. He stripped down, went to his bathroom, and sat in the tub as it started filling with warm water; yeah, that felt great. To his right he noticed the bath salts he used the night Gideon and he first mated for real, and why not, he poured some; the vanilla scent brought back memories, pleasant memories.

Memories that caused a physical reaction, memories he was fond of and led the movement of his paws, and such remembrance culminated in a white stain on his fur.

"Fuck, this isn't the same."

At least now he had something that'd go away if he washed it off. The rest occupied his mind for the rest of the day. Decisions, decisions…

When it finally came, sleep was welcome with open arms.

And the following morning, an unexpected visitor was at his door.

"You… I know you…"

I really have nothing to write here. Some other times I think of some dumb shit to add as author notes, but I'm blanking now. Like, I don't know, did your local mall Santa tell you he'd give you an extra present if you went with him to the Target's parking lot?