Zootopia, its story and characters are property of Disney.

For all those wondering where this came from, I've included a more detailed AN on my Bio. M rating will be for descriptions of violence and implied adult themes.

Special thanks to LEPShot and Jetfire4 for their invaluable contributions and assistance in getting this thing presentable.

The barracks was cast in shadow, with only a few lamps beside bunks to provide light as a bare-chested red fox made his slow way down the aisle. The shower had been particularly lacking in the hot water department this evening and it had done little to ease the aching in his shoulders. He rotated his right arm slowly, trying to work out the tension, wincing slightly as the stiff muscles tugged and pulled. Why the course meant to simulate the rainforest included so many hanging exercises, Nick could only guess at. They had roads there didn't they?

When he came to his own bunk, he knelt first in front of the old wooden night stand. He pulled it open with a squeal as the old wood ground against itself. Inside was a stack of neatly piled white t-shirts sitting beside an equally neat stack of gym shorts. Quickly he pulled out a fresh pair of shorts and dropped the towel that was wrapped around his waist to the floor.

Now clad in clean clothes for the night, he scooped the towel up from the floor and sat down at the edge of the bed. As he leaned over to throw the towel into the hamper at the end of the bunk, he caught the glint of something reflective out of the corner of his eye. For a brief moment he paused, and his hand reached back toward the drawer, debating whether or not to reach in again. After a moment of silent confrontation with himself, he pushed the drawer shut entirely.

Huffing a sigh, Nick threw the towel into the hamper with precision born of six months' practice. Then he settled himself down on his mattress and listened to the whining creak as the ancient springs protested against the violence. To his left a wolf with a large piece missing from his ear and fur that rivaled sheep's wool for thickness, sat hunched over a textbook under the dull light of a flickering incandescent bulb. Every so often the canine would mutter something to himself as he tried desperately to remember which incident belonged with which call code.

To Nick's right, a lanky zebra was sprawled out on his own bunk, spindly legs and hooves jutting out at four strange angles. Judging by the snores, he'd already fallen asleep. For a moment, Nick tossed around the idea of pulling out the book from the drawer beside his bunk and following the wolf's example, getting some last minute studying in before he'd have to wake up and face the mid-term examination.

With a snort he stretched back and closed his eyes. He knew everything well enough. What he needed was to rest and make sure he was alert and conscious for the entire test tomorrow.

"Light's out in twenty minutes daffodils! Physical exams start at 0630, Paper at noon!" The powerful voice of their Drill Sergeant bit into Nick's ears, and he felt his face contort slightly as they strained to turn away from the noise. What must it have been like for Judy? Her sensitive ears must have writhed every time the polar bear spoke!

Just as Nick was preparing consign himself to the oblivion of sleep there was a soft, cheerful, 'ping'. Brilliant purple tones blossomed against the inside of his eyelids as the soft sound faded slowly from his ears. His paws, which had been previously splayed and relaxed now began to stretch and flex. His heart began to pick up speed, thudding insistently against his ribs.

With a slight shake of his head, Nick reached out with his left paw and felt the grain of the wooden nightstand, worn smooth by years and years of service. As his pad slid across the surface of the stand and down the front to the knob in the center, the fox tried to stay focussed only on what was happening, ignoring the hurricane of thoughts that were raging inside his head.

From the old squeaking drawer, Nick pulled a small, slightly beaten up tablet. He'd picked it up from a pawnshop just before leaving for the academy. He'd made the purchase after hearing that his phone would be secured while he was on campus. It seemed silly to Nick that he was allowed to have the tablet but not his phone, but then many of the education system's rules had never made sense to him. The only icon on the home screen that glowed to life before him was an envelope with a bright red icon at its corner showing that he had received one new email.

Once again, Nick found himself pausing, finger hovering over the screen.

Come on Wilde this is pathetic.

With a determined jab, Nick opened the email application.

Dear Slick,

It's been a week since I heard from you last. I'm starting to worry that Wintergreen has eaten you or something! If you haven't been eaten though, make sure you do NOT to call her by name to her face. That's definitely something you would do. I want my partner in one piece you got that?

Things have been so quiet around here since you left. I mean, my paperwork is all done and it's not even 10 yet! The most interesting thing I've had to deal with so far has been a mugging, and that was weeks ago. He didn't get very far before I caught up with him, but it would have been easier if you were here already! I can't wait to start working together and Zootopia's going to be the safest city in the world with both of us here!

Oh and btw, how have you been doing in paw-to-paw combat practice? I really need a sparring partner; everyone here is pathetic.

Respond as soon as you get this so I know you're not bear chow!

Judy

Nick felt his jaw beginning to ache as he grinned at the screen. He could hear her voice in each line of text. Her stern demeanor at the end of the first paragraph, the giddy joy when she talked about making the city safer. Each tone was obvious and her voice echoed in his ears.

When he reached the end of the message and the line about paw-to-paw combat, he felt his arms tense and his ears flicked nervously. The rest of the training courses at the academy were a breeze. He'd travelled between Zootopia's ecosystems for years, and they posed him no challenge. Combat and Restraint however was another story. His years of avoiding conflict, keeping out of everyone's reach, and generally skulking through the city had not prepared him for staring down an opponent face to face.

At once, per her instructions he tapped the reply icon and began to type.

Dear Carrots

You wound my pride. Surely you don't think that someone of my reputation could be subdued and eaten by just one bear? Sure Wintergreen is scary, and angry most hours of the day, but I can always deflect any ire that comes my way by asking her about the part she played in training "The Great, Officer Hopps". The other cadets hate it because she always goes off on a tirade about how you're worth the lot of us.

Speaking of which, what are you doing at your desk at 9:40? All this time I thought you were a day-lighter. That's gonna be a big issue if you're not. My body and I do NOT tolerate a lack of sleep in our schedule. If you think you're gonna work with me, then you'd better straighten that out!

To answer your most desperate question however, I'm fairly certain that you will beat the stuffing out of me if we were to face each other in a match. At least, that's the impression I get from the Sergeant's raving. Is it true that you hospitalized a rhino while you were here? If that's the case, then I don't think my self-preservation instincts will allow it.

Either way we'll find out if I can fight or not tomorrow. The PT exam promises to be unforgiving and painful. Dx

Not Bear Chow

For a while, Nick just stared. Reading and rereading his typed response. Did he sound normal? Would she notice if he didn't? Was that emoticon a good idea? Would she guess that he was worried about failing her? No definitely not. And he wouldn't. His scores thus far on the basic physicals were not the best, but as long as he gave it everything he possibly could tomorrow, he'd pass.

With an audible smack. He hid his face behind a hand and sucked in a deep breath.

Why was this happening? What was wrong with him? Ever since that day so many months ago, when his acceptance letter had arrived from the academy, he'd been thrust beyond what he knew, what was comfortable. It had been so easy to keep calm, appearing at ease in so many different dangerous situations on the street. Now his gut was tying itself in knots at the thought of something as trivial as sending an email!

With a grunt of determination Nick opened his eyes and stabbed the send icon with his finger. Unfortunately, the tense feeling did not drain away with the message. As the little progress bar zipped across the screen, the fox felt his chest tighten even further, squeezing a quiet snarl out of his throat.

The wolf beside him pulled his nose out of his textbook and looked over at him, concern in his eyes.

"You okay buddy? Eat something weird?"

Nick tried his best for a grin. "Do you even look at what they feed us? Weird covers the whole menu." Despite his internal upset, the response was easy, natural, even delivered through clenched teeth.

"Nah! I just shovel it down. By the time they let us eat I don't even care what it is."

"Well you're a lucky one. My stomach certainly couldn't handle it." It wasn't other people he had problems talking to. He could banter with his fellow cadets about food at the drop of a hat. It was her that he couldn't speak to without analyzing everything he said. Every time he thought about her, an enormous pair of violet eyes stared back at him from the darkness.

'Ping!'

Immediately Nick felt his gaze pulled back to the tablet.

Dear Not Chow,

We both know that there isn't a soul in the world that refers to me as 'The Great' anything. The stories you hear about me likely involve exactly how many times I was thrown, fell, or slipped onto the ground in various unfortunate ways. Has Wintergreen told you about the time I fell in the toilet in my first week? I would've expected that to be her favorite.

Also get the knot out of your tail, yes I am normally on the day shift. McHorn has the flu so I'm pulling his shift and mine. By the time you get here we'll be on the 10-6 midday and neither you nor your body get to whine!

Finally, I can't believe I forgot about the progress exam! I'll stop bothering you so you can get some shuteye! Let me know how it goes! Oh and tell me your favorite 'Bop Hopps' story tomorrow too!

Sorry for keeping you up!

Dumb Bunny

Nick felt his stomach drop as he read over the final paragraph telling him that she wasn't going to keep him up anymore. Rapidly without pausing to think, he began to type something, anything to keep her talking.

Dear Dumb Bunny

Don't bother with the apologies. There's a shag-carpet in the next bunk with the memory of a goldfish. Between his claw gnawing and the muttering, I won't be sleeping anytime soon. For the record my favorite 'Bop Hopps' story was the one with the Rhino, wherein Hopps bops, so to speak.

But you're covering a full day plus half the night? With nothing but the graveyard in between? How long do you think you can keep that up before you keel over? I mean, I suppose I am assuming that you eat and sleep like everyone else so perhaps that's your secret? Or do you just chug coffee like air? I always knew you fit the 'cute bunny' stereotype, but I never would have taken you for a coffee-cop.

Sly Fox

As the message winged its way out of the sent box, Nick glanced at the clock at the top right of the screen: 2145. Thank god he still had fifteen whole minutes. The knot in his stomach slowly began to uncoil.

Everything was fine, he reasoned to himself. There was time to talk to Judy, he'd get a great night's sleep and deliver his best during the exam tomorrow. He'd graduate the academy, and then…

And then he'd see her again.

Once again Nick drew in a steadying breath. Which he almost choked on when the Tablet 'pinged' again.

Dear Dumb Fox,

Even if there's noise you should still try to get to sleep. I only barely passed the progress physical myself, and I had to do a lot of work afterwards to whip myself into shape.

As for your tasteless use of societal labeling, no I am not a "coffee-cop". Chief just lets me come in an hour later to make up for the lost sleep. Really would you say something like that to someone like Clawhauser? You could really hurt someone's feelings!

Not only that, you know what it's like so cut it out!

And go to sleep or I'll send a message to Wintergreen!

Sly Bunny

Nick felt the grin split his face wide open. He could just picture her disapproving face. Her solemnity as she condemned his choice of words. The slight twitch of her nose despite the seriousness of her statement. She'd made that face a lot in the first few days he'd known her.

Dear Hopps the Great,

You traitor! How could you turn on a fellow cadet in such a heartless and brutal fashion?! I encourage the esteemed officer to recall that she too once slept on squealing matchboxes, while the entire staff tried to beat her into submission!

Also I challenge you to name one time from the long months you've known me when I hurt someone else's feelings by calling them something tactless.

In any case I don't even think you have Wintergreen's phone number, and she's probably not checking email so close to lights-out like we two night owls.

Cadet 'browbeaten' Wilde

Nick didn't even have time to adjust his seat, pushing a pillow behind his back before her response hit.

Dear Nicolas

"someone else's feelings?" Are you suggesting that mine are somehow less valid? And if we assume that you're not, when could you have ever said something tactless? For some reason my head is filled with the names 'Carrots', and 'Fluff'. Who could have called me those?

You don't know anything about who's contact information I have. I could roast your foxy butt in three seconds flat.

Officer Judy Hopps

The fox winced. He could see the disapproval deepening in her face, darkening and falling closer to anger. Her use of his unabbreviated name did not bode well. No sense in ticking her off, especially given the weird twisting ache that came with ending their conversation. He was just about to tap out an apology, when quite suddenly, a small voice piped up in the back of his mind.

You can't apologize. You were cruel to her back then. The best you can hope is that she's forgiven you.

Had Judy forgiven him? The last six months of emails and all the times she'd smiled at him before he'd left for the academy told him that she had. As his heart thundered in his ears, his fingers began to tap out something entirely unapologetic. As he finished the message however, the words seemed to take a different shape than he'd intended. Slowly his eyes opened wide with horror.

Dear Fluff

I'll admit that at first I didn't mean those names kindly. They were meant to crush your dreams and send you packing back to Bunny Burrow and off my back. But their meaning's changed, and I know that you know that. I could see it in your eyes every time I said them before I left.

So unless you want to tell me I'm wrong and you in fact secretly hate me, I'm afraid that you shall forever be to me, Carrots. The Cutest and most beautiful Officer at the ZPD.

Dumb Fox

The moment Nick's finger left the send icon, he gasped slightly.

"Seriously buddy maybe you should stop by the office before you turn in. Get some antacids or something." The wolf was looking over again, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, yeah I think I'll do that." With slightly shaking hands, Nick locked the tablet and threw it on the bed as he rose and paced quickly between the rows of bunks out into the dimly lit hallway. A small part of him wanted to take the wolf's advice and slip off to the medical office for something to settle what could only be nerves. Instead he turned right and paced quickly to the bathroom.

The motion sensing switch clicked and the harsh fluorescent lighting blazed above him, blinding him slightly for a moment. Hands still shaking he turned to a sink and opened the cold water faucet. He splashed his face with water three times, his thoughts incoherent and disjointed.

Had he actually just sent that message? Why? Why had he done that? How would Judy react? Would she actually contact the Sergeant? He could almost hear her voice.

'Beat some respect into that soft head of his.'

Would she cancel her request for his assignment as her partner, worried about fraternization?

Or worse.

Nick felt the icy temperature of the water slide down past his face, a cold cloying dread that settled snuggly in his chest.

Would she respond at all? Or would she cut all contact with him. Too insulted to even look at him again. Would they spend their careers averting their gaze from each other and pretending they didn't see each other in the bullpen? Across the lobby? Or even on the streets of Zootopia?

That possibility was almost too much to bear. He held his hands out in front of him and watched the water drops dance and fall as his paws shook.

Behind him, a toilet flushed, powerfully and loudly. He hadn't even heard anyone come in behind him. As the sound reverberated around the tiled walls, it grew louder, becoming almost a scream in Nick's ears. He gripped the sides of the sink trying his best to resist unsheathing his claws. The noise was rising to an almost unbearable pitch and with it, a pressure began to build behind his eyes.

Before he could really lose it, he threw himself away from the sink, rushing out of the bathroom as the stall's occupant opened the door.

No sooner had he made it into the hallway, Nick ran headlong into a wall of white fur and gym shorts. A blast of menthol and wintergreen mint washed over his face, blinding his nose to all but the hulking figure before him. In all the months he'd been here, he had never encountered the Sergeant when she wasn't chewing that gum.

"Wilde, good I was just coming to get you."

Nick tried to bring his breathing under control as he staggered back from the polar bear. "To get me ma'am?"

"Yes Wilde, I'm afraid you've got a little more to do tonight before you turn in. You know where the phys classrooms are in the gym?"

A small, hardly noticeable hallway rose through the cloud of Nick's panic. "Yes Ma'am!"

"Good. You're expected in room four. Get a shirt on and move your fluffy tail!"

The last words were spoken at her normal Sergeant volume and Nick felt his ears drop slightly to escape their full force. With a still slightly breathless "Yes Ma'am!" he jogged past her back toward the barracks. Who could possibly want to see him in the gym of all places? He could understand being called for some sort of administrative problem, but the gym? There were absolutely no theories to match that, which left Nick uncertain. Uncertainty was something he'd learned to fear.

The shaggy wolf was still trying desperately to read his book, light still on. Nick knew that wouldn't last. On the Sergeant's second pass she'd dish out punishment to those in violation of lights out. When he arrived back at his bed, Nick's eyes were drawn first to the tablet lying innocently atop the blanket.

The fox swallowed convulsively.

With another squeal he pulled his drawer open and pulled one of the fresh white shirts over his head. Beside him the tablet radiated its intimidating aura of consequence. When he'd slid the drawer shut he turned to stare at the device. Twice he reached out, only to let his paw drop.

This was ridiculous. He'd wait until tomorrow. That gave Judy a solid twenty-four hours to respond, and if she didn't by then, he could be reasonably sure that she didn't want to…

He stopped that thought before it could gain ground, and slipped the tablet under his pillow so that the Sergeant would not mark him for an untidy bed. Then as quietly as he could, he made his way back up the aisle while lights clicked off on all sides, to the barracks door.

The academy campus was quiet at this time in the evening. It's rural location in the middle of the Black Tree Protected Forest meant that beyond the academy structures themselves, nothing but trees stretched far away in every direction across the rolling hills. He'd read in the pamphlet they'd sent with his acceptance letter that the location was supposed to provide, 'an environment unparalleled in its unique ability to sharpen the senses and clear the mind'. Nick found the seemingly infinite wilderness on all sides unnerving after his life spent among Zootopia's buildings and infrastructure.

Even he had to admit however that the pine scented air of the forest was refreshing in a way that he'd never experienced in the city. His brisk walk through the corridors and then across the wide open green was quiet and solitary, interrupted only by whisper of a cool breeze that twisted and danced across the grass and through his fur. Looking up, he also smiled when he noted that the sky was full of more stars than he'd ever seen in his life. Was this what the view was like for Judy in Bunny Burrow?

That thought brought some tension back to his shoulders as he remembered the message he'd sent. Had she responded yet? As he entered the gym, violet tones began to swirl through his mind again.

The gym was an enormous half cylinder of a building, all one space. Above, most of the industrial grade fluorescent lights were out for the night with one lighting each corner of the room per safety code for public buildings. The floor was littered with all manner of fitness apparatus, everything from dumbbells and exercise balls, to agility ladders and ropes.

On the right side of the room, an almost black rectangle was the access to a hall of individually purposed rooms. Some were filled with sparring gear, others first aid dummies and supplies. When he came level with the opening, he saw that only two lights lit the hall, both fairly distant. The second door on his left was also giving off a slight glow from its small window.

Within a few seconds he was standing at the door. Should he knock? He was expected so it seemed unnecessary. It would be the polite thing though, and he had no idea who he was dealing with.

Settling on the safer option, the fox raised a hand and knocked twice, firmly against the door. After a beat of silence, a voice that Nick had never heard before called out from inside, a tenor pitch which put odd emphasis on the 's' sound.

"I's open."

Nick turned the handle and pushed past the door.

The room he found beyond was one that he'd never trained in before. A single bulb lit the small space with cool white light that faded before it could reach the walls. Every surface of the room, walls, ceiling and floor were obscured by a layer of slightly springing blue padding. He found his balance shifting slightly as he stepped onto the strange floor.

Before him, in the light beneath the room's single bulb stood the strangest rabbit Nick had ever seen. He wore a plain white shirt identical to Nick's and slightly baggy pants that appeared to be made out of canvas, pale green in color. His ears and feet were slightly larger than Judy's had been and he lacked all of her striking curves as well. Instead, his body was wiry and even through his coarse, dust colored coat, Nick could easily see stark definition of muscle beneath the snug shirt. He stood with his hands behind his back, and large feet shoulder width apart.

"You're Wilde are ye?"

As soon as the rabbit spoke, Nick felt ill at ease. He obviously wasn't a native citizen of Zootopia as the accent was unfamiliar. Perhaps he was from a different part of the continent? Now that Nick was looking at his face, he could see that the bone structure was also entirely distinct from Judy's. A much longer snout and more pronounced ridges above the eyes, combined with the larger feet and longer ears, suggested that he was a cousin species.

"Yes, I am Cadet Wilde." Suddenly aware of how his arms were swinging his sides, he mimicked the rabbit's posture, straightening his back and waiting for the rabbit to tell him what was going on. Or who he was. Or anything in general really. As he spaced his feet and placed his hands behind his back, a slight smile quirked at the corners of the rabbit's mouth.

"Ah look at 'im Sorel. Not bit of training in 'is life and he's got proper posture already. Hopps sure can pick 'em."

As the rabbit spoke, Nick realized that he was talking to someone else. His eyes darted from side to side for a few seconds before he caught sight of a shape, shifting slightly against the far wall. His eyes made short work of the shadow that concealed the figure when they focussed and he found that the form was another fox, sitting in a full split against the wall.

"Come on then! Get over 'ere in the light and let 'im get a look actcha." With athletic grace the dark figure leapt to their feet and padded slowly into the light, resolving into the form of a fox slightly taller than Nick, before also adopting the rabbit's stance slightly behind and to the side.

When she stepped into the light, Nick discovered exactly why he'd not seen the fox when first entering the room. Unlike his own russet fur, this fox was a very dark grey with her tail, ears, legs, and arms all fading even darker to black. Two piercing blue eyes gazed intently at him from the shadowy recesses of a face that sloped more gracefully than his own, to a sharp snout. Like the rabbit, she was also wearing green, loose-fitting canvas trousers. Unlike the rabbit, her chest was wrapped in a tight fitting tank top that served to show off a chest and shoulders that while lean, were clearly extremely powerful.

"Right then. Introductions first. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Clary, and this is Corporal Sorel. You may address us as Colonel and Corporal respectively, or just Sir to either of us." As the strange rabbit jabbed a thumb first at his own chest, and then the fox behind him, Nick felt his body freeze in place. His eyes widened and he stared around the room, finding no escape other than the door behind him. Before he could make a move, the rabbit spoke again, now with an amused twinkle in his eye. "An' before you go bolting for the door, yes we're on the scare squad, but no we are not here to pop ya."

Nick swallowed past a newly formed lump in his throat, allowing his stance to relax slightly, expelling a long breath. "Well, if that's the case, then I've got nothing. What do you guys want with me? Did City Hall find something about me that they don't like?" He very narrowly managed to keep his voice from shaking. To his further unease, the rabbit chuckled.

"What? All the tax evasion? They know about it sure, but near as I can tell, they've nominated to pardon your sly ears if you stay straight from now on."

Nick felt his brow raise incredulously. City Hall knew about his evasion? Did they know how much tax he had evaded? And if they knew about it, why would the send members of the military here if not to remove him? "That's awfully kind of them. But I'm still left wondering, if they're turning a blind eye, why would two officers come to speak with me?

The smile had disappeared entirely from the rabbit's face as Nick spoke. "Be very careful Cadet. I'm sure that you're aware that the military is not a matter that the general public is allowed to know much about."

Nick found himself swallowing again, attempting to keep his voice normal when he responded. "Of course… Sir. But there are always rumors. Criminals that get too big to keep their heads down, usually end up disappearing."

Very suddenly, the rabbit started to chuckle again, causing Nick's heart to leap into his throat. He also noted that through the entire conversation, the dark vixen had not moved or changed expressions. "Well we do like to spread rumors around. Helps us do our job. But enough about us, let's get down to business. You get to meet us, 'cause of our mutual friend, the lovely Miss Hopps."

With this statement, Nick's first impulse was to bear his teeth. Luckly, he managed to repress the suicidal notion and instead merely enquired. "And how are you acquainted with Carr… Officer Hopps?"

The casual light returned in force to Clary's eye, and his muzzle curled into what could only be described as a smirk. "Trained 'er didn' I?"

Nick just raised an eyebrow, begging elaboration.

"Well, Ms. Hopps is quite unique in that she's the first bobtail to serve as an officer is she not?" By way of reply, Nick nodded. "And do you suppose that they just taught her all the rules, made her do a few pushups and sent her packing onto the streets?"

Before Nick could reply, the rabbit continued. "Course they didn'! After her mid-term exam, she started training with me. I taught 'er to handle herself when matched up against big, scary animals like Sorel 'ere." Here the Colonel gestured to the dark fox behind him. "The fat cats up on top decided that it'd reflect badly if their first bunny got taken apart on the first day. So they called me in to teach her how to avoid it, because I'm thoroughly experienced in the subject." Once again, all joviality and cheer left the rabbit's face and Nick felt his flesh writhe beneath his fur.

Almost as suddenly as the feeling had descended however, it was gone. The smiling crinkle returned to Clary's eyes and Nick felt his flesh settle.

"And now I'm here to teach you too, per orders so that Miss Hopps can continue to delight and inspire the public she protects."

When Nick was reasonably sure that he wouldn't speak over the rabbit, he responded. "So as I understand it, I'll be put through extra training in… combat?"

"Combat's one thing. There's plenny more though. You're gonna learn everything I taught miss Hopps, and in particular, you're gonna learn how best to assist, and compliment her. In general, we're going to teach you how to 'not be a nuisance'." The Colonel was smiling in earnest now. "We'll meet here every night at lights out. The Sergeant won't mess with ya' and if anyone else asks about it, you will tell them you're so pathetic that you're paying out of pocket for extra training. Nobody gets their feelings hurt, nobody asks questions. She'll be apples. Any questions?"

"Yes. Two of them."

The Colonel inclined his head, signaling him to proceed.

"First, who will be apples?"

Clary barked out a short laugh. "'s an expression Cadet. Means, 'everything'll be fine'."

"Okay, that's a relief. My second question is, Lieutenant Colonel…" He pointed at Clary. "…and Corporal…" He gestured to Sorel. "…are pretty lofty ranks to be training a lowly cadet like myself, are they not?"

So quickly that Nick hardly caught the movement, the rabbit shot towards him. Before he could so much as tense, there was a sharp pain in his knee and the air rushed out of his lungs. He found himself lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. Obscuring his view however, Clary stood with one foot on Nick's chest. He was leaning on his knee and staring down at Nick with the same icy eyes that Nick had seen moments ago. He felt a cold sweat begin to bead beneath his fur.

"Now I'm only gonna say this once more fox." The rabbit's voice was quiet, almost entirely devoid of contractions. He enunciated each word carefully and clearly. "One of the reasons the Zootopian Military is so effective against dangerous animals and groups is the fact that nobody that does not need to, knows anything about us." Nick found that he couldn't look away from the rabbit's amber eyes, which were cold, expressionless. Dead.

"Now for whatever reason, the lovely folks at City Hall have decided that you, a criminal that spent the first decade and a half of his adult life leeching off society, get to be a police officer, and they want me to help make that happen." The rabbit flexed the toes of the foot that was resting on Nick's chest, and to the fox's horror, he felt as well as heard each individual knuckle pop.

"However…" The word caused Nick to flinch slightly. "…make no mistake, if our ears hear even an inkling of the fact that Nick Wilde knows anything about either myself or the good Corporal behind me, or anything about the Military in fact…" Clary leaned closer, pressing down hard on Nick's chest and bringing them almost nose to nose. His voice dropped so low it was almost a whisper. "…they'll authorize me to act as I will to make you, disappear."

Nick could not stop the involuntary shudder of fear that swept through his body. Just as suddenly as he had found himself on the floor, the weight on his chest was gone and the rabbit was strolling leisurely back to his place beneath the light, in front of the Corporal.

Suddenly the Colonel's voice rang out light and humorous again. "And to answer your question, they wanted the best small mammal fighter that could be spared. I happened to be nearby and on leave. The Corporal here is under my command so I called upon her to help me instruct ya'. Any more questions?"

Slowly, Nick rolled over and tried to push himself up onto all fours. He found this task extremely difficult because his arms and legs were shaking. When he finally made it to his feet, he resumed his stance though he wasn't able to look the rabbit in the eye, and shook his head.

"Good on ya'! Le's get crackin!"

O

When Nick had staggered back across the campus to the barracks, he made a straight course for the shower room. From now on, he'd have to wait to shower until after his session with the Colonel.

As he scrubbed quickly only trying to remove the newly accumulated sweat from beneath his fur, he marveled at the twist the night had taken. As the Colonel had said, the public was kept almost entirely in the dark about the operations of the Military. Nick's only experience with the organization was a fleeting glimpse of black clad animals breaking through a door into an old warehouse that had housed one of the city's many gangs. That group had dissolved shortly afterwards.

For the entire rest of the time he'd spent in the small room he'd not glimpsed the Colonel's dead eyed expression again, and for that he was thankful. The rabbit turned out to be an excellent instructor, insuring that Nick both understood and could perform each technique and movement he taught. It promised to be a productive six months following his test until his graduation.

When he'd finished cleaning up, Nick wrapped one of the towels from the linen locker around himself and trekked back to the barracks. After closing the door behind him, he took a moment and allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness, standing amidst the snores and scents of his fellow cadets until his eyes had focused, revealing the shapes of the bunks on either side, and the path he'd have to take between them.

Once back at his bunk, he repeated the ritual of donning new shorts and lobbing his towel and dirty clothing into the hamper. Then, he set about the slow and torturous exercise of lowering himself onto the noisy springs without waking anybody up.

Finally on his back, he pulled his blanket up over his shoulder and turned over to allow sleep to take him. He was thoroughly exhausted now, and he knew he'd be out in moments. However, before he could relax any further, the peace and quiet of the darkened room was disrupted by a quiet, unassuming 'ping!' in the ear that was lying against his pillow.

Slowly, his eyes slid open and widened as for the second time that evening, his body froze in terror. He'd entirely forgotten that he was waiting for a reply from Judy. His mind began to race. It was a half hour until midnight, so she'd stayed up all this time and only replied now? Had she been thinking about her response for that long? Was that a good sign or a bad sign?

Sucking in a breath to steel himself, he reached a hand beneath his pillow, and brushed a pad along the smooth casing of the tablet before he drew it out. Quickly, he also pulled his blanket up over his head, feeling only the slightest bit like a child as he woke the tablet screen.

"1 New Email, Sender: Carrots, No Subject"

Before he could lose his nerve, he stabbed the screen and opened the message. The email only contained ten words. He read them through, once, twice, four times. He stared at the screen until his eyes began to water and ache from the harsh light. Then, he put the device to sleep and pulled the covers off his head.

In the absence of the harsh screen light, the barracks was plunged into featureless blackness. Nick stared into the infinite void that was the ceiling, the knot in his gut relaxing into nothing. He tried to suppress a laugh, but ended up coughing and choking, desperately trying to stay quiet despite the fact that his throat was obstructed by a huge lump of relief that had settled above his collar bone. All he could see were those ten words, burned into his vision as though he'd been staring at a neon sign.

I miss you.

Get some sleep.

Pass that exam.

Carrots

What had this rabbit done to him?

With a grunt, he rolled over, allowing his abused muscles to finally relax. His paw absently reached out to pull the tablet close to his chest before he was lost entirely to oblivion tinged with violet.

X_O_X

Vague shapes billowed and swirled on all sides. Occasionally, a brief flash of light illuminated disjointed images. Here, a flower petal, electric blue and vibrant beyond belief. There, triple crescents shining and reflective, that sliced through the cloudlike space around them. As the darkness brushed against her, she shuddered, icy cold sinking deep into her core.

Despite the convulsions she found that when she tried, she could not move. There was no sensation beyond the cold, and no sight beyond the strange, flickering images. She had no way to tell how much time was passing here. Where even was she?

Abruptly, almost as if in answer to her unspoken question, the vague cloudy space before her seemed to explode, throwing out tendrils far and wide that slowly coalesced into a shape, an enormous bronze shield that towered over her. It's shape and color tickled vaguely at the edges of her memory. Had she seen it somewhere before?

Words were etched deep, and she read them carefully, trying to place the strange shield. Trust. Even as she read the first word, pain splashed a red haze across her gaze.

Bravery. Desperately she tried to scream, to curse, to alleviate the pain in some way. But all to no avail. There was silence, and the cold.

The shape of each word seemed to mark itself in fire deep into her body, drawn by some phantasmal blade. She desperately tried to curl up, to face away, to escape the agonizing pain. There was no way to move, to turn, no way to look away from the words that were carving themselves slowly into her body.

Integrity.

The third and final word was worse than the first two. It burned hot, searing the place where it marked itself slowly into her chest. She tried to scream.

Just as suddenly as it had come, the invisible knife was gone. The three words throbbed with each panicked beat of her heart and above her, she watched as cracks began to appear in the shield. The enormous monolith fragmented before her eyes and the piece began to fade as they fell away, disappearing back into the cloudy darkness.

As the shield slowly vanished, she became aware of something else solid and unchanging. A veil so inky and dark, that it stood out from the rest of the vague shadow. It rose slowly from below, wrapping across her vision with tendrils that swayed and floated as though they were suspended in water. As they continued to make their way around, the shape came closer, wrapping tight about her. As it came closer, she could see that it wasn't black, but a very dark emerald.

Finally, this strange new form made contact with her body and too her relief, began to soothe her wounds. The strange substance seemed to work its way down, into her chest, filling the scars left by the searing words and lifting the red tinge away from her vision. Slowly, she began to relax, wrapped in green tinged blackness.

For what seemed an eternity, she stayed there, floating in the comforting, unknown embrace. The pain of her experience slowly became a memory, and then it disappeared entirely. At first she didn't even notice the change, and when she did she desperately fought to stay floating in the emerald void. But slowly, the world began to take shape around her.

The swirling emerald that brushed against her took on texture, and became fabric. Gravity asserted itself and she found that she was not floating, but lying on her back.

Officer Judy Hopps opened her eyes. The swirling darkness vanished entirely, and was replaced with a view of aged, wooden paneling covering the ceiling above. To her left, the light filtering through the slightly smudged glass was muted and golden. A sunrise obscured by clouds.

As the last of the dream left her, she found that she could move and slowly sat up. The disturbed air ruffling softly through her fur and kissing icily against her sweat-slicked skin. Similar dreams had intruded on her sleep for months now. Each individual night brought something new. In the past she'd seen Bogo's grasping hand, the frightened expressions of her parents, once she'd even seen Duke Weaselton leering down at her.

But in every single dream she was met with the same image. The shield of her badge towering over her, each word carved slowly into her body, before both it and the pain were banished by soothing emerald tinged darkness.

With a sigh, Judy shook her head, letting her ears flap behind it swatting softly against her face. She wasn't sleeping poorly. In fact, she felt very well rested each night after rising from the comforting miasma into wakefulness. But the recursion was certainly cause for concern. If these dreams didn't let up soon, she was going to have to talk to somebody about them. The mental-health officer at the precinct in all likelihood.

Perhaps she should tell Nick?

With a stern second shake of her head, she sent her ears swinging again. Nick had far more important things to be thinking about right now. His training came first and foremost. When he returned, and got settled in, then she might mention something. The idea of telling the fox something as intimate as her dreams made a slight heat rise to her face. With a third shake that transferred down into her torso, she turned to climb out of her fabric prison.

As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, Judy took stock of her apartment in all of its cramped, greasy glory. She had supplemented the desk and bedside table with a long, low entertainment center. There was no TV to go with it, rather it served as a place to put things. At the moment it held her microwave, the previous morning's mail, and a cardboard box that had bubble wrap spilling out one side.

The box's former contents stood beside it on the shelf, two framed pictures. One, was a picture of her parents and herself, taken by a helpful wolf at her graduation. Dress uniform pristine, and eyes wide with a joy that bordered on disbelief. Bonnie and Stu stood to either side of their daughter with smiles that were almost convincing enough to hide their fear. At least they'd tried.

The second frame contained a new picture of her, taken only a few days ago. Instead of standing still and facing the camera, the photographer had captured her horizontally mid jump, having nearly bowled Nick over in her rush to embrace him. Both she and Nick had grins so silly they looked delirious.

Judy smiled at the picture as she stood.

That had been an amazing day. The feelings of triumph and pride that she'd felt as she watched Nick step up those stairs, sans sunglasses thank god, had almost out shined those she'd felt on her own graduation day. After the ceremony she'd been so excited that she couldn't slow herself down fast enough as she ran to hug him. Her father had caught the embarrassing moment perfectly on camera with a precision that only parents had. At first she'd tried desperately to get them to delete the picture, but after her mother had sent a copy, she found that she'd grown quite attached to it.

Other than the new surface the apartment also contained a very small mini fridge, which only stored a single six pack of her favorite carrot juice and two microwave dinners at a time. She found herself eating out often.

While she took the two steps that brought her across to her desk, Judy felt her legs stretching of their own accord, elongating and creaking slightly at the joints as the inactivity of the night was traded for their daily labor of supporting her. She stopped for a moment and bent at the waist as well, completing the essential stretches and shaking the last vestiges of sleep from her body. She sucked in a deep breath as she straightened.

Finally, as she did every morning, she flipped open the lid of her laptop and entered her password. As the screen's backlight rose to life, a small point of red caught her eye, a shining little badge that read '1'. Smiling, she tapped the icon and launched the mail app.

Dear Carrots

It has been exactly 37 hours, 20 minutes, and 4 seconds as I write, since your last message. I'm following your example from months past and assuming that you have either been eaten by a superior officer, or else flattened by accident while walking on the street somewhere.

As I'm sure you can guess, the emotional scars caused by the void you've left behind will mar my soul for decades to come. I will spend my days alone, endlessly recalling the day when a bunny threatened to arrest me on a felony charge, and wishing that things could have been different. In fact, I may just have to take up cross-stitch to distract myself from the horror of the situation.

Please don't blame yourself, it was only a matter of time before something stepped on you, petite as you are. I hope that you remember me fondly as you look down from on high, and may a chorus of long eared angels sing of your passing until sun fades in the sky.

Your mourning partner,

Nick

Judy felt the last traces of anxiety that the dream brought to the front of her mind dissolve as Nick's sarcastic and lighthearted tones sounded in her mind, matching the words she read from the screen. She felt energy flood her extremities as she typed her reply.

Dear Foxface

I think I've stolen your future from you. You clearly were not born to police the streets of Zootopia. The life of a sorrowful playwright would suite you so much better. Though if you want to live long enough to discover your love of theater you'll want to watch who you refer to as 'petite'.

As for the matter of my 'death' firstly, surely you don't think that 'Hopps the Great' could be squashed by a mere foot? Secondly, you'll mourn my passing for decades but won't even try to discover the identity of my killer? You'd be a hero twice over. Just think, first fourteen missing mammals, then an elusive, absent minded elephant! That ought to defuse people's impression of you as a shifty and untrustworthy character. If you kept the cheek to a minimum it might also deter certain rabbits from calling you foxface.

I should also point out that it took me a solid week, seven whole days, before I assumed that something horrible had happened to you. Are you getting paranoid out there in the forest?

And on that subject why aren't you coming home yet? You've graduated, you have your assignment, you've even started showing up on the roster sheets next to me. So what gives? Does Bogo know your skipping out on work?

Your very much living partner,

Judy

With her reply sent, she turned to her hangers, switching out the comfortable t-shirt and pajama pants for her workout clothes. A close-fit moisture wicking tank top and a pair of leggings that hugged close, giving her full range of movement. She also dropped her phone into a small pack that fit snuggly against her waist, just beside her tail and out of the way, and clipped her iPawd to one strap of the tank top.

Within two minutes she had descended the five floors to the street and was off on her morning run, beat pulsing in her ears. Now that she was actually moving, she found that her body was aching to work, so she started out on her six-mile route. She started at a walk, exaggerating her stride and allowing blood to flow in earnest to her legs. After about a block of the power stride, she stepped easily into a light jog.

Above, the sky was obscured by heavy clouds. The air was dense and humid and Judy could tell that it was flowing down from the Rainforest District, the mists and fog of the morning transforming into a monsoon-like current flowing down from the forest and flooding the northern side of Sahara Central. She shuddered slightly as the water-laden air ruffled her fur leaving behind a heavy, clammy feeling that was just too light to be considered actually damp. It was like the city had breathed on her. If she ever managed to find a new place, she'd make sure it was a good way away from the border with the rainforest.

As she turned corner after corner, stopping for traffic at some intersections and breezing through others, she sucked in deep, regular breaths. All around her businesses were humming to life, employees arriving, some still with sleep in their eyes, others that were as awake and alert as she was. The mass of hooves, paws and claws impacting the ground caused a notable vibration in the pavement beneath her feet.

Some windows were not just lighting but had stayed bright through the night. In these she caught glimpses of the endless bustling of 24-hour cafes and all-night diners. Those that never closed their doors in order to cater to a city that was never fully asleep.

One café in particular was a favorite of hers and as she passed it, a night shift employee waved to her. Behind him, the windows showed the dimly lit interior filled to bursting with stuffed leather chairs, sofas, and poufs. It was a perfect environment for sitting quietly with one's own thoughts and she'd been driven there in the middle of the night on a few occasions in the past months when her dreams had woken her a few hours early.

She frowned slightly as she retroactively considered that fact. These dreams had woken her from sleep early in the morning and driven her to seek peace at a twenty-four-hour café. Perhaps she should talk to someone sooner rather than later. She returned the barista's wave with one of her own and a smile to go with it before continuing on her way.

After she'd gone a mile or so, a ZPD squad car rumbled past and came to a stop at a red light, engine snarling and all-terrain tires creaking slightly as they gripped the pavement. Judy could not see either of the occupants through the tinted windows, but she waved all the same. To her delight, the passenger window rolled down and the leathery hand of a rhinoceros made a two fingered salute.

"Hey Hopps! McHorn says thanks, and he owes you one!"

"Took him long enough to say so! You give him a jab for me!" Judy laughed as the engine roared, working to accelerate the mass of the large animals inside. For a brief moment, Judy considered sprinting the next block, racing the car to the next light, but thought better of it. She didn't want to go maxing out before she was even a quarter of the way through the run.

She continued at an even pace, trying to take in every detail of the city that surrounded her. She'd almost lived here for an entire year and still she picked out new details in every nook and cranny: Here, an advertisement for happy hour betrayed a bar tucked away beneath the sidewalk down a set of stairs, there, a pair of antelope leaving from a small door with no signage, clutching what appeared to be brand new books.

Judy took note of the cross street, trying to remember to look into that address later. She could use some things to read. She found that she was on the corner of Sunset and Grass, which if she remembered correctly put her at about half way in her route. Only a moment later, her suspicion was confirmed when she passed her favorite storefront. Emmett Otterton waved to her as he carried a large bouquet to be displayed on the shelves outside his floristry business.

Normally, Judy would settle for a smile and a wave in return, as the otter almost always looked very busy with the business of opening his store, but today he set the flowers down and began to bounce on the spot excitedly and called out.

"Judy!"

With a start, Judy slowed and came to a standing stop outside the shop, pausing her music as she did. "Hey there Mr. Otterton! How've you been? How's the family?" After the cure had been administered, Mrs. Otterton had made sure to corner Judy and ensure that the rabbit was aware of the depth of her gratitude. Judy had not actually gotten the chance to talk to Emmett however.

"I'm absolutely fine! And please call me Emmett. As for the family, stay right there! Got something for you!" And with speed that Judy normally attributed to her own species, the small mammal set down the flowers he was carrying and slipped back into the dimmed recesses of the shop. Judy glanced briefly at her fitness band. 0625, she was still well within time.

While she waited, she began to browse the floral displays. Emmett certainly had a talent for his art. Each arrangement held a variety that made it impossible to look away, while also remaining harmonious and pleasing to the eye. The fresh and vibrant scent of the storefront washed away acrid odors of exhaust and concrete that normally assailed her nose.

"Got it!" Emmett came hustling out of the door with a small cloth box held in his hand. "This is for you. Julia and I helped the kids put it together. They wanted to give you something to thank you, for what you've done for our family." As he spoke, the otter flipped open the small box, revealing the vibrant colors of a flower. The center of the flower was white, with sharp violet highlighting the edges of each petal. "It's a camellia."

Sucking in a breath, Judy's face lit with delight as she carefully lifted the flower in her hand. It was just slightly larger than her palm, and it had been cleverly attached to some kind of silver clip. "It's beautiful! I've never seen a clip like this before though."

"Let me show you." Emmett said with a laugh. "It's a short-fur clip. They're a favorite of my wife's."

The otter turned the flower over and showed Judy how the small toothed mechanism worked, clamping and unclamping with a sliding catch. Then with a polite, "May I?" he fixed it just in front of Judy's left ear, set slightly off to the side.

When Judy glanced at her reflection in the store window, she giggled. For the majority of her life, she'd not been one for adornment. Jewelry and ribbons tended to get in the way if there was something one needed to do with their hands such as punching a wrongdoer or running a morning six miles. But she had to admit seeing herself in the window, one side of her face turned away coyly to hide part of her eye behind the flower, gave her a rush of satisfaction.

"The kids made me promise to get a picture, would you mind?" Emmett didn't hold her eye through the question, clearly embarrassed.

"Of course not! Come on we'll take one of both of us!" Judy pulled her phone out from the pack around her waist and pulled the otter close. A few selfies and exchange of pictures later, Judy was waving to Emmett as she set off again, her phone and the box safely stored in her pack.

As she continued on past the Otterton's business, Judy felt a giddiness swell inside her. Animals like Emmett were exactly why she had developed her passion. She'd made a lasting impact in someone else's life. Not just Emmett, she'd changed the course of Zootopia itself, veering it away from a disastrous communal collapse. This was what it meant to be a police officer. And not only had she made it, she'd thrived.

Following her first successful case, she'd gained the respect of most of her fellow officers in the precinct. Bogo had assigned her to everything from community events and outreach, to street patrols, tagalong detective cases, and even preliminary SWAT training. For the last week though she'd been predominantly on foot patrols, which made for fairly uninteresting days. But even that small discomfort would likely be solved when Nick got back. She knew he wouldn't let her get bored.

As the bubble of happiness grew within her chest, she found she could not keep her pace in check, and she began to truly run. For the first three miles she'd been travelling in a mostly straight line along each street, staying to the right and occasionally maneuvering around the animals that crowded the street. Now she found herself weaving between legs and bodies, effectively creating an obstacle course from the city street, drifting out to the left to avoid slower traffic. A glance down at her fitness band showed that she was burning through her goals far quicker than was sustainable but she found that her only response was a laugh, long and loud. She started to push, running even faster, ears flapping.

Unfortunately, the city seemed to have other ideas. Ahead of her the door of a parked car flew open suddenly, directly into her path! There wasn't enough time for her to think, not even to call out or gasp in fear. Luckily, her body reacted for her. She was running very close to the curb, and on this particular street, a row of planters housed small trees, bringing some natural green to the street's concrete pallet. She'd been running between the planters and the street, and one of these planters now stood between herself and the car door, on her right.

As a sharply suited leg lifted out of the vehicle in question, Judy had planted both of her feet. With a strong flex, she lifted away from the sidewalk. All four of her paws found the stone edge of the planter and she bounded twice, running as her ancestors had in the distant past, before the stone age. Her second bound brought her to the end of the planter. When her hind paws hit the stone, she sprung again. Below her she heard a muffled curse and she caught a brief glimpse of a zebra in a business suit staring upwards with disbelief plastered across his face. He appeared to have fallen backwards back onto the back seat of the car.

Judy's hands found the top frame of the door, which thankfully was relatively flat. With a strong flex, she vaulted, hind paws travelling up past both her head and the door. Her top half was quick to follow and she found herself landing back on all four paws still moving extremely fast. After three bounds she'd slowed down enough to lift back onto her feet, and she continued down the street calling a breathless "Sorry!" back over her shoulder.

The only response she got was muffled by distance but it sounded distinctly like more cursing. Well. At least she'd given him a more interesting start to the day! And now Judy found herself laughing. She was laughing because what had just happened was so absurd. She was laughing because she knew that she'd just avoided potentially debilitating injury. And she was laughing because a small voice at the back of her head was planning to do a search on four legged running to see if it was a sport. She had an itching feeling that it was.

By comparison, the rest of her run was not nearly so interesting. A few scattered citizens waved and called greetings. Judy tried her best to return their greetings despite the fact that they disappeared behind her so quickly. As her mind lingered on her newfound notoriety with the average citizen, her thoughts turned again to her soon-to-be partner. How would Nick react to being noticed so much?

She knew that the fox was good at being forgotten. When she'd first tried to track him down and interrogate him, she'd noted his seemingly innate ability to slip in and out of a crowd. Hopefully it wouldn't make him too uncomfortable to walk around with a rabbit that was recognized by every tenth animal that laid eyes on her.

These thoughts accompanied her all the way back through the city to her apartment building. By the time Judy stepped through the front door into the closet sized lobby, her heart rate was elevated and her breathing slightly labored. Another brief glance at her fitness band showed that she'd far overshot her goals for the morning run, but she couldn't feel any fatigue yet. The runner's high was too strong.

Reasoning that she probably wouldn't be regretting it until she got to work, she started up the stairs at a steady pace.

Instead of stopping at the fifth floor however, she continued upwards, her paws pushing off each step lightly, minimizing noise and stress. She continued all the way to the tenth floor, before turning around and making her way back down. After her second trip up the top floor, she slowed her pace and walked down the ten flights that would take her back to her apartment.

When she arrived back in her room, she stepped first to her computer to check for a reply. Usually the only times Nick could write were in the mornings and evenings. During his year of training this had been simply due to schedule. Now she had no idea what he was up to, because he'd been extremely vague about why he wasn't back in Zootopia yet.

To her delight, a reply was waiting for her.

My Dear Sly Bunny

I'm glad you're so suspicious of such minor details as a few extra days of training. That suspicion will serve us well in the field I'm sure. I'm finishing up some extra training with a mutual friend of ours. It's not part of the usual regimen and they wanted to make sure I'm ready for the street. We can talk about it when I get back, which actually should be tomorrow. But until then you get to stew in conjecture.

Also for your information, my love of theater was alive and well long before we two crossed paths. You simply haven't been sensitive enough to take the time to know my interests and hobbies, spiteful wastrel that you are! I'm specifically partial to Musical Theater, not that you care.

Your tragically deep partner,

Foxface

P.S. "Foxface"? Are you five?

P.P.S. Are you still living in that closet sized box? I'd like to know for… reasons.

Judy felt her eyebrow lift as she read the message a second time. Nick was a fan of theater? She wouldn't have predicted that one. Not only that but, he was enough of a fan to call her a 'wastrel'. Perhaps she'd be able to go see a show with him and dig a little deeper into his head.

Continuing beyond the theater comment it seemed Nick had written his message to raise four times as many questions as it answered. Who at the academy would Nick refer to as a 'mutual friend' of theirs? The only animal Judy could think of was the Sergeant. But if Nick was talking about her, why wouldn't he just refer to her by name? And why was he asking about her apartment? That was interesting. Briefly that message from a few weeks ago flashed before her eyes.

"The Cutest and most beautiful Officer at the ZPD."

That line had itched at her brain just as much as Nick's mysterious extra week at the Academy. The only animals she'd ever heard such a smarmy and flirtatious statement from had been other rabbits back in Bunny Burrow. Rabbits that believed themselves far more attractive and far friendlier with her, than they actually were. In her opinion anyway. Nick seemed like the kind that could lay on the charm when he wanted to, but he'd never spoken to her that way, in all the months they'd known each other.

Now her eyes jumped back to the salutation of the last message. 'My Dearest…' What was Nick trying to imply? Perhaps he was just throwing some more complimentary text in to make himself a little more presentable?

She grinned at that thought. He was trying to clean up his act for her? Quite subtle flattery. Then again, as she began to type her response she considered the possibility that she was still under the influence of her runner's high.

Dear Classy Fox

It's hardly my fault that I don't know more about your interests when you currently live more than a hundred miles away and respond to my questions with vague, mysterious answers designed to keep me up at night. I'd love to go see a show if you'd care to educate me. I need something to do in my free time besides work out. It ought to dispel some of that 'unapproachable loner' persona you've got going on as well.

And while I don't know how it's related, yes I'm still at the Pangolin Arms. My lease is up middle of next month, and while I'd like to find someplace better, and less humid, the place is kinda starting to grow on me. But why do you ask?

Now for the most important part of your message, YOU'RE COMING BACK TOMORROW AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ME?! I'm gonna dance on your tail the moment I get hold of you Wilde!

But I'm super glad that you're finally coming back. I did mean what I said.

Angry Bunny

With that set in order the rabbit turned away from her computer. She stepped back to her hangers, but this time bent down to the floor and lifted the light-weight, aluminum pull-up bar that rested on the floor beside her bed. Crossing back to the door, she opened it to reveal one of her argumentative neighbors crossing the hall, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning!"

Bucky's shambling walk halted, and slowly his head turned. He blinked.

"You're up early. I don't usually hear you two moving around until I'm leaving." As she spoke, Judy stared up at the door frame, estimating the jump she'd need to make. Bucky continued to stare, seemingly trying to work through her words in his head. Just as she was about to make her leap however, the oryx stepped forward and lifted the bar, with a startled Judy still attached to it. He set the bar in its proper place in the door frame before turning and continuing his shambling walk toward the communal bathroom. Judy took a moment to get over her shock, before calling a hasty, "Thanks!" down the hall. Bucky lifted a hand and waved without turning.

Judy began her strength routine with pullups, before transitioning to abs, locking her legs into the bar's loops and using the muscles in her torso to lift her head up toward her knees. Halfway through her set, Bucky came back up the hall, looking distinctly more awake with a stride that was more walk than shamble. He stopped once again to watch Judy as she breathed evenly and deeply flexing and relaxing in a smooth rhythm.

"You know rabbit, you scare us."

Judy unlocked her legs and shifted to hanging from one arm as she looked at her neighbor in confusion. "Scared? You're scared of me?"

"Pronk and I took bets when you first arrived how long you'd last next to us. Not many animals make it past a month. You though? Almost a year and you're still here. Not only that but, well…" He gave a meaningful look to the pullup bar she was hanging from. "We changed the bet from when you'd leave, to when you'd come kick our door in." Bucky was leaning against the wall now, arms folded and a slight smile playing at his lips. "My bet is that you snap pretty soon. It's gotta be coming."

With a small chuckle, Judy began to lift her chin up to the bar using only the arm she was hanging from. "And what does Pronk think?"

"He's betting that your will is stronger than that. He figures you'll last at least another few months, then you'll show up with some hulking backup to arrest us in the night." Judy chuckled as she imagined it. A polar bear like Sims, perhaps Howlson too, with her as she knocked on the door to inform the brothers that their noise had become unbearable. She admitted to herself that she had considered something similar in the past.

"Well you can tell Pronk that you're both safe for now." She switched hands and started to lift herself using only the other arm. "If I was going to arrest you two it would have come long ago. Nowadays your… discussions, are like homey background noise. Nice and familiar you know? I don't know what it'd be like in this apartment without it."

Bucky mimicked her chuckle as he pushed off from the wall and turned toward his door. "That's good to know rabbit. If you do decide to haul us away, text me first so I can pack a bag or something."

"What makes you think I have your number?"

Bucky didn't turn around as he called over his shoulder, "Pronk added you on Furbook. You can get it if you need it."

Judy stopped and hung, staring after the oryx as he opened his door and disappeared. His statement had seemed to imply more than its face value.

A little while later, after she'd built a considerable ache in all four limbs and her abdomen, she began to swing back and forth on the pullup bar. When she'd built enough momentum, she flexed and pushed upward on the bar, unlocking it from the doorframe and dropping with it to the floor. She landed in a crouch, managing to prevent the bar from striking the already abused paneling. There were already a few faint gouges in the floor from when she'd tried that the first few times.

She set the bar back at the foot of her bed. Grabbing her toiletry bag as well as a fresh shirt and shorts, she ran out the door with a slight skip in her step, the muscles in her torso aching slightly as they flexed and stretched after their exertion.

There were two bathrooms on each floor of the Grand Pangolin Arms, and they were actually quite decent given the building's many other shortcomings. The pipes were old and emitted odd noises and sounds at random intervals that any sensible creature could mistake for some sort of monster slithering through the walls. The moldings and fixtures were all at least five decades out of date, but the bathrooms were still very functional, and thanks to a relentless campaign on Judy's part, clean.

Thanks to her inability to sleep in Judy was usually attributed unofficially, the first slot in the bathroom schedule though this morning Bucky had beaten her there. Within twenty minutes she'd had a hot shower, polished her teeth to gleaming, and she was even able to take a coat brush to the entirety of her fur. On most days she settled for grooming head, arms and paws, those patches that were usually visible. Today however she was in a mood that didn't allow for half completed tasks. She made sure that every inch was soft and free of grit and sweat.

When she returned to her room, Nick had replied. What was he doing now that left his morning so free?

Dear Angry Bunny

Please stand down! My poor tail has suffered enough abuse for your satisfaction! The whole point in emailing you this morning was to let you know I was coming back, but I sorta forgot to include it in the first message.

As to your suggestion concerning the theater, I'd be delighted to take you to a show. But as an aside, the only thing you do in your free time is work out? We definitely need to fix that. And we shall, assuming that my year away from your company hasn't changed me beyond your recognition and comfort!

Now for your apartment I recommend hot water and antibacterial soap. It should get rid of any invading growths in no time. It's a fairly common thing near the Rainforest, the walls just start to move on their own. And the reason I asked, well...

That's something I'd prefer to discuss in person if you can hold on for just 24 more hours without exploding. We can meet up tomorrow and I'll tell you all about this last week, and why I'm being a creeper about your living arrangements.

Your contrite partner,

Dumb Fox

Judy sat back in her chair, pulled in two different directions. On the one hand, the prospect of Nick coming home filled her with an anticipation so intense, the only thing she could compare it to was her graduation day. That in and of itself struck her as odd. On the other hand, his vague suggestions and questions set her mind racing trying to figure out exactly what he meant, what was going on.

After a moment, she simply allowed the issue the drift to the back of her mind and focussed instead on her response and the day to come.

Dear Nick

In light of your strangely apologetic attitude I suppose I don't have to abuse your tail. And your suggestion in removing apartment growth is quite helpful, I'll make use of it during my next shower.

Now, if you promise to tell me everything, I suppose I'll refrain from exploding for a little longer but you should know that it's very uncomfortable! Tell you what, let's get dinner. Your choice, my treat, and then you spill. I'll meet you at the station.

Can't wait!

Judy

P.S. If you do not email me the arrival time of your train I will forget your attitude and twist that delightfully fluffy tail like a rag and use it to dust my apartment.