Chapter 1

'Bright Times Ahead'

.~oOo~.~oOo~.~oOo~.

The warm morning sun peeked through the dark green curtains of the quiet apartment, making its way slowly to the edge of the mahogany bed. The red-furred fox felt the warmth on his face now and slowly opened his left eye, squinting carefully. Ah, another great morning in Zootopia… or not. Damned overly bright sun…

His gaze slowly shifted towards the nightstand, his alarm clock sitting atop it as usual. Blinking a few times to clear the morning blurriness away, he could faintly make out the numbers: 07:10. The thought of flopping over onto his left side and going back to sleep crossed his mind, until it hit him all at once. He opened both eyes quickly, staring at the clock again. It all came back to him.

A small smile crept onto his muzzle as he remembered. The fox slowly rose up and lifted the blanket away. Today was the day. After waiting and training for half a year, which felt like an eternity to him, the day had finally arrived. He had to say the words aloud just to convince himself they were true.

Nick spoke, "I… I did it… I'm a Police Officer."

Nick felt a heart-warming burst of pride at his words, as the memory of the previous day's graduation came back to him in full. The emotion long forgotten to him hitting him like a truck, the image of Judy's smiling face as she pinned his badge to his chest lingering in his mind. Those stunning and enchanting lavender eyes of hers, staring at him with all the pride in the world. She had never doubted his success for a second, and he had not let her down.

Nick slowly lifted his gaze from his paws to his new, neat and clean uniform, hanging from the doorknob waiting for him to put it on. Next to the door, sitting on a small stool, was a Golden ZPD badge. 'Officer Nicholas P. Wilde' engraved on the front. The feeling was settling in as he sat on the side of his bed, smiling to himself.

He had so much to thank his dear friend for, especially for believing in him. Those shining lavender eyes, always with their joyful attitude when she was around him, always so full of life... He had never met anyone like her. He knew that he would have never been in this situation without her.

He almost felt himself get a bit emotional as he remembered his graduation day, something that would never leave his memory. Seeing his mother in the crowd… The moment he spotted her, he felt like his whole world had stopped for a moment.

After the ceremony had finished, Nick had barely managed to start a conversation with Judy before his mother practically ran through the field towards him, with barely a second to turn around and embrace her hug. The vixen had started to sob and cry tears of joy for how proud she was of her 'little hero'. After that, it only took Judy a few seconds to realize who she was. All she could do was silently watch the situation from the side, eyes glossy and a touched smile on her face. Seeing the vixen so hysteric, shaking in their embrace as Nick comforted her with a loving smile.

Judy saw that it had taken all he had not to cry along with her as he spoke in his charming, joking tone, "I told you I would make it."

After watching the reunion for a brief while, Judy started to back up, giving them some space for this moment without interruption. Wiping her eyes and sniffing a bit, she walked into the crowd, striking up conversation with some other recruits.

Just half a year prior, Nick was an infamous and known as a Pawpsicle hustler, among other daily criminal activities: Working with his friend Finnick, along with some others. He was simply a mammal with no life goals. No direction. Well, this was not something Judy thought herself, rather Nick's own words during his time at the ZPD Academy.

Now he was something he could never have dreamed. Now, he was the complete opposite.

The training itself had been absolute torture to the fox, for as lean as he was, he was not built for this endurance. He had to eat a lot daily during his training; some mammals just have these genes, but not Nick. The first few weeks had been compete hell for his body.

He had always been so clever with his hustles; the chances of being caught were slim. He never had a real opportunity to run away from the law in the city – he had not ever needed to. In other words, he was far from a sports mammal. The run from Manchas through the Rainforest during the Nighthowler Case had already proven quite a challenge for him.

A couple of months in the Academy changed that though. He actually started to enjoy physical exercise during the training, because he saw the changes to his daily life – Especially when he looked in the mirror… Six months later and his muscles were actually showing through his fur! Not a lot of course, but he was still in better shape now than he had ever been.

The size of his biceps had grown noticeably as well as the muscles in his torso… Though in order to get into a similar shape as his colleagues, he would need at least three more years of training. Regardless, he was proud of himself. All those pushups and gym sessions had done something right.

He took everything thrown at him day after day, until it came to a point where it was not so bad anymore. The fact that he someone counting on him the whole time helped… Nick wanted to believe in himself too. Judy told him he would make waves, a real difference in the force, just like her – they solved the ZPDs biggest case ever together after all. She saw real potential in him.

He may have been the only ex-conmammal the ZPD had ever had, but he had a chance to be one of the best. He had something few officers possessed; Street smarts. A cunning, crafty outlook, a different way to look at things and pursue leads, and inside knowledge of the way things went down in and around the city. Not to mention a ton of charm and a silver tongue to top it all off…

So to say nothing less, he was going to be a colorful addition to the force. Judy wanted no one else as her partner, despite Bogo's pressuring. No one realized how deep their friendship ran, they truly were best friends. As different as their personalities were, they had the time of their lives when they were around each other.

The life and times were finally changing in Zootopia. The prejudice and the walls between predator and prey grew thinner each passing day. This was the way Judy saw Zootopia. She had started something big, something unforgettable. Despite this, Nick knew deep down that prejudice was something that Judy could never completely eradicate, even if she made it her lifelong goal.

There was always going to be bad mammals no matter what. Envy, jealousy, and hatred for things they did not understand. If there were more mammals like Judy, the world would be a much better place for it. One can always dream of this perfect, Utopian Zootopia… but not all dreams come true.

Still, Judy had given something to the city that no one in its history had done for a long time. Hope. With it came idealism, and the promise of a better future. She came from the farm with a fire in her heart to make the world a better place. Even after reality and the harsh truth had smacked her down one time after another, she still did not let it get to her. She still succeeded.

She was only twenty-four years old and she already had her name written in history. A bunny that would be talked, and taught about for hundreds of years after she was gone. The craziest thing was, this was just the beginning. She had only just started, and Nick wanted to be there by her side to support her in everything she did, no matter what that might be.

Joining the ZPD was just the first step on the road he was determined to travel, no matter how rocky that road may be, as her loyal and best friend. Yeah… Nothing else…

He still remembered the hassle after the Bellwether case closed. Judy had been swamped for the following days, bombed with interviews, newspaper's questions and phone calls from her parents like there was no tomorrow. It had been out of control. When she first arrived in the city, no one cared about her. She got one mention in the papers, saying that the ZPD had recruited their first bunny officer – something most just raised an eyebrow and joked about.

Just one week later and BAM! Now she was a superstar.

The tone and attitude of mammals had been flipped upside down from Zootopia to the outer edge of the Unknown Sea… Within a single week, she had joined the list of the City's most famous and infamous; her name up there alongside important mammals like Mister Big, Mayor Lionheart, Gazelle and her own Chief Commander Bogo. Everyone knew that she was destined for greatness.

From then on all the city could do was follow along as the bunny made a huge number of arrests for the ZPD every month, sweeping the city like a tidal wave with everything she had. It was all Nick could do to read it all from the papers during his training, knowing that soon he would be there beside her, fighting against the life he used to be a part of…

Judy had been dragged to every possible interview and talk show, and sometimes Nick saw that Judy was getting tired of it, even in her first weeks after the Bellwether case. In the first week, Judy had dragged Nick everywhere with her. She wanted to make sure he got his place in the spotlight, just as much as she did. Nick could tell some of these mammals just thought she did it out of kindness, but she did not see it that way.

For her, this case had been a fifty-fifty effort with him. She kept telling everyone how Nick was going to apply to the ZPD Academy at some point, and prove he was just as talented in this line of work as she was. Nick knew she also wanted to push the idea of a fox police officer to the masses; she truly wanted everyone to believe that in Zootopia, anyone could indeed be anything.

While this had intrigued the TV stations indeed, Nick could see many of them thought it was all talk; the lingering doubt against his species was still there. All Nick could do was watch as Judy fought his case on national Television, and when it was his turn, he did his job well. Whenever it came to him to talk, he would put on his infamous fox charm. He was one silver-tongued fox after all, cracking jokes and making mammals laugh with his way of taking this all lightly.

After the first week of these nonstop interviews and shows, Nick decided enough was enough, and that it was time to put words into action. Eventually the media would calm down, Bogo would require her back on the streets, and Nick could not follow her there anymore. He was not a cop yet.

Therefore, he spoke to her one Friday night after a particularly long press conference, telling her he would not be taking part in any more interviews with her. Judy had been puzzled and concerned at first; the statement seeming so sudden, but she calmed down once Nick explained. He told her how he had already applied for the Academy. It was time. His training would begin on Monday.

Judy had been quite stunned at first, wondering if Nick was seriously about to start so soon, even though they talked about it constantly. Now the fox was saying the sooner he would get it done, the sooner he would be there with her, just as they agreed.

She had hugged Nick at this point, telling him how surprised and happy she was that this was actually happening, and that the fox was actually serious about it. Nick had felt himself tense up initially, but then started to chuckle and relax into the embrace, telling her it was only six months after all.

Judy had sworn she would visit as often as she could, though Nick assumed it was just something nice to suggest, saying it was not necessary. He knew she was going to be one very busy mammal soon, what with her work and the media's eyes following her every move… However, little did he know that Judy had more than meant it. She had already grown so fond of his teasing and humor, she was going to make as much time for him as possible, as his loyal and best friend. Yeah… Nothing else…

.~oOo~.~oOo~.~oOo~.

ZPD TRAINING ACADEMY. SIX MONTHS AGO.

Monday came.

It was a bright and sunny day as he stepped inside those gates, ready for what lay ahead… or so he thought. Little did he know his inner lazy, laid-back nature was about to be destroyed, very soon. As soon as the Polar bear instructor laid her eyes on him in the back row, he knew he was fucked. He thought the order to do thirty pushups on the spot was a funny joke, until he realized it was an everyday thing. After the training began, if he were to get a dollar for every time he heard the words; "You are dead Foxtrot!" he would be roughly six hundred dollars richer by the halfway point.

The polar bear did not care in the slightest if he was the most famous fox in the city, that he had helped solve some big case, or that he was the future partner to Judy Hopps… In fact, this just made her train him even harder. He remembered falling face-first into the mud after slipping from a tall fence, the taste of dirt in his mouth.

The polar bear yelled in confusion,

"You're not arresting anyone with those muscles Wilde! When was the last time you did any cardio?!"

Nick mumbled from the mud, answering back in his famous flirtatious tone, "You know, Major Friedkin… You're one beautiful sight for sore eyes. Cardio isn't exactly my specialty but I have many other talents one as stunning as yourself would find very-"

"Shut it Wilde, on your feet and keep running!" The polar bear cut him off, failing miserably to contain her small smile. It had been a while since she had had a recruit with his attitude, not many comedians in the force.

"Please, mercy…" Nick begged, groaning as he picked himself up out of the mud. A wolf recruit ran up next to him, laughing while offering help with his paw.

The polar bear saw this and spoke, "Howlton!" gaining the attention of both mammals, "Make sure Foxtrot here passes this obstacle course, or I will make you both double it!"

"Got it, yes ma'am!" The brown wolf saluted with a determined smile. Taking his paw, he helped Nick up, the fox spitting mud out and attempting to wipe the mess off his tongue. "Let's get going, you got this!" The wolf said trying to hype Nick up, pushing him to move with a playful shove.

The wolf was only slightly taller than Nick, making him quite short by his species' standards. Even after his impromptu rest in the mud, Nick began panting again right away, feeling his body already screaming for a break after just fifteen minutes.

"This is torture dude!" Nick whined, though he was grinning despite everything.

"You're Nick Wilde, right? The mammal who solved that big case with Officer Hopps? I just came in today and everyone already talks about you!" The wolf spoke excitedly.

"Yeah, what an amazing thing to witness… the fox who dies on his first day, what a legend…" Nick said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Can we at least have naps between obstacles here? Like on actual hammocks… and maybe some soda to go?" Nick asked with grin, half-joking half-serious.

The wolf laughed loudly at that, shaking his head. "You sound just like you did on TV, maybe these next six months will be enjoyable after all…" He said with a smile. "Oliver Howlton." He announced, offering his paw to Nick after they had scaled a large rock.

"Nicholas Wilde, a pleasure… but no seriously, we do get breaks right?" Nick questioned with a grin, huffing in exhaustion as he shook the wolf's paw.

"Actually yeah, we do have one… after the rain forest stage is over – should take about half an hour still." Oliver huffed.

"I wonder if the Major would believe me if I said I left my stove on…" Nick muttered, horrified. After hearing they were not even halfway through this cursed course, doubt started to creep into his mind. Was he ready for this, physically? Was he ready mentally?

The brown wolf snickered as he clambered up a tall wooden fence, sitting atop it and handing his paw down to the struggling fox with a friendly smile.

"You know what Nick? I think we'll get along just fine. I'll make sure to help you with the vine section – the other guys told me the Cliffside is hard to reach. Don't want to break our legs on the first attempt eh? Together we can make it easily!" Oliver exclaimed enthusiastically.

"…You are kidding right?" Nick asked with wide eyes, looking at the grinning wolf as he helped him up. He had bad memories of swinging on vines with a certain bunny.

"Come on it's not so bad dude, just follow my lead!" Oliver said with a wink.

"Follow the ripped wolf guy, got it." Nick snickered, climbing down the fence with him.

"Exactly, just a little determination and you'll reach results as good as anyone else," he assured with a friendly smile.

"You know what, thanks man. A hype male is just what I need I think – keep my morale up and maybe I'll survive the first week…" Nick chuckled.

"I'm gonna do that and more, we're headed for the same department after all! It'll be an honor to say I helped someone so famous through his training," Oliver stated with a grin.

"Oh collecting credit huh? Not here just for my charm?" Nick challenged, not holding back his own smile.

Facial expression not changing in the slightest, he chuckled and responded, "You know, I think we're gonna be good friends in no time Wilde, no, I know we are." He paused briefly to get his bearings, "We're coming up on the vines soon so be prep-"

"WAAAAAH!" Nick yelped, slipping on the uneven ground. He fell down onto his back, sending mud flying everywhere.

Stopping to inspect the sudden noise, all Oliver saw as he turned around was a now very brown fox groaning and panting, laying on the floor. Rolling his eyes, all he could think was it's going to be a long six months… and I have mud in my ear.

.~oOo~.~oOo~.~oOo~.

ZPD TRAINING ACADEMY | FOUR DAYS LATER | 21:00

It was Thursday. Nick had only been at the Academy for four days and he felt like death. Oliver had made sure he kept up with the other recruits, and although he had managed, his body was going through unbearable strain. While everyone else was taking part in extra self-defense courses, Nick was lying on his bed in the dark room, staring at the bunk above. Mentally though, he was active. Thinking to himself furiously,

If you sleep now, you won't have it so bad tomorrow… just, try to rest…

He wished Judy were here, just seeing her would make this torturous week feel worth it… he couldn't even have weekends off, just non-stop training all day, every day. Training on top of training… he desperately wanted to give up already. Nick immediately scolded himself for that,

No! I cannot- I WILL NOT do that to her, not after everything she's done for me. Stop being so damned lazy and just think about the goal.

Nick could not believe himself, not even a week in and he was already thinking of quitting.

He shook his head and sighed. "Might was well listen to some music…" he muttered to himself, trying in vain to distract himself from these negative thoughts. One of the worst things about this situation was he would have no chance for some true alone time for the next six months. Talk about frustration… how on Earth would he keep his frisky nature on hold for half a year?!

He badly needed that distraction at this point, something to get these thoughts out of his head. Then he remembered the book that Judy had given him before he left,

Hmm, may as well read it. he thought, reaching for his bag. He wondered… what was Judy doing right now? She was probably at home, resting or-

A sudden knock on the door interrupted his musing, causing him to do a quick double take; no one knocked, why would they? His roommates came and went freely… He looked over and saw light come through from the hallway as someone slowly opened the door, the rusty hinges creaking the whole way. A draught made its way through the gap and over to Nick, carrying with it a familiar, delicate scent. The moment his nose caught it, his eyes shot wide open.

There was a bunny standing in the doorway, scanning to room to little success, not seeing so well in the dark. Nick had no such trouble though; he could see her clear as day… Judy.

"N-Nick? Are you in here?" came her small, careful voice as she searched for the light switch.

Nick felt his heart lurch in his chest once he knew it was not his imagination playing tricks. He sat up quickly, reaching over to turn on the small reading lamp on the nightstand. Orange light filled the corner, making his already red fur particularly vibrant.

"Carrots?" Nick asked in surprise, his expression turning to genuine happiness when their gazes met, and neither could help but smile.

"Nick!" Judy yelled with joy, bounding over to him in a matter of seconds. The fox laughed in surprise, she wasted no time to hug him, pressing her cheek into his chest and closing her eyes. Nick could see her tail giving a little wiggle from the happy reunion, after only four days without seeing each other. This surprise visit washed away all of the lingering annoyance and doubt in no time at all, not a chance he was going to sleep now that she was here. The embrace continued for a short while before Judy pushed herself away, though she did not back up very far, wanting to stay close.

Nick had to ask right away, "Well look at this, it's my one and only Whiskers! To what do I owe this sudden visit?"

"I had to see with my own eyes that you had really made your way here like you promised me, partner." she replied smugly. "Had to make sure you weren't out in the streets with Finnick, you sly fox. If I hadn't found you here, my next trip would have been through Savannah Central…" she joked with half-lidded eyes, giving his snout a playful poke with her finger.

Nick shot her that charming grin of his, matching her playful tone as he placed his paw over his heart in mock offence, "The nerve! How dare Officer Toot-Toot assume such things from me? I'll have you know, that I am an upstanding citizen and a 'real articulate fella'!"

Judy laughed as he used her own words against her, shaking her head and already feeling herself completely relax around him.

"Besides, I am the best in my class here." He continued, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Judy snorted at this, and punched his arm playfully. "What, in four days? You're not as slick as you think you know..."

"I am the slickest there is," Nick spoke as if there was no competition.

Judy shook her head lightly and spoke, "Your ego is overwhelming…"

"So is the fact that my best bunny friend just shoved her face into my fur, sticky with sweat after today's drills… Your uniform will have quite an interesting smell now, could raise many hard to answer questions." Nick snickered.

For a moment, Judy just gave a puzzled smile at that, until what he had said fully registered in her brain, her eyes going wide in realization. He was indeed shirtless, and she had been so eager to hug him she had not paid it any mind. Nick laughed loudly as Judy put some distance between them, seeing her wide eyes, and the blush spreading across her face and up her ears. Instead of telling him to be quiet, she went all shy and tried not to look at him.

Trying to hide herself in her paws she started to apologize, "I-I'm so sorry Nick, I didn't notice! I didn't mean to- I mean I- I just-"

"Wow, look at your ears fluff… now that is just adorable. You don't have to be so embarrassed; I know I'm hard to resist, so I'll give it a pass. You want another hug? One time offer, Get your shirtless fox hug here, free of charge!" Nick said in his best street peddler impression, clearly enjoying far too much. Teasing her was the best thing ever – she made it so easy.

"You are such a…" Judy trailed off into a series of giggles. Nick always made her feel like a teenager with his teasing, if only he knew just how much she loved it. It took all her self-restraint to control her blush as she looked up at him again, locking their eyes together. She felt herself get shy for a second time under those handsome emerald eyes of his.

"Hey, my eyes are up here, fluff." He teased.

"But I am looking at your eyes, dumb fox!" Judy exclaimed with a smirk, resisting the urge to look down.

"Yeah, but you want to look don't ya? I can't say I blame you… I totally would as well." Nick said with a wink.

"How much ego can fit into one fox?!" Judy questioned, squirming and feeling like a giddy schoolgirl under his gaze, he was not helping her blush. She was sure he did this with every female, but if he only knew, just how it made her feel…

"A lot," Nick retorted with a huge grin, "But being self-confident is important too, you can be full of sass when you want to – I've seen it."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Judy snorted as she shook her head.

"Sure you do…" Nick countered, proceeding to remind her of her carrot-pen hustles, they both knew just how crafty she could be.

Judy's blush finally calmed down as she gazed around the room, it had not been that long since she had been here herself, everything still looked the same. She took a long breath and started talking again as she looked back at him, "So… how do you like the place?"

Nick scoffed, "It's fine, I suppose… The bed could be better though," he admitted, "This is like sleeping on stone! How on Earth did you put up with this?"

Judy chuckled as she remembered all too well how the bunks felt. She gave it a test bounce with her paw, it did not even move… "You have to snatch as many blankets as you can and stack them on top, then it's much comfier," She told him from previous experience, "At the end of the hall there's a room with bed equipment in it – pillows and such… If you ask nicely, they hand stuff out if it helps you sleep." Judy finished with a wink.

"Mmm, good to know… clever bunny," Nick said as he looked down at the bed.

"I know. Asking for something nicely will get you results," Judy said with a smug smile, making Nick chuckle.

He leaned in closer to her face, and with half-lidded eyes, and that warm, flirty tone filling his voice he spoke, "Thank you Carrots, I'll be sure to remember that…"

Judy felt her eyes widen a little as her tail gave a happy wiggle. Stay calm ears, stay calm nose! Oh god… why does he have to do this? He is so annoyingly handsome, I can't…

The bunny collected herself and pushed him away playfully, letting out a small, nervous giggle at his flirt as she tried not to squirm again. Nick just kept looking at her with the same expression, trying to force her to look away.

Then she spoke, "If you're this bad now, I can only imagine how much you'll do this to all those poor vixens and wolves once we start patrolling together."

"Oh, you bet. They better watch out, my charm is going to be doubled once I'm wearing those blues," Nick chuckled mischievously.

"That is, if you pass the Academy slick…" Judy reminded.

"Yeah…" Nick murmured, his flirty expression turning more casual. He still had so much time left here before he would be out there with her, too much time…

An awkward silence settled between them for a moment, leaving Judy wondering if she had said something wrong. Nick's sudden mood change was odd. Would now be a good time to ask…? Judy felt her gaze get distracted from Nick's face to his cream-colored fur, filling almost his entire chest and stomach area, surrounded by a sea of red. She did not mean to stare, but she just could not help herself – it was not every day she saw a mammal shirtless, even less common for it to be a predator.

*Ahem*

She looked back up at Nick's face, at some point he had noticed her staring, clearing his throat to gain her attention. "I can put my shirt on if I'm distracting you that much, Fluff," he said, feeling his attitude coming back from somber thoughts.

Judy once again felt her eyes widen, she desperately looked elsewhere, mumbling in panic, "No no no, it's okay… I'm just… uhh, I actually came here to talk about something important!" she stated, avoiding his alluring gaze.

Lifting an eyebrow, Nick gave her an interested smile before reaching for his Academy t-shirt at the other end of the bed, deciding it was time to put it back on. He did not want to make her uncomfortable around him, and being a rabbit so close to a half-naked fox must have felt odd.

Judy just watched as he slipped back into his sweaty grey t-shirt. For a second she wanted to stop him, tell him it was more than OK for her that he was in bare fur in front of her, but she was worried it might freak him out… so she stayed silent. Once the awkward moment passed, Nick gave her a reassuring smile, expecting her to explain what she meant.

Judy stared at her feet first, trying not to look awkward as she thought about how to put her thoughts into words. She then glanced up, and spoke quietly while looking him straight in the eyes, "I- I was j- just wondering if… would it be OK if I... umm… I…" Judy had a hard time trying to squeeze the words out. Come on just say it!

Nick could see this was something truly important to Judy, so he set aside his teasing grin in favor of listening quietly. The bunny tried to keep eye contact, but she was really struggling at that moment. Nick just gave a little nod, wordlessly telling her to relax and speak.

"Since we solved the case together we have… we've become quite good friends and all, I mean… That's how I feel about you and… Nick, I'm just- w- well, what I'm trying to say is that I just… wanted to know if you feel the same way? About me…?"

Nick let out a small chuckle as he realized what this was about… she was so goddamn adorable when she was flustered. "Carrots, we are really good friends. You really think that after all that we've been through, I wouldn't consider you my friend? Come now, you silly rabbit," Nick told her warmly, his paw resting on her shoulder.

Judy felt her face light up from joy, she felt as though someone had lifted a massive weight from her. She had to concentrate to stop herself from hugging him again in the instant, she really wanted to. Nick did not know it, but she did not actually have friends, not in the city at least… She had only been in Zootopia for two weeks sure, but still, the only mammal she considered her friend besides Nick was Fru Fru… and they had not gotten very close yet.

Nick, on the other paw, was probably the best friend she had ever had, though this was not saying much; she had not been very popular in her youth. She was the bullied kit who never let anyone drag her down, fighting back every time. She had been extremely lonely, admired sure, but lonely all the same. Nick did not understand just how reassuring it had been for her to hear that.

To think that at first he was just another jerk among many, hiding such an incredible, kind mammal under a mask for years. With his verbal confirmation, Nick was now her best friend, and she could not be happier. She knew she felt something else too… something she tried to push out of her mind – right now was all the mattered. The urge to hug him was unbelievable, but being unsure if he was OK with it, she fought against it; he probably had tons of friends, while he was her only true one.

Nick had been studying her expression through her thoughts, watching her with tender eyes, waiting for her to say something. He could not tell for sure what he saw in her eyes, but he knew what he said was something Judy had hoped to hear in actual words.

Feeling as though she would cry from happiness, Judy resumed talking quickly, "So, I was wondering if it would be OK if I… visited you like two or three times… each week? You know, from now on... I- if that's OK for you?" She finished her request quickly, paranoid that she sounded possessive or clingy...

Nick's eyebrow reached for the stars, confusion plastered across his face. "Wait, you don't mean… all the way till I graduate?" He asked, positive he had heard her wrong.

"Yeah… I could probably even manage to come four times a week! If it's OK I mean… I would just come by to see how my future partner is doing with his training… just for professional reasons… We could do things… I could bring cards with me or, um… snacks or something… or we could just talk – I don't even know what kind of music you listen to, or what movies you'd watch… Oh! I could give you tips about your training, and advice to help you out if I can… I don't mean to be a bother… if you don't want me to I won't but I just-"

"Judy." Nick cut off her rambling.

She felt her heart skip a beat, finally raising her flustered face from the floor to Nick. He had used her name… her real name. This was the first time she had heard him say it. She felt as though her heart had run a marathon in a matter of seconds, her tail giving a little wiggle. The moment Nick's tender eyes pierced her, she felt a kaleidoscope of butterflies explode in her stomach; she had never seen this look before, on him, or anyone else while speaking to her. She was not sure what to make of it, but she knew one thing… she could not take her eyes off him.

The emotion behind Nick's intense gaze was something he did not want her to see. It had even caught him off guard, unable to stop it; it just blew his mind that of all the things she could do after work, she wanted to spend time with him here at the Academy! Whoa whoa whoa, Wilde! Never let them see that they get to you. Don't go there now, that holds true for her as well, you already slipped up during the Gondola ride… just… calm down… and stop looking at her like that!

"Thank you." Nick suddenly let out, trying not to show just how happy he was.

Judy felt her heart rate calm down after he finally spoke, nearly letting out a sigh of relief. She did not know what just happened between them, but she felt like fainting right now. With his voice saying her name repeating in her mind, she gave a nervous smile, and chose to solve this odd and tense situation in the same way Nick would – by acting as if it was nothing.

"Just… looking out for my partner, that's all. Have to follow your progress, you know?"

"Right…" Nick said after a brief, nervous chuckle. He was very glad that Judy had lightened the mood. What on Earth has gotten into you?! That felt so strange…

Pushing his thoughts aside for now, he joined in with the new lighthearted turn the conversation took, "If you really mean it, Fluff. I can already tell that it'll be a long and boring six months if I don't have my clever bunny to help me through it."

His words made Judy smile genuinely once again. Nick continued with a shit-eating grin, "There is actually plenty of things you could help me with… here I'll make a list: First, maybe you could bribe that slaver polar bear lady to go easier on me – she seems to really enjoy torturing me. You can also smuggle some sweets in since there's a distinct lack of vending machines here… maybe even some salmon pie and some burgers? Oh, and I want my laptop too, maybe even a lava lamp for mood lighting… couple of beers to go with it as well. Actually, It'd be neat to have a minibar here, maybe suggest about me sharing one with my buddies here – since you are public hero bunny number one and everything…"

Judy snorted and started to laugh, holding her sides and shaking her head.

"No way Nick! You can dream all you want, but this place isn't supposed to be luxurious for a reason."

"Such a buzzkill," Nick snickered.

"Oh har har, just because we solved the case together doesn't make us privileged for such things." Judy grinned.

"Judy, you solved the case, not me. I was just along for the ride," Nick chuckled, shaking his head.

"No you weren't! Why do you insist on acting like you didn't help-"

"Yes, Fluff, you've made it clear to the TV stations and News that I was a major help in the investigation, I know. But let's be clear, you would have solved it anyway, with or without me." Nick stated firmly.

Judy did not believe that in the slightest, she hated that Nick really thought he had nothing to do with the case – she would never have solved it on her own.

"Nick, if you hadn't defended me in Tajunga, when Chief Bogo tried to take my badge, the case would have never been solved at all. It was your idea to look at the Traffic Cams for the van. You were the one who saved the evidence from the train car, and you saved me when I hurt my leg in the museum… So stop acting as though you did nothing to help, I probably wouldn't even be here if not for you! How can you not remember all this? It only happened just over a week ago… You deserve the credit just as much as I do Nick, so stop pretending I was the only one to do anything." Judy said quietly, anger seeping into her tone.

Nick felt his grin disappear, knowing damn well that Judy was speaking the truth. The problem was he still blamed himself for slowing down investigation, and for the things he said when they had first met. Looking back, he felt horrible; she was one of most genuine and kindest mammals he had ever met, and he had done everything he could to drag her down… He thought she was just an arrogant, small-minded, naïve carrot farmer, who actually thought she could be a police officer. Sure, she had been cute and charming in her own way… beautiful too, but all he saw was just another speciesist, dumb bunny like all the others. Now he saw her for what she truly was, and after everything, he felt like he did not deserve her friendship.

"Carrots I… it's not about that it's-"

"You saved my career and my life, Nick… you." Judy interjected before he could continue, "So I'll make it simple: Just accept we solved it together, fifty-fifty… No more, no less, right partner?" Judy finished with a happy little smile.

"Fine…" Nick resigned with a sigh, feeling rather defeated but still smiling nonetheless.

"Good. Now that we got that out of the way, I have a surprise for you!" Judy announced, skipping happily as if she could not wait to reveal something awesome.

Nick's smile widened as watched the excited bunny signal for him to wait before starting to unload her pink bag next to the bed. She had barely pulled the zipper open with her tail going nine to the dozen, when Nick could not resist any longer; She was just so damned adorable… "You know, when you're all excited like that about something… you are really cute."

Judy's happy dance stopped immediately. She slowly pulled the zipper shut in one smooth motion, knowing how wide the grin on his muzzle was at that moment. He had really just said that…

"What did you say?" Judy asked, trying to sound angry, but failing miserably with a grin of her own stuck on her face.

This only served to encourage Nick to continue with his teasing, "I was just saying, that when you bounce around like that all excited and happy… you look adorable. Fluffy, cuddly, cute and-"

His sentence was abruptly cut off when a pillow slammed into his face. Nick knew straight away that it was on, laughing like a Hyena as he continued, "Is this any way to treat the Great Almighty Hero of Zootopia, Whiskers? Tsk tsk, you what else is cute about you? You throw like a bunny! Some things will never change…"

"I swear by blueberries sake Nick-"

Nick howled even more from that, clutching his stomach, "BLUEBERRIES SAKE! I forgot your cursing too, you're the absolute cutest thing to ever walk this Earth!"

Unable to contain her laugh any longer, Judy charged at full speed to tackle the laughing fox, who was already preparing for the strike.

"You wipe that smirk off your face right now Nicholas Wilde! I'll show you cute, you scruffy, rude, mean-"

"Keep going!" Nick laughed, having the time of his life as he defended against Judy in their little wrestling match, his pulse increasing rapidly as she giggled cutely while trying smack him with the pillow.

"You are such a dumb fox!" Judy laughed, mid-swing.

"Help! Police brutality! I'm being attacked by a fluffy monster!" Nick chuckled, blocking the strikes as much as he could.

"I'll show you fluffy you no good- YIP!" Judy yelped as Nick grabbed her by her waist, stopping her pillow swings in a second.

He flipped her directly under him so that he was on all fours over her small figure, pressing both her wrists gently into the mattress so she could no longer swing at him. It took her a moment to realize Nick was on top of her, keeping her in a hold that was nearly impossible to get out of… The fox swished his tail in victory with a chuckle, looking at the stunned bunny beneath him. Judy felt the blush from earlier creep back onto her face, cheeks and ears running hot. Nick's face was so close to hers now, the musky scent of fox filling her nose. It was so strong…

Nick spoke while keeping her arms pinned, careful not to hurt her, "Hmm… Fox got your tongue, or do you feel a bit helpless there, Carrots? What type of hero police officer loses to a shifty fox like me? Not part of your skill set huh?"

Judy was trying her best not to blush, but failing horribly, with nowhere else to look except into his glowing green eyes. The situation was so awkward, but still so exciting at the same time. It took Judy completely off guard, struggling with what to do or say: It was Nick's usual teasing, same as always, but the proximity coupled with the look he was giving her… Not to mention how compromising the position was – them being so close like this, it was all play but if someone were to walk in and witness it, this scene would look far too intimate for a prey and a predator to have.

Another odd feeling reared its head as well, overpowering her as her tail started to wiggle. It was something primal she had only felt a couple of times in her life, she had let it pass before… but now the feeling was rampaging inside her, like a devilish tingle dancing across her nerves. Judy was speechless, why did she not want to break free from this hold? If anyone else had done this to her, she would have fought back, but at this moment, she did not want to…

They had both been quiet for a time now, just looking at each other. Nick still held that victory smile on his muzzle, thinking this was still part of the game and that she was just thinking about some trick to play… but there was no trick. She suddenly felt fear. Not fear of the situation, rather how she felt about being in it. It was not normal to have these feelings… not for a predator… What even was she feeling? What was all this? She felt as though she was going crazy.

"Now she is wondering… what can she do? I'm eager to see," Nick dared with a wicked smile, wondering what she was thinking.

Startled out of her trance by his words, she shot him a challenging grin as she got her head back in the game, "Five seconds."

"…What? You're gonna escape in five seconds?"

"Yep," Judy stated smugly.

"And how exactly do you plan on doing-" Nick started, but before he could finish he heard the sound of metal clanking against metal, followed by a twin ratchet sound from behind him.

"Pawcuffed," Judy answered simply.

"Wait… what?!" Nick asked in confusion, turning around to inspect the noise, now noticing a new cold sensation around his ankle.

Using the distraction as Nick turned around, Judy took the opportunity to quickly squirm out from under Nick's paws and hop off the bed. Now it was Judy's turn to return the smug smile, watching as nick stared at his leg, currently locked to the metal bar of his bunk. Nick turned to her with his jaw hanging open, asking incredulously "Carrots… did you just do that with only your feet?!"

"Not so bad for a dumb, helpless bunny huh? That should teach you to behave. I think I'll leave you right there, teaches you to call me cute," Judy stated smugly, standing in her hustler pose.

Nick could not help but laugh in surprise, "Well that was pretty impressive, Fluff, you're gonna have to teach me that one at some point… seriously"

"Hmm… we'll see. But if I un-cuff you, will you promise to apologize for calling me cute?" Judy asked, trying to sound serious, but Nick had that smirk on his face yet again…

"You ask too much, cute bunny…"

"You are so annoying," Judy groaned, smiling despite herself.

"I know, but you are far too kind to leave me here like this," Nick grinned.

Judy walked over with a sigh, pulling out the key to the pawcuffs. "You do understand that other bunnies might not attack with only a pillow if the say the c-word?" She giggled and shook her head.

"Ooo, scary!" Nick Snickered.

"You are horrible…" Judy muttered.

"What can I say? It's my nature." Nick grinned.

"Your nature is to humiliate and make fun of me?" Judy chided with a half-smile as she opened the cuffs. There was a sudden quietness in the room. Judy had expected more teasing and jokes, but Nick was not speaking anymore. She finally finished with the cuffs, and was about to say something when Nick grabbed her paws gently with his own, making her fur spark up. She almost jumped from the touch, it seemingly coming from nowhere. She lifted her gaze quickly to look at Nick, and saw him watching her again with that same indescribable look, causing her heart to melt and her breathing to hitch.

He spoke straight away with a very serious tone, "Judy, I would never try to bully you – if that's what you mean… I could never do that to you. I was just joking around. Do not think even for a second that I would mean anything bad, or try to humiliate you by saying you're cute, adorable or anything else… I meant it all in good fun; I meant them as compliments… you ever thought of it like that?" Nick asked, his serious face turning friendlier once again.

Judy did not know how to answer. Her tail started to wiggle and her blush grew as she soaked in what he said. He's holding my paw… He just told you that you were cute, but in an attractive way… He meant it as a compliment…

Judy was just about to speak up when Nick suddenly changed his tone once again, breaking this tender, serious atmosphere, "So… you said you had a surprise for this tired fox?"

These abrupt mood changes and emotions had caught her off guard; she had to concentrate to pull herself back to the present. Then she remembered, "Oh right! Wait till you see what I have!" Judy beamed, moving back over to her pink bag again. Reaching inside, her paw came back out with two small, yellow cards.

She practically hopped her way back to his bed and handed one of the cards over to Nick, plus the attached note, and then waited for his reaction as he started to read it aloud, "From Gazelle to two heroes of Zootopia, I hereby grant you VIP Passes to 'The Garden' for Friday's 10pm Concert. The attached passes grant access to the backstage areas, and reserve front row space for the show."

Judy squealed like a giddy schoolgirl and started to jump around the room, unable to contain her excitement. "How awesome is this, Nick?! Even Chief Bogo will be there with Clawhauser! I have waited for so long to go to one of her concerts, and it is finally happening!"

Nick chuckled at her antics, scratching his ear nervously, he looked at the note and pass in his paw as he spoke, "Am I excited? Yes. Yes I am… for you. You forget that I am fairly occupied tomorrow… physical torture, lots of it. So…"

Judy had expected this and had already put her plan into motion, "Well, I would be lying if I said I didn't have a little chat with the higher powers… something about giving you a day off…" Judy said, her mischievous smile only growing with Nicks reply.

"It seems the honorable hero is abusing her reputation after all… Sly bunny…"

"Oh shush, I am not, Slick. There's a difference between asking nicely and blackmailing, remember?" Judy retorted.

"Right…" Nick chuckled, "Um… Carrots?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll be there, count on it… and, thank you."

The smile immediately returned to Judy's face, washing away the hopeful look with a wave of relief, "You're welcome, Nick."

The room became silent again, both mammals content to simply smile at each other. The silence was broken however, when Judy's phone buzzed… Taking the phone from her pocket, letting out a groan after she had read the message, "Nick, I have to go… My parents are finally coming to visit, which means I have a rough few days ahead. They're on the train right now – I have to meet them at the station." She finished with a very noticeable eye roll.

Nick felt a sudden pang of sadness hearing she had to leave, even though he knew he would see her again tomorrow… there was no way around it; he was addicted to her company.

Nick then spoke with a large smirk, belying his feelings of sadness, "Well you better get going then… Can't leave your parents hanging, some big predator might eat them after all."

"That is not funny, Nick," Judy said, giggling despite her words.

"Have you told them how I savagely tried to eat their precious daughter at the museum?" Nick asked with a sly grin.

"No, and I don't intend to. They would freak out, and Dad would probably start a fox hunt…"

"Hmm, I can imagine… Cute little balls of fluff, chasing me with pitchforks and torches, wagging their little tails…"

Judy was struggling to breath at this point, she was laughing so hard, as Nick wiggled his eyebrows at her, "Dumb fox!" She managed to squeeze out between her fits of laughter.

"I think I'd make quite a handsome rug for your family…" Nick grinned.

"That is awful!"

They both continued to laugh for a while, both calming down and watching the other. Just as the silence came back to the room, Judy let out a content sigh and spoke with an apologizing tone, "Well… I had better get going then. I'll see you at the concert tomorrow… Don't be late," she teased.

"Don't worry Carrots, I'll be there if you are," Nick assured.

Picking up her bag, Judy started to make her way back over to the door. Once it was opened she heard Nick clear his throat as if he was about to say something. She turned around to see Nick perched on the side of his bed, looking at her intently. He spoke in a deep, sincere voice that sent a little shiver through her, "Judy… thank you for visiting like this, it was nice to see you again."

Seeing him look at her like that made her heart beat like a war drum, the urge to run over and hug him came back stronger than ever, but she pushed that down, thinking he probably would not want to… Instead, she opted for replying shyly, "It was nice to see you too, Nick…"

"Have a fun evening," Nick said gently.

"I- You too…" replied somewhat solemnly – wanting to stay here longer. She would be most happy staying here with him for hours, but unfortunately, her parents were on their way.

Nick then answered with a slight chuckle, "Yeah, right… I bet they wake us up for a midnight run or something…"

"You'll get used to it," Judy giggled.

"Wait… are you saying they actually might do that?!" Nick asked, looking genuinely horrified now.

"Bye now…" Judy said with a huge grin, walking out the door.

Nick continued in a panic, "No wait, seriously Carrots, will they ever wake us up in the mid-"

Cutting him off midsentence, she shouted back from the hallway, "See you at the concert, Nick!"

"But…" Nick tried to continue as he reached the door, but then sighed in resignation, accepting his fate. "Friday it is, Carrots." He called after her.

She turned around, walking backwards for a moment, and they shared one last smile with each other. They both felt as though they should say something, but neither knew what to say… Judy turned back around with a wave, before rounding a corner on her way to the Barrack's main entrance.

Nick listened as her steps echoed down the hall before slowly fading away. He closed the door, the room suddenly very quiet. He walked back over to his bunk, before promptly falling over backwards onto it. He immediately regretted his decision, wincing in slight pain as he hit the rock-solid mattress.

For a while, he just stared up at the top bunk, deep in thought. He spoke to himself with determination, "You will do this for her. A little cardio won't kill you, Wilde. It'll all be worth it in six months, you'll be the first ever fox police officer… You can do it, she believes in you."

In his mind, it was settled. He would not let Judy down.

He rolled onto his side to turn off the reading lamp on the desk, before laying back down and trying to go to sleep, suddenly feeling drained. It was not long before he fell asleep, a loving smile spreading across his muzzle as he whispered quietly into the darkness, "Judith…"

.~oOo~.~oOo~.~oOo~.

NICK'S APARTMENT | PRESENT DAY | 07:30

Nick was still sitting on the edge of his bed, going through these sweet memories in his head. The feelings he had confused him back then, but now they were clear as day. He had tried throughout the last six months to convince himself otherwise, but he could not; the more he denied it, the more he told himself that it was just his imagination… the more he realized it was true.

Visit by visit, the feelings got stronger. She had come to visit just as much as she said, and he considered the time he had spent with her a blessing. They had talked about many things and shared so much… they both knew so much more about one another after now. Both of them had waited for his training to finish, watching the days chip away like excited kits waiting for their birthday. They were both eager for the big day to come, so they could start working together properly, but fighting crime beside her was not the only goal he had anymore. Now, there was something more personal, there was no escaping the truth in his heart any longer.

He loved her.

He was madly in love with her, something that he wanted to make sure she would never find out. A secret would stay with him forever. He knew that the moment she found someone, he would be hurt beyond measure instead of feeling happy for her, and it made him sick… Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before someone as amazing as her found someone.

All he could do now was accept it. He was in love with a bunny. I'm a twist of nature – a freak… but I have to live with it… I've never felt like this for anyone, I know it's wrong; she's prey for god's sake! Which is why she can never know.

He would soon meet her in uniform once again, only this time he would be dressed in one too. You have waited for this for so long, you're about to work with the mammal you love… no pressure…

Nick's phone buzzing awoke him from his reverie. How long had he sat here like this? Picking up his phone, he blanched a little when he saw the time – he had been daydreaming for over twenty minutes…

The message that had brought him back to the present was from Judy: "Nick, you better not be sleeping. The Chief will kill you if you're late for your first day on the force…"

Nick chuckled and typed back, "Don't worry I'm on my way. It just takes a long time to look at myself in the mirror – I do look quite good in this uniform." It was only a white lie, one which would probably end up being the truth in a few minutes either way…

Judy's reply came back almost instantly, "Pfft, figures… Just get yourself over here. I can't wait to get started on our first day together! I'm so excited, this is gonna be awesome! I'm so proud of you, Nick."

"Don't worry Carrots, I'll be there soon. Just wait till you see this uniform!"

The message sent, Nick pressed the home button and stared at his screensaver. It was a selfie with Judy beside him at the Academy, both looking as happy as ever. He stared at Judy's smiling face a felt his heart melt as he spoke quietly, "I love you." With a sigh, he turned his phone's screen off. He got up, and walked over to the door to put his uniform on.

Nick grabbed his keys and adjusted his tie in front of the mirror, observing his badge as it glinted sunlight into his eyes. The badge looked damn good on him. So did the rest of the uniform… He knew he was going to gather looks on this walk.

Walking from his bedroom, he grabbed his aviators and hung them in his chest pocket as he made his way to his front door. Once he reached it, he stood quiet there for a moment, taking a deep breath. He mentally prepared himself to walk through that door, and out into the streets of Savannah as a fully-fledged cop for the first time.

"Here goes… Ready to make the world a better place," He chuckled, spinning his keys around on his finger. He opened the door and stepped outside, locking it behind him before walking down the hall, whistling happily the entire time.

Here I come world, ready or not. Officer Nicholas Piberius Wilde, at your service.