Nick kicked the door of his room shut behind him, and it thudded to a close. He couldn't exactly call it an apartment after all when all he had was a box room with a rickety bed, battered dresser, old desk, and a microwave he had to thump every now and then to get working. Luxury it was not, but the Grand Pangolin Arms was cheap, and the owner Dharma Armadillo hadn't been too fussy about renting out a room to a street fox. $300 a month was easy enough to for a conmammal like himself to make, and it kept a roof over his head. Gone were the days Nick Wilde had to sleep rough.

Dumping the paper bag of groceries on to the desk, the tod stretched lazily and scratched his belly with a clawed paw. He only just managed to stifle a yawn. He'd had an early start this morning. He regularly changed his hustling spots around the city, not wanting to attract the attention of the cops, and today's hit had been in Tundra Town. It had been risky for him to head back there, given his past with the infamous mob boss Mr. Big, but the area was good pickings.

Nick had become so accustomed to noise in the building, especially given his proximity to Bucky and Pronk, the kudu and gemsbok respectively, that he missed the sound of pawsteps up the stairs. However, he didn't miss the sound of the door to the room adjacent to his opening. It had been empty for several weeks now, the serval that had occupied it previously having moved in with his girlfriend. The tod's curiosity was piqued as to who his new neighbor was.

"And welcome to the Grand Pangolin Arms, luxury apartments with charm. Complementary de-lousing once a month... Don't lose your key." He heard Dharma rattle off her usual spiel to new tenants before the armadillo plodded down the stairs, and the sound of hooves joined the noise

"Thank you. Oh, hi! I'm Judy, your new neighbor." The feminine voice had Nick's ears pricking up, and he turned on the spot to look at his door. A female? The building had been occupied by males for so long. The poor mammal had no idea what she was walking in to.

"Yeah? Well, we're loud." Bucky's voice was distinct.

"Don't expect us to apologize for it." After spending so long listening to the two of them fighting and yelling the fox had learned to tell the voices apart. Pronk had always been the ruder of the two, and Nick rolled his eyes at his comment. That wasn't any way to talk to a lady. Shady conmammal Nick might have been, but his mother had whacked his tail with her wooden cooking spoon any time he'd been rude to a female.

Eavesdropping was not a very noble act, but Nick found himself curious about his neighbor. Pressing his ear to the wall, he heard her enter the small room and set what he assumed was a suitcase down. "Greasy walls... Rickety bed...Crazy neighbors...I love it!" He could hear the excitement in her voice, and the fox strangely found himself smiling. He'd let her settle in a little first before introducing himself.

Moving away from the wall he rummaged in the paper bag of groceries, sliding some of the produce into the small fridge under his desk. He'd found it at a salvage yard in the rainforest district, and after a bit of TLC and a new plug it had turned on. Making himself a quick sandwich, Nick ate hungrily, licking his paws clean when he was done. Grabbing his wash bag from the desk and a fresh pair of underwear from the small dresser, he made a quick stop at the communal bathroom in preparation for bed. Though it was only mid-afternoon, the early start that morning meant the fox was now running on fumes.

On his way back, he passed the room with the new occupant. The walls were so paper thin that he could hear her humming as she unpacked her suitcase. It brought a small smile to Nick's lips as he shouldered his room door open. He was curious as to what mammal she was. Predator or prey? What color fur did she have? Was she tall or short? Nick shook his head as he kicked the door shut behind him, throwing his wash bag on to the desk. "Why do you care, Wilde? You're not here to make friends. The closer you get to other mammal's, the closer they get to finding out the truth." He grabbed at the flimsy curtains, pulling them across the window. They did little to block out the afternoon sunshine. Flinging back the covers on his rickety bed, the tod plugged his phone in to charge before he clambered in, tossing and turning until he found a perfect comfy spot. Content with a belly full of food and a fat stack of cash in his wallet, Nick fell asleep.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

The obnoxious noise started Nick, pulling him from the middle of an incredible dream featuring a gorgeous vixen. Screwing his eyes together tight, the tod groaned and pulled the sheets over his head for the few seconds it took for the sound to stop. It had come from his new neighbor's room. Peering over the edge of the bed, he checked the time on his phone. 5:30am. "What the hell is she doing waking up at this time?" He questioned, rolling over to bury his muzzle in the pillow. "You were awake at this time yesterday, Wilde." He reminded himself. Now he was awake, he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. The only appointment he had today was with Finnick. The fennec was running low on funds, so Nick had reluctantly agreed to help him with a fairly straightforward hustle. They weren't due to meet until 10am. With that in mind, Nick turned on to his back and stretched. Finding a comfy spot, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. The city was beginning to wake up, and he could hear a few cars in the street being started. His new neighbor was getting ready for their day, and the cheetah – Mr. Spots – who lived above him would soon be getting up for his morning run. "Just another day in Zootopia."

His day had been too easy, and now Nick was a few hundred dollars richer for it. The little rabbit cop had been easy to fool, though he'd been a bit worried about how quickly she'd tracked him down later in the day to confront him. "Never mind, you outsmarted her and made her feel bad about herself. She won't bug you now." The fox gave himself a mental pat on the back. Had it been somewhat cruel of him to mock her? Sure. But Nick knew that it was the best way to get rid of a pesky mammal. Flopping down on to his bed, he stretched lazily. Tomorrow he was having lunch with his mother, but other than that Nick intended to take the day off. Maybe he'd wander the streets and enjoy the sunshine, let inspiration strike him for his next con.

The sound of shuffling footsteps made his ears swivel towards the door, and the tod listened as his neighbor returned, opening the door to her room. He tracked her through the tiny space until the sound of her movement was smothered by the radio. Everybody Hurts. All by Myself. Can't Do Nothin' Right. Was it sad song night across the radio stations? Nick shook his head. So long as she didn't play the music too loudly, he could live with it. The microwave pinged, and there were a few moments of sound the fox couldn't make out before he heard a phone ringing.

The tod didn't even bother to check if it was his – his ringtone was stuck asking what the fox said ever since he'd let Finnick borrow it to call one of his ladies. He knew it was wrong, that he should occupy himself in some other way such as showering or listening to music, but Nick found himself more interested in the call next door. Maybe it would tell him more about his mystery neighbor? He was planning on swinging by to introduce himself after dinner.

"Oh, hey, it's my parents!" He heard the mock happiness in her voice, and he could only imagine that she'd have plastered on a fake smile to match. She shared pleasantries with the mammals on the other end of the phone, but it was the male voice that caught his attention.

"Jude the Dude." He frowned. Jude could be a boys name, and dude certainly matched, but his neighbor's voice was distinctly feminine even though it was muffled slightly by the wall. Had she been more of a tom-kit then? "First day on the force?" The other part of the sentence had Nick's head turning sharply so he could stare at the wall between their rooms, emerald eyes wide and a little fearful. "Oh merciful mammal, please no…" The female voice on the phone mentioned meter maid, and Nick's stomach plummeted. The rabbit. The cop rabbit. She was his neighbor.

Nick was up and off the bed quickly, grabbing a light jacket, his phone, and his wallet. Swiping his keys he made a quiet and hasty exit, taking the stairs in the building two at a time until he was on the ground floor and outside. Only then did he dare make a sound, his exhale loud as he wheezed. Why the heck was a member of the ZPD living in his crummy building? It would make it twice as hard for him not to be arrested now for his scams, she'd keep even more of an eye on him. He'd have to brush up on the city laws so he could run rings around her.

"Of all the mammals in this city…"

Her first day on the force hadn't been what Judy had hoped, regardless of what she'd told her parents. True a meter maids job was important, tickets were a huge source of income for the city, but she hadn't spent countless months at the academy pushing and challenging herself, studying every night in the run-up to her exams, just to spend her days slapping tickets on cars and dealing with irate citizens. Judy had joined the force to make a difference, to help mammals in need, not to annoy them. Tomorrow was another day though, and this time she'd convince Chief Bogo to let her walk the beat or join one of her new colleagues on a case.

She still couldn't believe that she'd fallen for the fox's act. She should've seen right through it. After all, her father had always told her that foxes were crafty. After her run-in with Gideon as a kit, she'd given them a wide berth. She'd thought coming to the city was a clean slate and city foxes would be different. Apparently not. He'd been just as rude as Gideon, but unfortunately, he wasn't as dumb. It would take some doing, but Judy swore that one day she'd back him so far into a corner that she'd wipe the dumb smirk off his face.

Her stomach grumbled loudly as she plugged her phone in the charge. The microwaveable carrot dinner had been insulting to the carrot farmers daughter, and Judy decided it was best to not tell her parents. They'd only worry and then send her crates of carrots. They were great and all, but a bunny couldn't live on carrots alone. Picking up her little washbag and PJ's, she left the safety of her room and headed towards the bathroom. There was one on each floor and four 'apartments' per floor. To her left, she had Bucky and Pronk, who had someone on the other side of them, and to her right was the end 'apartment' and another neighbor she was yet to meet.

It was rude not to have introduced herself, and as she passed their door, she momentarily wondered if she should knock. Ultimately, she passed on the chance. All she wanted was a hot shower and her bed.

It was late when Nick returned from his impromptu evening walk. He'd needed to get outside and clear his head. Living next to a cop was dangerous, especially one who seemed so tightly strung and a stickler for abiding by the law. He'd have to play it smart. As he'd walked through the city center, still bustling with life even at the late hour, he'd contemplated whether it would be wise to move to a different part of the city, away from her. He'd quickly squashed the idea. He wasn't going to be chased out of his home by some tiny bunny and her inferiority complex.

His return was as quiet as his exit. As much as he didn't care for the rabbit, he liked his other neighbors and didn't wish to disturb them. It was an unspoken rule in the building that after 10pm all mammals were quiet. Even Bucky and Pronk managed to live by the rule.

Figuring he'd shower in the morning, Nick slid off his jacket and threw it over the back of his desk chair, plopping down his wallet and keys. Shimmying out of his clothes he left them in a heap on the floor before plugging in his phone to charge, letting it sit on the floor by his bed. He hadn't seen the purpose of buying a real clock when his cellphone displayed the time too.

Scooting under the covers he got himself comfy, fluffy tail curling around his legs, offering another layer of warmth. He was just on the brink of sleep when he heard it.

Sniffling.

They weren't the kind of sniffles a mammal had to endure when suffering from a cold either. Head just visible from under the covers, Nick's ears swiveled to the wall. Being in the end 'apartment' meant the noise only had one origin.

Paw lifting, Nick rubbed at his face. He didn't need this, and he should've left well alone, but there was a deep tugging in his gut, a desire to offer some sort of comfort. It spooked him and gave him a moment's pause. The only mammal he'd ever felt compelled to comfort was his mother. "It must be because she's female." He rationalized, wincing when he realized how bad that had sounded. He was grateful his mother wasn't a mind reader, though a few times as a kit he'd thought she had been, or else she'd have scolded him for such an antiquated thought.

Knowing he would need to mask his voice or risk his identity being uncovered, Nick gently rapped a paw against the wall. "Are you okay?" He asked softly though the answer was more than apparent. It was at least a way to get the conversation going.

The sound of a voice coming from the other side of the wall had Judy freezing, her sniffles stopping. She hadn't intended to get upset, didn't want to slot right into the emotional bunny stereotype, but today had been awful, and her parent's happiness at her being a meter-maid rather than walking the beat had brought her down. Once she'd been left to the silence of the night, and with nothing to do but lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, all of her emotions had come rushing forward until the only thing she could do was cry them out and hope it would exhaust her enough so she could sleep. "I-I'm fine. Thank you." She cleared her voice, answering her neighbor. She felt a flash of guilt – had she accidentally woken him?

"You don't sound fine." Nick kept his true voice concealed.

Paws swiping at her eyes, Judy wiped away the few tears that had fallen and dampened her fur. She didn't want to dump her problems on to her new neighbor, she could deal with them like a grown doe. "New city and everything, it'll take a bit to get used to." She wasn't completely dishonest, leaving home was hard for any mammal.

The tod knew all too well how hard it was growing up and leaving home. He'd been sixteen when the streets had called him, and while the first few months had been rough, he'd slowly surrounded himself with decent enough mammals and formed some sort of routine and plan. He hadn't looked back since. "Everything?" He knew it was dangerous to push for more information, especially if it ever came to light that it was him who was asking, but curiosity got the better of him.

"The first day at work, just trying to find my feet." Judy forced her voice to sound cheerful. Tomorrow was another day, and it would be a better one.

Playing dumb, Nick kept the conversation going. "Well, that's great, congratulations! What do you do?"

The doe wasn't sure how much she could reveal. Was it wise to go around telling strangers she worked for the ZPD? Did she even want to admit to a stranger that she'd been dumped with the job of meter-maid when she'd spent months training to be an officer? Biting down on her lower lip, she figured it wouldn't hurt to tell him where she worked. Mammals talked about their jobs all the time. "I'm an officer, with the ZPD. I trained really hard to be their first rabbit officer."

Nick's many years conning mammals out of their cash came in useful. With ease, he acted surprised at the information. "Oh wow, that must be a cool job., and congrats on being the first bunny on the force."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." Judy smiled to herself, pulling the sheets a little tighter around her. Her picture had been in all the newspapers, and her parents had kept copies of them. Her smile soon disappeared though, the corners of her lips tugging downwards as she remembered how today had gone. It was not how she'd envisioned her first day on the force.

"I sense there's a 'but' there…" Nick chanced it. He couldn't understand why he was driven to carry on the conversation, to keep the rabbit talking, and to learn more about her. "You're just getting to know the enemy Wilde, that's all it is."

Nose twitching, Judy wondered whether it was wise to vent to her new neighbor. She didn't want him thinking she was a Negative Nancy, but at the same time, he'd asked, and she had no one else to speak to. Her siblings didn't care about her job, and her parents were too thrilled about her not being a 'real cop' that they wouldn't listen and understand. "It was a tough day." She started, playing with the edge of the sheet. "I thought that my first day would involve being assigned a cool case, or walking the beat, getting to know my colleagues and understanding police life." She sighed, feeling a mixture of sadness and frustration welling up inside of her. "Instead I was given the job of meter maid, had countless mammals yell at me, had to drive around in a stupidly slow single-mammal vehicle that made me look like a joke, and then some jerk conned me." It had been the final item on her list that had stung the most. "You're too naïve Judy, too trusting. This isn't Bunnyburrow anymore, the mammal's here aren't as nice as everyone back home."

"What happened?" Nick played dumb, wondering how Judy would paint him in her story.

She didn't want to come across as speciest, she was better than that, but the story came pouring out before she could stop it. "Back home we have it drilled into our heads from kithood that foxes are bad news. It was the one thing my parents were the most frightened about when I moved here. I was putting a ticket on a car when I heard a horn and shouting. Turns out some sheep nearly ran over a fox. I'm afraid I stereotyped a little, and he looked shifty, so I followed him to an elephant ice-cream store. The server was refusing to serve him though, but he had a son, and he desperately wanted a Jumbo Pop for him. I felt bad for having stereotyped him, so I used my knowledge of the law to get him the Jumbo Pop and paid for it myself. Turns out he was a street hustler though, and it was all a lie." Judy scowled, mentally kicking herself for having fallen for Nick's trick. "He melted down the popsicle into smaller ones and sold them to some lemmings, then sold the popsicle sticks to a rodent construction firm." She shook her head, still in disbelief at what had happened. "I stood up for him, I thought I was helping and doing the right thing, but he played me, and then when I confronted him about it he enjoyed rubbing it in my face. I took this job to help mammals and give a voice to the little guy, it's the one thing I was good at back home, and I can't even do that right anymore."

"He sounds like a jerk." Nick placated. Bringing Judy down had given him a momentary high, and had made him feel like he wasn't the lowest step on the ladder anymore. Now though, Nick felt even lower. He felt like dirt. He'd taken advantage of her good nature. "You take advantage of everyone's good nature, it's why you're such a good hustler. Why do you even care about this rabbit's feelings? You don't really know her. She doesn't pay your bills or sleep in your bed."

She could deal with Nick's scathing appraisal of her; she'd heard all the rabbit stereotypes before. But it had been his parting shot that had hurt her the most. "He said I'd never be a real cop."

Nick wasn't sure if it was just the wall distorting Judy's voice, but the desolation he heard filled him with a sense of sadness. Sure his dreams had come crashing down around him, and that was in part his own fault, but that didn't give him a free pass to tear down others. The realization startled the fox, and he gave his head a shake. He couldn't start developing a conscious now. "Why're you letting the words of this jerk get to you? From the sounds of it, you really want this job, and you worked hard to earn it."

"If a civilian won't take me seriously, what hope have I for doing my job properly and earning the respect of my fellow officers?" That was the crux of the matter. The Mammal Inclusion Initiative had made her dream a reality, but few seemed to believe she was capable. Chief Bogo, in particular, appeared against her being under his command. She hoped to win over the public, show Chief Bogo and the others that she could be and deserved to be respected. However, that hadn't been the case today.

"What made you want to be a cop in the first place?" The questions kept coming, and Nick mentally kicked himself for falling further down the proverbial rabbit hole. "Now you're making rabbit puns. Great." If he could figure out why she wanted to be a cop, maybe he could tie that back in and help boost her mood.

"My parents wanted me to join the family business, but it didn't feel right. I felt like I'd be living the life they want me to have, rather than living the life I want to have. I like helping and protecting other mammals, it's a challenge being a bunny and all, but it fills me with a sense of pride and happiness whenever I help. I was bullied a lot in school, I liked to read and do my homework, and answer all the teachers' questions. My classmates picked on my clothes and my ears, and how I thump a hindpaw when I'm thinking. It was awful. As I moved up the grades though and saw younger mammals being bullied, I just knew I had to help them and stand up for them. So I did. I wanted to become a cop to help those who don't have a voice or those who keep being silenced."

Surprised by the amount of information Judy had been willing to give, Nick found himself smiling as she spoke of her desire to protect and speak for those who were unable to. She had a hero complex for sure, but she'd have to learn to be a little less trusting and not divulge too much information to strangers if she wanted to do well in the city. "Then let that desire guide you." He shrugged, rolling over to find a new comfy spot. "My father always told me that if you want it, then you go and get it. Sure your first day didn't get off to the best start, but I don't know any mammal that didn't have a crappy first day in a new job. You don't know what tomorrow will bring. An opportunity could crop up, and then you can grab it with both paws and prove the civilians and your colleagues wrong."

Judy blinked, working through her neighbor's words. He was right. It had been foolish of her to think that her first day would be perfect, that the stars would align and everything would go to plan. Hazing was common; maybe that was what today had been about? There was still plenty of time to prove herself, and she'd do more than merely smack 200 tickets on cars before noon. "You're right, something will crop up, and then Chief Bogo and Slick Nick will realize I'm not just a dumb bunny! Thanks, neighbor." Mood lifted, the doe grinned.

The fox winced as she mentioned his name, momentarily feeling a flash of regret for having banded around the bunny stereotype. His mother had often told him that words could be powerful, and he had a feeling Judy took them to heart. "What's your family business?" Now that Judy sounded a little happier, though he was still concerned why he'd gone to such an extent to lift her mood, he was dying to hear if his stereotype was true.

"We own a carrot farm in Bunnyburrow." Judy confirmed, turning over, so she was now facing the wall. She wondered what her neighbor looked like, what kind of mammal he was. He would probably be taller than her, and he sounded like he was nice. Maybe he'd be her first friend in the city.

The tod had to bite down on his lower lip to stop himself from laughing. He'd been right! Oh, it was priceless. Waiting for a beat to calm himself, he spoke again. "What does Bunnyburrow have that the city doesn't?" He asked, and though he'd been laughing internally moments before, Nick couldn't help but feel bad for the bunny. He knew the city so well that he was sure he could point her in the direction of whatever she was missing.

"My family for one," Judy muttered, shaking her head as she pulled one of the many bunny plushies on her bed closer to her chest. "Good carrots. The microwave meal I'd planned on having for dinner was awful." Her nose scrunched as she remembered how withered and pathetic the lone carrot had been.

Now that was something Nick could help with. "Take the metro to the Meadowlands, get off at Haymarket. There's a farmers market there every Sunday afternoon. The produce might not be as good as you'd get back at home, but it's the best in the city." He offered. He swung by occasionally to pick up some blueberries from old Mrs. A Possum whenever he had the spare cash for it. Her blueberries were the best in Zootopia. She never divulged where exactly she got them from, though. She was too old and had too many to sell to have grown them herself.

Surprised by the kindness of her neighbor, Judy grinned, her earlier tears long forgotten. "I will, thank you." An idea struck her. "Hey, why don't we go together this weekend? New to the city and everything, I'd hate to get lost." It was a lame excuse if she'd ever heard one, but the doe wanted to know him better, build her first real friendship in the city.

Caught out by Judy's request, Nick's eyes widened, and he found himself staring at the ceiling unblinking, a million different thoughts running through his head. "Shot yourself in the tail there, Wilde. Say you're busy. But then she'll be sad. Why do you even care if she's sad? Maybe she'd be suspicious if you didn't go and had a lame excuse. Can't have her snooping around. But then I can't go either because as soon as she sees me, she'll try to arrest me. Ohhh dang it Wilde, you just had to let your curiosity get the better of you and try to be nice." Realising that he hadn't responded yet, Nick cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'd be down for that." He kept his voice neutral. It was only Monday night, he had plenty of time to come up with a reason not to go.

The rabbit hugged a plushie tighter, feeling more relaxed. Work would be better tomorrow, and her new friend would show her the best carrots in the city. "Thank you." She smiled, frowning a moment later. "Wait, what's your name? I'm Judy."

Knowing he was already in treacherous territory, Nick did the only thing he could think of.

He began to snore.