Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hop along bunnies, hop all the way!

Santa Paws is coming today!

Pick him a carrot, from the batch of the very best!

So in exchange, our gifts he will send!

“Oh Carrots, I should’ve known you’d like awful Christmas songs.”

The aviator-sporting fox observes his partner’s light scowl as she swerves the cruiser around Zootopia’s snow-ridden streets. “It’s not a song, Slick. It’s a nursery rhyme.”

Eyebrows raising over his aviators, Nick taps a button on the radio and a CD slivers out. He flashes the bunny a smirk, “who even buys CDs anymore?”

Judy shakes her head, plainly willing away a snappy remark. The fox beside her has apparently been even more intolerable today… if only he knew how so?

Nick’s expression gently falls as he contemplates Judy’s ignorance. That hadn’t been a harmful quip; he was referencing his tease towards her in Mr. Big’s car all those months ago.

Almost a year, actually. Back then he never thought he’d be where he is now: the ZPD’s first fox police officer, partnered with their first bunny cop.

With a sigh, he leans back in his seat and pushes up his sun visor. Red and white catches his gaze from a billboard, the bright colours glowing from the suit of a certain reindeer.

”Another thing, Carrots, what’s with—OUCH!”

Paw meets cheek as Nick rubs where something… hit him? His eyes dart over to his bunny accomplice. She hadn’t so much as leaned over. 

Upon spotting the fox’s raised eyebrows, the bunny sharply nods down to her counterpart’s lap. “See for yourself. It’s a nursery rhyme.”

Half-lidded emerald eyes find the CD case in the fox’s lap.

The cover shows a group of bunny kits sledding down a snowy hill, the CD’s title in bold red: ‘Festive Nursery Rhymes for Bunnies’.

An unavoidable snicker emanates from the fox and he turns the CD case over in his paws, making a point of his understanding before pocketing it.

”I get it Carrots. You’re right, okay? I wasn’t going to say anything about that,” Nick claims, reaching up to brush down the ruffled fur on his cheek.

The cruiser pulls into a line of traffic and a huff escapes the bunny. Her ears lower behind her and she opens her mouth to speak.

Clawhauser’s voice replaces hers, spouting from the radio. 

”Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde, do you copy?”

Fox ears perk up at the sound of Clawhauser’s voice, the cheetah always up for a laugh.

With that, he leans closer to the radio. “Hey, Benji! You coming along as backup to this cruiser? With traffic like this maybe we should go back to our savage way—”

”Clawhauser, we copy, can we help you?” A more direct voice interrupts.

The cheetah answers in nervous giggles before words. “Hah, good one Nick! Afraid not though. And Judy, Officer Pennington and Officer Delgato would like to know if you’ll be there soon? They say foot traffic is increasing.”

A slow grumble emanates from the rabbit’s mouth as her gaze stretches across the line of traffic they’re caught in. She takes too long to speak.

”We’re on Serengeti Street, Benji. Let them know that we’ll be anywhere between five and twenty minutes tops,” the fox assures.

The sound of pen fumbling against paper echoes over the radio. “Copy that, Wilde.”

Static overtakes the cheetah's voice before the radio tunes out, highlighting the icy silence in the cruiser.

Judy reaches back to smooth down her ears in a self-soothing gesture. Feeling eyes on her, she glances aside to see her partner with lowered ears, himself.

The mammals share a mutual look of guilt. Although, Nick isn’t entirely sure what to feel sorry for. But it seems that he must… he can’t go back to being that careless con-artist. Not ever.

Judy opts to slowly blink her violet eyes up at her fox counterpart before he can interject. “…apologies, Slick. I’ve had a bad morning. What were you saying?”

Nick’s eyes soften beneath his aviators and he flashes Judy a forgiving half-smirk. Those big bunny eyes can pierce his heart dangerously.

He twirls a finger around, gesturing to the sprawling cityscape around them. “See that reindeer in red that’s everywhere? That’s who we city mammals call Santa.”

Judy tilts her head slightly. “I know.” It had been a bit of an adjustment for her at first, dealing with an entirely different perception of Santa. But she’d come to love Zootopia’s interpretation of the guy. She found his glowing red nose quite amusing, in particular. Something that Nick had always found a bit ‘overkill’, so to say.

And her fox isn’t finished. “Why is Santa a bunny for you?”

A snort escapes the bunny and she leans back with a sigh. “It seems like a cultural thing. I mean, us bunnies knew that Santa wasn’t universally seen as a bunny but that’s just how we choose to see him!” She quirks an eyebrow at the fox. “I thought that was the case for all mammals?”

Now it’s Nick’s turn to snicker. He takes a swig of his coffee before shooting his reply. “Oh yeah, what would we call him? Santa Fox? like that’d ever be believable.”

Judy’s eyebrows furrow as she looks up at her partner. She’s relentlessly adamant that his whole ‘foxes can only be this and that’ issue was meant to be resolved by now. “Nick…”

A clawed finger blocks the movement of her lips. It’s wielder piercing her gaze with his own. “Calm down, Fluff. I’m not regressing. You know more than anyone that I’m trying to make mammals see us foxes in a different light,” he pauses to tap a claw against his police badge.

“But ever the realist that you just can’t function without, I’m just pointing out that the world’s prejudices against foxes have affected our ‘culture’, to put it one way.”

Her lip being playfully tapped by her partner’s clawed digit seems to pull her out of her lull just before he pulls away.

Nick knows if he allows her more questions, that the niggling feeling behind his eyes will turn to tears. “So, as a result, there’s no ‘Santa Fox’ for us, Fluff” he concludes with a gentle chuckle.

Nick flashes her a reassuring smile before he trains his gaze back on the road, resuming his coffee-sipping. He pretends to let the simmering drink enamour him, but his mind focuses on what he can see from the corner of his eye like a vice.

The rabbit thinks she can hide her reactions with a turn of her face, but it’s a harder feat than she thinks when the fox has almost two feet more in height than her.

So, he watches as Judy thinks she manages to hide her wince by turning back towards the steering wheel. ‘How can Nick say those things so nonchalantly?’ the fox knows she’s wondering.

It still baffled her that after his childhood experiences that the worst that he did was some con artistry and tax evasion, as she has voiced multiple times over. 

It’s… sweet, somewhat smothering, heart-wrenching, if the fox dared open the dangerous door to his own raw emotions.

He looks up at the road to their left as a desperate distraction. Cars of many sizes shoot past them, the spaces between the vehicles growing longer and longer until the fox gets an idea.

But then, his bunny speaks, turning to the fox with a bad impression of his signature half-lidded eyes. ”Well, there may be no Santa Fox now, but you could be the first one!”

The fox almost chokes on his coffee. Him, the infamously attractive Nick Wilde in a red suit with a long white goatee?!

Although… he could make anything look good. And his rabbit knows that. Maybe even has a… ‘thing’ for it? Ugh, don’t think like that, Wilde. “You wish, Fluff!”

Judy leans back, folding her arms over her puffed out chest and perking her ears up. “Oh, I don’t think I have to wish. Every Christmas the ZPD makes rounds of local schools to tell the kits all about policing and whatnot.”

She drops her tone to an almost patronising whisper. “Wouldn’t the ZPD’s first ever fox dressed up as Santa be nigh-on perfect PR?”

Nick raises a finger. “Don’t you dare mention that to Chief Buffalo Butt, Fluff. Given any chance to embarrass me,you know he’ll take it.”

A soft chuckle escapes the bunny’s lips. “Well then, we would agree.” She turns back to forward-face the road. “All jokes aside, Slick, wouldn’t you want to make that kind of difference?”

The rabbit keeps her gaze ahead, which the fox is grateful for. Not even his aviators could hide his widened eyes. And not at all his gaping jaw.

Does he want to make that difference? Of course he does. But he wants to do it Officer Wilde-style; cracking kickass cases with his bunny partner.

Entertaining kits on Christmas never naturally came into that image. Although he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t good with kits.

But kits during Christmas… what memories would that stir up for him? He doesn’t want to know, he decides with a shake of his head.

”Slick?”

Nick’s eyes fall down to his rabbit. Her hands grip the steering wheel like an anchor and her eyes stare up at him wide in concern.

A jaded snicker escapes him. “Don’t worry, Carrots; I’m not going into shock.”

His bunny narrows her eyes back to normal and gives a terse nod, slowly refocusing on the traffic, albeit with some obvious apprehension, if her twitchy nose is of any indication.

Nick looks back up to the left side of the road and it’s — empty! His gaze shoots up the road to where the traffic lights glow, and all the approaching vehicles are far enough away for his stunt. He begins his proposition. “Carrots.”

”Hmm?”

The fox leans forward. “Rabbit, I have a plan.”

Judy lets out an exasperated sigh, lowering her head. “No, Nick. I don’t want you to feel pressured. You’re new to this and as an officer you’ll be more comfortable with some things over others. And yes, I know I go by that ‘try everything’ mindset. But I also believe in taking your time. And—”

Nick groans. This bunny is sweet, but sometimes he missed that uptight, ‘married-to-duty’ demeanour she had when they first met. It pulled him out of his funk.

But after almost a year of friendship with this broken fox, a chunk of her previous harshness (and subconscious prejudice) has simmered down. Though most of it was gone by the time she had apologised to him at his ex-abode under the bridge, anyway.

He positions a paw on his partner’s waist, using his other to gently lift her head up from under her chin. He waits for her to fall into silence.

Confused, that’s exactly what she does.

”You know I’m a bad influence on you, right Carrots?”

His bunny narrows her violet eyes as she looks up at him. “Nick, what do you—”

The end of her sentence manifests as a surprised cry as her fox drags her forward. He lets out a sharp wince as her hind paws instinctually thump his side as he handles her.

He abandons her in his previous seat and scurries across the car into the driver’s seat, which is mildly warm from where his partner had been sat there.

”NICK!”

A flick of a switch silences her. The paw provoking it pulls away from the controls and lands on the steering wheel, Nick positions himself for a moment before pulling out of traffic and onto the left road.

WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO!

So, the sound of squirming to the fox’s right is faint. His bunny counterpart hastily pulls on her seatbelt. “Slick, you know the Chief only likes us to use the sirens in emergencies.”

An orange paw dismissively waves in the air. “Well, this could become an emergency. And Carrots, at this rate we would’ve wasted our entire shift in that traffic jam.”

The fox peers over to the rabbit wearing a half-amused yet apprehensive expression. He spares her a wink. “Trust this city mammal — theft is a staple of a Zootopian Christmas.”

With that, the radio crackles to life again. But Clawhauser’s voice is speedier. “Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde, there’s been a grab-and-go robbery in the jewellery shop at the Zoo-Mall. Officer Delgato wants you to pursue the perp rather than meet up with him and Officer Pennington.”

Judy leans into the radio. “Copy that, Clawhauser. Who’s our perp?”

Paper fumbles over the connection. “A young adult hare, maybe early 20s? He’s reportedly wearing a dark green tracksuit and has the stolen goods in a black duffle bag.”

”Copy that,” Judy repeats.

The radio fades away again and Judy glances at her partner. A half-hidden grin underpins the fox’s expression. When he looks over to her, anything masking it falls away. “Looks like someone’s not the only sly bunny in town.” 

The rabbit rolls her eyes, pulling some handcuffs out of the glove box. “He’s a hare; not a bunny. A sigh radiates from her as she splays the silver apparatus in her lap. “And actually, hares are faster than bunnies.”

Nick’s eyebrow raises over his aviators as he slows to let oncoming traffic reverse out of the cruiser’s way. “Now, now. If my bunny can belt a ram off of a moving train, she can catch an overzealous hare.”

Judy’s ears perk up and a gentle smile lifts her lips. She looks up at the fox who spares no more attention to their interaction; using his paw to wave back oncoming traffic.

Last year, she’d never have thought that the cynical fox who was her arch nemesis would be one of if not her biggest supporter. That was undeniable.

Once again, Nick has full sight of his partner’s motions. Her positive response to his reassurance is relieving, but he’s not the type of mammal to play saviour. “Seriously, Carrots, don’t sweat it. Why don’t you put that awful jingle of yours back on?”

The bunny spares another eye-roll but obliges to the fox, noticing his discomfort at her awe. The CD slivers back into the radio and the festive nursery rhyme is upon them again.

With a hop; a leap; a spring in his step,

He visits each warren with unrivalled jest.

So make sure that when he comes, you get your sleep,

So tomorrow his gifts will find us under the Christmas Tree!

“Where are you taking us?”

The fox slows the cruiser down to a crawl as the vehicle creeps around a corner. “Shortcut. I’m a born and raised city mammal, Carrots; I know my way around.”

Judy bobs her head in understanding and turns to peer out the window. “Are you sure he would’ve gone this way?”

A snort escapes the fox. “Well, no; of course I can’t be sure. But — now this may surprise you…” he theatrically leans over to her as the cruiser creeps straight along the barren road, “I know a thing or two about Zootopia’s shifty lowlifes. Their shortcuts, their hideouts…”

When he removes a paw from the steering wheel to count his list off with his fingers, Judy seems to decide he’s pushing it too far as the cruiser starts to wobble. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. Shifty fox.”

He startles at her touch as she guides his paw back onto the steering wheel. But masks his surprise with expert precision. Opting to let out a light chuckle in place of any emotional indications.

His rabbit counterpart breaks away from her seatbelt’s confines and stands to lean forward against the dashboard. 

Nick carries the cruiser into a darker, more uneven part of the road. The dark alleyways are a tad too familiar. “Rabbit, keep your eyes peeled.”

At the suggestion, the bunny’s ears and tail perk up. The fox taps a button on the steering wheel to roll down her window. Rabbits really do have incredible hearing.

Something he came to fear when she had caught him praising her to Finnick, the fennec fox still not pleased with Nick’s career swivel.

Casting his gaze across the road ahead, Nick can’t help but ruminate on his last Christmases with the fennec.

Of course, they didn’t celebrate. Even if they could, his fennec friend wasn’t that type of mammal.

The only difference would be that the fennec would let Nick squat in his van for a few weeks, but that was just to ensure that his business partner didn’t catch hypothermia and die on him.

And other than that, it was just their Christmas con that changed things. And it happened right here.

In the back streets of the Zoo-Mall, not to close but not too far, he and the fennec would throw on some rags and huddle up (much to the fennec’s disdain) by an intentionally-torn duffle bag.

A homeless con. They pretended to be homeless.

Well, technically, both foxes were indeed homeless at the time. But they weren’t as roughed up as they made themselves seem in the con. They weren’t actual beggars. And they certainly never huddled up.

Given that they’re both foxes, the con earned less money than it would’ve had they been more pitied mammals. But the con still brought in extra money around the holidays. Enough that the fox duo would buy themselves a festive sandwich each for ‘Christmas dinner’.

His eyes flick over to the bunny beside him. Her violet eyes stay forward but her ears twitch to and fro. But curiously, one ear splays completely aside.

Would he ever tell her everything about his grim past?

How would she react?

Could he even work up the guts to do it?

”OFFICER WILDE!”

Emerald eyes widen and the officer in question follows the holler. He finds Officer Hopps standing on the street, the cruiser’s door held open by her paw. “Nick, pay attention! I just heard the perp!”

The fox’s jaw opens to speak, but his rabbit friend shushes him.

Nick watches in anticipation as Judy’s ears flick every which way. When one fixes in one direction and stiffens, the fox undoes his seatbelt.

On cue, the rabbit yells the alert. “There!”

Judy hurries away from the cruiser, making for the panting hare ahead.

”Carrots, wait!” Nick scrambles out of the cruiser, following behind the leporids, quickly locking the cruiser with a tap of a fob.

The fox’s shout goes ignored as Judy hops across a series of dumpsters to try get ahead of the hare. The perp still speeds ahead, pushing further and further into a dark alleyway.

”ZPD. I order you to stop!” The bunny cop shouts.

Grit spatters at her face as the hare skids around a corner. “Ugh!”

Her fox counterpart uses the opportunity to catch up. He halts on the corner between his partner and the perp.

The bunny rubs at her teary eyes, grit etched in her eyelashes. A certain fox becomes teary himself at the pitiful sight.

But when she looks up, she refuses pity. “Nick, what are you doing?! Go get him! Go!”

After a choke, the fox speeds forward, letting his aviators slide away from his eyes as everything goes darker. Night vision is listed as a skill on his record, after all.

The determined patter of his partner’s paws sound from behind him and before long she’s ahead again.

Until the alleyway opens up, the hare speeding out onto a snowy boulevard.

Despite groaning at the brightening light, a smirk tugs at the fox’s lips. He has another plan.

Once on the street, he leaps over his bunny accomplice. “Carrots, follow me!”

She stumbles, only evading a face-plant to the concrete by throwing a paw in front of herself. She stares violet daggers at Nick. “What?!”

The fox crouches beside her, panting much alike their perp. “I know a shortcut that’ll take us to the front of him. We go underground via the metro and then double around to Wallaby Way.”

Judy gives a terse shake of the head, lifting up from her keel. “I’m not doing that, we could lose him!”

The tenseness in her partner’s face eases into settled disappointment. “What? Carrots we’ll be able to block him off! You said yourself he’s fast, even quicker than you!”

She scoffs, bringing her paws to rest on her hips as she glares at the fox. “I thought you said that wouldn’t matter?”

Nick cringes at the pang in his chest. Naturally his lips try to curve into a smirk and he racks his brain for a snarky comeback, but neither happens. Guilt paralyses him.

Car horns squeal from the other end of the boulevard, pulling the attentions of the bunny-fox duo to that direction.

The hare scurries between oncoming traffic with the black duffle bag hugged tightly to his chest. He seems to value it above even his own safety.

A somewhat overdue sigh escapes the fox. “Fluff, we need to call for backup.”

The fox is assaulted with the angry bunny look as his counterpart turns to him with narrowed eyes and a scrunched nose.

He wills himself not to laugh. Don’t laugh, fox. Don’t laugh.

Violet eyes follow the risk-taking hare as he darts out of the road and turns another street corner. Her legs carry her before she confirms her action verbally. “Not yet.”

Her fox counterpart startles in surprise, orange fur stiffened up and wide-emerald-eyed. “Judy!”

He finds himself swerving between civilians as he clears the icy street in pursuit of his partner. Repeatedly yelling “sorry!” doesn’t exempt the fox from the overly predictable maltreatment.

”Stupid fox, you almost tripped me up!”

”Who just whacked me?! Oh of course it’s a fox!”

”Hey, tod-face, I’ll call the cops if you can’t act normal!”

Nick freezes at the bend of the street, internally bewildered and amused by the uninformed threat. He turns and glares incredulously at a zebra leaning against the opposing wall. She sports her own look of disgust.

They both startle when a skrrt and a crash scream through the street.

”ZPD! I won’t tell you again. Stop!”

Nick turns the corner with pinned back ears. Racing down the revealed path, as suspected he sees the silhouettes of two leporids darting across the street, away from the scene of a motorcycle crash.

The fox halts himself and trains his gaze on the crash. Despite the pounding of his heart telling him to keep chase.

”Nick!” His partner screams. The namesake’s head snaps in her direction as she hurries along the opposite sidewalk. Their eyes fix on each other for the briefest second yet the longest moment. “Deal with the crash!” She hollers.

An unsure warble escapes his mouth, but the fox obliges, jogging over to the crash.

He can’t help but huff as he reaches the accident. It’s a simple case of a motorcycle crashing into and crumpling under the impact of a sign post. Hardly a worry. In fact, just another day in Zootopia as far as the city fox is concerned.

It’s driver, some kind of marsupial as far as Nick can tell, seems more disgruntled than anything, grumbling between his aghast coughs as he assumes an all-fours squat on the pavement. 

Still, protocol is protocol. “Are you okay, sir?”

The tasmanian devil freezes, slowly lifting his head up to the fox-officer before him.

Nick puts his hands behind his back as the driver looks him up and down. He merely raises an eyebrow when the motorcyclist pulls his helmet off and shoves it aside.

Be more prepared, Wilde.

The tasmanian devil lunges for his tie, tugging on it whilst staring down the fox. “You stupid cops! What do you think this is, a James Buffalo movie?! Well it’s not! And I’m sick of every vehicle without your flashy-flashy lights suffering for your misconception!”

The fox instinctively jumps back, carefully wrapping his own paws around his tie and gently trying to tug it back. “Woah sir, calm down there.”

Dark eyes harden as the ‘devil angers at Nick’s artificial chuckle. “Oh, of course. Why am I overreacting? It’s not like a cop almost just killed me!”

A handful of civilian heads turn at the ‘devil’s hollered statement and the fox winces. Wow, this is looking great. “Sir…” 

With a grumble, the ‘devil releases Nick’s tie and turns his attention to brushing dust off his leathers.

Nick shakes his head, deciding to start over with the mammal. “Sir, I’m Officer Wilde. I’m aware that my partner presumably… uh… spun you off the road, yes?”

His ‘devil counterpart spits on the curb. “More like shoved me. Crazy bunny shocked me with her strength as if I wasn’t shaken enough!”

The fox has to lick away a smirk. “Well I’d like to apologise on her behalf, sir. We’re amid chasing a perp. Of which I should, well, really be helping with right now…”

An eye-roll is all the fox receives. “Poor you, fox cop. I was meant to be picking up my date in this thing!” The ‘devil gestures at his smashed up chopper.

A deep huff emanates from the ‘devil as the officer opposite him stands with his jaw slightly gaped. He returns to patting himself down.

Nick stands there, for once, wordless. He’d never been an advice-giving mammal unless the ‘advice’ was something he was trying to sell for a con.

Sure, he could talk mammals up. But there’s only so much that talk can do. The fox figures if he annoys this ‘devil too much more than he might decide to leverage those blood-curdling screams that his species do.

He had witnessed a street fight once between a badger and a Tasmanian devil in his shifty past. The former had been winning until the latter pulled out a ‘devil-specific last-resort trick and almost deafened the mustelid… as well as any mammal in a ten mile radius. 

Nick couldn’t comprehend spending much time with the species ever again. Yet somehow, the ‘devil’s little ‘show’ of dominance drew out a group of she-devils like a moth to a flame.

The fox’s face lights up and he leans towards the ‘devil with way too much confidence. “Stop that,” he orders.

Angry dark eyes find him again, but with a hint of bewilderment now. “Excuse me, fox cop?!”

Nick reiterates. “Stop that.”

His ‘devil counterpart quirks an eyebrow, following the fox’s gaze down to his hands on his knees, stopped mid-patting. “Stop dusting road filth off me? What’s the matter with ya?!

The ‘devil’s eyes narrow and he leans forward with an accusatory claw pointed at the fox. “Listen, fox cop—”

”No, you listen,” the fox leans in further, against his own better judgement. “This chick you are… were… picking up, why’s she going out with ya?”

His dark-eyed friend folds his arms over his chest, disgust deepening in his features. “What kind of question is that crap?!”

The fox sighs, leaning against the chopper-crumpling sign-pole. “Let me venture a guess. You rocked up to a marsupial bar in your leathers, found a she-devil who took a liking to your ‘bad boy’ look and you promised her that if she went on a date with you, you’d pick her up in your chopper.”

The he-devil’s arms drop to his side and a pout overtakes him. “Damn it, fox cop. Do you spy on innocent civilians, too?”

His cop counterpart lets out a hearty chuckle. With a wink, he confirms “only if necessary.”

”Now, if you really want to make out this run-in as a near death experience, why don’t you flex that? You can even bitch about the ZPD. I’m Wilde, my partner is Hopps and our boss is Chief Bogo, see also ‘Chief Buffalo Butt’ or ‘Chief Bozo’, if you want names.”

The fox leans further back with a smirk as the ‘devil mulls the thought over in his head. “Maybe… she might like that,” he admits.

”Oh, she’ll scream for it,” the fox assures, unable to hold himself back from shooting the species-specific quip.

Luckily, the sentiment is met with a bittersweet chuckle and the ‘devil turning away. “Alright, fox cop. Count your lucky stars that I’ve got better things to do than report you and your partner.”

Slight concern graces the fox cop’s features as the ‘devil starts walking away. “Uh, buddy, what about your ride?

Bewildered dark eyes find him again over the marsupial’s shoulder. “What about it? Ain’t no mammal gotta be a mechanic to tell that thing’s kicked the bucket.”

The fox quirks an eyebrow and merely asks, “insurance?”

Dark eyes fall away from his as the ‘devil turns his back with a scoff. “Bad boys like me don’t do insurance, fox cop. Just get the damn thing towed for me, that much you can do.”

A breathy snicker emanates from the fox as he watches the ‘devil plod away.

He spares the mammal’s destroyed ride a glance, making a mental note of its description. It sports bright red, flame-like accents on its sides which the fox is grateful for.

Losing small-mammal commodities in this big city is a nightmare, especially if you’re the one trying to help others (like a tow company) find them.

Satisfied with his memorisation, he pushes himself away from the sign-pole and fires up his radio. “Officer Hopps, do you copy?”

The fox startles as he’s answered loudly and immediately. A frown assaults him as the sound of car horns wails across the connection.

”Wilde!” His rabbit partner rasps out. “I’m pursuing the perp in the direction of Wallaby Way. Follow us!”

Nick ears fall slightly as he sighs. He was right about where the hare is headed. “Copy that, Carrots.”

Clicking off his radio, the fox stands sideways on the street, gaze tearing to and fro. To his right, he’ll find the underground network of metros that’ll bring him to the front of Judy and the perp. To his left, is where the duo disappeared into the afternoon.

Despite trying to think objectively, his tail twitches to his left. He’s almost certain that’s where the hare must be going. Those trains depart fast and never wait, not even at the ZPD’s demand.

The fox sighs and slides his aviators back down as he turns left. Not daring to adopt even a slight jog until he’s on a more spacious part of the street.

Judy would want him to follow suit of her and the perp’s path. But Nick knows that they can stop the hare at the metro.

And the fox was coming to despise the mental image already unfolding in his head: the perp waving goodbye to them from the window of a moving train. A smug smirk defining him.

That’s Nick’s thing.

So, once granted the space, the fox picks up his pace and hurries across icy streets. Pushing on and on until he meets the stairs descending far into the metro.

Santa Buck, oh what did he say?

”You naughty kits, you should stay in bed and wait!”

But the kits were transfixed,

The reindeer’s glowing red nose ashine!

So the buck dropped the gifts, waved bye to the kits, and descended back into the night!

Nick, despite his nerves, shakes his head with a small smirk when the sound of a Zootopian Christmas nursery rhyme echoes across the expansive platform.

He tracks the sound to a booming radio across the platform. Two elephants calves sit either side of it mouthing along the ‘rhyme’s words.

Cute.

An older elephant sits reading the ‘paper on a bench behind them, caring too much about their own version of peace than the rest of the platform’s sanity.

The fox cop had given Judy a light tease about the bunny community’s festive jingles, but in all honesty, Zootopia’s versions are equally bad if not some worse.

Keeping a steady pace as he continues straight along the platform, he thinks back to their earlier conversation.

Judy’s shock that the fox community don’t have their own Christmas customs was simultaneously surprising and unsurprising, depending on how you look at it.

From Judy as a mammal? No surprise, she’s so pure, sometimes overwhelming so.

As a whole, societal standpoint? It’s more surprising that fleas don’t celebrate Christmas. 

Nick quickly snickers and pads about quarter of a mile before the elephant calves’ song is reduced to mumbles in the distance. With a breath out, the fox reactivates his radio.

”OFFICER WILDE, DO YOU COPY?!”

Oh no.

“Judy?! I’m here!; I copy” Nick tugs the radio form his belt to his face. His chest tightens as grunting is all he hears back from the radio. “…Judy?”

Nick finds himself freezing still in his tracks at the lack of response. He breaks into a sprint just as she answers. Her partner still doesn’t stop.

“Nick—” she pants over the connection. The namesake’s ears droop back and he quickens his pace. “I’m gonna come get you, Fluff. I promise,” he whines over the radio.

Another pant echoes over the connection. “Nick… I… he’s — he’s getting away! He’s going down to the metro!”

Despite his anxiety and mild frustration, a smile cracks the fox’s lips.

”Nick!” His partner’s voice strains. “What are we going to do?”

The fox does feel sympathy for his bunny in distress, but his smile can’t help but broaden as he races into a nicer part of the metro.

Turning a corner, the underground opens up.

Green, grimy walls and ceilings are replaced by high and spacious, slated ones with beautiful architecture.

Concrete smooths into polished tiles under the fox’s paws, sending a slight shiver up his spine.

And foot traffic increases and therefore the atmosphere’s bustling din that Nick will always love.

A chuckle escapes him before he answers. “Don’t worry, Carrots. I’ll be wishing our friend a ‘Merry Christmas’ at the bottom.”

On cue, Nick’s gaze snaps up to find a frantic hare bolting down the stone and marble stairs. He suppresses his smile and charges on. “ZPD! Everyone out of the way!”

Some mammals jump aside in necessity as Nick barrels towards them. Following them, a handful in accordance with the fox’s demand. Unfortunately, a good majority don’t choose to and don’t have to— Nick only being a small obstruction to many of the larger mammals.

Emerald eyes dilate in terror as the fox sees the perp leap off of the final steps. He weaves through the crowds a lot more efficiently than Nick, who is a large mammal in comparison to the hare.

His pursuer scrambles between the crowds where he can, but the fox finds himself blocked behind a group of giraffes.

A flash of dark green bolts past Nick, towards the revving-up train.

No…

”ZPD! Stop right now!”

The familiar voice under stress has the fox snap his head up, breaking away from his lull.

A few other heads turn as Judy Hopps, the bunny cop, slides down the marble stair-rail. Seemingly not breaking a sweat in the process.

Nick can’t contain his small chuckle. Crazy bunny. But despite how unfazed his bunny may seem, he can hear her heart thudding across the room. See that expression she takes on when she’s riding not on energy, but hapless perseverance.

Wanting to finish this sooner rather than later for both his and the bunny’s sake, he whips his gaze back to his front and his grin widens; the giraffes are gone!

And the perp is just far enough away from the trains doors, with a mammal or two in his way. Enough opportunity for Nick to do something about it.

But what?

The fox’s whole body sways side-to-side as his tail wags in anticipation. It causes something to poke its head out of his pocket.

Nick looks down at the object with a raised eyebrow. It’s… small, colourful, plasticky, feels quite light…

The CD case! It’s the CD case!

Before he himself can comprehend it, Nick is dragging the case out of his pocket and throwing it forward like a frisbee.

His breath hitches in his throat as it hits the floor, sliding across the tiled surface in almost slow-motion.

The initial aim was to bonk the perp on the head with it, disorienting him enough for Nick to swoop in and grab him. But it works out a different way, sliding under the hare’s hind paws that had been propelling him forward.

Not now.

The hare slips over the case as everything seems to speed up again, he stumbles forward, face-planting the train’s door, which clicks shut just in time.

Not wasting a beat, the fox cop slides forward, using the slippery tiles as an advantage. He grabs the hood of the hare’s tracksuit-top and drags him back over the yellow-line boundary as the train roars to life.

Gasps escape the perp as Nick pins him belly-down on the floor, handcuffing his paws behind his back. “Feeling cold buddy? The fox spares a glance at the Christmas decor all around them, “It comes with the season.”

A sigh of relief washes over the fox as the cuffs click in place and he looks up to find his partner standing about two feet away.

He tenses again.

His counterpart stands with arms folded across her chest, a purple fire burning in her eyes.

Nick opens his mouth to speak, adopting a soft tone to cool whatever argument is brewing. But… why is an argument brewing? They’ve caught the perp! Done their jobs! What could be so wrong?

Instead, something wet trickling across his paw draws his attention.

He looks down to see a river of vomit sliding down the floor’s tiles, reaching and sliding across his paw. The fox cop winces and looks over to the hare’s limp head. “Yeah buddy… I really would’ve preferred a simple ‘Merry Christmas’.”

Chapter Text

Santa Buck travelled about a thousand towns and cities,

All of which were very pretty.

So, it took long until Santa Buck was finished,

With delivering all that was to be gifted.

Upon flying home, he heard the laughter of kids on Christmas morning;

Saw toys they played with and the clothes they were adorning.

He was grateful for another successful year,

Always is, so all mammals come here!

Because the very least we can do for him is cheer!

Nick groans through a smirk as he, his partner and their perp walk past the elephant calves that he had earlier.

Clearly, they aren’t done with their karaoke.

He cocks his head over to Judy, who spares a glance at the calves herself. Offering them a shy smile before turning her gaze forward again.

No acknowledgment of her fox partner.

Another voice speaks. And not a particularly welcome one, at that.

Both officers opt to tighten their grip on the hare as he starts swaying in unison with his speech. “Goody grace me, you two…”

Nick frowns at his paw coiled tighter around the hare’s shoulder. His opposing arm still shivering wet from having to wash vomit off of it in the metro’s bathroom. “Don’t overexert yourself now, bud.”

”And I believe you would mean ‘goodness gracious me’,” Judy chimes in from the perp’s other side.

Her fox partner catches her sight just before she turns hers away from the perp. The bunny’s weary gaze lingers momentarily on her fox. So, with a nostalgic grin, he takes his chance.

“Remember that time we had to calm those drunken wolves in that bar? Particularly the one who did that backflip? Hah, reckon that was the day I  really started believing your ‘anyone can be anything’ motto. You know, Carrots—”

”Let’s not talk,” she turns to face head-on again.

The fox’s smirk tightens after a wince but nonetheless he obliges. Shaking his head to clear his mind of its ongoing debate of exactly why Judy’s acting so miserable. But he lets it rest.

Instead he focuses on playing his part: Officer Wilde; the ZPD’s first fox, who is brave, loyal and trustworthy.

No… not playing the part. Being the part. He was never truly shifty and untrustworthy. Not at heart. The Nighthowlers case proved that.

So he straightens his posture (as much as one can whilst tightly gripping a drunk thief), holds his head up high and adopts his cool, con-mammal persona… which may or may not involve a semi-intentional swish of his tail.

The hare that the officers begin to escort above-ground via the rustic, old stairs giggles at Nick’s tail movements. Eventually reaching out to brush his hind paw against it.

Nick scrambles back, “okay! Let’s try this.” He assumes the perp’s rear, escorting him with a paw on his back rather than his shoulder.

His bunny counterpart glances over her own shoulder upon hearing the ‘rearranging’ behind her.  

But the speed in which she whips her head back around makes the stolen jewellery in the duffle bag she carries jangle. It cuts through the silence like a knife.

Looks like she still doesn’t want to talk, Wilde…

Seconds later the dysfunctional trio of leporids and canid emerge from the underground. 

Nick lets out a sigh of relief as he glances up at the sky that has turned much darker, teetering between twilight and black.

A short-lived sigh of relief, however, as the nightlife keeps this metropolis alight through traffic lights and neon-signed bars. Not to mention the seasonal displeasure of the city’s Christmas lights.

There is also no relief to be found in the city’s usual din. Even in a relatively busy area, such as here, the only sounds outside are those of rolling tires and muffled voices under scarves.

Nothing to cover this silence.

Judy huffs, a cloud of mist bellowing from her mouth in the process. Not being a bunny that favours drawn-out silence. If any, at all.

Their intoxicated counterpart shrills at the dizzying motion, knees buckling.

The hare thuds against Nick, somehow managing to throw the police-trained fox off balance.

Struggling to uphold the perps wait, Nick’s emerald eyes find his partner.

She crosses the short distance and drags the hare up from under the arms. The bunny-fox duo work in silent unison to bring him back to a stand.

In unspoken agreement, Judy takes control of the perp, passing the duffle bag along to Nick. Problem solved.

But the stillness remains…

The fox’s heart quickens just slightly as she fixes her gaze on him, violet eyes hardening. “What exactly did you think was gonna happen, Slick?”

He turns away briefly to let out his own sigh and loosen his tie. A hopeless attempt to gather himself.

Then turning back to Judy with an expression simultaneously torn between apologetic and righteous. “Exactly what happened. Carrots, he would’ve been on that train and gone if we hadn’t covered both ends.”

The bunny pinches her nose, refraining from shaking her head to prevent another fainting spell from her fellow leporid.

With a paw covering her face due to the action, Nick finds her unreadable in a manner uncharacteristic for his Judy.

His partner.

”Look, Nick, I really did struggle there for a moment. But just a moment! I would’ve caught up to him and if not you could’ve…”

”I did,” her partner interjects.

The fox swallows hard and shuts his eyes, mentally preparing for an argument.

They’ve done this before. And it almost always boils down to arguing over speed vs strategy. He however knows which option is safer.

“Come on, you. You can black out later.”

Nick blinks in surprise at Judy’s procedural tone. And it’s not directed at him.

She hasn’t even given a retort… instead opting to cross the road with their perp, who she verbally coaxes along. 

Body lagging behind in confusion, the fox has to shake his head of thought before he follows suit. 

As the trio cross the street, he deflates with a lick of acceptance. When his partner commits to something, she goes all in. If she’s opting for silence, expect some stone-cold silence.

…

Judy’s strides become progressively fervent as the trio round onto a familiar snowy boulevard. The one that served as the starting point of their grand chase.

Nick suppresses a misplaced smirk. Between her short fur and the temperature plummeting through the evening, the cold forces these strange, cute squeaky sounds from the bunny.

But a pang of concern assaults him as the bunny’s vocalisations become increasingly… sniffly?

The fox stops in his tracks, reaching out to place his paws on their hare’s shoulders in a halting gesture. 

Dread tightens his chest as his bunny doesn’t even throw them a glance.

Instead, she stands idle. Only moving to fold her ears over hers face, her paws coaxing the appendages to rub over her eyes.

Wiping away tears. Emotional bunny.

Nick moves the perp slightly aside, keeping his arm around the thief’s waist whilst extending his other arm out to Judy. “Oh, Carrots… come here.”

She looks up at him as if he’s grown a second head. “What? Nick! I can’t…”

Her more frantic sniffling tells him that she isn’t particularly happy about declining his offer.

The fox inches closer to his partner, arm still extended. “Judy, it’s okay.”

She allows her ears to lift up and her bloodshot eyes meet her partner’s. He almost lets go of the hare as he hurries toward her, enveloping her in a a tight side hug.

His bunny lets out a shriek followed by a momentary freeze-up, but she soon eases into Nick’s embrace.

By the time the fox startles at his own actions, heart skipping a beat, his partner has buried her face into his neck. With her proximity and waterworks, he’s surprised to not feel his fur dampening. He could really use it to temper his warming skin…

Her tears slide down and gather in the crevice between his shirt and the back of his police badge, instead.

After a couple of seconds or so he pulls back, eyes widened not unalike they did when this very bunny first confronted him about his ‘felony tax evasion’.

He smiles upon the memory, still hearing those very words in her smug little voice.

Blinking back to reality, he finds that bunny pulled back some, watery eyes looking at his with her own small smile. “Thanks, Slick.”

Her partner’s jaw squirms as he tries to find the right words that probably don’t exist.

You and Judy have just hugged, Wilde! But wait… we’ve hugged before. Although that neck-nuzzling thing is new. Is that a bunny thing?

Luckily for him, their company makes himself known again.

“You two…” he begins to wail, turning to face them. “All this lovey-dovey love stuff… the love stuff, stop it! Sick will come out of me!”

Aside from the ‘love’ remarks that the fox cop really doesn’t need on his mind right now, the implication of the hare spewing again sends him reeling back.

He releases both leporids from his grasp, scrambling backwards along the sidewalk.

Both of them idle. Judy in reciprocated horror. Their perp in grateful bliss.

”Why, thank y—” upon trying to propel himself forward, the drunkard loses his footing. Propelling himself into the concrete instead. Face-first.

Letting out a an indignant “hmph!”, Judy stands (not so) tall again. Nick’s shivering calms as she pulls the perp back up. “Nice try, mister.”

Opting to stand straight again, Nick rises out of his crouch slowly. Almost shyly, with a strawberry red blush hidden under the fur of his winter coat.

He’s always seen the extra fur that he naturally adopts in the colder months as a pain in the ass. Until now.

He seems to regain clarity as Judy is readjusting the hare as best as she can, trying to coax the criminal onward again.

The bunny’s ears twitch in her partner’s direction as he shuffles closer, accompanied by her sparing him an almost loving glance…

Okay, maybe the fox’s severe blush is hidden. But it still burns fiercely under his fur-ridden cheeks. He has to stuff his paws into his pockets to prevent himself pulling orange, fluffy tufts from his face to ease the sensation.

Say something, Wilde. “On that note… what is your actual name, Sir?”

Judy quirks an eyebrow at the fox, but nods her assent at the question seconds later.

The cop duo glare at their third wheel expectantly, Nick using the standstill as an opportunity to slide his aviators back over his muzzle.

Maybe these can for sure hide any visual emotion overtaking him. Besides, the coolness of the metal frames is a welcome relief.

”O-oh! My name! Of course!”

A cringe escapes his leporid counterpart as the drunk stumbles forward, his paw extended for a handshake.

When the hare seems to take note of her recoil, what looks like a genuine frown creeps up on him. Causing the next time he speaks to be in a meek tone, a shy cough preceding his announcement. “Nightboy.”

Nick finds himself moving back to Nightboy’s rear as the hare’s pupils dilate at the mist tumbling out of his own mouth.

His breathy, almost thoughtful tone is not quite fitting for the incoherent, intoxicated state of his mind.

“Nice calling card…” the fox offers. “How about we get you back to the precinct now?”

The hare jerks his head back, refraining for letting out another icy sigh. He seems to swallow something… bile. “Sure thing, Foxy.”

With an eye roll, the fox cop gives Nightboy a guiding shove, urging him further along the glistening sidewalk.

Ugh, that better not make him sick again.

“Actually, mine was ‘Shifty Nicky’, but whatever floats your boat,” he corrects.

The fox lets his expression fall neutral as he guides his perp along. That is… until the lack of jangling concerns him. Nick forgot to retrieve the duffle bag from the curb, did Judy get it?

He throws a glance over his shoulder to indeed see Judy with the duffle bag slung over her shoulder, but she doesn’t follow him until their eyes meet.

Then she dashes over, ears perked up and lips parted for questions. Great.

It’s not ideal that he’s let their perp in on his criminal past, but a ‘calling card’ isn’t anything particularly riveting.

And the hare’s so drunk that the futile details like this should be all but forgotten by morning.

A familiar alleyway comes into sight at the boulevard’s end, now blacker than it had been before; more concealing.

But still not concealing enough for this conversation. So the fox shuts it down as soon as a long, grey ear enters his peripheral vision.

”Fluff, this guy’s wiped. He won’t remember anything we’ve said by morning.”

Judy nods, but her ears don’t relax. They subtly twitch as their wielder offers her looming partner a wide-eyed look. Soon accompanied by a raised eyebrow. “I mean… calling card?… ‘Shifty Nicky’?”

Gulping but nonetheless dwindling further, Nick’s emerald eyes meet Judy’s violet ones as he flicks them down speedily, looking back up to the approaching alleyway in a flash. “Not now,” he mutters.

He’s relieved that Judy notices his glance towards Nightboy’s ears, the right one fixed in the cop duos direction, particularly.

In the slim eventuality of him remembering exactly what has been said this evening, knowing that Nick had a ‘calling card’ isn’t too dangerous. Why, it doesn’t even clearly reason that it came from his crime life.

But Nick going into detail about its origin certainly would. So this conversation is best shelved for now. Especially here.

He feels his bunny draw ever closer to his side as they enter the alley. Not a whiff of fear to be deducted from her. Her ears even move to lazily flop at the back of her head.

With fear not driving her move, her partner has to believe that it comes from awareness. Awareness that his own senses are stronger in the dark. Particularly his vision.

After her reluctance, no, refusal to follow his lead earlier, it’s a nice change for her to do so without word.

Like a silent apology. To confirm, the fox looks down at the bunny cop. Her ears twitch again, sensing his eyes on her, and she looks up to meet her fox’s eyes.

There’s that loving glance again…

After flashing the fox a smile, she returns  to look straight ahead.

This rabbit is no stranger to verbal apologies. Loves them, even. On more than a few occasions she’s gotten tearily apologetic over small things, not realising that the care she shows makes Nick feels worse than over whatever she’s done.

So he’s more than grateful for this apology form. With each verbal one she offers he inches closer and closer to some long-buried breakdown, often in inappropriate circumstances. Like this.

Vying to ensure that it doesn’t become verbal, that she knows that this is enough, the fox balls his paw into a lax fist (with firmly retracted claws) and gives his partner a light thump on the shoulder. At least… significantly lighter than the ones she gives him.

Very street-savvy, Wilde.

Upon feeling a strange touch in the dark, his partner freezes in place, breaths growing heavier as her paw flies to her utility belt.

Nick’s shoulders plummet at the sight, a frown painting him as he notes the startled look on his bunny’s face.

As his gaze follows suit in shame, he falls victim to narrowing vision as he focuses in on the weaponed commodity circling the rabbit’s waist.

His gaze moves sideways until it rests upon its target, fixing on the vacant pouch affixed to the belt’s right side. It consumes his gaze.

Until indecipherable darkness consumes it back.

Nick groans as sunlight assaults him. Despite being indoors, its glow mockingly shines through the atrium’s wide-open windows.

Shit… it’s daytime again!

A material too different to be his police uniform tickles his fur. Whatever shirt he’s wearing feels… silky? Yet damp and musky. It’s either unwashed or a victim to the hot day.

But isn’t it winter?

An ache in both of his arms is the next sense to assault him. Triggered by the way they’re idling in the air, quite tensed. Why?

Emerald eyes follow their lengths up until his paws. What widens them is the sight of his fully flexed claws.

He’s in danger?! At the precinct?!

Instinctual fear drags the fox’s gaze down. He’s always been more of a sweet-talker than a warrior. What could push him to this last resort?

He finds it.

His bunny, paw an inch away from the Fox-Away that’s been stowed in her belt.

Nick’s throat turns dryer than the hot day. The repellent had been on Judy the entire time. And Nick let himself trust her.

How stupid.

Did she ever trust him, if she still carried around fox repellent?!

Lowering his paws, Nick has to admit to himself that she likely didn’t; he’s a fox.

Dumb fox.

”Foxy! Here, here, Foxy!”

A rainbow of colours shatters, falling into the dark abyss surrounding the fox.

His breathing is back… although it feels as if it had never left.

He even feels quite… placid. Paw resting on Nightboy’s back… that was his name, right?

The fox cop has also adopted a lucid stare directed at an opposing brick wall.

A snapping sound tearing him from it.

Emeralds eyes follow the sound down to an awkwardly shuffling pair of paws in handcuffs. “Foxy! Foxy, did you see that?!”

Nick blinks back to life and lurches a paw at the nearby brick wall, digging his claws into its lined crevice. Grit swims under his squabbling hind paws. 

It’s like he’s falling, even when he’s been stood firmly on the ground… the entire time. That was just another flashback. For how long?

Throwing his head back to look over his shoulder, he spies the rest of his little trio.

Judy has adopted a defensive stance, paw now firmly resting on her taser as she whips her head to and fro.

The other leporid squirms under the grasp of her other paw, still clicking his fingers and yelling in Nick’s general direction. “Foxy! Did you see—”

”YES!” The canid barks over his shoulder. Desperately needing an excuse for his behaviour. He needs to pull himself together, especially if there is someone lurking!

Although it’s probably just a drunken hallucination on the hare’s part. Nick decides to run with it.

He drags his claws off of the wall, leaving chalk-like lines on the bricks in his wake.

A wince assaults him as he eyes the mark, which he manages to stifle just before turning to his companions. “Ahem… yes. Yes, I did see… something.”

Guilt assaults the fox as Judy’s ears shoot up. He hates to scare her. Especially for something so selfish.

But is it? Surely she wouldn’t want to know about his flashbacks to the first time in decades that he’d let someone hurt him so deeply. Her very own doing.

She can’t know that. The fox will just have to lighten up the situation. “Y-yeah, it was quite small, though,” he offers, reaching up to scratch behind his ear.

His chest tightens as the bunny opens her mouth to speak. But she is cut off by their third wheel, again.

Nightboy starts his argument with an incredulous huff. “Huh?! Small?! That thing was massive!”

A theatrical eye-roll from Nick serves as the hare’s response, the orange paw returning to its place on his back. “Yeah bud, sure. Let’s get you back.”

The fox cop adopts a pace just barely slower than a jog and escorts the hare around the bendy alleyway.

As expected, the determined patter of paws doesn’t take long to catch up to him and the perp. This earns an ironic snicker from the fox. Deja vu.

“Woah, Slick!”, the bunny pants as she jogs alongside her partner, still worn out from their earlier escapade. “Didn’t you hear what he said?!”

”He’s drunk, Fluff.”

She slows her pace, but doesn’t dare relax yet. “I- I felt something touch me, Slick! Someone’s here!”

They turn the final corner and some of the tension lightens as the police cruiser comes into view, illuminated by a streetlight.

But not all of it.

”Woohoo!” The drunkard spins around to face the alleyway once more. “You didn’t catch me! You didn’t catch me!”

Nick allows the hare his moment of faux-victory, albeit with his own paw still gripping his tracksuit-top.

He uses the moment to glance back at Judy, who still eyes the dark abyss wearily.

That guilty feeling gnaws at him again and he’s about to offer some reassuring words before the bunny whips back around to face him. Sporting a stubborn scowl. “Something touched me,” she insists again.

For the first time since catching the perp, Nick is able to slip back into his con-mammal persona successfully. Tail swishing, eyes half-lidded and an unshakeable smirk stretching across his muzzle.

Judy’s clenched fists loosen some and she squints up at her fox.

He confirms her suspicions. “My, how very sly of whoever did that.”

The bunny’s eyes slowly widen, somewhat akin to Nick’s friend Flash, but once she has fully processed the realisation her fist is at Nick’s midsection in milliseconds. 

“OW!” 

A satisfied expression washes over the bunny as she places her paws upon her hips. “There’s a time and a place, Officer Wilde.”

Despite the bunny-inflicted throbbing in his gut, some form of satisfaction washes over the fox himself. Although intwined with exhaustion, confusion, dark humour and something else he can’t quite define as he looks into his favourite violet eyes.

He lets out a chuckle before beginning to escort their intoxicated friend to the cruiser. “Duly noted, Officer Fluff.”

The day’s events seem to catch up to the hare as Nick has to practically shove him into the back of the cruiser. With the help of his bunny, of course.

The fox cop holds his partners door for her whilst she stores the duffle bag of goods in the back of the cruiser. Heartbeat quickening when she flashes him a wink. “What a gentlemammal.”

His partner hops up into the drivers seat and the fox pushes the door shut for her. She briefly enters her own world as she sets upon adjusting the commodities to her build.

Right, he had hijacked it from her earlier. A half-hearted snort escapes the fox at the memory.

This prompts Judy to look up. The bunny cop initially startles at her fox still standing at her door, arms loosely resting through the open window.

He looks rough; his eyes half-lidded not through his usual mirth but through exhaustion, his chin resting on his lax arms, lowered ears and a worn-out look in his eyes. Like a tired kit after an arduous school-day.

”Slick? You getting in?”

Nick eye’s flick up to his partner, concern etched on every part of her own expression. He lets out an ironic huff. She’s probably internally fretting over how he looks, but she can’t see herself. 

The bunny’s own gaze is way too subdued for her usual persona and her ears are so drooped that they look as if they’ll never rise again.

”Nope,” the fox answers, pushing away from the cruiser. “Someone’s gotta go take a statement, remember?”

A little life finds its way back to Judy’s eyes, but it’s painfully forced. “Cheese and crackers!”

Her partner’s chuckle is stifled by the sound of her unfastening seatbelt. He entertains what must be his tenth eye-roll this evening. “Carrots, don’t.”

She halts her movements and throws him a glare. “What?! Nick, you’re exhaust—”

”So are you,” Nick gives her a knowing look that causes her to cower slightly. “Carrots, I won’t stay long. I’ll get the statement and go home. Okay?”

His partner freezes in thought, but eventually the sound of her seatbelt clicking back into place satisfies him. And without further word she starts up the engine.

A genuine smile graces Nick when his partner glances at him one last time, wearing an almost curious expression.

But her tone is nothing but assertive. “Fine. But Slick, if you dare stay a second longer than necessary—”

”I won’t, Fluff.”

With that she finally places both paws on the steering wheel, letting out a long-held breath before looking once more to her fox. “Well… see ya tomorrow then, Officer Wilde.”

His bunny’s shows the most enthusiasm she currently can, smiling up at him with a glint in her eye. So he forces himself to reciprocate the sentiment, putting on a characteristic grin. “See ya tomorrow, Hopps.”

He may not have a beard, but he does have the best hair,

What the f—

‘Cause as the greatest of them all, he got the lion’s share.

Is that… Delgato’s voice?

The cubs can’t help but love his jest and the smile that rests above his jaw, 

It’s… certainly another Christmas song? Of sorts…

”And so does Santa Lion! Oh, he loves them all!

”You know, Delgato, my nephew would be mortified to meet you.”

Nick chuckles at the familiar sound of Francine’s irritated voice, turning to offer the armadillo who let him in a thankful nod.

The high-vis jacketed mammal shoots back an apologetic look before turning to lock the back door’s up again.

Turning to pad along the stone-slated floor, the fox can’t help but frown at the mall around him.

It’s just so… bland? It’s a shame that such a well-esteemed place is in actuality so dull. But if one thought about it, that applies to most places in Zootopia.

The floor and walls are made up of light-brown stone slates, a multitude of shops crammed together along the sides of the interior. All in favour of an enormous walkway in its middle.

Nick continues along that walkway now. It might have seemed never-ending if the fox couldn’t see his colleagues silhouettes getting closer.

Is it necessary for the sheer amount of mammals that come in here? yes. But the spaces reserved for dead-tree housing planters could be cleared for much better use.

He supposes that the building’s most impressive feature is the glass dome that replaces where the ceiling would be. If this was in the countryside, one could probably stargaze through it.

But not here. You almost never see any stars among the skyline of Zootopia. Not even if you squint. Which Nick even retries now.

”WATCH IT, WILDE!”

The fox’s head falls down and his eyes widen as Francine’s midsection hurries into view.

PAWOO!

He scrambles back from his elephant coworker’s cry, ears pinning back. “Sorry, Fran!”

Courtesy of the near-collision, Francine ends up falling backwards to the floor. The impact sending a shockwave up Nick’s spine as he tumbled down too. “Yikes!”

The elephant opposite him moves to sit up and fixes her orange coworker a glare. “Apologies, Officer Wilde. Did that hurt?” She asks in a patronising tone.

At the jab, the fox winces and sharply shakes his head, clambering back up. “Doesn’t matter. I’m so sorry, Fran.”

A drawn-out huff seems to calm Francine, and she starts to rise as well.

Nick would’ve offered a helping paw, but it would be so futile it’d probably be seen as mockery.

”No harm, no foul,” she sighs once back on her feet. “What on earth were you staring at?!”

Delgato finally intervenes. “Fox was trying to find the stars,” he interjects with a chuckle.

Francine rolls her eyes. “Ugh. City boy you should know by now Zootopia’s skyline doesn’t show any stars.”

Their fox counterpart opens his mouth to speak, but Delgato cuts him off yet again. “Cut our little fox some slack, Fran. We all know how Hopps has been rebooting his brain.”

Nick cocks his head to the side, recoiling some when Delgato flashes a predatory lick of his lips. “You know, as they say, ‘love is one hell of a drug’, and all that.”

That reboots his brain. “W-what did you just—”

”Relax, Wilde,” Francine soothes. “He’s just winding you up. It seems that cooping a lion up inside for too long causes tragic effects.”

Delgato answers the elephant’s glare with a mischievous grin. “I’m crepuscular, too. Expect the evening chaos to heighten!”

A nervous hybrid between a chuckle and a warble escapes the fox as he watches his coworkers banter. Is this what him and Judy look like together?

Him and Judy…

”’love is one hell of a drug’, and all that.”

A violent coughing fit erupts from the canid. Apparently urging Francine to charge at him, readying her massive trunk to smack him on the back.

”No!” He yelps, staggering forward before the elephant can whack him. “I’m okay! I’m okay, really. I’m just… shaken up,” he spares the nearby lion a glance as he emphasises the end of his sentence.

The feline merely shrugs. “Shaken up because it’s the truth. Mammal up and accept your feelings, Wilde. You need someone to keep you in line.”

Nick has to hold back the first words that come to mind, forming a response balanced between civil and assertive. “I think you’ll find she does. As my partner and as my friend.”

”And as the reason nobody can remember your eye colour because you’re always staring down at that bunny all the time, yes?” Delgato prods further.

Even Francine laughs at the lion’s remark, causing Nick to cringe further. How many of their coworkers think of them like this?

The fox opts to blink away the question, instead pointing a claw towards his eyes. “The most gorgeous green that you’ll ever see. That’s my eye colour. Now shelve it.”

Delgato and Francine exchange a knowing glance that lingers. Teasing him. They’re teasing him.

”Besides, if anything has rebooted my brain recently, it’s that awful singing of yours, Delgato,” the fox admits, itching for a subject change.

The lion lights up even more. “Ooh, you heard that?! I’m a great singer, aren’t I?”

He seems to want a verbal response from Nick, but otherwise just wants to get a reaction out of Francine, who rolls her eyes upon the lion’s stare.

”You’re an awful singer!” Nick and Francine chant in unison.

As the two mammals exchange amused smirks, the lion just scoffs at them. “Pfft. Lies. I reckon this song will change your mind.”

With that, Delgato starts waving his arms around. Clearing a ‘stage’ for himself.

Francine folds her own arms over her chest and gives the lion nothing but a scowl. Nick, however, decides to perch himself on the edge of a nearby planter, exhaustion gnawing at him.

It doesn’t take long for Delgato to start up his song, preceding it by clearing his throat.

”Wilde and Hopps, sittin’ in a tree,”

All the warmth in Nick’s body reduces as the most embarrassing song of kithood comes back to haunt him via his feline colleague.

”K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

He’s stunned speechless as Delgato raises a finger to his opposing flexed paw, ready to gesture off a list.

”First comes love.”

One digit goes down.

”Then comes marriage.”

Another one falls.

”Then comes a kit in a—”

”WOAH! LOOK AT THE TIME!” The shivering fox all but cries. “I’ve… I’ve got a statement to go take!

He turns away and scrambles over whatever shrubs shoot out from the planter’s soil, leaping off of it on the other side.

His hind paws slam against the stone slates, causing an echo to ring out. But he feels nothing but his skin reaching what must be the warmth of the sun.

“Think I’ll leave you officers to get home now. Good work!… today…” he shouts back over his shoulder.

Francine now bursts into a fragmented laughing fit.

”Wilde!” Delgato calls for the fox’s attention.

The namesake doesn’t answer, slowing his pace against his every instinct and cocking an ear in the lion’s general direction.

”Do you even know where you’re going?!” His coworker shouts again through muffled laughs.

Nick wishes he could whip around and bare his deadly grimace at the lion, but the rosy-read colouring his ears would only place more ammunition on himself. “I’ll find my way.”

Finding the jewellery shop doesn’t prove to be all that taxing. Nick recognises the name that was mentioned in passing as he looks up at it, painted in red and gold over the shop’s front: ‘Marigold the Mole’s’ 

The fox snickers and raises his paw to the class door, seconds from knocking at it before the shouting ensues.

”Damn it, Mary! Just… damn it!”

Nick’s (still red) ears fall as his eyebrows raise. Through the glass he can make out a very angry looking mole, pacing back and forth.

”Don’t you talk to me like that, mister!” His eyes flick across the room to see another, more placid mole perched on the till.

Her warning is all but ignored by her boar counterpart as he spins around to yell at the glass. “OH FOR —” the mole’s eyes widen, “ A FOX’S SAKE?!”

At the talpid’s shout, Nick cringes away from the door, his aviators falling off the top of his head in his reaction’s wake.

The glass lining the shop’s front seems to genuinely shudder as the angry mole storms towards its entrance, his sow tugging on his arm to slow his outburst.

His hind paws trample his fallen aviators as the fox scrambles back, thinly evading the mole’s punch that soars through the opened glass door. 

The fox’s orange paw lands on his badge, claws instinctively flexed. He shines it down at the closing-in mole. “Sir, I urge you to stop in the name of the law!”

A standstill ensues after Nick’s shout. ‘Stop in the name of the law’? That’s Judy’s punchline!

Maybe she is rubbing off on him even more than he thought…

But then, of course she’s rubbing off on him! She made him turn his life around! It’s a good thing!

Right, Wilde?

Right, Wilde?!

”Officer Wilde?” A jewellery-adorned sow inches ever closer toward the officer, keeping her husband at bay behind her via an outstretched arm in his way.

Said officer blinks back to reality with a jolt. “Yes… yes! That’s me!”

He retracts his claws before bending over and offering a pawshake to the lady-mole, ignoring her partners forced grumble.

The opposing mole returns his pawshake enthusiastically, expression twisting into an almost excited beam. “Wonderful! We were told to expect either you or Officer Hopps. Weren’t we, dear?”

She spares her spouse a loaded glare, causing the boar to wince. She basks in his discomfort for a brief moment before meeting Nick’s gaze again. “I’m Mary. I own this place.”

”Wonderful…” the fox parrots, unzipping his left pocket to dig around for his notepad.

“And I am so sorry for the ordeal you’ve been through today!” Nick fights through his exhaustion to put up his usual bravado, working a smirk onto his muzzle as he pulls out the ‘pad and a pen from his breast-pocket.

”I assure you that the criminal has been caught and after some tests your stock should be returned to you promptly.”

The sound of the pen clicking is overridden by Mary’s gasp as her partner barges through her arm-barrier.

”Well, look at that, the bunny and the fox have done it again!” The once again enraged mole shouts, no, spits at Nick. “Oh, Officer, you must tell the tabloids! No mammal’s ever heard this before!”

Emerald eyes come and go through a series of slow blinks. Words almost not coming to his aide. The ones that do are ineffective. “T-that, uh… that won’t be necessary, sir.”

”No?” His opponent prods, stepping closer. “Then tell me, Wilde, why that damn Nighthowlers story is the news highlight every other week?! Why I’ve heard your name about a thousand times yet haven’t met you until now?!

Before the mole’s blue-suited victim can answer, his wife yanks him back by the arm. “Oh, shut up, Phil! You miserable git!”

Phil sputters and spatters as his sow drags him away from their fox counterpart, shoving him in the opposite direction. “Just go wait at the train station! I’ll meet ya!”

It takes little more to make the grumbling mole comply, him muttering something unintelligible to Nick’s ears on his way out.

”Ugh, I’m terribly sorry about him, Officer. There’s a reason some moles are best staying underground,” Mary sneers in her partner’s wake.

Nick tilts his head up slightly, adopting a modest grin before answering. “No problem at all, Madam. I know more than a few mammals on the surface who should pick up burrowing.”

Mary’s head snaps around fully to the fox, a good-natured chuckle erupting from her. “Fair play. Come on in, I won’t keep you for long.”

The auburn tail belonging to Nick had frozen up as soon as Delgato… well, started his ‘antics’. But as Mary pulls her shop’s glass door further open, gesturing for the cop to step in, the appendage regains its swagger.

Not for long.

All of his confidence shatters as he steps into the shop, his anxiety heightening as he carefully treads to keep his paws away from the shattered glass littered all over the red carpet.

Dread courses through the fox, urging him to acknowledge Mary again. “You weren’t hurt among all this, Madam?”

The sow gives a bittersweet smile. “Not physically, Darlin’. Just a little shaken up is all.”

Without further word, Nick nods towards the till, raising his notebook and pen slightly. “Think you could give a statement for me?”

He manages to tip-toe his way over and around the glass shards, making it to the mahogany counter seconds before Mary.

She perches herself on its edge upon reaching it. “Think I best try.”

After a brisk wink and a pen-click, the fox fires away. “Okay. Firstly, I’ll need your details and relation to the case.”

His counterpart takes a deep breath before answering. “Well, I’m Marigold Goldsmith. Cliche, I know. And I’m the fourth-generation owner of this place,” she gestures widely at the surrounding area.

”Address?”

”With all due respect, Officer, that won’t help you. Phil chucks out most of the mail and hardly ever answers the door.”

”That’s… illegal,” Nick deadpans. “And what about you?”

Mary shrugs. “I’m hardly ever home. I could probably move here, shove a bed in the back and wouldn’t feel a difference,” she nods towards a curtain-concealed room behind her.

After giving a terse nod, Nick finds himself frozen. He remembers his petty arrests and telling the police that he didn’t ‘go’ home. More so a cryptic lie as he didn’t have a home.

Now he does. A crummy old basement apartment that has all the basics but a kitchen.

Saying that, Judy’s doesn’t even have its own bathroom.

Don't think about Judy.

His apartment isn’t a ‘home’ though. Not in the emotional sense. It houses no happy memories, not even bad memories. Alike Mary’s, it’s just a formality.

Why, he’d even be happier living in Judy’s single-room apartment if it meant something.

What the fuck, Wilde?!

”Officer Wilde?”

Pen almost falls from paw as Nick regains his senses. The fox almost shuffles back into a pile of glass as he dives down to save it. “Sorry, Mary!”

The fox cop places his notepad on the table and readjusts his pen in his paw, trying to avoid the motherly gaze on him.

”Oh, Sweetie, it’s alright,” she pats him on the shoulder. “Thinkin’ of someone special?”

Lowering his ears to hide the blush colouring them, Nick shakes his head. “No. Just… thinking of how irritable apartments can be.”

His counterpart snorts. “I think you can add shops to that list.”

Flashing the talpid a sympathetic smile, Nick takes to jotting things down again. “Well, I’ll put the shop as your address then. And we should have its contact number at the ZPD anyway.”

Mary nods her assent.

“And otherwise…” the fox continues, itching behind his ear. “… what happened here?”

…

Mary inhales sharply as she pinches the bridge of her snout. “And that’s when he shoved everything in that duffle bag and just ran off. There didn’t seem to be any pattern to what he took. Just swiped whatever he could off the shelves.”

Nick rubs a consoling paw on the older sow’s back. “That’s truly awful, Madam. As I said, the perp has been caught and my partner has taken him to the ZPD. He’ll be dealt with tomorrow, believe me.”

A smaller paw reaches back to pat Nick’s. “Thank you, Darlin’. I know that if I can count on anyone, it’s Wilde and Hopps!”

The elation returning to the distraught mole should be the fox’s focus. Or even the compliment. But there comes that phrase again. ‘Wilde and Hopps’.

With an unintentional smack of the lips, Nick looks back down to his notepad, jotting down the last of what Mary said.

The eight pages that he’s done almost laugh at him. Judy will be miffed if she finds out he’s stayed this long.

He flicks his gaze back to the nearby sow. “Well, Mary, you’ve given us a lot to work with. Thank you so much and… we’ll keep you in the loop!”

As the tired fox flips his notepad shut, a grimace assaults Mary’s expression. “Oh no… have I kept you late?”

Just as her company is opening his mouth to protest, a gasp escapes her own. Her watch ticking in front of her lowered gaze. “My goodness, it’s 7:30PM! Ugh, I’m so sorry, Officer—”

Nick raises a paw, putting on as much of a Nick Wilde-esque smirk he can at this level of exhaustion. “Don’t sweat it, Madam. It’s part of my job.”

Mary works her jaw for a moment before giving in. “I- I guess so…” she slumps down in guilt for a moment. Shoulders hanging heavy.

Until her eyes widen. She’s had an idea. The sow lights up, practically leaping off of the counter.

Her fox counterpart stumbles back, tiny glass chards nipping his paw-pads. “OUCH!”

”Sorry!” The sow belts out, but judging by her ever-beaming smile, Nick isn’t inclined to believe she cares all that much. “You can buy something! 50% off!”

Pulling out the shards embedded into his hind paws, Nick cringes at not only the pain but also at Mary’s suggestion.

He meets her gaze. “That’s a kind offer, really—” a small growl escapes him as a large shard is dislodged, “but I’m not really a jewellery mammal.”

That much is true. Some species of tods could pull it off without ridicule, but a stud on either one of Nick’s floppy ears or on his elongated snout would be a tad obvious. Finnick would never let him live it down.

It seems that the sow before him won’t let him live her offer down. “Well… it is Christmas. How about getting a gift for someone?”

Nick opens his mouth to give her the ‘easy’ answer. That nobody buys gifts for him and he doesn’t buy gifts for nobody. But the words die on his tongue.

Judy.

She’d buy him something. That emotional bunny wouldn’t dare not to on Christmas. All the fox can hope is that isn’t something too sentimental…

Who is he kidding? It’s Judy; her gift will make him sob. Internally, at the very least.

”Fair point,” he chokes out, cowering some as Mary squeals with joy.

”Excellent! Well, you’re not gonna find anything out here, heh…” she spares the disheveled shop around them a glance, “but I do have some things out back. Come along!”

Nick follows as his company rounds the counter and pulls back the curtains covering the storage area.

They descend two steps before they find themselves in a dim room, a minuscule sliver of light creeping in through the windows via a streetlight. Otherwise, the ceiling, walls and floor are all concrete. And a multitude of boxes sit scattered around.

Mary trudges in, slightly struggling as she tears open a few boxes.

Ah. Moles’ eyesight.

Nick starts whipping his head around, looking for a light switch. “Would you like some light?”

The sow chuckles in response, raising a paw to halt him. “No that won’t be necessary, Darlin’. There isn’t one in here anyways. Wouldn’t help much.”

Her blue-suited acquaintance nods and treads further in. Slightly quirking an eyebrow as the mole lifts boxes twice the size of her, placing them into a rather haphazard corner of the room, a poster above it declaring it the ‘To be put out’ section.

She catches the fox’s gaze as her head snaps up, giggling as he turns away shyly. “It’s okay, Hun. Lugging about stock for most of my life has strengthened me, even as an old lass,” she explains.

Nick gives a halfhearted shake of his head. A mammal so small garnering such strength doesn’t surprise him, à la a certain bunny and her deadly punches. But it would never fail to fascinate him.

This mole’s strength is technically a greater feat, the species being even smaller than a bunny. But Judy’s would always be the most awe-inspiring for the fox.

Mainly because her strength isn’t strictly situational, like with mammals such as Mary. Sure, she’d grown up on a farm with hundreds of siblings, but so did most bunnies, and Nick is yet to hear of any others with Judy’s strength.

No, Judy’s comes from a place of passion. The inner resilience that the sweet little bunny insists is within every mammal.

It’s why she managed to get him his job on the Force.

His bunny.

There you go on your Judy tangents again, Wilde…

He places his paws on his hips, entertaining a drawn out whistle as he pretends to take in the surrounding space. “So… uh… any recommendations?”

It doesn’t take long for Mary to saunter over, offering a verbal list. “Of course! To your right is the Christmasy stuff, though that’s more season exclusive,” she waves it off before Nick has to.

”In the middle here is our household commodities and decorations. So things like silverware, candlesticks, vases, etc,” she gestures down at the boxes around their hind paws.

She sighs as she takes in her counterpart’s expression: drooped ears, lowered tail, evading eyes. His embarrassment is beginning to mix with disappointment, and Nick doesn’t doubt that she can tell.

”Scattered around is some miscellaneous stuff. Items on sale, which don’t really matter to you as you already have a discount. Second-hand pieces and donations. Jewellery boxes…” she continues to rattle off more meaningless lists.

Meeting the talpid’s distant gaze, the fox cringes even further. He doesn’t want to  turn down her kind offer, least off all show disdain at her stock.

Mary gestures plainly to the left. “That’s our farmer’s selection…”

Nick’s posture immediately straightens, his ears following suit. “Oh?”

The sow lights up at the fox’s sudden interest. “Yes! Come take a look!”

Her tiny paw grasps Nick’s to coax him forward. Not that he needs the encouragement, the selection already has his sole attention.

He’s taken to a large box, of which Mary slices open with the slash of a claw.

She offers him a quick smile before unfolding the flaps on the box’s top, revealing a glistening display of farm-themed jewellery.

Nick’s own emerald eyes adopt a glint as he stares into the box of jewelled goods. Before him sit rings, bracelets, necklaces and brooches, all personalised with a farmer’s theme. He can’t refrain his audible “wow…”

Mary lets out another chuckle. “It is pretty neat. This is actually one of our first batches of these. Took us way too long to cotton on to the ‘homesick country-dwellers in the city’ market.”

The fox finds his own amusement as he watches the sow clamp her paws over her snout. “Oh my— that sounds so—”

Nick makes a lowering gesture with his paws. “It’s not malicious, Madam. I’ve seen mammals exploit others over worse for money. Besides, I’m sure the country-dwellers much appreciate it.

Speaking of that matter, the fox cop turns his attention back to the box’s contents. Silver, gold, copper and rose gold all shimmer up at him, embedded in one big velvet cushion.

His eyes flick away from the top row, lined with rings. Judy’s ring size is unknown to him and likely always will be.

The next row holds necklaces and bracelets, often in sets. Probably more expensive. Besides, Nick can’t picture anything dangly and delicate managing to stay on that bouncy bunny.

Which leaves his green-eyed gaze to fall down to the last row; the brooches. Gorgeous brooches, at that.

They all follow the same general framework: a sideways oval made of patterned gold or silver with a jewelled design in the middle.

How expensive are these? Nick eyes the blueberry one, which must be made of sapphire.

He really begins to wonder about a carrot one, its silver-orange-emerald hues glistening up at him. “Mary?”

The fox glances over his shoulder as the namesake breaks away from her trance, pulling the claw she had been biting from her mouth. “Yes?”

Nick flashes her a reassuring smile, gesturing towards his brooch of interest. “How much would this be?”

Mary beams as she scurries over, quickly plucking the carrot brooch from its velvet bed. “Oh, wonderful choice! You’ve got a good eye on ya!”

She idles in front of her canid counterpart, urging him to flatten his paw so that she can place the brooch against it.

“So, this is a carrot brooch from our farmer’s selection. The base is made of sterling silver and the carrot is composed of citrine and emerald gemstones. This is a paw-crafted piece, homemade by a sweet old serval that we like to liaise with.”

Nick blinks through tired eyes as Mary rambles on. He appreciates the information, and wants to be sure about his purchase, but the day has caught up to him enough that he wouldn’t mind curling up in one of these boxes here for a nap.

”So, with your 50% discount in mind, that’ll cost you 150 Bucks.”

Not so tired now, Wilde?

The fox’s eyes fly open, a quick whine escaping him before he can temper it. “I- I beg your pardon?”

Mary’s elation lowers at the fox’s indignation, but she presses her case. “Well, Hun, it’s not a cheap piece. It was made with paw-crafted care and out of some fine materials.”

Her cop counterpart nods for the sake of diplomacy, but disbelief still colours him. That’s 50% off? That means the original price is 300 Bucks!

The sow sighs. “Darlin’, I’d bump the discount up to 75% if it weren’t for these circumstances.”

Ears drooping, her fox customer gulps. The circumstances. This mammal has been robbed! If anything, he should be giving her tips!

He forces his posture and ears back up, putting on his hundredth fake smile tonight. “I’ll take it.”

…

”Are you sure you don’t want help cleaning up, Madam?” Asks a shivering Nick Wilde. The shop has been warmer inside than he’s appreciated, winter air assaulting him as he steps out into the mall’s main walkway.

He furrows his eyebrows when Mary steps out behind him, locking up her trashed shop. “Certain. I won’t be cleaning it either. The old fart that I call my husband will do it tomorrow.”

The sow jangles some keys around as she locks the door behind her. The shine radiating off of them reminds Nick of the item in his pocket.

Judy’s carrot brooch.

The fox cop is torn from his thoughts when an old mole places a paw on his side. “Come along, we’ve kept you out long enough, young tod.”

Nick nods his assent before spotting something else gleaming behind him. His nose sniffs the air as he eyes the silver and black shards that he and Mary walk away from. The scent that comes back to him is familiar; his own. Those are his broken aviators.

He’s about to turn back to pick them up before Mary tugs him back. “Nope. Phil will clean that mess up, too.”

A chuckle escapes the fox beside her and they keep moving.

The armadillo that let Nick in through the back widens his eyes as the final two mammals in the building seem to be leaving. Without word, he gets to work unlocking the entrance.

”I don’t know if you like symbolism…” Mary converses whilst they wait to leave, “but those gemstones in that brooch, citrine and emerald? They have some pretty neat meanings.”

The glass doors slide open and the exhausted armadillo ushers the duo out. Nick keeps his eyes on Mary as they hurry out into the breezy street. “Yeah?”

Mary trudges through the sleet on the sidewalk until she reaches the curb. Holding her arm out for a taxi, she looks back at Nick.

“Yup. Citrine is the ‘merchant’s stone’ and is said to have the power of the sun. It represents abundance, success, joy, vitality and the like.”

An involuntary snort escapes the fox. A gem with the power of the sun? Perfectly Judy. She’s energetic, optimistic, hard to ignore, likes to annoy foxes…

”Emerald represents love, rebirth, new beginnings, loyalty and wisdom. Which is also pretty neat,” the sow finishes, tiny eyes affixed to the cab slowing towards her.

Nick blinks away tears forming in his own emerald eyes. “Who knew jewellers were so philosophical about stones?” He settles for a parting quip as a bandicoot waves Mary into his now parked cab.

She pulls the door open and settles in her seat, turning to the fox cop before closing the door.

“Ironically, I hadn’t known that myself. A colleague got me a vase for Secret Santa a few years back. It was an ugly ol’ thing, covered in gems that don’t go together at all, but then she explained the symbolism. It’s… charming.”

Mary pulls the door shut just as the bandicoot starts getting antsy about snowflakes drifting into the cab. And with a wave, Nick turns to take his leave.

”Officer Wilde!”

He whips his head back in the same direction. His jeweller friend leans out of her cab’s open window. “I hope that Hopps likes her gift! Merry Christmas!”

The cab rolls away too quickly for Nick to answer, but he probably couldn’t anyway. Mary knows the carrot brooch is for Hopps. Officer Hopps. His partner.

What are you doing, Wilde?!

Judy Hopps is his partner! His coworker! And yes, his best friend, but expensive gifts?!

An orange paw dives into his pocket as he drags out the brooch’s case. He doesn’t know what good looking at it will do…

The accessory comes into sight as he pops off the lid, shining under the streetlight. It is a pretty piece. And it would look right at home affixed to one of Judy’s flannel shirts.

And knowing his emotional bunny, it’s a no-brainer to Nick that she’ll love it.

But what about giving it to her? What would he say? ‘“Hey Judy! Here’s this totally professional gift I got you! Sacrificed my monthly savings for it, but that’s what good coworkers do, right?!”’

Coworkers.

’”A colleague got me a vase for Secret Santa a few years back.”’

The fox almost forgets to breathe, heaving as he slides the brooch back into his pocket and drags out his phone.

For the first time… ever… he swipes onto the contact for Delgato. Sure enough, there is no texting history in sight.

Well, isn’t this a way to start…

”Hey Delgato, it’s Wilde.”

Nick blinks in surprise at how quickly the typing symbol appears. Followed by dread. Ugh, this lion better not—

“Loverfox! Hey! Ready to confess?”

Typical. Looks like it’s time to knock this cat down a peg or two…

“Nope. But I am ready to call in my favour. You owe me.”

A delayed reply tells Nick that he’s disoriented his colleague at least some. Bingo.

”What do I owe you for, exactly? And you owe me for not letting me finish my song!”

Rubbing a paw over his tired face, Nick begins his pitch.

”Firstly, you owe me for not kicking your ass in public. And not only is your singing mortifying but that was also the worst rendition of that song that I’ve ever heard.”

Nick inhales sharply, mistaken that he’ll have the chance to take a deep breath. Keyword: mistaken. His phone buzzes immediately.

”Firstly, I could take you in my sleep, Loverfox. And the only reason you didn’t like the song is because it’s TRUE.”

”Ugh!” The victimised fox pinches his snout. Why can’t Delgato just let this go?

“I was top of my class at the Academy. Including in physical combat. Watch it, lion.”

There’s a pause in the conversation. A long one. Minutes long. Has he missed his opportunity? Nick is just about to type another plea before Delgato’s words revisit his screen.

”We’ll let Hopps be the judge of that ;)” 

His skin turns crimson once more and the fox finally gives in to his groggy anger. A black claw is just teetering over his send button before Delgato sends another text.

”Anyways, what do ya want? Lions need their beauty sleep and I have a feeling you won’t leave me alone until you’re satisfied.”

The fox, still tempering his blush, finally takes a deep breath.

”Then you must be an insomniac. I need you to start something up at work.”

Delgato’s response is rapid-fire.

“I’m not helping you piss off the Chief, Wilde. Last week when you left the bullpen he lowkey threatened to institutionalise you.”

A genuine smirk finds its place on Nick’s muzzle. This was something that he’d certainly be following up in the morning. But right now, he has a mission.

”Tempting, but it’s not that. 

Nick’s fingers hover over his keyboard. Judy’s gift in his pocket weighs him down, feeling like it prevents any movement.

Delgato grows impatient.

”Spit it out, Nicholas.”

The namesake cringes at the use of his full first name. Outside of formalities, only his mother ever used his first name in whole. Usually when he was in trouble and she was trying to get a point across.

He’s most definitely in trouble now.

”I need you to help me start up a Secret Santa at the ZPD. And we need to make sure that I pick Judy.”