My Mate Forever

The Headliner

Nick walked in the ZPD the next day feeling better and Clawhauser looked happy to see him.

"I kept that Harvey fella away from Judy best that I could." Clawhouser said immediately. "Now that you're back, he should be working with the other officers."

"Thank you Spots." Nick smiled and headed to the bullpen where he saw Judy waiting eagerly for their next task.

What he noticed was that many of the officers weren't waiting impatiently for Chief Bogo, but pointing at newspapers in front of them and whispering quickly.

"Nick? What's wrong?" Judy asked as she noticed him looking around.

"Do you notice anything...unusual?" Nick asked her.

"Well, it's a little quieter." Judy replied. "Newspaper must be really good I guess."

"Are you kidding?" Officer Grizzoli gasped. "It's about Gazelle! She could be dating someone!"

"So? She dates all the time." Officer Fangmeyer retorted.

"But she might be dating a predator!" Officer Francine finally said. "Could you believe that? Such a thing is unheard of!"

Nick and Judy looked at each other awkwardly and Judy nervously tapped the desk with her paws.

"What's...wrong with that?" Judy asked gingerly.

"Um, concerns about him eating her? Duh." Officer McHorn grumbled.

"Aren't we past this?" Judy asked annoyed. "Can't anybody just date whoever they want?"

"Silly little bunny." Officer Grizzoli chuckled. "Even though you've been allowed as a fellow officer among us, not every species can do every single thing."

"We date our own kind, dating another species is pushing it. Dating a predator when you're prey?" Officer Francine gasped. "Unacceptable!"

Judy's ears flattened and when she looked at Nick's face of subtle concern, and realized she shouldn't say anything further since the other officers would wonder if she herself was dating a predator.

But it's not like it's wrong! I don't get why I have to keep this to myself...

Chief Bogo walked in the room and began assigning officers to different missions. When Harvey was assigned to a task with different officers, Judy noticed a dark look in those usually bright blue eyes.

When Officer Harvey began leaving with the other officers, he glanced at Nick and ran out unexpectedly.

"Well that was weird..." Judy muttered.

"Doesn't he like you though?" Nick asked her.

"Yeah, but he usually happy-"

"Stop gossiping girls." Chief Bogo growled. The remaining officers snickered.

When only Nick and Judy were waiting for Chief Bogo's command, he was reading the same newspaper that the other officers were reading.

"You two, I have a more personal mission." Chief Bogo explained. "Gazelle may be dating someone, and I need you two to find her whereabouts-"

"You're kidding." Judy scoffed.

"Officer Clawhauser will help you two. He keeps tabs on where she usually is." Chief Bogo ignored her comment. "You two are dismissed."

...

Nick comforted Judy, who was irritated, as they headed to Clawhauser's desk. The chubby cheetah was gushing as he flipped through pictures and articles of Gazelle, he almost didn't notice Nick and Judy there, but when he did notice, he smiled broadly.

"Hey guys!" Clawhouser purred. "So Gazelle should be at that big mall at the Rainforest District."

Judy didn't even want to ask how he got that information. She narrowed her eyes as she took the evidence from his big paw: it was a photo shot by a security camera of Gazelle leaving the room with a big black paw holding her hand.

Why are us police officers being sent to delve into someone's personal business? This is ridiculous!

"I know what you're thinking Carrots." Nick sighed as they headed to take the train to the Rainforest District. "This division of prey and predators is ridiculous, but it's not like it's just going to disappear right away Cottontail."

"Well, that aside, isn't it weird that we're being sent to spy on Gazelle?" Judy asked him.

"Well, a lot of the ZPD officers are interested in Gazelle." Nick told her. "But yeah, it's unusual."

After a few hours, the train made it to Rainforest District and Nick and Judy headed to the biggest mall there. They saw animals huddled in groups whispering. Judy looked to see Gazelle shopping, with a bodyguard nearby.

"Look! It's Judy Hopps Mommy!" A young Capybara shouted to her mother.

She ran to Judy and hugged her tight, but her mother was staring daggers at Gazelle. Judy wasn't too concerned till she saw a zebra walk to her and tap her shoulder.

"What is wrong with you?!" The zebra yelled at Gazelle. "Can't stick to your own kind you freak!"

Judy saw that Gazelle's bodyguard was looking the other way and pulled out of the child's grip and ran between Gazelle and the zebra.

"Sir, you need to calm down." Judy told the enraged zebra. His nostrils flared in outrage.

"Go back to the carrot farm you little runt!" The zebra snapped. "Aren't you dating that fox criminal anyway?! You're just defending her because you're a filthy interbreeder as well!"

"What?" Judy gasped, wondering how this zebra could have figured that out.

"It's all over the friggin' newspaper! What're you doing dating that thief?!" The zebra yelled.

"He's not a thief!" Judy froze as she saw a camera crew interrogating Nick outside of the store. It had become even more crowded and the capybara mom was now smiling.

I can't believe how specist so many of Zootopia's citizens are...it's completely horrible. And they must've taken pictures from when we were outside Elephant Garden, now everyone will know.

"Please leave the store sir. Not only were you harassing Gazelle, but you've harassed me." Judy hissed. "If you don't stop I'll have to arrest you."

"Make me furball." The zebra taunted her and she scowled.

She took out a pair of hoofcuffs and walked towards him, and was relieved when she saw Gazelle run off to her bodyguard in the other aisle.

The zebra smirked as he lifted his hoof and kicked Judy right in the chest, sending her flying into the window, smashing it into a million pieces.