Later in the evening, Nick and Judy had both gone to Nick's somewhat 'new' apartment that was closer to the ZPD than Judy's, which annoyed her, but didn't have such as high a rent price. Nick had allowed Judy to enter first, being the gentlemammal he is, by opening his door for her.
"So cottontail, any ideas on what you'd like to do tonight?" Nick asks Judy, as he slumps into his sofa beside her. She had got them to go to his place after realising how small and obselete her apartment was.
"Hmm, how about one of your movies? I see you have the latest ZooRay player." She replies, pointing questionably at his player whilst motioning to the television.
A new ZNN news coverage about a grand library opening later on during the following week presented itself live on TV for Judy as Nick bent down to pick out a movie from his personal stash. He wanted to avoid the ones hidden in the back. Mainly because he'd started watching them ever since she'd apologised to him under the bridge that was nearby. He smiled warmly and openly, before his smirk settled in again. Those films were the calm to his own little fantasy world, where it was only him and Judy. 'Good thing she hasn't found these yet.' He thought to himself, as the same, weird but small feelings bubbled up in his chest again.
"Hey Nick," Judy spoke, popping up on his left instantly. Nick almost jumped up into the air, except his head hit the underside of the table holding the television, making it rock back and forth wildly. Judy held the TV in place, to stop it from falling down and hitting the two of them, before picking Nick up from the floor.
"Gah! Don't do that again carrots, it scared the life out of me!" Nick said, sarcastically but a bit woozily. "I feel like I'm going dumb and dumber with each hit my head takes." Afterwards, they managed to pick out a couple of movies – Pig Hero 6 and Floatzen 2 to name two of them. Even though they were having a nice night out though, Nick couldn't help but get a feeling of dread wash over him at the end of the second movie.
"Hey Judy, I've got this weird feeling." He says, getting her attention. She hesitates, hearing him say her name, before looking at him warmly. "I can't help but feel like I've been dreading something for some reason these past few days. Like I've dreaded that I couldn't see someone in time." He places his elbows on his knees, dropping his paws between them. Judy places her paws on his arm and shoulder, massaging them.
"I'm sure it's nothing Nick, but if you want, we can talk about it whenever you're ready to. If so, would you like me to see if I can find out what it is for you?" She replies softly, as she begins to rub his back from seeing his facade drop. She liked it when he did that for her. He never did it around others, just her. Which felt special to her, bringing forward a few weird and small feelings.
"That would be nice fluff, but if you can do something for me, could you check that I haven't left anything at the precinct. I think that might be the problem." He begins to smile again, leaning back into the chair as she pats his shoulder in a caring gesture. He didn't think that was the problem, but he felt like someone was watching him. But then let it slide.
She slowly left his apartment, keeping an eye on him as he got up, checked his phone, then went to his room. She could see the lack of movement in his tail, as well as the pinned back ears. 'Must be tired.' She thought, as she left and got into what he called the BunnyMobile. 'Still, I'd better help him. I bet he'd feel better if I was stroking his handsome fu--' She stopped thinking right there. She had no idea where that thought had come from, but brushed it away to the situation.
On the ride to the station, she spotted Jonathan Fangmeyer sitting with Clawhauser discussing about the 2016 Zoolympics as she walked past them into the empty precinct. She went to check his locker, but it was empty. 'Fugures.' She thought, as she turned to leave, but was interrupted by the quietest mention of Nick's surname. She then followed the noise of a few officers who she recognised were a higher rank than her here, until she reached a door that read:
[PROHIBITED ACCESS]
By rule of the handbook, she shouldn't be anywhere near this door when there's voices coming from it, but curiosity got the better of her, making her place an ear on the door as the voice of Bogo pipes up. His muffled voice was crystal clear to her.
"Now, as you all know, there's reasons why secrecy like this is rare in the ZPD. Most causes are due to social affairs that psychologically, physically, or both, that affect one or many of our officers. Most importantly, this one case will most definitely be kept under supreme secrecy. Any questions? No? Good." Spoke Bogo, making Judy's curiosity rise higher, along with concern for one of her fellow officers, whoever it might be. In staying by the door, she couldn't help but want to know what all the secrecy was about.
Her gut was telling her it was about Nick, but she didn't want to accept that fact. She his story about a muzzle, but if Bogo wasn't going to tell the squad, let alone Nick himself, then this was most likely more serious than his young muzzling. She noticed she'd somehow made a noise of distaste, from the distraction of a memory and went to head off, but before she could turn around to head for her office, Bogo appeared from the room and spotted her facing away at him.
She slowly turns around to face him with a very strained, albeit entirely fake and unconvincing smile. Bogo just raises his left hoof to his head, shaking his head into it. A timber wolf popped his head out of the door.
"Guess it's too late to keep this a secret any more." Speaks Bogo, quietly and gruffly. "Call Nick and ask him to meet us in the stress chambers. The private ones."
"Uh, sir?" Replies Judy, who is now confused. "Why would I do that?"
"Because his c--" The wolf started, before he was interrupted by the voice of a very recognisable fox behind Judy. His ears pinned back, as he looked up and saw who it was.
"Because my what?" Spoke Nick roughly, with a small growl, with an eyebrow raised questioningly. Turns out she'd spent too long at the precinct and had left him into thinking she wouldn't return. Judy had turned around the moment he'd started talking. Bogo motioned to the other officers to come out of the room.
"It's too late now officers. Best tell him now, before the ZNN somehow get wind of it." Mumbled Bogo to the officers. Wolford, Francine and McHorn were all leaving the room and took a look of deep pity towards Nick.
"Is it something to do with my mum?" Nick asks, only to get even more emotional looks. Even one from Bogo himself.
"No Nick," Bogo responds, placing a paw on his shoulder to bring him into the room. "It's about your cousin." Judy entered as well and jumped up to read the file, seeing she was going to hear the bad news as well.
She read the report, then the name. She gasped, a tear threatening to drop as she looked over to Nick, speaking only the name of the relative.
"Shawn Wilde."
YOU ARE READING
Zootopia: Loss, Lies and Love
FanfictionShawn Wilde is dead. Or at least he should be. He died whilst trying to be a part of something bigger. He was in a hurry to get to his long-lost cousin's home city of Zootopia, only to find that his one and only friend had ratted him out, quite lite...
