The Fire Triangle, A Zootopia Fanfiction -- Part One

The Fire Triangle, A Zootopia Fanfiction -- Part One: Fuel - 57

Disclaimer: Zootopia stories, characters, settings, and properties belong to the Walt Disney Co. This story is written under Fair Use Copyright laws.

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The Fire Triangle-A Zootopia Fanfiction

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Part One:

Fuel

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Chapter 6-Nick's Story
(Continued...Pt. 7)

"Ohhhh, Nick."

Judy Hopps could feel the tears welling in her eyes; it was something she couldn't help. Even though Nick had walked free from Lemmingworth Penitentiary more than ten years ago, she was still that happy for him.

And now she finally understood how he could have been accepted to the ZPD Academy even after going to prison. He'd been fully exonerated of the crimes for which he'd been jailed-which meant that his prison record had also been expunged, nothing to see here, move on. (And the Department had been so right to give the fox his chance; after the way he'd foiled Jerry Guilford's plan to spray-bomb the Carrot Days Festival with herbicide, could anyone doubt that Nick Wilde belonged with ZPD? Certainly not this bunny.)

But still...by rights, Nick Wilde should have come out of that experience with a deep-black hatred of law enforcement. Instead, he had elected to become a peace officer himself.

"Honestly Nick," Judy shook her head, "After going to jail for a crime you didn't commit, I'm surprised you'd even want to become a cop."

He responded by turning away for a second; in the dim light of the railway car, Judy couldn't see his ears, but she had the distinct impression he was blushing. When he turned to look at her again, she could make out just the faintest outline of a grin on his face.

"Carrots, if anyone had told me on the day I left prison that someday I'd become a police officer, I would have suggested that they seek some professional help. In fact..." the grin slowly melted into a serious expression, "remember that time in Bellwether's office, when we were using the traffic cams to track those wolves?"

"The ones who took Manchas, yes I remember," Judy nodded, equally solemn, "And I know where you're going with this, Nick. When I said, 'You know, I think you'd make a pretty good cop...'"

"...I said, 'How dare you?' he finished for her, "and now you know why."

Judy nodded again but she was also chewing her lip. Yes, but there was so much else that she didn't know. Nick had been exonerated, and yet still he had lied about his arrest on his application to the ZPD. Why would he do that? It didn't make any sense. And also, how had his relationship with Robyn McFerral come to grief? The way Nick talked about it, their bond had been stronger than ever on the day of his release. And last, but not least-Judy was nobody's legal wiz, but like every good cop, she had at least a rudimentary grasp of the law. And it seemed to her that when Nick had walked free of Lemmingworth, he had brought with him some pretty solid grounds for a lawsuit against the Zootopia DA's office. Why hadn't he sued...or had he? She wanted so badly to ask him about it, but by now she knew better; Nick would get there in his own, good time, not before. And so, she offered him only a quick prompt.