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Chapter 5 - Time With Family

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Judy walked down the stairs to the first floor, unsure of what she wanted to do. She could turn back to her room now, and maybe get an hour or two before Jackie comes to check on her again and bait her into going out. She stopped halfway down on the stairs to think, to contemplate whether to go through with this. Somehow, she was afraid, but she didn’t know what it was she feared. It was driving her mad. She leaned against the wall of the stairway and looked up. She wished the sky was there, maybe some clouds. The dull brown ceiling was not too great to look at. It was not helping with how she felt and the struggle within her own mind.

“What do I do?” she whispered under her breath, hoping that maybe God would provide a direct answer rather than a riddle. The pain inside was unrelenting. She closed her eyes, wanting to cry again, but her eyes felt spent of all the tears.

Jackie came around the corner and noticed Judy on the stairs. “You ready?” she asked with a smile, oblivious to her sister’s grief. Or perhaps it was a façade to hide her worry. She was in a teal colored T-shirt and brown cargo pants, and Judy was wearing a purple shirt with blue jeans.

“I guess so...” Judy replied, a little reluctant. Jackie walked towards the door, and she followed closely. When Judy got outside and stepped off the deck, she was greeted with the gracious scents of the farm and the warm morning sun. The sensation of home hit her yet again, but for all she knew, it’d fade away at a moment’s notice, like it had before. Good things never last, do they? Across the gravel driveway was a green pickup truck, probably around sixteen years old. Jackie walked around to the driver’s side and Judy got into the passenger seat. The vehicle started with little trouble and headed forward on the dirt road. Of course, Judy simply gazed out the window, trying to avoid any conversation as long as she could. But hardly anything slipped past Jackie, and she tried to talk with her.

“Since I know you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you right now, how about I ask how the city is?” Jackie said to her as they rode down the dirt road, away from the town.

“It’s alright.” Judy replied with little emotion, her stare unmoved from the grassy fields.

“Aw, come on! There’s gotta be more to it than that. The buildings are pretty fancy, huh?” Jackie was getting persistent.

“Yeah, they are.” Judy replied with the same emotionless voice.

“Which one’s your favorite?”

Judy thought that was kind of an odd question, but she sighed and answered truthfully. “Honestly, I don’t know.” She moved from the window and began to attend to her sister. “There are a lot of fancy buildings in Zootopia. I’m not sure which one’s my favorite.”

“Just name one that you really like.”

Judy had to think about this one for a little bit. Way too many cool buildings to name one right off the bat. “I guess I’ll have to say the Rhino’s Horn. Every time I look at it, I just stare in awe. It’s just so different from the rest.” If felt good to actually say something, yet at the same time, it was painful.

“I’ve heard of that one.” Jackie replied. She had a warm smile on; satisfied that her sister was actually talking to her. “It sounds pretty fancy.”

“Yeah.” Judy was suddenly hit yet again with the question of what Jackie was planning. “So, what are we doing?”

“We’re gonna go fishing.”

“Really?” she asked with a very subtle hint of excitement.

“Yup. Just gonna catch and release for a little bit.”

“I don’t know if I’m still good at it.” Judy’s ears drooped even lower; her pessimism was showing again.

“Don’t worry, it’s not gonna be a contest.” Jackie laughed. “Just a little fun for you and me. You up for it?”

“I don’t know, Jackie…” Judy replied.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s roll!” Jackie cranked up the radio, blasting country music, and began to drive faster, making the ride much bumpier. After hitting a large bump that made both the rabbits bounce from their seats, Judy smiled. And Jackie smiled as well. She still knew how to get to Judy in the best way.

“Faster?” she asked Judy.

“You bet!” she replied enthusiastically. She felt the vehicle speed up dramatically and listened to the engine roar as it crossed the bumpy, green fields. Jackie was surprised at Judy’s sudden change of attitude. ‘Works every time.’ she thought to herself.

“Come here you little scamp!” Jackie said, trying to reel in the giant trout she and Judy had been chasing for over an hour.

“There!” Judy exclaimed. “It’s getting closer!”

“You have the net ready?” she asked.

“Yep.”

The fish came slow and steady to the reef. It was fighting as hard as it could, but Jackie managed to keep it under control until it got to the shore. Judy walked into the water, pant sleeves rolled up, and carrying the net. They had it cornered. She was ready to throw the net over it, when it suddenly swam forward, towards land. It bolted past her and turned to travel along the edge of the shore, escaping from Jackie’s hook.

“Hey! Come back here!” Judy commanded as she chased after the fish. He was quite smart, but he was not going to get away this time! After she ran for it a few yards, it crossed her path again, swimming towards the deep water. Judy swung her net down at the fish like a golf club. The fish dodged it, and Judy slipped and fell into the water. Her pants and half her shirt were all wet. Judy turned her head, and she saw the fish swim away, back into the lake. She let out a defeated sigh. “Dang it.” she breathed.

Jackie ran in the shallow water to where Judy was. “Did ya catch it?” she asked.

“He’s gone.” Judy replied. “Sweet cheese, he’s smart!”

“I know. He’s been teasing me for weeks. Little smartass.” Jackie looked down at her sister. “Need a hand?”

Judy took her hand, and lifted herself up, water dripping from her clothes. As soon as she was steady, she began to slip and slide in the water. “W-woah, woah,” she quietly yelped as she regained her balance, and they chuckled. Judy yelped and immediately fell forward, face hitting the water. Lifting her head up, her face was now wet too. She huffed in frustration. Jackie crouched down and laughed at her sister. Judy looked up at her, and a devious smile spread across her face. She tossed some water at Jackie.

“Hey!” Jackie kicked some water at Judy, and she returned the favor again. Judy got up on her knees, and they continued to giggle and throw splash after splash at each other.

“Quit it!” Judy said.

“You first!” was Jackie’s reply. Jackie began to run towards the truck and Judy soon followed. She almost waddled over because all her clothing was wet, cold, and sticking to her fur. Jackie took a look at the watch she had on.

“Oh, it’s getting close to lunch. We should get home and dry up. I have something else planned for the day, too.” Jackie began to load the fishing supplies back in the truck.

“Something else?” Judy asked with enthusiasm.

“Yup. Hey, can you go grab the poles and the cooler?”

“Sure thing.” Judy ran back to the shore and gathered the stuff they had brought out there. She could see the trout jumping from the water like a dolphin. It HAD to be taunting them. “One day, I’ll get ya, you little snitch. One day.” she muttered. She took the poles and the rest of the fishing gear back to the truck, and returned for the rest as Jackie loaded the items in.

She felt… good. The doe hadn’t even realized that for a brief moment, she forgot about all her worries. But as soon as she was alone with her thoughts again, the grief came back.

12:32PM

Wolford left WhichWay restaurant with a sub-sandwich in a bag in paw and he breathed in the nice warm air. It was lunch break and he picked up something to eat while he worked, plus it gave him a change to stretch his aching legs.

It didn’t take long to return to the ZPD, and when he walked in, he was able to see a European badger in a SWAT uniform wandering around the building in boredom. His thoughts elsewhere, the badger had bumped into a squirrel, causing her to drop a binder.

“Oh, sorry.” the badger said, kneeling down to retrieve the binder. “I wasn’t wa – uh… hi…” He was cut of mid-sentence when he looked up and their eyes met.

Army-green connected with aqua-blue. The female squirrel seemed almost as confused as he was, being that her nose was twitching. She wore a grey dress that went to her knees and black leggings, a pencil behind her right ear and her fur a gentle grey as well.

“Yeah, um,” The badger broke eye-contact and picked up the binder, standing up as he handed it back to the squirrel. “Here,” he said, trying his best to offer a decent smile.

“Thanks.” the squirrel replied as she smiled back, taking her folder back and meeting his gaze yet again as she walked past him, making her way to the Zootopia Times room.

Even after she fixed her gaze in front of her, the badger smiled and continued to watch in wonder, rotating on his heel. The color of her eyes, the way her tail flicked, it had caught him off guard.

“Opti!” A voice called from the bullpen, snapping away the badger’s attention. “Let’s go!”

It was a jackal wearing similar gear to that of the badger, most likely on the same SWAT team. The badger quickly walked towards the bullpen to continue his duties, and with that, Wolford turned and continued to the stairwell with a shake of his head and a smile. He had seen Nick give that same stare to Judy. He headed up the stairs to his office.

Will opened the door and turned on the lights to get back to work. Bogo had assigned him and Fangmeyer on Nick’s missing mammal case, and he was determined to deliver his upmost focus. Will laid his lunch on the desk and opened two folders he had brought in that morning and had already read. One was Nick’s, and the other was everything they had on the raccoon that took him, which wasn’t much. Not even a name. He was basically starting from scratch, but he was committed to the task. He opened his laptop and returned to searching the database for a raccoon who might match this guy. Ironically, the program responsible for that was unsuccessful, so their job just got that much harder. Fangmeyer had his paws full with the decrypting of locations and another case at the same time, so it was mostly up to Wolford to figure out who this guy is.

The wolf heard a knock on his door. Before he could even get up, Bogo had already opened the door. “If you get something, don’t tell Judy until next Monday at the least.” the buffalo warned. “She needs time to pull herself together, understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Will replied.

“Good. I’ll leave you to it.” Bogo turned and left the office, leaving Wolford in the quiet of his office.

-

After lunch, Will worked as hard as he could for the next six hours, and still had almost nothing. He had a few pictures and some connected lines drawn on the corkboard in his office, but nothing that would tell him anything. The building was becoming vacant as the day officers had left, and the night shifters were already on the job. Pacing around and clicking a pen in his paw, he tried to find something to go on. His train of thought went on nonstop. It ran all over the place and stopped nowhere. Eventually, something clicked. He remembered when Judy got a call from a blocked number, and it was the same one that she and Nick had found in an apartment to a missing mammal, to Ridley.

“If the number that Nick used to call Judy is the same one that the ferret had in his apartment, then is the ferret tied into this?”

This made his eyes wide with anticipation. He remembered the ferret, Ridley Mark. Judy was assigned to find him before Nick himself was kidnapped. ‘Couldn’t hurt to look, right? He quickly left his office and went up the hall towards Judy’s. He looked out into the main lobby, which was quite vacant. Only a few mammals mingling together in small groups and Clawhauser at the receptionist’s desk, most likely listening to Gazelle. He turned his head away from the hallway and made it to Judy’s office, or rather the one that her and Nick shared.

He checked the doorknob, and it was unlocked. He entered the room, turned on the light, and immediately checked the desk. It did not take him long to find it. Checking it to make sure all the documents were in there, he closed it and headed towards the door. He stopped and took one last look at the room before leaving. It was very clear which desk belong to Judy, and which one belonged to Judy. Judy’s desk was tidy and well-kept. Everything was organized and symmetrical. On the other paw, Nick’s desk wasn’t necessarily a mess, but nowhere near as neat as Judy’s. Folders and papers were almost haphazardly tossed into piles and shelves, and the trash bin was overflowing with crumbled paper balls, while a few more surrounded the bin itself. Wolford smiled at this little comparison, and continued out of the office, shutting off the light and closing the door.

He headed back to his own office uninterrupted. He immediately sat down, opened the folder, and began to investigate. Only a few minutes in, and he already began to draw some connections, which he marked using the corkboard, red string, and red thumbtacks.

9:43 PM

Judy and Jackie spent the whole day together. First, they had gone fishing, then they had lunch with some old friends and then headed to the local bowling alley afterwards. After dinner came and went, Judy returned to her room. She plugged her c-Phone into the speaker on the bedside table, played some music, and looked through all the stuff in her room. Everything that she left behind since leaving for Zootopia was in there. It brought back some good feelings. She was looking around the old room, taking in all the old memories. She noticed one of her old posters: an 80s rock band one she got from Jackie. She wasn’t a big fan of the band, but it made a neat addition nonetheless. It was fastened with tape to the wall above her dresser. She approached the dresser and pulled the top drawer out, and inside it, she had colored pencils, pens, and a small stack of 9 x 12 drawing sheets. She collected the items in her paws, flopped on the bed, and took up drawing that night. Hours passed, and she created fourteen new drawings. Judy was a good artist. Not quite as good as her cousin, Winter, but she was still excellent. Some of her drawings were of just of the fields or a maybe little bit of Zootopia, but most of them had Nick in them; nine sheets with her fox in it. Some were her and Nick, some others were Nick and her with others. A familiar song began to play as she finished up the last picture. She worked extra hard and extra careful on this one.

”I remember when we used to laugh
About nothing at all;
It was better than going mad
From trying to solve all the problems we’re going through.
Forget ‘em all!
Cause all those nights, we would stand and never fall.
Together, we faced it all.

Remember when we’d…

Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those Nights kept me alive!

Listen to the radio play all night.
Didn’t wanna go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those Nights kept me alive
Oh, oh”

-

The last one she drew was of Nick himself. All that patience and careful work brought out something beautiful and perfect. It looked almost just like him. The ears, proportions, and the texture for the fur were all perfect. Her sorrow had returned and attempted to numb her emotions again. She grazed her paw over the sheet, just begging to feel his fur again.

“Oh, Nick. Where could you have gone?” she whispered with grief. The tears were about to flow again when Judy heard a knock on her door, breaking her trance.

“You in there, Judy?” Jackie asked.

“Y-yeah.” Judy replied, flipping the sheet over. “Come in.” Jackie walked in the door with a smile, but she also seemed concerned about something. ‘It’s me. It’s always me.’ Judy thought.

“You alright?” Jackie asked with the door halfway open.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Judy didn’t know if this was a lie or not. Hanging out with her sister was great, but a void still existed. “Why do you ask?”

Jackie opened the door further and took a step inside. “No reason. Just wanted to show you something. Come on.” She reached her hand out towards her sister. Judy remained silent and still as she looked at Jackie’s hand, unsure of what to do.

She didn’t want to leave her room or drawings, but she allowed Jackie to grab her paw and lead her around the halls and through the back door. Judy was still a little down even after hanging out with Jackie that day. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now, just like yesterday. She had tried so hard to shut herself off from everyone.

She and Jackie had walked far enough that the houses could barely be seen. Judy was slightly annoyed by the fact her sister led her out here and hadn’t spoken a word yet, so she asked,

“What is so far out here that you want me to see?”

“Just look up.” Jackie replied, without stopping or moving her head.

Judy looked up for the first time after they went outside, and she noticed all the stars. Hundreds of bright clusters, each with more stars than she could count. She was struck with awe and wonder; her mouth gaped open at the sight.

“Betcha you don’t get this kind of view in the city, do ya?” Jackie asked playfully, glancing back at her sister.

“Not even close.” The doe took a breath, forgetting all her worries for just a moment. “How did I not remember this?”

“Seems you’re too hooked on city life, huh?” Jackie teased.

“I guess so. Just… wow!” Judy stared in awe at the beauty of the night time stars. The city never gave her this kind of view, but she never knew how much she truly missed it.

“Right here.” Jackie pointed at two bald spots surrounded by the tall grass. “I found this old spot where we ripped out the grass as kits so we’d have a comfy place to lie down and enjoy the stars. Took a bit of work, but I fixed them up like we had them before. I did this a few times every month because I missed you a lot.”

“Aww, Jackie… You did that for me?” Even though Judy knew Jackie loved her, she was still shocked that she loved her THIS much.

“You know it, Sister.” Jackie sat down in the bald spot on the right, and Judy took the left. “It’s great to have to have you back, even if it is for just a little bit.”

“Jackie, you’re the sweetest. Really.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Judy and Jackie both laughed as they both lay back with their heads on the grass and admiring the stars. “So, I hear you have a fox friend.” Jackie asked.

Judy was caught off guard by that question, but why else would Jackie have brought her out here? Her doubts and sorrow threatened to consumer her again, rolling in like storm clouds, but she pushed them away for the time being.

“Yeah. I’m the one bunny that has a predator as a friend.” she admitted.

“Tell me more about him. Something about him has been troubling you, right?”

Judy sighed, and decided to come clean about her friend. “I met Nick when I first moved into city.” Judy started. “He seemed nice at first, but I quickly realized he was just as sly and untrustworthy as any other fox was. At the time, I was a meter maid. He told me that my dreams of being a real cop were just that; dreams. They were never meant to come true. He told me that the philosophy of Zootopia was a lie, that I can’t be anything I want; that I can only be what I am. He was seen as a sly fox, so he took the role and title, and he said that I was just a dumb bunny.”

“He called you dumb?!” Jackie ruefully asked.

“There’s more, don’t worry about that.” Judy countered. “The next day, I couldn’t find any sort of hope for my dream, and I had no idea why. I wondered if what he said really got to me. But then, I got a taste of what I wanted. I chased down a ferret that stole some midnicampum holicithias plants from a flower shop. It felt good being a real cop, even if it was only a taste. I was almost fired for leaving my meter maid post, but I got a second chance, and a case to search for a missing mammal, an otter.”

At this point, Judy’s voice was bland and low, like a robot, not even thinking about who she was telling the story to, but imagining everything as she told it, seeing it again in her mind.

“Turns out I needed the Nick’s help to find him. He knew the otter, so I got his help, and he got me a plate number for the last vehicle anyone saw the otter go in, and the last anyone had seen of him since. One thing led to another, and my chief had had it up to here with me, so he asked me to turn in my badge. I was devastated. Only two days, and my dream was already falling apart. As I was about to hand it to him, ready to accept his decision, Nick stood up for me. He… defended me. My chief had given me a deadline when I first started, and Nick made it clear that I still had some time to find the otter. As we were leaving the rainforest, he had a story of his own when he was a kit.”

“What was it?” Jackie asked as she sat up, interested in the story.

“He told me that all he wanted to do was be with the ranger scouts, even if he was the only predator. But the other members in the troop were all prey, and they were jerks too. Th-they put…” Judy was having trouble telling her sister the horrid story. “…a muzzle on him. The other members made fun of him for being a predator, for having to wear the muzzle because he could turn savage and hurt them.”

“That’s awful!” Jackie stated.

“Yeah, it is.” Judy said, extremely down. “Anyway, they teased him, and he never returned to the group. He told me he learned two things that day. The first was he was never gonna let anyone see that they got to him. The second was how he was living his life since that moment to when he met me. If the world is only going to see a fox as untrustworthy, then there’s no point to being anything else. And… I told him that he was so much more than that. I saw in him what no one else did. After years of playing the part, he finally stood up for someone, stood up for me because he… cared for me. He wanted me to keep going. He wanted me to find the otter. And we did find him. And now, it’s been a year, and he still cares for me. And I care for him because… he understands me like nobody else.”

“Nobody else?” Jackie teased, but Judy did not catch the joke, still in her own little world. “So, where is he now? Did he leave you? Did he hurt you?”

“No, he’s… gone. He was kidnapped.” Judy’s sorrow had returned. She sat up to hug her knees and try to control her rising heartbeat. “Other cops in the precinct are trying to find him, but I’ve just been so… so lost without him. I feel like… a part of me is gone. And I don’t know if it’ll return… if he’ll come back, or even if I’ll ever find him. What if I don’t see him again?” The tears were starting to roll down Judy’s cheeks.

“Don’t worry, little sis.” Jackie tried to comfort her mournful sister. “The ZPD is full of good cops. They’ll find him. YOU will find him.”

Judy looked at her sister. Normally, she would have been stunned of how much she understood her or how she didn’t even ask why Judy has a fox friend. But she was numb to all feelings but grief, so she didn’t question it; that’s just how Jackie was.

Judy wiped the tears from her face. “Thanks, Jackie.”

“Anytime. You need a hug?” Jackie opened her arms, and Judy immediately fell right into her.

“Yes.” she sobbed. “I miss Nick so much.” Judy’s tears were flowing again. “How will I work as a cop without him? He’s what made being cop worth doing.” She was sniffling and trying to keep from crying all over her sister, but it was a futile attempt. She slumped down and laid her head on Jackie’s lap. “I just want him back…” She pulled her knees closer, trying as best she could to curl up in a ball of sadness. Her beautiful amethyst eyes were now moist and full of grieving.

“I told you, you’ll find him. Just don’t give up hope.” Jackie said, soothing her sister and stroking her ears. “Shh, don’t cry, baby sis.”

“Do NOT call me baby sis.” Judy did not like the name, but that didn’t stop Jackie from teasing her.

“Okay… baby sis.” Jackie teased again.

“Stop!” Judy protested.

“Baby sis!”

“STOP!”

“Ooh, does that make you mad?” Jackie started to tickle Judy.

“Ah! Yes! Yes it does, STOP! Stop it! Jackie, STOP!” Judy couldn’t talk over the laughter from her sister’s pestering. “STOP!” She protested again, but Jackie refused. She knew exactly where Judy was the most ticklish. “That’s it!” She jumped on Jackie and started to tickle her as well.

“Hey, that’s my job!” Jackie complained, barely holding her laughter in. “No fair!”

“All’s fair in bunny love and war!” Judy proclaimed.

They continued to roll around in the tall grass for a good while until they were both exhausted. Neither could continue to pester the other. They just lay in the grass, taking deep breaths and observing the stars until they could muster the energy to head back. Judy still missed Nick, but being with her favorite sister under the stars in the warm summer night made her feel better, made it easier to process all that was happening and think clearly. She couldn’t dream of having anything better, except for having Nick by her side. As soon as she got back to the city, she’d do everything in her power to find him. She felt something good after what felt like an eternity of grief and emotional numbness. She felt some sense of completeness.

“I’ve missed you, Judy.” Jackie said with sincerity.

“I missed you too, Jackie.” Judy replied with the same honesty.

“If you ever need me, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.” Judy gave her sister yet another hug, and they lay back down to rest.

It was nice and quiet out in the field. No city noises, no annoying siblings, just them, alone, in the warm summer night beneath the stars. Judy and Jackie both loved it like nothing else. They had always done this as kits, but it was even more wonderful now after years of separation from each other.

Jackie went into aviation and vehicles, and Judy had to go to the academy for her officer training. They hadn’t seen each other for four years, and this was something they missed dearly. Each of their schedules had demanded too much, making something as simple as seeing each other a difficult task.

-

“Judy. Judy, wake up.” Jackie whispered as she shook her little sister’s shoulder; Judy had fallen asleep outside.

“Mm?” was all she replied with as her eyes barely crept open.

“Judy, it’s getting late. What do you say we head inside before it gets cold?”

“Mm. Ok.” she replied. “Help me up?”

Jackie playfully sighed. “Alright.” She conceded and helped Judy to her feet, but she was too tired to walk. She made it a few feet, and then she collapsed back down on the grass. Jackie giggled at this.

“Can’t walk; too tired.” Judy said drowsily.

“Alright, fine. I’ll carry you.” Jackie slid her arms under Judy’s legs and head, and picked her up. Judy was already trying to snuggle with her sister. “You know, you get awfully clingy when you’re tired.”

“Mm…” Judy’s nuzzled her face into Jackie’s shoulder.

“You’re not gonna give me a real answer, are you?”

“Mm…”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Jackie chuckled.

She carried Judy all the way across the field back to the house, and even brought her to her room. She lay Judy down on her own bed, and put her blanket over her. When she started out of the room, her eye caught the pictures of the fox, Nick, on her desk. Jackie smiled. He seemed like a great guy, and being as optimistic as she was, she could practically see Nick being found; maybe in a few years the two would make her an aunt again…

With a chuckle to herself, Jackie closed the door and left Judy alone in the dark room. She held onto her pillow and snuggled into it to make up for her sister’s absence, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

-

It was dark in the lonely building, the air cold and moist. All that could be seen was darkness as a little chair stood in front of a computer and a desk, while several papers and metal parts lay strewn across the metal table. A heavy metal door opened, and a raccoon scurried across the room to the back of the chair.

“Doctor,” he said quietly. “This is the most progress we’ve ever made on a fully functioning organic body, and he’s recovering well. The organic matter that remains is adapting quickly, and the results are better than hoped.”

“Does he still require nurturance?” the unseen animal from the chair asked.

“Yes, for now.” the raccoon said and held out a yellow folder. A small metal paw grabbed it. “All external limbs have been replaced, including the ears, for the time being. We hope to do the tail next, but that will take months.”

“Of course.” The voice from the chair said approvingly as the animal read the folder. “And, how are the other tests subjects progressing?”

“Steadily, much like the fox.” the raccoon answered. “But all the same. The process is slow, but it’s as necessary. We cannot risk another death.”

“No, I agree. You are doing a fine job.” The voice paused as the metal paw rested the folder on the desk. “I want you to make sure no one in the city knows or suspects a thing. We are not ready to share our goal. I want eyes on the ZPD, the ZBI, Town Hall; I won’t rest until we are sure we aren’t watched.”

“Yes, Doctor.” The raccoon said with a slight head bow.

“Especially after the incident from the day after you retrieved the fox!” the voice raised a little. “We cannot have another one of those. You understand the risks, do you not?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Thank you. You are free to go.”

The raccoon nodded and hurried out the door and closed it behind him. The animal reread the documents and records in the file on the fox’s condition. Blood pressure, emotional state, heartbeat, overall health. The fox was clueless to what they were doing to him, for him. He was becoming something better than anything organic life could make.

The metal paw rose so a pair of eyes could see it sparkle from the computer’s light, one of them a vivid red glow, and she spoke yet again, “Soon, I’ll be perfect, too. We’ll all be perfect…”

Tuesday, August 22. Six days after Nick’s kidnapping.

Grey clouds covered the sky and a cool breeze drifted through Zootopia that afternoon. After a week in Bunnyburrow, Judy got off the bus just two blocks from her apartment. She was exhausted and almost dragged herself and her bag to her apartment. When she got to the front door, she saw the police vehicle. Like Wolford said, he dropped it off at her apartment. A small smile spread across her face, but for only a moment.

She continued into the building and up the stairs to her room. She unlocked the door, and a waft of cold air blew in her face and she looked at the dark room. It was small, but cozy. The little bunny was surprised how much the journey tired her out, and she found her ears droopy and her lavender eyes struggling to stay open.

The trip to Bunnyburrow was fun and she was glad Chief Bogo made her go. He was right; she needed some time with her family and away from it all, but she was glad to be back. Though her family was at Bunnyburrow and a part of her would always be there, Zootopia was her home. This is where she belonged: in the thick of the action, doing her part to make the world a better place.

Judy slumped up to her bed and fell face first into it, her c-Phone in paw and her earbuds still in her ears, though they did not play any music. She was ready to go to sleep and wake up in time for a quiet dinner, watch a little YouTube, and go to sleep for the night, Tomorrow, she’d go back to work, ready to fix the mess she left behind and find Nick.

Nick…

Judy pulled out the white earbuds from her droopy ears and sighed into her pillow, her body feeling slightly heavier and her brain ready for an early-afternoon nap. Wolford and the rest of the ZPD surly have something waiting for her! A lead? A clue? Location? A suspect? She couldn’t worry about that now, she had to rest.

Tomorrow, first thing in the morning…

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Chapter 5 - Time With Family

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Judy walked down the stairs to the first floor, unsure of what she wanted to do. She could turn back to her room now, and maybe get an hour or two before Jackie comes to check on her again and bait her into going out. She stopped halfway down on the stairs to think, to contemplate whether to go through with this. Somehow, she was afraid, but she didn’t know what it was she feared. It was driving her mad. She leaned against the wall of the stairway and looked up. She wished the sky was there, maybe some clouds. The dull brown ceiling was not too great to look at. It was not helping with how she felt and the struggle within her own mind.

“What do I do?” she whispered under her breath, hoping that maybe God would provide a direct answer rather than a riddle. The pain inside was unrelenting. She closed her eyes, wanting to cry again, but her eyes felt spent of all the tears.

Jackie came around the corner and noticed Judy on the stairs. “You ready?” she asked with a smile, oblivious to her sister’s grief. Or perhaps it was a façade to hide her worry. She was in a teal colored T-shirt and brown cargo pants, and Judy was wearing a purple shirt with blue jeans.

“I guess so...” Judy replied, a little reluctant. Jackie walked towards the door, and she followed closely. When Judy got outside and stepped off the deck, she was greeted with the gracious scents of the farm and the warm morning sun. The sensation of home hit her yet again, but for all she knew, it’d fade away at a moment’s notice, like it had before. Good things never last, do they? Across the gravel driveway was a green pickup truck, probably around sixteen years old. Jackie walked around to the driver’s side and Judy got into the passenger seat. The vehicle started with little trouble and headed forward on the dirt road. Of course, Judy simply gazed out the window, trying to avoid any conversation as long as she could. But hardly anything slipped past Jackie, and she tried to talk with her.

“Since I know you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you right now, how about I ask how the city is?” Jackie said to her as they rode down the dirt road, away from the town.

“It’s alright.” Judy replied with little emotion, her stare unmoved from the grassy fields.

“Aw, come on! There’s gotta be more to it than that. The buildings are pretty fancy, huh?” Jackie was getting persistent.

“Yeah, they are.” Judy replied with the same emotionless voice.

“Which one’s your favorite?”

Judy thought that was kind of an odd question, but she sighed and answered truthfully. “Honestly, I don’t know.” She moved from the window and began to attend to her sister. “There are a lot of fancy buildings in Zootopia. I’m not sure which one’s my favorite.”

“Just name one that you really like.”

Judy had to think about this one for a little bit. Way too many cool buildings to name one right off the bat. “I guess I’ll have to say the Rhino’s Horn. Every time I look at it, I just stare in awe. It’s just so different from the rest.” If felt good to actually say something, yet at the same time, it was painful.

“I’ve heard of that one.” Jackie replied. She had a warm smile on; satisfied that her sister was actually talking to her. “It sounds pretty fancy.”

“Yeah.” Judy was suddenly hit yet again with the question of what Jackie was planning. “So, what are we doing?”

“We’re gonna go fishing.”

“Really?” she asked with a very subtle hint of excitement.

“Yup. Just gonna catch and release for a little bit.”

“I don’t know if I’m still good at it.” Judy’s ears drooped even lower; her pessimism was showing again.

“Don’t worry, it’s not gonna be a contest.” Jackie laughed. “Just a little fun for you and me. You up for it?”

“I don’t know, Jackie…” Judy replied.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s roll!” Jackie cranked up the radio, blasting country music, and began to drive faster, making the ride much bumpier. After hitting a large bump that made both the rabbits bounce from their seats, Judy smiled. And Jackie smiled as well. She still knew how to get to Judy in the best way.

“Faster?” she asked Judy.

“You bet!” she replied enthusiastically. She felt the vehicle speed up dramatically and listened to the engine roar as it crossed the bumpy, green fields. Jackie was surprised at Judy’s sudden change of attitude. ‘Works every time.’ she thought to herself.

“Come here you little scamp!” Jackie said, trying to reel in the giant trout she and Judy had been chasing for over an hour.

“There!” Judy exclaimed. “It’s getting closer!”

“You have the net ready?” she asked.

“Yep.”

The fish came slow and steady to the reef. It was fighting as hard as it could, but Jackie managed to keep it under control until it got to the shore. Judy walked into the water, pant sleeves rolled up, and carrying the net. They had it cornered. She was ready to throw the net over it, when it suddenly swam forward, towards land. It bolted past her and turned to travel along the edge of the shore, escaping from Jackie’s hook.

“Hey! Come back here!” Judy commanded as she chased after the fish. He was quite smart, but he was not going to get away this time! After she ran for it a few yards, it crossed her path again, swimming towards the deep water. Judy swung her net down at the fish like a golf club. The fish dodged it, and Judy slipped and fell into the water. Her pants and half her shirt were all wet. Judy turned her head, and she saw the fish swim away, back into the lake. She let out a defeated sigh. “Dang it.” she breathed.

Jackie ran in the shallow water to where Judy was. “Did ya catch it?” she asked.

“He’s gone.” Judy replied. “Sweet cheese, he’s smart!”

“I know. He’s been teasing me for weeks. Little smartass.” Jackie looked down at her sister. “Need a hand?”

Judy took her hand, and lifted herself up, water dripping from her clothes. As soon as she was steady, she began to slip and slide in the water. “W-woah, woah,” she quietly yelped as she regained her balance, and they chuckled. Judy yelped and immediately fell forward, face hitting the water. Lifting her head up, her face was now wet too. She huffed in frustration. Jackie crouched down and laughed at her sister. Judy looked up at her, and a devious smile spread across her face. She tossed some water at Jackie.

“Hey!” Jackie kicked some water at Judy, and she returned the favor again. Judy got up on her knees, and they continued to giggle and throw splash after splash at each other.

“Quit it!” Judy said.

“You first!” was Jackie’s reply. Jackie began to run towards the truck and Judy soon followed. She almost waddled over because all her clothing was wet, cold, and sticking to her fur. Jackie took a look at the watch she had on.

“Oh, it’s getting close to lunch. We should get home and dry up. I have something else planned for the day, too.” Jackie began to load the fishing supplies back in the truck.

“Something else?” Judy asked with enthusiasm.

“Yup. Hey, can you go grab the poles and the cooler?”

“Sure thing.” Judy ran back to the shore and gathered the stuff they had brought out there. She could see the trout jumping from the water like a dolphin. It HAD to be taunting them. “One day, I’ll get ya, you little snitch. One day.” she muttered. She took the poles and the rest of the fishing gear back to the truck, and returned for the rest as Jackie loaded the items in.

She felt… good. The doe hadn’t even realized that for a brief moment, she forgot about all her worries. But as soon as she was alone with her thoughts again, the grief came back.

12:32PM

Wolford left WhichWay restaurant with a sub-sandwich in a bag in paw and he breathed in the nice warm air. It was lunch break and he picked up something to eat while he worked, plus it gave him a change to stretch his aching legs.

It didn’t take long to return to the ZPD, and when he walked in, he was able to see a European badger in a SWAT uniform wandering around the building in boredom. His thoughts elsewhere, the badger had bumped into a squirrel, causing her to drop a binder.

“Oh, sorry.” the badger said, kneeling down to retrieve the binder. “I wasn’t wa – uh… hi…” He was cut of mid-sentence when he looked up and their eyes met.

Army-green connected with aqua-blue. The female squirrel seemed almost as confused as he was, being that her nose was twitching. She wore a grey dress that went to her knees and black leggings, a pencil behind her right ear and her fur a gentle grey as well.

“Yeah, um,” The badger broke eye-contact and picked up the binder, standing up as he handed it back to the squirrel. “Here,” he said, trying his best to offer a decent smile.

“Thanks.” the squirrel replied as she smiled back, taking her folder back and meeting his gaze yet again as she walked past him, making her way to the Zootopia Times room.

Even after she fixed her gaze in front of her, the badger smiled and continued to watch in wonder, rotating on his heel. The color of her eyes, the way her tail flicked, it had caught him off guard.

“Opti!” A voice called from the bullpen, snapping away the badger’s attention. “Let’s go!”

It was a jackal wearing similar gear to that of the badger, most likely on the same SWAT team. The badger quickly walked towards the bullpen to continue his duties, and with that, Wolford turned and continued to the stairwell with a shake of his head and a smile. He had seen Nick give that same stare to Judy. He headed up the stairs to his office.

Will opened the door and turned on the lights to get back to work. Bogo had assigned him and Fangmeyer on Nick’s missing mammal case, and he was determined to deliver his upmost focus. Will laid his lunch on the desk and opened two folders he had brought in that morning and had already read. One was Nick’s, and the other was everything they had on the raccoon that took him, which wasn’t much. Not even a name. He was basically starting from scratch, but he was committed to the task. He opened his laptop and returned to searching the database for a raccoon who might match this guy. Ironically, the program responsible for that was unsuccessful, so their job just got that much harder. Fangmeyer had his paws full with the decrypting of locations and another case at the same time, so it was mostly up to Wolford to figure out who this guy is.

The wolf heard a knock on his door. Before he could even get up, Bogo had already opened the door. “If you get something, don’t tell Judy until next Monday at the least.” the buffalo warned. “She needs time to pull herself together, understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Will replied.

“Good. I’ll leave you to it.” Bogo turned and left the office, leaving Wolford in the quiet of his office.

-

After lunch, Will worked as hard as he could for the next six hours, and still had almost nothing. He had a few pictures and some connected lines drawn on the corkboard in his office, but nothing that would tell him anything. The building was becoming vacant as the day officers had left, and the night shifters were already on the job. Pacing around and clicking a pen in his paw, he tried to find something to go on. His train of thought went on nonstop. It ran all over the place and stopped nowhere. Eventually, something clicked. He remembered when Judy got a call from a blocked number, and it was the same one that she and Nick had found in an apartment to a missing mammal, to Ridley.

“If the number that Nick used to call Judy is the same one that the ferret had in his apartment, then is the ferret tied into this?”

This made his eyes wide with anticipation. He remembered the ferret, Ridley Mark. Judy was assigned to find him before Nick himself was kidnapped. ‘Couldn’t hurt to look, right? He quickly left his office and went up the hall towards Judy’s. He looked out into the main lobby, which was quite vacant. Only a few mammals mingling together in small groups and Clawhauser at the receptionist’s desk, most likely listening to Gazelle. He turned his head away from the hallway and made it to Judy’s office, or rather the one that her and Nick shared.

He checked the doorknob, and it was unlocked. He entered the room, turned on the light, and immediately checked the desk. It did not take him long to find it. Checking it to make sure all the documents were in there, he closed it and headed towards the door. He stopped and took one last look at the room before leaving. It was very clear which desk belong to Judy, and which one belonged to Judy. Judy’s desk was tidy and well-kept. Everything was organized and symmetrical. On the other paw, Nick’s desk wasn’t necessarily a mess, but nowhere near as neat as Judy’s. Folders and papers were almost haphazardly tossed into piles and shelves, and the trash bin was overflowing with crumbled paper balls, while a few more surrounded the bin itself. Wolford smiled at this little comparison, and continued out of the office, shutting off the light and closing the door.

He headed back to his own office uninterrupted. He immediately sat down, opened the folder, and began to investigate. Only a few minutes in, and he already began to draw some connections, which he marked using the corkboard, red string, and red thumbtacks.

9:43 PM

Judy and Jackie spent the whole day together. First, they had gone fishing, then they had lunch with some old friends and then headed to the local bowling alley afterwards. After dinner came and went, Judy returned to her room. She plugged her c-Phone into the speaker on the bedside table, played some music, and looked through all the stuff in her room. Everything that she left behind since leaving for Zootopia was in there. It brought back some good feelings. She was looking around the old room, taking in all the old memories. She noticed one of her old posters: an 80s rock band one she got from Jackie. She wasn’t a big fan of the band, but it made a neat addition nonetheless. It was fastened with tape to the wall above her dresser. She approached the dresser and pulled the top drawer out, and inside it, she had colored pencils, pens, and a small stack of 9 x 12 drawing sheets. She collected the items in her paws, flopped on the bed, and took up drawing that night. Hours passed, and she created fourteen new drawings. Judy was a good artist. Not quite as good as her cousin, Winter, but she was still excellent. Some of her drawings were of just of the fields or a maybe little bit of Zootopia, but most of them had Nick in them; nine sheets with her fox in it. Some were her and Nick, some others were Nick and her with others. A familiar song began to play as she finished up the last picture. She worked extra hard and extra careful on this one.

”I remember when we used to laugh
About nothing at all;
It was better than going mad
From trying to solve all the problems we’re going through.
Forget ‘em all!
Cause all those nights, we would stand and never fall.
Together, we faced it all.

Remember when we’d…

Stay up late and we’d talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those Nights kept me alive!

Listen to the radio play all night.
Didn’t wanna go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those Nights kept me alive
Oh, oh”

-

The last one she drew was of Nick himself. All that patience and careful work brought out something beautiful and perfect. It looked almost just like him. The ears, proportions, and the texture for the fur were all perfect. Her sorrow had returned and attempted to numb her emotions again. She grazed her paw over the sheet, just begging to feel his fur again.

“Oh, Nick. Where could you have gone?” she whispered with grief. The tears were about to flow again when Judy heard a knock on her door, breaking her trance.

“You in there, Judy?” Jackie asked.

“Y-yeah.” Judy replied, flipping the sheet over. “Come in.” Jackie walked in the door with a smile, but she also seemed concerned about something. ‘It’s me. It’s always me.’ Judy thought.

“You alright?” Jackie asked with the door halfway open.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Judy didn’t know if this was a lie or not. Hanging out with her sister was great, but a void still existed. “Why do you ask?”

Jackie opened the door further and took a step inside. “No reason. Just wanted to show you something. Come on.” She reached her hand out towards her sister. Judy remained silent and still as she looked at Jackie’s hand, unsure of what to do.

She didn’t want to leave her room or drawings, but she allowed Jackie to grab her paw and lead her around the halls and through the back door. Judy was still a little down even after hanging out with Jackie that day. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now, just like yesterday. She had tried so hard to shut herself off from everyone.

She and Jackie had walked far enough that the houses could barely be seen. Judy was slightly annoyed by the fact her sister led her out here and hadn’t spoken a word yet, so she asked,

“What is so far out here that you want me to see?”

“Just look up.” Jackie replied, without stopping or moving her head.

Judy looked up for the first time after they went outside, and she noticed all the stars. Hundreds of bright clusters, each with more stars than she could count. She was struck with awe and wonder; her mouth gaped open at the sight.

“Betcha you don’t get this kind of view in the city, do ya?” Jackie asked playfully, glancing back at her sister.

“Not even close.” The doe took a breath, forgetting all her worries for just a moment. “How did I not remember this?”

“Seems you’re too hooked on city life, huh?” Jackie teased.

“I guess so. Just… wow!” Judy stared in awe at the beauty of the night time stars. The city never gave her this kind of view, but she never knew how much she truly missed it.

“Right here.” Jackie pointed at two bald spots surrounded by the tall grass. “I found this old spot where we ripped out the grass as kits so we’d have a comfy place to lie down and enjoy the stars. Took a bit of work, but I fixed them up like we had them before. I did this a few times every month because I missed you a lot.”

“Aww, Jackie… You did that for me?” Even though Judy knew Jackie loved her, she was still shocked that she loved her THIS much.

“You know it, Sister.” Jackie sat down in the bald spot on the right, and Judy took the left. “It’s great to have to have you back, even if it is for just a little bit.”

“Jackie, you’re the sweetest. Really.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Judy and Jackie both laughed as they both lay back with their heads on the grass and admiring the stars. “So, I hear you have a fox friend.” Jackie asked.

Judy was caught off guard by that question, but why else would Jackie have brought her out here? Her doubts and sorrow threatened to consumer her again, rolling in like storm clouds, but she pushed them away for the time being.

“Yeah. I’m the one bunny that has a predator as a friend.” she admitted.

“Tell me more about him. Something about him has been troubling you, right?”

Judy sighed, and decided to come clean about her friend. “I met Nick when I first moved into city.” Judy started. “He seemed nice at first, but I quickly realized he was just as sly and untrustworthy as any other fox was. At the time, I was a meter maid. He told me that my dreams of being a real cop were just that; dreams. They were never meant to come true. He told me that the philosophy of Zootopia was a lie, that I can’t be anything I want; that I can only be what I am. He was seen as a sly fox, so he took the role and title, and he said that I was just a dumb bunny.”

“He called you dumb?!” Jackie ruefully asked.

“There’s more, don’t worry about that.” Judy countered. “The next day, I couldn’t find any sort of hope for my dream, and I had no idea why. I wondered if what he said really got to me. But then, I got a taste of what I wanted. I chased down a ferret that stole some midnicampum holicithias plants from a flower shop. It felt good being a real cop, even if it was only a taste. I was almost fired for leaving my meter maid post, but I got a second chance, and a case to search for a missing mammal, an otter.”

At this point, Judy’s voice was bland and low, like a robot, not even thinking about who she was telling the story to, but imagining everything as she told it, seeing it again in her mind.

“Turns out I needed the Nick’s help to find him. He knew the otter, so I got his help, and he got me a plate number for the last vehicle anyone saw the otter go in, and the last anyone had seen of him since. One thing led to another, and my chief had had it up to here with me, so he asked me to turn in my badge. I was devastated. Only two days, and my dream was already falling apart. As I was about to hand it to him, ready to accept his decision, Nick stood up for me. He… defended me. My chief had given me a deadline when I first started, and Nick made it clear that I still had some time to find the otter. As we were leaving the rainforest, he had a story of his own when he was a kit.”

“What was it?” Jackie asked as she sat up, interested in the story.

“He told me that all he wanted to do was be with the ranger scouts, even if he was the only predator. But the other members in the troop were all prey, and they were jerks too. Th-they put…” Judy was having trouble telling her sister the horrid story. “…a muzzle on him. The other members made fun of him for being a predator, for having to wear the muzzle because he could turn savage and hurt them.”

“That’s awful!” Jackie stated.

“Yeah, it is.” Judy said, extremely down. “Anyway, they teased him, and he never returned to the group. He told me he learned two things that day. The first was he was never gonna let anyone see that they got to him. The second was how he was living his life since that moment to when he met me. If the world is only going to see a fox as untrustworthy, then there’s no point to being anything else. And… I told him that he was so much more than that. I saw in him what no one else did. After years of playing the part, he finally stood up for someone, stood up for me because he… cared for me. He wanted me to keep going. He wanted me to find the otter. And we did find him. And now, it’s been a year, and he still cares for me. And I care for him because… he understands me like nobody else.”

“Nobody else?” Jackie teased, but Judy did not catch the joke, still in her own little world. “So, where is he now? Did he leave you? Did he hurt you?”

“No, he’s… gone. He was kidnapped.” Judy’s sorrow had returned. She sat up to hug her knees and try to control her rising heartbeat. “Other cops in the precinct are trying to find him, but I’ve just been so… so lost without him. I feel like… a part of me is gone. And I don’t know if it’ll return… if he’ll come back, or even if I’ll ever find him. What if I don’t see him again?” The tears were starting to roll down Judy’s cheeks.

“Don’t worry, little sis.” Jackie tried to comfort her mournful sister. “The ZPD is full of good cops. They’ll find him. YOU will find him.”

Judy looked at her sister. Normally, she would have been stunned of how much she understood her or how she didn’t even ask why Judy has a fox friend. But she was numb to all feelings but grief, so she didn’t question it; that’s just how Jackie was.

Judy wiped the tears from her face. “Thanks, Jackie.”

“Anytime. You need a hug?” Jackie opened her arms, and Judy immediately fell right into her.

“Yes.” she sobbed. “I miss Nick so much.” Judy’s tears were flowing again. “How will I work as a cop without him? He’s what made being cop worth doing.” She was sniffling and trying to keep from crying all over her sister, but it was a futile attempt. She slumped down and laid her head on Jackie’s lap. “I just want him back…” She pulled her knees closer, trying as best she could to curl up in a ball of sadness. Her beautiful amethyst eyes were now moist and full of grieving.

“I told you, you’ll find him. Just don’t give up hope.” Jackie said, soothing her sister and stroking her ears. “Shh, don’t cry, baby sis.”

“Do NOT call me baby sis.” Judy did not like the name, but that didn’t stop Jackie from teasing her.

“Okay… baby sis.” Jackie teased again.

“Stop!” Judy protested.

“Baby sis!”

“STOP!”

“Ooh, does that make you mad?” Jackie started to tickle Judy.

“Ah! Yes! Yes it does, STOP! Stop it! Jackie, STOP!” Judy couldn’t talk over the laughter from her sister’s pestering. “STOP!” She protested again, but Jackie refused. She knew exactly where Judy was the most ticklish. “That’s it!” She jumped on Jackie and started to tickle her as well.

“Hey, that’s my job!” Jackie complained, barely holding her laughter in. “No fair!”

“All’s fair in bunny love and war!” Judy proclaimed.

They continued to roll around in the tall grass for a good while until they were both exhausted. Neither could continue to pester the other. They just lay in the grass, taking deep breaths and observing the stars until they could muster the energy to head back. Judy still missed Nick, but being with her favorite sister under the stars in the warm summer night made her feel better, made it easier to process all that was happening and think clearly. She couldn’t dream of having anything better, except for having Nick by her side. As soon as she got back to the city, she’d do everything in her power to find him. She felt something good after what felt like an eternity of grief and emotional numbness. She felt some sense of completeness.

“I’ve missed you, Judy.” Jackie said with sincerity.

“I missed you too, Jackie.” Judy replied with the same honesty.

“If you ever need me, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.” Judy gave her sister yet another hug, and they lay back down to rest.

It was nice and quiet out in the field. No city noises, no annoying siblings, just them, alone, in the warm summer night beneath the stars. Judy and Jackie both loved it like nothing else. They had always done this as kits, but it was even more wonderful now after years of separation from each other.

Jackie went into aviation and vehicles, and Judy had to go to the academy for her officer training. They hadn’t seen each other for four years, and this was something they missed dearly. Each of their schedules had demanded too much, making something as simple as seeing each other a difficult task.

-

“Judy. Judy, wake up.” Jackie whispered as she shook her little sister’s shoulder; Judy had fallen asleep outside.

“Mm?” was all she replied with as her eyes barely crept open.

“Judy, it’s getting late. What do you say we head inside before it gets cold?”

“Mm. Ok.” she replied. “Help me up?”

Jackie playfully sighed. “Alright.” She conceded and helped Judy to her feet, but she was too tired to walk. She made it a few feet, and then she collapsed back down on the grass. Jackie giggled at this.

“Can’t walk; too tired.” Judy said drowsily.

“Alright, fine. I’ll carry you.” Jackie slid her arms under Judy’s legs and head, and picked her up. Judy was already trying to snuggle with her sister. “You know, you get awfully clingy when you’re tired.”

“Mm…” Judy’s nuzzled her face into Jackie’s shoulder.

“You’re not gonna give me a real answer, are you?”

“Mm…”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Jackie chuckled.

She carried Judy all the way across the field back to the house, and even brought her to her room. She lay Judy down on her own bed, and put her blanket over her. When she started out of the room, her eye caught the pictures of the fox, Nick, on her desk. Jackie smiled. He seemed like a great guy, and being as optimistic as she was, she could practically see Nick being found; maybe in a few years the two would make her an aunt again…

With a chuckle to herself, Jackie closed the door and left Judy alone in the dark room. She held onto her pillow and snuggled into it to make up for her sister’s absence, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

-

It was dark in the lonely building, the air cold and moist. All that could be seen was darkness as a little chair stood in front of a computer and a desk, while several papers and metal parts lay strewn across the metal table. A heavy metal door opened, and a raccoon scurried across the room to the back of the chair.

“Doctor,” he said quietly. “This is the most progress we’ve ever made on a fully functioning organic body, and he’s recovering well. The organic matter that remains is adapting quickly, and the results are better than hoped.”

“Does he still require nurturance?” the unseen animal from the chair asked.

“Yes, for now.” the raccoon said and held out a yellow folder. A small metal paw grabbed it. “All external limbs have been replaced, including the ears, for the time being. We hope to do the tail next, but that will take months.”

“Of course.” The voice from the chair said approvingly as the animal read the folder. “And, how are the other tests subjects progressing?”

“Steadily, much like the fox.” the raccoon answered. “But all the same. The process is slow, but it’s as necessary. We cannot risk another death.”

“No, I agree. You are doing a fine job.” The voice paused as the metal paw rested the folder on the desk. “I want you to make sure no one in the city knows or suspects a thing. We are not ready to share our goal. I want eyes on the ZPD, the ZBI, Town Hall; I won’t rest until we are sure we aren’t watched.”

“Yes, Doctor.” The raccoon said with a slight head bow.

“Especially after the incident from the day after you retrieved the fox!” the voice raised a little. “We cannot have another one of those. You understand the risks, do you not?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Thank you. You are free to go.”

The raccoon nodded and hurried out the door and closed it behind him. The animal reread the documents and records in the file on the fox’s condition. Blood pressure, emotional state, heartbeat, overall health. The fox was clueless to what they were doing to him, for him. He was becoming something better than anything organic life could make.

The metal paw rose so a pair of eyes could see it sparkle from the computer’s light, one of them a vivid red glow, and she spoke yet again, “Soon, I’ll be perfect, too. We’ll all be perfect…”

Tuesday, August 22. Six days after Nick’s kidnapping.

Grey clouds covered the sky and a cool breeze drifted through Zootopia that afternoon. After a week in Bunnyburrow, Judy got off the bus just two blocks from her apartment. She was exhausted and almost dragged herself and her bag to her apartment. When she got to the front door, she saw the police vehicle. Like Wolford said, he dropped it off at her apartment. A small smile spread across her face, but for only a moment.

She continued into the building and up the stairs to her room. She unlocked the door, and a waft of cold air blew in her face and she looked at the dark room. It was small, but cozy. The little bunny was surprised how much the journey tired her out, and she found her ears droopy and her lavender eyes struggling to stay open.

The trip to Bunnyburrow was fun and she was glad Chief Bogo made her go. He was right; she needed some time with her family and away from it all, but she was glad to be back. Though her family was at Bunnyburrow and a part of her would always be there, Zootopia was her home. This is where she belonged: in the thick of the action, doing her part to make the world a better place.

Judy slumped up to her bed and fell face first into it, her c-Phone in paw and her earbuds still in her ears, though they did not play any music. She was ready to go to sleep and wake up in time for a quiet dinner, watch a little YouTube, and go to sleep for the night, Tomorrow, she’d go back to work, ready to fix the mess she left behind and find Nick.

Nick…

Judy pulled out the white earbuds from her droopy ears and sighed into her pillow, her body feeling slightly heavier and her brain ready for an early-afternoon nap. Wolford and the rest of the ZPD surly have something waiting for her! A lead? A clue? Location? A suspect? She couldn’t worry about that now, she had to rest.

Tomorrow, first thing in the morning…