Chapter Text
That carrot pen had been passed between them so many times it had almost become its own entity. Cared for, scrubbed and kept on a pedestal. Either one of them keeping it at their home on a little rack whenever theyd trade it back and forth.
Each time they finished a case, theyd send it back to the other with a new message theyd recorded, something to commemorate, perhaps, but now it was sort of a game.
Leaving messages for each other was a way of saying things either was afraid to. Things that either one couldn't muster in person.
They'd known each other for five years now, worked together officially for four. Dated for three. Two since he'd met her extended family, one since Stu started treating him as one of the bucks.
Apartments changed, so did the city, so did the job, so did they. A new mayoral election once again was arriving and with the recent exit of Bogo and promotion of Hoggbottom to precinct lead, the anxieties of work began flooding in to their personal lives all over again.
But that was fine. They had this, small single thing to keep them sane, and each other's grace to make the effort worth it.
Team work, makes the dream work. That was the mantra, not just for them but the whole of the zpd by now, a living credo for precinct one to run off ever since the Lynxley trial.
Nick basically had absorbed that idea wholesale. Where Judy ran, he followed, and in his mind, that was never going to change.
As he finished recording his new message for her and wrapping up their mutual ritual regift, he walked out to grab the bus back to work, ready for another day with her.
Lazily meandering the street and meeting up with her across from the familiar modern entranceway of precinct one, neither said a word. They didnt have to, a simple fist bump then walking perhaps a bit too close together, was enough.
"Hey Partner." His voice was quiet and understated, not to interrupt Hoggbottom shuffling papers. Judy stifled a smile and her desire to nuzzle closer into him.
"Oi. Enough with the PDA you two." Snapped the Boar as she slammed the dossier against the podium at the head of the bullpen, "This week Following up on the Hansen case, Hopps, Wilde. Court documents ready?"
"Filed and in the evidence lockup chief."
The rabbit wasted no time. She'd gotten this down to a science by now. Just enough acknowledgement to ensure nothing was left behind and nothing to incite hoggbottom's short temper. This, coupled with their immaculate track record made for an easygoing relationship with the new chief.
"Alright. Zebros, missing mammal in savannah district two."
Both of them did their usual, high five and headbutt after proudly announcing that the marmoset had in fact, been returned to his family safe and sound.
The Rollcall and followup took no time at all, but as soon as it was over Hoggbottom's expression became far more dour than usual.
"Sergeant's Hopps and Wilde; Fangmeyer and Delgato, Grizzoli and Anderson. You will be following captains Oats and Bucksby. Lieutenants Higgins and Bloats, Penington and Jackson and The Zebros. You will be attached to Captain Truffler and Snoutley."
Judy's ears pinned, it wasnt usual to have everyone assigned to a task all at once unless something big was going down. Nick's ears pinned because he couldnt believe he'd be stuck working with Oats again.
"With the upcoming election and candidate Lionheart's return campaign being... particularly controversial, there have been threats lodged against both candidates. Both teams are going to be running protection Detail. Weve got midshifters coming in to aid the detective division in your absence.
Oats's team, youll be running security detail for Mayor Bearniece Baribal. Truffler's team, Lionheart."
She pinched the bridge of her nose as she read the documents. "Theres been no proof of any actual activity but we need to take seriously any threats against either of the primary candidates, especially with rising concerns about Lionheart's... unique platform."
She stepped down from the podium and looked over the group in the room. "Clawhauser will coordinate from here for group B. Brie will coordinate with group A. Dismissed."
As they headed off to the equipment lockup to get prepped for the job, Judy couldnt help noticing that Nick's belt had gotten tighter again, his pants now ill fitting and looser than they should be. This was the second notch now over the last six months.
She'd asked him before about it, but he'd brushed her off. Both of them had gone to therapy for years about this, it wasn't like him to still keep her shut out. For whatever reason he just wouldnt budge.
"Yknow Carrots if you keep staring Ill end up with a hole burnt into my trousers."
The other officers snickered as her ears pinned, her toes tapping before she noticed and stopped herself. Now wasnt the time. If he wasnt going to open up to her privately, he wasnt going to do it in front of the others.
Judy checked out her dart gun. A standard issue tranquilizer launcher, capable of knocking out any mammal, as long as you loaded the right dart for the right size. Non lethal rounds were preferred, and the standard for the zpd. Discharging the device was a truckload of paperwork. Lethal rounds were a boatload.
Despite this, it was a bit large for her hands. That was of course the eternal deficit facing Standard Issue. Yes it was consistent, but it meant everyone got the same tranquilizer gun, the same darts and the same uniform tooling regardless of whether it fit the hands of a small, medium or large animal.
Worse yet, like most of the tools the ZPD had been granted under their new budget, they were all military grade which sounds lovely on paper until the officers realized that it just meant products made by the lowest bid contractor.
Moving to their squad cars, each team rolled out, prepared for the job.