Warning. Ending of the first half has... wrestling ;)
Context: After being kicked out of the interspecies family’s house, Bogo assigns the partners paperwork to be done by the next day. So Wilde and Hopps must pull an all-nighter in their office at the ZPD.
It was business as usual in the ZPD that night. The chilly midnight air blew through the lobby every time a different mammals’ shift was over. Judy and Nick had been doing paperwork and filing reports for hours and had only made a small dent in the pile. Nick hadn’t been much help since his mind was still stuck at the interspecies couple’s house. He couldn’t shake the words out of his head: You thought it’d be okay to bring that kind of mammal here!? That kind. That kind. That kind. Nick tapped his pen on the wooden desk as the thoughts grew louder and louder. Judy looked up from the other end of their desk but didn’t say anything, probably knowing what the issue was. Nick’s emerald eyes met hers and he sighed, putting his pen down. With a small smirk he said, “It’s past midnight. Technically it’s tomorrow. Whatd’ya say we just stop and admit our failure to Buffalo Butt in the morning?”
Judy rolled her eyes, smiling. “You know we can’t do that, Nick.” The tedious work had not been helping with Nick’s inner turmoil and his shoulders sagged as his heavy lidded eyes glanced at the stack of manila envelopes. “I think we could take a small break though.” Judy stretched out her arms and yawned loudly.
“Good idea, Fluff.” Nick pushed the papers to the opposite end of the desk and then slumped back in his chair.
“What’s wrong? Are you still thinking about earlier?”
“No,” he grumbled. Criminal. Thief. Con. Thug. All the labels he’d been given throughout his life rushed through his head. “Yes,” he admitted. “After all that time we spent watching their house..” His voice trailed off as he replayed the events in his head for the millionth time.
Judy exhaled audibly. “Yeah, I know”
“I almost wish we let the protesters stay all of those days if that’s the thanks I would get.”
“I don’t think it was about you, Nick. Maybe it was something else,” Judy reasoned.
Nick closed his eyes tightly so not to snap at her. “I’ve been going through this my whole life, Judy. I know what this looks like.”
Judy’s brows furrowed. “But he seemed too angry for it to just be about--”
“Yeah, angry that a Fox was in his house.”
“But he’s a predator too. That doesn’t make sense.” The sound of the janitor going into the bathrooms echoed towards their office. Nick lowered his voice and spoke quickly, remembering that they weren’t the only ones in the building.
“Do you really think all predators are treated the same? While I get labeled the shifty criminal, he’s labeled as cool and athletic. Sure he might get followed in an expensive store as well but I doubt anyone assumes he's a liar just from his appearance.” Nick thought of the words Chief Bogo said when they had first met in the Rain Forest District. You want me to believe a fox? Nick leaned forward, resting his chin on a paw and waited for Judy to respond with her optimistic point of view.
“You’re right.” Judy smiled sadly. Nick had to blink a few times before he understood. He was so used to mammals disagreeing with him when it came to social issues. So used to being dismissed and doubted that he had already planned out his responses to her possible arguments. That’s my girl. He hid a smile.
“Wow. So no ‘Not everybody sees it that way, Nick’ or ‘You should just prove them wrong.’ This is new.” Nick raised the pitch of his voice to a falsetto when he imitated some to the usual phrases Judy used.
Judy playfully punched his shoulder. “I don’t sound like that!”
Nick imitated her again. “What, like this?” He tried to make his voice as girly as possible to get even more of a rise out of her.
“If I sound like that.” Judy adjusted her voice to an astoundingly low tone. “Then you sound like this.”
Judy smiled when Nick’s mouth dropped open. “Okay, I was not expecting that. You actually sounded like a guy.”
“What do you mean, Nick?” Judy kept her low pitch and grinned even more when Nick stared at her, wide-eyed and unbelieving. Judy opened her mouth to continue her provocations, but Nick stopped her, covering her mouth with his paw.
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m not hearing that voice in my nightmares tonight.” Nick moved his paw away and cracked a smile at Judy who was holding her belly with laughter. “Is this why your parents call you Jude the Dude?”
Judy’s brows shot up and she looked around. The ZPD was mostly uninhabited and the only mammal nearby was Howard, the janitor. Nick, knowing that she hated the nickname, smirked at her moment of distress. She pounced on him. “I’m going to kill you!” Nick only had a millisecond before the angered bunny had knocked him out his chair and onto the floor. The chair clattered loudly beside him and suddenly he was on his stomach with his arm bent awkwardly behind his back.
“Holy shit, Carrots! Do you take steroids with your coffee every morning?” Nick squirmed but Judy wouldn’t let up.
“Take it back, Wilde,” she growled. Nick looked up to see that she was trying not to laugh and he relaxed. When he felt Judy’s grip loosen, he took his opportunity, and spun over her, holding her wrists on either side. Judy gasped in surprise at the smug Fox above her. “I was just about to let go of you! Not fair!”
Also, sorry to the followers of the fawnpup story who have been asking me about it and being really patient. The next part will not have such a big wait.
Context: News has been circling Zootopia for the past 2 weeks about the biological anomaly that is the fawn/pup. A baby was born from a Coyote and a Doe! Not everyone is accepting of this phenomenon so Wilde and Hopps have been assigned to watch over the interspecies family.
The other parts can be found by searching “#fawnpup” on my page or my Ao3 page.
Aurora shot up and walked towards her fiancee with a look of irritation. She turned towards the stunned officers while pulling Damien out of the room. “Excuse us for a moment.”
“Oh. Sure,” Judy stammered over the cries of the baby. Nick was bouncing on his toes in an attempt to quiet Sammy. He’d enjoyed the pup until this moment but continued trying to sooth him. Judy worriedly stared up at Nick and then towards the hallway outside of the room. Nick heard hushed whispers that he couldn’t make out over Sammy’s drawn-out whines. Sammy began to quiet down and, Nick began plotting his, and The Fluff’s, escape.
Damien’s voice rose to audible levels, though it was obvious that he wanted to yell his restrained words. “So you thought it’d be okay to bring that kind of mammal, here!?” Judy glanced up at Nick again with confusion showing in her eyes. Nick realized that Damien was saying this because he was a Fox and it felt like a slap in the face. Nick wanted to scold himself for believing that a uniform and badge would change what mammals thought about Foxes. His expression showed no sign of his the painful realization and he continued on as if he hadn’t heard a thing. Aurora shushed Damien but his voice just grew louder. “If you wanted company you could have found anyone else!” Sammy went off again and his mother came back to calm him with Damien following behind.
“I’m sorry,” Aurora said, quickly as Nick placed the pup in Aurora’s arms. Damien stood in front to his fiancee, glowering at the officers. His stance was protective as if he expected the them to hurt him or his family.
“Our Chief Officer is expecting us soon so we should probably go,” Judy spoke once Sammy quieted.
“You probably should.” Nick’s body tensed when he heard the venomous tone aimed at his partner and he focused on steadying his breathing. Damien’s words had been controlled, but his clenched paws and glaring eyes hinted at what he was holding back. He’s been through a lot recently. Nick kept repeating the words in his head so not to do something stupid.
Aurora stepped out from behind the Coyote with with watery eyes, speaking in a hushed voice. “Damien, please.”
When he heard her shaking words, Damien’s attention turned towards Aurora and the pup, a look of concern in his eyes. His body relaxed and his jaw unclenched before he turned back to Nick and Judy. The two had been slowly inching towards the hallway only to stop once the Coyote focused on them again. “Just.. Please. Leave.” His narrowed eyes met Nick’s, and on the last word a heavy tension fell between them.
One corner of Nick's mouth lifted and he tilted his head. “Well would you look at that, Hopps!? He said please.” Nick continued in his patronizing tone, “Maybe he does know some manners after all!” Nick didn’t get to see the reactions to his statements since The Fluff found it necessary to rush him out of the house just as he was finishing.
Judy continued pushing him quickly down the walkway until they reached the sidewalk. “Okay! Okay, I’m going.” Nick let her launch him forward, smiling the whole way. She tapped her foot, frowning up at Nick in the way that always made him slightly nervous. “Well howl about that,” Judy ignored Nick’s joke and moved towards the police car. Nick lifted his arms in a What did I do? gesture, and then joined his partner in the car.
Judy pressed her forehead on the steering wheel. “That wasn’t funny.”
“The objective of a pun, Carrots, is to be corny- not witty” He knew that she hadn’t been referring to the pun but the thought of the Coyote made him itch to go back inside the house and force some knowledge into the guy’s brain.
She slowly lifted her head and rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean, Nick. You didn’t have to tease him.”
“Well if I hadn’t then I probably would have done something to get myself fired, Sweetheart. Already on strike four with Bogo cause of that ice-cream incident.” Judy seemed to consider his words as she started the car. They drove in silence to the ZPD. Nick tried not to think about the altercation, but the scene kept replaying in his head.
“Do you know why I asked for you two to come here?” The angry Buffalo enunciated every syllable of his question. Nick and Judy stood in the front of Chief Bogo’s desk shifting uncomfortably in silence until Nick spoke up.
“We would if you told us, Chief.” He used a cheerful tone tone to cover up his annoyance.
Chief Bogo slammed his paws on the desk and leaned forward to see the partners. “The interspecies family has insisted that we keep away from their property. Any idea on how this could have happened?” Judy and Nick shared a glance and then stared back at Bogo. Judy began to speak but Bogo cut her off with a raised hand. He lowered his voice, “Since you two have been out, a stack of paperwork has built up in your office. I was considering letting your coworkers handle it but I’m sure you two can get it all done by tomorrow.”
“TOMORROW?!” The two yelled the word in unison.
Bogo relaxed in his chair seeming satisfied with their response. “The coffee machine is in the break room. Feel free to use it. Don’t let the door catch your tail on the way out.”
Context: After being invited to the interspecies family’s house, Nick gets to hold the pup while Judy watches thoughtfully. What ever could she be thinking about? ;)
For the other parts search “#fawnpup” on my page :)
Thanks to @hellbringer-666 for helping me write some of this. Go look at his page!
“So I know you saw all the protests and the crude things people said on the news.” Aurora led them into the cozy, dandelion-yellow room. Nick noticed a framed professional-looking picture of the pup in some silky blanket. “But most are some really supportive mammals who send letters like the ones here.” She pointed at a large cardboard box beside the grey sofa. It had a picture of a fawn with the words “newborn playset” on the side. “You wanted to show us a playset?” Judy asked. Aurora shook her head. “Well there was a playset but we’re trying to reuse some of the bigger boxes. This one has letters of encouragement and support in it.” She adjusted the newborn so she could have one arm free and pointed at the box.
Judy jumped up and peered into the box that stood as high as her ears. “That.. Makes me feel a lot better about the state of Zootopia,” Judy said, letting out a relieved sigh. Nick felt a warm wave of relief as well. Constantly being around ignorance and hatred had made him start to lose the hope he had accumulated after joining the ZPD. The Doe nodded and fished out a light blue envelope. Nick noted the way she carefully removed the paper inside.
“ I wasn’t going to show this to you guys but something made me think you might need it one day. It’s one of the letters that specifically resonated with me and Damien because we had another pup.” Aurora smiled sadly as she handed the letter to Nick. The two watched her with confused expressions until they understood her meaning.
Nick unfolded the paper and leaned on the sofa so that Judy could read it too. Aurora played quietly with her son, her back to them, as they read. Their expressions saddened as they progressed down the letter and, when they finished, Nick let out a long breath. He looked down to Judy who was leaning on him just slightly. She appeared to be deep in thought. “We’re sorry about… your loss, we didn’t know.” Judy spoke cautiously in a soft tone. Aurora shook her head “Don’t worry about that. I like to think it was meant to be this way. I’m a hot mess with just one kid. Could you imagine the chaos of two?” The pup gave a hiccup as if in agreement. Aurora and Judy giggled while Nick kept silent. He was stuck on what she had said. He found it strange that she had lost a child and was giggling about it only two weeks later. Aurora’s gaze turned from the baby towards Nick, almost seeing the thought in his mind. “But…” Nick began but was stopped by Aurora putting her hand up and shaking her head once. “Let’s move to something that can be changed,” Aurora said as she moved towards him. “Non-baby holders are not allowed in this house. So if you plan on staying another second you can stick your arms out right now.” Nick, feeling uneasy towards the idea, stood frozen and looked to Judy for help. Judy crossed her arms with an amused smile. “Well what are you waiting for, Slick Nick? Are you afraid of a two week old baby?” She was enjoying this, he realized. He narrowed his eyes at Judy and made a mental note to mess with The Fluff after they left.
Nick awkwardly held his paws out and his eyes widened as the baby was placed into his arms. Aurora helped him adjust to the correct position. “Here, just support the head. Yep. Just like that. Hey, you’re a natural!” Her encouragement made the Fox give a soft smile. Nick adjusted Sammy a bit more and Judy spoke up. “Nick! Support the head!” Nick, finding a comfortable position, put on an offended expression. “I don’t know if you heard, Carrots, but I’m a natural.” He gave a Hrmph sound and turned his attention back to the pup. Judy grinned shaking her head at him.
“Carrots? Is that your nickname, Judy?” Aurora questioned.
Nick answered for Judy. “It’s something I call her. She does have a nickname though. It’s Jude the-”
“Alright! We don’t need to talk about this right now!” Judy interrupted. She gave Nick a look that promised revenge later. Nick responded with a satisfied smirk.
Aurora went to sit on the couch behind them, letting Judy and Nick have time with Sammy. The squirming pup shared more traits with his Coyote side but he had his mother’s eyes, ears, and snout. Nick looked down at the cute, big eyed, little honey-brown furball staring up at him and was at a loss for words. Judy moved closer and trailed her fingers along the pup’s paw feeling the unbelievable softness of his fur. The pup automatically grasped at one of her fingers and squeezed causing Judy’s ears to drop at the moving sight. Nick gently shifted his weight from side to side so that he could rock the wriggling pup and saw that Judy was watching him with a thoughtful look. Her eyes were unfocused as if she were imagining some scenario or idea, causing Nick to wonder what was going on in her head. It made him want to squirm as much as Sammy, but he kept his nervous energy under wraps. Nick lifted an eyebrow, daring her to say something which caused her to look down at Sammy again. Uhm…What was that about? The squirming pup finally relaxed and seemed to snuggle further into Nick’s arms. The simple act made warmth spread through Nick’s chest. “Oh he’s adorable!” Judy cooed, looking back at Aurora who was snoring quietly on the sofa. Judy lowered her voice .“Oh.I guess she was serious about getting sleep whenever she could.”
The peaceful atmosphere dispersed when suddenly a booming voice filled the room. “What are you doing in my house?” The voice questioned, waking Aurora in the process. All three stared at the large, intimidating Coyote and Sammy, who had been startled, began to cry.
Context: This is one of the letters sent to the famous interspecies family in Zootopia. They hold this one dearest. For other parts search “#fawnpup” on my page.
Hello,
I don’t know if you’ll ever read this since I’m sure you get your share of good and bad mail already. This will probably get lost in the masses of letters but I’m writing this anyway. I have to tell somebody. I need to.
My name is Eve and this is my third attempt at writing this damned letter. I know, I know: Strange way of starting a letter but I’ve decided to just tell you my honest story without a filter. Two years ago I had a calf whose father was a different species. Surprised? Thought you’d be. Not many know of this since the father and I decided to keep it a secret.
We had one of those loves that thrived on adventure and secrecy. I was a librarian and he was a “songwriter” that was unemployed on the side. We did silly immature things that seemed so cool and daring to my boring life. Things that always ended with us running fast, while holding paws, away from some shop owner or security guard we had messed with. The thrill of almost being caught, and knowing that I was doing what my conservative parents could never imagine, was an addictive rush. He and I were exciting and electric and I’m smiling just thinking about that summer. All the stories and laughs…
Anyway, we really could have really used you and your partner as a reference since, soon after, we learned that mammals of different species could reproduce. Apparently this guy could get me pregnant from across the street because a few months later I was peeing on a stick. His response to the news was a stupefied “Oh.” Classic, right? Needless to say, we were scared out of our minds and never shared the information with anyone. My wardrobe changed to baggy layered shirts and stretchy pants and he got an actual job. My roommate minded her business and when the time came I had the baby in my bedroom. We were too afraid to go to a hospital
I don’t know why he never asked me if I was unfaithful. It would have been the logical response to the impossible predicament we were in. He immediately assumed he was the father and.. I guess that’s just how we were. I trusted him with my life and the pregnancy made our connection grow deeper. I like to think we were strong back then.
We named her Daisy and she was so beautiful. She squirmed and cried and curled up in my arms. Her father had his arms around us both as we watched her tiny movements and all the fears I had of being a mother were washed away.
She was weak though so she didn’t stay with us for more than a few hours. The short time we had with her was a bliss that I won’t ever forget. I’d never cried so much in my life as I had that day. First there were tears of pain, then tears of laughter, joy, and love. Next came tears of uncertainty, fear, and confusion. Lastly, tears of despair. We were both in denial at first, but after her little chest hadn’t moved in twenty minutes, we knew. Somehow my mind held on to the idea that if I showed her how much I loved her that she’d come back. So I held her tight against me so that she could feel my heartbeat and I whispered little promises. The feeling of emptiness was overwhelming after I let her father take her out of the room. I will always wonder if she’d still be alive had we gone to the hospital.
We ended up taking a cab to the rainforest district. We were a sorry sight: A crying couple holding a basket with a soft blanket overtop. There, at 3am, at a lesser known river, we let her drift off.
I haven’t written his name because it still hurts to and its just easier so that no one can track this back to me. We tried to stay strong together but, as time passed, we only reminded each other of Daisy. Not that we could forget her, but being together wasn’t helping us heal. So we broke. Being around my family was hard. I went for my dad’s birthday and had to put on a fake smile so that they wouldn’t know. I remember my mom asking if I had found a boyfriend yet and I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. They still don’t know to this day.
People say that time heals and I guess that’s true. Most of the time, when I think of her, the memories are good now. The cute way her nose twitched or her father talking to my tummy before she was born. When I saw the news of an interspecies baby I instantly thought someone found out about Daisy but then I saw the picture of you two and realized that I wasn’t some biological anomaly. Knowing that your pup is alive and healthy gives me hope. I’m sure you’ll be seeing brave interspecies couples and families popping up in Zootopia now that you’ve started on the pathway that I was too afraid to walk. I didn’t just send this to you because I needed closure. What I want you to take from this is a sense of community. You two are not alone. You weren’t the only ones to go through this. And you’re stronger than I was. That alone tells me that you’ll make amazing parents to your pup. Don’t take any moment for granted.
Well...I was writing the fawnpup fanfic and it took a sad turn... So expect some heartbreak. My brain made me do it.. You'll see soon. Have some tissues nearby.
[Ok ok! Here’s your wilde-hopps moment.
Search “#fawnpup” on my page for the other parts]
Nick hesitated and opened his mouth to say something when the unmistakable sound of a baby crying stopped the conversation. Aurora’s head turned sharply towards the sound and her ears perked up. “Damien sleeps through everything so I better get Sammy. Hopefully duty does not call.” She left the room and when her steps became quieter, Nick spoke up, raising an eyebrow at his partner. “Well she’s a real chatterbox.” “Don’t say that! I think she’s really brave and strong.”
Nick leaned on the counter behind him. “They seem to be doing pretty well, though, considering what’s been happening.” Nick downed his lemonade and placed it into the already filled sink. The crying from the other room quieted and the two let out a breath. “Ok I’ve got one,” he started. Judy stopped drinking her lemonade. “What?”
Nick responded. “A pick-up line. So the girl asks the guy ‘Do you sleep on your stomach?’ The guy says ‘No.” What does the girl say?” After a brief pause, Judy said “I don’t know. Just tell me.”
“She says ‘Then can I?’”
“Hmm. It’s okay for something you just made up.” Judy laughed and moved to put her cup on the counter. “Oh. And just so you know, Carrots” Judy raised an eyebrow probably expecting a less than appropriate comment. “I don’t sleep on my stomach either.” This time Nick was expecting the punch and caught her paw pulling her closer. Judy narrowed her eyes at him trying to hold back her smile, but failing in the end.
“Oh!” The partners literally jumped away from their more-than-friendly proximity to each other. “Sorry if I’m, uh, interrupting..” Aurora was standing in the doorway holding her baby with a knowing smile. “I was just feeding him in the family room. I wanted to show you two something.”
This a continuation of an AU where news of an interspecies birth shakes up the inhabitants of Zootopia. Other parts are under “#fawnpup” on my page. Enjoy!
The two watched as the small crowd left the property. The words Nick read, “Devil Children Not Allowed in Zootopia,” “Mutated Mutt,” and plenty of others on the signs, made his blood boil. He recognized some of the mammals holding the malicious writings and realized, once again, that regular mammals from everyday life could hold plenty of hatred. Then he saw the children. “Who brings their kid to something like this?” Hopps spoke under her breath so that only Nick could hear. “They’re probably using them as examples to push their agendas. And they say these are the bad parents.” Nick responded, motioning towards the interspecies couple’s home.
“Do you have somewhere to be?” Nick almost growled the words out at the teenage antelope who stood unmoving on the front lawn. “Yeah.” The antelope’s surprisingly overconfident tone made Hopps raise her eyebrows in disbelief. “I need to be right here to keep my city safe. You should probably be thanking us for protecting Zootopia instead of making us leave.” Nick looked down at Judy with a strained smile that covered the murderous gaze coming from his green eyes. “Stay calm” Judy said through closed teeth so the antelope couldn’t hear. Nick took a deep breath and muttered curses under his breath.
“You need to leave. This is private property,” Judy spoke calmly. “You may think you’re protecting the city but all you’re doing is terrorizing an innocent family.” “Actually, Judy Hopps, you’ve got that mixed up. The family is the one terrorizing all of us.” The antelope crossed his arms and smiled down at her as if he had won an argument. Nick took another deep breath. He knew that Judy had been a small celebrity in Zootopia since the nighthowler case but he didn’t like hearing her name coming from the antelope’s mouth. “And how, exactly, is a two week old baby a threat to this city?” Judy tried to control her voice as she asked the question. The antelope paused and glanced over at the house. Nick leaned towards Judy. “Watch as the young antelope finds himself lost in thought; it’s unfamiliar territory.” Judy made a sound of agreement.
“I’m not leaving. If you want to arrest me then do it.” The antelope dramatically held his arms out. “Because I know it will be for a good cause. The news will cover it and I’ll be a martyr. What the-” Judy didn’t waste any time and managed to put the handcuffs on the antelope while he was still talking. “Nice sign.” Nick said in his usual sarcastic tone as they walked the insolent adolescent towards the ZPD car. His sign had the words: “Mutts are Butts” printed in a bright yellow that didn’t contrast well with the white construction paper. “It takes a really special mind to pull off all that creativity.” He emphasized the word special which made the antelope give him an irritated stare.
Judy radioed in and then drove up the street for a few minutes when the antelope spoke up again. “I bet you both think you’re soo open minded. Well if you were then you’d actually consider my words and see how unnatural those people are.” Nick put on a sympathetic voice. “Well, Todd, I’d like to see things from your point of view but I can’t seem to get my head that far up your ass.” Judy’s laugh broke the tension and made Nick relax a bit.
“H-How do you know my name?” Todd’s voice was stammering with his confusion. Nick gave a satisfied smile and waved the boy’s wallet in the air for him to see. “Todrick Mathison, Age 18. Oh your birthday just passed. I’d congratulate you, but I see you’re not an organ donor and I have to draw a line there. I mean if you’re dead then you’re not using it anymore, right?” The antelope stayed silent and Nick looked back. “Do you have nothing to say or are you struggling to understand,” Nick asked condescendingly. Judy pulled into the ZPD parking lot and hopped out of the car. They walked Todd towards the building, glad to turn the kid over to someone else. “You should really stop talking like I’m some idiot. I graduated highschool and got into the most prestigious university in Zootopia. I’m not some hillbilly who doesn’t know what he’s talking about” Judy rolled her eyes. “Well we’re glad to see that you’ve overcome all those years of education to get where you are today.” Nick stood,smiling smugly, next to the open doors of the ZPD and motioned for Todd to enter.
