The I.D. Fox

The I.D. Fox

About a month after Judy Hopps had triumphantly solved the biggest missing mammals case in Zootopian history, Chief Bogo called her into his office. That had to be a good thing...right?

“Hopps,” he said, “I want you to know that the proposal offered to you after you cracked the missing mammals case still stands.” Judy was taken aback. Did he really mean…?

“The proposal, sir?”

“Yes—to become the public face of the ZPD.”

“Thank you, sir, but I--”

“Not on the same grounds as that idiot Bellwether suggested, but because you've proven yourself to be quite capable of presenting our image to the public.” Judy brightened.

“You mean my speech at the Academy graduation? You—you liked it?” Bogo gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“That information does not leave this room, Hopps.” Judy suppressed a smile.

“Understood, sir. I would be delighted to accept this proposal—if Officer Wilde is included as well.”

“You want me to what?” Nick asked Judy as she maneuvered their patrol car through the streets.

“I want you to be part of this initiative.” She rehashed her meeting with Bogo for about the fifteenth time. Nick watched her drive, seeming to scrutinize her over the top of his shades.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to be in on all that rainbows and sunshine of yours?” Judy gave him side-eye. This was harder than she'd thought it would be. She'd figured he'd jump at the chance for attention.

“I'm going to take that as a compliment. And, you're my partner, so why wouldn't I?”

“O-kay. What else you got?” Judy sighed. Was he fishing for compliments, or was he just being flat-out annoying?!

“Look, Nick...No matter what you would have everyone believe, you're a good guy, and you're a good cop. You deserve the recognition just as much as I do.”

“Well, if you put it that way...I'm in.” She glanced his way, and spotted a flash of warmth in his eyes before he pushed the shades back into place.

Judy brought Nick to see Bogo before any of them could think about changing their minds. After all, it was hard to tell what they gotten themselves into; it was one of those things that was easier said than done, the kind that sounded good on paper, but was hard to pin down.

“Hopps—you are responsible for the rhetoric that goes into this. I want full control of the format—that is, once it's determined.”

“Sir? What about me?” Nick asked, although—typical Nick—he wasn't about to go hanging onto the chief's every word.

“Your job, Wilde, is to not screw this up.”

“Hmm—that might be a tough one,” Nick deadpanned. Judy ignored him.

“Sir, may I suggest that we start with some sort of PSA?”

“A public service announcement?” Bogo's tone betrayed his piqued interest. “That is an excellent idea, Officer Hopps.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Very well, a PSA it is, then. Moving forward—We at the ZPD are in need of a new image. While our relationship to the city has improved in the past months, the fact remains that we must change our image from the ground up if we are to cement the trust we've gained from the public.”

“And how do we do that, sir?” Much to Judy's relief, this was proof that Nick had finally decided to make an actual contribution to the conversation. Bogo seemed to agree, because he said,

“Excellent question, Wilde. I believe the best way would be to provide some sort of comic relief to counter the effects of the Bellwether debacle.” Judy and Nick exchanged looks of bewilderment, but Nick promptly schooled his features.

“We can talk about how 'anyone can be anything' and how there's a lighter side to the ZPD. Show everyone that police officers can be fun, too.” Judy suggested. But Nick had other, less relevant things on his mind.

“Okay, buddy—who are you, and what have you done with the Chief?”

“I am NOT amused, Wilde.” The buffalo gave him a stormy look, but it was quickly replaced by a rare--and all the more unsettling--smile. “But, I rather like your concept, Hopps. And Wilde-- thanks to your usual shenanigans, you've just given me the perfect idea for our little PSA.” They briefly went over some details. When Bogo wasn't forthcoming about his vision of the big picture, --instead employing his usual conference closing remark, “Go away”--Judy and Nick took their leave.

“I can't wait to see what Bogo has planned! It sounds...interesting.” Judy said brightly as the two walked back to their cubicles.

“You are such a suck-up,” Nick teased.

The next morning, Judy alarm went off at the exact same moment as her phone rang. Quickly silencing her alarm with one paw, she answered her phone with the other. “Hello?”

“Hopps. Rather than report to the precinct this morning, you are to meet me at ABZ studios. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” The line went dead.

When Judy arrived at the T.V. station, Bogo was waiting for her. “Are you ready, Hopps?” Before she could answer, a loud yawn echoed through the lobby; Nick was here. His uniform was askew, his fur was mussed...and he looked incredible. At least to her. But Bogo was going to blow his top… “Ah, there you are, Wilde. This way.” Why wasn't he getting on Nick's case, the way he usually did? That was weird…

“Here we go—the set. Be ready to shoot in twenty minutes.” The room was filled with camera crew, lighting guys, you name it. He handed each of them a script and went to talk to someone about props.

Judy was confounded; Nick was scared out of his mind. They were doing this with no rehearsal?! Leave it to Bogo.

They were standing in front of a quasi-bathroom dominated by a shower. “Carrots, are you seeing this?!” Judy was still taking in the set; it was hard to miss.

“Yeah...”

“Not the set, Carrots. It gets worse. The script.”

“Nick, I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason...”

“Ten minutes 'til we roll!” someone shouted. Judy looked at the script. The lines marked with her initials seemed okay. She put every ounce of concentration she could muster into memorizing her lines.

The next thing she knew, a prop guy tossed a dress at her, then a long, silky scarf. She didn't have much time; luckily, the dress would fit over her clothes. She had just finished knotting the scarf when she realized Nick was nowhere to be seen. They must be dolling him up, too.

“Five, four, three, two, one...And action!” The curtain was pulled aside. “I want to know if I can live with what I know. And only that.” Nick was in the shower, wearing nothing but a towel. Judy gaped in awe. The burgundy shade was a nice compliment to his fur, and...Sweet cheese and crackers! This was nothing like that business call to the naturalist club. She didn't mind seeing the whole Nick Wilde...in fact, she liked it. So, she breezed up to him, just as the script called for, and delivered her lines almost breathlessly. It wasn't all acting...

“There's something about him I can't resist. Is it his eyes?” Nick tossed his fur as if he were a model, giving the camera a brooding stare. When he stepped out of the shower, Judy was close enough to kiss him, and she wasn't opposed to the idea.

“Is it his smile?” Nick gave that little half-smile of his, the one that used to annoy her, but she now found strangely appealing.

“Is it his…?”

“Stop! If you must love me, love me for my I.D.!” Nick brandished his badge. His eyes were laughing, but he stayed completely in control as he held Judy's gaze.

“And, CUT!” The director's call broke the spell.

“Well done, Hopps, Wilde.” Bogo strolled up to them. “All that remains is for me to record the voiceover. Go on and get dressed; you're on break until I'm through. I'll be in touch, and then I'll expect you back at the precinct.”

Judy and Nick left the studio, falling into step side-by-side like they always did. The studio had felt stifling, but it felt great to get out. “I worked up an appetite from all that A-list-worthy acting,” Nick said with a smirk. “Wanna grab some lunch, Carrots?”

“Sure! How about The Dunes? I love their chopped salad!” Nick rolled his eyes and shrugged.

“You outrank me, so...But I don't know how you stay on top of your game subsisting on that, that—rabbit food!”

“Nick!” She wanted to be mad at him, but she couldn't keep from laughing. As soon as she pulled herself together, she chased him all the way to lunch.

He beat her there, but only by a nose. Once they sat down and placed their orders, Nick asked, “So...how's it feel to be poster bunny?”

“Well, I--”

“Modesty is overrated, Carrots. Tell me how you really feel.” How could she, when he'd read her hesitation wrong? The second she'd seen him in that towel, she hadn't given a single thought to the real purpose of the shoot.

She was still mulling over what to say when their food arrived. Nick dug right in and, thankfully, didn't notice that she had stayed silent. But, after a moment…

“You know, Carrots, you were really rocking that dress; if you ask me, the scarf was ridiculous, but you made it look good.” She almost choked on her salad.

“Whoa, there, Fluff. Can't a guy give his friend a compliment? You bunnies...so emotional.”

Right as they were ready to leave, Bogo called. “Well, Carrots, we'd better get a move on before we incur 'the wrath of Chief Buffalo Butt', he taunted. Judy wanted to remind him to take their boss seriously, but, suddenly, she had a more pressing thought.

“Hey, Nick—At the shoot today? You looked pretty good yourself.” His eyes went wide as saucers for five seconds before he caught himself.

“Of course I did. I just didn't think that a bunny bumpkin such as yourself could appreciate such a foxy physique, like, say, that of yours truly.”

Nick...” He sighed.

“Okay—no more hustles. I like you, Judy. Are you pulling my tail here, just trying to beat me at my own game?

“Of course not, Nick.” She put her paw on his arm. Stifling a chuckle, she added, “I've learned a lot from you, but I know better than to use most of it.” She looked up at him, smiling. “I never say anything unless I really mean it.”

Nick was speechless. But only for a minute. “So, how about it, Carrots; can we give this—thing—a try?” Judy playfully batted her eyelashes.

“Deputy Wilde, I thought you'd never ask!” She surprised them both by leaping up to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Still stunned, Nick made a mental note to buy himself a red towel.

They walked back to the precinct paw-in-paw, greeted by Clawhauser's incredulous gaze. The cheetah opened his mouth—to squee, no doubt—but closed it the second he saw Bogo coming. Ignoring Clawhauser entirely, the chief took in the sight of his two best officers displaying their affection. “Just as I suspected,” he thundered. Then his eyes softened—slightly. “I just knew that shoot would do the trick. My work here is done.” Without another word, he turned and strode back to his office.