Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

One of the nice things about Zootopia is all it had to offer. 

Mammals big and small had opportunities that those outsides of the city could only dream about. 

There was shopping, shows, dining, you name it Zootopia had it all. 

That didn’t mean the citizens always had busy schedules that required them to hurry about the metropolis with so much to do. 

There was nothing wrong with curling up on the couch with a good book or movie. 

Or in Judy’s case a certain brown cuddle monster. 

The bunny from the ZPD chuckled as she sat up on the couch, a remote in one paw as her other arm wrapped around a certain fluff ball's waist. 

Judy giggled as her couch mate wriggled in her arms, trying to adjust herself and find the optimal position for both cuddles but allowing her an unobstructed view of the tv in front of them. 

Once the brown doe in Judy’s arms finally settled, the storm gray bunny leaned close to her friend’s ears before whispering, “Comfortable?” 

“Your couch smells like fox,” the bunny mumbled as she placed her paws on Judy’s arms and snuggled up to her bunny pillow. 

“Well it is Nick’s couch,” Judy snorted as she nuzzled a cheek against the side of Trisha’s head. 

“Still,” the brown bunny grumbled but let out a sigh which was quickly followed by a yawn. “So what are we watching? Kung Fu?” 

Judy giggled and shook her head, “No, the new Furlight movie just dropped and i wanted to watch it.” 

The brown bunny in Judy’s arm let out a gag, “Not that romantic junk.” 

“I thought you liked romance,” Judy giggled softly as she gave her friend a squeeze around the waist. 

“Only if it involves you,” Trisha shot back as she wriggled in Judy’s arms, turning slightly so she could give her friend a wink. 

“I heard that,” Came an annoyed voice just behind the couch as a certain pawian-shirted fox strolled by.

“Good! You should be warned,” Trisha shot back without skipping a beat. “You know I plan on stealing her and taking her to a tropical paradise where we can start our own bar.” 

“Oh would love to see that,” Nick responded as he made his way to the kitchen. 

“Keep acting so smug slick and I may take her up on that offer,” Judy teased which earned her a nuzzle from Trisha who let out the softest of purrs. 

Once a certain annoying fox was clear of the room the two does focused back on the tv as Judy began to type the movie’s title into the search feature. 

After a few seconds, Judy let out an annoyed sigh as she realized the movie she wanted to watch was only available on a random streaming service she actually didn't have. 

Trisha giggled at the annoyed tone in Judy’s voice as she took her frustration out on the tv.

“I mean Nick and I already subscribe to like 6 streaming services! How many more do we need?!” 

“Apparently one more,” Trisha giggled only to snort as Judy tried to wiggle a paw against the brown bunny’s cream-colored stomach. 

“The streaming war has gotten pretty ridiculous lately,” Came Nick from behind the couch as he slowly lowered a bowl of freshly popped popcorn into Trisha’s lap. 

The fox had learned a long time ago that if he wanted some level of peace and quiet in his apartment it was best to ensure that a certain duo of does was well fed and supplied with snacks. 

Trisha adjusted herself and slowly placed the popcorn bowl onto her lap, glancing up at Nick and giving him a thankful smile. 

“We should start our own, that will show them,” Trisha suggested, giving her friends a wink before popping some warm popcorn into her mouth. 

“Oh that would be neat,” Judy said with a grin as she tried to grab some popcorn with her free paw only to have Trisha playfully slap at her. 

“Oh yeah, sure, don’t think they have made a rating for a Trisha+ channel,” Nick shot back. 

Trisha suddenly tensed up, her ears going erect as she slowly turned her head to look at Nick with a pair of brilliantly blue eyes. 

“Say that again!” 

“What? I was just implying that if you-” 

“No! The name!” Trisha continued excitedly as she started to wiggle in place, popcorn hopping out of the bowl and onto the couch. 

“Trisha+?” Nick said with some hesitation as he stared at the brown bunny whose eyes seemed to carry a mischievous nature. 

“I love it,” Trisha said as she settled against Judy, popping some popcorn into her mouth. “My own series of stories telling everyone why I am the true ruler of Zootopia.” 

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Nick grumbled as he retreated back to the kitchen. 

“And what kind of stories would this Trisha+ tell hmmm?” Judy asked as she set the tv remote down so she could wrap both arms around the doe using her as a cushion. 

While Trisha would normally hang on every one of Judy’s words the bubbly brown bunny seemed oddly distracted, almost like she was lost in thought. 

“Trisha+...stories…” Trisha mumbled as she munched on popcorn before letting out two more words, “World Domination…” 

Chapter Text

-Ride Along Part 1-

Another morning and another briefing from Bogo. 

Today was like most days in the ZPD bullpen. The officers would gather and sit for their morning briefing from their fearless leader. The water buffalo would enter to the thunderous stomping of hooves and chants that the chief secretly enjoyed, only to bark at his officers to quiet down so he could get to business. That is where the routine ended, though. 

One thing that was always constant at Precinct 1 was the uncertainty of the daily assignments. On occasions, officers would be given tasks from previous shifts, assignments that they had already been working on, or the development in a case that needed them to assist. Of course, there was also the myriad of random patrol duties and requests for assistance from other departments or local businesses. Not all the assignments were necessarily exciting. 

Sure, there was the occasional stakeout or maybe a raid on some kind of organized crime. 

Today though, there was-

“Paperwork!” Bogo barked as he looked down at the open folder currently sitting at his podium. “Some of you seem to think that this is optional, but I am here to inform you…” The water buffalo scanned the room before his eyes rested on Nick who returned the stare with a smug one of his own. “That every officer in this precinct is required to keep up with their paperwork.” 

“Good thing I have such a diligent partner,” Nick began as he gave the bunny sharing his seat a nudge. 

“About that,” Bogo said with a smirk that could be compared to a kit being told that they were having ice cream for dinner. The water buffalo shifted the documents on his desk and then held up a navy blue folder that was currently stuffed with mismatched papers. He then strolled over to the front row and slapped the folder on the desk in front of Nick whose ears flattened. Judy’s nose wiggled as she looked at the stack of papers before her eyelids drooped, her gaze slowly panning to Nick, who gave the doe a hesitant smile. “ZPD policy states that all reports must be signed by any officer present along with their own accounts related to the call,” Bogo said simply as he strolled back to his podium. 

The rest of the bullpen was filled with snickering and a few quiet jabs at the fox’s expense, only to fall silent when Bogo turned back to look at his officers. Nick gave Judy a smile as the bunny folded her arms. 

“Guess we are on paperwork detail today Carrots,” Nick began before Bogo cleared his throat. 

“No Wilde, you are on paperwork detail,” The chief explained as he flipped through his documents. The water buffalo smirked as he read over some of his notes before looking over his glasses at Judy. “Hopps, you are to do a ride along,” Bogo said which was met with a collective groan from the bullpen. “Oi! Shut it!” 

Ride-alongs, while fun for the civilian always led to some trouble when it came to the officers. Occasionally they would get a competent mammal who legitimately wanted to join the ZPD and just needed more information before taking the leap. Other times, though, had proven difficult. There were several cases where the ZNN would try and plant undercover reporters on these types of things to dig up a story. Or a mammal who was on a power trip and wanted to show off would try and ride along. Then there were the ones just trying to sweet talk their way out of a ticket they had been written, doing their best to befriend the officer only to ask for a favor at the end of the shift. 

Judy, however, seemed to sit up a little straighter at the assignment, her ears going up as she beamed at the chief. 

“Any details, sir?” Judy asked, her tail flicking slightly as Nick groaned and began to flip through the pile of paperwork he had been neglecting. 

“Why yes,” Bogo said, trying to contain his laughter. “Another bunny, actually. Guess she is a fan of yours and asked specifically for you. She will be waiting in the lobby at the reception desk when we are done here.” 

Judy’s eyes widened, and she beamed excitedly. 

The thought of another bunny joining the ZPD was terrific. There had been a pawful of attempts after her, but no one had really stuck just yet. 

Judy was ecstatic at the idea of helping a fellow bunny, so much so that when the briefing was over, she nearly darted out the door without giving Nick a quick pep talk about paperwork. When she finally left the annoyed-looking fox to his duties the bunny in blue happily skipped down the hall from the offices and into the large open atrium of Precinct 1. Her bright purple eyes darted about before zeroing in on the reception desk, which was currently occupied by a certain pudgy but friendly cheetah. 

The thing is, he wasn’t alone. 

As Judy approached the reception desk, she couldn't help but pause as her mouth opened with a surprised grin. Sitting on the reception desk was a familiar bunny. The doe who was currently chatting with Clawhauser giggled softly before her ears went up. The thick black tips looked as if she had dunked her brown ears into some paint. Judy slowly strolled over to the reception desk, her purple eyes meeting a pair of bright blue ones as Trisha turned and beamed at the bunny officer. 

“I didn’t know you were interested in the ZPD?” Judy pointed out as she stopped just short of the reception desk and put her paws on her hips.

Trisha grinned before hopping from the desk, landing just an inch away from Judy, who stood her ground, having grown accustomed to the bunny and her lack of personal space.

“Wouldn’t say it was an interest in the ZPD but more of an interest in the cute bunnies they hire.” The brown bunny gave her friend a wink before the two burst out into laughter and embraced. Judy wrapped her arms around her friend as Trisha nuzzled her cheek against the bunny in blue. 

“How did you even swing this? Isn’t there an interview process?” Judy asked as she finally stepped back to inspect her friend. 

She had to admit that it was odd seeing Trisha in something so…professional. 

Most ride-alongs took place after a quick interview in which the candidate was advised to dress professionally. Most of the time, this meant wearing a white polo shirt and black pants. Trisha of course had to put her own flair on it, having elected to go with a white sports polo that accented her figure nicely, along with a pair of black leggings that was the same material as Judy’s uniform. 

“Oh yeah, about that…” Trisha said with a smirk before her ears glanced at something over Judy’s shoulder before waving excitedly. “Thanks again, Chief!” 

Judy blinked before looking over her shoulder to see Bogo strolling from a pair of double doors and towards an elevator bank. The large water buffalo glanced up from some paperwork in his hooves, looking over the reading glasses at the pair of smiling bunnies. His lips curled into a smile before he spoke. 

"Bring her back in one piece, will you?"

"You got it, chief," Judy said proudly as she stood up a little straighter. 

"Wasn't talking to you Hopps," Bogo chuckles as he returned to reading his paperwork before passing a set of the elevator doors. 

Judy's ears fell behind her head before she looked back at Trisha, who scrunched her nose with a smug smile. 

"This is gonna be fun," Trisha said excitedly. 

"This is gonna be interesting," Judy shot back. 

"This will probably make the ZNN tonight," Clawhauser piped in which caused the two does to burst into laughter. Judy glanced over at Clawhauser who was having way too much fun with this situation, the corner of her lip curling into a smile. She then turned to Trisha, a serious look on her face. 

“Alright, Trish. Since you are riding along with me, you need to understand that you represent the ZPD today,” Judy began as she tried her best to remain serious in front of her friend, whose eyes brightened with a chaotic fire, her smile one of pure mischievousness, and her tail flicking rapidly. "That means you listen to my orders, you maintain a professional posture at all times, and you do not say anything disrespectful to anyone.” 

“Except firefighters, right?” Trisha asked playfully. 

Judy thought for a second, remembering the playful rivalry between the two departments. 

“Ok, so maybe you can make a joke or two if we end up helping them with perimeter work.” 

Trisha beamed and nodded rapidly. 

“Any questions?” Judy asked as she mentally prepared herself for the day. 

“Oh tons, but I will be sure to ask them at the most inappropriate of times,” Trisha said as she scrunched her nose. 

Judy couldn’t help but roll her eyes before glancing at Clawhauser, “Benny, give me strength.” 

“Oh Sugar, you are gonna need more than that today,” Clawhauser said as he smirked down at Judy, his eyes glanced back to where Trisha had been and he raised a brow. 

Judy caught on and turned, realizing her friend was now missing. The two officers scanned the lobby and spotted Trisha who was happily skipping towards a series of double doors that led to the armory and ZPD parking garage. 

“I’m just gonna go check out my grenade launcher, then I’ll meet you in the car!” Trisha cackled. 

“Oh, cheese and crackers!” Judy blurted out before making a mad dash after Trisha, who suddenly broke out into a run, her chaotic laughter echoing throughout the atrium. 

Benny watched as the two does hurried off, secretly wondering what kind of chaos was about to be let loose in the city of Zootopia. 

Chapter Text

-Snoball- 

Trisha sat cross-legged on the couch in the middle of her living room, an excited smile on her lips as she kept her paws over her eyes. 

Occasionally the doe would shift in her seat as she did her best to remain patient. 

"Can I open my eyes now?" Trisha asked excitedly as her erect ears shifted slightly in order to pick up the faintest of noises. 

"One second," Came an anxiously excited response just a few feet in front of the doe. 

Trisha began to shift her paw slightly only for another to reach out and keep it still, ensuring that the doe did not peak until her friend was ready. 

It was actually rather surprising that Trisha had gone this long without looking, especially given the fact that she had already gone most of the day eagerly awaiting to see what her friend Diana had been hiding. 

The bunny had received a cryptic text from her skunk friend earlier in the day, asking the bunny if it was alright for the striped mammal to come over and show Trisha something. 

While Trisha never needed much convincing when it came to hanging out with friends it was how mysterious Diana had been acting that really got her going. 

The doe had been told to leave her front door open and then instructed to close her eyes. 

“This better not be a ploy to steal my postcard collection,” Trisha chuckled as she shifted on the couch, her knees bobbing up and down. 

“Darn, you saw right through me,” Diana giggled before letting out a sigh. “Ok, I am ready.”

“I can open my eyes?” Trisha asked excitedly, her ears standing erect. 

“Yes.” 

The doe opened her eyes, however, she had neglected to move her paws. 

“Ah, I can’t see!” Trisha yelped playfully. 

“Oh, gods,” The bunny’s friend snorted. 

Trisha lowered her paws, her bright blue eyes adjusting to the bright sight that was standing before her. 
Her friend Diana had always been rather attractive, the skunk possessing curves that would make most mammals do a double take. 

The lovely mammal had prided herself on maintaining her coat, the sun normally glistening off her jet-black fur while the white stripe down her back and face would be especially crisp. 

That was before though. 

The mammal that stood before Trisha was…

…Pink!?

The doe’s eyes widened and she put her paws to her mouth, stifling a gasp at the surprising sight. 

Diana blushed slightly as she twirled in place, her black and white checkered skirt and matching top complimented the skunkette’s bright bubble gum pink fur. 

“Well?” Diana asked as she spun in place, her paws out at her side. 

Trisha remained silent as she studied the lovely creature before her, her paws still to her mouth as she tilted her head. 

“It took hours, they had to specially treat my old color out then we spent the rest of the day applying the new color,” Diana explained excitedly. 

Trisha was familiar with the procedure, having looked into getting one of her ears dyed in the past. However, it was rare for a mammal to get a whole-body treatment like Diana. 

It had actually turned out rather well and the skunk looked especially adorable in her new fur color. 

Trisha however was still uncharacteristically silent as she stared at her friend who adjusted her circular glasses nervously. 

“Do…do you not like it?” The skunk asked hesitantly.

Trisha slowly lowered her paws, a neutral look on her face before she stood up and strolled casually away into the kitchen. 

Diana felt her heart sink slightly, having expected a completely different reaction from her friend. 

A few seconds later the doe returned, only this time she had her paws behind her back as a mischievous smile graced her lovely lips. 
Having known Trisha for as long as she did the skunk knew the doe was planning something and studied the lagomorph with mild apprehension. 

Trisha then revealed what she had been hiding behind her back. 

It was a plastic bag that contained two small bright pink marshmallow-covered cakes. 

Diana watched and the faint smile that had been on her lips immediately vanished. 

“Oh come on!” The skunk groaned as her eyelids drooped. 

“I guess you have a new nickname!” Trisha finally said, bursting into laughter. 

“Unnnnnngh really?” Diana let out before she joined her friend with a series of embarrassed giggles. 

The bunny held up the small bag so it was in front of her face, she then looked from the small cakes to her adorably annoyed friend who folded her arms. She then looked back at the cakes, her tail wiggling excitedly. 

Diana put her paw to her forehead and grumbled. 

“Of course, you would-” 

There was a clicking sound like someone taking a picture which caused Diana to look up, her eyes wide with fear. 

Trisha was now holding her phone, having taken a side-by-side picture of Diana and the Snoballs. 

“Trisha!” Diana blurted out and dove for the doe who suddenly turned and scurried away, laughing manically as she did.

Judy was busy finishing up another report on her computer back at precinct 1 when her phone buzzed as it received a message. 

The bunny looked over her report as she absent-mindedly reached for her phone. 

When she was satisfied her report was free of grammatical errors she finally chanced a glance at her cellphone. 

The image that appeared on the screen caused her to let out a sudden guffaw, her ears going up as she looked around the bullpen where several officers looked at the bunny with concern.

After having caught a certain blue-eyed monster and tickling her till she begged for forgiveness Diana had settled on the couch in the living room. 

She wasn’t alone though. 

Trisha was catching her breath as she laid on the couch, her head resting on Diana’s lap while she happily munched at the bright pink chocolate cake she had used to compare her friend’s new fur color. 

Diana knew it was all in fun, however, which is why when Trisha offered the other Snoball cake she looked down at the bunny. 

She then plucked the cake from its packaging and studied it for a second before taking a bite. 

“Like it?” Trisha asked, her mouth full of the sweet snack cake. 

Diana munched at her own treat and nodded before looking down. 

She had to stifle a cough when she noticed Trisha comparing her to the cake once more, the doe holding her half-eaten Snoball next to Diana’s exposed thigh. 

Instead of getting mad though the skunk just got even. 

She scooped some of the marshmallow filling from her treat before placing it on Trisha’s nose. 

Chapter Text

-Cotton Chaos-

Being in such a large bunny family meant that Judy had a small army of nieces and nephews. 

While some of her brothers and sisters didn't have kits like her there were a few who settled down and did what many folks expected bunnies to do, multiply. 

This led to many large family gatherings and parties, but also the occasional need for babysitting duties. 

It wasn't like the parents would dump the whole litter on one of their friends though. 

Oh no, instead it was more common for the kits to be paired off and looked after by friends and family for a short while. 

Otherwise, some poor unsuspecting mammal would be stuck with 50 high-energy kits and a whole kerfuffle of trouble. 

One of Judy's sisters was visiting and while her husband was watching most of the kits she had brought along a few of her own. 

One, in particular, had begged and pleaded with her mother to come to the big city where her favorite aunt was currently employed by the ZPD. 

Cotton Hopps was…well….adorable! Like so freaking cute it was impossible not to immediately go "awwwww". 

Her light brown fur would sometimes have bits of dirt in it from her time running in the fields back on the family farm and her eyes were a bright green that matched her vibrant personality.

She was adored by her aunt Judy who loved every opportunity she got to spend time with her niece.

Unfortunately, as luck would have it there had been an incident in Tundra Town, and much to Judy's dismay she currently found herself kit-sitting her niece which meant she herself would have to find someone she could trust to look after the little bun while she and Nick responded to the emergency at work. 

As Judy quickly scrambled through her phone she cursed her luck as mammal after mammal's name flicked past. 

"Nope…already working…on call….why do I only have friends at the ZPD?!" The doe grumbled. 

Some bouncing on the bed next to her caught Judy's attention and she couldn't help but grin as she looked at her niece who was happily hopping up and down, a carrot plushie in her arms. 

"Why can't I come with you, Judy?" The small kit asked for what must have been the 5th time. 

"I'm sorry Cotton, I wish you could but I don't want you getting hurt," Judy said as she turned in her seat and let out a sigh as she spoke. 

"I won't get hurt! I promise!" 

Judy was about to speak when the phone in her paws vibrated. 

The bunny in blue looked down and her eyes brightened as she read a text message from a certain troublemaker. 

"This goofball sucked up my coloring book!”

Attached to the text was the image of a robotic vacuum with a party hat and googly eyes glued to its front, a destroyed coloring book sticking out from the front of the device. 

Judy beamed at the picture before typing out a quick question. 

“Trisha I need a favor!”

“If it involves torturing Nick I am so onboard!” 

After a few hurried text Judy finally looked up from her cell phone and beamed at her niece. 

“Hey Cotton?” Judy began sweetly which caused the bunny dancing on the bed to stop and smile at her aunt. “ How would you like to meet the Pumpkin Queen?” 

"Now remember you are to behave yourself," Judy said as she paced back and forth before the smaller doe who stared at her excitedly. "No making a mess, no drawing on the walls, no prank phone calls, and no junk food.” 

Cotton watched from her spot on the couch and giggled at the sight before her. 

A lovely brown bunny in a green shirt and jean shorts stood at attention, her paw raised to her brow as she gave a mocking salute to Judy who was pacing back and forth as she listed off the rules to the other adult in the room. 

The other bunny glanced over at Cotton and gave the small kit a wink which made her giggle and hug her carrot plushie closer to her body. 

Judy looked over her shoulder at Cotton and then back at her friend, her expression softening. 

“Seriously Trish I can’t thank you enough, it's an all-paws-on work situation,” Judy said as she placed a paw on the brown doe’s shoulder and gave a squeeze. 

Trisha’s own paw went to Judy and she beamed at her friend, “No worries cutie, I will keep her out of trouble.” 

“And what about you?” Judy asked huskily. 

“Oh I said I would keep her out of trouble, I make no promises for myself,” Trisha said with a playful wink. 

After another quick pep talk with her niece, Judy hurried out the door, Trisha seeing her friend out as she reassured the concerned doe there was nothing to worry about. 

While Cotton had been excited at first the sudden absence of her aunt made her a little nervous and she squeezed the carrot plushie she had brought with her close. 

There was silence in the living room and Cotton’s ears perked up as she began to wonder where Trisha was. 

Her curiosity was answered as Trisha slowly came into view from above, the bunny having climbed up over the couch and perched there so she could lower her head down into Cotton’s view. 

The smaller bunny blinked a few times but then began to smile at the bright blue eyes before her. 

“Pssst…Cotton,” Trisha whispered which made Cotton loosen her grasp on the carrot plushie. “Wanna have a royal tea party?” 

Cotton suddenly wiggled in place. 

“Ok but first you have to help me with something,” Trisha continued to whisper.

Cotton tilted her head slightly, “OK?” 

“We can’t have a royal tea party without cookies…so we have to make cookies.” 

Cotton’s heart skipped a beat and her eyes brightened. 

“And if you behave and promise not to tell,” Trisha began as she glanced from side to side, still upside down. “I’ll let you lick the bowl.” 

Cotton froze and her pupils dilated at the offer. 

With such a large family back in Bunny Burrow Cotton had never had the chance to participate in such a divine gift. 

So many brothers and sisters meant that to keep the piece her mother just scooped up every bit of batter and denied any of the kits such a treat less a whole war break out. 

Now though Cotton was on her own, with no brothers, sisters, or cousins. 

Just her and this goddess who promised her what few kits could ever dream of obtaining. 

After Trisha was finally able to calm Cotton down she carried the excited kit into the kitchen with her and plopped her down on the counter where she gathered some ingredients. 

Cotton was a great help, especially when it came to spilling flour on the counter, cracking the egg and letting it fall on the side of the bowl, and of course, taste-testing the chocolate chips. 

Trisha however never missed a beat and would comfort the bunny even when there was a little spill and say how she had trouble aiming the egg into the mixing bowl all the time. 

Eventually, they managed to get the batter mixed up, both of them covered in flecks of flour which Trisha insisted was actually magic snow she had gotten from Tundra Town. 

Cotton helped scoop the cookie dough from the bowl and onto a cooking tray, making a series of mismatched lumps that Trisha gushed over, insisting each one was perfect. 

When Cotton reached into the bowl she managed to get just enough dough to make a small cookie but Trisha stopped her. 

“Alright that's enough, no more room,” Trisha said quickly, and before Cotton could react the brown bunny opened the oven and slid the tray in before closing the door and beaming at her kitchen helper. 

“Auntie Trisha there is still some dough!” Cotton giggled. 

“Oh?” Trisha asked, tilting her head as one of her ears lowered slightly. She then walked over and inspected the small lump in Cotton’s paw. “Well darn…the oven is already closed.”

Cotton looked at the small lump. 

“Guess that's just part of the bowl clean up,” Trisha whispered into Cotton’s ear before nuzzling her nose against the kit’s cheek. 

“Really?!” Cotton burst out excitedly. 

Cotton couldn't believe it, she got to lick the bowl and have some cookie dough, this was…the bestest thing ever! 

“Now don’t you tell your auntie or mom ok?” Trisha chuckled before looking at the reader of this story. “And I don't want to hear about the whole raw egg ingesting thing from all you keyboard nutrition experts, let the kit enjoy some cookie dough!” 

Cotton looked up, her mouth full of doughy goodness as she held what was left of the cookie dough lump in her paw. 

“What?” Cotton asked, unaware of what a wall break was. 

“Nothing cutie,” Trisha said sweetly as she plucked a small piece of dough from Cotton’s paw and popped it into her mouth. 

In order to attend a royal tea party one must always dress the part. 

Fortunately for Cotton Trisha seemed to have a small wardrobe of royal tea party capes ready and waiting. 

The brown bunny tied a dark blue cape with stars and a half-moon to Cotton’s shirt and the small kit suddenly felt a surge of energy as she suddenly darted around the room. 

She wasn’t alone however for as soon as she calmed down and turned to look at Trisha she saw the brown doe adorning her own dark green cape with the picture of a pine tree in the center of a shield. 

Trisha struck a heroic pose before smirking at Cotton. 

“Pinecone!” 

Cotton tilted her head in confusion, “What?” 

“Nothing cutie.” 

Cotton giggled as she looked up at Trisha, “You are weird Auntie Trisha.” 

“And you are small and ticklish,” Trisha pointed out. 

Cotton realized too late what this all meant and was immediately scooped up by the playful bunny who poked at the smaller kit’s sides. 

“Ah! No! Ahahahaha! Stop!” Cotton pleaded as she squirmed but Trisha just nuzzled her face into the side of Cotton’s head and continued the attack. 

After Trisha had gotten her fill of Cotton’s sweet giggles and laughs the two settled down in the living room where Trisha wheeled out a low table that even Cotton could sit at comfortably. 

They then set up their little tea party with freshly baked cookies, milk they pretended was tea, and of course fancy hats. 

Trisha let Cotton wear her crown and instead wore a pair of goggles she had lying around from one of her other many outfits. 

Cotton was overjoyed by the fancy tea party and even more so when the other “Guests” arrived. 

As Cotton munched on another cookie and Trisha sipped at a cup of tea, pinky up of course, an odd chirping sound suddenly echoed through the small apartment. 

“Oh dang I forgot to tell them to skip today,” Trisha grumbled as she scooped up her phone which had been sitting on the table.

“Who?” 

“My minions,” Trisha said nonchalantly as she scrolled through her phone. 

“You have minions?!” Cotton blurted out as she stood up and bounced excitedly. “Where?” 

“Would you like to meet them?” Trisha giggled. 

Cotton nodded her head rapidly, her ears flopping as she did. 

Trisha chuckled and let out a sigh as she set her phone down, “Alright, I am sure they will be here in a minute.” 

Cotton tilted her head slightly before she looked up at the sound of a thump coming from the hallway that led to Trisha’s bedroom. 

Another thump echoed in the apartment and Cotton became a little concerned but Trisha’s unconcerned nature kept her calm. 

After a series of thumps, which grew steadily louder, Trisha’s minions finally made it into the living room. 

Several robotic vacuums of different shapes and sizes scurried about the floor, bumping into one another or the furniture, sucking up crumbs and dust, and occasionally knocking something over. 

Cotton’s eyes brightened however as she noticed each one had a pair of googly eyes glued to them along with silly hats and even a few flailing slinky-like arms. 

“If they bump into you just give them a push on the snout,” Trisha said as she took a bite of another cookie, acting like this was a perfectly normal situation to be in. 

Cotton squealed excitedly as a small box-shaped robot bumped into her leg, chirped, and turned around before slowly rolling away. 

“That's Gregory,” Trisha said as Cotton watched the small robotic vacuum bump into a chair nearby. “The other one on the edge of the rug is Sonya, that one stuck behind the lamp is Trogdor, he is special.” 

Cotton giggled at the sight of one of the larger robots stuck between a standing lamp, it slowly trying to wiggle out before chirping angrily. 

“Oh and can’t forget Mo,” Trisha said as a small white square-shaped robot zoomed about, leaving a trail of wet streaks behind him. “He is a mop vac.” 

There was a loud thud coming from a closet in the living room and Cotton looked over. 

“No, Bruno! You ran over my coloring book! You are in time out!” Trisha barked. 

Cotton glanced over at Trisha and raised a brow.

Trisha noticed the young bunny looking at her and took a moment to simply say, “We don’t talk about Bruno,” Before sipping some tea from her fancy glass. 

Between the cookies, milk, and all the excitement it was no surprise that Cotton was soon tuckered out. 

The small kit fell asleep on the couch as Trisha cleaned up from the tea party. 

When she returned she noticed how Mo seemed to have shut down at the edge of the couch, almost as if the little mop vac was watching after the kit. 

Judy eventually returned to pick up Cotton, using her key to get into Trisha’s apartment she tiptoed into the apartment hoping to catch the two off guard for a sneak attack. 

When she came around the couch though she couldn't help but put a paw to her chest at the adorable sight. 

Trisha was lying on the couch, Cotton curled up on top of her and nuzzling into the brown bunny as they both snoozed. 

The two looked rather peaceful as they slumbered, so much so that Judy couldn’t help but snap a picture. 

When Cotton returned to her home back in Bunny Burrow she had all sorts of stories to tell her siblings. 

Her favorite from her most recent trip however was the tea party she had with the Pumpkin Queen and her minions. 

She was of course true to her word and neglected to speak of the cookie dough.

Chapter Text

-Trisha in charge- 

Weddings are always such a wonderful affair. 

Celebrating a couple's oath to one another as they take the first steps on a new exciting journey is always fun. 

Of course, it's not always a stress-free event. 

Plans have to be made. 

Venues booked. 

Caterers hired. 

And that is just the bride and groom. 

Guests of the wedding have to book hotels, find travel, and sometimes leave a chaotic brown fluff ball in charge of their livelihood. 

Echo was currently standing in the center of her bar. 

The 10-7 was not just her livelihood but it was her home, her refuge, her everything. 

This was why she had a look of hesitation on her muzzle as she stared at the three mammals standing before her. 

There was Em who Echo could depend on for just about anything. 

The otter had proven time and time again she was the right choice as a second in command at the 10-7. 

Then there was sweet Taco, the white bunny with black spots up and down her fur, while a bit of a goof was so pure and innocent it was hard to really hold a grudge against her. 

The innocence and responsible nature of these two mammals however was immediately negated by a certain grinning brown fuzz ball who was rocking back and forth on the balls of her large rabbit feet. 

It was kind of amusing to Echo the dilemma she was in. 

She trusted Trisha with her life and knew the bunny would do anything in her power to keep the painted dog safe. 

The only problem was she had a bit of a mischievous nature that would make almost any manager concerned. 

Echo’s concerned concentration on the three barkeeps before her was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of her brother. 

“Hey Sis! Ready to go?” 

Echo glanced over her shoulder at another painted dog who was standing in the threshold of the 10-7. 

“One sec Delta,” Echo grumbled before looking back at her barkeeps. 

Trisha was standing on her tippy toes, waving excitedly at her mate who was standing at the front door to the 10-7. 

Echo rolled her eyes before clearing her throat. 

“Alright so schedule is up,” Echo began. 

“Back room is stocked,” Em chimed in. 

“Kegs are rotated,” Taco added. 

“Insurance is paid?” Trisha asked, her ears going up with curiosity. 

“You aren't helping!” Echo blurted out as she covered her eyes with her paw. 

“I kid I kid,” Trisha giggled as Em gave the brown bunny a firm nudge before looking up at their boss. 

“Echo don’t worry, we got this, it's just a few days.” 

“Bring us back presents!” Taco exclaimed as she threw her paws in the air. 

“Yeah like inflight magazines or small bags of peanuts,” Trisha said with a wink. 

Echo rolled her eyes before she let out a sigh. 

The painted dog remained silent for a moment or two more before taking a knee and opening her arms. 

As one the other three smaller mammals hurried forward into their painted leader’s arms, giving her a group hug, followed by a nuzzle from Taco and a kiss on the cheek from Em and Trisha. 

With that, the painted dog stood up, took one last look at her bar, and then headed out the front door where Delta was waiting to drive them to the airport. 

The door to the 10-7 had only been closed for a second before Taco and Em witnessed an amusing yet slightly concerning sight. 

Trisha reached down, grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and lifted up, pulling the blue 10-7 shirt up and over her head, revealing a tube top that had a black and white checkered print on it. 

“What are you-?” Em began as Taco blushed and giggled before scampering away. 

"Preparing," Trisha said matter a factly as Em watched Taco start to push some of the bar stools around. 

"For what?" Em asked as she raised a brow and looked over at her mischievous bunny. 

"For the races, duh…" Trisha said as she casually sauntered away. 

"Yeah duh!" Taco chimed in as she busied herself with rearranging the 10-7's seating. 

Nick strolled down a familiar sidewalk in the central district of Zootopia. 

He had walked this path many times before but tonight was a little more lonely than others. 

Judy was out of town visiting her parents in Bunny Burrow. 

Nick had been invited but needed to catch up on some projects he had been pushing off for a while now. 

The fox smiled as he glanced down at his cellphone, a text message with a picture of Judy smiling up at him with two smaller kits in her arms filled the screen. 

“Missing you Slick!” 

Nick grinned as he sent out a message to Judy before putting his phone in his pocket. 

Ever since that little gray fluff ball had come bounding into his life Nick had to admit things had gotten better. 

The two had become inseparable sure, but that didn’t mean they didn’t lead their own separate lives. 

Nick was glad Judy was spending time with her family and was actually looking forward to a nice night on his own. 

The original plan was to relax and catch up on some streaming shows he had been neglecting.

That was until he received a text from a certain painted dog. 

Echo had reached out to Nick and asked if it was possible for him to check in at the 10-7 since she was out of town and Petey, the bouncer at the 10-7, had called in sick. 

She trusted her barkeeps but still just wanted to make sure they were okay. 

Nick had happily agreed and a short while later had been out the door on his way to his favorite watering hole. 

He had a feeling he would get an earful from a certain brown troublemaker for not bringing Judy but he also had a feeling Trisha would be equally excited just to see him. 

When Nick finally arrived at the 10-7 he glanced up at the familiar blue neon sign before pushing on the front door and heading inside. 

Seeing as it was the weekend Nick had expected the bar to be somewhat empty.

Most first responders worked the weekends after all. 

For some odd reason though the 10-7 was….packed?! 

Nick blinked a few times in surprise at how crowded the bar appeared. 

“Nick!” Came an excited squeak that made the fox glance over. 

Taco was beaming up at the fox as she hurried over, two empty beer mugs in her paws. 

“Hey Taco,” Nick said with a pleasant smile. 

The bunny wrapped her arms around Nick’s waist and nuzzled, receiving a pat on the back from the handsome fox. 

“Busy night?” Nick asked as he looked at the crowd, only to realize it wasn;t actually crowded. 

No, the room was just….different? 

Taco beamed as she nodded for the fox to follow her. 

Nick trailed after the doe, squeezing past two wolfs in ZFD apparel who toasted Nick as he passed. 

The fox gave the other two canines a nod before glancing through the crowd at what appeared to be a series of boxes, cardboard, and jars all spread out in the center of the room which had been cleared of tables. 

The reason why became apparent as three small remote-controlled cars zoomed around a cardboard box that was painted to look like a skyscraper. 

A red remote-controlled jeep with a fire department logo on the hood was in the lead, closely followed by a model of a ZPD cruiser, and a white SUV with a red cross on the roof was in the rear. 

The jeep had the biggest lead and quickly zoomed around an empty pickle jar and then up a ramp and across a makeshift ravine. 

Several mammals in the far corner cheered as some officers in ZPD uniforms jeered and hissed. 

“Oh and here we are into the final stretch!” Came a familiar voice at the bar. 

Nick glanced over and smirked at an amusing sight. 

Trisha was in a checkered tube top, her midriff on full display. 

Her normal khaki shorts were gone too and instead replaced with a pair of right red shorts, the number 95 written down the side of them. 

Nick recognized the number as that of a famous racing car. 

“Ka-chow,” Taco said with a wink as she glanced back at Nick. 

The fox rolled his eyes as he continued over to the bar, taking a seat and shaking his head as Trisha noticed the new arrival.

The bunny stuck out her tongue and gave the handsome vulpine a wink before focusing back on the race. 

“I swear I tried to keep her in line,” Came a voice across from Nick. 

Em was leaning against the bar, her own 10-7 outfit having been replaced by a checkered t-shirt and black short shorts. 

“Uh huh,” Nick said in a disbelieving tone. 

The otter glanced back and Nick, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks before she gave the fox a wink and sauntered away to help serve some of the other patrons. 

There was a loud cheering from the ZFD mammals as their racing car crossed the finish line. 

“Well looks like the hose draggers were the first for once,” Trisha said from her spot on the bar which was met by some cheering from her ZPD officers. 

Nick noticed a cheetah in a ZPD uniform through up her arms in defeat as she put a large remote controller down on the bar, grumbling in defeat as a red panda in a firehouse shirt stood on a stool and clasped his paws together. 

A bunny in a pair of scrubs grumbled as she hopped off the stool, setting her own controller down. 

Trisha let out a sigh as she scanned the room, her bright blue eyes falling on Nick. 

The fox smirked as the bunny skipped on the bartop over to the vulpine, plopping down and crossing her legs as she wiggled a little closer to Nick. 

“The darn house draggers keep winning,” The bunny whispered looking concerned. 

“Well it's about time they won at something,” Nick chuckled. 

“Yeah but if they win…” 

The bunny looked a little concerned as she glanced down the bar. 

“What do they win?” Nick asked. 

“Long story short,” Trisha said with a sigh as she glanced back at Nick. “If they win I have to paw over my ZPD blue shirt and only wear firehouse shirts from now on.” 

Nick’s eyes widened at the realization of what this all meant. 

While the 10-7 bar was open to all first responders the barkeeps had kind of made a name for themselves with the different branches. 

Em was the unofficial firehouse hottie. 

Taco was known to putting bandaids on anyone who wasn’t paying attention and had been “adopted” by the EMS and nurses. 
Trisha though…well it was obvious where Trisha’s loyalties were. 

Sure she looked cute in all her different 10-7 shirts but she was known for that dark ZPD blue outfit.

While Nick didn't want to admit it out loud even he felt concerned at losing Trsiah as the ZPD mascot at the 10-7. 

Not only that but if Judy found out… 

Nick glanced over at the floor where the three remote control cars were waiting for the next race, then at the bar where the remotes were sitting, and finally into Trisha’s bright blue eyes. 

“Set up one last race,” Nick said, a fire in his eyes. 

Trisha blinked in surprise at Nick’s tone, blushing slightly before grinning. 

“Oh, I like that fire in your eyes Wilde,” The bunny cooed as she wiggled on the bartop. 

Trisha hopped up and hurried back down the bar to organize one last race.

A few minutes later Nick found himself sitting with his back against the bar, a remote control in his paws, and the honor of the ZPD on the line. 

He took a second or two to familiarize himself with the controls before glancing to his left where an excited Taco was sitting. 

The bunny was holding the remote that controlled the EMS remote control car, several nurses and paramedics cheering on the bunny who was vibrating with excitement. 

Nick gave Taco a little nudge which made the bunny look up, her teal eyes shining in the light of the bar. 

The fox held out a fist to the small bunny who beamed and gave the officer a fist bump. 

“Trisha is gonna look great in firehouse red!” Came a shout from inside the bar which was met but some cheers. 

Nick glanced over at the red panda who was controlling the fire truck jeep, raising a brow at the smug-looking fire mammal. 

He was about to say something before he felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulder from behind. 
“You got this Wilde,” Trisha whispered. “Keep me in ZPD blue and I clear your tab.” 

Nick chuckled as he patted Trisha’s arm’s with his paw. 

“I got this Petal.” 

“If you Win I will also forget you called me that,” Trisha teased before giving the fox a peck on the cheek for luck. 

“Hey! Where is my kiss for luck?” The red panda asked with a laugh. 

“Taco!” Trisha yelled. 

“Kisses!” Taco exclaimed as she tried to clamber over Nick’s lap, making kissy faces at the red panda who suddenly looked panicked. 

Nick snorted with laughter as he gently pushed Taco back on her seat before adjusting in his own as he prepared for what was turning out to be the race of the century. 

“Alright, racers!” Trisha exclaimed as she stood up behind Nick, causing the bar to fall silent. 

Trisha raised her paws up into the air. 

“Ready? Set?” 

A split second before Trisha lowered her paws and shouted “Go” She gave Nick a little nudge with her foot which gave the fox that extra second he needed. 

His remote-controlled ZPD vehicle shot off from the start and immediately went into a turn around several stacked boxes. 

Mammals cheered and roared excitedly as they watched the spectacle. 

Nick was actually surprised by the layout of the track. 

There were sharp turns, straightaways, a figure 8 at one point, and even a part where they had to go through a tunnel of boxes. 

He did his best at these parts to keep his vehicle straight but on the second lap he messed up and lost his lead. 

The ZFD jeep flew past the ZPD cruiser which caused Nick to curse under his breath. 

“That's a bad word,” Taco giggled as her EMS truck flew past Nick….going in the opposite direction. 

No one was really sure what race Taco was in but the bunny seemed to have made up her own path. 

The nurses in the corner however still cheered the bunny on and raised their glasses to the doe who was obviously not going to win. 

At one point Em walked by the race track, a tray of drinks in her paws. 

After she delivered the drinks she remained on the edge of the track and as Taco’s car zoomed passed she managed to scoop it up and turn it so it was facing the right direction. 

Only for Taco to drive in reverse so she continued going the wrong way. 

Trisha meanwhile was busy narrating the race, hopping along the bar excitedly and occasionally pouring a drink to one of the thirsty patrons. 

“Oh and here comes the home stretch!” Trisha finally announced as she hopped up on the bar. 

Her ears drooped however as she watched the ZFD jeep in the lead, Nicks ZPD cruiser driving alongside but still just a few inches behind. 

Nick however had a smug smile on his face, almost as if he was in the lead. 

“Hey, Petals?” He began. 

“Hate that nicklname!” Trisha barked as she stood behind Nick and watched. 

“You ever watch any of the training videos from the ZPD academy?” 

“Unless it has Judy in jogging shorts I am not interested,” Trisha teased. 

“Well you would be interested in the driving course,” Nick said slyly. “Especially the part about the PIT maneuver.” 

With a gentle flick, Nick controlled his ZPD cruiser so it would hit the rear of the Jeep on one side. 

This caused the small red car to suddenly spin out and then flip over, crashing into a cardboard box. 

The 10-7 burst out into a roar of cheers, boos, and laughs as everyone watched the crash unfold. 

Nick’s ZPD cruiser though also lost control and crashed into a pickel jar on the side of the course. 

This meant that there was only one car left in the game. 

Taco’s little EMS truck was still driving in the wrong direction and even crossed the finish line incorrectly. 

Much to everyone’s amusement though Taco’s car stopped an inch from the finish line before driving forward as the little bunny laughed. 

“Yay! I da winner!” Taco said from her seat. 

The red panda from the ZFD exchanged stunned looks with Nick before leaning forward and gawking at the small bunny. 

There was a silence in the bar as everyone wondered what the mammal from the firehouse would say. 

“You won fair and square Taco, way to go.” 

There was a collective cheer both for Taco and the other two competitors for being such good sports. 

Both Em and Trisha came up from behind Taco and wrapped her in a hug, giving her a peck on each cheek which had the little bunny laughing happily as she closed her eyes and nuzzled into her friends. 

When finally free from her fellow barkeeps Taco beamed up at Nick who gave the bunny a wink before placing his paw between her ears and giving her head a little rub.

A few days later Echo returned to the bar and was pleased to see it hadn’t been burned to the ground. 

Trisha made a joke or two about the good work the repair mammals had done but was quickly tickled and silenced. 

As the painted owner of the bar strolled down the hallway to her office she stopped mid-step, blinking a few times before taking a step back. 

Echo turned to look at a picture on the wall that had not been there when she left. 

The picture was of Taco holding up a makeshift trophy that had been made from a series of empty bottles, cardboard, and tin foil. 

Taco was beaming happily in the picture, Em and Trisha on either side of the bunny wearing their checkered outfits. 

A little plaque beneath the picture read: 

Taconny, 1st place in the 10-7 RC Car Explosive Rainbow Awesome Unicorn Race

Echo studied the picture for a moment, let out a chuckle, and then proceeded to her office

Chapter Text

-No Survivors-

In a city like Zootopia, there is always something going on. 

Whether it is some kind of fair in the Meadowlands, a boating competition in the Beach Blocks, or maybe a parade through the Central District. 

The metropolis always had something going on.

Today was no different as it was the ZPD’s annual Paintball competition. 

Or as the TUSK team called it, target practice. 

The event had started out as a friendly competition between precincts, slowly and steadily more and more teams joined the roster, until finally, it was a borderline tournament complete with a trophy. 

Unfortunately for most of the officers however the tactical teams eventually got involved. 

One of the teams, known throughout the ZPD as TUSK was particularly skilled when it came to the tournament. 

In fairness that was their job, to be prepared for any event that may require some additional tactics and muscle. 

Sure the K-9 unit couldn't be beat at detection and the emergency response team was super handy in certain cases. 

TUSK though were letha. 

These mammals trained day and night for those extremely rare and dangerous calls. 

This meant that they had a bit of an edge when it came to anything that required tactics and coordinating against another team. 

It had gotten so bad that most of the time the other teams teased about how they were really just playing paintball to see who would come in second place. 

When mammals checked in at the tournament board to see who they were up against there was always a groan or grumbling when TUSK showed up next to another team's name. 

The mammals of TUSK thoroughly enjoyed it though. 

They weren’t just some of the most lethal mammals but also some of the most arrogant. 

There were a few occasions when they even played a funeral march over a speaker as their opponents entered the field. 

It made sense too. 

After all, TUSK was composed of bears, rhinos, rams, and other large alpha-like mammals. 

Their leader, a gruff tiger, made it clear that they would take every match seriously. 

Whether it was against the K-9 unit or the parking enforcement team. 

No one had managed to stand up against the ferocity that was TUSK. 

….Well…that was until Nick arrived with his secret weapon. 

The most recent match for TUSK had been a cakewalk. 

A satisfied-looking tiger stood at the center of the field and watched as several wolves from the forest district helitak unit limped away. 

Commander Fang almost felt sorry for them….almost. 

After the last wolf had managed to make it off the field a rag-tag-looking group made their way through the large black netting that had been set up around the arena to catch any loose paintballs. 

Fang watched, his bright yellow eyes glinting as he waited in the center of the field. 

From his spot, he had trouble seeing the other team completely, a large inflatable blocking his view. 

While he would normally want to know everything about his opponents it had been so long since they had a proper challenge that the tiger had stopped sizing up his enemies and instead encouraged his team to embrace an element of unknown.

He would at least get to know the other team's captain which would be enough. 

It was common for the team captains to meet in the center of the field with a ref to go over the rules and ensure the teams were on the right field. 

An armadillo in a refs uniform and goggles waddled over flanked by two canines. 

The taller canine was a painted dog who was wearing something that concerned Fang. 

It was a paintball jersey. 

The painted dog was adorned in a solid green jersey with blue camo going down his sides, leading down his baggy jersey pants. 

His face was covered by a professional paintball mask which had a reflective face plate that made it impossible to see the canine’s eyes. 

He also had a special belt that was loaded down with pods filled with the gelatin orbs they would all be using for todays match.

Fang had dealt with this before, it wasn’t uncommon for members of the ZPD to have hobbies, and on occasion that hobby was paintball. 

The tiger though kept his cool, making a mental note to advise his team to aim at the painted dog first. 

The other canine walking beside the armadillo though looked nothing like his painted friend. 

Instead, this foxy canine was adorned in a blue ZPD sweater and baggy pants that they must keep around in case they needed to get something dirty. 

Their mask was see-through, and a pair of bright green eyes focused on Fang who blinked in surprise. 

“Well well well,” Fang chuckled as he approached the new arrival, extending a large paw. “Wilde, it's been a bit.” 

“Fang,” The fox said with his signature smug grin, “Heard you were still causing trouble.” 

“Oh no Wilde, we stop trouble,” Fang said with a toothy grin before he glanced over at the painted dog. 

“Oh, this is Delta, K-9 on loan to Precinct 1,” Nick said as he nodded at the other canine. 

Delta stepped forward and extended a close-fisted paw which Fang gave a fist bump to. 

Sure this was his main competition but in the end, they were all ZPD. 

Besides, even with a player like Delta, Nick’s team didn’t stand a chance in Fang’s eyes. 

“So we will finally get to see the famous Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde in action eh?” The tiger said as he crossed his arms. 

“About that…” Nick said as he nodded to the side of the field. 

Fang raised a brow before glancing over and spotting a sad sight. 

Judy was limping, one of her legs wrapped up in a cast, a tan painted dog walking slowly beside her and helping her to a seat on a bench on the other side of the netting. 

“Oh my,” Fang said, legitimately worried for his fellow officer. “She alright?” 

“Chasing down a purse snatcher a week ago,” Nick sighed. 

Judy noticed all eyes on her which caused her ears to go up. 

She waved eagerly over at the others and beamed. 

“Get well soon Hopps!” Fang shouted loudly. 

“Take it easy on my favorite canine!” Judy shouted back. “Oh, and Nick too I guess.” 

Delta and Fang roared with laughter as the painted dog waved, playfully blowing a kiss to the bunny who put her paws to her chest. 

The tan-colored painted dog next to Judy waved eagerly at the mammals on the field before making a series of paw signs. 

“Oh for the love of….I know I saw the ice cream stand when we came in!” Delta barked. 

The other painted dog wiggled excitedly which caused Judy to burst out laughing before leaning against her painted companion whose tail wagged as he wrapped an arm around the doe’s shoulder. 

“I swear he has a one-track mind…” Delta grumbled before looking back at the others. 

The armadillo in the ref uniform cleared his throat which brought all eyes on him. 

“Team Foxy has requested for permission of a last-minute change to their roster,” the smaller mammal began. 

“Team Foxy?” Fang asked as he looked at Nick who rolled his eyes. 

“Not my idea, trust me,” The fox grumbled. 

“Are you alright with a last-minute change to our roster?” Delta asked, his circular ears flicking slightly. 

“Of course, bring whoever you want,” Fang chuckled as he folded his arms once more, tensing his muscles in a display of strength. 

The tiger did look rather intimidating in his dark green BDUs and vest, the predator would have probably had most mammals running for the hills but to his surprise Delta and Nick exchanged glances before turning away and heading back down the field as if they were taking a stroll in the park. 

Fang smirked before nodding to the ref and turning towards his team's end of the field. 

“This is going to be too easy,” The tiger snickered to himself. 

On the other side of the field, Delta and Nick continued their casual stroll back to their team. 

“Almost feel sorry for them,” Delta chuckled under his mask. 

“Almost,” Nick responded as they came around one of the large inflatable obstacles that had been spread around the field. 

The rest of Nick’s team was waiting patiently at the start box. 

Well waiting patiently may not have been the best phrase. 

A bunny in a purple and blue paintball jersey was busy wiggling her booty and dancing to a beat coming out of a little bluetooth speaker she had set in the starting box. 

Standing in the start box was a pudgy and terrified-looking cheetah in an outfit similar to Nick’s. 

“Why did I let you talk me into this Wilde?” Clawhauser whimpered. “I mean…they are TUSK!” 

“Just bigger targets more like it,” the bunny said as she stopped her little dance to turn and look at the cheetah. “Don’t worry Benny baby, I won’t let anything happen to my favorite snack buddy.” 

“Thanks, Cinnabun but I mean..they are a tactical team and they train for this!” 

The bunny rung her paws together as she hunched over, her face covered by a reflective blue faceplate but everyone could tell she was grinning. 

“Hehehehehe I know… it's going to be so much fun.” 

The doe noticed how a certain painted dog was looking at her and she stood up a little straighter, her ears rising up as she tilted her head. 

“What?” 

“You are just so cute when you get into an evil mindset.” 

“Awww…you say the sweetest things,” The bunny said as she waddled over and wrapped her arms around her painted mate. “Remember when we used to play against one another.” 

“Only in my nightmares,” Delta grumbled as he reached down and gave the bunny a little tickle on her side. 

The doe let out a laugh before scampering out of reach of her painted plaything. 

As Trisha and Delta continued to playfully poke and prod at one another Nick checked in with the 5th mammal of their team. 

An older-looking wolf in an outfit similar to Nick’s was examining his paintball gun, his large ears flicking when he detected Nick approaching. 

“You ready to show them an old dog can learn new tricks?” Nick asked slyly. 

“You know Nick in my old age there is a likely chance of friendly fire,” The wolf chuckled as he pointed his finger at the fox, making the shape of a gun. 

Chris Wolfard was one of the older officers at Precinct 1. 

The canine had seen his fair share of adventures and was always up for telling the rookies tales from his younger years. 

His son, Frank Wolfard, had joined the ZPD and been an integral part of the undercover unit. 

Unfortunately for team Foxy, Frank had been called away on an assignment which meant they were going to have to make do with the senior Wolfard. 

Normally Nick wouldn’t have asked for Chris to put himself in danger like this but they needed 5 mammals for this tournament in order to play. 

“So Killer Cutie, what does Flirt’n mean?” Chris asked as he looked over Nick’s shoulders. 

Trisha had resumed her pregame ritual of doing a little dance near the start box.

The doe’s ears went up and she looked over her shoulder at Chris and then down at her own supple rear where the name “Flirt’n” was written in bright pink. 

“I would just like to point out to everyone that Chris was looking at my rear!” Trisha said as she threw her paws up into the air excitedly. 

“Ah! I was…no…I didn’t mean to!” Chris began to blurt out as he looked over at Delta who simply shrugged. 

“It’s ok Chris, you can look all you want as long as you promise me one thing,” Trisha said as she took a moment to raise her jersey and display the rear of her jersey pants. 

“What's that Killer Cutie?” Chris chuckled as he watched the doe sway her hips. 

“That when this tournament is over you and I will run away together and start a new life.” 

There was a roar of laughter from Trisha’s teammates as the bunny wiggled in place, slowly swaying her body once more to the beat playing from the bluetooth speaker. 

“Flirt’n was her team's name in college,” Delta interjected. “And it isn't just her team name but also a warning.” 

Nick watched as Trisha acted like her goofy flirty self with her teammates, reassuring Benny everything would be alright, flirting with Chris, and of course, annoying Nick and Delta by picking up bits of dirt and flicking it up at the canine’s masks. 

The fox though knew exactly what the bunny was doing and had to admit he was kind of impressed. 

He had talked to Trisha before about her goofy and flirty nature only to realize why she did it. 

She had admitted to the fox in confidence that she didn’t just enjoy flirting because it was fun but also because she felt like it calmed mammals around her. 

Even in the most stressful situations, things could get better if you find a way to make someone laugh, smile, or blush. 

Trisha had simply decided to try all three. 

Both Benny and Chris seemed to be a little calmer as the seconds ticked away. 

Sure they were about to have the match of their lives but that was the second thing on their mind, the first being-

“I’m a bunny girl, in my bunny world!” Trisha sang loudly as her playlist continued to thump from the speaker. 

“Players to your startbox!” Came a shout from the ref on the sidelines. 

The mood in the starting area immediately changed as Benny and Chris tensed up. 

Even Nick felt a little nervous that was until he watched Trisha casually stroll over and scoop up her paintball marker. 

The bunny was still swaying her head to the music as she aimed her marker down and popped off a few shots into the dirt. 

Delta did the same. 

The bunny then took a spot on the mark next to Delta as the two began to converse. 

“Snake?” Delta asked. 

“Snake then to the pyramid?” 

“That's center, these guys will be barreling down that I know it. Hit them from the side.” 

Snake it is then,” Trisha chuckled as she leaned over and gave her painted teammate a little nudge. 

Delta then looked at the other three. 

“Benny as soon as we go you just pull that barrel up and start firing, walk to that soda can looking one in center and just keep firing till you are out of paint.” 

Benny who was praying to his goddess Gazelle simply nodded. 

“Chris go far side and do the same, Wilde you are down middle but watch out because Killer Cutie on your right, keep pressure towards the left, will throw them off.” 

Nick and Chris nodded. 

“Oh and Nick, remember our deal,” Trisha said casually as she glanced at the fox. 

“Deal?” Delta asked as his ears flicked. 

While Nick couldn’t see Trisha’s face through her reflective faceplate he just knew her bright blue eyes were on him with a smug grin on that bunny’s lips. 

“Deal, but remember we have to win.” 

“Oh we will,” Trisha said as she lowered herself a little closer to the ground, her ears laying flat on her back. “Or my name ain’t Tragdor the destroyer.” 

“How many nicknames does that bunny have?!” Chris bursted out laughing. 

“Not enough, think Mrs. Trisha Wolfard has a nice ring to it though.” 

“10-second silent count!” Came a shout from the center. 

As one both Delta and Trisha aimed their markers into the start box, the others followed suit. 

It was required form this type of tournament but Nick had been told there were rules from other tournaments that markers had to be aimed away just before the start. 

The 10-second silent count was also from paintball in which the last 10 seconds for the match were silent till the ref gave the signal to start. 

Nick wasn’t sure why the rule was there, maybe it was to get every excited, a silence before the chaos type thing. 

He felt his heart rate pick up as he glanced over at his secret weapon. 

Trisha must have noticed she was being watched because she glanced over, her face obstructed by her reflective mask, but he could tell she had just given her a wink. 

Across the field, Fang and his team were letting out a series of growls and huffs as they ramped one another up. 

“Remember Squad, down the center, own that field, take out the painted dog first and the rest will cave,” Fang growled which was met by several chuckles. 

A horn went off from the center of the field and with that Fang and his squad bolted forward. 

Fang, a bear, and lion all barreled down the middle towards the very center of the field but were shocked when a wall of paintballs came flying in their direction. 

None of them had expected such a quick response, most of the time everyone ran for different cover and established a foot hold. 

What Fang and the others had failed to realize was this wasn’t a tactical situation they were used to, this was paintball. 
As soon as the horn had blasted Delta raised his marker and immediately started sending paint down the field, the familiar air-clicking noise coming from his paintball gun as he emptied his hopper and immediately loaded another pod. 

Benny had done the same and within a second of starting they were already forcing Fang’s team into cover as their own squad spread out and began to take more and more of the field. 

The lion to Fang’s right cursed which caused the tiger to look over his jaw opening as he watched his fellow squad mate covered in bright pink, yellow, and cyan paint. 

“Your out!” Came a shout from one of the refs. 

“You think?” The lion growled as he trudged away. 

“Where did all that come from?!” Fang barked as he glanced at the bear who peaked out from cover. 

“Heavy saturation fire coming from the far left….no center…no-” 

*Swoosh plat*

The side of the bear’s face mask was suddenly covered in bright pink paint as he was hit by someone from the side of the field.

Fang’s eyes bulged as the bear roared with anger before walking to the side lines. 

They had never lost two of their team in a single match before. 

Fang growled and looked over in time to see a small bunny who had taken cover behind a long tube-like inflatable on the far side of the field take aim. 

The tiger cursed and with lighting reflexes dove for cover behind another inflatable. 

The sound of paintballs hitting the cover he had just been signaled he had only just narrowly escaped. 

“Lay down cover fire!” Came a shout behind Fang. 

His two surviving teammates realized the situation Fang was in and immediately began to pour paint down the field so their leader had a chance to re-adjust. 

“Bunny at the left! Left side!” Fang barked as he took a knee and aimed toward where he thought the bunny would appear from. 

“Fang watch out!” Came a shout behind him from one of his teammates. 

The tiger glanced in time to see Nick a few inflatables down in the center of the field take aim and fire a salvo. 

“Dang!” Fang said as he crouched and rolled forward, landing on his stomach and taking aim towards Nick. 

The tiger squeezed the trigger to his marker and fired off a few warning rounds. 

Nick tried to duck but unfortunately one of the rounds splattered on the top of his face plate and he was gone. 

“No hard feeling Wilde!” Fang cackled as he noticed a cheetah in cover just behind Nick poke his head out. 

While Fang was taking aim another one of his teammates took the opportunity and managed to snipe the cheetah who nearly fell over from the surprise hit. 

With that, it was now a 3 on 3 match. 

Fang grinned. 

Sure they had a rough start but there was still-

Something small collided with Fang’s side and he was caught off guard. 

The tiger glanced over to see a bunny in a purple paintball jersey sitting next to him, the doe must have run from cover to cover only to slide in and use the tiger as a brake. 

“Here hold this for me,” The bunny said playfully as she took a paintball and smooshed it against Fang’s mask. 

“What the- ack!” The tiger let out but couldn’t help but laugh at what had just happened. “Wait…Trisha?!” 

“How ya been handsome?” Trisha asked as she sat back casually and aimed up at the cover where the rest of the TUSK team was hiding. 

The doe popped off a few rounds which caused a mammal to curse behind a soda can looking inflatable. 

“Why haven’t you visited me and Em lately?” 

Fang was still chuckling as he took in the situation, laying his head down on the grass and watching as the doe carried on a conversation as if they were at a cafe or had run into one another on the street. 

“We have been busy with recertifications and also preparing for what I thought was going to be an easy tournament,” The tiger grumbled. 

“Awww…and how is that working out for you?” 

“We train for every scenario ya know,” Fang admitted as he turned to look over his shoulder. 

One of his teammates poked their heads out only for Trisha to take aim and fire a warning round. 

“I think they have Fang hostage!” Came a surprised shout from behind the cover. 

“Wait…when did that get added into the rules?!” Came another voice. 

“But I guess we didn’t train for EVERY scenario,” The tiger admitted as he began to get up. 

Trisha however placed a paw on Fang’s mask and tugged it so he remained where he was. 

“I didn’t give you permission to leave yet,” Trisha said sweetly. 

“Yes ma’am,” The apex predator said as if he was talking to an angry teacher. 

“You know Taco has been missing you goofballs too,” Trisha continued. 

“She is back from school?” 

“Oh yeah, we help her study during- one sec,” Trisha then fired a few rounds at the cover which made someone behind it yelp. “Where is that no good…oh there he is.” 

Fang glanced over to see Delta approaching from the side of the field, his marker steady as he unloaded a salvo at the cover Trisha was aiming at. 

“Hey I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere,” Trisha said as she hopped up and darted away. 

Fang felt like he should warn his team, but he also realized who they were now going to have to face and decided that he wouldn’t dare anger the bunny from his favorite bar. 

The tiger slowly sat up and leaned against the inflatable that he had been using for cover before, glancing over at Delta who was laying down continuous fire. 

Fang had to admit he was kind of impressed with Delta’s tactics.

The painted dog simply sat there, loading pod after pod of paint into his hopper, meaning he could lay down continuous cover fire. 

He angled his barrel and moved it just right so it spread the paint, making it sound as if there were multiple opponents firing on the cover. 

Fang began to wonder what Trisha had in store for his team until his ears flicked and he picked up some voices. 

“Hey boys!” Came Trisha’s bubbly voice. 

“Oh hey, TrishaHHH What?!” 

“Tank you ok? Wait…whose that?!” 

“Oh, you must be new!” Trisha exclaimed. “Hi I’m Trisha and I will be in charge of your nightmares for a bit!” 

*Splat* 

“What the?!” 

“That's game!” Came a shout from the sidelines as the ref watched the final member of TUSK take a hit. 

Fang sighed as he laid back against the inflatable he had been “killed” at. 

Movement beside him caused the large predator to look over and watch as Delta approached. 

The canine reached out and held a paw in front of Fang who raised a brow. 

The canine was half the size of the larger predator but even Fang had to respect the gesture as he took Delta’s paw and was helped up.

“She didn’t torture you did she?” Delta asked. 

Fang chuckled and shook his head. 

“Torture comes later,” Trisha said as she casually strolled from behind cover, followed by a wolf with a single splat of paint on his chest and and annoyed-looking ram. 

“Sorry boss,” The ram grumbled as he approached Fang. 
“A wise mammal once said you learn more in defeat than victory,” Fang said with a sigh. 

“Oh then you all just learned a ton,” Trisha cackled as she sauntered away. 

Fang couldn’t help but laugh as he scooped up his paintball gun and trudged off towards the other end of the field. 

“I’ll tell Taco her favorite striped boy will be coming to visit this weekend yeah?” Trisha shouted. 

“I am going to need a drink after that butt-kicking,” Fang admitted. 

With that, the defeated TUSK team gathered, all of them still in shock as to what had just transpired. 

They didn’t want to make eye contact with their leader, fully expecting him to berate them or maybe explode, instead, they were all surprised when he finally spoke. 

“Who needs a drink?” 

As one they all raised their paws and hooves. 

“Good,” Fang said as he glanced over at the wolf of his tactical team who was still wiping paint from his vest. “So new guy you ever been to the 10-7?”

“You all were amazing!” Judy exclaimed from her spot on the bleachers as the tired mammals of Team Foxy arrived to check in on the bunny. 

Atom was wagging his tail excitedly as he hurried over and scooped up Trisha who giggled happily, nuzzling into the painted dog who gave her a little squeeze. 

Nick had a sly smile on his muzzle as he glanced over at Benny and Chris who sat down on the bleachers next to Judy. 

Benny was still heaving, the pudgy cheetah trying to catch his breath as Chris rubbed his arm, a cyan splatter mark covering the fabric of his sweater. 

“I wish I could have joined in the fun,” Judy said as she glanced at Delta who placed a paw on the bunny’s shoulder. 

“Next year Hopps, you and Trisha will kick some serious tail.” 

“Speaking of,” Trisha said as she wiggled free of Atom who pouted for a second before hurrying over to give Chris a hug around the waist. 
The bunny slowly sauntered over, lifting her jersey up and over her head. 

Judy blushed as she watched Trisha toss her jersey up at Delta, the bunny looked rather adorable in her blue paintball sports bra. The fabric was a little thicker and padded in case she took a hit which augmented her body rather nicely. 

Trisha let out a pleased sigh as she scratched the fur on her sides before reaching into her cleavage and producing a Sharpie. 

“I believe we had a deal, Wilde.” 

“Oh that's right, what's this about a deal?” Delta asked as he pulled Trisha’s jersey from his face. 

Nick rolled his eyes as he looked from dElta, Judy, and finally to Trisha who wiggled the sharpie. 

“Fine…deals a deal…” The fox admitted before Atom suddenly came round to give the fox a surprise hug. 

Everyone watched as Trisha wiggled excitedly before pulling the Sharpie top off with her teeth and spitting it out so it hit Nick on the forehead. 

The mischievous bunny then took a knee in front of Juidy and tilted her head. 

Judy realized what was happening and giggled uncontrollably as Trisha began to write something on her cast. 

The bunny from the ZPD had been stuck in the cast for several days now and while she wanted to have her friends sign it Nick had said they had to wait for some reason. 

Now the reason was clear, Trisha had wanted first dibs. 

Judy blushed as she reached down and gently brushed Trisha’s ear, the brown bunny sticking out her tongue as she focused on her current task. 

After a few seconds, the bunny stood up and admired her work. 

“That's better,” Trisha said as the rest of the team gathered to read what mischievous doe had written. 

Judy tilted her head and looked down, letting out another laugh. 

“Oh, you have got to be kitting me…” Nick grumbled. 

“Nice one Trisha,” Chris chuckled. 

“Awww…me next me next!” Benny interjected but was stopped as Atom collided with him, the painted dog happily nuzzling into the cheetah’s extra mass. 

“I mean Wilde are you honestly surprised?” Delta asked as he too surveyed what his bunny had written. 

Trisha had drawn a series of blue hearts and stars on Judy’s cast along with a single sentence.

“Property of Trisha Rose.” 

Chapter Text

-Date Night-

Bars have been considered by some to not only be a place to celebrate but also a sacred ground to seek knowledge. 

The 10-7 was no different. 

It wasn’t uncommon to see one of the many responders who frequented the bar to ask for some kind of advice or suggestion when it came to certain topics. 

Big test ahead? Ask Echo.

Need tips on how to break the ice? Em always had a few words. 

Trivia on the latest Captain Carrot episode? Taco…100% Taco…

The thing is sometimes there wasn't just one way of doing things which meant it took several suggestions before the right answer could be found. 

A coyote in a pair of ZPD uniform pants and a blank t-shirt was currently staring pensively at his half-drunken beer. The canine wasn’t alone in his thoughts though. 

A painted dog in blue BDUs and a sly fox in a similar ZPD uniform to the coyote conversed on either side of the canine. 

“Listen Ed you just have to go up to her and state your case, tell her you find her cute, and simply ask her out,” Nick said as he swirled his beer mug before taking a healthy gulp. 

“I mean maybe test the waters first,” Delta chimed in as he glanced down at the coyote whose ears flicked. “Don’t get me wrong confidence is key but too much of it can be a flag.” 

“Yeah a checkered flag,” Nick chuckled which earned him a glare from the painted dog. “I always find that confidence opens a lot of doors.” 

“It also got you investigated for tax fraud,” Judy teased from her spot next to Nick. 

The fox nearly coughed into his drink but instead paused mid-sip to give the bunny a sideways glance. 

Judy however simply stuck out her tongue before sipping at her bright purple mixed drink. 

After taking a sip and smacking her lips on the sweet yet tart drink Judy leaned forward to look at the coyote, her expression softening. 

“Ed just be yourself and I am sure she will say yes to a date-” 

“She already did,” The coyote mumbled which caused the three other mammals from the ZPD to tense up before looking at the coyote in surprise. 

“Then why are you so down?!” Delta barked with a laugh. 

“Was it the confidence? Tell me it was the confidence,” Nick piped up. 

Judy remained silent but giggled with joy knowing one of her friends had managed to secure a date. 

“I just texted her and asked if she wanted to go out and she said yes,” Ed shrugged as he sat up a little straighter. “The only problem is…” 

“Oh this is going to be good,” Nick mumbled. 

“Where in the world do I take her for our first date?” 

Silence fell over the group as they each looked at the glasses on the bartop before them. 

“I mean the movies is nice?” Judy suggested. 

“And maybe a nice dinner?” Delta added. 

“Followed by a stroll?” Nick finished off. 

While all great suggestions, something just felt off about the whole idea. 

“I mean yeah but…those are all so cliche ya know?” Ed mumbled before glancing over at Nick and Judy. “Daph is special and I want something unique.” 

A smug smirk slowly crossed Nick’s face as he looked past Ed and at Delta who suddenly frowned. 

“Don’t…” Delta began. 

“Oh, Trisha!” Nick said in a smug tone as if he was about to break into song. 

A pair of thick black dipped brown ears perked up from behind the bar, quickly followed by a set of bright blue eyes as Trisha slowly rose from her hiding spot. 

Nick settled back into his seat and watched as Trisha made her entrance, rising up before hopping onto the bar where she landed cross-legged in front of Ed who looked slightly nervous. 
Trisha glanced over at Judy, giving her friend a wink which caused the gray doe to blush before sipping at her frozen drink again. 

The brown doe slowly rolled her head on her shoulders until she was facing Delta who suddenly seemed rather occupied with inspecting the rim of his beer mug.

“Do you want to tell them or should I?” Trisha asked sweetly. 

Delta rolled his eyes before setting his glass down. 

“We aren't allowed to talk about the first date remember? It's part of the club rules! Besides I am still not convinced it's entirely legal.” 

All eyes went to Delta before Ed, Nick, and Judy looked at Trisha with excited curiosity. 

“Oh hush, besides maybe Ed would like to take Daph,” Trisha said as she wiggled in place before looking at her attentive audience. “Ok so picture this…” 

Many moons ago-

“What is this some kind of dungeons and dragon game intro?! It was only a little while back.” 

A little while back…

Delta was weighing his options as he stared pensively at a large steel door that sat before him. 

He let out a long sigh before glancing to his left which would lead him back down the deserted alleyway he had been led into. 

The painted dog then looked to his right, staring down at a certain brown goofball who was rolling on the balls of her large feet, a broad smile gracing her lovely lips. 

To the untrained eye, this brown bunny looked perfectly innocent but Delta knew better. 

He had been rather nervous leading up to his date with Trisha, the bunny finally having said yes to the painted dog who had asked the doe out on more than one occasion. 

At first, he was through the roof when Trisha had said yes, only for the bunny to follow up with some troubling words: “I could use some muscle for my next big heist.” 

Against Delta’s better judgment he had still decided to go through with the date and at first, he had been very grateful he had. 

While Trisha always looked adorable in her blue shirt and khaki shorts combo from the 10-7 the bunny looked especially beautiful tonight. 

It was obvious that she had taken the time to prepare, her fur smelled lovely and even glistened in certain light, and while still a little wild around the cheeks looked nicely groomed. 

She had even taken the time to wear…a dress!?

Trisha looked stunning in a blue and black strapless cocktail dress that hugged her figure nicely. 

Delta was glad he had taken the time to clean himself up, looking particularly handsome in a simple black button-up shirt and slacks. 

While both of them were dressed for a night on the town the last place Delta had expected the bunny to lead him was down a dark alleyway in the middle of a complex of warehouses in the Beach Block district. 

It didn’t exactly fill the canine with confidence, nor did Trisha’s instructions of knocking on the large steel door before them. 

“Well?” Trisha asked impatiently as she continued to blink up at her date. 

Delta let out a sigh and decided that if worse came to worse he could always call for backup from the ZPD. 

With a determined expression, Delta reached forward and knocked on the steel door three times. 

A small slot that was level with Delta slid open as a pair of bright yellow eyes stared at the canine. 

Delta stood his ground and stared back before Trisha cleared her throat, causing the eyes behind the door to glance down at the bunny. 

“Walt sent us,” The bunny said with a smirk as she gave the eyes a wink. 

The slot in the door quickly closed before a series of locks could be heard clicking and sliding. 

There was a loud groan from the steel door before it was pulled open. 
A wolf in a black tux slid into view and eyed the odd duo, his gaze going down to Trisha who simply wiggled sweetly. 

“You gonna behave this time?” The wolf asked in a low growl. 

“Me? Why I always behave Tony,” Trisha said as she grabbed Delta by the paw and skipped through the doorway. 

“If she causes trouble it's gonna be put on your tab bub,” The wolf grumbled at Delta as the painted dog was dragged inside. 

Delta was about to protest but Trisha continued to drag him inside and down a dimly lit brick hallway. 

The sounds of music and cheers echoed down the hall from a brightly light threshold ahead. 

While a little nervous Delta was also rather pleased as he looked down at his paw which was still in Trisha’s grasp, the bunny excitedly leading the larger mammal down the hall. 

He was glad Trisha was so focused on what was ahead because if she turned around right now she would see a rather dumb smirk on her painted date’s face as his tail wagged rapidly behind him. 

The feeling of excitement was soon mixed with apprehension though as they got closer and closer to the end of the hallway. 

“Alright, next round is coming up! Place your bets!” 

“We have 3 to 1 in favor of Tornado Tom!” 

“Come on Roaring Randy!” 

The loud and boisterous voices began to paint a picture in Delta’s mind and he grew a little concerned. 

“Trisha what is this?!” Delta whispered as he leaned down to the bunny who continued to lead him onwards. 

“Just a little club,” Trisha said sweetly as she skipped along. 

“Trisha needs I remind you that while I am laxed at the 10-7 I am still an officer at the ZPD,” Delta whispered in a panic. 

Sure he really wanted to spend time with Trisha but if his superiors at work found out he had been to some kind of gambling club-

“And in this corner, we have the Terrible Tornado Tom versus the Rowdy Roaring Randy!” Came the voice of an announcer in the next room. 

It's a fight club?! She brought me to an illegal fight club on our first date?! 

Delta did his best to hide the panic in his eyes as he weighed his options. 

Sure Trisha was a cutie but was she worth throwing his career away for? 

He had worked so hard at the academy to get where he was and now just like that this little bundle of chaos had put his morals on the line. 

If he bailed now he knew there would be no second date. 

He was also at the risk of witnessing something illegal which meant if he didn’t report it and the ZPD found out…well…

Delta’s mind was still in conflict when they finally entered a large spacious space at the end of the hall. 

A series of overhead lights illuminated the room, several spotlights fixed on a large circle in the middle which was surrounded by mammals, all of whom were dressed up and waving their paws about. 

“Contenders ready?” Came the announcer. “Ready? Annnnnnnd Clean!” 

Delta was about to speak up but his circular ears shot up as he heard the word: Clean. 

Trisha cackled and released Delta’s paw as she hopped over to the makeshift arean in the center of the room. 

The bunny threw her paws in the air and immediately began to cheer. 

“Come on Tom! You got this!” The doe cheered. 

Delta tilted his head and slowly strolled over to the ring, stopping just behind Trisha. 

“What in the….?” 

While Delta had fully expected to see two strong mammals duking it out in the arena imagine his surprise when his eyes fell on two robot vacuums zooming around the makeshift arena, the sound of suction coming from underneath them. 

A small vacuum in the shape of a D zipped about, several blue and green markings covering its black casing. 

“Come on Tom!” Trisha cheered as she watched the vacuum run over a line of dirt that had been placed on the floor. 

Another vacuum in the shape of a circle with red and orange stripes bumped into the wall at the edge of the arena, chirped, and then did a 180 before zipping toward another line of dirt. 

“They are robot vacuums?” Delta asked with a chuckle. 

“Duh? It's Robot Vacuum Fight Club, where did you think I would take you on our first date?” Trisha asked as she raised a brow at Delta as if her question was perfectly normal. 

Delta just let out a laugh before placing a paw on Trisha’s bare shoulder, much to his elation the bunny reached up and placed her own paw on top of his, giving it a squeeze before looking back at the arena. 

The bot that was in the shape of the letter D was apparently named Tornado Tom and was Trisha’s favorite. 

Delta could see why because it was obvious Tom was the superior robot. 

The little D zoomed and zipped across the arena, sucking up dirt, sand, and even a clump of fur which had a group of otters in the corner cheering. 

That wasn’t to say that Rowdy Randy didn’t put up a fight. 

With its circular design and additional fans the Roomb-.... Rowdy Randy put on quite a fight.

Eventually, though the arena was spotless and both the bots chirped happily, content that their duties had been done. 

Delta watched in amusement as two lovely-looking bunnies in maid outfits skipped onto the arena floor, each of them inspecting one of the bots before removing their dust trays. 

Trisha seemed to be leaning forward with anticipation as the two trays were held up into the air as a jackal in a tux sauntered into the arena. 

The smaller predator leaned forward, eyeing each tray in the lovely doe’s paws before turning to the crowd. 

“The winner and still champion is Tornado Tom!” 

There was a mix of cheers and boos as the little bots were ushered from the arena. 

Delta couldn't help but chuckle as Trisha turned and beamed up at him, her tail wiggling. 

“So did I do good?” Trisha asked excitedly as she grabbed both of Delta’s paws and held them in her own. 

“Did you do good?” Delta asked as he tilted his head. 

Much to the painted dog’s surprise, Trisha blushed as she glanced to the side and then back up at the canine. 

“I wanted to impress you on our first date,” The bunny admitted. 

Delta let out a laugh, he pulled one of his paws from Trisha’s only to reach down and rub the bottom of her chin. 

“Color me impressed,” Delta said as he gave the mischievous bunny a wink. 

Trisha wiggled excitedly as she beamed up at her date, only for her ears to suddenly shoot up as the announcer’s voice echoed in the club. 

“Ladies and gentlemammals, the next round is in 5 minutes. Place your bets! Who will win at the water and grass stain round? Might Mo or Wild Webster?” 

“Oh snap we gotta go put something on Mo! Trust me he is slow at the start but when he gets in the groove it's like magic,” Trisha said excitedly as she led her date towards a series of betting tables. 

“Wait a second,” Nick piped up as he watched Trisha pour him a fresh beer from one of the taps behind the bar. “Last I checked gambling on robot vacuum fights was illegal.” 

“It is if you bet cash,” Trisha said absentmindedly as she finished pouring Nick a beer, placing the chilled mug in front of the fox and smirking. 

“So what do you use to bet with?” Judy asked with a giggle. 

“What are you a cop?” Trisha asked as she raised a brow and eyed Judy before the two does burst into laughter. 

“Seriously what do you win?” Ed asked with a laugh as he gave Delta a nudge. 

“Sorry lover boy but the first rule of Robot Vaccum Fight Club is you don’t talk about Robot Vaccum Fight Club,” The painted dog responded before taking a sip of his drink. 

“You were just talking about it though,” Nick pointed out with a sly smile. 

“No, I was merely telling you about an awesome date I had,” Trisha shot back as she stuck out her tongue at the vulpine before her. 

“Hey, Trish?” Ed raised a paw as the bunny took a break from making faces at Nick to look over at the coyote. “You wouldn’t happen to know if this club is open next Tuesday would ya?” 

Trisha smirked as she studied the coyote before pulling her phone out and sauntering away down the bar. 

Ed glanced at Delta who chuckled before the coyote’s phone chirped. 

The canine quickly flipped through his phone and smiled. 

“Thanks, Trish!” 

“No idea what you are talking about Cutie!” Trisha said from somewhere behind the bar. 

“Any chances I can get in on-” Nick began but before he could finish speaking his phone chirped as well. 

The fox grinned as he looked down at Judy who giggled, the doe amused at the idea of a date at such a unique club. 

Nick took a second to unlock his phone and looked down, only to let out a groan. 

“Trisha!” 

“We don’t talk about Robot Vaccum Fight Club!” Trisha shouted. 

Judy raised a brow before reaching up and pulling on Nick’s wrist, the fox lowering his phone so his partner could see. 

On the screen was Nick’s digital chat with Trisha, a series of quips and jokes were on the screen from the fox and bunny’s previous conversations but the most recent message was a picture. 

The image of a pinecone was on the screen which had Judy giggling. 

“Wall breaks for the win baby!” Trisha shouted from somewhere inside the bar as her friends shared a laugh at the mischievous doe and her antics. 

Chapter Text

-The day the ZPD caved-

The bullpen was filled with a nervous energy. It always did on the 1st of April. Officers exchanged hesitant glances as they waited for their leader to arrive. 

When Bogo finally strolled into the briefing room, he was met with his usual chant, although everyone seemed a little quieter than usual. The cape buffalo did not take offense to it; he knew what day it was. When Bogo arrived at his podium, he placed his briefing notes down before taking a deep breath and scanning the officer’s hesitant looks. 

“Alright, you all know what day it is,” Bogo began gruffly, deciding to just get to the problem at paw. He reached down and scooped up a remote control that caused a projector installed on the ceiling to turn on. A white screen appeared on the dry-erase board behind Bogo, who turned to his side and raised the remote in his hooves.  With a simple button press, an image appeared for all the officers to see. “It started simple enough,” Bogo began as everyone stared at an odd image. 

The picture was from Tundra Town, where someone had sculpted what appeared to be a giant snow monster chasing smaller snow mammals who had traffic cones on their heads. Bogo pressed the button on the remote once more, and another image filled the screen. This one was of a giant inflatable jack-o-lantern someone had managed to inflate and place on top of the Palm Hotel in Saharah Square. 

“But then we all know it took a turn….” Bogo said with a sigh. 

Another image appeared, and all eyes went to a certain cheetah in the back. The feline blushed as she placed her head into one of her paws; the predator was far too embarrassed to make eye contact. The reason for this was an image taken from the Rain Forest District gondola system where someone had managed to string a banner between two gondolas. The banner was an enormous printout of the cheetah’s dating profile, which, to attract more interest, included a picture of her in a rather revealing swimsuit. 

“In fairness, Tams did get a lot of messages after that,” Came a sly comment from the front row. 

Without looking away from the screen, Bogo simply muttered, “Hopps.” 

There was a muffled smacking sound followed by a yelp. 

“Thank you, Hopps.” 

Bogo continued to flip through picture after picture. 

Each one showed off hilarious hijinks of some kind, which varied from someone putting question marks on STOP signs to the ZPD atrium being filled with donut-shaped balloons. 

“Now, while we have never been able to prove who has done it, we have narrowed it down to three suspects.” 

The final image of the slideshow had three pictures on it. One was a grainy stock photo of what appeared to be some type of giant mammal stomping between trees in a forest somewhere. Another was an enormous hog in a red suit accented with white, a giant green sack hefted over his shoulder as he gave the camera a jolly smile. And finally, a brown bunny with bright blue eyes giving the camera a mischievous grin. 

“Oh, come on, we all know it was her!” Someone in the back shouted, only to be shushed by a few superstitious co-workers. 

“She might hear you!”

“Is that a bunny jab?” 

“No! That's a Pumpkin Queen warning,” Came another frightened voice. 

“I don’t know, Chief, some of these are kind of harmless,” Judy piped up at the front, only for Bogo to turn and stare down at her. 

“Harmless to you, maybe!” He snapped before pressing another button on the remote. 

Another image popped up on the screen. It was from Bogo’s office, which had been filled with balloons bearing the lovely face of a particular pop singer. 

Nick snorted, only to fall silent as Bogo’s gaze moved to him. 

“Have we tried negotiating?” Nick suddenly blurted out. 

The room suddenly fell silent. 

“I thought the ZPD’s policy was not to negotiate with-” Someone in the center of the room started but fell silent as Bogo raised a hoove. 

The water buffalo looked to be deep in thought for a moment or two before letting out a sigh. He then looked down at Judy, who raised a brow.

“Hopps,” Bogo began. “Make the call.” 

“Wh…wait, seriously?” Judy asked with a chuckle. 

“You don’t know what it's like, Hopps!” Someone shouted. 

“I almost called into work today,” Tammy groaned. 

“You are her favorite,” Nick whispered as he nudged Judy. 

“And you are her favorite fox.” 

“4th favorite,” Came a familiar muffled voice in the ceiling. 

Everyone went silent as all eyes went to the ceiling.

“Trisha?” Judy asked loudly as she looked at the ceiling in awe. 

There was silence before Bogo stepped forward. 

“We are willing to negotiate!” 

Silence once more before the frightened bullpen finally got an answer. 

“I’m listening!” 

A few minutes later, the scene outside the ZPD was like something out of a movie. 

Several squad cars had pulled up to the front of the building while others formed a perimeter around the small park in front of the headquarters. Officers from different branches of the ZPD gathered while others pressed their faces against the windows inside to see what was happening outside. 

Bogo stood tall and defiant, his patrol glasses blocking out the rising morning sun. He stared ahead at the center of the now-cleared park at a small bundle of trouble in a blue long-sleeve shirt and hiking pants. No one knew how she had managed to get into the ventilation system of Precinct 1 nor did they know how she got out so quickly. All that mattered was they had the mischievous doe in their sights. 

“Sir, what if we tranq her?” Asked a hippo in tactical gear standing just behind Bogo. 

The cape buffalo gritted his teeth and shook his head. 

“No…that might just tick her off.” 

With that, Bogo stomped toward the bunny, who beamed at the approaching officer. When he was just a few feet away from the bunny, Bogo stopped and removed his sunglasses. 

“Hi, Chief!” Trisha said excitedly as she seemed to wiggle in place. 

“What were you doing in the AC vents?” Bogo asked hesitantly. 

“Heading to Nick’s locker,” Trisha said as she pulled out a crude map written in crayon. “Was going to fill it with shaving cream.” 

Bogo raised a brow and looked over his shoulder at the officers on the perimeter, his eyes falling on Nick. He then looked back at Trisha.

“If I promise to help you with pranking Wilde, will you leave the other officers be for today?” 

Trisha pursed her lips as she tilted her head, the doe obviously deep in thought. 

“I don’t know….what else ya got to sweeten the deal?” 

Bogo smirked as he raised his large hoove and made a signal. Just behind the buffalo, there was a sudden commotion and some surprised shouting. 

Trisha raised her brow and leaned to the side so she could see what was happening. While she missed the start of the scuffle, she enjoyed the sight coming her way. 

Judy was currently tied to a rolling chair, which Nick was pushing toward them. The officer bunny had an annoyed look on her face as she looked up at her foxy partner, who kept apologizing. Nick brought the chair Judy was tied into a stop right next to Bogo, who then looked at Trisha. He waved his hooves next to Judy as if presenting her like a game show host would a big prize. 

“I don’t think the rope was necessary,” Judy grumbled as she looked at Bogo with an annoyed half-lidded stare. 

“Shush Hopps, this is for the good of the city,” Bogo grumbled. 

Trisha beamed as her tail wiggled rapidly. 

“Deal!” The bunny exclaimed as she threw her paws and hurried over to Judy. 

The small brown bunny clambered up onto the chair and immediately hugged her tied-up friend, rubbing her cheeks against Judy’s. Judy grumbled at first but couldn’t resist a cuddle from her mischievous friend, to which she returned with a soft purring noise. Trisha then hopped off the chair, scrambled behind it, and started to push Judy away. 

“Wait! Trisha, you can untie me!” Judy yelped as the chair she was in bounced on the uneven cement. 

Trisha, however, cackled as she kept pushing. She then glanced back at Nick and Bogo, “Pleasure doing business with you, Chief.” 

Bogo and Nick watched as Trisha scurried away with Judy. The two turned a corner, and with that, they were gone. 

“You realize she is going to be really ticked tomorrow, right, Chief?” Nick asked as he stared at the street corner behind which the two bunnies had vanished. 

“Wilde?” 

“Yes, Chief?” 

“Parking Duty.” 

“...Yes Chief…” 

As the two officers returned to the headquarters the small army of ZPD dispersed. 

Just a block away, Trisha finally stopped the wheely chair before reaching up and undoing the hastily tied knots, freeing Judy, who hopped from the chair. 

“And that is how you get a whole day off with pay,” Trisha chuckled as she tossed the rope back on the chair. 

Judy rubbed her sides for a moment before staring at Trisha. The two remained silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. 

“Told you the vent idea would work,” Judy asked through her laughter. 

“They never saw it coming,” Trisha said happily, grabbing her friend by the paw. 

With that, Trisha and her bun on the inside happily skipped down the sidewalk, eager to enjoy Judy’s hooky day.  

Chapter Text

Zootopia. 

A city where anyone can be anything. 

In this bustling city, where mammals of all kinds coexist, there's always something exciting happening. 

Fortunately for the citizens of the wild metropolis, there is a news team composed of dedicated, hard-working, charismatic mammals. Oh, and did we mention handsome?

 (Don’t mind me; just trying to get another story featured)

Thanks to the ZNN, it was easy for everyone to be in the know, whether they had been in the city since its founding or had just gotten off the train from BunnyBurrow. 

Being the number 1 news source, though, was quite an undertaking. 

The dedicated mammals of the ZNN worked day and night to ensure they had the information that mammals needed and the stories that mattered. 

This meant early mornings, long shifts, and late nights. 

It had been one of those long nights again as the sound stage lights finally dimmed, the audio boards were shut down, and the crew gathered for their end-of-night briefing. 

“Alright, good job, team,” A koala in a pair of slacks and button-up shirt said as he removed his headset from his large, rounded ears. 

As the various mammals that made up the late-night news team gathered, the koala looked down at his clipboard to review some last-minute notes. 

“Tomorrow is another big day, we have the morning crew covering the road construction update in Tundra so probably going to need B roll from them on the evening updates, we got traffic on that?” The koala asked as he glanced over at a horse who was flipping through a tablet. 

“Right now traffic cam is down but I put a ticket in, should be able to get it up and running by noon.” 

“Golden, alright, and also got that big premier going on for the action movie coming out at the Grand Sahara Theater. Who we got on that?” 

“I was going to run point,” A snow leopard in a lovely business suit said as she unbuttoned her jacket and took a moment to lean back against a grip box. 

“Fantastic, alright, looks like the rest is the morning team, so unless anyone has got anything-” 

The group of gathered mammals all exchanged knowing looks before hurrying over to a series of monitors where several chairs and even an old couch had been set up. 

The koala looked a little confused, his eyes meeting an excited-looking rabbit who took a moment to explain. 

“Lynn found this amateur newsgroup that posts online.” 

“Really?” The koala grumbled. “Anyone with a camera these days thinks they can make a news segment.” 

“Yeah, well, this group makes something I wouldn’t call news,” the buck chuckled as he hurried over to join the others. 

“Then what would you call it?” 

“You just have to watch and see,” the snow leopard news anchor exclaimed as she got comfortable on the couch, the young rabbit buck hopping up and scooting next to her. 

The koala was about to hand up his headset, but seeing his whole team, anchors and all, gathered to watch this online newsgroup was enough to perk the koala’s curiosity. 

The marsupial strolled over and took a second to get comfortable on a folding chair one of the grips had set up for the team to gather and watch in. 

One of the techs was busy fumbling with her laptop as she connected it to the monitors. 

After inserting the USB connection two times, the skunk finally managed to get it right and let out a pleased noise before typing in a web address on her web browser. 

Seconds later, the screen was filled with a news stream. 

Well, almost a silly “Please Stand By.” logo filled the screen. 

The image of a white bunny with black spots covered in what appeared to be electrical tape was smiling at the viewers. 

The screen went blank before the speakers began to play music. 

The thing is, it wasn’t so much music as it was the sound of someone making noises. 

“Badadadadadada,” A sweet female voice sounded like it was trying to make some kind of impressive intro music but stumbled on occasion before bursting into giggles. 

“You’re watching the Trisha News Network! Badadadadada! With Taco! Badadadadada-” 

The please standby image was suddenly replaced with the view of what appeared to be a storage closet that had been fashioned into a newsroom. 

It had several shelves filled with beer cases and liquor bottles, some of which were used to hold up a bright blue blanket with TNN painted on the side. 

A desk had been crudely set up and filled with knick-knacks such as a bright orange lava lamp, a snowy mountain peak that looked like it belonged on a train set, and a dinosaur toy whose eyes blinked red on occasion. 

Sitting behind the desk were two lovely bunnies, one with storm cloud gray fur while the other was more of a coffee with milk and sugar brown. 

Each of them was dressed as a news anchor, the gray doe adorned in a dark purple suit and matching blouse, while the brown doe looked a little more vibrant in a teal blue suit and black tie. 

“Good evening, I am Trisha Rose,” The brown bunny began as she beamed at the camera before nodding to the other doe. “With me, not physically, of course, because the shippers would kill Blue, is Judy Hopps.”

The gray doe blinked a few times before raising a brow and glancing over at her co-anchor. 

“4th wall break so early?” 

“My station, my rules,” Trisha said casually as she smiled at the camera. “Tonight's stories, the fountain of youth has finally been discovered, and an alien transmission has been received by the government announcing our new overlord's arrival, but first-”

“Oh my gosh, what did I get myself into?” Judy mumbled as she put a paw on her forehead. 

“-To our bunny on the streets asking the hard-hitting questions,” Trisha continued before winking at the camera. 

There was a sudden explosion as some B roll footage of an exploding fuel truck filled the screen for no apparent reason before segwaying into the next segment. 

The screen was then filled with a pair of bright teal eyes and some giggling before zooming out to reveal the smiling face of the same bunny from the “Please Stand By” slide. 

With the sun shining in the background, it was obvious this had been filmed earlier in the day. 

“Hello!” The doe said excitedly before extending her arm so the camera could get a proper selfie image of the doe. 

The bunny was adorned in a suit similar to her fellow anchors, only this one was bright yellow, and the shirt was green. 

It also looked to be two sizes larger than the bunny needed. 

“I’m Taco, and today I will be asking questions to random mammals on the street,” The bunny said with an innocent and vibrant smile. 

The screen was filled with temporary static before the image of a horse strolling away popped onto the screen. 

“Excuse me!” Came Taco’s bubbly voice came, which caused the horse to stop. 

The lovely mare glanced over her shoulder, looking confused until she spotted the small bunny standing at her hooves. 

“Oh, yes?” The mare asked as she turned to give the bunny a confused smile. 

“How did you get so pretty?” Taco asked from behind the camera. 

The mare chuckled and brushed her hair from her eyes. 

“Oh my gosh, aren't you the sweetest thing?” 

The screen filled with static before a rhino popped onto the feed, looking a little concerned as he stared down at the adorable bunny. 

“Petey?” Taco began as the camera stared up at the rhino. 

“Yeah, Spots?” The rhino asked as he glanced from the bunny and then back to his phone, leaning against a large black door. 

“Where do baby bunnies come from?” 

The rhino coughed suddenly as he looked up at his phone and playfully glared down at the doe. 

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop asking me that?!” The rhino barked with a laugh. 

Taco giggled excitedly as the camera turned from the rhino and aimed towards the floor as the doe scampered away. 

Static once more before a rather odd sight popped up. 

It was the image of a table covered in a white cloth. 

In the center, a large serving tray was sitting, filled with what appeared to be sliced carrots covered in a sweet glaze. 

Each one had a toothpick in it, and a sign next to the tray read “Free Samples.”

A white and black spotted paw appeared from one side of the image and reached out, extending one of its digits before gently pressing down on one of the small carrot slices. 

“Can I have that one?” Taco asked from just off-screen. 

“Well, seeing as you touched it I guess you have too,” Came an annoyed voice. 

The white paw plucked up one of the carrots and pulled it off-screen before appearing again. 

“What about that one?” Taco asked as she poked another. 

“Yes, if you touch it, I can’t serve it…” 

Taco giggled and plucked up another sample, only to repeat the same action as before, poking another carrot slice. 

“Quit eating all the samples!” 

“I’m not. I am merely moving them to my mouth,” Taco giggled. 

Static as the next part of the segment loaded filled the screen. 

When the feed returned, a cheetah in a ZPD uniform towered over the camera, looking down as she raised a pair of patrol glasses. 

“Taco, what have we told you about eating all the free samples?” The cheetah chuckled. 

“I saved you one,” Taco said as she held a toothpick up, a small carrot with a bite mark was skewered on the end of it. 

The cheetah tried to maintain her composure as she stared at the carrot but her lips curled into a smile as she looked back at the bunny behind the camera. 

“What am I going to do with you?” The cheetah asked. 

“Cuddle?” Taco asked before suddenly leaping up towards the cheetah. 

“Ack! Taco!” 

The screen was filled with static before returning to Trisha and Judy back at the studio. 

“That was Taco in the streets,” Trisha smiled at the camera, which then panned to Judy. 

“Now to Nick with the….weather? Really a weather segment?” Judy asked as she glanced over at her fellow anchor. 

The next segment began, and a fox in a pawiian shirt and tie stood on the sidewalk just on the edge of a small community park in Sahara Square. 

“Well, here I am, Trisha. Just like you asked, Sahara Square is doing the weather report,” the fox grumbled. “In a climate-controlled district…” 

The fox looked over his shoulder and waved his paws about before glancing at the camera. 

“It's hot, probably going to be hot in an hour or so, and I bet I know what tomorrow's forecast will-” 

Before the fox could continue, a badger in a trench coat and tin foil hat suddenly barged onto the screen. It tackled Nick before hopping back up, holding the microphone close to its muzzle as it shouted. 

“City Hall is putting oregano in the water supply to make the spots on giraffes look like the silhouettes of former sanitation managers!” 

“Get off me, you flee riddled-” Nick shouted as he could be seen at the bottom of the screen trying to get up. “Fin, get the bat!” 

The badger dropped the microphone and hurried off-screen, followed closely by the tips of a fennec fox’s ears and a bat. 

The segment ended and changed back to the anchor’s desk, where Trisha was wiping tears from her eyes as she laughed. 

Judy looked concerned as she looked off to the side of the screen.

“That was the best 20 bucks I ever spent, didn't even tell him to say all that either,” Trisha chuckled, which caused Judy to scowl over at her co-anchor. “Next up, we have our ice cream review segment with Atom and Em.” 

The screen buzzed with another changeover before the image of an otter and painted dog popped up. 

The otter was casually leaning against a counter in what appeared to be a kitchen in an otter-sized apartment. 

Her bright green eyes looked at the camera as she introduced herself and her co-host. 

“Good evening. I am Em, and this painted cutie is Atom.” 

As the otter introduced the larger predator, he stood up straighter and waved eagerly at the camera. 

“Tonight we are reviewing the newly released Super Mint Chocolate Dream ice cream from Hog and Dots,” The otter said as the painted dog popped open a carton of dark green ice cream, which he scooped into two bowls. 

The otter watched, a tender smile on her lips as her painted friend served them. 

While most ice cream servings were 1 or 2 scoops, Atom had not gotten the memo. 

The painted dog eagerly served half the carton to Em in a bowl, which was now overflowing with ice cream. 

He then proceeded to do the same for his bowl. 

Once Em’s bowl was filled, Atom gingerly scooted it over to the otter, who stared at the large serving before looking up at the camera, her eyelids drooping as her lips curled into a knowing smile. 

“Thanks, cutie,” Em said as she plucked up a spoon and gingerly scooped some ice cream up, raising the spoon to her lips and into her mouth. 

She let out a pleased noise as her eyelids closed, smacking her lips as she tasted the sweet treat. 

After a second or two, she opened her eyes and looked over at Atom, who was shoveling ice cream into his maw. 

“Atom sweetie, you are gonna get a-” Em began but was cut off by Atom, who winced, smacked his head with one of his paws, and whimpered. “Awwww…you ok Atom?” 

The painted dog simply nodded, still rubbing his head as he opened his mouth and took another generous scoop. 

“Don't have more of it!” Em spat out with a laugh. 

Atom ignored his friend and proceeded to scoop more ice cream into his mouth, wincing in pain but still enjoying his sweet, icy treat. 

The otter hurried over and tried to stop the painted goofball, but Atom simply plucked up his bowl and tried to scamper away. 

“Atom, you gotta stop, or it will get worse,” Em laughed as she tried in vain to stop her painted companion. 

The canine hurried off-screen, closely followed by Em. 

Seconds later, Atom came running past the screen, still shoveling ice cream into his mouth. 

Em still close on his tail. 

Back and forth they went.

Eventually, Atom set his empty ice cream bowl down, only to scoop up Em’s. 

“Hey!” The otter cackled as she dove after the painted dog, landing on his back and causing them to both fall forward off-screen. 

The screen filled with static before Em and Atom appeared once more, both of them looking a little tired, bits of ice cream spattered on Atom’s face as he pouted. 

Em had a pleased look on her face as she scooped another spoonful from her bowl. 

“So, Atom, how do you feel about this new flavor?” Em asked as she scooped the ice cream on her spoon into her mouth, smacking her lips happily. 

Atom let out a snort before rolling his eyes. 

The painted dog then proceeded to make a series of paw signals and gestures. 

Em watched her friend give his review. 

Since the painted dog was mute, he could only communicate through a series of paw signals, and from its appearance, he had a lot to say about the new flavor. 

Atom waved his paws, made symbols gestures, and was rather animated in his response. 

When he finished, he sat back and looked over at Em, waiting for the otter to translate. 

Em smiled tenderly at Atom, whose tail wagged slowly before the otter looked back at the camera. 

“He says it's pretty good,” Em said with a smile before licking her spoon. 

Atom raised a brow and folded his arms before waving his paws, letting out an exasperated sigh. 

He had obviously said far more than what the otter was letting on. 

Em, however, smiled back at Atom before scooping up some ice cream onto her spoon and extending it out to Atom, gently booping his nose and leaving a smudge of ice cream on his snout, which he happily licked up. 

The otter then finished what was on her spoon before looking back at the camera. 

“Till next time, I’m Em, and the sugar-rushing cutie is Atom.” 

The segment ended., 

Trisha and Judy filled the screen once more, each of them eating ice cream from their own bowls. 

“You know, think Atom was right,” Judy began as she scooped another spoonful of ice cream. “This is pretty good.” 

“He sure has a way with words,” Trisha added with a wink. 

The brown bunny then smiled back at the camera. 

“Well, that is all the time we have.” 

“What about the alien overlords?” Judy asked casually as she licked her ice cream spoon. 

“Eh…. can't be worse than our current politicians,” Trisha teased, which caused Judy to snort. “For Trisha News Network, I’m Trisha.” 

“And I’m Judy.” 

“Tune in next time, or I will tell the alien overlords where you live!” Trisha said as she wiggled in her seat. 

There was a loud crash just off-screen and some commotion before the badger from Nick’s segment jumped in front of one of the cameras. 

“City hall doesn't have authority over Zootopia! All the decisions are made by a council of enlarged mackerel in business suits who make up laws based on the results of late-night gameshows.” 

“Nick, your friend is here!” Trisha announced, still leaning back in her seat as she enjoyed her ice cream, completely unphased by this revelation. 

Chapter Text

I don’t get paid enough for this...

The age-old mantra of service industry workers everywhere and in this author’s opinion, a rather true statement. These words had been muttered, shouted, and thought time and time again by mammals young and old through the years. 

Today though it was being thought by a young-looking raccoon in a fast food uniform as she stared in disbelief at a painted dog in a business suit as she shouted obscenities at the poor gray and black striped mammal. 

“I have eaten here longer than you have been able to talk, you little trash panda!” The painted dog barked, almost foaming at the mouth as she waved her paws over her head before pointing at the illuminated menu just above the raccoon. “And you all have never been out of my fish sandwich!” 

“There was a delay on delivery, ma’am-” The raccoon began to say in an apologetic manner. 

“Does that look like my problem? You should anticipate that and notify me so I don’t come down here during work hours for lunch! Do you know how much time I wasted getting here, and you don’t have the fish sandwich?!” 

The raccoon let out an exasperated sigh as she stared desperately around for some kind of help. Of course, her manager was nowhere in sight and her fellow employees all shrunk behind the counter or kitchen area of the fast food eatery. 

“Ma’am, how about the beetle burger? I can offer you a discount if you-” 

“Do I look like I want that garbage?!” The painted dog shouted as a family of prairie dogs just behind the canine suddenly turned and exited the restaurant. As they did, a pair of bunnies entered, and much to the raccoon’s excitement, one of them was a police officer. 

“See, told you I heard a Karen-” The other bunny in a white polo shirt and black leggings combo chuckled but was quickly hushed up by the bunny in blue. 

“Excuse me?!” The painted dog growled as she turned to the pair of does. 

Much to everyone’s surprise, neither of the bunnies seem to slink away or even react; if anything, they both raised a matching pair of patrol glasses and plopped them on their heads. 

“Ma'am, we heard a commotion from outside and wanted to check in to see-” 

“AH!” The brown bunny beside the gray bunny let out an excited yell as she tossed her paws in the air and darted to the counter of the fast food restaurant, and stopped in front of a display case that was currently showing off the month’s toys that came with the kit meals. “They have the new Megazords! When did these come in?!” 

“Trisha,” The other bunny whispered firmly. 

“Do you have all of them in the back, or are they on the weekly rotation?” The brown bunny asked the raccoon eagerly. 

The young mammal behind the counter felt her mouth fall open as she stared in disbelief before answering. 

“Um…I think we have all of them right now?” 

“Awesome!” The brown bunny grinned before patting her leggings, a look of terror coming over her lovely face. She then turned to her partner. “Judy! Buy me five kit meals!” 

“Trisha, we have other matters to attend to,” The other bunny grumbled as she nodded at the painted dog, who was looking around in annoyance before regaining her composure. 

“Officer, they are out of fish sandwiches, I have eaten those sandwiches every Monday for 5 year-” 

“Ew! The fish sandwich? Really?” The brown bunny gagged before glancing over at the raccoon. “Sorry, no offense.” 

The raccoon couldn’t help but smile as she shrugged, “It's a summer job.” 

“Awww, are you in high school?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” The raccoon nodded. “Hope to graduate next year.” 

“Awww, that's adorable,” The brown bunny said as she leaned on the counter, her little bunny tail wiggling. “Whats your favorite subject?”

“Oh, paws down, science,” The raccoon gushed. 

The painted dog, who had been causing all the chaos before, looked over at Judy and raised a brow. 

“Oh, science is a great subject,” Trisha continued. “How is your math?” 

“It's ok…” The raccoon admitted. 

“Well, depending on your field, you gotta get those maths up, also have you applied for-” 

“Excuse me!” The painted dog practically shouted. “What are you going to do about the fish sandwich?” 

“Ma’am, I understand your frustration,” Judy began before being interrupted. 

“I don’t; those are gross,” Trisha chuckled before turning and leaning back to the counter. Why not do the tofu? You can have them toss it in the special sauce and slap some cheese on it. Oh gosh, it's amazing.” 

“Wait, we can do that?” The raccoon asked as she looked down at the screen of her cash register. 

“It's on your special orders tab. Trust me, I come here a lot for the toys..” 

As the bunny spoke, a warthog strolled behind the counter carrying a box of napkins. 

“Hey, Trisha.” 

“Sup Mark?” Trisha asked without looking behind her. 

“Ma’am, no matter what you decide to do with your order, we have to ask that you do so in a calm manner,” Judy said in a friendly yet firm manner as she took control of the chaotic situation. 

“I want my-” The painted dog began to grumble, but she then looked around. After being interrupted she had lost her momentum and realized that all eyes in the small eatery were on her. “I….I’m sorry, it's just… we have been so bogged down at work, and my boss has been on my tail; the only thing I can control these days is my fish sandwich.” 

The painted dog looked over at the raccoon, her eyes glazed over with tears. “Could….could you make that tofu sandwich but as a wrap?” Both Trisha and the raccoon perked up before the brown bunny looked over her shoulder. 

“Oh dang, that does sound good.” 

“I’m sorry…for losing my cool,” The painted dog grumbled before looking at Judy. “Truly, officer, I just… it's been a week already, and it's just Monday.” 

“Its alright ma’am, I think sometimes we all just need to take a deep breath; sounds like your boss should, too.” 

The painted dog simply nodded as she let out a long sigh. 

“In the future, maybe just take a step back, I find after taking a moment to clear my mind, a new answer can-” 

“AH! Thank you!” 

Judy paused as she and the painted dog looked over at the counter to see Trisha holding up one of the kit meal toys, a dark blue robot of some kind that, when you press a little switch by its head, turns into the legs of the Megazord…not that…I would know… 

The warthog from before and the raccoon both grinned as they watched the bunny tear the small plastic from the little blue robot before making whooshing noises. 

“Is…is she new?” The painted dog asked as Judy put her paws on her hips and tapped one of her large bunny feet. 

“She is a ride-along.” 

“You still do those?” The painted dog asked as she turned to Judy. 

“Rarely,” Judy smirked as she stared at Trisha, whose ears went up as she realized she was being watched. 

The mischievous brown bunny looked over at Judy and beamed, raising the blue robot up in front of her and making “pew pew” noises. 

Chapter Text

Zootopia is not just a city where anyone can be anything. They can also enjoy things that would typically be hard to enjoy anywhere else. Surfing in the middle of winter? No problem thanks to the Sahara Square and its enormous wave pool nestled in the southern part of the district. Staying dry during monsoon season? Just move on over from the Rainforest District to the Desertlands. What about snowball fights in the middle of a heatwave? Well, that's easy: Tundra Town! 

One of the largest districts is the snowy region that houses millions of the more arctic inclined citizens of the diverse metropolis. Tundra Town is known for its year round snow covered peaks and monthly blizzards. It was also known to be the perfect place to cool off and enjoy some snowy activities. 

Of course before braving the chilly conditions it was common for most mammals from out of the region to sit back and enjoy a warm drink that prepared them for their brisk adventure. 

One such mammal was happily sitting in serene silence as he stared out the window at the dazzling snow that drifted from the clouds above. 

While his fur was a russet red, and his ears gave off the features of a fox, there was also some contrasting features to the predator currently enjoying the snowy vista. His fur had some odd distinguishing marks of a raccoon and his tail had a little extra floof to it.

With one of his black paws wrapped around a warm mug of hot chocolate it was clear the mammal was lost in thought.

There was a soft buzzing coming from the fox trash panda hybrids pocket and he was suddenly brought back to reality. He glanced down as he retrieved his phone, his ears drooping just slightly as he read a message that had just come in from his mate. 

“Sorry honey but I am stuck on a project. Going to have to rain check. But have fun with the others ok! Build a big snow bunny for me!”

The red predator sighed; after all, it had been his bun’s idea to go out on this adventure in the first place. He couldn't be completely mad, though; he knew how things came up and how- 

Another buzz from the phone caught the fox hybrids' attention. 

“Kiro, dude, so sorry but we had an emergency at work. Can't make it. Say hi to Ara for me and sorry in advance for whatever the trouble maker does to you. I owe you a beer!”

The red foxoon sighed as he started to put two and two together. With his girlfriend Ara unable to make it and now the painted goofball Delta also a no-show, he was about to be left alone with… 

An otter in a server uniform slowly strolled by holding an empty tray, her brow raised as the predator by the window waved a paw in her direction. She eagerly waddled over and beamed at the patron at the table.

“A refill, sir? Or maybe a light snack while you wait?” the otter asked as she retrieved a writing pad from her apron. 

As calmly as Kiro could, he looked down at the otter, but his eyes said it all. There was a fear in them as he tried to process his next move. 

“Is there a secret back door exit to this place?” The foxoon asked the confused-looking otter. 

“S…sir?” The otter asked, looking concerned. 

“I just… need to not be here before my party arrives.”

Kiro quickly reached into his pocket, retrieved his wallet, and placed a bill double the amount his drink was worth. 

“Please?”

The otter beamed, “Awkward date?”

“No, more like an impending storm.”

The otter giggled before speaking once more, “Well, sir if you want to get out without being seen, I am sure I can lead you around the back area; it leads into the back parking lot though, so you would have to go around the building, to-”

“Awwww, Kiro, who are we hiding from?”

While the voice sounded sweet and bubbly, it still made Kiro’s eyes widen and his blood go cold. As if in a dream, or maybe a nightmare, he slowly turned, hoping that he had misheard the voice and that SHE wasn't standing behind him. 

When Kiro turned her saw…her. A bubbly brown bunny currently leaning with her elbow on the otter's shoulder. The smaller predator smiled sweetly at the new arrival, blissfully unaware that she was in the presence of a certain foxoon’s doom. 

“Oh, hello, welcome in!” The otter beamed at the bunny before suddenly realizing something. She then looked back to Kiro with a nervous smile. “Oh…was this the one you were trying to sneak away from?”

Kiro remained silent and nodded slowly; his eyes fixated on the bunny in the blue sweater and baggy purple snow pants before him. 

“Awwww! Don't be like that,” the bunny giggled as she approached the trapped fox raccoon. 

What happened next made the otter giggle before hurrying away. The bunny clambered onto the foxoon’s lap, beaming at the predator as she straddled him only to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him. 

While the sight was rather adorable, Kiro remained perfectly still as he whispered, “I need an adult.”

The bunny, whose eyes were closed as she nuzzled against her victim, smiled before whispering, “I am an adult.”

It took some convincing, but eventually Kiro managed to get a certain bubbly brown pain in the side of his lap and sitting across from him. When she finally settled in her chair the bunny placed her elbows on the table before resting her chin in her paws. 

“I love the romantic places you take me,” the doe whispered as she batted her eyelashes at the foxoon. 

The two sat in silence for a moment before they both burst into laughter. 

“Trisha, why are you so weird?”

“Being normal was boring,” Trisha chuckled as the otter waitress from before returned with a fresh mug of hot chocolate for the new arrival. Trisha couldn't help but give the otter a playful wink before looking back at her friend. “So Ara flaked.”

“Yeah…” 

“And Delta is a dork.”

“Doesn't he work for the bomb squad, so a work emergency would be kinda-”

“He is a handler for a detector. Don't let him fool you. Atom is the real hero,” the bunny teased before raising the mug to her lips and taking a sip of hot chocolate. 

Kiro watched the bunny enjoy her drink before she set the mug back down and wiggled in place. 

“So that means we only need one trashcan lid instead of two!”

Kiro sat dumbfounded at the bunny’s words, sitting back in his chair as he stared at the doe across from him. 

“Was that a raccoon jab?”

“Oh no,” Trisha giggled before her ears went up, she then stood on her seat and tried to lean across the table. “But if ya want I can.”

Kiro rolled his eyes and swatted the doe’s paw away before the bunny sat back down in her chair, stirring her drink before looking out the window at a snowy hill in the distance. After a few seconds of silence, which, given the current company, was rather impressive, Trisha suddenly drained her hot chocolate before setting the empty mug down. 

“Alright, time to make history!”

Kiro stood at the edge of a steep snow-covered bluff, looking out at the skyline of Tundra Town, its many shops and hotels illuminated, which added to the beautiful vista currently sprinkled with a white frost. 

“Blue’s intros are getting more thematic lately,” Trisha mumbled as she sat next to Kiro, vigorously rubbing at the bottom of a metal snow saucer. 

“Hmmm?” Kiro asked, his bright yellow and blue eyes blinking in confusion as he looked down at the bunny. 

“Nothing!” Trisha piped back before whispering. “And that is my 4th wall break quota for the day.” 

Kiro continued to stare down at the bunny with concern, mainly because he had no idea what she was up to. The bunny quickly had led Kiro to a ski shop next to the restaurant after their hot chocolate catch-up. From there the bunny had rented a snow saucer specially designed for the snowy conditions. While some mammals may enjoy skiing or snowboarding there were others who just enjoyed sitting in a saucer and sliding down the snowy hills throughout the district. 

While this was perfectly normal what wasn’t was the odd spray can sitting next to Trisha, the bunny spraying an odd liquid on the saucer that made its surface start to smooth and shine. While Kiro was slightly concerned, he had to admit he was glad the doe was distracted otherwise he knew her focus would have been on him, and for a bunny, she had sharp elbows. 

After another few minutes of Trisha applying the shine to the saucer, the bunny stood up and placed her paws on her hips, inspecting her handy work before beaming up at Kiro. 

“Ready to break something?” The bunny asked as she wiggled in place. 

“You mean a record, right?” Kiro asked, hoping the bunny meant some kind of speed record. 

Trisha remained silent, her toothy grin and lack of response made Kiro gulp nervously. 

“Why is it I put up with you again?” Kiro grumbled. 

“Because you love Ara.” 

“Yes..but…what does that have to do with listening to you?” 

Trisha simply smiled up at the foxoon before finally speaking, “Get on the damn saucer Kiro.” 

The foxoon took in a deep breathe, puffing out his chest as he stood a little taller. He was easily three times the size of Trisha. Kiro could easily just pick Trisha up and plop her into a snowbank if he wanted to; he didn’t have to listen to her! He was bigger than her! 

Seconds later, the foxoon was sitting in the saucer, an annoyed look on his face as he tried to figure out why in the world he gave into bunnies' demands so easily. Trisha, meanwhile, was standing next to the saucer, packing up the spray and rag into her bag which she was busy securing. 

While both mammals were a little preoccupied with their thoughts, a sudden gust of chilled wind picked up, rolling over the top of the bluff and hitting Kiro’s back. The brisk feeling was a little annoying, but it wasn’t the reason Kiro suddenly sat up a little straighter. The saucer inched closer to the edge, the slick underside gliding across the surface of the snow. 

“Uh oh-” Was all Kiro had time to say before the saucer slid over the edge. 

*VWOOM*

The saucer shot off as if fired from a canon. 

“AHHHHHH!” Kiro let out, his eyes wide in terror as he gripped the sides of the saucer. 

Trisha’s ears twitched, and she stood up straight and watched as her foxoon friend blasted off down the hill. 

“Oh wow…” The bunny mumbled as she griped the straps of her backpack. “Might have put too much of that stuff on there…” 

“AHHHHHH! I’m gonna barf!” Kiro shouted, but his shouts and yells were muffled by the sound of skidding and swishing coming from underneath the saucer. 

Off the foxoon flew, the saucer picking up speed. 

Trisha blinked as she watched the blur that was her friend continue to pick up speed only to hit a snowbank. Normally, this would have been enough to stop the saucer, but instead, it just went airborne, causing Kiro to go with it. 

“Kiro, watch out for that tree!”

*Smack*

Trisha winced as she watched Kiro fly from the saucer, which landed in the snow only to continue its high-speed journey without its rider. Kiro, on the other paw, flew face first into a thick pine tree, the foxoon hitting it with such force that it caused the snow that had collected on its branches to fall on top of the poor predator with a thump. 

Kiro groaned loudly as his head popped up from underneath the fresh snow pile on top of his frail and broken body. 

“Whyyyyyyy…” He groaned in pain as several mammals who had witnessed the crash hurried over to aid the poor foxoon. 

“Sir, are you ok?” 

“Mama, did you see? He flew!” 

“Quickly get him out of that snow.” 

Kiro’s head was filled with a fog and his world was spinning as a polar bear helped heft him up and out of the snow. 

“You alright, son?” The enormous mammal asked. 

Kiro, whose world was still spinning, suddenly reached up and grabbed the polar bear’s collar. 

“You gotta hide me!” The foxoon blurted out. 

“Hide you?” 

“If she sees I survived, she will just find new ways to try and kill me!” Kiro blurted out, sounding like a mad mammal. 
“Think he bonked his head.” 

“No, you gotta listen before she gets here! She is crazy, I tell you, she-” 

“Kiro!” 

The foxoon had enough time to turn his head before Trisha collided with his stomach, the bunny having propelled herself through the air so she could wrap her friend up in a hug. 

“That was amazing! Oh my gosh, you got so much air!” Trisha gushed as she looked up at the panic-stricken hybrid. “I bet if I apply another coat of the stuff under the saucer, we could clear the Tundra Town wall!” 

Kiro looked down at the bunny, whose bright blue eyes shined up at him, only for his own eyes to roll into the back of his head as he fell back in the snow with a thump. 

“Good idea, Kiro!” Trisha announced as she stood up and brushed some snow from her pants. “You rest here; I’ll go find our saucer and get it prepped for the next run.” 

With that, Trisha hurried away, leaving Kiro surrounded by several concerned-looking mammals as the foxoon groaned in the snow. 

“Why….why me?” Kiro grumbled. 

“Shush! You love me!” Trisha shouted back as she bounded away, off to find her snow saucer in preparation for making Kiro the first foxoon to launch into orbit. 

Chapter Text

With so many different pact mammals in the city, it was no surprise that friends would occasionally chat about their circle of friends and the various positions they may fill. While maybe not the same species in a melting pot like Zootopia, it wasn’t uncommon for some mammals to take on a role that was surprising to some. 

Nick, for example, while some of the city had started to accept foes for the upstanding citizens they were, it still surprised some to know that he was normally the comic relief in a group. The fox using his wit and charm to make even the most stubborn of mammals crack a smile. 

Judy was, of course, the peppy, happy-go-lucky leader. Her inspiring presence and borderline annoying positive attitude were enough to make most mammals who met her feel a little more upbeat, all while Nick made fake gagging noises behind the doe’s back. 

On occasion, someone may be foolish enough to ask who may be in charge of the duo, to which both of them would proudly announce that they were, while the other was more like a sidekick. This would lead to silly arguments between the pair resulting in some light poking in a certain fox’s side while he would make bunny ears behind the doe when she wasn’t looking. It was all in jest, of course, both of them valuing the other's input and caring for one another in ways that would make a fandom go to war when it came to a possible relationship status… 

The funny thing is that on one occasion, a bet was made on who was actually in charge. One that would lead to a fascinating science experiment at a particular watering hole nestled away in the central district of Zootopia.

The plan was simple enough. Someone would place a single fun-sized Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack on the bartop at the 10-7 when Trisha wasn’t looking. Then, when the blue-eyed troublemaker skipped by and saw the candy, whoever had set the candy bar out would tell her not to eat it. If Trisha ignored the command, then whoever gave it was not in charge, and the next mammal would try their luck another time. If, by some miracle, Trisha listened, then that would imply she followed that mammal's orders, and they would be considered in charge. 

Silly? Maybe. 

Science? Also Maybe. 

The potential for a great chapter? Yes, very much, yes.

Nick’s Turn 

Judy, feeling rather confident at her odds, allowed Nick to try this little experiment first. The fox, however, had a plan. Nothing in the rules said he couldn’t offer something in exchange for Trisha not eating the candy bar.

With the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack set center stage, Nick strolled back to his spot at a hightop across from the bar where Judy was waiting, the doe sporting a smug smile as her bright purple eyes watched the experiment carry out. 

Right on cue, as Trisha skipped down the bar, her blue eyes zeroed in on the candy bar. Her tail gave the faintest of wiggles as she hurried over, scooped up the sweet treat, and prepared to unwrap the well-earned reward. 

“Hey, Trisha!” Nick said loud enough to catch the barkeep's attention. The doe’s thick black-tipped ears went up as she looked over at the fox, her paws holding the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack wrapper as she prepared to tear it open. “If you don’t eat that, I will set you up for a date with Carrots here.” 

Judy gawked at Nick, not so much at what he was offering but more about how he had already bent the rules. The gray bunny looked back at Trisha and stared, waiting to see what happened next. Without even thinking about it Trisha ripped open the candy bar and popped it into her mouth, chewing happily as she wiggled in place. 

Nick stared in disbelief, shocked his plan had not worked. The vulpine was then flabbergasted by what happened next. 

“Hey, Judy?” Trisha began as she crumbled up the wrapper and tossed it so it landed between Nick’s ears. “You wanna go to dinner tomorrow night?” 

Judy smirked proudly as she looked from Nick and then at her favorite ball of chaos. 

“Pick you up at 8?” 

“Hope you like food on a stick,” Trisha said casually as she strolled down the bar to help the many waiting patrons.

Judy’s Turn

It had been several days since Nick’s defeat and Judy’s date with Trisha who had taken the bunny in blue to a place where they served pizza on a stick. Many gloating selfies had filled the fox’s inbox, so needless to say, he was a little annoyed as he watched Judy skipping back to their high top, having just set out a fresh Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack. 

“So ready to be my errands fox?” Judy asked smugly as she plopped down in her seat, leaning towards and resting her chin on her paw as she stared at Nick. 

“That wasn't part of the bet,” Nick shot back with a laugh. 

“Shhhhhh, I'm in charge,” Judy said as she reached out and put a digit to Nick's muzzle, the fox playfully swatting away at the doe’s paw. 

Before Nick could respond, though, his eyes caught the sight of a pair of thick-tipped brown bunny ears behind the bar. It was rather amusing to see them bob up and down ever so slightly as Trisha made her way behind the bar, the fox knowing full well how the doe had a little bit of a bounce in her step. 

The pair of ears made their way past the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack only to stop after a foot and immediately turn around, tilting upward before a little bunny noise appeared from behind the bar, Trisha having picked up the scent of her favorite candy. 

Nick and Judy watched as Trisha peaked up from behind the bar only to quickly climb up and plop down next to the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack. The mischievous brown bunny looked from side to side before happily wiggling in place. She then reached out to scoop up the tasty treat before Judy cleared her throat. 

“Hey, Trisha?” Judy asked in a sweet-sounding voice. 

Nick rolled his eyes, realizing how Judy planned to use her cuteness on the bubbly barmaid who everyone knew had a bit of a schoolgirl crush on the bunny from the ZPD. 

Trisha sat up a little straighter, her paw just a centimeter away from the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack as she stared at Judy with bright blue eyes. 

“Mind if I have that?” Judy asked as she batted her eyelashes. 

Trisha beamed at Judy before plucking up the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack. Judy glanced at Nick, the smuggest of smiles on her lips as she stared at her fox. Trisha hurried over and placed something in Judy's paw that made the gray bunny blink in surprise as she looked over. 

Nick glanced at Judy's paw and stifled a laugh at the sight of a napkin that said, “IOU one candy.” Judy stared in disbelief as she watched Trisha skip away, the bunny tossing the empty wrapper up into the air, where it landed on top of Nick's head.

Delta’s Turn

It was hard to say which was more amusing to Nick. The pleading look on Judy's face or the unamused expression on the painted dog standing before her as the doe held up a Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack, having just explained the game to the larger canine. 

“Come on, Delta, it's for science, and it's not like it's hurting Trisha,” Judy began to explain. 

“That's not why i think this is dumb,” Delta mumbled as he looked from Judy to Nick and then back at Judy once more. 

“Then why the look?” Judy asked as she tilted her head. 

“The fact that you think Trisha will listen to anyone shows how little you know about that little bundle of chaos.”

“Someone call my name?” Trisha asked as she peaked over deltas shoulder, the doe having clambered up behind the painted dog when no one was looking. Her bright blue eyes suddenly zeroed in on the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack in Judy's paw. “Oh, you gonna eat that?”

Delta smirked as he reached over and plucked the candy from Judy's paw and unwrapped it. Raising it up towards his own maw as he opened wide. Trisha, however, had other plans. Just before Delta could pop the delicious treat into his mouth, the bunny snatched it up and stuffed it into her own mouth with both paws, her cheeks puffing up as she did before she slid down Delta’s back and hurried away. 

Delta smacked his lips with an unamused look before his gaze went to Judy, raising a brow as of to ask if she had any more questions.

Atom’s Turn

While the experiment so far has been unsuccessful, it has nevertheless been amusing. Delta’s failed attempt had been one of Nick's favorites, but that paled in comparison to when Atom joined the mix. 

It all started with Atom having taken a seat next to Judy at their reserved high top at the 10-7. The bunny had explained the basis of their little experiment and shopped Atom the small stockpile of Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snacks that she kept in her bag. 

“Alright, so it's really easy, Atom,” Judy explained as she plucked one of the candies from her bag and held it up to the painted dog whose bright yellow eyes widened in excitement. “All you have to do is put the Super choco-” 

Before Judy could finish, Atom snatched the candy from the doe’s paw, tore open the wrapper, and popped it into his mouth. It happened in a flash, which was why Judy had a shocked expression on her face as Nick and Delta snickered into their drinks. Judy looked down at her paw and then back to Atom, who happily wiggled in place, his tail flicking back and forth. 

“Ok, so you can have that one, I guess, but now onto the real part of the-” Judy had only just managed to pull another Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack before it was quickly scooped up by Atom, who managed to tear the wrapper away and toss the sweet treat into his mouth. “Atom!” 

Atom gave Judy a wide open mouth grin before happily chewing the remains of the chocolate in his mouth and swallowing. His bright yellow eyes were on Judy the whole while which made the doe roll her eyes. Oddly enough, Judy tried one last time. Atom to his credit listened to Judy's instructions and even stood up from the high top with the candy in his paw. He took a few steps away only to tear open the candy wrapper and, just as before, stuff it into his mouth. 

“Oh my gosh,” Judy groaned as she smacked her paw to her forehead. 

Atom quickly began to sign away at Judy, beaming at the bunny as Delta translated. 

“He says he thinks he has it figured out this time, Judy; you should give him another candy,” Delta chuckled as Nick did his best to keep his composure.

The answer

Visit after visit, and there had still not been a case in which Trisha would listen to someone's request. Bogo had been a bust, the bunny simply beaming at the buffalo as he stood defiantly, pointing a hoove at the bunny who tore the wrapper of her candy bar with her teeth. 

Then there had been Petey, who simply roared with laughter, the rhino tossing the candy bar at Trisha, who caught it mid-air and cheered happily as she skipped away. 

Nick’s suggestion of trying to use Echo had been sound at first. The painted dog, however, never made it to the bartop. As the owner of the 10-7 approached, Taco must have sniffed out the candy and came running, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Echo’s leg and pleading with the painted owner for the treat. Try as Echo might she couldn’t resist the big teal puppy dog eyes that Taco used to great effect. 

Judy was also getting concerned with how much candy she had been secretly giving Trisha. Nick, however, made two very convincing points. The first of which was Trisha burned off excess calories by torturing the poor fox whenever he visited. The second was that by now, Trisha must have known what was going on and was most likely doing it on purpose so she could get a sweet treat midway through her shift. 

“You're probably right,” Judy said with a sigh at this revelation, her ears drooping as she pursed her lips to one side. The doe glanced over at the bar and realized Trisha was watching the fox and bunny duo, her bright blue eyes fixated on Judy as she mixed a brightly colored drink. The bubbly brown doe gave her friend a wink before returning to the task at paw. “I only had one more candy anyways, guess she should just finish the bag.” 

With that, Judy slid from her seat, Nick chuckling behind her as the fox watched his bunny trudge towards the bar. 

“Why the long face cutie?” Trisha asked as she slid the brightly colored tropical drink down the bar where it stopped in front of a group of firefighters who immediately began to give their friend a hard time about the order. 

“It is fruity and delicious, and Trisha made it just for me!” Bellowed a lion who proudly picked up the bright drink with a paw. “You all go back to enjoying your wheat water!” 

“I think you know,” Judy sighed as she placed the last Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack between Trisha and her on the counter. 

“Ah, your little science experiment didn't go as planned?” Trisha asked as she plucked up the candy bar and twirled it between her paws as she leaned forward on her elbows. Judy blushed and let out a sigh before nodding. “First off, don’t feel too bad. These things are super good.” 

Judy watched as Trisha stopped the bar mid-twirl to read the back. Her eyes scanned the contents of the bar, and she raised a brow. 

“Superbad for me, too, but I will burn off the calories by torturing Nick later. I had an idea about chasing him with a water gun next time you two go jogging,” Trisha teased before opening the wrapper and plucking the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack from it. She then did something that surprised Judy: she broke the candy bar in two and extended a piece to Judy. “You do realize that your little experiment had all the wrong variables. I mean, telling me not to eat chocolate? Really? Why would I listen to anyone about that?” 

Judy’s eyelids drooped as she realized how right the bubbly barkeep was. 

“Now, if you were to tell me to stop doing something that I could get hurt doing, then, of course, I would listen to you,” Trisha began as she scooped up one of Judy’s paws before placing half of the chocolate in Judy’s grasp. “Or if you offered me advice, then I would take it to heart because I trust and care about you…Nick, not so much.” 

Judy snorted as she sat back and let Trisha continue. 

“So don’t let this get you down, cutie,” Trisha explained as she raised the other half of the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack to her lips and bi-

“You better not be eating another one of those candy bars,” Came a sultry voice behind Trisha. The brown bunny’s ears immediately shot up, the insides of them filling with a rosy blush as her eyes widened. Judy was shocked by this reaction and sat in silence as she watched Em stroll just behind Trisha. “I just ordered us take out for dinner, you will spoil your appetite.” 

With that, the otter sauntered past Trisha, her brilliant green eyes going to Judy who she gave a sweet wink to. Judy gave the small predator a smile before looking back at Trisha only to see the bunny hurriedly stuffing her half of the Super Chocolate Carrot Blast Candy Snack into its wrapper, which she then placed in her pocket. 

“No way…” Judy muttered, which caught Trisha’s attention.

“Not a word,” Trisha growled playfully before standing back up straight and hurrying away down the bar, leaving Judy to stare in awe before she glanced over to Em, who was busy filling a pitcher from a tap. 

“She is in charge…” Judy mumbled to herself. 

Em slowly blinked, and when her eyes opened, they were fixated on Judy. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes before she looked back at the pitcher.

“Em is in charge,” Judy whispered. 

The otter finished filling the pitcher and sauntered back down behind the bar; as she walked past Judy, she slowed for just a moment, her eyes going to Judy before she spoke in a low, sensual whisper, “And don’t you forget it, Hopps,” 

Chapter Text

While the many emergency departments throughout the city of Zootopia were funded by Cityhall, that didn’t mean they had every cent they needed. Budgets had always been tight when it came to funds, which left many of the administrative teams in the various departments with unique challenges when it came to deciding on what to spend their money on. If one project was funded, it meant another may not get the full funding they needed. So, say, a department needed a unique tool or piece of equipment, and they were sometimes left on their own to raise those funds. 

Fortunately, there were many brilliant minds and hard-working mammals spread across the ZPD and ZEMS….the ZFD sometimes needed help, though. The departments would arrange unique fundraisers or volunteer events to help them reach their goals. Car washes were always popular. Sometimes, the medics send out flyers and set up in a parking lot where lines of cars wait for quick cleaning while a nurse or cute paramedic stood by with a bucket for mammals to make donations. The firefighters would help out at these events while also occasionally hosting their own unique fundraiser.

Fill the Boot was actually a rather popular event for the ZFD and commuters alike. With the help of traffic control and the ZPD, a firehouse would sometimes set up their rigs near an intersection, their ladders lifted and lights flashing, while firefighters stood on the corner with boots. When the lights turned red, the firefighters would stroll about cheering as commuters rolled down their windows to make small donations into the boots. Most of the time, it would be parents handing their little ones a few dollars so the kit could toss it into the boot and shake paws with one of the brave firefighters who would paw out stickers to the little ones. 

Not to be outdone, the ZPD would also find unique ways to raise a few extra bucks here and there, whether through hosting events or creating foundations. There was, however, a very unique charity event they hosted that had become an annual tradition. Many years ago, one of the Chiefs of the ZPD hosted an auction as a little joke for the husbands and wives of the officers to bid on their spouse for a chance to have some actual quiet time away from work or to finally get their husbands to catch up on the chores around the house. The money raised would normally be used for an end-of-year party for the precinct. The tradition, though, slowly grew in size and eventually became such a large event that the funds were shifted from parties to actual equipment that would keep the officers safe. 

The auction itself changed over time, and new ground rules were made when the public was allowed to attend the events. Some of the husbands and wives groaned about losing their chance to get their spouses to catch up on chores, but fortunately, a deal was struck, and if an officer volunteered for the event, they got an extra day off of work so they could spend time with their loved ones. This also expanded the roster of potential officers to bid on, as all of them were eager for an extra-paid day off. 

There were, of course, rules for the auction. The officers being bid on were still officers and were not expected to grant favors such as getting someone out of a ticket or running protection. They were also only required to really give 4 hours of their time to the winner, but most of the time the officers put in a little extra effort. Officers who were married or dating were not to be bid on for dates unless the significant other was ok with it, which actually led to more amusing situations as some of the wives would laugh and eagerly try and pawn off their husbands. For the most part mammals who came to bid for officers were just looking for a little help around the house, or maybe someone to kit sit for them, or even join them for some kind of fun event. 

Most of the time, officers would return from their time with the winners with fun stories. Officer McHorn, for example, was won by a sweet lioness who wanted him to help her son train to join a team in high school. He put in his 4 hours but stayed to train with the young lion and continued to do so every other week. One of Judy’s friends, Tammy, was auctioned on so she could kit sit for a deer couple who had desperately needed a date night. Now, the cheetah had play dates with two does who saw Tammy as a big sister. 

So when the next auction came around, Bogo was pleased to see so many of his officers sign up for the chance to raise some money. What surprised the cape buffalo the most though were two new names to the roster: Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. 

Judy had eagerly signed up, and not just for the day off incentive. The bunny, being the way she was saw this as a great opportunity to help the department but also interact with the citizens she swore to protect. Nick, on the other paw, spent a whole shift wondering what he would do with his extra-paid day off. Nick teased Judy every time she brought up the auction and the potential to do good with a retort about what he would do on his day off. 

On the day of the event the ZPD actually had to rent out a small convention space at one of the hotels in the Saharaha Square district since so many officers had signed up and the amount of bidders would increase. To enter the auction itself, mammals had to sign waivers, understanding they knew the rules, and also buy a ticket that would be used for the fundraiser, which was for a new outreach program the ZPD wanted to start for the schools in Zootopia. 

Much to the ZPD’s surprise, the convention hall was filled with eager bidders, most of them friends and family of the ZPD. To show their support, members of the fire department and emergency medical services showed up, most of them joking about how they wanted a chance to bid on an officer and make them clean a fire rig or do chores around the station. 

The auction was kind of like a fun show in itself. Bogo took to the stage and would introduce officers, and give everyone a quick bio on the mammal in question. Most of the time it was how long they had been with the department, their hobbies, and a list of skills the officer had provided on what they could help a bidder with if they won. Bogo would then start the bid at a low amount and look out at the audience who would immediately start calling out their own bids as they raised their paws up high. 

Officer McHorn was back and was apparently a hot ticket officer as several mammals raised their paws, a lioness in the audience beaming at the rhino who looked rather embarrassed at all the attention. When Tammy took to the stage, there was a loud squeak from the audience, and all eyes went to a little deer doe who waved at the cheetah and screamed out, “Big sister!”. This was met by a series of “awws” as Tammy waved eagerly at the little one. 

Judy had to admit she was a little nervous as she watched the numbers shoot up so quickly for some of the officers. While it was all for a good cause and a little silly, there was some level of pride all wrapped up in this for each officer. None of them wanted to be the lowest bid, and a few were worried they wouldn’t get bought at all. Fortunately, the crowd was very active, and Bogo was an excellent auctioneer. Whenever the buffalo felt a dip in the crowd, he would tell everyone a fun fact about the officer, which would perk the officer up and get the bids rolling again. 

“Not sure why you are worried Carrots,” Nick chuckled as the fox and bunny stood at the stairs to the stage with the other waiting officers. “You know a certain troublemaker is in the crowd, and I fully expect a bidding war between her and anyone bidding on you.” 

Judy blushed at the image of a certain brown doe raising her paw up and shouting out numbers as Judy took to the stage. Nick was right; with so many friends in the crowd, the doe had little to worry about when it came to bids. 

“Of course, don’t think even Trisha has enough to match what Atom is going for…geeze,” Nick gawked as he stared at the painted dog on stage. 

Atom was well known to be a sweetheart with a heart of gold in the ZPD. The painted dog belonged to the K-9 unit as a detector, and while he was actually mute, he was so animated that most mammals could understand what he implied. The canine was standing center stage in his tactical BDUs minus the vest and equipment; even in his dressed down state, he looked adorable as his tail wagged and his broad smile scanned the crowd. 

Bogo was having a hard time keeping up as paws kept shooting into the air, shouts of numbers filling the air as the amount to win the painted cutie went higher and higher. Eventually, though the crowd fell silent as the number to win Atom had gotten incredibly high. 

“And sold to the lovely painted dog with the bar,” Bogo chuckled as he looked out across the sea of faces to one of the tables in the center of the room. Both Nick and Judy looked over to see a rather proud Echo standing up and beaming at Atom, who immediately began to wiggle in place. “Echo, what exactly do you plan to do with our officer?” Bogo asked with a chuckle. 

“There is a new ice cream place in Tundra Town and I wanted to take Atom,” Echo admitted with a smile, as her cheeks warmed with blush. 

Atom tossed his paws up into the air excitedly as he scrambled off stage, the painted dog was obsessed with ice cream, and hearing he had been won to go try more was like a dream come true. The painted dog nearly collided with Echo as he wrapped her up in a hug. The crowd cheered and several whistles echoed through the hall. 
Next came Atom’s K-9 partner Delta which was met with a loud whistle that made the painted dog pause, his circular ears twitching as he looked out at the source of the noise. A bright blue-eyed bunny was beaming at the canine from her seat next to Echo, a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

“Well, I have a feeling we already know who is going to win you, Delta,” Bogo chuckled. 

“Chief, that is cruel and unusual punishment right there,” Delta shot back, which caused the crowd to chuckle. 

Surprisingly, when it came time to bid, Trisha did not raise her paw for Delta; instead, the doe sat back and watched with amusement as a bidding war broke out for the handsome canine on stage. To Judy and Nick's surprise, the bidding was actually between a panther at a rowdy table of ZFD, an arctic vixen in a ZBI jacket, a painted dog sitting beside Echo, and Em from the 10-7 bar who was eagerly bidding on Delta even as his bunny sat in front of her. 

Bogo did his best to keep up and everyone watched as eventually the paint was beat out, and Em had to take a seat. It was at this point Bogo asked both of the current bidders to stand up and explain why they wanted to win Delta. When the painted dog stood up Delta groaned loudly as he rolled his head. 

“Hi, mom…” Delta grumbled as he waved at the painted dog, who eagerly waved back. 

“Hi, sweetie, you look so cute!” 

There was a collective aww from the crowd as Delta put a paw to his face in embarrassment. 

“Alright, so why exactly are you bidding on my officer?” Bogo asked the panther sitting with the ZFD. 

The lovely feline stood up and puffed out her chest before speaking, “One of our rigs just got back from the shop and needs to be buffed and shined.” 

“Casi, if you think I am putting a paw on that rig,” Delta barked. 

“Just wanted you to work off those donuts, baby,” Casi shot back. 

There were several jeers from the police officers present and laughs from the firefighters as the two groups poked fun at one another. Bogo and Delta exchanged looks before Bogo did something surprising. 

“And the winner is Delta’s mother!” The buffalo boomed which made the whole room burst into laughter. Even Casi bowed her head and applauded as she took a seat, her bright yellow eyes though glinted at Delta. 

“Alright, so now that you won your son, what are your plans, ma’am?” Bogo asked sweetly. 

The painted dog beamed at Delta before speaking up, “Delta hates getting his picture taken, but I want to get a group picture of him and his littermates for a Christmas card. I have this cute little blue Santa hat for him and everything.” 

There was a collective aww from the crowd again as Delta groaned loudly, only for Bogo to bark at the canine. 

“Stand at attention!” The cape buffalo ordered which made Delta snap into an attention stance and salute. “You will not only pose in those pictures but I expect a copy, you hear me, Delta?” 

“Yes sir…” Delta grumbled. 

“Mr. Bogo, sir?” Delta’s mother piped up, which caused the intimidating buffalo to turn, his expression immediately softening. 

“Yes, ma’am?” The buffalo asked kindly. 

“His littermates Bravo and Echo are also hard to convince, and since there isn't an auction for the ZFD, could you…?” The painted dog trailed off, but Bogo understood as he stood up and scanned the crowd. 

“Which firehouse is your son in?” Bogo asked. 

“72,” Delta’s mother said eagerly. 

“Who is in charge of 72?” 

“Me!” Came a gruff bark as a wolf in a fire commissioner’s uniform stood up. “Bravo!” 

“Sir…?” Came a groan as a painted dog at Casi’s table stood up. 

“You are posing in that picture or I will have you on station clean up for a month!”

“Yes sir…” 

Echo meanwhile sat at the table with a slight smirk before someone in the far back of the convention hall cleared their throat. 

“Firemammal Echo!” 

Echo’s circular ears twitched as she sat up and turned to see a panda looking at her from the snack table. 

“But…I am not even a firemammal anymore!” Echo complained, which was met with laughter. 

The painted dog was partially correct. While she had been retired due to the loss of her leg, that had not stopped the painted dog from being an important asset to the ZFD. She would constantly attend and host fundraiser events, help responders with emotional stress, and was the founder and owner of the 10-7 Responder bar and its future sister location. 

The panda remained stoic and stared at Echo, who let out a childlike groan before slouching in her seat, crossing her arms, and glaring at Delta on stage. The painted dog's mother, meanwhile, was ecstatic as she clapped her paws together, her tail wagging as Delta trudged off the stage to give his mother a hug. 

“Copies of that picture will be featured in the ZPD calendar on sale next year,” Bogo chuckled, making the three painted siblings groan as their mother nodded eagerly at the cape buffalo. 

After the crowd settled down, it was finally Judy’s turn, the bunny skipping happily up on stage and standing next to Bogo as a spotlight shined down on the adorable bunny in blue. 

“Ah, next we have one of the ZPD's finest,” Bogo chuckled as he looked down at Judy, who gave her boss a happy smile. “Friendly reminder, Wilde, you are not allowed to bid on your partner.” 

There were several chuckles from the audience as Judy blushed before glancing over at Nick, who gave the bunny a shrug. 

“Alright, let's start the bidding, and Trisha, please allow some of the mammals to get high up there before you start scaring them off,” Bogo added, which was met with more laughter as several mammals glanced over at the mischievous bunny sitting at the table with Em and Echo. 

The bidding began, and soon Bogo was glancing around the room, trying to keep up as the amount to bid for Judy skyrocketed. While not as popular as Atom, Judy was still shocked to see so many paws going up. The doe blushed and was a little bashful when some mammals bid. When members of the ZFD did, however, the doe would stick out her tongue or roll her eyes. She wasn’t worried about being put to work at a firehouse; Bogo wouldn’t let his best officer be sent off to that kind of punishment. 

In the end, Bogo was hopping around the stage as actively as Judy would have been, and the bids kept coming in until there was a surprising stall. While Judy thought for sure Trisha would have been the final bid she was shocked to see her bubbly bunny friend sitting back with a broad grin as Bogo counted down the final bid. 

“Going once,” The buffalo began as he looked at Judy. “Going twice?” He glanced over at Trisha, who simply winked. “We have a winner!” 

Judy had a shocked albeit pleased smile on her lips as she looked ahead at the mammal who had put out the winning bid, her eyes meeting a pair of dark green as Em smiled back at the bunny. 

“Em, congrats, and thank you for that donation,” Bogo said as he looked down at the otter, who sat up a little straighter. She placed her paws on her knees and puffed out her chest. “Any plans?”

“Yes,” Em said in her signature sultry and confident tone. 

“And they are?” Bogo asked as he and several members of the audience looked on with curiosity. 

“Spoilers…” Em said sweetly as she winked at Judy, who couldn’t help but blush. She skipped off the stage and over to the otter, who opened her arms and gave the bunny a hug. As the otter leaned in close, she whispered something that made Judy giggle. “Let's go on a picnic and not tell Trisha, it will drive her crazy.” 

Judy nodded as she gave her friend a little nuzzle before looking at Trisha, who scrunched her nose at the bunny and otter, who were acting a little extra chummy. 

“Alright, well, after all those top-tier officers, I guess its time for a low-tier,” Bogo announced from the stage as he waved over at Nick, who smirked as he strolled on stage. 

“Just a product of your leadership style, sir,” Nick said slyly, the fox never missing a beat.

“Alright, so what can I say about Officer Wilde to get at least some decent bids-” 

“100 Zs!” A shout came from the center of the room, causing both Bogo and Nick to fall silent. They stared at a surprising sight as Trisha stood on the table holding up a wad of cash in Bogo’s direction. “And the promise that Wilde may not survive.” 

Nick’s mouth fell open as he stared at the well known troublemaker, his ears laying flat on his head as he looked over at Bogo pleadingly. 

“Shouldn't we ask for a better offer, Chief?” 

“How certain are you he won’t survive?” Bogo asked as he folded his arms. 

“Eh, 50/50,” Trisha said with a shrug. “I do promise to annoy him the whole time, though.” 

“Hmmm,” Bogo mumbled as he tapped his chin. 

“Do I hear 150 Zs?” Nick asked as he stepped a little closer to the stage’s edge. The fox looked around desperately as several mammals exchanged looks before Trisha cleared her throat and looked around the room, her bright blue eyes glinting with a dangerous fire in them. While several mammals looked like they wanted to bid on the fox, none of them were dumb enough to go against Trisha. “What about 110 Zs?!”

Nick looked at Judy, who couldn’t help but giggle. 

“Carrots?” 

“Ah! No partners!” Trisha barked. 

Nick looked back at Bogo, the urge to get on his knees and beg, crossing the fox’s mind. 

Bogo sighed as he looked at the desperation in Nick’s eyes before looking out at the audience once more. 

“As a reminder, this is for charity, so if we could get a little more-” 

“101 Zs,” Trisha barked as she whipped out another bill from her pocket and added it to the wad. 

“Sold!” Bogo bellowed, which was met by both applause and laughter. 

Nick stared slack-jawed at Trisha, who stood triumphantly on the center of the small table, raising a paw and wiggling a digit at the fox who slowly trudged off the stage and towards what he assumed would be his doom. 

Trisha meanwhile sauntered to the edge of the table, meeting Nick as he arrived. The bunny reached out and grabbed the tie around Nick’s collar, which he usually liked to keep loose, which drove Bogo crazy. The doe grabbed the tie in a familiar fashion and scrunched it up, fixing it so the fox looked presentable as she leaned forward, pressing her chest against Nick’s as she kicked one of her feet back, sliding the 100 Zs into Nick’s pocket. 

“I would like to point out Carrots will investigate my disappearance,” Nick commented as Trisha wiggled her brows up at Nick. 

“Don’t worry, Nick, you will probably survive,” Trisha giggled as she stood back up and wiggled in place. 

“So why did you bid on me with a super low amount that Judy and Delta will be teasing me about for the next few weeks?” 

“I need your help,” The bunny admitted as the rest of the hall focused on the next officer up for bid. 

Nick was a little taken aback by Trisha’s comment and raised a brow. 

“Trish, you know if you ever need help, you just have to ask,” Nick pointed out with a chuckle. 

“Yeah, well, this is far more fun, and it's for charity,” Trisha pointed out. “Besides, I may have bid on Officer Nick, but I actually need Hustler Nick for what I have planned.” 

“Oh?” Nick asked as he glanced over at Judy to make sure his partner wasn’t listening. Fortunately for Nick Judy was busy chatting with Em, the girls laughing as they planned out their picnic. The fox then looked back at Trisha, who had managed to snag the fox’s patrol glasses from his uniform pocket. Nick watched as Trisha put the glasses ontop of her head before giving them a flick so they fell in front of her eyes. 

“Yeah,” Trisha said with a wicked grin. “You see…I am planning a heist.”