Chapter Text
In many parts of Zootopia, the weather was controlled. For example, Sahara Square and Savana Central were kept sunny and hot. True to its name, the Rain Forest District was rainy, and Tundratown kept the temperature chilly for the mammals who enjoy that type of climate
But downtown in the City Center, the weather was left to be whatever it wanted to be, and today it wanted to be beautiful. Marveling at the sunny, cloudless skies, Officer Judy Hopps walked down the sidewalk with a slight bounce in her step. The bunny was happy. Today, she was fortunate enough to have this fantastic day off from her job at the Zootopia Police Department. She was using it to meet an old friend for coffee.
A smile spread across Judy's face as she spied the small boutique coffee shop she had selected for them to meet at. With its fancy drinks, friendly baristas, and most importantly, the intimate little seating area on a patio that overlooked the City Center Fountains, Judy knew her friend would love the place.
Scanning the entrance, the bunny searched for her childhood friend to see if maybe she had already arrived. Judy peered into the shop and was suddenly startled by her name being called out from behind her.
Spinning around in surprise, Judy was suddenly face to face with a smiling black wooled Sheep with her arms spread wide.
Matching the sheep's smile, Judy threw her arms around the ewe. "Sharla! It's good to see you."
Returning the tight embrace, Sharla's smile somehow grew even bigger. "Oh, you too, honey. It's been too long." Releasing the bunny, Sharla looked at her for a second. "You need to get back to the burrow more often."
"Or you need to get to the city more often," Judy countered.
"I did," Sharla said dramatically before both females fell into laughter.
"Come on, let's get a drink and then go sit down."
Linking arms, the two females entered the shop and proceeded to make their selections. A short time later, they exited, each with a custom-made drink tailored to them.
Taking a sip, Sharla shook her head. "You were right. This is really damn good."
"Told ya," Judy said proudly before sipping her own coffee.
"But seriously, $9?" Taking another sip, Sharla shook her head. "It's good, but $9?"
Judy rolled her eyes as she selected a table in the corner of the patio, one with a good look at the fountains. "You get used to it. Everything is a lot bigger here in the city. When I first got here, the sheer size of everything just amazed me."
"You can say that again. It's been almost two weeks now. I still can't believe how big this city is. Everything is somehow so close together and so spread out at the same time."
"Don't worry, You get used to it. You will be a city girl in no time."
Looking at her cup, Sharla frowned. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to paying $9 for a coffee. no matter how good it is."
"Oh, come on, big fancy CEO, complaining about the price of coffee?" Judy smirked as she teased her friend. "Wait, would they be considered competition? Are we behind enemy lines?"
Sharla laughed. "No, we are just a couple of small bakeries. We sell to places like this. I should probably go back in there and leave a card."
"A couple? How many bakeries does Gideon Grey's Real Good Baked Stuff have again?"
"Fine. Fifteen. Seven here in the city, and eight scattered out amongst the burrows and neighboring cities. Another twenty-eight places like this shop sell our pastries, but we don't own the shops."
"A couple," Judy said sarcastically, teasing her friend before taking another sip of her fancy coffee. Setting the cup down, Judy shook her head in mock indignation." How's Gid doing, by the way? Still refusing to do anything but bake?"
Sharla shook her head and smiled as she thought about her husband and the namesake of the bakeries she ran. "That big goof keeps saying he has no head for business. But he's the one that built the first shop. He's the one that makes sure our pies are the best around."
Judy didn't interrupt the ewe as she was talking. Instead, focusing on the growing smile on Sharla's face as she spoke about her husband. "He keeps giving me all the credit for how well the company is doing. He tells me I'm the brains. But there is no doubt in my mind. He is the heart."
"That's so sweet, but are you forgetting something?"
For a second, Sharla looked at Judy, a bit confused, unsure of what she could be referring to. A second later, it clicked. With it now being Sharla's turn to roll her eyes, she looked at Judy. "And, of course, fruit sourced from Hopps farms."
"Of course." A smirking, Judy said.
The two again fell into a burst of friendly laughter. Getting control of herself first, Sharla continued. "If I'm frank. I don't think it's about the business or even about wanting to be in the kitchen. I think he just wants to spend as much time as possible with the kits. He's a great dad."
"I bet."
"After how his dad treated him, he is beyond dedicated to those kits." Digging into her purse, Sharla found her phone and quickly swiped to pictures of the kits and her husband wrestling on the floor. "We weren't planning on having a family so soon. I mean, we had only been married a couple of months. We were still working out the whole sheep and fox thing when Gid's sister passed, and her mate abandoned their litter."
"If he knew he couldn't raise them, I guess that was the responsible thing to do, putting them up for adoption."
Losing her smile, Sharla shook her head. "No. I was being literal. He abandoned the kits. We don't usually tell people because we don't want the kits to find out that the bastard just left them to die alone in the trailer. But he just left them there. Three infants no more than three months old, and he never came back. I don't want to think what may have happened if Gid hadn't stopped by when he did."
Covering her mouth in shock, Judy stared at the picture, unsure how anyone could abandon their kits.
Swiping to a new picture, Sharla handed the phone to Judy. Sharla was bottle-feeding one of the kits in the photo, a little red vixen snuggled into a blanket barely bigger than the bottle it fed from. "You can see how tiny they were. They were so helpless. I know we weren't ready for kits when we got them. But I can't imagine my life without them."
Sharla looked at Judy with a content smile, only to be shocked to see the bunny's eyes full of tears as she stared at the picture.
"Judy, are you ok?"
The doe didn't look up but mumbled, "She looks like Missy."
A sudden realization overcame Sharla, "Oh Judy! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I forgot. I didn't mean to…."
"It's ok," Judy whispered. "It's ok." Judy closed her eyes as she passed the phone back to the ewe who watched the bunny with worried eyes. "It just reminded me of her." In her mind, Judy tried to push away the memories of her own daughter, who has been missing for over three years now, after she was kitnapped and never found.
Reaching out, Sharla grabbed the doe's paw. "Judy…."
"I'll be ok, just got a little emotional there for a minute." A fake smile spread across Judy's face. "So, how's the new office?"
Still worried, Sharla ignored Judy's question. "Do you want to talk about her? About what happened? You know I'm here for you. I know we aren't as close as when we were kids, but I'm still here for you."
Judy's smile became more genuine. "Nothing really to tell that you don't already know. The ZPD still doesn't have any leads. Whoever took her never asked for a ransom or anything. They just grabbed her and disappeared."
The two sipped their drinks, more out of something to do than out of enjoyment. An uncomfortable silence fell between them as each tried desperately to think of anything else to talk about.
"So.." Judy started, trying to break the tension. "Would you try to sign up this shop, or do you have people who do that? Get them to sell your pastries I mean"
"We have a sales department." Sharla took a sip of her drink, not quite sure what to say. "They are really great at what they do."
"Good."
"Actually, your brother Peter just joined us,"
"Peter? Really that's good for him."
"Yeah"
The uncomfortable silence settled again on the two until suddenly excited, Sharla brightened up. "Oh, Judy! How's the new guy? If I remember right, you not only have a new guy but you two just moved in together, right? Have you two been, um, breaking in the place? You know, maybe proving a few of those bunny stereotypes true?"
Instantly Judy's ears turned a dark shade of red asJudy realized what her friend was referring to. "Well, we, I mean, Sharla!" Flustered and embarrassed, Judy covered her face with her paws as Sharla laughed.
"Oh, Jude, It isn't a big deal. Just because I'm an old married gal doesn't mean I don't remember what it was like. Every once in a while, I still make Gid pretend he's a stranger."
"Really?"
"Yep, and somehow, even knowing I am a sure thing, he gets nervous picking me up in a bar."
Judy laughs before adding, "I was an old married gal too. I wasn't expecting to be doing this a second time."
Sharla shrugged. Things change. "So tell me about him. What's he like? He's younger right?"
"Yes, but don't say it like that."
"Like what?" Sharla said as innocently as possible. "Nothing wrong with finding a younger guy with more stamina.
Again Judy's face ended up in her paws, and Sharla ended up laughing at her expense.
"Ok. Ok." The sheep said, finally relenting. "No more jokes. Tell me about him."
Judy thought for a second, "I like him."
Rolling her eyes, Sharla shook her head at her friend. "Obviously. I'd hope so if you are waking up next to him every day."
Fidgeting a bit in her chair, Judy continued to explain. "It's hard to explain. We started as partners, and he gets me. He knows I'm not looking to settle down. After everything that happened…..with….." Judy trails off, only to be quickly interrupted by Sharla keeping the doe from falling back into the painful memories."
"So he's ok with you being a cop and not running a warren or popping out a bunch of litters?"
"Yeah." Judy pauses for a second, worrying Sharla that she might be slipping back but soon returns to speaking about her new buck. "More than anything, He just really tries to make me feel special like the other night. We had only been living together for a couple of days by then.
We had just had an awful day at work. Some perps led us on a chase and got away. The chief chewed us out, then we were buried in paperwork. Just a rotten day. When we got into the apartment, I just dropped my things and headed for the shower. All I wanted was to wash the day away."
"Ooooh, it's one of those types of stories." Sharla wiggled her eyebrows, making Judy giggle.
Through her laughter, Judy continued. "No, sorry to disappoint, but I was alone in the shower."
"Still could be that type of story if you buy the right type of shower head…."
Sitting there slack-jawed, Judy couldn't believe what her friend had just said. "Sharla!?"
"Just continue your story."
A bit flustered, Judy continued. "Well, when I got out of the shower, The apartment was filled with smoke. I was worried and rushed into the kitchen. There I found smoke pouring out of the stove. While I was in the shower, that goof tried to cook me dinner." Stopping for a second, Judy looked at Sharla and smiled. "Cook might be too strong of a word. What he was doing doesn't really count as cooking."
"That bad?"
"That buck could burn water. But he tried so hard and then served me the most pathetic salad and grilled carrot you have ever seen. He was just standing there with this plate of wilted lettuce and this sad emaciated dark brown and black carrot. His face looked so defeated. It was so cute."
Covering her mouth in mock shock, Sharla pointed at her friend. "JUDY!"
Crossing her arms defiantly, Judy smirked at her friend. "I can say it. I'm a bunny."
The two laughed for a second until Sharla asked the question Judy knew was coming. "Did you eat it?"
"I tried. I really did. Thankfully he stopped me, and we ordered a veggie pizza."
Again the two friends laughed until Judy added to the story. "Now, whenever he wants to cheer me up, he threatens to make me dinner."
Oh, that is cu…." Judy wags a finger at Sharla. "Oh, fine." She pretended to pout.
The two continued to talk for a bit longer until it was time for each to move on. Sharla had to meet up with her family while Judy was due home before Alex used her absence as an excuse to venture into the kitchen.
Walking back through the city, Judy once again took the time to enjoy the nice weather. Curiously, she wondered why she rarely took the time to do this anymore. When the doe had first moved here, she would take walks all the time. It helped her to learn each district, and the exercise felt good.
Turning a corner, Judy abruptly stopped when she came across a young kangaroo and her joey. Frozen in place, Judy watched the joey laugh as his mother shook a small rattle next to him as he sat in his stroller. Watching the two, Judy remembered why she stopped taking these walks. The doe remembered what, or more accurately, who was missing.
The picture of Sharla appeared in her mind again. Only for it to be replaced seconds later by pictures of Judy's daughter Missy. Judy remembered the day she was taken. The pink stroller with the little white bow the vixen loved to ride in. Judy remembered giving Missy a kiss goodbye. Promising to see the little vixen after her shift. It was a promise Judy wouldn't keep.
Snapping out of her trance, Judy ran. She ran away from the mother and her child. Away from the streets, she used to push Missy down. Tears streamed down her face as Judy ran recklessly, barely avoiding other mammals as she hurried home. The bunny no longer enjoyed the day. The weather didn't matter. She just wanted to be home.
Reaching her building, Judy rushed in, taking the stairs two at a time as she climbed to her third-floor apartment. Out of breath and with tears streaming down her face, The bunny arrived at her apartment door. Reaching in her purse, she dug for her keys with shaking paws. The doe was breathing hard, trying to suppress the tears that streaked down her face. Unlocking the door, Judy hurried inside, slamming the door behind her.
"Judy? Is that you?" A male voice called out from down the hall, near the bedroom.
Judy could hear the footsteps as he drew closer. "Alex," Judy said, her voice breaking as her emotions overtook her.
Exiting the hallway was a brown and white bunny with brown eyes, wearing a pair of grey sweat pants and a dark blue ZPD tee shirt. The smile on his face vanished when he saw the tears streaking down Judy's face.
"Judy! What's wrong? Are you hurt? What happened?" Alex's voice was heavy with concern as he rushed towards the doe, realizing she was in distress. Taking a step in his direction, Judy quickly reached for the buck and buried her face in his chest.
"Judy?"
But the doe still didn't answer. Only crying harder into the buck's chest as she held him tighter. Alex wasn't sure what was wrong. But he knew his doe just needed him to be there for her. Rubbing her back, he held her tightly as he whispered in her ear. . "You're ok. I have you."
It was a couple of hours later that Judy had finally calmed down. Ordering in dinner, Judy explained as they ate and listened patiently.
"I don't know why. I see stuff like that every day. But something about seeing Sharla's picture and then seeing that mother kangaroo with her joey set me off. I'm sorry you had to deal with that.”
Reaching across the table, Alex placed his paw on Judy's. "It's ok. You never need to apologize for something like that. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you. I can't imagine how much worse it would be to lose a child."
Looking at Alex, Judy smiled. "You're sweet."
Leaning forward, Judy smiles before her lips meet that of the bucks.
Breaking the kiss, the two continued to eat their dinner when from over on the counter, Judy's phone went off.
"Ignore it," Alex said. "You're off the clock. We've had enough drama for one night."
Standing from the table, Judy shook her head. "It might be important." Looking at the screen, she saw it was an unknown number. "Hello?" Judy said. "This is Officer Judy Hopps. How can I help you?"
"Judy," a familiar male voice said. "It's Nick."
A wave of exhaustion washed over Judy. "What do you want, Nick? Please, I can't handle any of your games today."
*
"Judy, I found her."
*
The words of the familiar voice on the other end of the phone had left Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny of the Zootopia Police force, in shock. For several seconds she sat quietly and tried to process the message. "He found her," She repeated quietly to herself in shock.
Watching Judy with concern from his seat from the dinner table they shared was her boyfriend and partner of the ZPD, Alex Erstatte. Like Judy, Alex was a bunny. But while Judy had grey fur and black-tipped ears, Alex was white with patches of brown that decorated his fur.
"Judy?" He questioned, concerned at the uneasy look of surprise frozen on her face.
Holding up a paw, Judy singled for Alex to be quiet. Speaking into the phone, her voice wavered, afraid to believe what the caller was saying. "You mean you have a lead or know of someplace she was?"
"No, I found her. I saw her. I saw our daughter. I saw Missy," the caller, Judy's ex-husband The former first fox on the ZPD, Nick Wilde, said excitedly.
Tears began to form in Judy's eyes as Alex looked on, confused and unable to hear what Nick was saying. "You saw her? Are you sure? Maybe it was another vixen who looked like her. Or maybe…." Judy protested as she struggled to believe the news.
"It's her. There is no doubt in my mind. It's our little girl."
Hearing Nick's words made any restraint Judy had left in her disappear. Tears began to flow down her face. A worried Alex stood from where he sat, But his plan to rush to his doe was thwarted when Judy once again held up a paw, stopping him in his tracks.
Now equally confused and worried, Alex returned to his seat at the table, his eyes glued to the emotional bunny in front of him.
Turning her back on Alex, Judy returned to her conversation. "Is she with you? Can I talk to her?" She asked excitedly through her tears.
Nick sighed. "She's not here, But I did see her."
Disappointment and a sudden rush of anger replaced the elation she had felt moments before. Her voice shaking with emotion, Judy said, "Nick, if this is some hustle…."
Interrupting her, the fox said, "No hustle, I swear. I saw her. I just couldn't get to her to talk to her or bring her back with me."
"Why?" Judy demanded angrily. "If I had found her, nothing would stop me from going to her" Judy paused, her anger fueled by pain. As she fought back the tears, she continued. "Are you messing with me? Did you see her in a dream or something?"
Silence flooded the call between the two former mates. Judy angrily waited for a response while Nick was breathing deeply, trying to calm himself. While he knew it was justified, her distrust hurt him.
"I really saw her, and I tried to go to her." Nick finally said in a hushed and anguish-filled voice that took Judy by surprise.
"Who?" Judy asked, her voice softer as much of the anger had dissipated upon hearing Nick's broken answer. "Who stopped you?"
"The mammals working at her school."
Judy froze. "She's in school?"
"Yeah, I saw her on the playground. But I couldn't get close. There was too much security." Nick was fighting his own emotions as he remembered seeing the young vixen. The tears barely being held at bay. "I wanted to, so bad. Just to run up and scoop her up in my arms. Tell her how much I missed her, how much I love her. But they wouldn't let me get close to her. They called the police just because I was on school grounds."
"Didn't they recognize you? You might not be a cop anymore, but it isn't like you weren't well known."
Nick took a deep breath. "She isn't in Zootopia, and local PD didn't believe me. They called me a lier and had me spend the night in jail for trespassing."
"She isn't in Zootopia?"
"No," Nick choked out. "I can't get her back alone. I need your help."
There was no hesitation. "Of course, I'll help. I will talk to Bogo tomorrow, make the arrangements needed. Can you meet me tomorrow? My shift will be done by 4:00."
A second wave of concern washed over Alex as Judy so readily seemed to be agreeing with the mystery caller's desires. He remains quiet but only hearing one side of the conversation was driving Alex crazy.
" How about we talk first before we bring Bogo into this," Nick said, his voice suddenly a little reserved. Sensing Judy's hesitation, Nick added, "I just want to make sure we are on the same page first."
Even though the request struck her as odd, Judy agreed, adding, "Ok, let's meet at the Snarlbucks across from the precinct.
"I'll be there."
"Goodbye, Nick."
"Goodbye Judy, I'll see you tomorrow."
Hanging up the phone, Judy looked back towards the concerned Alex. Silently, his expression conveyed his worry and his concern. "Please don't let this be some kind of hustle." She said quietly.
"Are you ok?" He asked as he once again stood to comfort the distressed doe.
This time Judy didn't push him away and leaned into his offered embrace. Her paws were shaking, and the tears that had only recently abated returned. For a while, they stood there. Alex not speaking, holding Judy while she cried silently into his chest. When she finally began to calm down, Alex asked, "We don't have to if you don't want to, but do you want to talk about it?"
Judy sniffled. "That was Nick. My ex."
"Nick Wilde? The fox?"
"Yeah." Looking up from Alex's chest, Judy took a deep breath to prepare herself to share the news she didn't quite believe. "He found her."
Alex was confused. "Found who?" But before Judy could answer, it occurred to him. "Your daughter?" He asked excitedly.
"Yeah," Judy said quietly as she continued to calm down.
Grabbing Judy by the waist, Alex swung her around excitedly. "That's great! Is that the plan I heard you making? Are you going to see her tomorrow after work?"
A small smile appeared on Judy's face at Alex's excitement. "No, Missy isn't with Nick. I'm meeting him tomorrow so we can figure out how to get her back."
Instantly Alex's joy turned to concern. Letting go of Judy, he stood there, tense. "Get her back? He doesn't have her?"
"No," Judy said, the mirth gone from her voice replaced by a seriousness that revealed her desire and determination. "He found her but needs my help getting to her back."
Concerned with the unusual situation, Alex continued to press. "She was kidnapped. Why would he need help to get her? Just tell the ZPD."
"She isn't in Zootopia, and Nick said the cops didn't believe him."
"So you are going to Bogo in the morning, right? He has to be able to help."
Shaking her head to the negative, Judy said, "No. Nick wanted to chat first."
Something felt off to Alex. With how big of a News story Nick and Judy's daughter's kidnapping was, It seemed strange that the cops wouldn't even look into it. Thinking to himself, Alex considered the cops may be dirty, but then why not go to Bogo or the press? Either could probably do more to help him than his ex, who he hasn't spoken to in years.
" I'm happy he found your daughter." Alex said carefully, "But doesn't this seem a bit convenient that after all this time you are the only one who can help him?"
"It's because she's my daughter too," Judy answered quickly.
"Yes, but why not ask you to get Bogo's help or other higher up's that could make this easier."
Pausing, Judy considered what Alex proposed. "I don't know."
Taking a deep breath, Alex took Judy's paw. "It's up to you. But I really think you should talk to Bogo before you talk to Nick. Something just doesn't seem right about all of this."
"I trust Nick,"
"But what if that is what he is counting on? I don't know much about the guy. But from the little you have told me, I have to assume he is capable of scamming those around him."
"I know. But I have to do this. If he's telling the truth, it might be our last chance to get Missy back.
Pulling Judy back into his arms, he held the doe close. "I understand. Just promise me you will be careful,"
Returning the embrace, Judy wrapped her arms around the white and brown buck. Looking into his eyes, she smiled. "I will," She said.
"Good," Alex said triumphantly before leaning in and pushing his lips against hers.
Leaning into the kiss, Judy moaned happily, only breaking it when they both needed to come up for air.
The following day, Alex and Judy were standing on the train platform that would take them to Precinct One. While waiting for their turn to board, a feeling of eager trepidation hung in the air around the two. Nick's call the night before had shaken their lives to the very core. If he was telling the truth, both bunnies knew nothing would ever be the same again.
As the crowd cleared, Alex watched Judy as she moved through the sea of mammals to find her place on the train. Watching her face, he saw her quietly smile as memories of her little vixen filled her mind. Unfortunately, he also watched that smile decay as worries about Nick's motives haunted her.
As for Alex, he didn't smile. Having never met the little vixen, Alex was instead focused on the fox that once held Judy's heart. Alex didn't know much about Nick. Judy didn't speak about him much, and when she did, it was almost always about Nick's time at the ZPD. Their personal life was locked away and forgotten.
Now, Nick was back. Judy was a tough doe. Tougher than most bucks, Alex knew. But something about Nick's call the previous night felt off to Alex. He didn't trust the fox. His gut said Nick was up to something.
Suddenly, the garbled sound of a voice over the train speakers calling out their stop snapped Alex from his thoughts. Looking down to the still sitting Judy, Alex started to smile and reach for her paw to help her up, only to stop when he saw the worried look on Judy's face.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked, his voice concerned, worried that just the thought of Nick was distressing his doe.
"Do you think Missy will remember me?" Judy asked as she fidgeted in her chair.
Exhaling in relief, Alex answered." I do," he said reassuringly. "You are her mother. How could she forget you?"
"Yeah," Judy said, "It's just been so long, and she was so little when she was taken.
Turning to fully face Judy, Alex held on to her paw and looked her in the eye. "She will remember you," He said confidently as he stared deeply into her eyes.
"We have arrived at the Zootopia City Center. Please watch your step," The voice calls out again, ruining the moment.
Leading Judy by the paw he was holding, the two quietly disembark and make their way out of the busy station. Like every morning, the city was alive, with mammals moving in every direction as they went about their days.
Arriving at Precinct One, Judy and Alex were surprised to see a crowd gathered on the front steps and Bogo's lectern set up for him to address the media. Turning to his doe, Alex asked, "Is there some event happening today that I don't know about?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Judy answered, "Something must have happened this morning that didn't make the news yet." Walking around the edge of the media, the two bunnies looked for a good spot to watch their boss's address.
Then from behind them, a laughing bark took them by surprise. "When I told Clawhauser we might need some crowd control, I figured he would send something bigger than a bunny."
Turning to face the disparaging voice, both bunnies' eyes rolled when they saw officer Mike Wolford and Nadine Fangmeyer standing behind them smiling.
Looking up at the smirking wolf, Judy was not intimidated, "I might be small, but I kicked your ass last time we spared."
"Ha," Wolford laughed before he bent down to look Judy in the eye. "I let you win," The larger wolf said in a prideful tone that pulled looks of amusement from his feline partner.
"Let her win?" Nadine said in a questioning tone and with a raised eyebrow as she continued to chuckle.
"Of course," Wolford answered back as he returned to his full height, his smile never leaving his face. "If I didn't let Judy win, she might have hurt me." He said as he gestured towards the bunny. "She's mean."
"And don't you forget it," Judy said, returning the joking smile. "So, what's going on?"
Wolford sighed. "We had another incident with Nature's Way this morning."
Before Judy or Alex could ask for more information, Bogo stepped to the podium, quieting the crowd. "Hello. As you know, my name is Adrian Bogo, and I am the Chief of ZPD Precinct One. I am going to try and keep this brief, so please hold your questions until the end."
Taking his glasses from his front pocket, Bogo put them on before beginning to read a prepared statement. "This morning, there was a small demonstration on the front steps of city hall by anti-inter-species group Nature's Way. On the steps, they held a mock trial for a cardboard standee of the singer Gazelle. They accused her of crimes against nature because of her public relationship with one of her tiger dancers. After finding her guilty, the demonstrators proceeded to burn the standee as part of her sentence. All suspects were apprehended before they could leave the scene.
Looking up at the paper, Bogo scanned the crowd and saw the reporters eager with their questions. "Ok," Bogo said. "Let's keep this short. I have better things to do than help you write headlines.
"Is Gazelle a target? Is this a warning or a threat to her?" The first reporter from ZNN, a koala, called out.
Bogo looked at the reporter. "At this time, we do not believe Gazelle is in any danger. It is believed this was only to call attention to their cause. The DA will decide if the actions taken constitute criminal threatening or any other crime."
"Is Nature's Way a threat to all inter couples? Are they safe?" A second reporter, this one a large elk from The Zootopia Times, asked.
"As far as we currently know, they were only looking to draw attention to their misguided cause," Bogo said.
"Does this mean Zootopia is against protests or demonstrations of political beliefs?"
Bogo rolled his eyes. He knew this question was coming. "No. The city welcomes peaceful demonstrations. But threatening any citizen, famous or not, and starting a fire on the front steps of City Hall is going too far."
Another reporter, a large coyote Bogo didn't recognize, suddenly started to frantically wave his paw. "In your previous answer, you said, misguided. Does that mean that the official stance of the ZPD and the City of Zootopia is to promote inter-species relationships? That is despite the detriment these perversions could do to any young raised in an unnatural inter-relationship?"
Bogo's nose flared, the only sign of his rising anger. He could tell the reporter was trying to bait him into saying something that could grab headlines. "The laws of Zootopia do not prohibit inter-species relationships or marriages. It is our job as police officers to follow the laws as they are written. Any personal feelings on the matter do not influence the role we serve in protecting the public."
"Are you saying the department is in support of these unnatural unions?" The coyote continued to push.
"I am saying that the ZPD supports the laws of Zootopia."
Getting nowhere, the coyote decided to try a different angle. "How about you, Chief? Are you sir, pro-inter?"
Bogo's first instinct was to continue to deflect. If he avoided this question, he could avoid the front page. But then, he looked out over the crowd. There, his eyes landed on his officers. He focused on the bunny with the fox ex. Then wolf and the tiger he pretended to not know were sleeping together. His mind then wandered to someone special to him whom his fellow officers didn't know about.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Bogo said, "I think love is more important than species. Thank you."
As Bogo was walking away from the podium, the coyote continued to holler questions. But Bogo ignored the hate-filled mammal. Instead, he walked over to the assembled group of officers just to the side of the press.
"Well said, Chief," Alex called out to the buffalo as he drew near.
"Thank you, Officer Erstatte," Bogo said. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong but don't each of you have something other than standing here drinking coffee that you should be doing? If not, I am sure I can think of some things to do."
Without answering, the officers scrambled, not wanting to be assigned desk duty or, worse, parking duty. Turning away from where the offices were, Bogo began to walk back towards Precinct one.
Watching the buffalo leave, Judy felt the conflict of the previous night's conversations with Alex and Nick. On one paw, she trusted Nick. He must have his reasons for not wanting Bogo to know. But on the other Alex was right. If everything Nick was saying was true, it made sense to have Bogo backing them up.
Jogging behind the larger mammal, Judy was still deciding when she hears her own voice call out, "Sir?"
Stopping in his tracks, Bogo sighed, knowing that the odds of whatever Judy wanted would probably be more work for him.
Turning around, he looked down at the smaller bunny and snorted. "I'm busy, Hopps, and unless you want parking duty, you should be too."
"Chief, I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you about something."
"Is there a problem with a case?" Bogo huffed.
Judy shook her head. "No, sir, this is in regards to a personal matter."
Not waiting to hear anything more, Bogo turned and resumed his trek back into Precinct One.
Hopping alongside of him, Judy persisted. "Sir, I just need to talk to you for a couple of minutes."
"Hopps, you as well as anyone knows I could not possibly care less about your's or any other one of my officer's personal problems."
"But Sir," Judy said as she jogged alongside of Bogo. "Sir, It's about Nick."
Taken by surprise, Bogo stopped in his tracks and looked down at the smaller officer. "Wilde? What trouble did he get himself into now?"
Judy looked up at the buffalo, her face full of hope. "None, Sir, he found her. He found Missy."
Bogo's eyes went wide, and a look of shock settled on his face as he absorbed Judy's words. Silently the two stood for a few moments before Bogo repeated, "He found her." Regaining his composure, Bogo asked, "So I assume you are asking for some time off?"
"No, Nick found her, but he can't get to her. She isn't in Zootopia, and local PD won't let him near her. Sir, I need your help in getting my daughter back."
Bogo thought for a minute, making Judy nervous. "Meet me in my office in ten minutes. We need to discuss how to get your daughter back."