Movie: Zootopia

Timeline: after movie (inspired by www. deviantart art/ zootopia - 595380049 just remove spaces)

Pairing: JudyXNick

Word count:2348

Warning: assult, slight swearing

Rating: T

Disclaimer: All right are owned by Disney. (Probably for the better… Can't draw to save my life.)

Running

Nick always knew that his past was bound to catch up with him. Figures… After all, things have been going suprisingly well for the last few months. He didn't get shot by a crazy substitute mayor, didn't get arrested, got a decent job for the first time in his life (with insurance and dental care to boot) and got the girl. Okay, to tell the truth that last bit was still somewhat of a work in progress. Things have been going swimmingly… unfortunately it looked like he has finally ran out of luck.

His bad luck struck on a Friday, a downright rotten time for bad luck to strike. He and Judy have just finished their afternoon shift and had a wonderful off duty weekend in front of them. They both went to their lockers and changed into their civilian clothes, then met in the lobby. He was still amazed that he was in the middle of the police station sans handcuffs and he was actually the "good" guy. He watched Judy bound up to him full of her usual energy. They waved Clawhauser bye, who waved back with a smile.

"So what did you have in mind for dinner?" she asked as she walked ahead with a skip in her step.

"How about that diner you've been raving about for the last… oh, I don't know… month?" his smirk could be heard if you had sharp enough ears.

"Nick! I have not been raving." Judy protested, as they walked down the stairs. "And wipe that smirk off your face Mr."

"Oh, believe me Carrots you have."

Judy elbowed him playfully as they walked down the street. His heat skipped a beat as Judy linked arms with him and tugged him to walk faster. They ended up eating at the diner Judy picked. It was an old-school place with the design to match and everything was tasty, even his wallet survived the ordeal relatively unharmed. Since he no longer had to live like a bum in an abandoned factory lot, he didn't really have to pull the "oh dear, it seems I've forgot my money" trick, even though Judy insisted they take turns paying.

The night was quiet in this part of the city, the noises were distant blocked by the tall buildings. As they walked in a companionable silence towards Judy's complex arm in arm, Nick was busy enjoying Judy's lite little body pressing into his side when he noticed something was wrong. The back of his neck prickled uncomfortably and Nick Wilde didn't avoid confrontations with the police thanks to dumb luck. He knew when he was being watched, when he was followed. His arm tensed slightly, and he tried to relax to not tip off their unwanted friends but of course Judy noticed.

"Nick? Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Of course not, sweet cheeks." he lied through his teeth on reflex.

Her luminous eyes peered up at him suspiciously. "There's someone following us, isn't it?" she whispered and Nick could see her ears twitch the slightest bit, but she didn't look around.

Good girl. He thought in admiration.

"Don't worry. We'll lose him if we take a few turns." He tried to sound confident and hoped he was right. She nodded in reply.

However things started to go bad when the reached a crossing and Nick's instincts screamed when he tried to take a turn down a wider road. The sinister gleam of eyes further down their path didn't help matters. So they were forced to turn down a narrower side-street instead. When they started heading for even quieter and shabbier parts his heart started to hammer harder in his chest, even worse he could feel Judy gripping his arm tighter. He pulled up his best rougish smile and grinned with a confidence he was losing quickly.

"We're trained police officers Carrots, all's going to be fine." he said in a whisper.

"Right! Almost forgot for a second." Judy answered feeling a bit sheepish.

His answering smirk was more genuine. "Silly bunny."

But before Judy could answer they took their next turn and suddenly they were faced with a dead-end street. God, Nick could have kicked himself for his stupidity. The warning bells in his head have reached a new height as he felt not one but several looming presences behind them. He heard Judy take a deep calming breath and tried to follow her example, after all panic wouldn't help them in this situation.

They turned and he instinctively stepped half a step in front of the bunny putting a paw out to shield her from sight. Nick and Judy were facing three animals. Judy had never seen the racoon and the big grey wolf, but she recognised the smallest in an instant.

"Weaselton?"

"Ah, honey bunny… I see you remember me." Weaselton simpered in reply, but he was pushed out of the way by the striped racoon.

"Shut it." he ordered in a gruff voice as he looked the fox standing protectively near the rabbit. "Nicky, Nicky, Nicky…" he tisked.

"Eddy, Eddy, Eddy…" Nick parrotted back with a sly grin.

The racoon frowned, the wolf gave no reaction, but Weaselton glanced at the apparent 'leader' fearfully.

"I see you've gotten a bit mouthy since the last time we met. When Fin told me you 'blew the popsicle stand' so to speak I didn't want to believe him, but when he told me you joined the pigs I was sure he went crazy. I just had to see it for myself."

"Well, you know how it is… What's a fox to do… Job got a bit boring, needed new prospects and all that…" he squinted into the darkness behind the small group for effect. "But it seems to me that your posse also had the same idea… Or are they taking a holiday?"

"Nice of you to ask Nicky." the racoon answered and Nick noticed that he wasn't looking at them anymore, but at something over their shoulders. He tried to push Judy out of the way but it was too late, he felt something grab his arm and twist it painfully back, while he saw Judy getting pushed forward by another animal. Judy collided with the grey wolf, who held down both of her arms when she tried to scratch him. Thanks to the surprise she didn't have time to prepare for the assult and now the wolf had both the height and the weight advantage. Kicking was also ineffective… it was like trying to kick a brick wall, so she had no choice but to hang in the strong grip. The appearence of two new arrivals were worrying, they were bigger and taller. Judy recognised another wolf, this one black, with mismatched eyes and a hyena, with an unruly scruff.

"You won't get away with assulting two off-duty police officers." Judy threatened with conviction.

"Oh, Nicky… ya sure know how to pick 'em." the hyena laughed and Judy realised that it was a female. "Ya always did like 'em a bit feisty." she walked up to the three to pinch Judy's cheek non too gently.

"Judy! Let go of her!" Nick shouted but the arms holding him tightened in reply.

"You shouldn't shout Nicky." the racoon ordered. "We don't want to make a scene or we'd have to get a bit rough."

"I don't give a rat's ass what you want." Nick spat.

"Really? After all the things I did for your furry behind? Is that the way to speak to me?" the racoon questioed. "Have you forgotten the old saying: Don't bite the hand that feeds you. But we're civilised animals, we don't want to lose a useful member. If you apologise and ask nicely, I'll let you come back to us on the usual terms."

Nick glared at the racoon and Judy was unprepared to see the hate in his eyes.

"Nick?" she said tetatively.

"So Nicky… Does you little friend know about your little enterprise?" the racoon asked with smugness.

"I know what he used to do." Judy spoke defiantly.

"Good, good. Wouldn't want to break your little heart with unpleasant details. However Nicky has always been good at conning unsuspecting creatures… must be in his blood." he ignored Nick's growl. "Actually after some education he was brilliant, brought us some good money… We wouldn't want to lose such good revenue."

"So that's your problem? You don't want me, you just don't want to lose money."

"But of course Nicky… Who would want you, who would hire a fox, especially a 12 year old runt like you were." the racoon grinned nastily when the fox bared his teeth. "A fox is a dime a dozen, but training a new guy always costs money."

"What if I pay you?" Nick asked.

The racoon's ears perked.

"With interest." Nick added.

"Now that's honest talk. That way there won't have to be any ugly misunderstandings." the racoon agreed.

"How about I give you some advance payment?" the fox asked. "You can take whatever money I have on me."

The racoon's smile got even wider. "We're not pick-pockets… but as a sign of good will we'll accept that offer."

Nick felt a strong paw let go of him. "Back pocket." he ground out sullenly.

"You can't do this Nick." Judy protested worry lacing her voice. "They won't ever leave you alone."

"It's okay Carrots. I'm going to be all right. It's going to be fine." he looked at the bunny sadly.

"Really Nicky… Ya have it bad for this little piece of fluff." the female hyena snickered as she took the pilfered money from the black wolf.

"Stay out of this Connie." Nick growled.

"I hope the next payment will be bigger, because this is pathetic… Police job not paying as well as you thought?" the racoon asked as he pocketed the banknotes. "You can keep the change, Nicky." he added with a laugh.

Nick started to feel optimistic about the situation, maybe they will survive this run in with his past 'friends' unscated, however he heard a sigh which made his head snap towards the group.

"Unfortunately Nicky, you still need a little lesson so you don't forget that tricking me is a bad idea." the racoon sounded apologetic, but Nick knew it was a false facade.

"What the hell more do you want?" he asked.

"Just a little thing to remember us by. Connie, be a dear and do the honors." he asked turning to the hyena.

Connie grinned and reached for Judy who tried to shy away from her grip.

"Don't you dare touch her! Let me go!" Nick struggled but a paw clamped down on his muzzle and silenced him.

"What did I say about causing a scene? So just shut up, you brought this on yourself and your little friend." the racoon lectured.

The hyena was holding Judy by her sensitive ears and leered at her trying to kick unsuccessfully.

"Ya rabbits are so fluffy. Makes me wanna bite your cute little neck."

Judy tried to pull herself up, hyenas had infamously strong jaws, she could snap bones with ease. The rabbit felt Connie grab her neck in a gentle grip and made her claws clutch her face. Judy flinched and she felt a claw scratch her on her temple.

"Stay still bunny rabbit or ya'll hurt yourself." Connie taunted and then her tongue lolled out of her mouth showing off wicked jagged teeth, but she only licked off the bead of blood making Judy's fur matted with saliva. Judy cringed at the feeling.

Suddenly there was a commotion to the side. Judy glanced in Nick's direction, who in his struggles managed to slam his head into the wolf's chest while he elbowed him in the stomach effectively stunning him for a few seconds. He was running their way, but Connie prepared for him and now held Judy by the neck again, this time less gently. Nick stopped in his tracks like he was shot. He seemed to shrink in on himself, ears drooping.

"Please… I promised already, you'll get your money. Just please leave Judy out of this."

Connie glanced in the racoon's way, who was watching the scene with a bored face.

"Boss?"

"Eh… I had enough of this runt for tonight. Let him have his little girlfriend back, I think he gets what will happen if he double-crosses us again. Right?"

"Yes, sir." Nick answered defeated.

Connie held Judy out like a stuffed toy and the fox grabbed her before anything else could happen. He looked at the bunny relieved and didn't see the sucker punch Connie threw at his face. He felt his face snap to the side and as he hit the ground, for a moment he was sure that his jaw broke. He glanced up with tears of pain in his eyes and saw the recovered black wolf walk in their direction. Over my dead carcass. He crouched protectively over Judy's body who lay limply. He growled menacingly, teeth bared, eyes glowing green, tail fluffed up, when he heard the racoon.

"Leave them be Hans." the racoon turned and walked off with his gang in tow, the wolf gave a last snarl at the pair and stalked off.

Nick kept the growl up till they disappeared from sight, when he felt a soft paw touch his collarbone. He looked down at Judy staring up at him.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He gave a bark of painful laugh. "Why are you asking me? You were the one who almost got snapped in half." His laugh chocked off at the end and next thing he noticed that his face was pressed into grey fur as he tried to hold back tears.

"I'm so sorry, Judy." he whined.

"Hey, we're okay. I'm okay, you're okay. We'll be fine." she reasurred him even now. "Don't let them get to you." Judy whispered over his tears.

He gave another chocked laugh and miserably held onto her tighter. What a rotten start of the weekend.