Zootopia: Changes

Nick Wilde has never known what it's like to have a father. He was raised by his mother, who rarely ever talked about who he was or what he did. In short, his father has always been a mystery; and a touchy subject. However, an anonymous tip he and Judy receive during a routine case might just lead him to the fox he's been waiting to meet for his entire life…

Chapter 1: New Fox on the Block

The ZPD was absolutely ecstatic to welcome Nicholas P. Wilde into the precinct. Honestly, Nick didn't expect a huge celebration upon his arrival or anything. He just expected to start his shift the next day without much fanfare from any of the officers. However, this wasn't the case. He received pats on the backs, many congratulatory gestures, and even a nod of respect from the Chief of Police, Bogo. He had never experienced anything quite like it, and it was definitely heartwarming. Also, it was definitely a far cry from how he had been treated in the past. It felt great; after all of this time, after every bad mistake he had ever made in his life, this was it. He finally felt at home.

He walked through the entrance of the station with his head held high and his tail happily swishing, a huge smile on his face that he simply couldn't hide. "Officer Wilde!" Fangmeyer said with a grin. "Looking sharp in that uniform buddy!"

Nick smiled back and saluted, then continued walking. He wasn't quite sure about the details yet, but Chief Bogo had summoned he and Judy to his office to discuss something, "Very important." Was he nervous? He would be lying if he said he wasn't. Nick wasn't typically the nervous type, but when you're summoned to your boss's office to discuss an very important topic, that tends to send the nerves into overdrive.

He arrived at Bogo's office door to see that his partner Judy Hopps was already there. She was wearing her more formal uniform, the one she had worn on the day she presented him with his name tag and badge. "Wow Judy, you look...very professional," Nick said with a smile.

Judy smiled back warmly. "Why thank you Nick," she said happily, "and may I say you look very handsome...for a fox anyway." She smiled with a slyness that he was almost positive was inspired by him.

"Oh, this is the part where I'm supposed to blush and get all tongue tied, right?" Nick said as he sat down next to her on the bench and crossed his legs. "Sorry sweetheart, you happen to be talking to a real ladies fox; I'm used to those kinds of complments."

"I thought you only got compliments like that from your mother," she said with another sly grin.

"Geez Carrots, where are all of these quips coming from?" Nick asked as he grinned and straightened his tie.

Judy just shrugged and ran her paw through the fur between her ears. "I guess you could say I learned from the best. You're the king of witty comebacks remember? It rubs off after awhile."

"Then you're in big, big trouble," Nick said jokingly. Their joking back and forth came to a grinding halt when the door to Bogo's office swung open. The Chief of Police walked out and glared (as he usually did) at Nick and Judy. "Ah, Wilde and Hopps," he said in a very monotone, unamused voice. "Please come in."

Nick and Judy entered Bogo's office, which was pretty much devoid of any personal items whatsoever. There was his desk, two chairs, and one small couch at the far end. Other than that, it was the most bland looking office the two had ever seen. "Have a seat," he said gruffly.

Nick and Judy obeyed and took their seats, and Bogo sat across from then and folded his hooves. "As you know, there is a parade scheduled for tomorrow afternoon; its to celebrate the anniversary of the official unification of predator and prey, as well as the official inauguration of the new Mayor.

Mayor Tigerpaw had won the recent mayoral election by a landslide, and although there were mixed feelings about his potential electoral run, many citizens felt indifferent after the disastrous tenure of Mayor Lionheart. Bogo continued, "You two are going to be in charge of making sure the parade stays safe and secure. There are some...'Mixed feelings'...about our new mayor, so his cabinet has requested some extra protection. In light of the Nighthowler case we can't be too cautious."

"Roger that Chief," Judy said with a salute. She looked over at her partner, who was busy trying to swat a bothersome fly away. She cleared her throat loudly and intentionally. "Did you catch that, Officer Wilde?" she said in an aggravated tone.

Nick shook his head as he snapped back to attention. "Yeah, yeah, make sure the parade stays safe and secure...got it."

Judy rolled her eyes, and Bogo grumbled something under his breath before saying, "Mr. Wilde, this is your first official mission as Judy's full time partner. I strongly suggest that you take it seriously. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes sir, I understand," he answered nervously. "I promise I won't let you down."

"Good," Bogo said indifferently. "The parade starts tomorrow morning, 8 A.M. sharp; you're dismissed."

Nick and Judy sat across from each other at the local sandwich shop later that evening, and they were both feeling a bit anxious their recent assignment. "What do you think Bogo meant when he said that there were "Mixed feelings" about Mayor Tigerpaw?"

Judy sighed as she picked up her sandwich and examined it. "Mayor Tigerpaw was one of those animals that voted against the unification of predator and prey," she answered. "My guess is that he organized this year's parade and his official inauguration on the same day in an attempt to make himself look good. You know, score points with those who doubted him."

"But you think he still feels the same way about predator and prey relations?" Nick asked, helping himself to a generous bite of his sandwich.

Judy shrugged, looking a bit uneasy. "I honesty don't know. I mean, his whole campaign just seemed...off. He looked like he was just smiling through his teeth and saying what everyone wanted to hear just so he could win the election."

"Well it must have worked, because the election wasn't even close," Nick said. He stirred some sugar into his tea and then continued. "After all, I mean, isn't that kinda what politicians do these days anyway?"

Judy glared at her partner. "Yes, and that's not the way to do it," she said angrily. "If you stop and think about it, that's how we got stuck with a corrupt politician like Lionheart. Everyone thought he was the picture of perfection; one of the greatest mayors that ever lived. Well, look what happened: he ended up covering up an entire conspiracy just to save his own tail. It backfired on everyone, and it cost him his job, thank goodness."

"Look, I know that whole fiasco was awful," Nick said, "but you have to have faith in others. Maybe this Tigerpaw guy will be the best Mayor the city has ever seen."

Judy looked at Nick with a grin. "This coming from the mammal who scammed others on a regular basis?"

Nick frowned. "That's not me anymore Carrots," he said firmly. "I've changed, and all I'm saying is that maybe you start believing that that's possible for others too."

Judy thought about the fox's words for a moment. Maybe he was right. Other than the fact that Tigerpaw had voted against the predator/prey unification bill, he had a squeaky clean record (as far as anyone knew), and he was hardly an animal that gave off a gruff, mean persona. Still, there was something about him that just gave her an uneasy feeling. She smiled a bit and, although still unconvinced, said, "Okay Nick, maybe you're right."

"I'm always right," the fox said with a grin. "Now come on Fluff, let's enjoy dinner. We've got a bit day ahead of us tomorrow, right?"

Judy nodded. "Okay, deal," she said as she picked up her sandwich and took a large bite. However, even though she tried her best to heed her partner's words, she felt a deep sense of unrest. She couldn't help but feel like something terrible was on the horizon.