Questions

Hello! This is the same as the previous chapter 1, only more digestible (I hope!)

Again thanks for any and all reviews and comments and criticism.

Zootopia belongs entirely to Disney. I own nothing.

Chapter 1

Judy Hopps hated unanswered questions. As she lay in bed, tossing and turning, fur drenched in sweat and her blankets long since kicked to one side, she could almost feel them hanging over her, mocking her. The moons rays shone through the open window, illuminating her small apartment and letting in a wisp of cool air. The drone of passing cars came and went, occasionally faint laughter and distant voices could be heard floating upwards from the streets below. The faint snores of her neighbours from the adjacent room could be heard through the walls.

A hush had fallen on all of Zootopia. And yet every time Judy felt herself slipping away into the light embrace of sleep, another question appeared. She groaned. Not since the Howlers case had she felt the same frustration and even then she had been too busy or scared to dwell. There had always been another lead to follow and another bad guy to chase then. This was much more difficult.

"Dumb fox" she grumbled into her pillowcase, eyes clenched shut.

Nick was never too far from his mind... And there he was: shining orange fur, bright green eyes and his sly smile. That abominable light green shirt and loosened purple tie. Even after he joined the force, she still always imagined him in his old outfit. He always appeared either leaning on a wall or strolling casually down some alleyway, not a care in the world.

His voice echoed through her mind: "Never let them see that they get to you". Calm but with a twinge of sadness.

Judy shivered slightly at the memory. Nick had lowered his guard for once: the cool hustler had faded away, leaving a fox as emotional and as vulnerable as every other animal in Zootopia.

"Why do I keep thinking about that?." Judy pondered. It was a important moment in their friendship, when she and Nick had finally become more than just reluctant allies, but there was more too it. The case was over, Nick had become a police officer and a partner and they should have lived happily ever after. He had finally dumped his tasteless shirts and ties for a uniform, made friends of everyone in the ZPD (except Bogo but Nick was convinced that the Chief was warming to him. At the very least the death threats had decreased), and had become the partner she had always dreamed of: even if he did drive her nuts sometimes. He always had a joke or snarky comment prepared, normally accompanied with that easy smile and mischievous wink.

"Never let them see that they get to you".

The reason for Judy's unease slowly took shape. "How many people to do you think Nick's opened up to?" came first and it was as if a dam had broken. More questions came pouring into the forefront of her mind "What makes you think Nick's opened up to you?". "How much do you actually know about him?". "Where does he live?""Does he have a family?" "What does he do for fun?"What does he want?" "Is he even happy?".

Judy felt a hollowness in her stomach. "Sweet cheese and crackers, what kind of friend am I?" she whispered into the dark. No answers came but the questions continued to taunt. Casting her mind back to the dozens of conversations on patrol or in the office, not once had Nick revealed anything about his private life. Whenever the topic came up, he always had had a joke, a story or a cutting comment which would leave bystanders crying with laughter.

Judy's heart dropped with shame and her vision grew dimmed as tears welled up in her eyes: not once had she noticed. "I guess I was too busy talking about myself or enjoying the show to notice" she thought with disgust. "I didnt even try" All Judy knew about Nick came from his stories about failed cons or from that one meaningful conversation after he had saved her career...

"No more" she vowed to herself resolutely. Nick had always helped her with her personal life: giving advice, a sympathetic ear or even just a warm hug whenever needed. He had always tried to look out for her when Chief Bogo was on the warpath and had always managed to lift her up from the depths of despair after a especially trying day, with carrot flavoured doughnuts and coffee. She would try to return the favour and become the kind of friend Nick deserved: the kind he had always insisted on being for her.

With that thought and as the sky outside lightened and the cheerful chirps of the first birds on their way too work began to ring through the sky , Judy finally slipped off to sweet sleep: a small smile on her face and her last thoughts lingering on the dumb fox whom she held so dear.