Chapter Text
3 months after the reptile case:
Reptile Ravine 2:30pm
Nick and Judy sat in a police rover near the heart of Reptile Ravine. There had been a massive influx of reptiles and mammals into the area over the past few months, and Chief Bogo, with some persuasion from a certain pit viper, assigned the two most qualified officers to patrol the district.
“You know, this is nice, not needing to dress up or anything,” Nick said, leaning back in the passenger seat.
“I miss the mustaches,” Judy quipped back.
“Cabbage-patch?” Nick replied with a smile.
Judy just gave a smirk.
“Maybe this assignment is a way for Bogo to give us a break, after all we did save the city, twice,” Nick said.
“Yeah, but we are still on duty; even if things seem quiet, we need to be vigilant,” Judy responded in a slightly serious tone.
Nick rolled his eyes, “Okay, Fluff.”
“Maybe it’s time to get out and stretch our legs and get acquainted with the locals,” Judy suggested.
The two of them exited the rover and began walking down the sidewalk, passing an assortment of reptiles and mammals going about their day. Nick glanced over at Judy, distracting him just enough to run into a lizard carrying a heat lamp, nearly causing the reptile to drop it.
Nick gave a crooked smile, “Sorry.”
The lizard gave a dirty look before licking its eye and walking away.
“Very smooth move, slick Nick.”
Nick frowned, his ears flattening out.
“Hey, we are not too far from Gary’s place; maybe we can stop in and say hi.”
Nick smiled, “I could always use a break.”
Judy shook her head, “We’ve barely gone half a block and you’re already thinking of having a break?”
“Of course I am, I just-.”
Nick paused, noticing a rattlesnake use its tail to reach into the pocket of a passing iguana, pulling out a wallet.
“What is it?”
“That snake just pickpocketed someone.”
Judy looked; the snake wasn’t being subtle; she could clearly see the wallet grasped in its tail.
“HEY!”
The rattlesnake quickly glanced back before moving faster through the bustling sidewalk.
Both Nick and Judy sprinted after the fleeing pickpocket. The trio weaved and dodged around the pedestrians, trying to get the upper hand on each other.
“Stop!”
“And here I thought I would get a break,” Nick huffed.
They continued to give chase until the snake made a dash up an alley that ended in a dead end. The snake attempted to climb the tall brick walls surrounding them, to no avail. It turned to escape, but Nick and Judy were blocking the way out. Judy approached the snake, her paw hovering over her dart gun, Nick beside her. The snake didn’t hesitate and lunged towards Nick, its fangs ready to plunge into him. Judy, with lightning reflexes, drew the dart gun, firing and striking the snake just behind its head. The now-limp snake barrelled into Nick, knocking him over.
“Nick!”
“Don’t worry, carrots, I’m fine,” he shuttered, moving the lifeless snake off him.
“I thought you got over your aversion to reptiles because of Gary,” Judy asked, confused.
“I know Gary, but a random reptile that’s different.”
Judy sighed, “We better get them secured before they wake up.”
Nick walked over to the snake and was going to secure them. “Uh, carrots,”
Judy was lost in thought. This was the first time she had used her dart gun outside the range.
“Judy!”
She snapped out of her trance. “What?”
“This snake isn’t breathing.”
A chill came over her, “That shouldn’t, that’s not what-.”
She rushed to the snake’s side. “Nick, call dispatch and get an ambulance here now.”
Nick grabbed his radio and called in an ambulance along with backup.
Judy desperately tried to figure out a way to help the snake.
“Do you know how to do CPR on a snake?”
“I think I slept through that part at the academy,” Nick replied.
“Nick! This is serious.”
Nick looked around and saw a group of reptiles gathering near the mouth of the alley.
“Anyone know snake CPR?” Nick shouted at the crowd.
A female chameleon came forward from the crowd. “I can help.”
Nick let the chameleon go to the snake. She kneeled beside Judy, “I need some room to work on him.”
Judy nodded slightly and got up, taking a second to see what the chameleon was doing before walking over to one wall to lean against it. Her ears flopped down, and her breathing increased.
“Carrots?” Nick asked, concerned.
“I, I think,” she winced, and a single tear rolled from one of her eyes, “I killed…”
Judy bent over, bracing herself with her paws on her knees. She felt like vomiting; Nick, noticing her in distress, hurried to her.
“Judy, look at me; you didn’t kill anyone, okay?” Nick placed his paws on her shoulders. “You did nothing wrong. The snake… he… lunged at me, and you acted to protect me.”
Judy peeked around Nick to look at the snake.
“Hey! Don’t look at him. Look at me; just focus on me, your Fluffle.”
When Judy heard Nick say Fluffle; she broke down and cried into Nick’s chest. In the distance, the unmistakable sound of sirens signaled backup was on the way.
Judy looked at Nick; she could see the concern and fear in his emerald-green eyes.
“What’s going to happen now?” Judy whispered.
“I am not sure, but I will be there for you because you are my pack, and packs always stick together.”
A police rover pulled up at the entrance of the alley, causing the gathered crowd to part.
Nick glanced over to the rover, “Okay, Judy, I need you to go to the rover. Can you do that for me?”
She nodded; Nick grabbed her paw and led her in such a way that she wouldn’t look at the still unconscious snake. By this point, Officer Wolfard, a ram, ran up on the scene. The ram immediately went toward the chameleon.
“Hey! Hey, they are providing medical aid. Can you secure the area? I need to help Officer Hopps,” Nick ordered.
“Is Hopps injured?” Wolfard asked.
“No, she’s the one…”
The wolf nodded, knowing that Judy was the one who had shot the snake. Nick placed his paw on Judy’s shoulder and led her towards the alley’s entrance. Judy walked along with Nick, her arm holding onto his side. She could see the ambulance pull up; a badger and a beaver paramedic got out, running past her as if in slow motion. The academy training showed her how to react in a situation like the one she was going through. Reality, however, had different plans. Nick opened the door of the rover and lifted Judy so she could sit; her short legs dangling off the side of the chair. Nick looked at Judy and was about to say something.
“Wilde!”
Nick turned his head and saw Captain Hoggbottom walking towards him.
Nick’s ears went flat. “Captain; I didn’t-.”
“What happened here?”
“The snake, it lunged; I had to react, I didn’t expect…” Judy sputtered as she shook.
Hogbottom looked at Judy, concerned, “Hopps; do you need medical to look at you?”
Judy shook her head, trying to put on a brave face.
“Captain; we had the snake cornered, it lunged at me, and Jud-; officer Hopps responded by darting him, when I approached the now unconscious snake, he was not breathing; that’s when we called for assistance,” Nick explained.
Hogbottom gave a slight snort, “Do you know the status of the suspect now?”
“No, I think Wolfard would know though,” Nick suggested.
Hogbottom walked towards the alley as the paramedics were wheeling the snake away on a stretcher. Wolfard approached the captain and was gesturing to something down the alley. Nick, meanwhile, approached Judy, and despite the brave face she had on when Hogbottom was there, the facade crumbled, and some tears rolled from the corner of her eyes. Nick used the back of his paw to wipe one tear away; he then placed his paw on her shoulder, one of his fingers slowly stroking her cheek. Judy was comforted by the action, which helped her relax.
“Nick?”
He looked at her with his trademark grin, “Yes, carrots?”
“Thank you, I know this is far from over,” she glanced over to see Hogbottem walking back towards them, “hopefully she has some news.”
“Okay; I talked with Wolfard; the suspect is alive but in very critical condition. We will have to wait for an update from the hospital.”
Judy let out a slight sigh of relief, her ears slightly perking up.
“Now as for you two; the chief is going to have some questions, so I would advise you to head back to the precinct.”
Judy slid out of the rover and stood next to nick, “We will head back to our rover and do that now.”
Nick shrugged and followed his partner up the street. News about the incident travelled at lightning speed, and there were a lot of judgmental looks that seemed to come from everywhere. After what felt like an eternity, they reached their rover and climbed in, Nick taking the driver’s seat.
“Nick, let’s get out of here; all those looks, I can’t handle it, not now.”
“Yeah, it was like we had horns growing out of our heads; now I know how Bucheron and Chevre feel,” Nick said, smirking.
Judy snickered slightly, “that’s not how that works.”
“Well, it got a laugh out of you, so I must have done something right.”
Judy tried to enjoy the moment, but knowing they had to speak with Bogo caused her stomach to knot up.
“What are we going to tell the chief?”
“We will tell him the truth, that you did nothing wrong and we don’t know why the things happened the way they did.”
Judy sighed, “yeah, let’s hope it goes smoothly.”
Nick nodded as they left Reptile Ravine and drove towards the precinct. They didn’t know it, but something was watching them, its large black and golden eyes fixated on their every move.