Zootopia Drabbles

Only A Fool

Benjamin Clawhauser prided himself on his perception. He knew people, he knew them before they knew themselves. He could tell you anything about all the workers of the ZPD. Regardless of station or work or whatever it may be, he knew it all.

He knew Chief Bogo never mentioned his mate given the poor woman had passed some years before while delivering their first child. A beautiful little girl named Amelia, who Ben was proud to call his goddaughter. Bogo had only recently reinterred the dating pool, but was currently interested in a teacher at Amelia's school. Apparently the gazelle was as kind and sweet as she was beautiful and Amelia had done Ben proud and told her father to pursue the woman if it made him happy, given he'd been riddled with guilt the moment he realized he cared for the woman.

   He knew that Penelope, a skunk who worked with the 911 hotline for the city, was dealing with a nasty divorce, her mate having cheated on her with a snow fox hooker, and frankly she needed a shoulder to cry on. Said shoulder as happily provided by Ben, who opted to call his cousin Ethan, one of the finest lawyers in Zootopia, for her. He was sure she'd get everything she deserved from her scumbag of an ex. And that she'd move on, given Will (one of their finer wolf cops) had been moaning and groaning to Clawhauser about how Penelope's husband treated her and how she deserved a prince over the jerk she had.

   Ben was the eyes and ears of the police department, and he knew it. So when a bunny cop joined the force, he'd been one of the first to know. Lieutenant Judy Hopps, the first bunny cop.

   Although admittedly clumsy at first, Ben quickly became friends with the rabbit officer, and her partner who joined the force shortly thereafter, a certain Nick Wilde. Ben snickered at their banter, sighed at their loyalty and chuckled at their bickering. They were certainly an odd couple, in the best of ways. And yet, there was something he couldn't pinpoint with them.

   He was the one who told Bogo he was falling for the gazelle teacher. He was the one who could tell Will liked Penelope. He knew, he always knew when it came to love. Romantic love was something he simply could see. Ben always thought it was the easiest thing to see, that only a fool couldn't see real love in front of them.

   He knew Judy and Nick held each other in absolutely high regards, and that they were the best of friends. He knew Nick cared about Judy and Judy cared about Nick. He knew Nick had been judged by Judy's family the moment they'd seen him, save Judy's mother Bonnie, who'd been good enough to see past the horrible prejudice she'd no doubt been raised with. He knew Judy adored Nick's mother Caroline and that the fox adored her as well.

   Clawhauser was sure in his findings. Absolutely, positively, undeniably certain that Judy and Nick had no romantic feelings for one another. He'd bet his badge on it if he had to. Years of seeing love instantly didn't lie, he just couldn't see any romantic love between Nick and Judy. Camaraderie, yes. Friendship, absolutely. A kind of love that one might see from siblings, described Nick and Judy to a T. But romantic, honest, true love? He didn't sense it, so he didn't imagine it was there.

Then it all changed...

It was a dark and cold night, Ben had taken night duty to get in some extra pay. His nieces birthday was coming up and he wanted to impress her with a giant dollhouse (one from the commercials she had her little heart set on). He'd heard on the police radios about a stand-off happening with one of the larger organized crime associations of the city.

Clyde and Barrow, a Fox and Bunny who were quite the team. A laundry list of felonies and crimes between the two of them, they worked alongside Mr. Big for a few years until breaking off and starting their own association. If Ben remembered the file correctly.

The doors opened and Ben was surprised to see the officers sent walking in with a look of defeat on their faces. One of them passed him. "Double homicide. Poor folks were taken out before they got out of their car."

   Judy and Nick walked in, Nick holding a fox pup and Judy holding two bunny kits. They said nothing as they walked to their office, shutting door and the lights.

   Ben sighed as he finished the general reports, minor filing. The matter was that 2 people were dead and 3 children orphaned. The city would deal with them come the morning. His heart went out to the little dears, so young to not even remember their parents.

   Deciding to pay them a visit, he stopped by Judy and Nick's shared office, walking in the open door.

   Only to feel his heart stutter at the sight.

   Nick and Judy, curled together, the oldest 2 nestled between them, the youngest close by in a drawer changed to a crib with a few blankets Ben didn't know they had, Judy's hand held by the baby's. It looked so natural. Nick's arms wrapped around Judy, who held the older two like any mother would hold their child.

Ben couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe what he'd seen. Nick and Judy, together? He tried to play it off, assuring himself they'd wake up horrified in the morning.

But he knew he was wrong. He wasn't surprised they were together, he was surprised he hadn't seen it before. The sideways looks, the knowing smiles, the way one would do anything for the other. It'd been all to obvious and he'd been a fool not to see it.

   Smiling at his bit of newfound knowledge, Ben closed up shop and went out to his car, glad that the kids would get a good home with someone that wanted them. At least he hoped Nick and Judy would have their senses to adopt the adorable kids. But judging by their treatment of the kids thus far, he doubted there was any chance they wouldn't.