Zootopia I've been thinking

Chapter 8

When they walk into headquarters on Monday morning, they're not holding hands, they're not all over each other. They're keeping a respectable distance, the kind they usually have when they come in to work together. In fact, nothing much between them has changed, a testament to how amazing their friendship was before. Anyways, Nick's got a cup of Snarlbucks in one hand and is wielding his aviators like a presentation-pointer in the other while making some case to Judy, who is looking at the sky like I can't believe this. Ben's eyes zero in on them.

"FINALLY!" Clawhauser practically screeches, slamming his claws to the counter. "FINA-FREAKING-LY!"

The startled bunny recoils, not sure what's going on. Nick blinks rapidly a few times.

One finger on the building intercom, Clawhauser takes a deep breath and "PATRICK! YOU OWE ME $20!"

Suddenly, everybody has stopped in their tracks to look upon whatever commotion the big cat is creating. Patrick comes sidling out of the elevator some seconds later, looking disgruntled. He passes a 20 to the preening feline before turning his pout towards the new couple.

"I should be happy for you two, but I was planning to use that 40 towards a new set of rims. Well, whatever. Hope it works out." With a wave, he's back in the elevator.

Well. Nick is caught up now, and he smirks a little. Judy is red from her toes to the tips of her ears. "You made a bet on us?" She shrieks, hands balled up at her sides.

"Aw, Judy! It was all in good fun!"

The addressed rabbit looks like she's about to faint, so all she does is grab Nick's paw (who uses the other to wave a few fingers amiably at Ben while smiling and then giving a thumbs up) and stomp to the elevator.

"That Clawhauser! I can't believe him! Now everybody's going to try to separate us and–" The elevator dings, the doors open, and one of the employees in forensics steps up. The lynx, dressed in her white lab coat and examining a file, stops when she sees the couple from above the rim of her glasses.

"Oh, I just heard about you two! Congrats! That's just too precious."

People keep entering, keep cooing congratulations at them or slapping high-fives at Nick. When the bunny and fox finally make it out, Nick's chest is puffed and he's donned a look like he knows he's the coolest person around. "So what is it you were saying, Carrots?"

She, on the other hand, is completely dumbfounded. "But how?" Is all she can whisper over and over, confused by the acceptance and genuine happiness others have for them. Her expectations of judgment and lecturing and moralizing have been completely shot dead.

"Oh, Jude, have a little more faith." Swinging an arm around her shoulders, he sweeps his other hand across the air in front of them. "Everybody thinks we're as great as we think we are. And we really are great. We're amazing."

"Jude" rolls her eyes but doesn't shake his arms off. Chief Bogo's door opens and when he sees them, he snorts. Nick's appendages fall away.

"I've heard the news. You–" the gnarly hoof is pointing right between Nick's eyes. "–in here."

"Yessir," As Judy leaves, she waves, and so does Nick, albeit uncertainly. What does he want? The canine mouths, and his companion, who is getting smaller by the second, shrugs before turning away.

A little nervous, but what can he do about it, Nick shuts Bogo's door. The gigantic buffalo sits into his authoritative-looking chair, which groans under his weight. "Well, I've heard the news. It'll add a bit of a complication to what I'm about to tell you, but I trust you'll be able to work it out."