"The Christmas Shift"

It was Christmas Eve in Zootopia. The most beautiful holiday in the year and Judy's favorite. She loved everything about it. The fresh powder of snow in Tundra Town with snow angels and snowballs in the thousands. With a few frozen tongues frozen onto poles here and there. The sweet peppermint ice coffee in Shara Square and their beautiful Christmas lights and fireworks. Even all of the arrangements of Christmas flowers in the Rainforest District, all from hydradias to mistletoe. She loved the smell of pine in everyone's home and the scent to stuffing made her stomach growl. Yet, the one thing she loved most of all was being with families and friends around the dinner table. Except she would have to miss it this year.

She sat, alone, in her office. The only animal who took the Christmas shift. When her chief ask for volunteers, she was the first to raise her paw. She knew she had to be the only one to take it because being with family is most important in the holidays. No matter how difficult it was, she knew that most of her fellow officers had kids to get home to.

She didn't mind sitting in her dimmed office, waiting for the phone to ring. Ready to take any emergency that is thrown her way. She knew it was better her than anyone else. She would only feel guilty if a father was sitting in her place.

She flinched when she felt her personal phone vibrate on her side. She swiftly took it out and her ears went down in dread from seeing the name flash on screen.

Mom.

Taking a deep breath, she answered.

"Hey mom!" She perked with a loud voice, trying to sound as happy as possible.

"Judy! When are you coming over to eat dinner?"

"Actually...listen Mom, I-I know you wanted me there but..."

"But?-What's wrong? Is this about Nick?...I'm sure your father won't mind if you bring him along..." Judy slowly frowned and scratched the back of her neck, listening to her speak.

"I can whip something up for him! Its kinda late-"

"I know, I know it's late but something came up and...I'm working." She held her breath hearing her mother's frantic pleas.

"Oh Judy no! C-can't you come for a couple of hours? Why on earth are you working? Please, just come over Judy!"

"Aw Mom, I'm sorry but, it's just this once...but I'll see you in New Years! I promise!" She smiled only for it to melt away.

"O-oh...alright sweetheart...yes, new years. That would be wonderful, don't be a stranger dear. I love you."

"...I love you too, Mom. Okay. Bye."

Her forehead hit the desk as she cast aside her phone. She could only imagine her mom being so disappointed throughout the evening. She wouldn't even be there to open and exchange gifts. She jerked in her seat when she heard her phone vibrate again. She flipped around the phone to see the name flash on screen and groaned.

"Oh Nick-" she whispered sadly. She clutched on the phone, forcing her thumb to press down to answer him. With a cringe she put the phone up to her ear.

"Hey whiskers, ready to go to Shara Square?" He said with an excited tone. Her paw slid down her face. She and Nick planned to go see the light show. "I got the tickets just like we planned, and they're giving out free peppermint coffee!...I managed to grab four for the both of us! The polar bear giving them away won't let me go back to the stand through for taking more than two..." She winced when she responded.

"That's great Nick, but I-!"

"I even got your present!" He sanged. "Can you guess what it is?"

"No?"

"Do you want me to give you a hint?"

"No Nick, listen I need to tell you that-!"

"That you got me my present? I already know what it is, it's a new phone case isn't it?" She practically heard him grin. Her eyes widen and her paw quickly opened her desk drawer to find his gift still wrapped, or so it seems. To the naked eye it would have look as if it was untouched but she saw that a piece of tape was pulled back.

"Nick! Did you opened your present?!" She accused.

"Yes. I couldn't help it! I think it's great!...I'll even act surprised when you give it to me if it would make you feel better."

She rubbed her temple. She would have to get mad at him later, because she could only imagine the same outcome of what happened with her mother with Nick. "I can't go out tonight."

He paused. "Is this because I opened the present? I was joking! I didn't look I swear! I-it was a guess!" He exclaimed while lying through his teeth.

"No. It isn't that." For a moment Judy only heard silence making her clutch at her chest as she continued. "I took the Christmas shift and I know that we planned on spending time together but...I couldn't go, and I wanted to but, it was either me or some animal else who has their family waiting for them!"

She waited a response but found none. She blinked confusingly and nibbled on her lower lip. "Nick?...I'm sorry."

She continued to hear nothing and glanced at her phone, only to find that he hung up on her. She frowned. How can he do such a thing? She suddenly pushed herself away from her desk angrily, tossing the phone against the couch in her office in a loud cry. She fell over to the couch, face planting on the cushions while her muffled screams filled the room.

"That stupid fox..." she muttered bitterly. Her eyes glossed over from the words she said. Does she really have the right to be angry at him? All the trouble he went through to get them tickets for the show. All that planning. All that overtime he took to save enough money to get the gift he was going to give her. He sounded so excited to give it to her too. She sighed heavily. She really had no right to be angry at him, but he had the right to be angry at her. She closed her eyes, if anyone calls for help, the rings will wake her.

Her ears twitched when she heard the distinct sound of some animal tip-toeing, the slight cracks of the wooden floor made her lift her head up immediately.

"Aw! I wanted to surprise you! guess I can't do anything with ears like yours, right Whiskers?"

It took her eyes some time to adjust to the dark, but there was denying that it was Nick standing in front of her. She rubbed her eyes when she faced him.

"N-Nick? Wha-What are you doing here?" she asked softly, sitting up fully. "I...I thought you were mad at me."

His head tilted to the right. "Mad?" he scoffed. "Why?"

"Because I took the christmas shift. You hung up on me."

"Whoops, sorry...My phone died right after you told me you took the shift, so I came over." He walked over to her desk, switching on the lamp to brighten up the room. Once the light filled the room, she noticed Nick holding out a styrofoam cup. Her nose twitched from the sweet smell of peppermint and chocolate mixed into the hot drink. She took it nimbly into her paws, staring down at it.

"Thank you Nick." She smiled, only to slowly make her grin turned into a soft scowl. "I'm sorry I ruined our night together." A harsh flick hit her forehead making her let out a yelp, her paw going to her head while glaring down Nick, who gave her an innocent grin while he pulled back his own paw.

"Ruined it? Ha, that's a laugh, it wouldn't be much fun if I went by myself, so I pawned the tickets off to some other couple to buy...this!" He held up a DVD case titled "The Christmas Story". Judy gasped. That was her favorite christmas movie. "I figured we can go get one of the small tvs and the DVD player to watch it here, at least until some animal calls."

Judy's eyes began to gloss over. "I can't believe you would do this for me."

Nick scratched at his cheek. "Yeah well, you know I would anything for you." He coughed, a small blush appearing as he looked off to the side. Judy wiped a small tear from her eye. "So before we watch the movie, let me give you your present."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, wrapped in shimmering gold wrapping paper and a small red bow on top. Judy's ears perked.

"What is it?" She took it immediately from his paw.

"Open it."

She cocked a brow at him. "It's not going to be another one of your pranks is it? It won't be a lump of coal will it?"

"Nah." he waved the idea off. "I already gave one to Clawhauser as a secret santa prank."

"Nick!"

He motioned his fingers towards the gift, pointing at it impaciently. "Come on! come on!" he began. "Open it already!

Judy giggled and ripped open the beautiful wrapping paper, underneath it was a white box with a lid. She gingerly lifts it up and inside she felt her breath stall. She gently put the box on her lap and pulled out a silver charm bracelet. Each charm was a different color and a different shape. She saw an orange carrot, a silver shaped fox head, a red heart, a bronze roll of film, and a golden police badge. The bracelet was also decorated with blue stars. She immediately put it on her right wrist. A perfect fit.

"Thank you Nick!" She smiled widely. "I love it! Now let me give you your present!"

"Don't bother, I opened it when you were asleep..." He lifted up his phone and Judy smiled to see that he slipped on his new phone case, it was a fox. She thought it was ironic. "I thought it was funny."

"I'm glad you like it."

"And guess what else I bought?" he smirked.

"What?" She blinked when he put his paw over her head. At first when she stared at it, it took a moment for her to realize what it was. "Mistletoe?"

"Great right?" He winked. He didn't expect her to kiss him right away. She pressed her lips against his in a small peck before pulling away.

"It is."

this was inspired by a concept art provided by Bryon Howard when he was creating Zootopia, there was a female fox who was a mechanic, but we weren't sure if she was supposed to be a love interest of Nick, and since I ship Judy and Nick, I decided that she was properly a sister or something, she won't be in the final movie.