Fanfic: Long Days, Short Stories: Munchie Run (Zootopia, no warnings)
Tundra Town, Icepick Eatery, 1 AM
“That’s a particularly forlorn look you’ve got there, Officer Wilde,” Judy teased, coming back with her coffee refill to the booth she and Nick had staked out in the corner of the all night diner.
Nick looked up at her, his chin resting on his folded arms, in front of the remains of a plate of pancakes and toast. “We are three hours into our fourth late-night shift this week, it is the middle of winter, so this neighborhood has gone from ‘below freezing’ to ‘hypothermia in five minutes or less’, and which also means my winter coat is coming in, which makes me itch. ”
“But you’re so fluffy now,” Judy exclaimed, reaching over to squeeze his cheeks briefly. Nick stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation, then continued.
“Furthermore, I have finished my dinner and now must contemplate dessert,” he declared solemnly. “Alas, this greasy spoon only offers cake and pie.”
“We could go to a donut shop,” Judy pointed out.
“Ah, but there lies my terrible dilemma.” Nick raised a finger in edification. “I am at a loss to find any joy in pastry products in this great metropolis, for I have tasted the sublime confectionaries that might be obtained in your hick hometown, in the shop of that master chef, Gideon Grey.”
“You didn’t get enough sleep yesterday afternoon after coming off shift, did you?” Judy asked. “You only get really poetic when you’re half dozing.”
“This is true, on both points. B&P’s apartment is right over mine, remember? They were going at it, in all senses of the term, while I was trying to sleep.”
“Oh, I remember. Why do you think I bought those noise canceling headphones?”
“Smart bunny,” he allowed. “Anyway, I’m still hungry and nothing on the menu appeals to me.”
“Pizza?”
“Hmm. Cheese, tomato sauce, carbs, heartburn. Nah.”
“Ice cream?”
“There’s no such thing as an all night ice cream shop.” Nick paused, brow furrowing. “Is there?”
“It’s Zootopia. There’s at least five of everything here, remember? And I know just the mammal who might know.”
Judy unclipped her radio from her belt and called, “Zoo Adam-12 to Central. Clawhauser, are you there?”
“ Always for you two,” the cheetah answered happily. “ What’s up?”
“We’ve still got the munchies and have thirty minutes until we’re back on shift. Is there anywhere good to get ice cream at this hour?”
“Ooooh! I know just the place! Let me give you the address.”
Ten minutes later they parked their cruiser in front of a painfully familiar looking storefront. Judy hopped out of the cruiser, looking at the Jumbeaux’s 24-Hour Cafe sign over the storefront window with distaste.
“Huh, it’s a franchise,” Nick noted. “Learn something new every day.”
“We’ll find something else,” Judy said, paws stuffed into the pockets of her coat, ears down flat in irritation.
Nick grinned down at her. “Now, now. Clawhauser has never steered us wrong yet.”
“Are you sure, Nick?” she asked.
“I’m a cop now, remember? This badge I’m wearing has to be good for something, besides a discount at Dunkin’s.”
“If you’re sure.”
They stepped inside, the bell over the door jingling. From behind the counter, a figure turned to face them. It was elephant shaped, but covered with a pelt of thick, shaggy red fur, some of which was matted together with dried ice cream.
“Hi, officers! I’m Georgie, welcome to Jumbeaux’s. What can I get for you?” the figure said cheerfully.
“Um, a chocolate banana split,” Judy replied, nonplussed.
“Two scoops of fudge ripple,” Nick ordered, recovering from his surprise more quickly than she had.
While Georgie got their order together, Judy leaned towards Nick and whispered urgently, “I thought mammoths were extinct !”
“Me too!” he replied.
“They are,” Georgie said cheerfully, one large ear twitching in their direction. “These are just hair implants. I got ‘em when I moved to Tundra Town so I could keep warm.”
“ Ohhhhh, ” Judy and Nick said together in relief.
“Here you go. That’ll be $6.25.” The elephant handed their orders over, and Judy gave him a tenner.
“Keep the change,” she said. “We appreciate the friendly service.”
“Oh?” Georgie blinked in realization. “Oh! I’ll bet you’ve been to my Uncle Jerry’s shop in Savannah Central.”
“Yes, yes we have,” Nick confirmed.
“I could tell.” The shaggy elephant shrugged uncomfortably. “Uncle Jerry has a thing about foxes. And weasels. And raccoons. And mice. And ah... lot of... other mammals.”
“We figured that out,” Judy confirmed. “Nice to see it doesn’t run in the family.”
Georgie nodded. “There’s a reason why I moved to Tundra Town.”.
“Can’t live with ‘em, can at least move away from ‘em?” Nick asked sympathetically.
“You got it.”
Mindful of the time, the two officers finished their desserts quickly, then headed back into their cruiser to crank up the heat and get back on patrol.
“That was some good ice cream,” Judy said.
“And surprisingly good service.” Nick agreed.
Judy checked the time on the cruiser’s dashboard. “We’re not getting off shift until 6am. Want to go back there for breakfast after we clock out?”
Nick smiled. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
“That’s a particularly forlorn look you’ve got there, Officer Wilde,” Judy teased, coming back with her coffee refill to the booth she and Nick had staked out in the corner of the all night diner.
Nick looked up at her, his chin resting on his folded arms, in front of the remains of a plate of pancakes and toast. “We are three hours into our fourth late-night shift this week, it is the middle of winter, so this neighborhood has gone from ‘below freezing’ to ‘hypothermia in five minutes or less’, and which also means my winter coat is coming in, which makes me itch. ”
“But you’re so fluffy now,” Judy exclaimed, reaching over to squeeze his cheeks briefly. Nick stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation, then continued.
“Furthermore, I have finished my dinner and now must contemplate dessert,” he declared solemnly. “Alas, this greasy spoon only offers cake and pie.”
“We could go to a donut shop,” Judy pointed out.
“Ah, but there lies my terrible dilemma.” Nick raised a finger in edification. “I am at a loss to find any joy in pastry products in this great metropolis, for I have tasted the sublime confectionaries that might be obtained in your hick hometown, in the shop of that master chef, Gideon Grey.”
“You didn’t get enough sleep yesterday afternoon after coming off shift, did you?” Judy asked. “You only get really poetic when you’re half dozing.”
“This is true, on both points. B&P’s apartment is right over mine, remember? They were going at it, in all senses of the term, while I was trying to sleep.”
“Oh, I remember. Why do you think I bought those noise canceling headphones?”
“Smart bunny,” he allowed. “Anyway, I’m still hungry and nothing on the menu appeals to me.”
“Pizza?”
“Hmm. Cheese, tomato sauce, carbs, heartburn. Nah.”
“Ice cream?”
“There’s no such thing as an all night ice cream shop.” Nick paused, brow furrowing. “Is there?”
“It’s Zootopia. There’s at least five of everything here, remember? And I know just the mammal who might know.”
Judy unclipped her radio from her belt and called, “Zoo Adam-12 to Central. Clawhauser, are you there?”
“ Always for you two,” the cheetah answered happily. “ What’s up?”
“We’ve still got the munchies and have thirty minutes until we’re back on shift. Is there anywhere good to get ice cream at this hour?”
“Ooooh! I know just the place! Let me give you the address.”
Ten minutes later they parked their cruiser in front of a painfully familiar looking storefront. Judy hopped out of the cruiser, looking at the Jumbeaux’s 24-Hour Cafe sign over the storefront window with distaste.
“Huh, it’s a franchise,” Nick noted. “Learn something new every day.”
“We’ll find something else,” Judy said, paws stuffed into the pockets of her coat, ears down flat in irritation.
Nick grinned down at her. “Now, now. Clawhauser has never steered us wrong yet.”
“Are you sure, Nick?” she asked.
“I’m a cop now, remember? This badge I’m wearing has to be good for something, besides a discount at Dunkin’s.”
“If you’re sure.”
They stepped inside, the bell over the door jingling. From behind the counter, a figure turned to face them. It was elephant shaped, but covered with a pelt of thick, shaggy red fur, some of which was matted together with dried ice cream.
“Hi, officers! I’m Georgie, welcome to Jumbeaux’s. What can I get for you?” the figure said cheerfully.
“Um, a chocolate banana split,” Judy replied, nonplussed.
“Two scoops of fudge ripple,” Nick ordered, recovering from his surprise more quickly than she had.
While Georgie got their order together, Judy leaned towards Nick and whispered urgently, “I thought mammoths were extinct !”
“Me too!” he replied.
“They are,” Georgie said cheerfully, one large ear twitching in their direction. “These are just hair implants. I got ‘em when I moved to Tundra Town so I could keep warm.”
“ Ohhhhh, ” Judy and Nick said together in relief.
“Here you go. That’ll be $6.25.” The elephant handed their orders over, and Judy gave him a tenner.
“Keep the change,” she said. “We appreciate the friendly service.”
“Oh?” Georgie blinked in realization. “Oh! I’ll bet you’ve been to my Uncle Jerry’s shop in Savannah Central.”
“Yes, yes we have,” Nick confirmed.
“I could tell.” The shaggy elephant shrugged uncomfortably. “Uncle Jerry has a thing about foxes. And weasels. And raccoons. And mice. And ah... lot of... other mammals.”
“We figured that out,” Judy confirmed. “Nice to see it doesn’t run in the family.”
Georgie nodded. “There’s a reason why I moved to Tundra Town.”.
“Can’t live with ‘em, can at least move away from ‘em?” Nick asked sympathetically.
“You got it.”
Mindful of the time, the two officers finished their desserts quickly, then headed back into their cruiser to crank up the heat and get back on patrol.
“That was some good ice cream,” Judy said.
“And surprisingly good service.” Nick agreed.
Judy checked the time on the cruiser’s dashboard. “We’re not getting off shift until 6am. Want to go back there for breakfast after we clock out?”
Nick smiled. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”