Zootopia: Secrets And Deception

Chapter 17. The Talk

After a few weeks, Nick was released from the hospital and decided to walk home to stretch his legs, and get some fresh air. His legs felt a little stiff from just lying in bed from the time in the hospital, and was starving for a good meal, hospital food wasn't the greatest.....except helping him drop a few pounds. It was almost twelve when he looked at his watch, and thought that he would call Judy, who was thrilled to hear that he was out of the hospital.
"I thought that maybe we could get a decent bite or something, carrots?" He said, feeling better now that he was out in the nice, fall air.
"Lunch would be great, Nick. I know a good place on Evans and 4th St. that we can try, does that sound okay?" Judy asked as she clocked in her lunch break at the ZPD.
"That sounds fantastic, I'm up for anything. I'll meet you at the corner of Evans, okay carrots?" Nick asked.
"That's perfect with me, I'll be there in about ten minutes. Goodbye, Nick." "Goodbye, Judy." And they both hung up.

Nick enjoyed his walk around, seeing all the fall decorations and the nice breeze that moved the leaves that have fallen onto the ground. He had just reached the corner of Evans and waited for Judy, when his cell phone went off and reached into his pocket, and pulled out his cell, but it wasn't going off. Then he remembered the ones Jeremiah had given to both himself and Judy to contact, or to be contacted. He looked and saw that it was a text message of..... "An address, and a message?" he thought to himself.
"At this address, you will find more questions than answers, but it will help in your case. J." Nick was almost done with him.
"Great, now I'm a delivery man for the snake who put me in the hospital." Nick thought to himself, but remembered that he still had to talk to Judy about all this. "I just hope I say the right words so that she understands that Jeremiah is trying to tell us something, but how do I put it?" was the real question on his mind. Just then, Judy pulled up and walked over to the 'Rainforest Diner' to talk.

"Are you insane?" Judy exclaimed at what Nick tried to explain carefully.
"Judy, were at a restaurant!" Nick said quietly, as he felt the whole diner look over at them, and trying not to draw any more attention.
"But, Nick. He kidnapped you, held you prisoner for a week and tortured you. Why would I even think about accepting a phone by the same criminal who took you away from me?" Judy replied quietly this time, but still had a temper in her voice.
"I know what he did to me hurt you more.....but he is trying to tell us something.....something important that may be crucial to Zootopia, and to us. I mean, why would the same person who took you and put me through pain, then do the same thing to you when he took me? Now warn us about a 'coming storm' that we must prepare for?" Nick asked as he reached over and gently grasped her hand. Judy hadn't thought about it this way before, and she still had every right to decline Jeremiahs' offered phone, which was built for her size and Nicks' as well, but decided to accept the phone.
"Wait, Nick. Both phones have the serpents head that is on these, is the same symbol on the box that I couldn't open. What do you think it means?" she asked, placing the phone on her belt. Nick couldn't respond to this question for a little while.
"I guess we'll have to play along until either Jeremiah reveals what it could be, or mean." Nick answered, and both felt a tad uneasy about this question. It was true what Jeremiah said, it may just be a piece to a much larger puzzle then they could comprehend.

It was then Judy had to get back to work.
"See you at home, carrots." Nick said as they hugged each other.
"See you later, dumb fox." She replied teasingly before she got in her patrol car, and went back to the ZPD to finish their work in this case. Nick then resumed his walk home, but couldn't help feeling like he was being watched, almost like someone was making sure he was safe and he began looking around, but didn't see anyone suspicious. As he walked up the steps, he thought about going to that address to get the 'more questions than answers' item, but then decided to wait for Judy to get back so they could do it together. When he opened the door, he noticed a single black rose that had been placed inside a vase, with a note taped to it.
"Fail, and Judy dies. J." reading this made the back of his spine crawl.
"I can't lose her.....not again. I'm not.....not strong enough for it." Nicks' vision blurred a bit, but only for a split second and he felt uneasy for the rest of the day until Judy arrived. Before she opened the door, he hid the rose and note in his drawer, and taped it to the roof inside the drawer to be hidden from carrots eyes. He cared too much for her to read those harsh words on that note, he didn't want those beautiful and bright eyes to fill with anger and darkness. But later in a different night, a spark filled with danger.....and destruction in a fire, would fill their lives that would never recover.