A Toast to Heroes

AN: This chapter is dedicated to all those officers and first responders that put their lives on the line every day to protect us and who serve our communities tirelessly. So to all the police, firefighters, and medical personal who work incredibly long hours, in stressful conditions and often on the receiving end of hurtful words and policies...here is a story to celebrate you.

As the two mammals stretched their wearied arms, bones popping and cracking from the strain of sitting in place too long filling out paperwork, the same thought was going through both of their minds. With the ease of being partners now for nearly five years, through promotions and stakeouts, meter maid duties to high speed chases, the minds of the two were fairly close to being on the exact same frequency. As they turned to each other, they both stated the same thing which was on both of their minds.

"Take out?" the fox stated.

"Eat at home?" Judy mentioned.

Well, almost the same idea.

The pair debated over which would be the better option for several minutes, while those on the outside of their office decidedly used another term to describe the increasing noise from the office that shared a wall with Chief Bogo's. The buffalo had thought that moving their office next door would allow him to better keep tabs on them, though the plan had seemed to backfire. It was ok when they were loud. He could live with the arguments and laughter that came through the thin walls, at least, that is what he continued telling himself.

It was much worse when it went silent. Those were the times he had to worry.

Thankfully, the argument ending quickly, resulted in what happened on most every day, a compromise.

They'd eat take out at home.

So with the last big decision of the day decided upon, the two closed their office door, locking the deadbolt before strolling towards the elevator as their paws intertwined with each other. The wedding bands gleamed in the artificial light, reminding both of them of how much they'd grown closer together over the past few years. Judy wondered about how Ella and Ridley were doing with Finnick, who was surprisingly good with them, while Nick was focused more on how to prepare the surprises for Judy he had in store when they'd visit her home in Bunnyburrow over the holidays. A full week off at the Hopps' warren would have caused the fox to flee in terror before they were married, but now? He was fully accepted as one of their own, and besides, Ridley and Ella were wanting to see Grandma and Grandpa again.

"So..." Nick began as he pressed the button for the elevator. "Lucky Cat Cafe or Big Bear Diner?"

Judy shook her head, foot thumping against the tile floor as she pondered where to eat. "Too heavy for today. Not feeling it after sitting for five hours."

Nick nodded thoughtfully.

"How about Pawlive Garden," Judy stated as the elevator chimed. "Flash did give us those coupons for 50% off two days ago."

It was Nick's turn to shake his head. "Sorry Carrots, those coupons expired five months ago."

"Oh..."

After pressing the down button, the usually chattering pair was rather quiet before they turned to each other at the same time.

"10-4, " they said in unison, both grinning before offering each other a fist-bump as the doors opened. The two left the steel compartment, discussing what they'd get from their favorite place to eat while they sauntered over to the front desk...

Or at least Judy did, until she realized that Nick was no longer besides her. Looking back, she noticed him staring down the long hallway heading towards the car lot of the precinct. Walking back to her mate, she glanced down the hallway to see a group of about five detectives from the GTA unit heading out the door, carrying several bottles along with them.

Both shot quick glances at each other before heading off towards the group, whose stoic expressions seemed rather at odds with the festive nature of the city with Christmas just a few days away. The group pushed through the doors, with the fox and bunny quickly following soon after.

The pair followed the group a respectable distance away for a while until they reached the back parking lot, where the five stopped next to the steps just outside the door.

"You're welcome to join us," beckoned the leader of the group, a tiger they knew as Detective Burd. The feline turned back to look at the two much smaller animals and chuckled as he raised a bottle of blueberry juice.

A grin split Nick's lips. "Well, don't mind if we do, eh Carrots?" The fox nudged his companion who grinned as well.

"I'll go clock us out first with Clawhauser."

Nick nodded before the rabbit bolted off towards the front desk, and it wasn't more than a minute later she returned, not even out of breath in the slightest. "So, she asked as the group sat down on the steps. "What are you all doing out here with that many bottles of blueberry juice?"

"And hard apple cider!" grunted the only other water buffalo in the precinct, Detective Morgan, with a grin. "Can't forget that."

The small group of detectives laughed as several bottles opened. "You remember the cups Keys?" Burd asked politely.

"Of course," the lioness held up a fabric bag filled with cups, a few thermos' and some cocoa mixes it seemed as well.

"So..." Judy questioned as the group passed along the cups and collection of drinks from paw to paw. "What exactly is going on?"

"A toast!" declared the rhino sitting at the corner of the group, before noisily slurping down a dreg of hard cider. Detective Burd shook his head before smacking the rhino's arm.

"Lucas, you have to toast something before you drink. Can't get you getting sloshed like Alex over here did last year when you switched his cider with vodka."

The group laughed as the wolf, who had been taking a sip from a styrofoam cup, smiled and muttered under his breath about rhino's and karaoke. The group burst into another round of laughter, this time aimed at the rhino who just grinned.

"Not my fault you can't stand my perfect pitch."

"If your pitch was in a baseball game, you'd walk every batter."

A series of 'ooooooo's' worked its way around the group at the fox's comment.

"Wilde got you there," Keys stated, laughing before she looked down at the now confused Judy. "Hopps, we come out here to toast to us still being here at the end of the year."

"Oh..." Judy stuttered, ears falling behind her while Nick's reaction, while not as obvious, was still present. His tail seemed to bristle only slightly, left ear twitching at the news. Instinctively she reached for his paw, giving it a squeeze.

The lioness nodded. "Burd over here," she glanced at the tiger, "started about eight years back after we lost Hooveson in the car chase in Tundratown when his cruiser slipped off the road."

"To Hooveson," came a collected melancholic chorus as drinks were tipped back and cups were drained. Judy looked down into her empty cup that Nick had placed into her paw.

Judy was deep in thought, staring at nothing really at all as the idea of why the group of detectives were back here. She'd only been on the force for five years, and thankfully they hadn't lost an officer in all that time. Nick and her had some close calls, as well as several others but, she didn't know what it would be like to lose a brother or sister in blue like that. They weren't family in regards to being related, but she considered everyone at the precinct close enough to be family just the same.

The conversations around her flowed easily, even though Judy herself was stumbling through her own mental conversation with herself. She wanted to feel like she could participate in this toast, however, without actually knowing what it was like to go through losing someone on the force, she didn't feel like she wanted to interrupt such a solemn occasion.

She was standing to leave before she even thought about doing so, when Nick's paw on her back, as well as Detective Alex' voice stopped her.

"Leaving already?"

The wolf fixed an odd stare at the bunny, a mix of confusion and bewilderment.

"I..." Judy stammered, before being pulled back down by her husband, who then proceeded to pull her close to his side. "I feel like I'm intruding on your memories. I wasn't here when we...you, lost Hooveson."

"Not many were," grunted Lucas.

"I wasn't," Morgan stated. "Neither were Alex or Keys, but you still see them here."

"It isn't about being there," Burd inserted, the tiger giving the small pair of mammals a comforting gaze. "It's now more about how we are here for each other, and how we have each been able to go another year together."

The bunny smiled a little at that. "I think I can toast to that."

"And then to many more years together," Nick added, giving her a little squeeze to the chuckles of the group. Judy's smile broadened as the group again gave a toast to the fox's statement. The drinks flowed freely after that, as well as the stories from over the past year.

"So the car we were supposed to be chasing down was just a small mouse sized thing," Lucas laughed, as the group began to snicker. "The little guy had stolen it, convinced he could escape from Alex and I."

The rhino took a sip from his cider as the wolf grinned and continued the story.

"So Lucas over here," he pointed at the rhino, "Is trying to chase him down when I just hop out of the car and pick up his vehicle and ask, 'Having a good day sir?'"

The group guffawed in laughter, even more so when Keys choked on her drink as she had chosen that time to take a sip. Morgan patted her on the back, though in his now slightly tipsy state, patted a little too hard, and caused her cup to slosh all over Burd's lap, which caused an even larger uproar of laughter as the tiger leapt up and patted at the warm liquid seeping into his uniform pants.

An hour went by before anyone noticed, and only when bottles had been drained, and several more toasts offered to making it through another year, did it seem like the group was ready to pack it up for the night. As a wintry blast of air shot through the parking lot, Judy shivered into Nick's side.

"I think we left our coats in our lockers," she muttered as Nick's tail wrapped around her.

"Want me to go in and grab them for you?" Keys and Alex offered at the same time. The two laughed as both Nick and Judy shook their heads.

"I think we can do it," Nick stated helping Judy to her feet. He had noticed she had accidentally grabbed a clear liquid that wasn't sparkling cider like she had thought it was. "Besides, the Vodka Witch over here could probably use some water from inside as well before she starts chasing down cars to put tickets on them.

"That was one time," Judy grumbled, elbowing Nick softly before deciding she liked it better to snuggle into his side.

"Alright, see you two next year then," the lioness stated with a quick, easy salute.

"Will do," both rabbit and fox replied simultaneously, bringing another round of laughter from the group as everyone departed to their vehicles or deciding to walk home in the case of Burd and Lucas.

Walking back into the precinct brought with it a blast of warm air that instantly woke them both up. Nick made his way to their office while Judy made her way to the drinking fountain sized specifically for her and Nick to use. It had been installed a year into working at the precinct, and at the moment, it was the best investment the ZPD had ever made.

Nick returned quickly with their coast, before the pair walked towards the front doors, eyes drawn to the large tree decorated in the foyer. Hundreds of gleaming badges shown on the evergreen, and as they walked past, the pair stopped to admire all of them. Each badge was either silver or gold, and had a picture of an officer smiling down at them in the center of them, their photo situated between the motto of the ZPD, Trust, Integrity, Bravery.

Down towards the bottom, Judy noticed one in silver which drew her closer. In the picture was a smiling elk, beaming with pride. She read off the name below it.

Hooveson.

"Looks like a good mammal."

She turned to see that Nick had joined her, smiling down at the badge Judy was also looking at.

"They're all good mammals," Judy replied, casting her eyes about the tree, noticing several other badges that sparkled in silver instead of gold."

"Boy, that's the truth," Nick added, placing his arm around her side. "Never thought I'd be on this side of the law before you came into my life," Nick added with a grin as he reached up and plucked a badge from the tree. "I think I like this one the most though."

He held the ornament so that it dangled from his paw, and Judy could see her own smiling face beaming down at her. She cast her eyes back up at the tree, quickly noticing where her partner's badge hung.

In the place right next to where her's had been. Just the thought that whoever had decorated the tree had done that, placing partners next to each other, brought tears to her eyes.

"Aw, we can't have any emotional bunnies around here now," Nick joked as Judy wiped at her eyes while re-hanging her ornament on the tree. "Come on, let's get you home. I'm sure Ridley and Ella have probably hassled Finnick enough for one night."

Judy burst into giggles at the thought. "You mean like how a year ago they convinced him to play cops and robbers, and when we came home he was somehow tied upside down to a chair leg."

Nick laughed while shaking his head. "I still don't understand where they learned to tie knots like that. They're barely out of diapers."

"Isn't that a relief," Judy laughed.

The two clasped paws as they exited the building, watched over by a certain water buffalo from the third floor. Bogo allowed for a tiny smile as he watched them leave, before his eyes turned to look at the tree placed in the lobby. His heart swelled with pride looking down upon all the badges upon it, smiling as he remembered the mammal behind nearly each and every one.

"They put so much on the line every day," he muttered before turning back to his office. "I just wish I could do more to show them gratitude than just a simple tree."

AN: So here is the tribute to all those who serve and protect us. From police officers, to firefighters, paramedics and soldiers. Each one of them has put their lives, minds and bodies on the line to help protect and serve each of us. So this holiday season, remember to thank those that serve so selflessly. And especially remember the police officers that you meet and see. They are just like you, and if you see them around, please thank them and let them know you appreciate them and what they do. They don't get that nearly enough.

The officers that are mentioned here, are all real officers that I consider amazing folks. They allowed me to use them as characters in this story, and I hope that I have been able to show them well in their characterizations and do them justice. So to Detectives Burd, Lucas, Keys, Junior Detectives Morgan and Alex, as well as all the other officers at their precinct, stay safe, all of you, alright?

And for those who might ask, 10-4 is the name of an actual restaurant in New York that was started by a police officer turned firefighter, so I'm using it as the restaurant to honor those that serve. Again, make sure to thank those that so selflessly serve our communities, and have a very wonderful Christmas season. :)

~Cimar/WildeHopps