A Mothers wish.

By Xan Steel

(Legal Stuff: Zootopia and its ‘Original' characters are owned by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jarod Bush. The IP belongs to Disney and Disney Animation Studios. Original characters not a part of the movie as well as the story setting belongs to the Author.)

Happytown is a part Zootopia that sadly never lived up to its namesake. Instead, it's what many consider the slums of the city. No one came here willingly, including the ZPD. However, this is where things began for a young kit fox and his mother. You see this little kit never knew his father, and his poor mother did everything to give him the best she could. She did her best to make him happy, but not having friends his own age always seemed to depress him the most. One day she showed him a flyer for a local Junior Ranger group. ‘Finally’ she thought, ‘Some kids his own age to play with.’ When he looked at the flyer, his eyes lit up and asked if he could join. She told him that he could and that she would get him a uniform. She watched him bounce around the room with excitement, and it was the first time she had seen him this happy.

Unfortunately, his happiness didn't last. The night of the first meeting he would go to, sadly lasted only twenty minutes. Now according to the group leader, it was supposed to last two hours. When she asked what was wrong, he just smiled and said, “It's just not a good fit for me, sorry.” She watched him walk back to his room and close the door. She went over to the door and put her ear to it. “Stupid, stupid prey. Why did they do that to me? *sniffling* I just wanted some friends.” She heard a thunk on the floor. “Stupid muzzle.” Her heart broke right there in the hallway as she heard him begin to cry for the first time. They had teased him in the worst possible way. She wanted desperately to open the door and comfort him, but in a way, she felt responsible. Only because she encouraged him with the flyer. She quietly walked back out to the kitchen and started making dinner. She had the food to make his favorite, hoping it would lift his spirits. However she softly wept the whole time she made it, and she was unaware that he was watching.

Once she finished making it, she called out to him. “Nicky sweetie, dinners ready, I made your favorite!” However, she got no reply. “Nicky?” She walked to his bedroom door and gently knocked. “Nicky supper is ready, don't you want to eat?” Again, no reply. She opened the door, half expecting to see him sleeping on his bed, only he wasn't, and his backpack was gone. She went in to look around thinking he had put it away, only to find the muzzle and a letter under it on his little desk. She picked up the letter and began to read it.

“I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry I'm not good enough for others. So I'm running away, so I can't hurt you anymore. I love you, Nick.” She broke down there in his room.

“Nicky!” she cried out and picked herself back up after a moment while grabbing the muzzle and her purse and left the house to try and find him. Happytown was not a place you went out at night alone. She called out to him in the hopes he would return to her. She spent the better part of an hour looking and calling out to him and eventually got to where the Rangers were meeting that night.

She knocked on the door and waited patiently as it opened to reveal an older female sheep. She adjusted her glasses. “Miss Wilde?”

“Yes, has my little Nicky returned here?” she asked.

“I'm afraid I never saw Nick here tonight,” the sheep replied.

“What, I brought him here an hour and a half ago, only to have him return home alone after twenty minutes with this muzzle.” She said handling the muzzle over.

The sheep looked at it, “Come inside dear, and we'll get this sorted.” She followed the sheep into the home and then down the stairs with the rest of the ranger group.

“All right children I need your attention please.” They settled down and faced her, “Did any of you see Nick Wilde tonight?” she asked.

No one said anything, except a nervous Zebra. “Yeah, he was here for a short while.”

The sheep looked at him, “And what happened?” she asked.

His nervousness was painfully obvious. “We ah, we played a prank on him, but it was his idea.” As he points to the Woodchuck.

“Tattletale,” the woodchuck said in return.

The sheep looked at him, “And pray tell what sort of prank did you play on him?” Her tone gave away her anger.

The Zebra spoke again, “We put a muzzle on him, and he said *pointing to the woodchuck again* ‘Think we’d ever trust a fox without a muzzle?’”

A horrified look came over the sheep as she turned to look at Miss. Wilde, who broke down in tears, and then yelled, “He just wanted to have some friends!”

All the kids in the room hung their heads in shame. “Go and call your parents, as we have a missing child to look for,” the sheep told the kids.

That night was the last she would ever see him or hear any information on him, until about a year later when she would receive an anonymous letter in the mail. Not knowing who it was from, was nerve-racking, but she read it again and again.

Dear Miss Wilde,

I would like to inform you that I spotted your son, from the flyers you have been posting everywhere. I saw him recently in Tundratown with an accompaniment of Polar Bears. They appeared to be carrying him to a limousine nearby and drove off with him. He was not protesting or trying to get away, so I can only assume he knows them. I have enclosed some photos for you, just in case I am mistaken. If I’m not, it would be wise to get help from the ZPD, since he is no longer in Happytown.

Sincerely,

A friend

She looked at the photos that had been taken and knew right away that it was her son Nickolas. She grabbed every penny she had been saving up and quickly ran out the door to the bus stop nearby. Once the bus arrived, she got on and paid her fair.

“Where you headed Miss?” the male sheep asked.

“I need to get to the ZPD at city central, please.” Miss Wilde replied.

He nodded as she sat down and drove away. This would be her first time ever leaving Happytown. Even though Zootopia was considered to be an all accepting city by the rest of the world. Foxes, however, were the most looked down of all the species, for being what many considered sly, sneaky, conniving, untrustworthy, and con artists. While that might apply to some foxes she knew, she wasn’t one of them, and she did her best to raise Nick the same way.

It took three hours to arrive at the ZPD, and it nearly cost her everything she had. Going home was going to be very difficult now, but she needed the help they could offer her. She thanked the bus driver as she exited, however, the bus driver stopped her for a moment. “Miss, I’m wondering if you have enough to get home later?” he asked.

She stared at him for a moment before she spoke, “This trip nearly took everything I had, but I’m sure someone would be willing to help me get home.” She finished with a pleasant smile.

The bus driver spoke to her again. “I get off in four hours with my last stop in Happytown, if you are still here by then, I’ll give you a free ride home.” She held back the tears that were starting to form, and then leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll see you then.” She said with a smile and left. What she didn’t know at the time is that the Sheep was her anonymous informer.

She walked into the ZPD and headed for the information desk. Here she saw a svelte young, Cheetah gorging himself on donuts and soda. After he finished eating, he wiped his face and muzzle clean with a napkin and then turned to her. “Welcome to the ZPD Miss, how can I help you?”

She put her letters and photos on the desk, and spoke, “I need help finding my son. He ran away from home after being bullied, by a ranger group he wanted to join," she said nervously.

The cheetah looked at the photos. “Cute kid. How long has he been missing?” he asked.

“It’s been a year,” she replied.

The Cheetah just stared at her in disbelief as a young newly appointed Chief Bogo, a Cape Buffalo, turns around from behind the Cheetah and looks at her, “Pray tell why did you wait so long to inform us?” His voice was filled with surprise.

“We live in Happytown, and the police never come to there. I recently received word that he was in Tundratown.” It was at this point they could both see her tears run down her cheeks. “I came as soon as I got this information in the hopes he could be found there with the police’s help.” She finished while drying her eyes.

Bogo turned to the Cheetah, “Clawhauser, who's currently not on patrol?” he asked.

Clawhauser thumbed through some papers, “That would be Andersen and Johnson Sir,” he replied.

“Get them in here and give them a copy of this information, and have them start patrolling Tundratown. Also, have Rhinowitz and Mchorn come to my office.” He belted out somewhat loudly.

“Of course Sir.”

Bogo turned back to the vixen and spoke more softly, “Ma’am, please come to my office.” She nodded and followed him back to his office.

He offered her the chair in his office as he began to ask more questions. Where she lived, how old her son was, what might have caused him to run away. She answered as best as she could. He then asked a personal question, “Who is the father, and why didn’t he stop him?”

She hung her head for a moment before answering. “He doesn’t have a father.”

Bogo stared at her for a moment, “I’m sorry,” he said softly.

“It’s ok Chief, I’ve been a single mother since I was pregnant with him. It’s not been easy for us, but I always made sure he came first.” She tried to hold back her emotions, but it was it was evident to Bogo that she couldn’t. “He’s my only source of happiness, and I can’t lose that,” she finished.

It was at this point a knock that came to his door. “Enter.” He said as Mchorn and Rhinowitz gently stomped into his office.

“You wanted to see us, Sir?”

Bogo turned to them and spoke, “Yes, I need you two to start patrolling Happytown, until we can get more officers hired,” he ordered.

They looked at each other and then back at Bogo, “Um, not to be disrespectful Chief, but we, or rather, the ZPD doesn’t…”

“Go to Happytown? Yes, I’ve just been made aware that quite recently. However things are going to change starting today, so get to it.” Bogo interrupted.

“Understood Sir.” They both left as Bogo turned back to Miss Wilde. He asked her where she lived, and worked so he could keep her informed should there be any development.

He then walked her back down to the front desk. Clawhauser updated him on Miss Wilde’s case, “Chief, Andersen, and Johnson came in and took copies of her information, and have started patrolling Tundratown,” he said.

“Good, keep me apprised of their progress.” Bogo then gave her a ride home, which was much faster than taking the bus.

Later that evening the old female sheep knocked on Miss Wilde’s door. She opened it and saw the sheep as she spoke, “My husband the bus driver that took you down to the ZPD was worried when he didn’t see you there. I’m glad you made it home safely,” she said.

“Oh please thank him for me. Once the police had my information, the Chief was nice enough to give me a ride home,” Miss Wilde replied.

“Do you have any new information yet?” she asked.

“No, but he said it could be a couple days.” Miss Wilde said.

The sheep leaned in and gave her a hug, just as a patrol car was passing by, “The ZPD? Here in Happytown?” The sheep said questioningly.

Twenty-four years have passed since then, and there had been no news on the whereabouts of her son Nick. She had become numb to the world around her over that time and only wished to see him one more time. She listened to the old tv she had with it’s one fuzzy channel. She got up to turn it off, as a picture came through. “So, no matter what type of animal you are, from the biggest elephant to our first.” *click* She walked tiredly over to her old mirror and stared at it. She was old and hunched over as she walked with a cane now, her red fur was turning gray on her. The bags under her eye’s seemed to keep getting heavier, with all the sleepless nights she had over the years, from sitting on her steps with the light on at night waiting to see her Nicky once again. Sometimes she would wake up still sitting on those steps while always making sure the light was on outside for him, so he could find his way home.

As she stood there looking at herself through her fuzzy and somewhat cloudy vision and began to see a silhouette fade in behind her. She was scared that she was being robbed until she heard the voice. “Hello, Mom.”

She turned around so fast that she lost her balance, as a pair of arms wrapped around her, catching her from falling. She stared into the vivid green eyes she knew so well. She spoke in a raspy tone, “Nicky?” He pulled her up and back onto her feet, as she reached out to touch his cheek. “Nicky, is it really you? I can’t see so well anymore.”

He leaned in, “But your nose is fine right?” He asked.

She sniffed deeply, as a familiar scent told her it was him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly as she broke down weeping heavily. “My baby, oh my sweet baby you’ve come home at last.” He held her not as tightly, as she was old and frail.

He spoke softly to her, “I’m sorry I ran away all those years ago,” he said.

“I don’t care anymore, you’re home and that’s all that matters to me. My wish came true,” she replied tearfully.

She pulled back after a few moments to try and get a better look at him, as he turned on a light. There before her was her son in a police uniform with his name in gold ‘Nicholas P. Wilde’. “Look at you, so handsome, and a police officer.” He smiled at her as she leaned in and hugged him again.

Her one and only wish, the one thing she wanted more than anything else in the world. Had come true. Her son had returned to her.

The End