You've Got to be Kidding Me [Nick]

[Nate Harrison]

Children were a wonderful thing, young and curious with an innocence to them, even grumpy old Nate believed that. He had his own three who were a large portion of his world. A good chunk of his world that he would never want to dispose of. Children in fact were often better than adult mammals in his eyes. Still the large feline couldn't help the sense of dread of today's events that seemed to weigh heavily on him. Regretfully so as he used to enjoy these days to a degree. This time not only did he get this exhausting assignment; the officer he had been partnered with for the day was an unknown to the snow cat.

Nathaniel hated unknowns. This little fact had never been a secret. He knew his particular assignment, they would be leading one of the elementary school's annual field trips, but that was only a partially appeasing piece of information. It was as if Chief Bogo knew that the assignment and the surprise would mess with him so severely. It was as if the sergeant had purposefully dropped excessive amounts of paperwork on his friend and boss, or he had bested the buffalo in the shooting range again... which come to think of it he had done both fairly recently.

This little bit of oversight on how Bogo might in fact repay him for his wonderful behavior had the Snow Leopard currently perched against the front desk. Casually he would chance a glance toward the large cheetah who had a tendency to stuff his face with copious amounts of sweets. Not a word was being exchanged, nor had Nate left for the morning meetings, the desk was providing a satisfactory place to lean his elbow and simply watch the activity in the building. He had an uninviting air about him most times. Just his stance now and the stern expression on his face said he wasn't in the mood for conversation.

He had much earlier greeted Clawhauser quite pleasantly, he'd spoken to the chief, even to a couple in the lobby who had been searching for their child who had wandered further than they could track. Now he wasn't so friendly looking. He was saving his patient energy for when the children arrived. His own child would be in the mix after all. Which meant the class was young, six to seven or so, but that could simply make the work harder.

"Of all the days to let the briefing go long..." The cat muttered to himself as he glanced at the time, annoyance dripped from his words despite the fact that it really wasn't that later than standard. Nate was simply impatient, the end of his tail flicking slightly as he waited.

[Nick Wilde]

The Zootopia Police Department had made a terrible mistake.

Or at least, that was the word going around the precinct. Gossip travels fast, and most of the officers and staff in the building knew about the impending field trip. Not that anyone minded that; in fact, most everyone in the ZPD loved field trip days. However, the news of just who would be leading the horde of eager schoolchildren around elicited very mixed reactions in those who heard it. Some would wince and groan, expressing sympathy for the kids and one of the two officers meant to lead them; others just smirked and chuckled, most saying something along the lines of "This is gonna be good." There was even a betting pool forming around how long it would take for the entire arrangement to end in disaster.

Nick Wilde, being an observant fox, was fully aware of all this buzz. He had even placed a $5 bet that Officer Harrison would lose his temper within the first ninety minutes of the tour. It almost felt like cheating, given how grumpy the snow leopard already looked; Nick half expected him to blow up the moment he said "hi." It'd be the easiest $5 he'd ever earned.

As usual, Nick sauntered into the ZPD building like he owned the place. Pushing his sunglasses up to his forehead, the fox took one last swig of his morning coffee and made his way over to the welcome counter, where Officer Angryface Harrison was already waiting. "Good morning to you, Harrison," he said in an almost singsong manner. "Practicing to go all 'bad cop' on the kids today? That'll scare 'em straight."

Oh, winning this bet was going to be fun.

[Nate Harrison]

Nate was never the most in tune with the gossip around the station. He simply did not care what the others were saying. Especially when it came to opinions about himself. Were he to dwell on every little piece of gossip he would never have time to do his actual job. At least as far as he believed. It was much to his disadvantage today that he had not paid attention. If he had, the snow leopard would be much more prepared. Better prepared for just what he might face today. He also would have likely blown up about the betting, likely just winning officers like Wilde their money back in the process. For everyone's safety and sanity it was best that he didn't know the details yet. That didn't mean the cat was happy not knowing what was going on.

The scent of a fox approaching was his first hint. He looked up slowly and immediately it dawned on him. Bogo knew very well what he was doing from the moment he decided to assign Harrison to the job. "Do you think I'd put an officer like Wilde on that job?" What Nathaniel had taken as a jest must have been a test. An annoying one at that to try just how annoyed Nate would be if it were to happen. Oh how he wanted to go track that buffalo down and give him a piece of his mind. He was open minded to the expansion of the force and allowing a fox entry to the department. That did not mean he wanted to work directly with said animal. His ears pinned back the large feline rolled his eyes at the sunglasses-wearing orange fox in his view. "Oh sure Laurie buddy, I wanted a partner today. Absolutely love your idea. Just as much as I would love going for a long swim in the rainforest district - not at all." He snarled to himself with a curled lip as if somewhere in the back of Bogo's mind he would just feel the hatred. It was after a moment of gathering his thoughts that he truly gave the other officer the courtesy of actually looking straight at him.

"Oh, Wilde. Coming in late are we? Shouldn't you be in the morning briefing already?" He questioned with eyes narrowed and refusing to put in the effort of moving to straighten up his posture. Deep down he knew why Nick was even talking to him but he wasn't yet ready to admit it. It might be safer that way, should he explode into anger at Officer Wilde's next pointedly annoying comment. The cat gave an annoyed scoff and looked away momentarily, shaking his head. "I'm saving my energy so I can deal with mammals like you today. The children aren't what I'm worried about." He insisted and finally moved off of the counter.

"Now excuse me, but I have a real partner to track down and a tour to plan." Nate sneered. Or maybe he would track down Bogo. Most likely though he would give the fox the satisfaction of announcing himself as the "real partner" and however he felt like rubbing in that they were stuck together for today. Nate was determined to keep his cool for as long as he could. The last thing he needed was to be going off on the officer right as the children arrived. Of the entire ZPD, Chief Bogo had to pair him with the king of sarcasm.

[Nick Wilde]

Nick had barely been in the office for a full minute, and already Officer Harrison looked ready to put a fist through the wall. That meant one of two things: either the leopard was heavily stressed out by the prospect of spending an entire day dealing with children, or he knew the situation entirely and was heavily stressed out by the prospect of spending an entire day dealing with a fox and children. His "friendly" greeting had been an attempt to discern which of the two was the case; unfortunately, after seeming to deny Nick's existence for several seconds, Nate sidestepped any conclusive answer.

"Oh, Wilde. Coming in late are we? Shouldn't you be in the morning briefing already?"

That wasn't exactly a helpful answer, but Nick could be patient. After all, he still had a good 88 minutes before he'd lose his precious five dollars forever; and if there was anything he'd learned as a hustler, it was that rushing toward a payday usually meant no payday at all. So, with a nonchalant air, the fox leaned around the reception desk to get a good shot at chucking his empty coffee cup into the trash. "I already know my assignment for today, so what's the point? 'Sides, I could ask you the same question."

"I'm saving my energy so I can deal with mammals like you today. The children aren't what I'm worried about."

In an instant, the smug expression melted away from Nick's features. What replaced it was piteous surprise, or at least a reasonable facsimile. The fox's large ears drooped, and he placed one paw on his chest as if to shield his poor, tender heart from Nate's vicious personal attack. "Is that so? Well gosh, I just can't believe you see me as a problem, Officer Harrison," Nick replied in a hurt tone. The fact that he had money riding on the snow leopard viewing him exactly that way, of course, went unsaid.

Really, though, Nate had only himself to blame for Nick's provocation (at least by Nick's own reckoning, anyway). The former con artist had established a comfortable rapport with most of the other officers and employees he'd met in the precinct; while he retained his usual sarcastic edge, it was paired with both an easygoing charm and his uncanny ability to learn and remember things about almost everyone around him. Other than Judy, he hadn't formed any close friendships, but he was at least reasonably well-liked and accepted by most of the ZPD.

Unfortunately, Nate Harrison happened to be one of those mammals whom Nick felt took themselves far too seriously. His habit of irritating such individuals was by no means a recent development; Chief Bogo, Judy, and his old friend Finnick were just a few of the victims he could name off the top of his furry orange head. While he held no particular ill will toward Nate, Nick simply believed the snow leopard needed to loosen up before he sprained something. Subtly annoying him until he cracked was, in a way, the fox's solemn civic duty. Making an extra few bucks from gambling on it was just a nice treat.

"Now excuse me, but I have a real partner to track down and a tour to plan."

"Ah--actually?" Nick piped up as Nate seemingly prepared to leave. "I uh, I guess you didn't know, but you're actually looking at your partner. Well, 'looking' may not be the right word, exactly, more like 'glaring'--that's beside the point, isn't it?" he rambled, throwing in an awkward chuckle to sell the performance. "Long story short, you and I are working together today. Guess you're gonna have to get used to 'worrying' about me, huh, buddy?"

[Nate Harrison]

This fox was not going to leave him alone. Why else would the animal talk to him if not to start a conversation with him? He was well used to officers walking past him and simply ignoring him. A quick greeting would also suffice on a normal day, but rarely if ever did anyone beyond his partners or Bogo even bother to stick around for any longer than that. He shouldn't have expected much less, but he had hoped that Nick could catch a hint. Caring what that hint meant would also make a big difference too. He only partly glanced behind the desk just to see if the cup would actually hit the trash. Unfortunately for Nate and his critical side, the tossed cup made it to it's target and did not provide for any sort of comment from the leopard.

"I spoke to Bogo a few days ago, no reason to be there." Nathaniel replied with a cross of his arms, his ears twitching slightly in some annoyance toward the question returned back at him. Not to mention he outranked the smaller fox and had no need to answer to him, but he could humor the little animal's attempt to catch him off guard at all. He had to. His son would be coming in today and if he saw his father snap... Nate didn't want him to. The little one already had enough troubles he didn't need to see his hero angry. He could start to fear the large officer, or even take on the negativity toward certain species. He had many reasons to remain serious and despise such sarcasm. At least good reasons in the feline's mind. It had gotten him where he was after all and he didn't mind that none of these people ever saw the relaxed Nate. It just wasn't his style of police work. The job was not about having fun after all.

Of course he couldn't hide the tinge of guilt at the seemingly hurt expression on the fox's face and dropped ears. Well at least for a second before he caught the tone and the underlying intent with the rest of the motion. Any bit of potential compassion faded away to a scowl. "You're definitely a problem. Any skill you have you seem to love overshadowing with this..." Nate searched for the word, rolling his icy blue eyes some to possibly disguise his loss of wording. "This unending sarcasm and life's a game. I don't have time to bother with such things, especially with children coming, Officer Wilde. So, let me do my job, and you do yours." The snow leopard huffed and sharply turned on his paws to head away from the fox. Where he was going, the grey furred feline wasn't entirely sure. Simply away if only for effect. Two could play the manipulation game. Even if it weren't such a game to Harrison.

He froze, his long fluffy tail twitching just slightly, but the big cat did not even bother to look back toward his temporary partner. He turned his head to look back over his shoulder with a real glare this time. His lip curled some at the concept as he ran a paw down his face. What was he going to do with this all day? He'd even promised Bogo that he would treat his partner well. This was going to be a really long day for the sergeant. Not likely the worst, but certainly a pain in his tail. It didn't help that the fox was almost his opposite but still a good officer. Even better liked than Nate. It was something he hadn't cared about for many years but there was some loneliness when others didn't find you fun... he just wasn't willing to admit such feelings. Nor did he want to show Nick the gentle side his boy might bring out. He would never hear the end of it.

"Oh fun. Just exactly what I wanted. Do us all a favor and tone it down for the kiddos, okay? We want to teach the children good habits, and if you think you've seen a glare now..." Nathaniel threatened with a shake of his head and clenching his hands tightly to calm himself before he turned around quickly. "And I swear if you teach my son anything crazy, you will have more than glares to worry about, officer." He snarled, pointing a clawed finger and taking a step toward Nick. It wasn't as if the majority of officers even knew of his son's existence. Even the fact that he was married might have been a surprise to most officers, Bogo and Clawhauser some of the few exceptions. His ring was hidden on a chain under his uniform, and while Maya often came to bring treats for the cheetah, or Bogo, most seemed to assume that she was the lovely sister of the grumpy snow leopard. He would not complain about that either, but he didn't feel he had a choice but to mention his son to get his point across.

[Nick Wilde]

He wasn't certain after the fact, but for a moment, Nick could have sworn he saw guilt on Officer Harrison's face. Of course, it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared; the snow leopard was, after all, right to see Nick's demeanor for the show that it was. However, there was some small part of the fox that was satisfied to have seen that brief hint of remorse. After all, most mammals didn't seem to realize Nick had only developed his wily, sarcastic persona because they had already decided that was the way a fox was supposed to act. Seeing someone consider, even for a moment, that they may have misjudged him? It felt good.

Of course, the same part of him then felt a little ashamed that he was giving Harrison valid reason to sneer at him. Nick told that part of himself that it could now shut up.

"You're definitely a problem. Any skill you have you seem to love overshadowing with this..."

Ooh, the suspense was killing him.

"This unending sarcasm and life's a game. I don't have time to bother with such things, especially with children coming, Officer Wilde. So, let me do my job, and you do yours."

Nick furrowed his brow at the "life's a game" comment. True, he was perpetually sarcastic, but the fox had never felt like his life was a game. If it had been, it would most certainly have been one with all the pieces stacked against him--in other words, a game that was no fun at all. His life had been a decades-long attempt to simply survive, and while he had to admit that he'd enjoyed the thrill of a good hustle, it was still business. Clearly, even another predator like Officer Harrison couldn't quite understand how a life like that felt.

Not that Nick (I mean, Officer Wilde) was going to voice any of this. It had already been hard enough to admit to his deep-seated feelings about his past with Judy, and she'd already made it clear that she saw past the facade Nick had put up to shield himself; there was no way he was going to open up to a grumpy cat who was busy making distasteful expressions at him. Instead, the fox contented himself by dropping the bomb that they would be working together for the day and watching Harrison's horror unfold in its dry, understated way.

"Oh fun. Just exactly what I wanted. Do us all a favor and tone it down for the kiddos, okay? We want to teach the children good habits, and if you think you've seen a glare now..."

The snow leopard looked like he was about ready to lose his temper already, and the field trip group hadn't even arrived. Knowing that Officer McHorn had placed $20 on "doesn't even last until the tour starts," Nick prepared to take on a more conciliatory attitude. After all, his own five dollars were on the line; he needed his temporary partner to hold it together for at least another few minutes.

"And I swear if you teach my son anything crazy, you will have more than glares to worry about, officer."

"Right, because I'm gonna use a tour of the ZPD to teach him how to rob a bank. Relax, would ya?" Nick scoffed as he leaned back against the reception desk. "Believe it or not, I do happen to care about kids--I was a father, once." He let the rather shocking revelation sink in for a moment before he continued. "Well, I mean, I pretended to be one for a...a thing I was doing, but the point is, I would never do something to hurt a kid, okay?" Examining one of his claws with an air of indifference, the fox added more quietly, "The world's already gonna mess them up, might as well let 'em be happy as long as they can."

[Nate Harrison]

The struggle of a predator was not foreign to Nate. Having spent years of his life isolated after his little mountain town had decided the snow leopards were out to get them, he knew it so much better than he would ever show. Even his entrance to Zootopia hadn't been an easy time. He had been eager sure, and very well suited for his job, but he was in fact a predator. A predator with scars, a big one, and one who came from a much wilder terrain. He knew the looks, the way some would scurry at at a wrong look from the massive cat, some of the whispers. Sure it might have hurt the feline but Nathaniel had learned to keep going. He took it in but never let it out, as much of the cat couldn't blame them. His scars were from his own brother, if that was not proof for being skeptical of large predators he didn't know what else was... if one would turn on his own blood...

He never truly thought that Nick felt that his life was a game. Nate was familiar enough to consider what the fox might have dealt with himself. The sergeant was not entirely unsympathetic and jaded. As far as predators went Harrison had an alright time. He'd credit his merit in the police force mostly for his lesser struggles today. Truly he and the fox might have had much more similar reasons for their demeanor than Nate was willing to admit. They developed into different people in the end though, different coping. Shutting people out quite often, but Nate took a more bitter and distanced route.

The snow leopard at least saw the look he got out of the phrase, looking to Nick with the most curious of expressions before some understanding seemed to really settle in. He would not admit it, but he also did not continue either.

Sergeant Harrison scoffed and rolled his eyes at Nick, retracting his pointing finger and bringing his hand back to cross his arms on his chest. He had to relax at least some, children could be here any time. Nick wasn't going to teach them to commit crimes no, but there were many non criminal acts that he could in fact share. "You, a parent? I would never guess." Honest surprise fell over his grey furred face at that big of information. He thought having a child himself was a crazy reveal, but if Nick had not been "pretending" to be a parent in reality, it would have been a whole new dimension to the fox than he ever would have expected. His face fell though at the clarification with an already exhausted sigh escaping. If Bogo had been listening he could just hear the chuckles and the later date teasing over this whole thing.

"Look, you're annoying but you're not dangerous." Nathaniel's look turned entirely serious. Minus the anger for the moment even, his ears even rested from their otherwise pinned against his head position. "I know someone who would hurt a child, and you fox, are not it. I'm not worried for his health." He spoke clearly with the most intent look. He could only hope it was clear what he had meant. He was worried about habits Teigan might be taught. Sarcasm, and those... hustle things the fox had been known for. The little tiger was already learning to push buttons.

The truth hurt. He hardly expected to hear it from the fox but it was so true. He couldn't protect his children forever. Not from their uncle, not from the way others would look at them, not from any of the world's realities. "I protect my children the best that I can and hope to make the world a little safer too." He muttered, rubbing his finger along his own arm as he really let it set in for himself. His boy... he worried for him.

"He dreams to be like me, and I only hope he doesn't." Nate whispered with a rub over his face to compose himself. "They'll be here any time." He at least tried to shift the conversation back to the task at hand. They had to make it work.

[Nick Wilde]

"Look, you're annoying but you're not dangerous."

"I'll pretend that's a compliment," Nick responded dryly. Really, he couldn't tell whether the comment was just one insult or two; after all, weren't cops supposed to be a little dangerous? Sure, a fox wasn't nearly as formidable as a leopard or a rhino, but he was still in the ZPD. Surely the D stood for 'dangerous,' right? Zootopia Police...Dangerous. Dangers? No, that didn't flow very well.

"I know someone who would hurt a child, and you fox, are not it. I'm not worried for his health."

That much had been obvious from the start. No one could reasonably fear that Nick would attempt to physically harm an innocent civilian, much less a child; former con or not, it just wasn't his way. Besides, they were going to spend the entire day in the headquarters of the police department; could there possibly be a worse place to attack a child? No, Nate's meaning was inescapable. If it hadn't been an obvious logical conclusion, it would have been made perfectly clear by the way he almost spat out the word fox. It almost made Nick want to teach the kids something really sketchy, just to pay him back for his tone. Fortunately for Nate (and probably for the children), his next comment defused the situation fairly well.

"I protect my children the best that I can and hope to make the world a little safer too."

Finally, Nick saw something in Nate other than annoyance or contempt. The visible soft spot he had for his kids was not unfamiliar to the fox; it was something he'd seen many times, if only in his imagination. It was the kind of devotion he'd pictured in the father he'd fantasized about, the same devotion his actual father had clearly lacked. To see it in reality hit rather close to home, not that Nick would ever admit it.

"They'll be here any time."

"Right, okay then," Nick replied in a more official tone. "We'll try to avoid any major disasters, alright? Just don't get your tail in a twist." He polished his badge with a sleeve as a group of roughly two dozen first graders was ushered into the lobby. "Well, good morning, kiddos!" Nick called out in an almost jarringly cheerful manner. "I'm Officer Wilde, and this is my friend Officer Angryface. Angryface, why don't you say hi to our guests?"

[Nate Harrison]

Nate scoffed with a roll of his eyes at Nick. "It was a compliment, Wilde. I trust enough that you are not a danger to my child. Take it." The leopard scoffed and shook his head a bit at that. Of course the fox officer would not believe Nate had a single well intentioned comment to make about him. He didn't look like it, his face held a straight and even slightly grumpy expression that seemed almost entirely glued on. Nate knew this but he also knew what he meant deep down. Why he felt how he did, why he spoke how he did, why he pushed everyone away... He wasn't ready to explain such things to Nick. Even if it would possibly get them off each other's backs to a certain extent. He had only told a select few how he really felt and why... Bogo, one or two of his rookies he got attached to, and Maya. And that was after months and sometimes years of being around them. This fox neither had any loyalty to him to keep his secrets or that relationships the others earned first. Not that he believed Nick might sell his stories really... he made a lot of excuses not to let others in.

He didn't hate foxes either. He had seen many who fit the stereotype... but as a feline predator he had his own to worry about. Goats definitely gave him those looks. Either way he knew Nick was not an idiot, he would not have done anything here anyways. Today was too important. Nate, despite his anger in general, loved children. His own particularly but there was always a tenderness for helping a child out. For showing them some good in the world no matter how small; doing the best he could to let them be children as long as he possibly can. It seemed Nick at least shared some of this as the feline looked over and noticed the lack of snide remarks from his fellow officer. "If I could keep them young longer... I would. I miss it, feeling like everything is right in the world." He said quietly, mostly to himself and he carefully rubbed a paw over the left side of his face, deep in thought at least momentarily.

"Don't get your tail in a twist." The sergeant's ears twitched at the words and he turned again to look at Nick carefully. "Please avoid any disasters. We don't want a repeat of last year." He muttered with a bit of a scowl. Lost children and a frantic teacher were among the not-so-desirable outcomes of last years trip. Not to mention what the troublemakers did while "missing". The snow leopard remembered quite the mess he had to help clean up after the fact despite having no involvement in the field trip itself. This years group he at least knew some of the children. Well he had met one or two when going to some of their after school activities and parent career day. Although not many had ever visited the Harrison home. Not while he was home anyways.

The fox was fast, he would give him that, but the glare he shot at the orange mammal was clear as day as soon as he introduced him as "Angryface". He had expected jokes and sarcasm, but teaching his son's class to call him Officer Angryface... that was low. He saw these kids at every school event and likely would for the entirety of his son's school years. "Well Officer Wilde, giving people negative nicknames is not very nice now is it? Is it children?" He forced his voice into a level tone despite the angered look at the smaller fox. He could try to turn it on him, but it likely wouldn't work. They were kids after all. Children were not normally known for being polite and kind all the time in school.

A little voice piped up before Nate could say any more to Nick. "His name isn't Angryface, he's my dad, Officer Harrison." The young tiger in the group, rather than the snow leopard who was in fact in the class, spoke up with the proudest toothy smile on his face. He had introduced his father to the class before after all. He scurried over to the two officers, grinning up at his father as he grabbed onto him for a hug. Despite the watching classmates, the tiger had no shame or fear. He didn't mind standing out. Nate let out the softest of chuckles at the excited cub, ruffling the red fur on the top of his head with such amusement. He'd definitely absorbed Nate's confidence in the world, that was fore sure. But he was such a stark contrast otherwise that it would be hard to believe without the exchange that angryface Harrison had raised such a cub. Particularly when the smaller mammal turned to look at Nick and gave a bright eyed smile on his round little face.

"Hi Officer Wilde!" Young Teigan added pleasantly. Sergeant Harrison was always very careful with how he spoke around the children. What he said about the officers. What he said about suspects. To speak bad of his fellow officers was a horrible example and contradicted what he tried to teach his boys. So while he had mentioned Officer Wilde, it had not been his sarcasm and wit that made it into the conversation. Rather, the story of the fox and Hopps, and the way he'd defied expectations and became an officer. His son while an accepted species for the department had a hard start to life. Would always face some sort of struggle one way or another. Nathaniel didn't have to like Nick to use what he knew of his story and stories of others to encourage the cub.

Nate sighed lightly and looked to his son's classmates carefully. "Well... Welcome to the ZPD. I am actually Officer Harrison, and my friend and I have quite a bit to show you." Nate brought out his most pleasant voice as already the leopard's mind started to work on how he might get back at the pesky little fox for his gracious nickname. There were so many things these kids could see...

[Nick Wilde]

"It was a compliment, Wilde. I trust enough that you are not a danger to my child. Take it."

That was a compliment? 'I don't think you'd hurt kids' wasn't exactly glowing praise, that sort of thing was expected to be the norm. But it made sense that Nate wouldn't really understand what compliments were supposed to look like, seeing as the snow leopard wasn't exactly socially gifted. Nick could only imagine how the other officer flirted with his wife; it probably sounded something like 'Hello, female. You have a face.'

"Please avoid any disasters. We don't want a repeat of last year."

Nick just nodded, distracted by his attempts to imagine Nate's robotic attempts at flattery, then did a double take. "Wait, last year--?" His query was cut short by the arrival of the children, but he made a mental note to look into what had happened. Exactly what sort of bedlam could have erupted when the fox wasn't instigating it? He would have to satisfy his curiosity later; in the meantime, he contented himself with his cheerful introduction and casual teasing.

Predictably, Nate just loved the latter.

"Well Officer Wilde, giving people negative nicknames is not very nice now is it? Is it children?"

The children shook their heads in agreement, though it was clear that most of them still found it amusing. One, however, seemed to object--and wasted no time in making it clear why.

"His name isn't Angryface, he's my dad, Officer Harrison."

So this was the son Nick had heard...well, almost nothing about. He had expected a snow leopard, like Harrison; an adopted tiger was a bit of a surprise. Nick quirked a brow at the young cat, but raised both brows when he saw how Nate greeted him. The fatherly affection was jarring, especially right after he'd gone out of his way to earn the nickname "Angryface" for life. Perhaps he just wanted to be sure his child didn't grow up to be a grumpface like himself?

"Hi Officer Wilde!"

Nick smirked at the innocent, exuberant greeting. He didn't voice a reply, simply winking and making a finger pistol gesture at the little tiger. It had suddenly become quite clear to him that his original approach to this tour was all wrong. If he kept openly pushing Harrison's buttons with jibes and teasing nicknames, he might succeed at getting the leopard to lose his temper--but he'd hardly be able to make it look unintentional.

No, he would have to be more subtle. Nate's general distaste for Nick (if not for his accomplishments) surely meant he saw the fox as a bad influence, and what would upset a father more than knowing his son admired a bad influence? Harrison had chosen to trust that Nick would never hurt a child, and he was right to do so--but would he be able to stomach it if Teigan liked him?

"Well... Welcome to the ZPD. I am actually Officer Harrison, and my friend and I have quite a bit to show you."

"Yes, we've got a lot to see, so we're gonna get started very soon," Nick chimed, clasping his paws behind him in an official manner. "But first, show of paws: who wants to be a police officer when they grow up?" The fox suspected that Teigan would be among those who raised their paw, but he had to be sure. After all, how could he convince the tiger to think of him as cool if he didn't know what he thought of as cool?

[Nate Harrison]

Harrison was perfectly fine without revealing the events of last year. After all, he didn't feel like offering any ideas to the already idea filled fox. Were it not his job here at stake, he might have been able to enjoy the jests and sarcasm more than he did. It had taken years for he and Bogo to accumulate such trust as to prank and joke almost freely with each other. He was professional, tough, and expected to teach new recruits that got assigned to him. He didn't have time for more than what he and the chief had become engaged in. Except in the presence of his own children. Those times took on a whole new set of rules. And for the record, he loved his Maya and had met her as a customer of her little shop. Awkward sure, but surely not as much as Nick imagined. Maya thought it was adorable anyways.

The young tiger seemed all too excited to even be noticed by the hero fox officer. Nate wasn't going to pass on his distrusting personality, so the boy only knew of his accomplishments and the fact that he was an officer. The tiger grinned and gave a copy of the motion back as if it was the coolest thing he'd ever done. Aside from anything with his father of course, who he looked to almost immediately after with the biggest of smiles. It wasn't as if he hadn't gotten a tour of the station before. The little cup tugged on his father's uniform, the snow leopard turning to look at him carefully. He leaned down when the cub motioned him to.

"Hey papa. Can I help you and officer Wilde with the tour?" He whispered quietly in his father's ear as if asking was a huge secret. Nate couldn't help the chuckle that escaped at the little cub's eagerness to be helpful. He glanced over toward Nick and then shrugged.

"I think it can be arranged kid." He nodded and put his arm around his shoulders for a moment as Nick actually agreed with him and asked what actually was a legitimate question of the children. Nate might have even asked it. His ears twitched a bit as he looked over the class, a couple of the larger animals of course raising a paw. There were many more young ones who would claim to want to be officers than would ever actually turn up. Nate had figured out that much. It was the smaller animals that were a pleasantly new sight. And predictably so, Teigan's paw shot straight up in the air and he looked to Nick with big wide eyes. He was going to be like Nate. Save people like his father had saved him. Nate let the bouncy cub go and put his own paws behind his back, looking to the other students with the most of a smile the snow leopard seemed capable of. Which was at least something.

"It's a very important job and I hope after today you still want to be." Nathaniel said, hoping that they could in fact make the department look good. "It's entirely possible for any of you." He added reassuring at a couple of the hesitant little paw raises.

[Nick Wilde]

Nick let out a small chuckle when Teigan returned his finger-pistol gesture. The little tiger was cute, there was no denying it; there was also no denying that he was very excited to be here. The little guy probably wanted to be a police officer when he grew up, just like his father (if somewhat less grumpy). Or did he just want to be like his father, regardless of what that actually entailed? Nick had to figure it out--the first option he could use, but if the second were true, then there was no way he was going to win the total adoration of this tiger.

"Hey papa. Can I help you and officer Wilde with the tour?"

Though his consent had never actually been requested, Nick nodded to give it. Really, even if he hadn't been on a mission to drive Harrison crazy, he would've been fine with this. Teigan was, by all appearances, a great little kid; he reminded the fox of his younger self, still ebullient and optimistic and not yet jaded by life. Even with five whole dollars on the line, Nick knew that whatever he did today, he couldn't be the one who snuffed out that youthful light in Harrison's kid.

As he'd already said, he wanted to let these children hang on to their innocent joy as long as they could.

"It's a very important job and I hope after today you still want to be. It's entirely possible for any of you."

"That it is, Officer Harrison, that it is," Nick chimed in. "But y'know what, I think we might need some deputies to help out right about now. And since you volunteered, how about we start with you, Officer Mini-Harrison?" he said, turning to Teigan and stooping a bit. Reaching into his pocket, the fox produced a paper with a shining gold sticker on it that read 'Junior ZPD Officer.' He cleared his throat and gave Teigan a very serious look. "Now, this badge carries a lot of responsibility--you've got to uphold the law, seek justice, and most importantly, help keep your classmates in line. If you think you can handle that, then I'll deputize you right here and now."

[Nate Harrison]

Teigan grinned as he saw Nick nod, then looked quickly to Nate with big eyes. The cub looked up to Nate like he was the greatest thing to ever grace Zootopia with his existence. In his eyes Nate was amazing and near perfect. How he treated Teigan, he really was a good example. His grumpiness fell away when he was holding the child or talking to him. A softer side emerged to comfort and encourage his boy rather than to look down on him. The tiger cub hadn't yet experienced anything to see as bad about his father and so he claimed him to be the greatest thing. Of course this didn't discount how cool Nick was. Especially as both he and Teigan were orange, and he was closer to Teigan's current size. That and the fox was a cop, and so far in his life little Teigan believed that cops could do no wrong.

The large snow leopard gave a nod as Nick did, looking to the boy carefully. He didn't have to give him his assignment though as Nick seemed to be right on getting him his badge and everything. And here there just might have been a smile on the big cat's face. His ears were a bit more relaxed, although he did glance over toward the rest of the students to be sure none had wandered off while they were talking. "We could always use a couple more little officers." He agreed with a gentle smile toward the children. It may have been an act, he may have truly cared, but he wasn't about to reveal which it actually was. He looked to Teigan as Nick spoke, curious for how he might react to such a noble responsibility.

Teigan took it with a truly serious demeanor. He stood up straight on his little paws, chest puffed out as he tried to look firm and official like his father. But he couldn't help the grin, or how bouncy he was, or how his tail slid across the floor with excitement. The cub gave a nod quickly and gave a sweet little salute as Nick finished up. "Yes sir I can do that." he said quickly, trying to hide his excitement. Being made into a junior officer wasn't necessarily new, but every time he felt like he was closer to the real thing. Felt like he really could be an officer eventually. He looked up to Harrison with a big grin, making his father smile ever so proudly and give him an encouraging nod. "I promise to uphold the law and seek justice and make them stay in their line too." He said quickly with exaggerated nods.

For a cub like him it was the greatest thing ever. Not only to play officer, but the proud and pleased looks he got from his father were priceless. He loved it, he wanted the older cat to be proud. "I think that promise is strong enough to earn that badge, Teigan." Harrison said with a gentle grin as he leaned toward Teigan, ruffling his fur. "Just promise you won't use your gun on us okay?" He joked with the child, who giggled and shrugged. "I uphold the law." He reminded his father before returning his gaze to the fox with big happy eyes.

"Do you work with daddy?" Teigan asked with a tilt of his head. He had heard of the fox, but Nate had never disclosed whether they worked together or not.