S04E12 - Charter
"Charter" is the twelfth episode of Season 4 of We Can Fix Pawbert. The pack formalizes their living arrangement with personalized keys and a written charter.
Synopsis
Nick and Judy ask to make their residence at the mansion permanent. Pawbert initially panics, assuming they are leaving, but is relieved to learn they want to stay. Luther reveals personalized keys engraved with each member's initials, and Nick drafts a formal Pack Charter establishing rules for living together.
Plot
On a Saturday morning, Nick and Judy lie awake discussing their living situation. Nick admits he has never expected to have a pack or a home that feels like more than just a place to sleep, and he wants to make their arrangement at the mansion permanent rather than continuing to call it a trial. Judy agrees, and they decide to tell Luther and Pawbert.
At breakfast, Nick announces he has a feelings agenda. Pawbert's chest tightens as old programming kicks in, certain they are about to announce their departure. His mind races through every abandonment he has experienced, bracing for the inevitable. When Judy clarifies that they want to move in permanently, Pawbert is stunned. He admits he thought they were leaving. Nick explains they are asking permission to stay, not permission to leave, and that it would be strange to make household decisions without consulting Pawbert as if he were furniture. Pawbert acknowledges that having them there makes the house feel alive. Luther, unsurprised, notes he had been wondering when they would stop calling it a trial.
Luther retrieves four key rings from another room. Unlike the plain hardware store copies they have been using, these are sturdy key tags with engraved initials: L.P., P.L., N.W., and J.H. He had them made the week after the press siege, hoping this moment would come. The weight of what they are agreeing to settles over all four mammals.
The pack drives to Nick and Judy's old apartment in Acorn Heights to collect their remaining belongings. The apartment is a third-floor walk-up that was cozy when they moved in and cramped by year three. Nick's closet reveals chaos: boxes stacked haphazardly, an eyeless taxidermied fish from Finnick, a broken lamp he insists has historical significance. Luther packs efficiently while Nick defends his artifacts. Pawbert stands in the empty apartment afterward, processing that Nick and Judy are leaving this place for him, for the pack, for a future that includes a lynx who once tried to kill them.
At ITREEA, Pawbert experiences his first major retail store since his release. The showroom stretches endlessly, overwhelming in its abundance of choices. Luther moves through sections with systematic precision while Nick gets lost despite following the arrows. When Pawbert finds a bookshelf he likes for the library, Luther asks if he wants it. It costs Pawbert something to admit desire without qualifying it, to choose something for himself without calculating whether he has earned the right. At checkout, Pawbert watches Luther pay for the bookshelf and realizes he has nothing to contribute financially. The thought crystallizes into awareness rather than shame.
That evening, surrounded by flatpack boxes and takeout containers, Nick proposes drafting a formal Pack Charter. The pack establishes rules including CLOSED FILE for work confidentiality, quiet hours that anyone can request without explanation, advance notice for visitors, food labeling protocols, and privacy requirements. Nick concludes with what he calls the Wilde Amendment, capturing the spirit of their arrangement. The pack approves unanimously.
In the tag, Pawbert arranges his textbooks on the new shelf in the library. The jade plant sits on the desk, still growing. He thinks about the checkout, about Luther's card, about having nothing in his own pocket. The desire to contribute, to have something that is earned rather than given, takes shape. Tomorrow there will be more challenges, but tonight there is evidence that he belongs somewhere.
Key Moments
- Nick admits vulnerability about wanting the pack arrangement to be permanent
- Pawbert panics, assuming Nick and Judy are leaving, then realizes they want to stay
- Luther presents personalized keys with engraved initials, made the week after the press siege
- The pack clears out Nick and Judy's old apartment in Acorn Heights
- Nick defends his chaotic closet contents, including an eyeless taxidermied fish
- Pawbert experiences ITREEA for the first time since his release
- Pawbert admits he wants the bookshelf, choosing for himself without qualification
- Luther silently assembles an entire bookshelf while Nick struggles with one bracket
- The pack establishes the CLOSED FILE phrase for work confidentiality
- Judy articulates the quiet hours rule for requesting space without explanation
- Nick drafts the Wilde Amendment as the charter's philosophical statement
- Pawbert notices he could not contribute financially at checkout, planting the seed for seeking employment
Key Lines
| Line | Speaker | Context |
|---|---|---|
| "I didn't think I'd ever have this. A pack. A home that's more than just a place to sleep." | Nick | Morning vulnerability with Judy |
| "I like having you here. It makes the house feel... alive." | Pawbert | Accepting the permanent move-in |
| "These aren't trial keys. These are yours." | Luther | Presenting personalized keys |
| "This place was enough, Pawbert. But the mansion... that's something different. That's pack." | Judy | At the old apartment |
| "This is where dreams go to get flatpacked." | Nick | On ITREEA |
| "Do you want it?" / "Yes. I... want it." | Luther / Pawbert | Agency milestone choosing the bookshelf |
| "CLOSED FILE" | Luther | Establishing the confidentiality phrase |
| "If someone says closed file, it means: I can't tell you, and I don't want you to guess." | Luther | Explaining the phrase |
| "It's okay to opt out when you're overwhelmed. But you tell us. You don't disappear." | Judy | Pack emotional rule |
| "We do not pry. We do comfort. We do snacks." | Nick | The Wilde Amendment |
| "We live here now. All of us." | Luther | Closing line |
Pack Charter Rules
- CLOSED FILE --- "I can't tell you, and I don't want you to guess." No questions, no hurt feelings.
- Visitors Announced --- Advance notice, especially for Pawthorne parents.
- Food Labeling --- Unlabeled items are communal. Nick's snack drawer is off-limits.
- Quiet Hours --- Anyone can request them. No questions. Just space.
- Knock First --- Every time. Even if you think no one's home.
- The Wilde Amendment --- "We do not pry. We do comfort. We do snacks."
Locations
- Pawthorne Mansion --- Kitchen, foyer, library, Nick/Judy's room
- Nick and Judy's old apartment --- Acorn Heights; third floor walk-up
- ITREEA --- Furniture store; Pawbert's first major retail experience since release
Items
- Personalized key tags (x4) --- Engraved initials; replace trial keys from Transfer
- Library bookshelves --- ITREEA purchase; Pawbert's study space
- Pack Charter --- Written on Nick's notepad; governing document for the household
- The Green Sweater --- Pawbert wearing; first mention since E02
Notes
- The Pack Charter becomes a functioning governance document, with "CLOSED FILE" deployed during Luther's absence in Radio Silence.
- This episode plants the seed for Tips by establishing Pawbert's awareness that he has no income.
- Nick's apartment chaos contrasts with Luther's silent, efficient furniture assembly.
- ITREEA is official Zootopia canon's version of IKEA, the Swedish furniture retailer known for flatpack furniture and maze-like showrooms.