OK Chapter one is redone I would like to know if I did better this time. And if you all want me to post the old version somewhere else. Don't worry Allie and Wades date will still be in here and Nick and Judy will get together although later. Thank you all for following me and helping me grow as a new writer.

NICK POV

"God why are you so heavy," Nick said to the large bag that was slung across his shoulder, "I'm alway lugging you from one building to the next."

Nick had been walking for about a block and was about to reach his destination, which was a rather tall apartment building. However, Nick wasn't interesting in renting an apartment, he was interested in the great line-of-site that the building had of the bank across the street. Nick finally made it to the door of the building, after pulling open the door he walked straight across the lobby to another door, he knew what lay behind the door but when he saw it he still let out an audible groan.

"Stairs," the fox said with distaste, "Its always got to be stairs,"

Nick sighed as he began his slow walk to the roof, usually it would be an easy task for the fox but not with the large pack he had slung across his shoulder.

"Damn thing must weigh as much as I do," Nick said as he leaned against the railing to catch his breath,

"Come on Nick, just three more stories." A spotted muzzle said from over the railing a couple stories up,

"Why didn't you carry this thing, it probably weighs nothing to you… and you didn't have to leave me in the dust back there," the fox said to the spotted hyena, that was now only a floor above him.

"Because you chose to make me the spotter, why can't you let me play with our new toy," the hyena whined as Nick walked past her to the apartment that they had commandeered.

"Because Allie, I am a better shot than you…and you didn't carry the bag," Nick said as he walked up to the open window of their temporary apartment. Nick sat the bag down and started pulling pieces out of it, assembling the pieces with speed born of hours of practice and the natural dexterity that nearly all foxes had. Before long the fox was holding a rifle as long as he was tall, it angles sharp with a large muzzle-break and magazine, the barrel a long octagon with corners that spiraled towards the stock, the purpose of this gun was obvious, it was meant to kill and absolutely nothing else.

"Hay Allie hand me the screw gun, I have to mount the bipod."

"We wouldn't have to mount it if I was shooting," The hyena said as she passed the screw gun to Nick who quickly screwed it down to the window-seal, usually he wouldn't mount his rifle but he had to take down a rhino and that called for a big gun with lots of recoil. He then put his cheek against the butt of the rifle and checked his range of motion and line of sight, once he determined that it was all good, he motioned for his spotted spotter to get into position, just behind him and to the right.

"Sorry I just don't trust you with this," Nick said curtly,

"Nick that was kind of mean, you knew I was kidding," Allie said with a little hurt in her voice,

"I know, sorry it's just… I hate being away from Judy, especially in these situations… I just need to do this it makes me feel better knowing that I can actually do something if Carrots does something reckless," Nick sighed,

"She is lucky to have you, to bad your already taken or I would ask you out myself," Allie teased,

"I am not taken we are just friends, and my fur is red not white," The fox grumbled into the side of his gun, "Ok I'm set… everything good Filter?"

"No, your sights are good, we are low enough to not have to worry about up-draft and the bank is just across the street so drop is not a problem… honestly from this range you don't even need me here…and don't call me Filter,"

"Alright let's check in…Bogo?" Nick turned on and spoke into his earpiece,

"You took you sweet time Orange-ass,"

"Why does everyone keep saying that it's a twenty pound gun… you guys forget that I am a fox! I only weigh fourth pound…and you are just jealous of my awesome color buffalo-butt," Nick responded into his headset while smirking into the stock of his gun, all the while Allie was trying to contain her chuckles.

"Wilde you call me buffalo-butt one more time an I will shove that gun so far up your…" The Chief started but was cut off by a sharp voice,

"We have a bank robbery with hostages, so can we save the verbal sparing for later, and Nick… stop antagonizing the Chief," Judy voice came across the link with the ZPD.

"He started it," Nick mumbled,

The Chief huffed before giving the plan for extracting the hostages with negotiation,

"Ok everyone listen up! There are ten hostages at least, our job is to get them out, the suspect in this robbery has a lethal firearm, a revolver, from what we have gathered, so unfortunately because of his size and the fact that he is holding hostages, we must use lethal force if necessary. Nick and Allie will be Overwatch, your job is to take out the suspect if the situation escalates or if negotiations breakdown. Judy will be handling the negotiation because she is the least intimidating… No offense Hopps… And finally I myself will be leading SWAT in extractions and trying to find an entry point into the bank if at all possible….now get into position."

At his words he walked towards the bank in his full-body SWAT ballistics gear to meet up with his team. The Judy took her position just behind a large mammals bullet proof vest that had been placed on the ground for her, so that she could take cover behind it. Nick and Allie got as comfortable as they could behind their respective scopes because it could be hours before they would move again.

"Check in," Bogo's voice whispered over his intercom,

"Check,:" Judys voice said,

"Overwatch is set, but no visual," Nick said,a

"Check," Allies voice confirmed,

"Alright, Judy you are clear to make first contact his name is Artie," the Chief said,

Judy picked up the ZPD phone that was set to record her conversation and called the bank, the phone rang three times and then went to an automated message. Judy then picked up her megaphone, which was really just for show as it transmitted her voice to a larger amplifier in the chiefs cruiser,

"Artie pick up the phone it's the ZPD,"

"We are storming the building in ten… nine…" Bogo's voice announced to his team,

"Chief, Wait I'm going in, we cant risk storming the building… we don't even know where Artie is…If I go in I can resume communications or at least give some info on where the hostages are located…" Judy spoke,

"No Judy you know he shot the cameras so you will be going in blind, and I don't have a visual of the inside of the bank….that means no support at all…tell her Chief," Nicks voice sounded calm to all but Judy, because she knew him better she could here panic in his voice.

"Nick I'll be fine I can do this…."

"No you can't!"

"Yes, she can… if she choses to… I would never force an officer to do this, but an officer on the inside would reduce loss of life if we stormed the building," Bogo said,

"Judy I-I you c-can't… be careful," Nick stammered out in defeat,

In his mind Nick changes the objective of the job, now he was not trying to protect hostages, he was protecting Judy… at all costs, she meant more to the fox than his own life because he was nothing without her. Nick felt a large paw fall across his shoulder,

"Nick, she will be fine," Allie said as she started to chuckle, something hyenas did when they were extremely nervous,

JUDY POV

Judy pulled of her side-arm and played it on the ground, she then started to slowly approach the bank with her arms up and her ears down in a nonthreatening display. She hated to do this to Nick, she could here him worrying, just by the static from his headset caused by him moving and fidgeting.

'If he did something like this to me… I would have his pelt,' Judy thought to herself,

She had made it to the door of the bank, where she slowly pulled on the door small mammal door just in case it wasn't locked, and to her surprise it swung open. She stepped into the bank and turned around and looked at the larger doors, which were fastened together by the red velvet ropes that the bank kept to direct costumer traffic. She then noticed something else… there was no-one in the lobby, no hostages, no robber, nothing.

"Chief, this guy is an amateur only the large mammal doors have been sealed the small mammal door was open… there is no-one in the lobby,"

"Understood," the Chief stated,

Judy heard a voice further back in the bank, and started to move towards that sound, when she was almost out of the lobby she thought of something and turned back. She quickly started to open the shudder on the windows of the lobby, before long they were all open and she heard Nick over her link,

"I have a visual of the lobby, nice thinking Fluff,"

Judy turned and started to head back to the voice she heard earlier,

"What do you mean you cant open the vault… I need that money," a gruff voice stated with some pleading in his voice,

"I-Im s-sor-sorry i-it is a-an time lock I only have the combination b-but the door still will n-not open f-for a-another ei-eight hours, p-please don't k-kill me," a soft voice stammered out,

"No, no you did good calm down and go sit with the others," the other voice said,

Judy thought that he was awful nice for a robber, she was standing next to the door where the vault was located.

"He and the hostages are in the vault room,"

"Artie this is Judy from the ZPD I am unarmed, I am just here to talk ok…"

Judy peeked around the corner to see the rhino with his gun raised at the door, when he saw Judy some of the tension left his face. She heard him whisper something along the lines of "oh its just a bunny".

"So tell me Artie, what do you want for this to end peacefully,"

"All I need is 787,700 dollars and then I will be on my way, thats all I want… I will leave the rest of the money in the vault,"

"Well thats a very specific number… why not take all the money," Judy asked from her spot just beyond the door, she watched as Artie's gun lowered slightly.

"I uh… my mom she… she's got a bad heart… and she needs a new one b-but we never had much money and couldn't afford insurance s-so she is going to die unless … s-she needs this money and I'm going to get it from her," The rhinos voice wavered when talking about his mom until he got to the end where it was reinforced by determination. The gun was brought back up with a shaking hand.

Judy was torn,

'This isn't a bad guy he is just desperate. I have to get him to surrender or he will be killed maybe after this his mom will get the operation.'

"Artie listen to me your mom wouldn't want you throwing your life away for her… there is always another way… look at these mammals," Judy motioned to the assortment of mammals huddled together in the corner next to the vault, "They are terrified… they could have a panic attack, or what if one has asthma… you cant keep them here or you are no better than the hospital that wont treat your mom,"

"I need them or I will get arrested before I can get mom's money," he looked at his hostages with some sympathy in his eyes, and was surprised when he saw some of them returning his gaze with equal amounts of sympathy.

"Who do you think the ZPD will care more about, this random mammals or one of their own… if you let them go I will take their place," Judy said while stepping out from behind the doorframe.

"Judy NO!" Nick screamed from the roof, forgetting that he had an earpiece for a moment,

"I uh well, Um…" Artie mumbled,

"Look at them Artie, they have families to go home to, they are someone else mothers and fathers, think about their cubs and kits waiting for them at home, and what of their mates, I don't anyone waiting for me," As the rabbit spoke, the rhino was nodding slowly, She thought that she heard Nick speak into her ear,

"You have me…"

"Ok um… You uh was it… write down the combination, and then you and the others can leave…as soon as the rabbit sits down over there," he motioned to the corner where all the hostages were sitting.

Judy started to walk to the other hostages as a beaver took out a pen and stood up to walk to her desk where she wrote down a series of number with directions on how to open the vault when the timer ran out. The frightened beaver then handed the scrap of paper to the rhino.

"Ok go…," no-one moved, "NOW!"

With his shout all of the hostages bolted out of the room toward the front exit, after the sound of the group of mammals fiddling with the ropes a voice came over the link to Judy,

"Hostages secure, get ready for extraction Officer Hopps we are coming in," Bogo's voice stated,

"No, wait,"

"Who are you talking to?" The rhino said while he aimed his gun at the rabbit again,

Judy thought about her answer and came up with a plan to get the rhino to surrender,

"I was talking to SWAT… They wanted to storm the building and kill you, but I think that you are a good mammal… and I want to help you through this…You are going to be either shot or arrested,"

Judy saw the rhinos hoofed fingers tighten around his gun,

"But if you turn yourself in I will make sure to do everything in my power to get your mom that transplant… Ok Artie," Of course Judy didn't mention that she had no power to help his mom, but she didn't want him to die,

"You can probably say that you were acting under duress and get a lenient sentence," Judy knew that that was just a straight lie but she reasoned that under the circumstance it was necessary,

"You would do that… for ma," Artie said as he lowered his gun, as Judy started to walk towards him,

"Of course Artie, just follow me," Judy had walked past the rhino and had her hands up as she slowly made her way to the door of the bank. The rhino nodded and lowered his revolver to his side, as he slowly followed Judy to the door. Once they arrived to the open door Judy spoke to Artie.

"I have a shot," Nick spoke over the link,

"Artie listen to me, you need to stay calm and not do anything rash," Judy and Artie were now standing about ten feet from the door,

"Now, We are almost home free just put your gun down… and I will have you home to your mom in no-time,"

'Wait…tell me how you were going to help my mom… you don't have that kinda money a-and the ZPD doesn't have any jurisdiction over the hospital… y-you lied to me…n-now ma is going to die b-because of you…," Artie's face rose in realization at how Judy had tricked him, then his face contorted in anger, "YOU!"

Judy watched in terror as the giant revolver was raised at her, she could see the bullet in the chamber which probably weight about ten pounds, there was no way she could run away, not in time. Her dad always said that she was a trier but now, in this moment… there was nothing to try, so she did the only other thing she could do. She accepted her fate.

'At least I saved the hostages.'

As she started to close her eyes to await the gunshot her life flashed before her eyes, but as the movie of her life flew by, she found that the memories she cherished the most were the ones with Nick in them. She stopped the stream of memories one she decided she cherished most of all…

{flashback}

"Hay Carrots," Nick said, as he strutted up to her desk with his freshly pressed ZPD uniform. He had a coffee in both hands and aviators on his muzzle.

"Hey, slick. Where you been? I didn't see you when I came in this morning."

Nick handed her one of the cups and sat down across from her while in the same motion taking of his shades.

"You got me coffee?" she asked. Judy was not fond of coffee unless the mix was exactly the way she wanted it, but when it was made correctly it was bliss in a cup.

"Of course. That's what partners do right?" he said with his trademark smirk across his muzzle.

Judy assumed that was rhetorical so she didn't answer him. She placed her coffee on the table as she continued to type out her reports, her foot thumping on one of the wheels of her chair. Her prey instincts made her feel like someone watching her, and when she looked up she saw Nick staring at her with that stupid, dopey grin of his.

"What do you want now, Nick?" She said, as she dropped one of her ears to one side and tilted her head in a questioning look.

"Aren't you gonna try your coffee?" he said.

Judy thought about telling him how specific she liked her coffee and that he probably got it wrong but decided that that would be rude. 'It can't be too hard to choke down one bad cup of coffee to spare a friends feelings right?' she thought as she took a sip. The rabbit's ears straightened and a large smile spread across her muzzle as her nose twitched in joy.

"How did you know how I liked my coffee, Nick? Sometimes even I forget how I like it!"

Nick just continued to stare at her with his trademark half-lidded eyes and smirk.

"Lucky guess, Fluff," he said plainly.

But Judy could have sworn she saw a sparkle in his emerald eyes when he said that. Judy took another blissful sip of coffee before standing up and printing her reports.

"I'll be right back, just gotta drop this off with Bogo." and with that she skipped down the hall towards Bogo's office.

As soon as she reached the door she heard a conversation on the other side, so she decided to wait outside until the chief was done with his conversation.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop but with ears like hers sometimes it just happened.

"I swear chief that fox Wilde is up to no good, he was in the surveillance room for an hour before his shift, sir, and he kept dodging my questions about why he was there with that silver tongue of his."

"I promise you, Susan, Nick asked me permission to access the break room cameras. Now please, for the sake of my sanity and your JOB please stop your vendetta against Wilde. This is your third complaint this week."

This piqued Judy's curiosity.

'Had someone stolen something from Nick so he needed the feeds to check who did it or mab…'

Her thoughts were interrupted as a sheep walked out of Bogo's office. After Judy turned in her reports she headed straight to the surveillance room. She asked the tech there, an otter named Joshua, to pull up the same clip of video that Nick had accessed earlier. When the clip finally appeared on the screen Judy saw herself making a coffee in the break-room.

"Wha... Joshua do you know why Nick was accessing this feed."

"I have no idea," the otter said with a bored expression on his face as he stared at the massive amount of computer components in front of him. "Oh but he kept rambling something about surprising …. Celery maybe…. it was some vegetable," the otter said.

"Carrots?"

"Hey, yah that was it…" the otter started as a smile appeared on Judy's face.

"And he keeps writing things down every time he watched the video like, half-caff and cream and stuff. He once asked me 'Who the hell puts salt in their coffee'. He sounded crazy if you ask me."

Judy felt a warm feeling spread from her ears to the rest of her body when she figured out what Nick had done. Nick had woken up an hour early, which is unheard of for him, asked the chief for permission to look at the security feeds from yesterday, just to surprise her with a coffee just the way she liked it…

'That warm feeling is what I want to think about in my last moments,' Judy decided.

'A rabbits last though before she is shot is of a fox,' that thought brought a sad smile to her face…

Then the shot came…

NICK POV

Nick was pissed at how Judy had traded herself for the hostages,

'How can she be so selfish, how can she thinks that she has no-one to come back to,' Nick was pulled from his thought by Allies voice,

"Suspect spotted, second window from the left… from this angle the bullet would be deflected to much by the glass… no shot,"

Nick aimed his crosshairs just below the Artie's massive head, on the second vertebrae on his spine an easy shot from this distance, the problem was the window. Nick let his training take over as he followed Artie with his sights, getting used to his gait, how his body swayed from right to left slowly with each step until Nick's crosshairs followed every movement until he was able to match each with his own, like a dance between sniper and target but this dance never ended applause. Nick watched as Artie was lead out the door by Judy,

"I have a shot,"

"Artie listen to me, you need to stay calm and not do anything rash,"

"Now, We are almost home free just put your gun down… and I will have you home to your mom in no-time,"

'Wait…tell me how you were going to help my mom… you don't have that kinda money a-and the ZPD doesn't have any jurisdiction over the hospital… y-you lied to me…n-now ma is going to die b-because of you…," Nick watched as Artie's features changed to anger, "YOU!"

Nick watched as the rhino leveled his gun at Judy, he saw Judy's expression change from fear to acceptance, a small smile speed across her muzzle.

'Judy is accepting her death… But I don't,"

Nick didn't have time to think anymore as the recoil of his rifle slamming against his body, the massive rifle pulling the screws that mounted it to the window out a centimeter or so, knocking all of the settled dust of the walls of his borrowed apartment. Nick watched as a hole was torn through the side of the rhinos neck, making the rhino fall straight down, Nick knew that he was dead even before the bullet tore through the other side of his neck leaving a red cloud behind the rhino, but he kept his sights trained on the suspect. Allies voice cut through the thick un-natural silence that was left in the gunshots wake,

"Suspect down, Move in,"

Nick then saw Judy open her eyes, she started to tremble and then fell to her knees and began crying, if it was because of Artie's death or her near death experience Nick didn't know… all he wanted to do was run to her and comfort her but protocol wouldn't allow that. Nick felt a paw on his shoulder, he turned to his hyena spotter who was waiting for him, she gave him a quick nod. Nick then pulled the magazine from his gun placing it on the ground next to him, he then pulled back the charging handle back releasing the remaining shell that was in the chamber. Nick then took a zip-tie from Allie and wrapped it around the trigger so that it couldn't be pulled. Finally he turned to Allie and held out his wrists to be cuffed, he didn't speak as that was the protocol. Nick never understood why this was normal for snipers, he was doing his job if SWAT had stormed the bank and killed Artie that was a different story, it was considered self defense, but when a sniper who was not in danger killed a suspect there was a whole investigation. Nick knew he did the right think and right now he was all adrenaline, he knew that he would do the same exact thing if the situation ever happened again.

"It was a good shoot Nick, know that," Allie stated, as Nick just nodded,

"Ok I want this whole place roped off, and a team to go and do the same from Nicks vantage point, get a paramedic to check out Officer Hopps and Allie…Take Nick to the ZPD special investigations is waiting for him," Bogo's voice was flat doing nothing to reveal his emotions, "Good shot Nick."

Nick spaced out as Allie led him away from the apartment as two cops started to tape of the area and collect Nicks gun. Nick was walked down the stairs, and then out the door of the building, his mind was still blank as he started to process the events that had just happened. He stopped walking when he came across an ambulance with a rabbit wrapped in a blanket sitting on it, he knew that there was something important about her but he couldn't quite place what. Allie gave him a gently push,

"Nick you can talk to her later but we have to go,"

Nick let her lead him past the bunny who was saying something to him, but to the fox all he heard was buzzing. Allie finally brought him to a running squad car with a tiger in the drivers seat, Nick was lead to the back seat where he sat down and stared blankly out the window. He barely noticed when the car started moving, he caught sight of two officers taping of the area in-front of the bank and another officer pulling an emergency blanket over a body laying on the concrete. Small pieces of information started to come back to the fox after the car drove away from the crime scene.

'I was doing something for work…,' he started to look around until his eyes fell on his police badge, 'Oh yah Im a cop…'

After a couple more seconds of hard thinking, the tod was able to brush most of the cobwebs away from his mind. Nick remembered Judy walking into the bank, and then he remembered her with a rhino looming over her with a gun.

'Right the bank… Artie, needed money… then I shot him…'

Nick looked around for the gun he was responsible for when he couldn't find he started to panic, but calmed down a moment later,

'Oh Im under investigation now… they took it… so that means I must be on my way to the ZPD… I hope Judy is ok she looked pretty shook up…'

Nick's mind finally caught up to the present moment just as the cruiser pulled up to the ZPD. The tiger got out and walked to the back door and opened it for the fox, because police cruisers didn't have handles on the inside, for obvious reasons. Nick was then lead through the lobby of the ZPD where a concerned looking cheetah caught sight of him, the portly feline opened his maw to speak but was stopped by the tiger,

"He cant speak until he is questioned,"

"Oh ok," the cheetah looked crushed at not being able to comfort one of his friends,

Nick was lead into one of the interrogation rooms before the tiger removed his cuffs,

"Your lawyer will be here soon ok… and uh good job," the tiger said before he left Nick alone in the room,

Nick sat for what felt like ages in-front of the steel table of the interrogation room, the adrenaline was finally fading and with its departure his emotions came back, he found it harder to process those than it was with the straight facts.

'Am I angry…no thats not it… sad maybe…yah a little I feel sorry for Artie he didn't deserve to die, but rather him than Judy… wow what is that,' Nick thought as a large surge of emotion pass through him, '…relief…yah relief I'm so glad Judy is ok, I think I am actually a little mad at her but mainly relieved … there is something else too but I just cant figure it out,'

Nicks thoughts were cut off when an grey wolf in a suit walked into the interrogation room,

"My name is Justin Greymore, from the special investigations unit,"

Nick was still trying to understand what he was feeling so he didn't answer right away, when he was able to form some words he was cut of by the wolf again,

"I need your vest," the wolf said gruffly,

Nick knew that this was the protocol for collecting evidence so he complied, but instead of undoing his vest he started work on removing his radio,

"No your vest,"

"Oh right, sorry," The fox then started to remove the correct piece of equipment, placing it on the table when he was done,

"Now your shirt and utility belt and pants," the wolf said as he passed some clothing to the fox to put on after he removed his current garments,

Nick started to remove his clothing when another mammal entered the room, a deer this time,

"Greymore what the hell, your not supposed to start without me," The deer said while extending a hoof to the fox, "I'm your lawyer, you can call me Dylan, did you say anything to him yet,"

"Im uhh no I didn't," the fox said,

"Good this is a straight forward case," the deer said,

All three mammals then sat down at the table, Dylan and Nick on one side and Greymore on the other. Greymore was the first to speak,

"Did you use everything in your power to deescalate the situation at the bank,"

"Yes, of course he did you saw the news, Just give us the use of force form and leave," the deer answered,

"Officer Wilde are you certain that there were no alternatives to lethal force," Greymore stated,

That question made Nick angry,

"What alternative huh… letting Judy get shot," the fox stated in a low growl,

"Look ill question him so you will go away ok," the deer stated, "Nick did your department try and negotiate with the suspect?"

"Yes,"

"Would nonlethal's have worked on the suspect,"

"No, Not before he could kill Hopps, that is why I had a lethal weapon in the first place,"

"Ok questions done, Now get out of our fur Greymore," the deer said, Nick decided that he was starting to like the deer and his no-nonsenses attitude,

"Fine," the wolf said calmly, "Nick as of now you are under investigation until we have determined that excessive force was not used… In the meantime go spend some time with your family,"

Nick flenched at the mention of his family, but let it slide because the wolf couldn't have known about that. Finally the wolf left and after speaking with his lawyer for a little while, Nick got up to leave,

"Oh and Nick," the deers voice cause Nick to look back, "There is a bunny waiting for you outside, I think she is the one you were speaking of,"

"Uhh thanks,"

Judy Pov

Judy had been waiting outside of the interrogation room for the past forty-five minutes waiting for Nick to come out. After she had got over her initial shock she started to worry about Nick, she remembered his blank expression when he walked past her when she was siting on the ambulance,

'Cuffed like a criminal…" Judy thought with distaste, 'And know he is being interrogated for saving my life,"

Judy was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a door opening, she looked up expecting to see Nick but instead she saw a grey wolf the same one she saw enter the room a while ago. He gave her a nod and kept walking down the hall. Judy waited another ten minutes until the door opened again this time a red fox stood in the threshold of the door.

"Nick!" Judy hopped up from her chair and embraced the fox in a strong hug, pressing her face against his chest. Nick just stood there with his arms beside him. Judy held the fox at arms length and looked up at his face, she saw a emotionless expression on his face.

"Hay Judy… Im going to go home now ok," With that statement the fox pulled away from the confused bunny and started to walk out the doors of the ZPD.

He stopped in the hall and stood still for a moment, he then turned back and gave the bunny a proper hug.

"Sorry, I'm trying to sort things out right now and I'm glad you are ok… How about you meet me at my place… you should probably shower you have some uh blood on your fur,"

"Oh ok, see you there… are you taking the cruiser?"

"No Ill take a taxi I don't want to get into another cruiser today…"

With that the fox started to head to the doors again. After watching his tail disappear behind the door Judy headed to the showers.

Judy felt the hot water from the shower-head pummel out some of the tension in her neck as well as washing the small specks of blood that was over a most areas of her fur that was not covered by her uniform. Soon after Judy started to scrub a rather matted spot on her ear she feels another presence in the shower-room.

"Hay, Judy. Nice ass!" a female voice chuckled to her right.

Such a blatantly inappropriate comment caused Judy to spin towards the owner of that voice in indignation, her ears turning hot, while she scrambled to cover herself with her paws. This must have amused the other mammal as she broke into a fit of giggles which her species were known for. She saw the hyena from the bank staring at her with one paw on her hip and the other on the wall she was leaning against. She was light brown with darker spots of black and dark brown down her back and smaller spots on her face, her belly and inner thighs were spot free as well as being a light grayish brown.

"Oh calm down, I'm not into gals but that doesn't mean I can't recognize a fine piece of tail when I see it,"

Judy could only stare with her mouth open at the comments this hyena… Allie was it…was making.

"You might wanna close your mouth, I'm hot but I'm not that hot," Allie started to chuckle again.

"But…I…you…I was not staring! You just surprised me with your… your…remarks!" Judy managed to stutter out.

The hyena turned away from Judy so that she could start washing her fur. Judy did the same, rubbing shampoo deep into her fur with her dull claws. Every once in a while glancing at the hyena to make sure she wasn't ogling at her butt, during one such glance she noticed that Allie was missing something that female hyenas were know for.

'Huh I thought all hyenas had them not just the males,' Judy said to herself.

"So you and Nick huh," Allie said in an irritating, matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, no we are…"

"Nick likes you, I can tell I think you would make a cute couple," she said over her shoulder before she started to rake her teeth through her fur to brush it out.

Judy assumed that because the hyena was fresh from the academy that she didn't know about bunny's and the C-word,

"You know a rabbit can call another rabbit cute, but when…"

"Oh, lay your fur down hun, I know about calling rabbits cute, I was talking about you as a couple with the fox, although…" Allie proceeded to eye Judy up and down with one eyebrow raised.

'Has she no shame…"

"Anyhow, let me get to the reason I followed you in here," the hyena stopped her grooming to give the bunny a serious look,"

'What the hell! She actually followed me into the shower,'

"You did a good job at the bank, in the academy they taught me to try and trick the perp into doing something that puts us in a position to take him down. It's almost unheard of for someone to actually persuade them to release all of their hostages, so stop betting yourself up about it, kay hun."

And with that the hyena turned of her water and walked out of the shower-room and towards the lockers, leaving a flustered bunny in her wake.

"Allie wait," Judy said as she chased the hyena to the lockers.

"Sup," The hyena said as she spun on her heels to give Judy a very toothy smile,

The shear size of her teeth stunned the rabbit for a second, her prey instincts kicking in for a brief second before she regained her composure. Allie seemed confused by her reaction, before her eyes widened and she put both paws up to her face, when she removed them she had a kind toothless smile on her face.

"Oh I'm sorry hun, forgot that I am not supposed to smile with my chompers showing," the larger female said with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh no its ok, you have a very pretty smile." the comment causing the hyena to show more teeth with delight, "I just wanted to say thanks for telling me all that in the shower," the rabbit said as she pointed with her thumb over her shoulder at the shower.

"Oh no problem hun, you have a rocking bod. Nick is lucky." Judy felt her ears warm up again at the mention of Nick and the tactless complement, but she pressed on with her explanation.

"No about the bank, but it's good to hear that I did something right… and Nick and I are not together."

"Yet," the other female coughed, "and no problem, if you or Nick need anything just let me know, I still owe him one."

With that the females dried of and got dressed, Judy couldn't help but to look at the other female and wonder why she didn't have a certain appendage.

"Its a surgery when we are pups, those things made childbirth and sex a giant pain, not to mention dangerous. The surgery became common place about eighty years ago, when it became safe enough."

"Crap she saw me staring,"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Judy said embarrassment radiating from her ears.

"No prob hun, I would stare to, most mammals still don't know that the surgery exists and assume all us hyena galls are packing. Although some still do because their parents refused the operation for some reason." Allie shrugged and started to walk to the door, now fully clothed.

"See ya hun," was the last thing Judy heard before the door swung closed behind the hyena.

"Well, that was quite the experience." Judy said out loud.

'My ears are going to be red for a week because of her, but for some reason I like her… she just seems honest…maybe a little to much so." Judy thought as she tried to rub the embarrassment out of her ears.

Nick POV

'Why do I feel so bad… I mean I turned down a hug from Carrots, that has to stop… it has to be this other emotion… I need to figure out what it is,'

"Hay I said this is your stop," the cheetah cabbie shouted through the privacy window,

"Oh uh sorry here," Nick exited the taxi after he handed the cabbie his fare,

Nick started to walked to his apartment in the Unity complex, trying to come up with a name for the emotion that was plaguing him. Finally he reached his 277 and opened the door, when he walked in he was greeted by a large apartment. The living room had dark brown carpet, with a brown couch and a love seat with a small glass-top coffee table. A 42inch flatscreen was set in-front of the furniture on the far side of the room right beside the hallway that led to the bathroom and two bedrooms. Nick was able to afford it because of all the money he had hustled from mammals and sometimes it made him feel a little guilty.

'Thats it!… guilt… I feel guilty,'

The realization seemed to agitate the emotion that was coiled up in Nicks mind. As if the thought of its name had woken it from slumber. Suddenly, his legs lost their strength and

as his mind was overwhelmed by guilt, he fell to carpet of his apartment as the days events finally hit him in full force.

'I killed another mammal… he just wanted to save his mother, if I was in his situation I would probably do something similar…'

Nick felt a dark cloud building around his mind, whispering things in his ear, things like killer and Monster. Nick curled up in a ball and whimpered as he tried to force the guilt away trying to hide behind the walls he build over so many years, but to no avail because he wasn't trying to hide his emotions from others… this time he was trying to hide them from himself. He could feel himself starting to believe more and more of the lies his mind was forcing upon him,

'I guess in the end… I am a murderer…'