CHAPTER 1

"Judy's Bad Day"

Bogo expected a hive of activity when crime scene tape was lifted and his squad car permitted through, but instead he saw a lot of uniforms standing around, talking in pairs and EMTs slouching against their ambulances. The ZFD was busy enough putting up yellow tarps around the smoking wreck of a crumpled mini-van. On the far sidewalk, behind the tape, the looky-lous were gathered, craning their necks to get a glimpse of the carnage. The media had gathered as well, their camera lights flashing blue-white in the fading daylight.

"This is going to be a bad day," he thought.

Sliding out of his cruiser, he asked aloud, "Whose scene is this?"

Francine, the elephant officer, stepped forward.

"Officer Hopps," she replied. Everyone was looking in their direction.

"And where might I find Officer Hopps?" he asked.

Francine motioned her head towards one of the ambulances. "Behind there with Wilde," she said, then, softly, "Chief -"

"What is it, Francine?" he asked, all business.

"This is a bad one," she finished simply.

The yellow tarps now in place, the firefighters began the grim job of cutting into the van with the Jaws of Life – terribly misnamed in this case. Bogo didn't need to see what they were after, he could smell it.

He found Hopps and Wilde behind the ambulance. Wilde was kneeling, back towards Bogo, and holding Hopps. The first thing he noticed was Judy's eyes. Those same violet eyes that had always been sparkling with life before now stared at some indeterminate point on the horizon, pupils wide. Tears poured down her cheeks like the blood running from her small paws as she gripped the fox's back. Her ears were flat against her head. Parts of her uniform were torn and smeared with blood. He could see she was shaking. Looking away for a second, he saw half his squad lined up and watching the scene. Too many officers with too little to do, but he understood why they were there.

He also knew the Hopps was on a precipice, and he planned to pull her back.

"Officer Hopps," he said sternly.

"She's in shock," Wilde replied in the cool tone he used when he was irritated. Holding the rabbit tightly, he didn't turn his head to look at his chief.

Bogo ignored him, looking at Hopps as she stared blankly into the distance.

"Office HOPPS," he said, straightening up his solid frame to loom above the smaller pair, "I need a situation report - what happened here?"

"I said she's in SHOCK," Wilde said angrily, now turning to face his Chief. He green eyes were narrowed. That look always pissed Bogo off, but he swallowed it for the moment and tried one more time.

"HOPPS," he said directly, crouching down to look directly into her blank eyes, "Situation report."

"'Come on, Hopps, come back to us,'" he thought. Memories of his time in the Marines began to creep in, the times he'd seen that same look on mammals that had seen too much. That same lost, uncomprehending stare was now fixed on Hopp's face. He fought the memories back and focused on the task at hand.

"Maaybe you didn't hear me, but I said she's in SHOCK," Wilde said in the one tone that always got directly under Bogo's skin - the same smarmy tone he'd used on the chief the night they first met. "We can't all be 24-karat hard-asses like you, or maybe you just don't care about -"

That did it. Bogo stood up, then snarled at the fox, "I don't care about the snarky names you call me behind my back; I don't care about your vulgar insinuations. But if you say I don't care about my officers, I'm going to stuff my hoof down your throat. You got that, FOX?" He poked Nick hard in the chest for emphasis.

Flashes from the cameras went off, followed by the cricket-like sound of shutters closing.

All conversation stopped and everyone's attention turned to the pair.

Eyes wide with surprise, Wilde looked back at Bogo. The two stared at each other for long seconds, neither saying a word, until Hopps spoke.

"It caught fire so quick . . ." she said in a weak whisper. Both Wilde and Bogo looked down at her. "I tried to get the door open, but it was jammed," she continued in her weak, shaky voice, "And then it caught fire. I pulled so hard and the door wouldn't open." She looked at her cut, bleeding paws and said, "I think I hurt myself."

Wilde looked in the direction where the rest of the squad was watching, then turned to Bogo and said, "Maybe you care, but what's THEIR excuse? Why didn't ONE of them come over to comfort her?"

"I've had enough of you – my office, tomorrow morning," Bogo shot back, "Now get her to an EMT before I send YOU to one!"

Scooping up his partner in his arms, Wilde walked to the back of the ambulance where he laid her on a waiting stretcher.

"It's ok, officer," the cougar EMT said as he covered Judy's shaking body with a blanket, "she's in good hands now."

By the time Judy's paws were stitched up, covered in bandages and gloved in purple latex, 3:00am had come and gone. Nick still seethed. Judy's eyes continue to focus and unfocus and her tremors subsided and returned.

The on-call physician, a wolfess outfitted in pink scrubs, pulled Nick aside.

"You're her partner?" she asked, "Officer . . ." she looked at his badge, "Wilde?"

Nick nodded, "Yes, Doctor . . ." he looked at her nametag, "Childers?"

"Childers, yes. Ok, she's still somewhat in shock. I'd admit her, but I think it'd be better for her to be home where she feels safe," the wolfess said, then pulled an orange bottle of pills out of her side pocket. "If things get bad, give her one-half of one of these. They're strong and she's a little bunny, but they'll help her relax. What she really needs is someone to be there with her. She needs a good friend right now."

Nick smiled a little and nodded. "I'll be there for her," he said.

"One more thing: she has limited use of her paws. She needs to stay off active duty for at least week. I'll file the paperwork with the department. She can take care of basic hygiene by herself, but she'll probably need help with everything else. Are you up to the job, Officer Wilde?"

For the first time in hours, he laughed a little. "Born ready, Doc. And thanks for everything."

Dawn was breaking when the pair trudged tiredly into Judy's apartment. Nick lay Judy down on her bed and she closed her eyes. As he pulled the blanket over her, her breathing became deep and even.

"Carrots?" he whispered to her. She didn't move. He smiled and sat down on the floor. The sun was already up, and exhaustion settled into his bones. His eyelids fluttered, and then slowly closed.

"Just for a couple of minutes," he told himself before he slumped to the floor.

He awoke to Judy's panicked voice: "They can't get out! Someone help me, PLEASE!"

He sat up abruptly and turned to the bed where the rabbit was thrashing under the covers. Jumping to his feet, he shook her hard. Her eyes snapped open and she looked directly past him.

"They're on fire! They're screaming - help me get them out!" Her focus was locked somewhere beyond Nick and she pawed desperately at his chest. "They're screaming!"

He'd never seen that kind of fear on Judy's face before and it scared him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her down on the bed.

"It's ok - it's ok," he kept repeating to her over and over, looking into her wild eyes. "You're at home and you're safe . . . please, Judy . . ."

She looked into his eyes and her focus returned. In a scared voice said, "I keep hearing them scream." He could feel her heart pounding.

He nodded sympathetically to her. "It alright - you're home now and it's over." He remembered the pills. "The doctor gave me something for you. It'll help you sleep."

"No drugs; you know how I feel about that," she said.

"You haven't slept in over a day. You had a terrible experience. You're running on pure adrenaline. You need something to counter-act what you're putting your body through right now. Just a half, ok?" Nick said.

"Promise me if I go to sleep, you'll sleep, too?" she asked.

"I promise. One-hundred percent," he replied, "I'll sleep right here on the floor."

"You don't have to, Nick. You can sleep with me. It's not like . . . you know," Judy said, smiling at him a little. He smiled back and said, "I'll sleep on the floor, Fluff. Bed's too small for the both of us, anyway."

After taking half the pill, Judy lay down and looked at Nick for a long time. Unexpected warmth washed over her; a feeling of safety and security settled into her: it felt like one of her mother's hugs. Relaxation settled into her bones, easing the anxiety that was eating away at her. She'd never felt so at peace. Everything was ok now. Everything was in its right place – almost.

"Come on, eyes closed now," Nick lightly chided her.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then opened them again. Nick waited. Again, she closed her eyes and opened them after a few more seconds. All Nick wanted now was for her to go to sleep so he could, too. She looked at him and sighed, then sat up.

"Carrots, you've got to sleep. You're exhausted," he said and realized he could have just as easily been talking about himself.

"Nick?" she said quietly.

Nick hmmmm'd?

"Nick, you're going to apologize to Chief Bogo," Judy said in a relaxed voice. She felt so at peace, like being on clouds.

Nick was momentarily shocked at the suggestion, amplified by his own weariness. "After he yelled at ME?" Nick said, trying to mask the indignation he was feeling.

"You went too far, Nick, talking to him like that," she said gently. "He's your boss, you should speak to him with respect."

"Et tu, Brute?" Nick shot back snidely, "I was trying to defend YOU." He voice was arch, something that just got away from him from his tiredness.

"I'm sorry, Nick - I know you were, "Judy said softly, "but the things you say about him behind his back . . . I know you're just joking, but it's disrespectful. You're still that hurt little boy in a way, still trying to prove the bullies didn't get to you that night. But they did, Nick, and ever since then, you've carried that pain, afraid to let it go in case another, even worse, pain replaces it. And you love me so much that if something hurts me, it hurts you twice as much, so you either lash out or hide behind your smugness and jokes. Bogo wasn't trying to hurt me tonight, he's just gruff and he does things the old way. Apologize to him, Nick; don't do it for me, do it for yourself."

Judy looked at him kindly and smiled a little. The seething rage that'd been building in him all night evaporated even as Judy's words stung his heart. He sighed hard.

"Ok, I'll make you a deal: you get some sleep and I'll apologize. Fair?"

She laid her head on her pillow and muttered "Fair," under a yawn. Her eyes closed and a peaceful sleep overcame her.

Nick leaned against the bed and closed his eyes, but sleep eluded him as he ruminated about what Judy had said. He wanted a distraction, so he turned the volume on the TV almost all the way down, and then turned it on.

ZNN flickered on. Christiana Amanpurr, the Snow Leopard anchorwoman, was just starting the news.

"Tensions run high at the horrific crash downtown that claimed the lives of a family of five cheetahs," she said. The image on the screen was him arguing with Bogo. He noticed that his tail was between his legs. He hadn't done that in . . . better not to think about it. "Video showing Police Chief Bogo dressing down one of his officers was captured by our own ZNN cameras. There has been no comment from either Chief Bogo or the officer involved, who is believed to be Officer Nicholas Wilde, partner to hero cop Judy Hopps. According to sources close the department, Officer Hopps was injured trying to rescue -"

Nick turned off the TV and looked over at the sleeping rabbit.

"Deal's a deal," he said wanly as he got up off the floor and walked into the bathroom to shower.

A few hours later, Nick arrived at the station. As he walked to Bogo's office, conversations stopped around him. Clawhauser looked up from his terminal and said, "Chief's waiting for you, Nick," sympathetically.

"Good ol' Clawhauser; he was always a friend, no matter what," Nick thought to himself.

Arriving at Bogo's door, Nick hesitated.

"I promised," he told himself, then knocked.

"Come in," Bogo called.

Screwing up his courage, Nick opened the door.

Chief Bogo looked up and scowled at the fox.

"You look like Hell, Wilde. Did you sleep in your uniform?"

"I haven't slept, Sir . . ."

"Oh, so it's -Sir- now. What do you want?"

He stepped into the office and closed the door.

"I came to apologize," Nick said, looking at the floor.

"This should be good. Hopps put you up to it?" Bogo asked archly.

"She opened my eyes, Sir. I know I've been out of line . . ."

"How gracious of you, Officer Wilde," Bogo said sarcastically, then shook his head and sighed.

"Sir?" Nick asked.

"Sit. Down. Look at me." Bogo snarled.

Nick sat down instantly on the hard, wooden chair facing Bogo's desk and looked into his boss' eyes.

"You wear contrition like a bad suit, Wilde," Bogo growled, "but you're being honest, and that deserves respect. What happened last night is unacceptable. Officer Hopps is tough, she can take it. All she needed to do was snap out of it and keep fighting . . ." He stopped himself suddenly, then corrected, "keep working."

"Chief, she was in shock. Yelling at her wasn't going to make things better," Nick started to explain before he got a face full of Cape Buffalo.

"You and Hopps treat this like a game of Cops and Robbers. It's not," Bogo snapped, "Hopps got a good look at what being a cop is -really- about last night. You asked me why no one came forward? It's because they have to know she can take it. They have to know she won't crumble when things get bad. It's not clear she's passed that test, but seeing her trembling in your arms didn't help her case."

Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So it's sink or swim?

"I'm not worried about Officer Hopps: she's tough and she can take it," Bogo reiterated. "Don't sell her short, Wilde. You trying to protect her is denying her the honor and dignity of getting up by herself and dusting herself off. If there's any officer in this force that can rise to the challenge, it's her. She's proven what she's made of to me, but she hasn't proven that to herself yet and you're taking that chance from her. I know you think I'm being an unfeeling hard-ass, but this won't be the first trial that Hopps will face. Are you going to protect her from all of them? Or are you going to pick-and-choose which ones you feel that she can face? Are you going to be her partner or her parents?"

The fox thought about that for a long while, his sense of self-righteousness fading. Bogo looked at his officer with a paternal stare.

"I hadn't thought of that," Nick finally said, sounding unsure.

"That's the difference between you and me, Wilde: experience. I've been there and you haven't. You're still a rookie and you still have a lot to learn. So does Hopps. You both learned something last night," Bogo said, then continued, "The hospital sent over the paperwork for Hopps. She's going to drive a desk for the next week. You'll ride with Fangmire for the time being. A little time apart will be good for both of you, especially you, Wilde. You're a good cop, and when it comes time to prove it, you'll understand what I've said."

Nick nodded, not totally convinced Bogo's methods were what was best for Judy right now, but he also understood he himself could be doing the rabbit more harm than good.

"One more thing," Bogo said, "the Mayor emailed me this morning. She's asked that Officer Hopps attend the Sprinter family's funeral. I will be there, you will not. I'm sorry, Wilde, but she has to do this for herself."

"I understand, Sir," Nick replied. "I'll let her know."

"Take care of her, but don't stand in her way. Be at roll-call on Monday. You're dismissed."

Nick dragged himself into Judy's apartment, head held low and ears flat against his scalp. His tail dragged and he almost closed the door on it. He expected to see Judy in bed, but instead she was sitting on her chair, knees drawn up to her chest with her chin resting on them. She was rocking slightly. Next to her, on the table, the orange bottle of pills was lying on its side and several of the tablets were scattered about. She looked up at the Nick and weakly said, "Hi."

Looking at the tablets, Nick swallowed hard. "Carrots, how many of those did you take?" he asked worriedly.

"Two. They wear off so fast and I can't sleep, Nick. I close my eyes and I'm back at the accident. I fall asleep and I hear the screaming," she said looking up at the fox, her violet eyes thoroughly bloodshot.

"TWO?" he asked incredulously. "You're supposed to take HALF of one! What happened to 'no drugs'?!"

"They make it go away, Nick. I just want it go away. I just want to sleep . . ." she said wearily.

"We're going to go in the bathroom and have a generally unpleasant experience, but you are going to get those pills out of your system!" he said.

"I beat you to that already. I guess I wasn't supposed to take them on an empty stomach . . ."

Nick groaned and Judy shrugged weakly.

"I apologized to the Chief," he said.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"New topic: he asked that you be at the funeral for the family."

Judy's tired eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped a little.

"Nick, I don't know . . . I don't know if I'm ready yet; you'll be there, right?" she asked anxiously. Worry shot through the narcotic fog clouding her mind. The feeling of warmth and safety wavered and thinned.

Nick shook his head, "Bogo said you've got to do this for yourself." He let that sink in for a moment. "Look, we're both beyond exhausted. We both need to sleep. I'm going to curl up on the rug, you climb into bed. You've probably got enough of that stuff in your system to let you sleep. I'll be right here. If you have another nightmare, I'll wake you up. Promise. Cross my heart."

Judy climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself. Nick smiled.

"You sleep now," he said.

She closed her eyes, "Mmmm-hmmm." He waited a couple of minutes, watching her, until he was sure she was out, and then lay down on the floor.

"Sleep well, Fluff," he muttered before falling into sleep himself.

When he awoke, sunlight was streaming into the apartment and Judy was sitting on the chair wearing her dress uniform and watching him.

"Oh, no - Carrots, tell me you slept?" he said, feeling worry to the pit of his stomach.

"A little," she said, "I keep . . . you know."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked, sitting up.

"You needed the sleep," she said simply.

He looked on the table and didn't see the pill bottle.

"Fluff, where're the pills?" he asked.

"I just took one," she said.

"Give me the pills, please . . ."

Judy looked at him and her shoulders drooped. Without saying anything else, she pulled the bottle from her pants pocket and handed it to him.

"You're a very bad bunny," Nick said as he looked at the bottle. Shaking his head, he walked into the bathroom and upended the bottle into the toilet. He looked over at the rabbit and flushed. "There, that problem's solved."

"Chief Bogo is coming to pick me up in a few minutes," she said, exhaustion hovering around the edges of her words.

He looked at her. "Are you ready for this?"

She nodded.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Maybe?" she said, giving an uncertain shrug of her shoulders.

Nick sighed and knew there was nothing he could do for her, but he hugged her anyway. "Know I'll be thinking of you," he said, and then smiled at her.

She smiled back weakly, "Thank you, Nick," she said gratefully and then hugged him back.

Chief Bogo's car led the procession of five hearses from the funeral home to the cemetery. Hopps sat in the front seat while Fangmire, clad in his own dress uniform, sat in the back. Having only ever seen him in his ZPD t-shirt, she was impressed by how well the wolf cleaned up.

"Oh, Hell," Bogo muttered as they arrived. A swarm of media awaited them as he slowed the car to a stop. Instantly, they were surrounded by cameras and reporters.

"No one but me says anything," he said, "Hopps and I walk abreast, Fangmire, you follow behind. No swearing, no glaring, no shoving. Ready?"

Bogo opened the door and the questions began:

"Chief Bogo, what can you tell us about the confrontation between you and officer Wilde?"

"Is this normal procedure for the ZPD?"

"What do you have to say about the mayor's call for an inquest?"

"Chief, have you spoken to Officer Wilde since the incident?"

Bogo raised his right hand and said, "The ZPD will be issuing a statement shortly about the incident between me and Officer Wilde. But today, we're here to remember the Sprinter family. I ask that members of the media show restraint and respect in their time of mourning."

"Officer Hopps . . ." the reporter for ZNN called out. She turned to look.

"Do you think you could have done more to save the Sprinter family?"

Bogo saw the look of shock cross Hopp's face and quickly said, "No more questions."

Putting his hand on her back, he shepherded her forward. Fangmire followed dutifully behind. More questions were shouted, but the trio ignored them.

"Sorry, Hopps," Bogo said to his officer, "it's something you'll have to deal with until this blows over."

"Yes, Sir," she said, trying to sound as resolute as she could, but not feeling it.

The extended family was ahead. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hearses being unloaded. Five white coffins. Two adult sized and three smaller ones. She was surprised when a contingency of animals in Marine dress uniforms stepped forward and bore the caskets towards the five graves. She looked at Bogo, who said, "Father was active duty. Six years UZMC."

Her knees started to shake. "Hold it together, Judy," she told herself. The effect of the pill was already wearing off and she found herself craving the sanctuary of numbness and peace of another.

The family stepped forward, clad in black, led by an old female cheetah in a black mourning dress.

"Ok, you can do this . . ." Judy thought to herself.

"Officer Hopps?" the matriarch asked.

"Yes Ma'am," Judy replied solemnly.

The old cheetah knelt down in front of Judy then spat in her face.

"Why didn't you save them?! Why didn't you save my babies?!" she shrieked.

Judy didn't recoil. She stood firmly in place; shocked but resolute.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Judy said, feeling like she was watching this happen from some distance away. Nothing seemed real. The other members of the family were pulling the old cheetah back and apologizing. Reality began to shift on Judy: she was here; she was at the accident; she was with Nick back in her apartment; she was in Bunnyborough; they were screaming, clawing to get out . . .

"Hopps," Bogo said sternly, "Hopps, look at me."

Judy looked up at her boss as he towered over her.

"You're ok," he said. It wasn't a question and the assuredness in his voice brought her back around to the present.

She nodded. "Absolutely, Sir," she replied.

He nodded back.

"Good."

The rest of the funeral went as well as could be expected under the circumstances. At the end, an older gentleman cheetah came over, knelt down and looked Judy in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Officer Hopps. They were everything to her. She's been pretty much in shock since it happened. We know you did everything you could. Please accept our apologies," he said.

"I know how that feels," she confided, "Everyone at the ZPD feels your loss. There's no need to apologize."

Bogo looked at her approvingly. The look was rare enough that she smiled and realized it was the first time she had smiled in days.

After fording the river of media, Bogo, Hopps and Fangmire ensconced themselves safely back in the Chief's patrol cruiser.

"You did good today, Hopps. I know it was hard, but you hung in there. You concerned me there for a moment. What happened?" Bogo asked.

"Just a little dizzy from the heat, Sir," she replied. She hated lying to him, but knew that any other answer would have been met with unspoken disapproval.

He hmmmph'd; whether he believed her or not was unclear.

"It was a bit warm today," Fangmire said, giving Judy a clandestine smile behind Bogo's back.

"That's why I keep telling everyone to stay hydrated," he said. "Let's get you home, Officer Hopps."

"I'd like to return to work Monday, Sir," Hopps said. "It's time for me to get back."

"Paperwork says at least a week. And with your paws out of commission, you're not much good to me on patrol. I'll put you on the front desk with Clawhauser until you're healed up. Also, I need your deposition."

"Yes, Sir," Judy replied. Relief crept into her soul, but she found herself still craving the one pill she'd saved.

The trio arrived at Judy's apartment building right around sunset.

"Fangmire, get the door, please," Bogo commanded the wolf officer.

Fangmire stepped out of the car and walked up the stairs to the front door. Judy went to follow him, but Bogo put his hand on her shoulder.

"You passed, Officer Hopps. I wasn't sure you would. What you saw would have broken a lot of rookies. You've held it together and even got Fangmire to pull a CYA on your rotten lie about the heat," he said.

The insides of her ears turned pink.

"Thank you, Sir. It means a lot coming from you," she said appreciatively.

"I know you think I was being a hard-ass for putting you on parking duty when you first started. And you're right, I was. But what if you'd seen then what you saw the other day? Would you still be here, or would you be farming carrots right now? When I told you I didn't care that you were top of your class, I wasn't lying. I don't care. Academy is what got you here. What you did today is what keeps you here. That's what I care about. I want you to be tough, but never grow hard. Don't stop being the Judy Hopps that everyone cares about," he told her.

"T-thank you, Sir . . ." she said, feeling a wave of emotion washing over her.

"One more thing, Officer Hopps . . ." he said, his tone changing.

"Yes, Sir?"

"That pill in your pocket - you're going to give it to me. Don't tell me 'what pill?' I can smell it. If there's any more of them, you're going to give those to me, too. I won't have an addicted officer on my force. Do you understand that, Officer Hopps?" he asked sternly.

"Yes, Sir. Nick - Officer Wilde - dumped the rest in the toilet," she said, fishing the pill from her pocket and handing it to him.

Bogo crushed it into powder and then flung the dust out his window.

"I . . . don't think I need them anymore, anyway. Not after today, Sir." A spike of guilt wracked her conscience.

"Good. I've lost too many good cops to those damned things and I wish the medics would stop handing them out like candy," he said. "Let's go before Fangmire gets bored holding that door open."

They both exited the car.

"About time, you two," Fangmire said.

"Shut it," Bogo snarled.

Fangmire closed the front door.

"Your MOUTH, not the door!"

Judy giggled a little. Bogo and Fangmire both looked at her. She straightened up and said, "Sorry."

Walking down the hall, Bogo noted, "What a dump."

Hopps smiled and nodded, "It's home." Everything felt so much lighter now.

Bogo hmmph'd and Judy opened her door.

"Why is Officer Wilde sleeping on the floor?" Bogo asked as he looked into the apartment.

"Because he's a dumb fox, but he's a sweetheart, too," Judy said. "Help me get him into bed?"

Bogo's eyes narrowed, but he walked in and picked up the sleeping fox.

Nick opened one eye and smiled. "You really do care, Sir," he said.

"DON'T push your luck, Wilde," Bogo huffed, laying the fox on the bed.

"You're going to bed, too, Hopps. Your eyes are bloodshot and I'm betting you haven't had a full night's sleep since the accident. Just lay here for a couple of minutes and get some rest," he said.

Dutifully, Judy climbed into bed next to Nick, and pulled his arm over herself. Bogo pulled the covers over both, and then he waited a minute as he watched her fall to sleep.

As he watched the pair sleeping, Bogo said, "Fangmire?" without turning to his officer.

"Sir?" the wolf replied.

"Unless you want to spend the next six months on parking duty, you'll wipe that STUPID smile off your muzzle, you got me?" Bogo snarled.

"Yes, Sir!" Fangmire answered with alacrity.

"Good," Bogo said, "I think our Officer Hopps is going to make it."

Judy slept dreamlessly through the night, even through Nick's snoring. When she woke up in the morning, he was curled up on the floor. She didn't wake him, but instead sat on the edge of her bed looking at him.

"Dumb fox," she said lovingly.

As she looked out her window at the spires of Zootopia, she realized she'd done it: she'd survived her bad day. She knew she had what it took to be a real cop in the city. Standing up, she crept past the sleeping fox and entered her bathroom. The pill bottle was on the edge of the sink. She looked at it, and then shook her head.

"I don't need it . . ." she told herself, then turned to look in the mirror. A changed rabbit looked back at her. Her grey fur was ruffled and her ears drooped. There was a slight dullness to her violet eyes. She turned and looked at the bottle again and read the label aloud.

"Diazepam, 100mg."

"No," came Nick's voice from behind her. She looked up at the mirror and saw him standing in the doorway.

"Nick?"

"In case you didn't hear me, I said 'Noooo – you will NOT be getting a refill. You're going to forget you ever heard that name before, Fluff.'" he said. She knew that tone well.

She tried to play it off, laughing a little, "Oh, Nick, you know I don't need those!" She smiled at the fox and instantly hated herself.

"You've never lied to me before, Judy, and I would hate for you to start now . . ." he replied.

The rabbit's ears dropped all the way down and she flinched. She then picked up the empty bottle and handed it to Nick, folding his fingers around the container so she couldn't see it. "Just make it go away," she said. She couldn't look at him.

Nick put the bottle in his pocket and then lifted Judy's chin up so she was looking into his green eyes.

"'Do you trust me?'" he repeated what he'd said to her on their first patrol together, "'Why yes – yes I do.' That's a two-way street, Carrots." He said nothing more, he just turned around and walked away. She heard the front door open and close.

She tried to look at herself in the mirror again, but couldn't. After all the time she spent wondering whether she was a real cop, she now found herself facing the question of whether she was a real friend.

Author's note: "Wait, what? What happened here?" you might be asking if you've been following this story. The short answer is I listened to some critiques and changed some things. Bogo's treatment of Nick didn't sit well with a number of people and was distracting from the main story. Because of that, I changed the scene were he slams Wilde into the ambulance and where he dresses the fox down in his office. I believe removing both takes away the distraction and helps in the flow of the story. I also expanded, slightly, on Judy's growing addiction to the pills. Apart from that, the main story remains unchanged.