Hello again! Heres the beginning of a new fic of mine! I think this fic will be a lot more dramatic/gloomy/depressing than the previous ones with darker themes: so be warned! I won't go into detail on anything really awful like murder or the like, but there will be lots of angst and emotional turmoil, etc. I'll give out any extra warnings if I think a chapter will be especially distressing.

Also I'll probably end up making a few references to my previous stories in this one. You don't need to read them to understand or enjoy this one but it could help to understand backstories and whatever references I do make.

Again any and all reviews and points of criticism are very much appreciated and welcome! Enjoy!

Conflict

"Years of love have been forgot, In the hatred of a minute" Edgar Allan Poe

Chapter 1

"He was right about one thing: I don't know when to quit"

"Carrots? Hey Judes?"

Judy groaned as she forced open her eyes and inwardly pushed away the blanket of sleep which had fallen over her. She raised her head from her desk and from the pool of drool that had gathered on a witness statement and blinked in the harsh artificial light of the ZPD bullpen.

It was as a drab practical place located deep inside the ZPD. It was lined with rows of desks littered with family pictures and bulging folders, each belonging to a different office. The white walls and bright lights contrasted strongly with the thick darkness outside. All around her tired colleagues mumbled and grumbled to one another as they passed case files or typed up reports, each trying to avoid glancing at their watches. At the front of the room was a blackboard on which various words and disjointed sentences had been written, often accompanied by question marks.

She squinted at the fox which stood by the side of her desk, yawning as he offered her a cup of steaming coffee and a gentle smile. His uniform was ruffled and creased, his eyes were bleary and he swayed a little where he stood. Yet his green eyes still shone at the sight of her. She took it with a grateful nod, cradling the hot cup in her paws.

"Hey Judes, what do you call a cheerful bunny?"

She rolled her eyes. "I dunno Nick, what do you call a cheerful bunny?"

"A hoptimist!"

She playfully groaned as he giggled.

"They just get worse and worse." She sighed as she took a long drink of her coffee, put it down, and then idly picked up a bundle of papers from her desk. Her heart sank at the sight of them and her ears drooped: this would be around the two-hundredth time she examined them. Nick shrugged, leaned on her desk and glanced at the notes she held.

"Any leads on you know who?"

"Fangs?" Judy asked with a tired grin as Nick in turn groaned dramatically at the name the ZPD had given its latest target.

After a moment, Nick suddenly leaned forward towards Judy and lowered his voice "I hear if you say his name three times into a mirror, he appears behind you and eats you!"

Judy pushed his snout away with her folder . "Maybe we should try to catch him that way Nick. It's a good a lead as any I guess." With a look of disgust, she let her notes fall back down on the desk and gave voice to her frustrations.

"This guy's been operating for weeks now, committed dozens of crime all over the city and there's nothing! No leads, no evidence. Just a dumb super-villain name"

"It is dumb!" Nick nodded vigorously as she continued

"And all our witnesses say they've never even heard of him. They're all too scared to say anything against this guy: no matter what I offer them. All security and traffic camera footage that could even maybe be useful disappears. And for all we know it could be a gang called "Fangs" or it could be one person! We're no closer to catching the guy and theres another crime every few days." She clenched her paws hard.

Nick looked pensive. "I thought I knew every criminal in Zootopia , Carrots, but this is something else. Even I wasn't this good!" Judy gave a small chuckle. They were silent a moment as Judy tried to gather her thoughts and Nick looked over his partner with worried eyes. Now and again her weary form would shake as the caffeine shot through her body. He hated how tired she looked, her expression as she read through witness statements and pictures, how much pressure the city put on her with its expectations and demands. But most of all he hated how much pressure she put on herself. How she would blame herself whenever a lead disappeared, whenever a new robbery or assault occurred.

There was a sudden crash on the otherside of the room, as Francine the elephant, who had been tilting and swaying all night, finally slipped off the chair and fell to the ground, snoring. The muttering of the other officers paused for a moment, before rising once again. A rhino tiptoed over the huge gray and dark blue mass as he made his way to a coffee machine.

"Y'know, maybe it's time we go Judes. The work will still be there in the morning." Nick offered a paw to Judy and she took it, lifting herself up from her chair and getting to her feet. She still looked reluctant so he added

"C'mon Carrots, a couple of sleep deprived zombies are more likely to miss important clues and evidence." He thought to himself "And it kills me to see you so exhausted, stubborn bunny"

Judy gave a small "Okay" and together they made their way out the dark deserted halls of the ZPD and out into the silent city.

…

It was a still frosty night and the ice on the sidewalk and windows sparkled in the street lights. As the pair walked home, the buildings around them loomed threateningly and Nick could not help but wonder whether any of these nondescript buildings held their suspect. Was he asleep right now in his warm bed? Was he nervous about the ZPD? Or was he even now committing another robbery or…

Judy shivered, breaking the stream of wandering thoughts as Nick instinctively moved closer to her, as if to act as her own personal windbreak. It had been bitterly cold for the past few weeks as winter had finally fallen on Zootopia, and the streets were often deserted by nightfall, with the exception of a few well wrapped mammals. There was a freshness to the night air as it stung and bit those breathed it in. They could hear the distant whoosh of the occasional passing car in the distance, but their route lay lifeless and empty before them.

Nick, seeing how glum and despondent his partner was, came to a decision. After checking the immediate area around them, he spoke. His voice cut through the silence and Judy was shaken from her weariness by his tone: it was nervous and uneasy, both traits she would never associate with Nick. He glanced at her as he spoke

"There could be another way of getting this guy. But its…. legally…. ambiguous"

Judy tilted her head slightly. "I'm pretty sure you mean illegal"

Nick nodded. "Back when I was with Mr Big, I knew a couple of mice and weasels who were kind of like private investigators. For a price these guys will track down anyone who is causing you trouble."

"And then?" she spoke hesitantly

"Sometimes just tell you where they are. Othertimes…." He trailed off and his expression darkened. He waited until they turned a street corner before continuing. "I didn't want to tell you about these mammals because they aren't especially nice. But they're good at what they do and they use all sorts of fancy illegal equipment: think tracking devices, cameras, hacking. And…."

"They might be able to find our guy." Judy finished, violet eyes flashing and excitement in her voice. Her support for the plan came swift and clearly.

"Maybe". The fox shrugged, a pit of unease still in his stomach. He couldn't explain why but he felt a sudden sense of foreboding.

"We have to try Nick. Every day we don't catch this guy…."

"We'll get him Carrots." He reassured her quickly. He believed it was only a matter of time before either the ZPD made a breakthrough or "Fangs" made a mistake. And yet the odd feeling trepidation and foreboding remained. He tried to chalk it up to talking about his old criminal life with Judy but inwardly that didn't feel right. Shaking himself slightly, he kept by Judy's side.

…

Finally the two collapsed onto the bed, burying themselves under the covers and sighing into the soft mattress. The apartment seemed darker than usual and their breaths rose as a silver mist to the ceiling. The central heating had been broken for a few days now and the two felt the chill of winter, even as they slept in jumpers and mittens. Under the mound of blankets and covers they had made and in the pitch black, Nick crawled close to the trembling rabbit whose thin fur struggled to keep her warm. She curled up against his chest, wrapped her arms around him and gradually the trembling stilled. All that could be heard was the slow steady breathing of fox and rabbit. Judy closed her eyes and imagined for a moment that they were in a burrow together, and that they had a long leisurely summer day ahead of them.

"I'm sorry if I've been a little…. zealous, Nick." She whispered into the darkness. She always felt free to speak her mind this late at night, things she wouldn't dare to in the daytime like friends sharing secrets at a sleepover. The mystery of the night brought a kind of intimacy which suited and eagerly encouraged such conversations.

Nick brushed her arm with his paw in gentle response, too tired to bother speaking. His nose twitched at the smell of coffee still on her breath.

"It's just after seeing all the victims, reading all those statements about what the crimes done to them…." She buried her face further into his chest to escape the memories which haunted her. So many terrible stories, so many hours spent going through each and every one in the normally empty hope that they could lead to a breakthrough. Nick felt a twinge of pain in his heart as he let her in, enveloping his arms around her. He brushed her ears as he spoke tender words, eyes still closed.

"None of that's your fault Judes." Again he ran a gentle paw down her ears. "You've helped so many people already and you're the best cop in the ZPD. And its only a matter of time before we catch the guy."

Judy smiled and poured as much affection into her "Goodnight" as she could. The storm which troubled her heart calmed, and all of the angry voices which reprimanded and criticised her fell silent, stunned in the face of Nick's clear faith and confidence for her. She waited until she was certain Nick had fallen asleep, until she heard his breathing grow heavy and deep, before murmuring "I love you" into his fur.