Prologue:

Finnick was sipping his drink. He had just gotten a refill from the parties hosts and decided to finish it in the back yard. Nick's graduation party from the academy that had been organized by his parents had been a blast and even though the guest list hadn't been the longest ever. With just Flash and his girlfriend, Honey and himself as his friends and the bunny cop as his partner to be, the guest list that his mom and dad had compiled was complete.

But even with as few as the guests as there where it was no doubt that he cherished the ones that were there and that they were the ones that loved him as a friend. As the evening had progressed, the mood had gotten better and better, and the jokes and anecdotes had gone on and on. A couple of times the whole room filled with the sounds of laughter and happiness. But now the party was winding down, and while Nick's mom and dad would never tell them to leave, everyone could see that the elder foxes started to tire out from all the merriment. Nick and Judy had begun to clean up while Honey had stayed with his parents to discuss some business she had with them. Flash and Priscilla needing the hours to reach their vehicle had excused themselves for the evening and with a final goodbye left. Finnick had chosen to go outside to have the last glass of the spirits Nick's father had served and while he thought about how he had forgone in inquiring what the tasty beverage was Honey joined him in the back yard.

"Hey Fin you're almost ready to say goodbye?" Honey had gotten a ride from Finnick and had promised to drive them both home when the party finished so the little fennec fox could have more than one drink and enjoy himself. She didn't mind as she didn't like the taste of alcohol herself anyway. As she looked over, she saw that Finnick was looking pensive into the glass he was holding. "You alright?"

The fennec fox sighed and looked her in her eyes. "Just wondering what I'm gonna do now that my old partner has switched sites." Then a grin adorned his face. "Don't get me wrong I'm happy for the dumbass. Hell if I'm correct about the way he and his bunny feel about each other they'll be shacked up with each other in the year."

Honey had to laugh at that statement. "You noticed that too huh? The looks she gave him when he wasn't looking was more than enough for everyone present to decrypt her feelings for him."

Finnick laughed with her. "You mean like the looks he gave her? He got it bad and probably as bad as she got it, but neither seems to have figured it out yet. Did you see the knowing glance the Wilde's exchanged? I would be surprised if they won't be discussing how to conduct the wedding later this evening for when, not if, Nick announces that they are getting married in the future.

The badger smiled at the prospect of Nick getting married. "Wonder what the bunny's family is like if we are to meet them. If it's a traditional family, then we'll be exchanging greetings for hours after the actual wedding happened."

Finnick smiled as he hoped it would all keep working out for Nick. The bun... Ah hell, Judy had managed to change him. Something Flash, Honey and himself had never managed. Nick considered them his friends, but there had always been a part of his life he kept closed off even to them. No with the way Nick was interacting with Judy it wouldn't surprise Fin one bit if the dumbass hadn't fallen head over heals for her.

He was brought out of his ramifications when Honey coughed a little awkwardly. "Fin there is something I want to discuss with you on the way back home will you hear me out?"

Finnick didn't know what there was to talk about, but knowing Honey, it would probably have something to do with the arrest with Bellweather. Honey was always the one that had believed firmly in a sheep conspiracy and now that the Nighthowler case had happened saw all her suspicions validated. "Let me guess you want to gloat over the fact that you have been right all along about our mayor."

Honey smirked. "Well seeing as you all kept saying I was crazy all those years I'm owed a grace period to keep saying 'I told you so' don't you think?"

Finnick held his hands up in mock surrender. "Sure sure knock yourself out. Now, what did you want to talk about."

The badger opened the door and signaled the fennec fox to follow her. "No, not here. I've been talking with several interested parties, and I've got a business proposal for you. However, I'd rather not risk that someone overhears our conversation."

Finnick threw back the last of his drink and followed Honey back inside. He felt that whatever she was going to suggest might lead him back on the path he was supposed to take.

Nearly a year later:

"Mom! Joe refuses to get up!" The tiny skunk girl stormed into the kitchen in an outrage and pulled at her mother's skirt.

"Leslie please don't scream so early in the morning." As she admonished her daughter, she turned to her husband. "So he would snap out of it in a week or so was it? If I had to guess I would say that it only has gotten worse."

Her husband flipped down his newspaper and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry dear, I thought he would go straight back chasing after her the moment he got cleared from the accusations."

The mother skunk sat down on one of the kitchen stools and wondered about the allegations. They were total bogus charges as Joe had never done drugs nor had he ever shown any symptoms of using them, but for some strange reason, he had drugs in his locker when he got caught. She believed however when her son had told her that someone had probably tried to shift the blame to him. "About clearing those accusations has there been any word from the police or the academy about any investigation?"

Her husband leaned on his arms and showed some worry in his expression. "No there has been no word it's disturbing me. If it takes much longer, he can't finish his year and will have to repeat it. For him, it would be a setback as I've got a feeling he was trying to get partnered up with her on the force."

The skunk laid on his bed. He couldn't believe that in one moment someone managed to take the dream that was almost within his grasp away from him. All the effort to make sure he could keep up with his lost best friend. To try to get assigned to the same precinct. Maybe have time during work to try to reestablish their friendship and mend bridges. Hell if he got fortunate indeed he could manage to get something more?

But somehow somebody had managed to blindside him and in the process got him expelled from the academy. He knew his parents believed that an investigation would be conducted to determine his guilt, but he had seen the look of glee on the instructors face. And because of that, he had an excellent idea who had planted the drugs and that an investigation wasn't forthcoming. He couldn't prove anything though. He was short on evidence nor had Joe a good idea of the motive. The instructor hadn't seemed speciest, but in hindsight, the challenges the smaller mammals in training faced were higher than those of larger mammals. He had reasoned them away as preparing them for the hardships of the work, but now he wasn't so sure.

One thing was for sure. Joe received a second chance to have her friendship when he hadn't expected ever to receive another one. This incident was not over, not by a longshot. First, he had to find a way to prove somebody framed him. So some fieldwork on the instructor would be a good start. Second, make sure who supplied the drugs. If he could point out the distributor, maybe he could get a confession or some evidence proving he hadn't been the one to buy the drugs from him/her in the first place. Third and most important. Getting Cindy to understand that he was innocent. Even if point one or two failed and he would never be a cop if point three succeeded he needed nothing else.

Sure it would suck that he couldn't become her partner, seeing as he had daydreams of them having fun together making the world a better place. He would have been content to be just a friend and partner to her. Just to keep her safe. But now that someone crushed that dream he had no other recourse but to go all out.

He would prove who did this to him. He would stop the drugs coming into the academy, and at the end, if he could become friends with her again he would let her know how he felt. If she didn't feel the same, it would suck, but he would deal with that when the time came. For now, he needed to make sure he even got a chance.