Most of the initial pain of getting electrocuted had faded, leaving only dull ghost aches that'd occasionally flare if he moved too quickly, leaving behind a cold sort of numbness that should've been concerning, but he found he was too tired to care. Reaching up with the arm not hugging his center, he banged his fist against the wood in several quick processions.

Nick wasn't entirely sure what had brought him here after finding the alleyway empty. He would've never considered this one of the first places he'd turn to in times of crisis, yet here he was banging on his boss's door like a stray that had wandered off.

Chief Bogo answered on the third knock, face scrunched up in clear frustration. He was dressed nice for a casual night, and it was clear he hadn't been too pleased at being interrupted. Nick instantly felt bad along with how pathetic and hurt he was currently feeling.

"I'm sorry chief," he apologized as recognition filtered in Bogo's expression, "I don't- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you."

It seemed so dumb now that he had. Nick hated feeling dumb almost as much as feeling helpless.

Bogo no longer looked angry, though. If anything he seemed very much concerned as he gazed down at Nick with wide eyes. Nick idly considered how he must have looked- beaten and distraught with a black collar around his neck. Nothing positive, he concluded.

"What in the world happened to you Wilde?" Bogo demanded instead but his voice wasn't harsh like it was in the precinct; it seemed almost kind, like he was worried about Nick.

Nick looked away, suddenly feeling ashamed at showing up at all. It would've been so much easier on everyone if he had just spent the night in a gutter somewhere, unwilling to traverse all the way back to his home and not wanting to burden Judy even more with his problems. He had no idea where Finnick was so that had only left his boss, and that was quickly turning into a mistake.

Before Nick could answer, a feminine voice asked from somewhere behind Bogo's shoulder, "Who is it sweetie?"

And a female ox came into view, and Nick felt his cheeks burn as he realized what he had just interrupted. A date. Chief Buffalo-Butt actually had a date. And Nick was ruining it for him.

"I'm sorry," he repeated raising his head to meet both of their eyes even as he stepped away from the two of them, "I shouldn't- this was a mistake. I'm sorry. Enjoy your night."

He turned to scamper off, unsure of where he would have gone. Judy's should've been the obvious answer but it was late, and he knew she was an early riser, and she already did so much for him. He couldn't worry her about this, not yet at least.

"Nick!" Bogo called, and he froze at his first name.

Nick spun to face Bogo, trying not to look as pathetic as he felt as he realized both oxen were staring at him with concerned expressions. Bogo's date more so than him as there was a harder glint in his expression. One Nick easily recognized as anger.

Nick knew he shouldn't have come here. Now the chief was upset with him.

"I'm sorry-" Nick tried again because he was too tired to say anything else.

Bogo wasn't interested in apologies as he narrowed his expression once more and demanded, "Who did this to you?"

"I-I don't know. Some of Mayor Grace Bell's men. They said it was her newest solution," Nick explained reaching up to touch the sides of his collar gently, remembering just how much it had hurt as he added, "It's to keep the predators from going savage, sir."

It was by sheer luck he remembered to add the last part. Not that it seemed to have mattered considering Bogo's date gasped from still inside the house as Bogo's eyes hardened even more until there was nothing but narrow slits. Nick supposed he wasn't making the situation better for himself.

"Did they hurt you?" Bogo demanded, and it didn't seem like a question though it was phrased like one; Nick felt compelled to answer anyways.

He shrugged, slumping his shoulders as he whispered hoarsely, "Just a beating, sir, when I fought back. Nothing I'm not used to."

Bogo didn't seem satisfied with the answer, if anything it only seemed to have irked him further, but he continued as he prodded sternly, "And then?"

"They said something, and it made me angry," Nick supplied unsure why he was telling his boss this but felt oddly compelled to, "I'm sorry sir, I know better but I- the collar shocks whatever it perceives as a threat."

The last part was said a bit shakily as he felt his chest ache and eyes droop. He just wanted to lie down and never get up again. More so, he wanted to wake up and for it all to be a bad dream.

"Those animals," Bogo's date hissed angrily and it was sort of funny all things considered; Nick decided then that he liked her.

Bogo seemed to agree with her sentiment as he commanded Nick to get in his house. That seemed a little much to him, but he knew better than to argue with the older male so he quickly obeyed. He skirted past the two larger mammals feeling like a toddler that had just been caught with their hand inside the cookie jar. Bogo slammed the door shut behind him, sealing Nick to his fate.

"I've got to go make some calls," Bogo explained to the two of them as they entered in his living room, "make sure the other predators on my force haven't been… collared, yet. Stay with him?"

"Of course," his date reassured and he lightly pecked her cheek before disappearing in the other room.

It was the first time Nick had thought of the other predators on the force. A sick feeling entered his stomach as he thought of them collaring Clawhauser, who was perhaps the friendliest mammal on the whole force.

"Can I get you anything?" Bogo's date asked worriedly as she gestured for Nick to sit on the sofa, "Something to drink or eat?"

Nick shook his head, unsure he'd be able to stomach anything at the moment. His head hurt from thinking so much, and his heart hurt by how rapidly everything was rolling downhill. By the morning the predator collars will be a legalized thing required and Nick was powerless to stop it.

"I'm sorry I ruined your date," Nick responded because she was staring at him expectantly, waiting for some sort of sign.

She offered him a gentle smile as she reassured, "Don't fret about it, dear. He only pretends to be a jerk. He's quite fond of you guys."

It took Nick a second to realize the 'you guys' translated over to 'the force' and he allowed a slight smile to cross his features. He recalled the few times he's seen his boss joke, and it always came off as strained, but there was just something about it that made it impossible to hate.

"I didn't know where else to go," Nick explained fingers tugging at the fibers in his pants, "I just thought- I hadn't expected for him to have company."

"That's not your fault," she reminded as she went over to comfort him, "and he won't ever admit it but he's happy you did. That meant that you trust him enough to come in your time of need."

"I would've gone somewhere else if I had known," Nick continued, trying to get her to understand that he didn't suddenly show up half-beaten in a malicious attempt at sabotaging the chief, "You know that right? He knows that?"

And she gave him a motherly smile as she reached out to stroke Nick's face gently as she nodded and promised, "He knows."

Nick felt his body deflate in relief, the couch comfortable enough that the draw of sleep started pulling him back under. He had nearly succumbed completely when Bogo returned looking less happy then when he had left.

"They haven't made it over to the other officers' homes just yet," Bogo explained at his girlfriend and Nick's expectant look and the chief ran a tired hand over his face and let it drag, "They're probably too cowardly to attack them surrounded by neighbors."

"But what about Nick?" Bogo's date asked sounding confused, "He's still wearing his police uniform."

"I don't have any neighbors," Nick explained with a shake of the head before he gave Bogo the chance to tell her just how bad he was off, "None that care what happens to me, anyways."

"That's awful dear," Bogo's date continued with a motherly sort of gaze that made Nick increasingly more uncomfortable.

He didn't belong there, surrounded by warmth and those who would at least pretend to care about what happened to him. He was just streer trash, pretending to be something he so obviously wasn't. That was why he had been attacked first because somehow they knew that no one would care what happened to him.

"I have to go," Nick said as he rose to his feet, remembering how Finnick had always stood beside him in the past- through thick and thin he had always been right there- and it was time for Nick to return the favor.

"Where do you expect to go?" Chief Bogo demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing dark eyes on Nick's small form challengingly. He wasn't going to let Nick walk out the front door.

"I have to see my friend," Nick explained.

"Judy's a rabbit. She'll be fine," he reassured misunderstanding what Nick meant. Either that or he really didn't believe Nick had any other friends.

Nick laughed, a forced chuckle, as he shook his head and clarified, "No sir, it's a different friend. He's a- he's a predator, and I don't know if they've gotten to him yet but if there's a chance that they haven't then I need to know. I need- I've got to be sure."

Bogo's shoulders dropped as realization dawned on him. He still looked reluctant, though, like he wasn't quite ready to let Nick back out just yet. The sentiment was nice, but Finnick was still in danger and Nick needed to protect him.

"What's the address? I'll go and check it out," Bogo offered, but Nick was already shaking his head because Finnick didn't trust the cops. Or, at least, not the ones who were nothing more than glorified meter maids.

"He won't open up to you. It has to be me. Please," Nick begged feeling self-conscious but pushed all his stubborn pride somewhere deep down.

Chief Bogo must've seen something there for he turned his head and took a shuddering breath. When he turned back his expression was hard as he nodded, eyes cold and sharp like the end of a knife and it was no wonder the male was police chief.

"You can go," Bogo permitted and the words were barely out of his mouth before Nick was scrambling for the door, "but you can't go alone. I'll call one of the other officers and we can wait-"

"There might not be any time for waiting!" Nick protested when Bogo halted his escape with a firm but gentle hand to his chest, "He's in serious trouble now!"

"I'm not just letting you run back out there in your current condition Wilde!" Bogo actually shouted- something he reserved for when he's become really emotional about something and Nick felt something warm and fuzzy dance through his stomach.

Chief Bogo was worried about him.

Chief Bogo cared about him.

"I'll send Judy a text," Nick reassured as he slipped past the Ox's hold, "She'll meet me there!"

"Wilde. Wilde! Nick!" Bogo called after his retreating form, obviously distressed and sounded seconds from following suit. His date must've been the one to stop him, for which Nick was grateful.

Nick skidded to a stop in front of the alley, relief nearly flooding him when he saw Finnick's van. He hurried over and started banging on the back door, crying for Finnick to open up and when he did Nick was overjoyed at finding him collarless.

There was still hope.

Finnick didn't share in his relief. Dark eyes narrowed on Nick's form and his jaw ticked, like he was clenching and unclenching. He was displeased, but Nick knew it wasn't because he was suddenly showing up at all hours of the night. Not if Finnick's next words were any indication.

"What on earth happened to you Nick?" he demanded and his voice was as hard and angry as his eyes but there was a touch of concern hidden underneath it also.

"I-" Nick reached up to touch the foreign object tied around his neck before he sucked in a deep breath and shook his head, "You need to get out of here. Go. Now."

"What?" Finnick demanded dumbly, "You mean like leave? Zootopia?"

"That's exactly what I mean," Nick reaffirmed seriously, "Please. Before they find you and- before they make you regret staying."

"Oh I'll give them something to regret," Finnick actually growled, and the realization that the anger was directed towards the ones who did this because they were the ones that did this to Nick made Nick stall for a moment.

It was in that moment that Nick's entire world seemed to come to an end.

The bright twin lights of headlights bathed the both of them from behind Nick. At the same time he felt his stomach drop as Finnick's eyes widened to near comical size.

"Finnick. Now. Leave," Nick commanded as he shoved at his smaller friend, eyes pleading.

A hand grabbed the back of Nick's shirt and Finnick disappeared from sight as Nick was tossed towards the street. He heard Finnick's angered protest then his name and Nick knew he needed to get up or else Finnick would share in the same fate as him.

"No," Nick protested scrambling to his feet and charging forward but was swatted away like nothing more than a pesky insect.

Finnick snarled, growling low in his throat, and he sounded like a rabid animal. The sound made something uncomfortable settle in Nick's stomach when he realized he's never heard Finnick make those sounds before.

"Leave him alone!" Nick commanded rushing forward once more.

"Ow! He just bit me!" the mammal that had been dumb enough to try and pin Finnick down cried, and the words made Nick stall just long enough for him to get shoved back once more.

He knew Finnick, practically grew up with him, and not once could Nick recall a time Finnick was ever even close to biting someone. He was known for being gruff and more aloof than anything else but he'd never bite anyone.

It's in their DNA.

The words echoed in Nick's head even as he climbed to his feet and rushed forward once more. He knew the only way Finnick would've bitten one of them was if they didn't give him another choice otherwise. That meant that they were hurting him, and Nick knew firsthand just how violent they could be.

"Stop it! Leave him alone! Don't touch him!" Nick commanded as he entered the fray, grabbing onto one of the mammal's arms and jerking them back.

Something on the side of Nick's head clicked, and he had a split second before he realized that he just screwed up before the pain practically swallowed him whole. His legs buckled underneath him, and the ground was hard and cold and unforgiving, and there was this obnoxious ringing in his ears that he wasn't sure would ever go away.

It did, thank goodness, and with it returned Finnick's peeved voice.

"-it! What are you doing to him?!" he screamed at the surrounding mammals but he sounded far off, as if at the end of the tunnel.

Nick blinked bleary eyes open and was instantly greeted by Finnick's concerned eyes hovering over him. Nick blinked once more before shaking his head, reaching out to shove Finnick away from him. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but he had lost his voice so no words came out. The message was still the same, though, and he knew Finnick got it.

Go. Save yourself.

And Nick thinks that if it had been anyone but him on the ground then Finnick might have. The fact that he didn't spoke volumes, and Nick would've felt honored if the other mammals didn't take advantage of the moment and pinned Finnick down beside Nick.

Finnick snarled and threatened and growled as he squirmed and thrashed but he was pinned so his face was pressed against the ground, and Nick moved as if to rescue his friend. A sudden weight pressed on the back of his neck put an end to that pretty quickly.

"Stay down fox," a voice commanded in his ear, and Nick could only watch as a collar was strapped around Finnick's small neck.

Then they released him, and Finnick attacked.

He jumped up, still snarling, and the green light on the side of the collar switched to red as it clicked and Finnick was back on the ground. He cried out in shock and pain, hands fumbling for the device attacking him and the weight disappeared from Nick's throat, so he rushed over to where his friend was withering on the ground.

Nick paid the other mammals no mind as they left, remaining by his friend's side and waited for it to be over. It didn't last very long and soon Finnick was blinking up at him with wide dazed eyes. Nick knew it was always hardest coming back from the shock.

"This is precisely why I cared about the campaign Finnick," Nick informed with shining eyes and Finnick scoffed, leaning his head back against Nick and said nothing.

XxX

Judy arrived sometime after Nick managed to convince Finnick to get some sleep. Finnick, the stubborn pain, protested but Nick's spent his entire life getting Finnick to do what he wanted so after a quick promise not to go anywhere alone Nick shut the back of Finnick's van door and waited.

Several moments later Judy showed up, still dressed what she had been sleeping in and Nick realized she must have ran all the way there. He knew he probably shouldn't have waited till after making it to Finnick's to have texted her, but some part of him really thought he'd be enough.

Stupid.

"What happened?" Judy demanded, violet eyes wide as she took in the scene before her with a mix of disgust and shock before they focused on him and all Nick saw was concern as she rushed to his side.

"I'm fine," he reassured brushing off her silent distress as he rose to his feet, feeling better than he had several minutes before.

The electrocution wasn't meant to kill or permanently injury, which Nick supposed was one thing to be grateful for considering he's been shocked twice now within the span of only a couple of hours, but it was certainly meant to subdue and it hurt. Even afterwards the pain remains in dull ghost aches that served as a reminder to what happened.

"Nick," Judy chided him but he shook his head as he sucked in a deep breath.

He didn't want her pity. He hadn't back on the cable car when he told her about the muzzling incident and he didn't now. He just wanted to lie down and go to sleep so when he woke up all this would be just some terrible nightmare.

He knew it wouldn't be, though. He knew it was real, and he hated it. All of it, right down to the collars that'll soon be strapped to ten percent of the population. Every predator, big or small, will become Mayor Grace Bell's newest slaves, and it seemed everyone else was just okay with that.

Fear can make those do some pretty extreme things Nikki, his father had told him after he had limped home with a torn Ranger Scout's uniform, and once upon a time that fear was warranted.

Nick hadn't understood that then, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to understand it now. Not with Judy staring up at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to relieve her from her concern. He knew he should. It wasn't fair to make her worry about him, but he was stuck in the vicious cycle or prey attacking predator.

"I hate this so much," Nick admitted with a shaky breath as he leaned back against Finnick's van, tilting his head back so he could stare up at the starless sky.

One of his least favorite parts about the city was how all the lights from the buildings drowned out those above them. It was the only positive he could come up with living in the worst part of the city, and he always felt better looking up at the stars knowing they were old and have been through more than he could ever imagine, yet there they were. Despite everything, they remained.

A single constant.

That's all he thought he'd ever need.

"I know Nick," Judy comforted but they both knew that she didn't, "but we'll figure this out. It'll be okay. You'll see."

Nick remained silent for a long time, staring up at the blank sky expressionless before he found enough courage to look at her. She was watching him with expectant eyes, a certain steel beneath the violet that didn't belong on something as fragile looking as a bunny. It burned so bright that the first time he had looked into it he had been afraid it'd blind him.

So he sucked in another breath as he replied softly, "I hope you're right."

XxX

[1 week later]

Judy was resisting the urge to repeatedly bang her head against her desk. It's been a whole week since she received that urgent text from Nick that changed everything she once believed in. This city just continued trying to surprise her, it seemed, as it slowly revealed more and more of his darker nature she had been blind to as a child.

A place where anybody can be anything, she had thought and after everything she's done she was certain others were getting there as well.

A rabbit could be a police officer, and a bunny could go savage. It wasn't perfect, but Judy had started to see that perfection could be boring and was coming to like Zootopia- flaws and all. Then Grace Bell had been inaugurated and everything changed.

All predators wore collars now, strapped around their necks and being an officer of the law Judy's had the misfortunate of seeing what happens when the small green light on the side turns red. It was frightening, to say the least, and every single time she found herself ill at the thought of that happening to Nick.

Chief Bogo must share her sentiment on the matter as he's careful to remove all the predator officers from the most dangerous situations. Even if something had the potential of turning violent it's one of the prey and not predator officers that checked it out, and even the blind would be able to tell it was starting to grate on their nerves.

It was starting to grate on her nerves, and she wasn't even predator.

She had refused to switch partners. She wasn't going to abandon Nick in this, no matter how much he told it he'd understand if she did. He needed to understand that he wasn't alone and whatever challenges he faced she'd be right there beside him facing them also.

She just couldn't imagine that sitting around and doing nothing all day could be so dreadfully boring.

She was starting to believe that it was even worse than when Chief Bogo had first assigned her to parking duty, if that was even possible. At least then she was able to distract herself with doing something rather than just sitting around and doing nothing.

How did Clawhauser do this all day anyways?

Deciding she was in dire need of a distraction she rose from her chair and started towards Nick's cubicle. Most of the others were empty as Chief Bogo was extending as much work to those without collars as he could, leaving those with collars sitting around and filling out most of the paperwork left behind.

Nick was there, feet propped on his desk as he leaned back. His arms were folded over his eyes and he appeared to be sleeping. On the ground surrounding his chair was stacks of folders and stray papers as the impossible load seemed to grow ever larger every hour.

"Nick?" Judy asked leaning against the wall of his cubicle.

He didn't move, didn't even twitch, as a wiry grin crossed his features. It was the only indication that she got that he had heard her. The green light on the side of his neck seemed to mock her from afar, mock her inability to help Nick in ways he needs most.

"Hiya Carrots," he greeted as he remained frighteningly still, "Did you decide to finally take pity on me and help with my load."

A load, she silently assessed with a quick glance around, that wouldn't even have been half as bad if he had bothered to do some of it instead of whatever this was.

She didn't voice that outload, though, because she was still sparing Nick's feelings. He was struggling, she knew and understood, but so were the others and they got their jobs done. She wasn't sure why all of a sudden Nick wasn't.

"No," she replied instead, "I was wondering if you wanted to take a break. Maybe go get something to eat. I haven't had anything since breakfast."

He didn't move.

"Nah. I'm good. Thanks for the offer though," he denied, and she knew it was to a point where she should start becoming concerned.

He didn't work; he didn't ever seem to want to eat. He was just there because Chief Bogo refused to fire any of them, almost like it was his way of sticking it to the mayor and all her advocates demanding the predators' badges.

"Nick-" Judy tried voice strained with her barely contained frustration but she was interrupted when Nick dropped his feet back to the floor and straightened in his chair.

"Save it Carrots," he told her with something akin to anger in his voice as he picked up one of the folders on top and set it on his desk to start working, "I've got things I needed to do. Maybe next time."

"Yeah. Sure," Judy agreed despondently, ears dropping as she watched him furiously scratch in the folder.

She walked slowly back to her desk, most of the TVs on some news channel reporting on something that seemed so irrelevant. A week has passed, and it was like the collars became ingrained in their normal lives. If Judy hadn't known any better than she could've convinced herself that they've always been there.

She knew better, though, and refused to just accept them.

Every day she became more alone in that assessment as everyone seemed to decided that the collars weren't going anywhere so there was no point in pretending they would. That there was no point in remembering a time where they weren't.

"Ugh," Judy growled in frustration as she plopped back in her, propping her elbows against her desk and burying her face in her hands.

Her parents were concerned, she knew, of just how little sleep she was getting. Even more so than that, though, they were worried about Nick and all the other predators as they lived free from the current nightmare surrounding her.

Judy yearned for that once more.

A place where, though far from perfect, was a place where everyone had a chance to be free. They weren't now, no matter how much Judy wished for them to be.

A commotion out by the entrance perked her entrance, making her ears twitch as she hurried towards the chaos. Clawhauser was standing up from his seat, face a mixture of panic and helplessness. The collar around his neck was still on green, mocking his inability to defend himself.

On the other side of the desk an angry looking gazelle was glowering, and he looked threatening. Judy wasn't sure who could be mad enough at Clawhauser to look at him like that but obviously she was wrong.

"What's going on here?" she demanded rushing forward to assist her friend.

The gazelle turned to look at her before he froze. That's when she realized that he looked so confident because he thought he could, knowing that predators couldn't do anything without getting shocked. Judy wasn't a predator, and she hated bullies.

"Answer me," Judy demanded and saw the moment the gazelle demeaned her as a non-threat since she was a bunny.

"That's none of your business Flopsie. Hop along," the gazelle dismissed her with a wave of his hand before he turned back to Clawhauser.

"In case you haven't noticed I work here, and it looks to me that you're harassing my colleague, which makes that my business. What's going on?" she repeated, voice cold enough to burn as she glared at the gazelle angrily.

The gazelle just wasn't impressed.

He turned away from Clawhauser, narrowing his gaze on her as he took a threatening step forward and practically snarled, "You don't want to mess with me toward Cottontail. Go sell cookies or something while I deal with fatso over here, 'kay?"

Judy heard the thing inside her snap. It sounded like a twig breaking somewhere deep within herself, and she would've acted upon it if not for the hand that suddenly caught her shoulder. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed Nick shaking his head down at her though his eyes were hard.

He didn't like it any more than she did.

The only difference was that he's incapable of doing anything about it, and she's not. Though not that she wasn't blinded with her rage she could see the logic in not attacking the jerk on nothing but basic impulse.

"Look, I'm sorry that I can't do anymore for you," Clawhauser tried awkwardly, "but the law says-"

"I don't care what the law says!" the gazelle shouted back at him, spinning on his heel.

"Hey! Don't yell at him! He's just doing his job!" Judy screamed back, shrugging Nick's hand off her shoulder and going to close the distance between them.

She had no intention of starting a fight and wasn't expecting for the gazelle to suddenly turn violent in the middle of the police precinct. If she had then she might've taken a more subtle approach.

"I'm getting tired of you," the gazelle warned.

"Then leave. We don't want a jerk here anyways," Judy snapped back, hands on her hips and she felt proud of herself finally standing up to the grown-up bullies in this world.

At least, she did until he launched himself at her.

She stood frozen in her shock, staring up at her attacker as her brain tried to register where everything went wrong.

Then the gazelle went flying in the other direction as another object intersected, placing themselves between her and the threat and Judy's eyes widened as she cried out in protest. It was already too late, she heard a soft click before Nick grunted in pain.

Probably on instinct his hands went up to his throat as he gritted the backs of his teeth together. He didn't suddenly collapse, though, which was more than slightly impressive. She's seen bigger predators crumble in pain.

The gazelle skidded, caught himself before turning to glower at the two of them. Nick's back was tense from where he was hunched over, and Judy couldn't see his face but she imagined he was glaring.

"What is going on here?" a booming voice commanded, and it was like the whole room froze.

Everyone expect Nick tensed. Nick just slouched his shoulders forward, tipping slightly. Judy rushed to catch him, wrapping his arm around her neck to keep him upright. He breathed a small breathe of relief as Chief Bogo stomped in front of them, eyes burning in the direction of the gazelle who was wise enough to shrink back.

Judy might not be intimating but he certainly was.

"If you have a problem with my precinct," Chief Bogo informed curtly and though his tone hadn't changed much something about it was truly terrifying, "you take it up with me. You do not attack my people. Are we clear?"

The gazelle swallowed at the first real threat he's perceived before he gave a jerky nod as he stuttered, "Crystal sir."

"Good. Now go," Chief Bogo demanded, and it seemed to Judy that the gazelle couldn't get out quick enough.

Then all that anger was directed towards them.

"What do you two think you're doing?" he demanded, voice harsh as they narrowed on Nick and Judy.

Nick still didn't seem to be completely with the rest of them just yet which left Judy to explain how she had managed to screw everything up. She couldn't help her protective urge to defend what little friends she has.

"It's my fault sir," Clawhauser spoke before she had a chance to, "I- I couldn't get the files that he wanted because of protective reasons, and he refused to accept that. Judy was just helping me out."

Chief Bogo stared for a long time at Clawhauser before his eyes shifted to the collar around his neck then to Nick before he took a deep breath. He looked so old all of a sudden.

"It's alright. Get back to work," he commanded and with several quick nods Judy helped Nick back to his cubicle.

When they finally arrived his eyes were much clearer as he pulled away. He was rubbing at his- no doubt- sore neck.

"Thank you," Judy whispered softly, head bowed as she realized it was because of her that Nick had been injured, "I'm sorry I got you hurt."

"Its fine Carrots," Nick reassured without looking at her, "I just- I really hate these stupid collars. It's not your fault we have to wear them."

His admission didn't make her feel any better. If anything, it made her feel worse on account of him struggling with this, and she was unable to do anything to make him feel better. It's not like she could snap her fingers and everything would rewind back to how it used to be, though she often wished she could.

"It was my fault you felt the need to jump in though," Judy responded in a low voice as she bowed her head and shuffled awkwardly, "I should've kept my big mouth shut. I- It burns me to see others bullying because they know they can."

Nick snorted, and Judy almost felt offended by the sound.

Here she was, pouring her heart out to him in a long apology/confession, and he had the nerve to mock her with amusement. She just hadn't realized how much she missed the growing smirk crossing his features until it clicked that she wasn't really insulted by it. It was nice, seeing whatever relief Nick could find even if it was at her expense.

Not that she was going to let him know that, of course. That would be incredibly stupid of her and, last she checked, it was Nick's job to be the dumb one.

She folded her arms across her chest and cocked her hip to the side in an offended gesture. His grin just brightened as something she truly had missed sparkled in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Carrots," he apologized though he didn't sound especially sorry, "It's just so hard taking you serious when you start speaking like you belong on a carrot farm."

"A carrot farm that you very much enjoyed visiting," she reminded him and it seemed that that was the switch; his expression turned genuinely joyful as he thought of where she came from.

She had allowed him to visit once, finally breaking from her parents constant questioning of when they were going to meet this great Nick Wilde she spoke about all the time (an exaggeration, Judy was certain as she did not speak about him all the time) and Nick begging to see where she had grown up. It was only fair, he had reasoned, considering she's seen everywhere he had been as a child.

She just hadn't expected for either party to enjoy it, at all. She knew her parents were a little more open-minded about foxes after accepting Gideon as a business partner, but she had expected for her parents to draw a line there- between business and personal. She forgot her parents were incapable of creating any sort of boundary whatsoever.

She had also been wrong.

So very, painfully wrong.

Her parents had fallen in love with Nick almost immediately and decided that it was their duty to embarrass one of their children to one of the few friends she was able to make. They refused to let him go anywhere without one of them, reliving another story about when Judy was too young to realize that she was giving her parents potential ammo for humiliating her later. And Nick, the jerk, never protested. Not once did he speak up for her defense and twice she caught him asking questions, curiosity making his face bright.

Once she finally managed to convince everyone that they really had to go back she had vowed to not make that mistake again.

It was funny considering she'd do anything to see Nick stay as happy as he had been there.

"Yeah. You're parents are sweet," Nick affirmed with a soft expression he reserved exclusively for them (not fair) as he added with a small dip of his head in her direction, "They love you, all of you. It's… astounding."

Judy scoffed, feeling uncomfortable once more as she shuffled and replied, "I wouldn't say astounding."

"It really is, though," Nick replied back oblivious to the sudden interest in their conversation, "They have all those kids, raised all those children, yet they could remember so much about every single one of them. It was like with each one it was their first, and they needed to commit it all to memory or else they'd miss something important. They're very special mammals."

Now Judy was extremely uncomfortable.

She had already thought of her parents as the best she could've ever asked for. She loved them dearly and missed them as much as they'd allow, but it wasn't until then she realized just how special they were.

When she had been young she had thought it was easy to get mixed in the ocean that was her siblings. She just had so many, and they constantly seemed to increase each day yet her parents never once made her think of herself as a number. They loved and cared and were always there when she needed them most.

"Yeah," she agreed when she realized Nick was still staring at her, "They are pretty… astounding."

Nick flashed his teeth, smile bright as he grinned crookedly at her, and Judy knew Nick loved his parents but he had grown up an only child. He had never felt the need to fight for his parents' affection, and Judy's sure that the fact that she hadn't either was part of the reason he enjoyed her home so much.

Now Judy felt bad for never taking him back there.

Her parents have certainly asked her about it, always curious about how the great Nick Wilde was doing. It had only gotten worse with the collars. Everything, it seemed, had gotten worse with the collars.

Judy's eyes somehow found themselves on the collar around Nick's neck, and she saw his eyes drop. He didn't like the attention it drew, and he especially hated the pitied looks he received from everyone in the precinct. They couldn't help it, though, and Judy knew firsthand just how much it sucked that they could only watch as their friends and colleagues struggled on a daily basis.

Judy hated it.

She was sure Nick hated it more.

"What's this?" Judy inquired as she forced herself away from her thoughts, reaching towards the stack of open envelopes and folded pieces of paper.

Judy never gets mail and was confused at the thought of Nick getting any. They worked the same cases. They made the same friends and the same enemies.

"Ah. That's not really anything-" Nick claimed as his eyes widened, and he reached out as if to stop her.

Too slow.

In hindsight she should've stopped when she heard the hint of panic mixed in his voice. She hadn't, and the words on the paper made something sour settle in her stomach. At least what she managed to read before it was snatched from her grasp.

Foxes were never meant to be cops.

Cops are fair, foxes are not.

You don't deserve that badge.

The words, cruel in so many different ways, made Judy feel sick, and she had always sort of knew that not everyone was going to accept them but not once did she receive a rude letter about it. Perhaps that was because everyone just assumed she was going to die and were willing to watch her death wish play out.

Nick, on the other hand, was a fox so therefore everyone assumed to be shifty and untrustworthy. Liars and only out to protect themselves and Judy was growing tired of others falling for the stereotypes. Even more so, she was tired of them belittling Nick.

"Nick-" she started not sure where she was going but knew that she needed to say something.

"Save it. It's alright. I'm used to it by now," Nick supplied, but his words offered Judy little comfort; just because Nick didn't make an act to wear his feelings on his sleeves didn't mean he didn't have any, and she knew he very much cared.

He cared about his parents and Finnick and her and lately she's noticed he had started opening up to the precinct and the chief, but he stilled seemed clueless on the fact that they cared for him back. They didn't want him to hurt, and Judy knew they certainly didn't want him to shoulder this burden on his own.

"You should've told me or the chief or-" Judy plowed on anyways because she's known for being stubborn and resilient when it dealt with something she cared for, and Nick very much mattered to her.

"And said what?" Nick challenged crinkling the paper in his fist as he stared down at her with his eyebrows raised, "That I'm receiving mean letters? We're not in grade school. I'm grown. I can handle it."

"That's not the point!" Judy exclaimed as she glared over at him and once she was certain he was listening she continued in a calmer tone, "You're not alone in this."

His expression softened considerably as what passed as a smile nowadays crossed his features. After a long moment he bowed his head and nodded, the letter he had snatched from her a crumpled mess in his hand.

"I know. I'm sorry," Nick apologized, and Judy was tired of how often that occurrence was becoming.

Not necessarily Nick but predators in general. They're all required to apologize about everything, it seemed, even when it wasn't their fault.

Judy's eyes flickered to the letter as she murmured, "It's alright. You didn't do anything."

It wasn't until later that she realized she hadn't been talking about the letters.

XxX

"Come outside. I want to show you something."

"I don't get it. What am I looking at?"

"It's called the moon, Finnick," Nick supplied with a teasing look at the smaller fox; Finnick's frown just deepened- his normally sully mood souring considerably after the collar incident- but Nick learned that he was significantly less closeminded to him.

If anything, Nick seemed to be the only mammal Finnick talked to anymore but Nick suspected that might be because he was the only one he knew that tried. Nick had always thought Finnick had a soft spot for him, though, and it was only strengthened when he finally got Finnick out from the back of his van.

The other day Nick received word from some of Finnick's gambling buddies about convincing the fox to rejoin their weekly game. Nick wasn't sure how they knew who he was considering Finnick's never mentioned them to Nick before. Either way Nick knew then that Finnick probably hadn't left the back of his van since that night what seemed like forever ago.

"I know what the moon is Nick," Finnick snapped angrily as he turned to glare at Nick who was leaning casually against the back of Finnick's van as he demanded, "What's your point?"

Nick shrugged, not taking his eyes from the sky.

"It's nice to get out and breathe some fresh air," Nick responded without looking over at his friend, "and I thought you might like the moon. It's old. It's seen everything."

"Alright then. You've officially lost it," Finnick replied sarcastically as he moved to climb back in his van, "and I'd suggest that if you have a point to say it now."

"My point is that you're not alone," Nick informed seriously, "and you're not the only one suffering. I found that it helps to look up at the moon whenever I forget that."

"Who said I was suffering?" Finnick demanded as Nick pushed off the back of his van and move away.

"Your gambling friends wanted me to check in on you," Nick only sort of lied as he paused at the end of the alley, "and I worry about you. I can't help it."

"My- they actually contacted you?" Finnick demanded in a tone harsher than Nick thought necessary.

"I think that means that they had run out of ideas," Nick responded as he turned to meet Finnick's hard gaze as he silently urged for him to understand, "You're not alone Finnick."

If anything Finnick's expression hardened more at his words. Nick didn't really understand that. At least, he hadn't until Finnick spoke.

"I can't believe they hunted you down. I bet it was while you were working. Please tell me they didn't show up at the precinct," Finnick snarled angrily.

Nick blinked, taken aback by the words.

"Finnick, they didn't show up to my job. They wrote me a letter. It's not that big of a deal. It was a nice switch from the letters I normally…"

Nick trailed off when he realized that he's said too much. He hadn't told anybody about the letters. He never felt the need. He was still a cop and not once did they even come close to changing his mind. They were just draining.

And then Judy found them and now everything was falling apart around him.

Finnick froze, his entire demeanor tensed and he looked mad enough to start a war. Nick thought that was odd considering he never figured Finnick as the one who threw the first punch. Always the last, never the first and it was because of that Nick had allowed himself to grow as close as had to him.

Now he was second guessing even that since Finnick looked moments away from completely losing it. If he hadn't been just the two of them he might have even picked a fight with an innocent bystander since it probably wasn't healthy to have that much rage concealed in one's self for too long.

"What letters?" Finnick demanded and his voice was normally harsh but this time it seemed nearly brittle, like at any moment it would crack open and all of the underworld would break free.

"Finnick-" Nick tried, and he really did.

"Nick, what letters?" Finnick interrupted, and Nick allowed his shoulders to slump as his ears dropped behind his head at the unnervingly calm tone Finnick was now using.

Nick's known him long enough to know that Finnick was about to lose it, and he couldn't really blame him. So much has happened since the collaring incident, and every day it was only getting worst. Still, he didn't like the thought that he was the thing that finally pushed Finnick over the edge.

"They're not a big deal," Nick reassured and when that wasn't enough he raised two fingers in the air and promised, "Scout's honor. Would you like me to cross my heart too or are we good?"

Finnick said nothing for a long time as he just stared. Nick resisted the urge to fidget as he stared back, hoping to convey with his features that it was alright, and that this was one thing Nick could really handle.

Then, finally, Finnick released an exhausted sort of sigh as he shook his head and replied, "No. We're good."

Nick grinned crookedly at his friend once more as he turned to head back to his home. It was already too dark to offer any sort of comfort before mammals started getting braver towards the idea of mugging a fox cop.

"Oh! Before I forget," Nick called over his shoulder without slowing his pace, "I got you something!"

He turned the corner before Finnick had a chance to protest.

XxX

There's a saying poor mammals tell themselves in order to make themselves feel good: 'when you reach the bottom then you can only go up from there.' Nick very much wanted to find the person who started that and throat punch them, or arrest them- whichever came first; it could very much get worst.

It certainly did for him in the form of Justin Savage.

He already didn't like wolves, with the whole predator kidnapping scheme they planned with the ex-mayor. And even before that he hadn't considered them very bright, always howling towards the moon like they couldn't help it. Not once had he ever considered them savage before. Idiots, sure, but not anything vicious. Nothing scare worthy.

Justin just seemed determined in proving everything Nick thinks to be a lie.

Nick came in to work late since he had to chance his route to avoid the mocking tones of other mammals, and though he hasn't snapped yet he can always feel himself on the verge. He only had so much patience he could spare. He's also convinced the only thing keeping him from getting mugged was the fact that he was a cop.

After the incident with the gazelle Chief Bogo made it painfully clear that he would always side with his force. It was a rather nice sentiment, Nick thinks, considering Chief Bogo was one of the few who actually held some sort of power in this whole ordeal, so no one was dumb enough to try and attack an officer.

Mocking from a distance was a completely different story, so Nick just removed himself from the situation completely and took a different route which in turn made him late. Very late.

"She's a monster!" Savage was screaming at anybody who would listen while one of the prey officers gripped him in a tight hold.

He was considerably more complacent than he had been before, which probably had something to do with the collar around his neck. Becoming too agitated set off the trigger and Nick was surprised it hadn't already.

"She collared us like animals! How are we any different than the rest of you? Huh? What makes you superior?" he challenged turning in the grip to stare the officer in the eye and he must have caught sight of Nick entering the building because something in him changed.

"Wilde!" he exclaimed charging in his direction, stunning the officer holding him enough to get him to release him.

Nick blinked, taking a slight step back. Justin's collar never went off, though, so he figured he was probably safe. Or, at least, he did before Justin grabbed his shoulders in a vice grip and gave him a hard shake.

"Nicolas Wilde! You've got to understand! Take my side and tell everything exactly what you think of the collars! Tell them Grace Bell deserves to be burned at the stake for everything she's done to us! Tell them!" he shouted shaking him once more and Nick's mouth dropped opened uselessly.

"Don't make this worst for yourself Savage," the officer that had been restraining him prior growled as he finally made it over to them and jerked him away from Nick.

Nick blinked, still stunned at being sought out.

He sort of wished Savage would listen so of course he didn't.

"Let go of me! I won't be silenced!" Justin cried and made the mistake of struggling in the hold.

Click.

He went limp as a strangled cry escaped his throat, and Nick was close enough to catch glimpse of his neck.

A sudden feeling of revolution churned his stomach as he caught sight of several long scars running up and down the wolf's neck. Scars that stemmed and branched out from his collar, products from where the collar had shocked him repeatedly and Nick couldn't imagine the amount of times it had to activate for it to become so bad.

Yellow slits blinked back at him as Justin smirked and scoffed, "You know. Tell them just how much a monster she is."

"I'm getting tired of your mouth," the officer restraining the wolf finally snarled as they spun around to leave.

Nick never got a chance to say anything for or against Justin's statement.

XxX

"Sir, I'm turning in my badge."

Chief Bogo's head never moved as he looked up to focus his normal hardened gaze at him. Nick wasn't fazed, having long since grown used to the police chief's tough exterior.

"I'm sorry?" Chief Bogo demanded and he did set aside the pen he had been using to fill out the many forms stacked upon his desk.

"I'm turning in my badge," Nick repeated simply, "I'm resigning."

Chief Bogo's immediate reaction wasn't one of startled shock. He didn't even appear fazed, save for the tensing in his shoulders or how his hands clenched on top of his desk, and it was no secret that he was overworked and stressed because of the new collars. That's what Nick told himself it was. Stress.

"Why?" Chief Bogo asked and his voice was almost deceptively calm.

Nick refused to allow himself to be deceived. The ox was overly tense about something that shouldn't be that big of a deal. Nick's neck started to itch from where the collar was tightly clasped around skin and fur. He had to resist the urge to scratch, knowing it would give away the true answer.

"Because I'm a fox, and that's what we do," Nick replied simply with a slight shrug of his shoulders and he tried to sound like he couldn't care about what he was about to do.

He did, though.

He did very, very much.

"I'm not buying it," Chief Bogo declared as he refused to accept Nick's resignation without at least talking about it; funny considering he never seemed that open about discussing things before.

"Yeah. Well. We're good at tricking others," Nick supplied as he set his badge on the desk, and when he left it there some part of him seemed to die.

He didn't want to quit. He loved this job. He loved the idea of finally finding a path where he could help others and prove that foxes could be so much more than what they used to be. He just couldn't do it anymore. Not with a collar strapped around his neck.

"Is this about the other morning?" Bogo demanded, eyes briefly flickering down to Nick's badge before settling back on him. The ox didn't make a move to grab the discarded item.

It took Nick longer than it should have for him to realize he was talking about the gazelle. That time he did reach up to paw at the underside of his collar.

"No," Nick replied honestly, "Not really."

"Then what-" recognition filtered through his chief's dark eyes as they seemed to harden considerably as he ground out through clinched teeth, "Savage."

Nick inclined his head, eyes going to the floor at being found out.

When he realized he had been unable to deny what Justin Savage was preaching downstairs in the lobby, he realized that he couldn't do this job anymore. He couldn't protect those worth protecting while he himself was still so biases.

"Wilde, ignore him. You two are nothing alike," Chief Bogo tried and it sounded odd coming from him, the ox never really one of the comforting type.

"Aren't we, though?" Nick challenged though he kept his tone pacifying, "When he was saying those things about Grace Bell I should've replied. I should've shut him down, told him that what he was saying wasn't true. I didn't though. I just stood there."

"So you do think that Grace Bell deserves to die because of all this?" Bogo prodded and Nick actually flinched, clinching his eyes shut as he shook his head jerkily from side to side.

"Of course not," he replied, "The only thing that'll solve is prove that she's right. Crazy and paranoid with good reason."

"And that's how I know you and Savage are not the same. You still hold some sort of sense," Bogo informed and Nick realized he'd been tricked, "and we need cops with some sort of good sense."

A compliment.

Chief Bogo never gave out compliments.

Nick scoffed as the corners of his mouth twitched. It was nice for someone to say something highly about him for once, especially when he realized that he was genuinely wanted in the precinct.

"Thank you sir, really," Nick continued anyways but stopped when he realized for the first time since he was very young that he had no idea what he wanted to say.

"Pick up your badge on your way out, and take the next couple of days off. You look like you could use the rest," Bogo commanded as he returned back to one of the files scattered across his desk, "and the next time you come through that door I expect an update on the pirated movies."

Nick blinked, standing in the middle of the room dumbly, before a crooked grin crossed his face.

"You're the boss," he said as he retrieved his discarded items and headed towards the door, relieved at being told- however indirectly as it was- that he wasn't alone in this.

It was that thought that perhaps got him through the next couple of days.