"Why'd you let him sleep here again?" Judy asked Nick, looking down at the fennec fox sprawled on the couple's couch. For such a small mammal, he sure snored like a herd of drunk elephants.

"You saw how he was last night. You wanted him to drive that van of his home in that state?" Nick retorted.

"Well obviously not," Judy said, frustration evident in her voice. It was Sunday morning and she was nursing a mild hangover, so she would have loved to sleep in. Being rudely woken up by a snore that could wake the dark gods and cause the apocalypse wasn't helping.

"Right! So, look, you go back to bed. I'll wake him up, get him some coffee and call him a Zuber back to the bar so he can go get his van when he's awake. Fair play?"

"Fine," Judy huffed, feeling it better to agree than have a fight. "But I'm gonna take a shower. I'm not going to be able to go to sleep again. Can you do me a coffee too?"

"And how about a turkey bacon and sausage sandwich with the special enzyme ketchup for your hangover as an apology?" Nick asked.

"Apology accepted," Judy said, though still with a hint of frustration. She gave Nick a quick peck on the cheek before making her way to the bathroom, taking her phone with her so she could listen to music. She closed the door, turned on some Guns n' Rodents while disrobing and thought back on last night.

She tried to like Finnick, she really did! But Jesus, she just wished her fiancé's best friend wasn't so… abrasive. Best friend didn't really cover what Finnick was to Nick. He wasn't quite a father figure, considering their interactions. Brother, perhaps? Yeah, that seemed to fit. Finnick was like an older brother to Nick, but not the kind who was responsible or a role-model. No, he was the kind that taught by showing you what not to do. At least, that was how she saw it.

As she turned on the shower and waited for the temperature to get just right, she knew she shouldn't be so judgemental. Whatever her feelings, Nick saw Finnick as a good mammal who had it rough for far too long. And with the stuff, Nick had told about his time on the streets and the years after, Finnick had been instrumental in making sure Nick hadn't ended up dead. Plus, there was the time after the night howler fiasco that he had told her where to find Nick. If he hadn't done that... well, she wouldn't be where she was now, starting a new job at the Zootopian Major Crimes Unit with Nick as her partner and soon-to-be husband. So, she technically owed him more than she could ever repay.

But GOD, Finnick made it difficult to like him. She never wanted to say who Nick should be friends with, but Finnick was always taking him to some shady bar. While Nick was usually able to say when to stop, there was something about the way Finnick would goad him to drink more, to try and get him to play cards for money and hustle some drunks out of a few bucks… or try to take him to one of those big underground games. Gambling was illegal in the city, but it still happened, and usually, the police were too busy dealing with bigger crimes to bother with illegal gambling. Nick hadn't taken part in those since he'd started at the ZPD, but she was worried Finnick's influence would get him back into those old habits. Then she worried that meant she didn't trust Nick enough to not fall into those habits, which in turn made her feel bad for not trusting Nick's judgement in friends.

Anxiety was quite a bitch.

But last night hadn't helped her perception of Finnick either. Nick, Judy, Kate, Bhrast and Minhele were having a discussion about Nick and Judy's work as detectives and their recent promotion to the Major Crimes Unit when Finnick had shown up. Things started off cordially enough, but when he had caught up in the conversation and learned about their new salaries as MCU detectives, things turned sour fast. At first, it was just passive aggressive comments saying that Nick could afford to pay for his drinks and food, which he did. Judy wanted to say something, but she thought a little generosity might cheer up the small fox. But after a couple of hard drinks, he started grousing at the state of the world, how unfair it was for foxes. And while that was true, she couldn't help but cast her mind back to Nick telling her that Finnick was fired for short-changing customers. The way he had described it, Judy wasn't sure if he was doing it intentionally or not.

Then he had picked a fight with a rhino who spilt his drink. Though in fairness, it didn't help much when the rhino had asked Nick what the hell he was thinking bringing his son to a bar. It took Nick, Judy and Bhrast to drag the tiny ball of rage out of the bar, who then promptly staggered around and scratched his van up just trying to open the door. It was on the fourth attempt that Nick simply picked him up and carried him back to their apartment, dumping him on the couch. It had put a significant damper on the entire evening.

Still, with the shower revitalising her, Judy found her patience for Finnick returning. Nick was a good judge of character and wouldn't have stuck with his friend after going straight if he didn't think he was capable of the same. She turned off the shower, catching some water in her eyes as she did. With her music still playing, she stepped out, reaching for a towel to dry off and get her sight back.

She became concerned when a small paw passed her a towel, and even more so when the smell of faeces hit her nose.

Quickly clearing the water from her eyes, she saw Finnick flush the toilet he had just vacated. All while smiling. He gave her a quick look up and down, smiled, and said, "Nice."

Some females would have screamed at this point. Judy was not one of them.

Finnick went flying out of the bathroom, the door damn near breaking off its hinges and the fennec clutching his stomach. He scrambled up quickly though, just in time to get a hairdryer to the face.

"YOU PERVERTED FREAK!" Judy shouted as she came bounding out of the bathroom, clutching the towel to her body and aiming a punch at Finnick's muzzle. The fennec cringed, waiting for the blow, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes to see Nick picking up Judy who struggled, trying to get out of his grip while keeping her modesty intact.

"Judy, what the hell's happening here?" Nick asked while holding his fiancée at arm's length, not wanting to get kicked in the chest by the furious bunny.

"That sick bastard took a dump while I was in the shower then got a fucking eyeful!" she screamed, almost succeeding in getting out of Nick's arms.

"Hey, I said you looked nice! No need to give me the fucking stink-eye!" Finnick shouted back as if that made it ok.

"I'll give you a damn black one!" Judy screamed but then noticed that while Nick still held her aloft, his grip had gotten tighter. He placed her on the floor, then walked over to his friend.

"See, my mammal knows a compliment when he hears one!" Finnick said laughing. The laughter was cut off abruptly when Nick started growling. "Yo, what up, fox?" the smaller mammal asked.

Suddenly, Nick grabbed Finnick by the scruff of his shirt. Growling the entire way, he carried the smaller fox to the door of their apartment as Finnick twisted and swore in his grip. He opened the door and tossed Finnick out so hard he actually hit the opposite wall. Without saying a word, Nick slammed the door. A few seconds later, a pounding at the door came.

"Hey, yo fox! Mah wallet's in there!"

Nick glared around the apartment and spotted Finnick's wallet and van keys on the coffee table. He retrieved them, opened the door, threw them at his friend and slammed it again without saying a word.

"I'll, uh, catch you later, yeah?" Finnick said from the other side. After a tense pause, the sound of small paws walking away could be heard.

"Son of a bitch," Nick said, finally relaxing. He walked over and collapsed on the couch. "I'm so sorry about that, Judy."

"Hey, not your fault," Judy replied, walking over as she clutched the towel to her still dripping body.

"I thought he was still asleep, so I got distracted while making your breakfast. Urgh, never took him for a peeping tod… ok, that's a lie, but still!"

"It's ok. I'm just glad you're not making excuses for him," Judy said, sitting on the couch next to her mate.

"I think I might be done doing that." Nick sighed, shaking his head. Judy's heart jumped. Sure, she wasn't happy about what had just transpired and was furious with Finnick… but the way Nick said that, like he was losing a family member, was tugging at her heartstrings. Especially considering the current situation with his mother.

"Well… give it a little time then go and talk to him. As long as you make sure he never does that again…"

"Oh trust me, I won't be going anywhere…"

"While I appreciate the sentiment, Slick, maybe don't throw away... what? A fifteen-year friendship over one incident?" Judy asked, rubbing his arm.

"More business arrangement than friendship," Nick grumbled, but with a lighter tone. He sighed. "Maybe you're right, but I'll give it a couple of days so I don't have the urge to bite his face off."

"In all fairness, Nick, I'm fairly sure Finnick could kick your ass when he's sober," Judy joked. Maybe before the police academy that was the case, but she knew from personal experience how tough Nick could be when required… and flexible too. "Look, I don't like him that much, but he's your oldest friend. If I get an apology, I'll be fine."

"Maybe," Nick conceded, smiling. "Lemme get your breakfast finished, Fluff," he said, getting up and heading back to their kitchen. Judy thought about dropping the towel and inviting him into the shower, but her hangover headache put the kibosh on that idea.

A few minutes and one change of clothes later, she was feeling a hell of a lot better as she munched on the freshly cooked turkey sausage and bacon sandwich that was dripping with soy cheese and the special enzyme ketchup Nick had picked up from the speciality food shop. It used to be a mere food van, but word seemed to have gotten around that the owner, an omnivorous skunk, was able to let predators and prey try food they hadn't before. He'd been able to set up a full store that catered to all sorts of mammals who wanted to try something new. The stuff was expensive due to the special ingredients needed to let a tiger digest hay and so forth, but it did well enough.

Nick was having the same thing but without the ketchup, as it would upset his stomach since his digestive system was already set up to eat the meat. He was sitting contentedly on the couch, one arm wrapped around Judy as they ate. As they were making plans for the day that mainly involved slobbing around and getting over their hangovers, the sudden sound of both of their phones ringing at the same time caught them by surprise and caused a slight panic. The only other time this had happened was when one of Judy's brothers had been taken to hospital after being crushed by a tractor and her parents had been trying to get a hold of her. Thankfully, Bobby had managed to keep his leg, but it still dredged up unpleasant memories. They both checked their phones, and their guts sank as they saw who was calling… Precinct One.

Judy answered first, but sensing the need to do so, put her phone on speaker so Nick could hear as well. "Detectives Hopps and Wilde," she answered.

"Hopps, Wilde," Bogo's voice said over the phone. "Sorry to call you on a Sunday, but we have a developing situation at the MCU and we need you both in, now."

"Sir, it's our day off and we don't start at the MCU until Monday. Isn't it Carrot and Cheery's scheduled weekend in?" Judy asked. Due to the lack of mammal-power, one pair of detectives was scheduled in every weekend (with two days off during the week) just in case something came up that couldn't wait until the following week. With four pairs of detectives plus Vines, who tried to be available if needed, they usually had enough cover to manage any new cases that came up, which they rarely did. Mostly they used the time to work on their own cases.

"Yes but… look, Hopps. Frankly, you and Wilde have some contacts that make you more suited for the case. I'd rather not do this over the phone. Can you and Wilde get a taxi? The department will pay for it and you'll get double overtime for the day. Fair enough?"

Judy turned to Nick, who nodded. Six months ago, she would already be out the door on the way to the station, but their first case as detectives had exhausted her and her mate. So, she had eased back a little, taking the time they needed to recover and only doing the overtime if it was necessary for the case, and always with Nick's opinion on the matter. Him nodding confirmed that he had the same thought. If Bogo was calling them in on a Sunday, it must be serious.

"We'll be there soon, sir," she answered.

"Excellent. I'd recommend dressing for warm weather."

"Well the offer's nice and all, sir, but traditionally the unexpected tropical honeymoon is given after the wedding…"

"Shut up and just get here quickly, Wilde," Bogo said, ending the call.

Roughly twenty minutes and one short taxi ride later, Nick and Judy walked through the doors of Precinct One. Nick was dressed in his favourite silk shirt and light khakis, while Judy had opted for a simple black shirt and leggings. They made their way through the busy lobby of the precinct and up to Bogo's office. Judy knocked and pushed the door when a gruff "come in" was uttered, Nick following behind her.

However, they both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who else was in the office. Captain Sam Vines of the MCU was as expected, standing to the side of Bogo and flicking through what looked like photographs. But, so was Lieutenant Bagheera, the top investigator of the ZPD's Internal Affairs department, who was sitting in one of the two chairs in front of the Chief's desk.

"You know, just once, I'd like to have a member of the ZPD be genuinely happy to see me when I turn up unexpectedly," the panther said, chuckling. Judy's and Nick's hearts stopped beating so fast, figuring if the IA officer was making jokes, it couldn't be as bad as they thought.

"You chose the job, Bagheera," Nick said jokingly, ushering Judy forward and shutting the door behind them.

"A fair point," Bagheera replied, smiling. Judy and Nick walked up and took the other large chair in front of the desk.

"Hopps, Wilde," Bogo said, nodding. "Thank you for coming in on your day off, and I'm sorry for cutting it short."

"Sir, what's this about?" Judy asked, wanting to get down to business. "May I also ask why Lieutenant Bagheera is here?"

"All in due time, Hopps," Bogo answered and gestured towards Captain Vines, who promptly held out a set of photos to Nick and Judy. Nick took them and held them up so Judy could also see, and they both elicited a short gasp at what the first photo showed. A horribly desiccated and naked polar bear, lying on his back and surrounded by sand. A lot of his fur had come off and seemed to be scattered around. The normal muscular build looked horribly atrophied, and the patches of visible skin looked dry. The face was especially damaged, the muzzle tight but opened at an odd angle, showing some of the teeth on its left side but covering the right. The eyes had shrivelled and sunk into the skull. The entire thing seemed like somebody had tried to stuff a skeleton meant for a large bear into a much smaller skin. The limbs were also set at odd angles, seemingly frozen in place as if the corpse was being raised into the air. It was also most definitely male, his genitalia shrivelled but visible.

"Just under three hours ago, the emergency line got a call from a witness who said she stumbled over an outstretched bear paw while walking in the desert of Sahara Square," Captain Vines said. "Officers and detectives from Precinct Twenty-Six were dispatched immediately, finding the paw. After setting a perimeter, they began to dig and found the victim. We're still trying to get a rough estimate on how long he's been there, but because of the small amount of decomposition that happens in a desert environment, it'll take longer than normal to work out."

Judy took the photo from Nick that showed the entire body. This was terrible, especially for a polar bear. One thing she had learned from Nick, who used to have many acquaintances from Tundratown, was that they preferred to be buried in the snow. He'd never been sure why; apparently, it was just some vague quasi-religious reason. But to be buried in the desert? That seemed… insulting?

"Sir, while tragic… I don't see what this has to do with Major Crimes. Wouldn't this death be under Precinct Twenty-Six's jurisdiction?" she asked, taking her eyes off the picture.

"Exactly right, under the normal circumstances," Vines answered. "But if you look at the photo that shows the John Doe's right foot…"

Nick obediently searched through the photos and held the one in question up so Judy could see it as well. It indeed showed the sole of the bear's foot. However, there was something off about it. She stared closer and saw what seemed to be a strange birthmark… but upon closer inspection, she recognised it as a highly stylised, bright white capital B.

"I don't understand sir?" Judy said when a gasp from Nick caused her to turn towards him. Her fiancé looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Perhaps Wilde can explain better," Bogo said.

"Judy, this is… well, I suppose 'gang tattoo' is a bit of an odd way to put it, but this is what it is. This polar bear," he paused before swallowing, "he's almost certainly one of Mr Big's enforcers."

Judy stared back at the photo and saw how stylised and intricate the tattoo was. For something so simple it was quite elegant, which matched the personality of the most feared mob boss in the city.

"What Wilde says is a bit of an assumption, but is most likely correct," Vines said, taking the photos from the pair and flicking through them again. "We obviously need to find out this guy's identity, but all the bears who work for Mr Big have this tattoo on their feet."

"So… that explains why this would go under MCU's jurisdiction," Judy said. The death of a known member of the mafia would definitely fall under their purview. "But why are Nick and me here… actually, don't tell me," she said, anger starting to fill her voice. "It's because Nick used to have an association with him before he joined the ZPD, isn't it? What? Does someone think Nick had something to do with this!?" she continued, rising in her chair to stare Bogo in the eye.

"Judy, calm down," Nick said, placing a paw on her shoulder. "I'm sure we can straighten this out."

"Your half-right, Hopps," Bogo said as Judy sat back down. "This has come to MCU because of the assumption that this bear is one of Mr Big's mammals. The detectives down in Tundratown have also said there have been rumours of some of Big's mob looking for one of their own but on the down low. There's been a marked difference in their usual routines. Nothing that confirms anything illegal, as per usual," Bogo huffed, hating the fact that Big was very good at covering his tracks. "But enough that the difference has been noted by others in the area."

"And the reason you brought Nick in?" Judy asked through gritted teeth.

"We actually brought you both in," Vines said, rolling his eyes. "And it's not for any accusations. We want you two to work this."

The answer caused Judy to hold back the insult she was about to unleash. They wanted her and Nick to investigate this death?

"May I ask why, sir?" Nick asked the question that had come to Judy a little late.

"Because of your previous history with the Big family. And by that, I mean both of you," Vines answered. That caused Nick and Judy to look at each other. They did not like where this was going.

"Wilde, we are all well aware of your previous association with the Big crime family," Bogo said. He raised a hoof to silence the protests that were to come from the partners. "Yes, we know you sometimes supplied them with information or sold items to them. Nothing illegal, but sketchy. We also know you have had no contact with them for at least a year prior to the night howler incident, and none at all since then. Internal Affairs checked, and rechecked, that when you joined the force."

"Yeah, you can thank Akela for that," Bagheera said, ending his silence. "Say what you want, but she did her homework when she was part of IA. Couldn't find anything illegal, and she would have if there was anything." Nick twitched a little at that. While he and Judy were friends with Akela now, he still held a little bit of resentment over his treatment by her while she was part of IA. He had forgiven her, but it still hurt a little, having been immediately suspected of foul play just because he was a fox.

"And then there's Hopps," Bogo said, turning to Judy. "I believe you are the godmother of Judy Big, Mr Big's grandchild?"

That was unexpected.

"Sir, Judy has not had contact with…"

"I didn't ask you, Wilde," Bogo interrupted. "Hopps?" he asked while turning away from her partner.

"Sir, Detective Wilde is correct," she said after swallowing. "Yes, I am the godmother of Judy Big, which was due to me saving the life of Fru Fru Big during my arrest of Duke Weaselton… and after you gave me 48 hours to solve a case the entire department hadn't solved in weeks or I would have had to resign," she added, loving the look of guilt that ran across the Chief's face.

"Yes… well, that was not professional of me in the slightest, and I believe I have apologised for that on numerous occasions. But that aside, you enlisted his help a second time after that, didn't you?"

Judy gulped as she turned to Bagheera, who motioned for her to continue. Oh well, it wasn't like Bogo didn't know.

"Yes, sir. As I told you when I rejoined the force after I resigned and became aware of the connection to the Midnicampum holicithias..."

"That's night howlers to those of us who didn't have an education in botany," Nick interjected.

"Yes Nick, thank you," Judy said, rolling her eyes at her mate. "When I learned of their connection to the savage predators I enlisted the help of Nick and Duke Weaselton. As Weaselton was uncooperative, I sought help from Mr Big... who persuaded him to tell us where Doug Ramses' lab was located by threatening his life. I was naive to believe he wouldn't go that far at the time."

"And you Detective Wilde? Were you that naive?" Bogo asked.

"I'd say more hopeful than naive, sir."

"So you can see where this leaves me. We have the murder of an assumed member of the largest crime family in the city. We have you two, where you both are in a unique position of having some insider knowledge and access to that family, which also puts you at a risk of corruption… SHUT IT!" he bellowed as both Nick and Judy went to protest. "I am not meaning to impugn your characters, but look at it from an outsider's point of view. How does it look?"

Judy and Nick looked at each other, but both saw a reflection of their own expression. Reluctant acceptance.

"It looks like a mess, sir," Nick answered. "Especially with that whole mess with Captain Higgins a few months back." That debacle had done real damage to the ZPD's integrity. Not only had a high-ranking member been guilty of selling drugs and murder, he'd also been one of Bogo's own subordinates at Precinct One. There had been questions and criticisms of Bogo's judgement in promoting his former sergeant to the captain of Precinct Ninety-Nine.

"Glad we agree on that, Detectives," Bogo replied. "Do you know the reason why neither of you was arrested or charged with anything after you told me what happened?"

"Yes sir," Judy said. "Duke Weaselton denied that the incident took place, along with Mr Big and three other of his… staff. That's what you told me when you invited me back to Precinct One."

"Indeed, Hopps. That was not the only consideration, however. You were put in a bind; the conspiracy of Dawn Bellwether's had everyone fooled, including me. So while I don't condone the actions you and Wilde took, I couldn't detain you. The issue never went to Internal Affairs since, at the time, you were not a police officer," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Now, with all that to consider, put yourself in my hooves at this time. We have a case potentially involving the biggest, and yet seemingly most untouchable crime boss in the city. We have two detectives who have some inroads with that same organisation, ideally placing them to investigate. Yet at the same time, the reasons for those inroads are… concerning. What would you do?"

Judy considered the question for some time. After that, she simply shrugged. "I have no idea, sir."

"Glad I wasn't the only one stumped when Captain Vines brought this case to me," Bogo replied. "And that's why Bagheera is here. Lieutenant?" Bogo indicated the panther.

"So, Hopps, Wilde, this is an unusual case even by MCU standards. This is why we're giving you the opportunity to turn it down. You, Wilde, have unique insight into the inner workings of the Big organisation while you, Hopps, have an unusual connection to his family. If you accept the case, you will submit all your files to me as part of an open Internal Affairs investigation."

"Does this mean you'll be following us around as well?" Nick asked.

"No. It would be impractical for many reasons. I can't imagine you'd be as effective as you are by dragging a glorified HR manager around," Bagheera said jokingly. "I will expect weekly updates on the case, in person and no later than your sign-off for the day, say, every Friday?" He sighed, shaking his head. "If I have any concerns, you will be removed from the case, and possibly the MCU, pending a full investigation and whatever the results of that may entail."

"Other than that, are we allowed to get on with our jobs?" Judy asked, unsure how she felt about this predicament.

"Of course. Look, Hopps, Wilde, we don't like this any more than you do," Captain Vines cut in. "But ever since Captain Higgins was caught killing mammals, the ZPD has been under intense scrutiny, especially Internal Affairs. Though honestly, if that hadn't happened then we'd probably be going down that route anyway. I hope you can appreciate the reasoning behind this. It in no way means we don't trust you, but this is a tricky situation, and we've been wrong about officers before."

"So, with all that said, what do you say, Detectives? You still want to take on this case?" Bogo asked, holding up a folder and taking the photos from Nick. He placed them in the folder and held it aloft, ready to withdraw it or hand it over.

"I'd like to do it," Nick said before Judy could think of a response. "I've got nothing to hide."

"We aren't accusing you or Hopps of anything, Wilde," Bagheera said soothingly.

"I know," Nick said with a warm, genuine smile. His time at the ZPD had shown that he was trusted, not dismissed as a stereotypical, shifty fox. Still, he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to use this to prove that again. He'd prove it as many times as people required it.

"I'm in if Nick's in," Judy said, placing a paw of support on her partner's arm.

"Are you both certain?" Bogo asked, in what seemed like one last chance to back out.

"We're sure," Nick and Judy answered together.

"Good," Bogo said, smiling, and held the file towards them. "Now get out there and find that killer."

With a quick glance and smile at each other, the partners took the folder and spoke as one.

"Yes sir!"

Notes:

Thanks again to DrummerMax64 and CombatEngineer for their sterling work. Also, trying to be better with my comma use.

Next chapter has been started might be a week or so though.