Judy tried to sit up but Nick held her down by her shoulder.

"Judy calm down you're going to hurt yourself." He said nervously.

He pulled the blankets back revealing one of her feet. They both stared at it uncertain as Nick gingerly wrapped his paw around her toes. Nick searched Judy's face for any sign of recognition but saw none. Her eyes welled up with tears as reality crashed down on her. Nick thumbed the 'Call Nurse' button while assuring her everything would be fine.

Two nurses, a doctor, and Chief Bogo himself. The nurses added injections to Judy's IV's while taking her vitals.

Chief Bogo placed a hoof on Nicks' shoulder, "Come on Wilde, give the doctors some room to work."

He wheeled Nick out of the room still grasping his shoulder. Nick pulled up the blinds on their way out. He let Chief Bogo guide him as far as the end of the window before he stopped.

"I'm not leaving her, sir." Nick said firmly.

Chief Bogo turned on him but saw Judy staring at Nick fearfully. He sighed heavily and leaned his back against the wall facing away from Judy.

"Drop your poker face and you'll be on parking duty for a year." He warned.

Nick nodded still facing Judy, "Understood Chief."

"Good. We found two of the attackers."

Nicks tail bristled but his face remained unchanged, "I'm sensing a but in there."

Chief Bogo grunted in agreement, "We don't know if we got them all or if anyone is still out there."

"I really hope you aren't asking what I think you are Chief."

"I'm Sorry Wilde, we need to know how many attackers there were. I can give you four hours before I need at least something to go on." Bogo put his hoof on Nicks shoulder more compassionately this time. "Hops is strong she will pull through."

"Her kits are at my apartment with my mother." Nick said.

"We put extra patrols in the area." Bogo promised.

"Thank you Chief, I'll talk to Judy."

"It won't be a surprise to her, she is one of our finest officers." Bogo said clapping Nick on the shoulder one last time. "And believe it or not you match her step for step when you want to."

Bogo left without another word. Nick watched Judy carefully from the window. The crowd had thinned down to a single doctor and nurse. Nick reentered her room and waited by the door until they were alone.

"Hey Judy are you feeling any better?" Nick asked unsure what to say.

"Sore everywhere but my legs. What did Chief Bogo want?"

"He told me that we caught two of the guys that did this to you." Nick told her nervously.

"Good." Judy's voice was cold as ice, "Did the Chief mention who they caught?"

"No he actually wanted me to ask you some questions about last night." Nick rubbed her paw with his thumb, "If you're up for it."

"I'm ready." Judy said confidently.

"We don't need a lot of details right now just how many people attacked you." Nick said turning on a recorder.

Judy stared at him thinking, "There were five of them in the house that I saw maybe more outside."

"Holy shit Carrots, you fought off five mammals!"

"I was upstairs putting the girls to bed. Jack was downstairs working on his next article. I heard them kick in the door. Jack… Jack was screaming. Oh God! They stabbed him over and over again…."

Nick held her paw tight, "That's enough Judy. You can stop now."

"No!" Judy said firmly knocking his hand away from the recorder, "A tiger had Jack in a chokehold while a rabbit dressed in a suit stabbed him. They saw me before I could stop them. The badger and ocelot chased me to the bed room with knives. I shot the badger four times in the chest but fought with the ocelot for the gun. I knocked him out but the gun slid away from us. I grabbed my spare gun when someone shot me in the gut. I couldn't see their face but it was definitely a rabbit that shot me."

Judy shivered from the memory tears flowing freely, "He told me to lay down and die like Jack did or he would hurt my girls. I shot him in the shoulder but he escaped. I crawled to my girls. I'd never been so scared in my life. Then I heard you Nick telling me to stay."

Nick stopped the recorder. "That's enough Judy you need to rest."

He pocketed the recorder and moved to stand.

Judy held his paw tightly, "Now it's my turn to ask you something."

"What is it Carrots?"

"When you told me you loved me did you mean it?"

Nick stopped, "Of course I meant it. I've loved you for since our first case. I wanted us to be together forever."

"But you never asked me to."

"I was scared. Scared you would say no, scared that my fears about us would be true. Jack had a ring on your finger before I could even work up the courage to ask you out. I'm sorry Judy I should have fought for you. I just thought that bowing out like a gentleman would be the right thing to do."

Judy gazed up at him sadly, "When I told you that Jack had proposed to me I was torn, I was in love with both of you. You told me you were happy for me and I thought that maybe you didn't feel the same about me as I did about you. I'm sorry Nick."

Nick awkwardly hugged her without letting her sit up, "Don't be sorry. You have three beautiful Kits now. Jack gave you something that I could never give you a chance at a normal life."

Judy wrapped her arms around him and wailed into his shoulder. The full weight of her loss had finally caught up with her. Nicks ears twitched in discomfort but he refused to let her go. Someone knocked on her door Nick and Judy let go of each other reluctantly. Judy's parents came in fearfully.

"Hey Jude." Stu said weakly.

"Mom? Dad?" Judy said surprised.

"We're here Judy." Bonnie said reassuringly.

Nick stood up uncomfortably, "I need to get this over to the ZPD." He said holding up the recorder. "I will be back in about an hour. Do you want me to bring the Kits?"

"Yes please I need to know they're ok."

Nick flashed his best reassuring grin and turned to leave.

Bonnie stopped him before he could, "Thank you Nick. You saved her life." She hugged him tearfully and he gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

"Anytime she needs me." He promised.

Nick pulled out his phone and called the station dispatch as he walked.

"This is Dispatch."

"Hey Dewclaw, its Wilde. Has the ocelot from the Hopps case been questioned yet?"

"Not yet he is still under medical care with a severe concussion. But the other two suspects are being interviewed now."

"Good I'm on my way in with Hopps's testimony of the assault."

"You got that out of her already?"

"She insisted on giving it right away." Nick snapped defensively.

"Sounds like Hopps alright. I'll let the chief know."

"Thanks Kell."

"How's she doing Nick?"

"She's awake now but that's about all anyone knows at this point."

"She's a tough one Nick, She'll pull through."

Nick pulled in to the station and dropped off the recorder for evidence to transcribe. Nick made his way down to Interrogation where he found Bogo himself shouting at a lynx that was on the verge of wetting himself. A deer was in the other room waiting for her turn with a steely gaze. Nick read over the file evidence gave him on their suspects. He threw open the door and stood in front of the deer.

"What? You think you can scare me Zorro? I ain't scared of nobody!"

Nick smiled maliciously, "Well that's good if you scared easily this wouldn't be as much fun. Do you know who was shot last night?"

The deer shrugged, "Lots folks get shot what's it to me, Zorro?"

"You and I both know about a cop that was shot last night."

The deer scoffed loudly, "So some Azul gets bit, what's it to do with me?"

Nick opened the file in front of him and pulled traffic camera still, "This was taken when you ran a red light. It proves that you were at her house when she was shot."

"That doesn't prove anything!" The deer shouted.

"Maybe not for a jury of twelve but we don't need one."

The deer hesitated, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you know who you assaulted last night?" Nick asked sliding a chair under the doorknob, "Part of the god family of Mr. Big."

The deer paled, "No way that can't be true."

"Oh it is." Nick answered, "He owes her a debt of gratitude for saving his daughters life."

Nick jumped onto the table holding the picture up close to the deer's face, "Now I know the organization personally, and this is all the proof he needs."

Chief Bogo pounded at the door behind them shouting furiously. Nick ignored him.

"Now I'm not asking as a cop. I'm asking as an old friend of the Tundra Town Mafia. What is his name?"

The deer was visibly shaking, "You wouldn't be a cop and tied to the Mafia."

"Why not? Even the chief is worried I'll do something stupid right now."

"I can't give you his name."

"Then I can't protect you." Nick said turning away.

"Wait! If I tell you he'll kill me!"

"If you don't you'll freeze. Now tell me his name and he'll never get the chance."

"It's Giovani Maroni! He came here to expand his territory. Please don't let him get to me!"

"Then you better give the Chief everything right now. Or you'll be back on the streets."

Nick pulled the chair away from the door, it slammed open explosively.

"Wilde! If you have laid one paw on our suspect!"

"I didn't touch her at all Chief, honest." Nick said flashing his brightest conman smile, "Ask her yourself, she'll tell you that she wants to confess to everything in exchange for protection."

"Get out!" Bogo growled.

Nick slid past him practically humming. He winked at the deer knowingly. The deer starred back at him horrified at his nonchalance in the face of Bogo's rage. She nodded slowly confirming that she would do as Nick said.

"One week suspension! Unpaid!" Bogo roared slamming the door behind him.

"Good." Nick muttered under his breath still smiling, "Now I have time to find him."