Arresting eleven perps meant filling out eleven stacks of paperwork.

By the time the pack was processed, night had settled over Zootopia. The holding cells in Precinct One's basement seemed starker in the cheap fluorescent light.

Nick paced down the corridor, ensuring each cell was secure. Every wolf met his gaze, beaten but defiant.

He stopped at the last cell, smirking at the pack's leader. "Have a nice night, O'Donnell. I'll see you tomorrow morning for your humiliating interrogation."

Wolf just laughed. "You'll be hiding behind the glass, right? I ain't afraid of you, pup. You can't stop one scrawny raccoon. And you can't stop me."

Nick showed no reaction. "...Don't flatter yourself."

Once he reached the stairwell, he allowed himself the luxury of a frown.

He brightened again when he saw Judy and Clawhauser chatting at the front desk. He jogged up.

"Thanks again for helping us with the paperwork, Ben," Judy was saying.

"Yeah!" said Nick. "We owe ya, Sprinkles. You're a treasure."

"You guys are gonna make me blush...!" The cheetah was lively as ever. "I'm happy to do it. You two are the big heroes, after all! Taking out a whole pack of wolves, by yourselves...!"

"Well," smiled Judy, "we had some help."

"If you can call that 'help'," murmured Nick.

"Gosh, that's right! Word is that Sly Cooper gave you a hand..." Clawhauser rested his chin on both paws. "Last year was so crazy. I wonder what's gonna happen this time?"

Nick grunted. "Is it too much to ask that we just... don't? Cooper ends up in jail with a minimum of psychological pain on my part?"

"Don't mind him, he's cranky," said Judy to Clawhauser. "Seeing Sly really put him in a bad mood."

"Really?" He blinked. "But he seems so charming..."

"Yeah. Key word: 'seems'." Nick stretched out, feeling a crick in his neck. He was exhausted. Moreso than usual. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we talk to Bogo, the sooner we can call it a night."

"I hear that!" said Clawhauser sympathetically. "I have a few hours left here, but soon it'll be my day off!"

Nick gave him a smile. Clawhauser had a way of brightening his spirits. "Well, you've earned it, buddy. Enjoy your Saturday."

"Thanks! Catch you later."

Leaving him humming Gazelle's latest hit, Nick and Judy headed for Bogo's office.

"So," said Nick conversationally. "We're boned."

"We are not... boned," said Judy, after a self-conscious glance around. "You don't think Bogo will just take someone like O'Donnell at his word, right?"

"I guess we'll see. But I have a bad feeling about this."

The high corridor was empty. Bogo's office was the only room still illuminated. Judy knocked on the door, and after a grunt from inside, Nick opened it.

"Hopps. Wilde." Bogo's desk was covered in papers. It always was. "Take a seat."

The chair across from the desk, built for the likes of McHorn, was large enough for them both. It was far from the first time the partners shared the seat in this office. It wouldn't be the last.

Bogo took his time filing away papers and removing his reading glasses, letting them stew. At last, he spoke. "I wanted to discuss the events of the second of May last year. The night at the museum."

Judy blinked, twice. "Well, sir, we both filed reports at the time."

"Yes. Which I read, and found satisfactory." His eyes narrowed. "And now I want to discuss it again. If that's quite alright?"

"Yessir. Of course, sir." Judy bowed her head, ears low. Nick nodded.

"I reviewed those reports, since you mention it." Bogo settled his mighty elbows on his desk, one hand resting on the other. "Your accounts fully align with the security footage. The two of you, along with Inspector Fox, encountered the Cooper Gang as they were attempting to leave via the front entrance. Dorothy Perrault then remotely closed the security gate. This left you and Cooper's two accomplices outside the museum lobby..." His eyes travelled from Nick to Judy. "...leaving you, Fox, and Cooper himself trapped inside. Correct?"

"Yessir."

"As Wilde drew out the leader of the second criminal gang by publicly slandering his innocent brother, in a move which was borderline illegal if admittedly successful..."

Nick managed a smile. "'Borderline Illegal If Admittedly Successful' is my middle name, sir."

"Mmh."

"In honour of my uncle."

"While that was happening," said Bogo, turning back to Judy, "you were helping Fox contain a semi-savage Tai Lung. And... so was Cooper."

Judy nodded. "Yes. That's accurate."

"I know that Cooper volunteered his assistance, and I know it's no coincidence he happened to rob Kifalme blind the next morning. His psychological profile is well-documented; he targets other criminals, and sometimes aids law enforcement to that end. Mostly Inspector Fox."

Bogo's fingers were drumming against his fist.

"In other words, there's precedent here. Cooper aiding the arrest of another criminal is nothing new. But 'asking to sleep on your couch'? That's a serious allegation, even coming from scum like O'Donnell. This is beyond the professional realm... and it's not something I can allow."

Judy begged her nose not to twitch. "Chief, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that when that diamond was in danger, I chose to grant you certain freedoms, Hopps. I believed it was in the best interest of this department to give you free reign." His voice was quiet, but deadly. "I just hope you were using that freedom wisely."

Judy wished she could play dumb. Look the chief in the eye and swear she had done everything by the book. But she hadn't. And she remembered everything.

She remembered the texts, the jokes. Saving his life; Sly saving hers. Holding on tight as they drifted through the treetops, his paraglider shielding her from rain. Talking in that dark lounge, hearing his fears, laying a paw on his shoulder as–

"She did."

Nick's voice dragged her out of her thoughts. He stared Bogo down.

"Trust me, sir. I was with her most of that time."

"As usual," muttered Bogo.

He ignored the jab. "Chief, you know my partner. You know she's reckless and unorthodox, but you also know just how much she loves this city. And her job." His voice was firm. "I sign off on everything she did."

Judy remembered everything. How her decisions had driven a wedge between her and Nick, tormenting him with worry. But here he was, defending her. As he always did.

She resolved to give him a very, very big hug later.

Bogo seemed satisfied. He trusted Nick's judgement as a cautious counterbalance to Judy's. "...Very well. In that case, can you explain these allegations?"

"Simple." Nick folded his arms. "Last year, we had some face-to-face interactions with Cooper. From those interactions, he got the impression we fell for his nonsense 'noble thief' schtick. Now, I can't speak for my impressionable and all-loving partner here, but I personally consider Sly Cooper to be a showboating narcissist who thinks his basic empathy somehow excuses his lifelong crime spree and complete disregard for due process." He shrugged lightly. "That's where I'm at."

Bogo nodded. "An accurate assessment. I'm glad to hear that from you, Wilde. Frankly, you can be a little soft on suspects."

"I think," said Judy, with the careful but firm tone she used when challenging Bogo, "that compassion is the most important quality an officer can have. Nick's people skills are his biggest strength, and that includes his empathy."

"Thanks, Hopps," he murmured.

Bogo seemed unimpressed. "And is that your tactical recommendation for pursuing Cooper, Hopps? Asking him nicely to surrender?"

Judy cleared her throat. "Um... well, sir, if I'm being honest – and I know this might sound odd coming from me of all people! – I think my tactical recommendation would be to... not pursue him. He's got no clear goal here except to relax. With no crime in progress, and considering how difficult it is to pin him down, it might not be worth the resources. Not when we're always busy anyway."

Bogo watched her coolly. "Tell me this, Hopps. Do you think the rest of his gang is in Zootopia?"

She frowned. "I don't know, Chief. He spoke to us as though he was alone. He said the entire Gang was 'on vacation', but only mentioned himself from then on."

"Yeah, like that's unusual..." scoffed Nick. "I can't say for sure, sir. It's possible he was trying to mislead us. I'd err on the side of caution."

"Wise. But suppose Cooper is alone. He is just here to relax." Bogo's eyes narrowed. "That strikes me as an ideal opportunity to arrest him. And an exceedingly rare one, at that."

Judy smiled. She really, really, really did her best to smile. "Oh! Yes. Of course. That's a great point, actually. Ha ha."

"...Yes. So I'm going to contact Inspector Fox."

"Good call," said Nick immediately. "I keep up a personal correspondence with her, sir, so I know for a fact she's relatively closeby on a low-priority assignment. She'd be eager to hear Cooper was spotted."

Judy's ears were low. "I guess it'd be nice to see her again, one way or another... but I was hoping her next visit wouldn't be chasing Sly. Again."

"Well, there's one way to make sure of that," said Nick, arms folded. "Arresting Cooper. For good."

Bogo grunted. "I have to say, I'm not sure I've ever heard you two disagree so often in the course of one conversation." He smirked darkly. "There's hope for you yet."

"Um... thanks." Nick shifted in his seat, trying not to show his impatience – his fatigue. "Is that everything, Chief?"

"No."

There was a force to his tone. Bogo was focusing solely on Nick now.

"On the subject of vacations... There was something else I wanted to mention. Concerning your performance, Wilde."

Judy glanced to Nick, then back to Bogo. "Should I leave, sir?"

"No, you should hear this too. Maybe he'll actually listen to you."

Nick, subtly, took a deep breath. He had a feeling he knew what this was. Showing no reaction, he met Bogo's gaze.

"You've been making mistakes lately. Minor errors. You're better than that, Wilde. Your paperwork is usually spotless." Bogo leaned forward. "You've barely taken vacation time since you started here. If you need to rest, rest. Dedication is one thing. Competence is another. I prefer my officers to have both, not fixate on one. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. Understood."

Bogo glanced to Judy. "Of course, your partner is already setting a dangerous example for you..."

She chuckled nervously. "Guilty as charged."

"...but even Hopps takes more time off than you do." Bogo was quiet. "I can't force you to be healthy, Wilde. But I am asking you, as your superior, to figure out what you need. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." Nick dipped his head. "I get it."

"Good." Bogo slipped his glasses back on. "Then I suggest you start by going home."

1955 Cypress Grove Lane. Home.

Judy folded her arms tightly as Nick unlocked the door, almost hugging herself. The autumn wind was biting. Her ears hung low against her shoulders.

"I don't like lying to the precinct like that. Especially to the chief."

"At what point did we lie?"

Judy huffed. "Oh, sorry. Were we using exact words? Like Scar?"

"I just told the truth," said Nick simply.

He opened the door, flicking on the light. Judy sighed as she nudged the door shut. "...I'm glad to be home. It's such a cold night."

"Yeah. It is."

Nick headed for the living room, but Judy lingered by the door. "I wonder where Sly is right now..."

Nick said nothing.

After a moment, Judy followed him. He had collapsed onto the couch, limbs splayed. He glared blearily at the ceiling.

"So, um..." Judy clambered up to sit on the opposite armrest. "Should we feel bad?"

"No."

He was tired, but firm. Judy watched him intently. Even after all this time, it was sometimes difficult to read him.

But it was clear he wouldn't bend.

"I've seen you angry at perps before," she said. "I mean, you rarely show anger at all, to anyone, but I've seen it. But you seem especially upset at Sly."

He sighed. "Nothing's changed, Carrots. I think he's just as much of a bad influence as last year. Worse, maybe."

"Okay..." Judy hugged her knees. "Can I ask why? I don't want to start a fight or anything, I just want to know. Sly helped us last year. Why are you still so distrustful?"

Nick sat for a moment, ordering his thoughts. "At the risk of sounding like a complete moron... there are two kinds of criminals in the world."

He pulled himself upright, turning to face her.

"You've got the people who do it to make a living. When they've got no other way to pay for food, bills..."

"Ranger Scouts uniforms," said Judy softly.

Nick's mouth tightened. "...Whatever. But then you have the other type. People who could live long, happy lives without breaking a single law, and break the law anyway just because they can. Maybe they're rich, but they want more. Maybe they like pushing people around. Maybe they just really, really want to see how it feels to hurt someone." His eyes met hers. "Or maybe they think stealing is fun."

"So you're saying Sly is the bad kind of criminal."

"I'm saying he terrifies me. He's an absurdly talented guy who should be following your example and making the world a better place. He could do so much good. But instead, he just chases his whims." Nick shook his head. "I don't want to play his game. That's why I've been so grouchy. It's not funny to me."

Judy nodded. "Well, I see where you're coming from there. But no matter how you look at it, he did help us."

"Because it fit into his plan!" said Nick. "No, worse – because it amused him. We're literally a joke to him, Carrots. Doesn't that bother you?"

"I think," said Judy slowly, trying to finalize her opinions as she said them, "a lot of the time, it doesn't matter why you do something as long as you do it. That stuff is important, but nothing's more important than the actions we take. Lionheart – to use his own words – did the wrong thing for the right reasons. He's still in jail for it. And if you do the right thing for the wrong reasons – that's still the right thing. Right?"

"I think," sighed Nick, "that we're only having this discussion because you've already decided you like him. And I can easily see us having the exact same discussion, with the positions reversed, if it was someone I liked and you didn't."

"Yeah," said Judy. "Me too."

Nick blinked. "What?"

"I can totally see that too." She shrugged. "Look, Nick, I admit it. Sly and I hit it off last year. We worked well together, even made each other laugh. You and I can sit here and philosophize all night, but the simple fact is I like him as a person and you don't. I'd be stupid to ignore that."

He watched her for a moment, then smiled. "Well. Haven't you become self-aware."

"I had to start eventually," she smirked. "For one thing, if I stop myself from being dumb, that saves a lot time. Mostly yours." She lit up abruptly. "Oh, that reminds me...!"

Judy leapt over, catching Nick in a warm hug. He tensed, but only in surprise. He returned the embrace, patting her head.

"What's this for?"

Judy nestled against his chest. "For sticking up for me in Bogo's office, even though I was dumb and reckless and a bad partner."

"I mean... whatever." Nick looked very intently at a stain on the carpet. "It was a year ago. I'm over it. No sense punishing you for it now, that's all."

She chuckled. In other circumstances, she would tease him for his transparently feigned detachment. But he was tired, so she spared him the embarrassment. Somewhat. "Thank you so much. You're the best partner anyone could have, Nick. I mean it."

Nick's mouth wobbled. He met her gaze, eyes soft. "Thanks," he murmured.

Judy gave him one last big squeeze, then pulled away to give him space. "You need your sleep, so I won't keep you any longer. Feel better soon, okay?"

"I will, Carrots." He smiled shyly. "But only because you asked so nicely."

She gave him a very, very gentle shove. "You are such a dork."

"You're more of a dork for liking me."

"Can't argue with that..."

Before long, the house was still. The lights were off, the doors bolted. They turned in for the night.

And the Black Phantasm set to work.