"I never saw him again after that. Well, I kind of did. He was on the news." Nick frowned and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before sighing.

Judy was listening intently to Nick, at the same time taking down notes. Nick noticed her scribbling down key details about Robin.

"Hey, I'm over here baring my soul to you and you're taking down notes? That's cold, Carrots." He acted wounded, but there was that smile on his face that told Judy it was alright.

"Well, he is a key suspect. And you're directly related to him so..."

Nick chuckled and flopped back onto the bed. Judy lay beside him and they stared at the ceiling for a bit, admiring the wood patterns.

"That probably felt pretty good, didn't it?"

Nick turned his head a little and looked at Judy.

"What felt pretty good?"

"Telling me about your dad."

Nick thought for a moment before shrugging.

"... No, not really."

Judy turned to face him.

"Well, either way, I'm here for you, okay? Now come one, let's get some shuteye. Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day!" She bounded to her pillow and drew the covers over herself, falling asleep within seconds.

Nick sat there and watched her for a bit. It'd been a few months since he became her partner and he was still getting used to how genuine she was. He had to admit, after all those years living as a lowly crook, it felt good to have someone he could depend on. A partner. A friend.

Nick yawned and glanced outside the window. His gaze was greeted by a pair of sharp emerald eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment, mimicking each other's head bobs and tilts. Those eyes were familiar...

Before he could react, the eyes ran off. He immediately leapt out of bed and sprinted out of the house, his eyes burning with determination. Judy was unperturbed by the commotion and merely turned to her other side, still soundly asleep.

As he chased the figure, he wondered if it was a wise idea. If this was a trap, he'd probably regret his next decision.

With one final burst of energy, Nick leapt forwards and tackled the mysterious stranger. The two of them tumbled a short distance before coming to a halt in a clearing lit only by the stars.

Nick groaned and sat up, taking a good look at his quarry. It was a grizzled fox, probably pushing 60, who was dressed in pure black. Lean and muscled, Nick was surprised he'd been able to keep up with him, given his toned physique.

The other fox sat up as well, rubbing his head.

"Well, I'm getting old, aren't I, kiddo?"

Nick's jaw dropped when he heard that voice. The ring wrapped around his tail was the final piece of confirmation for him.

"Dad?!"

"Hey there, Nick. Long time no see. So, law enforcement huh? Can't say I've seen a fox try that out. Can't be going too well for you, hmm?"

Nick got up and kept his distance from his father. He looked so different. That once lustrous, well-groomed coat was grizzled and dishevelled. He had a terrible scar on his cheek that went all the way down his neck. Matching the scar, his left eye was perpetually half-closed as if it'd been paralysed.

Mirroring Nick, Robin got up and dusted himself off.

"So, why?" Nicks asked after a brief silence

Robin glanced at Nick who was standing there, glaring at him.

"Why what?"

"Why'd you run away?"

"Run away? I was protecting you and your mother!"

"Yeah, by being a thief! I looked up to you!"

"Well, how do you think I'm feeling right now? My only son, a police officer? Ha, a fox in the ZPD? Us foxes were never meant to be goody-two-shoes and you know it."

"Well, maybe us foxes were never meant to be the bad guys either! Ever thought about that? Have you even tried to be anything else to the other species? I still remember what you did to the wildebeest, dad. Turns out, he was a very nice fellow."

"Yeah, who'd be mean to a cop? Listen, Nick, I'm wasting precious time arguing with you right so if you'd be so kind and let me be on my way..."

Nick stood there, fuming mad. His eyes, however, betrayed a deep sadness that made Robin flinch slightly.

"You've changed, dad..."

"Yeah, twenty years being cooped up in a jail cell tends to do that to you. Still, it's better than spending my days being ordered around by the big guys..."

Nick watched as Robin ran off, too mentally drained to try to follow him.

"Nick?"

He turned and saw Judy standing there.

"What? Are you gonna ask why I let him go?"

"I wasn't..."

"Whatever, come on, let's get back."

Nick walked back towards the house, staring at the ground the whole way back, the now-cloudy skies dimming the fields.