Nick's pov.

Nick sat alone in Finnick's van scrolling through his contacts to see if there was someone who could help him find his friend, going through the seemingly endless list it donned on him just how many animals he had screwed over just to make a quick buck, finally giving up he put his phone back in his pocket, "come on Nick think... I could use the cops to point me in the right direction... but I did run from that mermaid well I can't stay here he might come back." Nick looked around the van spying Fins catnip, "shit better clean up before I get the cops" Nick checked all the compartments, under everything, and in everything to find anything illegal, gathering it all in a garbage bag he found in the van, before Nick left he took the keys from the ignition and locked up the van before he took the garbage to a bin a few blocks away just to be safe from there it was only a short walk to the ZPD.

As Nick stood outside precinct one he ruffled up his fur made his tie hang sloppily from his neck before he entered. Looking around frantically he spied a fat cheetah manning the front desk he ran up to the cheetah, "HELP I need help! Please my friend he..he " well I might as well lay it on thick wiping a fake tear from his eye he continued "HE was kidnaped..." he finished off sniffling and looked up at the heart broken cheetah "oh you poor thing go to the detective offices over there go in the first office and wait ill tell him you're coming" Nick hurried along making his way to the detectives room. When Nick reached his destination he read the name on the door Detective Doug Wool Nick knocked, with no response Nick let himself in shutting the door behind himself, looking around he seen a simple wooden desk with quite a few files on it, with his eyes fixed on the desk he approached it reading the file names on them one stuck out Missing Mammals Nick began thumbing through it, Mr. Emmitt Otterton, it donned on Nick that he was Mr. Big's florist and that's how he knew him, suspected kidnapping last known location there was only a picture from a street cam showing him outside in the street, there were more files but Nick heard hooves making their way to this room he took a picture and put the file back taking his seat he folded his hands and put them in his lap while he waited. The ram entered the office eyeing up Nick as he shut the door " so you're the fox Clawhauser told me was coming? well, let's get on with it." The ram finished by plunking himself down in his chair, Nick cleared his throat and started, "Well sir, my friend Finnick was kidnapped we were at his van hanging out then we went to make the last call at the bar but there was someone outside he knocked us out and took Fin." the ram cleared his throat, "alright fox we've got everything we need we will call you if we find anything" Nick stood up he was pissed "you didn't even take my number and I have a name you asshole" the ram stood up putting his hand on his gun "you best leave now fox!" it's not worth getting arrested. Nick stormed out of the office his claws were fully extended with rage he balled his paws into fists causing his claws to dig into the pads on his palms, with every step his anger grew and with it he clenched his fists causing his palms to bleed, just before he made it to the door a voice came from behind him "why did you run you know I could have put out a warrant for your arrest and I could arrest you right now"

He turned to see an annoyed fox staring at him, this time,she was just in her police uniform no safety vest nor hat. "not right now, now's really not the time" Nick let his paws relax letting a few drops of blood run from their cuts and hit the floor

Judy spoke again "are you okay you're bleeding? Nick?"

Nicks' voice cracked as he answered her, "I'm fucking fantastic my only friend just got kidnapped right in front of me I have a splitting headache, and to top it all off no one here will help me because I'm a fox."

Nick felt a paw on his shoulder he looked up at her "Nick, I'm sorry to hear that...Hey, what if I help you find your friend?"

"but you're a meter maid," Nick paused this is probably all the help I'm going to get clearing his throat he apologized, "Sorry what I meant to say was thank you ... where should we start?"

"at the scene of the crime of course," she beammed.

They made the trip in good time due to Judy's hopped up meter maid mobile when they arrived Nick fished the keys for the van out of his pocket.

"Well this is it, the scene of the crime" he exclaimed as he unlocked and opened the back door of the van.

"What were you doing...oh do you remember any times like when it happened, we need things, details anything you can remember?" Judy asked as she fished out a not pad.

"Well after my run in with you I came here, it was getting dark maybe nine pm we hung out lost track of time and..." Nick was cut off

Judy intervened, "hung out...is that why it reeks of catnip here? oh, and I'm still not happy with you running away from me."

"It's called a hustle sweetheart, now if I may continue, so we lost track of time and we were going to make the last call at the bar when Fin stepped outside of the van there was a dark figure there, and he had a baseball bat he knocked Finnick out then turned to me and said don't worry you will get what's coming to you too and then he hit me over the head with the bat next thing I know its noon and I'm in Fins van."

Judy finished scratching down notes before asking, "was there anything else did you see the attacker?"

Nick thought for a moment, "well things are pretty hazy he was a little shorter than me and cloaked in black."

"Alright, do you know who could be after Finnick is it? or after you?" Judy asked.

"Well in our line of work we don't exactly make a lot of friends" Nick admitted. "so no I do not know who kidnaped Fin." Nick thought for a moment, " hey how manny missing or kidnapped mammals are there? is it possible they were all kidnaped by whoever took Fin?"

Judy tapped her pen on her chin as she thought about it, "well not including Finnick there were fourteen missing mammals, but Fins the first fox... and I don't have access to the files yet."

Nick smiled putting on his signature sly grin, "well its a good thing you know a crafty good looking fox like me." Nick pulled up the photo he took earlier of Mr. Ottertons file "it's not all fourteen of them but it's a start"

Judy moved closer to him peeking at his phone, "Nick you know that was highly illegal,"

Nick smiled moving his phone away from her, "fine I'll delete it then"

"Noooo!" Judy yelled, "um I mean it could be used as a lead on Fin uh we should probably investigate it just to be sure"

Nick laughed, "alright come on I know the place in the picture where he was last seen"

"Whoa hold it right there slick you're no cop you're not going anywhere."

Nick looked at the white fox before him, "you know there's two ways this could go, one I leave you here and I investigate myself, two I let you tag along if you keep quiet about the slightly frowned upon things I do sometimes" Nick held his hand out "deal?"

Judy looked at the outstretched hand, "slightly frowned upon the crimes you have committed and admitted to I could have you locked up for..."

Nick abruptly cut her off, "fine I'll do this myself"

Judy swallowed her pride, "Fine whats in the past is history and after we investigate and find Fin you delete that file."

"Whatever you say foxie" Nick teased.

"Don't call me that!" Judy protested.

"Sure thing snowflake" Nicked looked at the agitated officer before him, "What I can't help it your just so cute when you're being teased but not as cute as when you were in that meter maid outfit." He added a wink just for good measure.

Nick watched as Judy blushed and looked away as she climbed in the side by side "can we just go please" she whispered barely audible Nick felt his heart sink.

Nick climbed in and stayed silent, Nick swallowed hard pulling at his tie that seemed to be strangling him, "so..." he drummed his hands on his legs "are we going to drive the whole way there in silence?"

Judy sighed, "apparently not"

Nick could feel the tension grow between them "I'm sorry"

"its fine its just..." Judy started

"it's just what" Nick pried

"it's just nothing"

"doesn't sound like nothing" Nick muttered

some time past in silence until Judy broke it, "it's just this job I've been on the force a month and it's nothing but parking duty every day I wanted to be a real police officer, it was my dream since I was a kit, not a meter maid" the white fox sighed, "they all said I wouldn't make it maybe they were right."

Nick looked at the poor fox who came so close to her dream and failed, "hey don't listen to them we crack this case they will make you a real officer"

Judy looked at him with a half-hearted smile "thanks Nick, hey you don't have to answer but why do you do what you do? Hustle and lie I mean"

Nick fidgeted with his hands in his lap, "well I was young still in high school I was fifteen by that time I learnt the truth no one trusts foxes the other predators would beat me up the prey were scared of me I had no one I was the only fox in the entire school until one day there was a transfer student Finnick, one day like usual I was getting bullied Fin came and stood up for me, man we got our asses kicked, after it was over Fin turned to me and said that is the last time that will ever happen if we can't beat them with our arms we beat them with our heads," Nick laughed remembering like it was yesterday, "we stayed up the whole weekend planning our revenge, what we done was put dye the kind that stains fur in Pepsi then we put mentos on strings in the caps. Monday at school we sold the pop to all the bullies we made fifty bucks each and when they opened their drink they got covered n sticky pop and dye and since then I figured that if the world was only going to see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy why try to be something else." Nick cleared his throat and looked out the side of the vehicle, "long story short we got kicked out of school so we ran away never looked back it was just us against the world."

Nick felt Judy's paw clasp his shoulder "I'm sorry Nick that mustn't have been easy I'm glad you told me and I don't think your shifty or untrustworthy just a little mixed up in bad things."

Nick put his mental walls back up and shook off Judy's paw. "I don't need your pity! and I don't need you! this was a mistake" and with that, Nick jumped out of the moving side by side and took off leaving a confused Judy behind.

AN: Wow Nicks got some problems what will happen will they ever find Fin?