James Otterton didn't even flinch as he heard the door open and saw a faint stretch of light reaching for him. He stayed wrapped up in his old blanket that lined the cage that had been his 'home' for...he couldn't even remember how long it had been sense he had been kidnapped.

As he heard the clop clop of hooves he buried himself more into his only comfort, hoping the owner of those hooves would think he was asleep and leave him alone. He was done with being sneered at and teased for not being 'pred' enough to attack a little sheep.

Dawn Bellwether...James had to admit part of him did want to rip into that devil sheep's wool and make her pay for the hell she had put his family through. However, his parents had raised him better than that. They had raised him to be forgiving and that violence was not the answer. He might never see them again but that didn't mean he had to forget their words.

An aching loneliness squeezed James' heart again as he thought of his family and friends along with the knowledge that he would probably never see them again. His eyes began to blur with tears as he heard a weird sound as if something small had fallen onto the floor.

"Oof! There's no reason to be so rough!" Forgetting himself, James bolt right up in his cage. He knew that voice. He squinted his eyes as the door closed, placing them in almost no light again. He could sort of see a faint outline of someone small picking themself off of the ground.

"Bernee?" the outline moved as reflective eyes looked at him.

"James?" the soft feminine voice held the same disbelief as his had as those eyes moved closer until James could make out the form of his friend. "James!" she rushed the rest of the distance between them, her paws sticking through the bars of his cage in attempt to hug him. "You're alive!" James did his best to ignore the bar pressing between them as he returned the hug; breathing in her scent.

"What are you doing here Bernee?" he asked as he reluctantly released her so that she could look at him again. He saw that her eyes were shinning with tears as she gave a choked sob.

"They took me too James! They grabbed me on my way home from piano lessons." James growled angerly.

"Those jerks! Why did they go after you?" she gave another sob as she roughly wiped her eyes with the back of her paw.

"They said that I was going to encourage you to cooperate." James eyes widened in both fear and surprise. He knew that they meant by 'cooperate' but how were they going to have Bernadette help with that?

James jumped as he heard the door again as Bernadette spun around to face whoever was coming in.

"Oh good you two have reunited already." James tensed as he reached through the bars to grab Bernadette's hand as he noticed her shudder as both Valentin and Dange walked in. They left the door open a crack as they took their seats in their usual simple chairs across from James cage. He squeezed Bernadette's hand as Valentin's smile widened as he motioned at her.

"Like the gift I brought for you, little otter?" James could feel Bernadette trembling, giving him enough courage to speak up.

"Why did you bring her?" Valentin raised an eyebrow as Dange shifted irritably in his seat.

"Look at that Boss? We bring him a gift and he doesn't even appreciate it." Valentin waved at him to be silent as he refocused his eyes on James, leaning forward slightly.

"I thought that having your friend with you would help you...reevaluate your reluctance to participate in our little experiment." the calmness in his voice shook James as he tightened his grip on Bernadette, as if his grasp would protect her.

"Well it won't. I already told you, violence is not the answer." he saw a dangerous gleam light up Valentin's eyes as Dange leaned back in his seat and laughed.

"What a piece of garbage! You're an animal kit, aggression is part of what you are." Valentin waved for his silence again before slowly refocusing his gaze on James, sending shivers down his spine.

"James, you like Bernadette don't you?" James eyes widened in surprise as he glanced at Bernadette, who met his gaze with the same look of surprise. "You don't have to hide it, James. We won't judge you for it. This mentality that animals should stay with their own species is foolish. Be attracted to who you are attracted to." James' eyes narrowed a bit in suspicion. He was right, he did like Bernadette and she liked him but they had both agreed to keep it quiet with all of the remarks they were getting. Was his feelings for her really that obvious?

Valentin's grin widened as he leaned back in his seat. "We had been watching you for awhile before you had come to join us. I know that those remarks from your classmates bothered you. I know that you hold hatred for Dawn Bellwether in your heart. You just have to let it go." James growled as his teenage stubbornness showed.

"No!" Valentin gave a dramatic sigh as he leaned forward again, his eyes turning cold as they focused on Bernadette.

"This is the deal, little otter. If you don't cooperate with us, we will use use your girl friend for another one of our experiments and trust me, the other participant will not be as gentle spirited as you are."

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The paramedics came in a blur of color and sound as they quickly whisked Nick and Aeron to the hospital; leaving Judy and Clawhauser to follow in Aeron's car. As they arrived groups of people stuffed the hallways and voices Judy couldn't process were yelling things as doctors and nurses rushed around with wounded patients. Nick and Aeron hadn't been the only two that had run ins with the Devil's Bite gang.

Clawhauser gently led her to a seat to wait outside of the room Nick had been wheeled into before going to go check on Aeron. She had wanted to be with him but an armadillo nurse had blocked her and told her that she would have to wait until he had stabilized. So there she sat, dwarfed in her large seat as the chaos played out around her.

She felt so small and vulnerable sitting there as the moment Nick was injured played over and over in her head. "Nick..." her eyes blurred with tears as she remembered the look of shock and pain that had contorted his handsome face as the bullet tore into his shoulder.

If only she had dropped her weapon right away. If she had then he wouldn't have been shot. Why did she have to be so stubborn? Her paws squeezed the fabric of her stained and torn dress as the tears started to escape down her cheeks. "Oh Nick..."

He couldn't leave her. She needed him. He was her rock. Her support. Without him she was...No! She couldn't think like that. He was going to be okay. She had to be positive. He was going to be okay. Dange only had shot him in the shoulder. They could save him. He was going to be okay.

"Hopps?" Judy glanced up with shinning eyes at Clawhauser.

"Oh, Clawhauser..." slower than she usually would she wiped her eyes dry as Clawhauser took a seat next to her. Hesitating for a moment he draped his arm on the back of her chair as he leaned a bit closer to her.

"Talk to me, Judy. It's okay." his voice was so gentle and empathetic that Judy's attempt to hide the tornado of emotions inside of her collapsed as she sobbed. She felt Clawhauser move his arm slightly so that it was gently touching her shoulders comfortingly as he patiently waited for her to speak.

She attempted to take calming breaths but they only turned into lung racking sobs as she cradled her face in her paws. "I'm so scared Ben! What if something goes wrong and I loose him? He's my best friend and my partner...I don't know what I'd do without him."

"He'll be okay, Judy. Nick is one of the toughest officers I know. Besides, he'd rather go through years of torture then leave you alone." Judy gave another sob as she tried to once again compose herself as she sat up, her head lifting to look at Clawhauser.

"Really?" A warm smile crossed Clawhauser's face as he nodded.

"Yes. He cares a lot about you, Judy. He would hate leaving you alone." Judy nodded as she remembered his refusal to leave her in the museum a year ago. They did have a strong bond. She gave a shaky breath as she leaned back in her chair.

"How's Aeron?" she noticed Clawhauser frown slightly at the topic change but he answered.

"Not happy. He apparently hates hospitals and they had to sedate him before they could get a look at him. They believe he is just bruised but will keep him over night to make sure that he hasn't suffered any brain damage." Judy nodded as she remembered how hard he had hit the ground after being thrown by the buffalo.

"He did hit the ground pretty hard. He's lucky to not have any broken bones." Clawhauser nodded as he shifted a bit in his seat, keeping his arm where it was which comforted Judy. It wasn't Nick's arm but the fact that she wasn't alone and that Clawhauser was not pushing her made her feel a bit better.

"I'll check on him again in a bit. Oh! I also talked to Higgins. Chief Bogo and a few other officers are still searching for Valentin and Ms. Posmen but have found nothing yet. However, the coyote and buffalo have been placed in custody and are waiting to be talked to." Judy nodded, her brain still to numb from everything to really react.

She felt Clawhauser move his arm so that his paw could gently squeeze her shoulder. "We'll get him, Judy. Chief Bogo won't rest until Valentin is caught along with the rest of his gang." Judy let out a sigh as her paws squeezed her dress again.

"I know that's what worries me. Chief looks so warn out and so do the rest of the officers and by the looks of this," she motioned to the chaos still going on around them. "We're going to have a lot more on our plates soon." Clawhauser inhaled like he was going to respond but was cut off by the door of the room closest to them opening, a middle aged panda doctor poking her head out.

Judy tensed as her eyes met hers, the doctor walking all the way out. "Officer Hopps?" Judy nodded as both she and Clawhauser rose to their feet, Clawhauser keeping his paw gently resting on her shoulder.

"Your partner has stabilized. We were able to remove the bullet and sew up the wound. Luckily it just missed the bone but he will still be in a little bit of pain as he heals. We will want to keep him at least over night." Judy let out the breath she was holding as she smiled in relief, leaning a bit against Clawhauser in response to him gently squeezing her shoulder.

"Thank you Doctor. May I see him?" the panda smiled as she nodded, sliding away from the door.

"He's still sleeping from the drugs we gave him but you are welcome to sit with him same with you, Officer Clawhauser." Clawhauser smiled at her in thanks before looking down at Judy.

"Actually I think I'll go check on Aeron. Will you be okay?" Judy nodded, smiling appreciatively at him.

"Yes. Keep me updated. And thank you." Clawhauser gave one of his beaming smiles as he gave her shoulder one last squeeze.

"Don't mention it." and he walked off. Taking a breath to calm the sudden nerves that were building inside of her, Judy walked into Nick's room.

He laid in a bed that was perfect for his size and was hooked up to machines that Judy recognized but didn't know the names of.

He was dressed in a green hospital gown that was barely visible under the layer of blankets pulled over him. She took a few steps closer as her eyes took in his face. He looked relaxed and peaceful which she was very grateful for.

She glanced over at the guest chair that rested against the wall, about to move over to it. However, something came over her and she glanced back at Nick. The bed was big enough that there was some space for her to lay. Not fully understanding why she felt compelled to do it, she climbed onto the bed and curled up against him.

She breathed in his scent as her paws tangled themselves into his fur. She could feel his chest rising and falling rhythmically and it relaxed her. He was alright. He was going to be alright. He was safe. They were both safe.

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Aeron stared up at the ceiling as he listened to the faint beep of his heart monitor. The sedative had faded to the point that he could function but was still calm enough that he didn't feel like he had to get out of there. He honestly wasn't sure exactly why he hated hospitals so much, he had spent plenty of time in them as a young adult. Though...perhaps that was why he hated them.

Groaning he shifted in his slightly to large bed to get more comfortable. He had miraculously only ended up with bruises but the doctor had told Clawhauser that they wanted to keep him over night just in case more damage showed up.

Aeron had attempted to argue but Clawhauser had put his foot down and convinced him to stay. He had to admit that his concern for him was touching and that he was a bit lonely know that Clawhauser had gone off to get some food and to also check on Judy and Nick.

Nick...Aeron felt his heart squeeze painfully as the memory of Nick laying on the ground bleeding came back to him. He shouldn't have asked for his help. He should have known that it would only end in him being hurt. Just like the others.

Frustration at being so helpless burned in Aeron as he angrily pushed the blankets off him, moving to sit but the lasting sedative forced him back down. It had still not fully left his system and he had no energy to get up.

Aeron's ears picked up as he heard a voice outside of his room, recognizing it as one of the nurses that had been assigned to him. "Mr. Haimes says he wishes to see no one but Officer Clawhauser, Sir."

"I don't care." Aeron's ears flattened as he instantly recognized the gruff direct tone of Chief Bogo as he easily escaped the stammering nurse and walked through the doorway of his room. He seemed to freeze slightly as his eyes landed on Aeron, something that seemed like hesitation reflecting in them. Aeron didn't care though.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out." he said each word through clenched teeth as he forced himself up as much as he could, his ears laying flat against his skull as his eyes gleamed with anger. A frown crossed Bogo's face as he closed the door behind him.

"We need to talk." Aeron gave a forced laugh that he instantly regretted as his body screamed in pain.

"Now you want to talk? What about when I was trying to fucking warn you? Where was this 'we need to talk' bullshit then?" all the frustration that had been pulsing through Aeron seemed to come out as he forced himself up even more, the adrenaline in him seeming to over throw the sedative. Bogo's eyebrows narrowed as he moved into a more intimidating stance.

"I was a bit busy." Aeron gave a low snarl as he clutched his pillow. He knew that he was in to much pain to actually attack the water buffalo but that didn't keep him from being determined to show just how angry he was.

"Don't give me that shit!" he yanked his pillow off the bed and chucked it as hard as he could, it bouncing harmlessly against his powerful build. "You act like you've opened your eyes but they're still as closed as ever! You couldn't see past your damn bias and see that I was trying to help you!" pain contorted Aeron's face as his outburst sent shocks of pain throughout his bruised body.

Groaning his body lowered slightly on the bed as he breathed through the pain. He saw that Bogo was about to speak so broke him off. "If you had listened we could have possibly gotten Aeron before he had sent his buffalo after us. Maybe we could have caught him. Maybe we could have kept from Nick being shot. I don't know and we will never know because you were to damn stubborn to give me a benefit of a doubt." emotions that Aeron couldn't translate danced in Bogo's eyes as he spoke.

"Haimes-"

"I don't give a shit what you have to say, Bogo. I'm not a convict anymore I don't have to listen to you so get the fuck out." with that he rolled onto his side, turning his back to Bogo. Silence answered him but he knew that Bogo was still there. He could smell him and hear his deep breaths that were due to his large size.

If he was going to speak he was cut off by the sound of the door opening and someone calling out. "Aeron? Are you still awake? I'm sorry it took so long to get back I had trouble convincing J- oh, hey Chief." Aeron wasn't surprised at the utter shock in Clawhauser's voice as he walked in to see Aeron laying with his back pointedly turned and Bogo standing in his usual intimidating stance.

"Clawhauser, we are in the middle of a conversation." Aeron scoffed at Bogo's statement as he slowly rolled back on his back so that he could face them.

"I already told you I don't want to talk to you and as the nurse stated, Ben is the only one right now that I want to see." Bogo gave one of his irritated snorts as his eyes landed fully on Aeron, who looked directly back at him. He wasn't going to let himself be intimidated.

"Aeron, why don't you let Chief Bogo speak?" Aeron's ears twitched irritably at Clawhauser's question not because he asked it but the fact that he knew he was a weakling when it came to him.

Sighing he sat himself up, his annoyed look faltering for a moment as Clawhauser hurried over to return his pillow, fluffing it up so that it would support him. "Fine. What is it that you want to talk about?" to his relief Clawhauser moved behind him so that he could refocus on looking annoyed as Bogo spoke up.

"We were unable to catch the culprits, however we have the Buffalo and coyote from last night in custody. We have identified the coyote as Justin Redd also known as Yap thanks to your descriptions. However we have no id for the Buffalo. He had no identification with him and there is no record of him in our database." Aeron nodded curtly, not surprised by any of it. Though he had hoped that the ZPD would prove him wrong, Aeron had known they wouldn't catch up to Val and Dange. They were both experts at escaping. As for the Buffalo, even he didn't recognize him.

"The Buffalo must be a new recruit. At first I thought he was a civilian they had overdosed with DB but then I saw his scars." Bogo nodded his head, the look in his eyes telling Aeron that he had noticed them too.

"Are you certain he was on DB?" Aeron twitched irritably at the question.

"Not that what I say matters much to you, yes. I could smell it on him."

"Smell it?" his eyebrow arched slightly as his head tilted ever so slightly as his tone showed he didn't believe him. Aeron gave en exasperated sigh.

"DB awakens certain hormones in the body which alters the animal's natural scent so yes I smelled it." Aeron flinched slightly in surprise as he felt a paw rest on his shoulder, looking up to see Clawhauser. However, his eyes were not on him but Bogo.

"Sir, I've read the case files about the last DB case and it had mentioned that certain officers could smell the effects of the drug." Bogo's eyes narrowed slightly as they seemed to zoom in on Clawhauser's paw resting on Aeron's shoulder. Slowly he returned his eyes to Aeron.

"I also need to know what Valentin's attentions are with Bernadette Posmen." Aeron frowned as he sighed, his heart squeezing painfully as he remembered how terrified the poor possum had looked.

"Valentin has never gone after kits before. However, he likes using your attachments against you. He finds who or what you love then use that to manipulate you." disgust wrinkled Bogo's face.

"So he's manipulating James Otterton with her?" Aeron nodded as for the first time he sympathized with Bogo as the disgust seemed to strengthen.

"That would be my guess. She's his friend correct?" Bogo nodded as he frowned.

"Yes though Hopps mentioned she had a feeling that they were a bit more than friends." a gentle squeeze on his shoulder led him to look at Clawhauser. He had moved slightly closer to him and his eyes were full of sadness. Aeron took a moment to lay his paw over his for a moment, ignoring how Bogo seemed to zoom in on their moment again.

"We are running out of time then. We must find both James Otterton and Bernadette Posmen before more harm comes to them and take Valentin down before he rips this city apart." Aeron nodded in agreement as he forced himself to look away from Clawhauser.

"Yes. I'm guessing those mammals causing damage and attacking other mammals are all high on DB and most likely all members of Valentin's 'family'. There's a possibility he has tried to drug other mammals as well but I'm not certain." Bogo nodded curly as Aeron watched the wheels turn in his head.

"We need to act fast then. Clawhauser, I am extending your time off through tomorrow but I expect you back at work Sunday. The same with Hopps." hesitation clouded Clawhauser's eyes as Aeron felt him fidget nervously.

"Hopps isn't going to want to leave her partner, Chief." Bogo's eyes narrowed at him.

"I know and I don't care. I need every officer working on catching this wolf." For the first time that Aeron had known him, Bogo's eyes showed that he did care. He cared very deeply. Feeling slightly warmer towards the water buffalo, he faced him fully and made eye contact.

"This isn't going to be like last time, Bogo. Valentin has...changed. He's even more calculated and even more dangerous now. Whatever his goal is, he won't stop until he completes it." Bogo's lips curled into a frown as Aeron noticed his eyes slightly widen in surprise at the gentleness in his tone. It surprised Aeron too. But that look of compassion he had for his officers had risen him ever slightly in Aeron's opinion. Only slightly though.

"The ZPD aren't the same either. We will put an end to this." in his direct way, he showed the conversation was over by quickly turning his back to them and moving to exit, stopping as he opened the door. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before looking over his shoulder back at Aeron.

"Yesterday, when you distracted that buffalo so I could get free...thanks." Aeron's eyes widened at the thank you as he found himself speechless, only nodding his head to show that he heard him. Seeming awkward, Bogo looked forward and walked out.

Silence fell between Aeron and Clawhauser as Aeron leaned back, his body shaking a bit from his earlier outburst. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye he turned his head to look at Clawhauser. His eyes were on him, his ears twitching slightly as he bit down on his lip, rocking back and forth slightly.

Sighing softly Aeron rested his paw on top of his to still his rocking; knowing what he was dying to ask. "Bogo and I go way back. Ten years ago he was assigned to prove that I was a prostitute that was also connected to the drug market. He posed as a customer to get evidence but I figured he was a cop and escaped." Clawhauser's eyes widened in surprise.

"How?" a faint grin crossed Aeron's face as the memory of his first encounter with the overly serious officer played in his mind.

"I chained him to the bed. Don't worry his clothes were still on and he was able to break free, just gave me enough time to get away." he watched Clawhauser's eyes widen more, sure that he was now attempting to picture Bogo cuffed to a bed.

"After that arresting me became personal. For four years he chased after me, attempting to collect enough information to prove what I have done. As the Devil's Bite gang became stronger more officers joined his attempts in arresting me. However, unlike the others, Bogo stayed straight. He played by the rules. No matter how I teased him or how close he almost got he played by the rules." Aeron picked up on the respect reflecting in Clawhauser's eyes at this. It didn't surprise him. Though he still had a lot of frustration built up towards him, Aeron could see where some would find him admirable.

"As the years past, Valentin became more and more abusive and controlling until I finally snapped. I contacted Bogo and told him that I would trade information for protection. He agreed and I gave him the location of where Valentin would be that night." Aeron's voice faded as the memory of that night made him shutter, Clawhauser squeezing his paw to comfort him.

"I nearly died that night. Bogo had promised he would put me under protection before they raided the location but he didn't. Instead I was there when Valentin found out that someone had leaked out the information." he felt Clawhauser's grip tighten, responding by returning the pressure as he pushed onward, doing his best to ignore how badly his voice was shaking.

"I guess I was trying to be brave. To make Valentin see that I wasn't afraid of him anymore. I admitted that I had been the one that had leaked the information and that I was through with him." his whole body began to shake as he felt Clawhauser move closer to him, resting his free paw on his shoulder.

"Valentin lost it and attacked me. The rest is a blur. All I remember is the sound of his growls and the others encouraging him. And pain. So much pain. I finally passed out and woke up in the hospital to learn that the ZPD had come but that most of the others had escaped." his voice died again as he felt Clawhauser give his shoulder an encouraging squeeze.

"Bogo visited me and I swear, if I hadn't been so wounded, I would have done my best to rip him a part. Though he was a cop I thought I could trust him because he played by the rules. But he proved me wrong. So I got my payback. I agreed to give all the information I could as long as he was removed from the case. The chief at the time agreed and the rest is history."

"I'm sure Chief didn't appreciate that." Aeron scoffed at Clawhauser's words as he leaned back against his pillow.

"No he didn't. He was furious. And that is why he can't stand me and I can't stand him." silence answered him as he watched Clawhauser's ears lower slightly as he gently sat on the edge of the bed, keeping their paws together.

"Then why did you help him?" Aeron frowned in thought, not at all surprised at the question.

"He's still a fellow mammal. I may dislike him but that doesn't mean I want him to be harmed." a soft smile crossed Clawhauser's face as he nodded his understanding.

"You have a good heart, Aeron." heat warmed Aeron's cheeks as he looked away, attempting a shrug to hide his embarrassment.

"I guess." Clawhauser's smile lengthened as he squeezed Aeron's paw.

"I know you do. You may not see it but I do and I'll keep telling you until you see it for yourself."

Notes: And there you go chapter ten! Been a long weekend but finally able to get this chapter finished and posted. Chapter eleven will focus more on what James will decide to do about Valentin's deal and also have some more fluff. Also, chapter eleven is when the violence level will start to get more mature I will have more specific warnings when we get to that. Until then, have a great week everyone!