Hopps forced her baton into Pelter's mouth forced his jaws open and pulled the comatose fox off her partner. "Nick!"
"Alive," Wilde croaked. He reached up and began massaging his throat.
"Let me see," Hopps said, forcing Nick's paws away from his throat. She brushed the throat ruff first one way then the other. "He didn't even break the skin, you ninny!"
Nick shook himself and tried to push both the comatose Pelter and Hopps away. "You didn't have him trying to tear out your throat – nor are you buried under him. Could you please get this thug's body off of me?" Nick said, his voice rising to a near shout.
Hopps took a deep breath, slid off the furry pile; put her back up against a wall and her feet against Pelter's side. Three kicks and the unconscious perp was off her partner.
"Remind me never to make you mad," Wilde said, as he sat up and pulled out his phone. "Just how many charges did this clown rack up? I'd say battery, resisting arrest, possession of drugs for sale. That would make it 148, 242, and 11351. Can you think of something else?"
"How about 11500 – narcotics violations?" Hopps suggested, holding up one of the transparent capsules. "I don't know for sure what this is, but I'd guess it's something like night howler extract."
"Ok, I'll send it in – along with a good 10-15."
"Yeah, I'd say that we have the suspect in custody," Hopps replied, as she tied Pelter's wrists behind his back with plastic ties. "Oh, and call in a 'bus' for our 'friend' here. He's still breathing for now," she said, after checking for respiration. "But two trank charges for someone with his body weight is probably well into possible O-D range."
"One ambulance, coming up…"
#
The office was quiet for once. Only the sound of keyboard clicks to break the silence. The two officers, Hopps and Wilde, finishing up the paperwork on at least one of their cases.
"You have the CSU report on the primary?" Nick asked.
"Yes – it's file KR160503-Winters. Do you need the file, or just the ID?" Judy responded, not even bothering to look up from her monitor.
"Just the ID is enough. I'm just writing up my summary. Any word from Janet, yet?"
Hopps scowled. "ADA Carolson sent me an e-mail after she finished with Pelter. He's in holding. She's filing attempted murder of a police officer and multiple drug charges – more than enough to hold him over. With the CSU report on that place – with the blood evidence in the drain, the bloody knife with Pelter's fingerprints all over the hilt and his blood in the tang, the DNA evidence tying the knife to the murder of Winters, well… why are you using her given name?"
"Because she's a friend, L-T," Wilde's tone took on a slight whine. Discretion is the better part of valor, and I do not want to make her any madder. "Can I take some more of the paperwork off your paws?"
The rabbit turned to glare at the fox. "Don't try buttering me up, right now, Mister. And yes, you can. We need to talk."
"Personal, or business?"
"Just what do you think, Piberius Wilde?"
"Personal. Ok, dinner?" Wilde said, exposing his throat to the rabbit.
"You're buying, and yes," Hopps said, scowling and turning back to her monitor. A few keystrokes later, a pop-up appeared on Wilde's monitor, signaling the arrival of e-mail.
"Did ADA Carolson tell you when Pelter will be up for arraignment?"
"She said she'd have him up tomorrow – she has time to present to the Grand Jury this afternoon, and have everything in the indictment that she wants ready for afternoon arraignment in Superior Court. One count murder, one count attempted murder of a police officer, one count possession of a controlled substance for sale, and the whip cream with a cherry on top – resisting arrest."
"What about assault and battery of a police officer – me, remember?"
"Subsumed in the attempted murder of a police officer, Wilde," Hopps said, her voice still cold. "And his battery of a second police officer – also subsumed, in case you're feeling persecuted. Bruising that will keep me out of the gym for at least three or four days. I'm lucky he didn't crack several ribs."
"I could give you a massage … later … if you think it would help," Nick said, rubbing his neck.
"Oh, yeah, it would have been bad if he'd managed to really bite down on you. 'Blood, blood, blood, … and death'," Judy said, re-enacting her childhood stage act, again, substituting torn up report forms for blood.
Nick sighed. "Over your mad?"
"I can't stay made at you for long, Nick. Besides, given an opportunity to use 'red tape' for dramatic effect…"
Nick groaned theatrically, threw up his paws, and returned to his paperwork.
#
Nick looked at the bill, and took another swallow of his catnip tea. "Ok, it's on me this time. And now that you have had a nice dinner, are you feeling better?"
"Yes," Judy said, dabbing at her lips with the napkin. "Though the dressing was a bit … rich."
"You have another drop on the end of your nose," Nick said.
Judy wiped off the large glob of dressing. "I have just one question for you, that I want answered."
Nick took a deep breath and, after a long five count, let it out with an almost audible 'whoosh'. "I'm waiting."
"I've said what my feelings are towards you, Nick. And while I may lose my temper from time to time – I'm not perfect – I still love you. But to the best of my recollection, you've not told me in clear and concise terms how you feel about me. So … can you answer me – honestly, please, no smartass comments – just how do you feel about me?"
Nick finished off his catnip tea as a delaying tactic. "Honestly?"
"I don't want you sidestepping the issue – and every time you flirt with another vixen, it drives a small spike through my heart. I know I shouldn't be jealous, but if you're going to be the sort who 'steps out', like Winters' husband…"
Nick reached out and covered Judy's paws with his. "I said I prefer monogamous relationships, and I wasn't lieing then, or now."
"Then answer the question, please?"
"If I had an answer, I'd tell you. I don't know exactly how I feel about you. We're partners."
"That doesn't tell me enough – Fangmire and Francine are partners. I know you have my back, but…"
"We're not the same species."
"Well, what about 'the new guy'? Reynolds is a coywolf – no one would have thought such a fellow was even possible in my parents' generation. So what does…"
"In their generation, miscegenation laws made inter-species marriages illegal. Look it up. And I don't know exactly how I feel about you. I look at you, and I think you're beautiful. Not 'cute' – beautiful. When I'm away from you, I want to be with you. When I'm with you, away from work, I'm happy. But I look around and think about how much your father hates me."
"He doesn't hate you, Nick. He's just … a little bit prejudiced."
"Like someone who was surprised that I was so, 'articulate'?"
Judy winced. "I'd like to think that we've both gotten over a few … original … misconceptions. But you're still dodging the question."
"I won't lie to you, Judy. I can't say that I love you when I'm not sure how I feel. I have some very mixed feelings – I want to be with you, to make you happy, and at the same time I feel a bit … queasy … about getting in to a romantic relationship with a member of another species. Then I take a look at you, and …" Nick stopped and tried to take another sip of catnip tea, from a now empty mug.
"And what?"
Nick shuddered. "I have … very non-platonic thoughts about you."
Judy laughed. "And you don't think that it was a bit hard for me to have erotic thoughts about a predator?" She brought Nick's hand up to her left cheek. "Feel that?"
"Scars?"
"Yes. Made by a predator when I was nine. A fox. I've forgiven him, since. But do you think that made it easy for me to admit how I feel about you? When you snarl – and you do get angry from time to time – it makes a fur stand up on end, and I want to go into 'full defensive mode'."
"Ok, so you're a bit more grown up than I am."
"You're eight years older than I am, Nick. Are you admitting that a 'dumb bunny' is smarter and more adaptable than the 'sly fox'?"
Nick took a deep breath. "Right now, yes," he said, moving closer and putting his paws on Judy's cheeks. "I'm still trying to work through my feelings for you – and get past some early age conditioning myself. I never thought that I could feel this way about a prey species member. So can you give me a little time? Please?"
Judy nodded after a moment's thought.
"And my flirting with every vixen that I run across – forgive me, but that's just the way I've always been. All it's been has been flirting – nothing more, nothing less. Another little game that we play."
"Just a game?"
"Yeah – the rules are known on both sides. It's the oil in the gears rather than emery powder in the societal gears – in my society. You aren't quite comfortable in 'Foxtown', and I get 'the stare' whenever I'm outside of 'Foxtown' – even when I'm wearing the uniform." Nick let his hands fall to the table between the two of them.
"You really feel that way?"
"Honestly? A lot of the time, yes."
"How did you feel when I 'tucked you in' and … kissed you?"
"I wanted you to join me in my bed."
"Why didn't you say so?"
"Because you would have said, 'no'. And that would have hurt just a bit too much, then. I was on an emotional roller coaster already, and that would have sent me straight off the rails."
"Well, mister 'sly fox', you should reconsider – and when you come to a decision as to just how you feel about me, and where you want our relationship to go – tell me? I am not very good at reading minds. Deal?"
"Deal. I'll try to figure things out."
"In the meantime, is a kiss goodnight outside your limits when you walk me back to my apartment?"
"I think I can manage that. If we keep it … at least a little bit chaste."
Judy chuckled. "And I can manage that – at least for the moment. Us 'dumb bunnies' do know a bit about multiplying…"