The Coming Storm

by Morguerat

Like a phoenix born of the ashes, a sinister presence begins to fester from the ruins of Bellwether's failed experiment, bent on revenge. Ropes of shadow begin to infiltrate throughout the city with a single goal, destruction. Whispers of a forgotten foe send chills with the words, "Fear always works!" Can Nick and Judy stop the coming storm, or will fear pull them under?

11. Pride & Prejudice

Chapter 10: Pride & Prejudice

Time flies when you're busy saving Zootopia and her citizens, one small case at a time. Not that there wasn't a lot of work to do. It had been five months since the prison riot and the untimely deaths of former Mayor Lionheart and former Mayor Bellwether and the accompanying paperwork seemed to have lasted just as long. Physically, Judy's job was tough, but she was able to hold her own with any other officer in the Precinct. The emotional part had been something she had worked on. She would admit, seeing her first homicide there at the prison, she was shaken. She was glad for the days off that Chief Bogo had given her. Judy had even paid a visit to the Precinct psychologist to help her learn to cope with those scenes as she knew it wouldn't be her last. It didn't help that since day one, she had been counting down the days until Nick graduated. Sure, they had been able to communicate via text every few days when he wasn't stuck studying for some test and she wasn't weighed down with mountains of paperwork, but it just wasn't the same as seeing each other, holding each other. She really missed that.

The sound of a small, furry head hitting a desk top echoed through the back of the Precinct. Judy had just finished the last parts of a case she had been working on all week.

"Ugh," she grunted, "if I have to do one more cheese theft in Little Rodentia, I'm going to scream!"

Picking up the file, she walked over to the front desk to hand in the file to Clawhauser. The portly cheetah looked down at her, noticing the bags under her eyes and her drooping ears.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong? You look like you've been hit by the bus," he joked as he popped a whole doughnut into his waiting mouth.

"Just a long week Ben. Counting down the minutes until I can clock out and put it all behind me," she replied, trying to show a little smile.

"HOPPS!" The familiar call echoed across the atrium, causing her to flinch and shudder slightly at the volume. "My office. NOW!"

Why couldn't the Chief just call her up to the office on the radio like a normal cop? Leaving her file with Clawhauser, she made her way up the three flights of stairs to the familiar worn wooden door with the opaque glass front. Knocking on the door, Judy put on her usual cheerful face. A grunt from the other side was her cue to enter. Closing the door behind her, she took a seat in the oversized chair in front of the paper strewn desk.

"What's up Chief?" Judy asked in an obviously forced happy voice.

Bogo picked up a file and tossed it down on the desk in front of Judy.

"We have a problem Officer Hopps," Bogo said, not even looking up from the file he was reading.

Judy could see Nick's recruitment photo sticking out from the papers in the file. A sinking feeling started to fill her chest.

"Wh..what seems to be the problem Chief?" she asked very carefully.

"The problem, Hopps?" He was looking at her, removing his small reading glasses. "The problem is that we have a new star recruit at the academy. The problem is that this recruit has requested Precinct One after graduation. The problem is we only have one slot open at the moment and that slot is to be filled with a partner for you." He steadied a gaze at her.

Judy's heart fell from her chest into her stomach. She knew that the top of the class had first dibs on available positions and if they wanted Precinct One, Bogo couldn't show favoritism because of her wants. That would mean Nick would graduate but be assigned to another precinct, away from her. Her ears drooped, covering her back. Bogo was now pacing the office.

"Sir, what does this have to do with Nick and his file?"

Bogo sat back down, rubbing his temples and replying as if he didn't hear her. "The main problem I have Hopps is I have been asked to send someone to give a speech at the graduation ceremony. Afterwards, that officer would need to pick up this new rookie and bring them back to begin their new career."

A smile cracked her face, momentarily forgetting about her worries. "You want me to give the graduation speech?"

"Well Hopps, you were top of your class, you have been the public face of the ZPD. And no other officer would want to do it."

"Ok sir, I'll do it," she replied, hopping down and moving to the door. Then it hit her, the rookie she would be picking up would be her new partner, not Nick. "Um, sir, who is the recruit that I will be escorting back here after graduation?"

Chief Bogo once again didn't look up from the file in his hooves, but she did notice a slight grin on his muzzle. "Our newest rookie of course Hopps, Office Nick Wilde." He noticed her eyes light up and her ears shoot straight. "Hopps," he said pointing to the door, "don't care. Get back to work, I'm busy."

She found it hard to contain her joy. What had been a drag-out, wear down day had now done a complete one eighty. Clocking out, she took out her phone and sent a text to Nick.

Hey Nick, just heard the news. Top of class huh? Who would have ever thought? jk. I have a surprise for you at graduation. I'll see you there in two days. Can't wait to see you. Miss you.

Judy

She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw her giving the closing speech. She raced home to start writing her speech. She wanted it to be memorable. The next two days seemed to fly past in a blur. Because of what she needed to do, she was put on paperwork duty so she could polish her speech during the breaks and at home at the end of the day. The final night before the big day, with her speech finished, she started to straighten up the cottage, giving it a once over cleaning. While she was dusting off the TV, she glanced at the couch. It had been there, six months ago, the last night they had been together, that she had fallen asleep in his arms. She had not forgotten that night. She had confessed her feelings for him and he had confirmed that he had them as well. She remembered how scared he had been, but both had melted together as they cuddled next to each other. It was that memory that had sustained her this last half year. She couldn't wait to have him back with her. Six months had done nothing to tame the feelings she held for him and she hoped that it could blossom into something more.

That's good and all, but do you really think he feels the same way, after all this time? Her thoughts started to encroach on her good feelings. He has been training and working out with all sorts of females. You really think he would want to come back to some meek little bunny after being around all those athletic, hard predator females?

She stopped what she was doing, a sudden fear hitting her like a punch in the gut. What if he didn't feel the same way after all this time? What if he didn't want to continue with what they had? What if he had found someone else? She shook her head. No Judy, you are just being a dumb bunny. Finishing the cleaning, she went to be early. Tomorrow, she had a date with the first fox officer in the ZPD. That thought sustained her until her alarm went off early the next morning.

Judy arrived at the parade grounds early in anticipation of the day's events. She spent some time talking to her old drill instructor and met some of the new recruits who would soon be graduating. As she was making her way around the crowd, she couldn't see Nick anywhere.

"Is that the famous Judy Hopps I have heard so much about?" a sly voice whispered in her ear. "I can't tell. My eyesight has become so bad without my daily dose of Carrots!"

Faster than Nick could blink, a gray blur turned and jumped straight into his arms, embracing him in a hug that felt like she would never release.

"Alright. Alright Carrots. I missed you too," Nick smiled as he looked down at her. The feeling was almost surreal. "So, you said you had a surprise for me?"

Judy laughed as she let him go. "Of course I do. I said I would have one, but you will have to wait for the graduation ceremony."

They continued for the next while, walking around the grounds and talking to each other about what had happened in the past six months. Judy noticed as they were walking around, the other recruits, whom she had talked to earlier, seemed to be avoiding Nick, turning away as they came close or stopping conversations to leer at him. Judy looked at Nick whom she noticed was parading around with his typical 'I don't care' mask on. She knew something had happened and she wanted to ask him but at that moment, the PA system blared:

"Ladies, Gentlemammals, Officers, please make your way to your seats. The ceremony will begin shortly."

"Well, you better go get seated, Officer," Judy nudged her hip into Nick, "I'll see you in a bit."

Nick took his place with the other recruits, none of whom acknowledged his presence. He was busy looking at the stage in front of them seeing some of the brass from different precincts around Zootopia as well as the Commissioner. He was taking in all the sights when he noticed a certain gray bunny make her way up to the stage and take a seat next to said Commissioner, shaking his paw.

What is she thinking? Nick pondered until he looked at the program that was placed on his seat. Judy was listed as the concluding speaker for the ceremony, which meant she would be the first to pin badges on the new officers. A sudden blush started to creep up his face. Since he was top of the class, he would be the first to receive his new shield and she would be the one to pin it on him. Sly bunny, he thought. As expected, the ceremony was drawn out with many mammals speaking. Not much reached Nick's ears as he tuned it out, training his eyes on Judy. He had missed her. He had missed the smile on her face, her contagious laugh, the piercing look of her eyes. But he still had feelings of reluctance. He knew what she wanted, and he wanted it too, he just didn't know if he was ready. He had never had anything like this. All of this around him, all he had become to this point was because one little bunny cared about him, cared about what happened and cared enough to stick with him. And now, here she was, about to help him take the next step. Before he knew it, she was stepping up to the podium. Her speech was perfect.

Look inside yourself and recognize that change starts with you.

It starts with me.

It starts with all of us.

Judy concluded her speech to thunderous applause. Nick had to steel himself a little.

Dang allergies, he thought to himself.

As his name was called, his stomach was doing backflips. He walked up the side of the stage toward a very lovely, violet eyed bunny. He shot her a grin as she gave him a quirky smirk. Opening a mahogany box, she removed the shiny brass shield of the ZPD from its velvet cushion.

Walking up to Nick, Judy said in a barely audible whisper, "Congratulations you sly fox." As she pinned the shield on his chest, paws lingering for just a fraction of a second longer than needed.

"All for you, cute bunny."

Judy had to stifle a blush as she turned to get another badge for the recruit called after Nick. He returned to his seat and watched as the other recruits received their badges and returned. Nick couldn't help but smile. He had made it, he accomplished a goal that even a year ago, he would have laughed at. The first fox to become an officer. The first fox to be put in a position of trust. Fox and trust, two words that were never used in the same sentence. Pride could be the only word to describe what he felt at this moment. Pride in Judy, for sticking by him and helping him, pride in the city that was willing to give him this opportunity, but most importantly, pride in himself, for finally making something of his life.

With the ceremonies ended, a buffet had been provided for all those in attendance. Grabbing a few things, both Nick and Judy made for a secluded part of the grounds, finding themselves alone for the first time all day.

"Some day huh?" Nick said as he lounged back on the grassy hill with his paws behind his head.

"Yeah, some day," Judy replied. "So, I understand you requested Precinct One."

Nick raised his head. "Yeah, I did. I thought you wanted me as a partner, so I put it as my only choice. But, I haven't received a confirmation yet so I have no idea where I'm going yet."

Judy noticed the slight worry in his voice as he lowered his eyes to the grass.

Judy slid next to him, placing her paw on his. "Well, I think it's time for the rest of surprise. I saw your file and your request was accepted….Partner." She could barely conceal the grin on her face.

Nick's face slowly lifted in the realization of what she had just said. "That's great. When do we start?"

Both were laughing now. "We start with orientation tomorrow. We will get all your gear, get your information into the system, and start showing you around." She looked at her watch. "Well, it is starting to get late. We should probably get going. Go grab your things and we can go home."

The shadow across his face lasted for a split second but it didn't go unnoticed by her. Judy felt a twinge in her chest as she saw a little bit of trepidation in his look. Nick stood up and told her to wait by the car, maybe with a bit more bite in his voice than he meant. It didn't take him long to gather all his things from his room and meet her back at the cruiser she had driven in. The ride back to the cottage wouldn't take too long. As they were driving, the silence was broken by Judy.

"It was tough you know, knowing that you were so close, yet so far away for all that time."

Nick could see the look of concern etched in her face as she spoke. He feared that she had noticed his slight reaction to the word 'home' earlier. Did she happen to find out something while he had been away, had she put it together? No, she would have said something before now.

"I really missed you Nick." He could see her eyes mist up.

Truthfully, Nick had been awaiting this day from day one of entering the academy. He had missed her more than he had missed anyone else in his life. The feelings she made him feel seemed to have grown stronger, manifesting themselves now that she was here, next to him. She was bringing him along with her to a life worth living, pulling him out of the shadows of his former self. Yes, he was scared. This was all new to him. She obviously still had the same feelings for him today as the day they left each other, if not stronger than before.

Heh, I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder, he chuckled to himself.

But now he was faced with reality. He would be her partner at work, she was his superior. He knew that he would have to shutter some of these feelings and she would have to do the same. But right now, he was kicking himself, seeing the hurt in her face. She didn't know why he had given that look earlier, for which he was grateful, but now he needed to fix it.

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did Judy." His tone was somber, almost like a child, showing remorse. "I didn't mean to sound the way I did. Believe me when I say, it has nothing to do with you. I want you to know that I missed you too. It was hard for me being away from you. The academy wasn't a vacation either." Another shadow passed across his face before calming. "Every time I started to flounder, every time I wanted to pack it away and walk out, I thought of you. It helped me fight on. I was worried about being the best so I could keep my promise to you to become your partner, I was worried that because of the time apart, you might not feel the same way." His look became slightly sheepish, almost embarrassed. "We have been apart for so long, I hate to admit I forgot what some of the feelings felt like and truth be told, I am still a little scared."

They were pulling into the driveway of the cottage. After parking the car, Judy took his paws in hers.

"You should know Judy, I've never had anyone like this." Her eyes widened. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "I'm new to this, so please, bear with me and help me."

Judy saw that his mask was completely gone. Dealing with this was almost like Jekyll and Hyde, without the psychosis. Nick, Mr. Cool and Collected, had just admitted again to being scared and more than that, had admitted to his feelings. She was at a loss for words, not knowing what to do. He obviously had strong feelings for her, but she had to be careful not to push him. She didn't want to lose him, not after all of this. She motioned her head towards the cottage as she got out of the cruiser. Nick paused on the walkway leading to the door. Judy couldn't read his expression as he stared at the front of the residence. She could see the wheels turning in his mind.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde," Judy stamped her feet, "don't you even think about leaving here. This is your home now and you will not return to living under a bridge."

Her ability to read his mind was uncanny! This was one battle in which he would have to admit defeat. He gave her a smile and entered the front door. Looking around, it looked the same as when he had left half a year ago. He set his things down near the couch as Judy came in, shutting the front door behind them.

"Well, go on Nick, go ahead and put your things in your bedroom."

There was that look again, what was going on? Judy came to his side as he sat down on the couch. She didn't know, she couldn't have known. After everything today, the rollercoaster of his emotions, the intoxicating air he felt just being around her, it was all too much and that simple phrase of 'your room' had finally pushed him. He placed his head in his paws, his breath hitching every time he inhaled. Now she was worried. Sitting next to him, Judy placed her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

"Nick, what's wrong? Please, you know you can tell me anything. What did I do?"

He could hear her voice starting to crack. He needed to tell her, he couldn't let this hurt her, he couldn't hurt her.

It took a moment to catch his breath and calm down before he turned to her. "Judy, sorry, it's really hard. I know there is a lot about me that you don't know yet, and I want to tell you everything. It's just…I'm not ready to tell you some things, but I think I can tell you this. It has been hard being here, in this home. I told you that I inherited it from family and I didn't lie to you about that. This is my home through inheritance, it's mine because…well….this is where I grew up. This IS my home."

He was shaking slightly. Judy's eyes widened at the realization of what she had just heard. All this time, his reactions, she thought it was because of her. He was uncomfortable in this place because of what it was to him. This is where he would have grown up. She knew that his childhood hadn't been the best, and the memories of this home must be like opening old wounds.

"I'm sorry Nick. I had no idea," she held on to him while he calmed.

"It's ok Carrots. You had no way of knowing."

"So, the other bedroom. That's…"

"Yes Carrots. It's my bedroom."

Nick stood up, taking her by the paw and lead her to the door. Pulling a key from his pocket, he unlocked the door and opened it up. Of course, she had seen it before, but he didn't know that. Suddenly, the wallpaper made more sense in its design. It was so Nick.

"I want to tell you more Carrots, but I think it will take me a little time, if you are ok with that."

She gave him a quick hug, letting him know that it would be ok.

"Take your time Nick. I'm not going anywhere."

She helped him move his things in, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and letting him take what time he needed that evening. Tomorrow would be a new day with new possibilities.

Waking up early and getting ready for the day, Judy went to Nick's door and knocked. When she didn't get a response, she opened the door to find his bed empty and made. The bathroom door behind her was open and empty as well. Nick was nowhere to be seen. Turning back into the living room, the front door opened and there was Nick, with two cups of coffee in his paws.

"Here you go Carrots. Just thought we could start the day off right. Can't do our job without our daily allotment of caffeine now can we?"

She gave him a tap on the arm as she took her coffee, grabbing her keys and heading outside to go to the precinct. Both were sitting together in the bullpen, surrounded by all the day shift officers waiting for their assignments for the day. Judy knew that they wouldn't get anything today as she was in charge of acclimating Nick to the station and getting his things in order, filling out forms, and issuing gear. Right at seven, the chief entered the room with an immediate silence following. As he scanned the room, his eyes lingered on the newest addition to his officers.

"All right, let's get this over with," Bogo stated. "First, I'd like to welcome our newest recruit, our first fox officer, Officer Nick Wilde….who cares. Assignments."

Passing out dossiers, Bogo dismissed groups of officers until it was just Judy and Nick left.

"Ok Hopps, get our new rookie situated by lunch. This afternoon, the two of you are on parking duty. Have fun." She swore he said the last two words with a smile.

The paperwork didn't take long. Just standard forms, next of kin information and life insurance in case the worst would happen on the job. Getting Nick fitted for gear was not nearly as easy. No gear was made with foxes in mind so they had to mix and match what they could find and adjust it the best they could, finally finding pieces that worked. Both donned orange jackets before going out and getting into their parking duty vehicle. They would stop for lunch first before starting on their route.

The morning and lunch had been uneventful. Judy was hoping for something while writing tickets. She always seemed to find something to do from that event. The first time she had to do it, she found Nick, which started the whole adventure that they were currently enjoying. She didn't like to think how different things would have been if she had never followed Nick into that ice cream shop. Then of course, the second time she had been on meter duty, she had chased Weaselton which had led to her getting into the missing mammals case, solidifying herself in the ZPD and helping her grow closer to Nick. Nick seemed to be a natural at writing tickets. Though she was definitely quicker to the draw with her keen sense of hearing, his knowledge of how the city worked helped him locate prime areas where he knew many meters were expired. Judy never liked dealing with the mammals who caught her writing the tickets, but Nick seemed to thrive at that time. As they would yell obscenities or threaten him, the former hustler would shine through and he would be able to disarm them with his quick wit and sarcasm. Judy knew she was watching the master at work. A few times she had to suppress a laugh. As their shift came near an end, they met up near their vehicle to compare ticket machines.

"Boom, 275, a new record for four hours," Judy boasted as she showed Nick her ticket counter.

"Well, it's good to have goals to strive for Carrots," Nick replied, stowing his machine in his belt.

"Oh come on Nick. How many did you get? Don't worry, it's your first day. I won't laugh."

But she was on the verge of letting loose a little chuckle. She knew he couldn't keep up with her and she was competitive, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. He was looking a little down.

"Come on Nick. It can't be that bad, let me see." She reached for his ticket machine and he didn't stop her, looking at her with a sheepish look.

Punching a few buttons on the pad, she pulled up his numbers for the day and almost dropped the machine on the pavement.

"3…356! Nick, how….how did you….I can't believe it," she stuttered.

Now she noticed he wasn't even looking at her but to his side at the trees.

"I…didn't want to make you feel bad. You seemed so happy that you beat your personal record, I couldn't tell you what I did," Nick said.

"It's ok Nick. It's not a competition, not really. I just want to know how you did this, on your first day."

"Well, it's all about positioning. It's near the end of the month. Mammals are always putting off things they need to do till the last minute so I snuck over to the DMV. There had to be a thousand mammals there renewing their licenses and their registrations. All I had to do was just walk the parking lot and side streets a few times and ended up with that number."

She was impressed. He definitely had a different way of looking at things and they could use that to their advantage, no matter the situation they were put in.

"Do you mind if we go grab a quick drink before we head back. My feet are killing me."

She nodded, following him across the street to one of the many vendors downtown to grab a quick drink. Paying for their purchase, they both were leaning against the meter vehicle when a group of young rams started to walk past. They were being a bit raucous, not caring who overhead them. As they passed they eyed the two officers.

"Nice costume fox. I didn't know it was Halloween." More laughter followed.

Nick just smirked, flashing his badge that was under his vest. "Not a costume, just my uniform boys."

This was followed by even louder laughter as they continued on. "Yeah right. Who the hell in their right mind would put a badge on a fox?"

Judy looked from the ram to Nick, noticing a brief moment of a scowl that developed into a frown and disappeared quickly behind the mask.

"Nick," she placed a paw on his shoulder, "don't let them get to you. You're a great cop and everyone will know it."

Nick just gave her a smile. "Don't worry Carrots. Remember my first rule. It doesn't get to me, I've faced it all my life, I faced it all through academy, and I'm sure I will face it at work, both at base and out on the streets."

She wouldn't have let it bother her if that had been the only instance, but she had heard the whispers of those around her now that she was paying attention. Mammals sitting at the tables were whispering to each other, saying some of the same things. She couldn't pick out one kind thing and it was all directed at Nick. She couldn't tell if he heard or not, he wasn't letting on. It was starting to get to her. Didn't these mammals know what he had done to protect them with the whole Bellwether fiasco? Didn't they realized he risked his life? But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that, no, they didn't. Nick was never in the public eye after the case. He had been in the hospital with her and then at home helping her rehabilitate. Then he shuttled off to the academy. Only she had been in the public eye with interviews and news reports. She suddenly felt guilty for not mentioning him more, feeling that this was somehow her fault. As they entered the vehicle to go back to the station, Nick noticed her sullen attitude. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and reassured her that he was ok and not to let it bother her, giving her a genuine smile. He was right, she should cheer up. Besides, their day was over.

Walking back through the precinct, they were greeted by Clawhauser as they went to their respective locker rooms. Judy watched as Nick made his way to his locker room when Wolford walked out at the same time, bumping into Nick.

"Watch where you're going fox," he said, drawing out the last word as if it was a curse word, pushing Nick out of the way and almost to the ground. "We don't like your kind around here. Why don't you go down to the cells where you belong?"

Judy could see the stunned look on his face, but he didn't notice her. She quickly darted into her locker room, backing against the wall, holding her chest. What had she just seen? She needed to speak to the Chief about this. Some officers didn't get along well with others but that didn't mean they didn't respect each other as far as the job was concerned. She had faced prejudice when she started, but nothing like that. Quickly, she changed, determined to see the Chief and get this sorted out. Running out the door towards the lobby, Nick was already changed and standing, waiting for her in the hallway. Seeing the look in her eyes, he knew what she was doing.

"I'm going to stop you right there Carrots. I take it you saw what happened?"

Judy just nodded. Her anger starting to boil over as she saw the pain in his face momentarily.

"Don't go to the Chief. Please."

It wasn't pleading, just a simple request and it completely took her by surprise.

"It won't do any good, and like I have told you before, it happens. I'm used to it. It is something I have had to deal with my whole life. Besides, remember when you told the chief that I was a witness. Remember what he said?"

Judy did remember, and she remembered the prejudice her own Chief showed to Nick.

"Like you said, don't let it get to you. Judy, it doesn't get to me. Please don't let it get to you."

He grabbed her paw, gave it a slight squeeze and let her out the front door. The rest of the week saw them on random patrols, paperwork duty, and helping with a minor case dealing with some petty theft—basic things to get Nick acclimated to work as an officer. But the situation of the whispers while they were out, and the situation with other officers in the precinct didn't change. When she was alone, she could talk freely with any other officer, but with Nick, she was given the cold shoulder as others would completely ignore them. She swore that she saw the Chief staring down a few times. Was he aware of what was going on? She couldn't imagine that he wasn't. The only officer who didn't seem to mind Nick was Ben. But Ben liked everyone so it really wasn't a surprise. She tried to not let it get to her but she was finding it extremely difficult. She knew Nick didn't want her to tell Bogo, but she wanted to. She just needed an opportunity. She was presented with it the next week.

The morning was like any other. She waited in the bullpen while Nick stayed to talk with Ben at the front desk for a minute before joining her. The Chief came in the room his usual cheerful self and started handing out assignments. The first difference, she noticed was Wolford was still remaining in the pen along with Nick and herself. Bogo looked down at the two of them over his glasses set on the bridge of his large snout.

"Hopps, I need to see you in my office. Wolford. You will take Wilde with you out on patrol today to show him the ropes. That will be all. Dismissed."

Judy noticed the look on Wolford's face was the same if he had just been asked to clean the bathrooms with his tongue. Nick's face remained passive. She knew the mask was up and fortified. Why was the Chief splitting them up? What was he getting at putting Nick with Wolford? Didn't he know about his own officers to know that Wolford hated Nick? She didn't have time to ponder on those questions as Nick was starting to get up, turning to her.

"I'll be ok Carrots. I'll see you at the end of shift ok?"

Judy felt something inside, a knotting feeling that she couldn't place. She had never felt something like this. She could only nod as she followed him out of the pen before turning to go up to the Chief's office. Knocking on the door, she was beckoned inside.

"Have a seat Hopps," Bogo said, pointing to the chair in front of his desk. He pulled out a file and gave it to her. "I'm sorry to split you up from your partner today, but the nature of this case that I would like you to work on is such that it warrants certain actions. This is a big step Hopps. We have a homicide in the rainforest district and it requires expertise that only you have."

Opening the file, she noticed the name of the deceased, a Mr. Peter C. Tail, species, Dutch Rabbit.

"I figured," Bogo continued, "that a fox would not be the best officer to help deal with the grieving parents, given some misgivings mammals seem to have towards Officer Wilde, especially rabbits."

She could see from the look that he gave her, that he did indeed know what was going on.

"I can't pretend that I don't know what it is going on Hopps. I can see it in your eyes that it is affecting you as well." He sat, studying her. "I can't deny either, that I haven't felt the same way in some aspects in the past, both with you and Officer Wilde. As I told you before Hopps, you, as well as Officer Wilde have to work twice as hard to prove yourselves because of the prejudice. You because of your size and being the first rabbit officer, and Nick because he is a fox. There is still a lot of animosity towards his species." Bogo stood up. "I can't promise there won't be things said behind your backs or even to your faces, but what I can do is make sure the both of you are given the respect you deserve as officers of this precinct. I sent Wilde out with Wolford today as part of that process. He needs to work with other officers from time to time so they can see what you and I have come to see in him."

Judy was relieved that something would be done at least and that the Chief was working towards fixing what needed to be fixed. She reopened the file in her paws, reading the information on the case. The body of Mr. Tail had been brutally mutilated. Cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma to the torso and the head. Multiple fractures of both arms, legs, ribs, skull….the list went on. The crime scene photos were not too graphic, very little blood. Obviously this particular rabbit had been pummeled to death by a much larger animal.

"So, do we have any leads, any suspects?" Judy asked.

"At this point, no, not really," Bogo replied. "The only thing we found at the scene was some skin and blood samples from Mr. Tail's nails, but DNA tests were inconclusive. Some unidentified substance was found which our lab techs are busy analyzing. We would like you to talk to his parents, whom he was living with and canvas his room to see if you can find anything to help us with this case. You will find a warrant for the search in the file. Good luck."

As she walked out into the motor pool to grab a cruiser, Judy's thoughts turned to Nick, wondering how he would handle the day stuck with Wolford. Getting into the car, she turned her focus to the case. The quicker this was solved, the sooner she would be back with Nick. She pulled out of the station, heading to the home of the Tail family.

Nick was staring out the passenger window, watching for any suspicious activity as Wolford was driving slowly down side streets. Neither had said one word to each other since the start of their shift. Not that much was going on. They came up to a corner that bordered a main thoroughfare, parked, and waited to catch a few speeders. If the silence before had bene long and uncomfortable, now, it was deafening. Nick kept his mask up, ready for anything Wolford might say. Fortunately for Nick, Wolford didn't have time to say anything. A car screamed passed the front of their cruiser, registering 85 on the gun in a 35 zone. Nick hit the lights and sirens as Wolford hit the gas, tearing out of their parking spot to chase the offender.

"Dispatch, this is 246 calling in a 510. We are in pursuit," Nick radioed in.

It took a few moments, but they finally caught up to the speeder, who to their relief, pulled immediately over to the side of the road. As both officers walked past the front of their cruiser, Wolford put a paw on Nick's chest, stopping him.

"Ok rookie, just listen to me. You are to observe only. Let me do the talking. You just watch and learn. Got it?"

Nick just nodded as he took his position at the passenger side of the car with Wolford eyeing him the whole time.

"License and registration please," Wolford barked at the driver. "You realize that you were going 85 in a 35. 50 over the limit, do you realize how many lives you put at risk with that little stunt?"

Nick could see that the driver was very tense, small beads of sweat on his neck and his right paw kept fidgeting. This mammal was definitely on something. Nick took a quick sniff through the open passenger window and he could smell it, drugs. Looking to catch Wolford's eye, Nick could see that he wasn't paying attention to the signs that the driver was giving and not noticing the smell because he was too focused on showing Nick how everything was done. Both turned to walk back to the cruiser to run the license.

"Wolford, I think…." Nick started but was cut off.

"I don't care what you think fox. You just watch and let me handle this. We are just going to write a ticket for speeding and let him go on about his day. That's all."

Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was sure that drugs were involved, but he wasn't about to go against a senior officer, especially one that had it in for him. They both took their positions back at the offender's vehicle as Wolford served the driver his citation. Nick did exactly what he was told. He watched. He watched as Wolford kept all his attention on the face of the driver, shifting his eyes to Nick periodically. He watched as the driver moved his right paw slowly to the right side of his seat. He watched as that same paw gripped a handle of a hidden weapon. He watched as Wolford didn't see a thing. Reacting purely on the engrained instinct of his training from the academy, Nick drew his service weapon and leveled it at the driver.

"Freeze. Slowly remove you paw from the weapon. No sudden movements. Place both your paws on the wheel!" Nick yelled.

"What in the hell are you doing Wilde?" Wolford leapt back yelling, looking utterly surprised.

"He is reaching for a weapon, sir," Nick made sure to put emphasis on the last word.

The driver complied with Nick's orders as Wolford removed him from the vehicle. As soon as he was secured, he came back to Nick who pointed to the side of the seat. Reaching in, Wolford pulled out what looked more like a hand cannon than a pistol, easily capable of putting rounds right through their armor. Wolford's eyes widened at first, but quickly narrowed into a scowl. Neither said a word to each other while they waited for another unit to come collect the perp and for a wrecker to come get the car. After half an hour, both were back in the cruiser on patrol again. Nick wanted to say something, but one look at Wolford and he changed his mind. He couldn't understand why he was angry. Didn't he just save his life? He had seen a gun, followed procedure and prevented something serious. He knew of Wolford's prejudice, but this was beyond the pale. Seeing the clock, he was grateful for at least one thing, they only had two hours left before they would head back to the station to end their day. Only two more hours of this crap and he could be back with Judy. They entered the freeway to finish up in the Rainforest District, setting up more speed traps.

246, this is dispatch. Do you copy?

"Go ahead for 246."

We have a potential code purple, 10-66 at 1455 Rainbow Circle.

"246 responding."

So much for an early evening, Nick thought.

They pulled up to a run-down commercial property. From the looks outside, it had been abandoned for some time except for the light coming from the side window.

"It's probably some stupid kits breaking in on a dare. Just stay behind me and follow my lead," Wolford said to Nick. "Let's try to keep the surprises to a minimum today."

Nick was taken back a little. Did Wolford just give him a smile? He didn't have time to dwell. Wolford was already making his way to the front door. Nick took up position behind him. They tried the door, it opened to their touch. It wasn't even latched. Strike number one. As they entered, they could hear the sounds of small machinery working in a far off room. Strike number two. As they made their way into the front room of the supposedly abandoned building, a badger appeared in the hall in front of them, holding a gun. And strike number three, they were out. At this time, Nick and Wolford were standing shoulder to shoulder, making the largest target possible for the perp in front of them. The badger raised his weapon, grinning while pulling the trigger. Wolford moved faster than Nick thought possible, but not fast enough. Wolford had pushed Nick into a side room, falling on top of him.

"Damnit, that stings," Wolford complained, inspecting his chest.

Two bullets had hit his vest, but luckily had been stopped.

"Come out, come out. I just want to play," came the chiding voice of the badger. "I'll make it quick, I promise."

"Dispatch, 246, 417 with 10-71. Request immediate backup. I repeat 417 with 10-71. Request immediate backup," Wolford radioed in.

Dispatch copies 246. Backup in route. All units, all units. 417, 10-71 1455 Rainbow Circle, Rainforest District. All units in vicinity, please respond.

Judy was sitting in the living room of Mr. and Mrs. Tail's home.

"Thank you for letting us look in your son's room and talk with both of you. I understand how hard this must be. We will do everything we can to find who did this and bring them to justice," Judy said, consoling the parents.

Dispatch copies 246. Backup in route. All units, all units. 417, 10-71 1455 Rainbow Circle, Rainforest District. All units in vicinity, please respond.

"Please, excuse me. If you need anything, here is my card and number. Please call me," Judy quickly said as she rushed out the door to answer the radio. That address was only a few minutes from where she was. She was thinking about the car number as she jumped in her cruiser.

"Dispatch, this is 315 responding. 5 minutes out."

As she sped away, it hit her like a brick to the face.

246. Oh no. That's Nick's car.

"You're not getting out of here boys. This is the end of the road. Just take a look around you," the badger taunted them.

Casting their eyes around, they noticed wires running to small white blocks placed on the metal beams in the ceiling.

"Wolford," Nick said with a hint of fear, "this place is rigged to blow."

"Ok Nick. We need to take this guy down fast. It is our only chance."

Nick nodded. Both made their way to the opening of the office they were currently in. Nick stuck his head out for a quick peak. Seeing the badger still at the end of the hall, he pulled his head in as a bullet caught the door frame where his head had been a second before. A few hand signals between the two and they had their plan. But it was short lived. By this time, sirens could be heard, and they were getting louder by the second.

"Aw hell you two. You just had to go and call on more fuzz didn't you. Well, I've got to run, but as a gracious guest, I have a parting gift for you."

The next sound they both heard was the thud of a metal object on the floor followed by the sound of it rolling. Nick looked and in front of the door frame, a small device with a blinking light came to rest in the opening. He had no idea what it was, but he knew it wasn't good. Grabbing Wolford by his vest, he turned him over, pushing him to the far wall as fast as he could when the device went off. Both Nick and Wolford were lifted off their paws and slammed into the wall as part of the doorway collapsed behind them. Both fell into a heap on the floor. Wolford was stunned for a moment as his snout slammed into said wall, Nick fared a little worse. The concussion from the blast had knocked him out also throwing a piece of wood from the frame, striking him on the head and causing a bloody gash to form. Wolford quickly and gently set him down as he got to his feet.

"Wilde, Wilde. Damnit Nick, wake up," Wolford said, trying to get Nick to respond.

Nick stirred slightly as Wolford reached for his radio. Unfortunately for them, both of their radios had been damaged in the blast.

"Hold on Nick. I'll get us out of here."

Wolford dragged Nick to the doorway with his weapon drawn. He wasn't going to let that bastard get away. Not after this.

"This is the ZPD, the building is surrounded. Come out with your paws up."

Wolford couldn't believe the timing. They had no idea this place was rigged and that if the badger was cornered, he would blow it.

"Well, it's been fun boys. You can say, it's been a blast."

No no no, Wolford's mind was screaming as he turned into the hallway, staring down the badger holding the detonator in his paw. Raising his gun, he fired three shots, two to the badger's chest and the final finding itself embedded into his skull. The detonator fell from his paws as his body fell into a pile on the floor. For a split second, Wolford let out a sigh of relief until the remote turned over, button side down, towards the floor.

Judy had taken up position outside the building with half a dozen other officers who had been in the area at the time the call came in. Officer Rhinehorn had just delivered orders via his bullhorn. Suddenly, three shots rang out causing all outside to crouch behind the cover of their vehicles, not knowing where the bullets where aimed. Moments later, the air around them was rent asunder as the windows of the building were blown out, followed by deafening sounds of explosions and collapsing parts of building. The officers outside were lucky to be in cover from the shots. No one was hurt by the flying debris. As the dust started to settle, they could see parts of the building collapsed and other parts barely staying up. It looked as if a strong gust of wind could sent the rest crumbling down into a pile of rubble. A few officers, including Judy, went running up to the front of the building. The only thing going through Judy's mind was where was Nick? To the left of the door, in what was left of a side room, they could hear some moans.

"We have someone over here," the call came out.

"Careful, this whole place could come down at any time."

They could see some of the smaller rubble moving. Since Judy was the lightest, she hopped in and started removing some of the smaller pieces. She noticed the blue cloth of a uniform.

"It's one of ours!" she cried out.

A few other officers quickly and carefully made their way over, warily eyeing the half collapsed floor above them. They pulled off more rubble, finding a gray paw beneath. Carefully, they removed Wolford out to the cruisers where paramedics could administer to him.

"Wolford, WOLFORD. Can you hear me?" Judy was yelling at him.

He opened his eyes slightly and nodded.

"Where is Nick? Wolford, was Nick with you?

Wolford just shook his head in the negative before he passed out again. Her heart sank. Where was he? She heard a few officers to her side start to mumble, but her ears heard it as if they were whispering directly in her ear.

"I knew this would happen. The fox just ran off and left his partner high and dry."

"Leave it to a fox to save his own skin."

She couldn't believe it. They had an officer missing and all they could do was spew their prejudice. What she didn't see was Wolford regain consciousness and raise his paw, pointing to the other side of the building.

"Over here!" came the call.

Judy ran up to the other room which was in even worse shape than the one they found Wolford in. Desks were scattered outside of the building, blown out from the explosion when the wall gave out. They couldn't risk going in.

"Right there. Is that what I think it is?" one of the officers pointed.

Judy saw what they were pointing to. Between some rubble, another piece of blue fabric could be seen. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She could hear the supports of the building straining to hold up what remained. She needed to be quick. Moving some larger pieces of rubble, she noticed some pieces stained with what looked like blood. Moving a piece of lumber, she noticed a black paw with red fur going up the arm, not moving.

"I need help over here. I found Officer Wi…Wilde."

A few other officers gingerly made their way to Judy with a back board and helped load Nick up. Judy released a breath she didn't know she was holding when she could find a pulse. They moved him back to the perimeter, awaiting an ambulance just in time. The building finally gave in. First it was a creaking sound, then a string of pops before a roar of crumbling mortar, steel, and wood came as the building finally succumbed to the damage it had received. The officers on the ground ran back as fast as they could so as not to be caught in the falling debris. Judy turned around, watching it all pancake into a pile. All she could do was hold on to Nick's paw, realizing just how close they had been to death.

"Sir, lab B was compromised."

…..

"Yes sir, contingency X was executed."

…..

"No sir, nothing survived. The building collapsed. Henry made sure."

…..

"Yes sir, he went with the building."

…..

"I understand sir. We will double production at the other facilities. I'll let you know of any more developments."

The hippo hung up the phone. Losing a lab was bad enough, but Henry had been a casualty of it as well. How had the cops found out their operation? There were no outside indications of any activity in the area. Was it dumb luck, or did they have a snitch? He would need to look into this before it happened again, before the boss got involved. Mammals had a tendency to disappear when the Boss became angry and he, for one, was not going to be the next. Picking up the phone, he started to make calls. He was going to fix this.

At the hospital, both Wolford and Nick were in the same room. Both had been treated for numerous minor cuts and bruises caused by the concussive blast and from debris falling on them. Wolford was being treated for a few bruised ribs from the shots and Nick a few stitches in his head from the gash caused by some debris from the initial explosion. He was also fighting the symptoms of a mild concussion. Both were awake and awaiting discharge. Judy was sitting by Nick's bedside as Chief Bogo entered.

"I've just been informed that the two of you will be cleared to leave and have been cleared for full duty when you return. I want both of you to take two days and expect a full report when you do return. But for now, I just want the abbreviated version of today's events."

Nick just tilted his head to Wolford, who was the senior officer as a sign to go ahead. Wolford began giving a quick account of the call and initial check of the facility. He said how they had heard machinery and about the badger pulling a weapon. Wolford paused at the point where the explosive device had been thrown, looking at Nick, and for the first time, Nick noticed a change in Wolford's expression. The Chief looked between to two of them.

"Well?" the Chief asked.

Wolford went to open his mouth but Nick cut him off.

"The badger threw an explosive at us which detonated, throwing us into the room and knocking me unconscious," Nick stated to Wolford's shock.

Wolford continued with how he had shot the badger and how the subsequent explosion occurred.

Bogo seemed satisfied as they both finished.

"Um, could we have a moment in private please?" Wolford suddenly said to both Judy and Chief Bogo.

Judy was surprised, but stood up to leave with the Chief. Once the door was shut, Wolford spoke.

"Wilde, what was that all about?"

Nick just stared at him.

"Why didn't you tell the chief that you saved me from that explosive? If it hadn't been for your quick thinking today, I would be dead, twice."

Nick just smirked. "Why didn't you tell him you took the two bullets while pushing me out of the line of fire? I think it's because we don't care for accolades Wolfy. I was just doing my job and I know you were doing yours."

Wolford got out of his bed and made his way to Nick, pausing at his side. Nick had a flash of nervousness before Wolford quickly wrapped his arm around Nick in a one armed hug with a pat on the back.

"Don't you ever sell yourself short Nick. You saved my life, and I will never forget it. I am proud to call you my brother and I need to apologize for my behavior earlier. You are a fellow officer and you are welcome anytime. If anyone gives you a hard time, tell me. I'll take care of it. Any time you need a partner, you just ask."

Nick was taken back at this. "Technically, we're even. You took bullets for me, I just returned the favor. But, thank you. It means a lot."

Outside the door, Judy and Bogo were waiting. Bogo noticed Judy's ears twitching, knowing she could hear the conversation.

"Hopps," Bogo said to her, giving her a little nod.

She knew what he meant. Listening to the 'private' conversation, she relayed all that was said to the Chief. As she finished, she noticed a grin find its way to his stoic face causing a smile to appear on hers. Inside the room, Nick lay back in his bed, his chest burning. Not from any injury, but from the same feeling he had back at graduation. The burning feeling of pride and now, friendship.