Judy and Nick nodded to the ZIA secretary as they hustled by. The anteater just nodded back, apparently familiar enough with the two officers by now to dispense with the usual greeting. Judy was glad for it as they hustled up the stairs to the top floor of the ZIA, as they were already running late enough as it was. Her phone had said it was 8:55 when they hopped out of the cab, and the debrief was starting at 9:00 sharp. She hated to cut it so close, but waking up naked next to Nick had caused some unforeseen problems, including a shower to get the scent of each other off. Both had decided to show up in street clothes as Judy didn't have a spare uniform at Nick's, and she was praying Bogo didn't call them out on it. She and Nick hustled across the ZIA bullpen and burst into Stagg's office.
"Well. Good morning officers, nice of you to join us." Stagg droned as the two hurried into the last remaining seats around the conference table. The other chairs were taken up by Bogo, Wolfard, the two MMF soldiers, the pair of ZIA agents, and Assistant Director Fettersworth. Judy scooted her chair in and tried to ignore both the annoyed look from Bogo and the excited, knowing look from Skye.
"Now that everyone's here, we can start this meeting. First off, there's something very important I need to discuss. Agent Savage," he turned to look at the hare with a dark look on his face. "Did you notice anything unusual about the raid?"
Jack looked uncomfortable, collecting his thoughts before he answered.
"Actually...yes, sir. It wasn't much but when we breached, I couldn't help but feel that the hostiles were too prepared. Every single mammal in there was armed, even the ones who seemed to just be there to pack crates and cut the drugs. And also, there was barely any confusion before they started firing. They even had some of the tables and crates set up in a way that specifically gave them some cover when the shooting started. It almost seemed like they were waiting for us."
All the gathered mammals glanced uneasily at each other at the hare's account. Even if Black Knight might have been suspicious that the ZPD was onto them, there was no way they could've actually known that a raid was coming.
"Damn it." Stagg cursed, "That's exactly what I was afraid you'd say. And that, ladies and gentemammals, is why you are the only ones at this debrief instead of the entire assault team. I believe we may have a leak somewhere in the ZIA."
"Sir!" Skye gasped, "There's no way!"
"There most certainly is. I already had my suspicions, what Agent Savage has said has just confirmed it for me. Our analysts on the scene said that all the drugs had already been cut and were almost done being repackaged to move to another location. Hell, if we had been even a few hours late, we might have missed them. Our intel said that the warehouse was being used for cutting the product and for long-term storage. It can't be a coincidence that they decided to move their entire stash the same night we decided to stage the raid. I'm sure that somehow, they must've had prior knowledge. As a matter of fact, the only reason you're all even here today is because I trust Agents Savage and Frost, and Bogo and Lieutenant Granger have sworn up and down that you others are trustworthy."
He said this evenly enough, but Judy couldn't help but notice his gaze lingering on Tice and Wolfard. Clearly the buck considered those two the weak links.
"Possible leaks aside, we have a completely different problem to deal with." Fettersworth said, taking over for Stagg. "We've already started interrogating some of the survivors from the raid. Some are staying quiet, but some of them have been giving us some information. One thing that they've all been consistent on is that Saber had five mammals with him that served as his underbosses. We showed them a photo of Martín Rojas, and they all identified him as one of them. Between that, and the fact that all the underbosses were fluent Spanish speakers, we decided that these mammals must've been other members of Pawnamian cartels, sent to back up Saber. It's a stretch, but when we began identifying the bodies found at the scene, we found we were right. The problem here is...we only found two at the warehouse." He paused before looking over at Judy. "The third was killed near Agent Frost's position. That makes four dead, counting Rojas, but the fifth was never accounted for."
Judy's gut wrenched as she thought about the two mammals that were fleeing from the warehouse that night.
"Sir, before I...before I fired at the suspect, I heard him and the other talking in Spanish."
Fettersworth nodded his head as if that confirmed his theory.
"That figures. They must've somehow slipped away during the raid. Clearly, we don't have much evidence, speaking Spanish doesn't automatically make someone a cartel member, but for now, we have to assume that at least one of them escaped. And if that mammal has any way of contacting the rest of the Task Force, then they now know that the ZIA has killed one of their own and is likely coming for the rest of them, and depending on what they saw, they also know that McCoy is alive and working with us. That makes for a dangerous situation, for all of us."
The room was deadly silent, the assembled mammals all processing this on their own. Finally, Skye asked a tentative question.
"Sir...what do we do now?"
Stagg grunted, shaking his head.
"Honestly Frost...we're not sure. Losing Saber was a crushing blow to our intelligence gathering. The locals that were working with them have given us what information they can, but they only knew about the Zootopian operation, which we basically dismantled during the raid. Unfortunately, now we're basically stuck on the defensive until we can come up with a plan of attack."
"Stuck on the defensive?" Jack said incredulously.
"Yes, Agent Savage. I don't believe for a second that this attack will go unanswered. And now, Black Knight probably knows who we are and where to hit us, while all we have to go on is that we're pretty sure they're somewhere in the country of Pawnama. We need time to gather intel and form a plan, but we need to keep you all safe in the meantime. That's where this comes in." Stagg finished, throwing a folder on the table. Skye reached forward and flipped the folder open, looking confused.
"Sir...what the hell is this?" She asked, holding up a list of directions, instructions and grid coordinates.
"Those are your directions and grid coordinates for the safehouse I'm sending you all to. It's outside of the city, and me and the Assistant director are the only mammals who even know if it's existence. You two, along with your MMF and ZPD counterparts will be staying there until we can come up with a new plan of action."
Jack and Skye both stared at the buck, open mouthed, until Jack burst out indignantly.
"Sir! You can't be serious with this! The entire ZIA could be targeted, even you sir, not just us! I'm not going to go cool my heels in some cabin in the woods while that threat is still present!"
"That's exactly what you're going to do, Savage!" Stagg shouted, slamming a paw on his desk. "Despite what you may think, the ZIA actually can function without you, and I was a field agent while you were still shitting in diapers! And besides, I thought you and Agent Frost might enjoy a little getaway." He finished coldly. Jack fumed, clearly furious at the Director, but he slowly sank back into his seat, staring daggers at the buck as Skye looked visibly embarrassed. Judy felt her own anger rise as she saw her friend get treated like that. She fought to keep her tone in check as she sat forward to speak.
"Sir, Agent Savage is right. We can do more good here, helping fight Black Knight on the homefront."
"Oh, is that how it is? Take down one bad guy and now you're all geared up to go to war?" Judy gasped, stung by the director's harsh words. She could practically feel Nick's hackles rising next to her as the fox let out an almost inaudible growl. Director Stagg turned towards the sound, narrowing his eyes at Nick.
"And what the fuck is this? All riled up because I hurt the little bunny's feelings? Well fuck your feelings, Wilde. The both of you are going, isn't that right Chief?"
Judy and Nick wheeled around to look at Bogo, who kept a stoic face as he gave a silent nod. Judy could see just the tiniest bit of regret in the chief's eyes, but that did nothing to stop the betrayal she felt that Bogo hadn't even mentioned this to them.
"So when do we leave?" Granger asked, reaching across the table to slide the folder closer to herself. Stagg looked taken aback as he answered.
"Well, they were set to leave as soon as possible, but you'll be staying here in the city ma'am."
"No, that won't work." The ocelot said simply, not even glancing up from the paper she was reading. Stagg blinked twice, leaning over his desk.
"Ma'am, you are the official MMF Liasion for this operation. I'll need you to help plan the upcoming mission." Granger finally glanced up, looking annoyed.
"Well, I have a cellphone, I think you do as well. Most can send emails nowadays, so I'm sure we'll manage. Director, you have to understand that wherever my soldier goes, I'm going as well. You seem to believe this safehouse is secure but what if you're wrong? I'm not sending my soldier out on his own. So, I'm going." She turned back to the folder, leaning in to read something carefully. Stagg looked towards the ceiling as if begging a higher power for help, before turning to the Assistant Director.
"Bob, I assume you placed the Lieutenant's service pistol in the armory along with McCoy's gear?"
"Yeah, I put it in my private section. It's been secure since the raid." The boar answered, seeming confused.
"Good. Load it into the van along with the rest." He tuened back towards the rest of the gathered mammals, sounding tired and exasperated. "Well, the safehouse is going to be a little more cramped now. You may have to double up rooms, but I don't know if that will be much of a concern." He paused to sneer at his two agents. "Now, unless anyone else has any bitches, moans or complaints, get out of here and go pack. Be back in two hours. Dismissed."
XXXXXXXX
Judy sat on her small travel bag dejectedly, eyeing Fettersworth as he loaded bags of gear into the van. She was back in the sub level of the ZIA, where a nondescript grey van had been parked next to the fleet of tactical vehicles. She had been the first one to return from packing, and she was sitting there feeling decidedly pissed off.
I can't believe Bogo would just go along with this crap, without even telling us! She thought miserably. She knew that the ornery buffalo likely had his officers' best interests at heart, but she was still angry that he hadn't even consulted them. Suddenly, she felt the subject of her anger's looming presence beside her.
"Hopps..." the Chief said carefully, ironically wary of the tiny rabbit next in front of him.
"Yes, Chief?" Judy said back bitingly, still staring at the van. Bogo shifted on his hooves and took a gruff tone with the rabbit.
"Now don't give me that, Hopps. I'm doing this for your own good, you and Wilde. In case you haven't been keeping count, the raid makes three times in nearly a week that you've been shot at. If you keep getting into any more trouble I think you might give your fox a damn heart attack."
Judy was ready to give back a scathing reply, but she stopped short. Your fox...the chief had most definitely just called Nick her fox. Not that fox or her partner, but her fox.
"Oh don't look so damn surprised, Hopps. I spent fifteen years as a beat cop and seven as a detective. I've cracked harder cases than the 'Why did two of my officers come in smelling like the opposite species Mystery'." Bogo grumbled.
Judy flinched, suddenly terrified of what kind of wrath Bogo would bring down over this. Everything last night had happened so fast, she hadn't even had time to consider it, and now her hasty morning shower clearly hadn't been enough and her cover was blown. Might have worked better if she had kept Nick outside the shower while she was using it but to be fair, they were trying to save time.
"Before you even start, know that at the moment, I couldn't give a shit less about you two being romantically involved. I'm much more concerned about keeping you alive long enough to sign your next paycheck! So you are going to get in the damn van, you're going to go to the damn safehouse, and you're going to learn a thing or two from those agents so you can god damn bloody well make it that long! Am I clear?" Bogo growled, snorting heavy breaths through his thick, bovine nose. Judy looked up and nodded, terrified by the huge buffalo. Even after knowing the chief for so long, it was hard not to feel tiny when all that rage was focused on you.
"Good." Bogo said, straightening. "And one more thing. You're going to take this number and you're going to call it if a single thing goes wrong, so that I can come out there and save your arses."
As Bogo stomped away, Judy looked at the scrap of paper in her paw. It was obviously a phone number with a Zootopian area code, and Judy realized with a jolt that it must be the chief's personal number. She folded the paper up carefully and slipped it into her pocket.
"Hey! Carrots!"
Judy turned around and her heart swelled as she saw her fox walking towards her, an easy grin on his face. He stopped beside her and dropped the bulky luggage bag he was carrying. Judy eyed it warily and looked back up at Nick.
"Nick...you remembered Stagg said to pack for like...a week right?"
"Course I did. Guys got to look nice for his new girlfriend right?" He said, giving her a wink. Judy felt her ears redden as she glanced around nervously, hiding her smile.
"Nick! Stop that! Bogo's already on to us, we don't need more trouble."
Nick blanched, looking down at his rabbit in terror.
"Bogo knows?" He whispered.
"Yes!" Judy groaned, "Apparently the shower we took didn't solve the whole scent issue. We're in the clear though...for now. Bogo's got bigger fish to fry than suspending us for fraternization I guess."
Nick breathed a sigh of relief, clutching at his chest.
"Whew, thank god. And hey, speaking of last night...I found these on my floor, I was thinking you might want them back?"
Judy's heart stopped as Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny, familiar pair of purple panties, hanging them off of one claw. She cried out in surprise, but before she could dive for them, a door opened behind her.
"Jesus Charlie, I swear that bartender was about to-" Tice froze as he stared at the tiny slip of fabric dangling from Nick's claw. Charlie followed his gaze and nearly choked as her eyes shot wide. Nick turned to them, suddenly panicking as he hastily jammed his paw back in his pocket, staring back st the soldiers.
"Nick...did you just put Officer Hopps's panties in your pocket?"
The ocelot Officer was staring at the two cops with a mix of horror and amusement. Nick blinked twice and decided to try to turn the tables. It was a weak shot, but it was all he had.
"Did...Tice just call you Charlie?" He asked the lieutenant. He was pleasantly surprised when both mammals suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable, giving each other knowing, worried looks. What's up with that? Nick mused.
"What...in the everliving fuck."
All four mammals jumped and turned to see Wolfard, standing alone off to the side with a beat up canvas bag and a coffee in his paw.
"Wolfard! How long were you standing there?" Judy gasped, horrified that yet another mammal had seen her panties.
"Oh, just the whole time. You all are not very observant." The wolf deadpanned before spinning away. Judy could've sworn she heard him mumbling something along the lines of, 'Knew I should've put more whiskey in my coffee'. She knew she should be worried about how much whiskey already was in his coffee, but she was more occupied with trying not to kill Nick as the soldiers also padded away. She turned to stare back at the Fox, who was doing his best to give her an apologetic grin.
"Sorry?" He squeaked. Judy growled a very un-rabbitish growl in the back of her throat.
"Sorry? You should be sorry, you dumb fox! Now literally every mammal in this safehouse is going to know about us! And give me those!" She growled. Nick pulled the panties back out and quickly passed them to Judy who stuffed them away in her bag.
"Wait, how do Skye and Jack already know?" Nick asked, desperate to change the topic. Judy pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes.
"I may have texted Skye last night. She was very...insistent that we should be a thing."
"Huh...Jack kinda was too. Judy...do we have shippers?" Nick asked with a goofy grin.
"Oh shut up, Nick." Judy said, fighting back a chuckle.
"And hey what the hell was that with Tice and the lieutenant? I mean, I remember her first name is Charlotte but...am I crazy or did Tice just call her Charlie?"
"Yeah he did..." Judy trailed off thinking. She was No expert in military customs, but she was decently sure it was not normal to call your commanding officer by pet names.
"Hey! Judy!"
Skye scurried up, holding her suitcase in front of herself, smiling widely as she bounced on her feet. Her gleeful eyes flicked in between Judy and Nick, and she looked like she was ready to explode.
"Hi Skye." Judy said, her irritation and embarrassment fading a little at the sight of her overly excited vulpine friend.
"So...?" Skye said, her grin getting impossibly wide. Judy was searching for an answer when Nick looked around, and seeing no one watching, leaned over and gave Judy a tiny kiss on the top of the head with a wink to Skye. Skye gave an excited squeak and shot forward to hug Judy.
"God, this is so great!" She gushed, pulling back and surprising Nick with a hug as well.
"Yeah, congrats you two." Jack said, sounding less than pleased as he trudged up, dragging his own suitcase. Nick looked at the miserable looking hare and raised an eyebrow.
"You doing alright Jack?"
"Don't mind him, Nick. He's still just pissed that Stagg is sending us out on this trip."
"It's just bullshit!" Jack exploded, "That dumbass deer is practically sabotaging this operation by sending us out to play house in the country. And I know that this is just a roundabout way of punishing me and Skye. This whole thing is just ridiculous." Jack finished bitterly, crossing his arms.
"Oh suck it up Jack. This isn't the end of the world, let's just try to enjoy it." Skye chastised. The four turned as Charlie and Tice walked up, both very pointedly trying not to look at Nick and Judy too much.
"Hey, Fettersworth said he's done loading our gear, so we're getting in the van." Tice said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. Everyone followed along and piled into the van, with Skye driving, Jack in shotgun and the rest piling into the back. Judy, Nick and Charlie took one of the long bench seats while Tice and Wolfard took the other, with a mountain of gear and suitcases stacked in the middle. Judy was fairly sure it was illegal to seat passengers in the back without seatbelts, but she wasn't about to argue. As they all settled in, Stagg appeared in the open back doors and looked in at the occupants.
"Alright, listen up. You all are heading to the safehouse and staying there, no leaving at all. The house is kept stocked with everything you all should need for at least a week. If you end up needing more, contact myself or the assistant director and we'll work something out. Besides that, keep your phones on, especially you, Lieutenant Granger, and stay vigilant. If all goes as planned, we'll be in contact soon with a plan. Now, get out of here."
Stagg slammed the double doors and slapped twice on the side of the van. Skye started the van up and dropped it in drive as the garage door lifted up, letting the van cruise slowly out into the city.
XXXXXXXX
The ride was mostly silent as the van cruised out of the city limits. Judy was still considering the implications of Bogo being aware of her and Nick being together. She was more than a little pissed that it had taken not even 24 hours for the chief to find out; she would've liked at least a little more time to break that news slowly. Suddenly she realized that Bogo wasn't the only ZPD Officer to be aware of her current situation. She rounded on Wolfard and saw the wolf sleeping with his head resting against the wall of the van.
"Wolfard. Hey, wolfard!" She yelled, getting the wolf's attention. He sat up and blinked blearily until he focused on the bunny.
"What's up?" He asked, sounding bored.
"Hey...about what happened back at the ZIA..." Judy said, stretching to lean across the luggage so she could talk at least a little quieter.
"Save it Hopps. Really not the first time I've seen a female's underwear, and it's not like you were wearing them at the time."
Judy felt heat rise in her ears as Tice poorly tried to hide a laugh with a cough. Clearly the conversation was not as private at she was hoping, so she simply gave up and leaned back, talking normally.
"Well whatever. Just maybe keep it on the down-low? At least as far as the ZPD goes? I mean, everyone here already knows right?"
The van was silent as the mammals all tried very hard to look anywhere besides her and Nick. Judy rolled her eyes and looked at the Fox who gave her an amused look and raised his paw.
"Hello everyone, just a quick announcement. Me and Miss Hopps here are now a romantic couple, and last night we, as the kids say, did the nasty. There, now everyone knows."
Judy closed her eyes in resignation as the males all burst out in laughing cheers, Jack actually leaning back to give Nick a high-five. Charlie at least managed to restrain herself to a polite chuckle and gave Judy an approving look. Judy allowed herself to relax and laugh a little as the laughs and jokes all seemed in good fun. As the laughs quieted down, Wolfard leaned across the van pat Judy on the shoulder.
"Sorry, Judy but I can't guarantee 100% secrecy. I swear, I'll keep this under wraps until you want to let the world know, but Clawhauser has to hear the story about the Red fox panty thief."
Judy laughed, nodding in agreement with the wolf. It really was too good of a story to pass up. The van lapsed into silence again as they tore through the open countryside. Judy was reminded of her first train ride to Zootopia as rolling green hills flew by either side of them. Before long, Skye reached over and flicked on the van's radio and clicked through faded, staticky stations until the sound of a rock station filled the van. She put the volume at a reasonable amount and let the station play, tapping along to the beat.
Judy didn't think anything of the music at first, but a few songs later, she noticed an immediate change from Tice as the opening chords of a song started up.
Comin' outta my cage and I been doin' just fine,
Gotta gotta be down, because I want it all,
It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss!
The coyote immediately sat up a bit straighter and began to tap his fingers on his knees. Judy racked her brain to remember the name of the song, and then she remembered hearing it in college, it was Mr. Brightside by the Quillers. As the drums kicked in, Tice began to lightly bob his head to the beat. Judy almost laughed at the sight of a muscular, top-tier military operative practically looking like he was ready to explode if he didn't sing along, but she held back as she just faintly heard the sound of Tice humming along to the words. Wow, he must really love this song she decided.
Judy looked up to the driver's seat, meaning to tell Skye to turn it up, but she saw the vixen was already way ahead of her. She was looking in the rear view at Tice with a grin as she leaned over and cranked the radio up before throwing her head back and belting out the lyrics.
"Well I just can't look, it's killing meeee! We're taking control!" She spun in her seat and pointed at Tice. "Take it away, McCoy!"
Tice was only surprised for a second before he leaned forward and sang in a surprisingly clear, strong singing voice.
"Jealousy! Turning saints into the sea! Swimming through sick lullabies! Choking on your alibies!"
"But it's just the price, I pay! Destiny is calling me! Open up my eager eyes!" Nick suddenly called out, Surprising Judy. She didn't even know Nick knew this song.
"Cuz I'm Mr. Brightside!" Nick, Skye and Tice all sang together. The bridge kicked in and Tice and Nick both rocked their heads back and forth, keeping time with the beat. The other mammals all joined in to some degree, and Judy was surprised again on the next verse when nearly every mammal in the van started to belt out the lyrics, or at least something close to them. Judy laughed out loud when she saw Nick and Tice leaning over the bags to take turns singing 'It was only a kiss!' into each other's faces.
Suddenly, Judy was overcome with a sudden sense of warmness. She realized that for the first time, Tice actually really felt like one of them. Before now, he had been off to the side, as if he couldn't be trusted, or was different from the rest of them because of his past with Black Knight. But here he was, singing along to an old classic with them like they were all old friends. And Judy really hoped that someday, Tice would be friends with all of them. She looked to the driver's seat again and smiled at the back of Skye's white head. There was no doubt in her mind that she had known exactly what she was doing when she cranked that song up, and In that moment Judy loved her for it.
"Oh shit! Another classic! Good picking on the station, Skye!" Tice called from the back as he launched into head-banging along to the power chords of a song Judy couldn't remember who wrote. She settled back into her seat comfortably and glanced up at Nick. The fox was laid back with a relaxed smile on his muzzle, content to watch Tice rock out. Judy smiled and grabbed his paw, prompting him to look down at her. His smile grew bigger, and suddenly Judy couldn't help herself. She reached up, grabbed a handful of his furry cheek and hauled him down for a kiss. She kept it quick, but still felt her heart race a little at the fact that she was surrounded by other mammals.
She pulled away and giggled at Nick's stunned look, before glancing around to judge everyone's reaction. Jack hadn't seen, and Tice had been too wrapped up in the music to notice, but Judy saw Skye giving her a sappy looking smile in the rearview, and Wolfard also gave the two a grin and a well-meaning chuckle. Charlie however, despite being right next to Judy, hadn't seen a thing. As a matter of fact, she seemed way more focused on something else, as she bit her lip a tiny bit with a thoughtful look in her eye. Judy followed her gaze, and hid a gasp when she saw it landed right on Tice, who was still oblivious.
Suddenly pieces started to fit together. Tice calling her Charlie, him saying something to her about a bartender, and now that somewhat...predatory look she was giving him. This is going to be a very interesting week she thought to herself.
XXXXXXXX
"Wow." Nick said flatly, staring up at their safehouse. "I was picturing something with more of a...cabin in the woods kind of vibe."
The rest of the mammals were all following Nick's lead, staring up at the house slightly dumbfounded. The safehouse certainly wasn't a cabin in the woods; it was more like an oversized modern ski chalét. The house sat perched halfway up a mountain at the top of a narrow, winding road, surrounded by a stand of trees. Judy couldn't help but wonder what kind of dent this put in the ZIA budget.
"How did the ZIA even get this?" She asked, looking up at Skye. Skye looked down at the paper Stagg had given her and read before answering.
"Apparently this used to be a hideout for some criminals. ZIA seized it when they took them down and Stagg claimed it as a safehouse."
Skye looked back up from her paper. There was a brief silence before the laughing vixen took off at a sprint.
"I call the biggest bed!"
"I call the second biggest!" Nick called, tearing off behind her into the house. Jack and Judy laughed as their foxes wrestled at the front door before spilling into the house.
"Do I have to race you two to get a decent room?" Charlie asked, smirking at the smaller mammals. Wolfard butted in as he passed, hefting his travel bag over his shoulder.
"Nah, didn't you hear? These two are already sleeping in the two biggest beds!" Judy gave an embarrassed little titter while Jack just grinned up at the wolf. Everyone else followed in behind the two foxes and Judy's jaw dropped a little as she walked inside.
To the right of the front door was a huge, open living room with a high ceiling, ringed with plush looking couches and finished off by a massive picture window overlooking the countryside. To her left was a nice modern looking kitchen with a granite island in the middle. A staircase past the kitchen wound up to a loft where there were four rooms, presumably bedrooms. Judy saw another staircase leading down into a sub level at the other end of the living room, with a full bathroom attached in the corner. Judy noticed that while the house was clearly designed for mammals larger than her, there were modifications everywhere that would let a mammal around her size live in the house comfortably.
"Who did you say this place belonged to again?" She called out, climbing the stairs to the second level.
"Some criminal crew. Terrorists is the best word I guess, but these guys were down for heists, assassinations, kidnappings, anything that paid good money. Real pieces of work." Jack said, as he hauled his suitcase up the stairs behind her.
"Yeah, real pieces of work." Skye said, coming out of one of the bedrooms. In her cupped paw, she held four gleaming metal objects. Judy realized with a gasp that were shining metal eyeteeth, belonging to some kind of cat. Jack and Skye shared a dark, knowing look before Skye pitched the teeth over the balcony to land somewhere in the living room.
Judy was confused by the little display, but shrugged it off as she walked past, finding Nick in the last room. She had already decided she wasn't going to bother with sleeping apart from Nick. Everyone already knew, and Stagg had said himself that they'd have to double up in rooms. She walked into the room and dropped her suitcase by the door, finding Nick laying back on the bed, his legs dangling off the end. She crawled up next to him and placed a kiss on his furry cheek.
"Maybe this place won't be that bad." She said, settling her head on Nick's chest. He looped an arm over her and kissed the top of her head.
"Yeah, I think we'll survive." Nick said.
"Hey, come check this out!" A voice called from somewhere in the house. Nick and Judy pulled themselves up and wandered through the house into the basement. The basement was fully finished, with most of it being converted into a gym, with benches, weights, and even some boxing equipment with a sparring ring placed in the center. Off on one side of the room, Judy could see what looked like an armory, with work benches and a pegboard wall. Wolfard was already hard at work, dragging gear bags in from the van and laying out the team's weapons and gear.
"Damn..." Tice murmured, coming down the stairs. He looked around the room at the gleaming, brand new gym equipment. "I'm getting a lift in." He said simply before dashing back up the stairs.
XXXXXXXX
An hour later, all of their luggage and gear was unpacked, with most of the team hanging out in the living room, gathered around a TV or reading books. But in the basement, it was training time.
Tice was clad in a tank top and shorts, and was grinding it out with the weights. He was blasting music on his new phone through his headphones, his face serious as he cranked out rep after rep. Jack was off to the side, shirtless with a pair of MMA gloves over his paws as he pounded the heavy bag hanging from a chain on the ceiling. Skye sat at the top of the stairs, playing on her phone but also enjoying the view of her bare-chested hare slamming the bag. Of course, she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was also sneaking glances at Tice as he finished deadlifting what looked like damn near four hundred pounds. She didn't mean anything by it, Jack was the only mammal for her, but like she said before, a girl could enjoy a view.
Tice leaned back on the bench, exhaling as he racked the bar onto the rests over his head. He had just finished his fourth set of 225 and he was feeling the burn. He'd like to go higher, but he unfortunately wasn't fully confident having anyone here spot him. He jumped in surprise as a weight dropped on his stomach and rolled up to sit on the bench. He was mildly surprised to find a full set of sparring gear resting on his lap. Jack was standing in front of him, already geared up in a smaller set of gear. It clearly wasn't meant for a hare, but it looked like it fit well enough. Jack motioned towards the set on Tice's lap, a challenge In his eye.
"Sparring with a partner is a whole lot better than beating the hell out of that bag. You think you can keep up?"
"Oh you're god damn on, fluffy." Tice said, standing up and starting to strap on the chest protector. Oh god, Skye thought before dashing off through the house. Within minutes, the gym was crowded with spectators as Tice finished strapping on his head gear and gloves. Skye stood, shuffling her feet with a nervous kind of smile on her face. Judy slid over next to her and whispered up to her.
"Hey...you nervous about this?"
"What? Oh, yeah I guess. I just don't want anyone to get hurt." She said, eyeing the two opponents.
"Yeah, I can understand that. Tice does have at least a couple pounds on him." Skye turned to look at her, a skeptical look on her face.
"Oh I'm not worried about that. I've seen Jack spar with tigers, bears, rhinos, the works. But I've never seen him lose. I'm just worried those two would rather kill each other than let themselves lose."
Judy paled a little, suddenly worried about the same thing as the two fighters squared off. Instantly, she could tell this was going to be an interesting fight. Tice cracked his neck and took up a wide, easy brawler's stance. Jack stretched his arms over his head and then settled into a low, practiced looking martial arts stance. The two reached out and touched gloves briefly before backing away and circling each other.
"So, how hard are we going here? Like seventy percent?" Tice asked, keeping his eyes on the rabbit. He flinched, barely dodging as Jack shot forward, sending a double legged kick at his chest. Jack landed, spinning and coming up again to face his opponent.
"We've got pads on, don't hold back puppy." Jack taunted with a grin on his face. Tice growled fiercely and charged at the hare.
Within seconds, it became clear that the two fighters were close to a match. Tice was more than twice Jack's size, multiple times stronger, and almost as fast, but Jack was clearly the more skilled fighter. He flowed from one distinct style to another, using techniques Judy didn't recognize as she zipped around him, stinging him with quick blows. Tice, on the other hand, fought like a brutal barroom brawler, eating Jack's punches and dealing out heavy, crushing haymakers. Judy cringed as one slammed into Jack's head, nearly driving him to the floor. He recovered and sent a flurry of blows to Tice's head, driving the coyote back. The other mammals watched on with rapt attention, wincing in sympathy at every blow. Finally, the bout started to turn. Jack was slowly gaining the upper hand, picking away at Tice's defenses and aiming blows at pressure points. Finally, he shot a precision punch at Tice's tricep and the arm dropped, numb and useless. Jack followed up with a punch to the face that whipped Tice's head to the side and dropped him to a knee. Jack saw his opportunity and jumped up into the air, drawing back for a flashy, powerful supermammal punch. Everyone gasped as they braced for the bout's fiery conclusion, but the room fell deadly silent as Tice's paw shot up and caught Jack's much smaller paw, easily trapping it. He stared at the smaller mammal, fire burning in his eyes.
"Oh shit." Jack muttered, before Tice's huge left paw hammered him in the face. Tice gave him another brutal hook as he rose to his feet, before gripping Jack's paw with both paws and turning. He easily hefted the rabbit up and over his shoulder and threw him. However, Jack wasn't going down so easily. As he left the ground, he cocked back both feet and as he flew over Tice's shoulder, he drove both feet into the underside of the canine's jaw. Everyone yelped as Tice's head shot back and the coyote toppled backwards like a felled tree. Jack like wise sailed across the room before slamming into the punching bag and landing in a heap on the ground.
"Jack!" Skye yelled.
"Tice!" Charlie called at the same time. Both females rushed across the gym to their respective males, Skye cradling Jack in her lap as Charlie bent over Tice to stare down at him.
"Tice..." Charlie muttered under her breath, putting her paw on the coyote's chest.
"Jack! Look at me sweetie, say something!" Skye yelled, shaking the hare. Everyone held their breath, waiting for some sign that one or the other was okay. Then, they heard something, a labored, raspy wheeze coming from Jack. Skye tensed up, but then rolled her eyes and stood up, unceremoniously dumping the hare on the ground as his wheezing turned into harsh laughter.
"Oh god damn it!" She swore as Jack slowly pushed himself to his feet. Charlie backed up as Tice likewise rolled over and stumbled up, a wild, dizzy looking grin on his face. The two stumbled over to the center of the ring, Jack clutching his chest as Tice squinted one swelling eye.
"That was a hell of a match! You fight like a psycho!" Jack said, bumping gloves with Tice.
"Thanks, you too. Hey, do we have any ice here?" Tice asked, rubbing at his sore jaw.
Twenty minutes later, the two brawlers were laid up with ice packs on couches in the living room. Jack was laying with his head in Skye's lap, the fox absently playing with his ears. The two had apparently decided to give up acting like they weren't a couple, so Judy had followed suit, leaning against Nick on the couch. Charlie and Tice were on the opposite couch, certainly not sitting as close as the others, but close enough for the ocelot to fuss over Tice's rapidly swelling eye.
The sky outside the huge picture window was already darkening as the mammals started to talk, relaxing in their semi-permanent lodgings.
"Seriously Tice, where did you learn to fight like that?" Jack asked, looking over at the coyote. Tice shrugged, keeping his bag of ice pressed to his eye.
"Yakistan mostly, shit got pretty dicey there. But I learned a lot at Saint Tuck's before that."
"Saint Tuck's? Is that a boxing gym?" Skye asked. Tice laughed heartily, shaking his head and leaving Skye looking confused.
"No Skye, Saint Tuck's isn't a boxing gym. It felt like it some days, but no."
"Saint Tuck's is an orphanage, Skye. It's one of the biggest ones in the city, so things can get a little...hectic there." Jack said softly, looking up at Skye. The vixen gasped and gave Tice a horrified look.
"The mammals who ran the orphanage beat you?" She asked.
"No, the Sisters would never beat us. Most of them tried their best to keep us all safe, but...things happened. It was always the other kids. I'm sure that growing up a coyote wasn't exactly as hard as growing up a Fox, but shifty fox and sneaky coyote end up in the same category a lot. Most of the kids were less than friendly, and I learned to take care of myself."
Skye nodded somberly at that, and Judy felt Nick nodding along as well. She knew that if anyone could understand the prejudice young mammals could be capable of, it was him. Tice continued on, looking at Jack curiously.
"You sound like you know a little bit about the place. You lived there?" He asked.
"Yeah, not long though, you wouldn't remember me." Jack said, sounding a little embarrassed.
"Ah." Tice said, giving him a weird smile. "Yeah, I remember. None of the cute little bunnies spent much time in there before someone took them home."
Judy flinched at Tice using the dreaded 'C-word' but Jack's only reaction was a tense grin.
"Yeah, you're not wrong. I got especially lucky. Got adopted by a filthy rich lion family just a year after my folks died. Big house, plenty of toys, everything I could ever want."
Judy sensed an edge in his voice, and tried to keep her tone soft as she asked him a question.
"But something was wrong?" She asked. Jack chuckled and shook his head.
"Nothing crazy, it was just...I wasn't actually wanted. My adoptive father had dreams of running for senator, and he thought having a little rabbit kit running around would help his public image. Besides showing my face for the cameras, no one in that family gave a shit about me. No one ever said it of course, but when I got older, it was clear. So when I turned eighteen I hit the bricks and never went back. I haven't checked in on them since, but I see them on the news sometimes, whenever his company's stock drops." He shrugged, leaning his head back onto Skye's lap.
Everyone digested that for a minute. It certainly didn't seem like the story bothered Jack, but Judy was still a little perturbed by it. She searched for a topic change and eventually settled on Skye.
"What about you, Skye? Did you grow up in Zootopia?" She hoped that the vixen's story would be a little cheerier, and she was actually genuinely curious how she had ended up at the ZIA. Skye gave her a smile and nodded at her.
"Actually Judy, I think my story actually sounds a little like yours. I didn't grow up in Zootopia, I grew up out west, pretty far out in the sticks. As early as I can remember my dad was always pointing out first responders to me, paramedics, firefighters, but especially cops. He always told me how they were the good guys, how they were there to help us and keep us safe, and he was always so respectful. Even being foxes, most of the cops were pretty cool to us, but maybe that was because he was always dropping donuts off at the Precinct."
She paused, looking away with a sad smile. "He died, when I was about sixteen. Heart attack. When he died, I just wanted to carry on his memory, do something he would be proud of. My town's police force didn't hire foxes, and neither did Zootopia at that point, but I heard about an Agency out in the city that would hire anyone who could pass their academy. So, I busted my ass, trained and kicked the hell out of the academy." She finished, looking fiercely proud. Judy gave her a smile in return. She had to agree, she did see a certain similarity between her own story and Skye's.
There was a noise from above as one of the bedroom doors opened. Judy didn't bother looking as she heard Wolfard's heavy steps on the stairs, but Nick looked and his eyes shot wide.
"Jesus Wolfard! What the hell are you wearing?"
Judy turned and choked when she saw wolfard casually leaning against the kitchen counter in a black ZPD shirt and what looked like a pair of tight, short, military-green booty shorts. Her jaw dropped as the wolf turned and stretched to reach up into an overhead cabinet to grab a glass. Before he had a chance to answer, Charlie and Tice both started dying laughing, looking at the shorts in amazement.
"Holy shit, dude! Are those silkies? Where the hell did you buy those?" Tice asked through his laughter. Wolfard walked over and dropped down onto a loveseat, lounging back with a glass of water.
"Yes, they are silkies. And I didn't buy these, I got them issued to me in boot camp, boot." The wolf answered.
"They're obscene!" Judy yelled.
"Obscenely comfortable." Wolfard shot back.
"Wow. You really are an old salt-dog." Charlie answered, sounding impressed.
"Yes ma'am." He answered, giving a mock salute. Charlie leaned forward, giving him a look.
"Wolfard, you don't have to calm me ma'am! You haven't been a soldier for like, twenty years, you can call me whatever you want, all of you can."
"Including Tice?" Judy asked after a brief pause. She felt bad putting them on the spot like that, but she couldn't help it. Charlie and and Tice both flinched, glancing at each other, before Charlie heaved a sigh and leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees.
"So...here's the thing." She started. She went on to fill them all in on what she had told Tice the day before and what it meant for their operation. Judy and Nick were shocked, but Judy felt a huge amount of respect for Charlie for giving Tice the choice, and also for him for choosing to stay. Jack and Skye seemed just as surprised as them, but they both seemed to agree that she had done the right thing, and both promised not to rat them out to Stagg. Wolfard on the other hand, looked more amused than surprised as he got up to shake the coyote's paw.
"Well congratulations, boot! This calls for a drink!" He yelled as he turned to run off up the stairs.
"Wolfard, did you pack liquor to come on an operation?" Judy called after him as he disappeared into his room. She knew the wolf had a reputation for being a bit of a drinker, but this seemed like it was getting out of hand.
"No!" He called back, coming out of the room. "I found this in my closet when I moved in. I guess the ZIA didn't check the place as throughly as they thought. And I found this too!" He held up two hefty looking bottles in one hand and a guitar in the other. Everyone watched as the wolf awkwardly carried his prizes down the stairs before placing the bottles and guitar on a low table in between the couches.
"Should we really be drinking? I mean, we are technically on an operation." Skye asked, looking apprehensive. Jack sat up off her lap and picked up one of the bottles. He studied it and then let out a low whistle.
"Wow. This is Johnnie Walker Blue label, this is really good scotch. Costs maybe...two-hundred? Two-fifty a bottle?" He leaned forward and put the bottle back down on the table, and shot a glance at Nick. Nick looked back at him, before looking at Tice and Wolfard before jumping up off the couch.
"I'll get the glasses!" He yelled, scampering for the kitchen.
"I got the ice, Tice go grab a bucket, I saw one down in the basement!" Jack cried out, scrambling towards the freezer.
"On it!" Tice yelled, already half way down the stairs.
Soon enough, everyone had a glass of the amber liquor while the two bottles chilled in the bucket of ice. Judy slowly swirled the contents of her glass. She had suggested putting the ice directly into the glass, but the horrified looks from Nick and Jack were enough for her to scrap that idea.
"Well, I propose a toast." Skye said, sitting forward with her glass. "To the safehouse."
Everyone laughed as they put their own glasses up and repeated the toast. Judy carefully sipped her glass and was surprised to find it actually wasn't that bad. It still burned like the liquor she had at Blue's with Nick, but it was smoky, and so much smoother. She settled back into Nick and called across the room to Wolfard.
"Hey, Wolfard, why'd you bring the guitar down too?"
The wolf smiled before looking around the room suspiciously.
"Well...there's seven of us here, six minus me. I figured with those odds...there had to be at least one of us who knew how to play the guitar."
Suddenly, everyone was giving eachother suspicious looks.
"Don't look at me," Jack said, "Even if I could play, the damn things too big for me."
"That makes two of us." Judy chimed in. She turned and looked up at Nick, but he was staring across the room, a knowing smile on his face.
"Tice..." he called in a sing-song voice. Tice paused with his whiskey halfway to his mouth. His eyes flicked side to side nervously.
"Who? Me? Nah man, I was too busy doing...you know...army things."
Nick's smile only got wider as every head in the room turned towards the nervous looking coyote.
"Actually, you did seem to have some pretty good rythym back in the van...and I know you can sing!" Skye said, pointing a finger at Tice. Suddenly every mammal in the room was piling on, cheering and teasing Tice to pick up the guitar.
"McCoy, I order you to play me a song on that guitar!" Charlie shouted over the commotion, putting on her serious, all-business tone.
"You can't even give me orders anymore!" Tice cried, pointing a finger at her. She narrowed her golden eyes and cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Well, maybe if I ask nicely?" She purred. The males in the room cast sneaking glances at each other across the room. Nick would never admit it to Judy, but he'd probably do anything that ocelot asked him to if she asked it like that, and across the room, Jack was thinking the same thing. Apparently, that was enough for Tice's defenses to crumble.
"Fine! Give me the damn guitar. How did you even know, Nick?" He grumbled, taking the guitar from Wolfard. Nick tapped the side of his nose, and gave him a wink.
"Never reveal your secrets, kid. Now let's go, make with the sweet music."
Everyone waited impatiently as Tice tuned up the guitar. Finally, he laid his fingers on the frets and began to strum. Everyone's faces slowly dropped as he played the intro. No, he can't be. Judy thought. She felt Nick tense against her. Jack's grip tightened dangerously around his glass. Charlie seemed to pale, and leaned slightly away from Tice. Then, he began to sing.
"Today, is gonna be the day, that I'm gonna throw it back to you."
"No!" Everyone cried out in unison, startling Tice so bad he nearly dropped the guitar.
"What?" He yelled, holding the guitar in front of him defensively.
"Oh come on Tice! How is that the song you pick?" Jack teased. Nick laughed and joined in on the ribbing.
"Seriously, do you want to be that guy who plays Wonderwall at the party? Because right now, you're that guy who-"
"Alright! What would you like to hear then?" Tice asked, exasperated.
"Something not so...predictable." Charlie said, patting him on the shoulder. Tice grumbled as he retuned the guitar. He paused, fingers over the strings to eye the circle of mammals around him.
"Don't all lose your shit this time, alright?"
The mammals said a wave of acknowledgments and Tice started to play. This time, it was something Judy didn't recognize straight off. It was twangy, and flowing, something country. She knew she had heard it before, sometime back in Bunnyburrow but she couldn't put a name to the song. Charlie on the other hand seemed to recognize the song immediately and gave a tiny gasp as Tice started play. She scooted just a tiny bit closer to him, and Judy noticed how she stared at him with bright, intense eyes as he started to sing.
"You know I like my chicken fried,
A cold beer on a Friday night,
A pair of jeans that fit just right,
And the radio up!"
He stretched the last word out beautifully, and finally Judy recognized it. Chicken Fried by the Pack Brown Band had been a hit in Bunnyburrow a few summers before she went to the academy. She sang along with the verse as it came in and smiled across at Charlie as she sang right along too. And when the chorus came back around, everyone joined in. Tice's initial nerves and hesitance melted away and he played the strings like a master while he belted out the lyrics. As Tice strummed the last chord, his small audience gave a rousing cheer. Tice gave little mock bow, before launching into another song, his nerves apparently gone.
The night took on a good cheer as everyone listened and joked and laughed. Everyone threw in an occasional request for a song, and Tice knew almost every one, at least well enough for the progressively tipsy mammals to sing along to, but almost every song he picked was a country song. Eventually, everyone began to quiet down as one of the bottles was gradually emptied, and the second was well on it's way. Sometime before midnight, the night turned into Tice quietly strumming as the couples relaxed, snuggling comfortably on the couches as Wolfard looked like he was trying not to nod off.
"Well, I propose a toast to our resident troubadour, Tice McCoy." Nick said lazily, raising his glass. The mammals all raised their glasses in a tired manner as Tice gave a pleased, buzzed smile.
"Where did you learn to play stuff like that? I didn't really have you pegged as a country music guy." Skye asked, absentmindedly stroking Jack's head. Tice shrugged, leaning back into the couch.
"Yeah, I guess I didn't used to be, but Gunny was a huge country music fan. He's the one who taught me, so I picked up a lot of them from him." He chuckled at the mildly surprised looks he was getting. "Oh come on guys, you didn't think we were just constantly on missions right? Like it was just a seven day a week killing spree?"
This got a few tired chuckles from the group, but Tice leaned forward slightly, seeming to get serious.
"Gunny was...a really good guy actually. A mean old prick, but a good guy. A lot of them were, even some of the guys who ended up fucked up in the end. For most of us...hell, all of us, really, Black Knight was all we had. We were kind of like a weird, fucked up family. But Gunny was...he was the best of us." Tice sighed, staring off into space. Everyone kept their silence, not feeling like they really knew what to say. But then, Wolfard broke the silence, sounding a little more than tipsy.
"What was his favorite song?"
Tice blinked, looking back at the wolf.
"His favorite song?" He asked, cocking his head.
"Yeah man, you said he played, he must've had a favorite. Like on my last deployment, we had this guy, this panda machinegunner. This guy was a beast, and absolute wizard behind the gun, but the thing was he was always fuckin' singing. Seriously, on hikes, on patrol, back at base camp, he was always singing and he was obsessed with that old song 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. God, we all fucking hated that song by like, the third week in country." Wolfard gave a hazy smile as he remenisced, but then his face got somber. "Anyways, long story short, he stepped on an IED our last week in country and that was it. We took him home with us when we flew back stateside, and I think we must've sang that song a hundred times on the flight back. So, you know, I was just wondering what his favorite was."
The wolf turned and faced towards the window, his jaw tight. Judy would never mention it, but she was sure he seemed to blinking a lot more than usual. Tice sat, dumbstruck for a second, before he sat up, tuning the guitar again. After a moment, he began to strum again. Judy didn't recognize this song, but Tice sang it beautifully.
(A/N: For this, look up Strong by Will Hoge)
As the last note faded out, Tice leaned forward and put the guitar back on the table, leaving everyone still, stuck in their thoughts. Judy blinked hard, surprised to find her own eyes were a little misty. She didn't even have a connection to the song, and she had never met Gunny, but just the way Tice sang it, you could hear what the song meant to him. Suddenly, Wolfard stood up and walked away, muttering something about bed. He scooped up what was left of the second bottle before rushing up the stairs and into one of the rooms, shutting the door behind him.
"Well...I think that might be our cue." Nick said softly, gently untangling himself from Judy so he could stand. Everyone else followed suit, mumbling something along the lines of getting some sleep. Judy stood, stumbling a little bit as she felt the whiskey getting the better of her. She was sure she wasn't the only one as she saw most of her friends shambling and stumbling up the stairs. The only one who stayed behind was Tice. He grabbed his suitcase and headed for the bathroom to change.
"Hey Tice, we can drag Wolfard out to one of these couches if you want to snag a bed. I'm sure he wouldn't mind...or probably even notice." Nick called from the balcony.
"Nah I'm good. I've slept on way worse than this couch. Maybe tomorrow night." He said as he walked to the bathroom. Nick shrugged and headed into his own bedroom behind Judy. He shut the door, and immediately began to change, which was an admittedly difficult task in the dark and in his currently sauced condition. Finally, he flopped down onto the bed with a huff, shirtless in his ZPD academy shorts. Judy silently crawled in next to him, dressed in the shirt that he had just pulled off. The bunny dragged herself up until she could drop her head in his chest and drape an arm over him. He sighed and closed his eyes, and was about to let sleep take him, when he felt a poke on his nose.
"Hey, Nick. Are you awake?"
"I am now." He grumbled. He cracked an eye and looked down at Judy who was looking up at him seriously.
"Are we insane?" She asked, slurring her words a bit. Nick frowned, opening his other eye and lifting his head.
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean...literally two days ago, we were just friends. Now we're just...shacking up like it's nothing. And all it took to get us together was a crew of military-grade drug dealers, getting shot at a few times, and me...well, you know. I just think this is all a little crazy."
Nick shrugged, pulling her a little closer to his chest.
"Yeah, this all probably does say something about our mental stability." He said, closing his eyes as Judy groaned. "I don't really care though. As far as I'm concerned, we're just making up for lost time."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I mean I should've done all this a year ago. I should've just kissed you under the bridge when I had the chance."
Judy blinked up at him, her mind whirring.
"You...you felt like that back then?" She asked softly.
"Hell yes. I don't even think I realized what it was at the time, but yeah. You had me hooked from the beginning."
Judy looked up at him adoringly for a moment before darting up and planting a kiss on him. She drew back and buried her head in his chest, muttering her words around his fur.
"God, you dumb, wonderful fox. I love you."
"I love you too, Judy." Nick whispered back, rubbing her back as the two slowly passed out.
Tice settled back comfortably on the couch, stretching out with his paws behind his head. He wasn't lying when he told Nick this wasn't the worst place he'd slept; he certainly didn't mind being on the couch. He had ditched his shirt and was lounging back in his gym shorts, staring up at the dark ceiling. He didn't have a blanket, but the heat definitely worked here, and a healthy amount of whiskey certainly helped to keep him warm. He had cut off the lights, and now he leaned back, staring up at the dark ceiling. He didn't even realize he had drifted off until a noise in the room jolted him awake, and he sat bolt upright. He squinted in the faint light from the window until he recognized the intruder.
"Oh, hey Charlie." He said, pulling himself into a sitting position.
"Hey...I'm sorry, did I wake you? I was just going to use the bathroom." She lied, standing just next to the sofa, clad in running shorts and a black tank top.
"Nah, I was still awake." Tice lied back.
"Couldn't sleep?" Charlie asked, padding around to the front of the couch and sitting down. Tice shrugged noncomittally.
"I guess. I was just sitting here thinking." Tice answered.
"About what?"
"I don't know...all this I guess. I mean, I can't believe this has all happened to me. I guess I'm just...really glad to meet all of you. I wasn't lying when I said Black Knight was like a family, and since then, I haven't had anything. But since you, and Judy and all the others...you've all just been so great to me. It's just been nice you know? Sorry, I'm rambling like an idiot." Tice said, waving a paw in the air.
"No, it's fine. I'm really glad you're here too, Tice." She said softly. She scooted a bit closer to him and looked at him shyly. "Um...you know, Tice, you don't have to stay here."
Tice looked back at her, confused and a little hurt. He had just told her how glad he was to be with all them, and she was reminding him that he could go.
"Charlie, I already told you, I'm staying. I just said I'm happy to be here, I-"
"No, Tice." Charlie cut in, flustered. "I was talking about the couch."
She leaned in even closer to Tice. She was still giving him that shy look, but now there was something else in her eye. Tice could smell her now, and she was intoxicating, but he could also smell whiskey coming off both of them.
"Oh...Uh, are you sure that's...a good idea?" He asked. What the hell is wrong with you? A voice inside his head screamed. A beautiful female just woke him up to invite him up to her room, and he was questioning it. But, his better judgement was winning out, and he had to consider the morality of taking her up on the offer after all those drinks. Then, Charlie closed the distance and placed her paws on Tics's chest.
"Am I sure it's a good idea? Hell no. But I am sure it's what I want, and I'm hoping you'll come upstairs before I decide this is a bad idea."
Tice felt his last shreds of resistance fall apart as she placed her paws on him. He reached up and took one of her paws. She stood and turned, guiding him by the paw up the stairs and into her room.
In a different room, Wolfard laid on his bed, and was vaguely aware that he had heard one mammal go down the stairs, but heard two come back up. He grunted as he fought to keep the room from spinning around him. God damn kids. Why am I the only one not getting laid? He thought before he finally passed out.
Author's Notes
And then there were three anthropomorphic cartoon couples. But seriously, I hope you guys aren't getting sick of me shipping all my characters. Anyways, here's chapter eleven of Black Knight. As I'm sure you all noticed, music played a pretty huge part in this chapter. Music is huge for me, and I really feel that the right song can enhance a setting or convey feelings and moods that my feeble words can't, so I would highly recommend listening to the songs referenced in the story. If the title isn't in the text, I'll always throw in a quick author's note to get it out there. Also, as far as military shit goes, Silkies are very real. I won't dishonor them with a half-ass (pun-intended) explanation, just google USMC Silkies shorts. The term boot that Wolfard calls Tice is a common way military members describe those that have been in for less time than them. That should be just about it. Oh, and if my math is right, which it definitely might not be, I think this makes for 100k words. I can't believe I actually made it this far on this, but have no fear, I ain't done yet. As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope y'all enjoyed!
P.S. Congrats to anyone who caught that Water Under the Bridge reference I threw in there. I don't own that story, or any of the characters I was alluding to, all credit and much respect goes to WriteAnon. Also there was a tiny, much more subtle nod to Take a Stand in the chapter. Again, all credit and respect to Garouge Faux. Thanks to both of you for writing some of my absolute favorite fics.