Chapter 11 - Invigorating:
Author's Note:
Yup, last chapter was our first taste of our new rating. From the few responses I got, it sounds like the majority of you do want a warning of some kind. A warning that I shall put in the author's note if there does happen to be a lemon in the chapter. There isn't one here, so no need to worry.
In any case, lots of fun things last chapter. And it really seemed as if Judy was into it… I wonder how that's changed her perception of her kidnapping and marriage. I wonder if, like Wolfgang wanted, she's content now. And, of course, I wonder how Nick will react if he finds out… somehow. Lots of good questions to answer… please, enjoy!
XXX
The morning was not unlike the night, dark and dreary without her. Nick let out a long sigh as he leaned back on the couch. He missed Judy something terrible. But, he supposed… it would not be much longer until he got her back… as long as Mr. Big came through for him. "Good morning Nice Fox!" Shenzi said with a cheery smile, walking into the living room to see the fox on the couch.
"Hey," he sighed, stretching. It was the fourth day in a row where Shenzi had slept where Judy had... and he had woken up obscenely early. He had stopped trying to be productive, instead choosing to just sit and stare off into space. It wasn't like Shenzi hadn't filled a void where Judy once lied… it just wasn't the same.
If the hyena wasn't so naïve, and gave the fox a closer look, she would have started to see dark bags form underneath his vivid, green eyes, gray in his normally robust, red fur, and that his tail seemed to be perpetually drooping, no matter the circumstance. "The chief called!" she said, "The Stern Ox."
"Oh? What did he have to say?" Nick asked. He didn't bother to correct her on the fact that chief Bogo was actually a cape buffalo, and not an ox. It didn't matter.
"He said something about looking Nice Carrots up in the database or something. And something about frisky, I think," she explained, recalling the rather one sided conversation. The Nice Fox had left his phone on the nightstand when the call came. She had spent several desperate minutes trying to figure out how to get it to work before she heard the voice of the Stern Ox.
"What? Frisky?" Nick said, eyebrow raised. "I have no idea what he's talking about. Why would he want me to search her in the database?" Shenzi only shrugged… she had forgotten what the chief had said. Rolling his eyes, he opened his laptop, typed in the password, and pulled up the proper program to search for Judy.
Shenzi sat down next to him on the couch. She looked over at the Nice Fox as he froze, staring at the screen, stuttering something she couldn't quite understand. "What does it say?" she asked.
Nick's eyes were wide as he stared at the screen, "No... that's not possible," he mumbled repeatedly. He couldn't believe it. The system wasn't pulling up a Judy Hopps... it was pulling up Judy Fritz instead. A picture of a smiling Judy sat underneath the strange name, and beside the picture was her data. Height, weight, age, etcetera.
"Why is there a Fritz... and no Hopps?" Shenzi asked, scratching the back of her neck. She didn't quite understand what had happened. "Where's Nice Carrots?"
Nick gulped as he realized what must have happened to her. The… the wedding was yesterday?! he growled internally. But he had to say something to Shenzi. "That is Carrots, Shenzi… that's her picture and her data, right? There's only one reason for her to have changed her name…"
The hyena raised an eyebrow. She had never heard of such an occurrence. "Which is?" she asked, still confused as to what was going on.
"She was married to Wolfgang," he muttered. So his last name was Fritz, eh? he thought bitterly to himself. He couldn't stop the tears leaking from his eyes... he could only imagine the suffering that would be going through Judy's mind at that moment. Oh god... what if he forced himself on her to seal the marriage? the thought he couldn't stop from rising in his mind.
"Oh... she's in trouble," she whispered, trepidation creeping through her as she struggled to understand what had happened to Nice Carrots.
"Major trouble…" he mumbled, "I just hope she's not traumatized. And I hope this Wolfgang's mother dies soon… I'm not sure how much longer I can wait to save her!"
Shenzi's brow furrowed when she saw that flash of determination cross Nick's features, she could swear she had forgotten something. She lit up and all but shouted, "Oh! Nice Fox, I almost forgot!"
He gave her an odd look, raising an eyebrow as he did. "You almost forgot what?" he asked.
"I have a message from Nice Carrots!" she said, remembering something from the night before.
"Oh? Who gave it to you?" he asked, hope rising in his chest. Though he did not doubt it was indeed a message from Judy, he was concerned how she got it. Did Judy somehow contact her? he wondered before she managed to answer.
"Nice Wolf told me!" she replied, grin stretching across her muzzle.
Now she had his attention. "Wolfard? How did he get a message from Judy?" he asked.
"I don't remember," she admitted. She didn't think the Nice Wolf had actually told her how he had managed to get the message. "But he said that Nice Carrots said she was sorry, and that she was trying to get permission to see you soon!"
He couldn't help the sob that tore from his throat. Judy's coming! he thought to himself. "That's… that's something I really needed to hear, thank you, Spots," he sighed. But there was one word that stood out. Permission? How would she get permission… to see him? From who? Wolfgang? Would this crime lord really let them meet?
She saw tears beginning to stream down his cheek and worry began to rise in her chest. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked carefully. She didn't like seeing the Nice Fox sad…
"No... Spots... you just made me really happy," he smiled, despite the tears. "Sometimes happiness can make you cry... and now we have hope, right? Judy is still alive, and she's doing her best to come and see us!"
"That's good!" she gave him a wide smile, glad that she hadn't made him cry. "I hope she comes to see us…"
"I hope so too… I hope so too," he sighed, leaning back on the couch. He sat there, staring at the ceiling, the jubilation from hearing Judy's message fading in his mind, allowing him to think clearly once more. And as he did, he realized something was wrong. "Hey… Spots."
"Yeah?"
"You don't think Wolfard is somehow… I don't know… connected to this Wolfgang creep, do you?" he asked. He doubted Wolfard had given Shenzi an explanation for how he had gotten a message from Judy, and the hyena clearly trusted the timber wolf, and wouldn't think to ask.
"I don't think so… that would make him a Mean Wolf, wouldn't it?" she asked, rubbing her chin. She couldn't quite remember… if the Nice Wolf had said how he had gotten the message. "But he's a Nice Wolf! I think he's being helpful!"
"Helpful, huh?" he muttered. "Perhaps… possible mole is more likely, however." If Wolfard was a mole for Wolfgang, that would explain how he had gotten a "message" from Judy. What if it's just a diversion? Trying to breed complacency and keep me away from her, believing that she would eventually reach out to me? the thought crossed his mind.
"But… but he's a N-Nice Wolf," Shenzi protested. She was confused now, was the wolf officer dangerous? She watched as Nick stood from his spot on the couch, closing his laptop as he did.
"Come on, Spots, we're going in early… Wolfard's shift should be starting soon," he growled, walking towards his room to get his uniform. If Wolfard was a mole, then Bogo would want to know. And he needed to be absolutely sure before he told the chief anything.
XXX
Judy opened her eyes as light flooded into the hotel room. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light. She tried to move, but was halted when pain flashed through her system. Man… I'm sore, she groaned internally. She lied still for a moment, before trying to move again, this time ignoring the pain.
However, she found that she was trapped. Wolfgang had her in his grasp, pressing her against his bare chest in a tight embrace. He was still asleep, breathing soft and even as he curled around her even tighter as he felt her shift.
Although he held her tight, he wasn't suffocating her. His embrace was actually quite… comfortable. She almost didn't want to leave. She tried to move again, his strong paws never loosening their grip on her. But she didn't give up, eventually squirming free. "Oh lord," she muttered as she scooted away from him. Her rump hurt something fierce, extremely sore from their… activities the night before.
She spent several seconds, stretching her legs, trying to ease the soreness and pain from them. She let out a yawn and turned back to Wolfgang. "Wake up," she commanded, reaching out, and touching one of the paws that had held her throughout the night.
"I don't want to," he groaned. His eyes die not open, but he did shift so that he was laying on his back. He let out a long breath through his nose as he relaxed again, hoping that sleep would take him once more.
She wasn't having any of that, however. She climbed onto his chest and flopped down, belly up, letting her ears fall onto his muzzle as she did. "But it's morning," she said. "It's time to get up."
He only shifted, her body on his chest only made him melt further into the bed. "I'm too comfortable to get up… can't we just enjoy the peace and quiet?" he mumbled, still partially asleep.
"We can sit here and talk if you want," she conceded, picking at her teeth. In truth, she didn't really want to get up either. But she knew that they needed to get back to Zootopia soon. And they couldn't do that laying here in bed.
His eyes opened slowly and reluctantly. "What's on your mind?" he asked with a deep sigh.
"I liked last night," she said simply, shrugging as she did.
"I… I did too," he admitted softly, a small tremor passing through his body.
She let out a soft sigh as she felt the shiver run through his body. He can't still be afraid… can he? she wondered internally. She was half-tempted to ask for round two, but she instead asked, "We're going back today, right?"
"Eventually," he sighed, still not quite awake. "As much as I'd love to stay here for a few days… I really must be there if mother passes. We can still spend a bit of time wandering around before we go, if you wish."
"Where would we go?" she asked, swiveling her ears so that they smacked him in the face.
He blinked before moving her ears away from his eyes with his paws. "Anywhere you want," he answered her question with a loud yawn.
"Well… we are in Paris… let's go to the Eiffel Tower," she recommended, before a sly grin rose on her face, though he was in no position to see it. "And kiss up there."
"Your wish is my command," he returned her grin. "We should probably get moving, then." She nodded in agreement and got off his chest before realizing that they were both still naked.
She hopped off the bed and padded over to the couch where she had set her dress on. She had nothing else to wear, so it would have to do. She slipped the dress back on and did a twirl before turning to Wolfgang. "How do I look?" she asked, sending another grin at him.
"Absolutely beautiful," he replied with a smile. He lifted himself off the bed and scrambled to find his own clothes, which were strewn across the room. He put them on as he found them, pants in one corner, shirt in the other… his jacket was still in the bathroom. But he dressed as quickly as he could and was soon ready to depart.
The married couple stepped out of their room and went to check out before they left the hotel for good. Wolfgang once again used his phone to guide them towards the tower once they were on the streets of Paris again.
They didn't get far from the hotel before Wolfgang noticed something odd. "Are you all right?" he asked her, noticing that she was limping. And she was falling behind, even though he wasn't exactly setting a fervent pace.
"Oh, I'm fine… just sore, is all," she said, trying to chuckle.
"Did I hurt you?" he all but whispered, suddenly extremely worried. He came to a stop to allow her to catch up to him.
"Nothing that wasn't necessary," she assured him. "At least between a little rabbit and a large wolf…"
"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately. "It's okay, though… we won't have to do that again… I won't have to hurt you again…"
"Oh? But why not do it again?" she asked, sly smile rising on her face once again. "I rather enjoyed it… the pleasure and the completeness I felt from sex is… intoxicating to say the least. You definitely weren't hurting me."
His eyes widened as he heard her words. "W-w-what?" he stammered out. "Again? I…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. He wasn't even sure if he had managed to completely overcome the fear. There was that part of him that argued he had managed it out of necessity… he wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it again. "If… if it makes you happy…" he mumbled.
She frowned at him. "Well… you know what I mean. If you don't want to do it again… I guess we don't have to. I was only saying that I enjoyed it," she said, cocking her ear. "And I'd be willing to do it again."
"I... I'm serious... if it makes you happy... I will face my fear... over and over again," he said, noticing her frown as he looked down at her. "Behind the fear... I enjoyed it too."
"I'm glad you did," she smirked. "I guess we were both surprised."
"Indeed," he agreed. He thought for a moment before picking her up so she wouldn't have to limp. She giggled as he pressed her against his chest again, though there was a barrier of clothing between the two of them, as he made his way towards the tower once again.
They walked in relative silence, a wide grin on Judy's face, despite the odd looks the couple received from passersby. But one glare from Wolfgang had them minding their own business once again. Eventually, they came to the base of the Eiffel Tower and he began to climb the stairs.
As they climbed, Judy could no longer stand the silence. "So, uh… how will your mother even know if we, uh… consummated?" she asked. "Couldn't you have just… lied to them?" It wasn't as if she was regretting going through with it… but now she was curious.
"Sister will know instantly," he growled. "I don't know how… but she will."
"Oh," Judy remarked. "You should just send her to a mental institution and be done with her."
"I plan to," he growled. "The moment mother dies, she's going to a mental institution, where she should have been all this time if mother and father weren't so soft on her. She really is damaged, you know… and I don't doubt she'll have some insults prepared, regardless of the fact that I went through with this."
"You're right, that's where she belongs," she sighed as he ran his paw over the top of her head soothingly.
"I may have to put her down for good, however. She's crafty and extremely dangerous, more so than either myself or brother… and she has a knack for escaping. I don't know how long an institution could even hold her before she got free," he sighed.
"I don't think the world would miss her," she replied, sensing some apprehension from him. She was a bit surprised, he hadn't shown any hesitation in killing her before, why would he be apprehensive about it now?
"The problem is… I would. Or, rather, I do, I should say. I miss what she once was… and I suppose that's why mother and father have let her do her own thing… and why neither myself nor brother have taken it upon ourselves to end the heartache," he explained. "She used to be so nice… and kind, but now… well… you know."
"What happened to her?" she asked as he smoothed the fur on her ears. She couldn't help the shiver that passed through her spine as he did this, but he didn't notice.
"I… I was only five when she lost it. Unlike brother and I, she never wanted to be a crime lord. She wanted to be… a psychologist. She was fascinated by the topics, the science, and the mammals… but father didn't want her to be anything but a crime lord. She is the eldest, and she was supposed to be his legacy, until he found out that I was more capable than she could ever be. 'Follow in my footsteps, my dear,' he would always tell her," Wolfgang growled. "For years he forced her to do odd, unspeakable things, trying to wean the ideology out of her. And, one day… she just snapped."
"S-snapped?" Judy asked.
"She slaughtered thirteen animals and mounted their heads on the wall, desecrating their corpses, and painting the walls of her room in blood. Father was proud, at first, but didn't realize what had happened to her. Katherine was gone, replaced by the monster named Kat. She's not right in the head, I'm surprised she hasn't tried to kill you," he sighed. "You know that she sometimes indulges in… cannibalism?"
"Oh... that's horrible," Judy whispered.
"I know," he whispered in response. "You look at her… and you can't decide whether to feel pity or rage… whether she deserves to die or rot in a mental institution. She has done horrible things, but she still wears the face of my sister. And I'm not sure if I can pull the trigger when the time comes."
"Huh… well, I know you'll make the right choice. Whatever it is," she sighed. The moment the words left her mouth, he stopped his climb and squeezed her tightly, wrapping his arms around her, almost protectively. "What is it?" she asked, looking up at him.
"I… just… so much has changed since you came tumbling onto my table. I've learned to love, and now I realize exactly what I've lost in my climb to the top, and what I'm going to lose when I get there," he admitted. "I just… never want to lose you. I've lost father and sister, I'm going to lose mother and what's left of sister, and I have no doubt brother will abandon me too…"
"Well… I don't think you're ever going to lose me," she said, smiling sweetly. "We're bound to each other now." The thought of running from him never crossed her mind. She didn't want to, not anymore.
He continued his climb once again. "I certainly hope so… there are just so many things that could go wrong… I'm just worried for your safety," he admitted. "And I want you to be safe, I want you to be happy, and I want you to be by my side, evermore."
Judy couldn't stop her ears from sagging. It wasn't so long ago when Nick was saying very similar things… and yet, thoughts of the fox quickly vanished from her mind. She was married to Wolfgang, even if she got to see Nick again… she wasn't sure what would happen. "Do you want me to promise to stay safe?" she asked, looking up at the white wolf.
"It would help," he smirked, "But it's really up to me, isn't it? I've brought you into my world… and now I have to protect you from its dangers. Even if you're capable of protecting yourself."
"I... I would appreciate it if you kept me safe," she nodded.
"That was what the vows were for… I will keep you safe," he affirmed. It was at that moment they reached the highest point possible on the Tower. He leaned over the side of the railing, holding her tightly as he allowed her to see as well.
"Wow… look at all of that," she all but whispered. She could barely make out the animals below, they looked like ants from the top of the Tower.
"Yeah," he said, grin stretching across his face. "It truly is breathtaking, isn't it?"
"It's beautiful," she agreed.
A large smirk stretched across Wolfgang's muzzle as he said, "But only half as beautiful as you, my dear Mrs. Fritz."
She couldn't help but grin. "You wouldn't mind another kiss, would you?" she asked, turning to face him.
"Of course not," he smirked. With his arms already wrapped around her to keep her from falling off the railing, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips against her own. Their embrace persisted for several minutes, enjoying the warmth that spread through them once again. Time seemed to slow as they were connected, a second was an hour, a minute was a day.
But they inevitably separated, though the warmth did not leave either of them. Wide smirk still in place, Wolfgang said, "You know… it dawned on me. I won. And… it's the strangest thing. At this very moment… I couldn't care less."
She smiled at him, realizing what it meant for him to say that. "Well, Wolfgang… I guess you did win. You beat Judy Hopps, the best cop on the force," she said.
"I was talking about the throne," he chuckled, "I wasn't aware that I was defeating the great Judy Hopps, scourge of criminals far and wide!" Not a hint of sarcasm was present in his tone, he wasn't kidding.
She shook her head at his declaration. "I mean… you forced me to marry you, and at first you didn't care… and now you suddenly do. And I guess… I care too… even though I didn't want to at first," she shrugged. "So, I guess you won, you beat me."
"Or maybe Janja was right, as much as I hate to admit it," he grinned, "Perhaps we are both winners."
"If we were fated to fall in love… it would be a joke. A cop and a criminal, imagine that!" she chuckled. "I thought you didn't want to admit that Janja was right."
"I don't… but I also don't want to think of this like I had defeated you. But then again," he sighed, "Irony seems to be the way the universe works."
"The universe is strange," she replied, shrugging as she did.
"Then again, opposites do attract, right?" he smirked, setting her back on the railing. He kept one arm around her, for his own sake, rather than hers. She didn't actually need him to keep her steady, and he knew that.
"I guess…" she admitted. "Then again, are we really that different? Isn't that what you were trying to get me to admit over the past three days?"
"Not necessarily," he said. "I only wanted to show you who I was… if you think we aren't that different… than that's a conclusion you have come to all on your own."
"I guess I was just trying to say what I thought you wanted to hear," she snorted.
"I know. You never have to lie to me, my dear," he sighed. She did not respond to him, though her smile did widen as he pulled her closer. They stared out at the horizon, the sun high in the sky. And they stayed like that for hours, never once breaking their silent reverie.
Until the sun began to lower in the sky. Wolfgang blinked a few times as he realized how long they had been leaning over the railing of the Eiffel Tower. "Oh dear… we should probably get going," he said, looking down at her.
She nodded in agreement, giggling once again as he picked her up to carry her down the Tower. "Paris was nice," she sighed as he began their descent. "Being with you was nice too, actually."
"Thank you," he chuckled, "I quite enjoyed our time as well."
XXX
Wolfard padded into the locker room, just as he did every day. While most officers took all their gear home, his girlfriend would not allow a gun in the house. So, he had no choice but to keep the weapon at the precinct, where he would have to retrieve it each day.
He whistled to himself as he strapped his belt around his waist, today was a new day. He liked to arrive a few minutes before rollcall, not just because he had to retrieve his weapon, but because he liked watching the other officers wander in at their own pace. And he knew that he needed to get a move-on if he wanted to get there before anyone else.
He began to push himself off the ground when he felt someone put a gun to the back of his neck, and heard the tell-tale sound of the hammer cocking. "Don't move," came a voice Wolfard immediately recognized as officer Wilde.
"Okay... okay... I'm not moving," Wolfard said slowly. "What the hell is this?" He gulped slowly as sweat began to form on his brow. He had no idea what officer Wilde was doing.
"I got your 'message,'" the fox hissed, "And quite a few things just don't make sense to me. Shenzi is gullible, I know… but I'm not. The only way you'd be able to get a message from Judy is if you were on the inside."
"I have no idea what you're-"
"I'm not finished!" Nick growled, pressing the weapon harder against the back of Wolfard's neck. "I arrived a half-hour ago to do a bit of research to confirm my suspicions. It never quite sat right with me that you were able to solve so many cases so quickly, even when compared to me and Judy, lieutenant. So tell me the truth! Are you a mole for Wolfgang Fritz?"
"Hold on a moment, Wilde… I'm not a mole," Wolfard said slowly. But he swallowed involuntarily once again. He knows! the panicked thought raced through the wolf's mind. There was no way to explain it.
"Really? Shenzi and I went over your cases, Wolfard. And we found something odd," the fox growled. "Each one was completed in under twenty-four hours. And whenever you were assigned a partner, there was a period, just an hour long, where he 'had no clue where you were, or what you were doing.' And immediately after that period passed, you came back and effortlessly solved the case. Sounds a bit strange… almost as if you were receiving information from someone."
The timber wolf was sweating bullets now, clenching his paws into fists as he tried to think of an explanation. "I'm… I am receiving information, all right?! But… I'm not a mole! I… uh… I have a mole in them!" The feeling of the firearm pressed against the back of his head was starting to get to him… he wasn't sure how much longer he could take the pressure.
"Don't lie to me, Wolfard! You know that police cruisers have a tracker in them, right? What if I asked Shenzi to look at all the places you've been in your assigned cruiser? I bet we'd see a lot of visits to a particular mansion on the south side of town. Tell me the truth… are you a mole for Wolfgang?" he snarled, pressing the weapon even harder into Wolfard's fur.
"Would you shoot me if I said yes?" the timber wolf asked, quivering slightly.
"It depends on how cooperative you're willing to be," the fox hissed.
Wolfard swallowed, the jig was up. He had forgotten about the trackers. "Okay, okay, okay, don't shoot me… I'm willing to cooperate. I'm… I'm not really a mole," he said slowly. "I'm Wolfgang's cousin."
"Cousin?" Nick practically shouted. He didn't remove the gun from the back of his head, now more tempted to shoot him than ever. "If you're related to him, then you knew that he had taken Judy this entire time, then! Why didn't you say something?"
"I didn't actually know for sure until a few days ago…" Wolfard said, breathing heavily as the fox became even angrier.
"So? When you did find out, weren't you furious? Didn't you think to tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me that you knew he had Judy?!" the fox roared.
"Er… because he asked me to?" the wolf replied as Nick shoved his head down so that he could only stare at the floor, and his own shaking paws.
"He asked you to?" Nick snarled. "Do you not care about your fellow officers? You didn't think to try and free her! You don't care at all about Judy… do you?"
"What? No! I… I do care about Judy, she's a good officer and a good friend! She's helped me before! But Wolfgang isn't hurting her, all right?" Wolfard said quickly.
"Is that it? Wolfgang isn't hurting her? He's forced her to marry him! What if he's done something to her? He's a crime lord for Christ's sake!" Nick raved, doing his best not to let his arm shake. Though Wolfard could feel the trembles through the gun pressed against the back of his head.
"Listen to me, Wilde, Wolfgang is my cousin! I know him and I know that he won't force her to do anything past marrying him. He'll even probably let you see her real soon! And honest to god, cross my heart, he would never force himself on her," the timber wolf said, licking his lips in anxiety, hoping that Nick's shaking wouldn't make him accidentally pull the trigger.
"He's a crime lord, Wolfard, a crime lord! No matter how well you think you know him, he's the type of mammal we're supposed to catch and jail!" Nick growled, finally removing the gun from Wolfard's head. "Are you… really sure he won't hurt Judy? Because her last name changed, it's Fritz now." He couldn't help but feel a twinge in his heart when he heard Wolfard say that he could see Judy soon. But there was a part of him that still didn't believe him.
"Look, he's got morals. He's not a… bad guy, all right? And I said that he would marry her… but I promise it won't go beyond that, trust me," Wolfard let out a sigh of relief, though he did not turn around to face Nick.
"It just... doesn't make any sense... why Judy? Why not kidnap and marry some fucking wolf?!" Nick growled. He didn't holster his weapon, but it no longer pointed at Wolfard. "Morals? What kind of morals? The kind that justifies kidnapping? Murder? Arms dealing?" he hissed after a moment's thought.
"Uh... the point is, he won't hurt Judy," Wolfard said. In truth, he had long gotten over his favorite cousin's criminal enterprise, he didn't see it as immoral any longer. Wolfgang's siblings were a different story, however.
"No... that's not the point. Why Judy? Why, Wolfard... why?" Nick mumbled.
"I... I can't actually tell you that," Wolfard admitted, "I don't know."
Nick ground his teeth together. "I wanna meet him. I wanna sit down with him, face to face and hear it from him. I want to hear, from him, that he won't hurt Judy... and I want to see her too," he all but whispered. He was making demands, but not waving his gun about... he looked more like a child about to throw a tantrum than a police officer making demands.
"I can try... I'll try, all right?" Wolfard said, sensing the fox's distress.
"I hope you realize that I can't trust you anymore, Wolfard... and I hope you understand that I have to report you to Bogo," Nick growled, finally holstering his pistol.
Wolfard blanched. "Wa-wait! Don't do that!" he said quickly, finally turning around to face the fox.
"And why not? You're a traitor, Wolfard... and Bogo will have your badge for this!" the fox hissed.
"No, Nick, please! I love this job, all right?! All I ever wanted to be was a police officer, despite what my family is made up of… and Wolfgang has never once asked me to do anything damning! Just let me prove to you that I'm still on your side… don't tell Bogo," Wolfard begged, still on his knees.
"I want each of my demands met. I want to meet this Wolfgang, no guns, no guards, just me, you, Wolfgang, and Shenzi. And I want to see Judy as well, separately, and just the two of us," Nick growled. "Do this for me and I won't report you to Bogo… but if just one thing is out of place… your ass is gone!"
"Okay, okay! I'll get that done as soon as possible… tonight if I can," Wolfard said, nodding rapidly in compliance.
"It better be tonight, Wolfard... I don't know how long I can hold off telling Bogo," the fox hissed.
"Okay, okay," Wolfard replied, standing slowly, and backing away. The moment he was at the door, he opened it, and ran through the doorway. But he didn't make it far.
Shenzi was standing close by the locker room just as Wolfard exited. She lit up when she saw him and waved at him before he could run right past her. "Hey Nice Wolf!" she called out.
The timber wolf hesitated in his step, stumbling, nearly tripping. "Hey... Shenzi..." he said, stuttering the words out. He was... glad she wasn't in the locker room with Nick. That way she didn't have to see him break like he did. He liked her... she was so innocent, and he thought she liked him. After all... she called him Nice Wolf... he didn't want to ruin her perception of him. He didn't bolt immediately, which might've been a mistake.
"What did Nice Fox say?" she asked, padding up to him.
He did his best not to grind his teeth together, so he put on a nervous smile instead, "Nick was just wondering how I overheard Wolfgang talking about Judy... and he was just concerned... and I'm... going to see... if I can't..." he trailed off. He needed to paint himself in a good light before Nick got to her.
"I'm going to see if I can't reach out to one of my contacts within Wolfgang's family to set up a meeting between him and Nick... yeah... and, uh, of course, I'm going to see if I can't get you guys to see Judy too," he lied. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want her to hate him.
Shenzi brightened. "Thanks, Nice Wolf! That sounds helpful," she said, giving him a wide smile. She was really excited to see Nice Carrots again.
Wolfard returned the smile, "Yeah... uh, I do my best!" He turned to walk away, hoping that he wouldn't damn himself any more than he already had.
"Goodbye!" she sent him another wave as he trotted away. Wolfard returned the wave halfheartedly, moving a bit faster when the door opened again and Nick stepped out.
Nick let out a loud sigh as he walked up to Shenzi, "Well... I guess I got what I wanted."
"Nice Wolf said he was helping us!" she grinned, watching the timber wolf make his quick getaway, not quite connecting the dots.
"To some extent... yes, he is helping us," Nick hissed. He knew that Shenzi was extremely fragile, and had decided to trust Wolfard... it would be devastating for her to lose that trust. It would be best if she believed him to be a good guy instead of the back-stabbing, lying, cousin of the blasted crime lord who kidnapped his bunny.
XXX
That seems like a good place to leave off. A lot to go on here. Judy is really starting to get used to the whole relationship thing with Wolfgang. I guess she really changed her mind, right? Let's hope that doesn't come crashing down on her. And Nick discovers Wolfard is a mole! Or… sort of a mole. And it looks like he's going to be able to get a meeting with Wolfgang… I wonder how that will go down. All that and more… next time!