READ THIS BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER!

EDIT 1/26/2017: Okay! So, while I was working on chapter 29, i realzed that the beginning of the chapter didn't fit it, but fit the ending of this one. So if you're new to this chapter, read the whole thing! If this is the second time your getting this update, you can skip to the end as that is the only thing that has changed. Thank you!

A/N: Hello everyone!

Sorry for the long wait. I consider this one a transition chapter, and I think that's why it took so long; I just want to get to the action!

Soooo me and my sister were with my brother when he decided to stop at McDonalds around ten at night, and there were cops there, and me and my sis were like "great time to go to Mikey D's, bro". Anyways, we had to pull up to slot one to wait, and there was a cop there and…let's just say he was more than fine ;)

This story and fandom are making me really like cops lol

I have an announcement for you guys! I'm going to be posting another story, but it will be a collection of all my unfinished ideas lol I figured, might as well give you something to read while you wait for the next chapter. Now, the majority of them are in the Narutoverse—which is so easy to mess with. Seriously, you can do ANYTHING with that world and it would somehow make sense. However, there is also Dragon Ball Z (like, one?), and Kingdom Hearts (one as well), but that's it. Each chapter is going to be one unfinished story, and the title will tell you what version it is (Version 1, Version 2, etc…). I'm calling it "Starfang's Story Graveyard", because I don't think I'll get back to any of these lol You do get to see just how wild my imagination is though lol

P.S.-The Naruto stories that I took down ("Aftermath: Lavender Amaterasu" and "The Lost Uchiha: Ashes and Fang") will be in this collection as well.

Also, I might be doing the illustrations for a children's book (squeal!) lol I just need to work up the motivation for it. I will keep you posted on that! My pen name will be K. I. Samuel, and I would also use it for any novels I may write. Sounds cool, right? It reminds me of R. L. Stine, which is the author of the Goosebumps series for those of you that don't know lol again, I will keep you updated. Now, this might slow the progress of "Embrace It" even more, but to be honest, I don't think so.

Moving on, enjoy the story!

~Star

WARNING: This chapter mentions abuse of the sexual nature of minors. If this is offensive to you or is triggering, please tread carefully or don't read at all. PM me and I will explain the chapter to you if it is too much.

Disclaimer: I own nothing…though I am wondering if I should help Zanrok and Fox in the hen house out…hm…


After everything calmed down and Wolford reminded everyone of the forty-five-minute time limit, they all had a front row seat to seeing Ralph being dragged off by a very eager-looking Sofia.

"Don't worry," the tigress had purred as she led the white wolf by the paw to the sliding doors, "I'll have him back in time." It was more than obvious that the usually stoic white wolf was embarrassed by the pink of his ears and his tail pushing slightly between his legs. However, the slight waving of the tip made it more than clear that he had no problem with being dragged off by his mate.

"Fifty bucks says he comes back marked and satisfied." Dominique said with a smirk.

"No one is stupid enough to take that bet." Calvin Kleeps, a zoril, said with a chuckle.

"We're going to head out for lunch." Ferrell informed Rhinowitz. 'I don't want to be around this fox—or this interspecies crap—more than necessary.' He had Alexander and Don Hanajima, a tanuki, with him.

"Alright. Be sure to be here on time." Sasha said, and they left with a nod.

"What was she talking to you about?" Sandra Crest asked Ben, shining the badge on her uniform.

"We were actually talking about Ralph." Clawhauser scratched his cheek. "I can't believe I never saw it."

"You can't know everything, Spots." Nick said, unaware that Claudia turned her attention towards the tod at the nickname. However, Benjamin did, and felt himself grow nervous once again, casting his eyes away from the fox and the enticing female agent behind him. Nick noticed this odd behavior, but the portly cheetah spoke up before he could comment on it.

"Oh! That reminds me!" He pointed at the ZPD's smallest officers. "Nick, Judy! You need to get with the PR Department as soon as possible to set up an interview with one of the news stations."

"What?" Nick asked in shock, while Judy's ears stood alert and angled towards Ben.

"Yeah, they've been hounding Bogo about it since Monday." Benjamin then covered his mouth in reproach as he noticed the blood hound in the group. "O. M. Goodness! I didn't mean any offense by that!"

Bret sighed. "None taken."

Judy groaned while Nick looked at her in amusement, having gotten over his shock. "This is why you need to think before you act, Carrots."

"Shut it, Wilde." The grey doe ground out as she rubbed her temples. With everything going on, a public stunt—be it an interview or a press conference—was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Yes, ma'am." Nick said with a grin, deciding not to push her too hard. He could tell she was still a bit wound up from before. Zeke made a whipping sound that caused a few chuckles at Nick's expense, but the tod merely grinned at the jest.

"We'll stop by after our shift today." Judy said with a sigh. She then smiled up at the receptionist. "Thanks, Ben."

"No problem, Judy." Clawhauser grinned.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Rafael Osopardo piped in, "but I'm starving. We've already wasted ten minutes, and the others have already left while you were talking." Sure enough, the only ones left in the lobby with Clawhauser besides the bear were Zeke, Claudia, Brandi, Calvin, and Nick and Judy.

"We better head out then." Calvin said. He, Brandi, and Rafael began to head towards the doors, but the zoril paused before turning around. "Spots, McPaw! You coming?"

"Nah, we're good." The fussa grinned. Calvin frowned, but ultimately shrugged before following the other two out the door. Zeke then turned to the other fox and bunny duo. "You don't mind us tagging along, do you?"

"Of course not." Judy smiled. She then turned to Ben, and the doe noticed he was not looking their way. "Ben, is everything okay?"

"Y-yes!" The male cheetah stuttered in a high-pitched voice, causing Nick to raise a brow at the receptionist. "I'm just…busy! Yeah, I'm busy with all the notes and paperwork the chief needs me to get done with, so if you're going to lunch, I'll get right to it!"

Judy frowned in thought, but saw how uncomfortable her friend seemed, the almost begging quality in her brown eyes, and let it slide. "Alright, catch you later."

"Want us to bring you anything?" Nick asked. He watched as Ben opened his mouth to make a request, his gaze flicking towards Claudia for a moment, before her laughed nervously. Nick struggled to stop the grin that threatened to spread across his face. 'Looks like someone has a little crush.'

"I'm good, thanks, Nick. You guys enjoy your break!" Ben rushed, as he waved them farewell. The whole time, he did his best to not glance Claudia's way, but failed each time.

"Later, Ben!" Judy waved as the group of four made their way out the lobby.

The group of four exited the ZPD and into the parking lot.

"There's a café around the corner that serves to both pred and prey." Nicks said as he pointed to the left. "The food is good but cheap, and the service is quick. We can go there."

"Sounds good to me." Zeke grinned, and then squinted his eyes at something in the distance. "Is that Savage and Frost?"

"Looks like it." Claudia said as she followed the fussa's gaze. "They seem lost."

"Don't blame them; Zootopia's a large place." Nick said.

"Let's invite them to eat with us." Judy chirped, her eyes suddenly wide with excitement. "Oh, Nick! We can ask them how they became agents and what Periton is like!"

"Whoa, there, Fluff." Nick chuckled as he grabbed Judy by the shoulders to hold her in place. "Let's invite them first, then go from there."

"Jack! Skye!" Judy called out as the group approached the pair. "Do you want to have lunch with us?"

"Sure!" Skye said with a bright smile. "We don't know the area much, so it'll help a lot."

Jack didn't say anything, merely nodding in agreeance.

The café was another establishment that was visited by the officers of the ZPD precinct one, mainly because of its location. It went by the name of The Turf, and was run by a male wild dog named Burt Bushtail.

A bell rung, signaling the group's arrival, instigating the female beaver behind the counter to turn in their direction. The beaver smiled at the group. "Welcome to The Turf!"

"Thanks, Becky!" Judy grinned as the group headed to the counter, with herself and Nick in the lead. The gray doe watched as the beaver's expression shifted to one of realization, and felt her heart clench as disdain settled upon the beaver's face.

"I'm sorry, we don't service your kind here." Becky said in a tone that had obvious dislike in it, her glance between Nick and Judy making it apparent as to who exactly she meant.

"What's wrong, Becky? We were just talking about your family a few days ago." Nick asked in a calm voice that belied his emotions. The way Judy's ears were drooping was not agreeing with him.

At the mention of their former camaraderie, Becky's expression faltered a moment, before she gave herself a mental shake. "We don't service your kind here, fox." She prepared herself for what was coming as Judy's expression shifted from one of hurt to one of determined anger.

"This is getting ridiculous." Claudia muttered as she stepped closer to the counter, stopping the doe before she could even begin. Being the tallest mammal in the group, the female cheetah easily loomed over the cashier. "Look, we just want to eat before we get back to work. If that is too much for you to handle, then go find someone here who is competent enough to service us since you are lacking in that area. Or do I need to speak with your manager?"

"N-not at all!" Becky stuttered. "I-I can take your orders!" The group quickly placed their orders after that.

"Great." Claudia said with a cool smile. "And there better not be anything amiss with our orders, alright?" Becky shook her head rapidly before going to take care of their orders, leaving the group to go take their seats.

It was a tense silence that settled over the group, and it was Judy who broke it.

"Thank you." The doe said in a meek voice from her seat next to Nick, who was running his claws through the fur between her ears. Having another mammal handle the situation, as unintentional as it was, took the steam out of her. The feel of her fox's claws running through the fur between her ears also helped.

"Don't thank me." Claudia said in a kind manner, before snorting. "I just can't stand poor customer service. I used to be a supervisor at a restaurant to pay for school, so things like this annoy me. No smart business mammal would refuse business, regardless of species or mate choice."

"Still, thank you." Judy smiled at the cheetah agent, her ears erect once more.

Nick frowned as he moved his paw to hold hers under the table, still scenting her slight hurt in the air. "Judy…"

The glare Judy shot Nick was fast and intense. "Don't, Nick." The agents watched as the tod's frown deepened, his maw opening to argue. "I said don't. You're worth it."

Nick felt the same warmth fill him every time she said those words, the guilt easing a bit. Reluctant to show that she had gotten to him, and ignoring the blush in his ears, the tod merely sighed as if annoyed before leaning back in his seat. He knew he didn't fool her though by the smile that played on her lips as he glanced back at her. 'Sly bunny.'

It was then that their food was brought to them by a nervous beaver who assured Claudia that their lunches were the best they made all day, receiving a more genuine smile from the cheetah. After she left, Zeke started the conversation up again.

"I gotta ask, how did this," he gestured to the Nick and Judy, "happen? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it."

"I'm curious, too." Skye added, her blue eyes focused on the pair. "There's never been an interspecies couple in Periton before."

"Not to our knowledge, anyways." Jack interjected. "Zootopia is more progressive when it comes to that sort of thing, though not by much it seems."

Judy tugged at one of her ears in nervous embarrassment, glancing at her mate, who was hiding his embarrassment better. They seemed accepting enough, and genuinely curious, so she saw nothing wrong in telling them their story. "Well, I guess it started during the Nighthowler case. I actually didn't like him at first."

"I was a con-mammal at the time, and had just conned her out of twenty bucks." Nick said with a smug smile. He chuckled at the glared his mate shot him. He then gave Judy a fond look, causing her to blush. "She got me good a day later, and it was the best thing to have ever happened to me."

For the rest of their break, Nick and Judy told the agents their story. The trust that had turned into friendship, and then love; an unshakable bond forged through trials. The agents listened intently, fascinated by every word of how this strange pairing came to be.

Blue eyes flickered curiously to the stripped rabbit buck at the table, unbeknownst to the others, before focusing once more on Wilde and Hopps.

~o.8.o~

Dwayne watched as his sister quietly ate her lunch. The two of them were currently at a restaurant down the street from the precinct, one by the name of Leafy Things that catered only to prey mammals. As the rhino bull continued to watch Sasha as he ate his own meal, he knew something was off with her.

While Sasha was definitely the louder of the two, she did have her quiet moments—like now. However, it wasn't something obvious, either. It was something subtle, something he could feel.

They were twins, after all.

While rhinoceros twins were rare, they did happen. More often than not, however, one of the twins would be stillborn. Theirs was one of the happier cases, both offspring surviving the pregnancy and fully healthy, though born premature. Therefore, they were closer than other rhino siblings.

"What's wrong?" Dwayne asked gruffly around a bite of his kale and portabella sandwich.

Sasha paused in taking a bite out of her own sandwich—cucumber and tomato—as she met her brother's eyes, before sighing softly in resignation. The bull watched in curiosity as hesitance flitted across her face briefly as she set her sandwich down. "I…I don't know what I did wrong…"

Dwayne didn't say anything, merely finishing off his meal as he waited for his sister to find the words to continue. Her hesitation did make him curious, though. She never hesitated to tell him things, never. Which, more often than not, led to many conversations that made him wish the ground would swallow him up when they happened. So this unusual hesitance made him curious…and concerned. She only hesitated when it related to that.

His curiosity didn't last long.

"Hopps…we got into an argument…" Sasha began as she looked away. "…over Nick."

Dwayne's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Why?"

Sasha's eyes snapped up to meet Dwayne's, and the bull was shocked to see the fear, regret, confusion, and slight disgust in her chocolate pools. "It's not natural, Dwayne, them being…together. Foxes used to eat rabbits."

The bull frowned at his sister's words. "Sasha—"

"And don't go on telling me that he's "civilized", Dwayne. We both know he's not." She said in a quiet tone as she leaned forward on her elbows so others wouldn't overhear, but her expression was no less intense. "He's a threat to her."

"And I'm sure you've told Hopps as much, right?" The sudden question did as it intended, throwing his sister off balance slightly and causing her to back off a bit. He continued before she could recover. "What did she have to say about it?"

Sasha looked away once more at that. "She said that he'd never hurt her…" Determination suddenly flared within the cow, and she turned back towards her brother. "But I know he threatened her to say that."

"Hopps can take down mammals more than ten times her size, Sasha." Dwayne pointed out gently as he pointed at the table with a hoof. "And you weren't there when Wilde was hit by the serum a second time; she wasn't even a little bit afraid of him. That is not how someone acts under a threat."

His sister would not back down. "This is different, Dwayne. I know he's got her wrapped around his claws."

"How do you know? What's your proof?" The bull pushed, getting frustrated and honestly a little offended on behalf of his friend.

"Why are you defending him? You know why! It's because he's a p—"

Dwayne lifted up a hoof to cut her off, his expression hard. "I'm going to stop you right there, Sasha." His eyes softened into one of understanding. "I know what happened still affects you; I see it in the way you interact with prey victims of the same crime, how you go above and beyond for them. I'm not saying that you don't for others, just especially for that type of victim. It affects me, too. However, I also know that you know that the same thing happens to predators as well—from prey."

Sad eyes observed his sister's nearly frozen state, guilt swirling within him. He hated bringing this up as much as she did, but sometimes it was necessary. This wasn't the first time she'd let what happened to her get in the way of her job—he had his moments himself—but it was the first time it involved a friend and not a victim. Dwayne reached out to lay his hoof over Sasha's, breaking her out of her stupor as she looked down at their hooves. He always talked more than usual when Sasha was involved, it's always been that way. In a softer tone, he continued. "I know you're worried about her because mating season for foxes is around the corner, especially with Wilde's condition, but…she's not ten, Sasha…and he's not the trash that hurt you."

Sasha didn't say anything as she stared off into space, her eyes distant. While her frame was no longer rigid, it was still tense. It was obvious she wasn't with him here, in the present, and it pained Dwayne to see his strong sister like this. The guilt was still there, inside him, but it was mitigated by empathy.

"You mean us…" She said in a soft whisper, eyes still distant as they met his. The flash of pain and self-disgust in similar chocolate eyes made the cow feel guilty and sorry. Normally, if anyone else but Dwayne had brought up the incident, Sasha would have charged out of the café in anger, refusing to speak with the mammal for days on end. With her brother, however, it was different. He understood, because he had been there; it had happened to him, too. "He's not…the trash that hurt us…"

Dwayne nodded, not trusting himself to talk at that moment. It was always a double-edged sword when either one of them brought up what happened. It rarely happened, only when absolutely necessary—like now—but it hurt both of them when the subject came up.

"I'm sorry…you're right." Sasha sniffed. "I know Wilde's not…him. She's just so tiny, Dwayne…and I feel so uneasy around Wilde, just like—"

"No, it's not." Dwayne said with a shake of his head. "It's different."

"But—"

"It's different." He stressed as he leaned slightly forward. "With Wilde, I feel like there's a strong predator that can attack at any moment, but won't as long as I respect him and what is his…" Dwayne let out a slow breath as he delved into memories better left forgotten. "With him…I felt terrified and powerless…" 'Disgusting…'

Sasha tilted her head upwards a bit, refusing to show weakness and wipe the tears forming in her eyes in public. Once she was sure they wouldn't fall, she faced her brother once more, sorrow in her eyes. "I need to apologize to her…but I don't think she'll forgive me…"

"All you can do is try." Dwayne said softly, falling back into his quietness.

"I suppose you're right." Sasha sighed. Her eyes then wondered idly towards the window, staring at nothing as she delved back into her thoughts. This time, Dwayne could tell they were not filled with fear from their tainted childhood, but with a quiet determination that she often got when she set her mind to something.

'Good.' He thought as he took a sip of his water. Glancing out the window himself, his own eyes grew distant as he focused on banishing the memories of forceful paws and sharp claws on his small body…

~o.8.o~

Wolford glanced discreetly at his partner as he waited for the forty-five minutes to finish up. She and Dwayne had walked into the room a few minutes ago, and the grey wolf knew that something was up with the rhino cow based on her quieter than normal demeanor.

Over the past three years as partners, Gary had come to accept that Sasha had moments when something from her past would overwhelm her, and she would retreat into herself. He would always leave her alone during these times, knowing from experience that pestering her about it only led to an enraged—which no one wanted. Usually, she would cool down on her own, or Dwayne would talk to her in private, and then she'd be back to her usual self. Based on the slight smile she gave a few of the officers, and the way her brother was a bit closer to her than normal, he figured that the storm had already past, which relieved him greatly.

He didn't need to know why these episodes happened, just that she'd be able to get passed them. 'We all have our secrets.'

Glancing around the room, he noted that one member was missing, and couldn't help but snort in amusement just as the missing member walked through the door, looking particularly disheveled. "Glad for you to join us, Fangmeyer. That's a lovely fragrance you're wearing."

The simultaneously embarrassed and pleased white wolf merely glared at Wolford, ignoring the snickers that radiated amongst the gathered animals as he took his seat. It was a consequence of his impulsive decision to reveal his marriage in such a way, but Ralph couldn't bring himself to regret it, as he still thrummed with the satisfaction of knowing that it was his mark Sofia was now wearing. That every mammal she crossed on her way home would know that she was his, and what they had done together.

Yeah, he definitely didn't regret it.

Noting the time and confirming that everyone was back in the conference room, Wolford cleared his throat to regain the attention of the mammals in the room. "Now that everyone is here, let's begin. Rhinowitz and I had discussed this earlier, and we think teams of one officer and one agent out in the field would be best. Agent Frost, has your equipment been delivered?"

Skye nodded. "I got the notification about five minutes ago that it has been delivered to a room that Chief Bogo has cleared for us. I'll be working with Murphy so we can have things up and running by the end of the day."

"Good." Gary nodded before continuing. "The field teams will be myself with Patch, and Clamper." He wanted to keep an eye on that new agent. "Fieldstone, you're with Spots; Cache with Delgato; Wilde with McPaw; and Hopps with you, Savage."

"Is that really smart?" Brandi Coal interrupted. She expounded at the look Gary gave her. "With Hopps and Savage, I mean. They're both rabbits, and I doubt the ZPD would want any more scandals." The black ewe shrugged. "Rabbits are notoriously promiscuous, and we were witness to more than a couple flings of Jack's back in Periton."

Judy felt righteous indignation and embarrassment well up in her at the insinuation that she would be unfaithful to her mate, just because she would be partnered with a rabbit buck. Beside her, she felt Nick stiffen slightly, and began to panic. She had to tell him that that wasn't true, that she would never do that to him! That no other mammal would ever distract her from her love for him. He was her mate, and no one else would do!

Before she could turn to her mate, Jack gave a sigh of disdain.

"Coal, stop it." The buck said in a voice full of exasperation and annoyance. Skye took special interest in this, for it took a lot for his emotions to show in his voice and expression. "This is why you should know all the facts before talking. Yes, rabbits are promiscuous, but that is before we find our mates. Once we do, we are bonded to that rabbit—in this case—mammal, for life. Rabbits mate for life." They didn't need to know that only high class rabbits mated for life; marking their mates for all to know. It was more than obvious that Hopps, and more than likely her family, was such a rabbit because of her mark on the fox. Either they already knew that, or they didn't; it didn't change anything. They were life mates.

Coal was grateful that her wool was black, as it hid her blush at being so thoroughly chastised by her normally stoic supervisor.

Jack then turned his gaze to Nick and Judy, focusing on the red tod. "You have my word that I won't touch your mate, but I'd understand if you'd prefer someone else to be her partner."

"No." Nick said, his voice coming out in a low growl that startled a few of the mammals gathered. He cleared his throat quickly before continuing. "It's fine. I trust, Judy." And he did, but "trust" wasn't the reason why he wanted to take his mate into a private corner and make sure everyone knew who she belonged to. Nick Wilde was being territorial and was doing his best to keep it under wraps. "And from what little I've gathered about you, you're a decent mammal ."

Gary kept his gaze on the fox for a few moments longer, taking in the slightly stiff posture of the tod. Normally, it was impossible to get a read on Wilde; the fox was the master at keeping his emotions to himself. But there was no denying it; the fox was jealous, or something similar. Now, usually Wolford would scoff and say the tod was being ridiculous. However, given Wilde's condition, the grey wolf actually felt impressed with how the fox was controlling himself. The slight raise of his hackles told the wolf that it was a losing battle, though. 'Let's wrap this up quick and have Hopps run damage control. I don't need a fight breaking out.'

"If we're all done interrupting, now, we can focus on where the teams will go." Wolford said. He glanced at Jack. "Any ideas, Savage?"

"The attacks are random and widespread, the only thing connecting them the fact that the victims are predators—and that is excluding Wilde and Hopps." Jack looked down at the files before him. "I believe if two teams make contact with the victims, and three teams revisit the scene of the crimes for any possible clues, we can get the preliminary work out of the way in one day."

Gary thought about it for a moment, and then looked towards his partner. "Sasha?"

Sasha nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds reasonable. While the field team is doing that, we will be working on piecing together any clues we may have missed while Agent Frost and Murphy get things set up. I want to run that fur sample again as soon as possible."

"Sounds good to me." Gary said. Gathering two files, he gestured to the appropriate teams as he assigned their tasks to them. "Delgato and Cache will give the Silverklaus a visit. Wilde and McPaw will visit the Climbers, especially since Wilde knows the victim well."

"It would be nice to see Tails again." Nick said with a smile as he took the file.

"My team will head to the location of Wilde's shooting in Sahara Square." Wolford continued. He picked up two more files. "Fieldson and Spots will go over to the Outback Lands, and Savage and Hopps has the last one at the Savannah Central location." He met all their gazes. "More than likely, we won't find any new evidence. However, we need to cover all our basis before we can move forward. If all goes well, I want this to be done by seven the latest so we can start anew tomorrow. Let's head out. Wilde, Hopps. A moment."

"We'll wait for you two in the lobby." Zeke said with his usual grin as he followed the rabbit buck, and the rest of the mammals, outside of the room. The door closed with a soft click, engulfing the room in silence.

Gary sighed as he fiddled with his gun holster; a nervous habit he had formed but managed to curb when on the beat. "I normally don't give a damn about another couple's problems, but I know you're a special case, Wilde. You have five minutes to reassure each other; any longer and I'm pulling you two from the case based on being unable to perform your duties because you were emotionally compromised. Got it?"

"Got it." Nick growled, unable to help himself. The prospect of being alone with Judy was riling him up.

Gary nodded and headed for the door. Before exiting, he turned to give the couple a stern look. "Five minutes."

Then they were alone.

Not even a second later, Judy found herself in the arms of her fox, his snout pressed into the fur of her neck. She wrapped her own arms around him as she tried to soothe her mate with comforting sounds, though they were nearly drowned out by his near constant growl.

Nick, for his part, tried to calm himself down by breathing in her scent. Usually it calmed him down, easing the savage within him nearly instantly. Now, not so much. 'She is mine. No one else's.' A deep breath as he licked the fur of her neck. 'Mine to protect.' Another inhale as he marked the side of her face as his paws found their way to her waist and tightened.

The grey doe merely continued to make soothing noises, allowing Nick to mark her as much as he needed. It took a moment, but eventually the tod calmed down enough to the point where the couple was merely holding each other leisurely.

"I'm sorry." Nick whispered into her ear. "I trust you, Judy…I know you'd never betray me like that…" A growl slowly entered his voice as he continued to talk. "But just the thought of another mammal trying to…" Words escaped him as he snarled into her shoulder.

"Shh…" Judy soothed. She then pulled away from Nick enough to look him in the eyes. Savage emeralds met sincere amethyst. "That will never happen. I won't allow it. You won't allow it." She smiled softly. "Okay?"

Nick stared intensely into her eyes before he leaned in to kiss her soundly on the lips. Parting, the tod gave a weary sigh before returning her smile with one of his own. "Okay." He then licked her cheek affectionately, causing her to giggle, before letting her go completely. Glancing at his phone, he took a deep breath. "Come on, Carrots. Our time is almost up, and I don't want Wolfie to take us off the case on account of my jealously. You'd never let me live it down."

"You bet I won't." Judy teased as the two of them headed to the door of the conference room. Nick glared playfully at her. Giggling, the bunny grabbed his paw and led her fox to the door.

Nick pulled her to a stop just before she opened the door, stealing another kiss from her. He smirked at her questioning gaze. "Just felt like it."

Judy beamed up at her mate, before opening the door and focusing on the matter at paw. They had some work to do.

~o.8.o~

'This wasn't supposed to happen.'

Jaxon gritted his teeth in frustration as he watched the fox and "the traitor" go into a bar together. He had watched them all day, hoping for an opportunity to get rid of them once and for all, but never had the chance. Not only did they not work together that day, but they were also surrounded constantly by other officers. He had been instructed to shoot when there weren't other cops around, as they would have the antidote on paw, and when the two were in a highly-populated area. Now they were entering a bar that was frequented by cops!

'It's not even worth it at this point.' The billy goat thought as he cocked his dart gun back. It was late, and while they'd be alone when they exited, there would not be enough mammals around to cause the chaos Twily was looking for.

'Next time.' He thought as he started packing his gear with narrowed eyes, his gaze slightly wild. 'I'll get them next time.'

~o.8.o~

Nick felt himself relax for the first time the entire day as he and Judy entered the Watering Hole. As soon as the tod had set foot out of the precinct, he had felt on edge; as if something were waiting to happen, and it had nothing to do with the jealous fit he'd had after their lunch break. It was almost as if someone was watching him, and it had made his fur stand on end. 'Now it's not present.' He thought with a silent sigh, worry filling him. 'Was it all in my head?'

"I think we're a bit early." Judy said as she glanced at her phone, bringing Nick out of his thoughts.

The tod cast his gaze around the interior, looking for his friend. He took notice of a few of the mammals that had noticed and recognized them, their expressions one of initial shock from being exposed to his presence, before ranging from indifference to hostility, but no sign of his ocelot friend. Plus, there were too many scents around for him to even try to locate Jimmy. "Looks like you're right, Carrots. Let's head to the bar and I'll message him."

As they did that, the fox did his best to ignore the whispers he overheard in regards to them. They were still in uniform, reminding their would-be aggressors that they were cops, so no one approached them—yet. It didn't stop them from running their maws, especially since they didn't now Nick could hear them.

"It's them…"

"…unnatural…"

"…very brave, I wonder…"

"…happy for them."

While he kept his mask on as they took their seats, Nick was actually surprised by the positive comments he heard. The majority of the responses they had gotten had been negative, so it was refreshing to hear something different, even if the mammals didn't know he could hear them.

"If it isn't the dynamic duo!" The bar tender and owner, a male lion with a reddish mane by the name of Nigel Clawberi, said, his South African accent very pronounced. He wore a brown button-down with a white undershirt and light washed jeans. He grinned at the couple as he continued. "You two are always in the news for one thing or another, eh? Congratulation, by the way."

"Thanks, Nigel." Judy said with a smile, the hidden tension easing out of her at the lion's obvious joy and acceptance of them.

"What can I get for you two?" The lion asked.

"Two waters for now." Nick said as he and Judy hopped onto one seat. "We're waiting for a friend of mine to get here."

"Alright, two waters for now." Nigel nodded and went about getting their orders. "I have to say, I'm not surprised that you two got together. The way your bunny defended you that first day," the lion gave a loud chuckle, "that's not something one forgets. Not many prey would defend a predator so vehemently, let alone a fox. No offense, Wilde."

"None taken, it's the truth." Nick smiled. His smile grew into a smirk as he glanced at his mate, who's blush was currently burning her ears. "She is pretty unforgettable, isn't she?"

"Nick!" Judy hissed as she pulled an ear over her face to hide her blush.

The fox chuckled.

"So, any updates?" Nigel asked as he worked. "I know from the news that you two are working the new Nighthowler case, and a lot of folks are worried."

"Nothing that we can tell you, Nigel." Judy answered, her blush and embarrassment easing with the change of topic. "It is an ongoing investigation, after all. Tell them to be extra vigilant for the moment, including prey. While the targets have been preds so far, the serum still effects prey as well. This will also lower the chances of there being another mauling. We've only had one so far—we'd like to keep it that way."

The red-maned lion nodded seriously, before he set their waters down before them with a smile. "I also heard on the news that you two would be doing an interview for ZNN."

Judy groaned and flopped her head onto the bar counter, while Nick chuckled. "Yeah," the tod answered, "our PR department has been up our chief's tail about us doing an interview, and for his sanity, we decided to sacrifice our own and picked the most watched station. Because if Bogo breaks, it's parking duty for everyone, and that's just cruel."

Nigel laughed heartily at the fox's dry humor. "That's so noble of you. When's it going to be?"

"Hopefully after the case." Judy sighed as she lifted her head up from the counter. "But knowing them, it might be during the case. The media is so annoying."

"Amen to that!" Nick said as he raised his glass. Before more could be said, Nick's phone went off. Bringing it out, he saw it was a message from Jimmy.

Jimmy: I just pulled up. Where are you guys?

Nick: At the bar.

Jimmy: On my way!

"Well, Jimmy just pulled up, so he'll be here any second n—"

"Nick!" A male voice called out from behind the two, cutting the fox off and causing a smile to spread across his face as he turned towards the source.

"Jimmy! Glad you could make it!" The fox greeted as he hopped off the barstool. The two mammals greeted in usual male fashion, and Judy couldn't help but smile at the exchange. Sure, her fox had Finnick, but there was just something about seeing him with a mammal that wasn't from his past that made her feel giddy. He was making friends, and she was so happy for him.

"It's good to see you, man!" Jimmy exclaimed, before he felt his ears warm up as he settled on Judy; he admired her so much. "And might I just say, it is such an honor to meet you again, Officer Hopps! Oh, congratulations by the way!"

Judy giggled and hopped down beside her mate. "Judy is fine, and thanks." She said as she wrapped her arms around one of Nick's. They ignored the noises of disgust from around them.

Jimmy felt a blush forming as he gave the celebrity bunny a sheepish smile. "Judy. Heh." He then cleared his throat, seeing the amused expression on the fox's face. "Anyways, drinks!"

Nick chuckled as he watched his friend jump to his seat, he and his mate following suite. It spoke of how much he trusted the ocelot that Jimmy's blatant admiration of his mate didn't trigger his jealousy from earlier in the day.

"Jimmy." The ocelot introduced himself as the lion bartender.

"Nigel. What will it be?" The lion asked as he braced his paws against the bar counter.

"A rum and coke, please." Jimmy said as he adjusted his uniform shirt.

"Scotch on the rock, Nigel." Nick added.

"A carrot mojito for me, please." Judy piped in, gaining a chuckle from Nick. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Right up!" Nigel grinned, but then his expression turned serious. "Let me know if anyone gives you two trouble. You've done a lot for the predators of this city. I heard there was a rumor about former Mayor Bellewether trying to implement a law that made preds wear collars."

Nick cursed under his breath at that, missing the fact that Judy's only reaction was her ears falling down to her back. Ears pinned back, his eyes narrowed in hatred for the ewe that was the bane of his existence.

"Mm-hm. If it weren't for you two, who knows what would have happened." Nigel said seriously. "Be back in a bit." With a nod, he went to get their drinks.

"I can't believe she would do something like that." Jimmy murmured as he stared down at his paws.

"I can't say I'm surprised." Nick frowned. "When me and Carrots went up against her, it was clear that her hatred for predators was deeply ingrained into everything she did. Still is." An ear perked up as he noticed Judy's subdued reaction. "You don't seem so surprised, Carrots." He said in a soft tone.

Judy tightened her hold on her glass of water, not meeting her mate's gaze. "It came out while you two were at the Academy…I didn't want to say anything, because…because…"

'You still blame yourself…' Nick thought as his expression softened. Leaning towards her, Nick used a paw to turn her face towards his. "Hey." He said softly. "You didn't know any better, and you fixed your mistake."

"But still—!"

Nick silenced her with a quick kiss. When he pulled away, it was no more than a few inches. "You were not the reason behind this. Even without what happened, she would have tried to implement this." He nuzzled the side of her face and then looked into her eyes. "Stop blaming yourself, okay?"

Watery violet eyes searched firm emerald eyes, before a tentative smile broke across her face. "Okay, Nick."

The tod kissed her on the nose before smirking. "Good."

"You two are adorable." Jimmy's voice cut in, bringing the two back out of their little bubble. When they turned to him, the ocelot was resting his chin in one of his paws as he stared at the two, a smile on his face. "You guys just seem made for each other."

Nick coughed into his paw, embarrassment creeping up his neck and ears. Judy merely beamed at Jimmy, though she was just as embarrassed.

"I actually asked you to come out here tonight because I wanted to tell you a few things in person, Nick." Jimmy said as he sat up straight. This gained Nick's attention and he turned to face his friend, as he was sitting closer to the ocelot.

"Is this about the announcement this morning?" Nick asked curiously, though with a bit of hidden trepidation.

Jimmy nodded. "It is. I just wanted to let you know that no matter what other mammals say, I know that you're a great fox—a great mammal. After what happened back at the Academy…I know you'd have my back in a tight situation." The ocelot gave a frustrated sigh. "What I'm trying to say, is that I still see you as my best friend, and I'm here for you now as I was back at the Academy." He offered a fist to the fox and a genuine smile. "Got it?"

Nick bumped his fist against Jimmy's with a smile, feeling both like a teenager and a warmth that came from knowing he had another mammal in his corner. He never doubted Jimmy, not after what happened at the Academy, but to have that reassurance really meant a lot to him. "Got it."

Judy smiled at the who interaction, though she was curious about what happened back at the Academy that seemed to have brought the two together. 'Now's not the time.' She thought to herself as conversation flowed between the two males, only broken by the arrival of their drinks. 'I'll ask when the time is right.'


And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading! What did you guys think? Leave a review if you're able to.

I felt like this chapter was deep, and brought to light a bit of the reason as to why Sasha is so against Nick and Judy being together, and why she feels she has Judy's best interests in mind. It also shows how much of a friend Dwayne is, as he was able to put his past aside and be—and stay—friends with Nick, despite his past. For those of you who didn't get it, the rhino siblings were sexually abused as children by a predator. What species doesn't matter, just that it was a pred that had hurt them both. Deep, I know, but I'm learning that a bit of the "good drama", not the whole love-triangle-back-stabbing-friends-and-unrealistic-crap that is just too much, but that real life stuff that can add a bit of depth to a story is good.

Hope you guys liked it.

Another story you guys need to check out is "A Different Goal" by pixiestickers and the sequel, "If you're hurting, so am I". Slow, natural, and beautifully written.

Until next time!

Ja ne!

~Star

~o.8.o~

Answers to Your Questions and Reviews

Unlucky Alis: Oh, ok. Sorry, idk how Bodensee came out of bigender, but it's got me literally laughing out loud XD I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Fire Inu Princess: We're not there quite yet; it's still going to be some time before that.

Fireflame159: I never seem to get an alert when you review, and it makes me sad. Yes, you did mention in a previous review that someone needed to get darted by the serum during the meeting, but I actually forgot until I read your review that you suggested it lol we shall see what happens next.

Master Merc Red and Black: As interesting as that is, I will keep it that "cute" is a speciesist slur in my story. Not only does it make sense, but that is how the movie portrayed it as. If what you say REALLY is the case, it should have been in the movie in the first place, with her parents or some other rabbit clearing that little tidbit up. Regardless, I'm not changing my story this far into it.

Whisper (Guest): I'm really grateful that you like my story, but I'm going to have to say no to the list of characters and their involvement. I'm actually way more involved in this story than I'd like to be with the chart I made for the teams. Fangmeyer has been in the game since the beginning, in "Primal Instincts", as well as a few others. While I won't be providing a chart, if you have any questions, just ask and I'll answer the best I can. To that end, I will try to be as descriptive of each OC as I can be, without taking too much from the story.

Yoshi (Guest): I have no idea how many chapters this story will be.

Jack Howard (Guest): Generally, with Dissociative Identity Disorder, the personalities either know about each other, or they don't; and they know what the other is doing, or they don't. Now, Erica has both DID and Schizophrenia, so she knows Twily exists, but she has convinced herself that Twily also doesn't exist, so she is unaware of what Twily does when she's in control. Twily on the other hand, knows everything that Erica does, which is why she's able to impersonate her. It's complicated, I know, but will be explained a little bit soon ;)

N.J.W.H. (Guest): Manny just quite smoking, so he's perpetually grumpy at the moment as he's trying to stay away from the cigs for his mate lol

Erinnyes01: Agent Patch was able to get through the FBI training course despite his prejudice because my Zootopia is swamped with prejudice, so him having it is "normal" and probably went "unnoticed", like Nick's beatings. And thank you for your kind words in regards to Ralph and Sofia^^ I'm glad that came out very well, and that everyone was so shocked about it. It makes me happy, as it brought back my motivation for the story!

Guest (Guest): Ralph "croissant" his true feelings? Do you mean "confess"?

FILLER CONTENT (Guest): You lied to me! …there's no Username by DragonEpic00 T-T on a side note, when you DO make an account, let me know! I'll give you tips for your first story.

Blenderguy15: It was totally unintentional for "A-Hunting We Will Go" to be Twily's theme song, but it kinda suites her and Jaxon, doesn't it? And like all things concerning my OC's, as I'm learning lol, it happened on its own. It's kinda scary how these characters literally write themselves.

Ommallaredpanda (Guest): You should read ZBI-Zootopia Bureau of Investigation, because it has all the stuff you want in this story lol as for that actually happening in Embrace It…that would be spoiling it, so I will not tell you :p

ElaMongrella (Guest): You might have missed it, but Don is a tanuki, or a racoon dog.

Tamiri-chan: Thank you so much for reading my story! I'm glad you are enjoying it so far^^ again, there are a lot of chapters, so take your time lol and I'm glad you like my Nick; I worked hard on him ;)