Edited by UmbraTsuki

Chapter Twenty Nine

Some kind of trouble


The next day passed with difficulty. Judy was on to her third coffee by noon, and she was beginning to wonder if she even liked the stuff anymore. It made her overly jittery. She needed something to take her mind off waiting to speak with Nick. At least today she had the real interrogations to deal with. The rabbit felt guilty over how her preoccupation with her relationship with the fox had affected her performance in the past. It wasn't fair to her colleagues, and it meant she was letting the ZPD down when they had invested a great deal of trust in her abilities.

She had seen Wolford and Nick doing the rounds in the building, working hard at improving the recruits' knowledge, but neither seemed in any position to stop for long talks. At least Nick was looking at her. He smiled. Maybe even winked, but she couldn't be sure that she hadn't imagined that part.

It seemed the new animals in the department were getting on well, learning the ropes under the guidance of the more experienced officers. Giving credit where it was due, Nick must be going gentle on them. He wasn't always the world's worst teaser. He sometimes knew when to ease off.

Judy had noticed an increased nosiness on Clawhauser's part. The receptionist kept eyeing her whenever she passed and seemed to take extra interest if ever she was so much as in the same hall as Nick. Perhaps she would confront him about that, but then she knew he was a fan of theirs. He probably just wanted to know how they were getting on. She doubted he knew anything more about their situation.

When working at her desk, she made sure to text Nick multiple times, confirming that they were going out for coffee tomorrow. She was afraid he would try to slip his way out of this meeting like before. Touch wood, he seemed to be sticking to his promise, even specifying where they should meet – Keldo's Koffee. It was a cheap café in the main shopping district of Savanna Central.

She remembered the first time she had stopped there with Nick, in the early days of their partnership. It hadn't been a date. They had been on patrol and it was lunch break. The briefing in the morning had overshot the expected time by a startling degree, as the Chief couldn't concentrate with flying squirrels cleaning the office windows. Disregarding all pleadings, threats and calm explanations from Judy, Fangmeyer and Wolford respectively, the workmen had insisted on listening to their radios on full volume. They had claimed that it was too dangerous taking the machines up to the heights with them, so the circular speakers were left to scream out the music on full boom at floor level. In the end, the meeting was finally completed but the rush to get on with their daily tasks meant that neither of the two partners had remembered to grab their lunch boxes for the road, necessitating the stop at the café.

What mainly stuck in Judy's mind about that day was the way Nick had turned his attention away from her and the lunch they were enjoying, down to a small lynx tugging at his sleeve. Rather than showing the slightest irritation, he had simply smiled warmly at the child and lifted him up onto the table, glancing round for the cat's mother. She was engaged in nattering with a gaggle of fellow females about things that none of them would remember two minutes after their conversation ended, so the fox had listened to what the child wanted.

Bashful at first, the cat, who couldn't be older than seven or eight, spluttered something out about wanting to be a cop just like they were. Apparently, his mum thought he was too young to be taken seriously, but he wondered if Nick could put a word in with someone important. After that confession, the child had put his front paws behind himself and stared at his feet.

Judy had never realised until that point that Nick was actually good with real kids. She assumed his hustles with Finnick merely represented dishonesty and good acting. She hadn't expected to see the warm glow on his face as he listened intently to the child. His eyes had sparkled with something she couldn't quite place. It was when the lynx explained that, if he became a cop, he could arrest bullies at school that Nick's expression had grown into something deeper. He spoke some words to the cat, telling him that he would do his very best to lay the groundwork for him but advising him to work hard at school in the meantime. Seeing the downward look of disappointment on the child's face, Nick had gently taken him in his arms, hugging him reassuringly. He let him take a closer look at his badge, promising he would have his own one day. Maybe, if the cat was really good, Nick would give it to him himself.

Judy's coffee had grown cold while she watched the fox, intrigued by this new side to him. It hadn't lasted. The child's mother had finally noticed him missing, giggled a goodbye to her friends and bustled over to the table. She had grabbed her son from Nick without a word, shooting him a look of disgust before leaving the café, the rattle of her jewellery competing with the chimes which set off every time the door was opened. Although it could be understandable that a mother wouldn't want a stranger holding her son, given their uniforms, the look had been full of far more than mere suspicion around a stranger.

Judy remembered the look which had then appeared on Nick's face too. It wasn't the surprise she was expecting. It wasn't even frustration. It was closer to acceptance. It reminded her that he had lived as a target for distrust for his whole life. Unlike her, whom animals merely failed to take seriously, for him, animals saw the uniform as a contradiction of what he was, clashing with his inbred character.

The fox had gulped down the remaining dregs of coffee and slipped away to pay for both their bills. When he returned, he just smiled at her, eyes thoughtful and distant.

"You would make a pretty good dad, you know!" she had laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

He had grinned, perhaps about to make some all too obvious quip, but instead just turned away towards the door. She still didn't know if she had said something wrong that day. The incident remained a strong memory of her time with the fox, another chance to see depth of feeling he rarely showed.

Judy was brought back from her memories by the sound of her phone notifying her to a new email from the Missing Animals department. She stared at her desk, expression blank, then breathed in deeply, trying to focus once again on her work. She got up to make herself her fourth mug of coffee.


"Mr. Wilde, can you help me with this?"

Nick strolled over to the leopard. He was a good guy, but despite Nick expecting initially that he would be a bright example to the rest of the recruits, he was taking a little longer than the others to come to terms with what was expected of him.

"What is it, Zach?"

"Which box do I sign? I'm filling in the availability sheet."

Nick frowned. "Didn't you tell the ZPD about when you could work before?"

The leopard sat back, looking uncertain. "I did but I don't live in this district. I'm from Sahara Square. I can't make every shift they want."

Nick sat on the edge of the leopard's desk, chewing on the edge of a pencil. "So, why are you here in Precinct One?"

"I requested it. There are some people here I admire," the recruit blushed.

"Really?" Nick muttered, not listening. "Well, I would have advised asking for a place where you can be more useful to the force. We're not a club."

The cat's ears flattened and he glanced down at the paper. "Oh…"

"Hey, it's too late to change that now," Nick said, brightening up. "Just fill in the hours you can do and sign the paper."

"But where do I sign?"

Nick sighed and glanced at the sheet. "I'd say where it reads 'sign here'."

He stepped back, checking his watch. Half way through the day already. Time was bringing him closer to having to explain things to Judy. He focused on the leopard again. The cat's shoulders were slumped and he looked more crestfallen than usual. What did I say? Nick considered for a second then groaned, kicking himself internally.

"Sorry. That was smart-alec of me. Just sign in the box."

The cat scraped the pen on the paper, swallowing. Despite the recruit being significantly bigger than him, Nick gently dug his paw in his side reassuringly. He was letting these guys down. It was his job to make sure they had an inviting experience of starting to work for the ZPD, just as he had needed. Allowing his own private worries to mess with that was unacceptable. Thinking back, Nick remembered from his first week on the beat getting yelled at by a member of the public. 'Where did you steal the uniform, fox?' It had taken his best efforts to calm Judy down and stop her from slamming the moose in the back of the patrol car faster than it took her to issue a parking ticket. The first few days in a new job were always daunting.

The leopard smiled and turned the page, continuing to read the documents. Nick wandered back to the far side of the room, surveying the other four recruits. They were making good progress, more thanks to Wolford than to him. That guy had a very understanding way of helping people sort out their problems. He wasn't sure yet what the wolf got out of it.

Nick squeezed his eyes shut again. Where had that come from? Of course Wolford wasn't looking for some advantage over others. He wasn't trying to 'get' something out of them. The fox knew he should have left that kind of thinking behind months ago. That was the old Nick thinking. He glanced at the wolf, who stood reading from a clipboard, marking off scores and managing the timetable.

"How can I help?" Wolford asked without looking up.

Nick jumped a little. Apparently, the guy was a mind reader as well. He certainly had many talents. He would go places.

"Nothing," Nick shrugged. "Just thinking."

Wolford clicked his pen and turned his head, brown eyes looking him up and down. "About Miss Hopps?"

"No!" Nick grunted. "I was thinking about our schedule for tomorrow."

"What are you worried she will say?" the wolf continued, brushing aside his comments.

"I really have no idea. Like I said, I'm not worried about that right now."

Wolford nodded and returned to his clipboard.


"Pick up!" Nick snarled, pacing around his apartment impatiently. He glanced at the time. Not yet 22:00. No excuse.

The phone crackled. "What the hell, Nick? Whadda ya want?"

"Finnick! How are you?"

Nick heard a growl from the other side of the call.

"Okay," he continued, "I know it's a little late, but I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

Nick smiled. He never understood the way that fox could swap from aggression to openness. He sat down on the bed. "I'm seeing Judy again tomorrow. She wants to talk about my time away."

"Of course she does!" Finnick snapped. "Would you want to be kept in the dark for so long? Friends let each other know what they're doing. That's what I read on a cereal packet."

"Finn, you know wha-"

"Did you just call me 'Finn' again?! I told you never to use that."

Nick snickered to himself. He hadn't even intended it to be a tease but it was always good fun getting a rise from that guy. The two of them had been through a lot together, and somehow the Fennec had managed to put up with Nick's infuriating jibes, just as Nick had managed to ignore his off-putting temper.

"Okay buddy, it's 'Finnick' from now onward. Now can you help this handsome gent work things out?"

"Sure. Marry her."

"Why do I even bother?!" Nick cried, slapping his paw to his face. "You're no help."

"What? You sayin' that ain't what you want? Okay, fine. Break up with her. Again."

Nick didn't like the emphasis the fox put on the last word. He was starting to regret making the call in the first place.

"Finnick, I just need a listening ear. And let's face it, you can spare one of yours…"

"Shut it, Nick! Nothin' wrong with the size of my ears. So spill."

Nick took a deep breath, eyes flicking around the room. "Do you want to come to Keldo's Koffee tomorrow?"

"…With you?"

"No, you dummy!" Nick shouted. Arrrgh! He punched the bed sheets, working to regain his composure. "I mean yes, with me, but to accompany me and Judy. You know, lend a paw."

"Not happenin'. Sorry bud."

"You can't let me down like that! Come on, Finnick. I need you to keep me in line."

"Night, Nick."

There was a beep and the phone went silent. Damnit. That little guy could be obtuse, stubborn, insensitive, stupid…

Nick bethought himself. In fairness, Finnick wasn't used to company and he never liked being thrown into something like that. He didn't seem to mind talking about Nick's relationship problems from a distance, but was less keen on getting himself entangled in it personally. It would just be him after all.

His phone vibrated. He glanced down to read the new text that had just appeared.

Don't forget to take a stick. –Finnick


The café was busy. A bad start. Two deer bustled in the entrance while Nick stood outside, stamping his foot impatiently. The warm glow of the evening sun at least lightened his mood enough to stop him from voicing the impolite words which sprung to his mind.

This was the end of his sixth day of 're-introduction' to the ZPD. It had passed with relative ease. He had managed to avoid severely disregarding the recruits' needs or letting Wolford detect just how much his mind was on the talk he would be having with Judy. Whenever she had passed him in the corridor, he had wanted to chase after her and start explaining things straight away, at least to get it out of the way. Their work forced them to hold it off until the end of their shifts, as the ZPD mess hall was no place for a personal discussion about their friendship. There were too many colleagues who could easily listen in and spread the word on things that shouldn't concern them. Someone had indiscreetly mentioned Nick and Judy taking time out to speak privately in that unused office, although Nick had no proof of who it might have been. Wolford had been shocked to hear Nick complain about it, explaining that he really had no idea what had taken place prior to the fox mentioning it himself.

Nick finally slipped past the deer and scrutinised the café. Judy hadn't arrived yet. Coming five minutes early should give him time to collect his thoughts. A blueberry squash would help to cool his nerves. Once the order was placed, Nick took a seat next to the large, rectangular window which ran the length of the front of the café. It was time to retry the breathing techniques he had learned in the academy to release tension and alleviate stress. He never had mastered that one, but it did help a little. Nick's paw began rearranging the sauces, sugars and seasonings on the table while he watched through the window for the rabbit who wanted to be his friend.


Judy was running late. She had made sure to be out of work on time, had raced home to change into something more civilian and hurled herself out onto the streets again. Five minutes along the sidewalk, she remembered her money. Nick may not be impressed if she made no attempt to pay for their drinks herself. It was a ritual, because he always insisted on paying. She grabbed the brown purse, stuffed it in her stone-coloured trousers and began her journey to the café once again. It had gone unspoken that they wouldn't be offering lifts to each other. The silence in the car would have been too uncomfortable. Talking in the confined space would have been even worse. At least in the café, there was the potential for some distraction if things became difficult.

She skipped along the road. Despite the uncertainty about their talk, her mood was light. She felt confident that they could work through this. She knew how to read his body language. It had been difficult at first, almost impossible, but even he couldn't help giving signals away. She knew he wanted to be near her again. Something was holding him back and it was her job to show him that whatever it was, they could overcome it. It was all in his head.

The café came into view, placed on the corner of a block, standing out thanks to its red and white striped awning which sheltered the outside tables from the sun or rain, making it suitable for all types of weather. She rechecked the collar of her purple shirt, adjusting it for the third time in as many minutes. Nick wasn't outside. The sun was glaring too brightly on the window for her to see if he was inside yet, but, if he wasn't, she would wait for him.

Judy pushed the door open, stepping aside to let a row of five elderly skunks out first, pointedly saying "thank you" to each one, filling in for what they failed to do. Once they had all passed, she huffed and stepped inside.

The café was not as busy as she had expected. Those skunks must have accounted for a lot and they had left just at the right time. She glanced around, searching for the familiar chestnut tones of her friend's fur. She saw a fox tail sticking out from a seat by the window, although he was obscured by the wooden surface that ran along from the door, the top of which was used to showcase flowers and cakes.

The rabbit peaked round, seeing her friend sitting alone, chin resting in his paws as he leaned on the oak table. He wore his customary green shirt. She had even come to like that flower pattern...

"Nick," she smiled, stepping out.

He looked up at her, pausing for a moment before beaming back. It had been a long time since she had seen such a genuine and charming look on his face. It almost surprised her. Then she saw he was wearing his shades. Darn it, Nick. Not again. She was getting sick of having to guess at what he really felt.

"Carrots, have a seat," he said in a friendly tone.

She nodded and sat down opposite him, crossing her legs under the table. She glanced up at him a few times, suddenly uneasy.

"Nick, thanks for meeting up like this."

What he did next surprised her. He reached up and removed the shades, depositing them on the table. She looked up from the sunglasses to his eyes. Those green, beautiful eyes. They were welcoming. Unguarded. His movement had been a silent communication that carried personal meaning between them. He was no longer hiding and he wanted her to know that.

Judy swallowed, then smiled at him, holding his gaze. After a couple of seconds, he flicked his eyes away, reaching for his blueberry drink and taking a sip from the glass. The liquid left a crimson stain on the fur around his lips. She had to stop herself from taking a nearby napkin and wiping the stain away herself. Why did she feel she could act like that?

"So," he grinned, "how's work been keeping you?"

"It's been fine. I just…" she stopped herself. It would probably be the wrong thing to say.

"You can talk openly to this fox," he said, sitting back comfortably and jabbing a thumb to his chest.

"I just miss you, Nick. We made a pretty good team, didn't we?" Judy focused hard to avoid her ears drooping. He didn't need to see her sadness. It might put him off.

"We sure did," he nodded, reaching for the menu. "Now, let's get some teamwork going with this order. What would you like, a main course of here's-the-truth or a side order of let's-talk-after-coffee?"

She giggled, stroking the sleeve of her shirt. "Let's go for coffee."

"Coming up, Ma'am." He raised a paw to a jaguar waiter who was carrying some dirty plates. "Two cappuccinos for the table with the good-looking fox and the female rabbit!" Nick called.

Judy shook her head admiringly. He really could be himself if he wanted to be. Nothing kept him down for long.

"You can't just have coffee," he smiled at her. "Let's grab some grub. That way, we don't need to cook anything ourselves."

"Do you ever cook anyway?"

"Careful," he grinned, tilting his head to the side and winking.

He handed her the menu. After a few seconds scanning, Judy opted for grilled vegetables and halloumi cheese, while Nick tapped his finger on the option that read 'rarebit special'. Apparently, it was something pretty foreign. He liked the name.

They only had to wait for a few minutes, as the café was gradually emptying. They said nothing further while they waited. Nick began checking new notifications on his phone, something he seemed to do no matter how he was feeling. While they waited, Judy readjusted herself in her seat. The chairs were comfortable, although the wooden backs could do with some cushioning. As she moved, her feet tapped his under the table. He didn't look up from his phone. After a second he moved his foot and nudged hers. Judy smiled, pretending to settle, only to deliberately kick his leg again. She could see he was trying to keep a straight face, then she felt his foot nudge her shin gently.

The drinks arrived first and the two friends quickly straightened up, making no comment on their recent legwork. He took a sip from the coffee. Judy had noticed he occasionally had a strange habit when faced with two drinks of taking half a mouthful from one drink and then more from the other. He did this now with the coffee and the blueberry squash. His eyes flicked closed for a second as he relished the taste. Apparently, he enjoying mixing two things which animals normally expected were incompatible.

"Nick, we need to face the obvious."

She saw his body tense for the first time that evening. He didn't look up from his drink, but sighed deeply, relaxing again. "I know, Judy."

She held her cup in both paws, leaning forward a little. "I know that this is a difficult topic for you. I don't want to cause you to feel awkward. I just want you to be my friend again."

His eyes looked up at her now.

"Nick," she continued, "ever since we met – well, almost - we've trusted each other. You're the closest friend I have. I want to see you happy again."

He smiled widely, reaching across the table and taking her paw. "Things have been complicated. I had no choice. I had to keep you safe."

"From what, Nick?"

He took a deep breath. "Okay, I fell into some trouble. I needed to be careful." He closed his eyes. "When I was away, I hustled a few animals out of some money and they wanted it back."

Judy stared at him for several seconds. Then she slipped her paw away from him and slammed her cup down on the saucer, sending coffee sloshing over the side. Nick jumped visibly at this. The rabbit glared at him, face turning red.

"You promised you wouldn't lie."

His eyes widened and he shuffled in his seat. "Lie?" he repeated with an embarrassed chuckle.

"You really think I believe you've been so distant, so secretive, so, so…" she gulped back some frustration, still glaring, "you think I believe you've been all that just because you conned some animals out of cash?"

The fox's mouth fell open. He closed it quickly, looking down at the his rarebit, clearly ashamed. His shoulders dropped.

"What happened to our trust, Nick?"

"I don't know that we should be friends," he stated flatly.

"I don't care. I am your friend, whether you think I should be or not. You have no say in the matter." She crossed her arms. "Now tell me what's really been going on."

Nick still wouldn't look at her. "I really do like you, Carrots."

Judy shook her head, confused. She was managing to calm her emotions and regain some control. She leaned forward, touching his paw. The fox raised his head, meeting her eyes once more.

"Nick, you don't have to be alone," she said softly.

"Being my friend could be dangerous."

A wry smile flickered onto her face. "Our lives have been pretty dangerous for a long time now. We're officers, remember?"

Judy only then realised how close she was leaning towards him. He didn't take his eyes off her. She could see his chest rising and falling rhythmically and heard his breathing deepening. Then he began slowly leaning closer, just as she had. The distance shortened with every second. Her heart drummed. Their noses met and she smiled without even choosing to. A smile of his own burned across the fox's face. Nothing else mattered to Judy at that moment; there was only her and her friend.

In an instant, the world broke apart. Judy heard an explosion as the window next to them burst inwards. A hundred rabbits and foxes were reflected in the shards of glass which glided through the air and their table was thrown backwards. She felt herself tumbling from her seat. By some extraordinary luck, no glass penetrated her skin as her body slammed onto the hardwood boards of the floor.

Judy lay on the wooden slats, ears burning from the sudden sound. She shook her head, fighting confusion and panic. Her heart raced and a stinging pain spread through her back where she had twisted it. She scrambled amid splinters of the table and daggers of glass, trying her best to avoid being sliced or pierced by either. She stared around the room, seeing the waiters running for cover behind the counter, startled by whatever had just taken place.

She looked to the window. A grey van reversed out of the devastation it had created when it smashed headlong into the front of the café. It was just as well that the place had been so quiet. Otherwise, Judy was sure someone would have been killed.

"Nick!" she shouted, eyes searching for the fox. It was only then that she saw a caribou in a red blazer standing just beyond the jagged glass of the broken shop window. Judy eyes froze on what he was holding. Nick was dangling by his tail from the caribou's grasp, face covered in scratches and one eye closed. She heard a door open and an antelope in a tattered white t-shirt jumped out from the van. Nick struggled, twisting around and trying to claw at the two animals. The caribou suddenly brought him down, smashing him onto the concrete of the street. Even from this distance, Judy could hear the crack as the fox's lean body collided with the ground.

She was up in a flash, racing across the floor, ignoring the pain which flared up as her feet were pierced by splinters of wood. She scrambled over the broken seats and leaped over the remains of the café's window, landing on the tarmac.

"Let go of him!"

The two animals glanced up and the caribou's eyes narrowed menacingly. He wiped a dribble of saliva away from his mouth with his arm, while the antelope straightened. Nick lay on his stomach, winded, bloodshot eyes darting around in panic, finally meeting Judy's. They flashed with desperation.

Judy burned inside. She didn't know how she would take these thugs down, but she wanted to see them pay for hurting Nick. She scanned the area for anything that might help her, while the caribou took a step towards her.

Before he could take another step, a siren blared in all their ears and a patrol car swerved to the side, skidding to a stop meters away from them. The door burst open and a white wolf in uniform raced out, barking something into his radio. Judy recognised him from the bullpen. In the excitement, his name escaped her.

The wolf slammed into the caribou, sending him sprawling. The antelope was faster, dodging the officer and slipping round him, bringing his elbow arcing round into the middle of the wolf's back.

Judy couldn't focus on that right now. She raced to her friend, dropping to her knees.

"Nick! Nick, are you okay?"

He tried to push himself up and slipped forward slightly before managing to correct himself. He looked at her, wincing in pain. An ugly dark circle had already begun to appear around his left eye.

"I'm having fun. Yes, yes I am," Nick coughed.

"Where does it hurt?"

"In my back, arms and I won't even say where else." His eyes narrowed in pain as he stood up.

Judy jolted a few inches in the air as she heard a loud crack nearby. She spun around to see the wolf lying on the ground, while the caribou glared furiously down at him, holding a thick piece of broken windowsill in his hooves. Judy's eyes moved up and fixed on the antelope, who was staring at them, nostrils flaring. He took a step forward, slapping the caribou on the arm.

Judy's paw shot down to her side, feeling nothing. Great. No tranquilizer gun. She looked at Nick. He was already backing away, fear rippling across his features.

The rabbit ran forward, snatching the fox's paw and yanking him along behind her. She aimed straight for the patrol car and launched towards the open door, throwing Nick inside first. Heart and mind racing, adrenaline pumping, she climbed in after after him and jerked the door shut. She nearly shrieked aloud as paws grabbed her, taking a moment to realise it was only her friend. Nick pushed her to the passenger's side and grabbed the wheel. He glanced through the windscreen at the approaching animals, turned the ignition and slammed his foot down on the gas.

Judy shook her head. He hadn't lied. Being his friend was dangerous right now.


Author's Note:

Please review!

I've been working hard on this and my other fics and am once again indebted to UmbraTsuki for his sterling work as editor. Thank you all so much for your overwhelming support. I never get tired of saying how much it means to me. You guys rock my socks, even when I'm not wearing any. Guests, you're awesome. Keep reviewing. I hear you all. Faves, follows and reviews make me smile like a weirdo when I'm on the bus, so please, keep me creeping out old ladies. We've passed 300 follows and I simply can't believe it. When I started out on this fic, I could never have dreamed I would be seeing those numbers.

I'm off to Alton Towers with the guys tomorrow to be thrown around on roller coasters, because youth. If you never see this fic updated again, know that I met a horrible fate at 100kph. Just in case, I bid you all farewell.

Do you like the fic? Do you want to see more of one thing? Let me know and I'll see what I can do. :) I always value my readers' insights.

Cheers and have a great day!

Love,

AngloFalcon