A/N: With training done for the day, Nick tries to sneak some fast food into the academy. At the same time, he finds himself in an unexpected position that he hasn't been in for a long time.

Thanks to Medic 27, BeecroftA, Wolfx1120, Blkdragon7, Tinbuzzard11, Guest, Declanflannery, RassyEyefur, J Shute, imjustlikehumphery, D Fox, side-fish, IIIFenrisIII, BoltDMC, Omnitrix 12, and Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps for reviewing!

Also, a special thanks to BeecroftA for editing this chapter.

Chapter 17: The Kong Capers

Orange light beamed down from the setting sun in the sky, casting long shadows across the open courtyard facing the cadets' bunks. The few lamps that lined the courtyard flickered to life, some more weakly than others; a few of the bulbs definitely looked like they needed replacing. A lone fox stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking over the entire building from top to bottom. Because of how it was structured, one could easily see mammals in the upper floors moving back and forth with ease, doing a variety of things. Some were on their phones, talking to friends and family. Others, with towels over their shoulders, headed towards the showers. A few gung-ho ones were still doing chin-ups on the bars that were installed along the corridor.

One particular cadet—the only bunny—emerged from the stairway, dressed in a simple blue t-shirt and shorts. He immediately made a beeline towards the fox, who was leaning over by one of the lamp posts. The bunny's steps were tentative, as if trying not to put too much pressure on his feet.

"Hey Nick. It's now, right?" Robbie whispered as he approached. "The food plan, I mean. You did say you wanted to do it on Saturday right after dinner…" he glanced over at his phone, before slipping it back into his pocket.

"Yup. I didn't want to wait this long, but I needed some time to plan things out."

"So what exactly is the plan?"

"You see this building?" Nick pointed at where Robbie had just come from. "It's open and facing the courtyard. And down there is the Instructor's Office." He lowered his finger. "Right below the bunks and conveniently located right next to the stairs."

"What about it?" Robbie replied, leaning against a post next to Nick.

"It means that if any of the officers are looking, they can see anyone trying to leave or head up to the bunks. Sneaking the food back to our room isn't going to happen—it's a terrible idea, anyway. So we're going to have to eat the food once we get it."

"And how exactly are we going to even get the food in here? I'd like to think that's the main problem to get around." The bunny lowered his voice to a whisper.

"The Kong," Nick replied.

"The…Kong?" Robbie parroted.

"I know a guy. His name is extremely long and easy to make fun of, so everyone just calls him 'The Kong'. Excellent delivery guy. He's one of the few people I'd trust to deliver anything, anywhere. He's already on the way here—sorry I didn't get a chance to ask you for your order first. Anyway, we just gotta go pick it up and find a place to eat it. You remember where I chased you to on the first day?"

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to forget…that's the indoor sports hall, right?"

"As far as I know. We haven't been there as part of our training yet. You climbed up that pipe and escaped through the second floor when I was chasing you on the first day, right? What's up there?"

"Umm…it was just a corridor. And some locked doors. I think it's for storage. I was too busy trying to get away from you to pay attention…but why there? That's pretty close to the front gate, isn't it? Wouldn't it be better to go for, I don't know, somewhere more secluded that doesn't involve climbing?"

Nick nodded, crossing his arms.

"That's pretty sharp thinking, Flatfoot."

"That name isn't going to go away, is it?" Robbie groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm still open to other suggestions. Let me know if you have any." The fox grinned. "Now, as I was saying…you've got the right idea, but you're overlooking something."

"Which is?"

Nick pointed at his feet, where two large bags of garbage were sitting. They were about Nick's size, meaning that each bag was a fair bit larger than Robbie.

"Looking natural. Remember how they said to keep our own bunks clean? That means taking out our own trash as well. That's the perfect cover to pick up the food. Going to the quiet and secluded parts of camp without a good reason would only attract unwanted attention. If you're going to try and get away with something, you're always better off masking it with a legitimate excuse."

"That…makes sense. You sound like you have a lot of experience with this kind of thing." Robbie remarked, bending over to give the trash bag a test lift.

"Let's just say it comes with the territory. Now, we should get going. Wouldn't want to keep The Kong waiting. He's particular about punctuality."

"As long as we don't get caught, I guess…"

"Oh hey, Wilde!" A voice called out from nearby. Both Nick and Robbie turned. A fairly muscular tiger was jogging up to them from the stairs.

"Hey, Hobbs. What's up?" Nick replied. Upon seeing the tiger, the gears in his head began to turn.

Let's see…Kevin Hobbs, from our bunk, bed four, doesn't talk much, is usually the last to wake up, can sleep through a hurricane…

"Heard you were going to take out the trash. Help me throw this as well, would ya?" He asked, handing an empty soda bottle over.

"Sure thing," Nick replied, taking the bottle and tossing it in the open bag. "Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it. Nice work during the scenario training today." He grinned, giving a small wave to both Nick and Robbie before heading back towards the stairs.

"Thanks. Want anything from the trash cans? Can't guarantee anything fresh, though." Nick smirked.

Kevin laughed, just as his phone started ringing in his pocket. "No no, I'm good. Sorry, got a call—oh hi, Selina? Yes, I'm fine. Of course I remember…next Saturday night, right? I won't be late…" the tiger turned, lowering his voice to a gentle whisper before strolling off.

Hmm, note to self. Selina may be important person to Hobbs, Nick thought. He turned back to Robbie, who seemed to be thinking to himself as well.

"Right, as I was saying…just follow my lead, and we'll be fine." Nick slung his trash bag over his shoulder. "Shall we?"

Robbie followed suit, but the bag ended up hitting the ground due to how short he was. Trying to stifle a laugh, Nick began walking, with Robbie by his side. The two of them set out, with the ends of Robbie's bag dragging across the pavement.

The evening was pretty cool, which was something Nick appreciated. He was definitely one for the cooler climates, even though he wasn't an arctic fox. As opposed to Finnick, who much preferred the hotter and drier climates. As the cool breeze drifted through the middle of the open field where the instructors normally gave morning briefings, Nick found his inner thoughts drifting as well, to a variety of things. Mostly the day's events, though they did linger on a few other things as well, one of them being Finnick. He wondered how things would have actually been if Finnick had been there with him. Probably cursing out of his mind, no doubt. The thought made him smile inwardly.

I wonder how the little squirt's doing.

He was snapped out of his train of thought by a pair of long ears that flitted back and forth along the periphery of his vision.

"Stop looking around like that, Flatfoot," Nick said, breaking the silence. "You're just making yourself look suspicious. Just relax and talk to me, but don't look at me."

The bunny glanced over, before realising what he was doing, and immediately looked away.

"Right…uh…so…nice weather we're having?"

Nick rolled his eyes.

"For someone who managed to talk his way through a hostage negotiation, you're pretty bad at small talk."

"I'm…not really a talker, I guess. And besides, I don't think I actually did all that great a job during that exercise." Robbie tilted his head, adjusting his grip on the trash bag. "I mean, letting the hostage go so easily? I think it was all scripted, you k—"

"Hey, you two!"

Nick and Robbie stopped walking, immediately turning to see a familiar brown bear—the one in charge of their scenario training earlier that day—walking up to them. He was out of his officer uniform though, and was currently wearing a simple blue t-shirt and shorts, similar to themselves. A towel was draped across his neck, and he was carrying what seemed to be a toiletries bag under his arm.

"Instructor Shake?" Nick said.

"What are you two doing out here? Aren't you on admin time?" Shake asked, checking his watch.

"Just taking out the trash, sir." Nick replied, as coolly as he could manage.

"Why lug it all the way out here? You could just bring it to the cans by the back gate."

"Uh…umm…" Robbie stammered. Nick resisted the urge to groan out loud, lowering his trash bag to the ground.

"Well, it's quieter out here, so it makes for nicer conversation. Weather's good, and the load makes for some extra exercise. What about you, sir?"

The bear looked them over.

"Just having an evening jog. Was about to head to the showers. You know, I've been monitoring the two of you…"

Nick glanced over at Robbie in the corner of his eye, who seemed like he was on the verge of having a little bunny heart attack.

"…it's only the first week, so I can't say much. But I hope to see more from both of you. Especially you, Wilde. Considering that it was Hopps herself that recommended you here."

"I'll do what I can, sir, though I must add a disclaimer that Officer Hopps has a pretty inflated opinion of me. I wouldn't want you to get your hopes too high." Nick chuckled.

The bear shrugged. "It's her hopes, not mine. Figures that the two of you would have paired up with each other. Does the fox know about you, Robbie?"

"I…yes. Yes, he does," Robbie said quietly.

"Don't know why you're trying to keep it a secret. You're not the first Hopps here. Probably won't be the last, either. Anyway, I'll see you both around. Look forward to confinement ending in a week."

"Yes, sir." Robbie replied, as the bear turned and walked away. Nick picked his trash bag back up as the bear walked into one of the buildings on the other end of the courtyard.

"Real smooth there, buddy." Nick chuckled.

"Sorry…" Robbie mumbled.

"You've always got to keep a cool head about these things. Otherwise you're just going to give yourself away. But relax. I don't think the bear suspects anything."

Robbie nodded, silently lifting his own bag again. The two moved along once more, heading straight towards the corner of the building that Robbie had previously escaped through. The surrounding lamps in the area were lit now, but noticeably dimmer compared to some of the others in the courtyard. Still, it was enough to illuminate the orange brick wall that acted as a fence around the compound.

Perfect. Nick thought.

"Alright, this should be the place." Nick took Robbie's bag from him, tossing both into one of the open bins. "Now let's see…" he dusted his paws, pulling out his phone. The notification light was blinking a soft orange. He smiled to himself, tucking the phone back in without even turning the screen on. He then put his paws to his mouth and called out softly:

"…You there, Kong?"

"Took you long enough." A gruff—but soft—voice came from over the wall. "I'd better be getting paid extra for trespassing."

"Ah, but you're outside the wall. Didn't you see the sign? It says 'Trespassers will be prosecuted beyond this point'. Meaning you haven't passed the point yet."

"Always with the witty reply, Nick. Never thought you'd ask for a delivery to the police academy, of all places. Why didn't you ask Finnick to deliver? Afraid you'd break his little heart if he found out you're coming clean?" The voice behind the wall laughed, though it wasn't snide or malicious.

"He already knows, Kong. Can't say whether his heart was broken or not though. His laughing seemed to suggest the latter."

"It's all a ruse. We all know he's devastated. I'm sure he didn't expect his best partner in crime to suddenly have a change of heart and turn to the other side. Who's going to help him swindle money from unsuspecting suckers now?" Kong chuckled.

Robbie raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Nick wordlessly. Nick's expression was unchanged.

"He's a big boy. I'm sure he'll figure it out. Do you have the goods?"

"Of course. You know the drill."

Nick reached into his pocket, pulling out a couple of bills tied to a rock by a string. He did a quick check to ensure the money was secure, and then lobbed it over the wall. There was a short pause, followed by the sound of paper crinkling.

"Excellent. Think fast."

A moment later, there was a grunt, and a large paper bag sailed over the wall, barely grazing the barbed wire.

"A bit close there, Kong." Nick groaned, taking a few steps backwards as the paper bag hung in mid-air for a moment before beginning its downward descent. But before he could do anything else, he saw Robbie spring up into the air, a good head above Nick. He grabbed the bag with both paws, before landing gracefully on both feet with a triumphant look on his face. But a second later, his legs wobbled, and he collapsed onto the ground on his side.

"Hey, Robbie!" Nick knelt down next to him.

"Ngh…I'm fine. Sorry, my legs just feel like jelly after today's training." The bunny slowly clambered to his feet, holding up the paper bag. It was a little crumpled, but otherwise intact.

"Hmm? Someone's with you, Nick? Who'd you drag into one of your hustles this time?" Kong asked.

"Heh, he's a friend. Robbie, this is The Kong. Kong, Robbie."

"Hi Kong, nice to…wait, someone's coming. Big mammal." Robbie's voice dropped to an urgent whisper.

Nick's ears twitched. He couldn't hear anything yet, but then again, he didn't have bunny ears.

"Kong, we've got to scram. Thanks for your help."

There was no response from the other side of the wall, only the sound of footsteps fading into the evening air. Nick glanced over at Robbie, motioning him over to the same water pipe the bunny had climbed up previously.

"C'mon, up you go. I'm right behind you."

The bunny took a deep breath, before leaping up onto the water pipe and pulling himself up. Halfway up though, his paws slipped for a second, and he slid down an inch before quickly scrambling to find purchase on the metal. Nick could see his arms trembling.

He must be more exhausted than he's letting on…Nick thought. The bunny did have a pretty rough few days—rougher than Nick, at least.

Without a word, Nick placed the paper bag between his teeth, and began climbing the pipe as well. He gripped the pipe with a paw, using his other free one to push Robbie upwards. The bunny squeaked, glancing back down at him. Nick gave a little head nod with what little neck mobility he had. Robbie looked back up and gritted his teeth. With a soft exhale, the bunny managed to grip onto the second floor ledge and pull himself into the empty corridor.

The footsteps were getting close enough now that even Nick could hear them. Nick quickly shimmied himself up and climbed into the corridor, pressing himself flat against the wall and keeping his body low.

The fox and bunny exchanged glances as the footsteps approached the trash cans, directly below them. There were sounds of a can being opened, and then a loud clang. Soon after, the footsteps began to fade away as well. It was a good two minutes before Robbie nodded at Nick. Nick returned the nod with a thumbs-up, and relaxed against the wall.

"Must be nice to have in-built radar dishes." He chuckled, opening the paper bag. "I think we've waited long enough. Let's eat before someone else comes along. I got you a mushroom cheeseburger, with a salad on the side. Hope that's okay with you."

"That sounds great. It's already the best thing I've smelled this week." Robbie pulled out his salad box and opened it, taking the plastic fork from the bag with a tired smile.

For a while, it was quiet. Besides the chewing, there was only the sounds of crickets and rustling leaves in the evening air. Nick peeked outside and glanced around once in a while, but he couldn't see any movement heading towards this side of the compound. There wasn't any movement coming from Robbie's ears, either.

Although Robbie's ears weren't currently drooping like Judy's tended to do, it was still pretty obvious that something was still troubling him. He'd had that expression for a couple of days now, particularly when he thought no one was looking.

Must run in the family. Nick chuckled to himself inwardly. Guess I should say something…

"Ah yes, I can feel the life returning to me. Maybe I'll finally be able to pay attention in class tomorrow. How do you find it?"

"Huh?" Robbie replied, blinking. He seemed lost in thought. "Oh, it's really good. It's miles better than the stuff that we've been having, for sure. Thanks for getting this."

"Y'know, since today was successful, I was thinking we could make this a regular affair. I was thinking between burritos or noodles for Tuesday. I actually wanted to get some soup dumplings, but throwing soup over the wall is probably a bad idea, so I guess we'll have to settle for the dry stuff. You up for it?"

Robbie smiled, with a hint of wistfulness showing in his smile.

"Sure, Nick. Assuming I'm still here next week…"

Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't you be?"

Robbie picked up his drink, uncapping the bottle with some effort before taking a sip. Even in the darkness, Nick could see the bunny's paw trembling.

"Well, you saw how things went today. I couldn't finish any of the courses, I got ambushed by the stoat I was supposed to be saving, and I could barely even climb the pipe just now…thanks for giving me a boost back there, by the way." He flexed his arm, wincing a little. "My whole body feels like it got hit by a truck."

"You sound like you know what being hit by a truck feels like." Nick chuckled.

"Family farm tractor. Long story." Robbie sighed. "I know I expected training to be difficult, but I thought I would have lasted longer than this. At this rate, I don't even know if I'll make it to the end of the two-week confinement period…"

Robbie's ears seemed to droop for a second, but he seemed to stop himself halfway, forcing them to stay upright.

Well, that's slightly better ear control than Carrots, at least.

"Like you said, it's only been a week. Isn't it a little too early to call it quits?" Nick asked.

"I'm not giving up. Not yet, anyway…" Robbie added the last part under his breath. "I'm just wondering how Judy managed to get through this. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for her."

"Well, she's always been stubborn. To a fault, even. But she did tell me that it was tough for her as well. Did you know Friedkin failed her for falling into the toilet? At least that hasn't happened to you yet." Nick shrugged.

"That's encouraging." Robbie mumbled. "Did she ever tell you about the other recruits that she trained with?"

"Other recruits? No, she didn't. Why do you ask?"

"No, it's nothing. I was just wondering."

"Wondering whether she had to go through being made fun of by the other mammals?" Nick offered. Robbie opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He could only blink, before chuckling a little wistfully.

"…is it that obvious?"

"It's written all over your face, Flatfoot." Nick pointed out, while Robbie unconsciously reached up to touch his cheek, before shaking his head slightly.

Another emotional Hopps. That's two for two so far, Nick chuckled. It seemed that his guess was pretty much spot on. The bunny wasn't exactly a closed book when it came to masking his emotions.

"…First time outside of Bunnyburrow?" Nick continued.

Robbie hesitated, then nodded.

"And let me guess, you haven't really interacted with many non-bunnies. Much less mammals ten times your size. Am I right?"

"Well, there were a few, but not like this, no. I mean, there's large mammals in Bunnyburrow too, but unlike back home, I'm the only bunny here. You're the only recruit that I don't need to look to the sky to talk to."

"I thought so. That's pretty much the reality out here. Carrots can attest to that; taught her that myself." Nick smirked, thinking of said bunny meter maid stepping and sinking into wet cement.

"But doesn't it bother you? I mean, it's the same for you too, right? You're the only fox here. And it's not like the others have been particularly kind to you either."

"Are you kidding? These guys are way better than I could have asked for. Most of them pretty much ignore us. Like that tiger from earlier. They just want to get through this, like us. It could be worse. Much worse."

Robbie fell silent for a bit.

"Have you…been through worse?" he replied, after finding his voice.

For a moment, Nick felt his veneer of calm falter ever so slightly. He wasn't sure if it showed, but even if it did, the bunny didn't seem to notice. The faint memories of that fateful night and several ones that followed flashed across his eyes for a moment, before disappearing into the night once more.

"In a manner of speaking. Don't let them see that they get to you, Flatfoot. If you let them see that they get to you, it'll just make them feel validated. And then it never stops."

Saying those words really did give Nick a feeling of déjà vu right then. A different time, a different bunny, he guessed.

"So…is that the reason for all the sarcasm and quipping?" Robbie asked.

"No, no, I was born with that. But hey, I find it pretty effective at dealing with situations like this. Maybe you should try it sometime."

Robbie scooped the last of the salad into his mouth, before unwrapping his burger. The smell of portobello mushrooms filled the air.

"Maybe I will, actually." He chuckled. "But even so…are you really going to do that for the whole time that we're here?" The bunny asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, sure, not all of the recruits here are like that, but we are still part of the same unit. Some of them are our bunkmates, too. We're going to be here for a few months, and we'll probably need to work together with them. How would you deal with them?"

Nick shrugged. "That's easy. I'd just…"

Huh. The thought that had formed in Nick's mind suddenly found itself hitting a dead end. The words that were supposed to have come out should have been something along the lines of 'Just ignore them' and 'Make a snarky remark to deflect the problem'. Just like how he dealt with everything in his life: from the kids in school, to the people on the streets.

But this was different. He couldn't quite get away from the problem this time. Not when he was committed here for the next few months. Like it or not, Robbie was right: he was going to have to deal with the other recruits.

Ugh. Well, it's not like I could say I didn't see that coming, he thought.

It was strange. The feeling was familiar. Something Nick couldn't quite place. Fear? No, he wasn't scared. He was…uneasy. It was something he hadn't felt for a long time. Not since…

"Are you nervous, sweetie?"

"Of course not! Why would I be nervous? I'm ready for this. I've always been ready for this!" Nick answered confidently.

"There's going to be a lot of different mammals, Nicholas. Lots of bigger ones too. You remember what I told you, right?" the soft voice replied.

"Don't pull their tails?"

"The other one."

"Don't let the fame and success get to my head?"

"Well, that too. But I was talking about always being your best. You're going to be the first fox in the troupe. Not everyone is familiar with working with a fox. Whatever anyone else might think, prove them wrong. Always show them your best self, and then you can win their hearts over."

"…your best self, huh?" Nick mumbled.

"Huh? What was that?" Robbie's ears flicked upwards, trying to catch the tail-end of Nick's murmuring.

Nick quickly gathered himself. "You're not going to change their minds so easily, Flatfoot. They think you're going to give up and quit after a while. They're only right if you let them be right. Besides, they may make fun of you, but you haven't really done anything to tick them off. So just keep showing your best self, give them a reason to believe, and they'll come around. Probably."

Robbie munched on his burger, taking some time to let Nick's words sink in.

"That sounds really wise. Where did you get that from?"

"My…previous job." Nick lied, tucking the memory away in the back of his mind. Robbie didn't need to know that much about him yet.

"Oh. Your previous job." Robbie replied, sounding awkward all of a sudden.

"Hmm? Something wrong?"

"No, not really. Well…I kinda heard what Kong said just now…"

"Ah yes, I was wondering when you were going to bring that up." Nick leaned back against the wall, quietly thankful for the opportunity to change the subject. "You were asking me about it a few days ago, weren't you?"

Robbie nodded. "I did. Does that mean it's true?"

"You tell me. When you heard what Kong had said, what was the first thing that came to your mind? Was it that I was some shifty lowlife? Or someone who dabbled in the less-than-legal side of town?"

"Well, I…uh…" Robbie's ears folded back. "That's not what I…"

"If that's the case…you'd be absolutely right." Nick tossed the last of his burger into his mouth, before crumpling up his empty burger wrapper and tossing it into the paper bag it came in.

"So, you mean…" the bunny's voice trailed off.

"That's right. I was pretty much everything you would think a fox to be, before I came here. Before I met Carrots. Sorry if I ruined whatever few positive thoughts you still had about me." Nick chuckled.

Robbie glanced downwards at his food, with an odd smile that Nick couldn't quite place.

"Well, it doesn't, really…" the bunny replied softly.

"Come again?" Nick raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his drink.

"I don't know what your story is, or what you did in your past. But I've known you for a week, and I don't think you're anything like a shifty lowlife."

"Robbie, I literally convinced you to sneak out here and break the rules just to have a quick bite." Nick deadpanned. "If anything, that should have been more than enough to convince you."

"And it's delicious, by the way." Robbie continued munching. "But that's not what I mean. Not counting the jokes at my expense, you've been kind to me so far. Like today, when you helped me in the sand pit, or when you helped me up the pipe just now. Or just…sitting with me and listening to me talk about rabbit life. It just doesn't sound like something that someone who 'swindles money from unsuspecting suckers' would do."

"You do know that's basically how 'the long-con' works, right?" Nick retorted with a smirk. "I'm still a bona fide hustler, through and through. And I have plenty of witnesses to prove it, including your sister." He chuckled. "Let me get something straight though: it's not swindling money, it's creative entrepreneurship. I've never picked anyone's pocket or stolen anyone's money, just so you know. I just create the conditions for people to feel like they need to give it to me. It's a morally grey area."

Does tax evasion count as morally grey? A voice in Nick's head commented. Nick shooed it away.

"Even so, I wouldn't think a hustler would choose a police academy of all places to make a career change. I remember a few days ago, you mentioned Carro—I mean, Judy. You said that she's the reason why you're here, right?"

"You can call her Carrots. I'm sure she won't mind." Nick smirked, folding his arms.

Robbie gave Nick a glare.

"I'm still amazed she lets you call her that. She always hated being called those kinds of names."

"Oh she hated it at first, but she eventually came around, like you have."

"Wait, I never—"

"To answer your question," Nick interrupted, clearing his throat. "Your carrot-loving sister found me and 'asked' for my help on the Nighthowler case. A lot of things happened; I did some things to help her in her case—like save her life, twice—and after it was all over, I guess she wanted to return the favour. She personally asked if I would join her as her partner. Can you imagine that? A fox cop? It's hilarious. I thought it was a joke at first, but…"

"…she was serious."

"Yup. And seeing as it would have been impossible for a fox to ever be here otherwise, I decided to humour myself and give it a shot. I guess at the end of the day, my reason for being here isn't too far different from yours."

Robbie took Nick's words in silently. After a while, he nodded.

"Could you tell me more about you and Judy? I'd love to know what happened during your investigation, and that part you mentioned about her crying and calling herself a dumb bunny."

"Of course." Nick smiled. "On the way back, that is." He stood up and stretched, his joints giving little crackles of protest. Robbie followed suit, his leg wobbling as he got up. He held onto the windowsill for support as Nick bent down to pick up the paper bag, holding it open for Robbie to throw his remaining garbage inside.

"And don't worry, Flatfoot. I've got a muscle heat spray back in the bunk. Works wonders on aches and pains; your sister recommended it to me. I'll pass it to you once we're back."

Robbie looked down at the paper bag, folding up his wrapper and tossing it inside along with his empty salad box. The two of them then hopped over the railings and slid down the water pipe, Nick sliding straight down while Robbie inched down gingerly behind him. Nick quickly opened up one of the trash cans and pushed the empty bag deep down, before taking some other discarded trash and covering the paper bag with it.

"Thanks, Nick. I really appreciate everything you're doing for me." The bunny paused there, seeming to consider his words. "Y'know, to be honest, I was wondering if you were putting up with me just because I'm Judy's brother."

Nick did a double take. That comment was something he did not see coming.

"What, you mean I can't do something nice for someone else for no other reason than the genuine goodness of my heart?" Nick replied in mock indignation, after getting over his initial surprise.

"Oh, sure you could. But for all I know, you could just be hanging out with me to try and get some embarrassing stories on my sister, or something. The 'long-con', like you said."

Nick smirked at him. "Well, fortunately for you, I already have plenty of embarrassing stories about your sister, courtesy of your parents. And I've already hustled your sister plenty. I'm hanging out with you because I want to, that's all."

Nick's words seemed to brighten the bunny up a little, though he did seem to try and hide it. Robbie looked up at Nick, nodding appreciatively.

"…How much do I owe you for the burger and salad?" Robbie asked.

"Ahh, this one is on me. Next time we'll just go halfsies," Nick replied.

"Hey, c'mon. I should at least be paying for the next one if that's the case," Robbie said. "Figure I owe you at least that much."

"Really?" Nick asked cheerily. "If that's the case, you can put me down for lobster thermidor with pomme frittes and sliced truffles. That should be okay to throw over the wall…"

Robbie paused, before letting out a laugh, the first Nick had heard from him since the day had started.

"Did I just get hustled?"

"By the very best." Nick replied proudly. "But fine, I'll settle for cheaper fare. I know a place—they've got the best noodles in town. Your sister liked it a lot. Now, speaking of your sister, you wanted to know the story, right? I suppose I should begin with our visit to the Mystic Springs Oasis…"

As they began the slow walk back to their bunks, Nick raised his head and glanced up at the sky, which by now only had a few slivers of light remaining.

Be your best self, huh?

It had been a long time since he'd thought about those words, and what they meant. Up to this point, he'd always dismissed them at first thought, as words of unrealistic idealism.

Maybe it was time to give them another chance.