Chapter 21
Hey quick note. I just wanted to say thanks for reading and I know my grammar and stuff isn't the best. So if there is anyone who would like to become an editor than just PM me. Also the story just got over 9,000 views OMG. Thank you all so much especially to a certain group of people who help to discuss the story and what could be good for it :) And as always enjoy the chapter.
"Wait...what?" Nick said in shock as he gazed at me with his emerald green eyes whilst I on the other paw stood up and out of the seat that I had been resting on before looking away from both Nick and Judy as I began to speak.
"You know what Nick? This apartment is rather similar to the one I had when I was a human. Same layout and everything." I said as I let out a sad sigh whilst glancing around the entirety of the apartments kitchen.
"In fact Nick you never even knew me. I'm an imposter. A fake." I said in a joking tone of voice before I turned my auburn furred head around to face both Nick and Judy who were looking at me like I was crazy.
"You know what. I guessed that's how you two would react to this anyway." I said as I chuckled out loud before I began to make my way over to a large and lonely looking window that was in said apartments kitchen whilst Nick began to speak with worry lacing his voice.
"Ben...what are you talking about? Are you feeling alright?" Nick said whilst I laughed out loud as I opened the apartments kitchen window with my black furred paws before sticking my auburn furred head through said window.
"Hey Nick. Do you know how high we are?" I questioned said auburn furred and light black ear tipped fox calmly as I looked down from the window at the small looking vehicles and mammals that dotted the roads and the streets below.
"Why do you want to know Ben?" Nick said slowly as I could clearly hear the worry in his voice as I continued to stare down from the window with my leaf green eyes as I let out a loud and tired sigh.
"You know what Nick. It doesn't matter...besides both you and Judy are just some characters in a crazy long dream that I'm having." I said as I opened the window further before I looked back to face both Nick and Judy as I watched there confused looks quickly turn into looks of terror as I guessed they realised what I was going to do.
"For what its worth...its been fun...but I've got to wake up. This might be a dream or its real...but...I need to do this." I said to both Nick and Judy before I quickly made my way through and out of said window as I heard Judy scream out my name along with Nick as I felt the wind rush by me as I fell and fell further away from the apartments window.
I closed my leaf green eyes as I waited for the inevitable impact that was awaiting me as a smile began to worm its way onto my face as a final thought entered my mind before I impacted the hard concrete ground.
'Its time to go home.'
"AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaahhhhhhh." I yelled out loudly in fright as I quickly snapped open my leaf green eyes before jumping forward slightly which caused me to nearly fall off of the seat that I had been situated in due to my fright as I began to pant heavily.
"Wh...what?...I'm alive..." I said to myself in between pants of air as I began to examine my body over with my leaf green eyes only to find that there were no marks of injury upon my body. Said body had a coat of auburn red fur that covered my arms as well as pair of familiar looking black furred paws.
"And...I'm...still not human.." I said in a defeated and upset tone of voice as I felt my leaf green eyes begin to moisten as the first set of tears began to run down my auburn furred face.
"Its not fair...its not fair...I...I am human...I...I'm not a fox...my...my human life wasn't all a lie." I said as I covered my tear stricken leaf green eyes with my black furred paws as I began to openly cry for the first time in years which unfortunately caught the attention of both Judy and Nick who had just walked into the kitchen.
"Sorry about that Ben." Nick said as he followed Judy into the kitchen as said fox seemed oblivious to my broken and sobbing form whilst Judy on the other paw seemed to notice straight away. "I was just talking to Judy ab...about...Ben are you...crying?" I heard the worried voice of Nick say as I didn't even acknowledge the presence of said fox and rabbit as I continued to cry into my paws in sadness whilst Judy rushed over to my side.
Nick on the other paw just gazed at my sobbing and broken form in both utter shock and sadness as he watched Judy hug my left auburn furred arm as I continued to sob into my black furred paws.
"What's wrong Ben?" Judy questioned me in a soft but worried tone of voice as she slightly released her hug on my arm which to be honest I didn't notice at all as my mind was focused on the realisation that all my thoughts and feelings about my human family could have just been dreamt up in my mind and that the world that I was now in was the real one.
By now Nick had finally gotten over the shock of seeing the state that I was in before he rushed over to where I was sitting with Judy as said rabbit had gone back to hugging my arm in a futile attempt to cease my emotional break down.
Nick kneeled down on the opposite side to Judy as said auburn furred and emerald green eyed fox tried to form some reassuring words to say as he looked upon my quivering and sobbing form as said foxes ears lowered down to the back of his head.
"Ben...please. Tell us what's wrong?" Judy said as her bright purple eyes had begun to moisten in sadness as she continued to hug my arm continuing her effort to try and lessen my sadness.
Nick on the other paw wasn't fairing any better than Judy as tears had already begun to flow from his emerald green eyes as said fox placed a black furred paw on my right shoulder as he let out a small sad sigh whilst I continued to cry and shake in sadness as Judy's eyes began to leak tears as well.
Nick then retracted his paw from my shoulder before he wrapped both of his black furred paws around my emotionally stricken auburn red furred form as he began to pat my back gently.
"Come on Ben...what's the matter?" Nick said in a low and sad tone of voice as I removed my black furred paws from my face before I pressed said auburn furred face into Nicks chest as I continued to cry whilst he began to speak again.
"What ever it is you can talk to me or Judy about it...you can trust us...please Ben...were not like the wolf officer..." Nick said in a sad and quivering tone of voice as his body began to shake with emotion as he reached the end of his sentence before I began to feel a wetness begin to form on my left shoulder as Nick began to cry.
After a few minutes of both myself and Nick crying I began to gain control of my emotions once again as I let out a tired and sad sigh before I pulled away from Nicks embrace to which said fox reluctantly moved his black furred paws from my back as I gave Nick a small but drained smile.
"Thanks Nick...I...I really needed that." I said as I looked at said fox before nodding my head in gratitude as I looked way from Nick briefly before I settled my tired tear trailed green eyed gaze upon Judy who smiled at me whilst wiping away a few tears from her bright purple eyes.
"And thank you as well Judy." I said as I gave said grey furred and bright purple eyed rabbit the smile tired smile I gave to Nick before I got up and out of the chair that I was in as I looked up at the apartment ceiling.
"Well...forgetting about all that's just happened why don't we finish were we left of." I said before setting my leaf green eyes back on Nick as said fox looked at me in sadness as he got up from his kneeling position before he began to speak whilst Judy made her way to Nicks side with the same look that Nick had plastered on her grey furred face.
"Ben...you cant just forget about what happened...its not good for you too keep all of your emotions locked up..." Nick said as he looked at Judy who nodded in agreement with Nick as I just shook my head in denial as I began to speak in a fake happy tone of voice whilst deep inside I was still deeply upset about the thought of my whole human life being fake.
"Listen Nick I'm fine...I was just practicing my...acting skills." I said trying to sound confident as Nick just continued to look at me with a saddened expression adjourning his auburn furred face as said fox began to speak in a low and dishevelled tone of voice.
"Ben...I don't want to lie to you anymore...and I want us to be close again like we were when we were younger...but we cant do that if were keeping secrets from each other.." Nick said as Judy grasped Nicks left black furred paw with her own right light grey furred paw in reassurance for Nick as he continued to speak.
"What...ar.. are you talking about Nick?" I asked said fox in worry as I looked worriedly at Nick and Judy as Nick let out a small sad chuckle.
"Listen Ben...I know you've been lying to me about a few things since we reunited and I let it go for the first few times thinking that it was just something small but...after watching you break down...I know now that I should have asked you why you were lying to me earlier..."
Nick said in a regretful tone as I gazed at said fox in slight panic as he continued to talk.
"I want you to know that...you don't need to lie to me or Judy Ben...I mean am I not family to you?" Nick questioned me as I recoiled slightly from said question as I felt my ears begin to lower down to the back of my head as I tried to form a sentence to combat Nicks question whilst said fox just continued to look at me in both disappointment and sadness.
"I...its...its just that...its all so complicated Nick...and I...I don't want to talk about it..." I said as I felt my emotions begin to build back up towards the end of my sentence before I growled lightly as I shoved said emotions to the back of my mind as Nick began to speak again.
"Give me a chance to understand Ben...I want to help you...b...b...but I cant if you wont tell me what wrong. I'm here for you know Ben...you don't have to be alone anymore." Nick said as I looked away from both Judy and Nick before as I spotted a familiar looking apartment window which was only a meter or two away from where I was.
'Maybe...this is...still a dream...' I thought briefly as I gazed at the window before I mentally kicked my self for even thinking such a thing again as I turned back to face both Nick and Judy whilst I tried fruitlessly to hide the saddened and concerned expression that pestered my auburn red furred face.
"I'm fine Nick. I've...just been...thinking about a few things..." I said as Nick growled lightly which caused me to take a small step back away from said fox as Nicks muzzle crinkled in slight anger at my answer.
"No Ben. Your not fine and if you don't tell someone about what's wrong then...it...it'll only end up eating away at you." Nick said as he ceased his growling whilst I looked away from said fox before he grabbed my left auburn furred arm tightly which caused me to once again look at Nick.
"Why don't you trust me Ben? We used to be so close...we could trust each other with everything and everything...I just want to help you." Nick said as he let go of my auburn red furred arm before I let out a small and sad sigh.
"Alright Nick...Ill tell you...and Judy too...but If I'm going to tell you both...can we at least not do it here." I said sadly as I watched a wide smile begin to make its way onto Nicks face as said fox jumped forward before enveloping me in a tightly held hug.
"I promise you Ben. I'm here for you now...there's no more need to keep secrets from each other." Nick said as he pulled away from the hug which only allowed the small grey furred and bright purple eyed rabbit known as Judy to take Nicks place.
"I'm glad your doing this Ben. I'm glad that your trusting Nick and me and I hope in time you can come to trust the rest of the ZPD as well." I heard Judy's muffled voice say as her muzzle and head were pressed into my chest as she held tightly onto said chest as she ended the hug before stepping back to where Nick was standing with the wide smile still plastered on his face.
"So where do you want to talk then Ben?" Nick questioned me in a happy tone of voice as I placed a black furred paw to my head whilst sighing in thought as Nick and Judy patiently waited for my answer.
"How about...we go to a café or something. The café we went to yesterday was good unless you have another suggestion. " I said as I looked toward both Nick and Judy who nodded there heads in agreement to my answer before a catchy song began to play out of nowhere.
The song repeated the words I wont give up and try everything a few times as I looked toward Judy who was happily bobbing her head to the song as she placed her right furred paw into her right blue jean pocket before taking out a phone from said pocket.
"Who is it?" Nick questioned Judy whilst said rabbit placed the phone to her right long grey furred and black tipped ear as she began to speak leaving Nick without an answer to his question.
"Hello? Oh hey Jerry what's up." Judy said in a happy and up lifting tone of voice whilst Nick on the other paw beckoned me to come over as I began to make my way over to said fox.
As I reached Nick said fox put his black furred paws on both my shoulders as he smiled sincerely at me before speaking.
"Listen Ben...I'm really glad that your letting me help you...and I just want you to know that...I will listen to whatever you have to tell me." Nick said as he let go of my shoulders whilst I on the other paw gave said fox a small smile before I began to speak in a slight happy tone of voice.
"Thanks Nick. That really means a lot to me." I said as Nick smiled widely at me before he began to make his way over to the kitchen rooms fridge once again before he opened said fridge with his right black furred paw.
"You know Nick...you still didn't tell me what you use to do before you became an officer...and...I think Judy was going to tell me before you left the room with her to talk about...a new timetable for work was it?" I said as I tried my best to hide the sly smile that was trying its hardest to worm its way onto my auburn furred face as I watched Nicks calm and happy expression turn to worry and slight embarrassment as he took a slight step back away from me.
"Well...uh...Ill tell you all about that when we get to this café you want to go to." Nick said as his happy expression returned to his auburn furred face before I felt a firm tap on my left arm.
"Uh Ben...you want to go to cats café right?" Judy asked me in her normal enthusiastic tone of voice as said rabbit continued to hold her phone up to her right long grey furred ear as I nodded my head in answer.
"Thanks Ben. Ok did you get that Jerry...yeah...OK...Ill see you there." Judy said as she tapped on her phones screen before she pocketed said phone back into her right jean pocket.
"Sorry about that Ben...Jerry just rang about meeting up so that we can discuss the trip to Bunnyburrow...and seeing as were going to the café...I thought that." I quickly cut Judy off before she could finish her sentence by flicking one of said rabbits long ears with my right black furred paw which caused Judy to growl slightly before said rabbit slugged me in my left arm.
"Ow...yep...I deserved that...ow...and of course jerry can meet us at the café Judy." I said as I winced a bit in pain as I rubbed my left auburn furred arm whilst Nick on the other paw burst out into laugher as Judy covered her mouth In shock as I guessed she thought she had really hurt me.
"Ben...I'm so sorry..." Judy said in worry as all I could hear was Nicks laughter which eventually caused me to begin laughing as well whilst Judy's grey furred face began to show the signs of a smile again as she realised I was OK.
"Was all that talk about trusting each other and having each other backs a load of rubbish then Nick?" I questioned the still laughing fox in a fake angered and upset tone of voice which Judy caught onto but Nick on the other paw didn't as he quickly ceased his laughter before looking at me in both worry and shock with his emerald green eyes.
"No...It wasn't all a loud of rubbish...I'm sorry for laughing Ben...I shouldn't have..." Nick said quickly but before he could finish what he was saying both myself and Judy burst out into laughter as I held my stomach with my right black furred paw whilst Nick looked like he had been punched directly in the face as I slowly began to cease said laughter.
"Hahahahahha...oh...Nick I was just joking...I don't change my mind on things so easily...besides...I think I'm done with the whole refusing help from other mammals thing." I said in a slightly regretful but happy tone of voice as I looked at Nick with a happy expression plastered on my auburn furred face whilst Nick on the other paw began to smile back at me.
"That's a relief to here Ben. It means a lot to me to hear you say that...but I think we should start to head off to the café." Nick said as he pointed a black furred paw to the apartments front door which was just outside the kitchen as I nodded my head in confirmation.
"Yeah I guess your right...although I do believe that I need to change my clothes." I said as I gestured my right black furred paw to both the beige shorts I was wearing as well as the green Hawaiian style shirt and the dark indigo and orange striped neck tie that hung lazily from my neck.
"Well I think that they suit you Ben." Nick said as he chuckled before said fox patted me on the back as Judy had finally ceased her laughter before making her way over to both Nick and myself.
"You know what Ben...you and Nick do look rather similar now that I think about it." Judy said as she put her paws on her hips as she looked at the two of us with her bright purple eyes before Nick chuckled as he put his right auburn furred arm around my neck.
"Yeah...I'm not going to take that as a compliment." I said which caused Nick to punch me in the arm lightly before said fox moved his arm from around my neck before making his way over to Judy.
"OK then Ben. Me and carrots here will wait outside the apartment and get the car ready. The keys to the apartment are on the kitchen table." Nick said as I nodded before both Nick and Judy made their way toward the apartments front door.
"I trust you wont be long Ben." Nick said as he looked back at me with his emerald green eyes whilst Judy opened the front door before making her way outside said apartment.
"Don't worry Nick. Ill only be a few minutes." I said as Nick smiled at me before he too made his way out of the apartments front door leaving me alone in said apartment as I let out a short tired sigh.
'I cant believe I broke down like that. And in front of Nick and Judy no less.' I thought to myself before I chuckled in embracement as I remembered how I had literally balled my eyes out into Nicks chest.
'Well I just hope that the rest of today will be alright.' I said as I began to make my way out of the kitchen and into the bedroom that I had found myself in this morning.
"You know what Ryan? I needed this." The gruff and deep voice of chief Bogo said as said buffalo smiled at the white furred and blue eyed wolf that was sitting next to him with an oatmeal muffin in his right white furred paw.
"Its no problem Bogo. Everyone needs to relax once in a while. And besides cats café doesn't seem too bad." Ryan said before he took a big bite out of an oatmeal muffin whilst Bogo chuckled lightly as he took a big swig from his steaming hot cup of tea before he placed said tea on the white table.
"Yeah. Its my favourite café in the entire city...its quite." Bogo said as he looked around the cafes familiar interior before he began to speak again in his gruff and low voice.
"Besides Ryan I've been meaning to ask you...have you ever thought about...joining the police force again?" Bogo said as he took on a serious tone of voice as he looked questioningly at Ryan whilst said white furred wolf finished of his muffin with another big bite before he turned to face Bogo still chewing on the last of his muffin.
"I'm ...ah...sorry Bogo old buddy...but I've got my own garage to run now...maybe you've heard of it?" Ryan questioned the big grey furred buffalo as he swallowed the last of the muffin before said buffalo let out a sarcastic sigh as he began to speak in his low and gruff tone of voice.
"Of course I've heard of it Ryan. I keep an eye on and out for my friends. Especially ex officers of the law." Bogo said as he gave Ryan a small smile to which said white furred and blue eyed wolf returned with his own smile.
"So how's the force doing? You gained a lot of reputation when you busted the assistant mayors plan to dart predators like me." Ryan said in a curious and friendly tone of voice whilst Bogo let out a small chuckle as he picked up and swigged the last of his tea before sighing in content as he placed the tea cup back down on the white table.
"Well If I'm being honest most of it was down to officer Hopps. That rabbit really has some enthusiasm and I'm pretty sure she hasn't ever refused an assignment." Bogo said as Ryan on the other paw chuckled at the buffalos praise for one of his officers to which said buffalo gave the white furred wolf a questioning look.
"Wow Bogo. I cant remember the last time you showed so much confidence and praise in an officer." Ryan said as Bogo crossed his huge arms over his chest before huffing in annoyance.
"You know that I care about the well being of my officers Ryan. And besides that rabbit really showed me that any mammal can be anything in this city." Bogo said in happy and confident tone of voice as Ryan began to smile mischievously before said wolf began to speak.
"Well then Bogo if that's right then how come you haven't become a backstage dancer for Gazelle?" Ryan questioned Bogo in an innocent tone of voice as said buffalo glared daggers at the white furred and blue eyed wolf.
"Ryan. Do you remember that time when you were being chased by that cheetah with the baseball bat?" Bogo said as he lessened his glare at Ryan whilst said wolf nodded slowly in response to Bogo's question as said buffalo began to smile.
"I'm guessing that you also remember who saved you then?" Bogo said in a slightly cocky tone of voice as Ryan nodded his head in answer before said wolf chuckled lightly.
"Don't worry Bogo. I haven't told anyone about your love for Gazelle...yet." Ryan said in a causal and calm tone of voice as Bogo snorted slightly in anger at the white furred and blue eyed wolf.
"Anyway moving on from that and speaking of the police force and such if your looking for any new officers I might have a mammal in mind." Ryan said as Bogo's expression changed from slight anger to mild curiosity as said buffalo began to speak in his low and gruff voice.
"Well I'm always looking for new officers Ryan. Especially know that were having to spread the force around different parts of the city to help the populace out on a daily basis. We were never really a big force in the first place." Bogo said in a slightly troubled tone of voice as he looked down away from Ryan and frowned at the thought of having less officers in the centre of the city before said buffalo sighed briefly as he looked up and smiled at Ryan.
"So anyway who's this mammal then Ryan?" Bogo questioned Ryan in a confident tone of voice as said Buffalos expression and tone of voice completely changed whilst said wolf chuckled nervously as he looked away from Bogo's deep hazel eyes.
"Well you might not like this mammal straight away Bogo. I think he might have a slight grudge against the police." Ryan said whilst Bogo let out a loud deep chuckle as he folded his big grey furred arms over his chest.
"Just because someone holds a grudge against the police doesn't mean I wont give them a fair chance or not like them for that matter." Bogo said as Ryan let out a nervous sigh before he continued to speak.
"Well...Ok..he's a fox I recently met...he can be a bit...hard to handle sometimes." Ryan said as he watched Bogo's right hazel eye twitch as said buffalos expression turned from curiosity to concern and slight anger.
"Well...that's not a problem at all...as long as his last name isn't Wild." Bogo said as he joked towards the end of his sentence which fell on deaf ears as Bogo looked at the worried expression that adorned Ryan's white furred face whilst said buffalos face turned into a mix of disbelief and shock.
"Your kidding me right? Ben? Are you being serious?" Bogo said as Ryan nodded slowly before the familiar sound of the cafes front bell ringing caught both Bogo's and Ryan's attention as a familiar looking auburn red furred and grass green eyed fox walked in to the café wearing a pair of black trousers as well as an adjustable sleeved white shirt.
"Why did this have to happen now?" Ryan said as he covered his face with his white furred paws whilst Bogo on the other paw stood up from his seat before glaring daggers at the fox at the door.
"YOU." Bogo said in a scathing tone of voice as Ben turned to look at the angered grey furred and hazel eyed buffalo that was Bogo with his grass green eyes as said foxes ears began to fold down to the back of his head.
"Uh...hey...Bogo...how are you?"