Night Wolf0179's A/N: Welcome back! This has been an interesting chapter to write. Not nearly as difficult as the other ones, but a challenge in its own right. It isn't easy to get dialogue feeling… real, genuine, but I believe we are getting it right here. I want to portray these characters as well as possible. Of course, these are fictional beings, but I want them to interact in such a way that it feels like the interaction could be real, if you know what I mean.

So, please tell us if we are getting that right. XD

Beyond that, I hope this chapter is as enjoyable for you to read as it was for us to write. This might just be my favorite chapter to date. So please, enjoy! And we'll catch you in chapter 8!

JKnight97's A/N: So, here we are, almost a year since we published Chapter One of this collaborative story. Seven chapters in and we are starting to get into the meat of the story. Both NightWolf0179 and I agreed that we needed a lot of foundation building and it took several chapters to get that done. Now, this chapter has our favourite couple interacting more. And we're very happy how it turned out. So as not to spoil anything, I'm shutting up now and directing you to the story below. Enjoy!

For those who commented:

J Shute Norway: It was necessary. It was a surprise checkpoint and if they had stayed inside, they might have been caught. It was a sure bet there was going to be a more thorough inspection compared to the previous one.

Cimar and Stubat007: We have more planned for the striped villain we all love to hate but for now, buckle in and enjoy the ride. ;)

Combat Engineer: There will be a reckoning. How soon? All I'll say is, "Wait and see." XD

Again, thanks to our editors, stubat007, DancingLunarWolves, and ErebusMonk. As always, you guys are invaluable, and we are thankful to have you guys along for the ride!

Disclaimer: All characters except OCs are owned by ©Disney. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Part Four

"So, how long am I going to be blindfolded for, exactly?"

A fox and a rabbit were quietly padding through a field of grass. The shorter one was barely visible with only the tips of her ears peeking through the grass. Her face scrunched up each time a blade of grass tickled her muzzle, causing her nose to wiggle from the sensation. She had no way to block the grass since both of her paws were occupied, one holding the medical bag and the other holding the fox's paw.

"That information shall be kept secret, Fluff. Better start counting the seconds. I wouldn't hold my breath, though." he smirked. Huffing in frustration, Judy resigned herself to having to be patient, which was not her strong suit.

Nick circled back a third time through the same field. He suspected that she probably knew these lands like the back of her paw, so he was trying to trick her, make her lose track of where they were. He purposefully kept from walking in straight lines and from any sources of noise that would give her a clue of where they were. The familiar sound of a creek, for example, would make the blindfold useless.

"Just so we're clear… the poison takes several hours before irreversible damage occurs, right?" Nick knew he was wasting a lot of time by traveling in a circuitous route and he did not want to come back to a dead fennec, but they'd both might as well be dead if she found out where they were hiding.

Judy's ears perked a little higher. She was beginning to wonder just how educated her vulpine guide was.

One of his fingers slid to the bottom of her wrist, where her heartbeat would be easily felt, and gently pressed just as she spoke. That would've normally made her uncomfortable. However, she did not find it within herself to care. She had other matters at paw, so she mentally filed it away. "Mhm. About twelve hours. When did he ingest it?"

"Certainly not twelve hours ago."

"So… how'd you educate yourself?" Nick nearly stumbled at her question, jerking Judy's paw a little. "What? You're very… articulate. Slave owners usually keep their slaves as far away from books and teachers as possible. But you seem to be very well-educated." She suddenly gasped, realizing how that sounded. "That's not saying predators are unintelligent, of course! I just assumed that you've never been given a chance to learn about the world around you."

The fox scoffed, keeping his finger over the same vein in her wrist. The bunny wanted to say more, but his feather-like touches were very distracting. Almost sensual, in fact. She felt some heat radiating from her ears as her cheeks flushed with blood. Judy prayed he was not looking at her at the moment.

Swishing a branch away with disgust, he barked, "You have slaves also, don't you? I'm not going to give you ideas as to how to keep your slaves dumb."

Judy pulled Nick to a stop and lifted her head up to where she assumed his eyes were. "No, I do not. My family no longer owns slaves. We used to...but my parents decided we were better off growing our crops with our own two paws."

"And why'd they decide that? Why the sudden change in heart?"

"...Something happened on the farm when I was young that made them change."

"How're you so successful, then? Your shop was quite well stocked."

"You believe it takes slaves to be successful?" She raised an eyebrow without even realizing it. Not like he could see.

"Of course not. But…" he trailed off.

He was testing her and she knew it. "I would never use slave labor for any reason. When I see those that do… I can't help but wonder where their souls are going once they meet The Maker like the rest of us. I especially hate it when companies claim that slaves are the reason they are so successful. Many years ago, you could easily create a perfectly good business without slaves. But those companies changed the laws, rigged the system."

"But your shop is doing well?"

"Hey, I never said it was impossible. Just that it's more difficult. And I'm not that well off, not really. It's a family business, so the profits are spread thinly."

"Hmm." Nick pulled her along again and soon emerged from the grass. He didn't particularly like being exposed like that, so he headed straight for a hill that would provide them with some cover. Once he reached its base, he lifted Judy's arm a little, indicating to her that they'd no longer be traveling on flat ground and would be moving upwards instead.

"How many berries did your friend eat?"

"At least fifteen. You'd think he'd notice how differently they taste after the first two. But no, he just stuffed his maw."

"Well, after everyth-" she stepped into a hole and would've face-planted into the dirt if it wasn't for Nick catching her."S-sorry. Oww…" she hissed in pain. She had twisted her hind paw as she fell.

"Here, let me take a look." Grabbing her side, he guided her down until she was safely seated on the ground, the bag beside her. He began to gently feel around her ankle, probing and pressing the joint to determine the extent of her injury.

"It's not that b-"

"Shh."

"Nick, I used to help my father in our farm every day. I've hurt myself before-"

"Shhhh!" he insisted, continuing his inspection of her injury. She crossed her arms, slightly blushing at the almost intimate way he checked her hind paw. Judy tried to be defiant and annoyed, but the ghost of a smile graced her lips. "I'm sure you have, Hopps."

"You have such soft paws, Nick, and such a bedside manner. Are you like this whenever Finnick gets a boo-boo?" the bunny teased.

"Oh, if I tried, he'd grab the nearest tree and try to beat me with it." They both laughed at that.

"Then are you just trying to feel me up?"

"Let me answer that question with a question. Why does it sound like you don't mind?"

"You're deflecting, Wilde," she laughed. "I asked you first."

Thankful that she couldn't see him blush, he chose to ask, "Does it hurt when I press here?" he asked, pressing his thumb at a spot just above her ankle.

Rolling her eyes underneath the blindfold at his continued deflection, she allowed him to get away with it. "No, but it does feel a bit stiff."

He gently rotated her ankle a few times in his paw, listening for any untoward sounds to indicate she had injured her ligaments.

"Okay, I don't feel anything broken and it looks fine. Probably a slight sprain. C'mon, get up, lazy pants. Time to go."

"I could've told you that…" she grunted as she reached out to grab his paw. She gingerly tested her ankle as she followed in his steps; it didn't feel too bad, and after a few strides, she didn't notice any issues. "Back to the matter at paw. Has he felt any different?"

"Beyond extreme anxiety and paranoia? No, nothing."

"For a mammal his size, that's good."

"He does try to act tough, though. Won't let you see if something is bothering him, be it an illness or an injury. At least until it gets really bad or if you are the cause of it."

"I know mammals like that, yeah."

"Don't we all?" the fox quipped.

Nick started to move a bit faster when his chosen route opened up again. BunnyBurrow was known for its wide-open plains, and this was one such area. With a road not too far off in the distance, any mammal could turn their head and see a red smudge amongst the darkness. He groaned and moved more quickly, making a point to stick to the tallest grass and the lowest parts of the area.

"I swear, my fur is not doing me any favors here," he grumbled "I stand out like a black tick on an arctic hare's white fur."

"Well, I like your-" she stopped herself. "At least your fur is unique. Mine is just a boring grey."

The fox looked at her and smiled a bit, but refrained from voicing his opinion. "Nearly there, Carrots. Doing okay back there? Need me to carry you the rest of the way?"

"Oh, har har, Wilde. You just want to fondle my butt again, don't you?" she sassed back.

"I didn't hear any complaints back in the store."

This time, Judy tried to hide her own blush, hoping that the darkness concealed it from him.

As they entered the treeline, Nick pulled Judy closer to him, pushing branches out of their way to make sure none of them snapped back in her face. The sudden close contact made her quite giddy, her heart rate momentarily spiking. All too soon, Nick put some distance between them again as the foxes' campsite came into view.

"Nick! Where've you…" Finnick's eyes widened as Nick stepped nearer with Judy beside him. "The Fuck! You brought a bunny! Didja lose your senses? Ya fall off a log and hit your head?"

"Fin, buddy," Nick chuckled, "meet Judy. She's the one who's going to administer your antidote."

The look on Finnick's face would have made him laugh his head off if it were not a serious matter. "What! Oh, no no no! You think I'm crazy? No, you the one that's crazy, you son-of-a-bitch! I ain't lettin' no bunny touch me. And you led her here for that? I'm gonna knock your block off!"

"No need to point out the obvious, Fin, as my mom really is one. Although I would prefer if you used the more formal term, vixen," he said, rolling his eyes. "Relax, she was blindfolded the whole time." He knelt down and began to take off the cloth obscuring Judy's vision.

"You're a fool, Nick! Keep it on!"

"We've been traveling for at least an hour and I've not seen a thing. I won't be able to find my way back even after seeing your camp," Judy assured, rubbing at her eyes when the cloth was removed.

"Stay out of this, rabbit!" The fennec was grinding his teeth, his entire body shaking. It looked like his body was torn between the need to bolt and the need to stay.

"For someone who's supposedly ingested poisonous berries, he sure doesn't sound like it, Nick," Judy commented, letting her eyes get used to the low light in the camp. "Do you have some left? I'd like to examine them in proper lighting. I'll need the flashlight in my bag."

"And alert the patrol? Over your dead body, sister, and I'll help you get there!" threatened the little fox as he balled his paws into fists, shaking one of them at her.

"Now hold on," Nick intervened, placing himself between the irate fennec and his grey charge. "First of all, I made sure no one followed us. Second, we don't have to do it out here. She can inspect the berries inside the log. Now, are you going to behave or do I have to put you over my knee?" Nick smirked. He knew it was not likely to help, but boy, did it feel good to say that.

"You try, Wilde, and you're the one who's gonna need her help, not me!"

Nick chuckled again and moved to grab the flashlight. "Just have some faith in me, alright bud? I promise you that I've taken all the necessary precautions. And for some reason… I feel like I can trust this particular bunny."

"You're still a fool," Finnick muttered under his breath. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Regardless, he still kept his eyes on the bunny. On Judy. He never liked calling bunnies by their names while he was only called by his number or his species. This one seemed different, but just being in her presence made his fur stand on end.

Nick chose to ignore his friend as he entered the fallen hollow tree log, Judy following right behind him. As she did, she couldn't help but notice how soft and bushy his tail looked. She had known another fox before, but the vulpine in front of her seemed more...masculine? Attractive? She wasn't sure why she was thinking such things.

Inside the enclosed space, Judy squatted on her haunches and waited for Nick to pass her the flashlight and berries. As he gathered them up, she couldn't help but notice the musky scent around her. It brought back memories of soft brown eyes and pudgy, red-furred cheeks. It made her smile until she noticed herself leaning closer to breathe in more of it.

"Here you go, Carrots," Nick said, disturbing her thoughts as he passed the flashlight and berries he had gathered up from the floor. "I suppose I can understand how he could've mixed them up. But still , I tried to have him read from the survival book I… found for this very reason."

"Found, huh?" She grinned as she inspected the fruit.

"Hey, it made its way back to its owner! Eventually. After they flunked their test."

Judy shook her head in amusement. "Well, if I know anything about the Robinsons, I can't find it within myself to care." After a moment of continued inspection, she breathed out slowly, relief coursing through her. "Your friend there is lucky, Nick."

"He is?"

"Mhm!" she chirped, eating one herself and giggling as he ogled her, like she had grown a second head.

"Maybe Finnick is right, maybe I am crazy. Did. You. Just eat one? Isn't all nightshade poisonous?" His voice grew higher in pitch with each word. The fox blinked rapidly, but quickly stopped when he felt a strange pressure inside his skull.

"Did you forget already? I told you that Deadly Nightshade isn't poisonous to rabbits. This, however," she said, lifting one up, "is Black Nightshade, not Deadly Nightshade. The deadly one is almost jet black while this one looks almost like a blueberry. Except it doesn't have the white dusting associated with that one. These taste almost like a cross between a tomato and an eggplant."

His body suddenly felt heavier as his stomach tightened and constricted, but he did his best to ignore it as he quickly became overcome by anger. "Oh for the love of… Fin ! Get your ass over here!" All of this wasted time, all of it for nothing, Nick thought. He scurried out of the log and found the fennec looking at him as if he was a ghost.

"Ahm… ahm I gonna die?"

"Seriously? And you call me an idiot… No, you dumbass! It wasn't even deadly. You made me waste hours! Hours of our time to go and get an antidote because of your impulsive stomach, hours that had me risking my tail, only to find out that the berries aren't poisonous!" He shook his head in disappointment, and immediately regretted the movement as he saw two Finnicks instead of one.

"Hey, you're the one who thought they were deadly!" Finnick pointed a clawed finger at Nick.

"To be fair," Judy piped in, "they are incredibly similar. You can only tell the difference by-"

"Oh, save me the lecture, cottontail!"

"Just…" Nick squeezed his eyes shut before he yelled again. "Sorry for yelling at you, bud. You're okay, that's all that matters. I'm… honestly glad you're okay. You need to control that stomach of yours before you really do eat something you shouldn't." Nick faltered for a moment before he could speak again. "...Now, if you'll excuse me," he mumbled, a lightheadedness invading his head. "I'm feeling a bit woozy. Might...just…lay down for a bit."

"Seriously? Did the bunny do something to you?"

"Hey! I'm right here, you know!"

"Nick, she can't stay here! You gotta to take her back now!"

Nick closed his eyes once more as the world spun like a top, stumbling backwards with his back hitting a tree trunk, sliding down to a sitting position. "Nick?" Judy called, furrowing her eyebrows in concern.

"I'm suddenly… not feeling good, Fin. I trust her. Just… just set up a spot for her or something."

The bunny rushed to his side, grabbing hold of his wrist with one paw and placing the other on his forehead to check his temperature. "What're you feeling right now? Dazed, nauseous?"

"Nick? Nick! " When his companion failed to answer, Finnick took position beside the taller fox, not liking how he was looking. "Answer the gal, bud. How're you feeling?"

Unable to, Nick turned to face Judy. He shook his head as his vision blurred, exacerbating his already pounding headache. The next words that came out of Judy's mouth came out as scrambled sounds to the fox. He smiled, attempted to grab her so that he could read her lips instead and blacked out.

"All I'm trying to say is that a mammal of his size needs to eat more than a small jar of fish! Just one of those a day is not enough for him." Nick shifted a bit, his ear flicking at the sound. He just wanted to sleep.

"Well, excuuuuuse me, rabbit! You try toughing it like we have! My whole body is aching . You can't expect me to notice every little thing!" Finnick was back to pacing, the soft beating on the ground jarring Nick awake.

"In a scenario such as this, your main concern should be the health of both yourself and your partner. And you still haven't told me just how long have you been rationing," Judy asked insistently. "How often did you both eat at the slave camp prior to escaping? How much were you given to eat? I need to know your medical histories so that I can treat him! A prolonged fast isn't good for you."

"Neither is prolonged torture! Just… fine! Fine! Once a day, and just a jar each. And we've only been rationing for four days! That's all you're getting from me, I ain't telling you nuthin'! I still don't trust you bunnies!"

"Why, you little runt! If I don't do anything, he could die! Excuse me for wanting to-"

"Whoa, slow down there! When did the Pred-Prey War start all over again?" croaked Nick as he attempted to rise on his elbow as Judy ran to his side. "Oh, hello," he mumbled, squinting his eyes as Judy's came into his view. "What's a beautiful nurse like you doing in a dump like this?"

"See, Fin? He's delusional." She grabbed a backpack and slid it under his head. "You brought me here, dumb fox! Now, don't sit up; just relax."

Nick chuckled, refusing Judy's aid and sat up, much to her displeasure. "Since when is being truthful delusional?" he smirked.

"I-I-what?" Her eyes widened as the insides of her ears burned. "Wha-what did you say?" Tongue-tied, Judy was struck speechless by the dumb, handsome, virile fox with gorgeous red fur who easily disarmed her with compliments at the most inappropriate of times.

"Doesn't matter. Why did I wake up on the ground with you two about to start Ragnarok?" He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to work the soreness out.

"You passed out, Nick. Don't you remember? You nearly fell on me. You're lucky you didn't hurt yourself."

"And your bunny friend here was trying to tell me what to do; how I've not been looking out for you. Like she knows what we've been through. She gets it easy, being born a bunny!"

"You were letting him starve! Get that pole out of your ass and just listen." Nick had seen angry rabbits before, but never had he heard one growling like a predator as her ears stood at rapt attention, vibrating in anger.

"Why does everyone insist on calling me a mule? I'm a fennec, for cripes sake!"

"Shut up everyone, for one second!" Nick yelled, holding his aching head in his paws. "Dying fox here needs quiet!" The nausea came back.

Chastised, both Judy and Fin stopped their bickering. Nick nodded his thanks just before his eyes rolled into his head, fainting once again.

Nick woke up, his head on something soft and smelling of field flowers. He revelled in the scent and feel of his pillow. They didn't have anything like this back in the camp. As he rolled his head, he felt something scratch the back of his ears and a female voice calling his name. "Nick? You okay? C'mon, lazy fox, time to get up and eat."

"Aw, mom. Another five minutes, please?" he whined, pushing his head into the soft pillow and mewling appreciatively as the claws scritched a sensitive spot behind his ears. The pillow rumbled as he heard an angelic giggle from above.

"You've really turned into a sack of potatoes, haven't you?"

"Hate potatoes. Mushy...grainy..."

"I take personal offense to that, Slick," she chuckled. "You obviously haven't tried my mom's mashed potatoes. C'mon, get up. You're heavy." She softly poked him in the side a couple times and chuckled dejectedly when he flinched. "Ticklish? I'll remember your weakness, Nick, especially if you don't let me up." Despite her half-hearted threat, she felt him continue to pin her down to the ground using his body weight. "Seriously, Slick, I'm worried about you. Healthy mammals don't just… pass out like that. Twice. Fin," turning to the smaller fox, a hint of distress in her voice, "help me out here, please."

"Just eat a little, Nick" the fennec said, grabbing three jars of food. "You don't even have to get up."

Judy scowled at Finnick as he pawed over the jars to her, but sighed in resignation when she noticed the smile on Nick's muzzle. He was comfortable and after seeing that, she no longer wanted him to move. "As long as he eats." She agreed, patting his head and watching his chest slowly rise and fall. The fox on her lap was not doing well, but seeing him so tranquil calmed her.

"Look… I hate apologizing," Finnick said, his body turned away from her. He was rummaging through the backpacks, finding something more for his companion to eat. "But you were right. I need to look out for that fleabag more. I'll do that."

Judy nodded her approval when he turned around. "It's fine. I can't imagine how difficult it's been for you two. There's a lot to worry about."

"Rabbit, you don't know the half of it."

"What happened to me, by the way?" Nick asked, perplexed by the sudden fatigue and shutdown of his body.

"My guess is that you experienced an adrenaline crash right after I told you that the berries weren't poisonous. Coupled to this was the fact that you hadn't been eating right, had been pushing yourselves ever since the checkpoint–yes, Fin, told me about it. I twisted it out of him."

The fennec stood by rubbing his right arm. "Dat bunny don't know her own strength," he muttered under his breath.

"Anyway, because you were basically starving yourself, carrying the bulk of the food, pushing on relentlessly for the last four days plus coming off the adrenaline high, it's no wonder you collapsed. You need to regain your strength and if I have to force this food," tapping the jars menacingly, "down your throat…"

"Ok, ok, Nurse Ratched. I'll behave." he smirked, holding his paws up in mock surrender.

The next hour went by in relative silence as Judy alternated between feeding Nick and giving him water. As she fed him, she noticed a certain dullness in his eyes, symptoms of his starvation, slowly fade the more he put away. She was pleased he was making a fast recovery and hoped it would not create future health problems for him. She didn't know how poorly they were treated in the slave camps, but she made a mental note to ask him about it.

"You know, I'm enjoying being fed," Nick piped up, jolting Judy from her thoughts.

"Nick! I swear, give a girl a heart attack!" she shook her head. "Feeling better now, then?" She flicked his nose and smirked at his offended expression as he rubbed it.

"Yes. Though unnecessary, as it was…"

"You fainted! Twice! Don't you start that bull."

"I agree with the cottontail for once."

"You're supposed to be on my side." Nick grumbled at the smaller fox. "And I think you have me confused, miss. I'm a vulpine, not a bovine." he smirked at Finnick.

"Again with the species jokes," said the fennec, rolling his eyes. "Not this time, bud. I'm worried about you."

"Oh, so you do care," he said sweetly, placing clasped paws underneath his chin as he blinked flirtatiously at Fin. He then sighed, closing his eyes. "Sorry, I just… I don't know. Not used to being cared for like this. I feel like a burden."

"You're not a burden," Judy insisted, intently looking into his eyes to further get her point across.

"I still don't understand why you're helping, Fluff. I've never met a bunny like you." She knew he was deflecting, but the comment stung a little.

"We're… not all of us are like the Robinsons, like how not all foxes are hustlers or thieves."

Finnick moved forward towards the bunny. "Well, how'd you feel, then, if you were enslaved by foxes ? Think you'd want to become chummy with 'em?"

Judy huffed, pushed Nick's head off her lap and stood up, walking to the edge of the camp, her back to the two foxes. "There are bad mammals in each species; I hope I'd realize that and not judge judge an entire species by the actions of a small group of them. But if I was enslaved by foxes… I'd probably be just as cautious as you two, perhaps even more. I understand. I just hope I can show you two that not all bunnies are heartless devils. Slavers… I believe there is a special place of suffering for them in the afterlife." Both foxes felt a chill in the air. "I need to get going. My parents are probably getting their ears in a twist. Don't want them sending a patrol to look for me. It would make things too hot for the both of you. Nick, think you can take me back? I don't want you to hurt yourself, but if you're feeling better, I kinda need a guide. Wouldn't want me to figure out where your camp is, right?" She pulled a cloth out of her pocket and was already tying it around her head, covering her eyes.

Nick looked at the ground, breathing softly. He never put much thought into his perception that most bunnies were bad, and he was sure that Finnick didn't either. But perhaps they were being too critical. Bigoted in their own ways. "I… yeah. I'll... take you." He pushed himself up. "Fin… hold the fort, would ya? I'll be back." The fennec nodded, sprawling out on the ground and making a makeshift pillow out of his empty backpack.

He didn't know what to do or say as he and Judy exited from the woods. Just that he was barely holding her paw with a featherlight touch now, the air thick as molasses, opening his maw every so often but with no sounds coming out.

As they neared the edge of the town, they came to a stop inside a thicket, and he took off Judy's blindfold. "You're on your own here, Fluff. I'd love to take you all the way back but...you know, me predator, you prey."

Judy wanly smiled at his feeble attempt at a joke. "It's all right, Slick. I can find my way back to the store. It's not like I'm blindfolded."

Wincing at the slight jab, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I'm sorry if Fin was kinda harsh back there."

"Kinda?" she dismally chuckled.

"Okay, fine," he huffed, throwing his paws up in frustration, "he was being a speciesist asshole. But can you blame him? Or me?"

"No, Nick," she sighed, looking down at her feet. "I don't blame either of you. If I were in your position, I'd probably feel the same way. But like I said," looking into his face, her eyes full of hurt, "I'm not the Robinsons. I thought my actions tonight proved that. I know prey have committed countless acts of injustice against predators, but...I thought you could see that I was different. After everything I've done to earn your trust… What more could I even do? Will I always be considered just another bunny?"

"I'm just trying to explain my caution. You seem different. You act differently, but it's hard to unlearn ten years of slavery."

"Can't teach an old canid new tricks, right?" She broke off a twig from a nearby bush and nibbled it in anger. "I placed my life in your paws. I let you lead me to lord knows where when you could've easily killed me, me the meek bunny, and yet..." her voice trailed off as her eyes hardened into glass. "... Yeah, you can't unlearn ten years of slavery, especially when it teaches you to see prey like prey see you. I'll never be more than just a bunny to you, will I? Ju-just like them."

Her breath hitched, tears threatening to fall. "Just like them," she repeated, whispering into the night air, her emotions getting the better of her.

"I-I..." For once, Nick had no answer to her accusation. He looked away, unable to bear seeing the pain in her eyes. "Look, we've got to leave soon. Fin and I can't stay in one place for long. I know I wasn't fair to you. But…would it be okay if you join us one more time before we leave? The last mammals we stayed with...we didn't get the chance. And...I'd be the last to admit it but...after all you've done for us...for me...I'd really like to see you one more time. Maybe...maybe you did change my view about prey. I'll try...for you." He didn't understand why he was saying this, why he was letting himself get attached to someone else he'd only lose, but the words came out before he could stop them. The images of Emmitt and Olivia flashed in his mind, and he had to hold in a whimper at their memory.

She forced a small smile. "Sure, Nick. My schedule is free tomorrow. Well, today," she said, pointing out just how long they've remained up. "You'll find me at the store, after closing hours. I'll wait for you there." She almost wanted to decline, but something in her made her want to see them again. Plus, they needed some sort of assistance. She would not be able to forgive if herself if they came to harm because of her inaction. "I'll have more food for you. I can't promise that it'll be predator food but at least you'll have enough for a week or so. Please take care of yourself this time. I don't want to hear of Nick Wilde's capture or death over the news, okay?" She quickly added, "Or Finnick's," annoyed with herself at leaving him out.

"Gotcha. I'll-"

Without warning, Nick shoved Judy behind a bush and bolted away in the opposite direction. "What was that for!" she angrily shouted at his back, rubbing her shoulder just as the roar of an engine rushed past her. The color in her face drained as she saw a jeep with the flag of the Predator Patrol speeding in the direction Nick had run, a spotlight on the side of the vehicle directing its beam at the fleeing fox.

Her heart hammering away in fear, she saw Nick scampering away on all fours and she had to fight the instinctual urge to do the same. The engine revved as the jeep edged ever closer to the fox. If Nick tripped, he'd have no time to get out of the way; the vehicle would immediately crush him. "No no no! Nick!" An icy spear stabbed her heart.

"Yeehaa, fellas!" yelled a zebra, whose upper body appeared through the roof of the jeep, "We got us our pelt! C'mon, boys! Faster! We're gonna skin us a fox tonight!"

Judy's blood froze at those words. She had heard of the atrocities committed by the PP, but she had hoped that they were only rumours. I've got to do something!

She noticed Nick was heading away from where he had pushed her and in the opposite direction of their camp, not using the available cover of the forest to hide. Oh, you foolish, brave fox, she thought. Still trying not to be a burden. Protecting others, but not yourself.

On the bumpy terrain, the jeep could not go at its full speed, allowing Judy to keep up with it as she predicted their movement, familiar with the path the fox was taking. Knowing the lay of the land like the back of her paw, it dawned on her that Nick would ultimately end up at the Harrington Waterfall near the local Lover's Lane. Utilizing the training she had put herself through, she easily caromed off tree trunks, grabbing branches to swing forward, leaping over the fallen logs and rocks in her way as daylight slowly peeked over the edge of the treeline, as afraid as her to see the possible outcome of the Predator Patrol's hunt. Her lungs burned for air but she did not stop, exerting every muscle to stay within sight of the metal chariot carrying her friend's death sentence.

Friend. The word reverberated in her head, giving her extra strength to follow, to do whatever she could to save him.

Her ears twitched as she heard the cracking thunder of bullets in the distance. Her blood turned colder and colder with each echoing shot, eventually turning to ice. How is he still running? She was waiting for a whimper, a cry of pain as they pierced Nick's body. Each second brought a fresh image of cruelty her imagination managed to come up with; the most heart-wrenching was the one where she saw Nick give up, breathing heavily just before a hail of lead rained down upon him, his body falling lifelessly to the ground as the soft, beautiful, unbroken crimson of his fur was replaced by dying coals; bullet wounds cutting off the thread of his life.

Shaking the image from her mind, just before she came to tears, she growled and pushed onwards, listening to the roar of an engine and the pants of a sick fox scratching away at the dirt with each galloping motion. Her fears pummeled her with every breath she took. I can't give up now! He still hasn't and he needs my help.

More gunfire echoed through the air, coming in waves every couple of seconds. They just keep shooting. They can't be missing every – the answer leapt unbidden into her head, assaulting her like a scraggly goblin. Those bastards! They're herding him! She didn't want to imagine the torture it was to his mind. Those metal slugs had the potential to end his life; just one could do it if it hit in the right place. But they just kept deliberately missing. Why? Entertainment? She mouthed the last part as she ran, a look of insurmountable fury etched on her face. "I'll kill them!" she growled, the anger and fury burning like a sun gone nova in her chest.

Finally exiting the underbrush, Judy skidded to a stop near the river. She took this moment to catch her breath; she was now ahead of both Nick and the jeep. Soon enough, as both came into view, she caught sight of Nick, his muzzle wide open as he desperately sucked in breaths of air while his pace faltered. The bunny watched as he stumbled, barely keeping enough speed to keep from being run down by the jeep. Guttural, hysterical laughter spewed from the jeep's cabin, most of it coming from the zebra with the gun as his head swung back and forth in psychopathic glee.

Judy readied herself to jump onto the vehicle, hiding in the tall grass with her eyes trained on the mechanical monstrosity.

Just as she was about to leap at it, she was suddenly tackled from behind, knocking her down. "N-Nick!" Judy coughed, tears scalding her eyes as the jeep blazed by, chasing after the very exhausted fox. Twisting in her assailant's grasp, she discovered it was the fennec fox whom she had thought was back at the camp. "Wh-wh-why! You d-dumb..." she wheezed at Finnick, punching him square in the face.

Squirming out of his grasp, she leapt up to get a better view. Her heart lodged in her throat and her tears tumbled into the grass as she returned her attention to where Nick was.

Her eyes widened as the blurred image of the jeep skidded to a stop, finally cornering the fox. Nick's silhouette shook as his gasps of breath tore at Judy's ears. The engine cut off, allowing Judy to finally notice the sound of crashing water. They were at the waterfall.

The color of red shrunk as it backed ever closer to the edge of the cliff. Popping up through the open roof, the zebra–shouting and laughing while tightly clutching a magnum in his hoof–took aim at the red smudge on the embankment. The sounds of the crashing water, hysterical laughter, and thunderous boom spilled together in Judy's head as she tried to make her way towards him, her paws reaching out and grasping at the image just before it fell over the horizon, into the icy water below.

"NOOOOOOO! "