Summary:

Chief Bogo give Judy an offer she can't refuse!

Notes:

Yes, I know this is late! I'm sorry, I really am!

"HOPPS!"

Detective Judy Hopps was shaken from her reverie by the brassy bovine bellow, it's pulsating power vibrating the very glass in the door under her paw. Judy grimaced as she shook her head, to clear the cobwebs from her mind and the ringing from her ears. Steeling herself for the confrontation before her, she pushed her way into his office.

"I heard you the first time, Boss." She greeted him testily, holding the door open with one light paw.

He looked up from his data tablet with a scowl. Waving the tablet at the door, he motioned with his other hoof for her to take a seat. "I was just making sure you saw me first thing this morning. I didn't want you wandering off or anything." He set the tablet down on the oaken expanse of his weather-beaten desk and steepled his hooves as he stared down at her climb into the over sized chair, his muzzle alight with a saccharin smile that never really reached his eyes.

Judy settled down in the chair as she turned to face him, "Wander off?" She held up her phone, "You could call, you know?"

"Oh..." He dipped a hoof to his tablet and spun it around, "Somethings require a more personal touch." he said, never taking his eyes off her.

She sighed. With just a touch of headache from the sonic assault and a lack of caffeine, she rubbed her forehead and waved for him to continue, "Somethings being?" She prompted him.

Staring down at his tablet, now askew on his expansive desk, he placed both hooves on the desk, "Warden Ziege was very impressed with you yesterday, and in the course of discussing the merits of the case with me she had inquired as to the possibility of you taking lead in the investigation, being that her department severely lacked the investigative resources to pursue a case of this magnitude." Bogo gestured toward Judy, "I whole heartedly agreed with her. You are the best mammal for the job." He paused for a moment to gauge her reaction.

If he just wanted to pat me on the back at the same time he dumped the case on the lap, why was he yelling so goddamn early? Great… He's gotta be buttering me for something unpleasant. Judy was too experienced, or too jaded, to take Bogo's words at face value. She waited, stone faced, for the descending sandbag hurtling toward her furry head.

Slightly disappointed that she didn't rise to the compliment, he continued with, "That being said, there was an issue of legal jurisdiction, since the mammal bodies had been found in her park. To satisfy those legal issues with her superiors, she asked if it was be possible for one of her rangers to observe our operation."

Judy's ears fell. No…. He can't mean that… she thought frantically.

Bogo continued off-hoof, "Being that you would probably have to come back to the park to gather more evidence, I thought that the ranger in question might have to do more than just observe your investigation starting today, and that it would be far simpler if, for the course of the investigation of course, if I were to deputize him to act as your partner in this..."

Judy rocketed to her feet as she interrupted him angrily, her hat flying from her paws, "SIR! You promised me that I would never have to take another partner here at the ZPD!" She pointed her paw at his eyes.

He held up his hooves in pacification, "Yes, yes I did. Here at the ZPD. But this is different. It's a multi jurisdictional issue, and besides it's just for the duration of this case..."

Judy sputtered in her agitation, "I can't do a repeat of Benjamin, I can't! I just can't!"

Bogo held up his paw, trying to forestall her objections, "Detective Hopps, Hopps, JUDY!" He finally got her attention, "What happened to Sargent Clawhauser was NOT your fault!" He leaned in, concern for his smallest detective etched in every hair on his face, "It wasn't your fault, Judy..."

Judy sat back down with a thump, "But…." Her objections petered out into an incoherent mumble as she stared at his desk, already lost in painful memories.

Bogo continued gently, "It wasn't your fault, Judy. Clawhauser got too close, and that damn ewe made him pay the price. It's not your fault. It's hers.

Judy hung her head as she struggled to consider her bosses words, her mind racing. A word struggle to the fore of the maelstrom of guilt and anger, a simple word actually. A word her boss had just mentioned in passing. A word loaded with meaning above and beyond it's simple nature as a pronoun.

He.

Him! She sat up, realizing that the park ranger that Bogo was referring to was already here. Sitting at her desk. "Wilde?" She squeaked as she quickly glanced up, and then back toward the bullpen. Her eyes got wide all of a sudden as she realized who she was going to be working with today.

Bogo nodded tiredly. He had agonized over this decision last night, and the emotional toll had prevented him from sleeping soundly, so he missed many of the whipsawing emotions playing out over Judy's face and body. "Yes, Wilde. I know that you had problems with him in the past, but..."

"Please sir, any other ranger, I'll partner with. Just not him." She begged him as she pointed to her desk.

Bogo, expecting more objections about the partnering issue, was confused by her turn of heart, "Uh… You were working so well with him yesterday, I thought you had settled your differences. What's wrong with him today, then?"

NOTHING! Judy's subconscious mind screamed back at her, as it flooded her thoughts with memories of things that never happened, of flowing fur and rippling muscles. Yet! Judy clenched her legs together and shoved her paws down into her lap, as if to keep certain parts of her anatomy silent by dint of physical restraint. "Nothing..." She mumbled as she stared back into Bogo's eyes.

"Okay..." He sat back in confusion, a whiff of earthy scent playing across his nose, and wondering where the hell it had come from. "Is there anything wrong with you, then?" He ask her.

She shook her head briskly, "No sir!" She hopped to the ground and grabbing her fallen hat she moved quickly to the door, holding it open for him.

"Okay?" He looked down at her, his brows furrowed, concerned that she had completely flipped on him, turning about 180 degrees on the issue of partnership, but yet had objected to the fox specifically. What is with her and this fox? He wondered as he stood to follow her out.

They walked back to her desk in silence, Judy almost marching across the floor to the brightly waiting red and khaki vulpine, Bogo following behind her still confused by her emotional state. Nick looked up at the towering bull with an easy grin, "Hello, sir."

Chief Bogo paused besides Judy's desk, and addressed the Tod. "Ranger Wilde, Detective Hopps has agreed to take you on as her partner for the duration of this investigation."

"Really?" Nick perked up and looked over at Judy, "Well now." He drawled.

Bogo looked back down at the slowly smoldering bunny and waited patiently for her confirmation. Realizing that they were both staring at her, she twitched and exploded with, "What?! Yes! Fine! What ever! Let's do this, and get it over with." She crossed her arms and stared back at her boss, her foot trembling as she struggled to keep it from tapping impatiently.

Bogo arched a single eyebrow as he watched her display before turning back to stare down at the fox. "Ranger Wilde, you are here by deputized by me to act as Detective Hopps' partner for the course of the joint investigation of this case, numbered 030416-2031. I remind you that you are beholden to ZPD regulations for the duration of this matter, and I ask that you purport yourself according."

Nick blinked for a moment before looked back up at the buffalo, "That's it? I don't have to take an oath, or maybe fill out some paperwork or something?"

Bogo shook his head, "Only if you were a civilian. As it is, as far the ZPD is concerned, you are a fellow law enforcement officer on loan to the department. Your oath of office as a ranger is sufficient for me and the courts, should your testimony be needed there. As for paperwork, I suggest you ask Detective Hopps about that. I'm sure she would enjoy demonstrating for you on how to properly fill out the proper forms when needed." Bogo turned one eye down to stare at the diminutive detective before turning on his hoof decisively and striding back to his office.

Nick watched Bogo receding back for only a moment, before turning back to meet the amethyst eyes watching him from under a battered fedora. He clapped his paws to his lap and began with a grin, "So! What forms are we supposed to fill out this morning?", a slight undertone of sarcasm to his voice.

She frowned at him momentarily before turning smartly on her foot and striding toward the exit. Confused for just a moment, Nick finally hopped down from his chair and hurried after her. "Wait up, Carrots!" He matched her quick pace, "Where are we going?"

She paused at the door, her paw on the frame, before turning to look up at his face.

"We're going to see an old partner of mine."