Trust and Training

Nick's ears were perked, his still-tired mind quickly burning away any of the remaining fog of fatigue to be at full alert as the danger of her question hung in the air between them. He could hear his own heart beat in his ears, the seconds dragging on before he could respond. Once his muzzle finally opened, a loud knock filled the dead air of the apartment. An annoyed look crossed the rabbits muzzle as she turned away to answer the knock's beckoning.

'Saved by the door, thank God.' Nick wiped the start of sweat from his forehead, his ears wilting from relief. He could hear the door open, a little forcefully, and quiet voices talking for a few moments while he got out of bed after a large sigh. Before he managed to reach the hallway, he heard the apartment door close, much more softly than it had been opened. Chancing a peak into the now quiet front room, he could see Judy inspecting a set of black suits, sized for her with matching black ties and crisp, white collared shirts, lengthed for her small torso. Her closest ear radared toward him, and she spoke without looking away from the suit jacket. "Looks like our Black Fang uniforms have arrived. Justin was just here, and said we should wear these to breakfast and the range, to get a feel for how you would draw from a concealed position." Her tone was all business, with the lightest touch of frost only someone that knew her well could detect. She hadn't forgotten the question, even if duty called to postpone the answer. She would expect one. And sooner rather than later. He wasn't out of the woods yet.

Glancing around, Nick quickly detected his own matching suits laid out near hers. "Must have been what you heard earlier, Carrots. Someone was indeed in here, but they left us presents instead of taking not-our-TV. We should call this early morning bearer of gifts by the appropriate name. Hm...how does Santa Claws sound to you?" Nick was rubbing the side of his muzzle in a thoughtful pose when a bunny sized suit caught him in the side of the head. "Ouch, hey, be careful, Fluff, or you're going to wrinkle your suit. I'm sure George won't be pleased if you don't look professional, nor will Heather."

That stopped the rabbit from finishing the throw of her tie at the terrible joke making canine. "Whatever Nick, I'm going to freshen up." She stated primmly. She retrieved her suit and made her way to the bath.

Nick could hear the sounds of water running in the shower, so he guessed he wouldn't be using a rinse until after breakfast, at least. Collecting his own suits, he took them to his room that still held the faint scent of female bunny, a smell he pulled into his lungs until he could sample it on his tongue. Laying one suit out, he placed the others in a small empty closet. Taking off his sweats, he gave a subtle sniff of himself, and decided he would need to reapply scent mask. To help clear his mind of all the possibilities, he turned on his phone, and lightly played some music, choosing some classical piano, Chopin if he was correct. While the sounds of piano keystrokes filled the air, he sprayed himself lightly, then applied the cologne Judy had liked to his chest fur. While the shower was still running, he silently put on his new suit, and found the lines to be as sharp and perfect as the chocolate one had been. The shower stopped as he finished up the tie. Wanting to see himself, and remembering there wasn't a mirror in his room, he walked out to check himself in Judy's vanity. After staring at his reflection for a few seconds, he thought to himself, 'Damn, that is one sexy fox, you orange devil.' He grinned to himself, noting that he really liked the way he looked in black. Makes the bits of him that are exposed just *pop*, catching the eye. After a minute of turning to catch all angles for his own admiration, he tucked his paw inside his jacket like he was going for his weapon, glaring his reflection down.

"Don't tell me, your name is Wilde. Nicholas Wilde. And you have a license to kill, right? And you like your Vodka Martini shaken, not stirred?" Judy, clad in towel, was snickering into her paw at the door to her room.

Nick about jumped out of his suit. He was thankful his natural coloring made it hard for most mammals to tell he might be blushing. Unfortunately, Judy was far from most mammals, and knew right well he was blushing to his fox ears. His mind couldn't make his mouth work, and a stuttered set of non words were all he could manage for a few seconds when he turned to face her.

"Relax, Nick." She looked him up and down, approving of his colors around the black attire. She nodded to herself, closing the distance between them. Reaching up to him to fix the tie he never wore perfectly, "And don't you look good Mr. Wilde." She stared up at him while he looked down, silence aside from the classical piano from Nick's phone in the other bedroom. Using his tie, she suddenly pulled him lower, kissed him lightly on the check, and pushed him toward the door. "Now get out, you mangy fox, I still have to get dressed."

Nick, catching himself easily, left the room with a slight swagger to his step. "Anything you say, Fluff Boss." He gave her the two finger salute overhead, keeping in with his casual norm. He politely shut the door on the way out, humming the latest piano tune to invade his phone speakers. It wasn't until the door shut that Judy realized she'd been holding her breath, which burst forth, drawing deeply into her lungs, filling her petite nose with the scent of unwashed fox, though he had applied some scent mask, which was a little dampening. It dawned on her that she might actually need his scent in her daily life.

Remembering her musings from midnight, she dressed quickly, but could find nothing in the attire to emphasize her femininity. Nothing like the hip flaring dress of yesterday. The cut was perfect, but the suit top hid her curves. Looking herself over in her vanity, she bit her lower lip in thought. Taking an extra look, she found a disappointing nothing in the drawers to help with her dilemma. A little disheartened, she sat down, her ears cast behind her back, her softer hue of gray a sharp contrast to the stark black. After a quiet moment, she sighed, and got up. She stretched a bit on her rise, letting her brain calm a bit. 'Things will be OK Jude, you'll be fine, because you always are.' She looked at herself in the mirror, and built a predatory smile. "He won't know what hit him." She winked to herself after her quiet but vocal affirmation, her smile brightening her muzzle.

Nick was waiting in the main room, casually leaning against the countertop tapping on his now quiet phone. His suit jacket open, granting him a look of casual confidence only Nick could pull off. Judy was certain he could pull off casual in white tie attire, even fully buttoned and freshly pressed. It was one of his many attractive attributes, one that never failed to bring her a smile, mostly from sheer disbelief. His muzzle was still directed at his screen, but his ears twitched toward the approaching bunny. Gesturing lazily toward a squared blue ceramic vase holding a lovely arrangement of fresh spring flowers, "Asher came by and dropped these off for you. Well, us technically, but I doubt Miss Heather thinks I have any interest in these. Her note simply said 'Welcome'."

The flowers brightened Judy's small face, granting her a larger smile than usual, her eyes closing as she pulled the small group to be tested by her delicate pink nose. The mix had a delightfully light scent, purposely designed to be seen, though one flower, a lovely purple gladiolus, might set her utilitarian suit toward the feminine slant she had been searching for all morning. She plucked it, and set it on her lapel after briefly considering tucking it behind her left ear and dismissing the notion. She did this behind Nick's back, who hadn't moved, and took a step back, straightening her suit top that was already flawless. Her sharp eye was on Nick, waiting for a response to her addition.

Her step back after girlishly sniffing the flowers grabbed his attention, he covertly used his peripheral vision to watch her movement, tracing his eye up her slender body in a quick but encompassing glance. His mild surprise at her wearing a flower would have been missed by everyone. But Judy noticed his ear tick before he twisted his head from his phone to look at her head on. He smiled warmly, a response to the smile she wore. His jaw opened with a slight intake of breath, before his phone chimed lightly, a different tone than his normal text notification. "Huh, looks like we are being called to breakfast a little early. Just got this from Justin, 'Did you two get lost?'. Guess they're waiting on us to start their little party." The quickest flash of both relief and disappointment crossed his muzzle as he pocketed his phone and retrieved his aviator glasses.

Grabbing Nick's arm in proper escort style, Judy stated simply, "I'm ready to go." As they took a step together toward the door, her stomach growled loudly, causing a bit of a blush to rise in her ears. "Guess I'm hungry, too." Nick wisely chose to keep his smart muzzle shut. As he opened the door to let her exit first, "Thanks, Nick...Oh, and I still expect an answer. Preferably sooner than later." and she slipped out the door, leaving a slightly shamefaced fox to stare after her.

"I knew she hadn't forgotten." he muttered to himself. Then, with a slight shrug to himself, he followed her out.

George was seated with Justin and Heather at a table near the main entrance, the one the pair had used. "Ah, there you two are. Good morning Judith and Nicholas. You both look very sharp in your proper attire. Looks like Margery's night crew did an excellent job with the measurements they were given." He stated with a self-satisfied smile as the pair walked into the Alpha lounge. Both officers smiled and nodded to their host as a round of 'mornings' were given by the other assembled members, each in different stages of breakfast.

The scent of eggs and cheese was heaviest, followed by fresh, rich coffee, though the bunny's eyes closed as the almost sickeningly sweet smell of fried pastry with glazing, compelling her to the far end of the table. She spied a group of doughnuts the size of her head tucked neatly in a row, some plain, others filled with what she assumed a delectable custard. Any alcohol always made her crave something sweet and carby, and these cop loved fat pills would fit the bill perfectly. Claiming one of the custard filled ones, she filled a plate with it, turning to see Nick approaching with two steamy cups of coffee.

"Jeez Carrots, that thing is almost as big as you are." Nick spoke quietly, a few of the Black Fang members talked softly, punctuated by an occasional laugh or jest amongst themselves. She beamed at him as he leaned close to her as they picked a small empty table and sat. "They seem lively this morning." He whispered, his tone thoughtful, giving a slight gesture with cup and head toward some of the more vocal members of their new group. She looked at him as he pointedly handed her the steamy brew, their eyes met while Nick's cup met his lips. Before she could muster an answer, Justin clapped Nick on the back, warmly.

"Morning you two sleepy heads. Did you both sleep well? Eat up and drink plenty, no sparring plans for today, mostly shooting drills and training." Justin's paw caught Nick as he was drinking, and it took everything he had, and an almost comical turn of expression, to keep the coffee in his muzzle. Being truly indisposed, Nick couldn't respond with his normal level of sarcasm, letting Judy handle things a bit more tactfully. Justin's eyes weren't quite as warm once he spied the doughnut on her plate.

"We did Justin, thanks for asking. But, I doubt you've asked everyone here how well they slept, if at all? And what was the look for?" Her eyes rose, along with her ears, anticipation heavy while she awaited his response. Nick finally managed to swallow the errant coffee, and had turned to fix an angry glare on the offending badger. He sipped a bit more of his sugar and cream filled drink with his ears pinned to his skull.

"Sorry, just...males will bet on anything, and I lost. It's nothing." Justin smiled, focusing on the bunny, warming his brown eyes after a moment of focus on her choice in breakfast."Well, I am the one directly responsible for you both. Not just to keep you out of trouble, but to answer to your comfort and concerns or questions. I'm the company rep, so to speak, and everything I do with you two is the same I'd do for any new possible recruit, though I will answer more questions for you, mostly because your particular case is a bit more sensitive." Justin ended with a slight deadpanned grin.

Judy looked over the sincere looking badger, her ears perked in thought. She quietly gave vent to the question she'd had brewing since she first found out about it. "Ok, I'll bite. Why are we going through weapons training? We both know we won't be here long, what possible point could it have?" She finished her question by taking a large bite from the doughnut. Her eyes dilated as the overloaded sugary dough melted on her tongue. Two chews and a quick swallow had her devouring another large bite before Justin could address her question. A content 'chur' came from her, while both the males watched her eat half the doughnut in mere seconds. "Oh. My. God! That has got to be the best doughnut I've ever had! Please tell me we can send some to Clawhauser? He would die to get something this good! Oh please Justin, can you make it happen?" She turned the full force of the cutest face and largest pleading eyes on the poor, unsuspecting badger. Nick, who'd seen his bunny catch a sugar rush a time or two, was mostly ready for her reaction, but even he was a bit taken back. After a few stunned seconds, he caught the glance of Justin, and shrugged, sipping his coffee.

After a quick head shake, Justin responded. "I think we can come up with something. Yeah, sure. But, as for your first question, you are both incognito, and normal training dictates we find your possible strengths and squad placement. So you both will run with Alpha for a few days or even weeks, sharpening up and fine tuning skills you have to make you more useful to us." Pausing, looking around the room with subtle head movements, his pride shone through his blunt muzzle. "Most the mammals in here are at the top of their game, most can't even keep up with them. These guys will take you to a different level, with the help of some of our trainers. After breakfast, it will make more sense. Trust me." Justin smiled again as he left their table, calling over a cook's assistant, mentioning something about a box for some of the delicious doughnuts to transport somewhere...

The officers watched him leave, both sharing a quick glance and equally short shrug. As long as they're together…

'You know they slept together, right?' George text Heather, while he munched on some toast with strawberry jam.

'In the same room, yes.' Her short response, as she sipped her coffee.

'Thoughts?' G.

'Does sharing a bed make them less desirable?' H.

'Not at all, Card just doesn't want any problems. You know how he can be.' G

'I do, but I think we can trust them.' H

'I think you're right. Let's hope they trust us.' G

'They will.' H

George looked thoughtful while he took a bite of toast. 'This isn't going as well as planned, nor is this any less complicated with a breach. Leads?" G.

'None, yet. Searching data packs and traces, takes time, since I can't use the larger mainframe.' H.

'I know its slow, but let's be thorough. Keep the twins out, if you can. Use Grant if you must.' G.

'Still worried about it all going south?' H.

'Always, but it's caution that got all of us where we are.' G.

'Agreed. After we re-qualify, I'll check a few things. Text me when you're done with the meeting.' H.

'Of course, my dear.' George flashed a toothy smile her way, which she gladly returned. They finished breakfast discussing her kittens schooling.

Being the last group to head toward the training area, Nick and Judy were joined in the elevator by the remaining members of alpha, along with Justin. One of them was the female hyena Judy was slightly creeped out by. She smiled as Justin wordlessly handed her a twenty buck note, a few chuckles following from the other members. Judy's ears were perked as she tossed a questioning glance toward Justin, who silently shrugged sheepishly. With no answer coming from the badger, she glanced at the hyena, who smiled at her broadly. "He lost a bet, dear. And you are my new favorite recruit." Her harsh voice had a feminine slant, and her smile broadened as realization swept her ears behind her back. They had bet a cop couldn't resist a doughnut for breakfast, and she was the culprit.

Before anything else was said, Justin pressed the button to lower the car. Nick noticed the elevator they were on sported an additional button, one to a sub floor number 4 that Justin had pushed, the car taking them down well below the parking garage. Both officers had an idea of what a Black Fang training ground might look. Neither was anywhere near accurate.

As the elevator dinged, signaling the end of the ride, Justin looked at them both with a slight smirk, "Welcome to the Training Maze."