Hey friends! Thanks for following my story. I have a second chapter for you here now. Please enjoy.

2. Undercover

== Nick ==

"That went well."

"It sure did." Judy beamed.

How was she so confident? I might have said that our chances of catching those two hustlers were larger than when we would be sitting around in a car, I never said that they were going to be big. Those guys could smell a cop from hundred meters away, I knew that from experience. Judy was way too optimistic sometimes. Strangely, it was this feature of her I was very fond of. I was a true pessimist and having someone as sanguine as her to look at the brighter side of life lightened my own day as well.

On our way to the car, I had difficulties keeping up with Judy as she gamboled towards the parking lot. I saw in her ever-radiant eyes that she was eager to get started. It was going to be our first undercover mission and she couldn't withhold saying that time and again. It was funny how she didn't notice herself how often she said it.

"Our first undercover mission, Nick." She said, probably for the fourth time.

"Yes indeed." I replied again.

"Aren't you excited?"

"Sure am."

"Me too! This is going to be so… awesome!"

Her voice pitched a little higher when she whispered the last word. A chuckle escaped me. She looked at me. Her cheeks got a crimson glow and she muttered an apology. I ensured her not to, since there was no need. She smiled at me gratefully. Nonetheless, she suppressed more outbursts of enthusiasm. That was disappointing.

She might feel ashamed for acting like all wound up, I found it endearing to me as it underscored her lively personality. She was always so cute when she got to try out something new. Her eyes would get bigger; her tail would start wiggling and she would keep hopping from one foot onto the other. I remember buying her a snow cone in the park, a thing apparently not available in Bunnyburrow. Its unfamiliar, sugary taste had boosted her jollity to the max. Now, she had exerted those same traits, betraying her utter joy. Funny how I had so much trouble learning the ZPD's rulebook, yet I could dream Judy's every detail.

"Eh Nick?" She asked, without breaking her forward stare.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you looking at me like that, is something wrong?"

I realized that not only had I been staring at her for quite some time, she had also taken notion of it.

"Errr-no. No, not at all. Why do you ask?" I replied and quickly began observing the wall next to me.

It was decorated with the photos of police records; including one picture of Chief Bogo. In the short glance I had of it when we walked past, I believed to have read he was the current beer drinking champion of precinct one. I made a note to myself to ask him about that record. However, my observation of the photo gallery was too late, the damage had already been done.

"Is it my fur? Do I look funny?" Judy asked worried.

She withdrew a small mirror from her pocket, scanning every side of her face and ears, combing the spots wherever she thought necessary with her paw.

"Nonsense, you look amazing." I said, slightly too honest.

Her ears perked upright and in my direction.

"What did you say?"

I immediately regretted my choice of words and once more sought refuge in the wall. Sadly, it had no more things to show me. Its white concrete had to do. I was certain that my face was turning red like a traffic light and I didn't plan on showing that to her.

"Nothing. We should really be going now if we want to get there before noon." I changed the topic hastily.

I accelerated my step to get to the door sooner. Her eyes stung the back of my head as she stored away her mirror and made a short sprint to catch up with me. I dared not look at her. What would she think if she saw me blush like this? It wasn't until we sat in the car that I had the guts to glimpse at her. She acted no different than before. My words didn't seem to have affected her at all. I was both relieved and disappointed. On one hand, she still didn't know my deepest secret, on the other, she didn't seem to share it with me either. Or had she not heard me properly. Or had she and had she chosen to pretend not to. How would our relationship ever be able to persist if I revealed my feelings and they weren't mutual? We wouldn't be able to work together anymore. Maybe she would avoid me. Maybe, I'd lose her. I couldn't let that happen. She couldn't find out. It had to remain a secret, forever if needed.

== Judy ==

During our drive to Sahara Square, Nick was awfully quiet. I wondered what was bugging him. I didn't like it. I enjoyed his talkative nature. I suspected his mood had to do with our current objective. Nick had been in the scamming business for a long time and he probably had a lot of friends in those circles. I can imagine that going out with the aim to put them behind bars might feel uncomfortable. Betraying a friend's trust weighs heavily on you, I know that from unintentional self-education. I hoped that he wouldn't be mad at me if we were to apprehend one of his old pals.

I slowed down the car on the outer rim and peered over the streets to find a parking spot. It was noon, consequently it was very crowded. An eventuality I should have foreseen. I had been meter maid here as well when I had started working under Bogo. I had been reluctant to accept that task, though I had done as was commanded, as any officer would. It might have been my first real job, I felt no emotions thinking back of it. Writing tickets and ruining other animal's days had not exactly been a cheerful line of work. What I did now was much more inspiring. Keeping the streets crime-free, acting as a beacon of safety for others, making the world a better place. It was what I had dreamt of doing ever since I was young. Of course, there was one good memory tied to my meter maid days. It had me cross paths with Nick. I glanced at him as he sat next to me. My best friend in the whole world, without whom I could hardly imagine my life.

Be that as it may, we did not get along very well at the beginning, nor for quite some time after that. It had taken us mortal danger, a period of heartache and a deranged sheep to get there. I felt that a smile crept on my lips. And during all those dreadful events, Nick had been there for me. Sweet Nick. Hopefully he knew I'd always be there for him too.

"Hey, Carrots!"

Nick's cry broke my daydreaming.

"Hmm? Oh, darn it!" I groaned as I witnessed myself driving by a perfect parking spot.

Luckily, it didn't take long for another to present itself. No that it restrained Nick from making a remark however.

"Yea, I have to agree that this place was a lot nicer than the previous one."

"Very funny, officer Wilde."

He smirked widely. I knew he loved it when I called him that. I was glad he had finally made a joke and had broken free from his silence. He took my bag of ordinary clothing from the trunk and handed it to me, subsequently taking out his own. He locked the car and joined me as we went over to one of the nearby public restrooms to swap our uniforms for a less eye-catching outfit. Inside, there were private chambers in various sizes. Because I was alone, I picked one of the bigger ones so I had room enough to redress. I had picked out a cyan, checkerboard shirt, ochre-brown jeans and a pair of Ray-Banteng sunglasses with a black frame. The initials R.B. were written on the temple in glamorously sparkling letters. It took me only a few minutes to slip into my undercover costume, which was nothing more than what I wore in my leisure time. Except for the sunglasses. Those weren't my style. They had been a birthday gift from Clawhauser. I had promised him I'd wear them and he was too kind for me to throw away his present. Moreover, I didn't want to be recognized, so adapting a new style would surely contribute to that. With the bag now empty, I reverently folded my uniform and put it in. I took my badge and handcuffs and stuck them in the back pocket of my pants. I would be needing those if we ran into those criminals.

Outside, Nick was already waiting for me. When we started our stroll towards the heart of Sahara Square, I observed his choice of cloths. A yellow-green T-shirt with flowers printed all over and regular grey shorts. He also wore his pilot sunglasses, which had been his favorite ever since he joined the force. Overall, he looked quite handsome this way. The pale coloration of his clothing accentuated his maroon fur. Then, my attention was drawn to the white cap on his head. I squeezed my eyelids together to read what was on it. I sniggered when I read the text 'Go Gazelle!'.

"When did you turn fan?" I asked, knowing his slight resent for the popstar.

"I didn't. It was the only hat they possessed at back at the station. And hats make for undercover outfits crowds."

"Darn," I said, waving my fist through the air, "A hat would've been a great addition indeed."

Suddenly Nick extended the white headgear.

"Here."

"Are you sure?"

"It looks better on you anyway."

He winked at me when I accepted it. Back at the precinct, he had also complimented my appearance. Now he did it again. I knew he was just being kind, yet my cheeks warmed up because of his words. I quickly put on the cap to hide my blush. No, no, no! Why was it that I felt this way about him lately? I couldn't be falling in love with him, it would ruin our friendship! If Nick found out, the consequences might devastate our relationship. The awkwardness it would create between us could drive a wedge between us, I didn't want that to happen. It was hard not to think of him, but I had to focus on our mission. I looked around get my mind out of the clouds. The houses were mostly painted white, to keep the daily heat out for the night, with occasionally a bright color for those who didn't mind to sleep in the heat. The sweltering roof tiles curved the air above them, as did the road in front of us. When we arrived, the plaza was overflowing with animals. It didn't take an expert to see why. Spread out across were all kinds of market stands, its occupants mostly selling fruit and refreshments. Nonetheless there were also multiple other items to be bought, such as clothing, souvenirs and decorative wall rugs. Those were real tourist attractions. And tourists in turn attracted hustlers.

Suddenly, I felt a soft tickle across my neck as Nick's paw slit over my shoulder. And the blush was back. I looked up to see him making a selfie of us with his mobile phone, simultaneously hinting discretely towards one of the alleys. Carefully, I followed his signal. I ended up seeing two animals, heatedly conversing about animals that walked past them. It was evident that they were picking a target. It was the swindlers! And just in time to lead my mind astray from the lovesick path it had chosen and back onto the road of regular thinking.