(Author's Note: Wow, 100 favorites. I'm honestly blown away that my little story is garnering so much attention. I can't express how much it means to me for so many people to be reading, critiquing, and enjoying my story. Thank you all so much!)
Nick checked the clock inside the cruiser. 3:25 p.m. Finnick should be about ready to head to Tundratown to freeze the Pawpsicles, right after melting the elephant-sized popsicle in Sahara Square. He hoped silently that Finnick would still be at the same con that he'd pulled with him months prior.
Nick was parked a block from the clay-tile roofed building that he and his former partner in not-technically-crime always melted the Jumbo Pop. "God, what am I doing here," he muttered to himself. The heat was sweltering despite the AC in the squad car. "Like Finnick is going to want to talk to me out of the blue. 'Hey buddy, remember how I ditched you for six months because I met a bunny who inexplicably made me want to be a cop? Yeah, that was great. Hey, could you help me by snitching on someone you may have heard of?'" He lay his muzzle in the palms of his paws. "That wouldn't work on old me; there's no way it's gonna work on him."
Nick's ears snapped to attention as he heard the unmistakable rumble of Finnick's van roaring near him. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat as the sound of a door slamming echoed around the alley way. The soft and unmistakeable footfalls of Fennec fox paws made his way to his ears.
Nick swallowed hard and killed the engine, stepping out of the cruiser. He could hear Finnick talking just around the corner of the alley. "Yeah, just lift it up like that, right up to the roof. Yeah, man, you got it," Finnick said. Nick stopped in his tracks. Of course he'd find a new partner. It's not like it was a one-mammal job.
Still, he forced his feet to keep taking each step, despite the concrete his mind was filling his shoes with.
He rounded the corner after several agonizing moments. Finnick was leaning against his van while a large brown wolf was lying a Jumbo Pop up on top of the roof.
"Yeah, that's lookin' good," Finnick called out to the wolf.
"So, what's after thi-" the wolf said as he became aware of Nick's presence. "Oh, damn, it's the cops!" He slid down the drainage pole, but stumbled on the way down and landed on his face. He knocked over several garbage cans once he hit the ground. Nick cringed at the racket the wolf had created. At least I never tripped up doing that, he thought.
Finnick turned abruptly at the intruder, but stopped when he saw Nick. His mouth was agape, and it was several moments before he became aware it and closed it. "Diego, uh, why don't you take a walk," Finnick called out to the wolf, his gaze never leaving Nick.
"Don't need to tell me twice," he replied, picking himself up from the trash cans he landed on. He quickly scurried down the alley and out of sight.
The two foxes stood at a standstill for over 20 seconds, neither making a move or saying anything. Nick felt the pressure pressing in from all sides like a vice. "So, uh, found yourself a new partner, I see," he said finally. "Doesn't seem much for sticking around to finish the job, though."
Finnick slowly started walking toward him. "Yeah, it's funny. Havin' that problem with a lot of my partners," he said.
Nick cringed internally, but began walking as well to meet him halfway. "You ever have any, um, come back?"
They were only a few feet from one another when Finnick replied. "Just this one," he said. His fists balled up and sucker-punched Nick in the stomach. He fell to his knees, wheezing as he struggled to find breathable air. "Just this lowlife jackass who abandoned me seven months ago. Aside from that, naw, no one has come back."
"T-that's unf-fortunate," Nick managed to gasp out, trying to right himself. "I b-bet he feels like crap for ditching you. He'd d-deserve it, too."
"Yeah, he'd better feel like trash for ghostin' on me," Finnick said, scorn thundering in his eyes. He said nothing while Nick got back up to his feet. The two stared at one another for several moments before Finnick exhaled sharply. "Why are you here, Nick? Why do you show up now all of a sudden?"
Nick couldn't help but look at the ground. "I, uh, I mean, we need your help with something."
Rage instantly filled Finnick's face. "You leave me for months and the only reason you come back is 'cause you need help?" he yelled. Nick recoiled, but stood his ground. "You're sick, Wilde. You deserve whatever is comin' to you."
"No, Finnick, I've been wanting to come find you for months, but-"
"Oh, now you have to come find me, that's it? You needed to need to come talk to me before you could actually find your balls to do it? You needed a reason, right?" He turned away from Nick. "That's real low, man. Real goddamn low."
"Finnick, I've been, no, it's just, ugh," he stuttered. "I've… I've been kinda lost without my best friend, and I wasn't sure how to say it."
"Is that what we are, Nick?" Finnick said without turning back around, arms falling to his sides. "Friends?"
Nick felt like he could sink into the ground at any given moment and disappear forever. At least, that's what he felt like doing. "You were a friend to me," he said after a moment. "I wasn't a friend to you, and I'm sorry."
Finnick wheeled to look Nick in the face. The rage had morphed into an uncomfortable mix of disappointment and hurt. "So why the hell do you think I'm gonna start bein' a friend again, huh Officer Wilde? That is what you are now, right?"
Nick shut his eyes, and felt his fists clench. "...Yeah, it's Officer Wilde, ZPD."
Finnick nodded quietly. "I saw the news, you know. First fox officer. Your ugly ass was plastered across the papers for days."
Nick smiled weakly. "Hope they used a good photo."
"Like there's any good photos of you," Finnick replied, a smirk tugging at his lips. It quickly broke and gave way to a frown. "...Why'd you leave me, man? I thought we were partners."
Heartbreak that Nick hadn't felt since he fought with his mother years before ravaged his insides. Tears were forming at the corners of his eyes, and he fought unsuccessfully to keep them in check. "I-I was scared," he replied. "Scared you'd hate me, or quit talking to me because I wanted to be a cop. Scared you'd reject me, I guess." He paused to wipe at his eyes, dampening the fur on the back of his paws.
"You think I'd do that?" Finnick asked, the hurt in his voice taking charge. His big eyes pierced through the remaining shreds of the veil of Nick's composure. "Think I'd hate you because you wanted to do something different? And you ditch me over that?"
Nick choked back a sob. "I don't know, man, I just… I screwed up. Big time." He sat down on the ground, getting eye level with his old friend. "I'm so sorry, Finnick."
Nick's eyes shut tight. He just knelt in front of Finnick, awaiting whatever judgment his friend would pass on him.
"...Never let them see they got to you," Finnick said after a while. Nick opened his eyes, his mouth open. Finnick was sitting on the ground, his paws on his knees. "You always said that. 'Never let them see they got to you.'"
Nick nodded dumbly, not willing to let his mouth ruin whatever Finnick was going to say.
The diminutive fox just sighed. "This got to you, didn't it?" he asked.
Nick just nodded again.
"You're a real dumbass, aren't you?"
A choking laugh erupted out of Nick, and he nodded once more.
"Look, just… quit cryin', at least. You're makin' a fool out of yourself, and embarrassin' me in the process," he said, his brows furrowed.
"Pretty sure making a fool out of myself is what I do best," Nick replied, wiping his eyes of the last few tears. He wrapped his arms around Finnick in a hug, who immediately began struggling against his captor.
"Let go of me, man! You know how I feel about bein' picked up!" He pounded his fists against Nick's head and back.
Nick just laughed and set his friend back down after it became apparent the onslaught wouldn't cease. "Sorry, just had to check and make sure you were real."
Finnick squinted at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it," he replied.
Comfortable silence settled between the two, and Nick saw Finnick smile for the first time in quite a while. "So, Officer Nick Wilde, you actually joined the fuzz," he said. "That bunny must have really got to you."
Nick laughed. "Yeah, you could say something like that."
"She's who you meant when you said 'we,' before, right?"
The laughter stopped when he remembered his awkward reintroduction. "That would be her, yeah. She's my partner."
"You ain't worried about havin' a little bunny as a partner?"
"I'm not worried about her, I'm worried for her. Sometimes I can barely keep up," Nick laughed.
Finnick paused, shifting his gaze away from Nick. "So, uh, what did you need help with?"
Nick stared, lost in space at his words momentarily. "Oh, that! We, um, needed help getting a name for someone. A, uh, suspect in a case we're investigating."
Finnick shuddered. "You're askin' me to snitch?"
Nick shook his head vigorously. "No, nothing like that, not snitching. Just… for reasons I'd rather not get into, we can't use the system at the precinct. All we need is a name and something to go on."
"Knowing everyone in the city was always your bit, Wilde. I can't guarantee I know who you're lookin' for."
Nick pulled a folded photograph out of his pocket. "No, I know, and it might be a longshot, but I don't know who else to turn to." He unfolded the photo. It showed the boar, stoat, otter, and hyena exchanging money. Nick pointed to the hyena. "This hyena, here. Know who she is? I think she's involved with the stoat down here in the corner."
Finnick studied the photo carefully. "Yeah, I know who that is, though you're in some trouble if she's involved." He shook his head and handed the photo back.
"Really? What's her name?"
"It's Beth Crocuta, and that stoat is Peter Pawson. I heard they been together a couple of months, now. The pig is Raul Tuskero, and if Raul is there, then the otter has to be Thomas. They're business partners, or at least I heard they are."
Nick pulled out a pen and a notepad. "Hold on, so Beth, Peter, Raul, and Thomas, right? He frantically scribbled the names down and tried to commit them to memory. "You know anything else about them?"
"Nah, I just know the names," Finnick said, shrugging. "And I'd watch out, man. Beth and Raul are nasty. I heard they put some poor fools in the hospital just for bein' in the wrong place at the wrong time when they were doin' business."
"What kind of business?" Nick asked.
"I ain't goin' near whatever they're doing," he replied. "Money launderin' or something. Whatever business they're up to, I'm staying away, you feel me?"
Nick put the pen and notepad back into his pocket. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you," he said. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate th-"
"Look, if anyone asks, you didn't hear all that from me, we clear?" he asked. The menace in his voice wasn't lost on Nick.
"Of course," he said, and crossed his heart. "Scout's honor."
Finnick laughed. "From conman to cop, yeah, you got honor in spades, my friend," he said and clapped Nick on the back. "Just play this cool, alright? And if you don't, pick a grave near a tree so I can get some shade when I bring your dumb ass some flowers."
Nick rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the tip." Finnick started heading toward the collection jars for the melted Jumbo Pop. "Hey, are we cool to, I don't know, grab a drink sometime or something?" Nick called out to him. Finnick paused, his back turned to him.
"Only if you don't bust me for not having all the permits for this," he replied, turning to face Nick. "Getting all that crap was always your thing, and Diego's a few howls short of a full moon, if you catch my drift."
Nick laughed. "I don't see anything wrong here, just a humble Pawpsicle salesman preparing his wares for the day." That earned a smile from Finnick. "You still got the same phone number?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, it ain't changed," Finnick said, turning back to his jars of sickly sweet red liquid. "Hit me up sometime. If you don't, I know where you work now, and you know I'll come over there and beat that ass for flaking on me again."
"Mr. Finnick Vulparino, are you threatening an officer of the ZPD?"
"I'm gonna do a lot more than threaten if you use that name again, Wilde," he called out. "Now get on back to that fluffball of a partner you got, my friend. I gotta go dig Diego out of whatever garbage can he's eating out of."
Nick started back towards his cruiser. "Sure thing, buddy." As he walked, he fought a growing urge to skip and dance to the car. My friend. That's what we are. He got in and turned the ignition, the rumble of combustion shaking his bones. I guess letting them see they got to you isn't always so bad.
The drive back to the precinct was lighter than normal. If he was cut off in traffic, he certainly didn't remember. Mammals seemed to give him the right of way. Lights turned green right as he was pulling up to them, or at least that's what it felt like. He almost found himself wanting mini-Finnick's presence again when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw he had a text from Finnick.
Hey man, was good seein u. Im serious about whoopin ur ass tho if we dont hang soon. Im usually at The Predators Gambit on the west side most nights.
Nick leaned back in his seat and basked in the mid-afternoon sun.
Back at the precinct, he waltzed through the lobby doors with swagger in his step and a smirk on his muzzle. Hmm, no sign of Judy, though, he thought, surveying the room. He walked up to Clawhauser's desk. The cheetah was, for once, not consuming anything, and had his back turned away from the main entrance. "You know, Benji, the chief hates it when we're not fully attentive to the needs of the public," he said.
Over the sound of Clawhauser gasping and the squeak of his wheels as he spun his chair around, Nick could hear the subtle tones of "Try Everything" playing from his phone. Clawhauser faced Nick with what he assumed was his best attempt at a not-guilty expression.
"Update for the Gazelle app come out, buddy?"
The cheetah's eyes darted around before his head slumped forward, nodding in agreement.
"Relax, Benji, I'm not your mom," Nick laughed. "Quit acting like I caught you with your hand in the cookie jar."
Clawhauser rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, uh, sorry Nick. And you'd be surprised how often that exact scenario happened."
"Somehow, I don't think I would," Nick said with a laugh.
His eyes narrowed at the fox, and he turned his nose up in the air. "Well, there's no need for rudeness, Nicholas. If you're gonna be like that you can just help yourself. Now, if you don't mind, Gazelle beckons." He began to wheel his chair back around.
"You're right, you're right," he conceded, putting his paws in the air. "Can you just fill me in on where Judy is?"
Clawhauser sighed and turned around once again. "I think I saw her headed downstairs. I'd ask why, but I don't want you to have to kill me," he said. "After all, I know y'all are on a super secret mission."
Nick chuckled, but was inwardly cursing just how observant the cheetah was. "Heh, thanks Benji, and don't worry. I'll let you be our awesome tech support guy when we head out on spy missions."
Clawhauser rolled his eyes and returned to his phone screen. "That you may be so generous," he said, wheeling himself around. Nick made his way toward the stairs to the lower level. Where could that bunny be? She knows we can't access the computers. He pulled out his phone and flipped to her contact and dialed. It rang a few times before he heard a familiar voice on the other line. "Nick?" she asked. "What's up? How did it go?"
He looked down the drab hallways, trying to figure out where her voice was coming from. The same awful shade of beige echoed down every corridor, broken up only by water pipes on the ceiling. "I'll tell you in a bit, just where are you?"
"Oh! Right, sorry," she said. He heard paper rustling in the background. "I figured since we can't use the computers, I'd go down and try to find information in our actual paper case files. No finding out what I've been through down here."
"Alright, see you in a few," he replied, and hung up. Clever bunny, always thinking ahead.
He strolled down the hallways, trying to act casual. The giddy feeling in his chest from his meeting with Finnick was making it difficult, however. It didn't take long for him to find the room Judy was in. The sound of crinkling and paper shuffling carried well through the barren basement level.
Judy was sitting down in front of piles of manilla folders. The scene looked more reminiscent of an obsessed stalker than a police officer. "So, Carrots," he began. "You find anything useful so far?"
Judy huffed and threw her arms in the air. "Ugh, no! Do you know how poorly labeled these case files are? Dates are missing, names on the folders aren't correlating with what's inside them, and this has all just been…" she crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "Extremely unhelpful. I was hoping to come up with more than this."
Nick smirked at his partner's misfortunate. "Well, Carrots, you'll be happy to know that all this effort has been for naught."
She looked up at him, and her eyes widened. "What do you me- wait, did your meeting with Finnick go well?"
"Better than I ever could have hoped for," Nick replied. Judy bounded up and hugged him. His knees buckled, and he nearly lost his balance at the sudden show of affection.
"Oh, Nick, that's fantastic!" She beamed at him, the pure, unfiltered happiness in her eyes turning his insides into a teacup ride. "So, you two are back on speaking terms?"
"Uh, y-yeah, we are," he stammered out. He was acutely aware of the fact that she still had not released him. Sirens and warning bells rang out in his head. This isn't everyday, ordinary affection, he thought. This is… advanced affection.
It dawned on Judy that her paws were still very much wrapped around her partner, and she released him with a sheepish grin. "Heh, sorry, I'm just so excited for you!" She had to stop herself from hopping into the air with glee
Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you know me, I'm so charming I can wear anyone down," he said. That earned a very dramatic eye roll from Judy.
"What am I going to do with you?" she asked, her paws resting on her hips.
Hopefully hug me like that again. No, bad Nick, she's your partner. You're a fox for crying out loud, have a little decency.
His mind lingered on the last thought, and shame began to fill the pit of his stomach like an oil spill. Decency...
"Uh, hopefully let me explain that Finnick gave me some information that means we never have to go down into this pit of madness ever again," he replied.
Her ears sprang up at his words, and her nose gave a few faint twitches that were not missed by her partner. "Really? What did he tell you?"
"Well, we've got names," he said, pulling out his notepad out of his pocket.
"Wait, names as in, plural? More than one?"
Nick smirked as he flipped to the page. "Oh yeah, the whole crew," he replied. "The hyena's name is Beth Crocruta, her little companion is Peter Pawson, the boar is Raul Tuskero, and he even got a name for the otter, though just his first name. Goes by Thomas."
A grin spread across Judy's face. "Nick, that's fantastic! I just knew you'd come through."
"Aw, shucks Carrots. Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence," he said.
"And I had so much confidence that I already reached out to Cam to see what he'd be able to tell us about the names that I knew you were going to get!" The unfiltered zeal in her excitement was palpable. She reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, which had just given off a sharp *ding.* While Judy was struggling to contain her anticipation, though, Nick's mood had dangerously decelerated from bashful and proud to sour.
"Hold up a minute, Fluff. Why exactly are we bringing Mr. Reporter into this again? We've got names, let's go act on them."
Judy stopped typing away on her phone, and slowly gave Nick a cautious glance. "...Why wouldn't we, Nick? All we have are names, and without something more to go on, we'll be taking shots in the dark out there. Unless Finnick gave you more information like meeting locations, other associates, or something like that?"
Nick looked at his feet. "Uh, no, all he had were names," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "He said that the hyena and boar were bad news, and that he steers clear of them. They might be involved in money laundering, I don't know."
"So, if all we have are names and maybe an MO, and these guys are so dangerous that a hustler like Finnick won't even go near them, then we need another lead," Judy said. Her words were clipped, and her paws had found themselves dutifully returned to her hips.
Nick said nothing for a few moments, but Judy saw his paws clench. "Don't talk about Finnick that way," Nick said, his gaze returning to his partner. She could see hints of menace and hurt in his eyes.
"C'mon Nick, it was just a descriptive term, I wasn't making a comment on what he does," Judy replied. "He's a hustler like you're a cop. It's just a job description."
He remained silent, stuffing his paws into his pants pockets.
Her face softened. "Look, Nick, I wasn't speaking ill of Finnick, I promise. He helped me find you during the Nighthowler case, remember? I owe him a lot."
He sighed. "Thanks, Fluff. I just… get kinda defensive about him, you know?"
"Of course, Nick, he's your friend. It's only natural."
"I still don't think we should bring Cam back into this, though."
Nick, this side of you is really starting to get old, Judy thought.
She huffed, and her face turned stony. "So let me get this straight," she began, her eyes narrowed at her partner. He noticed the intensity of her scrutiny and began to wither in it like a weed in barren sunlight. "You go off to get information from your contact, revealing information about an internal investigation to an admitted criminal with a sketchy history, and that's just fine." Judy took a step toward him. "But when I try to get information from my contact, an award-winning investigative reporter with a clean record and a history of caring about the voiceless and downtrodden of this city, suddenly that's an issue?"
"N-no, Carrots, that's not wha-" he stuttered.
"Cut it out with the Carrots, crap, Nick. But please, try to explain to me why you going to Finnick for information was okay but me going to Cam for information is a problem."
The walls of the room felt like they were shrinking, ready to crush Nick like a grape at any moment. His frame felt small and insignificant; Judy appeared to tower over him. He backed up a step in spite of his trembling legs. Just tell her you idiot, you're jealous. She'll understand, she has to. She's your partner, she has a right to know.
A steady tap tap tap reverberated throughout the room as Judy's foot rapped against the concrete floor. "Well? I'm waiting."
Just admit it!
"I… I, uh, I'm sorry, Judy," he managed to get out. "You're right, I'm not being fair. It's not different, I'm just biased in favor of Finnick and against Cotton." He stared at his feet, unwilling or unable, he wasn't sure which, to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry."
You actually can't admit it, can you?
"Nick, we talked about this, and you promised to trust me more, remember?" she asked, her voice laced with indignation like it was nightshade. "Do you… think I can't handle this?"
"N-no! Judy, of course not!" Nick exclaimed, louder than he'd meant to. His mind was racing. He wasn't prepared for where he feared this conversation was heading.
"If you think I can handle it, then why are you acting like this?"
"I-I, um…" he began. It felt like the dictionary in his mind had been lit ablaze, and all other words beside 'I,' 'uh,' and 'um' had been forgotten. "I just…"
He was interrupted by Judy's phone ringing. She looked at the caller ID before picking up. She put up on finger to Nick. "Hey, Cam," she said. She'd turned away from him, leaving him to wallow in the self-pity she knew he'd earned. "Yeah, we're still on to meet. Yup, I've got some new information that I hope you can help me, er, us, with. Right now? Sure, I guess that woul- oh, like, here? Okay, sounds good. I'll see you in a few." She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket. "So, you were saying?"
"I wish I had a good reason to give you, Carrots," he said. "But I don't. I don't trust this guy, and even though you do, I can't shake this feeling that he's not going to help us, or that he might be involved somehow, I don't know." He shuffled his feet, unwilling to look Judy in the face. The thunder of his inner monologue blasted in his ears, urging him to tell her the root cause of the issue. "I wish I had something better than that. I'm sorry."
Can't even be honest with your own partner.
Judy sighed and shook her head. "Well, apology accepted, I just wish it didn't have to take such an argument to get there," she said. Nick winced. "Look, Cam will be here at the precinct in about ten minutes. I want to go over those names with him to see if he knows anything. I kinda understand where you're coming from, by the way."
He looked up, his eyes wide. "Wait, you do?"
"Sure. Remember what Bogo said? Never eliminate any possibility. I know the chance exists that Cam is somehow involved, which is why I'd like you there with me when we go over these names. Having someone who's distrustful of him might end up being a good thing, so long as you don't push it.."
"O-oh, sure, that makes sense," Nick said. God, even when you're a total asshole to her, she still manages to come out making the right call, he thought. You don't deserve a partner this forgiving.
"A little skepticism never hurt anyone," she said with a wink. "Okay, so we've got our plan. Let's just hope that he's got something more for us to work from." She started out the room, and beckoned for Nick to follow her. He dutifully caught up, and they walked in silence for almost half a minute.
"You, uh, don't actually mind me calling you 'Carrots,' do you?" he asked, breaking the uneasy stillness between them.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"When we were… arguing. You told me to 'cut it out with the Carrots crap.' Because if it's bothering you, I don't ha-"
Judy laughed quietly to herself. "No, Nick, I don't mind that you call me Carrots. You have nicknames for everyone. It'd be weird if you didn't have at least a few for your partner. I was just frustrated, that's all."
Nick's relief was palpable. "Oh, good. I mean, I would have done it, but not gonna lie, I'd have been pretty sad if I didn't get to call you Carrots or Fluff again."
"If you want to pay me back, I take carrot donuts and spiced lattes as payment from dumb foxes for being dense," she replied, shooting him a cocky grin.
"Hah, duly noted, Officer Fluff," he said. The familiarity of their conversations had returned, but Nick's head was still swirling with Judy's anger from earlier. "Hey, Carrots? Are we, uh, good now?"
She turned to him and stopped. "What do you mean?"
"C'mon, you know," he said, not exactly sure he knew either. "We just had an argument, and it was more or less my fault."
"More or less, huh?"
"Okay, you got me, it was my fault. We're good though, right?"
"I'm still not sure I understand what you're asking." Judy's head was cocked slightly to the side.
"Never mind, don't worry about it," Nick said. He started walking toward the stairs when he felt Judy's paw grab hold of his. "Uh, Fluff?" What are you-"
"Nick, if you're asking if I'm still upset, then the answer is yeah, a little," she said. His eyes turned toward the floor, and his paw went slack in hers. "But if you're asking if one argument changed anything between us, then the answer is of course not, you dummy." A glimmer of a smile spread across her face, and he felt his paw being squeezed back to life. "Now drop the mopey act, I need you on your smuggest behavior for Cam." She kept a tight grip on his paw and lead him up the stairs, his initial embarrassment over being lead by the paw like a kit giving way into resigned acceptance at the eccentricities of his partner.
At the top of the stairs, she released his paw. "Oh shoot, I wanted to gather up some notes I'd taken while you were going to find Finnick," she said, turning to him. "I won't be long, I think I left them at our desk. I'll be right back." Nick considered offering to go with her as she left for their little cubicle, but words like trust and overbearing flitted in and out of his mind, and he thought better of it. Judy had been gone no more than 15 seconds when Nick spied a particularly spry arctic hare in a bowtie and tweed coat come into the main lobby.
This'll be the only opportunity I have to confront this guy and get a good read on him before she comes back, he thought. Mini-Finnick once again conjured himself on Nick's left shoulder, shaking his head. She wants me to trust her more, but I can't just let him talk to her without figuring out what he's after. He's after something, he has to be.
Cam looked around the room a few times before noticing Nick. His eyes lit up, and he waved as he briskly walked over to him. Nick have a half-hearted wave back, and stood where he was.
"Officer Wilde, good to see you again," he said once he'd made it across the room.
"Likewise, Cotton," he replied.
Cam looked over Nick's shoulders. "Ah, is Judy around anywhere? She said she had some things about this case you both are on to discuss with me."
"Well, I can discuss them with you, can't I?" Nick asked, his tone unwavering.
"I suppose so, but Judy ha-"
"Tell me," Nick interrupted. "How exactly did you know about this gambling ring when we first talked to you? The ZPD had only just been made aware of it, so how is it a civilian knew about it before us?" His eyes had narrowed, and he had a hard time keeping a low growl out of his voice. Nick had never really done an interrogation before, but he always liked the idea of playing a bad cop.
Cam hesitated before answering, suspicion starting to bloom on his face. "I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, Officer Wilde. Look, Judy said she had some names to discuss, so if you could just go ge-"
"Why don't you just answer the question, Cameron," Nick said, forcing his voice through the hare's.
It was Cam's turn to struggle to mask the icy chill in his voice. "...Is this an interrogation, Officer Wilde? Because if I'm being asked questions about an ongoing case, and if you're insinuating what I think you are, then I'm fairly certain I'm entitled to having a lawyer present."
Nick backed off a bit, throwing his open paws up in mock surrender. "Nothing of the sort, just curious where you're getting your facts from. Unless you were there first-hand, you're sort of a middleman for information, aren't you?"
Cam laughed once, sharp and empty. "Are you actually asking me to reveal my sources, Officer? Because as I'm sure you're aware, I'm under no legal obligation to do so, even in court of law."
"Of course not, Cam. Just making a... personal inquiry."
"Well, this 'personal inquiry,' sounds more and more like attempt to intimidate me, and let's be clear, Wilde, we're both aware of your history with intimidating people."
Nick's nostrils flared out, but before he could say anything, Cam spoke up again. "Although to be perfectly frank, I expected someone with as much experience with the streets as you to be better at it than this."
"Now look here, you two-bit little-"
"No, you look," Cam hissed. The hare stood as tall as he could, although he was still looking up at Nick. "I have no idea where this vendetta you have against me came from, though it's been painfully apparent since the cafe that you've had it. That being said, you can take this unwarranted self-righteous anger and stuff it. I've done nothing to earn this treatment from you, and have been nothing but helpful to Officer Hopps, so I'd appreciate it if you backed. Off."
Cam punctuated his speech by taking two steps toward Nick, putting their faces only inches apart. Nick felt an urge to snarl that he hadn't felt since becoming an officer, and he held his ground.
"Look, Cotton, I don't know what your angle is in all this, but I'm going to find out," Nick said, barely concealing his fangs. "No goddamn reporter just does stuff out of the goodness of their heart. I don't know if you're involved with the money laundering itself, but if you've got any machinations to make yourself look good by bringing Judy down, you've got a thing or two to learn about predator-prey relations." He poked Cam in the chest hard, sending the hare off balance. He stumbled a few steps back, but quickly broke into the sort of heartless laughter that Nick hated.
"O-oh, oh my goodness, you are actually this dense, aren't you," Cam managed to wheeze. In an instant, the laughter was gone, and he was back in Nick's face. "Do you really think I'm such an idiot that I would threaten my own reputation with the ZPD over some measly gambling case? That I'd burn a bridge I've built over years?" His light blue eyes raged, and for the first time in the conversation, Nick felt out of his element. "Officer Wilde, do you know how many bodies I've seen?"
"W-what? What are you talki-"
"A hell of a lot more than you, believe me," he sneered. "I value my career, and the career of Officer Hopps, for that matter, far too much to casually risk it on something this juvenile." He was marching toward Nick, who found his feet retreating against his will. "So please, before you question my journalistic integrity again, please take your petty, jealous attitude and put it back on the middle school playground where it belongs." He concluded by poking Nick in the sternum back, though Nick halted his retreat at the contact.
Nick's ears stood on point, and he could feel his hackles raise under his uniform. He could feel himself aggressively stepping towards Cam, whose face seemed to indicate to Nick that he knew he may have gone too far. "Jealous? Don't get an even bigger head, fluffball. I'm trying to look out for my partner, and if there's one thing I'm not, it's-"
"Cam? Nick? What's going on?"
The two whipped their heads around at the sudden intrusion, and saw Judy standing, staring at them with some a notepad under her arms. "I couldn't remember where I put my notes. What… are you two doing?"
Cam smoothed down his jacket. "Judy, it's good to see you," he began, the argument he'd just been having seemingly forgotten. Nick knew he still looked upset, and cursed the hare's composure. "Officer Wilde and I were discussing the case you two are working. We got a little… animate about how frustrating it is to see organized crime try to re-establish itself, right Officer Wilde?"
Cam looked up at Nick knowingly, and gestured to Judy with his eyes. "Oh, yeah, it may have gotten a little, uh, out of hand," Nick said, simultaneously seething inside at Cam and grateful that he'd come up with a convincing lie. "I feel like we should be able to do more, you know, Carrots?"
She eyed them both warily. "Yeah, it does feel like that," she replied. "Have I been keeping you long, Cam?"
"Oh, just a few moments, nothing to worry about," he said. "Now then, Officer Wilde mentioned something about the names you were going to show me?"
He shouldn't be able to lie this well to Judy, Nick thought. She's too genuine to just lie to her face like this. The guilt over his own deception socked him in the stomach, and he immediately felt ridiculous. What did you think was gonna happen, he'd just spill it about how he's secretly a mob kingpin? Get real.
"The names, yeah... I actually took some notes about this, and I was hoping to share them with you," Judy said, flipping through her notebook. While she was distracted, Cam leered at Nick and saw the turmoil poorly disguised on his face. The smile crept along his muzzle, and he turned back to Judy. "Say, Officer Hopps, did I ever tell you I'm from the tri-Burrows area myself? You're from Bunnyburrow, aren't you?"
Judy looked up from her notes, her nose twitching. "Really? You from Bunnyburrow, too?"
"Nah, I was born and raised in Rabbiton, myself. Left at the ripe age of 17 when I realized that writing stories about the biggest carrot at the town fair wasn't something I wanted to do for the rest of my life," he laughed. "It's been awhile since I've talked to someone else from the tri-Burrows. I bet you have tons of stories."
Judy shook her head and laughed. "God, more than I'd like to think about. I'm sure you can relate to having your brothers and sisters always barging in on you playing cops and robbers with yourself." Her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink as she realized what she'd just said. "Er, maybe not that scenario exactly…"
Nick's eyes flitted between the two. His chest started getting tight, just like at the cafe.
"No, heh, maybe not that scenario, but they did catch me trying to imitate the daily newscaster on TV," he chuckled. "Tell you what, it's a little late. Why don't we just grab some food and we can talk about the case there? Maybe you can tell me some more stories about Bunnyburrow. It's been too long since I got to talk to someone else about growing up out on the farm."
Nick turned to Cam in time to see him momentarily glare at Nick with a grin brimming with arrogant victory. He absentmindedly picked at his claws while glaring back.
"Uh, sure Cam, dinner sounds good, although as fun as swapping stories about the tri-Burrows would be, I really want to focus on this case," Judy replied.
Nick's glare poofed away like a rabbit in a hat, though he wasn't sure who was the rabbit. His blood felt glacial as his heart sank to his knees.
"Maybe just a few stories, then. I know this great place on Bermuda Boulevard that has an amazing eggplant bisque," Cam said, walking up to Judy. "I'm ready to go now, if you are." He offered her his arm.
She rolled her eyes and pushed his arm away. "Don't act like I'm some city doe to court," she teased. "If anyone is going to be escorting anyone, it's going to be me. Don't forget who the buttkicking cop is."
"Hah, of course not," he laughed.
"Nick, you coming?" she asked, turning to her partner. He hadn't moved since the argument had ended, though it wasn't for lack of effort. The lobby felt constricting and agoraphobic at the same time. The pressure of the straps of an imagined muzzle cut into his face, though no matter how much he could claw and scratch, he couldn't get it off. The thought of having to spend an entire dinner in Cam's company as he schmoozed Judy was too much to stomach.
"Carrots, I'm, uh, not really feeling up to dinner, you guys can go and you can fill me in tomorrow," he replied. Judy cocked her head to the side. "What are you talking about? I thought you were just feeling fine a bit ago."
His chest was getting tight from the repeated lies to Judy. What are you doing, just tell her. When did you turn into such a goddamn liar to your partner. You know he's just trying to get under your skin. Stop letting him! "Relax, Fluff, I've just got a few things I need to take care of here. I, um, trust you can handle a few names."
"Are you sure Nick? You got the names, I figured you'd want to be there when we found out who these mammals really are."
"Yeah, don't worry about me, Carrots. I'll just catch up tomorrow. It's not like the case is gonna break by then, right?" He offered up a weak smile, the kind that was worried if it looked sincere enough or not.
"I… suppose so. Are you gonna be good for dinner?" she asked.
Nick laughed despite the gloom that was settling in his head. "Fluff, I'm 32 years old. I'll be fine. Besides, I think I've already got an idea."
"Well, alright, I guess. I'll talk to you tomorrow, then," she said. She started off towards the door, Cam mentioning something else about the restaurant.
"Yeah, see ya," Nick called out, though he wasn't sure if the words had reached her or just died in his mouth. The pattern on the floor had become the most interesting thing in the room at that moment. Judy turned around as she walked out with Cam to wave goodbye, but he wouldn't look up, even after she lingered with her paw in the air for a few moments. Pulling out his phone, he punched in a phone number with fat, numb fingers. It ran a few times before a baritone voice picked up on the other line. "Yo, is this Nick?" Finnick asked. "I gotta say, I wasn't expecting you to call this soon. What's up?"
"You said you're at The Predator's Gambit most nights, yeah?" he croaked.
"Yeah, I'm actually gonna be headin' over there soon. Why, something wrong?"
"You wanna swing by the precinct first and pick me up?" Nick asked. "I need a drink."
