BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-B-

I reach over and shut my alarm off. I look over to see Nick still asleep. I pick up my phone and decide to step out of the room and breath. No one seems to be awake yet. I think I'll head on over to the kitchen and see if there is anything to grab for breakfast. To my surprise, my mother is sitting in the kitchen and having a glass of water.

I walk up behind her and surprise her. "Oh hey, it's my mom!"

My mom nearly jumps out of her chair. "Ah!- Judy! Don't do that!"

"Sorry mom, I just haven't had the opportunity to do that in a while." I can feel the smug smirk crawl across my face. "So what are you doing up this early?" I sit down with her at the table.

My mother looks at me with a look I've seen many times. "I just am happy to see you are ok. I worry about you, you know." My mother looks towards the direction I walked in from and then back at me. "So I noticed you didn't sleep in your old bed last night."

Oh you have got to be kidding me.. "No, I was going to, but Nick needed someone last night. He… he has always been there for me, since the moment I met him."

My mother interrupts me. "Judy, you can't keep beating yourself up. Everyone makes mistakes and you can't hold yourself responsible for how people act."

My mom extends her paw and I reach over. "It wasn't about that mom. Nick and the Wall, someone is out to get him. Yesterday, after the bombs went off, Nick ran off. He ran to his home and witnessed his mother murdered. I can't imagine what he's going through. I need to be there for him. He'd do the same for me."

She looks at me with such a deep seated concern in her eyes."Oh Judy. I'm so sorry. Nick has been so nice to us in the past. Who could've done this to him?"

"Well.." I think for a moment. ".. the sheep who masterminded the Night Howler incident was the one who was sent for Nick's mom. She was still so angry at Nick, at predators. I wish I would've been there."

Confusion surrounds my mother's voice. "What happened to the sheep?"

"Nick killed her. I found their bodies lying in Nick's mother's kitchen. The sheep left Nick a message. A recording. I think it has to do with Gideon's old friends from when we were younger."

My mother rubs my left cheek. "Who did Gideon know who would do something like this?"

"Finnick said he saw a ferret buy the explosives in the Nocturnal District of the city. I was ran into by the same animal who spoke on the tape before the sun came up yesterday. Do you remember the young ferret and his family Gideon always stuck around?"

My mother nods. "I do. They moved away when you were ten. I think the father gave up farming and moved to the city if I remember properly. It's been so long."

"The father didn't move away." I rub my paws together. "Nick had a troubled past, as you know. He stole from the ferret family one day. That was the story you showed me, do you remember? The one of the animal death at the Wall?"

My mother is shocked. "Nick was the one who got away?"

"Yeah, and when he told me about this at his mother's house, it all made sense. I don't know when or where he is, but Nick and I need to find the ferret and anyone he is working with before they hurt anyone else." It hits me. They've been following us.

"Mom, I need to step out for a bit. When does Gideon come by usually to pick up from you guys?" I get up and start walking towards the front door.

My mom says "He's usually here a little before seven."

I can't believe we came here. They have obviously been watching us. I'm so stupid. I walk out the front door and look around, the sun is cresting over the far hills. Nothing. I make my way to the truck and take out the keys. I don't see any signs of disturbance or a plant out of place in the field. As I approach the truck I can feel it. Someone was here. The driver door is unlocked. I open the door and see a piece of paper on the seat. A note scribbled down on it.

THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING BUNNY.

STAY OUT OF THIS.

THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND THE FOX.

I can't breath. I feel like someone just kicked me in the stomach. I look around. Nothing again. They had followed us out here and knew we were going to take the truck. I fold up the note and put it in my pocket, next to Nick's neckerchief. I don't think I'm going to show Nick this one, he'll want me to stay safe and away from him. There is just one nagging feeling in my head. Something that seems so off in these crazy messages, Why do they care if I'm involved?

I run back to the house. I look at my watch. Sixteen past six. I walk back into the guest room. Nick is still sleeping.

"Nick." I whisper to try and wake him. "Nick." He is still unresponsive. I begin poking his face. "Nick, come on you need to get up." He cracks one eye open for a split second. I hatch a plan. "Gosh. Wouldn't it be a shame if-" I hopp onto the bed. "-you were to fall onto the floor?" I push him off the bed with my feet.

Nick yells as he falls off. "Why!"

The blanket falls with him and pulls my with it. I land on the floor beside Nick with the blanket covering my embarrassed face. Nick chuckles. "That backfi-"

I interrupt him. "Don't you say another word!" I pull the blanket off and throw it at his smug face. "Get ready Nick. You can grab something out of the kitchen real quick but Gideon will be here in about a half hour."

Nick sighs. "Alright. Can you show me where it is?"

I take Nick to grab some bunny breakfast, Hopps-style. He seems a little better today and almost loses himself in the frantic ways of my home. After all, nearly three hundred rabbits living together may do that to some. Breakfast is short lived as my father motions us to come out. Gideon is pulling up in his pastry van. Nick and I grab our stuff and say goodbye to my siblings. My parents greet us outside as Gideon is turning his car off.

I don't waste any time. "Gideon!" I point to Nick and myself."This is officer Wilde, ZPD. We need to talk with you."

Gideon takes a moment to himself and looks at us. "Oh hey Judy. What did I do?"

I can hear the innocence in his voice, the insecure fox he was on the inside. "Nothing Gideon. We need to talk to you about your old friend, Travis. The ferret. My parents will load you up the supplies for your pies, can we talk over here?" I motion my parents to go and they continue about their business. Nick and I take a few steps away from my parents and Gideon follows.

Gideon looks like he's seen a ghost. "I-I haven't seen Travis since we were little Judy." Gideon looks at my badge. "He moved away after his father died in that accident in the city. What's he done?"

"Do you know where?" Nick asks him.

"Nah, not really. I know they moved into the city though. They wanted to be closer to where he was buried." Gideon looks again to me and asks "Did he do something bad?"

I know we only have clues right now, nothing concrete beyond the tape recorder. And that could've been faked. "It looks that way Gideon."

Gideon starts kicking the ground with his foot. "He was always going to do something with his life. He was much smarter than me. Tell you the truth, I don't know why he hung around me." Gideon looks out to the hills around us. "I still feel bad Judy, about being such a jerk to everyone when we were younger. Travis joined in on those moments with me when I attacked the weaker ones, but the last thing he said to me before he left always stuck with me. Only until recently have I appreciated his young wisdom." Gideon exhales and turns to Nick and I. "He told me that there is a reason for everything. That we all make mistakes we have to learn from and make amends for. He was the one who made me eventually realize how much pain I caused."

"Did he have any family or close friends who moved with him to the city?" I ask.

Gideon stares off in the distance trying to remember "No, just his mom, him and his older brother."

Nick rubs the back of his head. I think he's agitated we haven't gotten much information from Gideon. "Look, did he have any nocturnal friends that you know of? Was he smart, like book smart?"

Gideon looks unsure. "I'm sorry guys, I can't remember. I can't recall any nocturnal animals from around here when we were younger. But Travis's whole family was pretty smart. They always were talking of things I heard the teachers said."

I lean over to Nick. "Their trail seems like it dried up years ago. Out here at least." Nick looks distressed and exhales slowly. "Thank you for your time Gideon. Please let me know if you think of anything which could help us. If you can't get a hold of Nick or I, please let my parents know."

"I'm sorry guys, I wish I could of helped more. If you find Travis, let him know I say hi and to stop messing with the cops." Gideon shakes paws with Nick and I and goes back to help my parents finish loading the supplies.

"Well that wasn't a waste of time at all." Nick says sarcastically.

"Maybe not." I try to think about all of what Gideon had said. "We know his family moved with him. We know he did have his own smarts when he was young. He probably is at least somewhat intelligent now." I look around. "Let's get moving."

Nick and I help with the last of the load for Gideon and say goodbye to my parents. Nick grabs a small amount of produce from my family farm for himself and we head to the truck. As I sit in the driver seat, I can feel the note I found here in my pocket. I can't tell Nick they are still following us. He'd just try to leave me here.

Nick begins to talk through his snack. "Alright Carrots. Where to?"

"We need to get back to the city. See if anyone can tell us where Travis is. If we need, we can radio in to see if someone at the station can look up an address for us." I start the car and we head off to the city.

Travis was Gideon's right paw animal when we were younger. My friends and I always tried to avoid them. Some times we did, some times we did not. Though Gideon has changed, and based off of what he told us, I know that Travis had more going on that what I saw when we were younger. I intend to find out what.

We travel for a few hours. In the distance, smoke is still spilling out of some parts of the wall when we arrive in the early evening. It looks like animals are leaving town for now and are driving away from the city. I don't blame them, I would want to go somewhere else until the place recovers too. When we make it into the city limits, I turn on my radio to the police dispatch frequency.

"Hello? This is Officer Judy Hopps. Clawhauser, are you there?" I repeat over and over. No one is responding at first.

"Hopps!" The radio crackles to life. "Where have you been?"

I ignore the question. We are on a schedule. "Clawhauser! Listen, we don't have a lot of time. Can you look up an address for us?"

Clawhauser starts talking slowly. "Uhh.. sure. Who am I looking for?"

I tell him. "We are looking for a Travis. No last name." I forgot to ask… "He moved into the city around fifteen years ago with his mother and brother. They are ferrets who moved from a farm."

"Ok Hopps. The city is in chaos. If you can, head to the station. Bogo is handing out assignments to everyone." Clawhauser sounds concerned. "And he's looking for Officer Wilde. Have you seen him?"

I look at Nick. "No. I promise I'll find him though. Clawhauser, radio me on my frequency when you find the address, I need to have it as soon as possible. Tell Bogo I can't come in for an assignment. I have to help Nick."

I click off the radio and Nick rests his paw on my shoulder. Nick asks to take the wheel and I let him drive. Funny, he never wants to do that. We begin to enter an empty street market in town.

"Alright Judy. This is it. This is where we should start. I stole from his dad right over there all those years ago" Nick points to a row of abandoned street vendor carts and stands.

We step out of the truck and begin looking over for any clues at all of where he would be. Nothing turns up. No old papers in the stand, no signs of any animal being here for years. It's obviously been too long. We look over nothing for what seems like forever, to no avail. Nick motions me back to the truck. He jumps in the bed and lays down in it as best he can. I hear a loud sigh coming from him. I turn around and lean on the truck. I look down the street heading towards my apartment. My mind drifts into the clouds. I think back to the other night. If only it lasted longer- what? I see something out of the corner of my eye. A figure ran across the street and looks right at me with the look of utter fear in their eyes.

It's him… It's Travis… but… he's.. missing an arm.. And he sprints away.