Wow this ended up long. I seriously thought about cutting it in half too so that there would be two short, even length chapters. But then I thought wow that would be a jerk move (for reasons you will soon see). Plus it really threw off the pacing imo. Like there was a good stoping point but then the jumping on point with the second half just felt weird when it wasn't connected in one read. So I'm sure you'll be happy about it staying as one. More to read!
Oh, and quite a bit of time has probably passed from last chapter to this one. You'll probably see why by the end. If not I'll explain at the end. Enjoy!
It is after hours as Nick and Judy sit at the police station doing paperwork that should have been done days ago. "Aaaand done!" Judy slams her pen down on the desk. She jumps to her feet, a triumphant grin splitting her lips. "How bout you?"
Nick grumbles, keeping his eyes on the papers before him.
Judy snickers. "Ah, come on, Nick. Don't be such a sourpuss." She taps his shoulder. "You'll be done soon too." She grabs her jacket from the back of the chair.
Nick glowers up at her. He doesn't say a word.
"Besides, this is what you get for procrastinating." She pats him on the head before she turns to walk away.
Nick perks and his pouting becomes alarm. "Hey! Where are you going?"
Judy tilts her head to look back over her shoulder. "Home, of course." She rolls her eyes. "Where else would you have me go at midnight?"
Nick puffs out his lower lip. "Can't you stay here?" He slumps his head against his knuckles. "It'll only take me a few more minutes. Pleeeease?"
Judy snorts and shakes her head, a smile playing across her face. "If it really is just a few minutes then you should be able to catch up with me. Think of it as a race." She holds a finger up. "If you catch up then then you win. And I'll even throw in a free coffee some time."
Nick grins. "Yeah, yeah, alright. Better watch you're back then. Cause I'm definitely gonna win." He points his pen at her.
Judy laughs. "You wish." She throws a wave over her shoulder as she leaves. She shrugs her jacket on as she exits the building. The cool air sends a chill up her spine and she shudders. She wraps her arms around herself as she continues down the street.
Cars speed by every so often and the noises of those restaurants that stay open all night washes over her. It's quieter than the day, but nowhere near as quiet as back home. By now though this buzz is something she is used to and loves. It lets her know that the world is alive.
She reaches a split where she can keep going straight or cut through back alleys to reach their apartment in half the time. She hesitates, her eyes flitting from the shortcut and the main path. She peeks at her wristwatch to double check the time. It is late. Still, it wouldn't be fair to Nick. If she takes the shortcut then there's no way he'll catch up.
So for him she keeps going, taking the long way home. Besides, dark alleys are a sore spot after what happened to Nick, no matter how much they pretend to have gotten over it. Even as she chooses the safer course the chill of that alley just won't leave her. She tenses and her gaze shifts back and forth. A terrible sense of wrong settles on her shoulders and wraps itself around her until it is very nearly suffocating.
She spins on her heels, her clenched fists at the ready. Nothing. She lets out a breath. She is so stupid sometimes she swears. Nick is right. She really is a worrier. She turns back toward home, jumping out of her skin as a figure looms over her only a foot away.
They move in a flash. They smash something cold and hard into her skull, catapulting her across the concrete. And before she even hits the ground she is out cold. Her body lays limp on the ground, blood trickling down her face to stain the street.
The figure stalks over to her. They stare long and hard, a malicious grin splitting their lips. Oh, sweet, sweet revenge. They heave her body over their shoulder and slip away into the darkness, the sleeping citizens none the wiser to their precious cop disappearing with him.
…
Nick finishes up no more than ten minutes after she leaves. "HA." He yells to thin air. "See? Told you I'd do it." He acts as if she is still there to listen. He nabs his jacket and slips it on as he heads out the door. He runs to catch up to her. He doesn't care about the coffee, but no way is he letting her have bragging rights.
He contemplates taking the same shortcut, but decides it will be so much more worth it to come up from behind and catch her by surprise. He plows on, not stopping once on his way home. He makes it there in record time, but he can't help but be disgruntled. He didn't see Judy on the way which means she definitely beat him. Great. Just great. Now she gets to rub it in his face and will probably say he owes her a coffee.
Oh well. He heads on in, expecting to see her perched on the couch with a smug grin on her face. Only she isn't. He blinks at the scene. The lights and the tv are off. There isn't a sound within the apartment. His skin crawls. No, no, this is fine. He proceeds deeper into their home. His heart beats faster by the second. He checks the kitchen, her room, and even his own. But nothing. She is nowhere within the apartment and that is the moment panic sets in. No.
He shoves his hand into his pocket, fumbling for the phone. His breathing elevates and his fingers slipperier with each second that ticks by. "Come on!" He screams at his phone. Finally he yanks it out and smashes the speed dial button. It rings and rings and rings. The voicemail kicks on and her familiar voice floats to him. "I can't come to the phone right now, leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And if this is Nick I swear to God you better not have lost your badge again. I will murder you. Bye!"
Nick laughs through his hysteria. A smile splits his lips. He hasn't heard that one in a while. He supposes he doesn't have any need to call her these days though, since they live together and all. He just heads into the next room and there she is. Only she isn't tonight. He clenches his fists. No, it's okay. He'll find her. He just has to track her phone, just like she did to find him.
He opens the app and says her name. The coordinates pop up and he realizes with a chill that he passed that very place on his way home. Still, he refuses to succumb to his fear and desperation. He sprints from the apartment, slamming the door on his way out. His heart pounds in his ears every step of the way. Judy. Judy. Please God be okay. He refuses to believe this will end any other way despite the inklings of despair that cause the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end.
He reaches the area that his phone indicates and comes to a full stop. He swivels his head, looking all around. "Judy!" He screams into the emptiness. "Judy!" He scurries back and forth, combing the area. "Ju-" Then he sees it. His eyes catch on a small pool of bright red on the concrete. Blood. Terror twists his expression and his hands tremble violently. No. No, no, no. He moves as if in quicksand, closing the distance between him and the stain.
In a second his gaze jumps to the object only a few feet from the blood. It is black and blends almost perfectly into the night. It is her phone. His legs quake beneath him and can no longer take the weight of his existence. They give out and he sinks to the ground. "No…" He croaks. Tears well in his eyes. "No…" His curls his fingers into fists against the concrete. He jerks his head skyward. "No!" A clap of thunder answers him. "Judy…" He chokes out, his head sinking down as he tries to hide the tears pouring down his face. "Judy…"
…
Judy wakes to a coldness all over her body. Her eyes flutter open, but the darkness doesn't abate. She sits up and suffers a head rush and then a sever pang in her temple. She hisses and snaps her hand up to the afflicted area. Blood cakes her head and a frown blossoms on her lips at this revelation. Why would she be bleeding? Her brow furrows. She can't remember doing anything that would cause such an injury. The last thing she did was paperwork with Nick. Then she went home, and…she gasps and goes erect. She jerks her head around to try and riddle out her surroundings. She feels around on all fours. The floor is coarse, but she finds it soon ends.
She comes up on metal bars even colder than the floor. She grasps at the space beside the bars and just as she expected there is another bar. She goes around the perimeter, finding her way back to where she started. Her heart races but she forces herself to take deep steadying breaths. No, no, it's alright. It really isn't. Nick was nearly done with his work. He'll go home and find her missing and be on this maniac's tail faster than he can blink. Whoever this maniac is. She swallows hard. Could it be Bellwether? Someone new? If so then what reason could they have for kidnapping her? Because she's a cop? The best cop. With her out of the way maybe they think they can just go about their crimes easy peasy. Well they're wrong. Nick is still out there. And especially with her missing he will solve this in a heartbeat.
A sharp creaking sound breaks through the silence and her thoughts. She jumps and swivels in the direction of the noise. Her eyes dart all about, but it does nothing to help her see through the piercing darkness. All she can do is wait with baited breath and body taut with tension for whoever it is to appear. Their footsteps echo through the hollow space, each louder than the last until they come to a full stop.
"Hello, my dear." The person purrs. "Nice to see you again."
Judy starts. Again? Wait…she knows that voice. "Who are you?" Her mind whirs. It's so familiar. But who? Not Bellwether. Then who…?
He snorts. "My, my, forgotten so soon?" He shakes his head. "Well, let me remind you then." He yanks a string and the lights burst to life, illuminating the space around them and his face. "Remember?" He raises a brow.
Judy squints and shies away from the stunning light. It takes a minute but she finally adjusts and when she does she is able to look up at her captor. She gapes. Standing before her is a rabbit, one taller than her, and one that she met but once. "Aaron?" Her eyes bulge from her head.
Aaron's lips curl into a grin. "So good to know I made an impression."
"What the hell?" Judy lunges at the bars, grabbing for him through the space between each one.
Aaron throws his head back and laughs. "Feisty, aren't we? It's no surprise my brother liked you so much." He narrows his eyes and the mirth falls away in an instant as he focuses his intense gaze on her. "Even though you did end up being his downfall."
Judy scowls right back. "So what? This is your way of avenging him?"
"Quick as ever." He says dryly.
Judy growls deep in her throat. "He was a murderer. He deserved what he got."
Anger seizes Aaron's face and he lashes out, slamming his foot into her jaw. "He was my brother!" He screams. "My brother! And you took him away from me."
Judy gasps as his blow connects and she is sent flying back. She groans, reaching up to graze her fingers along her pulsing jaw. She flinches at even this slight touch, but she can't afford to be so weak. She scurries to her knees, this time keeping a safe distance from him. There's no point to pressing her face into the bars anyway. She glowers with a fiery intensity. "I don't care! A murderer is a murderer and I'll send all your brothers to jail if it means protecting the city from monsters like him." Like Aaron too it seems.
Aaron scoffs. "We'll see how high and mighty you are after a few days in here."
Judy snorts. "You can't do anything to me. Nick will find me and make you sorry you ever came anywhere near me." She smiles triumphantly, holding her head a little higher.
Aaron barks out a laugh. "Oh little Judy. So optimistic and so much faith in the world and its people. My brother talked all about that too. Especially your devotion and love of Nick. But we'll see how strong it really is. How long it takes before you crack and can only keep your sanity by shutting him out."
Judy frowns and her brows knit together as she side eyes him. She doesn't like the sound of that. It sounds very premeditated. Then again, why wouldn't it be? The kidnapping certainly was, so every other facet of this scheme should be as well. "Nick will come." She says with all the firmness in the world. She looks hard at Aaron. "He will."
Aaron grins from ear to ear, a malicious glint in his eyes. "I'm sure he will." He cackles. "I'm sure he will." He turns the light off and walks away, his laugh echoing throughout the room long after he is gone.
Judy blows out a breath and her whole body slumps. With him gone all of the tension and strength held together by her defiance drains away. She lays out on the chilling floor, flopping around to try and find the most comfortable and least cold way to situate herself. Might as well. As much as she believes in Nick she knows he is no miracle worker. He won't find her in an hour or probably even a day. She'll have to wait and try her best to ignore the stirrings of hunger already setting in. She knew she should have grabbed a snack at the office. She should have pulled a Nick. She chuckles and smiles to herself. Come on, Nick. Come and get me.
…
"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Nick slams his hands against Chief Bogo's desk. His eyes are ablaze as he bares his teeth. His breaths heave in and out.
Bogo looks unflinchingly up at Nick. He sighs. "You know we all care about Officer Hopps. And we would never just give up looking for her. We will search till we find her. But…" He frowns and clasps his hands. "It's been over forty eight hours since she went missing. So we can't mindlessly devote all our resources and officers to finding her, when-"
"Stop it." Nick refuses to allow him to finish. "You care? How can you say that when you won't even say her name? It's Judy! Judy!" His breath shudders out of him. "Judy…" The word tingles against his lips. He hasn't spoken it since she disappeared and now that he has it plays like a broken record as he shakes his head back and forth.
Bogo grimaces and drops his gaze to his hands, hiding his own sadness at Judy's continued absence as well as the pain gripping Nick. "Wilde," He says as gently as possible. "I'm sorry, I really am. But I am only doing my job. And we have no more leads. You've dealt with missing mammals cases before, you know when we dead end on clues there is little more we can do."
Nick clenches his fists and they shake terribly. "This isn't just a mammal, this is Judy." He runs a hand over his face and head. "Whatever though. I get it. I'll just…look myself." He turns hard on his heel and stomps out of the office and the whole building, pointedly ignoring all the pitying looks from the officers he passes on the way.
He slips a hand into his pocket and draws out a sleek black phone – Judy's phone. The screen is cracked now and useless in his search, but he can't help carrying it everywhere with him. He runs his finger along the rim. Judy. He grabs his phone from the other pocket and dials her number. Her phone doesn't make a sound, he put it on mute a while back, but he doesn't need it to. He holds his phone to his ear and waits. Her voicemail kicks in and her peppy voice floats through the device.
Nick breathes out deeply. A degree of the tension and frustration from moments ago leaves him. She sounds so happy, so alive, so her. Just like always it ends too quickly and he is left feeling quite hollow. He is tempted to dial again, just to hear her one more time. No! This is pathetic. He returns both phones to his pockets. He has work to do. He has no idea where to start, he just knows he has to do something. Taking a dip into some of his old contacts might be a good first step. Yeah…
…
Judy sits with her knees drawn to her stomach and her arms wrapped around herself to try and rub as much warmth as she can into her limbs. She shivers despite her efforts but she would endure a thousand winters to get rid of this gnawing hunger. Over these past three days she hasn't eaten a bite. Her stomach growls furiously, begging for a reprieve. If she could she would more than gladly give it to her stomach. Unfortunately she is helpless, in every sense of the word.
She sighs heavily, leaning over against the bars. Aaron hasn't been back since that first time. It really makes her wonder what on earth he is planning. Is he just going to starve her to death? That wouldn't be very in line with what he said before. We'll see how long it takes before you crack. He mentioned her shutting Nick out too. At this rate nothing of the sort will happen anytime soon. She'll die before she shuts Nick out.
"Judy!" Judy's ears go erect and she jerks her head up. Her mouth gapes and she holds her breath, her eyes shining with hope. "Judy!"
Her mouth spreads into a grin. "Nick!" She presses her face into the bars. "Nick! I'm over here!" She reaches out as if this will draw him to her.
Hang on! I'm coming!" Footsteps echo throughout the room and his voice draws closer.
"Thank God." Judy laughs. "I knew you would find me. That jerk thought he could hold me here forever, but he was dead wrong." Tears well in her eyes. "So wrong." She retracts her hand and sits back on her haunches as she counts the seconds until she is free.
The light flashes on and Judy squints into the light. The colors blur together at first but eventually settle into place, revealing the truth. Utter shock twists her face. Her wide eyes brim with confusion and her mouth gapes. Lines crease her face as her brows knit together. Words fail her and her mind dead halts to a grinding stop.
Aaron bursts out laughing. A malicious grin splits his lips and his eyes shine with glee. "You should see your face!" He points at her. "You really believed it." He slaps a hand over his forehead. "You thought Nick was here to save you." He cracks up again.
Judy can only stare dumbfounded.
"See, see, my brother, he loved recording people." He flashes a small device before her eyes. "He recorded your precious Nick and with what little he has I was able to simulate virtually any and everything in Nick's voice." He beams. "Gosh, I wasn't sure it would work, first time and all, but it really did. You believed it."
Judy's shock gives way to a deep hurt. Her lips turn down and her eyes cloud. The tears, once a sign of relief, now only hold her sadness. Her heart cracks is all she can do to hold herself together.
Aaron snickers. "I told you I'd get you." He snaps his fingers at her. "And we're just getting started." He turns the light off and turns away from her. He laughs again just before the door slams shut behind him.
Judy swallows hard. No, no, she's fine. Perfectly fine. "Judy!" His fake voice comes again, this time from a speaker somewhere. Aaron doesn't even try to make it sound convincing beyond having Nick's voice. But now…that's all it takes. Her lip trembles fiercely and the tears well up and over, streaming down her face. Her throat tightens and sobs bubble up. Soon her whole body is convulsing. She draws her legs to her chest and buries her face in her knees. "Judy!" The voice comes again and again. She shoves fingers into each ear and folds her ears down in a last ditch effort to shut it all out. It doesn't work. It muffles it, but she still hears Nick's intonations. Taunting her. A constant reminder that she is still utterly alone in this hellhole.
…
Nick loses his badge due to reckless behavior over the course of his investigation, but he doesn't let that stop him. He was a con man in his past and he has absolutely no qualms with breaking the law in order to save Judy. Besides, it is just a temporary suspension. And it pays off.
After enough threatening, blackmailing, and other highly illegal maneuvers he finds out where Judy is and he makes a beeline for her. He calls the police with the tip, but he doesn't wait for them. He barges in and knocks the scumbag out cold on his way to Judy. He barges into the room, calling her name. "Judy!" He waits with baited breath. Nothing. No, she has to be here. He rushes on. "Judy!" Still nothing. He focuses and his vision cuts through the dark, allowing him to see the cage in the corner and a small mass within it. "Judy!" Laughter seeps into his voice.
He races to the cage, sliding to his knees. He grips the bars and presses his face in the space between. Yes, yes, yes. It is her. Then why isn't she responding? The hair on the back of his neck stand on end. This can't be good. "Judy, I'm here to get you out." He sets to picking the lock. It is no easy feat in the pitch blackness, but he works furiously nonetheless. Within a minute it clicks and he gives a triumphant cry. "Alright," He sighs. "Come on, Carrots." Still she doesn't move. She doesn't look like she heard him at all.
Nick's brow furrows and a frown curls his lips. "Judy?" He crawls into the cage to get closer to her. It is then that he can hear her mumblings. He can also see the absolute blankness to her face and her glassy eyes as she lays curled in a ball on her side.
"It's not real. It's not real. You're not Nick. You can't be. It's not real."
Nick starts. "What? No, it is me." He reaches out for her. "I'm here." He touches her shoulder. "Hey, come on." He shakes her to try and snap her out of it. "We gotta go home."
Judy moves like lightening and strikes Nick. "Don't touch me." She rears up, her eyes crazed. "Don't you dare touch me. You cretin. You filth. You monster."
Nick jerks back. "J-Judy…?" Shock and fear plaster across his face as he stares down at her. He can honestly say he has never been afraid of Judy. She is the prey after all. But right now, in this moment, he is truly fearful of that look in her eye and the venom in her voice.
"I'm not stupid. Stop pretending to be him. Just stop it, stop it, sto-o-ooop…" She digs her fingers into her head and bends her head down. Sobs choke her and tears cascade down her cheeks. "He's not coming. He's not." She shakes her head. "It's not real."
Nick is seized by horror and his heart plummets. This is not his friend. This is a shell of her former self. Then the rage surges. He has the brutal urge to strangle someone, to rip out their throat with his own teeth. He trembles from sheer rage. The real world ebbs as his vision is coated in red. Fortunately her sobs break the haze. He snaps out of it and remembers where he is and what he is dealing with. No, no, he has to focus. He has to help her. Come on, he can do it.
"Judy, listen to me." He grabs both her arms and holds on tight.
Judy flies into a frenzy. She shrieks as she jerks every which way.
"Judy," He holds on tighter. "Calm down. Please." His voice cracks on the last word. His eyes burn and he swallows hard, swallows down the pain.
Judy does not head to him. If anything she struggles harder.
Nick sucks in a sucks in a soft breath as an idea hits him. He dares to release one arm and endures the blow it gets him in order to grab the flashlight from his belt. He flicks it on and shines it into his face. "Look at me, come on."
Judy whimpers and slams her ears over her eyes. "No, no, no. Leave me alone."
"Judy." He sighs. "Please…"
Judy starts at the sharpness in his tone and for a moment she freezes. She knows better, knows this voice can't be trusted no matter what it says. Still, there is a softness to this voice that was never there before, one she remembers from nights in the aftermath of a nightmare. So ever so slowly she lifts her ears and her gaze to peer at the face.
A choked laugh puffs out of her. "N-Nick…?"
Nick nods. A trembling smile turns his lips. "It's really me this time." He runs a hand over her cheek. "I'm real."
Judy breaks in sobs so powerful her whole body quakes. Her tears now are pure relief. She throws herself at him and buries her face in the crook of his neck, latching her arms around his neck and digging her fingers into his fur to hold on for dear life. "Nick, Nick, Nick…" She murmurs his name over and over, the words swallowed up by her sobs.
Nick engulfs her in his arms. He holds on just as tightly as she does. He breathes in her scent and melts into her touch. His name on her lips, any word with her voice, it brings him insurmountable comfort. "It's okay. I got you now. I got you." He could sit here forever like this really, but he knows this is a terrible place to stay. He needs to get her out of this terrible place and back to home, to comfort.
So after a minute he stands, lifting her off the ground with him. He holds her securely to him and in that moment it dawns on him how tiny she is compared to him, even more than usual. He doesn't want to think about that though. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts and walks from the dark room. When he opens the door he is met by all the faces of the police force. Relief rolls off of them in waves as they see Judy in his arms. Nick's gaze, however, catches on only one person's. He meet Bogo's eye and for a long moment doesn't move.
There is irritation in the buffalo's eyes, for all the rules broken in order to get here, but there is that same relief lurking just below the surface. He has already taken Nick's badge so he can't punish him that way either. He doesn't really want to either. The sight of Judy, once so strong and brimming with enough cheer and energy for the whole unit plus some, so painfully thin and clinging so desperately to Nick hurts him more than he would ever admit. So he simply nods to Nick.
Nick nods in return. He won't lie, it is a weight off his chest. He was worried about how the chief would handle all of his illicit. Now though he knows it's alright, at least for now. With that he walks out of the building and for home.
He makes it back in fifteen minutes and by then Judy's sobs and crying have quieted. He even wonders if perhaps she is asleep. He goes to her room to put her in bed when her tiny voice reaches him. "Nick…" She murmurs into his fur.
Nick perks and looks to her. "Yeah?" He says softly.
"Don't leave…please don't leave…"
Nick sighs and his heart sinks. He still isn't sure if she is coherent or somewhere between reality and dreams, but he doesn't want to risk it. He goes to his own bed and lays down, keeping her close to him all the while. He won't lie, it's for him just as much as her. He is scared to death after what happened, after nearly losing her. Holding on tight will help them both. "Don't worry." He coos, running a hand over her head. "I'm not going anywhere…I'm right here. I'm real."
Am I kicked out of the fandom yet? I feel like a terrible person. lol Not gonna lie, this hurt. Like a lot. Usually I don't have qualms about torturing my favorite characters because I'm a horrible person I guess. Lol But this…geez, I almost couldn't do it. I felt terrible. But there was no going back. So I plowed on through. Maybe I'm being a big baby about it, but if not then hopefully you survived.
Oh, remember that boyfriend from chapter two? Yeah, that would be the the brother of the dirtbag in this one. So this isn't completely out there. I said quite a bit of time has passed since last chapter because putting so many traumatizing experiences in such a short span of time is not only cruel but also unlikely to happen. Cause this story is so realistic to begin with. lol Also someone requested a concerned Nick. I'm sure you weren't thinking quite to these extremes, but there you go. XD
Unfortunately, I'm not sure where I want to go from here. I have a stray idea or two but I've more or less done all the moments I've been dying to do with the pair. Updates will probably slow down from this point on. Since it isn't technically a story in the conventional sense with a definitive end, I'll leave it as incomplete and just continue adding on when I feel like it. If you have suggestions don't hesitate to tell me and if it piques my interest I'll definitely do it. Please review! :)