Chapter Nine: Bunny and the Beast

Author's Note: Ever wondered what a true monster looks like? Take a look in the mirror.

Serial Killers, Rapists, Terrorists, and so many others viewed as monsters all appear like everybody else, do they not?

Those aren't the only monsters thought.

What about those you can't see? Those like the one who sees the world through your very own eyes?

Can you honestly say you aren't a monster?

We're all monsters, but only a few of us will admit it.

It's all about how you perceive the world.

Adolf Hitler was viewed as a monster by all, except his allies.

Anakin Skywalker fell to the Dark Side out of love, wanting to save Padme.

I think it was best stated in Dracula Untold: "Sometimes what the world needs isn't a hero. Sometimes what it needs is a monster."

Necessary Evils.

The instant he opened his eyes, Nick knew he hadn't truly awoken. How did he know this? Well, because he wasn't lying in Judy's bed next to her like when he fell asleep. Instead, he found himself standing within a large white room. In the center of which there was a cage, bars going both vertical and horizontal, and bolted to the floor, with chains securing the creature confined inside to the walls and ground. The beast was also restrained by a straightjacket and muzzle. However, it seemed eerily calm, which sent a shiver down Nick's spine.

"What do you want?" Nick asked, voice echoing throughout the room. "You wouldn't've summoned me here for no reason. So, let's hear it."

Blinking once slowly, the creature didn't answer. At least, it didn't answer vocally. Rather, it's voice entered Nick's mind, calmly and controlled. "Why ask questions to which you already know the answer?"

Staring at the beast within the cage, Nick stated, "That's a bit hypocritical of you to ask." Taking a seat in front of it, Nick said, "I'm nothing like you. So, I don't know why you're so dead set on making me believe it."

Chuckling, the beast answered, "Whether you believe it or not, it's true. You're are correct in a sense though. You're not me. I am you. The part of you you're too afraid to admit exists despite keeping you alive all this time."

"You may have kept me alive before, but I have Judy now." Nick countered. "With that said, I don't know why you're still around. I don't need you. I'm fully capable of protecting her. I'll always do my absolute best to make sure she's safe and sound." He woke up in a cold sweat and gasping for breath at the creature's next words.

"Mm. Nick?" Judy asked in a soft concerned voice. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Breathing heavily, Nick swallowed thickly before stating, "Nothing, Carrots. Go back to sleep. I'm just gonna go sit in the living room for a while."

"Uh-uh." Judy replied, grabbing Nick's tail. "Don't do that. Don't keep secrets from me, Slick." Cuddling his tail, Judy said, "Talk to me. Please?"

Its voice returned to haunt him, even though he was awake. "What if your absolute best isn't good enough?"

Nick laid back down next to Judy, gazing into her eyes. 'It has to be enough. It just has to be enough.' As Nick gazed at her though, he couldn't lie to himself about something like Judy's safety. He raised a paw and caressed her cheek. "What would you say if I told you that I'm not the mammal you think I am?"

"You're gonna need to clarify what you mean, Slick." Judy told him in response. "What do you mean by that? Is there something you've been keeping from me?"

"Not…not exactly, Fluff." Nick answered. Sighing and closing his eyes, Nick whispered, "I know you trust me, but I have a hard time trusting myself." Pressing his forehead to hers, Nick continued. "Have you ever felt like there's a part of yourself that's so much darker than the rest, like there's a monstrous beast residing within the deepest darkest depths of your mind?"

"Nick?" Judy whispered worriedly. "What are you trying to say, Slick? What is it you're trying to tell me?"

"There's more than just one type of monster, Judy. This mammal we're hunting, he's not the only one." Nick opened his eyes and stared deeply into her own. "I'm a monster, the one you don't see, that hides right in plain sight."

"You're not a monster, Nick." Judy stated, vehemently. "You're not. I know who you are, and you are no monster. You're a good mammal, one of the best."

"No, Judy. I'm not." Getting up, Nick glared at his reflection, which took the form of his inner beast. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me. Things that, if you did know, would make you see me for the monster I truly am." Nick turned to face her, only to get slapped across the muzzle. Blinking in shocked surprise, Nick raised a paw to his cheek and looked at Judy with wide eyes.

Grabbing Nick's chest ruff, Judy pulled him close. "Now you listen to me, Nicholas Piberius Wilde. You stop this kind of talk right now. I won't run away, so just tell me whatever it is you've been keeping from me."

Staring at her in a mixture of shock and awe, Nick broke down and told her. "Have you ever wondered why they call me 'Beast' at the precinct? It's because of what happened back during that sparring session I had with Buffalo Butt. I was on the verge of defeat when…it…woke up for the first time in years. It took total control of me, and then forced the Chief into submission. It's the reason I'm still alive, Judy. I don't know what to call it other than just that: it. It's…a monster with no limit to how far it will go to survive. There's blood on my paws because of it."

Cupping Nick's muzzle in her paws, Judy softly pleaded, "Go on. Keep going. Continue telling me about…whatever it is." She kept her eyes locked on his, refusing to let him look away from hers. "You can tell me anything, Nick. I won't run away. Not from you."

"Judy." Nick whispered thickly. He pulled his doe close, just holding her to him. "It's a killer, Judy. Yet, you, and you alone, are the only one it won't harm in anyway. I haven't a clue as to its true nature. All I know is that it's an integral aspect of who I am as a mammal." Tightening his hold on her, Nick softly nuzzled Judy in the crook of her neck. "I'm scared of myself. It's pathetic. I'm constantly having to keep myself on a tight metaphorical leash."

"Oh, Nick." Judy consoled him. "How bad does it get? What happens when…it surfaces?"

"A lot of things." Nick confessed. "I become the closest thing to a savage predator can without the use of Night Howlers. All my senses heighten, and I become more agile. In that state, it's as if my instincts, intuition, and intellect merge. At the same time, my behavior is far more primeval than normal."

Holding onto Nick, Judy asked, "You said that I'm the only one it won't hurt. Is it behind your excessive protectiveness of me?" It would make a lot of sense in retrospect.

"It's a part of it, but in truth, it's more like the one thing on which we agree." Nick told her. "I woke up because it asked me what would happen if my absolute best attempt to keep you safe wasn't enough. The question scared me so bad I had to wake up to check that you were alright."

"How long has this been going on, Nick?" Judy inquired seriously. "This isn't something that you just started going through. You even said that it hadn't happened in a long time. How long have you been suffering from…whatever this is?"

Hesitating for only a mere moment, Nick answered, "The first time it ever happened, I was 15. I was attacked while waiting for Finn to come get me. I ended up killing my assailant, but Finn had to call Mr. Big to get a cleanup crew to handle the body. After that, it happened whenever I was threatened or in a particularly dangerous situation. I've tried to…tame it, I guess, over the years. I never really managed it until you came into my life. Nowadays though, with this case, and a few other things, it's starting to resist. Whenever you're in danger, or if it feels that its relationship with you is threatened, it begins to bleed into my own actions. Like back at the bar."

"Nick," Judy began. "You didn't have to hide this from me." In fact, she felt a little hurt he hadn't trusted her enough to reveal all this earlier.

"Yes, I did." Nick expressed resolutely. "I didn't know how you'd react to me telling you this. By keeping it to myself, there was no risk of you leaving me."

"That's stupid, you dumb fox." Judy chided. "You could have told me sooner. You should have told me sooner. I would never leave you. No matter what."

"You say that now, Judy." Nick stated. "What about later down the line? He could assault whatever buck catches your eye. What would you do then?"

In lieu of answering with words, Judy kissed him feverishly. She wanted to convey that there was no way in hell she'd choose someone else than him. Feeling him begin to rumble, Judy pulled him down on top of her as she fell back onto the bed. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Judy also encircled her arms around his neck to pull him deeper into the kiss.

Tail whipping around wildly behind him, Nick reciprocated the kiss with equal vigor. He would gently bite her lower lip whenever she tried to pull away so that he could pull her back into another heated lip-lock. Other than his boxers, Nick didn't have much in terms of clothing. Because of this, he could feel her stubby claws raking through his fur. It sent pleasant shivers through his body.

As for Judy, all she really had on was a large shirt and panties. However, that sleepshirt was quickly removed as Nick all but ripped it off her. She stared up at him, somewhat breathless. A gleam in his eye told her that it was there too. "Do whatever feels right." Judy whispered.

Nick pressed his nose to the hollow of Judy's neck and took in her scent. Lashing his tongue over the point where her pulse was located, Nick could feel the doe's heartbeat. This doe was his, and he'd be damned if another dared to take her from him. Pulling away to gaze into her wonderful gemlike violet eyes, he asked, "Do what feels right, eh? You sure about that?"

Smirking up at him, Judy answered, "Yes, Nick. You just do whatever feels natural. I'll let you know if you do something I don't like." She moaned as his hot, wet tongue lightly traced the rim of one ear. When his claws were slowly dragged down her body, her breath hitched. Judy soon fell under his spell. He was so careful, so tender, so adoring in his ministrations that Judy wondered how many of those before her experienced this same treatment by his paws.

"None." Nick stated, as if reading Judy's mind. "I didn't feel anything for any of them. You're the only one with whom I'm taking my time, the only one with whom I'll ever make sweet, tender, passionate love, Judy." His cock was erect and straining his boxers quite visibly. Stripping them off his lower body, Nick shuffled forward a bit. "Suck." he commanded.

Obeying, Judy took the tip into her maw, careful not to scrape it with her teeth. Gently suckling, she ran her tongue over the tip, as if she were caressing it. To Judy, the taste of him was utterly delicious. The smell of his aroused musk was also very appealing to her.

Panting lightly at the sensation of Judy suckling his cock-tip, Nick had to stop himself from bucking his hips forward. Carefully repositioning himself, Nick shifted so that they were in a 69 formation with him over her. Snuffling through the fur of Judy's belly, Nick slowly brought his nose to the apex of her legs. The instant Judy splayed them out, he dove into her like a starving mammal who just had a meal fit for a king placed before him. He could feel her moan around his cockhead, making his tail puff out in pleasure.

Stealthily, so as not to frighten him, Judy slowly brought her paws to Nick's ass cheeks. Giving them a firm squeeze, she proceeded to wrap her legs around Nick's head to keep him there. Then, she began to tease his tailhole with one of her digits before working it inside.

The sensation wasn't expected, but Nick didn't mind it. After all, Judy had already licked his asshole before, so he didn't find this anywhere as embarrassing. His panting got heavier as the seconds ticked, ticked, ticked away. Leaning forward, Nick braced himself up with his arms over her. "Ha…ha…ha…J-Judy!"

Feeling Nick tense, Judy slowed down her ministrations. Pulling her mouth away, Judy softly said, "Just let it happen, Slick." Retaking the tip of Nick's foxhood into her maw, Judy went back to suckling it like a newborn.

Nick could feel Judy's paws working on him; one in his ass, the other massaging his knot. The moment Judy gave his cockhead a rather powerful suck, Nick lost it. Yipping, he started cumming straight down Judy's throat. He had to lock his muscles to prevent himself from moving erratically and forcing Judy to deepthroat his cock.

Moaning at the taste of Nick's seed, Judy guzzled it quickly so that it wouldn't build beyond what she could handle. As the volume of Nick's loads lessened, Judy let a small amount remain within her maw, having a plan for it. When Nick slowly withdrew his dick from her lips, she gently grasped his chest ruff and pulled him into a messy kiss.

Tasting himself through the kiss, Nick couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips. Unfortunately, it was at that moment in time the beast surfaced. However, unlike earlier, Nick decided maybe it would be okay, just this one time, to temporarily set him free.

Detecting the shift in Nick's overall demeanor, Judy separated from the kiss to gaze at him. The sight of feral eyes, like those of a primitive savage returning it sent a thrill through her, causing her arousal to skyrocket. Judy immediately realized what had happened. "Hi." she greeted somewhat shyly.

"Hi, yourself, Love." was the response given. Nick's voice was slightly different, due to the shift in mindset. While it was still Nick, this was, in fact, the beast that resided in the deepest, darkest depths of Nick's mind. Pressing down on top of her, he didn't do anything except lay there. He rumbled as Judy stroked and caressed the top of his head and ears.

"So," Judy began. "You're the beast." Seeing the smirk that he sent her, Judy asked, "Why have you been giving Nick such a hard time?"

Sighing, the Beast answered, "Because he's stubborn, and so that he remembers me. I used to be the one responsible for keeping him alive. Then, you came along and took over that role. The instant he started falling in love with you, I knew what my new role was: making sure he could protect you." Flicking his tongue out to lick her nose, it continued. "I'm suppressing Nick right now because I need to ask a favor from you. Please convince him to embrace me again. We're essentially two parts of a whole. I know it may take some time, but he's not complete without me."

Before Judy could answer, she watched as those feral eyes revert to a more civilized appearance, letting her know that Nick had retaken control. Seeing his confusion, Judy asked, "What is it?" She squeaked when Nick rolled them over, pulling her on top of him.

"I would have thought he'd do something else instead of just lay there with you." Nick supplied. He gave Judy ass a firm squeeze, eliciting a pleasured gasp from her. "If it had been me, I'd've teased you mercilessly until you were writhing under me, begging me to take you."

"Hmm." Judy hummed contemplatively. "You could still do that, you know. There's nothing stopping you."

"Nah." Nick replied, running a single claw down the side of her neck gently. "I'll do it some other time. For right now, I just want to lay here with you on my chest and spend some time talking with you."

So, that's exactly what they did. They talked about the little things on their minds, sharing memories, thoughts. Nick petted and stroked Judy's ears all through their conversation. Judy ran her stubby, dull claws through Nick's chest fur while he did so. Eventually, they got to a topic which needed to be discussed: them.

"I think there are a few of our colleagues who'll support us, but I'm not sure." Judy stated. "Clawhauser's definitely one. Maybe Fangmeyer and Wolford. Probably Marcus, too."

"I can tell you who won't support us." Nick replied. "Bernhard Hotch." He heard Judy growl as he said the name. "I think he might even be a purist."

"Hotch can burn in Hell for all I care." Judy voiced menacingly. "That buck needs to be put in his place. As for the possibility of him being a purist, I doubt it. I'm a bunny and he's a hare. Both lagomorphs, different species. He's probably against inter-order pairings."

"Regardless, he's going to be a real problem." Nick mused. "What about your parents? Do you think they'll be accepting? I mean, we know my dad accepts us. How about yours?"

"I don't know." Judy confessed sincerely. "I mean, my mom probably suspects. She's a rather sharp one. I know she's become more openminded, but there's no real way of knowing for certain how she'll react. However, my dad will probably have something to say about it. He'll more than likely behave as one would expect a father to towards a potential suitor. He's trying to be more accepting of new concepts."

"We're flying out in two days." Nick reminded her. "Do you think we should see if my dad and his associates will come with us to visit your folks before heading overseas? After all, it could be a while before we come back."

After a brief consideration, Judy answered, "Yeah. I think that would be a good idea. Plus, we need to run by the precinct anyway. That box of evidence that was delivered to us, I think I know what it is now."

"The evidence of the original murders my father told us about." Nick stated. "I've been thinking the same thing. Of course, back then they didn't have access to everything we have now. Plus, our killer has been on and off for a couple of decades at intermittent intervals. Although our killers obviously not the perpetrator from back then, he's emulating them with near perfect precision."

While Nick spoke, Judy maneuvered herself a tad to reposition herself on his chest. She felt him shiver as the tip of his cock grazed her lower lips like a feather. The sensation did wonderfully, wicked things to the two of them, but Judy whispered, "Very soon, I'll going to have you claim me, Nick. You had better be ready for it. For now, though, we should get ready to meet up with your dad and his team."

An hour later, Nick and Judy were showered, dressed, and making their way downtown towards the precinct. Stopping at their regular coffee shoppe, the two settled themselves in one of the booths. Judy was on the phone speaking with her parents about possibly visiting. At the same time, Nick was on the phone with his father discussing it as well.

"I don't see why not." Senior answered after a moment of silence. "It would probably do us all some good to take a momentary step back and relax. Are you sure they won't mind?"

"Judy's discussing it with them right now." Nick replied, glancing over at his doe. "I'll text you their answer once we have it." Think about it for a bit, he added, "Dad? Have you ever…felt afraid of yourself?"

"Sometimes." Senior admitted. "However, I don't want to have this discussion over the phone. Let's talk about it later, when we're together."

"Yeah. Okay." Nick told his father goodbye and ended the call. By then, the barista had their orders ready. Retrieving their drink orders, Nick and Judy resumed their journey to Precinct One. They stopped for a minute at a park along the way, to watch the kits play.

"Have you ever thought about having kits?" Judy asked suddenly. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Nick frown a bit. "We'll probably never have any of our own, you know."

"You don't know that." was Nick's response. "Life always finds a way to surprise you. Everything evolves, adapts. That means there is a chance we could have our own biological kits." He then added, "You're right though. The chances are rather slim, but it's not impossible."

"That's true." Judy admitted. The thought of possibly having kits with Nick gave her a warm, bubbly feeling. There really was no way of knowing what kind of surprises Life would throw in their direction.

When they finally arrived at the precinct, Nick and Judy waved to Clawhauser before heading to their shared office. Reopening the box of evidence that they had received earlier, the two sat down and began examining them with more scrutiny. Finding the old phonograph cylinders at the bottom of the box, Nick contacted a Finn to see if they could borrow his phonograph.

Judy quickly created a timeline of the murders based on the notes kept in the memo booklets. She constructed a visual using the photos, notes, tacks, and twine upon the large corkboard which adorned their office wall. She stepped away to look at her work. When their office door opened, Judy turned to see Finn carrying in his antique phonograph and give it to Nick.

Having managed to identify the order in which the phonograph cylinders were produced, Nick started by putting in the first one. Sitting down next to Judy, he listened to the voice of Inspector Declan Wolford. Nick felt obligated to ask their colleague Wolford if they were related.

The wolf spared no details, describing absolutely everything and painting elaborate mental images. There were also a few cylinders made by a Nathan Fangmeyer, making both Judy and Nick wonder if possibly these two were ancestors of their coworkers. The tiger's reports were just as detailed as those of his partner. After a few cylinders, they had to take a break to get something to eat and drink.

"Those investigators seemed ahead of their time. Wouldn't you say, Nick?" Judy inquired, taking a bite of her salad. "I mean, they pushed to have photographs taken of the crime scenes, decided to keep audio records on phonographic cylinders, and their notes are highly detailed."

Nodding, Nick stated, "They were smart. They even managed to preserve a ton of evidence for in the future. I must give them props for it."

"We're not investigating the original crimes, but I think if we did, it would help with our own investigation." Judy stated. "After all, our killer seems to be emulating the original. It could give us insight."

"I agree with you." Nick commented. "How do you think we should go about it? Pay a visit to the crime lab? Or, go see a few outside specialists?"

After considering it for a bit, Judy answered, "Actually, I think a few of my siblings could help us. We'll have to wait and see. My parents should be calling me soon with their answer."

Finishing their meal, the two returned to their office so that they could continue. Listening to some more cylinders as they worked, Nick and Judy started making their own notes about the case. A few minutes later, Judy's phone started to ring.

"This is Officer Hopps." … "Uh-huh." … "Yes." … "Great." … "Thank you." Hanging up her landline, Judy stated, "Grab your gear, Slick. We've got a potential witness."

Gathering their stuff, the two walked to the garage and got into their cruiser. Pulling out onto the roadway, Judy drove them into the Nocturnal District. Their destination was Precinct 24. Upon their arrival, the two were greeted with the sight of reporters, who immediately began to try interviewing them. Ignoring the 'parasites', they strode into the building to meet with their so-called witness.

As it turned out, their witness was a blind mammal. Still, he was able to provide them with a bit of information that surprised them. After interviewing him, they quickly returned to Precinct One to check out the validity of the information given to them.

"Anything?" Judy asked her fox after a couple of minutes. "Because I've got nothing. I haven't found anything regarding the Moira Bedlam Asylum."

"Well, I got something, but it's not much." Nick told her. Passing over the printout he had, Nick stated, "Here. Read this and tell me what you think."

Speedreading the news article, Judy understood what Nick meant about it not being much. There was only a single mention of the place throughout the article. Other than that, the clipping was about the fire that had claimed the structure years ago, and its aftermath. "This is all just before the first set of murders." Judy mused aloud.

"Yep. The first murder happened roughly a week afterwards. The second followed a couple of months later. Murder number three took place a few weeks after the second. However, we now have something of a starting point." Remembering the killer's words in the recording of Mrs. Batsarab's assault, Nick pulled up Vlad Batsarab's records. Amongst the list of places where the vampire bat had formerly been employed was the Moira Bedlam Asylum. "Check this out, Cottontail. Vlad Batsarab was once an employee there."

Walking around to read over Nick's shoulder, Judy wondered, "Our killer was involved in that fire, wasn't he? All this originated there. Just what happened in that place, and why can't we find anything about it?"

Before Nick could answer, Judy's mobile notified them that her parents were calling. The doe went outside to take the call, leaving Nick alone to ponder why there were no records about anything regarding the Moira Bedlam Asylum. He could think of a few reasons: the records had been destroyed in the fire, they'd gotten lost somewhere in the old document storage building, or whatever happened there was being covered up by someone with a lot of influence.

"My parents said they'd be happy to let us stay with them. As long as we're fine with dealing with the mayhem of preparing for the local festival that's taking place soon." Judy told Nick as she reentered the office. Seeing that Nick wasn't paying attention, Judy sneakily clambered up to sit on his lap.

Feeling the unexpected pressure, Nick was brought back to reality to see Judy straddling him. Placing his paws on Judy's hips, he gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. What were you saying?"

"My parents said they're fine with letting us stay with them until we head overseas." Judy reiterated. "What were you thinking about, Slick? You had this look of concern."

Sighing, Nick replied by asking, "I was thinking about something that has me worried. What if the reason we can't find any record of what happened there is due to a coverup? Do you think it's possible someone with a ton of influence covering up what took place there?"

The thought had crossed Judy's mind. Knowing Nick shared her thoughts made her smile a bit. "Of course, it's possible. If that's true though, we've got to be very careful about how we move forward with our investigation."

Grunting in agreement, Nick said, "Alright, Hoppity-Hopps. Get off. We must get back to work."

What neither of them realized was that just a short way away a black-cloaked mammal observed them. They also never noticed that this mammal followed them up until the point of entering the precinct. However, once inside, Nick peered over his shoulder just in time to witness the tip of their tail disappear around a corner. Not thinking anything of it, Nick followed Judy back to their office.

The tod and doe studied all the preserved evidence of the original murders thoroughly and with keen eyes, looking for any clues that might've been missed. Nick sent a text to his father telling him they were all invited to join them on the trip to Bunnyburrow before focusing on the task at paw.

Nick and Judy both lost track of time, not realizing how late it was until Bogo came in to tell order that they head home for the night. Acquiescing, the two clocked out of work then made their way to Judy's apartment. Except, just before entering, Nick asked, "How about we go to my place this time? I'll need to grab a few things there anyway before we head to your folks' place."

Giving Nick a nod, Judy fell in behind him as they headed to his apartment. A bit excited to see where Nick lived, Judy wondered what type of décor he had. Her mother had always told her one could learn a lot about a mammal by how they decorated their home.

When they arrived, Nick waved to a few of the more sociable tenants, escorted Judy upstairs to his apartment, then led her inside, locking the door behind them. "Take a seat, Carrots. It could be a while. Gotta make sure I grab everything."

After Nick disappeared up the staircase to the bedroom loft, Judy scanned her surroundings. Her ears drooped at how utterly bland it all was. It seemed so sterile, without a iota of Nick's personality. The colours were plain, there were no decorations adorning the walls, and it felt so empty despite the furniture. There wasn't a television or radio, but one corner had a bookcase with a rather comfortable looking rocking chair next to an antique oil lamp. That was the only thing with any form of personality to it in the apartment.

Walking up to the bookcase, Judy studied the spines. There were a few titles she recognized: Bunnicula, Phantasm of the Opera, The Pictograph of Damien Grey, and, interestingly, the Strange Case of Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde. Judy figured that Nick felt empathic towards Dr. Jackal, who also had an inner beast from which he suffered.

While Judy was busy with looking around, Nick gathered and packed everything he thought was necessary to bring with him. A couple of the items he knew Judy would have a problem with, but Nick chose to pack them anyway. Hopefully, he'd get her to understand why he was bringing it all.

Turning to look at himself in the mirror, Nick found his inner monster staring back at him. This time though, it didn't appear to be antagonistic. Rather, it looked as if though there was an expression of serenity which adorned its muzzle. In the blink, the reflection reverted to his actual self again.

Picking up his luggage, Nick rejoined Judy, who he discovered looking through some of his scrapbooks. The one Judy was currently looking at held most of his precious memories concerning her. There were photos of the two together in various places throughout the city, ticket stubs to movies they'd seen, random tidbits she'd given him such as a pressed flower. It was a treasure trove of moments, irreplaceable memories with her, that he cherished.

"You sure are sentimental, Slick Nick." Judy told him after he sat down next to her. "Keeping all of these things safe like this? It'll lead me to believe you've been pining after me for a long time."

Nudging the ear closest to him with his nose, Nick whispered, "I have been pining after you for a long time. Too long for my liking. It was a price I was more than willing to pay though." He wrapped an arm around her as she leaned into his side. "I don't entirely know at what point I started falling in love with you, but I don't give a fuck about it anymore. I'm just happy knowing we're together now."

"Me too, Nick. Me too." Judy whispered back. After a few minutes like that, Judy said, "Come on. We should get to my place. We've got an early morning train, and we need to be well rested."

The journey from Nick's apartment to Judy's wasn't a very long one, only about a quarter of an hour. However, it seemed like longer once they noticed how some mammals were looking at them. Some had expressions of disgust, others sorrow, a few even gave them smiles of acceptance, but those were few and far between. By the time they got to Judy's apartment complex, the two had kept count of how many of each expression they were sent. Surprisingly, sorrow was the number one, as if they were sorry for the hatred they had to endure simply for loving a member of another species. Upon reaching Judy's floor, they had another surprise waiting for them: a team of CSIs.

"What the hell!?" Nick all but shouted, rushing to see what was going on inside. Seeing Wolford and Higgins, he demanded, "What's going on here? Why are you here?" He got his answer after quickly scanning the place. Everything in Judy's apartment was either broken or destroyed.

The sight of her place in such a state had Judy gasp the moment she stepped inside. She hadn't even lived in the apartment that long, and it was already a crime scene. Judy felt Nick wrap her up in his arms protectively, returning the embrace instinctively. After Wolford and Higgins were through, the four of them went down to Precinct One to deal with the paperwork before Judy and Nick were brought before Chief Bogo. Along the way, they passed Bernhard Hotch, whose expression seemed off by a single degree as he watched them pass by him. Nick had a feeling the hare was involved but had nothing to prove it.

After everything was done, Senior came to collect them, then brought them to his hotel room, which had a second bed. Agreeing to talk about the situation tomorrow morning, they all went to sleep. In the meantime, across the city, the muffled screams of Bernhard Hotch were being enjoyed by the Apex Omnivore.

Meanwhile, in his sleep, Nick once more found himself within the deepest, darkest depths of his mind. However, this time his counterpart wasn't confined within the cage or bindings. The two stared at one another for a moment before Nick said, "You're probably right. There's a possibility that my absolute best won't be enough. So, here's what's going to happen. We're going to help each other. You'll train me while my body rests in the waking world, and I'll allow you a modicum of the freedom you so desperately desire."

Giving Nick a smirk, the beast stated, "I can agree to that." At a snap of his fingers, the entire mindscape changed into a type of training grounds. "I hope you've prepared yourself, because I'm going to put you through Hell."

Post-Chapter Author's Note:

Next chapter will see our heroes travel to the in-verse version of London (Zootropolis, duh).

There'll be a small part at the end where the ZPD will find something horrid. No spoilers though.

I'm still waiting for murder ideas for the sand cat psychotherapist to be sent via review.

Although, I never did specify to send it via review. Meh. You know now anyway.

If anyone is even the least bit concerned about Bernhard Hotch, he'll live.

I've still got a whole lot I need him to do. So, I can't kill him quite yet.

Thomas and Marcus will continue to appear, and so will Samantha.

Last thing: If you understand the Pre-Chapter Author's Note, I tip my hat to you.

If not, think about it for a bit. You'll eventually understand.