Nick slowly turned to face Crevan. The same Crevan that had betrayed his trust, taken everything from him, and had up and left without so much as a goodbye. The arctic fox gazed back at him, a smirk firmly plastered on his face.

Nick burst out laughing.

How could he not? Nick could definitely comprehend how the past few hours had gone horribly for him, but to couple those events with Crevan just appearing out of the blue? His whole day had become an absurd affair.

The white fox stared at him, his conceited smile slowly melting into a frown.

"Hey, Nicholas, the least you could do is return my greeting."

Nick doubled over from laughing, completely ignoring Crevan's complaint.

"Give me a second!" he cried, barely choking the words out in between laughs.

Wheezing, Nick struggled to lift himself upright.

"I'm sorry… I was just thinking about you trying to look all serious and intimidating…" he gestured around the room, "…in a bathroom, of all places."

Crevan's eyes worked back and forth studying Nick, while Nick himself leaned back against the sink, a smug expression of his own working its way on his face.

Crevan spoke up at last. "I guess some things never change. You never could take things seriously, could you, Nicholas?"

Nick winced. Hearing Crevan utter his full name like that was like claws on a chalk board to his ears.

"I take everything I do seriously. Personal policy of mine."

Crevan cocked an eyebrow. "That's funny coming from the world's worst security guard." he said. "And the worst milk man ever. Oh, and who could forget that time when you were supposed to be Finnick's designated driver?"

Nick's features softened and, against his better judgement, he felt a pang of nostalgia somewhere deep down. "Oh yeah?" he responded lively. "And how did all those end up exactly? Last I checked, Mr. Big still has all of his suits, the old man got his milk, and Finnick… well, he's still alive."

"Fair enough." Crevan chuckled softly. "Oh, except for the fact that you still owe me three hundred bucks for the suits, soy milk isn't the same as cow's milk, and Finnick will never let anyone else drive his van again."

They shared a laugh together, and it seemed as though all the tension had disappeared from the room. It was never going to last.

"I forgot how much I liked you, Nicholas. We could have accomplished some great things." Crevan's eyes locked onto Nick and his gaze grew cold. "But you had to let your fanciful little dreams get in the way."

Nick's whole body went rigid. It felt like he had been walloped in the stomach with a brick and all the air had been simultaneously sucked out of the room. He felt his upper lip curl and his nostrils flair. It took a few breaths, but he finally composed himself enough to speak.

"After all this time, that's what you have to say to me? After all you've done, I figured you'd come back here on your knees begging for help." Nick practically spat out the last few words.

Crevan simply smirked back at him. Nick felt like he was looking through a mirror into some bizarro world; it was unnerving how much the expression reminded Nick of himself.

"Well? Let's cut to the chase: what are you doing here, Crevan?"

"Aw, we were having such a nice conversation. Can't we just continue that?"

"We both know you're not one for idle chitchat."

Crevan let out a disappointed sigh. "The ZPD is always so suspicious of foxes…" He stepped toward Nick until they were within inches of one another. Nick, despite being almost a head taller, instinctually shied away. "I'm here to help you."

Nick laughed, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. He has apprehensive to the point where he could no longer meet Crevan's gaze. He started pacing back and forth in front of the arctic fox. "This will be good," he said, with as much snark as he could muster.

"I have an offer for you," Crevan continued, ignoring Nick's flippantness. "I can get you back to where you belong."

"Back to where I belong?" Nick watched Crevan out of the corner of his eye; he was the kind of animal that you should never turn your back on.

"Away from the ZPD. They're not like you. You're not like them. It's as simple as that. Or are you delusional enough to think that they actually liked you?"

Crevan's words hit Nick like a freight train. On any other day, he would have been able to brush them off easily as a feeble attempt to incite him. But not today. Not after what he had experienced. Nick was scared by how much truth he heard ringing in those words. For the first time since he became a police officer, Nick decided to follow the first instinct he always had when faced with an intense situation: he tried to run away.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but never let me see your face again," Nick called back at Crevan as he headed for the door.

"You're going back to those bunnies? I could tell just how much they wanted you around," Crevan laughed contemptuously to himself, causing Nick to stop dead in his tracks. "I don't know what you're thinking, Nicholas, but I can tell you that that's not going to end well…"

"Oh, and I hope you fall down a mammalhole somewhere," Nick barked back to him, but any further comments were cut off by the bathroom door swinging open, causing Nick to jump back in order to avoid being smashed up against the wall. A hippo strolled into the room, completely oblivious to the fact that he had almost accidentally created a fox sandwich. Crevan took advantage of the distraction to catch up to Nick, sliding under the hippo and reaching out to grab Nick by the arm.

"You're going to listen for once." Nick felt Crevan's claws dig in. "Not just to me, but to Finnick, to your cop pals, to those bunnies back there. We're all telling you the same thing," Crevan whispered. There was something ominous buried in his words.

Nick could do nothing but stare at him incredulously, and he found himself being led back out into the dining room like a mother would lead her kit.

One single realization managed to come to Nick. Has… has he been following me?

"It's been a pretty hard day, hasn't it, Nicholas?" Crevan leered at him, and then leaned in until his muzzle practically touched Nick's ear. "I'll be at the corner of Pride and Farmway at two tonight. It should be a pretty short walk for you."

Nick's mind sputtered and he found himself unable to form a coherent thought. Crevan pulled away and made to leave, but he turned back to face Nick one last time.

"I take my job seriously."

And with that, he has gone, seemingly vanishing behind a service cart that had rolled in front of him.

Nick remained rooted in place, staring blankly in the direction Crevan had gone. He felt a shove behind him and almost went sprawling as a hyena pushed his way past him.

"Watch it, buddy," the hyena snapped and continued on his way.

It was enough to bring Nick back to his senses.

Crevan knows where I live. The thought bounced around Nick's head as he struggled to fully comprehend what it meant. He had no idea what Crevan was up to or what he needed with him, but there was no doubt in his mind that Crevan's words constituted a threat. His mind jumped to Judy and he felt an unfamiliar protective instinct rise up inside of him. He had suddenly found himself caught in a dangerous situation, but more importantly to him, she was unwittingly in the same situation.

Nick forced his mind back into the real world. He needed to stay focused. He tried to force the whole encounter with Crevan to the back of his mind; he couldn't allow Judy to know that something was amiss. Not until he figured out what game Crevan was playing. Nick slowly worked his way back through a boisterous party of mammals that were getting up to leave. Despite the cacophony of noise that was the restaurant, Nick heard Judy before he saw her.

"… You didn't even try to get to know him!"

Great. Now I have to go back to this…

"Are you sure that you really know him? Who knows what kind of n-n-nefarious things he could be using you for!" Nick heard Stu say, just as their table came back into his view.

"Really, Dad?! Really?!" Judy broke off her icy stare when she say Nick approaching. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temple, and Nick barely resisted the urge to sprint across the room and comfort her. Suddenly, she jumped up from her chair and made a motion to slam her fist on the table, but just barely held back.

"You guys should look into booking a hotel for tonight. Come on, Nick, let's go."

Nick barely made it to the table before he found himself being pulled away from it by Judy tugging at his tie.

"It was nice to meet with both of you," he managed to blurt out to Bonnie and Stu before Judy wrenched him away.

Judy stormed out of Gusteau's with Nick closely in tow, giving the concerned hostess a dismissive wave as she went. The noise spilling out from the inside of the restaurant mixed with sounds from the street, assaulting Judy's ears from all sides. She felt like she was being smothered, but there was no way to fight back against the crowd of mammals threatening to envelop her. The only thing she could do was to try and get away from it as soon as possible.

"Woah, Carrots, slow down, will ya?!" Nick panted behind her. "We need to talk."

"Not here," she replied sternly and ploughed forward and away from the main plaza. She had to find a place away from the crowds and the lights and the noise in order to gather her thoughts.

Soon enough, the entrance to a parking garage appeared in front of them and Judy rushed into it. The parking garage was cold, dark, claustrophobic, and the air felt damp. It was a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city. Judy instantly felt more relaxed; it reminded her of the burrows that she had spent so much time in as a kit. Judy made her way to the back of the garage where she had parked the cruiser, fumbling for her keys as she went. At least I haven't lost these yet…

She slowly crawled up onto the seat. Her whole body suddenly felt incredibly heavy and her limbs incredibly weak. Judy glanced at herself in the mirror, but quickly looked away when she saw the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes. She tried to fight her emotions, but it was a battle that she wasn't going to win this time. Sobs wracked her body and she found herself gasping for breath.

Judy heard the sounds of the passenger's side door opening and Nick getting in beside her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She froze when she felt him pat the top of her head, her last cry catching in her throat.

"Your ears are drooping," he whispered and softly ran the pad of his paw up and down her right ear.

"Oh Nick," Judy sobbed. "What am I doing?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you," Nick replied dryly. Judy wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to face him. In the darkness of the parking garage, Nick's green eyes shone with a mesmerizing intensity.

"T-that wasn't what I was expecting to happen at all. It couldn't have gone any worse!"

"I wouldn't say that. It could have been worse. I'm talking a lot worse. Hear me out on this. We got lucky that the place was so loud. I don't think anyone even noticed the little family feud going on. Can you imagine if everyone was staring at you?" Nick grinned and Judy could almost see the lightbulb turn on over his head. "Oh, and what if Chief Bogo was there?" He dropped his voice in a vain attempt to impersonate the chief. "Hopps! Where did you learn to behave like this public? Were you raised in a barn?!"

Judy giggled, and the last of her tears were dislodged and fell harmlessly onto the seat beneath her. Thanks, Nick. She could always count on him to cheer her up, even though she knew that the whole situation must have been just as hard for him as it had been for her. She reached back and put her paw on top of his as he slowly massaged her ear.

"I'm sorry I put you through that," Judy apologized. "I didn't think they would treat you like that. You must feel terrible!"

"Terrible? Judy, listen to me. Whatever they said back there, it's positively tame compared to some of the things I've heard." Judy had no doubt that his words were true, but she simply couldn't believe that he hadn't been bothered by her parents' words. Judy, herself, couldn't remember a time when she had been more embarrassed.

"Don't hate your parents because of me," Nick said, as though he could read her mind. "I get it. You. Me. It's… untraditional. They were just surprised, is all. They'll come around."

Judy smiled softly. "You're a lot more optimistic than I expected."

"What? You didn't know I'm an eternal optimist?"

Judy rolled her eyes at him. "I know how scared you were for tonight."

"Scared? Hey now."

"Anxious, nervous, whatever. And I guess you were right to be. And yet, you're handling this better than I am."

"It helps not being emotionally unstable." Judy gave Nick a light punch on the shoulder, eliciting an "ow". "No, you know what? I imagined it going worse," he said, matter-of-factly. "Here's what's going to happen. They're going to call soon, there will be a lot of tears and apologies, and everything will be back to normal in the Hopps family."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

In her heart, Judy knew that he was probably right, but she wasn't overly concerned with her own relationship with her parents. She loved them, regardless of their faults, and they loved her. She knew that they genuinely thought they had her best interests in mind. Rather, she wanted them to get to know Nick like she knew him: as the kind, funny, selfless, and devoted mammal he was. Fox or not, she loved him and there was nothing that was going to change that.

Judy gazed into his comforting green eyes and felt his touch on her fur. She lost herself in the moment. It was the perfect distraction from the emotional whiplash she had just been put through. Perhaps it was too much of a distraction, as she failed to notice the poorly hidden fear behind those eyes that she loved so much, or the way that they scanned every shadow, just waiting for something, or someone, to jump out.

Nick stared at the wall with bleary vision, struggling to keep his eyes open. As the minutes turned to hours, it became harder and harder to fight the urge to sleep. He turned over slowly, being careful to avoid making any noises that could wake Judy up. He found himself inspecting each individual hair on the back of her head and listening to the rhythmic sound of her breathing.

The evening had gone just about how Nick had predicted it would. After a while of lounging around and waiting (plus impatient foot tapping on Judy's part), Bonnie had finally called to let them know just how wrong Stu and her had been. There were lots of apologies, just a few tears, and, finally, one tired bunny that could go to bed hopeful that things might, just might, have a chance of working themselves out.

Nick didn't have the same luxury that Judy had: his worries were keeping him up all night. Well, up to two o'clock, if he was being precise. Nick rolled back over and looked down at the watch he had strategically left by the side of bed. Having night vision came in handy for a lot of different situations, but this was one of the more unexpected ones. 1:53. Guess I better get going.

Nick carefully slide himself out from under the covers and landed silently on all fours. He stealthily crawled across the floor to the bedroom door, which he had deliberately left propped open earlier. Even when he was out in the relative safety of the living room, he still moved with excess caution. He couldn't do anything that had the remote possibility of waking Judy up. He didn't dare turn on a light or check his cellphone, and, above all he couldn't make any noise. Internally, he cursed rabbits and their incredible hearing.

Now came the hard part. Nick's eyes locked on the door in front of him. Easy does it, he thought, reaching for the handle. Slowly, he turned it, listening for the click of the latch. When he felt that it would come, he slowed down even further. Eventually, he was able to work the door free and started to swing it toward him.

Creeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkk…

Nick froze. He cast an ear back in the direction of the bedroom, but detected no sounds of movement. It took a moment, but Nick eventually worked up the courage to tiptoe out the front door and into the night. The night air was surprisingly warm on his face, and it made the fact that he was wearing just shorts and a t-shirt more bearable. Nick moved to close the door behind him.

Creeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkk…

He pressed his ear up to the door, but again heard no movement inside.

This place is brand new. How the hell does that door already creak?!

Nick worked his way down the stairs and to the sidewalk. Alright. Pride and Farmway it is. Nick begrudgingly started walking. The night sky above the city was completely clear and, outside of the sound of the occasional passing car, it was quiet. Unnervingly quiet. Overhead, a full moon shone brilliantly, bathing the buildings around him in a seemingly unnatural light.

Nick stopped in his tracks. He could detect traces of the familiar scent of fox, but he couldn't pinpoint what direction it was coming from. His noise darted back and forth as though it was being jerked around on a string. When he couldn't immediately locate the other fox, he tensed up and felt his claws unconsciously extend. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared at the edge of his vision, and Nick's head snapped straight forward. Crevan was standing under a burned out streetlight with his paws clutched against his chest, a giant shadow extending out in front of him. Nick took one last glance around at his surroundings to make sure that they were alone and stepped forward until he found himself completely enveloped in Crevan's shadow.

"Nicholas, you're on time, for once," he called out. When he saw Nick's bloodshot, tired eyes and general stormy disposition up close, he added "well, you don't look happy to be here."

"I'm just out for a stroll. I don't know what you're doing here," Nick deadpanned back to him. Crevan opened his mouth to get in a response, but Nick interrupted him. "No, no. I start. I don't want to know why you're here. I don't care why you're here," Nick said, his voice growing in intensity. "What I do know is that you are going to leave here tonight and never come near me, never come near my friends, never come near my home, again."

"Oh?" Crevan's eyes twinkled with amusement and it was obvious that he was suppressing a smile.

Nick went for the knockout punch. "I doubt you want Mr. Big to know you're back in town. You wouldn't survive a night."

The smile broke out on Crevan's face and he chuckled softly. "I'm glad to hear that you're not opposed to stepping over the line, you crooked cop you. I was counting on it."

Nick clenched his teeth and balled his fists. "I'm serious."

"So I'm I. That shrew isn't what he used to be. He can't touch me. Not even in Tundratown." The arctic fox was completely relaxed and in control of the situation. Nick yelled internally. He had put all his eggs in one basket and it had broken on him. Now Crevan had all the leverage.

"Is that all?" Crevan smirked at him. He knew exactly what was up. "Alright. I said that I have an offer for you, but it doesn't sound like you're going to be receptive. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to turn it into a threat." He shrugged. "But what can you do?"

"Crevan…" Nick growled, a sense of panic growing in his chest.

"What? You just threatened my life. I suppose I could do the same." He paused, feigning being deep in thought. "Or I could threaten your precious little Judy Hopps. That might work better." It took all the self-control he had for Nick to not jump on him right then and there. Crevan watched the internal struggle play out on Nick's face with a smile. "But I won't," he conceded. "Instead, I'll just say this: If you want to remain an officer of the ZPD, you'll do exactly as I say."

A shocking sense of relief rushed over Nick. That's Crevan's trump card? Maybe there was still a chance that he could get out of this. "What are you going to tell them? That I'm a former con artist? That I engaged in dubious activities? Nice try. The chief already knows everything about my history." Nick crossed his arms and gazed at Crevan smugly.

"Everything?" The arctic fox countered with a smug expression of his own. "I doubt that. I doubt that very much. You would be in prison if that were the case."

A cold chill ran down Nick's spine. How had he been so blind to Crevan's true intentions? Of course that was why he was back in Zootopia.

"Calipto ring a bell?" Crevan continued, reveling in Nick's reaction. "Ah, it does! I was starting to think that you had forgotten all the fun times we had."

Nick's mind raced, searching for something, anything, that he could throw back at Crevan, Suddenly, he came up with one. "You're bluffing," he said firmly. "You would go down for it too."

"Please. I've been in this business a long time. Any and all evidence I have will point to you and you alone."

Nick had no doubt about the truthfulness of Crevan's words. He knew firsthand how meticulous and cautious the arctic fox was. His stomach sank as the true magnitude of Crevan's threat dawned on him. He's going to get me kicked off the force…

"I wouldn't lie to you, Nicholas," Crevan said softly.

Yes, yes you would. You have before.

"I'm listening," Nick hissed under his breath.

"I told you that you would," Crevan beamed up at him, self-satisfaction oozing in his voice. It made Nick feel absolutely sick. "My employer, well, let's just say that he's a little paranoid when it comes to keeping his… unsavory affairs a secret. So we need to set up a little surveillance operation. That's where you come in." Crevan's eyes went wide with glee. "I need your help to infiltrate the ZPD."

"What?!" Nick couldn't help but shout and the word echoed back to him from across the empty street.

"Oh, it's easy on your part. I just need you to get my guy in. That's it. Maxwell here will take it from there."

Maxwell? Nick's eyes fixated on Crevan's paws, which hadn't moved from his chest the entire time they had been talking. For the first time, he realized that there was another mammal among them. Crevan uncupped his paws, revealing a tiny mammal whose species Nick couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Hi. You can call me Max," he squeaked up at Nick.

"Shut it, Maxwell," Crevan snapped. "Anyway, I'm not even asking you to get your hands dirty. Just get him in and out, then keep your mouth shut about it. That's it."

"That's it?" Nick was incredulous.

"I'll be out of your life forever. No one will be any the wiser and no one will get hurt. Not you, not Officer Hopps, no one. That's my promise to you. What do you say?"

Nick didn't immediately answer. His mind flashed back to some of the biggest decisions of his life that he later regretted. Here was another such decision; what choice would he regret the more? Nick looked past Crevan to the glowing city skyline. He had finally found his true place in this city. He belonged in the ZPD. He belonged with Judy. And he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize that.

"Come on, Nicholas," Crevan pleaded, his previous confidence completely evaporated.

The only response Nick could manage was a grunt.

"What is that? Is that a yes?"

Nick locked eyes with Crevan. "God I hate you."

Crevan flashed a legitimately relieved smile. "That's a yes! Maxwell, give him the when and where."

"Er, I guess that we're going to aim for the midnight shift change tomorrow at Precinct One," the diminutive mammal spoke up. "Minimal number of cops in the building. I can meet you here thirty minutes beforehand."

"And what do I need to do?" Nick asked softly. He felt sorry for Max; it was obvious that the little guy was out of his element. Nick wondered what circumstances led to him falling in with Crevan.

Max shrugged. "Just walk in the front door."

Just then, the headlights from a passing car briefly illuminated the three of them. Nick covered his face with his paw and turned his head away, wanting to avoid any chance of being seen. Crevan watched him as the car passed, chuckling to himself.

"Welcome back to the other side, Nicholas," he said as he turned and started walking away from Nick. "Have fun tomorrow!" he called back before disappearing into the night, taking Max with him.

Nick didn't move until Crevan was long gone. The initial shock of Crevan's "offer" had worn off and Nick was able to contemplate it clearly for first time. Crevan wanted him to betray the ZPD, to betray the trust of his fellow officers. He wouldn't do it. Are you sure that they're your "fellow" officers? A nagging voice in the recesses briefly spoke up, but Nick quickly buried it. No, he was only going along with the plan to buy himself more time. He was going to find out who Crevan's employer was, what they were up to, and he wasn't going to quit until the arctic fox was rotting in a cell somewhere. Oh, and he needed to locate and get rid of some evidence along the way. Nick sighed to himself. He was going to be treading a fine line.

Nick returned to the apartment as stealthily as he left it. He let out a sigh of relief when he found Judy still sound asleep. Watching her laying there, breathing softly, he briefly considered asking for her help. After all, she was a far more capable officer than he was. If anyone could think of a way to get him out of the situation, it would be her. And yet, Nick knew that he wouldn't. He couldn't. He didn't want to put her in any unnecessary danger. He didn't want to get her caught up on the wrong side of the law. And above all, he didn't want to drag her into webs of his past. Crevan was his responsibility and his alone.