"These guys don't give up easily," Judy breathed, rubbing her neck as Nick slowed the pickup down along the street, pulling to a parking space in front of darkened shops. "Guess they're getting desperate."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nick gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stared ahead. His breathing was a bit ragged and his fur was understandably ruffled from his brief assault from the weasel that now lay unconscious in the back seat. Robin hadn't poked his head up since his rough landing from the train, leading the rabbit to assume that he, too, was out cold. Or in the very least, staying down.

It was when Nick's breathing became more labored that she turned to look at him. The clear state of distress he was in was so unlike him, it caught her off guard. His normally calm gaze was now shaken, his cool smirk gone and replaced with a gaping mouth of clear pain, and his entire demeanor had changed from a slick ex-hustler to a panicked tod on the verge of a breakdown.

Judy's mind immediately shifted to the attack from the weasel – had he been injured in a way she hadn't seen before? Maybe a wound on his opposite side, or a hit that had broken something? She reached over from her seat to set a paw on Nick's nearest arm, ears pressing back in the air as she grew concerned. "Nick, are you alri-"

"What were you thinking?!" the fox snapped, almost a snarl that made Judy freeze, her instincts telling her to pull away.

"What?" She asked.

"What were you thinking," Nick repeated, his tone somewhere between hostile and terrified. "Jumping onto the train with five predators ready to tear someone apart, in the dark. What went through that little rabbit head of yours?"

Judy drew her arm back, an ear rising in curiousity. "What was I thinking? I was thinking that Robin needed help and you were driving the truck, so I'd have to do it."

"That's it? That's the only thing that went through your mind?"

"Yeah, actually, it was," Judy replied. She was now letting her own feelings of hostility seep into her voice, one paw turning to a fist in frustration at Nick's reaction. There was little else the two could've done in that situation, right? "He needed help. You were driving. Can't exactly ask one of the bad guys to help him out, right? So I jumped in. There wasn't much time for thinking."

Nick was silent for over a minute, trying to control his breathing before he continued. "What would I have done if you'd gotten hurt?" Nick asked, the hostility all but absent from his voice now. Judy took a moment to pause. She hadn't considered that she could've gotten hurt, or any consequences of that. Even when the coyote was holding her down, her main focus was on helping get Robin off that train in one piece. She'd had faith that, if she couldn't get the large canid off of her, Robin would've helped.

"I saw," Nick said, his breathing becoming quick with slightl panic. "I saw the fight, up until the weasel jumped in. And then I saw the coyote over someone – it wasn't Robin, I could see him, so it had to be you. You don't know how hard that hit me, how much I almost panicked, Judy."

There were very few times when he used her real name, and each time it was either serious, or around mammals that needed the utmost respect used in their presence. And each time, just like now, it discarded any sense of anger or frustration she had with the fox. Her fist unclenched, and she sat back in her seat, watching as Nick turned to her. "Every other job we've been on has gotten a little hectic, but I have never felt so helpless when you get into trouble. I've never, not even for a moment, had the thought of not showing up with you to the Precinct anymore. But being stuck here and watching you get pinned made me think of that."

"Nick," Judy interrupted, reaching out to set a paw on his arm. This time, she made contact, and it seemed to immediately put the fox at ease. "You know I can take care of myself."

"That's not the point!" Nick said, turning back to face the street. "The point is, you were up there, in danger, and I wasn't there to help. Forget what King said, I'm not doing that again. I can't."

"With any luck, you won't have to. And besides, you were driving, you didn't have a lot of choice last time," she pointed out. Nick sighed and bowed his head, pressing it against the steering wheel.

"I know," he said. "But... Don't you ever do that again."

"No promises," Judy said with a single, small laugh. When Nick didn't react, she frowned and shook his arm once. When he still didn't respond, she got up from her seat and stepped over to his, grabbing his muzzle and lifting his head to make him look at her. Much to her surprise, there was the faint beginnings of tears in one eye. "Hey, listen. I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, you know."

"I know," Nick repeated, his voice quiet.

Judy let go of his head and slowly pulled her partner into a tight hug, which he returned almost immediately. Nick's head was pressed to her chest as she pressed her cheek to the top of his head, giving a soft sigh. "You foxes are so emotional," she muttered.

Nick chuckled once. "Yeah, giving you rabbits a run for your money," he replied. His tone, back to the Nick she knew, made Judy grin and let out a soft giggle. The two stayed in the warm embrace until there was a heavy groan from the back seat, and Judy released Nick to look behind them. The weasel was beginning to wake, slowly stirring.

Judy reached into the back of her pants and pulled out a small pair of cuffs, letting the metal clink as the weasel looked up with groggy resentment.

~ óÓÒò ~

"They're going to gut you all!" the weasel screeched at Judy, straining against her cuffs that held her to the parking meter.

"You and your group of thugs don't scare us," Judy replied calmly, glancing to Nick as he pushed Robin into the safety that was the back seat of the pickup. The taller reynard had woken up at some point, but was well off-balance and held his head and stomach as he stumbled off the pickup bed. When Nick had safely secured the larger fox in the back seat, he gave a short whistle and jumped back into the driver's seat. Judy nodded and walked over to the weasel, who lashed at her with hate in her eyes. Judy calmly swat the mammal's paw away, before taking a quarter from her wallet and slipping it into the meter.

"Be a good girl and keep that meter up," Judy said as she walked away. "Don't want you getting a ticket now, do we?"

Nick was chortling as the rabbit jumped into the passenger seat – ever the fan of irony. Judy just grinned, glad that he seemed to have calmed down. "Now that that's taken care of," she said. "Let's get back to the Precinct?"

"You're the boss, Fluff," Nick said before starting up the vehicle. He began driving, the hum of the engine being the only thing to fill the vehicle. It didn't take long until it begun to feel slightly awkward, Nick breaking the silence just before Judy. "Hey, Carrots?" he said.

"Mhm?"

"You think this is going to top the Night Howler case?"

"Well, it could. In some ways it probably has, and we just don't know it," she replied.

"Alright, well, what about the amount of craziness that's happened. After all, that case didn't involve snipers or train fights."

"Technically it did," Judy pointed out. Nick tilted his head side to side.

"You know, I guess you're right. At least this train didn't explode," he chuckled.

"I think we'd have more problems if this one did," Judy responded. "Can you imagine all that coal, set on fire all at once?"

"We'd have a whole new desert. Call it the 'Wasteland'. Scorched Earth policy."

Judy opened her mouth to respond, before the pickup jolted forward, slamming her against the seatbelt. She looked behind them to see another pickup, this one being silver. The rabbit sighed in relief at the coloration – it didn't immediately raise alarms. But still, they had the issue of being rear ended. Nick groaned and slapped a paw to his forehead. "Of all the times to get hit," he grumbled tiredly. "Alright Carrots, sit tight. I'll go talk to them."

Before Judy could say a word otherwise, Nick hopped out of the still-running truck, as it inched forward slightly from the impact, walking to meet the driver of the silver pickup. Surprisingly, they hadn't just driven off, and the lion driver was just sat behind the wheel as he reached to the passenger side seat for something.

But... The lion looked a bit familiar.

The realization struck Judy, and she undid her seatbelt and ran to the driver's side door, leaning out the window. "Nick!" She shouted, making the fox turn around and look at her with folded ears. The lion rolled down his window and leaned out.

"Hey buddy, I hope you've got your insurance," he said.

Nick turned back, tail falling low to the ground as he took a step back. "Oh, right. I left what I need in the glove compartment, I'll be right back," he lied, motioning with his thumbs over his shoulder to the pickup. Judy watched in anticipation as he started to backpedal, the lion shaking his head.

"Wrong kind, pal. Life insurance," he clarified, drawing his other paw from the inside of the truck as he leveled a pistol with the fox. Judy, thinking quickly, had dropped from her seat and threw the idling truck into reverse, reaching down and slamming on the gas. The truck's engine roared as she rammed the silver pickup, making the lion's arm spring up just before he fired, a single gunshot cracking the air. Nick was already jumping into the bed of the pickup, Judy taking advantage of the brief moment to adjust the seat as best she could for a rabbit driver, before shifting into drive and flooring it.

"Carrots, you never old me you could drive stick," Nick said as he opened the window to the bed of the pickup and climbed over a dozing Robin.

"I grew up on a farm, Nick. We didn't exactly have top of the line, newer model vehicles there," she said, ears falling agianst her back as she leaned forward to better see the road. The silver pickup had stalled from the hit, and wasn't able to catch up before Judy had rounded several small turns. "That was stupid," she muttered.

"Fluff, I-" Nick began, only for the rabbit to interrupt him.

"No, that was stupid, Nick! You don't get to throw a fit because I jumped into danger and not expect me to do the same when you almost get shot! You should know better than to do what you did!" She shouted.

Nick leaned back in his seat, seemingly at a loss for words for once. "Alright, you've got a point," he admitted. "We've both messed up today. But you could do something about this one, I couldn't."

"And if I'd been any slower?" she hissed at him. Nick opened his mouth for a response, before snapping it shut at finding none. Judy shot him a content look, before shifting her eyes onto the road. "Call the Precinct. We need a safe zone before we get attacked again. Why can't we just run into some normal mammals for once?.."

"Because that would make our job easier?" Nick asked, pulling his phone from his pocket and typing in a number. He held it up to his ear, and Judy tuned him out as she began to piece together where they were and what the fastest route back to the Precinct was. Movement in the rear view mirror caught her eye and Judy glanced up – after realizing she should adjust the mirrors to help her drive – to see Robin sitting up and holding his head. He kept quiet until Nick tucked his phone back into his pocket, glancing behind him. "Welcome to the land of the living, bird boy."

"You sound disappointed," Robin replied, setting a hand on the back of Judy's seat as he steadied himself. "Feels like I was hit by a freight train." The fox's speech was slightly slurred, but it was clearing up swiftly.

"Well, you jumped off of one. Does that count?" Judy commented.

"Har har, I thought clever comments were Nick's thing? Wait – I jumped off a train?" Robin asked, sounding surprised.

"I've been rubbing off on her lately. Surprised she hasn't gotten red fur yet." Nick grinned a bit at his comment, making Judy shake her head. "But in all seriousness," her partner continued, "yes, you jumped off a train. After fighting... What, five mammals? How're you doing?"

"Aside from the massive headache, feeling like half my body is on fire, and the fact that my last memory is of wrestling an armored up hare? Just peachy," Robin groaned. "But please tell me we're in the clear?"

"More or less," Judy confirmed, pulling over. She began to adjust the seat and mirrors properly. "Nick, what's the word on our help?"

"Well, we're in a different district right now," Nick pointed out, gesturing to the masses of vines and undergrowth surrounding them, and the massive jungle trees that weren't too much further off. "And on a side road. A cruiser is being sent out to help escort us back to the Precinct."

"And what do we do in the meantime, sit here?" Robin asked.

"Well, you should rest as much as you can now," Judy pointed out. "You might have gotten a concussion when you landed."

"I've got a headache, loss of memory. I felt sick when I got up but it's gone now. I'm really tired, but if I fought five mammals, that's to be expected, right?" Robin looked between the officers as he spoke, slight concern audible in his voice.

"Most of those are signs of a concussion," Judy told him. "You're going to need to rest, maybe take a painkiller when you get home."

Robin started to dig into a pocket on his pants, producing a first aid kit. "Why wait that long?" he muttered, opening the kit and going through its contents, before putting it away with a small pack in his palm. He tore it open and dry-swallowed what Judy assumed was a set of painkillers.

"You're just a walking ambulance, aren't you?" Nick said.

"You know it," Robin chuckled, laying back down. "Wake me when you need me," he said, before shutting his eyes. It didn't take long for Judy to detect the change in the fox's breathing, accompanied by his faint snores.

"That was fast," she commented.

"He took a beating, I'm sure it was all he could do to stay up," Nick said. He sighed and turned back around in his seat, facing forward. "Think we should get onto a main street?" he asked.

"How would the cruiser find us, then?" Judy pointed out. Nick responded with a faint 'oh' before leaning his seat back. Judy sat with her paws on the wheel for a minute, before letting her gaze fall to the floor by Nick's feet. Sitting there, barely visible in the dark, was the pistol, resting atop the small backpack Robin had told her to keep.

She was curious as to how the fox had gotten it – and concerned as to why. He had done a fairly decent job, for the most part, of not breaking any laws. But this changed it all – firearms were illegal for most mammals who hadn't been on the force for some time, or held a high position elsewhere. Granted, it was obvious the members of Phraxus were all armed through some means – a way she hoped they would discover with the information Robin held – but he was a different story. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to defend him for having one.

"Nick, let me see that?" Judy asked, nodding to the pistol and flicking on one of the overhead lights. The fox raised an eyebrow, but leaned down and picked it up, handling the weapon delicately as he checked the safety and passed it to her, butt of the weapon first. She took gentle hold of it and inspected the gun. She wasn't an expert, but the P99 inscribed on the side gave it a model, at least. There was a compensator on the front end, the vents placed on top to use the muzzle's force to keep the barrel steady – useful for mammals who weren't the most experienced with guns. She slipped out the magazine after a moment of looking – several rounds were still in the magazine, 9mm rounds, appropriate for smaller mammals. It appeared to be well cared for, few scratches along the surface. The polymer handle wasn't very worn, either – it probably had a case somewhere it had been kept in until recently.

"Where do you think he got it from?" Nick asked. Judy just shook her head and muttered a 'not sure' in response. In the back of her mind though, she was running several possibilities through her head. It could be stolen, she thought. Or smuggled in, possibly from Outback Island? She couldn't remember their laws on civilians with firearms, but she knew they weren't as strict as Zootopia was.

"Carrots," Nick said, hope in his voice. This drew her attention from the gun as she looked at him, then behind the vehicle where he was pointing. She breathed a sigh of relief – a ZPD cruiser was coming up behind them. She passed the gun back to Nick and told him to put it in the backpack as Judy rolled down the window and waited for the officer to reach her. A tall, thin cheetah stepped up and gave her a smile.

"Officer Blisk, ZPD. Officers Hopps, Wilde, I assume?" he checked, smiling more at their nods. "Tuskington said you needed an escort back to the Precinct?"

"That's right," Judy said simply. She opened her mouth to say more, but the feeling of needing to passed before any came to mind. Blisk nodded and looked through their car, and Judy noticed his gaze settle on Robin in the back seat – it wasn't a very good one, either. It seemed... Almost predatory, in some way. Like he'd just found a free winning lotto ticket in the hands of some kit.

"You uh... Need any help with your friend in back?" he asked. Judy shook her head.

"No, he's with us," she assured him.

"Are you sure?" he asked again. "I do have space, and spare cu-"

Nick leaned over from the passenger side, frowning. "He's fine, out cold. He won't bother anyone. Just help us get to the Precinct? We've been out here for ages and don't want to be here any longer than we need to."

The cheetah's smile dipped a bit, and Judy could see his tail flick in irritation as he nodded. "Right, sorry. Just wanting to make sure you two are alright. You lead on, I'll follow behind." With that, he dipped his head slightly and went back to his cruiser, getting in.

Judy looked to Nick as she started the truck. A silent message of unease passed between them as she pulled onto the road and began heading in the direction she knew would lead them back to Downtown. Blisk was cruising not far behind in his own vehicle, keeping pace with their pickup and ensuring none of the other few late night drivers got too close to them.

They were met with near to no opposition aside from traffic lights on the way back to the Precinct, Judy leaning back in her seat as they parked in front of the Precinct. She then turned and started to shake Robin awake as Nick slung the backpack over his shoulder and opened his door, hopping out to help Robin slip to the ground. The taller fox was still disoriented and was still holding his head, and as they walked up to the front entrance, he had to stop several times and dry heave for a moment. His constant reasurrances did little for the officer's worries about his current state.

Upon entering the ZPD, Judy was somewhat surprised to see that it was almost as active now as it was during the day. She didn't recognize most of the faces, though, save for that of Officer Higgins and Officer Tuskington. Higgins immediately made his way from the male's locker room to the front desk, where Judy, Nick and Robin waited with Blisk behind them. Robin clutched his head with both paws and groaned slightly, before shaking it and wincing. "Is there somewhere I can sleep until Bogo gets here?" he asked.

Tuskington looked down over the desk, the warthog officer studying Robin before looking to Judy questioningly. "He's with you, or?.." he started.

"He's with us," she confirmed. "Just needs a place to rest, hit his head hard."

"Riiiiight," Tuskington muttered. "Higgins, we got any places he can sleep?"

"Preferrably not a cell," Nick said.

"Right, because we're a five star hotel," Tuskington replied with a shrug. "All we have is cells. But we can give him one furthest from the others."

Judy and Nick looked to Robin, silently asking if he was okay with it. He shrugged and nodded, still rubbing his head. "Long as I'm safe," he said.

"Right. In that case, I'll take him to a cell, bring him an extra blanket or something. Blisk, you head out on patrol again. And you two," Higgins said, turning to look at the smaller officers. "Go get some rest. It's nearly midnight."

"Uh, Officer Higgins, sir," Blisk said, holding up a finger. "I know you're fairly busy, why not let me take this fox to a cell, get him all settled in for the night? It's been fairly peaceful as it is, so-"

"Peaceful? If you want to call a mass shootout at a club and through the streets peaceful, sure. But no, we need you back out there," Higgins stated. Judy noticed that Blisk looked a bit deflated.

"But, sir, I-" he started.

"Patrol, Blisk. That's final." Higgins folded his arms as he stated this, essentially ending the matter. Judy could see why he was the Chief's second in command, and why he was practically Chief of the night shift. Blisk nodded and looked down, and Robin looked up at him. Judy did too, and she almost missed the sinister scowl the cheetah was giving the fox. It disappeared as she turned her head, the feline nodding and muttering a goodbye before trudging from the building, tail flicking in frustration as he muttered a few choice words that Judy wouldn't repeat.

Higgins just shook his head, resting his hands on his hips. "Hopps, I'd say to drive home, but I'm sure you didn't buy that kind of pickup. I'll have to have Roberto add it to the impound in the morning. Alright, fox. Come on."

"Wick," Robin muttered, following after the hippo as he was led away from Judy and Nick. He glanced back once and gave a tired nod, before turning away. Judy stretched and looked up at Nick, who was yawning.

"I think it's past your bed time," she commented. Nick just laughed dryly and shook his head.

"I'll have you know, Fluff, that foxes are mainly nocturnal. It was my bed time ten hours ago." Her partner replied, walking for the front doors. Judy grinned, unable to come up with a response, before pausing as she and Nick reached the bottom steps. They'd have to part ways here, to head to each one's respective apartment. Her ears drooped at the prospect of the long walk she'd have to make, until Nick's voice interrupted her thoughts from further down the road. "You coming, Carrots?"

Judy turned to see Nick several paces away, having started the walk home before turning half around to face her, paws in his pockets. "To your place?" she asked.

"Where else this late at night?" Nick replied. "It's a longer walk to your place than it is mine, and we both need rest. It makes more sense to just go to my place, right?"

Judy nodded, happily running to catch up to the fox as he started walking again. "Glad to see you're excited to stay the night," Nick commented. This earned him a light punch to the shoulder, despite Judy's snicker.

"Who's to say that's it?" she asked. "Maybe I just want to get to bed faster? After all, you're the one who brought up me coming with you," she pointed out. Nick flattened his ears and, for once, he seemed at a loss for a response.

Point for Judy, she thought happily. Not a bad way to end the day.