* Ok so first things first. Thanks for all your support. Second, sorry this chapter is a bit late. As I was writing, I realized that it was morphing into a book all its own. As such, I had to go back and find a good break point to split this into two parts. Also I know I am several chapters behind on my revisions, hang in there I will get to them. Anyway hope you enjoy. And as always, let me hear from you.
Chapter 8: Shadows (Part 1)
POV (Nick)
0024
"Hey! Slow down!" I shouted giving a chuckle.
"Come on Dad..."
I awoke with a start, my mind hazy and heart racing. Sitting up, I looked around the unfamiliar room, panic beginning to settle in. My breathing came in gasps as I lost control. "Whats going on?" I thought, giving into the panic. I began shaking and crying, too far gone to feel the pair of arms wrapped around me and the gentle words being whispered in my ear. I was on the verge of a complete breakdown.
"Shhhh... its ok Nick. Everything is going to be ok." Judy soothed, holding me tight in the process. I didn't hear her.
I began to climb out of the bed, when Judy spun me around. I looked at her, but my mind wasn't functioning, too focused on the dream, not reality.
"Nick." Judy called calmly. No effect. She tried again, this time with more force.
"Nick!" She said, giving me a small shake. "It's ok, I'm here."
The shake helped. My attention snapping to Judy, and my mind begging to process what she was doing. After a few seconds, the haze in my head cleared. "Judy..." I whimpered as I buried my face in her chest. "I saw them. I saw their faces. They were real. I... I..." The words were mumbled, but my strangled voice carried enough for her to hear.
"I know, Nick. I know. Shhh... its ok. Everything will be ok. I'm here. I got you. We will get through this together." She said soothingly, laying her head atop of mine as she stroked the back of my head with her paw.
Time passed slowly, but eventually, my breathing returned to normal, and my tears stopped. The whole time Judy just sat there with me in her arms, humming softly and stroking my head like a child. As I regained my composure, I sat up and looked Judy in the eyes. As if by magic, her beautiful, caring amethyst eyes washed away my remaining pain.
"Thanks." I mumbled, a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry I freaked out."
Judy just looked at me a second, before cupping my face with her paws. "You have no reason to be sorry. You will get through this, and I am going to be here the whole way." With that she leaned in and gave me a small, comforting kiss as if to seal a deal. Warmth and love washed over me from the gesture.
"You're too good for me." I said, meaning it.
"True," Judy agreed with a smirk. "But, not too good." With that she leaned in again, her lips pressed against mine, running her tongue enticingly across my lips. I couldn't help but give a small smile.
"Jerk." I said as the kiss broke. Judy just beamed, eyes sparkling.
"How about we go back to sleep" She suggested with a laugh.
I nodded, and began to settle back down. I lay on my side looking at Judy. I watched as she settled in as well, laying opposite me, sharing my gaze. It was only then that I realized that Judy was still topless, her bare breasts exposed to me. As this occurred to me, it also occurred where my head had been earlier.
"Oh Judy! I am so sorry! I completely forgot. My head... I... I had no intention." I was rambling, a bit flustered.
Judy just gave me a warm smile. "You are pretty adorable when you are flustered. Know that?" She asked kissing my nose. Without another word, she rolled over. We laid in silence for a few minutes before Judy spoke again.
"Its a little cold." She said innocently. I grinned as I moved closer to her, taking my position as the big spoon, curling my tail around the two of us. I draped my arm over her starting around her waist and extending up to her chest, innocently resting my paw on the bed.
"Are you just trying to cop a feel, slick?" Judy asked, grabbing my paw to keep it from moving away and holding it to her chest, all while looking back at me with her shimmering eyes.
"Way to kill the mood." I chuckled.
"You know you love it." she replied.
"Do I know that? Yes. Yes I do." I agreed, with a yawn.
"Good." She yawned back, snuggling into me, "Pull up the covers and lets go back to sleep."
POV (Judy)
0425
As per my usual, I woke up a few minutes before my alarm was set to go off. Normally, I would be springing out of bed to get started with my day, but today was different. As I lay there, I relished the feeling of Nick's soft fur against my back and the warmth of his body caressing mine. If I could, I would just lay there all day in his arm listening to his soft gentle breathing. Unfortunately, I still had to go to work. I reached over and turned off the alarm before it started blaring, after all just because I had to go in to work today didn't mean that Nick had to wake up at this ungodly hour. "Still," I thought a devilish grin spreading on my lips.
I rolled over and looked at the peaceful fox laying next to me. It was almost a shame that I had to wake him, but I had made up my mind and it wasn't the worst way to wake up I figured. Without warning, I pounced on Nick, my lips eagerly seeking his. The force of me jumping on him knocking him onto his back. Nick's response was immediate, but any discomfort he may have had was quickly forgotten as he reacted to my kiss. Once he was awake, I moved my body on top of his, enjoying the feel of fur on fur as the kiss became more urgent and our paws wandered. I giggled slightly through the kiss as Nick's good paw made it to my ass, giving it a slight squeeze. For my part, I was busy running a paw over his chest and through the fur of his head, my tongue slipping into his mouth as he gave me access.
Nick just laid there as I had my way with him. Little yelps of pleasure making their way out through our kissing. I knew I had to stop to get ready, but I had one more thing in store for my sexy fox. As we continued kissing, I slowly started to grind and rub my body against his. I knew I was having the desired effect as I felt his arousal begin to press against my most private of areas, only two thin pieces of cloth separating us. As much as my body yearned for that contact and as much as I wanted to feel Nick inside of me, I knew that he wasn't ready. That was a choice that he had to make, and when he was ready so was I. I just wanted to tease him a little. Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and climbed off.
I stood next to the bed and gave nick a evil grin as I saw the look on his face. He looked wounded. In the best way possible. His face was flushed and his breathing heavy, I just stared into his emerald green eyes enjoying the moment. Nick was the first to break eye contact as he, not so subtly, traced his gaze over my near naked body. I didn't mind I did the same to him as he lay there. As I got to his boxer covered groin, my eyes widened in shock. "Its so much bigger than I expected, at least compared to rabbits" I thought as I looked at the outline of Nick's penis, seeing so much more clearly then through the towel the other day. As I openly stared, I lightly bit my lower lip ever so slightly as I thought about the future possibilities. I would have stared forever if Nick hadn't broken my concentration.
"Umm... you're making me a bit self-conscious," he said suddenly. I looked up and saw he was blushing again, and looked a bit unsure of himself.
"Oh, sorry... But trust me, you have nothing to be self-conscious about. You are quiet... impressive." I told him honestly, blushing a bit in return as I realized what I just said. Nick perked up a bit at the news, I could tell I just gave him a major ego boost.
"Naughty bunny." He replied.
I just smirked turning and walking towards the bathroom. Just as I was about to enter I looked over my shoulder, right into those emerald pools. "You have no idea how naughty I can be." I told him, before adding, "I need to take a shower before work. You can join me if you like." With a wink I disappeared into the bathroom.
POV(Nick)
I jolted awake as a pair of lips were forcefully pressed to mine. As my eyes opened, it only took a moment for my brain to decipher who they belonged too. I closed my eyes again, and just melted into the kiss. I felt Judy move on top of me, the feeling of fur against fur electrifying. As if having a mind of its own, my uninjured paw began exploring the little bunny on top of me. It started at her waist, just sitting there, holding her to me. But as the kiss heated up, my paw slid up her bare back, feeling the soft fur and the delicate features underneath. As I approached her shoulders, I slid my paw off to the side. I grazed against her bare boob before tracing down the side of her body to her waist again. I hesitated there a bit, but with the kiss showing no sign of slowing, I moved lower. I moved down over her panty clad ass reaching her strong, toned legs. I roamed as far down as I could before I came back up and settled my paw firmly on her shapely ass, giving it a squeeze. I waited for a response from Judy, but instead was rewarded with a small giggle and her tongue pushing into my mouth. I wasn't going to complain.
I laid there in bliss, savoring the taste of Judy and we playfully fought for the upper paw in the kiss. Just when I thought I was winning, Judy played the trump card. My mind went blank as she slowly began to grind herself against me. I felt my penis press against her, the inviting warmth of her sex radiating through our remaining clothes. "This bunny is quite the tease," I thought, enjoying myself nonetheless. Unfortunately, as with all good things, the kiss finally broke and she climbed off me. I expected her to walk away, but she just froze, staring at my barely concealed hard on. As I watched, she unknowingly bit her lower lip. It was so seductive looking. "Oh God." I thought, fighting the decision making process of my penis. As much as I physically wanted her, I knew mentally I wasn't ready.
"Umm... you're making me a bit self-conscious," I said, trying to break the tension between us.
"Oh, sorry... But trust me, you have nothing to be self-conscious about. You are quite... Impressive." She replied, blushing a bit. I couldn't help but straighten up a bit at her words. I really wasn't concerned about such things, but it was always nice to hear.
"Naughty bunny." I replied.
I watched as she turned and walked to the bathroom. "More like glided to the bathroom" I smiled. I took a good look at the goddess in my presence. Her movements were swift and graceful, ears down over her back. Her soft, velvet fur of her back glistened as it caught the small bit of light coming from the window. I watched as her toned, muscular legs flexed while she walked, powerful yet incredibly sexy. If I hadn't know better, she was the exact definition of Aphrodite of classical origin. As my gaze transcended her form, my eyes became glued to her butt and cute tail that shook so invitingly. I was so entranced by her beauty, that I almost missed what she said next.
"You have no idea how naughty I can be." She purred, "I need to take a shower before work, you can join me if you like."
"I'm done... put a fork in me. She takes sexy to another level." I thought as her words rang through my head. If I wasn't turned on before, I was now. I jumped from the bed as if it was suddenly on fire and made my way to the bathroom after her, my mind no longer in control.
I arrived at the door to the bathroom, just in time to see Judy finishing removing her panties. Judy was faced away from me, bent at the waist as she stepped out of her panties, revealing everything to my hungry eyes. I took in the sight of her butt, every curve and dimple, my eye sight sharper than I ever remembered it. Her butt was firm, athletic, yet enticingly round, blending perfectly with her legs almost if carved from marble by a Renaissance master. To my surprise, the tips of her ears were not the only place to have black fur. On her right cheek, just above her thigh was a black patch of fur about the size of a half dollar. For whatever reason, it was the cutest birth mark I had ever seen.
As my eyes continued to prowl, I caught sight of the most forbidden of areas. From the position she was in, I could just see the slightest hint of Judy's lower lips, covered in a stunning white fur in stark contrast to the gray of the rest of her body. "I guess the white runs the whole way" I thought.
"Going to get undressed to join me? Or are you just going to stand there staring at my vagina like a pervert?" Judy quipped, snapping me back to reality, and making me blush from guilt.
"Oh... ummm... sorry." I said sheepishly. "Wait... when did she stand up? And who started the shower?"
"Hehe... I am just messing with you Nick!" She cried, stepping into the shower and drawing the curtain behind her. "Coming? The water feels great."
"Uh, yeah be right there." I said entering the bathroom and closing the door.
"And Nick... I really don't mind if you look." She said sounding a bit unsure of herself.
I grinned as I hooked my thumbs in my boxers in preparation to drop them. "This is it no going back." I said to myself as I pushed down. My boxers fell to my feet as my penis sprang out, finally free of the confining article of clothing.
"Oh..." I heard Judy gasp. I looked over at the shower, and saw Judy peeking around the curtain, her ears a deep crimson eyes fixated on my arousal. As she stared, I couldn't help but return the blush. For a few moments, we just sat there silent before I moved and climbed into the shower.
As I stepped in, Judy turned to face me. For the first time, I saw Judy in all her glory. The water glistening on her fur as it cascaded around us. Our eyes hungrily roamed over each other, lust clearly taking hold.
"Fluff... you're," I began.
Judy put a finger to my lips before learning and whispering in my ear. "Shhhh... no need to talk." She said before pressing her body up against me, locking her lips to mine. I held Judy close as we made out in the water. After a few minutes, much to Judy's dismay, I broke the kiss and spun her around.
"Wha... mmmmm" She moaned as I pulled her against me to nuzzle her neck and begin to kiss and nip my way along her jaw line towards her ears. As I got closure, Judy began to breath harder, and ground her ass against my penis, driving the both of us wild.
Lost in the passion and lust of the moment, I didn't notice Judy reaching behind her, placing her paw on my stomach. As I nipped at the base of her ears, Judy ran her paw down my stomach and started tracing around my sheath, inching closure to her goal. Suddenly, my mind regained control. "What am I doing? I can't do this." It screamed at me. I began to panic, "I need to get out of this!"
"Hey Carrots! Did you know you can use your ears like signal flags?" I blurted out as I began moving her ears to cast shadows on the wall.
"Ugh... you ruin everything... know that?" Judy said, frustration clear in her voice. She turned to look at me, before her eyes softened a bit.
"I... I know. Look, Judy, I am really sorry. You are beautiful, really, in every way I could ever think of. And sorry for sounding crass, but I would love to have sex with you, but... I'm just... not ready." I said meekly, looking at my feet.
"Oh Nick, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to go so far. I just wanted to tease you a little. You know be your naughty bunny. I guess I just got carried away." She said sincerely.
"That makes two of us." I agreed giving a slight smile. "How about we finish our shower and then talk as we walk to the station. I'll buy you a coffee on the way."
"I think I can allow that." She agreed smiling. "I think we wasted too much time in here anyway."
We finished our showers in silence. Neither really looking at the other as a bit of post, lust filled shenanigan, embarrassment settled in. As we stood there drying ourselves a small problem dawned on my.
"Shit... Fluff? I don't have any clean clothes here." I said.
"You can stay naked... I don't mind." She said with a wink.
"Fluff... get your mind out of the gutter." I chuckled.
"Can you blame me?" She asked, causing me to blush.
"Lets not go there again, ok?" I suggested, she just shrugged and smirked.
"So what are you going to do?" She asked.
"Well, I prefer not to go out in dirty clothes, so how about this. We forget the coffee, and I go home to change. You go into work, and I will meet you there. I figured I should talk to Buffalo Butt anyway. Then, after I am done with him, we can grab some lunch and talk there. Sound good?" I asked.
"Yeah... its a date." She replied beaming.
"Great!" I said, throwing on my old clothes to leave. "See you at lunch Fluff."
As I crossed the room, I gave Judy a peck on the cheek before leaving. "Why am I so nervous about lunch now?"
POV (Judy)
I watched as Nick left and felt like my heart would break, even though I was going to see him at lunch. "I have it bad," I thought, walking over to my closet to pull out my uniform. I gave my head a good shake to clear my thoughts and turned to the task at paw. However, my attempts to push him from my mind failed. It was a task that was easier said than done.
As I dressed, I kept thinking back to the shower, the heat and lust. I felt bad about things getting out of control, but I also didn't regret it. I wanted him. I wanted him in every way imaginable and I know he wanted me. I sighed knowing that I would have to wait, despite the tingling I was feeling in my loins. "Work Judy! Work." I scolded myself, "You will see him later."
I did my best to out my thoughts of Nick aside and quickly finished pulling on my uniform. When done I headed to the door, where I stood for a second making sure I had everything. "Ok, keys, badge, pistol..." I counted off in my head giving each a physical pat in the process. Satisfied, I left my apartment, heading for the lobby. As I reached the street, I took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. "One bad thing about being on leave," I thought, "No police cruiser to drive." I gave a shrug and started walking to the precinct, luckily it wasn't far.
I arrived at the station in good time, but a little too close for comfort and more tired than I remembered. "Guess I have been getting to accustomed to having the car." I conceded, making a mental note to up my cardio training to compensate.
"Hey, Hopps!" Clawhauser called from the front desk. "Glad to see you back!"
I gave a wave and smile before replying, "Thanks Benji, it was nothing really. Its good to be back though. I will catch you later. I'm running a bit late and need to get to roll."
"Ok. Talk soon!" He shouted cheerfully as I moved down the hall.
I took my usual seat in the front of the bull pen waiting for Chief Bogo to start our daily briefing. It felt weird sitting there without Nick, but that would only be temporary. Hopefully. While I sat there, I didn't notice Fangmeyer take the seat next to me.
"So? Everything good with you and Wilde?" He asked.
"Whaa... Sweet cheese and crackers! You scared me." I said startled by his sudden presence.
"Sorry," He chuckled, clearly not sorry. "You guys good then?"
"Uh, yeah... we are um... more than good." I said blushing a bit.
"I know, smelled him on you. Just had to her it from the bunny's mouth first." he replied with a sly wink.
"Really? Wow canine noses are good. Don't tell anyone yet. He and I need to talk things over. I am not sure if we want to be public. And the chief doesn't know." I told him.
"Hey, no worries. I can keep a secret. I'm happy for you guys though. You make a good pair." He said smiling.
"Thanks... for everything. You are a good friend." I whispered as the chief walked in.
"Done Hopps?" Chief Bogo asked gruffly.
"Uh, yes Chief, sorry." I said settling down.
"Good. First off, welcome back." He said starting the briefing, the other officers cheering a bit. "Enough! Now down to business. Firstly, our parking tickets are down. If you are on parking duty, I expect you to do your job. No exceptions. Second, it appears that our new patrol system is working. We are seeing an increase in public support and number of tips coming through. Keep up the good work. Finally, it appears that we have a new gang in our midst. So far we have them tied to a pawful of robberies, and one murder. We know this by their calling card. This is our first priority. We will be attacking this from all angles. The mayor's office is watching this closely so I expect your best." He began. "Yes, Hopps."
"Sir, if I may, I would like to be on one of those cases." I said, ready to jump back into the thick of it.
"Right, assignments." He continued as if he didn't hear me.
I sat there attentively as he passing out assignment folders to the other officers. Most of them were the standard beat patrols, a couple the various crime scenes and investigations, but none of them for me.
"Let's get to it. Dismissed." Chief Bogo barked. "Hopps, come with me."
"Sir? Why wasn't I assigned a..." I began as we walked.
"Not here Hopps. We will talk in my office." He said quietly. I just nodded and followed the massive buffalo.
When we got to his office, I sat in the offered seat, and waited patiently for him to start talking. When he did, it wasn't his usual gruff self. He was quiet and reserved almost as if what he was saying was a big secret.
"Hopps, it really is good to have you back. How are you feeling?" He asked sincerely.
"I'm fine chief, really glad to be back. I'm ready to jump back into the mix." I replied cheerfully. "Sir, uh, not that I don't appreciate the concern, but is this why you had me come in here?"
"Straight to business I see." He said straightening up with a grin. "No it isn't. In fact there are several things I want to talk about. The first being you partner... or rather lack of."
"Sir... surely you don't mean.." I gasped, fear rising in my voice before he raised a hoof to calm me.
"No, no nothing like that. Wilde will be reinstated. Internal affairs is just about finished with their investigation and are not recommending any charges. Even if they did, no jury would convict him, he is a hero after all." He said with a whimsical smile. "But, and I agree with them, they have suggested he gets counseling. As such, he will not be able to deploy to the streets until cleared. Hence, you are currently without a partner."
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that." I replied, my ears falling.
"Now no need to get down... I have two options for you. The first is I give you a temporary partner, and get you back on the street. Or, I can assign you desk duty, with Wilde and you two can start investigating this new gang from this side." he offered. "By the way how is Wilde?"
"Man he is good a changing his demeanor on a whim" I thought before answering. "He is good... well as good as can be expected. He is actually planning on coming in today to talk with you."
"Hmmm... why do I have a feeling I will need an antacid?" He as ked gruffly.
"Hehe... because its Nick." I giggled. The chief just grunted and gave me a wry smile.
"So how about it Hopps? What do you want to do?" He asked, bringing me back to the main issue.
"Oh! Ummm... I'll stick with Nick. If he is not good to go then neither am I." I said.
"I thought you might feel that way... ok. You two will be the lead team on this. All information from the separate crimes will be funneled to you. I want you guys to find out whatever you can on these guys. Lets try to shut them down before they get established." Chief Bogo commanded. "And Hopps, I know the two of you have a connection with Mr. Big. Use it. If he knows something I want to know too."
"You... know about that sir?" I asked, my eyes wide with fear.
"Relax Hopps, no need to get your ears all knotted." He said reassuringly, "Lucky for you, he seems to have cleaned up his act a bit since you met. He is still a crime boss, but his crimes are more monetary in nature now. We are willing to look past it, to a degree, seeing as he willingly assists you with information."
"O...ok." I agreed, not really sure how to feel. "I feel hustled, sir."
I jumped in my seat as the chief let out a big booming laugh. "Well, I guess Wilde has rubbed off on me a bit." He stated as he calmed down. "So, now that you are up to speed, how about you get to work."
"On it sir!" I exclaimed, scrambling off the chair. As my paw touched the door knob, I hesitated before turning back to the chief. "Sir... just so you know, Nick and I are... we ummm... well, we are seeing each other sir." I blurted out.
"Will it affect work?" He asked staring into my soul.
"Not at all sir." I replied with conviction.
"Then I don't care." He said picking up and opening a file. I smiled and left his office.
"Good for you Hopps. I'm happy for both of you." Chief Bogo said quietly to the empty office, his smile hidden by the folder.
I stood outside the office for a minute and smiled. I knew I wasn't suppose to hear that, but my bunny hearing made it out clear as day. "Thanks, sir."
POV(Nick)
I stepped out onto the street and sighed. It felt so strange to be leaving. Even though it was just one night, I felt like we had been together forever. Everything was just so right. Even in the shower, everything was natural. Normally I am able to avoid those situations before they happen. "Its been five years... I should have just done it. I like her and she likes me... done deal." I thought as I walked.
"Done deal? Remember last time you got close to someone? The betrayal you felt, the pain. Wanna do that again?" My cynical side countered. "Its best to move slow... don't get hurt again."
"Judy wouldn't do that. She is different. She shouldn't pay for the sins of others." My rational side reasoned. "And I deserve to be happy."
"Oh great. An argument with myself. That's healthy. No wonder buffalo butt is sending my to a shrink." I mused.
The whole walk home I went over the pros and cons in my head. By the time I made it to the front door of my apartment, I was a mess. I hadn't figured a thing out, except that I did truly love Judy.
"Oh I know several things about Judy you loved... like that cute fluffy tail above that amazing..." My penis added.
"Wha...Will you get out of here!" I shouted out loud waving my arms about my head. When I stopped I noticed a female black bear eyeing me and gently moving her cub further from me.
"Hehe... there was a bee." I laughed nervously as I scurried through the door into my building. Once inside, I made my way straight to my apartment.
Since I had already showered, it didn't take long for me to get changed and ready to go meet with Bogo. At first I thought about just wearing my usual, green Hawaiian shirt and khakis, but then I remembered my lunch date with Judy. "I can do better than that." I muttered to myself. Instead, I chose a nice pair of darker jeans, tastefully faded, and a maroon button down shirt over a standard white tee. To finish off the look, I put on a belt, tucked the shirt in leaving the top two buttons undone and rolled the sleeves. "Fucking bandage! Rolling my sleeve would be so much easier with full use of my paw" I thought angrily as I struggled, eventually winning against the odds.
I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. "You know... I clean up nice." I thought, hoping that Judy would think so too. I was about to leave, when I remembered one last thing. I walked over to the coffee table and picked up my badge. Even though I was suspended, I preferred to have this on me just in case.
As I walked to the station, I pulled out my phone to text Judy.
"hey carrots who you riding with today" I sent. I figured she would reply in a bit, since she was probably busy, but I was surprised when she responded right away.
"Hey Slick. ;) No one... desk duty." She replied.
"Oh? Why?" I asked, a bit worried.
"You coming in?" She asked in response.
"Yeah, on my way now. ETA 10 min. Why?" I told her.
"Ok. Tell you then." She answered. "See you soon sweetie."
Her last message made me stop and stare at my phone a few seconds. "Sweetie... I like the sound of that." I thought, day dreaming a bit. I would have continued daydreaming if I wasn't interrupted by a car horn.
BEEP! BEEP! "Hey fox! You just going to stand there all day in the crosswalk?" A rather angry ram shouted at me.
"Oh... sorry!" I shouted as I scurried across the street. "Judy... the things you make me do."
A few minutes later, I arrived at the station.
POV (Bogo)
"Come in." I said without looking up from my work.
"Its Wilde, sir. I was hoping to talk to you." Officer Wilde said casually as he entered my office. I motioned for him to have a seat before I spoke.
"So what's on your mind son? And what did you do to your arm?" I demanded seeing the bandage.
"Uh... the arm is a result of an accident with a mirror, caused by too much booze sir. It will heal I promise you... stitches should be coming out in a few days." He explained before getting to what he really wanted to talk about. "Sir, I wanted to talk to you about my investigation. When can I come back?"
I leaned back in my chair for a moment studying Officer Wilde's face. "I can reinstate you effective tomorrow. I.A. Has nothing substantial against you."
"So basically... they don't want to get made the fool by charging me for saving the child." He smirked.
I just nodded giving him a rare smile. "Clever... just don't get used to it."
"Believe me sir, I won't. Thanks." He said standing to leave.
"Hold on there, Wilde. We are not finished." I ordered.
"I knew that was to easy." He sighed turning around.
"I want you to remember a few things... First you will see the department psychologist. Until he clears you for field duty, you will be on a desk. This also means that you will not be allowed to carry a firearm. Are we clear?" I asked him sternly.
"Crystal sir. May I ask, what about Judy. Who will she work with till I am back?" He asked.
"You. She declined to work with anyone else. She wants to remain with you until you are back on the streets." I told him, watching as he lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Really?" He sounded flattered. I just nodded. "Sir, I need to tell you, Judy and I are... we are a thing."
"Don't care. But congratulations, all the same." I told him with a small smile. "Now go, Judy already has an assignment for the two of you and will fill you in."
"Yes sir." Officer Wilde said, bringing himself to attention and saluting before taking his leave.
"THE DOOR FUCKING CLOSES WILDE!" I shouted after him, before massaging the my temple with my hooves.
POV (Judy)
"Wow... you are such a cute bunny." I heard a voice say behind me. I did my best to control my anger as I turned around.
"Look, you ma... NICK!" I screamed punching him in the arm.
"Ow... come on Fluff. I only have one good arm and if you keep doing that, then I'll lose that one too." Nick mocked.
"Well... don't call me cute." I said frowning.
"Ok... well..." He began as he leaned to whisper in my ear in a husky voice, brushing his muzzle against my cheek as he went. "what if I called you my sexy little bunny."
"Well... I..." I felt my face get hot as naughty thoughts ran through my brain. "Nick!"
"HAHAHAHA! Sorry Judy, I couldn't resist." He laughed straightening up. "So the chief said we have a case."
"Um... yeah. You back then?" I asked. "And for the record, you look really nice. Fall colors suit you."
I watched as he beamed at my compliment before responding. "Thanks... that means a lot. And no technically not until tomorrow. But you can fill me in now and maybe I can help till its time for lunch."
"Ok, well, there is nothing concrete yet, but it appears a new gang is on the rise." I began. "So far they are responsible for one murder, and a string of robberies."
"I see, and how do we know they are connected?" He asked pulling up a seat to my desk.
"They left a calling card at all the locations. Here." I told him passing over some photos of graffiti on the walls.
"Hmmm FPA," He mulled over. "Any idea what it means?"
"No... so far I can't find anything. Hopefully, something at the scenes will point us in the right direction. We have teams out there now. You and I are on point on this. All info is to come to us." I replied, "And the chief wants us to see... HIM."
"What? Really?" Nick asked just above a whisper. I just nodded. "Ok, I'll make some calls later and see what I can get arranged."
"Thanks, sweetie." I said without thinking.
"You know, you have called me that twice now today." He said smirking.
"Sorry... it slipped." I answered blushing.
"No need to be sorry... I...I kinda like it. But we should probably kept that down at work." He replied.
I just gave him a warm smile before going back to the case. "So other than the graffiti, there is very little in common with the locations hit. All where hit at night, no alarms tripped, place ransacked and registers cleaned out."
"Hmmm... where was the mammal murdered found?" Nick asked, clearly thinking.
"Umm... hardware store. No idea on him, but the deceased bobcat at the scene matches the description of the store owner. We are thinking he stumbled upon the robbers and was shot in the process. We are trying to get a positive I.D. Now." I told him, flopping through my notes.
"And the other places?" Nick asked... a look I had never seen before plastered on his face.
"Ummm... a plant nursery, and sporting good store. Why?" I asked not seeing the connection.
"Oh shit!" Nick hissed grabbing the crime scene photos. "Judy, we need to get more people on those scenes. We need to know everything they took. We need inventories."
"Nick, what am I missing? Tell me." I questioned, confused.
"This is not just a bunch of thugs looking for cash. The cash was a cover." He said, frantically flipping through the pages. "See look, all three locations had a safe that were not touched."
"So?" I still didn't understand. "Nick, slow down. Walk me through it."
Nick took a deep breath before continuing. "Ok, look. You said yourself no alarms were tripped. That means two things. First they are professionals. They knew how to disable the alarms. Second, they had ample time to crack those safes and clean them out. That would indicate that the money from the tills is just a cover, meant to distract us or make it look like a petty crime."
I just sat there absorbing what he was saying.
"Next, look at the stores... the place is ransacked almost like they were looking for something. But these are places of business. The selves are all easily found and searched, so if there are not looking for something, then they did it to hid something. Probably what they took, that is why we need inventories." He continued.
"But what would they want from these places?" I asked.
"A bomb." Nick said coldly. "Chemicals, pipes, wires, etc from a hardware store to make TATP, nitrate fertilizer from a nursery for similar purposes, and tactical equipment like optics, radios, munitions, etc from the sporting goods."
"Oh my God..." I said out loud. "I need to see the chief."
"I'll go with you." Nick offered.
"No... you're off today and besides... you have a phone call to make." I told him.
"Ok fine, but I still want to take you to lunch. Deal?" Nick asked me, slipping back into his suave self.
"Deal." I agreed, before looking around quickly to see if the coast was clear. Seeing that it was, I quickly gave Nick a peck on the lips before rushing off to Bogo's office.
POV (Nick)
I stepped out into the mid morning sun and found a nice quiet place to make my call. Walking down the block a bit, I found one under a large tree. Casually, I strolled over and leaned against its trunk as I told my phone to make the call.
"Call skunk butt." I said loud enough for it to hear. I was rewarded with a ringing on the other line. After a couple rings the line was picked up.
"How is Grandma?" I asked giving to code phrase to let Mr. Big know it was me calling. "Judy and I need a favor. Yep... ok... will do... no best not to send a car... we will come to you. Got tomorrow at 10."
I hung up the call and then sent Judy a message. "Done. Tomorrow 10."
A second later I got her reply. " :) looking forward to our date. BB says good luck."
"Huh... I wonder if Bogo knows that BB stands for buffalo butt." I chuckled as I shrugged. If he says good luck, then that meant Judy was still with him. Perfect.
On my way out to make the call, I had decided to step up my game a bit for lunch and now that Judy was occupied, it was the perfect chance to get everything set up. But first I needed some information from Judy.
"How long till you are ready for lunch?" I texted her.
"Can't talk... maybe an hour." she replied.
I looked at the time on my phone. "An hour would make it 1115. Perfect" I thought, breaking into a slight jog.
With an hour to play with, I set my plan into motion. First up, I stopped by the little cafe a couple blocks from the station.
"Can I help you sir?" The hostess, an Otter, asked.
"Uh, yeah. I would like to make a reservation for two for 11:30 today." I told her. "Its a bit of a big day."
She beamed at me before replying, "New girlfriend? We don't really do reservations, but I think I can make an exception for you. Will a table by the window be ok?"
"Yes, new girlfriend. Window would be perfect. Thank you so much. Name is Wilde." I replied, trying out the word girlfriend. I liked the sound of it.
"Great, well Mr. Wilde I look forward to seeing you and your date back here at 11:30." She said as I turned to leave.
Casually, I began walking back to the station, I still had forty minutes to kill and one more stop to make, but it was on the way and I didn't need to rush. Looking up, I saw the shop I was looking for.
"Ah... good morning Mr. Wilde!" the friendly clerk called.
"Good morning to you Mr. Otterton." I greeted back. "By the way, the hostess at the cafe down the street, relative?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. She is my niece, she is staying with us for college. Works there part-time." He replied.
"That's gracious of you." I complimented.
"Not at all, she is family. Happy to do it. Now, what can I do for you." He asked.
"I need one of those... in Yellow." I said pointing.
"Of Course." he smiled, giving me a wink.
POV (Judy)
I was a bit late getting out of Bogo's office. But it wasn't too bad. I walked down to the lobby looking to meet Nick for our lunch date, but I couldn't find him anywhere. My ears began to droop as the thought of being stood up flashed through my head. Luckily, before I was able to spiral into depression, Clawhauser caught my attention.
"Hey! Hey Judy!" He called running over, well running for him.
"What is it Benji?" I asked. "Have you seen Nick?"
"Yeah... wooo. I need to sit down." He panted, plopping down on the floor right there. "He told me to tell you to meet him outside."
"Oh, ok! Thanks!" I said excitedly, noticing his stare. "What?"
"Oh nothing, but you need to go!" He said making a little shooing motion with his paw.
"Oh right!" I said and practically ran out the door.
When I got to the top of the steps and looked down, there was Nick. Standing by the open door of my police cruiser, with a smile and a single long stemmed yellow rose. It was so sweet. As I approached him, I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"No need, Fluff." Nick said tenderly. "Ready to go?"
"W... where?" I asked still a bit speechless.
"I made reservations at a place I know down the street. Come on, or we will be late." He said taking my paw and helping me into the passenger seat, like a true gentlefox. Once I was safely clear of the door, he shut it before running around and climbing into the driver seat.
"Nick, this is so..." I began.
"Uhbuhbup! No girlish gushing until after we get food. Then footsies, googly eyes, and whispered sweet nothings are totally acceptable." He interrupted.
I tried, but I couldn't hold it together. "You ruin everything, know that?" I said for the second time that day, this time laughing.
"Do I? Yes. Yes I do." He said with a smile. "Ready Judy?"
"More than ever." I replied smiling back.