Chapter 6 A Dead-Beat Dad and a Beat-down
Nick and Judy were on their way out of headquarters when Chief Bogo stopped them.
"Wilde, I need to talk to you, now." The large buffalo looked not angry, but concerned.
Nick and Judy entered the office.
The buffalo looked quizzically at the bunny, "Hopps this is for Wilde and me to discuss."
Nick looked at the chief, "It's okay, sir, right now she has played a major role in supporting me emotionally." The bunny sat next to him, a little snugger than normal, and the chief's face went from concerned to smiling.
"It's about bloody time, you two seemed as if we needed to stage an intervention." The chiefs face faded back to concerned, "Wilde, you knew the victim on a personal level, did you not?"
The fox's face showed a twinge of sadness.
"Yes, sir, he was a very close friend."
The buffalo sighed, "Wilde, seeing as the case has hit a dead end for now, I am putting you on leave for a week." The fox didn't protest. "Wilde, this means absolutely NO police work of ANY kind, and if I find out you have been violating this rule, so help me you will be on latrine detail for a year."
The fox's silence was an assurance that he was understood.
"Right, now you two are dismissed, I have a precinct to run."
Judy looked at Nick, "Where to now?"
Nick thought aloud, "Maybe we should go to my apartment, I doubt yours is big enough for both of us."
Judy chuckled and grabbed Nick's hand leading him forward.
Nick grew flustered, "J-Judy, shouldn't we be keeping US discreet?"
Judy gave Nick a serious look, "Chief Bogo knows, not much use in trying to hide it, besides, apparently the whole department has been waiting for US to happen."
The bunny led her fox through what felt like the longest route through headquarters that they could have taken, even earning Nick a wink and a thumbs-up by Fangmeyer, and Clawhauser could barely contain his delight as he signed the two out for the week long leave.
The duo was heading down the steps leading to the garage when Nick hear a voice that made his blood boil with pure, untamed rage, "Nicholas Piberius Wilde, it has been too long."
Nick looked murderously at the mammal, "Fuck. Off."
Judy looked aghast at him, he never said anything so hateful to anyone before.
The fox, whom Nick had replied so violently to, put a paw over his chest in a mock display of hurt, "That's no way to talk to your old man, is it?"
Nick looked at him with a cold, hard glare, "It is when your old man steps out on you when you were four."
Judy knew to let them handle things right now, any intervention on her part would escalate things.
"Come on son, isn't there something we can do to work things out?" The fox's voice had a nonchalant tone hinting at the almost jovial attitude of a drug dealer.
Through gritted teeth Nick responded, "As a matter-of-fact, there is."
Nick burst into the chief's office, "Sir, I need to use the boxing ring, NOW!"
Bogo looked furiously at Nick, "What in bloody hell is the meaning of this, Wilde?"
The fox was seething, "Me and pops have to work out a few issues, 25 years of them."
The chief stood up, "You just can't seem to have a normal day, can you?" He thought for a minute, "Fine, I'll get the pads."
Nick stopped the chief, "No, Just the gloves." The chief knew the fox wouldn't go through with it any other way, nor would he resolve his problems if he didn't go through with it.
"Alright, you will both be shown to separate rooms, and appointed personnel will tape the standard issue gloves on your paws."
Nick looked at the chief and saluted before going downstairs. The two appointed personnel were waiting outside their respective rooms, but when Nick went into his, he whispered something to the officer assigned to his father.
"Alright Mr. Alex Wilde, let's get these gloves on."
The fox flashed a smile, "Actually I have a pair of my own, I don't really like to use any others, they throw me off."
The officer let him put his personal gloves on before advancing and taping them down. Nick sat in a chair waiting to be ushered to the ring, finally he was called by the appointed referee. Nick expected it to be just him, his father, Judy, and a few officials in the ring, but no, the entire gym was packed with his fellow officers, all of whom cheered when Nick appeared.
He was lead into the ring and appointed to a corner, suddenly, the gym grew quiet. Nick's father, with black gloves, boxing shorts, and sneakers made his way to the ring, Nick subconsciously started to growl.
The round was about to begin, both were instructed to touch gloves, as Nick reluctantly did, his father spoke, "How about a little wager, huh, I win and those aviators that you always carry around are mine, and if I lose, I do whatever you say." Nick growled in agreement.
They were both led to their corners as the ring was cleared of people and objects, "Wilde, I want you to give him everything you've got."
Nick jumped when he heard the buffalo's voice, and turned around to find him wearing sweat gear with 'COACH' written across the chest.
"Wasn't planning on doing anything less, sir."
The buffalo grunted in approval and motioned for Nick to turn back around.
"Fighters, at the ready," boomed the referee, and both foxes took their stances.
The first bell ring made Nick's adrenaline surge, the second felt even slower, but when the third ring came he bounded forward. Nick's attack was met by a counter that made Nick realize something; his father was still a cheating bastard; his gloves were weighted.
Nick dodged and struck and took the returns the best he could, but it seemed like his father wasn't breaking a sweat, but a few more minutes in and he saw a cheap trick being used again, his dad had run out of surprise street moves.
The round ended and the crowd hushed with anticipation for the next round, "Nick you're making a bloody disgrace of yourself, and I mean BLOODY."
Nick looked at the chief, "Don't worry, you're going to need a stretcher for this round."
The buffalo snorted, "Yeah to carry your miserable, unconscious pelt to the infirmary."
The fox said nothing, for he knew this was how the chief got him riled up. The respective corners emptied of cut-men and coaches, leaving the two foxes staring at each other, then the round started.
Nick bounded forward with a newfound fury, and just as he did, his father went for another one of his "street moves," but it was in vain, Nick dodged it, and with all his might, plowed an uppercut into his fathers' jaw with a resounding pop.
The older fox crumpled to the canvas with the referee rushing to his side, starting the count, "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN!"
The gym erupted in cheers and applaud for Nick as the referee held Nick's hand up in victory.
Nick looked over to his father, who was being put on a stretcher, "Hey, don't give him any pain meds in the infirmary."
The medics acknowledged Nick and transported the limp dead-beat away. The entire company of officers was cheering and slapping Nick on the back all the way to his dressing room.
Judy was standing in the room with an angry look on her face, and Nick cringed waiting for her to shout at him about simply talking out differences, but the shouting never came, he simply heard her sniffle and say, "How could you let him hurt you so much?"
Nick looked at the bunny, who was now inches away from him.
"Your poor face is so bruised," she said as she put her paws on his cheeks.
Nick looked down and said, "I knew he would cheat, and I told the officer in charge of helping him to let him cheat. I wanted to show him how I could win against him, no matter what, like a true mammal."
She looked at him and to his surprise said, "I think you looked sexy out there, especially when you landed that uppercut."
Nick looked at his bunny with awe, "You know when I hit him, I was putting all my rage, all the hardship he had caused me and my mother, all of that, behind that one punch. He started repeating street moves and I took a gamble on his next move."
Judy hugged her triumphant fox, "Promise me you won't do anything like that again."
Nick pulled Judy as close as his injuries would allow, "I promise."
Nick lifted Judy's chin and gave her a deep, loving kiss, "Ahem."
The duo turned their heads to see that their door was open, and a sea of officers was standing with massive grins on their faces.
"I knew you were an item, but I didn't know you'd be this mushy about it," the chief's remark sent a surge of whoops, cheers, and whistles through the sea of officers.
"Well carrots, I guess it's official now." The fox chuckled before giving her another dramatic kiss that made the officers cheer even louder.
"Now, where is that dead-beat that I just mopped the floor with?" The chief led Nick and Judy to the room where the older fox was cuffed to his bed, not because he was under arrest, but because the other officers were going to make him own up to his wager.
"Nick, my boy, that was one damn good hit." Nick's father looked jovial, even though he was just KO'd by his son.
"You still owe me, and not just for the fight, pops." Judy noticed that Nick was nowhere near as angry as he was in the parking garage.
"First, you will get off the drugs; second, you will hold no prejudices against my girlfriend; third, mom doesn't want you back, so stop calling here; and fourth, you WILL be there for every silly school event that your grandchildren will ever have, am I clear?"
The fox looked at his son, "I guess I can try being there for once," he admitted defeated. "I have two questions for you, son: one, who is your girlfriend, and two, why is that bunny acting so flustered?"
Nick smirked, "Dad, this is Judy, my girlfriend."