Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I've had a birthday, a wedding shower, Mother's Day, and a housewarming party these last few days, keeping me very busy and away from a keyboard.

Bogo towered over Judy's desk, staring her down over his tiny glasses. His features were contorted into a mixture of doubt and weariness, and he pinched the bridge of his snout, sighing heavily.

"Wilde, tell me you had remembered to lock the doors."

NIck folded his arms, huffing. "He was cuffed head to toe, Chief. In a locked car. Really your guess is as good as mine as to how he managed to squirm his way out."

Judy, who was filling out their report, turned in her chair. "Sir, Nick made sure he was secured, and the glass was mostly inside the car, so if I had to guess, he had help."

"That car was parked in a crowded lot in the middle of the day. No one came forward as a witness?"

Judy shook her head. "No sir. No one. They might have been distracted by the fire. And sir, if you don't mind my saying, we've been wondering if the two are-"

"Connected?" Bogo finished. His broad shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I've had enough conspiracies for one lifetime. We're still cleaning up the mess from the last one."

"We just don't want to rule anything out. Once the fire department uncovers the cause of the fire, we'll have more to go on. Until then, we'll treat them as separate incidents."

Bogo nodded. "Fine. By the way, Yaguara's emailed me the information for her district's 'll see I've forwarded it to you."

"Why didn't she just send them to us?" Judy asked. "And while we're at it, why does she insist on everyone going through her if they want footage from her district? That's not up to her, per ZPD regulations."

"Yaguara's district is very self-contained. Most investigations that involve it start and end there as well, so she's come to expect a certain amount of autonomy. The Commissioners' Council allow her some leeway in other precincts' involvement in her district, due to her distinguished service, but they are in no way legally binding. You could go over her head to get the footage if you wanted, but you'd probably make an enemy out of her."

"I think we're well past that," said Nick, smiling.

"Yaguara has a lot of influence, Wilde. Don't make it worse for yourself."

Judy turned back to her computer, going to her email. "We won't, Chief. With any luck we won't ever cross paths with her again."

Bogo left them, having some business to attend to in his own office. Nick opened the email from Bogo, snickering to himself as he read it over. Bogo had forwarded it directly from Yaguara, and it was painfully obvious she was not overly happy to be sharing the information. The subject line was blank, and the lack of formatting hinted that Yaguara had given the information sloppily and as quickly as possible, wanting to wash her hands of the matter.

"I guess she's the type to hold a grudge," Nick said, wheeling over to Judy's desk. "Find anything?"

Judy shook her head. "Not yet, but I don't know my way around like you do. Where were the tunnels?"

Nick put his paw over hers on the mouse, unaware of the involuntary 'eep' that slipped past her lips. "Let me see. This nightclub on the corner of Midnight and Corvus has a VIP area in the back. Behind that stone wall…"

He tried to move the camera further to the left, but it had reached its widest angle, where they could just barely make out the edge of the wall Nick had mentioned. A rhino covered in vivid tattoos stomped around the edge of a heated pool, two scantily-clad companions under his arms. Flashing lights cast colorful shadows out to the cavern wall, and the camera shook ever so slightly under the thumping bass of music.

"Why can't the camera move any further?" Judy asked.

"Technically that's private property. These are still traffic cameras, Fluff. They don't bend to our will."

Judy pointed to the bottom corner of the screen. "No, look. That slider shows how far to either side the camera can go. There's a little more to the left, but it's stuck. You think it's broken?"

"In my former line of work, I learned that a lot less is done on accident than you think. I'd wager something or someone did that on purpose."

"What. Why?"

Nick patted Judy's head. "So pure. If a tunnel is still there, obviously they don't want nosy little cops like you being able to see it. They probably wedged a rock in the mounting."

"So we can't see what's going on unless we move whatever's blocking the camera?"

"Seems like."

Judy groaned, pulling on her ears. "Just after I told Bogo we'd stay out of Yaguara's way, too. Now we have to go back down there and ask for her help?"

"Do we, though? I wonder?"

Nick had a devious look in his eye when Judy turned to look at him. "Nick...what are you thinking?"

"I mean, do we have to tell Yaguara what we're doing down there? If anything, she should be thankful we're willing to make a trip just to help her out. Those tunnels cause a lot of headaches."

"Bogo said crossing her would tick her off. This sounds like crossing her to me."

"Only if we get caught, Carrots. In an out, you and me. We look around where the camera is, maybe find the tunnel, maybe knock off whatever's holding that camera in place. We don't even tell Bogo. I'm talking about a real hush-hush kind of thing."

Judy smirked, patting his cheek. "Miss skulking around, do you?"

"Maybe I'm a grass-is-always-greener kind of guy," Nick said with a shrug. "So are you in? C'mon, you bent plenty of rules when you had me on a leash all those months ago."

"You certainly weren't complaining. Maybe you're a leash-wearing kind of guy instead?"

"Oh, is that what you think of me?" Nick asked, moving closer.

Judy's tail twitched. "So what if it is, Wilde?"

Fangmeyer suddenly leaned over the divider, a lopsided grin on his face. "Hey, I'm gonna hit the vending machines. You two want anything? Soda? Juice? Maybe a room?" He laughed all the way to the hall, as Judy and Nick shot back to their own desks, red-faced and indignant.

"W-we should probably get going," said Nick, scratching his nose.

"Right," Judy agreed, cheeks burning.

As they stepped into the hallway, they spied the Internal Affairs Inspector, Oliver, Roosevelt, speaking softly with Francine. Despite his slender build and quiet disposition, and the height difference of several feet, Oliver seemed to elicit respect and friendliness from Trunkaby, who was usually very casual and rowdy with the other officers. She pretended she might fall on Judy the first time the two of them were formally introduced, but here she seemed almost shy, and reserved. She lumbered off towards the lobby, and Oliver looked over at them, greeting them with a small wave of his hoof.

"H-hello," he said. "Is your day going well?"

Judy shrugged. "It's been...interesting, so far. Mr. Roosevelt, right? It's nice to meet you, personally anyway." She stood on his tip toes, reaching up to shake his hoof. Nick offered his own paw as well.

Oliver smiled. "Please, call me Olly. I'm actually not much for formality; officers are wary enough of me as it is."

"Why's that?" Judy asked.

"Wouldn't you be, around someone who could get you fired?" said Nick.

Olly pointed at Nick. "Exactly. Y-you know, Officer Hopps, I've been meaning to speak with you and Officer Wilde."

Judy felt her heart begin to pound. "Oh?... what about?"

"I hope I didn't come appear as standoffish when I addressed everyone in the bullpen. I only meant that everyone would be treated fairly, something I'm sure you and Officer Wilde have struggled with. I have to admit, I watched your meteoric rise very closely; seeing you combat stereotypes like that was very admirable."

Nick rubbed Judy's head, grinning. "Yup, Carrots here made quite the splash, didn't she?"

"Oh, you as well, Officer Wilde. I'm sure many foxes have dealt with similar problems. You should both be proud of the work you've accomplished."

Nick was taken aback by the genuine compliment, and rubbed the back of his head, flustered. "Well….thanks."

"It's no trouble," said Olly, "and I expect our meeting to be a short one. You both have spotless records. But I actually have a meeting in just a few minutes, so I'm afraid I have to get going."

Judy waved goodbye. "Good luck...internal uh, affairing!"

"Smooth, Fluff," said Nick.

"Did I seem nervous to you? He was so nice, but… there's something about that guy. It's like he stared at my soul."

"Don't be so melodramatic. He looked as nervous as you. Gotta say, though, is Olly really the best choice?

"Like you're one to talk, Piberius."

Nick froze, glaring daggers at Judy. "Keep your voice down will you?" he hissed.

"It's public record, sweetheart," said Judy, smirking. "If you're lucky one else has checked, but play nice or I might let it slip out."

"Your ruthlessness knows no bounds, Carrots."

They parked their squad car at a lot a block away from one of the public tunnels leading into the Nocturnal District, preferring to keep as low a profile as they could. The lift held a separate area for those going down on foot, and although a few mammals took a second glance at Nick and Judy when they spied their uniforms, no one seemed to be paying them much attention.

"I feel so exposed for some reason," said Judy. "Like we're doing something illegal."

"Would it help if I said we weren't?" Nick replied.

"I know I'm just being silly."

"You're just doing your job. Yaguara would probably stop you from doing said job is she knew we were out here. Ergo, we don't tell Yaguara. You've got nothing to worry about. How many more times should I tell you that before you believe me?"

Judy thought about it. "Maybe a hundred? It'll be your job to keep count."

She leaned over the side of the railing, watching the flashes of light spin around the walls of the tunnel. Nick didn't know, but Judy was largely nervous because of their brief talk with Oliver, not because they were steeping themselves back in Yaguara's territory. The elk, despite all his quiet charm and gentle disposition, filled her with a sense of dread, like the heavy, soot-colored clouds of a coming storm. Nick was right when he had said she broke many rules during their first case together, and while her being out of the system back then might make it harder, she could not shake the feeling that Oliver would manage to piece it together himself anyway.

It often distracted her, the realization of how quickly she fell into questionable actions for what she perceived as the greater good. She had been so desperate to prove to everyone that she was capable as an officer, to Bogo and her parents and especially to Nick, who had been so relentlessly mocking in their budding partnership. She remembered hating that condescending, dismissive tone his voice was layered upon, sickly-sweet honey that dripped out as poison between smirking lips. Nick's own mantra of never letting others see the damage they've done seemed insurmountable then, as it did now; she'd never been good at hiding her feelings, and every time she felt the frustration boil over, her resolution to shatter Nick's preconceptions of her were steeled ten times over.

But had she gone too far to solve the case? To prove everyone wrong? It was easy to tell herself that bending a few rules meant little in the grand scheme of things, especially since no one was hurt as a result, but the moral dogma of the ZPD did not allow such loose interpretations of the law in order to protect its citizens, even if it might protect them better as a result. Had she betrayed the ZPD in order to serve it? It ground against her mind like a broken cog, hounding every choice she made and every face she met.

She felt Nick beside her. "Don't stare too hard, Carrots. You'll drill a hole through the rock," he teased.

She laughed softly, grateful for Nick's easy-going nature. Although sometimes his unwillingness to put out his feelings worried her, she admired his ability to brave the stress and pressures of their work, quick with a joke and snarky grin, and she hoped that in time she might acquire that skill as well.

"Counting the stalactites?" Nick asked. "You probably missed a few hundred."

"Actually I've been counting your bad jokes. Well, trying to. There's just too many to keep track of."

"They're just going over your head."

The lift reached the cave floor, hissing as the bulky machinery grinded to a halt. Those with cars drove out single file, while Nick, Judy, and everyone else who had rode down on foot moved to either side where sidewalks led them safely away from the traffic. This lift was in another part of the cave system, and instead of a gaping cavern, there were towering, narrow corridors carved out of limestone and granite. Gone were the spectacular displays of illuminating algae and bacteria streaking across the rocky surface, instead lit by small lights strung along the walls with metal spikes. Smaller mammals and rodents strode across dozens of natural bridges dug out from the rock, into passageways too cramped for most animals, presumably shortcuts to the other areas throughout the district.

Judy glanced around with curiosity. "Why is everyone so quiet?" she asked.

"It'd echo too much down here. There are strict noise policies constantly in effect," Nick explained quietly. "No bars, clubs, live music...it's more like a graveyard. But the square is just a little ways ahead."

They came upon a small stream dripping out from between the rocks, and Nick led Judy down it's trickling path until it became a creek, and then a river, and then a mighty deluge that poured over the side of a sheer cliff. Half a dozen escalators on either side of the falls carried mammals up and down with ease, although the occasional giraffe had to stoop their head to be able to fit. When Nick and Judy stepped onto one of the escalators going down, she took in with awe as the descended towards the main cavern, the colors scattered behind bars rock formations that kept them from falling.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights," said Nick.

Judy spied his tail tucked firmly between his legs, and she pointed to it, smirking. "I hope you're not, either."

"Yeah, well, there aren't any vines to catch either of us, so I prefer to call it reasonable cautiousness."

"Don't worry, scaredy-fox, I'd catch you again."

Nick flashed a smile. "Like I'd fall for you again."

There was a commotion at the bottom of the descent, a crowd of mammals circling around the entrance to a restaurant and bar. Judy heard angry voices and growling, and was about to investigate before she thought better of it.

"Their district's precinct is probably on the way," she said.

Nick nodded. "And the less they see of us the better."

No one in the crowd had spotted them, so they were able to slip away before anyone demanded they intervene. From what Judy could make out over the shouting, it wasn't anything more serious than a drunken argument that had simply attracted the attention of the populace, but it did feel out walking away from what was technically their job. She told herself that they already had a job, and focused on that.

"Anything look familiar?" she asked.

"Hard to say. Old tunnels are filled in almost as quickly as new ones are dug out, and a lot of new businesses and apartments have been cropping up the last few years."

"All the way down here? Seems a little too gloomy to live down here."

Nick shrugged. "I guess a lot of mammals are still more nocturnal than they thought. It's a nicer district than you give it credit for, though. Bogo might be right about Yaguara, as much as I hate to admit it. She's strict, but she keeps the streets clean."

As if on cue, a squad car for the Nocturnal District screeched to a halt beside the crowd, forcing those closest to jump out of the way. A black bear and a wolf jumped out, menacing in their black uniforms instead of Judy and Nick's royal blue, and they shoved their way through the crowd. The bear snarled at what was revealed to be a ram and a cougar arguing, and he grabbed the back of the cougar's collar, slamming him onto the ground and bearing down onto his spine with his arm. The wolf got two fistfuls of the the ram's wool, and she bashed the sheep against the glass, surprising the patrons still inside the bar.

Judy watched, frowning. "They're a little rough, aren't they? It was just an argument."

Nick rubbed his back, grimacing as the bear added his knee on top of the cougar. "It's always been a little 'subdue first, ask questions later' mentality down here. Like I said, you don't want to make waves down here."

He pushed Judy away as the wolf produced her taser, around the street corner and out of sight. They stood on a small hill, looking down towards the gaping cavern. Nick squinted, scanning the buildings and looking for the nightclub they saw on the cameras. This was a nicer area within the district, with lavishly-dressed citizens driven around by chauffeurs and private security. Judy spied faces she had seen on posters and television.

"I think I see it," said Nick, pointing down the hill and over the rooftops. "See that white, marble wall over there? That looks the same as we saw on the camera."

"Then let's get down there before Yaguara gets wind we're here."

They hurried down the streets, curious passerby taking note that their blue uniforms meant they weren't part of Yaguara's precinct. Judy did not like the sense of unease she felt at their surprise. Yaguara's hold on the district became more apparent by the day, and she began to wonder the true extent of her control.

They came to the club, quiet and darkened in the afternoon. Nick moved carefully around the front end of the building along the sidewalk, looking for the right angle as the one shown on the camera. When he came upon the high wall, and the cavern wall behind it, he traced his line of sight behind him, and up to a length of heavy wire that stretched over the street to another building. On that building's roof lay the camera, its lens gleaming in the shadows of the cave.

Nick squinted. "Yep, I can see a block drilled next to it. Right there? That's got to be what's keeping the camera from moving. What's the plan, partner? Should we move the block, or just look for the tunnel?"

"Let's fix the camera. We can't be here all the time, so if something happens when we're gone at least we'll be able to see it later."

Nick approached the side of the building closest to the camera, holding out his paws for Judy to put her foot into. She stepped from his paws to his shoulder, before balancing herself on the other shoulder.

"Careful," Nick said, clasping her feet to help her stay steady.

They heard the screeching of tires, and another ZPD squad car pulled up. Instead of the two officers from before, Judy was surprised to see Ed jump out, his expression strained and worried.

"Get down from there!" he hissed, looking around frantically. "Before anyone else sees you!"

Judy looked down at Nick, confused. "What's the matter? We're in the middle of investigating a case! Don't tell me Yaguara's angry enough to keep us from doing our job?"

Ed began jumping up by Nick's side, trying to knock Judy off her perch. "No, you're going to keep us from doing our job."

"You can't be serious," said Judy, climbing down. "What? Afraid that we'll make you look bad?"

Ed glanced over his shoulder, and spied a bear watching them closely from across the street. He was muttering into his cellphone, and when he saw Ed looking, he hurried back down the street and around the corner. At the same time, Nick saw a weasel in the nearest alleyway texting into his own phone, beady eyes gleaming in the dark. He hurried over a fence before he could be questioned.

Ed sighed heavily. "Nevermind...it's too late. Oh, the Captain will have my fur for this."

Judy was getting annoyed. "For what? What's the big deal?"

"Officer Hopps, I mean no disrespect, but...well, you really shouldn't have done what you did. The Captain knew about the camera being locked in place, to hide the tunnels."

Nick folded his arms. "And she did nothing about it?"

"Yes, because that means everyone who uses it won't either."

"Meaning?"

"The Captain let the tunnels remain because she's doubled the patrols and security at all the areas around the tunnels. The smugglers, traffickers, whoever, use them and are...well, were none the wiser. We were recognizing patterns, setting up stings...you didn't ruin everything, but this will set her back a lot of work."

Judy felt unsteady, sliding down the wall until she sat on the pavement. "Oh god...Nick, what did we just do?"

"We didn't know, Fluff," said Nick, trying to calm her down. "We couldn't have known."

"Why did we come down here? Why didn't we just swallow our pride and ask for her help? How much trouble did we just cause?"

"A lot," Ed chimed in. "Mostly for me. But, Officer Wilde is right; you couldn't have known what Yaguara was planning. Only I and one or two other officers were aware of the scope of things."

The hyena sat down across from her, his expression disarming and sympathetic. "Even if the Captain isn't fond of you two, which she isn't, she can't get you fired. Your jobs are safe."

Judy hugged her knees to her chest, sighing. "I don't care about my job. I care about all the innocent mammals I just put in danger."

"You're overreacting, Officer Hopps," Ed said. "Sure, this is a headache. We'll have to come clean about the tunnels and demolish them, but one knew we were letting them stay active, so as soon as new ones are dug, which is extremely likely, we can get right back to work. If anything, you're keeping a lot of contraband and drugs off the district's streets for a while, or at least slowed the flow. It'll probably pop up more on the surface, though."

Nick joined the two of them on the ground, immediately next to Judy. "He's right, Judy. Take a deep breath. Everyone makes mistakes. No one got hurt. Maybe we'll get chewed out, but-"

"Ed? Ed?" The hyena's radio burst to life from his car, Yaguara's intimidating tones grinding over the waves. "Did you manage to stop them in time?"

Ed shot Judy an apologetic look. "...no, ma'am. Looks like they were spotted by one or two perps. I bet the news is making the rounds right now."

They heard a loud crash over the radio, and a string of similarly violent curses. "Damn that rabbit!" growled Yaguara, "she needs to learn to keep her nose out of others' business. Are they still there?"

Nick was frantically waving his arms and shaking his head.

"No," Ed said, finally. "I scared them off, I guess. Sorry, I didn't know you wanted to yell at them."

Yaguara swore again. "There are so many things I want to do them, Ed. Yelling is the least of them. Get back here now. We have work to do, cleaning up their mess. I'm filing a complaint with Bogo as well. If I'm a lucky woman they'll be fired for their gross incompetence."

Ed could see Judy beginning to seethe, and wisely lifted his finger off the radio's button before Yaguara discovered she had been lied to. He set the radio back in it's mount, frowning.

"You know, that actually went better than I expected," he said. "She must have been in a good mood."

Nick rolled his eyes, making quotations in the air with his fingers. "Yeah, 'good mood'. That's one way to put it."

"What now?" Judy asked. "Does she want us in her office again?"

Ed scratched his chin. "Probably, but not right now. She'll be spending the next few days regrouping and replanning. If you like I can keep you two in the loop so you'll know what to expect if she does call you down."

"I'd appreciate that," said Nick.

"But," Ed continued, "I'd guess she won't want you down here for a while. She has a lot of pull, so Bogo will probably agree to that if it means she won't raise any more of a fuss."

"That doesn't sound too bad, I guess," Judy said glumly. "This has been just about the worst day on the force I've had yet."

Ed chuckled. "Then count yourself lucky. You're going home with your tail between your legs, not your body in a bag."

"Thanks for that image," Nick, said, biting. "But really, thanks for helping us. With a Captain like yours I have to admit I expected it to rub off on you."

Edd hopped back into his squad car, shrugging his shoulders. "She's not too bad. Yaguara and I have been working together for a long time. Strict, yes. Blunt, definitely. Draconian? On a bad day. But she's good at her job, and a good officer is better than a nice officer."

He drove away, and Nick stood up to help Judy to her feet. "You alright, Carrots? Still a little shook up?"

"More than a little, but I'll be okay." Judy smiled up at Nick. "Thanks for the little pep talk. I'd probably have pulled out all my fur by now if it weren't for you."

Nick chuckled. "Than I consider it a public service. A hairless Judy is not a sight this town needs to see. Now come on, Bogo's probably waiting for us, and you know he hates it when we're late to a chewing out."

Author's Note: Man, Judy and Nick just can't stay out of Yaguara's crosshairs, can they? This is bound to cause a ruckus. Only time will tell how big of one, though.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Again, very sorry for the delay!