A/N:
I Live!
Now that I've gotten my Mushu impersonation out of the way, there are a couple things I want to address. First, thank you for all your reads, reviews and feedback. I am eternally grateful. Second, my apologies for any errors, or typos. I'm a bit rushed because I'm packing to move house. Third, I am going to be delayed slightly in posting the next chapter because of said move. Again, my apologies. All I can say is that I will be back to regular posts (as much a I can claim I do those) as soon as possible. Thank you all, again, for reading!
Judy sprinted out of her apartment building, barely avoiding the porcupine who lived next door and the greasy beaver who pretended to be the superintendent, on the stairs. As she blasted out the door, she spared a blink to seethe at him. She hated the disgusting rodent and how he looked at her every time she walked past him. He made no secret of his interest in anything female that crossed his path, regardless of age. The only thing that had spared him a closer acquaintance with her handcuffs was he hadn't actually done anything, but leer. If she had been less upset, she would have noticed his usual slimy expression was absent, replaced with wide-eyed fear.
Judy was angry. Whatever had just happened, she knew Wilde was involved and she damn well was going to get answers. As she ran, she fanned her anger. She kept it hot and close to the surface. She had to. If she didn't she'd have to admit she was afraid. She was utterly terrified of what had happened and she would never, ever admit it.
She had to get two busses to make it to where he was. Judy had no idea how she knew that, but she did. Her knowledge of the public transit system had once been fairly substantial. It had not survived her marriage and the convenience of having a personal vehicle that two incomes afforded her. Now, the car was gone. She'd sold it along with most of the other assets she won in the divorce. As she had lived a stone's throw from the precinct since the divorce, she hadn't bothered renewing her knowledge. Therefore, how she knew exactly where to go and how to get there on an almost instinctive level was unsettling to her. Just one more scoop on the sundae.
Unfortunately for Judy, reality seemed to be going for a record of some kind and the scoops kept on coming. She felt drawn along. It was like a thread in front of her that she could follow. The weirdness didn't stop there. Mammals seemed to shift subtly out of her way, lights favored her at the crosswalks. Even hazard cones seemed to be placed to speed her along. She made it to the bus stop and hopped on just as the ZTA bus doors slapped shut, barely missing her fluffy little tail. She rode the bus, not even knowing which one it was until she felt a tug on her senses to disembark.
Judy didn't understand, but she also was too upset to think about it; more focused on keeping her fear at bay. She dashed over to another ZTA stop a short way away and slipped onto another bus in the same way. It occurred to her that there was no way she would ever have made such close connections herself before that day. It was a thought that she buried as she scampered off the second bus and onto the sidewalk.
Her sprint to the leisure path along the water was over before Judy registered she'd moved. Grass, flagstones, trees and park benches flew past as she moved with incalculable certitude to where she was sure, absolutely sure he was.
It was not lost on her that it was a first and a strange one. Knowing where he was at any time prior to this day was something she had given up on long ago. However, now she knew as easily as knowing she had a left ear. She also knew that he was alone. It was galvanizing to know where he was for once and it spurred her. She was closing on her target and knew that she would be able to beat the answers she needed out of him. There was no escape for the fox. The fury that had blunted during her confinement to public transportation bloomed hot behind her eyes, again. Then, she crested the last rise between them and Judy's fury puttered out, along with the fear it was hiding. When she saw him, she had no idea what she was feeling.
He sat on a park bench that had seen better days, basking in the sunlight like a lizard on a rock, but he did not look like the scruffy, orange screwball she knew. For one thing, he was smiling; not the smug grin she always saw him with, not the look of weary discipline she saw in her dream theatre. It was a smile that filled her with a sense of wonder; a feeling that was alien to her. It had been for too long since she had felt anything other than the weight of expectations and bitterness at her own failings.
The other thing that gave her pause was the fact that, she was alone in an isolated place with a male she didn't trust, but she felt completely safe. They were in the open, in a depression created by a low ridge and a few well-sculpted shrubs. Opposite him was a grungy vendor's booth. The only clean thing on it was the protective storm window covering its front. The next nearest structure was a pagoda that was held up purely by the crusted salt and grime colonizing it. No one was anywhere nearby; no children, no parents, not even a hobo, or rubbish collector. They were as private as she had ever been in her life and in the center of a public place that would normally be teaming with families and beachgoers.
Her sense of uncertainty only continued to grow as things from Judy's dream became real. As Nick stretched, his form seemed to be more a suggestion than a fact to her eyes. His fur seemed to blend with the sunlight, the border between them blurring. As he stretched, the wood and concrete of the bench he sat on seemed to blend through him. He seemed more and less real than his surroundings.
Sometimes, a mammal could feel more potent than the room they occupied. Chief Bogo had been one such mammal, before his retirement. Some mammals could change depending on where they were and let their environment shape them. In that moment, the fox she knew defined his environment even as it defined him. It sparked another feeling she hadn't experienced in a very long time: awe.
She was so awed that, she jumped when he spoke.
"You look positively bashful, there, Carrots. What gives?"
Once she landed, she was afraid to move. "How did you know I was there? Did you feel my presence?"
The fox chuckled and lifted his face to point at his nose. Judy instantly felt ridiculous for even asking the question. Apparently, she left her brain in the shower. She registered that she had been upwind of him from the moment she had gotten off the bus. He probably had smelled her coming for several minutes.
Annoyed at her missing the obvious, but still riveted in place she followed up with, "And what makes you think I look bashful?"
In response, the fox pointed at the booth across from them. It was worn, but in the early morning light the storm window managed to show a reflection. Judy immediately flopped her ears behind her in embarrassment. She was wringing her paws at chest level, wide-eyed and looked very demure. She looked like a kit who'd been caught sneaking up on a crush. Her anger flared again as she stomped around to face her quarry and finally get some answers. She regretted her decision, as she flushed with the same sense of exposure she felt when he raked his eyes over her, earlier.
Judy did not like feeling pierced by his gaze now any more than she liked being seen half-dressed by him, then. Unfortunately, she didn't know how she felt about it at all. It didn't help that he was the first male to see her in a state of undress for years, or that he complimented her. Whatever she felt, she had a few things to deal with that had a higher priority than her confused fluster.
Detective Hopps didn't have long to recover from her initial shock. Things only got worse. The longer she looked, the more she felt out of her depth. Something felt different. Okay, everything felt different. She still hadn't shaken off the weird feelings from the dreams and she was rattled as hell from whatever ESP nonsense Wilde had pulled on her. Now, she was overwhelmed just being in his presence and felt naked to the bone when he looked at her. It was way too much for her to handle. No matter what she did or tried, none of these weird feelings would go away; not the ones from the dream, not the ones she felt because of him.
The cherry on top was that as if it wasn't bad enough that she was all out of sorts and had weird feelings rocketing through her, she kept getting this weird feeling of deja vu. With so many mysteries already on her mind, this one was completely unappreciated. It was also the most persistent. It was just one more thing she would have to get to the bottom of.
She snapped out of her mental tangent and realized he was walking away from her. Not quickly. More at a strolling pace, just like he had when they first met, only without the bizarre head start. She hastened after him and he seemed completely at ease as she caught up.
Before she could utter a syllable, Nick cut in. "You want answers."
"You bet your red ass, I do."
"Such language, detective… Naughty, naughty."
"Wilde, you are going to tell me what that was."
"The dreams? Yes, I will. Among other things, but Carrots, first, we are going to enjoy a little walk. You have the time before your shift and it's a beautiful morning."
Judy could find nothing else to say at that moment. She found herself surprised, almost chastened. She'd expected him to fight her, or be a pain in the tail, as usual. She did not expect frankness, let alone a simple, reasonable agreement to her demands. It left her unconnected to all her expectations and more than a little discombobulated. She was very much not in control.
As they walked, Judy was getting a little of the iron back in her spine, but only a little. Not enough to be her usual self. Certainly, not enough to go toe-to-toe with the fox for answers. She felt vulnerable. The awe and fear still lingered. Her bravado was just that and she knew it. She also knew he knew it. Oddly, she felt something she had a hard time naming. In reality, she had a hard time naming it, because it was an admission that she was not comfortable with at all. She felt secure. That awkward realization made for a very discombobulated bunny.
To any onlookers, the two looked like soon-to-be lovers taking an early morning stroll. She looked demure and uncertain, a bit nervous or scared, perhaps. He looked calm and confident; very sure of where he stood. It would be so easy to assume he was waiting for her to work up the guts to confess her feelings. Indeed, an early morning jogger or two smirked as they passed.
Nick was aware of exactly how it looked. The pink tinge in the air around the mammals making the assumptions was obvious to him. It wouldn't be to a greenhorn novice, like her, but she was her own set of obvious tells. Her scent, and behavior was just a start. The impression she made on the atmosphere and her reactions were all hugely telling to him. Her emotions sparked on the air around her, creating a halo of anxiety and uncertainty. Much to Nick's surprise a tiny hint of nostalgia was in the mix and he wasn't sure what to make of that.
They were in no way close to lovers and if he didn't come through with the answers she wanted, he could very easily end up with a fresh set of bruises. Worse, he could alienate her. He just had to play his cards right and be patient. Nick's patience was rewarded when Judy's finally ran out.
Their meander along the waterfront was coming to an end. There were more mammals about than a few health nuts as they came away from the recreational spaces and back to the city proper. Nick didn't miss Judy taking a long calming breath as they left the borderlands and returned to the city proper; obviously in relief at returning to Her embrace. Similarly, Judy didn't miss that their perambulation was over and she was owed.
"Alright, Slick Nick." Judy began. "We've had our walk and now, you're going to cough up."
"Good grief, Carrots. You have no sense of grace, do you?"
"I don't need grace. I need you to tell me what happened last night."
"The way you said that is slightly suggestive, Fluff." Nick chuckled.
Nick realized that was the wrong thing to say when Judy grabbed his tie and yanked him down to her level. "Listen to me, you prick. I have been as patient as I am willing to be about this. You've already admitted to knowing what's going on, so spill."
Judy was getting aggressive and that wasn't going to help him in any way. Too much anger would cut her foundling connection to the city and he couldn't let that happen. He needed her awed, or surprised; off kilter, so she would be open to admitting what she saw was real. He needed her to be less a cop and more a kit, so he did what he did best. He was cheeky.
Nick slapped her paw off his tie and stepped into the shadows of the building behind them, only to reappear from another shadow behind her. "Or what? You'll arrest me because you had a bad dream?"
Judy suddenly found it hard to breathe. "Am I still dreaming?"
Nick's chuckle was wry and a little sad as he said, "Nope! Sorry, Fluff. This is real."
"I have to be dreaming. This has to be a dream."
"Why, because, in reality we could never do this?" Nick grabbed Judy's paw and walked into the shadow he had just stepped out of. When they stepped out of the shadows Judy found herself in the Alpine District. Nick enjoyed the look of slack-jawed bewilderment on her face. "Welcome to the mountains, Detective Hopps."
Judy's jaw wobbled about for a moment before she located her capacity for coherent speech.
"I don't understand."
"I know. Before I answer, I have a question I need you to answer. Do you love the city?"
"Of course, I do. I protect it every day!"
"Carrots, what you protect and serve are the citizens and civic machinery, respectively."
"What's the difference? Isn't that what a city is?"
"You know that isn't true. Otherwise, your late-night walks wouldn't be such a treat for you?"
"How do you know about those?"
"I used to wander, too. It made me feel safe and it bled away stress. I loved the feeling of the place; of just walking the streets and basking in it. Then, one night, I got home after a long walk. I'd wandered all over the city that night. I don't know why. I just did. I flopped onto my couch and fell fast asleep. I had a dream where the city was alive and I was a part of it. I thought I was crazy. That is, until I tracked down a face I recognized from the dream. There was this cantankerous little fennec fox I'd known off and on for years. I saw him do crazy things in my dream. I tracked him down, we had a few drinks, I told him what I dreamed. You know what he said?" Judy shook her head. "About damn time, slowpoke. Now, lets get to training you up."
"Training in what?"
"Magic. Before you get all worked up, you aren't Harry Otter and this isn't going to turn into anything like the J. K. Growling series. You are not a wizard, Fluffbutt."
"Then what am I?"
"Right now? Nothing but a crabby rabbit with a chance to be more."
"And that's what you are?"
"I'm not a rabbit. Those observational skills need some polish, Detective."
"What are you, Wilde?"
"I'm a sorcerer."
"What, like a druid, or a wizard?"
"Hah! This also isn't a game where wizards are smart, druids are wise, and sorcerers use force of will."
"Why don't you tell me what this is, then, instead of being obnoxious?"
"This is about the city and your connection to it; about your chance to be more than just another citizen, albeit one with a badge."
"What does that mean?"
"We'll find out. In the meantime, you have your shift to get to and I have work to do." The fox pointed down the road. "There's a rail station ten minutes that way. You'll just make the next train if you hurry."
As he walked away from her, Judy managed to catch up enough to shout after him. "We aren't done, Wilde!"
"Damn right we aren't, but it'll have to wait until after work. See you at 7:00, Carrots!", then he stepped into the shadow of a telephone pole and vanished.
"Bloody theatrical fox…"
Deciding to take him at his word, Judy hared off to the rail station. She managed to get on with a few moments to spare and even got a seat that was her size. Under normal circumstances, she'd call it a lucky day. Under these circumstances, she was uncertain what to call it. An hour and change later, Judy disembarked her third bus and walked in to the precinct. The welcome she got was anything but what she expected. Her first clue was Clawhauser's jaw hanging open. Then she noticed the looks from her other coworkers.
Sadly, the rabbit didn't put it together until Francine walked up and commented, "Damn, Judy. You are the last mammal I thought would make a walk of shame. Did that kiss on the cheek yesterday turn into something more?"
Judy was horrified. "Excuse me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
It was then that the wolf partners, Wolford and Lupus, walked up. Lupus picked up where the now taken aback elephant left off. "Hopps, you wore that exact outfit yesterday. Looks like you haven't changed, but your fur looks like you had a shower." The white wolf punctuated his statement with a gesture for her to fill in the blanks.
Judy was mentally stalled, so Francine picked up the thread again. "You also smell like sea air, the mountains and Wilde."
"Wilde? That fox-shaped shadow of hers?" Lupus inquired. "And what's this about a kiss? Did you hook up with him last night?"
Suddenly, the attention of the whole damn foyer centered on Judy. She felt her already-floppy ears flush red. Before the cat calls or inquiries could start, she had to do something. It was a common joke around the station that the fox was her boyfriend. The key word being "joke". It was just a little good-natured ribbing to cut the tension every once in a while, or so Judy had thought. It was obvious from the tensely-expectant expressions of interest from every single mammal in the foyer that she was the only one who thought it was a joke, now. The last thing she needed was this to happen, especially now. Fortunately, she was so devoted to her skill development that she had become creepily observant. Also, being an inveterate workaholic, as Clawhauser put it, she knew more than a few secrets.
Turning to Lupus, Judy smiled and asked, "How's this month's issue of Full Moon Howlers? You know, the subscription you have sent here because your wife would kill you for reading it?", just loud enough for Lupus, Wolford, Francine and Clawhauser to hear. The white wolf's face dropped and the eyes of the others bugged slightly. It was clear they got her message.
Lupus headed off to his office, saying, "Morning, Hopps," with Wolford in tow.
Her reply of, "Morning, Sergeant," was thick with satisfaction.
The others dispersed and Judy heard quite a bit of whispering. It was astonishing to her how many of her coworkers were suddenly interested in her non-existent romantic life. She then had to correct herself. As far as they were concerned, her romantic life wasn't quite so absent and from the level of interest, it wasn't a recent thing. She raked her paws over her face and headed towards her office, but only made it a few steps when she was stopped by Fangmeyer. The massive female tiger was the only mammal in the precinct that could match her on the sparring mat and after Clawhauser, her favorite feline.
Her second favorite feline was concerned. "What's the deal, Hopps?"
"Nothing. Bad night." The tiger raised her eyebrow at Judy's sad attempt at whitewashing. Judy sighed before elaborating. "I mean it, Lieutenant. Just some severely deranged dreams and then that damn fox."
"Is he stalking you?" The big cat was nothing if not astute.
"No. It isn't stalking if I go find him. He was just cryptic and weird. Typical Wilde."
"Is this something I should be making a case file for?"
Judy sighed in exasperation. She usually appreciated her coworkers looking out for her, but today it felt overbearing. Cops could get groupies and stalkers like anyone else, but Nick wasn't a stalker. She felt unexpectedly defensive of that point. "It's not a case. There isn't a crime. It's just a big, fat slice of nutjob pie a la mode for me, lately."
Lieutenant Fangmeyer pursed her lips in consideration before taking a small leap of faith. She knew Hopps could handle herself, but everyone had their limits. "Hopps, you might want to take the day."
"I don't need it." Judy's reaction was immediate after years of having to prove herself.
"Yes, you do, Bombshell Bunny. You're as tough as I am, but you're upset and threatening your coworkers after a little ribbing. Your head is not on the job. That kinda shit gets good cops killed, or suspended."
Judy wanted to argue, but the Lieutenant was right. More importantly, the tiger out ranked her. She didn't want to be ordered home. That would make it an official remanding and have consequences down the road. Also, it was only 7:15 and she was dead on her paws. "You're right."
"I know. More importantly, you know. Go home. Get some sleep, or unwind. Whatever gets your head straight. Clawhauser, call it in to the chief?"
"On it," the cheetah chirped as he hit the intercom.
"Thanks, Lieutenant." Now that it was over Judy felt relieved. One weight was gone and the exhaustion settled heavy on her. She knew bed would be where she spent most of her day.
"It's my job." The tiger replied, before smirking. "And I like making sure our mascot doesn't work herself to death."
Judy's lips quirked in return. "Sparring partners next week?"
The felid smirk became a grin. "Hells yes. I could use a few rounds with the resident tail-kicker. I'm with DelGato until Saturday. I'll need to blow off some steam after turning down his terrible pick-up lines all week."
Judy's eyeroll was reflexive. "Is he still after you?"
"Just what's between my neck and my knees."
Judy shook her head. "Figures. Tell you what, beers after sparring?"
"Deal."
Judy and Fangmeyer knocked fists before the big cat made her way to the bullpen and Judy headed for the doors. As he passed the desk, Clawhauser stopped her and offered to meet her for lunch at their usual hole-in-the-wall diner. Judy knew he was desperate to pick her brain about her "date". Hs also knew he wouldn't stop until he got something out of her. She agreed to meet at 1:00. Resigned to her fate, the exhausted rabbit trotted home, stripped down and face-planted into her pillow. It was a matter of heartbeats before she was out cold.
When she woke, it was still an hour and a bit until her lunch with Clawhauser. Grudgingly, she unrooted herself from the warm spot and went for a shower. Afterwards, she had to admit she felt better. She hadn't had any weird dreams, or anything. She felt refreshed, if a bit groggy. She was tempted to write the morning and night before off as a bad dream and pretend none of it had happened, but she knew better. She knew it would stick in her head until she caved and it was easier not to fight it.
She pulled herself together, making very sure to select a different outfit than the one she wore last night and this morning. She was very annoyed with herself for making such an obvious slip, but it made sense for her to grab what she immediately remembered in her haste and confusion. It still embarrassed her.
Sadly, not as much as her lunchtime conversation with her cheetah friend.
The mozzarella sticks hadn't even arrived at the table before he started in on her. "So…."
Judy was nonplussed as she preempted him. "I'm not dating him, Ben."
"Uhhuh…"
"What?"
"I'm just wondering when you'll drop the act," he replied nonchalantly.
"What act? We aren't dating!"
"I see. So, walking in this morning in yesterday's clothes, smelling like him and talking about tracking him down is, what, coincidental to his kissing you on the cheek, yesterday?" He made it sound so obvious. Much to her frustration, it sounded obvious to her, as well. Were the roles reversed, she'd see the same thing.
"Unfortunately for your presumptions, yes." Her frustration was turning to anger; an emotion the well-meaning feline didn't deserve.
"And I'm supposed to believe that?"
"Whether you believe it or not, it's the truth. You're working off of circumstantial evidence and assumptions."
"The evidence may be circumstantial, but it's pretty convincing." It was a perfectly reasonable analysis of the evidence. It was also wrong. There was nothing between her and Wilde but air and irritation; the whole walking through shadows mystery, aside.
"To you."
"To everyone but you, Judy. Why can't you see it?"
"Bloody hells, Benji. I can see it!" The cheetah goggled at her admission as she continued her rant. "I can see exactly how it looks. I'm not a complete fool! That's why it frustrates me so much! I'm not dating him, but there's enough "evidence" to convince every one of my coworkers that I am. Do you have any idea how infuriating that is for me?"
"Hopps, we aren't making these assumptions to be nasty. We're hoping you found someone who makes you happy."
"I don't want someone who makes me happy."
"That lie is as obvious as the ears on your head." Judy fumed. "Judy, we all know that what happened and how badly James hurt you, but before you and him went south you were like a different mammal." She didn't want to hear this. She heard it in her own head every single night and it hurt then. To hear it from a friend only made it worse. It meant she wasn't hiding it anywhere near as well as she thought. "Since the divorce, you've been working all the hours the gods send and cutting yourself off. You don't come out with us anymore, or even try to meet new people. You haven't for years. We hate seeing you miserable like this, Hopps, so I don't think you can blame us if we get our hopes up because of this."
It hurt hearing how much they cared. It hurt hearing the truth about how she isolated herself from everyone else. She had her reasons, but they only held up as long as she was the only one who suffered. It was unwelcome news that she was hurting her friends through her own obstinacy.
"Judy, what happened?"
"James started cheating because I ignored him. My job was more important than my marriage." Judy felt sick admitting it out loud. "The last thing he said to me was that I was married to my job long before I met him and I should have stayed with my first husband."
Clawhauser looked confused before asking, "So, you decided to prove him right?"
Judy couldn't believe her ears. "Excuse me?"
"It's what it sounds like. He was cruel to say that, even if he felt that way, but it wasn't true. Even if it was, it didn't excuse what he did. What I don't get is why you cut yourself off and became even more of a workaholic."
"Better that than another failed relationship!"
"Do you seriously believe that?"
Judy was hurt, furious and fighting tears. After the fact, she was glad the diner was mostly empty. "Yes, I believe that! Being alone and miserable is better than finding your husband in bed with another doe a week before your second anniversary! I loved him enough to marry him in the first place, but I didn't care enough about my mate to care about our relationship. I realized that after he left and then I knew it was a mistake to have married him at all; that I wasted three years on faking it."
The look of dawning comprehension on Clawhauser's face would have been comical under any other circumstances. "You've been trying to spare yourself the hurt of failure and everyone else the disappointment…"
"If I'm married to my job, I may as well go for broke."
"You're a fucking idiot, Judy."
"I know."
"You- what?" Her answer caught him completely off guard.
"I know, Clawhauser. It's stupid, but I don't know what else to do!"
"You're scared."
"I never want to feel like that again, Ben. I don't want to be alone, but I can't take that again."
"So, how does Wilde fit into this?"
"Ugh… " His tenacity was getting irritating. "He doesn't."
"It doesn't look that way."
"I know…" Judy groused. "I have no idea what his deal is."
"Are you sure he isn't interested in you like that?"
"Almost positive. Why?"
"Well… Just hear me out, ok? You're afraid of being hurt and you don't want to hurt anyone else. Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're thinking about the failure of a future relationship when you haven't even been on a date in years. Don't you think you should worry about finding a mate before you worry about losing one? You also don't have to assume it'll be the same way, again. Maybe it'll work out differently."
"That's more optimistic than I'm willing to be."
"Look, are you seeing Wilde again soon?"
Suddenly, Judy was very glad her ears had flopped behind her. She knew exactly how the cheetah would take her answer. "I'm meeting him at 7:00 tonight."
"Are you sure you aren't dating?"
"For fuck's sake, Clawhauser, yes!"
The cheetah hummed before replying. "You might want to give it a try. I know what you're going to say, but just try it. It's a date, not a wedding."
"It's not a date!"
Several hours and another dream-free nap later, Judy found herself completely at a loss. Nick had said 7:00, but not where, or how, or anything that could have given her any sort of clue. She didn't know if it was some weird magical BS, or if he would find her, but she was certain she would not be able to find him. The weird feeling of certainty from that morning was gone, as was the feeling of being led along towards him. In light of her luncheon conversation with Clawhauser the idea of being led to him by a thread was particularly uncomfortable.
Her discomfort did not stop her from getting her ears in a twist over it. She spent far too much time fretting about what to wear and far too much energy getting ready. More than once, she had to stop herself from reaching for the make-up case she kept in a drawer. Finally, she got angry with herself and made herself stop. This wasn't a date. It was a meeting with a strange acquaintance to get some answers. It was closer to work than anything social and she should dress accordingly. That didn't stop her from selecting a pair of her nicer jeans and a blouse that was practical, but still flattering. Almost as an afterthought, she added a small gold chain with an orange citrine pendant in the shape of a carrot. It was a little hokey, she had to admit; very carrot-farmer, but she'd gotten it as a gift from her parents on her twentieth birthday and it was one of the few pieces of jewelry she owned. For some reason, it felt right wearing it. She elected not to think about it any further.
When Judy was ready, she still had no idea what was happening, or where they were meeting. On a whim, she decided to leave it under the heading of The Fox's Problem and went to the corner coffee shop to wait. Half an hour later she had given up on the prick showing up and was getting ready to go for a walk before she ate, when he appeared.
Right behind her.
The full-on attack of nerves she'd buried earlier had earlier had morphed into a simmering irritation by the time she was ready to leave. When Nick walked up behind her and said hello, her first response was to all but leap out of her skin. Her second was to restrain the urge for violence she felt immediately upon her feet touching the ground, again. That restraint got a little easier when she saw the bags under his eyes and the slight labor of his breathing. If she were a betting mammal, she'd say he was tired. More like weary.
Not that she'd let his tardiness slide. "Wilde. You decided to show up."
"Yes. Sadly, I had a bit more to do today than I thought." He was breathless and a little distracted, but looked pleased. It worried her.
"A few unexpected things came up, huh?" She asked tentatively. She'd heard the excuse before. It was so cliché it was practically a classic.
"Nothing pleasant, I assure you, but I suspect you'll appreciate it. I've had a busy day preparing for this evening and I have something waiting for you at the Docks."
The fox's formal, oddly anachronistic speech confused her as did his weirdly excited tone. In her confusion, "Odd place for a date," slipped out of her mouth. Her eyes bugged and her jaw snapped shut. She cringed at what was to come; the inevitable joke at her expense, but it didn't. What did come surprised her.
"You are dressed for a date, but I thought you wanted answers." As he spoke, he started walking away, so Judy had to run to catch up.
"You bet your ass, I do. What did you mean you're a sorcerer? How does it work? What was with those dreams? Why am I getting the-"
As they passed through a park Nick cut in. "Easy, Fluff. Close the tap for moment. You'll get your answers, just let me ask a question first."
They scampered across the street against the light and paused to wait at the bus stop on the corner. "What question?"
"You're a cop. You serve and protect."
"That's two statements, Wilde, not a question."
"Well, aren't we feeling pedantic, tonight. Fine. My question is this: what do you serve and protect?"
"The city. We talked about this earlier."
"Briefly, yes." The fox raked his paws over his ears and scrubbed his face. As he sorted his thoughts, a bus rolled up and they were seated before he continued. "Carrots, when I told you what I am, you asked if it was like being an ancient druid. Embarrassingly, it is. Your job is to serve the inhabitants and civic machinery, deal with the morass of red tape and the citizens' complaints, enforce the everchanging laws and labor in the hopes you'll make a difference to the city. My job is similar. The difference is that I listen to the heart of the city and go where it needs me; where I can be of use. I answer to her."
"You make it sound like the city speaks to you."
"It does."
"You know that's crazy, right?" Judy sat uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't like this conversation happening where others might hear them. However, no one even seemed to notice them. They weren't being quiet enough not to be overheard, but there wasn't a single mammal that even registered their presence.
Nick smiled at her concerned glances around them and decided to lighten the mood a touch. "You can say that after the dreams?"
"No…" she replied reluctantly and looked hopefully at him, asking "You have them too?"
"That was how she started speaking to me. It's gotten a little easier since, but she's no clearer."
"Would you care to elaborate? You may be used to this, but I'm still on day one."
"Right, right. Sorry."
Nick gestured for her to head to the bus doors and pulled the stop chord. Once they were on pavement again, Judy noted they were in the Rainforest District and not far from the Docks. She was getting answers, but not really any that made her feel like she was closer to understanding anything. She was also getting irritated by the whole thing, almost itchy.
"Think of it this way, Fluff. You know a little of how the city is alive now, yes?" Judy nodded. "Now, is the city a mammal? No. Of course not. It's a living landscape. To use an old term, a genus loci; the spirit of the land. It doesn't think the same way we do, about anything. Time means something different, too. Therefore, naturally, there's a bit of trouble with communication."
"So… the city speaks to you in dreams?"
"Sometimes. You get used to hearing her in different ways over time. I took me close to four years to really get the hang of it. For example, how's that itch on your hip?"
Judy had been absentmindedly scratching at her hip for a while, but once her attention was called to it, she stopped. It didn't go away. It got worse as they walked. Very quickly, Judy found she had to fight in order to not scratch herself like she had fleas. Nick was amused. She was not. It only built as they moved until it was almost unbearable and then, they arrived.
The sun was low and the shadows were long. It made the atmosphere of the construction site both picturesque and a little creepy. If Judy had possessed any interest in photography, it would have made a great shot. As it was, she merely appreciated the view for a moment, while struggling to avoid scratching her leg, again.
"Why are we here, Wilde?"
"To answer your question, Judy." Nick was tired and knew what was about to happen would tax him further. The funny look she was giving him snapped him into realizing he'd used her name. Mentally, he slapped himself. This was not the time for personal touches. "You've been itchy since I collected you and you were nervous about being overheard on the bus here, but no one even noticed us." Nick looked directly at her. "No one noticed, because I hid us from their awareness. It's a simple cantrip you'll pick up in an afternoon. As to the itching, it's because you're connected to the city, now. That connection only gets stronger when you're with me. It will until you can maintain the synchrony without assistance."
"Well, now I know that, but what in the hells is making me itch?!"
Nick raised a paw and pointed at the construction site. "That."
Judy could feel her eye twitch. "Wilde, if this is some kind of hazing, or a joke, I will hurt you."
"Unnecessary threats, Carrots. Come on." Nick headed to the locked gate at the side of the construction yard and pulled out his keys. They were all uncut, but he had every make of key used in the city on his ring. He checked the padlock and chose a matching blank.
Judy had followed half-intending to tell him off before leaving, but seeing his keys made her attention snap into focus. She'd seen that set of worthless keys so many times and never understood what they were. She had assumed they were another weird quirk of his, or a lucky charm. No, she watched as he slipped the blank key into the lock and start muttering.
Nick liked this cantrip. It was simple, easy and useful. All he had to do was coax the blank key to take the shape that the lock knew. Getting the two pieces of metal to talk to each other was almost an afterthought, under normal circumstances. Today, when he was already tired, it was almost enough to make him break a sweat. The lock popping open sparked a gasp from behind him and he knew she was hooked. He also knew what she would say next.
"That's impossible." Nick rolled his eyes and waited for it. "That's also breaking and entering."
"Carrots, I'm trying to give you the answers you want." Nick barked. "Choose."
Judy was taken aback, both by his tone and his intensity. It was clear what he was asking. If she tried to pull the cop line, like her reflexes had just displayed, she'd likely find herself alone and with nothing to show for her evening's activities. Possibly, permanently. She hadn't meant to say anything. It had just slipped out. Seeing his reaction, understanding dawned. This wasn't a joke and it was certainly a turning point for her. It was also a chance to see beneath his mask. Nick had looked weary when they met at the coffee shop. It had obviously been a front. The fox was exhausted and forcing himself to keep going. He was impatient and a little angry, but there was desperation showing. He needed her to be something other than an officer.
Judy shook herself. It wasn't a lot to ask, but it felt like it. That realization made her feel a little sick. She just had to remember how to be not a cop and it was a real challenge for her. It was quite the reality check on how far she'd fallen.
Judy sighed. It wasn't as though any one would believe her, anyway.
"Sorry. Old habits." Nick responded with a raised eyebrow over his shoulder. Judy smiled embarrassedly and shrugged. "Left my badge at home."
"In your other pants?" Nick mockingly queried.
With an eyebrow quirk, Judy shot back, "The ones you saw me in this morning. You remember. Without a shirt?", and was gratified to see a light pink tinge bloom in his ears. It didn't last long, but the tension was broken.
"Quite a sight…" Now, it was her turn to blush.
"Alright, fox. Enough with the games."
"Come on, then."
Nick led her through the patches of light and shadow to a stairwell down to the basement. She followed without complaint or question, pausing only to pop on her iCarrot's flashlight. Frankly, it weirded him out, a little. He did keep an eye on her paws as the struggle not to scratch became closer and closer to overwhelming. He admired her willpower. There was hope, yet.
When they arrived at the foundation level, Nick stopped. The space was cavernous and populated only by support girders and a few hanging lamps. "Carrots, kill your light."
"It'll be pitch black and I don't have night vision, like you do."
"Trust me. You'll see as well as I can."
Judy was apprehensive, but figured one more hop of faith wouldn't hurt. She could always turn it back on. Once the light popped off, she couldn't help herself. "See? I can't."
Nicks voice drifted through the Dark like silk and shadow. "Just watch."
Judy's first impression was ghosts at the edge of her vision, before she realized it wasn't ghosts. Once, when she was a little girl, her grandfather had taken her up north with him on a fishing trip. One night, she stayed up late with him and they had watched the northern lights. Her memories of those ethereal ribbons dancing in the sky sprang to mind as she watched Nick work. These were not the soft lights of the Aurora Borealis. They were the pink, blue, green and caustic white of neon and incandescent light bulbs. Threads, sheets and drops of light pulled together in his palm and soon the room glowed bright enough for her to see like it was daylight.
Nick paused to enjoy the look of slack-jawed surprise on her face. It was like a kit's at a magic show. He allowed himself to think she was pretty when she wasn't frowning before shaking himself and lifting the ball of light over his head and sticking it to the closest support. "You'll learn this trick, too."
"Really?" Her innocence in that moment was enough to make him pause.
"Yes, Really. However, what we are here for it over here."
Judy followed him over a row and couldn't stop herself from scratching her leg furiously. "What is causing this?!"
Nick grabbed her paws and pointed at the floor nearby with his muzzle. "That."
Judy couldn't believe her ears, let alone her eyes. There was a crack in the foundation. That was it. She was a breath from yelling at the fox, when something connected in her head and seeing that crack doubled the itch. "That? Are you serious?"
"Very. That crack is what's causing the itches."
"Itches? So you feel it too?"
"Yes, but I have the training to ignore it."
"How nice for you. So how do we make it stop? It's driving me crazy!"
Her wiggling under the influence of the itching was cute, not that he'd dare say it out loud, just now. He was tempted to keep holding her paws, but he needed them for what he was about to do. Instead, he inhaled deeply and pinned her arms at her sides. He called up the calm of the Crystal Oasis in Sahara Square and blew it into her leg. She instantly stopped moving and goggled at him.
"Are you telling me you could have done that at any time?"
"Yes, but it only lasts a few moments. Now, stop squirming." Nick let her go and moved quickly over to the crack in the foundation. He spoke quickly and Judy didn't argue. "These foundations are cracked. The inventors and contractors know it. It's just a hairline fracture, so unless you know it's there, it's hared to find. Nothing will happen for two or three years. By then, this'll be a skyscraper full of offices and mammals. When this crack gives, it'll all come down, killing hundreds and damaging the whole area. The city will suffer, as will the populace."
"So we arrest them.", Judy's answer was immediate.
"With what proof? How did you get it? How can you prove their complicity?"
Judy bit her lip and grimaced. There was no way she could pull it off. Any method she chose as a cop, would fail. There wasn't enough actual evidence and she'd never get a search warrant. Even then, there was no guarantee that there was any proof that could link the mammals responsible to the crime. She caved. "OK. So what do we do?"
"This."
Nick strengthened his light before he did anything else. He'd need strong shadows, when he was done. Then, he reached out into the city and pulled. He forced the heat from the industrial complex furnaces into the concrete around the crack and then the cold from Tundratown's cold pumps. He pulled the force from locomotives and the iron cables and the pulleys from the construction crane above them. He pulled and pulled from the city and forced it all into himself.
Before Judy's astonished eyes, Nick began to change. His bones became steel girders and muscles became steel cable. His body burned with the fire of engines and smoke billowed from his mouth and nostrils. His carbon fiber fur glistened with motor oil as he sweated and his eyes blazed. He was monstrous. He was beautiful. She couldn't look away, even as he raised his steel and concrete fists and slammed them into the ground.
For a breath, nothing happened, but Judy knew something had changed. The itching that Nick had somehow blown off her was gone. Whatever he had done with his breath had blunted it, but now, it was gone entirely. All she felt was enormous relief. Then, she was terrified as the structure above them groaned loudly.
Nick chirped, "Whoops! Over did it!"
"Over did it? Over did what?"
"No time! Gotta go!"
Nick grabbed Judy's arm and pulled her along as he sprinted. He pulled his light sphere into a tighter configuration on the fly and leapt into the shadow it created just in time. When they stepped out of the shadow on the roof of a warehouse, they had a spectacular view of the destruction.
It started slow, but as they watched, the first eighteen stories and the base superstructure of another five or six shuddered. A cracking sound so deep they felt it in their stomachs boomed out from the site they had just vacated and the building came down. Judy watched in fascinated horror as tons of glass and metal slammed into the ground. Soon, nothing was visible but dust. She whirled on her companion in a bewildered fury, only to find him on his knees and panting hard.
Before she could untie her tongue, he grated out, "No one was hurt, Carrots. If there was, you'd feel it, like a sick bubbling in your gut." Judy watched the fox struggle, uncomprehending. "You asked how we help. After what's happened tonight, there will be an investigation. All records kept and all emails will be made available to the ZPD and Central Government Assessors Office. Mammals will be arrested, tried, maybe found guilty, but that isn't my concern."
Judy reflexively moved to help him as he wobbled to his feet. "How can you not be concerned? You just knocked over a building!"
"I serve the City, Hopps. The crimes of mammals are for mammals to address."
"And this mammal should arrest you for your crime."
The last of the tension bled out of him as he laughed. "And what would you put in your report? That one widdle foxie became an eldritch powerhouse and smote the building down? Anything you say can and will make you look insane to your coworkers. Do you want a psyche evaluation on your record?"
Nick chuckled as he staggered over to the stairwell, leaving her to come to terms with the situation. He was fairly sure she wouldn't try to arrest him. She was in shock and still dealing with the magnitude of her new situation. He leaned back against the stairwell door and waited for her to shake off her befuddlement. He just hoped it would be quick. He was tired and momentum was only carrying him so far.