Leaving the warehouse roof was a simple affair. Nick's keyring worked its simple magic on the stairwell door and then it was a matter of letting gravity do the work. Nick was intensely glad to let it. All he had to concentrate on was keeping his footing. Otherwise he'd fall instead of walk down the stairs and that would do nothing for his dignity.

It had taken his companion for the evening a few minutes, but eventually she calmed down. She didn't say anything, but the air no longer vibrated with her anxiety, fear and guilt. Instead, to Nick it seemed she was now considering what she had seen. There was curiosity billowing around her. A little excitement, too; wonder, curiosity and that tentative excitement the fox remembered only too well from his early days, when he was learning with Finnick.

The memory of his old friend and mentor saddened him a little, but not enough to squelch his satisfaction. He'd finally been able to deal with that damn itchy feeling and it had been worth it. Internally, Nick patted himself on the back for holding off as long as he had. Forcing the sensation into the background and keeping it there had been a chore, but oh so very worth it. He was not terribly adept at using foresight, or scrying, but his gamble on Judy waking up to the city had been worth it. He'd been heinously incorrect on the timeline, but that's scrying for you. It was worth the extra seven months of itching to finally show her what she could be.

Now, Nick had to play the role of the accommodating answer mammal. From her increased sense of focus and self-collection, she was accepting what happened and was getting close to speaking to him again. Once those flood gates opened, Nick knew there would be no end to the questions. Between her career and her dogged refusal to let anything go, she'd ask every single question under the sun and follow every line of inquiry until she was satisfied. She'd be an excellent student, once they got started.

It also pleased him to no end that there was no anger or hard edges to her. That meant no arrest would be forthcoming for his antics this evening. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when she finally turned his way and started walking. That was his cue to open the door and lead her down to the sidewalk.

They descended in silence. This was fine in the fox's opinion. It left more of his attention free for his balance. It also bough Judy some time. She'd gotten her mind wrapped around enough of what had happened to not freak out completely. In truth, she was feeling more than a little giddy, like a school kit who'd gotten away with a prank. Granted school pranks didn't usually knock over buildings and cost millions in damages, but that was a minor detail. When they arrived on the sidewalk, she stopped him from going further with her paw on his arm and rather nervously looked up at him.

"Am I under arrest, Officer Hopps?"

Judy's mouth quirked before she answered. "I told you my badge was at home. Remember?" She was glad for his humor, for once. It bled off a little of the tension.

"Just making sure, Carrots. You ok?"

"I'm... overwhelmed.", Judy stated.

"Understandable." He replied with a half-smile as he reached into his satchel. He pulled out a Beetleberry Protein Bar for himself and offered her a Carrot-Alfalfa energy bar. "Hungry?"

Judy was surprised at how hungry she was and gladly tucked in. "You always have rabbit food on you?"

"Just tonight. I figured you'd want a snack by now. Gods know I do." Nick's bar vanished quickly, followed by a second in short order.

"Hungry, Slick?"

"Just a bit," Nick replied as he licked the pads of his fingers clean. "Magic takes it out of you, especially big stuff, like that."

"I can believe it. Does it just make you hungry?"

"Mostly hungry and tired. Food helps, but most of what replenishes a mammal after major magic is rest. Normally, I wouldn't get much despite what I did, but I did more than I intended to buy myself a little leeway."

"Ok, hang on there a second. Can you break that down a little? There was a lot in there I didn't catch."

Nick laughed. Rubbing the back of his neck and roiling his shoulders, he headed down the street. In doing so, he completely missed the weasel. The destruction of the construction yard had drawn a crowd including a few members of a dockside gang. One of them, a mustelid, caught sight of red fur and terrible fashion sense down the road and seconds later had his phone in paw. Unaware of their observer, Nick and Judy walked away from the crowd and into the deepening night.

"Alright Carrots, let's start with why I'm so tired."

"Poor sleep habits?"

"You have no idea," the fox grumbled. "Basically, what I did back there took effort. The city helped me, but I had to contribute and actually do the work."

"What do you mean you had to contribute? Was it just performing the…" Judy foundered. "Spell? Is that right?"

"Close enough for now." Nick said around a grin. "Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of mana, or Qi, or energy? Anything like that?" Judy nodded dubiously. She wasn't very familiar with what her father had always called "new age nonsense", but at this point she was willing to suspend her disbelief. "Good. Whatever you want to call it, a sorcerer can run out of it, just like you can get tired after running for a long time."

"It's magic stamina?"

"If you like. The point is that you need it in order to make the connection and gain her help. If you don't have any left, you can't do magic."

Judy thought about it for a moment before responding. "I guess that makes sense. If it's like stamina, can you get more of it, or better at using it?"

"Yes to both, but it takes time and work. More important than that, however, is replenishing it."

"So, how do you do that? You said rest and food, but are there more ways?"

"Yes, but those are the big ones."

Judy suspected he was hiding something, until the silence led him to meet her eyes. Then, she was sure of it. Their eyes had only met for a second before he looked away, a bit startled. She may have been new to whatever this was, but she knew how to read mammals. The mammal next to her had a big fat neon sign over his head, blinking "awkward". If it got any worse, she'd have to sell him to a casino as a decoration.

Deciding to cut the evasion short, Judy stepped in front of him and stood. Suddenly, he was a good bit closer than she was expecting and, unless it was a trick of the light, a touch redder?

"So, what are the not-big ways to replenish yourself?"

Nick's flash of discomfort was smoothed under a smooth smile. "Isn't that a risqué turn of phrase for you, Carrots? I'll have you know, "not-big" does not apply, in my case."

Judy's expression flattened and she glared as she replied. "Listen, Wilde, if you were trying to cover something up with that, you failed. Now, I know you aren't telling me something. You're going to change that, or I will walk away and you can try again when I feel like putting up with juvenile sex jokes. I have taken a lot on faith tonight. It's time you returned the favor."

To her eyes, Nick looked taken aback. That and a little impressed, perhaps? In either case, the smirk melted away and the weariness bled back through. Judy felt a twinge of guilt, but it only lasted until Nick started to answer her.

"There are a few ways. Meditation is one. Crafting, or creating does, too. Basically, anything that brings joy into your life. A lot of sorcerers use their vocations, like teaching, or music.

Judy quirked an eyebrow. "And you felt uncomfortable about telling me that? I don't believe you. What's the rest of it?"

Nick sighed and rolled his neck before answering bashfully. "Well, those all help over time and meditation is the quickest, but it still takes time and practice to be effective. There is also a way to quickly replenish one's reserves to a point."

"And that is…?" Judy prompted with an impatient waving of her paw. "Any time, Wilde."

"Intimacy, Fluff. One of the most effective ways to recharge yourself is intimacy." Judy goggled and Nick pressed on. He had to get it out before his embarrassment caught up with him. "There are a lot of ways that can be done solo, but the fastest is with the help of another mammal."

"You mean with sex?" Judy realized she'd spoken far more loudly than she had intended and slapped her paws over her mouth, blushing like she hadn't done since she was a kit.

"You can, but that isn't what I said. I said intimacy and that's what I meant." Nick chortled around his own fluster.

"I don't understand." Judy managed, still embarrassedly hiding behind her paws.

"Intimacy isn't just sex, Carrots. Any form of affection will do wonders." Seeing how flustered she was, Nick took pity and kneeled to her eye level before continuing. "You know how when you hug someone you care about, you always feel better afterwards? More connected to them and sort of buoyant?"

Judy felt a pang of loneliness, but nodded. It had been ages since she'd had anything like intimacy with anyone. She hadn't even been home to the farm in ages. Nothing close to affection in sight.

Nick smiled. "That's what I mean. It's that shared connection and emotion. Trouble is, you need trust and openness to do it and you won't get that much out of it unless you genuinely mean it."

"And that will recharge you, or whatever?"

"Like I said, to a point. It depends on how open you are and how much you have to offer. Even holding paws with a mammal with a strong spirit and complete trust in you can basically take the place of a night's perfect rest." Judy's fist shot out and connected with his shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You chose the most embarrassing way possible to explain that, you twit!"

"Well, excuse me for feeling a little awkward about discussing intimacy with you." The fox retorted indignantly. "It's not a comfortable topic for casual conversation, Carrots, and after our conversation earlier, I was more than a little hesitant!"

"What conversation?"

"You said the Docks were a strange place for a date. It set a little of the tone for this evening."

Judy couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling out of her. "Oh, wow…"

"What?"

"The whole situation. "The tone for the evening.", you said. I think we're both tone deaf, after this."

"Officer Cottontail, that was possibly the worst joke I've heard all week." Nick blustered before joining her in laughing.

After the giggles had returned to manageable levels, Judy choked out, "We are so bad at this."

"Which part?"

"Let's go with "interpersonal relations" and leave it at that, for now."

"Alright." Nick said as he stood up and stretched. He turned and headed back down the street with her in tow. "It's all about being open, Carrots. To the city, to each other. We gain so much by opening ourselves to other sorcerers and Her."

"It sounds risky to me."

"It is. We are among the most powerful mammals in the city, depending on how you measure it, but we are vulnerable. We can bend the laws of reality to a point, but we are not invincible."

Judy mulled that over for a bit. "So, being open to each other lets you work together better, I assume."

Nick smiled down at her. "You assume correctly! Well done! The closer you are, or more intimately you trust each other, the more you share. That makes sorcerers excellent friends. Once the trust is there, you can synchronize sort of like you do with the city."

Now that the tension was broken again, Judy couldn't contain her curiosity. She was getting answers paw over fist and everything she learned made her want to know more. "So you can do more?"

"Oh so much." Nick scratched his chin, thinking. "It's like music. A duet is more than two voices. It always becomes more. All the emotion and intent pooled together becomes more than the sum of its parts. Years ago, there were two oxen sorcerers in the meadowlands. They were married for sixty years. Alone, each was potent in their own right, but together, they could stand against anything. Their bond was unshakable and it showed in their lives together as well as their magic."

She was fascinated. "What happened to them?"

"Maurice and Candace Flicktail died together in their sleep of extreme old age. Those two were together through everything, even death. Everyone who knew them envied that."

The slightly bitter, wistful note in Nick's voice struck her mute for a moment. It was clear something was bothering him. It wasn't until other sorcerers were mentioned that he started getting pained and mentioning intimacy was a sticking point for him. His envy of his married colleagues was painfully obvious, as was his loneliness. She was in the middle of following up on why he was so tired if there were so many ways to recharge when the roar of an overpowered car ruined her opportunity.

Judy knew in an instant that all was not well. Nick's expression had softened over time into showing a little of his true self and he wasn't hiding his exhaustion as much, but when he glanced up and saw the Furd Moustang at the next intersection his demeanor changed. His ears shot back against his head and his expression turned calculating, then fearful.

Nick knew exactly whose car it was. With the hideous paintjob it had, how could he mistake it? It was worse than Finnick's old van. He also knew that more were coming. They were probably already cutting off the area and any means they had of escape. He locked eyes with the driver, a shaggy and scarred wolf, for just a second and he knew he was in trouble. He was being hunted by an experienced master of the craft; one who had just gauged him as vulnerable. At that moment Nick was positive the rest of the gang was out and closing in. Rather than wait, or explain, he simply grabbed Judy's paw and ran.

There was nothing else that could be done. The Dock Reavers were a very exclusive gang, meaning they only took mammals who had done time for violent offenses. It was open to any mammal as long as they fulfilled that requirement and survived their initiation. One of their favorite pastimes was choosing a random mammal to hunt through the streets. It was a sadistic little game and always ended with a body in the river, if one was found at all. Nick had managed to get a few of the victims away from the hunting grounds and to safety, thus earning the ire of the gang. In those cases, whatever gang member was decided to have failed in the hunt ended up as the body in the river. Nick didn't feel sorry for them.

What he did feel was suddenly afraid not just for himself, but for Judy. Ordinarily, he would use some trick or other to buy himself an easy escape, but he was drained dry after working all day and what he'd done that evening. The most Nick could hope for now was buying enough time to hide Judy before he was caught. Then, he'd have to improvise. He felt strong guilt for letting her get mixed up in this and not a little irritation with himself for letting it happen. He'd been too pleased with his showing off at the construction site to maintain his usual wards. He was also too tired. His dereliction of basic disciplines could cost him his life.

That was fine. It was part of the job and he knew that. If he'd earned it by being so sloppy, that was his own damn fault and he'd have to deal with it. She had only accompanied him on a little adventure. She did not deserve the humiliating and painful end that was headed their way because of his negligence.

Without letting go of her paw, Nick led Judy through a maze of alleys and passages. The Docks were a lab-rat's maze and he knew it better than most. Sadly, the hunters knew them, too. Probably better than he did and they had numbers on their side. His one advantage was he still had his connection to the city and so he could find fast paths and he renewed the one ward he had the strength for with his last few sparks. It kept him aware of his pursuers and their positions.

As he ran, he managed a half-hearted walking meditation and gained enough power to pull another little trick. Pausing for just a second, he forced his mind to reach out and find the cockroaches in the district. It was a simple matter to borrow their senses and clearly locate each of the mammals hunting them. In his head, Nick mapped where they were and located their final goal. It only took a moment and before Judy could utter a word, he was pulling her along again.

He fled quickly to what had been chosen by the Reavers as the killing ground. They would take their time getting there for the main event, so they would have a little time. Nick needed all he could get. There, he stopped and let go of the rabbit's paw, focusing as much of his mind as he could on a meditation that would give him a little strength back. It would have gone more smoothly if Judy hadn't kept distracting him.

Breathlessly, Judy gasped, "What the hell was that?"

"That was a gang leader who really doesn't like me. Now, be quiet, so I can focus."

"Focus on what? You-" Judy paused. "You're trying to recharge yourself."

"Yes." Nick snarled. "It's our only chance to escape. Now, stop distracting me! We don't have much time!"

"Wait. I'm a cop. They wouldn't dare attack us if they know that."

"You identify yourself as an officer and it'll only encourage them." Nick groused with his eyes shut. "If they realize you're famous, even more so. These mammals would like the street cred and they don't care about jail time. Besides, didn't you leave your badge in your other pants?"

Judy gritted her teeth and barked, "So what do we do?" She knew there were mammals like that and wasn't naive enough to pretend otherwise.

"You hide and I deal with them."

"How? You're dead on your paws!"

"I have a silver tongue, Carrots. I'll talk my way out of it."

"You may be good, Wilde, but are you sure you'll walk away from this conversation unharmed?"

Nick gave up on meditating. "I said I'd talk my way out of it. I didn't say anything about walking afterwards."

"Then, that isn't happening." Judy understood what he was suggesting and was touched, but furious. She was not about to let him suffer to protect her. She was an officer of the law. It was her job to protect him! Only, she couldn't. Not in this case. He was the powerhouse and she couldn't even call for backup. They'd be dead before anyone got there. There was only one choice. "What do you need?"

"To do what, Carrots?" Nick asked, his voice thick with exasperation.

"Anything!" Judy shouted. "Any sorcery thing that'll get us out of this! Can't we walk through the shadows again or something?

"No. The shadows here are weak."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Look around you." Nick gestured to the vacant lot. "There isn't enough light to really make shadows. It's all just muddy dark. You need a strong shadow to use as a doorway, therefore, you need light enough to make them. Besides, I'm spent, Carrots. I need to recharge before I can even do that and we don't have time."

"What about me?"

"What about you? You aren't trained to use magic yet, Fluff, and you're damn good in a fight, but not against more than forty violent offenders."

"I can recharge you."

Nick couldn't believe his ears. "You can what?"

"You said intimacy can share mana or whatever." Judy overrode her embarrassment in the face of probable death. "What do I have to do? Kiss you?"

The words leapt out of his muzzle before he registered he finished the half-joke in his own head. "Not on the first date."

"This isn't a date!"

"A hug will be plenty." Nick said quietly, embarrassed at his accidental quip.

"That's it?"

He kneeled and opened his arms. "Hug me like you've missed me and you mean it. That'll be enough."

Judy opted not to think and just threw her arms around his neck. It was hard for her, at first. She hadn't hugged anyone in ages. Also, she'd never hugged Nick, or even considered it before in all the years that she'd known him. That thought felt weird, as did the hug. Then, something clicked. Having someone's arms around her was something she'd missed for a long time. Later, she'd blame the dangerous situation, but in that moment, she let her emotions override her fears.

Against her better judgement and all expectations, she trusted him. Then it ran away with her. It had been so long since she had been close to anyone. Her hesitation lasted until she realized he wasn't holding back on his end, then it all changed. She let herself feel.

She felt safe and welcome; protected and cared for in his embrace. She missed affection. She missed the emotional support. She missed feeling like she mattered to someone other than herself. It had been so long since she let herself feel anything like that. The fact that he was worried for her before himself only fanned her emotions. Judy found herself nuzzling into his neck and hugging him for all she was worth, experiencing emotions she was sure she'd be uncomfortable with once the embrace ended. In the meantime, she enjoyed it the way a starving mammal would enjoy a feast.

Nick experienced a paralleling array of emotional and mental revelations, with two notable additions that took him by surprise. Most of it he was prepared for. He had experience with this, after all. It had been years, but he at least had something to help him. He was prepared for the initial rush and her hesitance. Then, he felt her open up to him and he had to hold on, or drown in the flood. All that he was prepared for. The first thing to surprise him was physiological. It had been a long time since he'd been that close to an attractive female. The earlier fractiousness and their discussion about intimacy had left a definite mark on his mindset ad it showed. He just hoped she didn't notice. The second was the intensity.

Nick hadn't lied when he said intimacy would share energy. He was intensely grateful he hadn't taken her up on the offer of a kiss as the medium. If she had kissed him, he wouldn't have been sensate afterwards, let alone able to fight. He had always known she burned bright, but good gods was that an understatement. The strength of her spirit was incredible, even beaten down as it was. Once Judy gave in and hugged him like she meant it, Nick felt like he was hit by a truck and plugged into the power grid at the same moment. She'd make an incredible sorcerer.

When she finally pulled away, she looked up at him uncertainly. He looked even wobblier than he had before the hug. "Nick? You ok?"

The fox shook himself a bit and answered. "Yeah. I'm, uh… a little drunk."

"What?!"

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Nick stood up and tried to regain his equilibrium. "I haven't had this much to work with in a long time. It's a hell of a rush."

"It worked then?" Judy asked nervously.

"Oh, gods, yes. I'm glad you didn't kiss me. I might have passed out." Seeing her wide-eyed expression, Nick smiled "I'm serious, Sweetheart. If you kiss like you hug, my fur would be sparking."

This was not the moment for this conversation. Never was probably the moment for it. Judy elected to banish the thought from her mind along with why her ears felt like they were on fire. "So we'll be ok?" She also didn't want to think about what his grin was hiding, now.

"Definitely."

Nick grabbed her paw and pulled her over to a darker corner of the lot. Planting her in a relatively clean spot of concreted, he rummaged in his bag and pulled out a piece of chalk. Judy watched in uncertainty as he quickly drew a rough circle around her.

"What are you doing?"

"Hiding you." So saying, Nick licked his finger and pressed it to the chalk markings. Judy felt a weird tingle like a static charge surround her. "There. Now, as long as you don't cross the line, you'll be safe. Let me deal with them."

"O-ok…" Judy stammered.

Judy was completely flummoxed and more than a little of her state was because of her own reactions. They had knocked over a building, already. Now they were being hunted for sport by a gang and, somehow, she was handling all that just fine. Yet, she was all flustered.

Why had she blushed? All she had done was hug him, so why had she gotten so short of breath? Why had she need to thrilled when he said a kiss would have knocked him for a loop?

She struggled to face it, but her reaction had been real. It also just had to be a reaction to the fact that she was deprived -self deprived, specifically- for too long that even that little would have gotten a reaction out of her. That had to be it. That also had to be the reason for her other reaction. It had only been a flight of fancy, but just for a heartbeat when he dragged her into the little corner she was in, she had thought he was finding a little privacy to find out if she did kiss like she hugged.

Her juvenile mental tangent came to an abrupt halt when a small cavalcade of dirt-bags arrived. While she'd been meandering in her own head the fox had moved to the center of the lot and prepared himself. He looked the same to the casual eye; just a fox in an ugly shirt. To Judy, he looked different. It may have been the hug, or the madness of the day, or maybe she was getting more connected to the city, but she saw him glowing a little in the dim light. It was a nimbus surrounding him in a strange cheery light.

Nick felt like he could take on the world and win. He felt more alive than he had in years and he owed the rabbit for that. While she had been fussing in her own head, he had prepared a few nasty surprises for his guests. With Judy safely hidden and protected, he could cut loose a little. As the cars rolled in and the final players took their places, Nick smiled. He rechecked the connections he'd made and made sure of his spells. It'd be a little improv, but that was what he excelled at. He was ready.

At the last moment, Nick got one last little delight. He felt Judy testing the barrier he'd set up to hide her. Just a tentative finger-poke, trying to understand. It meant she was accepting and trying to learn. It was the cherry on top of his night. Now, he could enjoy himself fully.

The Reavers rolled into the lot full of confidence that they were in for a show. They knew this spot well. It was isolated, surrounded by high industrial buildings with few windows and chain-link fences. There was enough space for their cars and motorcycles with breathing room, while leaving a nice little arena under the fan of headlights. There was one entrance, so escape was almost impossible without fighting their way free. Usually, those were the terms of the game. Fight your way out and you were free, not that anyone had managed it.

As the gang leader strutted into the center of his stage, he was the picture of confidence. His prey was trapped. There was no way out except through him and his boys and that wasn't happening, tonight. The usual terms of win and go free weren't going to apply this time. The fox had ruined too many of his hunts. Now, he could enjoy a little vulpine pay-back and then worry about finding that worthless little rabbit that had been around earlier. The fox would be a quick end, but he'd take his time with the bunny. They had a reputation, after all. It was strange that she couldn't smell her, but it didn't matter. He wanted to play, but business first.

Nick smiled as the heavy fist headed his way. At the last moment, he snatched a pawful of volts from the electrical wires overhead and concentrated them in his forearm. When he blocked the punch, the electricity transferred and a wolf-shaped bullet slammed into the bumper of the vehicle behind him. Bone, flesh and metal gave under the force of the impact and the wolf went from gang leader to groaning pile of meat before he hit the ground.

That was when all hell broke loose.

Nick pulled the echoes of the harbor nearby and let them loose inside the cars. Everyone inside the vehicles was deafened as a dozens of foghorns blasted their eardrums. Several blacked out. The few who had already left the vehicles or arrived on bikes fought their disorientation and rushed the fox, but fell badly short. The fox was ready with short, sharp exhalations of the cooking vapors from the Pandatown hotpot shops, known to be some of the spiciest food in the city and worse than pepper spray in the eyes. A handful of thugs ended their evening, writhing in pain as their eyes and sinuses exploded into burning pain. The rest he engaged with a light touch, laced with voltage and a little help from the local wall art.

Judy watched in awe that was part horror, part fascination as the battle, or rout, ran its course. The fox was defending himself and protecting her. The gang members no doubt deserted what they were getting. She couldn't deny either of those facts, but she felt bad for the mammals on the receiving end of Wilde's ire. She also was itching to join him.

Since the hug, she'd understood a little of what he meant about feeling connected. She felt when he reached for echoes and lightening in the wires, or pulled twisted graffiti from the walls around him to use as weapons. She felt her fingers twitch, wanting to do it too. Seeing him fight with the city Herself on his side, she wanted to fight, too. The want became a hunger when he used a long piece of graffiti as a whip to distract a pair of lynx as a small homunculus of trash and paint charged across the ground and tackled them.

Suddenly, there wasn't a choice. A large arctic fox had skirted the chaos and was rushing Nick's back with a pipe. Judy didn't think. She snatched electricity from a capacitor overhead and sprinted to the assailant, releasing her paws into his side. He flew into another small canid who was just recovering from the peppers and they both went down to the sound of broken bones on concrete.

"Again!" Judy blinked and stared at Nick, who was yelling at her. "Again! Aim for the cars!"

"How?"

"Like you just did! Put a spin on it!"

"Spin?"

"Like a bullet!" Nick was struggling with another fox and, while he was holding his own, it was clear he was tiring. She watched as he pulled a mass of graffiti off a wall. He tossed some of it over his attacker like a net and set the rest on another thug headed his way, like a mass of angry eels. The tiredness showed even more after that. "Do it!"

Judy stopped thinking and snatched again, this time grabbing more. She could feel the electricity dancing across her fur. She tried to imagine a bullet like she'd been told, but all she could think of was her sidearm. It didn't fit for her. It seemed too real for the fantasy world she found herself in. Instead, she made her paw into a gun like she did as a child, playing cops and robbers. She aimed for one of the gaudiest cars and, on a whim, she said "bang". Lightening leapt from her paw and the car jumped twice her height as the tires popped and all the lightbulbs in the machine exploded.

The next thing Judy heard was Nick's voice saying, "Time to go!", before she was yanked to the side. Over her shoulder, she saw all the gang members were down except a huge, tattoo-covered rhino, who just happened to be charging them. She felt Nick pull electricity and tossed it over his shoulder, almost casually. He didn't hit their pursuer, but the sound of cars playing hopscotch followed her around the corner and down the alley. It turned out to be a dead end very quickly and the rhino was hot on their heels. Judy was sure they would be trampled or impaled as the massive pachyderm charged.

Nick, meanwhile, was perfectly calm. He was already summoning a wind that would safely carry them to the roof top. He was calm right up to telling Judy to hold on tight. She latched onto his chest like a terrified koala. Worse, she trusted him. The emotional load slammed into him and the power went from her to him to the wind at the speed of thought. In a mammoth blast of smog-laced air, they overshot the three-story rooftop by about a hundred times. They didn't have time even to yell, though they did hear a rhino's head meet a brick wall with an uncomfortable thump a heartbeat after their paws left the ground.

Now, Nick was not calm. Judy had doubled down on the koala imitation once she opened her eyes and was now holding onto him for dear life. He had to act fast. He had to get them down safely and soothe her enough that she didn't murder him as soon as they were at ground level. First, he had to get them down in one piece. Working around the terrified rabbit wasn't easy. She had kept her face buried in his chest after her panicked shriek and been shaking since. She was an impediment, but Nick got into his satchel. He pulled his little notebook out and watched as his pen flew off into the void. If that was the only thing he lost in this fall, he'd be lucky.

A quick glance around him showed a lot of paper and plastic bags had been kicked up by their little whirlwind. Ripping his notebook in half made it garbage and that was all the link he needed. Using it, he pulling together all the floating trash and debris. It was a challenge because of the distance and it wasn't his finest work, but a few moments later, he had what he needed. It was cobbled together and wouldn't last more than ten minutes, but that was plenty.

His one paw was occupied and the other was wrapped around the trembling rabbit, so he nuzzled her to get her attention. "Judy, if you keep your eyes closed, you'll miss the view."

Judy cracked an eye and couldn't believe her eyes. They were hanging over the city from a paraglider that looked part kite, part paper airplane and made of rubbish. She looked up at his smug grin and knew she was safe. She looked around and saw the city how only pilots, bats and avians did, as he steered them between buildings and spires. It was incredible.

All the more so for the company. Judy hadn't been one for being swept off her feet since she put her romance novels in the donation bin at the Bunnyburrow Public Library, years ago. She decided they were fantasies unworthy of her energies and just silly. Now, she had to admit they had their merits. She'd been swept off her feet more times in one evening than she'd ever thought possible. While that didn't mean she was ready to throw her virtue at his feet, like a bodice ripper heroine, she had to admit it was thrilling.

The descent was not long and the landing was not gentle. Nick cradled her as they finally landed, leaving him with a bump or two and her unscathed. They were both a bit dusty when they regained their feet. Judy was the first to get vertical and she was exhilarated. Nick was not so spry regaining his paws. Judy rushed to help him up and noticed for the first time how light he was. She also saw how his paws shook and breathing was fast and deep. As excited as she was from their little adventure, she had forgotten what she learned earlier this evening about magic. It took it out of you. Now that she remembered, she felt the first pangs of hunger and knew he must be ravenous.

Nick was almost bone dry as far as magic was concerned and he was already feeling the effects of overusing his abilities. He'd wake up with a headache par excellence, but that was only to be expected of magic burn. He was running on adrenalin and once that bottomed out, so would he. He pulled an energy bar and checked the wrapper before handing it to Judy.

"Eat that, Carrots. It isn't much, but it'll hold you for the moment."

Judy tore the wrapper off and devoured hers as Nick followed suit. Around a mouthful of carrot-flavored bar, she asked, "Don't you need more than this?"

Nick chuckled and offered her another bar and swallowed his second before he answered. "Yes, but this will do for now. I'll get a good breakfast in the morning. Right now, I need to get someplace safe, so I can rest."

Judy was suddenly unsure of where the conversation, let alone herself, was going. "Um… So are we done? Am I going home, now?"

"You can if you want to, but I don't think you should." Now, she felt extra-uncomfortable and Nick didn't miss it. Turning fully to face her, he held his paws up, palms towards her and leaned back, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. "Not what you think, rabbit. Your virtue is safe with me."

"Then, what did you mean?"

"Do you feel that little twinge around your temple?" Judy nodded. "That's called magic burn. It's a lesson for first time sorcerers and a punishment for the experienced. It'll hit you in the morning and I think it'd be best if I guide you through it."

All this sounded reasonable to her, but she was also very curious. "Alright, I guess, but how is it a punishment?"

"It's like a hangover. You're going to get a mild one because you used your magic for the first time. It's a rite of passage and a growing pain for anyone who wants to use magic. For the veteran sorcerer, it's a clear indicator that you used too much power. It reminds you that you have limits and you should respect them."

"Will you have one tomorrow?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. I earned one before we met. After this evening, I'll be a wreck. I'll feel like the construction site happened between my ears, in the morning."

Judy was aghast. "Then, why would you do that?!"

"No choice." Nick knew he had to give her more from the irate drumming of her foot. "Carrots, I get magic burn every day and I have for years. It's unavoidable in my case."

"What? Of course, you have a choice! Why would you do that to yourself?"

Nick felt the shakes starting. He bent to grab a piece of clean-ish paper off the ground and headed to a nearby brick wall. Luckily, his chalk was still in his bag and he drew as he answered her. "Carrots, I am the only sorcerer left in the city. That's why. She needs me and I can't stop doing my part just because I'm tired."

Judy listened and watched as a doorway of chalk slowly took shape. It was very specific and very clear, despite being chalk on brick. She knew there was some significance to that, but couldn't bring herself to ask. It would have to wait a little bit.

Nick was quickly weakening. "Judy, I promise I'll explain, but I need to get home before I get too tired. If you're afraid of me pouncing on you, by now you know how weak I am. I'm not a threat to you."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's a healthy concern to have, for a young lady like you."

Judy fought the heat in her cheeks and tried not to smile too much at his attempt at breaking the tension. "What do you need me to do?"

"Come with me." So saying, Nick put the paper he carried against the door and used his claw to trace a symbol on it. He inhaled deeply and thought of all the things he considered home. Then, he exhaled and the symbol burned on the paper. Nick pushed on the chalk door and it opened. Judy nervously followed the fox through the doorway and into the dark.

Light popped on and the rabbit almost jumped out of her skin for at least the seventh time that night. The fox was standing by a floor lamp in a grimy room that smelled of earth and neglect. The door they had come through was gone. Behind her was a wooden door so old it could have been in a museum, or possibly a spray-cleaner advertisement.

His den, because she had no other word for it, was one room. It was low-ceilinged and cramped with pipes and air ducts covering almost the entire ceiling. It was cozy, she supposed, but spartan. Only a cot, an old recliner too big for a fox, a few boxes with clothes spilling out of them could be seen by her before the fox pulled a curtain, isolating what she supposed was the bedroom. The main room had little else in it. A hippo-sized vanity with no legs that was used for storage, that still had the mirror attached sat in a corner and that was it. The kitchen was a hotplate and electric kettle, next to an ancient mini-fridge and a slop sink. She'd seen better outfitted college dorms.

"Welcome to my home."

"Oh! It's uh…"

"A dump. I know. I'm not here much. Just to sleep." Nick took pity on the confused female and flopped into his chair. "You asked what I needed you to do. That's simple." He hated how vulnerable this was going to make him sound, but he needed it. "Please, Judy, just stay here with me tonight."

"Nick?"

"I'm tired, Fluff. It's been a long time since I felt safe and now that you're here, I can't help myself. I feel safe with you and…" His embarrassment finally outweighed his neediness and he backpedaled. "I'm sorry. Forget I asked. Let's get you home."

"I'll stay." The words were our before she thought. Before she could regret them, the look on his face confirmed that it was the right answer.

"You will?"

"Yes, but I want something in return."

"What do you want?"

"You've talked about other sorcerers, and how you're the only one left. Can you tell me more about that?"

"I promised you answers." Nick felt a lump form in his throat. He hated how melancholy this day was turning out. "I can, but please, not tonight. I promise you I will in the morning, but now…"

Judy felt terrible and rushed to tell him it was ok and she'd wait, but he insisted she get something. She hated herself for trying to use the opportunity to get more answers out of him, but now she was hooked as much as he was. She decided on something she hoped would be a little less painful for him.

"Then, can you tell me how you chose me?"

"Alright, I'll tell you that one. First, can you make some tea, while I change into something less grimy? I'll get you something too."

"You aren't getting a nighty for me or something inappropriate, I hope.", she deadpanned, hoping to lighten the mood. She was relieved when he smiled weakly.

"Much as I think you'd look stunning in one, no. Haven't got any. I'll see about fixing that, when I get a chance." He quipped from behind the curtain. Before Judy could get indignant, the fox continued, "Just ruffling your fur, Carrots. It'll be a t-shirt and probably a pair of shorts. Does that work?"

"I suppose, but if you try anything cute, I'll have your ass!"

"Cute is your department. Back in a moment!"

Giving up on being upset at the C-word for the moment, she asked, "Where's the tea?"

"Bottom shelf over the kettle."

Judy made her way to the meager kitchen and got to work, but not without having a little snoop around. She was sniffing the tea when Nick walked up behind her, startling her. He made a quip about it being contraband-free before relieving her of tea-making duty and handing over a set of clothes. Once she was inside them, she felt like a kit wearing her parent's clothes. Dignified, it was not, but it was comfortable. Upon her return, she was handed a mug of warm tea and gestured to sit on the cot, while the fox sat on his chair. They were close enough that their knees were almost touching.

Sipping his tea, the fox began. "You want to know how I chose you. The fact is, I didn't. The city did."

"Don't you know who your destined student or whatever is?"

"No. Remember we talked about that little communication problem?" Judy nodded. "Until I met you, all I knew was I was looking for a female, something about the colors blue and purple and they have a shield, whoever they were."

"Are you seriously telling me that's all you got?"

"Yep."

"How did that give you Francine and then me?"

"Educated guesswork." Nick said after a swallow. "I went with shield meaning badge and blue for police uniforms. It gave me a base to start from." Noticing her incredulous look, he added, "It was that or a cosplay convention."

Judy laughed. "Ok... what about the rest?"

"Well, you're both female."

"Impressive observation, Slick. How does purple fit in?"

"Francine's favorite color."

"Ok, so you chose me because I was a lucky 50% gamble on the female thing, I've got a shield and wore blue. It's also my favorite color, just in case that matters." Nick chortled and waited. "But what does purple have to do with me? It's not my favorite color and I rarely wear it."

"Oh, Carrots... it may not be your favorite color, but is been mine for years, now. The most beautiful color there is. "

"Is that what matters? Did your preference for it dictate that requirement?"

"Not at all! My preferences had nothing whatsoever to do with it."

"Can't you just answer my question?"

In response, Nick lifted a weary paw to her face. He tilted her chin up to look him in the eyes and his thumb lightly rolled over her cheek. Judy felt like she was in free fall all over again. "Just look in the mirror, silly rabbit. That's why."

Judy pushed his paw away without any real force and stutter stepped back a couple paces. The fox didn't move. Instead, he smiled and with a tired chuckle pointed up at the mirror over his improvised desk, after setting his mug on the floor by his foot. By the time she looked back a moment later, he was curled up on the seat and still, breathing the deep rhythm of sleep.

Her frustration peaked and ebbed away. She was glad he was sleeping. He needed it. However, it left her alone with yet another puzzle. She also had the answer, she thought wryly.

Hoping that it wasn't some kind of novelty trick mirror, Judy climbed onto the desk chair and addressed the mirror. She checked the frame and stand, the glass. Everything. It seemed to be just what it looked like: an old, bear up vanity mirror. Probably scavenged from a junk pile, or thrift shop. Once she satisfied herself that there was nothing abnormal about it, she finally looked into it.

She saw herself.

She looked a bit grimier than she liked, especially considering she'd dressed up a bit, that evening. Her fur was a bit of a mess. Sitting on the chair, her nice pink blouse had some dust and odd stains on it and her jeans were worse off, but both garments would be fine with a good laundering. Her pendant was clean, however, and sparkled in the low light. She looked like she had after her last harvest festival at home, when she was twenty-three; Nice clothes in need of laundering, baggy sleepwear, glinting necklace. It was a comforting parallel.

The memory amused her, but did not help her understand. There wasn't anything purple about her. Her clothes, borrowed or otherwise. Not even a bruise.

She felt a momentary drop of guilt at the reason why she didn't. She owed the fox for taking the impact at landing. He'd been unexpectedly chivalrous in doing that, and as far as Judy was concerned completely cryptic since. What was there about her that was purple? It had to be staring her in the face. Then, it clicked and feeling stupid for missing the obvious went to war with the rest of her emotions over who had the right to freak her out first.

It was her eyes.

Her breath caught and her heart was suddenly running wind-sprints. No one had complimented her like that in ages, let alone so skillfully. It reminded Judy of a lot of things she'd rather stay forgotten. It also made her feel good about herself. She didn't know how to interpret the compliment. If she followed the fox's convoluted clues, it was her eyes that made him love the color. What that said about his taste made her grit her teeth.

Nick's words pulled up all the boiling resentment and self-image issues she'd had with her eyes. Her whole life, they'd been unusual and drawn attention. Childhood teasing, a little bullying, then curiosity, flirting and finally bad attempts at seduction, as she'd aged from a kit to an adult. Her eyes had been the focal point of a lot of male's attention over the years. Lots of pretty compliments, all designed to get her out of her clothes. It had been painfully obvious. Judy also felt no small stab of bitterness to recall that James had been one of those males. Now, she was reminded of all that. The associations she couldn't escape.

And yet...

There was also sweetness in the bitter. Yes, it was trite and cliché to compliment a female's eyes. The oldest trick in the book, practically. Nick, though, hadn't had any of the usual smarminess, or obsequious pandering such things usually came with. He'd sounded sincere. If she was honest, he couldn't have been anything else. He was too tired to feign charm. The compliment was genuine, as were his sentiments.

The realization hit Judy like a ton of bricks.

She didn't dare assume he meant anything but a small statement of fact, but the fact it was her eyes that made him love the color was something a little too potent to ignore. Now, she had something else to interrogate him about when he woke up. The list was getting fairly long. She'd have to prioritize. To the rabbit's distress, she had to fight herself not to put her eyes at the top of the list.

Judy climbed down from the vanity and took a moment to study the fox. She didn't like doing it for long. It felt too stalker-ish for her tastes, but it was important. She'd never taken the opportunity to do more than glance, but she had suspicions to confirm.

He looked thin, even for a lean fox. His exhaustion had been obvious the entire evening, but as she watched, tremors plagued his limbs. That only happened when someone pushed themselves too hard for too long. She'd experienced it during her time on the farm and at the Academy. It usually kept her awake. The fact that he slept through it only told her how tired he really was.

She felt for him. She also felt confused in ways she thought she left behind with high school.

There were a lot of things she needed to ask him about in the morning: the mysterious other sorcerers he'd mentioned and why they were gone, how he had gotten to this state, what he had been before, why it had been eight years since they met and now all this. The list was pretty damn long already and she knew she'd have more questions by the end than answers.

They could all wait.

Judy couldn't take seeing him shiver in his sleep and in a bid to sooth him, ran her paw down his arm. For a moment, the tremors slowed and he seemed to rest easier, so she did it again. Soon, she abandoned any pretense and moved to squeeze herself onto the seat of the large chair next to him, so she could continue soothing him. She didn't know why. She just did.

As her own consciousness faded, she thought how strange it was that she felt so comfortable. He was probably as lonely as she was and overworked to boot. It was too easy to relate to him. Regardless of the phenomenal things she had seen him do, he was also a weak, vulnerable mammal who needed help and trusted her enough to bring her to his home. It was one more thing she would have to add to the list.

And maybe, just maybe, she'd allow herself to ask him about her eyes.