Ch. 8:

Nick had done it. Nick had done it!"

Otterton, as well as all the other missing animals were safe now; Lionheart was behind bars, claiming he had only been trying to help. True they still didn't know what was causing it but at least they weren't being kept in cages and treated like wild animals.

But now Nick and Judy were in the precinct, staring at the group of reports who were listening to Bogo tell them what had happened-and that Nick would soon be up to answer some questions.

Judy watched in amusement, paws in her pockets and perching on her toes, as Nick paced back and forth before her.

"Nervous?" she smiled.

"What?" Nick's voice cracked. "Pfft, no! You're nervous."
"Would it make you feel better if I gave you a lil press conference 101?" she offered.

"Press conference 101?" he echoed.

Judy held up a finger, "You wanna look smart answer their question with your own question and then answer that question."

When Nick just looked at her she continued, "Example:" She crouched slightly and held her paw up as if holding a microphone, "Excuse me, Officer Wilde? What can you tell us about the missing mammal case?" She then straightened up, ears erect and spoke in a deeper voice Nick knew was suppose to be him, "Well was this a tough case? Yes, yes it was." She relaxed and looked up at him, "Get it?"

"Neat," he replied, "But it'd probably make sense if you just get up there with me. We did this as a team."

Judy interlocked her fingers behind her head, "Yeah, but am I a cop? No, no I am not."
"Actually, now that you mention it…" Nick began awkwardly, feeling like a nervous teenager asking his crush out on a date, "I was thinking, when we had moments to stop and breathe, that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world…" He scratched his neck while his other paw pulled out a form from his pocket and showed it to her, it was a police registration form. "…To have a partner."
Judy's ears fell and she held the paper between her paws, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Here," he offered her his blueberry pen with a wink, "In case you need something to write with."

Judy took it but her eyes quickly returned to Nick, her violet eyes shimmering and her smile large but also soft and warm. Nick returned her expression, his chest warm as they showed no interest in breaking eye contact…

"Officer Wilde?" Bellwether's voice spoke up, breaking their trance. "It's time."

Nick gave Judy a double thumbs up, the bunny saluting him before he headed off to the podium. Instantly he was blinded by flashes of cameras and dozens of voices calling for his attention.

Nick pointed at a random beaver, "Yes?"

"What can you tell us about the animals gone savage?"

Nick's tongue turned into cotton and he wondered how some animals did this all the time. "The animals gone savage…" he glanced over at Judy. The bunny made a circular motion with her paw, her expression coaching.

"Are they all different species?" Nick asked. "Yes, yes they are."
Judy pumped her fist, her smile showing off all her teeth.

"Are all the savage animals part of the predator family?" another reported asked.

"That's…that's accurate I guess," Nick said, not liking how they had immediately focused on predators.

A sheep spoke, "So then it's only predators going savage?"

Nick's brow furrowed, "So far, yes, but-"

"Why? Why is this happening?" a pig demanded.

Nick admitted they still didn't know and he could tell the reporters were less than thrilled as they scribbled on their note pads. Nick glanced over his shoulder at the power point behind him, showing pictures he had taken of the hospital before turning to pictures with the savage predators, all tied up and…and muzzled.

Nick's lips pressed together and his eyes narrowed, it had been years and he could still feel the metal and leather of that muzzle pressed against his mouth and fur, could still hear the laughter, because even though he had been nothing but a harmless kit who had just wanted to be a junior ranger scout-they could abuse him because in the end he was nothing but a fox.

"Is it possible it might have something to do with their biology?" a voice called out.

And suddenly Nick wasn't a cop standing before these reporters anymore. He was a scared kit who had dreamed of being a scout, who had wanted to be part of a pack, who had wanted to just live but been denied because he had sharp teeth.

He whirled around to face the audience with his lip curled, "NO!"

"Then what?!"
Nick was no longer focusing on what he was saying, he was only focusing on his anger and grief when he spoke next: "Maybe it's the prey's fault!"

.
Judy, who had been smiling at her filled out registration shot her head up when she heard those five words. Nick hadn't really said that, had he?

The fox was staring at his podium with a bitter and broken look in his emerald eyes.

"How so?" a gazelle asked.

"It's-it's no surprise that the relationships between predators and prey isn't the friendliest," Nick pointed out.

Judy's ears fell. What was he saying? Did he not see their relationship as friendly? Yes, they fought for a while but after she opened up about what had happened to herself as a child…she had thought things had improved.

"I've personally met prey who follow stereotypes," Nick continued.

She flinched, remembering the awful things she had called him. She had thought he had forgiven her. He asked her to be his partner. Didn't he like her?

"Some still fear that predators will attack them even though that hasn't happened in centuries?"

Even though it hasn't happened in centuries? Judy felt her scars sting as if mocking his words and she slapped her paw over her cheek. Just a stupid, carrot farming, dumb bunny. Judy was starting to think Gideon Grey had been on to something. She may not have farmed carrots in years but she was definitely stupid…definitely dumb.

"And maybe there's prey out there-maybe more than one-who want to divide prey and predators further," Nick hadn't stop talking and every word was like a stab in her chest. Maybe more than one prey?

"We just don't know," he sighed, now calm as if he hadn't showed such obvious hate for prey animals, for her, "So until we figure out exactly what's causing the predators to go savage we have to stay vigilant and the ZPD are here to protect you."

As his words brought on more questions Bellwether scurried up to him, "Thank you Officer Wilde, that's enough. No further questions." She pulled him off the stage and Nick walked back to her side and Judy felt bile rise in her throat.

"Phew, that was a blur," he smiled at her, not taking note of her expression, "I couldn't even-"

Judy spoke over him, not wanting to hear another word out of his mouth, "Is that what you think?"

His ears pricked, "Huh?"

"You-you think prey are doing this to predators?" she tried to keep her voice from cracking.

"Well, it makes more sense than the predators reverting back to their primitive ways," he pointed out, which was true, but that wasn't the problem. "There could be a prey-"

Judy held up her paw, rendering him silent, "That's not what you said. You made it sound like all prey hate predators, that we're all against you. Are you kidding me?"

Nick looked pained, "Look, Judy, it's just, I'm a fox and I've met awful prey."

"Are one of them me?" she asked, "Am I one of those awful prey?"

"Of course not," he replied, appalled, "You're not like them!"

"Oh no," she snarked, "I'm the meek little prey who knows her place, right?"

Now Nick was the one scowling, "Don't put words in my mouth you know that isn't what I meant."
She placed her paw on her chest, "I'm putting words in your mouth, hm? Okay, fine, let me ask you a question instead. Do you think I have what it takes?"

"What?"

"Do you think I, as a bunny, could be a better cop then say a tiger or a bear?"

Nick didn't respond, his ears pulled back.

"Did you think a bunny could be in charge of turning predators savage? Do you think when we first met that I could've been one of those prey who feared and hated predators?"

Nick looked away, his expression melancholy and Judy shook her head with a humorless laugh. Of course…of course, the fox before her bight as well have blue eyes and swiped at her cheek. "Heh," she tried to pull up a smile, "That's what I thought."

She shoved the registration form into his chest, "Best not have this hateful, weak little prey as your partner. I might turn on you-if I don't run away from your teeth first." She turned on her heel and started to stalk off, trying to breathe through her closed throat. She hated stereotypes but she was starting to think foxes really were nothing but liars, and bunnies were dumb enough to open up to them.

"…No…" her excellent hearing caught Nick's horrified whisper. His voice rose with panic, "No, no, no, no! Judy!"

She didn't turn around as he came after her only to be swarmed by reporters who actually asked if Judy was one of the prey had had mentioned before.

She torn off her ZPD sticker, crumbling it into a ball before tossing it to the floor as the surroundings around her turned blurry.

Judy lifted her head up to keep the tears in her eyes as she walked out of the precinct and away from the only true friend she had ever known.