Ch. 9:

Most parents taught their children to forgive and forget the mean acts of the world, it was the only way to be happy.

Nick suspected those parents never had a truly cruel act performed on them, otherwise they realized there was just some things you couldn't forgive and you definitely could never forget. Nick knew as he always had, that he'd never forget the night where he was marked for something he couldn't control, evil because he existed, when a piece of his soul had been stripped away and the scar would never fully fade. And he imagined if those scouts came to him now and begged on their hands and knees for forgiveness, he'd probably spit in their faces and never regret it.

But-he had been wrong to take out his anger on those children and project it on the world, on a bunch of reporters…on Judy.

He had watched the recording of the press conference in horror, he could only imagine what the rabbit had thought, hearing the hate that spewed from his mouth like froth. What made it worse was that his words didn't improve anything; most prey still thought this sudden bouts of savagery had to do with biology, but now all predators were equally afraid of prey, suspecting them all to somehow turn them into feral beasts.

He watched a TV on the wall as it showed the peace rally Gazelle had, a rally Nick had gone to help keep everyone safe as both the prey and predators spat insults at each other, causing the rift to grow larger and larger. Nick pulled his eyes away from the screen to look over at Mrs. Otterton who watched her husband on the other side of the glass. Tied to a pole Emmitt stalked around, sniffing and snarling. Mrs. Otterton turned to look at Nick and her heart broken look make a rock form in Nick's throat.

"That's not my Emmitt."

.

Nick was absent-mindedly tapping away at his desk a few days later, not registering what he was typing, when Bogo had appeared.

"The new mayor wants to see us," the buffalo informed him.

Nick's brow creased, "Why?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

Nick followed the chief across the lobby of the precinct, offering a small smile to Clawhauser as he passed the desk, "Hey, Spots." Nick stopped in his tracks when he saw the mournful look on the cheetah's face, he was putting his Gazelle merchandise in a box.

"What are you doing?"

Clawhauser blinked to keep from crying, "Um, they thought it would be better if a predator, such as myself, wasn't the first face that you see when you walk into the ZPD."

Nick's ears pressed against his skull, "What?" he breathed.

"They're gonna move to me to Records," Clawhauser explained as he picked up his box and walked away from his desk. "It's downstairs, by the boiler."

When Nick made it to the office, when he stood before Bellwether…there was a small sense of relief when she apologetically asked for his badge.

Bogo had been outraged and Nick couldn't help feeling a twinge of gratitude toward the bad-tempered buffalo.

"He's a hero to the city! He rescued all those missing mammals!"

"I know," Bellwether said mournfully, "But he's also a predator, a predator that accused the prey of Zootopia, prey that make up 90% of our city, for turning the predators savage."

Bogo was still yelling at her while Nick pulled the badge off his chest, stared at it for a silent moment before placing it resolutely onto her desk, "It's fine."

Bogo and Bellwether brought their eyes to him. "Wilde…?" the buffalo began in disbelief.

"She's right…" Nick said numbly, "I became a cop to prove I was more than a fox, I became a cop to give equal justice for everyone, I became a cop to make this world a better place…and I broke it."

"The world has always been broken," Bogo told him, "That's why we need good cops…Good cops like you."
Nick tried to smile at the buffalo but couldn't manage it, "I appreciate that, Chief. But a good cop doesn't let bad things from his childhood get in his way and make prey and predators hate each other." He looked at the badge he had been so proud to have finally earned. "I don't deserve that badge.

"You're doing the right thing, Nick," Bellwether assured softly. "I'm so sorry it has to come to this, and maybe…when things settle down…"

Nick nodded and slid off his chair, walking away from not only Bogo and Bellwether, but from the hero he had thought he had become.

.

Nick had returned to his old home, his mother along with Honey and Finnick and even Old Goat welcoming him with compassionate arms. But nothing they said made him feel better.

He now sat before his mother's table in the marketplace, selling a vixen and her kit a small cake and softly thanking them for coming before resting his cheek on his palm.

"Nicky," his mother breathed, coming over to stand beside him, Finnick and Honey standing a few feet away and looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine," Nick replied.

"Don't lie to us," Finnick said sternly.

"You're tail's all droopy," Honey pointed out.

Beside them Old Goat chewed on her tin can.

Nick looked up at his mother, "Why did I think I could make a difference?"

"Because you're a tryer," Mrs. Wilde stated simply. "A tryer who has always wanted to correct the wrongs you've seen."
"Yeah, correct the wrongs…" Nick shook his head, "And I made life so much harder for so many innocent animals…"

A horn blared and her mother's ears pricked, "Not all of them."

Nick followed her eyes to see a van parking not too far from their booth, the words Gideon Grey's Good Baked Stuff…With Fresh Produce From Hopps Family Farm painted on the side.

Nick's jaw dropped, "What's that?"

"Oh, I met him when you were in City Center," Mrs. Wilde explained. "See we get most of our produce from the Hopps family farm and last time they delivered Mrs. Hopps told me that they had gotten a business partner, this sweet fox by the name of Gideon Grey. Said they would never have considered it if their daughter hadn't opened their eyes."
Nick blinked up at her, "Daughter?"

"Some time ago," Mrs. Wilde said, "Before your press conference I think, they said they got a call from their daughter-I can't remember her name-but apparently she had made friends with a really kind fox." She glanced at him, "I had been wondering if it was you."

Before Nick could think of a reply she continue, "But anyway he was more than happy to become our business partner too, get some home made country pastries into the big city."

Nick followed his mother to the back of the van where Honey and Finnick chatted up a portly fox with well-groomed fur. He smiled at Mrs. Wilde and Nick when he spotted them.

"Gideon, this is my son, Nick," his mother introduced. "The first fox cop."

"Ex-cop," Nick corrected as he shook Gideon's paw.

"Nice to meet ya," the fox replied with a friendly smile. "Your ma's told me all about you."

"Could-could I ask you something, Gideon?" Nick asked.

"Sure, as soon as I unload the pies I brought," the country fox stated.

"Oh, don't worry about that, we got it," Mrs. Wilde assured, she, Honey, and Finnick already grabbed the delectable smelling pies from the back of the truck.

Nick led Gideon a few feet away so the others wouldn't hear and cut right to the chase, "Do you know a Judy Hopps?"

The fox flinched at those words, "Uh-yes, yes I do. Why?"

"She's my-was my friend. And she told me she was once bullied by a fox named Gideon Grey," Nick informed flatly.

Gideon hung his head in shame, "I did. And I really want to apologize but she doesn't come to Bunnyburrow anymore. I had a lot of self-doubt in my youth, ya see. And it manifested in the form of unchecked rage and aggression." He let out a mournful sigh, "I was a major jerk."

Nick blinked, surprised by the fox's sincerity. "Well, I know a thing or two about being a jerk… And if you ever do run into Judy again, I think she'd really appreciate that apology."

Gideon's small smile was one of hope.

"Hey, Gid," Finnick spoke up, having grabbed the last pie from the back of the truck. "What're those weird flowers in that crate ya got back there?"

"I got them from the Hopps family," Gideon explained, "They help keep the bugs off produce."

"Oh, you mean midnicampum holicithias," Mrs. Wilde stated, Nick recalled she used to have a book on plant husbandry.

Gideon chuckled, "Yeah, but see me and my family always just called them Night Howlers."

Nick jumped in place and stared at Gideon with wide eyes, "Did-did you say Night Howlers?"

Gideon nodded at him before turning back to Finnick, "I wouldn't get too close to them, Mr. H told me this crazy story about one of his relatives eating one whole and going mad."

Nick reached a shaking paw forward, "Could…could the Night Howlers effect predators too?"

Gideon gave him a weird look, "Well, yeah, it effects both predators and prey, no matter the species."

"Oh Mary mother of Marian," Nick breathed. "That's it…"
He whirled around to his mother and the others, "THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING!"
"Pardon?" Mrs. Wilde spoke but Nick was already running away from them.

"Finnick I'm borrowing your van," Nick replied, grabbing the keys from the booth.

"What?" Finnick gaped in horror but the red fox was already jumping into the driver seat of the fennec's van, starting it up. "Wait!"

"I'll call you later bye!" Nick called to them as he drove away from the market place and back to the heart of the city.

The others stared after them, Finnick's jaw unhinged.

"Did-did anyone catch that?" Honey asked, looking at the group.

Mrs. Wilde shook her head, "Not at all."
"Oh good," Gideon sighed with relief, "I thought he was talkin' in tongues or something."

.

Now that Nick was back on the case he knew he needed his unofficial partner, and according to her sister, Judy was by an old bridge at the edge of the City Center.

"Judy?" he called out as he walked across the thin patches of grass in the abandoned piece of land, "Judy?"

He reached the bridge and looked down, his shoulders sinking in relief when he saw the rabbit sitting down below. She appeared the definition of relaxed, sitting on an old lawn chair, feet propped up by a bucket and sipping a drink with star-shaped sun glasses covering her eyes.

"Judy!" Nick scurried down the hill toward her, nearly tripping in his eagerness to reach her side. "You will not believe what I just found out!" He stopped before her but the bunny didn't even move her head toward him. "The Night Howlers aren't wolves, they're these toxic flowers! I was right! Someone's being using them to make the predators go savage!"

"Doesn't that beat all," Judy replied, standing up and putting her drink and glasses on the bucket. She still didn't look at him as she turned her back on his and walked into the tunnel of the bridge, "But why are you telling me? Aren't you scared I'll go tell the prey mastermind that you're onto them? Viva la Flat-teeth."

Nick watched her walk away in dismay before making his legs move to go after her. "Please wait," he begged and Judy stopped at the edge of the tunnel, the sunlight casting over her while Nick staying in the shadows of the tunnel. "Look, I should've told you this, long ago, back on the sky-tram. But when I was a kit I got muzzled by these terrible kids who were all prey. After that I wanted to be a cop and make the world better for foxes, but I hadn't realized I didn't let it go. And I ended up turning my anger on you and I…And I think that was the worst thing I've ever done."

Judy didn't say anything, he didn't expect her to, he kept on: "I know you're not going to forgive, I get that, and you shouldn't. I was the worst, I became something I hated and I…I hurt you." His voice cracked at the last words but he took in a shuddering breath and kept on, "Which is just my luck because I think you're the only real friend I ever had, one of the best things that ever happened to me really. And solving this case, I can't do it without you, and even if I could I don't want to. I want you as my partner, I didn't lie about that, I didn't change my mind, but I completely understand if you don't want to. I was stupid, small-minded and a terrible, terrible friend" Nick was becoming desperate, please look at me, Judy, please let me know I haven't lost you yet."And I shouldn't ask you but please, I'm begging, help me save the city, and when we're done you can walk away and that'd-that'd be just fine because guess what? You were right, from the very first time we met you were right…I'm just a dumb fox."

Silence. Nick swallowed, staring at Judy back for a moment longer, realizing that he had lost his chance, realizing he should've gone after her at the press conference, now it was too late. Now he had lost the best friend he would ever have. Nick started to turn, ready to walk away and leave the rabbit whose heart he had broken alone.

But then-

"I'm just a dumb fox."

Nick's head whirled around back to the bunny. Her arm lifted to reveal his blueberry pen between her fingers, she clicked the button: "I'm just a dumb fox."

"This is the part," Judy said warmly, turning around to fix him with her shimmering eyes, "Where I'd be clever and say I'll let you erase it in forty eight hours…but I'd rather have this as a ring tone."
"Heh," Nick let out a shuddering chuckle, feeling his own eyes become moist and he was choking up for a completely different reason now.

Judy held her arms out to him, "Alright, come here you big baby. It's time for Judy's hug therapy."

Nick walked over and dropped his head onto her shoulder, his joy and relief sending him to his knees. "Aw, aww," Judy cooed, wrapping her arms around his shoulder, massaging his shoulder blade. "You foxes, so dramatic. I swear…wait are you just trying to steal the pen? That's what this is, isn't it?"

Nick chuckled along with her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug, this time not minding being touched as her heart fluttered against his own. Nick released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

.

"Hey, I know these blueberries."

The two sat in Finnick's van as Nick drove them away from the bridge, the bunny picking up a box of Hopps blueberries the fennec had left in the vehicle.

"Yeah, turns out my mom buys produce from your family's farm," Nick replied, accepting a blueberry when she offered one. Judy grabbed a red handkerchief, Nick realized it was his old ranger scout one that he had never thrown away, and wrap a bundle of blueberries with it before placing them in her pocket.

"So what's the plan?"

"We are going to follow the Night Howlers," he stated.

"Figured as much," Judy replied, "But how?"

Nick pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of the weasel he had chased in Little Rodentia who turned out was named Duke Weaselton. "Know this guy?"

"I told you I know everybody," Judy said, "And I also know there's no way he's going to willingly help us."

.

Judy had been right about that, but luckily Nick had had a back up plan which consisted of getting Mr. Big to threat icing the weasel. Then Duke spilled his guts very willingly which led him and Judy to an abandoned railing system in the subway station. There they found a single train car, and slipping inside they saw it was full of Night Howlers.

Nick cringed at the sight, imagining what kind of damage all these plants could do, but they were forced to quickly hide when Doug, a ram Duke had warned them about, walked in. Under a table they watched in rising fear as Doug used a complex chemist set to make a Night Howler serum, placed inside a small pellet which he then placed inside a tranq gun.

As he got it ready the ram's phone rang and he answered, whoever was on the other line apparently doubted his marksmanship. To which the ram annoyingly pointed out that he was able to hit an otter through the window of a moving car.

Nick's eyes went to a board on pictures as Doug continued to talk, seeing Otterton and Manchas and other animals, some he recognized from the missing mammal cases, some soon to be victims.

Nick's Wilde Determination was rising.

A knock on the door had Doug glancing over to it, "Okay, Woolter and Jesse here so I'm leaving now."

The ram walked to the door as Nick silently slipped out from his hiding place. "Hey, hey," Judy whispered in panic, "Get back here, he'll see you!"

Nick glanced at the oblivious ram then to his right where he could see the control panel of the car, an idea was forming…

"Whatever you're thinking stop thinking it," Judy snapped. "Fuzz."

Doug opened the door to see two fellow rams outside, "It better have whipped cream this time-" his voice was cut short as Nick suddenly tackled him, pushing him out of the car and onto Water and Jesse before he slammed the door shut and locked it.

"What are you doing!?" exclaimed, standing up, "You just locked us in here!"
"We're getting this evidence to the ZPD," Nick replied.

"Wha-okay fine," she grabbed the suitcase that held the serum and tranq gun, "Here we are, let's go."
"No, no, no," Nick replied, running past her and to the control panel. "We're taking all of it!"

Judy followed him as he started to mess with the panel, "Oh what so you're a conductor now. Look, it's going to take a miracle to get this thing running-"

The cart suddenly rumbled and Judy blinked in surprise, "Well, hallelujah."

She stood by Nick's side as the train car picked up speed, she smiled up at him. "Mission accomplished, right?"

Nick nodded, "Right."

She pointed at the train whistle with the excitement of a child, "You think I could, you know, do a little victory toot-toot?"

"Alright," Nick conceded, "Because I like you, one toot-too."

But Judy had just finished blowing the train's whistle when there was a bam and they saw the dark furred ram burst through the roof. Judy jumped and closed the door just in time for him to slam into it. She quickly locked it but to her chagrin he punched the glass of the door, causing it to crack.

"So that premature toot-toot just became meaningless," she said but then her ears shot up as they read hoof-beats over their head. "Wanna pretend that's hail?"

The other ram appeared before the front window, breaking through the glass to flail at Nick who snarled at him. Judy moved to help but Nick ordered her to stay back. Looking helpless the bunny glanced toward the door and an idea seemed to strike her.

"Watch out!" she called, unlocking the door and yanking it open just in time for the ram to burst through, the two sheep's heads collided, sending the one that had grabbed at Nick out onto the tracks, the ram with dark wool stuck in the shattered window, unconscious. Unfortunately the impact had sent Nick out the window as well and he desperately held onto the dark ram's horns, his feet sliding over the metal of the train.

"Robin Hood!" Judy called out desperately from the control panel.
"Don't stop the car," Nick told her, shaking his head.

"No, no, please stop!" the other ram begged, running ahead of them.

"Don't you dare stop," he ordered the rabbit.

The ram jumped out of the train's way just in time and the dark ram became conscious, seeing Nick he swung his head up and the fox was tossed up and onto the room of the car, nearly having his head chopped off by a light as he went.

The car pulled out of the tunnel and out into the city, Nick looked out and saw another train heading for them. Once again an idea started to turn the wheels in his head.

"Judy," he poked his head out of the opening in the roof, "Speed up!"

"There's another train coming!" the rabbit called back, the ram struggling to get loose.

"Just trust me," Nick begged and the bunny nodded, turning up the speed.

When the ram saw the other train nearing he panicked, "Stop the train!"

"Tickets please," Nick called and when the ram looked up he got fox feet in his face as Nick kicked him, sending him out the window and hitting the switch that maneuvered the tracks. Just in time their car slid to the right set of tracks, narrowly missing the other train.

"Oh no," Judy moaned as the train started to tip, speeding into another tunnel, "Too fast-too fast!" The car fell onto its side, skidding across the tracks and making sparks fly.

"I think this is our stop!" Nick called and a second later the two jumped, tumbling onto the platform below. Nick came to a stop on his stomach, watching the car crash into the wall.

He painfully pulled himself up onto his knees, Judy sitting up behind him. "Maybe," he tried for optimism, "One or two things sur-" the car burst into flames, sending a flaming wheel spiraling over their heads and then exploding a second later for good measure.

Nick stared at the burning car in dismay, "It's…it's over. We lost everything."
"Yeah, yeah we did," Judy agreed, Nick felt her step up behind him. "Oh except for this."

He whirled around to see the case with the serum and tranq gun in her paws. Judy laughed with a mixture of smugness and triumph, rocking back and forth on her heels while Nick broke into a giant grin.

"Judy you sly bunny!" he yelled joyously, unable to resist kissing her temple before grabbing the case and racing toward the stairs. "Come on! Let's get it to ZPD!"

"Wait for me!" Judy called out, chasing after him once she had managed to collect herself from the sudden display of affection.