Just a few more chapters to go people, thank you very much for reading, favouriting and following, it really means a lot!

The cold hit Judy like a slap in the face, and the water carried her light body weight like it was nothing more than a doll. She tried to thrash against the strength of the current, but it was no use, and all she could do was let it carry her to whatever destination it desired. When she wasn't gasping for precious air above, she was being flipped and beaten down below. She could practically feel the bruises forming each time she hit a boulder, and her lungs pained her as they screamed for the air they needed.

Finally, as she shook with cold and disorientation, she felt herself wash up onto a somewhat shore. She felt weightless, like she was nothing. Her cheek felt cool, her fur wet and dirty with mud. It felt as if the scars on her cheek from all those years ago were on fire, like it was a reminder that she was in this situation merely because of what she was. Prey. No matter what, she would always be prey, and out there would always be a predator who believed in the old ways.

She tried to lift herself, but every muscle burned with the attempt. She flopped back down in defeat, silent tears rolling from her eyes before falling into the now calm water. She counted to ten, and tried again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

At last she stumbled to her feet, her legs wobbling terribly and her paws shaking beyond control. She counted again before she took a hesitant step forward, willing her strength back as well as fighting the terrible chill of the water. Her clothes weighed her down, heavy with wet and feeling most uncomfortable, but the pressure of them kept the pain away as her body began to bruise.

But it was too much too soon, and she fell to her knees whilst trying to catch her breath.

Behind her was a very gentle, mocking giggling, and Judy closed her eyes with one last breath of defeat.

"Poor Judy," Ffion cooed, but her voice sounded as strained and exhausted as Judy felt. "All alone, with no one to help her, with only a fox for company. Do you really think that uniform will save you now?"

Judy's paw hovered over the mock gun on her belt, which had remarkably survived this whole ordeal up until now.

"Don't bother," Ffion said from behind her. "I know it's a dud."

Judy let her arm fall limp, and spoke without turning. "Why me? What did I ever do?"

"Don't you see it, rabbit?" Ffion replied, her voice thick with venom. "The way mammals look at the two of you? It's not right! Zootopia is divided for a reason, predator and prey share a world but don't mix, that's just how it is, and then there's you two."

"Me and Nick?"

"The way you're always together, solving crimes together, having milkshakes together; it's disgusting."

Judy cried out in pain when she was hit with great force, rolling her through the dirt with a harsh thud as she came to rest. Ffion's claws had sliced through the fabric of her shirt on her back, scratching her skin in the process.

"We're friends and work partners," she rasped. "It's what friends and work partner's do."

"You should have stayed in Bunnyburrow where you belong." Ffion snarled. Judy heard her feet, all four of them, slamming into the ground as she lunged for her, and acted as quickly as her body would allow. She swivelled where she lay, rolling only her back and kicked out just as Ffion was almost on her. Her long feet slammed into the vixen's chest, sending her sailing backwards and rolling painfully into the water.

Judy's feet thumped into the ground as she rolled onto her side, panting into the mud. From her corner of her eye, she saw Ffion get back up and shake herself free from the wet and mud, snarling in frustration as she did.

"I thought it would be fun going for one of your little bunny friends," she rasped. "But I know now that you were a much better prize. So stubborn, even now, its almost admirable if not stupid."

And then Judy heard a growl that didn't come from Ffion. Afraid, heart hammering against her chest, she rolled onto her front and attempted to pull herself forward, but she soon stopped when she realised who the owner of the growl was.

A shadow loomed over her, and the rain suddenly stopped falling on her and she could feel warmth radiating from above. In front of her, on either side, were two red paws, claws extended and raking the earth in anticipation. She quivered as another growl broke free from above her, louder and much more dangerous than the first. Hot breaths fell upon her, so close they ruffled the fur on her head. She dared to look up, just as a bushy red and brown tail swished towards her, almost acting as a shield.

Nick had somewhat transformed from who was on top of he cliff. His teeth were bared, glistening in the dark with dangerous intention, and his ears were so flat against his head it looked like he didn't have any. Like Ffion he was down on all fours, shielding Judy with the entirety of his body. She was safe beneath him, and he was crouched low, not allowing any space for Ffion to somehow grab her.

But he wasn't savage like he had pretended to be all that time ago. His eyes were wide and wild, but rather slightly slit and locked on one target alone. His body was stiff, full of control and adrenaline, and it was nothing that Judy had ever seen before. Had she not known him or been in this situation, she would have been afraid of him. His clothes were torn and tattered, like he had been in a brawl not too long ago, something that Judy found hard to believe. But then again, she never thought she would see him like this.

She looked back at Ffion, and she looked frightened, too, but only for a moment.

"Incredible." She murmured in disbelief, shaking her head. "For you to act like the animal you are, you have to be protecting your main enemy. That's astounding."

Nick trembled as another growl ripped from his throat, and he ducked even lower to the ground like he was working up the power to a pounce.

"Ooh, that was almost frightening." She mocked, but Judy didn't miss the jump in her voice.

"Got more than you bargained for, huh?" she said bitterly, struggling to her knees from where Nick shielded her.

"You trained him well." She replied with the same bitterness, never taking her eyes off Nick.

"Careful, vix," Nick said, finally speaking. "You're already afraid, I can smell it."

"Oh, bite me." Ffion snapped, shaking herself again but rather out of frustration. She crouched, growling uncontrollably, and suddenly Nick was jumping forward, hiding Judy from view entirely.

"Is this what you've become, Wilde, a fox who runs with rabbits and not give it a second thought? Would you really give your life for her? Don't lie to me; you've never been in a fight you're entire life, do you really want to take that risk?"

Nick snarled in response, his back legs backing into Judy, gently pushing her further away from the vixen and out of danger. Judy was on her feet, holding on to Nick's stiff leg, trying to whisper to him assuring words. He wasn't listening. She didn't want him to fight. She didn't want him to do anything like this. She couldn't bare the idea of him getting hurt because of her, and if she stalled them for as long as she could, the ZPD would take control of the situation anyway.

"Nick," she whispered. "Listen to me, you don't have to do this. We can walk away from this, together, without getting hurt. I don't want you to get hurt."

Nick's ear moved ever so slightly, indicating that he had heard her, and Ffion let out a chuckle as she slowly crawled closer, licking her lips in anticipation.

"That's it, listen to your bunny, and see how that works out for you."

"Get back, carrots." Nick said in a strained voice, not looking at her.

"No, Nick…"

"Get back-" he never finished, because Ffion sprang at him, and suddenly they were a heap of claws and teeth rolling through the dirt.

Judy screamed in horror as she watched the nightmare unfold before her, the two foxes going for one another's throats that it was the last thing they would ever do. Fangs grabbed flesh, claws raked through fabric, and growls and barks of pain broke the silence of the night. They wrestled like animals for no more than thirty seconds, but it would enough to make bile rise in Judy's throat.

She jumped back when their crashing bodies came falling down on her, and Nick had never looked more dangerous. He nipped at Ffion's ear, yanking hard and causing her to yelp in pain. But she flipped onto her back beneath him and began to rake at his abdomen, causing him to whimper like a wounded wolf. He jumped away, panting, yet circled her with those same aggressive eyes.

"Nick-" Judy choked on a sob as she watched helplessly. She could see that he was bleeding, and there was nothing she could do.

No. She could do something. Her and Nick were in everything together, no matter what, because they were partners. Partners. Despite everything, he had come back for her, and was putting his life on the line for her, and dammit she was not just going to sit back and watch.

She shook herself of the wet that weighed her down, grit her teeth against the burning pain in her right leg where Ffion's bite lingered, and started sprinting.

She closed the distance between herself and the foxes in no time. Ffion was cowered before Nick, snarling viciously as he growled over her, every strand of fur standing on end with a rage she had never seen before. But she didn't have time to focus on that, for she was no better. She could feel every strand pushing against the back of her shirt, and there was so much anger in her veins, all of it directed towards this one individual. It was enough to fuel her into a raging fire if that had been the case.

Almost blinded by the rain, which was now hammering to the ground like a sea of endless bullets, Judy leapt onto Nick's back and slid down his spine, his soaked shirt acting as a slide. She then pounced from the crown of his head, jumping straight into the way of Ffion's jaws. Faster than any animal, she wrapped her arms around the vixen's neck as if giving her a hug, but it was far from it. her claws dug deep, and her legs began to pound into Ffion's chest with all of the strength she had left in her system.

Ffion began to shake herself with violent intent whilst Judy clung on, reaching up to pull at the vixen's ears. Judy cried out when her back slammed against the ground, knocking the breath out of her, but she kept on resisted, distracting her enough to allow Nick to regain his strength. It was a sight that no one would have ever seen, a rabbit fighting head on with a fox, and whether Judy lived or not, it would most certainly go down in history with the slogan Zootopia's most stubborn rabbit.

She hit the floor several more times before she started to lose her grip, held on by her claws latched through the fabric of Ffion's blouse, which was now beyond shredded. Judy climbed, her paws clawing at her scruff whilst her long legs scratched at her snout.

"Get off me you little rat!"

And then Judy was sailing through the air, Ffion having flung her off with one swipe of her head, yet it was enough. Judy rammed into the trunk of a tree and hit the ground in a heap, her ears ringing and her eyesight nothing but a sheet of white. She felt every bone in her body rattle, and with one breath of pain, she slipped into darkness.

Nick saw Judy's body on the ground, limp and unmoving, and it terrified him. Her attack had happened so quickly it took him by surprise, and in a blink she was on the ground and unmoving. All he wanted to do was run over to her and lift her, run away with her, but he knew he had to finish this before he could do anything else. He hurt everywhere, his chest on fire where Ffion's had clawed him, and he could feel himself swaying with exhaustion. He was nearly done, almost ready to drop, but not quiet. He wasn't a fighter, never had been, but that didn't mean he was about to give up.

"Just think, Nick," Ffion panted, pulling her eyes and Nick's attention away from Judy. "You could walk away from all of this. You can walk away from her. Throw in the towel on the cops, re-evaluate your hustling skills, and we could leave this place. We could start our own business somewhere else; we'd make a good team, you and I."

"A business? Or attacking prey mammals?" Nick replied, glaring furiously. She smiled at him.

"You have instincts for a reason, Nick. What you felt before all of this could become a reality. Come away with me; I'll leave the bunny alone. I'll stop everything, leave my organisation and start a new one with you. We could be amazing together, you know we could."

"What organisation?" Nick spat. The least he could do was get a confession out of her, just like he was trained to do with any criminal, but even he knew it was for his own closure rather than for justice. He needed to know why all of this mess happened, what organisation it was that drew the line between him and Judy and brought them both to this. He had to know if, to Ffion, it was even worth it.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know." She cooed. "It's bigger than you and me, bigger than anything. It's not something you want to get involved in."

"You're lying."

"Am I? Believe what you want, Nick, but my offer still stands. Are you truly telling me that you enjoy this life, as a goody two shoes cop in a fancy uniform and a bunny as your partner?"

"It's a life," he replied, "I'd rather live a happy life than stalk around in spite for the new society with my tail between my legs and a guilty conscience."

Ffion glanced over to the unconscious rabbit once more, smiling ever so slightly, and she almost looked admirable.

"She really got to you, didn't she?" she murmured, sounding soft for the first time that evening.

"Yeah, she really did." Nick agreed, backing up ever so slightly. His legs began to ache, and he so desperately wanted to stand on two legs rather than four, too used to the common way. The way that Ffion prowled, snout low to the ground and her eyes slit as they zoned in on their target, told Nick that it was rare for her to be on two feet. She was much more at home with being a naturalist, preferring life on all fours and fantasising about a predator life she never had. She relied purely on the instincts mammals had outgrown, and there was simply no going back for her. He couldn't persuade her to change her life and live a better one, he knew that, but she certainly wasn't about to deter him from a world he was content in.

"A shame," she said, sounding sad. "I really did like you."

"How unfortunate for me, huh?" Nick said, letting his sarcasm drip from his tongue one last time, just for old times sake.

And then the both of them froze, the sound of shouting loud and clear. He could hear his name being called, Judy's name, both by their last and first names, and a spark of hope lit in his chest. He looked to Judy, hopeful, but she hadn't moved an inch from the last time he had looked. Her back was to him; her ears limp in the mud, her paws unmoving. He couldn't even see her face, but knew her eyes were closed.

That was all it took for Ffion to make her last move, crashing into him with all of her might, no matter how much smaller she was than him. She knew his weakness, she knew when his guard was down, and she wasn't a team player. She played unfair, just like every fox ever born.

They brawled, fabric ripping from teeth and claws, their animalistic growls loud and frightening. But Nick barely laid a paw on her, just allowing her to be distracted for as long as possible. He blocked her attacks, pushed against her without the aid of his claws, and did all he could to keep her attention on him and not on Judy.

She was alive. Her heart was beating, very steady, but it was beating.

Ffion heard it, too.

"No!" Nick cried, and was suddenly running after her, in the direction of the rabbit that was in no state to protect herself.

Nick ran of two legs, shouting for her to stop, but the vixen was far from listening. Nick jumped and grabbed hold of her tail, yanking hard and knocking her off her feet entirely, just inches away from Judy's long, limp ears.

Keeping hold of her tail, Nick dragged himself over her before kicking her harshly in the face, enough to make her back off for those few valuable seconds. He pulled himself over Judy, careful to avoid her head, and lay down, shielding her with his body once more. He growled lowly, his tail swishing angrily, and he rested his snout in the curve of Judy's neck, keeping that protected, too.

Both animals exhausted, Nick could do nothing else but lie there, protecting her in the last way he could. But he knew he didn't have to fight anymore.

He closed his eyes when Ffion when for a final assault, swishing his tail in front of him in one last attempt at creating a shield, but the blow never came.

"Shoot!" cried Chief Bogo, and the sound of a net gun rang loudly in Nick's ears. He kept his eyes closed, not willing himself to greet this new, more controlled chaos, and just focussed on the warmth of Judy sheltered beneath him.

He heard Ffion scream in protest, but still he refused to open his eyes.

He didn't open them until he felt a hoof on his back, nestled between his tense shoulder blades, and he stiffened protectively.

"Easy, Wilde, you're alright now," murmured his chief, the gentlest he had ever heard him since he started work as a cop, and finally he opened his eyes. He didn't look for Ffion, didn't take in his surroundings, but stared helplessly into Bogo's eyes.

And then all of the emotional and physical pain mixed with exhaustion hit him all at once, and he felt his eyes droop. Bogo called out to him, but Nick was already fading, the last thing he heard being his chief crying out for a medic.

He relaxed for the first time that evening and drifted into nothing.

Thank you for reading!