Chapter 38: An unusual task

James stared blankly at the computer monitor, struggling to find the motivation to actually get to work with typing at the paperwork. Realistically, he really should just give up and go home. Bogo certainly gave him permission to do just that. But despite having a blank check to come and go as he pleased, here he was, staring at the computer screen, and failing at finding the motivation to fill out the form.

Knocking at the entrance to his cubicle snapped him out of his thoughts. "Yeah?" James took in a breath, preparing to fight with containing his emotions. While what had to be the entire precinct would come in and out to give him an encouraging word or two, it was also really starting to get… old. There was also the odd gift or trinket to try and get him to feel better, but after the box of donuts he was given was found on Clawhauser's desk no more than ten minutes later, those at least stopped. It wasn't that James was ungrateful for it all, but a cynical part of him hated the fact that he was receiving all of this attention for taking a life.

Oddly enough, the gift he got from Nick was one that he almost wasn't able to complain about due to the shear audacity of it. The fox had dropped by to give him a card, which upon opening it, displayed a pop-out image of a wolf howling at the moon. Audio included. So when Judy found out and stomped over to James' cubicle to find out what to do to her partner, James reassured her that he really didn't mind the silly distraction, and if anything, preferred it to the sincere but tiring words of reassurance he was receiving far too many of.

So it threw his expectations off when Count of all people slipped into the cubicle, occupying the spare seat.

"Hey? I heard about the uh… shooting yesterday." Count not only looked it, but also stammered as he struggled to find the words.

"Two days ago, Count. That was the day before yesterday." Despite himself, James let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Everyone in here is already tiptoeing around it and trying to especially be polite to me. So I'm going to ask you to do what I want everyone else to, which is to say exactly what you mean to say. So… What do you want?"

"That kid you killed? He was Ocelotian, wasn't he?" Count asked quickly.

James winced. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked Count to be quite so blunt. "Yeah, he was. What else have you heard?"

"Most of it I think," Count admitted. "You know how quickly word around here spreads. So that kid… He was ready to kill a bunch of rabbits?"

"And himself," James muttered. "But yes."

Count looked thoughtful. "Listen, Trigger and I? We both were rather rude about uh, well, me especially, but I know Trig also got into it a few times, but…"

"Count? You're stammering." James complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He really didn't mean to be so rude and to have such a short temper, but that was a battle he was losing with everyone right now.

Count nodded. "I know I said several times that our war was just something you Animalians hear about in the news. That you would hate the day when the war would come here." He gave out a helpless shrug. "You know I didn't mean for it to happen like this, right?"

James eyed the pilot wearily. "Nothing about that had anything to do with you, Count. You weren't able to change anything that happened any more than you can change the weather."

"You live in a city with segregated climate controlled areas," Count pointed out. "I don't think that metaphor works the best."

Another frustrated sigh. "Count…" James warned.

"Was there anyone else?" Count asked quickly. "With the kid? Or was he alone?"

James wasn't sure how much he was allowed to tell the pilot, but what was Count in a position to do? Besides, the officer had a lot more to spill on the pilot than the other way around. "Brian said he was visiting with friends, but they weren't there," he explained. "It was just him in the store."

Count let out a slow nod. "Did you guys locate those friends?"

Now it was James who nodded. "We found them quickly enough. They... stopped by yesterday, so that they can see and confirm the body. They didn't do anything as far as we can tell, so they'll finish up their trip here and fly back as scheduled."

Count observed the officer during this explanation. "You… Talked to them? Didn't you?"

"Felt it best they hear what happened from someone who was actually there," James mumbled. "But I think Chief Bogo also showed them our body cams footage."

Count winced. "Tell me they didn't lash out at you?"

James stared at the floor. "There was two of them. The guy just… didn't say much, really. But the girl? She wanted to yell at me, I know she did. I… Hell, I wanted her to yell at me. They were looking all over the city for Brian for days before that, and you can just hear their hope when we called them tell them that he was at the station. We… I didn't want to tell them that their friend was at the morgue over the phone, but now I think it might have been the better thing to tell them right there and then. She had enough reason to hate me for that alone. But you know what she did instead?"

Count tilted his head. "No? But I have a feeling you'll tell me."

"She... hugged me," James admitted, recalling the surprise and perplexity he felt at the unexpected gesture. "She told me that… She'll wasn't sure if she can ever forgive me for what I did to Brian, but... She can understand that it was needed. That I didn't want to do what I had to. That... she will never forgive Brian even more for what he wanted to do to those innocents in the store. What he was about to do before Dahlia and I stopped him."

"You did the right thing," Count said firmly. "I say this not as a cop, as an Ocelotian. And as someone I met being arrested by. You did the right thing. Which, believe me… If I find out who was responsible for Bana City? There's no ammunition in the world enough for what I'm ready to pump into them. When I'll be through with him, you'll need small rodent toothbrushes to clean up whatever will be left. But innocent civilians?" Count shook his head. "Enough died the first day of the war."

"You sound rather certain for someone who only heard everything second-paw," James accused, eyes narrowing. "Or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

"Bogo might have let me look at the body cam footage," Count admitted. "After I heard that you shot up a Ocelotian, I went over to Bogo to talk to him first. Guess he felt like it might be a good idea to show me what actually was, rather than risk me jumping to conclusions over what I heard." He shrugged sheepishly. "I mean, you know my big secret. So it's kinda fair?"

James frowned, gazing down at his desk. "What you did hardly compares to killing someone."

"You forget that I also killed people," Count reminded him sternly.

"But how many of them did you kill immediately after staring at them in the eye? Right after talking to them?" James shook his head, feeling agitated. "How many of those you killed do you know their names? Brian wasn't just some faraway target to be bombed. He… He was a kid who let his grief get to his head."

Count squirmed uncomfortably. "I don't want to turn this into a dick swinging contest," he muttered coldly, "but if you forget what Trigger let it slip out of the bag on our very first day here, remember that I killed Full Band. By accident, I'll grant you, and I was hardly staring him down when I launched a missile, but he was hardly someone I only knew about for a few minutes. Point is, I know more about what you're going through than you might care to admit…" He looked thoughtful and rather gloomy for a moment. "You don't have to deal with going through the rest of your life knowing that you were just doing your job only for a computer error to result in you killing your friend."

Despite himself, James didn't stop the slight grin that formed on his muzzle. "You also mean like Trigger?"

"Yeah," Count said quickly with a nod. "No way the OADF would have let him keep flying if what he did was on purpose. Even if our unit was a glorified death sentence." He winced, glancing at the walls of the cubicle. "Probably shouldn't have blurted that out," he admitted in a whisper.

James grinned again. "Hey, I know how to keep my mouth shut." His grin faded into a depressed frown. "But still… You? Trigger? You both killed people who were fighting back-"

"-Which that guy was also doing," Count pointed out, interrupting the officer.

"But still," James said sternly, raising his voice to let himself finish without Count butting in. "Brian was just a kid."

Count rolled his eyes. "Brian was already dead when he decided to go into that store and blow it up and everyone inside. You did you job and stopped the death toll from being more than just him."

James let out a grunt. "Nick said more or less the same thing," he admitted. "Dahlia as well. Hell, everyone here are telling me I did things about as well as anyone could have done. Still doesn't make the feeling that I completely fucked up go away…" He glanced up suddenly at the pilot. "Count? After it really hit you the first time that you know… that you killed someone? How long did it take you to get to the point where it doesn't bother you anymore?"

Count stared at James sorrowfully. "Truth be told, it doesn't ever really go away," he admitted, right away seeing James' hope fade with the answer. "But it does get better. A lot better. But how long did it take me until it didn't really bother me anymore? Uh… For me? Not too long. For someone like Trigger? I mean, you've seen him when we still wore those collars. But as you made sure to point out, our situations are different. Especially if you do get help, might not even take too long until you'll be back to your old self."

James felt a bitter taste rise up from deep within him. "I'm not actually sure I want to stop feeling like how I do…"

"-That's an attitude I'd appreciate you working on to get over," Bogo's voice came from the entrance of the cubicle. "While I will determine when you will be ready to return for full active duty, the sooner, the better. Taxpayers are paying to to keep the peace, after all I'm afraid, not to sit at the office and mope."

James' ears, already low due to his mood, completely flattened in fear. "Sir, I-"

"-Are not doing anything different than other officers in your position," Bogo reassured him. "Where you can go wrong is how you proceed from here, but I, and all the officers in here, will make sure to show you down the right path when you ask for it. Your task is going to be to proceed on it." He snorted at Count's direction, disapproving the sight of the pilot sitting in the cubical. "I would normally do something about you wasting police time, but somehow I doubt Officer Wolford was being highly productive to begin with."

James fidgeted nervously, noticing that the computer he was using had sat idle long enough to go into sleep mode.

"I know some of the things you said to Fangmeyer when you last visited her," Bogo continued. "I also stopped by to give her a visit. She's worried about you, you know? Felt that she shouldn't have left your side even if it was to evacuate those civilians." Bogo tapped on the wall of James' cubicle. "That if she didn't leave, that the two of you could have kept that wolf talking. After all, he finally snapped when she returned…"

Another nervous fidget escaped James. Count also looked like he was looking for an escape route.

"But with that flare and all of the fuel in the store and all over him, there was nothing anyone could have done other than shoot him dead as quickly as possible," Bogo explained calmly. "One of our SWAT snipers propably, if time would have allowed it. But since Hopps and Wilde would have made their way in, I doubt that wolf would have allowed you to keep him from acting long enough for SWAT to show up. And speaking of the fuel? Fire department I spoke to after the incident said that if Fangmeyer hadn't left that back door open, than that flare would have lit the fumes, and the whole place would have gone up. That includes you and everyone else in it. So if nothing else, Fangmeyer most likely saved your life, hers, and of those rabbits. And you kept that wolf still while she did so, allowing her to get them out." Bogo gave James an uncharacteristic smile. "Do try to keep that in mind as you work your way through this."

"I…" James wasn't actually sure what to say. "I'll try to keep that in mind." Might as well do exactly as what Bogo suggested, if nothing else.

"But as it were, I do have a task I need you to do," Bogo added. "Quite important."

"Sir? With all do respect, but…" He motioned at the computer. "I can't even concentrate well enough to fill out paperwork," James spoke nervously. "I know you said I can go home… but I didn't feel like I can just sit there all day either. But honestly speaking? Please find someone else. I don't think I can even do parking duty properly now. At least here, I can whittle away at the paperwork. Or at least pretend to..."

"We found Trigger."

Whatever James was expecting, it wasn't that. Nor did Count for that matter, based on the equally bewildered look the pilot was sporting. Perhaps it was the too many false positives they had on several coyotes in the city. Perhaps it was a part of him that didn't want to hear from Bogo that they found the missing pilot. But there was no mistaking the certainty in Bogo's voice. "...Where?" The officer finally breathed out.

"Lynxamore police station. I really need you to drive over there and pick him up, then bring him back here. Should take the rest of the day without traffic. Longer with it, but I doubt you'll be stuck in it if you leave now." Bogo stared at the officer. "Think you can do it?"

On a normal day, James would have already been jumping out of his seat and rushing for car keys. But today wasn't a normal day, and instead, his mind started racing in ten different directions. "Sir? I-" He struggled to find the words he was looking for. "Sir, I'm sorry, I really am, but I don't think I can," he finally admitted, feeling ashamed at himself, and more importantly, at his weekness. "I was barely able to drive myself here this morning, and… Lynxamore? Chief, what did he do?" James looked up at Bogo, pleading with his eyes not to deliver him bad news. "Why is he at the police station? Did he get arrested? What did he do?"

The corner of Bogo's mouth rose into a grin. "Nothing. He didn't do anything, didn't get arrested. What I was told is that he walked into the station early in the morning, and demanded to have their chief call me. Took some convincing for them to do so, but he's been at the station ever since."

"You know it's really him?" Count was also voicing quite strong suspicion, but hope was also there, just hiding beneath the suspicion.

"Spoke to him myself," Bogo confirmed. "Well, sort of. He was too scared to say anything more than a few words, but it was enough to know it was him."

"Scare of what?"

"Of me," Bogo answered calmly. "As he should be, running off and disappearing on us as he did. Personally gave me quite the headache. Nearly caused an international incident, too. The Ocelotians were… less than pleased to hear that he escaped our custody." He let out a grunt in Count's direction. "As if we don't have enough international incidents already."

James frowned, deep in thought. "Sir? So you're saying that he didn't do anything? That Trigger just… gave himself in?"

Bogo nodded. "It appears so. You'll need to ask the Lynxamore chief for clarification, but I wasn't informed of any malicious behavior."

"Sir…" James looked down at the floor again. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but I think I need to pass on this."

"Hopps and Wilde will accompany you," Bogo clarified. "You can say that you'll be accompanying them, if you prefer." He grunted at motion in the cubicle. "They've already been briefed and are on their way here. Not you, Count. You'll stay here."

Count scowled and crossed his arms. "Why not? I can talk some sense into him if he changes his mind about coming back!"

"I am not risking both of you pilots being all the way out there," Bogo explained firmly. "Not my call either. Ocelotian orders. Trying to avoid another international incident, remember? If you'll need to talk sense into Trigger, it'll be over the phone. But you're not going. And besides? Between Hopps, Wilde, and Wolford, there won't be much more room in a car when Trigger will be picked up. From where we're here in Savanna Central to Lynxamore PD? It's an hour and a half drive." Bogo grinned. "One way."

A moment of silence filled the cubicle.

"Which will give you plenty of time to figure out how to get some information out of him," Bogo continued. "Not a lot. I just need to know whether or not he actually didn't do anything. He had over four days to do something, and just because the LPD doesn't know about it yet doesn't mean that I want to be surprised by him again. Find out where he's been and what he's done. With any luck, he really didn't do anything at all."

James sported a frown as he sat in his chair, deep in thought. "I… guess I can do that. As long as Nick and Judy go with me. Just… Not on my own. Just a question? You said Trigger walked into the police station early in the morning? It's already afternoon. Why wait for so long?"

"I've been on the phone with the ZIA and Ocelotians all morning," Bogo answered gruffly, not bothering to hide the disdain in his voice over the events. "At least I'm already familiar with Savage and Winters, and I would like to add that they rather went out of their way to remove and finger-pointing from me or the ZPD, so I won't complain about those two. But the rest? Don't get me started. But relevant for both of you, especially you, Count, is that the Ocelotians are already on their way here. Sounded like they had a plan to fly someone over and get directly involved the moment one of you ran off on us. An escape is all they needed to lose whatever trust with us they had to begin with." He shot another glare at Count. "Or perhaps its their own pilots they don't trust? Point is, Wolford, is that as soon as you're ready, grab Hopps and Wilde, and bring Trigger back."

Bogo reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a rather familiar device. Upon seeing the TAME collar, Count shied away in disgust, with James also feeling a wave of queasiness at seeing the collar.

"They also told me that this must go back on immediately..." Bogo dropped the collar right in front of James. "But I'll let you make the call on it. If Trigger behaves and listens to you, I'll pretend that I let that order from Ocelotia slip my mind... take the heat if they complain, but frankly, I don't care." He let out a sharp snort. "Just… Don't let him run off again. He needs to get back today. Remember that at the end of the day, you're a ZPD officer. You have other tools to apprehend unwilling preps. Cuffs, muzzles, whatever you need. Bring him back." He hesitated, glancing at the pilot. "Call my phone and have me put Count on to... talk some sense into him."

Count looked oddly satisfied to be mentioned.

A fair of shuffling feet alerted them to the arrival of two more officers.

"Excellent timing, officers," Bogo said as he straightened himself out. "You two ready?"

Judy popped into the cubicle, Nick slipping in next to her. "We are, sir. James? You coming?"

James let out a frustrated sigh as he slowly stood up from his chair. "As ready as I can be," he said. "Not like I have anything better to do." He inspected his desk, and after waking his computer back up, saved whatever little work was done on it before shutting the whole thing down. Grabbing some items off the desk, he put them away into his pockets or toolbelt. Adjusting it a final time, he was about to step out of the cubicle when he hesitated, noticing how everyone were looking at him. "...What?"

"You really don't need to go if you don't want to," Judy reminded him, but starting to head over to the motor pool with the other two officers following her. "Really. It's not a big deal if you won't come."

James blinked. "But I want to," he mumbled, realizing that he was now contradicting his own words from only a few minutes ago. "I- I mean I don't. But it's very much a 'I don't want to do anything right now' type of don't want to. Guess I think it might help keep my mind out of the gutter for a bit. And if nothing else… It's Trigger. Figure I should help bring him back." Judy was beaming at him at as he spoke, making him feel silly. "Just don't expect me to drive," he scoffed. "In either direction."

"You milking the situation to get out of work?" Nick asked with a smirk, "or are you just pulling rank on us?"

"Since I am your senior officer," James reminded the two with a disgruntled snarl, "it will still do the both of you well to listen to me. I'm not driving and that's final. Doesn't matter the reason why. But if you really need to ask, just look at me! Are you really trusting me to be behind the wheel for over an hour?" He gritted his teeth, hating the feeling of being completely useless, but also knowing that he also wasn't ready yet to actually start improving on it.

Judy held out her paws to try and diffuse the situation. The smirk Nick was sporting was really not helping them right now. "I'll drive us there," she said, holding up the car keys to make her point. "I can even drive us back. Or Nick can. That's fine with you, right, Nick?"

The fox only grinned even more and gave her a shrug. "Whatever you say, Fluff!" His fangs reflected the overhead lights as he ignored her glare. "No, really! You two were the ones to always ride around with Strikes back when we still did that. He'll probably want to be closer to you than to me. And for once, I'm not even talking about my species."

Judy's eyes narrowed in thought. "Nick? Trigger considers you a friend too."

Nick nodded. "Sure, I know he does. But he does think of me as a cop first, and a friend second."

"And us?" James asked. "You really think it's that much of a difference? I was the one who arrested him, remember?"

Nick raised a finger. "I also remember you were the one who dunked him into the ocean for howling," he pointed out. "His collar went off, but what did you two do? Laugh about it."

As much as James wanted to argue, and couldn't even figure out why he wanted Nick to be wrong, that was all moot as someone came running after the officers from down the corridor.

"Wait! Guys!" Count skidded to a stop, panting from having sprinted over. "Just needed to ask you something before you left…" He batted Judy's paw away as she reached for him to make sure that he was okay. "Is… How's Fangmeyer doing?"

"Better," James answered swiftly, jaw clenching as he struggled to figure out if Count was being serious or not. Between his partner and this pilot, they barely stranded each other at first, and while the relationship did improve since then, it was hardly the friendliness and closeness, secrets and past history not withstanding, that he and Judy shared with Trigge- Oh, that's what Nick was talking about. "Bored, mostly. Can walk out of the hospital if they would let her, but the doctors want her in bed long enough to know that she won't destroy her shoulder muscles by accidentally moving the wrong way. I think they said she can leave in a couple of days. But…" He squinted at the pilot. "You didn't run all this way to ask about her? Didn't you?"

Count shook his head. "No, not only about her. But… I really do want to know that she's doing fine," he added quickly. "Listen, about Trigger? Most likely? Nothing will happen. He's impulsive, and emotional. Completely street dumb. But he's not stupid. Back at base, and me here, we always call him a dumbass, but it's, how do you put it? A term of endearment. If he really was a moron, you officers would have already arrested him and locked him up behind bars."

"I'm hearing a 'but' in there," James pointed out.

"You didn't sprint all the way here just to let us know that there isn't anything to worry about," Nick added. "What is it?"

Count looked legitimately nervous. "He's a trained soldier," he reminded them. "Who's killed before. If he does decide to put up a fight… Don't underestimate him. But also…" He bit his lip, double-guessing what he was about to say. "If he really completely lost it, then 'Three Strikes' or not, just… What Bogo said. Do what you need to do. And if it means that you need to shoot him?" He glanced over at James, who visibly winced at the idea. "I know you three well enough that neither of you will ever do it unless it's absolutely necessary, if at all…"

"I am not going to shoot him," James growled out, anger so clear that it caused Count to back away a step.

"I-" Count shook his head. "I don't want you to shoot him! What I'm saying is… While I don't think he will give you trouble… He did walk into a police station to call Bogo after all… I've seen him at a low point before, but that was nothing like now. So point is? I don't know how he'll be. So… be careful. All three of you. But please try to bring him back safe." His voice hitched. "I don't know… never been good with this kind of stuff."

This time, Judy was able to successfully grasp his hoof. "We'll bring Trigger back safe," she promised. "He'll be back before you know it." She was finding it quite endearing at how genuinely worried Count looked for his fellow pilot. A far cry to the constant arguing the two had when they first arrived to the precinct.

Count nodded, before his eyes widened and he pulled something from his pocket. It was the TAME collar. "Bogo couldn't help but notice that you forgot this thing," he said, holding it out to Judy. "And it's kind useless without this…" He held out the remote for the collar as well.

Judy brought her arms back. "I'm not touching those," she said coldly. "You of all people… I'm pretty sure those burns on your neck aren't permanent, but they're still there."

Grinning sheepishly, Count returned the two items to his pocket and out of sight. "Last I heard, Chief Bogo keeps these locked up nice and tight in his desk," he said, "and they haven't been taken out since we traveled to that airbase. And I certainly didn't hear anything today about them."

Nick grinned and patted Count on the shoulder. "That's the spirit!"

"One last thing," Count said, voice serious. "Especially to you two," he pointed at Nick and Judy. "I am more than sure that you've seen this as police, but when things went bad back at our airbase, sometimes… people can really turn on each other, despite not even meaning to. It… really got bad, multiple times. But since you're going after Trigger, and you-" he looked at James, "have a really good reason to not be yourself… I'm not saying don't go. For all I know it's exactly what you need. Just keep in mind that even if you are aware of it, if your tempers get the best of you… Hopps? Wilde? I'm going to need you both to remain level headed even if Trigger and Wolford won't."

While normally, especially because he was standing right there, James would have felt insulted by such an accusation, he glared at Count as he knew that the pilot was right to worry. That was already a conversation he had with Bogo – that officers all reacted differently to a horrible situation. Some would get depressed, or turn to drugs or alcohol, and need to work their way out of the slump. Others would miraculously carry on without issues. And some others would lose patience and turn angry or violent at the slightest provocation.

He really hoped that he wasn't one of the latter cases.

As he was thinking this, Judy again took charge. "We'll make sure to stay calm," she reassured the pilot. "But I trust James. And so does Nick." James smiled gratefully at just how confident she was in him. And hoped that she was right and that he won't let her down.

"Great. Guess that's it then…" Count turned back to the hallway. "I'll see you in the evening then?" he asked. "With Trigger, right?" Rather awkwardly, he started to head back down the hallway without waiting for their answer.

Judy blinked at the retreating pilot. "We'll bring him back!" she called out, just to make sure that he definitely will hear her. "Right then? Let's get to it!" Guiding the other two officers, it was only a short trek to the car lot.

Despite never actually confirming the arrangement over how they will load into the car, Judy went ahead and climbed into the driver's seat as Nick took the passenger side, leaving James to occupy the rear area all to himself.

Before setting off, Judy did turn around to inspect the wolf officer. "You're going to be all right back there on your own? You can swap out with Nick or even me if you want."

James brushed her off, feeling like he was being treated like a pup again. "I'll be fine. No really, just getting out of the office will probably do me some good."

And while he had intended to only say that to get her to relax, as they started to drive and entered the city streets, he had to admit that the sun hitting his muzzle through the window really did feel welcoming and relaxing. It was… nice, to be able to just watch the citizens of Zootopia go about their day.

"Look at that hippo, that dummy!" Nick complained, pointing out at one of the many aquatic lanes in the city, large mirrored aviators hiding an amused glint in his eyes. "Should known better than to keep putting on the same suit! That white's completely off! Doesn't he know that those lanes have chlorine in 'em?"

While Judy was more than eager to retort in the defense of the hippo, James was more than willing to just listen to the two go at it. Frankly, the two were commenting on the life around them almost the same way as he would with Dahlia on their patrols. Before he knew it, he also started to join in on the random conversations Nick and Judy would start and stop at random.

As they hit the interstate out of the city, the bustling life gave way to several lanes of still rather minor traffic. Getting on one of the many bridges out of Zootopia and to the mainland, Judy even felt comfortable enough to plug in her phone to the radio set and turn up some music.

Nick smirked and pressed his glasses closer up his nose. James groaned and rolled his eyes as the sound of Gazelle filled the car. And specifically, Try Everything, because of course it was that song. "Really, Judy?" He whined. "Is she the only thing you ever listen to?" He didn't even have anything against the pop singer. But between Judy, Clawhauser, and a strong suspicion that Bogo was also a huge fan, there was enough Gazelle in the precinct already.

Without taking her eyes off the road, Judy only turned the volume know a little bit higher. "You know you love her!" she answered cheerfully. "Besides, haven't you heard?"

James sat up in his seat. "Heard what?"

Judy lowered the volume back down. "Gazelle is hosting a charity concert," she said, "for Bana City. All profits will go directly to those affected. And…" She grinned at the thought. "ZPD is providing security. Which means free tickets!"

Nick chuckled. "Free tickets? Kind defeats the purpose of a charity concert, don't you think, Carrots?" Even James smirked as he agreed with the fox.

Evidently, so did Judy. "You… Have a point. What are you suggesting?"

"I'll take the free tickets," Nick answered nonchalantly, "after all, they do mean guaranteed entree! But you know? Why not still pay for 'em? After all, going to a good cause and all that..."

"That's- Nick! Look at you go!" She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder, and earning a yelp of complaint from her partner. That, at least, was something that James was glad he didn't do with Dahlia. "What about you, James? Think we should pass along this idea to Bogo?"

"I don't see why not."

The three of them continued to chat in the car, but with the interstate not offering much more than a view of the rolling hills of amber grass, it did settle much more into Nick and Judy's banter between the two of them, with James content to watch the view out of the window and just… think. Although Judy did squeal in delight as they overtook a Zootopia Express train, tracks running in between the opposing lanes of traffic.

Rather quicker than James anticipated, the rolling hills started to flatten out into a valley, quickly shifting into buildings as they drove into Lynxamore. Taking the exit off, which ironically was the one for them to take to get to the Zootopia Express Lynxamore station, they took a different turn into town, Judy's phone now guiding the car down the various streets.

While it wasn't fair to compare this much smaller town to Zootopia, there was no denying that the two were very different. Lynxamore wasn't worse, but definitely different. Despite being a rather large city on its own right, it still was able to keep a certain small town charm to it that Zootopia didn't even try to compete with.

But they weren't here for sightseeing. Nick and Judy's back and forth also settled down as Judy concentrated more on navigating the unfamiliar town, Nick holding her phone to guide her better than the automated voice and map can on their own. But several minutes and a few red lights later, they arrived at their destination.

Compared to Precinct 1 HQ, the LPD building really wasn't much to look at. In fact, if it wasn't for the signs describing its purpose, and the poorly hidden open air lot filled with cop cars behind it, the building could have passed as just another office block building as the many surrounding it.

Despite being in a cop car themselves, Judy chose to park it at an empty visitor space rather than picking a reserved spot. Engine stopped, the three officers got out of the car, all visibly more tense than just moments before.

"Well, this is it, isn't it?" James grunted. "I'll do the talking, I guess. All right, let's get this over with." Taking in a deep breath of his own, he opened the door, letting Nick and Judy through before going inside himself, the door closing silently behind them.

If the outside could pass for an office building, then the inside definitely did. A quaint carpeted waiting room with empty chairs filled the only area after a very short corridor, with the opposing wall revealing a secretary sitting behind her desk, separated by a protective window of polycarbonate, perhaps the only feature giving away this place as a police station rather than as an office. Perhaps this place used to be just a random office building before being repurposed by the police? Doesn't matter...

Taking the lead, James went over and stopped by the counter, looking down at the secretary. His tail started to twitch in agitation as something about her struck him as very familiar. She was a coyote, no doubt, but still didn't look like anyone he knew. Not like Trigger, at any rate, but still, that feeling that he saw her somewhere before…

She looked up at him sheepishly, nervous grin and eyes lowering due to his long gaze. "May I help you.." She glanced at his uniform and held out badge. "...Officers?"

Finding his voice, James nodded. "Y-yes, actually," he looked at the name placard on her desk. "Jodie? I'm Officer Wolford. These here are Officers Hopps and Wilde. We're ZPD, precinct one. We're here to pick up-" he bit his tongue as he realized that he didn't actually know if this secretary knew the name of the pilot they were here for. At least it helped with removing the uncanny feeling he got at seeing her.

Luckily for him, he didn't need to explain, for as soon as he said 'ZPD', her eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, you're here for that John Doe! Right, I was told to expect you! Uh, he's in the Chief's office, I think. I'll just let him know, and then I'll buzz you in! Just follow the signs, impossible to miss!"

Motioning to the door next to her section, a loud buzz alerted them that it unlocked, with James opening it before it can reset on them. Ushering the smaller officers through, James followed them into the again rather small corridor. Just as the secretary said, it really was just a matter of finding the door labeled 'Chief of Police'. Knocking on it rather than just barging in, they waited nervously for an answer.

It came mere moments later. "Come in!"

"Here goes nothing…" James reached for the handle and turned it, slowly opening the door. As they shuffled into the room, it wasn't the elk chief of police working on paperwork behind his desk that they were interested.

No, it was the very familiar coyote slumped against a cushioned seat pressed against the wall.

The commotion of the three ZPD officers walking into the room alerted the pilot to their presence. Trigger's muzzle broke into an unmistakable smile of relief, ears perking up in alertness.

But upon seeing Trigger again, James realized something very critical. He didn't even know what to say. Instead, he crossed his arms and just stood there, watching the pilot silently, and inspecting him. To say that Trigger looked like a mess was an understatement. Still wearing what must have been the same ZPD clothing they last saw him, only with his light gray shirt inverted to hide the lettering on the front. All of his exposed fur was disheveled and sticking out in all directions. Clothing and fur both caked in dried mud and dirt, bits of dried grass and twigs sticking this way and that all over the place. Dark shadows around his eyes spoke of a serious sleep deprivation. Even more worryingly, his left eye looked partially swollen, a fresh cut on his eyebrow still revealing bright red underneath it.

Whatever excitement he had for being reunited with the officers again, it was short lived. Trigger glanced repeatedly between the three of them, the relief om his muzzle fading first into a nervous smile as non of them said anything, and then into a genuine worried expression.

It was Judy who broke the silence.

"Tri-" She rushed forward and grabbed him by the arm, even as he tried to shy away from her. "We were so worried!

James had a different approach when he finally figured out at least something to say. "What she's saying, is that you better come with us before you get into even more trouble," His own eyes locked with Trigger's terrified ones. "We have enough trouble without your help, pup."