A.N. Thanks to all who stopped by to check out Sandcastles, particularly those who deemed it worth a follow, or like stubob72556 and Old Goat, a comment. Any further reviews and suggestions are very welcome encouragement for me, and a way for readers to help steer the story onto a path that they will enjoy.

To acknowledge the second anniversary of the release of Zootopia here in the U.S., here is chapter two of this story. (Only semi-intentional)

Tinbuzzard11

Chapter Two:

On the DownBeat

Judy Hopps sat spread legged in the center of the police cruiser's capacious passenger seat, her midriff nearly hidden behind the wide seatbelt. Officer Fangmeyer, her partner for the day, pulled into the ER loading zone at Zootopia General Hospital and parked behind the EMT van they'd followed in. She cast a sympathetic look over the silent and limp eared rabbit officer. "It's ok Hopps, nobody is going to fault you; this sort of thing happens all too often with domestic disputes." The tigress got out carefully, holding a paw over the slashed open side of her uniform and followed Judy over to the van.

"She's stable now, but still out of it," the cougar EMT told them. "Better for her to recover naturally. She'll metabolize the tranqs overnight and be right as arrainment tomorrow morning. Should have the tox report then too." Her coati compatriot helped push the gurney that bore a second tigress—this one strapped down and unresponsive-out the back of the van. "Just realized something officers," said the smaller mammal in a soft voice, "was quite the ladies night out, wasn't it?"

Judy stared up and out of the window at the deep twilight for the two-mile drive back to precinct one. They'd just entered the staff parking lot when she quietly voiced her shame. "I'm sorry, I didn't stay in control; I panicked."

"If you'd panicked, you would have run bun. You took down the threat."

"Nadine! There were three kits with her! I shot their mother four times right in front of them!" Judy flinched as she recalled the dropped sandbag whump Mrs. Lankton made when she hit the floor. "She'd almost stopped breathing by the time the EMT's got there!"

Fangmeyer found a spot not too far from the rear entrance—a lot of the evening shift was already in the field. She shut off the engine, but made no move to get out. "This your first real life weapon discharge? Yeah, thought so. All the training in the world can't prepare you emotionally for that; it just works to reinforce your automatic reactions. You've been here a little over a year, for me it was twice that long before I even pulled my weapon."

"I thought I'd missed with the first dart-the kit yowled—she clawed you and came at me; I just kept shooting!" Judy's breath shuddered and a large paw gently settled over her shoulders.

"This'll get resolved Hopps; family services has the kits and Mr. Lankton's probably already been stitched up by now. You just need to make the acquaintance of some new forms, and I'll plan a full honors memorial for my uniform." Fangmeyer fingered the shredded fabric on her flank. "I'm sure this wasn't intentional, the Mrs. doesn't need an additional assault on a police officer charge. Thanks for agreeing to ah...overlook it."

"I can't deny it Fangmeyer, I felt the panic! I lost it and almost killed her!" Judy moaned.

"Can it Hopps, you didn't. You were inside; at close quarters with six tigers, all larger than you. Three of us were over twenty times your size! And yes, your subconscious counted me too. You kept your cool when you had to; my report will certainly state that."

Judy closed her eyes and let out a weary sigh. "Thanks Nadine. I might need a ride home; I texted Nick on our way to the hospital, but he hasn't replied. Don't think I want to walk."

"That's Officer Fangmeyer, Officer Hopps. And since when did Officer Wilde become Nick? Oh, so you do have ears. Let's go in and see if we can find you someone."

Both were surprised to see the fox still at his desk near the corner; it was already a quarter to nine. Fangmeyer stopped at her own cubical and released Judy to her regular partner with a nod. The ZPD's smallest officer trudged down the corridor, as her ears slowly drooped behind her back again.

Nick's complete and uncharacteristic unawareness of her proximity stopped Judy a few steps back to watch him in puzzlement. He stared transfixed at the blank back wall of the office bay as if there were an interdimensional portal open that only he could see. The end of a memory stick poked from a tightly clenched paw propped on the edge of their desk. He looked tense and likely easily unnerved. Judy rubbed her foot over the carpet several times to gently draw his notice.

"I shot somebody today Nick," she said in a strained voice as he slowly turned towards her. "They almost died."

That brought him back. His green eyes widened and focused on her, and he twitched a few times like a reanimated monster in a cheesy movie. "Sorry, Hopps." He reached out awkwardly from his chair and she stepped into the hug and planted her face in his shirt. After a few seconds he started to idly stroke her ears with his one open paw, and she worked on enlarging the moist spot on his middle.

His physical reassurance seemed...forced; not like it was when they'd first reconciled. Judy hung on harder; tried to squeeze out of him what she desperately needed again, but the fox remained wire-tense. And he'd called her...

"What do you mean—Hopps!" She sniffled. "Nick, I...what's wrong?"

"Maybe everything we thought." He sighed like the weight of the world had pressed it out of him. "Sorry to bring this up Judy. What would you do to get a second crack at your press conference?" Nick gently pushed them apart, but kept his paws on her shoulders.

Nick! Why now—I can't handle this today-you know I'd do anything to change that!"

"And I'd do anything to erase this, but I can't." The memory stick appeared in front of her face. "I want to go back to this morning when I didn't know about this." The stick vanished into Nick's paw and he leaned back. "And I spent two hours helping to write it."

Judy wiped her eyes and took a more careful look at her partner. The cocky, confident vulpine con-artist was nowhere to be found, as was the proud, dedicated to his service ZPD officer. Instead, she saw a disillusioned and frightened adult-sized kit slumped in his seat.

"Don't ask about this, you aren't ready for it, especially not today." Nick spoke carefully and seemed to collect himself for her. "Are you ready to tell me what happened...you were out with Fangmeyer...she ok?"

"She's fine; her uniform isn't. Domestic quarrel; family of tigers out on west pride parkway," Judy said as Nick hiked an eyebrow. "I let things get way..."

A faint harmonic rumble from behind grew in intensity and resolved into the bulk of Chief Bogo looming over them. He gave Nick a brief, withering glare before turning a more benign countenance to her. Surprisingly, he was in his full dress uniform.

"Fangmeyer just briefed me Hopps; she felt you handled yourself well today. Per standard procedure, you will be on administrative duty until IA reviews your reports. You may start that duty with your debrief, in my office, ten thirty a.m." The Cape buffalo's scowl returned. "Officer Wilde. You will tell me how you frightened Clawhauser into insisting that I return here after my conference, at...nine-o-six this evening, instead of going home."

Nick pushed himself erect and kept hold of his chair for support. "Sir, I conducted an interview at the natural history museum to close out your inactive file dated March fourth. This is our report and background information." He held up the memory stick, but didn't give it to Bogo. "There is no other copy of this. Your...Eyes...Only...Sir." He finally extended his paw, and the chief took the stick to quietly contemplate it with an expression Judy had never seen from him. He too obviously wondered what had happened with Nick.

"Final assignment for today Wilde." The chief broke out of his rumination. "Assist Officer Hopps with any preliminary notes she wants to make, then escort her home. Dispatch can arrange a ride. Report at ten thirty."

They waited until the chief's whereabouts had faded away before they exited to the hall that led to the lobby. "Give me a minute, Nick. I need to get a few things." He nodded and continued to the lobby while she headed for the lockers the other way. Like their cubical, she shared the generous compartment on the bottom row with Nick for practicality reasons. She spun the simple combination open and picked up her backpack.

Judy paused to look at the gift bag that had been flattened beneath it. Selected by some of her younger siblings, it had served its purpose, but had been a little too sturdy to just throw away. She exchanged it for the backpack and shook it out. She needed her foxy friend and would suffer the embarrassment to help bring him out of his funk. It was pale blue with cartoonish clouds, and had numerous bunnies that soared, floated, or in a few cases, helicoptered with their ears among them. She stuffed her spare change of clothes and some grooming items into it, secured the locker and hiked down the hall after her partner.

She found Nick with the ram that worked night dispatch. Judy had to get close enough to read the nameplate propped on the circular counter to recall him, Officer Maitland. He was the only sheep that remained at precinct one, for some reason Bellwether had avoided him when she'd recruited co-conspirators for her savage predator plot. Even so, he'd accepted the change in shift to let any possible animosities fade.

"Ride's already out back...Carrots." She was glad to hear the nickname, but he had hesitated and glanced at her bunny bag first. He'd tried, but was still obviously rattled about what he'd given to Bogo. They retraced their route through a quiet precinct building, out to an idling cruiser. Nick stretched to open the door, climbed in and stowed his crutch, and offered her a paw up. Too drained of energy to live up to her name, she accepted it. The driver was a huge, intimidating boar in tactical gear that returned their introductions with a grunt that could either be his name or state of mind. Officer Snort looked like he was on rotation from TUSK, or if not, he had to have a job title like "confession extractor".

"Nineteen fifty-five Cypress Grove Lane, it's just this side of the rainforest district," she said. Nick flinched, but didn't otherwise object. The boar punched it in to his map display, Nick held her as she stood on the seat and reached to tug the door closed, and light traffic got them there in under ten minutes.

Even though the nearest rain tower was over half a mile away, the moisture-laden air had spilled down the street to reduce visibility and halo the lights. A day like today needed to end this way, Judy acknowledged, as the incipient drizzle urged them inside. Nick efficiently stumped up the stairs and she followed him down the hall to his apartment. The sound of deadbolts banishing the world was the best she'd heard all day.

Nick now moved with silent purpose as he arranged a pillow and blanket for her at one end of his sofa. He peglegged over to the fridge as she settled in, and returned to push a berry flavored juicebox into her paws. She let him fuss, realizing he needed the semblance of normality as badly as she did. Nick finally used his crutch to seat himself beside her, with his usual courteous space between them.

I can't be alone right now, Judy knew. She felt small and vulnerable, more so than she had since her academy days. Her thin-walled, crackerbox sized apartment would be a bare cell to her tonight; this was the only immediately accessible place that could provide the solace she craved. Because it had her partner and friend—who needed her as well. "Over here," she pulled at Nick's belt for emphasis and he slid over. They leaned together and she soon felt his arm around her shoulders. Neither risked breaking the mood for some time.

Eventually, her need for relief overcame the comfort of her warm little burrow, and she reluctantly wriggled out and took her bag to the bathroom. Judy felt an odd sense of loss once she was out of uniform and in her looser, more anonymous clothes. It would be hard to wear the ZPD blues again given the circumstances. She smoothed, folded, and then carefully tucked them into the bag.

Nick had taken advantage of her absence and gone for comfort too. He was already back in his spot on the sofa, in khakis and tropical shirt, sans tie. She set the bag on the floor out of sight below the armrest and snuggled back into the space between it and Nick. He draped the blanket back around her and took time to tuck her in. Judy closed her eyes and wanted time to stop right then.

"10-7 Carrots. I hate to credit the chief with actual empathy, but I think he wanted me to take you home so you'd have a chance to talk this out. He didn't specify whose home, so your good to go if you're ready."

She let out a small sigh and Nick's ears pricked visibly at the sound of it—something else he likely found cute about her. Get your shame out, scaredy-rabbit...

"I panicked, overreacted, and almost killed a mother in front of her kits! They're going to have nightmares about it for years because of me!"

"Bogo and Fangmeyer said you did ok. Can you take me through the incident? Start when you arrived." Nick's arm comfortingly circled her again—he carefully slid it under her limp ears-but she suddenly didn't want it there; he'd feel her every twitch and shudder.

"Front door of the residence was open, parents were arguing inside. He had a right to see his kits; she claimed a new restraining order; he called her a liar. Fangmeyer announced us...went in first just as the missus lunged and clawed him good across the chest...he hit her back, claws in I think." Judy took a couple of measured breaths, now dry-eyed. "He hit her hard and we think she stumbled back into one of the kits...three were in the room Nick! Maybe only six or seven. Why hadn't she sent them away? Kit screamed and the mother roared and came back and swiped Nadine...I was just in, had a clear shot, emptied my gun and kept pulling the trigger!"

"Keep it together, carrots. There are situations you can't control; you know that.

So you were in the middle of a real catfight. How close was she when you darted her."

"Three, four meters? It was all so fast! I thought I'd missed my first shot. She almost fell on me as I backed away! Nick, I put four darts into her, heavy tranks, the orange ones! We're not supposed to use more than two even on a mammal that size."

"Great Spirit Above! What did you expect to do? You said you were just in. What did you have, a second or two?" Nick's eyes were wide with...shock?

"If I'd assessed it faster, I could've jumped left, darted her as she went by and covered both of them while Nadi..."

"Carrots!" Nick's voice jumped and his eyes went even wider. "Seriously; you're second guessing? Did superbunny fail to dispassionately evaluate the situation when she was lunged at by a roaring tiger at point blank range?"

"I have to be perfect!" Judy cried. "No matter how badly I wanted it, I wasn't really supposed to be here. This is the slip-up everybody expected! The only reason she isn't dead is that I have to use that small concealable gun. It's got just four darts!"

"Did you soil yourself?" Nick asked casually.

"What—no!"

"Ok, so you're still a pretty awesome bunny. Most normal mammals smaller than a rhino would have." Nick paused and cupped her cheeks in his warm paws. "You were thrown into a situation that was already going south. You did exactly what you were trained to do. We've got your back on this so stop trying to keep yourself worked up. Just be quiet now and try to relax before you completely crash."

Judy Hopps became aware that she wasn't lying in bed. Seated, slouched over against something warm, she cracked her eyes to morning light from her left, not behind her as it should have been. Her chin was pillowed on a tapered dark brown muff that lightened to a russet color under her right shoulder. It was bigger and softer—and Nickier-than her fox plushie. Mental circuit breakers slammed closed and brought her fully awake with a jerk. Nick reacted too; he immediately unwound his tail and pushed himself up, then hopped unsteadily to the bathroom, crutch forgotten.

Faint sounds of relief filtered from behind the door; he'd remained with her...all night? He'd been concerned enough to not want to awaken her...how long had he sat there stiffly uncomfortable? Guilt and longing fought to an uneasy truce over whether she deserved such attention. One thing was certain; mom and dad were never going to find out what happened yesterday, or where she'd just woken up. She knew that her parents and family were always available for emotional support, but last night she'd relied on Nick again without pause-and he'd responded; he'd cared as she'd needed him to.

Judy rubbed her eyes gently and then her scalp vigorously, trying to push away persistent feelings she couldn't bear right now. It was morning, another day. She'd slept and hopefully processed some of her angst, but she feared her previously prescient neighbor would be right about this one too, "but it might be worse!"

"Probably will be. I'll get the coffee going." Nick was back and his face said that any delay would be intolerable. "By the way; Good morning miss Hopps, I hope your stay at the Foxborough Arms was a pleasant one!"

Gees, I must've spoken out loud, Judy thought. "Gmorning." She watched as he brewed up the elixirs of life-for her a decaffeinated new proclivity, for him a stronger necessity.

"All I've got is a veggie burrito; split it?" said Nick. She nodded, then flexed away her overnight stiffness and joined him at the table where he soon set two large mugs. His had irregular, mostly vertical patterning that evoked a dark forest, overlain by the word "Primal." She didn't know if that was a coffee brand or his self-impression. Her cup was plain. Breakfast announced with a ding, and only with her first bite did she recall that neither of them had anything for dinner last night. It wasn't much, but her stomach seemed momentarily satisfied by the token meal.

Clean, brushed, and ill at ease in her uniform, Judy self-consciously asked Nick to check the hall outside first. All being clear, he locked his door behind her as she went ahead. A few seconds later, another lock click from a door opposite prompted her to let out an "eep" and dash for the stairwell. Nearly down to the lobby, she heard a muffled conversation above that ended with a clearer, "Have to go Carla, got a court date."

Nick caught up to her out front and stood at parade rest on the sidewalk—as best he could with the crutch. "Resident is a female woodchuck, single, mid forties," he stated. "Medium brown fur, somewhat plump; will flirt with any unwary males without regard to size or species." He finally looked over at her. "Zuber will arrive soon to maintain your propriety."

Her ears would have wilted if they hadn't already been draped behind her head. Judy, she chided herself, you couldn't be more obvious about your discomfort at being seen in a fox's den. She hoped this wouldn't stop him from inviting her over for another movie night. The first, a month ago, had been a general invitation. Actually, Nick had co-opted his friend Finnick as an involuntary chaperone—the fennec fox had been surprised when she'd shown up, and had been frosty towards her. The second had been just the two of them, and from then on they'd decided to alternate on who picked the movie. It was a needed weekly break, and next time—assuming there was one—her choice of movie might be...meaningful.

"I'm really sorry Nick. So much for living up to my ideals." She was disgusted with herself again; today had picked up right where yesterday had left off. "Got any forgiveness left for a selfish bunny?" She looked up, embarrassed to play the sympathy card.

"Always Carrots." His paw on her shoulder and caring look was nothing less than a benediction from above. "There's too much going on now—I can't even tell you about it—this isn't the time for introspection, we need to wait until we both get our heads back together. Right now, I just know I'm going to need my partner more than ever." Nick's head tilted up; he withdrew his paw and sidled away as a car approached and slowed.

"Your my ride?" said an agouti through an open window. His car was just large enough to fit a flattened-eared Nick in the front, while she had plenty of room in back. "Never had co...Officers for a pickup before. Savanna Central right?" He curved into the empty street; jerked back to keep them in the right lane, and kept the speed down. "Shit! This isn't going to be...like...a driving test, is it?"

"Just make the U turn and drop us off at ZPD; we're not on traffic duty," said an exasperated Nick. The agouti twitched his whiskers and did so with alacrity. Once at the precinct, he accepted her autograph as partial payment—he'd realized who she was less than a minute into the trip, and had peppered her with questions for the rest of it.

"Ahhh, together again." Clawhauser's amiable voice rolled across the mostly empty lobby as soon as they'd made it through the entrance; they had his full attention. "Morning Hopps, morning Wilde, glad you finally made it in. Chief wasn't happy I'd called him in last night, so you're already on his schedule for the day. Want your last meal?" The cheetah reached behind, then over the reception desk with one of his ubiquitous donut boxes to show them the two survivors huddled at one end of it.

Judy appreciated the willpower exhibited by the rotund dispatcher; she suddenly did want one. They walked over to find he'd left them a chocolate donut and maple bar. Either was acceptable, so she hesitated to see if Nick had a preference. Of course he waited for her. Time stretched until, quite horribly, she started to hear a faint rumble emanate from Clawhauser as the tip of his tail began to metronome. Rabbit and fox paws darted simultaneously into the box; she went for the maple bar, Nick for the chocolate. They stuffed their faces as Clawhauser's broad smile chased them away.

What, Judy wondered, does that cheetah get out of watching us together? We're just partners...is he trying to promote us...as a...? She looked up at Nick to gauge his reaction. He smiled back and carefully tapped the side of his muzzle; she stretched her tongue to recover the errant frosting on hers. The fox tried unsuccessfully to suppress a chortle and she decided to let him have the moment—he needed whatever joy he could find right now.

A plain envelope was on her seat when they got to their desk. It contained a copy of Fangmeyer's incident report and two blank forms. It was just before ten; she could get this out of the way now that she had a template to follow. A few minutes sufficed to fill in the basic data, then she was careful to keep her own narrative and diagram close enough to Nadine's to corroborate them without the appearance of plagiarism. Nick slid over the weapons form as soon as she'd finished, and proctored her with a countdown to their appointment. She remembered to sign and date it—up against the wall-while waiting for the elevator to Bogo's floor.

"Come in Hopps!" The door was already unlatched for her; she pushed it open, then closed, and climbed into the hot seat. Horizontal bars of sunlight slanted through the window and blind in the back wall and striped her from head to feet. At least they weren't vertical; she didn't need that metaphor as her guilt reasserted itself. The hulking silhouette of chief Bogo gave her a slight nod of approval as she leaned over and put her forms on his desk. He settled his glasses on his broad muzzle, and picked them up to read, as unresponsive as a block of obsidian until he abruptly flicked to the other form. Judy had a momentary flash of fear that she had slipped the wrong one back into Nadine's desk.

"Consider this case closed for the time being, Hopps. You will need to testify at some point since blood was drawn and your weapon fired. Did you make copies for internal affairs? No? Then give these to Beverly when you leave." Chief Bogo passed them back and tapped his hooves together. "A more important matter requires our attention. Wilde!"

Judy slid over as the door opened and held Nick's crutch as he hoisted himself onto the seat beside her. Bogo held up a hoof and Nick's face went hard.

"I've decided to bring her into this Wilde," the chief said firmly. "In the short time you two have been partners, you have proven to me that you're a natural team. In addition, your unobtrusive size and prior involvement in the savage predator affair, also makes you a natural choice. Your assignments are to gather enough evidence to decide whether this," the chief passed the memory stick back to Nick, "remains an ugly chapter in a history book, or might fracture or reduce our society to a feral state." Bogo looked straight at her as he spoke that astounding statement, and paused to let it sink in.

"Wilde, I've already set a follow-up interview with Dr. Soren tomorrow morning; she wants two of her colleagues in attendance. She will text you the time directly. Hopps, I'll let Wilde brief you. Keep in mind that this Dr. Soren managed to spook the sass out of our fox, whose own report convinced me that the savage predator crisis might just be the warm-up act for this."

Bogo's fatalistic expression and curt nod were sufficient dismissal; they silently returned to their desk after she dropped off her report with his AA. Nick and the chief had thoroughly stoked her sense of apprehension, whether deliberately or not didn't matter. And now her trusted partner added the last touch of dread when he unplugged the network cable from the back of his computer before inserting the memory stick.

"I wish he hadn't involved you," Nick looked distraught...for her.

"Not the first time either of you have dumped something on this bunny." Judy sighed. "At least we're together for this one." She climbed into his chair and started to read as Nick stood watch.