Hello, dear readers!
Most important thing: thank you so much for your support and reviews! You are incredible!
To address several comments:
Zeronone and zooLover: Yes, I am aware that heart is also a muscle, but that's why I used the word "sudden". For instance, when you want to go running, you do some stretching first to avoid pulling a muscle. An instant action might cause harm even to the strongest muscle.
Zeronone: Thanks for pointing out the thing with the gun caliber, I'll try to deal with it in the next chapter
Lynja Fairy: You are responsible for me almost choking on my tea when I read your review. ;)
Also, we'll be picking up speed on the relationships, so expect some sparks flying pretty soon. :) Add to that, in the next chapter, Nick getting his claws bloody (no, not with Will), Judy and Vivian talking about the past and we'll have some explanation for Nick's memorizing ability.
Oh and I put some references in this chapter too, who's willing to find them?
Chapter 28
Monday mornings were never Nick's favorites. Well, more like at the bottom of the list. Still, he got up, took a shower and prepared himself for the upcoming day. He was a bit concerned about Jackie, as she didn't seem to drop the idea of them being a couple. And he couldn't allow that. *The more she gets invested into such a fake relationship, the more she'll get hurt in the end…* With that thought, Nicholas Wilde started another week of his life as a police officer.
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"You've got to be kidding me…" The fox deflated after hearing Bogo's words. "We're here only for a week and we're supposed to have sparring matches?!"
The buffalo folded his massive arms. "Got a problem with that, Wilde?"
"Well, I'm more of a think-tank type of guy, not a one-mammal army. If you're looking for something like that, she's sitting on my right." Nick pointed at his partner with a thumb. Judy reacted with a grin at his compliment. As one of the smallest mammals in the force they were sharing a chair in the front row. Every night Nick was practicing his self-control with that horrible audio track from Finnick, even more after the events in Bunny Burrow. Right now, he was in control of his instincts, though it was tough in the beginning. Being in the presence of so many other predators, which in ancient times would be enemies and right next to someone, who nature destined to be his species' favorite snack. So far, the sane Nick was winning.
"I'm sure that we'll put your brain to use in due time, however you're not talking yourself out of this."
"But…"
"I don't care, Wilde." Bogo snapped at the fox.
"What's the matter, Nick? Scared of losing?" Nick spun around on the seat and spotted Jackie two rows behind him, grinning like a maniac. *What the hell is she playing at?!* She looked as if yesterday's events rolled off her like water off a duck's back.
He quickly turned back to Bogo. "Can I call in sick?"
The buffalo eyed him from head to toe. "You don't look sick to me. End of discussion!"
"I'll be by the end of the day…" Nick grumbled to himself.
A small paw rested on his arm. "Oh come on, Nick. A little activity will do you good and it's not like these fights are for real." Judy tried to reassure him with a smile. The fox groaned and cast another glance at Jackie.
The feline sent him a wink.
"Uh, you sure about that, Carrots?"
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The ring was placed in the back of the precinct's building, right next to the ZPD's private gym. All force members assigned for today's sparring matches were present, including Nick, Judy, Jackie and Marcus. Rupert was on patrol and his turn would be on another day. And the second round was scheduled for tomorrow.
Jackie and Nick were first in line and the cheetah was more than eager to step into the ring and practically jumped in, right after gearing up with required equipment.
"Come on, Nick! Or you're going to make a lady wait?" She spun around and chirped towards her opponent.
The fox had a resigned look on his face when sliding between the ropes and facing Jackie. "What's gotten into you, Spots? Too much coffee in the morning?" He attempted a joke, but didn't exactly feel like joking right now.
She just smiled and punched the gloved paws together. "Nope, just need to work out a little stress." And without warning she dashed forward.
Nick jumped to the side, but Jackie was quick to react and instantly changed direction of her assault to follow the fox. The vulpine had a hard time blocking her attacks, which came with blurring speed. Jabs and kicks showered his body and he only blocked a few, the rest landing square on his torso and legs. He had to divide his attention into defending and focusing on not showing his savage condition. Though as the fight progressed, it became increasingly more difficult. Jackie's attacks were sharp and left little openings, which Nick could exploit only by revealing his abnormal abilities. And the feline seemed to be enjoying this situation.
With barely any choice left, Nick stepped in, forcing Jackie to fight on a very short distance, something he knew that didn't allow her to fully use her speed advantage. With shorter arms and smaller posture, it was the opposite for Nick. The cheetah clicked her tongue and jumped back, the fox following her swiftly, never allowing the girl to put some distance between them.
"What are you doing?!" Nick hissed so only she could hear him. He blocked an attempted swing with his forearm.
"Letting off some steam" she hissed back "and thinking of a way to make you change your mind." Jackie used her knee for a frontal attack, forcing Nick to step aside. After ducking another strike, he stepped in again.
"Then give up already as I'm NOT changing it."
"Nope." She instantly leaned forward and headbutted the fox to the general cheer and whistles of the audience. Nick swore under his breath and staggered backwards. Jackie took this opportunity and charged forward. But the fox let out a growl, dived under her fist and slammed his body against her stomach, wrapping arms around her waist. In effect, he toppled her backwards and Jackie's back hit the ground, with Nick on top of her.
"Stop it, Spots!"
"Not a chance!" She huffed and raised her leg to kick him off.
The fox rolled on the ring's ground and jumped to his feet. *Since it looks like this… time to lose…* As Jackie closed in on him again and attacked with a series of kicks. Nick put up block for a high kick a bit slower than necessary. The cheetah's hindpaw connected with the side of his head, sending the fox to the ground. Another round of cheers echoed within the gym, but they slowly quieted down when Nick did not get up.
Someone sounded off a whistle, signalling the end of the match.
A ZPD medic hurried to Nick's side, but Jackie was already taking off the gear and stepping out of the ring with a grumpy expression. She knew he was fine, as just before her kick landed on his head, the fox sent her a wink. And as a confirmation of her suspicion, Nick finally sat up and rubbed his head, complaining about a possible bruise.
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After the bear medic took Nick to the medical office for a proper check-up, it was Judy's turn. Her match wasn't long and the result hardly a surprise. Wolford landed on the ground after just one minute and the doe won by a knockout. Again. Now all she could do was to wait for her tomorrow's spar against Jackie.
Some more action appeared in Marcus' spar against Delgato. Being roughly the same size and weight, it was more of a match of equals than other fights.
The lion kept both his paws up in a guard, while Marcus held his left fist under the chin and the right one in an almost relaxed position by his side. He kept shuffling his hindpaws, eyes studying the opponent.
Delgato went in first, throwing few jabs to test the tiger's reflexes. Marcus dodged them with ease. The lion attacked with his right paw and it was blocked by the tiger's left forearm. The striped predator reached out and grabbed the back of Delgato's head. He pulled and stepped to his right, effectively sending the senior officer stumbling forward. The crowd awarded this move with a cheer. Delgato recomposed himself and attacked again, this time with a sweeping kick. But his opponent simply lifted his forward leg to avoid it and followed with a one-two combo to the head that made the lion stagger a bit. But Delgato snarled, shaking his head and pressed on again. But his next kick was blocked by the tiger's knee and following jabs were dodged. He tried to strike with a right hook but Marcus ducked and spun around, rising his leg for a high kick and hit the lion on the back of the head. Delgato staggered to the ropes and used them to bounce back with extra force and caught the tiger in a similar way as Nick did with Jackie. He tried to lift Marcus and throw him but the tiger delivered several elbows on the lion's back, forcing him to loosen the grip. But Delgato was stubborn and, just as Marcus pushed him away, managed to land a kick on his opponent's stomach. The fighters broke away and Delgato attacked again, with a combination of kicks and punches, Marcus dodging some of them and blocking the rest. He stopped an incoming right punch with the left forearm and instantly put his right paw behind Delgato's elbow, pushing the lion's arm to the side. He followed it by sliding his right arm around his opponent's throat and positioning himself behind him to grab Delgato in a rear choke hold. The lion tried to pry the tiger's arm off him but without success. So he switched tactics and backpedaled to the corner of the ring, where he slammed Marcus' back on the mitt covered post. The tiger grunted and his grip loosened a bit, just enough for Delgato to grab his arm with both paws and bend forward to throw the striped predator over his shoulder. Marcus landed heavily on his back, but rolled over and quickly sprung to his feet.
A whistle's sound pierced the air.
"Okay, I'd say that's enough! Good work, guys!" The gym head announced as he stopped the fight. Both fighters relaxed and lowered their guards. They even smiled and bumped fists in recognition of a nice match.
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Just as the other matches were in progress, Nick sat in the medical office waiting for the lynx doctor to finish the process of checking if the fox was really fine after receiving such a blow to the head. And the vulpine felt perfectly okay, right up till the moment, when a nurse came into the room. As soon as the female wolf's scent hit Nick's nose, his whole body stiffened. He felt a need to sniff the air more and his nose twitched uncontrollably. *What the hell?!* Luckily, the doctor has already done all the examination he wanted and was now writing out documentation with his computer so he didn't see it. Then the fox noticed that his body wanted to start panting and eyes were drawn to the figure of the nurse. Nick forced himself to stay still on the bed, as if nothing was happening, but as the seconds passed he felt a growing headache in his skull. The nurse approached the doctor by his desk and leaned down to ask him something, not aware that by doing so, she offered the vulpine a clear view of her bushy tail and her rear wrapped in the nurse's uniform. Nick's ears twitched and he felt something else twitch too. *OH CRAP! THIS BLASTED SERUM!* He shut his eyes and forced himself to think of the most gruesome and depressing pictures and thoughts he could imagine. With a past like his he didn't have to look far.
After few agonizing moments, he could hear someone walking out and his nose confirmed that it was a female. He dared to open his eyes again and breathed with relief as the nurse really left the room.
"Well, officer Wilde." The doctor stopped tapping on the keyboard and turned to the fox again. "You are clear to go, but no more sparring today and remember not to overexert yourself for the rest of the day. No crazy chases after criminals, alright?"
"I'll keep that in mind. I can always ask them to stop in the name of law." He said the last sentence with theatrical seriousness.
The lynx raised a brow. "Riight, off you go."
The vulpine didn't need any further encouragement and left the medical office. *Overexert? No worries, not that it would kill me. Har, har…* Nick joked to himself, not exactly in the mood for being cheerful and optimistic. He headed back to the locker room to change into his uniform, glad that he wouldn't have to fight anyone today. On his way there he experienced similar sensation as with the nurse, whenever he passed by a female officer. The vulpine gritted his teeth and sped up. Getting to his locker, he stripped from the blue training t-shirt with the ZPD emblem on it and threw it into the metal compartment. Then, another spike of pain pierced his head and Nick groaned, grabbing his head. This new symptom had him worried, to say the least. Never before he felt such a reaction in presence of a female, even from a different species. *If this goes on, I'll have to-*
"Nick." Said a voice by the door.
The fox froze. He didn't dare to turn to the speaker. "What can I do for you, Spots?" Nick did his best, for his voice to sound casual. He was trapped, the locker room had only on exit.
"You know the answer for that…" She replied in a voice, that Nick could describe as filled with expectation.
The fox slammed the locker door shut and put both his hands on the cold metal for support as he hung his head. Nick still didn't look at the cheetah, but he started feeling the first symptoms of arousal. Her scent began invading his nostrils.
"Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?" He muttered mostly to the floor. "Insanity... is... doing the exact same thing over and over again, expecting it change… The thing is, I already rejected you once." Only then he turned to her and his eyes shot wide open, as he was so focused on ignoring her presence with his senses that he never noticed when she walked right up to him. She was still dressed in her training clothes, the t-shirt clinging to her well-toned body.
"Nick…" She said softly, her gaze locked on the vulpine's eyes. "There is one thing you should know about members of my family."
The fox adorned a puzzled expression. "Oh really? And what would tha-"
She leaned down and pressed her lips against his.
Nick could swear that half of his brain melted at that point. All of his senses were already hypersensitive to a female's presence and what Jackie just did sent them into overload. His nose was overflowing with her scent. The savage within him roared for more and the body was more than willing to oblige. Both of the fox's paws shot forward without his permission and grabbed the front of the feline's t-shirt, pulling her into the kiss.
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Judy watched the rest of the fights and right after that she headed to the medical office to check up on Nick. To her pleasant surprise, she found out that the lynx already examined him and let the fox go. This meant that Nick has already gone to their desks or was still in the locker room. Either way, they'll meet up soon to go on their patrol duty so the doe decided to hit the showers first. On the way there, her sensitive ears picked up noises coming from the locker room.
"…of my family" That was Jackie. Her interest piqued, Judy approached the entrance.
"Oh really? And what would tha-" This voice belonged to Nick.
She appeared in the doorway and her jaw dropped at the sight.
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Jackie purred into Nick's mouth when she felt being pulled in. Despite their size and anatomical differences, it was pretty easy for their lips to work out the best way of contact.
On the other paw, Nick's mind was a mess. Part of him demanded this, was exhilarated by the feeling and wanted to take it a step further. But whatever remained of the fox's rational thought was now revolting. *This is not me, I didn't want this!* And he summoned the bits of sanity still left in him and countered the hypnotizing effect of the serum with one of the worst memories in his life.
Irene.
This mental strike disturbed his savage needs for only a brief moment, but it was enough. He instantly regained full command of his body and refused to yield again. He pushed the cheetah away to an arm's length, still griping the t-shirt. Jackie had a bit disappointed look, but she licked her lips and smiled.
"To answer your question, we are really bad in giving up on things we want." The feline said this in a low voice. "So, how was it?" She teased him. And then Nick did something that surprised her completely. The fox snarled and twisted himself 180 degrees, pulling the feline with him and slamming her back at the metal lockers. Jackie let out a yelp and found herself to be now sitting on the floor, face to face with an angry vulpine. His lip curled upwards, presenting rows of sharp teeth which clearly indicated his state of mind. Nick used the anger to overcome the rising lust.
"You just went one step too far!"
She frowned at these words. "What? But-"
"It's not me, got it?!" He cut in with a bark. "This wasn't me, but that rotten serum!"
Even with his fangs mere inches from her face, Jackie still managed a weak smirk. "That's not exactly how I felt it. Or maybe you're just telling yourself that, using the serum as an excuse?"
A growl rattled in Nick's throat, his sanity and self-control pushed to the utmost limit. He tightened the grip on her clothes and lifted her off the ground, the cheetah's back still pressed to the lockers.
"Listen here, right now I am barely holding myself back!" He hissed through gritted teeth. "This would never happen if not for this cursed toxin! So don't push me or you'll experience what's it like to be ravaged by a savage fox!"
Even with this threat and the insane look in his eyes, Jackie's expression went from shocked one to that of acceptance. She slowly reached out and placed her paw on his cheek.
"And if say that I wouldn't mind?" The girl whispered.
The fox's head once again experienced excruciating migraine. Primal instincts within him were howling in fury to let them hold the reins of the body again. *This… this fool!* Nick let out an angry roar and tossed the cheetah aside, one of his claws accidentally ripping open the front of her t-shirt in the process. Jackie landed on her back with a grunt and lifted herself up on the elbows, in effect showing Nick her bare stomach and a glimpse of her sports bra.
Seeing this, the fox suddenly felt a wave of heat spreading throughout his body. The control he had till now started slipping from his fingers again. *No… I will NOT allow this!* Two conflicting sides of him clashed within his mind, battling for supremacy. Nick spun around, now his back to Jackie and grasped his head with both paws, as if it could prevent the aching skull from cracking open. And then the savage's side strategy changed from shouting demands to whispering tempting words.
Do it…
*Shut up…*
You want this…
*Shut up!*
You want HER…
Nick bent down, clenching his head with both paws. "SHUT UP!" He screamed.
Jackie blinked and quickly got to her hindpaws, seeing the fox's behavior. "Nick?"
Without any other choices at paw, Nick yanked open his locker, snatched the t-shirt and stormed out of the room, leaving the stupefied feline behind.
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Judy was walking through the corridors of the Precinct One, constantly going over the scene she witnessed few moments ago. It was clear that Jackie managed to woo Nick successfully. Not wanting to interrupt the mammals, she directed her steps elsewhere, now wandering aimlessly. She was happy for them, yet one thing had her puzzled. If she was happy, why couldn't she smile while having the image of Nick and Jackie connected in a kiss? She kissed with Will so many times already that she should've been used to other mammals kissing each other.
How would it feel to kiss a fox?
Judy's ears shot right up, red as a rose along with her face. The doe shook her head so vigorously it could've fallen off her shoulders. It was so bizarre a thought that it shocked her why would she even think about it in a first place. She already was in a relationship and being serious about anything she did, Judy never even considered being unfaithful. Then why…
Shut up!
Her ears pricked at the sound, as she immediately recognized her partner's voice. It came from the vicinity of the locker room.
"Nick?" Weird thoughts temporarily forgotten, Judy headed towards the source of the voice.
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Nick raced through the corridors while putting on his shirt. He had only one goal in mind: to get out. That and meeting with doctor Pawsregmont to find some sort of solution for this. *Could this have something to do with the fact that it's already December?* He rushed past a surprised raccoon and headed to the corridor that lead to the main lobby. *But if this connected with the mating season, why did I feel the effects only after the sparring with Jackie?* The fox was almost to the corner when his savage sense of smell saved him from a disaster.
His nostrils picked up the familiar scent of lavender and carrots coming from the corridor behind the corner. *OH CRAP!* Nick's eyes shot wide open and his brain almost evaporated. He didn't even see her yet, but was sure that the moment he lays eyes on her, he'll be a goner. If there was such a strong effect from just the smell, not comparable even to Jackie, it was dead certain that he'd be locked up for assaulting a fellow officer. And just then, his legs refused to cooperate – not a good thing while running at full speed. By some miracle he was able to regain control just before falling to the ground. Nick's claws scratched the floor as the fox did his best to brake his run and change its direction. His hindpaws almost skidded on the floor's tiles when the vulpine retreated into the passage he just came from. Panic and adrenaline boosted his already fast legs and he covered the distance in time that would make Woofsain Bolt look like a sloth.
His knowledge of the building's layout now came in handy and he was able to find a different route to the exit. Not caring about an excuse for leaving the precinct during his shift without any notice, Nick ran outside and in the direction of the hospital.
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Judy poked her head into the locker room. She saw Jackie finishing buttoning up her uniform.
"Hey, everything ok?" The doe asked, eyeing the room in search of the fox.
"More or less, what's up?"
"Well, I just heard Nick screaming and thought that something happened." Judy admitted, for now not mentioning that she saw them kissing.
"Not much…" Jackie said that to her opened locker, as she put the training clothes inside. "But let me tell you one thing…" She continued while putting on the kevlar vest. The feline closed the door and headed for the exit. When she was passing the bunny, Jackie paused for a moment and cast the doe a glance. "I'm not going to lose." The cheetah stated with a determined look and went down the corridor.
Judy was left with a puzzled expression and a lingering feeling that Jackie's statement was not linked to their match tomorrow.
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Octavius Pawsregmont strolled towards the door to his office. Someone was hammering on the wood from outside.
"Yes, yes, I am on my way." He opened them. "How can I-"
Nick barged in, pushing the doctor back. He kicked the door close and turned to the badger.
"I need an explanation, doc!" The fox huffed, panting slightly after his long run.
"Mr. Wilde! What happened?" Octavius smiled at the vulpine. "Any new symptoms you'd like to share?"
"Yes! Ten minutes ago, I barely stopped myself from assaulting a fellow officer and I'd like to know why!"
The badger raised a brow. "To know why did you stop?"
"No! Why is this happening?! And why I almost went out of control with just the smell of my partner?!"
"One moment, from the beginning, please. When did this start?" The doctor reached to his desk for a notebook and a pen.
Nick collapsed on a chair by the wall and covered his face with paws. "Less than an hour ago. It was right after a sparring match and I ended up in a doctor's office for a checkup-"
"Wait! What checkup? Why? Did you get injured? How? Where?" Octavius went on in his rattling manner.
"Does it matter?" Nick grunted.
"Anything can matter!"
The fox raised his paws. "Alright, alright already! I got a kick to the side of my head. Nothing much, just a slight headache."
"A-ha! But that could have altered something in your current mental state. Especially if you're constantly straining yourself not to eat someone." Octavius pointed out to him.
Nick scratched his cheek with a finger, not sure if he should disclose this. *But anything could matter, right…* He sighed internally. "It's… it's not exactly the need to 'kill' rather… it's about… mating…" The fox muttered, not looking at the doctor.
Octavius Pawsregmont had a look of a mammal that was deprived of a great discovery, just to be shown another one.
"Mating?! Are you serious?!" He yelled, but then immediately raised a paw. "Wait, that would fit… Of course! December, fox mating season, hypersensitivity towards females, combined with savage senses…" The doctor counted the facts on his fingers.
Nick stood up from the chair and started circling around the office. "Yes, yes, great… But my colleague is a cheetah and, what's more, my partner is a rabbit, doc! She's a bunny! And I'm a fox! It doesn't make any sense!"
"Well, it just could be something new to the scientific world. I mean, a prey and predator pairing is a bit unorthodox, especially two biologically predestined enemies… But it doesn't mean that it's impossible."
The fox frowned hearing this. "What? No, forget it. I just want to know how can I control this!"
Before responding, the badger rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well… you could try mating with the rabbit. It could relieve the tension an-"
Nick quickly stepped in and barked. "No!"
Octavius adorned a sheepish look on his face and raised his paws in defensive gesture. "I understand. No mating. Duly noted. Now… could you let me down, please?" The fox blinked and realized that he was holding the doctor in the air by the collar of his shirt.
"Oh… right, sorry…" He mumbled an apology as he lowered the badger back on the floor.
"No worries, no worries. We simply found an explanation, a key if you prefer, to your savage outbursts. That is a good thing." He brushed his clothes with both paws.
"A key?"
Octavius tapped Nick on the chest with a finger. "Your partner."
"My… partner?"
"Precisely!" An enthusiastic clap from the badger made the fox blink. "My hypothesis would be that your rabbit partner is especially compatible with you due to some emotional link or affection between you two."
"Hold on… " Nick held up a paw. "Affection?"
"Yes, trust, friendship, understanding, lo-"
The fox's arm shot forward, placing a paw over the badger mouth. "Enough!"
Doctor Pawsregmont mumbled something but then his brows rose in sudden realization. He tapped Nick's arm and pointed on his paw. Reluctantly, the vulpine lowered his arm, allowing the mammal to speak again, not sure if he won't regret this decision.
"I understand now. I mean your main issue with control. But this is psychology, emotions and the mental stuff, it's Shavi's field not mine." Octavius turned around and headed for his personal laboratory. "I can give you something to suppress your lustful outbursts, but you must be aware that it's only a half measure and treats only the symptoms. If you wish to take care of the source, you must either be administered the Night Howler cure as soon as possible, and no I don't have it here, it is kept in the pharmaceutical company that created it, we only received enough doses for the 'official savages'. The other option is to embrace everything that comes with your savage condition, be it physical or psychological."
The fox cringed at the idea of fully accepting his savage state. *To completely let loose in front of Carrots?* His mind deviously tried to feed him with images what could happen. *Not a chance!* Nick shook his head to get rid of any crazy ideas regarding the bunny.
"Here you go." Doctor's voice was something Nick used to hook himself into reality again. The badger handed him an unnamed pill bottle and three syringes. "The pills are the strongest heat medicine on the market right now, use them half an hour before going to work, they should be effective for around nine hours."
"And the shots?"
"Haloperidol. In case of emergency inject it intravenously and you should feel a relaxing effect within seconds."
Hearing the explanation, Nick nodded in acknowledgement. "Sounds useful."
"Oh, it is. It's normally used to control outbursts of mentally ill patients."
The fox froze for a moment, considering what the badger just said. "Then why do you have it?"
Octavius Pawsregmont grinned in response.
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Before returning to the precinct, Nick took the pill to calm his savage's side urges. And after waiting for around 30 minutes he tested it by walking down the street among the normal city crowd. He was able to breathe with relief, as none of the females the went past never triggered a reaction like those he experienced before. The drug didn't exactly block everything, since Nick still found himself to be slightly attracted to several females, but he could easily distract himself from paying them any attention. With this, the fox was ready to take the final, most dangerous test.
Spending the rest of the shift with his partner.
Few minutes later he entered the main lobby of the precinct and approached the reception desk.
"Hey, Clawhauser." Nick greeted the feline.
Benjamin put on his broad smile, as he waved a paw to welcome Nick. "Where have you been, Nick? Judy was running all over the place trying to find you after the sparring matches."
The trademark smirk of a hustler appeared on the fox's face. "Why, I had some emergency to deal with, surely Carrots will understand that."
The feline didn't look convinced. "Umm, she was pretty ticked off by your disappearance…" He rubbed the back of his broad head. "When passing by here, she was muttering something about shaving your tail."
Nick's smirk widened. "Aww, I am touched how strong are her feelings for me." And then his nose informed him that a certain bunny is closing in on him behind his back. It was comforting that her closeness did not have the same effect on him as before. Her smell was sweet and inviting, but nothing more than that. "She is so cute when she gets angry." He said out loud and the smell suddenly got a lot closer. *Oops…* Nick stepped aside just as Judy's hindpaw went through the air where the fox was standing a second ago.
Using her agility, she landed easily on the floor and spun towards her partner. "Don't call me 'cute'!" She exclaimed with an angry expression. "Where the hell have you been?! You're lucky that Bogo didn't notice your absence yet!"
First thing she got from the fox was a grin, followed by words said with a smooth voice. "I wouldn't dare leaving the precinct during my shift if it wasn't something of utmost importance." He folded his arms on his chest and continued before Judy could interrupt. "Family matters, Fluff. But I have it sorted out and I'm back, no harm done, eh?"
The doe put her balled paws on her hips. "What 'family matters'?"
Nick waved a finger at his partner. "Uh-uh, Carrots. 'Family' means private. Relatives only and I don't recall you having last name 'Wilde'. And there would be only one way of you getting it." He sent her a wink and this resulted in the bunny's ears dropping down and a deep blush decorating her face, just as he planned.
"Veeery funny, Slick. Very funny…" She mumbled in return. "I bet chief is going to love that excuse."
Nick leaned down for his eyes to be on the same level as the doe's, as well as to test the limits of the medicine. "He won't know unless you tell him. So… any plans to sell out your partner?"
Judy ran a paw down her face. "Uhh! You dumb, insufferable, irresponsible…"
"Don't forget 'devilishly handsome'." He chimed in cheerfully and that remark earned him a punch in the stomach. Due to densely packed muscles, for him it was comparable to a friendly nudge. Still, he massaged the hit spot with a sour expression. "You're hurting me, Fluff."
"Rubbish, I can tell that you hardly felt that." But she visibly relaxed and tapped the fox on the arm as she walked past him. "I'll forget about your blunder if you write the report you were supposed to file in on Friday."
Nick followed her, as she headed towards the offices, no doubt to their desks. The vulpine waved to Benjamin and hurried after her partner. "Sorry, mind like a sieve, I must have forgotten about it." He stated innocently with arms folded behind his head.
Judy snorted hearing this. "Getting senile, Nick? How hard it must be for you to feel old already."
*Oh? I can play with this…* The fox grinned at his friend. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really? So all that talk 'I know everybody' was just for show? I'm disappointed, officer Wilde."
His ears twitched. "Excuse me?"
She gave him a side glance. "All talk and nothing to back it up." The doe shrugged her arms in a mocking manner. "That memory capable of remembering the entire city? Smoke and mirrors, Nick. Smoke and mirrors…"
"Hey now… I know what you're playing. Trying to convince me into saying something you'll record on that pen of yours."
Judy simply smiled and went ahead. "Yeah, yeah, Grandpa Nick."
The fox gritted his teeth. "Fine! I'll prove it to you!"
"Whatever, Slick…" It was almost a yawn.
"I can memorize anything!" Nick blurted out after his partner. "Try me! I'll accept any challenge!"
That made her stop and look over her shoulder. "Oh? You're proposing a bet then?"
The vulpine folded his arms. "Fine! But if I win, you'll have to obey my one order. Any kind of order. You dare to try?"
If smugness could be measured, Judy's expression would have to be counted in miles. "You're on. But if I win, you'll have to obey me. It's only fair."
"Deal. How about right now? I'll even give you an opportunity to choose the challenge, so you won't whine afterwards that I cheated."
With the same smile, the doe reached for her iCarrot. "How thoughtful of you." After several swipes of the screen Judy gave him the phone. It showed a picture of a family tree. A huge family tree. Even the word 'humongous' probably wouldn't be good enough. There were hundreds of names.
"My family tree. Over two thousand members. You're challenge is to name at least three-quarters of them. You have five minutes to memorize them." Just as she was talking, Nick's eyes were already scanning the vast sheet, his savage vision allowing to do it without enlarging the picture much.
"And I'll be generous. If you wish to withdraw now, I'll only ask of you to fill your reports on time for a whole month, so think it throu-" Nick shoved the phone back into her paws and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes.
"Bonnie and Steward Hopps. Siblings: Aaron, Abe, Abigail, Adam, Adrian, Agatha, Agnes, Aiden…" He went off in a monotone voice to the shocked expression on the bunny's face. And her eyes grew wider with every passing minute as Nick went on in naming all her aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters in law, finishing with the complete list of her own siblings. "…Whitney, Wilson, Winston, Zachary, Zoe, Zack. That about it?" The question at the end surprised the doe, who was staring at the phone, checking his answer, as even she didn't remember all of the names in her family.
"W-what?" She stuttered in response.
Nick slightly leaned down. "Is that correct?" Now it was his turn to show a smug grin.
"Huh? Y-yeah…" Judy was still astonished with the precision of his answer. He recited every name on the list. Every single one of more than two thousand names. And he looked at the list for less thirty seconds. The bunny had a hard time processing this. The only explanation would be that fox cheated, but she had no idea how he could have pulled it off. He was right in front of her, eyes closed, no way of checking the list… Her train of thought was interrupted when Nick's finger lifted her chin up.
Surprised amethyst met mesmerizing emerald.
"You said 'anything', right?" These words came to her wrapped in a low, husky voice that made her legs tremble.
"W-w-wait! Nick, about that…" She tried to back away and he let her do it, following the doe with his gaze.
"Are you going back on your word?"
This made her stop. Judy hung her head. "No…" She muttered quietly and Nick chuckled at her response.
"Good, very good! Sooo… about that order, hmm…" Nick rubbed his chin thoughtfully, while Judy looked like a convict waiting for the axe of embarrassment to fall. "You know… I actually can't think of anything right now, I'll decide on that later." He rustled the fur on top of her head and headed for the gym's locker room. "Don't worry, I'll write the report today. Now let me just hop in my uniform and we can go out on the patrol." And he went down the corridor, leaving his bunny friend behind. A bunny red as a beetroot when she realized what kind of scenarios she came up with what would Nick want of her after using such a seductive voice.
.
.
The streets of Zootopia were a bit chilly this day, but it did not stop the criminals to take a break for a cup of tea in the warmth of their houses. Judy and Nick got a tip that someone was planning on robbing the jewelry store on the Furry avenue. When they got there and parked their cruiser the duo decided to speak to the owner first. As they were approaching the entrance of the shop, Nick's nose picked up a familiar scent from a narrow alley on the other side of the road.
"You know what, Carrots? Go on and speak with the owner, I'll just do a quick sweep of the area, ok? I'll be back in a jiffy." And he sauntered off before she could question his words. Rolling her eyes, Judy pushed the door and went inside the shop.
At the same time, Nick went around the building vis-à-vis the jeweler. This allowed him to enter the alley he saw earlier from the other end and there he saw them. Two pigs were hiding behind the trash container and putting on balaclavas. They were so focused on it that they didn't even notice when Nick approached them.
"What's up, guys?" He greeted the duo cheerfully. Both mammals jumped with a short yelp. One of them reached clumsily for a knife at his belt and managed to point it at the fox. "Aww, you don't remember an old friend?" He grinned at them, intending to have some fun. *Bonks and Jeff…* These two were known for their criminal record and stupidity. Two things that didn't match well.
The taller of the pigs squinted his eyes. "Nick?! Mammal, you'll scare us to death!"
"Yeah!" Added the second one. "And what's the getup? You're now a boy in blue?"
The fox waved a paw dismissively. "Naw, just a costume for a new hustle, Bonks. But what are you doing here?"
The pigs exchanged glances. "If you have to know… we're going to hit that jewelry store." Jeff pointed with a thumb over his shoulder.
Nick cast a glance in that direction. "Umm, I wouldn't recommend that." Cautiousness in his voice made them frown.
"Huh? Why?"
"I happen to have info that the cops know that something is up and sent in their best officer to secure the store. Word is that she's so cruel, so vicious that already over fifty thieves landed in the hospital because of her!"
"Err… you sure?"
Bonks scratched his head. "Uh, Jeff? Maybe we should think it over?"
Nick's eyes suddenly went wide as he spotted something behind the pigs. "Too late!" He hissed and pushed their heads down, so they won't be seen from the street. "There she is!"
Jeff and Bonks looked over the edge of the trash container. They saw Judy, just as she walked out of the jeweler's shop.
"Where?" Whispered one of the pigs.
Nick pointed Judy with a finger. "There!"
Bonks squinted at that direction. "What? Behind the rabbit?"
"It is the rabbit!"
Jeff grunted and sprang up. "You silly sod!"
Nick flinched. "What?"
Bonks also stood up. "You got us all worked up!"
"Well, that's no ordinary rabbit."
This comment made Jeff roll his eyes. "Ohh, really?"
"That's the most foul, cruel, bad-tempered mammal you ever set eyes on!" The fox tried to convince them.
"What's she do? Nibble my bum?"
"Come on, Jeff." Said the taller pig, heading towards the bunny.
"Yeah, let's make a rabbit stew."
When the moronic duo left the alley, Nick leaned on the wall with arms folded. Big grin plastered on his face, he regretted that he didn't have any popcorn to enjoy the show more.
.
.
Clawhauser's ears perked up when he heard an incoming quarrel in the form of a bunny and a fox.
"Oh, come on. I knew that you could handle them."
"That's not the point. You left me alone, without any explanation! We're supposed to be partners!"
"Oh, we are. We got them thanks to our cooperation."
The cheetah gazed at them, as the red-grey duo approached the reception desk, Nick hauling a large platform trolley with two cuffed pigs on it. They had several bruises in various places.
"Cooperation also means communication, Nick!" She huffed at her partner with an annoyed expression.
"What's up, guys?" Benjamin chimed in when he leaned on the desk, supporting his chins on both paws.
"Hey, two wannabe jewelry thieves. Caught red hooved during attempted robbery and," he pointed at Judy, showing his usual smirk "assaulting an officer on duty."
"Whoa, really?" The feline glanced at the unconscious pigs. "Aand they're knocked out because…"
Nick was first to answer. "Because they made the mistake of calling Carrots cu-" Judy murdered him with a glare. "They used the 'c' word on her." He corrected himself instantly.
"Oh…" Said the plump dispatcher, who was one of the very few mammals that used that word with Judy and got away with it. Mostly because he wasn't aware that he shouldn't do it. He eyed the arrestees again. "Ha, funny thing, you know? It reminds me of the first case I worked on after graduating the academy."
Both small mammals stared at him wide eyed.
"You worked on cases? Like, out in the streets?" Judy asked with disbelief in her voice.
"Well, yeah… I used to be active officer like you two, but then I took a bullet to the knee. I had to spend two months recuperating." He let out a chuckle. "It was then, when I got hooked up on doughnuts. Bogo put me here on light duty and I liked doing this, so I stayed on this position."
"O-kay, interesting thing to know." Nick commented on this piece of information. And he grunted after feeling a blow to his arm. The doe elbowed him and indicated the trolley.
"Let's get moving, uncooperative fox. See you later, Benji!" She went in the direction of holding cells.
.
.
Different jobs have their own, most despised activity that needs to be done, but nobody wants to do it. For police officers, it was writing reports. Tons of reports. And Nick hated every single page of them.
"My brain is going to fry…" He mumbled with his muzzle resting on the desk before him. He wrote everything required for the arrest of Bonks and Jeff, plus the Friday's report and was mentally spent.
"Stop whining, Slick. It's only two reports." Judy scolded him from her desk, which was put together with Nick's, so they were sitting face to face. She already finished her report and was now reading on newest law reforms.
"Listen to this: The aftermath of the unrest and possibility of interspecies conflicts out in the streets during the Night Howler Serum incident. The Mayor's office has decided on bringing about changes in regulations connected with riot control and apprehending potentially dangerous individuals by the ZPD. New act will allow police officers to arrest mammals that the officers deem a potential threat to the society-"
"Contra legem…" Came his bored comment.
Judy leaned to the side to look at her partner from behind the computer screen. "Sorry?"
Nick leaned back in his chair and ran a paw through the fur on his head. "Contra legem. It's against the law. Anyone who came up with the idea of this reform is a moron."
She snorted hearing his words. "What are you, a lawyer now?"
The fox stretched his arms with a tired grunt and folded them behind his head. "No, but I know when the law is wrong. I've been on the receiving end of the law enforcement machine far too many times. Tell me, Fluff, what does it mean potential threat?" He asked of her.
Judy rubbed her chin in thought. "Well, this would mean that when an officer assesses a mammal's attitude and if he or she is likely to bring trouble-"
"What does it mean 'likely'? Wrong clothes? Shouts too loud? Looks unfriendly? Or maybe is just from the wrong species? Or says the wrong words? Cogitationis poenam nemo patitur, Carrots. 'Nobody suffers punishment for mere intent'."
"Again with the latin…" She groaned along with rolling her eyes, but Nick caught a glimpse of respect in them. The fox waved a paw dismissively. "I once ate a whole dictionary… My point is, who verifies that officer's assessment?" Now Nick's voice was laced with distaste.
This question caught her off guard. "Um, the Internal Disciplinary Office I guess? Wait, are you suggesting that our officer would purposefully arrest someone innocent?" She put both paws on her desk, giving the fox a displeased look.
"I'm not suggesting anything, I simply know that."
This actually caused her to jump on the desk and she marched over to him on it. "You're simply accusing your fellow officers without any proof or even knowing them! You've been here only a week, so how can you claim that you can judge them?!"
Nick held her angry gaze with his own, annoyed stare. "Tell me, officer Hopps… Why did you follow me into the ice-cream shop?" He said this in a calm manner, but it was similar to an unsprung trap.
Judy's eyes widened. "Wha-" Her ears drooped at the surprising question. "I… I thought that you acted… a bit suspicious…" She broke the eye contact but at that moment Nick's paw shot forward and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes again.
"Say that again." Once more, he sounded calm, but somehow Judy felt that something was boiling under this unmoved exterior.
"I…" The bunny tried to find proper words, but deep down she knew that he was right.
"You followed me because you saw a fox." He answered for her and all Judy could do in face of this fact and his hard, jade stare, was to nod slowly. Seeing this, Nick let her go and got up from his chair.
"So much for the potential threat to the society." He snorted and headed for the door. "See ya tomorrow, Carrots."
And Judy was now alone on the desk, guilt and shame clinging to her like a magnet.