Wilde Heart

by Libious

Something went wrong. Nick was supposed to be shot with a blueberry, but they miscalculated. Now he has to deal with a ferocious desire to hunt and take down a certain cute bunny. This is a story about friendship, sacrifice and something fluttery that grows in the chest of sarcastic, sly fox whenever he sees a familiar grey furred ZPD officer.

29. Chapter 29

Welcome back everyone!

Thank you for your patience and staying with the story so far. I am very grateful for all the support, suggestions, hints and constructive criticism!

New chapter is here and it's the longest in the entire story so far. :)

Special, MANY, many, manymanymany thanks to Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps for proofreading this chapter and his priceless help with editing. Thank you! :)

Also, to address your recent reviews:

Was Nick acting like a jerk at the end of the last chapter? Yes, yes he was.

Will Judy retaliate after what happened between her and Nick? Yes, yes she will.

Is Jackie starting to act a bit crazy? Yes, yes she is.

And yes, there were references to Far Cry 3, Monthy Python's killer rabbit, Skyrim and Woofsain Bolt ;)

On another note:

I've posted two new stories with Zootopia - one is a crossover with Fallout New Vegas, the other one is intended as a simple, short and sweet Christmas story.

Feel free to read them and give your thoughts about them. :D

So that's enough of my rambling and let's get on with the story!

And MERRY CHRISTMAS! :D

Chapter 29

"Judy?" The voice of her boyfriend snatched her back to reality from the world of self-doubt and misery that she currently had been inhabiting

"Huh? Oh, sorry… Didn't see you there…" the doe mumbled, slumped in her chair beside the desk, sitting there since Nick left the office 15 minutes ago. Her mind was still occupied with what the fox had said.

"I had some paperwork to fill out with the HR Department and…" His voice trailed off. William walked up to his girlfriend and rubbed her shoulder, finally noticing how sad Judy looked. "Hey, what's the matter? Come on, tell me."

Judy let out a sigh and described him the whole situation.

"…and it was like that damn press conference all over again." The doe hung her head. "Nick is right… I'm still a naïve, dumb bunny…"

"Whoa there!" William stammered. "You're the smartest, sweetest doe to walk the streets of this city." He got closer and put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "Look… In a way, I can understand where is his opinion coming from. After all, we were discriminated against too." He changed his voice into a mocking, high pitched tone. "Little bunnies, go back to your farm, you can't be police officers and stuff like that." His voice changed back as he tried to smile. "Hell, you've told me that even Bogo was against you in the beginning."

She let out a little giggle, snuggling to his side. "Yeah, I remember that…"

"I believe that Nick is right, but also wrong at the same time. He just needs some time to know the team and I'm sure he'll get along. Even as a former hustler." Will squeezed her lightly. "But there's no way I'll overlook that he made my girl sad. Wait till I fully recover and I'll kick his ass for that."

Judy smiled at his words. "Don't. I don't want to see my boyfriend, and best friend, fighting… Besides, it will take some time before you get better from that gunshot wound. You're lucky that it was a small pocket pistol. If he had a magnum revolver you'd be missing half of your chest."

"But-"

Judy placed a finger on his lips. "I will kick his ass." She stated with confidence. "But first I have another score to settle with him, and I need to take care of that first."

William laughed, although not too much, as he was still a wounded rabbit and anything about a hearty chuckle caused a bout of pain in his chest. "Looks like officer Hopps is back in action!"

"Yep, thanks Will." She gave him a kiss.

"Always a pleasure, Judy."

.

.

*I'm a jerk.*

That was the first thought that appeared in Nick's mind after he closed the front door of his home behind him. He walked up to the sorry excuse for a bed and fell back on the old, uncomfortable thing he used as a mattress, the pad giving a loud groan as his frame landed on it. The fox put his arms over his head and let out a sigh. He was exhausted. The heat medicine he took started wearing off when he left the precinct and walking back home was a nightmare. Nick never imagined that there were so many females in Zootopia. Of course, he saw them every day on the streets and he knew the official statistics of the city's population. Females of all species were 51% of the citizens. Nick scrunched his nose. *If Carrots knew this, she'd mock me for being a minority.* He wanted to think about it in a light manner, but guilt gripped his heart in a tight lock.

It wasn't fair, what he did to her. They already put to rest the entire prejudice thing after that unfortunate press conference. She apologized and he accepted it, end of story. Nick could only blame the stress and mental tension, that came with resisting his urges, for what he had said, but he should never use it as an excuse to hurt his partner like he had. That, and she was right. By saying those things, Nick did exactly the same thing as the individuals he despised for speciesism – he judged others without even knowing them, or not even caring. The fox moved his arms to his sides and stared at the ceiling. It was wrong, arguing with Judy like that.

Nick blinked.

*Wait a minute… Argument? Not counting Carrots, when was the last time I really argued with someone?* His memory quickly supplied the answer, along with the image of his crying mother. *Ah, yes… ten years ago… God, I am so pathetic.*

Since a certain incident, almost a year after what happened with the scouts, he could only fake his emotions by mimicking how others showed them. This mental lock that kept everything outside his consciousness was always there when it came to expressing anything and the only thing capable of piercing through that blockade was fear, one of the most primal emotions for a mammal. This changed for a short period of time when he met Irene, but after what she did to him, Nick again fell into an emotionless pit.

And it was like that for almost 10 years, right until he met a sharp-witted, determined bunny that radiated devotion with her sense of duty and justice. Nick still had trouble understanding how on earth Judy was able to breach so far into his mind. Sure, he liked to tease her at every chance, especially exploiting her innocence and traditional upbringing that made her so easily flustered with flirting. And it felt nice, flirting with her…

Nick's eyes shot wide open and he sprung up to a sitting position. *Pull yourself together, Wilde! It's the serum, the SERUM!* But regardless of this thought, his mind was suddenly flooded with images of Judy Hopps.

The joyful spark in her eyes.

The energetic spring in her step.

The kind smile on her face.

"Stop that!" He groaned to the world in general, grasping his head with both paws.

But the images wouldn't stop coming. What's worse, now they were accompanied by her voice.

Hey, Nick!

What's up, Slick?

Hey, you dumb fox...

Nick shot up from the bed and leapt towards the wall. He leaned on it with both paws and slammed his head on the hard surface. Then he did it once more. And again. It hurt. And that was the point. Nick repeated this action several more times before his legs gave way and he slumped to his knees. He felt a trickle of liquid down his forehead. After panting for several moments Nick managed to heave himself up from the floor and staggered to the sink. What he saw in the mirror caused him to take a sharp intake of air. Blood flowing down his facial fur wasn't a problem, the eyes staring back at him were.

The bloodshot, slitted eyes of a savage.

Nick backed away on wobbly legs and sat heavily on the concrete floor. That was it, he had no other choice, but to resort to what Mr. Pink Plushie had once taught him. His eyes began losing their focus and the fox's breath slowly stabilized. Eventually his eyes were so deprived of life, that based just on them, even a doctor would declare him a corpse. Drops of blood started soaking the front of his shirt. He opened his mouth slightly and an emotionless mutter left it in a monotone voice.

"Don't let them see that they get to you, don't let them see that they get to you, don't let them see that they get to you…"

.

.

"This is your idea of relaxing?" Marcus blocked an incoming kick from the side.

"Best there is right now for me." Nick replied throwing a quick jab. The tiger stepped back to avoid it.

It was already past midnight and the two friends were in a park that was near Marcus' flat. Both in ZPD issued hoodies, the predators engaged in a quick spar like they had done at the academy– Nick's idea. His friend was a bit surprised to get a call this late, even more so, when the fox asked if he's willing the train a brief bit.

Now it was almost twenty minutes since they started this match.

Marcus usually had to restrain himself during taking down perps, as his instinct were still deeply rooted in the street fighting killing techniques, but with Nick it was different. The tiger knew about the fox's condition and the physical capabilities that came with it. Strength, toughness and agility… These traits made Nick a dangerous opponent, especially when combined with his natural slyness and habit to using a lot of feints while fighting. Add to that the vulpine's anatomical knowledge about various animals and you get a perfect candidate for a deadly fighter. But apart from that one moment he saw Nick go into his savage mindset. Marcus never saw any killing intent in those green eyes and knew all about how killer's eyes would look as, after all, he owned a mirror.

A new jab came from Nick and the tiger instinctively put up an arm for a block, but suddenly the fox's paw changed trajectory as it aimed for Marcus' fingers. The striped predator immediately pulled away, barely escaping the small canid's, grasp, but Nick stepped in and swift to follow. The tiger cursed under his breath and attacked his opponent with a low kick from the right, which Nick stopped by bending up his own right leg behind the left one and blocked the strike with the sole of his hindpaw. The fox used the force of this kick to increase the momentum of his turn, as he spun around reaching for Marcus with his claws. The large predator jumped back to gain some distance.

But Nick wasn't through yet and attacked again. However, the tiger let out a low growl and switched to offense. Now the fox had to deal with continuous attacks in form of kicks, various punches and a few holds. And while his body was very busy at the moment handling it all, his mind was completely clear. By focusing on physical activity, he was able to sort out his thoughts. And he had a lot to think about.

About his savage state, about plans for getting the cure, about his current job…

Was he even fit to be a cop? After the first week, he started having doubts. Sure, it was fun chasing criminals and hustling them in the name of the law, especially as Judy's partner, but… it was hard to fit in there. He was never a team player, the most important lesson he got from being a conmammal was that you could only trust yourself. Putting faith in others could very quickly get you a permanent stay at the closest cemetery… or turn you into an ice block. This was the reason he didn't tell Judy about his plan with the hostage situation. And it wasn't the that he didn't trust the bunny, he knew that he could put his life in her paws and it would be safe there.

But could it be the other way around?

Again, his mind experienced that weird voice that tenaciously whispered into the depths of his soul. He started having suspicions that it could have been something similar to a voice of conscience, a thing that he hadn't heard since in decades. *Of course! I would always protect he-*

You sent those pigs on her.

*Bonks and Jeff. Two harmless idiots.*

Idiots with a knife. What if one had a gun? Did you check for that before sending them off to attack her? To attack your partner and best friend?

Nick blinked, his mind completely blank for a moment. Did he only now realized what should have been obvious back then?

*Oh God… What is wrong with me?*

This single moment of hesitation showed as his body froze up for an instant, something which Marcus didn't hesitate to exploit. A powerful hook connected with Nick's head, sending the fox rolling on the ground from the force of the punch.

"Whoa, you ok there, buddy?" The tiger asked with slight concern. But only slight, as he has punched Nick many times before at the academy and the fox was always, more or less, fine.

The red furred predator groaned, as he lifted himself from the ground. "Yeah, never felt better…" He slowly got up to his hindpaws and shook his head. "You could say that was exactly what I needed…"

Marcus raised a brow hearing this statement, but didn't dig any deeper on that. Life taught him when not to dwell in other mammal's private affairs. Still, there was one thing he wanted to know.

"Seriously," he huffed at his friend "who taught you how to fight?"

Nick offered a sheepish smile. "Stripes, before the academy I've never been in a fight."

"Bullshit." Marcus snapped, not caring if there was any bull around to be offended by his comment. "No one has this kind of skill without training. I know, because we've sparred for almost nine months. No way in hell that you could've progressed this far just from nothing."

Nick narrowed his eyes and lowered his fighting stance a little. "Oops… the fox is out of the bag, eh?" He said with a trace of a smirk, knowing that in this situation he could not persuade Marcus to think otherwise.

The tiger folded his arms. "Come on, fess up. Not like I'm going to tell anyone."

Nick considered this for a moment. "Just between you and me?"

Marcus nodded.

The fox let out a sigh and relaxed his stance completely. He rolled his shoulders, as he turned to the bag he brought with him to fish out some bottled water. The vulpine threw one to his friend. "Let's just say that a certain one-eyed wolf was hell bent on me learning a thing or two. At least in theory."

Marcus took several swigs from the bottle. "Ok and what was he? Military? Professional fighter?"

"None of the above."

The tiger caught a certain vibe in the fox's voice. "He was someone like me…"

He received a shrug from his friend. "Something like that, yes."

And then the large predator smiled. "You got some screwed up past, you know?"

Nick replied with a smirk. "Well, if it isn't the pot calling the kettle black."

.

.

When most of the city was soundly asleep that night, one fox sprung up from his bed with a scream. Nick rubbed his eyes with paws covered in cold sweat, panting heavily. It took several minutes before he calmed down, but the images he's seen in his sleep would last forever in his memory. The fox fell back on the bed with forearms covering his eyes.

It seemed that his nightmares were back in full swing.

.

.

The next morning Nick walked into the precinct with a clear idea what he had to do. And for that he needed to find Judy That was the easy part, as she was already there, chatting with Clawhauser at the reception desk. The fox was on time, despite another difficult night, but most of them were like that for years already. He also did his best to hide the wound on his head, from applying ice at first, to shrink the blood vessels to cleaning it up and using makeup to hide it under the fur. It wasn't something new to him. He did that countless times at school to avoid worrying his mother with wounds from the bullying he received.

Bracing himself for what he was about to do, Nick approached them, the bunny's ears twitching as she turned to face him before he drew closer. To his relief, the doe looked alright, no trace of anything that would show any bad feelings between them about yesterday. *But she could be hiding them…*

"Hey, Nick! Feeling better after yesterday's sparring?" She chirped towards him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah… All good. Hey Benjamin." He greeted the cheetah and faced his partner while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Look, Carro-"

"I want a rematch, Nick." Judy stated firmly, cutting him off. The fox stared at her wide eyed.

"Sorry?"

"Let's make another bet and double the stakes." She poked his chest with a finger. "If I win, you'll give up your order to me, if you win, you'll get an additional two orders." Judy folded her arms and offered him a smirk. "What do you say, Slick?"

The fox was surprised and also impressed. He assumed that she would be less spirited after what happened yesterday, but again she blew away his speculations. Still, his hustlers' senses were tingling inside his mind. *She's clearly up to something... Oh well, not that I could refuse such a tempting offer.*

He smiled back at his partner. "Deal. What bet do you propose?"

The doe's smirk turned into a wide grin. "How about messing a bit with Bogo?"

She surprised him a second time this morning. This dutiful bunny, suggesting to use her own superior as a tool for a bet. Things were getting very interesting, extremely quickly today. "Really? Miss Valedictorian is proposing such a thing?" He leaned against the reception desk, raising an eyebrow while smirking towards his partner. "Sounds like fun, what do you suggest?"

"His cup." The doe grinned mischievously. She, of course, was referring to the chief's personal cup that was always present in his office. It had this horrible, cheesy Christmas picture that practically begged to be ridiculed. Of course, there was a time when a rookie officer joked about it and was swiftly sent off on a month of parking duty without a cruiser to use and was thus forced to walk everywhere.

The thing was, this cup was a gift from the chief's wife and even being the grumpy, easily annoyed mammal that he was, Bogo was never seen using a different one. Not even the one he used for many years before becoming the chief of police that he especially prized. And after the rookie cop event, referred later to as 'The Christmas Duty', no one dared to question the looks of 'the cup'.

"Ok, what about it?"

In response, Judy pointed at the big clock in the entrance hall. "It's almost eight, whoever gets their paws on the cup first within an hour is the winner."

Nick's smirk just as wide as Judy's smile . "Fine with me, just don't say later- Hey!" The fox raised his voice at the end as the bunny already darted towards the corridor that lead to the chief's office, leaving the flummoxed fox wondering what he had just gotten himself into.

.

.

Nick sprinted towards Bogo's office, half expecting to find the door open and Judy inside, sweet talking the Chief into giving her the cup. *Or maybe she's made some kind of deal with him already.* But the room was closed and there was no sign of the bunny. He didn't smell or hear her inside either so after only a second of hesitation, the fox raised his paw to knock.

"Come in." Called the buffalo's voice from the office.

Nick went in, his eyes doing a quick scan for any rabbit-shaped-cup-thief in the room. Bogo was seated behind the desk, columns of reports piled on it. He looked at the vulpine over his reading glasses.

"What do you want Wilde?" At that moment, Nick's eyes spotted the cup that was placed on the desk. He smiled internally while climbing on the chair meant for visitors.

"I wanted to- Oh, wow! Chief, you have exactly the same looking cup as my mother." He pointed at the object of his bet with the bunny.

Bogo raised his brows, clearly not expecting such a statement. He shrugged. "There are a lot of cups out there, Wilde."

"No, seriously. It looks identical, may I see it for a moment to have a closer look?" The fox received another shrug.

"Whatever, just get on with what you wanted from me and stop wasting my time." The buffalo' gaze once again fell on the documents.

Nick held out his paw, forcing himself from smiling, even with the slight tingling of alarm bells in his head. It seemed too easy, not something he'd expect from his partner, especially after she was the one to start this bet. And his instincts were spot on, when the door opened and Judy almost ran inside.

"Chief, I have a request! Oh, hey Nick." She smiled innocently at him, like she has seen him for the first time today.

"Hey, Fluff…" His paw hesitated.

"You pop up one after another." Chief grunted, throwing the opened report on the desk. "What is it Hopps?"

Nick saw a dangerously smug smile on his partner's face. "I wanted to ask permission to change sparring partners. I have two matches scheduled for today and I'd like to change Snarlov for Nick."

The vulpine's ears flattened, the cup and bet completely forgotten.

"What?" He hissed in complete shock.

Nick's reaction didn't escape Bogo's attention. "And why is that?" He questioned his rabbit officer, not taking his eyes from the fox.

Judy was happy to answer. "Well, I thought that since we're partners, it would be good to know each other's abilities and this is a perfect opportunity to measure our worth when it comes to paw-to-paw combat so that we will be better able to work together as a unit."

Nick's mood sank, Bogo's quite the opposite, as a grin started forming on his face. "Oh? I can see solid reasoning behind this. Very well, I shall allow it." He turned to the mortified predator. "Wilde, you heard me. Your first match will be with Hopps. No excuses!" He snapped at the end as Nick opened his mouth to speak.

"But-"

"NO EXCUSES."

"Yes, sir…" The fox muttered, resignation resonating in his voice. He sent a glance towards his partner and she showed him a smirk in return.

"By the way, chief." She said in a jovial tone. "I just got a package from my parents, including the coffee that you liked so much. Would you like me to make you a cup?"

Nick's years of practice as a hustler was the only thing that allowed him to stop himself from groaning. Meanwhile, Bogo's brows rose slightly. "Really? Ehm, I mean yes, a cup would be nice."

Judy reached for her superior's cup with a smile. "On it, sir. Come on, Nick. Let's not bother chief anymore." And not waiting for her partner's reply, Judy hopped down to the floor and headed out with the prize in her paws.

The fox was left speechless for a moment and it took Bogo's commentary to make him move.

"You're still here, Wilde."

"Sir…" Nick mumbled and trailed after his partner.

Judy was waiting for him in the corridor with a smug grin.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like I won."

Nick sunk his shoulders in defeat. "Fine, fine… No complaints here, fair and square." But even with the bitter taste of failure, he respected the way she handled this bet. They had been on equal ground with this one, as she couldn't possibly had known about his...skills with the other bet. She had won an even bet, fair and square. A smile returned to his face as he kneeled before her, lowering his head, along with placing a paw on his chest. "What is thy bidding, master?" He quipped, eliciting a giggle from the bunny.

"I shall ponder on that matter after our fateful meeting on the battleground." She replied cheerfully.

"Carrots…" Nick got to his hindpaws, now his face deprived of humour. "I can handle myself in a fight, no need to test it…"

He saw the doe shake her head. "I will be the judge of that." She held the cup in one paw and placed the other on her hip.

"Seriously, what's wrong with a little spar? Scared that you'll hit me too hard?" Judy huffed at her partner. "First you'll have to hit me and don't expect me to just stand around."

"No, it's just, uh…" He averted his gaze and scratched the side of his neck. "I… I don't fight with females…"

Her eyes widened at this statement. "Wait… you don't want to spar… because I'm a girl?"

Nick nodded, certain that a slight blush appeared beneath his red fur. "Go on, laugh about it…" He never liked admitting this and whenever he did, he was usually ridiculed for it. Jackie was the first exception and even with the spars they held at the academy, Nick always paid attention not to hit her and focus on blocking and dodging her attacks, or if he couldn't do either, simply reversing the blow somehow. But that's how he was raised and always stuck to it. Maybe with few exceptions…

He felt a familiar paw on his arm. The fox shifted his gaze back to the bunny.

"Nick, why would I laugh? I think it's very noble of you to have such a rule." She gave him a warm smile, the kind only she could show. "It just shows that you're a good mammal. Nevertheless, we have to be ready to fight when such a need arises, so we'll still have this spar. Plus I want to see what your skill level is myself so that we can better work together. And if you think you'll hurt me, I told you already, I'm tougher than I look."

"But-" Nick didn't have the chance to finish, as she bounded off to the kitchen, no doubt to make the previously promised coffee for Bogo.

"Carrots!" He wanted to go after her, but a heavy hoof landed on his shoulder. Nick identified the newcomer by the smell. "Hey, Fiamor."

"Wilde." Said a bulky elk, known to everyone as the head of the precinct's gym. "Chief asked me to make sure that you'll be present at the sparring sessions. Apparently, he'll be present at your matches."

"But-"

"The only 'but' I will allow is your own butt, when you drag it to Snarlov and tell him that you're switching with him as a sparring partner for Hopps. Now move it!"

Nick let out a tired sigh and trekked down the corridor to pass on the news to the lucky bastard.

.

.

Nick was ordered to change into his training clothes and appear by the ring, right next to Fiamor, but was slow to do that. The first match of the day was Hopps versus Spotters, something he wasn't too keen on watching. So he stalled for enough time to arrive there after their match would end.

Meanwhile, both females were already fully geared up and in the ring. Judy raised her paws to a fighting stance and Jackie did the same.

And when the whistle sounded, the feline bolted forward. Judy swayed her head to the side to avoid a lightning fast jab aimed at her face. She was a bit surprised by the sudden attack. Everyone knew that cheetahs were fast, but Jackie was on a level above that. Plus, the doe could see an angry spark that burned in her opponent's eyes.

"Whoa, that eager to hit me?" She had to jump back from another swing.

"Let's just say that I want to prove myself." Jackie launched a barrage of attacks and Judy was pushed to defense.

"Prove?" She asked, barely escaping another sharp punch aimed at her head. "You care that much who's the best fighter here?"

The feline snarled, as she threw another jab, followed by a quick sweep kick. Judy somersaulted backwards to avoid it. It seemed like the cheetah was more focused on taking her out, rather than taking her down like how the Academy had taught them to spar.

"Who said anything about that?"

Her words made Judy realize the reason. "Nick? You want to prove yourself to him? I don't get it."

"It's because of you…" Her voice wavered and the next jab suddenly grew in speed and force. Judy barely had time to raise a block and even then, the punch pushed her back.

"Wha-" Jackie followed the strike with another, but this time the doe ducked under her arm and countered with a lightning quick punch to the stomach. The feline grunted as they separated.

"What are you talking about? I saw you two kissing yesterday." Judy leapt forward with a kick that landed heavily on Jackie's guard.

"Nick rejected me! I kissed him and he rejected me." She made a front kick which Judy avoided with a quick sidestep, but had to jump backwards as Jackie came at her from above with both paws.

Judy raised her guard. "Jackie… Did you already forget what Vivian told us?" The rabbit's voice was laced with concern and worry. "Nick was wounded by a relationship and we need to respect him. Forcing one on him will only hurt him further so if you like him, let it occur naturally if it happens at all.."

The cheetah clenched her teeth. "Shut up!" She rushed at the bunny with a hail of blindingly fast jabs and the doe had to constantly defend herself. Thanks to her combat experience, she may not have been able to see all the attacks, but observing how the feline's body moved, she was able to predict where the strikes would land. However, even with such an advantage, she was still pressured by the cheetah.

Her chance came when there appeared a slight interval between two punches and Judy leapt at the opportunity. She deflected a right jab with her left paw and stepped in, grabbing Jackie's wrist and a spot above her elbow. With how low the cheetah had to lean to even try and hit the bunny, a quick spin was all that was needed for the doe to use the feline's own momentum to pull her forward and throw her over the rabbit's shoulder. The predator landed on her back with a grunt. Judy followed this move with wrapping her legs around the feline's arm and twisting it with her paws. An armbar that she was sure wouldn't occupy the cheetah for long, but would allow her a bit of a breather.

"What's wrong with you?" Judy grunted, holding the armbar in place. " Do you think that you can help Nick by being so aggressive? Where's that cheerful, easygoing girl I've met in Bunnyburrow?"

Jackie clenched her teeth and let out a growl. "What can you know?" Then, using the massive weight difference between them, the cheetah lifted her arm, and the surprised bunny that was still attached to it, from the ground and threw her at the nearby corner post. Judy lost her grip and had barely a second to curl into a ball before she hit the padded post, stifling a yelp when her back hit it with great force. Thankfully curling had absorbed most of the impact into her entire body, otherwise she would have been feeling the blow for days to come.

Judy had no time to focus on the pain, however, as Jackie was already on her again. A sharp punch landed on the corner where the doe's head was a moment ago, the cheetah hissing in pain at slamming her fist into the beam. Judy ducked between the cheetah's legs, followed swiftly by bouncing off the ground to strike Jackie's back with her shoulder. The force of it cast the feline headfirst into the post, but she immediately turned around and attacked again.

"Jackie, stop it please. Be reasonable…" Judy's words were cut off with a jab that almost grazed her cheek. "And not just about Nick. You're beginning to get a bit…" Another jabbed hissed past Judy's ears, "reckless. We're here to practice, not hurt each other."

"Maybe I am a bit too pushy," Jackie stated while surprising the rabbit by spinning around, kicking towards Judy then spinning and using her tail as another limb for striking. Judy leapt over the spotted tail as Jackie continued. "but I just can't stand… I can't stand that it has something to do with you. And you're not even interested in him!" Now the feline's voice trembled slightly as she cast the accusatory words at her opponent as they both recovered from the frantic match so far. Several of the surrounding officers heard the comment, but couldn't exactly make much sense of it..

Judy's eye grew wider when she heard that. "What?! I have a boyfriend! " Was what she said, but her memory betrayed her by reminding the doe the moments in which she had brief thoughts about what it would be like to have a relationship with the fox.

And her moment of hesitation in movement cost her dearly, as she received a powerful kick on her guard that pushed her back and opened up her defenses. It was followed by a punch to her chest which blew out the air from the bunny's lungs. Judy staggered backwards, wheezing heavily as Jackie pressed forward. She launched a kick from the side but Judy recomposed herself enough to take a small step in and redirect the feline's kick with one arm and push her at the waist level with the second paw, again using her own attack against her by taking advantage of the disrupted balance and sending the surprised cheetah to the ground once more. Judy didn't follow on that throw and used the time to regain her breath.

Jackie sprung up to her legs though not quite as fast as before, her expression being a mixture of irritation and desperation.

"I know it… I know it in my gut that he feels something for you."

Judy's heart skipped a beat. And then she noticed that tiny tears started forming in the corners of the cheetah's eyes.

"Why is it that you get everything and I am left in the dust?" Jackie questioned in a hoarse voice and attacked again, but Judy easily blocked the emotion induced blow and jumped up, wrapping her legs around Jackie's neck. The bunny flexed herself backwards, using the momentum and gravity to cause the feline to fall forward, up and over the bunny before crashing again to the mat with a loud grunt. The predator once found her back on the mat, with Judy's legs still around her neck.

"Jackie… Calm down, please." When the predator tried to struggle, the bunny squeezed a bit, eliciting a grunt from her opponent. "I don't want to-"

She was cut off as Jackie reared her head forward, preparing to slam it, and Judy, into the mat. Judy released her hold, pushing away before being headbutted into the demanding surface.

Both girls got to their hindpaws and glanced at each other. Judy sighed internally, seeing the helplessness in Jackie's eyes. She understood that the cheetah wasn't exactly herself right now. The female was acting like a person backed into a corner and considering fighting the only option she had left. So, if letting her run wild in the ring was a method to make her calm eventually, then Judy was willing to indulge her as long as she deemed it safe to do so. She may think the cheetah as a friend, but she wouldn't allow any intentionally harm befall her due to Jackie's emotional outburst. She raised her paws into a guard, hoping she wasn't going to regret her decision later, as she still had to spar with Nick in a few hours.

Jackie panted slightly, a mad glint in her eyes replacing the anger from before. She assumed a fighting stance that was vastly different from what she showed till now. She had placed one hindpaw in front and shifted her weight to the rear one. She raised one arm, holding it straight in front of her, the clenched fist pointing directly at Judy. The other arm she pulled back and kept her fist at the waist.

The doe narrowed her eyes, trying to judge what kind of fighting style the cheetah was using, as she hadn't seen it taught at the academy, and the bunny had made it a mission to learn each style used there to gain any and all advantages she could get over her much larger colleagues.

And in the next moment, the feline rushed forward.

"ENOUGH!" a roar as loud as any of Bogo's pierced through the crowd's cheers and made everyone in the room freeze instantly.

Right outside the ring, among the other officers, stood Nick, his arms folded and glaring at the two females with angry eyes.

"Gh…" Jackie ground her teeth and raised her fist an inch.

"JACKIE!" Nick scolded her and this time the girl deflated. With tears in her eyes, she turned around and practically ran out of the ring. Seeing this, Judy held out a paw in her direction, as if trying to stop her. She turned her gaze to her partner, who now placed a paw over his eyes and shook his head. The gathered officers exchanged glances, every one trying to comprehend what just occurred, but none seemed to know what exactly had just happened.

Judy got out of the ring and rushed to Nick's side. "What was that about? Why did you stop us?"

Nick clicked his tongue. "I don't want to see you two hurt each other. That's all."

Judy narrowed her eyes, glaring at her partner. "You know the style she was going to use."

Nick, who followed Jackie with his eyes as she left the gym, glanced briefly at the bunny. "I do," He unfolded his arms and let out a sigh. "That's why I had to stop her."

Judy held her suspicious gaze on him. "Nick, what exactly did you train during those night sparring sessions at the academy?" She questioned him.

He just shrugged. "Ask Spots." That was all she got before Nick turned around and went to a different part of ring to observe the fights.

Judy remained in place, her eyes still on the fox. "You can bet I will," She muttered to herself. "And I'll also get an answer from you."

.

.

When the time finally came, Nick's mind was on borderline of panic. He never wanted this to happen, yet here he was, under a strict eye of Bogo and few dozens of colleagues, facing his best friend in a ring.

"Ready?" Judy asked cheerfully, hopping from leg to leg.

"No! I told you already, I don't fight with girls!" He whined in another, desperate attempt of avoiding this spar.

The bunny simply smiled. "Wrong answer." The coach gave the signal and she launched herself forward. Nick jumped to the side to avoid the grey bullet aiming for his gut. But that bought him only a second, as Judy leapt at him with a kick and he was forced to put up a block with both arms. And when her kick landed on it, Nick's forearms really felt it. *Sweet cheese and crackers, that's a force on par with Marcus! And she not even trying yet!*

His enhanced vision scanned the bunny's body in her fur-tight training outfit. Nick's eyes roamed over the trained arms, powerful legs and toned stomach. This set of muscles was bound to do damage when used in the proper way and the doe seemed to have already mastered using it. The vulpine also had a thought in the back of his head that she has achieved this all by her own. No weird serum, no personal trainers or help through the academy, or anything of that sort. Just pure hard work and determination. At that moment, another part of his mind reminded him that he was ogling a bunny in a fur-tight outfit. He instantly shook his head internally, forcing himself to focus on the current situation.

And Judy was far from stopping. After her first attack was blocked, the doe spun around and aimed for the fox's shin with a sweeping roundhouse kick. Nick quickly stepped back, only to see the bunny jump at him and take another spin in mid-air to give him another powerful kick. She was fast, almost as fast as Jackie, and that meant that he could avoid her by only using his savage agility and reflexes – something he couldn't do in front of this crowd. So he only raised an arm for another block and when her leg connected Nick was forced to stagger sideways.

"Give me a break!" He complained. "I don't go out to the streets to face fighting maniacs like you."

"Oh, you think so?" She graced him with a smirk combined with a gaze of her half-lidded eyes. The gathered officers were cheering, whistling and shouting around them.

Judy attacked again, once more using her strong legs to jump forward and shorten the distance. She landed right in front of Nick and the fox noticed how her left leg rose for another kick so he put up a block on his side, but she surprised him. Putting down her leg in an instant, Judy used it to make another step closer and landed a heavy punch on Nick's stomach. The fox groaned, both from the impact and the fact that he fell for her feint.

He staggered backwards and raised a gloved paw. "Okay, okay, I give up! You win!"

But she just smiled at him. "Who said that we're stopping now? Can you just say you give up if a criminal is attacking you? You've only been blocking my attacks. There's no way for me to judge your abilities. So come on," she invited him with both paws "attack me."

The fox took this opportunity to take a few steps back. *There is no way in hell that I can win this! Crap, without the serum effects she'd already would have knocked me out!* He was partially thinking of a way out of this situation with his other half in awe of what this bunny had achieved through her own training. *It's a bloody catch 22 – she won't stop till I attack her properly, but I would NEVER hit her!* The mere thought of raising a paw against Judy felt entirely ridiculous. It was like he said before, Vivian raised him with great respect for females and, with very few exceptions, he'd never hit one deliberately.

So here he was, in an impasse against his own partner, barely dodging or blocking her attacks, which were becoming more fierce and sharp by the second. She managed to land a hit on the side of his shin, causing the fox to drop to one knee. Nick raised his paws again, fully aware what's going to happen next. And Judy didn't disappoint his prediction when a kick landed on his raised guard. She gracefully landed on the ground and supported herself with both paws, instantly sending her hindpaws straight into his unguarded gut in a double pawed forward kick.

Nick whined and was staggered backwards, falling on his back. Now his stomach actually ached, after receiving another powerful blow, and he groaned while trying to get up. The crowd of officers was loudly cheering for Judy, and Nick could see a satisfied expression on Bogo's face. What was worse, he started feeling a growing headache. Apparently this was the medicine's limit when it came to interactions with females. Or was it just Judy? Having to fight back both the fighting instinct and the desire to mate at the same time was taking its toll on his mind. And her outfit wasn't exactly helping. If he could, Nick would rather fight with his eyes closed.

"So, feel like fighting yet?" Judy asked him innocently, punching the gloves together while again hopping from paw to paw.

"More like being a punching bag…"

"Then fight back!"

The fox managed to stand up. "I told you already, Fluff. I don-"

"Stop worrying about me, Nick!" Now she started scolding him, which took him by surprise. "This is a ring, we're all officers here, without any division between males and females! Nobody can tell what's going to happen in the street so you don't have the luxury of being a gentlemammal in a fight! If there's an officer in need of assistance are you going to stand by and do nothing when the perp is a female?" She attacked again, this time with an easy but fast, straight jab.

"Of course not!" He swayed to the side to avoid it. "But there are other things that can be done instead of hitting her!"

"Oh, really?" She went with another roundhouse kick and Nick jumped back.

"That's why we have tasers…" He blocked a punch.

"What if you dropped it?" She threw one more kick.

"I have a tranq gun." Nick ducked.

"It's broken." Judy attacked once more.

"Whatever! I can do something else!"

"Like what?!" The doe leapt forward, jumping up to land a blow to his head.

In desperation, Nick resorted to the only thing left. He swayed his upper body slightly to the side and caught Judy's arm mid-air. Then twisted his body to throw the surprised bunny over his shoulder. She landed square on her back and Nick spun around above her to face the doe, pinning her arms to the ground.

"This." He exhaled, too late in realizing that he was on top of the very bunny his body desired so much. His heartbeat suddenly kicked up a notch and part of his brain issued an order to lean down and make this girl his. Right here, right now. In front of everyone.

Oblivious what was going on inside her friend's mind, Judy smiled. "Now we're talking." And without any warning, she curled up her legs and kicked, hitting Nick in the chest. The fox was thrown backwards and staggered to catch his balance, while she effortlessly sprung up to her hindpaws.

*Perfect… Just friggin' perfect! Of all times it had to be now!* Nick was screaming internally, trying to find an escape route from this trap. And from various options one had the highest probability of success, even if it meant putting his paw into the fire.

What he knew would be a very hot, scalding fire that he hoped he wouldn't regret starting with what he was about to do...

Judy leapt forward again, with a broad smile on her face. Nick did his best to block or dodge the incoming attacks, waiting for the opportunity to put his plan in motion. He finally found it an insufferably long minute later. He intentionally stepped back to force her to follow him, which she did with another sharp punch. Instead of defending, however, Nick moved to his front. He instantly took a diagonal step forward, letting Judy's fist fly past next to him. This left her back open for a counter-attack for a split second and he didn't hesitate to exploit this opening.

With a smug grin, Nick bumped Judy's backside with his gloved paw.

At that moment, the room froze in silence.

And in the next second Judy turned around slowly. "Nicholas Wilde." It was a snarl that a savage tiger would be proud of.

"Yes, my cute little bunny?" He said with an innocent smile.

In an instant Judy turned into a grey blur. She launched herself in the direction of Nick's head, apparently keen on liberating it from the rest of the fox. Luckily for him, he assumed that this would happen and was already ducking. The doe swished over his head and landed on the ropes, stretching them to their limits while other officers scattered to get out of the way of the angered bunny. She launched herself off of them like a missile and this time Nick didn't even have the time to blink, let alone move out of the way.

Nick had heard of her using this type of attack before in the ring, and that nobody ever saw it coming, which he found to be true. It happened so quickly, that even with his enhanced senses, he only saw her briefly enough, as she shot towards him, to begin widening his eyes before her impact against his guard.

Both of Judy's hindpaws landed on his block with a kick so powerful and focused, it sent the fox flying. In this short flight, Nick managed to deduce from the painful tingling in his arms that if not for the serum, his bones would've definitely been broken. His trip, mercifully, ended quickly when he flew through the ropes and outside the ring, Officer McHorn managing to catch him, or more like simply stopping Nick's status as a living airplane when Nick collided with the rhino's chest. Though that was a better landing pad than, based on his trajectory, would have been the hard-unpadded floor several dozen feet beyond the rhino.

Finally, Bogo regained his voice after watching the stunning ending to the bout. "Alright, that's enough! Hopps, that's an order!" He pointed at the furious bunny, who, very reluctantly, stopped, shoulders sagging as she closed her eyes to regain control over her emotions. When she opened them again, she looked at Nick, giving him an apologetic smile, one which stated both she was sorry, but also warned him not to again do what he did again. The buffalo saw it all, shook his head, and left the gym. He had other matters to attend to, so his fun of watching the annoying fox being a punching bag for the time being, was over.

Judy eventually managed to calm down by taking deep breaths and she got out of the ring. Other officers were either preparing for their own matches or returning to exercises, though several either shook their heads at the fox, or looking in stunned silence at the smallest ZPD officer in her surprising display of power.

McHorn put the fox down, then sauntered off to watch the next match.

Nick was still sitting on the ground, massaging his forearms to get rid of the aches, when Judy approached him. He immediately raised his paws in a defensive gesture. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, but it was the only way to stop that ridiculous match!" Blurting out the words quickly to prevent any other outbursts from his friend.

She gave him an unfriendly glare while taking off the gear. "So this is your way of hustling out of a fight?"

His ears flattened. "Uhm… more or less, yes?" He put his paws together in a praying gesture. "Please don't be angry at me. I really, really didn't want to fight you. I could not bring myself to hurt you!" His pleads to the rabbit were honest, something that this bunny did to him. He couldn't imagine anyone else he'd be this open with.

It seemed to finally defuse the situation though, and Nick gave silent thanks for that.

"Alright, I'll let it slide." Her paw shot forward as Judy grabbed his shirt, pulling the fox towards her. "But I will see you fight for real in the next match. And you're lucky that Will is on a medical leave and wasn't watching what you did."

Nick's eyes shot wide open at this sudden closeness with the bunny. His nose was assaulted with her sweet scent, something that was unavoidable at this distance.

"C-Carrots…" He stuttered. Something that was very rare for him. And Judy noticed that, along with his expression and raised a puzzled brow.

"Nick...are you ok?"

He tried to back away, but as soon as the bunny noticed his retreat, a playful smirk appeared on her face. She tightened her grip on the material and pulled him a few inches closer.

"Oh, what's this? Scared of a wittle bunny, are we?"

She backed him into a metaphorical corner. His mind saw only two possibilities: to run or to take her. And that second choice was getting more alluring with every passing second. So he produced his claws and ripped the fabric of his shirt, freeing himself from her grasp. Ignoring her shocked expression, he took to his heels, scrambling to his hindpaws and bolted towards the door. Nick ran with the locker room in mind, as he had the haloperidol syringe stashed in his locker, his claws scratching the floor when he slid to a stop by the door. The fox practically leapt into his belongings to fish out the syringe and, without a shred of hesitation, Nick stabbed the needle into the vein in his forearm and injected himself with the drug. It took several seconds for the substance to start working, but when it did, Nick felt the mental tension leaving his mind. Then his ears picked up someone's hurried steps and in panic, he quickly threw the syringe away to the trash bin in the corner of the room.

"Nick!" The voice was different than yesterday, but he had a strong feeling of déjà vu. Once again, he was trapped in the locker room, with a female blocking the exit.

"Yes?" It was the only word his mind could produce at the moment.

"What is going on?" Judy walked inside and approached the fox. "This is the second time you've run away from me."

"Well, not exactly-"

"Enough with the lame excuses and silly jokes, Nick! What's happening?" The bunny demanded of him, worry lining her words, and Nick took a step back from this sudden straightforwardness from his partner. Still, his mind was now deprived of the lustful thoughts that clouded his judgment just a minute ago. *Thanks, doc. You've really saved my butt here.* But his thoughts had to wait, as Judy took another step and placed a paw on his arm, causing him to flinch.

Noticing his reaction, the doe expression softened immediately and her ears drooped. "Nick…" Her voice was now much gentler. "I'm sorry if you feel cornered, but I'm worried about you. You've been acting weird since our visit in Bunnyburrow. Did something happen? If there is anything I can help you with, please...you can tell me."

Nick's eyes made an involuntary movement around her training clothes. *I'm afraid you could help…* But he'd rather jump from a bridge than say what he was thinking out loud. "I appreciate your care, Carrots, but I'm fine." He slipped his arm from her touch and pulled his shirt off to put on a new one. Judy's paw shot forward and snatched the torn piece of clothing from him. She lifted it up to present the hole Nick tore in it earlier.

"Nick… How is this fine?!" Her voice turned into a pleading one. "Is it about Jackie?"

The fox froze and his instant lack of movement or any other reaction spoke volumes for Judy.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Nick tried to brush it off while dressing himself in the new shirt, making an effort to not look at his partner.

"I… I saw you two kissing yesterday. She also told me about it during my spar with her. Is that what this is about?"

At that point he slammed the locker door, causing Judy's eyes to spring up in surprise with his reaction, and rested his forehead on the metal. "And no doubt she also told you what happened later, so what's your point?"

The doe cast down her eyes. "Nick we, um… we talked with your mother earlier…

There was no reaction from her friend.

"She told us about what happened with Irene and…"

"I don't need your pity." He cut in, his tone now harsh. "Drop it."

She flinched slightly. "O-okay, sorry…" But after a moment she recomposed herself.

"Jackie also… she also said that she felt like I'm her… rival…" Her voice drifted softer and softer until it was reduced to a mutter at the last word she spoke.

*What?!* He screamed internally. *What nonsense is that?! My mind is warped by that damn serum and desires females for one purpose only! How could Spots come up with such a ridiculous-*

Suddenly her voice pierced through his thoughts. "…and when I think how you've acted in my presence, and your speech in Bunnyburrow, I would like to know for sure." He heard her taking a deep breath. "I don't want to pry, but, we're partners. If this is what has been bothering you Nick, I need to know. Do you… do you have feelings for me?"

Five seconds passed in silence.

Each one of them an eternity by themselves.

A fox, leaning his head on the metal door of the locker.

A bunny, nervously rubbing her paws.

And after those five seconds passed, Nick straightened up and turned to Judy.

"No." He stated simply with his trademark grin, along with the hustler's gaze. "What? You thought that I would say 'yes'?"

Judy tensed up for a split second and Nick noticed that, but then she relaxed and smiled. "Well, if you did, that would be…" She gestured with a paw, looking for a proper word.

"…awkward?" He suggested.

The doe rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, you could say that." She offered him a sheepish smile.

Nick chuckled and headed to the door, not wasting the chance to ruffle the fur on her head on the way. "Yep, imagine a bunny fox couple, we'd be a unique case. Anyway, I have one more match today so I'll be on my way. And regarding what you asked earlier," he looked over the shoulder ", it's something I have to deal on my own, so thanks for the concern, but, I got this." He noticed her still harried expression and let out a sigh. This time he knew that he had to make some concessions and approached her, kneeling to look her in her eyes. "Look, it's… Okay, what do you say to this: let's go out for a coffee tomorrow and we can talk more then, sound good?"

Judy's expression brightened a bit and she showed him a small smile. "Okay, tomorrow evening?"

Nick nodded. "Deal. Ok, now I really have to go." Nick rose and took a single step away, before turning back to face Judy. "Oh, and if you ever feel something to this fox, be sure to tell me." Nick left with this joke hanging in the air and never got the chance to see when Judy blinked and froze for a moment, her paw rising and coming to rest on her chest.

She had this fleeting feeling that nestled itself in her heart, but was so deeply hidden that she couldn't put a finger on it. Could she be… No, there was no way!

She recomposed herself and focused on the thing that caught her attention just before she entered the locker room. There was a quiet rattling sound, but when she arrived in the room, there was nothing in sight that could have produced such a sound. Her eyes scanned the surroundings and stopped at the trash bin.

.

.

The fox's second match was with McHorn and the rhino was already in the ring.

"Wilde!" The coach scolded the vulpine. "Where the hell have you been?! It's your match now!"

Nick let out a sigh, but got in the ring, putting on the gear. "Yeah, yeah… Sorry about that." He stood in front of his senior officer and lazily waved a paw. "Hey there, big guy. Shall we dance?"

The whistle sounded and the huge mammal launched a punch at the fox. Nick swiftly stepped back with bare effort.

"Huh? That's your fastest strike? Mammal, my buddy Flash is quicker than you and he's a sloth…" The fox teased. It was at about that time, a worried Judy got to the ring to observe how her friend would fight against the males of the precinct.

McHorn let out a growl and attacked again. From this point, he was constantly on the offense, but none of his kicks or punches could connect. Nick was too agile to be hit.

And the fox never stopped teasing the rhino.

"Hey, what's the point of match like this? Maybe it'd be better if you just use a punching bag? At least they're not moving around."

"Shut it!" Grunted the big mammal, taking another swing.

"Oh, come on. We should invite some grandpas, so you'll have a chance to hit someone."

This made McHorn even more irritated. He threw a heavy and wide attack, and when Nick easily got out of its way, the rhino stumbled forward from the force of his own punch.

In this moment, the fox turned his back to the larger mammal and headed in the direction of the coach, who was standing outside one of the corners.

"Say, can I change opponents? I'm bound to fall asleep if this continues." He accentuated it with a yawn.

It was the last straw, as McHorn growled and rushed at the small predator, gaining speed with every step. Every spectator expected a fox shaped stain on the floor but Nick only grinned. In the last moment, he sidestepped and spun around. His kick caught the side of the rhino's knee as it was coming down towards him, tipping him off balance. In effect the huge officer fell forward, with his head slamming into the corner of the ring.

He slumped down on the ground, groaning, to the silence of the gathered crowd.

Nick caught the sight of Judy with the corner of his eye and sent her a smirk. "See, I told you that there are other ways."

"Wilde!" The coach roared and beckoned the fox to come over.

"Oops, okay, okay, I'm going." He marched over to the mammal, taking off his gloves.

Judy followed him with her gaze, but eventually her eyes looked down at her paw, at the empty syringe she found in the locker room.

.

.

The rest of the day passed in a rather uneventful way, Judy and Nick didn't encounter any major crimes or conspiracies on their shift and after reporting back to the precinct, each went in the direction of their homes with the cursory farewell and from Judy, a gentle reminder of their coffee meeting the next evening. The doe didn't pressure Nick anymore about what happened earlier and was now waiting for their meeting tomorrow to get the answers she was looking for.

Meanwhile, the fox knew that even if his partner decided to spare him during this day, she was bound to pester him with questions tomorrow. It was inconvenient for him, but something that had to be done. He decided on not telling her the whole truth, but he had to give her something to chew on. *It's going to be one tiring coffee…*

Just as he was walking into his home, the phone rang and Nick recognized the number. He answered it by flipping his thumb over the screen.

He closed the door behind him and spoke with a tired voice. "Hello Rose, what's-"

"Mr. Wilde, help us please!"

.

.

Vivian was in the middle of preparing a late dinner when her doorbell rang. Wiping her paws in a cloth, the vixen headed to the door.

"Yes?" She said as she opened it, only to see a pair of grey furred ears with black tips.

"Hello Vivian. Sorry to bother you, but, could you spare me a moment?" Judy asked with a small smile. She was out of her uniform, dressed in casual clothes.

"Well, I don't mind… I was just fixing something to eat. Want to join me?" She invited the bunny inside with a gesture.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to trouble you."

This only caused the vixen to laugh and pull Judy into a hug. "It's not a problem, sweetie. And if it makes you feel any better, I'd happy to have some company."

Judy chuckled in her soft, motherly grip. "Fine, if you say so."

.

.

Nick arrived at his destination within minutes, panting slightly. Even with his savage stamina it took a toll on him to run at full speed through half of the city.

"Mr. Wilde!" A female voice called out from an alley and a familiar face of Rose appeared before him. At the sight of her, Nick instantly held up the mint he prepared to block scents from females on his way here. Now he used it to not smell the aroma of the vixen, but he didn't have anything to block her looks. She was dressed in her working clothes, which meant a very little amount of clothing.

She ran to him and grabbed his arm.

"It's Silver! They came to her… a-and they were drunk, they dragged her back to an alley-"

Nick held up a paw, to quiet her the other one he kept on his nose, deeply inhaling the mint's aroma. "Who are 'they'?"

"I-I don't know, three thu-thugs in black jackets. A-a wolf a wolverine and a porcupine…" The female stuttered with her response.

Nick's ears flinched hearing this. *Those maggots…*

"I understand, stay here and call Mr. Bites. Have him wait just next to the alley and when Silver is there just go, do you understand?"

The vixen nodded nervously and hurried off to catch the taxi driver.

When she left, Nick finally had a chance to calm his mind down, however, he wasn't doing a very good job. His fingers brushed the syringe he had in the pocket of his pants that he had brought as a precaution. There were only two doses left, so the fox decided to use them only when it would be absolutely necessary. He took a deep breath and jogged off into the direction of the alley pointed by Rose.

Even before getting there, his sensitive ears picked up muffled screams and sounds of struggle. The subtle trace of alcohol in the air.

And around the corner Nick found the familiar trio engaged in a less than civil process of ripping clothes off an arctic vixen. The wolf was standing behind her and firmly kept a paw over her muzzle. The girl was struggling and had tears in her eyes.

Nick had to act fast.

"Hey, guys! What'cha doing?" He called to them as he approached the group.

The mammals turned their head towards the fox.

"Whadda ya want, Wilde?" The porcupine asked, his voice slurred from alcohol.

The fox had his usual smirk plastered on the face. "Wandering around and noticing that you're having some fun on the side." He cast a short glance at the girl, but immediately shifted his gaze back. The vixen had barely any clothes left and mere sight of her fur caused Nick's temperature to rise exponentially. "You got yourself a lovely lass and didn't bother to invite me to the party? I'm hurt, guys…" He joked about the situation, laying groundwork for releasing the girl.

"Oh yea? Maybe nobody wanted ya here?" The wolverine walked up to Nick and poked him with a finger. "Scram."

Nick took a step back and tripped, sitting down heavily on the pavement. "Why should I?" He looked up at the mammal. "Seems to me that you have a bit of trouble handling that girl. And I know a nice method to make her obey." He gave off a nasty smirk and the vixen whimpered in the paws of the wolf, shaking her head.

The canid strengthened his grip making the girl squeal.

"Heheh, why not?" The drunken porcupine chuckled. "Okay, try it."

Nick got to his hindpaws and approached the girl. She was begging with her eyes as he was getting closer. The fox nodded to Jark, the wolf, to release her and the predator did so, taking a step back.

Nick leaned his muzzle to the terrified vixen's ear and whispered so low that only she could hear. "Rose is waiting with a cab at the end of the alley. Now run."

She stared at him slack-jawed.

"GO!" He roared and that shook off her paralysis and she bolted towards the direction from which Nick came in.

"Hey!" The wolverine rushed after her, but suddenly fell on his face, due to the tied shoe laces, which Nick did to him when he had pretended to trip earlier. And Jark was absolutely furious. He snatched the fox by the throat and slammed him against the alley's wall.

"Now you've done it! I'm gonna rip you to shreds!"

Nick struggled to remain calm, but it was a pointless effort as the beast within rampaged to be allowed to act. The fox raised his legs and kicked the wolf in the stomach, causing him to release his grip and stagger backwards. Nick quickly reached for the syringe, feeling that his already strained self-control won't be able to deal with the surge of primal rage.

Unfortunately for him, even drunk, the porcupine was faster and he slammed his shoulder into the vulpine, sending him to the ground. The syringe fell out of Nick's paw and rolled on the pavement. The fox groaned and tried to crawl to it, a massive headache threatening to make his skull explode.

Right then, he received a kick to the ribs.

He whined and curled himself into a ball. Now, surrounded by three angry, drunken mammals and unable to escape the growing need to lash out against them. The trio kicked away at Nick, not sparing his kidneys, tail or head.

"Stop… please… I can't… it's too much…" He pleaded between hits and whined with every kick. One brutal kick to his stomach from Jark was the last straw.

The beast broke loose.

The wolverine kicked again, but his hindpaw was caught by the fox's paw.

"Huh?" That was the only word he could say before the vulpine rose to his legs and spun the mammal around, using him as a club, knocking back the rest of the thugs. This ended with the wolverine being thrown at the wall with great force and once he hit it, he slumped on the ground.

The other two mammals stared at Nick with shock, unable to comprehend what just happened. The fox was standing above them, panting heavily with his fangs showing. His eyes were bloodshot and pupils narrowed into vertical slits. A feral growl rattled in the vulpine's throat.

"Tha hell?!" Jark got to his hindpaws and took a swing at Nick.

There was very little of Nick left in those eyes, as the fox easily caught the wolf's wrist in one paw and squeezed. There was a sickening crunch of crushed bones and a yelp of pain from Jark. And the red furred predator was far from stopping at that.

He produced his claws as the last shreds of control left him, losing himself to the savage within.

.

.

"Whew, I'm stuffed…" Judy collapsed to the comfortable armchair in the living room.

Vivian smiled while putting their tea on the table as she took the other armchair. "Glad to hear that. At least you won't go around gossiping that I mistreat my guests."

This drew a laugh from the bunny. "No way! I'll even give you free advertising. Your vegetable sandwiches are the best! How did you come up with something like this?"

"Hah! Never underestimate this vixen when it comes to cooking," Vivian stated with pride while she clapped her knees. "So… How can I help you?"

Judy took a sip of her tea and cast Vivian a cautious glance. "Um, it's about Nick…"

"Oh dear…" Her partner's mother sighed and rested her cheek on a paw. "What did he do this time?"

Judy's ears dropped down and she shook her free paw. "Oh no, not exactly did something, just… He's been acting weird lately. And today he practically ran away from me with a face like he'd seen a ghost."

"Uhh… I guess it's true that males never grow up, do they? But I'm not sure how I could help. I can have a word with him if you want, but I'm almost certain that he won't listen."

The doe shook her head. "Thank you, but I think it's something I should talk with him on my own. I just thought that maybe you knew something about it.

"No, I'm sorry."

"I see…" The bunny smiled, but her gaze drifted to her cup of tea.

Vivian spent too many years with Nick to not notice her reaction. "Judy, what's the real reason for your visit?"

The small mammal flinched, drawn back from her thoughts. "Heh, I guess it's hard to fool a Wilde, isn't it?" She let out a heavy sigh and reached for the thigh pocket in her pants and pulled out an empty syringe in a plastic evidence bag. "I… I found this in our locker room, just after Nick was there. It was after he ran away from me completely freaked out, and when I found him there, he was completely calm, as if nothing happened." She handed the syringe to Vivian. "I ran it for prints and it was a match with Nick's…" She paused, not sure how to continue such a topic.

The vixen eyed the plastic object in her paw and shifted her gaze back to Judy. "So you think that Nick injected himself with this…"

The bunny put the cup back on the plate and looked at the predator with concern. "I don't know… But everything suggests that he did. Plus, I don't even know what this is and there is no way that he'd tell me if I asked him."

"So you came to me," Vivian concluded, her voice calm, but a bit reserved.

Judy nodded.

The vixen opened the bag, looking at Judy for consent. As the rabbit nodded, the vixen removed the needle attachment and sniffed the inside of the syringe, her nose cringing at the smell as she quickly put it on the table. "Uhh…haloperidol."

"You can tell by the smell?" The bunny was surprised at such a quick analysis.

"Can I? I got it smashed on my nose once, you don't forget a smell after such a thing. Nasty stuff…"

The doe's ears perked up. "Nasty? You mean dangerous?" Vivian spotted the concern in her eyes.

"Sweetie, every drug or medication can be lethal if used improperly. And no, this," she pointed at the syringe, "is not exactly dangerous. It's used to calm down aggressive patients or those with mental problems. I had to administer it to a very feisty one at the ER and he crushed it on my muzzle with a swing of the arm."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

Vivian dismissed it with a click of the tongue. "That's history. What's more worrying is why Nicky had this…" She put a paw over her mouth with a thoughtful expression.

Judy's ears drooped when she saw the vixen's face. "Vivian… Why won't he talk to you or me? Is it because he doesn't trust us?" Her voice was very low.

Nick's mother lowered her paw at these words and snorted. "It's not a matter of trust. That's what he would say…" She rubbed her temples. "No… I'm afraid that he too well remembers how it is to be hurt by exposing his thoughts and feelings, to share his worries with someone."

The doe shook her head. "I know that he has a great memory, heck, he even used it against me yesterday…but, the past is the past, he can't just cling to it! At one point, he'll have to forget and move on. Just like the muzzle incident…" After she said those words and looked at the vixen, Judy froze.

The female predator was staring at her with a gaze that was trapped somewhere in the past and wrapped in a great deal of pain.

"Vivian?" Judy asked in almost a whisper, her shoulders sank. It hit her then that maybe she shouldn't bring up such a painful topic. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

She cut her off with a gesture. "Yes… He remembers a lot…" With a sigh that carried heart wrenching sadness, the vixen stood up from the armchair and sauntered over to a book filled shelf. She took one of them in her paws and returned to her chair.

"I think that I may have an idea what is going on with him, but for you to understand it… Since he told you about the muzzle, I might as well introduce you to the third big sorrow of my life." She opened the book and Judy noticed that it was actually a photo album. Very slowly, Vivian started to turn pages.

"What happened with the scouts was just the first chapter in the events that turned my son's heart into stone. You already know about the third – Irene. But there was one more incident that changed both of our lives." She stopped at a certain page and her fingers ran over the pictures there in a gentle motion.

Once again, Judy felt that sensation she experienced when Mr Bites told her about Nick's father or when Vivian explained his relationship with Irene. The feeling of entering the most private parts of her best friend's life and the weight that went with the painful past he had. Like being in an emotional sanctuary, and she didn't dare to utter a word to interrupt Vivian's speech.

"After what happened with the scouts, Nick closed up his heart to others and barely let me inside of it. I knew that he still cared about me, that we were still together as a family, but it still hurt to see him so distant. However, the worst part of it was the school. His new behaviour didn't earn him any friends, rather the opposite. How many times I've heard from the teachers that he has been pulling pranks on other kids or how often he returned bruised after being bullied. It was hard, but I believed that as a family we could pull through together." She paused, her eyes now locked on one of the photos. "Till the day I lost that faith completely…" The vixen stopped talking and was merely gazing at the picture before her, absentmindedly brushing it with a finger. It lasted for a few moments and Judy started considering if she shouldn't say something. But then the story continued.

"Almost a year after the muzzle incident, I'm in the middle of my shift in the restaurant I worked in at the time and I receive a call from Nicky's school. A teacher told me that there was an 'accident'. Nick allegedly fell down the stairs and hit his head. He wasn't waking up so they called an ambulance and took him to the hospital. I wanted to get there immediately, but my manager wouldn't listen to any arguments and was adamant that I need to finish my shift or he'll fire me. As much as it pained me to stay for even a second, I had to keep my job. Who else would bring money to the family? And if Nicky's injury was serious, he probably would need medicine."

Vivien paused, glancing up to look towards Judy. "Mind you, at that time it was next to impossible for a fox to find a real job, unless I wanted to start earning money on the streets." Judy swallowed, fully knowing what she meant by that. "So after the agonizing few hours I rushed to the hospital to find my son." Another pause. "And I found him…" With glassy eyes, she fished out a photo from the album and passed it to the bunny. When Judy looked at the picture, her heart almost shattered. It showed a ten-year-old red fox in a hospital bed. His head was wrapped in bandages and several bruises were visible on his pale face. Nick's eyes were closed and his body was connected to various medical devices by cables, tubes and wires. There even was an oxygen mask over his little muzzle.

He looked like a mammal at the death's door.

"Oh my God…" A hoarse whisper escaped Judy's mouth and she covered it with a paw. She was so shocked with this image that she almost didn't hear when Vivian continued talking.

"…bruising, intracranial haemorrhage… They had to do an operation on his skull to get rid of the blood inside. And he wouldn't wake up. He was in a coma…" She breathed out some air, along with the pain that came with this reminiscence. "Doctors told me that they had no way of telling if he would ever wake up. At that time… I was so close to a breaking point, you know? I kept asking myself the same questions: Why Nick? Why of all mammals it had to happen to my boy?" She sniffed. "Two days later I decided to visit the school and get an explanation from them how could such a thing happen. Again, I heard that it was an 'accident'. Never believed it, not after all that bullying Nicky had endured for a year."

"Then I was approached by one of the students, a young sloth who introduced himself as Flash. He told me that he saw one of the bullies pushing Nick from the top of the stairs. And that made me snap. I may be small and weak, but I would never forgive anyone for hurting my boy." For a brief moment, Judy noticed an angry spark in the vixen's eyes. "So I asked Flash to testify at the police station and I also took pictures of Nick and the state he was in." She slightly lifted the album and the bunny could see numerous photos of injuries, the bandages on Nick's head, all of the medical instruments around him and also the documentation about his state. "Luckily for me, the officer in charge of this case was a stickler for the rules. A buffalo you're quite familiar with – one named Adrien Bogo."

Judy's jaw dropped in surprise. "No way…the chief?"

"Yes, him. You see, normally the police wouldn't bother investigating a matter concerning a fox, as most of the society pictured our species as untrustworthy scum. At that time Bogo had a similar worldview, it was obvious that he didn't like being in charge of this case. Still, he investigated it thoroughly and fairly, concluding from the pictures, testimonies of the sloth, and other students he questioned about the matter, that Nick was unjustly attacked and the bully had to be held accountable for his actions. When I thanked him afterwards, he simply grumbled that he is an officer of the law and must follow the rules. From that you can see why he is the chief of police – even when he disliked the task he was given, he did everything by the book, regardless of his own views."

Hearing that, the doe nodded in agreement, finding new respect for her superior. "And… and what about Nick?"

Another painful sigh.

"Five months. For five months, I visited him every day, just to hold his paw, to speak to him or read a book. To be there for him, even if he couldn't respond… And after those five months he finally opened his eyes." She let out a humourless giggle. "I tell you, never in my life I was so happy to see this lazy bum waking up. But that joy didn't last long…" She turned another page in the album and took out another photo. "He was discharged shortly after and scheduled for future check-ups. And when we returned home, I quickly realized that something was wrong with him." Vivian passed Judy the photo. It showed little Nick, now without a bandage, the bruises barely visible.

"But he looks… okay, I guess?" She couldn't find anything wrong in this picture.

"Take a closer look at his eyes."

Judy did so and leaned over the picture. And when she knew what she was looking for, it was there. What she took earlier for exhaustion or just a bad mood was something more. It looked very similar to the gaze Nick had when they met Irene at the graduation ceremony.

Emptiness.

"They're very… apathetic." She gave her judgement.

The vixen nodded as she took the pictures back. "They are. When I noticed that, we went to see a doctor and his diagnosis practically crushed me… Nicky lost the ability to feel any emotions."

For a few silent seconds, Judy simply stared at the female predator. "What?" She eventually breathed out.

"What you heard. Due to the physical trauma to the brain, he was no longer able to feel happiness, sadness, jealousy, anger, envy…even love…" The last words rolled off her tongue almost as a whisper. "From there, it was hell… And it's not like he forgot that we are a family and that we shared a special connection, he knew that. But he couldn't feel it anymore. And I've seen him try. He tried to pretend that everything was alright, because he deduced that it would make me happy…" She turned her pained gaze directly to Judy. "Deduced. He was unable to understand my sadness, yet he logically assumed that it was the right thing to do." Vivian's claws instinctively dug into the armchair's supports. "Can you imagine what it feels like to hear 'I love you, mom' said like a machine, from your own child? I pray that you'll never have the chance to experience it…"

Judy had no response to that. She was stunned by what she heard. And it was truly unimaginable for a bunny that was raised in a loving family, with dozens of siblings and the atmosphere of being open with your emotions. How many times they shared laughs and loving hugs with each other? Now it hit her that she just took that love for granted, something the doe now appreciated much more with the contrast she had with Nick's childhood. In her chest, Judy felt a rising need to hug her parents.

The two females simply sat there, sharing the silence that followed.

Vivian was the first to break it. "And now we come to the core of the problem…" She put the photos back into the album and dropped it on the table. "His memory."

The bunny nodded to that. "I've had the chance to learn how unusual it is in his case. The speed in which he memorizes things, the accuracy… it's insane!"

"I know…" Vivien replied. "It is something that I also tried to understand and believe me, I've read everything I could find about it. Now, do you know how memorizing works?" After receiving a shake of a head Vivian continued. "Alright, it's like this: the process of laying down a memory begins with attention, in which a memorable event causes neurons to fire more frequently, making the experience more intense while increasing the likelihood that the event is encoded as a memory. The perceived sensations are decoded in the various sensory areas of the brain, and then combined in the hippocampus into one single experience." She tapped the side of her skull. "The hippocampus is then responsible for analysing these inputs and ultimately deciding if they will be committed to long-term memory."

Noticing the semi-glazed over eyes of the rabbit, Vivien let out a brief chuckle. "The hippocampus is a part of the brain that acts as a kind of sorting centre where the new sensations are compared and associated with previously recorded ones. That's the science we know, from there, it's just my own personal theory as to what happened. I believe that the trauma to Nick's head caused some malfunction in this selection process and the hippocampus indiscriminately stores everything Nick perceives, without wasting time for comparing these sensations with the older ones. Additionally, while storing memory is a decentralized process and our experiences are stored throughout the whole brain, and we can't be sure how exactly the mind decides on which memories are to be discarded, in my son's case, this system became flawed as well. In effect, he simply does not forget what he once saw or heard. I noticed it in the days after his release from the hospital. He would sometimes reply to my words with quotes from the books he's read or point out things I forgot from a shopping list. One day I decided to test how good was his memory. I asked him to read a book and later verified if he remembered the contents. He did, with 100% precision. So I took it one step further and asked him to read the bible. Once he finished, again, I've asked about the contents…"

"And he got it right." Judy said plainly, as it was not much of a guess.

Vivian nodded. "All of it. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes"

"But this doesn't explain the speed," Judy exclaimed. "He memorized over 2000 names from my family tree in half a minute!"

The vixen shrugged, clearly unfazed by the number. "I measured his time of memorizing books. Because all information he perceives is instantly stored in his head, it all comes down to how fast he can read. And that improved over time. When Nick was fifteen, he has reached the reading speed of 5000 words per minute. Remember, that was 17 years ago, so I have no idea how fast he's become right now. Either way, 2000 names is not a problem for him." Vivian let out another sigh. "We've consulted several doctors and they gave us various answers: acquired savant syndrome, Eidetic memory, Mnemostis… But none of them would fully match this ability. Besides, it hardly even mattered anymore…" She slumped in her seat. "At that moment, I realized that someone took away my son and replaced him with a machine, a computer with Nicky's face…" Vivian paused for a moment. "You know, Judy… It is said that there are two sides to every coin, but I think that God must have some sick sense of humour and deprived my boy of two things that day. How to feel and how to forget. There is no bright side here…"

Once more, Judy was at loss for words. She never would've imagined how rough and unfair Nick's childhood was, not to mention the adult life. The doe felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes, unable to contain herself after learning about all of the pain that her partner has experienced. It was outside her comprehension why would fate be so cruel to a mammal and a child at that.

How much can one fox suffer?

Nick teased her that bunnies were so emotional and even though she wouldn't openly agree with him, it carried a grain of truth. Judy was always filled with the desire to live the life to the fullest, to laugh at everything she could, to pursue her dreams with all her might. And here she had a fox who was denied the right to laugh from his heart, to cry or to embrace someone with love…

Love…

Judy's ears perked up and she quickly wiped her tears with a sleeve. "Wait, you said that Nick had feelings for Irene. How would that be possible if he couldn't feel anything?"

Vivian showed her a humourless smile. "Ah, how perceptive of you. That's right, Nicky lost his emotions when he was a kid, but since he met that girl, he started slowly regaining that part of him. She was very much like you, bright, cheerful… A ray of light that my son needed so much in his dark life. And he gradually regained that spark in his eyes that indicated, that he was truly alive. But then she crushed it…"

The vixen sighed. "I can't imagine what was it like for Nicky, to regain the feelings that were taken away from him more than ten years earlier and to lose them again… Just like that." She snapped her fingers to accentuate her words. "I don't know what exactly happened, so it wouldn't be fair for me to judge her. Nick refused to talk, no matter how much I've plead with him. One day, instead of his regular denial of conversation he lashed out at me with anger I've never seen in him before. He blamed me for everything, for Irene, for reminding him what it is like to feel pain…" She put a paw over her mouth. "And after that he closed up again, putting on a mask."

"What do you mean?" Judy tilted her head slightly to the side. She received another sorrowful gaze from the vixen.

"From what I've gathered after living with Nick after that incident, all of his memories remain as very fresh." The female predator leaned towards Judy. "With this in mind, imagine what it's like to remember the worst moments of your life like they happened only a minute ago. They say that time heals all wounds. Well… it doesn't work for Nick, they just keep piling up, always bleeding, always hurting… And after what happened with Irene, my son created a mask for himself, a mask of fake emotions. Nicky mastered using it to the point that, while being an empty mammal on the inside, everyone perceived him as a joyful fox. And that conversation, when he poured all that anger onto me, was the last honest one we had since then. Well, basically the last before the almost 10 year break in contact..." She leaned back on her seat.

Judy's gazed was locked on Vivian's face and she instantly noticed a tear that flowed from the predator's eye and rolled down the cheek. It wasn't a waterfall of sobs, but a single drop that contained all the condensed guilt, helplessness and grief that refused to leave the vixen's heart.

With no words needed, Judy stood up from her seat and approached the red furred female. She stood on the tips of her hindpaws and reached out to embrace Vivian's neck in a hug. The vixen accepted the gesture and put her paws around the bunny.

"He was right, Judy. I've failed him… I've failed as a mother, my foolishness caused my own child to suffer…"

The doe squeezed tighter. "No. You're wrong, Vivian." She whispered, her own voice greatly emotional. "You've helped him to feel again. And if this time he decided on his own, to close his heart, then one day he could open it again. I know he will. I've seen him open up a bit myself when we worked on the savage mammals case. He talked to me about the scouts incident and he refused to leave on his own when I got injured. He will feel again Mrs Wilde. I know he will."

They stayed like this for some time, neither counting how long. Eventually, the vixen patted Judy gently on the back and they separated.

"Thank you, Judy…" She wiped her cheek with a paw. "And I'm sorry you had to witness… this." She indicated herself. "It always gets to me, whenever I think about it."

The bunny let out a weak giggle. "Don't worry about it, you should see me when I'm emotional."

The females shared a chuckle.

"Judy… I know I've said this before, but I'm very grateful that you're in Nick's life. You see, that time at the graduation ceremony, I've seen him smile when you pinned the badge to his chest. And let me tell you, that was the most genuine smile he's shown for twenty years." The moved predator took Judy's paw in her own and placed the other one on top of it. "Thank you."

The doe smiled back at her. "And like I've said before: I didn't do that much. And definitely not something that would deserve such praise. But I'm glad that I could help him."

Vivian pulled her in for short hug. "Alright, so let's work together on this misbehaving kit." She gave Judy a wink when they separated again. "I can give you a hint to what can be wrong with him now, but the rest is up to you."

Judy nodded with determination in her eyes.

"You need to do one thing: ask him about his nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

"Yes, ever since he was a kid, there were things that haunted him at nights, leeching off the only emotion left in him: fear. Sometimes it was better, sometimes worse. In the worst period he had nightmares almost every night for months. And I have a feeling that his behaviour right now could be connected to them."

"Alright, I'll talk with him about it."

Vivian placed a paw on her shoulder. "You do that, sweetie."

After their conversation, Judy finished her tea, thanked the vixen for a meal and headed for the door.

"Judy." The female predator called to the doe.

She turned around with her paw on the door handle. "Yes?"

"Remember when I said that you and Irene are very similar?"

"I do."

Vivian nodded. "However, there is one crucial difference between you two. You have the determination she never had. Don't forget that."

.

.

The door to the tiny cellar, that served the fox as a home, opened and Nick staggered in, shutting it behind him. He leaned his back against the aged wood, slowly sliding to the floor, a bloody trail left by his movements. He sat there in complete darkness, wrapped in the silence, disturbed only by the sound of his wheezing. After spending several minutes like that, he finally trusted his legs enough to stand up again. The fox did so with great trouble and faltered to the sink, droplets of blood from his left paw marking the path he made.

His savage eyesight was enough for him not to use the light to clean up the wounds as he looked over himself. The most serious one being the hole from a porcupine's quill in his paw. A thought prodded his mind to get out of the dirty clothes and he obeyed this suggestion. But when he grabbed the shirt to pull it off, his paws felt that it was drenched with something. Realization hit him instantly and without any warning, caused him to whine and back away on trembling legs. His back hit the wall and Nick slumped onto the floor, hiding his face in his paws, his breathing all over the place. He stayed like that for hours, drenched in blood that didn't belong to him.