Hello everyone,
Here we are with another chapter. I will admit upfront that this is actually a part of the original chapter I was hoping to publish before Christmas. Thing is... the bloody thing got so massive that if I were to publish it as a whole, then it would probably mean pushing it to January. Which is why I am posting part one now, and the second one is still under construction. I do hope to finish it this week or next, we will see.
For today's part, there is a piece of music that very much inspired a certain scene. It's the one with Jackie and her car and it felt like it belonged together. Especially the lyrics in some parts. ;) The song in question is "All That She Wants" (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli). I really recommend giving it a listen.
Also, another inspiration for one of the scenes was a piece of art. We're talking about "Hold On To Me" by the talented The Winter Bunny. It can be found via Google or on DeviantArt - her current nickname there is MizunokoArt. I strongly recommend checking out her art, it's AMAZING.
To answer your reviews:
Blkdragon7 - Am I evil? Yes, yes I am. Wait till you see later chapters. XD
Mim - Happy to see some love for Bogo. The big guy definitely has a soft spot for our two troublemakers.
FirnenOne - He only thought about it. I mentioned in the earlier chapters that lines between asterisks are thoughts. Though I recently update so rarely that it's on me that it hasn't been clarified again. Sorry.
Angus Bruce - Glad to hear that you're enjoying it. :) And, worry not, I'm not going to leave it unfinished.
LexSavage - Wow... It's an amazing compliment to hear that one's works can be inspiring to others. I feel honored. Thank you very much.
Again, thank you all for reading and sharing your thoughts and feelings about the story. It gives energy to keep writing and learning to be a better writer.
THANK YOU!
This would be it for my notes, the story goes on.
Chapter 54
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"...k"
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A tiny strand of consciousness flashed in his skull, noticing a sound.
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"...k"
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It was weird. He somehow knew this sound. Where did he hear it before?
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"...ick!"
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There it goes again. It's familiar.
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"Nick!"
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Nick? Ah, that's right. His name is Nick.
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"Nick! Wake up!"
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Huh? It's a female's voice.
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"Sweet cheese and crackers, wake up!"
Judy?
His eyelids gave up after initial resistance and the world slowly came into his view.
"Nick! Thank Mother Nature! Can you hear me?" She was right above him
"...Fluff?" He croaked with a wooden voice.
"Yes! It's me." Her face was quite close and full of worry. "No, nonono!" She exclaimed as his eyes started closing again. The doe repeatedly petted his cheek. "Stay with me! No more fainting."
Nick could feel the pulsing pain in his skull. "I…", he mumbled, "fainted?"
"Yeah…" Judy let out a breath of relief when he spoke. "You went out like a candle."
He blinked very slowly. "Right… we talked, and…" His memory began operating again and the images from his mind gave him enough information. "Ah…" The fox moved his arms to use his elbows as supports to get up, but he slipped and fell back on his back and… something else.
A second later a soft paw landed on his forehead. "Stay. Just like last time," Judy let out a sigh, but he couldn't detect any annoyance in it.
His head was resting on her lap.
This made him open his mouth.
She narrowed her eyes. "Stay."
He shut his mouth.
Normally, he would've cherished such a moment. Being able to rest his head on his beloved bunny's legs was definitely among the best experiences of his life. Still…
"Carrots…" He began without any specific plan.
Again, she let out a sigh. A much heavier one. "I get it, I'm not dumb. This will most likely happen every time I push you, right?" The doe rubbed her forehead with a paw. "Just… Tell me at least this: Is it something that could hurt me or my family?"
He pondered about that for a moment. *It… could go both ways…* The idea of her family being angry over him trying to be Judy's boyfriend was rather…
"Uh…" Nick covered his eyes with his forearm. "There is a chance of that, if I were to act like a very dumb fox."
There was a moment of silence.
"You mean like a very high chance?"
"Um… If you put it that way…"
Judy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Nick, I'm trying, okay? I'm trying very hard not to whack you on the head right now."
He managed a weak smile. "That sounds like a bunny I know."
"You're reeeeally asking for it."
"Wouldn't beat a helpless mammal, would you?"
This got him a flick to his forehead. "Don't push it." She huffed. "Jokes aside, how do you expect me to function, knowing that you're hiding something potentially dangerous?"
It was a very solid point. One that he couldn't refute or dismiss. *I don't know…* He looked away. There was no solution that he could think of. For this to not be an issue, Judy would have to know the truth. Even then, there was no guarante-
He dared to glance at her, only to catch her gaze.
... I'm a selfish idiot.* The fox took a deep breath while closing his eyes. "One month," he muttered.
"What?"
"Please give me one month and I will tell you everything. AND," he raised his voice a little to prevent interjections, "I swear that nothing bad will happen to you or your family during that time because of it. I swear on my life."
Judy gave him a long, silent stare.
The silence was stretching for long enough for him to worry that he went a bit too far with the time limit.
Eventually, she closed her eyes and gave a small nod. "You get two weeks. Not a day, not an hour longer." The doe opened her eyes and tapped his forehead with the tip of her finger. "Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"All right…" the doe muttered before straightening up. "One more thing… Will this secret hurt you?"
At first he did not process what she meant by that, but the moment it struck him his eyes grew wide.
She cared about him. She was worried about him.
If only his dumb body would allow him to express how much these words soothed him. Nothing he experienced so far in life could ever compare to this feeling. But… for now he could only react in a very limited manner. "If it hurts, it hurts. But maybe not. I have no idea."
This made her frown. "You're not making any sense."
He half chuckled. "Glad to hear it."
They stayed like that for a while longer.
Judy was the first to speak. "Now, are you going to cause trouble?"
Nick frowned. "Huh?"
"Your savagery's… side effect, let's call it." Judy hovered a finger right above his face.. "Should I be worried or very worried?"
The fox looked her dead in the eye, his gaze slightly tinted with panic. "Carrots, I would never-"
"You or the savage inside?"
"Uh…" His confidence in any answer evaporated instantly. She got that slap right bang on the money.
The doe watched how he struggled with a response. It was something occuring more often recently, every time she cornered him about a topic related to his savagery.
But no matter how upset she was with him, she couldn't ignore the absolute misery on her friend's face.
"Back in that alley…" she began and Nick's ears twitched. "You were aggressive and attacked me."
He winced, averting his gaze in shame.
"Nick, look at me."
Her voice right now was not something he could disobey, and he looked up. She was staring directly at his face, but there was no trace of anger or contempt in her expression.
"There was a moment when you practically had me. It would be too late for me to dodge had you attacked. But you didn't. It looked as if you were frozen for a second."
Hearing this, the fox frowned.
Judy gently placed her paw on his forehead. "I choose to believe that, deep down, you didn't want to hurt me and forced yourself to stop for that moment. I think this is also why this weird syndrome kicked in. Cause my own body has felt that you are not an actual threat."
Hope emerged from his eyes. Brittle, but it was there. "I'm sorry… I never wanted you to be in any danger."
The doe showed him a small smile. "I believe you."
Her words, her smile… A legion of angels could never have such a healing effect on him like what he just saw and heard. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank you…" Nick mumbled with a weak voice.
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Zootopia had a huge variety of entertainment venues and places of interest for mammals with even the most niche hobbies. From extravagant theaters, huge cinemas, dazzling theme parks, to shooting galleries, or casinos. Every species had different needs and the commercial side of the city was eager to deliver.
Jackie Spotters was currently taking advantage of one such place.
Tires screeched on the asphalt as her Lamborghini took another turn. The young cheetah swiftly turned the wheel, reducing the gear. As soon as the car entered a piece of straight track, she immediately stepped on the gas, pushing the vehicle forward.
Jackie knew this place well. She had been here so many times with her Lambo that she knew the entire track layout by heart. She would even joke that she could drive through it all with her eyes closed. Those who witnessed her driving skills would probably take it seriously.
But right now she wasn't taking this lap lightly. To her it felt as if she was running away. As fast as possible and as far as possible.
Another turn. More screeching.
It wasn't something she could leave behind. Not in a literal sense, as it dwelled within her. Still, she was definitely doing her hardest to bury it under a flood of adrenaline.
A series of turns. With speed above what a sane driver would call safe.
She was a cheetah, nothing lukewarm could help her drown her senses. It had to be excessive.
More screeching. Tires barely staying on the track.
Explosive.
U-turn taken with almost double the normal speed. Barely.
Something that would almost kill her.
A face flashed in her memory, causing her to freeze for a moment. Bad timing before a turn.
Jackie gasped, desperately spinning the steering wheel. Too late. She hit the brakes with all her strength. Tires burned on the asphalt as the car turned far too late. Rubber met the grass, causing great loss of traction. Through sheer luck, the car only slid sideways and forward before its side hit the hay stacked by the track for situations like these.
Few moments later Jackie groaned from behind the airbag. The safety device gradually deflated. As soon as she was free, her paw shot up to clutch her shoulder wound. "Shit…" she hissed through gritted teeth.
The pain was one thing, but what was worse, her plan failed. She could not deny this any longer. Not with how her heartbeat's been up recently.
The young cheetah kept holding her shoulder while she rested her head on the steering wheel. A moment later she raised her head to bonk her forehead repeatedly against it. "Shit, shit, shit! Why it has to be him?!"
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When they finally sat back on the couch, awkward silence filled the room. Nick had no idea what he could say, or what topic would be most fitting right now. In other circumstances, he would probably tease her or make fun of something work related. But not now. Not when they just had such a grueling conversation.
On the other end of the couch, Judy seemed to have a similar problem. She wasn't saying anything, she simply poked the couch randomly with her finger.
Nick was going through most fitting talking points, but none stood above the rest.
"Is it…" Judy began, folding up her knees, "like a constant thing? Do you…" She swallowed, before casting a glance towards him. "Do you feel that way now?"
The fox shook his head. "No. This…" His mouth had trouble getting the words out. "I am using very strong heat medicine to ward it off. Also, uh, there would need to be… um, some specific s-stimulus..." He wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
"Like wh- Oh…" Her eyes widened, as she recalled the few situations when her partner acted strangely and in a rush to leave. It wasn't difficult to remember how close Nick was to females in those moments. How close he was to her during the sparring session. Her memory reconstructed the moment after he used a shoulder throw and she ended on her back, with him on top of her. The mere thought sent a shiver down her spine. A male predator so close to her. A savage male strong enough to overpower her with ease. What if-
A blanket landed on the couch, right next to her. Judy looked up to see the fox's sheepish expression.
"Um… You shivered."
The doe slowly reached out to place her paw on the material. "...Thanks." She pulled the offered blanket over her shoulders, even though she didn't feel particularly cold.
Another awkward silence bloomed.
One more thought popped into Judy's mind regarding the savagery. If Nick needed to be stimulated to have the savage reaction… Why did he react to a bunny? It didn't make sense, as he was a fox. Not to mention, she was… Judy withheld a shiver that came with a memory of what William said about her looks. She desperately needed a new topic to steer her thoughts onto a different path.
"Whe-" Judy eventually began, but immediately shut her mouth. She rubbed her forehead with a sigh. "I was going to ask 'why didn't you tell me earlier', but I forgot who I'm speaking to."
Nick stared at his knees. "Not exactly a pretty topic… I…" Once again, he struggled to find his voice. "When it started, I thought I could control it with heat medicine until I would get the serum."
"The serum!" Judy's ears perked up. "Nick, you have to go to a hospital! They'll-"
"The supply got stolen, remember?" He shook his head. "Besides, this is no longer some kind of a disease. I'm a mutant. My DNA reconfigured into something completely new."
"But- They could run some tests, look for-"
"I have been tested already. By an authority in the field." He said, surprised that it came out a bit harsher than intended.
The doe's ears twitched. "Nick… Why are you so adamant about not going to a hospital?"
He didn't answer, at first. Only stared at the floor before him. His fingers squeezed the knees tightly. "...I've seen them."
It was barely a mumble. If not for her bunny ears, Judy wouldn't be able to make the words out. "Who?" She asked softly.
Nick bit his lip before throwing her a glance. "The savage mammals. In a hospital." His breathing gradually quickened. "Locked up in padded rooms. Muzzled." He spat out the last word.
Judy blinked, surprised by this information. Of course, she knew about his trauma. Still… "Nick, you're not savage. You are sane and in control. If we go together-"
He shot her a look that gripped her heart with pain. "Was I sane in that alley? Was I sane when you tied me to a metal ladder?"
The doe couldn't tell him the answer. She had none.
"What would happen if they would try to muzzle me? Do you think this-", he tapped erratically at his temple with the tips of his fingers, "this beast would stay still?" His voice began falling apart with every word. "I will not go to any hospital!"
Even through the flood of emotions, he was surprised to see Judy slowly shuffling closer to him on the couch. She had both paws in the air between them in a calming gesture.
"Nick," she said in a soft voice. "It's okay. I understand that you're angry."
He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Sorry… I'm not actually angry. I'm…", he squeezed his fingers, looking at the floor, "scared. Terrified… of what could happen if they try to muzzle me."
"I won't let that happen."
His brows rose, as he looked at her.
Judy's eyes were sharp and clear.
"I… appreciate that, but I'm afraid that I'm not changing my mind." Nick leaned back on the couch.
The doe raised a brow. "What if I tell you to go?"
"I'm afraid I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request," he muttered, crossing his arms. He was prepared to die on this hill. Still, it was probably going to be a battle of attritio-
"Fine."
"Th-" His ears perked up. "What?"
Judy gathered more of the blanket around herself. "What? Not like I can drag you there by force, can I? And if Bogo already knows and you're still here, means he's not planning on doing it either."
Silence on the other end of the couch made her sigh. "Nick, I am trying to help you. I don't want to do it against your will. Though I will still yell in your face if I think you're acting dumb."
"How comforting…" he replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
She shrugged. "Based on our time together so far, get used to yelling."
This time he actually chuckled a little. "Already am."
Judy raised a brow. "Weirdo…"
"You don't say," he replied with rising humor. "A mutated, savage fox is weird to you. Who would've thought?"
She tilted her head left and right, pairing it with an eye roll. "Har, har." She then straightened up, as if struck by a sudden thought. "Say, since we're stuck here anyway, why don't we run a few tests?"
"Huh?"
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A couple of minutes later, Nick eyed the selection of items in front of his friend. "Um… You sure about this?"
"What? Consider this a scientific experiment."
Judy placed the last object on the coffee table by the couch. There were apples, tangerines, couple of bottles of shampoo, small box of paper clips, few pens, an eraser, and other small items that she could find around the apartment.
"Carrots, I already got an offer to donate my corpse to science, so… I'm not exactly keen on that phrasing."
"You're saying that somebody is into you just for your body?'
The amusement in her voice wasn't something he shared. Not after his talk with doctor Octavius. "Congrats," he muttered, "with that level of humor you're ready to be a dad. How ab-" His paw jerked up to capture an incoming fruit.
Judy huffed from her spot on the couch. "Okay, looks like you can pay attention to your surroundings."
Nick put down the tangerine in his paw. "Aand what if I couldn't catch it?"
"Oh, come on, Slick. You're already catching paws from me every other day. A soft tangerine won't kill you." She waved off his worries.
The fox glanced at the remaining objects. "A pen to the eye probably won't, though I'll still find it very uncomfortable."
"Then you simply need to catch them." She threw another item.
They spend the next couple of minutes with Nick getting bombarded by a variety of objects, each thrown with more force than the previous one. Judy even tried throwing three tangerines at once, straight at his face. Nick's eyes widened in surprise, but his paws moved in a blur and caught all of the targets.
"Hmm," The doe scratched her chin.
He put everything back on the table, relieved his partner ran out of bullets. To be sure, he placed them out of her reach. "Why do I get the impression that you're disappointed? Did you really want to get a fruit in my face?"
"Don't be silly. I would never try that," as she said that, she fluttered her eyebrows at him.
This bullet he couldn't intercept. A straight shot to his heart.
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"Okay, I guess we don't have anything heavier."
"Glad you're having fun…"
"This is for your own good, Nick."
"Tell me how."
"Testing your capabilities in a safe environment."
"Hah, more like me lifting the environment."
"Too heavy?"
"Probably will be if you jump on top."
"... That was mean."
"Hey, this whole thing was your idea."
"Fine…"
"Wait, what?"
Judy crouched before catapulting herself upwards. A short flight later she landed on top of the couch. Which was currently above Nick's head.
"Carrots, what are you doing?!" He exclaimed, making sure that his footing is stable, even after adding the doe to the weight he was holding.
"What?" She jumped on the piece of furniture. "Just checking." She jumped again. "If it's really that heavy." One more jump. "With a bunny." Jump again.
Nick grunted, and his arms holding the couch slightly trembled. More from his partner's behavior, than actual weight.
"Caaan't hear you, Slick." She jumped again.
"F-fine, you've made your point! I'm sorry."
Right as he said that, the doe jumped one last time and did a somersault before landing on the floor in front of him.
"See?" Judy said sweetly, carrying a smug smile. "Didn't hurt to be honest." At those words, she reached out to pet him on the cheek.
Nick froze, eyes staring at her paw.
Judy froze, paw on his cheek.
"Uh… sorry…" The doe jerked her arm back, taking a step away from him. However, her heel caught the edge of a rug and she fell on her butt with a surprised squeak.
Nick immediately reached out to help her up.
Bad idea when you're holding a couch over your head.
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"I'm sorrryyyyy," Judy kept apologizing, wringing her paws.
The couch was back on its place, with Nick now sitting on it, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm fine," he sighed.
Which was true. He got his share of beating from Marcus during the academy time. This, according to the crazy doctor, must have helped him in developing some level of physical resistance. In short, he felt discomfort on his skin, and some soft tingling in the flesh, but it was nowhere near the level of pain he'd expect from getting his head smashed by a couch.
"I'll just make a record of it, that honesty can hurt," the fox said, leaning back in his seat. "And I take it that we can cross the durability test from the list?" He raised a brow at his partner, but his words were laced with a bit of humor.
She adorned a weak smile, understanding that he was not mad at her. "Yeah, I guess so."
"It's actually getting a little late. Anything else you'd like to test before supper, doc?"
Judy joined him on the couch, sitting cross legged. "If you're actually up to it-"
"Nothing damaging."
This managed to draw a chuckle out of her. "Yes, no more damage to the poor fox." Judy looked at him with an apologetic smile.
His heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. It sounded ridiculous, but he could swear that her gaze was a sunny ray of warmth during a relaxing weekend. He felt embraced, accepted, warm. He felt at home.
"Um," she pointed at the bookshelf next to the TV, "how about your senses?"
"Huh?" He stammered, broken out of his dreamy vision. "Books?"
Judy nodded. "Mhm, we'll see from how far you can read them." The bunny slipped to the floor and walked up to the shelf. She scanned the spines with her eyes before reaching for one. "How about 'Letters Against War'?"
"Um, read that one already," Nick said from the couch.
Her brow rose up. "What's that got t- You're kidding…" Judy took the book and held it up. "Not possible that you could've memorized it all."
He shrugged with a suggestion of a smirk on his face. "Try me."
And try she did. Judy kept picking random parts of the book, flipping the pages. She asked about page numbers, sentences or even single phrases. He got it all right.
Every. Single. Time.
Judy stared at her partner in amazement, but the fox did not carry a smug expression.
"Not as great as you might think."
The doe blinked. "What?"
He cast her a solemn look. "The more you remember, the more you realize how much you'd like to forget…"
Judy's ears slowly drooped behind her back. She partially opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. She stayed like that for just a second, before her energy surged right back. With ears up and high, Judy stuffed the book back in its place. "This one," she stated firmly, pointing a finger at the spine of another book.
Nick shrugged. "This one what?"
"Title. What's the title here?" She radiated dedication, like a teacher hell bent on getting her student through a tough exam.
Nick stared at her for a moment, before he shook his head and moved his gaze to the book in question. "Master and Margarita."
Judy moved her paw. "This one."
The fox raised a brow. "Pride and Prejudice".
"This one."
"50 Shades of-… Who the hell picked this book?!"
Judy furrowed her brow, looking at the spine to confirm his answer. "What's wrong with it?"
Nick raised his paw. "Trust me. You don't want to know."
"'Trust you', huh?" She sent him a… look. "Okay, let's see." The doe swiftly took the book from the shelf.
Her partner leaned forward, reaching out, but paused. He thought about commenting, but ultimately decided to simply drop back on the couch. *Fine, let's see.* Nick watched from his spot how Judy flips a couple of pages before focusing on one part.
With his enhanced vision, he could easily see how her pupils traveled to read the text. How her eyes widened with every second. How the inside of her ears was gaining a tad darker shade of pink.
Sure enough, it took just a few more seconds for the bunny officer to snap the book close.
"Sooo, how was it?" Nick crooned from his seat.
"Y-y-y…" Judy had trouble getting the words out. She shook her head vigorously, before she snapped back at him. "You read this kind of stuff?!"
The fox raised his paw to gaze at his claws. "I'm an adult, I'm allowed to read adult stuff."
The doe's ears were now really flushed, while her eyes were wide like saucers. "But she was- And he-" She kept losing words, but then something clicked in her mind. "He…"
Nick's ears snapped right up, hearing how her voice trailed off just a little bit.
Judy's eyes lost the panicked expression, slowly switching to a glazed one. "He…"
Nick was right beside her, faster than the shiver which shook her body. The fox wrapped his arms around the doe, just as he was instructed by the doctor. He wasn't keen on invading Judy's personal space, but given what he witnessed at the doc's office, the fox was willing to trust the capybara's judgment.
"He's not here. I'm here." He stated with a strong voice.
The doe initially flinched at the body contact, but a second later her fingers were gripping Nick's shirt. "I-I-..."
"You're safe, Judy," Nick said, gently pulling her closer into the hug. "I won't let anyone harm you," he muttered with his muzzle right next to her ear.
They stayed like this for a while, with the only sound being Judy's breathing. It started off a little rickety, but began stabilizing the moment Nick embraced her.
After a few more seconds, Judy placed a paw on the fox's chest and pushed, but without great force or panic.
He understood and withdrew immediately. "Sorry for jumping forward like that."
Judy looked away, arms wrapped around her torso. "Um, thank you…"
Breathing with relief, Nick placed a paw at the back of his head. "No problem. That's what I'm supposed to be here for, right?" He tried to lighten his voice, but he wasn't convinced himself. "Look, I… sorry for not warning you about the book earlier. Should've been smarter about it."
The doe shook her head. "It's fine... Well," she finally turned her gaze towards him, and showed a small smile, "now I'm fine."
Nick's insides heated up from the warmth his heart emanated at the sight. He had to stop an impulse to clutch his chest with a paw. The fox now fully understood how dangerous this bunny could be. *Twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern…* He thought, as he considered how she could freeze him in his tracks with just a smile paired with a look.
"I need a drink," Judy said as she passed by him on her way to the kitchen.
Nick breathed out, glad for a little distance between them. This was going to be an exhausting evening.
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Judy let out a sigh when she heard a click. "Nick… What are you doing?"
"Just giving you some space and comfort." Came a reply, a bit muffled by the door between them.
The doe opened her mouth, but paused, unsure how to comment. They were already past supper and now they were getting ready for bed. She had her pajamas and a towel in her paws, as she was heading for the shower, while her friend locked himself up in his room. "Niiick, would you mind not treating me like I'm made of glass? I appreciate the thoughtfulness, but this is starting to get ridiculous."
There was a moment of silence from behind the door. "I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable. You know, give you some male free space."
"Well, you've achieved the opposite."
After another silent moment there was a click and the door slowly began opening.
"Don't mind the bare fur."
The door immediately slammed close.
"Just kidding, Slick. Relax." Judy was smiling. The thought of being seen naked was making her almost nauseous, but she just wanted to mess with him a little. To her relief, teasing the fox felt as enjoyable as ever, even regarding such a topic. It was definitely worth it, as the fun outweighed the discomfort. Of course, she would never get herself caught in bare fur. Not after what happened recently.
"Sweet Mother Nature, you're gonna give me a stroke, Fluff."
"That would be quite hilarious, don't you think?" she chuckled, leaning her back on the door. "Imagine the headlines," she moved her paw horizontally in front of her, "local fox found dead after seeing a naked doe."
A muffled sigh came from the other side of the door. Judy raised her ears and smiled, as she recognized it to be a playful type.
They stayed like this for a little longer. Nick could sense her presence, even though she wasn't saying anything. He pondered how he should interpret her humor. It felt a bit like maneuvering in the dark. That, and knowing you had pitfalls all around. He opened his mouth to res-
"...I'm sorry, Nick."
The fox blinked. *Huh?*
Before he could reply in any manner, she went on. "I know that you weren't given much choice in this matter," Judy said with her back to the door. "The doctor was there, my parents, siblings… Looking back at it, everyone made the decision forgetting that you have your own life. It wasn't fair…" Her voice trailed off a bit.
"That's not even your fau-"
"No! It IS my fault!" She raised her voice a notch. "I could've told them that I don't agree. That I am far from living together with a male after what happened," Judy paused for a moment to take a deeper breath. "But I didn't. I just… selfishly thought that this could help me get better soon. And…" there was another moment of silence from behind the door, "part of me thought that you owe me for keeping so many secrets. So, yeah, I'm the one wh-"
"I'm sorry," Nick cut in with a rather bleak voice, "You're right about me owing you. Not just for the lies…" His thoughts went back to the time he was just a conmammal without real friends or even family. "And it's not like anyone forced me into this. Peer pressure is nothing new to me. I wanted to help you. Especially, when nothing would have happened if I had been honest with you from the start."
Judy remained silent, forcing herself to withhold any comments. She recognized this moment as one of those when her friend was willing to open up. Although she burned with the urge to respond to his words, she kept silent to not throw the fox off balance.
Nick went on. "Instead of sharing my thoughts with you, I decided to cowardly stay behind a wall. Don't you see? I mentally walled off myself from you. Had I been open about my thoughts, you wouldn't end up in such a situation and this whole living arrangement wouldn't be necessary!" The fox didn't even realize that he had raised his voice at the end. His breathing became faster as he cooled off.
"...What thoughts?" Came from the other side of the door.
"What?" Nick wasn't exactly sure what she was asking about.
"You just said 'my thoughts', what did you mean by that?"
His heart felt as if someone began pouring ice cold water on it. *Holy- What now?! I can't lie, and I don't want to tell the truth! Shi- what do I do?!*
"Nick?" This time the bunny's voice carried a hint of worry.
"I… had him checked," he said slowly and carefully. "Your ex. After the bank situation, I asked an acquaintance of mine to dig up everything on that bunny. There wasn't anything conclusive or solid, but it was enough for me to get suspicious."
The response was almost instantaneous. "What did you find?"
"That's…" The fox groaned internally.
"Nick, open the door." The firmness in her voice surprised him, even more so than the sudden request. "Please," she added after a second.
The fox sighed. There wasn't much he could do when she asked like that.
The door opened. The fox and the bunny now standing face to face.
"Please tell me what you have found," she said, looking him in the eye.
Nick sighed internally. *I've found out that I love you…*
"He had a series of girlfriends before joining the ZPD. He has spent the biggest amount of time with the last one. It didn't match his pattern, to dump a girl to join the academy. And…" The fox scratched the back of his head. "I thought it connected to what he… lied about in the bank." Nick had no idea how Judy would react, but knew he couldn't hold on to this information forever.
Judy stood in place, pajamas and towel draped over her shoulder. Her eyes were… neutral. Which to Nick meant only that she could react in any way from this point on. "And the conclusion?"
He gave up. It was obvious she would not yield on this. Once she caught a whiff of an unsolved issue, she would hold on to it like nothing else mattered. *Almost like a predator with its prey.* He thought half jokingly. "I discovered that he still cared a lot for his last girlfriend. Possibly enough to get… entangled in shady deals." Nick eyed her face for any reaction.
"Wait…" Her ears dropped when she pointed at him with the towel-holding paw. "You're telling me that he didn't do it voluntarily, but got dragged into it?"
"Well-"
"That would make sense." Judy held her chin in thought. "He told me that he got paid to become my… 'boyfriend'."
Nick's ears twitched. "He said that? Paid by whom?"
She seemed to ignore her words and began muttering. "But that leaves the question of who paid him. Was it Bellweather? Seems most likely. Unless there is someone else pulling the strings, that sheep is the prime suspect."
The fox raised a finger. "Actuall-"
Judy straightened up like a spring. "Nick, has the ZPD interrogated William already? He's bound to know more than what we currently have."
Nick looked her in the eye and saw something disturbing. Judy was looking at him, but at the same time her gaze felt as if focused somewhere else. *Crap… Wasn't this what the doc said?* He gently placed a paw on her shoulder. "Carrots, I think you're becoming slightly obsessed…"
She shook her head. "Nick, I have to solve this."
He nodded. "And we will, but you've also been told by the doctor to focus on getting better."
Judy folded her arms with a huff, her ears now at full height.. "I'll feel better once we catch that sheep!"
Nick forced a smile on his face. "Do you know what the doctor told me, explaining my role as your 'protector'? That victims of attacks can sometimes develop an obsession towards something, so that they can escape the thoughts about their pain. Aand, you're kinda swinging that way right now."
The doe looked taken aback. She slowly lowered her arms. "I… I am?"
His expression softened, and he took the paw back. "Look, it's already late, so why don't you take a shower and we'll sleep on it. And," he added quickly before she could cut in, "tomorrow we'll use the phone to call and ask for the progress of the investigation. If they'll try to brush us off, we'll just say that it's necessary for your recovery, hm?"
Her ears dropped while she looked a bit ashamed. "Okay… " Judy pointed a finger at him in a sheepish gesture. "...Sounds like a plan." Having said that, albeit with a weak voice, she pivoted and retreated towards the bathroom. Halfway there, she paused to turn around and look at Nick. "And, um, sorry…"
The fox adorned a light smirk while shrugging. "I'm here to support you, remember?"
This earned him a small smile. "Yeah… thanks."
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Judy decided to spend the remaining evening reading something. Since she had no internet access, she picked one of the books from the living room. Given her preference for mystery, she would normally go for a crime thriller. However, given what occurred just before her shower, Judy decided not to risk getting agitated by such a genre. As she flipped the page of the book about Clawpatra, her ears twitched at the sound of the opening bathroom door. Soft pawsteps went from the bathroom, down the corridor, and stopped by her room.
There was a knock on the door. "Hey," Nick called from behind it, "I'm heading to bed. Need anything?"
"No, thanks," Judy replied from her spot on the bed. "Get some sleep, Mr Beast. We don't want a half-asleep savage around, don't we?"
"Har, har. Then I'm off to hug Morpheus. Night." With those words, he headed to his room.
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In a different part of the city, a certain cheetah was giving a hostile stare to a piece of paper. Jackie was laying on her bed, holding a letter in her paw.
Christmas dinner invitation.
Felt almost like a curse to her. Why would she want to eat with that mammal? The cheetah dropped the letter on the bed and rolled onto her back. Her car was back in the garage, as she didn't want to take it to a mechanic right away. Besides, she knew enough about cars to assess that it wasn't severely damaged by the crash. Her reaction at the last second was most likely the reason for that. That and the hay on site. In any case, she had a far more annoying problem on her paws.
She recalled one time when her mother landed with her leg in a cast after some crazy stunt. Her husband was extremely upset with her, but she was very calm and even hugged him. When he left the room, her mother petted her on the head and said something she didn't fully understand at that point.
My little hummingbird, mommy and daddy are fine. He's just worried. And he loves us both very, very much. So… should something happen to me… please do not hate him.
Those words burned her heart at the moment. She loved her mother dearly, and she missed her every day. When she died… It was as if the sun lost its radiance. The entire world became a tone darker. And yet… and yet she asked her to not hate the mammal who despised that very glow in her?
Jackie shot the invitation letter another glare. The only way she would go is to spite her old man. To pull off something that would throw him off the rails really hard. Something that would piss him off, disappoint like hell. Maybe a really scandalous outfit, or some gravely unwanted compa-
She blinked.
Now that was a thought! Jackie grinned to herself and sprung up to reach to her nightstand. She grabbed her phone to look up a contact number.
"Let's test it out, shall we?" She muttered to herself while wearing a mischievous smile on her face. Then her fingers tapped away to write a message.
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Judy's eyes snapped open and ears sprung up when she heard a muffled whine from behind the wall that separated their rooms. She listened intently, wondering if she just misheard it due to her burdened mind playing tricks on her. But then it came again, now higher pitched, colored by a painful tune.
"Nick?" She whispered to herself.
The bunny scooted to the edge of her bed before dropping down to the floor, the fur on her hindpaws not able to block out all of the cold from the wooden surface. She ignored the minor discomfort and walked out of her room and approached the door to the fox's bedroom. They were partially open, leaving several inches of view to the darkness inside. Not much of help to Judy, as she didn't possess night vision. Still, she could make out some movement in the deeper part or the dark space before her.
"…no…" A weak yelp of the voice belonging to her partner penetrated her body, much more forcefully than the cold ever could.
With a hard-beating heart, Judy swallowed and tapped her knuckles on the door, wanting to check if the fox wasn't awake by any chance. "Nick?" She asked out loud, yet with a slightly nervous voice. "Are you okay?"
She counted the seconds of silence that followed her question, eventually thinking if the fox even heard her. And then, he spoke once again, the words squeezing her heart in a painful grip.
"…Carrots…please…no…" The last word carried a begging whine to it, melting the remains of doubt in the doe's mind and she pushed the door open to walk inside. As she did that, clouds that were covering the night sky finally moved away, revealing the moon. The white, dim stream of moonlight filled the room, revealing a heart wrenching sight to Judy.
Nick was laying on his back in a black, sleeveless shirt and charcoal shorts, tossing and turning his head while his face was contorted from pain. It was not a physical one, she could tell that much, but a more deeply rooted emotional type. His facial features tensing, forming sharp lines.
Judy felt her eyes starting to burn, being on the verge of spilling tears. She crawled up on the bed next to the fox and placed a paw on his thigh, shaking him a bit, trying to break him out of whatever nightmare he was living through right now. She could feel his trembling through the thin material. The bunny knew about his bad dreams, he confided in her about them and how they keep clinging to him, but seeing this in person was a completely different experience.
"Nick, Nick! Wake up!" She called to him with a quivering voice, struggling with herself to not burst into tears from the sight of her partner's suffering.
Neither her voice or her touch could break him out of the dark slumber, as he turned his head again, this time facing her.
"…Judy…I'm sorry…" He groaned quietly, adding another painful stab to her chest. Nick would only call her actual name when he was serious, like… feeling guilty towards her... "…please…don't…not a muzzle…"
Hearing this, Judy let out a strained gasp. She was aware of his traumatic experience with a muzzle and how much it affected him. To have visions of her, muzzling him like some criminal or a beast…
What kind of horrifying dream would make him say this?
This was too much for the young doe and the tears flowed down her cheeks. Abandoning all reservations, Judy leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the fox's head, pressing her forehead to his cheek, droplets from her own face falling down on his facial fur.
"It's okay, Nick," she whispered to his ear. "I would never muzzle you. It's okay, you're okay."
Then, to her shock, Nick's fingers searched the space before him and found her leg. He grabbed her with his paws, bringing her down to the bed with him, making them lay on the side, facing each other. The fox curled up his legs and tail. She could feel him pull her closer, with one paw at the back of her head and placing the other right above the base of her tail. This move made her gasp, bringing a shiver to her body, but unlike the time where she was forced to such intimacy, Judy did not feel any threat or discomfort. She expected to automatically jolt back from the touch, but… that didn't happen. This was a great surprise to her, as she didn't even imagine such close physical contact with a male at this point. And while her therapist would probably dismantle this situation down to some psychological reactions to him being her protector, she knew better.
She was fine with this because, despite what happened in the alley, as a female she trusted Nick.
The doe was made aware that many victims of assaults, like the one she experienced, had trouble with getting close to males, even after years of trust. That was including even their own mates. But all that was irrelevant in this moment, when she was holding her trembling friend in her arms. Judy then felt wetness on her arm and noticed glittering drops, trailing down from his squeezed shut eyes.
"…I'm sorry, Judy…I'm so sorry…I'm sorry…" he kept mumbling, his fingers tightening their grip on her body.
"Oh Nick…"
Her heart was bleeding for him, seeing him so different from the attitude he had when he was awake. A confident, humorous fox with a smile on his face, and strength depicted in his body, which he trained during the time at the Academy. But now? A miserable, trembling fox that was weeping in her arms. If she could, she would hug his weathered heart and cradle it to her chest, trying to soothe the aching wounds it received throughout the years. Judy kept brushing the fur on the top of his head with her fingers, the other paw gently holding his muzzle.
She noticed that after some time of these ministrations, Nick's body began relaxing, the trembling slowly subsided and his breathing evened out, now more stable and deep.
"…I… sorry…" he mumbled once again, though much quieter.
"That's it, Nick. Calm down," she whispered to him. "You can hold onto me. Everything is going to be okay."
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Nick's consciousness flickered, informing him that it was time to go back online. However, he didn't feel inclined to wake up. For some reason he had one of the most relaxing nights in years. In fact, he felt almost blissful, that's how comfortable the bed was now.
Still, the day had to start at some point. He stretched his fingers a bi-
There was something in his grasp. Felt quite fluffy to the touch. He gave it a tentative squeeze.
There was a soft gasp right above his head.
Nick's heart froze. He knew that voice. The fox risked opening his eyes to take a small peek. He saw a creamy underside of a small, furry mammal. A mammal of lapine persuasion. A female mammal he usually saw in a uniform.
When all those facts connected, his eyes snapped open, wider than ever before in his life.
Nick realized he was in bed with Judy laying on the side right next to him, while… While his paws were holding her body.
To describe what happened next would require imagining how medieval siege weapons work. Nick's body horizontally catapulted away from Judy. This made him drop from the bed with a yelp.
The jolt of separation was enough to wake Judy up, and she raised her head. "Mnh… Nick?" She said with a drowsy voice, rubbing her eyes with the back of her paw.
The doe saw her friend's legs and tail up in the air, as he landed square on his head by the bed.
But a heartbeat later he scrambled away on all fours, sitting by the nearest wall and pressing his back to it. "J-J-Judy… I-I- swear…" He stuttered while raising trembling paws in front of him like a shield.
"Huh?" She sat up, clearly still dazed from waking up. It was actually a somewhat new experience for her, as she usually would spring right up in the morning. Sometimes even before dawn if the situation called for it.
Nick's heart was beating like crazy while he pinned himself to the wall, too terrified to move or even speak. *What the hell happened?! The medicine didn't work?! Did the savage part took over?! Why wasJudyinmybedinherpajamaswithmeandwhythe-*
"Nick."
He heard his name being called, which caused him to blink and refocus on reality.
Apparently, Judy was now fully awake. She crawled to the side of the bed, and swung her legs over the edge.
At the sight of the doe getting closer, Nick plastered himself even harder against the wall.
His friend noticed this and raised her paws in a calming gesture. "Look, it's okay-"
Nick dropped to his knees, slamming his forehead and paws on the carpet in front of her. "I have no idea what happened! I fell asleep and you were there when I woke up! I would never-"
"I know."
The calm in her voice gave him pause, and he dared to raise his head a bit. Enough to cast a panicked gaze at her.
Judy was on the floor, and she slid closer to him. The doe placed a paw on his tense shoulder. "Listen to me, Nick. You didn't do anything, okay? It's all right."
He sat back up. "Wha- But we-"
Judy's finger shot forward, landing on the end of his muzzle. "It's okay. You were talking and thrashing in your sleep, so…" She paused briefly while she looked a bit to the side. "I entered your room to check up on you. I just wanted to calm you down, but when I got closer… Well, um, you grabbed me into a hug."
Nick's ears gradually lowered hearing this, just as his anxiety began rising again.
"But that's all!" Judy stated firmly, regaining her composure. "Listen to me very carefully, got it? I am saying that you have done nothing wrong. Understood? You have nothing to blame yourself for." She did her best to hammer that point home, seeing how panicked he was right now.
His ears slowly rose from the back of his head. "...Okay." He was still unsure if everything was settled, but he also couldn't dismiss her words.
Judy showed him a small smile and stood up. "How about I make some breakfast, hm?" With those words she headed for the door. She went out of the room, but a second later stuck her head back in. "Don't overthink this, get it?"
It was more of an order than a question, and while he couldn't exactly promise that, Nick simply nodded.
Judy left the room and headed for the bathroom first. Once she closed the door, the doe leaned back on it, placing her paw on her chest while the other covered her mouth. Her heart was beating like crazy and she couldn't stop a blush from blooming on her cheeks.