Serendipity's Shadow
Rated T
Chapter 25
When Tia heard that Judy was awake. The doubt about Judy not pulling through melted away. Along with the fear of the Shadow. Tia, without hesitation, walked past the fox and straight into Judy's room. Tia looked at the rabbit who was resting her eyes on the makeshift hospital bed.
"Judy?"
Judy's ears twitched at the sound of Tia's voice. She opened her eyes to look at the doorway. Upon seeing Tia, a small smile reached Judy's lips.
"They…didn't…get…you."
Tia shook her head in confirmation.
"…Good." Judy laid her head back down in comfort.
Nick waited behind the ferret impatiently before finally walking past the ferret. He made it a point to give her a slight shove as he walked past. Nick really didn't care for this ferret that Judy risked her life for.
"I got you the water." Nick stated assisting Judy into a sitting position.
Judy was grateful for the refreshing feeling of the water soothing her sore throat. The feeling allowed her to swallow her pride and ignore the fact that Nick was helping her. After she had consumed about half of the glass Nick helped Judy lay back down. Tia watched from the sidelines as her heart warmed at the sight of the couple. Even though they acted like they weren't a couple.
"How long was I out for?" Judy asked with a clear voice.
"Half a day, at least." Nick stated.
"Any updates I should know about?"
"I got into contact with that useless boss of yours. He was concerned about you since you didn't keep your promise to stay in contact." Nick stressed to Judy. "So, I'm not the only one being kept in the dark? Huh, Carrots."
Judy glared at Nick before turning to address Tia.
"Are you okay?"
Tia spared a glance at the fox who was pouting at Judy.
"Mr. Wilde has been more than accommodating." Tia answered as if she had rehearsed it for hours.
Judy studied Tia for a second only to immediately glare back at Nick.
"Did you threaten her?!"
"Seriously?" Nick asked annoyed.
"Did you?"
"…Miss Mustela. Could you kindly leave the room for a moment?
"Uh-"
"It's fine Tia." Judy nodded for Tia to leave the room.
Nick stared at Judy, Judy watched Tia slowly leave, and Tia watched the couple hesitant to leave. As soon as the door closed Nick didn't waste a second.
"Why the hell do you always assume the worst of me?" Nick accused quickly with a sharp glare.
"Maybe if you didn't give me so many reasons to think that I wouldn't," Judy argued back.
"Ah, yes! How could I forget I am in the presence of little Miss Perfect, the high and mighty officer herself, Miss Judy Hopps!" Nick walked away from the bed to pace the floor. "Only problem there Carrots is that you are just as flawed as me or anyone else in this damned city."
"At least I don't go around town acting like a bigshot. You always choose to intimidate anyone and everyone just to make sure you always get your way!" Judy caught up in the arguing sat straight up as possible ignoring the pain.
"At least my way gets faster results!" Nick grabbed the railings at the foot of the bed. "Unlike your way that only seems to be just the fast-track option of getting yourself killed!"
"You always act as if I planned for this to happen! Just like when we were together. You always assumed that in every case I took, I took it to hurt you. Well news flash Mister Shadow Man, I didn't!"
"Then why did you never let me help?!" Nick walked away his back facing Judy.
"What the hell are you talking about? You helped me with every case I ever did when we were together!"
"No! I helped you get Intel." Nick made his way back Judy. "You never once asked for backup, supplies, you never asked for help. You never asked for my help!"
"…Why are we even-"
"No! You wanted to talk. So, let's talk, Carrots."
"Oh, now you're okay with talking?!"
"Like I said. Let us talk." Nick sat in the chair talking in a low, albeit slightly intimidating, voice.
Judy completely unfazed by his tone glared at him for a good minute.
"Fine. You wanna talk? Then let me ask you a question, Shadow. Why would I ever want to ask help from someone who saw me as nothing more than a token bunny?!" Judy spat at Nick with venom refusing to look him in the eye.
"…When have I ever-"
"One week after I found out you had a team trailing me. Two weeks before I left you." Judy stated. "I was still mad at you for insisting on having people follow me. I naïvely believed you for a while that you got rid of them. Only to figure out that you had lied to me, again! I…was so mad, confused, and upset that the only thing I could think of was to visit Finnick. Imagine my surprise when I walk through the shop to see you and Finnick chilling out drinking…Before I even had a chance to announce myself you started talking."
"I just don't get her problem." Nick stated slightly drunk.
"I don't blame her. Hell, even I was freaked out for a while when you had people trailing me for 'safety'."
"Yeah, well she's annoying the crap out of me about it."
"She'll calm down." Finnick stated sounding annoyed with his drunk friend. "You gotta remember she's not used to this world, Nicky Boy."
"She'll never get used to this world." Nick stated with a condescending laugh. "I won't let her for one and you forget Fin, my friend…she's a cop."
"So?"
"She, and everyone else in blue, are in my pocket. It doesn't matter how successful she is. At the end of the day, I control this city. And her little fluff butt that works in it. All she needs to do is just stay by my side and keep being my perfect little token bunny."
"I went home not knowing what to do. You were drunk when you got home a few hours later so you slept on the couch." Judy's lips began to quiver as she tried to hold back the tears. "I remember waking up that morning hearing those words echoing in my head. You, you were just all smiles making pancakes for breakfast. You thought I was still mad at you for having people trail me. So, you left me alone…mostly. And it hurt. It hurt so much watching you trying to be a good partner every day up to my leaving. When all I could hear was your words that night."
"…I was drunk-"
"Don't you dare try to excuse yourself saying you were drunk! You were the one that always told me being drunk was never an excuse. Because the person deciding to pick up the alcohol and swallow their choices. Then they take responsibility for everything that follows after"
Nick watched as a lone tear fell from Judy's eye. He reached out to wipe it away, but Judy turned her head. She was done allowing Nick to think he had control over her.
"Then!" Judy laughed in a sad tone. "Then that damned promotion happened. I just…couldn't anymore. I packed up my things as fast as possible. Wrote you that letter and hid back at home. The only place I thought your influence wasn't strong enough."
"…I came after you."
"I know." Judy sighed remembering it all. "But I couldn't go back to you. I knew that if I did…I would spend the rest of my life hearing those words echo in my head. Even when you eventually found me again, I had to leave."
"…" Nick had nothing to say.
"It hurt so much to hear you say that!" Judy cried looking at Nick who looked heartbroken. "And then the ridicule that followed at the ZPD…was nothing like I ever experienced before. I was so, so, so ready to call it quits. But then I thought if I did that. Then I would just be making what you said true. So, I stayed, worked my ass off, and gained back the approval of my peers. And was doing a damned fine job at it too! Then this whole mess happened."
"…And you kept me out of it as much as possible…because you didn't want to repeat history."
"More or less." Judy wiped away the tears on her face. "I just wanted to prove one more time that I didn't need the Shadow to be a good cop."
Judy looked to the bandage wrapped around her stomach.
"And look where that got me."
"…"
"…"
"I'm sorry. I am so sorry, Carrots." Nick apologized sincerely.
He didn't know. How was he supposed to know? Nick always thought she left because of his two-month absentee period. That was followed by the hired guards to follow Judy. And then the final straw was when he forced that promotion on her. Not for one moment did it ever occur to Nick that Judy was there for that drunk conversation with Finnick.
"He hit me." Nick finally spoke up after a long moment of silence.
"What?"
"Finnick hit me after I said that on that night." Nick laughed at himself. "I deserved it and more. He told me I had an amazing thing going for once in my life. And that I shouldn't let my fear push you away. I refused to listen…and what he said came true. You left and proved me wrong at every turn while you were at it."
Judy smiled proudly at herself for a moment before looking at Nick.
"I didn't ask for your help this time because I truly believed that once Tia and I got to the house. We would be as good as gold."
"And you should have been." Nick rubbed his jaw in thought. "Clifford Ermine either has a big pair of balls or he's a massive dumbass."
A knocking sound interrupted their conversation that switched from yelling, truth revealing, and plot thinking.
"Sir? It's me, Dr. Mike."
Nick became annoyed again. He wanted to ask about Clifford, their relationship, and if there was any chance for them to be together again. Judy was and always will be the best thing that ever happened to him. but he knew that her health was more top priority right now.
"Come on in." Nick gave his permission.
Dr. Mike and his assistant walked through the doorway.
"Sir, I ask you to leave the room so I can evaluate Miss Hopps comfortably."
"Never gonna happen." Nick firmly stated.
"Nick." Judy warned. "I can speak for myself. If he says you need to leave…then you should leave."
And just like that, their earlier conversation went down the drain. Judy's walls were back up and Nick wasn't allowed in.
"…Fine." Nick immediately stood walking past Dr. Mike. "Remember Doc, anything happens to her…"
"I- I understand Sir." Dr. Mike mumbled obediently.
With a nod, Nick left the room refusing to look back at Judy. Instead, he decided to be productive with this time and vent out his frustration. He needed to pay a visit to Clifford Ermine.