It was bound to be a boring night. The night desk person was outsick, and Benjamin had already worked

his weight in hours, so Judy had offered to take phone duty for the nightshift… and night shift was

boring. All the night officers were stationed elsewhere, and most of the crimes called in were between

7:00Pm to 12:00Pm or 6:00 am and 7:00 am…. Needless to say there was little, if anyone to talk to.

And given how hyperactive she was it was not going to be pretty.

The lightbulb in her little head went off…. She decided to look at the open case files. She sorted through

Them all… after studying them one had caught her attention.

Suddenly, in the main atrium of the police station adjacent to the office she was rummaging through,

she heard a noise, a noise that made her heart race.

"THE KILLERS… THEY'RE COMING! AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHH!" a cackling voice screamed.

She was startled by the initial loudness of it….. but the voice was unmistakable.

"Your an idiot Nick!", she replied, yelling into the atrium.

"Well, you're a friend, alone in a dimly lit police station, can't blame me for seizing the opportunity", He

replied.

"Not that I don't enjoy your company….. for some ungodly reason….. but didn't you have some show

you wanted to watch or something at 1:00?" She said, speaking into the atrium.

"What?!... you getting loopy carrots? It ended two hours ago!".

She looked at the office clock, 3:00Am.

"Oh my…. I guess I'm just wrapped up in this case, i'm considering doing it".

Nick shuffled into the office, intrigued.

"What case? Robbers? Rackets? Reckless endagerers? Republicans?" He shot back.

She giggled "No, it's been sitting in the open case file bin for awhile, some bikers are causing some

trouble of 9th street".

"Oh", Nick sounded slightly concerned, "You sure?"

"Why not?" she replied.

"McHorn knew of them before he became a police officer, he told everybody not to mess with them,

suggested SWAT deal with them".

"Really?", she sounded back surprised, "Most of their crimes are low level, vandalism, public

intoxication, spotted with crack pipes, harassment".

"All I know is that McHorn seemed pretty frightened by them, and you know what a rock he can be", He

replied.

"No matter" she said back, grabbing a stapler and positioning it in her hands like a gun, "I'll take em all

On, they wont even see me coming…. 'what was that?' they'll say…. 'JUDY HOPPS, ZPD' I'll yell back!"

She said, firing the stapler onto the floor.

Nick laughed, he couldn't help but admire her perseverance.

"Well I wouldn't be so sure carrots, that might be police brutality", he replied. "Besides, a bunch of tuff

burly, testosterone filled bikers like those… I can guarantee you they wouldn't be able to handle your

cuteness".

"Um Nick….. that's a little politically incorrect…..yknow….. calling me cute….".

"Well…. It's a fact. It may not apply to all bunnies, but in the individual case there is nothing politically

incorrect about it." He shot back.

"Well regardless, its got negative connotations, I've been called cute in a derogatory way many times, it

always brings bad feelings in me regardless of the context". She replied.

"Fine", he said, "I'll rephrase it. Such ugly and gritty bikers wouldn't be able to handle your prettiness".

Judy froze, blood rushing to her grey cheeks, "You….. you think im pretty?".

She had been great friends with Nick for at least 1 and1/2 years since the predator fiasco, and deep down

within herself, She had always felt something…. More… she couldn't quite place her finger on it, so

she ignored it. But NEVER…. In a million years…. Would she think that nick would find her attractive.

"W….w…well, y….y…you know….. pretty by a bunnies standards….". He replied.

She sensed his nervousness, anyone with eyes and ears could have realized his apprehension at what

was a normal question, and for the first time in their friendship "something more" firmly became

"more". She felt butterflies in her stomach, giddiness flooded her emotions at his clear evasion of

the topic.

"I…i….. I mean…. It's ok if you think im pretty", She paused "in more than just by….. bunny

Standards...".

He froze, but suddenly his quick wit kicked in.

"Yes, I admit it…. Your pretty… your pretty by a lot of standards….. just like Bogo is handsome by a lot

of standards. And I'm certainly not personally attracted to him….. so I just don't want your to read into

that statment too much". He replied.

Judy continued to look into her lap, face straight, trying to hold back her emotions…. "Are you sure?",

she said.

"Yeah im sure, sure as can be carrots", he replied.

Judy paused "… you don't sound sure."

Nick froze up, his entire body locking , "You know what…. This is way too awkward….. maybe we can

continue this when your, less sleepy…. Besides….. I have to go… missing re runs of Full Mouse".

He half walked, half ran for the door.

"Nick", she said quietly, her face straight.

"Yeah?" he looked back, leaning through the door.

Judy Broke into a sly smile, her eyes half closing, "Full Mouse doesn't re run 24/7… as much as you

don't want to….your gonna have to face me sooner or Later."

And with that he ran, like the coward he was, sprinting out of sight.

Judy smiled, "I should take the night shift more often".