Hello, most cherished readers!

Special thanks time!

Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps, for beta-reading this chapter and sharing his wisdom. ;) Thank you!

fictionalwritings09, for drawing a FANTASTIC sketch of Jackie Spotters, which you can find in her gallery on Deviantart (search for Cider-Bomb). I strongly recommend seeing it, as the picture is AWESOME (I want to draw like that xD)! Many thanks!

Jackie: Nick! Look! Just look at this! *hands over a drawing*

Nick: Hm? It's you…

Jackie: No, it's not! I'm not that fat!

Judy: What you got there?

Nick: A drawing of Spots.

Judy: Lemme see. *eyes the paper* Looks great.

Jackie: No, no, no it doesn't!

Nick: But it really looks like you.

Judy: Yeah and I'd never say you look stouter here.

Jackie: *groans* Oh! Vasily, Vasily! Look! *thrusts the drawing to his face*

Vasily: Good?

Jackie: No!

Vasily: Bad?

Jackie: Yes!

Vasily: *frowns* Don't understand…

Jackie: *facepalms*

Also, thank you everyone, for being here, following the story and posting reviews! It really gives a motivating kick to go on and try to make it even better. :) Thank you!

MUSIC NOTE The scene in the club was inspired by the song Meltdown by Swollen Members.

Aand we have tiny movie reference in this chapter.

Oh, and a small detail: Remember the story genre? The 'romance' part? ;)

Chapter 31

"Before I say anything, I want to know why did you even come here." Nick asked his mother while she was bandaging his pierced paw. "And with a first aid kit." He pointed at the bag that Vivian brought with her, which she dropped on the floor when Nick grabbed her earlier. His eyes already returned to normal and his anxiety and headache dispersed.

Vivian finished treating his last wound and sat on the bed next to her son. "Rose and Silver told me what happened. They got to the ER and I ran into them in the waiting room. Apparently, you've been running around, playing hero. And given the state I've found you here last time, I thought that the kit might come in handy."

Nick groaned and rubbed his temples. "Those two…"

"Now that I've answered your question…" The vixen began while putting a paw on his knee. "Would you mind telling me why did you scare the living soul out of your mother? And what's with those eyes of yours? They looked like that of a-"

"-savage animal?" The fox finished for her. After receiving a nod, Nick sighed and fell back on the bed. "Because I am one." He admitted gravely. *There, I said it. But the difficult part comes now…*

To Vivian's credit, she has barely shown any reaction to this confession. Apart from the way she squeezed his knee with a slight tremble of her paw, Nick didn't register the shock he was expecting.

"How did this happen?" She asked in a fairly calm voice, but being a hustler for so many years, Nick knew that it was just a façade. But also felt a bit of comfort that she did not question or doubt his words for even a second. No 'impossible' or 'you're joking' from her, she simply accepted the fact and wanted to know more.

"Remember the Missing Mammals case from about a year ago?" He tapped the side of his neck. "I got shot with the Nighthowler serum." Nick didn't have to explain any further as the entire thing was all over the media for quite some time. ZPD and the City Hall have decided to disclose everything regarding the case to calm down the citizens and leave no doubt that the 'savagery' was an artificially induced state, caused by a drug. He scrunched his nose. *Everything, apart from the role a fox played in solving the case… Most likely the mayor's PR advisors suggested it. Oh no, we can't have a fox saving the city.*

She frowned hearing his explanation. "But… all those animals… you didn't change. Why?"

He shrugged, staring at the dirty ceiling. "Who knows? Maybe because I had no other choice…" Nick recalled the fear in Judy's eyes back then.

"What do you mean 'no choice'?"

After casting a cautious look at his mother, Nick slowly sat back up and supported himself on his knees. "It was that or bite Carrots…"

"Carrots? You mean Judy?"

He nodded. "I just… I couldn't bring myself to do it. No matter what, I would never hurt her. Just the thought that…" His voice faltered, trapped in his throat. How could he put into words the feeling of loss that he imagined if the bunny would disappear from his life. Again, he had this unsettling feeling in his chest that he couldn't exactly understand. And it revolved around a question that returned to him time and time again:

Who is Judy to me?

The answer seemed simple. A friend and a partner. He knew that very well. But the fox couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something he was missing here. But no matter what, he couldn't put his finger on it.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Vivian's soft voice brought him back to reality.

He shook his head to clear his mind of the scattered thoughts. "Of course, she's my friend after all." A small smile appeared on his face. "She saved my life and she's really someone worth backing up."

"She brought you on the right path, that I know for sure." The vixen rubbed Nick's shoulder with motherly affection.

This made Nick let out a chuckle. "And I am still not able to tell how she did it."

Just as he said it, Nick's paw moved in a blur toward his mother. In a blink of an eye he caught her wrist, her paw now holding a syringe, in a firm, but gentle hold. She had to reach secretly to the bag behind her while he was talking.

Vivian clicked her tongue in irritation.

The fox smiled knowingly at his mother. "Did you think that the same trick would work on me twice?"

She struggled for a moment, but his arm was immovable, like an iron bar.

"Nicky," She said in a scolding manner, eyeing her son with a warning glare. "You know full well that you should go to a hospital! They have the cure!" The vixen tried to take the syringe in her other paw, but she had no chance against Nick's savage reflexes. He easily caught her other wrist and laughed.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my mother." Then his expression changed into a serious one. "But to answer your suggestion: no way in hell. Go to let them muzzle me? To throw into a cage like some beast?"

"Nicky, that was to deal with aggressive mammals! You're perfectly fine, why would they muzzle you? If you'd just explain-"

"I'm a fox!" He snarled, startling his mother. "They'd drop me with tasers the moment I'd say 'Hey, I'm a savage animal'. Nobody would care about my explanation!"

She bit her lip, knowing that he had a valid point. Foxes were still considered untrustworthy in Zootopia. "Then what about Judy? She could-" Suddenly Nick's grip tightened, almost causing her to gasp from pain.

"Don't drag her into this." He warned the vixen with an angry spark in his eyes. "She doesn't know anything and it's going to stay that way!"

"Wha-" She began, shocked by his reaction. The last time she has seen him this emotional was ten years ago, when they had a fight over what happened with Irene. "Why?" Vivian posed an obvious question.

Nick snatched the syringe from his mother's fingers and let her go, turning his gaze away from her. "Because I don't want her to hate me." He instantly raised a finger to stop the vixen's incoming comment. "And even if she's very kind and accepting, if there's just one in a million chance that she would not forgive me for this… " He indicated himself. "For lying to her… Then I'm not willing to take that chance. I don't… I can't lose her…" He finished with a faltering voice and leaned his forehead to his paws.

Vivian stared in surprise at her son as he spoke those words. "Nicholas… Does she mean that much to you?" Her question was almost a whisper.

The fox rubbed his face with both paws before slowly straightening up. "Yeah… she does… And I'm not exactly sure why, but… she… she feels… irreplaceable to me."

His mother raised a paw to her mouth and forced herself not to gasp. Nick was a bit lost in thought, so he didn't notice her reaction or the expression on her face. And it said pretty clearly that she was next to certain as to why Judy was so important to him.

They sat in silence for a while, before Vivian reorganized her thoughts and made sure she is in full control of her voice. "Nick, does anyone else knows about this?" She didn't press the matter about Judy, because she knew full well when she hit a wall. And with Nick, trying to forcefully break that barrier would bring more harm than good.

He shrugged. "Few mammals…"

She gestured for him to go on. "Like…"

Nick let out a sigh at her persistence. "Finnick, Marcus, Jackie… and my therapist." His mother's ears flinched.

Vivian gave him a surprised look. "You have a therapist?"

He snorted with slight amusement. "Hey, I'm mental, remember?"

This time the vixen adorned a smirk. "Well, I've been putting up with you for over thirty years, so I know that rather well." Putting in a little joke released the tension a bit and both foxes chuckled.

"Oh, you silly goofball." She reached out and pulled his head next to her neck and placed her muzzle on top of it. "Why must you worry your old, fragile mother so much?"

"One: you're not old. Two: fragile is nowhere near the words I'd use to describe you."

"Mmhm, then what words would you use?"

There was a slight pause.

"Mom?"

"Hm?"

"I know you're trying to steal the syringe."

She huffed in disappointment and pulled back her other arm that was trying to reach the drug. "Really, you have no manners to talk to a lady like that."

A warm smile appeared on Nick's face. "I do have them. After all, you've raised me. That's why I know how you think."

Vivian sighed, but also showed a smile. A smile that only a loving mother could make. "Alright, alright… I give up." She threw her arms in the air in defeat, before giving him a hug. "But you can't go on like this."

Nick sat up straight and quirked a brow.

"Do something about this soon or you'll force me to act." These words earned her a roll of her son's eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll deal with this-"

"This week." The vixen cut in.

His eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

She pointed a finger at him in a warning gesture. "This week. Or I will personally tell Judy about this."

Nick went pale under his fur.

"You would no-" The fox caught her gaze and his ears flattened against his head. "You would…" He groaned.

Vivian pinched his cheek lovingly. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."

.

.

Judy's ears perked up when she heard a knock on the door to the shared room, where a dozen of officers had their desks, including Judy and Nick. The doe raised her head from the file she was currently reading and saw the slim figure of a female cheetah at the entrance. She was wearing a plain, grey hoodie plus blue jeans and a sheepish smile on her face.

"Hey…" She began with an uncertain voice. "Got a minute?"

Judy raised a brow, curious for the reason of the feline's visit. "Sure." She put down the file and turned to her visitor.

Jackie approached the bunny's desk and stood there without a word for a moment before she formed the right words in her mind. "Um, look… about that training match…" She bit her lip nervously.

"Yes?" Judy encouraged her with a friendly smile.

Jackie's ears dropped down and she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm… I'm sorry about earlier. I was acting like a weirdo… You must think that I'm some kind of psycho right now." She rambled a bit. "Well, I don't blame you, haha, must have looked like a freak show, really. I mean, what I said was-"

"It's okay."

Jackie blinked. "Sorry?"

Judy was still smiling. "It's fine. You don't need to apologize."

"Oh…" That caught the feline by surprise. "Um, I thought that after what happened you'd be really angry with me."

The bunny put her paws on her knees. "Jackie… I know that you were… stressed out at the moment, so I have no reason to blame you or be angry about anything."

Jackie didn't look fully convinced. "But I was acting like a maniac, I could have hurt you!"

Judy raised a paw to stop her for a moment. "Listen, for me it's all water under the bridge. But if you really insist on making an apology, then I'll gladly hear what kind of fighting style you wanted to use then and we're even. I've never seen a stance like that before."

The cheetah's ears fell slightly, as Marcus' irritated face came to her mind. "Uh… um… well… I…" She gestured nervously with her paws.

Judy cocked her head to the side. "Did Nick teach you that?" It was a guess on her side, but she had a hunch that it wouldn't be improbable.

Jackie blinked, surprised with this question. "No! Uhm, I mean it wasn't him…" She denied strongly, not mentioning that Nick did teach her a few things. The cheetah sighed and hanged her paws loose. "What if say that I promised not to tell anyone?" She inquired of the bunny. "My teacher was kinda' adamant about that."

Judy raised her own paws seeing the feline's struggle. "Oh, nonono, if it's such a big deal just pretend that I didn't say anything!" She assured her, but made a mental note how quickly she denied Nick teaching her. Still, the doe jumped off her chair and stood right in front the cheetah. Judy offered her paw and a friendly smile.

"Officer Spotters."

Jackie visibly relaxed and also smiled. She accepted the paw and shook it firmly. "Officer Hopps. No hard feelings?"

The bunny chuckled and shook her head. "None."

"That's nice to hear." The feline glanced briefly at the doe's desk buried under piles of documents. "Overtime?" She asked, pointing her thumb at the files.

Judy waved her paw dismissively. "Oh no, just some minor stuff out of my… personal interest. You know, always keen on making the world a better place." She grinned, but Jackie spent too much time in Nick's company to be fooled by an act like this.

"Riiight and I run around my apartment block every morning with boxers on my head." The cheetah raised a brow with an amused expression.

Judy's ears fell behind her head. "Uh, okay, you got me here." She reached to the desk and passed one of the files to Jackie. "I'm trying to find our Mr Pink Toy."

Her colleague's eyes widened in surprise. "That guy? But didn't you tell Nick that you'll drop the case?"

The bunny smirked, showing an amused gaze from her half-lidded eyes. "Well, I might have been a bit… dramatic back then."

Jackie's expression brightened with realization. "You've faked all that?!" She shook her head with respect. "You sly bunny, you…"

Judy hopped on her chair with a chuckle. "Hey, I'm just doing my job. And nobody tells me what I can or what I can't do."

"Hah, I like that point of view." The feline eyed the pile again. "Want some help?" She offered.

The doe hesitated for a moment. "You do know what would that mean? It's an organization of assassins that we're talking about."

Jackie sat down on Nick's desk, which was placed right next to Judy's. "The same goes for you, doesn't it?"

"I've made some… preparations, in case things would go south. I wouldn't recklessly endanger my family." She raised her head to look at the feline.

Seeing Judy's stare the cheetah simply shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about my family. My father has more bodyguards then the president. And as for me," She opened the file she got from the doe. "When I was nine, I got one hell of a sermon for climbing out of the room I was supposed to stay at my father's company and traversing the entire length of a skyscraper's outer wall to my father's office. That happened on the thirty fourth floor." She flashed a playful smile. "I like danger."

.

.

The next morning greeted Judy with a peculiar emptiness. To be more precise, a fox-shaped emptiness. She was sitting in the bullpen on their shared chair, but Nick wasn't there. She didn't get any message or a phone call from him, so she assumed that he was simply late. And this would result in two things: annoyed Bogo and a sermon from her.

She was constantly casting worried looks at the door to the room, hoping that he would arrive before their chief gets here.

"Atten-hut!"

Too late.

All officers stood up to attention, while the buffalo took his spot in the room.

"All right, I got the mayor's office up my backside the entire morning so we're going to keep this short." He put on his glasses. "Assignments!"

Judy groaned internally, waiting for their turn and for Bogo to snap. After several agonizing minutes, the buffalo finally reached their pairing, which was last on the list. "Hopps! Parking duty!" And that was it.

Her ears shot right up with surprise and confusion. "Uh, sir?" She raised a paw.

"What is it, Hopps?" Bogo grumbled with his traditional, sour face.

"Well, about Nick…"

"He called in sick this morning." He noticed her expression to this statement. "He didn't tell you?"

Judy shook her head, dumbfounded. It seemed obvious to inform one's partner about such a small detail as sickness serious enough to not come to work. So, she had to ask herself an even more obvious question: Why Nick didn't tell her this?

"Then better work on your communication. If that's all than get your furry butt out of here."

"Oh, yes, sir!" She pulled off a salute and scrambled to the door.

.

.

Judy wasn't exactly surprised that he wasn't picking up. Rather, she half expected it. And the doe had a crawling suspicion that it was all part of some elaborate plan to weasel out of their evening talk. Therefore, she had to turn to higher authority.

"Hello?" Said a female voice in the speaker.

"Hello, Vivian. Do you have a moment?"

"Actually, I'm on my way home. If you have time why don't you drop by? Unless it's something urgent?"

"Oh, no… not as such."

"Okay, so why don't drop in for tea?" The vixen invited cheerfully.

Judy glanced at her watch to check when her break's going to be. "Can I be there in two hours?"

"Sure."

.

.

When her break time finally came, the doe headed to Vivian's apartment. She arrived at the door and rang the doorbell. After few moments, the door was opened by an attractive, young, red furred vixen that Judy wasn't familiar with. She was wearing a white long sleeved shirt that contrasted with her red fur and a pair of black trousers.

"Hello." The female predator greeted Judy with a small smile. "You must be Judy. Please, come in."

The bunny entered the apartment with a slight surprise on her face, which grew even more when she saw an even younger arctic vixen sitting in an armchair in the living room. This girl was dressed in a red t-shirt and black pants similar in fashion to those of the red furred vixen. She had a book in her paws and knees pulled to her chin.

"Um, hello…" Her voice was very shy and she avoided Judy's gaze. And then the bunny saw fresh scratches on the white vixen's arms. The girl noticed where the doe was looking and lowered her paws, hiding her arms under the folded legs.

"Hello." The doe answered, raising her paw in a greeting and puzzled by both the vixen's reaction and their presence here. "Um…"

"Oh, you're here!" Said a cheerful voice from the kitchen. Vivian approached the doe and leaned down to hug her. "Come on, sit down and we'll talk over tea."

The young red vixen brightened up. "Why won't you both sit down and I'll make some?" She volunteered, only for Vivian to shake her head.

"Don't worry, I will make it."

The girl's ears fell slightly. "But I could…"

Vivian instantly noticed her reaction and petted her paw. "I know you could, sweetie, but you're still my guest. It's the duty of the host to take care of their guests." The young vixen didn't look very convinced, so Vivian gave her a small smile. "But you could take out the biscuits. It's always good to have some biscuits along with tea."

The girl's expression brightened and she immediately headed to the kitchen.

When all four females finally sat down, Vivian gestured towards the young vixens. "Judy, let me introduce: Rose and Silver, Nicky's friends who will be temporarily staying at my place. Girls, this is Judy Hopps, one of the finest ZPD officers and my son's best friend."

There was a general exchange of greetings, during which Judy didn't fail to notice that both girls were casting slightly nervous glances at her uniform.

And Nick's mother was also very perceptive. "So, Judy," She began in her cheerful voice. "What brings you here?"

The doe sighed and turned her attention to the vixen. "I'll be blunt, it's about Nick…"

Hearing these words, Vivian slumped slightly in her armchair and put a paw over her eyes. "I can't really say that I'm surprised. What now?"

Judy took a sip of her tea. "He didn't show up at work today. Supposedly he's sick. But he didn't bother to tell me anything and now he's not answering my calls."

Vivian grunted. "Do remind me, is my son 32 or 12 years old? Because at this point I'm not sure anymore." She asked the world in general. This elicited a small giggle from Rose, but Judy didn't share her humor.

"Vivian, do you know anything about it? Did he get himself into trouble again, like the time he got shot?" Judy inquired in all seriousness.

If there would ever be held a competition for The Most Unreadable Expression In The Universe, Vivian would have scored second place, right after her son. She turned to the young, red vixen. "Rose, would you mind passing me my phone? It's on the shelf behind you." Vivian took the device from the girl's paw. "Thank you."

She tapped on the screen a few times and handed the phone to Judy. The doe saw the screen informing about a call in progress and Nick's face as the contact person information.

"Feel free to use my room."

Judy nodded with gratitude and headed to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She bit her thumb, waiting for her partner to pick up and forming words to scold him about his behavior.

"Hey there, Fluff." Said a male in the speaker.

The bunny blinked. "Nick? How do you-"

"I know you, Carrots." He chimed in, smugness practically dripping from his voice. "And I know my mother. It was obvious that you'd contact her and I was certain that she'd let you deal with whatever she thinks I've done." He chuckled, causing Judy to squeeze the phone tighter in irritation.

"So is she right in assuming that you DID do something?" She asked, her sweet tone of voice masking the rising anger.

In return, she received a cheerful laughter. "I'm constantly doing various stuff, my fluffy friend."

"Nick, I swear to God, if you don't explain yourself in five seconds… FIVE seconds…" Judy was struggling to remain calm.

And, apparently, he finally read her mood, as his voice switched into a serious mode. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Look, this whole lack of calling thing was just a little joke. You know how I like to tease ya'."

"Not informing your partner about absence is not a joke, you dumb fox!" She huffed to the phone.

He lost the flow. "Uh… well, if you say so… I just-"

"You what?!" This came almost as a yell.

There was a slight pause before Nick replied. "If I answer that question I risk a bunny punch the moment we see each other." He said with an uncertain voice.

Judy put a paw on her hip. "You've already earned a fistful of them, so spill it."

"We-ell, if you must know, I always enjoy the way your little nose twitches a lot when you're annoyed." He said, no doubt with a sheepish smile. "And I bet that you're also blushing right now."

"No, I'm not!" The bunny exclaimed with slightly red cheeks. Judy would never admit that his answer totally caught her by surprise. And she knew that he was just pulling her leg, but some deep part of her mind dared to think that it was a bit sweet.

"Look, I'm sorry." Nick said in the speaker. "I really am in no condition to be working right now, but I'll be back in few days. And yes, I know we were set for a meeting in the evening, but I'll have to call it off, sorry. And before you scold me, like you always do, let me assure you that we will have our talk in several days. So if that's all I need to hung up, because my doctor is giving me a weird look right now, ok?" After hearing a tired sigh from his partner Nick considered it enough of an answer. "See you later, Carrots. Sorry." He ended the call.

Judy stared at the phone for a moment before running a paw down her face and turning around to get back to the living room. But before she got to the door, the doe noticed a mirror on the wall. Judy stared at her reflection for a second and then raised a paw to her nose and gave it a tiny tap. After that, she frowned with an annoyed expression. "It doesn't twitch… that much…" She mumbled before marching out of the room.

"How did it go?" Vivian inquired with a worried look.

"Ehh, could've gone better, could've gone worse… Thank you for the phone." She handed over the device. "Sorry, but my break will be over soon so I'll need to get going."

Nick's mother raised her paw. "Before you do that, I'd like to ask you for a favor, if it's not a problem."

"Of course, how could I help?" She smiled, happy that she could repay the vixen's kindness and helpfulness.

Vivian turned to look at the two girls and after a moment of wait and a quick exchange of glances, the older one nodded.

"Well, the thing is that these fine young ladies have a problem on their backs and ZPD could take it off their shoulders. To be blunt," She indicated her guests. "Rose and Silver, at one point of their lives, were forced to work on the streets by some sick bastard. Right now, that joke of a mammal is their handler and I'd be most grateful if you could deal with him."

Judy's eyes automatically rested on the arctic vixen's scratched arms, while her ears fell behind her head. "I'm so sorry… It must have been horrible…" Her eyes automatically focused on the scratched arms of the arctic vixen. "I'm sorry for prying, but did he do this? They look fresh." She asked of the girl.

Silver shook her head. "N-no… Some thugs yesterday… but a friend helped…" The young vixen muttered, not looking Judy in the eye. But the bunny noticed that for a split second the arctic vixen's gaze turned towards Vivian, as if looking for support or confirmation. She took it that Nick's mother used some of her contacts to help the girl.

The doe felt a rising urge to shed a tear, but she recomposed herself and straightened up. "You have my word that the ZPD will bring that mammal to justice!"

Rose and Silver once again exchanged glances and smiled slightly at the doe. "Thank you." They said together.

Vivian also showed a smile.

Before departing, Judy gave the vixens her phone number and informed them about the procedure in this kind of situations. She also noted down all possible information regarding their handler and promised to hand it over to the appropriate unit straight away.

With the formalities done, she bid them goodbye and headed off back to the precinct to report it.

.

.

Miss Shavala raised a curious brow. "I take it that she was not pleased with your explanation?"

Nick showed a smirk while putting his phone back to the pocket of his trousers. "She never is, but that's what makes it fun."

They were sitting in the vixen's apartment, right in the middle of the therapy session.

"Now, before we were interrupted by the very person we are discussing…"

Nick rubbed his forehead. "Look, like I said before: I don't know, ok? I have no idea why she has so much effect on me." He leaned back on his chair. "She's like… something like a fresh breeze, maybe? Before the whole missing mammal case, I'd hardly even-" He paused, realizing what he was about to say.

But Miss Shavala didn't intend to let him stop there. "You would hardly what?"

The vulpine stared at her in silence for few long moments before answering. "She made me… want to feel again…"

"Could you-"

"-elaborate? Yes, yes…" He grunted. "Before this entire Nighthowler thing, I couldn't care less about the world or about others. Since…" Nick paused for a second and his face grimaced a tiny bit. "Ever since Irene, I ignored everything and focused solely on making money with pawpsickles. It was that or sit and watch the paint dry." He confessed, but omitted as to why he began this hustle with Finnick. "But just like from a magician's hat, here pops up a rabbit, a uniformed one and threatens that she'll arrest me for tax evasion!" The fox gestured with his paw in the air. "At first I hated her for this, for dragging me along like some kind of pet, to do her every bidding. But she surprised me, she surprised me at every corner. Everyone, me included, ridiculed her for trying to be a cop. The idea was laughable – a small, fluffy bunny a police officer. But she refused to break under all that pressure. Never faltering, never backing down, never giving up… This made me realize two things: that it was possible to break out of the shell of stereotype that everyone chained you with and that I have given up on my life, whereas she lived it to the fullest, to the point that her enthusiasm was practically radiating from her in an infectious way." He sighed and slumped in his seat.

Miss Shavala stared at him in silence, occasionally making a small note. Nick wasn't looking at her anymore, his gaze was focused somewhere else, possibly not even in the room.

"When she tricked me… I was angry for the first time in almost a decade. I teased her and made jokes not just out of act but because I enjoyed the way she reacted to them. I have no idea why… It just… If I would compare it to anything, maybe going blind at one point of your life and then have someone return your sight to you. Not to be too poetic, but it felt a bit like a ray of sun's light, when I already forgot what 'light' is at all. " He tapped the armchair's support thoughtfully with one digit. "You know, Kierkegaard once wrote: God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners." At this point he looked directly at the vixen. "She made me believe this. She made me think that I could be redeemed."

He finished and again averted his gaze, internally fighting the reaction from talking too much. However, it wasn't as severe as in the beginning of their sessions, which he took as a good sign.

"You speak as if you have something weighing on your conscience."

Nick's expression instantly darkened. A shadow of guilt crawled on his face. There were a few black pages in his past and he was not willing to share their content. "No comment on that." He replied in a hollow voice.

Miss Shavala raised a brow, but did not push for an answer. She decided to change the topic.

"You place officer Hopps on a very high pedestal." The vixen said to him.

Nick shrugged, his expression a bit more relaxed. "You don't 'place' her anywhere. She gets there on her own."

"You obviously have a very strong connection with her." This sounded a bit like a hint or suggestion.

The fox repeated the earlier movement. "Can't deny that."

"Have you ever thought why is it like this?" She pushed a little further.

The red vulpine scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "Not really… I mean, we didn't spend that much time together but we easily became best of friends." He let out a small chuckle. "Maybe it's fate."

His therapist eyed him for a while before putting away her notepad and folding both paws on her knee. "Mr Wilde, I'll tell you a story that I'd like you to analyze later as your homework, alright?"

He raised a puzzled brow, but nodded.

"There was a wolf that was a great sportsmammal, he enjoyed training, competitions, but above all he simply loved to run. It gave him the feeling of freedom, even considering the exhaustion and occasional strain afterwards. But one day he had an accident. A drunk driver crashed into his car. The wolf was immediately transported to the hospital and his injuries treated. However, he lost the feeling in his legs. He could no longer walk, not to mention running. The wolf was devastated and thought that he won't be able to move his legs again. But he has gone through surgery and all physical issues have been solved. Despite that, he was still unable to walk. This only strengthened his belief that it's his fate to be tied to a wheelchair for the rest of his life." She raised a finger. "Yet, his friends didn't give up and convinced him to go see a psychologist. And he did so. What did the therapist tell him? That there was nothing wrong with his legs. He was simply so sure that it's impossible to walk again, that it was his mind that stopped him from moving his legs. He was in denial and refused to believe what was obvious." She smiled at the fox, who was focused on listening to her story. "And this is your homework, think about this. Maybe you'll discover something that will change your life." The vixen sent him a wink.

"But before that, I'd like to ask if you have completed your previous task. About your confession."

Nick flinched, not prepared for this question. Normally he would just deflect it with some sly reply, but these sessions made him feel open and vulnerable. He knew that it was supposed to help him, but it still wasn't the nicest feeling.

"Uh, not yet…" He indicated his bandaged paw. "A lot happened in the meantime."

"Yes, you've explained this already..." She scribbled another note. "And what about Miss Hopps' knowledge of your savage state?"

Nick tapped a finger. "She doesn't know yet… But my mother now does."

"Really?" The vixen asked with increased interest. "And how did she react?"

The fox let out a small chuckle at the memory. "She tried to drug me and drag my butt to the nearest hospital."

Miss Shavala nodded. "Sounds like a very logical course of action." Nick glanced at her, measuring if she was joking. Apparently not. "And how did it end?"

"I didn't go, but she forced me fix the issue within a week or she'll tell Carrots everything." He huffed, folding his arms.

The vixen smiled at his words. "Sounds like a very practical female."

The fox rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."

Miss Shavala chuckled and made another one of her notes. "So, about solving the problem of your savagery…"

"I've been trying to track the cure from the moment I got back to Zootopia from the academy, but it's not that easy." Nick rubbed his temples. It was a source of major headache for him. Being a very sophisticated and high profile medicine, the hospitals received only enough doses to cure to savage mammals. According the information he got from his hacker friend, the company that produced the cure was supposed to keep it in one of their warehouses, but then it got distributed to several other locations. And that's where it got complicated. While the cargo documentation left no doubt that it has been delivered, the computer systems in those new warehouses were adamant that there is no such thing in their possession. And Nick even spend several evenings, watching the monitoring at those locations, but there was no way to confirm whether that exact drug has been delivered. *All this doesn't make any sense…* If it was just a smokescreen, then the only option would be to visit all of those locations and verify it personally. But if it was true, then it would mean that the cure just disappeared. None of those scenarios were good for him.

"Well, I'll eventually get the cure, one way or another. I'll ask Finnick if he could help me with this. If he'll be too grumpy then I can just pay him." He chuckled at the end, imagining the fennec's annoyed face.

Miss Shavala cleared her throat. "Well, I'm afraid that Finnick is… not available at the moment."

"What do you mean he is not available?"

She put away her notes with a sigh. "I guess there is no use in hiding this from you." The vixen looked him straight in the eye. "Finnick is in a hospital."

"Why?" Came an instant question.

The vixen shook her head. "He refused to tell me, but looked pretty badly beaten up."

Nick stared at her for long enough for the vixen to shift uneasily. "Mr Wilde?"

"Which hospital?" Nick's voice remained the same, but miss Shavala knew that when you hear news like this and don't budge an inch, you either don't care or you care enough to need to hold back the anger.

.

.

Judy just finished changing her clothes after her shift ended and rested her tired forehead on the opened door of her locker. Earlier, she wrote a report about the situation of the two girls in Vivian's care, handing it over to a unit that specialized in such cases and filled in all the documentation regarding her day on parking duty.

"Busy day?" Asked her boyfriend, who just entered the locker room.

"Something like that, yeah."

The buck offered her a smile. "Dinner?"

She closed her locker. "I won't lie, I could eat a wagon of carrots."

William chuckled at her words. "I can see that."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" The doe huffed at him.

"Just kidding! Just kidding!" He assured, covering his head with his arms in a defensive gesture, expecting to be punched.

Judy pouted, placing paws on her hips. "Alright, Mr Funny. You're buying."

"Obviously." He offered his arm like a gentelmammal. "Shall we, Miss Hopps?"

.

.

"I told ya' already, I ain't takin' any more of yer drugs!" The little fox yelled at the baffled elk nurse. He was sitting up on the hospital bed he was placed at, covered with numerous bandages and one of his arms was in a cast.

"S-sir, it's for your own good." She tried to argue, while dodging the pillow that the fennec threw at her.

"It's no use, you could convince him only with a sledgehammer." Said an amused voice from the corridor. Both mammals turned their heads to see a red fox standing at the entrance, wearing a smug grin.

"What's up, big guy?"

"Nick? The hell ya' doin' here?!" The fennec fox demanded from the taller predator.

"What? Can't I visit my cute little son?" The red furred vulpine quipped, only to earn a murderous glare.

"She sent ya'!" Finnick grumbled and fell back on the bed, while the nurse retreated to the corridor, but on the way there, Nick snatched the plastic cup with pills from her hoof. He sent her a wink and nodded for her to leave.

"Well, I'd say it's pretty normal for a female to be worried after her boyfriend."

The fennec was about to snap at his ex-business partner when he noticed the toothy, smug grin on his face. He instantly shut his mouth, knowing when not to place himself in an even more embarrassing position.

"Whaddya want, Wilde?" He grumbled, not looking at the fox.

Nick stood right by the bed and surveyed Finnick's injuries. "What happened?"

"None of yer damn business!"

"Oh, I'd say it is my business when my coworker ends up in a hospital after being beaten by a squirrel." Nick stated nonchalantly. *If you want to play, let's play.*

Finnick let out a low growl. "Oi! Watch yer mouth!"

"Come oon, admit that you lost so badly in a fight that you're too ashamed to say it."

The fennec stuck out a finger in Nick's direction. "I'm warnin' ya'!"

The red fox gave him an amused stare from half-lidded eyes. "I bet I could beat that someone with just one arm."

"Oh yeah, Mr Wise Guy?"

"Sure, a quick jab and one mammal down."

"And what yer' gonna' do if there's three of 'em?" Finnick's eyes widened when he noticed what Nick was doing. "You… Stop usin' yer' dirty tricks on me!"

The ex-conmammal raised his paws in a defensive gesture. "Fine, but only if you tell me what happened."

The fennec groaned, but gave up. "I dunno exactly… Two days ago, I got suddenly dragged into an alley where three big mammals started beatin' me up for no reason. After that they said somethin' about goin' back to some 'Hoof'…"

Nick's face stiffened. "Golden Hoof?" He asked in a calm voice.

"Yeah, that thing. Why?"

"Oh, nothing… It's a clue, at least. I'll pass it on and we'll find those bastards."

"Yer' not plannin' on takin' this to the cops?!"

Nick rattled the pills in the cup. "It's a crime, big guy. It's my duty to do so," He eyed the fennec. "Like it's your duty to take the medicine."

Finnick scrunched his face in irritation. "I ain't takin' this weird shit!"

"Oh? So you would like me to report to Miss Shavala that you're not taking care of yourself properly?" He showed his teeth in a mischievous grin. "In fact, why don't I call her right now." He fished out his phone.

The small fox grit his teeth while throwing daggers at Nick with his eyes. "Give me those damn pills…" He stretched out a paw.

"Good boy. Now, daddy has to go, so behave yourself, ok?" The red fox turned around and headed to the door. But before he could reach them, Finnick called after him.

"You got your medicine?"

Nick clicked his tongue internally and didn't turn around. "Halfway there, Fin." And he left.

.

.

"So," Will began when a waiter served their food. "Without your partner today?"

They were sitting in a vegetarian restaurant that her boyfriend once discovered during his patrols. Prices were reasonable and food really good. Not to mention a huge variety of offered salads.

"Yeah, he got sick." Judy admitted, practically wolfing down a plate of grilled vegetables. "And thought it was funny not to tell me."

"Really?" He asked, taking a bite of his own dish.

The doe nodded and started working on her carrot salad. "He can be a real jerk at times."

Will grinned at his girlfriend. "Not like me?"

She sent him a smile. "No, not like you. I even suspect that he's just faking it and is just goofing around."

.

.

Nick didn't need any further information regarding who attacked Finnick. And acting on the rising anger in his chest, the fox didn't bother contacting the ZPD but headed directly to the club. Once there, he practically stormed inside, right past the door with a pinned information that today the club is closed. And indeed, the main hall was empty and only some dim light glowed on the walls.

"BASKER!" The livid roar echoed within the walls of the empty club. And it was answered with a mocking yawn, that came from the upper floor. The goat in question popped his head over the railing of the VIP balcony and grinned at the enraged fox.

"If it isn't little Nicky?" Basker threw several grapes into his mouth, not looking threatened by the fox's voice even for a second. "What brings you here on this fine day?" Nick fought to keep a lid on the fury boiling within him.

As they were talking, a number of mammals emerged from behind support columns, from adjoined rooms and walked closer to Nick, none of them looking friendly. It was difficult to look like that when you have a collection of scars and a wide variety of weapons, from knives, baseball bats, crowbars to spiked knuckles.

In his anger the fox ignored the thugs and kept his gaze fixed on the mob boss. "You ordered your lowlifes to attack Finnick!"

Basker tilted his head with a thoughtful expression. "Finnick, Finnick... No, can't say that I know the name."

Nick's fists clenched tighter after hearing these words. He felt a new wave of anger surging through his veins and the fox's vision began turning red at the edges. The goat was lying through his teeth, as he himself handed jobs to the fennec several times.

"I have only one question. Why?" This was said through gritted teeth, as Nick was struggling to not let his vision be blocked by a red veil of rage. He didn't care, that he was practically growling at one of the roughest criminals in Zootopia, he didn't care about the thugs surrounding him, various weapons at ready. All that mattered was to wrap his fingers around the throat belonging to the grinning goat.

"I have no idea what yer blabbering about, fox. I'll give you one chance to leave my club on your own legs, so scram." The mob boss turned his back to the vulpine.

"Answer the question, fleabag!" Nick snarled at him, claws itching to rip flesh.

For a moment Basker froze and then, very slowly, he turned back to the fox. "What did you call me?" He demanded in a cold voice.

"You know what I said. Or have you already gotten senile?"

Basker shot him a murderous look. "Boys, grab that piece of trash and I want him alive so I can teach him some manners first." He ordered, pointing a hoof at Nick.

Various predator and prey thugs - from wolves, pigs to tigers and rhinos - closed in on the red vulpine. Nick was doing his best, to not cut open the nearest throat. A feat that would be easy to achieve, given his training and savage reflexes. His fingers were uncurling and clenching in a repetitive motion. He recalled what the badger doctor had told him about overusing his strength and it seemed next to impossible in this situation.

And at that instant, Mr Pink Plushie's face surfaced in his mind. And it also supplied a possible solution, although Nick was very reluctant to do it. He quickly eyed the thugs. *Damn it, not like I have a choice…* The fox shifted his body weight to the left hindpaw and placed it back a bit, so it was perpendicular to the right one, which remained in front. He held up a paw in front of him at his shoulder level, with an open palm, almost as if offering a pawshake. The left paw moved to the side of his right arm, at the elbow, palm directed to the right.

Last time he used this was when he was facing Vasily fifteen years ago and it allowed him to escape with his life. The vulpine winced for a split second, remembering the feeling of cold steel piercing his stomach. Barely, but he survived. And to survive now, he'll have to use one more element.

A mantra, that his teacher warned him not to use in presence of others, unless strictly for fighting. Something that he used so far only to calm himself from the effects of the Nighthowler serum. Again, the wolf's face appeared in his mind and he grunted internally. *Thanks a lot… master.*

Nick took a deep breath while closing his eyes and started muttering repeatedly. "Don't let them see that they get to you, don't…" His breathing steadied and heartbeat slowed down significantly. From the outside, it would seem that that he turned into a statue.

The wolf closest to the vulpine stepped forward and took a diagonal swing with a baseball bat at Nick.

At that instant, the fox's eyes shot open, now devoid of any life. His body swayed swiftly to the side, avoiding the attack. Nick's paw grabbed the wrist holding the weapon and the palm of the other smashed at the elbow, instantly dislocating the joint. The wolf yelped in pain and landed heavily on the floor.

The fox turned to the rest of the thugs in a fluid motion and dashed forward.

What happened next could be best described as a group of thugs attempting to beat up each other. No matter how hard they tried, their weapons couldn't reach the fox. He danced and twirled among them, dodging, ducking and avoiding any attacks. Occasionally he would redirect some of them and the mammals would end up injuring one another. A weasel tried stabbing the vulpine, only for the fox to spin around, grab his wrist and send the surprised mammal forward, causing him to stab a pig thug with his knife. Similar situation occurred continuously, with the dead eyed fox flowing through the crowd of enemies like a ghost. Clubs and claws cut the air, knifes failed to land on the vulpine's body and whenever someone tried to grapple him, the red furred predator suddenly wasn't there. One of the rhinos tried rushing him and piercing him with his horn, only to miss his mark and stumble forward to run into an elephant that tried to smash Nick with his trunk.

When the number of enemies lessened, mostly due to friendly attacks, the remaining few tried adopting a different strategy and surrounded Nick at a safe distance. One of the remaining wolves eyed the vulpine in front of him, disbelieving his own nose, which couldn't sense even a drop of sweat on the vulpine. What was worse, he could perfectly see his eyes. Dead, emotionless and lacking any compassion. Those were the eyes one would normally see in a stone-cold killer. He gripped his crowbar tighter and leapt forward, just like the bear behind the fox. Just as they were about to attack, their opponent instantly stepped forward, surprising the wolf and making him attempt a thrust at the fox's stomach. But the vulpine deflected the crowbar to the side and his paw shot upwards, snatching the canine's throat as Nick circled around his victim, just as the bear brought down his machete. The metal cut the wolf's chest before the big predator could stop his slash. The fox didn't slow down for a moment and spun again, changing his grip and sending his wounded captive flying towards the bear. They collided with a loud 'oouff' and Nick jumped at the bear's chest when the wolf fell to the floor. The big mammal dropped his weapon and raised his arms with the intention of crushing the agile fox in his grip. But at that moment a click came from their side and the vulpine launched himself upwards, just before a net hit the bear and the weights at its edges wrapped around the predator's back.

Nick landed on his face with a kick that sent the bear to the floor.

He twirled mid-air and landed swiftly on the ground, staring indifferently at the two remaining opponents. His breathing and heartbeat never went up over the pace normal for a casual walk in a park.

The cheetah with the net gun lowered his weapon and clicked his tongue in disappointment. But before he had the chance to do something else, Nick was already on him. The feline desperately tried to reach him with his claws, only to miss when the fox ducked below and slid between his legs. Once on the other side, he instantly kicked the back of the cheetah's knee, making him lose his balance. The vulpine followed the flow of the falling feline's body and gripped the back of his shirt's collar. Pulling down, he threw the cheetah over his back, just in time to use him as a shield against the taser probes, fired from the weapon held by the last thug. The spotted predator fell on the ground, paralyzed from the electric impulse. Nick sprung up to the same fighting stance as at the beginning, facing a wolf.

The last standing opponent seemed unfazed by the fact that he just tased his ally. He dropped the useless now stun gun and swiftly produced two long, army knives he had holstered behind his back. He held one at his right side, while moving the left arm forward, holding the knife in a reverse grip. It was clear that he was no greenhorn and he didn't rush at Nick mindlessly but started circling around him, watching his reactions.

But the fox just stood there, only slightly altering his position to constantly have the wolf in front of him.

The canine spat on the ground, a bit unnerved by the vulpine's lack of any visible emotion. He finally decided to move in and started the fight with several quick thrusts and swings to test the opponent's reflexes. Nick nimbly dodged every attack, his body moving in a perfectly fluid motion. Still, he wasn't attacking.

The wolf felt that he was getting the hang of Nick's moves so he advanced, attacking with a flurry of precise and quick strikes. Again, none of them landed on the fox's body. Every time, when it seemed that an attack would connect, Nick swung himself out of the weapons way or redirected the course of the knife.

With an angry growl the wolf made a swing that caused the vulpine bend back to avoid it cutting his throat and at the same time he thrust with his right paw, aiming for the fox's stomach, sure that now it had to work. To his amazement, Nick managed to catch his wrist, twisting it instantly towards the canine and pulling to the left, effectively forming a leverage that threw the surprised predator to the floor. He had no time to react when the fox was right on him and threw a swift punch to his throat, thus ending the fight.

Basker, who was watching the entire scene from his balcony, now turned completely white. It wasn't supposed to go like this. He was just a fox, one fox! How in the world he could be capable of facing an entire gang of thugs and win?!

The mobster scrambled clumsily to the door, feeling the panic seeping into his body like numbing a poison. Then a crunching noise caught his attention and he glanced to the side and gasped. The vulpine he was trying to teach a lesson was using his claws to climb up the wall right next to the balcony. And in seconds, he jumped over the railing, landing right between the goat and the door.

Basker whimpered and produced a pistol with a shaking paw, aiming at the hollow gazed fox. "You… You're not Nick, you're some kind of a monster!" He yelled and squeezed the trigger.

.

.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Marcus' voice clearly said that he doubted it.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to apologize to him properly so a restaurant is a good choice." Jackie replied with confidence. "I'll invite him for dinner and we can talk over a nice meal."

"So why drag me along?" The tiger complained as they walked down the 23rd street in Savannah Central, passing by various clubs and restaurants. It was their day off and the cheetah has managed to talk him into helping her to find a proper location.

She smiled cheerfully. "It's always good to have a second opinion about a place so it's very nice of you to be here with me."

He raised his paws in defeat. "Fine, fine… But I only have one hour and then I'm off."

"Huh? You said that you don't have a shift today."

"I don't." He admitted and adorned a proud smile. "I'm babysitting. Icy has to go out today and she agreed to me taking care of Felix."

Jackie chuckled at his words. Right after that she elbowed him playfully. "Look at you, Mr Responsible Dad!"

The striped feline rolled his eyes. "Whatever… Let's get this over with quickly, ok?"

"Sure, sure… I won't stall yo-"

She was cut off by the sound of gunshots.

Both predators' ears perked up and they turned to the source of the alarming noise. They came from inside a club they were about to pass by. Big, neon letters on the wall informed everyone of the name: "The Golden Hoof".

.

.

Nick was too fast for Basker to aim properly so the bullets swished past the fox and dug into the wall behind him. The red furred predator rushed at the goat and smashed his shoulder into the prey's chest, effectively sending him flying over the railing. After a short flight the mobster landed with a loud crack on a table below. He yelped from the pain, but before he was able to move even an inch, Nick landed on his legs, the impact smashing the table to pieces along with Basker's bones. A sickening crunch confirmed that.

The goat screamed in agony.

He raised his watering eyes to the vulpine, only to meet an empty stare. Nick raised his arm, producing his claws.

"N-no… wa-wait…" The elderly gangster begged , but to no avail. His end was about to come as Nick swung down his paw.

"NICK!" And at that moment the fox was tackled by a tiger.

The two predators rolled on the ground, Nick trying to reach his enemy's face with claws but was kicked off and slid on the floor for another few meters.

"Nick! Snap out of it!" Marcus yelled at him, Jackie appearing right next to the tiger.

But the fox rose to his hindpaws and once more moved his paws into a fighting stance.

Jackie caught his dead gaze and tapped the striped feline on the shoulder. "Uh, I don't think he's listening right now."

Nick leapt forward.

"Shit…" Marcus cursed and moved forward to engage his friend. But the vulpine feigned an attack to distract the tiger for half a second and it was enough. He slipped by the big predator's paws and charged on, heading straight for the wounded goat.

Jackie was the only obstacle left.

Being the fastest mammal in the ZPD she was able to catch Nick's arm and use his own momentum to throw him to the floor, using the technique she learned at the academy, causing him to land on his back with a strong impact. She instantly jumped on him and pinned the fox to the floor. But he was unwilling to give up and thrashed around, trying to struggle free. The creepy thing was the fact that the entire time his face was an emotionless mask.

"Can't you knock him out?!" Marcus asked getting closer to them.

"How?! Headbutt him?!" She had to use her whole weight to hold down the struggling fox. "I'm barely keeping him still!"

Then, a crazy idea popped up in her mind. It had an effect before, so maybe...

"Uh, okay… I'm going to try something stupid…" She leaned her head down to the vulpine. "Sorry, Nick. It really is an emergency." With these words, Jackie closed her eyes and pressed her lips at Nick's mouth.

Seeing this, Marcus turned his head away and ran a paw down his face. "Spots, seriously…"

Despite the method, it surprisingly seemed to work. The fox's body began calming down, the tensed muscles relaxed, the struggling subsided and eventually Nick was lying still on the floor with his eyes closed and no fight left in him.

Sensing this, Jackie ended the kiss and raised her head. "Well, this seems to-"

Nick moved his head a little, as if searching for the broken contact. And a small gasp left his mouth.

"…Judy…"

The cheetah froze, staring at the predator under her.

Marcus also heard that and noticing her reaction he folded his massive arms with a sigh. "Oh boy…"

.

.

Nick felt surprisingly calm and relaxed, his body light as a feather, but this blissful state was suddenly interrupted by a splash and general feeling of wetness on his face. He sprung up with a gasp to find himself sitting on kitchen floor. And right in front of him Marcus put down an empty glass on a table, aiming a stun gun at his chest.

The tiger raised a brow. "You sane or should I pull the trigger?"

The fox was still a bit dazed but his hustler's tongue automatically switched on. "She sells seashells by the sea shore, the shells she sells are surely seashells." He muttered while running a paw through his wet fur. "Good enough?"

"Or one hell of an actor." The big predator grinned and offered him a paw. Nick accepted it and stood up, looking around. He was in a quite spacious, square kitchen with big windows facing the Savannah Central main square. It was connected with a huge, by a fox's standard, living room. Two sides of that room were practically glass walls, leading to an equally huge terrace. Nick could see the dark blue sky that indicated the incoming night.

"Okay, I take it that I was out cold… How long?"

Marcus shrugged, walking to the living room and leaving the gun on the coffee table by the long, corner couch. "Several hours." He picked up a jug with water and poured a glass fitting a smaller mammal, like a fox. He passed it to Nick.

The gears in the fox's mind clicked and he recalled the last thing he remembered. "Marcus… the club… those mammals…" He began, struggling with the, still unfamiliar, experience of not remembering his actions.

"Not dead." The fox didn't argue with his diagnosis. A former killer for hire would be one to know about such a state. "We called for ambulances and they got sent to a hospital. We reported it as a gang fight." He sat down on the couch. "The goat was in the worst state-"

There was a crunch and the glass in Nick's paw shattered under the pressure of his clenching fingers. An angry spark appeared briefly in his eyes. And just after that he blinked and stared at what remained of the glass in his paw. He flinched and dropped it on the wooden floor, along with a few drops of blood.

"Oh crap! Sorry! I'll-" He crouched down and started quickly picking up the pieces.

Marcus stood up and waved his big paw dismissively. "Don't worry about it, it's just a glass." He stated in a calm voice. The tiger went to the kitchen and returned with a broom and a dustpan in one paw and threw Nick a roll of paper towel with the other. They cleaned the floor and threw the glass remains to the trash bin.

This distraction allowed Nick's mind to switch gears. "So, how did I end up here?" He indicated the apartment as a whole. "Wherever this is?"

"It's my place. We got you here after that whole mess." The tiger replied, sitting down on the couch again and the fox did the same.

Nick raised his brows. "We?"

Marcus didn't reply but pointed a finger at the terrace. And out there, in the farthest corner, a female cheetah was standing by the railing, staring at the city. Her shoulders were sagging miserably.

"Spots? Wait, how did you guys even end up there? And why she's looking like she would like to jump off this terrace?"

Marcus leaned back in his seat and eyed his friend. "First of all, it was a pure accident. Second, I think she's having a heartbreak."

Nick frowned in puzzlement, staring at the tiger, then at Jackie and back at the striped predator. "Hold on a second, what exactly happened there?"

Marcus wasn't a guy to beat around the bush. "You were totally insane, so she pinned you down and kissed you." He noticed the vulpine's expression. "You want me to pick up your jaw or you're going to do it yourself?"

Nick slammed his mouth shut. "Whoa, wait a minute! She… kissed me?!"

This only earned a shrug from the big predator. "All I know is that it worked, you calmed down." At this point he cast a glance at the crestfallen feline outside and then directed his gaze back at the fox. "When she stopped, you seemed out cold but whispered your partner's name."

Nick's eyes opened wider than ever before in his life. "I… I WHAT?!" His face said of a complete mental standstill of its owner. *Why… she… we're not… I'm not… why…* The fox stared with empty gaze at the wall.

Marcus sighed and slapped his paws on his knees and stood up. "Listen, your personal relationships are none of my business, but it's best to solve these issues as soon as possible. You can't deny that there is a problem here and-" He stopped when he noticed that Nick raised a finger, not moving his eyes.

"What did you say?" He asked quietly.

"That your personal-"

"No, the last part."

"You can't deny that there is a problem?" Marcus tried, raising a brow.

"Denial…" Nick practically whispered that word, recalling the story that Miss Shavala told him earlier. He blinked.

And at that point a mental dam in his mind broke and the truth about reality flooded his mind. Like a moment when hints are so overwhelming in numbers that they pile up in form of answers. Suddenly, it all made sense.

…we're friends, nothing more…

…do you think I'm attractive…

…bright, cheerful, never backing down…

…that's my Carrots…

…why won't you give it a chance?...

…some emotional link or affection between you two…

…you really care about her…

…he was in denial and refused to believe what was obvious…

...Nick, do you have feelings for me?...

Nick leaned forward, his expression speaking of a shocking revelation. "Oh God… I am an idiot… All this time I was a complete idiot!"

His tiger friend folded his arms. "You want me to confirm or…"

The fox turned his face to him. "I love her…" He gasped, the sheer scale of the realization making it hard for him to speak.

He loved Judy Hopps.