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Description
Nick awoke with the sun shining in his eyes through the window that was beside his and Judy’s bed. He sat up and yawned while rubbing his eye’s with the backs of his paws. Standing up he stretched his muscles, trying to wake them from their slumber. He glanced at the other side of the bed as he turned to straighten his. He often did this when Judy wasn’t present, more out of habit than anything. They hadn’t been married long but he missed her quite a bit when he was off duty but she wasn’t. It didn’t happen often, the both of them being off duty at different times but sometimes it did, this was one of those times.
Nick inspected his work and felt satisfied with it. He left it and went to the bathroom that stood just down the hallway from the couples room. After relieving himself he returned to his room and donned his signature pair of Khaki’s and his one size too big hawaiian shirt. Feeling good with his attire he left the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. He had found that being in his thirties he liked having a nice cup of coffee in the morning to help get him moving. As he made his coffee he caught scent of a sweet perfume and following his nose he found a small note that Judy had left for him. He picked it up and unfolded the paper revealing the script that it contained. ‘Nick, meet me at that new restaurant that we found in the city center while on duty for lunch. Oh yeah, the coffee is gonna burn. Love, Judy.’
Reading that last line he glanced over to the coffee pot and quickly removed it from the burner. “Sly bunny.” Nick said to himself with a grin and a chuckle. After pouring his cup of coffee he glanced at the clock on the wall, a quarter after eleven, it would take thirty minutes to get there by foot. He glanced out of the kitchen window to see that it was a beautiful sunny day and so decided that a nice walk was in order. Quickly he cleaned up the mess on the counter that had been made while making his cup of coffee and then strode over to the door, grabbing his apartment keys out of the bowl on the counter as he passed it.
It hadn’t taken long to lock the door to their apartment and begin making his way down the apartment building hallway. The day was beautiful and sunny with mammals traveling to and fro going about their business. The hustle and bustle was something that nick had become accustomed to growing up in the city. It had become something that he loved. NIck made his way across town at a decent pace keeping an eye on the time at intersections and sipping his coffee. At this pace he was would make it to the restaurant on time.
Nick picked up his pace as he neared the block that the restaurant was on. As he neared the corner of the last building before his destination he was nearly knocked over by a wolf and cheetah that seemed to be in a hurry. He quickly dodged them as they ran past him looking frightened. He shook his head and scoffed and pressed forward. When he had rounded the corner Nick stopped dead in his tracks, dropping his coffee mug. The restaurant was engulfed in flames, mammals were running from the blaze in a panic while some stood idly by watching. The Fire department hadn’t made it to the seen yet but it seemed some of the ZPD had. Nick’s first thought was of Judy. Was she alright? Had she been inside when the fire started? Nick’s gut knotted with anxiety at the many questions and possible answers that swirled through his mind.
Shaking himself from his shock he dashed toward the flaming eatery, the safety of his wife on his mind all the while. He made it to the first squad car to find a Leopard who he recognized as James, on the radio calling for back-up. The familiar wail of the fire department siren in the distance could now be heard. Nick jumped into the car and grabbed the leopard by the shirt collar and was met with a surprised look but paid it no mind. “James! Where is Judy!?” He asked his tone panicked.
The leopard seemed to consider his answer for a second. “Where do you think Wilde.” James replied. Nick had been afraid of that. He let the leopard go and jumped from the squad car and looked around, thinking for a second. “I have to go find her James!” He yelled.
“Wait, Wilde it’s not safe!” The leopard shouted above the sirens of the arriving fire department but it was too late. Nick had ran off shouting. “She’s my wife!”
As Nick got close to the burning building he could feel the intense heat but it did nothing to deter him. Nick had run maybe fifteen yards before he saw a small figure emerge from the wreckage of the still burning building, dragging a limp body of a tiger cub. Nick felt a mist of water falling on him and he looked back to see that he fire department had begun to put the fire out. As the heat began to die down he dashed forward and made it to the figure that he had knew would be Judy. Without saying a word to her he grabbed her and the tiger cub by the waist and moved them both to the ambulance that had just pulled up. Nick set the both of them down as two other predators emerged from the ambulance. One from the back of the vehicle and the other from the driver’s seat. The one that had opened the back, a Lioness looked at nick but he waved her off and pointed at the tiger cub. The other paramedic, a hyena came to check on Judy also. While the Hyena looked her over and determined that her wounds were superficial he gave Nick and Judy some space and began helping the Lioness with the tiger cub. Nick became concerned as Judy hadn’t said anything the entire time and her eye’s seemed to look beyond everything. Blood covered the front of her uniform and sleeves in splotches. Judy’s left cheek had a smear of red and her left thigh was cut and bleeding and her paws dripped with the red liquid. But those were only the small things that he could see wrong with her as he looked her over. It was her eyes that scared him as they still seemed to look right through him. As if he were some apparition that had appeared before her.
“Judy, are you alright?” Nick asked her as he gripped her shoulders. “Nick?” Judy asked.
“Yeah carrots. It’s me.” He replied as wild lavender eyes met his gaze. He could see the pain and shock that they held. He dropped to his knees and grabbed her, one hand going to the top of her head which he began rubbing. Judy’s shaking and bloody paws wrapped around him, gripping tightly. He could see her tail twitching in horror and feel her nose moving rapidly. “Shhh.” He told her as he rubbed her head. “It’s ok now, I’m here.”
With that small amount of reassurance and familiarity she began to relax. Tears streamed from her eye’s and she spoke again. “I.., I sta..,stabbed her.” Judy stammered.
“Stabbed who fluff?” He asked still stroking the fur on her head.
“I.. stabbed her! The tigress!” Judy paused as he she sobbed. “I Stabbed her until she was dead Nick. I didn’t want to but still i did. Oh God I killed her!” She nearly screamed as she stepped from the embrace and looked at her Paws. The look upon her face tore Nick’s heart apart, the horror that was threatening to take over her was more than he could bare to see. “I killed her with these paws.” She said weeping and shaking her bloody paws as she looked into her husband’s eyes.
Nick grabbed her paws and brought her in close. “Judy look at me. Look at me!” He yelled to get her attention. She seemed to be going into a state of shock and he wasn’t going to allow that. The fire department ran back and forth frantically but he wanted her attention on him. “Focus on me Carrots, Just let it out.” Nick told her as he embraced her again. Judy cried into Nick’s shoulder as the two of them stayed put, the fire mammals yelling orders back and forth as they sprayed the raging fire.
Before long Chief Bogo made it to the scene and after getting info from the other officers and a the fire chief was now making his way over to the two of them, the same gruff look he always had seemed to have a jolt of concern on it as he saw the paramedics patching up Judy’s leg now after they had stabilized the tiger cub. Judy seemed to be unaffected by them working on her as she leaned against the ambulance door with a solemn look on her face as she stared at her still blood soaked paws. Nick hated the look upon the face of his mate as he could only imagine what she was happening inside her mind. Nick had tried to get her out of her stupor a few times but hadn’t been very successful. “Wilde!” Bogo yelled.
Nick turned. “Chief. Good to see you.”
“What happened here Wilde?” Bogo asked.
“Not sure sir. I haven’t been able to get that out of my partner yet.” Nick answered and pointed at Judy who still seemed to be somewhere else. “Although she did say that she had stabbed a tigress.” Nick continued. “Not sure as to why she did but i’m sure that the tigress had gone savage and attacked her.”
“Savage!?” Bogo said surprised, he then drug his hoof down his face. “I thought that we were done with this whole savage thing?”
“Me too.” Nick replied. “ Me too.”
Bogo turned his attention to Judy. He seemed to be studying her. “I have seen this before.”
Nick turned his attention back to Bogo. “Seen what before sir?”
“Her expression, she’s in shock. This was the first time that she has killed anyone in the line of duty.” Bogo shook his head slowly as if pitying Judy. “Some mammals take it better and some don’t. It looks like she’s the latter.”
Nick turned back to Judy hoping that she would have changed her expression but wasn’t surprised when he saw the same look. “Listen Wilde, Hopps isn’t any good to us like this.” Bogo paused and Nick could feel anger rising in the pit of his stomach. “Chief don’t say what i think you are going to say.”
Bogo breathed heavily which was very intimidating coming from a water buffalo. “I’m not that cold hearted Wilde.” He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. “What I was going to say is this. Take her home tonight and get her in a hot shower, and i don’t know how you to do things and i don’t want to know but tonight you will have to help her. Get the blood off of her and comfort her. Take a few days off and get her back to normal. Then we will get a report.”
Nick looked up at Bogo to say thank you but was stopped by the look on his boss's face. “Not a word Wilde. I’ll hold the vultures at bay. Just get her mind right.”
“But what if she forgets.” Nick asked him as Bogo walked away toward the press. Bogo stopped and half turned. “Trust me Wilde, She won’t forget.” He then resumed walking.
Nick looked back at Judy and got her attention as best as he could. The two them somehow made it to a squad car without the media noticing where James the leopard drove them home. As soon as they were in the apartment he helped judy undress and shower. She had started to come out of her shell most of the way through the shower, talking to Nick a bit more. The two skipped dinner that night and went to bed, but the night was sleepless for both of them mostly. They had fallen asleep once but Judy had woken up screaming and thrashing from a nightmare, it was nearly daylight before the two of them got any rest. Judy was awake first by midday. She had gotten out of bed and then sat by the window on the plush carpet of the apartment with her eye’s closed, bathing in the warmth of the sun.
Nick awoke not long after and nearly panicked when he noticed her not laying beside him. Noticing movement he turned toward the source and saw that Judy sat by the bedroom window bathing in the sun, staring at her paws. Even though the blood had been washed away she could still feel it, see that it was there. Nick watched her for a moment before getting out of bed himself. He walked over to her and sat down behind her. Judy yelped in surprise when Nick picked her up and set her in his lap and began to run his paws through her fur which seemed to relax her.
“Thank you.” Judy said in a small voice that Nick barely heard.
“What’s that now? Can’t hear you. I don’t have a bunnies ears you know.” He replied mockingly. He hoped that his humor would make her laugh but all it did was make her smirk. Boy he was going to have to try harder. “Nick i’m serious.” She said this time louder. “Thank you.”
“For what fluff?” There was a pause. “For being there when i was supposed to be? Helping you through a tough time?” Nick asked tauntingly.
“Yes. To all of it” She answered with a bit of a chuckle. Judy turned in his lap to face him. Nick now saw a scar on her left cheek that he hadn’t seen last night. He touched it with his right paw. “Yeah, I noticed it this morning in the bathroom mirror. Was hard not to notice after how long i had stood there.” Judy had answered his question before he had asked it. “It’s ok.” She added. “It adds character.” She said forcing a smile.
Nick studied Judy’s face for a moment, he gazed into her lavender orbs and he could see the happy go lucky and can do bunny there trying to come back but now he also saw something else. Something that had changed her more than the Night howler case had. “You’re still beautiful to me fluff.” He told her as they kissed. “You always will be.”

Description
Nick awoke with the sun shining in his eyes through the window that was beside his and Judy’s bed. He sat up and yawned while rubbing his eye’s with the backs of his paws. Standing up he stretched his muscles, trying to wake them from their slumber. He glanced at the other side of the bed as he turned to straighten his. He often did this when Judy wasn’t present, more out of habit than anything. They hadn’t been married long but he missed her quite a bit when he was off duty but she wasn’t. It didn’t happen often, the both of them being off duty at different times but sometimes it did, this was one of those times.
Nick inspected his work and felt satisfied with it. He left it and went to the bathroom that stood just down the hallway from the couples room. After relieving himself he returned to his room and donned his signature pair of Khaki’s and his one size too big hawaiian shirt. Feeling good with his attire he left the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. He had found that being in his thirties he liked having a nice cup of coffee in the morning to help get him moving. As he made his coffee he caught scent of a sweet perfume and following his nose he found a small note that Judy had left for him. He picked it up and unfolded the paper revealing the script that it contained. ‘Nick, meet me at that new restaurant that we found in the city center while on duty for lunch. Oh yeah, the coffee is gonna burn. Love, Judy.’
Reading that last line he glanced over to the coffee pot and quickly removed it from the burner. “Sly bunny.” Nick said to himself with a grin and a chuckle. After pouring his cup of coffee he glanced at the clock on the wall, a quarter after eleven, it would take thirty minutes to get there by foot. He glanced out of the kitchen window to see that it was a beautiful sunny day and so decided that a nice walk was in order. Quickly he cleaned up the mess on the counter that had been made while making his cup of coffee and then strode over to the door, grabbing his apartment keys out of the bowl on the counter as he passed it.
It hadn’t taken long to lock the door to their apartment and begin making his way down the apartment building hallway. The day was beautiful and sunny with mammals traveling to and fro going about their business. The hustle and bustle was something that nick had become accustomed to growing up in the city. It had become something that he loved. NIck made his way across town at a decent pace keeping an eye on the time at intersections and sipping his coffee. At this pace he was would make it to the restaurant on time.
Nick picked up his pace as he neared the block that the restaurant was on. As he neared the corner of the last building before his destination he was nearly knocked over by a wolf and cheetah that seemed to be in a hurry. He quickly dodged them as they ran past him looking frightened. He shook his head and scoffed and pressed forward. When he had rounded the corner Nick stopped dead in his tracks, dropping his coffee mug. The restaurant was engulfed in flames, mammals were running from the blaze in a panic while some stood idly by watching. The Fire department hadn’t made it to the seen yet but it seemed some of the ZPD had. Nick’s first thought was of Judy. Was she alright? Had she been inside when the fire started? Nick’s gut knotted with anxiety at the many questions and possible answers that swirled through his mind.
Shaking himself from his shock he dashed toward the flaming eatery, the safety of his wife on his mind all the while. He made it to the first squad car to find a Leopard who he recognized as James, on the radio calling for back-up. The familiar wail of the fire department siren in the distance could now be heard. Nick jumped into the car and grabbed the leopard by the shirt collar and was met with a surprised look but paid it no mind. “James! Where is Judy!?” He asked his tone panicked.
The leopard seemed to consider his answer for a second. “Where do you think Wilde.” James replied. Nick had been afraid of that. He let the leopard go and jumped from the squad car and looked around, thinking for a second. “I have to go find her James!” He yelled.
“Wait, Wilde it’s not safe!” The leopard shouted above the sirens of the arriving fire department but it was too late. Nick had ran off shouting. “She’s my wife!”
As Nick got close to the burning building he could feel the intense heat but it did nothing to deter him. Nick had run maybe fifteen yards before he saw a small figure emerge from the wreckage of the still burning building, dragging a limp body of a tiger cub. Nick felt a mist of water falling on him and he looked back to see that he fire department had begun to put the fire out. As the heat began to die down he dashed forward and made it to the figure that he had knew would be Judy. Without saying a word to her he grabbed her and the tiger cub by the waist and moved them both to the ambulance that had just pulled up. Nick set the both of them down as two other predators emerged from the ambulance. One from the back of the vehicle and the other from the driver’s seat. The one that had opened the back, a Lioness looked at nick but he waved her off and pointed at the tiger cub. The other paramedic, a hyena came to check on Judy also. While the Hyena looked her over and determined that her wounds were superficial he gave Nick and Judy some space and began helping the Lioness with the tiger cub. Nick became concerned as Judy hadn’t said anything the entire time and her eye’s seemed to look beyond everything. Blood covered the front of her uniform and sleeves in splotches. Judy’s left cheek had a smear of red and her left thigh was cut and bleeding and her paws dripped with the red liquid. But those were only the small things that he could see wrong with her as he looked her over. It was her eyes that scared him as they still seemed to look right through him. As if he were some apparition that had appeared before her.
“Judy, are you alright?” Nick asked her as he gripped her shoulders. “Nick?” Judy asked.
“Yeah carrots. It’s me.” He replied as wild lavender eyes met his gaze. He could see the pain and shock that they held. He dropped to his knees and grabbed her, one hand going to the top of her head which he began rubbing. Judy’s shaking and bloody paws wrapped around him, gripping tightly. He could see her tail twitching in horror and feel her nose moving rapidly. “Shhh.” He told her as he rubbed her head. “It’s ok now, I’m here.”
With that small amount of reassurance and familiarity she began to relax. Tears streamed from her eye’s and she spoke again. “I.., I sta..,stabbed her.” Judy stammered.
“Stabbed who fluff?” He asked still stroking the fur on her head.
“I.. stabbed her! The tigress!” Judy paused as he she sobbed. “I Stabbed her until she was dead Nick. I didn’t want to but still i did. Oh God I killed her!” She nearly screamed as she stepped from the embrace and looked at her Paws. The look upon her face tore Nick’s heart apart, the horror that was threatening to take over her was more than he could bare to see. “I killed her with these paws.” She said weeping and shaking her bloody paws as she looked into her husband’s eyes.
Nick grabbed her paws and brought her in close. “Judy look at me. Look at me!” He yelled to get her attention. She seemed to be going into a state of shock and he wasn’t going to allow that. The fire department ran back and forth frantically but he wanted her attention on him. “Focus on me Carrots, Just let it out.” Nick told her as he embraced her again. Judy cried into Nick’s shoulder as the two of them stayed put, the fire mammals yelling orders back and forth as they sprayed the raging fire.
Before long Chief Bogo made it to the scene and after getting info from the other officers and a the fire chief was now making his way over to the two of them, the same gruff look he always had seemed to have a jolt of concern on it as he saw the paramedics patching up Judy’s leg now after they had stabilized the tiger cub. Judy seemed to be unaffected by them working on her as she leaned against the ambulance door with a solemn look on her face as she stared at her still blood soaked paws. Nick hated the look upon the face of his mate as he could only imagine what she was happening inside her mind. Nick had tried to get her out of her stupor a few times but hadn’t been very successful. “Wilde!” Bogo yelled.
Nick turned. “Chief. Good to see you.”
“What happened here Wilde?” Bogo asked.
“Not sure sir. I haven’t been able to get that out of my partner yet.” Nick answered and pointed at Judy who still seemed to be somewhere else. “Although she did say that she had stabbed a tigress.” Nick continued. “Not sure as to why she did but i’m sure that the tigress had gone savage and attacked her.”
“Savage!?” Bogo said surprised, he then drug his hoof down his face. “I thought that we were done with this whole savage thing?”
“Me too.” Nick replied. “ Me too.”
Bogo turned his attention to Judy. He seemed to be studying her. “I have seen this before.”
Nick turned his attention back to Bogo. “Seen what before sir?”
“Her expression, she’s in shock. This was the first time that she has killed anyone in the line of duty.” Bogo shook his head slowly as if pitying Judy. “Some mammals take it better and some don’t. It looks like she’s the latter.”
Nick turned back to Judy hoping that she would have changed her expression but wasn’t surprised when he saw the same look. “Listen Wilde, Hopps isn’t any good to us like this.” Bogo paused and Nick could feel anger rising in the pit of his stomach. “Chief don’t say what i think you are going to say.”
Bogo breathed heavily which was very intimidating coming from a water buffalo. “I’m not that cold hearted Wilde.” He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. “What I was going to say is this. Take her home tonight and get her in a hot shower, and i don’t know how you to do things and i don’t want to know but tonight you will have to help her. Get the blood off of her and comfort her. Take a few days off and get her back to normal. Then we will get a report.”
Nick looked up at Bogo to say thank you but was stopped by the look on his boss's face. “Not a word Wilde. I’ll hold the vultures at bay. Just get her mind right.”
“But what if she forgets.” Nick asked him as Bogo walked away toward the press. Bogo stopped and half turned. “Trust me Wilde, She won’t forget.” He then resumed walking.
Nick looked back at Judy and got her attention as best as he could. The two them somehow made it to a squad car without the media noticing where James the leopard drove them home. As soon as they were in the apartment he helped judy undress and shower. She had started to come out of her shell most of the way through the shower, talking to Nick a bit more. The two skipped dinner that night and went to bed, but the night was sleepless for both of them mostly. They had fallen asleep once but Judy had woken up screaming and thrashing from a nightmare, it was nearly daylight before the two of them got any rest. Judy was awake first by midday. She had gotten out of bed and then sat by the window on the plush carpet of the apartment with her eye’s closed, bathing in the warmth of the sun.
Nick awoke not long after and nearly panicked when he noticed her not laying beside him. Noticing movement he turned toward the source and saw that Judy sat by the bedroom window bathing in the sun, staring at her paws. Even though the blood had been washed away she could still feel it, see that it was there. Nick watched her for a moment before getting out of bed himself. He walked over to her and sat down behind her. Judy yelped in surprise when Nick picked her up and set her in his lap and began to run his paws through her fur which seemed to relax her.
“Thank you.” Judy said in a small voice that Nick barely heard.
“What’s that now? Can’t hear you. I don’t have a bunnies ears you know.” He replied mockingly. He hoped that his humor would make her laugh but all it did was make her smirk. Boy he was going to have to try harder. “Nick i’m serious.” She said this time louder. “Thank you.”
“For what fluff?” There was a pause. “For being there when i was supposed to be? Helping you through a tough time?” Nick asked tauntingly.
“Yes. To all of it” She answered with a bit of a chuckle. Judy turned in his lap to face him. Nick now saw a scar on her left cheek that he hadn’t seen last night. He touched it with his right paw. “Yeah, I noticed it this morning in the bathroom mirror. Was hard not to notice after how long i had stood there.” Judy had answered his question before he had asked it. “It’s ok.” She added. “It adds character.” She said forcing a smile.
Nick studied Judy’s face for a moment, he gazed into her lavender orbs and he could see the happy go lucky and can do bunny there trying to come back but now he also saw something else. Something that had changed her more than the Night howler case had. “You’re still beautiful to me fluff.” He told her as they kissed. “You always will be.”