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Continues where The Broken Mask left off. The same morning, in fact. Nick and Judy had found love, romance, and some rather intense sexual common ground. Where will it go from here?

Dark things await (with lots of fluffy romance, sexy content and funny moments as we go.) Check out the fan art gifted to me by TheWyvernsWeaver. http://kulkum.deviantart.com/art/The-Savage-Dark-Tribute-629782500

Discipline (Or the lack thereof)

He felt very much like a kit who had been sent to the principal's office for getting caught necking with his sweetheart in the hallway between classes. It wasn't exactly a comfortable feeling, though there was an underlying feeling of accomplishment that went along with it that had him wondering about the bragging rights teens gained when caught in a similar situation. Not that he would know himself. He had never been caught kissing a girl in the hallway; he had always saved that for after track practice, under the bleachers. And he had never been caught. Now he felt like he was under the gaze of the largest, most intimidating school administrator there could ever possibly be.

And he was fine with that.

Bogo sat, his hooves folded neatly in front of him on the surface of the desk, metallic-brown eyes curious, cool, and bordering on irritated as he looked between the two of them in silence. No one had said a word since they had entered the office, and Nick decided that it would be better to let the Chief have the first say. Which, when it came, almost made him jump after the long quiet.

"You have five minutes before noon," came the deep baritone of his voice, shattering the silence that hung thick in the room. "You have that time to explain to me why Wilde turned in his badge, and why I should give it back when he can't even be bothered to come into my office in uniform.

"And if you try to spin a fairytale or crack one joke, Wilde," he continue, cutting them off with a sharp jab of his finger at the fox just as he opened his mouth to speak, "I'll have your resignation on record and your hide out of this building so fast, even your partner won't be able to keep up. Just so we understand how serious this all is."

The last was said with a dangerously pleasant smile that just screamed 'Try me.' This had Nick tugging at his already unbuttoned collar of his shirt uneasily as he glanced at the bunny sitting in the chair beside him. She'd been right when it came down to the moment of truth, and the high set of her ears and the calm expression on her face told him that she had been expecting this all along. So Nick took a calming breath himself, and released it in a soundless sigh as he straightened himself in the massive chair.

"Well, Chief," he began, squaring his shoulders and putting on his best professional air. "As the report states, Officer Hopps was perusing the weasel on suspicion of dealing narcotics. My attention turned to the buyer, because money and drugs had already exchanged paws, and we split-up to apprehend them. After subduing my suspect and calling for an ambulance, I heard a scream. When I arrived at the source I found my partner on the ground, along with a bag of the aforementioned narcotics on the ground beside her, and at least some on her face and muzzle. After the drug took affect and she went savage, I chased her into the denser parts of the rainforest, where I was able to locate and contain her."

"That is the official statement given when the EMT arrived," Bogo stated blandly, looking uninterested. "I assume there is more, since saving your partner isn't a reason to resign."

"Yes, sir. What was left out of my statement was that, between the time I entered the forest, and the time I brought her out, there was a..." He paused, trying to find a way to work it harmlessly. But the pause was thick, as if even Bogo was holding his breath. This was ridiculous, of course, as the cape buffalo looked unaffected and if anything annoyed by the break. So he pressed on. "There was a sexual encounter between myself and Officer Hopps."

This caused the stern face to drop a bit in shock, which left Nick feeling only slightly relieved that at least Bogo had been in the dark about their not-so-secret attraction for each other. Then the look of shock faded, and the aged face tightened. Nick wanted to shrink into his chair as the chief pulled himself to his feet, palms flat on the desk. "Am I to understand that, while your partner was drugged and savage, you took advantage of her?"

If there was ever a moment when Bogo showed he cared about his officers, this was certainly one of them. Nick could see the tension in his arms, the fury in his eyes and even his voice had deepened dangerously. The massive male looked for all intents and purposes like he was ready to reach over the desk and snap him in half.

And he couldn't blame him. Not one bit.

"That's not what happened, Chief," Judy cut in quickly, her ears dropping and her nose twitching as the anger seemed to roll over the room like a thundercloud. "He didn't take advantage of me. If anything, it was my doing."

"You're going to explain that statement, and fast, Hopps," Bogo demanded, starting to pace behind his desk as he kept his eyes on the two of them. "I am one word away from not only accepting his resignation, but having him locked up!"

Nick saw Judy swallow once, before she pushed her ears upright and straightened her stance in the chair. It was amazing how that actually did manage to make her look bigger than she was.

"Before there was a sexual encounter, I was aware of myself and my surroundings," she stated in a clear voice, one that he had no doubt took an effort if the trembling twitch of her nose was any indication. "I was the one who instigated, and I was very aggressive. I was also aware that Nick... I mean, Officer Wilde, was the one holding me. My reaction was probably because of this."

This brought Bogo to a stop beside his desk, his eyes narrowed as his gaze focusing on her directly now. His face was no less angry, but there was hesitation in his eyes now. "Because he is your partner?"

Her voice drops a few notches in volume and he could see her ears quiver as she tried not to lower them. "Because it was him, sir. I've been attracted to Wilde for months. I think before he ever left for the Academy."

The ease with which she stated that made Nick's tilted ears shoot upright as he turned his gaze to her fully, a look of pleased surprise impossible to suppress. The quick jolt of pleasure shot right into his heart, and it took him a moment to school it away under Bogo's stare. Which was now focused on him as the large male stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

"And you? Do you agree that this is how things unfolded?"

"Yes, Chief. I had my own concerns about her state of mind, which is why I turned in my badge," he admitted, his ears folding to the side when Bogo's eyes narrowed again. "She was..."

He hesitated, his muzzle pulling into an irritated frown as he felt a trickle of anger leak through the forced professional calm. What more did he want from them? Did he want every damned detail? Did he want to know how hot she had been; how she had squirmed and writhed against him? How hard he had been from the sounds she made, and how much he had wanted to take things to the next level and just fuck her against the tree? Was he going to have to tell him that afterward, he had felt vile for the thought and felt that he had betrayed the trust and friendship he had cherished more than anything in his life? How he had been afraid to see his best friend again because of his fear that she would look at him, and he would see loathing and blame in her eyes? Was that what he wanted to hear?

The trickle had become a flood. He wasn't even aware that his muscles had tensed, his paws clenched into fists, and the top of his muzzle twitched as it started to curl before a light paw rested on his bare forearm. The touch was familiar, welcome; and as quickly as it had come, the anger drained away as though it had never been there at all.

"Nick, it's all right. Tell him."

"As she said, she was extremely aggressive. She didn't force me," he clarified, bolstered by her assurance and straightened his shoulders again to give the massive mammal across the desk a level look. "But I was afraid that she was going to hurt herself when she attacked her gear belt and her clothing with her claws in the panic. She was in heat, and I think that it..."

"Enough," Bogo said, his voice sounding weary as he waved Nick to silence before he sat behind his desk and lowered his head into his hooves. "I have a disturbingly clear image of what happened now, and I don't need to hear anything else."

They all sat in silence for a moment, during which time he watched Bogo raise his head and steeple his fingers in front of his snout. He gazed at the two of them with without expression, save for the occasional flick of his ears: as if he were trying to shoo away a particularly annoying gnat. Nick often found it more difficult to read Bogo than most mammals he had met. His default expression was somewhere between angry and uncaring, which almost never told the entire story. When he finally broke the silence, Nick felt his stomach drop.

"I should fire you both," he began as he stood and stomped towards the file cabinet and opened the top drawer with enough force to make the entire thing slide jump away from the wall with a clash of metal on metal.

"Hopps! If you had come to your senses enough to recognize Wilde, then you should have stopped before things went too far," he accused, turning and jabbing one hoof at her. "In heat of not, you were selfish, and didn't give a thought to what the repercussions for your partner might have been. And as a result, his guilt over what you as the senior officer allowed to happen drove him to almost throw away one of the most promising carriers I've seen in years. You are his senior officer, his mentor, and I don't think I am out of line saying that you are the reason he is the fine officer he is today. You have responsibility in that, and you failed him."

Judy's body slumped, shoulders, ears and eyes all dropping so quickly he thought she might slide right off the chair and crawl under it.

"Sir, I..." Nick began in her defense, but he was silenced quickly by a glare from burning metallic-brown eyes.

"Shut. It. The blame isn't all on Officer Hopps, Wilde," he continued as he pulled a folder from the drawer he had opened and carried it back to his desk, dropping it as he turned to face Nick. "The last time I checked, every officer is issued a hand-tranquilizer to subdue violent offenders at close range. You should have used it the moment she became violent beyond your control. Now either you forgot that in the panic of the situation, or in a far more likely scenario, you chose to ignore it because you share her attraction. You endangered your partner, you endangered yourself, and if the story you told me had played out just a little differently, I would have you busted down to the night shift file clerk in Tundra Town!"

Now it was his turn to slump lower, trying to make himself seem even smaller than he was in the large chair by folding his ears back and curling his tail around his midsection in the protective gesture of a kit who had been chastised. Suddenly he did feel smaller, because he couldn't deny anything that had just been laid out in front of him.

Bogo seemed content to let them wallow in their thoughts over his words for a moment as he walked around his desk and took a seat. Nick saw him lift the folder in one hoof, remove the band around it, and pour the polished brass shield into his hoof. Nick raised his eyes to stare at it, and he didn't even try to hide the longing in his gaze as his focus remained.

"However, this... Event, let's call it," the Chief continued in a calmer tone as he rolled the shield around in his hoof for a moment before placing it on top of the folder. "Was extraordinary. The situation was unique and you both had forces working against you that go beyond my willingness to formally reprimand you for the choices you made, poor as I feel those choices were. And I will not lose an officer because of it. Wilde, take your shield."

Relief washed over him, enough to have his ears rising high as he stood on the edge of the chair and reached across the desk. The bright polish of brass was suddenly like a beacon to him, beautiful and needed as his paw closed over the cool edges of the metal. And his paw was closed in the much larger hoof of the cape buffalo as he did so. Looking up, he saw stern eyes looking down at him coolly.

"Everything else aside, this badge is a symbol. It is a shield so that when people see it, they know that they can trust the bravery and the integrity it represents. It is an honor to wear that badge, and I think that you more than most understand that."

Nick silently tightened his fingers around the shield until he could feel the corners biting into the pad of his palm painfully, raising his muzzle as pride and guilt filled him. Because Bogo had nailed the truth of it for the fox who had once given up hope of being anything more than the world expected of him. "Yes, sir."

"Then remember it," Bogo said, and Nick felt the grip on his paw relax and release. Even as it did, his own didn't relax on the badge as he drew it close to his chest. "And if you ever think to surrender your shield again, for any reason, you won't get it back."

"I understand, Chief," he replied, and lowered himself back into oversized chair next to Judy. Now that he had it back in his paws, now that he realized how close he had come to losing it, it seemed all the more precious to him. So much so that he refused to relax his grip, just pressed his fist to the spot where he would have pinned it on his uniform and held it there. He felt the light touch of a silky paw on his arm and turned his gaze to the bunny beside him. She smiled softly, but it was a smile that never touched her eyes. There was something else in them, something that robbed them of their normal sparkle, but before he could dwell on it Bogo was speaking again.

"I am going to assume that this relationship has gone beyond what happened in the rainforest," he said as they both raised their eyes to him. "While there are no regulations against it in the department, it does raise the sticky question about your partnership and the wisdom of keeping you together as a team."

"But sir!" they both began together, both sets of ears falling as distress came over their faces. Both of them were silenced when Bogo raised his hoof, shaking his head with a grim look on his scarred face.

"Don't care," he said flatly. "And I won't be splitting you up, for a few reasons. The most obvious is that you're still the only two officers in your size class, and the new recruits will take at least another four months to pass the Academy, if they do. Even then, I'm not sure I want to break you up. This incident aside, both of your records are not only spotless, but commendable even beyond the Nighthowler Incident. I can't help but believe that this might have to do with who you're partnered with.

"Before you relax," he continued, just as Nick had started to do just that. "There will be conditions and restrictions. One: there will be no public displays of affection when you are in uniform, in this building, or in any way representing the ZPD. Two: it cannot affect your work performance in any way. You will arrive on time, finish your paperwork on time - I'm looking at you Wilde - and you will not try to garner special treatment because you want to spend time together. And three: Remember why you put on your uniform. The job comes first, your orders come first, and the people of Zootopia come first, always. Anything less could put lives at risk, and that is unacceptable. If you feel that you can't handle perform your duty as well as or better than you have to this point, then I will give you temporary partners until someone more appropriate can be found."

Nick knew deep, deep down that at least one part of what was being asked was impossible. When it came down to it, there was nothing he could put before Judy; no length he wouldn't go to and no rule he wouldn't break if she was in danger and he could protect her. The fact that she was more than capable, more capable than him in so many ways didn't change that. But it was the fact that he couldn't lose her as a partner that allowed him to lie as completely as he did when he answered.

"Understood, Chief. It won't be a problem."

"And lastly, as of this moment you are both on unofficial probation," he added, one finger pointing and moving from one and then to the other. "Consider it my personal probation. I will be watching everything you do carefully, and until you have proven that you are capable of handling yourselves professionally, you would do well to tip-toe through everything you do. Is all of that clear?"

"Yes, Chief Bogo!" they said in unison, and like his partner Nick raised his arm in a crisp salute that seemed to at least mollify the large mammal.

Bogo slipped on his reading glasses, which was one of his ways of saying that the conversation was about to come to a close. "Hopps, were those your parents I saw in the lobby with Clawhauser?"

"Uh... Yes, Chief," she replied, and Nick had to smother a grin as her ears dropped at the reminder. "They arrived unexpectedly this morning."

Nick's own ears dropped when the chief glanced at him speculatively before rolling his shoulders and clearing his throat. "Well, that must have been awkward," he muttered under his breath before continuing. "Take the day. Deal with them, and be ready for business as usual tomorrow."

"Thank you, Chief."

"Wilde."

Straightening his back, her ears righting themselves, Nick prepared for the worst. "Yes, sir."

The worse came.

"Parking duty."

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"Well, that was bracing," he said lightly as they walked towards the rear stairs, finding it easier to keep his tone a playful one now that he had his badge back in paw. "That might be the closest I've ever come to jail time, or being trampled by my boss. Do you think... Wait. What? No, no, no, don't do that!"

A spurt of panic shot through him when he saw the look on her face and the way her breath hitched as she tried to fight back the tears shimmering in her eyes. A quick glance around told him that no one was on the upper floor with them, and that the closest room without a glass door was the filing room across the walk. Quickly, before really thinking about it, he scooped her up with both paws and tucked her against his chest as he dashed across the walk to the door. Once he had her inside, door closed behind them, he lowered to one knee and set her down in front of him, hands resting on her shoulders. The little bit of privacy that the room afforded them seemed to be all she needed to let the tears trickle down. She started before he could think of anything to say.

"He's right, Nick," she said, her voice wobbling a bit but clear enough for him to hear the misery behind the words. "I was aware, and I could have stopped myself. As soon as I knew who you were, I should have stopped it. This is my fault. I should have known better, I should have had more control. You almost lost your badge because of me!"

"No, I almost lost my badge because I was stupid enough to turn it in," he commented, trying to keep his tone light. When her only reply was a tearful glare, he released a light sigh and sat on the carpet in front of her. He opened his paw, and looked down at the shining badge resting on the pad for a moment before he raised it.

"Do you know what this used to be to me before I met you? I'm sure you can guess. Sly fox, street hustler. Doing absolutely nothing illegal," he reminded her, which surprised a watery laugh from her and made him grin softly. "It used to mean that when I saw someone wearing it, it was time to take a turn down a different street. Or that somewhere someone that I knew was probably getting busted because of it. It was a symbol to me that I was different from them; that I was standing on one side of the law, and the ones wearing this were on the other. And that was just the way it had to be."

"Nick," she began softly, but he placed one finger pad against the tip of her muzzle lightly.

"Then I spent a little over thirty six hours with this insane, naïve, and very annoying bunny," he continued, turning the paw from her muzzle to slide his palm pad over her cheek. A touch which she turned into with a small smile. The tears had stopped. "Miss steps between aside, you believed in me and made me want to believe in myself. Before I ever loved you, before you planted the idea of becoming a cop in my head, you made me understand why people want to wear this badge. To make a difference in a world filled with indifference.

"Thirty six hours, Carrots. That's all it took to undo a lifetime. Do you even know what that makes you?" Holding her gaze, which was watering up again, he reached out to take her paw and draw it over his badge. Pressing it on the now warm metal, he held it there as she looked down at their fingers joined around it. "The reason for this. Officer Nicolas Wilde wouldn't be, without Officer Judith Hopps."

He drew her close when she stepped into him, closing his eyes as he savored the warmth of her for a long moment. She may have cried a little more, but the reason was different and that made it all right. She sniffled once, and rubbed her face against the crook of his neck, and he felt the warmth of her breath as she released a slow sigh that seemed to signal the end of the tears. He turned his muzzle towards her when she lifted her head and tilted her mouth up towards his.

And he had the satisfaction of watching her blink in surprise when he put his paw between them just as their lips would have touched. "No kissing on campus, Officer. Do you want me to get sent to Tundra Town? You may have the day off, but I have the joy of being hated by every driver downtown to look forward to."

A sly grin grew across his muzzle when she huffed and reluctantly pulled away. She didn't go far, however, as amethyst eyes widened a little and looked pleadingly into his.

"Just one short one? No one is here."

"Carrots. I can't believe I'm being the strong one here," he grumbled, then narrowed his gaze when she ran her paws down his chest. In the silence of the room, he could hear the scratching of her tiny claws over the material as her eyes followed the motion. His ears shot up. His muzzle twitched. "Wait, are you still..."

"Mmhm. Until tomorrow, at least."

Utterly defeated - and suddenly really looking forward to the end of the work day - he licked the tip of his muzzle once as he glanced towards the door again. Then he looked down at her and held up one finger. "One little kiss. A quick one."

When she brightened with those high ears at their peak, he had wrapped her up again for a kiss that rapidly turned into anything but little or quick. Internally he groaned, even as he growled into her mouth when her lips parted to deepen it.

We're so doomed.