FSE

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With a whimper the tiger opened his eyes, the screaming pain in his head told him that was a bad idea. The light was so bright his eyes hurt, he felt a stabbing pain in his right paw. He tried to lift it to check, however, after moving an inch he felt soft, but immovable fabric tugging on his wrist. Restraints, a quick squirm told him all four limbs were stuck down.

"Easy, kitty," a familiar voice called from across the bright room. With a squint of his eyes the tiger managed to focus enough to see a vaguely fox shaped blur sitting down near the bed. The voice and blur combined to lead the tiger to a simple conclusion of who was there.

"Nick! What's going on?" The tiger asked, his mouth feeling like a desert as he spoke.

"You and the Chief were found, naked... "

"No!"

"Yes! Naked and covered in spunk..."

"Oh, please NO!"

"Oh, Thank-you, yes," Nick chuckled a little his eyes gleaming with mischief. "With his cock still stuck in your..."

"Don't say it!"

"Your fur... I was going to say it was stuck in your fur," the fox said in reassuring, if slightly mocking, soothing tones.

"You think this is funny, everyone in the department is going to know?!" The tiger ranted, struggling against his restraints.

"Well...you know what, I guess they might," the grin on the fox's face widened and then he winked. "If I wasn't the one who found you both. Fortunately, there was a huge tarpaulin right there, so I was able to mop up most of the evidence. Anyone asks you don't remember a thing..."

"I don't!"

"Atta boy, keep up the pretence." The fox was laughing a little too hard to keep up his own pretence. "Nobody knows but me, lucky for you Carrot's and I found you first and she was too busy getting someone with muscle to try and open the door. I on the other paw used a little fox magic..."

"You picked the lock!"

"I picked, as you so accurately guessed, the lock. A skill, I quite hasten to add, I learned while training to be a legitimate locksmith...ohhh years ago." The lie just rolled off the fox's tongue so perfectly and with such sincerity that anyone who heard would have to believe it, for about a second.

"And I'm suuure you have never used those skills for anything, beyond saving trapped kittens," Richard replied, the sarcasm positively vibrating from every syllable. "How about you give me a demonstration of your great skills, by unfastening my restraints?"

"Could I set you free right now...?" The fox gave him a winning smile. "Yes, I could. Of course, given your agrievous, unsubstantiated verbal assaults on my unimpeachable character I am not sure I will."

"Nick, I've known you for about six months and I can say with certainty, your character has never been peached, not even apricotted. It is, in fact, completely unrelated to the Prunus family," the tiger could see from the blank look on the fox's face his joke had fallen flat. "The peach is a tree in the Prunus family... look just release me and I'll owe you one."

"Two," the fox responded instantly. "You'll owe me two, one for getting to your first, pulling the Chief's cock from your...fur and cleaning you both. All before anyone else managed to find you, at great personal risk."

"What personal risk?"

"A warehouse full of police and I am wiping cum off two naked, unconscious officers. That my dear kitten, is how rumours get started," Nick gave the tiger a smirk as he mimed pulling a cock out using his fingers, in a lewd display.

"Ok, point taken, I will owe you two," agreed the tiger wriggling in his bed. "Now undo these blasted restraints so I can scratch my nose."

The fox wasted no more time, pulling on the straps saying, "two favours, anytime I want, no questions asked!"

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"

"I won't lie... that is a distinct possibility," agreed the fox with a smile.

"So where is the Chief?" Richard asked, as he scratched his nose and sat up in bed.

"In the next room, he's still out, I assume he got a bigger dose," Nick replied as he returned to his seat by the bed. "Clawhauser is in there looking over him."

A tiny flame of jealousy burned briefly in the tiger's mind. If any feline was going to tend to the buffalo it should be him. Of course, he knew now the cheetah was not the buffalo's type. Bogo liked the more shapely dancer type bodies. For the first time, the tiger was really grateful for the harsh academy training, which had added tone to his otherwise fit body. He realised the fox was staring at him as he thought and muttered, "yeah, the perp threw a bag of Wild Times at us, it hit the Chief right in the face."

"Ahh, well that explains everything," chuckled the fox.

"Not really," observed Richard with a frown. "That place was huge, I mean they had a pretty big set up, but it was empty. Just three perps carrying out the product. It would take a few dozen to operate the equipment..."

"Hundreds actually," corrected the fox. "The place wasn't empty, you just didn't see the other perps leave, they were too small, that's my guess anyway. Rodents, able to slip in easily, set up and soon as you broke down the door down they could high tail it out, through holes in walls."

"Did anyone try and go after them?" The tiger asked and he couldn't help but feel stupid as the fox replied.

"Oh yeah sure, McHorn and Julia went right after them, it was only a pity you and the Chief were out of it, you know so you could join the rhino and elephant in the rat tunnels."

"Ok, dumb question I guess. Seems stupid that we don't have any cops small enough to police the rats." Observed the feline sitting down.

"Well Carrots tried, but she got stuck and then she caught her leg on a nail." Nick shook his head and shuddered, "it was nasty, she's fine just off her feet for a few days."

"So what about the racoons?"

"They ain't talking," the fox replied. "Interviewed by a polar bear and a lion, but they are still more scared of something else. Plus they lawyered up."

"So dead end?" Even though he was disappointed the tiger mentally scratched 'be in a conversation where someone complains a perp lawyered up' off his bucket list.

"Yeah sort of, if the docs cleared you for duty I could use a partner," the fox replied getting up off the chair. "I'm gonna go check on Carrots, Cheif's next door. Remember those hospital gowns you are wearing have no backs." the fox left and a second later he stuck his head back n the door. "Of course given what he did to you, the Chief might like that!"

"Nick!"

Richard did wander into the next room and sat talking to Clawhauser for a while. The buffalo slept soundly, a doctor came and went, after reassuring both the felines that the Chief would be fine. Tests had been taken and Bogo was just taking a really long sleep while his body processed the massive overdose.

The tiger was discharged a couple of hours later. He made Ben promise to text him the second the Chief woke up. Then he and Nick headed out and got into the patrol car the fox shared with his partner.

"Nice, finally I get to drive," chuckled the fox as he squeezed into the driver's seat. Adjusting the seat back as far as it would go. "OK, well we could try Mr Big. Though he doesn't do drugs."

"Ah, so he's a nice mob boss?"

"Oh yeah, a sweetheart. He just deals in gambling, prostitution, trafficking poor animals, stolen goods and loan sharking." The fox pulled down his reflective sunglasses. "He's a real gentleman that way."

"Why hasn't he been put away?" The tiger asked.

"Got to catch him first, " the fox answered as he pulled the police car out of the parking space. "You ever wonder why the Chief is such a dick to new recruits?"

"Yeah...he wants to make sure we are up to being cops," the tiger answered, thinking back to the night before.

"Well...that's half right," replied the fox. "See, he wants to see if you are gonna turn out to be the right kind of cop, his kind of cop. Don't get me wrong he's a good guy, they all are. Good, very straight men, even the women and the gays. They will accept anyone, so long as they act like the old boys club thinks a cop should act. You know why there were no rabbit or fox cops before me and Carrots? Cause they never let us through the academy, the old boys club saw to that. Now, of course, they know they can't keep us out, so they just make sure we can be the right kind of cop. Their kind of cop."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, that they can't ever catch Mr Big because they don't think he's a real criminal. He's too small, he's not their type of criminal, ergo not a criminal. His gang is too small to get caught or even noticed." The fox seemed to be lost in thought, something told the tiger he was thinking things through out loud. "Cops recruited for brawn, not brains. You know there are no cops in Little Rodentia, and yet almost no crime. You know why that is?"

"I have a feeling you are about to tell me," mused the tiger.

"Because they know the ZPD can't help them," Nick answered as he pulled up to some lights and lifted his glasses, the tiger was shocked to see the fox had a serious look on his face. "A police force of big animals can't solve the tiny crimes, no matter how big they are. That's our problem, whoever is making Wild Times is a gang of criminals small enough to get anywhere. They will have a new place set up in a month, plenty of abandoned warehouses or big buildings, they can slip in and out, nobody will notice them, no police officer anyway. A small rodent is only capable of small crimes after all."

"That was a long speech, I see your point but what do you want us to do, we are both too big to go hunting them down?" Richard was starting to get a little annoyed by the long wandering rant. Things weren't equal, or perfect. It wasn't like he liked the need to hide his sexuality, clearly, he wasn't the only one doing so. The Chief was hiding it, maybe even from himself.

"We are, but... I might know a guy, or rat, that might help us," the fox gave a wink and a smile, suddenly back to his more carefree self. "Or failing that, we can go back to your place and you can tell me all the fun details of what the Chief was like. Is he a snuggler, he looks like a snuggler to me?"

"Oh well, let's just say I can understand why they call that stuff Wild Times, certainly was a wild ride he took me on," chuckled the tiger, thinking back on what he could remember. More and more memories of the evening were resurfacing each time he thought about it.. "I think he was too out of it to snuggle. Though I do hope you are right."

"You really like him don't you kitten?" Nick asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I kinda think I do," the tiger blushed and then shrugged. "Sorry Nick, I mean you are great and..."

"Whoa, whoa... look, we had some fun, but that's all it was to me, fun. I'd be up for more sometime, but...I ain't looking to snuggle." Nick jumped in quickly and then added. "Not with you anyway, kinda think I want to try some bunny tail to be honest."

"Really, you and Hopps? Seriously? She's a bunny and a she!"

"I'm a cop, I had figured out her species and gender, I did have to use the full might of the ZPD, but the clues were there," the fox shot back with a snort. "But, call me crazy but I hope she likes me too. Of course, she's the uptight sort, so it's gonna take a while before I find out how tight she is up..."

"I don't need the details!" insisted the tiger. "Guess we are both going after someone we work with."

"Office romances, they never work...but they are so fun! Just ride it out until it inevitably explodes in our faces."As he spoke the fox parked the car, near a rather dirty back alley.

"Well... the Chief already exploded in my face... does that count?" Sniggered the tiger.

"Don't count on that to mean he's going to stop hiding his sexuality, never seen him have a date, guy or girl. My guess is he is too used to playing the big, straight, macho, hetero cop, he is so deep in the closet he is in the flat three blocks over." Nick pulled the car over and nodded at a small alley. "Our rat will be down that alley."

The tiger glanced at the street, it wasn't much different to most streets in the city, a mixture of houses and apartments of varying sizes. "You want me to go around back, in case he tries to..."

"Ok!" Nick cut in quickly and pulled his sunglasses down so he could look the tiger in the eye. "Stow the racist attitude, just cause he's a rat don't mean he's a bad guy or a criminal. He's not some thug...well not really. He's what they call in tiny town a Magistrate."

"So he's an officer of the court?" Richard asked though he doubted any magistrate would be found down some dark alley this early in the morning.

"Not that kind of magistrate. He works... to a different set of laws," the fox replied carefully and with a shrug he added. "You know all those small guys who don't report crimes to you, they report them to him and his friends. The Magistrates then deliver what passes in Little Rodentia for justice."

"So... they are a vigilante gang?" The tiger queried, though the answer was very obvious, people dealing out justice outside the law, there was only one word for it.

"Please, just keep that opinion to yourself. If there's something going on in Little Rodentia these guys will know and be able to help us," the words were barked with a directness and edge the tiger had never heard the fox use. "They are good guys, mostly. So stripes, promise me you will keep your mouth shut, eyes, ears and, if possible, mind open."

The tiger could see in Nick's eyes a deep sincerity that surprised him. "Ok, I promise. I will not embarrass you."

"Oh Stripes, never make promises that you can't keep," chuckled the fox and once more Richard was stunned by how quickly the affable fox returned to his joking self. They got out of the car and walked to the alley. Looking down the alley the tiger could see a rat sitting on a cardboard box. His fur was grey and he was wearing a sports top which the tiger vaguely recognised as from the rat football league. He stuck to the full sized one because he had grown up on it and his father had always laughed at the smaller leagues. The memory resurfaced of his father and him flicking onto a rats game by accident. 'Look at those little pussies son, have to have their own league just so they can even play!' His father had definitely not been impressed, then again his father would not be impressed to find out his son was a homo either.

The rat had a small sports cap on as well, he was a skinny little guy, even by rat standards. "I guess your friend isn't here..."

"Hey! Scotty!" Nick cut in quickly and gave the rat a head nod. "How's tricks?"

Scotty glanced up at the fox and Richard, paying special attention to their dress and their badges, "nice costumes Nicky, whatever you are selling I ain't buying and if I catch you hustling in..."

"Hey! Scotty! My friend. Me? Hustle? You wound me deeply," the fox replied with mock pain in his voice, his paws clutching at his heart.

"Uh huh, if I catch you hustling in Little Rodentia I will be bringing my Ma a new fox skin rug for her place, capiche?" Richard found it hard to believe that this little guy thought he was in any way threatening to someone easily ten times his body mass.

"No hustling, no selling. In fact, I am here to buy, well maybe trade. I'm looking for some information, in relation to a case Officer Stripes and me are investigating," the tiger growled internally as the fox used his nickname so casually. He was officer Parker to any little rat gang members.

With a snort the rat glanced up at the tiger, "says Parker on his badge." One sentence and the rat went from arrogant gang member, to well-meaning member of the public bent on helping them in their duty. In Richard's mind anyway. "I heard you lost your mind and joined the ZPD, figured it was a hustle. You wanna let me know the angle, Nicky?"

"No angles Scotty, I am on the straight and narrow," Nick replied and Richard saw the fox's tail fluff up slightly as the rat burst out into laughter. Nick might play it cool most of the time, but the tiger was learning to spot when he was genuinely upset and not play acting. The truth was when he was actually upset he would usually just try to move on. "We are looking into a gang, dealing wild times, not just dealing making the stuff on a near industrial scale."

"So that would be a no on the letting me in on your hustle then?" Scotty replied with another chuckle. "I mighta heard some things though, I mean I seen that stuff, makes a fieldmouse think he's a tiger. Not good, I catch any little scrag dealing that shit on my turf... " the rat let the threat remain unspoken, with an eye on their badges. Something told Richard any rat caught by Scotty wouldn't just be getting a slap on the wrist.

"Exactly, it's no good for anyone regardless of size," the fox replied pointedly not responding to the question on hustling. "You know anything about an outfit working in a warehouse in Tundra Town?"

"Naw, nothin, cept you guys busted up the operation and caught nothing but the big job stooges," the rat clearly wasn't impressed with the ZPD's work on that job. "Heard that pretty bunny cop got cut up pretty bad trying to get down to the tunnels. Ha! Stupid Mayor promised us affirmative action, damn pussy sails to victory on the small vote and what do we get, a single bunny cop! Useless bloody... you ok Nicky?" Scotty had paused because of the growling sound coming from the fox's throat.

"Judy is a good person, her heart is in the right place..."

"Yeah well her fucking body is back with the rest of you bigjobs, looking after the 'real' people of Zootopia. While guys like me, well we got a job I suppose, no badge, no backup and nobody but my old ma to give a shit if some scrag slices and dices me." Scotty's rant tailed off to almost nothing. "It's pretty bad lately Nick. That poison has me breaking up fights and worse every damned day now. So I'm gonna help ya, but not for you alright, you don't owe me no favours. Just get me a decent night's fucking sleep and we are all square. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, there was a break in at Scooter road, I have to go kick some tail." With that, the rat jumped off the box and sauntered away, in a very deliberate way. Richard read it as 'I just told you police officers I'm about to go be a vigilante, whatcha gonna do about it copper?' It certainly was impressive he could put all that expression into his tiny hips. Although when he flipped them both off at the end of the alley Richard thought he had gone a step too far.

"Charming fellow," rumbled the tiger drily.

"Well he may have a chip on his shoulder the size of the average male rhino, but he is smart, well connected and sort of on our side," Nick replied with a shrug. "If anyone pops up connected to those guys he will get a message to us."

"Does he really think he's just like us?" Richard asked as the two made their way back to their car.

"Well, we catch criminals, so does he. Difference is instead of charging them he charges them, tackles and beats the snot out of them," replied the fox climbing into the driver's seat.

"Still feels wrong," Richard sighed a little, there was definitely something bothering him about the whole exchange. He put it down to the fact that they were technically in league with a vigilante and therefore working with a criminal. Surely not a good idea for a cop in his first few weeks.

"Yeah well, Scotty is a goodish guy, I won't say he isn't a little rough around the edges," the fox smiled at some distant memories. "We can trust him, he never takes it too far, unlike some magistrates I have met. One guy, Ramone, he actually tried to cut my tail off."

"What did you do?" The question came instantly and the tiger couldn't help but smirk as Nick put on his best hurt expressions.

"Me? Do? I was but an innocent business man selling some red wood to a construction project," the fox replied without a moment's hesitation.

"Redwood, or red space wood?" The tiger had the joy of seeing a brief look of shock on the fox's normally smooth and calm expression.

"Carrots told you, didn't she? Damn, I am going to have to punish that bunny," Nick chuckled and shook his head a little.

"Go easy on her, she told me while trying to perk me up from ticket duty." The tiger smiled and leaned closer and lowered his voice a little. "She couldn't stop talking about you either."

"Really? What else did she say?" Nick couldn't hide the excitement in his voice, Richard smile broadened.

However, their conversation was cut short by the radio in the car, "we have two, repeat two code three-seven-niners at ZPD HQ."

The two new cops both glanced at each other, "Three-seven-niner? You remember that code?" Nick asked quietly and the tiger nodded his head slowly. "At the station?"

"It... must be a mistake," the tiger replied. Three-seven-nine was the code for finding a suspect dead. "Get us there as fast as you can."

"It might not be the racoons," Nick replied as he flicked on the lights and put his paw down.

"Sure... maybe two drunks had a fight or something," the tiger agreed, although both of them could feel it in their guts, two grey and white villains had just bit the dust. In police custody no less.

When they arrived back at ZPD headquarters they found out that their guts had been spot on. Sadly there was little consolation in knowing their police instincts were spot on. Julia the elephant was outside the cells and she had a look of sheer disbelief on her face. "I booked them in... they didn't have anything on them!" It was all she seemed to be able to say, Nick and Richard escorted the rather freaked out pachyderm to the quiet room. It was a small room where family of victims were often allowed to wait. Neatly decorated with a coffee machine and a choice of very good, if extremely fattening snacks.

Richard grabbed a tray of chocolate peanuts (a favourite of most elephants and a lot of other species to boot). While they talked to the trembling officer they found out more details. The racoons had both refused to talk and asked for their lawyer, who hadn't even shown up. There was nothing out of the ordinary going on, no major rushes and the on duty officer was at his desk almost the entire time. Nobody could have slipped in, yet the two had both taken an overdose of ketamine. The door had remained locked and they hadn't made a sound, not to mention they had been strip searched for drugs and neither of them had anything on them.

"It's not your fault," Nick said petting the huge elephant's hands. While Richard put an arm around as much of her shoulders as he could. "You did your job. You want me to call your husband? Maybe you should take off early. I'm sure everyone would understand."

"Thanks, Nick I think... I'd appreciate that." Julia replied and half an hour later she was on her way home. While the fox and the tiger took a look at the cells. The raccoons had been held in cell number three. It was directly in the line of sight of the desk of the duty officer. The desk had been manned by an experienced polar bear cop named Duggan. Duggan insisted nobody had come in, and he was in the computer room with two other officers replaying every second of recording the cameras had made.

The cell was a crime scene, but as Nick said, "We're cops we are supposed to check out crime scenes." So the two rookies snuck in, without asking the lead officer's permission.

"We better not touch anything," Richard muttered as he glanced around the cell. There was nothing remarkable about it, two basic bunks with nothing but mattresses. Lights sunk into the ceiling with thick bulletproof glass, not because anyone would shoot them but to make sure the glass couldn't be broken and turned into a weapon. A toilet was in the corner, again nothing unusual about it.

"There's water on the floor," muttered Nick as he glanced at the toilet and frowned. "I think this might be murder."

"Even if someone slipped by Duggan, the door was locked," the tiger replied and spotted a small plastic bag. "I think the drugs were in this." He didn't touch it, sneaking onto a crime scene would probably get their asses kicked, actually touching the evidence would likely get them kicked so hard they were off the force. However, he did give it a sniff, "I think they might have smuggled it in up... you know... their back passage."

"Julia said they'd done a full body cavity search, standard protocol for drug dealers. You never know where people hide evidence." Replied the fox as he got down on his knees to look at the water.

"Someone must have missed something, I mean it's possible. Some guys can fit a lot more up there than others," muttered the tiger as he gave the fox a curious look. "It's just water, they probably spilled their water, they probably asked for some water to help them swallow the pills and then dropped the..."

"No plastic cup, and according to Duggan they just asked for their lawyers, refused to answer any questions. He said they were pretty cool career criminals. Unlike the dealer you caught, these guys were pros." Richard was impressed with the no nonsense fox. "This feels really wrong."

"Of course it feels wrong, people are supposed to be safe here. Nobody should be able to kill themselves in custody," the tiger replied and then their ears both twitched. Pawsteps, the rookies scooted under the crime scene tape and out of the cell just before the forensics guys arrived.

Nick slid up to a ram technician as he set down some equipment, "Hey, errr Karl, isn't it? Hey Karl, could you do me a favour and make sure you check out the water stains on the floor."

The ram turned and gave Nick an annoyed glance, "sure, I will. It's part of my job, a job I spent years and years training for, then years and years actually doing. However, how can all those years of experience compare to the weeks you have had in that uniform?"

"Point taken," the fox replied holding up his paws. "I'll leave this to your experienced paws." Nick showed just how diplomatic he could be, with a disarming smile. "We should go Richard." He muttered to the tiger as he pulled him away and back to the car park.

"We could have stuck around inside and waited to see if there were any developments," Richard muttered, he knew he was just a brand new officer who had until the day before only done parking meter duty, but this was his first potential murder and part of him really wanted to solve it. Not part all of him, he was desperate to spot some vital clue or something.

"Let me tell you what is going to happen. The video logs will show nothing, the lab results will come back that they did indeed die of a ketamine overdose and there will be traces of excrement on that plastic bag." The fox paused and gave the tiger a meaningful look. "The water will turn out to be from the toilet."

"Toilet water?" The tiger asked with a confused look.

"Toilet water," Nick confirmed as if it meant anything. "You know how toilets work right?"

"Yeah, of course," Richard mumbled confusedly.

"Good," Nick replied wandering away from the car.

Richard watched for a moment and then trotted after him. "Where are you going?"

"There's a sewer access cover over here," Nick replied and the penny dropped in Richard's brain. Toilet water! The other side of the pipe was air, the water only flooded when the toilet was flushed. If you were small and determined enough. "You can't seriously thi..."

"That someone crawled up a sewer pipe, managed to find the right room, dragging a small plastic bag with a few pills?" Nick asked with a serious look on his face. "Well let's just look at the facts again, we are chasing down a gang of drug running mice and rats, tiny little guys. Those raccoons were the best lead we have and their lawyer never turned up. You ever heard of lawyers to drug guys not turning up within the hour?"

"Well no, but then I've only been on the job a few weeks and so have you," replied the tiger.

"True, but I have... heard a lot about those kinds of lawyers. When you are working for career criminals and mob bosses you drop everything and haul tail when they call you," the fox replied as he struggled to lift the heavy iron sewer cover. "So the only reason their lawyer wouldn't turn up is..."

"... if he knew he wasn't needed," Richard finished for the fox and reached down to pull the heavy iron disk up, with a deep grunt.

"I loosened it up for you, big guy," Nick observed with a nod of recognition before he began to climb down.

It did make some sense to Richard, the water on the floor, foul smelling plastic bag and lawyer not turning up. It was worth a look, absolute worst case scenario they would find nothing, end up covered in crap, get a nasty illness and die in hospital weeks later, but the odds of that were pretty low. "Is that the only thing you loosened up for me?"

"Oh, Stripes, that doesn't need much loosening," quipped the fox with a chuckle.

Richard didn't reply, mostly because nothing kills flirtation better than climbing down into a sewer. The two officers switched on their torches and checked out below them. The tunnel was tall enough for Nick to walk erect, Richard would have to duck. There was a small dry path next to a canal of effluent. The tiger was relieved to see it, his uniform was onto its second day already, he was really worried he might be about to get a rep as a stinking officer, and not for any poor police work.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Richard whispered he wasn't sure why he whispered there was no chance if anyone had come in this way they would have hung around. The only thing that hung around in the sewer was the stench.

"I dunno signs that someone was in here I suppose," Nick replied. My guess is we will know it when we see it."

"Alright, well let's not linger in here, the station is this way," the tiger replied and set off in the direction of the station.

It wasn't long before they reached a split in the tunnel. "Should we split up?" Richard asked quietly, he didn't want to but he didn't want to admit it.

"No, this place might turn into a warren and I think we should stick together, less chance of one of us getting lost," Nick replied reaching out and scratching the wall with the butt of his torch with an arrow pointing back. "Just in case."

"Well if we do get lost, at least I have a tasty fox snack with me," quipped the tiger and gave a particularly predatory grin, showing all his sharp teeth. "Only if you die first of course."

"Ha! Well, there is no way I am dying in a sewer, I'm a hero after all. It would look bad in the papers and upset people at their breakfast," the fox snorted with a chuckle.

The two continued down the path they chose, only to find another split. The tunnels were getting a little smaller, Richard noticed it first, because of the increase in the number of times he was bumping his head. They left a mark and moved on, Richard put his trust in Nick's underground sense of direction, foxes were better underground than tigers. Plus Nick seemed a little too familiar with the layout of sewers, Richard didn't want to ask him, but he was willing to bet there was a hustle or two in the fox's past which had involved time down in the muck.

Richard checked his watch only to realise they had been underground and out of contact for at least an hour. "Hey Nick, we ain't found anything. It's been a while, maybe we should head back, see if we could get a few of the guys to help."

"Sure, we could call up Julia," grumped the fox, knowing the elephant wouldn't fit into the tunnel. "Just five more minutes and then we can..." Words died on his lips as his torch moved onto something. There was a lump lying right in the middle of the path they were on. "What do we have here?"

The two rushed forward, Richard grabbed Nick's collar before they got up to it, "careful, let's not contaminate the evidence."

"Indeed, although we are currently standing in a sewer, how much more contaminated could it be?" Nick replied with a winning smile. Although the fox took out his mobile and snapped a few pictures. "Of course if this turns out to be just an extra solid stool that bounced out, then I am going to feel so foolish."

"It's a clue," Richard said, his voice loud and full of confidence.

"How do you know until we actually pick it up?" The fox asked turning to look at his temporary partner.

"I have just spent an hour and a half climbing around in a sewer, on your hunch. If it's not a clue I'm gonna skin me a fox, and I think you are way too lucky to end up skinned by an enraged tiger, in the sewer, under a police station," the tiger put a bit of a growl into his voice and in the gloomy torchlight for just a moment he saw Nick step backwards.

The fox straightened up his tie and gave a wink, "or if it's not I am sure I could make it up to you another way."

"Well, you did say you were already loosened up," snorted the tiger. "Ok, this was your idea, I'll let you do the honours."

"You are a gentleman and a scholar," Nick replied with a bow and then pulled a pen out of his pocket and bent over to poke the bit of cloth. "It's a rubber wet suit, very small either a small rat, a big mouse or some other rodent used this, recently too I can still smell something. Hard to tell, too much sewage, but I can see wet claw prints here." The fox put the cloth down carefully and looked at the trail, it was drying out already. "I bet they went out back the way we came, the prints are drying out already. They must have come from just up ahead, we'd better hurry. Take photos of everything, be careful where you step and keep your eyes open."

With their hearts racing the two rushed after the trail, snapping photos with their phones as they went. The sound of falling water grew louder as the moved. Until they reached a small open area with many pipes draining out, several were spraying water into the canal. At the edge, there was a huge wet patch, the line of footprints ended there.

"There!" Nick crowed in triumph. "Someone came here, swam to the pipe, climbed up it and popped out of the toilet. Maybe even waited for the racoons to go to sleep and then hopped out, drop a couple of pills in their mouths and they would swallow in their sleep. Then back and out, probably long gone when their bodies were found."

"We have got to go back, get a forensics team to check this place out," Richard replied.

"The experienced technician Karl will no doubt relish the task," the fox replied with a broad and mischievous grin. "Can't think of a guy who deserves this assignment more. Do you think it's hard to wash all that fluffy wool?"

"Probably."

"Excellent, then let's get our asses back up to the street and let him know the good news," the fox's smile was beaming with barely contained evil glee.

The return journey was far faster, they were out in the fresh air in half an hour. Nick called the clue in and asked for the tech team. The pair were told to report to the chief's office and they got to walk by Karl the irate sheep who did not look happy as he headed to the sewer hole. Nick put on his best and most businesslike voice as he said, "We marked arrows in the wall so just follow the arrows."

Karl didn't acknowledge him as he charged onwards and downwards. With his second major clue in two days, Richard was feeling on top of the world, even if he wasn't exactly smelling laundry fresh. Ben Clawhauser was back on the desk, apparently, the Chief had woken up and as soon as he heard what had happened at his station the buffalo had discharged himself on the spot and headed back to work.

Nick and Richard knocked on his door with very proud smiles on their faces. While all the experienced officers had been looking through hours of video footage, they had found a very good lead. Better yet for the tiger, he got to see the buffalo again, for the first time since... well since they had enjoyed a wild hour of carnal drug fuelled bliss. He knew he had to talk to Bogo, he was more than smitten with the huge sexy buffalo. Plus he knew that he was Bogo's type and there was no reason why they shouldn't pursue a relationship.

No reason except that Bogo was his direct superior, that he was really off his skull when they had sex, possibly didn't even remember, was so deep in the closet he might not even know he was in there, that gay herbivore carnivore relationships were the biggest taboo in society and they had only been on a stakeout, not a date. Except for those reasons everything was in the bag, they may as well start picking out the china for their wedding.

"Come in," the buffalo's deep and rich voice called out, and Richard felt something swelling in his pants.

"Calm yourself stripes, the poor guy just got out of hospital, don't go drooling all over him," chuckled Nick as he opened the door.

"I just got out of hospital too, didn't stop you taking me into the sewers," retorted the tiger and then added. "I really hope you aren't going to take Judy down there after she heals up."

"Oh no, of course not. The sewer is our place, It's just for us," Nick quipped in return with another flashy smile and wink.

"Be still my heart, a man who takes me somewhere dank and musty," chuckled the tiger and they both stopped the banter at the sound of an impatient grunt from inside.

"Ah, nice to see you both. Took your time to figure out how to walk through the door I see. Don't worry door handles can be tricky," Bogo observed drily. The chief was dressed in an immaculate uniform, which Richard couldn't help but notice showed off his wonderfully fit body perfectly. "I hear you had a little adventure down below."

"Yes Sir, we found..." Richard began but didn't get far as the buffalo stood up. Something about such a huge majestic beast getting to his feet silenced any words on the tiger's tongue.

"A clue, a vital piece of evidence that might have been missed without the heroic efforts of..." Nick jumped in quickly, with a sly smile at the tiger and his slightly agape jaw. However, Bogo wasn't really in the mood to listen to anyone sing their own praises.

"Yes, yes, yes. I know what you found, Wilde, you saved me the trouble of having to send someone down there to look for it," Bogo grunted, his voice was friendly enough. However, the Chief was in his office, the very centre of his domain and he was not going to let any two rookie cops dictate the conversation, that wasn't his style. "Well done rookies." The buffalo continued, his tone more akin to a father congratulating his child for some new drawing he would have to stick on the fridge.

"You knew, Sir?" Richard asked as he regained control of himself. It was hard, Bogo's pants were tight and he couldn't help but notice the vague outlines of what he had been sucking on just the night before.

"It's not the first time Parker," snorted the bull, this time there was a growl and a threat in his voice. "Seventh by my count since I joined the force and at least a dozen other possibles. Damn little guys, there's not much we can do. Can't block off the toilet pipes, or even install grids of flaps, they cause an... unfortunate blockage. Can't deny them a toilet, that would breach their rights. Chemical toilets are a suicide risk and a bucket is not good enough by city law. I can't even get approval to start up a special rodent unit, closest I got was convincing Major Lionheart to try an affirmative action programme. I tried to point out the tiny vote was bloody massive, but most of them didn't turn up to vote. Don't report their crimes either, it's not like I can send Julia and some of the guys down to tap on doors and ask if they would like to report a crime."

This time it was Nick's jaw that was agape, he stared in honest disbelief as the chief gave a rant not too dissimilar to his own earlier rant, "you were the one who got the affirmative action programme started?"

"You looked shocked, Wilde. Do you think I got to be Chief of Police by being stupid or by kissing tail?" The buffalo sighed softly. "I wish things were that simple, truth is I got the job by being a damn fine copper, by working my tail off. " The bull paused mid rant and gave the two his own sly smile. "Honestly, also by being damn lucky on occasion. I am smart enough to spot trouble on the horizon, even when the makers of that trouble are only three inches tall. Spotting it and doing something about it are two different things. Judy might be a good officer, but she isn't the rodent station in Little Rodentia, staffed with size appropriate officers, that I asked for... oh ten years ago now, and every year since."

Richard couldn't help but note; he was Parker, Nick was Wilde, but Judy Hopps was Judy. There was a soft spot in the buffalo's heart for that small grey ball of fluff and enthusiasm. "So what now?" Richard asked and his heart broke a little as he saw a look of defeat on the big bull buffalo's face.

"Well, unless we get really lucky and get a DNA match on some hair from that clue you found, there isn't much to do. I expect my officers to hit the streets hard, hope it doesn't hit back and that some other evidence pops up out of the woodwork," Bogo glanced back out into the office.

"May I make a suggestion, Chief?" Nick asked and didn't wait for him to reply. "Cameras in the sewers, motion activated cameras."

"Motion activated cameras to check for anyone about to... go through the motions?" The buffalo chuckled at his own terrible joke. "I tried cameras a few years back, they tend to break down a lot. Moist atmosphere. However, given the events of today I will try them again, thank you, Wilde. Now I suggest you two have been on duty long enough, take an evening and get some rest."

Clearly dismissed the two officers turned to leave, just as they reached the door Bogo's deep voice rumbled once more, "Officer Parker, please would you stay behind. I would like a... private word with you?"

Nick glanced back at Richard and gave him a wink and a sneaky thumbs up, before closing the door behind him. Richard turned back around, it was impossible for him to keep the smile off his face if Bogo wanted to 'talk' about things he certainly was willing. He'd do so much more than just talk if he got the option. "Sir?"

"We're alone, no need to play dumb," rumbled the buffalo. "You... never reported the full details of our... escapades last night?"

"No, Sir. I thought that the... more private details were not anybody's business but ours," the tiger replied carefully.

Bogo was standing beside the window to his office, looking out over the city. Richard guessed that this was a tough conversation for the buffalo. If Nick was right, and it really seemed like he might just be, the bull was in the closet. "I would appreciate it if the details of that night remained between us."

"Of course, Sir." The tiger replied, as he tried to think of something he could say to let Bogo know it was ok, that he liked it. The message was so simple and yet so fucking complex at the same time.

"Thank you for your time, dis..."

The tiger's eyes went wide as he realised all this conversation was going to cover was a vague request to keep his trap shut. Part of the feline would not allow it to end this easily, and that part was leaking pre into his boxers at the thought of what happened the previous night. It forced him to shout out over his dismissal, "I liked it!"

For the first time, Bogo glanced back at him and he saw something he never thought he would see in the bull's eyes, fear. However, with the words out there was no way to deny it or hold back for the tiger. He felt like he was back in the Chief's car, an inch away from death. His heart was beating out faster than he could ever remember as he stepped a little further into the office. "Every moment of it, Sir."

Bogo's jaw was hanging low and Richard could almost see the confusion and internal struggle behind the buffalo's eyes. The predator advanced another step and gave a shy smile, "I think, maybe you enjoyed it too. Although I may not be one of Gazelle's dancers, I think you found out I can move like one. I even own a pair of those purple sh.."

"Stop!" The word was both a command and a plea, the bull took a deep breath and Richard watched as he assumed the deeply serious and authoritative expression he always put on when handing out the duty assignments. Richard knew this was Chief Bogo, not wild and free Bogo he was talking to. "I understand that some officers may have feelings and I try not to judge. However, I am not only your superior but I am not... like you."

Inside the tiger, Richard felt sympathy growing. In the Chief's eyes, he could see something, it was fear again, he wasn't looking at some huge hulking, muscle bound sexy beast; it was a tiny little calf hiding in the corner, hoping nobody noticed him. "Are... are you sure that's how you feel?"

"What?!" Snorted the bull, with a slight growly edge to his voice.

"Well, last night you said. I mean you thought I was one of Gazelle's dancers. You talked like... you had been having some thoughts about them," as he talked he took another step closer and he saw the Chief take a step back bumping into the window. His predatory instincts flared up inside him, and he pushed forward for the kill. "It's ok, I won't tell anyone."

Cornered prey is a tricky animal, sometimes they lash out. The Chief pulled himself up to his full height, blotting out the sunlight from the window. "Officer Parker, you are dismissed." There was enough of a growl in the deep voice to make the tiger step back.

"Y... yes, Sir," Richard replied and turned around to leave.

"Just forget what happened last night," Bogo said to his back, just a little too soft and sadly for Richard to believe it.

"Forget?" The tiger asked turning back around, his emotions boiling up inside him. "Forget it?" Richard could feel himself trembling, with what he wasn't sure, lust, empathy, confusion, or maybe just anger. "You think I could forget it? Forget what it felt like to ... touch you, to be touched by you?" As he spoke he walked forward slowly and purposefully, as unstoppable as the rising tides. "Forget how your lips felt like against mine? Forget, your taste and the feel of your strong arms around me? Forget how I felt when you were above me, so dominant and powerful?"

Bogo was standing stock still, his jaw wide open in shock as the feline advanced on him once more. "I am never going to be able to forget how you felt, how you tasted and how much I wanted to be with you." Richard stepped right up close to the buffalo, his nose flared to life with the strong musky and earthy scent. He looked up into Bogo's eyes and whispered, "do you think you will be able to forget me, just like that?" This time his was the voice with a hint of a growl to it, he could see the emotional battle inside Bogo's eyes. Richard knew the bull was just as confused if not more so than he was.

Then he saw the big head lowering, just a little dipping towards him. The predator inside him pounced, his lips diving upwards, velvet muzzle was pushed to his. Bogo jumped at the touch and yet didn't pull back, he pressed forward hungrily. Both of them moaning loudly as their opened and their tongues danced. A strong pair of arms suddenly encircled his frame and Richard purred with delight. This time there were no drugs to blame, no other tigers in Bogo's mind.

Richard's paw landed on Bogo's broad expanse of muscle, that was his chest. Beneath the rippling pectorals, he could feel a strong heart, one beating as rapidly as his own. He pushed further into the kiss, his breath coming in rapid pants. The door was unlocked, any moment anyone could walk in. Even knowing that he couldn't stop himself. Tiger paws stroked down the chest, popping button after button, exposing the blue-grey fur of his Chief and lover. When they reached the waistband he felt Bogo gasp and for a second he expected resistance.

What he got instead as a thrust from the bull's groin, a thick musky bludge was forced into his far too willing fingers. He fought against the Chief's flies, popping the buttons one after the other, and then reached inside. Heat surrounded his paws, the moist heat of a damp midsummer's day, and inside he felt the rigid shaft, pulsing and desperate for his touch. His fingers grasped around the pole, squeezing and he drank down the muffled moos of pleasure.

With a tug and a twist, he pulled the thick shaft out into the light of day. His paws dancing up and down the length. Finally, he broke the kiss and looked down to feast his eyes. "Fuck, it's so beautiful." His voice was more purr than whisper, and inside the quiet office, it sounded like a roar. Bogo just gasped and then he felt the hot length pulse, a throb running up the length, gently brushing his fingers before a jet of musky pre landed in his palm.

The tiger purred louder at the sight, his paw smearing the buffalo's juices over his own meat, making the rod glisten in the sunlight. He looked up and found Bogo's eyes looking down at his questioningly. With a broad grin on his muzzle, his lips returned to the bull's. Bogo seemed more confident with the kiss this time, his broad tongue pushing deep into Richard's mouth. This time there was no dancing, their tongues were wrestling for dominance and the tiger knew he was up against an opponent he couldn't hope to beat. Yet there was something fun in trying, in pushing back and making the bull grunt and push harder. Strong paws gripped his arms, as the bull forced his tongue deep into the tiger's maw. Bogo wasn't just accepting anymore he was taking, he was looking to explore every inch of his mouth.

Cool wood pressed into the back of Richard's pants and he realised the bull had been pushing him back, step by step until he was pushed against the Chief's desk. Richard found himself leaning backwards, the buffalo's strong grip on his arms let him know he was not going to fall. This was what he loved, what he always craved, the feeling of a powerful lover holding him. The more strength and voracity Bogo put into his kiss, into his grip and his domination of the feline, the safer Richard felt.

That grey furred chest was pushing against his, the tiger could feel the racing of Bogo's heart against his. The Chief's soft moans of lust were echoing in his ears. One feline paw slipped onto the desk, grasping it for support as the other continued to stroke and caress the slick bovine phallus. Bogo had been leaking pre almost constantly, that first jet having broken a dam, and now the river was in full flow. He could feel it the buffalo's juices soaking through the fur on his fingers, how he longed to raise that moist paw to his face, to try the raw scent and taste of the Chief's pleasure. However, no force in Zootopia could have made him stop kissing the bull.

Not a thought crossed his mind for the unlocked door and the hundreds of his fellow officers just mere meters away. All he could think of was the taste of his lover, musky and yet sweet. The feel of his hot body, grinding down, so much bigger and more powerful. There was nothing that Bogo couldn't do with him if he wanted. His mind was lost in the wonder of the moment, he was the cat and Bogo was the cream and he was feasting in paradise.

Richard meowed out in lust as a rough paw grabbed his pants, powerful fingers fumbled as they struggled with unfastening them. The bull grunting in frustration as he was held from his desires by mere fabric and a dash of metal. Knowing that opening another's pants is somewhat of a learned skill Richard let go of the desk and added his own paw to help. The Chief's fingers brushed against his and for a moment they wrestled and then quickly they learned to work together.

With a grunt of triumph, the buffalo finally managed to pop the button and then he began to tug firmly on the fabric. Richard almost chuckled at the fumbling, he wondered how many partners the bull had had. Pushing forward the tiger hoped to his feet, off the desk his pants were free from obstruction and slipped to the floor easily, followed quickly by his rather moist and musky briefs. A couple of practised kicks and his lower half was finally free from the fabric imprisoning it.

During all of this, their lips had never parted. Their tongues had been wrestling back and forth for control. The tiger yelped softly into Bogo's muzzle as a meaty fist wrapped around his aching maleness and squeezed. The squeeze made his submissive needs flare inside him, it was so powerful, almost verging on painful. Richard knew that Bogo was in control and he found himself gently humping against the paw. His own paw worked on the Chief's dripping shaft non-stop, feeling the dripping meat throbbing, so hot in his paw he wondered that it didn't burn him.

Then he found himself slipping back onto the desk, papers and stationery falling to the floor unheeded by either of them. Their lips parted and the tiger almost fell back onto the desk. Those powerful mitts that had held his arms grabbed his ankles tightly and pulled his legs apart. There was no need to hold them apart, the tiger would have bent over for Bogo willingly. Yet the feel of the bull taking control, it set the tiger's needs on fire. They burned like a furnace inside his mind, eating up all other thoughts. His only concern was getting to feel that cock inside him.

Richard felt a moist warm tip pressing between his cheeks and he gasped pushing back against it. The buffalo wasted no time thrusting forward hard, for a moment the tiger felt the cock pressing inside him and then it slipped, hotdogging between his striped cheeks. Once again Richard suppressed the desire to chuckle. Instead, he reached down with a paw and took firm hold of Bogo's shaft. With a practised paw he guided the bull back to the spot and kept his fingers braced against it.

The buffalo needed no further guidance, his hips pressed forward and this time the tiger's pucker opened up. Richard cried out into Bogo's muzzle as the thick shaft speared deep inside him. The bovine showing no mercy thrusting forward powerfully. Inch after thick dripping inch was stuffed into the cat. The shaft getting thicker by the moment and Richard closed his eyes as the pleasure of the entrance gave way to pain. He gasped deeply for breath as he felt two huge nuts pressing to his ass.

Bogo was clearly far too lost to the pleasure of the moment to hold back. His hips started to buck and thrust wildly, the thickness inside spearing deep inside him hard, with each thrust the desk creaked in objection. However, the tiger moaned loudly, again and again, their kiss breaking as Bogo stood up tall, his hips a blur. The room echoed with the sound of fur smacking fur, along with the slurp of a wet cock slipping in and out of a wanton feline's fuck hole.

When Richard felt his ankles freed from Bogo's grasp his legs wrapped tightly around the buffalo's hips. He was desperate to hold the bull inside him. The pain had faded quickly, now all he felt was the heat and power of the cock inside him, along with the pleasure of sensation as it moved. The sparks as the Chief's savage desperate thrusting hit his sweet spot. Each time the bull hit the target he cried out desperately. Only for a buffalo paw to grab his muzzle. Two musky fingers tasting heavily of cock were shoved into his mewling mouth to silence him. Richard groaned and suckled on the digits desperately.

The bull above him was beautiful, framed against the sunlight from the window. His powerful form seemed to glow, every muscular curve was highlighted. However, his perfect body was nothing compared to the look on his face. The Chief's eyes were closed, his jaw hanging open panting, the Chief seemed to be concentrating on nothing but thrusting into the tiger. Richard could imagine the bull, his world melting away around him until all it was filled with was warm tiger rump squeezing around his thickness.

Claws scratched into the polished brown wood as the tiger felt his orgasm nearing. The bull thrusting faster and faster, desperately rutting him like an animal desperate to flood a willing cow with his seed. Then Bogo's free paw flew to his muzzle and Richard heard his screaming into it, the muffled cries of pleasure driving the tiger to heights of lust he had never been to before. His own paw grabbed his aching meat and stroked it rapidly.

Inside him, Richard could feel the Chief's hotness throbbing and a soothing warmth being emptied into his willing ass. The tiger stroked his cock desperately until with a cry it erupted, like a dirty fountain, spraying thick jets of tiger cream over his uniform top and crotch. The bull rocked back and forth gently, just bucking his hips as he pumped his lover full of thick buffalo spunk. While the two just basked in the afterglow of their affair.

Eventually, the glow began to pass, the heat of the moment giving way to the awkwardness of what was to come afterwards. Bogo stepped back and Richard felt the softening length slipping out of him, a warm jet of spunk flowing down his crack afterwards. The tiger blushed a little and wriggled his hips, working himself to the edge of the desk before dropping onto his paws. The buffalo had already stuffed his softening cock back into his pants and was unable to look at the tiger.

Richard gulped as he hunted out his pants, using his underwear to clean as much spunk off his shirt and rump as possible. Inside his mind spun, as he tried to think of what to say, before it had all been so clear. He had been angry and horny, pushing Bogo and seeing the buffalo push back. With their lust burned up the feline knew that they had crossed a line, this time with no drugs to blame. "Chief... I... are you ok?"

The buffalo sighed and straightened up his tie, "yes, Parker, I am fine." Richard couldn't help but notice for all they had done, he was still just Parker. "We... shouldn't do this again, especially not in the office. It is not proper and... " The bull trailed off and Richard knew what he was thinking and feeling. He had been where the bull was many years ago. Unsure who he was, what he was. Bogo needed space, but in that moment with his cum leaking out of another man's ass he didn't know how to ask for it. While inside the tiger knew a war was being raged between the bull's desires and fear. It was too soon to say who would win.

"It's ok Bogo," Richard purred softly putting a little emphasis on the buffalo's name so he would know that this was Richard speaking, not Officer Parker. "Look, I would like to get to know you a lot more and maybe see what happens. However, I'll leave the next step to you. You know where to find me."

Bogo didn't reply but he did look at the tiger and Richard thought he saw gratitude in those confused eyes. The feline decided to risk one last little gesture, he stepped up to the buffalo and place a saw warm peck of a kiss on his lips. The buffalo jumped slightly but did smile just a little. "Thank you." Richard knew it was time to leave, clearly, the Chief had a lot to think on. Two racoons murdered in his own station, a tiny crime problem which the city would not support him to resolve and figuring out his sexual identity. However, as he closed the door he heard Bogo say again, "thank you, Richard." Hearing his name in the bull's deep chocolate smooth voice made warm parts of him swell. He wanted nothing more than to go back into the room and hold the big bull until all the pains in the world went away, but he knew that what Bogo really needed was time.

Outside the door, he came face to face with a grinning fox. "H...hi Nick. I didn't expect you to wait for me."

"You are lucky I did, you have no idea how many people I have had to stop going into the Chief's office," chuckled the fox. "You owe me three now, keep this up and I will own your underwear."

The tiger laughed and the two officers got into the elevator, as the doors closed the tiger pulled something out of his pockets and dropped it onto Nick's shoulders. "There you go, if you want them so bad."

Nick looked up in mock horror, "you Sir, are a real animal." Observed the fox as he carefully pulled the damp briefs off his shoulder, then he grinned and stuffed them into his pocket. "Of course I am sure I know a guy who would love to get his paws on these."

"I'm sure you do," snorted the tiger as they got out of the elevator and walked towards their squad car.

"No seriously, used tiger underwear. I know just the guy," insisted the fox.

"Sure." The tiger replied and sighed softly. "You were right about the Chief though, he's still very much hiding behind the coats and sitting among the shoeboxes at the back of the closet."

Nick didn't reply, the two got into the car and the fox started to drive. It wasn't for a good ten minutes that the tiger realised he had no idea where Nick was driving to. "Nick, my place is a good ten minutes in the other direction."

"I am aware of your home address," the fox smirked and Richard couldn't help but feel slightly violated by the vulpines knowing grin. "I just wanted to show you something."

"What?"

"You know the difference between show and tell right?" Chuckled the fox as he drove through random streets of Zootopia City. The tiger was lost already, this place was far off his beat, the area seemed quite rundown. There was trash on the streets and it clearly was way away from the areas most out of towners got to see. The tiger assumed the fox was taking him to see another contact, the vulpine clearly had more connections to the city's underworld than any officer should have.

They pulled up outside of an apartment building, it wasn't anything fancy, though it did stick out a little. It was a building for giraffes, Richard and anyone with eyes could tell that, because each floor was triple the height of the average large mammal building. Nick hopped out and immediately made for a small alleyway between buildings. Richard followed without a word, he trusted Nick enough to know that there wasn't anything too illegal going to happen before his eyes.

With motions that looked a little too practised Nick hopped onto a step and then jumped to the top of a bollard and then onto the door arch of a very tall doorway. The fox walked to the end of the arch like it was a mile wide and not half an inch. Lastly, he leapt to the fire escape, grabbing hold of the ladder and pulling it down to the ground.

"We going up?" Richard asked with an impressed look. The two had been through the academy but Nick's more laissez faire attitude often made him forget just how nimble his little red friend was.

"Going down would be a lot harder," chuckled the fox as he began to climb. Richard shook his head at the terrible joke and followed the fox. The building seemed huge, each floor was impressively long. Even after all the training, Richard found his arms aching a little when they finally reached the roof. The building poked out above all its neighbours and looked out over the city.

Nick had run to the far side and was sitting with his legs dangling over the edge by the time the tiger made it to the top. Richard walked over quickly to join the fox, "Quite a view." He observed as he looked out over the city, he could see Tundra Town and Sahara Square in front of him. While Savanna Square and the Rainforest District were behind him and to the left respectively. Each one seemed to sprawl before him, the early evening sun was just beginning to dip, and red light shimmered down across the city.

"This part of downtown is on a bit of a rise, I don't think any of the planners realised when they built this low rent place that it would be the fourth highest buildings in the whole city," Nick mumbled his eyes gazing out. "Just a little freak of geography and planning, but when I was a cub I used to come up here. The entire city at my paws, all so close and yet so far." The fox sighed softly at the memories. "Me and my mom used to live just down the road, before her... accident."

Richard's ears drooped, and he put a paw on his friend's shoulder. He knew Nick had lost his parents at an early age, but he had never pushed to learn any of the details. "It's all so different from when I was a cub, and yet the same too. That's the thing though, things change and sometimes we don't even notice it."

"Where I grew up mostly all you could see was green from the highest points," Richard muttered. " But on clear nights I could see the lights of the city, just twinkling in the distance and I wondered what the people in the big city were doing. What it was like to be in a place where there would be many more predators around? I wanted to get here so bad I could taste it."

"Yokel," snorted the fox with a chuckle. "Well you are here, what do you think of the people and all that wonderfully vaunted inclusiveness?"

The tiger shrugged, "people are people I suppose, ain't no difference between a city deer and a country one, most of them don't look beyond my teeth and stripes. Only difference is, here I ain't the only one with sharp teeth, somehow that makes it both better and worse."

"Nothing is quite as horrible as not fitting in where you think you should," Nick replied his eyes on the city. "Trust me as a fox I know: too predator to be a prey, too prey-like to be a predator, too big to run with the small crowd, too small to run with the big. Too gay to be straight and too into females to be gay. I spent years looking for a place I belonged, only to realise I had to make one for myself."

"There's a place in the world for everyone, least that is what we were always taught at school," The tiger muttered his voice betraying his true feelings on that platitude.

"That's a nice idea, but it takes work to make the changes really happen." Nick turned to glance at the tiger. "Do you realise that a hundred years ago cross species relationships of any type were an abomination and illegal. Eighty years ago a predator couldn't go into the prey district without a permit signed by a city official. Twenty years ago it was illegal to be gay. Things change, but slowly, sometimes so slowly we don't even notice it."

Richard chuckled a little, "they do change though. Today was a good day though, I'm not needing a pep talk on the possibilities of the future."

Two sad fox eyes looked at the tiger, "whoever said the pep talk was for you?"

The smile faded from Richard's face and he could see some tears in the corner of the fox's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"This morning, I spoke to Judy at the hospital," the fox's words came slowly and his eyes turned back to look at the city. "You know, she always looks a little nervous around me. Like I can tell her heart is beating faster and stuff... I kinda thought that she... might like me as more than a friend. Guess I misread that, probably just her reaction to being near a fox, having been raised by rabbits to never trust a fox."

"Did you...?" Richard left the question half finished, it was enough for Nick anyway.

"Yes, and... she laughed. Thought I was joking." A long deep sigh escaped the fox and his shoulders slumped forwards. "So I just played along. What else could I do? The idea of me asking her out is a joke to her."

"Sorry," Richard said and stepped a little closer, his paw slipping around the fox's shoulders. The slender creature reached out in return and hugged up to him. All day he'd not noticed, Nick was so gung ho to find clues, chasing leads and speaking to contacts. Even waiting while his friend got lucky, all to keep his mind off... her and more pointedly that she had rejected him. While he had hinted that Judy might like him, he wondered how much it hurt Nick to keep his mask on, to laugh at the stabbing pain and pretend that he wasn't hurting.

"Thanks," the fox whispered and laid his tear soaked cheek on the tiger's chest. Richard closed his arms around his friend and held him. The sun setting, red light flooding the world below them as they hid away from it. He could feel the little guy trembling in his embrace and he knew the best thing he could do was just be there. Maybe someday Judy would realise the mistake she had made, if she didn't see the clues then she wasn't half as good a cop as she thought herself to be. Until then he would be there for his friend.

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