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While some furs were just ending their day Jacob's, on the other hand, was just beginning. The middle aged dog stood there in front of the mirror wrapped in a towel examining himself for a bit. He smirked as he envisioned the younger, much more energetic him staring back from beyond the glass. It felt like only yesterday he had graduated from the academy, but in reality, it was over ten years ago now. "Time flies when you're having fun" he thought to himself as he turned away and went to his bedroom to change into his uniform. He wasn't really lying to himself either, Jacob truly did love his job. He got to make a difference in someone's life every day, and no matter how big or small, he always came home feeling accomplished.

As he struggled to get his shirt tucked in he chuckled and looked down at his stomach. Admittedly, he was a bit out of shape. He had traded the six pack for a slight belly years ago, and that was his own fault for not keeping up after his body. But hey, when the crime rate of your city drops drastically over the course of five years, you can't really use chasing bad guys as an excuse anymore. Of course he still had his fair share of action, but it was nowhere near how it used to be. Years ago, it was almost too common to get in between a physical confrontation or to chase someone down. Nowadays, it just tends to be vandalism or theft. Not that he was complaining though. A lower crime rate meant a safer city, and that had always been the ultimate goal for those he swore to protect, more importantly, for his son.

As he finished lacing up his boots, he stood with a soft whimper feeling that knee give him problems again. "Must be some more rain coming" he thought as he slowly attempted to stretch it out. In his younger, more agile days, Jacob was known for his carelessness when it came to preserving the body. He took a lot of risks on the job, one in particular which caused him to blow out his knee and almost render himself permanently off the beat. It was a chase involving a guy who had just robbed a gas station na dwas fleeing on foot. Jacob was bound and determined to get the perp. So determined that he thought jumping from a moving patrol car to tackle the guy onto pavement was a good idea. He shattered his knee cap, but at least he got the bad guy off the streets. That was a proud moment for Jacob and he was commended in his "no holds barred" technique. He thought back for a second and recalled upon a particualr comment that really stood out to him. It went along the lines of "Good job, you crazy son of a bitch." He smiled. What a great memory of a not so great year. The doctor said that a full recovery wasn't likely and that range of motion would be limited. He made it sound useless to even try. But Jacob was stubborn, and moreso refused to work a desk job, he needed to be out there on the streets, interacting with people. He needed to feel like he was making a difference.

...So there he was...

Almost in his fifties now and still going strong. All suited up now, he put on the finishing touch as he clicked on his duty belt and pulled his service pistol from its safe securely locking the weapon into it's rightful place before shutting the safe with a thunk. Jacob never liked the idea of having to use a gun on anyone. It was a very last resort for him. However, he also understood the gravity of his position and more importantly what was at stake in situations that warranted the use of deadly force. Jacob had managed to go through an entire career without having to fire upon anyone and it was something he felt proud of. Between his excellent de-escalation tactics, vast knowledge of less lethal equipment, and constant situational judgement training Jacob was a role model officer. He only hoped that he could be a role model individual to one person more than anyone else.

...His son...

As he grabbed up this duffel bag from the bed and quickly flipped off the lights in his room, he carefully crept down the hallway being gentle in his steps so that his boots didn't thud on the wooden floor. As he made his further and to Kaiser's bedroom he stopped for a moment and peered in from the crack of a half closed door. There he lay, sound asleep. Jacob felt a sort of warmth wash over his body as he remembered the little boy that used to cling to his leg when he'd try and leave for work. The one who wanted to be "just like him" when he grew up. Being a parent was bittersweet. You watch your child grow up and become an individual. Which sometimes means that they lose their sense of attachment to you. They make their own decisions, they choose how they want to live their lives. At the end of the day it's all on them, you can only do your best to guide them, steer them in the right direction and hope for the best.

Jacob glanced down at his watch. Shit. Almost seven. He started his shift in less than twenty minutes! Guess his morning routine took longer than expected. Breakfast would have to be on the go. So out the front door he went, locking it tight behind him before making his way down the porch steps and over to his nice and shiny red pickup truck. He had just recently bought it after finally parting ways with the old clunker he had drove around in for many years. After multiple repairs, the cost just wasn't worth it anymore as far as sentimental value was concerned. He inhaled deeply and nodded. Yep. Rain was coming. He could smell it. That early morning sunshine was just a ruse. It merely was allowed to shine by the clouds that slowly encroached upon it. Soon to be snuffed out by the evil globs of gray, waiting for the right moment to take over. As Jacob finally hopped into the truck and turned the key, the engine came right to life. No sitting there and struggling with the starter. No pumping the gas. No nonsense. Just the way he liked it. Before finally departing, he quickly adjusted his rear view mirror and gave himself one last smirk, muttering a phrase he had been saying to himself before every shift since he joined the force.

.."Let's go save the world."..

And off he went.

The cool morning breeze was a nice relief as it rolled through Jacob's fur. It was a change to the usual hot and humid weather Cape Cavada normally recieves. Of course it was the middle of January after all. It was Winter now, if you could even call it that anymore. Temperatures had rarely dropped below fifty degrees farenheit in at least a decade now, but that was just fine with this old dog. He thought back to his youth for a moment, spacing out and just remembering the nirvana that was naivety. No stress. No worries. Just the dragging of time when it came to something you really looked forward to. Nowadays, Jacob was lucky if he could keep up with time.

"What can I get for you this morning?" the speaker of the fast food joint blared out startling him from his daydream. Jacob shook his head and quickly replied. "Uh yeah, let me just get two breakfast sandwiches and a coffee please. Black." It wasn't exactly the healthiest choice, but he needed something to keep him going. It was going to be a long shift. Two guys called in sick, apparently something was going around, and that meant double the work load for the day shift unless someone miraculously decided to pick up an extra shift, which didn't happen often. Unless it was Jacob of course. Sometimes he wondered why he volunteerd for things like this. He hated mornings!

As he pulled up to the window, he was greeted by a smiling young rabbit named Jesse. She couldn't have been more than 16 years old, probably a high schooler trying to save up money for college. She had long brown hair and a pair of gorgeous green eyes that sparkled as she turned to face him in the sunlight of the drive up window. As she slid it open, she spoke out in her bubbly voice, still smiling away. It was contagious. "How're you doing this morning sir?" Jacob couldn't help but smile back as he reached down for his pocket to grab his wallet. "I'm doing alright, just a bit of a rushed start to my morning I guess." As she noticed him going to pay, the girl quickly reached back and grabbed his coffee, handing it out as she spoke quickly. "Sir you don't need to worry about paying, this is on me." Jacob raised a brow and gave an unsure smile. "I appreciate that ma'am, but you don't have to do that. You save your money." Jesse shook her head and insisted, still holding the coffee out before him. "No sir, I'll be just fine knowing that you're going to be able to do your job more efficiently on a full stomach. Please."

Jacob tilted his head slightly. He was confused, and albeit not usually the handout taker but he also knew that there was a line behind him that was waiting to start their day too, not to mention he was already running late, so he caved. He set down his wallet in the passenger seat of his truck and nodded softly, gently taking the coffee in his paw and moving it to the cupholder. "Ma'am I appreciate this, but you really didn't need to do that." The rabbit smiled and gave a little nose twitch as he handed over his food. "My granddad used to be a police officer. He's retired now, but he always taught us that we look out for our family, and that includes you." Jacob felt the tingling sensation of happiness rolling along his shoulders and down his back as he smiled back to her with his tail wiggling about and his ears perked high. It was a nice feeling to be appreciated. "Thank you young lady, have a good rest of your day, and tell your grandfather thank you as well for his service to the community." Jesse simply gave a smile and nodded with a double wink. "Will do. Have a good day sir, and be safe!"

...Be safe...

Those two words never got any easier to hear. They were a reminder of the risk that came with being an officer. It was a ghost that followed you around, sitting there on your shoulder whispering that today could be your last into your ear over and over again.

As Jacob rolled into the parking lot and quickly shut off the engine to his truck, he fumbled about trying to get his bag, his food, and his coffee all together before rushing up the steps and into the station. It was ten mintues past seven, and roll call was probably just starting if he was lucky. The lieutenant usually ran a couple of minutes late anyway. Or so that's what he'd heard. Maybe he'd be fine. As he made his way down the hall now, passing the locker rooms and heading straight for the meeting room he quickly rounded a corner and almost collided with another officer who jumped back just in time to avoid wearing the dog's boiling hot coffee. "Woah, sorry sarge!" the young cat exclaimed as the two came to a halt. His name was Simon, a rather small bengal with a knack for sneaking up on people. He had only been on the force for six months or so now. Jacob was his training officer up until then and so far he had proved to be an outstanding officer.

"Not a problem Simon, how's your partner? Treating you well?" Jacob said sincerely. Simon smiled and nodded. "Absolutely sir, thank you." Jacob gave a quick nod and responded as he stepped around the cat slowly. He was already running late enough. "Gotta get moving, keep up the good work son."

...And be safe...

As Jacob entered the boisterous room all eyes fell on him momentarily before continuing on with their conversations. You would probably expect somebody to come up with a witty comment on his tardiness, but seeing as how he was one of the only veterans in the room, not many dared to cross into that territory. He scanned quickly, checking for the lieutenant before quickly making his way over to the seat next to his partner Nick. Nick was a tall, dark grey wolf with bright blue eyes. Only a bit younger than Jacob, but in much better shape. He had been paried up with the dog for over three years now although they hadn't spent it all together. Between Jacob's position as a field trainer and Nick's tactical training, the two weren't as close as most imagined. Still, they enjoyed eachother's company.

"Hey Jake, rough morning?" The wolf said with a chuckle. Jacob smirked and quickly set the paper bag down before him, opening it up and pulling out a sandwhich. "Remind me how the hell we got suckered into doing this again? I'm exhausted." He said as he tossed a sandwhich at Nick. The wolf quickly caught it and shrugged before tearing into the wrapping paper. "I dunno, I guess we like the abuse." Jacob shook his head as he let out a gentle laugh that quickly turned into a yawn against his will. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still. Thanks for being here with me." The wolf nodded as he tried to talk through a full mouth. "Don't mention it." The dog sighed and picked up his coffee, taking a sip before glancing at the clock. Seven twenty five. Strange. By now you'd usually hear the familiar gruff voice of lieutenant Macintosh saying something along the lines of..

"Welcome to the shit show, I'll be your host today." suddenly echoed off the walls. And there it was as if on cue. Through the doorway, behind the words, came a very groggy looking bear. Seems like Jacob wasn't the only one who hated mornings. The room by now had fallen silent, all eyes to the front as lieutenant Macintosh, or Mac as Jacob called him, made his way over to the front podium and set down some papers haphazzardly, moreso dropping them without a care. "First of all I'd like to thank Sergeant Lattimore and Officer Freeburg for their willingness to step up when others need them." Jacob smiled and nodded. It was nice to feel appreciated. Though no one clapped. Then again, one would imagine that you'd be too confused to tell if clapping would be appropriate given Mac's mood today.

As roll call proceeded, Jacob sat back and disconnected for a moment as the bear rambled on about traffic citations and loitering. It wasn't that he didn't feel it was important to listen, it was just that he had heard it all a thousand times before and was just ready to get it over with. Mac went on forever about "the skaters up on central near the mall" or complained that everyone needed to pay more attention to how they left their cars at the end of shift. It was all just a bunch of filler. A disguise to the fact that Cape Cavada really wasn't that bad of a city anymore. Or at least that's how Jacob saw it.

Years ago, things used to be much more interesting for a police officer, back before the city lost its luster as a tourist attraction for whatever reason. Truth was, Cape Cavada wasn't the city it used to be, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. However, that meant that there was less policing to do, which tended to ward off the younger guys looking for the "action", which then put the department into situations such as these. Truth be told, Jacob didn't mind his fair share of the action either, but his glory days were quickly falling behind him, and the realization of that gave him an uneasy feeling. Was the city really becoming more boring? Or was it him?

..Hell of a time for a mid-life crisis..

"Lattimore! Freeburg!" Jacob quickly shook himself out of deep thought and looked to the lieutenant. "You two have the boardwalk today, get going!" Jacob nodded and quickly hopped up from his seat, fighting off the stiffness in his knee as he collected his things and headed for the exit. Nick must've seen him wince though, because he quickly spoke up as they entered the hallway. "That knee still messing with you?" Jacob again gave a nod for a response as they rounded a corner and made for the armory. "It's this weather." Jacob finally spoke. The wolf gave a sympathetic smile and patted him on the back. "Don't go getting old on me now." He joked. The shepherd cracked a smile and shot the wolf a look that said "Really now?" as they approached the window. Nick quickly handed over their paperwork to the young fox behind the glass who then promptly provided them with their rifle and shotgun for the day.

"Be safe out there!" the officer called out to them as they thanked him and made their way to the garage.

...It was going to be a long day...