"Hey, wake up fluff," Nick gave Judy's knee a light nudge. Bringing her to rather slowly. She glanced around for a moment, confirming her surroundings. Before she could speak up, Nick hushed her and explained.

"After you fell asleep, I took us back to the station. We've been here…" Nick glanced at his phone quickly, "ten minutes, give or take," he leaned back to his side of the cruiser and stretched his arms above his head. Letting out a groan as he relaxed.

"Did I miss anything important?" Judy asked while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Nick made his reply short and shook his head before he pushed open his door and hopped out.

"We gotta go give our report to Bogo. The story is that-"

"I knocked out the guy, Finnick was never there. Right?" Judy said with a raised eyebrow. Nick almost felt bad for encouraging her to lie but… It's better to not tell Bogo that things nearly went so south so quickly. He didn't need any more reason to put them on leave.

"Yep, exactly. You ready?" Nick confirmed, she replied with a nod before she hopped out of the cruiser and, closing the door behind her, walked to Nick as he rounded the hood. Both of them walking into the department close enough to bump elbows.

They made their way up to Bogo's office. Getting a brief look from Clawhauser. Nick assumed he had some gossip in his head about the two of them. He'd have to ask him later. For now, he headed up the stairs with Judy and straight to Bogo's office.

He didn't have a particular game plan. They'd report what they saw at the crime scene so they didn't have to testify in a court of law. Then he'd, what, get an update on the Jack case? Hey Chief! You decided to give us that emotionally charged case yet? He thought, making himself chuckle for just a moment. With how the chief had been acting, he'd be surprised if he gave them much more than parking duty after their scuffle.

Oh right, they were lying about the scuffle.

Nick reminded himself of that when they got to his door. Giving it a few quick raps before pushing it open. Bogo was inside reading something and had a beeping landline phone in his hand.

"Hey, Chief Bogo, sir!" Nick started, but a quick glare from the chief hushed him. He instead took his silence into one of the seats. Judy following suit.

"Is he mad about something?" Judy whispered over to Nick, which was met with a quick, silencing glare from the chief. Two strikes, Nick thought to himself.

The silence continued on unbearably. Tension building in the air like a pressurized balloon that Nick was sure was seconds from bursting. Far too soon, though, the chief took off his black rimmed reading glasses and folded them up. Setting them upon the desk before he addressed the two officers.

"Wilde, Hopps. Are you about to tell me that Hopps incapacitated that panther on her own while you were at gunpoint?"

Well it was a good plan.

"Sir-" Judy began.

"Ah! I don't want excuses, Hopps. I want the next words out of your mouths to be the truth," the chief leaned forward on his desk. His size becoming far more apparent compared to the two of them, "The truth and nothing but the truth, got it?"

"Yes Sir," they said in sync. Nick gave a look to Judy before he gulped down his fear and spoke up.

"He caught us off guard, sir. Judy spotted the drug lab and when I went to investigate,"

"He put a gun to your head?" Bogo interjected. Nick nodded in confirmation before he continued.

"He was too close for Judy to do anything, if she so much as twitched toward him…" Nick stuck out his tongue and did a rather inappropriate feigned death expression. Attempting to drag some humor to the room in vain.

"He stripped our gear and shoved us in. And we were stuck until he got in a fight with one of his buddies. He got knocked out and his friend let us out," Nick let a bit of a lie slip through. Bogo didn't have to know everything. Only what he already knew.

"Why did you not bring his friend in for questioning?" Bogo asked, his voice terrifyingly soft, "He is a suspect, afterall."

"The moment he saw us he bolted out the door. He barely had time to stand up before he was gone," Judy voiced up. Digging them both a deeper hole. Bogo took a slow breath before he referred back to the report. No doubt a digital report from the med team.

Bogo remained silent for a few moments longer. His eyes skimmed along the screen before he turned back to the two of them.

"Is that all? Nothing else of note?"

Nick looked to Judy, trying to decide if there was anything else to say. How much should they keep from Bogo? Before Nick could decide, Judy spoke up again.

"The drug lab is part of a bigger chain, and he mentioned Mr. Big. We'd like to go investigate it," she said with adamance in her voice. The same tone that she used any time someone underestimated what she could do as a bunny cop. That Try Everything tone that demanded respect.

"Absolutely not," Bogo said. An equal firmness in his voice that, coming from him, made Judy's voice seem comparatively weak. Nick raised an eyebrow, he knew what was coming.

"But sir! The Mattis case is our case and this-"

"Is a totally different case. You got evidence to explain the murders, this isn't the same case, Hopps." Bogo interjected. Stopping her with a raised finger to assure she kept her mouth shut until he finished speaking, "And that means you are both off the case unless more information arises to the murders, got it?"

"But-" Judy started.

"Got it?" Bogo said, sternly this time. Nick had heard that voice once prior. It was his 'Parking Duty' voice. The same tone Nick got when he first got on the chief's bad side.

"Yes sir." Judy replied in a dejected tone. She got up from her seat and began to the door, Bogo was rather clear about his dismission. Nick pushed off the chair and set after her, but something stopped him at the door. A gut feeling.

When Judy passed the threshold, he closed it behind her and turned back to Bogo. Who was giving him a look of distinct annoyance. Though he waited for Nick to speak. This was either going to get him parking duty or a new case.

"Sir, Judy didn't hear this bit, but I did. The chemicals being made in the lab were the same that were used on her at the bar," Nick started. He was in hustler mode. Watching for queues. Bogo lowered his shoulders and set his elbows on the table. He was listening, good.

"It's a new drug, they call it Diamond Sloth, in alcohol, it does exactly what it did to her. That's how he described it, and these guys are making it." Bogo leaned forward on the table and put his reading glasses back on before he returned to the report. Glancing over it to parallel what he was saying to what the on-scene crew found.

"And? You think that her attacker got it from this guy?" Bogo questioned.

"And," Nick went on, "I think that our guy got his stuff from one of Mr. Big's dealers," Bogo frowned and rubbed between his eyes where his glasses sat on his face.

"Wilde, we've been trying to catch the Big family for decades, and we haven't gotten them on a single bust. What makes you think you can get him?" Bogo asked, annoyance in his voice. Nick felt pride build in his chest. That question meant he was considering letting them take the case. It wasn't totally out of his head yet.

"I don't think I can directly tag Mr. Big with it, but I can bust one of his dealers, whoever got it to Jack."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"We go ask the big guy himself,"

"Wilde that is literally a suicide mission. He has an entourage of polar bears that could crush you or Hopps in one paw," Bogo explained while making the gruesome motion with his right hand, "You think I'll send two of my best officers to get crushed?"

Time for the ace. Nick was riding on his next words to either get him fired or get him the case. But he felt he had a good chance at the latter.

"Sir, in regards to my former employment… I did, completely legal, work with Mr. Big. Usually I sold him furniture, rugs, discount things." Nick explained. The Chiefs brow scrunched and Nick lost the mood on his face. Which was worrying, "I could get to Mr. Big to find out what we need to know, we can't bust him yet but… This'll put you one step closer to it, right?"

Bogo sighed and picked up a framed picture on his desk, turning it to face Nick. The photograph displayed with of a much younger Bogo with a detective Nick had seen around. A moose in a brown trenchcoat. Before Nick could inquire as to why he was being shown the picture, Bogo began to explain.

"That was my partner when I was around your age. We were on the Mr. Big case for nine years. Do you know where we got with it, Wilde?" Bogo's voice was low, that couldn't be good.

"No sir."

"Nowhere. Every time we thought we had him, there would be nothing."

The chief turned the picture back and leaned in his chair, returning to his computer screen to read the new updates that were just sent in. Nick felt a rare sense of defeat in his chest, so he turned to leave.

"Sorry for bothering you then, sir."

"It's alright, Wilde. Fill out the case file and I'll assign you two something else within the hour," Bogo replied without looking from his screen.

Nick nodded solemnly before he turned to the door. When he opened it, he saw Judy standing there. Looking at him with wide eyes and her ears flat upon her back. The look in her eyes sparked something else in him, so he closed the door once again and turned to Bogo.

"Sir, this isn't for me,"

"I'm sorry?" Bogo glanced back at him.

"Sir, this is what Judy needs," Nick said. When Bogo seemed to be giving him an audience, he continued. "You told me to watch her, right? Make sure she's alright?" Bogo nodded slowly.

"Well, this is what she needs, this is how she'll get peace of mind," Nick said, holding his arms out off his sides. Bogo opened his mouth to speak, but Nick interjected. Probably not a good idea, but he didn't care at the moment. It was just like in the Rainforest all those months ago.

"Imagine if someone wronged you, they did something real bad to you. Okay chief?" Nick started. When Bogo nodded, he kept going, "Alright, now imagine you have the power and authority to give that person what they deserve. A prison cell, an electric chair, whatever,"

"Where are you going with this, Wilde?"

"Would you just sit by and let somebody else do it for you?" Nick walked up to the desk and hopped onto one of the chairs. Standing as close as he could to eye level with the Chief. He could feel an anger building in his chest, and he hoped that passion showed on his face.

"Well-" Bogo started.

"Well nothing, hell no you wouldn't! If you have the power to put that jerk behind bars, there's no force that could stop you from doing that. Right?" Wilde pushed his paws down onto the desk, pulling himself up onto the Chief's desk so he now stood slightly taller than Bogo.

"Of course not, Wilde-" Bogo once again tried to speak, but Nick wasn't going to let him.

"So why are you stopping her?" Nick said. Bogo looked shocked, so Nick kept going. "She isn't hurting because someone used her. She's not hurting because she feels useless or helpless, no, chief." Nick paused Leaning forward and pressing a finger to the chiefs nose. He knew damned well that Bogo could throw him like a football, but now wasn't the time for fear.

"She's hurting because when she joined the ZPD. She pledged to make the world a better place. And she sure as hell isn't doing that by letting monsters like him roam free. It was our mistake that didn't throw him behind bars sooner, so we are going to be the ones to fix it," Nick finished, backing off to stand near the edge of the desk.

Bogo's expression slowly began to shift. His wide eyes being replaced by a hard frown and his breathing becoming heavy and loud. He was mad. Oh he was very mad. Nick could practically see the smoke rolling out of his ears.

"Get out of my office, right now, Wilde," Bogo ordered. Nick began to climb down from the desk, but apparently he wasn't moving quick enough.

"I said NOW!" Bogo stood up quickly and slammed his palms onto the wooden surface. Violently shaking the table and causing most of the papers that were strewn about it to go flying off. Nick took the hint and went full sprint out of the office. Closing the door behind him. When he looked away from the door, Judy was looking at him with those same worried eyes.

"What happened in there? Haven't heard Bogo yell like that," Judy asked while she approached him. Nick assumed he must've looked rather startled, because the first thing she did was scratch the spot atop his head between his ears. She always did so when something was getting to him, and it calmed him quickly.

"Just a bit of a back and forth, nothing to worry about," Nick said dismissively. Quickly shifting the topic, "Let's go fill out the case file for this and grab something to eat. It's been a long day and I could really go for a quick bite,"

Judy nodded, although hesitantly. And walked beside him back to their office cubicle to spend the next hour filing the necessary paperwork on their now benched case.

Two hours later

"Look it wasn't that bad!" Judy said while they walked back into the ZPD. Nick had a coffee in his hand and she had an unfinished sandwich.

"It was definitely that bad. You said it was just a little spice!" Nick replied before he took another sip of his coffee. Both of them were strolling back to their office.

"I said it was a spice. And to have a little of it," Judy said with a healthy dose of sass, "And besides, what thirty-something fox doesn't know what Wasabi is?"

"I'm thirty-three, thank you. And this one." Nick set a paw to his chest and knelt down just slightly. Practically taking pride in his lack of knowledge, or his age.

"Thirty-three, thirty-nine, is there really that much of a difference?' Judy chuckled as they turned and started up the stairs. Nick looked at her, appalled.

"Ma'am, I will have you know that where I thirty-nine, that would put me in high school when you were just an idea between mommy and daddy, and that is not something I want to think about!"

"Uh-huh, and a nine year difference is so much better?" Judy rolled her eyes and Nick stopped in his tracks. Exaggerating his offense to her words.

"Young lady, nine years is at least a reasonable number!" he said when he finally started walking again, his pace quicker to make up the distance.

"A reasonable number? Like Two-hundred a day?" She joked when they turned into the small space that was their cubicle, she tossed her phone onto the desk and took a bite of her sandwich. When she had chewed slightly, she noted something, though her voice was muffled.

"Hey grandpa, you got a case," Nick frowned over at her. Grandpa? I'm not that old! But she was right, he did have a case. He stepped over and popped open the manilla folder. It's contents nearly made him spill his coffee.

"Uh, carrots. Come look at this." He called her over. She was just about to sit down, so instead she spun the chair and hopped off the other side to look at the file. Her expression shifted quickly from curiosity to confusion to excitement.

The case was labelled the Diamond Sloth case. This was the case Nick was requested Bogo give them. And it was sitting in their office.

"Current leads… Mr. Big! We gotta go talk to Mr. Big!" She said with excitement ringing in her voice. She was bouncing on her heels and he could practically feel the excitement off her.

"Easy there energizer, hold on," Nick set a paw on her shoulder and slowed her down enough for him to focus on reading. The case explained that Nick Wilde was the only named officer taking the case.

"Wait, he only gave it to you?" Judy asked, apparently reading with him. Her voice had gone pretty quickly from happy to somber.

"Hold on, hold on. For Nick Wilde… Blah blah blah… and... " Nick ran his finger over the text and tapped it with a wide smile. "A secondary officer of his choice!" he turned to Judy and grinned at her.

"Oh I wonder who you'll take, it's really a mystery!" she joked, Nick decided to play along.

"Well, I was thinking Mchorn would be good. He's big and scary, could probably arm wrestle one of those polar bears, or maybe Wolford. He's good with the taser!" he chuckled and elbowed her in the shoulder before he grabbed the file, closed it up, and headed out of the cubicle.

"Wait are we going now?" Judy asked, rushing to catch up with him.

"What, you want another two days off?" Nick said with a hint of sarcasm. Judy rolled her eyes and reached for the folder.

"Let me read it, I want to know what they got from the scene," when she reached for it. Nick raised it higher. Keeping it just out of her reach. Not for long though, because she bounced right up and snatched it from him. Quickly opening it it to read and walk.

Nick sipped his coffee absently. Thinking to himself. He felt like he had his partner back. On their lunch break she seemed better, but it took over half the time just to get her up to conversation. Now though… She was ready and raring to go. Nick was right.

This was exactly what she needed.

Sorry for the delay on this chapter! Some real life issues arose, mixed with my own procrastination. I hope it was worth the wait. And to make it up to you guys, I'll be making next chapter particularly longer!