Guardian Blue - Season 1

Episode 18 - Choices

 “Is that really Jack Savage?” Bonnie asked, shaking Judy out of her inner pleading.  Before Judy could answer that, the striped buck gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head, looking over to Nick, and then Judy’s mom.

Jack replied hastily, “Haha!  Yep, most certainly is!  I promise, I’m usually  abit better put together.  It’s been quite a night!”  He then looked down at his feet a split second, and back up, seemingly not directly at anyone else.

Judy narrowed her eyes, having been taught by Nick that the behavior meant he was hiding something.  She found that when she met Jack before he was nowhere near this twitchy. This put Judy into a deepening sense of unease that had little to do with how embarrassing the whole situation had been.

Jack spoke again quickly, “So, backup having been called, maybe Judy could take junior and her family there and we can just… head to the precinct together…  Somewhere else until backup actually gets here so everyone’s safe.”  Nick narrowed his eyes.  His next action shocked Judy more than the actor suddenly bursting into the apartment had.

Nick closed the distance between him and the buck in a second and picked up Jack and pinned him against the wall so hard that a picture off to their left fell, the frame breaking.  Stu and Bonnie both cried out in alarm and stepped closer together at this sudden show of aggression.

Judy cried out, “Nick!  What are you-“

The fox bared his teeth as he spoke an inch from Jack’s suddenly terrified face.  “How long?!”

“I don’t-“ Jack began.

“How long ‘till they get here?!” Nick asked loudly.  Judy glanced at her horrified parents.  Nick could lose his job for treating a civilian like that.  She moved to pull her partner off of the buck.

Jack remained pinned limply against the wall, not trying to struggle against the larger mammal.  “They’re already in the building!  Please, I didn’t even know there was a kit!” Jack cried.  Judy’s blood ran cold.  Nick wasn’t talking about the backup.  Jack was still being followed.

Judy stepped forward.  There was not much time, and she knew it.  They needed all of the truth in a hurry.  “Pawlander would not have given you this address, how did you find it?”

“Gllk!” he croaked out softly.

“Nick, ease up!” Judy requested sharply.  Jack relaxed a little, the fox obviously softening his grip. 

“Luck!” Jack coughed softly.  “I was in their car and saw your partner going into the apartment here, I thought he could help.  I jumped out faster than they could catch me.” He panted.  “When I saw your family I wanted to let them think help was coming so we could just leave, all together.  I didn’t think these guys would try and grab me if I was with a bunch of other mammals, right?  They’ll just leave!  I was gonna explain once we were in a car safely or something!”  Nick let Jack slide back down to his feet.  Jack adjusted his torn and sleeveless suit jacket again, obviously trying to look cool and composed now that he’d been released by the angry vulpine.  Judy’s parents both remained perfectly still, overwhelmed and obviously frightened.  Jack brushed himself off with a sullen expression and continued, “I’m sorry, alright?  I saw Nick and thought, ‘cop, safety, run there’.  I didn’t mean to get your whole family involved.”