The Fox and the Rabbit

Chapter 6 - Reconciliation

"What?!" Nick said and jerked his head around.

The giraffe was standing across the road a small way down from them, casually dressed and holding a camera with a large telephoto lens on it. He was now trying to look as if he was taking pictures of the building or storefronts, but Judy had seen him pointing that lens in their direction.

"Great," Nick said, "Our very own paparazzi. How much you want to bet Stretch over there is the one who took those pictures last night?"

"You think so?" Judy asked, stepping back from the embrace, wiping at her eyes. Her voice sounded normal now, but she was still shaken.

Nick grunted. "That, or the mayor and city hall wasted no time sticking some PR goon on us," he said, "But those pictures in the paper were taken from a distance and from higher up, so it fits."

Judy didn't respond. She hadn't really looked at the newspaper pictures in any great detail. She sniffed one last time and rubbed her eyes.

Nick looked down at her, and his anger toward the photographer grew from a simmer into a roiling boil. Alright, he thought, enough of this. He looked back and forth down the street searching for a cab. Luck he'd only had back in his hustling days seemed to be with them as he spotted one coming their way. If it was free or not was another matter, but Nick stepped to the curb and started waving his paw as the cab drew closer.

Judy looked up at him, her eyes puffy and a little bloodshot.

"We can't keep taking cabs, Nick," she said in a tired, disinterested voice, "It's too expensive."

"Don't care," Nick said, looking down at Judy with concern. The cab, thankfully pulled over to the curb, "I need to get you somewhere else."

"What?" Judy asked, puzzled.

Nick pulled the door of the cab open before it had even fully come to a stop and ushered Judy into the back seat.

"Just shush and let me be all male and protective," Nick said. Before ducking into the cab, he looked back at the giraffe who once more had his camera pointed at them again. Nick made a V with two fingers and pointed them at his eyes, then pointed at the giraffe before sliding in next to Judy. She lay against the opposite door. who was subdued and looked ready to fall asleep, and he couldn't blame her. He put a protective arm around her and pulled her close. She snuggled up to him, resting her head on his chest.

"You know where Grand Pangolin Arms apartments are?" Nick said to the cabbie, who turned to look at him. Nick blinked. "Oh, it's you." It was the same cabbie that had dropped them off at the ZPD a couple of hours prior.

Judy looked between the cabbie and Nick and sat up a little. The cabbie stared back at the both of them in the rear view mirror and gave him a tired little smile.

"Me again!" said the old lion with a laugh, "What are the odds, eh? I was still in the area, and yeah, I know the place."

"Good," Nick said and turned his head to look back briefly, seeing what the photographer was doing. He was still standing there, snapping pictures of them in the cab, but didn't seem to be interested in following. "Take us there."

"You got it," the lion said, "You guys okay? Kinda seem a bit out of sorts back there."

Nick spared one more glance back and snorted. "The notoriety is wearing thin right now."

"Gotcha, kid," the lion said. The cab started to move without anyone making further comments.

Nick wasn't sure if the lion knew them because of what was in the paper or from the missing mammals case, but he was grateful that he caught onto the mood and didn't try to engage in any small talk. Nick had a question of his own, though.