Lieutenant Judy Hopps very carefully pulled her shirt over her head, taking care not to turn it inside out before gently folding it and placing it on the neat pile that consisted of the rest of her uniform, balanced on her work shoes (With socks tucked inside.) on the floor. This would be a tricky investigation and she didn't want it to get dirty, plus working au naturel had its own unique thrill. Her foot scuffed the floor and she felt grit underneath; there was hardly a clean spot in the place, especially now. The whole room reeked of musk, sweat and poor hygiene, with a hint of burnt plastic. There was a whine from behind her but she ignored it, picking up her pen and notebook, all the while maintaining a professional demeanor. Which was rather impressive considering she was now completely nude. This was an... unusual situation, but she was certainly no stranger to unconventional means of gathering intel and had even grown to look forward to such things. After all, wasn't the city's motto 'Try everything'?

Duke Weaselton panted heavily, his coat soaked with sweat. His arms convulsed and jerked forward and he felt the cold metal of handcuff chain on his back. Both paws had been neatly secured behind him, to prevent any interference with his situation. Things weren't too bad, at least not yet; but they were steadily growing worse. There was a steady humming coming from the Device that lay in front of him that perfectly matched the buzzing that vibrated under his tail. It had held aggravatingly steady for almost fifteen minutes, each and every second arousing him further and further. He squirmed with erotic discomfort, his predicament ignored by the only other occupant of his apartment as she stood idly by as if he wasn't even there. He'd cursed, he'd threatened, he'd demanded freedom; all his words had landed on deaf ears as the rabbit beside him continued to toy with her notebook, absent-mindedly chewing on her pen. Finally, after another minute or so she spoke, the first words since she'd cuffed him and turned up the Device. Her voice was upbeat and cheerful, as if engaging in a friendly conversation.

"Alright, that should do it. Now; do you, or do you not have information regarding the sexual exploits of one Nicholas P. Wilde?"

"No! I don't know anything cop-a-aaah! Fuck off!"

Duke tired to maintain a combative demeanor but he was worried, very worried; despite her harmless looking appearance the rabbit was dangerous. Very dangerous. And his current situation was definite proof that she'd go to extraordinary lengths to get what she wanted. If there was one upside it was that he wasn't hanging over a pit of certain death this time. Instead he'd been caught out in a compromising situation that the officer was now exploiting to her full advantage, manipulating the e-stim machine he had wired himself to. It was turned up quite high; the current flowed over and through him, stimulating every nerve ending with a continual, caressing pleasure. It seemed to radiate up and out from between his legs; from the large metal probe buried deep inside his rear passage and between the two conductive rings secured tightly to his throbbing cock. It felt good... far better than what he'd managed to do with it, but then he hadn't really read the manual. But if her plan was simply to get him off... well most people had to pay for the privilege and it certainly wouldn't get him to spill any info about a foxy former criminal. It was aggravating and humiliating but he'd been through far worse, even at the paws of the bunny cop herself.

There were ways it could be made to hurt of course, if turned too high too fast, but the bunny had given no indication that that was her intention. He grunted as another wave of pleasure burst through him. Maybe she was just getting off on this somehow and would eventually rub one out and leave, she'd certainly seemed to enjoy his suffering before. But she just stood there, barely even watching him, occasionally thumbing through the Device's manual, which she'd retrieved from its foam case. She'd set it to some sort of pulsed setting, burst of sensation flowing through him as if someone were pounding his ass while giving him a reach-around. As another minute passed, then another he felt himself steadily edging towards the inevitable. His hips bucked at he air with each pulse, his cock quivering as the sensation coursed through it from base to tip. There was a growing, fizzing pleasure building within him, welling up in his gut as his shaft grew ever more sensitive, tingling with pleasure. He could feel his nuts pulling up, ready to loose their load. He grunted and grit his teeth, trying to hold his body steady as his vision began to blur. He wasn't able to sit up properly, so it was going to make a big mess all over his chest, but that didn't matter anymore. As his own moans began to fill his ears his mind filled with pleasure and he watched his cock, a telltale twitching indicating he was ready to blow-

Suddenly the stimulating sensations cut out completely with a loud *click*. The weasel whined, his body objecting to the sudden loss of sensation. His skin almost itched, awaiting the return of the steady stimulation that had been caressing his cock not seconds ago. Instead he began to feel the cold, hard floor beneath him, the slight chill in the air, hear the sounds of the city over his heavy breathing. He was slowly sinking back, climax growing more distant as his senses returned to him. He swallowed, trying to moisten his suddenly dry throat. So that was the bunny's game was it? He scowled and twisted his head to get a view of what exactly she was up to. As expected she was staring at him, smiling, holding the unplugged leads that led to him in both paws. She'd yanked them out just before he came.

"Oh sorry, these must have been distracting you. Perhaps you can think more clearly now; are you sure you don't know anything? You seemed to indicate you did, earlier."

His mind spun in a frenzy. Maybe he should spill the beans. Wilde had just done what any male in his position did; spouted bullshit about who he was bedding. He'd been in the news, first fox cop, recruited by the first bunny cop. Of course he'd tell anyone and everyone he'd bedded her. Even before all that, when he was just some schmuck selling frozen sugar water he claimed to be bedding a different chick every week. But of course the bunny would take it seriously, and he had a reputation to keep up. He couldn't just turn stoolie, not unless the rabbit got real crazy. And.. she wouldn't drag him to Mr. Big again just to hear gossip... would she? On the other paw she was doing this...

"I ain't no rat. It's all just talk anyway, forget abo- -G-HNNNN!-

The return of sensation was as sudden as it was unexpected. Duke didn't know whether the dial had been turned up another notch from previously, but the sheer speed with which the exceptionally arousing agitations returned took his breath away. He felt a sudden pulse beneath his tail and his hips jerked forward in response. It felt as if a paw had firmly grasped his shaft and squeezed it, making him yelp. His paws jerked forward, once again restrained by the cuffs. He clenched and unclenched his hands spastically, knuckles turning white; itching to be able to paw himself off even as the speedy stroking sensation made itself felt. There was no buildup this time; it was as if he was once more right at the edge. He shut his eyes and opened his muzzle, tongue flicking out as he sank back into the pleasure.

His body struggled and squirmed against its metallic restraint, hips bucking wildly as if trying to press into the source of pleasure that scintillated up and down it. His tail thrashed and flicked side-to-side, the short length almost seeming to wag as it did so. His surprised cries turned to grunts and growls of effort as he once more tried to forget his situation and focus on the point of no return. Unable to reach his throbbing shaft his paws scratched at the floor beneath him, leaving wild, curving scratches in the soft wood. His pace rapidly built, trying to match that of the machine driving him. Once again he felt himself drawing closer, his whole body tensing, jaw clenching, brows furrowed in concentration as a rising heat began to fog his mind-

"Ooops, sorry; just want to make absolutely sure... you can't tell me anything?

"Hhhhh... hhhhaaaahhhh...?"

A triumphant cry of pleasure died in the weasel's throat, draining away to a confused and disappointed mewl. His eyes snapped open, staring in outrage at the gray rabbit who had once again unplugged him. His body fell back against the floor, his dick drooling a thin stream of pre onto his chest, twitching in needy anguish, having been denied release at the last possible second. The mustelid almost chocked, biting his tongue almost hard enough to make it bleed as he sought something intense enough to quell the cacophony of raging hormones and instincts that churned inside him, mind barely able to comprehend what had happened.

"Look! I don't know anything. It's all just talk right? Guy talk? Bluffing!"

"Right, And where and when exactly is this 'talk' conducted? Who else knows?"

The weasel stuttered into silence. Trying to explain was one thing; names, places and dates were something else entirely. If he implicated anyone they might very well find out who fingered them. But the bunny had been skillful, she'd stopped him just before climax and his body was crying out to be allowed to go all the way. His crotch ached for stimulation, his heavy nuts felt ready to burst and his rigid shaft blushed a hot, angry pink at being denied the final moments of release. Even as he watched it continued to drip, leaving his lower stomach damp with pre-soaked fur. The voice of reason, and the slightly more powerful voice of fear was slowly growing fainter in his head even as he felt his arousal cooling down once more.

"Oh g-god..."

"Yes, I'm listening. Who, when, where?"

There was a pair of telltale *clicks* but no forthcoming sensations. Duke looked over at the rabbit who'd turned the Device's intensity dials down to zero; he was plugged in but getting nothing. As he watched, glacially slowly, a gray paw twisted. His body gave an involuntary shiver as the barest hint of sensation began to scintillate and dance over his shaft. It was like being very gently brushed with feathers, or a warm breeze blowing over his length. If he shut his eyes he could just about imagine someone brushing up against it; the back of a paw being teasingly stroked over, butterfly touches. But not enough, not quite enough. He scowled at the bunny who tweaked the dial with a knowing look.

"Nnnf! He socializes... mostly weekends right? Drinks, deals, gossip!"

"So bars? Which ones?"

"Ah.. I... There's Mulligans on the corner of 34th street... The Tooth and Nail too... probably others but I only hang there... Geez- fuck..."

"And the who?"

"Aaah! I dunno... pretty much everyone?"

"Gnnnh!"

The weasel convulsed as something was turned up only to be switched off. The brief burst of sensation left him feeling temporarily numb and cold, once again pulled back from the brink. The shock hadn't been enough to push him over, in fact its suddenness had cooled his mood slightly. But he was still desperate for release, trying not to let the pleading sound too loudly in his voice as the bunny jotted down crisp notes on her pad with an expression of grim determination. His revelations were evidently unwelcome ones, but trying to bluff his way out was unthinkable. Another dial was turned, returning sensation beneath his tail, a gentle buzzing almost like he was being fingered. He inhaled; a deep, shuddering breath that ended as a gasp of pleasure.

"'Everyone'? That's not helpful. Details. Now."

"Everyone t-there! Just, just random people y' know?"

"Right, so ordinary, everyday people off the street hear this?"

"Hhhh-nnnn! Y-yes! It's just gossip, right? I swear!"

Any pretense of dignity was completely lost now; Duke was almost shrieking his replies, his eyes begging for mercy. His hands tugged and pulled at their restraints, trying to slip the cuffs off or somehow slip underneath his body... anything that would get one or both paws in front of him. The anal assault grew more pronounced and his whole body shuddered, his jaws clenching together so powerfully that they ached and he tasted the metallic tint of blood on his tongue.

"Ffff-fuck, fuck, fucking FUCK!"

"Alright, so what exactly is he claiming, give me quotes here."

Duke whimpered loudly as his hindpaws kicked the air, waving about as if he were trying to jerk himself off with them. The motions made his cock bob and flick wildly. Grunting with effort he mustelid tried to rock himself, maybe be able t curl up or brush his shaft against his own stoamchfur for some source of stimulation. It was absolutely maddening not having the slightest sense of stroking over it, even as his hindquarters buzzed with pleasure. It throbbed angrily, matching a rising ache in his heavy spunk tanks, which churned and boiled with unreleased seed. Sweat dripped off the pointed tip of his nose as he tensed, trying to force a climax out of himself somehow. But it was to no avail. Anther cruel *click* ceased sensation entirely; giving in a few seconds later he slumped back, panting with effort.

"Gnnh,, hah,, hah,,, nobody finds out I squealed right?"

"Nobody would believe either of us, right?"

"Wanna bet?"

A knowing smile.

"Nobody found out last time, I can protect my sources when I need to. Especially if they might prove useful in future."

The weasel continued to struggle. Having his arms cuffed behind his back seriously limited his flexibility, but there was still a chance he might be able to flip to the side or curl up; anything that might end with his shaft rubbing against his own chestfur. That idea was quashed as a broad, gray foot stomped down on him, knocking the air from his lungs. It held him pinned, though for a few seconds he tried to brush against it instead, before a second paw stomped equally heavily on his tail. The rabbit loomed above him, pinning him to the floor.

"Hnnk!"

"You know if you spent more of your time talking than struggling this would be over by now."

"Okay! Okay! Way I heard it from him you were some dumb country bunny! Didn't-"

The pressure on his stomach increased.

"'Dumb country bunny'...?"

"Gak! Well he said 'naive country girl'! Same thing! Said he was your first!"

"Hah, he wishes. So he seduced the innocent bunny did he? Oh please!"

"Y -Oh fuck!- yes! Said he got you into all sorts of kinky shit! Front, back, top to tail, said he made you beg for it!"

"Wow. Wow. That's rich, fits his ego though. As if I'd never done anal."

"But you said you didn't-"

"I'm a bunny from a big family of other bunnies most of whom are adults and many who are married. I know my way around the finer points of sex. Just because I don't hop on every prick I come across doesn't mean I haven't had some fun."

Duke could believe it. He'd never been so close for so long before; his attitude to sex in all its forms was to get in and get off, he couldn't believe it was possible to stay on the very edge as long as he had already. Even as the restraining paws lifted and sensation returned to his shaft he couldn't feel himself progressing. It was like he was stuck somehow. Flashes of feeling flickered and raced up his cock at a rapid pace and the horny male growled savagely as he felt the pressure rise. She'd got the information she wanted! He was going to climax! Once again he felt his nuts pulling up, aching and so full he imagined he could almost feel them physically sloshing around. Thick strings of preseed dripped down his fuckstick as it twitched and jerked, staining the fur of his stomach, crotch and sheath with a volume great enough to almost classify as an orgasm's worth in itself. Arching his entire body he threw his head back, jaws wide open and eyes squeeze shut. He almost lifted off the floor as a relieved growling moan rumbled up from his throat right as his peak hi-

"Ggggnnnnaaaahhh!"

"So, other women, I think you mentioned a few..."

The weasel's moan turned into a howl as a powerful jolt shot through him, fusing his mind. It was a sharp pain, like being flicked with a wet towel but all the way down his spine. For a few seconds his body froze completely, arched almost into a 'n' shape, before stiffly falling to the floor yet again. A blank numbness suffused his limbs and he nearly sobbed with frustrated desire. It took several excruciatingly long seconds for the mustelid to understand what had just happened to him, utterly paralyzed before he could draw in a panicked breath. He'd thought he'd been close before but he was dead wrong; this time, right at his very peak, just before tipping over the edge the sadistic cop had turned the current up and shocked him; completely derailing the oncoming orgasm. All he'd needed was a fraction more time! Just the sliver of a second to push past his limit.

"S-so close... So fucking close! Wh- what the fuck bunny?!!!"

"We're not done. Tell me about this other girls he claims to have bedded."

"What the FUCK?! You didn't ask!"

"I'm asking now, spill it slinky."

The weasel screamed in frustration, his two paws tugging desperately forward, digging the chain between them into his back. He thrashed and kicked helplessly, trying to vent his extreme displeasure even as he knew how utterly pointless his attempts were. His crotch nearly burned, a wild, instinctive unbearable ache for release and relief. Squeezing his eyes closed once more he tried desperately to distract himself with some sort of fantasy, some erotic image that might just provide enough erotic enticement to push him over the edge that was so fast fading. He tried to focus on the girls from his movies, or even the guys; sultry young things eager to be bred, orgies of a dozen different species, kinks and oddities... but each time his mind reached out to grasp at an imagined scenario it slipped away from him. Again and again he was pulled back to cold, harsh reality. The plush, hot lips wrapping his cock dissolved into insensitive rubber rings, voluptuous vixens in heat faded away to cold, cracked walls and the sounds of pleasure were overtaken by an electric hum and an annoyed foot tapping rapidly on a cold floor.

"Well...?"

"Hah.. hah... There was... he said... an elephant, big girl... French?"

"Francine. Right."

"A cat too, some sort of desk jockey. Pam I think her name was..."

"Huh, Pamela Bondani from the Independent Police Conduct Authority? What's next, Gazelle?"

"NnnN! After a concert he said!"

"Really? So the vulpine sex god is bedding everyone is he? I should be honored just to grace his list..."

The rabbit bore a bemused expression as one paw jotted this new information down while another, seemingly unnoticed fiddled with the Device. Duke's heart skipped a beat as sensation once more returned to him; gentle pulses at the head of his throbbing cock. He let out a groan of pleasure, hurriedly suppressed as a stroking sensation rushed up and down the length of his shaft. The bunny was distracted; if he was quick he could climax before she was even aware of it. He didn't bother trying to sink into fantasy now or paw himself off. Instead he tried to remain as still as possible, succumbing to the sensations and allowing them alone to push him to his peak. Moving about, getting a better position, anything but simply lying there and accepting this development would take time, time he didn't want to waste. His sheer desire to cum trumped everything else; that was the best outcome and he knew that the simple act of release would be far, far more amazing than any additional sensations he could conjure up in the moment. Clenching his jaw to stop from crying out he muttered under his breath, desperate not to alert the lapine to his unintended arousal.

"Oh y-yes... Yes, yes, yes... g-gonna shoot! Oh f-ff-fuck... gonna do it..."

It was sheer torture not to be able to simply paw off; he had to grip each wrist with the other hand to stop his arms shaking and jerking, alerting his tormentor. She was still idly toying with the dials, speeding, slowing, raising and lowering the sensations that buoyed his rising pleasure. Again and again he felt sure, absolutely certain he was about to climax; but the pleasure somehow just kicked up a notch, leaving him unfulfilled. His pulse rang loud in his ears, each beat of his heart as loud as a drum and felt throughout his whole form, from his tensing ass to his throbbing cock. The stream of pre dripping from it and soaking his crotch was constant, leaving sticky trails over him as his hips quivered. And still the bunny didn't notice as he shivered from tip to tail, a white hot rod of nervous energy just barely concealing his near limitless desire for release. Finally his toes curled in pleasure for the nth time that night and he took in a slow, deep, shuddering breath ready to let out a cry that would surely deafen the unheeding officer.

It was then, right then that a fateful, dreadful *click* cut through the fog of pleasure in the weasel's mind and yet again all sensation ceased entirely.

"Nnnn...? F...fff...ffff...fffFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-"

Duke screamed. It was an desperate and anguished cry that tried to vent his rage and disbelief at once more getting so close; on the knife-edge of a climax only to be totally cut off. The bitch, the bitch had been toying with him! She'd known all along and simply acted dumb to raise his hopes and string him along. His furious screech wore on, filled with wordless profanity and raw emotion only tapering off as his lungs emptied of air, leaving him still screaming silently at the smug mammal who was grinning back at him. She was enjoying this, every second, and not just because of the information she'd gained. When she next spoke, the words barely audible over the ringing in the mustelid's ears her voice was high and singsong, as if giving a cheery greeting to a good friend.

"Great. I guess that's everything. Except..."

Duke froze.

"You don't happen to know anything about a string of thefts from the Featherstone line of department stores do you? That's actually my original reason for investigating; a tip told me stolen merchandise might be stored here, though I guess not. Still; any help would be greatly appreciated."

The weasel didn't answer. He couldn't answer; his jaws opened and shut wordlessly his throat refusing to respond. His expression showed he clear answer that he didn't, in fact, know anything of the sort and despaired at being unable to provide any sort of lead. The horrible, terrible reality was written on his features; that the unendureble pressure within him would receive no outlet, the tension, the frustration, the ache in his balls and burning in his prostate. His arms pulled at their bonds until they hurt, muscles straining in a futile attempt to shatter the metal chain that linked them. His whole body burned with pleasure but it wasn't enough to tip him over. It all felt so good, so wonderfully good but so overwhelming. If he could just orgasm it would be one of the most perfect moments in his life, yet without release the sensations pressing in from all sides threatened to simply crush his fragile body or tear it apart. Tears formed in his eyes as he struggled to speak, to beg, to plead for this all to be over with. But like he himself, the words didn't come. He was paralyzed, lost in a sea of sensations and utterly helpless. Trying with one last, all-out last-ditch effort he sought to signal his ignorance...

As if it were surrounded by molten lead his head slowly moved from side to side. No.

"Nothing. Oh well, it was worth a shot."

The rabbit knelt down and barely, just barely jabbed the Device with a finger. There was the tiniest hint of change, the merest dream of a thought of sensation.

Suddenly everything had a focus, a center. The raging torrent of feeling, emotions and thoughts that filled the weasel beyond capacity had an outlet, a weak point. In a single second everything flowed to that one point like a billion lightning bolts. The weasel's eyes shot open wide, staring at nothing as his head was thrown back. His limbs kicked out and his paws clenched as they had done before that night. Only this time, this time there was release. His shaft spurted, weakly at first, further marking his already sticky chest. But more forcefully with each burst, mustelid seed painting the underside of his chin, then shooting through the air like some sort of silvery firework.

The pleasure was mindblowing, unbearable, as crushingly overpowering as it had been moments before. But this time Duke welcomed it, invited it to fill him and flow through him as he released. Each burst was a climax in itself, drawing from his throat a screech so hoarse that it might well have been one of pain instead of pleasure. His shaft ejected pulse after pulse, stream after steam of hot, sticky seed as his whole body jackknifed and twisted, only the handcuffs keeping any restraints on his movement. It was only very, very slowly that the intensity ebbed, his screams turning to moans and then heavy breathing, his body still quivering and shaking with regular bursts of pleasant release. His balls were empty, his cock having given all it could, yet still he twitched and panted, seemingly unable to reach the end of the incredible climax.

"Pop goes the weasel? I think that was bigger than the last one; it certainly went further!"

Duke whimpered in response, falling back onto the ground. He wasn't aware of whether the rabbit said anything else, nor her movements around the room. He barely even flinched as the probe beneath his tail was firmly pulled free, leaving him gaping. His mind registered the removal of the two cockrings in an abstract way, nothing their absence but unable to construct a rational thought around this new observation. Even when his cuffs were unlocked his arms simply slumped where they were released, all the strength drained out of them.

"Ugh, what a mess. Good thing I stripped off."

With that the rabbit stood up, grabbing a pawful of tissues and delicately wiping a few spots of sticky fluid that had landed in her fur. She'd come out of the ordeal almost completely unscathed; there had been nearly no reason for her to remove her uniform at all. Though, Duke noted through his still hazy vision, she looked visibly aroused even as she began to quietly put her clothing back on as if nothing had happened. This took a minute or two but the weasel was still lying where he'd flopped when she was finished, desperately trying to catch his breath and calm his screaming nerves. She turned to him smiling in a vaguely satisfied manner.

"Well that was certainly interesting. You don't mind if I borrow this do you?"

"..."

"It fits in the case right?"

"..."

"Oh hey! Best not forget the manual! Wish I'd read that a lot earlier. Anyway, you'll get it back in a few days, promise."

"You can't... you can't just..."

"Sure I can; heck, I'll even fork over a few bucks for the favor... Wow, this thing's heavy!"

The voice was carefree and cheerful, a tone that didn't match the words it spoke, suited more to a friendly conversation over coffee. The rabbit was crazy, that was for sure. The mustelid watched nearly helplessly as the now uniformed officer very carefully and methodically wiped down the Device and its components, detaching them and slipping them into their requisite foam grooves in the carrying case before briskly snapping it shut and doing up the latches. It held a nickel-cadmium battery, not as heavy as the ones in cars, but still a bit hefty to move. Nevertheless the rabbit managed to hold it in one paw, turning to face the weasel one last time as she rummaged about in a pocket and threw three pieces of currency at him. They drifted to the floor as she walked briskly to the door and slipped through it.

It closed with a loud *click*, the sound echoing through the now quiet apartments, followed by rapidly fading footsteps. A few minutes later a car, quite a small one, started up and drove off. It was later than that, much later, that Duke was able to roll over onto his front and try and push himself upright, his coat soaked with sweat and other fluids as he hauled himself painfully slowly onto all fours. Gritting his teeth every second his limbs shook as if he were ice cold. A paw scrabbled fruitlessly at the dropped cash, numb fingers eventually closing around the three slips of green paper. Duke cursed as he tried to stand up, stumbling backwards and ending up in a sitting position against a wall. He didn't know if he'd just been incredibly lucky or incredibly UNlucky.

Nor did he know whether or not he wanted to see his Device returned; it had been devilishly expensive, even with an online discount, but it was entirely possible he wouldn't survive getting it back. Nor did he want to know what she'd use it for, though he had some ideas. As he tried to focus on the one solid gain he'd made that night he muttered his opinions on exactly what the rabbit could do, both with the machine and her own standard-issue equipment, several suggestions of which were physically impossible.

Huh. Two tens and a twenty. That actually wasn't half bad.

• * *

Officer Nick Wilde was busy downing his third cup of morning coffee and was beginning to feel like his usual self. If there was one benefit to being an officer it was the bottomless supply of liquid caffeine... most of the time anyway. In this case he had to stir the caffeine pills in himself; over the past week or so he'd been cutting the office supply with decaf and the stuff in the mug before him packed only slightly more punch than warm water. Next Monday of course he'd switch everyone over to espresso. Then the fun would really get going. He was thus not surprised to see his partner arrive more than a little late; if there was anyone who needed a regular pick-me-up it was Judy.

In fact she looked utterly exhausted, even for her: her long ears drooped, her feet dragged across the floor as she walked, almost sloth-like to her desk, sitting heavily enough on her chair to make it squeak in protest. The fox's mind spun, trying to guess what had happened. It had to be the Featherstone case; she'd been working nonstop on it for the last week; every spare moment of her time dedicated to tracking down leads. Evidently she was now working nights, and maybe she'd got somewhere. As exhausted as she seemed, her face bore definite hints of a smile. The rabbit was remarkably volatile; prone to manic action and bouts of despondency if that action didn't pay off. She'd evidently accomplished something however, and the canny canid couldn't help but be curious as to what.

"Morning Carrots, working the graveyard shift I see. Featherstone?"

"Yeah, followed a hot lead after hours."

"Any luck?"

"None, I'm afraid. I'm back at square one. Again."

"Well at least you didn't let it get you down. What happened; stumble across a counterfeiting ring? Grisly murder? Jaywalker?"

The gray rabbit yawned, which was an unusual sight indeed, and looked at him sideways. Constant jabs about things like jaywalking and parking tickets, harking back to her first rough days on the job, were a specialty of his. She ignored him, possibly aided by sheer exhaustion, and poured herself a hot cup of black water. Nick was very nearly tempted to hand her a pep pill. Nearly. She smiled at him, trying to gather her wits for the day ahead.

"No, nothing like that, I just had an interesting experience that illustrated the remarkable diversity of the city and its people."

"You cam across a new cussword huh?"

"A couple actually... nevermind that though. The whole subject certainly merits... further investigation."

"I'll bet. If you ever need any help carrots, I'm always here for you and ready to share my expert knowledge."

The bunny rubbed her paws together in earnest glee.

"Oh good, I was hoping you'd say that. I do have a few things I want to ask you about after work..."