Hey guys Price here and welcome to my Wu x Barker Oneshot. CodeOne has – more or less – given me permission to write this. Well, he actually said, and I quote, "feel free to write whatever you like if you're having fun with it." Whether or not you just made a huge mistake, my friend, we will find out eventually. If you're curious of that which I mean, I believe Chapter 23 – which is technically Chapter 22 – of my Zootopian Assassins story is a perfect example of what happens when I decide to be cruel. Actually, I plan to revise that part of it, mainly because it's unrealistic. It would actually be much, much worse than it was. But yeah, this is my second favorite ship in the Hunter's Rules verse, right behind Hunter x Tavi. I will find a way to smut them, I swear. If I have to make Tavi human or turn Hunter into a Mongoose or give him a smaller than average peen, I will. Okay, enough of that, this is gonna be kinda similar to my Hunter's Love Oneshot, except I may make it longer to show how Barker and Wu would hide this relationship as this, timeline wise, takes place during Hunter's Rules and after Hunter and Hunted, and as such on a planet inhabited by Humans. Background is needed to explain some things, so I highly recommend reading Hunter's Rules so you understand a few things. I'll start this off soon after they give that one guy a ticket for his grass, standing water, and unlicensed dog, and place the near-end somewhere before Barker leaves for Terra, with the actual end taking place a few years later. Again, context people, it is required to understand a few things. Much like Hunter's Love, this is not canon unless otherwise stated by CodeOne, but we can pretend. Now, I know this will likely be very OOC because I have even less of an understanding of Wu and Barker's personalities than Hunter and Tavi's, but that's to be expected as I am not CodeOne. Anyway, this is getting long enough, I think it's time to get...onto the story!

Barker slammed the door to the cruiser shut as she exited, Wu glancing up at her briefly in surprise before gently closing his own door.

"Something wrong, Barker?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"I just...I can not believe that guy! Who does he think he is to say something like that!?" She shouted, resisting the urge to curl her claws into the top of the car as she placed her paws on it. Wu was quick to step around the car and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Barker, it's okay. It's just one guy." He said comfortingly, the Timber Wolf snarling.

"But it isn't, Wu! I see and hear a lot more than you think, especially at the station! People think it's so funny to make jokes about me and the K9 Unit! Do you have any idea how demeaning it is to be associated with such primitive animals!?" Barker shouted, Wu opening his mouth to say something, paused in thought, and closed it. He sighed.

"Look, Barker, I'm sorry you feel that way. The guys at the station...they normally deal with your primitive counterparts, and we – meaning Humans in general – are still getting used to the idea of having a sapient version of them in our ranks. It takes some time, but all cops, be they Precinct or Station workers, have the ribbers. They joke, but they don't actually mean it. Hell, you think I was excited to know I would have to work with a sapient dog? I hate dogs, always so noisy and energetic or noisy and lazy." Barker looked shocked at Wu's confession, but he didn't give her any room to talk before he continues. "You, on the other hand, I can get used to. Heck, I like you." Barker arched an eyebrow. "I mean, you know, as a friend and coworker." Wu hastily added, clearly embarrassed by his accidental phrasing.

"No, I get it, you just surprised me for a second." Barker said, smiling briefly at Wu's embarrassment. "You're a good friend, Wu." With that, Barker stepped past him, Wu standing there for a moment.

"Yeah...friend." He remarked quietly, a sad tone in his voice appearing briefly before he shook his head and turned, following his partner into the station. He waved to a fellow officer, then stepped into his and Barker's cubicle. There they sat, unsure what to do or talk about, for a while. Finally, Barker decided to break the ice.

"So, hypothetically, what type of mammal would you be in a relationship with if you had to choose?" She asked, Wu freezing before slowly turning to face her.

"That's a bit of a...strange question." Barker opened her mouth, possibly to retract the question, but Wu raised a hand. "But, if I had to choose, I'd say...maybe a Canine or Feline of some sort. Something similar in size to myself." He answered, his gaze on the ceiling lowering to Barker. "You?"

"Me?" Barker asked, unsure what he meant.

"Yeah, what kind of Human would you go out with if you had to choose?" Barker's ears lowered visibly, and Wu blinked in worry, thinking he may have said something uncomfortable for the Timber Wolf, but she smiled shyly.

"Well, I suppose...somebody like you, maybe?" Wu blinked.

"Like...me?" He asked, Barker flushing visibly.

"Well, not you per se, but somebody like you. Somebody who's kind, loyal, and won't judge me for liking them." Wu nodded, spinning his chair thoughtlessly as he processed the information.

"And somebody who would defend you if necessary, I presume?" Wu questioned, Barker scoffing.

"Yeah, like I need somebody to protect me." She remarked, Wu letting his chair slow to a stop facing away from Barker.

"Everyone needs somebody, Barker. It's just a matter of finding them." He said quietly, the Timber Wolf forced to strain her hearing to make the words out. She didn't say anything, however, and turned her own chair to face her desk.

When they clocked out later in the day, their goodbye was slightly awkward but still friendly, and they parted with smiles in place.

Over the next few months, they remained on good terms, though Wu would occasionally slip up and say something a bit more than friendly, but would play them off as jokes and similar things. Barker was unconvinced.

Barker sat in her and Wu's cubicle, her year on Alpha Centauri nearly over by now, and was preparing herself to say goodbye to the friends she'd made at the station in only three weeks' time. The door opened and Wu walked in, more or less shuffling over to his desk, and Barker grew worried. He wasn't normally like that.

"Wu, you okay?" She asked, the man glancing at her over his shoulder.

"Yeah Barker, everything's fine." He answered, smiling at her and turning his head back to his desk. "Just...thinking."

"What about?" Barker inquired, Wu hesitating momentarily at the question.

"There's this...lady I like. I'm just wondering how to tell her." He answered slowly, like he was unsure of his own answer, and Barker arched an eyebrow.

"Why not just tell her? It isn't that complicated." Barker remarked, scoffing lightly. Wu sighed.

"It is with this one." Barker perked up, surprisingly interested in Wu's problem.

"Well, what's she like?" She asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head slightly. Wu laughed softly.

"Well, she's a cop. But she's also a good friend. I don't want to make anything awkward by telling her how I feel, but I feel like if I don't I'll never get the chance." Barker nodded in understanding, knowing where the Human was coming from.

"Oh I know the pain." Wu blinked and turned, his curiosity overriding his sadness briefly.

"Oh really?" He asked, Barker nodding.

"Yeah. There's this guy that I like, but we're two separate species, so I don't think it would be fair to either of us to get together." Barker answered, Wu huffing in amusement.

"Seems we're both stuck, then." He remarked, Barker tilting her head slightly.

"What do you mean? How in the world is mine liking a different species related to you liking a...girl..." Barker's eyes widened as realization dawned in her voice, and Wu sighed. "Oh my god, Wu..." The man stood, heading for the door.

"I shouldn't have said anything. Just forget i-" he stopped when his arm was grabbed from behind, turning his head to ask Barker what she was doing when she pulled him closer and into a kiss. He 'mph'-ed in shock, his eyes going wide at the Timber Wolf's sudden kiss, but they quickly closed as he reached up and gently cupped the side of her head. When they separated they were both panting, staring at each other with a mixture of shock and excitement.

"You...you're good." Barker commented, her voice containing excitement with trace amounts of...was that...lust?

"I...yeah. You too." Wu remarked, his pupils dilated further than he could remember they'd ever been. His expression suddenly fell as a realization struck. "You know we won't be able to actually get together, right? At least not legally or anything." Barker's gaze fell, and she slumped slightly.

"Yeah." She said, her tone sad. She raised her head, her expression becoming one of determination. "We'll just have to keep it secret, then." Wu nodded in agreement.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun." He smirked, Barker dipping her head in agreement. "But!" He clapped his hands, Barker jumping slightly at the sudden noise. "For now, we need to...actually, I don't think we have anything to do." He frowned. "Well, crap."

"Well...if you want..." Barker left the offer hanging, Wu remaining silent for a long moment before flushing as he realized just what Barker meant.

"Uh...maybe another time, Barker." He said, the Timber Wolf looking dejected briefly before nodding.

"That's fine. Just making a suggestion." She said, her voice a little hurt, and Wu felt a little bad at his rejecting the offer.

"No, Barker, it's not that I'm against the idea, it's just...you know, we're just now starting out, and I don't want to seem like that kind of guy." Wu explained, the Timber Wolf sighing.

"Wu, I understand. I'm sorry if I seemed too forward." She apologized, Wu groaning.

"Barker, there's nothing to apologize for. I'm hardly a saint myself." He said, the Timber Wolf arching an eyebrow.

"Are you saying you've had less than proper thoughts about people before?" She asked teasingly, Wu rolling his eyes.

"Well, a few times, though mostly in the past few weeks." He tossed a wink at her, letting her know just what he meant, and Barker flushed at the idea. She remained silent, however, afraid her tongue would betray her if she decided to use it.

When they clocked out later that day, they both hesitated with separating to go to their separate homes. Finally, Barker spoke.

"You know, my house isn't very good in comfortableness." She remarked, Wu shrugging.

"Well, if you'd like, I have a pretty comfy couch. One of those ones that look like a capital L." Wu ventured, Barker pretending to look thoughtful.

"Yeah, that can work." She said, nodding her head. Wu smiled, then turned and began walking home, Barker close behind. Neither noticed the small group of officers watching them from where they stood by the door.

When they arrived, Wu glanced at Barker briefly before he unlocked the door. They stepped inside, Barker's gaze immediately latching onto the pictures that hung from the wall. She approached, her curiosity getting the best of her, and blinked in shock when she saw a multitude of pictures that showed Wu with an amount of young ones.

"Hey, whatcha looking at?" Wu asked as he approached, Barker turning in surprise, not having heard him approach.

"I...didn't realize you had pups." She said, Wu tilting his head.

"Huh?" He looked past her at the pictures, then laughed. "Oh, no, sorry. Those are just a few of my younger cousins, along with some other extended family. No children." Barker looked relieved a bit at the information, then felt bad for it. Was it right for her to feel relieved he hadn't had children, when being with her would never allow him to?

"Oh." She said sadly, Wu looking worried at her tone.

"Is something wrong, Barker?" He asked, the Timber Wolf hesitating.

"Well, I just feel bad because I was relieved you didn't have any young, when I couldn't give you any even if I wanted t-" Wu cut her off with a hug, the Timber Wolf stopping more in surprise than actually being cut off.

"I don't mind that, Barker. Just makes everything easier for both of us." Wu said comfortingly, the Timber Wolf slowly hugging him back. "Besides, now I don't have to worry about wasting money on the necessary precautions I normally would." Barker snorted in amusement at that, letting Wu pull away. He turned to the couch, his head tilted slightly as he stared, then nodded. "Yeah, okay, there's enough room for you if you want the long way or the wider, shorter side."

"Well that's nice." Barker commented, walking up and unceremoniously flopping onto the couch. "Ooooh, that's nice." She groaned out, liking how soft and malleable the material was.

"Knew you'd like it." Wu remarked as he sat down next to her, the Timber Wolf pulling herself up so she could sit against the back of the couch like him.

"It's hard not to. Seriously, I didn't think a cop's salary could afford something like that." Barker said in amazement, Wu sucking his lips in slightly, his head lowering and turning away slightly.

"Well, technically one of my...less than reputable family members bought it for me. I never returned it because he didn't include a tag or even say where he bought it. Yes, he assured me he acquired it legally." Wu said, adding the last part when Barker had made to speak. She closed her mouth for a moment in thought, then shrugged.

"Well, tell him I said thanks next time you see him." She commented, Wu arching an eyebrow.

"Really? No complaint about it's source?" Wu inquired, surprised by her words. Barker shrugged.

"You said it was acquired legally, right?" Wu nodded. "Then what's there to complain about?"

"...Well, I suppose you're right." Wu remarked, though unsurely, and Barker rolled her eyes. She turned her head to him slightly a few moments later, remaining silent in thought. Wu looked right back, though she could sense he was curious and a little...excited.

"You know, I don't think that was your best performance back at the Station." She commented, Wu arching an eyebrow.

"Oh? Well, the same could be said about you." Wu shot back, Barker huffing in amusement.

"Yeah yeah, just shut up and kiss me already." She said, Wu smiling as they leaned closer together until their lips touched again, both applying pressure steadily until Wu parted his lips to take a breath and suddenly found a Timber Wolf in his lap deepening the kiss. When they pulled apart, Wu had a look of uncertainty on his face.

"You know, if we continue, there's no coming back from this." He said, Barker smiling reassuringly.

"Who said I want to come back from it?" She questioned, Wu returning her smile at her words.

"Well, I don't normally do this." He pointed out.

"What, mate the first night of seeing somebody?" Barker asked, Wu laughing.

"Yeah, that's right. However...I think I can make an exception for you." Wu answered, Barker grinning and lowering her head to kiss him again. They both knew it was going to be an interesting night.

Wu awoke the next morning on the couch, Barker in his lap still, and he smiled lovingly at her even if she couldn't see him. He reached up and scratched the back of her head, the Timber Wolf's heartbeat increasing as she suddenly awoke, raising her head to look Wu in the eyes. Wu looked scared, his eyes wide and hand freezing.

"Did I say stop?" She questioned, Wu blinking in surprise. He went back to scratching, Barker laying her head back down on his shoulder. Wu smiled, then wrapped his other hand across the small of her back and flipped sideways, pinning her down beneath him. Barker didn't even react, too surprised to move.

"Time to get up." He said simply, raising himself up and off the couch. Barker frowned.

"Ugh, do we have to?" She asked, Wu laughing.

"Well, unless you'd rather miss work." Barker shot up, her eyes wide.

"Crap, I forgot we worked today!" She exclaimed, hurriedly looking around for her uniform.

"It's Tuesday. How do you forget we work?" Wu asked, his tone incredulous.

"Well, in case you forgot, I was a bit distracted last night." Barker shot back, Wu huffing.

"Yeah, fair enough." He said, stepping into the hallway and into a room on the left. A moment later he stuck his head out. "Well, you coming?" Barker blinked.

"Uh...you want to take a shower...together?" She asked, Wu shrugging.

"Well, unless you'd rather wait for me to get done." He answered, disappearing back inside. Barker hesitated a moment, then jogged over and stepped inside.

At the Station, Wu was surprised when, as soon as he and Barker entered, everybody in sight stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at them. One officer stepped forward, his arms spread wide in greeting.

"Hey, Wu, what's it like doing it with a mutt?" Both Wu and Barker blinked.

"Ex...cuse you?" Wu asked, pretending to be unsure what the officer was referring to.

"Oh come on, a few of the others saw you and the bi-" Barker stepped forward, interrupting the man with a growl.

"If you value your knees, I'd advise you not to finish that sentence." She warned, the officer looking shocked at her threat. That was quickly replaced by a sneer, however, and he made quite possibly the biggest mistake of his life: he pushed his luck.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, Barker simply tilting her head, as if inviting him to say something insulting. "Hey Wu, what's the mutt li-" the man cut off with a shrill scream as Barker raised her leg roughly, nailing him right between the legs and sending him to the ground clutching his groin.

"Yeah." Barker said, stepping past the man and towards her and Wu's cubicle. Wu stopped by the man as he passed, squatting down.

"Just for the record, we're not seeing each other. I was just being a friend." He said, raising himself up and walking past the group of officers. He stepped inside the cubicle to find Barker just standing there, her paws clenching and unclenching rapidly. "Uh, Barker?" He stepped closer, the Timber Wolf pausing in her motions to turn to him.

"I can not believe that. Seriously, how the hell do they get that we're together from the fact we walked in the same direction together?" She asked, her tone expressing just how well and truly pissed she was at the officer's statements.

"Hey, don't let it get to you, please. Those people aren't worth it." Wu said, Barker sighing and hanging her head.

"I know. It's just...you'd think a whole year doing nothing but proving myself as valuable would make them understand I'm more than just a nose. I'm not some dog, Wu." The man hesitated, then smiled.

"I know, Barker. Everyone here knows it too. A year is a lot less than most people require though, so try and go easy on them." Barker nodded after a moment, then smiled.

"I won't lie, though, it felt good to do that." She admitted, Wu laughing at the words.

"Hey, I believe you. Just try not to do it too hard in the future. The boys are sensitive." Wu said, Barker snorting.

"Oh, I know that. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how forgiving Bogo is as long as you don't seriously harm the mammal being interrogated." Wu stared, his mouth parting slightly.

"Your boss scares me." Wu remarked, Barker laughing.

"Oh, he's not that bad. Just prefers results over tactfulness." She said, Wu laughing nervously.

"Uh, sounds like a fun boss." He remarked, Barker rolling her eyes.

"You could say that." She said, stepping past him and plopping down into her chair. "Now, let's see if there's anything that needs doing." She muttered to herself, Wu huffing in amusement as he sat at his own desk, cracking his fingers absentmindedly, a small groan of disgust coming from Barker as he did so. He chuckled.

Over the next two and a half weeks, Barker and Wu enjoyed some more private time, , and Wu seemed to forget that the year was almost up. Which is what hurt Barker more than anything.

The morning of the departure, she hesitated at the door, her bag in paw and her gaze lingering on the bedroom door. She wanted nothing more than to just skip her transport, but she knew Bogo would likely have her hide if she did it purposefully. With a sad sigh, she stepped out and closed the door behind her. Hopefully she'd be able to come back one day.

Wu awoke slowly, raising his head up in a state where he was still practically asleep, and forced himself to roll over. When he felt the other side of the bed, his eyes shot open when he found it empty. He sat up, looking around. His gaze rested on the tape recorder on the desk a few feet away, and he arched an eyebrow.

'Where'd that come from?' He wondered, throwing the covers off and standing. He stretched, back creaking and popping, and approached the desk. He picked up the recorder, fumbling with it briefly. It was then he realized it was the one barker normally carried with her.

Finding the right button, he pressed Play and the tapes began to spin. After a moment, Barker's voice filtered out from the electronic.

"Hey, Wu, it's Barker. Well, you probably know that by now. Anyway, I figured it would be best to leave something, and I figured a note would be too cliché, so this was the next best thing. Uh, I just wanted to say I had fun, this past year. You've been good to me. Really. And I know it's been hard for either of us to say it, but I just wanted to let you know I love you. This is goodbye, at least for a while until one of us can get passage to the other's planet, but don't be sad. We'll see each other again one day, I promise. Don't get hung up on me, I beg you. I don't know when I'll be back, or if I ever will, so move on." Wu stared into space as the message played, his only movement a blink. "Yeah, that's...basically it. It's been a good run, Wu. I'll miss you." There was a long silence that seemed to stretch forever, until Barker's voice came back. "Oh, and my name...it's Ruth. Ruth Barker." The wheels stopped, and Wu only barely stopped himself from dropping the device as he slowly unfroze. He set the recorder down gently, backing up and dropping onto his rear on the bed. Slowly, he leaned forward until he was clutching his head.

It was only then he realized he'd never told Barker he loved her.

Wu looked up in surprise at the sound of his door opening, not expecting the Chief to step through the door and into his cubicle.

"Hey, Wu. Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked, Wu nodding hesitantly. The Chief cared about the officers under his command, but he rarely offered to talk to them without a good reason.

"Uh, sure, sir. What is it?" He asked, the Chief pausing in hesitation for a moment, then sighing.

"An officer out on Terra was killed in the attacks recently." Wu felt his chest tighten in worry, though showed no outward display of emotion other than an almost imperceptibly small widening of his eyes. "I know that travel is more or less being suspended, but I figured I'd take a small group of officers to show our respect." The Chief explained.

"Who, uh, who died?" Wu asked, the Chief huffing.

"Officer Hirsch. And no, you aren't supposed to know him, I just figured you'd like to know." The Chief answered, Wu feeling relief settle in his heart that Barker hadn't been killed. He'd feel like a jerk if she died without getting to hear him tell her he loved her. "Well?"

"Well what, sir?" Wu asked, feeling momentarily confused as to why the Chief had asked such a question.

"Well, I'd figured you'd offer to come. See Hunter and Barker again." The Chief explained, Wu blinking.

"Sir, with all due respect, me and Barker were just partners. Sure we worked well together, but that was it." He said, the Chief silently arching an eyebrow. "Though, now that I think about it, it would be nice to see her again. That and she forgot something when she left." Wu said, the Chief nodding.

"Alright. We'll be leaving tomorrow." The Chief said, Wu nodding. The Chief turned and left, shutting the door behind him, and Wu turned back to his desk. He smiled.

Barker turned her head at the sudden commotion, tilting it slightly, before her eyes widened in surprise. She stared in shock at the one Human she hadn't been expecting to see that day, remaining frozen in her position for a long moment before a smile split her muzzle – one of the few she'd legitimately had since coming back to Terra – as she ran up and wrapped her arms around the man.

"Louis!" She shouted joyfully, stunned silence following her actions. "Louis Wu!" After a moment, she felt Wu hug her back.

"Hey, Ruth." He said softly, the Timber Wolf pulling her head back with a smile still plastered on her muzzle. Her and Wu stared at each other, words unspoken pounding inside both of them, and the desire to kiss him eventually won out against her resolve. However, Wu seemed to have the same idea, only lost faster.

Barker's ears perked up in surprise as Wu gently pressed his lips to her muzzle, silence stretching as Barker, after a second of shocked stillness, closed her eyes and kissed Wu back. After so long without the feeling of him like she felt now, the kiss they shared was like electricity. It tingled as it coursed through them both, and for Barker, the fact they were among others was forgotten as she pulled away only to take a breath before she pressed her muzzle to Wu again.

Wu hesitantly pulled away, keeping his hands on Barker's shoulders to keep her still, before glancing around and offering the stunned officers, both Human and mammal alike, a nervous chuckle.

"I called it." One of the Human officers remarked quietly.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, maybe I should explain why we're here." The Human FLPD Chief said, turning to face the mammals with a grin on his own face.

It suddenly occurred to Wu that perhaps he and Barker hadn't fooled everyone during their time together.

After the funeral of the various officers, Human and mammal alike, that had been killed during the Raid – apparently capitalization was mandatory – as the ZPD had started calling it, on the Human XSO team, Wu found himself being led by Barker through an apartment building with a vague idea of what she had in mind. She opened the door to a room and stepped inside, Wu right behind her, before shutting it again. Wu turned to face her as she stepped up to him.

"I think I forgot something." Barker said quietly, Wu smiling at her as he reached into his pocket and held the tape recorder up. She chuckled. "No, not that. Something much more valuable."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Wu asked even as Barker took the offered electronic back. Barker tilted her head slightly as she reached up and wrapped her arms around Wu's neck.

"You." With that, Barker pressed her muzzle to Wu's lips, the Human smiling at the answer even as he easily stepped back and stopped when his feet hit the edge of the bed.

"You know, with how long it's been, I kind of expected you to have moved on." Wu remarked quietly, Barker scoffing at the words.

"As if."

And that is a wrap of A Bad Idea We Won't Regret. I got the name from Erinnyes01, so thank you Erin...I can call you Erin, right? I'll list the various ideas they presented at the end, as well as Erin's reasonings. I tried to end this on a bit of a funny note, since I realized it got kinda sad for a moment there with Barker's goodbye, and how abrupt it was, but shush I'm proud of how sad that made me when I wrote it. I have literally written this in two days. If only I could put that sort of spirit into Chapter 27 of Zootopian Assassins. Or just that fic in general anymore. I love it to death, but it's so hard to get inspiration for it. I recently sat down and got a good amount of it done, but I'm still not half done with it and I started it like...forever ago. God, I feel bad. Tell me what you thought in a Review please, it feeds my drive to write. And in case you guys are wondering, no I did not completely Retcon Kate, I just made the ending different to align with the Hunter Verse canon since I originally wrote this before Chapter 23 of Hunter and Hunted was released. She will be back at the end of Blind, I assure you, just under different circumstances. Which means my plot for Blind is changing as well, but that shouldn't be an issue. Anyway, this is getting long enough, I'll see you guys...next update. Word Count: 5,308

Erinnyes01's List

1. Love Bites (And So Do Wolves) – This one is funnier if you listen to Halestorm.

2. Her Bark is Worse Than Her Bite – I don't need to explain why that is funny for a Wolf named Barker.

3. Exploring New Frontiers – What could be a newer frontier than a Human and a Wolf?

4. A Bad Idea We Won't Regret – My rationale here being that it's generally discouraged for partners to date each other, but if we're going for a romance story it's one they won't regret.

5. Blind – This one is my favorite. They're cops, this is a romance story, and it's commonly said that justice and love are blind. So just "Blind", and you could work that into the story somewhere pretty easily.