After taking a much needed break from writing, I have returned to republish this story and continue "Starless and Bible Black". I look forward to writing once more! This chapter uses the song 'Starless' by King Crimson. There will be a message when to start the song. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Starless

"Come on Carrots, you have to learn to have a little fun", Nick chuckled from the passenger seat of the cruiser. "We can't even have very soft music on?"

Keeping her eyes on the road, Judy spoke with a slight hint of amusement to her tone. "I told you no already. I barely like conversation. That's enough of a distraction as it is. You and I both know that Bogo doesn't like us listening to music while we're on patrol. He finds it extremely distracting."

Lowering his sunglasses, Nick gave her a sly grin as he turned to face her. "Even if there's no lyrics? If you say no to instrumentals, then you really are the strictest mammal to walk this earth."

With the light ahead of them turning red, Judy finally turned from the road to face him. "No just hol-"

Nick held his finger up to her lips, silencing any attempt to try and justify her over-controlling nature.

"Just think about it Carrots. You always seem so hell-bent on following the rules to a tee that it's no wonder you have no fun on duty."

She kept her eyes on him, the entire time thinking to herself about how he was right. There was no point in arguing about it.

"I understand that we're supposed to have no distractions in the car while we're on patrol. But you really need to learn to lighten up." He flicked the tip of her right ear, which had now fallen flat against her back. She quickly swatted his paw. "It can't be healthy for you to constantly go around coiled tight like that."

Judy's neutral expression now morphed to one of slight aggravation. "I take out all my stress from work when I get home. It's not that damn hard to control yourself at work."

Nick pulled his ears down flat against his head and let out a joking gasp. "Watch your fucking language! We need to maintain my purity." Even though he left the con jobs far behind, he was still able to maintain a perfect poker face to keep the joke convincing. Judy tried to do the same, but a smile still tugged at the corners of her mouth. She turned her attention back to the light to see it had just turned green. She accelerated the car rather quickly, causing Nick to lose his balance and knock his muzzle on the center console.

"Now you definitely need to allow me to have some music. That was just cruel", he said while rubbing his chin.

"Fine", Judy sighed in defeat. "But keep your promise. No lyrics so we can maintain our concentration." Keeping one hand on the wheel, she pulled the auxiliary cord from her pocket. She no longer trusted Nick with it and had to keep it on her. He quickly reached over and snatched it from her outstretched paw, relishing in his victory.

"You better not play anything weird", Judy mumbled, still regretting bowing down to his desires.

Nick put a paw to his chest and took a joking gasp identical to the previous one. "Madame, I wouldn't dare play anything that would upset you. I am a gentleman after all."

Judy let out a forced laugh. "You? A gentleman? What a load of bullshit."

As Nick plugged one end of the cord into the radio and the other into his phone, he let a genuine smile come across his face. "Since when did you become such a potty mouth?" He unlocked his phone and started scrolling through his music library.

"Since my neighbors decided to stay up all night playing poker with their friends. If I don't get enough sleep I get a little cranky. Not wanting to bring it on others, I curse."

Nick locked his phone and dropped it into the cup holder. "In the three months we've been partners, I have yet to see this side of you. And I must say, I rather enjoy it" he chuckled as the sound of synthesizers faded into the speakers.

"I must say, I'm surprised you picked something calming. What is this?" Judy turned a corner that now put them facing directly into the sun. Nick dropped his sunglasses from atop his head down onto his muzzle.

"It's called Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The band is called Pig Floyd. Name ring a bell at all?" Nick had now put his left paw down on his thigh. Judy glanced out the corner of her eye as she saw him playing the synthesizer on an invisible keyboard. She decided to not bring it up.

"I don't know the music, but I know they did the album with the prism on the front. I'm curious about this song title more than anything."

"They wrote this song, well basically the whole album, to pay respect to their founding member. He was a rabbit named Syd Carrot. After writing their first album, he overdosed on acid and completely fried himself. He left the band and they didn't see him again until he walked into the studio years later while they were recording this album. He looked awful, and no one could recognize him anymore."

"That's awful", Judy proclaimed, placing a paw over her heart.

"Yeah, well that's what happens when you don't learn to have self-control." He gazed out the window as they now passed through what he assumed to be the lower quality living accommodations. They didn't require as much attention as some of the gang-plagued slums of the city, but still needed a little watching every once in a while.

"Nobody knows where you are, how near or how far. Shiiine ooon you craaazy diamond."

"I thought we agreed to music with no lyrics, Nick" Judy mumbled as her grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.

"You really can't have just a little fun, can you Carrots?" Nick kept his gaze out the window, fearing that Judy's vision may burn holes through him if he turned to face her.

"I just really want to stay focused, Nick. I understand you're not using to following the rules. But you really need to learn." She let out a slight sigh. Nick finally turned to catch a glimpse of her. He was shocked to see her expression was now slightly saddened. Her mouth was in a small frown and her nose twitched slightly.

"Did I really upset you that much", Nick asked. All sense of joking had left his tone.

"I know I seem strict, but I just really want to you to follow the rules. I'm trying my best to turn you into the model citizen and officer we both want you to be."

Nick didn't know what to say. He thought that her rule of no lyrics was asinine, but he could now see that it really meant a lot to her that listened to her. He thought for a solid minute before he turned back to her. "Look Carrots, I'm sorry. I kind of twisted your arm behind your back so you could break a rule for me. And I abused that kindness by trying to press my luck."

They came to another intersection as the light turned yellow. Judy applied the brakes and slowly came to a stop. She turned to him in partial astonishment. Had Nick really admitted to his mistake? "Thanks Nick. That means a lot to me that you took notice of your actions. But I still want the music off now"

Nick pulled the sunglasses down his snout so he was no peering over the tops of the frames. "Or how about we make a deal? We keep the music on and I return the favor by performing a genuine act of kindness?"

Judy thought it over in her head for a few seconds before letting a grin go across her face.

"I have no plans tonight. You'd think that the famous bunny cop would have multiple others breaking down her door on a Friday night. But sadly that's not the case. I'll let you leave on the music if we hang out tonight."

Nick smiled along with her and outstretched his paw. "You have a deal. Meet at my house for, let's say 6?"

"Deal." Judy took his paw and shook it.

The light turned green, and the cruiser continued straight.

"How much longer do we have until our shift is over" Nick asked as he shuffled through his music library again.

"We're supposed to report back to the station for 2:30." Judy glanced at the clock on the dash on the vehicle. "2:15. Looks like we only have 15 minutes left!"

Nick let out a hearty laugh as he stared at his phone screen.

"And just what is so humorous, Officer Wilde?"

Nick wiped a tear from his eye and held his phone screen to her face. "Daylight savings time was today and you forgot to set the clock forward. It's 3:15!" He continued to laugh, dropping his phone onto the floor of the cab.

"You mean we've been done for 45 minutes?! I better get some fucking overtime" Judy muttered through gritting teeth. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened so the skin on her knuckles turned white and shone through her fur.

"I don't think the Chief… will reimburse you… for your own mistake" Nick choked out between deep breaths.

Judy walked out of the elevator and onto the second floor. She had easily found the address that Nick had scratched down on a piece of paper before they left the station to go freshen up at home. Feeling sort of ashamed of herself for expecting a low quality facility, she now looked around in amazement as she walked down the hallway. The floors were a deep, rich brown hardwood. The walls, being painted a cream color, were accented by the soft glow of ice blue lights between every other apartment door. Even the doors themselves spoke with a sense of simplicity, yet still managed to appear high end. Each door was constructed of a sheet of frosted glass. The glass had no designs or other features aside from a chrome door handle, a chrome plaque with the apartment number etched in black, and a 3 inch chrome border around the perimeter of the door.

"2118… 2116…" Judy whispered to herself as she watched the numbers count down. "Here it is, apartment 2112." She folded the piece of paper neatly in half and slid it back into her pocket. It was nice to not have to carry a purse around where ever she went. She worse a casual flannel shirt and blue jeans, being grateful to have pockets she could utilize. Outstretching her paw, she gave the frosted glass three light raps. There was no movement after 30 seconds of patiently waiting, so she assumed he may not have heard her the first time. She knocked again, this time a little harder. Waiting again, she still received no response. She reached into her pocket to pull out her phone so she could call him to answer the door. Being met with an empty pocket, she remembered she had left it charging on her nightstand while she took a shower.

"Dumb bunny, dumb", she mumbled to herself as she smacked her paw against her forehead.

She gave the door an even louder knock and waited. Still no response. "Nick? Nick, are you in there?" Nothing. Perhaps Nick had forgotten about his promise and gone out. Maybe she should just go back home and forget about this.

"No, that is not an option" she whispered to herself. Ever since Nick had been assigned as her partner, she got the feeling that there could possibly be something more to their relationship. Whether or not that feeling was true or not, she knew she had to figure it out one or another. It constantly nagging away at her from the back of her mind was starting to get aggravating.

Judy glanced around, starting to become a little skittish of being in the hallway alone. As nice of a complex as it was, she still hated the idea of someone lurking behind a corner to pounce on her. Formulating no other option, she grabbed the door handle and hoped it was unlocked. To her instant relief, the door opened and she quickly retreated inside.

The apartment far surpassed all her expectations. First entering through the door, she found the kitchen to be immediately to her left. All the cabinets were cherry wood, with glossed grey granite countertops. The appliances were all stainless steel, with not a single one bearing any smudge or scratch. Her gaze then turned to the living room, which the kitchen opened up into. The walls were painted pure white, with the floors being the same dark hardwood from the hallway. The center of the living room was adorned with a crimson rug. A light gray couch sat facing the wall where a large flat screen television had been mounted. The wall that Judy was facing was not a wall, but a large pane of glass. Like the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, its surface was absent of any blemishes.

"Son… of… a…", Judy let out as she slowly stepped further into the apartment. For a fox who like to where collared shirts wrinkled and not tucked in, along with a sloppily knotted tie, she was astounded at the state of perfection he kept his living space in. Walking into the living room, she now noticed that there was a cherry wood side table next to it. The only two items on it were a remote for the television and a framed photograph of her and Nick the day he graduated from the ZPD academy. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she thought that Nick maybe did have some feelings in him.

Pop.

Judy's attention was diverted from the picture to a hallway she hadn't noticed upon entering.

"Nick, is that you?" She moved from the living room and into the hallway. At the end of the hallway was an open door, revealing his bedroom. But what caught her attention was the door on the left, where she could hear movement.

"Now where did I put those batteries" she heard him ask.

"I hope you don't mind that I let myself in Nick. I knocked and you didn't answer. I would have called you, but I left my phone charging on my nightstand."

As she opened the door, she saw Nick had his back to her. His ears were covered up by a pair of stereo headphones. Their long cord led back to a receiver that sat on a shelf against the wall. The shelf was also filled with vinyl records, adorned with an expensive looking turntable on top. Next to the turntable, an album cover with a blue owl on it had been placed in a stand, the record it once held now being played. It then became clear to her that he hadn't heard her knocking or speaking just now over the music. She asked herself why he was drowning out all other surrounding sounds when he knew she was supposed to be knocking at his door.

Just as she was about to full step into the room to greet him, he picked up a clock from the table he stood in front of. He closed the cover on the back. Judy assumed the batteries he had asked about moments before had been for the clock. As he hung it back on the wall, she took notice of the time.

5:07

"Oh no…." She whispered. The watch she had used to gauge her time to get here had not been set forward. She was here an hour early, and invading his home.

Judy quickly ducked out into the hallway as she saw Nick begin to turn around. From outside, she heard him stop the record and set his headphones down on top of the shelf.

"I still have plenty of time before Judy gets here. Might as well play some guitar."

He never mentioned being able to play any instruments, Judy thought.

She slowly peered around the corner to see Nick sit down in a chair with a guitar in hand, his back to her. As he sat down, he looked into the guitar case that now sat open on the floor. He stared into it for a solid 15 seconds before reaching into. He pulled out a picture and placed it on his lap. Being too far away, Judy was unable to see what the picture was.

Nick let out a sigh that sounded to be of slight discomfort. "I can never seem to escape this" he let out with a tone of sorrow.

I have never heard him sound so heartbroken, Judy thought as she put a paw to her heart.

Nick got up from the chair and walked over to his stereo. Grabbing an auxiliary cable from the behind the shelf, he plugged in his phone. Hitting play and walking back to the chair, Judy heard the music begin.

Begin 'Starless'

The song began with a violin opening, soon followed by a soft introduction by the drummer. Its tone was somewhat dark, darker than anything Judy had ever listened to. She heard the violin and drums change the rhythm they had been following. It was then that Nick began to play.

She watched as he stared at the picture on his lap, never looking at the strings as he continued to play.

Although Judy had never once touched an instrument, she could tell that Nick had been playing for a long period of time. His fingers found each new chord with ease, sliding up and down the neck with ease and grace. The song changed in rhythm again, and this time, Nick looked up to point his attention out the window.

"Sundown… dazling day"

"Gold…. Through my eyes"

"But my eyes… turned within… only see"

"Starless and… Bible Black"

Judy continued to peer into the room from the doorway. Her mouth now hung open in pure shock and awe. A tear had started to form in her eye. She had no idea that Nick had such a beautiful voice. He never sang in the car. He hadn't even sung happy birthday at Clawhauser's surprise party the previous week. It now dawned on Judy that even someone as tough as Nick had a side to him that he didn't want anyone to see.

Tink

Judy's attention was brought back to Nick. Even with her advanced hearing, she could barely make out the sound of something coming into contact with the floor. She looked down to see a few spots where liquid had hit the ground. Was… was he crying?

"Old… friend… charity"

"Cruel… twisted smile"

"And the smile… signals emptiness for me"

"Starless and… Bible Black"

With the last line, Judy could now very well hear the pain and suffering cracking in his voice. She watched as his fingers slipped from the neck and his other hand dropped the pick to the floor. He began to sniffle as he walked over to the receiver and turned off the music. Laying the guitar gently back down into the case, he started walking towards the door, his hands wiping tears from his face. Judy quickly ran down the hallway and turned the corner into the living room. She peered her head around the corner as she watched Nick walk into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

"What in the living hell broke him down like that" Judy whispered as she heard the shower turn on. It still was not enough to drown out his sobs through the door.

Judy silently slinked back into the room Nick had just left. Turning back one final time to make sure he was staying in the bathroom, she walked over towards the chair. The picture he had had on his lap had fallen on the floor. Being printed on what appeared to be plain copy paper, the tears it had landed had begun to splotch the ink.

"Oh no….." Judy let out as she put her free paw over her mouth. Staring at the picture, all her hopes of something possible forming with Nick were obliterated in an instant. The photo was of two foxes. One was Nick with a large grin across his face. His arm was placed over the second, pulling them close. Through her tears, Judy could make out a female fox with an equally large grin, her eyes gazing lovingly at Nick.