~Casey~

Silence filled the dark room. The open window let a soft breeze in. The curtains danced through the night's peace. The cold, blue eyes of the fox studied the ceiling, tears dripping down like rain on a closed window.

Casey thought about what happened a few hours ago. About...Jack.

That case. It gave her the opportunity to learn how to trust someone. And for the first time she took it. She trusted Jack. She trusted him with her life.

Somehow, it seemed like the right decision. He kept her trust for that long and was always there when she needed him. He even helped her emotionally. He gave her hope and relief in knowing that she didn't have to suspicious of him.

It didn't seem like Jack would be someone to betray her...

Well...Warren acted like this when we met. He acted so sweet, nice, and trustworthy. But he shattered my heart after that. He broke the trust he's never getting back...

But...would Jack do this?

Something in her kept her from distrusting the rabbit. Something was telling her that there was something wrong about this case.

She continuously tried convincing herself it was repeat of what happened with Warren - minus the love - but a thought lingered in her brain. It tugged at her, trying to get her to accept it. Why would Jack do this?

She thought about him. A lot. About when he saved her multiple times. The first time they met. That night when he assured her that she wasn't some mistake in the mammal world. Assuring her that she was worth it. Not to let anything affect her too much but also not to hide her feelings to the point of becoming a robot.

He may have seemed like someone who was just telling her these to cheer her up until she saw a more realistic and depressed side. When he opened up and shared to her the truth. It let her know that he wasn't like all those counselors she's seen. He was a real mammal.

A living breathing mammal.

Someone with emotions and feelings. Someone with flaws and someone who makes mistakes.

Someone real. It's been a long time since she'd been able to find a mammal that seemed real.

She remembered when they both escaped from their kidnappers. He told her to run up that hill. That risky hill where one small slip meant death. She was certain he'd left her. She was certain that she'd lose her life there. She would've died...

If he wasn't there to save her.

Jack came back. He could've left. He could've gotten rid of her and he could've used her as a distraction for his escape. But he didn't.

She remembered when they were outside in the night. Their enemies found him. The night she died. That bullet would've got her. But once again the striped bunny saved her. He took it instead and was lucky enough to only get hit in the leg.

She remembered all his personal issues. Personal issues that he shared with her. His family didn't seem to love him. No one ever did. No one seemed to want him.

Jack knew how it felt to be heartbroken. Then why would he shatter her fragile and worn down one right after she trusted him enough to let him hold it?

Even though from her past experiences, some that broke her were broken themselves. But something kept her from accepting Jack's the same.

He couldn't have done this...could he?

The vixen's tears started forming in her eyes again. Fresh and new rolling down her cheeks, replacing the old and dry ones.

How could this happen...

She remembered about what the bunny had been through. Him being so different. Having different taste for food and books and everything. So care-free and gentle.

She smiled at their last conversation. How he'd react to carrots being around him. It was highly uncommon for a rabbit to hate eating carrots.

Wait...Carrots...But didn't that leopard say that they did everything. Fed him...Carrots. Even though Jack never liked carrots.

She tried remembering what book they said they read him.

Gardening books. But Jack's favorite...was Mystery, not gardening!

Could they...could they be lying?

Then the very first sound in that entire night came. A knock on the door, startling her out of her thoughts.

The wooden rectangle opened revealing two figures, one quite smaller than the other.

"Casey?" a familiar and slightly deep voice entered. "We came to see if you were feeling better."

A fox with red fur and a tint of orange came in with a light grey bunny.

The vixen stared at Nick and Judy for a while before replying.

"Uh, y-yeah. I'm...I'm fine." her quiet and raspy voice spoke. It felt like years since she last heard her own voice. It was scratchy and tired and you could tell wasn't so soothing on the ears. "Just tired."

"I didn't know being fine meant crying." Judy said sarcastically and sat down next to the fox on the bed.

"Who said I was crying?" the vixen cleared her throat.

"Casey..." her brother imitated her expression "Your eyes are red and your voice is sore. Plus the obvious dried-up tears on your cheeks."

Her ears drooped down as she noticed how clear it was she had been sobbing for the last three hours or so. Maybe even longer. It had turned into night so it could be a lot more.

"Casey, I know you're upset about Savage-"

"Jack. His name is Jack. Call him Jack." she sternly interrupted.

The tod continued. "Okay. I know you're upset about Jack but you can't let him hurt you like this! After all, you barely know him."

"What would you know, Nick? You don't know whether or not I talked to him!" she retorted.

"What?" Nick shook his head in confusion and sighed. "Look, sis, we all heard what the leopard said. Jack was behind it."

"No he wasn't! That's where you're wrong! Jack wasn't behind this!" her voice raised. Slowly she started losing control of it.

"Oh yeah? And how do you know that?" Nick was skeptical about this. He trusted his sister but she seemed to have been brainwashed.

The vixen was smart enough to know he wouldn't give in. Still, it's worth a shot to try and convince him.

"Nick, you remember what she said! She said they fed him carrots! Jack hates carrots! He despises them! And they even got the genre for his favorite books wrong! Not gardening, it's mystery!"

"Ugh Casey he was lying! He was just using you! When he got the chance, he would've killed you!"

"But he DID get the chance! I'm still alive aren't I!? And it's only because of Jack that I made it! OR DID YOU WANT ME DEAD!" Her patience grew thinner and thinner. Her eyes teared up, knowing she'd regret saying these things but didn't care at all.

For some reason, it got to her when someone said something bad about Jack.

"CASEY, WHAT THE HECK?! WHY DO YOU THINK I WANTED YOU DEAD!? I'M ONLY DOING THIS TO PROTECT YOU!"

He calmed down and his voice softened.

"Casey, I can't bear to see you like this. I'm only fighting you to protect you. Like you always did...I don't want to make you go through that incident with Warren now with Jack."

The vixen's head jerked up at those words. "Did...DID YOU JUST COMPARE JACK TO WARREN!? THAT CHEATING LIAR!? HOW DARE YOU! YOU MOTHERFU-" she cut herself off before finishing.

Was I just about to swear? To my BROTHER?

She calmed down but was still angry at him.

Due to her temper being completely broken she grabbed the fox by his collar and pulled him towards her close enough to knee him in the stomach.

Nick tumbled back as his large green eyes stared back at her.

"Nick! Are you okay?!" the grey bunny ran over as the tod nodded. She hadn't been talking much but that didn't matter to Casey.

The furious fox shoved the rabbit out of the way and dragged the fox to her until their snouts were an inch away.

"Listen here, ditch," Casey knew that would let her brother know he was picking the last straw since she'd always start a sentence like that whenever she's had enough. "Jack is nothing like Warren. NOTHING. YA HEAR ME? NOTHING! So don't you EVER compare the mammal that saved your sisters life to the mammal that destroyed it. UNDERSTAND?" she gritted her teeth.

If this was any other time with any other situation, Nick would've shut his over-smart snout knowing that he'd screwed up badly. But unfortunately this would count as the times he'd act rebellious and continue talking.

"Why should I? He's no one! You're yelling at your brother for a stranger! All I'm trying to do is help you, Casey!"

She knew she couldn't convince him. But she tried one last thing.

"Very well then. If you guys don't believe me, I don't care. I don't need any of you to believe me but I thought some help might be nice. If Jack isn't the one behind this, the real criminal is still out there roaming free instead of behind bars. Wanna know why? Because of you! More innocent mammals will die. Because of you! The wrong mammal will get punished for no reason despite having enough of it already. Because of you! Wanna protect me? Then here." the red fox grabbed her phone and texted him something. "I sent you a text for a tracking app I have on my phone. I gave you the code so you guys can track me. If you ever change your idiotic and small minds, then you know where I'll be. Hopefully alive."

The fox went to the door and felt someone grab her shoulder.

"Casey where are you going!?" Nick's worried face met hers.

"To help the mammal that trusts me. Jack Savage," she answered as she went out the door.

***

The fox knocked three times on the door.

"Come in." she heard a stern female voice say.

She entered the room and saw her boss, Chief Scratcher sitting down on her desk with Bogo. The florida panther set down the file she was looking at and placed her fiery amber eyes on the red vixen.

"Agent Wilde! So nice to see one of my favorites. Come, sit down." her tan paw tapped at a seat next to the smiling buffalo.

Both of them at the same time. Perfect.

"So what can I help you with, Wilde?"

"Chief Scratcher I was thinking about the case we recently concluded."

"The haunted hotel case?"

"Yes, that one. With all do respect, ma'am, I think we made a mistake with who we imprisoned..." the fox stated.

Scratcher's eyes demonstrated confusion but she let the agent continue.

"I don't think it's Mr. Savage. We might have the wrong mammal."

"And why on Earth would you say that?" Bogo joined in.

"I have my reasons, sir. If we look back to what Ms. Winter Iceheart said, it states she claimed that she did everything for Mr. Savage. Two of the things she listed were his food and favorite book genre. Carrots and gardening. I believe, that is where she was incorrect. Mr. Savage's favorite book genre is mystery and he hates carrots."

"What kind of a bunny hates carrots?" the cat raised her eyebrow.

"Jack Savage. He's a little different and unique from the rest of his species."

"But what are the chances he told you the truth? He was just lying, Wilde. You may be wasting your time."

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I don't think so. Even if he were lying, wouldn't gardening and carrots be stereotypical towards rabbits? If Ms. Iceheart was lying, she'd have to think of things that most bunnies like. She'd have to pray that luck would be on her side and he wouldn't turn out to be different. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't right."

"Wilde, I don't see where you're going with this! We have the mastermind and we solved this case. You solved this case! Why do you insist on further investigation when you're only setting yourself up for a wild goose chase?"

"Ma'am I know what I'm doing! With all due respect, I'm not stupid. And if Jack really isn't behind this than the true criminal is roaming free and will kill more mammals! More innocent lives will be taken!"

She watched as the amber eyes of the panther trailed off into thought.

"You have a point..."

"All I'm asking is to give Jack a chance. I won't be able to do it alone or with anyone else. Please just let him free this once. He'll be in my sight at all times. Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde have an app to track where I and Savage are so you'll know where to find us. And if we find the criminal and Jack is proven innocent, he gets his job back."

The fox knew her boss loved deals so she had one in mind already.

"And what if you're wrong? What happens?"

"If I'm wrong..." she sighed "then you can fire me. You'll also be able to not allow me to get back to the SD or ZPD or anywhere relating to that. Ever." her blue eyes told the truth, her tone setting the serious mood of the atmosphere.

Both Bogo and Scratcher seemed shocked at what had just come out of her.

"But Wilde this job means a lot for you, doesn't it? Why are you taking such a big risk for something like this?"

"Ma'am, the mammal I'm doing this for isn't just some stranger. He's my friend. A friend I'm willing to sacrifice anything for." her voice was shaky at the last sentence but her expression stayed the same.

"Well then...you have my permission. Are you sure you don't want to re-think this one last time?"

"I'm positive."

"I guess you have a deal." she shook the fox's paw letting her know she has her word. "I expect good results from you, Agent Wilde. Don't fail me. And good luck." she smiled and excused the fox to go sit in her cabin and wait for the bunny to be escorted there.

As she went out the door she overheard one last thing.

"Are you sure this is the right decision?" Bogo's deep voice questioned.

"Yes. Wilde is one of the best. I trust she knows what she's getting herself into." the florida panther responded

The vixen sat down in her chair as she thought about Jack. How his eyes shows that he was terrified at what happened when he was accused of this crime. He pleaded with her. She was his last hope.

And yet, she betrayed him.

She remembered the last thing he said. "Casey...you believe me, right? You trust me. Don't you?"

She smiled at the thought of seeing her friend again.

Don't worry, Jack. I trust you...

Author: EY PEEPS WE DID IT :D Another chapter over 2,000 wordz. So dis waz basically also a chapter to show the trust relationship that Casey has with Jack and SHIP MATERIAL :D oh and if chu want chu guys can guess who it is. Think back to which character ACTUALLY likes carrots and gardening...

anywho cya peeps :D Author Out! *dabz*