Hey all, DLW here with a WildeHopps story... maybe? Tried to get this in before Christmas... I've been wanting to do this since about... August? FF categories will change over time to suit the current chapter/theme. More info at the bottom. And a huge thank you to all my readers follows, fav's I enjoy the feedback as much as writing the stories. Disclaimer: Zootopia and its characters are copyright Disney. (I own none of the characters in the story aside from the O/C's.).

Wish Hello Say Goodbye

"Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss."

― Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Screenplay

Nick smiled victoriously as he held back a fit of laughter from his flustered rabbit partner. He dared not look her way, but his ears voluntarily picked up on the sound of her grumbling, "And you're sure you didn't cheat?"

No longer able to hold back, he chuckled. Looking down at the narrow-eyed bunny he smiled brightly, he knew how to effectively pester her; teasing being a favourite past time of his and all, it was no wonder she looked ready to kick him.

He quickly placed a paw over his chest in a faux pledge of fealty. "Madam!" He reared back with gusto, she rolled her eyes. "May I remind you that I am carrying a badge of honour and all the responsibilities wherewith." Nick always loved to play it up when he could, and for whatever reason, Judy usually allowed him to make a scene of some kind. "I am not but a shimmering knight amidst a sea of tyranny."

The fox heard the bunny sigh, "Yet I was burdened with getting the pizza. In the cold!" Though the tone of her voice was clearly annoyed, there was a hint of playful acceptance that he had come to love with their bantering. "Some chivalrous partner I have."

Snickering at her dilemma, he loomed over her; his emerald green eyes meeting her amethyst irises. "Not my fault you forgot to bring your jacket," he tutted while she scoffed. "I'm all warm and toasty." Adding insult to injury, he wrapped his paws around himself and his recently bought detective style dark overcoat; he had wanted one for a while, but only in the past few weeks had Judy convinced him ever so subtly that he should get one to go along with his copious noir monologuing. It still didn't stop him from being/acting (un)professional from time to time. "And I must say, what a cute bunny you are to aid a skulk of starving foxes." He added with a wink to the now red eared rabbit.

By this time - after having been her partner for a while - he knew what would be coming next, and sure enough he felt a playful jab at his side to which he comically stumbled forward, clutching his side to feign an injury while looking bleary-eyed at the doe.

It wasn't the first time that he had done something to cause her to hold back an attack on him, and it surely wouldn't be the last. He knew first paw how strong Judy was, and would always ensure that she got a laugh out of their time together as well.

Her nose scrunched up and paw still extended, she pointed at him and waved a finger. "First off, don't call me cute. We've talked about that, Nick." Admittedly, Nick knew this but still shrugged. It was all in good fun to see what he could get away with. "Secondly, I think you had an ace up your sleeve, cause there was no way you could have won half those hands." At her own accusation, she raised a brow as Nick continued to smile. "Or maybe a joker in your case..."

While wearing that signature grin of his as he refused to give away any of his 'Nick Wilde Trade Secrets' - still not wanting Judy to know exactly if or how he rigged any of the games (to which he did... sometimes) - he held up his paw in a defensive manner. "Thirdly," he began, imitating the bunny's voice gleefully while she stared daggers at him. "the rules were: Losing paw has to buy pizza. And since you were so graced with two, it was only fair to purchase that many."

Slowly, the doe released an exaggeratedly long sigh; her bright smile never faltered, though. It was all in good fun, and Nick was more than happy to have let her pick up pizzas for the two foxes so he wouldn't have had to do it himself. He did still owe the diminutive mammal a lot as far as tabs and favours go. Still, in his mind, the whole 'just see if I can get Judy to pay off part of it' worked fine as well. Even to that extent - her half of carrot pizza aside - the cricket and stuffed cheese portion for him and seafood style for Finnick really was delicious; though he still to this day couldn't figure out how they put away so much food being smaller than him.

With her nudging him aside to move forward, Nick smirked and followed suit. They had been this way for some time now. Partners of the city's most prestigious police force - ZPD Precinct One - and friends for far longer. One always with something new and exciting to drag the other into and deepening the bonds of their friendship almost daily. They even spent most of their free time together; from casual sightseeing and events both in Zootopia and out, to meandering to any one of their favoured spots checker-boarded throughout grand city.

Today was no exception. They had been long since clocked out from work; the two - carrying their work bags from a long arduous day - now walking side by side in the cool of the evening, briskly paced down the damp and beaten path of the old and forgotten area. It had been a while since they come this way. Neither lived that close to the abandoned wharves; with Judy living between the outskirts of Downtown and the edge of Savannah Central because rent was affordable, and Nick at the edge of the Rainforest District for much of the same reason. Though, despite the distance from Precinct One to this particular spot, it was well worth the journey.

To them, this area was a place of both nostalgia - to where their friendship was mended - and of peace. It was the old haven that Nick used to call his own, long before Judy was in the picture; now it stood as a testament, a memorial to times long forgotten and close by. Though, for now, the grounds were abandoned. Not a mammal was in sight of the place - save for themselves - and even if there were the occasional few that ventured so far into their spot, they'd usually jog away, mindful of their own agendas. Rundown as it was, they found themselves loving the place more and more. From casual chats and strolls through what may be considered as a park, to more intimate times of stargazing and a shared meal, it was akin to their little sanctuary.

It was the perfect time for them to have been there today, though. The mid-spring chill bristled and caressed their dampened fur, though Judy was more grateful that it stopped raining than Nick as she had forgotten an umbrella or coat of some kind. The softened rustles of maple and willow trees welcomed them in an almost grove-like stretch of pathway. The sounds of crickets chirping brought peace of mind while the seasonal fireflies began to hover luminously around them. Though there were specks of city garbage strewn about, from the way the blooming flowers and sprouts of grass danced, it was nothing but blissful.

With the sun finally setting over the horizon it gave what remained of the skyline a reddish-orange tint that complemented the city's emanating blue hue. Even the first signs of stars twinkled brilliantly; this was one of Judy's favourite things about this specific area - the lessened light pollution that allowed them to see the heavens so much clearer - the fact that it that reminded her of Bunnyburrow more so than any other spot in the city aside from the Meadowlands.

The soft patter of their paws striking the ground brought Nick into deep thought. After they had left work and walked here - per his request - his mind had gone blank as to what to say and do. He had been mostly on auto-pilot with the general joke and follow-up to some new happening in the doe's busy life. Despite the numerous occasions that had come up like this, he had tried to make some gesture or let the rabbit know that, in some way or another, he felt... strongly for her. There were a few times that - if only by sheer accident - he thought she understood what he was trying to say. Sadly, his words would never seem to flow and he would either choke up or play off some joke of some kind. He thought that 'maybe going back to where it all started' would help things along, but despite that, despite the time he spent with her - having known her now for the better part of two years - despite her being Judy Hopps - the rabbit with a contagious and bubbly personality - the fox still had his challenges. He wore many masks... so many masks built up and gleaned from over the years, some that he put on, and some that others put on him. Oftentimes, it was hard for him to decipher which was which, and who was who when he wore them.

Still, though, he wanted to say more, to tell her so much more. She was his best friend, even above the little Finnick fox, though he'd never say it to his face. What likely bothered him the most was that... he didn't know why she meant so much, or even why she cared so much to begin with. They were on even terms with what happened since the Nighthowler case. So in his mind, what could he possibly do to-

"So..." Her voice trailed over to him from just below his shoulder. He looked down to where she was skipping now, bag clutched tightly in her paws with a bright glimmer in her purple eyes. "When are we going to visit your mom again?"

Her voice made a part of his heart flutter. It's subtle sweet tone was like honey to his ears... though he was nearly transfixed by the question; he shuffled a step or two instead of the casual pace he meant to go. As many would have to stop and think about what to say when asked about their parents, Nick's approach - to which Judy herself deemed a 'trifecta of distractions' - was to: play it cool, answer your own question, and don't let them see that anything got to you.

Then, the vulpine gave the answer only he could come up with, "I thought we were going back to the burrows for the uh... the Carrot Festival was it?"

From the moment he stated the event, he could hear the indignation in her features.

"Carrot Days Festival, Nick. Carrot... Days!" Judy corrected. He had been to the previous one with her family... and was promptly banned from returning... Judy too. Though, in retrospect, it was kind of her fault? Some of his as well? Definitely not split down the middle. "Besides, there won't be another one of those until June!"

While Nick was looking forward to attempting to get back in the good graces of some of the townsfolk with nothing short of charm (with some begging and pleading) the way only a fox born with a silver spoon in his mouth could.

Either way, Nick shrugged and waved his paws at the name, "Carrot, Carro, same difference." He felt Judy step closer to him, he sidestepped off the beaten path before defensively placing his paws up. "Point is, your family still thought I was the best thing to come out of Zootopia, since Gazelle's new smash-hit... and every other song of hers that you persuaded them to listen to. I swear I saw a bunny mosh pit forming because of you."

From his remark, he could see Judy visibly cringe. Though it may be a small victory - smug grin forming at the corner of his mug - it was all his own.

Then he noticed Judy's facial expression change. Whereas she was aghast seconds before, she wore a bemused smile, almost as good as his. "You would swear in front of my family? Again?" His grin reversed itself into a daunting frown. "Y'know, even my mom?"

He licked his chops, remembering how badly it all went for him last time. "Still tasting the soap from that one."

Before he knew it, her mouth was twitching into a smile. Seconds later, she burst out giggling; he soon followed suit, chuckling at the memory. True, it was embarrassing for him to have had to endure, but at least it was all done in good humor. With fits of laughter drawing on, Judy was the first to recover, carefully wiping away a stray tear from her lavender eyes.

"And your family?" she asked between huffs.

The thing he knew about contagious - and bunny induced - laughter, was that it was hard to get rid of. It was even more apparent as Judy had such a cheerful personality. Though, the question at paw was such a 'Judy: the rabbit that doesn't know when to quit' kind of thing to repeat. Soon enough, though, the renard's laughter tapered into a series of nervous chuckles. He didn't know how to answer properly, so he kind of mulled it over hoping to buy time.

"You did call her, right?"

"Uh well, I thought about..."

It was at times like this that Nick found himself backed into a corner. Funny that Judy could do that to him on such short notice and in an open park.

"Then you haven't spoken to her yet. Have you?"

"Whaaat? Of course I-"

He had literally no time to defend himself as Judy jumped in his pathway. Finger pointed at his chest, the doe's ears were splayed behind her with a chastising (albeit dazzling) look in her eye. "The shame!" she yelled, placing a paw over her chest and softening her expression as well as her voice. "For an only kit not to talk to his poor, sweet, lonely mother."

Now, his tail slightly curled in on him. As long as they'd been friends, he was the one with the more... subtle criminal intellect. He was better at interrogations any day. Judy, however, was the more of the brute force in the duo. Reckless and in your face, ready to hop to action when she got the chance. Yet, somehow, he seemed to be rubbing off on her; guilt tripping was kinda his thing.

For him, it was too cute. He had wondered how she managed to convince Bogo on several occasions to give them - usually her - some kind of leeway with a case or lessened punishment.

Unable to stare directly at the starry-eyed doe, Nick averted his eyes and crossed his arms. He literally couldn't look her in the eyes, it was too much for him, and he couldn't call her cute... for now. "You really know how to lay it on thick. Huh fluff?"

She gave a mischievous wink back at him, "Best actor on the force. Remember?"

"Ha!" Nick snickered at the comment, netting him a playful shove though he kept his ground. "I'd say Finnick's a better actor than you any day. He always makes you feel guilty by looking at him, and you always fall for it. Funny that."

Watching her roll her eyes as she knew he was right, Nick sauntered on towards the single cobblestone bridge of the area. As many times as he could remember, they had come here to sightsee and reminisce about the times they had. Even though it wasn't the most... prestigious of all bridges - the rundown old thing had seen its golden days probably half a century ago - he enjoyed the solitary respite it brought with it. After a while, though, its face had become riddled with various graffiti, and small sprigs of grass had found purchase on its pathway. The decrepit relic seemed like it was the last place any mammal would want to go for a relaxing afternoon. It, however, was a very special place for Nick as the stone bridge was where Judy not only apologized to him, but he was truly assured that he had a friend in her.

Scraping his foot pads on the rough surface and hearing Judy trailing behind him, the fox thought about what to do. He could try telling her how he felt, they were alone and that's when he was usually able to open up more about himself. Then again, even when they were alone he didn't always disclose everything about him. He wasn't an open book, not even to his own thoughts.

Sighing at the potential possibilities and endless scenarios branching off into even more endless pathways, the renard shook his head at each and promptly hopped up on the stone railing of the bridge. Sitting down with his legs dangling off the edge, he faced an old crumbling factory by the wayside that couldn't have been more telling of his situation. Chimney's buckled in and broken pieces fallen every which way, it was like his life for all to see: an empty building with faded walls and narrowed windows facing the sunset; yet very few even knew what could be made of it.

Before he could draw another breath in regards to the shambling building, he heard light footsteps and a heavy thud next to him. He was soon greeted by the smiling doe.

"Careful Nick." Judy cautioned. He had been leaning forward a little too much while lost in thought. "I don't think my acting career will fall that badly compared to what you're doing." At her word, he leaned back and settled into a much more relaxed position (funny how her being there could do that to him), "And, I for one, wouldn't want an imbalanced diet of pawpsicles to send my best partner to the hospital for a few days."

Only best partner, huh? He half smirked at her comment. It wasn't that it was off-putting to what he wanted to say, but the smallest detail of the words held so much more meaning to them. He chuckled, though. If only to think of something to buy him time and get Judy's suspicions of his behavior back on track. She was the emotional one of the two after all.

"Ah correction." His mask being set back on, he reached over and tapped the side of her nose gently with his claw. "That's not imbalanced, I only had three for breakfast this time."

It was a thing he had recently started doing. If not for the reaction of surprise when he had accidentally done so before, he would have thought Judy was violently upset. Now, however, it was a gesture to him of both playfulness and comfort. Still, it always ended up with his paw being swatted away like fleas.

Teasing aside and the two sitting in a deep and calming silence, Nick's mind began to wander. His thoughts traced back to the fateful day that they met by accident or profiling, to the case that they solved together and so much more. Deep breaths - likely picked up by her sensitive ears - he began to take as more fond memories passes by. He knew he shouldn't have any issues in talking to her, but there was still something there, something he couldn't yet define as to why he wanted to know how deep their relationship truly was. So, he pushed himself forward and choked back a deep and biting question.

"Hey, Carrots." He thought it was funny how the derogatory and demeaning term became one of ever enduring endearment and loyalty. Somewhere along their time together, he had become fond of that when teasing her or keeping her through rough times. Yet, in the moment he met her eyes - bedazzled with speckles of stars and a warm, yet caring expression - he all but dropped his forethought. "You, uh- you still want to go for detective licenses, right?"

It was a save, for now. It had been saves for a long while; but when her face lit up with excitement, he knew something had caught her attention.

She practically jumped up and squealed, "Absolutely, Nick!" The sight of her bright smile brought one out of his own. It took her a moment to calm down before she continued, "I mean, Sergeant is still open, but..."

They had talked about it on and off for a while. Whereas Nick was more suited (per her word) for detective work, Judy was clearly more of a leader. The both of them having looked at the positions realized that, if they were to take up the ones that they truly wanted, they would no longer be partners at the ZPD, and instead would be taken to their respective departments as needed. So, since neither wanted that outcome, they agreed to pick one and stick with that.

"Well, once you and I both get clearance for it, of course. So I don't mind waiting a few more months." Finally sitting back down and mulling over the details, Judy was kicking her feet over the edge and babbling about. Nick didn't mind, though. "Although, knowing you..." her tone deepened and she eyed him quizzically. "You don't like a lot of desk work, even though there's a lot of benefits to consider."

While true that he wasn't partial to a lot of desk work and would constantly either doze off or find some sort of prank to play in their shared cubical space - none of which got him suspended, yet - he would still do it if nothing but to have the time to spend with her. Well... that and make paper airplanes to deliver odd, cryptic messages to his co-workers.

Funny that during the time that she was speaking, he had to add in his five cents. "You mean like a detective hat to go along with my coat and copious amounts of monologuing to the tiniest detail?" Hearing her giggle, he thought back to the one thing that he wanted most out of it all. "Ooh, maybe I'll even my get a shot at my own noir novel. Still need a sweet detective name, though."

It was something that he was semi-serious about. The idea of a fox as a crime stopper was unheard of, they - he included until recently - were usually the nefarious crime starters in most cases.

"There's that," Judy added with a few lazy chuckles. "then there's better pay, more experience, I could finally move out of the shoebox, maybe even afford a car, It was something else that he enjoyed about her, her ability to see so far ahead that most calendars predicted doomsday by then; he knew she'd keep going just to spite them. "And - best yet - we could still be partners!"

There it was again. She was always thinking about the both of them. Truthfully, he wanted her to have the dream job she always wanted, it was him holding her back from potentially being the 'First Rabbit Lieutenant' of the ZPD. It was little things like this that made him wonder how she felt; and, though he felt terrible about it, he could never find the strength to ask.

Not wanting to dwell on daunting thoughts, Nick did what Nick does best, avoid the elephant in the room at all costs, "Well if it's partners you're after, you and I could be roommates if you wanted to afford something more... luxurious."

Judy reeled at the thought. "Nick, we both know your apartment leaks and is only one room... with no bed to speak of." She had been there plenty of times before and - even after exchanging spare key copies - to this day had no clue of what to think of the various fixtures and 'stuff' he had lying around. "I still have no idea how you even got a dresser that size to sleep in, let alone fit in the room."

"Finnick helped with that one," he deadpanned with a shrug before curling his muzzle up deviously. "We could... share a bunk dresser?"

"Uh, no." It was her turn to deadpan and give him a cute look of 'perish the thought'. "Besides, everything else looks like 'bring your cub to work day' at the weather wall and a kit got hold of the system. And I don't see why you have a collection of oversized socks that you never wear. Two... no... THREE ties, and half of a shirt with your pile of clothes."

He thought back to the detailed list knowing that she missed a few select things, one namely a second half shirt and a half pair of pants. Not that she would go near the thing as it was like a quarantine zone to her every time she came over.

"It's not that tall."

"Pile of clothes, Nick! It's taller than you now."

Knowing he could stretch this, he huffed and turned his snout away from her while crossing his arms. "Scratch that then. You're officially dis-welcomed as my number one roomie candidate."

Even though he didn't see it, he knew she rolled her eyes. It was always... no... would always be like this with them. He was comfortable bantering and teasing her, something he never took to this extent with Finnick, his co-workers... well, truthfully anyone. She was the one mammal that could truly get to him.

When he heard her sigh and pat her feet against the wall, he drifted from one thought to the next. It always struck him as odd that, one moment they were enjoying their time laughing and joking as close friends, and then the next, they were quietly sitting next to each other and deep in thought about the other. She often told him about her dreams and hopes for the future. Him? He shared fragments of what he was thinking from time to time, but never had all the pieces at once. It was like a shattered mirror that started off as a broken shard to begin with.

Being in her quiet presence, he didn't even know how much time had passed, but the dying light in the sky and stars filling in the gaps told him that they should be heading back soon. He honestly didn't want to. He wanted more moments like this. More moments of them just watching stars. More moments that they were so close. He wanted nights like this to stretch on for eternity if they could.

A warm smile encroached on his muzzle as it had done so many times before when thinking of her. He never noticed that, even as he thought, his tail was slowly brushing against the stone and getting dangerously close to her. Thankfully, to save face and save him from an awkward conversation, he caught himself before it escalated that far. Instead, he darted his eyes around and thought of something to do, something to say, some way to make her head turn and-

-he remembered the warehouse...

While she was still yet staring up, oblivious - or so he hoped - to what he would do, he quickly thought of a plan of sorts. Not that it was truly a plan, but more so of his way of expressing something... It was the Nick Wilde 'trifecta of distractions' after all. First, though, he had to ensure that he had just what he needed with him; and with a simple check of his bag, he nodded inwardly. 'This should be fun.'

"Carrots?" he whispered, suddenly breaking her away from the sea of stars and peer straight into him. He immediately tensed, regretting to some degree what he was about to do. Nonetheless, he leaned forward to see around her and hiked a finger towards the pathway beyond them. "Have I ever shown you the inside of that abandoned warehouse?"

There was still some sunlight left over the bend, just enough for her to see what he was talking about. It was the building just down the road, a fallen wooden thing that she had seen so many times, but never took any interest in it.

"Can't say that you have." Her first impression was noncommittal at best, and hearing the fox shift around behind her back, she eyed the decrepit thing as she didn't know what to think of it. Nothing, that is, until her eyes widened at the prospect of potentially gaining more info about her partner's life.

Subtly, she tried to sweet talk her way into his little game of 'guess what's in Nick's photo album'. "Why? Is that one of your old-"

*Thud*

Her attention diverted from the building to the spot where the fox was seconds ago as the question died in her throat. As always, her ears turned first to the source of the sound (she was a rabbit after all). To her surprise, he wasn't there. Not surprising, however, was the fact that he somehow managed to disappear altogether; it seemed to be a natural talent of his, to simply vanish out of view and off the face of the earth at a moment's notice. She had to admit that he was quite quiet and quick on his feet when he needed to be; still not faster than her at full speed on any given day, though.

"Nick?" Her voice was quiet and quaint with a hint of annoyance under her glee. She was happy that he was going to show her something new, but kind of upset that he always played these games, and metaphorically - though sometimes literally - danced around and dodged his own gimmicks at times.

Unable to find him at his spot on the bridge, Judy turned her head every which way. Not coming up with anything but trees and encroaching darkness, she scratched her head at where he may have gone to. "Okay, Slick. What's your game this time?"

The moment she heard even the slightest sound - a muffled word maybe to what her ears told her - she looked over the edge to see the russet silhouette of her partner on the ground. Huffing a "dumb fox" at his little game, she picked up her bag and made her way down.

Judy never fully understood why he did this kind of thing but played along either way. The closer she got to where Nick lay, the easier it was to tell his features... The more she could tell his features, the more she thought something was wrong. It wasn't the fact that he was simply on the ground with his bag clutched at his side, splayed out and mouth agape. No. It was the small grunts and groans that he elicited while he seemed to be twitching in some manner unaccustomed to what she had seen him do before.

"NICK!?" Horror filled her eyes as she broke into a dash towards him, her bag abandoned at the base of the hill. "Are you okay?"

By the time she reached him, she found he had been blinking rapidly. Already not a good sign, her mind had gone over the worst scenarios: spinal injury, head trauma, broken bones. Falls were not always so easy to assess, less so when you don't know how they fell in the first place. He was laying on his chest, breathing heavily and kicking his legs lightly. With her police training and experience in first aid, she quickly went to work. The first thing she did was to flip him onto his back and elevate his head. Now, with her being a rabbit, it shouldn't be an easy task to move a fox almost twice her weight. The thing is, she was not just any rabbit, and he was not just any fox either. This was her partner, the one who had her back no matter what; her best friend on the clock and off.

Judy's paws quickly went to work, she had him rest on his back with his head resting on her lap. Her eyes never left him, but a slow panic ebbed at the corner of her mind. She had to call for help, but couldn't leave him to get her phone from her bag without potentially causing him harm. Looking for something to elevate his head with, she quickly grabbed his bag and gently rested his neck there. The moment she got up, she felt tears stinging at the corner of her eyes and a paw grasp at her side. She looked back down at him.

"Ngh... c-cute."

His whisper a silent testament to what she needed to do as she rushed to her bag and brought it next to him. "H-hang on," she called, paws in a fit of panic and her heart racing as she fumbled with the stupid bag's zipper. Why weren't things ever easy when you panic?

A few more pained whines and twitches of his came by before her paws smoothed over her phone. "I-i'm here. I-i got you." she stuttered, kneeling next to him with her shaky paws trying to find the emergency contact button. Again, she was stopped by a paw coming into contact with hers.

"I-in-surance..."

She couldn't believe what she heard. "Don't worry about that! I'll cover what you can't!" How could he even think like that at a time like this? Through teary eyes, she thought that maybe it was brain damage. "I'm not losing you over something stupid."

His paw went slack in her grip as his breaths became more even and less labored. She frantically went back to it.

"O-okay. Cause I'm never giving this back." Nick said, propping himself up on his elbows and causing her jaw to go slack and eyes to flit with confusion. Ever so carefully, he got back onto his feet, dusted himself off, and twirled a familiar looking object in his paws. "How's my acting." he added with a conceited wink.

Judy's paws froze just above the call button, having fully intended on using it in the past few seconds. Now, the fox stood before her - holding her carrot pen no less - with a smile that she wanted to tear at until he needed braces.

The tears that beaded in the corner of her eyes burned with rage now. "W-what?" She rose to her feet, paws clenched and teeth on the verge of chipping with how hard she ground them together. "When did you-" Her eyes lingered on the pen before tearing their way to the fox. No more than two huffs and his expression dropped; his paws raised defensively and he wore a sheepish grin... he knew what was coming.

Judy took a shaky stance and for a moment longer, simply stared at him. "Y-you," It didn't even take a second before she was right in front of him with a flurry of well-aimed punches just for him. "You JERK!"

Nick felt them all sting, but still, she held back. "Ow. Ow. Ow! Okay. OKAY!" Unlike her usual playful punches, these had a certain... intensity about them. He could feel a deep seated anger behind each blow and - for once - they actually stung. After a few, he managed to back away and rub his sore side. "I may need that ambulance yet."

The thing about Judy Hopps was that she didn't know when to quit. Nick could clearly still see the fire in her eyes at his little joke gone horribly wrong but refused to move near her lest he feel her fury once again. It took her a moment, huffing and trembling; but she turned heel and scoffed, picking up her bag to walk away.

Now knowing that he took things a little too far, Nick hurriedly grabbed his bag as well. He just wanted to tease her, but didn't expect to get that kind of result. He didn't always make the best decisions, and somehow or another it always came back to bite (or punch) him.

When he caught up to her - she had taken to a much more brisk pace to leave the wharves than he thought - he casually strode beside her. She was still fuming, but the blow seemed lessened from a few moments ago. Still, he had to try the Nick Wilde way to get her on board, "Oh come on, Carrots I'm fine, see."

He caught her narrow glance out of the corner of his eye. Her beautiful, and fiery lavender eyes just wishing to strangle him by proxy. Mistakes were made, but he knew how to fix them... maybe?

"Tell you what. Tomorrow, I'll make it up to you and buy us lunch from that cozy little hole in the wall you love near Hay Market."

He was going by assumption on this one for the most part. He assumed that: not only would they not be stuck in the precinct for the day, but that they'd also be patrolling Savannah Central. It was a stretch and he knew it, but anything was better than seeing her upset at him for long.

"A kale and carrot salad with balsamic blueberry vinaigrette and a slice of parmesan pecan bread. I remember you liking that one, right?" Admittedly, even he liked that shack of a place they found by accident. Although more so catered to herbivores(prey) he enjoyed vegetarian dishes as well. "Oh! Cocoanut-mango cola included, of course." he quickly added, if for nothing else but to sweeten the deal.

The moment he said the order - because he knew the bunny's signs and appetite - her ears perked up and her nose twitched faintly. A faint 'yes' echoed throughout the confines of his mind. Then again, for whatever reason, she stopped.

They had reached the edges of the property and were on the outskirts of a more populated area. Streetlights were cutting themselves on by now as night-time was in full effect. The few mammals that casually strode by were either nocturnal to some nature, or heading home after a long and busy day.

It was a moment before Nick knew what was going to happen next; sure enough, the doe had turned to face him with her arms crossed and foot tapping in rapid succession. He had a method of dealing with this. "It's gonna take more than that to- EEP!"

The fox who had been by her side up until now, had waited for her to turn and face him so that he could - in one swift motion - open his maw and quickly lick the at the top of her head. He passed it off as an accident before, surely she'd understand that-

"Nicholas...rrrr, WILDE!" Judy tensed with the sensation creeping up her spine. He left her with a cowlick(foxlick) that she was trying to desperately brush off.

The vulpine backed a step away, clutching his side as a fit of laughter swept across him. Her 'hair' stood on end and her expression was somewhere between 'cutely enraged' and 'beautifully annoyed'. It was priceless, but didn't last long as the doe - cowlicked(foxlicked) fur back in place but still disheveled - approached him with the intent of a swift retribution.

However, he was fully prepared this time with something else in mind.

His paws fixed in a surrendered pose, he quickly shouted, "L!"

One paw about to jab at him - being the precinct's undefeated boxing champ - she stopped just as it was about to fly towards him. She knew she should have aimed for the hip this time.

With a confused and, albeit, incredulous stare, she raised a brow. "L?"

"Yep!" He drawled out the last letter and made a popping sound before he continued, "L - as in 'Laverne'."

While true, that he did learn her name, her full name at that, he rarely ever used it. Carrots was more suited to her anyways; at least that was his opinion.

Her paws now finding their ways to her hips, Judy now (tried to) wore that same half-lidded expression he had been so used to for practically forever. She wanted to see where this would lead... if anywhere.

"-It's also for lapin, lavender," He leaned forward and tilted his head. "lovely..."

Her nose twitched and she felt a certain comfort in the way he spoke. He did this from time to time; where his teasing was not only in good fun - though there were times where she wanted to put him in a chokehold again - but it also revealed even the smallest sliver of what he wanted to reveal. Deep down, she wanted this to be one of those times.

"M.N.O.P."

In came her hope, and it hopped away before it ever got a chance to greet her. It was literally like her chances of getting a late breakfast back home with upwards of four hundred family members 'Farewell, brief hope'.

"P - is for 'Piberius'."

Of course it was, she had known - rather, he had let her know - his full name not too long after they became partners.

"Such a letter also works with-"

Somewhat fed up with his mannerisms and feeling tired, she asked curtly with poise of her own, "Passé?"

He was taken aback by her rudeness; though he did deserve it. Oftentimes he was told about his wardrobe choice - or subsequent lack thereof - and how terrible it was. It wasn't his fault he liked Pawaii. Still, though, she was speaking to him again; and it was back to their usual banter, something he could dish out in his own way.

He crossed his arms. "Now you're just patronizing me."

She rolled her eyes, having a consonant fight wasn't something she was prepared for. "Pretentious, then?"

His eyes practically popped, and his heart pulsed a little more. Another thing that Nick loved about Judy was the fact that the bunny caught on quick. So, likewise, he met her with equal perseverance, "Punctual, patriotic," Each word made her sink a little more. He was definitely the wordsmith of the two. Then he pointed at himself. "pulchritudinous..."

No point in pretending that she'd win, she threw her hands up and sighed, "Well aren't you a walking pretentious thesaurus."

A glimmer of victory shone in his eyes. He'd still have the last word. "Your walking pretentious thesaurus?"

Judy's face lit up and she chuckled. It wasn't the kind of boisterous laughter you'd find her having throughout their adventures. Something in it - even to his ears - sounded... nervous?

"Ha..." It was a fake laugh if he ever heard one. Then again, she had an odd smile before she replied, "Q."

Nick took a step forward. Either she was finally taking part in this game, or he had backed her into a corner. Whatever the outcome, he was still having the time of his life.

"I believe the term is: haiku." he corrected, just to test the waters and see which direction they flowed.

"No... I said Q."

Her tone was a little more frustrated than what he had originally planned for, still didn't stop him from pressing on, "Heh, smart thinking. Oooh, or are you saying it as in cu-"

Another thing that Nick couldn't quite figure out about Judy was how... unbelievably quick she was. In the time he took to try and finish the sentence, his muzzle was clasped by her smaller paws. Whereas he himself disappears without notice, the bunny just somehow shows up in the blink of an eye. At one point, he figured that it was probably due to the high amount of sugar she consumed from all the carrots she's eaten. Shame it didn't work for him as well.

"R.S.T." Judy, with his full attention, stared at him with a gentle smile that hid a certain strain to it. He was glad, however, that she was taking part in their little letter game. "R.S.T. - Stands for: Right, see ya tomorrow." The instant she said the last word, she released him and trekked on.

"You're cheating, fluff. You added a letter in there." Nick knew he couldn't keep pestering her for the night, so he instead did the one thing he could do for at least a little while; follow her to her bus stop.

This was a little routine of theirs anytime they came here. They would go to the same bus stop together and wait until Judy's bus came by. Sometimes, Nick would accompany her to her apartment and head towards his own, though it was out of the way. Usually, however, Nick would wait for his bus to pick him up and take him to his own shamble of ratty-tag suite.

It wasn't far from where they were, just a few blocks away from the wharves sat the nearest stop for the Greater Zootopian Transit System (GZTS). The stop was nothing impressive, a few simple benches with plexiglass surrounding their backs and sides. Thankfully - as per mandate of the city - there were different sitting areas for each mammal size; though that never stopped anyone from jerkishly pushing their way to another at their own risk. It was a fairly busy bus stop in a residential area, but for the time of night - where night shifts had already begun and morning shifts were hours away - there was not a mammal in sight. It was just them, the hum of passing vehicles and the stars to keep them company in the freedom that the night brought with it.

His tail brushed against the hardened concrete which was surprisingly patched for it being so close to a rundown part of town. Though, it was arguably uneven in most places. He swore that his toes were on different heights for a moment as he stood. None of that mattered to him as much as those nagging thoughts that kept drawing themselves from the recesses of his mind. Most of all, how to ask Judy out, even once.

By this time, he looked down to his friend. His partner. His Carrot... only to find her clutching her bag tighter and shivering slightly. A brow raised at her stance - silently suffering at that - he thought of a way to cheer her up if nothing else. So, he did the one thing that came to his mind. He placed his bag down and carefully slid off his overcoat, it was one thing he was taught long ago: always be a gentle-mammal.

Coat in paw, he approached her shivering form and, in one motion, surrounded her with both of his paws; swaddling her and causing her ears to stand on end. He felt her tense at the sudden contact, but she relaxed before he started trying to lift her up and face him.

"Aww. Does my Cawwot need a walk home?" the fox asked in a babyish tone. Had it not been for the sole streetlight there, he would have never seen the light tint of red under her cheeks and hidden behind her thick 'stop patronizing me' scowl. "I can wrap you up in my jacket and deliver you to your doorstep." He brought her closer, rocking her in his arms while her feet dangled off the ground.

She giggled in his grasp and wriggled herself to freedom. Nick had fully expected this, his intrusion of her personal space had been quick and effective. So by the time he released her, they could both hear the roar of a large engine headed its way towards them.

He looked at the schedule haphazardly posted on the wall and checked his cellphone as well.

7:00pm

It was right on time.

The doe clung to the oversized jacket, wrapping it around herself tightly and almost disappeared, snuggling it comfortably. "Thanks, but I'll take the bus." she said matter-of-factly as the vehicle stopped and opened for her. The driver, a rather tired looking badger nodded and waved any and all passengers on or off; though Judy would be the only one embarking. Nick chuckled as she hopped up, his coat clinging to her. "Oh, and by the way, I'm keeping this!"

His jaw dropped in faux surprise. He swung his arms across themselves and shivered. "Oh, you cruel bunny. Leaving a poor, saint of a fox to freeze."

The giggling rabbit punched her metro ticket and waved back at him. "Good bye, Slick."

Before the doors closed, he mock-saluted her. "G'night Carrots."

It took Nick a little longer to get back to his apartment at the edge of the Rainforest District. He had to wait about fifteen minutes or so past the posted time, and the bus driver took no heed to the minimum speed limit. City or not, it should be barred to go slower than their joke-mobile for public transportation. By the time he reached his apartment - with no umbrella and his overcoat so chivalrously given to his dear friend - his fur was disheveled from the copious amounts of rain that came out of nowhere. He was surprised that there was that much rain at all, he didn't even live directly in the district! It was like some kit got ahold of the water system there and decided that Nick was an ant.

The sullen and oddly quiet building housed many residents, but he was the only one given such a special treatment. He wasn't the only fox in the building - much to his dismay - no. But he was the only fox that lived in the basement of the building. Y'know, that place that's been renovated to look like an apartment despite the clear water pipes and boilers there? The pace where you never go during slasher flicks? That basement. Thankfully that lazy bear landlord of his wasn't there, he'd always complain about getting the floor wet.

He was halfway down the dimly lit hallway, passing by each door like they were due for execution when he was mere meters away from his residence. Also - by default, fate, or even karma - he was near his crazy neighbor's door. So, as quickly as he could muster, he paced down the hall with purpose. Within seconds he could see the entryway for the stairwell to get to his apartment, he could-

*Creak*

"Nicholas!"

-not have had any worse timing.

Try as he might, he wanted to ignore the almost sickening voice that called out to him (not that it was grotesque, but for the mammal that it belonged to...) That being a hard thing to do when the one addressing you is two feet away and standing in front of you. He had to stop and put on a face, making a mental note to sigh behind closed doors.

Cringing from the inevitability of the conversation, Nick looked up and gave a bright and saccharine smile that hid his hostility towards his neighbor well.

Standing in his way, with one paw on her hip and the other blocking the stairwell to his home, was Daria. A vixen with black fur and white tipped highlights on her ears and tail. He hated whenever she stared at him with her piercing, icy blue eyes that spoke of a clearer intellect but contrasted her personality. A constant flirt and pain in his tail whenever she was around; which was only late night apparently, he never did figure out where she worked despite his suspicions. He was glad Judy never met her.

Her wide grin betrayed her intentions... or did they? "Off work finally?"

Nick had to hold back a sneer and possibly a growl at the tone of her voice. While sweet and like an aria usually, the undertones and her style of... dress told a different story.

Practically in a what one could describe as the least imaginative - and possibly circulation stifling - blood red sequin dress that one could possibly design, Nick could only look away. With gaudy bracelets on nearly every extremity, she was a sight that made his eyes more sore than staring at the sun in Sahara Square. He knew that this vixen breathed trouble, even from the day that he met her she was a constant annoyance despite him being a good neighbor.

He shrugged and casually strode over to her with hopes to get home asap. "Nope, about to start another shift. Imagine that." He knew his first excuse would never work on her, she was too stubborn for all the wrong reasons.

"Liar." He heard her mumble without ever flinching. A little more and he'd have to book her for harassing an officer, disturbing the peace, and... maybe smuggling? He never understood why the vixen had so much mascara and eyeshadow. She could wipe it off and pass some onto Gazelle's backup dancers, and then supply the entire Nocturnal District for at least a month with the rest of it...

She shuffled a little, walking towards him, he clutched his soaked bag as a decent weapon.

"Well, since you're off now," From the moment she licked her chops and winked at him, he felt his stomach churn. "How about you and I go get a few... drinks?"

Even the idea of getting water with her was out of the question. She was pushy, always scantily clad, demanding, honestly dumb if she thought she had a chance, and the list just went on. He even had time to write it on a sheet of paper once, shame it got leaked on, though.

He knew he wouldn't get anywhere with this approach, she never listened. Then again... He was Nick Wilde...

He smiled back at her and shrugged, his demeanour never faltered. "Yeah, we can do that. In your dreams."

The renard heard a small growl escape the vixen, she never could handle his wits.

Then again, she never stopped, "How about we share that dream," Placing a paw at her side, she swayed her hips. Despite never gaining his attention for the hundred and fifty-third time, she tried. "And a dance maybe?"

Her good paw out of the way, he moved a little closer, pulling out his phone and sighing. "Sure," If this was the only way for her to get out of his way, then he'd take the chance. "Lemme just write in a good time for this."

The look she gave him was priceless, she actually took a step back and clicked her teeth in what seemed to be... hunger? A meal that he'd not be taking part in.

To play along, he fidgeted with his phone. "Hmm... I'm pretty booked for a while so... how about..." He reached the stairwell, expertly maneuvering around her as she was still oblivious, "Never... Never's good for me. How about you?"

Stuffing the phone back where it belonged, he took a step down only to be pulled back by the scruff of his neck. He would have cuffed her for assault, but he didn't have cuffs at the ready. He would in half a second, though. It was something that he had picked up from Judy, her policy of 'keep cuffs, keep your fluff' or something like that.

Now facing the furious vixen, Nick raised a brow.

"When are you going to ditch that little grey rodent and ask out a beautiful vixen," A growl that he had been saving for later almost escaped his throat. How could she say something like that? And about Judy no less? "Such as myself?"

Absolutely annoying to a fault, he pried her paws off of him. They felt cold and prickly, even the simple contact filled him with disgust. With her this close and at night, if she wanted a scene, then he could make one as well. He always wanted to try this one.

He placed his paw on his hip and gestured with the other. "What kind of role-model are you setting for the kids?"

His raised voice startled her as if shaking her from some long sleep. Her look of utter shock and the sounds of feet shuffling down the hall gave him the edge.

"I-i don't have any kids..."

Her voice was meek, but he wasn't done yet. He leaned forward and spoke, "Not with that attitude you won't."

The sounds in the hall grew louder, there were doors opening now. "I just haven't found the right todd, yet," She looked around nervously as if to find some foreign help or anchor to fasten herself to before hurricane Nick Wilde cast her out into the depths. "So how's 'bout it?"

She really didn't get the hint, did she? No, no she didn't

Pinching the bridge of his snout, Nick thought of one more tactic to shut her down before he just went home and shoed her away with a broom. His eyes widened.

"Wait," he scratched the underside of his chin in deep thought while darting his eyes to and fro. "I thought you had a boyfriend named..." Placing his paws at his temples he forged the name he was looking for. "What was it... Nowen?"

A sharp hike of breath? Bingo!

"Nowen..." the vixen whispered, looking at him and her paws. "Nowen?" she repeated. "Who's Nowen? I've never dated Nowen."

Victory already assured, he shrugged and padded down the stairs before shouting, "With that level of grammar, and lack of sympathy, I wouldn't expect you to."

Not waiting for the wrath to ensue - he fished out his keys long ago - he quickly entered his apartment and shut, locked, and dead-bolted the door behind him.

It wasn't a moment before he placed his bag down on the chair that he heard sharp rapping at the door.

"NICK!"

He chuckled, she did this to herself. "He's not here. Try next door."

With a growl and shouts of "What are you looking at?" storming away, Nick let loose an exhausted sigh. He was back home to his little slice of Zootopia. Leaky pipes, peeling paint, concrete walls ceiling and floor with fluorescent lighting. The small trophies and memorabilia that he had gathered in his time with Judy; it wasn't much, but it was home to him.

Before he even tried to do anything, he stripped his clothes and stepped into the bathroom to grab a towel he had hung to dry. Though short, his fur, when matted, was a whole mess to get untangled. One thing he liked about the bathroom that separated it from the rest of his apartment was the fact that it never sprung a leak. Once satisfied and looking in the sole mirror/medicine cabinet combo he had, he ruffed out the last few patches and yawned deeply. It wasn't until then that he felt tired; funny how that worked. He stretched accordingly, creaking a few bones and earning a few snaps. Though there, yes, he wasn't that old... yet. Shaking out whatever stray beads of water he had left, he brushed his teeth and went over to grab a pair of trousers he had lying around; he found a bluish-green pair this time and donned them before heading to his fridge.

There was never much there, just what he needed for a day or two unless he was entertaining guests; all of which were Judy and Finnick. So, he wasn't that surprised to see that he had: half of an apple, his prized pack of salmon, water, and carrot juice. He wasn't really hungry, but a little snack never hurt. Besides, he had things to do. Grabbing the apple in one paw and the pack of salmon in the other, he made his way to the counter to find whatever space was left available.

He bit into the apple(half), promptly gagged, and figured it had gone bad. Shaking his head he discarded it into the garbage and popped open the salmon box.

Dumping the contents onto the counter-space, he smiled warmly. The notebook well kept and hidden inside greeted him again. Remembering the pen he 'borrowed' earlier, he went to his work bag to pluck it from its contents. He also noticed his phone lighting up from there.

Taking it out and turning the screen on, it read:

April 23 8:22pm

1 missed call and 1 new message.

'Must've gotten back.' he thought, unlocking the phone and sitting shuffling to the notebook. It was another thing he always did whenever they parted ways; call the other when they got back home. He flipped it open and found that, sure enough, the missed call was from Judy a few minutes ago. He dialed her back.

*Ring*

He flipped the book to a page he set out for the day in-between the dial tones.

*Ring*

'Hello, you've reached the voicemail box of... Judy Hopps!... Please leave a message after the tone.'

*Beep*

He shook his head, And too tired to talk to good ol' Saint Nick.

"Hey Carrots, I know your cute cottontail's asleep by now. No need to worry about you goin' nocturnal on us... yet." he snickered at this. Despite his nocturnal status, she could out do him in any stakeout. "Anywho, see ya in the morning, bright and early. Remember, it's your turn to buy the coffee." It was his turn...

He ended the message and went to see who the message was from. A few clicks later, his smug grin faltered... it was Finnick. He had sent him a text.

Finyata
You tell her yet?

He had no choice but to tell him what truly happened at the park. He quickly typed down.

Nick
Absolutely

It wasn't even a second before the response came back.

Finñata
Liar!

His muzzle scrunched at this. He knew that Finnick knew the truth. He just... didn't know what to say or do, so he began typing: I would never-

The buzz of his phone cut him off.

Finñata
Let's do nachos next time.

Fair enough.

Finñata
And stop puttin' my contact down as Finñata!

There was only one mammal that knew his use of that Nickname. A certain sleeping carrot that would certainly be getting a stern talking to in light of her recent behaviour.

Setting the phone aside and plugging it up for the night, Nick took straightway to the notebook. It was his journal, his slice of life and constant way of keeping up with new goals and old accomplishments. Today was no different, for in every page was brought to life some event or sentence, sometimes a drawing or two of what took place.

With a fresh page, he began, 'I took her carrot pen today and got her good side. Traded my favorite jacket for it, though. I'll get it back someday. Still can't tell her, but I will... soon... tomorrow? Definitely soon.' He finished scrawling a few words in his neatened script and finished the entry by drawing his ideal detective hat.

After he placed it back into its well-hidden spot, he strolled over to his bed, the chest of drawers, and hopped right in. He had put the carrot pen back into his work bag that he laid out to dry overnight. His alarm set and sleep beginning to gnaw at his mind he yawned one last time.

As he lay there, comfortable and content, a smug and pleasantly warm smile swept across his muzzle. He truly did enjoy the day with her, he'd tell her how he felt soon. Sleep well, Carrots. Still not giving back the pen, though.

In the next few minutes, he drifted off to sleep.

Don't miss that chance, that opportunity to make a difference in your life or that of someone else.

I hope you've all had a very Merry Christmas and will have a fun and exciting newyear. Stay safe, and stay warm!

Hello there, you've reached the end notes! And so it begins. Missing you is a story about love and hate, lost and found. Lessons will be learned, friends will be made lives will be changed... This is a story that will have something for (hopefully) everyone with what's planned, so stay tuned, and enjoy Expect tons of eastereggs, references, yadayadayada, tell me if you spot them!

Predation, will be released within the next few days!

And I hope you get a chance to read this and the other stories at your leisure. All can be found here as well:

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Till Next Time
-DLW