After we got assistant mayor Bellwether thrown in jail for the savage attacks, there was a huge ceremony. Nick and I got medals and had to give a speech in front of the whole city. He was nervous, having never been in front of a group of people who were praising him before. But he had a knack for being the center of attention and warmed up to the crowd really fast. After the ceremony and the millions of conversations with random people who wanted some of the glory, Nick and I headed home. The car ride was very quiet for most of the time until eventually I couldn't stand it anymore so I turned on the radio. I started humming along to one of Gazelles top songs when I see Nick look over at me in the corner of my eye. I look over towards him with a questioning look, and he gives me a smile.

"That was fun, I've never seen so many people before in my life and I live here!" He says happily. I smile and shake my head with a small chuckle.

"Yeah it was pretty great wasn't it?" I say. "It can be like that all the time you know….. people always praising you and looking up at you with smiling faces. They'll always trust you and you won't be the sly fox that everyone makes you out to be, if you want that is."

"You think I could Judy? You really think they'd let a fox be a cop?"

"After what you've already done for them, I think it'd be a piece of cake." "Here", I say as I reach across him into the glove department, "I kept the application you started to fill out."

"Why'd you keep it?"

"In case you changed your mind" I said, sheepishly. "Besides I could use a partner, and I only get to hand out a few of those papers. Don't want to waste anymore." I say as I pull into the driveway of Nick's house.

"Here we are" I say with a sigh as I look over at Nick.

"Would you maybe like to come inside for a drink?" He asks, if he didn't already have red fur I'm sure his cheeks would be bright with the shy embarrassment that is as plain as day on his face.

"Sure" I say trying to save his ego a little bit, although I was really tired and honestly just wanted to go home and go to sleep. We both get out of the car and walk up the stairs to his apartment. He fumbles with his keys for a minute, obviously nervous. I chuckle and look down as he looks at me with an apologetic face and finally unlocks the door.

"Sorry, I've never had anyone over before." He says. "Would you like a drink? Or something to eat maybe?" He says.

"A drink would be nice thank you" I say as I look around his apartment. It's a quaint place, the walls are painted green like his eyes and the hardwood floors are a dark oak. The living room is simple, a leather chair in the corner with a matching couch through the center of the room facing his flat screen tv with a glass coffee table in between. There's a painting of a church in a meadow of wild flowers on one wall and on another is a picture of what looks to be a young Nick and an older woman, I'm assuming is his mom. Leading off from the living room is the kitchen where nick goes to get the drinks and a hallway that leads to the rest of the house. I sit down on the couch and continue to take in my surroundings while I wait for Nick to return. A few second later nick returns holding two glasses.

"I got us some sweet tea, I hope that's ok. I don't really know what you like."

"Sweet tea is fine thank you" I say as I take the glass from his hand and take a sip. Letting the cool drink slide down my dry throat. I hadn't realized it was until I took a drink, I guess all that talking today really took its toll. I set the glass down and look over at Nick who is holding his tea and twiddling his thumbs. He glances up and sees me staring at him and the embarrassed look shoots back onto his face. His ears droop a little like they always do when he gets in trouble. It's actually kind of cute. The second this thought enters my mind I turn my head away from him. Why would I think something like that? I mean, he's a fox, I'm a bunny, there's absolutely no way it would work. I turn back and look at him and he's staring at me with a questioning look.

"Are you okay Judy?" He asks.

"Yea I'm fine, just a little tired is all, it's been a long day."

"Yes it has." He says, "I'm sorry I'm so bad at this, I don't normally do the host thing." He states with a shy nervous chuckle.

"Really, it's fine" I say trying to calm him down. Why is he so nervous? I think to myself. The thought from before rises back into my mind and I'm forced to look away again.

"How long have you lived in Zootopia, Nick?" I ask him, trying once again to break the tension.

"Ever since I was a pup. My mom moved here as soon as she graduated college and got a job as a bank manager, that's where she met my dad. They dated a few years and then got married and that's when they had me."

"They let a fox manage a bank?" I say baffled.

"Yea, she was top of her class and didn't have a record. Plus she was easy on the eyes." He says with a smile of remembrance. "Most people just trusted her."

"Are you two close?" I ask.

"We were… she died a few years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry Nick." I say placing a hand on his shoulder. He looks towards it and a tear slides down his cheek and falls on my resting hand.

"It's fine." He says. "I'm over it now." He shakes his head and wipes the tears from his eyes.

"Sorry." he says. "This must be the most awkward situation you've ever been in."

"No, trust me, I've been in worse." I say. "It's okay to be upset about it. If either of my parents had died I'd be really upset too." I say, the rising need to curl up in his lap and hug him brings another round of embarrassment. How could I be thinking of Nick like that.

"Yea well I never knew my dad so it didn't really bug me when I found out he'd passed on, and my mom's in a better place now." He says, obviously trying to cover up the sadness he showed before. I look over at the clock on the wall and realize it's a quarter till midnight.

"Goodness it's gotten late!" I say standing."I'm really sorry to leave you Nick but I really need to get home and get some rest. I've got a busy day at work tomorrow." I say as I grab my keys and phone and head to the door. "Don't forget to fill out that application." I say with a wink.

"I won't… and Judy…" he says slowly "Thanks for staying. It's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Anytime." I say with a smile as I turn and head out the door and down the sidewalk to my car. I slide in and sit behind the steering wheel, thinking of all the thoughts I'd had about Nick inside. There's no way in the world anything could happen between us. I mean our biology wouldn't allow it. Besides I'm sure he doesn't look at me in any way like that. It would never work out. I must really be tired is all, it's been a long day and I've spent most of the past week with him. I'm sure it's nothing just my mind doing a little wandering. I say as I start my car and start to drive down the street. Just a little wandering.