AN- Greetings fellow Zoot fan. I'm mostly just riffing in this story while I try to work on Finn's character for future ideas. But I wanted to post a little something for the season with the theme. Have a very happy holidays with whatever you celebrate and enjoy!

"Heeey, you've reached the phone of Nick Wilde. I'm busy catching bad guys right now. So, if you could leave a message at the beep, I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Finnick hung up before the said beep occurred, sighing as he leaned back into his chair.

Sulking in a downtown coffee shop with an edgy name like The Split Beans was normally reserved for mammals suffering from a bad breakup and looking for something to fight the hangover of the previous night. For Finn, it was a distraction while he figured out what he wanted to do for the day. Plus, he always preferred the way the shop roasted their beans, even if his drink was cold.

What to do today...What to do?

Talking to himself was another trait he had picked up recently. Though the listlessness that came with it had been for several months with not much signs of improving. That was the problem when your partner changed careers and you had left all the scheming up to him in the hustles. But Finn had more than enough time to get his priorities in order with work around the city.

Especially given it was the holidays.

Shopping season was in full swing in Zootopia and the flurries extended beyond Tundratown, with a light dusting of snow on the sidewalk as various mammals shuffled to the stores with actual heating. Most patrons were too busy with their own affairs to pay the fennec fox glowering in the window much mind.

Save for the bunny with two armfuls of Zootopia memorabilia.

Speaking of busy…

Judy Hopps was one of those mammals you were either glad to see or hated with a passion.

"Looks like you're beating the holiday rush," she said, approaching Finn's stool at the window.

"And looks like you aren't," he nodded to the bags. "What's with the presents, bunny cop? Or do I not want to ask?"

"I must look like a tourist, huh?" Judy set down the bags and dug around in them. "I can't help it though! It's my first December in Zootopia and I wanted to make sure I got everyone back at home a little something from the city for the holidays. I mean, come on. Look at this!"

She pulled out one of those singing animatronics that one could find in a five dollar store. Cheap, loud, and annoying. The toy was of a rabbit, plastic coating with white fur and an ugly knit sweater with the words "I Heart Zootopia" on it.

"You know," said Finnick. "We had a name for people like you when we ran jobs. Easy money."

"Well, I'm happy it turned out the way it did. I wouldn't have met Nick otherwise. Or you, for that matter."

Finnick slipped his phone into his pocket before turning his attention to what remained of his drink and chugging it down. Judy took it as a cue to continue, sitting down at the stool next to him.

Come to think of it, this is the most she has ever directly spoken to me.

"I'm not going to be there this year," she said. "At the burrows, I mean. So, I need to get my shopping done here and now while I have the day off. Lots to do. Three hundred siblings to buy for. Plus my parents."

"You're seriously going to buy over three hundred individual items for your family?"

"We do it every year. And we have a system. I can remember what everyone likes, from Adam to Zandor, easy. And no one expects anything huge for a present in a family that big. It's the thought that counts the most, remembering even the littlest details about each other. To rabbits, that's a sign of love and appreciation. Even if it means spending a fair bit of money at the end of the year, the gesture of thought is meaningful."

"You're insane. Especially if you just started shopping."

"I have it all worked out," Judy continued as if not hearing him. "Today's my only day off the whole month. So, if I hit up the south side of the Meadowlands and skim through Central Savannah, I should be done in time by lunch. Then I have all afternoon to scout Tundratown and the Rainforest. Ending it all with beating the traffic and having a nice dinner with Nick."

"Busy bunny," Finnick raised an eye. "Sounds like you have every detail worked out to the exact minute."

"Uh huh. Back in the burrows, you had to be efficient if you wanted to be done on time. Every minute counts."

"And yet you're wasting your morning talking to an old fox in the pits of downtown."

Judy hesitated like she hadn't expected Finnick to call her out on that detail. Her eyes trailed to the side.

"The problem is...Well, I guess it's not really a problem. But, it's Nick. He's, well, I consider him a part of my family now. And everything that goes with that."

Finnick chuckled. "So, you're looking for present ideas for him."

"...Present ideas for his family, actually."

Finn's big ears lowered instantly. "Ah."

For a moment, the conversation between the two mammals was overplayed by the banter around the coffee shop. People still going about their early morning day. Running the rat race so they could go home to their families.

"It's a touchy subject," Judy broke the silence. "I get that. It's why I don't want to ask him about it straight up and upset him with the idea. So...I'm coming to you. Asking for help. I don't need to know details or anything. Just...Is there anything I can get his family? As a small token?"

Finn pretended to drink from his cup before answering. Though he had long run out of coffee.

"You know, rabbit. You only ever seem to find me when you're looking for favors."

"I'm sorry...I just don't know who else I can go to about this. And I know I still owe you for helping me find him back with the Nighthowlers."

"You're dang right you do."

"I just know nothing about them. I mean, he told me about his mom once. But does he have siblings? Is his dad around? He never mentions them and usually changes the subject when I try to ask. I want to respect his privacy, but it'd be nice to know where they are so I can send them a little something through the mail, at least. No one should spend the holidays alone."

"It's a nice sentiment, kid. But either way, you're barking up the wrong tree."

"What do you mean? You're his best friend."

Finnick huffed. "Sorry, bun. Even after all the years we spent together, Nick never really mentioned them. And I was never one to pry. Wasn't exactly an uncommon situation in the city. I'm not sure he even still has a family."

Judy winced at that statement. "Right...I'm sorry for asking."

Finnick swirled the droplets that remained of his coffee around in his cup for a moment.

"I get you want to help people. I really do. But going behind his back over this probably isn't the way to do it. You two are close. I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready."

She drew attention to the one detail from Finn's sentence he didn't care to discuss.

"You two weren't close?"

"You would know. Nick has always had trouble letting folks in. Sure, we were friends. But we were business partners first. Have been ever since we first met. I was about your age when I stumbled upon the poor kid sitting on a street corner, selling hubcaps to passersby. He thought I was some baby todd lost from my parents. Can you imagine the nerve of him? Set him straight is what I did."

"And that somehow led into you become business partners?"

"After that, he wouldn't well leave me alone. You can imagine him following after me, running his little mouth like he always does. Mentioned he had a thousand and one ideas for someone like me with business plans all around the city. I could hardly believe a kid that young had even an inkling of what it'd take to be a hustler. Showed what I knew. One thing led to another and I eventually ended up getting hustled myself into going along with his schemes."

"That sounds familiar…"

"I stuck with him after I saw the first few hustles go without a hitch. He was sharp, but he was still a kid and a bit reckless. I held him back from some of the more dangerous exploits or ideas he had. Wasn't always successful, with the stuff like Mr. Big. But I kept my eye on him until he was smart enough to handle himself."

Those were the days in the city where a couple of bucks could buy a meal for the day. Things seemed easier then. The city was younger.

Something about looking at the rabbit, her wide-eyed and hopeful expression, reminded Finnick of those times.

"I only asked him once about his family," continued the small fox. "Once. During our annual drink together a few years back."

"Annual drink?"

"A bit of a tradition. It was Nick's idea. A celebration as business partners at the end of the year. The finest scotch on the market. Firepaw malt, the kind the bears make in Pawland."

Judy's nose twitched. "That stuff's illegal!"

"You have one case of self-immolation and suddenly you get a bunch of stupid laws forbidding the stuff. Nick always knew where to find a bottle anyway, despite the regulations against it. He knows everybody, after all. We'd hole up in one of the skanky places in the downtown. Everyone's your friend if you share the goods, after all. No one got hurt or nothing. Just a bunch of loud drunks, welcoming in the new year."

Finnick could almost see the whiskey, golden in hue, at the bottom of his coffee cup. The laughter and good company all around him. Loud hooting and hollering with people talking about what they planned to do the next year. Their hopes and dreams typically masked by cynicism, now uninhibited from the alcohol.

"It was just a little question that slipped out," he continued. "But Nick got all serious about it. Kind of killed the mood of the party. Put some distance between us for awhile too. Never bothered to bring it up again when it was business as usual between us."

He gave a hard look to Judy.

"The moral of the story is to tread carefully when it comes to personal history, bunny. Your fox has more than a few things he's uncomfortable sharing with folks."

"I understand. And I wasn't going to force it. I just wanted to see if you knew anything. Thank you for telling me, Finnick."

Finn grunted. "I suppose there are worse things to do than sit around and reminisce all morning. It's not like I have someplace to be."

Judy's ears drooped. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Am I interrupting you? Do you not have a...Well...You know what I mean?"

It was nice to see the bunny ball of optimism a little bit flustered with the idea of poverty. It made her more approachable and less like the poster girl of the city. More tangible.

"Relax, bun. I just got nothing going on today. No rent to pay if you live in your van, so our old hustle money has always lasted me a while. Plenty of odd jobs to do too this time of year anyway. Someone always needs a baby for some nativity play or something around the city if I was really desperate."

Judy looked as if she wanted to say something. She hesitated and played with her paws, looking listlessly out the window for a moment.

Her ears perked as if something had clicked in her head and she faced Finn with a smile.

"You should come to dinner with us tonight."

Finnick blinked in slow motion. "Pardon?"

"Dinner? With us? Tonight at six at The Green Horn?"

"And be the third wheel to your date?"

"It's just dinner," Judy shrugged. "And I'm sure Nick would appreciate seeing you again. It'd be my treat."

Had it been Nick who offered the invitation, Finnick would have suspected something fishy at play. Though the sparkly clean bunny cop of Zootopia was also known to hustle with the best of them, as Nick would know well.

"What's the catch?"

"There's no catch. It was just nice to catch up with you. And no one should spend the holidays alone."

Finnick huffed at that thought. "I think I'll pass, rabbit."

Easier said than done with her pleading, wide-eyed expression.

"Come on. Please?"

One look at Judy was enough for Finnick to briefly forget that the bunny had been the first one he had ever seen get the best of Nick with her hustling. There was a reason why rabbits were against being called cute. It dismissed them as being too simple and innocent to ever be anything else. But sometimes there was an advantage to being unassuming.

Finnick let out a guttural sigh, wishing he had more coffee. He really was an old fool if he was going to fall for the batting eyes of a clever bunny. Though there was something familiar in her gaze.

"...Fine. So long as you're paying."

Finn tried to ignore the cheer of success of the rabbit sitting across from him as Judy spun around in her stool.

What have I gotten myself into?

With nothing better to do all day, Finnick found himself waiting a few hours ahead of the scheduled appointment in the Green Horn.

It was a sports bar on the other side of the Tropic District, as far removed from the light snow of the downtown as possible. Big retractable walls protected some of the more sensitive areas of the city from inclimate weather, complete with giant heaters that made winter feel like a distant fantasy. That still didn't keep the roaring fire in the corner of the room from going full blast.

Five o'clock brought in the end of the early bird hours and the coming of the mammals looking for after-work relaxation and entertainment.

Finnick found himself sitting at the bar before the titular Green Horn, a massive sculpture dangling from the ceiling and made of jade. It was bigger than any elephant and probably thrice as heavy. The rhino bartender had thought it clever to decorate the horn in festive, multi-colored lights for the season. Finn kept himself busy with an order of the cheapest drink he could find on the menu. A malt whiskey not even a year old. But it was enough to steady his nerves while he waited.

Despite what he had told Judy that morning, he had plenty of other reasons for Nick not to be glad to see him.

Nick had gone on the straight narrow, something Finnick swore he'd never see. Not that he wasn't happy for him. Or proud. But most cops tended not to associate themselves with hustlers, even if they were former con-mammals of the streets. That was a big part of the reason why Finnick had been hesitant to get back to any sort of work. Wait until next year, he'd tell himself. It was always next year.

Not that he thought Nick would ever arrest him nor had they ever done anything illegal enough to merit such a conviction. Borrowed a rug or two once. Conveniently forgotten a few cents on payments. Misplaced a letter to the IRS, on the occasion. Minor stuff. But, they were still crimes. And such things were not something an up-and-coming cop of the police force would ever want to be burdened with.

More than once, Finnick considered leaving in the hours leading up until six. And he had been spending the time playing musical chairs with the stool as he decided if he wanted to leave or not.

But he had delayed too long and Nick was always irritatingly early to everything he did.

He had walked into the bar at around 5:50 PM, just as Finn rose to leave.

"Oh."

There was the awkward moment of realization as the two foxes stared at each other in the doorway before shifting their gazes. Finnick suddenly realized how rough and ragged his fur must have looked over a couple of months.

Nick was the first to speak.

"I was wondering why she insisted me getting here on time…"

Finn huffed. "I suppose saying 'surprise' would be a bit obvious at this point."

Nick let out a nervous laugh, like used to do whenever he stumbled during one of their old hustled. It only added to the awkwardness of the moment when he didn't follow up on it with something clever to say.

Finnick decided to speak up instead.

"You look good, Nick. Keeping fit."

That much was true. Despite the unbuttoned collar uniform of his police shirt and unkempt wool jacket, Nick had a leaner look to him. Like he had been hitting the gym in a rare moment of health consciousness. Or perhaps chasing criminals all day was doing the hard work for him.

"Thanks," Nick replied. "You look...Um...More virile?"

Finnick would be the first to admit that his fur was in dire need of a trim. And a shower could probably go a long way in helping too. Still, compliments from Nick generally were thinly veiled insults. And Finn would have to be deaf not to hear the concern in Nick's tone.

"I suppose I've seen better days. Hard to complain when your van doesn't have running water. And the winter coat has always been messy. But glad to see your rabbit's been good for you."

"My rabbit, huh? Do I detect a jealous tone?"

"She's not my type. Wouldn't figure she'd be yours either."

"Who's to say she is?"

"Please. You've both got the stink of it about you. And your own fashion sense is way too poor to ever even think about including a police uniform as a part of your regular wardrobe."

Slight jabs at each other always helped lighten the mood.

"I am happy for you, man," Finnick said as the two sat at the bar. "Dunno if I ever got the chance to say that before you ran off to do your police training."

"Yeah, sorry about that. That was...Six months ago? It's been pretty nonstop since."

"Busy then, huh?"

"Yeah, Judy has me on my toes. Everyday is some new big adventure with her. Not that I mind."

A buzz from Nick's pocket stopped the two before either could order a drink. They didn't even have to glance at the caller ID to know who it was.

"Speak of the devil…"

Finnick rolled his eyes and kept to himself, though he couldn't help but listen in to the brief conversation as he attempted to wave down the bartender who had gone missing.

"Yo, Carrots."

"Yeah, I'm here. So's Finn. Where are you?"

"How did you get stuck in traffic all the way on the other side of the city?"

Finnick's ear twitched at that question.

"What are we supposed to do for an hour?"

"Alright, alright. Just don't get stomped on. You hear? Mammals are mad this time of year."

"See you soon."

Nick let out a heavy sigh and sunk into his stool.

"Never a dull moment," he muttered. "I did try to warn her about rush hour in the city. But she was insistent she could handle it herself."

"That rabbit is more clever than you give her credit for."

"Well, hope you don't mind waiting on dinner," continued Nick. "Though, I suppose it will give us more time to...Catch up."

Finnick sensed the hesitation in Nick's voice. It was rare form to see him worried about something, at least back in the days of hustling. He never used to let anyone see that they got to him unless there was something physically endangering at stake.

"She's going to be fine, Nick."

"Oh. I'm sure she will be. She's a tough bunny and will just be fine. I was just...Hoping she'd be here when we…"

He went quiet for a moment before dropping his typical fake, jovial tone entirely.

"...I haven't been avoiding you, you know. Just really busy dealing with these changes. It's all new for me, these experiences with her. I didn't mean to forget you."

Finnick realized the heaviness of the conversation's direction in an instant.

"I know, man," said Finn. "We got our own lives to live. We were going to go our separate ways eventually with the business we were in."

"Still. That's no excuse for not inviting you to my graduation."

Finnick had only heard Nick's success in the academy through a second-paw source. The local newspaper made it a big deal, especially after his involvement in the Nighthowler case. It wasn't everyday that a fox made headlines for doing something good, for a change. Finnick could recall seeing Nick's dopey grin from his picture on the print. A stark contrast to the expression he was wearing sitting at the bar.

"After the ceremony...I just didn't know how I could approach you without sounding too overconfident. Or egotistical."

"And we both know you've never had an ego your entire life."

"I didn't want to upset you by mentioning it," Nick concluded, ignoring the attempt at a joke. "And I am sorry. It has been way too long. And this year has had me...Appreciate friends a lot more. I don't want you to think I'm leaving you behind, you know? And I'd like to start including you on this stuff again. As friends."

Never in his life did Finnick think he would hear those words from Nick's mouth. It was enough to make him huff a laugh.

"What's that look for?" asked the red fox.

"Nothing. I just think we could both use a drink."

As if on cue, the rhino bartender finally reappeared from the back. He had in his paw a fine glass bottle of something more refined than whiskey. And certainly more expensive than Finn could ever afford.

"Compliments to the two fox gentle-mammals at the bar."

Something else I'd never thought I'd hear, especially for a pair of foxes. Finnick eyed the bottle with curiosity as Nick accepted it and two glasses from the rhino.

"From who?" he asked.

"Can't say," replied the tender before he shrugged them off to go back to his business.

The two of them stared at the bottle for a moment before Nick had the idea to peel the cork off with his claws. Finn's nose picked up the scent of fermented grapes following the satisfying pop of the stopper. High-class wine. Something from the burrows to the south, if Finnick recognized the bunny logo.

"Well," he said, raising his glass to Nick. "It's no Firepaw malt."

"Just something a little different," replied Nick, pouring his friend's glass and then his own. "To the new year?"

"To not spending the holidays alone."