This chapter was edited and revised with the help of Fairlane302! Thanks for the help!
Chapter Two: All I Ask of You
Just before midnight - Precinct Park - Zootopia
Judy didn't have a clue what was going to happen. The moment Nick had wrapped his tail around her she had felt safe and secure, but that didn't stop her from worrying about what was coming. She remembered being frightened before. Chief Tobias Bogo was a very intimidating figure, but this? This was something different. Nick's father almost seemed to be a spectral nightmare, fading in and out of the darkness around them. The only way she could notice him was by his eyes that reflected what little light was there.
Nick's father began a slow approach after realizing that neither Nick or Judy had any further intention of coming closer. As he neared them, he saw that Nick's tail was wrapped firmly around his companion and stopped no more, and no less, than five steps away. None of them spoke. Each waiting to see who would initiate the conversation. Surprisingly to both Nick's father and Judy, the one who spoke first was Nick.
"I won't apologize. I will admit that I didn't make the right decision but I will not apologize. I'm sure Ian told you that I applied for the Police Academy and I will explain everything later. Right now, Judy and I need to rest, so if you don't mind." Nick said while jabbing a claw at his father's vehicle. Nick's tone showed that he was not willing to negotiate on this.
Gazing at his son for a moment, the black fox started to smile. Turning his attention to the bunny currently embraced by his son's tail, he said, "Hello, Officer Hopps, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jameson Wilde, Nick's father. I humbly apologize if I'm frightening you, but old habits die hard. If you will, I will drive you home." He began to walk back to his vehicle when he heard Nick ask "Who's home? Mine or yours?"
Jameson stopped and turned to look at his son. "My home is your home, Nick." Giving his son a devious smirk he added, "Besides, I'm not the one Ian called." He watched as Nick's eyes widened as the dawning realization hit him. Turning to his vehicle once more, Jameson climbed in and started it up.
Nick turned around to face Judy. "Do you mind if I carry you? We've walked quite a lot this evening. and I don't want you to cause any more damage to your leg."
Judy shook her head and replied, "Not at all, Slick." Raising her arms so that Nick could pick her up she was surprised when he swept her off her feet bridal style and made his way to his father's vehicle. She found herself enjoying how comfortable she was in his arms and began to cuddle as close as she could to his chest.
Once inside the vehicle, Nick looked at his father and asked, "What should I expect when we arrive?" The knowledge that Ian hadn't called his father but his mother had Nick terrified. He heard his father chuckle and threw him a glare filled with annoyance.
Ignoring the look his son tossed him, Jameson told him, "You don't need to worry. Your mum isn't going to beat you over the head. She's just really relieved you are alive." Jameson shook his head. "You do know that Ian had a difficult time keeping tabs on you after you ran away from home, right? You should have heard his rant on how he never thought you would use what I taught you to avoid the family. After a week, he began to wonder if you had actually died and felt horrible because he thought he was responsible for your departure."
Nick snorted. "I ran off because you, mom, and Ian were determined to get me to follow in one of your paths and I had no desire to do that. Ian never bothered to even talk to me except during those times he agreed to play videogames. Mom on the other paw kept trying to tell me that if I didn't get my act together I would never meet a vixen who would be a potential mate."
Jameson glanced at Nick out of the corner of his eye and responded, "Not that it matters now." Seeing Nick tense, Jameson looked at the bunny in Nick's lap and saw she had drifted off to sleep. "She doesn't know, does she? That you love her, that is?"
Nick sighed. "Truth is I hadn't even figured it out myself until the moment I saw you tonight." Leaning his head on the headrest, Nick continued. "I don't even know when it happened. I mean, I know when it happened but not the exact moment. It happened within the span of forty-eight hours, dad. During that time, we ended up saving each other's lives, gaining each other's trust, and so many other things." Looking down at Judy curled up in his lap, Nick felt a sad smile stretch across his face. "I'm certain you saw the press conference she had three months ago. After her speech, we had an altercation, and I left. I couldn't properly function after that. I tried to go to the precinct to talk to her but I couldn't. I didn't even know that she ended up resigning because of our argument. Those past three months were the hardest of my life and I only just now realized it was because I was pining."
Jameson glanced once more at the bunny in Nick's lap. He smiled as he realized something. "She's the reason you're becoming a cop, isn't she?" With a silent chuckle, he continued before Nick could answer. "Remember what I told you when you were little? I said that when you meet your soulmate that you would begin to change yourself for them. You would walk away from your own desires just so you could make them happy. I'm not saying you have imprinted on her yet but you are pretty damn close to it."
Nick listened as his father spoke. The moment his father finished, Nick whispered, "But I have." He felt the car jostle a bit. "She is the center of my whole universe, dad. My anchor to reality. I can't even see a future for myself where she isn't there. It's terrifying because even though I know this, I don't know how to explain it to her, or if she'll even accept me that way. I'm nearly positive that I will die if I lose her." Nick could feel tears forming in his eyes.
Jameson pulled over, parked the car, and turned to face his son. "Hey. Look at me." He waited until Nick complied. "You will find a way to tell her when you are ready. Until then cherish the time you have together. Use it to court her and have her fall in love with you. I don't know much about bunnies, but I'm almost certain that if she can sleep like that, then she has feelings for you too. She probably just doesn't know the full extent of them yet." Taking off again, he remained silent so Nick could think on his words.
Feeling better from his father's encouragements, Nick nodded. "I can do that." Looking down at Judy once more, Nick oh so gently used his thumb to caress her cheek, drawing out a small sigh and a smile from her. Smiling at her reaction, Nick swore to himself that he would get Judy to fall for him. Turning his attention to the window, he saw that they were almost to his parents' house. "Nice to see this area hasn't changed that much."
Jameson chuckled. "Actually, you might be surprised. Your mom and I ended up cordoning off a bit of land for you if you ever came home. Ian wasn't too happy once he learned that the amount of land we set aside for you is five times what his father left him." If Jameson was honest about it, the reason Ian had so little land was due to his brother's minimalist lifestyle.
Nick looked at his dad with wide eyes. "You can't be serious! You and Mom's place is three and a half times the size of Uncle Walter's place. Why would you set aside a piece of land larger than your own home for me?"
Jameson said nothing as he continued to drive until they arrived at the entrance to the Wilde Estate's driveway. "You're going to have to ask your mother." he stated as he keyed in the code to the gate. Once the gate opened, he continued to drive down the lane that lead to the manor. Jameson could hear Nick whispering softly, but was unable to make out what was said. A small part of him wondered if Nick was listing all the changes since he left home. Pulling up and shutting off the vehicle, Jameson turned to face his son and said, "She's the one who decided, not me. Your mother set it aside because she wanted you to have a place to build a den for your mate when the time was right."
Nick let out a breath. "Of course she did." Looking at the house, Nick began to recall his kithood memories. With a tiny bit of apprehension, he couldn't help but ask, "How do you think Mom will take it? Do you think she'll approve of my decision to court Judy?" If there was one mammal that scared Nick more than any other, it was his mother. He hadn't always been on good terms with his father, but his relationship with his mother had always been turbulent, to say the least. He honestly didn't care what his mother thought of his decision to court Judy, it was his decision and if she didn't like it, then she could burn in hell.
Jameson looked out at his house in thought. Without looking at his son, he stated, "I think she will. After you ran off, your mom started to rethink her parenting style. I wouldn't worry too much about it. As long as you are happy she will be too." Unlocking the doors, he exited the vehicle and made his way to the house.
Nick sat there for a minute looking at Judy. Sighing, he began to shake her softly and whispered, "Hey. Fluff. We're here. You need to wake up now or do you want me to carry you again?"
Judy began to stir at Nick's gentle shakes. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she looked at Nick before looking outside. Her eyes widened as she took in the massive structure before her. She felt the sleep wash away being replaced by shock. She spun around to look at the surrounding area. With the aid of the bright lights from the open drapes, she was amazed to only see vast open scenery, a few smaller buildings including greenhouses, and a large lake. Whirling her head around to look at Nick, she exclaimed, "Your parents live here?"
Snickering at Judy's reaction, Nick nodded. "Yeah. When I was a kit, I used to ask how we could afford this place and my parents would tell me that Dad's old job just paid well. He never went into detail but I could tell he was doing it for the safety of Mom and I." Opening the door, Nick got out and then helped Judy down. "Come on, Fluff. There is still one more mammal we need to see." He took her paw and led her to the house.
Judy could feel her heart beat faster every time Nick held her paw. She had heard her sisters say that when they held paws with their significant others, their hearts would accelerate. She glanced up at Nick. She had quite honestly found him to be exceptionally attractive ever since the Missing Mammals case. Having never been in love before, Judy wondered if that was the reason for these sensations she was experiencing. She did love him, that she knew for sure, but was she in love with him? A small part of her insisted that she was. If it was love, then was it possible Nick loved her too? Judy pushed the thought aside. There was no way that Nick saw her in that light. She wasn't anything special. Growing up, when all her sisters had dates every other night, she would sit alone in her room, dreaming of one day finding someone. When she turned twenty, she realized that she would never find anyone who would want her and just focused on becoming a cop. She decided that she was fine with just being Nick's friend and when he met the vixen of his dreams she would help him win her heart.
Judy followed Nick up to the house and blinked when he held the door open for her. With a shy smile, she entered the house and found herself in awe of the entryway of the house. The room was enormous, complete with warm, earthy tones, a grand, winding stairwell leading to the second (and third) floors. The floors were tiled in an elaborate design. The walls were lined with paintings and photographs from different time periods. Antiquities were strategically placed throughout the room. The entire room was illuminated by a huge crystal chandelier. Judy just stood frozen at the sight.
Closing the door behind them, Nick placed an arm around Judy and stood there waiting for the inevitable. They didn't have to wait long as his dad came back, followed by a middle-aged vixen with the same fur pattern as Nick, but with chocolate brown eyes. Tightening his grip on Judy, he said, "Hello, Mom. It has been a while."
Judy looked at the vixen that had approached them. She had to admit that Nick's mother was beautiful. Judy thought that if she were a fox herself she would want to look like Nick's mother. She saw Nick's mother stop a few paces away almost as if she was afraid to get close. Judy watched as the vixen brought her paws together and wrung them. She could tell that Nick's mother was nervous, but didn't understand why.
Nick's mother took a deep breath and let it out slowly. With a nervous smile, she said, "Yes. Yes, it has." Swallowing, she took a half-step forward only to stop as she saw Nick's eyes narrow. Taking the half-step back to her original position, Nick's mother said, "Sorry. It's just…I really don't know what to say. I've imagined this scenario so many times and now that it's actually happening I have no idea how to proceed." Sighing, she looked at Judy and gave her a shy smile. "Hello, you must be Judy. Jameson's told me you are the one who convinced my son to become a cop. My name is Vanessa Aurora Wilde, but you can call me Rory."
Judy gave Nick's mother a shy smile of her own. "Hello, Mrs. Wi—I mean Rory." Judy bowed a little to show her respect. When she straightened up again, she was surprised to see Rory's eyes wide, she looked at Nick and Jameson to see that their eyes were wide as well. "Did I do something wrong?" She was worried that she had somehow offended them.
Nick however shook his head and answered, "No, Fluff. You just surprised us will your mannerisms. Foxes are a bit old fashioned but we didn't expect you to share those mannerisms." Moving to stand directly behind Judy, Nick brought his paws around her stomach and held her tight. "Another thing you should know is that, normally, foxes only bow to the parents of the ones they intend to court."
Judy's eyes widened before she lowered her ears to cover them. "Oh, sweet cheese and crackers. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to give you that impression. I just acted out of habit." Judy felt so embarrassed. Yes, she had started to realize that her feelings for Nick ran deeper than just normal love, but she didn't want to hurt his chances at finding a vixen and now she had just given his parents the impression that she intended to court him. She was on the verge of tears when she heard a small chuckle coming from somewhere in front of her. Peeking out from behind her ears, she was just in time to see Nick's mother burst out laughing and Jameson clench his right paw into a fist and press it to his muzzle which was turned up in a smile. "W-what?"
Nick turned Judy around and knelt before her. Carefully taking her face in his paws, he gave her a soft smile. "Ignore her, Fluff. My mother wasn't expecting you to freak out over something like that. You didn't know the significance of the gesture." Seeing Judy begin to tear up, he turned to his mother. "SHUT UP ALREADY! SHE'S EMBARRASSED ENOUGH AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"
Vanessa immediately stopped laughing as her son yelled at her. Taking a couple of steps back, she raised her paws in a gesture of surrender. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to cause you further embarrassment. I was just caught off guard and your reaction to learning what it meant was just too precious."
Deciding to step in before things escalated, Jameson stated, "It's late and the two of them need to rest. Nick if you would be kind enough to take Judy to the spare bedroom across the hall from yours, we'll all turn in for the night and tomorrow we can discuss things." Looking at his wife, he added "You and I also need to have a conversation in private." He indicated for Vanessa to head to the sitting room and as she left, he focused his attention on Judy. "I suggest you text your parents and tell them you are alright. Do not call them. You need rest and once we have breakfast we can contact them."
"Thank you, Mr. Wilde. I appreciate your generosity." Judy replied. She felt Nick take hold of her paw again and fought to hold back a blush. She let Nick lead her up to the second floor and followed him to one of the doors along the wall. Looking at Nick, she said, "Is this it?"
Nick looked at the door before them. Glancing behind him, he saw the door to his old room. Focusing on Judy, he said, "Come with me for a bit." Tugging on her arm to get her to follow him, he led her to a small room at the end of the hall. Ushering her inside, he pulled Judy in for a hug.
Momentarily caught off guard by Nick's sudden embrace, she returned the hug. "You alright, Slick? You're not behaving like yourself." She was concerned because in all the time she had known him he never once acted like this.
Nick sighed gently. "Yeah. It's just…you are special to me, Carrots. You're the first mammal to truly trust me. Not only that, you want me to be your partner. I don't know how to show you how grateful I am for that." Releasing her, he looked at her in the eyes. "I'm going to do my best to repay you, Fluff. I'll show you that I can be who you need." Nick worded that last part carefully so that it could mean both as her partner, friend, and hopefully potential mate.
Judy had a sense that Nick's words meant more than how they sounded. She hated a small part of herself for what she was about to do, but it was necessary. Giving Nick a small smile, she said, "I need you to be happy, Nick. That is all I ask of you. I'll always be your friend, no matter what. We may fight and will probably have days where we hate each other but I'll never abandon you. When the day comes that you find the one of your dreams I'll help you win her heart. So, promise me you'll do whatever makes you happy, alright."
Nick felt his heart clench. He wanted to tell her that she was the one whose heart he wanted to capture. She stood there before him saying all that, not knowing that she was the source of his happiness. He wondered if she thought that he couldn't love her. Nick was forced to hold himself back from kissing her, so instead, he drew her back into another hug. "I promise, Judy. I promise you that I will do whatever I need to in order to be happy."
Nodding into Nick's shoulder, Judy told him, "That's all I ask of you, Nick." It broke her heart that she couldn't tell him how important he was to her. She wasn't going to be the reason he was unhappy though. Drawing back from the hug, she said, "Alright, Slick, we need to go to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow and lots of things to do."
Nick nodded and led her back to the room across from his. Opening the door, he let her enter so she could look around. "This spare bedroom used to be my media room, as if you couldn't tell by the huge collection of music, DVDs, videogames, and books." The bed in one of the corners was appropriately sized for a mammal Nick's size. There was also a piano in another corner and a guitar on a stand next to it. On the walls were posters for various bands and movies. He watched as Judy approached the piano.
Standing before the piano, Judy pressed a few keys. Seeing that it was well maintained and tuned, she pulled up the bench and began to play 'Crime of Passion'. She didn't hear as Nick came up behind her. Too focused on playing the song, Judy didn't notice Nick gazing at her in wonder. Finishing the song, Judy released a sigh. Feeling a paw on her shoulder she looked over and saw Nick. He had an expression of wonder on his face. Feeling a little shy, she looked away.
Nick looked at Judy for a bit before turning his attention to the piano. He hadn't played since he ran away from home at the age of seventeen. With another quick glance at Judy, Nick began to play himself. The song Nick chose to play came from an old film titled 'The Legend of 1900' called 'Playing Love'. He didn't know if Judy had ever seen the movie but he hoped that she would understand what he was trying to convey to her through the song. Turning his head to face her as he continued playing, he smiled seeing her entranced expression. As he finished the song, Nick put his arm around Judy and pulled her into another tight hug. Letting her go, he smiled, and as he exited the room he said. "I'll see you in the morning, Fluff".
Judy watched as Nick closed the door. Still reeling from the fact that Nick had played for her, she made her way to the bed. As she laid in the bed, she stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. She finally realized that she might indeed be in love with Nick, and it appeared that he cared deeply about her. She shook her head. She wouldn't let Nick waste his chance at happiness on her. He deserved to find a lovely vixen that he could bring home to his mother, start a family with, and who could give him kits. Feeling her heart break, she began to cry herself to sleep quietly.
Nick entered his own room and looked around. He noticed it had been left unchanged since the day he left. Looking at the door of Judy's room, he closed the door of his and began to go around pulling out all his old adult magazines like Pelthouse, Knaughtty Vixens, and Badass Bitches. Throwing them all into a trash bag, he started looking for all the porn videos he had hidden. Once he found the last of his old porn, Nick dragged the bag to the fireplace in the main room and tossed it in. He heard someone clear their throat behind him and turned to see his dad.
Jameson looked at his son then to what Nick had thrown into the fireplace. "I always assumed that you had a porn stash hidden in your room but I never bothered to check." Taking a seat next to Nick, Jameson asked, "Is that all of it or is there more around the house?"
Nick smirked. "Oh, let's see. There's the magazines in your study, the videos hidden in the false back of the video cabinet, and let us not forget the erotic novels hidden throughout the library." Looking at his father with a side-glance, he chuckled at his father's annoyed expression.
Jameson huffed. "I'll have you know that I have never needed that shit." He knew his son was pulling his leg. Jameson remembered telling Nick as a teenager that porn was a horrible addiction. The first time he had found Nick with an adult magazine, he had wanted to lecture him only for Nick to ask why people bought such unrealistic crap. He and Nick had then ended up discussing the subject for a while. It was at that time they had discovered that Nick was asexual. That had been a long, awkward conversation between them. Jameson still couldn't believe how they reached that conclusion, but he had no intention of doing it again.
Nick's smirk became devious. "Who said I was talking about yours?" Nick busted out laughing as his father looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh, that is too hilarious." Calming down, Nick stated. "No, there isn't any more in the house. If there is it isn't mine."
Nick and Jameson sat there watching the fire destroy all the evidence of porn. Jameson found himself wondering if Nick ever engaged in the act. "Have you ever had sex, Nick?" He saw that Nick didn't even jump at the question, but a smile did spread across his son's face.
"Nope. I've never met someone who made me feel that way until Judy came along and hopped into my life." Nick stated. "An acquaintance of mine though, he used to sleep with a different vixen every night. One time he brought a vixen over who asked if I wanted to join them. I declined which caused him to ask if I wanted to watch. I agreed if only to not have him bug me about why."
Jameson hummed. "What happened next? Did your acquaintance bother about it later or did he drop the subject?" He was curious to know if Nick had to reveal his asexuality.
Nick looked up and stated, "He didn't necessarily question me about it, but he did want to know if I was gay. I told him that my type just didn't happen to be vixens and he let it go." He had to smile as he remembered Fin just cocking an eyebrow and shrugging when he didn't elaborate further.
Chuckling, Jameson asked, "How do you think he will react when he hears you are attracted to bunnies?" Jameson was trying to tease his son but the look on Nick's face caused his chuckle to die in his throat. He had never seen his son with such a serious expression.
"I'm not attracted to bunnies. I'm attracted to Judy and only to Judy. I've dealt with a pawful of lapines before and I never once felt anything for them." Nick stated adamantly. No other mammal had ever gotten him to feel the way he felt about Judy and he knew that there was no chance of finding anyone else who could. Noticing that the fire had finally burned the last of the porn, Nick got to his feet went to leave the room. "Goodnight, Dad"
Jameson watched Nick as he left the room. Rising to his feet, Jameson headed to the master bedroom. Standing before the door to he and Vanessa's room, Jameson closed his eyes and whispered, "All I ask of you, is that my son finds happiness." He then entered the master bedroom and went to sleep.