Six months later:
Nick stood in the doorway of the tiny apartment next to Judy, scowling at Finnick as the tiny fox howled with laughter. "This where you living, Nick? Greasy walls, rickety bed…"
"Shut up!" screamed the antelope next door.
Finnick's eyes bulged and he bellowed back, "You shut up or I'm gonna open up a can of whup ass on you!"
There was silence and the bunny marveled, "That's the first time they've been quiet since I moved in."
The fennec fox rolled his eyes. "You lie down, they're gonna step on you. And speaking of stepping, Nick, you coming out or you got to stay in?" He cocked an ear at Judy and she balled up her tiny paws.
"Nick can go wherever he wants whenever he wants!" the bunny sputtered indignantly. "I'm not his keeper! I don't even live here!" She stomped across the hall to her own apartment and slammed the door so hard the crooked picture on the fox's wall righted itself.
Nick winced and glared at Finnick. "What did you do that for?"
Finnick chuckled. "I like to see her nose twitch. She's all right."
The red fox's expression softened. "Yeah, she is."
"So you coming?"
Nick gave his friend a searching look. "Were you serious? You're going straight?"
"Would I lie?" asked Finnick, his eyes wide. Nick didn't answer and the little fox grinned. "Would I lie to you?"
"In a heartbeat."
"Not about this, Nick. I got a real opportunity here."
The red fox sighed. "I still don't see what you need me for."
"I just want you to check it out, make sure it's on the up and up. I'm almost forty years old. 'Bout time I started thinking about my old age. I don't want to live in a van for the rest of my life."
Nick gestured around the apartment. "Believe it or not, the Grand Pangolin Arms always has vacancies for anyone looking for a luxury apartment with charm."
"You think I want to live in a dump like this? You were better off under the bridge." Finnick headed out.
Nick followed him, carefully locking the door. "Under the bridge I didn't have complementary delousing once a month."
Judy fumed as she watched her partner and his friend from her window. Finnick wasn't around much, but whenever he showed up, he pushed every button she had. It was impossible to stay annoyed with him, though. He wasn't the cute little fox she thought he was the day they met, but he really did care about Nick and that meant a lot to her. She would never forget the day she went to Finnick to help her find Nick.