JUDY POV

Judy pulled her cruiser into the parking garage of Nicks apartment complex, the ride over had been dull and the lack of her fox companion made her feel lonely, though his scent that lingered in the fabric of the cushions gave her some relief. It had taken her longer than she expected to get out of the ZPD, she had to give an incident report and talk to investigations about the shooting something she hated

'Why couldn't they just leave Nick alone,'

Judy sighed, she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep but there were more pressing matters at hand. She got out of cruiser and started to walk to Nicks apartment, for some reason the shadows that lined the sidewalk looked more menacing than usual, she chocked it up to her mind being exhausted from the days events. She was still a little worked up about her close call with death, something she hoped to resolve by talking to her fox, her talks with him always seemed to wash away her worries and leave her with a content feeling…and when the day was particularly bad he would let her cuddle up with him rubbing her ears until she fell asleep, she would alway wake up in the guest bedroom covered under a warm blanket.

'Nick was also acting pretty distant with me earlier, I hope he is ok," she thought while she stated walking up a flight of stairs.

Unlike most officer's at the ZPD, Judy had taken an optional PTSD course… which Nick of course teased her about saying that if there wasn't some work to do or class to attend she would create some. Judy didn't feel that way, and she cared to much to allow a fellow officer to hurt in silence without getting help, so she had taken the course.

"One of the first symptoms is distancing yourself with your friends, or people who remind you of the event… he only hugged me as an afterthought today… but he did invite me to come over… so maybe he is ok…'

Judy knew that she thought with logic, so when she had been spared from death she reasoned through her trauma thinking 'I could have died… But I didn't and that is all that matters', and although It worked well she knew that she would need to talk to someone about it to get it of her mind, preferably Nick.

'But Nick is an emotional thinker, he has survived off of his instincts and how to read others emotions, as well as hide his own… but as much as he hates it he thinks with his emotion and uses them to guide him, that is one of the reason he left me during the press conference… and I just have to work through not dying, he has to work through killing someone… I will have to watch him,"

Judy had finally rounded the last corner to Nick apartment when her ears pick up the sound of whimpering, she followed the sound to Nicks door that was cracked slightly. She knew that Nick always locked his door because of his past and having it ajar like this was very strange for him, and the whimpering was coming from his room. Slowly Judy pushed open the door but was stopped when the door hit something lying on the floor. Judy peered around the half open door to see her partner coiled up on the floor, whining and shaking in his sleep.

"Nick," Judy said as she rushed to his side, "Nick wake up,"

Judy began to shake the fox gently until he stopped whimpering and his eyes slowly opened. He looked distraught for a moment before she watched his walls fall down around him like a steel portcullis.

"Oh hay Fluff, " Nick said with a smirk, Judy did not look amused,

"Nick why did I come over to find you whimper on the floor, is there something you need to talk about,"

"No, no I'm fine Fluff… Just really tired I should go to bed and I-Ill see you tomorrow,"

"What no…"

'Ohhh no you don't you slick fox… Im not going anywhere,"

"No! You are going to sit you fluffy tail down on that couch and Im going to talk to you until I know exactly how you are feeling behind all of that 'Dont let them see that they get to you' crap, I didn't work on me before and it sure as hell isn't going to work on me now, so I will have a talk with you and you will answer,"

As Judy continued to rant Nicks walls started to crumble, revealing more and more of the hurt he was feeling inside. Judy was about to start again when Nick spoke in a soft voice,

"You done…" the defeat in his voice was sickening, "did you ever think that I feel safe behind my walls huh… that they are the one place I go when there is nowhere else to hide…"

"I know Nick but you can't hide from yourself… right now I can see you suffering but I don't know exactly what you are thinking so I need you to tell me so that I can help, this can destroy you… I don't want this to follow you… so," Judy guided the fox to his couch where she pushed him down, she then hopped up next to him. She could see the fox avoiding contact with her, but she wasn't going to let him pull away like that so she cuddled up to his side until his body relaxed and he put an arm around her.

"…We are going to work through this and bring out the truth about what happened so that you feel better, in my class I heard many stories…and you will not become one of them… so talk," Judy waited for a response in silence all the while staring at the fox,

"I murdered him Judy…I am a killer," Nick said in defeat,

"You did kill him," that statement seemed to shock Nick, "but you did not murder him… think about what would have happened if you didn't… he would have killed me, then either you or another officer would have shot him… So the way I see it you saved a life because the suspect would have died anyway… if anything his death is on me for not getting him to surrender, I was the negotiator and,"

"Stop!" Nicks voice rattled around his apartment as he turned to face Judy, "I killed Artie his death is on me not you,"

"I wasn't saying that it was my fault Nick… think about it, if Artie wasn't poor than his mom would of had insurance… or what if his mom had a good heart to begin with… or what if the hospital didn't charge the better part of a million dollars to give a heart transplant…" Judy put her paw on the fox's face and made him look at her,

"The world killed Artie…you saved me," Judy said as Nicks face started to lighten, though the darkness in his eyes remained,

"Yah the worlds a Bitch," He said with some humor before his features turned back to neutral, "I fell a little better thanks,"

Nick gave a loving look to Judy,

"So how are you doing,"

"Im good…" Judy sighed, "Actually, I am confused… being that close to death put some things into prospective for me… it was like seeing my life from the outside, without any bias… and I am still trying to understand everything I saw…"

"What did you see?"

"I saw that I am happiest when I am with you…my would be last thought was of that time you made me coffee," Judy said as I smile accompanied her memory,

"I feel the same way… except I didn't have to almost die to realize it," Nick said with a smirk,

"Nick?"

"Yes?"

"You are seeing the department psychiatrist tomorrow,"

"But I a-"

"You are fine for now… just do it for me ok," she said as Nick stood up and started to walk to his room, Judy followed behind.

"I-Im going to head to the bathroom real quick,"

Judy nodded and continued to Nicks room, she had decided that she was sleeping on the floor so that she could listen to Nick sleep, she prayed that he wouldn't have anymore nightmares. When she reached the room she was surprised by how empty it was she had never been in his room before. The whole room contained nothing except a bed and a nightstand, although Judy did notice a duffle bag lying in the corner.

"Wow this place is empty," Judy said aloud, as she took of her foot wraps and walked to the guest room to grab a pillow and blanket, when she returned Nick was pulling the covers over his bare chest. Nick looked confused when he saw Judy walk into his room,

"What you doing Carrots,"

"I am sleeping on the floor,"

"What why, I have another bed, and you will not be sleeping on the floor,"

"Yes I will, unless you want me to sleep with you… because Im not leaving this room." Judy dropped he blanket and crossed her arms while daring the fox to argue with her.

"I um sure,"

"Thats what I th-"

'Did he say sure… he wants me to sleep with him…" Judy's ears turned red at the thought of sleeping with the shirtless fox, she watched as he scooted towards the wall and turned his back to Judy.

"You uh might want to put the blanket between us because Im usually curled up with the other pillow when I wake up… and uh if you are here than I might,"

Nicks was stopped when he felt Judy slide into his bed, he felt a paw on his shoulder pulling him, he allowed the pressure to turn him around till he was lying on his back.

'I cant believe that I am doing this… but I need him to be with me tonight… its not like we haven't done this before, I mean we have fallen asleep on the couch together enough times… though he always had a shirt on..,"

Judy reached over Nicks bodying grabbed his arm she then twisted her body pulling his arm around her,

"I dont want either of us to be alone tonight," she said as she pushed herself against his chest.

"Uhhh I-I um… me either," Nick's pulled the rabbit to his chest and wrapped his tail around her,

"Uh Nick,"

"Yah?"

"What is in the duffle bag," She felt Nick tense against her again,

"Six thousand dollars, six shirts, six pairs of pants, my passport, underwear, socks, a jacket and a couple MREs."

The rabbit was stunned,

'Why does he need that…' Judy twisted her head so that she was looking over her shoulder,

"Why?"

"I lived on the street for so long…alone…I lived everywhere and nowhere at all… I tried to settle down and put down roots here but… old habits die hard, so I have my bag… in my old life roots got you killed, so that bag is a way to sever my roots and leave if I have to…"

His word terrified Judy, she knew immediately that she hated that bag and everything that it stood for. At that moment she felt like Nick would leave her if she ever let him go again so she wrapped her arm around his arm and pulled it to her chest.

"You would leave me…"

"Judy…You are the only reason I stay… and I used to only keep three thousand in that bag,"

"What does that mean?"

"Nick?"

She twisted her head and saw that the fox was fast asleep dreaming peacefully. Judy decided that she would worry about that more tomorrow, that for now she had her fox and she was happy.

NICK POV

Nick pretended to be asleep after he had told Judy about keeping an extra three thousand in his go-bag now that he knew her.

'What else am I supposed to do… tell her that she is to important for me to leave…that the three thousand was for her…that three shirts and three pairs of pants were her size… that I will never leave her… that I love her, yah that would go well…how could she love a killler…'

Slowly Nicks thoughts put him to sleep, his mind was empty as he slept the only thing that his conscious mind was aware of was a stream of love flowing into him from somewhere. About halfway through the night something happened, he didn't know what caused it to but at in an instant the stream of love and happiness disappeared and the nightmares filled the void. Artie appeared in Nicks mind looming over him with judging eyes,

"Killer, Murderer, you killed me…that little rabbit will never love you, she actually cared about me she tried to help me and how did you repay her hard work… this," Artie said as his skin took the grey hue of death, and a bullet hole appeared in his neck,

"No, No lies! Go away, Judy said that I am not a murderer don't you dare twist her words!" Nick shouted at a rhino as Artie began to rot and turn to maggots. After a few terrible moments watching the rhino rot his decaying flesh shrunk and began to take a different form, the only thing that the fox could do was scream and cover his eyes with his paws.

"You mean my words fox!" Judy's voice said with a terrible amount of hate in them,

Nick pulled back his paws and looked up to see Judy standing in front of him,

"J-Judy w-whats wrong…"

"Don't say my name, you don't even deserve to think my name you murderer!" Judy's voice screamed,

"But I-Im not I was just protecting you," Nick reached out to Judy to hold her to make her understand him, but Judy swatted his paw away In disgust,

"You are a monster…a murderer…I will never love you FOX!" Judy repeatedly accused Nick over and over for what seemed like hours, her word like daggers to Nick tearing into him causing physical pain. Nick tried to called out in anguish but no words escaped his muzzle, he was incapable of defending himself and was forced to listen, every time Judy spoke Nick believed her more and more, because it was Judy's voice speaking, finally Nick began to break,

'If Judy thinks that then It must be true…I am a monster'

"It is ok Nick I don't think that you are a monster" a sad voice whispered from the corner of his senses.

When the Judy in his mind was done screaming at Nick, he was sobbing and tearing at his fur wishing more than anything that he could free himself from this torment. He saw no more apparitions and there were no more voices to assail him, just terrible emotions. Guilt surrounded him like an ocean, but worse of all was the intense feeling of loneliness, Judy hated him and now she was gone… what more did he have to live for,

Iv been alone for so long that I forgot what it felt like to have a true friend…. and now she is gone… and I am alone…again.

He felt something wrapped in his arms, and although he did not know what it was, the figure gave him a small bit of comfort, a small bit of light in the darkness in his mind. Nick wrapped his arms around that small light, as if he was trying to pull it into himself. The longer he held onto the figure in his arms, the brighter that light became, chasing the dark shadows of his mind away. He felt like he held on to that small glimmer of hope and comfort for ages, until slowly the figure of light in his arms started to take form. At first he thought it was just his tormented mind playing tricks on him, until slowly his senses started to come back one at a time. The first sense to return was his sense of smell, the fox was now able to detect the scent of the figure in his arms. It smelled oddly familiar, like a forest but with a slight hint of musk that gave him great comfort. He inhaled deeply, sticking his noes into the fur in-between his arms.

Wait….fur?

He rubbed his paw up and down the entire length of the figure in his arms,

Yes definitely fur… it is so soft and thick… I think I know this furSomeone I know but who?

After that initial contact of his nose to that soft fur his sense of touch started to return. Every brush of contact between his fur and the figures brought him closer and closer to understanding who he was holding.

I feel happy…. but I am never happy unless I am around…..JUDY.

The realization slammed him back into reality as his eyes sprung open to reveal none other than the most important mammal in his life. Her amethyst eyes staring up into his emerald ones with a smile on her muzzle.

Judy is here….in my arms…oh right we slept together…that was a dream?…but it was so real…

Nick felt as well as heard a soft rumbling sound, vibrating into his chest.

What is that….

is that coming from Judy, I'v never heard her do that before

.wait is she purring… oh my god that is so adorable…

That little realization shocked him while at the same time filled him with so much joy. He felt his heart start to hammer in his chest.

Judy didn't leave me… His ears started to raise from the back of his head, as his tail began to wag behind him.

''She doesn't hate me, and she sure as hell isn't scared of me…she is still here…in my arms pressing against me a-and… she is purring,'

He saw her droopy tired eyes turn to him, she looked like she was pondering something as her eyebrows were knitted together and she had her head tilted to one side.

'Again that is adorable'

Nick watched as her face relaxed and her eyes became heavy but just before she fell asleep she whispered three words.

"I love you,"

At first the fox was questioning his hearing, she had said it so quietly. Could that actually be possible,

'She probably meant it in a platonic sense…but there is nothing platonic about nuzzling and she was doing that just fine…. it was probably because she was tired yah thats it…right,'

Nick didn't have to worry about nightmares the rest of that night because his thought did an incredible job at keeping him awake, so the fox was left staring at the bunny in his arms with hope and uncertainty.

Judy POV

Natures call woke Judy in the middle of the night, she slowly opened her eyes and tried to roll out of bed but a russet arm wrapped around her waist stopped her,

'Oh right I'm sleeping with Nick.' The thought caused Judy to blush slightly, 'Why am I embarrassed about that I have slept with him before,'

After some strategic struggling and the occasion pulling back clawed fingers from her body, she was able to escape the fox's grip. When she rolled out of bed to stand up she heard Nick whimper slightly, causing her to smile.

"Its OK, Ill be right back," Judy said quietly with a chuckle,

She had to use the light from her phone screen to find her was to Nicks bathroom,

'Sometimes I envy Nicks night vision…."

When she finally found her way to the bathroom she flipped the light on, which caused her to squint in mild discomfort. She then hopped up to the toilet to relieve herself, once she was done she hopped down and began make her way back to Nick's room. She heard Nick whimpering before she even got halfway back,

'Not again…'

Judy quickened her pace to the fox's room, when she walked in, she used her phone to shine light onto the fox. She saw him pulling at his fur with his claws whimpering, his face was scrunched up as if he was in physical pain. It hurt the rabbit to see her friend like this, she could feel his pain as her own, she ran to his side and shook him roughly trying to wake him from his nightmare,

"Nick, Nick wake up!"

"If Judy thinks that then It must be true…I am a monster," Nick whimpered,

"It is ok Nick I don't think that you are a monster," Judy said in a crushed voice, she hated that somehow she was causing him pain, even if it was just a dream. She tried again to rouse him from his sleep, but soon gave up. She realized that he was starting to draw blood with his claws digging into his fur, Judy grabbed one of his paws and wrapped it around herself to hold it down and maybe give him some comfort with her proximity, because of the fox being much stronger than her she could only hold one arm. After a while holding the fox he stopped struggling and his cries turned into soft whimpers. Judy tried to stay awake for the fox but she was exhausted and sleep soon claimed her, her dreams were filled with the sound of Nicks whimpering.

Judy was awaken by a gentle squeeze from the russet colored arms that surrounded her. She knew how it would look if anyone walked in on them, but for some reason she didn't mind,

'And what if we were mates, I couldn't think of anyone better than Nick, he will make a good mate to someone….'

Why not you, a voice whispered to her,

'Because he is a fox, and my partner,'

'So,' said the voice,

'So is not a valid argument… He is my best friend,'

'And?'

'And I trust him with my life….and I feel safe with him…and he makes me happy…and …. but he is a fox,'

'I didn't take you for a purist Judy,'

'I am not having this conversation with myself,'

The voice in her head just made an infuriating victorious sound,

'But he probably doesn't even think of me like that…'

Judy gasped when she felt a soft purple nose stick itself against the sensitive skin of her neck and inhale deeply, then she felt Nicks muzzle start to nuzzle itself against her neck.

'You were saying…' The voice said with a chuckle,

Oh my god Nick! She was about to shove herself away from Nick's advances until she saw the smile on his muzzle,

'He looks pretty happy with you Fluff,' the voice said using Nick's name for her,

"Stop, only Nick can call me that,'

'I am you… and why can only he say that to you… Clawhouser is your friend and he can't call you that,'

'I…well…'

The fox kept rubbing his muzzle against the sensitive skin on her neck, causing the rabbit to gasp.

'Fine then If you don't love him why are you letting him nuzzle you…'

'Ok ok I do love the fox ok but It doesn't matter what I think… he needs to fell the same…and this is probably the closest I can get to him loving me,''

She snuggled closer to the fox as his hands started to roam across her back, starting at the back of her head and petting her all the way down to the back of her thigh. She gasped again as his paw brushed across her little tail and rum on the way back, causing her to start purring at his unconscious advances.

Maybe when he wakes up he wont mind continuing…. NO this is wrong… this feels like I am taking advantage of him I don't even know if he likes me that way…. or if he is open to an inter-species relationship.

Judy sighed as she opened her eyes, ready to wake the fox. But her body froze when she locked onto the emerald eyes with Nick her best friend and newly realized love.

The first thought she had was one of terror… did I wake him with my purring …. oh no he is going to think that I am taking advantage of him in his sleep oh god the department would tease me out of my fur if this got out…but wait he doesn't look upset….he looks….happy?

She started purring again, the involuntary response causing her ears to turn red with embarrassment.

Well, I don't know of a better opportunity to try this sooooo…. lets see his reaction shall we.

She trembled slightly at the thought of what she was about to do, her ears laid back and she closed her eyes as she started to rub her muzzle against his neck. She felt Nick tense as she started to nuzzle him. Her ears picked up his heart starting to beat faster.

Oh no, purring was embarrassing enough, but that is involuntary I could have played it of as me being happy that he is awake. But nuzzling is completely different there is no way I can come up with an excuse for that.

Then her internal panic dissipated as she felt Nick melt against her as his paws started to rub her back again, although now that the paws had a conscious mind guiding them they stayed well away from her tail. That fact disappointed Judy slightly, she was slowly falling back to sleep, maybe it was how tired she was that made her forget about the possible consequences of her words… or maybe it was her spontaneous nature but Just before she fell asleep she locked eyes with Nick and said the three little words that she had found to be truth,

"I love you,"

Nick POV

Nick felt Judy steer from her spot in his arms as soon as the sun hit her fur from the window. He watched as she stretched her arms and back while giving a wide yawn.

Should I pretend that nothing happened…maybe she was just tired and with the stress of yesterday she didn't say anything…

Just as Nick was finishing his thoughts Judy's yawn was coming to an end, as her mouth closed her eyes were able to open and she locked her amethyst eyes on Nick.

'Do you really want to risk losing this fox…even if she was tired and didn't mean to say what she did it doesn't change the fact that you should at least tell her how you feel…'

"I uh well… last night you said, I well I thought that I should say something…I guess what I'm trying to say is that…"

"Its ok Nick I love you too," Judy said as she cuddled up as close as she could to Nicks side and began to purr.

"You uh are making this r-really hard to say… I don't love you as a friend Judy,"

He felt Judy stiffen in his arms,

"I uh really l-love you, and I cant think of anyone I would rather be with… I just needed to say that because if I didn't I would go insane… Im sorry I this screws things up between us," Nick looked down again and saw tears in Judy's beautiful eyes.

'Good job now she is crying… you had to open your massive muzzle and blab and now she is going to leave… and I'll have to go back to hustling and in some ironic twist of fate Judy would arrest me and then…'

Nicks internal panic was cut short by Judy nuzzling up against Nick's neck, after a few moments of Judy rubbing agains Nick she looked to him and spoke,

"Nick I meant what I said last night, I finally understood what I was missing when I had that flashback…you…I know that it sounds kinda cheese but without me thinking about how we are friends I realized that I will never love anyone more than you…"

"Your wrong… that was Incredibly cheese," Nick said with a smirk,

"Nick we were having a moment did you have to ruin the moment," Judy said with a slight scowl on her face.

"What if I just wanted to start a new moment?"

"Like wha-" Judy was silenced by Nick tightening his arms around her waist and pulling her close dressing her small frame against his body, he stared down into Judy's eyes and moved his muzzle forward drawing the small bunny into a passionate kiss. At first Judy's instincts told her to pull away but in a moment she had melted into Nick's kiss as she wrapped her wrists together behind his neck to pull him closer to her. Nick could smell her scent change slightly as she began to make soft sounds into Nicks muzzle. Nick knew that if the kiss continued much longer that it would be much harder to stop their momentum especially sense they were already in bed and Nick was shirtless. Nick forced himself to pull away from the kiss and had to hold Judy back to keep her from reinitiating it, which caused her to pout.

"Hay, don't start making sad bunny faces at me,"

"But why did you stop I was just starting to really enjoy that…" Judy said with another pout,

"Yes, I know sorry but we need to have a talk about this before we go any further,"

"Stupid lazy fox…never finishing what he starts…" Judy said accusingly while giving the fox a gentle shove,

"Hay you at least have to take me to diner first rabbit," Nick said with a smirk,

"Wow…,"

"Oh come on that was funny and you know it,"

"No what is funny is that you are in bed with a rabbit that you have just riled up and you are turning her down," Judy put the most seductive look she could manage on her face, "…And you know rabbits are great at multiplying,"

"OK! That is enough we have people to go and places to see," The flustered fox said as he nearly leapt out of bed, he turned around and found a laughing rabbit on his bed,

"Oh my god Nick, that was hilarious I have never seen you move so fast… I don't know if I should be offended or not… and its 'places to go and people to see'," Judy said as Nick walked around the corner to the bathroom,

"That is what I said,"

"No it isn't,"

"Ok how about this I go see the psychiatrist and you talk with Bogo then we can go walk the city for a while and talk,"

"But I don't want to talk I want to play," Judy fell into another fit of laughter as she heard something fall and break in the bathroom,

"Stop screwing with me Judy I only had the one toothbrush holder!"

Judy couldn't help but to attempt to fluster the fox even more,

"Im not screwing you… you wont let me," She stated and was quite satisfied as she heard a coughing sound from the bathroom,

'Two can play at that game fluff…" Nick thought as he tried to recover his breath from where he had nearly inhaled his toothbrush,

Judy saw Nick appear in-front of the bedroom door once again,

"Ok…" Nick said as he started walking back to the bed,

"Huh," Judy blushed as Nick leaned over her and put a paw on each side of her head,

"I said OK… Im not going to wait any longer," Nick leaned over Judy and put his muzzle right next to her ear and husked, "I want my bunny now…," he said as he gave her a lick to the top of her head as well as a playful growl,

"I-I-I um w-we um well d-do… are you s-sure," Judy stammered out,

It took all of Nick's willpower to ignore the sharp increases in a certain musky scent in the room, and to not make his little show turn into something more than acting.

"HA that what you get for teasing me Carrots,"

"W-what," Judy said as she slowly fluttered her eyes open,

"We need to talk tonight, after we get everything done then we can see what happens," The fox said as he stood up and started to walk away,

"Great now I need a cold shower,"

"What was that Fluff," Nick's voice caused Judy's ears to turn redder than they already were,

"Nothing!" She shouted at the fluffy fox tail as it disappeared around the corner of the door.

"Ha, You can shower after Im done with mine,"

'I will not admit it to her but I definitely need a cold shower,"

Hope you like this chapter I enjoyed it, the next will be the setup for Wade and Allies date at the diner. And btw Nicks arrest after the shooting is as accurate to real life as I can make it... though the handcuffs may have been a small embellishment on my part.