Nick guided his boat into the shipping lane and slid away from the supposed safety of land. The buoys placed to control traffic on the water passed with frustrating ease. He'd done this little routine leaving the harbor dozens of times, both with the motor and, more rarely, under sail power. It was a matter of not doing anything stupid and letting his paws go through the motions. Both were easily done. He did not want it to be easy.

Easy meant he didn't have to think.

Usually, that was a good thing. Coasting out of port on a fair wind, like today, was usually a pleasure. Even if he was saddled with a cargo of noisy travelers, Nick could space out and just let his paws do the work with minimal attention. Eventually, even the most eager passenger would get the hint, shut up, and settle in to enjoy the journey. That was part of the mystique, he supposed. He didn't encourage conversation, and it usually worked to his advantage.

Usually. It was the "usually" part that kept biting him in the tail. "Usually" didn't apply today.

With busy paws and an unfettered mind, all Nick's attention was free to latch onto the one passenger he never thought he'd have. A combination of nostalgia and regret occupied his mind, leaving him feeling ill. He was thrilled and terrified at how things had gone, apart from his initial assumption that she was a mirage. It was straight back to their old patterns—but worse.

Falling into the water aside, the whole situation had been just their style. A little cheekiness and a little surprise. They both had looked ridiculous and gotten a small laugh out of it. He'd only done what was necessary to pull her from the water, but the moment his arm wrapped around her it had felt like a waking dream. Every time they had danced or been close to each other had slid over his mind, and it was like he was back before things had gone wrong. Back to when he'd still loved her quietly and had kept it to a dull roar.

"Where are we headed?"

Her question snapped him out of his reverie. He realized he'd been nearly silent for a while. "I told you. Antigua."

"We can make it there in a day?" Judy asked as she settled onto a seat in the cockpit beside the wheel.

Nick struggled not to be distracted by her presence just in the fringe of his sight. "If we sail through the night, we can make it there before dawn."

"You're not serious."

Nick chuckled, giving him away.

"Jerk."

"We'll anchor in a cove for the night. We should make port in Antigua tomorrow around noon, if the wind holds."

Judy's smile was only a little forced as she started swinging her legs. "What's the rush? Can I drive?"

The question caught Nick completely off guard. "Can you what?"

"Drive. Can I drive?"

"According to my recollection, no. No, you can't," Nick replied wryly.

Judy crossed her arms and sassed, "I do have a license."

"You did six years ago, too."

"Oh, come on!" the rabbit scoffed. "It was one stop sign!"

"I'd accept that if you ran the sign. You don't get to say it like that when you hit the damn thing."

"Oh, gods… That was once!" She blustered around a smile.

"Once with my car and on my insurance. Therefore, no. I won't let you at the wheel." Nick chortled. "And you don't drive a boat."

That stopped her train of thought for a moment. "What do you do with a boat, then?"

"Steer, or pilot."

"No wonder you're so good at it," Judy retorted with playful sarcasm.

The minute tremor in her voice had Nick looking at her quizzically, as he replied. "I'm good at it because I've been at it for almost four years."

Her eyes didn't waiver form his. "I meant that you're good at steering your boat because it's what you were always good at with conversations."

Nick's mood soured slightly at the verbal jab. "A talent we share, my dear."

Turgid moments passed in an oppressive silence. It didn't take long before he caved in. "If I let you steer will you stop pouting?"

"I'm not pouting." Judy huffed.

"Your droopy ears and crossed arms say otherwise." Nick smirked, and she fought to stay frowning as their eyes met. "You're right. Some things don't change."

"Oh, shut up and give me the wheel."

In response, he released the wheel with one paw and stood aside, gesturing for her to take his place.

Judy leapt up from her seat and scampered over. Her smile was infectious and very quickly mirrored on the fox's face. His fledgling smile shrank as he took up his place again, right behind her. Nick felt his ears droop as his posture stiffened. The facade of easy competence he'd kept up thus far blew away in the sea breeze. She was right there in front of him—close enough to feel her body heat. The breath he'd been holding since she stood up rattled out of him, despite his attempt to silence it. As his paws found their places cradling hers, the memories welled up. He felt like he would drown in them. If only he were so lucky.

It was another rainy day in the Bayou District, and he was seeking a little quiet time to himself, away from the stresses of his job. Transitioning his responsibilities for other talents to other agents was not an arduous task, but it required meetings. Lots and lots of meetings, which demanded hours and hours of preparations and groundwork. It was enough to murder his sense of satisfaction from acquiring Judy Hopps for his label. That was why he was in his favorite near-dockside dive, shooting pool and enjoying a beer or two.

The place had no official name. There wasn't even a sign outside the building to indicate what it was. It was known as 'The Hole in the Wall', or just 'The Hole', and was infamous for being the cheapest beer and billiards in the district. It also had a reputation for being a slightly illegal and unofficial bar leftover from the prohibition days, but that wasn't discussed generally. At least not after the bouncer stopped by to explain why it wasn't a topic for elaboration with his ballpeen hammer.

Nick adored the place. It was dark and grimy and no one ever asked questions. There, he could unwind and not worry about anyone bothering him. That was why he went there. It was also why he was so surprised to see a certain new lapin artist for his label slip through the dilapidated door and scan the crowd until she found him.

She was dressed in clothes appropriate to the warm, wet climate of the dock area, which was far too light and revealing to be safe in The Hole. At least, not without someone to keep an eye on her. Nick resigned himself to playing chaperone until he could get her out of there as he finished swallowing his mouthful of beer. With any luck she'd want something quick and be out the door in a couple minutes. Then, she could take a cab and he could upgrade to whatever passed for hard liquor had fallen off the back of a truck this week.

Every eye in the place tracked her progress from the door to where he stood. He hated every second of it. As she made her way over, Nick leaned his cue against the wall. It was a safer option than using it inappropriately on a leering patron.

"Nick! There you are."

"Here I am, Carrots." Nick replied. His pint glass thunked onto the high-top table by the pool table. "More interestingly, here you are. Why is that?"

Her eyebrow rose fractionally with a corner of her mouth. "Is it a problem?"

"More noteworthy than anything else." The vulpine commented as he leaned on the high top. "You're probably the prettiest thing to walk through that door since the drag queen burlesque show last year."

Her ears pinked at the compliment. "You think so?"

Nick took a long, slow pull from his beer as he watched her tension grow. "Me and every other mammal in this place."

"Huh?" Judy blinked in confusion.

"You have got to work on your self-awareness, sweetheart." He chuckled mostly into his glass. "A pretty little thing like you stands out as it is. In this dive, you really stand out."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that you're here, then!"

"And we've come full circle. Why are you here, Carrots?"

"Um… No reason…" She replied, suddenly bashful, as she fiddled with the string of her purse.

"So, you dolled yourself up and tracked me down at my favorite—secret, I might add—hideaway just for kicks?" Nick signalled the bartender for a refill, lettinghis query hang in the air.

"It's not a secret when your secretary knows," she sassed.

"Remind me to discuss that with her when I get back to the office tomorrow."

"You leave Eileen alone! She's overworked as it is. Besides, Finnick told me first. I just didn't believe him until she confirmed it."

"Why didn't you believe him?" He inquired, genuinely curious.

"Gee, I don't know…" Judy gave him a flat look. She tossed her purse to hang with his jacket on the back of a chair and planted a fist on her hip. "A major record label executive and recruiter spending their downtime in an off the grid place called 'The Hole'? What's not to believe about that?"

"Sarcasm noted. Disbelief explained. Now, why are you here?"

"Because I haven't seen you since I signed on, and I wanted to say thank you."

"Rabbit, I'm in the process of clearing my workload to focus on you exclusively," Nick laughed as he drummed his fingers on his drink. "You're about to get more of me than you can handle on a daily basis." He drained his glass.

Judy giggled and bit her lip at the innuendo, waiting for him to realize when he'd said. When he did, he muttered, "You know what I mean."

"That's still going to take a while, isn't it?" She was coy as she perused the rack of pool cues.

"About a week. Maybe more."

She shrugged and smiled innocently up at him. "Then, give me a little attention tonight to tide me over."

If Nick had been drinking, he would have sprayed the table at her coquettish suggestion. As it was, his eyes bugged, and he nearly dropped his empty glass. Judy's musical laughter told him all too clearly that she'd gotten him with that one and she knew it.

"Impossible female."

She laughed again. "Come on, Slick. Teach a girl to shoot pool."

"I'll lay two to one odds you're a pool shark, already."

"One way to find out…" Her hooded gaze and cocked hip was all the answer he needed. He was about to be hustled and—for once in his life—he didn't mind.

That evening had grown into one of the most enjoyable nights he'd ever had. As it turned out, Judy really had known nothing about playing pool. She was, however, an expert at teasing him. He'd had to teach her everything from how to hold the cue to lining up basic shots, but she'd never really got it. Not that she'd tried overmuch. She had been far too interested in teasing him to learn the game, and Nick hadn't minded in the least. He wasn't a very good player himself.

Every time she tried to line up a shot, his paws had to cup and guide hers or she'd miss completely. Each and every time he stood behind her, Judy had a comment ready for him. No matter what she did or how, it turned cheeky or suggestive, and everything he tried to do ended up ridiculous or smug. The verbal sparring was light and easy, while the physical contact was friendly, edging towards the possibility of something more.

All in all, it was in good fun and lots of flirting at its most basic: attention without intention. Then, Nick had known he was in a little trouble because it had taken a surprising amount of willpower to keep his paws from seeing how soft her fur really was. Flirting or not and beer or not, Judy shouldn't have attracted him as much as she had, or been so hard to resist.

That was then—a beautiful, if bittersweet, memory. This was different.

Now, the tension had teeth, and the longing was thick enough to cut with a machete. Standing together at the wheel, all the silliness and cheek was gone. The attention was rapt, and the intention was restrained only by the barest margins—and Nick damn well knew it. He'd been pining like a fool for years, and now she was literally right in front of him, but the fear was enough to keep him in check.

All Nick had to do was lean forward, and he'd feel her pressed against him, again— just like she had been on the quay and that night playing billiards. A tiny distance he couldn't close. Instead, Nick stood rigid and panicking as the heat from her body danced over his skin and fur. His pain kept him from stepping closer, but the desire that had sustained him for the last four years pinned him in place, refusing to allow him to escape.

It was a sweet agony.

Then, the scent hit. It was faint. Barely a whisper on the tropical wind, but it was there. Musk and flowers with a hint of spiced earth and pheromones. All very distinctly feminine, and all very clearly not vulpine. The scent was fear and desire and terror—everything he was feeling mirrored in lapin form. It was almost enough to make him cave.

At great length, Nick managed to will himself into stepping away, mumbling, "I think you've got it, Carrots."

Once the spell was broken, he found it easier to push away. Distancing himself from the bunny and her white knuckles on the wheel, he headed off to fiddle with the rigging on the deck. When he was far enough forward to be out of sight, he called back, "We'll stay on this heading for a while. Think you can handle it?"

"One way to find out!"

Nick laughed and tried to quell the warring emotions that threatened to pull him under. Instead of bursting into tears or throwing himself overboard, he set about keeping his paws busy.

There was almost always something that needed doing on a boat. Most of the time, he had to leave it to the evening after dropping anchor, but now he could get a jump on his usual tasks and maintenance. He'd stay busy and she'd stay distracted. Perfect for not thinking too much or being interrupted again. His plan worked a treat until it actually was time to drop anchor.

Usually, on the infrequent occasion where he had overnight passengers, he'd cook a meal for whatever punters he was ferrying around and leave them to enjoy their romantic evening while he puttered around the boat. Once he was done his chores, he'd usually settle in on his chair for his usual evening watching the sunset. They'd usually be in their cabin long before he wrapped up for the night and that was that. This time, however, he had somewhat hamstrung his usual plan. Nick was slowly grasping that there was nothing "usually" about this. "Usually" was down for the count.

The chores were done before the anchor dropped, for one thing. Once dinner was cooked and he'd set himself up on the bow, he realized that his passenger wasn't about to enjoy a romantic evening with their spouse, or whatever. He wasn't transporting a pair. He only had her. His realization came moments before he heard her paws on the deck, coming forward.

"Is this seat taken?"

"Seat?" Her crestfallen expression had him hopping up and muttering "Hang on" as he passed her.

Moments later, he returned with another deck chair. Her bowl joined his on the cooler sitting between them and the minutes ticked by. The only sounds were water lapping at the hull and the quiet munching of mixed veggies and bread as they ate.

Soon the food was gone, and he removed the bowls. Opening the cooler, Nick took out two bottles and cracked them with the built-in bottle opener on the side. The silence stretched and was settling into a semblance of normalcy, despite the extenuating circumstances, when a phone rang. He watched as she scrambled back to her back in the cockpit and silence it. A couple minutes later, she returned with a sheepish expression on her face.

"Sorry about that," Judy mumbled as she slipped back onto her seat.

"Your panther checking in?"

"My assistant, yes. I told him I was fine and not to contact me again until I reached out."

Nick smiled. "I have a similar policy, but more permanent."

"You don't take calls when you're on the water?"

"I don't take calls at sunset."

He could feel the confused stare and refused to rise to the bait. He just sipped his beer and stared at the horizon. He didn't have long to wait.

"What do you mean? Why sunset?"

He stayed still as stone except for the corners of his mouth. "Other than how beautiful it is?"

"I can see that much, but that's a pretty draconian rule for such a specific time."

"Breaking out the expensive vocabulary, I see."

"And not breaking my line of questioning." His interrogator dropped any semblance of calm as she turned on her chair to face him fully.

Nick side-eyed her while he sipped his beer and huffed out a sigh. She was looking at him expectantly and didn't look like she was about to let it go. The last time he'd seen that expression on her face was when he'd been sick. Judy had refused to leave his doorstep until he'd explained about the inherently weak vulpine immune system and had agreed to let her in when she returned with medical supplies. Now, it looked like he wasn't about to get away from this conversation either.

Rather than wait for the hammer to fall, Nick took the initiative. "I'll tell you what. We both have questions we want answered. Ones we're a little afraid of. I'll answer yours if you answer mine, and I'm putting a limit on it for tonight. One each. So make it a good one. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"You still want to know why sunset is important to me?"

Judy nodded, her nervousness causing her nose to twitch.

Nick took a long sip before he answered. "Just after the sun vanishes under the horizon the sky turns the same color as your eyes. For a moment it takes me back to that first night at that dirty little cabaret when I fell in love with the girl at the piano."

Judy's voice was a feeble whisper. "What?"

"I'm not repeating myself, Judy."

She picked at the label on her bottle. "So it wasn't a passing interest." Her words were calm, but hollow sounding.

"That was an inquiring statement not a question, so I'll answer it, but that's all you're getting from me tonight." Nick took another long pull from his beer and dropped the now empty bottle into the bag hanging off his chair. Another was open and half drained before he continued. "I was in love with you from the moment I saw you. Completely fairy-tale in love, right down to the lightning bolt from the blue."

Judy took a long pull from her bottle, swallowing thickly. "That's why you left."

"And why three vixens in three nights got cabs home instead of a walk on the Wilde side."

"You have to joke about everything, don't you?"

Nick smirked and sipped his beer. "It keeps the pain to a manageable level."

Her eyes stayed firmly on her lap. "I think you answered more than the question I asked."

The only response Judy got was the sound of another bottle opening in the fox's paws.

"I believe I owe you an answer now." She gripped her bottle and steeled herself for his reply.

"What are you doing here, Carrots?"

It was such a simple question. One asked so easily that the rabbit should have been able to answer in a blink, but her voice stalled. He'd have said it'd caught in her throat, but it seemed more accurate to say the answer was too afraid to come out. For good reason, he supposed. He'd given her proof that he'd loved her. Plain as day, and without a second of hesitation on his part. Obviously, she'd thought otherwise, and now all the years of doubt and concern, fear and assumption had blown up in her face. He'd been totally serious. In truth, he'd been understated. She had to see that now.

She also had to see how she'd been cruel.

He'd gone to great lengths to show his interest without being overbearing. Her history with Harey was something Nick took seriously, and he'd respected her hesitance. However, as much as she'd flirted back, he always saw that her music had seemed more important. The Judy of then wasn't about to lose her chance because of a male. If they'd both talked like adults, they wouldn't be in this position, but that was moot. He'd done what he had thought was best and, Nick believed, so had she. This was the result. He was hurting and—if the look on her face was any indicator—she felt awful.

Judy put her beer bottle on the deck and raked her fingers over her ears. "You were never clear about what you wanted."

The fox remained placid, mournfully staring at the horizon. "I was as clear as I could be given our relationship. Ethics matter, Carrots. You know that."

"You could still have told me!" Judy whined, her exasperation bleeding to the surface.

"Probably. It was my choice not to." The beer was a meagre balm against the heat rising in his gut.

"Why?" The word sounded like it choked her.

"I've answered your questions. Answer mine."

"No!" Judy barked desperately. "Tell me why you chose to keep it to yourself!"

"You really are a dumb bunny." Nick drained his beer with a deepening frown and finally turned to face her across the space between the seats. "Did you really think I didn't know where your focus was? I wasn't worth it. Your choice was me or a career at the top of the music charts for the next twenty years. Why waste the breath asking a question I knew the answer to? I enjoyed my time helping you, and I wanted to stay. But it was clear you wanted a clean break. I gave it to you. I thought I'd recover, and I didn't. Now, I'm here."

"You make it sound so simple." She looked away from him, shaking her head in frustration.

"It was simple." Nick's elbows came to rest on his knees with his face in his paws. "That didn't make it easy."

"It was still your choice," Judy spat back around the lump in her throat.

"It was, and I don't regret it."

"You don't?"

He forced the rising tension out of his shoulders and breathed, letting his paws flop down to cross in his lap. "You've gotten answers to every question you've asked. Now, answer mine. What are you doing here?"

He watched her ears fall as her gaze dropped. After a deep breath, her eyes met his again, teeth worrying her bottom lip as her lungs pulled in deep breaths. It was then Nick noticed how strong his own scent had become, and her reaction to it made every cell in his being scream to take her. She was so close. He wouldn't have to reach a foot away to caress her face. Her paw was a meagre few inches from his. Everything he'd ever wanted was so close, yet may as well have been on the other side of the world.

"I'm here… because I got what I wanted," she whispered, eyes never leaving his. "I've seen the world. I've stood on more stages than I thought could possibly exist—met WAY more mammals than I could've ever hoped to meet."

The todd felt a sting of disappointment and confusion at her answer. He opened his mouth to reply, only to fall silent as she continued, now uncertainly staring at her feet.

"So many shows… so many performances, awards, music video sets," Judy gave a slight chuckle, though it sounded empty. "And after every single one, I looked out at my audience, searching for something." She turned her eyes back to him and smiled sadly. "It took me until a few weeks ago to realize I was looking for you."

One small paw reached over to grasp his.

"You and I stayed in, what, a thousand hotels?" she huffed nostalgically, and they shared a laugh. "And all of them, even that creepy one in the Meadowlands where we thought we would end up as lampshades, felt like home. I didn't know it then, but it was because you were there."

"Nick—" she breathed and leaned closer—"I'm here because I've felt homeless for four years and didn't know why. When you were with me, everything make sense. Going through the costume fittings, the non-stop touring, the performing on sprained ankles, bleeding vocal cords, and emotional exhaustion. Even the impromptu jam session at that hideous dive on Outback Island to 'connect to the grassroots music scene…" They both shuddered at the memory.

"Thanks for reminding me," He chuckled weakly.

She slapped his shoulder. "It felt right because I had you with me. It took four years before I realized that was something I couldn't live without."

Nick forced down his rising hope. "So, why are you here?"

Judy's voice was watery as she whispered. "For a second chance. If you'll give me one."

A/N:

My usual thanks to Cimar and Damlone for Beta reading, OnceNeverTwiceAlways for editing, kt_valmiri for sound-boarding and Blueberryandhoney for working on this with me. The next chapter is in the works, so stay tuned! I hope you've enjoyed it so far. Reviews and feedback are always welcome. Thanks for reading!