Nick showed up right on time wearing his usual collared shirt and tie. Judy had elected to go shopping and buy something that wasn't either sweat pants or her uniform, and greeted him in a blue sundress that showed off her legs. She hoped that wasn't too much for a casual first date.

The fox took her arm and walked her down the hall, admiring her outfit as he did. "You look great, Carrots. Smell great, too. Is that peaches and lilac?"

It was, but not from the same perfume. Judy was wearing lilac, but the peach scent was from her laundry detergent. Nick's nose was a lot better than she gave him credit for. They strolled out of the building, dutifully ignoring her gawking neighbors along the way, and headed for the theater.

Judy was pleasantly surprised by Nick's choice in shows. She wasn't normally a big fan of action movies, but this was more of a lighthearted comedy with some goofy fight scenes thrown in. Partway through the second act she noticed Nick fighting off a yawn with all his might. "Are you not enjoying it?" she asked.

"It's not that," he said, and used the yawn as an excuse to put his arm around her. "It's just getting really cliché in here. I don't mind, though."

Judy playfully elbowed him, but didn't try to pull away. "You're lucky that I don't either," she whispered. His fur was warm, but that stupid armrest was bothering her. Once she'd lifted it out of the way she could properly enjoy herself without something digging into her stomach.

Cuddling up to someone Nick's size was a very pleasant experience. She could smell his fur, recently scrubbed clean with berry-scented body wash. He just felt so...dreamy. Ugh, she hated that word. It was way too cheesy. Then again, as they'd both established, sometimes being cliché wasn't such a bad thing.

Being so close to him was making it hard to concentrate on the movie. Judy kept wondering how the night would end, given that foxes and hares often had very different customs when it came to courtship. She honestly didn't know, and that thought was both a little exciting and a little scary.

It was a short walk from the theater to the jazz club. "I used to come here all the time with Finnick," Nick said as he waved to the ox standing at the door. "He isn't allowed in anymore, though. He causes too much trouble when he's drunk."

"I really wish that came as a surprise." Judy paused in the entryway, letting her eyes adjust to the dimly lit interior of the club. All Nick had to do was take off his sunglasses. No wonder he liked it here.

Once she could finally see past the spots in her vision Judy's eyes widened with surprise. This place was like a scene straight out of an old gangster movie! The band was playing a slow, smooth song under surreal blue stage lamps. Tables and chairs were arranged in concentric rings around them like an old Greek amphitheater. "This doesn't look like casual dining," she whispered. "Are you sure we're not under-dressed?"

"Relax, Carrots." Nick took her hand and led her deeper inside, past shadowy figures and couples sharing drinks until they were standing at a bar just a little too tall for her. "You have to let me show off a little on the first date. I've got a reputation as a charmer to maintain, don't I?"

"A reputation as a hustler," she reminded him. "But I have to admit you're doing very well so far. What's next? Swing dancing?"

Nick made a show of polishing his claws on his shirt. "I can, but I won't. You couldn't keep up." He winked in a way that made it impossible to tell if he was serious. They ordered food and something to drink, then settled into some very comfortable chairs off to one side of the room. "So, what do you think?"

Judy took another look at the room around them. "I'm impressed, but I do hope you realize that I'm not letting you pay for all of this yourself. Fancy drinks and jazz music can't be easy to afford on a cop's salary."

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that." He held up a small billfold that had been sitting safely in her purse a few minutes earlier. "You really shouldn't carry so much cash around like this. It's not safe."

The bunny scoffed and snatched her money out of his hands, resisting the urge to count the bills. "I'm doing my best to forget that you're a former criminal. Try not to remind me."

"Ah ah! Alleged criminal. I was never charged with anything. You're going to have to be careful with those accusations, Officer Hopps. I don't remember you being averse to blackmail when it served your purposes."

He had a good point there. Judy was glad that nobody else had found out about her methods of enlisting Nick's help in the beginning. Her eyes wandered up to the band, a pair of leopards playing instruments while a bat sang her little heart out.

The two felines were enjoying themselves, as their frequent flashes of fanged smiles indicated. One of them had a silver tooth that caught the light every time he grinned just right, making her shiver in her seat.

What in the world had gotten into her lately? Judy had never been overly attracted to predators before, but for the last few weeks every time she saw one flashing his teeth it made her go weak in the knees. Was it just a phase she was going through? Looking back at Nick gave her a similar feeling, like vertigo tickling her stomach. The hare made herself look away, staring down at her club soda until she felt comfortable looking him in the eyes again.

The rest of the evening passed in a haze of smooth music and pleasant conversation. They left the club tipsy, only drunk enough to laugh a little louder than usual. Judy preferred it that way. She'd never been a heavy drinker, and they both had work in the morning.

Nick walked her home, ever the gentlefox. When they reached her apartment Bucky and Pronk were eavesdropping, but that was only to be expected. Judy could tell because they were completely quiet, and they were never quiet. "I had a really great time," she said, and twisted an ear to listen for any kind of reaction. Nothing. Maybe they had gone out for the night?

Nick's voice brought her back to what was really important. "So did I! You know if you'd told me a year ago that I'd be dating a hare and loving it, I'd have laughed in your face while stealing your wallet."

Judy covered her mouth in an ill-fated attempt to hide her grin. "Y-You shouldn't say that. You're a cop now. Besides, I think you've done enough stealing for one night." She made a show of checking for her purse. "Good. Still there."

"You wound me, Carrots. You know I'd never steal from you unless I thought I could get away with it." His smile hadn't faded in at least an hour. Surely his face was getting sore by now. "Seriously though, you should keep a closer eye on this." He took her money clip out of his pocket and handed it back to her. "For a cop you're incredibly careless with your cash."

"And you're a shameless joker, Officer Wilde." Judy stepped in closer, pressing one hand to his chest to feel the beating of his heart. It was a lot slower than her own. Neither of them was sure who initiated it, but their lips met and stayed connected for a very long time.

Oh god, those teeth. Judy had to pull away after a minute, bringing a hand to her mouth as her cheeks began to burn. "I'm sorry!" Nick said quickly. "Did I hurt you?"

"No! No, it's fine. I think I was just surprised." And excited, she mentally added. Very excited.

Nick didn't push his luck. In a way she sort of wished he would. "I think that's a good note to end on," he said, and settled for kissing her hand instead. "Goodnight, Judy. I'll see you tomorrow." Her fingers closed around his and held tight as he tried to leave.

"You don't have to go." Judy winced, hating how the words sounded as they tumbled out of her mouth. It was foolish to risk what they were building together by asking him to come inside. She was supposed to be the responsible one, but right now she didn't want to be responsible. She wanted Nick.


There was something a little unsettling in the knowledge that a predator and prey animal were romantically involved right next door. Bucky cocked an ear as the door closed and held out a hoof to his partner. "Told you. She's a total predosexual. Pay up."

Pronk turned the page in his book and rolled his eyes. "She just spent the night out with a friend. That doesn't mean anything."

"Did you see the dress she was wearing?" Bucky demanded. "That was a new dress. Nobody buys a new dress just to go hang out with a friend." Someone laughed next door, and he lowered his voice. "Apart from you, that is."

"Hey, shut up!" Pronk snapped.

"You shut up!" Bucky whispered back. "You're just mad because you lost! I told you, the radar is never wrong. "

"You and your stupid radar. First your boss was a lesbo because she passed you up for a female manager, now the neighbor's into predators. What's next? Is Bruce Springbuck gay because you think he's cute?"

Bucky threw a piece of popcorn at his friend. The movie had been paused for nearly twenty minutes by that point. "I just said he looked good in a tank top!"

"Cute in a tanktop. You said he looked cute. Deny it if I'm wrong."

"You're wrong!" he lied. "And for your information, I was right about my boss. I saw her out with another tiger last night. A female tiger."

Pronk raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't she have a sister in town?"

Bucky was pretty sure that Pronk was right. He was always right. Not this time, though! He was wrong about Judy, and tonight they'd know for sure. "It doesn't matter now. What matters is that Judy's brought a fox home and I think I just heard a wine bottle opening."

For a second all was silent, and then Pronk laid down with his head on Bucky's shoulder. "You're wrong and you know it. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Wrong and cute."

"You're such a dork," Bucky muttered, but he didn't mind the attention. "Just keep your ears open. Rabbits tend to move pretty quick when they're in love." They resumed the movie, relaxing together for another few minutes before the kudu paused it again. "Hey, you hear that?"

Pronk coughed nervously and nodded. "Alright, alright. Your stupid radar was right this time."


The whole day had been one curiosity after another. Judy hadn't gone to the police station, the gym, or any of her normal restaurants. Jack was getting a little anxious by the time she returned home. Where had she been all day? The city's most famous cop almost never stayed out this late, and she had work in the morning!

At least he'd finally found her. Jack's legs kicked idly behind him as he watched her spin in place, showing off a cute dress she'd bought. So that was where she'd been all day. Her mouth was moving, which struck him as odd since she only ever talked to herself when she was upset. That didn't seem to be the case here.

In fact, she almost looked...drunk. Not completely wasted, obviously, but enough that it worried him. Several seconds passed, and someone handed her a glass of wine from outside his field of view. Nick Wilde, professional criminal-turned-cop, sat down on the bed next to her and made a toast of some sort.

The excitement that Jack normally felt while watching the object of his affection slowly turned to horror. Nick was resting a paw dangerously high up on Judy's leg. That wasn't "just friends" territory. They talked for a while, edging closer every so often, before leaning in and kissing.

Jack looked away, his heart pounding. What in the world was she thinking!? Hadn't she considered how this could hurt her career? His heart ached just thinking about what it would do to her reputation if word got out. It could destroy everything she'd worked for.

Worse yet, Nick wasn't finished. Jack's disgust quickly gave rise to anger as the night wore on. He couldn't stand to watch, but it was impossible to look away. The tension in his jaw became painful after a while, so he slipped the leather strap of his binoculars between his teeth. That helped a little.

How could she do this? Judy had turned him down only yesterday, and yet here she was letting some sleazy fox...defile her. It was sick and twisted, like a pornographic film that someone had irresponsibly given life. She was supposed to be better than this.

It all became too much to handle. Jack leapt up and smashed his binoculars against the roof, shattering one of the lenses and bending the frame. He did it again and again, snarling and cursing as he vented his anger. Soon they were a barely recognizable lump of wires and glass, his hands torn open and bleeding from the shards. He didn't care. Nick Wilde was a monster, a criminal that had tainted the purest thing in the world with his cruel, selfish lust. Someone had to do something about it.

Jack's sensitive ears picked out the sounds of Judy's cries over the rest of Zootopia's nighttime ruckus. Her voice was sweet, but to the angry rabbit it was like nails on a blackboard.


When morning came it was greeted reluctantly, unwelcome in Judy's apartment for the first time since she moved in. Normally she was thrilled to be starting her day, but right now she just wanted to lie in bed and relax. Nick was curled around her protectively like a solid blanket of soft fur. She could feel his heart beating, watch as his chest rose and fell.

What a way to wake up. Judy stayed very still for as long as she could, listening to the silence and Nick's sleepy murmuring. She'd never been with a fox before. Was it normal for her to feel so tired the morning after? Nick had been very careful with her, but he was still a lot stronger than he looked. Most predators were.

It felt like the full weight of what she'd done would hit home at any second. Sleeping with a predator, her best friend, and a coworker all at once? That was quite a night by any standards, especially those of a conservative country bunny. Surely any moment now she'd be paralyzed with dread and shame.

It never happened. Instead she planted a kiss on Nick's nose to wake him up, then laughed as he raised his head to show a wicked case of pillow fur. The entire right side of his face had been pressed flat. "Eh? J-Judy? Wassat...where are we?"

"I'll give you a second. I want to watch it sink in." She beamed as his face went through a slow transformation from confused to shocked, then finally settled on delighted. "Yeah. Remember?"

"Boy, do I ever. So does my back. Move over, I'm about to slip a disk or something." They reluctantly pulled away, untangling legs and arms until they could stretch out better. Nick's joints popped like packing peanuts, making his partner wince. "Oooooh wow. You know, I thought you'd be the sore one."

Judy playfully thumped his stomach as she hopped passed him. "I am. We can get cleaned up here, but we'll have to stop by your place before work so you can get changed. What should I make for breakfast?"

The phone rang before Nick could answer her, sending Judy into an instant panic attack. She saw the Muzzletime icon and lunged for the nearest piece of clothing she could find, throwing a shirt on and leaping back into bed before answering the call. Nick watched the whole thing with a bemused smile. By the time she realized that the shirt was his, it was too late to get something else.

Judy struggled to calm her breathing, even though her heart was pounding. "Mom! Hi! What's up?"

Bonnie waved off-screen, apparently under the impression that her daughter could see. "Hi, honey! I know it's early, but I wanted to check up on you. How did the date go?"

The only way this could have gotten any more uncomfortable was if her neighbors had chimed in at that moment. "It was great! Really great, actually. I can't wait to do it again." Nick's waggling eyebrows made her want to burst out laughing and punch him at the same time. He flexed his muscles, slicked his hair back, anything to give her something to compliment. "He's a little full of himself sometimes, but he's a really sweet guy."

"I'm so happy for you, honey. Is it serious? Are we going to meet him soon?"

"No!" Judy cleared her throat and forced a slick smile that wouldn't have been out of place on Nick's smug face. "I mean no, nothing serious yet. Besides, you know me. Judy-on-duty couldn't take a vacation if her life depended on it."

Bonnie didn't look like she was happy about the answer, but she accepted it. Whatever guilt Judy felt over lying was hugely outweighed by the relief of not having to explain to her mother that she was sleeping with a fox. "You'll visit soon, though, right?" she asked. "We miss you, honey. Maybe you can bring that fox you told us about! We'd love to meet your partner."

"Hah! Yeah, I'm sure you'd just...freak out. I need to get ready for work now, okay? I love you!" Judy hung up and rolled onto her back, arms at her side as she stared at the ceiling. "I never should have told her about our date. Now she won't stop until she knows who I'm seeing."

Nick sat up next to her and held her hand. "I'm a little hurt you didn't tell her the truth, Judy. Not ashamed of me, are you? Or are you just afraid you'll make her jealous?" His tone was joking, but beneath it was a very genuine question from someone that wasn't nearly as self-confident as he appeared to be.

"No," Judy said adamantly. "Never. There are a lot of things you could do to embarrass me, Nick, but I'll never be ashamed of you. My mom just isn't ready to know yet. Try to imagine what it would be like if your mother knew you'd slept with a prey animal on the first date."

Nick pondered the implications for a moment. Slowly his smile fell, and his eyes widened in horror. "She can't know," he said. "We can never tell her. Promise me, Judy. Don't tell my mom anything."