Hey all! Busy weekend for me, how was the weekend for you? I feel like this was one of those chapters needed in order to progress through the story. I've been dropping hints to where I'm planning to go with this story, so, I'm excited to touch upon those! Please keep reading and reviewing, I love your thoughts and opinions!

Chapter Seven- Riding Through the Emotions

Two o'clock read on Nick Wilde's phone, he waited patiently in one of his button down's, loose tie and beige slacks, just as Michael would remember him. Judy had donned her plaid pink shirt, jeans and a satchel with her belt items inside. The bag was coordinated so she could reach in easily and withdraw the needed item. Nick stood there with his arm around her, taking a seat on a bench while children played on the playground.

Chief Bogo and the crew, along with Ms. Catz, sat nearby on those wooden picnic tables and sipped some coffee, played a game of cards. Bogo attempted to calm Ms. Catz down, handing her a kerchief to tie over her head to make her less noticeable. If anyone were to trace her by appearance, it would have been Michael. There wasn't enough perfume to drown out her scent, so, the men gathered around her make the scent harder to sift through.

Sure enough, little Jordan skipped beside his father, who walked with a minor limp. The kitten was dressed in a slightly over sized, new jersey of his favorite basketball team, the Clawriders, and bounced when he saw the other children. The young kitten was excited to socialize. Michael kept a tight grip on his son, however, ears perking upward when he saw Nick.

"Nick, you son of a chew, how are ya!?" The panther wrapped his free arm around his friend while Judy glanced down at the young kitten who was so close for her to snatch up. She would have to play it cool and time it right, just as Nick had briefed before they parted to their stations.

"Mike! It's been too long! This is Judy."

Judy wiggled her fingers in greeting before smiling down at Jordan, who gazed at her ears. Nick took Judy's cue and looked down at Jordan.

"And this must be the little man himself. Why, I remember you before you were born."

"Jordan, this is a good friend of mine. This is Nick."

Jordan shyly waved at the adult before turning back around to the children.

"You want to play with the other kids, don't you?" Judy smiled softly as the kitten nodded.

"Well, Judy, you can take Jordan to play, right? Oh, she's great with kids, Mike. Thinking of having our own someday, isn't that right, Jude?"

Pink dusted her cheeks through her fur before laughing it off and nodding. "Mmhm, that's right, we are."

Ms. Catz didn't seem at all amused. Her kitten was right in her peripheral. She was anxious, despite Bogo's attempts of reassurance. He was no good with these kinds of situations, which is why he was grateful for Francine and the few other females they had on the force. Even Mrs. Otterton was a handful, but he somehow managed. He tried his best to get through his awkwardness, but emotional women always got to him.

"I have to go to him, Chief," Ms. Catz sounded distressed, her tail twitched anxiously before rising from the table.

"Sit down, Ms. Catz, if you want any luck of getting him back. You don't know what your ex is capable of."

Judy sensed there was trouble over by the wooden picnic tables and proceeded to take little Jordan over to the playground. Normally, little paws wouldn't faze her; having helped raised a number of brothers and sisters. But this was somehow different. She glanced back at Nick, thinking about what he said about having children of their own. What would their own be like? Being a big sister was one thing, but a mother? As she helped Jordan on a swing, she had to keep the cover up. She was taking Nick's lead on this, although had a sinking feeling something was about to go down. Still, she couldn't help but think if even having children together was possible. Similar species had a chance. But she was talking fox and rabbit. But, there was that new thing…No! Now was not the time.

She pushed Jordan gently, not wanting him too far from her sight. Peering up above the bushes, she noticed Chief Bogo and the others by the picnic tables and then back to Nick and Michael.

'Hurry up, Nick,' she thought to herself.

"So, how's business? What's Randy up to these days?"

"He's hustling in Sahara Square, racking up the dough in casinos. Between you and me, he's gettin' worse, Nick. He's got a big gambling problem."

So, the weasel was nowhere to be found. Michael had been taking this into his own hands. He decided to probe further.

"Sheryl told me you weren't together anymore?" Nick asked. Michael perked at this.

"Nah, she didn't like the 'nip for my bum leg. You remember that, right? When the guy came down on me with the pipe?"

Nick remembered well, actually, it had been just after he had sold his last Popsicle for the day and was getting ready to wrap things up when a disgruntled customer didn't like the attitude Michael had been wearing. Finnick chased after the squirrel, but that didn't stop him from taking his revenge on Michael for saying the squirrel belonged in a cage. No one in Zootopia had the tolerance for such talk. Nick had to admit; it was wrong of Michael to voice such and winced when the words flew out. He did scold the other for such words, seeing as how Nick received such intolerant messages himself, inwardly he empathized with the squirrel. However, the little guy did more damage with the copper pipe than either realized. The wielded weapon was small, but it packed a punch. The kneecap was shattered and Michael started on the Catnip to ease the pain.

After Michael's injury, Nick moved onto Finnick as a full-time partner. He never heard from Michael again after that, only to find that he couldn't kick the habit, he supposed. He noticed only a minor limp; the knee must have healed up to some extent. Unless the pain still happened to linger.

"Yeah, I remember that. We didn't talk much after that. So, when Sheryl told me to contact you, I couldn't resist. But, you don't have custody of Jordan right now, do you?"

"What?" The panther was bewildered

"Man, I hate to do this. But, Michael, you're under arrest for possession of Catnip and the kidnapping of your son."

"You work for the fuzz!?"

"You really need to brush up on current events," Nick shrugged before signaling for Bogo. Michael tried to bolt, straight for Jordan. However, Charlie the Rhino charged for him and tackled him to the ground as Judy held Jordan in her arms. The child cried for his father, but he perked up excitedly when he saw his mother head straight for him.

"Get his drugged ass out of here," Nick shook his head as Michael snarled and growled, wriggling as he complained of his injury. The Catnip must have been wearing off, however, that didn't stop Charlie for shouting him his rights. Parents panicked and scooped their kids up and off the playground, watching with wide eyes as Michael strung a slew of curses at the cops, especially towards Nick.

"I thought you were my friend!"

Nick blinked as Charlie raised him from the gravel in the play area, hoisting him away as Bogo watched the rest of the mission pan out. Judy carried the kitten on her hip to Ms. Catz who snuggled her baby. She held him at arm's length to inspect him, relieved to find not a scratch on her child. She glanced back at Michael, her lips turned down in a frown as she kissed the paws of her son.

"Oh Michael, what's become of you?"

"A tweaked out drug addict. Trust me; he's going to get the help he needs. There's a good rehab program he'll be assigned to. Is there anything else we can do for you?" Judy asked as she placed her paws on her hips.

"I don't want to keep his son from him. I just want him well again," Ms. Catz voiced, adjusting her son at her hip. "Can you do that?"

"Rest assured, ma'am." Judy smiled.

"Well done Wilde, Hopps." Bogo nodded to his officers and turned to Ms. Catz. "Follow me, please." Judy watched Bogo take the mother and child off, probably to the police station to wrap everything up.

As the officers calmed the scene and rode away in their police vehicles, Nick leaned against the metal swing set. He sucked on a lollipop and took the stick out of his mouth, looking down at Judy.

"You alright there, Whiskers?" Judy stared off after them, wrapping her arms around herself. The case was over; her mind was free to open itself up again to her earlier thoughts. The idea of children with Nick, and raising a family; she was optimistic that the two of them could achieve anything they wanted. But, if inter-species marriage was yet to be legalized, then the chances of inter-species mating were nearly out of the question. Not that child bearing was illegal, but the life that child was to have, if it was biologically possible. She shook her head. Too many complexities for one thought.

"Judy." Nick called out again. When Judy had jumped, he knew he startled her and came around to face her. "Hey, you alright?"

"I'm fine, just fine." She smiled. She hated to admit that some things were even out of her control. Besides, there was plenty of time for that. They had only just begun enjoying one another. Her mother would call it her biological clock ticking, her mother once told her that motherly yearning would just call to her. It wouldn't give warning, and it wouldn't tap her on the shoulder, no, the baby fever would just smack her straight up. She had to again remember, one thing at a time.

"So, I was thinking," Nick began. "What's say we arranged for our families to meet?"

Judy's eyes widened as she headed back for the vehicle, taking slow steps as she processed this information. "Do you really think that would be a good idea?" She asked, jumping into the driver's seat and digging the key into the ignition, letting the car run a bit before pulling out of the lot.

"And back to the Gazelle story-" The radio announcer prattled on about the Gazelle case. It was everywhere, the papers, online, you couldn't escape the tragedy of Gazelle and the media empire. Although Judy was too focused on Nick's idea to concentrate on Gazelle. She was certain she'd hear the latest from Clawhauser. She turned her head to face him while she was stopped at a red light.

"Why not? We'll get it over with," Nick said. "I figured we'll make us known to our families. Better now than later, Carrots." He toyed with the lollipop in his mouth and let it sit to the side of his mouth.

Nick did have a point. It would be better to have their families meet now rather than later. She could already foresee the amount of convincing she would have to attempt with her father that Nick was not a danger to her, especially since they knew about him being her police partner. Her mother seemed more understanding than, as fearful as she was. Then again, they settled, they were happy settling with the arrangement of life. They were born into carrot farming, they married and raised their family on a farm and they were complacent. Judy was not so complacent. She wanted excitement, a thrill, if anything; they should expect this from her.

But, what of Nick's mother? Would she like her? She wondered if his father would ever come back into his life. Mentally, she wouldn't bank on it, but it was his mother who seemed to be the one she would have to worry about.

"Now that I think about it, maybe it's not such a bad idea," Judy reasoned. "I mean, it's not like this is temporary." No, their relationship was going to last. She and Nick had built so much of their friendship and they were always learning something new about the other. All good relationships were about constant learning, because you never truly know a person.

"Exactly. I have every intention of keeping you for pretty much the rest of my life." He grinned.