AN: I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but I was a little busy writing and planning out my other two stories "Hidden" and "When The Stars Wish Me Dead", so I couldn't quite find the time to continue this one. But hey, I'm back with another chapter, right?

On a side note, you guys should definitely read my other stories as they are way longer than this one and actually planned out, would love your reviews on them!

But without further ado, enjoy this chapter! We're about halfway through btw!

Again Nick found himself sitting alone in the empty office, the fox's eyes occasionally roaming the sea of cubicles as he was working on his project. The only difference this time, Nick felt truly alone. With Cypher gone, and Judy seemingly having forgotten him, the fox wasn't sure what he should do. The only option for him was to keep working on his project with the resources he had been given by TransWorld until those bloodsuckers would eventually fire him because of some nonsense reason. Ears flat on his head and tail limp, the fox sat at his desk, beakers and pliers in his paws as he worked on his formula for the anti-aging cream. Even though Nick tried his best to remain focussed on his task, the fox couldn't help it as his mind occasionally started to wander, thinking about Cypher, about Albert and Pablo. About Judy.

The fox was so deep in thought, his paws moving solely on muscle memory as he poured the pink liquid into another beaker, he almost failed to notice a phone ringing somewhere in his immediate vicinity. Ears perking up, Nick's head turned around as he wondered where the sound came from, the beakers and plier in his paws slipping from his paws. Before they could shatter onto the desk, Nick let out a gasp of surprise as he managed just in time to catch the tools, heaving a sigh of relief before he set them carefully onto the surface. Ears twitching, the ringing of the telephone continued, causing Nick to frown slightly before he lifted his eyes, realizing that it was Cypher's phone. Well, used to be Cypher's phone.

Intrigued by who would call the wolf, who had been fired earlier this week at such a late time, the fox quickly climbed onto his desk, stretching his body and grabbing the the device. Nick was practically tiptoeing on his desk before he managed to get the phone into his paws, grunting as he held it to his ear.

But as the fox heard the voice on the other side of the line, his heart pace immediately picked up a pace, emeralds widening in hope as Nick listened to the sweet voice of his mate.

"Hi, Bob," she greeted him, well his fake persona that is, "It's Judy Hopps!"

"Oh.. h- hey! Uhm, hey," Nick stammered, holding the phone tightly to his ear as a smile started to tug on his lips.

"Uhm, I was just wondering what happened the other day. You just rushed outta here and… well what happened to you?"

Nick's breath hitched as his eyes widened. He somehow had to tell her a reasonable lie, something that would calm her nerves and didn't raise any suspicions. Even though he wanted nothing more than to confess his love to her, tell her who he was and what they had, he knew he couldn't do it right now. Something as sensitive as this needed time and tactfulness. And Nick was willing to give her anything she needed, no matter what, even if it meant to lie to her.

"Listen, I'm… I'm so so sorry… uh, for disappearing on you like that, uh.. You know what, the alarm w- went off and.. and the security had everything blocked, so… I was.. uhm, I was stuck there for hours."

Nick mentally kicked himself for being such a horrible liar. He really tried not to stammer, but apparently his tongue decided to betray him. He was usually way better at this. This damn bunny and her alluring charm!

"I mean, I've been desperate to call you.." his eyes widened upon realizing what he had said, the fox hurriedly backtracking as he stammered, "I m- mean I, uh… I've been meaning to call you, yeah!"

Nick waited anxiously as he held the phone to his ear with both of his paws, his foot tapping lightly on the desk as he waited for the bunny's answer. Much to his relief, Judy seemed to believe him as she let out a hum before she answered, her smile audible in her voice,

"Alright, well. I'll let you make it up to me. Take me to lunch."

Wait. What?

The world suddenly stopped spinning as Nick froze on top of his desk, his eyes staring blankly at nothing and everything at all as his racing mind tried to digest what he had just heard. She was asking him out. Judy Hopps was really asking him to go out with him. All this time he had racked his mind over what he should do, how he was supposed to win her heart a second time, and here he was. Completely stunned as his love had apparently given him the biggest opening he could have hoped for.

"W- what," he meekly breathed into the phone, a smile growing onto his lips as he felt weak in his knees.

"Yeah, you can come in with a better story by then," she chuckled. Nick visibly deflated upon hearing this.

"Y- Y.. You wanna go to the cafeteria?" Nick asked awkwardly, not sure if he would be able to stay up there for such a long time as a date with the inverse-matter strapped to his body, the singed fur and burned skin on his body being definite proof. But he had hope that he could somehow get to the cafet-

"No, I thought we could eat out," she chimed in, interrupted his train of thought. This was bad. Nick's eye twitched as he fidgeted on the table, his wide emeralds staring into space as his mind went blank.

"Eat out?" he breathed into the phone, his ears perking as he suddenly heard voices from somewhere nearing his office. Almost yelping of surprise the fox quickly jumped from the table before crawling under his desk, the phone still tightly in his paws as he held it to his ears, hoping no one had heard him as his eyes darted around panickedly.

"Yeah," Judy said, sounding slightly disappointed, "You don't want to?"

"No, no, no!" Nick hissed into the phone, trying to keep his voice low as he feared the mammals nearby would hear him, "I'd… I'd love to."

"Okay, great," her uppity voice responded, "Uh.. how about cafe 'Dos Mundos', you know?"

"Yes, of course, uh.. wow!" Nick answered hurriedly, "Cafe Dos Mundos, okay."

"Is that a problem?"

Carefully peeking from under the table, Nick could see that the mammals were gone, their voices slowly fading as they walked away from his office and causing the fox to let out a sigh of relief before he answered with a smile, "No, no problem at all."

"Okay, great!" Judy answered, her sweet voice filling his heart with warmth, "I'll see you tomorrow at noon."

"Okay, great, see you then," Nick responded before the two of them ended the call, his heart fluttering at the prospect of him and Judy going out. All kinds of feeling began to churn inside of him; anxiety, worry, excitement. But most importantly, he felt warm. This was a huge leap for him, he was finally going out with Judy again, his Carrots. And the best thing, she had asked him! The fact that the bunny had decided out of her own accord to call him and ask him out made it so much easier for Nick to win over her heart. All he needed to do now was to get to Dos Mundos and not mess this date up.

Easier said than done.

-o-

"You know, I gotta admit, I've always wondered what it would be like up there."

Nick was on a walk with Albert and Pablo, the three predators walking lazily around the industrial area as they chatted with each other merrily. After having told them the news of Judy having asked him out, the bear and the wolf were absolutely stunned. Neither of them had expected such a thing to happen after meeting Nick for only a few minutes. Nick on the other paw had never doubted that he could charm his love. After all, it had worked already once, why not a second time?

"Well, maybe now you'll know," Nick answered as he smirked, nudging the elder bear beside him as they steered towards the harbor.

"Alright, Pablo. If I could get you one thing, just one thing from up top, what would it be?" The fox turned towards the other canine as he voiced his question with a smile. Paws in his pockets, the wolf didn't look at Nick as he mulled over his decision. Eventually the wolf just shrugged before answering,

"One thing? A girl?"

"A girl?" Nick chuckled, regarding his friend with a raised brow. Pablo joined him with his own laughter as he punched him lightly on his shoulder, before he continued,

"Just kidding. I don't know, just bring me like one of the menus from the restaurant or something."

"Alright, I can give you that," Nick chuckled as the three of them halted at the harbor, their eyes staring across the black water as the light from the stars and from the bright city up above their heads was reflected upon the sea.

"What about you Albert?" Nick regarded the bear, "Anything I can get you up there?"

Albert didn't answer for a moment, the elder bear deep in thought as he gazed upon the water, watching the calming rhythm of the waves and listening to the white noise of the sea. Eventually he let out a raspy sigh before turning to Nick, regarding the fox with a worrisome, yet warm fatherly look.

"Just come back home safely, will ya?"

Nick just nodded mutely before turning back to stare at the water, his mind wandering as he thought about what he would be doing tomorrow. He couldn't really promise such a thing, to return safely down here after doing something as risky as this. He was breaking more laws than he could count, he was risking his life in the dumbest way possible. Nick honestly didn't know if he would return, or if he would even survive. But he couldn't stop now. He already came this far, he had found Judy, he had managed to talk to her, to find out why she had never contacted him over the past ten years. He had found out that it was because of her amnesia, not because she had found another mate. Nick knew that deep down, Judy, his Carrots still loved him. He knew that all of those memories, all of the beautiful times they had spent with each other were somewhere in her heart.

And tomorrow, Nick had finally the chance to remind her of what they had. His final step to win over her heart. And as the fox's eyes roamed the vast sea filled with tiny flames as it reflected the stars up above, he couldn't help but to smile as he thought about the bunny that would be soon his again.

AN: Again sorry to let you guys wait only to come back with such a short chapter. If you want to read something longer, check out my other stories!

Please leave a review and a comment, it would make me really happy! :)

Until next time!

~Bye!