Hey everyone welcome to Chapter 10!, This one was brought to you quicker than normal by spending the entirety of Sunday writing! Real Life continued to creep in, so the fight for my right to write continues.

This chapter had more too it but I decided the stopping point was too good to pass up plus the chapter would have been monstrously large and taken another few days to finish, so enjoy it.

AN: Thanks as always to my editor SaberGatomon.

AN PT2: I want to respond to your comments but FanFiction *dot* net's system isn't the best so I am on A03 as well if you have an account with them I recommend commenting there for a more personal and timely response to your comments. I will also be responding to some comments in this section as well

Story Writer 2015: Welcome, I'm glad you've been enjoying my work, as for the voice let me have my fun for a little bit lol.

Naienkon: I hope the wait wasn't too long this time around.

Merecor: I prefer the word domesticate(It sounds nicer lol) But you're probably not far off.

Maybe you noticed the new cover art... If not check it out... pretty cool right? Many thanks to Shadeink over at deviant art for graciously assisting me with that little project. She's got lots of awesome art so go check her out at "shadeink DOT deviantart DOT com"

Lastly as always I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still no word from the pirates sadly but I did find a guy who said he'd "Acquire" the rights to Zootopia from Disney for me if I sent him 2,000 dollars. The payment went through yesterday so until the guy get's back to me I still don't own Zootopia or it's characters

Chapter 10 – The Morning After

Judy's Apartment, Monday Morning, 9:00am

Nick woke up well rested for the first time in years, warm, comfortable, and feeling safe. It would have been perfect if not for the sunlight glaring in from the window. The light that came in from Judy's window landed perfectly in Nick's eyes, blinding him. Throwing the blanket over his head, in a weak attempt at blocking the offending light, left Nick grabbing blindly at the nightstand trying to find his phone. Once he had it, Nick quickly checked the time, and seeing that it was still only nine o'clock Nick contemplated for a moment just going back to sleep. In a surprising turn of events however, Nick decided to get out of bed, the prospect of a nice, long, hot shower, too alluring to resist. So, Nick headed down the hallway toward the showers, tail slowly wagging slowly back and forth in anticipation. Bringing his phone along with him, so he could have some music while he showered. As he reached the shower Nick was surprised to find they were all unoccupied.

"Nobody in the showers, luck must be on my side today." Nick said as he opened the door to the communal shower stall, "Either that or everyone else is working at nine o'clock on a Monday morning, but whatever."

As Nick turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up, he searched through his EweTube playlist trying to decide what he wanted to listen to. After a few minutes Nick had selected his, mixed music playlist, and hit shuffle. (Lola Montez by Volbeat begins to play) As the steady guitar rhythm began playing from the phone Nick's eyes lit up and he broke out into a smile recognizing the song instantly.

"Hell yeah, I haven't heard this song in forever." Nick said, as he began tapping his foot to the beat and undressing.

As the chorus kicked in Nick couldn't help but sing along as he got into the shower.

"I forgot how much I loved Volebeat, I gotta listen to them more often," Nick said as the water cascaded down on him.

After his fur had gotten nice and wet, Nick stuck his paw out of the shower expecting to grab his bottle of shampoo but instead was met with empty air. Confused Nick pulled back the curtain and looked around the shower stall. As Nick looked around at the nearly empty stall, the realization hit him that he hadn't brought any, and as he chastised himself for forgetting something so simple, Nick then noticed that he also lacked a towel.

"I'm such an idiot," Nick said as he smacked himself in the forehead, "well nothing I can do about it now, I'll just have to text Judy later and have her bring me one."

As Nick just stood under the warm spray basking in its glory, his mind was only focused on the blissful feeling of the water and the beautiful sound of the music. Nick was thankful for the distracting music as he tried to avoid thinking about what Judy had suggested last night. For the most part Nick was successful in his aversion of the topic at paw, that was until finally, a certain song came on. (Three Days Grace, Never Too Late begins to play). As the slow rhythmic notes of the guitar came from the phone, Nick knew what song was coming and what effect it would have but was unable to stop it. As the singer began his pre-recorded performance, Nick found himself singing along as in his mind he discussed the dilemma he was facing, arguing back against the song itself.

This world will never be
What I expected
And if I don't belong
Who would have guessed it?

"I already know this. I don't belong, so what's the issue I'm having now." Nick thought to himself as the drums kicked in.

I will not leave alone
Everything that I own
To make you feel like it's not too late
It's never too late

"Ah, that's right. Judy thinks I can, and she seems determined to make me think it too." Nick continued as the guitar got heavier with the intro to the chorus

Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life

"She may say it will be alright, but there's no way to know that for sure, hell my life experiences would say otherwise."

Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late

"Judy might not be wrong, maybe things can turn around for us," Optimism cut in as the tempo slowed again.

No one will ever see
This side reflected
And if there's something wrong
Who would have guessed it?

"But there are some sides of me and my life she doesn't know though, so how she can be so sure everything will work out is beyond me," Nick thought to himself

"Well she's been seeing right through us lately, so maybe she knows something we don't," Optimism pointed out.

As the song continued, Nick thought hard about the fact that Judy seemed to be able to see through him more and more frequently. The thought that she might be getting too close to him, and realization that there was not much he could do to change that, scared Nick, but at the same time was strangely comforting to him as well.

The world we knew
Won't come back
The time we've lost
Can't get it back
The life we had
Won't be ours again

As Nick heard this verse he realized something important, something he had known for some time now, but hadn't been able to admit to himself. I've been stuck in my past for too long haven't I? And as he contemplated this, Nick came to the conclusion that he should try and listen to the point of the song he had been singing and make an effort to change because it's never too late.

'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late (It's never too late)
It's not too late
It's never too late

As the final chord rung out Nick had made up his mind, despite his better judgement, he would try and get an apartment with Judy.

"But blind optimism is dangerous, have a plan, if the apartment hunting goes the way we expect it to." Logic added impartially.

"Fair enough, how about this then. I'll get her to agree to a deal, that if by the fifteenth apartment we still haven't found anyone willing to rent to us, then she has to call it quits and let me live where I have been."

"You know if you do that then you'll end up back on the streets?" Cyn-Nick said

"It's entirely possible, but if I try what's the worst that could happen? I was already on the streets, so if it can't get worse, then that means there's no harm in trying to make it better." Nick answered, sounding more optimistic than he had in years.

With that all settled, Nick decided he should probably get out of the shower soon. So, after shooting a quick text to Judy for a towel he waited, keeping the water running so he wouldn't catch a cold.

Back at the apartment, 20 minutes after Nick left

Judy was asleep, peacefully so. Despite normally being an early riser, the events of the previous night had taken their toll and the normally energetic bunny was out cold.

*Vzzzzzt, vzzzzzt*

A sudden noise in the otherwise quiet room rang out, causing Judy to stir slightly.

*Vzzzzzt, vzzzzzt*

The sound continued, Judy groaned at the offending noise and pulled the covers over her head, in an attempt to go back to sleep.

*Vzzzzzt, vzzzzzt*

A now mostly awake Judy glared angrily at her phone which had been the source of the noise. I don't remember setting an alarm last night, Judy thought to herself as she took the phone off the nightstand. Taking a look at the phone Judy expected to see the typical alarm screen with a snooze button and an off button, but was surprised to see her parents contact picture. Sweet cheese and crackers why are they calling right now? Judy asked herself as she wiped the rest of the sleep out of her eyes and pressed the green accept call button.

"Hey, it's my parents," Judy said with a semi-forced smile, as the faces of Bonnie and Stu Hopps filled her phone screen. Stu Hopps was wearing his typical denim overalls and a yellow undershirt, topped off with a green carrot ballcap, his clothing was practical, sturdy, and simple, much like the buck himself. Bonnie was sporting a black, blue and white plaid sun dress that had a few stains from taking care of the kits.

"Hey, Jude the Dude, how have you been?" Stu asked as his eyes ran over the screen looking for any detail that might be out of place.

"I'm fine Dad. How's everyone back home?"

"That's good. That's good. No trouble with any mammals in the big city since you've been back? Haven't run into any foxes, right? I know you forgot your spray since you left in such a hurry." Stu asked nervously, completely ignoring Judy's question.

Judy sighed, "Dad, I'm fine, and you work with Gideon now, so you can't tell me you're still scared of foxes?" Judy asked incredulously

"Gid is different, a burrow-grown country boy, so there's nothing to fear, but a city fox, now they're trouble for sure." Stu said with confidence.

"He's got a point hunnie bun, city mammals in general are just a meaner breed, and much more dangerous too." Bonnie chimed in.

"Exactly!" Stu said enthusiastically.

"Mom, Dad, the city is full of mammals of all types, mean, nice, smart, dumb, dangerous, and harmless, that's what makes it so awesome here. Also, I won't be needing that fox repellent anymore Dad, I'm perfectly safe." Judy explained, thinking back to how much damage that little bottle had done to her friendship.

"If you're say so, sweetie. Now we are taking the 11:30 train into the city so we'll be at Savannah Central Station at around 1 o'clock, just so you know when to come pick us up." Bonnie said as she came closer to the phone, blocking out her husband's impending protest over Judy's safety. As she got closer to the screen, Bonnie started to grow concerned as she began to notice the state Judy was in. Clothes wrinkled, fur messed up, and the bags under her eyes all had Bonnie's motherly instincts sounding alarm bells.

"Ok Mom, 1 o'clo… wait what?" Judy asked as she suddenly realized what her mom had said

"Remember sweetie, we're bringing you your stuff today. Are you alright? You seem to be a bit out of sorts and look at the state of your fur and clothes." Bonnie pointed out, voice full of concern.

Giving herself a quick look over Judy realized how bad she looked, but she didn't feel like explaining the nights events to her mother, so Judy decided to lie.

"Oh, it's nothing Mom, a few friends from the precinct took me out last night to celebrate my reinstatement. I got home kinda late and just woke up."

"That sounds like fun, I'm glad you've made some nice friends at work, but don't make a habit of going out all the time, ok Bun Bun? It's not good for you." Bonnie said, happy Judy was not in any trouble.

"Come on mom, do you even know me?" Judy asked sarcastically.

"I would hope so, I only raised you for your entire life," Bonnie said light heartedly.

"And in all that time have I ever been the type to go out and party all the time?"

"No, you're right hunnie, I just worry since it's my job, no matter how old you get you're still my kit," Bonnie said, getting a little emotional.

"I understand Mom, and I appreciate the concern. If I'm ever in trouble I know who to go to." Judy said, trying to placate her mother before changing the subject.

"So, I'll pick you up at Savannah Central Station at 1 o'clock then?"

"Yes, your father is a bit nervous about being in the city, so if you could be waiting at the station for us that would be great." Bonnie said, cheering up slightly with the change in conversation.

"Of course Mom, I'll make sure to show up early. Well I should get up and take a shower so I'm gonna go unless you need anything else." Judy said as she shifted around on her bed.

"No that was it, we packed up all the stuff you brought back from Zootopia, along with your wallet and some of your favorite desserts from home, but was there anything else you wanted us to bring?"

Judy thought about it for a moment, scratching her head as she tried to think of anything else she might want from home. My wallet takes care of the money issue, clothes and fur shampoo are taken care of as well thanks to Nick. Speaking of Nick, I bet he'd love some blueberries from the farm, oh and my study material from the academy too, with that I can give Nick a step up on the competition.

"Actually Mom, could you bring my flashcards and textbooks from the academy, as well as a punnet of blueberries."

"Sure sweetie, not a problem, but why would you need your old study material?" Bonnie asked, slightly confused by her daughter's strange request.

"A friend of mine is going to the academy soon so I wanted to help him out, the blueberries are also for him, they're his favorite fruit," Judy explained casually.

"Ok, well I'll make sure to bring the best blueberries I can find for your friend, I'll see you later sweetie," Bonnie said before hanging up. I wonder who this friend is, she never mentioned anyone to me, maybe I'll ask some of her sisters if they know anything, Bonnie thought to herself as she went to grab the extra items.

As soon as her mom hung up the phone Judy flopped back onto her bed still exhausted.

"Hey, Nick, I'm sure that call woke you up too, we better get moving if we want to make it on time." Judy said, but silence was the only reply.

"Nick, get up you lazy tod." Again, no answer.

Slightly irritated at the lack of response Judy grabbed her pillow and sat up, ready to pelt the childish fox, only to find he wasn't on the floor.

"Nick?" Judy asked cautiously, still not getting a response.

"If you're hiding at the end of the bed to scare me, you'll regret it." Judy said as she leaned over and peered at the foot of the bed, only to find it empty.

Where could he have gone? Judy asked herself as she worriedly looked around the room finding no trace of Nick. He couldn't have left while I was asleep, could he? Maybe he was only pretending to reconcile with me and he's really going to disappear again. Judy's mind became filled with worry, questions like, Will I ever see him again? Who will be my partner now? And what am I going to do without him? took over her thoughts. Despite all the worry and doubt one thought reverberated throughout Judy's head louder than any other. I Gotta Find Him No Matter What. Just before Judy was about to run out the door however, her phone vibrated in her hand. Judy almost didn't check it, she almost threw her phone in her pocket and ignored it, but Judy decided to check what the message was, just in case it was important. What she saw made her face light up. It was a text from Nick.

Nick: Hey Fluff, sorry to wake you, but I kinda forgot a towel when I went to go take a shower this morning and I just realized it now, so if would you be so gracious as to bring me one, or I will be standing here all-day trying to air dry. Before you say anything, trust me, I know, I'm a dumb fox. Knock four times and then knock four more times so I know it's you.

As she read those words Judy let out a huge sigh of relief, "don't scare me like that you dumb fox," she whispered to herself before grabbing a towel and heading off to the showers.

As Judy reached the showers at the end of the hall she was relieved to see only one of the three shower rooms was in use. Walking up to the door Judy delivered four swift knocks *Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock* paused a moment, then delivered four more *Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock*

"Nick, it's me with your towel," Judy said impatiently.

After a few moments of silence Judy heard the door unlock and Nick's voice call out.

"You can come in. I'm behind the shower curtain, so it's safe."

As Judy stepped into the stall she suddenly felt really bashful, I'm in a room. Alone. With a naked Nick. As she processed that thought her heart started hammering in her chest. Relax, Relax, just leave the towel on the bench and get out, easy peasy, Judy thought, trying to calm herself down.

"Hey Fluff, thanks for bringing the towel, I would have flooded your tiny apartment if I came in dripping wet," Nick joked.

"Hahahahaha, that's a good one Nick" Judy said, fighting to keep her voice level.

"Would you be so kind as to hand me the towel Fluff," Nick said as he shut off the shower and stuck out his paw.

"Sure Nick, here it is," Judy said as she slowly stretched out one paw while covering her eyes with the other, trying desperately not to peek at her currently naked best friend. As strong as Judy's willpower was though, it was no match for her curiosity and her treacherous eyes. So, reluctantly, Judy slowly peeked out from behind her paw and turned her gaze to the fox in the shower, who's form was no longer obscured by the curtain.

At first Judy took note of how the cream-colored fur of Nick's muzzle and neck continued down onto his chest, lead to his stomach, and presumably further, but Judy held back on looking that far down, and instead stick to checking out Nick's torso.

As her eyes ran over Nick's torso, Judy took notice of how skinny Nick really looked with his fur plastered against his skin. He definitely hasn't been eating enough, Judy thought to herself as she noticed she could see the bottom outline of Nick's ribs. Having completed the tour of Nick's chest Judy's eyes began inching further downward.

That's enough now, let's not go any lower. Judy thought, trying to negotiate with her lecherous eyes.

"How about we do keep going, see how much of a "Fox" Nick is." a mischievous voice suggested. Judy tried to fight it, arguing about how wrong and inappropriate it was, but in the back of her mind she knew she was curious, and it was that weakness in her resolve that allowed her eyes move further down.

Judy only saw a glimpse of a red fleshy mass in between Nick's legs before it was covered up by a towel. Judy was both annoyed and relieved by the sudden disruption that allowed her to regain control of herself.

"The towel's a little on the small side, but it'll work. I'll meet you back at the room," Nick said, seemingly oblivious to what Judy had been doing.

"Sounds like a plan," Judy said as she turned around and headed back to her apartment as quickly as she could without full on sprinting.

Once she got back in the room Judy's mind went haywire. What did I just do? What did I just do? WHAT DID I JUST DO?

"Oh calm down, all you did was sneak a peek at a guy, nobody got hurt, no crimes were committed, so relax," The new mischievous voice said condescendingly.

"It was still wrong, I shouldn't have done that. Plus, now I can't get the image out of my head," Judy thought as she walked over and sat on her bed.

"And what an image that is," The voice added, accompanied by an image of a naked Nick lying provocatively across a big bed, fluffy tail draped over his waist just barely covering himself.

"Not helping, and not the point," Judy thought as she lingered momentarily on the image before banishing it.

"I shouldn't have done it, I should have more control over myself," Judy chastised.

"You know you loved it, even if you want to be a wet blanket about the situation." The voice shot back before fading out, leaving Judy lost in thought.

A few minutes later, Nick, now semi-dry, strolled into the apartment feeling like a new mammal.

"So, what's the plan today, Carrots." Nick said cheerfully as he closed the door behind him.

Judy, who had been lost in thought snapped out of her stupor.

"Oh, ah, well, we need to get your stuff from the bridge, drop off the parking boot somewhere, and pick up my parents from the train station at 1, by the way are you sure taking the boot off won't get us in trouble? Won't they get mad when we bring it back to them?"

"Don't worry about it I already have a plan for that… And did you say were picking up your parents?" Nick asked darkly, as his good mood melted away like a Pawpsicle in Sahara square

"If you say so, and yeah, they're bringing me my stuff and taking the truck home, I told you that a few days ago. Remember?"

"It's been a long couple of days, Fluff." Nick said as he scratched the back of his neck nervously

"So, your parents, the ones who gave you fox repellent before you came to the city, are coming here and you want me to go with you and pick them up." Nick asked skeptically.

"Yes, I do Nick, you're the mammal that saved my life, and my best friend. I want you to meet my parents, plus like I said they work with a fox now, so it'll be fine," Judy said reassuringly.

"We should go," The newest voice to Nick's inner debate added

"Are you fucking stupid, you must be the voice of insanity, cus that is the craziest thing I've ever heard," cyn-Nick shot back.

"Maybe Judy's right and it won't be so bad," Optimism added.

"It couldn't hurt to go, plus it does seem to mean a lot to her" Nick thought back.

"Am I the only sane one left. How can you all be so delusional?" cyn-Nick asked exasperated.

"Good choice," the new, strangely persuasive, voice said happily.

"I guess I'll come with, but you have to promise to protect me from fox tasers and repellent," Nick said only half joking.

"Thanks Nick, I'm sure my parents will love you." Judy said as she sent a blinding smile Nick's way, which caused his heart to skip a beat.

"Now, I'm gonna get ready and then we can go," Judy said happily as she grabbed her shower kit and headed out to the showers.

As Judy showered and got ready to go Nick decided to message Flash about the boot Judy was so worried about.

Nick: Hey Flash I got another shoe that didn't quite fit, would you mind taking it to the cobbler for me?

Having sent the text Nick pulled out his headphones, opened EweTube and continued listening to his playlist. After a few songs had gone by Judy had gotten back from her shower and was ready to go.

"Let's get moving Slick, we don't have much time if we don't want to be late." Judy said as she headed out the door, pulling Nick, who was busy looking at his phone, along by the tie.

As they got into the truck, Nick went to the driver's side without even needing to be asked.

"Thanks Nick," Judy said as she tossed the keys to him.

"No need to thank me, Carrots. It's not like driving is that hard." Nick said dismissively as he entered the truck

"If you really want to thank me then it should be for something bigger, something like taking care of the parking boot problem discretely."

"What do you mean discretely?" Judy asked, one eyebrow rose questioningly.

Nick smirked, "Well as you know, I do have friends in the DMV, and they keep records of tickets and such. So, I just explained the situation to my friend and he fixed the problem. So, we are going to drop the boot off with him and he'll take care of it from there."

"That doesn't sound very legal, Nick." Judy said, sounding displeased.

"It might not be entirely up to code, but it's the easiest and safest way to take care of the issue at paw, plus the only reason you got those tickets was because you were saving the city. Like I said before, pardoning a ticket is the least they can do for you. I just sped that process up a bit."

"I see you're point Nick, but it still doesn't sit right with me."

"If you want to I can have my friend undo it, but if we do, do that, then we would have to go and explain everything, and probably pay some steep fines. Jail time is also a possibility, but I doubt they will go that far," Nick explained.

"JAIL," Judy shouted, "Nick I can't go to jail, my parents would go ballistic, I'd also be kicked off the force, and I don't think they'll give me my job back a third time."

"Don't worry Fluff," Nick said calmingly as he put a paw on her shoulder, "If it came to that I'd take the blame for forcefully removing the boot. Since it was my idea and all, I'd also say I did it without telling you, so you'd be safe."

"You'd do that for me? Even if it meant you'd go to jail and lose the opportunity to become a cop?" Judy asked bewildered.

"Of course, being a cop was your kithood dream, not mine, and I'm not gonna let your dream be ruined, especially not because of me. Now I'll just let Flash know about the change in plan and we can get going." Nick said, taking his paw off Judy's shoulder and pulling out his phone to text Flash.

Before he had even pulled up Flash's contact he felt Judy's paw grab his arm.

"Don't Nick."

"Really Fluff? Are you sure?" Nick said, turning to look at Judy.

"Yes Nick, even though I'm no entirely comfortable with it, just this once, I'll look the other way, but from now on we go through proper channels alright?"

"Alright Mrs. No-Fun-Bun, I promise to walk on the straight and narrow as much as possible from now on. Now, we should get moving we got a schedule to keep." Nick said sarcastically as he started the truck and drove off.

Nick's Bridge, Abandoned industrial area, Monday Morning, 10:30am

Nick stood under the bridge that had been his home for years, silent and still, lost in thought. Having packed up everything and put it in the truck there was nothing left but the old chair which had been here before Nick had shown up. Despite himself Nick felt a pang of sadness leaving this place, even if it had been a hard time in his life this bridge had sheltered him through some rough nights.

"Hey Nick, let's get moving, I don't want to be late," Judy shouted down from the top of the bridge.

"Just give me a minute Fluff," Nick said absentmindedly.

"Don't worry, we'll be back here soon enough," Cyn-Nick, said comfortingly.

"Yeah maybe," Nick whispered under his breath.

"What was that?" Judy asked as she appeared by Nick's side, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Oh nothing, I'm just reminiscing about all the good times, not that I had many here, but as rough as it was, I was still better off than most."

"Well I'm sure we will make lots of good memories at next apartment too," Judy said optimistically.

"Yeah about that, I have a condition for you before we start this apartment search of yours"

"And what might that be?" Judy asked defensively.

"It's nothing serious, I'll full heartedly search for a place with you, giving it my all, but if we can't find an apartment after fifteen tries you will give up and let me come back to the bridge. It's not a bad deal, plus if you're so optimistic about finding a place, then fifteen tries should be plenty."

There's no way we could fail fifteen times, right? If nick tries to sabotage the buy, I'll call him out on it and the deal will be null and void so no worry there. I'll take his bet, there's no way I'll lose

"Fine Nick, there's no way we will fail fifteen times, so you've got yourself a bet." Judy said confidently, sticking out her paw to seal the deal with a pawshake. Nick took Judy's paw and shook it gently

"Now I have a request of my own Mr. Wilde," Judy said as the pawshake ended.

"What might that be?" Nick asked curiously.

"Weeellll, do you remember how at that disaster of a press conference, before I went up to speak, I told you that you should have been up there with me because we did it together and all?" Judy asked nervously as she clasped her paws together behind her back and started rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Sure I do," Nick replied, not exactly sure where Judy was going with this.

"So, since we solved another big case, and arrested another mayor there's gonna be another conference, Chief Bogo says I have to be there, and he wants me to talk to the press again,"

"Makes sense, so you're nervous about the conference and want me to go with you, is that what you're trying to say?" Nick asked, thinking he had figured it all out

"Sorta, but there's something else…." Judy said before taking a deep breath.

"I convinced the Chief to let you come on stage and take credit for the case with me, even speak if you want to, so I wanted to ask if you'd come on stage with me," Judy finished quickly having not taken a single breath.

Nick paused for a moment, at first to decipher what Judy had said, and second to try and wrap his head around it and form a coherent response.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea Fluff. I don't like the spotlight at all, it's bad for business, plus I'm not a cop, and I am still a fox. Nobody will believe I actually helped you, at best I'll be pushed to the side and forgotten." Nick explained, hoping that Judy would let it go, but knowing she wouldn't.

"Nick your business is going to be police work from now on, so that's no excuse. If you're going to be my partner, as well as the first fox officer in ZPD history then you'll be in the spotlight for sure. As for being a fox and the stigma associated with it, this is the perfect chance to show everyone that a fox can be more than they ever thought." Judy countered, but even as she said it she knew Nick wasn't fully convinced. Well maybe I need to push in a different direction,

"I still don't think it's a good idea for me to be up on stage with you, I'll just go and support you from the sidelines. I don't want or need the recognition anyway."

"Nick, there is one other reason I want you with me." Judy said suddenly, her voice lowed to just above a whisper.

Nick took notice of the sudden shift in Judy's demeanor, the shy nervousness from before was gone, replaced with a sharp sadness tinged with shame. The sudden change cause Nick's entire focus to be set on Judy, with the rest of the world fading into the background, as she continued.

"I'm scared. I want to fix the problems I made last time, but I'm worried I'll mess it all up again. I know you said it wasn't my fault, and logically I understand that. But deep down I'm still really scared about what could happen. That's why I want you with me; because if you're there then I can be sure you'll step in if I go too far, or if the press starts to overwhelm me."

Judy was still looking at Nick, but the expression she wore now was like nothing Nick had ever seen on her before, she looked completely vulnerable and in need of protection. Seeing Judy in such a fragile state stirred somethin in Nick, and before the plethora of voices making up Nick's subconscious could weigh in he had already spoken.

"I'll go with you," Nick said softly.

"What?"

"I'll stand on stage with you. I won't say anything, I'll leave that to you since this is your chance at rectifying your mistake, but if you need me to stand beside you and support you, then I think even I can do that much."

Judy sniffled and wiped at her eyes before going in for a hug. Nick saw the hug coming but said nothing, and instead just let it happen.

"Thanks Nick, I knew I could count on you." Judy said faintly as she pressed herself into the hug even harder.

"Ah you bunnies, so emotional," Nick said warmly, as he wrapped his arms around Judy.

"Now I'm not sure if it's just me or not, but I think we've done something similar under this bridge before." Nick said, as he pulled back on the hug.

Judy chuckled, "Yeah I think you're right Nick. We need to find a more original place to have emotional moments from now on,"

"If not, someone might accuse us of being characters in some dry and unoriginal story, written by someone who has no real ideas of his own, and can't keep to a schedule." Nick joked.

"That would be terrible and speaking of schedules we still have to drop off your stuff at my apartment, give the boot to your DMV friend and I do not want to be late to pick up my parents, so let's get moving." Judy said, before beginning the walk back to the truck, with Nick falling in behind her.

"Hey Carrots, why are you so freaked out about being late to get your parents? I understand not wanting them to wait long, but you seem genuinely scared. Do you think someone will accidentally step on them, or is it that you're scared they might get robbed by some con artist?" Nick asked as he started driving to the meeting place.

"Ha, Ha, Ha, if it was as simple as that then I wouldn't really be so concerned. I'm more worried that my parents, specifically my dad will hurt someone else."

"Care to explain a bit more Fluff? Because other than you I don't know any rabbits that could be considered a threat to another mammal, unless you're worried they might step on a rodent or something?" Nick asked, curious as to how the Hoppses would hurt anyone.

"Well you see my father is a very… cautious, buck. He's easily scared by mammals bigger than himself, and I'm worried that he might try and bring a stun gun or something else ridiculous to defend himself. That's why I want to be there as soon as he gets into the city, that way I can calm him down and stop him from hurting another mammal, or even himself considering how clumsy he can be."

Nick's eyes widened slightly, "Yeah I can see why you might want to be on time, well I'll make sure to finish my business quickly, so we don't miss the trains arrival."

"That would be for the best," Judy agreed.

Downtown Savanah Central, Parking garage, Monday Morning 11:35am

"A parking garage, really? Isn't that just a bit too cliché Nick?" Judy asked as they pulled into the multi-storied parking structure.

"Ah, a cliché it may be, but there is a method to my madness, I promise. Just take a look around and try and figure it out," Nick teased as he drove further up.

"Alright, well there aren't many mammals around, and the higher up you go the less mammals there will be, also it's dark and there's lots of places to hide, so if something were to go wrong it wouldn't be too hard to escape." Judy pointed out.

"All correct, and good reasons to pick a place like this, but the biggest advantage isn't in what it has, but what this building lacks." Nick said cryptically.

As Nick finally reached an empty floor and parked Judy looked around trying to figure out exactly what was missing. Unable to figure it out Judy began to get frustrated and her foot began to thump.

Sensing the growing frustration Nick decided to take pity on the rabbit next to him.

"I'll give you a hint, the thing that is missing is something you'd find on almost every street corner and is used regularly by police to investigate an incident that they didn't personally witness."

"CAMERAS!" Judy exclaimed, having figured it out finally.

"Exactly, most parking garages have some cameras, but older ones like this one don't have them, and the mammals that own this place don't want to spend the money to install them. That fact makes this place perfect for some, less than legal trades," Nick said proudly before adding "Not that I'd know anything about that."

"I'm sure you don't, Slick. So, where is this contact of yours?" Judy asked as she checked the time on her phone impatiently.

"I'm sure he'll be here any minute," Nick said confidently, and as if to prove him right a blue four door sedan pulled up and parked two spaces down, before flashing their hazard lights.

"That's the signal." Nick said as he began beeping the trucks horn to the tune of twinkle twinkle little star.

"Now let's greet my old friend," Nick said as he got out of the truck.

Judy hopped out as well and followed Nick as he walked over to the sedan carrying the disassembled parking boot. As Judy approached the driver's side door she couldn't stop the groan from escaping her lips.

"Flash, Flash, Hundred Yard Dash," Nick said, greeting his pal from high school.

"Hey…. Nick…. How's it…. Hanging?" Flash asked happily.

"Oh, it's been crazy like usual, but what else is new? Now, to get straight to the point, since I don't have much time, here's the boot and you no longer owe me one." Nick said as he raised the boot up so Flash could see it.

"Alright…. Nick…. I'll take…. Care of…. This…. For You…. But what's with…. The Cop?"

"Oh Fluff here? Don't worry about it, she's gonna look the other way, this time." Nick explained

"Yeah, I won't mention this to anyone, I promise" Judy added, hoping it would get them out of here quicker.

"I'll… Trust you…. Nick…. Oh…. And…Is it…. True…. you're…... out of…. The game?" Flash asked as he popped the trunk of his car.

"It's true. I, Nicolas Wilde, will be joining the ZPD to fight crime and save Zootopia, or something like that." Nick joked as he tossed the boot in the empty trunk.

"I'm…. Happy… for You."

"Thanks buddy, not many people feel the same,"

"… Nick… I always…. Thought…. You were…. Meant…. for more."

"Thanks buddy, not many people feel the same, and I promise I won't mention anything about the past to my future employer." Nick said reassuringly as he shut the trunk.

"I'll see you around, feel free to message me if you're in any trouble or you just wanna talk." Nick said over his shoulder as he and Judy walked away.

As Nick and Judy walked away Flash just sat in his car observing the two. Flash took note of all the subtle cues, from the quick glances they were giving each other, to the fact that they seemed to be unconsciously moving closer before realizing it and separating once more. Most mammals thought sloths were stupid because of the pacing of their speech, and while some sloths were dumb, Flash was not one of them. Flash's mouth may have moved at snail's pace, but his mind moved faster than a sports car. Nick knew this and that's why he would consult with Flash on any new hustles, but even Nick sometimes underestimated his sloth friend. So, as Flash watched the interactions between the two, he came to the same conclusion that Finn and Helen had.

"Those two… Are totally…. Gonna… Bone,"

Savannah Central Station, Monday Afternoon, 12:50

"Come on, Come on, Come on, we gotta hurry to the platform." shouted a frantically running bunny, pulling along a distressed looking fox along by the tie. The odd pair turning more than a few heads.

"Calm down, we still have ten minutes that's plenty of time," Nick said as they finally reached the platform where train from Bunnyburrow was set to arrive.

"Sorry Nick, I just wanted to make sure we had enough time, plus you never know the train could have come in early." Judy said apologetically

"It's fine, but I should let you know now, that not once in my entire life has a train shown up early, and unless there is unforeseen trouble on the track, the trains don't show up late either. I don't much like the city council, or politicians in general, but to their credit, the trains in this city are very reliable."

"Really? Well that's good to know. So we got ten minutes to wait then." Judy said as she made her way to an empty if not oversized bench.

Nick followed suit and sat down next to her, "So, tell me a bit about your parents while we wait." Nick said trying to fill the time and get some information that might help with the impending first impression.

"Well, my dad and mom both grew up in Bunnyburrow, they met in high school, and, as you already know, they're farmers. My dad is a bit old fashioned in his approach to other mammals, but he's been trying to change his stereotypical views recently. As a mammal my dad is kind, supportive, hardworking, and family means a lot to him, mess with his kits or anyone he considers family at your own risk. One time he got into an all-out fist fight just because someone called one of his cousins a no-good lout. It's even funnier because my dad had said the exact same thing him earlier that day"

Nick couldn't help but smile at the way Judy lit up as she reminisced about her father, Nick could tell she adored him, and she was definitely a daddy's girl.

"My mom, on the other paw, is the center of the family. She may seem passive and meek but that's just when she's out of the home or with friends. When she's home she becomes fearsome and powerful, directing the hordes of young bunnies with ease. While my dad may have control of the farm, my mom runs the home and when she puts her foot down it's the end of discussion." Judy said, admiration clear in her voice.

"Your parents both sound terrifying, Carrots." Nick said only semi-joking.

"They really aren't that scary… as long as you don't cross them," Judy said ominously, before bursting out laughing at the look on Nicks face.

"Nick, you don't need to be so scared, I'm sure they'll like you just fine and if they don't, it's not like they can do anything to you from Bunnyburrow, and while they're here I'll protect you."

Nick breathed a small sigh of relief before posturing up slightly.

"Like I would be scared of a few bunnies, now the army they command is a different story." Nick joked.

"It's a good thing you're not scared Nick, because it's about time to meet them," Judy said as the train began to pull into the station.

"Train from the Burrow is Arriving," the intercom announced, sealing Nick's fate.

*Gulp* "Yay, I can't wait," Nick said softly as his throat became suddenly dry.

As the train pulled onto the platform and the crowds of mammals file out. Nick and Judy stood up and tried to pick out Bonnie and Stu from the throng, and as the doors closed without a sign of them Judy started getting worried.

"Where are they? They should have been here, or called at least," Judy said as she continuously scanned the crowd of mammals.

"Don't worry so much Fluff. I'm sure they're here somewhere. Let's split up and search for them, that way we'll find them faster. Whichever one of us finds them, will call the other, so we can meet up." Nick suggested

"Alright let's do that. It's better than standing around waiting." Judy agreed.

So, Nick slipped off into the crowed leaving Judy to search on her own. After a few minutes had gone by Judy's search had reached the front of the station, with no sign of her parents and no word from Nick, Judy really began to worry. What if they got abducted, or stepped on, or taken into an alley and mugged. As Judy's mind ran through the worst possible scenarios she heard Nick's voice.

"JUDY," Nick shouted.

At the sound of his voice Judy bolted, darting through the legs of bigger mammals as they walked desperately trying to reach Nick. As Judy broke through the crowd she could only hear the crackling of a taser, as she watched her dad lunged towards Nick, anti-fox device in paw.

"NNNNNIIIIIIIICCCCCCKKKKK"

Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed it feel free to drop a review down below, tell me what worked, what didn't, what you want to see, ect. I love hearing from you all.