So, hey guys! I finished up another chapter. It is a bit of a slow one, but it addresses a little bit of the warm feelings that Nick and Judy have for each other. Not too much emotional torment, just a little bit of romantic gestures and such. I don't know read it and tell me what you think. Next chapter will probably be more emotional like last one. But anyways, here it is.

Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Concern

BEEP! BEEP! BE— Click!

Judy rolled out of her bed, refreshed and energized. Her shoulder feeling sore but better than it was.

She breathed in the morning air of her dull apartment.

Today was a new day!

She sprang into action. Gathering the necessary supplies, she headed down to the communal bathroom for a shower.

As she skipped along, she passed by a couple of her neighbors who were early risers like her. They smiled in greeting but looked at her with raised eyebrows. Judy just smiled, ignoring the puzzled looks sent her way. The rabbit had had an extra spring to her step and attitude ever since she had returned from the hospital. Why? Her neighbors and friends did not know.

Judy entered the bathroom and slipped into one of the showers. Moments later, the water was pouring from the shower head.

The rabbit did something she normally did not do. She hummed a happy tune while she scrubbed at her fur. She took care to avoid moving her injured shoulder.

As she rinsed off in the cold water, she thought about the day she had ahead of her.

Go pick up breakfast. Run errands. Go see Nick. Go home. Sleep. Wake up. Repeat.

Bogo had been kind enough to give her a week off. Officers who had been shot in the line of duty usually were given leave for a while anyway. Regardless, she had a week to hang out with Nick.

As much as she was happy, she was also worried about her fox. Judy has known Nick for two years. They have been inseparable, best friends. In all that time, she began to pick up ways to see behind the mask the fox typically wears. To those who don't know him as well as she does, Nick may seem unfazed and resolute, able to withstand anything you throw at him, but Judy knew better. She knew that he was just as emotional and fragile as the rest of them, maybe even more so. She also knew by now that Nick likes to make life harder for himself. He has a good heart. She knew that, even though society believed otherwise.

Judy stopped humming her melody at the thought. She paused after she cut off the water. She would have to ask Nick what was bothering him. He was trying to hide it, but Judy saw past the mask.

The doe made a mental note to inquire about it later. Right now, she had stuff to do.

Judy stepped out of the shower and began to dry off. A few minutes later, she was locking her apartment door and was walking down the stairs in a white blouse and jeans with her right arm in the sling she had been given.

The city was starting to show signs of the morning rush hour. The sun was just over the eastern horizon. Judy breathed in the morning air. It wasn't as good as the air in BunnyBurrow, but it did the job.

She smiled as she exhaled, refreshed and ready for the day ahead of her.

Judy skipped down the street. Now, what is the first thing on today's to-do list?

Nick woke up to see a nurse checking up on him. It was a fox, a vixen.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Wilde. Sleep well?"

Nick blinked the tiredness from his eyes as he tried to process what the nurse just said.

"Uh, what?... Oh, um, as well as can be expected I guess."

The vixen had dark red fur, nearly brown. Her eyes were blue and… wait... was she batting her eyelashes at him?

She smiled warmly.

Maybe too warmly?

"That's good. I can always ask the doctor to give you some sleeping meds if you want."

Nick blinked in surprise from what he was observing from this vixen. Was she really batting her eyelashes at him?

"Um, actually, I think I can go for some of those."

There she goes again with her eyes. What…?

The vixen touched his arm with a smile.

"Sure thing, Handsome."

Nick felt his mind switch into protection mode, suspicions confirmed. Yep, she was hitting on him. He gave a nervous laugh and grin.

"Um, well thanks, but before you say or do anything else, I am already in a relationship."

The vixen's smile faltered a bit but quickly regained some charm.

"Well then, she is a lucky fox. Do you like her? Is she beautiful?"

Nick quickly put up the mask to hide his offense at the question. Of course Judy was beautiful, and she wasn't a fox. This fox was being pretty forward. If only she knew that Judy was a rabbit and not a fox, but... she didn't. Perhaps Nick could have a bit of fun, just a little bit. He gave a sly grin, his nervousness replaced by sly charm. The vixen didn't notice as Nick answered her questions.

"Love her, and pretty as can be."

The nurse apparently didn't know where to draw the line. She just continued.

"Is she a prettier vixen than me?"

Nick gave a thoughtful look, while mentally smirking at the vixen.

"Hmm... nope, she isn't actually."

Behind the mask, Nick was silently chuckling to himself. It was a true response. This vixen was the prettier fox, but Judy wasn't a vixen. She was a rabbit doe.

The female fox had a glimmer of hope. Nick almost felt bad for messing with her, but it was her fault for daring to continue after he had told her he was already in a relationship. The boundaries of some people.

The vixen stroked his arm fur.

"Well, wouldn't you like to be with someone more beautiful, like me?"

Nick's sly grin grew as he gave a mock confused look. Time to spring the trap.

"Beg your pardon? I think she is the most beautiful person in the world! Don't get me wrong though. You're the most beautiful vixen I have ever met."

The nurse gave a surprised and confused look.

"What? But, that doesn't make sense. How…"

Nick took her paw in his. He patted it comfortingly in a dramatic fashion.

"It's okay. It's okay. Allow me to explain. You asked me if she was the prettier vixen. I said 'no.' You see?"

The nurse's face was of pure confusion.

Nick smirked, raising an eyebrow. He let the vixen to think it through, trusting the clever fox inside her would figure it out.

The vixen had a puzzled look on her face until her eyes widened.

"Oh…"

Nick gave her a wink.

"Now you get it. But I appreciated the flirts anyways.

The female fox straightened up, trying to hide the fact that she had been just trying to make a move on Nick.

"W-Well, um. Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were in an interspecies relationship. I-I should have stopped when you said you were in a relationship. I don't know what came over me. Well... I have an idea, but I... Sorry."

The vixen blushed a bit, embarrassed for her actions.

"... Sorry... mating season, you know?"

Nick smiled and nodded with understanding.

"Yeah, I understand. But, hey—"

He winked at her.

"—I'll give you a 9 for effort though."

The nurse returned a smile with a deep blush that even showed past her brownish-red fur.

"Thanks. Um, I'll go get you that sleep medicine. Sorry again for that. I guess I'm a bit desperate. Haha, um."

Nick smiled and gave another wink.

"Thanks, and don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone. I did mean it when I said you are one of the prettiest vixens I have ever met."

The vixen blushed before exiting the room.

Nick let out a sigh. He was getting soft. He had been giving out more compliments lately than he usually did. Judy must have more of an effect on him than he originally thought.

Well, at least she found me attractive. I'm still handsome. That's a plus.

Nick's smile faded.

He placed a paw on one of his legs. Still nothing.

His ears drooped. Hope was not something he had much of at the moment. Today was the fourth day after. Nick knew that if he didn't feel his legs today, it was highly unlikely that he would ever be able to regain feeling and motion. Who was he kidding? This was permanent.

Nick let his head fall back into his pillow as he closed his eyes.

Where's Judy when he needed her? And, he needed her at the moment. He felt better when she was around.

Judy padded down the hall of the ICU towards Nick's room. It took a bit longer than she expected to complete her errands, but now that they were done, she was eager to spend the rest of the day with her fox.

She saw a vixen exiting his room as she approached. The fox seemed a bit embarrassed. The vixen was a very pretty one, and Nick was a handsome tod. They were both foxes…

Judy shook the thoughts from her head. No, Nick wouldn't do that. Why was she thinking these things? Still…

She would have to ask Nick about it.

Peeking through the door, Judy saw Nick heave a sigh as he closed his eyes. He looked tired.

She knocked her knuckles on the door.

Nick looked at her and smiled.

"Why, Carrots, so nice of you to drop by."

Judy grinned as she entered the room.

"You know I wouldn't go a day without seeing my favorite fox."

Nick chuckled as he returned the hug the doe was giving him, not lifting his back from the bed.

"Oh, yeah, that's right! Can't get enough of me, can you?"

Judy ended the hug with a kiss to his cheek.

"That's right. How are you feeling? Sleep well?

Nick let out a sigh as he smirked.

"Well yesterday, I felt like I got hit by a train. Today, I only feel like I got hit by a bus, so… improvement!"

Judy pulled a chair up to the bedside and sat down. It was elevated enough for her to see level with Nick.

She shook her head with a grin at his remark.

"Well, that's good-ish, but you didn't answer my other question. Did you sleep well? You look pretty tired there, Slick. Did you sleep much last night?"

Nick gave a yawn. He didn't mean to, but it seemed to help answer the question as he shook his head.

"I kept waking up. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to wear a back brace? Try to sleep with it on. It sucks."

Judy patted his paw.

"Can't imagine. Did you ask for sleeping pills or what not?"

Nick nodded again.

"I asked the nurse that was in here before you came in."

"The vixen?"

Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you saw her, eh? Wait are you…"

Nick's eyes widened as he noticed the way she was acting.

"Carrots, you have nothing to worry about. It was nothing. She may have been a bit flirty, but I…"

Judy's eyes snapped at him. He winced. He probably should have left it at 'It was nothing.'

She glared at him.

"Flirty? What do you mean by 'flirty?'"

"You know. She was inquiring if I was single or not. Batting her eyes. That sort of stuff."

Judy's look did not falter.

"And?"

Nick gave a nervous grin.

"And… I said that I already had someone, a very beautiful someone, probably the prettiest in the world. A nice, kind, sweet, someone who never gives up, whose heart is as big as an elephant's. Someone that I love deeply. I can't imagine ever being in love with anyone else."

Yep, that dissolved the situation.

Judy's ears blushed and her expression softened as she soaked up Nicks words. She had been worried, maybe even angry, about a female fox flirting with Nick, her fox, but that got lost in Nick's words. He hadn't said anything like that in the past three days. Yes, they had admitted their love for each other, but afterwards they had talked about normal stuff, joked around in the same way. Nick hadn't really told her any of the things he just said to her before. It caused butterflies to dance about her chest and a warm feeling in her heart.

Judy gave a warm smile with half-lidded eyes.

"You said that?"

Nick gave a sly grin, glad he had the intended effect on his rabbit. He shrugged.

"Okay, so maybe not all of it, but you know, something along those lines."

Judy laid her head on his chest and continued to look into Nick's brilliant emerald eyes.

"And how did she react?"

Nick hugged her.

"She snapped out of her flirty self. Really broke the mood. You know, Carrots? You can't blame her for trying, really."

Judy's expression returned to a slight glare. Why did he say that? What did he mean?

"Why's that?"

Nick looked at her with mock surprise.

"Why, because I am just so handsome, Carrots. And also, fox mating season is about to begin… You did know that, didn't you?"

Judy's eyes went wide.

"Actually, no, I didn't."

Nick shrugged.

"Yeah, every winter, we foxes feel a drive to find a mate. The vixen was just a bit desperate that's all."

Judy had a sudden worried thought. She propped herself up on his chest to better peer into his eyes.

"Nick, you didn't feel… attracted to her… did you?"

Nick rolled his eyes.

"Judy, if you are thinking what I think you're thinking, stop thinking it. You are not going to be replaced. Besides…"

Nick looked at her with a grin, hugging her tighter.

"… I already found a mate."

Judy blushed before gently smacking his arm.

"We aren't mates yet, Slick, just lovers. But if you keep up this charm, then we'll see about becoming…possibly, um,… mates in the future."

That made the both of them blush at the thought of being mated to each other.

Judy nestled her head in his chest again with an embarrassed smile. She didn't know why she was worried about a vixen making her move on Nick. It must be because she just got him back and didn't want to lose him. She knew he wouldn't see someone else behind her back. He may had been an untrustworthy con artist, but after the two years Judy has known him, she figured out that Nick had a code of honor, even though he tried to not make it obvious. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

"I love you, Nick."

Nick rubbed the space between her ears, the place where he now knew would get his rabbit to purr with pleasure, which she did. He chuckled at that.

"Love you too, Carrots."

They stayed like that for a bit: Judy wrapped in Nick's arms as she laid her head on his chest.

Nick's eyelids started to droop as sleep got the better of him. The warmth from Judy in their embrace was enough to put him over the edge. Before he could stop himself, he was in a deep sleep filled with pleasant dreams, something he had not had for the past couple days. Too bad the ICU didn't allow visitors to stay the night. Judy was the only sleep medicine Nick needed.

Judy felt the fox's grip around her loosen. She looked up to see what was wrong only to find her fox fast asleep. She smiled at the sight.

His head lulled to the side. Gentle breaths emanated from his chest as it slowly rose and fell. He was so peaceful, lost in a world where he could forget about the troubles and afflictions of reality.

Judy carefully slid herself out from under Nick's arms. She didn't want to wake him.

Judy bit her lip as she carefully pulled the blanket over him, hoping he didn't wake up. He didn't. Good.

She stroked Nicks head fur, thinking about what she had wanted to talk to him about.

Judy knew that being paralyzed was taking a toll on his mind. She knew it bothered him much more than he let it show. That was just how Nick was. It worried her how he kept his emotional torment a secret until it became unbearable. It wasn't healthy, especially in his current condition.

She grinned sadly as she gently rubbed behind one of his ears, causing Nick's face to relax even further.

She whispered to him, knowing that he couldn't hear her, but she asked anyway.

"Why do you keep these things to yourself, you dumb fox? Just let it out."

Judy sat back in her chair with a sigh.

Guess our conversation will have to wait.

Her ears flicked towards the door at the sudden knock.

She turned to see a doctor in a white lab coat smiling at her. Seeing his patient asleep, his voice was a whisper.

"Why hello, Miss Hopps. How's the shoulder?"

Judy smiled at the badger, glad to see a familiar face.

"Hey, Dr. Wight. It is a bit sore, but it is feeling much better."

The doctor peered at her with warm amber eyes, giving her a warm smile.

"Good. Good. How's my favorite patient here? I heard he was having trouble sleeping?"

Judy looked at Nick.

"From what he has told me, he is feeling better, besides not sleeping well. He says it is because the back brace is uncomfortable, but… I think it is something else."

The badger nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yes, I willing to infer that his lack of sleep is due to the troublesome condition he is in. I imagine he has been thinking about this in a… how should I put it… in a less than hopeful manner?"

Judy nodded with a sigh.

"That's Nick for you. Puts on a brave face only to hide the fact that he is freaking out. I just wish he would talk to me about it."

The doctor concurred.

"Yes, if you can get him to be more open about this, it will be for the best. His latest blood tests and such seem to point to an increase in stress. Not good for his health. Anyways, I will come back later. If you could, would you mind telling him when he wakes that I have added some medicine to his nightly doses that should help with his sleeping problems."

Judy gave the kind badger a warm smile.

"I will. Thank you, Dr. Wight."

The doctor gave a nod as he turned towards the door before pausing and turning back with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Miss Hopps, do you love him?"

Judy's smile faltered a bit as the insides of her ears turned pink. She and Nick had made everyone that knew they were in a relationship to not tell anyone. They themselves kept their more romantic gestures private. They didn't want to handle with the backlash from the city at the moment. They had enough to worry about, especially Nick. Judy hadn't been ready for he question as she struggled to find the words to speak.

The badger chuckled, the doe's reaction was all he needed to infer the answer to his question.

"Don't worry, Miss Hopps. I won't tell. I was simply curious. After seeing you two act the way you do towards each other, caring for one another, it became apparent to me that love may be in the air. I don't mind it. Love goes beyond the limits of species. I see no reason why there should not be love between a predator and prey, odd and bizarre though it may be."

Judy blushed deeply at the doctor's remark, greatly appreciating it.

"Thank you, Dr. Wight."

The kind badger gave a warm smile before leaving the room.

Judy turned to the still sleeping fox with a smile.

"You hear that? Of course you didn't, ya dumb tired fox."

She stroked the fur behind his ears.

"Don't worry. I'll tell you later. Then we can have our talk. You need to be honest with me, Nick. You can't keep whatever is bothering you locked inside like this. I love you two much to allow that."

Judy hopped out of her chair, giving Nick a peck on the cheek.

"Sleep well, Slick. I'm going to get something to eat. Be back in a bit."

The rabbit padded silently out of the room, careful not to make any sudden noises that could disturb the sleeping fox.

Sweet dreams foxy.

So, what do you think? Writing it, I thought it was a bit slow, but perhaps that is good considering it gives me a chance to further delve into their relationship. I don't know. Tell me your thoughts.

Until next time...

StoryCrusader