ANNNDD just completed another chapter last night. Buckle up for some emotion. Enjoy...

Chapter 12: Burdens

Nick and Judy were walking down the street, paw in paw. It had been a wonderful day. It had passed by like a dream. Maybe it was. Nick didn't care. It was perfect.

He smiled down at the rabbit doe clinging to his arm as they strolled down the street. Judy returned the smile.

Nick never felt happier than when he was with his favorite bunny.

They wore civilian clothes. There was no work to be done. It was a beautiful day. Perfect.

Nick didn't want it to end.

There was a shattering of glass up ahead of them. A store had just been robbed.

Nick and Judy looked at each other.

The rabbit doe slipped from his reach.

"I got to go, Slick."

Nick smirked.

"So do I. Or have you forgotten I'm a cop too?"

Judy gave him a glare.

"What are you talking about? You haven't been a cop since the incident. Wait here. I need to get this guy. Love you!"

Nick's heart dropped as a wave of confusion and panic swept over him.

"Wha—Wait! I'm going with you!"

He started to run after her only to find he wasn't moving. He was in a wheelchair. Nick looked at his legs in horror.

"No…"

It couldn't be true.

Thunder roared overhead as the rain began to fall.

Nick felt his heart thumping against his chest vigorously.

No! No!

There was a shout from the rabbit doe.

"Freeze! ZPD!"

Judy slipped out of sight down an alleyway after the gunman.

No! Judy, wait for backup! Wait for me!

Nick tried to run again, but this time he remembered that he couldn't and tried to move the wheelchair towards the alleyway.

Gunshots.

Nick panicked.

Nonononono. Please be okay. Please.

Nick felt tears come down his face as he struggled to chase after Judy.

"JUDY!"

The gunman ran out of the alleyway and down the street. Judy was nowhere to be seen.

Nick rolled up to the alleyway in a panic, breaths coming ragged and quick.

"No. No! Judy!"

The rabbit doe was bleeding out. Her eyes stared lifelessly into towards the sky.

Nick fell out of his chair, clutching his chest. Pain.

He choked on tears as he tried to crawl towards the love of his life.

"Judy! Judy!"

This couldn't be happening! This wasn't real!

Nick let out a strangled cry.

"JUDY!"

Nick let out a loud yelp as he shot up in his bed.

"Nick!" Came a voice.

The fox was trembling violently and panting uncontrollably. Where was he? Wher—

"Judy?"

His terrified emerald eyes met violet.

Judy was pushing him back into the bed, a very concerned look on her face mingled with a few tears. A few nurses and doctors also lingered by the door. Everyone looked panicked.

The rabbit doe had just been walking down the hall, returning from lunch, when she heard Nick's strangled cry, calling her name. She obviously rushed into the room very worried and found him very agitated by something in his sleep, but then he woke up.

Nick shivered, feeling cold and starting to realize what had happened.

"J-Judy… I-I…"

The doe placed a comforting paw on his shoulder.

"I'm here, Nick. Shh, lay back now. I-It was just a bad dream. It's over…"

She tried to sound composed but her voice trembled when she spoke.

Nick closed his eyes as his body trembled as his panic started to subside.

Judy looked at him, eyes wide and moist. She breathed heavily herself.

The medical personnel began to disperse after realizing the situation wasn't as serious as they had originally thought. Others stood by waiting for a chance to check up on their patient.

Nick's heart beat was off the charts, but was slowly calming down. His breathing was panicked and ragged. His body shivered.

Unable to contain himself further, Nick erupted into tears as he grabbed Judy into a tight hug, squeezing her like it was the last time he would be able to. He wept into her shoulder.

"J-Judy…"

Startled by the sudden action by the fox, Judy returned the hug, her emotions getting the better of her as well. She closed her eyes as she squeezed the fox tighter.

"I-I'm here, Nick."

The other mammals decided it was best to wait outside and quickly moved out the door, leaving the fox and rabbit alone to their tears.

Judy felt Nick's grip tighten to the point it hurt. She almost gasped from the pain, but she held it back. She would endure the pain, for Nick. The rabbit squeezed the fox tighter as tears soaked his chest.

Nick whimpered as he nuzzled his cheek against hers and kept it there for what seemed like eternity. Judy's scent both soothed him and forced out another round of tears. He still trembled with uncontrolled emotion, but Judy's warmth gave him comfort.

"Don't ever do that to me, Judy. Don't ever ever do that again…"

Nick's mind still hadn't fully understood that it had been a dream, but he didn't care, as long as he still had his bunny, his bunny, HIS bunny.

Judy was confused by the muffled remarks by her fox, but she let it go. He must still be shook up from the dream.

She purred in a soothing voice.

"It's okay, Nick. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. I'm here. Shhh…"

Nick shuddered, but the doe felt him relax his grip slightly.

Judy rubbed her paw in gentle circles on his shoulder fur.

"Calm down… Calm down…"

Nick stopped crying but still shivered slightly as his muffled voice reached Judy's ears.

"I want to be there for you, Judy. I don't want to lose you. I-I want to be there for you. I don't want you to—to—to die o-or get hurt. I just ca—just can't…"

Judy choked as new tears flowed down her cheeks after she realized what he had been so bothered about. She should have realized it sooner.

"Oh Nick…"

She nestled her head deeper into his chest.

Nick's breaths had slowed but were still jittery. Judy could hear the short choppy breaths originating in his chest as it rose and fell. She heard his heartbeat beat slower and slower as they remained in the embrace for what seemed like hours.

Judy was disappointed in herself. She should have seen this. Nick wasn't just bothered about the possibility of never walking again. He was bothered because if he couldn't walk again, he could not be there for her as her partner.

She felt that love inside her flame. Nick wasn't miserable because of how this paralysis affected him. He was concerned about how his handicap would affect her if he no longer capable of being able to be her partner.

Judy closed her eyes.

Oh, you dumb selfless fox. I love you so much.

She opened her eyes.

"It's okay, Nick. Just—"

Nick quickly lifted his head, his watery eyes glowing with worry. He interrupted her in mid-sentence.

"But it isn't okay!"

Judy shook her head.

"Nick don't sa—"

"No, I— It isn't okay, Judy. I-I won't walk again. It has been what? Four days since I woke up, and I still can't feel my legs!"

He let out a whine as he clutched one of his legs. Still nothing.

"No, it isn't fine. I won't be able to walk again. I won't be able to be a cop again. I won't be able to be your partner again! I won't be able to be there for you whenyou—you need help!"

Nick had let Judy go and was motioning with his paws erratically in the air, partly to emphasize his points but mostly so he could relieve some tension he had allowed to build for too long.

He almost seemed like he was hyperventilating as Judy sat in mute concern and compassion for him.

Nick whimpered as he let his arms fall, tears in his eyes again.

"I-I- I can't sit from the sidelines, Judy, and watch you get hurt or… or worse. I need—I need- NEED to be with you when you are out there risking your life for others… I need to have your back… because if I don't and you get—get hurt then I-I don't—I can't…"

Nick pulled Judy back in, the rabbit doe allowing him. He chuckled sadly.

"Carrots, you don't know how sad a fox I will be if I lose you..."

He wiped away his tears with a sigh.

"So, don't do anything stupid and risky, okay? Don't go running in without backup?... Allow McHorn to do that. That guy can take the abuse."

Judy scoffed at that as she propped herself up on Nick's chest, wiping her eyes with the back of her paws.

"No kidding. Even when I do my knock out kick, he still doesn't fall."

Nick chuckled, relieved that he got the burden off his chest. He squeezed her a bit.

"Yeah, but you still manage to bring them down somehow… Just don't go rushing into battle without people to aid you, Judy. I would usually be the one crazy enough to go along with you, but others may not be as crazy. Whoever your partner is from here on out, make sure they can keep up, okay? Please? For me?"

Judy gave him a smile and a nod but then punched his arm lightly.

"Of course. But, you are going to be my crazy partner, dumb fox. Don't give up hope yet. It is only unlikely that you will regain feeling and motion to your legs after four days, not impossible."

Nick gave her a sad smile.

"Okay, Carrots, but although it isn't impossible, it is still unlikely. Truth is, Judy, I may never be able to be your partner again. I know how that will affect me, but what about you? Have you even thought about it?"

Judy gave him a smirk.

"Nicholas Wilde, you are always a pessimist. I'll think about it when I need to think about it. Right now, have faith, you dumb fox. You will feel your legs again. You will walk again. You will be my partner again. Okay?"

Nick tried to formulate a response.

"But, Carr—"

Judy pressed a paw to his lips.

"Uh no. No, 'but's.' You will walk again. You will."

Nick closed his eyes with a sigh. He opened his eyes with a grin as he succumbed to his persistent bunny's wishes.

"Okay, Carrots, you win. Someday, I will get out of this bed and, someday, I will be your partner."

Judy raised an eyebrow, noticing that Nick left room for doubt in the statement. He would be getting out of that bed someday, but he failed to mention whether he would be walking or not. However, that last bit, '…will be your partner,' seemed straight forward enough.

The doe smiled. He admitted that he would still be her partner on the job. That implied that he would be walking.

Good enough.

Judy gave her fox a kiss on the lips before slipping off the bed.

"Good fox. Now, I should probably let them know that it is fine to come in and check to make sure you didn't hurt yourself when you were having that fit."

She padded towards the door, flashing him a smile before heading out to tell the nurses and doctors.

Nick watched her go out, observing her movements, her smile, her eyes, her black-tipped ears, her gray fur, the subtle twitch of her nose, the sparkle in her eye, the way her tail flicked every once in a while, the way her hips gently swayed from side to side…

He let his head fall back into the pillow with a sigh as he closed his eyes.

He somewhat meant it when he said he would be her partner again. He still highly doubted that he would walk again, but he was comforted by the fact that Judy could now ease the burden he had placed upon his shoulders. No matter what the outcome was, Nick knew one thing.

He let out another sigh.

I will love that rabbit till the day I die… which hopefully wouldn't be any time soon, cause, you know, I don't want to die.

Nick opened his eyes before taking a deep breath, rubbing his paws through his head fur.

He wished he could believe Judy, trust in her hope, trust in her optimism, but every time he tried he felt the pessimist inside rise up against those feelings and thoughts. He thought one positive thought though.

At least, I don't have to do this alone…

So what do you think about emotional Nick? Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter may take a while. I know I always say that and that it isn't necessarily true. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts. Is this story becoming too bland due to the never ending flow of emotional situations like this? I have a few ideas for some 'Fluff' chapters and some humorous chapters to kind of break up the monotony if you want. Just tell me what you think. Feedback. Feedback. Feedback. I love your feedback. I need your feedback so I can get a feel for how I am doing!

Sweet Cheese and Crackers! Will you look at the time! I should probably finish up the next chapter for Wilde Life before I forget, again. It is my other story in case your interested, but you don't have to read it if you don't wanna. It's up to you.

Thanks for reading! It means a lot, believe it or not! (Hey that rhymes...)

Until next time,

StoryCrusader