A/N

I have to admit that I think Jessica might make a good grinch. She's got the knack for it, except that despite the chaos she causes her heart still seems to be in the right place. Might have to see if I can do something about that.

Disclaimer: I think the Wildehopps Navy is trying to brainwash us or something, maybe there trying to get all us pressed sailors to come down with Stockholm syndrome. Why else would they be giving us starbucks espresso rations now? I won't fall for it! (sips espresso)

Typo Disclaimer: Make room on that blame band wagon, cause I'm gonna still blame Jessica for this. (unfair sure, but it's easy!)

Chapter – 11- Into the Frying Pan

Judy escaped from her room and bolted down the hallway towards the bathrooms, her clothes for the day clutched in her paws.

She'd made the mistake of speaking before she'd thought about what she was saying and had asked why her mother had scheduled a doctor's appointment today. Her mom had just looked at her before asking if she was still planning on applying for the police academy or if she was now planning on starting a family with Nick right away. The question had caught her completely off guard as her thoughts where admittedly else where.

Her mom had just shaken her head saying, "Your engaged Judy, what do you think happens when you and your fiancé start doing more than just literally sleeping together?" which had made Judy's mouth drop open before she'd tried to protest. Nick and her were just friends after all! It wasn't like they were about to start sleeping together….

In hindsight maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase her argument, because her mother had just crossed her arms till her protests had died and poignantly asked, with what Judy was dismayed to see was actual amusement, what they had been doing last night then that had ended with them holding each other this morning. Given her amusement, Judy's mother was quick to accept Judy's insistent statement that 'nothing had happened' but Judy's further argument that nothing would happen only got an outright laugh.

"Judy, did you miss his reaction to you? Because at least one part of him wants something to happen." It was at that point that Judy thought that escape might be her best option since it looked like her mother was about to give her 'the birds, the bees and the bunnies' speech. She'd set a new record for grabbing her clothes and making it out of her room, saying something about needing to hurry so she wouldn't be late for school.

She hadn't given her mother any response as she'd asked her, "Can you honestly tell me you don't feel the same way and didn't have a similar reaction?" in an amused voice as she'd run by her and out into the hall.

She should have said something though, because she'd certainly left her mother with the wrong impression.

"We wouldn't mess around. Nick's my friend not my boyfriend! Okay, maybe he is my fiancé but that's different." Judy muttered to herself.

That didn't come out right, she thought to herself frowning. It's not like he or I were really thinking about each other when we were sleeping togeth… asleep and those sorts of reactions are normal when waking up from… dreams. And everybody has those kinds of dreams. It's a completely normal reaction; it doesn't mean anything.

"And I'm not just going to hop into bed with someone I only just became friends with!" She muttered again. Okay that still didn't sound right, "He might have gorgeous eyes, smell so wonderful and… male, and be the most amazing cuddler I could imagine, but I want someone that I can love because of who they are, and because they love me back. I might have to marry him but that doesn't mean I have to sleep with him. And I'm not just going to sleep with Nick solely because he's ho-" she stopped speaking before she could finish uttering the word 'hot' and tried to figure out when she'd started seeing Nick like that.

Don't forget that chest and back of his, that sleekly powerful, well defined chest and back.

There was a warm twinging feeling deep in her but she stifled all thoughts of it.

Fine, so even if he was a fox, she did find him… physically attractive. And the way he'd been cuddling in his sleep was adorably cute. But that didn't change anything! And he'd still teased her yesterday, even called her that ridiculous stereotyping nickname.

But he stood up to Gideon for you, supported your dream and then when you were cold he did his best to keep you warm. He seems to count where it matters.

Yes… he seemed to be like someone she might be able to lov- to be someone she could like, but that was the problem. She didn't know, all she had was yesterday. And what about how Nick felt about her? He wanted to be her friend, but he probably just saw her as some silly little bunny he'd be stuck with for the rest of his life. And if he was half as nice a mammal as he seemed, then why wouldn't he try to be her friend, especially in their circumstance? That certainly didn't mean that he found her attractive. It wasn't like she was anything special either. As far as looks went she might not be ugly, but she was about as plain as a doe could be. As much as she hated it, there was a reason her sister and even her dad jokingly called her 'Jude the Dude'; her tom-boy attituded lined up well with her unremarkable looks and the way she was training for the police academy.

Well from what Sharla said he seems to think your cuter than any other girl at school.

Despite her effort not to, she couldn't stop the bush that rose at remembering what Sharla had told her of the lunch fight.

"He was just standing up to Gideon. That's all, there's nothing more to it. Out of everybody at school why would he like me more? And he comes from the city, he's probably used to seeing girls far cuter than anyone out in some little farming town everyday. He just said that because he was trying to be nice, not becas-"

Judy's mumbling came to an abrupt halt when the last voice she wanted to hear registered.

"Decide to finally get out of bed now that there isn't a something pleasant to keep you warm in it?" said an extraordinarily smug Jessica, leaning against the wall playing with her cellphone.

Judy could feel her temper rising. The last thing she wanted to deal with today was her stupid, teasing sister, her sister that looked almost exactly like her except that in all the small ways Judy was plain, Jessica wasn't. Jessica was the type of doe that bucks drooled over. Judy had come to terms with that years ago but with everything else that had happened this morning that little fact of life was almost enough to break her. She felt like throwing common sense to the wind and slugging her sister in that too pretty smirking face of hers, she felt like breaking down and crying.

And to top it all off was that stupid phone of hers which she'd taken those pictures with!

"If you don't delete those pictures Jessica I swear I'll… I'll…" Judy couldn't think of what she'd do, except that it would probably be something that would get her into trouble. Judy was so upset that she could feel her paws shaking.

Jessica looked her over and lost a bit of her smugness. She sighed, tapped on her phone before turning it around to show Judy the pictures and hitting the delete button.

"Better?" Jessica asked, as Judy's temper calmed just a fraction. She was still angry at her sister but it was only another part of her wildly tumultuous emotions she was feeling this morning instead of being out in front leading the crowd. She needed some time to collect herself, to get her balance back after waking up from the best sleep could remember only to be thrown into the worst morning of her life.

Judy turned and saw two of the placards on the three bathrooms where flipped over to red and one was still white. She headed to the single unoccupied bathroom still fuming. She could hear the shower running in one of the bathrooms and thought about that.

A hot shower and some time by myself is exactly what I need right now, or to use Jessica as a practice dummy for practicing police procedure take downs.

Judy stopped at the door to the bathroom, her paw on the handle before a sudden thought hit her.

"Jessica! Who did you send those pictures to!" she snapped whipping her head back to her sister.

Jessica rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, I'm not stupid, I learned my lesson from yesterday's little picture… fiasco. I only sent those ones to your friend Sharla. You share everything with her anyways."

Sharla? Oh gods, she sent those pictures to Sharla?!

She was so going to hit Jessica, but that was taking backseat at the moment to the explosion of panic that news sent reeling through her. Sharla was Judy's best friend but try as she might the sheep was horrible at keeping secrets.

Oh no, no, no, no! She's going to send them to her brother and he's going to tell…

"Are you just going to stand there in front of the bathrooms wearing only a t-shirt?" Jessica asked with a smirk, "Then again if your waiting to give your fox a little show when he comes out, I approve. Though you could try striking a pose, something to make his mouth drop open like-"

Judy opened the door with the white placard, jumped into the empty bathroom, and slammed the door behind her, cutting off Jessica, her cheeks absolutely on fire at the idea of strutting around for anyone, especially Nick.

Except the bathroom wasn't unoccupied.

Jessica watched the door slam shut with a smile.

Wow, that worked better than planned.

She shook her head with at her sister's reaction to the suggestion of showing off for her fox. When it came to anything serious, nothing would stand in her sister's way, but the suggestion she should flirt with someone and that seriousness and determination took second seat.

She's got it bad though, Jessica mussed. Judy usually only blushed before firing back, but this time she'd been completely, totally flustered. How could Judy still be that shy? They obviously liked each other and she'd just been sleeping with him for Serendipity's sake. But then again helping out your sister in a situation like this was what good sisters were for. She didn't need to hear Judy's mutterings while she'd been coming toward the bathrooms to know that her sister's looks and general lack of, really complete lack of, relationship experience or success was a source of insecurity for her. That was probably the reason that her sister had a secret love for romance novels too.

Jessica grabbed a chair from the study room behind her and walked over to the bathroom door.

Now though, Judy had found someone she liked, granted Jessica really didn't see what Judy saw in the fox. He was okay she guessed, but that lean lanky form didn't really do anything for her, and while she didn't have anything against the whole interspecies dating thing, she found it a bit odd anyway. Regardless, those two were acting like blind idiots. She didn't know about foxes, but Judy was a bunny and bunnies shouldn't be so shy about their love interests. She needed to go up to that fox and tell him that he was going out with her, not run away and give him love sick looks from a distance.

Jessica chalked that up to her sister's lack of experience and insecurities, which was why she was now more determined than ever to help her out. All Judy needed was a little push, well… more of a big push. She placed the chair under the handle of the door, levering it into place. Maybe a couple big pushes.

Jessica nodded at her handy work. She reached up and flipped the placard over to the red 'occupied' side, saying though she new Judy probably couldn't hear her through the bathroom door with the shower running, "Opps, Judy, you forgot to flip this! I'll just take care of that for you."

She couldn't help but giggle a bit before going and turning the other two placards on the two unoccupied bathrooms back over to their white sides like they should have been.

Her sister deserved to be happy, and Jessica was determined to make it so. Sometimes, she thought as she skipped away, Serendipity just needed a little helping hand. Anyway, there were other projects that needed her attention; The senior production was going to be coming up and she had the perfect idea for it.

Nick had been spending the time in the shower practicing how he was going to try and apologize to Judy but had rejected every one after hearing himself say them because they all sounded stupid, trite or insincere, when the bathroom's door slammed startling him out of his reverie.

He reached over and pulled the bathroom curtain to the side enough to stick his head around it,

"Um, sorry I'm still using this-" his sentence broke off with a squeak as his heart shot into his throat and lodged there. Judy, and he knew it was Judy just by her eyes was staring right back at him with just as startled a expression.

They just stood like that for what seemed like a minute before the stack of clothes in Judy's arms dropped to the floor with a soft thump, while her arms where still outstretched as if holding them.

The both spoke up,

"Nick! Sorry. Sorry! I didn't kn-"

"Judy!? I'm, ahh. What are y-"

Nick yanked his head back behind the shower curtain, but slipped with the sudden movement and in a flailing ungraceful fall slammed into the shower floor in a heap.

"Oh, my gods! Nick! Are you all right?" Judy said worriedly as she rushed over.

Nick let out a long groan, but before he'd even opened his eye's he felt a set of small paws hurriedly examining his head, "Nick! Please be alright, that sounded bad, are-"

"Oww!" he hissed as she touched a sore spot where he'd whacked his head against one of the shower knobs, "Careful Carrots!" he reached up and caught her paw in his so that she didn't poke that spot again.

"Oh gods, Nick should call an ambulance? A fall like that-" she started, sounding even more worried, almost frightened now

"Judy." He said and opened his eyes looking at her, though the movement made him grimace, "I'm fine,"

She looked at him with a face filled with worry and a bit of anger, "No you're not alright! I saw how you flinched! You could have a fracture! You could have-"

"Okay, I'm not perfectly fine," he said and sat up a bit, though he still winced while reaching back to carefully feel the forming bump, "But I'll be okay. That hurt, but I've had worse."

Rather than calming her down, this seemed to do the opposite, "Worse?! What do you mean worse? Do you fall down in the shower a lot?"

"No!" he scowled and winced again as he probed the bump with his fingers, "I've had worse getting beaten on when assholes teamed up against-" he started explaining with a bit of annoyance before shutting up when his mind caught up to what his mouth was saying.

Judy was staring at him with a mix of emotions from worry and concern to astonishment and outrage.

"look, just forget I said anything." He mumbled his ears going back. "I'll be okay, thanks for making sure I was still alright."

Judy just continued to stare at him, and he finally noticed that he hadn't let go of her paw and that the showers spray was soaking her t-shirt making it stick to her body.

"Um… Judy?" he started, feeling his face and ears heat up rapidly as he released her paw and looked away.

"I'm not just going to forget what you said!" She said vehemently, "Who teamed up to beat you? When? Nobody hurts my friends!"

Nick tried to speak but his throat choked up a bit and he couldn't get any words out. He looked back over to her to see her face set in a determined expression, making her look almost fearless despite only wearing a now water soaked and now somewhat translucent T-shirt, which only reminded him of his current state of undress.

His heart was suddenly pounding and not even the aching throb of the bump to his head managed to thwart the sudden flood of mixed emotions that her expression, statement, and current position caused. He tried to speak, looked away before glancing back at her and then quickly peeling his eyes from hers again, all the while attempting to clear his throat as the shower continued to spray water onto the inferno his face had become.

He finally managed to speak past the knot in his throat after a few tries, though his voice was a bit hoarse.

"That's, ehem, that's a… long story, Judy. And um, the shower might not be… the best place for me to tell you it." he said, and glanced at her only long enough to see that she was starting to blush having finally realize their current state and proximity.

She backed up looking to the side, blushing hard, "Sorry, I um… forgot. You can tell me after you finish…" she gestured at him sitting in the shower and then glanced away seeming to blush as hard as he was.

"If you're sure you're alright…"

"I am." He said having a hard time both not looking at her and trying to speak to her.

"I'll, ah... just…" she trailed off with a gesture Nick couldn't interpret, before she grabbed the towel off the towel rack and used it to quickly dry herself to the point she wasn't dripping wet.

"Judy," Nick started after adjusted the curtain to give him some semblance of modesty, "We're still friends?"

She tossed the towel back onto the rack and said a bit shyly, "Of course, why wouldn't we be?" She grabbing her dropped clothes, before giving him another short glance, still blushing hard, "I'll… just see you… afterwards." She finished with one last look at him, turning to the door.

"Thank you," Nick said quietly looking down at the floor of the shower, his arms and tail wrapping around is knees., "Thank you for being my friend, Judy," He was glad that he was in a shower with the water running, as no one would notice a few extra drops.

He heard her reply with a soft, "Always," before she turned the door handle. Or tried to turn the door handle since it didn't move and only rattled a bit.