There were only a few hours left before they sailed into the harbor, but neither of them were feeling up to watching the slowly approaching shoreline from the deck. Instead, Nick was reclining on the couch in their suite with his head in Judy's lap, their bags packed and waiting by the door. All he had wanted was a relaxing two weeks with the mammal he loved, but instead they'd spent that time dealing with another crazy mammal dead set on taking him from her.

"I'm so sorry about all of this, Judy," he muttered, knowing it was likely the hundredth time he'd said those words. She shushed him before he could go further, gazing at him with eyes bright with understanding.

"None of this was your fault, Nick," she assured him, leaning in to kiss his forehead. A faint smirk touched her lips. "I knew what it would mean to marry a male as handsome and charming as you."

She kissed his muzzle, smiling sadly when he reached up to cup her cheek.

"And I know I've had to chase just as many guys off your beautiful little tail," he returned, his weak smile soon falling. "Doesn't make this any easier, though."

She looked down at him, then sighed, gently coaxing him upright. She shifted until she sat in front of him, both of them on their knees as she took his paws.

"Nick, you were there for me even when we both knew I didn't deserve it," she started, smoothing slow circles over his dark umber fur. She swallowed, her nose twitching a bit as she cleared her throat. "When we were in the hospital after dealing with Josh and Tybalt, I swore to myself that I'd spend the rest of my life doing the same for you, no matter where either of us ended up going."

She sniffled, and he could tell from the furrow of her brow that she was trying to hold back tears.

"I-I'd never known what real heartbreak felt like until you said goodbye to me that day," she went on, already starting to lose the fight. He tried to take one of his paws away, but she tightened her grip, her claws lightly digging in. "I-I hadn't realized until then just how much I had hurt you, a-and I promised that I'd never let you feel like that again, no matter what it took…"

She pulled in a long, shaking breath, clenching her eyes shut before looking back up at him.

"And…I feel like I failed you in that, again, because I—"

He lifted their paws, holding them to her lips.

"Emily's getting picked up by a cruiser when we get to the dock, let's just let that be the end of it."

She looked at him, then nodded hesitantly, knowing that likely wouldn't be the end of it. Emily had already made it clear that she didn't give up easily, and would likely try to contact him from prison, since she couldn't see Reggie or Amelia hiring anyone to try and bail their daughter out. She also doubted the doe herself would even know how to do such a thing, since it was apparent she'd never focused on more than appearance most of her life.

We'll also still have the trial to sit through, though she doubted that would take long. There'd been more than a few witnesses to Emily's stunts, mammals she likely hadn't thought important enough to notice, since many of them were employed by her father. She wouldn't have put it past the younger doe, at least.

"You still want to renew our vows when we get back?"

She blinked, then focused on him again. She hadn't even realized she'd spaced out.

"Of course I do, Nick," she answered, smiling warmly at him. Her grip briefly tightened on his paws again. "But…let's wait until things have calmed down a bit, okay? I don't want either of us to worry about anything we don't have to."

He smiled, then leaned over and kissed her forehead, the touch so light she could barely feel it.

"I knew you'd say something like that," he glanced at their paws, at their rings glinting in the sunlight. "I was thinking we wait a bit, anyway, maybe do it for our anniversary?"

She gaped at him, would've thrown herself at him were it not for what he'd just been through.

"Nick, that is the most romantic thing I've ever heard," she smiled, finally letting the tears fall freely. She sniffled, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "And I think it's perfect."

He cupped her face, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers.

"Just like you, Judy," he whispered, his own eyes getting misty. "Just like you…"

Tony and Yamal had arrived at the dock soon after the ship had come in, and Judy was surprised she hadn't felt more satisfaction from seeing Emily be hauled into the back of their cruiser. She'd been glad to see the home-wrecking doe get what she deserved, of course, but the compassionate part of her, that felt even for murderers on some occasions, had dimmed it. She also hoped the troubled girl would get the help she needed, though with who her parents were, it was hard to believe that she wouldn't.

Nick had let her take the lead when it came to explaining everything that had happened on the cruise, Reggie and Amelia joining them after the rest of the passengers had disembarked. She'd been aware of the younger doe glowering at her through the car window, and she was sure she'd caught at least one rude gesture. They hadn't cuffed her, though, not wanting to cause the Graves any more embarrassment than they needed to, since it likely wasn't the first time they'd had to deal with something like this. Reggie had pulled them aside when that had all finished, apologizing again for what had happened, adding that he had no idea how she had gotten to be that way. Nick had explained that some mammals were just born that way, and that she'd likely gotten the same quirk her litter's birth mother had had.

"How a mammal's raised doesn't mean as much as we think it does," he'd said, his tail draped around her ankles. "Mammals are born a certain way, and in a lot of cases, there's not much we can do about it, if anything."

She'd learned first paw how true that was, as some of her nieces and nephews who'd been raised by her most pred-friendly siblings had wound up almost as speciest as their great grandfather. If things like height and fur color could run in families, then it made sense that psychological things could, too.

I'm just glad we'll never have to see her again, she thought, her fingers tightening on her husband's paw as they finally started to stroll from the docks. They'd said their goodbyes to Reggie and the rest of his family after Tony and Yamal had left, admitting that it would be a while before they decided to try a cruise again. It wasn't just what had happened with Emily, there was something more important for them to put that money toward. She'd called the therapist she'd seen after Darwin's arrest, setting the appointment for her next day off. It would mean making several other calls to change things around, but she'd already decided it was worth it, that she was through letting her issues control her.

I'm going to get the help I need, she thought, nodding firmly to herself. And I'm not going to let anything stop me this time.

Her ears flicked when Nick sighed beside her, and she looked to see him staring at the sidewalk in front of them, the cool gleam in his eyes telling her he was contemplating something. She opened her mouth to ask if he was alright, closing it when she realized how he would answer. It would be better to let him finish thinking it through on his own, knowing he'd tell her when he was ready to.

And I'll be waiting right here until he is, she stepped closer to him, laying her cheek on his arm. She wasn't sure if it was the touch, or the extra warmth of her body against his, but he pulled himself from his trance, smiling so tenderly down at her when they stopped at the car.

"You're the light of my life, Judy," he said quietly, setting his suitcase on end to grab the keys. She did the same with hers, putting that paw on his arm.

"And you're the light of mine, Nick," she returned softly, blinking away the mist in her eyes. "Now and forever."

His smile widened, and he leaned down to kiss her.

"Now and forever," he repeated, hitting the button to unlock the car. He set their bags in the trunk, pausing after he shut it, toying with the fob before stashing it back in his pocket. She didn't question it when he picked her up, draping her arms around his neck when he held her to his chest, heading to the front of the car.

"I know you don't like driving at night," he sat down on the hood, keeping her in his lap. "But as crazy as it sounds, I don't feel like leaving just yet."

Ben and Stephanie had agreed to keep the kits an extra night after they had gotten back, to give them time to unpack and get settled again. Judy sighed in contentment, letting one paw slide languidly down his shirt, resting over the firm beat of his heart.

"I've always loved how the sun sets over the water," he went on, his voice still soft, almost reverent. "Until I met you, it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

She giggled, sighing happily as she nuzzled closer under his chin.

"That silver tongue of yours could charm the scales off a snake, Slick."

He chuckled, his arms tightening slightly around her.

"You're probably right," his paw shook a bit as he took her chin, tilting her head back. "But just know that where you're concerned, I mean every word I say with it."

She giggled again, sighing happily when he kissed her, even if it was barely more than the brush of his lips against hers.

"And I promise I'll always be right here when you use it," she returned, turning back toward the docks. With the sleek body of the ship framing it one side, and a gorgeous stand of emerald green trees on the other, she had to admit the sunset never had looked more incredible. The stripes of dark gold, orange and purple, the clouds dyed a deep wine red by that sinking ball, the whole scene reflected on the calm, flawless water.

In that moment, it didn't matter what had happened in the past, or what would come in the future. All the mattered was the male who held her, the children who would be so excited to see them come morning, the gleaming, peaceful city they all got to call home.

It truly was the perfect ocean sunset.