Ch. 52:

Finnick, Honey, and Rick stood in a line on the football field, in front of Nick. Behind the red fox stood Judy, looking slightly uncomfortable and giving her boyfriend's brother and friends an apologetic look. Her own two friends sat in the bleachers, watching with shiny-eyed interest.

Nick spoke: "So you three know what you're supposed to do right?"

"Raise your girlfriend's confidence even though that's your job," Finnick replied gruffly. Fru Fru and Honey snickered and the fennec smirked proudly.

Nick frowned at him, "This was my idea. Carrots over there wants to be a cop and she needs to start practicing as soon as possible and today's lesson will be fighting off and chasing criminals."
"Nick," Rick spoke up, his arms crossed. "Not that I don't want to help Judy but why can't you do this? I kinda wanted to get some studying done…"

"I am her encouragement coach," Nick turned his warm smile toward Judy who returned it but with an edge of exasperation.

"I could just study, Nick," Judy pointed out, not wanting to annoy his friends.

"Nonsense," he waved away her words, "They want to help. Now we need a volunteer."

"Oh, me, me!" Honey shot her paw up, waving it frantically and jumping in place.

"Hm," Nick placed his chin in his paw, his expression thoughtful. "Tough choice, you're all invested but I think I'm gonna go with…Honey."

"YES!" the badger let out a cry of triumph and hurried forward, "What do I do? What do I do?"

Nick pointed across the field, "You're going to run to the end of the field and Carrots is going to catch you." He looked toward Judy with a sardonic smirk, "But no hitting this time, Fluff." The words made the rabbit's ears turn red and Rick and Finnick exchanged a confused glance.

"Honey," Nick continued, "Remember to run as fast as you-" the badger dashed off before he could finish his sentence.

"I DIDN'T SAY NOW!" Nick called out as Judy ran past him and went after the badger.

It took Judy exactly ten seconds to tackle into the honey badger, knocking them both to the grass none too gently.

"Oh, shit!" Finnick burst into laughter. "I did not see that coming!"

"Are you two okay?" Nick asked as he and Rick hurried over to the two.

"I'm fine," Judy jumped off Honey's back and helped her up, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry Honey I didn't think I'd be able to knock you down like that."

"No problem at all sugar," Honey assured the rabbit, her eyes flashing with newfound respect. "Call me pleasantly surprised."

Nick breathed in with relief before clapping his paws together, "Okay, since we don't have any scrapes or bruises-Finnick you're next!"

.

The group spent a few more hours like that, Judy chasing mammals around, did some light-hearted wrestling, being cheered on by Clawhauser and Fru Fru, and of course Nick (the latter which got roped into sparring with Judy but just ended up tickling here which everyone agreed was cheating). When the sun was starting to hide behind the cityscape Fru Fru invited them to a fast food joint to get a bite to eat, the entire meal on her. Clawhauser, Honey, and Nick were happy with that, Judy knew Fru wouldn't listen to her resistance, but Rick and Finnick refused to have their food paid and did so themselves.

They all crammed into a booth together, just talking about nothing and everything, Judy scrunched up between Nick and Clawhauser. All of them with minus the cheetah and shrew, had slightly disheveled fur and were a little sore from constantly being knocked to the ground-but they were in good spirits.

Judy couldn't help but smile to herself as she came to the realization that things in Zootopia had turned out so much better than she thought they would.

.

After the meal they bid each other farewell, Fru Fru and Clawhauser heading home, and Finnick and Honey going off to gallivant, but the two Wilde brothers offered to walk Judy home which she accepted.

The three walked down the street in silence for a while before Nick's ears suddenly pricked up and he broke into a grin, "Carrots, I just thought of a way to test your detective skills."

She and Rick looked to him, "Oh?"

Nick pointed at his older brother, "Figure out why my brother has been in an uncomfortably good mood since he got back from winter break."

Rick ran his paw across his face in a frustrated manner, "Nick, we've lived together for seventeen years now. A good mood is my personality."

"But that's a good mood," Nick said. "You're in a good, good mood."

"Well he did get to be an intern to his dream job," Judy pointed out. "That would make me happy."

"And yet he hasn't been telling me about famous surgeries in horrifically graphic detail during breakfast," Nick said with a musing expression. "And he's been spending a lot of time staring at his phone."

Judy's ears pricked up and she looked at the older fox, "Rick did you meet someone?"

Said fox's ears flushed and he looked away, Nick let out a loud gasp his smile nearly splitting his face apart, "YOU MET SOMEONE!"

Rick groaned while Nick hugged his brother's shoulders, Judy covered her mouth to hide her smile. "What's her name? Is she a vixen? Was she an intern? Is she a dork like you or is she actually kinda cool? Did you kiss her? I bet you did under the mistletoe you romantic dweeb!"

"Okay Nick, leave him alone," Judy gently pulled him away from Rick. "Don't tease him."

"Thank you, Judy," Rick said, his face buried in his paws.

The three made it to Judy's doorstep, inside she could heard the chatter of her cousins. Judy smiled at the two foxes, "Thanks for walking me."

"Actually Carrots," Nick stopped her from leaving, "I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Nick looked at his brother, "I wanted to ask you without an audience."

"Oh I'm sorry," Rick said dryly. "I can't hear you over all that teasing from ten seconds ago."

Nick rolled his eyes at him but turned back to Judy, "Fine, with an audience. Are you busy this weekend?"

Judy's smile grew, knowing where this was going, "Completely free."

"Great!" Nick began but then halted when he realized that maybe he said that a little too loud and excited. "I mean…cool…cause I was wondering…if maybe…I could…we could…"

"Go on a date with him," Rick spoke up, ignoring Nick's glare.

Judy laughed at the two brothers, "If you insist."

It may be short…but it's cute~

Nick and Judy's date will be on chapter 55.

But I think I'm spoiling you guys with the fast updates since you were starting to freak out when I hadn't posted in a few days. I don't have wi-fi at my house, I can type all I want there but I have to go to my town's library to update stories. So if I take a while that's because I haven't had the chance to go.

Like I'd let some internet trolls keep me from finishing my stories.

P.S. one more thing go to JackOrJohn on deviantART. THEY DREW ST. ZOO FANART AND ITS BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVE IT AND GO CHECK IT OUT AND SAY SOMETHING NICE!