A/N:
So... I hated this chapter when I wrote it over a year ago. I've rewritten it a dozen times and I'm finally OK with it. This is not what I was expecting to do here. As a writer, this is called "the characters doing what they damn well please despite everything you try". All I will say is that I am working on the next chapter. I've had it in my head for fifteen months. Please, try not to be too frustrated with this chapter's ending. It's been a beast and I promise the payoff is coming.
A small set of keys arced from the doorway to Nick's paw and the todd smiled. "Thanks, Jack."
"Bring her back with a full tank and no scratches, this time," Jack admonished.
Nick fiddled with the key fob while avoiding Jack's gaze. "It was a bug on the fender and I filled the tank."
"Yes…" Jack commented wryly as he sipped his coffee. "Before joyriding all over the Meadowlands and Alpine district. She was bone dry when you brought her back."
"Fine, fine," Nick mumbled as he straightened his light grey suit - again. "I'll make sure your baby gets fed."
Jack's paws stopped mid-sip and he looked at the fox. "You're nervous."
Nick smirked knowingly at his friend and pocketed the keys. "You know me too well, Jackie."
"Not as well as I'd like, in some ways." Jack placed his cup on the counter and met his friend's unimpressed stare. "Why are you fretting? It's just a date."
Nick fiddled with his jacket buttons. "I wish it was that simple."
"It is." Jack crossed his arms and lifted an eyebrow. "Isn't it?"
To Jack's astonishment, Nick unbuttoned his jacket and sat down at their little kitchen table. The todd was not himself. He came across as unflappable and diffident to most, but to him the fox was a very different animal. He was a very appearance-focused male when in public. It was a necessity. With his position, it was unavoidable. So, for him to flop into a squashy chair in an easily-wrinkled suit moments before leaving for a date in a public place… Jack knew things were not entirely right with the fox.
Jack slipped up behind Nick and slid his paws under the fox's collar to rub his shoulders. "Now, what's got you so tense about an evening with Judy?"
Nick hummed softly in appreciation. "It's not her." He placed a paw on Jack's as they moved. "It's the situation."
"Worried about your reputation?"
"Worried about my history of worrying about my reputation."
Jack's paws stilled. "You're serious about this, aren't you? That's why you're so out of sorts."
"I've got a lot of years behind me that are filled with playing the part and protecting the image," Nick sighed. "Now, I may have found someone who wants to see beneath the surface."
"And not for their own gain," Jack added. "Well, not financial gain, anyway."
"Yes, thank you, Jack," the fox grumbled.
"You really want her, don't you?" Jack felt satisfaction as his friend went still. "Enough so that it's bringing up your insecurities."
Nick nodded.
Jack chuckled mostly to himself. "My goodness… And you're worried about everything, now because you can't do anything by halves."
"Probably." Nick shifted in his seat. "I'm used to desire, but this is more than a scene, or a fleeting interest, or a playmate. For the first time in ages I'm considering allowing myself to make a genuine connection. That kind of vulnerability… unnerves me."
"Nick, the only thing Judy is interested in is you. She's infatuated with your art and fascinated by your personality. A little intimidated by your preferences, maybe, but you've seen that desire before."
"The intoxication of the taboo." Nick snarked. "I'm guilty of it myself."
Jack was having none of it. "The point is," he continued, "she's interested in you, what you do, and the results. She's been absolutely transparent about it. Practically rabid for it, I'd say."
"She isn't the issue, here. I am."
"You're hung up on being hung up." Jack laughed quietly. "Quite the tortured artist."
"I do the torturing when the occasion calls for it."
"Is that what you have in mind for Judy, this evening?"
"Perhaps. If the evening calls for it, I'll give her the choice." Nick rolled his head to look pensively up at the rabbit. "Jealous?"
"Envious," Jack touched Nick's nose with a finger, "but still pleased. It gives me hope."
"Jack…"
"I've never given up. And I won't." The buck stroked his friend's jaw and walked away. "I'll be around tonight if you need a spotter."
Nick snorted in amusement. "What about my existential crisis?"
"You're about to have an evening out with a beautiful young lady," Jack commented as he collected his coffee, again. "She's as irascible as you are, so I know if you don't get your head straight soon, she'll take care of it. She'll probably rock you to your foundations, while she's at it."
Jack was almost out the door when he heard Nick whisper. "You always were a soft touch."
Not for the first time, Jack wondered why he was so patient. Then, the memory bubbled up, again, and he remembered. With a wry smile, he looked back at the fox.
"I want to fly, again, Nicolas. I have since our first and only scene. I've told you I'll wait as long as I have to."
"You know why I won't, Jack." Nick stood, fiddling with the keys. "I crossed a line."
"And I told you I wanted it. I did then and I do now. I understand your reasons and the discipline behind it, but you've been forgiven." Nick shook his head and Jack grinned. "You're changing, thanks to Judy. Growing. Maybe, you'll grow to forgive yourself and I'll get my chance."
Nick smoothed his suit, failing to look at his friend. "No guarantees, Jack."
"That's life, Nicky, but I'm still hopeful." Jack chuckled and turned towards the hall. "Now, get going. Judy is probably wearing through the floorboards."
Judy couldn't believe it. Once Nick had picked her up, she'd been ready for almost anything. Dinner and a movie, or perhaps an art gallery. She'd imagined every possible—well plausible, at least—scenario. Or, so she'd thought. Going to a botanical garden was not her idea of an ideal date. Coming from a family who was big—really big—on horticulture and plant husbandry, she'd seen and heard enough about various forms of flora to last ten lifetimes.
She'd managed to keep a smile on her face, but Nick hadn't been fooled. He hadn't been upset either. That had confused her. Her confusion had gotten worse when they'd veered away from the Meadowlands and crossed the climate wall into Sahara Square.
Their route had taken them along disused roads and through some of the most unusual driving spaces that Judy had ever seen. She'd suspected it was by design, as Nick enjoyed hugging curves at speed. If she was honest, she'd enjoyed it, too. Right up to their arrival at a place Judy had never dreamed existed, let alone heard about.
"Living Stone Botanical Ranch?" She couldn't help but snicker as they passed the weathered sign by the gate. "Is this a joke?"
"Yes, but not the one you're thinking."
Nick parked the car and slipped out without a word. Before Judy could open her own door, he was there offering her a hand out of her seat. Confused, she accepted and was surprised when her paw was guided to his arm once she was standing. She allowed the fox to guide her to the edge of the parking area where she gasped in surprise. Sprawled below them were several hundred acres of bluffs, canyons, spires and peculiar rock formations. It was a beautiful view, but something seemed odd about it. Then, it clicked. There were manicured plant beds everywhere, so carefully concealed and worked into the landscape that they were nearly invisible at a distance.
Judy couldn't believe her eyes. "Is it a geologist's retreat? Like a massive Zen Garden, or something?"
"It's a retreat, but the name makes more sense when you discover that a "living stone" is a plant."
"A… plant. Okay…"
"They're a desert succulent species. Scientific name, Lithops."
"Wait… So, this is a garden? Not a rock climber's park?"
"The mass of canyons and grottoes you see below you is a botanical wonderland. It was designed by an eccentric armadillo who decided to showcase the foliage of arid lands in the most spectacular manner devisable. Every nook and cranny is packed with plant life. You just have to pay attention—and be a bit adventurous—to find the hidden pretties."
"How adventurous are we talking?"
Nick watched as his date looked down at her choice of attire, chuckling at her expression. "That's for another night."
"Oh, good. I don't hike well in a dress."
"Me neither, but worry not! This evening, the ranch is doing a special event—wine and music." An arm swept grandly across the vista. "Every little enclave in the central area has a band, singer, or performer present. They've been specially chosen to suit the acoustics of the display they're assigned to."
"No way."
"There's supposed to be a Bedouin group in the north oasis and an operatic quartet taking turns in the water grotto. I hear the gerbil tenor is quite exceptional."
Judy couldn't believe her ears. "This is incredible! I never even knew this was here."
"It pays to know a mammal or two," he replied with a wink. "And pay attention to the classical music circuit."
If it hadn't been the beginning of the date, she'd have kissed him then and there.
Instead, she gripped his arm more firmly and said, "Well, lead on!"
Inside the Ranch, Nick felt both more and less at ease. The awkwardness he'd been afraid of at the start of the evening had conveniently been absent which was a relief, if a short-lived one. Once through the gates and checked in, there was only a short walk to the bar.
"Are you alright?" Judy's wry, teasing tone shook him out of his head.
He cleared his throat. "Apologies. I, uh, got distracted."
"Worried about 'performing' later tonight?" she asked with a waggle of her eyebrows.
Nick choked on his chilled Bordeaux.
As he coughed, Judy smiled and continued, "Is that better?"
"As compared to what, exactly?" he managed, eventually.
"As compared to wherever your head is," she replied as she leaned against the bar.
Nick's paws abruptly ceased, unnecessarily, smoothing his shirt.
"I thought I was hiding it better," he muttered ruefully, dropping his arms to his sides
"You're hiding something," she stated with a shrug. "I don't know what, or why, but it doesn't matter."
His glass stopped just shy of his lips. "It doesn't?"
"No-PE!" she popped with a grin.
"How do you figure? I-" The rest of Nick's response died when Judy placed a finger on his lips.
"You're anxious. I don't know why and I won't ask." She smiled as she lowered her paw. "I want to know, but I know better than to push you. Instead, I'll do what you've taught me."
"And what did I teach you, exactly?"
"If you can't express it, change your mindset." The bun grinned cheekily. "Fortunately, we're in the perfect place for that. Let's go!"
Nick snorted in amusement to cover his pleased embarrassment. "Where to, fluff?"
"Wherever our whimsy takes us," she chirped. "Come on!"
Judy dragged her companion away from the welcome area bar and off into the reserve, quickly losing herself in the natural and cultivated wonders around her. Between the play of light over the striated rockfaces and the bizarre plant life—most of which she'd never even heard of before—she was quickly engrossed to the point of distraction. With squeals of delight, she stared and gawked, quickly noting several places she wanted to return to with her easel and paints. She was carefully sniffing the bloom atop a particularly spiny cactus when Nick made his amusement known.
He slipped up next to her and whispered, "The salad bar is elsewhere, Carrots. No nibbling, if you please," chidingly into her ear.
Smirking, she turned her head. "Feeling neglected, Mister Wilde?"
"The word for me is 'distracted'," he replied, looking at her pointedly.
Judy half-straightened in confusion. "By what?"
"I can hardly appreciate the scenery when your smile outshines it all," Nick commented, sipping his drink. "And you're positively beaming."
The fox's affable tone didn't blunt the impact on Judy in the least. A delicious warmth suffused her body from her toes to the tips of her ears. Instantly, the urge to demure was pressing against her mind. She wanted to refuse the compliment, or deflect it, but she fought the instinct. Yes, his words made her want to melt, but she wasn't about to cave so easily. He'd taken the lead in their relationship thus far, but that was just the path that had gotten them to this point. Now, they were something else and if she was going to try to have a genuine relationship with this mammal, she was going to do it on equal footing.
"Fishing for compliments, then?" Judy teased.
Nick lifted a brow. "Not exactly my style."
"You've brought me here and I love it," she gushed in total deadpan, clasping her paws under her chin. "It's absolutely amazing. We're visiting again soon."
His eyes rolled and an annoyed sigh left his lip, but there was bite to them. "No surprise, there."
Judy dropped the pantomime act, grinning. "And I've been neglecting my already-nervous date."
"I wouldn't go that far."
"Would you feel better if I stayed as close to you as physically possible while dressed and in public?"
Her words were rewarded with a pink tinge in his ears and—for once—seeing him slightly off-balance.
He quickly recovered and smiled in return. "Playing back suits you."
Judy felt a little better for keeping her head and scoring a point on him. Knowing she'd gotten distracted left her feeling a little bad, but only a little. It had worked out in her favor after all. As they walked away from the cactus bed, he guided her arm up to rest in the crook of his elbow in a very old-fashioned, chivalric gesture. She took it as a victory; he wanted her attention and was acting on it.
A little thrill rolled through Judy as she allowed him to lead her through the gardens. His compliment had found its mark and she was feeling far more than flattered. It felt as though every nerve in her body was a live wire. All of her senses were on overdrive. His scent warred for attention with the flowers and heated stone, the play of light and shadows across his fur and the canyon walls, the feel of his tail brushing her thighs and the feel of the silk under her dress all combined to leave her floating on air and breathless.
They walked around a few bends in the path and across a small bridge spanning a small stream. The stream paralleled the footpath and provided a soft, babbling noise to accompany their small talk. Teasing comments and witty rejoinders bounced around the tapering ravine until they came to a narrow opening between two boulders. Stepping through the natural gateway, Judy was forced to stop and stare. It was as though they'd stepped into a different world.
An oblong, irregularly-formed opening led into a huge room, roughly shaped like a stretched kidney bean and large enough for a troop of elephants to settle in comfortably; not that pachyderms would fit through the door. The space was surprisingly airy. Looking up, Judy understood why. A huge stone arch stretched across the center of the room, held up by the plateau on one side and a mammoth stone pillar on the other. Additional, smaller pillars and karsts stood or leaned haphazardly around the rest of the space's perimeter, leaving irregular openings between them. The grotto was partly uncovered and open enough for mottled light to penetrate and a dry breeze and to waft through, but still felt cozy and close.
Judy's feet carried her forward without conscious thought, her eyes and attention glued to the scenery of the strange oasis.
"What is this place?" her tone almost reverent.
"It's called 'The Grotto' on the Ranch map."
"It's incredible."
The small stream that had been their companion in the ravine traipsed past them and plopped into a stone-lined trough that had been cut into the floor. Judy's eyes traced the little water way along the floor, her smile growing with every passing moment. It was joined by several other small canals and eventually spilled out into a large stone basin at the top of a low wall. From there, the water dropped down a small waterfall into another basin, flowed across the floor into a larger stream bed, between two pillars, and was gone. The babble of falling and flowing water added a sense of serenity to the grotto, as did the leafy greenery positively exploding from every rock crevice.
"It's-It's…" Judy just couldn't find the words.
"A haven," Nick finished for her, "from the heat and dust—lush and green, like something out of a dream."
"You knew this was here?"
"This isn't my first visit, Sweetheart. This is my favorite place at the Ranch."
Judy's next question was cut short by a small commotion on the far side of the grotto. She glanced at the fox. He was grinning—just waiting for her to run off to investigate. Rather than embarrass herself by hopping in place like a kit, she scampered around the long bend of the room and stopped cold. In the farthest corner of the room sat a collection of mammals in dark suits. A drum kit and a piano flanked a substantial horn section and a pair of guitars. She could see a pair of violins, a cello, a clarinet and a bass leaning to the sides.
His tail brushed the backs of her legs as Nick walked past and she stiffened in surprise. The band settled themselves into professional attention as the fox approached. A few words and a handshake passed between Nick and the band leader, a handsome—rather matronly—squirrel and then the unthinkable happened.
The band struck up.
Situations like this only happened in movies. An oddly matched couple on a slightly awkward date, a secluded place with a full band in the middle of a bizarrely perfect date spot. A hauntingly beautiful piece of music chosen, seemingly at random, for the pair to dance to. That was, of course, if Nick wanted to dance with her. Judy tipped her head to look at her date, knowing that certain expectations were plain as the anxiously twitching nose on her face–not that she would admit to that.
She needn't have worried, though it suddenly seemed the safer option as Nick turned to face her. There was something in his expression that she couldn't name and suddenly the whole game changed. She'd seen him focused. She'd felt the weight of his full, undivided attention. She'd even gotten somewhat used to his intensity, but this was different. His eyes glittered with an emotion she'd never seen before. It was humbling and electrifying in the same instant.
Breathing was difficult, she noticed absently as he took her paws in his—one he guided to her shoulder, the other he held gently but firmly as their feet began to move. Judy couldn't believe what was happening. The fairy tale was too real and she felt herself getting swept away as he pulled her into the music. It lasted until she recognized the song and she burst out laughing.
She smiled ruefully up at him and asked, "I take it I'm the beast, here?"
Nick's eyes rolled down to meet hers and a grin slid onto his features. Without a word, he lifted his lip in a little snarl and clacked his teeth. Judy felt her chest tighten, again, and warmth spread through her like cream in coffee. There was an intent behind his actions. She didn't know what they were, exactly, but she had an idea. More urgently, she had a hope.
As the song drifted to its inevitable end, Judy allowed her paw to slide from her partner's shoulder down onto his chest. The half-formed words died in her throat as the first paw-claps began. As she looked around—finally noticing the rest of the room—she was mortified to see they had drawn a crowd. Two dozen mammals had followed the famous song to find them and had stayed to enjoy the show.
Following Nick's cue, Judy skirted a bow and was blessedly led away from the center of the floor towards the bandstand. As they passed, Nick nodded to the band leader. With a wiggling of her eyebrows she struck up the band. The dancefloor filled as the rabbit and fox slipped out of the oasis and onto the Ranch's paths once again.
Three hours later, Judy was sitting on the hood of the car enjoying an ice cream cone. The evening was turning into the best date she'd ever heard of, let alone had. Cocktails and dancing at the Ranch had bled into a short drive through the scenic Badlands region and into the Meadowlands. After a quick stop at a Co-op for an impromptu picnic basket Nick had guided her to a field of wildflowers, where they'd enjoyed their repast. Then, they'd driven on to a tiny ice cream parlor just off the university campus. All the while the banter had flowed easily, the flirting had been cheekily constant, and—despite doing so much—she never once felt rushed.
Judy savored her ice cream knowing that the end of her date was coming. She hated to see it end, but she could only find one complaint in the whole thing if she really tried. Nick had been right about what she chose to wear under her dress. Knowing she was dressed for battle had given her the confidence to go toe-to-toe with the fox on the flirting and made her feel ready for anything. The only thing she wasn't ready for was the end.
The last of her cone was nibbled down and she sighed contentedly. "So, what now?"
Nick eyed her with mock irritation. His mouth was full of cone and he crunched pointedly as she beamed at him in unrepentant glee. Swallowing, the fox licked his chops and checked his nails, delaying and drawing out the time before his answer. To Judy's irritation, she couldn't help shifting in her seat and only managed to stop herself after seeing his satisfied grin.
"Eager for the night to end, sweetheart?" Nick asked breezily.
"Quite the opposite, Mr. Wilde." Judy grinned, sweeping aside his teasing. "I know it's coming, but I'm in absolutely no rush."
"That's a small relief to hear."
"Are we feeling anxious, again, oh famous artist?"
"We are, but not for the reasons you think."
Before Judy could reply Nick stood. His paws gripped her waist and she was lifted to the ground. She tried not to enjoy the feeling of his hands on her too much and she was a little confused at the sudden activity. The confusion intensified as he guided her to the passenger's side door and opened it for her, offering a paw to help her into her seat.
She accepted the paw and allowed herself to be led, again. Her date had proven time and again that he was unpredictable, mercurial, and prone to turning her expectations on their head, so she was unsure of what he was up to. That didn't stop her from fearing that the night really was ending and she prepared herself for the eventuality, just in case.
Nick opened the driver's door and tossed his jacket into the backseat. A moment later, he slid behind the wheel and closed the door. There he stopped and exhaled long and slow. Judy fought to keep herself contained and patient as her date let the tension build.
At length, Nick licked his lips and spoke. "I find myself in a quandary, Judy."
"Oh?"
He smiled at her self-restraint and cheekiness. "We've had an excellent night. Everything from drinks to ice cream and now, we have a choice to make."
"Which is…?" Judy was practically vibrating in her seat. "Come on, Nick! This is agonizing!"
"When I start the car, we can go one of two directions. If I turn left, your dorm is ten minutes away and our date ends with a kissed paw on your doorstep."
She shifted in her seat at the thought as the temperature spiked a dozen degrees. "What happens if you turn right?"
"To the right is Safflower Lane and the studio."
Judy could only nod.
"Not what you think, sweetheart." He smirked. "Much as we'd both enjoy a night of passion, it's only the first date."
She swallowed. "Anticipation always makes getting what you want better."
Nick barked a sharp laugh and Judy smiled. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but that isn't my aim, tonight."
"Then, what is?"
Judy's heart hammered in her chest as his fingertips traced over her cheek. "There is nothing I want more right now than to tie you. I've wanted to tie you for weeks and today has been…extraordinary. I would love to end it with a rope scene, but that requires something."
"W-w-what's that?"
"Consent."
Judy was fit to burst with the achingly circuitous path the fox was taking to get to the point, but she kept control. Barely. "I'd say yes and mean it, but you always want something more meaningful, so how do I make that crystal clear?"
He gestured at the steering wheel.
Never breaking eye-contact, Judy shifted to her knees on the seat, reached out and yanked the wheel to the right. Hard.