Songs for this chapter: Pray for You by Jaron and the Long Road to Love, Can't Stop This Feeling by Justin Timberlake, Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon, Larger Than Life by Pinkzebra, Get Up, Get Up by Zach Berkman, Rewrite the Stars by Zac Efron/Zendaya.

Vivian carried Judy into the piano room as Amy hopped downstairs to grab the boys. As Vivian started walking towards the couch, Judy stopped her and insisted on being set down on the piano bench. Vivian smiled happily as she set her soon-to-be daughter in-law on the bench where Nick would shortly join her. After setting Judy down, Vivian sat down on the end of the couch just as Amy returned with the boys.

Nick immediately sat down next to Judy and wrapped his long, bushy tail around her waist. After giving his honeybun a nuzzle between the ears, he glanced over to see Amy sitting next to Vivian with Finnick sitting next to her. With a wide grin, he saw Finnick was sitting closer to Amy than he normally sat when next to someone. Not wanting to scare his friend off from the romance staring him in the face, Nick chose to focus on the reason for them all being up here.

With a wide grin, he asked, "So what am I playing?"

"Something upbeat," Judy said at the same time her sister said, "Something funny."

Looking back and forth between the two does, he thought for a moment, then said, "Okay, I got one." As his fingers slid across the keys as he played the intro music for the song Pray for You by Jaron and the Long Road to Love, he said, "I dedicate this song to Dawn Bellwether."

"Bellwether!?" Judy and Finnick shouted at the same time, even as Finnick all but jumped to his feet.

Holding a finger up, Nick said, "Wait, you'll see what I mean." Judy settled down beside him as she was curious to see what he meant, even as Finnick folded his arms and grumbled under his breath about the 'sorry piece of wool' and how she should be buried in the deepest part of the prison, never to the see the light of day again.

Ignoring the grumbles of his friend, Nick sang the introduction and then started in on the chorus: "I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill, I pray a flowerpot falls from the windowsill and knocks you in the head like I'd like to. I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls. I pray you're flying high when your engine stalls. I pray all your dreams never do come true. Just know, wherever you are, Dawn, I pray for you…"

Judy was snickering behind her paw as she whispered, "Nick, that's awful."

Nick simply smiled as he continued singing, even as he heard Amy snickering, too, while Finnick was doubled over laughing into the couch cushion. "…Yeah, I'm gonna take the high road and do what the preacher told me to do. You keep messin' up and I'll keep prayin' for you." With a hum as Judy started petting his tail, he continued, "I pray your tire blows out at 110. I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with his and her tattoos…" There was a long interlude and then the chorus started up again. "I pray your brakes go out runnin' down the hill…"

As the song finished, Nick glanced down at his honeybun who was brushing her fingers through his tail (it felt amazing!). "So how was it? Was this not the perfect song for Dawn Bellwether?"

With a giggle, Judy murmured, "Nick, you're so bad."

"What?" Nick asked with a flick of his ear. "Are you saying you pray her dreams do come true?"

With a shake of her head, Judy leaned into his side and said, "Bellwether didn't have any dreams. All she had was nightmares…nightmares she wanted to engulf the city in." With a heavy sigh, she leaned her head against Nick's upper arm as she added, "They say misery likes company, and with all the misery Bellwether brought to the city, she must be one of the most miserable mammals on the planet."

With a heavy sigh of his own, Nick had to agree with Judy's assessment. Nuzzling the top of her head and breathing in deeply of her sweet scent, he then gave her head a quick smooch, then murmured into her fur, "Too true."

Still chortling, Finnick looked over and said, "I love it! That's the perfect song for Bellwether!" Wiping tears from his eyes, he added, "Oh, what I wouldn't give to play that over the speaker system in prison and then be a fly on the wall when she hears her name!"

"Hm, that would be funny," Amy agreed. Although she didn't know much about the ewe as she was from Bunnyburrow, hearing from her sister how Bellwether tried turning Nick savage so he would literally eat Judy put the evil little ewe at the top of her very short hit list. Not that she went around knocking mammals off, but smacking the psychotic ewe in the head just once with her trusted wrench might just knock some sense into her head…maybe…At any rate, it would make her feel whole lot better.

Glancing over at his mom, Nick saw that her arms were crossed and as their eyes met, she rolled her deep sapphire eyes at him. Although she couldn't argue the point that if Bellwether had one of these accidents it would be a blessing to the city as the mad ewe and her dastardly plans would cease to exist, Vivian had to think about the collateral damage of the hapless mammals who might be in the way when it happened.

Nick grinned at his mom, then turned back to the piano. Thinking of his hyperactive honeybun, he then thought of another good song—an upbeat one just like Judy wanted. As his fingers played across the keys, Judy's ears perked up as she immediately recognized the theme song from the movie Trolls. And then she started bopping back and forth on the seat as he started singing, "I got this feeling inside my bones…it goes electric wavy when I turn it on. All through my city, all through my home, we're flying up, no ceiling, when I'm in my zone."

Jumping off the couch, Amy started dancing which had Finnick glued to her flexible body and bobbing tan and white tail. As Nick started singing the second line, Amy and Judy both joined in. "I got that sunshine in my pocket, I got that good soul in my feet…" With a bright smile, Nick watched Judy jumping around on the bench beside him as they sang. This song perfectly described his honeybun when she was happy. Just full of life and energy and Nick found her upbeat mood contagious.

"And under the lights when everything goes, nowhere to hide when I'm getting you close. When we move, well you already know, so just imagine, just imagine, just imagine. Nothing I can see but you when you dance, dance, dance…" With his foot tapping as Judy danced in her seat and Amy danced across the floor which had Finnick and Vivian both impressed with her bunny energy and agility, they continued singing, "Ooh, it's something magical. It's in the air it's in my blood, it's rushing on..."

As he and Judy rocked back and forth on the bench in time with each other, they sang the finishing chords to the music. "…Got this feeling in my body, can't stop this feeling! Got this feeling in my body, come on!"

Taking a deep breath after the song ended, a blinding, buck-toothed smile spread across Judy's face. Putting her paw over her heart, even as Amy took a deep breath herself, Judy met Nick's sparkling green eyes and said, "Now that's what I call a song."

Booping her nose with his own, Nick chuckled lightly and said, "I thought you'd like it."

Rubbing noses with him, Judy hummed happily, saying, "Yep, it's a favorite of mine." Pulling back as her tail vibrated in her happiness, she asked, "What else do you have?"

With a wide smile, he started another song which had Judy tapping her head and feet as the rhythm swept through her, even as Nick started singing the song, Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. "Oh, don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. I said, You're holding back. She said, Shut up and dance with me!" Judy joined Nick in this last verse. "This woman is my destiny! She said, Ooh-ooh-hoo! Shut up and dance with me!"

With her arms in the air as she shimmied back and forth, Judy listened to Nick sing, then joined him whenever the song stated 'we' or 'she said'. "We were victims of the night, the chemical, physical, kryptonite! Helpless to the bass and fading light. Oh, we were bound to get together, bound to get together!"

Amy was dancing again, though she couldn't help but notice how in-tune Judy and Nick were with each other. Vivian, too, was watching her son and his bunny and was blown away by just how easily and naturally they moved along with the other. It literally looked like they were two parts of a single entity instead of two separate beings. Finnick of course, only had eyes for Amy's lithe body and fluffy white tail.

"She took my arm, I don't know how it happened. We took the floor and she said, Oh, don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. I said, You're holding back! She said, Shut up and dance with me! This woman is my destiny!" As the song continued, Judy kept dancing around on the bench beside Nick and would look at him on occasion. Each time she looked, Nick was always watching her, his vibrant green eyes alive with joy as the song described their relationship so well.

"Deep in her eyes, I think I see the future. I realize this is my last chance. She took my arm, I don't know how it happened, we hit the floor and she said… Oh, don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. I said, You're holding back. She said, Shut up and dance with me! This woman is my destiny! She said, Ooh-ooh-hoo! Shut up and dance!"

By the time the song finished, Judy and Nick were both breathing hard, but they were also grinning like crazy. Reaching up, Judy pulled Nick down for a deep kiss, but she kept it short remembering they had an audience—which had her ears turning a dark pink, but she never let her gaze drop from Nick's. "I love you," she mouthed to him. "I love you more," he mouthed back.

Judy giggled, then glanced over to see Amy sitting on the couch and grinning like crazy, too, while catching her breath. Finnick had shifted on the couch so he was sitting in the corner of the couch at an angle allowing him to better keep Amy in his sights without being too obvious. This had Judy giggling softly to herself. Glancing at Vivian, she seemed to be pleasantly surprised at how upbeat and fast paced Nick's music was. Judy imagined that Nick's music hadn't been the happiest the last five years.

As Vivian's blue eyes met Judy's amethyst, the older Vixen mouthed, "Thank you," to her. Judy flashed her a bright smile and mouthed, "My pleasure," back to her. Then Nick started the next song, Larger Than Life by Pinkzebra. This song, too, was upbeat and showed how much he was looking forward to the future.

Watching his honeybun, Nick sang, "Here's your story, lets began. The water's fine. Come on, dive in. The future's here, it's right before your eyes." As Judy began bouncing to the music again, he continued singing, "Step by step you're on your way. Welcome to a brighter day. Don't you know it feels good to be alive!"

Rocking to the beat as his finger's glided across the keys, Nick sang, "You could be larger than life. Bigger than the world! Living out the hopes and dreams of every boy and every girl. You can fly higher than the sky, shine brighter than the stars. You could have all you ever wanted, shoot the moon and reach for Mars, you know you could."

Judy and Amy both were singing along with Nick by now, even as Amy was dancing around the room. After sitting for two hours on the train and then over three hours in the gyrocopter, she had a lot of bunny energy to burn off and Nick's upbeat songs were just what she needed. It helped that she kept sneaking glimpses of Finnick watching her with an appreciative gaze. Knowing the guy she liked was watching her and liked what he saw had butterflies fluttering around inside her stomach and her heart pounding harder than the music did.

"Times are changing everywhere. Do we dream and do we dare? It's up to you, the door is open wide…" As they continued singing the song, Vivian sat watching her son sing and play. The way he kept staring at his bunny, there was no denying that Judy was the reason for the hope and joy that could now be heard and felt in Nick's music and it warmed her heart.

When Nick first called her up and said he was dating a bunny, and that he couldn't chase someone who wasn't even running, Vivian thought he'd gone completely insane. But now, watching the two of them together, and knowing they would soon be married, Vivian couldn't be any happier. Nor was there any other girl she would rather trust her son to. There really wasn't another female on the planet as special as Judy when it came to her son.

With his heart thumping wildly with love and happiness, Nick stared into Judy's shining amethyst gaze as he sang the last verse of the song. "You can fly higher than the sky, shine brighter than the stars, you can have everything you ever wanted…You know you could." As long as Judy remained at his side, Nick felt for the first time in his life that he really could have everything he ever wanted. The fact that some of the things he wanted had now changed didn't matter. He now had better things and bigger goals to strive for—all thanks to Judy. This wonderfully energetic bunny whose enthusiasm and complete faith in him turned his world upside down, but at the same time, she gave him a new lease on life.

As the last strains of the song faded, Nick said he would play one more upbeat song and then he would play a few less intense songs seeing as it was getting late and they had an early morning. Everyone agreed and then Nick started singing, Get Up, Get Up by Zach Berkman. "You can live for the moment, take them one at a time. You can right every wrong if you're strong, if you're strong, if you're strong and you're willing to try."

Judy blushed slightly while thinking of not only her disastrous speech at the press conference, but how badly she'd messed up with Nick. But in both cases, she was willing to try and she was already in the process of making things right.

While Judy was thinking of all the mistakes she still had to make right, Nick continued singing while looking into her beautiful amethyst eyes. "I've been to the bottom and I've had the blues and I've learned you can pull yourself up by the straps of your boots..."

Playing a small interlude as they both swayed to the music, Nick sang, "What do you got to lose? Get up, get up. It's a new day. Get up, get up. There's no time to waste. Get up, get up. We'll find ourselves lost in the sun. It's time to get up. (Oh-oh-oh-oh) It's time to get up. (Oh-oh-oh-oh) It's time to get up. (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) Ooh-ooh-hoo."

Amy was dancing again while singing the 'Oh-oh-oh-oh' parts of the song. Hopping and twirling from one side of the room to the other as she bobbed her head and swung her arms to the beat of the music, she was having the time of her life. This song was just a might slower than the last two, but she didn't care. It had been a long time since she'd last let loose and just had fun. Working in a male's world, she had to act tough most of the time, so being able to cut loose like this was amazing. Especially as the male she liked was impressed with her moves and hadn't taken his eyes off her for a moment.

"Who says dreams should come easy?" Nick sang as Judy joined him. "Who says times don't change? But I'm not gonna run out steam 'cause a couple of dreams, yeah a couple of dreams got away. It's never too late. Get up, get up. It's a new day. Get up, get up. There's no time to waste. Get up, get up…"

As they sang the chorus, Vivian continued to watch her son. She had all but given up hope that he would find the strength or reason to get up and continue trying in life. He was just going through the motions, barely surviving without ever really living. But now, with Judy by his side, Nick finally found the strength and desire to keep trying. He had finally found his purpose in life.

"Lost out here in the ice and snow, winter winds and bitter cold. Don't give up, don't give up hope. Pretty soon spring will come around, new leaves shoot up from the ground. Life grows all around us now. Get up, get up. It's a new day…" As Nick and Judy finished singing the song, Nick couldn't help but thank his lucky stars for throwing Judy in his path in such a way that he couldn't ignore her.

With Judy beside him, he felt he could finally rewrite his stars—that his past and his species no longer defined him. He was going to be a freakin' cop! In what bizarre parallel universe would that ever have happened without Judy hopping into his life and rearranging his stars?

Smiling down at his honeybun with love and gratitude shining in his eyes, Nick started the next song, "You know I want you, it's not a secret I try to hide. I know you want me so don't keep saying our hands are tied. You claim it's not in the cards and fate is pulling you miles away and out of reach from me. But you're here in my heart so who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?"

Judy immediately recognized the song as she'd seen the movie it came from, The Greatest Showmammal. She had liked the song before, but now Nick gave her new meaning to the song. Listening to Nick sing the words had her heart singing with hope and joy. "What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine, nothing could keep us apart. You'd be the one I was meant to find. It's up to you, and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be, so why don't we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours…tonight."

Smiling brightly up at Nick, Judy started singing the female vocals, "You think it's easy? You think I don't want to run to you? But there are mountains and there are doors that we can't walk through. I know you're wondering why because we're able to be just you and me within these walls. But when we go outside you're going to wake up and see that it was hopeless after all..." As she continued singing, Judy was grateful she didn't listen to the naysayers who said that a rabbit could never be a cop (her dad being one of the loudest). Because she rewrote her stars and became the first bunny cop, she was able to meet Nick, the wonderful, sweet, loyal, incredibly talented todd who had become the love of her life.

"When everyone tells us what we can be, how can we rewrite the stars? Say that the world can be ours…tonight?" Judy knew that the world would say that a fox and bunny could never be friends, let alone lovers and mates. And yet here she was, engaged to Nick and already planning their wedding. She knew it wasn't going to be easy once their relationship came out, but Nick was well worth it.

Nick picked up on the male vocals while looking into Judy's beautiful eyes as they sang the next stanza together. "All I want is to fly with you. All I want is to fall with you. So just give me all of you. It feels impossible. It's not impossible. Is it impossible? Say that it's possible. How do we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine? Nothing can keep us apart 'cause you are the one I was meant to find…"

Looking into Nick's vibrant green eyes as she sang, Judy knew that she was looking at her future. No matter what anyone said, she was going to rewrite the stars so even after the world found out about them, she was going to keep Nick. "…No one can say what we get to be. And why don't we rewrite the stars, changing the world to be ours?"

As Nick played the short interlude, Judy knew she was going to change the last few lines of the song because she was rewriting their stars. Not only was she going to marry Nick, but he was going to be the first fox police officer and be her partner. Both things most people would say was impossible. "You know I want you. It's not a secret I try to hide. I'm all yours. We're bound together and my paws are tied to you."

Taking her paws, Nick kissed them gently, then planted a soft kiss on her lips. Leaning his forehead against hers, he murmured, "I never thought I could rewrite my stars until I met you, and now, I watch them change daily."

Judy giggled and then they were beamed by a couch cushion even as Finnick growled out, "Go get a room!"

Judy and Nick both laughed, then Nick picked up the pillow and chucked it back at his small friend, saying, "You know what? I think we will."

Finnick rolled his eyes, then hopped off the couch. "Look, I'm going to head out now. I got a few things still to do tonight." He unconsciously glanced at Amy. He really wanted to stay longer and talk to her but figured that was just Nick's craziness talking. Besides, it was getting late and he knew she would want to wind down and relax after getting ready for bed.

Returning his gaze to Nick, Finnick added, "I'll see you guys tomorrow after Cottontail's parents leave." Turning to meet Amy's expectant gaze, he said, "We'll go fishing then."

Flashing him a bright, buck-toothed smile, Amy said, "Okay. I look forward to it."

With a wave of his paw, Finnick said goodbye then disappeared downstairs. After he left, Nick played a few lullabies, then the group broke up to get ready for bed. Nick dropped Judy off on her bed (which will be Amy's bed for the next few days) so they could catch up a bit before crawling in bed. Then he followed his mom out to the loft apartment, seeing as Amy would be taking Judy's room.

As they walked across the backyard lawn, with Nick carrying his mom's suitcase, Vivian pointed out his obvious oversight at his choice of room for her. After pointing out that Judy's parents would be highly suspicious if they came over and found a vixen sleeping in their daughter's bed, Nick was looking a bit sheepish.

Walking into the master bedroom, Nick set the suitcase on the bed, then turned to his mom. She was watching him with a contemplative look. "Well, what do you think?" he asked.

Stepping up to her son, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, saying, "She's wonderful, Nicholas. It's like that bunny was made just for you. I couldn't ask for anyone better to walk the path of life with you. Judy is a real gem."

Nick squeezed his mom tightly as tears smarted his eyes. Knowing his mom approved of his choice felt better than he expected it to. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that he'd made a lot of stupid moves in his life that he wasn't proud of, and which were a big disappointment to his mom. But he'd finally gotten something right. "Thanks, Mom," he finally said as Vivian crushed him tighter to her chest.

After several heartbeats, Vivian released her son and took a step back. Meeting Nick's emotional, green eyes, she gave him a warm smile and said, "I'm proud of you, Nick, and it's an honor to be able to attend your wedding."

A bright grin spread across Nick's face and he said, "Would you still feel honored if I asked you to play the music at the wedding?"

Vivian's eyes widened. It had been years since she last played the piano. After John's death, she found it hard to play the piano, but after Demetri's death her desire to play had shriveled up and died. The only time she found the motivation to play was when she was helping Nick and Anya practice. But once they no longer needed her assistance, she preferred listening to one of them play.

But this was her son's wedding they were talking about. Perhaps it was time to move on from the past, too. With a bright smile that matched her son's, she answered, "Nicholas, nothing would please me more than to play at your wedding."

With a soft laugh, Nick pulled his mom back into a tight hug. "I'm finally getting married, Mom!" he exclaimed out of the blue. It hadn't really felt real until this moment when his mom agreed to play the piano for it.

Vivian squeezed Nicholas back, saying, "I never thought this day would come, but Judy was well worth the wait. I'm so proud of you, son."

With a light chuckle, Nick replied, "Yeah, she was." Taking a deep breath, he added, "It's nice to finally do something right for a change."

Vivian gave a soft laugh, then stepped back to look at her son again. Brushing his face briefly, she said, "Just think, by this time next year you'll be a cop and doing a whole lot of things right."

"Yeah, I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around that one," Nick murmured. "I'm having a hard time seeing myself as a cop after all the borderline-criminal activities I've done."

"Well, I can see it and you're going to make one fantastic cop." Cupping his face with both paws, Vivian continued, "You and that bunny of yours are going to show all those stuffy old officers what being a cop really means."

"You can be sure of it, Mom," Nick answered. "It won't take long for us to be the top partnership of the precinct."

With a soft smile, Vivian murmured, "Yes, I imagine you will." Patting his cheek, she added, "Now get back in there to your bunny before she starts wondering if you got lost."

With his tail wagging at the thought of rejoining Judy, Nick said, "Goodnight, Mom, I love you."

"I love you, too, Nicholas. Goodnight."

They hugged each other one last time, then Nick slipped out of the apartment and made his way back towards the house, even as Vivian got ready for bed. After climbing into bed, she sat up against the headboard and thought. The road her son had traveled to get to where he was today had been long and rocky, with lots of potholes and roadblocks. When he was little, she had so many hopes and dreams for Nicholas and for the longest time, she thought they were all for not. But seeing how happy he was now—could she really say her way would have been better?

Nick would have been happier in the short-term, that was for sure, but would he ever have been as happy as he was today singing along with his bunny? Would he have found a girl to share life with whose whole world would revolve around him? Who would risk life and limb to be there for him? And who believed so unconditionally in him?

Vivian doubted it. He probably would have found a nice girl to settle down with, for sure, but without the rainstorms in his life, could he truly appreciate the sunshine he had now? As a mother, Vivian never wanted to see anything bad happen to her kit, and yet, because of his struggles and fighting his way through them, he was so much stronger. She felt eternally grateful that Judy hopped into his life and refused to let him be, that she made all the trials worth it for they paved the road that led him to her.

Remembering the love and adoration in Judy's eyes as she sang with her son, Vivian scooted down in the bed and rolled over before pulling the blanket up and over her shoulders. That sweet bunny had her son in good paws. With this thought, Vivian slipped into a deep, restful slumber.

-/-/-

After Nick dropped Judy off in her room and disappeared with his mom outside, Amy turned to her sister and gave her a sly look while asking, "Are you sharing the bed with me or snuggling with your fox tonight?"

Judy's ears immediately turned a dark shade of pink and dropped to her back. Pulling one around, she started petting the end as she murmured, "I don't know what you're talking about."

With a giggle, Amy said, "Oh, come on, Judy, I have eyes." Pointing to the head of the bed, she added, "And it wasn't this headboard you were sitting up against this morning when you called, it was Nick's bed you were sitting on." She was now pointing across the hall to Nick's room.

Judy's ears now turned deep red. Chewing on her lip, she finally said, "Okay, yes, I snuggled with Nick last night, but it was under special circumstances." Amy raised her brow and Judy grabbed both ears and tugged on them. "Look, Nick had a bunch of jobless predators here this morning to do yardwork and he doesn't want it getting around that I live here for fear a mob of angry predators might show up, so he kept me in his room and smothered me in his scent so on the off-chance someone came in the house, they wouldn't smell me here." Taking a deep breath, she stared at her sister willing her to believe her.

Amy laughed at Judy's anxious face. "Come on, Judy, I'm not Mom or Dad. You don't have to justify your actions to me."

Judy's shoulders slumped. "Thanks."

Amy came and sat down on the bed beside her and wrapped her arm around Judy, then pulled her close. "So how was it? Snuggling with your fox?"

Judy slapped her paws over cheeks. "Hot fudge sundaes! Being enveloped in Nick's fluffy warmth was amazing! I swear, I must have died and gone to heaven! Listening to his strong heartbeat and steady breathing had all my worries and stress flowing off me like water." Looking over to meet her sister's light blue eyes, she added, "It was the best sleep I've had since, well, ever!"

Amy laughed. "So, does that mean you'll be snuggling with your fox tonight, too?"

Judy blinked, then turned back and started petting her ear again. "Well, I was planning to." Glancing over, she asked, "It won't bother you will it, sleeping in this room by yourself?"

With another laugh, Amy replied, "Judy, I'm a big girl. I'm perfectly fine sleeping by myself." With a cheeky smile, she added, "Besides, while you're snuggling with your fox, I'll be dreaming about my own."

Judy's ears perked up. "Really? You guys were gone for over three hours, so I assumed you hit it off great." Taking her sister's paw, she added, "But it went great enough that you're already dreaming about him?"

Taking her paw back, Amy grabbed her ears. "Holy crow, yes! Finnick was amazing! Talking with him I lost all track of time!" Releasing he ears and grabbing Judy's arm, she said, "And did you see the way he was watching me dance tonight!?"

Laughing, Judy replied, "I was mostly watching Nick, but the few times I did glance his way, it was obvious that Finnick only had eyes for you."

Amy gave a soft 'squee' then fell back on the bed. Judy laughed but Amy didn't care. "Do you think my time is finally going to come?"

Turning on the bed to stare at her sister, Judy said, "Well, Finnick is a little rough around the edges and I'm sure he'll drag his feet a little, but if you're persistent, then I'm sure you'll win his heart."

Amy rolled onto her side and pulled her legs up. Meeting her sister's amethyst gaze, she said, "I really hope so." Taking a deep breath, she added, "I really like Finnick, I really do. He's smart and funny and he respects me as a mechanic but still treats me like a girl."

Judy laughed again. "Finnick doesn't give his respect away easily, so if you already have it then I think you're halfway there."

Amy smiled, then chewed on her lip a little. Finally, she asked, "Do you think if I asked, he'd come with me to Bunnyburrow and help me restore my '56 corvette?"

With a hearty laugh, Judy answered, "Amy, Finnick's passion is working on cars and he rarely gets to, so if you asked for his help, he'd be really happy."

"You don't think he'll think I was taking advantage of his skills, do you?" Amy asked after a moment.

Judy simply smiled. "If it was anyone else, I'd say yes, but he did just spend over three hours in a gyrocopter with you. And with everyone else overlooking or downplaying his skills, I think he'd be honored if you were to ask for his help—especially if he were to help you restore such a timeless classic."

A wide smile spread across Amy's face. "Okay, I'll ask him tomorrow when we're fishing."

Judy met her sister's wide smile and said, "Now tell me all about your flight. What did you two talk about and where did you go?"

Laughing, Amy sat up and proceeded to tell Judy all about her impromptu tour over Zootopia.

-/-/-

As Nick stepped up on the porch, he didn't go in the house but made a detour and plopped down on the porch swing. Judy was visiting with her sister and he needed to talk to his own sister.

Pulling out his phone, Nick took a deep breath, then called Anya on MuzzleTime. The phone only rang a couple of times before she answered.

"Hey, Nick, what's up?" she asked with a bright smile.

Nick smiled to see his sister in a much better mood but wasn't looking forward to dashing it. "Well, I called for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted to know if you'd be free to come down Monday and Tuesday? I'm kind of putting together a formal dinner party for friends and family Tuesday night."

"A party?" Anya said excitedly, but then her ears drooped. "I'm booked up with several complicated surgeries for those two days, well, most of the week actually. But if it's next Monday and Tuesday, I'll be free, you know, so we can spend more time together after you come down next weekend."

Nick's ears canted to the side. "Yeah, that's the other reason I called." With a heavy sigh, he explained, "Something came up and I won't be able to come down this weekend."

"Oh," Anya murmured as her ears drooped further. "Well, I can come down there then."

Nick shook his head. "I'm leaving town Wednesday afternoon and I can't say for sure when I'll be back. I know I'll be gone through Sunday for sure, but beyond that, I can't say when I'll be back."

Anya's ears laid back as she angrily said, "You're leaving town on Wednesday and yet you're not coming up here to see me? What am I, chopped liver?"

Nick's ears disappeared. "Look, Anya, it's not like that. I have a lot of things going on right now and if possible, I was really hoping to see you sooner rather than later." Running a paw through his head fur, he said, "How about this, I'll call you when I get back and then I'll come up to visit. I should be back by Wednesday at the latest, then we can visit the rest of the week and the weekend. Okay?"

"How do I know you'll keep your word this time? You promised me just two days ago that I'd see you in a week and you're already breaking your word."

Nick gulped. "I'll tell Mom I'm coming down."

Anya stared at her brother through the phone as she ground her teeth. With a huff, she finally said, "Fine. But you better be here within two weeks or I'm coming down there to murder you and then make a fox-skin rug out of you."

Nick gulped again as his tail flicked anxiously. "Promise, I'll be there."

"Good," Anya replied. Watching Nick relax, she then asked, "This thing that suddenly came up wouldn't have anything to do with that dangerous thing you needed distracted from on Thursday, would it?"

Nick's ears disappeared behind his head. "Um, maybe," he muttered.

"Nick!" Anya yelled at him. "Haven't you given Mom enough grey fur already!? How could you go back to doing dangerous stuff!?"

Looking at his sister's incensed face for a minute, Nick then started laughing. "It's not anything life-threatening."

"It's not?" Anya asked suspiciously.

"No!" Nick laughed again. "When I said it was dangerous, I was using the word as an expression. If I die from it, it'll be from pure happiness and unadulterated pleasure."

Anya's jaw dropped. "Say what!?"

With another hearty laugh, Nick said, "I'm happy, Anya. Something incredibly amazing happened to me and things are finally looking up."

Anya's tail-tip flicked behind her as she studied her brother's honestly happy face, something she hadn't seen since Honey died. Still glaring at her brother, she asked, "And you're not going to tell me what it is?"

Nick shook his head. "I want to tell you in person, well, show you in person, so I won't say anything now, but Mom knows all about it and is behind me one hundred percent."

Anya continued to stare for a moment longer, then huffed, saying, "Fine." She still wasn't happy but knew she wouldn't get anything more from Nick. With her ears laid back, she added, "But if I don't see you in two weeks, I will come down there to strangle you. Got it?"

Nick held his paw up. "A week and a half, that's all I ask for, and then I'll tell you what I've been up to and why I'm so happy."

Pointing at him through the phone, Anya said, "I'm serious, Nick. You'd better be here or I'll have your neck." Nick gulped but nodded. "Good," Anya continued. "Now I need to get some sleep. I have work again in the morning."

Nick's ears flicked back as he knew he was the cause. "Sorry, Anya, and goodnight."

With a tired sigh, Anya replied, "Night, Nick."

As he hung up the phone, Nick dropped his head back against the porch swing. Although he wasn't sorry for the change in plans (he was getting married in three days!), Nick really wished Anya could be there for it. She would make a really cute bride's maid. Then again, she might just strangle him for hooking up with a rabbit. Although he hoped Anya would be happy for him, she was also pretty opinionated. Even though she wasn't against interspecies couples, with the way most rabbits treated foxes and with what Judy said at the press conference, he doubted Anya would be too happy for him upon first meeting his honeybun.

Nick figured his sister might need some time to adjust to the idea of her knot-head of a brother marrying a rabbit. Especially since Anya had a string of girlfriends she wanted to hook him up with. With a groan at that thought, Nick ran a paw down his face. At least, his mom and Bonnie were both happy for them, along with a pawful of Judy's siblings.

Thinking of Amy and Finnick made Nick chuckle softly. Wait until Amy got her soft little tail and talented fingers under his skin. Finnick won't have a prayer of escaping her soft, blissful little clutches. He was on a sinking ship and just didn't want to admit it yet!

Still chuckling softly to himself, Nick got up and went in search of his Honeybun. Finding her still on the bed in Amy's room, he asked if she needed help getting ready for bed. When she said yes, his tail started wagging as it told him whose bed she planned to sleep in tonight. With Amy showing up, Nick wasn't sure Judy would still want to sleep with him, but he was happy to see that she did.

After they were both ready for bed, Nick carried Judy over to his bed and crawled under the covers with her. It had been a long day and they were both tired so there were no shenanigans tonight. After a slow, deep goodnight kiss, Judy snuggled into Nick's fluffy, white chest and breathed a sigh of relief. This was home. Nick started petting her ears, then nuzzled her head before humming them both to sleep.

WingedKatt here. I hope you enjoyed this warm, feel-good chapter. Next time, Sunday morning is finally here and the Hopps clan is scheduled to arrive. Yay!

Ch. 81: Good Morning, will post in 2 weeks.

Have a great weekend and be safe. If you have any thoughts or comments, let me know.