WARNING: Huge cliffhanger at the end of the chapter that you will hate me for. Buwahaha! Seriously, though, you're going to hate me. But hey, Saturday is around the corner.

If you read my notes at the end of the chapter, I have a surprise for all my wonderful fans and avid readers.

….

After Stu found Bonnie and handed her the phone, Judy caught her up on how she was doing and then went over the list of things she needed in the next few days—like pajamas, though the foxy shirt would pass as a nightgown—and then her mom started talking about the trip on Sunday.

"Now Bun-bun, we're planning on arriving on the 10:00 train," Bonnie said. "Will that work for you?"

"That'll be perfect. We can have the barbeque at noon and you guys can take either the 2:00 or the 4:00 train."

"So, who do you want to come down. Your siblings weren't happy to hear only 5 could come, so there's quite the argument going on about who gets a spot."

"I talked to Nick, and he said he'll let 6 come over, making it an even 10 mammals in the house."

"Can I ask about that, Dear? Nick seemed really bothered by the idea of a dozen of your siblings coming. From the way you were talking, his house sounded big enough to accommodate us. It's not like bunnies are all that big."

Judy's ears drooped. "It's not the size of the house that's the problem, Mom."

"Then what is it, Bun-bun? Does Nick not want to meet your siblings?"

"That's not it, either, Mom." At Bonnie's patient gaze, Judy took a deep breath and asked, "Mom, what did you tell me about foxes when I was leaving for Zootopia 3 months ago?" Bonnie's ear's drooped. "And what was in the bag Dad tried to foist on me as the train came into the station?"

"Oh, Honey, your dad's not going to be a problem. I talked to him already."

"I know, Mom, and I talked to him, too. He says he's willing to give Nick a chance—but we can't say the same thing about all my siblings. Some are much more outspoken against predators, and foxes in particular." Pausing to take a deep breath, Judy continued, "Nick will be the only fox in a sea of bunnies, and he doesn't want to create any negative memories in this house because one or more of them can't stand to be around a fox."

Bonnie's ears drooped further, and Judy sniffled. "You have no idea how bad Nick has it for being a fox. People yell at him while walking down the street, they refuse him service at stores and restaurants, and they won't pay him what he's worth."

Bonnie watched Judy sniffle again, and although she wanted to say something, her motherly instincts told her Judy wasn't done talking and she needed to get out what was bothering her.

Wiping a paw across her eyes, Judy asked, "Do you know what Nick was doing when I met him? He was buying supplies to make handmade popsicles to sell on the street. That's the only job he could get that didn't involve working for criminals. And do you know what he should be doing? What he's qualified for?"

At Bonnie's head shake, Judy said, "He's a licensed attorney, Mom. And a dang good one. But because he's a fox, no one will hire him, or be willing to pay him what he's worth—so he sells popsicles at a street stand, and a few other small jobs, in order to put food on the table."

Bonnie just sat there, taking in Judy's words. After a few moments she took a deep breath. Sweet cheese and crackers, he's a lawyer! Her little bun-bun had fallen for a lawyer. Her little trier always had a thing for the law, so that shouldn't be too surprising. But she now understood why Nick laughed when Stu said he wasn't smart enough to keep up with Judy. Taking another deep breath, Bonnie said, "I guess I'm not surprised that you'd fall for a lawyer, but I'm sorry to hear that Nick isn't taken seriously. It's a good thing he has you now, so things should start looking up for him, right?"

Judy gave a watery chuckle and a smile found its way back on her face as she finished wiping her tears. "That's right, Mom, he has me now." Thinking about Nick and the future that was now open to them, Judy's tears dried up and a bright smile replaced her sadness.

"Okay, so about your siblings you want to come. Do you have anyone in particular?"

"Janette, Janelle and Justin for sure, but can you give me more time to think it over? I can text or call you tonight once I decide. Maybe send me a list of those really pushing to come, and I can start from there."

"I can do that, Honey."

"Thanks a bunch, Mom."

After getting through the heavy topics, they moved on to the happenings in the burrow: what Judy's siblings were up to, how the crops were doing, who in the family was getting married or having kits. She'd been in Bunnyburrow just yesterday but had been too depressed to pay attention to the goings on of her family members. Listening to Bonnie regale her with the antics of some of her young nieces and nephews had Judy laughing, which Bonnie saw as a great improvement from how her daughter was feeling before leaving home.

After a while, Judy heard the slight squeak of wood as someone (presumably Nick) began climbing the stairs. With a radiant smile crossing her face at the thought of seeing her best friend again, even though he'd never really left, Judy listened to her mom a moment longer.

As Nick came up the stairs, he heard Judy talking to her mom. Wanting to surprise her, he decided to hide the crutches behind his back before coming around the house. As he stepped into view, Judy glanced over and flashed him a blinding smile with her buckteeth on full display. Nick felt his heart squeeze again.

"Hey, Mom, Nick's back so I need to go. I'll call you tonight, okay."

"Okay, dearie, I'll let you go. Say 'hi' to Nick for me."

"I will, Mom. Goodbye."

"Bye-bye, Honey."

After hanging up the phone and setting it on the table, she gave her undivided attention to Nick. Although she really enjoyed talking to her family, she'd spent a lifetime with them already, whereas Nick—they hadn't even spent a full week together. And she intended to take full advantage of her time laid up healing to get to know her fox better. Plus, she was really curious about what Finnick had dropped off for her. Nick spoke before she could ask, though.

"So, did you get everything squared away with your family? You got everything in the box you're going to need for the next few days?"

"Yep. Everything's great. They still haven't decided who's coming tomorrow, but someone will be on the 12:00 train."

"Great. And your dad? How much trouble are we in? Or should I say, how much trouble am I in?"

Judy giggled. "Well, he certainly wasn't happy and had quite an earful to say about you, but I stopped him and gave him a piece of my mind."

Nick's ears flatted against his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean for you to get in an argument with your dad."

"No, it's okay. It needed to be said and it didn't devolve into a yelling match, so we're good. He's even willing to give you a chance. To give us a chance."

"Really?" Nick asked as his ears pricked forward again. "How did you manage that?"

"I merely compared you and your actions to those of all the stupid bucks back home who tried to date me."

Stepping over the lounge chair, Nick sat down facing Judy, his tail wagging behind him, and said, "Really? Do tell." A bright smile lit his face and his expression was full of expectant curiosity.

Judy giggled again. "Okay, Slick, I'll tell you, but only after you show me what's hiding behind your back."

"Oh, come on. Just tell me."

"Eh-uh. I want my present, so show first, then tell."

"Well, they're actually Finnick's and you only get to borrow them for the 2 weeks you'll need them." Judy's ears pricked forward, and she leaned towards him expectantly. "You're not even going to guess?" Nick asked when she remained silent.

"Nick, you already got me so many things to keep me entertained that I'm clueless on what Finnick had that I'd need or want."

"Oh, come on, one little guess?"

"Do you want to hear my story or not?"

Nick's ears flicked back a moment then pricked forward again, and he chuckled. "Sly bunny." Bringing his borrowed gift out from behind his back, he presented them to Judy. "Here you go, Carrots, now you can at least hobble around if I'm not readily available." He started to hand them over, then pulled them back for a moment and added, "But I still get to carry you around the house. These are just for emergency."

Judy's grin widened. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Slick. I like having an excuse for you to hold me. Snuggling with my big, strong fox is the highlight of my day." She couldn't hold back the giggle at seeing Nick's wide-eyed, slack-jawed response.

Snapping his jaws shut, Nick swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Sweet cheese and crackers, how did that bunny get to me so easily! She was going to be the death of him, and the ideas she was putting in his head weren't helping. "Yeah, so . . ." Nick coughed into his hand as his ears felt extremely warm and he felt glad his fur hid his blush. Handing the crutches over, he watched Judy look them over with an excited smile.

Judy was impressed. The crutches looked brand-new and as she picked them up for a closer inspection, she caught the faint scent of dish soap and the heavy sent of fox musk—Nick's fox musk. "Slick, did you rub your musk on these?"

Nick grinned. "Of course, otherwise they'd smell like Finnick. And I couldn't have you smelling like Finn after using them." Leaning in closer, his gaze took on a predatory gleam as he growled softly, "You're mine—don't forget it."

Taking a deep breath and inhaling his musky scent that held a hint of violets, Judy's heart started hammering inside her chest. Had it been anyone else acting all possessive of her, she would have given them a bloody nose—but this was Nick and she wanted to be his. For the first time in her life, she wanted to get close to a male. As her body began responding to his presence (and his growl), hormones she never had to worry about before slowly began flooding her system. Drowning in his smug, predatory gaze, Judy felt a strong urge to reach up and pull his muzzle down to hers, to feel his lips pressed against her own, and to taste him. Her nose started twitching and she cursed herself for suggesting they take things slow.

She knew why they needed to take things slow, but—Gah! I just want to kiss him! To wipe that smug grin off his face!

Nick watched Judy struggle with her desires, and it made his own heart pound. His desires matched hers, but she was the one who suggested taking things slow, so he decided to tease her instead. Flicking his tongue out to lick his black nose, he then parted his lips and gave her a toothy grin. At Judy's whimper, Nick couldn't hold back a chuckle as he sat back. "Gee-willickers, Fluff, you sound like you're in pain. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Ni-ick!" Judy groaned as she pulled her flaming ears over her face to hide her eyes. But Nick's full-throated laughter had her ears standing straight up. With a death-glare that made Nick laugh harder, she dropped the crutches just a millisecond before her fist of fury met his arm.

Nick yipped at her punch, but then couldn't hold back another chuckle while rubbing his arm. She is just too cute! He couldn't help it.

Having failed to wipe the laughter from the smug todd, Judy pushed herself off her chair and tackled him. He just laughed harder as he tipped over backwards with his head hanging over the side of the lounge chair and the tips of his dark ears brushing the wooden deck beneath him.

With her straddling his waist, she started pummeling him with both fists and Nick brought his head up, along with both paws, in an attempt to ward off her blows, but he was still laughing too hard for his attempts to be effective. She wasn't seriously trying to hurt him, but a few did land a little harder than she intended. But no matter how many bruises she did or didn't give him, Nick couldn't stop laughing at her adorable fury. This would have continued for some time if not for the fact that Judy was sitting on a very sensitive part of his anatomy and her movements while hitting him meant she was rubbing against that same sensitive anatomy.

With a groan as something suddenly woke up and became very excited, Nick grabbed Judy's fisted paws and dropped his head back over the chair, then flipped them both over. Judy let out a muffled 'oomph' as her back hit the deck, then her eyes widened as Nick loomed over her. With his mouth and teeth slightly parted as he took several large breaths, Nick tried to calm his excited member. Her intoxicating scent did little to help the situation, especially as her scent was slowly becoming thicker, richer, more addictive.

Meeting Judy's stunned gaze, he took one last, deep breath and said, "Carrots, let me give you a lesson in fox 101: we foxes, especially todds, when engaged in active physical contact, get very excited very easily—especially when you're not only sitting on our very excitable member, but rubbing against him."

Judy's wide-eyed stare dropped to see a slight bulge in Nick's pants, then dragged her gaze back up to meet his burning, predatory emeralds.

In a husky voice, he continued, "So unless you want me to haul you into my bedroom right now and have my foxy way with you, I suggest you back off and give me some space."

Judy didn't move. She couldn't. What he offered was extremely tempting. And she wanted it. She wanted him. All of him.

Licking her lips briefly, she tried to remember why they should go slow. They had just reconnected and . . . and . . . Nick's eyes suddenly took on a hungry gleam and he leaned in closer as his warm breath caressed her cheeks and sensitive ears. Judy's brain scrambled and her train of thought derailed off a bridge and exploded at the bottom of the gorge.

Seeing his honeybun's soft, pink tongue sent a hungry wave of desire through Nick that further excited his member and dumped another load of pheromones into his system. Even in the dead of winter, with fox mating season in full swing, he had never had to deal with such a rich cocktail of intoxicating hormones thrumming through his system—which meant he was having a difficult time thinking straight. But he couldn't lose control, not now, not with Judy. She was too important—too precious—for him to lose control. As much as he wanted her, she had to lead, to make the first move. He would do nothing she didn't absolutely want.

With their noses a mere inch apart, he asked in a hungry whisper, "Well?" Lacing his fingers through hers, he waited for her response.

Judy blinked as her nose twitched furiously. Slow . . . they were supposed to . . . With a shaky breath, she whispered softly, "Nick,"—at his name, Nick leaned in another half an inch—"we haven't even been together a week."

Nick froze for a moment but didn't pull back. He was a little surprised she was still fighting her biology, but then again, this was Judy who stood up to a savage jaguar, howled at a pack of wolves, hijacked and then exploded a train, faced off against a psychotic sheep, and wasn't afraid to have a predator wrap his teeth around her neck. The thought of his teeth wrapped around her again sent a thrill down his spine and added fuel to the fire in his belly.

Taking a deep breath of her delectable scent, he stated, "True, we've only known each other for 3 months, with 5 of those days actually being spent together, but it feels like much longer, doesn't it?" At Judy's slight nod, he continued, "And I don't need to spend more time together to know my feelings won't change." Seeing Judy's eyes smoldering at his words, he added, "My biology knows what it wants. It wants you, Judy, and no one else. Just. You."

His husky whisper stoked the fires in her own belly while his warm breath ruffled the fur on her face. She couldn't think, she couldn't move, all she could do was feel. For the first time in her life, her system was flooded with high levels of her bunny pheromones. Having hardly ever experienced them before, and never at such a high concentration, she had no defensive mechanism to cope with them.

At her continued silence and lack of movement, along with a strong spike in her already mind-numbing scent, Nick dropped his muzzle till they were a mere hair's breadth apart. "You're the boss," he whispered hungrily. "What will it be?"

Feeling an oxygen shortage to her brain, Judy parted her lips and breathed in deeply. Nick's heady musk with its sweet scent of violets flooded her senses and did little to increase the oxygen to her brain.

Seeing Judy's mouth part as she breathed in his scent, Nick's predatory grin widened as he touched the tip of his tongue to his black nose and watched her eyes smolder.

Judy took another deep breath and could practically taste Nick—they were that close. And she wanted to taste him. With her needy hormones whispering in her ears and his heavy scent clouding her thoughts, Judy felt her resistance crumbling as her body demanded she kiss him—to take what he was offering.

Seeing his own desire reflected in her eyes, Nick growled softly, "Well?"

….

WingedKatt here. AAAHHH! Why did I leave you hanging on such a crucial scene! And on such a short chapter, too! Nooo! How could I be so cruel! Why!

Okay, enough with the theatrics. I promised you all a surprise and I hope it'll help you get through the next few days.

So we know Judy invited Janette, Janelle, and Justin (her littermates) to the barbeque on Sunday, but I haven't come up with the names for the last three guests to arrive. I do have Judy's sister Amy and brother Henry already planned out and we'll meet them later in the story. My surprise for my awesome readers is the chance to name one of the remaining guests. If you have a suggestion for one of Judy's other siblings, leave me a message or PM me. Even if your name isn't picked for the Sunday visit, Nick and Judy will be making a trip to Bunnyburrow once her leg heals, and they'll be meeting a LOT of her siblings, as well as many of her nieces and nephews, so you'll probably see your name/character in Bunnyburrow. If you want to add a description (fur color/pattern) along with a hobby to your name, I'd love to hear them. I am posting this story across three sites ( , AO3, DA) so I'll pick the names on a first come, first serve basis, but as long as the name, description, and hobby follows the flow of the story, I'll try to use them.

Chapter 18: Looking for Mister Right, will post on Saturday. I think the chapter will surprise you, along with the information that is learned. Finnick will have something to say, we'll learn a bit about Rabbit Culture, and Nick will learn about a surprising event in Judy's past, and will share a little bit more about his own. So I hope you don't die from suspense as there's a lot going on in the next chapter. Till next time, try to have a great week while sitting in suspense (or pacing if that's more your deal). =)