WingedKatt here. For those of you who are familiar with it, and were wondering, yes, the title to the chapter is the song from Evanescence. If you want to look it up on your music app, Nick will be playing it later in the chapter. If you want just the piano accompaniment, I found 2 on YouTube. One is just the piano music, no vocals, and can be found by searching for: Evanescence-Bring Me to Life (piano), posted by Shedal. There is also one with a male vocal that you can find by searching for: Bring Me to Life (Evanescence) - Piano for Male Vocal, posted by David Yang.

Now on to the story!


Hobbling to the railing, Judy looked toward the barn, but couldn't see any foxes. The open doors and back of the van were visible, but not her fox or his friend. She heard Nick speak, though it wasn't loud enough for her to make out what he said, and then she heard Finnick's deep, booming laugh coming from the front of the van. Hobbling along to the far corner of the deck, she was finally able to see inside the garage. Finnick was crawling around under the hood of the van (though she couldn't see anything but his short, bushy tail) and Nick was handing him a tool.

"You're pulling my leg," Judy heard Finnick say (his deep voice was easy to make out). "There's no way that happened."

"It's true, every word." Now that the garage wasn't blocking the sound, Judy could hear Nick clearly. "Ask Judy if you don't believe me." Hearing the warmth and happiness in his teasing voice brought a smile to Judy's lips and she felt grateful that Nick had at least one other friend he could be himself around.

Raising her own voice, Judy hollered down. "Hey, boys, about ready for some dinner?"

Nick glanced up and immediately smiled upon seeing her. Finnick stuck his head out from behind the van's open hood and cocked his large ears toward her with a puzzled look on his face, which made Judy wonder what Nick had been telling him.

"Yeah, just give us a minute," Nick hollered back. Turning his attention to his friend, Nick said, "There's hardly any food in the house, so I'm taking Judy out to eat and then stopping at the store to buy some groceries. Do you want to come with?"

Finn could only stare at his friend. They'd hardly spoken to each other for months, and now Nick wanted to take him out to dinner with his not-quite girlfriend. "Are you sure I won't be a third wheel?"

"Of course not. I told you, we're taking it slow."

Raising an eyebrow, Finn replied, "Is that what you're calling it? With all the pawing and the kiss and the almost kissing?"

Nick opened his mouth, but then his ears flicked back, and he snapped his mouth shut with an audible click of his sharp teeth. After a moment of consideration, he ran his claws through the fur on his head and back of his neck, then finally replied, "I know it's weird. We've spent our whole lives avoiding relationships and now that we've found each other, we can't keep our paws to ourselves. It's not even a conscious decision sometimes. It feels so natural to reach out and touch her that I don't even think about it and I'm already doing it."

Finnick nodded, remembering Nick talking about petting the bunny cop's ears while on MuzzleTime with her parents. "And you still want me to come with you to dinner? I won't be in the way?" That was one thing he was all too familiar with—being treated as unnecessary and a waste of space by others. Either they complained about him being a fox, complained about his size, or both.

Nick barked a laugh. "Hardly. I told you, Carrots wrecked my defenses and threw my mask in a dusty corner of my mind. I'll need you there to remind me I'm in public and to keep my paws to myself."

Finnick grinned at Nick's apt description. His interest was truly peeked, but he worried how bunny cop would treat him. Although she treated Nick much better now than his second encounter with the ball of grey fluff, Finn still worried she'd ignore him or talk down to him like most prey did. Being treated like a kit or ignored was two of his biggest pet peeves. "Are you sure she'll be comfortable with me there. She knows I'm not a kit. You don't think she'll treat me like the others, do you?"

"No way she'll treat you like that. She'll treat you as an equal. Besides, I know you're curious and so is she. You heard her, she didn't say 'Nick,' she said, 'boys.' You and me. She expects to eat dinner with both of us."

Finnick couldn't argue with Nick's logic, but he still felt unsure. He'd had so many bad experiences with mammals in general, but especially prey species. And with the bunny cop being, well, a bunny, he was even more hesitant. In one final effort to talk his way out of it, he said, "But what about my van? If I go to dinner and shopping, then I'll never get it put back together tonight."

Nick cocked his head in question. "So?"

"So! It's not like I can stay here!"

Nick splayed his ears to the side, then cocked them forward again. "Why not? You have a bed in your van, I have two very comfortable couches in the living room you should well remember, and there's also the loft apartment above the garage. Take your pick."

"Huh? You're actually saying I can stay the night?" Nick hadn't invited him to stay here in years.

"Sure, why not? Let's just say it's my payback for being such a jerk the last few months."

"Months?"

"Okay, the last several years." Throwing his arms up in the air, Nick added, "I'll even pay for dinner and your groceries. Will that make it up to you?"

Finnick's small mouth split into the widest grin. "It's a start." With a clap of his greasy paws, he said, "So where are you taking us?"

Nick just laughed. "Get cleaned up while I go rewrap Carrots' leg, then meet us up front. We'll take the jeep tonight."

Finnick continued grinning while he climbed down from the van. He loved the jeep wrangler Honey modified. There was even a seat booster that he could use that didn't make him feel like he was sitting in a kit's car seat. As he hurried over to the sink, Nick disappeared across the yard.

Hurrying up the stairs, Nick entered the house through his room then skipped over to Judy's room. She was already sitting on the bed waiting for him.

"So what did you have in mind for dinner since we never made it to the store?" she asked curiously.

Picking up the bandages, he put fresh gauze on the gash while answering, "Well, I was thinking of going out for dinner. There's this nice little diner I know of that serves both preds and prey, so I thought we could go there. And then afterwards we could go shopping."

"That's great. And what about Finnick? Will he be joining us?"

Nick grinned. "Do you want him to?"

"Actually, yes. He's a friend you trust, so I'd like to get to know him, too."

Nick's grin widened. "It's great you feel that way because I invited him, and he agreed. He'll meet us out front."

As she watched Nick bandage her leg, she asked, "Can you get my pink shirts when you're done? I want to wear them with the shorts tonight."

Nick glanced up, then his smile brightened. "I'd love to see you in the full outfit." With that thought in mind, it didn't take him long to clip the bandage in place and hurry into the laundry room. Grabbing the shirts from the dryer, he brought them back to her and stepped out to give her some privacy. Moving over to the piano, he sat down and thought for a moment as he considered what to play. Thinking about the last 24 hours, he grinned as the perfect song came to mind. Lifting dark, ruddy fingers to the keys, he hit the first notes to the song, Bring Me to Life (by Evanescence). It wasn't what he usually listened to, but the words really suited him tonight and he hoped Judy would enjoy the song when played on the piano.

...

Judy's ears twitched as she heard the first few notes of the piano breaking the silence. As she began buttoning her top shirt, she tried to figure out the song Nick was playing. It sounded familiar but wasn't one she listened to herself. Perhaps she heard some of her siblings listening to it. As Nick began singing (his voice wasn't superstar level, but he carried the tune well and she enjoyed listening to him), she finally recognized it as the song 'Bring Me to Life.' Quite a few of her sisters raved about it and would belt it out at the top of their lungs—whether they could carry a tune or not was irrelevant. She wasn't sure who sang it, but she remembered the music on the chorus being a bit harsh to her ears, so she never really listened to the words. But as Nick sang with just the piano as accompaniment, she paid attention now.

How can you see into my eyes like open doors?

Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb.

Without a soul, my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and lead it back home.

Judy's heart squeezed painfully as she realized the words were reflecting Nick's thoughts—about her. She was the only one that took the time to see past his mask to the todd locked up behind his protective walls. And with her help, he'd finally come home.

Wake me up inside. Wake me up inside.

Call my name and save me from the dark.

Bid my blood to run before I come undone.

Save me from the nothing I've become.

Thinking back to their conversation on the couch last night, and then again up here at the piano, the one out on the deck, and finally, their last conversation here in her room, she understood what the words he sang meant, especially as he sang the next lines.

Now that I know what I'm without

You can't just leave me.

Breathe into me and make me real.

Bring me to Life.

A tear ran down her cheek as she considered what Nick was telling her through the song. He wasn't just letting her in—he was inviting her in. He was telling her he wanted to change for the better and that he needed her in his life. With a sniffle, she listened to Nick sing the chorus again, and then the next two lines.

Frozen inside without your touch, without your love.

Darling, only you are the life among the dead.

Listening as Nick finished the song, Judy knew she'd never have to worry about Nick breaking her heart. He was already hers just as much as she was already his.

As the last note hung in the air, she sniffled again and wiped the tears from her face. Grabbing her crutches, she hobbled down the hall toward the piano room and greeted Nick with a radiant, love-filled smile.

He immediately stood up and hurried over to her, then swept her up into his arms. Holding her firmly with one paw, he took both crutches from her with the other. "What did I say? I get to carry you around the house until your leg heals."

Judy just shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted to meet you at least half-way." Reaching up, she caressed his cheeks and said softly, "The feeling is mutual. You bring me to life, too."

Nick returned her radiant smile, then nuzzled the spot between her ears. Judy hummed in pleasure, and he whispered in her ear, "Are you ready for dinner?"

"Hmm. Most definitely. The tiger is on the prowl again."

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" With a grin, he turned and carried her downstairs.

...

Finnick had just rounded the corner of the house when he heard the first strains of the piano, and it made him pause. He hadn't heard Nick play since Honey died. It warmed his jaded heart to hear it. Hearing Nick's voice a moment later as he began singing made Finnick chuckle. "That sorry sap . . . he finally has a girl he wants to impress." Nick made it his business to make mammals believe he couldn't play the piano as he was very picky about who he played for. And the singing—that was almost as elusive as the piano playing, though he would sing with the right audience if he had his guitar.

Stepping up onto the porch, he made his way over to a bench situated in front of one of the windows and climbed up to wait for the two lovebirds to come down. It wasn't long after Nick finished singing that they walked through the door.

After locking the door, Nick turned to unlock the jeep's doors with his key fob when he glanced down to see Judy's wide-eyed stare. With a smug grin and a teasing chuckle, he asked, "See something you like, Fluff?"

She glanced up and met his amused emeralds, then back at the roomy 4-door jeep wrangler that was sized for a wolf. Pointing, she exclaimed, "That's your vehicle!?" There was a soft click of a camera beside her, but Judy was too amazed by the sight in front of her to pay it any mind.

Finnick sent Nick the picture he'd just taken, then pocketed his phone, a smug grin on his own face as he pictured what she'd do to his friend when, not if, she found Nick's picture file he kept of her.

Nick laughed. "That it is. Honey heavily modified it to ride smooth in the city, plenty of horsepower to hit top speeds on the open highways, and lots of torque for climbing or hauling." Looking over the large vehicle, with it's hard, black freedom top, shiny black trim, and sky-blue luminescent body, he then met Judy's stunned gaze. "I told you, she was a bit of a daredevil."

"That's an understatement," Finnick muttered as he stepped up beside them.

They both looked down, and then Nick said to Judy, "Carrots, meet Finnick. Finn, meet Carrots."

Giving each other a nod in greeting, Judy then asked, "Do you prefer Finnick or Finn?"

Finnick's eyes widened, then he said, "Finn is fine."

With a wide grin and another nod, she said, "Then Finn it is. It's nice to meet you."

Raising an eyebrow and cocking an ear, Finnick pointed out, "You know we've already met, right?"

"Yes, but the first time I thought you were just a little kit, the second time you were laughing your head off, and the last time we didn't really have time for a proper introduction, so it's nice to finally meet the real Finnick."

They were walking down the steps, but at Judy's words, Finnick paused and stared at her as Nick stepped past him to the ground. The bunny's words flabbergasted Finn. Nick had said bunny cop was different, but he still held some doubts—but now—she was actually looking at him with her whole focus. It was a little unnerving after being ignored or put down by so many prey.

Without looking back, Nick chuckled as he could just picture Finn's wide-eyed expression. "Are you coming, Big Guy?" Stopping at the passenger side door, Judy grabbed the door handle and Nick stepped back, thus opening it.

"Uh, ya." Hurrying over to the back-seat door, Finn hopped up and opened it.

Setting the crutches on the floorboards, Nick grabbed the special booster and handed it back to Finnick (until now, he was the only one Nick ever allowed in the jeep). Turning his attention back to Judy, Nick made sure she was comfortable, and the seat was high enough for her, then ran around to the driver's seat. Climbing in, he started the engine and listened with pride and pleasure to the soft hum of the engine. Turning around in the seat, he looked between the seats and out the back window as he backed up and then sped off down the road.

The trip to the diner was filled with light-hearted chit-chat as Finnick questioned them more on their crazy adventure and making sure Nick wasn't pulling his leg on some of their crazier stunts and near-death experiences. Judy listened attentively and responded with a serious answer but was willing to laugh at herself and Nick now that the danger was past. Finnick was still shocked that bunny cop was really treating him like an equal. He wasn't complaining (it was nice to finally be seen) but it was going to take a bit to get used to.

After about 15-minutes of smooth driving, Nick pulled into the parking lot of Sonjay's, a popular mom and pop diner. Nick was quick at jumping out and running around to Judy's side so he could help her down. After setting her carefully on the pavement, he reached in the jeep again and pulled out the crutches. Handing them over, he muttered, "I wish I could just carry you inside, but I'm sure some idiot will complain about me fox-handling you or some other such nonsense if I did."

"It's okay, Nick. It won't kill me to do a few things for myself."

Stepping up beside them, Finnick asked, "Are you sure?" At Judy's raised eyebrow and Nick's sly grin, he explained, "From what you two were telling me, if Nick hadn't been with you, you certainly would have died from doing 'a few things' for yourself." He used his fingers to make air quotes when he said "a few things".

Judy opened her mouth to refute him, but then snapped her mouth shut again. At Nick's hearty chuckle, she gripped the crutches tightly and glared at him.

"He's entirely correct, you know," Nick said in answer to her glare. "You get an idea in your head and you completely shut out everything else. You don't stop to consider if there's a better way—you know, like one that ensures we're both still breathing when it's all said and done. Or make sure we have all the evidence gathered and at least pictures of the culprits."

Judy's ears dropped and she had nothing to say in her defense.

"He's right," Finnick cut in. "You should have at least videotaped the lab and criminals in question before blowing up the train. That's how you caught Lionheart, isn't it? That was your video they were showing on the news, right?"

Judy could only nod. Nick and Finnick were entirely correct, and it galled her that she had neglected to gather such crucial pieces of evidence. They still weren't sure if Doug, Woolter, and Jesse were even apprehended. Information on the case was still being withheld from the media, so until they spoke to Bogo tomorrow, they wouldn't know what had happened after she was loaded into the ambulance.

Nick watched the emotions playing across her downcast face, and once he felt she had properly chastised herself for her failings (it was for her own good as he had no desire to hear on the news of her death from some harebrained idea she implemented without any thought for the consequences), he spoke up, saying, "Well, if you recognize your faults and promise me you'll listen the next time I tell you to stop thinking whatever you're thinking"—at her glare he amended—"at least tell me your idea so, together, we can see if there's a better way," he paused and arched an eyebrow at her. At her nod, he continued, "Then I think we're good. Shall we go in and eat?"

"Oh, please, yes," Judy groaned. "I'm starving." Just then her stomach growled viciously, and her ears turned bright red.

Finnick gaped at her. "Dang, bunny cop, when was the last time you ate?"

"Look, it usually isn't this bad. I just haven't eaten much lately, and now that I am, my appetite has awakened with a vengeance." Hobbling along beside Nick and Finnick, Judy kept her flaming ears flat against her back.

"What? Why?" Finnick paused as he stared at the bunny. She didn't seem like the type to starve herself. Her fit body was a testament to her taking care of it—which would include a proper diet.

Nick put a large paw on his friend's small shoulder and leaned down slightly to whisper, "For the same reason I didn't eat much the last 3 months."

Finn's eyes widened. "Oh."

Catching up to Judy, who hadn't stopped to wait for them, Nick hurried ahead of her and opened the door for her and Finnick. Stepping into the dimmer light of the diner, they waited for their eyes to adjust, then stepped up to the counter to get a seat. After hitting the little bell for service, a waiter stepped out from the back. He was a tawny cougar a couple feet taller than Nick, with bright golden eyes and the typical black ears of his species. Upon seeing them, he grinned in greeting, saying, "Nick, it's been a while."

"Hello, Willie, it has been a while, but I believe you'll be seeing much more of me from now on."

"Is that so?" Willie's black ears flicked forward in question. Nick had been quite scarce in the area ever since Honey died. The eccentric badger had been a force to reckon with, even in her old age, and had frequently dragged Nick along on her outings and crazy adventures.

"Yes. I've decided to move back home."

This truly surprised the cougar, as Nick had frequently complained about the place not feeling like home as Honey was no longer around to keep him company. He had disappeared the first 3 months after Honey's passing, was back for about 2, then Nick vanished again, with him making an appearance only a pawful of times a year, if that.

At the cougar's raised eyebrow, Nick explained, "I've recently found a . . ."—he glanced down at Judy—"reason to be home." Meeting Willie's stunned gaze, he motioned down at his friends. "You remember Finnick," he paused as Finn and Willie nodded to each other, then he motioned to Judy. "And this is my good friend, Judy. I've recently helped her out with a difficulty she found herself in and have since put her up in Honey's old room, so you'll be seeing her from now on, as well."

Although Nick didn't want to advertise the fact they were living together, he had known Willie since high school as they were on the track team together (he didn't attend the school, but Honey encouraged him to join the local track team to get him out of the house and give him the opportunity to make friends his own age), and knew he could trust Willie to kill any rumors that might start up from him and Judy frequently being seen together.

At hearing Nick's news, Willie turned to the grey bunny standing between the two foxes. "You're actually staying with a fox? Isn't that scary for you?"

Her first impulse was to berate the cougar for implying her friend wasn't trustworthy, but the look in his eyes made her pause. There was no insult or prejudice, but simple astonishment that she, a rabbit, would feel safe or comfortable with a fox. Taking a deep breath and allowing a bright smile to spread across her face, she replied, "Nick is my best friend and I know there is nowhere safer in all Zootopia than at his side."

Willie's jaw dropped as he stared at her honest, radiant smile that she quickly turned to the red todd standing beside her. Glancing over, he saw Nick's expression mirrored the rabbit's—which was just as shocking. Willie knew what Nick's con-face looked like, had seen it a thousand times, but tonight it was nowhere to be found. He knew there was a massive story behind their unusual friendship, and he was dying to hear it, but he also knew that now wasn't the time. As open as Nick was being right now, which was odd in itself, Willie knew Nick wouldn't tell his story unless they were somewhere private. And standing in the entrance of the diner was not it.

"Okay, Nick, I can see there's a huge story to hear, but I'll get you that table for three. But you must come by sometime after work and tell me all about it."

Nick nodded, and as Willie grabbed three menus and led them to their table, he asked, "Do you still meet at the track on Wednesday?"

"We do. Can I expect to see you there this evening? We meet at 7."

Nick shook his head and glanced at Judy. "Judy will need to be home resting with her leg up, but we can come by next week. Judy's leg will be a lot better by then."

Willie nodded, excited to see Nick again after so long and looking forward to running with him again. Of course, hearing about why a rabbit would decide to shack up with a fox would be the highlight of the visit. He couldn't wait to hear the tale.

As Willie led the trio to a corner booth, none of the group paid attention to the stares of the other patrons. Most were curious, but there were a few disgruntled looks and one pair of striking steel-grey eyes that were quite hostile. Their hard gaze followed the foxes for several steps before focusing on the injured doe hobbling between them. He could see right away that she was in excellent physical shape and had curves few other does had, and with her perky, cottony tail flicking invitingly behind her, he found the affect appealing to his baser instincts. His hard gaze flickered back to the two todds, before returning to the doe. The fact she was in the company of filthy pelts was abhorrent, but that she was also injured—unforgivable.


WingedKatt again. So what did you think? Nick has turned Judy into a regular cry baby (happy tears now) and Judy has a lot of surprises for Finnick, as we'll see in coming chapters. But who is the owner of the steel-grey eyes and what does he intend to do about seeing our favorite duo is together? Find out more in the next chapter.

Chapter 21: Just Calling It How I See It, will post on Wednesday.

As always, if you have any thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear them. Have a great weekend.