FYI: A lot of songs are played in this chapter. Here's the list if you want to listen to them while you read. Nick listens to Love Like Woe by The Ready Steady, So Far Gone by Thousand Foot Krutch, and She Can by Alabama. Finnick's phone shuffles through Feel Invincible by Skillet (it's still playing from the previous chapter), Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson, Big Time Rush by Big Time Rush, Bet On It by Troy, Embers by Owl City, and finally, Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins.


Sitting in a nearly empty train car with his earbuds in and his music playing (Love Like Woe by The Ready Set), Nick ignored the world going on around him as he flipped through all the pictures in his Death by Cuteness folder. He couldn't believe how many adorable pictures he'd been able to capture of his honeybun so far. She was just too cute and seeing her on his phone had his happy, goofy grin plastered across his muzzle as each picture brought up a sweet memory of their time together.

Pausing on each picture, he relished the feelings each one brought up as they were emotions he never thought to feel again—happiness, contentment, security, and hope. And for the first time in his life, he was feeling desire and love, two emotions he had feared would never happen to him, that he was destined to be alone his entire life and the cherished relationship his parents had experienced would be forever out of reach. And then this unstoppable force of nature had hopped into his life and bowled him over with her enthusiasm, determination, faith, and love. His heart ached with love for the bunny who turned his world upside down and showed him, once again, that he could be more than a shifty fox. She was reminding him that life was meant to be lived, and not merely survived.

For the first time in five years, he woke up each morning excited to greet the new day—because she would be sharing it with him. Getting up in the morning was no longer a chore, for her smiling face was there to greet him. And his nights have been the most relaxing he'd had in over five years, for she was there in his dreams each time he closed his eyes.

As pictures of Judy cuddling his tail came up, he couldn't forget the faith she'd placed in him or her impatient desire to marry him just as soon as he procured her engagement ring. His goofy grin widened and his tail began to wag as he thought of their upcoming wedding. He still couldn't believe that Judy Hopps, his honeybun, the female who had saved his life, and then his heart, would soon be his mate and wife. To think that a chance encounter and a wild otter chase 3 months ago, followed by some of the most miserable days of his life, would turn around to give him the greatest joys of his life, with the promise of so much more. Nick shook his head as he couldn't believe his luck.

Even when Honey was pushing him to be better, opening doors of opportunity to him, and taking him out on all her crazy, fun-filled ventures, he still couldn't capitalize on the opportunities like the one Judy had opened to him. Although he'd never considered being a cop before (though he certainly had done enough investigative work), the idea was an intriguing one—provided Judy was there to keep him company. It would certainly be more entertaining than being stuck in the office at some stuffy Law Firm all day working a dead-end case he didn't want (which would be the case if he was working for someone else).

While focused on his photos of Judy and all the good that had come into his life since meeting her, he felt the train began to slow and he glanced up to see it was the stop before his own. Glancing back at his phone as the song changed to So Far Gone (by Thousand Foot Krutch), Nick ignored the mammals getting off and on the train. With the slightest bob of his head as he kept beat with the music, he sat oblivious to anything but the enchanting pictures on his phone, so he was startled when a voice spoke directly in front of him.

"Hey handsome, you're awfully happy. Did you win the lottery?"

Nick's emerald eyes shot up to meet the golden gaze of a red vixen in her mid-twenties. He noticed she had more black in her fur and the typical white-tipped tail of their species, which swayed back and forth as she watched him expectantly. As vixen's went, she was quite fetching, but unfortunately for her, Nick wasn't interested in the slightest—as was evident in the lack of change to his scent—which seemed to irritate the vixen as was evidenced by several huffs and a slight tightening of her brows.

Without breaking eye contact, he shut his phone off (though the music continued playing), and replied, "Yes, 100 percent." At the vixen's shocked gaze, he clarified, "But money wasn't the prize I won." With a happy grin spreading across his face, he added, "The girl I've been dreaming about for months agreed to be my girlfriend last night, so I would say I'm a lucky winner."

The disappointment in the vixen's gaze was unmistakable as she let her eyes drop to take in Nick's fit frame that his clothes showed off stunningly. "Shame," she muttered softly.

Narrowing his eyes in irritation (he'd forgotten he was wearing his 'impress Judy and Bogo clothes'), Nick replied, "I'm taken, so you don't have to waste your time on me." Although fox courtships were usually long, vixens could be quite stubborn in their pursuit of a male they found to their liking—which he was painfully all too familiar with.

"Are you serious about her?"

"Dead serious. There's no one else for me."

The vixen studied his eyes for several heartbeats, then leaned down slightly and sniffed again. "Are you sure?" she pressed. "Because I don't smell her on you."

Nick cursed internally, even though his expression didn't change. He knew what she was referring to. As he'd told Judy this morning, fox musk was strong and didn't easily wash out with just soap and water, so if he'd been with his girlfriend last night he'd still be covered in her scent as the glands in her paw pads would have left their mark. Of course, this vixen assumed he was dating another vixen, not a hyperactive bunny. "I had a very important interview this morning, which common courtesy says I shouldn't come into while smelling strongly of fox, let alone two." The vixen raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment and Nick added, "But rest assured, I'm meeting up with her in less than an hour and I have every intention of wallowing in her scent once we get back to my place."

The vixen narrowed her eyes briefly, then relaxed with a sigh. Good todds are so hard to find these days, she thought. With a slight nod, she replied, "Well, if it doesn't work out for you, look me up. Stop by the Starlight Lounge and ask for Terra." Without waiting for an answer, she turned and made her way further down the train car and took a vacant seat.

Nick finally relaxed. "Don't count on it," he muttered under his breath as the words to So Far Gone played in his ear: …Just like a candle makes a brighter place, this mark you've left on me can't be erased. I want to be so far gone in you. So far nothing else will ever do. I want to be so far gone in you. In you… This song portrayed his emotions for Judy perfectly. Although they hadn't officially marked each other, the mark she'd left on his heart and in his mind can't be erased. And yes, he wanted to be so far gone in her that nothing else mattered—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, as well. He wanted to be so far gone in everything that was Judy.

With a deep breath, he pushed the thoughts aside while he considered the vixen who'd just informed him she was single. Half wishing he'd worn one of his normal Pawaiian shirts, as he was rarely hit on when he did, Nick considered the lounge where she worked.

It was shocking to hear she was working at the Starlight Lounge, as it was a nice relaxing joint with low light and live music. They had a couple of pianists that played throughout the day and into the night and were accompanied by several lounge singers. It was one of the few places a fox could get hired and actually be treated right. He'd even played there a few times himself, back before Honey's health deteriorated. It was one of the last places they'd eaten out together and held one of his happier memories of her there at the end. Terra hadn't been working there at the time, so she must be a new hire.

Furthermore, the Starlight Lounge was a popular dating joint and he would have eventually taken Judy there for one of their dates—but with Terra knowing he had a girlfriend, if he showed up there with bunny on his arm, it wouldn't take the vixen long to put the pieces together. And although he didn't think Terra would cause a problem (foxes generally tried to avoid causing problems for other foxes), he couldn't guarantee she'd leave well enough alone if she felt disgusted by him dating a bunny. He'd barely survived one spurned vixen's rage, he didn't want to tempt fate with the possibility of another.

As She Can (by Alabama) began to play, his countenance brightened. He couldn't take Judy to the Lounge right now, but it'd be a good place to take her for their celebration dinner after his graduation. With the train slowing down as it neared his stop, Nick stood up and sauntered over to the doors and waited for the train to stop, all the while he thought of Judy. With everything she'd already done for him, and all the promises she'd made or hinted at (what she intended to do to him once they made it to his cabin had his blood running hot and the tingle back in his belly), Nick knew his days of coasting through life were over. With her at his side, each day would be an adventure. And he couldn't wait to see the list of date ideas she came up with.

He had several planned already, the first one being a surprise candlelight dinner tonight. He just had to figure out how to get her either up in her room for a few hours so he could prepare it. Her taking another nap would be perfect, but he wasn't sure she would. He'd have to wait and see. As the train wheels squealed loudly as it roared into the station, Nick suddenly wondered if Judy had an appropriate dress. He was sure she didn't have one in the box that was now sitting in the back of the jeep, but he had to wonder if she even owned a romantic dress. The closest thing he could picture her in was one of her sister's bride's maid dresses. Although he was sure she looked beautiful in them, they weren't quite what he had in mind—not that any of them mattered as they were all in Bunnyburrow and not here in Zootopia.

Perhaps he could call Fru-Fru and bring her in on the date idea. He could give her a few dress suggestions and she could have one picked up and sent over (Mr. Big owned an exclusive tailor shop that specialized in formal wear for special occasions, which was one of his legitimate businesses). Fru-Fru loved all things girly and romantic, so she'd be the perfect one to call. With his grin widening as his plans for the evening solidified, he couldn't wait to get off the train.

Jumping onto the platform once the doors opened, Nick sprinted from the station and then jogged down the street, through several alleyways, and across a park to his house. He'd been away from his honeybun long enough and he couldn't wait to get back to her.

...….

(Feel Invincible by Skillet is still playing on Finnick's phone.)

"Nick choosing to work for the mob boss is the same reason he's involved in his sister's scholarship program?" Judy questioned. At Finn's smug nod, she asked, "How?"

"Simple. Nick created the scholarship program so his sister would have a chance to fulfill her dream, but he needed money to fund it—money Big had." With a shrug, Finn explained, "Nick had several skill sets that interested Mr. Big while Big had the funds Nick needed to finish setting up the scholarship program—a tax free scholarship program, I might add."

"And he did it all so his sister could go to med school? And she couldn't have chosen a program that required less schooling? A career from a tech school or something?"

Finnick shrugged. "She could have, yes, but that's not what she wanted. From what she and Nick have both said, ever since Demetri died, Anya's always wanted to be a doctor. Said that if there was a doctor in the family, their brother might still be alive, and the mess with their mom being experimented on never would have happened." Scratching his head, Finn then said, "After graduating high school, she worked a lot of dead-end jobs trying to save up enough money, but she could never get ahead. Their mom offered to share some of her settlement money, but Anya refused. Told her mom it was her money, that she earned it, and that she should just enjoy her golden years. Not that Vivian was really that old, but between the long, exhaustive hours at work for so many years with a poor diet, the vulpine virus she caught, and then the drug they pumped her full of, Vivian looks 10 years older than she is." Finnick shook his head as he remembered all the gray fur Mrs. Wilde had when she was only 54.

Judy sat stunned. Nick had pushed himself through law school to protect his family from a legal standpoint, and his sister had wanted to become a doctor to protect them from a medical standpoint. If this was the type of drive and strength of character most foxes had, then society's mistrust and abuse of them was more a tragedy than she'd first realized. And even Finnick, sitting beside her, was a top-notch mechanic if his van being fixed so quickly was anything to go by. And yet he wasn't working in a high-end shop, or even owning his own shop, but was a popsicle hustler. Well, was, anyways. Like Nick, he didn't seem to be doing much of anything right now.

Turning her thoughts back to the story as the music on his phone switched to Uptown Funk (by Mark Ronson), she asked, "So that's when Nick went to the mob boss?"

Finnick brought his thoughts back from the past and said, "Ya, he didn't like seeing his sister working herself to the bone with nothing to show for it. But just like Nick and their mom, Anya didn't want a handout, so Honey stepped in and offered to hire her as a maid. There wasn't much work to do at Honey's as both she and Nick were pretty clean mammals, so Anya mostly just kept Honey company, while running and fetching for her when she was tinkering with something."

Rubbing his chin at the memories, Finn then said, "Getting a break from all the exhaustive work she'd been doing was great at first, and Anya appreciated how Honey actually treated her like a real mammal and not trash, but after a while she got restless. She appreciated Honey's generosity but didn't like getting paid for work she essentially wasn't doing. She had a lot of pride in herself and her abilities, and just wanted to get started on her education. She did get a jump start on her medical training with all her free time by pouring over medical books, though."

"And Nick couldn't have gotten the money any other way?" Judy pressed. With his skills and abilities—his diplomas—surely he could have found someone who would pay him what he was worth.

Finn raked his claws through his head-fur, then threw his paws up in the air. "If he was willing to hurt people in his hustles, then yes, he could have made a killing. But that wasn't Nick, nor would Honey have supported him if he did. And if you're asking about his attorney's license . . . Could he have eventually found someone that would hire a fox lawyer and eventually paid him what he was worth? Yes, probably, but he would have had to work nights of overtime doing someone else's work before eventually working his way up—and that would have taken years before he could fund the scholarship program. Same thing if he'd started his own firm—it would have taken years and long hours stuck at the office to build up a reputation that would have brought in the big bucks. And Nick would have never survived being stuck indoors for that long. He would have gone insane."

Taking a deep breath, Finn continued, "Nick was already 21 by this time and his sister was 23—she didn't have years to waste waiting with only a slim chance she'd make it." Shaking his head once again while remembering that time, he continued, "Besides, Nick wouldn't stand for it. Anya was way too good for the work she was doing. She was just as smart and driven as he was, but unlike Nick, she still had her dream—and Nick was going to stop at nothing until she realized her dream."

Judy sat stunned. She knew Nick was driven when he wanted to be—you don't slog your way through 4 years of law school just to protect your mom if not. But hearing how Nick joined a mob boss just to protect his sister and her dream . . . As Finn's phone shuffled to Big Time Rush (by Big Time Rush), she took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

It finally made sense to her, why Nick had stood up to Bogo for her. Bogo hadn't just been verbally tearing her down, he'd been demolishing her dream. She thought she understood after hearing about the Junior Ranger Scouts incident when Nick was younger. But to see how driven he was to protect his sister's dream, and then comparing it to him facing off against a massive, angry water buffalo just so she could keep her dream . . . it could only mean that he was already seeing her as something more than an annoying bunny cop, even way back then.

With a sniffle, she wiped her paw across her face, then sniffled again. Stop being such a boo-baby. You already knew Nick was a cut above the rest. So stop crying whenever you learn something that further proves it. With another sniffle, she thought (not for the first time), Oh, what did I do to ever deserve him. Taking another deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sandy fox beside her.

"I'm assuming those are happy tears," Finnick said while looking around, making sure no one was getting the wrong idea. Here sat a fox next to a crying bunny, and Karma help him if some specist idiot thought he was the cause. Receiving a brutal smack down for making a bunny cry was not on his list of things to do today.

Judy wasn't looking at him as she wiped her eyes with the heel of her palms. With a shaky laugh, she muttered, "Yeah, these are definitely happy tears." Wiping the last of her tears on her arm, she looked over and said, "I'm actually trying to figure out what I did to deserve someone as great as Nick."

Finnick's ears swiveled forward and his eyes riveted on the bunny beside him. "You don't think you deserve Nick?" More than anything else she'd said so far, this topped them all. A bunny, prey, a member of the Fuzz, actually thought she wasn't good enough for Nick, a fox? Hell must have frozen over already, 'cause there was no way a prey species would think a fox was better than them. It just didn't happen.

Judy chuckled while shaking her head. "Nick's so much better than I am. I could never hope to compare."

"Are you kidding me!?" Finn exclaimed in shock. "Do you have any idea what you've already done for him? What it meant to him when you found him and apologized!? Actually apologized. Never has anyone apologized to him like that before. No one, and I mean no one, who wasn't family, has apologized to him without making some sort of excuse, nor has anyone ever been heartbroken over losing his friendship. You're a first in a long list of firsts for Nick."

As Judy sat stunned at Finn's statement, the small fox raked the claws of one paw through his head fur again and continued, "Do you know why I was laughing earlier?" At her head shake, he explained, "It's because I was happy. You have no idea what it meant to me to hear you defending Nick the way you were. I mean, he wasn't even around to hear you defend him, and yet you still did."

Judy's brows furrowed at the implication that she'd only defend a friend if he was around to hear her. But as she opened her mouth to refute the point, Finn raised a finger to silence her.

As Cottontail closed her mouth, Finnick continued, "You have no idea how many mammals act nice and friendly to mine or Nick's face, and then turn around and talk smack about us once our backs are turned. Or they sit back and laugh while someone else is putting us down." Finn shook his head at the painful memories. "It's not right, but we're foxes and it's something we've had to learn to live with." With wide grin spreading across his face, he continued, "So it made me super happy to hear you defend Nick the way you did." With a short bark of a laugh, he added, "I mean, you threatened violence on your own brother if he didn't stop badmouthing Nick. That just never happens!"

Finn's music shuffled to the next song (Bet On It by Troy) as Judy sat quietly staring at the tabletop while considering what Finn had just told her. Hearing how Nick and Finn were constantly talked about behind their backs just showed that they had more in common than she previously thought. It was something she faced constantly back in junior high and high school. Which was one of the reasons she couldn't stand to hear Henry speaking bad about Nick.

Lifting her gaze to meet Finnick's, she said softly, "But I couldn't just sit hear and listen to that garbage. Not about my best friend, not Nick. It hurts my heart to hear mammals talk about him like that."

Finn nodded eagerly, saying, "And that's the point!" As Judy's head tilted in confusion, Finnick elaborated. "You may not have Nick's academics, or the opportunities Honey opened to him, but you have what counts—you have the same heart, determination, and enthusiasm about your relationship as Nick does, and that's all he needs. Just keep doing what you're doing and be yourself—that's all Nick wants, it's all he needs."

Judy took a deep breath, and then another, before looking away as she tried to hold back the tears she felt pooling at the edge of her eyes. Get it together, Judy. Stop crying already! Her pep talk did little to stem the leak in her eyes. Blinking her eyes as she took several more deep breaths, she then looked back at Finnick and asked, "Are you serious? That's all Nick needs from me? To be myself?"

"Of course, I'm serious!" Finn exclaimed while starting to get nervous again as he watched Cottontail struggle with her emotions. He wasn't sure why she felt the need to cry again, but hoped she wouldn't start bawling. Trying to redirect her thoughts, he added, "Has Nick ever once made you feel like you weren't good enough for him? That you were lacking in some way?"

Judy's mind immediately went back to all the predatory, hungry gazes Nick leveled at her. His infectious laugh and teasing words. The way he protected her and how he opened up to her. The songs he sang her . . . Oh, the songs. Along with the hundreds of other little things he did for her. The soft, heartfelt words he whispered to her last night echoed in her head: "You're beautiful and cute and sexy all wrapped up in one". With a shake of her head and a slight chuckle, Judy wiped at her eyes and replied, "He said I was perfect."

Finn stared at her incredulously for a moment, then exclaimed, "Then why are you crying!?"

Judy sniffled, then wiped her eyes, saying, "Sorry, it's just—" She sniffled again as she felt her nose start to run. "Oh, no," she mumbled. "I think I need a tissue."

"I'll grab some napkins," Finnick stated as he jumped to the ground and ran to the nearest napkin dispenser. Grabbing a stack, he scurried back to the table and handed them up to her. After she took them, he hopped back up in his chair and waited expectantly.

Judy blew her nose several times, then wiped her eyes again. Finally gathering enough composure to speak, Judy took a deep breath and said, "My whole life, everyone has been trying to shove me into some preconceived mold of what I should be and how I should act. And when I didn't fit, then I became the crazy doe who thought she could be a big city cop, the dumb bunny who thought she could hack it with the big mammals." Blowing her nose again, she said, "Like you and Nick, I heard a lot of whispers behind my back when I was younger." With a bitter chuckle, she shook her head and said, "What am I saying. They were talking behind my back the first several months at the Academy and again when I joined the ZPD. Nothing really changed until I met Nick." With a slightly happier chuckle, she added, "Well, once he stopped wasting my time, anyways." A slow smile worked its way across her muzzle, and she beamed at Finnick while she thought of Nick.

Finnick just sat there staring as his playlist switched to Embers (by Owl City). Cottontail acted like her life was a piece of cake (not that being a cop was easy), but he assumed she had more support back home. Maybe her and Nick were closer in personality than he'd first thought. They both knew how to wear a mask to protect their hearts and to hide how hard life was trying to beat them down. They truly were made for each other.

Shaking his head, Finn whispered, "Wow. So you didn't have any support back home? Your parents or siblings weren't there for you?"

"A few of my closest siblings were supportive, like my littermates—and Amy—she was supportive. Very few female rabbits go into the automotive industry, and certainly not as a mechanic, so she got a lot of flak, too, when she was first starting out. She's since made a name for herself, so no one bothers her now."

"And your parents?" Finn still didn't understand how her parents weren't more supportive.

"They were the first ones to tell me it was impossible and that I should just settle. That I could make the world a better place by being a safe carrot farmer." Shaking her head (her tears having since dried up), she waved her paws out to either side and said, "They were so scared I'd get hurt or killed."

Finnick flicked his large ear, then glanced down to where he knew her injury was. "Well, their fear was justified."

Judy scoffed. "I got this running from a deranged ewe—they were sure I'd get eaten by a hungry predator."

A wicked glint entered Finn's eyes as he tilted his head and scratched his chin. "I don't know, Cottontail. Considering you're dating a fox and already have your wedding planned, it won't be too many more weeks before you are eaten by a hungry predator."

Judy's ears turned beet red and dropped behind her back. "Finnick!" she hissed.

Finnick sat back with a chuckle. "What!? It's true," he said with a wave of his paw. At Cottontail's glare, his grin widened as he pointed a clawed finger at her and said, "You can't deny you want it, not the way you flick that cottony tail of yours at Nick and get all excited whenever you hear his growl or feel his claws on you."

Grabbing her ears, Judy pulled them over her face to hide as she stuttered, "Finn! How do you . . . when did you . . . ?"

Finn chuckled again. "Have you forgotten about dinner last night?" Pointing to his black nose, Finnick said, "This nose isn't just for show any more than these ears are." Grinning, he added, "And don't think I missed the way you shivered in pleasure as Red ran his paws up and down your sides."

Judy groaned and slid down in her seat. She knew exactly what Finn was referring to. "I can't help it. Hearing Nick growl or feeling his paws and claws on me puts my hormones in overdrive." Running her paws over her face, she muttered, "For the first time in my life I now know what a normal bunny feels like with their raging hormones." Rubbing her eyes and completely missing Finn's shocked expression, she added, "If Nick takes too long getting me that ring, I might actually have to go on suppressants."

Finn's jaw dropped. After picking it up out of his lap, he exclaimed, "Wait! You've never been on suppressants!?" Nick's words from yesterday afternoon rang clearly in his head: 'rabbits go on suppressants as teenagers to control their high sex drive . . ."

Judy glanced up and shook her head. "Nope. I've never needed them before." With a shrug, she added, "Never found a male worth getting excited over—not until now." With a dreamy look as she rested her cheek in her palm, she said, "Nick excites me in all the right ways. It's criminal how good he makes me feel."

Finn's jaw hit his lap again and all he could do was stare. Some part of his brain heard his phone switch to Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins, but watching as Cottontail realized what she'd just said, he didn't have thoughts left for the music blocking out their conversation from any would-be eavesdroppers.

Realizing what she just admitted to, Judy grabbed her ears and pulled them over her face as she sunk deeper into the seat. With a moan, she said, "I have to be the worst rabbit ever. My instincts should be yelling at me, 'Danger! Danger! Run and hide!' But I hear his growl and feel his claws and I just want to melt into a hot pool of wax." Releasing her ears, she suddenly sat up and leaned over the table to point at the stunned fox across from her. "And his teeth! According to my dad and pop-pop, that's the most dangerous part of a predator. But when I feel Nick's teeth on me, I just swoon in his arms as my body dumps a load of hormones into my system. I mean, I let a fox wrap his large paws around me, run his sharp claws through my fur, and just about lose my mind with desire when I feel his teeth graze my skin."

Throwing her arms up, she exclaimed, "I love it and I can't get enough of Nick and all his foxy, predatory features!" Pulling her ears back over her eyes, she slumped back down in her chair again. "What rabbit willingly puts herself in the danger zone of a fox, her natural predator, and gets all excited when he gets all predatory on her?"

Finn's brain short circuited by the information of just how close she and Nick had gotten. He knew they were close, and that they were already dating and had plans to get married, but he hadn't thought they'd gotten that close physically. Snapping his jaw shut, he wondered, What exactly happened last night after dinner, and how in the world did bunny cop make it through life as a rabbit without suppressants? And the fact that Nick might drive her to using them was even more of shock. As she'd just pointed out, what kind of rabbit, a doe, puts herself in the danger zone of a fox? A hungry fox?


So we're starting to see a bit more of Judy's background and a bit more on Nick's way of thinking. Next chapter we'll see Nick a deal with an influential mammal. Bogo will also make a drastic deal to ensure Nick is pardoned and his record locked.

Chapter 41: Deal, will post on Saturday, Dec. 7.

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