Anya walked into the doctor's lounge and sat down on the plush, faux-leather couch as a heavy sigh escaped her. She had been having a late lunch earlier and getting ready to call her mom to check and see if Nick actually called like he was supposed to, but then got called in for an emergency surgery. A young kit had been wheeled in with acute appendicitis that could rupture at any moment. The surgery had been nerve-wracking as it was a very delicate procedure to keep the severely inflamed, tiny organ from rupturing there on the operating table.

The surgery was also nerve wracking as the tiniest shake of her paw, or of the other doctor or nurses helping her, could have caused the inflamed appendix to rupture in the kit's body and cause massive poisoning to spread through the body. With another heavy sigh, Anya was glad that this surgery went smoothly.

Picking up her phone, she looked at the time and couldn't believe it was the middle of the afternoon already. But at least she knew her mom would be up. Vivian always slept in late, and if she actually did talk to Nick last night, then she would be sleeping in even later. But now was a good time.

Pulling her mom's number up, Anya pushed send, then waited for her mom to pick up. It took several rings, then she heard her mom's happy voice. And yes, her voice actually sounded happy for the first time in 3 months. Nick must have talked to her, or she would still be in her normal 'everything's fine' voice.

"Hey, Anya, how's work going?" Vivian asked in a happy, peppy voice she hadn't used in far too long. Turning back to her suitcase, she continued packing for her upcoming trip.

Anya relaxed further into the thick cushions of the couch and said, "Well, we were able to save a coyote pup's life today, so I guess it's going well." Happy that the young pup was going to make a full recovery, Anya turned her attention back to her mom and asked, "So, did anything good happen to you this morning?"

Vivian chuckled. "I think you know it did."

"Do I know that?" Anya replied back with a hint of a smirk. It was obvious Nick had called, so he was off the hook—this time.

"Nick finally called last night and let me know he was still alive." Standing in her closet, Vivian rifled through her clothes trying to decide the best ones to pack. She had her clothes already picked out for tomorrow, and she had casual clothes packed for Monday and Tuesday (Nick could put up with her a few extra days after everything he put her through these last few months). But she was struggling to choose an outfit to wear on Sunday when she met Judy's parents.

"So did Nick say what he was up to?" Anya asked. She still couldn't figure out what her brother had been hinting at with all his cryptic words. It was still driving her crazy and she could now see how curiosity killed the cat—it was killing her not knowing what her dumb brother was up to!

"Well, as he told me, he was mentally in a bad place," Vivian answered. "Apparently, he made a new friend and then felt like he was stabbed in the back. And then with everything going on with the savage attacks, he just hung out at the warehouse moping."

"Well, that's weird," Anya muttered. "Nick doesn't usually trust people enough to get hurt like that. He keeps everyone well beyond arms'-reach."

Vivian nodded, but then changed the subject as she didn't want Anya asking too many questions about Nick's 'friend'. While pulling one of her nicer outfits out of the closet to get a better look in the light, Vivian said, "Well, to make it up to his mother for worrying her to death these last few months, Nick invited me down for the weekend."

"He what!?" Anya cried. Nick told her he was coming next weekend and not to mention it to their mother so he could surprise her. So why did he invite her down this weekend!?

"Nick invited me down this weekend," Vivian repeated. Tilting her head while looking at a pale blue blouse and skirt piece, she then gave a slight shake of her head. Putting the outfit back on the clothes rack, Vivian pulled down another one. This one was a pale-pink, flowered blouse and slacks ensemble. Continuing on with her conversation, she added, "To be fair, though, it was more of a last-minute thought on Nick's part." With a wry smile, she added, "The rotten son that he is, he didn't even consider seeing me when I first talked to him. Can you believe that! He hasn't seen his mother in almost two years, and has worried me sick the last 3 months, and then didn't even make plans to see me! Do you know how many gray hairs that boy has given me these last few months alone!?" With a huff while thinking of her wayward son and how worrisome he was, she put the pink outfit back and started rifling through her clothes again.

Anya was quiet for a moment as she thought of her mom's words. It didn't completely surprise her that Nick would change his plans after talking to their mother and hearing firstpaw how worried he'd made her. Anya just wished she had known all this when she got to work this morning.

Interrupting her daughter's thoughts, Vivian asked, "Are you free this weekend? We could go down together." With a smile, she added, "We could give that boy a piece of our mind for worrying us."

Anya's ears splayed sideways as her tail slumped beside her. "Normally I would, but this morning I promised to cover this weekend for a friend who had a family emergency." Her friend, Bethany, a golden jackal, had been moaning yesterday evening when Anya got off work about her grandpa who was hospitalized after having a second stroke. He didn't live here in Rándýrabær, so she had to leave town to visit him. And since this was his second stroke, Bethany was worried about the damage done and wanted to be there to help in any way she could.

After thinking it over this morning, Anya agreed to take Bethany's weekend shift if Bethany would take her Monday and Tuesday shift of the following week when Nick was coming down. But now, she wasn't even sure he would make it, not if he was seeing mom this weekend. So much for making plans, she thought sadly. With a heavy sigh, Anya leaned her head back against the back of the couch. At least their mother will get to see him and have her worries laid to rest.

Vivian nodded as she pulled out a dark-purple, flowered sundress with bright, dark green leaves. She initially bought the dress because the leaves were the same shade of emerald as Nick's eyes (and consequently, his father's eyes which Nick had inherited). But now, after remembering from the news feed on the press conference 3 months ago that Judy's eyes were also purple (the rabbit's bright, purple eyes were the only positive thing that caught Vivian's attention about the specist, little bunny cop), the dress would be a good match for her son and his unlikely girlfriend. She just hoped Nick was right about the rabbit, and that the mammal showed on the news three months ago wasn't the real bunny under that uniform.

Remembering how Nick described his relationship with the hyper little rabbit and how—physical—they already were, Vivian's ears flicked back while wondering how much of the bunny under the uniform Nick had already seen. It still surprised her that not only had Nick imprinted on the rabbit, but that the rabbit shared his feelings and was actually wanting to get physical with a fox. I mean, what rabbit in her right mind would want to wrap her tiny tongue around a fox's sharp teeth!? Vivian wondered to herself.

With a shake of her head, Vivian took the dress and laid it across the bed, next to her suitcase while wondering how her daughter would take the news. Would Anya even accept their relationship after mentally matching Nick up with several of her friends? She hoped Anya could accept her brother's odd choice of a mate because after talking to Nick about his relationship, both last night and again this afternoon, it was obvious that marriage wasn't far off—not if he'd already fully imprinted Judy. The fact the bunny cop found everything foxy and predatory about Nick a huge turn on furthered Vivian's certainty of their marriage taking place very soon. Which was another reason she wanted to make this trip down to Zootopia. If her only son was going to get married to some girl, Vivian wanted to meet her first and hopefully start their relationship off on a positive note.

While Anya sat in the doctor's lounge feeling happy that she could help her friend, but at the same time, lamenting her lost weekend (it had been a very long week), Anya heard her stomach growl to remind her she'd missed lunch.

"Was that your stomach?" Vivian asked. Knowing how hectic work was for Anya, the older vixen figured her daughter had been forced to miss lunch again. A surgery had either taken longer than expected or there was an emergency she had to attend to.

"Yes," Anya moaned while covering her stomach. "I gotta go, mom. I missed lunch and now it feels like my stomach is trying to eat itself."

With a chuckle, Vivian replied, "Go ahead and eat. I have to finish packing. I leave late tomorrow morning, and I want to be sure I have everything I need tonight."

With a smile while feeling grateful her brother was alive and that at least one of them could see him right away, Anya said her goodbye and hung up. Then, with a loud, tired groan, she pushed herself off the comfortable couch and over to the fridge where her lunch waited—a chicken and shrimp salad sandwich with a fruit salad on the side.

Vivian smiled at the phone after Anya hung up, then put the phone back in her pocket. She really hoped Anya could accept her brother's choice because they were going to have a hard-enough time as it was once society found out about them, and they didn't need a lot of grief from their family, too. The fact Judy was helping Nick turn his life around and become a cop would hopefully put enough points in the rabbit's favor that Anya could accept their odd relationship.

With a shake of her head and a warm smile on her face, she couldn't get over the fact that Nicholas, her son, was going to be a cop! The first fox officer in Zootopia! There were, of course, fox cops here Rándýrabær, but this was a town made up of mostly small and medium sized predators with a large fox population, so it was understandable. But for such a large city like Zootopia, where foxes were the minority and heavily prejudiced against, to accept a fox cop was unbelievable. Especially when Vivian remembered the complete lack of professionalism and help they received when both John and Demetri were murdered.

While looking forward to her trip tomorrow, Vivian went about with her packing while hoping that Judy was everything Nick said she was.

...

Pulling up to the house, Nick drove around to the backyard and stopped near the back porch so he could unload his supplies. Working double-time, he had the back of the jeep unloaded in record time. Next, he ran over to the garage and swung the doors wide open. As much as he wanted to run up and thoroughly remind his stunning girlfriend what a hungry fox looked like (and felt like), Nick knew he'd never get everything ready in time if he met Judy first. So instead, he dredged up his self-control and darted inside the large garage. Stopping in front of the sleek, aerodynamic machine hidden in partial darkness, Nick glanced it over quickly. The upper part was black and almost disappeared into the shadows, but halfway down the body of the machine the black faded into a dark sky blue that practically glowed as the light from the open garage doors hit it.

Reaching over to the gyro's door, Nick punched in the code to unlock the gyrocopter, then pulled on the handle to raise the door up with its large glass window. Slipping into the pilot's seat with the control stick between his legs, Nick closed the door that was more glass than metal. Glancing over the black instrument panel, Nick flipped the switch that started the engine, then glanced over all the gages.

Everything seemed to be in working order, so next he activated the propeller and pulled the control stick forward. The gyro immediately began moving forward as Nick steered it through the garage door and up the ramp to the back yard. Jumping out long enough to remove the strap that kept the long rotor blades from moving while in transit, Nick engaged the clutch, then watched the rotors above him begin moving slowly as he drove the gyro around the open space of the large backyard. Although there were several trees, most were growing around the edge of the yard or at either side of the garage, which left a large area level and free of vegetation with the exception of the tall grass. Seeing the auto-rotating rotors spinning like they were supposed to, Nick turned the gyro around and drove it towards the house.

Stopping near the ramp leading down into the garage, Nick glanced up to see Judy gaping in awe at him and the black and deep-blue gyro.

...

Hearing Nick return, Judy grinned widely even as she heard the jeep drive around to the back yard. Knowing Nick had picked up a bunch of supplies for tomorrow morning, she figured he would unload the jeep then come up to 'remind' her what a hungry fox looked like. Putting a bookmark in her book again, she set it down and then ran a paw down her ears while imagining what Nick would do to remind her of his hungry look. Touching her upper lip lightly with her tongue, Judy leaned back on the couch while remembering all his hungry looks from yesterday, last night, and again this morning. It set butterflies loose in her stomach, even as she realized she might need to make another trip to the weight room. Of course, this time she won't have to work out alone seeing as Nick promised to work out today, too.

Watching Nick working out would be its own unique form of eye candy she was very much looking forward to seeing. Back in college, there were several bucks who tried to catch her attention while she was working out in the gym, but she never gave them a passing glance. But with Nick, he would have her full, undivided attention without even trying.

While daydreaming about Nick—again—she suddenly heard a motor start in the backyard. Tilting her head in curiosity as she twisted around on the couch, Judy swiveled her ears around trying to decide what the sound was. It didn't quite sound like a lawnmower. Unfamiliar with this particular motor, she grabbed her crutches and stood up. Hobbling down the hallway to her room, she made her way across the room and out to the balcony. Hobbling onto the deck, Judy saw Nick's gyrocopter circling the yard.

It was a beautiful machine, with the top a sleek, glossy black that faded into a deep, sky blue half-way down the body. This particular model had two small headlights that fit beautifully into the aerodynamic body. The three large windows allowed a full view of the outside and Judy could see this particular gyro had two front seats, plus two slightly smaller back seats. Seeing Nick in the front seat definitely added to its appeal.

Resting her crutches against the railing, Judy spread her paws across the deck's wooden railing and leaned forward slightly as she drank in the sight, even as she wondered if they weren't having another date tonight. If so, she had a pretty good idea of what they were doing—and she couldn't wait!

...

Down in the gyro, Nick turned the engine off, then popped the door and hopped out. Stepping in front of the machine, Nick flourished his paws as he showed off the gyro while hollering up, "So what do you think? She's a beauty, isn't she?"

With a wide smile and ears perked forward, Judy gave a slight nod as she replied, "She is indeed." With a slight tilt of her head, she added, "Do I get to fly in it tonight?" Judy met Nick's grin with one of her own as he jogged towards the stairs, with her watching his fluffy tail swish side-to-side as he moved. Almost purring in delight, Judy couldn't get enough of seeing her hot, foxy boyfriend in action even as he disappeared from view as he reached the side of the house.

Reaching the deck, Nick walked across the wooden floor while watching Judy turn around to face him as she leaned back against the deck railing. Stepping in front of his hot, sexy girlfriend, Nick slipped his paws around her slim waist and asked, "Would you like that? To do your city tour tonight."

"Well, it does look and sound exciting." Sliding her paws up Nick's chest as she met his hungry gaze, she added in a sultry voice, "And you did promise me a lot more dates."

"Hmm," Nick murmured as he slid his nose under her chin to run it through her silky, white fur. "I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes, you did," she murmured while tilting her head back and fully exposing her vulnerable neck to her predatory mate.

Nick didn't hold back as he clamped his sharp teeth around her neck which brought a shuddering moan to his incredibly trusting girlfriend. Releasing her throat after a quick squeeze, he then showered her neck with small licks and nips while making his way back up to her small muzzle. At another one of her soft moans, Nick lifted his head just enough to lock muzzles with her.

Judy had told Nick to hurry home and remind her what he looked like hungry and he didn't disappoint. As she lost herself in the sensual kiss, her tail practically vibrated against the wooden railing which brought a soft thwacking sound to their ears. Sliding her paws up his chest, Judy groaned as she felt Nick's paws slide down to her thighs, give them a quick squeeze, then lift her up to rest her rump on the railing, which brought their height closer together. Sliding her paws up and around Nick's neck, she hugged him tightly as she pulled him deeper into the kiss.

When they finally broke for air, Judy wasn't surprised to find one of Nick's paws playing with her cottony tail, nor was she shocked to see his expressive emeralds darken in hunger and desire. Licking her lips briefly, she whispered, "Nick, I think I need some more time in the weight room." Taking a deep breath while trying to calm her pounding heart, she asked, "Care to join me?"

Nick's cocky grin couldn't be any smugger. "I don't know, Carrots, do you even have anything to wear?" With a knowing smirk, he added, "As I recall, your shorts got . . . wet."

Judy's ears turned bright red and she slugged his shoulder (the one she hadn't bruised yet). "Nick!" Pulling her paws from around his neck, she slid them down his chest (along with her gaze) to play with his shirt. "I . . ." Judy frowned as Nick had a point. She'd had her mom pack an extra workout outfit in her box Henry brought her yesterday, but she wore that this morning when she was working out the first time. Biting her lip, Judy tried to think of something comfortable to wear.

Watching Judy's cute expression as she thought, Nick bit back his comment that she could workout in her underwear and bra. As much as he'd enjoy the sight, he knew they'd never be able to keep their paws to themselves (or anything else) if they had so much fur showing while working out (he knew Judy would insist he work out in his underwear, too).

Lifting his gaze to stare out over the backyard as a stellar jay flew by, Nick wondered why he was feeling so needy himself. It wasn't like him. Yes, he was a red fox and yes, Judy was his girlfriend and soon to be mate and wife, but they had hardly spent any time together (7 ½ days wasn't very long in the whole scheme of things) so he shouldn't be feeling so—hungry—whenever he was with her. At least not this quickly. These first several months, he should have been fine with simply being with her, not this stark need to touch and taste her.

Which made him wonder if he hadn't fully imprinted on her already. He knew he had started imprinting 3 months ago, and it was much stronger now, but imprinting usually takes 6 to 9 months to fully mature, which is when they perform the fox wedding and mating ceremony (and why it was more of a spur of the moment thing). But if he had fully imprinted on her, then yesterday afternoon made much more sense. Even with Judy's determination, her scent and taste shouldn't have affected him so badly. Yes, she had a mouth-watering taste and yes, her scent was intoxicating—but to the point where he lost control?

Nick gave a slight shake of his head as he watched the wind blow through the leaves of the trees growing next to the garage. If he hadn't so easily lost control Thursday afternoon, he knew Judy would have been able to keep better control herself. Judy was a rabbit, so her pawsy nature was understandable. But what about him? Nick had always kept everyone at arm's length and avoided physical contact with anyone but his family and closest friends. And even then, the contact was usually brief—so why the sudden urge to touch Judy all the time? To smell and taste her like it was his last day to live?

With a deep breath as his tail swished behind him, Nick wished his dad was still around to ask him how it felt when he imprinted on his mom. Did his dad struggle, too, with his self-control when he and mom were just starting out? Did his dad feel like his emotions and discipline were spinning out of control whenever he held mom, just as Nick felt whenever he held Judy? When she reached for him and ran her fingers through his fur while demanding his kisses, his bites, and his licks? How long did it take his dad's instincts to stop telling him to go slow?

Nick couldn't forget this morning when he had been holding Judy on the couch, and how his instincts didn't even try to stop him when he was feeling Judy up while drowning in her scent, taste, and feel. It was like Judy had knocked his mental equilibrium out of whack with that first kiss she stole from him on Tuesday and he had yet to recover from it. From what he remembered of his early kithood, Nick knew his parents were extremely close and affectionate, so did his dad also feel like mom had pulled the rug out from under him with that first kiss she stole from him?

Taking another deep breath while he continued to run his claws through his honeybun's tail, Nick gazed out over the large, open yard. After a moment, his gaze landed on the gyrocopter as the bright sunlight glinted off its black and blue painted body and large glass windows. With a grin, he scooped Judy up (which caused a cute 'eep' from her at the unexpected movement) and turned towards the stairs.

"Nick!" Judy cried as she gripped his shirt. She had been wondering what Nick was thinking about. Instead of further teasing about not having anything suitable to work out in like she had been expecting (Judy was waiting for Nick to suggest they workout in their underwear), Nick had simply looked out over the backyard, deep in thought. So, when he suddenly grabbed her and spun around towards the stairs, it startled her.

Chuckling, Nick said, "What?" Glancing down at her, Nick said, "We both need a distraction from our physical attraction to each other, so how about I introduce you to Suzie-Q?"

Judy raised an eyebrow in question, even as she tilted her head, saying, "Suzie-Q?"

Nick nodded. "Yes, Suzie-Q." With a smirk, he added, "She's waiting for us down on the lawn."

Turning around as Nick started down the stairs, Judy's ears were tilted forward as she looked to see who Suzie-Q was. The only thing in sight besides the jeep wrangler was Nick's glossy gyrocopter.

As he walked up to the aerodynamic machine, Nick turned sideways to give Judy a better look as he said, "Carrots, I'd like you to meet Suzie-Q."

Judy glanced over the machine and had to admit—she was a beauty. Sleek, aerodynamic, and perfect for the two of them to enjoy a cozy, romantic date. Looking back up at Nick with a bright, excited smile, she asked, "You named your gyrocopter Suzie-Q?"

"No, no, I did not." Walking over to the passenger side, he explained, "Honey's best friend growing up was an Animalian badger and was a huge flight buff and went into designing planes." Opening the glass door and setting Judy in the seat, Nick continued, "Her hobby, though, was gyrocopters. She's the one that got Honey obsessed with flying."

With a smile, Judy glanced over the black cockpit and shiny gauges, then reached over and lightly handled the control stick between her legs.

While watching Judy's appreciative gaze, Nick continued his story. "Honey named the gyro Suzie-Q in her memory as this is her friend's personal design."

Judy looked up and her ears drooped slightly. "Memory?"

Nick nodded as he walked around and climbed into the driver's seat. Glancing at his stunning girlfriend, he explained, "Suzie-Q was full of life, and she and Honey kind of rubbed off on each other. But then she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and it just took the life out of her." Nick glanced through the front window while thinking back during those times. "I was just starting law school when Suzie-Q started her cancer treatments." With a heavy sigh, Nick glanced down and rubbed his palm over the control stick.

Seeing Nick's discomfort at the memories, Judy reached over and slipped her small paw over his, then gave him an encouraging smile when he glanced up.

With a weak smile, Nick continued his sad tale. "They put her on medication, then chemo—you name it, she tried it." With a shake of his head, he added, "None of it worked, though. Honey sat at her bedside and watched as the cancer and the treatments sapped her friend's strength and energy, made her uncontrollably sick, then stole her life." Releasing the control stick, Nick flipped his paw over and caught Judy's palm. Rubbing his thumb over the back of her soft paw, Nick took a deep breath and said, "I think that's why Honey ignored her own cancer. After watching her best friend sicken and waste away going through treatment, Honey wasn't going to go through it herself, especially at her age. She had lived her life and she was ready to see her husband and son again."

Judy squeezed his paw, then as he looked over to meet her shimmering amethysts, she reached up to caress his cheeks. She was on the verge of leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips when a high-pitched squeal broke the silence and destroyed the mood. Both her and Nick clamped their paws over their sensitive ears and looked ahead to see a large, round cheetah in a police uniform staring at them. He was standing next to the jeep with his paws pressed up against his chubby cheeks as stars literally danced in his eyes (which were clear to see even at this distance).

Nick's ears flicked back slightly as having cops in his home was never a good thing, especially those from Precinct 7 here in the Meadowlands. With the Meadowlands being primarily filled by herd mammals, the officers here at Precinct 7 were especially specist, with this precinct having the fewest number of predator officers. Which didn't explain the chubby cheetah staring at them from across the yard.

"Clawhauser!" Judy squealed herself as she popped her head out the side of the open door so her voice would carry better. "You made it!"


FYI: The Golden Jackal is a more interesting canine than I had originally thought. It is a wolf-life canid that has seven subspecies, but is more closely related to the gray wolf, the coyote, the African golden wolf, and the Ethiopian wolf than it is to the African black-backed jackal or the side-striped jackal. The golden jackal can even breed with the gray wolf and African golden wolf and produce fertile young. These jackal-dog hybrids, called Sulimov dogs, are actually in service at the Sheremetyevo Airport near Moscow where they are deployed by the Russian airline Aeroflot for scent-detection.

Golden Jackals have a range that covers southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal has been expanding beyond its native territory in southeast Europe, though, and is moving into Central and Northeast Europe where there are few or no wolves. Their coat can range in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. They love lowlands and are usually found where there is water: lakes, rivers, streams, canals, and seashores.

The Golden Jackal, like the fox, is an omnivore with its diet ranging from fruits and insects, to small ungulates (hoofed animals). They are highly adaptable creatures and will even attack and eat domestic birds and other domestic animals up to the size of a domestic water buffalo's calf. They are also a very social creature, with the basic unit consisting of a breeding pair and any offspring.

Gyrocopters: For those of you interested in gyros and how they function/run, Phil Hardwood has an awesome 15-minute YouTube video that explains how a gyro works. It's titled: Top Gear for Gyros 2-Gyroplanes Explained. I hope you watch it, it's pretty interesting and shows how safe they are in a fun manner.


WingedKatt here. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it's a little shorter than my other chapters have been recently, but these last few weeks have been really busy and I didn't have as much time to write. Next chapter, we'll get to see Clawhauser and then Judy will have to explain to Nick why he's at their house.

Chapter 67: Be Nice, will post in 2 weeks. I hope you all have a great weekend. Be safe. If you have any thoughts or questions, I'd love to hear them.