Walking into the house and seeing her son about to eat his bunny again, Vivian rolled her eyes. "Are you two even going to make it to Tuesday night?" she asked with a flick of her long, bushy tail with its white tip.

Nick's ears flicked back, even as he quickly sat up and straightened his shirt out. Ignoring his mother's question (and feeling extremely glad his mom hadn't walked in a few minutes earlier when he was snacking on Judy's neck), he said, "You can call off the cavalry, I found Cotton."

Vivian's eyes widened and her ears shot forward as she froze in the process of shutting the door. Did she hear Nick right? "You what?"

As Judy sat up straight and pulled down her shirt, Nick met his mom's incredulous gaze and repeated, "I found Cotton." Nodding towards Judy, he explained, "Cotton was hiding in one of Judy's boxes. But I got her out and after cooling her off and getting some liquid into her, she bounced back and is now enjoying a big lunch up on the deck."

Vivian stared at them as she stood stunned in the doorway. Finally finding her voice, she repeated, "Cotton is up on the deck? Eating?"

Smoothing out her shirt and pretending she and Nick weren't just about to have another make-out session (when Nick talked about having a little 'her' and a little 'him' running around set her instincts off again!), Judy turned around on the couch to look at Vivian, saying, "Cotton was pretty unresponsive when we first found her, but now she's awake and as hyper as ever." With a wide, buck-toothed smile spreading across her lips, she thought of how happy Cotton was to have Nick as her uncle.

Vivian blinked at the stunning news, then, with a head shake to clear the shock, she stepped further into the room and shut the door behind her. Focusing on her son and his bunny, Vivian asked, "Did you call your parents and let them know?"

Judy's ears drooped slightly. "I tried but it just went straight to voicemail."

Nick's ear flicked as he said, "The train is probably in Elk Valley. The reception there is terrible."

Judy nodded, but then Vivian stepped closer to the couch and asked, "Well, have you tried calling your sister Katelyn? She's the one who called about Cotton going missing."

With her ears dropping to her back, Judy cried, "Katelyn!" Turning to look at Nick, she said, "Nick, I forgot to call the burrow!" Pulling out her phone, Judy glanced back at Nick's mom and said, "Vivian, if you want to go up and meet Cotton, I bet she'll be ecstatic to see another fox."

Nick's ears perked up and a wide, toothy grin spread across his face while thinking of Cotton's complete acceptance of him, even as his tail started wagging. "You'll love Cotton, Mom, she the cutest, most adorable butterball you'll ever see!" he said as Vivian started up the stairs, but paused to glance back at her son, even as Nick added, "She has absolutely no fear towards foxes and is already calling me Uncle Nick!"

Vivian's eyes widened at what Nick was saying. She had first assumed that Janelle and Amy had taken Cotton up on deck because she was afraid of Nick, but that didn't seem to be the case. Flicking her ear with curiosity, she didn't get a chance to question why her son and fiancé were still downstairs when Nick spoke up again.

With his ears slightly drooping while thinking of the two little orphan bunnies, Nick then explained, "Don't ask Cotton about her parents. Her mom died giving birth to her and her no-good father skipped out without even looking at her once." This last was said with irritation thick in his voice.

Vivian's ears canted to the side as she realized why her son and his bunny were downstairs when Cotton was upstairs. Nick must have asked about her parents and Amy and Janelle took the little bunny upstairs so Judy could explain her situation to Nick.

Judy paused in calling her sister so she wasn't trying to talk over Nick and Vivian's conversation. Looking up at Vivian with a bright, buck-toothed smile, she chimed in, "Cotton is an orphan at the moment, but it might not be too many more months before she has a mommy and a daddy." She said this last while looking at Nick.

Nick met Judy's steady gaze and his grin grew even bigger as his tail wagged a little faster. Vivian looked back and forth between the two, then stammered, "You're…you two are thinking about…about adopting Cotton?" She was hoping for grandkits and assumed adoption would be the way Nick and Judy went, but so soon? Not that she was complaining. She had been dying for grandkits for almost a decade now. But still, this was Nicholas they were talking about! He never wanted to be a dad!"

With his tail still wagging, Nick explained how both Judy and Amy had been candidates for Cotton's mommy and since Judy was now marrying him and Amy would probably be married in a few months herself, neither doe had an excuse not to adopt Cotton and her sister Sasha. It was just a matter of time and answering the question of who would provide a better home life for the two little girls.

Vivian was ecstatic at the idea of Nicholas and Judy having kits, or even Finnick and Amy (Vivian had seen how the little fox and tan doe had been eyeing each other yesterday). Finnick had spent so much time with Nicholas, that Vivian sometimes thought of Finnick as her long, lost son, so whichever couple ended up adopting the two little bunnies, she could still spoil them rotten as their grandma Viv. At any rate, this wasn't something they had to worry about right away as the adoption process wasn't a quick and easy thing to get through.

With a bright smile at the idea, Vivian walked back down the stairs. Reaching over the back of the couch to hug her son and his bunny, she said, "I think you two will make wonderful adoptive parents, and I'll continue praying that you'll be able to have a couple of kits of your own at the same time."

Hugging his mom back, Nick grinned, saying, "Don't worry, Mom, Judy and I will be very diligent in that respect and will take every opportunity to try our paw at having our own kits."

Vivian grinned knowingly at her son (he was a red todd who was mated to a bunny which meant the need to have their own kits will be strong), even as Judy turned lobster red. Slugging Nick's arm, she cried, "Ni-ick!"

Smirking at his fiancé and mate, Nick asked, "What? Are you saying you don't want to zealously try for our own kits?"

With a groan, Judy pulled down her bright red ears and hid behind them. "That's not what I'm saying, and you know it." Then in a quiet mutter, she murmured, "This is so embarrassing." Nick definitely got his snarky attitude from his mother!

Standing up, Vivian replied, "I don't see why." As Judy peeked at her from between her flaming red ears, Vivian added, "I was young once and madly in love. As a newlywed, I couldn't wait to get pregnant with Anya. John and I were married in the fall, but you can be sure we got plenty of practice in before winter hit and I went into heat as fox mating season started."

Judy pulled her ears further apart to get a better look at Vivian. With her nose twitching, she asked, "You seriously aren't worried that Nick and I are moving too fast?"

Resting her paws on the back of the couch, Vivian took a moment of thought, then answered, "If Nick hadn't already imprinted on you, then I would be. But being a red fox who has fully imprinted on his mate, putting off claiming you for too long will cause more harm than good."

Judy's ears sprang back up, then she looked at Nick to see him eyeing her with a hungry glint in his bright green eyes. Seeing that look had Judy taking a deep breath, even as her own need to breed began to wake up—again!

Seeing the two lovers' hungry gazes, Vivian laughed as she turned back towards the stairs. Speaking over her shoulder, she said, "If I were you two, I'd sign those marriage papers you have hiding in your room tonight. Nick will be 34 by the end of this year, so you have no time to waste if you're going to try for your own kits. As it is, Nick will be over 50 by the time your kits graduate high school."

Judy's jaw dropped as Vivian disappeared up the stairs, even as Nick's muzzle curled up into a wide, toothy grin. "Vivian!" Judy finally exclaimed, "I'm not even in heat yet!"

Hollering down the stairs with amusement thick in her voice, Vivian replied, "You could have fooled me." As Nick started laughing, Vivian added, "Oh, and Judy, don't forget to call your sister, then the two of you should join us for lunch. You need to maintain your strength."

Judy gaped at the stairs as she heard Vivian's footsteps receding up them, then she turned to her fiancé and saw that the hungry glint in his deep emerald eyes had gotten darker. Taking in another deep breath as her stomach muscles tightened in anticipation of the sensual promise Nick's gaze gave her, Judy turned towards the tv as she glanced at her phone. "My sister," she muttered while trying to re-engage her brain. Nick's hungry gaze had short-circuited her brain cells and she needed to call her sister before she lost all rationality and the ability to focus.

Bringing up her sister's number, Judy hit dial, then put the phone to her ear. With Nick sitting beside her, she wasn't about to do a MuzzleTime call. It was a good thing, too, because as she waited for her sister to answer, she suddenly felt Nick lean over and wrap his paws around her waist and pull her back against his chest, even as his hot breath tickled the fur of her ear a heartbeat before he nuzzled her.

With a breathless moan, Judy whispered, "Ni-ick." She was trying to reboot her brain and Nick's breathy attentions were making it impossible, especially as Vivian's words had her thinking of tonight and whether or not Nick would actually agree to sign their marriage papers early. Going by the way Nick was running his claws through the fur of her belly, Judy didn't think it would take much to convince him.

Running his large, black nose up the outside of her ear, Nick murmured in a husky whisper, "I want you, Judy." Judy gasped as Nick ran his nose down the other side of her ear. "The thought of you pregnant with my kits has my instincts and biology yammering to make it so."

Judy whimpered as Nick began nibbling at the base of her ear, even as the phone continued ringing in her other ear. The idea of being pregnant had never—never—appealed to her before, but now, thinking of being pregnant with Nick's kits—she wanted it. She wanted it bad!

As Nick continued nibbling on Judy's ear, he couldn't get the idea of her being pregnant out of his head. Although he didn't want her pregnancy to disrupt her job when she was just getting back to work, he knew that with her being a rabbit and him a fox, getting her pregnant wouldn't be easy if it was possible at all. And as his mom just pointed out, they had no time to waste in trying. Snapping Judy's pants' button and unzipping her pants, he slipped his fingertips under her panties and ran his claws through the silky fur of her waist.

Judy gasped again, then groaned. Biting her knuckles, she tried not to moan again as she had never realized before just how sensitive the skin of her lower belly was. Or maybe it was just Nick's criminal touch. His sinful claws always left tracks of fire across her skin.

While feeling herself drowning in Nick's criminal touch, Judy was struggling not to moan again when her sister finally answered the phone, which further knocked Judy's mental equilibrium out of whack.

"Hey, Judy," Katelyn said. "Was mom and dad able to catch the train?" she asked while wondering why it was Judy calling instead of her parents. Her parents had said they were catching the 12 O'clock train, so if they missed it, wouldn't her parents be the ones calling?

Taking a deep breath, Judy answered, "Um, yes, yes they were." Taking another deep breath as Nick's claws, teeth, and hot breath continued wreaking havoc on her ability to think straight, Judy then added, "You should see them in…in about…two hours." Slapping a paw over Nick's paw, she held his paw still so she could talk straight.

"Good," Katelyn replied, "we could really use mom and dad's help right now." Judy hummed her agreement, but before she could say anything, Katelyn asked, "Judy, are you okay? You sound a little breathless."

Judy chuckled nervously, then said, "Um, yes, I'm…I'm fine. It's just that I have this annoying fox sitting here distracting me." There was a low chuckle in her ear as Nick sat up a little straighter and pulled his paw up to rest more appropriately on her stomach.

"You mean Nick?" Katelyn asked. "He's there with you?"

Seeing as Judy was still trying to gather her thoughts, Nick answered for her. "Yes, this is Nick, Nick Wilde, your sister's roommate." Nick moved his paw up and slid his thumb along the curve of her ribcage. He knew he shouldn't be teasing Judy like this, especially when she was on the phone with her family, but he couldn't get the idea of kits out of his head. Even though Nick knew now wasn't the time to start trying for kits, he still couldn't leave her alone. Just knowing that Judy wanted his kits as badly as he wanted to give them to her made it impossible not to touch her—to tease her.

As Judy bit her lip to keep from gasping (Nick's claw kept hitting her bra every time his thumb slid across the upper curve of her ribcage), Nick spoke again to explain, "We're calling to let you know we found Cotton, so you can call off your search party."

"What!" Katelyn exclaimed. "How is Cotton all the way in Zootopia!"

Releasing her lip which she'd been biting, Judy answered, "Cotton was hiding in my box of plushies, but she's fine. She was sleeping when we pulled her out, but she's awake now and is having lunch."

Katelyn was quiet for a moment while she tried to process the fact that Cotton had stowed away in one of Judy's boxes and was now in Zootopia. With a shake of her head, she finally asked, "Okay. Um, can I talk to her?"

Judy was momentarily stunned. She wasn't ready to rejoin the outside world. She and Nick were in the middle of a very intense…discussion about the…possibility…of having kits of their own and she wanted to finish it before rejoining the others. Taking a deep breath (Nick had paused in his sensual teasing so she could somewhat think straight), then said, "Well, Cotton is up on the deck eating and Nick and I are down in the living room. We still have a few things to discuss, but if you MuzzleTime Amy or Janelle, you'll be able to see and talk to Cotton."

Katelyn's eyes widened again. "Janelle is still there!?"

"Yes," Judy answered, "Since Amy is staying till Thursday, Janelle decided to stay a few extra days, too, and go back with her."

"And you're okay with that, Nick?" Katelyn asked. Being a fox who didn't want to be overwhelmed by a bunch of bunnies, she was surprised Nick agreed to another bunny staying over.

With a shrug, Nick answered, "I like Janelle and she's Judy's littermate. Since they won't be seeing as much of each other, I figured, why not?"

Katelyn was still surprised that Nick was so open with his home to a bunch of bunnies. Being a predator and a fox, she figured he would want to limit the number of prey who stayed over at his place. Maybe she had been wrong about him? With her nose twitching, she asked about her niece. "And Cotton? What's going to happen to her?"

Curling his claws across Judy's stomach as he thought of Cotton's excitement at meeting him, Nick said, "She's the sweetest little bunny I've ever met, so I have no problems with her staying over till Thursday, either."

Katelyn was once again surprised by Nick's acceptance of another bunny in his house, especially a small kit. Wouldn't he be bothered by having an energetic, noisy kit running about the place? "What about clothes for her?" Katelyn asked. "I know Janelle can wear Judy's clothes, but what will Cotton wear?"

Judy wasn't sure how to answer this question as she had nothing in Cotton's size. Nick, on the other paw, wasn't fazed by the question. "My mom is visiting, as well, and she was planning on going clothes shopping tomorrow. I know she won't mind taking Cotton shopping with her, so that won't be a problem."

Katelyn was quiet for several heartbeats as her nose continued to twitch, then asked, "Your mom seriously won't have a problem taking my niece, a little bunny kit, shopping with her?"

Judy bit back her response that Vivian would jump at the chance to act as Cotton's grandma but she kept quiet as she was curious to see how Nick would respond. With the answers he had given others when they questioned his fox character, she was curious to see what he would say.

Nick was quiet for a moment, then answered, "Katelyn, there's something you need to know about us foxes. We never have a problem with other mammals unless they first have a problem with us. Cotton has absolutely no problem with me or my mom. She loved meeting me and was excited to spend time with me, so of course I want to spend time with her in return. My mom is the same way. With how sweet, open, and honest Cotton is with wanting to be with us, my mom will enjoy taking your niece shopping. The fact Cotton is a bunny kit and not a fox won't bother my mom because it won't bother Cotton that my mom is a fox. Simple, right?"

Katelyn was stunned again as she thought over Nick's words. It made her reconsider how she had been treating foxes in the past. Although she had never bullied them like some of her siblings and cousins, she also hadn't treated them as an equal either. After Gideon had mauled Judy when they were kits, Katelyn hadn't really trusted them. But Gideon didn't represent every fox and he had since changed his ways. Maybe it was time she changed hers, too.

When Katelyn didn't immediately respond to Nick's statement, Judy, who was currently running her fingers through the fur on the back of Nick's paw as it rested against her belly, said, "Katelyn? Are you still there?"

Katelyn shook the stupor from her mind, then said, "Oh, yes, I'm still here. Nick got me thinking, that's all." Taking a deep breath, she then said, "Well, I guess I'll say goodbye so you two can get back to your discussion and I guess I'll call Amy and see how Cotton is."

"Okay, Katelyn, goodbye," Judy said.

"Bye, Katelyn," Nick replied, "It's good talking to you and I hope to meet you sooner rather than later."

"Yeah. Bye," Katelyn answered. After hanging up with Judy and Nick, which she still found odd how close the two were, Katelyn then called Amy and spoke to Cotton. Her little niece was happily stuffing her face with the food Nick had cooked on the barbeque grill and was super excited to talk about her new fox friends, going so far as to call Nick 'uncle' and Vivian 'grandma'.

Nick and Judy, on the other paw, didn't have any thoughts about anyone else but each other. As soon as Katelyn hung up, Judy turned her phone off and dropped it on the couch, even as she twisted half around so she could pull Nick's muzzle down to hers. As they locked muzzles, Nick didn't need any more encouragement to slip his paw back down Judy's stomach to pick up where he left off when Katelyn answered the phone. Between the shower this morning and all the talk about having kits of their own, there were no barriers left between them. Furthermore, they were alone for the moment and they weren't about to pass this chance up, especially since Nick knew his mom would run interference should anyone think to come looking for them.

-/-/-

As Vivian sat up on the deck eating her lunch, she couldn't believe how sweet and adorable Cotton was! The little bunny kit was a breath of fresh air compared to the fear most bunny kits showed towards her as a fox. But Nick had been right—Cotton didn't have an ounce of fear towards her. She just sat on the table next to her (the table was a little high for Cotton to reach when sitting on one of the chairs) and chatted her ears off.

The little bunny told Vivian about falling in the box and then being carried to the train station. She knew when the train took off by the whistle and the rocking motion it made. Cotton said the train was fun and the rocking motion made her sleepy. She also started feeling a little warm and thirsty, but she didn't have anything to drink so she decided to go to sleep until they got to Zootopia.

Waking up in Uncle Nick's arms was nice, as was watching him enjoy Aunt Judy's kisses. Seeing how close they were, Cotton automatically thought they were married. Finding out they weren't but that she could be the flower girl at their wedding on Tuesday had her so excited!

Remembering she needed a flower girl dress, Cotton glanced up at Vivian and batted her eyes as her nose and tail started twitching. With the cutest expression she could muster, Cotton said, "Gramma Viv, can I pwease go shopping with you t'morrow? I don't have a dress to be a flower girl at the wedding!" Her lip even started trembling a little (that always got the adults!).

Vivian put a paw over her heart as it melted for the sweet, little bunny. Now she could really see why Nick was so excited to meet her. With a bright smile, Vivian reached forward and scooped Cotton up and pressed her to her chest in a tight hug, saying, "Aren't you the most precious little thing ever? Of course, you can come shopping with us tomorrow." Loosening her grip on the little bunny, Vivian looked down and said, "You don't have any other clothes with you, do you?" At Cotton's head shake, Vivian then said, "Well then, we'll just have to get you some outfits for the week, too, won't we?"

Cotton threw her paws up in the air and yelled, "Yay! I get to go shopping!" Living in such a huge family, and especially with no parents of her own, Cotton usually got hand-me-down dresses and clothes. It wasn't often she got something new, so she was super excited. Having a gramma all to herself was amazing! The only thing that could make it better was if her sister Sasha was here, too. Sasha was the only one she missed right now.

As they continued talking and eating (Cotton went around the table and ate all the kabobs and corn her siblings left in their hurried departure as she wasn't interested in the burgers), Vivian discussed shopping plans with Amy and Janelle and told the two older rabbits where some of the best places were.

While listening to the adults talk, Cotton worked her way through the food until her stomach was a little round butterball. Realizing she had eaten too much, Cotton pushed some of the plates out of the way and flopped over on her back and stared up at the fluffy, cotton ball clouds floating by. Today had been very eventful, but she was happy. She never imagined that being in Zootopia could be so much fun! Meeting Uncle Nick and Gramma Viv was neat. Being a flower girl for Aunt Judy and Uncle Nick's wedding was going to be the best! And she was going shopping tomorrow! And she didn't have to share her time with anyone else!

While trying to imagine the shopping trip, Cotton realized Aunt Judy and Uncle Nick had never come up to eat their lunch. Wondering why they hadn't come up yet, Cotton turned her small, white head towards Gramma Viv and asked, "Gramma, where's Aunt Judy and Uncle Nick? Aren't they going to eat? Are they not hungry?"

Vivian's ear flicked while she thought about the conversation the two were having earlier, about having their own kits. With the comment she left them with, Vivian wasn't exactly surprised that the two were taking their time coming up for lunch (they were probably spoiling their lunch by snacking on each other again). "Don't worry about those two lovebirds, Cotton, dear. Judy had to call your Aunt Katelyn and let her know you were safe, and then they were likely discussing some plans they have for the future. When they're ready, they'll be up, don't worry."

Cotton thought for a moment, then said, "Okay." She considered going and looking for them, but her belly was too full and she didn't want to move. While wondering what plans her aunt and uncle were discussing (did it have to do with the wedding?), Cotton went back to watching the fluffy clouds. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the feel of the light breeze ruffling her fur and before long she slipped into a light slumber as her round tummy worked at digesting her food.

-/-/-

Back in the living room, Judy sat on the couch facing Nick after they had thoroughly enjoyed quite a few intense, breathy, stolen moments (Judy was surprised but extremely glad no one had interrupted them). Studying her fiancé and mate, she was happy to see the satisfied expression on his face, even as love, joy, and a touch of hunger still danced in his eyes.

Seeing the confidence and happiness shining in Judy's eyes after conquering him, a wide toothy grin spread across Nick's muzzle. A moment later, he leaned forward and pulled her into a hot kiss that left them both gasping for air. Pulling back from the breathless kiss, he took a deep breath and said, "I love you, Judy." Licking her taste off his lips, he then added, "And we are definitely signing the marriage papers tonight."

Judy's eyes widened and her brain short-circuited at the thought of being claimed by Nick tonight. That she would no longer have to hold back. That this incredible hunk of a fox would be all hers and she could breed with him to her heart's content! As she once more considered herself pregnant with Nick's kits, she couldn't stop the wide, delighted smile from spreading across her face, especially as she pictured a little bunny girl with orange fur and a little fox todd with grey fur running about their feet. Oh, how she prayed this miracle would someday be theirs!

Seeing Judy's glowing, elated smile, Nick stood up and adjusted his pants, then zipped and buttoned them. Smoothing out his shirt as his tail swayed happily behind him, he then reached over and caressed Judy's cheek.

Taking a deep breath, Judy beamed up at him as she asked, "Really!? We can sign the papers tonight?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "After what happened in the shower this morning and again right now, is there any point to waiting?" He pointed up towards the bathroom, then down at the couch. "My only requirement was that we meet the parents first and that's been accomplished, so why wait? Besides, my mom is right. If by some miracle we're able to have kits, I'll be over fifty by the time they graduate high school, so there's really no time to waste."

Judy's buck-toothed smile couldn't get any bigger. As excitement and happiness flooded her system at the thought of marrying Nick tonight, reason left her, and she vaulted off the couch and into Nick's arms in a tight hug.

Nick was not prepared for Judy's sudden attack. Not at All. As his arms wrapped around his honeybun, he took a step back to compensate for her momentum, smacked the coffee table behind him with his legs, then fell over backwards. With one arm tightening around Judy to keep from losing her, Nick flailed his other arm in an attempt to stop his backwards fall—which ended in an epic failure.

As the base of his tail hit the edge of the table, Nick knew there was no stopping their fall. Wrapping both arms around Judy to keep her safe, he then curled over her and stuck his snout between her ears moments before his shoulders hit the floor and a sharp stab of pain shot through his ribs. With a low groan of pain, Nick was sure he had just re-bruised them.

Taking a moment to catch his breath while waiting for the pain to subside, Nick then released Judy and let his arms fall out to his side as he groaned again. Talk about going from heaven to hell in a matter of minutes! Judy really was evil! His evil fairy princess! No mercy whatsoever for the poor fox demon prince, not even after he satisfied her!

Judy lay across Nick's chest while biting her lip. "Sorry," she murmured guiltily. "I'm sorry, Nick. I'm so sorry." Nick merely grunted at her and Judy scrambled off him. Seeing his legs sticking up over the coffee table, she pushed it over against the couch and Nick's butt and tail hit the ground. "Sorry," she said again as Nick groaned. Seeing her mate in pain, Judy began lightly patting him down while looking for injuries. Not finding anything broken on his ribs or stomach, she turned her attention to his head. Lightly running her fingers across his forehead, she asked, "Did you hit your head? How many fingers am I holding up?" She waved three fingers in front of his face.

Nick opened his green eyes and glared at her. After several moments of silence that had Judy's ears dropping to her back, Nick finally said, "Three." Still glaring, he added, "And it's not my head that's the problem. It's my shoulders, ribs, and lower back that are screaming at me."

Judy flinched, especially at hearing his ribs were re-injured. "Sorry," whispered with a wince as her fingers curled in as she held her paws in front of her chest.

"You're sorry?" Nick growled at her. Reaching over he flicked her forehead with his clawed finger. As Judy rubbed her head, he continued, "You leaped before you looked again, didn't you?" Judy flinched again and curled in on herself slightly as Nick added, "You promised me—promised—not to that anymore."

"I'm sorry!" Judy cried while covering her head to protect it from any more of Nick's flicks (they hurt!). "I was just…I was happy, okay. I was so happy…and…"

"And you didn't think," Nick finished for her while he continued to glare at her. His breathing hurt again, his shoulders were throbbing, and there was a dull ache at the base of his tail. Pointing his claw at her face, Nick added, "You, Carrots, are an Evil Fairy Princess who takes delight in torturing your poor fox demon prince!"

"Ni-ick!" Judy whined. "I said I was sorry, what more do you want me to say!?"

With a snort, Nick pulled his legs off the table and rolled over to get up. As he turned, he pushed himself up on his paws and knees, saying, "You're sorry now, just wait…"

Judy bit her lip while waiting for Nick to finish (with it being Nick, she was sure he had something specific in mind). Thinking of his lame evil fairy princess joke, her ears started to perk up slightly, even as she watched him stand up on his knees, then lean back with a groan as his back popped. Still biting her lip, she watched him twist left, then right as his back popped some more. Next, he rolled his shoulders and lightly touched his ribs before turning to glare at her again while giving her what amounted to a death sentence.

"Just wait until tonight and I'm too banged up to mount and knot you." After pronouncing her death sentence, Nick added while still glaring, "Then you'll really be sorry."

Judy's ears dropped to her back at Nick's prediction. Death. That's the only thought that came to mind. "No!" she cried in denial, then hurriedly said, "Are you serious? Are you really hurt that badly?" Walking over on her knees the couple of steps to reach him, Judy lightly patted his ribs again while wondering how bad his injuries were. "We can ice them or fill the tub with hot water and Epsom salt. Do you have ibuprofen or something? Will that be strong enough?"

As Nick looked down while watching Judy pat him down while trying to think of ways to take his pain away (he knew threatening her with a postponement of their marriage would get to her), he wondered why she wasn't moaning and groaning in pain herself. By the amount of blood he could smell in the air, he was positive she had popped several stitches when she tackled him.

Reaching up, he gripped Judy's small muzzle and forced her to look up at him. As their eyes met, his stern while hers were filled with shocked curiosity, Nick asked, "Are you seriously not in any pain?"

"Huh?" Judy asked in confusion. "Why would I be in any pain? You caught and protected me, remember?"

Nick simply stared at her for a moment, then exclaimed, "Yeah, after you leaped off the couch and tackled me to the floor." Still gripping her lower jaws, he turned her head to look at the blood splotches she had left on his rug. "With the amount of blood I'm smelling, you must have popped several stitches when you attacked me."

Judy stared blanking at the trail of blood for a moment, and then, once she was focused on herself instead of Nick, she finally felt the burning throb of pain in her leg, though the pain pill she had taken earlier was blocking most of the pain. With her eyes widening, Judy pulled her face from Nick's grip and sat on her tail as she pulled her leg forward to see the now bloody bandage covering her injury. "Aah!" she cried, "I'm bleeding!"

Nick shook his head, then muttered, "No duh, Sherlock." As Judy reached forward to unfasten the bandage so she could see the damage she did, Nick cried, "Don't take the bandage off! It'll bleed even worse!"

Judy looked up in confusion, then said, "But we have to see what the damage is."

"I know that," Nick replied, "but not on the floor and not before I have the supplies to rebandage it with."

Judy's ears drooped as she realized Nick was right—again. Staring at the bloody bandage, she had to reflect on her monumental blunder yet again. Was their relationship doomed to failure because she kept leaping before she looked to see where she would land? How often was she going to hurt Nick because she didn't remain aware of their surroundings?

Leaning on the coffee table, Nick pushed himself up and only grunted a few times. His ribs and lower back really hurt! As he stood up, Nick glanced down at his honeybun. Seeing the depression gathering about her, his ears flicked back. With a heavy sigh, he held his paw out, saying, "Come on, let's get you on the couch." As Judy glanced up and saw his paw, he explained, "I don't think I can pick you up at the moment, but I can at least help you to the couch."

With a contrite nod, Judy slipped her small paw in his large one and let Nick pull her up onto her good foot, then he helped her hobble the few steps around the coffee table to the end of the couch. As she climbed onto the couch that was just a little too tall for a rabbit to easily sit on, her ears were drooping as she turned around and sat, all the while she stared at the ground.

As Judy got situated on the couch, Nick gritted his teeth and pulled the coffee table back towards the TV so he could have better access to Judy's leg. Releasing the table, he walked back over to his honeybun. He was still irritated with her, but he couldn't really fault her the excitement she was feeling. He just wished she was more aware of their surroundings and her own limitations. As Judy continued staring at the ground with her paws clasped together, Nick sighed again. "Carrots."

"Yeah," Judy mumbled without looking up. She was expecting him to reprimand her some more, and she rightly deserved it. Once again, she had gotten them both injured. Did she even deserve to be with Nick?

When Judy didn't look at him, Nick reached down to caress her cheek, then slipped his fingers under her chin to lift her face until she was looking at him. "Just for the record," he said softly, "I'm excited about tonight, too, and I think I'll take you up on that Epsom salt soak." As Judy's ears sprang back up and her eyes widened, Nick leaned down and stole a kiss from her lips. Pulling back, he added, "Just be more aware of our surroundings, okay?"

Judy simply nodded as she was too dazed by Nick's words (and the kiss!) to say anything.

"Good," Nick continued. "Now stay put and don't move. I'll be right back with more gauze and some peroxide."

Judy nodded again and then watched Nick walk to the stairs. As he started up, Judy touched her lips while remembering Nick's latest kiss. It wasn't passionate or anything, but the fact he still kissed her after hurting him again was a shock. She couldn't believe Nick had already forgiven her! And was he serious about tonight even though he was still hurting? With a groan, Judy dropped back into the couch cushion, then pulled the couch pillow over her face. "Nick," she whispered under breath, "I don't deserve you."

It didn't take Nick long to grab his large First Aid Kit from his bathroom and then Judy's bandages that were sitting on his dresser. Coming back downstairs, Nick made a detour to the kitchen and grabbed the roll of paper towels, then returned to Judy's side. Setting everything on the coffee table, he sat on the couch facing Judy and helped her turn around so she was facing him, too. With her leg stretched out, Nick pulled off a bunch of paper towels and folded them up under Judy's calf and knee to catch any blood that might run down her leg once he pulled the bandage off.

With everything set up, Nick began slowly unwrapping Judy's leg. He was nearly done when Judy reached forward and slid her fingers through the fur of his cheek. As he paused to look up at her, she then said, "Thank you, Nick, for being here with me. For everything." Biting her lip briefly, she then leaned forward to kiss him, after a moment, she deepened the kiss.

Nick let her kiss him but didn't invest himself in the kiss. As Judy pulled back, she whispered, "I love you, Nick."

Nick flicked his ear, then said, "I love you, too, Judy, but I'm still mad at you." Judy nodded as she sat back, and Nick added, "I hope you're prepared for your punishment tonight."

"Huh?" Judy murmured as her nose started twitching.

With dark gleam entering his eyes, Nick responded, "After harming this demon prince's body, you don't honestly think you'll get away unpunished, do you?" Opening his maw, Nick ran his tongue over his sharp teeth, then snapped his mouth shut with an audible 'clack'.

Judy whimpered while imagining the promised 'punishment'. Squirming as she felt herself getting tingly again, she moaned out, "Nick, you're not being fair."

With a laugh, Nick said, "I'm not being fair!?"

Judy's nose was twitching as she whimpered again, even as her scent became a little sweeter. "But—" she started but was interrupted when Nick pressed his finger to her lips and said, "No buts. This is part of your punishment, too." Judy's ears drooped, and Nick added, "Now hush and stop distracting me. I need to take care of your leg and then call the hospital to see if Dr. Leland Pardsen is even there today."

Judy nodded while thinking of the leopard doctor who had stitched her leg up, even as her nose continued twitching, but as she once more focused on her injury (and not Nick's promised punishment), her body calmed down and she was able to think rationally again. Watching Nick gently clean her wound with some warm water he had gone back to the kitchen to grab, along with a large bowl to put under her leg to catch the bloody water, Judy was thankful it was Nick she was with. Even though he was mad at her, he still treated her gently.

Washing the blood off, Nick could see that Judy had popped 3 stitches with a fourth one barely hanging on by the skin. With a shake of his head, he dried her leg then bandaged it back up before calling the hospital. As the receptionist put him on hold while she looked up Dr. Pardsen to see if he was in today, Vivian walked through Judy's room and hollered downstairs to see how he and Judy were doing as they were taking way more time than they should to come up and join them. Smelling Judy's blood sent her in a panic.

Nick explained that Judy had popped 3 stitches which had Judy hiding behind the couch pillow again, even as he explained how Judy hurt them both. Vivian's jaw went slack at hearing how Judy had flipped them both over the coffee table with Judy moaning another 'Sorry'.

Before they could continue their little debate, the receptionist came back on and said Dr. Leland Pardsen was in the office today, so Nick had her transfer him to Pardsen's nurse, Kimberly, while wondering how the kind roe deer was doing. He was still surprised when thinking about how unbiased she had been, that she had been completely fine with finding a rabbit snuggling with a fox. In Nick's experience, most prey nurses (well, any prey female), would be outraged to see a rabbit and a fox so close and intimate.

The phone only rang a few times when Kimberly's warm voice came on the line and asked who was calling. Taking a deep breath, Nick said, "Hi, Kimberly, this is Nick Wilde. I was there Tuesday night with Judy Hopps."

With a wider smile, Kimberly said, "Yes, I remember you and Judy. How can I help you today?"

Taking another deep breath, Nick explained that Judy had popped some stitches and wanted to know if they would still be at the hospital if he brought her in? Kimberly told Nick to hold on while she talked to Dr. Pardsen as they weren't scheduled to be here much longer.

After putting Nick on hold, she went in search of Dr. Pardsen and found him cleaning up after the emergency C-section he had just performed. Informing him of a patient on the phone with a few questions for him, Leland finished washing the blood from his fur, then followed Kimberly back to his office. As he closed the door behind him, Kimberly turned to him and spoke with an eager smile on her face.

"Nick Wilde is on the phone and says Judy Hopps just popped 3 stitches," Kimberly explained while wondering about the two close friends. "He wants to bring Judy in, but since we're finished here, I thought maybe we could do a home visit?" Flicking her wide, tan ear, she waited for her boss and boyfriend's response.

Leland was surprised at Kimberly's suggestion as he normally didn't do home visits. Thinking of the reason, he scratched his chin while asking, "You want to stop by their place to see if they really are in a relationship or not, don't you?"

Kimberly nodded as her tail began flicking excitedly behind her. "Yes, if we're in their own home they're more likely to show their affection for each other. We can also ask them questions there that we couldn't ask here at the hospital." Clasping her hooves together to keep from grabbing Leland's paws (they were very strict to keep a professional attitude at work), she added, "I looked up Nick's address and he lives in the Meadowlands, too, so it won't be much out of the way when driving to your house." (Leland lived in an upscale neighborhood in the northern part of Meadowlands.)

Leland considered it for a moment, then agreed with Kimberly. Since he was now dating the pretty little doe in front of him (all thanks to the fox and rabbit), he was highly curious to see just how close they were to each. He still found it surprising that the bunny had fallen asleep on the fox while he petted her ears. Rabbit does, like deer does, were very picky about who touched their ears, so he wanted to confirm his hunch that they were dating, too. If they were, then he hoped to do some double dates with them to lessen the chance of people realizing they were a pred-prey couple and harassing them for it.

As Kimberly picked up the phone to tell Nick that Dr. Pardsen would do a home visit, Leland grabbed his black doctor's bag and added a few more things that he might need to stitch Judy's leg back up. Hopefully, she hadn't torn anything more than the stitches.

Once he had everything he needed and Kimberly got off the phone, they both clocked out and headed for the parking garage. He would follow Kimberly over to her house to drop her car off and grab some clothes to change into later (if they were going to be working on Judy's bloody leg, wearing their scrubs would be best), then they would ride over to Nick and Judy's house together. Afterwards, they planned on having another date—a picnic in a quiet, romantic spot that Leland was taking Kimberly to.


WingedKatt here. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. For those of you wondering how far Judy and Nick went but don't want to read the cutscene in the Spice Files, no they didn't go all the way. Next chapter, Leland and Kimberly will arrive and make a surprising discovery before learning about the odd couple's plans for the week.

Ch. 88: (Don't know the title yet), will post in 2 weeks.

Ch. 87.5: Stolen Moments, will post as ch2 of Z:AtB-The Spice Files on Wednesday, June 9.

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