They laid awake on the bed, unable to sleep. For Judy, she worried that Daniel may have been right.

"Is our relationship doing more harm than good? And he also said that I'm gonna' end up like Bellwether," she mumbled.

She thought he was asleep but he rolled over and wrapped his arms around her.

"He's wrong, Carrots," he stated comfortingly, "It's not wrong for us to be together and you're not gonna' go crazy. Daniel was just blowing hot air 'cause the army screwed him over. Don't let what he says affect who you are"

"You're right… Still, maybe… No, nevermind. That's more of a long-term problem," she muttered, "Oh well, onto more pressing topics. Any ideas about the ball? Who are you taking? I thought about going together, but it would kind of be… redundant, if nothing else."

"I have a few ideas, not sure how they'll go," he replied, "Now let's get some sleep hun."

Roughly a month passed and Nick and Judy finalized their plans on policeman's ball and whom to bring with them. Nick suggested members of their families. It would be awkward enough for him to bring Gideon or Alex. He enjoyed his relationship with both of them well enough but a guy bringing another guy to something like this is just weird. Most officers brought either a parent or a significant other. Besides the awkward feeling there was one other reason not to bring Alex. Cops and defense attorneys just don't get along well often. Nick and Judy's relationship with him was an exception for obvious reasons. He thought about bringing Debbie or one of his in-laws but that thought went weird places and he didn't like the thought of what Alex might do to him. As for Debbie, she didn't want to go if Jack couldn't. Nick couldn't blame her, going anywhere that Judy couldn't was painful for him. Finally, he called his mother.

"Nick?" she answered.

"Hi mom, listen. The policeman's ball is in a few days, I completely forgot that the one disadvantage to being allowed to date my partner is that I can't ask her to be my date for the ball. Will you accompany me?" he asked.

"Of course hon, I'd be glad to," she replied.

"Thanks mom, I appreciate it," he sighed.

After hanging up he got a call from Bogo.

"Hey Chief, what's up?" he asked.

"Wilde, our restaurant cancelled last minute and if I recall correctly your sister owns her own. Do you think you could pull some strings?" the buffalo replied calmly.

"I'll give it a try," he replied.

"Splendid, let me know how it works out," the chief replied.

Nick sighed, put on his best swindler smile and called his sister on video chat.

"Nicky! What's up?" she asked cheerfully.

"I need a favor Deb, a really big favor," he replied.

"Just tell me what you need me to do," she answered.

"That's it? You're not gonna' argue it with me?" he asked surprised.

"Not planning on it. Lemme' guess, you wanna' propose to Judy over a romantic candle-lit dinner?" she guessed.

"As awesome as that sounds, no. The policeman's ball is coming up, the restaurant that was gonna' host cancelled," he explained.

"Say no more, little brother. Tell your boss I said the Singing Chateau is open and I'll get my staff ready for business!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks sis, I owe you one!" Nick replied.

"Psshh, don't worry about it. That's what family's for!" she countered.

Something caught the older vixen's attention.

"Oh! I have to go, new guy screwed up an order!" she cried as she hung up.

In all his years away Nick had forgotten how spunky and energetic his older sister was. So long as you weren't arguing with her she friendly and perky, but the moment you did something she didn't like that perkiness became wrath. He texted Bogo the good news before calling Judy. On Judy's end, she debated on who to bring as well. Like Nick, she considered bringing another woman to be awkward. Her options at this point were fairly limited. Not many of her brothers had been on their own yet. Only Chuck was older than her and he didn't say anything about what he did for a living or where he lived while they were visiting. That meant she'd have to ask her dad. Three rings then he answered.

"Hey Jude the dude!" he greeted.

"Hi dad," she chuckled while rolling her eyes.

In the background she heard Grampa Carl spew his favorite line about foxes being red because they're the devil and then heard Grampa Dave argue calmly. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry hon, d'ya' need to talk?" Stu replied.

"Yeah," she replied.

"That dern fox! I'll skin 'im alive f'r breakin' m' gran'daughter's heart!" Grampa Carl shouted in the background.

"Seriously Judy, did you two have a break up? You can tell me!" Stu replied.

"No dad, everything is fine between me and Nick. I just met his oldest brother and the guy's a jerk. But all that aside, that's not why I called," she stated, "I need an escort to the policeman's ball."

"Why not Nick?" Stu asked.

"Because he's my partner and he's bringing his mother. I met his mother, she's a really sweet lady, I think you'd like her," Judy explained.

She heard Stu explain these things to her grandparents. Grampa Dave took it very well and she heard him remark that he'd like to meet Nick's family. Grampa Carl on the other hand was on a ranting and raving fit until he started coughing.

"Oh! Gotta' go Jude, your grandad's havin' another coughing fit! Julie get me a glass of cold water! No, not from the tap!" he shouted before hanging up.

In the back of her mind, she wondered how things would go when her father met Nick's mother.

She sent him a text, "Leave the fox-taser. I don't want you to make a bad first impression on Ma Wilde." Immediately after she got a call from Debbie.

"Hey little sis!" Debbie greeted cheerfully.

"Little sis? I'm not married to Nick, y'know," Judy replied.

"I know, not yet anyways. I just called to tell you I'm planning another dinner night soon," Debbie stated, "One without a certain jackass we both know. But that brings me to a certain other matter, since Daniel isn't gonna' be there we have an empty seat at the table. Would you mind inviting someone from your family to fill it? I think it'd be a great opportunity to meet someone from the Hopps Family."

"Sure, I know just the rabbit," Judy stated excitedly.

A week before the ball, Nick and Judy sat down to another special dinner with his family. This time Grampa Dave somehow managed to come along.

"Everyone this is my grandfather, David Velvitine," Judy introduced.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Velvitine," John stated, extending a paw, "I'm John Wilde, Nick's father."

"Y'don' need t' call me mister, jus' Dave is fine," Dave replied, shaking John's paw.

"Well Dave, we're glad to have you at our table for tonight. You're joining us on a very special night. My wife, Lilian, and I have recently reconciled after being apart for a long time. Our first dinner was uh ruined by our first-born. The boy's a mess but he's not here tonight, so we're trying this again," John explained.

"Grampa Dave, this is my older sister Debbie and her husband Jack. And my older brother Alex and his wife Lucielle," Nick introduced.

"Well it's a pleasure t' meetcha'll. Now, what're we waitin' f'r?" Dave replied shaking their paws too.

"I like him," Debbie chuckled.

She turned her attention quickly from the table to a nearby waiter.

"Garçon," she called.

"Yes ma'am?" a tall white half-wolf, half-fox stated as he walked up. "Everyone this is my new waiter, Rogue. He's Leaf's new boyfriend, thus far he's been a very efficient worker. Rogue, I think we're ready to order," she introduced.

"Debbie's staff is almost like members of the family at this point, Dave," John explained.

"Very good ma'am, we'll start with drinks. Ladies first, if the gentlemen don't mind?" Rogue replied with a calm smile.

"Actually start with my parents, S'il vous plaît," Debbie replied.

After a brief stare at each other Lillian spoke for her and John, "Plum wine, if you please."

Debbie wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to him. One by one, they made their orders, most non-alcoholic. This dinner went so much better than the first and lasted half the night, until Grampa Dave started to nod off. Then Nick and Judy took him back to Nick's apartment, letting him sleep on the bed while they both took the couch.