"When the pain doesn't fade and the scars don't heal, it's too late." - Johnathon Tropper.

2:00 A.M

Morning once again. The events of dawn's precursor weren't one of waste. The messages tossed throughout the night between one and another were frequent and many. But the likes of one such message: Short. Bland. Uneventful. Yet meaningful, all the same. Nick had learned and thought much of his father's last and most recent words to him.

They were exactly that: Short, bland, and uneventful.

Yet meaningful.

As the rabbit and fox lay side by side in bed; one was enraptured by peaceful sleep. The other, couldn't help but repeat those four words in his head.

Again and again.

Nick's mate, Judy, was curled up against him in comfort. Both creatures were in the nude, as they preferred to sleep that way, yet no intimacy had preceded their attempts at slumber. But unfortunately, only one had managed to actually achieve that attempt. Nick just couldn't sleep. Not after all that he had been thinking about for the past hour.

His father, whom the only memory he has had of for over thirteen years was a bitter argument over phone, had contacted him once more. But this union had not ended in spite or ill-will, as the last one had. It was the beginning of forgiveness. Of recovery.

Despite that positive thought, sleep did not find Nicholas Wilde that night. He had given up trying at around one o' clock in the morning. But it did allow him more time to reflect upon his father's words, and to be able to imagine what he would say when the two finally converged. He despised his father for abandoning his wife and son, though Nick knew not why he had in the first place.

Answers. He wanted answers.

He didn't want an apology or some tear-jerking confession from his father. He wanted answers to his many questions. Why did he abandon them, why did he view his relationship with Judy as wrong, specifically? Why had he not at least tried once to contact his son in over thirteen years?

"Why?" Nick asked himself as he stared out the large window in their living room. The canopy of Zootopia shined with the light of many business and workplaces, alongside homes and advertisements. Aside from those, the world was dark and cold. Take away all those lights, and you have a chilling blanket of blackness and cold.

But no...

Their world shined with vigor and luster brighter then the moon itself. Nick knew this. Opportunities are plentiful in the city. He went from nothing, living in a rusted shack beneath a bridge to one of Zootopia's top cops. He glanced back at the bedroom door, which hung slightly ajar in the darkness.

Because of her...

The fox shook his head and turned his attention back toward the city skyline. He sighed and picked up his coffee mug, taking petite sips from it every so often as he stared down the rising sun, and all that came with it.

4:00 A.M

Judy awoke to the sound of a sneeze, followed by a crash, and a disapproving; "Crap!"

Her ears had shot up at the sound of the first noise, and she winced when the crash's aftermath had reached her ears. But she calmed when Nick's voice, albeit a curse, filled the air. She threw the sheets from her naked form and began creeping towards the door-frame. She pushed the already barely open door to its full range of motion as she stepped outside of the bedroom only to see Nick, glaring down at the floor with disgust. Then she saw why.

Unsurprisingly, he had dropped his coffee mug; shattering ceramic and painting decaf on the floor of the living room. His fur was dripping with brown liquid. She giggled at the sight of it all.

Nick froze and twitched his ears. He turned around slowly and locked sight upon his mate, leaning casually in the door-frame. He masked his embarrassment with a facade smirk:

"Great sight to wake up to, eh Carrots?" Judy placed her hands on her hips.

"I can think of a few better ones then this." She replied with ease.

The fox spread his hands and dipped low in a bow. "Impossible!" He stated. "Nothing bests 'coffee-mug-crash' at-" he glanced at the nearest clock. "Four in the morning!"

Judy couldn't help but laugh at the whole event. Her husband's way with words and charm was always an attribute she cherished about him.

"Well... you better clean that up at least, or else the next event is gonna be 'fox-gets-pummeled' for making a mess!"

"Can we change that to 'fox-gets-a-kiss' for his efforts?" He asked innocently.

"Maybe we will after said fox cleans up!" She started to turn around, intending to go dress herself, but stopped momentarily when Nick spoke again.

"Sly bunny, you!" She heard him say behind her.

She grinned and responded with her favorite two words; "Dumb fox."

She then strutted into the bedroom in search of something more substantial to wear.

Nick thought to himself, You know you love me, as he picked up the broken ceramic and dried off the coffee spill. He was already loving how the day had started.

But he still had matters to take care of. Amends to fix. Promises to fill.

Recovery.

5:00 P.M

The two lovers didn't ascend to the ZPD that day. They didn't have to. They'd earned themselves a small vacation over the weekend. They intended to make the most of it.

Nick and his mate were driving along in search of his father's address.

"So, are we almost there Nick?" Judy asked as their van glided along the road on the outskirts of Sahara-Square. Well, it was actually Finnick's van. Aside from the police cruiser, which they only used for work, neither fox nor bunny owned their own automobile. Fine by them. Their home was not too far from the police station, so they believed owning a car would just be a wasteful mess of unnecessary paperwork and time. Besides, Finnick was more than happy to let them borrow his van, even though it was rather suggestive with its paint design. The titular sand fox had given them a warning not to let a single scratch find itself on the vehicle, by the time the were done with it, though.

Nick quickly pondered back to the address he had been given earlier by his mother. When he called her, she seemed unsurprised that her former husband had been so hard on him for being an an inter-species relationship, but she was pleased that the two of them were trying to make up somehow. She gave him the address willingly.

It was then that he saw the brick gates that bordered the suburban neighborhood. "Not almost. We're here right now!" He said excitedly as he pulled into the entrance.

It wasn't a very wealthy neighborhood from the looks of it, but it was far from being a full-blown ghetto, or tenement. Nick kept his green eyes trained on the various house numbers as they drove through the neighborhood. It was otherwise uneventful, save for the occasional passing mammal or palm tree. Judy was the first to spot the address.

"There!" She shouted. Nick turned his head and gazed at the one-story house labeled with the number two-thousand. This was it. His father's home. Nick stopped the van and parked it right next to the mailbox. He closed his eyes and sighed after unbuckling his seat-belt. Sensing his anxiety, his beloved mate took the chance to reassure him.

"Hey Nick, it's gonna be alright, I'm sure. I'll be right beside you the whole time." She said soothingly.

Nick didn't admit it, but he honestly wanted Judy to sit this one out. He appreciated her company and intentions, but was afraid of how his father might react if he waltzed up to the door, arm-in-arm with the very same bunny that he and his father had fought about in the first place. He thought back to his father's words on his relationship with her;

Unnatural. Unorthodox. Disgusting.

Nick breathed in and exhaled through his nose. He then made his choice.

"Alright whiskers, but just let me do the talking, at first. I didn't exactly manage to tell him that I was bringing you along, and don't want him to freak out. Understand?"

Nick instantly regretted the way he worded what he said when he saw Judy's ears droop in disappointment, and the small smile melt away from her face. Judy must have noticed, because she rubbed her neck and said quickly; "Okay, sure. Um... Let's just get this over with, shall we?" before opening the door on her side of the van exiting it.

She hipped out before slamming it shut with a little more force than necessary.

Oh great... You made her upset... He thought to himself. Dumb fox.

No sense wasting time now that they were here, he figured. He opened the door and stepped outside, squinting at the sunlight as it bared down mercilessly at his sensitive eyes.

Should have brought my shades.

Judy had positioned herself in the middle of the sidewalk leading up to the house. Nick tried to ignore the scowl he felt on his back as he walked past and stepped up to the door.

Nothing left to lose.

He rang the doorbell a single time. It echoed out deep into the house. Fifteen seconds passed and there was still no answer.

Nick heard Judy shuffle up closer behind him in curiosity. Nick was about to knock on the door when he saw a dark bit of movement behind the haze of the one-way window embedded within the door. He stepped back in apprehension as the old hinges squeaked like mice, and the door itself was swung open, inward to the depths of the house.

A face peered around the corner. Another fox, Judy saw, though much older than her own. The fur around his face was tinged with various licks of grey. He was dressed in a plaid red shirt and denim jeans that were at least two sizes too big for his thin frame. They were held up with overall straps that connected to the waistline and ran up and behind his shoulders. Judy couldn't help but stare at his weathered face. He looks like Nick, was one of the many thoughts that circulated through her conscious as she gazed at the old fox that stood in front of her and Nick. The ensuing silence was broken when the wizened animal cleared his throat loudly and furrowed his brow at the two guests.

"Well... You certainly took long enough!" He grumbled.

His voice was leathery with age, but spoke with the same charismatic undertone that Nick had; The kind that made you think he was either about to crack a bad joke or tell you off for being stupid. He gave a smile identical to Nick's favored smirk; half-lidded eyes, easy grin, and pleasant gaze.

"I think you should come in. It wouldn't be very hospitable of me to have you standing on the porch the entire time, would it?" He claimed before turning his back on them

Nick just stood there with a confused look on his face. He was prepared to give a quick heart-to-heart, get some answers, and then leave, but his father apparently had other plans. Nick glanced back at Judy, who gave him a simple shrug, before turning around and entering the house. Nick sighed before following her inside and closing the door.

Judy closed the door behind herself as she stepped inside. The first thing that she really noticed about the place was the smell: Mahogany wood and candles. It was an inviting scent, but she didn't exactly feel very welcome. Nick's words to her back in the van hadn't helped. She personally hoped that his father would just ignore her so she wouldn't have to feel anything towards him. Better than being discriminated. But she was apprehensive of anything friendly the old fox might do towards her. After hearing those unsavory words from his side of the phone those many days ago, she believed that any hospitality towards her might be forced in order to appear nice, and appealing.

She sighed and eyed the living room of the house. It was cozy, and large, like a cabin; Many of the furniture pieces made with visible wood. A fireplace lit the room with a soft orange glow. The mantle was decorated with tiny wooden sculptures of various animals and other strange objects. There were four paintings hanging around the room on opposing sides. One of a flower, another of a stormy sea, a third of a sunlit meadow, and the last... Judy nearly caught her breath. The last one was of the Wilde family. Nick's mother stood in a dress, hand placed upon the shoulder of Nick himself, albeit younger then his present self. She wondered why his father wasn't in the picture.

The old fox caught her ogling the painting and said; "Do you like it, my dear?" Judy turned and saw him smiling at her. He raised his head and eyed the painting with a look of longing. "Painted it myself some time ago... Back when I could hold a brush without my paws shaking all over the place." He shook his head with seeming disappointment.

Judy looked around the room again at all the paintings. It was then that she noticed a small worktable in far the corner of the room, dusted with wood chips and splinters. A dull looking blade was planted into a block of wood, half carved into some object. The bunny then noticed an easel and set of paintbrushes set to the side. Propped up against the foot of the table was a half-finished painting of a bowl of fruit, smeared with paint swipes and brush marks of assorted colors. She moved her field of view to the larger table in the center of the room, where the same bowl of fruit sat, the only difference being that someone had taken a bite out of the apple.

"You did all this?" She asked with a look of amazement.

The old fox sighed and slowly lowered himself into a small, padded sofa. "Yup." He said flatly, his eyes set upon the floor. "I... I'm an artist."

He lifted his head and stole a brief glance of his son, who had positioned himself across from his dad on a two-person sette. He then said;

"I'm sure you have a lot to say, son... A lot to ask. Take your time if you have to. I've got all day."

Nick eyed at his father with confusion and bewilderment. It was clear that he had no idea where to start, as there were simple too many questions that needed answers. He gathered his bearings and took a deep breath before asking the one question that stood out and above the rest.

"Dad... Why did you..." He stopped himself and swallowed hard before continuing. "Leave us?"

Nick's dad didn't make any movements. He sat as still as the wood-carved statues on the mantle of the fireplace, which itself crinkled quietly with a warm flame. He took a deep breath before beginning.

"Well, son... It should come across as no surprise that I fell in love with your mother... But after you were born, things just weren't the same. I-I didn't spend as much time at the house as I should have. After work, I would go to the bar and drink... And then after that I would lock myself in the garage and create art while, eh... Not all myself."

He chuckled softly to himself and looked over at the table with the knife embedded in the block of wood. For the first time, Judy noticed that he was missing a few fingers.

"Whatever magic we had before got lost. We didn't love each-other anymore. We fought and fought, again and again... I was too selfish... I sh-" He stopped himself and blinked hard a single time. "I should have been a better husband... Better father. But it didn't work in the end." He sighed and shifted his weight uncomfortably in the couch.

Nick had has paw on his chin and was listening intently to his father; Who continued on for some time about what he did after he left, his feelings for Nick, and even about his views on various political and social outings. Judy listened, but was more focused on Nick, who she kept sneaking glances at. No Judy... she mentally told herself... You're supposed to be angry at him. But she couldn't help but feel conflicted while she watched him as he spoke with his father. She shook her head and parted her gaze from her mate, and focused on the words of the reason they had come: The elderly fox sitting across from her. His words were many, and as time dragged on, Judy started looking for something else to focus on. She started zoning out into the wood cabin walls and Nick's eyes when his father's voice made her left ear shoot up in detection at a certain word.

"-Bunnies. It was just something I told myself." He sighed. "I know I put some... Pressure on your choices, and said some rather insensible things," He looked at Judy guiltily when he said those words. "But I've changed my perception for the better, Nicholas. My son. You live your life to the fullest. Don't listen to some crotchety old canine about his thoughts on inter-species relationships." A small smile tugged at his mouth. "I'm so sorry about what I said. I take it all back. I was just... Feeling surprised, at the time."

Nick's father then turned towards Judy, who was still standing not too far off from the aforementioned gathered pair.

"My dear... I deeply apologize for my words." He stood up and faced her with his whole body. "I'm so sorry that I judged you for who you seemed to be, and not who you really are." He breathed in deep before continuing. "Do you forgive me, Mrs. Hopps?" Judy just stared at him. A multitude of varying thoughts swarmed her mind like bees.

Yet one stood out above the rest: Mercy.

She walked up to the old fox and locked him in a hug. He was taken back by her sudden action, but soon returned it, patting her shoulder with his hand. Judy severed the silence that was brought with the moment. "I do." She said calmly. And she meant it. She could tell his words were true; He really was sorry, and Judy accepted it every bit.

She broke contact with him after some time and stepped away, smiling. She looked at Nick, who was trying his best not to look emotional, but Judy could see through the act. She knew that he was relieved, but happy above all else. Happy for himself, his father, and her. Happy that he had finally managed to patch up this nasty problem of his.

That thought made her previous anger at him melt away like an ice-cream cone in Sahara-Square at noon-time.

Nick clasped his hands together and spoke loudly. "Well... I'm glad we managed to fix all this, Dad. But it's getting late... We should probably be going."

A thought suddenly pierced Judy's mind, How long have we been here?, she asked herself. The bunny looked around the room, but there were no clocks available. Nick answered her mental question when he whipped out his phone and turned it on, reading the time it presented: "8:21, it says."

Judy followed it up with a statement of her own; "Wow. We've been here for ages: Almost three hours" She shook her head in disbelief. Time had gone by really fast.

To her, it felt like it had been no more than an hour or so. Then again, she had been zoning out and admiring the many decorations of the living room for some time, all while listening in on her husband's conversation with his father. Most of it wasn't really her business to listen in on, anyways, but she definitely had learned more about the Wildes.

"No kidding." Nick's father added. "You two best be on your way, I suppose. I've held you captive long enough." He mumbled as he walked over in the direction of the door.

He opened it once he reached it. Nick and Judy followed suite. The couple exited the door, but Nick turned around to say one final good-bye. "Dad... Keep in touch."

The old fox smiled, and for the first time, Judy didn't see it as forced or fake. She only saw it for what it truly was: Caring.

"I will Nicholas. And don't forget; I love you. I always have.." He starting closing the door. " So long, you two... And be sure to give me hybrid grand-kids before I kick the bucket!" He said jokingly before winking at Judy and closing the door with finality, leaving them outside. That wink looked exactly like something Nick would have given her.

Nick... She thought as she turned towards her mate, who was giving her his favorite smirk.

"Oh, wipe that smug look off your face, you!" She said to him, but he didn't change his expression.

"I don't want to sound smug, but I'll admit that I'm reasonably satisfied with how that went." He replied to his mate.

She just crossed her arms and pointed to the nearby vehicle with her chin.

"Get in the van, fox, I'm hungry."

Nick smiled and trudged over to the driver's seat, which he promptly took his place in while Judy climbed into the passenger's.

"So, wanna go out or just order somethin' at home?" He asked the bunny.

"Surprise me." She replied easily.

And with that, Nick started the engine and drove back towards the city, eternally pleased with the day's experience so far.

Little did he yet realize, it was only going to get better.

7:00 P.M

The dinner was exquisite. The two of them had treated themselves for a successful day by going out to one of the finest restaurants in the Rain-Forest district. The entrees were diverse, and both predator and prey were able to choose something that aligned with their tastes and appetite. Judy ordered a fruit salad with extra carrots and Nick had gotten himself a slab of salmon sprinkled with fried crickets. The following ride home was pleasant, filled with good talk and good laughs. Both animals were joyous, yet Judy couldn't help but feel a tad bit conflicted. Was she still mad at Nick for admitting that she wasn't fully needed? Not really. Their experience with Nick's father had turned out better than either of them could have ever imagined or hoped for, and all the fun that they had that evening greatly out-shined that one tempered moment from before.

Perhaps not all things were meant to be as they were. Instead, Nick and Judy both chose to make them what they should have been.

7:30 P.M

After dropping the borrowed van back at Finnick's place, they made the walk back home. It wasn't that far, but the chilling night winds made Judy long for the rusted old van. Neither of the two of them had expected their recent meetup with Nick's dad to have taken so long, so they didn't bring anything to prepare for the chillier night temperature. They walked side-by-side in silence, the most audible sound being the howling of the winds as they tore between the old buildings of the city block, chilling the nighttime air.

Another cold gust made Judy shiver, and she huddled up closer against Nick as they walked, embracing his warmth. Nick wrapped his left arm around Judy's shoulder and smiled at her. She smiled back, and despite the freezing gale, it was safe to say that the connection between the two lovers warmed the hearts of both fox and bunny alike.

They continued strolling until they reached their flat, where they opened the door, walked inside, and slammed it shut without a second thought.

"Oh, man... About time we got out of that horrible wind!" Judy said through slightly chattering teeth.

Her mate was no better, his fur standing on end in response to the cold temperature; "Yeah, feels nice in here now, doesn't it?" He asked.

"Sure does, Slick." she nonchalantly replied before making her way to the kitchen for a drink of water.

"Thirsty?" She asked while offering him a glass.

"Nah, I'm fine. Drank plenty back at the restaurant." He replied, not taking his eyes off his phone.

"Suite yourself. I'm parched!" She told him after a shrug. The bunny then filled a tall glass of water nearly to the top before she placed it to her lips and drank deep from its contents. When she was finished, she dropped the glass from her face and let out a gasp of breath in relief. Nick chuckled lowly before throwing out a comment of his own.

"Dang, you were pretty thirsty, huh Carrots?"

"Yeah, I guess I was." She said before looking at her husband. She thought back to her plan earlier, and decided that now was the time to put it into action.

"Hey, Nick... Can I ask you something?" She asked, earning his his attention from his phone.

"Anything you want, whiskers. I'm all ears"

She then continued her question;

"Well, I was wondering about a few things. Right before we spoke to your father, you said that you thought I shouldn't help you out. Why?"

Nick's head dipped in shame at the question. "Oh... Well, I just didn't want him lashing out at you, Carrots. I would hate it if you two had gotten off on a bad note."

She crossed her arms. "And even if I had stayed in the van and it had gone well, you just assumed I wouldn't ever meet him?"

"Uh... Well, no." He stammered. "I just thought that the first time around wouldn't have been the most ideal scenario to introduce you to him."

He spread his hands before concluding;

"Make sense at all?" He asked his wife.

She smirked before responding. "Yeah, I suppose it's understandable." Her grin widened. "But what, you thought this bunny couldn't handle your old man, huh?"

Nick donned a grin of his own. "Not at all, Judes. You can take anyone, anytime." She was pleased by his words.

"You got that right, Slick." She advanced towards him while letting loose a brief yawn. "I'm pretty tired, now, though. Ready for bed yet?"

"Yeah, I think it's safe to say that I am." The fox admitted.

At that, the two mammals retrated into their bedroom before cuddling up in bed, intent on recovering from their long day.

They huddled closer, and Judy finalized their night with one last statement, but unquestionably the most meaningful of them all;

"I love you Nick. Sleep well, sweetheart."

Nick chuckled softly to himself before throwing in his own, final comment;

"Right back at ya, Fluff-Butt."

He then closed his eyes and slept more peacefully than he ever had before, dreaming of Judy and salmon sprinkled with fried crickets.

It was beautiful.

Hey Everyone!

This was a fun chapter to write up. Glad to have finally met Nick's father. You'll meet his mother eventually, that much I can promise you. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, please, if you haven't already, know that you are most welcome to Favorite/Follow this story of ours. I'd appreciate it very much, indeed. Regardless, I still thank you all for your generous time, consideration and interest in my work thus far. It only gets even better and better from here on out.

'Till next time...

Peace!