A/N: Here's the next installment! Sorry its short, but I wanted to finish the evening and not leave everyone in suspense for too long!

Thank you so much to everyone who wrote reviews. I really enjoy reading your reactions and appreciate your encouragement!

Chapter 9 – The Door

At the sound of the two male's exclamation, Judy came out of her bedroom wearing a black tank-top and pajama pants decorated with little carrots. "Harrison?" she asked.

The two males swung around and stared at her.

"Judy, may I speak to you," the golden rabbit asked, adding with a glance at Nick, "in private?"

Nick never took his eyes off of Judy. He raised an eyebrow at her. Judy thought for a second then nodded at Nick and told Dr. Fleet to come inside.

"I'll wait in the hall," Nick said as he put his hands in his pockets and sauntered out the door.

"I'm sure that's not necessa…" Harrison started to say when Judy cut him off calling, "Thanks, Nick."

Once the door closed, the male rabbit turned to Judy and said, "I'm sorry if I up set you at dinner, Judy. I wasn't thinking, if you are… friends with that fox, I'm fine with it of course."

Judy studied the other rabbit. Harrison wasn't nearly as polished as he usually was and his stilted apology did nothing to improve her opinion of him. She took a deep breath and said, "You didn't think, that's exactly the problem. You were perfectly honest about your opinion on interspecies friendships. That is not something I can agree with. I have no future with anyone who feels that way. We have no future"

The male rabbit grabbed Judy by her arms and stepped closer, "But we do have a future, Judy! Can't you see it. The two of us, two Bunny's of the Year! Don't you see what an unstoppable couple we will be together. We will lead the bunny community!"

Judy was stunned at Harrison's aggressiveness, his dull green eyes flashed when he spoke of gaining power. She shook her head and got a hold of herself.

"Let go of me, Harrison," she said calmly to the agitated rabbit.

"No, not until you understand," Harrison said shaking her. "I know you believe in this insterspecies harmony and it's a great dream, Judy. But it's just a dream, a fantasy! We have to look out for ourselves. Bunny's first! We can do that, Judy. Zootopia loves you! With my guidance, you can put the rabbits on top!"

The rabbit tightened his grip on Judy, his dull claws digging into her skin beneath her fur. The rage she thought she had drained earlier in the night began to rise again. Judy narrowed her eyes and clamped her jaw together, grinding out, "I am not anyone's pawn, especially not a power hungry speciesist like you. I told you to let me go once, I won't ask again."

Harrison shook his head at Judy but did not let her go. Judy brought her right paw up and placed in on his paw holdin her opposite arm. Harrison looked at her hopefully. Judy squeezed his paw, a slow smile spreading across her muzzle. After a second she tightened her grip on his paw. In one swift motion she brought up her other paw to his wrist and yanked his arm across her chest and away from her. The bigger male rabbit gave a little shout of surprise as Judy used his momentum to fling him face down on the ground. She quickly twisted around and placed a knee on his back while holding his arm painfully aloft.

She brought her face down to his ear and whispered malevolently, "I guess you forgot the sweet little bunny you wanted as your arm candy is also a Zootopia police officer, huh?"

"Get off me!" the rumpled rabbit cried out.

"Listen good, Doc. Thank you for the compliment of your attentions, but I'm just not interested. I'm going to let you up in a moment. When I do, you will get up, say good-night, and get the hell out of my apartment. If you do anything other than that, I will have to call my buddies from the precinct and I don't think they would appreciate the fact you assaulted a police officer."

Judy took her knee off of Harrison's back, stood up, and then released the rabbits paw. Dr. Fleet slowly stood up, brushed off his suit, and looked at Judy. She stood with her arms crossed watching the other rabbits every move. The doctor looked back at her with daggers in his eyes and said, "Good night, Officer Hopps."

Judy did not respond as the doctor let himself out of the apartment and closed the door.

In the hallway, Nick was leaning casually against the wall. He looked cool as can be. This was quite impressive considering two seconds before his ear was pressed up against Judy's apartment door with his paw poised at the handle in case Judy needed him.

When the Doctor had stepped into the hall, Nick turned and gave him a lazy look. "What's up, Doc?"

Harrison spun and glared at the fox. Nick couldn't help but needle the rabbit little, "Leaving so soon?"

The rabbit's handsome face contorted in rage. "Have fun with your little pet, Fox. I hope you eat her!" the doctor spat at Nick.

Nick sprang up from his relaxed position at the hideous insult. Calling another mammal someone's pet was like calling them their slave, whore, or both. Nick barred his teeth at the offending rabbit and growled, "LEAVE, before I eat you!"

The gold rabbit turned on his heel and ran down the hall. Nick's hackles were raised and a growl burned in his chest. Nick was already at his limit of self-control from holding himself back when he heard Judy tell that creep to let her go. Nick almost busted through the door, but he knew Judy could handle herself. Nick couldn't remember the last time he was this angry.

Nick heard the door open and tried to compose himself. Judy looked at Nick with a raised eyebrow, "Leave before I eat you, huh?"

"He's lucky I gave him the leave option," Nick said smoothing down his fur nonchalantly. "You should talk. What did you use on him? Arm-bar take down?"

"Nope, a Russian Tie take down," Judy replied while beckoning Nick back inside.

"Must have missed that day at the Police Academy," Nick said with a skeptical look at Judy.

"It's not an official police tactic, but a wrestling move," Judy replied heading to her small kitchen.

"Don't tell me you were on the wrestling team when you were a kit?" Nick asked incredulously.

"Nope, I was a track bunny myself. But I would help out my 23 brothers who were into wrestling. It was good training for becoming a cop," Judy replied while pulling some plates out of the cupboard. "Plus, it comes in handy for putting pawsy ass-holes flat on their faces," she finished with a grin.

"Man I wish I could see the look on his face!" Nick laughed leaning against a counter.

"It was something like this." Judy crossed her eyes and pulled a surprised look, mouth hanging out in dumb horror. Nick laughed even harder.

"I'm glad he came over," Judy said returning her face to normal.

"Really?" Nick said disbelievingly.

"Yeah, it felt good to confront him and take my anger out on the right mammal," Judy replied thoughtfully. She added, "Thanks for not breaking down my door by the way."

"I knew you could handle him," Nick said with a smirk.

"Well, thanks for sticking around." Judy said placing a paw on Nick's arm. "I felt safe knowing that you were there to back me up."

Nick put his hand on his paw on her head and rubbed her fur, "I'll always be there for you, partner."

Judy swatted his arm away playfully. A knock at the door turned out to be the delivery bear from Kung Pao Panda. Nick and Judy enjoyed their take out on the couch while watching a rerun of Sharknado on the Sci-Fur Channel.

Judy finished her plate and placed it on her coffee table. She leaned back into a yawn, stretching her paws into the air. Nick turned to her and asked, "Is that my que to go so you can get to sleep?"

"No! I'm still too hopped up on adrenaline to go to sleep yet." Judy looked at Nick with big pleading eyes.

"What do you want, Carrots?" Nick asked suspiciously.

"I've had such a bad day and you have been so nice to me, could I ask one favor?" she replied tilting her head down while maintaining eye contact.

Nick knew exactly what she wanted from him. Over the years they worked together, Judy had often complained about how much she missed cuddling with her brothers and sisters.

"You bunnies, so touchy feely!" Nick said placing his own plate down and raising his arm to beckon her closer.

Judy happily scooted over to Nick's side and nestled into his side. She kept looking at him as Nick draped his arm around her.

Nick rolled his eyes and said in fake exasperation, "What now?"

"Can I pet you tail?" Judy asked innocently.

Now this surprised Nick, it was a rather intimate request. "And why would you want to do that, Fluff?"

"It looks so fluffy and warm. I am a little cold and I've had such a bad day," Judy said with her best big purple puppy-dog eyes.

"Hmmf, fine. Only this once and only because you put that jack-rabbit in his place." Nick shifted so his tail was next to Judy. She grabbed his tail and burrowed her nose into the silky red fur.

Nick jumped, "Judy! That…" tingles "tickles!"

"Soooo soft and smells nice," Judy mumbled through Nick's fur. "How long does it take to wash your tail?" Judy asked finally bringing her nose away from Nick's tail but continuing to brush her paws through his fur.

"Manners much, Carrots? How long does it take you to wash your tail?" Nick said snidely.

"Like two seconds," Judy looked up and smiled. "It's not rude if you are asking your friend."

"Well, if you most know, like 10 min. It's a lot of fur and I have to make sure I clean it all because it does drag on the floor a lot and sometimes distracted bunnies step all over it." Nick said settling back on to the couch.

Judy just, "Mmmm'd" in response, cuddling back against Nick using his tail as a blanket. She absentmindedly stoked Nick tail as they watched Sharknado II. Halfway through the movie, Nick noticed that Judy had stopped stroking his tail. He turned to see his bunny partner had fallen asleep curled against his side, her head resting on his arm. Nick knew there was no way he could disentangle himself and leave without waking her. He admired her for a few seconds, only while sleeping did she seem peaceful and not bursting at the seams with energy. He reached out and tenderly brushed her check with his paw, "Good night, Carrots." He turned off the T.V. with the remote and leaned back and fell asleep.