Epilogue.

The train journey to Minkville was sublime once she got out of Zootopia. The suburbs of the booming metropolis gave way to rolling green and gold fields, apple orchards and wind turbines, white picket fences and lemonade stands. It was like returning to Bunny Burrow only the smell of the sea got stronger as she approached.

Judy had to admit, she was nervous. As nervous as she'd been once she found out Nick had woken up. What if it was all a psychological ploy by Doctor Roarson? An attempt to shock Nick's memory back to him? She dismissed the thought. The mere sight of her hadn't triggered anything in Nick. It wouldn't this time. The Doctor had brought those memories back. Now it was up to Judy and Nick to start making more.

Judy had chosen to take the train because if she had driven her car it would have been loaded down with Get Well Soon cards, boxes of chocolates and flowers. She was lucky her car was rabbit sized but even she wasn't sure that would have discouraged Clawhauser and Wolford from somehow tagging along. No, this weekend was for her and Nick. They could come along next weekend. Maybe she'd bring Finnick as well. The thought of the gruff, crass Fennec fox made her smile.

The con-fox turned investment banker had been instrumental in a fair few of her attempts to find and comfort Nick. Her confession under the bridge during the Night Howler incident. His support of Nick during the tough days at the Police Academy. The clues he had given her to learn more about Nick's past after his kidnap. Even his willingness to back away during Nick's recovery. Doctors had feared that the return of someone from his past life would discourage attempts at recovering his memories. It had taken a lot of talking but Finnick had understood, eventually.

Minkville was a beautiful, quiet seaside town and Judy could see why a lot of mammals chose it as a recovery spot. It was late afternoon by the time she arrived at her hotel. She ambled from the train station, case in hand, through the revolving doors into a pristine marble lobby. The place was expensive but it was only for two nights. She hoped the clinic would let her bring Nick out to dinner at least. With enough convincing they might let him out on weekend leave. The place wasn't a prison and Doctor Roarson assured her that Nick was regaining control of his addictions. Judy was hopeful but other than hopeful she was something else as well.

Nick's kidnap and memory loss had dulled her sex drive considerably. News of his reawakened memories had reignited her libido like a gas soaked bonfire. She hadn't needed a vibrator ever since their first night together but she had the last few days. But it wasn't just sex – rabbit stereotypes be damned – that she missed. It was intimacy, closeness. Plenty of her fellow officers had leant her a comforting paw or hug the last few weeks but it was nothing like the intimacy she'd shared with Nick. The comforting strength of his arms, the softness of his tail and she had to admit the height difference was certainly romantic. She sighed, repressing her urges and needs for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and checked in.

THE MINKVILLE WELLNESS CENTRE. SAME EVENING.

He leant against the balcony railing looking at the sun dip behind the distant waves. Gold and orange light fell all over Minkville. Nick loved these long summer evenings. It reminded him of the time between the Night Howler incident and his joining the Police Academy. Judy had still been on crutches after her ankle injury in the Natural History Museum. They had spent their days being interviewed either by the ZPD or the media. The latter had been especially difficult for Judy. Nick had insisted he be interviewed with her. It had been his first fight with Chief Buffalo Butt. His first win too.

Their evenings had been spent on various park benches, verandas and bar trestle tables. Those memories, now free, were lit as gold as the town and that endless horizon. He remembered telling her what he had been willing to share about his family, Finnick and their various cons. She had told him everything: her dreams of being a police bunny, her fight and reconciliation with Gideon Grey and everything else she cared to recollect. Nick was happy to mostly listen. It was on one of those evenings that he'd realised he was falling for her. He remembered the way the dying sun had lit her, the way her laugh had rang like music in his ears and the way his world seemed to narrow to include only her.

The click of the door to the balcony broke his reverie. He turned and it was almost as if the memory hadn't stopped. He stood straighter and decided that evening light was definitely the most flattering time of day . He noticed the little shake in her paw, the limpness in her ears, the way she rubbed her left wrist. He'd never seen her so nervous before.

"Hi," she managed to choke out.

"Hi Carrots," he replied, allowing that Slick Nick smirk to spread. "Ho-"

"Before we do this," she said, breathily. "I need to know and no matter how stupid this sounds I need to know: who am I?"

She moved forward then and reached up, one paw touching his muzzle. He got down on one knee to get to eye level with her and leaned into her soft palm. Their eyes locked, amethyst to emerald, both shining.

"Who am I to you?" she whispered.

"You're Judy Hopps," he began. "You're Carrots, Fluffbutt, Cottontail. You've been in the ZPD two years. You lived in Bunny Burrow with your overprotective parents and a gazillion siblings. You saved my life. Then I saved yours. Then you convinced me to join the ZPD. We took down a sheep, no, several sheep together. You're my saviour. You're my hero. You're my best friend. You're my partner. You're my mate. More than all of those things though you're my sly bunny."

"And you're my dumb fox," she replied, her smile breaking the course of her tears.

They kissed then, long and slow. If Nick thought he felt himself grow hot it was nothing to how Judy felt. The space between her legs felt like it was on fire and that fire was spreading up through her stomach into her chest. She felt her brain drowning in lust but she clung desperately to sanity. Doing it in a rehab clinic just felt wrong. She pulled away.

"We shouldn't do this here," she said breathlessly. "I had all these plans for a nice dinner and then bed, if we were allowed."

"If we were allowed," Nick laughed and shook his head. "We're consenting adult mammals and I've always believed in snacking before dinner."

Judy emitted a giggle that quickly turned into a shriek as Nick picked her up and carried her inside. Somewhere along the way to the bed she had lost her shirt. Nick was kicking off his hospital scrubs as he placed her gently down. She'd only just unbuttoned her jeans when she felt them leave her legs at speed. A quick nip at both her hips and her underwear became useless.

Nick paused then. Leaning above her she stroked the russet fur on his neck before moving down to the creamy softness of his stomach and the rigid hardness beyond that. His breathing was shallow but his eyes were locked to hers. He raised his eyebrows and with a quick nod and her help he was inside her. One paw pad flicked over her left nipple while his mouth found hers.

He didn't last long after that. Neither did she, it had been so long. Twice more they made love on the bed and once in Nick's shower. Whatever Nick had said about snacking before dinner was wrong Judy was now starving. It was time to eat and properly this time no matter what Nick said about his daily dose of vitamin Carrots. Still neither one wanted to be the first to move. It had been so long since they'd just held each other.

"What now?" he asked.

"Dinner," said Judy knowing that wasn't what he meant.

"No I mean after I finish my month here and get certified back at the ZPD?"

"I think we should move in together," she said. He sat up at that and she turned to face him. The smirk was there but there was concern in those eyes.

"I haven't lived with anyone in over twenty years," he said.

"I've been living on my own for the last two," replied Judy. "I could use the company."

"Just the company?"

"OK you whip up a mean carrot smoothie too. But seriously Nick if these last few weeks have taught me anything it's that nothing is guaranteed. Not our safety, not our lives, not even our memories. I want to spend as long as I can – hopefully the rest of our lives – with you. Don't you?"

"Do I want that?" he wondered aloud as Judy began to smack his chest gently, a smile lighting up her face as happy tears formed in her eyes. "Yes, yes I do."

...

A/N: WHOO! This story has been nearly two and a half years in the making so thanks to everyone that stuck with it in that time. I know it went off course a few times and some were disappointed with how it ultimately turned out but I'm grateful I can shut the door on this section of my fanfic writing career. Don't unfollow me yet though because I've an idea for another Zootopia story that will come about soon. Thanks again and catch you all on the flip side.