For the next four days Nick decides to stay with Judy. He tells himself it's just for one more day, that he'll leave in the morning. However, every morning when he opens his eyes to see her lovely lavender ones, he can't bring himself to go. So he stays and they become more familiar with each other, closer, oblivious to the watchful eyes of her parents.

Gentle teasing touches lead to chaste kisses. These kisses lead to more impassioned ones when they believe no one is looking. With Judy spending her time away from him watching as he helps on her families lands. Her family is grateful to him for the help, as they are able to get their products to town sooner.

On the fourth day Nick stretches in the warm sunlight, much to Judy's pleasure. She watches his lean muscles play under the soft cream fur of his belly and chest, he had taken off his shirt in an attempt to not over heat. Judy sits with his head in her lap as she runs her claws through the fur along his ears causing him to rumble deep in his throat.

"You are easy to please." In her other paw is a mint green lace parasol that matches her favorite sundress. It was quickly becoming Nick's favorite too. With how it clings to her curves before flaring at her hips. Thin pastel green cotton with a mint green lace overlay.

"You just always seem to get the right spots." His reply is breathy.

"Hmmm, I am glad. I like pleasing you." Judy leans over kissing him, using the parasol as a shield from any possible prying eyes. He places a paw on her cheek to keep the kiss going. Finally, she pulls back but keeps the contact of his paw.

"Come with me." He is a little surprised at his own boldness, not meaning to speak the words he was thinking. Nick rubs his thumb over the scars on her cheek as she looks to him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She inquires with a tilt of her head.

"As much as I want to, I can't stay here. I should have met up with my friend already. We're heading to Zootoipa." Sitting up, he turns to look at her. "I want to take you with me."

"I have never left the Tri-Burrows." She confesses with her ears down, then gives him a timid smile. "When are you thinking of leaving?"

"Soon. I can wait a week if you'll come with, if you need time." He looks at her hopefully with ears laid down half way.

"That is not a lot of time." She looks at her lap, thinking.

"I know it's sudden, asking you to come. Honestly, if you need time to think it over I can wait." Nick gently lifts her chin to look into her eyes. "I'll just send a letter to my friend explaining the delay."

"Alright. I will talk to my mother, see what she has to say." She stands up dusting off her dress. "I will let you know soon."

Before leaving, Judy gives him a loving kiss. Nick deepens it by getting to his knees and wrapping his arms around her slim waist, pulling her flush against him. After a full minute he releases her reluctantly. Then watches her return to the burrow. A whine escaping him as he can tell she's conflicted.

"Mother?" Bonnie turns from her knitting to her daughter. "May I speak with you?...In private?" This gets Judy lots of questioning looks from her siblings in the grand sitting room. She fiddles with her ears nervously.

"Of course dear." Bonnie leads Judy to the Master bedroom just down the hall. Before closing the door she yells to the rest of her brood in that area of the burrow. "I want none of you listening in on this." Feet scrambling was her only reply. It takes Judy a few minutes to collect her courage. Bonnie sits on her bed and waits patiently for her.

"Nicholas is...he is planning on leaving...soon." When Judy looks to her mother, Bonnie can see the confliction in her eyes.

"He was only passing through, and he has stayed longer then planned." She motions her daughter to sit with her on the bed, who complies.

"I know that, but...he wants me to go...with him." Tentatively, Judy looks up at her mother. The knowing smile Bonnie gives her was not what she was expecting.

"You want to go with him but are afraid we will not approve." Judy nods in answer. "All we want is your happiness. We can see this, but I want to hear it from you. Does he make you happy?"

"Very much so." Judy blushes deeply, thinking of the kiss they shared not too long ago.

"Then you have my blessing. Go with him. Do not look so surprised, I saw this coming." Judy giggles and hugs Bonnie. "Your father will be more stubborn about it. Just remember that it is only on principle that he is. You are one of his precious daughters after all. I recommend having Nicholas talk to him about taking you away."

A short while later

"You want me to what!? Oh he's going to shoot me." Looking at his bunny, Nick sees the pleading in her violet eyes. "You are going to be the death of me, Carrots. Where is he?"

"You are the best! He is in the storeroom making sure James did not take too much produce with him to market." Stretching to her fullest height, she kisses the underside of his muzzle.

"If I'm not back by dinner, then you have a new rug." She backpaws his chest at his antics.

"Quiet you. He is not going to skin you. Besides, I bet you are better with those six shooters then he is with any gun." She leads him in the direction of her father.

Nick chuckles while taking off his belt holsters. "I'm meeting him as a suitor for his daughters paw, not as some bandit trying to steal her away. I want his blessing, not his surrender."

"This is why I love you." He hands her his holsters and guns. With a look of determination, Nick gives her a chaste kiss before heading to his fate.

"Stuart Sir?" Nick peaks his head into the storeroom. Which is more like a huge barn with how much produce the family of bunnies needed.

"In the back!" Stu meets him at the door to the back office. "What can I do for you Nicholas?"

"Um well...you see, I was thinking that it was about time I got on with my journey, and..." Nick holds his tail in much the same way as when he first met the Hopps'.

"Ah, right. Well it will be sad to see you go but we can't keep you from what you wish to do. And do not even think about trying to pay for these provisions, you have earned them." Stu turns to his ledger.

"About that sir, I need to.." Stu stops him.

"How many days to your destination?" Not wanting to anger the bunny, he answers the question.

"It's a three day trip to Cactus Creek. My friend will have more provisions there, but.." Stu returns to his desk writing down numbers, mumbling to himself.

"You will need enough for two mammals, so that's eighteen meals. But I want her to be comfortable so Bonnie will need to make some carrot cake to send with." His mumbles confuse and spark hope in Nick.

"Sir?" Nick's ears prick forward and his tail wags softly behind him.

"If you plan on taking my little Carrot Cake with you, then I plan *sniffle* on making her *sob* comfortable. And that means *sniffle, sob* sending you with enough that she wants for n..nothing." His shoulders start shaking as the tears fall freely.

"Does this mean we have your blessing?" Nick was not prepared for Stu to turn and cling to him.

"Only because *sob* you make her ha..happy and *sob* treat her right. So if you hurt my baby I will skin you alive and use your hide as decoration. Understand?" Stu's grip is tight on Nick's chest, pulling fur. The sudden change in Stu's demeanor, from sad to protective, unnerves Nick.

"Perfectly." He replies wide eyed and nodding vigorously.

"Good. Now let's go see what my BonBon has for dinner. We will prepare your provisions when you two are ready to leave." Together they walk the short distance to the burrow in companionable silence. Once inside the eating hall, Judy wanders up to them.

"So, seeing as Nicholas is still breathing, I take it the talk went well?" She poses this as a question.

"I might have a couple patches of fur missing but yes it did." Nick smiles warmly at her. Excited, Judy throws her arms around his neck and kisses him passionately. Nick's fur, ears, and tail stand on end from the suddenness. Once recovered he holds her to him and reciprocates. That is until they notice the utter silence in a room full of nearly three hundred bunnies.

With Nick still holding her up, they look to face her family. The crowd burst into deafening noise. Most of it wolf whistles and cat calls. Though Nick is certain he could hear sobs mixed in. Then jumbles of comments with only a few truly heard.

"'Bout time."

"Took you long enough Judy."

"Are they going to get married now?"

"Pull yourself together Stu."

"Of course they'll marry, they kissed didn't they?"

"We're going to have a fox in the family!"

"Are they going to have kits?"

"Can they have kits?"

"I hope so, that would be adorable."

"You think he will be too big for her? You know, down there?"

"I wonder how big it is."

"Okay that is enough! Everyone sit down, it is time to eat." As Bonnie corrals the younger kits to their table, Stu ushers the mortified couple to the main table.

"You better not find out the answer to those last two before you're married, you hear?" Stu's stern look is slightly ruined by the tear streaks on his cheeks.

"Yes sir." Nick answers, Judy being too embarrassed to speak. Conversation is still mainly focused on the newly exposed couple. Nick and Judy try very hard to not listen in. The red tinges to their faces is testament to how well that is not working. Halfway through dinner James walks in.

"James you missed it! Nick and Judy kissed!" One of the younger kits calls out. James stops in his advance on the main table.

"In front of everyone?" He looks at the aforementioned couple, grinning. "Tell me all about it later. I heard some worrisome news while in town."

"Spill it then." Stu motions him to the main table. James takes the empty seat next to Nick.

"Sheriff just got word that a posse of bandits might be headed our way. Apparently they're hitting every town between Springfalls and Zootopia. Something about looking for a certain mammal." James devours the food placed in front of him, talking between mouthfuls.

"Do they know which posse?" Nick asks, thoughtful.

"Can't remember the name but their boss is supposedly a coyote." Nick flinches minutely. "Funny thing is, they leave every mammal unharmed. Well, except for the ones that refuse to answer their questions. They didn't kill any of them but they did mangle them up a bit." He finishes the soup then digs into the bread bowl.

"Who are they looking for? Any description?" Bonnie asks horrified.

"Nothing. Either the posse doesn't describe the mammal or no one wants to repeat it. All we got is that they claim the mammal cheated at poker, taking all the bosses money from their most recent heist. We're the last place for them to look before Zootopia." The main table falls silent, contemplating. Nick most of all. Judy grips his paw and looks at him worriedly. He squeezes her paw back with a reassuring smile. Dinner eventually winds down with quiet talks about how sales went at market.

"Come on Nicholas. I wish to look at the stars." Judy takes his paw and leads him out of the burrow. Leaving behind the sexual innuendos called out by her siblings. Atop a soft dirt hill, surrounded by sage bushes, they stop.

"Judith, I..." She places her paw on his snout to quiet him.

"Let me see those patches of missing fur." Nick pricks his ears forwards.

"Carrots?" He holds the paws she attempts to slide under his shirt.

"I want to make sure you are not permanently damaged." Unable to resist her pleading look, Nick assists in the removal of his shirt. Silky grey paws roam through his soft cream ruff. Nick emanates a pleased rumble that Judy can only feel. "You can growl, I wont be afraid."

"I'm trying...to restrain myself. Your father will...skin me if I claim you... before I marry you." Pants caused by roaming paws break up his speech. Stilling her paws and looking deep into her eyes, Nick continues. "And I intend to marry you first." Taking advantage of her shock, Nick picks her up then lays her gently on his discarded shirt. He pins her in place, using his elbows for support to keep much of his weight off her.

"Nicholas." His name, spoken breathily, sends shivers up his spine. Nick runs his teeth lightly along the rim of her ear, emitting a growl from deep within his chest. The sound so close to her ear and the feel from where their chests touch, causes heat to spread throughout her body and her nose to quiver in anticipation.

"Turnabout's fair play, Carrots." They share an impassioned kiss with her paws exploring every inch of his chest and back.

After nearly a half hour of heavy petting, Nick pulls her to her feet. Then retrieves his shirt. "It's late. Let's get you to bed."

"Will you be joining me?" She entwines her paw with his as they head down the hill.

"Sadly no. I want to live long enough to see you in a frilly white dress. Then take you out of it." Even as a deep blush runs rampant across her face and ears, a smile graces her muzzle.

"And when will that be?" She asks demurely.

"Soon I hope." After a moments pause he asks, "I'm not overstepping like that one buck am I?"

"No, not at all." She chirrs as she leans against him. They continue their walk in companionable silence. After a while they stop outside her door, Nick finally learning the ins and outs of the burrow. Nick kisses her gently while opening her door, then nudges her inside. "Good night Carrots."

"Good night Nicholas." The door shuts softly behind her.

A/N: Thank You for all the follows, favorites and reviews. Them and the comments make my day! Hope I don't disappoint!

Altair1812: Glad you like it and I will try my best to be a bit more meticulous.