Gideon led nick away from the Hopps family farm, away from Judy, in silence. Nick kept looking behind him, waiting for his emotional bunny to come running after him, but she never did. Nick watched her stare through the window at them until they passed the line of small trees that devided the properties. Gideon led Nick to an upper room filled with star charts and had a telescope near the window which over looked the carrot fields next door.

"Well," Gideon said walking back out "This is it, sorry bout the mess. I ain't been up here since Judy visited last, and I didn't get no time to pick up."

"You and Carrots must be pretty close" Nick said inspecting the charts

"Yeah, we get on real well. She's a pretty great gal" Gideon said bringing in some pillows and a blanket from the linen closet in the hall around the corner.

"Listen, you and i got off to a bad start," Nick began. Gideon turned and glared at him angerly

"Look pal, the only way you're still walkin is on accounta i promised jude i wouldn't hurt ya!" Gideon said with a snarl.

"Oh, Likewise." Nick said seemingly unconcerned for his personal safety.

"Like you could really do much damage!" Gideon scoffed

"You'd be surprised," Nick retorted.

"You couldn't even defend yourself from a 10 year old bunny!" Gideon chortled.

"Neither could you!" Nick said annoyed at the conversation

"I was 10! you're what? 32?" Gideon said triumphantly

"I'd shut that country bumpkin trap if i were you, cow boy" Nick said snidely

"Or what? Ya gonna call Judy over here to fight for ya?" Gideon smirked

"Naw" Nick poorly imitated gideons sothern drawl "I'll just use some of what they taught me over at that there police academy!" Gideon glared at Nick and then punched the wall.

"You're one lucky canine!" Gideon said glaring at nick. Nick didn't pay him any mind, instead directing his attention toward the window.

"You have no idea" Nick mumbles as gideon stormed out. Nick went over to the window and looked through the telescope. he searched for Judy finally finding her window and looking through it. he laughed to himself as he watched her rummage through her closet tossing thing everywhere. finally she pulled on a tall thin box and emptied it on her bed. Nick realized what it was and scurried around to find a pen and paper. he found a marker and a graphpaper notebook. he scrawled across the page:

I see you,

do you see me?

he held up the notebook and looked through the telescope. he saw Judy nod then she signaled the word radio. nick looked around for a moment and found an old walkie talkie. he picked it up and turned it on.

"Nick, get Gideon," Judy said through the radio. she said it so loudly he was knocked backwards. he stood and brushed himself off then went to the door.

"Gideon!" Nick yelled "It's Jenna" he tried to sound less worried than he was. Gideon came running in.

"What's wrong? is she alright?" Gideon asked. Nick rolled his eyes

"I got him Carrots," Nick said into the walkie talkie "Whats up?"

"My parents brought me a paper," Judy said "apherently there have been more cases like ours, mammals are being kidnapped one day and then show up atthe hospital the next and they are all matched pairs."

"What do you mean matched pairs?" Nick said curiously.

"They are all Pred/Prey pairs and all have ancient history with eachother. There was a dingo and wombat, a lion and a buffalo, a cyote and sheep, the list goes on."
"There ain't been no fatalities yet has there?" Gideon questioned
"No, but everyone sees the potential, and that's where the issues are." Judy continued, "the predator of the pair is injected with the formula and goes berserk, but after it is out of his system, there is still a primal urge. if the predator smells their matched prey's blood they become very primal, some of them have even gone savage. the funny thing is that the Predators seem more traumatized than the Prey"

"I thought we put a stop to this after the nighthowler case," Nick grumbled "Wait, the predator was more traumatized than the prey?"

"they have severe memory loss and develop an increased apitite for protein," Judy said

"Is that all?" gideon laughed "Shoot, everyone gets cravings like that jude."
"To the point of licking someone just to tase their blood?" Judy asked sarcastically.

"Well, no," Gideon concieted

"Judy, i want to try something," Nick said "Is there a place we can go?"

"Yeah, tell gideon to take you to the old grotto" Judy said

"Okay, bring your sidearm, it's in the glovebox"

"Okay, we'll meet there in 20"

Nick turned off the radio, and looked at Gideon. Gideon glared at nick for a moment and then led the way out the door and down the stairs. the walk was mostly quiet until gideon couldnt stand it anymore.

"What are you up to?" he stopped and turned to face Nick

"How good of a shot are you?" Nick asked ignoring the question

"What's that supposed to mean?" gideon asked

"Don't get too excited, Tex," Nick smirked "I just need to be sure you can hit me with her tranq gun if anything goes wrong."

"You'd really let me tranq ya?" Gideon asked

"If it meant keeping judy safe, i'd let you muzzle me too" Nick walked past gideon down the path. gideon stared for a moment then followed nick.

"You'd do that for judy?" gideon asked skeptically

"In a heartbeat" nick said stoping at the fork in the road. "Which way?"

"Um, to the right," gideon replied "You must really love her"

"Yeah, I do." Nick said continuing down the path "so where is this place anyway?"

"Just up there," Gideon said "It's only Jude and me what knows about it," he laughed inwardly "I never realized how beautiful it was up here back then"

"what do you mean?" nick asked as he ducked under a branch.

"I only found this place because I was following Judy. she took somethin of mine an i wanted it back" gideon said ducking to avoid the same branch.

"What did she take?" nick asked wondering what was so important to follow a rabbit so far into the woods

"she took my apron after i took her cop cap" gideon said with a sly grin

"No wonder," nick laughed

"Yeah, she was pretty mad at me for that one" gideon replied awkwardly as they walked into the clearing. "She always came out here when she wanted to not hear anything"

"Hey what took you so long?" Judy asked jumpin down off a rock

"We just got caught up in a memory" gideon said with a soft smile

"which one?" Judy asked. Nick noticed Gideons discomfort

"Did you bring your sidearm?" Nick asked

"Yeah," Judy said "So, why do we need this again?"

"Just in case," Nick said taking it from Judy and handing it to gideon. "I need you to bleed Judy"

"What?" Judy and gideon exclamed in unison.

"I need her to bleed to test the theory, now how are we going to do this?" Nick said as he got close to the ground and searched for a sharp rock or something.

"What theory is that?" gideon asked checking the guns features

"I need to know if we will react the same if she bleeds" nick said "That's why you have the gun"

"instead of searching for something sharp, you could use your claws" Judy said without blinking as she realized Nick had a point. Nick stopped searching and stared at her "You both still have them don't you?" she asked impatiently. Nick and gideon both looked at eachother then at their paws.

"Gideon, you do it." Judy said decidedly

"Are you sure about this Jude?" Gideon asked nervously

"If he's going to go nuts everytime I bleed i need to know about it," Judy said bravely "and now is as good a time as any."

Gideon hesitantly took her wrist and let his long sharp nails pierce the skin beneath her fur. He heard her breath catch and looked up.

"I'm alright" Judy said. Gideon had drawn blood and left gave her a scratch that stretched half way from her elbow to her wrist.

"Well?" Gideon questioned Nick.

Nick sniffed the air and caught the scent of her blood. His mind went crazy. 'There is a rabbit nearby, should i kill it? It's Judy. i can't kill Judy! Wait if i'm not killing her then what am i doing? Am I … No, I can't be, I don't even know how that works, But then why else would I be smelling that sweet perfume? The only other alternative would be... No! It has to be this,' He stood there for a moment before slowly walking toward them.

"Nick," Judy said "Talk to me,"

Nick was on all fours, he snarled at gideon who jumped back releasing Judy's wrist. Nick wound his way around Judy. 'Why did I just do that? What do I do next? Will she freak out? I don't want to bite her, What do i do?'

"Do ya want me ta shoot him?" gideon asked almost hopefully.

"Not yet," Judy said watching Nick move. In unforced rhythm he moved until Judy was wrapped in his embrace. His mind told him to bite her and tear her to shreds, but his heart told him that he and Judy were in the middle of an ancient mating ritual. Pressing his nose to her wrist, Nick breathed in her scent. 'She smells so delicious, no, stop, dont think that way, ignore the fact that she is a rabbit. She's Judy, you love her, you don't eat mammals you love, '

"Nick, say something" Judy said quietly. Nick looked up from his concentrated efforts to figure out if she was his mate, or his meal. Judy noticed a deep desire, a longing, in his eyes.

"Gideon? What is he doing?" Judy asked as Nick's blood stained nose traveled up her wrist and to her neck where he began to nip at her fur memorizing the way she felt against him.

"Looks like he's tryin ta make you his bride" Gideon said scratching his head.

"What?" Judy looked at Gideon in disbelief then at Nick.

"Foxes don't practice it anymore, but part of out heritage includes memorizing our vixens scent by drawing blood and the way she feels by nipping at the fur on her neck. the ritual ends with a token of love, normally a possum, small rodent, or" Gideon stopped.

"Or a rabbit" Judy finished as nick pulled back and looked at her in quiet desperation.

'I won't hurt her, she'll be fine right? i won't hurt her, i want to devour her, but she is my mate, not my meal, I love her. I love her. I love you Judy' Nick thought

"He won't hurt ya." Gideon said "But his mind is probly goin' about a mile a minute, because your scent it so strong."

"will this happen every time?" Judy asked as Nick leaned his head back and screeched.

"the screeching? naw that's a one time thing." Gideon said chuckling a bit as judys ears dropped behind her head "He won't go nuts if you're with him when you bleed. if he is too far away, he'll follow your scent til he finds ya then probly snarl at anyone who comes close."

"Good to know" Judy said as the screeching came to a halt. Nick put his paws on her hips and began rubbing up and down her body memorizing the curves of it, nipping at the crook of her neck once again

"I should probly tranq him before he completes the ritual tho" gideon said hiding a laugh behind his paw. "the rest should be saved for the hunnymoon"

"The rest of the ritual?" Judy blushed furiously "You mean there's more?"

"Yep," Gideon said as he took aim and got nick on the back of the neck "But like i said, that's hunnymoon stuff" He walked over to judy and wrapped his handkerchief around her wrist.

"Thanks Gideon," Judy said as gideon threw nick over his shoulder.

"I'll get him back to the house and i'll see ya tomarow, right?" Gideon asked

"Yep, " Judy nodded "I'll tell dad to give you an extra bushel of berries."

"Thanks Jude" Gideon said as he walked off down the path with an exausted nick.

Judy stood there for a moment but then hopped down the other path that lead to her parents farm. she realized that nick had to make a grave choice given the sideffects of the toxins. the desire in his eyes was love.

'I love you too Nick' she thought as she walked through the fields