This one's a request. Not sure if this is what you had in mind for it but this is what my brain told me to write. lol Also, I think it's safe to say that over a year has passed in this story since the beginning. Maybe two? Whatever you guys think. Enjoy!

It is one of their days off and Judy swore to make it a day worth remembering. When she woke in the morning, however, the vigor was gone. Instead, she feels a deep pit in her stomach and no desire to do anything at all. She tries to watch tv for a little while, but she only ends up spacing out on it and then is completely lost. She would bother Nick about it, but he is still fast asleep. He never was much of a morning person. So she is left to her own devices and her devices are sorely lacking in entertainment or worth of any kind right now.

Her gaze drifts over to her room. There isn't much in there, yet she is compelled to go anyway. She walks to her closet and throws the door open. It is mostly clothes in there, but there is some stuff in the floor, one of which being a stack of newspapers she saved to do the crosswords if she was ever so bored or wanted to beat Nick. She grabs for the stack and as she pulls it out, there is a clatter.

Judy perks. She drops the newspapers and crawls into the closet so that she can see the back instead of just reach it. When she peeks at the back corner she sucks in a soft breath and her eyes widen. She freezes in place as she stares at the can of fox repellant. It triggers memories – of Gideon, of Nick, and of all the prejudice mistakes she ever made in her life. She completely forgot she still even had it. She was sure she tossed the thing after hurting Nick. Apparently she unwittingly dragged it everywhere until it ended up in this place where she hid it away from everyone, even herself.

She reaches for it and draws it close. She looks more closely at it, turning it over in her hand. She should really throw it out now. She has no use for it after all and it certainly isn't doing her any good shoved in the back of her closet. She gets up and heads for the kitchen to do just that, but along the way her subconscious redirects her. She winds up sitting on the couch with the image of a marked out fox staring up at her as she stares right back. Its eyes are deep black and dangerous, its teeth are bared, and the picture is so life like that every hair on its face seems to stand on end.

That pit in her stomach, she finally understands it. The sight of this canister brings her dreams back into memory and in those dreams she was a little bunny again and Gideon a menace. It wasn't a nightmare really and clearly wasn't enough to make the details stick upon awakening, but it is definitely the source of her motivation problems. But why? Of all the things that could possibly haunt her dreams why was it this and why last night when she hasn't thought of Gideon in months?

Nick stirs in his room. He lets out a loud yawn and stretches his arms over his head. He shakes in order to rid himself of the remnants of sleep and then he hops from the bed. He trots out into the living room, a smile spreading over his face as he spots Judy. "Hey, Carrots, what's up?"

Judy doesn't answer for a long moment. She continues to stare at the repellant in her hands. Then, in a far off voice, she asks, "Am I a bad person?"

Nick starts and his ears flick downward. "What?" He makes a face. "Is that any way to greet a person in the morning?" He chuckles, trying his best to lighten the mood she so effortlessly dampened.

Judy doesn't laugh or even smile. She lets out a breath.

Nick rounds the couch and tenses as he lays eyes on the object in her hands. His lips stretch into a flat line and a coldness leaps his emerald orbs. "You still have that?" He can't stop the disgust from coating his words.

Judy nods weakly. "I found it." She says it as if it explains everything.

"Well get rid of it already. You don't need it anymore." His skin crawls just knowing he is in the same vicinity as the wretched stuff.

"What if I don't want to?"

"What?" Nick recoils.

Judy grazes her fingers along her cheek, where only the faintest of marks remains. Her fur more or less grew over it and covered it up. It used to be her only scar.

Nick is not so blinded by disgust not to notice her gesture. His disdain simmers down and he quirks at brow at the out of place movement. "Is something wrong?" It can't be what happened with Aaron. Yes, she has every right to still be upset over it and it would be no surprise if she was having flashbacks, but as far as he knows nothing physical was done to her during that time. Yet she caressed her cheek as if touching an old wound.

"I dreamed about my childhood." Once more she says it as if this is enough to fill him in on the situation. She really just doesn't want to talk about it. Despite wanting so badly for him to wake up so she could tell him about her lack of motivation, now that he is here and she knows the true reason for her slump she wants anything but talk.

Nick frowns. He hates when she gets like his – dropping crumbs at best with her short sentences. But he understands the pain of a bad childhood better than anyone. He just never thought that a troubled past was something they shared. He takes a seat next to her, hanging his arms over his knees. "So you had a fox bully." That's the only solution. Otherwise this fox repellant wouldn't mean anything to her.

Judy nods. "Gideon was his name."

Nick's ears go erect. "Gideon? You mean the guy who brought pies by while we were there?" He can't help but be incredulous. The guy was like an oversized teddy bear. A bit too hick but not vicious.

Judy's lip stretch out in a flat line. "Yep. That's the one."

Nick chews on the inside of his cheek. He feels like this could be a dying point for this conversation if he doesn't say something soon. She clearly is conflicted about talking about it at all and would more than likely let it drop if she was given the chance. He doesn't want that to happen though. He knows when something is really bothering her and this is one of those times. It will fester all day and maybe for the next week, ruining her mood and any plans she might have, if she doesn't get it out. "How bad was it?"

Judy shrugs. "Nothing like yours. I mean, he was a jerk but he only attacked me once." She unconsciously runs her fingers over the invisible scar.

"He scratched you?" He tilts his head as he peers at her cheek.

"It wasn't a big deal. I mean, I knew he was a big dumb jerk." She laughs to herself. "He wasn't going to be right."

Nick raises a brow. "Right?"

Judy grimaces. "Yeah…he would say mean things to me, to try and discourage me from following my dreams. Called me a dumb bunny…at lot."

Nick's ears flatten and guilt rises in his eyes as he remembers when he called her that too, the first time with complete sincerity and an agenda not unlike this Gideon. "Carrots…" He isn't sure what to say to this. Apologizing for something so long ago and that she probably doesn't care about anymore is stupid and calling Gideon a jerk is just flat out redundant as well as unhelpful.

"It's alright." She waves her hands dismissively. She puts on a smile. "That was forever ago. I don't assume all foxes are like that anymore either." Her feigned cheer slides away and confliction takes its place. "But…what if some are?"

Ah, that's it. That's really the issue here, why she asked in the very beginning if she was a bad person. "There are always going to be bad people in the world." Both of their lives show that clearly.

"Then…does that make it okay? Or am I a bad person?" She repeats her original question. She tightens her grip on the repellant. "Does wanting to hold on to this even though not everyone or even a majority of foxes are bad…make me bad? Because I want to keep it. But I…I don't want to hurt people."

Nick hears the words underneath quite clearly. Like I hurt you. He swallows hard. As a given rule of course it is bad to carry the stuff around, implying that she expects to be attacked by a fox at any given moment. However, he knows her. He knows the pain she has endured at the hands of others. They weren't foxes, no, but if a harmless little bunny or sheep can step out of line and be vicious, then why couldn't a fox? "You aren't bad, Judy." He finally decides to say this. "Especially not to me. Not even if you carry that stuff around twenty four seven." He smiles tenderly down at her.

Judy returns his sentiments as she meets his eyes. "Thank you."

Nick nods. "Anything for you, Carrots."

"And Nick…"

"Hm?" Nick's ear flicks slightly.

Judy drops her gaze. "I'm sorry."

Nick frowns. Confusion creases him face. "Sorry? For what?" This? He already said it was fine. She can't help the way she feels, and it isn't like she feels it toward him anyway. His voice…maybe, sometimes, but still not because he is a fox.

"Back then. For thinking you were like Gideon." It was never a conscious thought when she met him, but she did automatically turn to suspicion from the moment she heard the word fox on that driver's lips.

Nick sighs. "Carrots, you really think I cared?" He half laughs. "Back then I was still convinced the whole world hated me and would always hate me. You were no different, even when you called me 'articulate'." He makes a face.

Judy puffs out a laugh. "Yeah…sorry about that. Gideon…it was just another thing he made me think about all foxes."

"Besides, that was forever ago." He smiles. "You don't think that now. You haven't in a long time. That's all I care about."

"You really are sweet sometimes."

Nick scoffs. "No I am not. I am hardcore." He plants his hands on his hips and holds his head high.

Judy giggles. "You look like a dork like that, not macho."

Nick grins. "Can't I be both?"

"Nope." Judy grins right back.

Nick sticks his tongue out, mimicking her when she pouts. "Dumb bunny." It passes his lips without thinking and he flinches as he realizes the implications it holds that he never knew before.

Judy doesn't miss a beat. "Sly fox." She sees the uncertainty in his eyes over his words, but she is as unaffected by the phrase as she ever has been when it comes from him. The best way to reassure him is to throw it right back at him.

Nick chuckles. He relaxes instantly. Even if it used to be a way to hurt her, he is glad to know it doesn't have to be negative between them. In fact, he feels a great swell of pride at being allowed such privilege. As a fox he should have been shut down and condemned ages ago. But he wasn't, isn't. Despite everything, she let him in and trusted him like no one before. "You really are something else." On so many levels.

Will I ever write a happy chapter? The world may never know! It's just so much more fun to write the pain. lol I'm terrible. Please review!