Chapter Three: Dating

Just as agreed, Judy arrived at Zootopia Central Station at exactly 8:15, wearing her favorite purple dress with the only purse she owned, a sensible black number with a sturdy strap, hung over her shoulder. As she approached the central fountain, she was surprised to note there was a strange fox already standing there, his back to her.

Even though she could only see his tail and the back of his head, it was plain to see that his fur was immaculately groomed, not a strand out of place. The burnt orange fur had a healthy, attractive sheen, complemented perfectly by his shiny satin, wine-red button up. Black suspenders reached over his shoulders and down his back, fastened to his matching black slacks with perfectly polished, silver buttons.

Surprise turned to shock when the perfectly groomed stranger turned to look at her with familiar green eyes and an even more familiar, laid back smile.

Judy was rooted to the spot as Nick sauntered up to her. It was with an arched brow that the fox noted her wide eyes and slack jaw.

"Nice statue impersonation, fluff," Nick said with humor. Reaching up, he hooked her hanging chin with a knuckle and pushed it up, closing her mouth with a click. "Although, I think you do a much better Thinker."

The contact seemed to restart Judy's stalled brain. The rabbit shook her head with a splutter. "Wuh- wuh- Wow! Nick! You look- you look-"

"Handsome? Dashing?" Nick supplied with a grin. While Judy was too distracted to notice, the fox gave her a once over, drinking in the way the flowy material of her dress settled about her slim waist and wide hips. "You don't look half bad, yourself."

"Oh! Umm," Judy looked down at herself, suddenly feeling very underdressed. "Thanks. It's my favorite dress. I'd rather be in jeans, though."

"I know, country bunny. You look lovely, though."

Judy's head jerked up and she stared at Nick in astonishment, cheeks aflame. "Lovely?" she squeaked. "You've never called me lovely before."

"I've never seen you in a dress before."

Judy opened her mouth to refute that, but froze when she realized she couldn't name one time she had worn a dress in front of Nick in the eighteen months she had known him.

Seeing the rabbit freeze again, Nick shook his head with a smile. Reaching down, he grasped Judy's paw, causing her to jump.

"Your parents are going to be here any minute, fluff. Time to go," Nick explained before Judy could question him. Tucking her paw into the crook of his arm, he walked them towards the platform.

The way Judy fell silent at the mention of her parents spoke volumes to Nick about how nervous she was. The way she clutched his arm spoke volumes more.

So they stood on the platform waiting for the train to come in. It wasn't even thirty seconds before Judy's nerves had her thoughts racing.

"Wait, I told my mom I'm dating a fox. My mom definitely told my dad and he would have called unless my mom didn't tell him then he's going to find out right here and the shock might give him a heart attack- Oh, sweet cheese and crackers, what if I kill my dad-?"

"Carrots." Nick called, cutting off Judy's terrified rambling. When Judy looked up at him with wide, violet eyes, Nick smiled reassuringly and squeezed her paw. "Everything's going to be alright. No need to freak out."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I'm here-" Lifting Judy's paw from his elbow, Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side. "-and I won't let anything bad happen."

Judy gratefully accepted Nick's comfort, pressing her face into his shirt and wrapping her arms around him, too discombobulated by her current circumstances to notice how strange it was for him to show her such straightforward affection.

The sight of the faux couple's embrace drew the attention of another odd pair passing by.

"Awww," cooed a silver fox wearing a yellow blouse and white capris. Standing her oversized and overstuffed wheeled luggage up on it's end, she grabbed the disposable camera that hung from a cord around her neck, lifted it up to one of her bright green eyes and snapped a photo.

Her companion, a tall, overweight Tasmanian tiger in jeans and a t-shirt, looked over her shoulder, curious about what had stopped them. Brown eyes rolled as he realized what it was. "Geez, Star. Spying on mammals again?"

The vixen turned a fierce glare up at the male. "It is not spying, Adam, it's reference. Now c'mon, I want to get to the gallery early."

Before she'd even finished talking, the black and gray furred female had grabbed her luggage and was off, stepping purposefully through the crowd while dragging her nearly too big wheeled luggage behind her. Adjusting the strap of the duffle over his shoulder. the thylacine huffed and dutifully followed after his friend.

Too distracted with each other to notice the byplay, Judy and Nick only looked up as the expected train finally pulled into station.

Nick dropped his arm and Judy stepped away as the three differently sized doors slid open, disgorging a gamut of different mammals in various styles of dress. Once the initial rush had passed, a familiar face finally stuck their head out.

"Mom!" Judy called, hopping up and waving an arm over her head. "Mom, over here!"

Bonnie's eye widened in recognition. Reaching over, she grabbed something out of sight and made a beeline for her daughter. What she grabbed was revealed to be another bunny's wrist. Stu Hopps, more than familiar with his wife's habits, easily kept her pace. The only luggage that either seemed to carry was an old crate with a few different vegetables under Stu's arm.

As her parents drew near, an excited smile broke over Judy's face as the nervousness from before was forgotten. Rushing forward, she threw her arms around her mother and pressed her face into the older doe's soft shoulder. Bonnie let go of Stu's wrist so she could wrap both arms her daughter.

"Mom!"

"Sweety! It's so good to see you!"

The does squeezed each other, then backed up so they could exchange pecks on the cheek. They shared matching, bucktooth grins before separating.

Judy didn't waste time, turning and throwing her arms around her father.

"Dad!"

Twisting his body so the crate under his arm didn't get in the way, Stu wrapped his free arm around Judy's shoulders and squeezed her tight.

"Theres my famous daughter!"

Judy kissed her father on the cheek before pulling back so she could look him in the eye. "Don't call me famous. I'm just a cop, not a celebrity."

"You did save the city, Jude," Stu pointed out.

Judy's smile dimmed at the reminder. Any mention of the Missing Mammals Case or the Nighthowler Conspiracy always brought with it memories of the Press Conference Debacle. Judy considered it and the argument with Nick that followed her greatest personal failures.

Knowing of Judy's sensitivity on the subject, Nick moved to distract her before the positive mood was ruined. Previously content to wait on the sidelines until the rabbits noticed him, the fox asserted his presence by stepping forward and gently clearing his throat.

Bonnie and Stu both snapped their gazes toward him. If their surprised expressions were anything to go by, they had completely overlooked the fox until that moment.

Judy's nervousness returned as she was reminded of why they were there. The doe quickly stepped to the side and, putting on her best smile, she indicated Nick with a sweep of her paw. "Mom, Dad. I know it's been a while, so I'd like to reintroduce you to Nick Wilde."

"Mister and Missus Hopps. It's good to see you again," Nick said respectfully, smiling as charmingly as he could without showing his teeth. He also held his paws behind his back to hide his claws. If what Judy said was true, then, while her parents were more accepting, they were still a little skittish.

Surprisingly, Stu recovered first. Quickly crouching down, he placed the crate down and then stood. The buck wrapped his arm around Bonnie's shoulders and pulled her into his side. "My wife here tells me you're dating my daughter," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

To the side, Judy's smile fell, replaced with a worried frown.

While Nick's smile also fell, his expression remained serene and his tone was respectful as he said, "Yes, sir. That's right."

"She also tells me you're partners on the force."

"That's true."

"I guess that means you're a cop, too."

"Yes, sir."

"Are you a good one?"

"Not as good as your daughter, but I can hold my own."

"Hmm," Stu hummed suspiciously, squinting up at the fox as he looked for any signs of weakness or deceit. Seeing none, he glanced over at Judy.

Paws fretting under her chin, Judy stared back at him with hopeful eyes, silently begging him for his approval.

The buck caved with a sigh. "Ever since that play, I knew Judy was going to be different from other rabbits. She keeps surprising me with how different, but…"

Stu looked back at Nick, a tentative smile on his lips. "I'm glad it's with another cop. You'll keep my little girl safe, won't you?"

With squared shoulders and sober expression, Nick looked more determined than Judy had ever seen him as he swore, "I will do whatever it takes to keep Judy safe and happy."

"Then I have nothing to complain about." Stu held his paw out for the fox to shake and Nick didn't hesitate to take it.

As the males shook on it, Judy stared at Nick in wonder, a whole host of butterflies taking flight in her stomach. She had to remind herself that he was pretending, that this was all an act to fool her parents. But then he glanced at her, and what she saw in green eyes made her doubt.

As Nick and Stu's paw shake ended, Bonnie held her paw out to take. "Thank you for taking such good care of our Judy, Mr. Wilde."

Nick grabbed the offered paw and said, "It's my pleasure. And please, call me Nick."

"Alright, Nick, but then you have to call us Bonnie and Stu."

"Yes, ma'am," Nick acquiesced as he let go of her paw.

As much as to distract herself as anything, Judy stepped forward and asked, "So, what's your schedule?"

"Well, first," Stu grunted as he bent down and grabbed the crate and hefted it up. "We need to take these samples to that farmer's market. There'll be a little hagglin', but it won't be long. We have all day after that."

"Stu, I can carry that crate for you," Nick offered, holding out a paw.

"Naw, I got it. Wouldn't want to mess up that shiny shirt of yours, anyway."

"Well, then let me guide you. I know this city like the back of my paw."

"It's true," Judy endorsed. "He knows everybody, too."

"Well, that'd be mighty helpful, Nick. The fella on the phone said it was next to a club in Savannah Central."

"I'm afraid there's an awful lot of clubs in that area," Nick said.

"He actually said it was naturalist club," Bonnie supplied helpfully. "Whatever that means."

Nick and Judy exchanged a glance, one that revealed the fox was thrilled with this development while the bunny dreaded it.

Judy turned to her parents and asked, "It was The Mystic Springs Oasis, wasn't it?"

The elder Hopps beamed with recognition and Stu said, "That's the one!"

"Was the owner of this new farmer's market named Yax, by any chance?" Nick eagerly asked.

Bonnie glanced from Nick to Judy and back again, perceiving two very different reactions to the name. "Yes. It was."

Judy groaned while Nick clapped his paws together, grinning in delight. "I have to say: you folks are in for a treat."

Nick was only too happy to introduce the Hopps' Clan heads to Yax and, after the initial shock of seeing the bare-in-the-buff yak wore off, business went surprisingly well.

Nick and Judy discovered that the Mystic Springs Oasis had been doing very well for itself and its eccentric owner, Yax, wanted to expand the business. Since the fly infested yak didn't like modern forms of transportation or communication, that meant buying a building within easy walking distance. But, there wasn't enough business in such a small area to support two nudist clubs, so he decided to spread the "naturalist" message through wholesome, organic, non-GMO produce. The Hopps' Family Farm and its dedication to high quality, paw grown fruits and veggies fit the bill.

Yax' laid back nature, combined with the Hopps' straightforward honesty, not to mention Nick's business acumen, meant that an agreement that left all parties satisfied was quickly reached with very little actual bartering necessary.

The party of three rabbits and one fox left the currently empty farmers market a little before ten o'clock. Surprisingly, Stu was reading a pamphlet for the Mystic Springs Oasis, intrigued.

"Listen to this, Bon: 'Improve your life through natural living, built on community, healthy eating and exercise.' That yak might have been nuttier than a loony bin for squirrels, but I think he might have the right idea."

"That's interesting, dear," Bonnie said, clearly just humoring her mate.

Judy rolled her eyes from where she walked next to Nick a few steps behind her parents. "I swear, if my dad goes natural…"

"What?" Nick grinned down at Judy's cross expression, clearly giddy over the thought. "What will you do?"

Judy glared up at the fox, vexed by his amusement at her expense. "I'll blame you."

"Me?" Nick asked, placing a paw over his heart and blinking wide, innocent eyes at Judy in a bid to appear blameless, an act that fell flat since he was still grinning like a loon. "What did I do?"

"You're enjoying it, you jerk, instead of doing something about it!"

"I haven't seen you do anything about it."

"That's not the point!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Well, you two certainly argue like a couple." Bonnie's voice called. The pair snapped their gazes forward, surprised by the interruption. They found Bonnie and Stu looking back at them, both older rabbits smiling with the amusement only the elderly looking upon the foolishness of youth could achieve.

Rather than rise to the bait, Nick decided to change the subject. Without missing a beat, he smiled and said, "I bet it's not too often you two get away from the kits."

Bonnie and Stu exchanged glances before looking back at the fox. Bonnie slowly admitted, "That's true."

"Well, you're away from them now. Why not take the opportunity to do something fun?"

Stu looked cautious, not at all sure he would enjoy whatever was considered "fun" in the city. "Whadja have in mind?"

The fox clapped his paws together and beamed. "Did you two know that Zootopia has one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world?"

Stu's caution evaporated like snow in Sahara square before his love of all things green and growing. The buck's ears pricked forward to match the intensity of his eyes as he asked, "Really?"

"That's right," Nick confirmed, knowing that he had Stu hooked. Now, to get Bonnie. "We could go together. Like a double date."

It worked. Violet eyes the same shade as Judy's widened with intrigue. With her large, busy family, Bonnie knew it could be a long time before she had another chance go on a real, actual date with the love of her life.

When Bonnie reached over and grabbed Stu's paw, Nick knew he had won. After all, if they had just gone to eat, they wouldn't have anything to talk about but each other's lives and the risk of Judy's lie being discovered would be enormous. Now, the only thing Judy's parents would talk about would be their passion: plants.

The party of four ventured to the outermost edge of the Rainforest District. There, they found Zootopia's sprawling Unity Gardens.

"Named that because the gardens were designed so that every Zootopia citizen could come and see plants from their natural habitat, whether that was the jungle, savannah, desert or even frozen tundra," Nick explained as they walked through the turnstiles after buying tickets.

As the group wandered along one of the paths, the fox flawlessly slipped into the role of tour guide, answering most questions about the history of the gardens, even if he didn't know much about the actual plants.

Stu was happy to fill the void. The buck babbled nonstop, rushing from plot to plot to examine the real life specimens of plants he had only ever read about before. He put the proverbial "kid in a candy store" to shame.

Bonnie held Stu's paw the entire time, not minding in the least being dragged behind her husband. The smile she wore as she looked upon him so lost in his passion was beatific.

Judy followed after her parents, watching them with new eyes. She had never seen her father so excited. It was a far cry from the soft spoken, cautious country farmer she knew. And her mother. Judy didn't think Bonnie had seen a single plant, since her gaze had never moved from her mate. The older doe's eyes showed forth a warmth that Judy had glimpsed all her life, but had never seen in such measure.

It was beautiful.

A gentle touch on Judy's back drew her from her reverie. Looking over, she found Nick standing next to her.

Smiling, Nick nodded his head in Stu's direction. "Your dad sure is excited."

Judy smiled gratefully. "He is. Thank you for bringing us here, Nick."

"Anything for you, Carrots." Before Judy could reply, Nick called out to her parents. "Hey, Stu! Wanna see the Vault?"

Stu looked up from the delicate yellow petals of rudbeckia hirta he'd been studying. "Vault? What vault?"

"The Vault is where they keep all the really rare stuff. Flowers and plants you'll never see anywhere else."

Stu's eyes sparkled as he answered. "I wanna see the Vault."

Instead of an open air garden, now they walked dimly lit hallways lined with what closely resemble aquariums, but instead of fish behind the glass, it was flowers and plants, each in its own carefully controlled environment.

Several other mammals wandered the halls, some alone, others in groups. Something in the air inspired reverence, so there was very little conversation, and the few words spoken were muttered in low tones.

The two couples wandered slowly down the halls, staying within stone's throw of each other but otherwise content to let the other do it's own thing.

As they moved from exhibit to exhibit, one particular flower caught Nick's eye. The five petals were each split at the base into two, long, narrow structures, rounded at the tips. They also happened to be a particular shade of violet, and there was a ring of tiny white petals around the stamen.

Nick's gaze slid down to his companion. Judy was bent forward at the waist, tiny white tail on display as she studied a different specimen, her long, narrow, rounded ears held high. As though she could sense his gaze, she turned her head to glance at him from over her shoulder. Violet eyes blinked curiously at him as her white tail twitched.

Gosh, it's like they made Judy into a flower. Or did they make a flower into Judy?

Nick smiled and tilted his head. Judy smiled back, one ear folding in half as her head tilted to match. The two shared a companionable moment, then turned back to view the exhibits.

Nick's attention returned to the interesting flower. Leaning in, he began to read the accompanying plaque.

"Campion (Silene tomentosa) This rare flower was once considered extinct, until a single living specimen was found high in the mountains, clinging to a barren outcropping of rock. Efforts to reintroduce…"

The plaque went on, but Nick was too busy rolling his eyes to read it.

Tough, stubborn and one-of-a-kind. This is the Judy Flower, alright.

Just about then, Bonnie wandered up, towing a crestfallen Stu behind her. Nick and Judy both turned to face her as she stepped up next to them.

"This has been wonderful, but our train is going to leave soon. Do you think we could find a place where we can all sit down and eat? We still need to talk."

Though he still smiled, Nick groaned internally.

So much for keeping them too distracted to chat.

From the subtle twitches rolling over Judy's face, she wasn't groaning inside: she was screaming.

"Sure, mom," Judy said, barely restrained distress coloring her voice. "Let's go."

As the doe began to lead her parents away, Nick paused. A strange impulse fell over him, and he looked back at the Judy Flower. Reading the plaque again, he deliberately burned the name into his memory.

Silene tomentosa.

Then the fox turned and hurried after the rabbits.

When it came to all the best places in Zootopia to escape prying eyes and have a quiet word, Nick was an expert. So sooner than he or Judy would have prefered, the party of four were seated in a comfy, cozy booth in a corner of a dimly lit restaurant.

As their middle aged ungulate waitress stepped away with their order, Bonnie folded her paws on the table, squared her shoulders, and set her gaze on her uneasy daughter.

Stu sat off to the side fiddling with his silverware. He knew when his wife wanted something, the best place to be was out of the way.

In the voice that was unique to mothers in that it sounded like a request but everyone hearing it knew it was anything but, Bonnie invited, "So, tell me everything."

Grabbing her glass, Judy took a long sip as a delaying tactic. Once the cup was nearly empty, she set it down, cleared her throat and began. "Well, it began a few weeks ago-"

The false history that Nick created flowed well enough: the feelings, the crabshack, the walk in the park, even the frilly pink dress. Nick had to nudge her once or twice to keep her story straight, but otherwise it went well.

"-and we've been going steady ever since," Judy finished. She smiled, confident that her parents would buy the story and everything would be fine.

"Okay. Now, that you're together, what are your plans for the future?"

...or not.

Judy froze as her brain locked up, having been so worried about her fake dating past that she had completely failed to consider a fake dating future.

Seeing his partner's wide eyed, caught-in-the-headlights expression, Nick smoothly answered in her stead. "We've only just started dating, Missus Hopps. We don't exactly have all this figured out."

"I told you to call me Bonnie, dear. And I have a hard time believing that my daughter, who started planning her career when she was nine years old, and a savvy business fox like yourself, Mister Wilde, have not once thought about their future together!"

Judy was on the verge of panic. Her mother was nobody's fool, and, just like a shark scenting blood, she was circling closer and closer to the truth.

Nick saw the fin closing in, too. But, unlike Judy, he had been swimming with sharks his entire adult life. He knew that they wouldn't stop until they got their pound of flesh. When your boat was sunk, the only way to save yourself was to sacrifice another.

The difference between then and now was that, this time, Nick would be giving himself as the sacrifice. So he tore a wound in his heart and jumped in the water.

"I have been thinking about a future with Judy since the first investigation," Nick said. Every rabbit turned to face him at this declaration. Gripping the edge of the table, the fox leaned toward Bonnie, locking his gaze with hers. "When she looked me in the eye and told me I could be a good cop. It was the first time since my mother died that another mammal told me I could be more than what I was."

Judy hadn't known that before. As she stared at her partner, her violet eyes were wide and she held a paw to her chest, a pose mirrored in her mother. Stu was blinking rapidly, a sure sign that the emotional buck was close to tears.

Nick leaned back so he was no longer crowding the table, but he kept his eyes on Bonnie's.

"The next day, she asked me to apply to the Academy and become her partner on the force. It was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. Change my whole life just because a rabbit I knew for barely three days asked me to? I'd be an idiot for trying…"

Nick trailed off, his gaze drifting down to where his paws were still gripping the table, his claws leaving little furrows in the cheap vinyl. He forced himself to let go, and instead placed his fists on the table. Shoulders hunched, he stared pensively down at his fisted paws. The three rabbits leaned in, enthralled by his tale and the emotion he showed telling it.

"But I signed the application anyway, because Judy put her faith in me. If I was her partner, it would be my job to keep her safe and everything I did would reflect on her. She was putting her life and her dream in my paws…"

As Nick trailed off again, his paws and expression relaxed, but it wasn't a good thing. As he stared blankly at the table, the rabbits all saw a fox that was just worn down.

"Except you can't trust something you're afraid of."

If the fox had stabbed her in the heart and twisted the blade, Judy did not think the hurt in her chest could have been worse. "Nick," she croaked, voice thick with emotion. Sliding closer to him, she reached over and pressed her paw into his upturned palm. Shame washed over her as she saw for the first time just how deeply she had hurt her friend.

Bonnie gasped as her chest twisted in sympathy as her feelings went out to the hurting fox sitting before her.

Tears began to roll over Stu's chubby cheeks.

"Even though I was angry and depressed, I never stopped thinking about the future I could have had," Nick admitted quietly. He turned his head slightly so he was speaking toward Judy, though he still couldn't raise his eyes and look at her. "I thought about what it would have been like to do something worthwhile with my life. To be trusted and maybe even liked. I worked up the nerve to talk to you a thousand times, Carrots, but whenever I picked up the phone, I couldn't bring myself to make the call. Then I heard you packed up and moved back home, just like I said you would, and the part of me that wanted to hope died all over again."

Before Judy could be swallowed up in the depths of despair, something happened. A small, genuine smile broke over Nick's face and he lifted his eyes to hers.

"And then, right out of the blue, you came running up, shouting gibberish about poison flowers." The fox shook his head in exasperation. "You were such a dumb bunny. I had to spell it out to you that you needed to apologize. But, you did. You said you were sorry and you meant it."

Judy looked down as she felt something. It was Nick's paw, his fingers finally closing around hers.

"From the second you fell into my arms I knew I would always want to be in your life, even if it was only as a friend. But, I've always wanted more."

Judy looked up, violet eyes wide as she realized Nick was leaning towards her, their noses nearly brushing. The feeling of his warm breath brushing over her lips had Judy locked up in surprise.

"The truth is, I love you, Judy."

The space between them disappeared. Nick's mouth moved over Judy's in a single, chaste caress, just enough to let her feel how soft and warm his lips were.

When Nick pulled back, Judy just continued to stare up at him, filled with so many conflicting thoughts, sensations and emotions that she didn't have a clue on how to handle it all.

Still smiling, Nick turned to a very conflicted looking Bonnie, who had a bawling Stu's face pressed into her shoulder. "You see, Bonnie, I haven't talked with Judy about the future because, for first time in my life, I have everything I want. I have a job to do, mammals to help, and the love of my life. I've never been this happy, so I just want to enjoy it for a while. The future can wait."

Reaching up, Bonnie rubbed the back of Stu's head, comforting the emotional buck. "Alright. The future can wait. For now."

Standing side by side on the platform, Nick and Judy waved at the train as it glided away.

Nick was the first to let his arm drop. With a deep sigh, he let his shoulders droop and back slouch. When he he shoved his paws into his pants pockets, he once again looked like the old Nick Wilde, just with a nicer shirt.

Judy glanced over as the fox turned and began to shuffle off. Dropping her arm to her side, she adjusted her wide strapped purse over her shoulder and walked after him.

With how slowly he was moving, it wasn't a moment before she was walking along next to him.

"I guess it's time for our fake relationship to fake breakup," Nick snipped, eyes straight ahead.

Judy glanced up her companion, brow raised at the sharpness of his tone.

"...I guess so. Nick, about what you said at dinner-"

"Don't worry about it. It was just an act," interrupted the surly fox.

"It seemed pretty real to me!"

"Like I've never fooled you before."

With a hop and a twist, Judy stood before Nick, paws on her hips and foot thumping.

"Don't be such a dumb fox! You think I can't tell-"

Nick suddenly leaned into her personal space and shouted, "Hey!"

Thoroughly flummoxed, it was all Judy could do to blink up at Nick's too close face as her ears fell limp down her back.

"Did I just spend my day off helping you out of a jam you made for yourself?" the fox asked hotly, ears pinned back and tail lashing.

Judy had to swallow before she could reply. "...yes?"

"That's a pretty big favor, right? Or wrong?"

"...right."

"Well, then." Nick straightened up so he was no longer crowding the bunny's face. He smiled down his nose at her, almost exactly like he had the day he had left her standing in wet cement. It hurt something in Judy's chest. "Here's how you can pay me back and it's super easy." Nick's fraud of a smile disappeared, leaving behind an ugly glare. "Leave. Me. Alone." The glare disappeared just as quickly, hidden again behind his fake smile. "Okay, Hopps?" he asked brightly.

Without waiting for a reply, Nick stepped around Judy and made a line for the main exit, his tail bushed out in a rare sign of agitation.

Judy was left standing there, staring after the suddenly strange fox. Something told her he was acting this way because he was hurt. Something else told her she was responsible.

Author's Note: Chapter written by ADeadMissionary