The First Date

Inspired by the comic, "First Date" by artbirchly in DeviantArt

A/N: Many thanks again to my two editors, Selaxes and NightWolf0179, for their invaluable help. I have attempted to tie this story to the previous chapter and so far, so good. Check out the works of my editors in FanFiction. I promise you that you won't be disappointed.

All characters are owned by ©Disney except for the OC, Courtney Brushmarke. She is owned by artbirchly. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

"Good morning Fluff," were the first words Judy heard the next day. It was Friday morning and she had snuck into Nick's bedroom to check on him when she woke up from her nightmare late last night. Nick had whispered those words to her, as he must have noticed her waking up in his arms.

She didn't immediately respond as she noticed Nick, at one point in their sleep, had drawn her closer to him. She had her back to Nick and she swore she could count each one of his ribs, and something else that was directly pressing against her rear. She thought she'd have a little fun at his expense so she deliberately flicked her tail several times.

This elicited a noise that was a cross between a grunt and a whimper from him. "No fair, Carrots!" complained Nick, "I'm the invalid here."

"Well, if you were a gentlemammal, you wouldn't be attempting anything this early that could lead to a sexual harassment charge, now would you?" she said with a laugh.

"I'm definitely a gentlemammal. Which is why I've been trying to wake you. I really need to pee and I didn't want to do it on top of your cute little bushy tail. Besides, I'm fairly certain golden showers are not your thing," he said with a laugh.

It was only then that she realized that she had Nick's arms locked in her own and he must have been trying to get loose. She belatedly comprehended that she must have been unconsciously fighting him from getting away. "Oh, I'm sorry Nick!" she squeaked apologetically as she let his arms go, blushing both from embarrassment and the overt sexual innuendo. Knowing his ribs would still be sore, she helped him up. Judy even offered to help him in the bathroom – awkward as that may be - but he assured her he was more than capable of going to the bathroom by himself.

Coming back from his ablutions, Nick crawled back into bed and gathered Judy up in his arms again. She snuggled in closer to him, this time facing towards the fox. "Morning, Slick. How's my favourite hero doing today?" she cooed.

"Well aside from almost experiencing a ruptured bladder, I'm peachy keen fine now, especially with my favourite girlfriend in my arms taking care of me," Nick snickered.

Judy punched him in the arm, this time hard enough to elicit a yip of pain from Nick. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That was for the 'golden shower' crack and calling my tail cute. And, the term, 'favourite girlfriend', implies having more than one and I don't share!" Judy eyed him menacingly.

Not wanting more bodily harm, Nick quickly explained. "Yeah, Sorry for that off-colour crack. My mouth outruns my mind at times. I swear I really need my coffee first thing in the morning," Nick said waving his paw about his head. "And I'm not implying that I have other vixens waiting for me on the side. Red foxes are naturally monogamous. You're my one and only girlfriend, even despite the fact that other females find me naturally handsome and desirable. You're the only one I want," Nick said with a laugh as he fended off another swat by Judy. "Hey! Police brutality!" as he captured her paw in his. "Besides, I'll claim entrapment if ever I'm accused of sexual harassment," Nick said with a smirk. "No jury would ever convict me once they caught sight of your perfectly attractive body. They'd know I'd be lying if ever I said I wanted someone else," as he gently snuggled his muzzle into her shoulder.

Judy blushed. She was not used to being complimented on her appealing figure. It's not that she wasn't aware that she had one. She just didn't focus or call attention to it, not like other females. More often than not, she had to fight the urge to knock the offending mammal's head off as they came off as being creeps and perverts. But not when Nick did it. She felt like she was a goddess being adored by an ardent follower. He was not salacious, but instead he made her feel decent and maidenly. She cradled his muzzle in her paw as it found its way to her neck as his tongue lovingly licked her there while one of his paws caressed her ears. She sensually sighed at the attention he was giving her. "Darn you, Nick! That feels so good, what you're doing." Judy looked away hesitantly, some painful memories resurfacing. "But I'm really not that beautiful, am I?"

Nick heard her self-doubt and stopped what he was doing. He gently cradled her face in both his paws and stared deeply into her amethyst eyes. Nick knew Judy worked hard to prove that she just wasn't another typical bunny from the sticks. Her being a female also did not help. Male rabbits naturally gravitated towards her beauty but they only saw her as a vessel to bear their children. She would deliberately dress down so that they would not focus on her physical appearance. But, that had taken its psychological toll on her. She refused to acknowledge even simple compliments. Nick realized that he would need to step up his game in order to show her the beauty that he saw.

"Judy, why do you belittle yourself like that?" Nick asked. "I was a master hustler. Not once was I unable to trick some mammals into practically giving me their money. I rarely, during all my years of hustling, failed to con others – except for a time when I met this one special mammal, a mark that caught me in the act: you. I have never been able to trick you, nor do I want to." The fox took a deep breath and smiled, his eyes finding the gorgeous lavender of Judy's. "You…you make me want to be honest with you all the time. I can't bring myself to deceive you. I'm afraid if I did, you'd leave me. And I'd be lost without you." Nick said genuinely as he pressed his forehead to hers. "So, believe me when I say that your beauty surpasses any female mammal. I only have eyes for you."

Judy's heart did little pitter-patters as Nick spoke. Nick not only had opened himself again to her, he was speaking to her in ways she had not been spoken to before. So this is what it feels like to be wooed, Judy thought as she hid her face in his chest, blinking back tears as she hugged Nick carefully to avoid his injured ribs. "Thanks Nick. You're the best and only boyfriend that I would ever want. You always know how to make me feel better. Now," she said as she wiped away some moistness from her eyes, "I promised you special treatment, which I'm not giving by blubbering about here in bed. Go get dressed, I'll prepare breakfast and we'll spend the day cuddled in front of the television watching those awful movies of yours," Judy smirked.

"Madam, you wound me!" Nick said with mock haughtiness as he held a paw to his chest. "Those are classics! The 50-Foot Bunny, The Blob, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, The Stuff, The Incredible Shrinking Elephant, It Came From Beneath the Sea just to name a few. They are so bad that they have become cult classics! Any good cinemaphile would know this."

"Yeah, yeah, one mammal's poison…I swear Nick, you are such a drama queen," Judy laughed as she mockingly attempted to smother him with a pillow.

"Help! I'm being attacked by a very gorgeous bunny of extremely sexy proportions!" Nick playfully yelled. "It's the vampire temptress from BunnyBurrow and only she wants me for my body. Oh, woe is me!" as he dramatically held his forearm to his brow.

Judy hit him with the pillow and laughed, as Nick played 'dead'. "Oh dear, I broke my fox! What should I do? Oh, I know, I'll feed him a raw carrot. They say it has magical properties."

Nick looked at her with disgust. "For rabbits, maybe, not for foxes. The only time I'll have carrots are if they're in a cake or soup. You're lucky I can't move that fast, Fluff, or else you'd be in a tickle pile by now for that despicable threat to my life." Nick teased.

Judy continued laughing. Nick always knew how to lift her spirits. "Aww…but you know you love me, right?" as she waggled her eyebrows at Nick.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do." Nick smiled as he captured her for a kiss.

After breakfast, Judy made Nick sit on the couch while she made sure all his needs were attended to. She fluffed up the pillows for him and started the movies. She also made Nick take the doctor's prescribed medication to offset the pain in his ribs. Nick did as she commanded, as he wanted to feel better in time for their date tomorrow. And even though it made him feel sleepy, he had a plan. Unbeknownst to Judy, he had discreetly texted one of her friends behind her back as they sat on the couch watching one of the movies.

Midway through the first movie, the medication started to kick in and Nick stifled a yawn. Judy looked up at him from her position on the couch where she had been laying beside him. "Do you want to get some rest, Nick?" she asked with concern.

"It's just the meds, Judy, but yeah…that sounds like a good idea." He took a second to yawn. "Oh, and while I'm napping, I set you up with a shopping date with Fru Fru in an hour," he announced.

"Oh, but I promised I'd take care of you today," Judy said with worry although the idea of shopping with Fru Fru wasn't terrible.

"I'll be fine, Officer Hopps." Nick reassured her. "I asked Fru Fru for her help as none of your sisters are in town and I suspect you'll need some female companionship in order to help you pick out a dress for our date tomorrow night," Nick mentioned as he grinned. "Knowing you and the wardrobe choices I've seen you wear this last year, you don't have much of an ensemble for the place I plan to take you to."

Judy was dumbstruck that Nick had even noticed her clothes. It made her feel all the more special. "But what about you?" she asked. "All I've seen you wear are those gaudy Hawaiian shirts and brown slacks."

Nick grinned. "You forget I was in the employ of Mr. Big who required his employees to be well-dressed for all occasions. I still have several of the suits from when I used to work as Grandmama's handler."

"You mean the same Grandmama that got wrapped in a skunk's butt rug that you sold to Mr. Big?" she teased.

Nick sighed. "In my defense, all I can say is that I got hustled…pretty good and almost paid for it with my life if not for you."

"Well, I'm sure Mr. Big saw that you were sorry for what you did. Plus, he probably had inkling that if he did have you 'iced', I would have been very hurt. Although sometimes I wonder if it was worth it after all the times that you've been an insufferable idiot," Judy grinned. "Anyway, I'm glad, though, that you decided to join the ZPD and become my partner, Nick."

"Me too, Fluff, me too," agreed Nick as he kissed her nose.

Fru Fru arrived in her limousine in front of the apartment. "Judeee!" the little shrew squealed, "It's been a long time! How have you been dahlin'?"

Judy climbed into the limousine and bent down to give the shrew a quick peck on each cheek and a hug. "It's been too long, Fru Fru. I've been busy ever since that photo of Nick and I sleeping in each other's arms got posted online. But it's led to good things as well. Nick and I realized that we really care for each other and now we're living together in his apartment. Separate bedrooms, of course," she rushed to add lest she gave the little mammal the wrong impression.

Fru Fru laughed. "Oh, Judy! Don't worry," she said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. And ever since I've known Nick, he's always been a perfect gentlemammal. I'm glad that the two of you are now dating."

"That's the other thing. Nick and I will be going on our first official date tomorrow and I really don't have anything nice to wear. I'm glad Nick got hold of you. You're the best when it comes to choosing fashionable clothes."

"Judy, Judy, Judy," chided Fru Fru, "you have nothing to worry about. You're in good paws with me. By the way, did you catch the latest photo spread from Snorts Illustrated?" she asked mysteriously.

Judy shook her head. She knew the magazine included news and discussion about various sports issues. It would also publish once a year a photo spread of female mammals in various stages of undress or skimpy attire. She considered this demeaning to hard-working females like herself. And she just didn't see the need to spend good hard earned cash on something that wasn't relevant to her.

Fru Fru grinned mischievously. "Well, I just happen to have the earliest edition of it. And, guess who's on the front cover?" she smirked.

Judy looked in horror at the photo of her running after a perpetrator but it was clear that the focus was prominently on her rear end and fluffy tail. The headline read: Bun(s) of Steel! She grabbed the glossy magazine and opened it to photo after photo of her derriere being ogled by the camera. The neoprene material of the uniform that she wore allowed her comfort and ease of movement. Unfortunately, it also had the effect of tightly hugging her haunches to the point that left little to the imagination when stretched to its maximum. The article pretended to have a story about how her training regimen prepared her for her job, which must have come from the ZPD files. It chose however to quote an unnamed source from within the ZPD that said Judy is very competitive and focuses her training on her lower extremities in order to outrun even the other Cheetah officers. Unnamed source, indeed! She would get Clawhauser for that comment.

The photographer had also managed to follow her everywhere, even when she had gone for her morning runs. She gasped at one particular set of photos. "I didn't realize that my MooMoo Lemon pants were see-through!" squeaked Judy in dismay. "Kill me now," she groaned in embarrassment. "I'll never live it down at the ZPD. No one will ever take me seriously from now on," she bewailed.

"Don't worry about it Judy," Fru Fru said as she tried to cheer her up, "it'll only be for a while until they come out with their Swimsuit Edition. Besides, I'm sure that Nick appreciates the view," she snickered. "But you may want to get rid of that outfit. There's an ongoing recall for that particular brand of yoga pants."

Judy giggled. She knew Nick like to ogle her behind when he thought she wasn't looking. She had caught him many times but had never brought it up so as not to cause any friction between them. She also had seen him on several occasions attempt to grab her fluffy tail but had held back by sheer willpower. She laughed at this knowing he had a particular weakness for all things fluffy. "Oh, dear. You're right Fru Fru. He's been eyeing me for some time now but I haven't let it affect our professional partnership in any way. Now that we're dating, maybe I can use it against him," she chuckled. Fru Fru snorted in laughter as well.

At Groomingdales Department store, Fru Fru found a cute pink halter neck dress that would show off Judy's toned arms and bare back while the skirt tapered to a modest length midway between her knees and thighs. This also had the effect of showing off Judy's curvaceous legs. The dress also hugged her behind, highlighting Judy's tail and firm rear, which she hoped would drive Nick crazy. The halter exposed part of her cleavage just enough to look sexy and not indecent. She made Judy buy the matching jacket that went with the outfit. When worn together, it looked like she was wearing a business suit.

Fru Fru then brought Judy to Zootopia's Secret Lingerie Store in order to purchase several pieces of lacy underwear that would prevent panty lines from showing. Judy snickered as she could almost imagine Nick's face once he saw her in this outfit. Although a little bit more daring than what she would normally wear, she wanted to show herself off for him now that she knew she had the figure for it.

They had spent a good part of the day going shopping for other dresses as well. Judy wanted to return back to the apartment, as she wanted to make sure that Nick was getting enough rest. Fru Fru dropped her off but made her promise that they both would come by soon to see Judy's goddaughter.

When Judy entered the apartment, she found Nick still asleep on the couch. She hurriedly hid her shopping bags in her bedroom wanting to surprise Nick for their date. She then went back to see if Nick had stirred. Seeing that he hadn't, she stepped into the kitchen to make some dinner knowing that Nick would be hungry since he had slept for most of the day.

On Saturday, she awoke to find that Nick had departed very early and had left her a text message saying he would be back at six to pick her up for their date. Although she found it rather unusual, she took the opportunity to clean up the apartment and get herself ready for tonight's date. After doing some much needed dusting and vacuuming, she decided to treat herself to a nice luxurious soak in the bathtub before getting dressed.

Judy normally did not wear any make up and sparingly used some highlighter for her cheeks and eyelids. She emerged from her bedroom at five minutes to six looking for Nick. He wasn't in his bedroom nor was he anywhere else in the apartment. She was about to text him when the doorbell rang. She hurried to the front door wondering if it was Nick and why he would even bother to ring when he had the key.

She opened the door and almost swooned at the sight of Nick holding a small bouquet while dressed in a formal black suit and matching tie. He had foregone wearing one of his loud Hawaiian shirts and instead wore a very light green long sleeved dress shirt that brought out the emerald of his mesmerizing eyes. She saw that he had taken a lot of pains to brush his fur and had even applied a light oil to make it glisten. He had not used a scent blocker and she could smell the enjoyably masculine musky scent of Nick as it came off him.

Nick, on the other hand, couldn't believe how beautiful Judy looked in her outfit and was left temporarily speechless as he viewed the lovely vision before him. Judy giggled at the sight of the vulpine just standing in the doorway with his mouth wide open. This brought Nick out of his Judy-induced trance and immediately put on his signature smirk while addressing her in a fake Southern accent, "Why, Officer Hopps, I do declah'…such a lovely belle as yourself is definitely a sight fo' soh' ayes!"

Judy laughed and said, "Thanks Nick. Do you really like my outfit?" she asked as she twirled around so that he could get the full view of it.

"More than I want to admit. No other mammal can make a dress look that good. I really must thank Fru Fru on her choice of clothes for you. You look absolutely stunning in that outfit," Nick assured her.

Judy laughed and said grinning, "Oh, are those flowers for me?"

Nick had spent the better part of the day contacting friends and relatives of Judy. He didn't know what her favourite flower was and he had no desire to speak to her parents, so he managed to track down Gideon Grey, the other fox in her life, who might have an idea. Gideon didn't but he was able to put him in touch with Judy's sisters who advised that she liked clover blossoms and lupines. So he had gone to see Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, who were overjoyed that the two of them were seeing each other. They were familiar with the rabbit tradition of bringing flowers on a date so they gladly prepared one for him without charging him for it. He had brought it hoping to surprise her with it but it seems that she had been the one full of surprises. He had forgotten that he had it in his paws till she pointed it out and he sheepishly offered it to her.

"Yeah, I was told that you like this particular variety," he smirked. Judy was amazed that he had taken the time to find out about what her favourite flowers were. He really is serious about wooing me, Judy thought. She took one long whiff of the bouquet he had handed her, then took a large bite out of it. Nick was amazed at how ferociously she devoured it. He was glad that he had found out what her favourite snack was.

"Thanks Nick! That was delicious! Let me get my phone and we can start on our date," she eagerly said as she finished the bouquet.

Nick locked up the apartment and held his elbow out to Judy so that she could hook her arm through it. She happily did so and they made their way to his car. He opened the passenger side door to let her climb in and then swiftly got in the driver's side once he saw that she had buckled up.

Nick was in seventh heaven with Judy beside him. He never imagined a year ago that he would be dating a very beautiful bunny. Judy was determined, brave, smart and fiercely loyal to her friends as well. They had become best friends when they had met during the Missing Mammal case. Despite the initial hiccup, after Judy's disastrous news interview, they had made up and had become even closer after solving the Night Howler case. She had inspired him to believe in himself and thus joined the elite group of police officer in Precinct One after much hard and backbreaking work at the ZPA.

Judy was just as thrilled as Nick as they drove to the restaurant that he was taking her to. She couldn't remember when she last felt this happy. She knew they were about to explore some uncharted territory being in a predator/prey relationship but then she was never one to shy away from a challenge. And Nick was so worth it. At first, she had found him to be insufferable, conniving and sneaky but as they worked together on their very first case, not only had Nick defended her dream of becoming the very first rabbit officer against Bogo no less, but he had shown her his vulnerable side and she had come to love the warm caring mammal that was underneath all the bluster.

They arrived at the Palm Hotel and Casino located in the Sahara Square District. As she and Nick entered the swanky restaurant, Nick slipped the gazelle waitress a five-buck Zootopian bill so that they wouldn't have to wait to be seated. She led them to a small table secluded in a corner of the restaurant. She lit the candle centerpiece, delivered their drink orders and left them after taking their food orders. Judy turned to Nick and seductively said, "Nick? It's a bit warm here. Could you help me take off my jacket, hmmm?" as she coyly looked at him. Nick wondered where this was going but he was willing to play along. As he removed her jacket, he audibly caught his breath. The dress was stunning as it displayed her bare back to him along with her perky little fluffy tail. As far as he could see, it looked like the dress had been painted on her beautifully sculpted and well-toned body. The overall effect left him giddy. "So, do you like what you see?" she seductively asked.

Nick could hardly speak. When they were together on patrol, he had stolen glances at her perky rear from time to time while she was in uniform. He had always marveled at its beauty. But her dress not only accentuated her fluffy tail and her firm rear, it practically smote him in the face with its desirability! "No fair, Carrots!" he groaned. "You can't play on my weaknesses on our first date!" Judy laughed at his discomfort.

Unbeknownst to either of them, their table was situated next to Courtney Brushmarke's. Courtney was an up and coming snooty socialite skunk from a very wealthy family. The Bushmarkes had made their money in the scents industry and had developed the well-known odour blocker brand, NonScents. She was there at the restaurant to meet with her weasel publicist. She was quite upset because she had slipped from the public's eye when the news of the first bunny and fox police officers being a couple came out. She was there to talk strategy with him when to her surprise and disgust, the pair who was the reason for her unhappiness came walking through the door of the restaurant. They even have the gall to take the table next to me! Courtney thought as she nursed her ridiculously expensive Belver Bears vodka drink. She felt unclean just being near them. She decided to wait for her publicist so that she could create a scene that he could then use to drum up publicity. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she was jealous of Judy's perfectly toned little butt that had been the subject of a photo spread in Snorts Illustrated. The photographer had focused on that particular portion of her anatomy especially when Judy had been seen chasing down criminals. It was so unfair! Courtney thought. She worked hard to shape and sculpt her own cute little derriere and she was supposed to have been featured in that article. Why, I even posed in the nude for that photographer! she recalled angrily. As she spotted her publicist walking to her table, she continued to sip on her drink as she listened in on Nick and Judy's conversation.

"Carrots, you seem troubled. I don't understand what's got Miss 'Try Everything' so worried?" said Nick. "Are you still upset over the stares and criticism we've been receiving?"

"Well, it's true not everyone is in favour of our relationship. Why, even my parents are hesitant about us. Plus, since I'm a bunny, I'm perceived by the general public to be unable to handle myself against bigger animals especially predators. I'm not worried about that though, Nick," said Judy confidently, "as I've been able to prove to our colleagues that I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. And although you act all carefree, suave and sophisticated, I know deep down in you is a warm, gentle, loving mammal. I've really got the best of both worlds. Not only are we partners in the ZPD but best friends, too. So, our dating in public is actually a big step cause we're saying to the other mammals, we may be a predator and prey couple but we're here to stay and it's real. I just want to know if you feel the same way as I do. You understand that don't you?" Judy asked hesitantly as she reached for Nick's paw across the table.

Nick took her paw in his and gazed lovingly into her amethyst eyes. "Of course I do. Judy, I'm not going to let anything come between us. Not if this is what you want. I'm in this for the long haul," Nick confessed.

"What I want? Listen here you charming rascal," Judy said grinning with relief after hearing Nick's affirmation, "there is nothing I want more than for us to be together! I like what we had but I also like where we're going as a couple. And you had better be prepared for that," she chuckled.

As the overweight and balding weasel wheezily joined her at the table, she deliberately said in a loud whisper, "Check out the freaks in love."

Judy and Nick turned angrily towards Courtney's table; astounded that someone had been deliberately eavesdropping in on their private conversation. Courtney's publicist, embarrassed by the scene the snooty little doe was causing, said in hushed tones, "I think they heard you."

Nick normally would not have reacted but the skunk had overstepped the bounds of propriety. Since most mammals had excellent hearing, it normally would be impossible to hold a private conversation. Social decorum therefore dictated that you didn't listen in on other mammals' conversations when in a public area. He was the first to recover and growled, "If you don't mind, this was a private conversation and we would be happy if you kept your speciesist remarks to yourself. And, Ms. Brushmarke? We were too polite to mention it but we can 'hear' your 'perfume' from here!" emphasizing with air quotes. "You should get a refund from your daddy's company considering you're obviously using a defective product," he growled. He normally wouldn't allow something like the female skunk's taunt to affect him but he was very protective of Judy and she did not deserve to be treated like that.

Judy, on the other paw, finally had enough. She had managed to keep her composure despite all the hateful comments and spiteful remarks that she had heard over the week about their being a couple. Most of them had been directed against Nick, simply for his being a fox. So, she decided to show them that she meant business. Judy angrily glared at Courtney, grabbed her half-full glass and swallowed all of her carrot wine in one gulp.

"Now, if you don't mind shutting…" said Nick as he continued to chastise the occupants of the other table. He stopped as he saw Judy swig down all of her wine in one gulp. That's not good, he thought. He was surprised when Judy stood up on the table, walked over to him, took hold of his tie, gently pulled him towards her and lovingly kissed him on his mouth. Nick didn't stop her, as she slipped her tongue into his open mouth, tasting traces of the carrot wine on it. Time stood still for Nick, as he did not want to get off that beautiful ride.

When Judy finally broke the kiss, she had to hold Nick up as he was still in a daze and it seemed he could fall over at any moment. She cradled his head in her arms, turned to Courtney and yelled at her, "You got a problem with any of this?!"

"Nope," a happily stunned Nick muttered to any one in particular, his brain feeling like it had turned to Jell-O.

Courtney never backed down either, even if she was in the wrong. "Yeah, I do. Deviants like yourselves should never be allowed to be together. Why, it's unnatural! It oughta be against the law!" she taunted as she took a swig of her own drink. "And with a dirty fox, no less! His kind should be collared! For crying out loud, they're sneaks and thieves, you blind, ignorant bunny!" Courtney said angrily as she poured herself another shot of vodka from the bottle on the table.

"Come on Nick! Let's get out of here," Judy angrily said as she hopped off the table and unwittingly knocked over the lighted candle. She grabbed his paw leading him out of the restaurant, "Before I arrest myself for assaulting another mammal."

"Uhhh…where are we going, Judy?" Nick asked as he sensed her irritation. "Back to our place," said Judy, "I've lost my appetite as some mammals don't know a good thing when they see it. And she doesn't deserve your company!" Judy said as she glared at Courtney. "You don't deserve to be treated like trash, not when you sacrifice and lay down your life everyday just so that she can stay safe!" With that pronouncement, she stomped off with Nick in tow.

Courtney, not sure of what had just happened, snickered to her publicist, "Well, at least we don't have to leave the restaurant. Their presence was definitely unwelcome," she cattily remarked.

The weasel surprised her by whispering back, "Sorry about this doll-face but you made a grievous error when you fought with them in public." He then drew himself up to his full three feet of height and said crossly in a loud voice, "Those were the heroes of Zootopia who deserve our respect for what they did and for laying their lives on the line daily for us. Your views and actions run counter to my values and I cannot work for a speciesist. Call me when you grow up. In the meantime, I am terminating our contract. You will receive a final bill from my office. Good day, Ms. Brushmarke!" With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the restaurant, muzzle in the air.

Courtney was livid. "Why you dirty little weasel! How dare you turn on me! I'll make sure you never work in this town again!" shaking her closed paw at his back. "And what are you looking at?" yelled Courtney angrily as she glared at the other customers in the restaurant who were staring at her.

The other restaurant patrons, who had overheard the heated exchange between Courtney and Judy, also decided to file out as well while giving Courtney dirty looks, leaving a very angry Courtney behind, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" chided a matronly beaver. "Such a lovey young couple as those two did not deserve being treated like that."

"Oh, yeah? Who are you to tell me what I can or can't do? I'm fucking Courtney Brushmarke and I'll do whatever I please!" said Courtney haughtily as she downed her drink while reaching for the bottle.

They left her nursing her pride and a very large bottle of vodka.

Back in their apartment, after having ordered pizza and changed out of their formal clothes, both Nick and Judy were lovingly running their digits through one another's fur, exploring their physical differences as they made out on the couch. "Hmmm…I'm sorry for causing a scene, Nick," Judy said as they temporarily broke apart, "but you didn't deserve being put down by that inconsiderate mammal."

Nick's heart swelled with love for Judy, as she would always stand up and defend him against any detractor for even the slightest provocation. "Judy, all my life, no one has ever stood up for me. Foxes have always been seen as shifty lowlifes. Don't ever apologize for being yourself. That's one of the things about you that I adore." Nick said as he caressed her cheek. "Besides, as first dates go, that wasn't too bad. At least I got to go out and showed the world what a beautiful bunny I have as my girlfriend," he said proudly.

Judy blushed, not being used to such accolades. "And how can anyone resist such a charming, roguish, silver-tongued fox that I have as a boyfriend?" she cooed. "That skunk should have been grateful that…wait! Isn't that her on the news?" Judy exclaimed, spotting the photo of the speciesist skunk on the television.

Nick had left the television on mute and Judy reached for the remote to turn up the volume.

"…and we are here, live, at the Palm Hotel and Casino, where the ZFD has just arrested well-known socialite, Courtney Brushmarke, for arson. The hotel video cameras have placed her as the sole mammal seen leaving the scene of the restaurant immediately before the fire broke out. Witnesses allege that she may have started the fire in retaliation for the public snub she received from Zootopia's latest darlings, the Dynamic Duo of Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. They were seen walking out on her after she allegedly insulted them with speciesist remarks while at the restaurant."

The camera panned out to zoom in on an apparently inebriated Courtney as she is seen being led away in handcuffs struggling to escape from the hoofs of the two elephants from the Zootopia Fire Department as they escorted her into the back of their vehicle. The camera recorded her vehemently slurred protests, "But it wash that shtupid dumb bunny I tell you! She shtarted the fire not me! She and that no-good dirty fox! All I did wash pour my drink on the fire to put it out! I tell you I'm being framed! Let me go!" she screamed.

Nick and Judy looked at each other in shock. "Oh, sweet cheese and crackers…" Judy whispered.