It wasn't over, everybody underestimated her. The police department, the citizens, the world as a whole, even. Worst of all he had underestimated her even after seeing firsthand what she was capable of. He was paying for it now though, soon everybody he cared about would be in danger, families would split at their core, society would fall into mass hysteria and it was all his fault. He kept walking, he really didn't want to but he had no choice in the matter. He desperately scrawled something on a slip of torn paper with an orange pen as he kept walking. He dreaded every step, getting closer to his destination. He was there, she was there too. The ZPD parking lot, how ironic that it would be the place where it all started.

"Hey, Nick!" Greeted an energetic and bubbly voice.

"Ready to make the world a better place?" The bunny stuck out her fist awaiting him to complete their morning ritual.

"Not, today, Carrots. Promise me you'll do it without me…" His voice hitched, he was supposed to be acting natural.

"W-what's wrong, Nick? Are you okay?"

He gave her the scrap of paper, it was the last good thing he'd ever be able to do:

"I'm sorry. RUN."

"What the heck is going on with you?!" She took careful steps back.

That was good, he thought. He started to tear up. A sharp pain hit his neck. He put his paw to his neck reflexively and saw blue when he pulled it back.

Nick shot up from his uneasy slumber with a sharp intake of cold breath. It was just a nightmare, he was safe. He rubbed his temples as he sat up out of his bed; both his bed and fur were drenched in cold sweat. He felt exhausted but his heartbeat was hammering like he was a hummingbird on a sugar rush. He was safe and so was Judy, he repeated this mantra in his head over and over. He glanced at his phone on the dresser before pushing the button on it to get the time; it was one in the morning. He considered calling her but eventually decided against it. What would he say? He was scared by a nightmare he had and just wanted to be sure she was okay? No, he was sure she was okay. She was probably asleep in her little bunny bed and wouldn't appreciate him calling at this time anyways. Not only were they meeting her family later today but she might think it was cute that he was concerned for her. He couldn't have that, no matter how real and scary the dream was. With a forced yawn, he did something he rarely did anymore. He grabbed an extra fluffy pillow and hugged it to his chest before wrapping his whole body around it. It was a little embarrassing that he still did it sometimes; it was like how some animals sucked their thumbs when they were little and never really grew out of it. He didn't care right now, though. Nobody was around to judge him for it and it made him feel better, safer even. He didn't sleep much more that night and he regretting going to bed rather late beforehand but whatever sleep he could salvage would have to do, he had a big day ahead of him.

The alarm in Judy's apartment went off at six thirty in the morning, just as it was set to do the night prior. Today was the big day, the day she was going to introduce her family to Nick. She felt… something in her gut, a mix between excitement and anxiety. Hopefully the nice warm shower she'd be taking would ease that. First order of business though, was getting some breakfast. After hopping over to her cupboard, literally of course, she pulled out her favorite cereal, Lucky Marshmallows. She knew that Nick would never let her hear the end of it if he discovered that her favorite cereal was full of sugar and for children. Sadly, upon pouring out the box only a small and pitiful marshmallow carrot fell into the otherwise empty bowl. After a disappointed sigh, she sinfully indulged in the sugary sweet and pulled out her healthier cereal, Raison Bland. She had gotten it a long time ago when she was on a health kick that she never finished. She hated to admit it but she had packed on a few pounds over the past few months and hoped Nick hadn't noticed. Wait… what? Where had that come from?! Since when did she care about that?! Well, she cared about her body and maintaining a healthy lifestyle but that was because she enjoyed working out and her job required it. She had never worked out to impress anybody, least of all Nick! No, it was fine, she was still far from fat or even pudgy but she did need to get herself back into the swing of things and stop eating out so much. Speaking of eating out, she was still totally convinced that Nick had cheated at their game last night. A scowl became present on her face as she thought of that smug expression of his face as he put his paw out for the cash she owed him. Who cheats at Go-Fish anyways?! After bitterly choking down the apparently stale Raison Bland, she went to brush her teeth and of course, she was out of toothpaste. She really needed to go shopping. Reluctantly, she swished the stingingly acidic and extremely minty mouthwash around her mouth for a full thirty seconds. She hated that stuff but her dentist insisted that it was the best mouthwash available. She looked at the sickly blue liquid inside the clear, plastic bottle with thought and grimaced. She knew what she had done already wasn't going to be enough to rid her of her morning breath and since brushing with toothpaste wasn't an option… She poured another capful of the liquid as the smell burnt her nostrils causing her to wince. After another full thirty seconds of swishing around even more of the disgustingly minty and slightly painful liquid she gasped for air. This was a decision she instantly regretted as the air stung the roof of her icily minty mouth. After quickly clamping her mouth shut and nearly biting her tongue, she walked longingly to the shower. Yes, a nice warm shower was exactly what she needed. The warm water would melt the iciness away along with her stress. She turned the facet to hot and shrieked as bullets of freezing water drenched her whole body. It seemed that the hot water had gone out in her apartment… again.

Nick was not a happy fox at the moment. He had given up on sleep after two hours of tossing and turning in his bed, despite what little comfort his childhood habit had brought him. Since three in the morning he had been getting ready for Judy's arrival, as he really had nothing else to do. The first thing he did was move his packed bags by the door. Then, he had taken a shower and brushed his teeth and fur, just like his mother had taught him. He even splashed a little cologne on after brushing his fur. He'd spent for what seemed like hours brushing it, his fur looked somewhat straight on top but his undercoat was actually quite a tangled mess. He didn't want to brush it to the point where light could reflect off it but he still wanted to look nice. He normally wasn't one to be vain about appearance but this was a big event for him. He wanted his fur to look nicer than usual but at the same time still wanted to maintain his scruffy, roughish charm that was classically him. It was difficult to find balance between the two but after looking into the mirror he was confident in that he had pulled it off. He still felt like he could pass out at any moment but knew he couldn't get back into bed, if he did his fur would be ruined. He would just have to settle for drinking large amounts of blackened coffee to keep him up, a decision he knew he'd hate himself for later when he came crashing down. He was tired, jittery, and anxious all at the same time; he just prayed Judy wouldn't notice anything off about him.

It had in fact occurred to Judy that she shouldn't be driving in her condition. Legally, she was allowed to drive of course. She had her license and wasn't intoxicated, not that she could be as she never drank alcohol, but she still felt weary mentally and noticed she was reacting slower to objects in the road than she usually did. Everything that had happened to her this morning had been a massive drain on her willpower and energy. She hoped her partner would be able to lift her spirits like he usually could; she needed some support at the moment. She parked outside Nick's apartment complex and honked the wheezy horn of her pickup truck to call him out. As he approached with his bags she noticed how lethargically he was moving. He was practically dragging himself over as if he had invisible iron weights and chains wrapped around his limbs. As soon as he sat down next to her she immediately noticed something off about him. The truck was filled with a pleasant but unnamable aroma and he was the source. His fur seemed to be neater than usual, too.

"You clean up nice," She commented deciding to break the silence.

"I hope it's everything you imagined," He countered wryly while trying to keep in a yawn.

She wasn't sure which was more embarrassing, the fact that she had imagined what he'd look like during a formal event or the fact she had actually imagined him in a full suite instead of his usual attire.

"Almost… there's just one problem," She pointed out to him.

"And that would be?"

"Your eyes, Nick. I thought you put your bags in the back," She joked but with a trace of concern laced into her voice.

"Er, yeah about that…" He yawned, "I didn't get much sleep last night and it looks like I'm not the only one."

She gave a relenting sigh; she thought for sure she hid the bags under her eyes when she put on her makeup earlier. Either she had done a poor job of hiding her exhaustion or her partner was really good at reading her. Whatever the case, she'd been caught and would have to explain herself.

"Yeah, I slept well but this morning seemed to have it out for me, it was just one crummy thing after another with a freezing shower to top it all off."

"I hear you, freezing cold jets of water are enough to dull just about anyone's mood," The fox sympathized.

"So, what happened with you?"

"Me? Oh, nothing, just couldn't get to sleep you know? One of those nights I guess."

"Nick… I understand if you don't want to tell me but please don't lie to me," She pleaded.

An uneasy silence engulfed the pair as she drove down a lonely country road. The road caused her stomach to lurch occasionally when they went down a particular steep hill or made an oddly sharp turn. As much as she loved her father's pickup truck it just wasn't built for comfort.

"I, erm… had a bit of a nightmare," Nick suddenly admitted.

Judy wanted to be surprised by this but it did make sense. She never imagined Nick to be someone who would be kept awake by a nightmare but wasn't about to judge him for it. Everybody had nightmares from time to time and they could be really scary. One question popped into her head however: What kind of nightmare could keep Nicholas Wilde up at night?

"Do you want to talk about it? I promise I won't think any less of you. I've had nightmares too and I know they can be pretty scary," She reassured him.

A look of anxiety and fear etched its way onto her partner's face as he slowly reached out and grasped her shoulder as if to test she was really there. He gingerly brought his paw back to his side as the worry slowly melted into a contented expression of relief. He closed his eyes, reclined in his seat and meshed his paws together in his lap. He looked like ahappy fox.

"No but thanks for offering to listen, Judes. All that matters is that we're safe and sound. This is the real world and I wouldn't have it any other way," He let out a relaxed sigh but the vibration of his seat made it sound more like a big rumbling purr.

His neatly combed fur became slightly fuzzier as the warm rays of the sun speckled their way across his lap, face and arms. One thing struck his partner as odd though, he used the word "we're" as in both him and her. Was she in his nightmare too? The way he had looked when he grabbed her shoulder had seemed rather intense; he almost looked terrified. Then came the relief after contact. He had seemed so happy that she was there, so very relieved. As soon as he had touched her shoulder, he relaxed like nothing else in the world mattered.

Soon, a soft snoring was barely heard over the clanking of the engine. He was so relaxed he'd fallen asleep with a dopey smile on his face. Why wouldn't he though? The car was moving on the road, the sun was warming his fur, his partner was right next to him and everything was simple.

As Judy continued to drive a small smile found its way onto her lips despite the rough morning. Both she and her partner were safe, comfortable and generally content. She glanced at his sleeping form in the mirror to see that he too had a smile upon his muzzle. She decided that even if he wasn't awake, it still felt… right to have him around; just being together was enough. Yes, things were simple and as they should be.

The low rumble of the engine and the wheels on the road were now the only sounds Judy could hear… aside from the occasional snore from her partner. It was peaceful at first but it began to become unnerving. As she approached her home her nerves began to spike and since Nick was asleep, he wouldn't be the best conversationalist. The near silence left her alone with her thoughts, something she wished to avoid at the moment. Suddenly an idea came to her, music. She loved music, it could take her to a whole new world where she didn't have to worry about anything but the fun little fantasies it brought. As suddenly as the idea came, it was crushed. Music would wake Nick up, which was something she'd rather not do at the moment given how cute he looked. She shook her head attempting to ignore the fact that she had just called her sleeping friend cute. She really wanted to listen to music now; she needed a distraction. Sadly, not only would turning on the radio wake up Nick but the truck was also too old to have Bluetooth or an auxiliary cable port for her phone. The radio channels out where she was would probably only spout bluegrass and country music and while she enjoyed the genres, she didn't feel like the twang of a banjo could help her right now. Naturally she brought her headphones with her but she wasn't about to pull over to put them on and wasn't going to do it while driving either. It would be unsafe to distract herself from the road just so she could jam the finicky ear-buds into place. The ones she had were rather generic but since every animal was unique it was natural that companies would make custom headphones to suite each animal. She'd been wanting Bunny-Buds which were ear-buds designed with her species signature long ears in mind. She'd been saving up for them but had given her savings to Nick when she lost the bet. She wasn't mad at him though, she knew it was her own fault for accepting the bet and eating out too much. Speaking of the fox, she noticed that he'd began to stir. Perhaps he was waking up and her little dilemma had just solved itself. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open as he clicked his tongue.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty, I was beginning to think you'd never wake up," She whispered her teasing remark.

He let out a massive yawn and stretched his body as much as he could in the bunny sized truck before moving to rub his eyes.

"I…" He yawned again, "I kind of wish I hadn't. That was the best sleep I've had in a long time."

"You certainly looked comfortable. Now that you're up though why don't we switch seats so I can catch a few winks?"

"That's a really tempting offer, Carrots but I'm afraid I can't."

"Oh, come on! I've done all the driving so far so why can't you do a little? I'm tired, too!"

"I don't know how to get to your parent's house," He answered simply.

She supposed she couldn't really get mad at him for that but she certainly wasn't happy about it.

"You lucky fox."

"Aren't I always?" He shot back with a big, toothy grin before clamping his muzzle shut and covering it with his paws.

"What was with that?"

"With what, Carrots?" He asked pretending nothing happened.

"Why'd you stop smiling like that?"

"Not everybody can smile forever like you seem to. Normal people need a break from smiling every once in a while."

"Yeah but normal people don't clamp their muzzles shut like a crazed clam. So I ask again, why did you do that?" She pressed.

"Well, someone's feeling persistent today."

"Don't make me asked a third time, Nick! Does this have to do with the nightmare you had this morning?"

"No," He lied too quickly; "I was just thinking is all."

"About what, Nick?" She sighed growing annoyed.

"Maybe…" He paused, "I shouldn't smile so much in front of your family. Just, fox teeth y'know? I wouldn't want to scare them or anything like that," He finished weakly.

"Don't be like that, you have a great smile!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's great to see you with a big ol' smile on your face; it really brightens up the atmosphere!"

"That good, huh? Please, go on," He was soaking up the attention like a sponge at this point.

"Especially when you have a really big smile and you close your eyes when you do it. You know what I'm talking about? It's absolutely adorable!" She gushed before covering her mouth.

"A-adorable?!" He balked.

Adorable was not the look he was going for. Did other animals think that? No, it was just her, right? He was Nick Wilde, cool and cunning through and through!

"N-now, let's get something straight, Carrots. I'm not cute I'm cunning, okay? That whole cuteness shtick is more of your department anyways."

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Well why'd you call me that?!"

"I didn't mean to!" She countered.

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Ugh, I'm sorry, okay." She finished lamely.

"Its fine," He replied despite feeling quite the opposite.

The truck grew awkwardly silent and stayed that way. They still had an hour left to drive and they both had a headache coming on. Nick sighed, maybe the pug they arrested last Wednesday was right…

Author's Note: I'm still stunned at the amount of positive feedback this story is getting and I'd like to thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews this story has gotten thus far. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was proofread by my wonderful editor, Oblivioux! I'll try and lengthen the next chapter because I know you've all been patiently waiting for Nick to actually meet Judy's very large family. As always, thank you for reading and please leave a review if you feel so inclined.