Yeah, so it's me. I'm sorry bout the delay, I'll talk below again. Enjoy the (belated) chapter guys!

Judy blinked in confusion. Had Nick just... asked her out? No, she must've misheard. Nick wouldn't do that, at least, she didn't think he would. Nick looked at her, and she could almost see a look of shock in his own eyes. He must be just as shocked at himself as she was to him asking that. Moments passed, neither of them saying a word.

'Now I've really done it', Nick thought to himself. He'd gone and put his paw where it shouldn't have gone. He had asked her out to dinner. What was he thinking? His mind raced to think of a way to play it down, make it seem less than it was.

"Let's face it, Carrots, after what you said during the missing mammal case, you owe me. So, I'll ask again. Will you go out to dinner with me?" Nick hoped she wouldn't think he had been asking her out. He wanted her friendship, he needed her friendship. He couldn't lose the one true friend he had. She couldn't ever know just how important she was to him. She was the one animal he truly trusted, more than any other. Sure he trusted Finnick, but only so far. He honestly wouldn't put it past Finnick to hustle either Judy or himself if the opportunity came. But Judy. He tr"usted Judy completely, and he couldn't lose that.

Judy thought about what Nick had just said. 'You owe me one'. Yeah, she had stuffed up. But that choice of words. She wasn't convinced that Nick simply thought that she owed him one. She knew Nick well, and knew that if he had just asked her out, he'd probably try to play it down straight away. He wouldn't want to seem emotional or anything, after all, wasn't his motto 'Don't let them see when they've gotten to you?' Judy thought carefully about how she was going to respond.

"Alright then, Nick. I'll buy you dinner. Say, next Saturday, a week from now, 6pm, at The Pepper Pig?" Judy knew he wouldn't be able to resist that, it was his favourite restaurant. Sure it was expensive, but the food there was soooooo good. Judy saw Nick starting to salivate a little even at the mention of the restaurant.

"Gee, you must really feel bad about the whole thing, I mean, if you're feeling up to taking on a Nicholas Wilde sized bill at The Pepper Pig. I don't eat cheap you know. Alright then, 6pm next Saturday. Sounds good." Nick smiled. He was looking forward to this now. Good food, good company. Plus he wasn't going to have to pay. That was his kind of evening. Judy smiled, choosing her next words carefully.

"It's a date." Judy said, making sure to put extra emphasis on the word date. She saw Nick tense up, but his expression remained unchanged, still locked in that smug grin of his. Secretly she loved that grin, it showed the life in him. She wouldn't dare tell him that though, no way. She sighed internally, there was so much she wanted to be able to tell him, but she couldn't. Maybe one day, she hoped that she could. But not yet.

Nick struggled through his thoughts. What had she just said? Date? Why the extra emphasis on the word date? Was she trying to say something? Surely not. Just teasing perhaps? What if she knew? What if she had figured out exactly how he felt about her? What if she reacted badly? What if she felt the same way... Nick stopped himself there. She must've just been teasing. After all, she'd done it before. Nick hoped that he hadn't given anything away. He'd been careful to not change his expression when she said that. But he had felt himself tense up. Did she notice? He faked a laugh.

"Whatever you want it to be, fluff. I'm in it for the free chow." He felt bad for lying, but she couldn't know the truth. He wasn't ready for her to know the truth. He set a reminder in his phone, and she did the same. They stood silently for a little bit, both unsure of what to say next. Finally, Judy broke the silence.

"So, now that we've got that sorted, what now?" she asked Nick, hoping that he wouldn't say he had to leave. She was enjoying his company, even if it had been uninvited this morning.

"Well. I was thinking I would wait around here for a little bit, for reasons I'll explain later. You get on with the work you have to, I'll kick back and relax, we're all happy." The sly grin had returned to his face, leaving Judy wondering what the fox was up to. She did have to get her work done. She was glad he wasn't leaving though.

"Sit over there by the window. You're not even supposed to know I'm writing this review on you, and I'm breaking at least 4 protocols by letting you stay. If Chief Bogo finds out..." Nick cut her off.

"Chief Grumpy isn't going to find out, and so what if he does? I've hustled you, cotton-tail, I can hustle the Chief as well. He won't find out." Nick moved over to the window, stretching out on a patch of floor that was in the sun.

Judy chose to believe Nick, after all, how could the Chief find out? Judy settled down to do her work, glancing up at Nick every now and then to make sure he was still there. He looked so relaxed, laying there, stretched out in the sun. Sleeping peacefully. Judy could feel herself starting to drift off too, eyelids growing heavy, head starting to sag, ears drooping...

"Carrots. Carrots! Wake up!" Judy peered lazily through one eye at Nick, who seemed to be concerned about something.

"What is it Nick? It'd better be good, I was enjoying that nap." Judy said lazily, making sure to emphasise her minimal effort.

"There are rabbits at your door. They match the ones on your mantle." Judy took a moment to think through what Nick had just said. 'They match the ones on your mantle...' Judy shot up, suddenly connecting the dots. She ran to the door, looking out the peephole.

"Mum... Dad... I forgot you guys were coming today." She said, trying to make sure Nick heard. She hadn't opened the door fully yet, it was still on the catch. "How've you guys been? How was the trip?

Nick froze. Her parents? Here? Now? Judy was accepting of him as a fox, other rabbits though... they weren't exactly welcoming of foxes. In fact, they could be quite prejudicial towards foxes. To be fair, his fox brethren didn't exactly do anything to help that. They pretty much all lead lives like he used to, and that didn't sit well with most rabbits. But then again, surely they knew that he and Judy were work partners, Judy talked to them all the time. She must've mentioned something, surely. Nick looked at Judy, and realised by the look on her face that she hadn't mentioned a thing to them.

"Well Fluff, there's no time like the present", Nick said as he advanced towards the door. He pulled it off the catch and opened it wide.

"Mr and Mrs Hopps, hi there, Judy didn't mention she was expecting company. How are you?" Judy's parents froze, clearly perturbed at the sight of a fox in their daughters apartment, while Judy herself simply stared in shock at Nick for what he had just done. Judy's father was the first to find his voice.

"Well. Um. Hello there. I'm Stu, this is Bonnie, we're Judy's parents. You are..?" Nick feigned shock.

"Oh she hasn't mentioned me? Judy, I'm hurt you wouldn't mention me to your lovely parents. I'm Nicholas Wilde, Judy's police partner. I've heard all about you, I'm surprised you haven't heard about me. It must've just slipped Judy's mind, after all, she is just so busy." As Nick was saying this, Judy finally started to find her voice again.

"Nick, thank you for introducing yourself, yes, these are my parents, mum, dad, this is my police partner Nick. Now that introductions are all out of the way, Nick was just leaving." To Nick's surprise, it was Judy's father that raised an objection to this.

"Now hold on there Jude, there's no need to shove this fox out the door. After all, he is your work partner, that puts him as being okay in my books. You agree Bon?" Judy's mother nodded, and Stu continued his point.

"Judy, were you afraid that we would get upset about this? That we'd come rushing into the city, swoop you up and run back to Bunny Burrow to tuck you away safely? If so, I think you've sold us short just there, or have you forgotten that we work with Gideon Grey now? Yeah, as much as it might be instinct to stick our noses in and try to split this up, I think that if we can work with Gideon, you can work with... Nick, wasn't it? After all, if he's a police officer like you, he can't be that bad."

Judy found herself speechless again, struggling to run through what she had just heard. Her dad, the bunny everyone knew feared foxes the most, had just basically given his blessing? What was the world coming to? Another knock at the door brought Judy out of her daze. 'At this rate, I should have a revolving door installed' Judy thought as she walked over to the door. She opened it, only to find nobody there. She glanced both ways down the hall before she heard a cough from below, a cough that came from a shrew in a delivery mans uniform. She recognised the logo on the uniform as being Mr Big's, leaving Judy wondering what Mr Big might want of her. The shrew started speaking.

"I have a delivery here for one Judy Hopps, I'm guessing that's you. Your new couch is here, and Mr Big told me to tell you that it's free of charge." Judy took a moment to take this in. A new couch from Mr Big, free of charge? Either he had incredibly lucky timing, or someone had told him. Someone who knew that the couch had broken… Of course. Judy glanced over at Nick, who was making conversation with her parents. Had this been what he was organising while he was downstairs? He happened to look her way, and his grin all but confirmed it. He had called Mr Big to organise a new couch for her. How sweet of him. She turned back to the shrew at her door.

"Well thank you for this, and please convey my gratitude to Mr Big as well. I suppose if we come out to get it…" The shrew cut her off.

"Oh, no need. My workmates will bring it in. Boris! Morris! Bring the bunny's lounge up, yeah?" Judy looked down her hall only to see 2 polar bears making their way towards her apartment, one of the holding her new couch and the other walking behind. They reached her apartment, and put the couch down outside. Judy had known they weren't going to fit in, so she called Nick out to help her bring the lounge in. Nick and Judy both thanked the shrew, both asking to make sure that Mr Big heard their gratitude. It was a much better idea to stay on the good side of Mr Big. They picked the couch up and took it inside, placing it where Judy thought it worked best. Looking it over, Judy could see the skill and workmanship that had gone into making this couch, and knew that this one wasn't going to break under her weigh, Nick's weight, or both of them at the same time. They could sit on it together, if there was a situation that allowed them to… Judy felt her mind wander again, and pulled it back into the moment.

"Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry I forgot you guys were coming, I've just got so much paperwork I've got to finish, would it be okay to reschedule our day together to another weekend? I've just got so much to do." Her mother spoke first.

"Of course it is Judy, work comes first. Besides, we got to meet your charming partner, which was a bonus." Her father spoke next.

"Too easy Jude. Jude the dude, remember that one?" Stu laughed, and Nick raised an eyebrow. Judy cringed.

"Well, thanks guys. I'll call and we'll organise something. Sound good?" Her parents both nodded in approval, and said their goodbyes, heading for the door. Closing the door after them, Judy sighed.

"Jude the dude?" Nick said, and she could hear his smirk.

"I swear, if you ever call me that..." Judy responded, leaving the threat open ended.

"Relax carrots, I wouldn't dream of it. Now that they're gone, how about you get back to that paperwork, I'll enjoy your new lounge, and we'll go back to enjoying our day. Sound good fluff?" Judy conceded. It did sound good, she did so so want to spend the time with him. She walked over to her desk, and was just about to start her work again when her phone buzzed. She checked the caller idea and her heart rate jumped. She threw a balled up of paper at Nick to get his attention, and once he looked over, she answered the phone.

"Chief Bogo, how can I help you today sir?" she said, causing Nick to sit up straight. She heard his voice, and could tell he wasn't happy.

"Hopps, my office, now. Bring Wilde with you, I know that he's there."

I know, I know. 'You said every Thursday, and you literally failed a week later'. Sorry about that guys. I will work on that, but for know, it will definitely be A Thursday. Whether it's weekly or every other week, I don't know. But it will be a Thursday that I upload. So, with that out of the way, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I tried to take the advice I got last time and incorporate it. Again, if you guys reading it can think of anyway to improve it, or just want to leave a general comment saying anything, please do leave a review, it means a lot. Also, just thought I'd mention that I've reached over 1000 views, I know that for you guys who've been doing this for a long time that doesn't mean anything, but for a newbie like me, that's staggering. Anyway. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and until next time.

Ciao,

~jimKthy~