Hello everyone,

Sorry for the long update. This and that happened, blablabla, excuses, excuses...

Anyway, thank you very much for all your reviews. It makes me happy that this story is capable of bringing some joy.

Chapter 6

„Would you please stop trying to kill me with your stare? It is kind of uncomfortable." Nicholas said to the passenger in his car, but got only a muffled huff in return. The lights switched to green and he took a left turn.

"I know I sound like an overprotective parent right now, but I'm doing this for your own good."

Silence followed his words, but this time it seemed a little bit less offended than he thought it would be.

He sighed when they stopped at another lights. "Judy… please…" One of the doe's ears twitched at his use of her name. He turned his head towards the bunny and she met a worried gaze of green emeralds. She averted her eyes with another huff.

"You could hab just asged…" The bunny complained with her arms folded.

This made the fox smile. "And would you listen if I did?"

He glared at him again, but this time her irritation melted under his smile. "Ugh, you really are-" She began but went into a coughing fit that was shaking her small body.

Nick reached out and gently caressed the doe's back. "Easy there, Fluff. Don't talk too much, alright? Just listen for a moment." He focused his eyes on the road again and drove on. Nick postponed the rest of his speech until she stopped coughing. "Your... apartment is bone chilling cold and walls smelled damp, which could mean that some fungus might have grown there. Considering this, it's not a place to recuperate from sickness, it could make it even worse and end up with hospitalization. You have no working heater and the blanket you were using was as thin as a piece of paper. Therefore, I offer you a warm place to stay until you're fully recovered. Plus nutritious, homemade meals and all the thick blankets you can hog for yourself."

The sick bunny eyed him for a while, weighing her options. The vulpine attorney was sly enough to present her hard, irrefutable facts that she couldn't argue with. Noticing her hesitation, Nick put on a small smirk. "If that's not enough I can add a personal fox heater to one of the blankets."

His words had the attempted effect and Judy let out a chuckle at his suggestion.

"All righd, you win…"

He sent her a wink. "I always win."

The bunny replied with a smirk of her own. "Oh, really? Is dhad a challenge?"

The fox laughed as he drove into the underground garage.

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.

Michael Wilde rubbed his sleepy eyes and then proceeded to search for the ringing alarm clock with his paw. He eventually found it and smacked the button on top of the robot shaped device. With a big yawn, the little fox stretched his limbs and began the extremely difficult process of crawling out of his bed. After the exhausting trip to the edge of it, he performed a breath-taking, perilous act of swinging his legs down and flopping on the wooden surface. Finally on the floor, Mike dragged his hindpaws to his father's bedroom, as usual, intent on waking him up before the adult fox would have to spring up and throw himself into a whirlwind of duties.

The boy walked right in, climbed on a chair to push a button on the wall to open the blinds in the window and clambered on the bed, heading for the sleeping figure beneath the quilt.

"Daaad." He rocked the figure slightly, stifling a yawn. "It's morning already."

"Mmmf…" Came a voice from the quilt and it instantly made Mike fully awake.

It didn't belong to his father.

Several scenarios flashed through the little fox's mind, but his curiosity won over all of them and he slowly reached forward. In a similar, slow manner he pulled the quilt a bit, revealing a familiar, grey furred doe.

Being the son of his father, he didn't yelp, gasp or scream in surprise. Instead, he gently covered back the sleeping bunny and started retreating to the edge of the bed. But then he heard someone clearing his throat behind him. Spinning around, Mike saw his father, standing by the bed only in his boxers and with folded arms.

"Oh, hey dad…"

Nicholas pointed at the door. "Out, before you wake her up." He commanded in a hushed voice.

"Ah, yeah, right!" The boy instantly jumped down to the floor, just as his parent walked to the blinds' control and closed them again. And when he turned back to the bed, his son was grinning like a maniac. Something that was highly dangerous on a kid's face. Especially if that kid's last name is Wilde.

"Dad… Did you…" He pointed at the sleeping doe. "… and Judy…did you two…"

A scowl formed on the adult fox's face. "Not what you're thinking, young mammal. I was sleeping on the couch. Now get dressed, breakfast is on the table." He instructed the boy.

"But why- Okay, okay…" Seeing his father's expression, Mike raised his paws and directed his steps towards the door.

Nicholas let out a sigh and covered Judy properly, correcting his sons' earlier attempt to do so.

"Umm, dad?" Mike said in a sheepish voice, his head poking into the bedroom.

"Ugh, what now?"

"You know, I wouldn't mind if you did." He grinned at his father.

And then was hit by a flying pillow.

"Out!"

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Back in his room and shuffling through the clothes in his drawer, Michael had no idea why Judy was sleeping in his father's bed, but was grateful for it, whatever the reason was. He took it as a sure sign that his parent cared for the bunny and with her being at their apartment, things were looking very promising. Still, if it would look like they were stuck at some point, he had an idea or two how to give them a little push. With a smirk, dangerously similar to Nick's hustler smile, the little fox put on a t-shirt with a sign: Dear math. I'm not a therapist. Solve your own problems.

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Meanwhile, Nicholas was about to leave the bedroom, when his ears picked up a familiar noise. He turned his head to see Judy's phone vibrating on the nightstand. The fox quickly picked it up, so it wouldn't wake the sleeping bunny, as she needed rest above anything else. The attorney moved his finger to silent the device when he noticed the caller's name.

Seeing the expression he just made would cause Judy to leap in desperation to snatch the phone from his paws, had she not been asleep.

Nicholas tapped the green icon and answered the call.

"Good morning, chief Bogo. How can I help you?" He said sweetly while sneaking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

There was a momentary silence on the other end. "Who is this?" Demanded a rough voice in the speaker.

The vulpine let out a dramatic gasp of faked hurt. "You wound me Adrien. How could you forget your favorite fox?"

Another pause from his interlocutor, followed by a yell that was a perfect mix of shock, irritation and disbelief. "Wilde?! Why the hell you have Hopps' phone?!"

Nicholas leaned his back on the wall in the living room and couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Oh, I simply kidnapped your sick officer and dragged her to my den. But don't worry, she's perfectly comfortable in my bed." He teased the buffalo, with an amused expression and half-lidded eyes.

The fox heard a deep intake of air and, foreseeing what will happen, distanced the phone from his ear just in time to hear a furious explosion in the speaker. When it died down Nick once more spoke with his suave voice. "Don't worry, when I'm done taking care of her, I'll return this cute ball of fluff to you in one piece."

"Wilde," The chief's voice indicated an individual that had trouble holding back his anger. "I swear, if-"

"Shhh, Adrien. I believe that what you were about to say could be treated as a criminal threat. Anyway, take care and I'll pass on to officer Hopps that you've called. Ta-ta!" And he hung up.

"Now that's a nice way to start a day." He chuckled to himself and went to get dressed.

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Once both foxes were sitting by the table in the dining room, Nicholas explained to Mike why Judy will be staying at their apartment for the rest of the week.

"Cool!" Michael chirped, almost jumping in his chair.

"And YOU will be staying at your grandmother's place for the time being." His father announced, dampening the boy's mood. "She's sick and I don't want you to catch it."

"Not cool…" Mike muttered with droopy ears, chewing his sandwich. "But you're getting to stay. That's not fair."

Nicholas took a sip of his tea. "I work from here, Michael. And someone has to take care of her."

Despite the disappointment, Mike thought that this situation had its advantages. "So, Judy will be here for the week, right?" He asked his father as casually as possible.

"I just explained it. Why are you asking?" The adult fox raised a brow, suspicious of his son's intentions with asking this question.

"Oh, no, nothing!" The boy quickly replied, not voicing out his thoughts that it could be very good for Judy and his father to spend this much time together. Even if a bit sad of being kept away from the doe, he was looking forward to see the result.

They finished their meal and Nicholas hurried Mike to prepare for school, the two foxes engaged in a light, family banter while getting ready to go. The vulpine attorney left a short note on the nightstand next to the sleeping Judy and they were on their way.

.

.

Already in the car Nicholas kept peeking at his son with the corner of his eye.

"You're awfully cheerful today." He said out loud.

"Really?" The boy beamed at him, probably not fully aware that he had a big smile plastered on his face since the moment they left the apartment.

"Any particular reason?"

"Well, if you have to know... She's changed you." The boy's statement almost caused the fox to miss a red light and recovering from the shock he instantly stepped on the brakes, stopping them in time. Michael laughed at his father's reaction.

"See?" The little fox said cheerfully. "Before, it was impossible to get a response like that from you!"

Nicholas snapped his head towards his son. "Michael, I told you befo-"

"I'm happy, dad." Mike interrupted him, causing the adult's expression to soften. "I like the way you are now. Couldn't it be always like this?"

Nicholas Wilde gazed into his boy's expectant eyes, his quick thinking and silver tongue both failed him and he struggled to response. Then it hit him, that his problems with finding proper words were caused by nothing more than his own, doubtful thoughts and not so pleasant memories. And looking at the happiness on his precious son's face, he realized how selfish it was to deprive him of this feeling because of a mindset hooked in the past and focused on earning a living. Like Judy said before, he cares more about having a family...

Nick let out a sigh, doubt and anxiety leaving him along with the exhaled air.

He reached out and petted the little fox's head with a smile. "We'll see, little rascal."

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Upon awakening, Judy would describe her state as 'heaven and hell'. She was still feeling very weak; her sinuses were clogged and she was sure that her cough was waiting just around the corner. Not to mention the running nose, which was her sleep's bane.

On the other paw, she was lying on a blissfully comfortable bed and in a warm room, which was a complete opposite of her usual living standard. It would be soo nice if it would stay like this.

Just as she thought that, her eyes shot wide open with realization. Did she just think that she'd like to stay here? Which would imply… staying with Nicholas. She pulled the quilt over her head, trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings. Facts were like this: they went on two dates, they shared a blanket while being half naked, he kidnapped her from her apartment to take care of her in his own home… oh, and he has a very bright and cheerful son.

So… how does she fit in? Can she even fit in? And did she want to do so?

Before she was able to answer any of these questions, the cough returned and she covered her mouth, struggling with the pain radiating all over to her head. When the attack subsided, she reached over to the nightstand for a tissue but only found an empty box. Judy hauled herself to her elbows and noticed a piece of paper beside the box.

Had to go out, will be back soon. More tissues in the cupboard. In case of emergency, call me. Nick's phone number was scribbled beneath.

She could feel a smile forming on her face and felt a growing need to hug the fox for his thoughtfulness. The doe reached for the drawer and indeed, there was another box of tissues inside. She quickly pulled out one and blew her nose. Right then, a metallic glint caught her eye. At the bottom of the drawer lay a simple ring made from white gold.

Judy's nose twitched and she pondered what it could mean and who did it belong to. However, her thinking process was interrupted when her ears picked up the sound of the apartment's main door being opened.

She hurriedly grabbed the box of tissues and shut back the drawer, sitting on the bed. Moments later there was a knock on the bedroom's door.

"Yes?" Judy asked with her sickly muffled voice.

"It's Nicholas, may I come in?"

Judy quickly made sure that she's completely covered by the quilt. They may have seen each other half-naked, but that was under completely different circumstances and she still had some modesty. Especially, when she just slept in this male's bed. "Sure."

The door opened and the red fox walked in, showing her a little smile. He was wearing his usual attire – a perfectly ironed white shirt and elegant black pants.

Seeing this, Judy couldn't stop herself from snorting. "Seriously? I could thing dhat you only hab formal clothes."

His smile widened. "Well, a fox in my position has to keep some standards. Is that a problem?"

She adorned a playful smirk. "Not really. Girls like sharb dressed males." With Nicholas here, Judy surprisingly felt a lot better, as if just his presence lessened the sickness' symptoms. "And seeing you in a t-shird mighd be a bid too much of a shock." And as the doe said that, she noticed a mischievous glint in the vulpine's eye.

"Oh?" He pointed at the kitchen with his thumb. "Then give me a second to put on my 'Kiss the cook' apron."

Judy put a paw over her mouth, fighting the urge to laugh heartily, since she knew that it would be a cause of a painful headache.

And she was now certain of one more thing. When it came to Nicholas, she would definitely fit in.