Nice to meet you

Nick was frantically running around his tower throwing a few off objects on his bed that he felt he may need to pack into his bag for the trip. As the fox ran over to the kitchen area he breathed into his paws and smelt his breath. It still smelt like cheap booze. He cursed as he began to pour some water into a tin cup and ran over to a bag he normally kept his tooth brush in.

An amused painted dog was leaning against the desk next to the door and watched the shirtless fox put some tooth paste on a brush and attacked his teeth as he tried to freshen his breath.

"So, as I was saying," Delta started while the fox continued to prepare. "I am only here two days. That's all I could secure for you because of the fire. After that I have to report to some science station nearby."

Nick was only half listening to the painted dog as he swirled some water into his mouth and then spat it back into the tin cup, deciding it was the best he could do. Nick of course could have gone to the comfort station to clean up but that would take time. Time that would be better spent with Judy.

The fox took a moment to smell his fur and decided he would have to clean up when he got to the Thorofare region. It seemed he would need to make that trip to the comfort station after all.

A thought popped into the fox's mind and he looked over at the desk where his radio was currently charging. Delta looked down at the radio and then back at Nick.

"You going to tell her?" Delta asked as he eyed the fox.

Nick thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "Not yet, not until I am in her region." Delta gave the fox an odd look and chuckled. Nick rolled his eyes. "You and Trisha are a perfect match you know that?"

"Thanks!" Delta said, taking the tease as a compliment.

Nick took another few minutes preparing before throwing a green hiking shirt on and making sure his bag was packed and secured.

"So how long do you think it takes to get to Judy's tower from here?" Nick asked, deciding not to beat around the bush. He wanted to head out as soon as he could now that Delta was here to cover the tower. After all Nick only had so long before he had to return to keep an eye on the Two Forks region.

"Normally 3 hours," Delta said as he thought it over.

Nick winced and felt a pang of annoyance. That was less time to spend with…well…it was just less time.

Delta reached over on his side and pulled a key from his pocket and tossed it to Nick. The fox caught the key and opened his paw to inspect it. There was a series of small numbers carved into the small weathered object.

"That should cut the time in half," Delta said as he nodded at Nick's paw.

"This for your car?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"Nope, but how are you with heights?" The ranger asked.

It took a few seconds but finally Nick understood. The Fox's mind went to something Judy had told him a while back about the gondola between their regions. Only rangers had the keys. Now he had one too.

"Delta..." Nick tried to think of the words to explain to the ranger what all this meant to him. To have someone stick their neck out for him was rare and the fox felt off, especially since he had only just the met the ranger not long ago.

"We are even ok?" Delta said with a smirk as he held up a paw. "Plus I ain't one for all that sappy stuff. You get out of here and get your tail to Judy."

Nick nodded and looped his arms through the straps on his backpack. Delta tossed him his walkie and with that he headed out the door and started to quickly descend the tower.

"Don't forget Nick! Two days!" Delta shouted from the tower.

Nick grinned, "Two days!"

The sun was still rising in the sky as the fox made his way quickly through the woods towards the northern part of his region. From time to time he would break out in a steady jog in an attempt to hurry. He felt anxious as he moved through the forest and navigated the paths quickly. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way. It wasn't so much a sense of panic as it was excitement. He felt himself shiver from time to time, like a tod on Christmas day.

Nick kept debating on whether to call Judy and check on her or if he should remain silent. He decided it would be best to just let her contact him when she was awake. That way he would have to spend less time trying to dodge any questions on the radio. He tried to think of a few good excuses in case something came up. Just in case she asked him to run an errand in his region.

He racked his mind but only a few excuses came to him as he continued towards the north. He hoped she wouldn't need him to do anything today. Not until he was in her region. He kept debating on how he would go about telling her. Part of him wanted to just surprise her. Remain silent during the journey and then knock on her door. He quickly dashed that thought though. He had a feeling it would just make her mad. Maybe when he reached the gondola? No that may be too soon. She may try and convince him to turn around.

As Nick passed the sign indicating the main supply drop and gondola he had an idea. Surely there would be signs like this in her region. He guessed there would be a similar path that led to the gondola station on the other side. All he would have to do is follow the signs to the Thorofare tower. Once he found one he could give her a heads up on where he was. By then it would be too late for him to just turn around. She would just have to accept they were about to meet.

What if she didn't want to meet? Nick banished the thought as soon as it popped into his head. No Judy wanted to meet. She wanted to see him. She wanted…she wanted Nick.

He focused on the positive thoughts and smirked as he rounded a corner. In front of him the weather worn gondola sat in its station and waited for use. Nick reached into his pocket and retrieved the key Delta had given him earlier. He took a deep breath and proceeded to board it.

The ride was actually rather smooth. There was of course the sound of gears and the occasional twang as the metal cable swayed in the wind, but Nick actually found the ride rather exciting. He had been on gondolas before. The rainforest district used them as a main form of travel. So the fact he was dangling over rather deep ravine didn't really phase Nick. The view though was stunning. He had an uninterrupted view of the valley in the distance. With no trees in the way he could see for miles. Nick took a moment to scan his surroundings and his eyes fell on the massive smoke plume that was produced by the June fire.

The forest service was trying their best to contain the raging inferno but it was still a huge task and Nick was starting to grow a little uneasy. As more and more black ash filled smoke rose to the sky Nick noticed one of the helicopters circling the fire, looking for the best spot to dump its payload of water. Nick took in a deep breath but then shook his head. Now wasn't the time to focus on what he couldn't control. Instead it was time to focus on something far more positive.

"Nick you awake yet?" Judy's voice came over the radio. She still sounded tired and Nick had a feeling she was probably nursing a bit of a hangover. A lot of drinks had been enjoyed the night before. Of course that's not the only thing that had been enjoyed. The two had shared a rather heated moment over the radio. Nick wondered if it would cause any friction between them. Or if it would lead to some friction between the sheets.

The fox smirked at some rather interesting thoughts as they entered his mind. The gondola ride was coming to a close and he decided to wait till he had disembarked the vehicle before calling Judy back. She did this from time to time. She told him she would sometimes contact him and when he didn't respond she would just wait an hour or so. Nick soon started getting up earlier however in order to catch Judy's calls.

It only took a few more minutes but the gondola pulled up to a form of dock and locked into place. Nick pulled the key out of a small control panel that had been built into the gondola. He pocketed the key and then leapt to the ground. Before his paws had even hit the dirt he was already moving down the path. His eyes filled with a look of determination as he headed towards a wooden sign.

He decided now was a good time to acknowledge Judy and keyed his mic. "So how bad is yours?" He asked as he rubbed his own temple. A slight throbbing still present from the evening's activities.

"Why did you let me get that drunk?!"Judy came back over the radio loudly. Nick winced but soon recovered as he heard the infectious laughter pour from the walkie.

"Well how else was I going to get you on the floor?" Nick asked with a chuckle.

There was a long pause of the radio and Nick wondered if Judy regretted anything. To be fair it wasn't like they had really done anything. Both of them had been miles away from one another during the night's activities. They were however rather heated activities. The way Judy had described things over the radio had created vivid images in the fox's mind. He never thought he would be onboard for something as odd as walkie talkie sex, but last night had changed his mind. The silence however caused Nick to stop in his tracks just in front of a weathered sign, waiting to hear Judy's response.

"You didn't need to get me drunk to get me there Nick," Judy said softly. "However I think it helped with some of the…umm…more descriptive part of our conversation."

"I liked the part on the desk," Nick said simply as a broad smile crossed his muzzle.

Judy groaned over the radio, "As much fun as it was I am just….I can't believe I did something like that!"

"Why?"

"Because…it…well…"

"It was fun, right?" Nick asked as he studied the weathered sign in front of him. It had several arrows indicating directions for various destinations. There was a comfort station nearby, a supply drop, waterfall, river, but most importantly Judy's tower. According to the sign it was roughly 2 miles to the north of where Nick currently stood. A waterfall named "Bunny Falls" was 1.6 miles. Nick snickered, remembering Judy saying she had a waterfall near her tower that she used as a kind of shower every morning.

"It was…" Judy said hesitantly before taking a deep breath, "It was a lot of fun actually. Just wish…well…you know."

"Yeah I do," Nick said tenderly into the radio as he proceeded down the path. "At least you have Bunny Falls nearby to clean up for company."

There was silence over the radio once more and Nick smirked. Wondering what was going through Judy's mind at that moment.

"What do you mean?" Judy's voice was devoid of the warmness it usually carried. Instead she sounded nervous, almost frantic actually.

"Well the falls are only 1.6 miles from the gondola and your tower is 2…so I just did the math and assumed it was rather close."

"How…"Judy's voice began to shake, "How do you know all that?"

"Thought I would take a stroll north. Got to the ravine. Turns out if you take a running start its pretty easy to clear," Nick joked. "Of course the pinecones chasing me weren't so lucky."

As Nick continued his hike he was met with silence over the walkie. He could tell a battle was raging over the other side of the frequency and began to wonder what Judy would-

"Nick we can't do this..." Judy's voice was filled with sorrow.

Nick stopped near an old fallen tree and looked down at the walkie as if it had just slapped him in the face. After what had happened between them he was actually somewhat surprised. He knew there was a chance that Judy would be nervous or even scared. That she may actually not want to meet him just yet. However he had hoped that it was all in his mind and that she would be happy to meet him, or at least a little anxious.

"Why can't we do this?" Nick asked, trying to sound friendly, though some coldness managed to slip into the words.

"I….I can't bear to…"

"To meet me?"

"To lose you!" Judy shot back as a sob filled the radio.

"Why would you lose me?" Nick asked, keeping his emotions in check, the urge to laugh at such a silly comment was hard to contain.

"When you see what I am…Nick it will change us," Judy pleaded.

"You're right," Nick responded simply as he continued onward. The dirt path starting to slope upwards. "It will change us. It will change how I wake up in the morning knowing the face of the mammal I can't wait to talk to. It will change how I look at your tower and now see just how brilliant those purple eyes of you are. It will change how I look up and compare your beautiful gray fur with the rain clouds." Nick wanted to go on but he felt it was best to let her speak her peace.

"Nick….please..." Judy said softly. "I can't….if we do…I can't lose you..."

He could tell she was starting to cry. He didn't know why though which caused him to grow a little annoyed. What could possibly make her think he would judge her? Had he said something? The fox ran through every conversation he could remember them having and shook his head. For the life of him he just couldn't understand why she would be so afraid.

"You won't," Nick said as he stopped once more on the path. "Judy I promise you it will be ok." Nick took in a deep breath and then took a gamble. "If you really want me to….just say the words and I will turn back and return to Two Forks..."

Nick lost track of time as he waited for a response. It was such an important moment that his mind couldn't grasp just how long he had been waiting. To him it felt like ages even though it may have only been a minute or two. The silence though would kill him if it went on much longer.

"My tower is on top of a rock formation…" Judy began to speak softly. "There is a warning sign just before you get to the formation telling travelers to watch out for rock slides. When you get to that sign…just…"

"I will tell you when I am there," Nick said as Judy trailed off and released control of the frequency.

"I have to get ready…for….this..." Judy came over the radio once more, not sounding like herself. She seemed almost distant. Before Nick could think of something to say Judy cleared the air. "Nick, please don't think I don't want to meet you. I….I am actually shaking in a good way. Just…promise you won't be mad."

"Promise."

The rest of the hike to Judy's tower was silent. The forest itself seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation for this meeting. Nick moved as quickly as he could up the steady incline, taking the occasional break to stretch and have some water. He started to notice that the trees weren't as thick the higher he climbed. He came to a fork in the path with a worn sign pointing in two directions. In one was the waterfall Judy had spoken of. The other was Judy's tower. Nick felt his heart race as all of it came together. He was in the Thorofare region about to meet the mammal he had been speaking to for weeks. The one that had brought him back from the brink. The one he had fallen for.

Nick hurried up the path, doing his best to keep his legs from breaking out into a run. He had a feeling he would need his breath soon and it would give Judy more time to prepare. He had images of a gray wolf darting around her tower, trying to organize every little thing for the fox's arrival.

Nick's thoughts nearly caused him to pass a metal sign that was bent and dinged. The yellow paint was chipped and rusted. It was a warning sign to anyone traveling through the area to be wary of loose rocks and possible rock slides. This was the sign Judy had told him about. As Nick passed the metal object he keyed up his mic.

"Ok, so I am passing the sign now. Should be at your tower in just a minute." Nick said, a skip in his step as he felt his feet pick up the pace.

"WAIT!" Judy voice blared out of the radio.

Nick nearly dropped the walkie as the sudden shout had caused him to jump.

"Just, just wait one second," Judy sounded nervous over the radio. Nick didn't know why though. He was so close and the wait was starting to get to him. "Nick, if we do this. There is no going back. When you see me things will, well they will be different." Her attitude had changed since their last talk. She sounded a little more calm and at ease with the situation at paw. There was still a hint of hesitation in her words though.

"How? How will they be different?" Nick asked with a little apprehension.

"It just, it could get complicated and I'm….Nick I'm afraid!"

Nick felt a little insulted as he keyed up, wanting so badly to just take the final hike up the path to finally see Judy face to face. "Why? Why would you be afraid? Is it because I'm a fox?" Nick regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.

"No! No Nick it's not that!" Judy responded quickly.

"Then what?" Nick asked, his anger masked but agitation was clear in his voice.

"When you see me, things will be different, and I'm afraid to lose this Nick! I have never gotten this close with anyone like this…I just..." Judy finished and Nick tried to key up but the radio beeped, informing him the channel was still tied up by Judy. She had her microphone keyed up still but was silent for a few seconds. "Can you just do something for me?"

"Sure Judy, anything!" Nick said, detecting the desperation in his supervisor's voice.

"Close your eyes. Please."

Though her voice had come over the radio Nick picked up an echo. He looked up the path which curved around a large boulder. His nose twitched slightly and he felt his tail sway. She was close. So close he could hear her. The fox's heart was racing.

Nick followed her instructions and closed his eyes before keying the radio. "Ok, they are closed, I better not be getting hit with a water balloon or I am gonna be very disappointed."

"And wet!" Judy shot back. Some of the happiness returning to her voice. "Just keep them close please, till I tell you."

"Okay" Nick responded softly, his voice shaking from excitement.

A few seconds passed before Nick detected her, his ears raised as he heard a set of small footsteps approach him. A beautiful scent filled his nostrils. It wasn't perfume though, it was all Judy. She even smelled sweet.

The footsteps stopped just a few feet in front of Nick. He did his best not to peak but it was taking all his concentration and will power.

A whole minute passed but Nick kept his promise and never opened his eyes. The whole time he could feel his heart beating erratically.

"OK. You can open your eyes…"Judy said softly. For the first time ever her voice was not coming from a radio. There was no longer a robotic voice or background noise. He heard her voice in its purest form.

Nick slowly opened his eyes and allowed them to adjust for a second as he looked straight ahead.

A bunny stood before him on the path.

Clad in light gray fur, the doe stood before him dressed in a simple pink button down shirt with a pair of tight jeans that hugged her generous hips enticingly. He couldn't help but notice the two radios attached to her belt as his gaze wandered over her. He briefly wondered what the other was for before all thoughts vanished from his mind as he finally caught the sight of her beautiful violet eyes, eyes that had chased him even into his dreams. It was a bit of a shock for him to realize that though she was a bunny, he found her incredibly beautiful.

Here stood the mammal he had been talking for the past few weeks. She had been someone he had grown not only fond of but someone he was falling for. This whole time though she had been not only a prey species but a bunny to boot! She had known he was a fox and had continued to push the envelope.

"Nick I am so sorry," Judy began with an apology which confused Nick slightly. "I should have told you a while back. But at first it was just kind of funny and I never thought we would get to where we are..."

There was sadness in her voice as she began to spill her thoughts out to Nick. The fox remained silent the whole time, his emerald eyes hiding his feelings, his face devoid of emotion.

"I realize now I led you on. I mean I should have warned you! But I was afraid to lose what we had going and the thought of your radio falling silent if I revealed what I was…I couldn't bear to think about it!" Tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Nick slowly put his back pack down, still not speaking. Judy looked up at Nick and then back to the ground.

"I am a bunny, Nick. There is no changing that. I am sorry. I should have said something! I know this isn't fair to you, after what you went through thanks to your ex. And now a dumb bunny comes along and messes with your heart!" Judy was starting to sob.

She stopped though when she looked up at Nick who had been rummaging around his back pack. He found what he had been looking for and produced a small handkerchief. The fox slowly walked over to the bunny who remained frozen in surprise. Her bright eyes were wide as she looked right into Nick's emerald ones.

Nick looked down at Judy for a moment. It took a second but slowly a smirk crossed the Fox's lips as he took a knee in front of Judy so he was level with her. He noticed her lips were still quivering as she watched him.

"So, looks like I got hustled," Nick muttered as he gently dabbed his handkerchief to the does cheeks and wiped the tears away. She winced slightly at his words. "Hustled by a bunny too, wait till everyone hears about this," He said softly as he finished drying Judy's cheeks, only for more tears to roll down her fur.

"I'm sorr-" Judy began but Nick pressed a finger to her lips, silencing the apology.

The fox continued to smirk as he shook his head. His finger lingered for a moment and then he took a risk. He slowly moved his paw so it cupped her chin.

"So tell me, are you all talk?" He asked smugly as he stared into her vibrant eyes.

Judy's ears raised slightly as she gave Nick a confused stare.

"Are you..."Nick began to lean closer to Judy. The bunny's eyes growing even wider.

"..All..." Nick continued to lean closer, happy that Judy not only held her ground but was beginning to move upwards towards his lips.

"…Talk…?" Nick whispered, his muzzle just a centimeter away from the bunny's lips which were parted just slightly.

"Nick?" Judy asked in the softest whisper as her eyelids drooped and her ears quickly followed suit.

"Hmmm?"

"I can't tell you how badly I wanted this!" Judy whispered, before the last words could seal the sentence the small gray bunny closed the final bit of space between them and kissed Nick. Her lips were soft, sweet, and so comfortable that Nick lost himself in the embrace.

For a bunny Judy sure had some strength about her as she put her paws on Nick's chest and grabbed pawfuls of his shirt, holding him close as if daring the fox to try and pull away. He had no intention of doing such a dumb thing though. Far from it.

The kiss was soft, sweet, and simple. Yet it held so much passion that Nick felt the whole world around him melt away as he wrapped an arm around Judy's waist, pulling her closer to him. She let out a soft purr as she ran her paws up his chest and suddenly around his neck, draping her arms on his shoulder.

It was Judy who finally ended the kiss and pulled her lips from Nick. However she didn't move away. Judy placed a paw behind Nick's head and pulled him close. She gently rested her forehead against the fox's and kept her eyes closed. Nick's heart was racing and he felt what could only be explained as pure joy run through his body. He took in a deep breath through his nose and drank up Judy's sweet scent. The way her fur felt against his was wonderful. Everything about this just made all the terrible things in Nick's life not matter anymore.

"So Nick…"Judy whispered softly.

"Hmmm?" Nick replied as he just enjoyed the moment.

"If you're here…."Judy began and Nick suddenly opened his eyes. Judy put both paws on Nick's cheeks and squished his face as a glint of fire flashed in her eyes, "Then who the hell is watching your tower?"

Hey Firewatchers!

Sorry it has taken so long to get this chapter up. You know how crazy life can get.

Thanks to Fox in the hen house for the editing and scene structure assist!

I know a lot of you will be asking if this is the end. Glad to say its not. Things are just heating up. Plus we have the June fire to worry about. Can't wait to see how that turns out.

Plug time!

Ghostly Love by Fox in the hen house. An awesome new story that involves everyone's gray bunny as she visits the mysterious town of Lunar Haven in search of...well shes not sure but she seems to have found it! It is an amazing story and is definitely worth the read.

Safe Paws by Midnightopheliac. See normally I am super busy and I haven't had time to start reading new stories. However I took a chance with Safe Paws. Read chapter 1...now I am hooked. Starting right where the movie left off we get to see that start of something wonderful early on. I have spoken to a few others about what I have to look forward to and I have been warned...the sweetest fluff around! Can't wait to binge read this one! You should too!

Thank you all for your continued support! Cant wait for whats next.

Till Next time!

Pinecone!

-Blue