Nick sprinted through the forest; the branches smacking his face and scratching at his arms and bare chest. The area around him immediately was pitch black;tthis being a darkness that even he couldn't see through. He heard the timeber wolves howling right behind him and he could feel their hot breath on the back of his neck as he continue to run as fast as he possibly could until he reached the waterfall again. He quickly started to climb up; ignoring the screaming of his muscles. He thought he was safe until his handholds crumbled under his fingers and he plummeted back down towards the wolves waiting below him.
Nick jumped awake and quickly wrapped his arm around Judy so that she didn't get thrown off the bed.
"Nick are you alright?" Judy asked him.
"J-just a nightmare." Nick replied as he noticed how badly he was sweating.
Judy hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek gently.
"You're safe Nick." Judy told him.
Nick just kissed the top of Judy's head; causing her to blush slightly.
"I was gone for three and a half weeks and I only remember about two days of it." Nick whispered.
"It'll be alright Nick, I promise." Judy told him.
"I really just need to get back to work." Nick replied.
Judy just held onto Nick as she felt his heartbeat against her cheek.
"I missed you Nick." Judy replied.
"I missed you too Judy." Nick told her. "So what do we know about this Savage rabbit?"
"I don't know much about him myself, but apparently Chief knows him pretty well." Judy told him. "I've heard that he has just been in the South Seas for the past 5 years."
"The South Seas?" Nick asked her.
"Yeah, why?" Judy asked him.
"I need to show you something." Nick replied as he held onto Judy and seung his legs over the side of the bed.
"What are you doing Nick; you need to rest." Judy told him.
"I feel alright." Nick replied. "Good enough to leave."
"Nick..." Judy pleaded slightly.
"I can't just lay in this bed Judy, I can't rest knowing that I can't remember three whole weeks." Nick told her.
Judy nodded before speaking. "I'm not going to take my eyes off of you then."
Nick chuckled as he stood up and put Judy down on her feet; taking one of her paws in his own as he did so. Together they walked out of the hospital to where the police cruiser was waiting.
"We'll want to go to the station and get my car." Nick told her.
"I'm guessing it would be a good idea to change as well?" Judy asked him.
"That would be best." Nick replied.
After they went to the police station to get Nick 1984 Chevy Mustang and for Judy to change they started on their way to where Nick lived.
"You've never told me where you lived." Judy told Nick. "Now that I think about it, you never put a place for you current residence on your application."
"At the time that I submitted my application I didn't have an address." Nick replied.
"Nick! Why didn't you tell me?!" Judy asked him.
"I didn't need to make you worry." Nick told her. "It just didn't bother that much to bring it up anyways."
"Nick, you've been my partner for the past eight months; we are supposed to look out for each other." Judy told him.
Nick smiled before ruffling the fur on the top of her head. Judy knocked his hands away and glared at him.
"Nick, we aren't supposed to keep secret from each other." Judy told him.
"You already have a shitload of stuff to worry about Judy, my problems don't need to distract you." Nick replied as he parked beside his rundown apartment building.
Judy just looked at it and Nick saw the worry plain in her eyes.
"I'm good here Judy." Nick told her.
"Nick, i could help you pay for a place that doesn't look like it'll collapse if you breath on it." Judy told him.
"Judy, I couldn't take your money in good conscious." Nick told her as he turned off his car.
"Then why don't you come live with me?" Judy asked him.
"I don't want to bother you like that sweetheart." Nick replied.
"Trust me Nick, it wouldn't be a bother at all." Judy replied.
Nick smiled and squeezed one of her paws gently.
"Only if you really want me to Carrot Top." Nick told her.
"Of course I do." Judy told him.
Nick got out of the car and opened the passenger side door for Judy.
"Thanks kind sir." Judy giggled.
"Not a problem." Nick replied as he locked the car and took Judy's out stretched paw.
Together they walked into the apartment building and up the stairs to the seventh floor. When they got to his apartment door Nick quickly unlocked it and Judy walked in. She was instantly horrified with the conditions that Nick was living in. The wallpaper was peeling from the walls to revealed mold behind it, when she turned the water on it had a slight brownish tinge to it, and most of the furniture looked like it had been picked up off the street; which it had been.
"Nick I can't believe that you have to live like this." Judy told him.
"The banks aren't too keen to lend money out to foxes ya know." Nick replied nonchalantly as he scratched at the peeling wallpaper.
Judy hugged him tightly and buried her face into his chest.
"I love you Nick." Judy told him.
"I love you too Carrots." He replied.
Nick looked down at Judy and smiled.
"So what were you planning to show me?" Judy asked him.
"Oh yeah, almost forgot." Nick replied as he walked over to his room.
Judy followed him and saw that he was rummaging through a small chest. He straightened up and had his hands cupped.
"Turn around and close your eyes." Nick told her.
Judy did so and felt Nick loop something cool around her neck.
"Now open your eyes." Nick told her.
Judy did so and saw that Nick had put a golden necklace with a carrot and pawpsicle on it.
"Nick, this is beautiful." Judy told him as she hugged him again.
"So should we go to your place?" Nick asked her as he hugged her back.
"Sure, do you remember where it is?" Judy asked him.
"Of course I do." Nick replied as they headed towards the door and back to Nick's car.