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Nick remembered his childhood like it was only yesterday, but mostly in the years after the bullying.

He remembered becoming incredibly resentful and sharp tongued, the relationship he had with his parents becoming strained. They never truly understood what happened, for the depth of the hurt and isolation done to Nick never truly hit home for they never experienced it themselves. Never had they had their muzzles forced shut, their cries of innocence ignored. All they could do was watch Nick suffer in silence, but any chance of comfort they offered was quickly shook off by their son.

Before Judy, he'd forgot how it felt to care. The harshness that fell from his tongue that were aimed to hurt the rabbit simply bounced off of her, never truly wounding her. Never had he seen such stubbornness from such an animal. He'd always grown up to believe that rabbits were simple, easily spooked and lived quiet lives carrot farming. So imagine his surprise upon seeing her in a cop's uniform, in the heart of Zootopia, far away from anywhere carrots could possibly grow. He found it funny if not endearing.

And, well, she was clever. A clever bunny, who'd have thought it? She'd hustled him twice. No one hustled Nick Wilde, and it was the second time that she did it that he knew she was something else.

Yet despite her quick wit and her unrelenting need to succeed, he knew that before they met she had been a very lonely individual. Just like he was. And after the case they had worked on together was solved, she'd explained to him why she used to carry that fox repellent around with her. It infuriated him, despite knowing that the fox that'd scratched her so fiercely at such a young age had indeed apologised to her. The thought of any animal laying a paw on her was something he refused to comprehend for he would never let it happen. Ever.

She was the only animal to ever truly understand him in this not so perfect world they shared, and they were a pair. If you wanted to find Judy, fine Nick, and vice versa.

He was laughing at a story she was telling so over the top, teasing the straw in his milkshake with his teeth, daring not to drink for fear of choking. For a rabbit, she had a very clumsy past, much to his amusement. He never heard the bell of the café open, too intent on her story, watching her arms flail, her ears flop and rise excitedly, and sometimes even bouncing in her seat; the complete opposite to his cool, composed nature.

"Nick Wilde?" the female voice pulled him from his trance, confused and suddenly alert. He hadn't noticed that Judy had stopped talking a few moments before the voice spoke out, her eyes wide and resting on someone behind him. He turned, shifting himself so that he concealed Judy with his body despite the table being in the way. The urge to move to her side was strong, yet the figure now in front of him had him paralysed.

When he was twelve, he'd stumbled across another young vixen, perhaps just a couple years younger than him. She'd been terrorising the local rodents, and chasing the young lambs in the back streets, going as far as to run on all fours to give that added effect of a wild animal. Her yellow eyes had been big and excited back then, but fierce slits when she'd first spotted him. He remembered her tackling him to the ground despite being smaller than him, going as far as snapping at his face, only to roll off of him in a fit of laughter, crying out, "Your face!" over and over again.

That same vixen stood in front of him now. She was a couple of inches shorter than he was, with slick fur as red as a freshly picked apple, shimmering beneath the animal-made light. She wore dark jeans and a silk white shirt, her tail combed smooth with a natural white tip. She had her ears pulled back in nervousness, her eyes big and only on him. For a second he couldn't take her eyes off her, and hardly noticed the uncomfortable fidgeting of his friend behind him.

"Ffion Hunt, well I'll be," he said, finally climbing out of his seat, feeling a little unsteady. "It's been a long time."

"I just moved back here, heard it was a place where you could be anything you wanted to be. I can't see much of a difference other than more animals." She smiled, a very, very pretty smile. "I heard you're on the police force now. Congratulations. You solved the case of those animals turning savage, am I right?"

"We solved that case," Judy finally perked up. Nick cringed, looking back at her.

"I-I'm sorry, Ffion, this is my friend Judy Hopps, my partner."

"Partner?"

"At work." Judy quickly corrected.

"I see," Ffion smiled, "well I was just passing through, and I saw you through the window; I just had to see if it was you. It's so good to see you, Nick."

Nick swallowed, his collar becoming incredibly tight around his neck. He had never seen such a creature look so… stunning.

"Why don't the two of you go for a catch up? It seems like you need one. It's late anyway."

"No, no…" Nick stuttered, struggling to gather his composer. Pull yourself together, you dumb dog. He took a deep breath, smoothed the features of his face, and finally relaxed into the smirk that he was known for, at last looking indifferent. "That's alright, we can catch up tomorrow if you like, grab a coffee before I go to work?"

Ffion smiled gratefully. "That would be lovely. I'll see you soon, Nick," she turned slightly to Judy, "Hopps."

When she left, Nick could finally catch a breath, yet he could feel the deep curiosity of his friend behind him. Oh boy.

"When was the last time you saw another fox, let alone a vixen?" Judy inquired, smirking. It wasn't often she had Nick cornered, but when she did she had every intention on keeping him there. There was nothing more satisfying than watching a fox squirm in front of a rabbit.

"Let it go, Carrot."

"Oh no, not this time, your cheeks went redder than your fur." She giggled, trying to be as happy as ever. She wasn't. The encounter had unnerved her. She'd looked at her like she was nothing more than a rodent, barely acknowledging her. Her gaze had been sharp, unkind, hiding an intention she couldn't fathom. Ironically, she was all fox, her demeanour false. She doubted Nick had noticed, but she certainly had. The look she'd been given made her skin crawl, and the urge to bolt from the café had been so strong it felt like an instinct. It was the fear all rabbits naturally had embedded in them, and it was a fear she had never even felt with Gideon Grey all those years ago. This fear was one she had never felt before, running deeper, into her veins and within her bones.

"She's just an old friend," Nick stated, eager to change the topic.

"With history?" she pressed, nibbling on her straw in a bid to portray curiosity and excitement.

"Nope."

"Oh come on Nick, give me something!" she pleaded, hoping to god it was a bad memory they shared rather than a good one. Nick looked her in the eyes, his face not smiling, his eyes not teasing. It was enough to silence her on the spot.

Her friend sighed, finishing his milkshake until it slurped before he stood, stretching his arms above his head. "It's late, I think we should go."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"It's alright, Carrot." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

She followed him out of the door, her ears dropping. She hated upsetting Nick, the only true friend she'd ever had, and the guilt always hit her like a wave before it dragged her out into a vast openness of self-annoyance. She stayed behind him rather than beside him, careful not to tread on his tail. She couldn't help but notice that as they left the café, his ears pricked forward, his eyes looking for Ffion; even his nose flared with trying to catch her scent.

Judy shook her head to herself, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Hey," Nick said when they reached her apartment, lightly knocking her shoulder. "Don't worry, okay? I'm fine."

She didn't believe him, frowning at him. He smirked, carefully lifting her into a tight hug, her feet no longer on the ground. She buried her face in his shoulder, sighing with a content smile.

"I'll see you at the office," Nick said and he propped her back on the ground.

"Don't be late," Judy retorted, smiling up at him. He winked, saluting her as he strolled into the road.

Before she closed the door on her friend, she caught the scent of something wrong. She flared her little nostrils, her whiskers vibrating with the movement, trying to identify the scent. Bad fruit, that was all she could think of.

Shaking off her worries she closed the door, settling in for the night in preparation for another day at work.

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