A/N: A moment to breathe helps to remember important things forgotten.

Thanks to BeecroftA, Mad-Racer, side-fish, Goldyx, and daphrose for reviewing!

Plenty of things can happen in this story. If you wish to offer a suggestion or what you wish to see, leave a review or a PM. I'd love to hear from you!

Chapter 2: A True Friend

"This…is your place?"

The two were walking through the front doors of the Grand Pangolin Apartments, Nick carrying a paper bag containing their dinner in one hand, while helping Judy along with the other. Nick eyed the walls and floor of the place as they headed straight over to the front desk.

"Well, this was where I stayed when I first came to Zootopia. It's small, but quaint." Judy said, ringing the bell for the front desk.

"I don't really see what's 'grand' about it. Or which part resembles 'apartments', for that matter."

"Shh, Nick. Not so loud, or someone might—"

"Can I help you?" A raspy voice rang out from behind the front desk. An armadillo was glaring back at Nick. Judy almost jumped a foot in the air, but held herself back, for the sake of her leg. How did she get there so fast?

Judy swallowed, forcing a smile. "Good evening, ma'am. I'm the rabbit who was staying in room 203."

"Yes, I remember." The armadillo squinted her eyes, moving her spectacles up the bridge of her nose. "You said you were going to leave, weren't you? I remember now; you told me to rent out your room if you didn't come back by the end of this month."

"That's right. Well, things kinda happened, and I…well, I've decided to stay on."

The armadillo looked at Judy with what could only be described as a look of disdain. She reached under the desk, and stood back upright, holding out a familiar looking key.

"Don't lose it. And I'll be coming by to collect rent in two weeks." Without another word, she turned around and disappeared into the room in the back.

"So, the 'pangolin' part doesn't make sense either. So that's zero out of three." Nick said, smirking.

"Come on, let's just get in. Let's just hope my neighbours aren't around."

A few minutes later, they were inside Judy's apartment. Thankfully, the place was exactly how she had left it on the day she left Zootopia to head back to Bunnyburrow. Her bed was still neatly made, with a couple of old hangers she had left behind hanging on the single chair. The walls were still greasy, and the first floorboard next to the door was still squeaky.

"You weren't kidding when you said it was 'quaint', Carrots." Nick walked forward, setting the food down on the table.

"Sorry about the small space. I didn't expect anyone to come here for a long time…"

"It's not an issue, relax." He sat down on the only chair in the room, taking the food out. "Here, you must be starving." She was. She gratefully took the cutlery from Nick and sat down on her bed, and both of them began to eat in the small, dark apartment.

Dinner was eaten in surprising silence. She kept waiting for the shouting match to begin, but it never did. Her noisy neighbours weren't actually home.

Or maybe they are being quiet for a change.

She thought about it.

Nah.

The silence was completely welcome, though. Only soft chewing sounds were heard between the two, with the occasional squeak of the floorboards above. As Nick had promised, her dinner was delicious. He was leaning back on her chair, legs extended and crossed, while polishing off the last of his fruit salad.

"I didn't know you liked salads, Nick," Judy finally spoke up.

"Hey, I love my bug burgers and fries as much as the next fox. But I love fruits, especially blueberries. But I guess you already know that." He smiled. He got up to adjust his chair, but before he could sit down again, he felt Judy's paw on his arm. He turned to face her. She patted the spot on the bed next to her.

"It's softer."

"Alright then, if you insist." He sat down with his empty salad bowl beside her. "So what do you think of the food, Carrots? I bet you'll agree it doesn't compare to your home-grown stuff."

"No, but it's a lot better than eating microwaved dehydrated carrots…Thanks for buying dinner, Nick."

"It's no problem, Carrots. You can always pay me back in blueberries." Nick reached into Judy's bowl and plucked out a single blueberry, popping it into his mouth. "Mm, tasty."

Judy looked down at what remained of her own salad. She was almost done as well; a single blueberry was left nestled under a leaf. She picked it up and held it in front of her, looking it over.

"Blueberries…" she whispered.

"What was that?" Nick asked.

"Back there at the museum…" she started, looking up straight at him now. "If you hadn't brought those blueberries with you, we would never have duped Bellwether into thinking you had gone savage."

"Thank your family for growing such delicious blueberries then. Oh, I could really go for some of those right now," he said, almost looking like he was going to salivate.

"That wasn't just luck. You're the one who came up with the whole idea to replace the serum with the blueberries. You saved me, Nick."

"Well, the serum was the same size and colour as the blueberries, so…you know…" he mumbled softly.

"You stayed with me instead of saving yourself. It wasn't just this time, too. You could have gotten away on the sky tram, but you didn't. You stayed."

Nick was silent now, not answering. He was looking down slightly, fingers twirling his fork around.

"I knew it, Nick. You really are so much more. You defended me from Chief Bogo when no one believed me. You could have taken the evidence and gotten to the ZPD, but you risked your life to stay with me. That was the most selfless thing I've ever seen. You're a hero, Nick. You're my hero. I don't know how I could ever pay you back for this." She placed a paw on his arm.

Nick leaned back on her bed, staring at the wall. He seemed to be taking in all the words she had said, because he was still silent. When he finally opened his mouth, his voice was soft, gentle.

"You've already paid me back, Carrots. Back when we first met."

When we first met? "What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

Nick held up his hand. "Fifteen dollars for a jumbo pop."

It took a moment, but then it finally hit her. She focused on his face. He was smiling. Not his usual smirk, but a sincere smile. She rubbed her eyes, unable to stop herself from smiling with him.

"I'm pretty sure what you've done for me is worth much more than fifteen dollars."

"You're right, it's probably sixteen. It's okay, Carrots. You can pay me back next time." He winked.

Judy couldn't help but laugh. Even in such an emotionally vulnerable moment, he was still able to joke around. That's just how he was, she supposed.

"You're the best friend I've ever had, Nick. We're…still friends, right?" she asked.

Nick looked at the bunny in front of him. He held out a hand, still smiling.

"Yeah, we're still friends."

Not many things caught Nick Wilde off-guard. Years of experience and cynicism had made him a difficult one to fool. But he never expected what Judy did next. Her hand moved to meet his. He expected her to shake it earnestly, maybe sniffle a little while she was at it, wiping tears from her eyes and claiming she wasn't crying while he teased her.

But her hand moved past his, and went straight around his waist. She practically lunged at him, throwing her upper body around his and wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight, affectionate hug.

Nick could only let out a breathless whimper.

His outstretched hand continued to hang in midair, frozen in shock, along with the rest of his body. Judy nuzzled her head against his chest, making him shudder slightly.

"I'm so glad I got to know you, Nick. I'm glad I walked into that ice-cream shop and bought you that jumbo pop." She continued pressing against his chest, eyes closed. Nick's breathing was growing heavy. The little bunny was in a very intimate position; his nose was overwhelmed with a sudden rush of her scent. She was stirring something deep inside him. Feelings he had suppressed for years were now erupting to the surface.

"Thank you, Nick. For everything."

It was getting too much to bear.

"Carrots…you're welcome."

Something was rising in his throat. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He forced the feeling back down his throat, taking deep breaths through his nose. He was glad she wasn't looking up at his face.

Ever so slowly, he moved his arms around her body, gently petting her back and lowering his chin on her head. Her fur tickled his lightly, bringing back memories of a similar hug earlier in the day. He didn't say anything this time though, instead letting the moment pass in a knowing silence.

In that moment, Nicholas Wilde was content.

But as he knew all too well, good things didn't last forever, and soon Judy broke the hug that connected them both. She suddenly seemed a little flustered, a little hesitant. But she looked happy. And seeing her that way made him happy as well. He looked down at Judy's leg, which was still neatly wrapped in bandages.

"Hey, Carrots, I've got an idea. How about I buy breakfast for us tomorrow? We can have it here, and then I'll bring you around Zootopia on a tour. I bet you haven't actually seen much since you came here, since you're a complete workaholic. How does that sound?"

He could almost see the bunny's eyes light up like Christmas lights.

"Nick, that sounds great! But, uh, I don't think I'll be able to walk by tomorrow…"

"Leave that to me. I know some people." He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts list. "Okay, it's still not too late. I'll go first, Carrots. I'll settle the stuff by tonight, and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

With that, Nick got up, smiling at Judy before heading towards the door. As his paw grasped the doorknob, he heard Judy get off the bed, leaning on her good leg.

"Nick!"

The fox froze. He turned halfway, looking back at her.

"Yeah?"

He saw her bite her lip. She was thinking of saying something, but something was holding her back. He tried his best to maintain his expression, keeping his breathing rate steady.

"…no. It's nothing, Nick," she finally said. Her usual cheerful expression returned to her face. "See you tomorrow!"

Nick managed a smile back as he pulled open her apartment door. He took one last look at the rabbit standing in the room, before he shut the door quietly behind him. The moment he did, he marched briskly out of the building and turned the corner, slipping his hands into his pockets and keeping his head low.

The night was cool and windy—Nick definitely felt Savannah Central had the best weather of the different districts. As he made his way back to the bridge that he stayed under, he found himself in deep thought. Memories were playing in his head like a broken record, again and again and again.

"I learnt two things that day. One, I was never going to let anyone see that they got to me."

"And…two?"

"If the world's only going to see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy, there's no point in trying to be anything else."

"Nick, you're so much more than that."

He didn't believe it at the time. Or maybe he did, all this while, in a deep part inside of him. She was the only one. The only one who believed that he could have been more than just a sly fox. That was why it hurt so much after that press conference. If it were anyone else, he would have never spoken to them again after that.

But he had forgiven her.

He shouldn't have, seeing how badly she'd ruined their friendship. It had hurt a lot, too. More so than anything else anyone had said to him for a long time. And yet, after seeing her heartfelt breakdown under the bridge, the way she cried and apologised…it was the most honest, sincere thing anyone had ever said to him. She didn't try to defend her actions in the slightest, instead looking for a way to redeem herself. After all that she'd said, there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to forgive her. And when he did, he felt an unexplainable rush of joy through his chest. No, it wasn't unexplainable. He was happy that he had his friend back.

"You're a hero, Nick. You're my hero."

He looked down at his arm. He imagined her paw there, like on the sky tram, and just a while ago. Even though he tried his hardest not to, he liked it. And that hug, that nuzzle, had been the straw that broke the camel's back. It wasn't like the one earlier that day, under the bridge. This time, the hug was closer, more intimate, more caring. No one had ever hugged him like that ever since his mom did, many years ago. The little bunny reminded him so much of her. Always believing in him, telling him to never give up.

"I knew it. You really are so much more, Nick." Judy's voice whispered in his head.

Nick clutched his chest, breathing growing heavier again.

"You are the best friend I've ever had."

His mouth crept up into a smile. A real, genuine one.

"Thank you, Nick. For everything."

Not many things got to Nicholas Wilde. He'd trained himself to be cold, detached, to treat the world as if it was out to get him, ever since that night with the Junior Ranger Scouts. He'd always been able to control his emotions, but he struggled to do it now. He couldn't stop thinking of her words, her voice. No one had ever made him feel this way, or cared for him like this. He felt something welling up deep inside him.

Heh. You got to me, Carrots. You got to me good…

In the quiet darkness where he knew no one would see him, he felt a single drop run down his face. He wiped it away with a hand, realising that they were tears. Just like that night with the Junior Ranger Scouts.

This time though, the tears were tears of joy.

He finally had a true friend.

Nick…

Judy stood quietly in her room, leaning on her good leg. She relaxed her hands, not realising that they were clenched tightly, and sighed.

I should have asked him.

Her eyes fell to the table in front of her. More specifically, the drawer under the table. Nervously leaning forward, she grabbed the handle and gently pulled it open, hoping that the landlady hadn't cleared out its contents. When she had quit her job at the ZPD, packed her bags and left Zootopia, she had decided to leave her memories of her time in the big city in that drawer.

And that included a small folded piece of paper.

Thankfully, everything was still there. The landlady had apparently kept to her word of not touching her room until the end of the month. Inside the drawer lay an assortment of items. An old field manual from her academy days, some old pieces of paper she'd written on while solving the Night howler case, a bottle of fox repellent…Pushing aside the papers, she saw what she was looking for. The yellow edges of the folded paper were instantly recognisable against the white of the others. She pulled the piece of paper out and unfolded it, hoping that it was what she hoped it was.

ZPD EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION FORM
APPLICANT NAME: Nicholas Wilde P.

Everything was there. All written in his neat handwriting. She looked all the filled blanks over, committing them to memory. Just in case she lost the paper and had to refill it for him.

I should have asked him…she thought to herself. I had so much time to ask him over dinner, but I didn't.

Nick had already forgiven her, and he had already said they were still friends, but she still couldn't find it in herself to ask. If everything was all good and well between them, then he should say yes, right?

But…what if he says 'no'?

The thought sent shivers straight up Judy's spine. The chance was small, but it was there. There was a possibility that Nick would say no. What would she do then?

She shook her head, trying to push out the negative thoughts. Nick offered to be her personal helper for the next few days while she recovered! She didn't have a reason to doubt his sincerity. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself.

I'll ask him tomorrow.

But not before doing him a big favour to thank him for his help.

Okay, Judy, think. What can you do for him? What would he appreciate?

She didn't think he'd appreciate a soft toy or a plushie. No, he'd probably just tease her about it. Money was out of the question, too. She didn't have much, plus the guy probably made more than she could as a rookie cop.

"A rookie cop who got fired…"

"I didn't get fired! I quit!" she yelled at the wall. The wall did not reply.

She blinked, groaning. It was almost like Nick was filling in the spaces in her thoughts. She wracked her brain, going through a list of things that she could surprise him with.

"Mmph." She habitually began thumping her right foot against the ground.

"OWWWW!" the pain shot right up her right leg, making her jump a foot into the air, before she landed in a crumpled heap on the ground next to her bed.

"Bad idea bad idea…" she groaned.

"How do you even forget you're injured, Carrots?" his voice echoed in her head.

"Shut up, Nick."

"Hey, keep it down up there!" A loud voice accompanied some angry poking at the floor right below her.

"Sorry…" she whispered apologetically down the floorboards, slowly picking herself up and pulling herself back onto her bed. She looked around, half expecting Nick to be there, looking at her with his trademark smirk and making a wry comment. But he wasn't. She was alone in her small apartment.

"Dumb fox…" she muttered to herself. How hard could it possibly have been to think of a thank-you gift for him?

"It's no problem, Carrots. You can always pay me back in blueberries."

Something clicked in her head.

Blueberries.

She clapped her hands together. Of course! Blueberries! Nick loved blueberries! She berated herself for not figuring it out earlier. And she knew just the person to ask for a blueberry related favour.

"I never thought I'd be saying his name so soon…" she said to herself. Gideon Grey…

She pulled out her phone, but as she held it in front of her face, a thought occurred to her, somewhat belatedly.

I don't have his number.

The second thing that occurred to her was staring at her directly from the phone screen.

MISSED CALLS: 37

She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, knowing who the calls were from. It had completely slipped her mind since her phone was on silent. She winced, bracing herself for what she was about to see.

Mom…dad…mom…mom…dad…aaaand I'm dead. She groaned. Of course they would have tried to call me! I just grabbed their truck and drove off without explaining anything earlier…

She bit her lip. The clock on the screen showed the time: 10:19 p.m. It wasn't too late to call them, but she was not looking forward to doing so. They would have a lot of questions, and she'd have to answer them.

But she owed them that much, at least.

Bracing for the worst, she tapped in the speed dial for home on MuzzleTime, pressed the button, and waited. The phone began ringing. The droning was almost therapeutic at this point, after what she'd been through today.

Three rings…four rings…still no answer. She shifted on her bed to get more comfortable. Something poked out of her right pocket. Looking down, she realised just what it was. Reaching in with a hand, she pulled out a familiar red handkerchief. The blood on it had already dried by now, and in the dim light, it was hard to see that it was soaked with blood at all. She had completely forgotten about it, after what happened over dinner.

"It was my favourite handkerchief too…"

He probably thought she hadn't heard while they were in Bogo's car, but she had. It was only a split second, but she'd seen the look on his face when he said it. He cared about this little thing. Deeply. She had requested that the doctors not throw it away with the bloodied portion of her jeans. After a cursory wash, Doctor Morlez had given it back to her, although the stains still remained.

Maybe he thought they threw it away. But this was a good opportunity for her. I'll wash the stains off, and then I'll surprise him with it. She grinned, thinking of the shocked face he would have when he saw it. It would go well with the surprise she had planned for him. She did wonder what the story behind the handkerchief was though. There was an elaborate pattern woven into the red fabric, still visible—barely—under the red stains. She squinted, bringing her face close to the handkerchief to get a closer look.

"Judy!"

"AHH!" she yelped, tossing her phone into the air. She fumbled around, managing to catch it in her hands before she dropped it.

"M-mom?"

"Oh my gosh, Stu! It's Judy! Judy's on the line!"

Judy quickly righted the phone as her father came into the picture, pressing up tightly against her mother, as they fought over who got camera time. He began speaking even before they stabilised their end of the camera.

"Judy! You're safe! Oh sweet lord I was so worried…" she heard her father choking back on his words.

"Stu, Stu, it's okay. Judy's alright. She's alright. You are alright, aren't you, dear?" her mother said, trying to angle the phone, as if doing so would let her get a better look at her daughter.

"Y-yes, mom. I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't pick up my phone earlier. It was on silent."

"Where are you now?"

"Back in my apartment in Zootopia. It's late and I can't drive home, so I'll be spending the night here."

"Zootopia?" They both exchange glances. "What happened, Jude? You just suddenly drove off with the truck without telling us what was going on. Why can't you come home?" Her father said, finding his voice once again.

"It's a long story, dad."

"Could you tell us?" He asked. Both parents were staring her down now worriedly.

Judy took a deep breath. Okay, just let them in on it gently.

"Well, remember the whole Night howler problem I was trying to solve in Zootopia? The whole 'predators going savage' thing? Thanks to you two, I figured out what it was. It was the toxic flowers you use to keep the bugs out. Someone was taking concentrated extracts of the Night howlers and darting predators to make them go savage. I had to go back to solve the case."

There was a moment's pause. Stu went out of the picture, only to reappear a moment later.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Stu held up a bright phone screen to the camera. Judy squinted.

"Mayor Bellwether arrested after being connected with the savage…wait, it's news already?!"

"See? I told you, hon! I knew Judy had something to do with all these big incidents!"

"Judy! Are…are you okay?" her mom asked, her brow furrowing. "Did something happen to you?"

Judy gulped.

"Yeah, I kinda got involved in the incident. I injured my leg, so I can't drive the truck back for a while. I'll have to wait till my leg hea—"

"You got injured?! How? When? Where? Why?" Both parents yelled in tandem, making Judy wince. Even though it was a video call, she could feel her parents' overprotectiveness breathing down her neck.

"It's nothing…I just tripped while running. I already went to the doctor and got stitches. He said it'll be a few weeks before it recovers."

"Stitches?! Judy, how bad is the injury? Show us!" Stu demanded.

They might as well have been down her throat at that point. "Yeah, okay. Gimme a sec. I'll point the camera at it now."

She turned her camera over and pointed it at her bandaged leg.

"Oh, that doesn't look so baduuuuuaghhh…" Her father's voice trailed off, followed by a loud thump.

"Dad fainted, didn't he?" Judy deadpanned, turning the phone over.

"Hey everyone! Daddy's on the ground!" A high-pitched squeak came through the speakers.

"Wheeeeee!" Judy heard the loud thumps of what could only be her younger siblings bounding across the room and piling on their father.

"Kids, don't squish your father." Bonnie's voice cut through the air.

"Aww…"

Bonnie's face returned to the screen.

"Your dad will be fine. We're more concerned about you, Judy. The injury looks quite bad…"

"It'll be okay. I've been through worse."

"…so we're going to be over tomorrow morning to bring you home."

"Oh, that sounds great…wait, what?"

"Yes, we'll take the train to get to you, then we'll take the truck to bring you back home. That sounds like a plan. Let's see, I think there's an early train at seven…"

"Mom, it's okay! I'm…I'm not going home. I want to stay. In Zootopia."

Bonnie blinked, taken aback. Judy's ears drooped. She had been dreading this part. This was going to be hard to explain to them.

Her mom seemed deep in thought. Finally, she spoke up.

"Did you get a boyfriend, Judy?"

Never had the heat rushed so fast to Judy's ears. Her droopy ears stood up straight in a second, while her eyes widened in disbelief. She clenched her hands tightly around the phone.

"No I didn't!"

"It's okay if you did, dear. Your father and I won't be mad at you. It's about time you found one and settl—"

"Mom. I do not have a boyfriend, alright?" Judy said slowly, emphasising each word.

"Alright, honey. But you should get one sometime. You're already twenty-four, for goodness sake. By that age, your father and I—"

"Yes, yes I know!" Judy quickly cut her off. She had no desire to hear that story again. "I'll think about it, mom." In a million years, maybe.

"But you sound a lot better. I hope everything is okay with you."

She scratched her chin awkwardly.

"Yes. Sorry for being upset earlier today, mom. Thanks for picking me up. I needed it."

"That's what parents are for, sweetie. I'm just glad that you're happy again. Me and your dad will still be there tomorrow morning."

"You really don't have to. You've both done enough for me already."

"Well, what are you going to wear tomorrow, then?"

Judy winced. Her mother had a point. She basically only had the clothes on her back as it stood. She had nothing else with her other than her wallet and phone, and the keys to the family truck.

"Well that settles it then," Bonnie said triumphantly. "I'll pack all your stuff for you then. Let's see, clothes, your soft toys…oh, this is so exciting! Stu, wake up! We're going to Zootopia tomorrow to see Judy!"

"Huh, what? We are? Whoo hoo!" his voice echoed through the phone.

Judy couldn't help but smile. It seemed like her parents were looking for any excuse to come visit her. Not that she didn't appreciate it.

"Mom?"

"Oh, yes, sweetie?"

"I'd like to ask a favour. You work with Gideon Grey now, right? Do you think you could give me his number?"

"Gideon? Oh, sure I can. What do you need his number for?"

Before Judy could respond, there was a loud crash on the other end. She heard an exasperated sigh from her mother, which she knew could only mean one thing.

"They broke the vase again, didn't they?"

"It wasn't me!" A chorus of squeaky voices called out.

"Heh, I miss them already," Judy said, a little wistfully.

"They miss you too. Especially little Kyra. She was sad you didn't say goodbye today when you left. Quite a few of them are." Her mother replied.

Now she felt bad. "Thanks for the guilt trip, mom."

"You're welcome, dear. I'll send you the number in a message. Don't get your stitches wet, alright? And elevate your leg when you sleep. See you tomorrow. Judy!"

"Bye, mom." She gave a little wave before the call dropped. She heaved a sigh of relief. That went better than expected. In truth, she was really glad that they were coming. Now she just had to contact Gideon, ask him whether he could deliver some blueberry pies to her house, and then everything would be good.

She flopped back onto her head, exhausted. She wasn't sure if it was the day's events, or the medicine that was making her so. Maybe it was both. Whatever it was, she was glad the day was over. The rickety bed felt like a soft cloud at that point, and the moment she was lying on her back, she found her eyes struggling to stay open. Sleep was probably a good idea right about now.

Okay, tomorrow mom and dad will be here in the morning. Nick will also be here for breakfast. Then I'll ask him about joining the Z—

Her eyes shot open.

Nick and my parents are going to be here at the same time tomorrow.

A chill ran down her spine.

Nick is going to meet my parents.