Disclaimer: Zootopia and all related characters are owned by Disney. All other characters, product names, trademarks, and copyrights, belong to their respective owners.

…..

It was mid-morning when Finn finally pulled up, and now he and Nick stood talking in front of Nick's building. Nick had an old suitcase and a backpack sitting next to him on the sidewalk where he'd left them while waiting for Finn to arrive with his dad's car.

Nick had packed up everything he needed last night. Packing had been pretty easy since he'd only been in his place for a little while and didn't really own much yet. He did make sure to take most of his Pawaiian shirts though, besides being pretty comfortable, he loved the eye rolls he got from Judy whenever he wore one.

"Thanks for taking care of my dad's car, Finn, no way did I have enough time last week to get her serviced and ready to go." Rubbing a paw over the soft top of the old red convertible, he thought of how much fun it used to be when his dad would take him out for a ride. "Never thought I'd hear her run again."

Finn huffed, "Yeah, and never in my wildest dreams, did I think you'd ever drive her either."

Nick went silent as he continued to look at the car and think about his dad.

"You know your dad would've wanted you to have his car years ago, right?"

Walking to the back of the car, Nick nodded slightly acknowledging Finn's comment, and then asked his friend, "Were they able to mount the lockbox in the trunk?" Lifting the trunk lid, he saw Finn nod.

"Yup, just like you wanted."

As Nick examined the trunk, Finn took a look around and asked with a smirk, "So, where's your bunny-girl? I assumed she'd be here to see you off with hugs and kisses."

Sighing, Nick replied, "She's pissed at me."

Finn laughed, "Still or again?"

"Again. Carrots blew up yesterday when she found out about me going to Bunnyburrow. I texted her a few times last night and this morning, but I don't think she's talking to me right now."

"Really! Is there anything I can do so you'll stop talking to me? I mean with all the crazy-ass things you've asked me to do over the last week, I'd kinda enjoy never hearing from your sorry tail again."

"Thanks, love you too."

Finn stopped chuckling and got a little more serious, "Alright, Nick, I've got to know, what are you planning on doing once you get to Bunnyburrow. I know the Mayor has a few events she's thinking about having you do like visiting some kits in the hospital, spending time at a community center, and hosting an outdoor picnic, but those are all pretty standard. What do you have planned? How are you going to scam them into letting you and the Cottontail get together?"

Nick lifted his nose and with a faux attitude replied, "What do you mean, I will not stoop so low as to scam anyone into doing anything."

Finn pursed his lips, "Right. I'm thinkin' you're gonna stop at Frankie's on the way out of town and pick up a load of surveillance gear and set up for a little blackmail. Catch a couple of councilors with their pants down while interviewing a new secretary, or maybe a drug sting, or catch them in a price-fixing scheme trying to corner the market on celery. It might take a while to get enough dirt on everyone, but that could work."

Nick rolled his eyes, "No Finn, I'm not going to blackmail anyone."

Finn scratched his head and looked a little worried, "You're not gonna try bribing everyone, are you? Even if we let outsiders in on the charity, I don't think we'd be able to raise enough cash to keep a whole town council in check. I suppose if you record them taking the bribes that could work, but bribing people is expensive and if one mammal goes soft on you, the whole scheme falls apart."

"Finn, be serious, I'm not bribing anyone either."

Finn looked at his friend and grinned, "A mammal after my own heart, you're going to go old school on them. Break a few legs, maybe a finger or two accidentally get chopped off in a 'tractor accident.' Better yet, talk Mr. Big into sending Kevin and Raymond to Bunnyburrow. They can be very persuasive. You set up a few private 'meetings' between them and the right council members and I bet the rest of the town council changes its attitude toward preds in a heartbeat."

Nick put his paws up, "Finn, stop it. I'm not going to threaten anyone and I'm sure as hell not going to call Mr. Big for any kind of help. This is my deal and I'm going to handle it my way."

"Fine, then tell me what the hell you plan on doing when you get there."

Nick took a breath and nodded, "Alright. Bunnyburrow has never had a predator working in the sheriff's office before, so this is my opportunity to show the town that predators, even foxes, are decent mammals. I'm not going to do any of the crazy stuff you just said because I'm going into this as ZPD Officer Nick Wilde, no scams, no schemes, just me."

Finn started to interrupt Nick to tell him he was an idiot when Nick put a paw up to stop him. "Look Finn, I'm in this for the long haul. I need to change hearts and minds the right way, anything like you suggested would eventually come back to bite me in the tail, or get me thrown in jail, and that doesn't solve my problem. I promise I'm not going into this blind, but going forward I have to be careful what I do."

"And getting to hook up with your bunny-girl, how's that going to work?"

Nick shook his head at his crass friend, "After five or six weeks of showing the town that I'm a decent mammal, I'll figure out a way to introduce myself to Judy's parents and convince them to let me court their daughter."

Nick quickly lifted his paw again to stop Finn from laughing. "I know it sounds weak, but there's nothing I can do about that right now. I need some time in Bunnyburrow to get the lay of the land and come up with a solid plan for talking with Judy's parents. Once I do that, I'll set up the meet and go from there."

Finn sighed, "Are you sure you don't want my baseball bat, I really think that would be easier."

Nick laughed and then put his backpack in the back seat of the car and his suitcase in the trunk and then slipped behind the wheel and adjusted the seat and mirrors to fit him instead of Finn.

Once Nick was settled, Finn came up and leaned against the window frame. "Good luck, I think you're an idiot, but I hope this works out for you."

Nick gave Finn a quick salute. "Thanks, buddy. I'll see you in a couple of months."

Nick started the car and then pulled out his phone. He checked to see if Judy had replied to any of his texts. Nothing. She must still be mad at him. Tapping a claw on the Zoogle maps app, he saw it was going to take almost four hours to drive to Bunnyburrow. Best get moving, the sooner he got there, the sooner he'd be able to work some magic and get his bunny back.

…..

Judy had a stern look on her face as she sat in her bullpen chair waiting for the Chief to start the meeting. She was still stewing from yesterday and everyone in the room was giving her a wide berth. By unspoken agreement, her coworkers felt it was best that the bunny's wrath stay focused on Wilde, no one else wanted to be caught in the blast radius.

Judy grimaced as she felt her phone vibrate. Without looking, she knew it was a text from Nick. She'd refused to answer his texts last night and she vowed to not look at anything he sent her today. Judy focused on the empty podium and watched the second hand of the clock move glacially slow toward the start time of the meeting.

Her phone vibrated again. Judy looked up in exasperation and gritted her teeth. 'I will not look.' The clock ticked again. She folded her arms tightly across her chest and clenched her jaw. 'I will not look.' The clock ticked. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited. She heard the clock tick again, curse her bunny hearing.

Her phone vibrated again! Sighing, she fished out her phone and looked.

I know you're mad at me, but I have to do this.

Don't worry, I'll find a way.

Into the valley of Death rode the Fox.

Judy rolled her eyes at the last text. Despite being angry at her fox, a slight smile tried to form on her muzzle. 'No!', she was mad at him and a few texts and a really nice kiss weren't going to change her mind, not for a while at least. As her thoughts started to wander toward other fox related things that weren't going to change her mind either like soft tails, green eyes, and claws brushing against her fur, she heard someone coming. Judy quickly made sure she still had a stern look plastered on her face and then put away her phone just as the side door opened and Bogo came in.

Bogo quieted the room in his usual way, pounding his hoof down on the podium. "Shut it, everyone." Scanning the room to make sure he had everyone's attention. "First up, you may have noticed that Wilde isn't here."

Judy could hear a few whispers.

"Hadn't noticed, don't care."

"Knew the pelt wouldn't last."

"Hopps looks pissed."

Another round of hoof pounding and the whispers quieted. "Enough! Wilde has been assigned to the Bunnyburrow Sheriff's Office. This assignment was a joint request by Mayor Ackerbunn of Bunnyburrow and our own Mayor Osborn and is scheduled to last two months. If any of you are approached by the media for comment, refer them to the PR department. Any questions?"

"A fox trying to police three billion rabbits brings new meaning to pred vs. prey. I'd pay good money to see an enraged horde of fluffy bunnies chasing Wilde out of town with pitchforks and torches!"

Judy grumbled as everyone else laughed. "There aren't that many bunnies in Bunnyburrow."

"Alright, everyone, assignments. Officer Collins, since Wilde is out and you seem interested in seeing enraged mammals, parking duty. Pawson, you and Hopps, patrol the west side, everyone else same patrols as yesterday. Remember to be on the lookout for any signs of the drug used on that caracal over the weekend. Dismissed."

Judy drove the patrol car as Pawson made himself comfortable in his seat. Pawson was larger than most wolves. Fortunately, the seats of Judy and Nick's cruiser could be adjusted to fit them or any of their medium to medium-large co-workers.

Pawson nursed a large coffee as he surveyed the street for any unusual activity. "So, Hopps…" Judy glanced at him, "did you and Wilde get things worked out from yesterday?"

Judy gave Pawson a cold look as a reply.

"Gotcha, how about the wolf minds his own business."

Judy huffed, "I'm sorry, it's just, complicated."

"Yeah, foxes can be complicated. I'm sure Wilde will be okay in Bunnyburrow."

"It's not Nick I'm worried about, it's everyone else. He's up to something, no way Mayor Ackerbunn just called out of the blue and asked for him to go be a deputy." Chewing her lip, she continued, "He's like a big kit sometimes and without proper supervision, there's no telling what kind of damage he might do."

"Proper Supervision?" Pawson asked with a smirk.

"Yeah," with a twinkle in her eye, she raised her fist, "Sometimes a little bunny flavored supervision is just what he needs."

Pawson reached over and with a single finger, he carefully pushed her fist back down. "I've seen how some of your sparring partners look after a bout, so how about we keep that in reserve for now."

Judy laughed, "For now."

…..

Nick pulled into one of the parking spaces in front of the Bunnyburrow Sheriff's Office. Nick got out of the car and stretched. The office faced a decent-sized town square. The square consisted of what looked like the Bunnyburrow courthouse and administrative building fronted by a large green space filled with trees, walking paths and a few vendors. The streets surrounding the park had not only the sheriff's office but several smaller government buildings mixed in with some storefronts all facing the park.

Nick brushed himself down and made sure he was presentable from the long drive. He wasn't wearing his ZPD uniform, instead, he'd decided to wear some comfortable slacks, a long sleeve shirt and a light jacket. Entering the office, Nick approached a twentysomething bunny doe at the reception desk. "Hello, my name is Nick Wilde, I'm here to see Sheriff Hoofson if he's available."

"Hi, Officer Wilde, the Sheriff has been expecting you. Have a seat and I'll let him know you're here."

"Wendy, that's okay, I heard Officer Wilde come in."

Nick turned toward the voice coming from an office in the back. A medium-sized brocket deer buck in his early fifties walked up with a hoof extended. Nick shook the Sheriff's hoof, "Nice to meet you, Sir."

"Come on back to my office."

Nick made himself comfortable as he and Hoofson chatted. Hoofson covered some of the basics of the Bunnyburrow population and the difficulties in handling an area as large and rural as a farming community. Hoofson emphasized that he wanted Nick to work regular patrols and perform the same functions as the other deputies in his office. Hoofson concluded by discussing the issues the Mayor was confronted with and Nick's role in helping to show the town's citizens that predators were as trustworthy and decent as any other mammal and that everyone regardless of species should be able to live and work together as one big, happy community.

Nick perked up at that and asked Hoofson, "Given that the majority of the mammals in Bunnyburrow are rabbits and considering the biases toward predators, how are interspecies couples treated here?"

Hoofson thought about that for a moment before answering, "Well, the provisions in the New Law regarding interspecies couples are pretty much the same as in the city, which means they can't be legal mates, so we don't see much of that kind of goings-on around here. I suppose behind closed doors it might happen, but I don't recall any of my deputies being called out to deal with any trouble related to that kind of activity.

"I will tell you there are a few small groups out and about that profess that rabbits should keep to themselves, but so far they haven't caused any trouble."

Nick quietly sighed, Hoofson had confirmed most of what Cassy had told him. He'd really hoped she was exaggerating, but deep down he knew she was too good of a reporter to let that happen.

Nick's thought was interrupted by a question from Hoofson, "Do you have a weapon?"

"Yes, sir."

"May I see it?"

Nick reached inside his jacket and pulled his gun out of his shoulder holster. Verifying the safety was engaged, Nick removed the magazine and handed it to Hoofson. The Sheriff turned it over in his hoof and whistled in admiration as he handed it back, "That's a mighty fine piece of iron you have there." Looking at the young fox, he added, "Should I be askin' how you can afford something like that on a cop's salary?

Looking uncomfortable, Nick replied, "Um, probably not, sir."

"I thought not."

"I'm okay with you carrying a tranq when it's absolutely necessary, but I'd like you to keep that weapon locked up for now. I want to keep your time here low-key. We do what we have to when we need, but with you being the first predator officer this town has seen in a very long time, I think keeping a more friendly profile will work better."

Nick was suddenly confused, "There's been a predator in the department before? I thought I was going to be the first."

Hoofson shook his head, "You're the first to work for the Burrow, but it used to be that the law was handled by a Commonwealth Marshall that would come through and check on things every now and again and I heard that more often than not the Marshalls were predators. As you can imagin', the locals never really cottoned well to predators with guns showin' up and stickin' their muzzles into their business, so the townsfolk were pretty happy when the Marshall service was shut down and a sheriff's office of their own was set up. Of course, ever since the department was created, it's only been staffed by prey officers."

Nick asked, "Any rabbit deputies?"

Hoofson shook his head, "Nope, never. My understanding is that not enough of the locals, not even the few vets they've had in town, have ever shown enough of both the ability and determination needed to become an Officer to support a local training program. So, even if they'd had a candidate, the Burrow would have had to send them through the ZPA or a Commonwealth program. As you rightly know, those programs wouldn't take a rabbit being as they're so small and all, so the department has always had to go and hire trained prey officers from outside Bunnyburrow."

Hoofson started to chuckle, "Well, none of them were determined enough exceptin' that Hopps girl you're partnered with in the city, she was quite the firebrand, always wantin' to help investigate things and make things right for everyone."

Nick laughed, "She hasn't changed a bit, best Officer in the ZPD."

Hoofson nodded and laughed, "I don't doubt it. I think that doe would've found a way to be a cop even if the MII hadn't passed and let the ZPA admit small mammals. If even a few of the locals had been like her years ago, the department wouldn't have had to hire from outside the Burrow the way it did."

Nick nodded, "That must have been tough to deal with the way I heard it used to be around here for everyone that wasn't a rabbit."

"You got that right, but the locals preferred prey officers enough that the department was able to make it work even though it was hard to keep a deputy here long-term. That all changed for the good years ago when old Mayor Burns made things right by getting the New Law changed for all the town's prey mammals."

Nick smiled and nodded, "Sounds like I won't have any problem then."

Hoofson coughed and leaned forward, "Well, let's hold on there for a second, son. It ain't all sunshine and roses for predators here in town and you being a fox, especially one in uniform, is going to rub a few of the local rabbits the wrong way just like it did, years ago, when those Marshalls came to town. So, I'll need you to be on your best behavior."

"That's my plan, sir."

Hoofson looked like he was ready to wrap this up, "Wilde, get with Wendy and she'll have you fill out all the paperwork to get you set up as a deputy. After that, you can call it a day and go get settled into your housing."

Nick nodded, "Will do, sir. I saw a motel on the way in. Is that where I'm being put up?"

Hoofson chuckled, "Son, didn't anyone tell you where you're staying?"

"No, sir. When Chief Bogo briefed me yesterday, he was a little, uh, preoccupied and never mentioned it. I figured I'd be staying at the motel, but worse case I suppose I can sleep in my car."

Now laughing, Hoofson replied, "Won't be necessary, the Hopps family has insisted on letting you stay with them for the duration of your assignment."

Nodding, Nick grimaced a little, "Okay then, a little unexpected, but that sounds good, it will be really nice to meet my partner's family on the very first day I'm in town, shouldn't be a problem, nothing to worry about, it'll be all good."

Standing up, Nick asked, "Uh, Sheriff, do you think Mr. Hopps still has his fox tasers? I was told he had a few of them a year or so ago."

"Don't worry, I've heard tell that Stu only breaks those out anymore when some disreputable buck tries to mess with one of his daughters and with you being a fox, we don't have to worry about that, do we?"

Nick just smiled and shook his head, "Of course not, sir."

…..

Between Hoofson's directions and Zoogle maps, Nick was able to find his way to the Hopps' farm. He pulled up the driveway and parked next to a dozen other vehicles in a gravel parking area near a large building. He got out of his car and checked to make sure he looked presentable. For the umpteenth time since he left Hoofson's office, Nick wished he was wearing his uniform. This was not how and when he'd planned on introducing himself to the Hopps family. Slipping the chain of his badge holder over his neck, he sighed, 'So much for putting together a plan.' Oh well, adapt, overcome, think on your feet, that's what foxes do.

Nick looked around, the house looked huge, it was two stories tall and went back a couple hundred feet until it backed into a hillside that seemed to be a little higher than the roof of the house. The house was painted in multiple different bright colors, pink, purple, yellow, light green and a sky blue. Nick wanted to laugh as he imagined how one of the suburban HOAs would react at seeing the Hopps' chosen color palette.

Walking up to the house, Nick saw that it had a wraparound porch on two sides. One side looked to be the front of the house, the other overlooked a groomed field of grass to Nicks left. He could see a large space that had area enough for two soccer fields and a baseball diamond. He also saw multiple pavilions and a large kit's play area with swings, a jungle gym, a play fort, see-saws, and enough toys to make any daycare facility in Zootopia jealous.

Looking off to the side without the porch about 100 yards away, there were three large barns. The doors were all open and he could see one housed a bunch of farm vehicles, another some storage and the last looked like it was a huge workshop. He knew that Judy came from a large farming family and he'd never been on a farm before, so this much open space and a house as big as a middle school was overwhelming, to say the least.

Nick steeled himself and went up to the front door. Standing on the porch he examined the door, it was obviously sized for smaller mammals, no way buffalo-butt or any of the larger officers were going to be comfortable walking through that door. Nick knocked on the door and then stepped back. He made sure his teeth weren't showing and his claws were sheathed. After a couple of moments, the door was opened by an eight or nine-year-old doe who stood frozen looking at him. Her eyes traced upwards and stopped when they settled on his face.

Nick gave his best toothless smile and waved his paw in greeting. "Hi there, are your parents at home?"

She screamed and slammed the door.

Nick winced, "Great."

A minute later, the door opened again. This time, Nick was greeted by a matronly doe wearing an apron and four bucks in their late teens or very early twenties standing behind her.

"Oh my, Ronni was right, there is a fox at the door. "Oliver, go find your father."

One of the bucks, giving Nick an unhappy look, ran out toward one of the barns Nick had seen earlier.

The doe looked at Nick and asked, "What can I do for you…" looking more closely at Nick's badge, "…um, Officer?"

"Good afternoon, my name is Officer Nick Wilde with the ZPD. I've been assigned to the Bunnyburrow Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Hoofson told me that…" Looking past the doe, Nick could see scowls on the buck's faces. "…that, um Mr. Hopps has offered to let me stay at your warren while I'm working for the Sheriff." His voice trailed off as he finished, "uh, if that's alright, ma'am."

Nick grew nervous as he silently waited a pawful of breaths for any kind of response.

"Okay then." Waving her paw toward the inside of the house, "My name is Bonnie Hopps. Why don't you come in while we wait for Stu to come and explain what's going on."

As Bonnie led Nick into the warren, Nick found himself in awe. As big as the house looked from the outside, it was absolutely huge on the inside. He could see a large industrial-sized kitchen with an enormous walk-in freezer and a pantry to die for. Off the kitchen, Nick saw a large office space and across from the kitchen was a dining area with enough space to feed a small army. He could see doors to the yard and hallways leading back into what he assumed was the hill the house was connected to. The amount of effort it would take to build something like this in Zootopia was unimaginable.

Standing with his mouth open, Nick still couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Mrs. Hopps, your home is amazing, I've never seen anything like this in the city."

Bonnie smiled and waved him to a nearby counter in the kitchen. Thank you, Officer Wilde, this warren has been in the Hopps family for generations. We're quite proud of it."

Leading Nick into the kitchen, Bonnie asked, "Would you like some water?" After seeing Nick nod, she filled up a glass and slid it over to Nick.

Taking a healthy swallow, Nick felt much better, "Thanks."

Bonnie smiled and considered the fox, "You said you're with the ZPD. My daughter Judy is also a ZPD officer, she works in the Precinct One office. Which precinct do you work at?"

Nick chuckled, "Actually Mrs. Hopps, I work with your daughter. Judy and I are partners on the force, have been since I graduated from the ZPA about six months ago."

Bonnie gasped, "Oh my, I remember that Judy spoke about her partner being named Nick, but she never mentioned that he was a…," she stopped in embarrassment.

"Dashing, debonair fox?"

Trying not to laugh, Bonnie shook her head, "I do remember Judy telling me that her partner's sense of humor took some getting used to. Sorry about that Officer Wilde, it was rude of me."

Smiling broadly at Bonnie, he replied, "Not at all, Mrs. Hopps, you're very kind for inviting me into your home and please call me Nick, I'm still getting used to the whole 'Officer' thing."

Smiling in return, Bonnie patted Nick on the shoulder. "Of course, Nicholas."

Taking another drink of water, Nick replied, "You know, my mom is the only one to ever call me Nicholas and she usually only did that when I was in trouble."

Bonnie, raised an eyebrow, "I seem to recall a story or two I heard from Judy about her partner…"

Nick tried to stare her down, but finally shrugged and gave up, "Yeah, Nicholas will work."

"It's settled then, welcome."

Everyone turned as Stu walked into the kitchen. The older buck seemed not to be surprised at all to see a fox in his kitchen talking with his mate and kits. As he approached the group, Stu gruffly greeted the animal he'd only invited to stay in his warren because he'd had no choice. "You must be Officer Wilde."

Nick reached out to shake the older buck's paw, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hopps, please call me Nick."

Stu looked at Nick's paw but didn't shake it, "Well, Officer, you can call me Mr. Hopps."

"Yes, sir."

Bonnie spoke up, "Nicholas said that he's working for Sheriff Hoofson for a little while and that you invited him to stay with us. I wish you would have said something, it would have given me a chance to tidy up the large guest room."

Stu scowled, "Bon, I didn't say anything because I have a space set up for Officer Wilde out in the barn. It's walking distance to the old outhouse and right near the rain-barrel shower." Pointing in the direction of the door, Stu said, "This way, fox."

Nick straightened up to follow the old buck when he heard an angry voice stop him from moving.

"Stuart Hopps, what are you thinking? I will not have a guest of this warren, especially a friend of Judy's, sleeping in the barn." Glaring at her mate, she motioned to Nick, "Nicholas, come this way, I'll show you to the guest room."

Nick hesitated, "Mrs. Hopps if me staying here is a problem I can stay in town at the motel."

"I wouldn't hear of it, that place is terrible, you'd be infested with fleas after one night. Besides, we have plenty of room here. Now come with me."

Nick, deciding that arguing with the matron of the household was a bad choice, dutifully followed Bonnie into the bowels of the warren.

Many twists and turns later, Bonnie opened the door to a small room. Flipping on the light, Bonnie surveyed the room and then groaned. Turning around, she brushed past Nick and yelled down the hall, "Colton Hopps, get your tail in here this instant!"

Nick looked around the room and saw a small dresser, nightstand and a little alcove with a hanger bar and a curtain. The room wasn't very big by city standards but seemed nice enough.

A teenager came bouncing down the hall and stopped outside the door. "Hey Mom, what do you want?"

"Look in here and tell me what's missing?"

Colton leaned around the door frame and took a look, "The bed?"

"Yes, the bed! Where is it?"

Without missing a beat, Colton replied, "Well Mom, a week or so ago a couple of litters were working on a project that was supposed to test certain principles of gravity and friction. After a few detailed experiments were conducted…"

Bonnie rolled her eyes while Nick snickered behind her. Nick decided to track this kit down later, he was apparently a mammal after his own heart.

"… the results showed that—"

"Where is the bed? It's the only one big enough to fit our guest."

"Um, all busted up and the mattress is shredded, sorry."

Laughing now, Nick interrupted Bonnie's retort, "Actually, Mrs. Hopps, this is great. A roof over my head, indoor plumbing, a few blankets to curl up in, I couldn't ask for better."

"Okay, if you're sure." Bonnie searched his face to see if he had been joking with her, especially about the indoor plumbing, but all she saw was a smile and honest appreciation in his eyes.

"Seriously, this is perfect."

"The bathrooms and showers are down the hall and dinner will be in an hour. If you need anything, just ask someone and they should be able to help. I'll let you get settled." Reaching up, she patted Nick on the shoulder, "Make yourself at home."

…..

Nick groomed his fur thoroughly and then used some of the fur conditioner that he had seen at Judy's place, the guy version of course. He spent extra time on his tail to make sure it looked especially smooth, after all, a fox's tail is their pride and joy. His mom always used to say that you could tell all about a fox based on how their tail looked. Nick made sure his claws were cleaned and buffed, took a last look at his teeth in a small mirror and then did a quick breath test, all good.

Nick had considered wearing his standard khaki pants and yellow-green Pawaiian shirt, but tonight was the first dinner with his host family and he needed to make a good impression. So, he decided to go with a pair of black khaki pants and a gray shirt. Lastly, Nick ran his paw over the half dozen neckties he had and picked the solid purple one.

Nick went over to the small dresser and contemplated the gift box sitting there. He'd put the gift together last week in the hopes that he would meet Judy's family under the right circumstances to present it, but he hadn't thought that it would be his first night in town. He grimaced, 'Oh, well, go big or go home, the worst that can happen is I have to leave.'

He grabbed the box, checked himself in the mirror one last time and opened the door to his room.

Nick was greeted by the gasps from three small, wide-eyed bucks. "A fox!"

Thinking fast, Nick went to his knees in front of the kits and looked behind him, "A fox, where?" Covering his eyes in mock fear, he whined, "Please don't let him get me."

The kits looked at the cowering fox and then at each other until one of the braver bucks tugged on Nicks shirt, "Mister, you're the fox."

Nick peeked out from behind his paws, "I am?"

All three kits nodded.

Putting his paws down, he looked at the boys, "Are you sure, I mean, isn't that a fox over there?" Pointing behind the kits, Nick's tail flipped around and tickled one of the boys as he had his head turned.

Giggling the buck grabbed his side, "Hey!"

"I think I see him over there." Nick's tail tickled another of the boys.

Spinning around the boy laughed and shouted, "I felt that!"

"I think you guys spotted a tickle-fox, very rare and pretty sneaky when they find young bunnies to tickle."

"There's no such thing as a tickle-fox," said the third buck folding his arms across his chest and stomping his foot down firmly.

"Arrrre you suuure?" Leaning closer to the buck, Nick pointed down the hall, "I think I hear him coming back." The buck squinted down the hall looking for any movement in the shadows. Nick's tail crept up on the focused kit and suddenly struck, tickling him all up and down his sides.

The kit rolled around in laughter as his brothers joined in. Pretty soon everyone was laughing and out of breath. Nick rolled back up onto his knees and introduced himself, "Alright you guys, somebody is coming for-reals this time. "

The boys hopped up and brushed themselves off. "Probably Janae, it's almost dinner time."

"My name's Mr. Nick, I'm a friend of your sister Judy and I'm staying here for a little while. Who are you guys?"

"I'm Scotty, that's Steven and over there is Spencer. We're littermates."

Nick, still on his knees, assumed a more formal pose. Even though the forms were only used anymore for special situations like tonight's dinner, Nick decided that it would be nice to greet these kits formally. He reached out and offered his paw to Scotty. The buck placed his paw in Nick's and with a very gentle two-fingered shake Nick addressed him, "Mr. Scotty Hopps, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Officer Nick Wilde of the ZPD." Followed by a slight bow and a silent sniff to memorize the buck's scent.

Turning to each of the other boys, Nick repeated the form. Having never been so respectfully treated, each of the boys looked at their paws for a moment and then up at Nick still on his knees.

As predicted, a doe turned the corner at the end of the hall and came toward the group of boys. The doe looked to be about Judy's age and had similar coloring except for the fur on her paws was black to her wrists and her face and muzzle fur were a solid gray. As she approached, Nick noticed that she was being trailed by another two kits in pink dresses, each having a bow tied around their right ears.

The three does stopped next to the boys and the oldest folded her arms and glared at Nick on his knees, "Harrumph!" This was followed by the other two does taking the same pose and expressing their own higher pitched Harrumphs.

Nick almost laughed at the amazingly adorable display. "Hi, I'm Mr. Nick." Waving at the small does.

The does gasped and hid behind the older bunny's legs.

"Sasha, Susan, he's just a fox, relax."

"Just a fox? I'll have you know that where I'm from, I'm known as 'THE FOX.' " Nick followed up with a smirk and a head tilt to match those of the girls.

Janae looked down on Nick, and with an ear flip to make sure he knew that he wasn't worth her time, replied, "Males."

Walking away she said, "It's dinner time, come on everyone. You too, Fox."

Nick stood up and whispered to the boys, "I don't think she likes me."

Scotty shook his head, "She hates all boys."

"Yeah, since Blake broke up with her, she's been stomping around saying she'll never talk to a boy again," added Steven.

Spencer snickered, "It's her own fault. I heard Blake said she's a terrible kisser."

"Yeah, and I heard that she drools a lot," added Steven.

"Gross," added Nick joining the snickering boys with his own chuckling.

Suddenly all the boys were stopped by said doe standing in the middle of the hall. Shaking her finger and looking directly at Spencer, she growled out, "I'm a great kisser! That dumb buck doesn't know what he's missing." Turning to Steven, she finished with, "And I don't drool, well just the one time, but that wasn't my fault!"

Finally turning her ire on Nick, "And you!" Tapping her foot on the floor, "Not a word from you," lowering her voice, "I know at least three good spots to hide a body, understand?"

Nick silently nodded and used his fingers to make a lip-zippering motion and then flicked away an imaginary key."

"Good."

With that, Janae stomped her way to the dining room.

Looking at the young bucks, Nick whispered, "Wow, since yesterday, I've had two Hopps does threaten me. Are all your sisters like that?"

All three boys nodded and Nick decided they best hurry to dinner before another doe appeared.

As the group arrived at the large dining hall, Nick paused, "Hey Scotty, do you know where I'm supposed to sit?"

"Way over there at the guest table."

Nick squinted and saw a small card table with a single folding chair set in an alcove away from everyone else. "Okay."

Spencer started bouncing, "Do you want to eat with us at the kit's table? It'd be fun."

"Yeah!"

"You can sit next to us!"

Laughing, Nick accepted the invitation, "Okay. I have something for your parents and then I'll be right over."

He walked toward the main table where Mr. and Mrs. Hopps were seated. As he got closer, the room quieted. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were on him and an equal number of ears had swiveled to hear what the strange fox was doing.

Nick took a breath and remembering the old forms he began, "Mr. and Mrs. Hopps, it is a vulpine tradition for a guest to honor and thank the Masters of the household for their generosity. As a sign of respect, I would like to gift you with a small token of my appreciation."

Carefully placing the box on the table in front of the couple, Nick added, "It's also vulpine tradition to offer to help cook a family meal as a way for a guest to participate in providing for the family. So, if time permits during my stay, I would like to do that if you're willing."

As he finished, Nick performed a perfect bow of normal respect, exposed his neck slightly, waited for a count of three and then straightened to face his hosts.

With an unmistakable scowl on his face, Stu looked at the box in the center of the table as if it carried the plague. As his eyes rotated up to Nick, he gave the fox tod a similar look of disgust.

Stu sputtered out, "We don't—," until the soft, but firmly wielded paw of his mate silenced him.

"What Stu was about to say is thank you for the kind gift and that we are happy to have you stay with us for as long as your assignment lasts." Reaching out, Bonnie picked up the box. "Isn't that right, dear?"

"Sure, welcome to the warren."

"Ooh," Bonnie had lifted the lid and was examining the contents, "Hibiscus seeds. Look, Stu, three different kinds, including Mutabilis, one of your favorites."

Seeing that Stu was still in his mood, Bonnie smiled back at Nick, "Nicholas, it's so rare to see anyone following the old traditions anymore." Nudging Stu with her elbow, "Please tell me about the spices, I don't remember those being part of lagomorph lore."

Nick sighed in relief. "No ma'am, they aren't. Many vulpine traditions involve food and cooking, so gifting spices is a way of offering to share a meal in friendship."

"I'd like that, Nicholas, thank you again."

Nick found the kit's table and as he walked to it, the noise level in the room rose back up to its previous level as everyone finished taking their seats. Nick pulled out an empty chair between Spencer and a young doe he hadn't met yet and sat down. He waved to Spencer's littermates and introduced himself around to the other kits.

The room quieted again as Stu gave the blessing and then the clinking of dishes started up as everyone started filling their plates and eating.

Spencer was on his left, but Nick didn't know the doe to his right. "Hi, I'm Mr. Nick, what's your name?"

The doe looked nervously ahead but didn't say anything.

Spencer leaned toward Nick, "Her name is Sunni, she's a scaredy-cat and doesn't hardly talk to anyone."

Nick smiled, "Well, I don't think Sunni is a scaredy-cat, I'm a very scary fox, so it's okay for her to be nervous, don't you think?"

"Noooo, you're not scary, you're funny," added Scotty.

"How about we let Sunni decide." Slowly placing his arm up so that she could reach it, Nick said, "Go ahead and feel the fur on my arm and tell these guys how scary it is."

The doe looked at Nick, nervous about touching the fur of a predator. Nick nodded and motioned for her to go ahead.

Sunni slowly reached over and pressed her dull claws into his arm fur and plied it like dough. "Soft," Nick heard in a bare whisper.

"Well, how about my ears then?" Nick waggled his ears and dipped his head down. He felt soft fingers brush his ears and he giggled, "That tickles." He heard Sunni giggle too, "Furry."

Nick looked the doe in the eye and scrunched his face, "Hmm, I know what's scary, my eyes." Nick spun his eyes around in circles and then looked cross-eyed at Sunni until she laughed, "Silly."

"I know, I have a scary tongue." Nick slowly stuck his tongue out a little and made a "thpppt" noise. He heard more giggling, "Eww, gross."

Nick smirked, "I know I'm scary, how about," Nick put his paw on the table, "I let you touch one of my claws."

There was a round of "oohs" and "aahs" from the table as Nick slowly extended the claw on his index finger, "If you want you can touch the side, but be careful of the tip because it might scratch you."

Sunni carefully touched the side of his claw and looked wide-eyed at Nick. Nick nodded with a smile and then Sunni slid her finger to the tip and gently felt it. She smiled, "Pointy."

She pulled her finger away and then leaned close to Nick's ear and whispered so only he could hear. Nick nodded and then slowly let his lips separate so that she could see his fangs. She gently touched one and then giggling, pulled her finger away.

"So, what do you think Sunni, am I scary?"

All eyes at the table watched as she finally shook her head, "Nice." A blush turned the insides of Sunni's ears red as all the kits laughed at poor Nick, the not-scary fox.

…..

Janae was sitting a couple of tables away from the kit's table talking with one of her littermates when she heard her older brother, Lucas, huff in annoyance. She turned to see Lucas shaking his head while looking at the kit's laughing at the table behind him.

Turning to Janae, Lucas grumbled, "Janae, why are you letting that fox sit with the kits? They're usually pretty well behaved, but with him around they're all riled up." Suddenly, the two siblings cringed at the high-pitched laughter of a young doe. "Do you hear that, even Sunni is being loud, she never misbehaves!"

Janae started to agree and then stopped. 'Sunni is being loud?'

As the laughter continued behind him and more ears swiveled around trying to figure out what was going on, Lucas grabbed the napkin off his lap, "If you aren't going to do anything about that damn fox, I am. Dad never should have let him in the warren, he needs his ass tossed outside right now."

"Wait, Lucas, I'll take care of it." Swinging around, Janae walked over to the table of giggling kits and with her paws on her hips and a neutral look on her face, she waited to be noticed. Kit by kit the table went quiet until finally, a snickering Nick looked up. "Uh-oh"

Whispers followed, "Mr. Nick's in trouble. Mr. Nick's in trouble."

As Janae turned toward the source of the teasing, Nick stuck his tongue out at the bunny in question. Janae whipped her head back around and glared at Nick, "Gotcha!"

Nick sucked his tongue back in with a loud slurp and smirked, "Sorry."

Laughing she asked, "How old are you exactly?"

Nick nudged Sunni next to him. In response, the doe giggled and raised her paws spreading her fingers and one of her thumbs apart. Nick looked at the wiggling digits and then up at Janae, "Seven?"

"Yeah, that seems about right." Snickers around the table caused her to shake her head and huff. "If you're all done eating, how about you guys go to the playroom and pick out a movie to watch, alright."

All the bunnies around the table started to shift until Nick cleared his throat and stopped them. With all eyes on him, he motioned with his muzzle to a buck across the table a few chairs down. The young bunny looked around with a 'What did I do?' look on his face.

"Timothy?"

Reaching down, Timothy pulled a stalk of broccoli out of his pocket. With a look of mild distaste on his face, he quickly nibbled it gone. When he was done, everyone got up to go to the playroom.

Sunni was leading Nick away with a grip on his finger when Janae put her paw on Sunni's shoulder, "Sunni, may I please talk with Mr. Nick for a minute, I promise he'll be right in to help you watch the movie."

Sunni smiled, "Okay" and ran to catch up with the other kits.

Turning to Nick, Janae looked him over and then put her paw out. "Nice to meet you, Nick, I'm Janae. Judy and I are littermates."

Taking her paw and giving it a gentle shake, he replied, "Nice to meet you too, Janae. If I remember what Judy told me, you're the oldest of the litter, then Jacob, June, Jackie, and Judy's the youngest, right?"

Nodding her head, "Yup, that's right. Judy's told me a little about you too. Of course, she left out a few details that might have been handy to know."

"Yeah, she's kind of forgetful that way. I imagine knowing about the red fur would have helped."

Snorting in laughter, "The fur color? Yeah sure, that's the detail I was talking about." Chewing her lip, Janae added, "Nick, sorry about earlier, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Chuckling himself, Nick replied, "No problem, wait to get to know me better and then you can yell at me, I'm sure we'll be able to find a reason or two by then."

Shaking her head and smiling, "Alright, I'll work on that, at least the getting to know you part. By the way, nice job with my mom, gifting seeds to your hostess is pretty old-school."

Nick looked in the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Hopps' table and remarked, "Yeah, some of us vulpines can be a little old fashioned, I'm glad she liked them." Nick added in a quieter voice, "I don't think your dad likes me though." Pausing to think for a second, he added with a slight smile, "Although, since he hasn't whistled up a mob of pitchfork-wielding bucks, I should be able to count my first dinner with the family as a win, don't you think?"

Janae motioned for Nick to look more carefully at some of the bucks giving him the evil eye. "Um, you seem to get along with the kits really well, so how about we call it a draw for now." Pointing to a hallway on the other side of the room, "Speaking of the kits, I think you have a movie you're supposed to be watching. And Nick, I'll be right in to make sure you don't stay up all night, remember you have a big day tomorrow."

With a smirk and a "Yes, Mom," Nick was off.

…..

Janae had followed Nick into the playroom and arranged herself on one of the couches where a good number of the warren's kits where waiting, not so patiently, for the live-action remake of 'Bunny and the Beast' to start. Nick claimed the extra-large couch in the center of the room and as he made himself comfortable, Sunni and her littermates all piled onto the couch next to him.

This was one of Janae's favorite movies growing up, the beautiful bunny maiden falling in love with the buck cursed to be a horrible beast until he finds someone capable of loving him, how romantic. Halfway through the movie, Janae noticed that almost every time the beast appeared on the screen a few of the kits around her couch would filter over to where Nick was sitting and join that bunny pile. Toward the end of the movie, Janae almost laughed as the pile of kits around Nick had grown until every young kit in the warren was piled up around their new fox friend.

Now, with the movie over, Janae was standing in the doorway with her phone taking pictures. Nick was asleep with his tongue hanging out as he quietly snored completely oblivious to the pile of sleeping kits around him.

Janae attached the pictures she had taken to a message for Judy and hit the send button.

Bonnie had padded up behind Janae and was watching her. "Were you texting Judy?"

"Yeah, I thought she'd enjoy seeing her fox partner in action."

Bonnie laughed, "Judy never said anything about Nicholas being a fox to Dad or me, did you know?"

"Nope."

"The kits like him," Bonnie said nodding toward the bunny pile.

"Yeah" Janae nodded her head, "You know, tonight's the first night I've seen Timothy actually eat his broccoli without putting up a big fuss and Sunni's said more in three hours than in the last month."

Bonnie's thoughts went back to the phone call with Judy and how upset she'd been. It had only been a few days, but Bonnie was a mom and she worried about every one of her kits. "Janae, you talk with Judy more than anyone else, do you think Nicholas is truly a good friend of hers or just someone she spends time with at work? I'm wondering because Judy hasn't ever really had much in the way of close friends and I've been a little worried about her lately."

Janae snorted at her mom's question, "Mom, over the last year, I can barely remember a text or call that she didn't mention her 'goof-ball' partner, even when he was at the academy, so yeah, it's safe to say they're really good friends."

Bonnie smiled as the wheels began to turn, "Good, maybe I can get him to share a little info on your sister." Bonnie patted her daughter on the shoulder, "Well, let's get all these kits, including the big red one, into their beds."

…..

Judy was lying in her bed looking at the ceiling as she tried to fall asleep. The patrol with Pawson had gone fine, actually a lot better than with any of her other temporary partners last week. Pawson was a good guy and he didn't have a problem with either Nick or her, he'd actually said several very nice things about foxes in general and Nick in particular. It was reassuring to know that not everyone at the ZPD was like Garrison or Schweinly.

Of course, Judy was still angry at Nick and that wasn't helping with her quest for sleep. Judy decided a new tactic was in order, she closed her eyes, took a few calming breaths and started listing the various punishments she was going to inflict on Nick when he came back. It seemed to be working as Judy's eyes grew heavier and heavier.

On or about punishment fifty-four, Judy's phone chimed with an incoming text.

Picking her phone up off her desk, she saw it was from Janae. Thanks for the life-sized fox plushie, the kits love it! Followed by a laughing bunny emoji and then more text.

Dad said he invited Nick to stay with us while he works for the Sheriff. Thanks loads for telling me your partner is a fox, might have been nice to know before he showed up. Any other secrets I need to know about? A new fur color or maybe a special buck in your life? – Love ya.

Judy cringed, she'd purposely not told anyone at home about Nick being a fox. She hadn't wanted them to freak out about her spending so much time with a predator. And what was up with her dad letting Nick stay at the warren? Judy shook her head and tried not to think about what Nick was up to.

Judy flipped through the pictures Janae had sent. The first picture was of Nick in the middle of a bunny pile, another highlighted him sleeping with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, which made her smile and laugh. 'What a goof.'

As she finished flipping through all the pictures, she started to get a doe-eyed look on her face and then groaned to herself, 'Aargh, I'm still angry at that carrot-picking fox, I'm not ready to forgive him yet.'

Slowly going through the pictures again and settling on her favorite, she felt her anger turn into a feeling more like butterflies in her stomach. He's so cute. Realizing what she was thinking, she covered her muzzle. 'A fox can't be cute!' Sighing, Judy closed her eyes in frustration, 'Sweet cheese and crackers, who am I kidding, he's darn cute.'