"Finally, I'm home…" the fox muttered to himself.

The sun had fallen lower in the sky, nearly setting over the fields to the east and blanketing the landscape in an orange glow. The breeze was light, but nowhere near a soothing extent for the exhausted fox. He climbed out of the police cruiser and grudgingly walked up to the front door, with every muscle in his body feeling like falling apart at a moment's notice.

It wasn't uncommon for Nick and Judy to work on separate days during the week, but the thought that it would be an easy shift was destroyed before the day was even half over. Stacks upon stacks of paperwork, training recruits that made Nick question who's running the evaluation tests back at the academy, and watching in horror as his phone slipped from his paws and tumbled down the stairs in pieces, leaving him with no way of sending Judy a text or watching a ZooTube video to break the monotony of grinding away at the paperwork. Even the miracle effects of coffee proved unhelpful.

Nick opened the door and was met with the cool air, the scent of the dinner Judy was preparing, and the rabbit's favorite music playing from the Zoogle Home speaker in the middle of the living room.

"Hey, Honey!" Judy called out from the kitchen while preparing dinner. The fox slumped over to his favorite chair and sank into it, exhaustion practically screaming from his posture and behavior. "How was work?" she asked.

A low moan was all he replied with. He could hardly say any more.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah, we had some new recruits today. Dumbest bag of rocks I ever had to train." Nick rubbed his eyes in frustration. "And lots of paperwork, and I dropped my phone down the stairs… wouldn't turn on anymore. I just wanna lay in the chair and die…"

"Aww, babe…" Judy stopped stirring the delicious-smelling pot and walked over to Nick's chair. She knelt down next to the chair and rubbed the fox's head next to his ear, right where he liked it. "I'm sorry you had a bad day." she said it a comforting voice and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "But I'm really glad you're home safe."

Nick couldn't help but smile at her. "Thanks, sweetie." he replied and kissed her on her cheek as well. Judy went back to preparing dinner, and Nick sat up in his chair, even though it ached. "Hey, where's Vic?" the fox asked.

"She had a field trip at school. She should be back any minute now." Judy said as she fetched some plates from the cabinet.

"Ah, okay. I was wondering why she didn't immediately jump into my arms as soon as I walked in."

Just then, the front door opened, and Victory walked in. "Thanks for the ride, Ben!" she called out before closing the door. Her face lit up with joy as soon as she turned and saw her dad. "Daddy!" she squealed as she dropped her backpack and ran towards the chair.

"Hey, sweetheart!" Nick said excitedly as she jumped into his arms. She landed dead-center into his chest, causing him to groan. But he was too happy to see her after such a long day to be mad. He even heard Judy giggle from the kitchen. "Have a good day at school?" he asked her with an empty breath.

"Yup!" she replied cheerfully. "Guess what I did today."

"What did you do today?" he asked with intrigued quip.

"I went on a field trip to the Zootopia Dance Academy and I got to watch the best dancers dance. One of the tigers even looked like one of Gazelle's!"

"Really? That's awesome!" A day did not go by when Nick didn't smile at his daughter. She was so full of joy and optimism, and it was hard not to smile, even if he was sore. She seemed to get to him in the best way, sometimes better than Judy.

"But that's not the best part. My school is having a dance competition in a few months, and I entered. And I need to practice my dancing." She climbed off the chair and started to tug on the fox's arm. "Can you help me practice, Daddy? Please, Daddy, pleeeaaaaaase?"

Nick looked down at her, smiling indefinitely. Yet he was reluctant to move, wanting to just stay in the chair for 3 days straight. She looked at him with those beautiful, beaming, baby-blue eyes that just make your heart melt.

"Vic, honey, your father has had a really rough day at work." Judy said to the raccoon. Nick raised his ear to hear her better. "Maybe he can help you practice tomorrow, okay?"

Nick looked back to Victory. Her beautiful blue eyes turned somber. "Okay…" she replied. The raccoon let go of his paw and turned away.

Nick's heart shattered. The way she said those words felt like a bullet. As she walked away, Nick spoke again.

"Wait…"

Victory looked back at him, seeming confused. Nick stood up with a low grunt. "Let's get you ready for the competition." he said to her. She immediately smiled and squealed with joy. They walked towards the middle of the room, and Nick took her paw in his and started to dance with his little girl as the music played. The way she moved nearly brought a tear to the fox's eye.

"So I'll dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew

Oh, I'll dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight…

And she'll be gone"

The sky had turned to a dim blue as Nick continued to dance with his daughter, but she had grown tired rather quick, so the fox held her in his arms while she slept on his shoulder. He moved slowly, rocking her back and forth to the slow music that still played. He closed his eyes and smiled widely, wanting to savor the moment as much as he could. Judy came up and rested her head on his arm. Nick looked down at her, and she looked up at him. She knew exactly what she was seeing in his eyes. It was love. It was happiness. Unmistakable bliss. And Nick saw something in her eyes too… contentment. Satisfaction. Delight. Nick was happy, and Judy was happy. This moment could not be more perfect for any of them. Judy stood on her toes and kissed her fox. After Nick returned the kiss, he looked at Victory, sleeping soundly on him. Judy looked to her too and smiled warmly.

"You want me to tuck her in?" the doe asked in a whisper.

"Nah, I've got her." he replied quietly as walked upstairs to Victory's room. He tried to keep each step as quiet as possible, so he wouldn't wake her. Inside her room was a bed, a dresser, a nightstand with a lamp and alarm clock, and a few posters on the purple walls. Chuckling to himself over the raccoon's goofy room arrangements, Nick laid the little raccoon in her bed and pulled the sheets over her. The fox's heart just melted at the precious sight of his daughter sleeping. He left a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You'll always be my little Victory." he whispered as he pet her ear. A tear of happiness escaped his eye, but he quickly wiped it away. Nick got up and headed for the staircase. He silently closed the door, leaving his daughter to sleep peacefully until the morning.

12:36 AM

Nick is in his home office catching up on some paperwork from the ZPD. The rest of the house was quiet, and the neighborhood was in dead silence. The fox could feel the weight of his eyelids every time he blinked. Despite how tired he was, there was still work to do. He stopped his typing for just a moment and sighed as he rubbed his sleepy eye with his palm.

He leaned back in his chair and observed the framed pictures on the wall. Pictures of his family, especially his daughter, Victory. He looked down the wall at the pictures when she was just a kit; when she was so small and helpless. Nick remembered how he vowed to always be there to protect and comfort her, no matter how old she got.

His eyes traveled back to the frame on his desk. Victory had just turned sixteen, and she was standing between him and Judy. The fox smiled to himself, remembering all the good times they've had over the years. His smile faded when he realized that she was almost an adult. Sixteen years felt like a week, and there wasn't anything he could do to slow it down. 'It all goes by so fast…' he thought to himself.

"Dad?" a voice quietly asked from behind. Nick turned around and saw Victory standing there in her nightgown. She looked like she couldn't sleep, and came up here out of boredom.

"Oh, hey sweetie." Nick replied quietly. "Can't sleep?"

"Yeah… You look tired, too."

"Little bit, yeah." He tried to hide the yawn that immediately followed, but Vic, as usual, couldn't ignore it.

Victory walked up to his desk. "You should get some sleep." she said to him.

"I've still got work to do, short-stuff," he replied with a small grin.

"Hey, I'm almost as tall as you, so 'short-stuff' doesn't work anymore," she rebuked with a sly grin.

"Doesn't matter, I'm still using it… short-stuff." Victory and Nick both chuckled. The raccoon knelt down next to her father and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I found a dress for prom I wanna show you," she said to him.

"I thought you weren't going," he replied, seeming confused.

"Me and Matt are going, but just as friends."

"Hmm. Alright, can I see it?" he asked.

Victory opened the browser on her dad's laptop and pulled up the dress she was interested in. It was a beautiful, navy-blue dress that went down to her knees with a thin layer going to her feet.

"Woah…" Nick was in complete awe, but a question entered his mind. "Wait, shouldn't you, like, try the dress on before buying it? Make sure it fits right?"

"That's how this site works, dad," she teased. "It shows all the nearby places where I can try it on, and take it home if it fits."

"Uh-huh… It… looks beautiful, darling."

"Y-you like it? You don't think it's gonna be too revealing or anything?"

"It's perfect." Nick said with a smile.

Victory smiled back. "Thanks, dad."

"Of course, sweetie." He kissed her on the cheek again, and she retuned the favor. The fox pulled her into a hug and rubbed her ear. The raccoon started to purr a bit, but she had another request for her father.

"So… prom's just one week away, and there's still one more thing I need."

"And what's that?"

"Practice my dancing?" She smiled at him, knowing he could never say no.

Nick smiled back. It had been a long time since he was able to dance with his daughter; even though that was just two years ago for a father-daughter dance. He remembered that joyous evening like it was yesterday. The fox then used his free paw to switch to ZooTube and play some calming dancing music. He stood up and took his daughter's paw in his.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Ready." she replied.

And in the quiet room with the nothing but soft music and the light from the screen, they danced just like they always had before. Nick could never comprehend the happiness he felt whenever they danced together. Her baby-blue eyes sparked with joy, and his green eyes were soft and comforting. He then remembered the song that played a long time ago when Victory needed to practice for a school dance.

"So I'll dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
Cause I know something the prince never knew

Oh, I'll dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight…

And she'll be gone"

Nick loved the way she moved; so gentle, yet carefree all the same. 'So much like her mother…' She twirled light on her feet, her soft pawpads almost echoing through the room. Despite how much she talked, especially to her dad, she always remained silent whenever they danced, almost like an unspoken rule. Nick didn't mind, though. He actually liked it that way.

As soon as the song ended, Victoria hugged her father around his chest. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime, sweetie," he replied as he hugged back and caressed her ear.

"Well, I should get back to bed now." She let go of her dad and started walking back towards the stairs. "Night, Dad," she said with a smile.

"Goodnight, Vic. Love you."

"Love you too." Victory quietly walked up the stairs. Nick leaned back against the wall, still smiling. 'I'm so proud of her… and so happy to be her dad. She'll always be my little girl.' he thought to himself. He turned back to the computer and shut it off before heading for his bedroom to get some shut-eye along with Judy.

"Always"

The evening sun flooded through the windows, illuminating the condo in an orange glow. It was cleaning day for Nick and Judy, something they did on a regular basis to keep the place looking nice. It took a lot of convincing, but that scamp of a fox eventually found it as appealing as the bunny did. He took to sweeping the kitchen, while she was wiping down the windows.

The fox then looked up at Judy as she wiped down the bay window on the east side, humming an old song. She now had a few minor wrinkles on her face, and the fur on the tips of her ears had started to appear greyer than the rest of her fur. But he still knew she was beautiful. Always had, even from the first day he met her. "Damn, has it been thirty years already?" he thought to himself. A smile grew wide across his muzzle. "Still feels like yesterday she ran into me at the ice cream place... I'm so glad she found me under that bridge."

"Hmm-hm-hm-hm-hmm, try everything…" the doe hummed to herself as she sprayed the window with glass cleaner and wiped it away with a rag. She looked out at the beautiful, grassy backyard, drowned in the glowing sunlight. There was a nice patio with a fireplace and few chairs, where the adults could sit and talk as they watched the kits play on the jungle gym. The jungle gym itself had a slide, a few swings, and a climbing rope. 'Victory loved climbing up there by the rope…' Judy thought to herself. Years of use had worn down the thing, but it was still strong.

Victory was now a grown raccoon living on her own in the city. She still visits and calls very frequently, but Nick and Judy still missed having her at home. They remember the days when she had friends over and they played on the outdoor playset, or when they invited co-workers for a night of fun and they brought their kits. So much fun, and so many memories… Now left in the past.

Judy looked to her left and realized Nick had been watching her, probably for a while. He was resting his paws and chin on the end of the broomstick, staring at her with a playful smirk and eyes filled with affection. She smiled back, unable to suppress it.

"See something you like?" the doe asked playfully.

Nick seemed to realize he'd been staring and smiled. "Oh yes I certainly do. Might I say you are looking as stunning as ever."

Even after all the years of living with Nick, he still managed to make her blush like when she was still in high school. "You know, flattery will get you nowhere, right?"

"If you count as 'nowhere' I will happily flatter you," he replied with a smirk.

"Only if I say it is."

The todd chuckled to himself. He set the broom aside and walked towards Judy. She set down the rag and walked back towards him. Nick embraced Judy, gently cupping her cheek in his large paw while Judy rested her dainty paws on Nick's chest. They remained still, just staring into each other's eyes, violet into emerald. In that moment, nothing else in the world mattered; only each other. Judy was the one the make the first move, standing up taller to meet Nick's lips with her own. Nick kissed her back while rubbing his thumb over her velvety cheek. Judy stood taller and wrapped her arms around Nick's neck pressing her small body into his soft chest; begging for more contact.

When they broke the kiss, they continued to hold each other. For years they had been together, seemingly brought side-by-side by fate itself. And through it all, they never stopped loving each other. If anything, they grew to love each other more than ever.

"I love you, Nick." Judy whispered.

"I love you too, Judy. I always will; forever."

They kissed yet again. Each one felt as amazing as first time they kissed, full of love and passion. Judy moved her paws to Nick's muzzle, gesturing him closer. The fox moved his paws to her hips and pulled her in, wanting more.

"How far are we going with this?" Judy asked, separating their lips for just a moment.

"Depends, how far you wanna take it?" Nick asked her.

She simply giggled. Not a second later, the doorbell rang.

"Aw, do we have to answer it?" the fox asked with a slight whine in his voice. "I wanna have some alone time with my buuuunnnnn."

"Hello? Mom, Dad, you there?" the voice from outside the door asked.

"Victory!" they both gasped excitedly. "Come on in, sweetie!" Judy called out. They both headed to the front door.

The front door opened, and Victory poked her head in. After another second, she fully entered the house, a wide grin on her face. "Hi Mom! Hi Dad!" she greeted in excitement. Nick and Judy rushed up and embraced their daughter in a family hug.

After they broke apart, Judy went into 'mom' mode. "So why the surprise visit? Nothing's wrong, right?"

"No, everything is great! I..." she hesitated "I have something important to tell you." she paused again seeming to work up the courage then in a final push she held out her paw.

"Oh my gosh…" Nick said, eyes wide in shock. On her paw was a beautiful golden ring with a shiny diamond embedded in it.

Judy barely held herself still as she hopped in place and tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. She squealed with joy and hugged her daughter tightly, while Nick stood still, his jaw hanging wide open.

"Dad, you're gonna catch flies." Victory managed to say between being hugged to death and her own tears. She held out her paw to her father, and he took it in his, observing the ring. "Dad?" she asked, seeming slightly concerned.

A single tear fell from Nick's face. He looked back up and hugged his daughter tightly, perhaps a bit too tight.

"I know, it's a lot to take in, Dad," she said, hugging back.

Judy looked up at Victory. "Well, who's the guy the stole your heart? Come on, you gotta tell us now."

"It's Matt! He finally asked me!" Vic was still getting hugged to death by her father.

"No way!" Judy squealed in pure delight and started jumping up and down again. "O M GOODNESS, that's so amazing, Vic! I'm so proud of you!" She then hugged her daughter again, along with Nick. The normally vocal fox remained speechless.

"She's getting married…" Nick finally spoke in a whisper.

"What, Dad?" Victory asked, looking the fox in his soft emerald eyes.

"You're getting married…" he said again, much more clearly. He turned to Judy. "She's getting married! Our daughter is getting married!" He picked up Judy in a huge hug, causing her to laugh. He immediately turned and picked up Victory as well, holding them tightly. Both girls laughed as the fox embraced them.

He set them both down and looked his daughter in the eyes. "I'm so proud of you. And just so…. so very happy…" The tears of joy were welling up as he hugged her with all his might yet again. "You've grown into this beautiful young raccoon, and… I could not be more proud of being a father."

"That means a lot to me," she replied, hugging him tightly as well. "I don't care what anyone says, you're the best dad ever. Always have been."

Those words never failed to make Nick feel like he was on a mountain. Nothing makes a parent happier than hearing their child say they love them.

"So, when's the big day?" Judy asked with a beaming smile.

"Six months from now." she replied. "There's a lot of planning to do, but we'll make it work. And Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" he asked, pulling back from the hug.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything for you, darling."

"I'll need to practice my dancing again. It's been a while. Would you mind?" she asked with a smile.

"Not at all." he replied with the most sincere smile she had ever seen. He took her paws in his and walked her to the middle of the room.

Judy pressed the play button on the radio and went to go grab the video camera. As the familiar song started to play, Nick and Victory danced slowly to the melody of the tune.

"But she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says, Dad, the wedding's still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh please, Daddy, please!"

The doe came back into the room with the digital video camera in her paws and a wide, loving smile on her face. She watched her husband and daughter in awe as they slowly danced together, while also trying to be as quiet as possible so as to not disturb them.

"So I'll dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew

Oh, I'll dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight…

And she'll be gone"

These moments were precious to Nick in a way that he could not have imagined. His little girl was all grown up; getting married. All the years, all the good, bad, and sad memories, they all seemed to fly by in a flash. It only seemed like yesterday that Nick was holding his little girl for the first time. Only hours ago, he watched her go to school for the first time. Only moments ago that she left home.

Nick never imagined all that he would have all the different experiences as a father, nor would he trade these precious moments for anything in the whole wide world. All he wished for was to be able to live them over and over again. Nick looked into his girl's beautiful eyes, while his own were filling with tears.

"I love you, Sweetheart. I'm so proud of you." Nick kissed her in between the ears as he lost his control over his emotions.

"I love you too." she replied, slightly choking on her own tears as she hugged him tight yet again. This was just another moment that they would share together, and Nick knew there would be many, many more for him and his Cinderella…

Judy looked on in awe, paw on her chest and trying with all her might to not cry like a kit. She set the camera down, and ran in and embraced her family, hugging them tightly.

Nick and Victory both pulled her closer, and the three embraced each other as one family.

A/N:

Hey, guys! Sooooo this story has been in the works for a LONG time now, and was only available through my DeviantArt profile for a couple months. Now it's here for you all to enjoy! ^^ This is based off the song "Cinderella" by

Steven Curtis Chapman and oh my GAWD it's such a sweet song! It took me nine whole months from start to finish with on-and-off writing, and I'm so glad it's finally done! :)

Special thanks to TheAssassin2 for helping me with some final story bits, especially the fluffy stuff (he's really good at that :D). And huge thanks to Qalcove for the incredible cover art. Please go and find her on DeviantArt, she totally deserves some favs and love for her amazing drawings :)

I hope you guys enjoyed it ^^ Also for my followers, Chapter 10 of Vicious Schemes is almost done, and Servant and I are hoping we can wrap that up soon and start on the next couple chapters. Until then, if you're a Gravity Falls fan, I highly encourage you guys to check out "Life" by servant1999. It's an AMAZING fic that Servant has put a lot of effort into and it's just a damn good read if you want some more GF mystery goodness ^^

Happy New Year everyone, and keep on shipping!