Hello folks! This is my first attempt at a Zootopia fanfic. Obviously! XD Anyway, so I just kind of wanted to touch on a couple of moments in the movie from Nick's perspective. Like the title says, that's our theme!

WARNING! SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

So, if you haven't seen the movie yet and you don't want to be spoiled, now's your chance to turn back!

Also, while I do ship WildeHopps SO hard, I couldn't quite make it happen here. XP Movie timeline and all. But, I certainly will drop a few hints in the fact that it will eventually go in that direction.

Plus, I always pictured Nick crushing first. ;)

I had time to recover over the past while, but boy, my mind was still blown. I don't think anything's ever blown my mind like this before. Not once in all my life did I feel like I was inches away from facing death. Didn't they say that someone's life flashed before their eyes when they had a near-death experience? Mine sure didn't. Whoever said that lied to me!

But even that wasn't on my mind right now. All I could focus on was Judy. She was trying to explain herself to that giant buffalo chief of police about why our savage panther magically disappeared.

It was only when she pointed toward me and addressed me by name that my attention was fully grabbed. She beckoned me with her paw, but I wasn't sure what to do or even what to say. Still, I came out into the light so the chief could see me properly. Not gonna lie, this guy's huge. He could probably squish me if he wanted to. And frankly, I wasn't gonna antagonize something WAY bigger than me, let alone a police chief.

The chief looked like Judy had grown a second head, "You think I'm going to believe a fox?"

I almost rolled my eyes at this, but there was no way I'd let him see that.

"W-Well, he was a key witness-" Judy started to say, sounding more desperate by now.

"Two days to find the otter... or you quit. That was the deal." The chief cut her off before holding a hand out to her. "Badge."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Judy wasn't kidding when she said that she had only two days to solve this case. But to quit if she didn't? What was up with that? As far as I knew, anyway, she didn't do anything that would've warranted getting fired. I felt a stinging feeling in my gut as I realized what was happening.

Judy looked mortified, "Sir, we-"

"Badge!" The chief bellowed, sticking his hand out further.

My heart fell to my stomach as I saw how destroyed Judy looked. This wasn't a matter of challenging herself to finish a case. Her job had been on the line. And I singlehandedly ruined it for her by wasting her time. Sure, I didn't know that at the time, but it didn't make what I did right. Even being roped into this with blackmail didn't justify it. Or if it did, I didn't want it to anymore.

This was insane, not to mention completely unfair. I looked at Judy and I knew I had to help her. Seeing her this sad was killing me inside, more than I wanted to admit. I almost grabbed at my chest, it hurt so bad. Not just that, but this bunny saved my life. When she had every right to save herself and not worry about me. She could've had this and yet she took the time to save me. After everything I did and said to her.

I didn't deserve it at all. But I wasn't going to make her regret saving me, let alone bringing me along. Judy didn't deserve this unfair treatment just because she was a bunny and had some bad luck.

"Uh, no." I said, inwardly cursing myself for not speaking up louder.

Luckily, the chief heard and looked over at me with a warning glare, "What did you say, fox?" He demanded.

Perfect. I had his attention. I didn't exactly feel crazy about standing up to a three-ton buffalo, but I knew what I had to do. I was not letting Judy leave here without her badge. "Sorry. What I said was, nooo. She will not be giving you that badge."

Now the chief was looking at me with disbelief.

A part of me was saying to shut up and run. But I was in way too deep to stop now. Besides, Judy was looking at me with surprise and yet hopefulness. Not gonna lie, my heart melted. Maybe I was just glad to be depended on for once. I don't know, but either way, I was gonna give Buffalo Butt a piece of my mind.

"Look, you gave her a clown vest and a three-wheeled jokemobile and two days to solve a case that you guys haven't cracked in two weeks?" I asked, going over to them now. I stared at him with equal disbelief and he just narrowed his eyes at me. Oh yeah, I was in trouble, but I didn't care. It felt good to help like this, especially after she'd done the same for me. Under false pretenses, but her defending me was plenty real.

I went on, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Yeah. No wonder she needed to get help from a fox. None of you guys were gonna help her, were you?"

Now the chief was getting mad, even stepping toward me while raising his fist, but I didn't care. He knew I was right and he knew this didn't look good for him. Nailed it. But I couldn't stop there, no way. I had more.

"Here's the thing, chief. You gave her the forty-eight hours, so technically, we still have..." I thought for a moment to make sure my calculations were correct. "Ten left to find our Mr. Otterton. And that's exactly what we're gonna do!" I looked over to see that a gandola was already approaching the dock, perfect timing. "So, if you'll excuse us, we have a very big lead to follow and a case to crack. Good day."

And with that, I just turned and walked away, not even letting him respond. Not that he could, anyway. I just slammed him down and he knew it. Judy followed me, at least after she tried to speak to the chief, but gave up. When we reached the gandola, I smiled toward Judy and stepped aside to let her go first. Con artist or not, I was still a gentlefox.

"Officer Hopps," I told her, knowing that it was going to make her feel better to hear that.

Judy didn't really look at me as she got in, but I could tell she was probably just overwhelmed by this. I couldn't blame her, this was one heck of a life-changing situation. But it wasn't just that, I bet she was surprised that I stood up for her. No wonder, I mercilessly teased her ever since she caught me selling those pawpsicles. I even outright crushed her dreams when all she truly wanted was to be a good cop. Funny, I could remember thinking just like she did a long time ago. It was hitting way too close to home by now.

I followed her into the tram, which pulled away seconds after I did. We stood on opposite sides, not saying anything to each other. Fine by me, I had a feeling she was going to start getting sappy and emotional after all that. Since she wasn't, maybe I didn't have to worry about it.

Still, I couldn't help wondering what she was thinking about. But anything I wanted to say just wasn't coming to mind. What could I say after what happened? Funny, here I was, a smooth talker, completely at loss for words. But maybe that was a good thing, I needed a few minutes to gather my thoughts. I was still reeling from everything that happened earlier. Not just that, but it made me wonder what was next. Not just for me, but for her, for us. I didn't even know. Did I want to know?

There was one thing I knew for sure. Judy was something else; completely unlike any other girl I'd ever met, vixen or otherwise. Even with her naivete, she was bound and determined to do her best at what she believed in. I didn't think she'd even last this long, but she took me completely by surprise since I first met her. She wasn't just some naive little bunny, she was more than that.

I couldn't even believe this was happening. None of it. Then again, I wasn't complaining. It felt... nice. Really nice. A very warm and welcoming feeling was coming over my heart and even my entire body. I hadn't felt this way around anybody in a long, long time. It felt so strange, but I guess that comes with the fact that I never had anyone like her in my life. My mother, maybe, but that was different.

My thoughts were cut off when I heard Judy's voice speak up softly. "Thank you..."

I barely glanced at her, "Never let 'em see that they get to you."

She was quiet for a moment or so, then asked, "So... things do get to you?"

"Well, I mean..." I looked off into the darkness of the passing rainforest, "not anymore, but... I was small and emotionally unbalanced like you once."

"Har har." I heard Judy say sarcastically.

Usually, this was the part where I followed it up with a snarky response just to make it funnier. And truth be told, a part of me did want to break the emotional tension going on right now. But for once, I just couldn't do it. The compelling feeling inside just wasn't going away and I wasn't ready to let it up yet.

"No, it's true. I was..." I thought for a second, trying to remember. I knew this was going to be painful, but somehow, I just felt compelled to share it. "...Eight, maybe nine, and all I wanted to do was to join the Junior Ranger Scouts."

Oh yeah, that memory. I could practically see it playing before me. Everything about it still hurt, at least a little bit. Yet, I didn't feel weird talking about it. If anything, it felt good. I didn't think I'd ever tell this story, not to anyone. But Judy was bringing it out of me without even trying. Whatever this feeling was, it felt so natural. Like I could tell her anything.

Was this what animals called trust? I guess it had to. I was trusting her with a big part of myself that I never told to anybody. Relaying the story felt, to a degree, a bit painful. But good. Judy listened the entire time, didn't say a word, and barely made a sound. It's as if as she wasn't there. But I knew she was there. Even without looking at her, I could feel her eyes watching me. It was almost embarrassing.

Yet, knowing she wasn't laughing at me or judging me helped a whole lot.

The memories slowly faded, which was a relief, I was beginning to feel a bit too emotional. It's a good thing I can hide them pretty well. I couldn't let Judy see me like that.

"I learned two things that day," I said, keeping my voice calm and even. "One, I was never gonna let anyone see that they got to me."

By now, the morning light was brighter and made it easier to see the rest of Zootopia coming up. Something about it was soothing, which I definitely needed right now. I looked straight ahead as the tall buildings of the city were coming closer, with the streets already loaded with cars. I don't know how long I was quiet, but it was enough for Judy to break the silence.

"And... two?" She prompted me.

I knew I had to say it, so it was time to let it out. "If the world is only gonna see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy-there's no point in trying to be anything else."

The truth of that hit me hard back then, and even now, still gnawed at my gut. But it was true, wasn't it? Why not give them every reason to believe it? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't be anything except a sly, shifty fox. I couldn't even go anywhere to get ice cream without being turned away.

"Nick..." Judy's voice reached my ears again as I heard her step toward me. "You are so much more than that."

She placed her paw on my arm, which sent electric currents through my body. Good thing I could hide it. But after a little while, she was lingering. Looking toward her, I slowly pulled away and tried to distract myself. Good thing I was able to hide it. Otherwise, I'd have been a blushing mess. It felt way too good. Her paw was so soft and warm. I never realized how much a tender touch could feel. I hated to admit it, but I wanted it there.

I had to stop it. I didn't want to, but I had to. This was far too awkward. I had to get my thoughts straight again. Just for now. I could thank her later, when I wasn't feeling so weird about it all. I had to focus on the case. It was weird, I wasn't in it to get that carrot pen back anymore. I didn't even care about it. I just wanted to help Judy.

And by God, I was going to do everything I could to prove that to her.

"Carrots!" I cried, turning back around. To my horror, Judy was on the ground, clutching at her leg. Whatever happened, she hurt herself pretty bad. Quickly, I picked her up, "I gotcha!"

Making sure she was safe against me, I ran toward the nearest light source that was located around a large pillar. Safe, at least for now, I carefully set Judy and the case down on the floor. Sure enough, she'd cut her leg, and pretty badly. This was not looking good at all. I didn't even have the time to realize that Bellweather, of all people, was the criminal mastermind. And was using Judy like a pawn. It made me furious, but I couldn't think of that now. I had to help her.

"Okay. Just relax," I told her, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my lucky handkie. "Oops!" Of course I forgot that I wrapped the blueberries in it, since they spilled out all over the floor. Still, I picked one up and held it to her, "Blueberry?" I knew it wouldn't help, but I guess I wanted to at least make her feel a bit better.

Judy barely looked at it and leaned against the case, hissing in pain. "I'll pass."

I popped it into my mouth (couldn't resist, I love blueberries!) and went to work at tying the handkie around her leg. At least it'd help her for now, until I could get her back to the station and get some medical attention.

Unfortunately, we couldn't relax for too long. We heard Bellweather calling Judy's name somewhere nearby. Right where we came in. I felt dread inching into my stomach, but I couldn't let that get to me. Not when I had to help Judy.

Before I could even move, Judy turned to me and held the suitcase out toward me. Wait. No... she wasn't thinking-

"Take the case!" She whispered desperately. "Get it to Bogo!"

She was. I couldn't believe it. Did she really think I was going to be okay with that? After all we'd been through? No way was I doing that. "I'm not gonna leave you behind! That's not happening!" I whispered back.

"I can't walk!" Judy whispered loudly.

"Just a minute!" I said, looking around myself for anything that could help us. But all I could see were the blueberries scattered around the floor. "We'll think of something."

Up ahead, we could hear Bellweather still calling out to her, blabbing about this whole ordeal. This was not good. She and her goons were going to find us any minute. Or maybe she already knew where we were and was toying with us. I wasn't sure, but I couldn't wait around to find out.

"I'll carry you, it's fine!" I said, trying to help her up.

"Nick, you can't!" Judy whispered, shaking her head, "The case and I are too heavy for you!"

"I'm not leaving you, Judy!" I whispered, trying to keep my voice calm.

She looked at me with shock, like she truly couldn't believe I wasn't willing to leave her. "Nick... I-I can't let you do that!"

"Yes you can! If I leave you behind, Bellweather will kill you!" I said, holding on to her shoulders.

"But we can't let her get her paws on the serum!" Judy insisted, pushing the case toward me again. "She won't shoot me with it-she's going to shoot you!"

I stared at her, shocked. "What?"

"Think about it, Nick. Even if she did dart me and I went savage, it wouldn't work! You're a fox, and a bunny going savage against a predator just undermines the entire scheme!" Judy whispered, pushing the case into my paws. "But since you're a fox and I'm a bunny-"

"She'd use me to kill you, since we're natural enemies and I'm a predator." I realized with abject horror. "To get you out of the picture and put me away."

Oh no. If that happened, I don't know what I would do with myself. It was a horrible image to even try to imagine. Killing Judy wasn't an option, but me going savage and killing her? I would cut my own tail off with my bare paws before I'd ever consider hurting her! No, I couldn't let it happen! This had to be Bellweather's plan. She was trying to corner us.

I looked down at the case now in my paws, then at the blueberries on the floor. Quickly, I opened up the case and took out the gun.

"Nick! What are you doing?!" Judy hissed, wide-eyed. "The serum is in there!"

"I know this looks crazy, but I need you to trust me!" I said, opening the ammo slot. The serum was right there, housed in its perfect little ball. Even though touching it made me wince, I took it and shoved it into my pocket. Then I picked up a few blueberries, replacing the serum with them.

Perfect. I put the gun back into the case and closed it up.

"Nick?" Judy said softly, her tone worried.

"Carrots... Do you trust me?" I said then.

She didn't hesitate, "Of course I do."

I looked at her, then placed the case back into her paws, "If she wants me to go savage, then that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I just need you to trust me. I won't let anything happen to you, Judy."

"Nick..." Judy uttered, looking at me with a mix of emotions. Then she smiled and put her paw on my arm, "I do trust you, Nick. Let's do this."

"Glad to hear it." I smiled back, picking her up, "C'mon, we have to get out of here!"

"Wait!" Judy stopped me, then hesitated. "Support me on my left side."

I nearly questioned her about it, but then I realized what she meant. Grinning, we then picked up a bunny statue and placed it into the light, hoping Bellweather would fall for it. Now we just had to get out of there.

This was working out good, we just had to make sure Bellweather took the bait. Then again, considering how she was acting, she was going to fall right into our trap.

"Here," I said, putting the carrot pen into her pocket, "You're gonna need this."

Judy looked at me, then nodded as we kept running. I looked around for anything to lead Bellweather right to us. A piece of metal, perfect! As we passed by it, I picked it up and dropped it loudly to the floor. I knew they were on our tails, so we tried speed it up at least a little bit.

We came into a room where there was a circular pit in the middle, mimicking a wild clearing. Behind us, Bellweather's henchsheep were giving chase and gaining on us. Even though it was our intent to get caught, this was not something we saw coming. One of her henchsheep came at us right from the side, way too fast for me to register, and knocked right into us. The suitcase was knocked out of my paw and went sliding across the floor. We went flying like a couple of rag dolls. Right into the pit.

Why did I see that coming?

Before we were able to gather ourselves, we could hear Bellweather's hooves clicking almost sinisterly across the floor above us. She was even giggling with glee. It sounded pleasant, but it sent a chill down my spine. I just hoped she didn't somehow have an extra dose of the serum on her. Otherwise, we'd be toast.

I reached over to help Judy, but Bellweather came into view, sneering down at us and carrying the case in her paws.

"Bunny should've stayed on the carrot farm, huh? It really is too bad... I did like you," she said, looking toward Judy with false remorse.

"What are you gonna do? Kill me?" Judy demanded, sitting up now.

I knew what Judy was going for, but hearing those words were still horrible to hear. Luckily, looking that terrified at least fooled Bellweather.

Bellweather laughed, as if she'd said something funny. "Oh, no! Of course not. He is."

I didn't even have time to react before she had the gun right out and shot at me. The blueberry dart hit me right in the neck, which did pinch me a little bit. But I had to play the part as I fell back and rolled over, clutching my neck.

"No!" Judy cried, rushing over and putting her paws on my back. "Oh, Nick!"

I had to hand it to her, she did sound genuinely upset. Good! If she was able to keep this up, we'd have this in the bag. This wasn't going to be a problem for me, I could act savage if I wanted to. I just hoped that Judy wouldn't be scared of me after this. It did have to look real, after all.

No time for doubts, I was putting my trust in her.

I could hear Bellweather talking into her phone, sounding panicked, "Yes, police! There's a savage fox in the natural history museum! Officer Hopps is down! Please hurry!"

Now Judy sounded desperate as she clutched at my back while I was writhing, "No! Nick! Don't do this! Fight it!"

"Oh, he can't help it, can he?" Bellweather said cheerfully, "Since preds are biologically predisposed to be savages!"

That was it, time to act savage. The only warning I gave Judy were my ears rearing back, my body rising up on all fours and letting out a loud growl. I even curled my lips into a snarl for more effect. Creeping toward her on all fours, I focused on her as she ran away from me. I broke into a run also, but was stopped short when she tossed a fake stuffed deer at me.

The diversion knocked me down, but before I chucked it away, I had an idea. Just to sell it more to Bellweather, I tore up and scratched at the fake deer. I felt bad for ruining museum property, but at least I wouldn't have to use drastic moves on Judy.

"Gosh, think of the headlines!" Bellweather went on, thankfully oblivious to our act. At least, I hope she was. "Hero Cop Killed By Savage Fox!"

I finished tearing up the deer, then turned my attention back to Judy. She was hiding on a rock within the fake tall grass. I didn't want to scare her, but I knew a slow approach would be perfect. So I crept in through the grass, growling loudly, as I listened to the exchange between her and Bellweather.

"So that's it? Prey fears predator and you stay in power?" Judy called up to her. How did Bellweather not catch on? You'd think that if I actually were savage, she'd do everything to keep quiet.

"Yeah, pretty much," Bellweather replied coyly, coming around so she could see us better.

Judy remained indignant, "It won't work!"

"Fear always works," Bellweather declared, looking at her wickedly as she poised the gun against her shoulder. "And I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way!"

I growled loudly, creeping in closer. To Bellweather, it was just me being savage. But it was really to warn Judy about my approach. Sure enough, she gasped and looked at me. She wasn't scared. Startled, yes, but not scared. I couldn't help feeling relieved knowing that she did trust me in this.

"Oh, Nick... No..." Judy uttered, backing away from me a bit.

I would've melted if I didn't have to stay in character. Something about her voice and the way she said my name, plus everything else, felt really nice. But I had to keep at it, just a little bit more.

I could hear Beallweather chuckling sinisterly. "Bye bye, Bunny."

That made me sick. I knew I should've seen it coming, but threatening my Carrots like that made me want to rip her apart. But at least it gave me more reason to growl, since it was directed at her, not Judy.

Speaking of Judy, I was right in front of her now, and I met her eyes. Any doubts I had about this plan were gone. Judy's nose wasn't twitching and her eyes weren't filled with fear. They were filled with trust. It was like our own secret language. She trusted me. She wasn't afraid of me. All the fear she was displaying was an act.

I had to hand it to her, she was a great actress.

To drive the point home and make Bellweather think she won, I lunged in and "bit" at Judy's neck. I didn't bite down or apply pressure so I wouldn't hurt her. Judy let out a squeal in response, like she was in pain. Or was it? Even I couldn't tell.

Not gonna lie, it did make me wish I could do other things to her neck right now...

I needed to get my head examined.

"Bleh..." Judy gagged, then I pulled away and looked at her as she added more to our act. "Blood! Blood! Blood! And death!" Now she lay back against the rock, crossing her eyes and lolling her tongue out.

I couldn't help smiling at her cheesy overacting. She was so adorable. I shook my head with amusement, "Now you're milking it. Besides, I think we got it." I think we got it!" I stood up, then offered my paw to help Judy stand up as well. I grinned up at Bellweather, holding Judy close to me. "We got it up there! Thank you, yakkity yak! You laid it all out beautifully!"

Now Bellweather was shocked and confused, even looking at the gun. Oh, this was too perfect. She fell for it! This worked even better than we thought. I just had to rub it in more. "Oh, are you looking for the serum? Well, it's right here!" I took it out of my pocket and held it out for her to see.

"What've you got in there? Those are blueberries, from my family's farm!" Judy said cheerfully.

Of course I popped one into my mouth, even making an exaggerated kissy noise, "They're delicious! You should try one!"

Now Bellweather looked furious as she slapped the ammo tray back into the gun. "I framed Lionheart, I can frame you too. It'll be my word against yours." She looked at us coyly, straightening her glasses out.

I knew what Judy was going to do next, but I didn't say anything. I was going to let her have this moment. Sure enough, she took it right away.

"Actually..." Judy held out her carrot pen, hit rewind, and played the clip.

"-and I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way!" Bellweather's voice played back.

"It's your word against yours," Judy declared, smirking at her. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart. Boom."

You know, I definitely don't regret rubbing off on her. Especially if it lead to something like this. We got her good and that's what counted.

Bellweather tried to get away, but that was when we could hear the heavy footsteps of the police coming into the museum. This was going to be way, way too good.

After we explained everything, one of the cops was tending to Judy's leg with a first aid kit. They took Bellweather away, while she was trying to plead for mercy, but they weren't having it. I smirked as I watched them practically stuff her into one of the squad cars parked outside. It was glorious to see the villain, so to speak, get her just desserts.

I turned and went over to where Judy was sitting and knelt down next to her. Her leg had been pretty badly scraped, but at least it wasn't critical. She'd be on her feet again in a couple days. Then again, knowing her, she would be running at the station's gym by tomorrow.

"You okay, Carrots?" I asked, putting a paw on her shoulder.

Judy smiled at me and nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay. It's not the worst pain I've been in, anyway!"

"Not being able to walk isn't the worst?" I quipped, grinning at her. "Man, I'd hate to see what the worst is gonna be!"

"Oh shut up, you!" Judy whacked my arm playfully, laughing. "You know, Nick, for pretending you went savage, that was really good! You even had me fooled for a second."

I blinked, looking at her with surprise, "I-I did?"

"Yeah. I mean, even though I knew better, it was still a bit of a shock." Judy said, chuckling a bit.

"I'm sorry," I looked away guiltily. "I was trying to make it look as real as possible but not enough to-"

Judy put a finger on my snout, shaking her head, "Don't you go apologizing, you dumb fox. There's nothing to be sorry for. You did what we planned and it went great!"

Giving a smile, I took her paw and pulled it away, but didn't let it go. "What can I say, you have to be a good actor if you're a con artist, Carrots."

"Acting's all about motivation," Judy giggled, smiling at me. She squeezed her paw around mine, sighing a bit. "Nick... I was wondering something. Would you be willing to... apply to be my partner?"

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then chuckled, "Carrots, if you seriously gotta ask me that by now, you must be a dumb bunny."

"Hey, I'm serious!" Judy pouted at me. "Besides, I saw that you filled in the application before you gave it back to me."

As much as I wanted to make a snarky remark, I decided against it. I just squeezed her paw and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I never really had a chance like that before, and for once in my life, I was ready to take it."

Judy smiled now, scooting closer to me, "Well... I still have it, you know. Not on me, obviously, but I couldn't toss it away. I guess I was... kind of hoping we'd be able to reconcile."

I chuckled, smirking at her lightly, "Why do you think I kept the carrot pen?"

"I don't know, I figure a recording device could be useful in your scams," Judy poked my nose, smirking back.

"Maybe so, but I got my reasons." I laughed, then helped her to stand up, "You ready? I'll take you home."

Judy nodded, leaning against me for support, "Sure thing, I'm ready."

We left the museum after she promised the chief she'd be in the office tomorrow to fill in the report. My mind was still reeling from everything that happened in the past few hours, but the fact it was all over made it better. The truth was out, the savaged animals would be saved, and Judy could keep her job. Pretty darn good, I'll say.

Once we came outside, I helped her down the steps and onto the curb. I knew getting to her family's truck was gonna take a while, so I went and did the next logical thing.

I picked her up into my arms and carried her.

"H-Hey! Nick! Come on!" Judy squirmed a little bit, pouting, "You don't have to carry me!"

"I know, but I want to." I teased, smirking at her. "Besides, you're light as a feather!"

Judy crossed her arms but didn't protest anymore, "Fine. But don't make a habit out of it."

She's so cute when she gets all pouty. Don't tell her that, though. "Heh, wouldn't dream of it, Carrots."

She sighed, bringing her arms around my neck and snuggling into my chest. It felt way too good, more than it should have. For once, I was glad to be a fox, since it meant that she wouldn't see my blush that easily. This was rich, a fox like me getting a little crush on a bunny. But I couldn't think of it that hard, we were just friends. I had to focus on that first.

Still, that didn't mean I wasn't gonna indulge a little bit.

"Nick..." Judy spoke up, looking at me. "Thank you. For everything."

I couldn't help smiling, "Nah, no need to thank me, Carrots. If anything, I should be the one thanking you."

"For what?" She asked with surprise.

"Well, like you said, everything." I said with a chuckle, "Let's just say I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't met you."

Now she smiled more and cuddled into me, "You know... in spite of everything, I'm glad we did. I can't imagine my life without you in it anymore, Nick."

I was surprised to hear such a thing, but the sweet smile on her face and glimmer in her eyes was sincere. It made my heart melt all over again. This bunny was going to be the death of me, I just knew it.

But at this point, I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Likewise," I told her, winking.

It was almost hard to believe that the same bunny I'd met that day would turn out to be, quite honestly, the best friend I'd ever had. I trusted her like I never trusted anyone before. This whole feeling was so foreign to me, but no way was I going to let it go again.

As I looked down at Judy, I felt my heart swell. She really was something else.

I had to drive her home since she couldn't do so with a bad leg. Even though I didn't drive that much, I was able to. Mostly. Kind of. Okay, I had an expired license that I needed to take care of. But I didn't tell her that. Not yet, anyway. I'll take care of that tomorrow, Flash'll hook me up.

We finally came up to her apartment, which I could not believe qualified as one. It was tiny. My apartment was no luxury condo, but this was practically the size of my bathroom. I spied a bed in the corner, a single window, and a desk.

"This is where you live? Even with what they pay you, you can't afford a better place?" I said incredelously.

Judy pouted, poking my nose. "Hey, I'm going to put away money to save up for a new place. Until then, I'm stuck here."

I chuckled, then went over to her bed and gently lay her there. Judy smiled at me gratefully as she got comfortable, propping up her pillow and sitting against it. Job done, I could pretty much just leave her to her own devices. But I just didn't feel right doing that yet. Before I could speak up, her voice broke my thoughts.

"So, you can sit down, if you want! I mean... if you'd like to stick around for a bit?" Judy looked at me hopefully, playing with one of her ears.

Grinning, I took the chair out and sat on it backwards. She was trying to hide it, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh. I smirked at her, giving a little wink, "I don't know about you, but when that leg of yours heals, we gotta celebrate."

"I'll say we do!" Judy agreed, looking excited. "I'm not sure how just yet, but we'll think of something! Besides, I..." She pointed behind her, "I believe I have something that belongs to you."

I was confused, but turned to look at the desk. Right on the surface was the employment application I'd filled out. Taking it in my paw, I tucked it into my pocket and turned back to her. "I'll hand it in tomorrow morning."

Judy let out a happy squeal, even clapping her paws a bit. Awww, she's so adorable. Then she looked concerned before looking at me sadly, "But you'll be at the academy for six months, though."

I shrugged a bit, "That's okay, I can take it."

"No, I mean... I don't know, I'll just miss you." Judy said, rubbing her arm a little. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get emotional."

Chuckling, I shook my head, "Like I said earlier, you bunnies are so emotional. But don't sweat it, Carrots. We've got email and phones, anyway. Speaking of..." I pulled out my phone, then gestured for her to do the same.

We exchanged phones, adding our contact info, and switched back. Now I just had to get an awesome photo of her! Heh, that'd be easy. Eventually.

"So, did you ever think you'd eventually become a cop? Even as a kid?" Judy asked curiously.

I gave a little shrug, "Not specifically, I guess I kind of thought I'd see where life would take me. Course, that was before the incident took place."

She looked at me sympethatically, then nodded. "I see what you mean. But I really appreciate you doing it, Nick. Even if it's not what you planned."

"Hey, cool it." I chuckled, waving a finger at her. "I wouldn't do it if I really didn't want to! Besides, Officer Wilde has a neat ring to it, don't you think?"

"Heh... it does," Judy giggled. Good, she was smiling again. I liked it better when she smiled. And that perturbed scowl of hers is cute, can't forget that! "Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde, the best team on the ZPD!"

I laughed at that, then reached over and patted her arm, "I can get behind that, if you know what I mean." I winked and leaned back a bit, "Sooo, what can I get you? I'm sure you're probably starving."

"Well... I sure wouldn't mind a pizza, since I don't feel like cooking." Judy admitted, rubbing her belly.

"Not like you can in this closet," I teased, whipping my phone out and scrolling through some pizza places. "Anyway, I'll get you some pizza. It's on me."

"Really? Oh come on, you don't have to."

"I don't, but I will, sweetheart."

She blushed and looked away, which made me melt. I really had to stop that, but I couldn't help it. Having a crush on someone like Judy was both amazing and yet terrifying. I knew I had to play my cards right if I was ever going to play them at all. This wasn't like the other girls I'd seen in my lifetime, it was real. Besides, we'd only known each other a little over a week and were already the best of pals. I don't think I ever did that sort of thing in the past, making best friends with someone I had a crush on. But hey, Judy's special to me. I never trusted anyone like I trust her.

After I called for the pizza, it was pretty quiet between us now. I didn't normally go for silence with Judy around, but at least it wasn't awkward. I just sat there, watching while she twiddled away on her phone.

Finally, Judy put her phone down and looked at me. She smiled, playing with one of her ears, "So, uh... I was wondering something, Nick... Would you come sit with me?"

My ears shot up with surprise as I looked at her, pretty sure I didn't hear her right, "Wait, what?"

"I know it sounds weird, so I'll understand if you don't want to!" Judy said quickly, holding her paws out in some kind of defensive manner. "But here's the thing. I'm a bit of a cuddle bug. And when I'm not feeling well or injured, I like to just have someone to lean on."

Awww, she's so cute! And a cuddler! I'd never say it out loud, but I'm a cuddler too. I just never had anyone to cuddle with aside from my mother. There was no way I would pass up this opportunity!

In my own foxy way, of course.

"Is that so?" I said with a smirk, leaning over the chair a bit. "Well, Carrots... I don't know. I'm gonna have to squeeze in on that tiny bed you got there. Plus there's the fact that your leg's pretty sore and I might bump it... You sure you're willing to take the risk?"

"Well of course! I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," Judy crossed her arms and pouted. But the twitching smile at her lips was all I needed.

So I stood up, stretched, and went over to the bed and sat down beside her. "Consider your wish granted."

Judy laughed, then snuggled up against me. She even lay her head against my chest, a lot more intimately than I expected. Before I knew it, I was blushing. Thank God for my red fur! Still, I wasn't about to let this pass up, either. I stretched and yawned in an exaggerated manner, just to add to it. Then I brought my arms around her, holding her closer. Judy didn't protest, or even flinch. If anything, she seemed happy with this arrangement and cuddled in more. She was so soft and fit perfectly against me. Not because she's smaller, but something about it just felt right. I guess having a crush did that, didn't it?

After a little while, Judy broke the silence again. "Since Bogo said I could come in a little later tomorrow morning, all things considered, I was wondering if you'd like to... You know, come out for breakfast with me? I'll buy."

I looked at her with mild surprise, then chuckled a bit, "Hmmm... I think I can pencil that into my ever so busy schedule..."

"Nick, I could spend the next five minutes pointing out the logical infallicies of that statement, but I won't." Judy giggled, tapping my arm a little bit, "But I'm serious though, I'd love it if you could join me tomorrow. I think it'll be nice if we can just have a little something nice to do while moving forward."

"I know, I get it." I said, rubbing one of her ears, "Sounds like fun to me, Carrots. Just be warned, we foxes have pretty insatiable appetites!"

"Oh, really? You know, bunnies can be pretty insatiable at times, too." Judy smirked at me, her adorable buck teeth hanging out over her bottom lip. "Well, I bet I could eat you under the table!"

Oh jeez. I don't know if she realized just how dirty that sounded. It's a wonder I didn't burst with how much I was blushing. Nah, I can keep it cool. So I laughed it off and grinned, "You really think so? Then I will have to consider that a challenge."

"Good! Because that IS my challenge!" Judy poked my nose, giggling. "We'll see who's got the bigger appetite!"

"You're on, Carrots! In fact, let's make it interesting. We'll make a bet." I poked her nose right back, and it twitched in response. Awww, so cute.

"A bet? Well... okay, what kind of bet?" Judy looked at me apprehensively.

I thought for a few moments, then snapped my fingers, "I got it! If I win... no wait, sorry. When I win, you have to get up and sing karaoke at the bar down the street from the station!"

Judy looked at me with disbelief, then her cheeks turned pink as she pouted slightly. "Okay, fine. But if I win, you're going to be my slave for an entire day!"

My ears went back. Slave? Her slave? An entire day? I was both nervous and excited about that prospect. Still, I couldn't give in too easily. I had to play it cool. So I leaned back a bit, rubbing her shoulder and shrugging, "I don't know, Carrots. Sounds a little demeaning, if you ask me."

"Oh, and somehow, getting up onstage and singing off-key to a Top Forty hit isn't demeaning? Especially to a police officer?" Judy smirked at me, poking my nose again. This time, I playfully tried to bite her finger, but she wasn't fazed.

"Hmm... you make a good point." I said with a smirk, then examined my claws on my free paw. "Eh, I guess I can work with that, then."

She giggled, then leaned against me again. "Glad to hear it, you dumb fox."

"Dumb bunny," I said back to her, nuzzling her head. I just had to. I felt bad for a second, thinking she wouldn't like it.

But she seemed to. Especially when she leaned up toward me and nuzzled into my chest with her nose. Awwww. This bunny was going to kill me with her cuteness!

"And you're a dumb fox, too." Judy retorted playfully.

We laughed and just continued to snuggle for a while after that. At least until the pizza came, which meant I had to get up for a while. But that was okay, I had my fill for the time being. We sat back, munching on pizza and talking about whatever was on our minds. Since we met, it was the first time we had some time to just be casual together without the Night Howlers case looming over our heads.

I gotta say, it was pretty great. She talked a bit about her family back in Bunnyburrow, I told her about some of the funny encounters I had with some of the people I'd worked with, all that neat stuff. We had a great time, just sitting around her apartment and hanging out like two best friends would do.

After a while, I figured she wanted somet time to herself and was about to let myself out. But when she looked at me, holding up her laptop with Furflix opened up, I quickly changed my mind. We cuddled up again, watching a couple of movies. Comedies, because I wanted to hear her laugh.

Pretty soon, it was late, and she'd fallen asleep against me. Awwww. She was so adorable. I had to be careful and quiet, but I managed to put everything away, clean up, and make sure she was comfortable.

I sighed, looking down at her as I carefully pulled the covers over her small body. She looked so peaceful while sleeping, which relieved me. This entire week had been really tough on her, physically and emotionally. And to think she trusted me enough with something like this. To fall asleep and to know she was safe.

Leaning down a bit, I couldn't resist kissing her on the forehead and whispering, "Goodnight, Carrots."

I watched her for a moment or two, then quietly left her apartment and made sure the door was locked. She'd given me a spare key earlier that day, figuring it'd come in handy.

What a day, huh? And I knew tomorrow was going to be even better.