It was Judy's first Clawsmas in Zootopia and Nick was planning to take his partner around Zootopia. He wanted to show her how each district celebrated Clawsmas in their own way as soon as the ZPD's Clawsmas' party was done, which is why he was heading to her apartment door right now to escort her to it. He knocked and shouted out.

"Carrots? Are you ready to go? You know Clawhauser went through a lot of effort to make this party a good one!"

She shouted out, "I'll be right here! I just need to finish packing!"

Packing? What is she packing for?

"Um, Carrots, would you mind letting me in?"

Judy did let him in and when he walked in, he could hear her nosy neighbors singing carols that were loud and off-key. He looked down on her bed and sure enough, a suitcase was out as it was being packed with clothes and personal items.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Didn't I tell you?" she questioned.

"Tell me what?"

"Shoot, I guess not…" She gave a sincere apologetic smile, "I guess I was so busy preparing that I didn't get the chance to tell you. I'm heading back to Bunnyburrow for the holidays."

"You're going home? Why?"

"Because, Nick, it's traditional for my family to get together for Clawsmas." Her eyes went all dreamy as she described the whole thing, "We always have a big feast, eat cookies, and decorate the tree. My dad dresses up as Santa Claws for the little ones, and come Clawsmas morning, we open presents!"

"Oh…" Nick gave a disappointed look.

She gave a concerned look, "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing." he stated.

She frowned, "It most certainly is not 'nothing'. I know you sounded happy when you were outside that door, but the minute I said I was leaving, you became upset. What's going on?"

He gave a slight chuckle, "There's no fooling you, Carrots…The truth is I was hoping to show you what Zootopia was like during Clawsmas. You see, I figured you would like that because I do it every year as part of my tradition. Finnick didn't like doing with me, so it was just me, but I thought this year would be different. Just you and me, Carrots. Spending Clawsmas together."

The bunny was speechless until she smacked her forehead, "I'm such an idiot! I should have asked if you had any plans! Nick, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, Carrots. You were thinking about Clawsmas with your family, and I can't blame you for that. I have fond memories of spending Clawsmas with my family as a kit."

"But I hate leaving you here all alone on Clawsmas."

"Don't be. I've done it before, so what's another Clawsmas?"

"I don't think so." She started reaching for her phone, "I'll just call my parents and tell them I can't come…"

"Touch that phone and I'll never speak to you again." He sighed, "Look, it's my fault too for not asking about your plans, and I should have realized that with your large family, they would want you to come. I was just excited by the fact that I was going to have my best friend with me this Clawsmas and show her the sights. But it wasn't to be."

She came up and wrapped her arms around him, "Oh, you foxes, so emotional…" Then her brow furrowed in thought before she let out a big grin, "Hey, why don't you come with me?!"

He moved out of her embrace in shock, "What?!"

"Come on, it's a great idea! You want to spend Clawsmas with me and I want to spend it with both my friend and family! Please, Nick, it would mean a lot to the both of us…"

He gave a small smile. She was right about that. But then he gave a concerned look, "But will they even like me? I know I met your parents and they met me, but what about the rest of your family? Will they appreciate a fox coming into their burrow?"

She slightly cringed. She knew some of her older relatives had the same backwards attitude that her parents displayed in the past before they opened their minds to the possibilities of having predators as allies such as Gideon Grey.

Nick saw the look on her face and said, "Maybe next year, Carrots. And next time, we'll make sure to tell our plans ahead of time."

"Oh, no, you don't. If you ask me, this is the perfect time to get some of my relatives to accept unity between predator and prey. And what better way to do that than to introduce my own partner who happens to be predator?"

He gave her an unsure look, but deep down, he wanted to spend Clawsmas with her. He hated to admit it himself, but his last few Clawsmases were fairly lonely and he was really looking forward to this Clawsmas now that he had someone to share it with. With a sigh, he said, "Alright, after the party, we'll pack up my things and catch the train to Bunnyburrow."

She gave a squeal and hugged him fiercely.

The train ride to Bunnyburrow was nerve-wrecking for Nick, so he tried to take his mind off it by remembering the office party where all the officers had a blast. Ben dressed up as Santa Claws and on occasion, he and some of their other co-workers tried to get Nick and Judy under the mistletoe. But the only one who managed to do that was the Chief when he ordered it. Naturally, everyone thought they would get to see a real kiss, but Judy just gave him a kiss on the cheek, sweet but simple.

It seemed Judy had read his mind as she said with a smirk, "Still upset for not getting a real kiss?"

"Oh, you crack me up, Carrots."

"Still, if we ever had a real kiss, I want it to be on our own time, not when everyone else wants it."

"The kiss on the cheek was a good loop-hole. After all, do the rules say you have to kiss on the lips?"

"I don't think so. Whenever you're under mistletoe, you have to kiss, but it never said what kind of kiss." she smiled.

Nick was grateful for the distraction, so he started asking questions about her hometown.

"Oh, you'll love it! There's wide open spaces, not like in Zootopia where everything is crowded. Then in town, we have a baked goods store run by Gideon…"

"He's the guy that clawed you, right?" Nick still got upset at the fact a fox clawed his best friend back when she was nine.

She sighed, "Yes. But I keep telling you, he's not like that anymore. In fact, I have him as a close contact since he's partners with my parents, much like how you and I are partners on the force."

"How did they take the news that I was coming with you?"

"They were actually pleased. Of course, they're going to have to set up a spare room big enough, but I think they'll manage."

When they had arrived at the Bunnyburrow station, snow was falling lightly around them as Judy led him to where her family's house was. Once they reached the door, Judy turned the doorknob and a swarm of little bunnies surrounded her.

"Judy's here!"

"Hi, Aunt Judy!"

"Cousin Judy!"

"Judy, look, I got a loose tooth!"

Judy giggled, "Yes, it's good to see you all again."

"Hey, that's the fox we saw on TV with you!"

Nick made an awkward wave and the bunnies then swarmed around, asking various questions he couldn't seem to hear all at once.

Stu's voice then said, "All right now, kids! Time to go wash up for dinner!"

They groaned, but then left.

Nick sighed in relief as Stu came up to him, "Not used to little ones hanging around you?"

"Oh, he can handle one little one…" Judy smirked at him.

Nick glared back, but his expression softened and mentally chuckled, thinking of his and Finnick's scam of the smaller fox acting like a toddler.

Judy took his paw, "Come on. We have a lot of introducing to do…"

He winced. Maybe I shouldn't have come after all…

Some time after the feast was over, Nick was getting into the spirit of the Hopps household traditions. He quite enjoyed seeing the kids practically light up when Stu - dressed as Santa - came into the room and asked them if they had been good or not. He and Judy went crazy when it came to making cookies and he still had some frosting on his fur. But his favorite part of the evening had to have been when it was time to watch some of the Hopps' old movies and one of Judy's older brothers made a suggestion that perked his interest.

"Let's watch Judy's stage play she made back when we were kids!"

"Yeah!" the rest of the siblings agreed.

"Stage play?" he questioned to the rabbit next to him, who had a look of horror on her face.

"How about we don't…?" she said to her brothers and sisters.

Stu held up the DVD, "I got it right here!" He started putting it in.

"Dad! No!"

Too late, Stu put it in and the screen showed a nine-year-old Judy on a stage saying, "Fear. Treachery. Bloodlust. Thousand years ago, these were the forces that ruled our world. A world where prey were scared of predators. And predators had an uncontrollable biological urge… to maim, and maul, and…" The cheetah cub made his feeble roar as she dramatically said, "Ah! Blood! Blood! Blood!" She made a big scene and used the ketchup bottle, "And… death…"

Nick made a slight laugh and looked at the grown-up Judy, who was covering her face in embarrassment. He kept watching the home movie.

"Back then, the world was divided into two. Vicious predator…or meek prey…But over time, we evolved and moved beyond our primitive, savage ways. Now predator and prey live in harmony…and every young mammal has multitudinous opportunities…"

Nick whispered to her with a smirk, "This explains so much…"

Judy looked up with her fingers still covering her face and glared.

He turned back in time to see the young Judy saying, "And I can make the world a better place…I am going to be…a police officer!" There was a laugh off-screen and a voice that said.

"Bunny cop! That's the most stupidest thing I ever heard!"

Nick can only guess who that was and it was confirmed when young Judy said, "It may seem impossible to small minds…I'm looking at you, Gideon Grey…"

Nick said, "Good one, Carrots." But when he turned his head, he could see she was not there. He saw Bonnie nudging her head to the door and he quickly went to find his Carrots outside on the porch watching the snow falling down.

Judy had a guilty expression on her face. Nick approached her and she sighed, "I'm so sorry…"

"For what?"

"For making that stage play… I guess I didn't realize it had more of an effect on me when I grew up…"

"Carrots, you were nine. You can't blame yourself for something you did fifteen years ago."

"You're not mad?"

"How can I be mad? We already went though this with the press conference and now seeing this movie and knowing what happened to you with Gideon, I can't be upset at you." He took her paw, "Judy, you and I, we're changing the world. It's important we look back at our past mistakes and learn from them. You could have still thought those things, but you don't, because you know better now."

She smiled and wrapped herself around him.

"You bunnies really are so emotional…"

She pulled away and smirked, "Of course we are. That's what makes us feel close to our families, and speaking of families…I got a couple of siblings to get back at for making me watch that movie."

He smirked, "Need some help?"

"Don't I always? When you're around…?"

"Good point." he smiled as they went back inside.