Chapter 3 Ski Patrol

Written by Johnsoneer

Edited by Cimar

That was the last Nick saw of the Ranger for a while. She was not there to wake him up early the next morning, but he figured she was just making good on their gamble from the previous night. Sadly, after many weeks on the job, his body was too eager to get going so he woke up naturally before sunrise still. He decided to take the morning for himself and meetup with the crazy rabbit on the slopes later. Then he could jab about how sweet victory tastes. She would roll her eyes and smile and soon he'd forget about that look she gave him the night before.

But a lazy morning only seemed to bring her back to his mind over and over again. She was going to say something important the night before, but she backed out. Nick could read mammals well enough, but it did not take a detective to deduce there was something wrong. Their drinking game was going perfectly well, then out of nowhere she stopped caring about winning.

Do you like it here? she asked him. At first, he thought it was a terrible waste of her question. After all, she had probably been wondering why Nick took the job as a ski patrol officer for some time, so no doubt she was at least curious. But it was as if she cared more about him liking Royal Peaks than about his past.

Then there was that look on her face. He had called her by her first name, and placed his paw on her shoulder; simple gestures to be sure. But she looked at him as if he offered a slave her freedom. There was a painful longing on her face that was now stained into his memory like red wine on carpet. Nick was a skeptic, but he was no idiot. This bunny was holding something out on him and, for the first time in many years, he dared to hope.

"That crazy bunny," Nick sighed as he finally rolled out of his bunk. He zipped up his jacket and found his skis without really thinking. Everything had become routine after the past few months. He glided down the first run, feeling grateful that the wind in his fur still felt the same. He needed the comfort of familiarity in a time like this.

On the chairlift ride up to the mid-mountain lodge, he had another few minutes to think. She was scared, but not of me, he reassured himself. It was one of the things he liked about her the most, how she never showed even the slightest flinch from his claws or teeth. But what exactly was she scared of? Perhaps she was nervous about allowing her subordinates to drink so openly in front of her, since she played by the rules so often. But if that was the case, why join in? Maybe it brought up uncomfortable memories for her. Considering her story about flunking the police academy, that was definitely possible. But that look. She didn't speak a word, yet she told him so much in just a few short seconds.

"Not much else it could be," he murmured as he disembarked the lift and made his way to the lodge. The mid-mountain lodge had a lunch room just for the patrollers, and every Monday they'd meet up to discuss weekly assignments. Everyone respected the Ranger's authority, but she let everyone get a word in on their preferences before doling out tasks. Today would be the first day since he arrived that he didn't stride up with Judy by his side. Still, he needed to put on a show of lavish victory since that's what they'd expect.

"What a lovely afternoon we're having!" he boasted as he walked inside. John and the twins were already there with their food, and the other tables were filled with various patrollers as well. John rolled his eyes and placed a hoof to his forehead at the sight of the gloating fox.

"Aaand the headache is back," he grumbled.

"Awww don't blame me for having a few too many last night, Deerest," Nick said and slugged him on the shoulder, to which he recoiled further.

"Hey Nicky," Darcy said and patted the chair next to him. "Are you gonna tell us what happened last night after we all nodded off?"

There was more than a little suggestiveness to her tone, and Nick was keen on getting past the subject rather quickly so he tried his best to brush her off.

"Victory is what happened. Victory and sleep," he said and swiped a roll from Danny's tray.

"I'll bet," she quipped back.

"You don't honestly think he and Judy hooked up, right?" Danny said with folded arms across her chest. "I mean, I'd be happy for him, but I think she can do better."

"Oh har har, Danny. You're just peeved about losing last night. Speaking of losers, where is the Ranger anyway?" Nick asked. He got his answer when Judy barged in quite suddenly in a flurry of snowflakes and cold breeze. She wasted no time before handing out assignments, not even taking off her goggles before greeting the team.

"Glad to see everyone doing well today so far," she said quickly. "We'll have to keep this quick since I've got some business to attend to with the resort manager soon. Everyone is assigned their previous week's duty, with only a few exceptions. Danny and Darcy?" The twins' ears perked up upon hearing their names and looked down at the bunny rather timidly. "We've got more kids in ski-school this week, so I need you both helping out the other instructors this week."

"Sure thing," Darcy said with a nod. Judy's tone was just a tad more serious than usual, and her formality was catching them all off guard.

"Good. That'll spread our patrol officers a little thin near Raven's Rift, so I'll need John and Wilde to partner up and take that side of the mountain this week."

John, who had been nursing a hangover headache all day, finally had a moment of clarity and cocked an eyebrow in confusion. A few others caught on as well. This was the first time she assigned Nick to anyone but herself for the entire season. "Uhh, sure," the deer nodded along and shot Nick a sideways glance.

"Report anything irregular straight to Mark, and don't be shy with asking for some help if you have any rescues or difficult skiers. Alright everyone, enjoy your lunch and keep it up!"

With that, Judy departed as quickly as she came without so much as a look at Nick. The others seemed to notice as well and looked back at Nick with confused glances.

"What was all that about?" John asked him.

"I uh . . ." Nick stammered. "I honestly don't know."

The next week was strange to Nick. He was still just as good at his job as before, and he always enjoyed a few good runs during the day to clear his head, but without Judy there it was all lackluster. He learned that Judy spent most of her time at base-camp, so he figured she was busy with some important project between ski patrol and the resort. On Wednesday he wrapped up a little early and swung by base camp to see what was up with her, but when he got there Mark told him she was already home.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday came and went without a word from her, and Nick was getting very cross, very quickly. For one, he did not like being avoided. Mocked, insulted, or slandered perhaps, but never avoided. Not by his friends. Secondly, this next week would be the last of the season, and soon the college kids would need to head back for classes and the others back to work. Presumably he'd be going back too, and while he did not like the concept of going back to Zootopia at the moment, he did not want to leave with things in the air like this.

She would know all that, yet she still ghosted on him and it hurt more than he would admit out loud.

Sunday was thankfully near blizzard conditions, which meant the lifts opened late and closed early. The white-out conditions made it very difficult to see while skiing with the sky the same color as the ground. Most casual skiiers elected to stay inside by the fire on days like this, save for a few daredevils. The workload was much lighter, and having a taller partner like John made it admittedly easier to spot from a farther distance. Nick was eager to wrap things up and see if he could catch Judy before she headed back to her cabin when John caught his moping.

"You okay there bud?" John asked him. They sat perched besides each other on top of the southernmost peak of the resort overlooking the more difficult runs, and apparently Nick's mood was visible through his goggles.

"That darn rabbit," he said with a scoff. "Nearly two months she strings me along for everything, now a week out it's like I'm a fox again."

"You were always a fox, Nick."

"Oh, so you noticed?"

"Bud, come on. Give her a little slack. She's been super busy this week helping wrap up the season and she needed us up here."

"Then why does she keep ghosting to her cabin at the end of each day?"

"How should I know? You're the one who won't tell us what happened after we all fell asleep that night!" John accused. Nick grumbled some more and looked away. "Look, I know you've got your secrets, but why is this bugging you so much anyway?"

Because I miss her, he thought. The answer was clear as day to him, but it was hard to put it into words. After this short time up on this mountain with that rabbit, somehow he grew fond of her, and he dared to dream that she felt similarly. It was painful to learn she wanted him far away from her in this way.

"If it really bothers you, why don't you go down there and knock on her door?" John asked.

"Can't exactly bum a ride on a snowmobile to go have a fight with my boss," Nick argued.

"You can ski to her place," he said. Nick's ears perked up at that.

"What?"

"Yeah. Last year, her snowmobile wouldn't start one day so I took one down there for her. If you wanted to, you could ski the backend trail down to her place. It starts by the lodge, though I wouldn't do it today since it'll be a dangerous trip in a white-out."

Nick was going to grumble some more before his radio perked up.

"Base camp to patrollers, anyone near the south peak?" Mark said through the static.

"Got John and Wilde here, Mark. Go for it," the deer said into his shoulder.

"We've got a family of pigs down here who say they're missing one. They came down the South Peak and were supposed to meet up at base camp 30 minutes ago, but he's a no show."

"Rodger that, can we get a description?" John hailed back.

"Teenaged male pig, on the slimmer side. His name is Russell and he should be wearing a grey jacket," Mark answered.

"Got it. We'll make a run through the glades and keep our eyes peeled."

"Gah," Nick groaned. "Why do we even let skiers up here wearing grey on days like this? Seriously, he'll be impossible to spot."

"Take it easy, Wilde. We'll find him. You're better at maneuvering through the woods, so you head that way, I'll peel off and check the terrain park. I'll bet a teenager just wanted some 'sick-air' before heading in for the day."

"Good thinking," Nick said and gave his friend a short salute before heading down the treeline. One benefit of cutting through the dense trees was that the snowfall was not so intense in the forest. Nick was much smaller than John was so he carved his way through the trees with ease. As much as he wanted to enjoy the fresh powder under his skis, he had a pig to find. The snow was falling down pretty hard, but not so much that it would wipe away a pig's ski tracks in a half hour, even if he was on the 'slimmer side'. After a few more turns and stopping every so often to inspect the snow around him, Nick brought his radio back up to his mouth.

"Johnny boy, you get our missing swine?"

"Nope, the terrain park is clear."

"Hmmm," Nick pondered. He kicked off a little towards the steeper part of the woods, still having no luck.

Finally, he struck gold as he ran over a set of ski tracks that could not have been more than a few minutes old. He followed them down away from the main slope and eventually stopped. He found two sets of skis and poles parked just outside of a small opening under a rock wall. Nick peered inside, struggling to see in the dark of the small cave. He was just about to call out when his ear twitched. He heard the sound of smacking lips and a short giggle.

"Eugh, not this," he groaned. Nick could vaguely see a thankfully-clothed pig playing tonsil hockey with a young female racoon, both blissfully unaware that they had been caught. "Hey!" He bellowed. The giggle turned into a gasp as a pig's head popped up into the daylight. The pig, presumably Russell, looked shocked and more than a little embarrassed in front of his lady friend.

"What the heck, bro?!" Russell squealed. Nick wanted to chew this little piglet out for causing such a ruckus in the name of a make-out session, but he remembered he was representing all of Royal Peaks, so he used as much class as he could.

"We're in white-out conditions and your family thinks your lost, kid," Nick explained. "I'm part of the Ski Patrol here and you both need to get back down to base camp because we're wrapping up for the day."

"I thought you weren't closing till four?" the raccoon whined.

"It is four," Nick explained. Clearly having lost track of time, they began hurriedly throwing their gear back on and shuffling out of the small cave. Nick gave them a bit of respectable space while they gathered their things and radioed John to meet him at the lodge. The three of them gently made their way out of the woods and Nick made sure they did not take any more romantic detours along the way down. Soon enough, they caught up with John, and Nick could see the lodge close enough to let the youngsters go, with just enough daylight left to make it home. John found the whole situation more than a little funny.

"I mean it's a blizzard!" John balked. "I know it's hard to get busy when you're a teenager, but have a little class, pig!"

"I know, I wanted to say the same thing. Gugh, I'm actually glad Hopps was not here for that. She'd call me a peeping todd till the end of time."

"Darn it Nick, I thought we got your mind off of her! What is going on between you two?"

"Nothing, Johnny," Nick said, which was regrettably the honest answer at the moment.

"Nick, I'll take your word for it, but by the very least, can you try to patch it up with her before the season's over? It's not good for either of you, and especially her, to leave bad blood in the air during goodbyes. Bunny's hearts aren't as strong as yours or mine."

"Psh, you make it sound like I'm leaving her on a deserted island," Nick scoffed.

"This mountain may as well be during the off season."

"She's got a pile of family members stacked to the heavens waiting for her in the Burrows. She'll be fine."

John paused for a moment, lifting his goggles up and glancing down at Nick. He looked surprised by the comment, and noticeably concerned as well. "Nick, she stays here year-round."

"What? No way, she would have mentioned that at some point."

"It's true, Nick. She's the mountain ranger. She runs the patrols during the ski season, but in the off season she's here watching over the property for the owner, and she's often the only mammal here for long stretches of time. That cabin is her year-round home."

Nick was astonished. The idea that a bunny so gregarious and friendly could go so long being alone in the mountains like that was surprising for sure. But he imagined it was peaceful in it's own way, and Judy would certainly find some duty to fill her time; something that helped mammals, knowing her. What made his gut sink was that he had no idea until that moment. Nick was good at putting on a face and wearing masks to keep others none the wiser, but Judy was in a different class altogether.

"She never said anything."

Nick wanted to say more, but his pocket buzzed. John felt a buzz as well and dug his cell out of his pocket. Nick could see his eyes squint to read the message, only to fall open in disbelief. He turned to Nick and held up a hoof, as if gesturing for him to hold still. Nick dug his own cellphone out and quickly read the mass-text.

Same assignments as last week. No need to meet for role at the lodge tomorrow. Thanks!

Judy

Nick shoved his phone back into his butt pocket and picked his poles out of the snow.

"Nick, wait a minute. The snow is too heavy right now. You don't know the way."

A few months this deer had known him, and yet he could still read Nick's mind. Impressive, sure enough, but he still needed to learn when physically restraining him was the only option left. Nick kicked off and headed down the mountain at a quick pace, carving through fresh powder as the wind howled in his ears again. The snow began to sting at his face as he picked up speed.

"That infuriating, cotton-tailed little coward," Nick cursed under his breath. He had quite enough of her avoidance tactics and was just about ready to kick down her door and ask what her deal is. If nothing else, the shouting would provide some catharsis.

He zoomed by the officer's barracks and quickly found the trail that veered away from the main slope. It was small and narrow, but it was well carved out from daily use. The sun was quickly fading behind the darkest, grayest clouds and the wind was slowly picking up as well. The trail bobbed and weaved around the mountainside and down towards a valley nestled at the foot of the mountain. Eventually it got so dark that Nick had to raise his goggles to see ahead of himself. Just before he was nervous about being lost in a snowstorm, he saw a dim light ahead. He stopped at the top of a steep hill that lined a very flat clearing in the trees. On the other side of the clearing was a modestly sized cabin with smoke coming from the chimney. It looked homey and cozy to no end, but not old and decrepit like he half expected. The owner of Royal Peaks must have set her up something nice to get her to stay year round.

Remembering why he was down here, he grunted and kicked off the slope. He was confident he could make it all the way to the front door in one motion if he caught enough speed. The wind howled in his ears again and Nick fixed his eyes on the cabin. But right as Nick began crossing the clearing towards the small wooden house, he began to hear cracking. His ski's drifted over something frigid and hard under an inch or so of fresh snowfall.

Ice. Nick was on ice, and it was cracking.

"Scat," was all he had time to curse before the ice gave way and his body tumbled into water. It took a moment for the water to snake its way through his clothing and into his fur, but as soon as it hit his skin, it stung like fire.

Nick yelped and grappled at the flimsy sheets of ice in front of him. His eyes widened in shock as the water penetrated deeper. He tried in vain to grab hold of anything solid to keep him afloat, but the ice kept breaking around him in his frantic attempts at pulling himself from the frigid water. The weight of his skis pulled him down deeper, his shoulders dipping into the water and causing an icy pain to roll over his chest.

Nick groaned in pain and kicked at his skis as best he could, but the buckles weren't budging. He could still see the faint light of the cabin window as he sank all the way to his neck.

"Hopps!" he called out in desperation. "Judy!"

His face finally dipped beneath the surface for a moment. The cold was so intense that his eyelids refused to shut to keep the water at bay. Instead his vision blurred and he gasped for air, trying to keep his head above water. Finally, the last piece of ice he was clinging to snapped and gave way as he sank beneath the surface completely.

His eyes still refused to close as he sank into blackness beneath the ice and snow. He held his breath and reached down to his feet, trying to undo his ski boots. If he could only get the skis off, he could swim well enough to make the surface. The cold was agony and it yanked at the breath in his lungs. He was able to get the first boot slipped off after a brief moment of struggling, but the other was still dragging him down deeper into the frozen lake. Panic began to set in as his breath began to run out. He yanked and cursed at the boot on his foot before his arms and legs began to refuse to move when he asked. He moaned in desperation, looking up towards whatever light was left.

A paw reached down and grappled his ski jacket by the shoulder. He could feel it snake it's way down his side and towards his boot. The clippings came undone and his foot was finally free. He instinctively kicked and used whatever strength was left in his body to grasp for the surface. The same paw dragged him upwards faster and practically threw him back above the ice.

Nick coughed out loudly and gasped in a painfully cold, yet relieving breath of air. He pawed at the water again, trying to keep his head above the water. The paw on his shoulder yanked at him.

"Grab hold of the line!" Judy said, pulling him towards her. She thrust a thin rope into his paws which he gladly took a firm grip of. He pulled himself along to where the ice was more solid and continued to gasp for air. The cold was omnipresent now and his teeth clattered as the ice broke underneath him. Each movement was slower than the last, and more than once did he consider just staying put because movement just brought more cold into his core.

"Come on, almost there!" she beckoned him as they both tugged at the rope, dragging themselves closer to the edge of the pond. Finally, after a few more tugs, Nick felt ground beneath his bare feet and did his best to stand. Judy continued to pull him up farther onto the bank and heaved heavy breaths that fogged up in the air around him. Nick collapsed onto the snowy bank and shivered maddly.

"Nick! Cheese and crackers, Nick! What were you thinking?" Judy shouted. He tried to tell her all about how he thought the clearing was part of the trail and how he did not expect there to be a pond, and how he came out there to yell at her, but neither his lips nor tongue were moving.

"Tried . . . . t-to . . see-you," was all he was able to mumble. His eyes teared up from the cold and he winced them closed as his extremities became very numb.

"Come on, let's get you inside," she said and threw his arm over her shoulder. Nick could tell from her voice that she was shivering as well. They past by a tree that Judy used as an anchor to tie the rope around her and eventually made their way inside.

The warm air inside the cabin actually stung nick's skin at first. He was still very much hyperventilating and now was causing a small puddle of pond water to collect at the base of her doorstep. Judy practically lept up to his eyesight and yanked down at his jacket zipper. His jacket and snowpants fell to the ground with a heavy thud and splash. Nick's arms wrapped around his core and squeezed a little water out of his fur. He was still soaked to the bone.

"Help me get the rest of your clothes off, Nick," Judy commanded. Nick looked at her with whatever would pass for surprise in the moment.

"D-d . . . .d-dinner and a mmmm-m-movie first . . ." he managed to mumble.

"Nick, do you want to keep your toes?" Judy shot back. "We need to get you dry and your fur is s-soaked through," she explained. Nick caught her shiver as well, but could not really think past trying to shuffle off the hateful liquid stuck in his fur. He could barely raise his paws over his head as Judy guided his undershirt off. It was not a graceful way to lose clothing in front of a beautiful female, but Nick could barely think, much less try to look dignified as he was stripped bare in her mudroom. By the time he was done, there was a small pool of icemelt settling on the floor of her entryway.

"I'll g-get some towels. Y-. . . you shake off what you can," Judy said with a wince, fighting to keep her own limbs moving properly.

"R-right here?" Nick asked.

"N-nick! You have to hurry and dry off!" she said and vanished into what was presumably the bathroom. Nick guessed he couldn't do much more damage to her floor, so he knelt over and began a full-body shake, starting with his snout and cascading down his back all the way to tail. Water frantically leapt from his fur, and he finally began to feel whatever warmth was in his body actually stay put.

"Ahhhh," he sighed happily. There was a tingly sensation just shy of being painful that resonated through his body, slowly warming him back up. He instinctively followed the sensation and created wet paw prints that led towards the fireplace. He sat his regrettably naked butt down on the cold ground in front of the fireplace and smiled as the delicious heat coming from the flames began to chip away at the frost on his toes.

A towel soon wrapped itself around his shoulders from behind him, solidifying his newly found comfortable state and tying it neatly down onto his body. He moaned happily as Judy made sure it was snug around his center. It was small for him, unsurprisingly, but it did its job well enough. She dropped another into his lap, presumably to cover himself up at least a little, so he carefully wrapped it around his waist.

He heard Judy huff as she sat down as well in front of the fire about a foot beside him. She had a towel wrapped around herself tightly, forsaking modesty for safety. He looked across his shoulder, observing her clutching her paws to her chest and trying to warm herself. She did not even look at him before she started berating him.

"W-what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking t-tonight seemed like a g-good night for a s . . . a swim," he said with a smile. His voice was still labored, but his movement was categorically better.

"You've never m-made that trip be-b-before. You know b-better than to try that in- . . . in white-out," she accused him through chattering teeth.

Nick suddenly remembered why he skied over in such a rush, and why he was cross with her. He had been so caught up with not dying that it slipped his mind. "And y-yyou know better th-than to shut m-me out like yo-u ha-ave ben," he said sternly. "Seriously, after e-everything? You're just g-ggonna pretend I don't e-exist and watch mm-me leave?"

Judy looked away. Nick noticed the water on the tips of her ears had frozen stiff, giving them ghostly white highlights as they drooped over her back.

"E-ever since that night in the b-barracks," Nick continued. "You've been flat out avoiding me. I've been spat in th-the face before and it was less insulting."

"I'm ss-sorry," Judy said softly.

"N-no. 'Sorry' is for spilling coffee, or for falling in a frozen pond uninvited. I'm not looking for s-'sorry', I want to know why."

Judy kept her head turned away, her arms continuing to clutch inward at the towel wrapped around her. She was in meek shape after the impromptu swim. Clearly the cold got to her much quicker than it did to him, having much thinner fur than a fox. Nick frowned and turned towards the fire himself, not wanting to gaze at her pitiful form much longer.

"So I don't even g-get that much, huh," Nick said with a scowl and another shiver down his spine.

"Nnn-Nick," she said, "I'm sorry. I just . . ."

"Yeah?"

"I was scared," she admitted. "I-I see mammals come and go every season. E-even if we become the best of friends, they always leave, and...and I always stay. I've had more hard goodbyes than I care to remember, so I find it better not to get too close."

"I know, Carrots. John told me all about it," Nick explained. "Trust me, I get it. You try not to fly too close to the sun, so you stay at arm's distance. "

"Mmhm," she nodded. "That's why I never join in at the barracks after work."

"If it hh-hurts so bad, why keep the job?" Nick asked her. She looked back at the fire thoughtfully and drew a deep, shaky breath.

"I always wanted to make the world a better place," she said weakly. "When I failed the academy, I thought I would n-never be able to, no matter how hard I tried. Like I was cursed to fail. But when I came here," she said and gestured to her own walls, her paw shaking steadily. "I found something I was good at, and mammals who believed in me. The resort staff, Mark, John, even the owner; they all believe in me here. So if I only get to make the world a better place during the winter, then that's what I'll do."

Nick took this moment to look around at her cabin. It was the embodiment of cozy, with a soft wool rug beneath his feet and wooden accents along the walls. She had a small sofa lined with plush pillows and blankets draped all over the place. The wind tacked snowflakes against the windows softly. He could see the appeal, even without any higher calling.

"But why send me to the opposite side of the mountain?" he grumbled. "You could have just said flat-out, 'Hey partner! I'd rather you vanish forever than get any closer, so why don't you buzz off?'"

"No! N-nick, that's not . . . I don't want that."

"Would have been more polite, at least."

"Nick! I was scared because I don't want you to go!" she said loudly. Nick finally turned and looked at her. Her eyes were wet, and he doubted it was from the frozen lake. "There! you happy? I want you to stay so bad that knowing you're leaving next week is keeping me up at night."

Nick's mouth fell open a little. He was honestly taken aback at how much hurt she bottled up. He always figure bunnies were emotional creatures by nature, but if she'd been feeling this way for a while, she did a pretty darn good job of hiding it. Judy looked back at the fire and pulled her knees up to her chest, shivering violently and sniffling loudly.

Dumb bunny. Why'd you jump in the water with such short fur?

Nick gently rose to his feet and took a new spot right beside her. She didn't move or even look at him at first, but then she felt two large paws pick her up gently by her torso. She protested a little, but her frozen bones refused to cooperate, so she couldn't really fend him off. Nick placed her right onto the towel on his folded legs and held her close.

"Nick, stop it," she mumbled.

"Your ears are frozen, fluff. You'll warm up faster this way," he said simply. She continued to scowl and kept her eyes on the fire, but before long the now-dry strands of his soft fur began to warm her frigid skin. She leaned back, allowing his chest to thaw out her back and ears, and it felt heavenly.

She hated it...how comfortable he felt against her. She wanted to send him away and get to forgetting he ever existed sooner, but she did not have the strength in her to move a muscle when he gently laid his chin on her head. She could feel his chest rise and fall as he breathed calmly, and it soothed her to no end.

"You would have made a good cop," he breathed. "I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Judy frowned, remembering all too well how it felt going home after nearly 20 years of training and studying to be a police officer. It was several years ago, sure, but it still stung.

"I passed the exams just fine. But the physical fitness test is graded by whoever the instructor is, and that rhino didn't think a bunny would stand a chance as a real cop," Judy explained. "Plenty of my classmates believed in me, but he didn't, and that's all it took." Judy felt his arms wrap around her torso and pull her inwards into his inviting warmth. He was now cozier than any blanket she owned, and telling him about her past had a cathartic relief to it. "I went home for a while, and I felt pretty lost. But then I was offered the chance to shadow the old Ranger down here by one of my classmates. Thought it better than sitting and moping, so I took him up on it, and I've been here ever since."

"I'm sorry, Fluff," Nick said softly. "I stand by what I said, that you would have been a good cop, but I'm glad you failed."

"You're glad? . . . why?" she breathed back.

"I never would have met you otherwise." Nick's arms draped over her shoulders and crossed over her torso. She immediately laid her own arms atop his and pulled herself in closer and tighter. She sniffled and could not fight back a soft smile pulling at her cheeks.

"Sure you would have, Slick. When I would be reading your Miranda Rights," she jested. He smiled back, thankful beyond words to have her mood brighten again. There was something criminal about letting this bunny cry.

"I told you, I did not come here to escape the law," Nick reminded her.

"Right, you're just here to ski, how could I forget?"

Nick took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes. It was only fair at this point. He was a fox who believed in quid pro quo. She saved his life a few minutes earlier, so the least she earned was a little truth.

"I'm here because I failed too," Nick said softly. "My dad was a tailor. He owned a small shop at the corner of Herd and Beaker street called 'Suitopia'. Can't say I was ever any good at making suits, but I was a darn good salesman when he needed help behind the counter. He uh . . . he died a few years ago, complications from pneumonia."

"Oh Nick," Judy cooed and leaned her cheek into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah. . . Anyway, the shop fell to me to run, so I did whatever it took to keep that place afloat," Nick continued. He could still remember the way the shop smelled of newly unpacked fabric and freshly pressed shirts. "But . . . well, I said I was never that good at making suits. I gave it my best, digging up my dad's old journals and guidebooks in the study and dusting them off. I got to work and pumped out whatever items I could. But without dad there, business was slower, and the rent on the place just kept going up. Eventually a chain coffee company offered to buy the place out, suits and all. I told them to go shove it, and carried on for almost another year. But I spent almost all my money running that place, and I needed to look after mom. The money from the coffee chain would guarantee her retirement, so I'm pretty sure my dad's ghost would choke me if I didn't do what I could for her. So, after fighting as long as I could, I sold the place in December. I bet it's already selling cappuccinos to hipsters by now."

Judy was beyond grateful to hear this story from him, even though it was bittersweet to hear. She nestled her head into his chest further, wanting nothing more than to comfort him. Another moment passed by in tranquil silence as she let his words linger in the air. After the air was calm enough, Judy spoke again.

"Your mother?" she asked softly.

"She's doing just fine," he said, nodding his chin against her head.

"I'm sure your father would be very proud of you, Nick," she said caringly. The sincerity of her voice felt like was water soaking into dry soil. Nick refused to let her see just how much hearing that meant to him. Not right then at least. There was a particular reason he told her this story, after all.

Nick looked down, finding Judy facing him and looking up at him with wide violet eyes. She had a pawful of his chest fur and was holding onto him firmly. It was that same look again from that night in the barracks, returning once more to haunt him. There was such terrible longing in her eyes and the slightest quiver from her nose. Like a moth to flame, he was drawn in closer. He rose his paw up to gently graze her cheek as he moved nearer. His nose was practically touching hers when she hesitated.

"Don't," she begged. Her eyes watered, pleading with him with all her might to end the heartache one way or the other.

"You don't need to be scared, Judy," Nick said softly.

"Why not?"

He smiled, not his typical self satisfied smirk, but instead a genuine smile that precious few had ever seen from him. "Because I found something I'm good at," Nick said, "and someone who believes in me."

Her eyes widened, and she gripped his fur a little tighter. Her nose twitched and her body stayed absolutely stiff.

"Nick . . . are you saying...you'll stay?"

"I never made a plan for what to do when I got back to Zootopia," he explained. "Now I won't have to. Besides, someone's got to make sure you don't lose your mind out here in the wilderness . . . if you'll have me."

Judy smiled, relaxing herself into his touch and wiping her eyes quietly on her forearm. She nodded, softly at first, then firmer as his paw grazed her cheek again.

"I'll have you," she said softly and pulled his chest towards her by the fur.

Their lips met, softly at first, barely even touching. She could feel the warmth of his breath softly caress her face. He could feel the soft fur on her nose graze against his. Testing the waters soon became diving in headfirst as he wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her closer. She chirped happily as his fur warmed her center further, allowing her lips to roam freely on the surface of his. The fire kept them from freezing, but their bodies kept each other warm.

There was that familiar humming sound as the PIXAR machine began to wind down. Judy felt her senses return to her body. Once she was fully aware of where she was and what was happening, she reached up and pulled her visor off her face, blinking in the bright, artificial light of Fitwik's. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her back out a little. It took some getting use to, coming back down to the real world, and her memories of the experience were already sparse and fading just as quickly.

She did remember Nick, and him falling into a frozen lake. Sounds like something he would do, the dummy.

"You okay there, honey?" she said to him and placed a paw on his shoulder. Nick yawned with the visor still over his eyes and let out a frown.

"Awww it was just getting good!" he grumbled and fiddled with the visor lazily.

"I know, I know," she consoled her husband. "You're still technically on lunch break so we have to get you back to the station before Bogo figures out what you've been up to."

"Ugh, I have to go to work after all that?" He said and finally lifted his visor. Judy made sure she was the first thing he saw, leaning right over his chair and bumping her nose against his. She pressed into him and laid on a thick kiss that was very familiar to the one they were experiencing not moments earlier.

"Mmm," Judy cooed as she let him breath. "I don't care how hot it is back home, anymore. We're picking up where we left off as soon as you're done."

Nick smiled wickedly at her. "Feeling a little cooled off now?"

"Yes," she said in relief, before smiling at him like she knew something he didn't. ". . . and no."

"Easy there, crazy bunny. I can only do so much."

Judy smiled. "Nick, thank you so much for bringing me here," she said sincerely, placing a paw on his chest. "That was just what I needed. I'm actually looking forward to the heat a little now, after that lake part. Don't you think you overdid the whole 'cooling off' thing?"

"A little overkill never killed nobody," Nick said and picked her up as he lifted himself up off of the chair. He let her down after a quick peck on her forehead before thanking and paying their host, who waved them kindly out the door.

"Oh oh! Nick? Before you drop me back at home, can we get some Blue Bunny 'Carrots and Cream?'" Judy said excitedly as they approached the cruiser.

"Ice Cream, are you serious fluff? After all that ice?"

"Come on, Slick! I'm just dying for some Blue Bunny!"

"Carrots, only a rabbit could wake up vomiting only to turn around and shove ice cream down their throat by the bucket in the same day," Nick scoffed, shaking his head. "You'll turn into a Blue Bunny before long."

Judy simply laughed him off, knowing she had him bought and paid for at this point. Another thought popped into her head as they buckled in and set off for the nearest convenient store.

"Hey honey," Judy pondered. "Have you ever been skiing before?"

"Not a day in my life," Nick said flatly.

Nick smiled at his wife, knowing exactly what was coming next. She always had this eager energy whenever it came to trying something new, even if it meant humiliating failure. He was already looking forward to it, even if he would probably make a damn fool of himself in the snow.

"Me neither . . . . you wanna give it a try sometime?"