Chapter 4 (Finale) - Do I Have Permission?

Written by Ande88

Edited by Cimar

Three Months Later

Judy is depressed...again

She thought that things were getting better, but she was wrong. Her therapist wasn't out to help her. He just wanted her, and nothing else. He'd probably done that to countless other unsuspecting mammals, too. She was just another one of his targets.

Judy hadn't been this bad in forever. It was even worse than before she went to that stupid wedding and met his stupid face. Somehow he'd brought her to the very top, making her feel better than ever before, and then thrown her back down to rock bottom. She may have been able to only go up, but there was one more option that no one ever really thought about.

Staying the same.

She obviously didn't want to stay feeling this way. She knew what it was like to be happy, and the contrary was terrible. She didn't like to do anything, her job sucked even more than before, she stayed inside whenever she had free time, and never smiled. She was back to where she was five months ago, only this time it felt much worse.

She couldn't have too much resentment towards him, though. He was, after all, the one that got her to have a new outlook on life and feel like a million dollars every single day. He helped her see that the joy was all around her. He did what he said he was going to do that night at the wedding.

But it was all for his own personal gain. He acquired her trust, established a bond with her, and then attacked, hoping that he'd get what he wanted from the start. The worst part was that she almost gave into it. A small part of her still wished that she did.

Looking past the tricks and the games that he played, he was a genuinely nice person, and very easy on the eyes. Judy had said no to ever trying to get involved with him for one simple reason: he was her therapist. Everybody knows you don't date your therapist, no matter how attractive they may be. Judy wasn't the kind of mammal to do something hateful and stick with that feeling. She stormed out on him angry, and with good reason, but she still felt like it was a bit harsh. Did she actually hate him? No. She didn't, but she wasn't the least bit happy with his lack of consent for trying to kiss her.

But you have to admit, it probably would have felt pretty awesome… she thought, but instantly got rid of those thoughts, nearly slapping herself in the face.

"No! He was a creep! Why do I have to keep thinking about him like that?" she shouted out loud, instantly remembering why she should always keep her thoughts to herself when in her apartment.

"Because maybe you don't actually think he's a creep, bunny. Is this really that hard to figure out?"

Judy palmed her face and sighed in annoyance, falling backward onto her bed. She didn't hear another voice trying to give her advice, only her own in response.

"Yes, it is that hard, Bucky! This fo… guy tried to make out with me without asking if I liked him that way! I should retch at the thought of him, but I keep thinking I made a mistake… what do you guys think?"

"I think you should at least go apologize to him. You did say some pretty mean stuff to him right before you stormed out," Pronk added. Judy's ears shot up from behind her and she sat up, turning herself to face the wall.

"Wait, how did you know I did that? Can you really hear me from that far away?"

"You were talking to Kristie about it weeks ago on the phone. Kinda hard not to hear when you yell all the time."

"Hey! I do not… ok, you have a point, there. But do you really think that would do anything? Would he even care if I came and apologized to him?"

"It's not about what he would think of it. If you say you're sorry, the guilt of lashing out could go away and you'd feel better. Get it?"

Judy did get it, but she still wanted to avoid that fox at all costs. "I think I get it, but I still need some time to think about that. Thanks, you guys. That actually helped a lot."

"Yeah, don't get used to it, bunny. We're just tired of you moping around constantly."

Judy looked at her clothes and decided that they were good enough for a run. If there was anything that would help her clear her mind enough to think right now, it was going for a run. Judy didn't even bother stretching this time. She wasn't expecting to go too far from her place, so she hoped that it would be fine. Judy burst out of her apartment and started running. She hadn't taken the time to look out her window before, though, and she quickly learned that it was pouring rain. It wasn't a big deal to her, though. She actually liked running in the rain.

Everyone she passed held an umbrella and gave her strange looks, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was get away from her troubles for a while.

As she moved along, she almost felt the rain fall harder and in the distance, she heard claps of thunder. It wasn't the greatest rain to be running in, but she was already soaked to the bone. To her, there was no turning back.

While she ran, in her mind Judy saw Nick. The way he looked at her at the wedding, the way she looked back at him. Everything great about him came back to her and it made her want to find him. All this time, she'd been thinking of him as a terrible mammal, when in reality he simply made a mistake. One of the things that crossed her mind was how he looked at her when she was telling him off. He didn't look like a creep, or someone who had done this before. He looked like a friend that had hurt someone he cared about.

The rabbit shook her head. She was not about to think like that, so she focused on running, putting on a burst of speed and pumping her legs even harder. Nick didn't care about her. He just wanted to use her, and that was it. Everything he told her was a lie. That was what she tried to tell herself, but it all went back to that look. It was the last time she'd seen him, and it stuck with her. She couldn't get that face out of her mind.

Judy closed her eyes, shaking her head even harder, feeling some tears mix into her rain-soaked fur. Before she opened her eyes again, Judy ran straight into some unsuspecting mammal. She collided with them, causing her to fall into a puddle on the sidewalk, and for the mammal to fall backwards. She groaned in pain, grabbing at the shoulder that hit the pavement.

"Ma'am. Are you alright?" said a familiar voice. Judy knew exactly who it was, and she didn't want to open her eyes, but as she felt a paw grab her own, she opened them.

"Ma'am, I'm so sorry… wait… Judy? What are you doing here?" Nick asked. The rabbit kept her eyes narrow as she looked at him, removing her paw from his gentle grasp.

"I was on a run, not that it matters to you. What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. I was on a run," he replied.

"Yeah, right! Like you would ever—" Judy looked at his clothes. He wore a tight-fitting shirt and a pair of athletic shorts, a far cry from his usual attire. "Oh, I guess you were. I didn't know you were a runner."

"I mean, I did tell you that when you first came to my place, or have you forgotten all about me?" he said, though it almost sounded like he said it in spite. She looked at him oddly, wondering why he would talk to her like that. Nick offered his paw to her again, seeing that her shoulder was hurting. "C'mere. Let's sit down instead of you laying in a puddle." Judy stared at his paw for a moment, but then grabbed it and he helped her up. Nick led her to a covered bench that was a short walk away, and the two sat down, drenched to the core. Judy had even started shivering.

"Look, I don't know what you're doing acting all nice like this, but I don't want to talk to you," Judy said, keeping her gaze fixed on the concrete floor.

"I don't blame you. We didn't exactly leave on good terms," he responded. "But I'm acting nice because it's the only way I know how. The way I was three months ago… I don't know what got into me. I've never felt the urge to do that to someone until you started seeing me. There's something about you, Judy. You're different from every other mammal out there."

"What do you want from me?" Judy asked. Though it seemed simple, it was a very loaded question. There was a lot that Nick wanted from Judy. Her time, her company, her smile, everything about her.

"I want you to be happy, Judy. That was my goal from the moment we met, and towards the end, you were almost to that point. There was something missing, though. Something that I wanted to fill. This is going to sound crazy, but I'm going to put it as honestly as possible. I feel like that might be the best way to put it."

Judy looked at Nick. He'd been staring at the floor just as she had, only she looked at his eyes. Surrounding his emeralds was a sea of red, like he'd been crying. It wasn't until she heard him sniff that she realized that he was crying.

"I'm madly in love with you, Judy. I've never felt that way about anyone until I found you. I doubt you'd want to be with me, especially after the way I treated you, but I just want you to know that there wasn't a moment that went by after our last session that I didn't hate myself for what I did. It was inappropriate and selfish, and I hurt you. I'm sorry." Nick quickly glanced over to where Judy sat. She avoided eye contact with him, and judging by her silence, she probably didn't want to talk to him.

"Look, I know that I messed up, and you probably want to get back to running, but I just want you to know that I have always cared about you," he said quietly. "If you don't feel the same way, then that's fine with me. I'll get out of your fur and you'll never have to deal with me again." Nick waited for her response, but what seemed like minutes passing told him that she had nothing to say, so he stood up. Walking towards the sidewalk, Nick turned back around and looked at the rabbit, still sitting with her head towards the ground.

"Goodbye, Judy," he said painfully, turning back around and walking away and into the rain.

"Wait!"

Nick's ears shot up, moving towards the sound. He stopped and turned around. His eyes were met with Judy's, the beautiful violet eyes that looked so different when filled with tears. She simply stood by the covered bench, looking at him and waiting for something. Judy walked forward, mere inches away from Nick. She gently took hold of his arm and continued looking back into his eyes.

"I'm sorry about that day. I overreacted, and I'm sure that scared you, but I can't let you go without knowing that I understand why you did what you did. You've been right all along. There is something here; I can feel it. Maybe I couldn't before, but right now I'm more certain than ever. You helped me find the joy in life before. Now, if you'll have me, I hope we can help each other find it together." Nick looked down that the bunny. He turned his body fully around so that they were fully facing each other. Nick brought his paws onto her shoulders, rubbing them gently and smiling.

"I know we can. Now, do I have permission to kiss you?" he said with the brightest smile he'd ever worn. Judy leaned forward as she laughed. Looking back up at him with an equally bright smile, she moved towards him.

"You do."

Their lips came together, the feeling of love inside of them stronger than either of them had ever felt before. It was this feeling that told Judy that she'd made the right choice, and that there was nothing that could make this day any better. As their lips separated, Nick still smiled down at her. For too long, Nick kept his gaze fixed on her, and eventually she couldn't help but laugh.

"Why are you still staring at me?" she giggled.

"I just remembered something. I hate that you work at that stupid diner. I feel like you might be a bit more suited to something else."

"And what would that be?"

"Well," he began. "I know you've always wanted to be a cop. I just might be able to help you get back on track."

Judy looked at Nick, skeptical of what he said. "How could you possibly do that? You're a therapist!"

Nick waggled one of his fingers at her. "Not just any therapist. I might have left some details of my profession out. The ZPD employs me as a therapist for their officers. I might be able to talk to some higher ups about getting you back into the Academy. What do you think?"

Judy normally would have tried as hard as she could to contain her excitement, but right now she felt as though she was nine again, more excited about being a cop than ever. With Nick at her side and believing in her the whole way, there was nothing that could possibly stop her.

"You're amazing, you know that?" she said. Nick playfully pulled her close to his side.

"Only for you, Carrots. Only for you."

Nick lifted his helmet off of his head, almost glad that the simulation was finally over. He looked over to where Judy was just taking her helmet off. She looked at him strangely, which quickly turned into a look of sadness, and then finally into tears. Nick quickly got out of his seat and went over to his wife, wrapping her up in a comforting hug while stroking her back and ears, listening to her calm down.

"I'm so in love with you, Judy. Don't you ever forget that. Why on earth did you pick that scenario?"

Judy wiped away her tears and looked into his eyes. "I don't know, I just have been feeling like something sad, you know?" Nick chuckled as he pulled her into another hug.

"No, I don't know." Nick released her from the hug. He knelt down in front of her and looked straight into her eyes. "Are you nervous about the kits? Do you feel like something's wrong?" Judy shook her head.

"No, It's just… life is about to change for us both. You're going to be a great dad! What if I'm not a great mom?"

Nick figured it was just the pregnancy talking, but she still needed to know that everything was alright. "You bunnies… so gosh darn emotional… You're going to be a great mom, Judy. I know you will. They are going to love you so much. If they are anything like their dad, then they will be the best at loving you." Nick finished by placing a kiss in between her ears and bringing her in for one last hug, just to make sure that she was alright.

"Let's get out of here. I'm starving," Judy said, suddenly not sad anymore and more focused on food than anything else.

"I'm going to have to get used to those mood swings for a little while, aren't I?"

"It's almost over, so just a few more days, " Judy replied. "The due dates almost here and you still need to get used to my cravings, because its bugga burgers tonight!" Judy shouted as they left Fitwik's Arcade.

"Could be worse," Nick said, not seeing her choice being too strange.

"With whipped cream," she added.

"I should have seen it coming…"