Buzz, Buzz… Buzz, Buzz… The Phone rang on the bedside table, Judy Hopps reached a sleepy paw over to pick it up. "My Parents." She said to herself, followed by a sigh. She answered the muzzle-time call with a single tap of her bunny claw.
"Hey Judy, how's my little bunny cop doing?" Bonnie asked in her usual over the top way.
"I'm good mum. How about you? And what time is it?" Judy said, followed closely by a yawn.
"It's quarter past 10 Judy, have you just woken up?" Her mothers voice had turned to the one she reserved for misbehaving kits. Judy nodded and wiped the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her paw.
"Where are you anyway? That doesn't look like your apartment." Bonnie asked. 'Shit' Judy thought to herself, she had stayed at Nicks and he was fast asleep in the bed behind her just out of view of the camera, his tail was draped over Judy's legs. She did everything she could to keep him out of shot, praying that her mother hadn't seen the fox, whose bed she was in.
"I stayed at a friend's place, we went for dinner last night." Judy blushed and she felt her ears burning with embarrassment.
"Who is it? Is it a 'special' friend?" Bonnie asked, raising her eyebrows. Judy blushed even more and had to look away from the phone, but before she could think of anything to say, her mother clapped her paws excitedly on the other end of the phone, her ears pricking right up.
"Stu! Judy's got herself a boyfriend." She shouted excitedly. Judy turned her head to make sure she hadn't woken Nick, Luckily, he was still asleep, gently snoring.
"He had better be a good bunny." Stu said from out of shot.
"Oh Stu." Bonnie waved a paw dismissively in his direction.
Nick rolled over in his sleep, his tail swished up between Judy and the camera on the phone. Judy froze, and her mother's face dropped.
"What… was… that?" Bonnie said, Judy couldn't tell if she was scared, angry or worried, but she tried her best to save the situation.
"Oh, it was just the covers." Judy said, followed by a giggle and an awkward smile.
"I thought it was a fox's tail for a moment there." Her mother said through laughter. "You should have seen your fathers face. Ha. It was a picture." Judy just laughed nervously.
"Would that be so bad?" Judy asked squinting as she waited for an answer.
Bonnie stared in stunned silence before flatly saying. "Was it?"
"Oh, no, no." Judy said regretting asking immediately.
"Then, no, it wouldn't be that bad." Bonnie smiled. But Judy knew that was a complete lie
"Anyway Judy, your father and I want you to come visit us, we are having a bit of a reunion at the burrow. You can bring your 'friend' if you want?"
"Oh, I don't know mum, he isn't exactly the family type." Judy said, awkwardly flattening one ear with her free paw.
Stu stuck his head into shot. "Oh come on Jude the dude, I want to meet the mammal that's been looking after my daughter for me."
Nick was starting to wake up and went to stretch his arms up, but Judy slammed them back down to his sides before her parents could see him. Judy shot him a look that put fear in his heart, It was her way of saying, move and I'll kill you. He could read her like a book.
"Ok, Ok I'll ask him when I get up, he is probably making breakfast." She smiled at her parents, both of them excitedly smiling back at her.
"That's great chicken, we are having everyone round next Friday so come on Thursday to introduce us." Bonnie could hardly contain herself at this point.
"I will, ok, bye guys." Judy said waving at them.
"Bye Jude, see you soon." They said in stereo. Judy hung up the phone and flopped back onto Nicks chest, she scraped her paws through her head fur and let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Did you catch any of that?" Judy asked.
"You want me to come to bunny burrow with you next week?"
"Would you?"
"I would love too, but do your parents know that their daughter is dating a big red love machine of a fox." Nick winked at her and growled playfully. Judy snuggled into his chest fur, she felt so at ease when they were this close, her paw brushed over the scar on the right-paw side of his chest. That small scar on Nicks chest caused a rush of emotions in Judy every time she saw it, felt it or even thought about it. Nick had taken a bullet for her almost exactly 12 months ago. They were out on a drug raid and one of the offenders had a small handgun, Nick spotted the mammal and threw himself around Judy taking a bullet as they hit the ground, but it didn't just bring back sad memories, no. that was the first time Nick had told her he loved her. Nick lay in Judy's arms in the hallway of the house. Blood flowing from his bullet wound and his consciousness fading quickly. "Judy… Don't leave me" nick whispered through staggered breaths. "I, I Love you." He managed to eek out before slipping into unconsciousness. She couldn't move, she thought he was dying, the last moments they would spend together, and their relationship hadn't even begun. "I love you too Nick. Since we first met, why didn't I tell you." She whimpered, the rest of the team flying around them arresting the offenders. Judy hadn't left Nicks side while he was in hospital and she still spent every possible moment with him now.
A tear rolled down Judy's cheek only for Nick to wipe it away. "That's all over now Carrots." He said softly. She realised that her paw had stopped on the scar, her mind going back to that day in Sahara Square.
"Sorry, I Just don't know what I'd do without you." She sobbed gently.
"Hey, hey, come on now, we've got a busy day. I'll make breakfast, you get the table set." Nick said, hugging her tightly. "I'll make waaaffllleess." A smile came to Judy's face and she laughed a little, he knew exactly how to cheer her up.