Author's Note:

Happily Judy will not be looking at her life without Nick, and she will not have to be assigned another partner and Bogo will not have to take back the heated massage pad he bought last month for fox/bunny related issues. We arrive at the end of Season One and I have something special for all of you who have followed me on this fun journey. The Season Finale is double-length, so lots to read. Get comfy, get a drink and settle in for some reading.

Oh the things I would do if I owned Disney. You all would be sick of Zootopia by now I bet! The shareholders would have abandoned us, the parks would have entire sections modeled after parts of the city, you name it! But I don't, so the world is still the way it is, unchanged. For now. .

Guardian Blue: Season One

Episode 26: Promises

"Officer?" A male voice that she did not recognize lifted Judy from her slumber. She winced a little as she tried to roll, realizing that she could not lead with her bad shoulder. She pushed with her leg a little and rolled onto her back. She looked up at the dim light along the wall above and behind her bed.

"Yes?" she asked groggily. Nurses had checked in on her a couple of times, but she did not recognize this one. It must have been shift change. She looked at the pillow she'd been balled up around and smiled, reminded immediately that Nick was no longer just a memory. He was alive. She found that she had to tell herself this as she woke as her mind seemed to want to go back to that feeling of loss for reasons she could not explain. Maybe it was because she had not really allowed herself to mourn, focusing instead on doing instead of feeling. Feeling, in those days, had been insurmountably hard.

The stout, pudgy capybara with blue scrubs and glasses spoke again. "I hate to interrupt you in your sleep in the middle of the night like this. I know you've gone through a lot, Officer Hopps." He clutched his hands together in front of him, seeming nervous. While short for a capybara, the mammal was still a lot bigger than Judy, almost Nick's size, and heavy-looking. But he seemed so gentle at the same time.

"It's alright, I have slept more since I got here than I think I had for the few days before." She sat up slowly, wincing a bit. Yeah, they were definitely weaning her off the stronger pain medicine.

"It's about your partner," the capybara stated softly. Judy's heart leapt to her throat.

"Nick?" she asked, her voice sinking with dread. "Is something wrong?" She knew her fear was audible, but she could hardly bring herself to care. There was an infection, the doctor said he had an infection, did it get worse? Was he not going to be okay now? She couldn't bear the thought of it, and her heart raced, her hands feeling clammy.

The nurse spoke again, "Nothing terrible, but we think you might be able to help us with him." He did not change his composure to be more reassuring, perhaps unaware of how badly he'd just terrified Judy.

She spoke up louder. "What's happened? I will help any way I can."

The broad, meek looking rodent replied, "See, foxes do not like hospitals, they have a lot of trouble relaxing, they are twitchy, they get irritated easily when they are hurt, it's usually not much fun to care for them when they get really messed up."

"I was aware of this, yes." Judy replied wearily. She was herself a little irritated at how nearly disparaging this nurse was being, but she was sure her partner would not be fun to deal with if he was irritated and grumpy. "I take it Nick is giving you some trouble? Sorry, what did you say your name was?" she asked.

"Kyle Goodgnaw. Nice to get to meet you. Um… He won't go to sleep. He's acting super stressed, starts freaking out for no reason, all kinds of issues. He needs to sleep at least a little because he's exhausted. Everyone who comes in there gets a message to come get you, to bring you in there. We told him you are okay but I think maybe he doesn't believe us? He seems really stressed about you, so if he sees you walk in there on your own, and knows you are in better shape than him, maybe he will calm down and rest, we are hoping. Dr. Quill and I were hoping, I mean. Quill left for the day, but said if Wilde didn't rest I could come and talk to you." Judy's heart raced. Of course she would go see Nick, it's what she'd been wanting since she woke up the first time. She worried about what condition he was in, but if he was being a pain it could not be too bad.

"Sure, I will go see him. I agree. It might help. He can be a little… protective," she stated, remembering when she got hit by the bus. Had that only been a couple weeks ago? So much had happened, it was hard to believe. If Nick didn't know she was alright, she thought it was a safe bet he was dwelling on it and stressing out about it too much. She followed Kyle out of her room on somewhat unsteady legs, but her strength began to return to her with a little walking. Being in bed all day did not agree with a bunny.

They walked down the hall and entered Nick's room with the nurse quietly. Nick looked away suddenly before she could even really see his face in the darkened room. She thought it was odd that he looked away. He was moving slightly but she could not tell exactly what he was doing as her eyes adjusted. The halls were so bright, but for vulpine patients they usually kept the rooms pretty dark. Nick was on a bed far too large for him, just as Judy's was. The bunny got closer, concerned at his actions. Turning away didn't seem the sort of thing that a fox who was lamenting his injured partner would do. He then brought a white marker board from in front of him that he'd just been writing on and held it behind him for Judy to read.

Please don't get mad at them

Judy blinked at that message. He wasn't allowed to talk at that moment so she knew why he had to write it, but why would she be mad at the nurse or doctor? Nick then slowly turned with a miserable expression and Judy's heart nearly shattered.

He was wearing a muzzle.

Judy balled up her fist. "What the fuh-" Nick shook the sign again, his eyes pleading, but the sign wasn't working. Eyes wide she turned slowly to the capybara. He backed away from her with obvious fear written on his face as clear as Nick's writing on the sign.

Judy asked slowly, "Why is that… thing… on his face?" The bunny provided for this question a severely cold tone. She could feel herself beginning to shake with rage. After everything that Nick had gone through he was laying there in a muzzle? Like a violent criminal? This was every level of unacceptable she could possibly imagine.

"The oral restraint?" asked Kyle. "It's for safety reasons. Predators sometimes do weird things when they are sedated or on medication." Judy turned and immediately moved to Nick's side, the fox holding still as Judy looked for the clasp for the muzzle. It wasn't a steel one like what the ZPD used, it was tough black rubber. It was hard for Judy to manage it with just one hand, even if it was not made for criminals. Kyle spoke up, a little louder. "Oh, no, you can't do that, only a doctor or a nurse can handle the equipment."

"Did Nick ask you to remove it?" she asked in that cold, hateful voice.

Kyle responded with exasperation, "Of course he did, but we're not supposed to. He feels fine now, but if he's medicated and wakes up confused he could-" Judy cut him off with a savage tone not at all characteristic of a bunny.

"-do far, far less physical damage in his condition than I will do to anyone who puts one of these back on him." She pulled it off finally and hurled it out the door into the hall.

"We have to-" Kyle started.

"Out." Judy commanded.

"I-"

"Don't come back without Quill." Her eyes narrowed. The larger mammal turned and left hastily, actually closing the door. Judy's heart was racing. The nurse could have called security and made a much bigger scene out of that, but he seemed to think better of it. Judy turned and looked at Nick who hand both hands rubbing his mouth, opening and closing it now that he could, looking pretty dejected. Judy embraced him. It's what she wanted to do the moment she found out she was coming to see him, but right then it seemed he might need it more than she did. Had he been wearing it long? Hours? He had been trying to get someone to bring Judy in there because he knew she would make them take it off. Nick carefully hugged her back, mindful of her shoulder and bandaged head. Dangerous fox indeed.

Judy spoke on the edge of tears. "Nick, I am so sorry, they only just now came to get me, I had no idea…" Nick gestured for Judy to release him. She did, a little confused, but then realized that it was because he needed his other arm to be able to pick up his marker board. He wrote for a bit then held up the sign.

Mom forgot to tell them not to use it. It was a long day for her

Judy sighed again in frustration and nodded. It did not make her feel any better about having walked in to see that scene. "It's no wonder foxes hate hospitals, being treated like that." Judy growled. Nick used a handkerchief to erase the board and wrote again for a while.

It's actually necessary. Predators do bite if they're in pain and get surprised. It's not unreasonable. I just couldn't sleep with it on.

Judy looked at the fox who then smiled at her, melting the chill in her heart immediately. She sighed heavily as her anger burned off. Judy just remained quiet a bit. She was finally here with him. He wasn't hidden away in another place, making her wonder. He seemed to be doing okay, though she supposed he had a cast on under the blankets of his bed. He looked a bit thin, gaunt almost, but she expected that too. He gave her hand a little bit of a squeeze, smiling a bit more tenderly at her. He seemed very sleepy.

Judy was in no hurry to go, but she knew he was tired. "I should let you get some rest, Nick. Now that you don't have that 'oral restraint' on your face now, do you think you can sleep?" she asked. More marker board writing took place.

Stay for a little bit? Until I fall asleep?

Judy's heart ached for that. Of course she would. She carefully pulled herself up on the bed, paying attention to get on his left side since it was his right leg that took the hit. She pushed her back against the head of the bed and found Nick pulling himself into a sitting position as he wrote some more. It seemed more comfortable for him to write if he was sitting instead of lying. Judy did not want him doing anything but resting. However, she didn't want to seem like she was rushing him. Maybe he just really needed her company. He wrote on the board again.

Is it okay if I ask a question? I didn't want to ask anyone else.

Judy flicked her ears back and then nodded to her partner. "Certainly, you can ask me anything." She leaned forward a bit as he wrote, watching him form the words. Nick had wonderful penmanship, even when he was trying to write quickly. Judy blushed a little as she considered how much she looked forward to hearing his soft voice again. There was that, of course, she would tell him eventually, but right now was not time. She wanted Nick to feel more like Nick before laying that at his feet. Finally, he finished writing.

Did we get him? Darmaw. Did we catch him?

Judy's blood chilled again. He wasn't aware of what happened? He must have been distracted with the little girl when Judy kicked the buck through the rails. No one had thought to tell him anything about the case that nearly killed him? Or maybe they had been asked not to so as to let Nick relax. She thought for a moment, her expression slightly stunned. It was not an easy thing to say suddenly. The rage was subsiding, she got her fox back, but she felt no differently about what she'd done. Nick touched her arm. He had circled Darmaw's name, and wrote hastily,

Got away?

The bunny realized that Nick was concerned about this because it seemed that putting him and the girl in danger was a distraction so that he could escape. To a normal mammal that might have been the case, but that buck was trying to commit two murders, completely focused on killing Nick and the little pup, and didn't seem to care about himself at that point.

Judy inhaled deeply and then spoke. Her voice was a little deeper to express the seriousness that she felt about this. "Nick, that monster tried to murder a five year old pup right in front of me, then tried to murder you while you were hanging there helplessly trying to save her." Judy wanted to carefully lay out the situation as she saw it. Nick looked at her with wide, expressive and interested eyes. He scribbled on the pad hastily, his lettering not quite as neat.

We WILL get him, Fluff.

Judy looked Nick in the eyes and said softly, "No Nick. I killed him." The expression of shock that the fox donned was absolute. It was obviously not the thing that he expected to hear. Judy was actually surprised that he hadn't seen it on the news, but if they put the muzzle on him when he was just coming off the pain meds he might not have cared to see any news up to that point. Nick quickly erased the board with his sleeve and wrote again.

How?

"I kicked him over the railing when he was trying to stomp you off the catwalk. Nick, Darmaw was probably dead before you hit the water." Her partner looked pained. Judy wasn't sure what was worse, that Nick probably felt in part responsible, or that she regretted not getting to kill Darmaw a second time for making Nick look like that. Judy took Nick's hand again, smiling at him, trying to let him see that she was not suffering from the experience. No officer wanted that number in their record. No one wanted to end the life of another, and when it happened counseling was always a must. She'd already been seen a few times by Carlisle, that's how she knew what was expected, and why she felt a bit guilty – not for taking a life, but because she felt so little remorse for the deer. Nick wrote on the board again.

Judy, are you OK?

Judy sucked in a deep breath and smiled at Nick encouragingly. She did not need him to worry about her. She hadn't died even once through this whole ordeal, Nick was the one who had a funeral. "Nick, I'm fine. Dr. Carlisle's there for me to talk to, and we've met a few times, he's very nice." She gripped Nick's hand tighter. "I did what I had to do to save you and the pup. I don't regret it." Nick put his ears back and then bowed his head forward, forehead touching her chest, then sliding down as he lay out fully on the bed again with his cheek in her lap. He wrapped both arms around her middle and embraced tightly. The soft jolting shakes coming from him told Judy the real measure of Nick's feelings. He was so quiet that only those little movements betrayed it. He wept.

The bunny lowered her head and leaned in to hold him tight as well, as well as she could with one arm. Nick's crying actually lasted for a while, and Judy felt like maybe this was something he'd been trying to hold back and when it got out he just felt content to unload all of it. Her own cheeks were wet so she couldn't blame him. She stroked his neck and back slowly, soothingly. She might have, not so long ago, felt very awkward to be put in this position, a bunny with a fox sobbing with his nose tucked against her tummy through a thin hospital gown. Now however, she found that she was grateful to be here with him when he needed her. Who else could he hold and know it was okay to let this out?

The crying slowed after a perhaps twenty minutes, and Judy kept stroking his neck and shoulders, but then suddenly remembered a valuable bit of trivia. She pushed back a little, getting more comfortable with Nick's head still resting on her lap and brought her fingertips to the ends of his darker-toned foxy ears.

She spoke softly, "I know you're tired Nick. I'm gonna stay, I promise… right here. I won't leave. Just close your eyes and rest. Can you do that for me? I want you to be ready to go home tomorrow. You will be a lot happier in your own place." As she spoke she began to tweak and tease Nick's ears, her fingertips pulling and caressing along the rims of them. The effect was immediate. It felt like he half way turned to liquid. His breathing pretty quickly changed and with so little effort the exhausted fox was out. Judy smiled at that, feeling very accomplished for having done it. She would be sure to let Vivienne know that trick was used exactly how it should be. She remembered that the first time she'd done that Nick had been the one caring for her. Judy had considered getting up and heading back to her room, but she worried that the capybara was waiting just around the corner for the vicious bunny to leave so could cram that muzzle back on his face. So she promised Nick she would stay as long as they let her. Judy slid down carefully, slowly, wincing a bit at a little bit of strain to her shoulder.

Finally, with a bit of careful, slow squirming she was tucked in against Nick's side. She blushed a bit, feeling selfish and a little shameful but she tilted her head up and pushed her nose up against his neck and drew in a long, deep breath. And she was denied. Nick smelled like absolutely nothing. He smelled like the rest of the hospital. Of course they had to scrub him completely with how much of a mess he'd been and the fox had not had time to get his own scent back. Judy was actually a little alarmed at exactly how frustrated and disappointed she was about that. She was no longer in any position to tease her sister about the pillow.

Lacking the comfort of his scent did not prevent Judy from slowly being filled with that quiet, happy contentment that she had feared less than a full day ago would be gone forever. She knew that she needed to get up and return to her room eventually, but the thought that someone might try to muzzle her partner again prevented her from doing much more than entertaining the thought. In moments, despite having had a lot more sleep than the fox, she joined him in peaceful slumber tucked as close as she could on the oversized bed.

Soft murmuring outside the door of the hospital room was what brought Judy back into consciousness. She shifted a little and regretted it. Her shoulder was in utter agony. She winced and rolled fully onto her side, finding that she was pushed into Nick. She put an arm out to help her sit up. She needed to find a nurse to get some pain medicine. She found the room to be softly lit, and the reason why became obvious a second later. She and Nick were no longer alone in the room. Judy suddenly forgot about the pain in her shoulder as her entire body flushed with embarrassment.

Vivienne smiled up at Judy as she perked up in her cushy chair by the bed. Viv had obviously discovered a bunny in bed with her son. Judy inhaled deeply and winced again. Shoulder. How could she keep forgetting? She whined a little, and spoke.

"They uh, came and got me last night to help him sleep. They-" Judy started.

"I heard. I feel terrible." Vivienne murmured in a sad tone. "I completely forgot to tell them he would get really distressed about that. Thanks for guarding him. I am sure they would have tried to get it back on him if you left. Apparently the nurses were intimidated by you, so as long as you were in here, they weren't going to come in."

Judy spoke with a wavering voice. "I need you to do me a small favor." Vivienne widened her eyes, expression serious as she nodded.

"Anything, Judy," she said kindly.

"Get a nurse, please? Let them know I need pain medicine. It's really bad." There was a lot of tension in Judy's voice. "I guess I deserve it for scaring the hospital staff." She winced again. Vivienne immediately jumped up.

She huffed out in sudden alarm. "Whuh! Of course. Goodness, I'll get someone, so you just hold still I'll be right back!" Vivienne hastily departed.

Her exclamation seemed to rouse the other fox who shifted a bit, groaning groggily with a raspy sounding voice, "Nuuhh…"

Judy put a hand on the top of his head. "No talking, Nick. Remember?" She was still mostly under the blanket, but could not remember exactly getting under them. Nick rolled over, wincing a bit as well. While his broken leg was the worst of his injuries Judy supposed that being slammed through a mile of pipe might have caused other discomfort. Nick struggled a little to sit up and looked around. Without his marker-board he was effectively speechless. Judy found that it had fallen off the bedside table at some point, or maybe it had been on the bed. She could not remember. Judy could not reach down and get it easily with her injury and Nick wasn't about to try to get off the bed. He smiled at her, laughing quietly and shaking his head and side by side, still half under the covers, they waited.

Vivienne hurried back in, then gasped happily at seeing Nick awake. "Oh you look so much better today, sweetie. Are you ready to go home?" she asked. Nick nodded emphatically, then pointed to the floor where the marker board was. His mother grabbed it, but realized immediately that there was writing which, as any mother might, she read curiously. The patchwork conversation there was Nick asking about Darmaw. Vivienne handed the board back to Nick, and he pointed at the name, looking curiously at his mother.

"That's not the kind of thing I wanted to talk about," she stated firmly. "I had everything to be grateful for. I wasn't going to bring up... his name." she bared her teeth a little when she said it. Nick erased the board and scribbled on it.

It's okay. As long as Judy and the pup are alright. Is the pup alright?

Judy nodded and winced again in pain. Nick's eyes widened and he leaned in close, ears back, a hand on Judy's side. He wrote with his free hand sloppily.

Pain?

Judy nodded. "It's okay Nick. Viv went to get a nurse, they'll bring me some medicine. I missed a dose last night I think." She admitted. She didn't want him to feel bad about it but she wanted even more for him not to worry about her. Nick nodded a little despondently, looking sad a moment, as he likely knew that she was injured coming to get him, and now in pain for staying with him. He leaned in and carefully hugged the bunny again, but this time he tucked his chin up near her good shoulder, cheek to cheek with her, and then drew back suddenly, perking his ears.

Judy watched as he tilted his head slightly in quiet curiosity, then his eyes semi-lidded and he leaned in. She held still but squirmed a little as she felt his whiskers tickle along her cheeks, his cool nose brought so close she could feel the pull of air from him drawing in his breath right along her jawline. She then realized what he was doing. Vivienne put her scent on Judy when she hugged her the previous day. Nick must have found it. It was a little embarrassing. Her partner leaned back again, looking in surprise at his mother.

Judy chuckled at that and murmured weakly, "Told you I was family." Vivienne gave a beaming smile at Nick. His expression, surprised a moment longer, suddenly softened, and he smiled to Judy. He looked at her a moment, still quiet, very still, and then the peaceful moment was interrupted by both Judy's doctor and obviously Dr. Quill entering at the same time. Grace had medicine and some water for Judy and the squat porcupine busied himself with inspecting Nick's vitals.

Grace spoke first, smiling to Judy. "For your future stays, ask for a supervisor and explain the situation before traumatizing our interns." Judy wilted a bit, putting her ears back as she swallowed the medicine down.

The bunny answered meekly, "Will do. There's… reasons." She didn't want to get into it.

Grace simply nodded. "Also, you will want to message your parents next time you switch rooms in the middle of the night. They were most confounded by your disappearance. I explained where you were and they decided to go have breakfast and leave you alone to rest. Very understanding sorts, the elder Hoppses," the kind deer chuckled. She used a flashlight to inspect Judy's eyes, she tested her reflexes, some of her visual acuity, and finally gave her a stack of forms to sign.

"I fill these out and I can go?" Judy asked. She knew the drill from last time, but there were no special instructions about the medicine she would need or anything.

"Yes. Same routine as with the bus, you have to have someone responsible with you when taking medicine. And this time your partner won't do, he'll have to stay on a couch or in bed for a while. Fortunately, one of your friends who lives in the apartment volunteered to help look after you." Judy flicked her ears at that. She could only be talking about Skye. She felt bad for putting her out again. She already made the vixen risk legal trouble, but she didn't think she could stand having her parents watch over her and Nick for who knows how long, and Skye seemed the type to gladly give them more space while they recovered so Judy nodded in agreement at that arrangement.

The bunny spoke again, putting the papers down. "And Nick? Can he be cleared to leave this morning?" she asked, her heart beating faster, hopeful.

Quill was the one who answered that. "I don't see why not. He will have a few more special instructions concerning the care of his leg and the medicine he has to take, and I must impress upon all of you that if he tries to over-do it… that could cause him problems running and walking permanently, so see to it that he follows his instructions to the letter!" The older porcupine announced.

"Absolutely." Judy said, carefully sitting up so that she didn't appear to actually be pushed up against Nick. She realized as she did so that his tail was looped around her hips so that she actually could not move away without sitting on it or crimping it. Nick scribbled on his marker board.

I get to go home?

Vivienne nodded quickly, and accepted the paperwork from the doctor who excused himself to check on other patients. Judy had been paying attention to Quill and had not noticed that Grace was already gone to do the same. Such busy mammals they were. Judy scooted slowly off the bed and took a moment in the restroom before returning and just standing by the bed. The medicine took a while to get worked into her system but Vivienne and Nick talked back and forth using the board about normal things and it was easy for Judy to kind of forget what had nearly happened. It felt good to be back into a life that seemed just a little more normal. She found herself feeling downright cheerful.

Then Bogo showed up.

Judy didn't have any ill feelings toward the chief, of course. She just knew what the conversation with him would most likely be. She carefully sat down on the chair that Vivienne had been in. She wondered if he'd ask Nick's mom to leave for this, but he didn't. He held a newspaper tucked under his arm and a cup of coffee in his hand. The cup was nearly empty, and did not last any longer than it took for him to advance to the trash can on the other side of the room. He turned and walked back to the door, closing it slowly. Judy's heart raced.

This was it. She felt awful that Vivienne had to witness it but knew she would want the support when he left. Bogo reached into his front uniform-shirt pocket and pulled out his glasses, putting them on. Nick reached down and scribbled on his board.

Oh crap

Vivienne huffed at her son and used her hand to erase the rude comment. Bogo regarded the pair a moment and then looked hard at Judy. She felt tiny already under his gaze and even more sitting on a chair made to accommodate nearly any mammal.

Bogo cleared his throat a bit and finally spoke. "Officer Hopps. It would seem you have put me into a somewhat uncomfortable position and put all eyes on my precinct yet again." His words were dire.

"Yes sir, sorry sir," Judy stated meekly.

The chief continued. "…Wanton destruction of city property…" The bunny winced a bit. "Forced access into a highly restricted area…" Judy's heart sank. Why couldn't he just say it and be done. "… Then of course I woke up to this." Bogo stated with a frustrated sigh as he opened the newspaper and turned it around, letting Judy, Nick, and Vivienne finally see it.

The image which took up the full top half of the page was a very clear and unsettling one. It was Judy right after she'd pulled Nick up through the street, half her face soaked in crimson. She held Nick in her arms, his head up about to her chest, the fox obviously unconscious and a hideous mess covered in mud and a fair amount of Judy's blood. Her mouth was open, either panting, maybe screaming, she knew she'd done both from the pain, her ears back. Her eyes were the worst though. The expression in them was worse than what she'd seen in the eyes of a savage jaguar. She looked absolutely enraged. Judy cupped her small muzzle seeing that image of her and her eyes tracked down to the words beneath it in big, hard, bold letters.

…AND DEATH BACKED AWAY SLOWLY

Vivienne spoke first, her tone outraged. "How can the paper even publish that?! That's terrible - She's obviously hurt!" Judy nodded at Bogo, as that was her sentiment as well. That picture seemed intentionally provided for shock value and to Judy it had so little to do with what actually happened. She wasn't scary, she wasn't mean, she saved her partner. She was just in terrible pain when that picture was taken.

Bogo answered patiently. "It sells papers, Mrs. Wilde, you know that. This is a very big deal for the city of Zootopia." He closed the paper again and Judy looked at Nick who was looking at her. His expression was surprised, but compassionate. He didn't seem to be upset at the picture at least, but the damage to the department's public image from that made Judy sure of what was coming.

"Chief, I …" She didn't even know the right way to apologize for this debacle. There were better ways to do this, surely, that did not involve committing two class A misdemeanors and traumatizing half the city when they had to see that on the front page of the paper. The video was probably even worse!

Bogo took advantage of Judy's inability to string words together to speak first. "Suffice it to say, Hopps…" She braced herself. "… Any suspect you try to stop for a long time is absolutely going to run; probably even if it's just for a busted tail light." Judy blinked at that.

"That is supposing I were still on the force." Judy stated glumly, clarifying the part that he seemed to be dancing around.

"Do you think I should remove you from the force?" the chief asked.

"No!" Vivienne and Nick both said, Nick putting a paw over his muzzle. Judy put her ears down. She knew what she expected. Officers can't just do the things she did.

Vivienne pleaded. "Make her pay for the repairs, give her desk duty for a while, but don't-" Bogo held up a hand, interrupting the vixen.

"Officer Hopps, this is the part I brought up where you put me in a difficult position." He said. Judy hung her head apologetically. He continued. "On one hand, you did make mistakes and they were pretty big. On the other hand, you brought back Officer Wilde who the rest of the city was openly mourning. In the middle of his funeral, I should add." Judy looked up at the chief, her eyes round. Was he actually going to be lenient? Could she hope for that? "Hopps, if I were to publicly punish you for any of the things you did to save the life of your partner, even you would be unable to find my body." Bogo sounded so cold in the way he said that and Judy gritted her teeth. She had not expected Bogo would let any of his choices be that affected by public opinion.

"Chief, I understand, but I don't –" Judy tried to say.

"Do you think you can get the full report of what happened on my desk today, maybe on the way home from the hospital, just… run it by for me? I have a lot of animals asking a lot of questions that only you have the answers for. I should really like to stop looking like it's my first day on the job in front of them." He seemed pretty stern about that. Judy was injured after all.

"Yes sir, I could do that." She said. She wasn't sure how right then, but she felt she could.

"Good. There will be consequences for your actions, Officer Hopps. We will discuss them when you come to drop off your report." Bogo placed the folded up newspaper on the bedside table and turned to leave. He looked at Vivienne, who seemed a little shaken by the thought that Judy could have lost her job for saving Nick. Nick reached over and held her hand to try to comfort her. The chief looked over to Nick as he did. "Officer Wilde?" Bogo said softly.

Nick looked up, curiously but not able to talk yet.

The chief spoke in an unusually kind tone. "I am deeply sorry, once again, that our investigation left you in a place like that without hope of help. If your partner hadn't been so uncommonly stubborn and worryingly willing to break the rules we would have lost a great officer. Maybe even two. Your sacrifices will be recognized and your efforts in the Darmaw case will be rewarded. Unfortunately you are stuck with Hopps as your partner, so you are going to need to get back to nothing less than 100 percent if you want to stand a chance. Get better, Wilde." And with that, he left.

Judy gave a huge sigh of relief on the oversized chair, sinking into it. Vivienne smiled at her and shook a little, as if trying to work out the adrenalin. There was a pause as everyone seemed to digest that and Nick picked up the paper again, opening and looking at it. He seemed sad, seeing Judy in such a state, so Judy took the paper away. Vivienne took it from Judy however and folded it again, placing it in her purse.

"Like it or not, it's important," she said softly. Nick picked up his marker board and wrote on it hastily. Judy looked over to him and watched. He flipped the board for her to see.

So wait, how did you know where to look for me if everyone else gave up?

Judy gritted her teeth in discomfort. She was supposed to keep Duke's name out of it. How was she going to do that in her report? She would just have to express that it was him but that he provided the information on the condition of anonymity. This was used to protect informants and while he was not specifically that it should shield him from problems involving it. The bunny finally looked over to her partner and back to his mother. She had not told her who it was either.

She sighed softly and responded, "Duke Weasleton." Nick's mother obviously didn't know who that was but the look of shock on Nick's face made it clear he had no trouble remembering that name. He looked horrified and Judy knew why. That's not the kind of mammal someone wanted to owe their life to. His rapidly written and somewhat sloppy response showed a different take on his feelings about that, however.

You went into that awful place on advice from DUKE?!

Nick resumed his shocked expression. Judy laughed weakly, her shoulder paining her a bit as she did. She sighed and nodded slowly. "I did. I guess I was willing to look at any possibility and what he said made sense. So here we are." Nick wrote slowly this time and Judy waited.

I will never be as smug as that weasel will be the next time I see him.

With just one hand, even with Nick's help, it took Judy as long to write her report, which her partner was very interested in reading, as it did for the hospital to process the forms and clear Nick and Judy to go. After they were cleared, the two were assisted out to the front drive. Judy's dad met with them in the new truck, which looked an awful lot like a newer version of the old truck. Stu always was a creature of habit. Judy's mother had stayed at the apartment due to there not being enough room for everyone in the truck. Nick's mother had someone else coming to get her as she intended to stay the night with a friend who she had visited a few times while coming to see Nick. Stu helped Nick carefully into the truck, mindful of his cast and Judy got in the middle between her father and her partner.

Judy's father was surprised to find out that the bunny had to head to work to drop off papers and said he could do it for her, but she informed him that her boss needed to talk to her anyway. She had to assure him that everything was alright as he immediately became worried. The drive was short between the hospital and the police station but Nick, who had been given pain medicine to help with the ride, was already asleep. Stu agreed to stay with Nick while Judy took the documents inside. She preferred that really as she didn't want Nick, in his condition, to have ot worry about whatever her punishments were going to be for her disregard for the rules.

The police station was initially fairly quiet as she walked in, wearing her regular clothes which her father had brought to the hospital. It was quiet. Then Clawhauser spotted her in the lobby. The piercing squeal was almost unsettling from a creature his size. Judy smiled warmly up to the big cat and stopped briefly by the front desk to inform him that she was doing better, and that she would be returning to work fairly soon, but likely for on-site stuff for a while, indicating her messed up shoulder.

She managed eventually to escape Clawhauser as he was distracted by a suspicious mammal call. She made her way to the chief's office and tapped on the door. He called her in and she provided the report, getting up again on the too-large chair that she'd sat in many times before. She had thought she might not sit in it again. She watched him as he quietly read the report. She was never exactly sure what part he was reading but he seemed visibly surprised, even upset or disturbed at some of what he was reading. She hoped that the contents of the report, factual and concise though it was, would not result in the chief changing his mind about keeping Judy as an officer.

The chief took his time reading the report and finally put the documents down, pinching the bridge of his nose up between his eyes as he gave a long, slow sigh. Judy watched a bit longer, unsure of what to say or even if she should say anything. She was not proud of all the things she did but she was desperate and a bit fatalistic at the time she'd done it. At first, she really didn't know that she could willingly remain an officer after what happened to her partner, even with knowing, and having been told, that Nick would never want her to give up her dream. It seemed, as she considered it in her days of loneliness, her dream was bigger than it used to be, and suddenly included more than just being a cop.

Bogo finally spoke, his tone seeming a bit weary. "Hopps, I would like you to walk with me, are you okay to walk a little bit?" Judy hopped out of the chair carefully, her body aching all over but most of the pain was bound to her shoulder.

"Yes chief, I can," she stated with assurance. He got up in a slow and lumbering fashion, and opened the door, having Judy follow him out. They walked quietly to the elevator then past the front desk. Clawhauser did not try to interrupt; he seemed to know that the chief was being serious. The cheetah watched quietly as the chief led Judy around the corner and down the hall to the cafeteria.

As he walked, he spoke again, his tone deep and calm. "Officer Hopps, I am less concerned about the legality and wisdom of your actions in your personal mission as described, and a lot more concerned about the danger that you willfully put yourself in. Did you care if you came back at all?" he asked. Judy gritted her teeth. She was determined, and she was desperate, but she was never suicidal.

"Certainly I did, Chief! I went to get Nick, I had the bag, what would be the point in not coming back then?" she said loudly.

Bogo sighed. "You intended to bring what you could find back, yes, but what were you willing to leave behind? What would have been left after? This isn't about being dead or alive, Hopps, this is about you being here for the ones who are still waiting for you. It's about you still standing up for the city of Zootopia your partner died to help." The word went into her like an arrow and some dark part of her psyche even tried to tell Judy that Nick surviving had been a fantasy she was just now waking up from. She knew this wasn't true and chased that dark flicker into the shadows as she answered slowly.

"Sir, yes, I was hurting, I won't lie about that, for more reasons that I expect you care to hear, but I would never have turned away from the rest of my friends and family, or his friends and family. I would have wanted him to be proud of me." As she said it she was not so sure. She had thought of leaving it all behind, returning home when the pain was at its worst. But later her mind worked more on a life where she was still helpful to the city she loved.

Bogo turned, no longer walking. Judy stood in front of him, having to look up as she was so much smaller. He spoke softly. "I am not worried about the scandal of letting you off too easily, or about the city feeling that a punishment levied against you is fair or unfair, there is a matter here that has hung over my head like an approaching storm since your first day as an officer." Bogo put his hand out, against the wall, and where his hand was there was a large open glass display. This hall leading to the cafeteria had quite a few displays and trophy cases but Judy's breath hitched a little when she realized which one they were standing in front of.

The simple large rectangular case boasted exquisite dark blue velvet interior upon which was fastened in large gleaming polished silver plates the names of every fallen officer of the ZPD. Bogo kept his hand placed on it, palm wide, as if remembering the officers that were there. The names spanned all the way back over 160 years.

Bogo finally spoke. "I worked very hard as an officer, Hopps. I still made mistakes, maybe some even as bad as you, but I never gave in to the worst that the city could throw at me. I was like you, I gave all of myself to this city for what I hoped would be a better Zootopia, and I feel that I have helped that I have made a difference, but there was one thing that, when I became Chief of Police, I learned I could not actually completely prevent no matter how good a police chief I was." Judy put her free hand over her chest, understanding.

"Yes, sir." She said in a very soft tone.

Bogo looked sadly at her a moment. "Judy…" The bunny looked up, almost startled. The Chief never used anyone's first name. "… It is the unhappy duty of the Chief of Police to attach the names that you see on this wall. In my time as Chief I have placed six of them here. I would take a year of parking duty myself if it meant I could avoid putting up another. There is no more painful, terrible thing I have endured, and nothing I have begged of fate itself not to make me endure again… so much as this one honored and important task." Judy swallowed loudly.

"I won't be so reckless, I promise," she said, feeling like she knew where Chief Bogo was going with this. Bogo was quiet a moment, almost wistful.

He finally spoke. "When Mayor Lionheart assigned you to my precinct, I was closed-minded and determined that I knew exactly what a bunny could do. I felt like I should just go ahead and order your plate for this wall and I could have the date etched on it a few weeks after. That's how I felt. I didn't hate you, Officer Hopps. I didn't lament that I had to have a bunny. I was afraid. I didn't want to attach the name of someone so caring and strong to this wall. When you pushed me to let you work on a case, I spent a long time looking at this memorial to the very courage that I knew would quickly lead you here. I know strong leadership has kept many officers from ending up here, but I could not keep another name from ever being added no matter how badly I wanted it. That was a hard day for me, Hopps, but you have surprised and impressed me. I have never gone easy on you and you have thrived. However…"

Judy looked up, barely holding back her tears. This was so completely uncharacteristic of the Chief. "Yes sir?" she asked, her throat suddenly feeling tight and dry.

"I felt like I needed to bring you here to make sure you understood the fate you seem to like to dance awfully close to. You are cared for, you are loved, and you are wanted by so many to stay a part of the lives of the City of Zootopia. Do not treat this life as your own Hopps. When you put on that badge, it is not your own. You are a part of us. We are proud to have you as a member of the ZPD." No holding them back now. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She swept them away self-consciously. She felt like this was just not the time for that.

"I understand," Judy said in a whisper.

"Now for the disciplinary action promised…" Judy inhaled deeply. The chief definitely knew how to put her back on the ground. "You are aware that you will be responsible for the repairs to the tunnel, and due to the sudden notoriety you and your partner will likely be on fluff duty for a while once you are back to your full ability. You are also aware that due to the fracturing of several laws in the process of your elsewise selfless and admirable act, I am prevented from either providing public honor or even promotion for an incident I feel might have actually warranted both." Judy nodded at that. It was understandable. She'd not have any misgivings. Bogo spoke in a softer tone. "I also require of you a duty I have asked no officer to ever perform, and it's one that my job description as Chief of Police does not clearly define. This unique and serious task, for all you have done, shall fall to you."

"Anything, sir," Judy stated confidently, looking up at Bogo in earnest. She assumed it had something to do with repairing the image of the ZPD that was negatively affected by the video and pictures, an apology or a public interview perhaps. She was way off.

Bogo leaned down slowly, his face closer to the small bunny's. He spoke in such a soft tone, like a parent to a sleeping kit. "I have in my days as Chief placed six names in this hallowed display." Judy looked back over to the display. "You, Officer Hopps, will be the first officer ever tasked with removing a name from this memorial." Bogo moved his hand down slowly, revealing a slightly brighter, brand new silver plate. Judy's eyes widened and then filled with tears.

Officer Nicholas P. Wilde

March 19th, 2017

Judy snapped her attention back to Bogo, unable to speak, unable to breathe. She saw that he had his large hand extended to her in which he held a, for him, tiny screw driver. Judy sucked in a breath so tight it made her squeak. Bogo nodded. Judy took the screwdriver and, though difficult with one hand, began to perform her special assignment as asked by the Chief of Police. She gazed at the name as it was so deeply and prominently engraved. Nothing that had happened since she found Nick had cemented the reality of what had happened as this. Nothing made every single moment of pain, loss, and fear and joy as deeply engraved as that name had been.

One small screw at a time ticked to the floor, and finally, with one of the Chief's keratin-shrouded fingertips holding the plate in place, the final screw was removed. Judy then carefully took the plate in her hand. It felt unexpectedly heavy. It was thick and sturdy and so smoothly polished. She offered it to the chief. He smiled to Judy, his face kinder than she'd ever remembered seeing him.

He said in that near-whisper, "I do not want that, it neither belongs on that wall, nor buried somewhere in my desk. That name belongs, I feel most certain, safely in your care." Judy squeaked again, fighting so hard not to cry. Bogo finally stood up straight and closed and locked the display case quietly as the bunny shook, fighting off her emotions. He then turned away, stating simply, in his normal gruff tone, "Do not return for work until you have been cleared by medical." Bogo walked away, leaving Judy in the hall with Nick's memorial plate clutched tight in her hand.

The ride back to Nick's apartment, Judy's home for the time being as well, was a rather quiet one. The weight of everything Bogo had said was almost suffocating. She would do everything she could to make sure she was never added to that wall, just as she'd done everything to make sure that Nick had not been added to it. She pondered showing the plate to her father, but decided it was just too personal. She wasn't sure he could understand what it represented to her and thought maybe having it at all was awfully dark. It would worry him. It might even worry Nick that she kept it, so she decided that it would not, at least any time soon, be a topic of conversation.

When they got home, it was a task getting a very out of it fox out of the truck, and more of one trying to get him up to his apartment and onto his bed. The rest of the morning was pleasant as it could possibly be. Judy's mother busied herself in the kitchen, making a fuss about how Judy had not been eating well and deserved to be spoiled a little, even baking a cake and setting out some flowers. While Nick's room was kept dark as he'd need, the rest of the apartment was lively and the windows cast open seemed to clear the dark miasma that seemed to cling chokingly to the apartment in Nick's absence.

Judy was emotionally drained from the experience at the ZPD but she assured her parents that everything was okay. She was spared the worst that went along with her reckless behavior, but that she would be far more considerate to her family and friends in the future if she could. There was a bit of a down-turn in the mood after Stu went to the store to pick up some supplies they had forgotten to get while they were out shopping the previous day. He had made the mistake of deciding to purchase a newspaper. He got it anyway and brought it back to the apartment, figuring his daughter should know what the city had seen. The front page upset him a lot, but Judy's mother seemed more understanding. She claimed that what the image represented was the most important part of the whole story.

Bogo, Judy recalled, had felt a similar thing. It felt like it brought mammals together, particularly where tensions were so raw between predators and prey. There was a bunny who appeared half dead from saving a fox, protecting him in that moment from the whole world, so it seemed. When she thought about it like that, it really was kind of beautiful in a raw and strikingly real sort of way. Maybe she would not mind looking at it more when her head didn't ache from the injury that blood was from. She put the paper in a drawer so it would not disturb her father anymore.

A little later Nick came limping slowly out of the bedroom despite being told very sternly that he should stay in bed. He motioned for his board and won the argument with three carefully drawn words.

Hell was lonely

They couldn't deny him being social and out in the living room after that. He was helped over to the couch and Judy and her family let him mostly mellow since he was still on medication, but they let him listen to the conversations and he seemed to kind of follow along or just watch TV. Judy sat beside him and he seemed to appreciate that too, immediately draping his tail across her lap. She mindlessly petted it, not caring what her parents thought. She found that his scent was returning which was, for reasons she now confidently knew, a source of happiness.

His medication wore off a little which made him more conversational with his marker board. He seemed to choose his words carefully with having to write them so he seemed more thoughtful and teased less. It made her feel like this was more at his core, but then again, with all that happened, maybe he felt less like teasing. When the food was done he did write "Feed Me!" on the board which was a bit less reserved. He enjoyed the stir-fry with noodles, but was curbed on his portions by order of the doctor since he was supposed to keep to small meals. Starving, it seemed, did not do nice things to the digestive tract. He drew a sad-face at the insistence of Judy's mother that Nick simply could not have more, but Bonnie certainly seemed flattered that it was important to Nick. The elder doe loved knowing that her cooking was being enjoyed.

Just after dinner there was a tap on the door which had been unexpected. Judy moved over to answer it as both her parents were a little hesitant. It was one of those unspoken rules that guests don't answer the door. When Judy opened it she found, to her surprise, Angela and Charlie waited on the other side.

Judy gasped in surprise. "How did you two get here?!" she asked.

Charlie laughed at that. "The train of course, you think we would miss you two getting home after that? Did you see the paper?" Judy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you did. I don't need to tell you how fast those sold out in Bunnyburrow." Judy blanched at that. All the people she knew were actually buying that picture of her? It would be a while before she could go back. Charlie and Angela walked in uninvited but the assumption was safe. Nick waved dopily from the couch, mostly off of the pain meds but certainly relaxed. He'd likely need another dose before he could sleep though. He was acting pretty tender about moving.

Angela grinned at him and asked, "So, how's it feel to not be dead?" She stood in front of the fox. Nick picked up his board and wrote on it.

How's it feel to forget your underwear today?

She gasped loudly and put her hand on her backside, as if the center of scandal. Nick hastily wrote:

Got You

Judy laughed at that. That was very much her partner again.

Charlie asked softly, "What's with the sign anyway, he's gonna be able to talk again, right?" Nick wrote on the board again.

I screamed a lot. I get to talk again in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Charlie winced at that, perhaps thinking he was screaming in pain, not trying to get someone to notice he was down there. Judy was going to clarify it, but Angela walked forward and handed Nick something.

She laughed a bit and murmurs, "From Eli, just for you," she smirked. Judy moved around her sister to see what she gave the fox. In Nick's hand was a rubber-corked glass bottle full of milk with a cute blue bow around the neck of it. Judy would normally have been fuming that they would tease Nick in his condition, particularly with something as embarrassing as that, but Nick did tease Angela the moment he saw her.

Judy turned around, facing Angela. "I suppose you are feeling vindicated about the underwear thing now?" she smiled at her sister. Angela looked back at her smugly. Nick scribbled on the marker board.

Put it in the fridge. These mean bunnies won't let me have it right now.

Judy scoffed at that. "They said you had to take it easy, that's the doctors, not us!" She crossed her arms. Stu took the bottle and placed it in the fridge, seeming not to even question that the fox might just drink a bottle of bunny milk later. The level of chill her dad was being about Nick in general was surprising to Judy. If there was anyone who she thought would be a little skittish or protective about Judy getting so close to the fox, she figured it would be him. But, he seemed to really like Nick. Thinking about that, she realized that as of\that moment she wasn't even sure why either of her parents had gone along with the pranking, but things had been moving too quickly to ask. She lit up a little as she decided that would be a great topic of conversation to keep things light-hearted and fun. But there was another knock at the door. With everything that had happened, Judy supposed they might get visitors pretty frequently for a while.

Skye was on the other side. Judy happily welcomed the white vixen in, but was surprised to find that someone else was right behind her. Judy's brother and sister both stood stark still in shock, mouths agape, ears back as Jack Savage stepped into the suddenly smaller-feeling apartment.

Skye spoke first, ignoring the expressions of Judy's siblings. "We're just stopping by to say hi and congrats on getting to come home so soon, we'll be heading out to do some special shopping in a bit."

Jack smiled at the fox. "They still got you sniffing markers?" He seemed casual and jovial with the fox. Nick wrote on his marker board.

I am. The green one is the best

"Oooh, let me try…" he asked teasingly, and Nick shared which was just a comical and playful moment. To Judy, having spent time with how the pair of them hassled eac other it felt perfectly natural and she almost forgot that her brother and sister has not been warned that such a visit could happen.

Angela finally spoke up, a slight crack in her voice. "What?"

Jack smiled at the other two rabbits he'd not met, and moved over to them, offering a paw to shake. "Sorry!" he chimed, "I'm one of Nick and Judy's friends. I'm Jack." Angela took the striped bunny's paw and shook timidly.

"I know… I just didn't know you knew my sister. I'm Angela," she said with an unsteady voice.

Judy's brother spoke up. "Charlie," he stated. Jack greeted him as well. Charlie seemed less taken aback once he got the chance to adjust to the fact that Jack wasn't just in the wrong apartment or something.

"It would seem Judy forgot to tell us something," Angela said in a slow and measured tone.

Bonnie spoke up. "That was my fault. Things have been so crazy I forgot to mention it." She smiled innocently at her and promptly got a death-glare from Angela. Jack laughed at that and nodded to Nick and Judy.

Charlie spoke again. "What kind of shopping are you doing…?" He was addressing the vixen.

She answered, hugging him instead of shaking his hand. It seemed Skye was aware of the bunny preference in greeting. For some reason this appeared to delight Charlie. She answered, "Skye, I'm one of Judy's neighbors. Well, I don't know if you knew but I wrecked my car helping out Nick and Judy with that whole Park Nighthowler incident."

Charlie gasped, "That was you? Wow! I heard about that. You took out the whole billboard with him on it!" She nodded proudly. Judy was glad that Skye was not shy about taking some of the credit for what happened.

She continued, "Well, I'm gonna go get another car." Judy patted her knee by way of applause since she couldn't use both hands.

"I'm happy for you! Insurance?" the bunny officer asked.

Skye shook her head, face turning sour. "They won't cover it since I intentionally wrecked the car, and it was over 20 years old, and it was modified outside of safety standards, they said. Just because I fixed it up nice doesn't change that." She shrugged.

Judy winced at that bit of unfortunate news. "That's awful! You'd think with what you had done they would be a little more understanding!" Judy wondered a moment if she could get the city to pay for the repairs or for her to get another. It seemed like the least they could do with her risking her life to save mammals the way she did.

Skye responded. "Well, Jack, knowing what I did and who I dealt with first hand, decided to help me out with that, and I have graciously accepted so long as I get to drive him around in it." She grinned. Nick scribbled on the marker board.

Make him buy a brand new shiny powerful sports car!

Jack laughed at that. "Wow, lay off the markers, fox!" Nick quiet-laughed. He seemed in really good cheer, but he may have been lamenting what happened to that nice car himself. He seemed quite impressed with it the short time he got to experience it. This might just as well have been as big a relief to him as it was to Skye.

The vixen shook her head to Nick and finally replied. "Actually, I wanted another project car, something I could build up and make my own, that's what I loved about the other one. So Jack knows a mammal who deals in those kinds of things, helps with movie props and the like sometimes. We're gonna go see him. After dinner." She nodded at that with a grin obviously for Judy.

Judy blushed just a little, actually seriously wondering if Skye meant to imply that her friendship with Jack was going somewhere. That would have been completely unbelievable; they were from two very different worlds. They were so different, but standing there together they seemed really comfortable together. It didn't seem so far-fetched when she really looked at them together.

Judy was shaken from her musings as Angela finally spoke again. She said in an again wavering tone, "I have… so many things I want to ask, to talk about, but I know you don't have much time. Would you be alright if I get a picture with you? I wasn't something to gloat about at home." Judy rolled her eyes, sure that Jack, being a bit of a photo-hog, would not mind. Indeed he did not, but insisted that Nick and Judy and Skye were in the picture as well. Charlie also asked to be in it, though stating coolly that he just didn't want to be left out of the fun. They took a moment to get a few shots, and then Skye gave out hugs all around again, Jack hugged Angela and Bonnie, Stu shook hands, and then off they went.

The next hour or so was spent trying to explain, on condition of non-disclosure, what had happened with Jack and why he was there, then laughing at the reactions of some of Judy's other siblings over the image that was texted to them. Judy's mom said it was alright to send the picture since the notoriety Judy already had of late was not going to change with that. Judy felt a little better about Jack with him offering to help Skye get a new car, but still felt that it was shameful that the insurance company just didn't care. She'd have to make sure she was not insured under the same company.

Angela and Charlie eventually needed to leave since they had to check into a hotel still and they did not want it to get too late that it was impossible to find a room. Hugs were shared all around again. Judy and Nick expressed that they were both grateful for the surprise visit. Judy's brother and sister finally headed off with Angela promising to bend the hell out of Judy's ear later about her knowing Jack and not saying anything.

As the evening wore on, they got one final visitor, the one they actually expected to show up. Nick had wanted her to stop by a little while after she had dinner with her friend, so Vivienne arrived after the sun had set. She was there to check up on her son and make sure he was doing well before rejoining her friend who was having some coffee at the place just down the road.

Nick was obviously tired at that point, and while he'd had a snack just before Vivienne arrived he said he was hungry. Judy suspected she'd have a few days of that. Vivienne scolded Nick a little for not having taken his dose of pain medicine but Nick stated on his marker board that he didn't need it until bed time, and then pointed at the clock. Judy looked up and the realized what he was pointing out.

She grinned mirthfully at her partner and said playfully, "Oh I get it. You get to talk in just a minute, don't you?" Nick grinned brightly, that hopeful smile that always choked up Vivienne, which it did once again. She took away her son's marker board, happy that he was not going to need it. Bonnie and Stu collected their things, preparing to head out for the evening, but they decided to stay for Nick's finally being able to talk again, as that seemed the appropriate thing to do for their fox friend on the mend.

Judy slowly circled the couch as she teased Nick a little. "I was so enjoying our quiet little chats, Nick. I'll always miss that. But two whole days and you haven't been able to say a word! It must have been the most brutal part of it all, huh?" she asked, and her partner nodded, his face looking melodramatically sad. She leaned back and crossed her arms. "So then, here we go. All the taunts, teasing, puns, jokes, side-comments, and other smug things you've needed to say for days. I am braced, I am ready, let's have it!" Nick grinned excitedly, ears back, eyes wide looking excited. He took both of Judy's paws in his. She prepared herself for a tirade of playful insults and other foxy foolishness.

Then his expression changed. He looked serious as he gazed into her eyes. His ears drew up tall and focused and he looked over to his mother who stood a few feet away smiling to him. He then looked to Judy's mom and dad who had their things in hands, waiting for what he was going to say, both smiling encouragingly. Nick looked back at his partner, his emerald eyes locking on hers. She swallowed nervously at the shift in mood. She knew full well he was able ot tease her in front of his mother and her parents he'd done it so much before.

"Judy…" he said, as if to test his voice. It was normal, though soft and careful. Judy perked her ears instinctively since he used her name, her heart beating a little faster as he gained her full attention, not able to look away.

Nick then spoke in a soft tone, eyes never leaving hers. His speech was confident, calm, and slow,

"All that I am, all that I was, all that I ever will be, I give unto thee…"