Archive of Our Own

Nick was completely nervous. He still didn't quite understand why. Or well… a little, yes…
Judy's parents had invited him, Gary, and Nibbles to join them for Christmas that year. At that moment, they were on the train on their way to Bunny Borrow.
It was a little strange for Nick; it had been a long time since he'd celebrated Christmas. They had celebrations at the academy, but they were very strict due to the schedules, and before he met Judy, the only animal available was Finnick, who simply thought he was stupid, and, at most, Flash, but Nick didn't have that much patience, even though Flash was practically his best friend.

Yes, maybe Nick could attribute his nervousness to that and not to the fact that it was his first time going to Bunny Borrow, and, moreover, as Judy's boyfriend. Well, it was the first time he'd even officially introduced himself as someone's boyfriend in front of that someone's parents. Boyfriend—he still wasn't used to this new romantic situation.

"What's wrong, Nick?" "Nervous about finally meeting your in-laws?" Nibbles asked mockingly. Nick scoffed sarcastically.

"Uh... No," Nick replied mockingly.

"Well, it doesn't look like it," Nibbles retorted. "It's the first time you'll meet them. And you'll have to prove to them how good you are to their daughter," she added mockingly. Nick rolled his eyes.

Nick was genuinely happy that Gary and Nibbles had taken his relationship with Judy so well. That didn't mean he didn't sometimes get offended by the teasing they did about how long it took them to admit their feelings, the invitation to Bunny Borrow, and all that. Nick was still puzzled by the confused looks on Nibbles and Gary's faces when they were told they hadn't been together that long. Even the fact that it had taken them so long to confess. It wasn't like it had been too obvious. Except, of course, for the walrus who mistook Judy's sarcasm on that raft. Nick still remembered the awkwardness he felt at the time because they weren't officially together yet, and the situation between them was already a little awkward. And of course, Nick had to make a superhuman effort not to get completely smitten when he saw Judy in that yellow dress; just remembering it made him feel like an embarrassed teenager. And then there was everything that happened after that—their separation, the near-fatal deaths, the damn recording Judy had insisted on keeping… And even before all that, they didn't spend much time together. The academy allowed weekends off, but Judy worked a lot, and they couldn't always coordinate. And when they first met, they were too focused on the first case to talk about anything else, except when Nick told her about his most traumatic experience… So… It's not like Nick and Judy had had many opportunities to confess their feelings before.

Judy took out one earbud, paying attention to the newly started conversation, and put down the book she was reading.

"Technically, Nick already knows my parents," she commented, amused.

"Yeah, but were you two dating?" Gary asked. Judy blushed. Nick snorted, amused. It was too easy to embarrass Judy, but almost impossible to embarrass him.

" "No, but they already knew Nick," Judy replied.

"But still, this is going to be the first time you've introduced him as your boyfriend. How are you going to make a first impression, Nick?" Gary asked, intrigued. Nick smiled confidently.

“Easy, I’ll use my negotiation skills and win them over on the first date,” he replied. Judy scoffed.

“More like your con artist skills,” she retorted mockingly. Nick rolled his eyes. Judy was the only one who could joke about the fox’s con artist past without actually offending him. “Besides, I already said that technically, you ALREADY know them.”

“Yeah, but Gary has a point about being different,” Nick countered. Judy shrugged and dropped the conversation. She picked up the earbud she’d carelessly dropped and handed it to Nick.

“Want to listen?” she asked.

“No, thanks, Carrots. You’ll probably just put on Gazzelle,” he retorted, earning himself a sharp nudge from Judy. He could barely bear the pain. He was used to light taps, but they were never elbows. "Okay, I deserve it," he admitted, as Judy put her hearing aid back in and turned up the music a little.

"Since when do you call Judy 'Carrots'?" Gary asked, curious. Nick looked at him, confused.

"I always call her that," he replied, confused.

"You call her by her name, or you don't mention it at all, but we all know it's her," Gary countered. "But I've never heard you call her Carrots."

Nick was completely baffled. It was true that he wasn't as close to Gary as Judy was, but it was completely strange that, in all the times they'd spoken, he'd never heard him call Judy 'Carrots'. It was his trademark. He couldn't have missed it in front of Gary at least once.

"I never call her by her name unless I have to," Nick commented. "She's always been Carrots to me," he added.

"Is it a friendly nickname?" Gary asked. Nick nodded. "And why Carrots? Is it because she's a rabbit?" he asked. Nick shrugged.

"I don't know, I mean, when we first met, I only knew her last name, but I didn't know her first name until I took her to Flash. And before that, it was always stereotypical, teasing nicknames. It stuck as 'Carrots', and she only called me out on it once. As I said, when we first met, she didn't tell me her full name, so it wasn't hard for me," he explained. "I only call her 'Judy' when I'm serious," he added. "Besides, there's that carrot pen she used on our first case. It was a pretty convenient coincidence, but she was always 'Carrots' to me," he added.

"Well, it's a pretty cute nickname," Gary commented, before he and Nibbles turned to the train window and started chatting about anything and everything.

Nick glanced at Judy for a moment; she was still engrossed in her book, listening to music through her headphones. Nick reached out and removed one of her earbuds. She noticed the movement and gave Nick a sarcastic look.

"Now you want to listen to music?" she asked mockingly.

"Is there a problem?" Nick asked, playing along. Judy snorted.

"Just a minute ago you were saying I only listen to Gazzelle," Judy retorted.

"Can you blame me? You put his songs on repeat," Nick countered.

Judy rolled her eyes but handed the earbud to Nick. The wires weren't very long, so Nick had to lean a little closer to Judy to put it in. Surprisingly, it wasn't Gazzelle that Judy was listening to at that moment, but Nick didn't say anything. Instead, carefully and trying to hide his nervousness, he extended a paw around Judy and gently pulled her closer so she was leaning against him. Judy huffed slightly, but smiled as she adjusted herself a bit to continue reading, leaning against Nick. He simply smiled slightly as his free paw discreetly reached for a package he was putting in his backpack. He gave it a squeeze as, somewhat shyly, he gently rested his head on top of Judy's.

Neither of them was used to these displays of affection yet. But that didn't mean they didn't enjoy them in their own way.

Judy practically jumped out of her seat as soon as she saw the welcome sign to Bunny Borrow, pulling out her backpack and almost running for the door. Nick huffed in amusement, Gary smiled fondly, and Nibbles shook his head mockingly. The three animals got their things and followed Judy, who, as soon as the doors opened, ran toward her parents, who were already waiting for her with at least 30 of Judy's siblings, who were fluttering around her.

"I'm so happy to see you all," Judy exclaimed excitedly, as she greeted her younger siblings.

“Us too,” replied Stu, Judy’s dad. “Are you getting good tickets?” he asked hopefully. Judy glared at him. Bonnie, Judy’s mom, snorted in annoyance too.

“There aren’t any tickets,” Judy retorted, irritated.

“Just ignore him, Grandma gave him way too much false hope,” Bonnie countered. Judy nodded, unsurprised. “Oh, hi guys. I’m glad you agreed to come,” she greeted Nick, Gary, and Nibbles.

“Thanks for inviting us,” Nick replied, smiling confidently.

“Snake!” Judy’s brothers exclaimed excitedly. Gary grinned and quickly followed the little rabbits.

“Who would’ve thought the fox was shaking like a leaf when he’s getting such a warm welcome?” Nibbles remarked teasingly. Nick glared at her, then turned to Judy and her parents with a guilty look.

"There's nothing bad to be had," Bonnie retorted. "And I already made Stu throw away those repellents and all that," she added. "Well... that was when Gideon started working for us, but it counts." Judy looked nervously at Nick, but he seemed to take the comments fairly in stride.

"At least you could have left the stun gun. That stuff works on any animal," Stu retorted. Judy decided that was enough, even though she'd barely started.

"Okay, okay, are we going home or not?" she asked quickly.

"Oh, yeah. We've got your old room ready. I hope the four of you don't mind sharing a room," Bonnie inquired. Nibbles frowned.

"The four of you? Didn't you mean those two?" she asked, earning a blush from Judy and a withering glare from Nick. Clearly, they'd never discussed the possibility of sharing a room... in any sense.

"Well, we were going to ask Judy about that before they arrived, but at the last minute, one of my sisters showed up, and all the guest rooms ran out. Since Judy's has always been the biggest, it was better for the four of us to stay there," Stu explained.

Nick and Judy exchanged a glance and shrugged, inwardly grateful. Maybe they were a couple, but the idea of ​​sharing a room alone wasn't quite right for them yet. Nibbles, on the other hand, looked annoyed. She'd missed out on a major taunt, and he didn't want to risk the fox and bunny's potential over-the-top flirting either. Gary, who was still with the bunnies, overheard part of the conversation and simply nodded, understanding. He'd spent days in a box before arriving in Zootopia; he didn't mind having roommates.

Judy's family led the guests to the large warren where they lived. Judy sighed with excitement at being back in her old home. She loved Zootopia, but visits to her childhood home usually brightened her entire week. Nick stayed practically behind, giving Judy a chance to enjoy the walk back while Stu and Bonnie gave him, Gary, and Nibbles a tour of the enormous house—no surprise there, considering how many siblings Judy had. At least 100 of them were at least her age, another 50 were a little older, and the rest were children. Several of them ran past, strolled by, or simply ran away, greeting her enthusiastically as an introduction. They'd give Judy a hug or fire off a thousand quick questions before continuing on their way. Most of the children jumped around Gary, and Nick too, which made the latter slightly uncomfortable. Not because he didn't like children—in fact, he was interested in them—but because there were so many of them, he felt stressed, unsure how to act around them. The only thing that kept him from collapsing were the amused looks from Gary and Nibbles and, above all, Judy's gentle gaze at the fact that Nick was somehow interacting with the family. In any case, the interactions rarely lasted more than three minutes, and Stu and Bonnie would once again capture his attention, until they reached the door that Nick half-dreaded.

"And here's Judy's room," Stu concluded. "We'll give you a few moments to get settled. Judy, when you're ready, go to Helen's room to change," he instructed. Judy huffed, annoyed.

"Do I HAVE to wear that?" she asked, pleading.

"We made some alterations. But we need to take one or two measurements to lengthen it," Bonnie replied.

"I'll decide whether they lengthen it or not," Judy retorted. "So, goodbye," she added, signaling Stu and Bonnie to leave immediately.

"What was that all about?" Gary asked, confused. Judy huffed.

"Here in Bunny Borrow, Christmas festivals are a community tradition. That wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the dress code," Judy explained. "And the girls have to wear a traditional local dress."

"Ha, and you looked pretty comfortable in that yellow dress," Nick retorted mockingly. He earned himself a punch in the stomach. "So why now?" he asked.

"It's different. It was a gala, and anyway, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to remember how much I dislike wearing dresses," Judy replied, crossing her shoulders.

"I understand. Anyway, I couldn't even wear a dress," Nibbles agreed. "Too uncomfortable for my size. If it weren't for that, I'd try it on," she added.

"What a contradiction," Judy retorted sneeringly. Nibbles snorted, amused.

"At least you'd look good in a dress. And your partner can’t even disagree,” Nibbles retorted. If it weren’t for Nick’s fur, his blush would have been obvious. And, though he hated to admit it, Nibbles wasn’t wrong at all.

“Don’t drag me into your arguments,” Nick retorted, trying to appear indifferent, or at least not flustered. He lightly clutched his backpack. The package was still inside. Judy rolled her eyes as she dropped her backpack on her bed.

“Well, let’s drop the subject for now. Complaining isn’t going to suddenly make me wear jeans,” Judy retorted sarcastically. “There are some blankets in my closet, maybe sleeping bags, if you’re interested,” she added.

“What about Nick?” Nibbles asked. Judy looked at her, confused.

“Nick what?” she asked.

“Isn’t there room on your bed for both of you?” she asked. Judy's ears drooped suddenly, her face etched with embarrassment. Nick wasn't much better. His eyes were wide, and he looked rather uncomfortable.

"Uh... That's... None of your business... And... Why don't you start taking your things out and putting them in that closet?" Judy retorted, turning to grab something from her backpack, which she quickly shoved into the dresser drawer next to her bed.

"Oh, come on, Carrots. You shouldn't be ashamed of wanting to share a bed with me," Nick said teasingly. Judy snorted.

"Pffft, you wish," Judy retorted sarcastically.

"Sure, I'd love to know if you bang in your sleep as much as you do when you're awake," Nick countered. Judy frowned.

"I don't move when I sleep," Judy replied. "Anyway, we're not going to talk about it now," she added.

"Why, are you nervous?" the fox asked, amused. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Are you?" she asked, in the same tone. Nick was taken aback, but quickly shook his head. "I thought so. We'll sort it out after the festival. For now, I'm going to change," she added, grumbling at the last announcement.

"Hey, if you're going to be so grumpy, at least wear a flower behind your ear," Nick joked as Judy left. She gave him a sarcastic look before walking away.

"Dude, sometimes I just don't get their relationship," Nibbles remarked. Nick scoffed.

"There's nothing to get used to. Carrots is Carrots, and I'm me," he retorted, amused. "Now, who do I ask about this so-called Christmas festival dress code?" he inquired.

"Your father-in-law," Nibbles replied.

"Okay, Gary, let's go," Nick said, suddenly a little nervous.

"Oh, I don't need to get dressed up. Look at me, my scales do all the work, and I don't have arms or legs..." Gary countered innocently. Nick frowned.

"...At least come with me," Nick pleaded.

"Oh, fine. Nibbles, come along too," Gary agreed.

"Okay, I want to enjoy Nick's nervousness in front of his father-in-law, to be honest."

"I don't like you right now," Nick retorted, leaving the room.

Judy, on the other hand, couldn't hide her annoyance as her mother insisted on lengthening the denim dress she was forced to wear.
It wasn't that she didn't like the dress; in fact, she had to admit that, compared to other years, Bonnie had chosen a good design for her. It was the fact that they insisted so much that it reach the floor, which wasn't very convenient if Judy was going to end up dancing. And it wasn't that the dress reached above her knee; in fact, it was a little too long.

"Mom, I think it'll be enough if it just touches the base of my leg," Judy asked, while Bonnie pinned the fabric she was adding.

"Hmm... Yes, I think that's more convenient," Bonnie finally conceded. Judy sighed with relief as she took off the dress and put on her usual clothes. "Have you all put your things away? We need some extra legs for the festival decorations,” she asked.

“Soon, they were just finishing unpacking when I left,” Judy replied. Bonnie nodded.

“And you and Nick, are you going to… share a bed?” Bonnie asked. Judy blushed bright red. Not even her fur could completely hide it.

“Why is everyone suddenly so interested in whether Nick and I share a bed or not?” she asked nervously.

“I only asked because I might try to free up a room for Gary and Nibbles, so they have more privacy…”

“No, Mom, we’re fine. Besides, we haven’t even talked about it,” Judy replied quickly.

“How long have you been together?” Bonnie asked.

Judy groaned. This was the worst possible moment for her mom’s traditionally matchmaking side to come out.

“Only a month,” Judy answered. “And, Mom, stop it, okay? Nick is... Nick. And I don't like to rush things. We're still getting used to calling each other 'couple' or 'boyfriend/girlfriend.' Only a few colleagues at the precinct know," she explained.

She could still hear Clawhauser's shout when he found out. The discomfort from the pressure to be affectionate with each other lasted the rest of the week because the chitah kept insisting on it. They were only just starting to date, after all.
Besides, it was different from when they'd confessed. They were both too emotionally involved to even think about feeling embarrassed, and the next day neither of them knew exactly how to act, even though they'd already decided they were more than just friends and partners.

That didn't mean Judy didn't want them to be able to put aside their embarrassment sometime soon and act like any other couple, or at least within their comfort zone, but knowing Nick, that point was still a little ways off, despite the effort the fox was clearly putting in.

"Okay, I just wanted to know," Bonnie replied. Judy nodded. "And that's it, this is over. Let's meet up with the others at the field," she added, gesturing for the exit.

Nick, meanwhile, was taking off the pin-studded shirt Stu had given him, which one of Judy's sisters had propped up to make it fit. In the end, the dress code wasn't so terrible after all. Just jeans, a T-shirt, and her plaid shirt open. Judy had actually scared him a little when she mentioned the word 'dress', because he'd thought it was going to be like the centennial gala. And, sure, Nick knew he didn't look bad in a suit, but he didn't want to think about how uncomfortable it would be to wear something like that on the field.

After getting rid of the needles, Stu motioned for her to follow him, along with Gary and Nibbles, to help with the final decorations for the Christmas festival.
The truth was, the decorations were looking pretty good. There were several stalls around and a giant tree being decorated in the center. Toward the end of the fair, there was a large dance floor, probably for the evening, but there were speakers all over the area, suggesting they were going to play the same music. Toward the other end, there was a stage with some instruments already set up.
Judy was already up there, jumping and doing tricks to reach the higher places that still needed decorating. As soon as she saw Gary, Nibbles, and Nick, she jumped down from the roof of one of the stalls and headed over to them.

"When are you going to take a break, Carrots?" Nick asked mockingly. Judy rolled her eyes.

"At least there's not much left. We're just waiting for Gideon to arrive with the cakes we ordered, and that's it," Judy replied.

"Who's arriving?" Gary asked, confused. Nibbles and Nick had the same question.

“Gideon Grey, a business partner of my parents. We’ve known each other since we were kids, though… not under the most cheerful circumstances at first...” Judy replied. Nick frowned. That 'not under the most cheerful circumstances at first...' gave him a bad feeling. A horn suddenly honked, and a van with a bakery logo pulled up next to a fruit and dessert stand. “Speaking of which, how are you, Gideon?” Judy greeted him as he got out of the van.

Nick frowned a little more when he saw that Gideon was a fox. He seemed nice and friendly, but Nick still had the 'not under the most cheerful circumstances at first...' stuck in his mind. He sighed quietly so as not to arouse suspicion and went over to greet Judy.

“Hey, Judy. What’s new?” Gideon greeted her.

"Not much, I just brought a couple of friends," Judy replied, smiling kindly. "These are Gary, Nibbles... And here's Nick," she introduced, gesturing to them. Gideon smiled at them.

"Oh, so that's the Nick you mentioned on your last visit. It's great to meet more foxes around here," Gideon remarked, looking at Nick. Nick looked at Judy with a hint of surprise, which quickly turned to amusement.

"Oh, so you did talk about me," Nick retorted teasingly. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it obvious I'm going to talk about you?" she asked, playing along. Gideon glanced between the two.

"Oh... Now I get it... You two..." Gideon commented, looking at them with a mixture of mischief and tenderness. Judy blushed slightly, and Nick smiled triumphantly.

"Exactly," Nick clarified. Judy rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly.

"Then I guess we'll be seeing each other more often. Besides, I'd also like to meet the fox that this bunny here orders the blueberry pies from," Gideon replied. Nick looked at Judy.

"Really?" he asked, amused. Judy smiled.

"Did you think I made them? I'm not that talented in the kitchen," Judy replied, a little embarrassed. "Well, Gideon, do you need any help with anything? We have several paws... and a snake," she asked, changing the subject.

"There are a few boxes of pastries in the truck, other than that, we don't need anything else," Gideon replied. "I'll go drop off this load I just took out," he announced, heading off to the dessert stand.

"Hey, pretty nice, considering we met under 'not-so-happy circumstances,'" Nick commented, amused. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, even my parents were surprised by his change when they started working together. And me? I was pretty shocked," Judy remarked. "But hey, I owe him one. I didn't know night howlers could be called that until he casually mentioned it," she added. Nick frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Judy turned to look at him, confused.

"Seriously, you didn't know I quit the ZPD a few weeks before coming to find you?" she asked.

"You did what?" Nick asked, stunned.

"It’s nothing important,” Judy replied. “I wasn’t in a great mood; the city had gone to hell with the division. And I only came here after Gideon mentioned the night howlers. Nick, why else would I have come looking for you without my uniform?” she asked. Nick shrugged. Nick frowned.

“Besides, it was on the news. I know because I was just trying out the podcast that day,” Nibbles added.

“First of all, I didn’t have a TV at the time. Second, I thought maybe you’d taken a leave of absence or a break to think things over. But I never would have imagined you’d quit the ZPD,” Nick replied. Judy sighed.

“Let’s not talk about it now. There are still some things to do,” Judy replied, taking a stack of boxes out of Gideon’s truck and carrying them to the dessert stand.

Nick, Gary, and Nibbles exchanged worried glances, but they followed his advice. As he carried at least five stacked boxes, Nick couldn't help but dwell on what he'd just realized. Judy, the most energetic, stubborn, passionate, and determined bunny... Quit at a time when the case wasn't yet closed—or rather, at that moment it seemed closed, but that wasn't the point. Every time Nick thought that their argument at the press conference couldn't possibly have affected Judy more than he already knew, he realized he was far off. Maybe it hadn't been a direct consequence, but Nick was smart. It could have had some impact. Because what other reason could Judy have had to feel she didn't deserve to be a police officer?
Nick sighed. Things had changed quite a bit, he knew that. And he also knew there were things Judy would take a while to admit to him about what happened on her first case. All Nick asked was that Judy never feel that guilty again.

After helping with the final preparations, the group headed to Judy's room to get her changes of clothes. Although Judy tried to be discreet, Nick managed to see her pull a wrapped package from under her pillow.

"What's that?" Nick asked, intrigued. Judy quickly hid the package behind her, though it didn't really help.

"Nothing important," she replied, heading to her dresser.

"Then why are you hiding it?" Nick asked mockingly. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Because I don't want you to see it," she replied, locking the drawer and leaving it out of anyone's reach.

Nick rolled his eyes and pulled out the neat clothes Judy's parents had left on top of her backpack, along with the small package he'd been keeping all day.

"Are you going to change?" Nick asked, seeing that Judy still hadn't taken anything out. Judy looked at him sarcastically.

"As soon as you leave my room, yes," she replied.

"Oh, so our relationship status doesn't say much," Nick joked. Judy blushed.

"Don't be an idiot and get out of my room now. You have the bathroom to change," she retorted, frowning.

"Okay, okay... I'm coming. But at least a goodbye kiss," Nick replied. Judy huffed.

"You're impossible," she muttered, amused.

"Oh, then no kiss. You're breaking my heart, Carrots," Nick complained.

"Yeah, yeah, too bad, so dramatic. Goodbye," she said, turning to Nick and practically pushing him toward the door. Nick turned to look at her and gently wrapped his arm around her waist before she pushed him again.

"See you later," he said, stealing a kiss on her cheek and finally leaving the room.

Judy rolled her eyes, smiling slightly, and pulled the dress from her closet. She sighed as she slipped it on and checked herself in a nearby mirror. It wasn't bad, actually. It wasn't as long as the yellow one from the centennial gala, and it wasn't as voluminous either. Even if Bonnie had lengthened it, she didn't have to lift the skirt to walk, which she appreciated because that was the main reason she didn't always enjoy wearing dresses. The only issue was the undone button, which Judy immediately fastened. It didn't show much cleavage, but she still felt a little insecure about it. She also threw on a matching jacket to ward off the chill. Then she went to her vanity and looked through the accessories her sisters had left her. She dismissed most of them because she wasn't much of a jewelry person, especially not ones this extravagant. She stopped when she saw a flower brooch. She knew Nick had only joked about it, but she liked the brooch. It was a white hibiscus, slightly larger than her own leg. There was also a headband the same color as her fur that could hold the hibiscus in place without being noticeable. Judy sighed and, after thinking for a moment, made her decision.

Nick knew that females had the bad habit of taking ages to get ready, but he would never have expected it from Judy, a bunny who could probably outrun him in any situation. If he remembered correctly—though he obviously did—Judy hadn't taken much more than two minutes longer than him to get ready to sneak into the zootenial gala, so the fact that half an hour had already passed and Judy still hadn't appeared in the kitchen surprised and bored him at the same time. It surprised him because of what he'd already mentioned, and it bored him because... well, waiting is usually boring.

"You're lucky you don't exactly need clothes," Nibbles said, arriving next to Gary at that moment. "Oh, my, my... You look quite handsome, Nick," she commented, amused.

Nick smirked. He had to admit that the blue and turquoise plaid shirt looked quite good with the jeans, although the latter didn't feel particularly comfortable.

"Well, guys, I look good in anything," Nick replied.

"Is Judy coming yet?" Gary asked. Nick shrugged.

"She's been locked in her room for half an hour. I was already wondering why Carrots wasn't acting like a typical girl," he commented mockingly.

"Uh... I'm a girl, and I don't act like a typical girl," Nibbles retorted, somewhat offended.

"Exception," Nick countered. "Anyway, Carrots is taking longer than usual," he added.

"Well, this place is big anyway. Maybe that's why she's taking so long," Gary replied.

Nick shrugged as he looked around. The kitchen was rustic, with an exit door—the one they were going to use when Judy finally showed up—a fireplace, and a stove to the side. Gary, Nibbles, and Nick were sitting at a small central table.

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened. Nick wasn't looking that way, but he heard the door and then his partner's voice.

"Hi, sorry I'm late," Judy said.

"Well, it's about time, Carrots," Nick commented, starting to turn around. "For a moment I thought you'd turned into Flash..."

Nick could never have been more grateful for his red fur, because at that moment he blushed a thousand times more than he'd ever blushed in his entire life. Although he could bet his police salary that his face gave him away.

But could they blame him? Judy was his girlfriend, and for the first time since he'd known her, he was allowing himself to be surprised at how beautiful she looked in that dress.
It was at least comparable to the centennial gala. The difference was that the yellow dress at the gala gave her an elegant, refined beauty, and that kind of beauty wasn't something Judy naturally possessed. Judy's natural beauty lay in her impulsiveness, her freedom to be herself without caring what others thought. But on this occasion, in that denim dress, her beauty was rather sweet, traditional, perfectly complementing her identity without losing the dress's inherent meaning. Furthermore, Judy hadn't had anything done to her ears; she was simply wearing a strange flower that looked like it could fall off at any moment, tucked below her right ear, and both ears were down, probably intentionally.
And yes, Nick could have faked sarcasm like he did at the centennial gala, but this time there was no way he could even try. His brain had finally gone completely blank.

"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" Judy asked, teasing, but inwardly nervous. They were a couple, but not even Nick's usual furtive glances at her were as... penetrating as that look right now.

"What? Of course not, Carrots," Nick retorted, finally regaining his composure and reverting to his sarcastic side. "I was just wondering why it took you ages. I didn't expect that from speedy Judy Hopps," he explained, smirking. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Says the guy who was drooling when he saw his girlfriend in that dress," Nibbles retorted through gritted teeth. Nick glared at her. "You look good, though," she added.

"That's right, you look great, Judy," Gary agreed.

"Aww... Thanks, guys," Judy replied, smiling flatteredly. "The only problem is this thing," she added, pointing to the hibiscus, while adjusting her headband so the flower was tucked in underneath. "I can't figure out how to fix it," she explained, trying to position the flower, only for it to fall to the floor. Judy groaned in frustration. "The extra half hour was spent trying to put it on right," she muttered, picking up the flower.

"Here, let me," Nick said, getting up from his seat and extending his paw toward Judy.

"Wow, I didn't know you could save a damsel in distress," Judy commented, amused.

"Carrots, the secret to being a cop is helping damsels in distress," Nick retorted, playing along. Judy huffed, amused, and handed him the flower. Nick moved a little closer to her.

"So... how do you want it?" he asked, a little nervous about the closeness. Nick sometimes had to remind himself that he and Judy were a couple. This was one of those times.

"Um... right below the ear. Use the backing," Judy requested, looking around.

Nick obeyed and carefully placed the flower under Judy's ear, using the headband for support. Judy immediately lowered her ear, and Nick tucked the flower in a little further to secure it.

He stepped back slightly to look at Judy. He gazed at her for a moment. She had just lowered her other ear, and if she already looked beautiful, at that moment she looked... There were no words to describe it...

"Um... I don't mean to interrupt, but..." Gary began shyly.

"The party's about to start, and your newlywed looks are holding us up," Nibbles interrupted. Judy and Nick exchanged amused glances and separated to head to the party.

The magic of the Bunny Borrow Christmas Market truly arrived that night. With the lights on, small concerts playing from the speakers on the stage, locals and visitors dancing on the dance floor, vendors at the stalls around the field, the decorated tree twinkling, and everyone simply strolling around... It made the market look magical, something Judy barely remembered.
It had been a while since she'd been to Bunny Borrow for Christmas. The last few years, while she was in Zootopia, her parents would come for a couple of days or take advantage of the celebrations at the police station, but since she'd entered the academy, she hadn't been back to the Christmas market in her childhood home.

"I have to admit... it's not bad at all," Nick commented, looking around. Judy snorted.

"Obviously it's not bad. It's my home," Judy replied. "They have everything. Even a drinks stand. If I remember correctly, one year they sold blueberry juice," she remarked.

"Okay, now I'm interested," Nick replied. Judy smiled mockingly. The fox's weakness for blueberries was more than obvious.

"The drinks stand is near the dance floor. It's actually quite convenient," Judy explained.

"And don't they have any wood?" Nibbles asked.

"Nibbles... You're the only one who eats wood," Judy retorted. "Although I did bring a few," she added, pulling some small logs from her backpack.

"Oh, great. You're the best, Judy," Nibbles said gratefully. "You know what? I'm going to have a look around. And don't worry, I'll make sure I don't give in to the temptation to gnaw on the stands," she added reassuringly.

"Gary, what are you going to do?" Judy asked.

“The drinks stand you mentioned piqued my interest,” Gary replied. “Besides, it would be great to see those traditional country dances,” he added, as the three animals headed toward the stand. “I remember when I was little, my dad showed me a documentary about farm life, and some of the villagers were doing this weird dance in pairs, jumping and spinning around the dance floor at the same time.”

“Oh… I know which one it is…” Judy muttered, frowning.

A short while later, they arrived at the drinks stand. The music was getting a little louder, and several animals were already on the dance floor. The stand was empty, so Judy, Nick, and Gary simply sat down in some seats overlooking the dance floor. After ordering their drinks, they settled in to observe the festival more closely.

“How many dances do the country folk have?” Nick asked after the third performance. Judy shrugged.

"A few," she replied, taking a sip of his carrot juice.

"I couldn't do that... For starters, I don't have arms or legs, and I practically look like a rope because I'm a snake," Gary commented. "But it looks fun," he admitted. "I'll take a walk," he announced.

"At 10:00 PM, we'll meet right here. If you find Nibbles, tell her too," Judy requested. Gary nodded and soon disappeared into the crowd.

"What's happening at 10:00 PM?" Nick asked, curious.

"Oh, the family dinner. It's the main reason my parents invited us," Judy replied. "Are you enjoying the place?" she asked, interested. Nick nodded.

"It's pretty good for a Christmas market mostly for rabbits," Nick replied, earning a punch from Judy. "Ow, okay... Just curious, why do you hit me so much?" he asked.

"First of all, because you deserve several of those," Judy replied. "Second... I don't know, it's... an impulse. I don't think about it too much," she added.

"What an impulse," Nick joked. Judy rolled her eyes and raised her fist to throw another punch. However, she changed her mind and looked back at the dance floor. Nick snorted. "I was just kidding. It does hurt, but if you didn't do it, you wouldn't be you," he explained.

"Uh-huh..." Judy conceded, looking at him again with amusement. "By the way, you actually look pretty good," she commented, smiling gently. Nick snorted, amused.

"Carrots... I always look good in anything," he replied, joking. Judy rolled her eyes, amused.

"Show-off," she retorted sarcastically.

Nick smiled wryly, a smile that gradually softened and, though she refused to admit it, became infatuated. Judy had turned her gaze back to the dance floor, not noticing that one of the lights from the drinks stand was shining directly on her. It highlighted her fur, which contrasted nicely with her dress. Nick could be himself as much as he wanted, but he wasn't going to accept a compliment without returning it to Judy.

"Well, if I look pretty good, I have to say, Carrots, you look stunning," he remarked, and finally, Judy rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha... I don't look bad, but stunning is a bit of an exaggeration," Judy replied, amused, but inwardly nervous. Flattered, too. Nick snorted.

"Judy, I might be sarcastic, a joker, and all, but if I tell you that you look stunning, it's because you really do," he replied, turning serious. Judy blushed slightly and smiled a little.

"Well, then... Thanks for the compliment," Judy replied, smiling slightly and shyly, before turning back to the dance floor. "So... Are you enjoying this Christmas?" she asked.

Nick looked at her, somewhat surprised. He hadn't told Judy that this was the first Christmas he'd celebrated in a long time, but from the way she was looking at him, and from the tone of her question, Nick could deduce that Judy suspected something. Well... It was obvious she suspected something; Judy knew more about him than any other animal, and she was a police officer, putting two and two together shouldn't be difficult for her.
Nick smiled slightly.

"It's not bad at all," he admitted. "Not as lonely as usual... It's not that I don't like a solitary Christmas, that's obvious, but... the company isn't bad," she added, smiling slightly. Judy smiled back.

"I understand. Even I have to admit I missed coming to these festivals," Judy admitted.

"Well, you can keep coming, right?" Nick asked teasingly.

"If I have time, yes. And, Nick... you can keep coming too," Judy replied.

"I'll pass. Unless it's a special event," Nick replied. Judy rolled her eyes, amused. "So... you're not planning on going dancing?" he asked. Judy gave him a sarcastic look.

"Are you asking me to dance or what?" she asked mockingly. Nick scoffed.

"No, dancing isn't my thing, especially not those dances in particular," he replied. Judy rolled her eyes again.

"I'll pass too. I'm not good at those dances either, and I'm not going to make a fool of myself," Judy replied.

"You've been in the Burrows your whole life... and you don't know how to do their dances?" Nick mocked. Judy frowned.

"In my defense, I didn't have a partner to dance with, and I wasn't even interested in having one because I wouldn't have been able to get into the police academy at the slightest mistake," Judy replied. Nick understood her point and nodded, understanding. "Actually, now I think I can understand why my parents kept insisting I go when I was at the academy, but I couldn't," he added in a murmur. Nick frowned slightly, but just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, Gary arrived, creeping over quickly.

"Judy, why didn't you tell me we could do karaoke on stage?" he asked, visibly excited. Judy smiled, guilty.

"Well... It's not exactly karaoke. But I didn't know you liked to sing," she replied. "If I had known, I would have mentioned it."

"Oh, yeah, I was wondering why I forgot to tell you guys," Gary reminded her. "I asked Nibbles to join in, but she didn't want to. Would any of you try?" he asked.

"No, thanks. The spotlight isn't my thing," Nick said. Judy looked toward the other end of the market and thought for a moment.

"We can do a duet," she finally agreed.

"Yes, thanks, Judy. I'll wait for you on stage," Gary said, heading to the other end of the market. Judy sighed, amused, and stood up.

"Wow, I didn't know you sang," Nick commented sarcastically, following her. It was a lie; he'd heard her hum a Gazzelle song once, and they both agreed that Judy had a pretty nice voice. "Are you going to put on a rock jacket and dance all over the stage?" he asked mockingly.

"Ha ha, very funny," Judy replied. "Seriously, you're not going to join us? It's fun," she asked.

"No, Carrots, I'll pass," Nick replied.

"Fine, your loss. Make sure you get my best shot if you record," Judy retorted, heading for the stage.

"Sure, I'm going to make fun of your voice," Nick agreed, sneering.

Judy rolled her eyes and went up on stage with Gary. The snake grabbed a microphone with his tail, but Judy put a microphone behind her ear and picked up an electric guitar. Nick couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise, though he managed to keep his amused expression this time.

"Judy plays guitar? I'm definitely not going to miss this," Nibbles commented, appearing out of nowhere and startling Nick.

"You're scary sometimes," Nick replied, looking at the stage. Judy whispered something in Gary's ear, and the snake reacted excitedly. Judy signaled and began to play.

And yes… If seeing Judy in a dress looking quite good hadn't left Nick speechless and unable to feign indifference, this moment left him virtually defenseless due to the shock. Gary sang quite well, and Judy was incredibly skilled with the guitar. She moved to the rhythm of the stage alongside Gary, smiling playfully. She took small jumps while playing, moving in a somewhat chaotic but rhythmic way, and never once went out of tune.

"Ha, I knew I'd catch you eventually," said Nibbles, who was moving beside her. That didn't stop her from looking equally surprised by Gary and Judy's talent.

"Yeah, right, right. They're not doing badly," Nick replied, regaining his composure and focusing on the music again, while the rest of the group applauded in the background.

While they sang that part, Judy removed the microphone from behind her ear, handed the guitar to one of her brothers, and took another microphone so she could move more freely and dance more in sync with Gary, even though Gary was a snake and only moved within the limits of his body.

A round of applause echoed throughout the market, even in areas where the performance wasn't visible. Gary and Judy bowed, smiling proudly, and after Judy gave a couple of hugs to some of her brothers who were playing on stage, the snake and the rabbit finally stepped off the stage to join Nibbles and Nick.

"It's almost 10:00 PM, are you following me?" Judy asked, breathing a little ragged from the adrenaline, but as normal as ever.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Wait two minutes and explain to me right now how you did that," Nibbles retorted. Judy looked at her puzzled.

"Do what?" she asked, confused.

"That, you almost set the stage on fire. How are you so good?" Nibbles asked.

"Yeah, you didn't even tell us you played guitar," Gary agreed. Judy shrugged.

"It's a secret," she replied, starting to walk. Gary, Nibbles, and Nick followed her. Nick still hadn't said anything.

"Earth to Nick, are you going to say something?" Nibbles asked. Nick looked at her, annoyed.

"I have to confess... you were pretty good," he admitted.

"Oh, thanks, Nick," Judy said, smiling.

"But I'm wondering why it would be a secret that you learned to play guitar," he added. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha... It's a secret," she replied. "Let's go." Nick huffed, amused, but followed her along with Nibbles and Gary.

Later, during dinner, Nick couldn't deny that he'd had more fun than he had at many Christmases before. Although the table was enormous because of the huge number of Judy's relatives, there was something to talk about in every section, something everyone could participate in. There were a few who had initially eyed Nick with suspicion, but Nick's indifference, Judy's stubbornness, and Gary and Nibbles' knack for finding conversation topics around Nick and Judy's cases had helped him, even if he refused to admit it.
Everything was going well... until suddenly it wasn't going so well anymore...

"You know, Nick? Your last name sounds a little familiar," commented Leia, Judy's maternal aunt. Nick smiled, amused.

"It's not a very unusual last name. You've probably heard it before," she replied, as if it were obvious.

"No, I mean... I'm a seamstress," Leia countered. Nick looked at her in surprise. "And I'm sure that, a few years ago, someone named Wilde placed an order with me from Zootopia," she added, trying to remember. Judy looked at Nick, and then at Leia, with a confused expression. Nick was confused too.

"Wasn't it a uniform?" Bonnie asked. "I know because Judy must have been already born back then," she added. Judy's eyes widened slightly nervously. She had a bad feeling about that memory. Nick still looked somewhat confused, but he managed to mask it with a slightly amused expression.

"Yes... I think... Oh, I remember now," Leia said suddenly. "A fox lady, surnamed Wilde, came to my workshop to ask me to make a scout uniform for her son," she explained.

Judy's ears drooped, and she looked at Nick with a hint of fear—not of him, but of the fact that her hunch was right. Especially after seeing Nick's expression change drastically for a moment, from amused confidence to pure, traumatic terror. Even when he regained his somewhat indifferent expression, his eyes didn't lie at all.

"It's funny... Mom did everything she could to stop me from taking the job, because I'd be doing the foxes a favor, but hearing Mrs. Wilde talk about her son's dream of being part of the Zootopia Junior Scouts and the effort she made to raise the money was something I couldn't ignore. Besides, I spoke with her several times, and we ended up getting along really well. But after a couple of years, we lost touch. I never knew why, but I never held a grudge,” Leia continued.

Nick remained impassive, but Judy knew it was just a facade. She hadn't forgotten when he told her that particular story. Probably, if he didn't mention what happened on the cliff in Tundratown and later when they confessed their feelings, that was practically the only time she saw Nick so vulnerable… so broken, in a way. From then on, even though Nick was more expressive with her than with other animals, Judy rarely saw him hurt again, unless the situation specifically called for it.

“You’re saying you haven’t heard from her in years?” Nick asked, his tone forcedly neutral.

“If I remember correctly, the last time we were together was after Judy’s play. When she got into a fight with Gideon Grey and we had to clean up those scratches,” Leia replied. Nick turned to look at Judy, somewhat shocked by this revelation. Gary and Nibbles also looked at Judy in surprise. Judy just kept looking at Leia, wanting to interrupt her, but unable to find the right words. “The next day we talked for a couple of hours. I told her the story and mentioned that Judy wanted to be a police officer. And I complained about how Bonnie and Stu were trying everything to talk her out of it. Mrs. Wilde told me she could already picture Judy as a police officer, and she hadn’t even met her in person. We had arranged a visit to the warrens to introduce her, but exactly one week later she vanished off the face of the earth. It was a shame, but at that moment I wanted to try and curb my sister and brother-in-law's impulsiveness in preventing their daughter from pursuing her dreams," she said, looking at Bonnie with some annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah. My mistake," Bonnie replied. "But what did you want me to do? Judy ended up with those scratches just trying to get back those tickets that Gideon took from her friends. That was the least dangerous thing she could do..."

"And... Changing the subject, since we're talking about the workshop, Aunt Leia, how are the orders coming in?" Judy finally interrupted.

She would take responsibility for taking too long later; at that moment, she wanted to avoid any further tense digressions. Judy glanced at Nick; he still seemed somewhat detached, but as soon as he heard the change of topic, he seemed to join the conversation a little, until it reached a point where, to the untrained eye, anyone would think Nick was no longer there. But Judy wasn't inexperienced. She knew Nick well enough to know that he was still stuck there and that changing the subject only served to distract him, to help him maintain his sarcastic, charming, and funny wall.

Judy did her best to fit in, but she couldn't ignore any of it, especially the fact that her mother and aunt had discussed the incident with Gideon. It wasn't exactly a secret, but Judy usually avoided talking about it. Even though Gideon had changed and they now got along as acquaintances thanks to Gideon's connection with Judy's parents, she remembered that day quite vividly. Especially because her parents reminded her of it constantly when warning her about foxes, and, above all else, because it was that memory that triggered the instincts she shouldn't have activated the day of the argument with Nick at the press conference.
Judy had even felt the sting of the scratches that never came, the ones she'd had when she was nine, when, without realizing it, she'd unbuttoned the button and held her paw dangerously close to that damned fox repellent. By the time she managed to regain control of her instincts, it was too late, and Nick had already been betrayed by her. Judy had never had the chance to tell Nick that story, though she'd considered it, especially after Nick told her his own. But the night howler's case was the priority at the time, and opportunities like that never came again, not even after they finally solved the case. By then, Nick had forgiven her, and they were better than ever. Judy hadn't thought it necessary to bring up that specific incident, so it had been practically forgotten.

Dinner ended a couple of hours later, the atmosphere had thankfully eased, and Nick had to endure another ten minutes of boredom as he and Judy said goodbye to the thousands of relatives, one by one. If the previous conversation hadn't been lingering in his mind, he would have thrown in some jokes to lighten the mood. But by the time they'd said goodbye to the last relative, the four friends were exhausted. In fact, Nibbles started snoring the moment he touched the sleeping bag, and Gary wasn't far behind, but he took the trouble to curl up in his and sleep quietly. Only Nick and Judy were awake at that point, but they separated for a couple of minutes to change, Judy in her room and Nick in the bathroom. When Nick closed the door, Judy was sitting on her bed, lost in thought.

"Can I join you? Sleep isn't my best friend right now," Nick asked cautiously. He'd used his entire facade at Christmas dinner after the tense conversation; he wasn't in the mood to use it any longer. Judy nodded, and Nick sat beside her. They were silent for a while. "When were you going to tell me about Gideon?" he asked seriously. Judy looked at him, confused.

"It's not... important," Judy replied. "How are you? Sorry I was late..."

"Judy, answer my question," Nick urged. "Is that why you were carrying that fox repellent around everywhere?" he asked.

“...Technically, my parents had given me that stupid bag, and just to get them to stop nagging, I chose the repellent because it was less 'problematic,'” Judy replied. “I had thought about throwing it away, and, to this day... I still regret not doing that,” she added. Nick looked at her.

“Were you ever going to tell me? If I had known... I wouldn't have reacted so badly at the press conference. You know that.” Judy sighed.

“It wasn't a priority at the time, Nick. Yes, I thought about it, after you told me about your situation... But when the video camera thing came up... I completely forgot about it,” she admitted. Nick sighed.

“Did you know that... My mom asked your aunt to make that uniform?” he asked. Judy shook her head.

“I had heard her mention the order a couple of times. There was a time before... That, when she'd come over and she and my mom would talk about their recent get-togethers. Although, to be honest, Mom only did that to make sure my aunt didn't feel 'wronged'. I always felt Mom exaggerated. Well, Dad did too. I told them once, Gideon was a fool who just happened to be a fox. There were worse bullies, and most of them were rabbits," she retorted.

"And... after that?" Nick asked. "After the case, when were you going to tell me?" he added. Judy shrugged.

"You were at the academy, then Gary's case... It didn't even cross my mind. It wasn't important anymore."

"Judy... It was important," Nick replied. "The thing is, not telling me made me blame you for something you didn't deserve. The thing is, not knowing made me prioritize my ego over our friendship at that moment, and instead of trying to understand you, I hurt you to the point that you quit the police force... And I had to use that damn carrot pen just to forgive you..."

"Nick... You can't and you won't make up for everything that happened because I didn't tell you," Judy interrupted. "I could have told you, and the result would have been the same... Maybe the argument would have been shorter, or whatever... But telling you or not isn't going to erase the fact that you were honest with me, and the first thing I did was betray you," she added, seriously. Nick frowned. "Or are you going to tell me now that telling you would have changed anything about how I gave you my trust, you gave me yours, and I betrayed it by unwittingly lumping you in with that generalized predator label?"

"No, but knowing that you understood me with that story would have given me something to hold onto instead of just assuming you never trusted me, which is a lie," Nick confessed. Judy sighed, defeated.

"We both made a mistake that day," Judy concluded. "And I think we both tried not to make that mistake again," she added. Nick nodded.

"It's funny... I was so caught up in my resentment, in my... in having given up... But I still remember my mom being happy to talk to someone after... that. Only I never knew she'd gone to the burrows to ask a rabbit for her uniform," he admitted. "And that, coincidentally, it was your aunt," he added.

"What happened to her?" Judy asked. Nick shrugged.

"I haven't heard much from her since I hit the streets. I called her once or twice to make sure she was alive and well, but... not much more than that," he replied. "Maybe I can get Leia and my mom back in touch," he suggested. Judy smiled.

"That wouldn't be bad," he admitted. They both smiled. "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner..."

“You don’t have to apologize. I understand,” Nick replied. Judy nodded. “Although… if you had a scar, I would have asked you, and we would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble,” he added, joking. Judy laughed slightly; the old Nick was back, not entirely, but enough.

“I do have scars… like the one on my leg, but… my fur covers it,” Judy replied. “Although it probably would have helped me get a job at the precinct.”

“I can just imagine you all thinking, ‘Watch out for the first rabbit officer. She single-handedly put a bully fox in his place when she was nine, so don’t underestimate her,’” Nick continued. Judy snorted.

“You can laugh all you want, but being relegated to parking meters on your first day after being the top student at the academy isn’t fun,” she retorted.

They laughed again. They paused to check that they hadn't woken Gary or Nibbles, but they were still fast asleep. Then, the two fell silent again for a moment. Only a bedside lamp illuminated them, but the darkness of the room gave them a small sense of calm. Nick looked at Judy for a while, before she looked back at him and they both smiled slightly. Judy looked away first to open her dresser drawer and take out the package she had been hiding. Then, she handed it to Nick.

"Technically, Christmas is still a little while away, but I wanted to give it to you now," she said. Nick smiled slightly and examined the package for a moment before opening it. "I thought about giving you a tie like last time, but I couldn't think of many ideas for how to symbolize the second case, and besides, giving you more than one tie would be too much... So don't start with your comments about that," she clarified, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

The gift was a framed photograph of the two of them with Gary and Nibbles. Nick remembered that day. It was a few days after the reptile neighborhood had reopened, and Nick and Judy had gone to visit with Nibbles. Nick wore a sarcastic, amused expression because he'd practically been dragged into the photo, but he didn't want to be rude. Besides, Gary immediately wrapped his body around them, which somewhat eased the tension. He checked the frame and felt a folded piece of paper underneath. He read the note. "To the best partner in the world. Sincerely, Judy. P.S.: Don't be a grouch, it's the best picture I have."

“Before you say anything, I made this before we even started dating,” Judy explained. Nick grinned.

“Carrots, you just filled up the space designated for our partnership in my apartment even more,” he retorted, still smiling. Judy rolled her eyes. “Which reminds me of,” she added, getting up for a moment to find her own little package. “This is for you, dear partner,” he announced, handing it to Judy. She smiled gratefully and opened it. She froze. “I know you’re not much of a jewelry person, but you already gave me something that symbolized our first case; it was my turn to give you something that symbolized our second,” he explained, suddenly flustered.

Judy smiled. It was a pendant with a lighthouse figurine, a bit orange. It was because of the Reptile Quarter lighthouse, the one that helped them recover Gary’s great-grandmother’s patent. The fact that Nick knew that detail, even though they were separated at the time—though Judy obviously filled him in as soon as she could—meant a lot.
Nick, on the other hand, couldn't hide his nervousness. It had taken him quite a while to find a gift for Judy; in fact, that necklace was the last option precisely because he knew she didn't like wearing jewelry, mainly because her police work could be slightly affected by it once or twice. But the other options weren't much better: a blanket, too flimsy; flowers, too cheesy for them, and also too flimsy; a lighthouse figurine... Well, Nick could still return the necklace if Judy didn't like it and exchange it for the figurine. But when he saw the necklace, he felt it was a good idea. He was wearing a gift from her that symbolized his first case. She, at least, had to have something with her that symbolized the second...

"It's nice, Nick. I love it," Judy said finally. Nick let out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. "Thanks."

"Carrots... Next time I give you a present, don't leave me waiting too long to find out if you liked it or not. You almost killed me," Nick pleaded. Judy huffed.

"Dramatic fox," she blurted out. Nick rolled his eyes, but smiled, amused. "Will you help me?" he asked, holding out the necklace. Nick nodded and carefully placed the necklace on her, though it was a little difficult because of her claws, but it was the thought that counted. They both smiled at each other. Nick placed the frame on Judy's dresser to keep it safe, and then they both sat there. "So... now?" she asked.

"Now, time for bed," Nick replied. Judy rolled her eyes, but Nick didn't move. "Just to be sure, do I sleep on the floor... or will you just drop the embarrassment?" he asked. Judy blushed slightly.

"Whatever you decide. Here's the sleeping bag," she replied, trying not to look nervous. Nick huffed.

“You know we’ll have to share a bed at some point,” he replied. Judy nodded. “So, anyway, we need to put aside our embarrassment and get along in that regard,” she added.

“Like I said, it’s your call,” Judy replied.

“I’m not interested in breaking my bones, so you’ll just have to put up with me,” Nick retorted. “Move over, Carrots, I need some space,” he demanded.

Judy obeyed, though still internally nervous, as Nick slipped under the covers. Instinctively, Judy made some space to avoid discomfort, but when she glanced at Nick, she found he was looking at her with amusement.

“Who once told me that sharing the couch wasn’t a problem because we were already tied together by vines once?” he asked sarcastically. Judy frowned.

“It’s different. We were going to watch a movie, we weren’t even together yet, and the couch was the only thing we could use.” "Besides, we weren't sleeping..." Judy replied nervously. Nick sighed.

"Technically, you fell asleep in the middle of the movie," Nick countered. Judy nodded, unable to argue with that. "Anyway... I guess we can't be embarrassed anymore. We're together, right?"

"Yes, but we've never shared a bed until now..."

"Judy, if it bothers you, I'll go to the floor."

"It doesn't bother me, it's just that..."

"Then don't dwell on it. I want to sleep with you so I can tease you about your sleepy face tomorrow, even though deep down I'll think it's adorable, and that we're cuddling, so it'll be less embarrassing over time." Judy remained silent. "So, why don't we close our eyes and wait for Nibbles's loud teasing to wake us up tomorrow?" she added.

"Sly fox."

"Dumb bunny."

"Ha, ha..."

The next morning, Nibbles woke up and the first thing she saw was Gary watching something with a tender expression. When Nibbles got up to ask what it was, she figured it out for herself. Nick and Judy were fast asleep. Judy was sleeping against Nick's chest, his tail gently wrapped around her under the blankets. One of Nick's paws was resting against Judy's ears, as if he'd been stroking them to lull her to sleep. Nibbles considered waking them with a joke, but decided to let them have it this time because of how adorable they looked sleeping like that. He left the room with Gary to inform Judy's family that she wouldn't be coming downstairs yet.

Nick woke to the soft slam of the door, but seeing Judy asleep against him, his urge to wake her with a joke to lighten the mood vanished, and he drifted back to sleep, closing the distance between them a little more as he succumbed to sleep for the second time.
This had definitely been the best Christmas he'd had in a long time...