well hello, there! long time, no see! in my defense, i was training for a new position at my job and i had like no free time to write. but i am back and hopefully i will be able to get back to regular updates again. thank you to all of you who have stuck with me and with this story, every comment and kudos means so much to me. anyway, enough excuses and sappy talk, on to the chapter!

Nick is about to come home, and Judy and Finnick are ready to welcome him back. But Judy seems a little nervous about it, and Finn is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Chapter Text

The next month flew by before Finnick knew it. The restaurant he worked at was in peak season, which meant his shifts went by quickly. The owners noticed how hard he worked and complimented his work ethic so much that it made the insides of his ears turn red. It had been so long since someone had taken notice of his work...since Big. It really took him aback but also filled him with a sense of pride. In fact, they were so impressed they had asked him if he wanted to train to be a bartender, an offer he eagerly agreed to. After all, if there was one thing he knew, it was alcohol.

He deserved this chance. He had to keep telling himself that.

Through the whole thing, Judy was getting more and more excited to be getting Nick back. She talked about it pretty much every day. It was actually pretty cute, though of course he would never tell her that. She would kick his ass for saying it, even if he was right. And he was. Seeing her skip around the apartment, humming and getting things ready for his return, was almost amusing. They really were just so oblivious, weren’t they? It wasn’t his place to say, though. This was their business, not his.

They were sitting on the couch one night, about a week before Nick was due to come home, when Judy looked at him, her eyes determined. “I want to throw Nick a party – to celebrate him coming home!”



Finn nodded, sipping a mug of coffee. “Sounds like a good idea to me.”

“You think he’ll like that?” She pulled an ear over her shoulder, paws nervously stroking it.

“If it’s you? Definitely.” He gave her a smile before taking another sip.

She nodded slowly, her mouth setting firmly as she stared at the television. "I was thinking of having it on my parents farm, they have plenty of space for everything.”

“You’re not inviting all of your siblings, are you?”

“Frith, no. There are way too many of us at this point. And not all of them are as...open minded as I would like.” Her paws on her ear slowed as she seemed to be deep in thought. “I’ll invite my brothers. Except Justin, he’s a jerk. And my parents, obviously. And…” She bit her lip, brows furrowing. “I’ll invite Angelica. There’s no guarantee that she’ll come...but I can try.”

Finn nodded, just letting her talk. He had no idea who any of these bunnies were, but saying all of this out loud seemed to help her. “Whatever you want, Flopsy.”

“Ugh, I’m just rambling now.” She giggled nervously, letting go of her ear to cover her face with her paws. “You probably think I’m crazy.”

“Yeah, but I still love ya.” He grinned at her before drinking the last of his coffee, setting the empty mug on the coffee table.

The bunny rolled her eyes at him, the corners of her mouth turned up. “Har har, you’re soooo funny.” She reached over to shove him playfully then flopped back into the couch, letting out a happy sigh. “You know what, I’m just not gonna worry about it right now. I’m just gonna focus on the fact that Nick is coming home soon and I’m going to have my partner back!”

“There ya go,” Finn nodded at her, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

“Thought maybe I can convince him to move into a different apartment.” Judy looked around, her nose crinkling. “You were right, this place is a shithole.”

He couldn’t help it, he burst into laughter. It was real and true laugh, one that made him shake from head to toe, clutching his stomach as he wheezed for breath. It really wasn’t that funny, but for some reason it just hit him right in the funny bone. Fucking brilliant.

It didn’t take long for her to join him in hysterics, almost falling off the couch from how hard she was laughing. For the next few minutes they just filled the air around them with laughter, to the point where they were both gasping for breath.

When that was over, Judy scooched over on the couch so she could lean her head on his shoulder, fits of giggles still hitting her every now and then. “It wasn’t even THAT funny, Finn.”

“I know, Flopsy, I know.” Finnick chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into him, nudging the side of her head with his nose. “I’m glad it made you laugh, though.”

Judy nodded, cuddling into him and letting out a soft hum. There were a few moments of comfortable silence between them before she broke it. “Hey, Finn?”

“Hm?” He tilted his head slightly towards her.



“I just...wanted to say thanks.”

Wait, what? He blinked, pulling away enough to be able to look at her. “You’re thanking me ?”

“Well, yeah,” she said, sitting up and pulling an ear over her shoulder again.



“For what?”



“For sticking with me, I guess.” She was playing with her ear again, a habit he’d noticed that she only did when she was nervous.

“Why wouldn’t I?” He was genuinely curious now.



She seemed to take a moment, as if to think about things, before continuing. “I dunno. I just...I’ve never really had that many friends.” She chewed on her lip. “Back in the Burrows, everyone thought I was crazy, for wanting to be a cop. Even some of my siblings made fun of me for it. I was able to block all of it out, pretended like it didn’t bother me, but I’ve realized over these last months just how...lonely I was.”

His heart ached for her, though he didn’t dare interrupt her right now.

“But now,” she looked up at him, her eyes shining, “I have you, and Nick, and Clawhauser, and Fangmeyer, and just so many more friends than I’ve ever had. I have animals that I can trust, ones that care about me and want me to be successful. It’s just...it’s so much more than I ever could have hoped for, and I’m so grateful.” She leaned over to hug him again, nuzzling her cheek against the top of his head. “So, thank you for being my friend.”

Finn chuckled, hugging her back. “Now now, don’t go gettin’ sappy on me.” He pulled away, running a paw over her ears and grinning when it earned him a pleased coo from her. Now that was adorable. He waited until she settled back into the couch before talking again. “So, you really are excited about Nick coming back, huh?”

The bunny nodded, a soft smile on her lips. “Yeah. I really miss him. I mean, we text all the time and I call him every chance, but--it’s just not the same, ya know?” She shook her head, running a paw over her ears. “That sounds really cheesy, doesn’t it?”

“A little.” He smiled at her. “But it’s cute.”



“Finnick--”

“Er, sorry. It’s...adorable?” He shrugged, grinning sheepishly. “Is that better?”

She chuckled and shook her head, curling into her spot on the couch. “It’ll do, I suppose.” She sighed and rested her chin on her paw. “It’s gonna get crowded on here when Nick gets back.”

Finn looked over at her, unable to hide the amusement in his voice. “You like him, don’tcha?”

Her reaction kind of surprised him. He expected her to sputter, to get flustered and try to deny it. Instead, she just gave him a half-smile and nodded, wrapping her arms around her legs. “Yeah. I do.” She leaned her cheek on her knees, nibbling on her bottom lip. “But that’s the problem.”

The hell? “Why is that a problem?”

“Because,” She sighed again, bumping her forehead on her knees. “Animals have certain… expectations when it comes to bunnies and dating. But… I’ve never felt that way.” She glanced at him, the look on her face anxious. “Ever.”

The wheels in his head were turning as he tried to understand what she was trying to tell him. “So...you’ve never felt attracted to anyone?”

Judy shook her head. “Not really. I had a couple of boyfriends in high school, but it never lasted long. They wanted to go so fast and I just… didn’t.” Her ears fell down her back. “I always wondered if there was something wrong with me, because I never wanted to… do what bunnies do, I guess is a polite way of saying it. I even went to the doctor one time just to make sure that there wasn’t anything wrong with me.”



“What did they say?” Finn leaned forward, ears pricked up towards her.

“Well, I actually found out that I’m infertile.” She held out a paw to him right as he opened his mouth. “Please, don’t say you’re sorry. It didn’t really affect me that much, I’ve never really wanted kits of my own. There are enough rabbits in the world. I would much rather just adopt.” The paw went down and she continued on, “Anyways, I asked the doctor if that had something to do with my low sex drive, but he said that it shouldn’t affect it like that. So, I just kind of thought that maybe I was asexual. Which, again, not really a bad thing for me. But now, with Nick…”

“You… feel that way towards him?” He reached out to put a paw on her shoulder. “Flopsy, it’s okay, it doesn’t make you a freak or anything.”



She reached up to put her paw on top of his, staring over at him. “I wouldn’t care if it did. That’s not what scares me.”



“Then what is it?” His thumb rubbed her fingers gently.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke. “I… I barely know him. We only knew each other for three days before everything happened, and then I… I just left.” She swallowed hard. “Then I came back, but then everything with Bellwether happened and we had to hurry to get him ready to go to the academy, and just...I don’t really know Nick at all. We talk all the time, but I still know so little about him.” She groaned and covered her face with her paws. “Frith, I don’t even know what his favorite color is!”

“Purple.”

She looked at him through her fingers, her eyes wide. “What?”

“His favorite color. It’s purple. Always has been.” Finn scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “And it’s okay that you feel this way. It’s honestly not what I expected, but now that I think about it, I’m glad you’re saying all of this. It’s so real, and it’s not how most animals would react in this kind of situation.”

“Good thing I’m not most animals,” Judy chuckled, letting her paws flop down as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I really like him, I do. I just don’t want to go too fast with this, ya know?”

He nodded, rubbing her shoulder gently. “I definitely understand that. Inari knows I went way too fast with Bella and, well, you saw how that turned out.”

“That wasn’t your fault, Finn.”

“Yeah. But this isn’t about me.” He nudged her head with his nose. “This is about you. And, you know, you don’t have to tell him right away. You can go at whatever fucking pace you want with this kind of thing. But,” he smiled and leaned his head on hers, “you should tell him sometime. Whenever you feel comfortable.”



“I will. When I think the time is right.”

“Good.”

There was silence again before she spoke up. “Thanks, Finn.”



“Anything for you, kid.” He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. “I told you before, you’re family. We take care of our own.”

The next week flew by in a blur. The days were filled with work and party planning, though Finn really only had to worry about the former. Judy and her family were taking care of everything for the party, all he had to do was drive the three of them there. Before he knew it, it was the day of Nick’s graduation. Judy got into her police dress blues, while he put on some khaki pants and his black polo. They picked up Marian, who was wearing a green dress and black shawl, then they were off to the academy.

When they arrived, everything for the graduation was already set up. Rows of chairs were set out in front of a stage with a podium on it and a long blue curtain behind it. Finn looked around, noting the crowds already gathered, waiting for the ceremony to start. In one corner were a bunch of bunnies who, when they saw them, immediately came over. Two of them, a buck in overalls and a doe in a sleeveless pink plaid shirt and jean skirt, went over to Judy and the three of them shared a big hug. When they separated, Judy gestured for Finn to come over.

Oh, geez. He went over to them all, hiding his anxiety behind a neutral expression.

Judy grinned and placed a paw on his shoulder. “Mom, dad, this is Finnick. He’s been my best friend while Nick’s been away. Finn, these are my parents, Bonnie and Stu Hopps.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Finn said, holding out a paw.

Their response really shouldn’t have surprised him, but he was still getting used to bunnies. The pair swept him into an embrace that sucked the air out of him. “It’s so good to finally meet you,” Bonnie said cheerfully.

“We’re so grateful to you for taking care of our little girl,” Stu told him, sounding like he was fighting off tears.

“Okay, guys, let him go, you’re gonna scare him!” Judy fussed, pulling at their arms.

They let him go, and while he felt a little awkward, Finn understood that they meant well. It was one of the warmest greetings he’d ever received from anyone…

He didn’t really get the chance to think it over too much when he heard someone call to them from afar.

“Hey, Carrots! Finn!”

He turned his head in time to watch Judy sprint down the aisle of chairs into Nick’s arms, and he heard the two laughing as the fox spun her around. Gods, they were so helpless. Finn rolled his eyes, though a small smile split his lips. He made his way over to the two, reaching them just as they parted from their embrace. He raised a brow at the red fox, letting out a low whistle. “Well, don’t you clean up nice.”

Nick was dressed the most formally he’d seen him in quite some time, in the same police dress blues. The fox grinned at him, running a paw over his head. “Well, I can’t always look like I’m ready for a vacation to Pawaii beach, ya know. Have to give the ladies something to look at.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Judy, which made the bunny’s ears turn pink and she rolled her eyes.

“If they want something to look at, they can look at the ground, it’s prettier ‘n your face.” Finn crossed his arms, smirking.

Nick dramatically grabbed his chest, a faux look of shock on his face. “I am wounded, Finn. Wounded!”

“I’ll give you girls a minute alone,” Judy teased before going back to her family.

The foxes watched her go before turning back to each other. Nick stuffed his paws into his pockets, kicking lightly at the dirt. “So...you told her about Bella, huh?”

“Yep.” Finn crossed his arms over his chest, staring over Nick’s shoulder at the stage.

“She called and asked me.”

“I know.”

“Then she called again and chewed me out for not telling her the whole truth.”

“You deserved it.”

“Yeah, I know.” Nick sighed and looked at Finn, remorse in his green eyes. “I did you dirty again. I’m sorry.”

Finn looked up at his friend. Two apologies in the span of six months. Nick really had turned over a new leaf. “I know you don’t like her, and I get why, but she’s always gonna be a part of that. Flopsy understood that after only a day.”

Nick rubbed the back of his neck with his paw, huffing softly. “It’s just...I hate how things changed when she came around. All you did was spend time with her, and I barely ever saw you. Then she screwed you over and you still helped her out. You deserved better than that.”

“It’s in the past, man. It’s over. And, hey,” Finn waited until the red fox looked at him before continuing, “you’re always gonna be my brother. That didn’t change when she was around. I’m sorry if you felt like I was ignoring you.”

Nick smiled and shook his head, clapping a paw on Finn’s shoulder. “Like you said, it’s in the past. So how about we look to the future.” He gestured towards the Hopps and Marian, who all seemed like they were getting along.

Finn looked at them and smiled. “Yeah. I like the sound of that.”

“...change starts with you. It starts with me. It starts with all of us.”

Finn clapped along with everyone else when Judy finished giving her speech, watching as she hopped down from the podium and got ready to hand out the badges to the new recruits. He smiled and shook his head, just so in awe of how inspiring this one rabbit was.

As the names of the new graduates were called, he took a moment to reflect on how things had changed. In a very short amount of time, he’d gone from a broke and desolate animal, to someone with a job and friends and a family. She’d taught him how to open up, to let others in without fear that they would eventually stab him in the back. She’d help him escape debt and financial squalor by helping him find a legit job, something he hadn’t been sure he’d ever be able to find. She’d helped him reunite with Marian. She had even helped him face his past demons and made him realize that maybe, just maybe, he was worthy of a better future.

“Nicholas P. Wilde!”

Finn snapped out of his trance and watched as the red fox made his way onto the stage. He watched as Judy pinned the badge to the fox’s chest, and the two shared a look as they saluted to each other. He couldn’t help but grin and shake his head.

They really were clueless. But that was alright, they had plenty of time.

After it was all over, the two made their way back over to them. Judy wrapped her arms around the two foxes, grinning from ear to ear. “So, you guys ready for the party?”

Nick looked down at her, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Party? What party?”

Finn shook his head and chuckled. “With Flopsy, sometimes you just have to go with the flow, man.”



They all shared a laugh, and it was the warmest Finn had felt in a long time.