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“Judy”, Nick started,” We need to talk.” Judy panicked, her ears drooped down. Was this it? Now that the case was over, he didn’t want to be around her anymore? Her nose started twitching, and her eyes started watering. It was over. But then, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. “Judy, hey are you okay?” He asked her. She looks up, and he’s looking at her, concerned. “You still don’t forgive me. We finished the case, but you don’t want to be around me after how horrible I was to you.” She wanted him to be her partner, but she let what happened with Gideon Grey ruin it.
“That’s not it, Carrots. Something happened at the precinct. You spooked when I flashed my claws at you. I wanted to talk about that before I became a cop, before I became your partner.” Really? He was still going to become her partner? “Really?” She asked him, “You’ll still be my partner?”
“Silly bunny, always so emotional,” he said, pulling her to him, “Of course I want to be your partner, but we have to talk about what happened first.” Okay, she’s got this. She didn’t ruin it, she just has to say why it happened.
“Oh, this is going to be hard.” She said, shifting from paw to paw,” When I was young, there was a bully named Gideon Grey. He stole my friend's tickets, and I followed him. I asked him to give the tickets back, and he pushed me. I was really scared, but he got close to me, and I kicked him, making his nose bleed. That angered him, and he clawed me across the face.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered how scared she felt back then, how helpless. She looked up at Nick again and continued, “ Gideon Grey is a fox. He’s the reason I was even carrying fox repellent, and when you flashed your claws, I got scared like it was him in front of me instead of you.” Her head drooped into Nick’s fur. ‘I’m so sorry.”
Nick lifted her head in his paw, “I’m sorry too. I didn’t let you explain. I thought you were like everyone else, untrusting of me, thinking I was going to steal from you or eat you.” He had just wanted her to believe in him. Then he hugged her, and she felt so far, so happy. For the first time in a while, her teeth chattered together in three distinct clicks. Nick detangled from the hug for a second, and Judy’s foot went nuts. Did he not like her purr? “Did that sound come from you?’ Nick asked. Judy’s face tinged with pink, “Yeah, it's a tooth purr. Rabbits make it when we are content.”
“That’s adorable, Carrots.” She can’t even tell him not to call her cute or adorable before her face flushes and tail wags behind her.
The relief was palpable, the weight in her chest gone with a fuzzy feeling in her brain replacing it. “So, partners?” she asks
“Of course, I already filled out and signed the forms with Chief Buffalo-Butt.” he replied.