Chapter Text
"I have to fix this. But I can't do it without you. A- And after we're done, you can hate me, a-and that'll be fine, because I was a horrible friend, and I hurt you, and you...and you can walk away, knowing that you were right all along - I really am just a dumb bunny," Judy tearfully told him. "P-Please Nick? I need you…"
Nick Wilde was in a tough place, both mentally and emotionally.
The last time he had seen and heard this misguided bunny had been three months ago at the conference.
The first month was hard.
Everywhere he went, he saw her face. It didn't matter if it was on television, billboards, even graffiti; he could not escape the Famous Bunny Cop, Judy Hopps. He had believed in Judy and her alone and genuinely thought that she returned that sentiment.
But when she turned her back on him, he became crooked.
He tried to drink his sorrow away with any alcohol he could grab. He heavily pushed his scams without any regard for his safety.
He had even gotten into fights. Somehow, this bunny had burrowed herself deep into his heart, and without Judy, he had spiraled out of control.
It took Finnick and his sister, Skye, to bring him back from going off the deep end and winding up dead.
It was a miracle he survived it.
After the swift intervention, Nick spent the second month hating Judy.
She forcefully pushed her way into his life, turned it upside down, and made him believe that someone believed in him.
She even made him believe he could be a cop of all fucking things. He hated her for reigniting the fire in his heart, only to cruelly snuff it out.
But despite wanting to hate the Bunny Cop, Nick couldn't because he missed her. He missed her determination, her enthusiasm, her quick wit, her optimistic attitude. He missed her laugh, her smile, her expressive eyes.
He hated that he missed Judy so much.
And that led him to the third month, where he entered a deep depression. There were no more scams, no more smooth-talking, no more jokes. The enjoyment he had gotten out of them was gone, leaving him empty.
He knew Skye and Finnick were worried about him after that first month of chaos, but he would be okay.
At least, that's what he told them.
All he did was sit at the bridge with sunglass over his eyes, wondering why he cared so much about that foolish, naïve bunny and why he was unable to face another day without her.
So after three months, when he caught her scent and heard her voice, he was in shock.
And when Judy stood next to him talking, it took all of Nick's willpower not to look at her as all the anger and hurt came rushing back to the surface.
And now he stood there, his hand holding Judy's carrot pen, his thumb on the "Record" button as he heard her panting and sobbing behind him.
All he wanted to do was turn around, crack a joke that told her that he forgave her, but he couldn't. The hurt that she caused ran deep.
"That was a good speech," Nick finally spoke, a faint quiver in his voice, wishing he had kept his glasses on due to how teary he looked. "Damn good," Nick let out a soft laugh. "How do I know that this isn't a trick?"
"A trick?" He heard Judy whisper. She sounded so heartbroken, and it made his heart clench in return.
"You said you needed me to help you, right?" Nick questioned. "What if everything that you said, you're just saying so I can help?"
"Y-You think I would do that?" Judy asked him with hurt in her voice.
"There is a lot of things I thought you wouldn't do before that day," Nick admitted as he lowered his head.
"Nick, y-you don't know how much that stings," Judy told him as she sniffled, no doubt crying once again. "But I understand….But I missed you, Nick. Truly. More than you w-would ever know."
"You did?" Nick questioned as he turned his head slightly.
"I-I did," Judy replied before wrung out her paws and softly added, "I w-wrote you letters every single day. I d-didn't know where you lived, so I never sent them…"
Nick turned around to look at Judy fully, her form barely hidden in the shadows from the bridge. But despite the shade around her, he could see her amethyst eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"You missed me that much that you wrote me letters every day?" Nick asked, touched.
No one had ever gone through the hassle of writing him a letter, especially one for every single day.
Judy nodded, her ears lowered and her eyes glistening as tears fell down her face.
"Tell you what," Nick began as he offered a hesitant smile. "I'll help you ruin that Sheep's plot. But afterward, I want you to read me every single letter."
He watched as Judy's eyes widened in surprise as a smile began to appear on her face. "Really?" she asked with a hopeful tone.
Nick nodded.
Judy smiled and inhaled as tears of joy fell down her face.
"Come on, get in here," Nick said as he opened his arms. "Can't have you thwarting the mayor with tears In your eyes."
Judy sniffled as she wiped one away before she walked up to Nick and put her head on hiss mid-torso as she started to weep again. "Oh, you bunnies, you're so emotional," Nick whispered as he patted Judy's head and pulled her closer into a tight hug, trying to keep tears of joy from falling down his face.