kiss.

"Heehee, you should see your face. I'll take a picture of you and post it all over so the world can see."

Nick smiled and regained his serene expression.

"Now I'll have sweet dreams," he said.

"I bet you will," said Judy, taking his paw and helping him up. "Well, see you in the morning, dream boy."

They hugged affectionately and said good night, Judy going to her room with her sisters and Nick going to the guest room down the hall.

The clock struck noon as the train rolled into the Bunny Burrow Railway Station. The Hopps family, all two hundred and eighty of them, were present to see off Judy and Nick.

"We'll call you later when we get home," said Judy, hugging her mother and father. "Thank you for everything."

"I'll be counting the days, Jude," said Stu.

"Safe trip, sweetheart," said Bonnie.

Then they turned to Nick. Nick smiled warmly and extended his paw, but he was surprised when the bunnies walked up to him and hugged him warmly.

"We'll be expecting you for the holidays," said Bonnie.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Nick.

"Take…take care of our little girl out there, Nick," said Stu, his voice breaking. "Keep her safe."

"I will. I promise," said Nick, feeling moved by Stu's words. "I'll keep both eyes on her tail at all times."

A little late, he realised how weird that could have sounded, but fortunately nobody else noticed. The train sounded its whistle and Nick and Judy grabbed their suitcases and boarded.

"Good bye! See you soon!"

Everybody waved as the train closed its doors and began moving, slowly picking up speed and heading towards Zootopia.

"Ahh…now that was a great vacation," said Nick as he and Judy settled down on their seats.

"So, mister…you'll be keeping both your eyes on my fluffy little cottontail at all times?" said Judy with a cheeky smile, her eyes narrowed.

Nick sat up.

"Y…you heard that?"

"Loud and clear. And quite frankly…" said Judy, rubbing the underside of his chin with her paw and gazing into his eyes arrestingly, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

She snuggled up to him comfortably as the train sped across the countryside. The windows showed the progressive change of terrain as the farmlands gave way to dense forest and hills. Nick watched the scenery as Judy slept comfortably beside him, snuggled up to his warm body.

Some people who walked by noticed them. Their reactions were varied: some shocked to see a rabbit and a fox together, others smiling with joy at the sight of them, feeling that slowly the world was moving forward and leaving behind the old prejudices.

The train sped on towards Zootopia, taking Judy and Nick back to the city that they had helped so much, a city which they would continue to help, both with their duties as police officers, and with the example they set as the best of friends and budding young couple.

"O. M. Goodness! I cannot believe my eyes! It's an authentic, numbered, limited edition posable Gazelle figure!" said the jolly voice of Benjamin Clawhauser at the front desk of Zootopia Police Department. "Hohoo! Pinch me, I'm dreaming! Where oh where did you find this treasure, Hopps?!"

"I won it at the fair," said Judy as she gave him the doll. "I had no idea it was valuable."

"Only the most collectible Gazelle figure on the planet, they only made 1,500 of them before the mould was destroyed in a factory mishap, they are all numbered and price gougers are charging a paw and a tail for them online. See, see the number under the left hoof? This one is number 640! Hahaa! This is my new lucky number. Oh, when those resellers find out I got mine for free! They'll flip out!"

"Well…um, I'm glad you like it, Clawhauser."

"I'm in your debt for a million bajillion and one years, Hopps!"

"Don't mention it, it's my pleasure…"

"Now, cutie, do you wanna stand here next to this amazingly collectible snow globe, or do you wanna stand next to my nameplate and cast your reflection on it?" Clawhauser was now talking to his new doll, making it walk and choose where to stand on the desk.

"Um…okay, I'll leave you two alone," said Judy. "Gotta run!"

"Wave goodbye to Officer Hopps, cutie," said Clawhauser, making the Gazelle doll wave at her. "And thank her for bringing you home to daddy."

Judy sat down at her usual seat in the briefing room, right next to Nick on the same chair.

"So, did he do somersaults in mid-air or just run up the walls hooting?" asked Nick with a sly wink.

"Little bit of Column A, little bit of Column B…" joked Judy as she saw the Chief walk into the room with their assignments.

"Alright, settle down everyone!"

Everyone sat down and listened to the day's orders.

"Some pranksters in Savanna Central think that spray-painting night howlers on the sides of buildings with the caption 'Flower Power' is the ultimate definition of funny," grumbled Chief Bogo in his usual gruff tone. "Perhaps these hooligans are in need of a few art classes at the Ursus Frostworth Juvenile Correctional Institution in Tundratown. Hopps, Wilde, I want you to keep an eye out for any jokers and show them the ZPD's sense of humour."

"Or lack thereof," whispered Nick and several colleagues snickered behind their paws.

Shortly, Judy and Nick were climbing into their squad car and getting ready for their patrol.

"So, Carrots…have you decided yet?"

"Decided what?"

"What you're gonna wear on our date this Saturday night?"

Judy missed the keyhole with the car keys and her cheeks flushed.

"Nick, I thought I lost the bet. Remember?" said Judy jokingly as she turned the key into ignition and started the car.

"You lost that one, true, but you haven't lost the one we're going to have now," said Nick, taking his aviator sunglasses from their pouch.

"Which is?"

Nick smiled slyly.

"I'll bet you these pranksters, which we will catch before the day is over by the way, are sheep and Bellwether sympathisers and trouble-makers who express their immaturity by defacing public property with controversial graffiti," said Nick.

"Hmm…and if they aren't?" asked Judy, grinning and narrowing her eyes.

"Trust me, they are," said Nick, adjusting his aviators. "My instincts are tingling."

"Well, Mr In-Stinks," said Judy teasingly, driving out of the precinct garage. "We'll see if your intuition leads us on the right track."

"This is Officer Hopps! We have a 586 on the corner of Acacia and Nile, public defacers spotted, Officer Wilde is moving in to apprehend!" Judy hastily spoke into her radio transmitter.

"Copy, Officer Hopps…all units, public defacers spotted on the corner of Acacia Avenue and…"

Judy raced across the street and joined Nick as he chased three sheep down an alley and cornered them at a dead end.

"Hooves where I can see them!" said Nick and three young sheep held their hooves above their head, one of them dropping a can of spray paint.

"No sudden moves!" said Judy.

But as Nick cuffed one of them, the two remaining sheep shot off, trying to run past Judy.

"I said…"

With a terrific move, Judy swept her foot and tripped one sheep, then jump-kicked the other one, sending it flying against the wall with a loud thud.

"…no sudden moves!"

"Awesome skills there, Hopps!" said Nick as he cuffed the second sheep and Judy cuffed the final one. "I wonder, do rabbits kick harder than hares, or was it the other way around?"

"Keep talking and you'll find out," said Judy with a playful smirk.

They heard the sirens of two other patrol cars, meaning the alley was secured and there was no escape for the perpetrators.

"You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions, anything you say may be used against you in a court of law…." Judy recited them their rights.

"We know the drill, rabbit!" sneered one of the sheep. "All you cops are the same, defending the corrupt system for the spare chops they thrown you at the end of the day."

"…you have the right to an attorney," continued Judy, ignoring the sheep's comment, "if you cannot afford one…"

The sheep were brought into the Precinct under the stern eye of the officers and escorted to the detention area. Nick and Judy filed the papers and walked out into the lobby, watching the sheep as they disappeared behind the detention area door.

"There will always be those who stray from the flock," said Judy.

"And there will always be good shepherds to bring them back," said Nick. "Particularly ones with a mean left kick."

"And snazzy shades," said Judy.

"Remind me never to tick you off, or you'll go 'flying tiger, crouching dragon' on my fuzzy little butt," said Nick.

"Your fuzzy little butt is safe with me, sunshine," said Judy with a grin.

"And what is that supposed to mean, Officer?" asked Nick, his face full of mischief.

"You'll figure it out…this Saturday night," said Judy with a hearty wink.

Just then, a large figure came out of one of the side

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