You Remember You Love Me

You Remember You Love Me

Chapter 1

Nick Wilde was a street-smart fox. That's pretty obvious when you consider his history: going from pawpsicle hustler to police officer in a matter of mere months. Both roles required him to think fast on his feet, and to always know what the other mammal was thinking.

He did both equally well, if he did say so himself. Any species, any time, any place, he could anticipate it all. But there was one rabbit he couldn't read like a book. Sure, he knew her ups and downs, her nervous habits, yet he'd met his match. She was a firecracker, feisty and beautiful, right down to the light that sparkled from her gorgeous amethyst eyes. Her mind went a mile a minute, and she could go from one emotion to the next faster than Flash flooring it in his red Furvette.

At the moment, Nick indeed felt as though he were watching a pyrotechnics display. Each expression faded quickly, but those sparkling violet eyes never failed to leave an imprint on his heart. First she'd prop her chin in her paw, staring dreamily off into space, then her eyes would widen in fear, and finally, tears would well up in her eyes as she seemed to stifle a simultaneous sob and snicker.

He had a stack of paperwork to get through, but he didn't care. Judy was shirking her responsibilities, too; it was so unlike her, he should've worried, but instead the sight of the blissed-out bunny made Nick wonder...What was she daydreaming about? He hoped like heck that the answer was him.

Chapter 2

When Judy wasn't out on a big case, sometimes her mind would wander. Today, it was out patrolling, back on the day of her first on-the-job injury. There'd been an armed robbery at a shop in Sahara Square; the perp was a big, burly Bengal tiger. When they'd arrived at the scene, Nick made an executive decision to call for back-up...before they'd even left the car!

Miffed that he would still dare underestimate her after all they'd been through, Judy had ignored his warnings. Didn't he know what she was capable of? She'd thought so, until then. But, for the first time in the year they'd been partners on the force, she began to think otherwise. It seemed to her that something about him had changed. Maybe his uniform made him just like any other macho mammal, too mired in his own maleness to take notice of anything she said or did, anything that mattered.

After all, the plan was perfect. The shop was housed in a small structure, so she'd simply shimmy up the drainpipe; once on the roof, she'd tackle the tiger when he tried to make a break for it, relying on the element of surprise. Driven by commitment to her craft, Judy could never lose. It was her competitive nature and haste to prove Nick wrong that clouded her professional judgment and cost her more than she'd bargained for.

She miscalculated. She took a running jump, leapt, and landed behind the tiger, who was already well on his way to escape. With all the sirens and shouts around, Nick barely registered the noise. But the thud of Judy's head against the pavement made his hackles stand on end as it echoed in his ears.

Chapter 3

The rabbit awoke with a splitting headache. She was in a bland white hospital room. But why? Aside from the headache, she felt fine. Maybe she'd tried to break up another fight between her older brothers. They always gave her a good tussle—whether they meant to or not.

That's when she spotted the fox sitting at the foot of her bed. She gasped. Was that Gideon Gray?! Was this headache his fault? Had he followed her here to gloat about it? But, wait...Gideon had blue eyes and was, well, stocky, and this fox was lean and muscled. He wore a baggy green dress shirt and slacks, his outfit topped off with a blue-and-red tie. But his bright green eyes and admirable build more than made up for his awful fashion sense. He was reading a magazine, apparently oblivious to her, but when he looked up and noticed her watching, his eyes sparkled like emeralds. “Hey, Carrots. It's about time you woke up!” He tried to smile, but it looked more like a pained grimace. The bunny bristled.

“Don't call me Carrots!” The fox winced. Why was he so upset? Probably because he was lost, stuck in the wrong room until the nurses showed him the way to whoever he was here for. She'd bet he'd be on his way to the maternity ward, with an equally flawless vixen and brand-new kits waiting for him.

But that didn't give him an excuse to barge in and taunt her! “I'll remind the nurses that you're here, and until then, I'll humor you. But play nice.” The fox looked puzzled.

“Sweetheart, you're the one with the injury, not me.” He was starting to get on her nerves. Oh, well—two could play this game.

“Duh. But I'm sure you have better things to do than babysit a bunny...or you will once they find her delivery room.” His eyes went wide, and his face paled a little.

“Whose?”

“See? I knew you'd be nervous. No need to play dumb with me.” She smiled, satisfied she'd put this interloper in his place. Then, a thought occurred to her. “Don't tell me you just popped in here because you got cold feet?! Your wife won't like that.”

“My…?” He coughed. “...What?” After the look of utter shock faded, she saw a tinge of sadness before he composed himself again.

“I'm sorry if I insulted you before. What's your real name?”

“Judy. Judy Hopps.” She answered without hesitation. “And you are…?”

“Nick Wilde.” She held out her paw for him to shake, and he got up to reach it. She caught a whiff of his scent. It smelled vaguely familiar, especially the hint of blueberry. Maybe he was a farmer, like her dad, or worked in food service.

“So, Judy—what are you in for?” The fox—Nick—winked and gave her a conspiratorial grin.

“Aren't you a laugh riot? I, um...You know what? That's a good question. I have a raging headache, so I guess I must've smacked it on something. Maybe my brother's fist.” She shrugged, chuckling to herself. “That's what I get for trying to break up so many sibling fights! But I want to be a police officer, so it's good training.” Nick's brow creased. “Is something wrong?” Nick shook his head, and the line disappeared.

“Nah. I was just thinking how boring my job is compared to that. I'm a street vendor.”

“Aha! I knew you were in food service!”

“Hmm...Good detective skills you got there. What tipped you off?” Judy couldn't admit that she'd basically sniffed him, so she chose another angle.

“You have the air of a salesman. A good one who could convince me to buy some kind of indulgent treat.” Where had that come from?!

“Whoa! You're two for two, Ms. Hopps; I sell pawpsicles.” Judy clapped her paws together. “Let me guess...blueberry pawpsicles?”

“Oh! Aaaaaand Hopps' lucky streak is over!” He sounded like a ZSPN announcer, which made her laugh. “Nope. Blue raspberry sometimes, or cherry if the mood strikes me. Judy, I'm just curious—what made you think of blueberries?” Sweet cheese and crackers, now what?! Had she said too much?! Now she looked like the weird one! Her ears drooped; just when she was starting to enjoy him, too…!

Chapter 4

Nick didn't know what to do with himself. He was relieved that Carrots was doing better than the doctors had expected...On the other paw, when he realized she didn't remember him, his heart broke. But he had to do what he was sure she would do if the situation was reversed: stay positive.

She was going to be okay. She wasn't afraid of him. And the old Carrots was still in there; he could feel it. “Don't take it so hard, sweetheart. That was impressive.” Her eyes lit up.

“Really?”

“No doubt about it. I'll tell you what...Let's make things interesting--play a little game. I meet a lot of mammals in my line of work; I know everything about everybody. So, here's the deal: I'll guess something about you, and you tell me if I'm right or not. Then you take a crack at reading me. Best two outta three. The champ gets...” Nick faltered as he tried to think of fair stakes.

“A kiss.” Judy piped up. Suddenly, she slapped a paw over her mouth, embarrassed. “I'm sorry, why did I say that? I mean, we just met, and…?!”

“It's all good. Believe it or not, as—ahem—fox-y as I am, I'm not spoken for.” She blushed. “It's a deal, Judy.” He stood up to shake her paw again, then sat down and said, with playful roughness—and barely disguised desire--“Game on.”

“You go first,” Judy said brightly.

“You got it. Okay, so...” He had to be careful what he said so she wouldn't freak out when he breezed through all her big secrets. “First of all, you're gorgeous—movie-star gorgeous--so I bet you have some classic, old-time-y middle name.” Judy sighed.

“Sheesh, I wish! Old-time-y, yes—classic, no.” She groaned in frustration. “You'll never guess.”

“Watch me,” Nick declared, challenge in his eyes. “Lucy?” Judy looked surprised, but said nothing; she seemed to be holding her breath. “Lacy?” Her ears perked up in anticipation. “Laverne?”

She burst out laughing, making her reply sound like,

“Ha-Ha-Ha-Hot-shot…! That was a lucky guess.” Nick couldn't resist the impulse to smirk.

“Told you I was good. You're up, Laverne.” She grinned.

“Don't call me that! Hmm...you know, I'll bet you take really good care of your mother,” she decided. Nick's heart melted a little.

“Aw, that's real sweet, Judy.” He was going for the usual sarcasm, but he couldn't help the bit of emotion that crept into his voice, even as he gave a nonchalant shrug. “I try.”

“Your turn.” Judy said calmly, but the innocuous phrasing belied the competitive gleam in her eyes.

“You obviously hate nicknames. I'll bet you can't stand being called...” He glanced furtively around the room before adding in a mockingly conspiratorial whisper, “c-u-t-e”. Her nose wrinkled a little, and she looked—annoyed. Not irrevocably insulted, which Nick took as a good sign.

“Right again, Wilde. I'll let you get away with it because I like you, but...That word does not leave this room. Is that clear?”

“As crystal, my fine fluffy friend.” Nick punctuated the words with a teasing salute. She rolled her eyes at the gesture, which Nick considered a victory.

“With a corny reflex like that, I'll bet you were a Junior Ranger Scout.”

“Me, corny? How dare you!” Nick feigned insult. “And, no, I was too good for them.” What she didn't remember—yet—couldn't hurt her. Besides, this wasn't about him. “Alright, last round. This one's for all the marbles...Oh, pardon me, I mean all the...” He made kissy faces at her. She glared at him, arms crossed.

“I've heard it said that 'you are what you eat'. You're suspiciously weary of being addressed as a certain orange vegetable...”

“Would you drop that already?!” Judy huffed. Nick just wagged a claw at her.

“Ah, ah, ah, wittle wabbit...My turn, my choice...those are the wules of the game…!”

“Ugh!” For the first time in hours, Nick was able to laugh genuinely. “I'll deny it!”

“I doubt it, sweetheart; you're too honest for that. Now, where was I?” He snapped his claws, as though he'd just had an epiphany. “Oh, that's it. I'll bet your favorite food is...”

“Don't say it, Nick!” Four little words, and he was inspired to do his best impression of Flash.

“Car...rot...s.” Judy relaxed and batted her eyelashes at him.

“I'm sorry, Nick...You were so busy being an idiot that I didn't catch what you said!…?”

“You heard me, sweetheart. 'Carrots'--with no space in the middle.”

“You're a piece of work, Nick Wilde.” He was suddenly so entranced by her improvised answer that he forgot to hold her to the one before. Now he just wanted to hold her—with no space between them—so he stalked closer to her bed.

Chapter 5

“You want to repeat that, sweetheart?”

“No.” Judy's eyes went wide, but she stayed firm. “Enough talking in circles; the game's over, and...” She made a quick calculation. “...You win, so stop...” She started gesticulating aimlessly.

“Being charming? Witty? Irresistible?” She calmed again and smiled, smug.

“I was going for 'irritating', but, hey—you got the first three letters right!”

“Way to ruin the mood, missy,” Nick scoffed. “But don't worry; I bounce back pretty darn fast. He was leaning over her, his green eyes gleaming in triumph. “Now kiss me.” Judy froze, unsure of what to do. “C'mon...you know you love me.” She knew she should stave off temptation, but she couldn't back down now, not even if she wanted to try.

A second later, their lips were locked, and Judy was lost in sensation. Her heart zoomed past its normal pace, leaving her dizzy. Her stomach went into free-fall. Her paws itched to touch him…

Greedily, she raked her claws over the fur of his cheeks, and...Jerry Jumbeaux's shop. Little Toot-Toot. Mr. Otterton's pawpsicle. The naturalist club. A sloth named Flash. A skunk-butt rug... Just like that, the memories were back--all of them.

Finally she eased away, breathless. Nick wore a look of satisfaction. “Crimini—you're quite the catch, Carrots...ah, Judy.”

“Nice save—not! But I'd know that smirk anywhere...Nicholas Piberius!” His jaw dropped.

“I—I...That wasn't part of the game! You're back!”

Chapter 6

Still reeling, Nick gathered her close in a heartfelt hug. “You really had me going, there, Carrots.”

“Somebody has to keep you on your toes!” she said with a watery laugh, sniffling. They stayed that way for a long time before Nick answered, bringing his tail to rest around her as he spoke.

“I'm glad it's you, Carrots.”

“Nick...I have to tell you...” Judy's ears drooped and she lowered her head, afraid to meet his eyes. “The day of the—accident—I couldn't understand why you didn't let me take charge. I thought maybe you...didn't believe in me anymore.”

“Are you crazy?!” His sudden outburst made her wince, but she looked up and immediately wished she could erase the hurt etched in his eyes. Suddenly restless, Nick left their embrace to pace around the room.

“You want to know why I tried to stop you?...This is why.” He gestured around the room. “I believe in you, Judy. Always.” His voice softened on the latter word. “But in here it doesn't matter that you have the heart of a lion or the mind of a fox. In here, you're still a bunny.” His voice broke. “I sat here for three whole days thinking you might not make it…! I did what I did because, at the end of the day, you are the most important thing in the world to me.”

After a minute or two, he pulled himself together. It was enough to even out his voice, but it didn't stop him from throwing up his paws in frustration. “That's how I roll. I'm not as dumb as I look. The stuff I've seen on the streets…? It makes the whole 'police officer' thing look like a cakewalk.” He paused. “You think you've got it all under control, and then—BOOM—something else goes wrong.” He shook his head, letting out a long sigh. “That could've been you, Carrots.” His burden lightened, he went back to the waiting rabbit and wrapped her in his arms.

“I know exactly the lengths you'll go to to get the job done.” He found himself smiling. “I know every little, teensy-weensy detail that makes you tick. I've got your back, Carrots. So, next time you try pull one of your nutty 'Superbunny' stunts, please have some pity on your tired ol' tod. You're giving me gray fur here!” Judy giggled.

“Yeah—that's real nice of you, Carrots, yuk it up, why don't you.” There wasn't an ounce of sarcasm in the phrase. She stopped laughing and gave his paw a gentle squeeze.

“I'm sorry, Nick—for all of it. It's not that, it's just...You make me happy.” Nick smiled warmly.

“Right back atcha, Fluff.” Judy simpered as she snuggled further into his embrace. There, surrounded by his familiar scent and softness, it was natural to say the words that popped into her head. After all, the pain had dissipated, leaving her mind sound and certain.

“I love you, Nick.” She could hear the smile in his reply.

“I love you more.”

Chapter 7

“Okay, the jig's up, Carrots. What's with the goo-goo eyes?!”

“Huh?” She seemed startled. Then, “Oh, it's just you, Slick.”

“Just me?” Ignoring his indignant reply, she went on, her tone a pleased sing-song.

“Remember my first big work injury?”

“Oh, you mean when you were out for three days, woke up with amnesia, and couldn't remember me?”

“Don't let that sarcasm drip on the carpet, Slick!”

“Ha. At least I have a point--'like I could forget that'--and yours would be…?” Judy rolled her eyes at his flippant response and kept going in that same chirpy tone.

“How about...when we exchanged our first ' I love you's, and you chose to say, 'I love you more'?

“I earned the right to say whatever the heck I want, because—oh, I don't know—you kiss me, and then, whaddaya know, your memory's back. Coincidence? I think not.” He winked. “It's a gift.”

Judy just shook her head, smiling. “Everything just has to be a competition with you...?” she mocked.

“Hmm—nope, none of this rings a bell...” Judy put a paw on her hip.

“Are you saying I don't ring your bells, Wilde?” That got him to pay attention. What followed was his 'busted for tax evasion' face, swiftly succeeded by his 'fox who ate the last handful of Hopps Farm blueberries' face.

“Now, now, Carrots, I never said that…!” Nick could barely contain his arousal.

Judy glanced nervously around the office. There was no one in the immediate vicinity, so... “Hurry up and steal a kiss before Bogo gets here!” Impressed by her boldness, Nick gave her a lazy grin.

“Don't mind if I do…!”