Nick stood before the mirror thinking about how much everything has changed in the last year. How much he changed… He thought about all of the work he put in to get on the force, and how it must have affected the people he used to call his friends. He realized how he turned his back on most if not all of those who could have potentially cared about him. At least Finnick hasn't yet, but he may be hanging from a thread at this point. He wished that he could apologize but it may be too late now and he had to look at the long term. He has a decent paying job, not as much as selling a melted down four foot popsicle, but at least it was honest money. He has an amazing girlfriend who he wouldn't trade for anyone else in the world. And he is still alive even after taking a bullet to the chest, one that should have been fatal. He was be never too big on fate nor destiny, but something gave him a chance to better himself and he sure as hell was going to take it.

He left the bathroom. Judy was still sound asleep clutching where Nick was just laying. Nick went on and got dressed in his usual, but he thought he'd spice it up today. He usually wore green, but why not a- he searched through his luggage. Turquoise shirt? He didn't know why he got it, it clashed too much with his fur. He pulled out a black one with white lilies on it. It would be way too hot for that. He searched more, careful not to wake Judy. He pulled out a maroon flannel shirt. "That could work," he whispered to himself.

"Nick…?" Judy asked with a groggy moan. Nick remembered how strong her hearing is.

"Mornin' carrots," he said gently.

"Where are you going?"

"I gotta go make up with a friend of mine." He sat on the bed.

"Okay, be careful…" she yawned.

"When am I not?" He kissed her on her forehead. "I'll see you later my little hun bun."

"Ew…" she groaned as she turned over.

"Come on! You call me slick Nick."

"I'd sooner let you call me 'Jude the Dude'," Judy snorted.

"Keep playing and I might." She playfully swatted at him. "Alright I'll go." He started towards the door. "Love you Carrots."

"I love you too Nicky." And with that, he was gone.

Driving for Nick was less of a pleasure but more of a necessity. He hates the crowded streets and the jerks who thought it belonged to them and only them. Just in the last block he was cut off and had to slam on the brakes twice. The second time invoking the flipping of the bird as it were. He liked it better when he would just hitch a ride on a giraffe taxi or ride the elephant line. This was torture, lucky for him though. His car had a fairly functioning air conditioner. "Come on the light's red you moron!" Nick shouted.

"Screw off man, I had the right away!" a ram retorted.

"Get a trim, maybe you'll be able to see better!" Nick spat back.

"You wanna go fox?! I'll bash your damned head in!" The ram was about to get out of his truck, but the light changed and he was met with a cacophony of horns. He growled and drove off but not before flipping Nick off and saying something that not even the filthiest mouth would mutter. "Always the sheep…" he huffed. Thankfully there wasn't too heavy of traffic through to Louise's apartment building. He had only been here on one other occasion before last night. It was built for deer, maybe a moose or some other kind of Equidae. It was much more well kept than the building he was living in. After climbing up four flights of stairs that were nearly up to his knees he searched around for Louise's apartment. "Ah Eq-455," he said as he knocked on the door.

"Hold on," Finnick called cautiously. After some shuffling and banging he opened the door with a knife in his hand.

"Geez... I know you're mad, but you don't need to shank me," Nick chuckled.

"What? Why did you use the front door?!"

"You're just being paranoid. You always get like this when you're in trouble. Mind if I come in?"

"Fine…" Finnick growled. "What are you doing here anyway?" He closed the door and moved the chair he used to open it out of the way.

"Just stopping by. Where's our favorite deer by the way?"

"Work."

"Ah okay…" Nick walked around thinking of a way to apologise. "Got any plans for today?"

"No, I'm stuck. Remember?" Finnick sighed.

"Well, I've got my car outside if you wanna go do something."

"No thanks," Finnick jumped up on the couch and put his headphones on.

"Okay, I know you're mad at me and I know why. I've been a bad business partner and an even shittier friend…"

"Don't forget that you always chasing someone's tail…" Finnick chuckled.

"Oh come on, she blackmailed me."

"Hustled you good," Finnick laughed. "I ain't never seen anybody get slapped with tax evasion before man," he chortled. "Man that made my day!"

"Yeah yeah, I was unwillingly recruited into solving the case though."

"And willingly jumped into a rabbit's pants," Finnick snorted. "If this whole police thing was is just some elaborate ruse to get laid..."

"It's not, I could have gotten that done in the first night."

"Riiiight," Finnick scoffed as he scrolled through his phone.

"And Judy isn't anyone I'd do like that anyway. She's too smart for one and two. Well, she's worth more than just one night."

"Really…?" Finnick moked. "Couldn't tell."

"That's all besides the point. I want to make up with you for turning my back on you."

"Is that right?" Finnick huffed.

"Please bear with me!"

"Why should I! You dropped me, why can't I do the same to you?"

"Finnick-"

"No! The moment you met her you completely turned your back on me! You treated me like I didn't exist! Since we were nothing but kids I stuck by you and all of your BS! From those girls that worked for Mr. Big, to Emilia, and even when your mom left I was there!" Nick had nothing to say. He was reduced to a child being scolded by their parent. "How in Satan's hell did a bunny change you? You only knew her for a few weeks and now here we are almost a year later and I can't even recognize you. You don't even smell like yourself!" Nick sniffed his shirt. "Every time you come around you smell like her…"

"So what…? You hate me now?" Nick nearly said in a whimper.

"No… I feel like you replaced me with her," he said with venom in his tone.

"Finnick, the whole time I was in the academy I asked if you wanted to come along and hang out."

"So I can be third wheel? Yeah, screw that…"

"That's why I'm here now. No Judy. Just you and me, like old times." Finnick gave Nick a skeptical look and weighed his options. He didn't have a job, his van was nothing but a chassis at this point, and all he has been doing for the last few weeks has been sitting on the couch eating chips.

"Fine, but we're doing what I want to do. Got it?"

"Today is all about you little buddy."

"Don't call me little," Finnick growled.

"Right, sorry."

A hot day, combined with traffic that's slower than molasses on a Tundra Town street, made for the longest, slowest and most awkward car ride that Nick had to sit through. Tundra Town sounded nice right about now, at least it would get them out of this heat. He looked over to Finnick who was head banging to whatever he was listening to. He tapped his arm.

"What?" Finnick asked as he took his headphones off.

"What do you listen to? Looks like you're trying to give yourself whiplash."

"Whatever, it's better than that classical crap you listen to…" he scoffed.

"It's pronounced 'Jazz' short stack. And it's way better than listening to something that sounds like someone farting into a microphone."

"Whatever," Finnick chuckled. "Where are we going anyway?"

"I figured we could sneak into a volleyball tournament. I know how much you love tall girls in short shorts." Finnick grumbled and looked out of the window.

"You know, we could have hitched on the subway…"

"I figured we'd be civilized for once. I worked my tail off to get this car."

"It's more like a screaming metal deathtrap," Finnick remarked.

"Just like the music you listen to," Nick shot back with a sly grin. The cars ahead of them began to pull away.

"Finally!" Finnick griped.

"Like you can't wait in traffic…" Nick said with a hypocritical sigh. As they started moving Nick noticed a van making an illegal u-turn to get into the lane ahead of them. He didn't care. Even if he was on duty he would have let it pass, but still it was odd and suspicious.

"What are you looking at?" Finnick asked.

"That van that just cut us off…." Nick said.

"If I were driving, he wouldn't have had a chance," Finnick scoffed.

"If you were driving, we'd be busy removing my grill from his bumper. For such tiny feet they sure are heavy."

"Oh, here we go with the jokes!" Finnick groaned. "You always got something funny to say!"

"You've known me how long?" Nick said with a sprinkle of snark.

"Too damn long if you ask me…"

"C'mon lighten up. I'm only joking."

"Uh-huh…" Finnick grumbled.

"You know it's one of my mottos." Finnick turned and looked out of the window as much as he could. "Oh boy…" Nick sighed under his breath.

A/N I have been gone a very long time I know. School got in the way, good thing is I have gotten more than a few college acceptance letters so I'd say my hard work is paying off. Anyway I'll get back to finishing this as soon as I can, sorry for the wait