Family Ties is out now! Go check it out if you want!

UPDATE 9/11/16: There are some hidden references to great authors and their stories throughout this chapter; try to find them all! Also, thanks for getting this far! It means a lot to me that you guys would take the time to read and enjoy something that I did for fun and poured a lot of time and soul into. You guys are why I do this, and you guys are awesome!

"We're here, Carrots," Nick said as they pulled into the parking lot of Snoutback Steakhouse. Being a Saturday night, the place was packed; Nick was lucky to find a parking spot as quickly as he did. Even though Snoutback was a chain restaurant, this establishment was one of the finer buildings. The outer walls were decorated with gray stones of different shapes and sizes placed into the wall at various depths. The canopy above the entrance was made from dark-colored wood coated red thanks to a large neon sign above.

Looking through the windows revealed that nearly every table was occupied as mammals of all species ate and conversed over delicious meals. The succulent aroma that wafted from the restaurant was enough to make any stomach grumble. Judy's stomach did just that as the two cops exited their convertible. The blush on her cheeks could be seen under her gray fur.

Nick chuckled. "I better get you inside before you starve to death, Carrots," he joked as he took her arm in his.

The fox and bunny walked to the entrance, the evening breeze gently nipping at their ears. Judy hugged herself closer to Nick, who certainly didn't mind the extra warmth. He took a moment to gaze at his wife again; she was wearing that gorgeous dress she had bought weeks earlier. The pink silk dress flowed gently with the breeze, and amethyst in her necklace glinted beautifully under the red neon light. The pink bow on her head accentuated her eyes beautifully; the entire dress was perfect. Nick smiled kindly at his bunny, still amazed by how lucky he was to have such an incredible partner, friend, and wife.

Judy noticed that Nick was staring at her, and her blush grew deeper under his gaze. Her fox was dressed very sharply: black slacks and a tuxedo with a white undershirt. The black bow tie only added to his already highly-dapper look. Judy smiled up at her fox, amazed at how lucky she was to have such an incredible partner, friend, and husband.

Nick and Judy entered the restaurant and were immediately greeted with a hunger-inducing barrage of aromas. It was Nick's stomach's turn to grumble, which received a chuckle from Judy.

"Hello. Welcome to Snoutback," greeted the hostess, a cougar with tan fur and a warm smile.

"We have a reservation," Nick said, stepping forward. "Nick Wilde?"

The cougar looked over the list of names in the reservation booklet. Her finger stopped near the bottom. "Here it is," she said, smiling. She retrieved two menus and turned back to the fox and bunny. "If you'll come with me."

As the cougar led them through the maze of animals and tables, Nick focused all of his attention on following the cougar and keeping his arm in Judy's; they could easily get lost among the dozens of patrons and waiters. After a few moments of walking through what could only be described as a jungle, the cougar finally brought Nick and Judy to their seat.

"A waiter will be with you shortly," the hostess said with a courtesy bow and a smile. As she left, Nick and Judy took their seats.

Their table was near one of the walls on the other side of the restaurant from the entrance. They could see almost all of the restaurant from their seats, and the window next to their table looked out over the large lake that surrounded the city. The bright lights of Tundra Town could be seen to the left, and the monorail bridge to the right. Under the starry sky, it was a breathtaking view.

"It's beautiful," Judy said, staring out past her reflection.

"Not as much as you," Nick said, smiling at his now-blushing bunny.

Nick gazed lovingly at Judy, a warm smile on his face. It was about time that they had a dinner date; when he had promised Judy about a week ago, Nick had no idea that their case would take up the whole day, and he certainly didn't know that Hunter would kidnap them. Now that they were both out of the hospital, Nick had finally gotten around to taking Judy to dinner.

"Hello, my name is Johnathan," said the waiter, a tall gazelle with short antlers. "I'll be your waiter for today. What can I get for you guys to drink?"

"Water," Nick and Judy answered. After scribbling their drinks into his little notepad, the waiter walked off.

Nick turned to Judy. "How's your leg doing, Carrots?"

"It's a little sore," she rotated her foot as she replied. "But it feels nice to be out of the cast. How are you feeling?"

Nick chuckled. "I'm perfectly fine, Carrots," he replied. "A little Night Howler serum isn't gonna stop me. Besides, one of us needs to carry you around the apartment, what with you being handicapped and all."

He half-expected pain to erupt from his shoulder, but because they were sitting at opposite ends of the table, Judy couldn't reach Nick. It felt odd; he didn't normally get away with such a snarky comment.

So, instead of a punch to the shoulder, Judy retorted, "Har, har. You know, I've actually started to like being carried everywhere; I didn't have to do anything!"

Nick's smiled faltered as he remembered having to clean the apartment with Judy smugly watching while sitting on the couch. While Nick was happy to make Judy happy, the tedious tasks she had given him had begun to drive him mad.

Nick's thoughts were turned back to reality as John returned with the water. "Are we ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?"

Judy started as she realized she hadn't even looked at the menu. She hurriedly skimmed through the choices, trying to find anything to her liking.

"I'll have the boiled crayfish dinner with a side salad," Nick began. "She'll have the grilled carrot salad. Oh, and ranch dressing for both salads, please. "

The waiter nodded as he jotted down their orders. With a courtesy bow, the gazelle walked off again.

Nick smiled at Judy, whose gaze revealed that she was taken aback.

"Trust me, Carrots," he said, guessing the question in her mind. "You'll like it."

Judy returned Nick's smile; she trusted him. She turned her attention to the other patrons of the restaurant. It still surprised her that so many different animals could fit into one building. Nick and Judy's table was set across from two rows of tables and seats, each filled with various animals enjoying a delicious meal. The closest table on the rightmost row held three animals who were deep in conversation: a badger, a dark-furred wolf, and a fox. Or, was he a wolf? Judy couldn't quite tell. What she could tell, however, was that they were having quite the conversation about Sherlock Hound and his different cases.

"It's not nice to stare, Carrots," Nick teased. "C'mon, what are you thinking about?"

Judy started as she was brought back to reality. She turned her attention to her fox, who now had that sly grin on his face. "I was just getting sucked into a conversation about Sherlock Hound," she replied. "I thought that if I listened long enough, I could finally learn something on how to teach you to be a better cop; you do need the practice, Mr. 'We're Now Separated, So I'll Go On Ahead While You Stay Behind And Call For Backup!'"

"Are you ever gonna let me live that one rookie mistake down?" Nick asked, chuckling in spite of himself.

"Nope," Judy said, a smug look on her face. "Never."

"I'll get you for that, Carrots," Nick said as they both began to laugh.

The smell of their meals reached their noses well before Johnathan arrived with their food. Judy's mouth started watering as she caught sight of the steaming carrots atop a bed of lettuce and assorted vegetables. She stole a glance at Nick's meal. The bowl was filled with boiled crayfish, with a garlic butter sauce drizzled atop. If Judy weren't a herbivore, she would have definitely asked Nick for a bit of crayfish.

"Here we are," the waiter said as he set the large tray on a small stand. "One boiled crayfish dinner with a side salad," he set the bowl filled with crayfish and salad in front of Nick. "And one grilled carrot salad," he set the large bowl of salad in front of Judy. "Here is your dressing, and if you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask," after setting the small bottle of ranch dressing on the table, Johnathan walked off with the tray and stand.

After drizzling her meal with the ranch dressing, Judy hungrily dug into her salad. She was so involved with her food that she didn't notice Nick's surprise at the ferocity with which she ate her meal.

"It's a good thing that John got here when he did; I didn't realize you were about to starve, Carrots!" he said as he cut into a crayfish.

After a few more bites, Judy acknowledged his remark. "Well, you shouldn't have taken so long to get ready, Nick," was her reply, a small drop of dressing hanging from one of her whiskers.

Nick brought a paw up to his whiskers, the small flicking motion of his fingers telling Judy of the dressing. Her cheeks went scarlet as she hurriedly wiped her muzzle with a napkin.

"Are all bunnies so panicky about their appearances?" Nick teased, chuckling. "Or is it just you?"

He had to duck to avoid the piece of grilled carrot launched at him. "You're one to talk!" Judy retorted. "Like I said earlier, I don't spend an hour to get ready for a dinner date!"

Nick gave Judy a sly smile as he brushed his ears back in a dapper fashion. "It takes time to get this good-looking, Carrots. Ah, but I guess you couldn't understand, being a bunny and all."

He had to duck to avoid the spoon launched at him. Judy didn't retort as they were both too busy laughing.

After calming down, the two cops continued eating. Judy was very appreciative of Nick; this salad was delicious! The ranch dressing gave the tasteless lettuce a succulent flavor that complimented the savory carrots perfectly. This recipe was something that she would definitely be trying in the future.

Nick rather enjoyed his boiled crayfish. The garlic butter sauce gave a wonderfully savory taste to the crustaceans, but Nick still preferred the way his mother would prepare crayfish for him when he was a kit: a dash of salt and pepper with warm butter drizzled over the top. He smiled to himself as he took a bite of the side salad; he'd have to get his mother to give Judy the recipe.

It was Nick's turn to study the restaurant. A few tables away in the left row sat a lion couple. The light above them faintly tinted their tan fur a pink color. They stared deeply into one another's eyes as their tails intertwined beneath the table. Across from them sat a family of foxes. The grandfather was gesturing with his paws as he told a whimsical story to his grandkits - all of them listening intently. Nick chuckled as he saw the awed looks on the kits' faces; they were hanging on every single word.

"Nick."

The fox turned his attention back to his bunny, who had a slightly annoyed look on her face.

"Sorry, Carrots," Nick apologized. "I was lost in thought. What were you saying?"

"I was saying," Judy said. "What do you think about moving?"

"Moving?" Nick asked. He found it odd that Judy was the one bringing this topic up; he typically tried to ask Judy about it, and that was often when Bucky and Pronk were ruining a "moment."

"Yes," Judy replied. "Moving. Specifically, moving away from our neighbors. We could find someplace closer to the ZPD. That way, we wouldn't have to rush to get ready. We could even take our time at Snarlbucks so you don't spill coffee all over yourself again."

Nick chuckled. "White Chocolate Mocha is a great scent for me, Carrots. You don't want me using the same, boring cologne every day, right?"

"First off, I like that cologne," Judy retorted, smiling. "Secondly, White Chocolate Mocha does not mix well with Wet Fox!"

The two shared a good laugh, the air about them light and friendly. Gone were the final traces of stress from the previous case, gone were the worries and doubts. They were free to be themselves again.

It felt wonderful.

"Anyway," Judy said after their laughter died down. "I'd like to know your answer, Nick. The sooner we move, the better."

Nick leaned forward, his paws finding hers. He looked deeply into her eyes as a blush crept over her cheeks. Always so emotional Nick thought affectionately.

"Judy, tonight is just about us. Nothing more, nothing less. We'll talk about moving tomorrow; I promise," he said.

Judy smiled sheepishly. "Alright," she said, bowing her head. Why was he such a charmer? Not for the first time, she gently cursed herself for melting so easily under his gaze.

She felt his paw under her chin as Nick gently lifted her muzzle towards his. His sparkling, emerald eyes were filled with love as he beheld his bunny. Judy lost herself in his gaze as a warm, fuzzy feeling enveloped her.

She loved her fox; he loved his bunny.

"Nick," she whispered, their muzzles inching closer.

"Yes?" he whispered back, a sly smile in his eyes.

"We should take desert home. I've got a certain someone who I want to spend some quality time with."

Nick chuckled softly. "I had a feeling I was gonna get lucky tonight," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows. "What do you want?"

"That chocolate cake topped with ice cream and hot fudge sounds amazing right now," she whispered.

"Agreed," Nick said as he pulled his bunny in for a kiss.

The fox chuckled as he watched the couple across the restaurant. He could tell that they were perfect for each other. She could keep him in check, and he would always challenge her; however, they would never step over the others boundaries. Never before had the fox felt so proud. . .

And disheartened.

He casually sipped his cherry martini; a drink too fruity for most animals, but he enjoyed it. The fox and bunny broke their kiss and flagged down the waiter. Probably ordering desert, the fox thought, smiling. He wasn't surprised when, a few minutes later, the waiter brought them an ice cream-topped chocolate cake in a to-go box. Good choice, Nick, the fox thought.

The fox was dressed much like Nick: a tuxedo, bow tie, and black slacks. That was where the similarities ended, though. The fox wore an exquisite, silver watch on his left wrist, and a rose was pinned to his tuxedo.

At first glance, this fox wouldn't look a day over thirty years old: His fur gave off a healthy glow, and his emerald eyes shone brightly. Upon closer look, however, one could see that his dark orange fur was littered with small strands of gray, especially in his tail.

After paying the bill, the couple stood up to leave. As they walked by, the fox ducked his head on impulse. He chuckled; there was no reason for Nick to recognize him.

You had better keep her close, Nick, the fox thought, a dark smile creeping over his muzzle. Because I've got big plans for you and the city. Big plans indeed.

The fox chuckled as he took another sip of his drink.