Chapter One
A New Beginning
The brisk ocean breeze whisked through and across Nicks fur as he looked out over the horizon to watch the sun slowly sink beneath Zootopia's skyline, the ocean waves crashing against the rocky shores outside the tranquil polar bay. Nick had come to this spot set off to the east to clear his mind and say goodbye to the life of a bachelor and a life that at one point nearly ended it. Because for Nick, tommorrow is the day that he and the bunny that barged into his life like a speeding locomotive 'Judy Hopps' would be getting married after two years together and a mere year of working together at the ZPD as partners. Nick still a rookie quickly working his way up and Judy still making waves throughout the department along with a few new friends and rookies that she had trained while Nick was in the academy. In that time, with the help of his partner, he made peace with his mother and his younger half sister that he hadn't spoken too in years, that is until Judy brought what was left of the Wilde family back together. It was definitely a change but for the better; especially for his mother Rose, who had forgiven her only son of all the pain he caused her and his half-sister for all those years after his father's tragic yet valiant death.
He breathed the cool crisp air deep into his lungs. The sweet smell of a honeysuckle bush that stood nearby, its leaves rustling in the breeze. Thinking to himself and wondering if Judy's family would accept him and his little family. Especially her mother and father, Bonnie and Stuart. Nick was anxious, wondering how they would feel watching their eldest daughter become the wife of a fox. Something that nobody, not even in Zootopia had ever heard of being done before now. Sure interspiecies relationships do happen but never in such a way as a predator and prey.
As he was thinking about how wonderful or tragic tommorrow would be, he heard light steps behind him. The footsteps belonged to a beautiful Vixen with a blonde tail, white tipped ears and beautiful Amber colored eyes, wearing a yellow and green stripped blouse and an emerald green skirt. The foot steeps were those of Nicks half-sister Ariel Lynn Wilde.
Ariel walked up behind Nick trying to surprise him, but he already knew whose steps those belonged too.
"Boo." Ariel joked with a chuckle grabbing his shoulders from behind, stealing a quick kiss on his left cheek of her older brother.
"I knew it was you I could hear you trying to sneak up on me." Nick said giving his sister a quick hug.
"Yeah, yeah, so I'm not as sneaky as you are Nicky..., so big day tomorrow huh, finally taking the leap, the plunge, tying the knot." Ariel told him, trying to gauge her older brother's mood and if she could push her luck with messing with him a bit further.
Nick pondered for a moment, remembering all the moments that Judy blew him away with her being. To him she is everything and more in his eyes.
"Yeah, I can't believe I'm getting married; I never thought this would ever happen to me, especially marrying a bunny. The most beautiful, stunning and most amazing bunny in the world." Nick explained in disbelief as it all sank in. "What I really can't believe, is that she said 'yes' even after all the stupid things I said and did after we met and then started dating after our first case together; that and crashing a cruiser in the academy."
Ariel started to giggle, remembering the day she met Judy and she said they were just starting out as a couple. All the conversations she had together with Judy and her friend Willow, another new officer and first trainee that Judy mentored. It was like three sisters gossiping nearly every night, unless Judy was in the mood or Ariel had to work. She thought about all the times Judy would get mushy over all the little loving things Nick did for her and their mom. Making Ariel loose control of her inner laughter and glee.
"Are you Kidding?" Ariel blurted out as she started laughing. "Trust me I have no doubt she loves you more than anything on this earth. I remember the first time we hung out together and we started talking about our boyfriends, well girlfriends in my case, she wouldn't stop talking about you, good things and bad. At the end of every story about her and you she always says and I quote the little fluff ball 'and that's another reason why I love that dumb fox.', and I'm sure you are the same when you talk about her with your friends." she added, wanting to reassure her brother that his soon to be bride loves him to no end.
"Your right Ariel…," Nick said sighing lovingly, remembering their first date and then up to the moment he proposed on the very same cable car that he opened up to her about one of the worst moments of his life. From there on he knew he loved her and that she cared about him. "I can't see my life without her now sis... She saved my life, she brought me out of a death spiral into a place of joy that haven't had since I was a kit." Nick said grinning, his heart fluttering and his knees getting a little weak. "Without her in my life... I don't even want to imagine life without her Ariel." He said turning around to head back to the hotel that he had been staying at for the past two nights as he and Judy's family set up the venue for the wedding.
Ariel Hugged her brother tight.
"Well, I don't think you will have to worry about that, tommorrow is going to be fantastic. I promise both of your dreams will come true, well at least this one, I can't speak for every single dream you two have." She said releasing him from her strong embrace.
"Yeah, it's going to be great, I just hope that nothing goes wrong." Nick told his sister in a concerned tone, shrugging his shoulders before the both of them walked together toward the hotel Nick was staying at.
Ariel rolled her eyes, and grinned.
"Everything is going to be fine and don't worry, even if her family doesn't accept you, you still have me and mom. Not to mention hopefully a sweet little girl that I heard from a little birdy that you two might be adopting." Ariel said nudging his left shoulder eagerly.
Nick thought for a moment about the little girl that he and Judy had been asked to adopt after meeting a sweet old fennec fox and her great granddaughter a few months before the wedding. Knowing that they wanted kits but couldn't have children on their own, they opted for adoption. It was almost like fate put them at the adoption agency on the day that they met a sweet little blonde fennec fox girl named Anna Bella Marie and her Great Grandmother Alma.
Nick remembered how that afternoon went for them. At the time she was only a couple months old, they learned of her poor mother passing away only a couple hours after her birth and her family wanting nothing to do with the 'daughter of a no-good whore', only her great grandmother showed her any love. Sadly, she was getting on up in age and had two heart attacks in the past couple years and she knew that she couldn't raise her alone. So rather than giving her up to an orphanage, she kept her but put her on the list to be adopted by a couple that met her great grandmother's standards, and like a gift from heaven… Nick and Judy were there, and Anna almost instantly took to Judy and Nick as if they were sent there by her mother's angel.
That day was still fresh in his memory, that and the day they had to get a bigger apartment for two and kit proof it, and go through weeks and weeks of background checks. Which did worry Nick a little, especially because of his past. However, he was confident, they had amazing references including Chief Bogo himself. Even still, Nick was still nervous.
"Yeah, from what I heard we're still waiting for approval." Nick said with a sigh. "Hey, wait a minute how do you know, I didn't tell you and I know Judy didn't." Nick blurted out, surprised that his sister knew about their possible addition to the Wilde family.
Ariel laughed "Mom told me and used me as a secondary reference for you and Judy." She replied as they approached the hotel entrance.
"I thought I told her, not to tell anybody until it was all final and we were going to adopt her." Nick scoffed thinking about their gossiping mother.
"Don't worry brother, I'm sure you and Judy will be approved and be wonderful, loving parents." She insisted as they walked through the front sliding doors of the Eagle ridge hotel.
"Yeah, I hope so. Anna is so sweet, she thinks my tail is the most amazing thing in the world and she loves playing with Judy. She always falls asleep on my chest though when we go to visit her and her great grandmother on weekends." Nick said gleefully, telling his sister about the little one that he and Judy had gotten to know for the past few months going through the adoption process.
Ariel's face lit up "Her name is Anna …awwee." She gushed putting her paws over her heart. "How sweet."
Nick walked over to the elevator to head up to his hotel room pushing the call button.
"Yeah, she sure is…well see you in the morning I guess." Nick said as the elevator arrived, announcing its approach with an electronic ping.
"You bet Nick, and remember, I have a big surprise for you and Judy so don't go snooping around Wilde Times okay. It's your two's wedding present." Ariel said as she watched Nick step into the elevator.
"Ok, but I have connections. I can find out anything if I get curious." Nick yelled out jokingly to his younger sister as the door closed.
Ariel turned down the hall and walked out to her Blue Jaguar XFR that was parked out front.
"He better not think about snooping around, because if he does then its embarrassing photos for days at the reception." She said deviously to herself getting into her car and driving away to meet with her team to get ready for tommorrow night.
As Ariel made a b-line for her business, Nick was arriving at his room after getting off the short elevator ride to the fifth floor of the Eagle Ridge Hotel. He took the room key and slid it through the card reader a couple of times before the little green light flashed on the lock, showing that he could open the door and enter his room.
I wasn't a fancy room but it was nice and clean. It had a regular old king size bed, a window A/C unit, a big flat screen tv, a couple of chairs and a desk with a comfy office chair, along with a mini fridge and a microwave. Pale white walls and ornate patterns on the red and burgundy carpets finished the hotels business class look.
After taking a quick shower in the not so glamorous bathroom, Nick dried his fur, brushed his teeth, and jumped into his bed alone. Thinking about Judy who for the past week had been staying at her best friend Fru's place along with her family. That way Judy could prepare for the weeding and build the excitement to see each other after a few days apart. But getting to sleep without Judy by his side was getting more difficult with every passing night. 5 days apart so far and Nick couldn't sleep as good as he normally would. It was almost torture to not have Judy by his side and it was starting to weigh on him.
"I don't ever want to do this again, I never want to sleep alone again." He said to himself as he tossed and turned trying to get comfortable without Judy by his side. Tossing and turning some more, he stared at the old clock radio next to the bed on the nightstand underneath a fake golden lamp.
"God help this poor fox." He thought to himself looking at the time seeing it had only been a few minutes, but it felt like hours. However as he finally shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep, knowing that tommorrow was the start of a new life for both him and Judy, he wondered just what would the future bring for them and would everything work out for the best or go down in a ball of fire.
