Dear Reader,
I swear I'm still here... Don't give me that look! I'm going to offer a quick apology for not uploading on Tuesday or Thursday (like I promised). I got called in for some military BS, and was not able to rite on my usual schedule. So, to make it up to you guys, I've made this week's chapter extra long; because I know all you crazy mammals out there are all about the length. In any case, we take a quick detour through the underbelly of Zootopia; The Nocturnal District. Once again, if booze, boobies or any of those cuties aren't your bag... then I'm sorry.
Enjoy,
"COME OOOON NICK!"
Rocket drug his paws as he walked, like a scolded child, while he attempted to reason with the focused candid. "WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY NOW; FINNICK AND I WILL 'INVEST' A SMALL PORTION AND YOUR GUYS' ACCOUNTS WILL BE FULL BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK! WE CAN FINALLY RELAX!"
"Maybe you didn't notice," snapped Nick, spinning on his heels to face the whining raccoon "but the last time I saw my fiancé, she had just been told that she couldn't marry me; by my last remaining family member. Whom you insisted we bring!"
"HAY!" spat Rocket, leveling a pointed digit for emphasis. "YOU LEAVE G-MA OUT OF THIS! SHE IS MISUNDERSTOOD IN OUR TIME!"
"Are we just going to gloss over the fact that Bishop Clyde was totally trying to abduct me?"
Both Nick and Rocket took a step back as they turned to face Finnick, whom had folded his arms at their Bickering. "We just forget that he was carrying me away to the back-room of his church; for no discernible reason?" asked Finnick.
"Well…" Rocket scrubbed the back of his neck as he exchanged a confused and guilty look with Nick.
"I just assumed…" mumbled Nick as he tried to fit together the pieces, "that he brought you in because we were all in trouble…"
"He didn't know you two were in trouble," assured Finnick tersely.
The trio stood in awkward silence for an inescapable minute as they connected the dots.
"Gross…" said Rocket, breaking the stalemate.
Finnick snapped, and hurled himself at the insensitive raccoon. Rocket pulled his paws up in a feeble attempt to guard his face, before being carried off his feet by the pint sized projectile. Nick simply shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh as the lights in the tiny airlock finally faded out.
The doors slid open, and Nick stepped out of the compartment and into the Nocturnal District. Taking a heady gulp of "fresh"-air, Nick looked about the glowing and thriving subterranean land scape. Straitening his tie, and flattening the front of his green button down, Nick stepped out of Finnick's way as he to exited the airlock.
The pint-sized fox still muttered to himself angrily as he flattened the hair on the back of his neck and wiped spit from the corner of his mouth. Turning about, Both Nick and Finnick regarded the last member of their party as he staggered out of the transitional gateway to the underground.
Nick Let out a chuckle as he stepped forward to help Rocket collect himself after the brief, yet savage, mauling Finnick had given him. "Honestly," Nick said as he straitened the collar of the raccoon's blazer; "if Finnick hadn't gotten you, it was only a matter of time before I did."
The raccoon gave a knowing nod of acknowledgement before wheezing; "Nope, I gotcha. I was totally out of line."
Finnick Chuckled slightly as he regained his composure.
"Now that we've all got that out of our systems," said Nick clapping his paws together. "I trust that you two can stop being awful for an hour and help me?"
Finnick and Rocket exchanged glances before asking in unison; "Bachelor party?"
Nick's shoulders dropped in defeat. "I s'pose it was too much to ask…"
"Awe, come on Nicky," said Finnick as they trailed the Fox through the midnight District. "We deserve… You deserve to have a little fun after everything we've been through."
"We?" asked Nick, stopping dead in the middle of a busy walkway; which earned him several disapproving "looks" from a gaggle of moles which nearly crashed into him. "We haven't been through squat! Judy is the one we should be worrying about. It has been Judy's wedding that we've been ruining; not ours. So we aren't doing anything. I'm going to go check in on my fiancé and make sure she's ok."
"So we're gonna help you stock your bunny now, are we?" asked Finnick, folding his arms disapprovingly at Nick's plan.
"We're not stocking anyone!" retorted Nick. "We're just going to swing in, say hi, and leave."
"Mmm-hm" said Rocket, mirroring Finnick's posture.
Nick opened and closed his mouth as he attempted to form a rebuttal, but ultimately failed. "Just… tell me what club they're in, Rocket."
The raccoon shot Nick an even more suspicious glance before pointing strait up to the massive Neon sign which had hung over their conversation, entirely ignored up until that point.
Nick's composure melted with disappointment as he read the two massive letters which adorned the front of the club. "Really, Rocket?" asked Nick futilely. "The Double D?"
"HAY, SOME PLACES NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE!" offered the raccoon with a shrug. "'SIDES, I HAVE UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE VIP LOUNGE."
Nick ran a heavy paw across his face as he shook his head. "Is the 'Big-Boss' working tonight?"
Both Rocket and Finnick nodded their heads excitedly, confirming Nick's fear.
"Great…" mumbled Nick. "Well if I die tonight, be sure to tell Judy I tried."
With an all too excited smile, Rocket spun on his heels and lead the way into the partying den of mammals.
Weaving through the massive sprawling dance floor, Nick was sure not to lose sight of Rocket in the swirling mass of half-naked and dancing animals. Erupting out of the other side of the dancing hoard, Nick took stock of his surrounding and realized that Finnick had not made it through the sea of party.
"Where's Finnick?" yelled Nick in an attempt to communicate over the blasting music, which filled the atmosphere with rhythm.
Frantically looking about the inside of the club, Rocket finally stalled and pointed over the crowd to where Finnick lay, sprawled out in a body surf on the rhythmic ocean. A barked laugh escaped Nick as he recognized his companion being passed about the tops of the mosh-pit.
"What the hell is he doing?" laughed Nick, trying to formulate a plan to recover his castaway friend.
"IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE HE'S ENJOYING HIMSELF," said Rocket, fixing Nick with a knowing glare.
Nick bit the inside of his cheek as he processed the verbal jab. Looking from Rocket, to Finnick and back, Nick shook his head in resignation. "Okay…"
"WHAT?" asked Rocket, bringing a paw to his ear with a smirk.
"I get it, okay?" said Nick, turning his full attention to Rocket. "You're right, I need to relax a moment… but I still need to find Judy… then we can party."
The raccoon Shot Nick a sideways smile, before tapping a nearby guard to grab his attention. Gesturing to the miniature Fox, whom floated circles on the party-ocean's current, Rocket sent the imposing Siberian-tiger bouncer to retrieve Finnick for them.
"WHO EVER SAID THE TWO HAD TO BE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE?" asked Rocket, rubbing his paws together mischievously.
"What do you mean?" asked Nick, unsure of the raccoon's intentions.
"Eh," said rocket with a quick nod, "you'll see."
Before Nick could protest, the tiger had returned with Finnick in tow. Setting the pint-sized vulpine in their midst with a nod, the Siberian cat returned to his post at the large steel door which granted access to the club's more "private" quarters.
"Thank you, Roy" said Rocket as he held up a folded twenty for the imposing cat.
With a quick nod, the bouncer pocketed the bill and moved to open the door. "You bet boss, you need anything you let Roy know."
Rocket pat the massive predator on the hip as they walked past into the back rooms of the club. Looking up at the towering feline, Nick wondered if this was how Finnick felt all the time.
"NOW," blurted Rocket to his companions as the door swung shut, cutting out the inescapable din of the club outside. "IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOUR BUNNY SHOULD BE IN MY 'PERSONAL' LOUNGE…" the raccoon paused to check his watch as he began to lead the trio deeper into the inner workings of the club.
Stopping in front of another heavy door, which was guarded by a single imposing caribou, the trio caught the sound of female laughter.
"I think that's Judy," said Nick, tilting his head in an attempt to better listen to the ruckus on the other side of the door.
With a nod, Rocket gestured for the guard to step aside. Stacking up, the trio cracked the door just enough to peek inside.
Nick's breath caught as he looked past the door's open sliver. The decadent room was filled with a large group of Rocket's 'girls' whom had all pulled together for Judy. Cakes and wine glasses adorned the free countertops, and Nick's ears caught the sound of Judy's giggling coming from amongst the crowd. Craning his neck, Nick finally spotted his bunny and was relieved to see that she appeared to be genuinely happy. Nick made to open the door the rest of the way, but was pulled away by his compatriots.
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Finnick with surprising venom, While Rocket silently reclosed the door.
"I-I was going to go check on her," said Nick a little confused. "That's what we're here for, remember?"
Rocket shot Nick a disappointed look. "You realize the whole point of a bachelorette party is to not see your spouse?"
Nick threw his paws up in defeat as he looked from fox to raccoon and back. "Well then what do you two knuckle-heads suppose I do instead?"
"I'M GLAD YOU ASKED," said the raccoon as he excitedly checked his watch and tapped its face with a claw for emphasis. "YOU WANT TO SEE JUDY, I SUGGEST YOU EARN IT…"
Nick turned to look down the hall where Rocket now pointed. As if by que, a group of ten or so scantily clad male mammals of different species turned the corner. Nick's jaw dropped as he took in the locker-room scene of mammalian perfection. The mixed crowd of large to small predators and prey all sported the same uniform; skin tight black bottoms, white cuffs and a black bow-tie.
"BOYS!" shouted Rocket, excitedly greeting the incumbent mammals. "I'D LIKE YOU ALL TO MEET NICHOLAS WILDE; THE BLUSHING GROOM TO BE."
The crowd briefly erupted in applause as several of the mammals stepped forward to shake his paw in congratulations. Nick chuckled nervously and thanked the excited crowd.
"NOW, YOU ARE ALL HERE FOR A VERY SPECIAL BUNNY'S VERY SPECIAL NIGHT…" continued Rocket. "AND I THINK YOU WILL ALL BE VERY EXCITED TO KNOW, THAT NICK WILL BE JOINING YOU ON THE FLOOR!"
Nick's eyes nearly bulged out of his head at Rocket's suggestion. However, before the fox could even comment, Rocket had cut him off. "You want to see Judy, now's your chance to earn it!" Turning to the crowd of excited mammals, Rocket clapped his paws together and yelled "TAKE HIM AWAY BOYS!"
Nick was carried off his feet and into a nearby room by the hoard of boisterous Chip and Dale Mammals. Despite his best protests, Rocket mandated that Nick be locked in a changing room and not released until he changed into something more "appropriate" for the occasion.
Gritting his teeth together in bitter resignation, Nick knocked on the door to his changing prison. Nick's ears flicked about as he caught the sound of hushed commotion, coming from the other side of the door. The door cracked open a little, and one of the dancers from earlier, a fit Impala, peaked in on him. The impala's muzzle lit up with excitement at Nick's new outfit, before disappearing from view. Suddenly, the door flew open, and Nick was regarded by the group of male dancers. Thunderous applause and cheers lit up the room as Nick stepped out of his prison and into the lime-light. Chuckling at the absurdity of his situation, Nick did a full cat-walk and turn-around, showing off his physic to the applause and laughter of those around him. Looking down himself, Nick attempted to adjust the waist-line of his low-riding pants so that they could at least attempt to cover his decency.
"ALRIGHT, MAMMALS!" shouted Rocket, re-entering the room with Finnick close behind. "NICK HAD BETTER BE OUT OF THAT ROOM, OTHERWISE WE'RE LEAVING HIM!"
The group parted around Rocket and Finnick allowing them to meet with Nick in the middle, before encircling the trio. Rocket and Finnick had also changed in Nick's absence, but were dressed much more conservatively than the fox. The duo sported matching Pink three piece suits, and Rocket now carried a pink cane in the crook of his arm, while Finnick supported a pile of plastic Bunny masks.
Finnick let loose a deep chuckle before being silence by Nick's death glare. "Happy now?" asked Nick, holding his paws out in presentation.
"YES!" said Rocket, snapping his fingers into a point at his scantily clad companion. "Gotta say Nicky, that bunny's a lucky gal!"
Nick shook his head in embarrassment as the surrounding crowd cackled lightly.
"So do I get to talk to my fiancé yet?" asked Nick, entirely unamused.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST GO TALK TO THE BACHELLORETTE?" shouted Rocket. "MAMMAL, YOU GOTTA EARN IT!"
"What?" asked Nick, entirely confused as Rocket spun on his heels and cut away through the crowd.
"Watch and learn," laughed Finnick as he began to pass out masks to all of the scantily clad mammals.
Before Nick could form a rebuttal, He was thrown a matching mask, and forced into line with the rest of the sculpted animals. Nick instinctively followed his cohorts and strapped on the bunny face mask, before his ears caught rocket's voice coming from the other side of the curtain wall, which presumably separated them from Judy's bachelorette party.
"LADIES AND BENGAMIN…" came Rockets voice. Nick swallowed hard as he hoped that he had misheard Rocket's last word. "WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL LINE-UP FOR YOU ALL TONIGHT… HAILING FROM ALL DISTRICTS, AND THE FURTHEST CORNERS OF ZOOTOPIA; I HAVE ASSEMBLED THE FINEST…" Rocket paused for emphasis, earning a round of cheers from the boisterous females. "AND MOST DILECTABLE SPECIMINES OUR FINE CITY HAS TO OFFER!"
Nick's heart felt as thou it might beat right out of his chest as he tried his best to maintain his composure.
"I PRESENT TO YOU ALL… THE NIGHT'S ENTERTAINMENT!"
Nick's legs went numb, and he was almost stepped on as the line of Chip and Dales made their move onto center stage. Nick reclaimed his composure just in time to exit backstage, and form a line on the display side of the curtains. Nick felt ill, but channeled his years of hustling to maintain a confident exterior. Taking in his surroundings, Nick saw that the stage sported a small cat-walk which jetted outwards into the midst of the crowd. At the cat-walk's end stood a single pole, whole purpose was unmistakably non-structural. Searching the miniature crowd, Nick found it almost impossible to look past the edge of the stage with every light in the room directed squarely at him.
Rocket waved his cane about in a gesture which silenced the cheering crowd.
"MMM-MMH," hummed the raccoon, before kissing his fingers in delight. "THEY ARE ALL QUIET AMAZING, AREN'T THEY NOW; LADIES AND BENGAMINE…"
Nick's heart skipped a beat as he realized he hadn't misheard Rocket the first time.
"BUT MY OH MY, WHO SHOULD GET WHAT?" asked the raccoon, a sinister grin spreading across his muzzle. "LADDIES, I'M HAVING A SPOT OF TROUBLE FINDING THE NIGHT'S 'GUEST OF HONNOR'… COULD ALL OF YOU HELP ME OUT?"
The audience exploded in cheers as a single spot light fell on the crowd, illuminating a slightly embarrassed Judy Hopps. Laughter erupted, to Nick's horror, as Benjamin Clawhauser scooped up the bunny in question and carried her to the lead seat at the end of the cat-walk.
"THANK YOU MY GOOD CAT!" laughed Rocket, regarding the front row's two newest members. "WELL I GUESS WE KNOW WHO CUSTOMER NUMBER ONE AND CUSTOMER NUMBER TWO ARE… BUT HOW DO WE DECIDE WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE?" Rocket regarded the line of stoic Chip and Dale mammals with a fake pout, before snapping his fingers in realization. "I'VE GOT AN IDEA!" shouted the raccoon, turning back to audience. Rocket lofted his paws, and clapped twice extinguishing all the lights.
Nick's breath caught as he attempted to make sense of the absurd ceremony.
Before his eyes could adjust to the black out, Nick's ears caught the sound of rising music. The fox was spared only a second of realization before the rolling bass guitar assaulted his ears as Warrant's Cherry Pie lit up the sound system.
An array of Pink spotlights re-lit the stage as a single mammal from each end of the line-up broke off and made their way to the cat walk. Nick's eyes widened in shock as he watched a tall sculpted Gazelle meet up with a chiseled Zebra, center stage. Both mammals sported matching bunny masks as they sashayed their way down the catwalk to the pole. Once at the flared end of the walk way, the duo took turns demonstrating their best moves before returning to the lineup. The crowd went wild as another duo broke away to entice the gaggle of partying females.
"I said you'd have to earn it, Nicky" whispered Rocket, from behind the lineup. "NOW GO MAKE ROCKET PROUD!"
With a shove, Nick was forced out of the lineup and into the spotlight. Numbly making his way to the base of the catwalk, Nick all but choked on his tongue as he scoped out his competition. The tall muscular timber wolf joined Nick center stage with a keen and intimidation smile. With a snort of approval and a wink, the wolf jostled Nick back to his senses just in time to do his best strut. Working his way down the cat-walk, Nick steeled his nerves as best he could. Chuckling slightly at the cacophony or rock music and cat-calls, the wolf stopped first, prompting nick to stumble forward into the pole.
Nick lost his balance and clung to the pole for stability. Inadvertently spinning around the pole's base several times, the fox finally came to a stop on his side, in a perfect glamour pose. The crowd went wild.
Climbing back to his feet, Nick traded places with the impressed competitor. However, the bunny-masked predator easily swung onto the pole with a grace which spoke of years of mastery. Nick bit his lower lip as he watched marvel and joy dance across Judy's face, he couldn't be shown up.
As the wolf dismounted and joined Nick's side, Nick made another bid for the pole. Entirely unsure of himself, Nick channeled his inner acrobat, and gracelessly climbed the center facet. The crowd erupted in joyous laughter as they watched Nick's effort with absolute wonder. Making it to the top, Nick grabbed onto the metal rod to catch his breath. Looking down at the floor, Nick marveled at his shear athleticism, before his grip slipped and he pealed backwards off of the center piece.
Time moved in slow motion as the audience's collective breath caught in shock and worry. However, the back of Nick's knee and foot locked about the bar just right, and the candid was reeled back in to spin about the bar upside down.
The audience exploded with cheers at the fox's "daring" move. Realizing that he was not plunging to his death, Nick took the moment to recollect and strike some glory poses as he slowly rotated about and descended the bar. Arriving at the bottom, Nick reached down, and moved into a hand-stand before recovering to his feet with a bow. Nick's heart beat wildly as he caught Judy's absolutely ecstatic grin at his maneuver. Turning away from the crowd, Nick and the timber wolf strutted their way back to the lineup.
As Nick reclaimed his post, and a separate duo took the stage. Rocket took the opportunity to give Nick a reassuring pat on the hindquarters. "KEEP THAT UP AND I MIGHT HAVE TO OFFER YOU A JOB."
Nick chuckled slightly as he stared into the crowd, where Judy sat, unable to peal her eyes off of him.
The final duo broke away from the catwalk, and Rocket took to the center stage. The music turned down to a much more manageable level, as Rocket fanned himself with a paw. "I DO DECLARE!" spouted the raccoon, pulling on his collar for emphasis and eliciting a round of laughs from the watching crowd. "TOP NOTCH MAMMALS… BUT ONLY ONE GETS TO… SERVICE THE 'GUEST OF HONOR'…"
Nick's throat went dry as Judy was lifted and placed on to the stage. The lightly embarrassed rabbit giggled as Rocket guided her down the line up, making suggestions the whole way. Judy stopped in front of a chiseled gray bunny with black stripes in his fur, before pointing and looking to the crowd for advice. The reaction was a mix of cheers and boos, which prompted Judy to laugh and blush an even deeper shade of red. As Nick watched helplessly from the end of the lineup, he was struck by the horrifying idea that Judy might not pick him.
Nick couldn't bear to watch. Squeezing his eyes shut tight behind his mask, the fox pleaded with the powers that be, and wondered what horrid atrocities he must have committed in a past life to deserve his current fate.
"I think I like this one…"
Nick's eyes snapped open just in time to see Judy Hopps pointing into his chest, and looking to the crowd for advice. The rabbit jumped excitedly at the crowd's response, laughing at the unanimous approval.
"Ooooh," cooed Judy finally locking eyes with the fox on display.
The rabbit's breath stung Nick's sensitive nose as he caught the aromatic cloud of alcohol. Studying his fiancé's eyes, Nick was taken aback by how glossy and unfocused they were. Judy was, for lack of a better word, tanked.
"You have veeeeery pretty eye…" continued the rabbit, tracing a single claw down the center of Nick's exposed chest. The compromised rabbit stood on her tippy toes and grabbed the scruff of Nick's neck fur. Pulling his ear to her mouth, she whispered; "What's your name?"
Nick opened his mouth to reply, only to have Rocket forcefully snap his jaws shut for him. "HE… DOES NOT GET TO TALK!" interjected the raccoon, separating Judy from her target.
The rabbit shot Rocket a quick pout, and missed Nick's death glare. Returning her attention to the mysterious fox, Judy asked again; "Then what's his name, Rocket?"
"AH-" The raccoon opened his mouth but no words came out. Searching desperately for a name, Rocket finally stuttered; "J-JACK… SAVAGE?"
Judy shot the raccoon an incredulous stare before returning her attention to Nick. Nick could all but hear the gears turning in Judy's booze-flooded brain. The rabbit tilted her head to the side as she inspected the mostly naked mammal, and Nick worried for a moment that she might recognize him.
"I'll take him!" said Judy with a confident nod.
The crowd erupted in cheers at the bachelorette's choice. Rocket cleared his throat as he turned to address the audience. "AND WE HAVE A WINNER! MR… SAVAGE, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESCORT OUR GUEST TO THE VIP BOOTH?" At the back of the room, a spot light illuminated a candle lit booth, which had apparently been set aside for such an occasion.
Seizing the moment, Nick scooped Judy off of her feet and made to carry the laughing bunny to her seat. Weaving his way through the crowd, Nick received an all too knowing nudge and accompanying wink as he passed his cheetah co-worker.
Finally setting Judy down at her destination, Nick opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Judy's slurred "No!"
Nick took a surprised step back and held his paws up in innocence, as Judy climbed to her feet atop the booth's seat.
"You don't get to talk mister…" Judy scrunched up her face as she tried to remember Nick's "name," eliciting a chuckle from the fox.
"Savage," said Nick, filling in the chemically compromised rabbit.
"Thanks," giggle Judy before folding her arms and fixing Nick with a laughably stern glare. "No talking Mister Savage…" continued the bachelorette bunny. "Instead you can… you can…" Judy's eyes traced over Nick's form as she attempted to figure out what she could get away with. Nick simply smiled and folded his paws in front of himself and awaited the embarrassed rabbit's demands.
"How about we start you off with some water?" offered Nick, taking note of how wobbly his fiancé looked.
"That sounds amazing…" cooed the rabbit, dropping her stern act entirely.
Nick held a single digit up to the rabbit signaling for her to wait before ducking away to the bar. Thinking better than to leave Judy at her lofted perch, Nick quickly returned and lifted Judy off the booth-seat and set her firmly back on the ground. With a quick pat on the head, Nick ducked away to fetch some water.
"One blue dolphin, my good keep-" Nick's words caught in his throat as he made eye contact with the familiar nocturnal bartender. "Jazz!"
"Well if it ain't Slick-Nick!" laughed the opossum with a lopsided grin, throwing his paws out to the side. "How in all of nature are you my good mammal?"
"I'm good Jazz, real good…" assured Nick, taking a moment to lift his mascaraed out of the way of his face. "It seems like you've been doing well for yourself."
"I have, Nicky, life's been good to me so far…" Said the opossum as he fetched a glass with his tail and passed it to himself to polish while he talked. "I got myself a gal, and we've been going steady."
"No way?" said Nick, matching the bartender's warm smile.
"Yes sir," assured the opossum with a nod. "She's uh, right over there…"
Nick scoured the crowd where Jazz had gestured with his tail, but was unable to see any female opossums in the crowd. "I don't see any opossums Jazz, I think I must be blind…" offered Nick with an unsure smile.
Jazz threw his head back in laughter before offering an explanation; "That's because Le-Lani is a Cougar…"
Nick was taken aback by the information, but quickly found the aforementioned Female. Nick marveled at her beauty as he looked over her muscular yet feminine build. Returning his attention to the bar-keep, Nick shot Jazz a quick playful punch to the arm. "Good for you!"
Jazz simply nodded, sporting his iconic lopsided grin as he watched his mate from behind the bar. "Yeah, I'd had my eyes on her for a long time, but I never thought it would work… for obvious reasons." Jazz took a moment to collect himself before continuing. "But then I saw you two last year, and you guys seemed so happy and I realized… Life's too short for that kind of stuff; animals are meant to live."
"You said it mammal," replied Nick, taking the moment to reflect upon the day's event.
"Anyways," laughed the bartender, taking a moment to inspect the glass he had been absentmindedly polishing. "It's a very special night for that bunny of yours… and an even bigger day tomorrow," fetching a small glass vial of pills from under the counter with his tail; Jazz filled the now spotless glass with water from the well-tap. "She'll thank you tomorrow if you have her take two of these and drink all of this.
Nick instantly recognized the small hangover tablets which the nocturnal bartender had pushed towards him. Picking up the tablets and glass of water, Nick offered a soft "Thank's mammal…"
"Don't mention it…" said Jazz flicking the nose of Nick's mask, prompting it to fall back into place on his snout. "Just take care of that bunny; she looks like the wedding planning might have be a little rough on her."
A small shiver ran down Nick's spine at Jazz's last comment. Making his way back through the crowd, Nick tried to re justify his own actions to himself. Reaching the VIP booth, Nick was snapped back to reality as he looked down to see Judy curled up on the floor; under the table.
"Hay, carrots?" asked Nick, ducking under the oversized table to join his spouse.
"Nick?" asked Judy, stirring only slightly. "Is that you Mr. Wilde?"
"Naw," replied Nick, stroking Judy's long gray ears. "Just Jack… but I could pretend to be Nick if it made you feel better."
The intoxicated rabbit giggled lightly as she attempted to lift her head to better look at Nick. Blowing out hard through her nose, Judy tried to open her eyes but let out a small wine as the light of the real world blinded her.
"Easy there, fluff…" whispered Nick, scooping the mostly limp bunny into his lap. "I think you may have had one too many."
Judy nodded and offered a soft mumble of agreement.
"I've got you some stuff that will make you feel better, okay?" asked Nick stroking Judy's ears. Looking over his fiancé, Nick was struck by just how pretty she was. Judy had presumable not had a chance to change since the end of the wedding rehearsal, and still wore her gorgeous blue dress.
"Okay," mumbled Judy, snapping Nick back to the real world.
Helping Judy take the pills one at a time, Nick made sure she drank the entire glass of water before allowing her to curl back up in his lap. The rabbit lay quiet for a few minutes before finally speaking again.
"Hay Jack?" asked Judy.
"Yeah?" replied Nick.
"I know it's actually you…" said the rabbit with a small nod.
Nick chuckled slightly at Judy's comment. "You think so, do you fluff?"
"I know so," said Judy with a smile. The rabbit lay silent for a great while, and Nick assumed that she had finally fallen asleep. However, a soft murmur grabbed Nick's attention.
"What was that?" asked Nick.
"I'm so sorry, Nick…" said Judy, causing Nick's heart to break.
"About what?" asked Nick.
"Your honey moon…" replied Judy with a little snivel. "It was the one thing you wanted and I said no... B-because I wanted the perfect wedding… Now we have neither…"
"Hay, that's not true," said Nick trying to keep his voice from shaking.
Judy simply shook her head and ground her face into Nick's exposed chest.
Nick bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to think of something to say. However, he was saved from comment by the sound of Judy snoring in his lap.
Nick felt awful as he watched the one animal that he loved asleep in his lap. Nick shook his head in amazement at how upside down he had managed to get.
Surely, there was something he could do to save himself.
Oh hot-diggity!
Did you just read another whole chapter? Yes, yes you did. Did you enjoy it? I sure hope so! If you did, then read another! But before you go, please be sure to write a review, leave a favorite, or make a suggestion. I do this for me, but also for you guy. So please, give me your thought.
-Enjoy the next chapter!