Chapter 11: The Scars and Their Stories
Nick tapped his foot impatiently on the dirty asphalt of the garage. His car had given out. There was a problem with the engine that would probably take hours to fix. He had to worry about this, and not the honey badger following in his maniacal brother's philosophies that has literally made his life a living hell for the time being.
His wife was stuck with Jack. They literally were unable to be more than a foot apart from each other. She was pawcuffed to an animal he did not trust one bit, halfway across town in Sahara Square now.
But the worst part of it, he was separated from his children. His sons and daughter were separated from each other and kept miles apart on the outskirts of Zootopia to make sure they were kept safe. Yet with all the officers, agents and friends ensuring their babies' safety. The only way he felt they were truly safe was in his and his wife's arms.
"I can't believe this is happening." Nick said to himself.
Skye overheard him and came up from the engine. She wiped sweat from her face with her paw, leaving behind a black smudge on her cheek. "What's up?" She asked in a positive tone.
"I'm separated from my wife and kids and stuck here where I can't help anybody. What do you think is up?" He snickered.
"You can come help me over here with this for a second." She offered, holding a wrench out for him. Nick groaned and took the wrench from her. He followed her directions to a tee. "And I know how you feel, Nick."
"How could you possibly know how I feel?"
"Because we're both foxes, aren't we? It just seems like the world is always out to get us. We seem to be discriminated more than any other mammal. But you don't have much more to complain about, though. I can guarantee my life is much worse than yours ever was, though." Skye said with a stoic look on her face.
"Really now? And what makes you think that?" Nick asked crossing his arms.
"Because you have your wife, and your kids."
"I didn't always have that. My life has only barely turned around. I was bullied and muzzled as a kid when I wanted to follow my dreams of being a Ranger Scout. I lived in a tiny apartment with my mom and my brother. I barely got to see my mom since she was constantly working just to keep us all alive, and I never knew my father. Only recently have I met him, and he is the douchebag I had always imagined him to be. I've been homeless for most of my teenage years until I was finally old enough to rent a shit box apartment the ghetto of the ghetto. My brother ran away and decades later we meet again, only to find that he is the leader of a rebellion to try and destroy the law enforcement system, including me, my wife, and later almost my son." Nick said as he caught his breath at the end of his rant.
Skye just sat there, twiddling with a wrench. She stayed quiet for a very long time, until she finally spoke, in a broken tone. "Well at least you still have your parents..."
Nick's face fell. What did she mean? Just as he asked himself the question he answered it. She was an orphan. Nick had it hard, but he always had his mom. If he didn't he didn't know how he could have made it this far.
"Do you really think I wanted to be a mechanic, or an agent , or even a fucking fox for that matter?! I was like all other girls. I wanted to be a doctor, or a ballerina, or an astronaut. The thing I wanted to do most is be a deep sea diver. See the beauty in the world that only those who could breathe water be able to see. I never thought my life would go this way. My mom would always tell me I was special, that I was meant for something big. Something to change the world. I always believed her, but I never knew I would change it like this, nor did I think the world would change me too. My mom was a florist, and my dad worked in a car shop. A bum job for a fox looking to make money just to live. Sometimes he would take me to work to show me how cars worked. I began to fall in love with it, but it was still just a hobby, not a career choice of mine."
Skye took a break from her story to reach down and tighten a few bolts on the gasket. She wiped the sweat from her forehead a she continued.
"We never had much, but they always tried their best to give me a better life then they had. My dad had run-ins with police, and problems with money. After all, he tried to hide it, but me and mom both knew he was a gambler. He would take any risk he could take to try and win more money. But often times it only got him into more trouble. Still, they loved me. And I loved them more than anything. That was until me, her and my dad were in a car crash..."
Nick was shocked. He had no idea about that. His ears slightly drooped as he kept listening to her story.
"That's why I started learning to be a full time mechanic. To make cars better, safer, and more importantly, to figure out what went wrong that day. Their airbags should have gone off, but they never did. When the firemammals pulled me out of the wreckage and put me into the ambulance, the car exploded. Yet, there was no gas leaking or any signs of open flame. It just...happened. I never knew why it had to happen, but I know now that it was some gambler or some mammal my dad must've made a deal with. When shit hit the fan and he couldn't pay back what he owed, we went on the run. Moving in and out of hotels and apartments, living paycheck to paycheck. Obviously, the animal must have found him. His foolishness cost him his life and my mom's, and probably mine too. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
Loss. A terrible feeling that wrenches the heart and pounds the soul. It leaves one an innocent, helpless creature, baffled and shivering in fear of everything they are enveloped in. An emotion one knows, but can almost never fully comprehend as something wholesome. Leaving the barren question to run infinite circles in their distraught minds: why? Why did it end up like this? Why does it make me feel this way? How can one accomplish anything, when everything seems impossible?
A tear fell down her cheek. She took a deep breath and wiped it away. "You have something to live for, Nick. And what do I have? A wild goose chase to find a mammal I'll never find."
Nick walked up and put his paw on her shoulder. "That's just it, Skye. I have something to live for, but that's only because I found a reason. You need to find your own reason to live to. In honor of your parents, for a friend...for a love."
Skye paused for a moment. She reached up and grabbed her shoulder, feeling the scar from the bullet in her fur. Nick watched her take a firm grip of her shoulder. Then he began to smell something. It was sweet. He realize that the scent was suddenly emitting from her. It was her pheromones. He looked down at her shoulder again. It all became crystal clear.
"Jack." Nick said quietly. Skye looked over at him after hearing his name. "Your reason for living is Jack. You're in love with him. He saved your life. You weren't shot directly. He jumped in front of a bullet for you."
The vixen sighed. Two more tears rolled down her cheeks. She quickly wrapped her arms around Nick. He was surprised and not sure what to do, so he just patted her on the back.
"You know what I think?" Nick asked.
"What?" Skye asked sniffling.
"I don't think the world is out to get us. I think it challenges us harder because it knows we can be more than just sly, untrustworthy animals. I mean. I don't have all bad stories. In fact, I think foxes have the best stories to tell."
"Really? What do you mean?"
Nick smiled. "Well, there was the time my best friend got me drunk and then lost my wedding rings."
Skye stopped sniffling, and instead, snorted and chuckled. "How the hell did that happen?"
Nick's trademark grin came to him. "Well..."
The night was calling for all the party animals to join in its usual celebration for anything and everything. The bars packed, clubs boomed, everything was alive in the sleeping city of Zootopia. At the bar of the Oasis Casino, sat a familiar group of friends, along with some new ones. A cheetah, a wolf, a fennec, and a red fox. Nick Wilde joined in his own celebration as he lifted his glass of coke to the sky with his friends in cheer. It was his bachelor party. He still could hardly believe it, in just a few days, he was going to make the best decision of his life, and marry the most beautiful bunny in the world. Too bad he wasn't spending this time with Judy, but he couldn't deny he was having a ton of fun with Finnick and the others right now.
The fennec turned to his friend as he took another shot. "Come on, man, just have a few drinks with us." Nick brushed off the request with the wave of his paw.
"No Finnick, I already told you I don't drink. You know that."
"Can't you break tradition even once? Lighten up a bit, it'll be fun. The first one is on me?" This time, Nick did not reply. He gave a small pout and faced the facts that Nick was a stubborn fox. "Alright, alright. Since you're gonna be a fru fru about this, how about a virgin berry margarita? It's alcohol free."
Nick contemplated the idea for a second and turned to peer pressure. 'Eh, what could go wrong' he told himself. "Alright, I'll have one."
Finnick scoots off the booth and heads to the bar to place his order, only that shifty fennec did just one thing differently; he did not order it virgin. 'This is for his own good,' be thought bringing the drink to Nick.
The fox takes a sip. The good thing about margaritas is that they do not have the same bitter taste of alcohol which Nick hated, so he downed the entire thing. Clawhauser and his officer friends were quite surprised at this. Nick wipes his lips of the sugar and gives a smirk. "Not bad. Any other non-alcoholic drinks I should know about?"
Finnick gave a mischievous smile. "You bet."
Finnick slipped more and more alcohol into Nick's system behind the tastes of fruit and juice. He felt his world grow lighter, and Nick grew more and more optimistic as the alcohol set in. When he was sure he was tipsy enough, Finnick even did a drink with more, stronger alcohol. Nick didn't know it, but he was becoming more and more intoxicated, and he was loving the sensation.
Eventually, the alcohol began taking over, and it soon messed with the fox's stomach. He ran to the bathroom to vomit, stumbling plenty more than once on the way. As he emptied the contents of his stomach, Nick's world grew dark and fuzzy. His head pounded like a drum, and he blacked out.
Nick woke up in his bed in a terrible daze, the world still spun, and his vision was still blurred. He stumbled to the bathroom to asses what happened last night. He rubs his eyes to see the ink of black marker stained his fur in words like 'party animal' and such. Nick then stumbles into the kitchen to get some water, walking was impossibly difficult. At one point he considered crawling to the kitchen. As he reaches into the cupboard for a glass, his attention focuses on a folded piece of paper with a few pills in front of it.
Nick picks up the paper and squints his eyes as he reads the message, written in a familiar cheetah's paw.
"Hey Nick, it's Clawhauser. In case you're wondering how you got home, I drove you back to your house. We went to check on you and found you passed out on the bathroom floor. Those pills should help with headaches or any pain. Hope you're okay, and hope you get better soon. -Clawhauser"
Nick was distraught as he popped the pills in his mouth. He feels his leg vibrate, and pulls out his phone to see a text from his very untrustworthy fennec friend.
"Hey man. That was one hell of a party last night. I'll admit though, I may have slipped a little bit of alcohol into your drink last night, but you were having so much more fun when I did. We should party like that again soon!"
Nick groaned, knowing that Finnick was lying. He knew he must have slipped alcohol into every drink he recieved after offering him one alcohol free as a cover-up. The fox went back to lie down in bed, trying to get over his very first hangover. He chuckled just a little bit as he fell asleep. Only his best fox could get his non-alcoholic friend drunk on his bachelor party. Boy was he glad he didn't agree to go to the clubs.
The afternoon started simple as usual for the fennec fox. Wake up, drive to the coffee shop and burrito stand, play guitar like nobody's business. However, this time, it was with the addition of a slight headache from his hangover. Nick Wilde's bachelor party was quite a ride last night. Finnick still mischievously chuckled to himself about how he got his "alcohol virgin" of a friend completely wasted.
On the other side of town, out of bed crawled a red fox with shaky feet and a pounding migraine. Nick tried to recollect what happened last night at his bachelor party, and groaned as his question was answered as he checked his phone to see a text message from his best friend. Nick crawled back into bed after taking some medication, but he knew he had to get ready for work. As he and Judy agreed to not see until their wedding to make their special moment even more special, they agreed to not even be partnered up until after the wedding. Nick wondered who he'd be teamed up with for the day.
Nick stumbled his way into the briefing room. Judy already showed up early to be partnered up with Fangmeyer and Grizzoli. Luckily for him, the decision was made swift. Snarloff and Wolpherd. Before they began their daily routes, Nick remembered he had something unbelievably important to do first.
Clawhauser and Finnick were getting the final things for their wedding, and Nick had to give the wedding rings to Finnick, the best fox and ring bearer. He was starting to have second thoughts about his decision, especially after little fiasco last night. Maybe he should have picked Spots instead, but he had known Finnick for years. He just rubbed his temple and tried to soothe another oncoming headache as they drove through the streets.
The hustle and bustle of Savannah Central seemed as busy as usual that day, and Finnick chatted it up with his newly found cheetah friend as they waited for their officer to arrive at the scene. Clawhauser pulled on his collar. It was really hot for an August day. Soon enough, the two catch a glimpse of a cruiser parking behind the fennec's camper van, and out comes a slightly distraught looking fox.
"Heyyy! There's the party animal! How you feelin'?" Finnick asked with a mischievous smile growing across his face.
"I feel like I'm starting to have trust issues with you again." Nick growled as he rubbed his eyes.
"Hmph. So stubborn. When did you become so stuck up about having a good time?" The fox glared at him. The fennec glared right back, not stirred by his growing impatience.
"D-did those pills I gave you help a little?" Clawhauser asked trying to break the tension.
"A little bit. Thanks for that, Spots. Never thought you would need hangover remedies like that. I never thought of you of being 'that' kind of party animal."
"Well, I can't always be Cherry Fizz and Gazelle Karaoke. Gotta spice it up every now and then." He winked. Finnick just rolled his eyes at the sappy nature of the conversation.
Nick gave a small chuckle, before snapping back to the reality of why he was here. "Alright then...here you go." Nick paused for a moment to reach into his back pocket, out of which, he pulled a small velvet box containing two of the most important things in his life. His and Judy's wedding rings. Just as Finnick was about to take hold of it, Nick pulled the box back and held his opposite finger up. "But! I swear... if you lose or ruin these, Finnick... so...help me..."
This time, Finnick was struck by his repressed anger. He gulped at the thought of taking such a massive responsibility. He knew if he lost those somehow, Nick would literally kill him. With the rings being $25,000, it was by far the most expensive purchase he had made in his life, and certainly the most important one so far. Finnick swallowed the growing knot in his throat and held his paw out as Nick slowly gave him the box.
Finnick opened it to gaze into what very well could have been the most beautiful ring he had ever seen. He really loved this bunny. Love, a concept both of them thought was just a farfetched scam for so many years. That fennec could care less about settling down while he was still in overdrive, but the same could be said differently for Nick. He was perfectly happy where his life was going in the next two days, and being best friends since elementary school, that's all Finnick ever wanted for him.
"Okay, I have to get going. See you two later." Nick said as waved goodbye before hopping back into the cruiser.
Finnick and Clawhauser walk through the main streets of Downtown Savannah Central. Bags filled their paws. The walk light began flashing its warning light. They tried to make it, but the fennec crashed into someone, sending the bags sprawling onto the floor. He rubbed his head as he sat up.
"Sorry man, I didn't see you." Finnick apologized.
"Ey why don't ya watch it next time?!"
Finnick opened his eyes in surprise. He could already tell from that tone and accent who it was. He looked to see shifty old Duke Weaselton picking himself off of the ground. They both brushed the dirt off of their clothes as they fully stood. Clawhauser helped Finnick get his bags.
"Well! If it ain't the tiny little rockstar sellout!" Weaselton snickered.
The fennec got up and brushed the dirt off his shorts. "Whatever, coyote bait. Why don't you watch yourself next time?" He said as he collected the scattered bags.
Weaselton looked at the white lace and party silverware as he scooped them back into the bags. "Whatcha doin? Shoppin' for the retirement home?"
"How about none of your goddamn business?!" He yelled. Clawhauser kicked into action and hurried Finnick with picking up. It would be best for these two not to get in a fight, especially with a pit-pocketing weasel and what the fennec had in his back pocket.
"Okay Finnick, let's just go." Clawhauser said shooing him away from Weaselton's direction. The fennec glared behind him and the weasel responded with giving him a certain finger.
The fennec and cheetah wandered the mall aimlessly looking for the last decorations and gifts. Luckily the wedding planner had most of it covered. Finnick found a nice bouquet of roses in the floral shop, while Clawhauser stuck his muzzle in every bundle to take in each new smell. He jumped up and put it on the counter. The pig rang him up. "Okay sir. $9.23 please."
Finnick reached for his wallet, but was temporarily confused to find it not there. Then his face went cold. The rings. He patted frantically up and down his clothes, searching for the box, but to no avail. He took off his black shirt, leaving his muscle shirt, and violently shook it hoping for the box to fall out.
"Shit. Shit! Shit!" He shouted. The wallet was no big deal, it was the box and the rings that were the important thing. Nick would surely kill him, let alone arrest or at least taze him in a very unwanted place if he lost those rings. What was worse though, was the thought of what Judy would do to him. "Clawhauser! You got the rings!?"
He blinked. "I thought you had them!" He began to check his pockets too. Even under the folds of his neck, but there was nothing more than a bit of frosting.
The two rushed out of the store, struggling to retrace their steps. As Finnick stepped out of the store, it hit him like a brick wall. Back where he ran into Weaselton. He had to have dropped it there. Finnick and Clawhauser raced back to the spot. By the time they got there, Clawhauser was hunched over, gasping for air. Finnick looked high and low for the rings, but there was no sign of the velvet box, anywhere.
Suddenly, the fennec's nose twitched. He caught the strong leftover stench of cologne. The same one Duke was wearing. A lightbulb lit above his head. Finnick kept his head low to the ground as he followed the scent like a wolf down the street. They cheetah followed close behind.
Once they came around the corner, that's where they saw him. Duke was giggling to himself, hunched over, hiding whatever he was looking at. It only took Finnick a small glance to see what the weasel was holding. The velvet box.
Finnick's eyes became fire, and his voice became roaring thunder. He tightened his fists and heard multiple pops as his knuckles cracked. "HEY! TOOTHPICK!"
The weasel flinched and turned his head towards the deep voice. That's when his beast eyes met a pair of sunglasses. The fox took them off and put them in his shirt pocket.
"You'd best give me those back before I break your little twig neck!" Finnick roared.
Duke reacted fast. He turned his feet and ran for it. "Come and get em', small fry!" He shouted.
They two chased after him, and Clawhauser quickly called the ZPD. They already had an officer in route. The three pushed and shoved their way through the large crowds. Finnick dodged and weaved, trying his best to shake the fennec, but he was a heat seeking missle, and his fists were going to hit his target, one way or another.
The weasel makes a turn down an alleyway, and Finnick followed suit. Clawhauser stayed on the phone with the dispatch to help the officer reach their location. Just as Duke saw his opening at the end of the alley, a police cruiser blocked off his only exit. Lights flaring and sirens wailing. He turned around, but as soon as he did, Duke 's jaw painfully met Finnick's fist.
The weasel sprawled onto the concrete ground. As his body met the asphalt, everything was carrying fell out of his pockets. A pocket knife, Finnick's wallet, and most importantly, the box. He darted for it, opened it up, and gave the largest sigh of relief. There was not a thing wrong with them.
Finnick and Clawhauser's attention was brought up to the officer, who's car door loudly slammed. Finnick saw underneath the car, and swallowed hard as he saw a long red tail round the front of the cruiser. Around to their side, came a very unamused Nick, clad in his police uniform, cuffs in paw.
Finnick stood up and backed away so Nick could do his job. He did not say a word. He didn't need to. Duke was out cold, so it would be pointless to list him his rights, and his angry scowl said a thousand words. It was scary enough to make even Chief Bogo tremble.
Nick stood up straight, crossed his arms and stated down at his friend. Finnick knew what came next. He slowly closed the box and lifted his arm towards the cop.
Clawhauser tried to break the tension with his giddy attitude. "Heh, soooooo Nick. Does Judy like roses, or-"
Nick swiped the box from Finnick's paw. "Carnations. White." That was all he said to the two of them. He picked up the weasel and tossed him into the backseat. A few seconds later, and he was gone.
The two of them looked at each other. Soon enough, they made their way back. After all the shut that had happened that day, the least they could do was get the right flowers.
Skye and Nick were back to working on the car, sharing laughs and exchanging stories of good times. "Well I think you're right, Nick. Foxes tell the best stories." She said, wiping her paws on the rag.
"Told ya."
Skye clapped her paws. "Alright! Let's see if this works." She announced. Nick grabbed the keys and walked to the driver seat.
"Ready?" Nick asked. She held her thumb up in approval. At the sight of the gesture, Nick put the keys in the ignition, and turned it over. With a few hiccups, the engine roared to life. The two of them celebrated over their hard work paying off.
Nick got out of the car and Skye shut the hood. The two gave each other a loud high five. He looked at the time and realized that it had been about four hours. "Well, that's taken care of. You want to get some food real quick?" Nick suggested.
"Sure. There should be a Bugburger around the corner." She said smiling.
The two got into the car. As Skye put her seatbelt on, Nick paused for a moment. "Skye..."
The vixen looked over at him. "Yeah?"
"Promise me one thing."
Skye turned her head. "Sure, what is it?"
"Make sure Jack knows how much you love him."
She smiled. "Aye Aye."
As Nick pulled out of the driveway, Skye reached up and felt her scar again. A scar is a visible story of our lives. Each one tells a different story. From the love, hate, and all other adventures we experience in our lives. They're souvenirs we can't pardon with. To her, it meant something different. She was not a religious type of animal, but that scar was a sign. It was her sign from above. A sign that proved she had a reason worth living. Because somebody else cares for her. That she was not alone in her life. And she swore on her life, she would not let it go to waste. Skye knew she liked Jack, and she knew he liked her. But liking was child's play. She was a grown fox, and she was ready for love.
