Author's Note:
Nearing the end of the season. As per usual, Episode 26 will be a double-length special, so it might take a little longer to get that one finished. For now, enjoy calmer and sweeter days in a small town before we head back to the big city for the cluster-fluff that waits for us there.
If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time you will want to check out Season 1 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^
I would like to clearly state that I am not affiliated with Disney in any way, and am not provided compensation of any kind but love and happiness for the writing of these stories. Zootopia owns all rights to Zootopia and the characters portrayed herein.
Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 2! He's working hard slogging through typos so you don't have to!
Guardian Blue: Season Two
Episode 25: Pair
The fear and distress from the previous day had mostly faded. The inclusion of the two ZPD officers who both took their purpose there so seriously increased the sense of safety. Judy was sure that it also helped that she was obviously Wolfard's friend. He was easier to trust because the bunny had earned the confidence and respect of those present. Pawlander mostly stayed out of the way in the video room when he was on duty, but occasionally came down to provide Judy and Nick with updates concerning the case.
There were not any real surprises, and while the officers requested information concerning Pembe, all they knew was that he had been arrested and has confessed to the crime of kidnapping and conspiracy. There wasn't any information available to them on why he did it, or why he changed his mind and gave Jack the key that allowed them to escape. Judy hoped that the court could be lenient with him when that fact was verified by her report.
As the morning drifted into afternoon, almost everyone participated with lunch. Bonnie and Vivienne both helped Honey in the kitchen, and everyone else went outside to hang out on the porch. It was a lovely Fall day, the air slightly warm and dry with a breeze. Judy could almost forget the insanity of what had happened if it were not for the fact that they still had lions and hyenas with them. Kijvu and Motti had fun emulating the moves they had seen in the Munch match, which ultimately devolved to them fighting in the leaves. The bunny cop was a little concerned about that at first, but Motti's mother said it was perfectly normal and they would not actually hurt one another. Still, it was rowdy enough that agent Bay came out to check on them.
Cassie and Charisse found it agreeable to just lounge on the stairs that led down from the porch and enjoy an appetizer of sunshine. They talked about their plans for the coming days. Judy was not surprised to find that the lion sisters would not be returning to the Interior and that they would be going to Zootopia instead. They had family there and were ready for a new start with the hope of forgetting the unhappy things that had happened to them. Jack and Skye had gone to the diner together despite being instructed that it was not a great idea. Jack was too high profile and it would get out that he was in New Reynard. The buck was not concerned about it, as they would be returning to Zootopia tomorrow. They had already been cleared to do so.
The black wolf let everyone know that it was almost lunch time. Shaking leaves off and reluctantly coming in out of the sunshine, everyone headed into the dining room. Judy had almost forgotten what her mom was capable of in the kitchen, and the combination of doe and vixen teamed up as they were made for a very noteworthy lunch. Everyone was pleased. Fish and chips were provided to most of the predators there. Nick, Viv and Wolfard both enjoyed a shrimp salad instead. The bunnies all enjoyed delectable steamed veggie wraps with a fruit salad on the side.
During lunch, Nick and Judy talked about some of the genuinely funny things that happened to them on duty, and explained what fluff assignments meant for them. The purpose was pretty transparent: Nick wanted to make it clearer to Judy's parents that they were not dodging bullets or being sliced and diced by bad guys every day. It was much more about service to the community than actual fighting.
Laughing at the antics of the pair went a long way toward lightening the mood that Judy's parents displayed when they arrived. Nick never explained to his partner if having Vivienne show up to counter her family had been intentional, or if she had just wanted to visit. Vivienne had taken the day off, and Judy knew why. While Motti's parents, Uzuri and Nyeusi, talked about Ukweli growing up with Motti and her brother as a sibling, Judy considered how to do the thing she had been distractedly thinking about all day.
As lunch ended, the slightly nervous doe finally decided to make her move. She looked at Bay, who was nabbing another apple shamelessly from her fruit salad. Bonnie had prepared a sauce for it that was divine, and he couldn't stop eating it. Judy was fine with that, since his obsession over it was boosting her mother's self-esteem.
"Richter…" the bunny officer asked, making him flinch as if he might finally have filched one apple too many. "… After lunch, is it alright if Nick and I take our parents for a walk out to the park in the center of town?" She did not want to give away too much information and spoil the surprise for her partner. It felt like a reasonable request.
"Can we go too?" Angela requested. Sammie nodded at that as well. They had both wanted to explore the little town. Judy had hoped they would want to stay. She intended for this to be just her, Nick, and their parents.
"I can't really watch over you all there, unfortunately," Bay apologized. "You guys will be heading back to Zootopia soon, but until then, I am very much responsible for keeping the situation under control.
"I can go with them," Wolfard stated. "I think it should be fine, honestly."
"Not your place to say, unfortunately," Bay sighed.
"It's personal, and it's important," Nick retorted in an authoritative tone. Judy looked warily at her fox, worried that he might have figured out what was up.
"You'd have to make a pretty strong argument, Officer Wilde," Bay stated.
"And I am to make personal arguments to you?" he asked, a slight baring of his teeth. Putting his mother in danger had not genuinely endeared Nick to the ZBI agent.
The wolf was unimpressed. "While I am in charge, yes. You're a sergeant, so you should certainly understand." Bay smiled back, baring his own teeth. Judy tried think of another way to make this happen before fur started flying.
Nick growled, "I have put off visiting my father's grave every other time I've been here. I do not intend to delay that any longer." The bunny's heart lurched. Was he serious? Bonnie put a paw over her muzzle, but Vivienne was expressionless.
Bay recoiled some, seeming not-so-gently shamed. "Argument… uh… Argument accepted. Wolfard, please accompany them. No one is to move out of earshot from Officer Wolfard." The grey lupine officer nodded in agreement. Judy felt it a little uncharacteristic of Bay to cave in so quickly. Nick's demand was pretty important, yes, but it was also not Bay's problem. The trigger, Judy felt, was likely that this was not merely Nick's father, but the late husband of the fox who had, with a bow and arrow, saved his entire agency the dishonor of possibly a couple of dead ZPD officers, if not worse than that.
"Thank you." Nick glared, his ears laid back. Judy inhaled deeply, looking away from the somewhat awkward moment. If Nick was serious, this might not be a great time to act on her grand intentions. She looked to Vivienne for guidance, a worried expression on the doe's face as her fox finished his food. Vivienne just smiled and nodded. She probably felt that it would still be alright. Judy sighed discreetly and settled back in, finishing her food as well.
Bay volunteered to assist Honey with the dishes, which surprised Judy. Maybe he wasn't so intolerant of their hostess after all. The badger certainly seemed happy about it as everyone else left the table. Motti's family gathered in the living room to watch TV and the lions headed out to the back yard to view the lake.
Vivienne, Stu, and Bonnie went with Judy and her partner out the front door for that leisurely walk out to the center of town. As promised, Wolfard accompanied them. Sammie and Angela hung back some to pester Wolfard with questions about embarrassing things Judy had done on the job. He fortunately did not share the really embarrassing ones. He instead opted to talk about the strange things the other officers had to get used to while working with a power-house bunny. The distance from the bed and breakfast was enough that it let them relax and talk about family, friends, work and everything in between.
Despite the light, happy mood, Judy found herself feeling almost ill at times, so unfathomably nervous. She hadn't even talked to her parents about what she was about to do or its meaning, but nothing was going to stop her from doing it. Creating any conflict by bringing it up first would not serve any purpose. Lost in her tumbling and chaotic mind, the doe padded zombie-like behind Nick, barely aware of more than snippets of the conversation.
Judy was so distracted with the mess of her thoughts and going over her lines again and again in her head that she never saw the three fox kits barreling toward her. She looked up just in time to see Nick's mom hip-check a little fox practically out of the air to make the little furry red missile miss its intended mark and somersault a few times on the soft lawn with a comical 'thumpa-thumpa-thumpa'. Judy flinched at Viv semi-tackling a kit, but then realized that the playful little fox would have popped a stitch or two on her oh chest if he'd connected. She felt bad for not being on guard for that. The other two kits went to the grass, howling with laughter at the fate of their friend.
The kit got up, dusting off grass and dirt off his black t-shirt and jeans. Judy immediately recognized those bright blue eyes. It was the little fox she had met briefly the first time she came to New Reynard. He laughed, "Nice block, Aunt Viv!"
"Be careful, Samuel!" Vivienne scolded. "The bunny got hurt at work." The little kit rubbed the back of his head at that.
"Oh my goodness!" Bonnie gasped, visibly enraptured by the unmitigated adorable that the sudden presence of fox kits represented. Sammie squeaked with completely unrestrained enthusiasm. Judy glanced back and forth between them. So, maybe her reaction to these little vulpines hadn't been so much about Nick.
"Sorry!" the little fox chuckled nervously. "Hey Nick! Did you bring your cards?" he asked, changing gears with bright, eager eyes.
"No, we hadn't expected to be here today." Nick explained. His partner clung onto a single word in the conversation.
"You're related to Vivienne?" Judy inquired.
"Yeah, she's my aunt," little Sam said, getting up and brushing himself off. "I met you at the statue a while back, remember?" he inquired. Judy looked up where the kit was pointing. They were at the edge of the park where the statue was clearly visible through the gold and red foliage of the trees. Judy also noticed Skye and Jack sitting on a bench by the statue, talking to another kit. It was nice to see them relaxing. The bunny cop glanced back to Sam.
"I do remember! You were gonna capture me if I didn't respond correctly, I seem to recall."
The little kit wiggled joyfully at being recognized. "I didn't know who you were then. I know now, though. Aunt Viv told me. Trying to capture you would have been a terrible idea!" He bounced gleefully on his toes.
"Probably!" Nick chuckled. "How's my favorite little cousin?" he asked.
"Doing great. Jack Savage is here! Did you know?" He pointed. "Like… right in our town!" Nick arched a brow. "I'm serious! He's sitting right over there! Wanna go meet him? He's pretty cool!"
"Jack and I are friends, actually," Nick laughed. "He's here with us."
"What?" Sam gasped. "No way!" Wolfard, standing a bit out of the way, snickered at that.
"Yes way!" Vivienne offered.
"Let's go talk to Jack!" Stu proposed brightly, urging the kits toward the park. Judy got her father's hint right away: They could easily end up tangled up with the playful little foxes half the day. Nick had a reason for being there. Sammie and Angela started over toward the happy-looking fox and bunny couple on the bench. The albino doe was still giddy over finding out that Jack was openly dating a fox. It was super relevant to her.
"Nick," Vivienne half-whispered, "…do you want me to come with you?"
"No, it's alright, Mom," Nick replied softly, "I know you visit, I just want to say a few words is all. Keep Bonnie and Stu and the girls out of trouble over there. I hadn't realized that it was fall-break, so there's probably about to be a bunch of excited kits in the park to see the bunnies." He shook his head with a smile.
Judy gazed up at her vulpine lover. "Did you want me to wait with them?" she asked, supposing that this was a very private thing for her fox.
"No, Fluff… I want you with me." Nick took her paw. She stifled a gasp, but moved along with him away from the park. She looked back at Vivienne who only smiled and nodded at the bunny. Judy went with him quietly. The fox didn't say anything else for a while as they walked. Originally, the bunny thought perhaps her love had mentioned going to see his father as merely a way to get Bay to approve their going to the park, but it was obvious now that his intentions had been genuine. Judy worried about the emotions involved, but was also happy that Nick wanted her there. She figured he'd been beating himself up pretty badly over not visiting, so she could be there to comfort her fox.
They ventured into the cemetery, the second time Judy had passed through those tall iron gates. It was immediately quieter, as if the short stone walls completely blocked sound from coming over them. Even the birds seemed more distant and muted in this calm, hallowed resting place. There wasn't anyone else walking the stone-lined paths, but this time she didn't care if anyone stared at the odd arrival of a bunny. She belonged. She had family here. Nick got a few steps up the leaf-littered and aged gravel path, and then sighed softly.
"Are you okay?" the bunny whispered, holding his paw a little tighter.
"I should have asked Mom to come. I'm so dumb," he grumbled to himself.
"Why's that?" Judy murmured caringly, perking her ears.
"I have… no idea where to find my dad in this place," Nick admitted in embarrassment.
"It's alright, I know where he is," Judy said, leading Nick with her.
"What?" the fox murmured as he stumbled along behind her.
"Remember, I came here looking for your mom. I've been here before." She smiled at that, happy be able to help him after all.
"Wait, so you found him?" Nick whispered.
"Yes?" the bunny peered back at him curiously.
"And he didn't just get up and walk off?" Nick gestured in amazement.
"Not. Funny." The doe squeezed his paw hard. Nick laughed anyway.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. But I'm nervous. You know how I am when I'm nervous," he said softly.
"Why nervous? You don't really remember him that well, right?"
Nick shook his head, following close behind his bunny. "I mean, I know about him through stories Mom told me, and she's talked about him a bit more with things being nicer between us. It's why I wanted to pay my respects… but I've never really known what to say. My reasons for coming back to New Reynard are about to be a lot less though. So putting it off won't do. It'll start eating at my Mom. And if you go with me, she will know I actually paid my respects."
"Why didn't you ask her to come?" Judy inquired.
"She already knows what I want to say. I wanted her to have a fun and happy day off, and visiting Dad makes her understandably sad. She gets lonely so I'm really glad she's coming to Zootopia."
Judy cheered up quite a lot at that subject. "I'm really happy both our families will be working together like that. It makes things feel more unified. It's really common in Bunnyburrow. You have families join farms, properties, all that. It's really encouraging." Judy knew perfectly well she was priming him for the speech that she was still so nervous about giving, but her mind was made up. She just hoped that Nick still felt up to it when he was done here. She didn't know how hard this would be on him.
The bunny was surprised that she actually remembered what part of the cemetery John Wilde had been laid to rest in, but it was more because she remembered the big tree than anything else. It was also not a huge graveyard. In a few quiet moments, the bunny stood with her fox before the tidy, quiet grave of his father. Nick looked down, his ears up, peering at the memorial. It wasn't very large, it certainly wasn't fancy. The red vulpine was very quiet for some time, eventually just closing his eyes and standing there. Judy was sure he was saying what needed to be said in his mind. That was fine. She was the same when she visited her grandmother. It had been a while. She made a mental note to do so soon.
Nick finally spoke, shaking Judy from her thoughts. "Well, here I am… finally. Not a little kit anymore, I guess." He took Judy's paw in his again and smiled. "I owe you two things Dad. The first is an apology. You did a lot for Mom… for me… and you got taken away. You tried to do a good thing, but it didn't turn out so great. I took that as an excuse to not always do the right thing. And then I latched onto another excuse to straight up do the wrong damned thing, and not even give a damn. Mom tried to fix things and I did the wrong thing there too. The worst thing that she ever went through was leaving you here." Judy felt her chest tightening. She knew what was coming. Nick hung his head. "But in a close second place… was me walkin' out on her. You never meant to leave. I did. And I did for the worst reason." His voice was strained. Judy held her breath. "You probably counted on me to take care of her when you were gone, and I just… left her crying in the night." He was quiet a moment.
Judy glanced up at her fox. He wasn't crying but his face was tensed, making her think he was trying not to. The bunny pushed in a little closer to Nick. He was confessing what he had done, and while she wanted to comfort him, to tell him it wasn't that bad, he had his reasons. It was a mistake he was working hard to fix, so the doe did not feel it was wise to interrupt him. This was why he didn't want his mother to come. She would have certainly stopped him from agonizing over it. But he felt real guilt over it and he needed to do this.
The fox continued, softly, "I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry I wasn't there for her when she needed me most, and I'm sorry I blamed you for leaving us. I didn't understand before, but I do now. I… I'm sure you know from mom, but I'm a police officer now." His voice cracked a little, but was a little lighter as well. "I've ended up in the water while saving someone else too. And I understand. I thought it was for nothing, but it's not. You wanted this world to be just a little bit better, and you tried. You didn't get to stay, but the part of you that you left behind… will carry on and make it better. And I have the best kind of help." Nick pulled Judy closer.
"Hello…" Judy whispered softly, fighting hard not to cry from the things her beloved fox had just said. How she was going to make it through any kind of speech about her, she did not know.
"This is Judy Hopps. The second thing I owe to you is a special introduction." The doe swallowed at that. "I know this might sound… a little odd, but I'm vowed up to this bunny. She's the source of my happiness, and the good I have found in the world. Through her I have made myself into the fox that I think you always wanted me to be… at least close to it. And she's given back the joy Mom and I had all but forgotten." Judy closed her eyes, a tear rolling down the bridge of her muzzle. Nope, couldn't take it. "I'm gonna take Mom back to Zootopia with me, and Judy and I are going to fill all the rest of her days with happiness and life. When you finally see her again, she'll have quite a story to tell. I know you forgive me Dad, and thank you for that. You rest, and know that I will take care of Mom the way she deserves, and I will be the happy and clever fox you wanted me to be." Judy choked out a little sob. Nick, who perhaps hadn't realized how emotional she'd become, sucked in a breath and pulled his doe close, leaning down to hug her.
"I'm sorry," the bunny sputtered.
"Carrots, it's okay... This is a happy time, not a sad one. This is good for me. I've needed this for a long time." Nick nuzzled the bunny between her ears sweetly.
"So emotional," came a graveled voice from behind the pair. Judy jerked but Nick actually jumped and spun 180 degrees.
"Gah! Fffff-luff me… Who?!" He clutched his chest as he regarded the ancient-looking fox in a light grey suit who had managed to sneak up on them.
"Oh, Elliott!" Judy exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Ah thought it were you, Julie," the old fox rumbled.
"Judy," the bunny corrected.
"Shuffle your feet or something!" Nick gasped, pulling his ears back.
"Vivienne said ya'll were here. Little Nicky, all grow'd up, eh?" he asked, putting his paw out to the other fox. Nick looked at it like it was likely to come off but kindly shook it.
"We are, but not for long. It's work related." Nick explained.
"And yer little bunny friend I already met," he stated, taking Judy's little paw in his. Judy was less apprehensive.
"I'm actually really glad to see you again," Judy expressed, ears up. "I wanted to thank you for helping me the day I came looking for Vivienne."
Elliott's paw moved behind his head and he rubbed it, glancing away shamefully. "Ah, yes, my apologies for being a little on the secretive side, but… I hadn't a clue what kind of troubles might have come out from the city lookin' to give our fair Vivienne, and I wanted to properly get to know yer intentions first. But you seemed like you were shore genuine enough, so… I gave you yer chance. Took it, from what I hear."
"I did, yes, thank you." Judy smiled. "Things turned out quite nicely."
"Lad, this bunny done you a big service. Ah hope ye' thanked her proper," Elliot insisted, shaking his cane at the younger fox."
"I vowed up to her," Nick said abruptly. Those heavily-lidded old blue eyes went wide open. He needed to lean a bit on that cane.
"Ah see… Well, yeah… Heh, Yeah, that would be some kind of gratitude," he provided incredulously. Judy was actually startled that Nick told him, given the age of the fox. He might not be able to take big surprises!
"I've said my piece Judy, if you'd like to get back to our families." He nodded out beyond the graveyard, at the park in front of the statue. Angela was chasing Jack, and Skye was doubled over, laughing. He probably said something insulting.
"I'm happy to see you visitin' John. He was sech a kind lad," stated the aged vulpine. Nick snapped his attention to the silvering fox.
"Did you know my dad?"
"Oh yes. Taught him archery. One of the best. Your Ma learned from him too. I bet you didn't know that!" laughed Elliott.
"It came up recently." Nick deadpanned.
"Well, he was good. Real dedicated sort. Vivienne's been so happy since you started visitin' her, Nicky. John woulda been happy about that." Elliott nodded.
"How do you think he'd have felt… about my affection for this particular bunny?" asked the younger fox. Judy was still surprised that her fox would so openly talk about it with the possibly old-fashioned caretaker. Then again, something about Elliott made him seem so genuine, so trustworthy and understanding. It felt like she could just tell him anything, too. Even when she first met him, she felt a sense of reverent trust toward him.
The caretaker had enough time to digest the revelation, it appeared. He leaned on his cane and smiled broadly, his grizzled muzzle tipping down as he gazed at Judy. "Ah, now… I knew John well enough to know exactly what he'd say about that." The younger fox and bunny both stood straighter, listening. "He'd have said that he never wanted his son to settle for second best, but he knew for a fact he already got the best vixen… so what was a poor young fox to do? Well, Nicky, it seems you done figured it out! Take the best bunny instead! Your dad would laugh, but he'd be happy for ye'." he chuckled. Judy gasped and covered her muzzle, blushing as the laughing old fox turned and shuffled away.
Nick looked after him with a bright grin, flitting his tail back and forth. While Judy thought it was a rather funny thing to say, it visibly struck a chord in her fox. He then turned and smiled at his dad's memorial.
"Seems you aren't… so far away after all," he said in a soft voice. "I'll visit again, don't worry. Sleep well." He nodded quickly and took Judy by the paw. "You ready, Fluff?" he inquired. His doe nodded and padded along with Nick. He stopped short watching Elliott vanish over the hill they had both come over.
"Nick?" Judy asked.
"Just… he's so quiet. It's creepy. Don't you think it's creepy?" offered the fox.
"Nick, come off of it. He's a fox. You sneak up on me all the time… even with these ears." She took Nick by the paw and led him casually from the graveyard. The task Nick had in mind was, thankfully, not so heartbreaking as she feared it might be. He was actually in a pretty good mood after that. Judy exited the cemetery with her partner, noticing that there were a few other foxes who were, as they walked about, watching her. It was about the same as last time. Perhaps they were that way for any visitor.
Through some manner of providence, more mammals had not shown up to come see Jack and Skye. The little kits were corralled by Vivienne and whatever she told them caused them to scatter. Judy's heart raced. The older lady fox was setting the stage.
"Aw, and here I was, wanting to take some pictures of a cute bunny playing with little foxes. It would be so adorable!" Nick sighed. Judy slugged him in the shoulder. "Ow, hey, what was that for! You said I could call you cute! You, Officer Hopps, have set a bad example for the children, and you should apologize at once." Nick crossed his arms, giving a mock frown of indignation.
"Sorry to have hit you so softly, Slick." She held up her little paw, balled into a fist with a grin.
"I yield!" cried Nick with a laugh as they arrived in front of the bench where a panting Jack had retuned. Angela and Sammie both sat on the bench on either side of the other fox and bunny.
"I would like to report an attack, Officer Wilde." Wolfard said, leaning against a tree opposite of the bench, away from the statue. Bonnie and Stu were committed to something entirely predictable. They were inspecting the myriad of flowers that surrounded the base of the statue.
"You need not report it! I saw Savage being assailed by a dark, mysterious bunny," Nick laughed with a smirk.
Wolfard nodded at the male fox, stating, "I was gonna save him, but she got taken down by a bunch of little foxes." Nick laughed at that heavily. Wolfard continued, "I don't see why I was needed as a chaperone, no one can do anything bad in New Reynard without getting an arrow in 'em, or else buried in little nibbling kits." Nick laughed at that even harder. Judy's willpower swelled with that. Humor was always a good way to put her fox in a fantastic mood. The bunny glanced earnestly to Vivienne. The older lady fox was carefully watching the doe, so she reacted immediately. She moved to the back of the bench, behind Skye, and whispered softly into one of her ears.
The white vixen's eyes shot wide open, ice blue and full of emotion. She got up from the bench abruptly and tugged Jack upward too. Judy led Nick to the bench. He watched the departing mirror couple and nodded happily. He was just as stoked as Judy that they were open about their love. Their public announcement and the support of his fans had done much to allay his fears of what to expect when others inevitably learned of their relationship.
"C'mon Nick…" Judy insisted, pulling him toward the bench. "We should sit." Angela and Sammie looked at one another curiously and got up as well, perhaps not wanting to impose on their sister's personal space with her fox.
"What? Sure. Are you okay? It's been too much walking, hasn't it?" Nick asked, immediately concerned. Judy smiled, looking over at Vivienne. Nick's mother had walked a few steps and leaned down to get her parents' attention. They surely had no idea what was coming. Judy felt a little dizzy, running the first lines through her head again. She did not want to mess this up and it suddenly dawned on her that this was a public speech. The bunny loathed public speaking, given her unfortunate past with it. But this one was both unavoidable and might well be the most important one of her life. No pressure, right?
She took a moment to take in this very important moment. The sun was still high in the sky, blue with the occasional white, fluffy cloud. A gentle wind plucked and cascades a perpetual gentle shower of gold and red leaves through the park as they sat in the shadow of the tall bronze statue of the town's vulpine hero as he offered a gift of hope to a raccoon child. Sammie and Angela watched their sister, and her parents were approaching with Vivienne in tow. The landscape was a peaceful contrast of cerulean blue and white with gold and yellow and green. It was a perfect fall day, and Judy inscribed every detail into her heart.
She got onto the bench on her knees beside Nick, who sat rather normally. He turned to face Judy, still appearing concerned. The bunny slipped a small paw under Nick's chin and leaned in, touching her mouth to his very gently, feeling him tense slightly. They were right in the center of town, kissing. Hiding their love was over.
"Hey, nice to see you too," he chuckled, trying to dismiss his nervousness with humor pretty much as she assumed he would. The bunny then put her thumb under his chin, tilting his head back and cupping her small mouth along his throat. Early on, the feel of his soft fur in her mouth was certainly odd, but she quickly learned the allure of it, and she pushed her teeth tight against him, earning a whine from the fox. Perfect. She had his complete and undivided attention.
"Did she just bite him?" Angela asked.
"Fox thing." Sammie said.
"Of course you know that." The black doe responded.
"Uh, late night cable TV kiss there, Fluff," Nick expressed in a raspy tone.
"I know. Whatcha gonna do about it?" Judy dared with a smug expression as she regarded the nervous red vulpine.
"Ask that you think of the children?" squeaked Nick as the bunny drew closer. She had everyone else's attention as well, though no other foxes that had been walking about bothered to wander closer. This was splendid. Judy sucked in a deep breath, summoning up all the false bravado she could.
"And here I thought we were too playful – ow!" Jack was silenced by Skye. Vivienne had probably told her exactly why they were surrendering the bench.
"Nick…" Judy took her fox's chin and guided him back to face her. She gazed into his emerald eyes longingly. She wanted to kiss him again, to feel his arms around her. There would be a lot of that. He smiled brightly to her, and then his expression melted some. He could surely sense her nervousness, and was trying to figure out what was wrong.
"Judy…" Nick said softly.
Finally, with all eyes on her, and feeling almost as much nervousness as she had the first day she walked through the front gates of the ZPD academy, Judy spoke.
"Nicholas Piberius Wilde…" she let the words roll off of her tongue. Angela stifled a giggle at the fox's middle name, but quieted herself immediately. It was obvious to anyone watching that this was something important. Nick, however, tensed up heavily, eyes going wide as the only reason for Judy to have said his whole name likely dawned on him in an instant. He glanced around frantically at those around him, perhaps to take stock of who Judy had brought and how likely this was to being what he suspected. He swallowed dryly and locked his eyes on Judy's, not daring to look away. The small grey doe looked into his emerald irises intently and spoke in a sure, if emotionally unsteady voice.
"From this glad day, and all that shall follow,"
"All that you've given me I take now as my own."
Judy felt a wave of emotion strike her as Nick sucked in a deep breath and was helpless to prevent tears from rolling down his soft vulpine cheeks. She stumbled a moment from the sudden show of emotion.
"… I accept in my heart,"
"Your gift to be true…"
"All that I am, all l that I was, all that I ever shall be… I give unto thee."
"To love and protect, to honor and aid,"
"Unconditional and unwavering,"
"I choose you as my mate, in this life and the next."
There was a hard squeak from Bonnie. Judy did not dare look away from her fox. His jaw dropped, ears high. The very distinct addition to that line Judy had just spoken made all the difference to what this vow truly meant. Nick said the final line in unison with his bunny.
May fate never bear us apart.
Her claimed fox then carefully pulled his mate to him, embracing her achingly, if still gently, mindful of her injuries. He shook a little, trying to keep his tears quiet with a great deal of effort. Judy let herself cry freely as well. She did it. She actually claimed him. She could let the tears flow.
"Uh… Did my sister just get married?" demanded Angela.
"Yeaaahhh…" replied Vivienne in a dreamy tone.
"Wait, what!?" gasped Stu.
"I… I…" Bonnie yammered.
"I need to sit down." There was a soft thump as Sammie just sat right where she was.
"Wait, are you… this isn't…" Wolfard stammered. "This is actually…?" He looked at Judy expectantly. Judy nodded slowly to Wolfard. He cupped his muzzle.
Bonnie cried out. "Oh, no! I wasn't recording! I didn't record my oldest daughter's marriage!" whimpered the suddenly panic-stricken older doe.
"Married?" whimpered Stu, slightly dazed.
"Don't worry, Mrs. H, I gotcha." Skye held up her phone. As Vivienne had prepared her with that whisper for the event, Skye had dutifully played photographer the way she had for the fox and bunny's first date.
"For real? Just like that?" added Judy's father, still cupping his muzzle. Vivienne moved over to Nick and Judy and pushed her cheek onto both, claiming them as family once again. This time, it carried a more defined purpose. Then, Judy found herself transfixed as Vivienne moved to Angela, Sammie, and her parents and did the same. She claimed all of them. Sammie squeaked happily about it, but Angela was still so deeply in shock that she remained perfectly still, standing there in front of them.
Bonnie huffed. "I need to be taking pictures of this stuff too!" She took out her phone and fumbled, dropping it on the grass and bumping heads with her husband as they both went for it, falling onto the lawn. They both laughed, rubbing the impact points.
"Still rolling, guys, no worries." Skye purred.
"You mean for foxes there's no reception… no gift table, no formal dance?" clarified Stu incredulously, still rubbing his cranium. "… no wedding planner, no top-dollar photographer, no dress for six weeks pay? No renting a space and… and…" Bonnie was glaring at him as he clung to how painless this was as a wedding. He wisely stopped talking. Judy chuckled at her dad.
"Judy Wilde now?" Angela finally asked.
"If she wishes to be." Vivienne added.
"I wish it." The newly married doe expressed, getting another barely audible squeak from her cuddled up mate.
Judy's black-toned sibling indicated the clinging male fox. "He… He seemed completely shocked. I missed the part where he got to say I do," she offered with some concern. Nick shook a little, this time laughing.
"Nick was already vowed up." Vivienne explained for him.
"Yeah?" Angela responded.
Skye crooned happily, "When a fox gives that vow, the recipient can claim him at literally any point for the rest of his life. It can be the same day, or years later." Her tone was wistful and happy.
"Wait, you could do that?" asked Jack, finally speaking up.
"Scared, Squeaker?" purred the white vixen.
"Never..." whispered Jack.
"One day…" Skye whispered back, "Be patient, Squeaker." He melted slightly as Skye hugged him.
"Seriously?" Angela said bluntly. "Wow. Just… Wow." She sat down politely beside her sister on the grass. Judy smiled at them, then to Nick's mom, and then slowly, lovingly kissed her mate. She had been thinking about this non-stop for days, and it still felt like a dream. She had wanted this and now it was hers. Yeah, when they got back to Zootopia, there would be the matter of paperwork. However, to all who really mattered, she now had the only thing she'd ever wanted more than to be an officer. She got to be her fox's wife.
Sure, there was uncertainty in their futures, and likely to be some roadblocks along the way, but in that moment, she cared for nothing but the wet-eyed joy she saw in Nick as he embraced her in a way that made it seem that she'd never get out of his arms.
"I love you, my darling husband," she whispered, meaning every single syllable of everything she'd said. She was his bunny now, just as much as he'd made himself her fox.
"I love you too, my clever, sneaky bunny wife," he whispered back. "I will enjoy spending every day of the rest of my life sharing that with you." Vivienne finally broke, giving a sputtering sob and holding Bonnie who fractured along with her. Stu hugged them both. Judy ignored the emotional parents and cuddled into her perfect lover's embrace, bound in his arms and wrapped up in his soft, fluffy tail. On this day her life changed, but most of all in what way she'd vowed to keep one thing the same. This moment, timeless, bound their hearts as one.