Steven Fangmeyer, a bright orange and black striped Bengal tiger, walked into his and his partner's cubicle and froze. Seeing the black wolf's fur raised, he asked, "What's got your fur all in a bunch?"
Grizzoli shook his head and looked up from the phone as he forced himself to relax. "It's Hopps. I think we misjudged her." At the large tiger's raised eyebrow, he added, "She has quite the temper. And I wouldn't recommend saying anything that implies Wilde isn't to be trusted, because she'll bite your head off if you do."
"You're serious? I should be afraid of a little, timid rabbit?" Fangmeyer laughed, making his bright yellow eyes sparkle with mirth.
Grizzoli shook his head again, then turned and looked at the phone while remembering the angry retort the rabbit had leveled at him. "She's not timid. And if those videos of her sparring matches at the academy are anything to go by, she's not weak, either."
Fangmeyer laughed again. "Whatever." Slapping his partner's back (and knocking him forward slightly), he added, "Come on, we have some leads to follow and some terrorists to catch."
Grizzoli nodded. "Hopps called with some troubling coincidences that need looking into."
The large tiger flicked his ear and glanced down at the black wolf with an 'Are you serious?' expression on his face.
Grizzoli nodded. "Don't underestimate her. Her concerns are legitimate." Fangmeyer raised his eyebrow as the black wolf grabbed the case file off his desk and stood up. Following his partner out the door, the wolf added, "I'll fill you in on the way."
...
As a soft hum drifted up from downstairs, Nick's ear flicked. As the soft hum continued, Nick's ear flicked again, and then an eye cracked open. It shut almost immediately, and he groaned before rolling over onto his back and resting an arm across his eyes. He lay there for several minutes as memories of the day before replayed themselves in all their gory (for some) and exquisite (for others) details. The memories of the late afternoon and late evening teased a small smile from him. Raising his free paw, he ran his fingerpads across his lips while remembering the many kisses he'd shared with Judy the day before.
With a small laugh, he muttered, "If only my ancestors knew how good a rabbit's kisses tasted, they'd never be able to tear into their soft flesh again. It would forever ruin them to the taste of bunny blood." With chuckle, he added, "Maybe it's a good thing they never realized how sweet-tasting a bunny could be or we would have bred ourselves out of existence." This last thought, although funny at first, left a sour taste in his mouth. That was the one thing he regretted about falling for Judy—the inability to have kits with her.
Although kits had never been a concern of his before, now that he had someone to share his life with, his thoughts immediately turned to having a family with his wonderful honeybun. And yes, adoption was available and he'd be surprised if they didn't eventually adopt a few kits, but the desire to sire a few of his own with his chosen mate was strong, and the desire would only grow stronger once winter hit and fox mating season started.
That wasn't to say there was absolutely no hope. Honey had many colleagues in the medical research field, one of which was a very close friend and a geneticist. Her name was Arissa Montahue, and she was the kit of a pairing between a mongoose cross (her mother was crossed between a banded mongoose and a white-tailed mongoose), and a fossa (her dad was a full-blooded fossa which was a close relative—genetically—of the mongoose). Her very existence was a miracle that had driven her into the field of genetics and researching the mammalian genome. Upon closer study, she found she wasn't the only unique one (certainly the only mongoose/fossa hybrid), but there were other miracle babies that were historically impossible. In the last several hundred years, species that were in the same family (such as canines, felines, and equine) who were historically capable of producing offspring but which were infertile, are now producing kits and foals who were capable of producing offspring of their own and passing on their unique hybrid genes.
But even more shocking was that in the last several decades, there were several incidences where species that weren't related (or even close, such as Arissa's parents) were now having kits together. The conclusion the scientific community came up with was that as mammals lived and worked together so closely (as they were in such large cities and outlying communities), that their DNA was slowly changing and evolving to be more closely compatible. The conclusion brought a huge uproar to scientists across the globe, with many heated debates about the authenticity of the claim or the probability of it.
But DNA didn't lie and what finally shut up the naysayers was the birth of a kit six years ago whose mother was a beaver while her father was a porcupine. Nick wasn't sure how that relationship came about, but he really couldn't say anything bad about the odd couple since he was a fox who'd fallen in love with a rabbit—one of his ancient food sources.
The findings weren't wildly publicized, as the general public wasn't interested in scientific discoveries, so the discoveries were only found in scientific journals and magazines, leaving the public largely unaware of the recent discoveries or the heated arguments that followed. Nick only knew about them because Arissa would frequently come over and discuss her findings with Honey. He had found it interesting at the time but hadn't thought much beyond it. But now he did.
Although the likelihood of him getting Judy pregnant was probably still impossible (he was a predator and she was prey), he'd take any tiny bit of hope he could—and thoroughly enjoy doing his best to get her pregnant—regardless of the possibility or probability of them having kits together.
With a grin, Nick lifted his arm just long enough to glance at the clock and saw that it was almost 11:00. Dropping his arm back over his eyes, he smiled. He was sure Judy had been up for hours by now, and yet she let him sleep in. He had such a considerate girlfriend, though he was somewhat surprised she hadn't climbed in bed with him this morning. He wouldn't have minded in the least if she had.
Grabbing the blankets, Nick flung them off and rolled out of bed. He had his hot, sexy girlfriend waiting for him downstairs and a morning kiss is just what he needed to get a jumpstart on the day. After taking a quick pitstop in the bathroom, he made his way downstairs. Coming into the living room, he glanced at Judy as he dropped onto the couch, then reached over and picked her up before plopping her down in his lap. "Good morning, Beautiful." Dipping his head down, Nick ran his nose up Judy's throat and under her chin.
Judy giggled as she felt Nick's wet nose on her neck, and answered, "Morning, Handsome." As Nick pulled back slightly to meet her happy gaze, she flashed him a brilliant smile. Reaching up, she ran her fingers and blunt claws through his cheek fur and up to his ears, then leaned forward half an inch to press her lips to his.
Nicked hummed happily, with his tail wagging a few times before curling around her. At her invitation, he deepened the kiss, even as one of his paws explored her back while the other caressed her tail.
Judy groaned as she felt herself getting excited again. The fact that he waited for her to give him the kiss instead of simply taking it left her a little torn. On the one paw, she felt respected and cherished that he wouldn't simply take what he wanted—that he wasn't using her—and that he wanted to be sure it is what she wanted. On the other paw, Nick already knew what she wanted, and she had absolutely no problems with him simply taking what he wanted from her because whatever he took, she knew she would thoroughly enjoy.
As they broke from the kiss, Nick booped her nose and asked, "So how was your night?"
Judy ran her paws through the thick ruff of his chest and replied, "My night was wonderful. How was yours?"
Nick grinned for a moment, then sighed. "Which part?" At Judy's curious look, he explained. "My early night was wonderful thanks to a certain grey bunny." With a sigh and flick of his ear, he continued, "After putting you to bed, I called mom, but she didn't answer. So, I worked on a project for you."
Judy's ears perked up. "For me?"
"Hmm," Nick hummed in reply, then shifted her to the couch and stood up. "Wait a minute and I'll get it." Running upstairs, he grabbed the disc and brought it back down. Plopping back on the couch next to Judy, he handed her the case.
After taking the disc, Judy glanced down and read the title. With wide, amethyst eyes shining in surprise, Judy asked, "Is this . . . ?"
With a nod, Nick explained, "That's a movie I made of our date." With a tilt of his head, he added, "Well, of our dance, anyways."
Judy's eyes sparkled as she glanced down at the plastic case in her paws and the starry cover of the DVD within. Biting her lip, she held back her suggestion that they watch it right away. Nick had just gotten up and hadn't even had breakfast yet. She didn't even know if he had any plans for the day. Running her paw back over the plastic cover, she asked, "So, are you doing anything today?"
Nick tilted his head a moment in thought. Lounging on the couch with Judy the rest of the day was extremely appealing, but after what happened yesterday afternoon, there was something he needed to pick up from town—and the sooner the better. Reaching over and caressing one of her long, velvety ears, he said, "I need to run into town for a quick errand. Are you going to be good here at the house, or do you want to come with?"
Judy had her eyes closed as Nick caressed her ears but opened them at his question. "As much as I want to go, it's probably better if I stay home. I'm supposed to be resting my leg, remember?" At Judy's pause, Nick nodded, then she added, "And it's probably a good idea if we have some time to ourselves." With a deep breath, she explained, "I think that's why I've been so emotional and pawsy the last few days. So much has happened and I wasn't given a chance to reflect on it and put everything in perspective." As a smile tugged the corner of her mouth, she added, "I spent about 2 hours in your weight room this morning thinking while burning off some excess bunny energy."
Nick grinned as he leaned over and took a strong whiff of his honeybun. "Is that why your scent is so much stronger today?" Moving his nose, he ran it under her chin and down her neck while following the strong scent.
"Nick, are you implying that I stink?" Judy giggled as Nick's wet nose tickled her throat again.
"Nope." Running his nose down to her collar bone, Nick explained, "It just means your scent is more mouth-watering than usual." Flicking his tongue out, he lightly teased her fur which brought a surprised moan from Judy even as she weaved her fingers into his thick chest fur. Nipping her soft, grey fur and the skin over her jugular, he murmured, "When mammals exert themselves, it makes their scent stronger." With a grin, he ran his nose back up her throat while giving her little licks along the way. "This made it much easier for my ancestors to chase down and catch yours."
"Mm, is that so?" Judy murmured as she leaned her head back to give Nick better access to her throat.
"Mm, that's right," he whispered against her jaw line. "The faster you run, and the harder you run, the stronger your scent becomes and the easier it is to track." Nipping her skin where her jaw and neck met, he ran his nose back down her throat while continuing to nip and lick his way down, which caused a spike in her scent.
Feeling her hormone levels slowly rising under Nick's soft caresses while sensing her self-control crumbling, Judy gripped his fur tighter and whimpered, "Ni-ick."
At her whispered cry, Nick froze as he realized what he was doing. Pulling back, he glanced towards the large, flat-screen tv and muttered, "Sorry."
Judy took a deep breath as she lowered her head to look at her boyfriend. He was looking a bit guilty over getting her aroused again. Taking another deep breath as she got a grip on her hormones, Judy murmured, "It looks like I'm not the only one who needs to work out in the gym."
Nick's ears perked forward as he met his honeybun's gaze. With a sly grin, he said, "Yeah, you're probably right. Before, my workouts consisted of hauling those giant jumbo pops up the roofs and pouring those giant jars of syrup," at Judy's raised eyebrow, he added, "—trust me—those are quite the workouts." Judy nodded, and Nick continued, "But I haven't done much of anything the last few months." Tilting his head, he added, "I even quit running."
Judy immediately sat up straighter. "You run?"
Nick grinned. "Before the press conference, I was running about 3-4 times a week."
"Really!?" Her nose was twitching with excitement at the thought of running with Nick each morning. "Does that mean we can start running together once my leg heals?"
Nick didn't immediately answer as he scratched his neck. "That depends."
"Depends?" Judy repeated. "Depends on what?" she asked curiously as her tail flicked in Nick's paw.
"It depends on when you expect to run." At her head tilt, Nick explained, "You're a rabbit who likes to run with the rising sun, correct?" Judy nodded, and Nick continued, "Whereas I'm a fox who likes to run with the setting sun."
"Oh," Judy murmured, a bit downcast.
Nick gave a slight nod, saying, "You see the problem?" Judy nodded, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Nick held his paw up and said, "Before you suggest I get up even earlier than I already do, let me explain somethings about foxes. I'm sure you know that we're nocturnal creatures." At Judy's nod, Nick continued, "That means our best sleep is in the early morning hours. So, if you don't want me walking around like a zombie the whole day then don't ask me to get up early and run. Another thing about early morning runs: the early morning light is killer on our sensitive eyes."
Judy nodded slightly and glanced down at his chest as she began weaving her fingers through his fur as she thought. Nick watched her a moment, then cocked his head as he added, "On that note, if I ever wind up in the hospital make sure they keep the lights down low or off—especially if I've had some kind of head injury. The bright fluorescent lights will be murder on my eyes and will give me a killer headache."
Judy immediately looked up with perked ears. The thought of Nick being in the hospital, especially due to a head injury, had her nose twitching. Why would he bring this up now? Was he thinking of what might happen at the ZPA or the ZPD if someone decided to turn their dislike of a fox into something violent? Or was he thinking he might get hurt during a case? Manchas tried eating them 3 months ago and then they nearly died several times just a few days ago. How they got through all that with just her leg needing stitches was beyond her.
Seeing Judy's suddenly worried expression, Nick said, "No, Carrots, I'm not thinking of going to the hospital anytime soon." Reaching up, he caressed her velvety ears. "After what happened to my mom and brother, I can honestly say I never want to step foot inside a hospital again—especially as a patient." Judy nodded and her nose slowed down but continued to twitch. With a grin, Nick leaned forward and pressed his nose to hers, making it stop, and then he said, "This is information just in case something happens. We hope for the best but prepare for the worst, right?" With a cock of his head, he added, "And we should probably change our emergency contact to each other. That'll make it easier to get and see each other should something worse than a few stitches come up.
Judy took a deep breath and nodded. If she changed Nick to her first emergency contact, her parents wouldn't be freaking out over every little thing. She'll make them her second contact so the doctors will only call if they can't get a hold of Nick. Rubbing her nose against his briefly, she then pressed her lips to his and pulled back to look at him as she turned her attention back to her original question. "So, about the running?" she asked again, half afraid of his answer.
Nick caressed her ears again, and then answered, "If you're willing to run in the evening, then we can definitely run together." With a head tilt, he added, "Late mornings if it's the weekend." Grinning, he explained, "I generally run after the sun goes down so I can keep my night vision and hearing sharp, but I'll run with the sun still up if you want to join me."
Judy nodded and ran her paw down his chest as she asked, "You run at night to keep your hearing sharp?"
Nick nodded. "There's a lot less noise at night, so you hear things you would normally miss during the day with all the other noises. It's also harder to see at night, so you rely more on your hearing. I have night vision, but I still need some dim light to see. And if it's especially dark, it's easy to miss things that aren't moving. My hearing gives me warning of what's out there so I know what to look for."
Judy nodded as this isn't something she ever thought about, but it made perfect sense. "Maybe I should join you for your night runs, then, and work on my own hearing." With a bright smile, she added, "It'll help me a lot when we do night raids or when we're tracking down a suspect in a dark warehouse or something."
Nick nodded. "I could even set something up to help you pick up faint noises over louder noises, such as the faint sounds of footsteps over the hum of conversation in a crowded room, or when a fan or motor is running."
Judy nodded and felt herself getting excited about training with Nick. His time with Big must have given him a lot of experience she was lacking so learning from him filled her with excitement and anticipation. With her tail eagerly twitching (and feeling a bit put out that she would have to wait to start), she leaned forward and hugged Nick tightly. "I can't wait to start."
Nick chuckled, then leaned forward and nuzzled her between the ears. "I'm glad." Pulling back, he said, "But right now, I need a shower so I can get my day started."
Just then his stomach growled, making Judy giggle. "Sounds like you need to eat, too, Slick."
Nick nodded. He did need to eat, but should he eat here or grab something in town? Tilting his head in thought, his paw slid down his girlfriend's back to lightly caress her tail again. He needed to stop by the county clerk's office and pick up registration papers for a fox marriage. But even if they did everything right, he knew there would be jerks and idiots out there who would claim that because Judy was a rabbit and not a fox, that their marriage was invalid. He didn't want that. As a slight frown touched his muzzle, he tried to think of a way around it.
Seeing Nick's frown, Judy asked what the matter was. After sharing his concerns with her, Judy sat and pondered the problem for a moment, then asked, "What about Judge Princeton. Would he marry us?" Nick's ears perked forward and a grin spread across his face. Returning his grin with a smile of her own, Judy added, "If Zootopia's top judge marries us, then who's going to complain about it?"
Pulling her close, Nick kissed her, then pulled back and said, "You have to be the smartest bunny alive and I love you all the more for it."
Judy laughed before pressing another kiss to his lips. "Come on, you need to eat and get ready."
Nick shook his head and explained he'd meet Daphyd for lunch. After stealing another kiss and squeezing her tail, he made his way upstairs to get ready. After a shower and more musk-neutralizing cream (he really hated the idea of using it when Judy's scent smelled so good on him), he quickly dressed then headed downstairs. Judy wanted a shower herself after her workout this morning, so he carried her upstairs. After a goodbye kiss, Nick left the house. After pulling out of the driveway, he popped a handful of red hots into his mouth that were still in the jeep. He might have to keep several boxes handy once Judy's leg recovered.
Pulling into the county clerk's office, he hurried inside, grabbed a number for one of the small/medium mammal windows, then waited for his number to be called. Luckily, the morning rush had already passed and the afternoon rush had yet to start. When it was his turn, he walked up to the window and requested the registration papers for a fox marriage. There was a red squirrel with black-tufted ears sitting behind the counter. At Nick's request, the squirrel looked him over, then punched in the request on his computer. After a moment he stood up and went to the printer to retrieve the forms, then brought them back to the window.
Taking the forms as they were pushed under the protective glass separating the workers from the visitors, Nick thanked the squirrel and headed back outside. The county clerk's office was close to the courthouse, so Nick didn't have far to drive. Passing the courthouse, Nick pulled into the Wonderful Buffet House that Daphyd liked to eat at. It was just after twelve, so if Daphyd wasn't already there, he would be soon.
Walking into the restaurant, he told the receptionist that he was meeting with a friend, and immediately made his way over to Daphyd's usual table (the judge ate there every weekday, so the restaurant reserved it for him at lunchtime) and saw that the stately elk had yet to arrive.
After a moment of sitting (and listening to his stomach growl), a moose waiter walked over to inform him that the seat was reserved. Nick flashed his winning smile and said he was meeting with Judge Princeton. The moose didn't look convinced, so Nick leaned over the table and said, "Look, the judge and I go way back. And if I'm lying then Daphyd can kick me out on the street himself—trust me—it won't be a problem for him." When a dark gleam of pleasure entered the moose's dark brown eyes while picturing the elk tossing the fox out on his tail, Nick continued, "But if he does want to see me and you kick me out first, what do you think that will do to your career when Daphyd complains?"
The dark humor in the moose's eyes vanished without a trace as he suddenly saw the tragic death of his career flash before his eyes. Although he couldn't see how or why Zootopia's top judge would want to mingle with such filth, he figured it would better to let the judge deal with him. Who knows, he might even get to watch a good show this afternoon.
Turning around with hardly a glance and not another word, the moose left the arrogant fox to his fate as he returned to the front of the restaurant. Seeing his senior waiter (who had been working in the restaurant for years) refilling several glasses of ice water, the moose walked over to him and said with a snobbish sneer, "I can't believe that crook thinks Judge Princeton will have anything to do with him." With a snort, he added, "I can't wait to see the judge throw his scrawny butt out on his tail."
"Hm?" the senior waiter, whose name was Alex, asked. He was a solid black Arabian stallion with a silky black mane and tail. Looking around, he added, "Who are you talking about, Jerry?" (He couldn't see into the judge's booth from where he was standing.)
Jerry jerked his large, antlered head towards the booth he'd just come from. "That shifty fox sitting in the Judge's booth."
With ears pricked forward, the black stallion walked around the wall that blocked his view, and then his eyes widened. "You mean Nick?"
"Who?" Jerry asked in confusion.
Alex motioned towards the red fox and repeated, "That's Nick Wilde, and he's no crook—he's a lawyer . . . Judge Princeton's favorite lawyer." At the large moose's shocked expression, Alex added, "I'd be careful what you say about him because if Princeton hears you bad-mouthing his favorite lawyer, he'll throw the book at you—and Nick will be there in court to prosecute you." With a smug grin, the black stallion added, "And the last mammal Nick prosecuted is now serving life." Smirking at his dumbfounded colleague, Alex left him gaping as he trotted over to the red fox. "Hey, Nick, it's been awhile. Daphyd and I were starting to despair of you ever showing your face again."
Nick's tail wagged at being greeted by his old friend. "Well, things were tough there for a while but they're finally starting to look up again."
"I'm glad. And it's good to see you again." At Nick's nod, Alex added, "I'll put your meal on Daphyd's bill, so you can go ahead and get your food if you want. Who knows when he'll get here?"
Nick nodded, saying, "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. I slept in late this morning and missed breakfast, so I am starving right now." Whenever Nick ate with the stately elk, Daphyd always insisted on paying for the meal. Nick had learned early on not to argue with Zootopia's top judge.
Alex nodded, and then stepped aside as Nick stood up and made his way to the predators' buffet counter. He picked up jumbo breaded shrimp, some grilled catfish, some fried chicken, then made his way around to the prey buffet counter and loaded up on a variety of fruit.
He had just returned to his seat when the restaurant door opened and a very depressed Judge Princeton walked in. Although Nick hadn't seen the judge in a couple of years, it was obvious that the latest case he was presiding over was a depressing one. Nick wondered if it had to do with a nasty custody battle—those were the cases that usually got his friend depressed. That or having some gangster or drug dealer walk on a technicality or a lack of evidence.
As the elk walked into the busy restaurant, he was feeling pretty low. He was presiding over a case involving a couple of kits that were getting the short end of the stick. The parents were fighting and bickering over who did what, who got what, and didn't care a lick about what they were doing to their kits. It was obvious to the judge that neither parent was fit to have the kits, and yet he still had to make the decision on who got them. If he could paw them over to the grandparents, he would.
Alex looked up when the door opened, and seeing Daphyd walk in, the black stallion spoke up saying, "Hey, Daphyd, you have a surprise waiting at your booth."
Meeting Alex's smiling face for a minute, Daphyd glanced over at his usual booth and his whole countenance immediately brightened. "Nick!" he exclaimed as he hurried over to meet his friend.
Nick's grin split his face and he stood up on the booth bench to reach Daphyd's outstretched hoof and give it a good shake. "It's good to see you again, Daphyd."
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Daphyd said as he sat down. "Did Bogo tell you I was looking for you?"
Nick shook his head. "I haven't seen Bogo since yesterday morning."
"Well, he came looking for me yesterday at lunchtime and I must say, I was surprised by his request, but excited for you." With a huge grin, Princeton said, "A cop! When do you enter the ZPA? Are you attending the fall program?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah, I enter on November 1st."
Daphyd nodded excitedly. "You have to give me an invitation to your graduation."
Nick nodded as Alex brought Daphyd a large plate of his favorite foods, and the two immediately fell into a comfortable conversation as they discussed the past, the present, and the future. It wasn't until they had finished eating that Daphyd finally asked Nick why he was there since he didn't come for the free meal.
Nick laughed and pulled out his phone, then brought up his pictures of last night. Finding his favorite one of them dancing (his favorite one of them not kissing), he turned it around to show his friend as he said, "Daphyd, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, who is determined to have me as her husband before her birthday in September."
The stately elk took the tiny phone from his small friend and held it up close to his face so he could see the image better—then is eyes widened as he exclaimed, "You're dating—!"
Nick hurriedly hushed him while looking around the busy restaurant. Princeton glanced around the room, too, then lowered his head and whispered behind his hoof, "You're dating Judy Hopps!? Officer Judy Hopps!?"
Nick's grin couldn't get any wider as he spread his paws and said confidently (though quietly), "What can I say? This energetic ball of fluff hopped into my life, bowled me over, and turned my life upside down—and I don't regret a thing." His emerald eyes sparkled with joy as he added, "I've never been happier or felt more alive." With his happy smile still spread across his face, he leaned forward while putting his elbow on the table and pointing to his much larger friend and said, "And for the first time in my life, I finally have a direction. I now know what I want to do with my life." Leaning back and shrugging, he continued, "It's taken me 33 years, but I finally know what I want to be when I grow up."
Daphyd stared at his friend for several heartbeats as he had never seen Nick so happy or so animated. He was practically glowing with excitement and joy—all because of a bunny. With a chuckle, he leaned back in his chair and then scratched his chin a moment. He was truly happy for his small, red-furred friend, but this was the same bunny who claimed predators were predisposed to go savage . . . that it was in their biology. "I'm happy for you, Nick, but are you sure she won't get scared of you at some point? She's the one that claimed it was a predator's DNA that was making them go savage."
Nick heaved a heavy sigh and folded his arms while leaning back himself. After a moment of silence, he said, "Judy's not afraid of me. Nothing about me or my predatory ways scare her." With a grin, he showed him his claws and said, "My savage claws and killer teeth," Nick tapped his canines, "excites her like nothing else." Folding his arms again, he added with a smug smirk, "And my growl—she loves it and makes her scent stronger which drives me absolutely crazy."
Daphyd nodded as he fell into thoughtful silence. It surprised him that Hopps would want a fox for a partner, let alone a mate, especially after what she said at the press conference. Scratching the thick fur of his neck again, Princeton decided he would give the small rabbit the benefit of the doubt. Nick was extremely sharp and wouldn't have fallen for a female who wasn't fully committed to him and their relationship. "And you say she wants to marry you before her next birthday?"
Nick nodded. "She's given me till her birthday, but the sooner the better would be best."
Daphyd nodded. Rabbits had short courtships, so if they were going by rabbit standards, the quick marriage wasn't too surprising. But with Nick being a fox . . . Scratching his chin in thought, the elk asked, "Are you going to have a fox wedding or a bunny one?"
"Both," Nick immediately answered, and then explained, "We plan on having a private fox wedding now and then a big bunny wedding after I graduate, but there's a slight glitch in our plans."
"Oh?" Daphyd asked curiously. Nick was a problem solver, so for him to have glitch in any of his plans peaked the judge's interest.
"Because I'm a fox and Judy is a bunny, I'm afraid some specist jerk with some political pull, or at least a really loud mouth, will come along and say our marriage is invalid since we're not both foxes or both bunnies."
"Right, I can see that happening," Princeton murmured. Tilting his head and grinning, he said, "I take it that's where I come in."
Waving his paws in the air, Nick returned his grin, saying, "As Judy pointed out this morning: What idiot is going to argue with Zootopia's chief judge!?"
"Well, I have no problems marrying you," Daphyd began, "but I would like to meet her first."
With a flick of his ear and wag of his tail, Nick replied, "Of course. When should we come by?"
"Are you doing anything this weekend?" the judge asked curiously while combing his hoof through his thick neck fur. Being a judge, he was very inquisitive by nature, so he was curious to see first hand how the fox and rabbit got along.
Nick's tail continued to wag beside him on the bench as he answered, "Judy's parents and a few siblings are coming down on Sunday, but we're free Saturday."
"Great, come by my place for dinner on Saturday." With a wide grin, Daphyd added, "Layla will be so excited. She really misses your visits." His wife, Layla, always enjoyed listening to Nick's outrageous stories and so he couldn't wait to tell her Nick would be by for dinner in just a few short days. He might even be able to convince one of his boys to come home for a visit, too. They all enjoyed talking to Nick and missed not seeing him around these last several years.
Nick nodded, but before he could say anything more, Daphyd's phone rang and his irate secretary reminded him about his court hearing and asked if he was going to make being late a habit. Daphyd rolled his eyes. "I'm coming, I'm coming." With a heavy sigh, Daphyd hung up and wiped a hoof down his face. "I was nearly late yesterday and I'll probably be late today." With a shake of his head, he stood up. "It was good seeing you again, Nick, and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday."
Nick nodded. "See you Saturday." Not sticking around after his friend left, Nick made his way outside when his own phone rang. Looking at the contact picture, he hit accept and put his phone to his ear. "Hey, Mom, are you ready to talk?"
WingedKatt here. Sorry for the mix-up last week, for those of you hoping to read this chapter sooner. But since I posted my other story, Z:ADB two weeks in a row, I'll do the same for this story and post ch63 next week. So for those of you expecting to read ch12 of Z:ADB, it'll post in two weeks. Sorry.
Anyway, next chapter, we'll finally get to see how Vivian takes Nick's announcement of having a bunny girlfriend, especially after learning who the bunny is that's now snuggled up to her son. And due to this conversation with his mother, Nick will be scrambling to rearrange his schedule for the rest of the week which will have domino affect in the coming chapters. So look forward to it!
Chapter 63: The Perfect Candidate, will post next week! Yay! Have a great weekend and if you have any thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear them.
