(IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: At a certain point in the story, the dialogue will to the characters in the story be spoken in French but it's translated into English for two reasons. First, I don't speak French and second, it'll be easier on you guys than going back and forth to Google Translate. You'll know the point at which the dialogue changes, it'll be marked by this $$. Notations are made when to consider the dialogue being spoken in French and English, with some French untranslated. "Turn it on" means that from that point onward, consider the dialogue to be spoken in French. "Turn it off" is the inverse. If anyone does speak French, your input in this and future chapters will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy!)
About a year following that court case, Lucielle found herself in a position she never thought she'd be in. Flying home to see her parents with her fox boyfriend in tow. She didn't know how her parents would react. Alexander Wilde is a gentleman, that much she knew. All of their dates up to this point he was always on his best behavior.
"Problem, mon cher?" he asked.
"No, I am just concerned," she replied.
He folded up the airplane armrest between them and pulled her close to him. She could feel his soft warmth, she leaned against him revelling in his scent and the comfort of his presence.
"I'll be on my best behavior for your parents, I promise," he stated softly.
"I know you vill, mon amour. I just don't know if zhey vill like you," she sighed.
"I won't lie to you. They may not like me, at all. They might even hate me but I'll make sure they understand that my love for you is genuine," he comforted.
She hummed her acknowledgement and said nothing more.
"Lucielle?" he asked worriedly.
"I-I am feeling tired right now. S'il vous plaît laissez-moi rester comme ça un moment…" she stated tiredly.
"D'accord, mon cheri," he replied.
She had fallen asleep leaning against him and while he admired the beauty sleeping in the seat next to him, he couldn't help but wonder if he was making the right decision. He had invited himself on this trip to see her parents but that was because he was planning to ask her to marry him. Alex wanted to do things the old fashioned way, ask her parents their permission to marry her. He was still learning their language but he would never let that come between them.
"I love you, Lucielle Vison," he muttered before kissing the top of her head.
She remained asleep for the duration of the flight. Arriving in the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, he rubbed her cheek gently with one paw.
"Lucielle, wake up," he murmured.
She roused from her slumber and stretched with a yawn.
"Vhat time is it?" she asked sleepily.
"Close to midnight, local time, I think," he replied.
"Midnight? Zhen, vhere are ve?" she asked.
"The Paris International," he answered.
They had both packed their carry-ons lightly, so for the moment carrying a lethargic mink and their luggage was an easy feat. Picking up their stowaway bags was another matter entirely, not to mention getting the rental car. Still, with enough perseverance and some help from some airport staff, he managed to get his jet-lagged girlfriend into the rental and get them both to their overnight hotel room.
$$ - turn it on
The next day, the busy pair once again set out. Rested but still weary from the flight and the hassles of traveling. Alex started using his phone's GPS navigation but found his girlfriend's navigation more reliable to finding her parents' home. A few hours drive out of Paris, her family's home was a small, family-run vineyard. As soon as she hopped out and headed for the house, she was greeted enthusiastically by her two younger sisters and their parents. She looked back towards the car, a pensive expression on her face. Upon seeing him get out of the car, her parent's faces went from joyous to stern.
"Um th-this is my boyfriend, Monsieur Alexander Wilde," she explained nervously.
"Hello, I'm afraid I don't speak French very well. Do you speak English?" he asked slowly and somewhat nervously.
"No," he father replied curtly.
"Mon amor, be nice," her mother lectured.
"I'm sorry if I offended you. I really can't speak French very well but I will try not to offend you any further," Alex replied, trying to keep from panicking.
Her parents invited them in for dinner. Alex let Lucielle do the talking, mostly because he still felt nervous. Lucielle was the love of his life and he was scared that if her parents didn't approve that she would be forced to "come home" and give up her modelling career as well as all the progress she'd made towards her dream of becoming a doctor. He suddenly began to hate himself for coming on this trip with her.
"So you've started your studies in medicine in Zootopia, dear? That's wonderful, who is your medical professor?" her mother inquired.
"Dr. Thomas Langstrum, he's strict and can be a bit reclusive but he's a dedicated doctor and teacher," she explained.
"And you, Mr. Wilde? What do you do for a living?" her father asked in a somewhat judgemental tone.
"I-I'm an attorney, a-a defense attorney. I met your wonderful daughter during a case I was working," he replied.
That answer caused her father to regard him with a bit more scrutiny but he accepted the answer. Alex suppressed the urge to let out a strangled sigh. Both men went back to eating in silence. Alex not knowing what to think and worrying about what her father thought of him. Her father on the other hand was trying to figure out this strange, well-dressed, well-mannered fox that had worked his way into his daughter's heart.
Lucielle's mother on the other hand seemed significantly more welcoming to Alex, gradually over the course of dinner she warmed up to him. Lucielle's younger sisters gossiped with her about the newcomer to their home. The three talked too quickly for Alex to be able to follow and he could tell it was a struggle for her family to talk slower for his sake, so he kept quiet and spoke only when he was spoken to. As the night wore on, it became clear that the Vison Family did not have the room for Alex to stay. He bid the family goodnight and went to find an inn to stay the night while Lucielle stay with her family.
"We kept your room exactly as you left it," her mother explained.
"Thank you, mother," she replied.
"So… Alexander seems a nice young man. Are you thinking about…?" he mother asked, half-teasing.
"I might… I dunno' yet… If he asks, I may just say yes without a second thought," she answered.
At that, her mother's tone turned more serious.
"I wish you would give it more thought. He's a nice boy but I think you need to make sure you two aren't going to have any serious issues down the line," her mother replied, "Also, you need to have a talk with your father about all this."
"I will mother, I don't think it would be a good idea to continue my relationship with Alexander if father objects to it so strongly. That would only drive a wedge in my relationship with father and I don't want that," Lucielle agreed.
Lucielle went to find her father. She found him in his study, at his desk, his ancestral silver pocketwatch on the desk in front of him. She'd seen the watch many times and it had been promised to her "when she was ready" as a child. He seemed distracted, unaware that she had entered. In her youth, her father let her come and go from the study as she pleased with only the condition to remain silent if he was working. Her only reason, other than fetching him for mealtimes, was to find a book to read.
"Father?" she inquired.
"Lucielle… Have a seat," he beckoned gently.
She couldn't tell her father's mood, he seemed passive but she knew her father's anger could sometimes hide itself behind a wall of faked impartiality. Usually he put up this illusion when she had done something wrong and he was waiting for her to explain herself. She resisted the urge to fidget uncomfortably in the otherwise cozy armchair she was now sitting in. Her father took in a deep breath of air before he began.
"There is only one reason a young man flies to a completely different country just to meet his girlfriend's parents. I overheard you and your mother talking. I don't trust him yet, that will take some time, but you trust him and for that I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Further, I agree with your mother on this. He will ask, it is inevitable, whether I give my blessing or not, he will ask you to marry him. I cannot stop you from following your heart and I have no intention of attempting. I do however have a condition, I want you both to seek counseling before marriage," he explained.
"Then will you explain this to Alexander yourself?" she asked.
"Of course I will, he will undoubtedly ask to speak to me about giving you my blessing and when he does I will explain all of this to him as well. You know I am no bigot but it still surprises me that you brought home a fox. At least your love interest is not that Moreaux fellow, I did not like him in the least," her father stated, his countenance turning towards a smile.
"Yes, Monsieur Moreaux was quite the scoundrel. Looking back, I'm glad you warned me not to trust him," she replied.
Lucielle and her father gave each other a parting look before she headed off to bed. As she laid down to go to sleep, she pulled out her phone and considered calling Alex, just to hear his voice before going to sleep. Ultimately she decided to. After a few rings he finally answered.
$$ - turn it off
"Bonjour, belle femme," he greeted.
"Bonjour, bel homme," she replied with a slight laugh.
"Sorry I ruined things with your parents tonight, maybe I should've waited a bit," he stated.
"Non, it is fine… My fazher is just concerned about us…" she reassured.
"That's not the impression I got from him but you know him better than I do, so I'll trust your judgement," he replied.
"Be calm, mon ange, fazher is just unsure of you," she stated calmly.
"Well, I'm about to turn in for the night. I was about to call you just to say bonne nuit, but if you need to talk we can talk for a while mon amour," Alex replied.
"I'm sorry, should I leave you to get some sleep, I just needed to hear your voice," she stated.
"It's fine, like I said I was gonna call you anyway," he reassured.
"It is razher late, ve should not stay up much later," she commented.
"Alright, j'taime mon ange," he replied.
"J'taime," she answered back, matching his soft tone.
$$ - turn it on
As she readied herself to turn in, she hummed a love song she'd heard his sister sing a few times. That is until she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Her younger sisters, eager to hear all the juicy gossip about her new boyfriend. She let herself let out a light giggle at her sisters' antics.
"I can't believe you have a boyfriend! And he's so handsome and polite! You're so lucky!" Marie, her youngest sister, exclaimed.
"But he's a fox, how does that work? I mean don't you two have problems with that?" Risa, the middle sister, added.
Their mother stood outside the door listening to the girls gossip, she thought about stopping their gossip so her oldest could rest from her long trip but dismissed that thought and let the three chatter since Lucielle was enjoying chatting with her younger sisters.
"It doesn't matter if he's a fox! It's love…!" Marie lectured.
"Of course it matters that he's a fox! Have you seen him? He's huge! He's has to have-..." Risa began.
"Risa! Since when do you have such unpleasant thoughts?!" Lucielle stated mocking shock.
"They talk about much worse things in my dorms," the middle sister replied.
"I thought you were attending an all-girls Catholic Private School," Lucielle stated in thay same tone.
"That just means the nuns will smack you in the back of the head if they catch you talking about them," Risa replied in a vaguely mischievous tone.
"So, pray tell, how exactly does it matter if he's such a tall man?" Marie asked.
At that Lucielle and Risa both facepalmed.
"Poor naive Marie. You'll understand someday…" Risa laughed.
"Just tell me," the youngest growled impatiently.
"Alex and I have not been intimate yet. I have told him that I wish to wait and he respects my wishes," Lucielle explained.
Realization dawned on the youngest Vison sister at that and she left her sister's room feeling incredibly embarrassed. The other two sisters laughed after she left and eventually they went to bed as well. Lucielle was happy that everything seemed to be going so well but she wondered how she was going to convince her father to give his blessing. Her father for his part knew there was nothing he could do to stop her from marrying Alex but both would seek his blessing anyway.
The next day, she texted Alex asking him not to come over until she sent him an "all-clear". After breakfast she approached her father in his private garden to talk. The small white-painted pavilion surrounded by an arrangement of colorful exotic imported flowers. She knew he was proud of his arrangements.
"Father, I know this is still a shock-..." she began.
"Is he good to you? Do you feel safe, happy, and content in his arms?" her father asked.
"Yes, I do…" she answered.
"You're certain? There's no going back from this…" he lectured.
"I know but I really and truly believe that Alexander and I are meant to be," she affirmed.
"Then you may have my blessing on two conditions. First, I want to speak with him man-to-man. Secondly, counseling. I want the two of you to confront any possible issues and resolve them long before you do any walks down an aisle, understand?" he asked.
"Yes father," she replied.
Sometime later, after she called him and explained everything. He once again found himself sitting with his girlfriend's father, the mood was tense, he would've done anything to escape this situation if not for the fact that this was something he knew he had to do. Alone with the older man in his private garden, Alex felt as though he might be run through with a pair of aged gardening shears at any moment but tried to dismiss that thought.
"You came all the way to France to ask for my approval to marry my daughter, yes?" the Vison patriarch asked.
"Y-yes sir," Alex stammered nervously.
"Do you really and honestly love her?" he asked.
"I-... Y-yes sir! I would cross an ocean of fire doused in oil for her!" he exclaimed.
"Then all I ask in exchange for my blessing is that you consent to one condition… I will not allow you to marry my daughter until you agree," the older man stated softly but firmly.
"Anything!" Alex replied.
"Anything? You would do anything I request of you?" the mink asked.
"I would do absolutely anything for Lucielle, just tell me what I have to do and I'll do it!" he replied, resolute but still nervous.
"Counseling. Both of you. You may ask her to marry you before that, but there will be no wedding until you have received relationship counseling. Am I understood?" her father stated.
"Yes sir. As soon as we return to Zootopia, I'll begin seeking out a relationship counselor immediately," Alex affirmed.
"Good, then you have my blessing. Oh, and there's also this," the greying mink stated.
The Vison patriarch outstretched a paw and handed Alex a beautiful sterling silver pocketwatch. The relief carved onto the cover was that of a dragon with its wings spread widely. The silver of the watch itself had been well-maintained but the chain holding the watch had been worn by time.
"This is a family heirloom, it has been passed down in my family for over a hundred years. I have always intended Lucielle to inherit it. You will cherish and protect it as you would my daughter," he explained.
"I promise," Alex stated.
"A promise is only a promise if you make it intending to keep it," he lectured.
"Sir, I am not in the habit of making promises I can't keep," Alex replied.
$$ - turn it off
Alex clipped the watch to the inside of his coat and put the watch into the inside pocket, close to his heart. The two rejoined the rest of the family and shortly after, most of the Vison family went back inside, except Alex and Lucielle who remained outside in the family's garden. Alex dropped to one knee, holding her paw.
"Lucielle, I love you more than I ever thought I could love anything… Veux-tu m'épouser?"
Her free paw covered her mouth as she gasped. Her face went red for a few tense moments that felt more like months to both of them she struggled to find the words. Finally she answered.
"O-oui! Oui, mon amour!" she stammered excitedly.
The two went for a kiss, totally ignoring that her sisters were still watching. Their trip to France would last for almost a month but the rest of it was mostly uneventful. Save for a sightseeing trip to Paris with her family and some friends of the family.
