"Ohhh, I'm freaking out, man."
"Stop freaking out."
"Yeah, that's a lot of help – thank you, Finnick."
"Any time."
Nick was pacing his private room, running his paws over his face and ears as he did so. According to the clock on the wall, it was quickly nearing 12:40, and Nick's nervousness seemed to escalate with each passing minute. He was dressed, with everything else scheduled for that day already completed – flower delivery, food and wine delivery, kids ready, and guests seated.
Now, all that was left was to get married.
If only it were that easy.
"Nick, come on, we gotta go," Finnick urged.
The small fennec fox was leaning lazily against the wall nearest the door. Nick was expected to be in the event room of the Zootopia Natural History Museum, which had been converted for the wedding, by 12:45. The Museum was one of Judy's favorite places, and since its renovations at the time of the "Night Howler incident," the couple and the children had visited the building many times. To Nick and Judy, the Museum represented a turning point in their relationship, and it seemed fitting to hold the biggest turn in their relationship here.
With a sigh, Nick shook his head and put himself back in the game.
"Okay," he breathed. "I'm ready."
"If it makes you feel any better," Finnick shrugged as the two began making their way to the event room. "I'm sure she's freaking out too."
"I think I'm freaking out."
"There's no reason to freak out, Jude the Dude."
"Oh, you aren't helping, Stu!"
"Well, I'm trying, Bonnie!"
"Neither one of you are helping!"
Judy was pacing her private room, wringing her paws as she did so. According to the clock on the wall, it was quickly nearing one o'clock, and Judy's nervousness seemed to escalate with each passing minute. She was dressed, with hair and make-up done, and everything had gone smoothly so far – flowers had been delivered, food and wine had been delivered, Nick had informed her that he and the kids were ready, and the guests were all properly seated.
Now, all that was left was to get married.
If only it were that easy.
"Judy, Honey, we should get going," Stu urged as he took Judy's paws in his own.
Judy glanced at her father, then down to her paws, where she clearly noticed the empty space that represented her missing wedding ring. Her expression softened at the thought of Nick giving her the ring one last time. The bunny looked back up at her father, who was watching her carefully.
"I'll see you two down there," Bonnie smiled as she kissed Judy's cheek and gave her husband a reassuring look, before exiting Judy's private room and making her way to the event room.
Judy was expected to be in the event room of the Zootopia Natural History Museum by one o'clock. The couple was back to where it seemed to all begin, taking another turn in their relationship.
With a sigh, Judy shook herself from her thoughts and looked up at her father.
"Okay," she breathed. "I'm ready."
With that, Judy's father led her down several staircases until they stood, arms interlocked, in front of a large set of oak doors that opened into the event room. Two antelopes, who had been hired with several other antelopes as waiters for the event, stood just outside the doors, ready to open them when instructed. Judy knew that several things awaited her on the other side of those doors, and the feeling overwhelmed her. A massive room, with a polished floor and several swinging chandeliers, were waiting on the other side of those doors. The guests – her friends and family, her bridesmaids and his groomsmen, her children, her future husband, were waiting on the other side of those doors. She paused a moment, holding onto her father firmly.
"Judy?"
"I'm okay, I'm okay," she sighed, feeling tears sting her eyes slightly. "Just need a minute."
At her words, Judy's father remained silent, watching his daughter with an appreciative expression. After a few silent moments, Judy looked up at him.
"You know," she smiled. "The first time Nick proposed, it was a crazy accident? I was almost six months pregnant, and one of the babies kicked for the first time. I dropped a plate and it broke; Nick had been in the shower, and he came running to check on me. When he went to get his clothes, the ring fell out of his shirt pocket. He told me that he was going to officially propose later, but he got down on one knee and did it right there in our kitchen."
"I wasn't going to propose for a while."
"When are you planning on doing it?... Oh, come on, you can tell me, Nick!"
"If I do something right now, do you promise to wait until I actually propose?"
"But when are you going to propose?"
"Soon, I promise, but I want it to be a surprise."
"Okay. What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to show you, but I'm going to hide the ring after I do it. This time, it won't be in my shirt pocket so you won't go looking for it."
"Okay, what are you going to do now?"
"This… Carrots, will you marry me?"
"Yes!"
"He loves you, Judy," Judy's father stated with affection.
"I know," Judy nodded, as she carefully wiped the emerging tears from her eyes.
With one last deep breath, Judy nodded at her father and the waiters, who opened the large doors in one clean movement.
There she was.
To Nick, Judy had the ability to make anything look good – she even made three nights of no sleep due to work and four children look good – but now, there was truly nothing that compared to the looks Judy possessed on her wedding day. As soon as Judy entered the room, every animal present focused their attention on her with warm smiles on their faces. Nick felt his paws, which were casually hidden in his pockets, begin to shake slightly, and tried to keep them steady so no one would notice. In this moment, even a room full of family and friends seemed to make him nervous, though he knew they had to be a little bit nervous too.
Within seconds of entering the room, Judy and Nick's eyes met. It took every bit of Nick's being to remain calm, to not pass out, but he couldn't help having a wild grin on his face at the sight of the bunny. She was wearing the "fairy tale" dress of her dreams, which was made up of a fitted bodice and a full skirt that flared at the waist. The ball gown came up to her chest, where sheer lace fabric fit her shoulders and upper back perfectly. The measurements and fittings done on the dress over the last few months had truly been for the best, as every inch of fabric fit the rabbit with distinct precision. Judy and the dress seemed to fit one another without fault, bringing out the best in each other. Her left arm was interlocked in her father's right, and in her right paw, Judy held a bouquet made up of flowers the colors of summer, which were held securely together with white ribbon.
It felt like an eternity since he had seen her last, though he knew it had only been a few hours. He tried to take a deep breath and steady himself, but he also couldn't tear his eyes away from Judy and the energy she seemed to bring into the room with ease – then again, no part of him wanted to tear his eyes away.
"Right to me," Nick whispered to himself.
When Judy returned Nick's smile and took the first step down the aisle, he was sure someone was going to have to revive him.
There he was.
To Judy, Nick had the ability to maintain a confident and tranquil ambience in any situation – he even made the scariest of situations absolutely calm – but now, there was nothing but Nick's familiar smirk that could have put Judy's mind and heart at ease. As soon as Judy entered the room, every animal present focused their attention on her, which immediately set her on edge. She felt her paws, which were grasping a bouquet of flowers, begin to shake slightly, and tried to keep them steady so no one would notice. In this moment, even her father, who's right arm was interlocked with her left, seemed to make Judy nervous, though she knew he had to be a little bit nervous too.
Within seconds of entering the room, Nick and Judy's eyes met. Judy saw a wild grin on the fox's face, one that was genuine and one that still managed to possess the confidence and tranquility one of his familiar smirks did. At his smile, Judy felt every bit of her tension ebb away. She felt her muscles relax and her paws steady; she felt her self-assurance returning. He was wearing a dark grey suit, his undershirt a crisp white and his vest a light brown. His tie and pocket square were a color that perfectly mixed grey and brown so that it matched his ensemble yet also drew attention. The measurements and fittings done on the suit over the last few months had truly been for the best, as every inch of fabric fit the fox with distinct precision. Nick and the suit seemed to fit one another without fault, bringing out the best in each other. His paws were placed in his pockets, his demeanor completely casual.
It felt like an eternity since she had seen him last, though she knew it had only been a few hours. She took a deep breath and steadied herself, but refused to tear her eyes away from Nick and the sereneness he seemed to bring into the room with ease – then again, no part of her wanted to tear her eyes away.
"Right to you," Judy sighed quietly.
When Judy returned Nick's smile and took the first step down the aisle, she was sure someone was going to have to revive her.
Judy and Nick kept their eyes locked on one another, even as the music started, even as the guests stood and watched Judy with merriment, even as Stu's grasp on Judy's arm tightened slightly with their first movements. With her first step down the aisle, Judy felt a wave of emotion suddenly rush over her. The feeling was a giddy nervousness she couldn't quite describe, and each step down the aisle felt unreal and distant.
"Right to you," she reminded herself silently as she let Nick's smile and casual demeanor guide her forward.
Judy wasn't the only one being affected by this wave of emotion. Nick had never been one to cry often, but that didn't mean he didn't cry at all. He cried when those Junior Ranger Scouts muzzled him once during his childhood, he cried when his father died, he cried when Judy nearly had her throat ripped out by that silver fox years ago, he cried when he and Judy had officially come to terms with being parents, he had cried when Judy agreed to marry him, he cried when he listened to Judy express her feelings about her kidnapping, and he found himself crying now as he watched his wife walk down the aisle toward him. No, Nick had never been one to cry often, but after years with Judy Hopps, he was now one to cry often.
"Right to me," he repeated with determination as he watched Judy make her way down the aisle.
A few seconds later, Nick greeted Judy and her father at the end of the aisle, where Stu officially gave his daughter away.
Together, Judy and Nick stepped in front of their wedding officiant, a jaguar that Mrs. Wilde claimed was "an old family friend," something that neither Nick nor Judy felt the need to object to as long as the jaguar was qualified. Sparing one quick look away from each other, the couple gave a last glance to their friends and family. Bonnie was already in tears, and Stu seemed to be heading that way himself. A smiling Mrs. Wilde sat with the children, who were all dressed nearly identically to Nick and Judy, and who were amazingly quiet and watching with keen attention – though Red and Robin seemed to be having a small squabble over their tiny ties. Throughout the room, animals were either smiling or nearing tears if they weren't already wiping them away. In the back of the room, Nick had even sworn he had seen a sobbing Clawhauser being comforted by a very stern Chief Bogo, but he didn't have time to double check as the jaguar officiant began greeting the audience.
After the greeting was completed, and the jaguar read a few noble quotes of love and unity, Nick and Judy were each handed one another's rings.
"The couple will now read their vows," the jaguar stated. "Celebrating the unity of two people in this way proclaims in public what was decided in the private corners of the heart. It proclaims the couple's belief that they are meant to be together, and that they are ready to embrace the future together. Nick and Judy wish to pledge their vows to each other before us today."
At this, Nick took Judy's paw and returned her ring to its proper place.
"I, Nick, take you, Carrots," Nick winked with a smile. "To be my equal partner in love, life, and law for today, tomorrow, and forever. I promise to take you as my partner, my best friend, and as my wife. Somehow, my life has come to this amazing moment – excuse me, I have to take a breath to believe this is real – and now I will always share this moment with you. I promise to kiss you each and every day, to love you through each Bunny Espresso, and to love you even when you don't know when to quit."
Judy found herself chuckling along with the guests at Nick's vows. When the laughter subsided, she felt him squeeze her paws reassuringly. Judy then took Nick's ring and put it on his paw, before she looked into the fox's green eyes and grinned.
"I, Carrots, take you, Nick," Judy smiled genuinely. "To be my equal partner in love, life, and law for today, tomorrow, and forever. I promise to take you as my partner, my best friend, and as my husband. Sometimes, I watch just the smallest things you do and think I am the luckiest animal alive. I'm marrying you today, but we both know that I married you years ago. I promise myself to you; I promise my love to you, not just for this moment, not just for an hour, not just for a day, not just for a year – I will always love you."
Judy felt tears stinging her eyes, but she didn't care; she just kept smiling at Nick, who just kept smiling right back at her, tears filling his eyes.
The jaguar took a small step forward and continued the ceremony.
"Do you, Nick, take Judy to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"Do you, Judy, take Nick to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"You may now kiss the bride."
Nick didn't have to be told twice.