Upsate: Hey guys, hope you liked the updated format on the previous chapters, now here is the second and final part to the 3000 view special. ENJOY
Chapter 14 A Gal and A Gun-slinger
Nick woke up to the morning sunlight creeping in through his window. Judy was still sound asleep, looking even more adorable to Nick, in her silk night gown. Nick proceeded downstairs to start breakfast, which was flapjacks and veggies, and while cooking, he felt two soft paws clutch his bare chest as a certain bunny hugged her new found lover.
"You looked mighty cute this morning, and it would have been a shame to disturb such a peaceful sleep."
Judy stood next to the stove, "I was having a pleasant dream."
Nick smirked, not taking his eyes off the meal he was making, "Do tell, what was it about?"
Judy blushed, "Well, you were with me as we took a walk through the forest, and you stopped, got down on one knee, and proposed to me."
Nick let out a chuckle, "You know, that might not be as far-fetched as you'd think."
Judy looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?"
Nick fidgeted, "Well, you see, foxes in the ancient days mated for life, and it is mostly true for foxes nowadays, it's just a question of if we connect with the one we court, and I am one of those foxes."
Judy pulled nick's face away from his task to kiss him, "I love you."
Nick blushed, not used to hearing this, "I-I love you too."
Nick and Judy finished their breakfast and started to get dressed. Nick laughed when he saw Judy trying to steal his clothes to wear, but looking like a kit in the garments that were a few sizes too big.
"Slow down there, we'll get you some of your own duds, deputy Hopps."
Judy reluctantly exited the sheriff's clothes, revealing her naked self. Nick gulped and turned around, but Judy stopped him.
"No, it's okay, this is who you will be with."
Nick mimicked her actions, stripping to reveal even more scars.
"This is who you will be with."
Judy slowly made her way forward, putting her paw on a large scar that showed through the fur on Nick's chest, then on one on Nick's arm, and making her way up to the one on his neck, finding the entry scar, then rubbing her paw over the exit scar.
"I can't heal them, and I certainly can't say they make me happy to see them, but I will love you, scars and all."
Nick let out a shaky sigh of relief, pulling Judy in close to him, "I won't let anyone hurt you like they have hurt me."
Nick held Judy close for a few more seconds, breathing in her scent, before they parted to get dressed. Nick put on his usual ensemble of chaps, boots, etcetera and Judy put on her lightest dress, as to not take too long when changing into her new clothes.
Nick opened the wooden door causing a small bell to ring, "What can I get you, sheriff?"
The old tailor was a bobcat about Nick's height.
"Well, we need some appropriate clothing to dress my new deputy in, Sam."
The bobcat adjusted his glasses and looked over the counter at Judy.
"One minute."
The bobcat shuffled into the back of the store, coming out with a purple shirt, brown chaps, and a bandit-style hat. Nick laid a few dollars on the table and the bobcat took Judy's measurements.
"Go get her some boots and a pistol, I'll have the work done by the time you get back."
Judy made her way out the door in excitement.
"Nick, you take care of that girl, she's a special one."
Nick smirked, "With my life, Sam, with my life."
Nick made his way with Judy to the local cobbler, who was a small ferret.
"Billy, you think you have any boots for my new deputy?"
The ferret shot a glance at her, "Maybe, if not it will be a day."
The ferret scurried to his collection, finding a small pair of boots.
"Try these on, miss."
Judy was amazed, it was as if the boots were made just for her.
"Oh they're wonderful."
Nick, again, put some money down as they left. Nick lead Judy to his office, and rummaged through the armory, eventually finding a pistol her size.
"Go change, I'm going to clean this."
Judy obediently went to the tailor to get her new clothes and change into them. Nick was cleaning the small pistol when a coyote burst through the door to his office.
"Nick…Telegram…BAD."
He could barely catch his breath, as he did sprint all the way from the train station.
Nick took the telegram, and it read, "Dear Sheriff, I know who you are STOP
You have two weeks to prepare STOP
You will meet your demise STOP
Sincerely, Jack Savage STOP."
Nick had faced many gun-slingers before, but he knew how fast Jack Savage was, and he knew how many sheriffs he had killed.
"Benjamin, it looks as if more trouble is coming, and I don't know if I can handle it this time."
The color flushed from the coyote's face, "What do you mean?"
Nick looked him in the eye, "I may not be fast enough to out draw him, but if I go down, he goes down with me."
The coyote understood, leaving the sheriff to pull his thoughts together. Judy came through the door, dressed in her new outfit, making Nick blush at how cute she looked. Breaking his awkward silence, he held up a leather belt with a pistol and many rounds.
"I finished cleaning it."
Judy marveled at the weapon, it felt heavy and cold, but it didn't scare her.
"What was that coyote so worried about? He came out of your office fidgeting and biting his claws."
Nick handed Judy the telegram.
"Jack Savage? He is the most notorious rabbit in the country."
Nick's ears perked up, "Rabbit?"
Judy responded, "Yes, that's why he is so fast, he is a rabbit, and no one has been able to out duel him."
Nick sighed, "I've never dueled a rabbit before, this is going to be a big problem."
Judy put her paw on his shoulder, "It will be alright, I know you can do it."
Nick looked at Judy, his face showing concern, "Just promise me that no matter what happens to me, that you will keep the town safe."
Judy nodded. Nick took Judy out that afternoon to see how well she handled the pistol, and to his surprise, all she needed was a stance adjustment, as for Nick, he had Judy toss a coin, Nick putting a bullet in it as it passed gut level. Ten coins later, Nick was satisfied, as he was still at his peak.
"You know, I might just be able to out shoot you, sheriff."
Nick chuckled, "Someday, maybe, but right now I want you to let me do the dueling."
Judy jumped up and kissed Nick on the cheek, "Okay, but you gotta promise to come back to me, no matter what."
Nick's mind screamed at him as he lied, "Promise."
Nick took her paw in his as he led her back to their house. Nick and Judy spent a week together, simply going about their preparations for the duel, when Nick asked Judy to take a walk with him, leading her down a trail he had cut through the forest years ago. Judy marveled at the beauty of the large trees and the streams, but was pulled back to reality when Nick stopped, kneeling.
"Judith Laverne Hopps, would you make me the happiest fox in the world, will you marry me?"
Judy could hardly speak, tears of joy spilling over, "Y-yes."
Nick produced a small, golden ring, and put it on her paw.
Nick lifted Judy up, spinning as they both laughed. Their ceremony was small, but most of the townsfolk attended, witnessing the marriage of two souls that saw past what they looked like, loving each other for who they are on the inside. Nick and Judy's vows were simple, Judy's promising to love him through all that may come their way, and Nick's promising to protect her from all the evils in the world, even if it meant he died doing so. The pastor said his part and the two sealed their love with a kiss.
"Three more days."
Judy looked at Nick, who was changing out of the stuffy suit he wore. "What?"
Nick looked at Judy, "Jack, three more days until the duel with him, and I don't want to waste them."
Nick then passed out on his bed, as his nerves finally got the better of him. Judy seeing her chance, looked through Nick's things to better understand her fox. Judy's rummaging did little to stir Nick, so she continued her search, eventually coming across a photo. Nick stood, clad in an infantry uniform with a rifle on his shoulder.
Judy put her paw over it, she didn't know Nick had fought in the great gentleman's war. The war's name was very deceptive, as it was poor young men who went to war over the rich men's quarrels, but that was suddenly overturned as the young soldiers, who had opposed each other, aligned with each other and overthrew the corrupt governments that killed so many of their brothers in a war for petty profits. Judy's thoughts were interrupted by a glint of light. A medal on a uniform, which read, "Ninety-Sixth Brigade, Peltic Volunteers."
Nick's voice nearly scared her to death, "It was hell."
Judy realized what he was talking about.
"Boys, barely old enough to mate, slaughtering each other. The rage I felt when we charged against those who sent us to those bloody conflicts, it was unlike anything I had ever felt, I was scared of what I had become, but I came to terms with it as it helped form this new nation."
Judy started to well up, hearing her husband's pain.
"I never really have been the same, and my old revolver is the one I used in the war. Sometimes I think that, just maybe, I can redeem myself by ridding the world of evil with this gun that killed so many innocent mammals."
Judy threw her arms around him, holding him tight.
"You are not bad, you're my husband, Nicholas."
With that, Nick finally let his emotion flow, his bunny comforting him the rest of the night.
Three days had come and pass, and it was the day of the duel. Nick looked at his usual sheriff outfit, but tossed it aside, as this would be his last duel, he put his army uniform on. Nick's boots were polished and his medals gleamed, he was ready to live, or die fighting.
Judy walked with Nick to the saloon, where he told her to wait for him, kissing her one more time before the duel.
Nick saw a rabbit clad in a duster and stripes on his face, walking to the center of town.
"Jack Savage, I am the sheriff, and I will give you one chance to surrender."
The rabbit laughed, "That's what they all said."
Nick sighed, "We will use one bullet each, ten paces."
The rabbit's grin widened, "Now that sounds like a fun challenge."
At the stroke of noon, the two started their paces, then slowly turned towards each other. The bartender threw a coin in the air and ran, both animals went for their guns as the coin hit the ground.
Judy heard a gunshot and a brief yelp.
"NICK."
She ran outside seeing his limp figure in the middle of the road.
"Well, looks like this town got a bit sexier." Judy was terrified as Jack's, now fully loaded, pistol was aimed at her.
"Me and you are gonna have some fun."
Jack dragged Judy to a nearby shed, pinning her to the wall as he roughly tore her shirt open.
"Now I wouldn't struggle if I were you."
Jack brandished a barbed knife that looked like its sole purpose was torture. Judy imped in fear, a tear rolling down her cheek, as Jack's paw slowly made its way to her pants. Nothing. Judy's eyes opened to see a paw wrapped around Jack's neck. Nick was behind him, missing half of his left ear.
"Being fast isn't worth a damn if you can't kill your target." He dragged the buck back to the saloon, driving the barbed knife into his shoulder. Jack tried in vain to remove the knife, as it was imbedded in the wooden post behind him.
Nick took his pistol from his belt, "Jack Savage, for the murder of countless law enforcement officers, disturbing the peace, and the attempted rape of my wife, I sentence you to death. Do you have any last words?"
Jack Spit at Nick.
"Very well."
Nick shot him in the shoulder, then in his knees, then twice in the gut, and finally putting his last bullet in the rabbit's throat. Jack convulsed as he bled out, trying in vain to shout curses at Nick, only to fill his lungs with blood even faster.
Nick calmed from his rage and went to check on Judy.
She was crying tears of joy, as her fox held her, "D-did y-y-you make h-h-him p-pay?"
Nick nodded, picking his rabbit up.
"Nick we need to cauterize that wound."
Nick's mind was numbing, and he finally collapsed. Sam came out and picked Nick up, taking him to the blacksmith. Judy held Nick's head and pet his snout as the hot metal touched the wound, causing him to be fully aware and thrash about, but Judy held his head still, making sure that the blacksmith could finish his work. Nick's energy left him when the hot iron left his skin.
Nick awoke staring at the ceiling of the house, wondering how he got there from the dusty road.
"Nick, you're awake."
Judy threw her arms around him and gave him a flurry of kisses.
Nick laughed, "Can't seem to die, can I."
Judy giggled at the remark, hugging the fox tighter. The two spent the rest of the night in each other's arms.
Nick was suddenly aware of his apartment and the pain in his gut from the bullet wound he got from Gideon.
"Just a dream," He thought, "A nice dream, though."
He turned to see his bunny, her belly rounded.
Nick thought to himself, "Looks like part of my dream has already come true."