Ch. 32: Wilde-Hopps
The wedding was held in spring.
It took place in a large auditorium (there were no churches in Zootopia big enough for all the guests) that had a glass dome for a roof, showing off the bright blue sky above. In the auditorium was a large altar where Flash Slothmore decked out in the robes of a clergy stood patiently waiting. Before him were rows and rows of seats split in two halves. In one half consisted of ninety nine percent of the Hopps family, all chatting loudly at the many other animals at their sister/cousin/aunt's wedding. On the other row sat Nick and Judy's other invited guests, Flash's family, Mr. Big and his polar bears, the ZPD of course, Percy and Lionheart, even Duke Weaselton had been invited-though the weasel didn't look like he knew what he was doing there.
They were all waiting for the groom and bride to appear.
.
The auditorium happened to also contain a hotel and said bride was standing in one room, smiling to her reflection from the full-length mirror with her mother and bridesmaids cooing over her.
"You look beautiful, Juju," Fru Fru cooed from where she sat on the bed with Winter and Mrs. Otterton. The latter's husband outside with the rest of the crowd after finishing up his final touches for everyone's flowers.
"Mom's dress looks great on you," one of Judy's sisters, Amy, added, running her fingers over the hem.
Bonnie Hopps had seen many of her daughters marry with said dress and Judy was no exception, although the dress had to be altered a bit to fit. The silhouette was of a ball gown. The neckline was a sweetheart, shaped like the top half of a heart and it was strapless. The bodice was a large full skirt that made Judy feel like a princess. Her dress was a beautiful snowy white.
Charlie stood by the door carrying Judy's trail that they would place atop her head when it was time to go.
Bonnie stood with her other daughters, smiling at Judy with shiny eyed pride, "No matter how many of my babies get married, I never get over it."
"But I imagine this is the first time one of your babies married a fox," Winter pointed out, earning some chuckles from the others.
Judy kept her eyes on her reflection, noting how her bridesmaids had brushed her fur so relentlessly it looked as soft as clouds, the gray seeming to shine. As Judy looked at herself in a wedding dress, knowing that just on the other side of that door her wedding and groom waited for her, she couldn't help but remember when she was a little girl. When she wasn't planning out what she'd do once she became a cop and moved to Zootopia, she was imagining her wedding. She had figured she'd meet some city rabbit, maybe a lawyer or doctor even, who admired her for her ambitions instead of getting thrown off by it like rabbits back at Bunnyburrow. They would date, bond over coffee and carrot cake, and then a year or so later he'd propose to her at some amazing Zootopia landmark, they'd get marry and have a whole litter of bunnies all the while continuing their dream jobs.
She smirked at her reflection, how things change. Not in Judy's wildest dreams had she imagined falling in love with a con-fox, but she knew from the overwhelming warmth in her chest that it was the right choice.
.
"And then I kissed her, and while your mother would never in a million years admit it, it was the best kiss she could ever have. Future husbands know these things."
Nick smiled up at his father from where they sat on the five year old kit's bed. On the bed laid a couple of drawings, one of them was Nick dressed in a junior ranger scout outfit and another of him paw in paw with his mother and father.
Max Wilde had come in to wish his son a goodnight when Nick had showed the pictures to him and Max, never one to resist telling a story, told his son the story of when he and Amelia first met. Nick, never one to resist listening to a story, had done so with pricked ears and a smile.
"What happened next?" he asked his father.
"What do you think?" Max smiled at his son. "We got married, and a stork dropped you off in a basket at our front door."
Nick laughed, "Dad! That's not how you get babies!"
Max's eyebrows rose, "Oh, how do you get babies then?"
"You buy them at a baby store," Nick lifted his nose in the air, proud to know something his father didn't. "Mommy says I cost the most and everyone wanted me but she got me first!"
Max almost rolled his eyes and his wife said he filled their son's head with crazy things. "Actually I think you were half off because you wouldn't wear diapers."
Nick laughed again and pushed at his father's arm with a small paw, "You're a liar, Daddy!"
"I'm a liar?" Max pulled his son into his lap and started to viciously tickle his ribs, making the kit squeal with unbridled laughter. "Well that's just mean, Nicholas. You never say that about Mommy."
"Because Mommy's too awesome," Nick said through his mirthful tears.
"And I'm not? You hurt my feelings, Nick," Max grinned. His eyes started to shine with tender affection as he finally released his son, his son, who was beautiful and perfect in everyway just like his wife. Max Wilde had been a husband and father for quite some years now and still didn't know how he had gotten so lucky.
"But you're right," he told Nick as he finally started to tuck his son in. "Your mommy is amazing. And if you're lucky, you'll meet a girl just like her some day."
He kissed his son's forehead, "Sweet dreams my little Slick Nick. Love you."
"Love you too, Daddy," Nick yawned sleepily before curling into his bed and his eyes drifting shut.
Love you too, Daddy, Nick, in a hotel room and having his groomsmen making sure his tux wasn't wrinkled, thought of that one night years ago before the bad stuff happened. He wondered what Max would think if he saw that the girl Nick had been so lucky to find was a rabbit. Nick imagined his father would laugh, and then he would hug Judy and make sure she felt like a part of the family.
Nick smiled to himself as he looked down at the handsome, double-breasted black tux he wore that Max had bought for his own wedding day. The only difference was that Nick also wore his trademark dark indigo necktie with red and blue stripes even though it clashed with the suit; he thought it would be neat to wear the same tie he had worn when he and Judy had first met.
"How are you feeling?" Finnick asked him, dressed in a fancy suit he had borrowed from the Hopps family. The fennec fox was Nick's best man, his other groomsmen consisted of Clawhauser, Bogo, Sven, and a few of Judy's already married older brothers (who really just offered for their baby sister's sake).
Nick placed his paws on his hips and pulled his lips back in a big smile, "Absolutely terrified!"
Finnick and Bogo rolled their eyes, not expecting anything less from the fox. Clawhauser on the other paw frowned at him in concern, "Come on, Nick! You shouldn't be terrified on your wedding day!"
"Obviously he's not married," one of Judy's brothers mumbled under his breath to his siblings.
Nick turned his smile to the cheetah, "I beg to differ Ben buddy, this is a perfect time to be scared out of my wits! I mean, Judy and I have a very demanding and dangerous job, not to mention we're different species so we can't have kids, something I know Judy really wants and further more-"
"Nick," Finnick interrupted his friend. "Calm down, you have a knack for being pessimistic in the best of situations."
"Plenty of my officers are already married," Bogo pointed out to him, "Besides you already told me you weren't going to let Hopps get away."
"And there is such a thing as adopting," Finnick pointed out. "Though knowing the hustler she's going to want to adopt an entire orphanage."
"The point is, Nick," Sven spoke up. "Everyone gets a little terrified on their wedding day. I almost jumped out of a window…thank God my antlers got in the way."
"Window, huh?" Nick looked over his shoulder at the one large window the room had.
"Nick, no," Clawhauser jumped in front of Nick and took the fox's shoulders between his chubby paws. "I've-we've waited too long for this to happen. I know you and Judy are soul mates and you're literally a few minutes away from marrying her!"
When Nick still looked like he would be sick Finnick stepped forward, "This wedding wasn't cheap and we have half of the city out there, either you marry the hustler or I will."
Nick's green eyes immediately snapped down to the smaller fox with a glare, "Yeah, no, that's not happening. Carrots isn't marring a mammal that could fit in her purse…if she had one…which she doesn't because I carry her things, I also make sure she has her coffee in the morning, and that she gets enough sleep, and that no creepy mammals try to put the moves on her, and that she doesn't do something really stupid and WHAT ARE WE STILL DOING HERE!?" He looked to his groomsmen with a hysterical expression, "I have to get to Carrots before she gets herself killed!" He dashed out of the room with Sven and Clawhauser on his heel, telling him his necktie was unknotted. Bogo and the Hopps brothers looked to Finnick who smirked triumphantly.
"I'm so good I scare myself."
.
Nick stood at the altar next to Flash, with Finnick and his groomsmen standing behind him, backs straight and expressions calm, cool, and collected, with the exception of Clawhauser who couldn't stop grinning. He had waited for this day since Nick's first day on the force.
Amelia and Bonnie were seated in the first row of the Hopps side, both pairs of eyes already wet with tears.
Across from the groom stood Fru Fru and the other bridesmaids, the maid of honor caught Nick's eye and sent him a sweet smile, Nick returned it.
He was starting to worry that Judy was late (he had visions of her tripping or tearing her dress, getting food poisoning, or being kidnapped by some next door Bunnyburrow neighbor who had been love with her since they were kids). But then the wedding march started.
All eyes turned around to the front doors as they slowly opened and in walked the flower girls, Suzy Sugar and Judy's youngest sisters, they were dressed in pretty sundresses as they tossed flowers of varying types across the aisle and even on a few of the crowd who chuckled and cooed at the girls. They reached the end of the aisle and then scurried to their mothers, Suzy waving happily at Nick before hurrying to jump into her mother's lap. Behind the flower girls came Judy's favorite niece Mina, carrying a velvet pillow that carried Nick and Judy's rings. Usually the ring bearer was a boy but Mina had been determined to play an important part in her favorite aunt's wedding and it wasn't to be a flower girl.
Mina made it up to the altar where Finnick took the offered rings, he would hold onto them during the ceremony. Mina smiled at him, before going off to sit beside her grandma Bonnie.
And then Judy walked in. Nick's breath caught in his throat.
She was an angel, the dress making her look like she had just stepped out of a storm of snowflakes, her gray fur soft and neat, her amethyst eyes glowing. Leading her arm in arm across the aisle was her father, Stu looking like he was ready to burst into tears. Behind them was Fru Fru's daughter, Judy, carrying the trail, and by the smile on the little shrew's face you'd think she was the one getting married.
Fru Fru smiled proudly at her daughter as Judy and Stu made it to the altar, the little shrew letting the trail go and obediently walking over to her grandfather, climbing onto his lap.
Judy smiled happily up at Nick who returned it, she tried to pull out of her father's grip, but Stu wouldn't let her go.
"Dad?" Judy spoke, trying to pry her arm free from her father.
"Mr. Stu?" Nick stepped up, "You uh, you need to let her go."
He sent the fox a pained look, "You're going to have to help me."
Bonnie let out a frustrated sigh as she saw her daughter and Nick trying to free Judy from Stu's arm, she quickly hurried up to the altar to help pull her husband away.
"Honestly Stu," she scolded. "This isn't the first daughter you've given away at the altar."
"But I only have one Jude the Dude," Stu's voice cracked.
"It's okay, sir. I got her." He finally managed to pull Stu's paws away and met the rabbit's eyes, his words deep with meaning. "I got her."
Stu finally nodded and allowed his wife to drag him back to his seat where Amelia waited with an amused smile.
Judy giggled softly and shrugged helplessly at Nick, he noticed her own eyes were starting to shine with tears and he leaned down to whisper in her ear: "You bunnies, so emotional."
She playfully nudged him in the ribs, "Hush up."
He snickered, "You're also beautiful."
She smiled softly at him, "And you look very handsome."
They brought their attention to Flash Nick was positive if they hadn't had an audience she would've smacked his shoulder for not lying when he said he'd get Flash to marry them all that time ago.
The sloth looked to the two with a smile before he began the ceremony: "Dearly beloved…we are…gathered here…today…in the presence….of these witnesses…to join…Nick Wilde…and…Judy Hopps…in matrimony…commended to…be honorable….among all; and…therefore is…not to be…entered…into lightly…but…reverently…passionately…lovingly…and solemnly… Into this-these two…mammals…present now…come to be…joined. If any…mammal can…show just cause…why they…may not…be joined together…let them speak…now or…forever hold…their peace."
Flash waited, longer than was necessary, and despite himself Nick worried that maybe someone would say something, either because Nick and Judy were two different species or because someone else was in love with Judy. But no one said anything the only sound was of guests letting out a couple of awkward coughs because of the prolonged silence and the impatient breath Judy exhaled.
Finally Flash continued, "These two…time together…solving crimes and…being heroes…have made them...see…their love…and understanding of…each other…grow and…blossom…and now…they have decided…to live out…the rest of…their lives…as one.
"The newlyweds…may now…recite their…vows."
"Can I go first?" Judy asked Nick eagerly, jumping slightly in her enthusiasm.
Nick smiled down at her with a wry look, "Sure, we can save the best for last."
Surprisingly she didn't roll her eyes, she straightened up, taking Nick's paws in her own before she cleared her throat and spoke loud and clear for the entire auditorium to hear, her eyes never breaking from Nick's:
"When I was a kid I had my life planned out and the number one thing was to become the first rabbit officer of the ZPD. But despite what others might have thought I also knew I wanted to fall in love and get married-I just thought it would be with a rabbit. Turns out love is a little more complicated than that, it's not about finding someone just like you, it's about finding someone who fills in your missing pieces, no matter what they look like or who they are. Love is finding the other half of a soul and binding it together, forever. It's about finding your other half, and I never imagined my other half would be a fox and a con artist. But Nicholas Piberius Wilde, that's exactly what you are. You made me see myself, the good and the bad, that I didn't know was there. You made me see a different side of life; you helped me succeed in everything I do. And when I look at you, I'm reminded of something that's true: Anyone can be anything. And right now you're helping me prove that anyone can be with anyone. But I know life isn't going to be easy, we're both going to make some mistakes, but I also know we're going to get through it. Because if there's one thing we both do, it's trying, and that is exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to try to be the best wife I could ever be, I'm going to try to get you to work on time, I'm going to try to keep you out of danger no matter what the threat be it criminals or relatives. I'm going to try to make you not want for anything; I'm going to try to not roll my eyes when you tell our kids all your bad puns. I'm going to try, every single day, for the rest of my life, to show you how much I deeply and completely love you… And I vow to make your world a better place."
As Judy finished her vows Bonnie glanced at Amelia who sat next to her, the fox's fur was damp with continuingly shedding tears.
"Are you okay?" Bonnie whispered to her.
"Hm? Oh, I'm fine," Amelia wiped at her eyes. "I just know if Max was here he'd be bawling his eyes out so I thought I'd do it for him."
Bonnie glanced over to Stu whose tie was damp from him using it as a hanky. "I think my husband could help you out in that regard." Amelia and Bonnie tittered quietly to each other.
Meanwhile Nick was staring at Judy, his emerald eyes shimmering with emotion and his lips slightly parted as he tried to not be overcome with emotion from Judy's words. Okay, he wouldn't admit it but that was a very good vow.
"Nick," Judy breathed, breaking him from his shell-shocked state. "It's your turn."
"Right, right," Nick cleared his throat and released one of Judy's paws. He lifted the free paw, holding two fingers up, Judy's eyes glittered with amusement and Nick grinned cheekily as he started:
"I, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy.
I promise to be brave and to protect you from every bullet wound and every heart break until my very last breath. I promise to be loyal, right at your side, unmovable, for all the good and the bad. I promise to be helpful; I want you to always come to me when something's bothering you. No matter what the problem, be it a dangerous case or you can't reach the top shelf, I'm going to be there to always be your hero. I promise to be trustworthy. You can trust me with your heart, Carrots, because I completely trust you with mine…" Nick took both of Judy's paws and placed them over his heart, his eyes never breaking from hers. "I lived my entire life with one mantra: Never let them see that they get to you. But Judith Laverne Hopps…you got to me. Despite everything you got to me, and do I love you for it? Yes, yes I do."
If Judy could've kissed him then she would've, instead the bunny rapidly blinked her eyes of the fresh tears that were shed and the smile that refused to budge, she clutched Nick's paws tightly.
Flash spoke up, "We will now…exchange…the rings."
Nick looked over his shoulder to see Finnick hurrying over to their side and offering the two rings, Judy told the gold band, Nick took the silver.
The fox slipped his mother's ring onto Judy's finger, marking her as his own. Judy quickly did the same, at this point wanting to hurry and officially be his wife. Even though Nick had worn this ring before it felt more secure on his finger this time, it was official, it marked him as Judy's and he never wanted to take it off again.
Finally Flash straightened his back and looked out to the audience, "By the power…vested…in me…by Zootopia…I now…pronounce…you…husband."
Nick's heart skipped a beat.
"And…wife…"
Judy's heart looked like it had stopped altogether.
"You…may now…kiss…the…bride…"
Judy's arms had already shot out and wrapped around Nick's neck, pulling him to her lips. He cupped her face between his paws as he immediately kissed her back. The last time they had shared a kiss with such depth and meaning was at baby Judy's birthday party when they shared a kiss for the very first time. And in a way this was their first kiss not as friends trying to figure out their feelings for each other, not as a couple learning how to share an apartment together, but as newlyweds who would be spending their lives full of danger and adventure together.
They heard the crowd applause, laugh, and whistle, some saying nothing because they were too busy smiling. For some of the witnesses this was a momentous moment, two of ZPD's finest, two well known heroes of Zootopia who were greater inspirations then they even knew, were binding their lives together, showing the world that differences may be an obstacle, but it wasn't a wall.
But for Nick and Judy, they were just two regular mammals, utterly in love and kissing at the altar while Flash spoke words that were the sweetest music to their ears:
"I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde-Hopps."
.
The wedding reception was held immediately after. Nick and Judy sitting at the head table, holding paws, while their parents and close friends sat with them.
Gideon Grey and his bakery had taken it upon themselves to cater for the wedding, the portly fox outdoing himself with a massive cake almost as tall as Bogo. To make it even better half of it was carrot flavored and half of it was blueberry. It of course had been delicious even if Nick refused to admit it.
But before the cake was allowed to be eaten Mr. Big had made a toast, holding his miniscule glass up and congratulating them in the warm voice of a father, saying that he was happy for them both, glad to see Nick had turned his life around, and that they would always have a place at his home. Judy knew Nick enough to know the toast met more to the fox than he let on.
The crowd enjoyed their slices of cakes, but it wasn't long before Stu walked into the middle of the room and tapped none too delicately on his wine glass and loudly cleared his throat.
"Hey there…" Stu spoke up to the crowd. "I guess it's time for my father of the bride speech."
A few of the Hopps family chuckled, no matter how many of Stu's daughters got married he was never confident when it came to speeches.
He smiled toward the newlyweds in an apologetic way, "I guess I should start this speech by saying I wasn't always the biggest fan of foxes. I was like every other rabbit in the tri-burrows and thought all of them were no good and it took my crazy little girl to show me different. Not only did her becoming a cop lead to me making one of the best business decisions of my life." At this he gave Gideon a friendly nod who returned it with a big grin. "But she also introduced me to, what I think, is one of the best foxes in the world." His smile was affectionate as he raised his glass to Nick. "I don't think I'll ever be good with words or long speeches, so just pretend I just used a bunch of big fancy words to tell you one thing: Welcome to the family, son."
Nick blinked back his tears as other members of the Hopps family, Bonnie included, gave their vocal agreement to Stu's amateur style speech that got right to the most important point. Nick was officially a part of the Hopps clan.
The next mammal to give a speech was Fru Fru, the shrew standing on the table before the two but at this point she was blubbering as badly as Stu had during the wedding and Judy and Nick had to keep their ears pricked to understand her:
"As someone who's gotten married let me tell you there is no better feeling than finding your true love. And-and to know my daughter's godmother and my best friend knows the same feeling makes me so happy!" Fru Fru wrapped her small arms around Judy's paw and the rabbit smiled adoringly at her friend. "You've saved my life, Judy, and so did you, Nicky, and you were both there to help me when I had baby Judy and I swear I'll be there to help you both with anything you need!" The shrew looked up at Judy with shimmering eyes wet with tears, "You're like the sister I've never had, Juju. I'm so glad you saved me from being crushed by a giant donut."
"I'm glad to," Judy told her friend with wet eyes before giving her a hug, the shrew continuing her blubbering, all the while Nick shook his head fondly at the two emotional females before turning his attention to his best man that sat a few chairs from him across the table.
"Your turn," Nick smirked.
Finnick looked at him over his wine glass, "My turn for what?"
"The best man has to give a speech," Amelia told him from where she sat between the two.
Finnick's ears drooped in dismay, "Isn't it enough that I kept him from jumping out a window?"
Amelia frowned in concern at her son but Nick quickly kept talking, "Come on, Finnick. You and I had such fun times together, and now that I'm hitched we won't have as much time to do that… You can talk about one of my embarrassing stories."
Finnick considered that, "I can tell everyone?"
Nick nodded solemnly before lifting a finger, "But just one."
Finnick finished his wine before walking out onto the stage the Unusuals would later be playing on. Despite himself Nick felt a small twinge of dread as everyone's attention moved to the stage as Finnick made to speak: "I just want everyone to know I'm only doing this because Nick said I can tell you about one of his more stupid moments." He smirked over at the fox while a few of the guests chuckled, "And I know just the story. It was one of our first con-business trips."
Nick's eyes widened in fear as his friend continued, "We had just come up with our pawpsicle hustle, I'm sure most of you already know about that, well back then we didn't know a single dad gets as much pity, if not more, than a single mom. So guess what we had to do? Find a skirt Nick's size."
Judy was already laughing as Nick buried his face in his paws.
"Nicole and I went to an ice cream shop across Zootopia to make sure no one would recognize us. Hopps, if you think Nick was dramatic as a dad you would not believe how over the top he was as a single mother just trying to make sure her baby boy feels like an elephant. He gave a very emotional speech about the hardships of motherhood that I'm ninety nine percent sure he got from his own mother. And by the end of it he was shedding tears and had about four to five guys wanting to pay for her. We ended up getting more free ice cream than we had planned. But the reason we switched to single dad is because each of those "sympathetic" donators asked Nicole on a date."
He paused to let everyone laugh for a few moment, Nick sending his friend daggers from the eyes that were still hidden behind his fingers. "And Nicole was so into character she left that ice cream shop with four numbers."
If Judy had been sipping her drink it would've spewed over the table she was laughing so hard. Nick spoke up above the laughter, "Can your speech have anything emotional or related to today, Finnick?"
The fennec fox smirked, "If it must. It was only by my dragging Nick away that he left without getting a boyfriend that day. And that started a chain of me having to drag him out of crazy situations brought on by his own stupidity." His eyes turned to Judy and she was surprised by the warm expression she received. "But he found someone who does a better job at it than I do. I leave him and his idiotic antics to you…Carrots." It was the first time he had ever called her by that nickname and to Judy it felt like he had just called her his sister.
Finnick lifted his paw in the air as if making a toast: "To the brother I was lucky enough to have trip over me."
.
It was several minutes later, right when the Unusuals (now with their brand new drummer-a fresh from parole Casper) were on stage getting ready for the first dance, that they received a new visitor.
Everyone whispered excitedly to themselves as pop star Gazelle walked into the room, heading straight to Judy and Nick. The fox felt the rabbit stiffen next to him and he fought back a smirk.
The gazelle placed a white wrapped gift on the table before them before offering them both a winning smile, "I'm sorry I couldn't make it here sooner."
"It's fine," Judy quickly insisted. "I actually didn't think you'd come." She had asked Sven to invite her but hadn't held too much hope that she would have time to come.
"Of course I would," Gazelle told her, her eyes looking at them both, "You two are such a great inspiration to me."
Nick was sure Judy's face would break from the large smile that split her face. Just then Finnick called from his stage, "Gazelle!"
She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him and his band, "Oh, I remember you. You opened up my last concert."
Finnick nodded and held out the mic in his paw as if offering it to her, "Want to sing the first song with us?"
"I'd love to!" she quickly hurried over to the stage and the welcoming grins of the Unusuals.
Nick glanced down at Judy, "Are you going to be able to handle your favorite celebrity singing at your wedding?"
"If I swoon catch me," Judy ordered with a giggle as the two stood up and made it to the middle of the dancing floor.
The guests didn't know whether to have their eyes on the newlyweds or the celebrity standing on the stage, though a majority reminded themselves today was Nick and Judy's day and kept their eyes on them.
Nick held one of the rabbit's paws and placed the other on her waist. Judy's paw that wasn't interlocked with his own rested on the fox's shoulder. The newlyweds smiled at each other and they completely held each other's attention to the point they wouldn't notice if none of their guests were watching them.
The first strum of Finnick's guitar was played; Judy and Nick instantly recognized the song and neither were surprised.
"Your eyes glowing like the moon." Finnick and Gazelle sang in harmonic unison.
"This is officially our song," Judy stated as they started to twirl around on the smooth floor.
"Your fur makes me want to swoon."
"A song a bunch of teenagers used to get lucky back in the nineties?" Nick asked with a smirk, "Oh yeah, definitely our song."
Judy only rolled her eyes as they continued to sway, Nick's paws warm against her fingers and hip.
"And if I could howl, howl you know I would."
Nick's grip tightened and Judy felt butterflies in her stomach as his emerald eyes never left her gaze. She couldn't remember Nick looking at her for so long, at least not while she was looking back.
"Because you make me feel feelings I never knew I could."
She leaned her head against his chest, taking in the familiar scent of his musk, "So how does it feel?"
"How does what feel?" Nick whispered back.
"You're as pretty as a flower."
"To be married to a rabbit?"
"It feels like this," Nick pulled her up into her arms and spun her around while the song continued ("Over my heart you hold so much power.")
Judy giggle as her dress billowed around them both, her heart fluttering as if she were actually flying. And then Nick let her feet rest on the floor again but didn't remove his arms that were wrapped around her.
"And if I could sing, sing I would."
"You're smothering me," she mumbled into his tie.
"Let me," Nick teased, his breath blowing across the top of her head.
"Because you make me feel feelings, I don't know if I should."
Judy pulled her head away and beamed up at the fox, "You're ridiculous."
"Yet you married me anyway," Nick grinned back.
"And if you'll hold me, hold me true."
Judy wrapped her arms around Nick's waist, "Yes I did."
She sang along with the next words: "I don't want to be anywhere if it's not with you."
Nick twirled her under his arm, Judy had never felt like she was the most graceful dancer but at the moment she felt downright elegant. "If I could howl, how I would."
And just like the first time they danced to this song Nick dipped her, his paws on the small of her back, one of her paws clutching his shoulder as she let Nick hold them both up. Their noses were touching and they both wore wide smiles, their eyes shining.
It was Nick who sang along this time: "You make me feel feelings I never knew I could."
When the first dance was over Bonnie hurried over to give Judy her bouquet so she could throw it before the party continued, Judy's siblings and many of her single friends and relatives crowded in front of her, ready to get as much help as they could get when it came to getting married.
Laughing Judy turned so her back faced them and threw it over her shoulder the hardest she could manage. The bouquet danced across the crowd's grasping paws before finally falling at the end of the crowd, and dropping right into Clawhauser's paws.
.
Hours later Nick was sure his feet had never felt so sore. He and Judy hadn't just danced with each other. She had shared a dance with her still sniffling father and some of her brothers, Nick sharing a dance with his mother and Bonnie. They were also asked to dance by non relatives, Judy sharing a dance with Finnick, Sven, Clawhauser, even Bogo and it was incredibly amusing to watch (she also shared a dance with Gideon and if Nick hadn't just married her he would've been jealous). Even Nick was asked to dance by Winter, some members of the ZPD, and even Gazelle, he hoped Judy hadn't noticed his mild start struck look when he had danced with the singer.
But the recipient over now and Nick and Judy, still dressed up in their wedding clothes, arrived at their honeymoon destination.
Originally Judy had thought of staying at a comfy bed and breakfast in Bunnyburrow, Nick personally not carrying where they went as long as they went somewhere. But Fru Fru and Clawhauser had refused to let them do something so mediocre, instead they had collected money from all the guests and made them a reservation at Jungle Paradise, a five star luxury resort in the heart of the Rainforest District.
They two were led by a friendly jaguar to the top floor, taking in the impressive architecture and the arrays of exotic plants and important looking guests.
The jaguar left them in a very large room, a large oval shaped bed with floral-covered comforters were the first thing they saw. And there was a large flat screen TV hanging from the wall, a round coffee table covered in assorted gift baskets of flowers and sweets. To their right the wall consisted of large thick glass, beyond it they could see the landscape of the rainforest below and beyond that was the rest of Zootopia.
"This is amazing!" Judy cheered, hurrying over to the table top to pick up a pamphlet and looking over it.
"They have so many activities here!" Judy cooed while Nick went to examine the bathroom (his favorite part was how big the tub was).
"They have scavenger hunts," Judy told him, reading the pamphlet as Nick returned to her side. "Oh, we'd be so good at that! And they have spa treatments, you'd enjoy that I think, oh gosh tomorrow is karaoke night we're totally going to do that!"
She went on for a few minutes before taking note Nick hadn't said a word, she looked up at him to see he was smiling at her with his trade mark half lidded eyes and cocked eyebrow.
"What?" she asked.
"Those all sound great," Nick told her. "But first, could I please just cuddle with my brand new wife."
"Oh, oh of course!" Judy dropped the pamphlet and quickly ran over to climb onto the bed. Nick chuckling softly as she tried to make herself look presentable in her slightly wrinkled wedding dress.
She leaned back on her paws, her legs crossed and trying to look sophisticated and seductive. Nick crawled onto the bed and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck.
"Oh," she repeated as he gently eased her onto her back, "You did just want to cuddle."
He smirked, "Yeah, I need some time to let my mind process."
"Process?" she echoed, taking note how her neck felt slightly damp.
"I married my Carrots," he slightly sang the words, his voice breathless yet triumphant. "I married my Carrots."
Judy chuckled and rubbed her paw across his arm. "Of course you married me, remember the vows and rings and the fact I'm in a wedding dress… You married your Carrots."
Nick's eyes suddenly widened, "I almost forgot!"
"Forgot what?" Judy asked as Nick pulled one of his arms off her and reached his paw into his pocket.
"We need to memorialize this occasion with a photo," Nick told her, pulling out his brand new phone.
"We took photos at the wedding," she reminded him.
"We didn't take a zelfie," Nick said. "Plus this would be the first picture I take with this new phone; I want it to be special.
He held the phone up, its screen showing the two. Nick pulled his lips back, "The very first zelfie of the brand new, one of a kind, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde-Hopps."
The picture would be brought up many times after that, becoming the phone's wallpaper and a right to bragging whenever the wedding was brought up. It showed a rabbit and a fox, their wedding clothes slightly askew, their fur slightly messy from hours of dancing and being congratulated by their loved ones, it showed the bunny turning her head at the very last second to place an endearing kiss on the fox's cheek. The fox was smiling wide, his teeth flashing but not even the meekest of prey could find any threat with those fangs, not while said fox's emerald green eyes were shining like they were actual jewels, full of love as he had one arm slung around his bride's waist while her paws grabbed at his chest, proving that as soon as the zelfie had been taken she would pull her brand new husband into a passionate kiss.
In short it was a picture of two animals, from different worlds yet so alike, happy and in love, a simple picture that held an unfathomable amount of depth. Life was unpredictable and you sometimes got more bad than good, but that didn't matter to the rabbit and fox anymore, they would face it together, because they were in love, and they were officially, and forevermore- Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps.
Holy crap please tell me a couple of you are weeping because I'm getting emotional over here I'm so proud of this!
But I'll say Stu and Finnick don't strike me as animals who make long speeches when they could just get straight to the point, and Fru Fru's was short because she's a blubbering mess.
Anyway, this is the end. And I am so happy so many people enjoyed this adventure. From the very first promo that was released on Inside Out I knew Zootopia was going to be a good movie, I just didn't know it was going to be fantastic. And I never in my wildest dreams thought my fan fictions for it would be met with so much praise and love. I'm never going to express my gratitude enough and I thought this wedding satisfied you (because I honestly don't think I could make it any better).
I'm actually kind of surprised this got more reviews than a Tail of Two, which is always going to have a special place in my heart, though It Takes Three's ending is definitely better. (I should make a living writing vows for weddings)
But since I'm so proud of it I ask you all, if you like it, to spread the word, nobody has to read the entire story but I want more people to read this one chapter because it is one of my best works.
So, until the next story (or the special where our newlyweds get more mouths to feed), I hope you all are being fantastic and that my story brightens up your day.
Cheers, and remember to try everything.
P.S. shoutout to Myckie for coming up with the last line of Judy's vow.