16 'Till Death Do Us Part
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Again, I apologize for the time span between postings. This particular chapter needed a lot of thought for some reason and was rewritten several times. Also, real life seems to be interfering a bit, and perhaps some of the passion that I've had in the past is waning. Never fear, I will NOT give up on the story, I promise.
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Pulling into the parking lot of Tri-Burrows Memorial, Judy hurriedly turns off the car, locks it and literally runs into the building and up the stairs (the elevator was going to be way too slow for her liking) into Nick's room, where she finds her mother, Darci and Debra in conference with Nick.
"What's going on here?" she asks, slightly out of breath, and a bit perturbed to find that Nick was not alone like she was hoping/planning.
"Well" begins Bonnie "it seems like Nicholas here received a phone call from his boss in Zootopia, and was informed that you two kind of needed to be married so his insurance would continue to cover you. We were waiting for you to show up so we could finish last minute plans for your wedding!"
"What?"
…
Quickly looking back and forth between her mother and sisters, Judy's eyes fall on her todd, who simply holds out his paws in a 'I had nothing to do with this!' gesture.
"Again, what-" Judy begins again but is interrupted by Debra.
"Judes, just stop for a second, okay?" begins her sister "Darci and I were here scheduling an appointment in physical therapy for Nick to be evaluated to see how much work he'd need before he could be released from the hospital."
"Nick got the phone call from his boss, told him he'd talk to you about it, and hung up." adds Darcy.
"Then Darci kinda got otta control and phoned mom-" interrupts Deb-
"It was your idea!" shoots back Darci.
"I only said that mom would probably like to know-"
"Enough, both of you!" commands Bonnie after tolerating the argument for long enough.
"It doesn't matter who said or did what, the point is that Nicholas's boss has indicated that you two really to be legally wed for you to continue to be carried on his insurance. I take the blame for attempting to set up a wedding with minimal goings on." the matronly doe finishes addressing Judy.
"For y'all's information," Judy tells the assembled crowd with a bit of attitude, Nick included, "Chief Bogo told me the same thing when I talked to him earlier this morning. I was all set to talk with Nick about getting married when I got here, but it now seems a bit unnecessary on my part. You all know how I hate getting pushed into things like this …!"
A single soft word "Judy …!" from Nick, halts Judy's oncoming tirade in its tracks.
When the todd holds out his arms, the doe doesn't hesitate for a second, she immediately launches herself into his arms.
Holding on to Nick with a virtual death grip, Judy can't stop apologizing "I'm sorry … so sorry, I'm so sorry, please Nick-" continues the muffled apologies.
Wanting to give the couple some privacy, Bonnie and Judy's sisters begin to back slowly out of the room, but are stopped when Nick gently shakes his head 'No' as he gently strokes Judy's laid-back ears.
Several tense minutes later, Judy finally comes up for air, tear-stained fur and all.
Holding his love just far enough away that they can look eye-to-eye, Nick tells her "Fluff … Judy … everything's gonna be all right. I know it may not seem like it right now, but it will."
"Bu-but, I'm such a mess, and you're so … calm! I don't see how you can be so calm right now!"
"Is that what you think? That I'm calm? That I'm not torn up from missing you? Really?"
"…"
"Growing up in Happy Town as a kit, I had to hide my feelings all the time. Never let them see that they get to you was a mantra that we all had to wear. Same thing when I was hustling, a mammal can't smile or show any sort of emotion, it would be too easy to lose a mark. Showing emotions in the military would get you or someone else killed in a heartbeat. It's not that I don't have feelings, it's just that I've had to learn to either suppress them or at least control them. Like I said, emotions can cause you to make bad decisions and in the military, bad decisions will get you killed quick.
"Judy, I missed you terribly, but I knew that you'd be back and so I tempered my anxiety with that knowledge. Yeah, when your mom and sisters overheard my conversation with ol' Buffalo Butt they got a bit carried away, but they meant well, you surely know that!" as the todd gently wipes tears from Judy's cheeks with his thumbs.
"Yea-yeah, I guess …" and she suddenly is aware that the other 3 does are still in the room.
Turning, Judy manages an apology to them "Mom … Deb … Darc … I-I'm sorry I went off like I did, it's just-" and suddenly the younger doe is smothered by her family in a huge group hug.
"It's okay Bun-Bun," Bonnie tells her daughter "we get it. We … I … took a lot for granted that I shouldn't have, knowing you like I do. We were all concerned when we learned how quickly it seemed like you'd need to be wed to maintain Nicholas's insurance on you and the kits, we just kinda wanted to help speed things up a bit. We're sorry we did so without talking to you first!" with Deb and Darci nodding their heads in agreement.
"Plus, there's something that Bogo didn't mention, most likely because he didn't consider it …" Nick tells the does.
"And that would be … what Nicholas?" asks Bonnie.
"The fact that according to Animalian law, in order for me to legally be able to adopt the kits, Judy and I would need to be married before I would even be considered worthy of adopting them! And that's after I somehow manage to get Savage to sign the form surrendering his parental rights!"
"My stars, I hadn't even thought about that!" exclaims the elder doe, with Judy, Deb and Darci simply staring at Nick, open mouthed in shock.
After finally getting over her temporary shock, Judy turns and snuggles against her todd, and addresses the group "Okay … so, what's the plan?"
"Well," begins Bonnie "Theresa and Dianne (Trixie and Derpy) have gone to pick up a few things, food mainly - just a few snacks really. I need to go back to the warren to pick up a couple of items …"
"I … managed to talk to Reverend Black," pipes up Debra "and found out that he's still in the hospital for whatever reason."
"Wait a second!" interrupts Nick "Black? Is this Reverend Black a skunk by any chance? I remember Lola mentioning a skunk doe with the last name of Black in one of her initial interviews …"
"Yeah, that'd probably be Megan or Megs as some of us call her," offers Darci "she works at the Burrow … a bar in town, so it kinda figures. She's the Reverend's daughter by the way."
"So … what else?" asks Judy.
"Well, Darci and I are going to give Nick a preliminary assessment on his mobility and physical well-being today, probably as soon as mom leaves to get whatever she plans on getting from the warren." Debra informs her sister.
"And just why would you need to do that?" asks the now confused doe.
As a knowing grin comes over her older sisters face, Judy was not prepared for the answer "Because you and Nick are not going to be using a hospital room for your honeymoon suite, however brief it may be. I will not subject the hospital cleaning staff to the goings on and pheromone laced smells that they would have to endure if you stay here. You and Nick can do what married mammals do on their wedding night in your motel room. That's what their staff gets paid to clean."
Open mouthed in shock, Judy can only turn beet red at Debra's unfiltered reference to marital activities during honeymoons.
A slightly amused Nick manages to steer clear of the conversation up to this point but "Fluff … are you okay?" he asks as he notices Judy's minor predicament.
"I-I-I-ummm …" stammers the poor doe.
"With that, I'll make my exit and return to the warren to pick up a few things." briefly interrupts Bonnie as she heads for the door.
"And now … let's get down to business!" firmly declares Darci. "Nick, you need to go to the bathroom before we begin!"
Catching the hidden meaning behind the seemingly innocent comment, Nick tells the doe "Umm, yeah, that'd probably be a good idea."
As the todd stands a bit unsteadily, Judy moves to help. "It's okay Fluff, I really need to do this by myself." he tells her gently.
"You're sure?" she asks a bit concernedly.
Giving his betrothed a quick smile and nod of his head, Nick begins his unassisted journey to the bathroom, his gait improving with each step.
"Judy, listen," begins Darci "Nick needs to prove to both Deb and I that he can move about on his own, without any assistance. If he can't, there's no way I can certify that he can leave the hospital, even for one night. He has to satisfy both Deb and myself that he's okay to leave. This is going to be a temporary preliminary evaluation, with the full-blown evaluation taking place on Monday."
As the bathroom door opens and Nick emerges, Debra tells him "Nick please walk to the bed with your best stride, and please don't brave up and mask any discomfort or pain. Darci and I need to evaluate you on an honest level. Do you understand?"
"Yeah Doc Deb, I get it. That said, you do need to understand that even my normal walking has a bit of a hitch to it. Prior injuries and all …" he tells her.
"We ... we'll take that into consideration, I promise." comes the honest reply.
As Nick walks slowly back to his bed, Darci has him then walk backwards to the bathroom, and return to his bed walking backwards again.
After having Nick sit on the bed, Deb checks his vital signs as usual.
"Any dizziness or nausea, headaches or muscle weakness? she asks.
"Nope, none of the above!"
"Okay then, give us a few minutes to talk things over and we'll give you our decision." Debra tells them.
As Deb and Darci confer in the hallway, Nick and Judy (mainly Judy) wait nervously.
…
Several minutes later, the door opens and Deb and Darci reenter the room, followed by Trixie and Derpy, with the latter pair being loaded down with various bags and boxes.
"You guys must really rate!" exclaims Trixie as she sets her load down on a spare table "Gideon actually donated all of this!"
"Yeah," adds Derpy after setting down her packages "what's up with that anyways?"
"I guess Gid's still feeling a bit guilty over our little dust up from back when we were kits." Judy admits somewhat ashamedly.
Seeing the questioning looks that the vixen and mare are giving her sister, Deb intervenes "Story for another time, okay? We've got more important things to address right now!"
Turning her attention to Nick, Deb tells the todd "Nick, after talking things over, Darci and I are willing to give you a limited pass, good for tonight only, but it comes with a restriction. You need to be back here and ambulatory by no later than five o'clock tomorrow afternoon or we'll keep you here for at least 3 months, regardless of your condition, is that clear?"
"Crystal!" answers Nick, with Judy nodding her understanding as well. "However, I'd like to make a small request."
"And that would be … what?" asks Deb.
"Judy has to report to the academy by 7 pm tomorrow night. If I make your time line and am in good enough shape, I'd like to be able to accompany her in separate vehicles to see her off at the academy fursonally. I promise to be back here by not later than 8 pm."
After a moment's thought, both Deb and Darci agree to his terms.
While Trixie and Derpy continue to set the food down in various unused spaces around the room (not a lot of room in a single patient room usually reserved for bunnies) Bonnie makes her appearance with another small doe in tow.
"Cotton?" exclaims Judy as she sees the tiny off-white furred doe "What are you doing here?"
As the tiny doe leaps into Judy's arms, Bonnie tells her "Well, she was missing you, and when she heard that you were getting married she kept pestering me until I had no choice but to bring her along. I thought that maybe you could use her as a ringbearer?" she adds hopefully.
"That'd be nice, but … we seem to be a bit short on rings as it were." responds Nick glumly.
"Why Nicholas," says Bonnnie "I thought that maybe you two could use these!"
As the elder doe produces and opens a black velvet covered box, Judy can only gasp "MOM! Those … those are-"
"Your Gramma and Grampa Thumper's rings? Yes, yes they are."
"But-"
"When mom passed, she told me to give these to whoever I thought might best deserve them. I honestly can't think of anyone more deserving than you two."
"Umm one small point …!" begins Nick.
Pulling a silver chain out of a pocket, Bonnie interrupts the todd "All taken care of Nicholas.."
"Judy," interrupts the tiny bunny "momma said that you was getting' married, but I don' see nobunny here, just a fox!"
"Well …" begins the doe-
"Wait!" suddenly clowns Nick "Just wait! I'm a fox? Why did no one tell me?"
Looking at Judy he continues "And I suppose that you're secretly a vixen? OOOOFFFF!"
After (not so) gently elbowing her soon to be mate, Judy shoots him her best evil eye.
Turning to the smaller doe, Judy attempts to explain.
"Cotton, mom has always told us that the heart wants what the heart wants, right?"
As the small doe gently nods her head Judy continues.
"Well, my heart wants Nick. I love him and he loves me, so that's why he and I are getting married."
"But … pappa says that you is gonna have kits. I din't know a fox and a bunny could have kits!" the now fully confused kit tells her sister.
"It's … complicated, but you'll understand when-"
"When I's older … yeah … I's heard that before …" comes the reply, laced with attitude.
As everyone tries (mostly unsuccessfully) to hide grins, another duo enters the room.
"Have I missed something?" asks a skunk buck in a ministers frock.
"Nothing important Reverend," Bonnie says behind a veiled grin "just some kit curiosity.
"I see …" comes the guarded reply.
"Hey y'all, do ya mind if I join in?" asks a black and white doe.
"Hey Meg, of course not, how goes it?" Judy tells her.
"I'm good. I had to come when I heard that you were gettin' married Judes."
"Well, you are most certainly welcome." Judy tells her old friend and she moves to give the larger doe a big hug.
"Not to be a stick-in-the-mud, but I do have other places to be…" comments the Cleric.
"Of course Reverend, of course!" apologizes Bonnie.
"And the betrothed are …..? comes the open-ended question.
"Judith Hopps and Nicholas Wilde." supplies Bonnie as she points to the pair.
"I see ..." is his noncommittal reply.
"Is there a problem?" asks Nick.
"No, not at all, just a bit unexpected."
"All right then, let's get to it." interrupts Bonnie, eager to avoid any sort of confrontation.
"Nicholas and Judith, please stand together."
As the couple takes their place in the rather smallish room, the preacher continues.
"Who gives this doe to wed?"
"I, Byonica Hopps, mother of the bride, give Judith to wed."
Pausing for only a few seconds, and having heard rumors of the split between Judy and her father, Reverend Black continues.
"We gather here today to join Judith Hopps and Nicholas Wilde in the bonds of holy matrimony. Do you have vows prepared?"
"Ummm …" begins a taken off-guard Nick as he looks at Judy "Not really, but as long as we can speak what's in our hearts, I guess we can have a go at it!"
When he gets a slight nod from the preacher, Nick begins.
"Judy, Karma can be a strange mistress. I was basically on a path of self-destruction when we met. You know enough of my past to know that there was nothing at that time to hold back the demons that had been pursuing me for years. I had set out on a path from which there seemed to be no return. The accident that brought us together saved my life. I was at once smitten by your beauty and empathy. I could identify with the situation that you were in. I now had had something … someone to live for. I vow on my life to honor and cherish you in this life and the next."
Not bothering to hold back the tears that were filling her eyes, Judy tells her soon to be mate "Nick, I agree that Karma can indeed be a strange master. I was at the lowest point in my life. The dream that I had worked most of my life towards was totally shattered, with no plans for the future. Standing up for you against Stu made matters even worse. No home, no job, no money and kits on the way left me with no hope. Your act of kindness at first left me with suspicions, but I soon realized that you did so from your heart. I went from feeling totally destitute and unloved to knowing that I now had a future for myself and my … our kits. I vow on my life to cherish and honor you in this life and the next."
After hearing the heart-felt vows, the Reverend realized that a lot of the rumors he had heard (and for the most part discounted) were true.
Gathering himself, Reverend Black continues "With the vows complete, does anyone here have any good reason why these two mammals should not be wed? If not, you may exchange the rings."
Prompted by Bonnie, Cotton presents the rings to Nick and Judy.
As Nick slides the ring on Judy's finger, re Recites "With this ring, I thee wed. to have and hold, in sickness and health, 'till death do us part!"
As Judy places the ring and chain around Nick's neck she recites the same pledge "With this ring, I thee wed. to have and hold, in sickness and health, 'till death do us part!"
"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may …" and he is cut off and the new couple share a very intimate kiss.
"I'll be sure to drop off the marriage certificate at the clerk's office first thing on Monday morning."
…
As Reverend Black and Megan prepare to leave, Megan paws Judy a small box wrapped in shiny gold foil and tied with a purple bow.
Seeing the unasked question in Judy's eyes, the larger doe tells her friend "This is for you for him. You'll understand when you open it later." and ends the statement with a wink.
"Nicholas," begins Bonnie "take good care of my daughter please. I know that you're a good mammal, and that Judy can be a bit … impulsive at times."
"I promise to do the best I can." is the honest answer.
"Judy …" starts a tearful Bonnie.
"I know mom, I know …." A tearful Judy tells her mother as the two hug tightly.
"Okay you two, pack it up and get otta here!" Debra tells the newlyweds. "Take the food with you, I think you're probably gonna need it! Nick, you can just wear the scrubs, but make sure you drop them in the laundry when you get back, and make sure you get back by 5 tomorrow. Either Trixie or Derpy will be here to log you in and back out. And … don't do anything I wouldn't do …"
As the two exit (with Judy blushing furiously) followed closely by Trixie and Derpy (Nick needing to be in a wheelchair to the front door) the remaining does stand for a moment and look at each other. "Well, I don't know how things could've turned out and better, considering the circumstances!" declares Bonnie.
"At least dad didn't show up to ruin everything." observes Darci.
"Oh, I had Reggie create a disturbance between several of the older kits that would require your father's attention, just in case he had gotten wind of what we were going to do today!" Bonnie tells her daughter with a bit of a malicious glint in her eyes.
"MOM! You didn't!" exclaims Deb.
"Yup, sure did, and proud of it! You wouldn't believe the amount of support that those two have in the warren."
"Well good, glad to hear it." admits Darci.
"Momma, can we go now?" asks Cotton. "I's hungry and you promised ice cream if I did good."
"Of course dear." replies Bonnie as she leads the tiny doe out the door, with Darci and Debra looking on in amusement.
…
After saying their goodbyes to the ever-helpful vixen and mare, Nick and Judy head to the cars, trying to figure out which one to take.
Finally agreeing to take the GTO since it had more room for the food, the pair set off to Judy's (and now Nick's) motel room.
Parking in front of the room, Judy went to tell the clerk at the front desk that there would be another occupant in the room and another car in the parking lot, she got back to the car with Nick waiting outside the door.
Seeing the questioning look on her face, Nick simply smiled "I need to carry you across the threshold don't I?"
"I-I guess so?" was all she could think of to say.
Entering the room, which was slightly in disarray, Judy hastily apologizes "I-I wasn't expecting-"
Stopping her apology with a passionate kiss, Nick tells her "It's okay sweetheart, I understand. I really do. it caught me off-guard too."
After a brief pause "So…?" begins Judy.
"Look, "says Nick "if you're uncomfortable with this-"
"NO! I mean … no. it's just … except for my brothers when we were all younger, I've never really been around a naked male before. And even when I peeked and say your … your …"
"Maleness?" asks Nick gently.
"Yeah, that. And since I really still don't remember what happened with that asshole buck that night-"
"We can take this as slow as you're comfortable with." Says Nick "Why don't I go ahead and take a good shower, then you can take one and we can sort of ease into whatever you're okay with, okay?"
"That … sounds good." As Judy plants a small kiss on Nick's cheek.
…
Sitting nervously on the edge of the bed, Judy ponders opening the small present that Megs gave her at the hospital but eventually decides against it, waiting to open it when she takes her shower, or bath, whichever.
Sometime later when Nick exits the bathroom fur all brushed out and his coat shining in the now dim light, Judy gives him a quick hug and enters the bathroom, closing and locking, the unlocking the door.
"What's the point of even locking it, especially after …" she thinks to herself.
Finally deciding to take a quick bath, then a quick shower, Judy's curiosity is piked as she stands under the fur drier. As she begins to brush out her short fur, she finally decides to open the present that her lifelong friend had given her.
To her immense embarrassment, the small package contains what was meant to be a sort of baby-doll set. The top was so see-through tha it would leave absolutely nothing to the imagination, and the panties were of course crotchless.
With her cheeks and ears threatening to burst into flames, Judy takes several deep breaths to settle her emotions. She remembers her sisters talking about such things when she was younger, talking about how much it would mean to their bucks, how much it would turn them on and be that much better in bed.
Finally getting the nerve to at least try the set on, she had to admit it actually accentuated her figure, even as small as her breasts were … and as narrow as her hips were. Now she was sad that she had always been so fit and trim, lacking the soft and gentle curves that her mother and all of her sisters had.
Deciding to leave the outfit on, Judy exits the bathroom and immediately sees the stunned expression on Nick's face.
"I-I'm sorry Nick-" she begins.
"Sorry about what?" he asks "You're beautiful! You're perfect!"
"But … my breasts are so small and my hips-"
"You are absolutely the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life!" counters Nick "you are who you are and I couldn't happier or more proud of you." as the todd holds out his arms to his wife.
Quickly falling into his arms Judy has to ask "You're sure?"
"There's nothing that I'd change, even if I could." he answers, nuzzling her.
"So …." as the doe pulls away far enough to be able to look directly into his beautiful emerald eyes.
"Yeah …" as Nick pulls his new bride into a very passionate and heated kiss.
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AN: FYI, a female skunk is also called a doe and a male is a buck.
If I might have given some readers the impression that someone might have gotten seriously injured or killed – deal with it, I apologize for nothing.
