Nothing to fear

Chapter 22

The table for the wedding party itself was 'U' shaped with Nick and Judy at the head, the bunny sitting to her husband's left with her parents, Marigold and August while Fru Fru was actually on the table with her own place setting fit specifically for her. On Nick's right were Finnick, the desert fox's date, Chryssie, his Aunt Marnie, Uncle Ray, and Chief Bogo. The plates that were delivered by the caterers consisted of spinach, broccoli and sweet peas in a thick butter sauce between layers of phyllo dough. Other courses included a sweet shredded carrot salad with golden raisins, fresh greens, sautéed soy chunks for the carnivores, fish for the feline guests, and finally custard with fruit compote for dessert. There was no alcohol as it had been discussed that actual wines and beers would be in bad taste as the Zootopia Police Department was hosting the event and having uniformed officers getting tipsy could be bad for the public face of things.

Nick and Judy were only mildly interested in the menu, not that they were able to get more than a few bites down in the moments where guests weren't clinking on their glasses for the couple to share a kiss. Apart from that the luncheon was more than enjoyable and both sat close together, their paws linked, as the catering staff cleared away the dishes.
The peace of the moment was broken when the sound of another glass being tapped drew everyone's attention, though instead of another call for a kiss from the happy couple, it was Finnick calling for the gathering to give him a chance to speak. The desert fox set down the butter knife and looked a little flustered before shrugging and actually getting on the table.

"Now maybe y'all can see me," he said in his uncharacteristically deep bass voice. There were chuckles and laughs from the various tables as Finnick took a steadying breath, stealing a glance at his date, the tanuki nodding with a wide smile of encouragement. "I was told...after I agreed to be Nick's best mammal, that I was supposed to give a toast. I've never done nothing like this. Heh! I ain't never been to a wedding!"

There were more laughs this time and Nick himself chuckled softly, realizing that his old partner in street cons and hustling was trying to use all the tricks he'd picked up over the years to work the crowd but his discomfort was causing some problems. When the other fox sighed and shook his head Nick and Judy both just watched, unsure what was coming next.

"I was caught off guard when I was asked to be best mammal. I've never been one for big crowds. So, if I get nervous and mess this up, it's your fault," Finnick said as he pointed to Nick and gave him a mock snarl that lasted for a moment before the desert fox's expression melted into one of sincerity. "Nick and I have known each other since he was about..." he began and raised his paw about head height before lowering it to elbow level on the fennec. "Yay high...so a really long time.

"I could tell you about how hard he had it as a kit, but that's his story to tell. What I will tell you is that he's the best friend I ever had and if I ever needed help he was the first one to give it. I've seen him give away the last few dollars in his pocket so some poor kid out on the streets could get a good meal, or clothes or...or..."

The desert fox had to pause to wipe his face and shivered a little as he tried to get his emotions in check before continuing, his voice thicker when he resumed.

"When he told me he was gonna become a cop I thought our friendship was done. No way I was gonna be friends with no blue suit. It wasn't until later I heard about what he and Judy did for the city. It got me to thinking maybe ol' Nick was maybe doing the right thing after all. It was still hard to deal with, but I worked through it.

"Then the day came when we ran into each other again. It wasn't by accident either. Nick and I would always meet up to talk about things in the past and he had something that was pulling his tail something bad that day. So we headed to the waterfront like we used to so we could sit and watch the water and the ships coming in. It was a good way to get us in the mood to talk.