Tale As Old As Time

Even top cops have sometimes surprising reasons for celebration.

Just before Valentine´s Day, Nick and Judy had stopped a grand theft at a fancy chateau owned by a local skunk duchess. The culprit was none other than the thieving Duke Weaselton, who was sent to jail soon after that.

Grateful for saving her family heirlooms, the skunk had invited Nick and Judy to her chateau for a ball during Valentine´s Day. It was going to be a gorgeous night in her chateau, which was over 400 years old. The rooms of the whole building looked just like they came straight out of the 18th century.

Like in a grand hotel, Nick and Judy got to sleep in the guestrooms. At first the fox thought it was a little too lavish for his taste, but got used to it pretty quickly, especially seeing how nice the beds looked.

He especially loved the luxurious bathtub. He went there and got washed right before the banquet and the dance with his sweetheart Judy.

“Would there be anything else, Monsieur?” a boar butler asked as he handed him a towel.

“That´ll do. I´m almost ready”, Nick got out of the bath and went to get dressed.

Both he and Judy had forgotten their formal wear as they came to the chateau, but thankfully the duchess had clothing for the two to borrow. He found a blue ballroom tailcoat with a white ruffled dress shirt, golden vest and fitting pants too.

“Do you want a wig?” the butler asked the guest.

“No thanks, I´d just look silly”, Nick laughed while looking at a mirror. He could only imagine Finnick dying of laughter while seeing him in a powdered wig.

“Your Mademoiselle is waiting”, the butler added as Nick left the room.

Suddenly, Judy arrived from the nearby dressing room. She had gotten dressed up too in an elaborate golden ballgown with wrapped off the shoulder sleeves, a floor length skirt and fitting gloves on her paws. She also had put her ears on a golden ponytail.

“You look gorgeous”, Nick couldn´t believe his eyes as his heart pounded.

“You´re pretty dashing too tonight, Nick. Blue really is your color”, Judy smiled at him.

“And I´d love to see you wear that dress during our wedding”, the fox added as the two went to the dining hall.

The beautiful skunk duchess and her noble friends were already in the table, chatting about pretty much anything from arts to politics. Nick and Judy were more focused on each other´s company though.

The food itself was delicious. Judy had green salad on golden leaves while her boyfriend chose some wild duck. Both of them also enjoyed some pumpkin soup for appetizer before that.

After dinner, the duchess led her guests to the ballroom, which was huge and filled with beautiful statues and chandeliers. Gazelle was surprisingly there too, this time doing ballads instead of pop music.

She noticed that her friends were there. As they entered the dance floor, Gazelle started singing a rather fitting song for the couple.

*Tale as old as time*

*True as it can be*

*Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly*

“Shall we dance?” Nick bowed to her dame.

“Of course”, she curtseyed in response. Gazelle kept on singing.

*Just a little change*

*Small to say at least*

*Both a little scared, neither one prepared*

*Beauty and the beast*

Part of Nick was a little shy around such fine folk, but he still loved being their guest alongside Judy. It´s not everyday one gets to spend Valentine´s Day like this.

*Ever just the same*

*Ever a surprise*

*Ever as before, ever just as sure*

*As the sun will rise*

This song reminded him too much of him and Judy as they were waltzing. Their love did come out of an unexpected place too, and they both seemed like polar opposites, even though they were really very similar by heart.

As the dance kept going, he felt like he had gone into a different realm. Where there was only him and Judy together in the room, lovingly together. A special kind of bliss. It made him forgot any kind of worries that he could´ve had.

The beautiful rabbit felt the same way there. To her, Nick was the most genuine gentleman imaginable. Even though they both preferred more modest ways to spend the holiday, any date with a moment like this was more than welcome.

*Tale as old as time*

*Tune as old as song*

*Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change*

*Learning you were wrong*

Nick´s face went up to a smile as Judy closed her eyes in bliss. All the other guests looked admiringly at the couple.

*Certain as the sun*

*Rising in the east*

*Tale as old as time*

*Song as old as rhyme*

*Beauty and the beast*

The music ended and everybody applauded. Candle lights went out as it was getting darker outside too.

Gazelle smiled in Nick and Judy´s direction. She was always happy every time the couple managed to get romantic in front of her.

“Oh Nick..” Judy rested her head next to the fox. She was impressed at how good he was at the ballroom floor.

“You were right about accepting the invitation here, Carrots. This was wonderful”, Nick said.

Nick escorted her by the paw back towards their guestroom as they walked past the balcony, seeing the starry sky next to them.

"I almost forgot. The duchess gave me a permission to pick this one just right for you", the fox remembered and handed a gorgeous rose to the rabbit. Even though some petals had fallen out of it, it still looked almost magically beautiful.

"Oh, this is just too much. Thank you, sweetheart",Judy blushed and took it.

"What´s a Valentine´s Day without roses?" Nick smiled. His lovebunny looked absolutely gorgeous while standing in front of the balcony window, in that golden gown and holding the rose in her gloved paws.

“You know it feels so rewarding to spend moments like these after all the hard work at crimefighting”, Judy looked outside the windows.

“It sure does, bun bun. Doesn´t matter where the moments happen, as long as you are there for me”, Nick said.

The fox placed his paw gently on Judy´s bare shoulder as they looked outside the window. It wasn´t long until his focus changed to the lovely smile on the rabbit´s face.

“This is the third Valentine´s Day we´ve spent together, and it just gets better and better every time”, he added.

“You´re not wrong on that, darling. Every holiday just reminds me more of how much we belong together. Oh…I guess we should go to bed now”, Judy yawned a bit.

“Just one more thing before we go to the guestroom: can the beast kiss his beauty tonight?” Nick asked.

“He surely can”, Judy smiled.

The two kissed lovingly in front of the balcony window right before leaving it. It was quite the lovely sight

Even after that, both their hearts were still beating loudly as they went to the guestroom. They´d still have time to canoodle in bed too, the kiss had just crowned the evening in the chateau.

There was only one beauty in Nick´s life, and there was only one beast in Judy´s life.

And it was meant to be that way.