Lacking a building, there wasn't so much a formal "reception" as a bunch of deer and other herbivores standing around after the wedding.
"OK, girlfriend." Lateisha began. "Spill. What turned Hannah the ice queen into Hannah the bridesmaid who got lucky the morning of the wedding?"
Hannah hesitated, then realized she was actually dying to talk with one of her girlfriends about what had happened. "That whole thing with Sam, it was just incredibly frustrating. And then Marth, and I really came on way too strong when we first met, that made me feel worse. And then when that bear--that bear hit me, the last thing I thought before I passed out from the blood loss was 'I'm going to die a virgin.' So when I recovered, I just knew that I had to get past this."
"Why Marth though? The two of you didn't exactly seem to get along that well."
"When I was with him, I just felt this tension--and I think he felt it to. I didn't want quick, meaningless sex with one of the bucks here. And I knew that unlike Sam, Marth really didn't have anyone else anymore. Maybe I helped him get over Leticia, I don't know. I don't know if this is going to lead to anything or not. But" Hannah grinned "no regrets."
++++++++
"I can't believe it!" remarked a pretty doe no one in the Park had seen before the wedding "I have a sister!"
"Hi sis" Leticia replied "It's good to see you."
"Even if I look like this! This place is so weird! But I'm glad things worked out for you! Your guy seems like a hunk! Seriously though, how are you liking being a girl?"
*Bettina seems as bubbly as ever* Leticia thought. "How are mom and dad taking it?"
"Mom's OK with it I think, Dad's pretty weirded out but he's trying to be cool! This isn't the wedding they were expecting, that's for sure!"
"No, it isn't." Leticia knew she was going to have to talk with her parents soon. They were grilling Jeremy about his future plans at the moment.
"Seriously, though, how are you liking being a girl? Larry was such a guy!"
Leticia smiled. "Right now, I really, really like it."
++++
Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief. He really hadn't been very well prepared for Leticia's parents qestions about their future. Was he really going to be a herd leader all his life? What about when, and Jeremy knew it was inevitable, some stronger, tougher buck came along, either stepping out of the transformation chamber or one growing up in the herd itself? Could he and Leticia continue living in the park then? What about when their fawns grew up? Could the two of them reintegrate into the world after it spent years changing without them?
*C'mon, this is your wedding day. Be happy.*
"Uh, son?"
"Dad?" Jeremy looked at the tall, distinguished buck.
"Congratulations! I always knew you had the potential to be a leader."
"Thanks, dad."
"Your wife seems very pretty."
"Yes, she is." Jeremy stole a glance to Leticia, now talking to her parents.
"Son, your mom called me before I came here. She told me about what happened."
"She did?" Jeremy felt the hot anger begin to surge through him again.
"She says she doesn't expect you to forgive her, but she's sorry. She asked me to apologize to the doe as well."
"I'm supposed to be the protector of the herd, dad. Attacking one of my herd--that's something I don't know if I can ever forgive."
+++++
It was one of the hardest things Jenny had ever done since entering the park, but she knew she had to do it. She walked towards Predator hill, the mixed smell of cats, wolves, foxes, bears and other meat-eaters growing stronger with each step. Fortunately the panthers were on the edge of the hill. *How does Hannah do this?* the doe thought.
Jackie turned an inquisitive eye to the doe approaching the panther couple.
"Thank you." Jenny began. "Thank you for helping Spike. He's so proud of being able to help. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome." Jackie replied. "It was mostly the huskies. He seems like a brave little boy. Didn't flinch, which isn't always true when deermorphs suddenly encounter predators."
"Yes, he is." Jenny replied. She turned away to return to her friends, trying not to move any more quickly than she had to.
+++++
Chris the panther saw an apparently panic-stricken morph--some animal he didn't recognize--rushing towards the reception. "Who's that?" he asked his new friend.