I first came across the image you see in the cover on a Facebook page; no artist was ever mentioned. I never got to find out where its source came from. But looking at it the first time, I knew there was a story that could be told. It's true what they say that a picture tells a thousand words. But it can also paint an alternate universe.

Happy reading!

Lost Forever

Be careful of the forest, Judy. It's a dangerous place to be on your own.

Her father's words still rang in her ears as Judy Hopps approached the wooden fence. All around her, the open field was a big green carpet of wild grass and soil.

But beyond that fence, Judy knew, beyond the barrier that kept her safe at the edge of the national park, was the forage of great sycamore trees, beckoning to her to venture into the unknown.

"I'm coming. Wait for me," she breathed out loud, though no one would hear her.

She vaulted over the fence, landing with both feet on the other side of the park. Then she continued her journey all alone into the deep woods.

Being in the forest was supposed to feel like second nature. Especially for a bunny who spent her whole life growing up on a farm in the countryside. But today, there was something unsettling about the still calm air as she walked amongst the trees. They seemed to be lowering their branches as though ready to grab her, the leaves shining in hues of orange and gold to reflect the setting sun high above.

The sudden, sharp noise of a crackle made Judy jump. She lifted her foot, only to realize there was a broken twig under her sole, which she'd stepped on.

Judy took a deep breath. She was going to make it.

Just think of it as an operation, she told herself. A covert, secret operation that no one on the force knows. Technically, she was off-duty that day. If anyone had bumped into her along the way, all they would see was a harmless bunny wearing a simple pink sleeveless top and jeans. A hiker who had accidentally strayed off the trail and lost her way. Besides, she didn't want Chief Bogo to know that one of his police officers was sneaking into the off-limits territory of a national park. Heck, she might even lose her job for this.

Yet in the long run, if she succeeded, she would be a hero for what she'd done.

And it was only a very possible if. But Judy was counting on it to happen.

The clearing looked the same as the last time she stepped into it. An empty section right in the heart of the forest, where nothing but the trees and bushes would only be her witnesses to this secret rendezvous.

All Judy had to do now was wait.

Finding a comfortable spot, she sat down on the ground. Time would pass her by – maybe in seconds, minutes or hours. But for how long?

The sounds of a rustling bush nearby answered her thoughts. Judy sprang to her feet, ears perked up and rigid as the shaking of leaves grew louder. Is that –?

A sudden blur leapt out from the bushes and into the clearing. This time, Judy was on her guard, keeping her eyes on the wild fox that slowly began to approach her, walking on all fours as it would in the wild.

In a split second, the fox bared its teeth at her, arching its back slightly in a wary posture. There was something intense about the way it glared at the bunny in front of it with its green eyes.

Or perhaps it was the evening sun that made the fox look that way.

Cautiously, Judy reached into her pocket before holding out her paw. It only took a matter of seconds before the fox caught a whiff of the tempting scent. She watched as it padded over to Judy, sniffing curiously before taking a bite from the offering in her paw.

Judy breathed a sigh of relief. No other fox could resist the taste of blueberries.

She bent down to scratch the fox behind his ears, while he nuzzled and licked her paw, this time in a warm greeting.

"Hi Nick," she whispered.

Judy continued to remain silent, saying nothing as she let Nick play with her, weaving in and out as he scampered around her in circles. He seemed to be in his comfort zone, even letting out a couple of playful yips and barks. She almost expected Nick to express articulately how he really felt in his new reverted form, how joyful it was to be a fox in the wild.

But she knew he would never speak again.

There was nothing she wanted more than to spend another minute with her best friend, and – though she would never admit it yet – the love of her life.

Where did it all go wrong?

Of course she knew where. The Museum of Natural History, where she and Nick were surrounded by Bellwether and her ram cronies. Sure, the thought of the sweet and sheepish Mayor betraying Judy was a blow to the chest, but that was minor compared to what was coming.

If only she had more time… She could have easily switched the Night Howler pellet with one of the blueberries in her pocket. It would have been a perfect fit. No one would know the difference.

But everything happened so fast. The case containing the evidence was wrenched from her paws, Bellwether had fired the gun, and Nick turned from friendly to feral in the blink of an eye. Judy was trapped in the pit with the savage-turned fox while listening to Bellwether gloat about her plans to take over Zootopia, certain these were to be her last moments alive.

Then all of a sudden, Nick did a sprint on all fours and leapt onto the edge of the pit, climbing out with his bare claws. Judy thought he was going to go after Bellwether instead. But the wild fox turned to glance at her one more time, before bolting out of the museum and into the outside world.

The last thing she remembered of Nick was the burning fury in his green eyes – not because he was turning savage, she thought, but he was fighting his killer instincts. He did it to keep her safe.

The ZPD arrived with Chief Bogo in the lead. They arrested Bellwether and her thugs, but no one could track down the fox who was at the crime scene.

Everyone just assumed he went missing. Without a body or any evidence, no one could say for sure that Nick Wilde was dead.

There was no way she could possibly tell the truth. Not to the ZPD, not her own family, and certainly not his best friend Finnick. With the prejudice against savage predators still running high, it would be too much of a ruckus.

All thoughts about possible leads had gone cold. Until Judy got a tip-off from a forest ranger, who heard rumors about a wild fox making his home in the depths of a national park. It took her days, but the patience finally paid off. Strangely enough, there was nothing savage remaining in Nick anymore. He might have behaved like a fox would in its natural habitat, but nothing about him seemed to pose a threat to Judy, especially when he wagged his bushy tail.

He still remembers who I am, she thought bitterly.

And every time she went to visit him, it pained her to look into those big green eyes of his and whisper, "I'm sorry Nick. I just don't know how to cure you yet."

Until now.

The syringe containing the antidote felt heavy in her pocket, mostly with the guilt of stealing a sample from the hospital where all the other savage predators were being treated. I'm sure no one would mind if one sample goes missing, Judy told herself. Besides, I'm only trying to saving Nick.

And today was going to be the day.

A sound like a twig snapping rang out across the clearing. Both Nick and Judy froze, looking towards the bushes.

Another fox emerged into the open, calling out to Nick with a high-pitched yip. Judy could tell it was a female, not because of its slender body unlike those of other foxes, but it was those eyes. Those clear, irresistible sky-blue eyes.

Immediately, Nick went over to greet her, engaging in a nuzzle and comforting lick on her ears, before the two foxes made their way back to Judy.

"Oh…" She tried to inject some cheerfulness into her voice. "Hello there, Vixey."

The first few times Nick introduced her to Vixey – or at least, Judy decided to give it a name – she thought he seemed to be settling down in his new home.

Maybe, a little too comfortably.

If Nick was happy, Judy knew she had the right to be happy too. But the bunny couldn't deny a growing pain in her heart every time she saw Nick being all lovey-dovey around his newfound companion.

Who the heck does she think she is? She's just some fox he found in the wild.

The sooner Judy had Nick by her side once more, the easier she could breathe, knowing things would be back the way they were.

"Hey, Nick? Where are you going?" Judy watched as the two foxes scampered back into the bushes, almost ignoring her completely. Something must have caught their attention.

Perfect! Now's my chance. Judy took the syringe out of her pocket, giving it a few taps. Nice and good.

Just one prick, and he'll be back to normal. We'll be together again. And I have so much to tell him…

The needle was still in its safety pack, and Judy was about to pull it loose.

That was when Vixey came back into the clearing with the three cubs at her side.

Three. Each little bundle of fur more beautiful than the last.

The world suddenly froze all over Judy Hopps.

The cubs frolicked about in their joyful midst of exploring the forest clearing, letting out playful barks as Nick tumbled with them, watched over by their proud mother. As Judy stared, her mouth hanging agape, she knew at once.

They were his. They had their father's green eyes. Their mother's lush silky fur.

The result of a match made in heaven.

She couldn't stand another second to look at that joyful sight. Turning on her heels, Judy ran from the clearing.

By the time the muscles in her legs were screaming and her breath came in short, hard gasps, Judy wasn't certain how long she had been running.

Or where she was right now. She leaned against a tree, somewhere still in the deep dark forest. Somewhere, the bunny hoped, that was far enough. She fell into a defeated slump, resting against the tree.

How could this happen? Nick was just right in front of her, but he might as well be miles apart. The sight of that happy family, the way Nick looked at his cubs as he wrestled with them, the loving gaze he shared with Vixey…

A choked sob burst from Judy's throat before she curled into a ball, giving in to the sadness that now engulfed her like a flame.

Then the tears came, hot and angry. Damn you, Nick. Why? Why couldn't you wait? You don't deserve to be with her!

She beat her fist against the trunk, over and over. For a moment, she could almost imagine her fist in Vixey's perfect face. Punching the tree did hurt, but what else could hurt more than being betrayed like that?

The cubs were innocent, she knew that. But every time she looked at them, they only reminded her of the heartbreak she was enduring with each passing second.

Nick would have made a great police officer, thought Judy to herself. He could've been so much more than what the world made him out to be.

He was my everything…

There was a sharp burning pang that tingled through Judy's clenched fist. Drawing her breath through clenched teeth, she held her paw open.

Only then did she realize she was still holding onto the syringe, now cracked and broken. The shards of glass lay scattered about in her paw, mingled with the blood from her cut pads and the antidote spilling from the syringe.

Judy knew she was being watched, even before he came out from his hiding spot. Perhaps it was the whiff of her blood that gave her away. Or maybe he was just a natural-born tracker; his predator skills at its peak now that he was reverted back to his primitive fox self.

"I'm okay, Nick," she said out loud. "Really, I am. I don't need you bothering me… J-just leave me alone, will you?"

The broken bits of glass fell out of her open paw. A puddle began to slowly form on the ground, a mixture of the once-effective antidote and Judy's blood.

She closed her eyes and continued to cry softly to herself. Something warm and wet nuzzled against her stinging paw before she felt the soft rasp of a tongue on her fur, licking the bloody mess clean.

Isn't this what you wanted?

Judy would have given anything to feel Nick's touch on her own fur. She remembered how she had cuddled up in his musky red fur, kissing him all over and moaning his name… only to wake up and realize it was just a dream. She wanted to cup Nick's face in her paws and just kiss him, right there and now. It was too cruel a prank to play on her.

Turning to round on him, Judy lost her cool and screamed. "I said leave me alone, okay? You've got Vixey now, haven't you? Get away from me! SCRAM!"

The fox backed away slowly from her, his eyes wide with fear. He resembled nothing at all like the suave and confident fox she knew her whole life.

And even though Judy had never seen that look on his face before, she knew at once.

It was the same way she looked at Nick when he threatened to eat her, right in front of a crowd of onlookers in the ZPD headquarters. He looked scary, maybe posing a threat had she not reached for her fox repellent in time. Even then, it was possible a guy like Nick would turn on a member of the prey family.

The words Nick spoke not too long ago played back in her mind, as though he was talking to her on the sky tram only yesterday:

If the world's only going to see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy… there's no point in trying to be anything else.

She called out to the retreating fox, as gently as she could while crouching on her knees. "N-Nick? Don't go… Please?"

Nick paused in his tracks, a paw raised in mid-air. His nose perked up with delight. The scent of blueberries! He padded over to Judy, tail raised high and wagging, before nibbling the tasty treat out of her outstretched paw.

"I'm sorry, buddy. I didn't mean to snap at you." The bunny put her arms around Nick's neck, pulling the fox closer to her in a hug. She wasn't expecting Nick to be able to hug her back, but he seemed to return the favour by nuzzling his muzzle right into her shirt.

A lump formed again in Judy's throat, but she gulped it down and smiled.

"Nick… I want you to stay."

Before Judy could brush her tears away, Nick had leapt right in, running his tongue over the bunny's face. The slightly pungent taste of fox musk and drool mixed with sweet-smelling blueberries lingered on Judy's fur. It was a smell she would cherish for the rest of her life.

"I know you've wanted everyone else to see you differently. Not just as some shifty cunning fox. And I want that for you, Nick." She paused to scratch behind his ears. "But this… This is your world now. I can't be a part of your life any more. You hear me? Vixey needs you… Your cubs need you."

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Nick's barks sounded more like whines this time. She looked into the fox's huge green eyes, before leaning in to kiss him on the muzzle.

"I love you, Nick Wilde. I always will."

The minutes passed by. Both of them stayed in each other's arms, with Nick's flank resting on Judy's lap while she cradled him, never wanting to let go.

But there was one last thing she needed to do.

The paw prints Nick left behind meant she was bound to follow her mate's tracks. And sure enough, there was Vixey, standing right beside her cubs.

Judy slowly approached the she-fox, getting down to approach her at eye-level.

"Hey Vixey. Take care of Nick for me, okay? He may be one heck of a hustler, but he's a bona fide sweetheart."

She had almost forgotten that Vixey lacked a proper gift of speech, but when the she-fox replied with a gentle bark, that alone, Judy thought, was good enough.

At the sound of his mate's calling, Nick trundled over to greet Vixey and his cubs. There was no denying what Judy saw, but as Nick went from watchful and vigilant to being plain silly and playful with his cubs, she smiled to herself.

For a sly fox, he certainly had what it took to be a great father.

The bunny blew one final kiss, looking upon the happy family of foxes. "Bye Nick."

With her heart lighter and a new resolve, Judy began her journey out of the woods. Already, the forest seemed a lot less scary than when she first came here.

There would be some paperwork that needed filling in when she got back to the ZPD, and some explaining to do. But there was one thing Judy Hopps was absolutely certain of.

Nick was right where he belonged. Home.

~ The End ~

"Always believe in your stories"

~ Wind