A/N: This is a much shorter than most of my previous chapters. I wrote it more than three weeks ago and was trying to hold it back but then I said to myself, "whatever for?". Thanks again to Uzrfrndly and EmberLarelle276 for the inspirational story and comic.

For those who read Author's Notes, this scene takes place in the hospital continuing from Chapter 7. This is not the final chapter as I still need to tie up a few loose ends. I will take a break but I will have something up right after Christmas. I do not own the characters of Zootopia. ©Disney does. Feedback is appreciated.

"You know," Nick began, "I remember this beautiful young bunny who once told me that we have nothing to fear but fear itself."

He slowly lifted his head and turned his face to look at Judy. She was sitting up in the hospital bed - staring straight ahead - absorbing what he had just said. Then, she turned to face him. She saw him smiling at her. She looked at his eyes. She didn't see the walls he normally threw up around himself. All she saw was Nick's tenderness and affection for her.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and shyly smiled back.

"There you go," gushed Nick, "there's the most wonderful smile I've been waiting to see again."

Judy started to feel like some of the weight she had been carrying had been lifted off her shoulders. In the darkness of her confused state of mind, a light began to shine through. Nick's gentle words of endearment cut through the fog. And suddenly, she began to see Nick differently. Nick would always say to her, "Never let them see that they get to you." Even with her, his guard would always be up…that is until now.

She looked deeper into his emerald green eyes. Was that…love she saw? She was confused. How could he still love her after what she had put him through? The things she had done to hurt him.

Nick had returned the sleeping kit to Judy and she had transferred them to a bassinet next to the hospital bed. Nick started to speak again and his eyes never left hers, staring deeply into that amethyst abyss. He no longer wanted to hide anything from her.

"I know how you feel right now. It's one hell of a scary thing you're facing. I've been there many times. To feel all alone…to feel that the whole world is against you. I've been to that dark place."

Nick broke off his gaze, leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on his knees and began to reminisce. Judy could see the tension in his shoulders but heard his voice remain steady.

Nick closed his eyes and continued. "I never really told you about where I came from or why I was in Zootopia. I never found it easy to open up to others about my past. But I can't keep shutting you out and I need to share it with you because, if we are to have a future together, you deserve to know."

"I was born here in Canidae, Land of the Vulpines. The early settlers of Canidae mostly came from the other side of the world. They were primarily canids and they worked with the First Mammals of Canidae in building a country. However, due to the rugged terrain and harsh weather, many canids died which severely depleted the population of the original settlers. The government decided to open up immigration to families of all species, whether predator or prey, in an effort to rebuild the population. This enticed mammals from all parts of the world to come to Canidae to start afresh. The harsh weather and distance between neighbours meant that one could not be isolated from one another. Eventually, all species would learn to work with one another in order to build a future together. Tolerance was something that everyone learned to practice in order to survive. Canidae has always been a very socialistic country and in fact, interspecies marriage was legally recognized over ten years ago just before I came back here."

Nick chuckled slightly. "Canidaens like to joke that we probably are mellower and more laid back than Zootopians because of the Cannabis that grows like weeds everywhere."

"My mother, a silver fox from Andalusia, met my father, who was from Zootopia. He had immigrated to Canidae and he happened to open his tailoring shop next to hers. My mother was a music and dance teacher. He told me that he courted her by enrolling in her dance classes where he would insist on one-on-one lessons. They soon fell in love, got married and my father decided to settle here permanently."

"We were a very happy family. My father, John, was well liked by all his customers. All sorts of clientele came through his doors. Both prey and predator came to his shop and were treated equally and fairly. They did not judge him because he was a fox unlike when he was living in Zootopia. That was also one of the reasons he came here. Businesses in Canidae willingly catered to both prey and predator. Everyone coexisted in peace."

"When I was born, my mother decided to stop teaching music and dance as she wanted to focus her attention on raising me. My mother, Marianne, ran the household and showered both my father and I with all the love she had to give. She was always in the kitchen, cooking up all sorts of treats and amazing dishes. She told me that her ancestors were once wandering gypsies, which is where she learned her love for life, living each day for the moment. Her ancestors never knew what tomorrow would bring so they always made sure to celebrate life to the fullest everyday. This zest for life was reflected in the food she created for us and the music she played. The aroma of the food she cooked was a constant reminder of her love for us as the smell permeated throughout our house. Even now, whenever I cook one of her dishes, it reminds me of her unwavering and unconditional endless love. And, if I wasn't in my dad's tailoring shop learning the trade and how to run a business, I was in the kitchen with my mom, learning how to cook some of her amazing recipes. Life was very good back then."

"Then, after one very bitter winter, my mother fell ill. She never recovered and died in the spring. It devastated the both of us. My father and I grew apart even though we were living under one roof. Like all foxes, my father never remarried after the loss of his life-mate, and decided that he needed a change of scenery, one that didn't remind him of my mother all the time. So he decided that we would both go back to Zootopia and restart his business there. However, my mother's death weighed heavily on the both of us."

Judy watched Nick as he told her about his past. She was grateful that he was finally opening up to her but as he shared the memory of his mother and her death, this brought tears to her eyes as she could see him hurting. Her heart went out to him. She wanted to get out of her hospital bed to sit by his side in order to comfort him. But she was still physically and emotionally drained from the delivery.

"By the time we arrived in Zootopia, I was very depressed and having to deal with my father's angst as well didn't help either. I had several brushes with the law because my depression and frustration had led me to commit petty crimes. Naturally, my father was upset and we were constantly quarrelling. I had wanted to work with him in his shop but he preferred that I get a formal education because he wanted me to have a better life than he did. He constantly wanted me to fight against the stereotype that foxes were considered sneaks, liars, cheats and couldn't be trusted. At that point, I was tired of fighting and had accepted that if in Zootopia, foxes couldn't be expected to be trusted, then why go against the grain? There was also the matter of my starting out as a freshman instead of as a senior. You see, back in Canidae, I had never spent time in a regular school as I was home-schooled by my mom. I felt embarrassed and humiliated that I had to start as a freshman despite of my age. My self-esteem was at an all time low. I was so mixed up. I missed my mom very much. Plus, the father I wanted to lean on in my time of need wasn't there. He, too, was lost in his own miserable hell. It got so bad that we almost came to blows the night before I showed up in Zootopia High. Words were exchanged. Words that hurt deeply. Did you ever wonder, Judy, why I had my recording pen with me that first day? I was going to use it to record my goodbyes to my father, as I did not have the guts to even write him a farewell note. I had decided that I was going to end my life right after school, as living did not seem worthwhile."

Nick opened his eyes and turned to face Judy. "Then, this adorable little bunny hopped into my life and with her fierce determination, boundless optimism and loyal friendship, led me back to firmer ground. And, whether she knew it or not, she saved me from myself. My life has never been the same since. I have never had the chance to properly thank her for giving me a second chance at life."

He stood up from the chair and sat down on the bed facing her, his emerald green eyes staring into her amethyst ones while he held her paws in his. "I now have that chance. Judy, if you will allow me, let me be your Northern Star, your Rock of Gibraltar, and your one constant in your life. Allow me to share your burden. I want to be there for you, to protect you and the kits now and forever. I want to be the father of your children, raising them as my own even though Jack is the biological father. And," Nick said slowly, showing his final card, deciding he needed to go all in at this point, "I can't imagine what my life would be like without you by my side."

Judy realized that she had been holding her breath when Nick had mentioned that he had contemplated ending his life. She had never expected for him to let her see what was behind those walls he built around himself. The thought that her best friend had once thought of suicide was almost too much for her to bear. And that despite all the hurt and pain she had put Nick through, he was there, by her bedside, offering his friendship, protection and love. As she returned his gaze, she realized that she was looking into Nick's bared soul. What she saw there shook her to her core. His unconditional love for her and her kids finally derailed the emotional rollercoaster that she was on. The tears she was trying to hold back burst forth. She could not imagine what her life would have been like if Nick had pushed through with his plan back on that first day they had met in Zootopia High. She cried out his name between sobs while pulling him to her.

He wrapped his arms around her and gently cradled her into his chest while her paws tightly clutched the front of his shirt, as if never wanting to let him go. He smiled, kissed the top of her head, and gently nuzzled her ears.

"Thank you, Judy."

Judy turned her face up to Nick and they kissed like there was no tomorrow.