"Where did I leave that torque wrench…?"

Skye reached out her arm and felt around the floor beside her, trying desperately to find it without having to crawl away from her spot. The tip of her paw grazed the half-empty toolbox nearby, bumping it a tiny bit further out of reach, before landing on the tool she was looking for. She let out a triumphant grunt, pulled the wrench underneath the vehicle, and went back to work.

She was glad she had hung the amber light beneath the engine; it made it a lot easier to see what she was doing. When the limousine had arrived the day before from Tundra Town, she had been told it needed a new transmission, but it wasn't until she started working that she realized just how badly it needed one. All of her tools and technical know-how could only go so far when a transmission was this cooked. She had spent most of today working on disassembling the current transmission, and she was sure it would take most of tomorrow to put the new one in.

But she didn't mind. In fact, she hummed a contented tune as she cranked her wrench. Skye was a fox in her element, and after spending her whole life dreaming of being in this very position, she was not about to be discouraged over a little hard work.

Any worries she might have had that her garage was going to fail when it first opened up were long gong by now. In the months since then, she had worked on so many vehicles, she had lost count. Every single one of them were fixed up good as new, and their owners had driven off with smiles on their faces and the promise of a strong recommendation to all of their friends and family. It was starting to get so busy, she wondered if she might have to hire another employee soon to work with her, but for now, she was happy working by herself.

Besides, a job done right was better than a job done fast. There were plenty of other shops in Zootopia animals could take their cars if they wanted something done quickly, but they knew that Skye's Garage was the best place to go if they wanted it done well. And that was something she would always be proud of.

She was so focused on her work, she didn't hear the footsteps that walked through the open bay doors, approached the limousine, and stopped beside her feet. In fact, she was so distracted by the stiff screw she was currently struggling to loosen, she did not even hear the sound of somebody clearing their throat, trying to catch her attention.

It was only when Judy and Nick both leaned down and shot her welcoming smiles that she finally realized she had company.

Skye's eyes widened. "Oh, fiddlesticks!" She placed her wrench on the cement beside her and quickly slid out from underneath the limousine. She scrambled to her feet, patted her grease-covered paws against her overalls, and tried desperately to make herself look at least somewhat presentable. "I'm so sorry! I was working so hard, I didn't notice you come in, and I…"

Her latest session with Dr. Tora flashed through her mind. Before she could continue with her apology, she forced herself to pause and take a deep breath. She closed her eyes, counted to five, and slowly breathed out, imagining all of her anxiety exiting her body. Immediately, she felt calmer, and she opened her eyes to see Nick and Judy still standing in front of her, both of them patiently waiting for her to finish her mental recalibration.

With her anxiety gone, she managed to look them in the eyes and shoot them an apologetic smile. "I hope you weren't standing there for too long."

"Not at all," Judy assured her. She folded her paws behind her back and took a moment to look around the wide open space. "We're on our lunch break right now, so I thought it would be a good idea to pop in and see how my business is doing."

They were both wearing their police uniforms. Nick was holding a half-eaten taco in one paw, seemingly content with standing quietly to the side while the two girls talked. Judy's eyes darted from the limousine to the two cars parked in the other bays, each in various stages of disassembly. Though she pretended to study them with keen interest, Skye had learned long ago that Judy did not know the first thing about car maintenance, and the bunny could not keep up the façade for long before she turned back to the arctic fox and flashed another smile.

She returned it with a playful one of her own. "Hey now, you only own fifty percent," she pointed out. She puffed her chest with pride. "And as a matter of fact, business has been going so well, I should be able to buy you out by the end of the year."

Judy's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" Skye beamed and nodded enthusiastically. Judy's smile returned, this time spreading across her face from ear to ear. "Skye, that's great!"

Skye's eyelids drooped jokingly. "Great for me, bad for you. It means by this time next year, you won't have any say in what happens at Skye's Garage."

Judy feigned disappointment and let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh well. I guess that's a loss I'll just have to take." However, unable to keep up the act, she let out a giddy chuckle and looked happily at the vixen. "Oh, Skye, I'm so happy for you! It looks like your dream really did come true!"

Skye felt her ears begin to burn at the bunny's words, and she bashfully looked down at the ground and folded her paws in front of her waist. "I couldn't have done it without you," she murmured.

Beside her, Nick finished off his taco and licked the crumbs off one of his fingers, then caught her attention and gave her a sly smile. "Sure you could have!" he assured her. "I mean, it probably would have taken a lot longer, but you would have gotten here eventually. You were destined to be a mechanic, and the success of Skye's Garage is proof!"

Their words flattered her, and she knew they meant everything they said. Aside from fronting the money for building and furnishing the shop, Judy and Nick had left her to run it however she wished, and she had worked hard to make it a success all on her own. The first few months had been incredibly stressful, but thanks to her work ethic and a little bit of luck, the business had turned into a bigger success than she had ever dared to hope.

And even though she had proven herself a talented mechanic and capable businessmammal, what made Skye even happier was knowing that her friends were cheering her on the whole way, and were standing in front of her now with pride and joy at her success.

She glimpsed at the clock on the far wall. "I'm due for my own lunch break. You wanna come upstairs and chat for a bit?"

"Sure." Nick exchanged a glance with Judy, then gave Skye a slightly more serious look. "That will give us a chance to bring you up to speed on some things."

"All good things," Judy quickly assured her with an encouraging smile. "Trust me, nothing bad."

"Okay, I trust you." Skye turned around and started walking the other way. "Follow me."

She led them through the open area, up the flight of wooden stairs that lined the far wall, and through the door at the top. To call the space above the garage an "apartment" would be generous; the living room was just big enough for a couch and two chairs, the kitchen was little more than a counter and cupboard lining one of the walls, the bedroom could barely fit more than the bed she slept on and the dresser she kept her clothes in, and the bathroom only had enough space for a shower and toilet. Overall, the apartment was not grand, but it served Skye's needs, and she kept it clean and tidy, and she was happy now to call it home.

She motioned to the empty couch. "Make yourselves comfortable. I need to get cleaned up real quick."
"No rush." Nick plopped down on the couch and let out a satisfied sigh as he sank into the cushions. "No rush at all," he repeated in a quieter voice. Judy sat down next to him, sank even deeper into the cushions than he did, and gave Skye a silent grin.

Skye headed to the bathroom and ran her grease-covered paws underneath the faucet, scrubbing away as much grime as she could. Normally, she would have hopped in the shower and properly cleaned her whole body, but the work day was only half-over and she didn't want to keep her company waiting any longer than necessary.

After a few minutes, her paws were back to their natural creamy-white color. Satisfied, she turned off the faucet, dried her paws on a small towel beside the sink, ignored her stained crimson fur, and walked across the hallway to her bedroom. It only took her a few seconds to remove her overalls and work shirt, which she placed on their designated hooks on one of the walls, before opening her dresser drawers to pick out a new outfit.

She had just bought her very first summer clothes ever a week ago, and this was her opportunity to wear them: a bright blue tank top and navy blue slacks. She quickly threw them on and turned to the mirror on the opposite wall to look at herself. A smile spread across her face as she looked at herself. The outfit hugged her slender figure perfectly, and the color flawlessly complimented her fur and icy-blue eyes, like it was custom-tailored specifically for her. She turned her torso to the side and admired herself for a second or two. She even swished her tail a few times, giggling at how childish she looked, but not caring in the least.

Her eyes shifted downwards, and lingered for a moment on the two items taped to the bottom of the mirror, which she looked at every time she passed by. One was the paper Dr. Tora had given her during their first meeting, listing all of the things about her that made her a good person. The other was the photograph she had taken with Judy and Nick during Kitsmas, when she was working as Santa's Elf. She was sitting in the chair, dressed in that silly outfit, but beaming with joy as she was flanked on either side by her two best friends in the world.

Speaking of, it was probably best not to keep them waiting any longer.

Skye quickly exited her bedroom and walked to the kitchen, where she grabbed a fresh apple and a granola bar from the cupboard, before rushing back to the living room. By now, Nick had wrapped his arm around Judy's shoulders and pulled her close to his chest, where she snuggled with a radiant smile on her face. Though the two of them continued to carefully shield their relationship while out in public, they had grown very comfortable showing each other all the affection they wanted in her presence—and it made her happy to know that they were so comfortable being affectionate around her, one of the few such animals in the world.

She sat down in one of the chairs beside the couch and looked at the two of them with anticipation. "So, what did you want to tell me?" She took a bite from her apple, leaned back, and waited for an answer.

Nick glanced down at Judy, who pushed her head further into his chest, and he gave a hearty chuckle. "Okay, I guess that means me." He turned back to Skye. His smile faded slightly. "ZBI finished clearing out Marble Jade. It's done."

The news caused Skye to pause mid-chew. Months ago, while she and Nick and Judy were escaping Marble Jade, Judy had provided Chief Bogo enough information about the town for the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation to invade it immediately—so fast, they had practically taken full control before their helicopter even arrived at the hospital. Most of the members of White Jaws were arrested immediately, and the few that remained were quickly found thanks to her father's incessant need to know every single fox's whereabouts at any given time. Before the end of the first day, White Jaws was completely dismantled, and every news station in the world broadcast the shocking story.

However, it had still taken several months for the ZBI to properly take care of everything. It turned out, Marble Jade was not the town's real name; it was a codename that White Jaws used to help keep themselves from being discovered. Many of their most secretive operations were unknown even to the highest-ranking members of White Jaws, and it took time to find every work camp and free every slave. Even now, it would take many years to investigate companies and individuals who had worked with White Jaws in the past, to see how many of them were willfully involved and how many of them were innocent.

Somehow, throughout the whole ordeal, Skye had been spared. She had fully expected to be incarcerated for being the daughter of White Jaws' founder and leader, but it never happened. Somewhere behind the scenes, Judy and Nick had made a plea on her behalf and struck some sort of deal to keep her out of the spotlight. Now, as far as the public was aware, she was nothing more than another freed slave. She had no idea how they did it, and whenever she asked, they refused to say. After a while, she stopped questioning it. They had given her the greatest gift she could ever ask for: a brand-new life, and a fresh start.

And now, with this news, she felt like another small part of her traumatic past was dead and buried.

Realizing she had been quiet for a long time, she quickly swallowed her current mouthful of apple and nodded at Nick. "Good. I hope they flatten every single building."

"Not very likely," Nick sighed. "They want to use it as training grounds for new recruits. Apparently it's the perfect textbook example of a prison town. They don't want it to go to waste."

Skye had to think about that for a second, before finally nodding in understanding. "Just as long as they don't turn it into a tourist attraction," she murmured. "I don't want anyone to use Marble Jade for their own pleasure ever again."

Judy raised her head from Nick's chest and locked eyes with the arctic fox. "That won't happen," she assured her. "I have assurances from the ZBI director herself."

"Good," Skye said again. She took another bite from her apple and chewed a bit more aggressively than usual. "If I never hear about Marble Jade again, I will die a happy vixen."

"Then let's talk about something else." Nick looked down at Judy and wiggled his eyebrows. "How about you tell her about Steve Hoppkins?"

Skye rolled her eyes. "Oh, great, what is he up to now?"

Judy scoffed and thumped her paw against Nick's side, seeming annoyed that he had brought the rabbit's name up. "I don't want to talk about him, either," she grumbled.

"Come on, Carrots." Nick gave her a gentle, encouraging shake. "Skye wants to hear all about our good friend, Hollywool superstar Steve Hoppkins!"

"No she doesn't," Judy retorted.

"Actually…" Skye gave her an embarrassed smile. "I am curious now, since it's been brought up."

Judy groaned in defeat, then raised herself up to a proper sitting position on the couch. "There's not really much to say. Hollywool PD finished their investigation. Turns out, he was telling the truth: he genuinely didn't know anything about White Jaws. It really was his caterer the whole time."

Hoppkins' caterer was a pig that, apparently, had been White Jaws' spy in Hollywool for over ten years. When he had been arrested and interrogated by the ZBI, he had practically spilled his guts, telling them all kinds of secrets about the group—some of which even Skye had not known. In fact, he had been so cooperative, the authorities suspected he was trying to cover for Hoppkins and had launched a full investigation on the rabbit.

Evidently, the investigation determined that Hoppkins was innocent. Or, at least, innocent of having any direct ties with White Jaws. As far as Skye was concerned, he could be sinless as an angel and she still wouldn't want anything to do with him.

And one look at Judy's face was enough to convince her that the doe felt the same way. She crossed her arms, scrunched her nose in disgust, and sank further into the couch. "Apparently he was so thrilled, he decided to make plans to come back to Zootopia later this year."

Nick smirked. "Officially, it's work-related. He wants the ZPD to help him film a car chase for an upcoming movie."

"Unofficially, I think he wants to 'thank' me in person for clearing his name." Judy groaned. "Which I had nothing to do with, and I don't want to ever see his face again as long as I live. But he won't take no for an answer, and since this time it is official police business, I don't think I'll be able to talk myself out of it."

Skye finished eating her apple, set the core on the end table beside her, and started unwrapping the granola bar. She pondered over the last time Hoppkins had come to Zootopia, and found it fascinating how much his trip had affected her life, even though the two of them never actually met face to face. If it wasn't for him, Judy and Nick never would have visited the ZPD the night she arrived. Nick never would have found her. He never would have hooked her up with her job at the mall, and brought her to his home to live with him and Judy.

Of course, Hoppkins was also responsible for White Jaws finding out about Nick, and bringing the three of them to Marble Jade, where they barely escaped with their lives. However, despite all his flaws, a part of her—a very small part—was thankful for Steve Hoppkins. As much as she wanted to hate the rabbit, she just couldn't bring herself to. If it wasn't for him and his antics, she would not be here right now.

Here. In Zootopia. Working the job she had always dreamed of. Surrounded by her new family.

The journey to get here had been long and arduous, and there were many traumatic scars that Skye would carry with her the rest of her life—all three of them did, in their own specific ways. Her PTSD affected her far more deeply than she showed, and the therapy sessions with Dr. Tora and medications she was taking only went so far to treat it. Some nights she woke up in a cold sweat, after having nightmares about Marble Jade or her father. Even now, she still struggled with the terrible things she had to do to survive, and it had taken her a very long time before she was able to forgive herself.

But once she finally did, she realized it was worth it. It had all been worth it. A quick glance around the room was enough to prove that to her. The sight of the fox and bunny on her couch, curled up in each other's arms, brought a beautiful smile to the vixen's face. What was done, was done, and it was all in the past.

All that mattered now was her future. She had no idea what that future would bring, but she already knew it was bright, wonderful, and full of joy. And as long as Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps were here with her, she couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Judy's eyes suddenly widened as a thought came to her. "Oh, right! One more thing!" She leaned forward and looked at Skye excitedly. "Gazelle just announced this year's concert tour dates, and she's going to be in Zootopia next month! You wanna come with us?"

Skye nearly dropped her granola bar in surprise. "A… A Gazelle concert?" she stammered out.

"Yeah! I know how big of a fan you are! You'd love it! Believe me, her concerts are amazing!" Judy wiggled her eyebrows enticingly. "My treat!"

Skye wrapped both paws around the granola bar and fidgeted nervously. "I've never been to a concert before. I'd hate to screw something up—"

Judy held up a paw, quickly silencing her. "You'll be fine, Skye. Trust me." She nudged Nick in the side and glanced at him with a cheeky smile. "I'll make sure Slick here keeps an eye on you."

Nick shot her a playful smile. "And why won't you be keeping an eye on her, Carrots?"

"You already know why: I'll be too busy watching the concert." Judy placed the back of her paw on her forehead dramatically. "It's an exhausting job, but somebody's got to do it!"

"How selfless of you," Nick huffed. He turned back to Skye. "So, what do you say? You in?"

Skye held back a chuckle during their bantering, and now that she was the center of attention again, she was too amused to put up any further resistance. "All right," she relented, "but I want to pay my own ticket."

"No." Judy crossed her arms again and shot Skye a mischievous grin. "I seem to recall this one incident that happened last winter. Something about…you saving our lives?" She looked up at Nick. "Ring any bells?"

"I seem to recall something about that, yes," Nick responded.

"Which means…" Judy looked back at Skye, her smile turning more genuine. "The concert's on us. I insist."

Skye had learned long ago that it was useless to argue any further when Judy insisted on paying for something, so she threw her paws up in surrender and let out a quiet laugh. "Okay, okay, you win. I'd love to go to the concert with you." She lowered her arms and let out a happy sigh. "You two spoil me, you know that?"

Judy eyes narrowed playfully at the vixen. "Do I know that? Yes. Yes, I do."

Nick gave Skye a smug grin. "You know we love you, right?"

"Do I know that?" Skye returned the look with a sly smile of her own. "Yes. Yes, I do."

And she truly believed it. From the bottom of her heart, she knew it was true. All of it was true. She was loved. She was beautiful. She was free.

She was Skye.

Skye Frost, of Zootopia.

THE END