The Fox And The Hound: The Past And The Present

(Life is free, but so is death. Death can be cheated and in Tod's life, twice is better then once. Will he survive? Will he find the last of his family? Or will the last of his family find him?)

Title: The Past And The Present
Category: Movies » Fox and the Hound
Author: Evil-Copper
Language: English, Rating: Rated: K+
Genre: Family/Drama
Published: 05-11-16, Updated: 12-29-16
Chapters: 11, Words: 11,255

Chapter 1: A Chilling Night

(Authors note: Hi there, first of all this is my first Fanfiction story and I would like you to know that reviews will be greatly appreciated. I've began to re write this fanfiction, in the hopes of gaining more vocabulary and editorial skills. All Characters are copyright of Disney. This story is set a few months after the ending of the original.)

It was a bitterly cold night outside and a young fox was lying comfortably in his basket. The farm he made his home in, was a sweet old lady's. She had found this fox shortly after a pair of birds stole her laundry of the line. After a while though, the fox became a trouble maker, by befriending a hound dog. He had been warned about how his friend's adopted father and owner, but he insisted that his friend would be different.

The old lady, Widow Tweed, had adopted her fox, Tod and his mate, Vixey, back into her house as she didn't enjoy being alone. Since Vixey had been brought up in the wild, she would often leave for a fortnight, trying to break free from the cold feeling of the four walls. She had decided to take the trip a few days ago, allowing her mate complete freedom of his time.

As he began slipping deeper into his sleep, Tod's vision became a bright wall of white, allowing nothing to be seen through his blinded eyes for a few moments. Now, unaware of his surroundings, the stunned and disorientated fox quickly finds his feet and wasted no time in his search for help is hit by a white flash that leaves him disorientated. He instantly stands and began scurrying around the house. After a few moments searching at high speed, exhaustion begins to take a hold of the fox.

He eventually found Widow Tweed in her room, sitting in her rocking chair, reading her book.

Her reading was suddenly put on hold when a thump from the far side of the room managed to steal her attention. She lowered her book to find Tod shaking, desperately looking around for any sign of his owner. His body bruised from the multiple hits to the wall as he blindly ran around the familiar smelling room. "Tod?" Widow asked as she was curious as to why her fox was acting so. The panting fox screeched to a hold, hearing the sweet sound of his saviour.

After figuring out where she was, Tod decided to get to her as soon as possible, so he dashed off to get to her. However, after managing just three paces, His hind legs became numb and feeling less, causing the fox to slip hard on the wooden floor. Sliding across the gap to Widow Tweeds feet, the fox soon reached the old lady, but remained motionless after hitting her feet.

Widow looked at her fox laying at her feet. Unsure of what to do, she tried yelling his name, "Tod, get up," but got nothing in response.

Panic started to set in as she realised he was not getting up. After an intense few seconds of debating on what to do, she came to the conclusion that she had one option.

Standing up as quick as her legs would allow, she picked up Tod's lifeless body and carried him to the car, where she lay him down on the passenger seat. After wrapping him in a warm blanket, she started her car and sped down the bumpy road into town, not caring to fix the flat tire. The one place that could help was just on the outskirts of town. The veterinary.

(Authors Note: Sorry about the changes, but I feel that this story needed a face lift now that my editorial skills have been put to the test. I hope that you enjoyed, and I'll see you at the next update. PS: The updates may take a while, but the improvements may impress you.)

Chapter 2: Only Time Will Tell

(Authors note: It will take me some time to finish of various parts of this story, but the rest will have to wait a while. I will try and update this as soon as possible. Marc de Villiers)

Upon arrival, Widow Tweed turned her car off and ran inside in search of Tod's usual veterinarian, Dr Mulligan. Once she had found him, he ran outside without hesitation, grabbed the limp fox from the car, and dashed inside with Widow Tweed watching in horror from the entrance. Dr Mulligan rushed Tod inside, holding him fast in his arms. "Move! Out the way! We have a collapsed fox here!" he shouted in an effort to disperse the crowd and make a path through to the emergency room where Widow Tweed was asked to wait outside. Widow Tweed couldn't stand the thought of losing her best friend. She knew Tod was in the best hands and so, she left them to it. She sat down on the chair in the waiting room and bawled her eyes out. It took a painstaking two hours before they were complete.

By the time the veterinarians had finished, Widow Tweed's crying had stopped and anxiety had set in. She heard the door of the emergency room open. She stood up, faced the swaying door, and began to worry when she saw Dr Mulligan step out and face her, meeting her concerned eyes. He could see that she was uneasily watching the door, expecting Tod to walk out. He closed the door behind him and walked over to Widow. "Doctor, how is he? Is he alive? What's happening?" she said, starting to sob a little. Dr Mulligan sighed and, after taking a deep breath, he asked, "Do you want the good news first or the bad news?" By now, she had started tearing again and it became difficult for her to form sentences. Her dry lips tried to form a word, but her voice started to crack. "Good" was her only response. "Well, Tod is alive and breathing. He has not yet woken up, but his vital signs are good," says Dr Mulligan.

"Widow Tweed felt her heart lighten up. Then, without warning, her curios side started catching up to her and caused her to ask, "And the bad news?" Dr Mulligan felt his hands get sweatier and his saliva start drying up. He knew all too well that Widow Tweed loved her fox with all her heart and she had given up a lot for him. He replied soon after, "Tod has suffered a major stroke due to a blood clot lodged in his brain. He will unavoidably have little to no feeling in his hind legs." Widow Tweed was shaken up and a gasp slipped out her mouth upon hearing this news. Although death was her biggest worry for the fox, this somehow seemed worse.

"Widow Tweed turned to look through the glass doors of the room Tod had been examined. She took a long look at the half- unconscious and barely alive fox lying there, on the table, in an awkward position. Dr Mulligan had to pull her attention back to him and so he said," We will have to keep him the night, just to make sure that he adapts without injuring himself." Widow Tweed looked the veterinarian straight in the eye. She was not very happy about the idea of leaving her fox out of her sight while he was in pain. She sternly said, "I will not let that happen. Unless I stay here as well." She then turned around and found a chair and sat down, saying," You had better inform me if anything changes." She soon after fell asleep

Widow Tweed slept for a few hours and had started to wonder how Tod was doing. As she stood up and walked to the emergency room, she could not see Dr Mulligan or Tod. Her heart started racing as she worried over what was happening. She ran to the reception desk to ask where the two were and was told that they were in the back room. She had now become unhappy and stormed to the back room. As she arrived, she noticed a sign that said, "Recovery in Progress." She stared blankly at the sign and opened the door regardless.

Widow Tweed slowly and quietly opened the door, looked around, and found Dr Mulligan and Tod on the far side of the room trying to get Tod back on his feet. Once on his feet, he felt the veterinarian take a hold of his sides gently and walked with him slowly to see if his legs were helping. He looked across the room and saw Widow Tweed standing half in the doorway. He then motioned her to come in. Her face lit up when with a smile and a tear when Dr Mulligan let go of the fox's sides and watched Tod walk by himself. She could tell he was concentrating hard and tried to reach him without him hearing. Her footsteps were louder than she had anticipated and turned her fox's attention to her, causing him to lose his focus and slip to the ground.

Dr Mulligan and Widow Tweed set their attention on the fox and he managed to get up onto all four of his legs without help. Tod then began to walk to Widow as she sunk her body lower to the ground as if to erg him on. Once he had reached her, she folded her arms around him quickly and gave him a gentle but comforting squeeze. Tears of happiness formed the both of their eyes as their hearts filled with joy. Widow then got up with Tod still in her arms and said, "He is coming home with me" and with that thanked the veterinarian and left for the door. However, before she could leave the building, a hand firmly grasped her shoulder. She turned around to find Dr Mulligan staring at her with a serious face. "There is something you need to know, even though you won't like it," he said with a sigh between sentences. "I am sorry but there is no other way to put this but, Tod has just under a month to live. I'm truly sorry," he said as he turned around and walked back to the emergency room. Widow Tweed looked at the uneasy fox and realised for the first time how in pain and tired Tod was. She would not let this thought ruin her moment and so she left for the car, laid Tod gently in the passenger seat, and covered him with a blanket for the long road home.

Chapter 3: The Wind Talks

(Authors note: Hey all. Thanks for waiting for the next chapter to finish. This takes place the same night as the previous chapter.)

"Copper! Copper! Get over here!" shouted and whistled Amos Slade, trying to find his missing hound dog. It was not like Copper to disappear in the middle of the night and, like all pet owners, Amos was worried. "Chief! Find 'em boy!" he then commanded his grey Irish wolfhound, who was now old and resting peacefully inside his barrel. He was clearly in no mood to go out looking for his adopted son in the middle of the night but soon realized that his master was not going to do it so he eventually, and rather reluctantly, got up and left in search of Copper.

After the incident where Tod almost sacrificed himself to save Copper and their master by taking on the bear and falling into a dam, Chief could see that the hound dog meant a lot to him. He would never have anticipated Copper saving Tod from being shot but Amos, showing him that they will forever be friends. Since that day, Tod had earned his respect but never showed it around his master. Although he was not entirely happy about the friendship the two sheared, it at least gave him and starting point. He then decided to start his search at the Tweed farm.

Chief took a slow walk to where he presumed Copper was. He soon reached the Tweed farm and found Copper peering through the window near the living room. Chief expected to find him near the house but would have not anticipated him looking through one of the windows. He knew all too well that Copper was unaware that he had now been found. In an effort to give him a small fright, he raised his voice slightly and said, "Hiya sonny. Where yea been. The master has been lookin' everywhere for yea." His half-Southern voice easily recognized by the hound dog.

Although Copper recognized his stepfather's voice, he was still caught in the place Chief disliked most. He jumped away from the window in an attempt to look innocent, unaware of the mutual respect for Tod." Oh, h-hello Chief" was his only response. His heart slowly increasing its beating. "What happened to yea this afternoon? Me and master almost had fits when we couldn't find yea," said Chief, trying to milk as much out of this as he could. "Well… I saw Widow Tweed going down the road in a rush, and…" The hound dog came to his senses and realized who he was speaking to, Tod's worst enemy.

Before he could continue, Copper found himself being interrupted by Chief, "It's ok. I understand that yea are worried about your friend." Copper had now been caught, but something seemed off in his mind. Here he was, face to face with the only person who hated Tod more than Amos Slade. His mind was turned upside down. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… hold on! You seem oddly OK with this whole thing. Who are you and what have you done with Chief?" Copper blurted out, unable to understand any of it.

The confused hound dog was struggling to make sense of what had taken place before him. His entire life, he has found Chief to loath the fox, but now found a side of the wolfhound he had never seen before. It had hit him. Chief must have seen or found out about when Tod saved him and his master. Chief sighed saying, "I mighta miss judged that poor fox. I've ain't ever seen a stronger friendship then the one yall have. He should be back in the mornin'. Come on, we ought to get home, Master's worried." The two stood up and left for home.

The stillness of the morning was broken by the sound of a car approaching the Tweed farm. Copper instantly heard and recognized the two-cylinder motorcar. He stood up and ran to the farm, hoping to catch Tod on the way in and see what happened. He dashed up the driveway and the car stopped abruptly just shy of the him. Widow Tweed hooted at the dog, causing Tod to wake up. The distraught fox slowly raised up onto his front paws to investigate what was going on.

Widow Tweed was exhausted and in no mood for any delays. She switched the car off, picked up Tod with both hands and walked to her house in a rush, completely forgetting to close her car doors.

She heard barking and looked to find Copper walking after her and staring at the bewildered fox.

"Tod, what's happening" he called out, trying to get his best friend's attention. Tod had fallen into a deep sleep and was not going to wake up soon after. Widow Tweed opened the door and walked inside, slamming the door behind her. She then gently set Tod's exhausted body in his bed and went to sleep soon after.

Copper stared blankly at the door, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He only understood that Tod was in a bad way. He had known the fox for a considerable amount of time, but not once has he seen his best friend in such and unpleasant state. He rushed to the living room window and peered through it, only to find his best friend sleeping in an uncomfortable position. He could not bear the sight of his friend in a bad way and not being able to do much about it. He then decided to return home and report to Chief.

As Copper arrived, he saw that Amos Slade was bending down and talking to Chief, "Chief ol boy. I'm afraid that that fox ain't gonna be with us much longer." Copper was too far off to hear what was being said but was curios to find out. His walking pace soon became a jog after he saw the unhappy expression of his stepfather. Once he arrived to find out what was the problem, Amos stood up and walked inside. Copper couldn't quite tell of it was good or bad time to report to Chief about his best friends return. He approached the wolfhound, who had become seriously disturbed. "Chief? You alright?" asked Copper quietly, trying not to raise an alarm.

Chief slowly raised his head, realizing that he would have to tell his adopted son the news. "Copper? Oh… hiya Copper. I'm ok. Um… look, I kinda got somethin' to tell yea. Yea might wanna sit." Hearing these words, the hound dog sat down, uneasily watching his guardian. Chief took a deep breath in and said, "Well, this ain't gonna be easy for me to admit to yea, but I've kinda grown awfully fond of yea friend. Copper, there ain't no easy way for me to tell yea and I know yea ain't gonna like it, but yea have to know. Tod had a stroke last night."

Copper was shocked at the sound of this devastating news. He started shifting around while Chief continued, "He only has a few weeks left in him and will almost no movement in his rear legs." "Is… is that what happened last night?" he asked, Chief nodded in agreement. He noticed that Copper was now unsettled by the news. Copper now looked up at the wolfhound, and with a tear forming in the corner of his eye, he asked, "Now what?" Chief could only think of one word which, although was small, its meaning went deep into his adopted sons heart, "Time."

Chapter 4: A Surprise For All

(Authors note: Hi once again. Considering that I have a major fascination with The Fox and the Hound, I decided to take it a bit into the unknown. Hope you enjoy. Please R&R.)

Days pasted by which felt like weeks with Copper trying continuously to reach Tod and check up on his progress, but Widow Tweed would not let Tod out when he was near. Chief had become concerned and worried about the two of them. Amos Slade noticed the hound dog wondering off to the farm. He didn't quite like his dogs' affiliation with the fox, but never tried to stop them.

One night, about a month after Tod's stroke. The two dogs were sitting outside, finishing of their supper, when all of a sudden, a slightly familiar scent passed their noses and caused them to stop eating. It was the scent of an approaching fox. To Copper, it was the smell of a female fox, but to Chief, it was a scent like no other. Without warning, the wolfhound stood up and charged towards where the smell originated. Copper got up soon after and ran after Chief in fear of him finding Vixey, Tod's mate.

Copper eventually caught up with Chief who had found and cornered the female fox. "Chief, wait!" Copper raised his voice to the snarling wolfhound. Chief was not happy that he was being commanded by his adopted son. He turned his head to face the hound dog, frustrated by his order. "Why?" asked Chief, practically shouting, "Do yea know who this is? This is the very first fox who ever escaped me." "Just wait!" shouted Copper. Chief was not happy at all about this. "Make it quick!" reprimanded Chief, he sat down and kept his eyes fixed on the vixen. "Hello, my name is Copper" he said, slowly walking to the old fox. She slowly started to bear her teeth. "It's ok. I am not here to hurt you. I just want to talk. Are you Vixey?" he asked as he was only told about Tod's mate.

"No. my name is Rose. I used to live around here until I was hunted by him," the vixen says, changing her faces direction to Chief. Rose was quite slender for her age. Her soft red and white coat starting to become grey with two small bald spots in the middle of her back. Her voice was smooth and soft. Her body language showed that she had been through a lot in her life and was stronger because of these times.

Chief knew who Vixey was and was not pleased about the fact that Tod's mate had sent the fox he least liked to them. He started shifting impatiently, "Copper, come on boy. Hurry up." "Chief, wait. Rose, why did Vixey send you here?" Copper asked. His face was a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. Rose then started lowering her head, struggling to keep her memories from overflowing. She looked back up and said, "I was being hunted my him and had to save the last piece of my family. I remember it like it was yesterday. I placed him down by the fence post and ran the other way to draw the attention away from him…" her explanation was cut short as she started crying, her emotions became more apparent. Sniffling, she continued, "I was shot in my back twice but managed to get away. After I got back when the hunters were gone, he was gone."

Rose had, by now, started crying more audibly and felt exhausted. Copper walked over to her and tried to comfort her, sitting beside her and looked at Chief, who had been sitting quietly for some time. Copper noticed that his guardian's expression had become guiltier then angry. Slowly rising to his feet, Chief realized that there was a way to rectify his actions. He approached the two in front of him and said, "Well, I think I can help yea with that. Follow me." Chief then turned around and waited for the others to get up before he started walking off.

Meanwhile, on the Tweed farm, Tod had become more aware and used to his disability. This, however, would not stop the determined fox from trying to walk again. He might not have had full control or much feeling in his rear legs but he never gave up. He started walking about a week and a half after his stroke and although it was a slow process, he eventually became strong enough to walk around the house and, occasionally, to the barn and back. Widow Tweed had found books in the library and started reading and understanding more about strokes. She also allowed her fox to walk around freely but would go searching and calling for him after fifteen minutes.

Copper, Chief and Rose had reached the dark farmhouse. Copper turned to face Rose and Chief, saying, "I have a plan. Wait out of sight while I call him out." As the two left for a hiding spot, Copper turned around and quietly walked to the living room window, leapt up and peered through the glass to see if his best friend was home.

However, before he could find Tod, a streak of red came at him from the bush, hitting him hard on his side and sending him crashing hard on the ground, causing a whine to escape from his sore body. As he lay there in pain, a dark figure approached him and jumped on top of him, growling at the hound dog beneath it. "Shh…" said the dark figure said. Copper realised the dark figure was another vixen. She stopped growling and said softly, "It's me Vixey. Can you please tell me what you are doing," she said uncalmly.

Copper lay there on his back. The pain shooting through his side did not stop a confused expression from showing in his face. Climbing of him, Vixey shook her head and stared at Copper as he got up. She said, "I hope you know that Widow doesn't know of your friendship. So, imagine what she would do if she saw you, a hunting dog, staring through the window, looking at her fox. I mean… you know what you did not too long ago." The hound dog then remembered that he had hunted the two of them. "Why don't you go and wait with the others while I help you out?" she continued and walked to the door.

Copper turned around and left in search of Chief and Rose to report on the change of plans. He reached the two, only to find that they had made up and began chatting away like long lost friends. Rose turned around, expecting to see Copper with a fox but only saw Copper. Chief only heard Copper a second later and turned to face him. The hound dog looked at the two who gazed at him. They became confused as to why he was with them and not finding his friend. Chief was the first to express his confusion and asked, "Sonny, what yea doin' over here. I thought you was out findin' him." Copper turned his head to face Vixey.

Once Vixey was at the door, she looked around to see of her friends were out of sight. She then turned around and scraped her claws against the door. She heard two sets of footsteps closing in on the door. As it opened, Tod went straight for the gap, trying to get out, but his efforts were for nothing when Widow Tweed reached down for him and tried to pull him back. Once Tod realized that his mate was trying to enter, he backtracked to allow Vixey to enter.

After she entered, she looked up at Widow and nodded as if to say thank you. "Tod!" she screeched at the sight of her mate alive and standing. She ran up to him and nuzzled her face and body along his neck. Tod gave Vixey a light lick on his cheek and asked, "How are you? I've been worried sick, I heard what happened. How bad is it?" Tod really didn't want to talk about his condition but his mate deserved to know.

Lowering his head and folding his ears down, Tod took a deep breath before saying, "It's quite serious. The doctor suspects that I… have just a few days left." Vixey gasped and stared at her mate, whose eyes had begun to fill with tears. He sobbed softly, trying not to alert Widow Tweed. The vixen dropped her head, trying to show sympathy. Her watering eyes shut as she tried to hold back the tears. She could not bear to see her mate crying. She then took control over herself and continued with the plan. She then stood up, without warning, and turned around to walk to the door. Tod noticed this and followed her.

"Wait…Where are you going?" Tod asked as he managed to get next to her while she scraped at the door, calling Widow Tweed to open it for her. "I think you mean where are we going," Vixey said as Widow reached the door, swinging it wide open. The two foxes walked out side by side, letting their owner know that they would stay together. The door closed behind them as they made their way towards the barn. Once inside, Vixey told her mate to wait quietly as she needed to go somewhere quickly. Tod lay down on the hay pile as she watched his mate leave through the front door.

She turned her head around to see if he had listened. She then raced towards Copper, Rose and Chief. She arrived to see all three of them watching her with content. "OK, we will have to do this is stages," she said looking at Copper, "You first, just keep in mind his condition. Once you are ready, you give us a signal, me and Chief will go in, and only once he has calmed down, Rose will enter. Everybody fine with that?" Everybody nodded in agreement, as Copper stood up and left for the barn.

Chapter 5: Confusion

(Authors note: Hi all. The first few chapters will have come through quickly, but I'm afraid the rest will take some tie due to exams. Enjoy.)

Inside the barn, Tod had become anxious, waiting for Vixey to return. He heard footsteps approaching and instantly turned his attention to the door. Moments later, a brown spotted hound dog walked in. he looked around and found the red fox sitting in the hay pile at the other end of the barn. "Copper!" shouted Tod in excitement as he raised to his feet. His best friend called back, "Tod!" and ran over to the happy fox. He was finally with his best friend and nothing could take that away from him.

He reached Tod and told him to sit down. "How yea, Tod? I tried to see yea but couldn't get in." His face turned more serious as worry filled him upon seeing the fox's poor stance and coat. Tod didn't think twice before he answered his best friend. He sighed and said, "Yeah, s-sorry about that, Widow doesn't fully trust you after what happened before the bear. I can't walk far so I couldn't reach yea. I um… I have some bad news. Copper, I had a major stroke about 3 weeks ago, and the doctor says I haven't much time left." The hound dog's eyes opened upon hearing this, the worst words to come out of his friend's mouth.

"Well, we are all here for you," Copper said, giving the queue for Vixey and Copper to enter, and leaving Rose outside for now. Tod saw Vixey first, but as Chief walked in, Tod instantly went into defence mode, raising his hair and standing crouched, bearing his teeth. The grey wolfhound realised what was happening and tried to calm the fox down by saying, "Easy now, I ain't here to fight. I just wanna make things right."

Tod relaxed just enough to frown. No words have ever confused him more than these. Chief, his worst enemy, was standing in front of him, trying to make amends for past faults, ranging from teaching Copper to hate him, teaching and telling Copper to hunt him and all the little things in between. Chief noticed the fox's hair lower and his body language relax slightly. He explained further, "Tod, I shoulda realised sooner that I was wrong about yea. I didn' see what was right in front of me." He then paused for a short while to let it sink in. Continuing, he said, "I saw yea, yea know…savin' Copper and our master. I only saw then what the two of you mean to each other. For that, I owe you a thanks and apology."

Copper had known Chief longer than he had known Tod, and yet has never seen him show gratitude the way he just did. Chief felt relieved now that he had shared his deepest secret with everyone. He looked up and noticed that Tod had stood up and was now approaching him. His hair now flat and his eyes filled with the desire to forgive and forget. Tod stopped just before the wolfhound, raised his head to meet his eyes and said, "And I'm sorry for almost having you killed." With that, they found an understanding for each other's motives.

A drawn-out silence filled the air as they studied one another. Tod broke the silence, now more relaxed and aware that they were up to something. "I know you guys aren't all here just to apologise and check up on me. What are you guys hiding?" He asked, curiously looking at Copper and Vixey. He could tell when they were keeping something under wraps. Vixey then looked over to Chief and nodded, giving him the final queue. He nodded back and started walking outside while Copper and Vixey stood up and sat right up against the red fox with one on each side. "Tod," said Copper sternly, grabbing his best friend’s attention. "Before we show you, you have to agree that you will remain calm," he continued. The fox nodded. They turned their attention to the main door as Chief called out, "Are yea ready?" with a soft reply, "Ready."

Chief then turned around and came into view, waiting for Rose to get beside him. Tod curiously watched the old female fox walking in towards them. He studied her carefully as she did the same to him. They were both unsure if what was happening was real. Neither Tod nor Rose recognised one another. Chief soon stopped walking and left Rose to approach the three sitting in a row.

Rose was unsure of how to proceed and so was Tod. He realised that since he was younger and male, that he should take up the gentleman's role and introduced himself first. He faced the fox in front of him and said, "Hello. I'm Tod. I live on the farm here." "Hello Tod. My name is Rose. I used to live near the farm here but haven't seen you around before now," Rose replied softly, surprised at how forward and upfront he was. He then said, "Well, I can't really get out much and I was also kicked out a while ago."

Tod was completely oblivious to what was going on. He then wondered if he was stepping over a line as he curiously asked, "I'm sorry but should I know you?" Rose's facial expression quickly changed as these words came out of Tod's mouth. She began to feel her eyes water and her thought dry as she replied, "No, but you have always been in my heart." Her voice has started cracking as she tried to form the words she thought she would never have the chance to say, "I-I miss you my boy." After saying this, Rose started crying loudly as she could no longer hold back the tears. Tears of pain and gladness. She had finally found her son.

Tod was staggered and his eyes went blank. As far as he knew, his mother was shot and killed by a hunter. So how could this be her? He had never seen her around and had almost no evidence that what she was saying was the truth. Coming back to his senses, he spotted two scars on her lower back, which were obviously old, and then it hit him. Rose was his mother.

"Mom?" Tod asked, starting to become shaky. His eyes had started watering. "Is-is it really you?" His voice started fading and his heart slowly started sinking, unable to cope with the news and the blood clot all at ones. Rose looked up and took in the sight of the awe-struck fox sitting before her. She stood up, walked over to him and rustled her neck against his. The two foxes made the long-lost discovery of the family they believed were dead. Copper and Vixey were about to give them time on their own when Vixey felt the wait of her mate start pressing down on her. She turned around to find her mate toppling over onto her.

Chapter 6: Help!

(Authors note: Hi all. The first few chapters will have come through quickly, but I'm afraid the rest will take some tie due to exams. Enjoy.)

Tod's eyes closed slowly as his body hit the ground. Vixey was the first to react, trying to wake the fox lying next to her. She nuzzled his head with her paw. Then, without warning, Tod's body stiffened and rolled over, giving his friends and family a fright. His eyes flickered open and his head looked around curiously. He then got up, using his front paws as leavers. His head felt as if it was a vinyl record spinning around on a turntable. He gave his eyes a chance to adjust again before turning his head around to find a sea of confused faces. They couldn't understand what was going on, not even Tod knew, but one thing was sure. He had started gaining feeling in his legs again.

"Tod? Are you alright?" Vixey asked, breaking the silence that covered the barn. Tod had to think quickly. He said, "I… I'm not sure…My head is spinning but otherwise, I feel great." He realized what he had said. He looked down at his legs with confusion, "My legs," he said, "I can feel them!" He looked at the sea of confused faces staring attentively at him. Tod decided to try his rear legs by standing up on all fours. He slowly stood up and sat down soon after, feeling a sharp pain drive up his now sensitive legs. He looked over to his mate and saw in her eyes that there was something she needed to say.

Vixey saw this as a good opportunity to tell her mate the good news, as everybody they knew was present. "Tod," she said calling to her mate, "I…uh…Kind of have some good news you need to know about." The fox snapped into attention and faced Vixey, happily replying, "Yes, Vixey." Before letting out the news, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She eventually gained enough confidence to say, "I'm pregnant." Tod's mouth opened wide as the words filled his head. His mind started working overtime, trying to figure out what he just heard. He couldn't understand how as his mate had not been around for three weeks before now. "How? It was only one night and even so, it was a while ago." Vixey found his lack of knowledge somewhat funny. She giggled as she approached him and said, "Well, it looks like ones was enough." She licked his cheek and smiled at him.

Copper, Rose and Chief surrounded the couple and congratulated them. They continued chatting for a while longer. Tod was eager to show Widow that he was getting better and that Vixey was going to be a mother, but most of all, he wanted to show Rose who had been looking after him. Tod looked at his mother before saying, "Mom, I would like you to meet somebody." Rose nodded in approval. "Can the rest of you please come with? Widow needs to know who my friends really are." Their heads bobbed up and down in unison. They stood up and waited for Tod to lead the group.

Once they were near the farm house, Tod heard the distinctive sound of Widow Tweeds telephone. He quickened his pace to the point where his legs were screaming from the jolts running up his sensitive legs. He had to slow down as the pain became almost unbearable. He reached the farm house with Copper and Vixey by his side and the old pair walking slowly behind them, unaware that they had been left behind.

Inside, Widow Tweed answered the phone, merrily greeting the person on the other end, "Hello?" Although she was in a good mood, Tod was still in her mind. The greeting was returned by a shout, "Widow…Help!" It didn't take long for her to recognize Amos's voice was bouncing around in her head. She dropped the earpiece without hanging up and headed straight for her car. She started it and set off to help her friend, not noticing that her fox was right by the window.

The three heard Amos Slade's shouts from the earpiece hanging from the wire just as Rose and Chief reached them. Copper and Vixey took off first as Tod told the wolfhound what he had heard. They set off after Widow's car at an astonishing rate, but were unable to keep up. They soon regrouped and ran as a pack. Tod was struggling to keep up due to his sore paining legs. He started to fall back but his mother adjusted her speed and stuck next to him.

Widow was the first to arrive. Sitting in her car, she carefully studied the house but couldn't find anything out of order. She was about to open the door when, out the corner of her eye, she saw movement in the rear-view mirror. She adjusted it to focus on the group of animals rushing towards her. She recognised four of the five animals running together. She saw Vixey, Copper and Chief in a row in the front and Tod with an older female fox running alongside him. Eyes wide and full of worry, Widow got out of the car and faced the group of animals racing towards her.

Tod had begun limping as the discomfort in his legs grew to such an extent that he dropped to the ground, screaming as jolts of excruciating pain shot through his sensitive legs. "Tod!" shouted Copper as he turned around and headed to his crying friend. Rose continued running, unaware that her son had fallen until Copper ran past her. The hound dog reached the crying fox and turned his head back to the group, "HELP! Somebody help!" All eyes had turned to see Tod laying on the floor in pain. Rose ran back to them as fast as she could. She reached her son screaming blue murder as he lay on the grass. Her motherly instincts took over as she lay down, pressing her body against Tod's. She raised her head to Copper and said, "I got him, go." The two dogs and Vixey turned around and raced towards Widow Tweed, who saw everything that had just happened.

Chapter 7: Memories Revealed

(Authors Note: Hi everyone, sorry to keep you guys waiting for such a long time but mid-year exams are killing me. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did writing it. Please read and review.)

Widow curiously watched the dogs and Vixey closing on her location as they ran side by side. What a peculiar sight, she thought to herself. Her eyes were swimming at the sight of hunters and the hunted running alongside each other without wanting to slaughter one another. Her gaze then fell upon Tod lying on the ground, whining in pain while an older fox lay beside him, in a soothing position. Almost as if Rose could feel the worried look that was set on her, she lifted her head and looked at Widow. She was obviously afraid of leaving Tod there, but with someone there, she changes her attention to the group of three as they reached her. They stared at the old lady as if waiting for a command. Before she could think of something, a defining bang filled the air. Everyone, including the laying foxes, turned to face where it came from.

After a second bang went off, Copper and Chief took off to the sound of the pump action shotgun. Shortly after a third shot was fired, a roar of pain and a heavy thud on the ground encouraged Widow to follow the hunting dogs and Vixey stayed as close to Widow as was physically possible, leaving Tod under Roses care. Copper reached the place where they heard the shots originated from with Chief arriving seconds later. A large figure slumped on a chopped tree stump lay motionlessly on its stomach. The two walked over to examine the lump of fur. A pool of blood lay around a body with a familiar scent. Its jagged teeth and scars with missing fur revealed the truth. The bear was the one that Tod saved Copper from.

The sound of a a shotgun being reloaded snapped them out of their investigation and fixed it on Amos Slade erratically reloading his gun while his stare fixed on the bear. Widow Tweed and Vixey rounded the corner and stopped shortly after when the sight of the bear shocked them. Widow gasped as she realized what was going on. She was only told about the bear and had never seen it until now. She then looked down at the vixen to see if she recognized it, only to find her walking with the hound dog circling the corpse. Her eyes then spotted movement by a nearby tree and walked over to it, expecting to find Amos in shock.

"Copper, is it the one Big Mama told me about?" Vixey asked as the hound dog stopped walking and turned his head to face the bears. He took a long look at the scars on the bear, allowing a flood of memories to wash over him. The way he pursued the fox couple with his mind hell bent on revenge, the way in which he mercilessly chased after his best friend for injuring his guardian and the way his best friend almost sacrificed himself to save the people trying to kill him. Copper took a while before he answered the vixen, "Yea, but by the look of things, he won't be much of a problem." He looked around after realizing Chief had become quiet.

Not thinking much about it, Copper turned around and was about to head off to Tod when he saw something which made his eyes water and his heart fill with pride. There Chief was, walking towards him with Rose next to him and Tod in the middle. The fox might have still been in pain, but only showed it with a slight limp. Dry tear lines and mud on his side remained from the fall earlier. The trio walked to where Copper and Vixey where standing. The vixen had not noticed them but Copper did. He was staggered at just how quickly Chief and Rose had let bygones be bygones, but was more surprised at how quick Tod had recovered.

Vixey turned around, now aware that Copper was no longer with her, and saw the group. She rushed towards them towards them with the hound dog following closely. They soon reached the trio and Vixey wasted no time in rubbing her body length along her mate's neck. Tod responded by lightly pressing against her back before slowly sitting down. Copper waited patiently for the pair's moment to pass, well aware that they had almost lost each other. Once they had finished, he walked up to his best friend, "Tod, I… I shoulda told yea this a while ago, but I'm sorry." Looking at Vixey as if to repeat his apology, he could tell no words were needed.

Rose stared blankly at Copper, not knowing what he was apologizing for. Although she was not particularly interested in what it was for, she assumed that it was for something major. She snapped to attention before anyone noticed her thoughtful stare. She shook her head as she started to realize that an awkward silence had formed around them. "Well," said Tod, "I think it's time we started heading home." His tired gaze shifted between his mother and his mate. They nodded in agreement when they saw the look in his eyes. Tod then shifted his sight to Copper and the wolfhound next to him, "Thank you guys. For helping me and checking up on me, but most importantly, thanks for reuniting me with my mother." He then stood up and began to walk home with Rose and Vixey by his side.

Chapter 8: Epilogue Part 1

Epilogue part 1:

Two weeks had gone by and everything seemed right. The sun was out and there was nothing more than a slight breeze in the air as autumn had found its way home. Home, something virtually foreign to Rose, had now become livelier with the addition of the old vixen. Like most creatures, it took a while before she settled in with the family but after a while, she was happier than ever.

Rose lay outside on the front steps, basking in the sun as she tried to catch as much as she could before the winter months. Her mind was clear of thought and her body motionless. Although she was calm, her senses had not become used to the worry-free life. Her ears flinched as she heard distant chatter and the sound of snapping twigs drawing closer. She opened her eyes and raised her head to see who was coming. "Hiya Rose, sorry if we scared yea," said Chief as he came into the vixen’s line of sight with Copper closely following him. "Oh, it's alright. Hello to you too guys," Rose replied as she began sitting up, "What brings you here?" Copper answered before Chief could, "We just came by to check how things are going." The old vixen stood up and walked to the door saying, "why don't you come in and find out."

Tod and Vixey were laying in a large basket that Widow Tweed had bought for the family. Tod's legs had gone back to normal and, according to Dr Mulligan, the clot in his brain was free. His head couldn't quite wrap around the fact that his mother was still alive, but he knew that it would take time. Vixey, on the other hand, enjoyed the older vixen's company. She was going to be a a mother herself soon and needed to know what to expect. Her bulging belly told her that it was only a matter of time before the kits would arrive and that she needed to relax.

Rose walked in the room first to make sure the couple were awake. "Hello, are you awake?" she asked as she approached the basket, "you have visitors." Tod looked at his mother before sitting up. "Mom, I think the kits are close," he said with worry in his voice as he looked down at his mate, who had begun breathing more rapidly and audibly. Copper and Chief took the sound as trouble and ran into the room. Tod started to panic. Widow Tweed was out in town and the three males knew nothing about birth. Rose knew that she was the only one who could help the younger vixen. Vixey had begun growling and groaning as she went into labour. "OK," said Rose, taking charge, "you boys might wanna head on out. It can get quite bloody." the males took the queue and bolted for the door.

Once outside, Copper and Chief thought they could finally talk, but that was not going to happen as long as Tod remained panicky. They tried to take his mind of Vixey, asking, "How yea been?" the fox simply ignored the question, pacing up and down with worry. Copper knew he it was going to take more than a few words to snap him out of his deep thought. He then stood up and walked in his way and said with the firmest yet calm voice, "Hey! Relax. Your mother probably has it under control." Tod continued to walk and soon found himself walking into his friend’s body, pulling him out of his dream. "Tod, are you ok?" asked the hound dog as the fox fixed his stare one the house. "Y-Yea, I'll be alright," replied the fox. He was worried and didn't do a good job of hiding it. "And you guys?" "We're good," replied Copper, " and Vixey will be too, so relax." Before Tod could respond, a rustling noise was heard in the tree that stole their attention.

Up in the tree were two birds peering into a small hole in the bark. There mischievous Laughs, and silly grins could only mean one thing. "Boomer, sh... This is the last time I'm tracking this guy, so you better not miss," said a slightly aggravated yellow Finch. "Don't worry, D-Dinky. He ain't getting away this t-time. But just one small problem," said the taller woodpecker before shouting, "WE CAN'T EAT A B-B-BUTTERFLY!" Without a word, Dinky flew to eye level and wrapped his feet around the woodpecker's beak. As he did so, the butterfly exited the hole and flew off. "Now see what yea done! yea forever costing us our breakfast!" angrily shouted the finch.

Chapter 9: Epilogue Part 2

(Authors note: Hi all. sorry to keep you waiting but there are a few complications at home and I have little time to myself. Please leave reviews and criticisms are welcome.)

Epilogue Part 2:

"What in the world is going on out here?" reprimanded an old owl as she walked out of her nest in a fit of anger. She approached the boys in a fit of anger over her disrupted sleep, "I thought I..." She stopped as her gaze fell upon Tod, Copper and Chief, who were watching her with hard stares. Her eyes widened as her fears were realized. Tod, a fox, and two hunting dogs were standing side by side without a hint of discomfort. She had seen the way Copper savagely chased him and Vixey but she had also seen what happened to Chief. All this, however, was overruled by Copper's heroic gesture of saving the fox from Amos Slade. "Hiya, Big Mama," Said Tod with a small smile on his face. He was happy to see the old owl and vice versa. Big Mama flew down and landed on the fence. "Goodmornin', Tod. I see you have got yourself a new friend," she said as she pointed over to the wolfhound.

"Yeah, things have started to calm down enough for us to forgive and forget. How yea been? Haven't seen yea around in a while," curiously asked Tod. Big Mama needed to think carefully for the right words to use, "I had to go and help out a friend of mine. How are you?" asked the owl, trying to catch up on what she had missed. "I'm good. My legs are better now so I can't really complain," was the fox's reply. Big Mama raised her eyebrow in confusion. Dinky couldn't help but blurt out, "What do yea mean 'better now'? did yea have cramps or something?" The spotlight had now shifted to Tod as he felt the weight of heavy gazes falling on him. Copper and Chief knew that the topic would still be a bit raw for his liking.

When copper and Chief tried to intervene, they were cut short by the fox’s hoarse voice. Big mama started to think hard about the words that came out of its mouth before he continued, "Big mama, don’t freak out when I tell you. Un... I kind of had a stroke about a month and a half ago and I was almost fox down." The old are covered a beak with a wing. She then interrupted his explanation, "Uh hu... And I don't suppose you got your surprise about 2 weeks ago, did you?" Total surprise from the question I wasn’t 100 percent sure if what he was hearing he was leaving.

"Wait, how did you know?" Today asked, Baffled by knowledge. Big mama giggle before saying, "Your welcome." At that moment, Rose walked out of the house and was met by a wall of gazes.

Hello, Big Mama," Rose said softly as she approached the tree and found a spot between Tod and Chief. "Why, hello there, Rose. I suspect you've found yourself a new home. What's it like having a son again?" Big Mama asked the vixen. She moved over to her son before nuzzling him and saying, "It's as if we never parted. I guess you were right when you said 'love never forgets." The moment could not have been unpredictable, until she moved over to Chief, who was unaware of the advance. Rose soon reached the wolfhound and started rubbing against him as she continued, "And it seems to have its perks." Although he had fur covering his cheeks, his face was visibly becoming red. Tod had heard Vixey and his mother talking on various occasions about this, so he wasn't all that shocked. He then turned to see who was more in shock, Big Mama or Copper, but rather predictably, the bloodhound was the most dumbfounded.

"Whoa, whoa. Time out!" Dinky blurted out as she covered his eyes. "This just became awkward," Copper was the next to react as an air of unusual love covered the group. It was unusual for a fox and a hunting dog to become best friends, let alone have feelings for one another. They knew that it was... wrong, for a lack of better words, bet they didn't care. They only wanted each other. The past is the past and cannot be reversed, but they were only interested in the present. They looked into one another's eyes, only love and trust could be found. "Oh my, I hope you two know what you’re gettin' into," Big Mama said to try and stop them from becoming too physical in front of everyone. "We know, we just don't care about others judging us." replied Rose, Chief blushing too much to utter a word. Looking over to her son, she couldn't help but notice how anxious he was.

Sorry about my chapters becoming shorter and shorter each time, but problems arise and... well, you know the rest. One more chapter after this and the fanfic will be completed. I was also thinking about making a sequel to this called "The future", but I'm not convinced I should due to the lack of reviews. Please leave reviews and I will let you know what will happen.

Chapter 10: Epilogue Part 3

(Author's note: Finally, the final chapter has come. A big thank you to all who have read this. I was serious about what I said in the previous chapter, if I receive enough reviews and favourites, I will make a sequel. please read and review.)

Epilogue Part 3:

Dinky and Boomer were about to speak up, when a flutter of blue flew past them. Squeaks had drawn their attention and, in a hurry to catch him, Dinky half shouted, "Hey kid, we gonna have to finish this another time. Nice, seeing you again, and stay out of trouble!" He then took off after the butterfly while shouting at the woodpecker behind him, "Come on, Boomer, he's getting away!" The pair took off in a flutter of feathers, furiously following their lost breakfast.

Tod was too fixated on his mother to bid them farewell. He started becoming impatient waiting for something, anything on his mate. Rose finally stood up and approached her son, noticing that he became more and more anxious with each step she took. She reached her son with a well devised plan to bring back sweet memories. She had been told about the day Vixey decided how many kits she wanted. She sat in front of her nerve wreaked son and asked him a simple question, "My boy, do you remember what Vixey said would be 'Just right'?"

Flashback

Shortly after Big Mama helped the two of them after a little squabble, they continued walking further into the forest. They were idly chatting, until a Quail walked in front of them. She was a few centimetres away from a crack in the ground with water in it. After she looked back to find her chicks close behind her, she jumped over the the crack with her chicks one after the other. Vixey counted as they did, "One, two, three, four, five, six..." her counting was slowed down by the seventh chick as he tried but failed to jump across, landing in the water, "Seven, ha-ha." She let out a short laugh, took a deep breath and sighed, "Oh, I think six would be just right." Just before completing her sentence, she continued walking, leaving Tod confused. "Six?" Tod asked curiously as was unsure of what the statement meant. Once he caught up to her, he asked, "Six what?"

End of Flashback

"Congratulations, Tod Honey," Big Mama said as she floated down from her branch and landed on the fox's back, only to be knocked off by Copper as he toppled his best friend over with excitement. Chief followed shortly after, landing on his adopted son. They soon climbed off Tod and allowed him to walk inside with his mother by his side. They walked over to the basket and found a sight which would soften the hardest of hearts. There Vixey lay, her face a mixture of excitement and pride, while the rest of her body revealed pain and discomfort. By her side were six beautiful kits. Tod's heart raced as he darted outside to call the rest, only to find they had left. He shrugged the thought off and walked back inside. Rose lay in the basket, but left a space for her son between the two vixens. He saw that they were both asleep and tried to climb in without waking either of them up. his heart was full of joy. He lay down and soon after fell asleep, allowing him to dream about about the day he felt his children’s love.

Dream (Tod's POV)

A few days after my mother and I were reunited, things started looking up. Vixey, well, I guess you could say that her stomach now had a bulge to it. Nothing too serious though. She would lay in our basket all day, as if she were expecting her kits any moment. Although my mom couldn't help but spend as much time with me as possible, she'd never stay the whole night. I guess it takes time to become accustomed to walls surrounding you. She would get up as early in the morning as Big Mama would fall asleep, just to make sure that we were alright.

But today, things were different. Mom seemed preoccupied with something. Although she was happy, she seemed distant. She scratched on the door. It looks as if she had been taking lessons from Vixey. She strolled in and thanked Widow Tweed as the old woman opened the door for her. "Hello Mom," my mate and I said in unison. Vixey looked up to the older vixen as a daughter would to her mother. Mom knew that Vixey needed a motherly figure for the upcoming weeks, so she had adopted my mate as her child. "Hello my darlings. How are you today?" Her voice as smooth as whipped cream. "We're good," replied Vixey. "Oh, Dear, you look hungry. Let Tod and I catch some fish for you," Mom said and walked to the door and waited for me to come alongside her before we left.

The walk to the nearby waterhole was quiet. Too quiet. Normally our conversation was long and loud, but I'm not sure why Mom wasn't talking. Fair enough, she did try a few times, unfortunately they were minute. "Mom, are you ok? You seem down," Tod asked as they reached the river. "Yea, I'm ok," Mom replied, "Just a little lost in thought. I was thinking about your father, how you and him are a lot in common." Ok, wasn't waiting for that. We reached the waterhole, but our conversation was far from over.

"You are almost a duplicate of him," Mom continued, "In the last few days, I have noticed the similarities. You love your mate more than Chief loves his front seat," she said to emphasize the love Vixey and I shared, "Vixey even told me about the waterfall, when you saved your friend, and I couldn't help but notice that..." Mom stopped. "That?" "...That you have the same love as him, not just for your mate, but also for confused friends. You must never give up on what you love, and from what I've heard, that shouldn't be too hard." She looked me in the eye, clearly as if pleading for me to listen and obey. I nodded back at the old vixen. We began fishing soon after.

The fishing went well. I had finally caught more then 1, while Mom caught about 6. Practice makes perfect, something I had very little of. The walk home was fairly quiet, but not much can be said with a mouthful of fish. As we reached home, Vixey was shrieking in excitement. Thinking she went into labour while we were absent from the farm, we dropped the fish and dashed inside. There Vixey was, laying in the old basket with her paw on her stomach. "Vixey, are you ok? We heard screaming," It was pretty clear she wasn't in pain, so why was she screaming? When we walked closer, it all became clear. "Shh, come here," Vixey said, confusing me and Mom.

We quietly walked over to Vixey. When we had come in arms reach, she took our paws and gently placed them on her belly. My heart warmed up, raced and stopped all at once. Something was pushing against our paws, something small and fragile. I looked at my mother, then at my mate. She looked up and met my happily grinning face, it was official. I could feel the small paws pressing against mine, I was soon going to be a father.