A/N: Sorry I've been inactive for a bit. School kills plotbunnies. Special Thanks to Twitter for thinking up puppy names. In one of the comics (I forgot which), one of Timber's pups' name was Dojo, so I used Dojo.
This chapter was co-authored with Greentigerr.
Scarlett emerged from the cabin, slowly running her hand through her hair as she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the mountain's fresh, crisp, spring air. A little surprisingly, Snake-Eyes was nowhere to be seen; he was usually in the area whenever she woke up.
She shrugged a little and immediately smiled at the sight of a wobbly puff of fur heading in her direction. "Good morning, Remus," she bent down and scratched under the wolf puppy's chin. He opened his mouth slightly in contentment and let his pink tongue stick out.
A quick glance around confirmed that Remus was alone. "Where's Dojo? Huh?" She chuckled as the pup rolled onto its side. "Where's your daddy?"
The puppy's only answer was to look at her with adoring eyes, begging her to never stop petting him.
As if on cue, a gray figure bounded into the clearing before circling around to go back into the forest. A moment later, Snake materialized from the shadows, a deer slung across his shoulders and a tired wolf puppy tucked under an arm. Remus shook out his fur and bounded happily towards the approaching ninja.
Grinning, Scarlett straightened up and walked over. "How nice of you to let me sleep in." She pressed a kiss to his cheek before looking at the small form in his arm. "Timber followed you again?"
Snake-Eyes gently deposited the wolf into his wife's arms before signing, [I don't mind too much. He's building up stamina.]
"Aw, but he's pooped." Scarlett petted the sleepy form gently. Besides sharing the same name, Timber and his deceased grandfather had many similarities. They looked almost the same, and both would follow Snake just about anywhere. Unfortunately for little Timber, he was still quite young, and his legs could take him only so far before he got tired and needed to be carried.
[He's loyal.] Snake looked down when a tail whapped into his leg repeatedly. Remus yipped excitedly, staring up at his brother, and jumped up, scrabbling at Scarlett's leg. Immediately, Snake nudged him back down with a foot, ignoring Remus' yelp of surprise.
"Snake-Eyes!" Scarlett glared at him as she placed Timber down. "I know social hierarchy is important for wolves and all, but was that really necessary? He was just trying to get a better look."
[He needs to know his place. Jumping up on the pack leaders is not allowed.]
"He's a puppy!"
[He's a wolf.]
"Still a puppy."
[Still a wolf. Will always be a wolf. Will not always be a puppy.]
Scarlett sighed and sat down on the ground, lifting Timber onto her lap. Remus happily followed, whining as his brother stole the prime spot by flopping exhaustedly into her arms.
"You've gotten cuddles all morning, Remus," she paused to explain before lifting Timber and cooing into the soft fluff of his belly.
[You complain that I smell bad after hunting,] Snake pointed out good-naturedly, [but you rub the wolf all over your nose?]
"Grow a coat of soft fur and I'll consider immediate snuggles for you too." She didn't look up from the task of burying her cheek in the pup's fur.
He exhaled sharply in what could be interpreted as a 'hmph,' before signing, [Where is-?] He clucked his tongue and whistled twice.
Scarlett glared at him, but amusement shone through her eyes. "You mean Romulus? Really, Snake? He may be clicks and whistles to you, but to me he's Romulus. It wouldn't hurt for you to find some sign for his name."
[Romulus and Remus are unnecessary names. Normal names would have sufficed.]
"Normal names like 'Little Wolf' and 'Other Little Wolf?'" she couldn't help asking as she fought back the urge to laugh. "You've always had such a gift of giving unique and charming names."
He sighed even as he kissed her through his mask. He shifted the deer on his shoulders, and turned to leave.
"Oh, Snake. I'll have breakfast on when you're done. Pancakes sound good?"
He raised his hand to answer with the nodding of a closed fist, not turning around as he went off to dress the deer. Dojo followed his master, trotting at a respectful distance behind. Romulus, who appeared around the corner of the cabin, made a valiant attempt to nip at Snake's heels, but was foiled by the brisk walking pace of the ninja.
Setting both puppies down, Scarlett stood up and made her way to the kitchen. After a few seconds of fumbling, she fished out a batch of pancake mix and started preparing the batter. Timber and Remus whined plaintively as they watched her pour batter into a frying pan and stack finished pancakes on a plate. "Sorry, guys, but I can't feed you. Alpha's orders." She reached down and scratched behind Remus' ear.
There was the sound of furious scratching at the door which quickly turned into yelps and whines. Scarlett turned just in time to see the door to swing open, revealing Snake-Eyes holding Romulus by the scruff. "Let him go, Snake. He just smelled the food and got excited."
Snake shifted his gaze to the door and its newly-acquired scratch marks.
"Oh, for god's sake. It's just a few scratch marks."
The ninja removed his visor and kneeled, holding Romulus up by just behind his front legs. The wolf pup wobbled, his back paws shifting on the ground as he tried to get used to the new position. Unblinkingly, Snake stared at the wolf pup, who at first stared defiantly back before reluctantly looking away. Satisfied, Snake let go and walked over to the table.
Scarlett raised an eyebrow at the her husband as he removed his mask. "Protective of our cabin, aren't we, Mister Alpha?"
[Yes. Cabin - not scratching post. I didn't build it in a day.] Snake added a little butter to his pancakes before reaching for the syrup. [Did you finally use up that horrible corn syrup stuff?]
"Yes, mister maple syrup snob. Good lord, Snake, is there any way you're not a stereotypical mountain recluse? "
[I'm a ninja,] he signed simply, adding more syrup to his precarious stack of pancakes.
"You've got me there. But for a moment I was having flashbacks to that one morning in the mess-hall with Snow Job and... "
His open palm slapped the table as he bent his head, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
Below the table, three series of distraught yips protested the sudden noise, and made yet another plea for the dropping of scraps. Dojo remained in a corner, watching quietly with head held low.
"Hello, down there." Scarlett bent to look at the pups, which prompted them to redouble their efforts to persuade her that they were starving from lack of pancakes. She offered them a bare foot instead, and immediately broke out laughing at the ticklish sensation as they all harmlessly jumped at it.
[You shouldn't encourage them to attack you.] Snake frowned.
"It doesn't hurt!"
[Now it doesn't. In a few months, it WILL hurt.]
Even though she knew it looked childish, she stuck the tip of her tongue out at him. Snake responded by placing a kiss firmly on her mouth. "Snaaake..." she giggled. "I'm trying to be annoyed at you. Stop thwarting my efforts."
[My apologies.] He kissed her cheek, eliciting another laugh.
Scarlett pushed at him a little, trying to look serious and failing. "Liar. You're anything but sorry."
[That one was an apology kiss. It does not count.]
"Sure it doesn't, you sneaky ninja." She patted his cheek fondly and pulled away from him to clear the table. "What's next in our day?"
[We will need more wood for the additional room.] Snake placed the syrup and butter back in their respective places.
Scarlett made a face. "Chopping down trees. Fun." Good-naturedly, she followed Snake out the cabin.
The sun was hanging a little ways above the distant mountains when Snake decided to call it a day. Scarlett paused to stretch and wipe the sweat from her forehead. "Good god, this is a lot of work." She kicked lightly at a log. "And this is just for one room. It still amazes me to think that you built the entire cabin yourself."
[Remember that the cabin was originally only one room. I built the bathroom and kitchen whenever I was forced to go on leave.] Snake rolled the last log into the pile against the cabin.
"So you used leave to go do manual labor." Scarlett picked up Remus, who had been looking up at her pleadingly. "Sounds fun. No wonder you hated it."
[I had nothing else to do.] Snake glanced at the sun's position before signing. [Bathtime for the pups?]
Scarlett tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Why not. Might as well get it in before it gets dark enough to lose them."
Snake grinned and ran off. Romulus yelped, Timber followed, and Remus squirmed out of her arms.
Three small, gray rockets charged along the rocky path to the lake at Snake's heels, pursued by one larger, faster wolf and one breathless human.
At the water's edge, Snake Eyes dove in a graceful curve, clearing the shallow water and entering the water with barely a splash. Three of the four wolves skidded to a stop. Timber kept right on going, leaving a small wake and a large spray of water behind him as he tumbled into deeper water and began a furious doggy-paddle. Dojo circled back and settled down comfortably outside the splash zone to watch the other two pups prancing uncertainly at the shore. Romulus hazarded a nip at the lapping ripples, and immediately spat out the mouthful of water and sand he received. Remus pawed tentatively into the lake, then dashed to take cover behind Scarlett's legs.
"Scaredy-pup. You've been in the lake before. She picked up the slightly quivering ball of fur and began wading in after her husband, doing her best not to cry out from the cold. The lake was still freezing from the recent winter.
Romulus attempted his attack again, adding a paw swipe. He came up with a soaked face along with another mouthful of water, and reproached the shoreline with what might have been a threatening growl, had it not emerged from a throat as young as his.
[Let him tire himself out,] Snake recommended, popping up from the murky bottom only a few feet from Scarlett. She yelped and splashed him. He held Timber forward, threatening her with the formidable splash-fight weapon that was his rapidly and uselessly treading paws and a wet-puppy look. She lifted Remus out of the water in comparison. He licked her hands thankfully, though his paws continued paddling the air. With a gentle push, Snake sent Timber floating toward Scarlett as he turned to whistle to Dojo. The older wolf lifted himself reluctantly and trotted into the water, barely hesitating at the edge of the frigid water. After a cluck-two whistles attempt to summon Romulus, the contrary pup was snatched from the bank and placed, whining and flailing, into the water.
"How do you expect me to wash one while I hold the other?" Scarlett was running her fingers through Timber's fur in the clear water as Remus desperately tried to climb onto her shoulder. Romulus quickly adjusted to the water and set a course for her as well, sending droplets flying for several feet in all directions.
Snake ran his hand from Dojo's tail to his neck, purposely disturbing the fur as he carefully looked for fleas or anything that could be annoying his wolf. Actually washing the wolves would be useless, as they would just get dirty again in a few seconds, so he and Scarlett simply used the water to check on the wolves' fur every now and then to make sure nothing was attached to them. In a way, it was all futile work, but at least it would reduce the number of bugs the animals brought into the cabin.
After he deemed Dojo clean, Snake released him and grabbed Romulus by the scruff, grinning slightly at Scarlett's shriek as Dojo shook himself dry near her. Romulus growled in indignation, which earned him a nip on the muzzle by Snake's fingers. The pup settled enough to grudgingly let Snake shift through his fur, although another high-pitched growl prompted a brief, firm shake by the scruff.
Scarlett watched the scene before her, a little amused at the power struggle going on. In her arms, Remus was whimpering quietly as if traumatized by the bathing experience even though he had done it many times before. She planted a reassuring kiss on his little head and set him on the banks to dry off.
Eventually, Romulus was also dry, and the three pups ran off to go play in the clearing.
Scarlett struck a match and carefully lit the twigs and leaves in the fire pit. Behind her, three more-or-less clean puppies were curled up on a large, smooth rock, lulled by the warmth of the late afternoon sun and fast asleep. Dojo wasn't in the area, having wandered off to re-mark territory or hunt, so the pups had decided to steal their sire's favorite sunning spot.
A little absentmindedly, she poked at the young fire, watching as it sputtered and slowly spread to the main logs. Perhaps they weren't ready. Perhaps they still needed some time. But they had had an entire year and a half to get settled, and there wasn't too much time left for her until they might require outside help. She and Snake had talked it over before, and they had both agreed on the subject, although he'd needed convincing that bad luck was not genetic.
From the gray pile of puppies, Remus' hind leg twitched, and Timber stirred. Scarlett smiled at the sight. Although puppies were good practice for Snake, the ninja would have to find some other way to assert that he was in charge than just by staring and shaking scruffs. Not that staring wasn't effective - she had seen Vipers wet their pants in fear when he looked at them - it just wasn't going to work if the person wasn't scared of him.
She mentally shrugged. It wasn't as if he was going to pass out if - when - she told him, but she was a little more concerned about his reaction than she would care to admit. Who wouldn't be?
No better time than the present, she supposed as she felt his muscled, warm arms wrap around her from behind. Snake must have seen the doubt in her eyes. "It's alright, Snake." Scarlett hugged his arms. "I'm just thinking."
[Thinking of what?] he signed in front of her.
"You'll find out soon." She turned her head and kissed his masked cheek. "When you're sitting down and unmasked."
Without sparing a moment, Snake sat down on a nearby log, his mask and visor in his hands. His eyes rested on her calmly but there was a slight edge in his posture. Ninjas didn't like surprises.
Scarlett took a deep breath. A part of her wished she had more time to gather her thoughts, but the rest of her argued that she'd already had an entire week to do just that. She took his hands in hers, rubbing his fingers more for her own comfort than anything. Might as well get it out. Snake wasn't going to leave her alone until she did. The man was tensing up more with every passing second.
"I'm pregnant," she whispered.
Next chapter: Snake and Scarlett make plans to visit the Arashikage.