Epilogue

Our days in Paradise were wonderful. With Buck by my side, I had nothing to fear. I thought life would be boring - eventually. However, I could never be more wrong.

Life is so much fun! Especially with so many mini versions of Buck and myself running around.

"Muuuuuuuum!" Maggie looked up from picking berries to see two of her children running toward her - both covered in berry juice.

"Sermin! Berry! Why are you covered in berries?" She began picking berry skins from her son and daughter.

Sermin lowered his blue-eyed gaze to stare at his feet while Berry began whining. "It was Ronan! He ambushed us while we were picking berries for you."

Maggie sighed and rolled her eyes toward the ice ceiling. "Here we go again." she mumbled. Returning her attention to her kits, she pointed in the direction of the brook. "Go wash up. I'll talk to your brother."

Maggie walked to the section of the berry patch that she had told Sermin and Berry to work. Ronan was no where to be seen but the evidence of a berry battle was everywhere.

"Aaaah! Ronan!" Maggie's ears twitched back and she hit her forehead with her paw. Walking in the direction of the last exclaimation, Maggie discovered her son, Gawain, sitting on the ground next to a stunned Dive. Gawain rubbed the back of his head, muttering under his breath.

"Okay. What did Ronan do this time?" Maggie asked as she helped Gawain stand up. She looked her son in the eyes. Maggie was still stunned by the fact that he had green eyes. She wasn't sure which side of the family he got them from.

"Dive and I were flying low and Ronan set up some vines." Gawain answered. "Clotheslined us! When I get my hands on that little twerp -!"

"Gawain. Don't call your little brother a twerp." Maggie scolded. She looked both the dactyl and her son over. "Well, you're bruised. Nothing's broken. Any idea where your brother is?"

Gawain shrugged as he scrambled back onto Dive. "No clue. Who's he gotten so far?"

"Berry, Sermin, and you." Maggie answered.

"Ida and Ethan are studying some styracosaurus hatchlings." Gawain kicked Dive gently on the sides. Maggie stepped back and watched as her green-eyed son flew off into the sky.

She knew where the styracosaurus herd was staying. She and Buck had shown the kids only a few days ago. Maggie wished her mate were here instead of off Rudy-hunting. As she made her way to the styracosauruses, Maggie mumbled, "This is probably a stampede waiting to happen."

Maggie climbed a tree and searched the area. Ida and Ethan were in a tree across from her, watching young dinos running around and through their elders' legs. Maggie smiled fondly at dinos and kits, but returned her attention to finding Ronan.

She smirked in triumph and grabbed a hold of a vine. Silently, she swung over the heads of the dinos and landed in the branches a few feet up from Ida and Ethan. Maggie dropped down one branch and lifted a small weasel off his feet.

"Muuuum! Put me down. I wasn't gonna do anythin'." Ronan squirmed and tried to break free.

"Yeah. And I kissed a walnut." Maggie rolled her eyes. "Come with me, young man." Maggie and Ronan scrambled back down the tree. The she-weasel led her son through the jungle.

When they reached the tree house, she had Ronan sit on a rock. Facing him, Maggie crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. "Well?"

"Oiy! Look out below!" Mother and son looked up in time to see Buck floating down to the ground with the use of a leaf as a parachute. Upon landing, he walked over. "What's goin' on he'ah?"

Maggie motioned to Ronan. "Your son started a berry fight with Berry and Sermin."

Buck shrugged. "So? We've had berry fight before. No harm in that."

"And did you know that your son also set up a vine net that made Dive and Gawain fall out of the air?" Maggie poked Buck in the chest. "Or that he was about to make Ida and Ethan fall into a styracosaurus herd which would have started a stampede?"

Buck blinked several times before turning to look at his fidgeting son. "Ronan. Is this true."

Biting his lip, Ronan waved his hand in a so-so gesture. "More or less."

"Ronan. Yes or no." Buck copied his wife by crossing arms over his chest.

"Yes, sir." Ronan's ears drooped.

"Ronan. You can 'ave fun." Buck knelt down before his smallest son and tilted Ronan's head up to meet his gaze. "But ya can't do stuff that could hurt your brothers and sisters. What if Ida and Ethan got trampled by styracosauruses? What if Gawain broke a bone after fallin' off Dive? What if Dive got hurt an' I was away using Clyde and your mum needed to go visit a sick dino?"

"I'm sorry." Ronan mumbled ashamedly.

Maggie sat down beside her son and ruffled his fur with her bandaged paw. Ronan smiled up at her, knowing he was forgiven. "Apology accepted. But you need to go apologize to Gawain, Berry, and Sermin."

Ronan nodded and jumped to his feet. He was off like a flash, leaving his parents to chuckle at his swift departure.

"Ya know," Buck said as he stood and then sat down next to Maggie, "he only does those pranks cause he likes the attention."

"I know for a fact he does those pranks because he wants to be like his dad." Maggie answered, giving Buck a knowing look.

Buck coughed into his paw before saying. "Well - yes. I am pretty amazing." He then flashed his crooked grin. "But you may stretch the truth when ya tell those bedtime stories."

Maggie huffed. "I do not!"

"Mags, we could argue the fact that you do 'til the kids come home for supper, or you could admit defeat and welcome me home properly." Buck shook his head and took on the tone of an all-suffering victim. "Oh, how I miss the days when I didn't come home and hear, 'Your son did that' or 'Your daughter was at it again'." Pointing an accusatory claw at Maggie he said, "They're just as much your kits as they are mine."

Maggie laughed and leaned forward to kiss Buck. "And we did a fine job in raising them. Pranks and oddities aside."

Maggie and Buck's litter of six returned bursting with news for their parents. Like all good parents, the weasels fed their children dinner and played games until it was time for bed. Maggie and Buck tucked each kit into a hammock, stepping back to watch their children sleep.

Maggie leaned her head on Buck's shoulder. "Busy day."

Buck wrapped his arms around his mate and smiled. "Just another day in Paradise."


Thank you all for reading! =D