EDITED BY: DrummerMax64

Chapter Twelve - Old Grudges

"How's Gary doing?"

Edward's train of thought came to an abrupt halt, his pace beginning to slow along with it while his mind attempted to process the question, different emotions coming to light the more he thought about it. Confusion and curiosity came first as to the nature of what was asked, then the anxiousness and, more prominently, fear, knowing full well what that name entailed. Finally came the sheer desolation.

Then, a fuzzy memory loomed over in his head like a shadow. From what he could recall, it was of his brother, some sort of argument that made him wish ill-will on him, but one that reminded Edward of his proper place with the family, with life in general. A grim reminder played over in his head, an age-old truth, plain as day.

"You mean nothing…"

The silver wolf quickly shook away his brother's echoing words and took a calming breath, forcing away the darker thoughts that attempted to cloud what was supposed to be a relaxing walk with his father. He wasted no time trying to catch back up to Alabaster's side, the eldest wolf looking fondly out towards the house. It seemed as if he didn't notice Edward's reluctance, so the silver wolf attempted to play it off like it was nothing.

When he felt ready, Edward calmly took in a breath and let his curiosity do the work for him while the fear and anxiousness caused the words to get caught uncomfortably in his throat. It felt as if he were still conducting the interview.

"W-why do you ask?"

Alabaster shrugged. "I thought you might know what he's been up to lately. I haven't seen him since you and… Sharla, was it?" His father's head hung low after his question, quick to apologize. "I'm sorry, I should properly know my own daughter-in-law's name, shouldn't I?"

Although his father's words pained him a bit knowing he still didn't properly know Sharla's name, Edward wasn't surprised. Alabaster had shut both of them out for quite some time, and the fact that he had made an attempt to remember was enough to make him happy.

"No, no," Edward assured, "you got it right. You haven't really met her apart from when I was back in high school and when I moved out, not to mention the wedding. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"Thank you," Alabaster said with a smile. "I'll try to get it right from now on. But, back to what I meant to say. I haven't talked with Gary since your wedding. When we did get a chance to speak with each other, he seemed to show this sort of… well, how should I put it, abhorrence?"

"Really?"

Alabaster nodded. "He wasn't too keen on talking about work, and he was pretty resistant to sharing anything about his personal life. It took Lawrence to finally get him to start talking. It felt like he was… angry at me."

Edward raised a brow. Needless to say, he was shocked. When they were pups, Gary adored Alabaster. It even got to the point where he was always trying to prove himself and show that he was the smartest and strongest out of the three of them. Most of the time, it seemed that way. He made it clear to Lavender and Edward that it was his dream to work on the farm and eventually inherit it to improve on what his father had done over the years, and nothing would stand in his way.

Before the final decision was made, Edward was college-bound, leaving the farm and his family behind with the full support of their mother. If he were being honest with himself, he would have never been in contention by any means, not that he wanted it anyways. He had a dream of his own to work towards and he wasn't going to achieve it back at home.

That left Gary and Lavender. Considering their sister was the one still living in their old home with her two pups that had just recently been born, Edward had to assume that their sister had taken up the mantle and inherited the farm, effectively stealing the dream Gary had.

From what Alabaster implied, Gary still appeared to be agitated with the final outcome. For what it was worth, Edward understood where his brother was coming from. To work so hard for something, only to have it stolen from you in a single moment—the thought alone was heartbreaking, which made it even stranger to remember that the same thing was threatening to happen to Edward. But…

"Maybe it had something to do with giving Lavender the farm," Alabaster contemplated as both wolves neared the edge of the farm toward the side of the house. "Your mother convinced me—well, told me actually—to give over the farm to her. She just gave birth to two wonderful pups with a poor excuse of a father and nowhere else to go, so it seemed like the logical choice at the time. And seeing how Lavender's hasty marriage ended up, I'm glad I gave the reins to her. Gary didn't take to the news well. He stormed off before I could stop him, and I haven't seen or heard from him since. To put it simply, he vanished. Next thing I know, he has a job, a home, and a husband. Charolete and I didn't get to attend his wedding, but she was the one who called and congratulated the two. She wanted the best for her son, regardless if he continued to push us away. Knowing he was happy with Larry made her happy too, and that's all she ever wanted.

"With Charolete gone, all I want now is to reconnect and put aside what happened years ago, to tell him how proud I am of him, but he won't even return my calls."

The pair strode around the house and up the steps of the front porch, stopping at the rocking chairs under the canopy. Alabaster let out a sigh as he leaned against the top of the wooden railing.

"No matter how you look at it, there was really no way of getting out of this predicament. If I would have chosen Gary, Lavender would have been stuck with nothing and a pair of pups to look after. Yes, she still had the farm to call her home, but would she ever be truly satisfied with that outcome? Out of the three of you, Gary had the most promise with a life outside of the farm. He was good, yes, but he wasn't nearly as experienced as your sister.

"Part of me is convinced that I made the wrong decision in choosing Lavender based solely on how Gary was treated in the end. We hardly even mention his name around here. But... I don't know." The elder wolf stood back up and turned to Edward with a small trace of a smile on his muzzle. "Sorry, I went off on a tangent again."

Edward shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Getting it off your chest is important. If… if you want my two cents, if I'm being completely honest, I think you made the right call."

The corner of his father's mouth raised. "You think so?"

Edward nodded. "Absolutely. Lavender deserved to take up the family business. She really didn't have anywhere else to go with Theodor and Marianne and the absence of the father, plus she didn't really have any goals or dreams besides working on the farm, and she's damn good at it. She was the obvious choice. Gary, on the other paw, I can only assume that he only wanted the farm for his own selfish reasons, probably to prove a point if I could guess. If I'm being honest, and this may be my grudges against him talking, but I think that he needed to be brought down a peg or two. He's cocky, he's arrogant, persistent, not to mention rude…"

A faint growl built up in his throat, only stopping when his father turned with his ears aimed towards him. Edward would have added on to that growing list if he didn't manage to catch himself. He considered how guilty Alabaster would feel rehashing old grudges and wounds, so instead, Edward dropped what he was saying and made his point.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Alabaster. In fact, you made the right call. Gary wasn't ready for it for plenty of reasons, Lavender knows everything inside and out and does everything to the letter. She was definitely a good choice. I'm sure she'll do well now that she has her little helpers prowling around the place."

The snowy elder wolf chuckled, bringing a grin to Edward's muzzle. "It'll be like old times. Maybe with a little less animosity," Alabaster said.

"A little?"

Both wolves simultaneously broke out into a jovial laugh, filling the air with booming sound. They both were enjoying their time together. Edward couldn't believe how good he felt. He was actually bonding with Alabaster—his father, the mammal he resented for years—for what seemed like the very first time.

A minute later their laughing finally died down and turned into an awkward silence that made Edward spin into a mindset full of semi-anxious pondering. Edward eventually turned to Alabaster out of curiosity, only to find him looking out past the Hopps' farm and toward the horizon. He looked calm, even content with that warm smile pleasantly apparent on his muzzle, proving to be infectious as one formed on Edward too.

Edward had nearly forgot how beautiful the Burrows were. It had been so long since he had last seen these wonderful sights—the late-spring sunlight, the rolling hills, the trees, the wind brushing the crops in the fields—he couldn't quite put the feeling into words. A vivid memory from years ago played over in his head. He was a twelve-year-old pup at the time, helping Charolete outside with weeding and maintaining their front garden while they talked about books, cooking, and the questions that arose from them. It was peaceful, just as it was now.

So there he stood, watching the setting with nostalgic eyes while his happiness began to unravel the tension that had accumulated over the years.

Though, he couldn't help the residual doubt that he felt towards Alabaster. Questions of what his father's true intentions were (if any) for accepting the interview, as well as giving Edward what seemed like a sincere apology, raised enough red flags to start making him just a little bit suspect.

What was he planning? Was there something else past the apology that he wasn't telling him? And if so, what could he possibly want with him? Did he truly mean what he said about holding on to the past? How awful was it that he couldn't even trust his own father—

"You know," Alabaster spoke, breaking up Edward's train of thought, "I still remember the times when me and your mother sat out here on this porch, talking all about our lives, our hopes, our dreams. It feels like yesterday that we were here talking about attending your wedding. I was resilient on going as you can imagine. But your mother? She was ecstatic. She couldn't wait to go and see you two."

He paused, his gaze downcast toward the ground. It almost looked as if he was apprehensive as he struggled to find his footing again. Eventually he did manage to find his voice again, his baritone thin and quiet, practically a mumble when he spoke.

"I'm honestly glad that you made it down here, Edward. The only other time I truly felt alone was when my father died all that time ago. Sure, Lavender and the kids keep me company, but it's just not the same. She was my true love. Charolete meant the world to me. She loved me at my worst and cherished me at my best. She kept me from destroying myself. With your mother gone…" he paused for a moment, almost reeling to find the words, "...let's just say I couldn't tell you how thankful I am for the company. It took me a while to finally start correcting myself, but I want to make it right by you. I swear I will."

His words tugged warmly at Edward's heart, the touching moment resonating with the silver wolf. "Dad…"

Alabaster's ears perked as he turned his head toward his son, his eyes staring blankly at Edward's for a moment before bringing back his smile.

He couldn't put his paw on it, but there was something deep down that Edward couldn't deny: he believed in his father—his apology, his story, everything. He had to guess it was the hint of longing in Alabaster's tone, or perhaps it was this immense sadness that just broke Edward's heart.

He missed Charolete. He missed everything about her. But, Edward's longing paled in comparison to what Alabaster was feeling. His father was completely lost, trying to find his way alone in a whirlwind without that anchor to help weigh him down. He was alone. Now his father was trying to pick up the pieces scattered around in this storm in an attempt to mend the relationships that he so carelessly tossed aside before Edward, Lavender, and Gary were born.

So far, Alabaster seemed genuine, even caring. For Edward, that was all he ever wanted from him. Though, he had to admit that the feeling was entirely foreign to him. As long as he remained that way, he had no problem with his father. Edward was happy to be there with him.

Alabaster opened his maw for a moment to beckon some sort of reply, only to be rudely interrupted by the roar of his stomach. A light chuckle bounced around in the back of Edward's throat, Alabaster eventually doing the same as crimson flushed under the fur on his face.

The elder wolf placed a paw on Edward's shoulder and finally spoke under his laughing, "Why don't we go back inside. I'm sure Mary and Theodor would be happy to see you."

"Sure," Edward complied, both wolves motioning towards the front door.

Once inside, they wiped the bottoms of their feet on the rug to remove any excess dirt that their pads or fur collected while walking through the fields. The scent of food hit Edward almost immediately and made his mouth begin to water. Edward wasn't certain, but he had a hunch that it was something bug-based.

But before he had the chance to be distracted, Edward made sure to remember why he was there in the first place.

"Hey, dad," he asked hesitantly.

"What's on your mind, son?"

"I was wondering, I have to get a little more information for my story so that I can have multiple sources and a wider spread of data, so would you mind taking me to some of the other farmers in the area?"

"I don't mind at all. Just tell me who we're meeting and where we're going then we can head out."

"Um…" Edward looked away awkwardly, mumbling under his breath, "I actually don't properly know the other farmers around here… or rather, I can't remember—"

"Then I guess we'll have to work together," Alabaster said.

Edward glanced back over at his father, gaining yet another smile from him that in turn brought one on Edward's muzzle as well. With happiness being in such short supply nowadays in the Snow household, each laugh and grin was treasured.

"Come on," his father spoke, patting his arm before moving on ahead of him into the dining room, "Lavender and the kids are waiting."

"Y-yeah," Edward hesitantly replied, following behind at a leisurely pace.

Alabaster didn't pay much regard for Edward's own apprehension, and it seemed that he didn't notice either. If he were being honest, Edward was glad. With how well they were getting along so far, the last thing he wanted to do was sully the newfound relationship between him and his father over something so minor as the thought of Lavender verbally degrading him again. After years of tension, both of them deserved that much.

Taking his mind off of more negative thoughts, he took the chance to take a look around the room. At first glance, the dining room appeared unchanged—same pink paw print wallpaper, same family photographs and curtains along the walls and windows, same solid oak table, everything. He stopped at the end of the table to lean on the back of the wooden chair that would have been Alabaster's spot, his eyes encapsulated on the finer details of the room.

Aunt Veranda was naturally the first thing Edward noticed amongst the pictures along the back wall given the unnatural appearance of her pink cotton candy-colored fur, a smiling Charolete next to her in the same frame, frozen in time. Behind the two of them were their parents, whom Edward couldn't properly recall, their mother wearing a similarly bright expression while their father held a hint of a smile. The photo itself was informal—a blown-up version of a selfie—only making it stand out further from what they showed on the wall.

When Edward was still a teenager, Veranda was pretty cool for an aunt in his eyes. She did what she wanted and didn't care much for how mammals perceived her, making it a point to shove that ideal in others' faces if they had any quarrel over it. She was the very epitome of rebelliousness, and if Edward were a betting mammal, that was exactly why she became an artist to begin with.

Apart from that, she was also one of the only mammals in her family besides his mother to encourage Edward to step aside from the farm and the family after high school and focus on himself and Sharla, to go against his father's focus on the notion of "pack mentality" and the idea of it being wrong to be in a relationship with a mammal who wasn't the same species or was the natural prey of his species. If he ever had any questions that he wasn't comfortable sharing with his mother, he made it a point to contact Veranda instead. She was bold, to the point, and headstrong, not to mention her high levels of tenacity and spirit. She was everything he wished he could be. Well, almost. Her brunt nature was at times too much for Edward, and on the verge of annoyance at some points. But, she was family. He appreciated her input and acceptance, and in turn she put him on the right path, eventually leading to his marriage.

With a warm thought now happily embedded in his head, Edward moved on to the next picture on the far left, which was a photo of Alabaster's father and three other siblings: Angelica, Walter, and Valentine. Looking at each of the plain, stagnant faces in the photograph took away from the smile he obtained earlier. The picture wasn't bad by any means, in fact the picture looked to be done professionally. It was rather the stark contrast from Veranda's photo to Norman's photo that sparked some interest for Edward. It was almost as if both were from completely different worlds.

In terms of the mammals who were in the frame, he could vividly recall Walter and Angelica from the parties they'd attend for birthdays and formal functions regarding the success of their separate businesses located in uptown New Pork and Califurnia, respectively, and Valentine when he was able to get the chance. He couldn't remember correctly, but Edward was sure that he was stationed overseas as a member of the armed forces. The only mammal in that photograph he hadn't met was Norman, though he already knew enough to gather who he was—a single father, farmer, kind and, like Alabaster, uptight by the looks of his pristine suit and the rest of his family in their dapper attire. Edward almost wished he could've met his grandfather, but it seemed that he would never get that chance.

Other than the newer photos of Edward and his brother and sister, Charolete and Alabaster in their younger years, and Lavender's children, that left the photo in between Veranda's picture and Norman's, which was an updated version of the family photo, complete with every living relative and family member from nearly ten years ago. This included pup versions of Edward, Lavender, and Gary, while also showing Alabaster's three other siblings, their wives, kids, and husbands, and Charolete's side of the family that included her, her sister and parents—as well as their relatives. In the picture, elders sat in chairs at the front, kids behind them, mothers and aunts to follow, and finally the leaders of each pack made what was the Snow family portrait.

Each mammal in the frame was doing something different. The aunts and mothers were either holding, parenting, or caressing their pups, the pups who were old enough were getting antsy, and the fathers and elders were trying to either keep their cool or try to help the situation, which left for some pretty interesting faces and expressions. Oddly enough, Edward knew every face, and almost every name of who was in the picture. Some would call it a cluster, others would call it bad, but Edward thought of it as "us." In the picture, he was one of the few who were putting on the biggest smile they could, despite the constantly arguing Lavender and Gary next to him. If it were up to him, as surprising as it may seem considering everything, he came to the conclusion that he really couldn't have it any other way—

"Uncle Eddy!" came the giddy voice of Mary as she rushed over towards Edward from the kitchen, casting him out of his thoughts and to the young wolf rushing towards him.

Dang it, he thought to himself, I need to stop getting distracted.

Edward was soon pulled into a hug, the silver wolf making sure to hug the pup back and greet her with a bright, "Hey, Mary."

Edward lifted his head and peered into the kitchen, managing to catch a curious glance from Lavender behind the center island, whose paws were holding both a plate of eight bug patties and a plate of six tofu patties.

Before Edward had the chance to question the strange number of tofu burgers, and think about the fresh wounds from the conversation he had with his sister earlier in the day, Theodor's voice boomed as he appeared around the corner of the center island, haphazardly holding a platter of sesame seed buns. "We made some bug and tofu burgers!"

"And some fries," Mary added.

"Sounds wonderful," Edward grinned.

"Why don't you go help your brother, Mary," Alabaster chuckled as he spoke quietly to her.

"Okay!"

Mary ran over to help Theodor, taking the other end of the platter. The two of them made their way over to the dining room and hoisted the buns onto the table, pushing them to the center. Lavender followed closely behind with both platters of burgers and placed each on opposite sides of the table. More specifically, she placed the platter of bug patties on the side where Lavender and Alabaster used to sit, and the tofu burgers where Edward normally sat.

Once again, Edward was met with the same question as before: what was with all of those tofu burgers? As far as he knew, he was the only one to eat them in his entire family besides the Mcdewegells, but even they preferred bug burgers, especially Sharla. He wasn't able to investigate for long, however. Everyone had already gathered around the table.

Edward quickly made his way over to his seat while Alabaster took his place at the head of the table, Lavender taking her spot at the left of him while Theodor sat across from her.

"Who made the burgers this time?" Alabaster asked.

"I did," proudly spoke an energetic Mary as she climbed onto the chair across from Edward.

"I did too," Theodor chimed in.

"Well, I can't wait to try them," Alabaster smirked, grabbing a bug patty.

Out of respect for the pack, Alabaster was the first to make his plate as the Alpha. Edward put forth the effort to abstain the need to start digging in until his father was finished. Disrespect was the last thing he wanted for their newfound relationship. Once he was all set, everyone else followed suit, aiming for their respective preferences of food, asking politely for buns and condiments to perfect their creations.

Edward opted for a plain tofu burger, which were packed with various greens (spinach, watercress, and tatsoi to be specific) and looked to be seasoned well based on what he smelt. It was almost as good as what Charolete used to make. Edward also found that they were packed nicely. They didn't break apart on the touch like tofu normally did.

He finally added a dash of pepper and a couple shakes of salt to the top of the patty, placing a layer of cheddar cheese before enclosing it in a pair of freshly toasted sesame seed buns. On the table was also an array of other toppings, such as diced jalapeños, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, but Edward decided against them in favor of the plain cheeseburger he loved.

Edward looked up from his plate to find that Lavender was still piling on some diced jalapeño peppers, while Theodor was already taking his first bite. Directly across from him, Mary was still making her burger, only just now putting the tofu patty on the bun on her plate.

Tofu… Edward noticed, then said, "Well, it looks like I'm finally not the only one in the family who enjoys tofu."

Mary giggled with a nod. "Bugs are gross. They don't even taste that good either."

"I agree," Edward said.

"I beg to differ," Alabaster muttered with his mouth full. "For not liking bug burgers, your guys' burgers taste wonderful. Charolete would be proud."

Mary and Theodor beamed, a blush appearing on Mary's face. She then took her first bite, prompting Edward to take his as well.

The moment the food hit his tongue, his taste buds went wild. The euphoria of freshness and flavor felt energizing and familiar, almost nostalgic in a way. The greens and seasoning blended together nicely. In addition, the greens also helped make the burger feel all the more fresh. Keeping with this Mammalia-themed meal were the bowls of french fries that sat with each plate of burgers on opposite ends of the table. Edward took a marginal amount, sprinkled some salt and pepper on them, and left the rest to be consumed by the rest of his family.

The remainder of the meal for Edward was spent mostly in awkward silence. Lavender and Alabaster went on about what needed to happen with the farm after lunch and going forward while Mary and Theodor were trying their best to pay attention, because for them this would eventually become their chores. In the meantime, they found themselves making sure the dishes around them were stacked and ready to head into the kitchen for cleaning.

Personally, Edward hated talking about the farm, especially when it came down to chores and farm work. Furthermore, he also felt it out of place to start some pointless smalltalk. Although he was comfortable enough talking with Alabaster, Lavender and him weren't on cordial terms yet, and combined with the fear that she may very well instigate some fight to make him look bad in front of her kids or their father, he felt that being silent was the best option...

"Uncle Eddy?"

...Until Mary decided with her squeaky, pint-sized voice to take it upon herself in bringing Edward into some form of conversation. Was it to make him feel included?

Whatever the reason, he made sure to put on a smile and nonchalantly let her ask whatever was on her mind.

"Yes, Mary?"

"Grandma and Grandpa said you live in Zootopia."

Edward tilted his head. His reluctance stemmed in the confusion of his reply. "Yes?"

Her face lit up like a firework. She gasped, "That's so cool! What's it like?!"

"I, uh…"

Edward looked around the table. It seemed that both Lavender and Alabaster had finished conversing about the farm. Theodor's tail wagged excitedly back and forth as he stood in his chair. Alabaster smiled at the children. Lavender shot her son a stern glare. In an instant, the pup fell back down into his seat, still showing mild signs of excitement as he bounced around, waiting for an answer.

All eyes fell on Edward. He could tell that he was nervous, but couldn't pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps the prejudice played a role in his hesitation? The fear that he may sully the children's view of the city 'where anyone can be anything?'

He let out a silent breath and opened his maw with a forceful smile.

"It's the greatest place on Earth. The city is so pretty and so shiny, it's full of many different places and environments to explore, and every day you get to see mammals of all shapes and sizes—from the tiniest mouse to the biggest elephant—working and living together in harmony."

"What kind of places?" asked Theodor.

"Well," Edward continued, "there's Tundratown where it's snowy and icy all the time. Then there's Sahara Square, the hottest district in the city. My favorite though is the Rainforest District."

"Why is that your favorite, Uncle Eddy?" Mary piped up.

"I like it because it rains all the time there. It helps me relax when I'm feeling mad or sad, and it helps me think when I'm working on a big story. The moist air, the pitter-patter on the leaves, the rain soaking through your fur…"

"I don't like it when my fur gets wet," Theodor admitted.

"Me neither," Mary agreed.

"I guess I'm the only one, then."

Edward smiled. He remembered when he was young, dreaming of getting away and moving to the big city and becoming something better, something stronger. The magnificent city of Zootopia, the place where dreams began. That vision seemed so skewed now that he was older.

Curious, Edward prodded a little bit and directed a question the kids' way. "What do you two want to be when you grow up?"

"I wanna be a farmer, like mom," came Theodor's quick answer.

"I want to be a chef," spoke a confident Mary. "Grandma liked to cook, and I like it too, so… I wanna be just like her."

"Your Grandma Charolete loved to cook," Alabaster said. "She made sure to cook any chance she could get—making lunches for the kids before school, homemade dishes to family gatherings, cakes for birthday parties, you name it. She had some incredible talent."

"She really did," Edward grinned.

"But that's not the half of it. You know, she had a way of dropping the biggest news bombs without warning. Here's one that she dropped when we were eating alone one night—you lot were fast asleep at the time: Did you know she got the chance to shadow that famous chef Gordon Ramsay? I think he even offered her a head chef position at one of his restaurants."

Edward's jaw dropped. The world famous ewe chef offered his mother a leading position in the kitchen? To say he was aghast was an understatement.

"Are you serious?" Edward asked. Alabaster nodded. "W-what happened?"

"You know how Charolete was," Alabaster smirked. "She loved her family. At the time, you three were just starting elementary school. Taking the job meant that you three would've had to move all the way to Paris, attend a new school, learn a whole new language, meet new friends, it was going to be hard to adjust. Your mom just couldn't fathom it. Plus, she would have been a whole ocean away from the rest of her family too, and she just couldn't live with that. What if her parents or sister got sick and she couldn't see them? She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Whatever she decided, I was in full agreement. The farm wasn't doing well thanks to a stark season, and it was beginning to cost us more the longer it ran. But, she was insistent on not letting me abandon that dream I had when I was younger. Something about keeping my father's memory alive if I had to guess. Not even the offer of a six-figure income or free education for her children could sway her. She was dead set on 'Bunnyburrow or bust.' After, Ramsay praised her for the decision and stood by it. He gave us his contact and offered the two of us a visit to the opening night of the restaurant instead. And you can bet we took that offer."

"Wow," Mary said, awestruck.

"How was the food?"

"Unbelievable. You can't get any better than France."

From what his father implied, Edward believed it. To be acclaimed by such an iconic chef and then have the chance to not only be offered a job at one of his restaurants, but be invited to attend that opening night instead? It seemed that Charolete had some pretty deep connections in the cooking world.

With that said, something else came to mind, prompting another question.

"Does… does he know?"

Like a punch to the gut, Alabaster's expression changed to a more somber look, trying to maintain the smile he had to keep face.

"I informed him a couple of days ago. He gave his condolences to our family, and promised to visit when he had the time."

"He seems really nice, far from what I expected from the barking mad chef that I see on TV."

"He really is," Alabaster grinned. "But enough about that. On the topic of family, I've been meaning to ask, how are you and Sharla doing?"

Three heads turned to Edward, Lavender noticeably rolling her eyes and looking off to the side. Anxiety crept over his shoulder, prompting a light shiver to go down his spine.

"W-we're doing fine," he stammered. "Sharla recently got done testing out a new rocket for MASA. She's the lead engineer on the project."

"That's incredible, Edward." Alabaster praised. "It's definitely something that I couldn't do. Math was never my strong suit. You must be proud."

"I am. Although she isn't an astronaut like she dreamed, she couldn't be happier with what she's doing. As long as she's helping pave the way for mammals to eventually colonize other planets, she'll continue to keep moving forward."

"That's so cool," Theodor muttered low. "I wonder if I could do that…"

"If you put your mind to it, Theo, I'm sure that you could." Edward could see that Lavender once again showed some sort of dismissal to his reply, but in spite of her he continued, reiterating his city's mantra. "Zootopia is a place where anyone can be anything. If you want to be a chef, be the best that you can dream of. If you want to be a rocket engineer, reach for the stars. Even if you just want to be a farmer, Zootopia can help you achieve that dream. You just have to go for it."

"You know, I've been meaning to ask," Lavender inquired, cutting off the tail end of what felt like a motivational speech for something completely off-topic. "Where is your wife anyways? If you two are inseparable as your tiger friend claimed, why isn't she here with us now?"

There was a pause after Lavender made her point, Mary frowning when she realized as well. She asked, "Where's Auntie Sharla?"

"S-She's… meeting an old friend today," Edward quickly answered. "She's catching up with Judy."

Lavender raised a brow. "Who?"

"Hopps, Judy Hopps."

"That wannabe cop?"

"Actually, she is a cop. The first rabbit officer in Zootopia as a matter of fact."

"Oh well that's convenient. Your wife dips out of seeing the family so she can talk to some friend? Talk about typical. You probably told her not to come. Or," she lingered, "maybe it has to do with us 'savages?'"

The purple-eyed wolf raised a brow at her brother and crossed her arms, Edward feeling increasingly worse as his ears flattened behind his head, his eyes cast defeatedly away to the far corner of the room. She read him like a book, again. Not only that, she had called him out on it in front of not only the kids, but his father as well. She eventually scoffed and gave up prying some reaction out of Edward, turning her head away from him altogether.

There was a long moment of silence between the two siblings, the tension in the room continuing to build. The kids easily caught on to it, looking a mix between disappointed and perplexed.

"Why don't you two play some catch outside for a bit," the elder wolf requested with a smile to the children, "I'm going to have a little talk with Uncle Eddy and your mom." They hesitated. "Go on," he insisted.

It wasn't until then that Mary and Theodor decided it would be best for them to leave. They got up from their places and hurriedly rushed out the door, a gaggle of giggles issuing from their throats as they went to enjoy their currently choreless afternoon.

That left only the adults. Alabaster wasted no time in donning his trademark glare—a powerful, bone-chilling, expressionless state—that made Edward's fur stand up. Whenever Alabaster bore that look, Edward always felt cornered. He hated that feeling.

Looking at both son and daughter, a heavy sigh billowed out of his snout, his gaze lingering only on Lavender.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The room stood still.

"...Excuse me?" she asked in what could have been hilariously faux disbelief. "What do you mean, 'what am I—'"

"Don't give me that. You know exactly what I mean. But, if you wish for me to spell it out for you like you're a little pup, I'll humor you. Why are you so insistent on berating your brother?

"Berating?"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Lavender." He pointed at her. "He's done nothing but show kindness since he walked through our door, has shown respect to our values as wolves—even after he cast them aside, may I remind you—and yet you're here trying to pick petty fights in an attempt to try and rile him up, for what? My undying love? Your support to the pack? Or was it because you don't care about him, about your family?"

"Family?" She scoffed again. "Give me a break. He isn't a part of our family, not anymore. Ever since he left for that college in Zootopia with that… predophile."

"Sharla," Alabaster clarified, clearly on edge.

"Whatever that fang-chaser's name is," Lavender ignored, clarifying further after noticing a defeated-looking Edward. "She isn't a part of our family, and neither is my pitiful excuse for a brother. You of all mammals know what he's done, what he's done to us. He abandoned us. He abandoned the way of his own species. He hasn't bothered to help us, let alone call us to see if we needed help back at home—which we do, if you haven't guessed already.

"It's been so hard since you left. With all of the chores divided between me—a single, new mother mind you—mom, and dad, maintaining the farm became nearly impossible. You have no idea how much you fucked us. How much you fucked me. For God's sake, you can't even look me in the eye."

She was right. Edward didn't have a leg to stand on in this fight. His gaze went downcast and he stared blankly at the table. He couldn't think of looking her in the eyes with the guilt he had built up in his chest. How could he? He was—

"Pathetic," she muttered, ripping the word straight from his thoughts. "Edward isn't one of us. He's never been one of us. If he were, he would understand that you help and support the family, no matter what. He's nothing but an outcast."

Lavender's hard breaths plumed when she ended her rant, her eyes ablaze with figurative fire as she pointed towards Edward who, maintaining his silence, was on the brink of tears. He understood that he let her get to him again, but he also understood where she was coming from. To leave without so much as a word, to leave when his sister just had two kids and now an entire farm to look after, she had every right to be mad at him.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered with guilt.

"Edward," Alabaster said. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"What do you mean? I left the farm when you guys needed me the most, not to mention Lavender with the pups. I should have been here."

"Look around," Alabaster said, arm extended outward. "Does anything look wrong? Has the farm burnt down? No, it hasn't. Right now, the farm is thriving. We still have the house, the pups are happy, and, as far as I'm aware, the sky hasn't fallen. Don't worry about us. We're doing just fine over here. Your future is just beginning. Keep at it."

"I… I will. Thanks, Dad."

"Dad? Since when are you two on—"

"Not another syllable out of you," Alabaster pointed. "Don't forget, I still own the farm. You haven't signed anything, let alone inherited anything yet. You are working here, getting paid every week like any regular employee, and like any other job, you can get fired for discrimination. For your sake, be mindful of what you say, and listen to what I'm about to say very carefully.

"Now, I don't think I have to remind you that you are raising two kids, do I? I know it's been hard without Edward and Gary, but they have their own lives to live outside of the farm and they had every right to leave when they did. Mary and Theodor are picture perfect—kind, courteous, helpful, and above all well-behaved, all because of your parenting. And although they are absolute treasures, you can't deny that they're at the age where they start to look up to mammals, their role models. Impressions matter, and the impressions we make could define who they are in the future. With their father gone, I was worried that they would grow up without a proper father figure, but over time that became less of a concern with me taking on the mantle. That being said, I would like to hope that their only mother wasn't a proper bigot during this crucial time in their lives. What if they grow up to like mammals outside of their own species? Will you hate them too?"

"That would never happen," she quietly spewed, "I wouldn't allow—"

THWAM.

Alabaster slammed his open paw down on the hardwood table and stood up. Dishes clattered and rumbled in place, a sole glass cup falling onto its side. Both Lavender and Edward jumped. Though he couldn't vouch for Lavender, Edward definitely felt afraid.

"You have no right to tell them what they can't be! None." He took a breath and sat back down, going back to maintaining his composure. "You are their mother, Lavender. They don't have a father to look up to, so of course they look up to you the most. I implore that you take this seriously, because there rarely are second chances on parenting. I won't tolerate this discrimination. Not in my house. Not anymore. I'm only recently just realizing the error of my ways myself. I've already apologized to Edward, and I'm hoping to rectify my mistakes with Mary and Theodor. If you keep doing this Lavender, I'll…"

"You'll what?"

"I'll have no choice but to not only let you go from the farm, but to kick you out of the house as well."

"W-what?! You can't do that!"

"Yes, I can. Your employment here is on file with the Bunnyburrow Department of Labor—hence your pay—and I'm also your father. Though it isn't something I want to do personally, I have every right to, and I'll do anything to make sure these kids are well off. I want both Mary and Theo to grow up knowing that whatever they decide to be, we will love and support them no matter what. What do you want them to be?"

Lavender opened her maw, although no words were spoken as she resigned herself, appearing to give the question some thought.

Alabaster cracked a grin. It was clear that he had won. "I'm going to give you some time to think about it. Until then, Edward and I are going to run a few errands. Make sure that you and the pups do your rounds before we get back. We still have a farm to run." Alabaster and Edward got up and pushed in their chairs, making their way to the front door. "We'll be back before dinner."

Once at the door, the elder wolf grabbed his brown leather jacket and threw it over his flannel shirt. Before Edward followed him out, he hesitated at seeing Lavender still sitting in her chair, looking unresponsive and distant as she stared off into space. Against his better judgement, Edward thought to give her some space and not intervene. This was parenting at its finest.

Edward quickly made his way down the stairs of the porch and rejoined his father as they strode towards the parked minivan.

"You think she'll make the right decision?" the silver wolf asked.

"She will," said a confident Alabaster. "Although, the bluff about kicking her out wasn't well thought out by me. Mary and Theo aren't my pups. If she does get kicked out she'll still have the kids and raise them on her own. But, I know she still needs my support, she's just too stubborn to admit it.

"She's so new to this. She's so young. A mother wants the best for her kids, regardless of how young or old you are. I know she cares a lot about them. She's done an exemplary job raising them so far. Walter leaving made everything so hard for both her and the pups. Believe it or not, she's afraid. The day when they'll ask where he went scares the daylights out of her. How can she tell them that he left because he didn't want them? On top of parenting as a whole, that's probably why she's been on edge all these years. Is it the root of her bigotry? No. I think that stemmed from something else entirely, something that's going to have to mend overtime. If an old dog like me can learn, I'm sure she can. I know she'll be fine."

"I hope you're right."

Alabaster sighed. "I hope so too."

The two wolves reached the cherry-red pick-up truck parked along the path to the shed. Alabaster unlocked the vehicle and Edward climbed in, quickly buckling his seatbelt before his father had time to shut his door.

"By the way," his father said, shutting the door behind him, "I noticed that you and Sharla finally marked each other. Congratulations."

Edward went bug-eyed. "Biscuits," came his whispered curse. He awkwardly pulled his face into his paws.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, son, it's completely normal."

Of all mammals, Edward never wanted his father to be the first to find out about his marking. He would have much preferred having Charles or Anders be the first to learn of the marking, even the entirety of the office seemed better than this. Never in his life was he so embarrassed. How did his father know? Edward thought for sure that he was able to hide his mark from Charles and Sami. Did they figure it out as well?

Then it dawned upon him. He nearly facepawed. What was the one thing that could key mammals in on another mammal's relationship status?

"It was the smell, wasn't it?"

"No, it was just a wild guess." Alabaster smiled, gaining a flabbergasted expression from the younger wolf, then followed with a quip once the gag ran on long enough, "Of course it was the scent. We're wolves, Edward. Our ability to smell is one of the many qualities that makes us unique. I didn't want to say anything in front of Lavender or the kids, and since we were talking about Gary and your story, it felt inappropriate. The smell was fresh, not to mention strong... I honestly thought she was with you when you walked through our door. I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say that there's a good chance you're going public with this, aren't you?"

Edward stayed silent for a moment, then sighed. "Yes. We're slowly coming out so we don't arouse any unwanted or unneeded attention."

"Do you think you're ready?"

"Not really, no," Edward said honestly. He shrugged.

The corner of Alabaster's mouth raised. "No one ever is, especially when it comes to change." Alabaster turned his keys in the ignition and whirred the car to life, kicking dirt up behind them when they finally drove together down the stretch of dirt road. "You two seem incredibly close," he mentioned, a hint of uncertainty, almost awkwardness, in his tone. "As long as you two stay strong, I… I think that you'll make it out without too much trouble."

Surprisingly, Edward believed him. I hope you're right, Dad, Edward thought as he peered distantly out the window, taking his father's words to heart. I hope you are.