Riley wasn't sure what to expect of his little cousin when he finally arrived in the empty clearing where they were meeting, but it definitely wasn't the two large black jeeps that turned into the lot. Both had their windows down but the second one was the one blaring Bloodhound Gang's "The Bad Touch".

"You and me, baby, ain't nothing but mammals , so let's do it like they do on the discover-" The song was cut off as both Jeeps cut off their engines and a very beautiful caramel skinned female stepped out of the first Jeep.

"Joe," Hawke smiled as the JadeMoon Pack's female alpha stepped into the clearing.

"Hawke," Jomina Lopez answered with a grin toward him and slips of her dark bangs lifted into the wind as she removed the sunglasses from over her eyes. Her long braid of soft black hair swung at her back. He remembered then that the bright sun and bright green of the clearing they were currently standing in was very different from her mountain situated abode. Her black tank and tight jeans spoke of her casualness, though and Hawke approved. Lucas also nodded beside him.

Then Joe looked over at the other jeep and every person in the bright clearing tensed. Hawke looked out the corner of his eye and watched his subordinates carefully, an eye also on the silent Psy next to him. Cascada said nothing, looking completely expressionless, yet her eyes were a blaze.

A leg reached out the Jeep as its door opened. Dare stepped out smoothly, almost in an agile motion. His night black hair swept softly over his eyes as the wind caressed his older features and Riley had to almost gasp at how older he'd looked. The rest of the doors opened around him and the others stepped, similar distinctive characteristics surprising their families as well. Riley almost couldn't believe they were the same children that had left two and a half years ago.

All six of them stood next to Joe now, the same six that had left them all that time ago. Riley shared a proud look with Drew and Hawke, knowing that they had done the right thing to protect their little ones from danger those two years ago.

He started to walk forward to greet them all with an embrace and to welcome them back.

-And saw Dare freeze up.

Riley stopped his almost enveloping hug of the frozen youth, confused as to the reaction that had taken place. Taking a step back, he looked into Dare's eyes with confusion.

The depths were of crushed gemstones, emerald and deep blue sapphire. A light seemed to flare in them before Dare finally released a breath and the tension in his body.

"Sorry," he said, a shy grin accompanying a flush of red across his cheeks.

But Riley was captivated by something else.

"Dare?" he asked even as the others around them embraced and welcomed back their young pack members. "Were your eyes always like this?"

A flash in those aurora depths. "What are you talking about, Riley?" Dare grinned, flicking the top of his cousin's head with his forefinger. "We've been web chatting for so long and you've just now noticed how amazing my eyes have gotten?" Another grin. "I'd say puberty did some find work on me."

"Sorry to break it to ya, little cousin," Riley answered, rubbing the light sting on his forehead. "But puberty won't stop hitting you until you become a real ADULT."

"Hey!" Dare replied into the laughter that now sounded around them. "I'll have you know I've gotten quite manlier over the years! You can see it for yourself!"

"No way, little cuz," Riley chuckled, rubbing his hand over Dare's soft hair. "Even I don't want to see that part of your growth spurt."

An adorably confused expression crossed Dare's face for a moment as he contemplated his older cousin's words-then turned into an expression of total embarrassment under such a heated red shade of blush that Riley thought he looked like a tomato. He couldn't help but smile even as Dare loudly berated him for his thought pathways.

"Maybe you're not grown up enough, after all," Riley laughed had to dodge another hit from Dare, this one headed somewhere that no male wanted a direct hit to land.

"Alright you two," Hawke drawled from beside them even as Dare went for a second shot at his older cousin. "I think we should start on our way home now, don't you agree?"

Riley smiled, catching Dare and pulling him into another bear hug-and feeling him tense slightly again before quickly relaxing and hugging him back.

"Okay," he said, walking with Dare and the rest to the Zone, thoughts starting to traverse his mind. Was there something important that had happened in the two and a half years that they'd been separated.

Dare's eyes seemed to suddenly turn to someone behind them and Riley noticed the Psy who was staring back at Dare, her eyes powerfully bright. Dare was the one to break their gaze, seeming to hurry and return to his group of fellow returnees.

Cascada kept observing, wondering if what she was thinking was purely theoretical.

...

Judd sensed it when the group entered the den. Walker, Sienna, and Toby all turned with him as he faced the new sense.

Power.

Pure power.

Judd watched the group carefully, trying to pick out the one who held the new power he was sensing but the group as so merged it made it difficult. From what he could see, the rendezvous with the JadeMoon pack had gone safely and the youth re-integrated. However, the youths, he could see it now, were different now; they each secreted power, each a slightly different type. Ones that he's never seen before. He felt the others tense next to him from their positions by the television at the end of the den living room.

Each of the five seemed to be almost...scanning the room. As first responders at a crime scene. Their eyes locked with each other.

"Judd," Sienna said beside him and Judd felt the reason for her alarm when the last of the returning youth made his appearance.

Dare Kincaid's presence was almost akin to a flash bomb exploding throughout the room.

A wave seemed to travel through the room and Judd felt something akin to weightlessness for a fraction of a second before suddenly returning to the moment-and then feeling nothing. The energy that had conquered the room so immensely was now completely nonexistent. He watched Sienna and Walker share a bewildered and worried look. Even Toby was, not to secretly, keeping a suspicious eye on the returnee.

Marlee, it seemed, had no such qualms. She turned in her chair and, with one look at Dare, shot out of the chair toward him. "Dare-Bear!" She said, almost squealing as she ran and literally jumped into his arms, causing some worry for others watching.

Dare caught her easily and lifted her up as he laughed. "Hey, there princess!"

Marlee giggled and hugged Dare tightly and Dare chuckled chidingly as he kneeled down to put her back on her feet. She may have grown a lot in the almost three years, but Marlee was still Marlee.

Just then, Ben and other spectators who hadn't made their way into the way into the room opened the door, Ben running past Lara and onto Dare, who was laughing again as the boy turned sudden wolf pup licked his face and snuggled against him with force.

"Ben!" Lara cried out but Dare heard the hidden laughter in her voice.

All of the returnees were now being coddled and hugged by their families in the spacious den and the atmosphere became a warm and comfortable one, though some eyes still watched with suspicion. Dare was playing again with Marlee when the words started to shatter the atmosphere.

"Cheri," Yuki said as they all started to exit the den and bring their bags to the aerie, traveling in one large group. "Were your eyes different before?" The rat alpha was looking at his little brother very deeply, eyebrows furrowed. Cheri had a slight hesitation before he smoothly slid in an answer. Riley noted that it had been the same with Dare when he'd been asked the same question.

"Well, I think they've gotten much prettier, in my own opinion," Cheri said haughtily, taking a wink at the teenage girl on his right, whose face flushed immediately as he asked her in a sultry voice softly, "Don't you agree?"

"Jeez," Dare grinned from in front of them, his eyes twinkling in their own gorgeous chaos. "Don't you think that's sexual harassment, Cheri?"

"It's not harassment to him," Thomas spoke, his own slightly weathered sky blue eyes glowing in the sunlight, making the other girls stare. "It's foreplay." Jane slapped her son lightly on the back of the head and Alexei smiled at that even as chuckles and outright laughter exploded around the circle. Dare watched the poor girl Cheri had advanced on hide her tomato red face in her hands, hiding also her shy smile. Violet pulled her against her side, indigo eyes with some blue discoloration now turning a sharpening eye to Cheri as Violet spoke. "Don't worry about what he does, in the end, he's an idiot and a pervert."

"What was that, Snake Girl?" Cheri asked and Dare watched Violet's face flame.

"Don't call me that, baka!" She snapped at him, using his own language. Cheri laughed,his eyes sharpening as Dare knew that if he didn't stop them it was going to get worse.

"Alright, now le-" He started before Marlee spoke from beside Walker.

"Dare's eyes are like Brenna's now! They're so pretty!"

Every voice went silent and Brenna froze as her mind stopped, then raced forward. Dare's eyes...

He couldn't have been...

Then Dare was picking up Marlee, with a wide smile on his face as he looked up at her. "You think my eyes are pretty?" he asked, flipping his hair in a way that Cheri called it his Bishonen moment. Some of the girls couldn't look away.

"Yes!" Marlee smiled, her beautiful eyes shining. "Very pretty," she smiled and Dare grinned as he looked at her.

"I think your eyes are prettier."

The light blush that appeared across her cheeks was wonderfully adorable, a welcome sight to Dare away the last two and a half years.

"Me too! You have pretty eyes, Marlee!" Ben said excitedly and Marlee giggled as Dare lowered her to play with Ben again.

"Don't I have prettier eyes than you, too?" Cheri asked Dare, nudging his shoulder lightly in his attempt of being dramatic and Dare shook his head.

"Not really."

"Now that's just mean!"Cheri cried even as Alexei spoke over him. "We're here!"