We only have 31 chapters to go! But that seems like a big number at the moments, when it's really not. We're WAY past the half way mark.

So I have become INCREADIBLY obsessed with Rise Of The Guardians, and I developed a crush on Bunnymund. It's strange and unnatural, but Avo... I love Aussie's. Anyways, I'd like to say a huge thanks to ShortOne33, because they've stuck with this story for so long and are really the only persistant reviewer. You're a star mate, keep at it and I'll love you more than Bunnymund! :D (yeah, but no I won't. Sorry)

As always, enjoy, and please leave a review :)


She knew it was a strange occurrence. Balverines and humans were gathered on the boarder to Silverpines, hundreds of their species beside the five of them; Danny, Ben, Walter, Damien and Logan. The latter two had insisted upon coming to make sure nothing went wrong with the alias between the two groups. Damien had been furious at Ben for killing her mother, and Danny watched as he went to draw his sword against the man she loved, as Ben's hand flew for his own pistol, and she had had to intervene.

She'd flown straight at Damien, knocking him clean off her feet and pinning him to the floor with her knees on his chest. He could have easily pushed her away, but she shock of her reaction kept him still, and she'd screamed in his face that Ben had done as he'd been asked, he'd performed the pack a service and they'd be as good to their word to help in any time of need. She'd explained, through tears, that her mother had been in pain for years and how it hurt the rest of the pack as they were forced to watch her health deteriorate rapidly. Crippling her, blinding her, taking everything and leaving her with a painfully slow death. She remembered Ben's scent and welcomed him into the family. It was custom for their youngs' mates to finish them if they ever reached that point.

And Ben had.

She finished in tears, and while Ben seethed to himself, Logan lifted Danny off the King and returned her to his arms, allowing him to calm himself and her while they sorted themselves out for the journey.

There was silence as Kali sniffed around the body, looking up at Danny with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry she had to die like this," he murmured, coming forward slowly and nuzzling her cheek.

"Better this than being ripped apart by Drogo," Danny said, trying to smile slightly but failing, tears still cascading down her face.

"How do you want her to be returned to the Mother?" he asked, sitting on his haunches and looking at her calmly.

"I... I want to burn her. I want her to be ashes to help the forest."

She repeated this to Ben, who looked mildly shocked.

"A cremation?" he asked, scratching his chin. "Balverines have those?"

"Not usually. Mostly for white Balverines, something powerful to represent their strength. We get the flames from the lodge up in the woods. The old man lights torches there, but normal Balverines don't usually feel the flame."

"Your mother wasn't normal, she was amazing."

A small smile graced her lips and she wrapped her arms around Ben, feeling as he kissed her head and his stubble scratched against her, his breath warm and comforting and his embrace even more so. His acceptance of her astounded her still, but his acceptance and praise of a Balverine, something she knew he had been taught to kill. That was by far greater.

They all agreed to start the burning the next morning at sunrise, but all agreed to stay in Silverpines overnight. Danny walked in proudly and walked straight to the woman she knew to be her real mother, and hugged her, for once feeling as if she should acknowledge the woman who had given her life, but she also wanted to make her aware of the fact that the creature who had raised her was now dead. She didn't get chance to before a hand grabbed her by the hair and ripped her backwards, she felt herself tumbling and though she knew they were all waiting outside, a safe distance from the silver torches, she could hear the Balverines growling and snarling in protest.

"Stop!" Ben yelled, and Danny felt the pain on her head lessen, and Joseph was backing away with a scowl on his face. Danny looked up and Ben, Walter and Damien had their guns pointing towards the elderly man.

"You bring her back here again, but with those bastards waiting out there to kill us?!" he spat, going purple in the face. "I should take your weapons from you and throw you to them now!"

"Do that then, they're our friends," Logan spat back, equally as venomous, perhaps even more so. He was angry. So were the others and Genevieve was trembling in fury.

"Friends?! They're waiting to tear you to shreds and-"

He stopped and gaped at the cart where the still body of the dead Balverine lay. A cruel smirk played across his lips, and Danny felt his stomach twist and her hands ball into fists.

"You killed one of the fuckers? Good on you lads, skin it and hang the carcass outside as a warning to them all."

"You won't hurt her," Danny choked out, standing and scowling at the man. "She raised me."

A loud nasty laugh erupted from him, and he doubled over.

"All the better to do that then you nasty piece of shit, we don't want anything here in relation to you."

Danny snapped before she could stop herself, but as she started forward to attack the idiot, a hand grabbed her wrist, gently but still firm enough to halt her.

"Then I'm leaving Joseph. I've stood by and let you be cruel to her but not any more," Genevieve stated, standing tall and proud. "If this... this poor creature is dead then we should give her a proper burial. She's saved my baby, it's the least I can do to be there and respect her memory."

Danny felt her heart swell and she stood a little closer to the green eyed woman. She'd never seen a reason to accept her properly, though she knew that Genevieve would have taken her back in a heartbeat, wild or not. She felt some love for her, and smiled.

"You can't come back," Joseph growled, his eyes narrowed into slits. "I'll never have you back here."

"I couldn't care less," Genevieve snapped, pulling Danny close and wrapping her arms about her. "I know she's bonded to her-" she nodded to the body in the cart "-but I have a lot of time to catch up on with Al... Danny. If she'll accept me as a friend then that's more than I could have hoped for."

A simple nod was all it took to infuriate Joseph, who pulled a pistol from beneath his coat and fired towards them both.

Three gunshots were heard initially, and while Danny braced herself for the pain nothing happened. Glancing upwards, Kali was stood before her, quivering. He moaned slightly before slumping over and with a shriek Danny knew what had happened. Another shot was heard, and Joseph fell to the ground, dead.

There was no time to think, she needed to get him out of the village and away from the silver torches or he'd certainly die. Ika was by her side, wincing from the stench of the torches but determined to help his alpha. With Ben's help, Danny managed to push Kali up onto Ika's back while Walter and Damien got the people nearest to run around and extinguish the torches so they could get Kali safely out.