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Hope was in the barn with her baby…er…pup thing. They were still keeping them quiet until their eyes were open and they had a more …. Cute appeal to them. If ya know what I mean?

Billy entered climbed up and stepped over the baby gate to settle next to his young sister. Hope was now just barely double digits, but in Wolfling age she was closer to 15 or 16 and he knew she would be the best one to talk to about his problem.

"What is it?" she asked without looking up from the pup she was petting in her lap. She knew something was wrong. Of course she did.

"I went to find Dad but he's getting the stock in form the top fields, the storm coming and all." Billy said softly "Can't find Tad."

"He took Pip to Shangri-la" she supplied the answer "With the storm coming he decided it might be quieter there while he is cutting those back teeth. He hates storms."

"Right"

She glanced at him "So? Tell me what the problem is you don't really want to tell them?"

He smiled as he saw her intelligence showing, so much like Tad even if she had Dad's cheeky way of saying it. "OK. Well … you know how Uncle Sean was drunk the other night and fell asleep at his post … so I did the lookout shift with him asleep up there?"

"Yes."

"Well, apparently he's done it a few times and last night was Vic who didn't seem pleased to hand over to him. He said he wasn't weaving or anything but he could smell it on him so he sent him home to sleep and sober up, did his shift for him."

She nodded, her hand still stroking the creature in her lap.

He continued "Today in the Farm Cave Vic was assisting with the birthing of a calf, told me. He went to check he was sober and can't find him."

"Who saw him last?" she asked, her hand slowing.

"Vic last night" Billy sighed, "Aunty Tosh is checking the CCTV but she did confirm the Dome dropping about fifteen minutes after that last sighting. I know there was no scheduled off base movements for last night so…"

"He has taken off" she sighed, leaning back to consider.

"I think so. Why I need to tell our parentals" Billy smiled lovingly at her "Which one though? If the Pipper is grumpy he will want Tad. Dad is needed for the stock, they follow him like a bloody pied piper, those cows love him singing to them."

"Well … you can't tell Tad. Secret he's not let out yet and no one is supposed to know but you are family so you can keep it too …not even said out loud …Tadda is seeded again" she whispered, "Marley is sharing the fresh blood."

Billy blinked, then lit up with delight in the thought of another sibling, even if it would be more like a twin to his own child. "No wonder Tad didn't want to stick around for the storm, no doubt unable to resist going out to check something or save a wet kitten crying in the dark or some shit."

"Dad can't go because Tad will want to follow, will worry and chew on it if things go bad" she sighed, placing the little pup into the writhing mass of little bodies "Come on."

"Come on, what?"Billy asked with confusion.

"You and I will go now, while I can still scent him. The rains coming will dilute the trail, we go now and tell them the truth. Well ... a truth. You and I are fetching something we need before the dome is strengthened for the storm" she smiled "A storm like this will herald the change from spring to summer. It is something to celebrate, we will bring back Uncle Sean if we have to tie him on the back of a horse to do it!"

"I don't know … they will be pissed if …."

"They will but they will also be proud" she brushed her skirts and headed for the ladder, climbing over the gates that kept the pups in "I can't wait until I learn to change my fur to clothing. Having to get naked is so annoying."

"I'll look away Hope-ling" Billy assured her "I need to saddle a horse anyway. Meet you at the Dome after telling Aunty we are heading out for a ….what … couple of hours?"

"No more than three" she nodded "He will not have a vehicle, Uncle Mickey was on the vehicle Watch last night. The horses don't like him. He is on foot, we will find him in no time."

"Unless the Zs got him already" Billy sighed.

"No, Tad still checks daily. None within half a day of us with their wandering gait. Would have to be racing like mad motherfuckers" she told him and Billy snorted at the potty mouth, another trait of their Dad.

He knew she was right.

Silly prick was probably going in circles anyway.