Scars and the Claws That Leave Them

by HakuroNoKage

William Grimm newly transferred to the ZPD from the Ulfhaven Sheriff's Dept. tries to move forward with his life as his past remains a burden that seems to haunt him at every turn. Rated M for everything under the sun, and Nihil Nove Sub Sole. Much love, and many thanks to Darkwolfslayer21 for a cover image for this story, and for so much more besides. It's Nodachi Time.

19. Show Must Go On

Author's Note: This is written from the perspective of a telepathic sapient fly, that likes to land on walls, get good angles; it's taken me a minute to get used to it again, since I've changed and improved in the past, what has it been? Two years? I may change Chapter Twenty, to be solely from each character's perspective, even though one of the worst things to do is make that switch this late in the game; keyword May, it's on the table. It's a fur sure thing I have to write Ch.20 Kiri before I can get to the next couple chapters of Engel.

Wednesday [Week Five, Day Three]

As Will awoke he felt more than the weight of Layla against him as she was curled into his right side. Keeping his eyes shut since he was quite comfortable he quested with his left paw to discern who'd felt inclined to occupy his left side. Just running his paw down the length of whoever it was told him they were naked, and as he felt the base of their tail his list of suspects narrowed drastically. Resting his paw on their ass which he gave a gentle, but firm squeeze confirmed since it was smaller than Katarina's that the mammal curled into his left side was Senna who nestled closer to him at his touch entrapping his left leg with her own as she nuzzled into his chest. As she did so he couldn't help raising his left paw to her left hip using his arm to hold her to him, and with how she began kneading his chest in her sleep with her left paw where it rested on him he became as relaxed as a rug drifting back towards sleep.

Sleep however was to be denied him as it was Sierra who took it upon herself to rouse him, and Layla. Having heard her enter Will opened his eyes to focus on the intruder, and he watched curiously as Sierra who saw he was awake yet unable to move went over to Layla. Sierra's method for waking Layla was to get on the bed behind her effectively spooning her before rather deviously tickling the fur inside Layla right ear. Will couldn't help curling his lip revealing his fangs towards Sierra showing her his displeasure at her teasing of his mate, but this encouraged her to only get more daring.

He could've said something, or moved which would've roused Layla, and Senna, but he was quite comfortable where he was, and was hoping he could convince Sierra to at least leave if she didn't join them in going back to sleep without resorting to those methods. Thus he couldn't really do anything, but watch as Sierra simply grinned at him, and started caressing Layla rather intimately her paw trailing down along the vixen's lithe form. While Will's muzzle clearly communicated his displeasure at Sierra's actions his member beginning to grow, and peek out from his sheath sent a different message. Having Senna's naked form trapping him under her as she snuggled against him didn't help either, and Sierra who was watching him with wicked glee couldn't help her silent chuckling at how his eyes widened when Senna's paw that had been kneading his chest drifted lower to wrap around his stiffening erection.

In his head Will was cursing left, and right not only because of Sierra's actions which had started to turn him on, but because of Senna's unintentional grip on him in her sleep, and how Layla reacted to Sierra's paw being between her legs by raking his chest with her own claws while her hips moved in response which he could feel. Sierra sticking her tongue out at him in silent mockery was insult to injury, and he was sorely tempted to bite it since if she wanted to go there he knew full well how to play that game.

Senna's grip on him tightening threw that thought out the window, and when she started moving her paw actually stroking him he clued in to the fact she was quite awake. Just to confirm his intuition Will turned his head towards Senna, and licked her muzzle to which she responded with a lick of her own causing their tongues to touch briefly just as his was retreating back into his mouth. From there he didn't hesitate to kiss her with his tongue wrestling against her's as he lifted his hips pressing into her actions upon his member.

Much the same as when he'd been intimate with Maria, Will was quite the willing participant with Senna, but this time the qualms, and reservations he'd had were nonexistant. It wasn't because Senna was older than Maria since she was still nine years younger than him. No, it was more because he'd finally made peace with himself since he wasn't going to show Senna any less care than he'd show Jade, or Mihoshi. That, and his days of actively trying to kill himself were done since he was going to start a family with Layla; for him dying had gone from the day he lived for to a moonrise he'd face when it came, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

When Senna positioned herself on top of him sinking her fangs into his shoulder Will moved them both over so they'd have some space from Layla, and Sierra who was currently muzzle deep in the vixen that was her size. As she eased herself on to him then began to rise, and fall Will wasn't just going to idly let Senna do all the work so in time with her he lifted his hips to meet her.

"Well this is a way to wake up in the morning." Layla said to him before moaning out thanks to Sierra's ministrations.

"Remember that casino gig in Monaco?" Will asked in between grunts from his own efforts with Senna as she raked her claws along his chest.

"The one where you beat that chemical weapons dealer at blackjack?" Layla answered unable to keep herself from panting.

"More like the morning after with the American agent. What was her name?" Will replied before Senna shut him up by leaning down, and kissing him.

"You mean Felicia? Oh . . . Okay I catch your drift. As she said it 'the ol' wrangle, and ride'." Layla responded before Sierra's tongue hit a particularly sensitive spot leaving her with barely any of her wits about her.

As far as morning fucks went at least for Will, and Layla their respective fun with Senna, and Sierra was fairly quick taking up roughly the better part of half an hour, but definitely satisfying for all involved. At least for round one anyway, and fortunately for her Senna was left free to savor how Will had given her as good as he got from her. Sierra on the other paw having more, or less instigated everything made the fatal flaw of loosing herself as she enjoyed her taste of Will's vixen. The only warning Sierra got as Layla tightened her legs around her head was Will's casual comment 'Now this is why a bacculum is useful' before with his paws around her hips he inserted himself into her.

Will's member suddenly filling her surprised Sierra such that her tail went straight up inadvertently smacking him right in the muzzle though it only made him grin as he began thrusting in, and out. It had certainly been a while since the last time he'd fucked Sierra, and all she could do for a long moment was lower her front to get her hips as high as possible to allow him fuller access though her nose ending up pressed into Layla's folds caused her to inhale sharply from the sensation of cold where she was currently quite hot before Sierra went back to writhing her tongue inside her. Will didn't hesitate to go knot deep into Sierra, and soon enough they were quite stuck together both growling out in their pleasure. After he'd emptied himself inside her all he, and Sierra could do was sort of just flop on to their sides in between Layla, and Senna relaxing until he deflated enough for them to separate.

"You know Will I only came in here to wake you guys up since Sophie's making waffles for breakfast." Sierra said to him idly tilting her head back into him.

"Now you tell me." Will replied unable to not chuckle at that.

"Mmm, breakfast sounds good right about now. What do you say, Senna?" Layla asked her since they were quite free to get out of bed.

"Well let me stop by the room Chelsea, and I were in so I can at least put my underwear back on." Senna answered letting out a satisfied purr as she stretched out curling her toes as she did so.

After Layla, and Senna had left Will wrapped his left arm around Sierra holding her to him as he nuzzled into her neck fur.

"So Will, I've got to ask. Is what attracted you to Layla at first how similar to me she looks? I bet if I dyed my ears, forearms, and legs black we could pass for sisters." Sierra said to him.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said no, but her reminding me of you was more the reason why I couldn't help being her bullet shield." Will told her truthfully.

"You know I thought this time around it'd be another life where you, and I were together 'till the end. Maybe even having a cub, or two down the road. I'm glad though seeing you two together; she really completes you. I think I'm actually looking forward to seeing the kit you two are going to have more than your mom; something just tells me that she's going to be the most adorable thing ever." Sierra told him.

"If someone had asked me four years ago I'd have probably told them much the same albeit without the cubs part unless they happened because who else alive knows me like you do, except for Katarina though I didn't meet her till a couple years ago. Sometimes I still find it an absolute miracle that after everything we've been through she loves me as much as I love her." Will responded before he let out a deep sigh, and added "I can't believe I knocked up Lola. How is that for a cosmic curveball right to the fucking gut? She's almost a double for the Mother, my fraternal twin no less, and now we're having a cub."

As he said that though he couldn't help crying into Sierra's ruff telling her 'It hurts so fucking much that I won't be able to be a father for our cub. I won't even get to be a part of their life as anything other than the uncle that loves them like no other. I'll only ever get to see them whenever I can make it up here, and they'll grow up so fast; I won't even be here to help Lola through this either.'

"Will. My Brother. You have my word that I'll be right by Lola's side every step of the way, and so will Sophie." Sierra promised him reaching for his head with her paw stroking his head reassuringly.

"Will you move in with them here?" Will asked her once his crying had started to subside.

"To be honest with you I've been actually thinking about doing just that ever since you came home. I'm tired of staying in that Ranger Cabin all alone in the Silent Forest, and most of my stuff is here anyways." Sierra anwered him.

"Thank you, Sierra." Will said with a final sniffle adding "I love you."

"I love you too, Will." Sierra replied.

It wasn't much longer after that when they were able to separate, but they lingered a couple minutes since they were quite comfortable cuddling as they were. Hunger however was as ever quite the motivating factor, and they managed to get themselves up. Will only bothered putting on the same pair of boxers he'd been wearing the day before, and Sierra once they'd exited Will's room stopped by her own only long enough to put on a pair of black pajama bottoms along with a loose fitting t-shirt foregoing underwear entirely. When they made their entrance into the kitchen area where everyone else had already gathered Will couldn't help noticing how Judy of all mammals was only in her underwear, and it made him grin happily that she felt so comfortable around everyone. He also couldn't help thinking to himself how lucky Nick was to be of a compatible size with her since she really was attractive for a bunny doe at least to a predator's sensibilities.

"Good morning big brother. There's plenty of waffles left for you." Sophie called out to him from where she was in the kitchen in front of the waffle iron before she fully turned towards him, and Sierra though at the sight of him the bright smile she had visibly fell "You've been crying. Brother, what's wrong?"

"It's that obvious, huh?" Will responded with a grin trying to play it off.

"As obvious as my nose. Now, what's up? Do I have to withhold breakfast for you to tell me?" Sophie replied putting her paws on her hips.

"I'm fine. It's just that I'm so happy to have all of My family in my den." Will told her as he made his way over to her then wrapped her up in a warm embrace telling her "Thank you, though for your concern."

"I don't doubt that you are happy about that, but your eyes tell a different story. I'll let it go though, for now." Sophie said to him before nuzzling into his chest since he'd lifted her clear off the ground.

"Well something else smells quite good." Will commented lifting his head, and looking at Lola who was in front of the stove tending a pan asked her "What you got cooking?"

"As if you can't smell what it is. This morning's protein component is cram, and eggs." Lola answered him with a grin giving the pan a stir before she turned to the already half eaten sandwich on her plate next to her, and took another healthy bite.

"And what's that you're eating?" Will asked her his muzzle expression quizzical as he sniffed at her food.

"You can't have any. My fried egg, and spam sandwich with spicy sweet pickle chips, and peanut butter." Lola told him quite serious though she did so with a playful tone adding "It probably won't stay down, but it just sounded so good, and isn't half bad."

Will couldn't help his grin as he set Sophie down, and walked over to her before getting on his knees to nuzzle against her abdomen telling the cub growing within "Good morning little one. This is your uncle. I can't wait for when I get to meet you, and I want you to grow big, and strong, but try to go easy on your mom okay? She doesn't quite have the cast iron stomach I do."

"You did not just . . ." Lola trailed off he had caught her so off guard before she devolved into a blubbering mess, and Will stood back up wrapping his arms around her pulling her close.

"How could I not, Sis? I won't get to be here for so much; I got to get my words in while I can." Will responded unhesitatingly nuzzling into her ruff reassuringly.

After Lola reflexively enclosed her jaws around his shoulder openly not using any force, and Will shifted his head so he marked her as family comfortingly Sierra felt the need to tell everyone "Twenty bucks says Lola's cub is a girl."

Sierra's words had the intended effect of diffusing the moment, and Layla laughed before asking her "What makes you so sure?"

"Intuition. I just have the feeling I'll have nieces before I see a nephew." Sierra answered with a shrug.

"You say the same thing about my future kit; I'll take that bet." Layla told her with a grin.

"My money is on Sierra." Will called out with a chuckle.

"Then my money is on your vixen Will" Katarina added.

"I'll handle everyone's bets." Sophie told them pulling out her phone.

"Put me down for twenty on Sierra." Judy said to her with a jovial grin.

"Really, you too Judy?" Nick asked her raising an eyebrow.

"Why not? Whenever my sisters were pregnant we'd all bet on if there'd be more girls, or boys in their litter. The winners usually get together, and put the pool towards the litter, or the wedding." Judy explained to him.

"Hmm, I like that idea. What do you say Sierra?" Layla asked her.

"Sounds good to me." Sierra answered.

"Say, Lola how does hitting the bath house after breakfast sound?" Katarina asked her with a grin.

"That sounds amazing." Lola responded before a wave of nausea hit her at which she frowned, and darted to the nearest bathroom.

After his sister bolted Will took over finishing off what she'd been cooking which was already nearly done. There was little more for him to do than plate it, and bring it to the table along with the second small platter Sophie had filled with waffles who was working on the third. That done Will walked back into the kitchen proper, and after a short dejected look at Lola's unfinished sandwhich he managed to make it disappear in two bites.

"You really did that just now?" Layla asked him incredulously.

"What? I wasn't going to let it go to waste." Will responded with a shrug.

"I'm not going to say what that kind of behavior says, but you know Will. That had to taste horrible." Sierra said to him.

"I've eaten enough Thai food to appreciate peanuts as a savory flavor. It wasn't that bad." Will replied.

"So you don't want a waffle?" Sophie asked him her eyes wide as she used the 'look of kit-level cuteness'.

"Who said anything about not wanting waffles? I sure as shit didn't." Will responded with a laugh before telling her "I may be weak against the powers of the kawaii, but I am not without my resistences Sweet Sophie."

"I don't believe you Will, just thinking about pickles, and peanut butter . . . ugh . . ." Nick said to him with a shudder.

"You ever eat pad thai?" Will replied as he made his way to the table, and sat to Layla's left across from Senna, and Kat.

"Yeah, all the time. I know a great place in the Rainforest District." Nick responded looking down the table at him.

"Well Lola didn't just use any pickles; she got into my jar of spicy-sweet pickle chips. The flavor wasn't too far from pad thai" Will told him before saying "That said, where's the coffee? I need a palate cleanser."

"The french press is with me." Sierra told him holding up the half full carafe.

"I already fixed you a mug." Sophie said bringing it to him.

"Arigato imouto-chan." Will thanked her as she gave him the tiger sized mug which said 'Best Big Brother'

"Mondai nai onii-chan" Sophie responded like a seiyuu in an anime with her ears perked, and a wide grin her tone making Layla's ear twitch, and Nick give an involuntary shudder from how accurate, and saccharine her delivery was.

"You make the best blackeyes." Will told her after he'd taken a drink, and set his mug down then turned towards her with open arms.

Sophie wrapped her arms around him happily unable to keep her tail from wagging. In a flash of motion almost on reflex Layla had grasped Sophie's tail stilling it. In control of Sophie's cadual appendage Layla proceeded to use her other paw to stroke along it's length.

"What is this softness? Not even my brush is this soft." Layla said looking almost awestruck.

"Onee-san . . ." Sophie said relaxedly having gone completely limp against Will who was the only thing keeping her on her feet.

"So this is your weakness?" Layla mused mischievously before leaning forward to gently bite Sophie's tail between where she held it, and the base causing Sophie to whimper then reflexively bite Will where his neck met his shoulder.

"My love will you release my little sister?" Will managed to ask having gone rigid at the sensation of Sophie's fangs.

"That was fun; I just knew she'd bite you." Layla said with a shit-eating grin exposing all her fangs as she let Sophie go.

"Well you're the only one." Will responded sarcastically.

"Layla, I still owe you a hug." Sophie said turning towards her holding her arms open.

"What for?" Layla asked quizzically likewise opening her arms.

"For coming back to my brother, and bringing back the big brother I remember." Sophie answered as she firmly embraced her.

"Oh my gods! The rest of you is that soft." Layla said as she tightened her embrace of the smaller vixen having run her paws under Sophie's shirt, and up her back.

Sophie's response to that was to bite Layla much as she had Will which caused Layla to return the bite reflexively, and the two of them stayed locked like that for a solid minute. Will could only stare at the two of them doing his best to not to react to the inherent sexiness of their actions, but it was plain on his muzzle that seeing the two of them like that was a turn on.

"That was for making me bite my brother like that." Sophie told Layla tersely after she let go.

"You can't tell me it didn't feel good to bite him" Layla responded with a grin before lowering her muzzle, and leaning into Sophie's ear said seductively "You know we still haven't had any fun together yet"

"Really, Layla? You want to go there with his little sister?" Sky asked her raising an eyebrow.

"Where do you want to go with Sophie?" Lola inquired as she walked back to the table.

"The bedroom" Nick commented with a chuckle that earned him a backpawed smack from Judy.

"Then why don't you go?" Lola responded

"Sis, why would I do that after she made me bite him like she was biting me?" Sophie asked Lola looking at her confusedly as if expecting Lola to understand what she really meant which Lola did, knowing full well that it hurt her brother whenever Sophie acted on her desires to be more than just sisterly with him, but before she could respond Will beat her to it.

"You know I don't care what you two do together." Will told them with a sigh before reaching for his coffee, and after taking a sip added "Just don't do it in front of me, alright."

Sophie wasn't the only one looking at him oddly for that though it was Chelsea who voiced what they were thinking.

"So, it doesn't matter to you if your mate cheats on you so long as you're not there?" Chelsea asked as if trying to wrap her mind around it.

"Haha I'd hardly call getting to know his little sister a bit better 'Cheating'." Layla laughed at that adding "It might not make sense to you, but it's precisely because our claim to each other is what it is that I don't care if he has fun with other girls, and he doesn't care if I do the same."

"What about if you did it with other males?" Chelsea asked pointedly.

"There isn't a male around who could hold a candle to my wolf such that I'd let them push my tail." Layla answered without hesitation before adding clarifyingly "At least, now that I'm retired, and am free to make that choice."

At her words Sophie did a sort of double take looking at Layla. For making her hurt her brother, and she was painfully aware of how her making advances like that did hurt him, Layla had been going the right way to make her not like the larger vixen at all, but that this vixen regarded her brother as highly as she did gave Sophie reason to reconsider.

"What?" Layla asked the smaller vixen who was still in her lap.

"There really is no male who can compare to my big brother." Sophie answered with a slight grin.

Will couldn't help the twitch of his ears, or how he again went rigid at the way she said it. He tried playing it off by drowning the waffle in front of him in syrup, and attacking it with his fork, but Sierra had seen his reaction, and understood why it was what it was.

"Some things never change, eh brother." Sierra said to Will causing him to look up from his nearly demolished food.

"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Will asked, but it was plain on his muzzle he had an idea of what she'd really meant.

"Like how Sophie will always love you like she does" Sierra answered casually before saying more pointedly "Or how you carry guilt in your heart that rightfully belongs to the Mother."

"Sierra can we not talk about his now, or ever again?" Will responded looking as if she'd skewered him which she had.

"We don't Will, but you should tell her; I never did." Sierra told him tiredly adding half under her breath "Maybe I should have."

"Big Brother" Sophie said getting loose of Layla's hold, and resting a paw on top of his told him "If it hurts, talking about it will help you feel better."

"Sophie . . ." Will said wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her into him where he nuzzled into her ruff telling her with pain clear in his voice "My Sweet Sophie . . . this is not the kind of hurt I can talk about."

"Okay what am I missing?" Lola asked Sierra with a frown clearly concerned for her brother.

"I am curious too. What did the Mother do that you blame yourself for, or rather what did she use you to do?" Katarina added.

The growl Will leveled at Katarina lifting his muzzle from Sophie's neck fur having clearly started crying again made it plain that she'd hit the nail on the head, and he wasn't going to answer her.

"That's just it Sister Kat. He would tell you it's all his fault for the part he played, but he's wrong since she orchestrated it, and put him right where he needed to be." Sierra told her.

"I am sorry, Will" Layla said to him remorsefully.

"Why are you apologizing?" Will asked her clearly un-expecting her to do so.

"I opened the door they've walked through. You had told me, and I forgot." Layla answered before telling him "Sierra is right though. You never intended for what happened to happen, but the Mother did."

"Well I'm still in the dark, and not liking it." Lola said crossing her arms.

"Will" Sophie said tentatively looking as if she'd realized something "Will, is it true?"

Will couldn't bear to meet her gaze, and averted his eyes, but Sophie grasped both sides of his head forcing him to do so. It was almost comical the way in her comparatively small paws his head was at her whim.

"Look at me Will." Sophie told him her grip on his head like iron "You really blame yourself for their deaths? Is this really why it's hurt you whenever I wanted to get closer to you like Sierra is?"

Will couldn't bring himself to answer her outright, but the pained look in his eyes said enough.

"Will. How could I ever blame you, or her either for their deaths when I gained a bigger family as loving as anyone could ask for? So why do you blame yourself?" Sophie asked him.

"I made the storm worse." Will told her softly.

"Even if you hadn't the Mother still would've come for them, and sent you to me." Sophie asserted before she started crying as she told him "If I had to lose them all over again, and watch it happen just so I could still call you my Big Brother, I would."

Will just wrapped his arms around her, and held her close crying much as she was. There was no way he could ever let go of the part of the blame for her parent's deaths that was his even if the Mother did in truth carry the majority of it. Sophie's words though had shown him how his blaming of himself in effecting how he was around her had hurt her unnecessarily, and that was to him no less unforgivable. If there was any mammal alive with wings waiting for them when they reached heaven Sophie was such a one. As he buried his muzzle into Sophie he promised himself that he'd learn from this particular mistake, and do his damnedest to never hurt her again.

"How could you possibly have made that storm worse?" Holly asked clearly disbelieving such a thing was possible.

"It's not bullshit." Jack told her.

"Anyone could learn to do it, though for him it is easier than even me. After all as the Mother's presence is in the rain his is in the thunder, or would be if he weren't here, and it was her walking amongst us." Sierra said as if it were common knowledge.

"His ability as a storm mage is not limited to strengthening rain, or snow. I was there when the desert heeded his call. A blizzard so cold an arctic mammal would freeze to death is no joke, but that sandstorm . . ." Layla added though she trailed off in remembrance.

"They still tell stories of that storm that had eaten away at the fur from what corpses were pulled out of it. There hadn't been a sandstorm that bad there in nearly a century, and that it happened during quite the pitched battle some even say an angel of death came down in it." Sky told them her own muzzle echoing Layla's expression of having seen something truly horrible.

"What ever happened to just having a simple breakfast?" Will asked his muzzle resting over Sophie's shoulder adding "Are there any other of my skeletons, or demons anyone would like to parade around? I'm quite at my leisure."

"Hehehe, hyakki yako" Naomi mused at Will's off-pawed comment.

"Nothing's ever simple with you, brother." Lola told him shaking her head, and adding "Not even the simple shit."

"Oh, no the simple shit's still simple it's just simply complicated." Layla laughed getting a paw-bump from Lola in return.

"Say, Will I've been wondering if this is how most wolf family reunions are." Judy said to him having caught on to the need for a subject change.

"Actually it isn't even for us. Typically a wolf family, or pack reunion centers around literally everyone gathering together, and strengthening, or renewing their bonds through various pack building exercises which literally can be anything so long as it's done together. In insisting on having my whole pack gather here I already altered how things would go since we're doing things separate from everyone else, and with springing an impromptu wedding on everyone I really screwed with how these things usually go." Will explained though as he did so he realized just how much of a wrench he'd thrown into the proverbial machine which caused him to add " . . . I really owe mom an apology."

"Speaking of pack building exercises." Sage said with a grin asking "Besides a nice bath once we're done eating, what else should we do today?"

"Well I wanted to get in some morning recoil therapy, and show off my new rifle; you did bring up the ammo, right?" Will answered her adding "After that though it's up to you guys."

"You got a new rifle? When?" Sierra asked, and Lola nodded in agreement likewise curious.

"Yeah, I brought up the ammo. You're lucky my plane's modified for that kind of cargo though it is still on board." Sage answered him.

"The Aurora Institute sent it to him last week along with the first batch of new polyaramid weave uniforms for the precinct." Layla said before Will could say anything adding "Wait till you see it."

"So that's what we're getting that has Jade so upbeat?" Nick asked.

"That, and dragonskin vests." Will answered him before turning to Sierra telling her "I'm gonna need to borrow your work truck later to go get my ammo."

"No problem, but now I'm curious what's so special about this rifle it has special ammunition?" Sierra replied.

"Nope, can't tell you. Himitsu desu." Will told her.

"Bachelor party" Jack stated out of nowhere getting Will's attention.

"What do you mean bachelor party?" Will asked him looking at him as if he'd grown two heads.

"You are getting married tomorrow aren't you? We'd be remiss if we didn't have one." Jack responded with an easy smile.

"Yeah, no. Not gonna happen." Will told him flatly, unamused with the suggestion.

"Ooh, that counts as a pack building exercise, and we can have a bachelorette party!" Sky said to Layla clearly enthusiastic about the idea.

"I don't think so." Layla replied with a frown.

"Come on, why not?" Sky asked her pouting slightly.

"I can give you both several reasons." Will answered before he began listing on his digits "First, we're not having that kind of wedding so fuck those traditions. Second, I'm not spending any time without my vixen that I don't have to especially after the last year. Thirdly, and you should remember this Jack, I hate strip clubs. Giant exercises in frustration."

"I'd like to add to that." Layla chimed in likewise counting on her paw "One, with our open relationship the last hurrah a bahcelor, or bachelorette party is supposed to be would for us be totally pointless. Two, if we really wanted to get some fun in with someone else on the eve of our wedding we don't have to leave this den. Hell we both already have."

"Well we should at least do something to celebrate the eve of your wedding." Jack insisted.

"What do you mean you don't have to leave this den?" Chelsea asked as if she couldn't quite grasp what Layla had meant.

"Hehe this is always fun . . ." Sierra commented before saying as she raised her paw "Everyone here who has slept with Will raise your paw."

Layla was the second one with her paw in the air, and she was swiftly followed by Sage. From there in short order Katarina, Naomi, Sophie, and Senna each raised their paws. In seeing Senna lift her paw without thought Maria hesitatingly raised her own.

"Okay, now everyone here who has, or would sleep with Layla raise your paw." Sierra said having only illustrated half of the point she wanted to make.

At that Layla lowered her paw while Will raised his with Lola, and Sky both doing the same as everyone else with their paws in the air held them there until Sierra nodded in signal that they could lower them.

"In the wise words of my brother, the pack that fucks together stays together." Lola commented.

"Just like how he says the family that bathes together stays together." Sophie added with a chuckle.

"They are merely ways to strengthen bonds, and usually fairly effective though they aren't the only ones." Will said defensively.

"Really sis, you? . . . Wait a minute, Senna you had sex with him too?" Chelsea asked incredulously.

"Why not? After what he saved me from it's only natural I'd want him to be the one who took my virginity; which he did months ago. Besides because of his love for the Wolf Mother, and relationship to her all females are sacred to him which makes him ten times better than most males our age." Senna answered truthfully with ease.

"Exactly. With what we've been through, and how he saved us it's natural we'd want thank him with more than just words, and for him to be our first." Maria agreed with her before adding "Though sex was all it was, and once was enough for me at least."

"It is only sex." Senna said with a nod before asking Maria "Though really you wouldn't do it with him again?"

"After seeing how much it hurt him to give in to me the first time, no I wouldn't. Besides I'd rather do it with my wolf." Maria responded emphasising 'my wolf' as she looked at her David.

"What do you mean it hurt him?" Senna asked her.

"He tried to kill himself didn't he?" Sophie said knowingly with a frown.

"If he hadn't forgotten to take off the safety his brains would have been all over my sofa." Maria answered them flatly her expression falling.

There was a collective "What!?" from everyone present who wasn't aware he'd made that particular attempt with Lola, Sky, and Katarina being the most vocal.

"Can we just let this go, finish breakfast, and move on with our day? We're here to improve our bonds not dwell on this kind of shit. Besides that was probably the last attempt on my life I'll ever make since I'm going to become a father." Will said his shoulders sagging defeatedly.

"Well, forgive me if I find it rather hard to hear that a simple fucking thumb motion you by some miracle didn't do is the only reason you're still among the living." Lola told him angrily.

"But why Will would you do that? You didn't have any problems fucking me." Senna asked bluntly pointing out the clear disconnect between his responses to having sex with them.

"You see her the same way you see me, don't you?" Sophie asked him to which he merely gave a single nod.

"Then it makes sense." Sophie said quickly explaining since that caused nearly everyone to look at her as if she were crazy "He tried the same thing after I got him to give in to me, the one time I did, though it was with a knife, and his arms not a gun, and his head. He sees us as his little sisters which means we are to be protected even from himself."

"Especially from me." Will added resolutely "Little sister off limits."

"Just how young was the youngest girl you've slept with?" Nick asked looking at Will as if he expected an honest answer.

"That'd be Heather, a puma who was fourteen when I was eighteen. Since we're on the subject I might as well bare all, but this is the last I want to hear, or say regarding this fucking subject. I am not without honor in how I am with the fairer sex, and I have my rules. Specifically if they are physically old enough, mentally old enough, consenting, and not too small for me then I don't see anything wrong with showing them a good time if that is what they want. Just so we're clear I don't automatically, and solely pursue underage girls; I didn't fucking lie to you Nick when I told you I'd rather spend a night with a girl my own age who's been around the block." Will told him, and by extension everyone else with an edge in his voice that underscored how done he was with this particular matter.

Having said his peace Will got up, and taking his plate which still had a few bites worth of waffle on it to the trash threw away what was left of his food then put the plate in the sink. Then, still completely silent he walked away back down the hall. Everyone else left at the table just sat there not sure of what to do, or say in the wake of his actions though as the minutes dragged on the scent of nervous anxiety emanating from Layla as she obviously trained her ears listening for hint of what he was doing was strong enough that even Judy was aware of it, and she too lifted her ears alertly in case she might hear whatever Layla was listening for to give her advance notice.

It wasn't much longer that Will came back though he did so with wireless over the ear headphones on his head carrying his jar of nugs from June tucked in his left arm with a smaller something in his left paw, and a bong in his right with a disposable lighter sticking out between the digits of his right paw. He didn't even look in the direction of the kitchen table as he walked into the living room, and sat on the sofa in the seat that put him the farthest away from everyone else.

He was quite clearly ignoring his surroundings as he went about packing the bong simply stuffing a single nug in the bowl before opening the smaller jar he'd grabbed, and placing on top of the cannabis some of it's contents. That done he used the lighter he'd grabbed to take a deep hit closing his eyes as he held it in waiting for it to kick in. No sooner did he exhale that first hit then he took another repeating the process until the bowl was done quite purposefully oblivious to how those who had him in their line of sight watched him, especially Layla whose nose was aquiver as she sniffed in his direction, and as she caught wind of the smoke he was exhaling her ears folded back against her skull in recognition of what else besides the weed he'd been smoking. As the smell of it reached everyone else those that recognized the same scent Layla had caught had reactions similar to hers, and Sophie muttered to herself about being glad she'd thrown away all the needles he'd had.

Having cleared the bowl of cannabis topped with opium Will set down the bong, and with his eyes closed he sank back into the sofa losing himself to the music he was listening to. Layla slipped out of her seat onto all fours, and started walking towards him, but she stopped dead in her tracks just into the living room as Will began singing.

"Down in a hole, and I don't know if I can be saved.

See my heart I decorate it like a grave.

Oh, you don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be.

Look at me now I'm a mammal who won't let himself be.

Down in a hole, feeling so small. Down in a hole, losing my soul.

I'd like to fly, but my wings have been so denied.

Down in a hole and they've put all the stones in their place. I've eaten the sun so my tongue has been burned of the taste

I have been guilty of kicking myself in the teeth; I will speak no more of my feelings beneath.

Down in a hole, feeling so small. Down in a hole, losing my soul

I'd like to fly, but my wings have been so denied"

The way he sang along to the lyrics was mostly morose which certainly fit, but there was also a sort of mocking edge to how some of the words came out of him. He stopped singing the rest of the song simply enjoying what was left of it completely unaware of Layla's continued approach towards him which she made with her tail hanging low, but the tip slightly wagging her body language speaking both her nervousness, and submissiveness until when she reached him she tentatively nudged his right paw with her muzzle. As soon as she made contact with him he began petting her stroking from the top of her head along her ear down her neck which made her tail wag happily until he began singing again this time a song she didn't recognize, and neither did anyone else which was 'War' by Poets of the Fall.

"Do you remember standing on a broken field

White crippled wings beating the sky

The harbingers of war with their nature revealed

And our chances flowing by?

If I can let the memory heal

I will remember you with me on that field

When I thought that I fought this war alone

You were there by my side on the frontline

When I thought that I fought without a cause

You gave me a reason to try

Turn the page I need to see something new

For now my innocence is torn

We cannot linger on this stunted view

Like rabid dogs of war

I will let the memory heal

I remember you with me on that field

When I thought that I fought this war alone

You were there by my side on the frontline

And we fought to believe the impossible

When I thought that I fought this war alone

We were one with our destinies entwined

When I thought that I fought without a cause

You gave me the reason why"

Layla couldn't help how the way he was singing the words to her moved her to tears, and she got on the sofa with him curling herself into him on his lap where he continued petting her running his paw along the length of her body. When he stopped singing he grabbed her under her armpits, and pulled her up to him so he could lick her muzzle affectionately his eyes still completely closed. She in turn licked him back then buried her muzzle in his neck, and he simply held her to him before he began singing again though super stoned as he was he wasn't about to try to match the vocals of Amy Lee.

"It can be born anywhere

In the last place you'd expect

In a way you'd never dream

It can grow from nothing

And blossom in a second

A single glance is all it takes

To get inside you

Invading every thought

And every beat of your heart

Love can make you scream

And it can leave you speechless

Love has a thousand stems

But only one flower

It can grow alone 'till it turns to dust

It can tear your world apart or bind to you forever

It can grow in darkness, make its own light

Turn a curse into a kiss, change the meaning of your words

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love drowns you in tears and then sets your heart on fire

Love has no fear, love has no reason

So infinitely vast

Stop standing on the edge

Take my paw, erase the past forever

My love is you, my love you are

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love is never wrong and never needs a reason

I'm drowning in my tears, but my heart's on fire

It can make you better

It can change you slowly

Give you everything you want, ask for nothing in return

In the blink of an eye, the hint of a smile

In the way you say goodbye and every time you find me

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love drowns you in tears and then sets your heart on fire

Love has no fear, love has no reason

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love drowns you in tears and then sets your heart on fire

Love has no fear, love has no reason

My love is you, my love you are

My love is you, my love you are"

With as deep as his singing voice was it was beyond his ken to hit the same high notes Amy Lee was capable of, but he nonetheless sang along heartfeltly. There was a warmth that seemed to be carried out of him with the words, and it reached everyone left at the table who reacted to it each in their own way. Judy who was sharing a chair with Nick simply leaned her head into his shoulder, and she could feel the warmth in the way he looked at her as she did so though she missed how he started eating again simply to hide the errant tear that escaped his eye. Jack may have seemed subdued, but he wasn't subtle about entwining his paw with Sky's, and she couldn't help following Nick's cue which got everyone else returning to their food. Maria with thoughtless ease wrapped her arm in David's as she grasped his paw leaning into him nuzzling his shoulder, and he unhesitatingly leaned into the contact squeezing her paw.

As Will stopped singing for good seeming to sink further into the sofa feeling as relaxed as a rug everyone else went about finishing their food though none seemed willing to break the silence. Once everyone had quite sated their hunger Lola along with Sierra went about gathering everyone's plates while Sophie got the leftovers put in the fridge. Lola had finally broken the companionable silence that'd fallen with mentioning that the dishes could be left for later, and Katarina with a stretch agreed that a good bath was in order.

It took Layla actually removing his headphones to rouse Will, and as she told him that they were heading to the bath house he got back on his feet simply carrying her with him. Having positioned himself so far away from everyone else Will ended up bringing up the rear, but he was no less eager for a morning ablution than were Lola, and Katarina who lead the way down to the sento.

Once down there Will wasn't the only one out of what little clothing they had on in seconds. Before Lola could cross the threshold into the shower room from the disrobing room Will said 'Rain Chamber On' which only seconds later activated every shower head, and began getting the water to temperature.

"Okay, that's fucking cool." Nick stated impressed.

"I thought it was only your private bath besides your vault that you made voice operated." Lola said turning back towards Will.

"That's because it's only ever been a pawful of us down here, we've never really had to use it. It is simply easier to do things by paw. Hell, the only time I really ever needed to use it other than when I was calibrating the system was after that summer storm a couple months ago. You know when me, and the micro-pack were at the swimming hole." Will replied as he made his way towards her.

"You guys were so covered in mud!" Sierra exclaimed laughing.

"Yes, yes we were." Will agreed with a chuckle.

"Okay, there's a story there I'd like to hear." Layla said with a grin.

"Well it was about a week before school started up again, I had the day off, and going for a swim was a good idea. Then it started raining, and since I didn't care neither did they so by the time we were ready to head back home the path was muddy. Needless to say we all may have ended up wrestling on our way back, you know having fun, and when we did get back mothers were not happy with me." Will told her shaking his head in remembrance.

"The rain started, and everyone figured in short order he'd bring everyone back. A little wet maybe, but that never hurt anyone. It rained for nearly an hour, and they didn't show. Then the sun started to set, and with dinner about half cooked the whole pack of moms were starting to worry like mothers do. It was all for nothing of course, this is Will we're talking about; if something had gone wrong he'd have sent someone to get help, and raised a howl only a real thunderstorm could've drowned out. You should've seen them though every mom in the family standing out front arms crossed just waiting, and first we all hear their laughter then out of the woods walk not wolves, but mud monsters." Sierra added unable to not chuckle as she referred to them as such.

"I think promising to make sure everyone got clean, since this bath house of mine was built to handle such things, saved my tail that day, but they still gave me an earful later." Will said with a wide grin.

"I wasn't happy with them either tracking in all that mud not that any of the cubs cared. They'd had themselves a day, and the adventure kept going since they got to explore a part of this den they'd normally never go." Sophie added with a smile of her own as they all made their way into the shower room.

Once inside they all went about getting clean with each respective couple washing eachother with the exception of Will who went about scrubbing Sophie while Layla washed his back. Since Sierra, and Katarina wasted no time helping to wash Lola, and Senna respectively Holly, and Chelsea ended up as bath buddies though neither minded as did Sage, and Naomi.

While Layla's deft paws scrubbed, and massaged him which he couldn't help enjoying, that enjoyment Will expressed through his own scrubbing of his little sister. As his large paws made easy work of getting the fur soap down into her undercoat, and he used them to knead her muscles Sophie tilted her head back with her eyes closed clearly quite content with his actions. Being smaller than him like she was it was a simple matter for Will to wash nearly all of her, and he reached around to her front to do so which pulled her against him where she respondingly relaxed leaning against his chest. Once he had finished cleaning her it was Layla's turn, and after he'd reached behind him to pull her around to his front Sophie joined him in scrubbing her down.

Since everyone had been working together it wasn't long before everyone had been washed, and gotten the fur soap rinsed out of their fur. Then it was on to the main attraction as it were with Will finding it rather amusing when Judy literally jumped in the tub doing a cannonball before surfacing while he went about getting some music going at one of the touch panels set into the wall of the shower room. The general playlist he'd labeled 'Bath Music' contained an ecclectic mix of new age, and more traditional instrumental music, and after making sure it was set to shuffle Will selecting it somewhat randomly started them off with "In the Glory of Sunset" by John August which helped set the mood he was going for. Having been preoccupied Will ended up being the last one in the tub, but he wasted little time once in it floating off on his back towards the mural.

"You know Will, I was nervous yesterday bathing with everyone until we got in this tub. Can you even call it a tub? I'd say it was a really awesome heated pool." Judy said to him likewise floating on her back though she was against Nick where he was sitting at the edge.

"Hehe, trust me it's a tub. Pools don't have water jets." Will answered her lazily with a grin.

"Wait, it has water jets?" Nick asked.

"Whoever is nearest the control panel go ahead, and turn them on, but not too high." Will replied lifting a paw out of the water, and waving it idly.

Will wasn't paying attention to who was where to follow his direction, but once the jets were on the loudest sounds of enjoyment came from Katarina, and Senna purring contentedly, and Lola's comment 'That's what the medicine mammal ordered.'

"You know Will, there are five star hotels that don't nearly have the accommodations this den has, or rather bunker; just how much did this really cost you?" Jack asked him.

"After the first few million bucks I stopped counting" Will answered idly adding "Though with how my pack has grown, and my family is about to grow I am thinking I should plan some additions at least to the living quarters. That'll be a pain in the ass though."

There was a moment of silence after that which was broken by Maria who voiced a question she'd had on her mind.

"Kat, Will said you are an angel incarnate like he, and Sierra are . . ." Maria said, but before she could finish her thought Katarina interrupted her.

"That I am Maria. Though it is harder for me to talk about than it is for him I have been thinking how I might say this . . ." Katarina said before she paused taking a deep breath "I want you, and Senna both to know me as I truly am; Senna you said yesterday that your father thanks the Mother of Cats for having Will bring you to your parents. My beautiful daughters I have had no paw in the actions my brother took to rescue you, or give you better lives than what you knew when he found you, and I am as grateful to him for it as you are."

As she finished saying what she meant to Will reoriented himself so he could actually see everyone, and he could see that Kat was crying.

"My beloved sister, how could I not show your children the same love I show my own?" Will asked her his own eyes welling with emotion as he began moving towards her to embrace her though Maria, and Senna who were closer to her beat him to it.

"Mom . . ." Maria managed to get out as she wrapped her arms around her alongside Senna who was too overcome by her own emotions for words.

To everyone present Katarina's wings were visible, and for those who had seen Will's wings it was remarkable how similar they were with the golden light that seemed to emanate from them. For Senna, and Maria they didn't need to see her wings because they could feel in the depths of their instincts that she truly was their mother, and as Katarina marked them both they nuzzled into her. Then Will's arms were as far around the three of them as he could reach his own wings likewise as plain as day, and so close was he to Kat that where their wings were seen touching it was as if the amber light of them glowed brighter at the contact. Such was the positivity of emotion that emanated from the four of them that there wasn't a dry eye present, and even Sierra's own wings were showing which held a paler golden light.

Though she was a little nervous to interrupt their moment Judy couldn't help asking "Will, we can't always see your wings, but they're always there aren't they? How come we can see them when we do?"

Letting go of the three felines Will turned towards her, and with a grin from seeing Sierra's wings he answered her "They are always there, yes though only the very young, and those who have honed their awareness enough will see them regardless. Sometimes though when we can't help it the energy of them radiates from them to the point those who wouldn't normally see them do. There's no set rule to it though, even I don't always see the wings of my sisters, and there are plenty of both young, and the sufficiently aware who won't notice them either which I would attribute to interference from the chains that bind us into these mortal bodies. It could be also said that these bodies themselves are the chains. They weaken us so that our souls can actually fit in physical flesh as opposed to how every other angel that would have mortals see them simply solidifies the outer chi of their soul. They weaken us so much that only our vampiric nature is available to us since that is too ingrained into our souls to be obstructed which if it were we would eventually cease to exist. That said if we were to say abstain from actively taking in chi for long enough we'd lose even our metaphysical awareness, but these very chains would prevent us from weakening to the point of death; which is the true way we are stronger than any other psychic vampires, starvation won't kill us, but it is really not good for us to be in that type of situation though it's happened before."

"It's happened before?" Nick asked tilting his head curiously.

"More so to me than say Kat, or Sierra. A female needs only lift her tail, and males will get close enough, but the reverse is not true, and on an instinctual level females sense my nature, and keep me at arms length which is why I so freely admit to only really having luck with felines, and the rare canids who are like Sage, or Mihoshi. There have been times even in this life where the fact that I don't mind swallowing swords if you will has been the only thing that so to speak has kept my options open." Will answered with a shrug.

"I can attest to that. She-wolves are biologically hardwired to want to mate with a strong alpha, and with his size, and the way he is there isn't a more obvious big, strong, and good alpha than him, but I've seen it time, and again when we were younger that she-wolves who should by rights have been on his dick wanted nothing to do with him; it's why so many of his girlfriends when we were younger weren't wolves." Sierra added nodding her head.

"Hahaha, I can laugh about this now, but the only female back then who ever really was on my dick as you put it was Heather." Will said with a mirthful laugh.

"Oh, gods she was." Lola said shaking her head as she remembered.

"Well, yeah. Out of all of your friends including her brother you were the only one who didn't treat her like some annoying nuissance since you make a point of befriending those that others reject." Sophie stated.

"Yes, I do, and I can't help it either. I'm simply drawn to giving them the chance that others won't." Will responded.

"You know that is the real reason Oji-chan was actually happy when I told him I wanted to join your pack. He saw how kind you were with Yuki-chan; as he put it since you are the kind of alpha who leads from the omega position you value the pack omega as much as the pack beta where lesser alphas do not." Naomi told him.

"I remember well when Oji-san asked me if you being the newest addition to my pack would make you the omega, and I told him that though I was the alpha of my pack we are all equal; that my pack has no omega. It was then that he told me if I was going to be the alpha to his favorite grandaughter that I should have a weapon as worthy of defending her as I was of being her alpha." Will replied adding "Speaking of Yuki-chan, how come she isn't with you? I'm sure she'd love it here."

"She really wanted to come, but she is afraid of flying, and Obaa-chan needed someone to fill in for me." Naomi answered.

"The next time you talk to her will you tell her for me that she can get tranqualizers to help ease her anxiety during the trip, and that I would have her know these woods as she, and you showed me the woods of your home. If I have to have Sage fly me to Hokkaido to come get her, then I will. She is as welcome in my den as you are." Will asked her seriously.

"I will, though you know how she is. She'll insist you do not need to go through the trouble, but I know what to tell her." Naomi answered with a smile.

"Well, just don't guilt trip her into it. It's not an order, or a formal request; she is family to you which makes her family to me." Will said returning her smile with a knowing grin.

"Alright, Okami-sama. I won't." Naomi responded lowering her head acquiescently proving he'd pegged just what she'd been intending to do.

"What does that mean, the kind of alpha who leads from the omega position?" Judy asked curiosity written on her muzzle as she tilted it to the side.

"And Naomi-san why do you keep calling him Okami-sama?" Nick added as he leaned back against the edge of the tub his elbows propped up behind him.

"Well, to answer your question Judy. Typical alpha wolves have big dick on campus syndrome, they lead from the point position, and in nearly everything they do must always be dominant. Some still lead from the point position, but don't let their status as alphas go to their head. Then others like me we can't, and won't deny our alpha-hood, but our preferred method of leadership is more understated. We're content to let others in our pack take point while we watch everyone's back." Will answered her.

"And to answer yours Kitsune-kun. I call him Okami-sama because he is Enma Daio no Okami. In english you would say he is the Death God of Wolves." Naomi said to Nick.

"Death God?" Judy asked obviously a little confused.

"I thought Shinigami meant Death God?" Nick asked raising an eyebrow.

"It get's translated that way a lot in anime, but more accurately a shinigami is simply a death spirit. Enma Daio is the Japanese way to say Great King Enma who is the Buddhist ruler of the underworld, and judge of the dead. When I am not incarnate among mortals that is the role I fulfill as the Ruler of Ulfheim which is the section of heaven reserved for the souls of all canids. The advantage of there being two of us the Mother, and I trade off between fulfulling those duties, and wandering incarnate amongst mortals. That is what we the angels of mammals are, the death gods of our respective children, though we are lesser gods when compared to the Gods of the Earth. Of course there's a couple more facets to things than that, but we don't need to get into that now." Will answered him.

"So the monotheists are wrong?" Maria's David asked curiously.

"To be fair they're misguided, but to be honest no one in heaven really likes them. I mean come on, yes there is One who is Above Us All, but they focus solely on him, and exclude us even going so far as to say we don't exist, yet we're the one's closer to mortals than he, and more likely to actually interact with them. They don't even realize how insulting we all find it when mortals worship us; like seriously can't you have a little faith in your own souls? It's not for nothing I told Father Logan that if the Pope tried to use me as a rallying figure to bolster the faith I'd litter the pieces of his corpse across Vatican square, or if any other religion tried the same I'd see them burnt to the ground" Will responded honestly with a shrug.

"Isn't bath time fun?" Sierra joked.

"Not as much fun as some healthy recoil therapy." Will replied lazily leaning back into the water about to go back to floating on his back.

"Or a little live fire sparring." Layla added causing Will to pause as he considered that.

"Yeah, Lola, and I set up a little battle-zone at the range. Though I think we should make do with rubber bullets, hmm?" Will responded returning to an upright position clearly excited for Layla's suggestion.

"You two were crazy then, and crazy now to even call shooting at each other like that sparring." Sky commented shaking her head.

"You can't tell me it's not effective though. Besides it's just like paint ball only without the paint balls; you're right babe we should opt for the rubber bullets this time." Layla replied with a lazy stretch.

"Are you two talking about what I think you are?" Nick asked Will, and Layla apprehensively.

"Yep, and it's safer than it sounds. We go in with vests, torso shots only, and the first one to score a direct hit wins; normally we'd be using actual bullets, but given how things have changed I'd rather risk a rubber bullet going stray." Will answered him.

"Wait, so you've actually . . . ?" Judy asked.

"Oh, we've shot each other plenty. It's good practice to know what it's like to be shot while wearing a vest, and go up against an actual person in combat." Layla told her as if it were common sense.

"But isn't that really dangerous? Aren't you afraid of killing each other?" Holly asked clearly in the camp with Sky of the opinion that they were quite crazy.

"No." Will, and Layla answered in near unison.

"Wait until you guys actually see them go at it." Jack said adding "It's really just the mother of all trust exercises."

No one seemed really convinced by that because no matter what Will, and Layla were saying it just seemed absolutely insane even if they had agreed to using only rubber bullets. They all enjoyed their soak in the tub for a few minutes longer before getting out. Over at the fur drying vent-pad's they went about getting themselves dry, though Will couldn't help wanting to have a bit of fun so he suggested to Judy that she turn the fur dryer she was using to the maximum fan setting. She of course was against the idea, but Jack willingly obliged turning the fan control knob of the dryer he was using all the way up which sent him skyward.

"I forgot how much fun this could be. It's like having a private wind tunnel." Jack commented with a grin his ears flapping above him.

"It's also the main reason the cubs aren't allowed in here by themselves. It wouldn't take them long to figure out they can turn the fan to max, leave the temp on low, and have a gay ol' time; Mothers were mad at me enough for letting them get covered in mud, I do not need them mad at me because someone fell, and got hurt." Will told him.

"That raises a good point brother." Lola said adding "Sophie, how in the hell are we going to cub-proof this place?"

"We'll just keep the door locked?" Sophie suggested with a shrug.

"That would work, and there shouldn't be much else you need to do other than that." Will said adding "It's more likely for... your cub, to wander around, and get a little lost in this den than anything else. Don't drive yourself nuts sis, you don't need the stress, and everything will be fine."

"Will's right Lola." Sierra told her adding like the proverbial voice of reason "You're not even about to pop yet, and Sophie, and I are going to be right here with you every step of the way. So will David; heck he's already stepped up taking care of things at the station, and he did that just because you asked without knowing why you were asking."

"Speaking of, Sierra. He's going to be moving in here too." Will said plainly.

"What?" Lola asked as if she'd misheard Will, looking quite taken by surprise.

"What do you mean, what? Sierra's moving in probably in a day, or two, and I'm going to let David know that as this is your home, so too is it now his." Will told her which caused her to look at him as if he'd lost his mind so he added "Don't look at me like that. This den is your home, and that being the case it makes more sense for him to simply move in with you."

"I . . . I . . . I'm not ready for that!" Lola said to him with her eyes wide in incredulity as she shook her head his words having done more to frazzle her nerves than the idea of cub-proofing the ridiculously spacious den.

"Do you see me loading a shotgun, and calling Sarah to tell her to make tomorrow's wedding a double?" Will asked her rhetorically continuing with "It doesn't have to be right away, and I get it your relationship is still new, and you two are figuring things out, but the bottom line is that your cub is going to call this den home; that's not up for debate. I'd rather permit him here in my den, than see you move out."

Seeing the way Lola simply gaped at him Will added with a gesture towards the door "Would you like to argue about it with me? My room is just down the hall."

That caused Lola to close her jaws with an audible click, and frown at him before telling him "I'm not going to argue with you, brother. You just really caught me off-guard. I hadn't even thought that far ahead, and you're already like 'it's a done deal'."

"It is a done deal that your cub will call this den home. What happens between you, and him is up to you two." Will told her though since he was directly looking at her Lola was the only one who really saw the way his muzzle involuntarily twitched with the way he said 'your cub' as if 'your' wasn't his first word choice.

"Ahem." Sierra cleared her throat having caught in his tone what his muzzle gave away 'Will, your fatherhood is showing.'

"And?" Will responded indifferently before his left ear folded against his head as her words really sank in, and he said 'This is her cub's home, as much as it is mine, or her's, or your's; I'm not budging on that, and I'm not being unreasonable.'

"I didn't say you were. Though you could maybe relax about it a little. You tell Lola not to jump the gun, and then you kinda jumped the howitzer." Sierra told him giving him a disarming grin.

At that Will's other ear folded against his head, and with a sigh he agreed with her 'You're right.'

"Say, Will you mind giving me a paw?" Jack asked as he seemed stuck levitating "I might not have thought through descending."

"Yeah, I got you buddy." Will responded, and with relative ease essentially plucked Jack from the stream of air which provided him lift before then stepping through it to turn off the fur dryer.

It wasn't much longer that everyone was dry, and went about heading back to their rooms to get dressed for the day. Will couldn't help having a bit of fun as he passed Jack to Sky like some sort of sacrificial offering, and she in turn simply carried him over her shoulder which he clearly didn't mind as her tail filled his vision. Back in his room Will, and Layla got on pairs of their ever trusty black fatigue trousers, but when it came time to choose shirts Will actually went for one of the t-shirts he had that was a tye-dye using a dark purple, a dark red, and a bright electric blue. Layla likewise went for one of his tye-dye shirts which got a grin from him since he always got a little thrill seeing her wear his shirts especially when that was all she wore. Before she could put it on though Will pulled her into him burying his muzzle in her neck fur then marking her.

"My wife." Will said softly as she placed a paw on one of his arms that he'd wrapped around her as she pressed into his marking of her returning the action getting her own scent deep into his fur.

"My husband." Layla said, and he could feel more than see her smile "If you start this we're gonna end up stuck a while."

"I've loved you enough to spend the rest of my life with you for so long I should've asked you to marry me years ago." Will told her not hiding his passion for her, and as he let her go enough to look her in the eyes he saw in them the fire of her own passion.

"Well now we are going to spend the rest of our lives together my big bad wolf" Layla replied, and there was a twinkle in her eye as she grinned saying "But you're just talking to me like this because you want to put a kit in me. I know your game, and you should save it for the honeymoon in that bed over there."

Will's first response was to pull her back into him, and kiss her his tongue dancing with hers before breaking it to say "Damn right I want to put our kit in you. If only that bed weren't rated to handle four polar bears I'd say we're gonna fucking break it tomorrow."

"Well, we can certainly try." Layla said to him playfully before dancing away from him.

Will just grinned watching her tail flow, and swish behind her before following after her. They were the first two back in the living room, and while they waited for everyone else to gather so they could work out troop transport Will went to his forgotten coffee on the table promptly killing it. As he walked into the kitchen to put his mug by the sink a thought occured to him, and letting Layla know that he'd be right back Will went into the garage to the trunk of his Shelby where he got into the case containing his Gauss rifle. When he'd first test-fired it back at the precinct range he'd only read enough of the manual to get the gist of how to operate it, and see the note left with it that it was already loaded, and ready to fire. What he was verifying now that he hadn't then was the magazine size, and he was pleased to find that he already had sufficient ammo loaded for his purposes, and could put off retrieving the ammo crate for later. After tucking the manual in a side pocket since he intended to get to know it backwards, and forwards as well as have Layla read it on the ride to the range because he wanted her familiar with the weapon Will closed the case then shut the trunk making his way back to the living room.

Once everyone had gathered in the living room Will having done a head count, and thinking about the number of vehicles available to them asked for their input on just how to get everyone down to the range. As Sky was the one to point out, between the three mustangs in the garage, and the rental topside there was enough room for everyone it just boiled down to who would ride with whom. Senna pointed out that she only needed a ride to her bike, and could follow everyone so Will volunteered to give her that lift. From there they all decided that Maria, and her David would ride with Will; Sierra, Holly, and Sage would ride with Lola; Chelsea, Nick, and Judy would go with Sophie; and Naomi, and Katarina would ride with Sky, and Jack.

While Jack, Sky, Katarina, and Naomi made their way out the main entrance since Sky's rental was topside, everyone else made their way to the garage with Layla getting in the back of Will's Shelby with Maria, and David so Senna could ride shotgun thereby getting out easier when they reached her bike. Once Will had fired up his car he took the time to get his phone plugged in, and pull up some driving music which after he rolled down his window, and adjusted the volume so it would be loud, but not ear bleedingly so he fired up. As the opening riffs of 'Highway to Hell' by AC/DC flowed out of his Shelby, and echoed around the garage Will hit the button on the door remote clipped to the driver side visor to open the garage, and led the way to the surface.

Before he'd even passed the inner blast doors on the garage side the outer door was already open, and knowing this Will couldn't help flooring it, and he wasn't the only one as Lola, and Sophie followed suit after him. Will cleared the outer garage door getting a decent bit of air then pulled off to the side towards where Sky had parked so he was out of the way of his sisters who were likewise intent on getting some airtime of which Sophie actually got better lift since her mustang was lighter than Lola's unarmored Mach One, and especially lighter than Will's heavily armored Shelby. Once Sky, Jack, Kat, and Naomi were clear of the outer door Will used the same remote attached to his visor to both close, and lock both outer doors then got turned back onto the main drive heading for the main house.

It didn't take Senna long to get out, and get her bike going while Layla moved back into the forward passenger seat. Once Sky had caught up to the rest of them in front of the main house Will lead their little convoy to the main road with "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring pumping out of the stereo. As ever when rocking out to good driving music, or at least what he'd consider such Will couldn't help his lead foot once he turned onto the main road. In seconds he'd reached the speed limit, and to at least keep their convoy together did his best to not simply leave everyone in his dust.

The local gun range, and specifically the section of it used by the Sheriff department was to the south, and relatively in-between the Grimm, and Frost family estates. When the song shifted to "The Stroke" by Billy Squier Will couldn't help shifting lower in his seat relaxedly in an effort to not speed as he was wont to do, and Layla who started dancing in her seat picked up his phone to take it off shuffle, and keep similar classic rock fueling their trip. Will couldn't help glancing at Layla as her movement caught in his peripheral, and as much as he couldn't help grinning at her antics he also couldn't help remembering one of the times she'd given him quite the private dance to this particular song. He found it particularly tempting to just radio Lola to lead everyone else to the range while he pulled over just to fuck her, and while he was at it let Maria, and David make use of the back seat, but as the song was quickly over the thought passed.

Up next through the speakers was "My Kinda Lover" also by Billy Squier, and Will actually turned his eyes from the road to look at his mate next to him, and they shared a look that conveyed just how strong their flame for the other continued to burn. While they continued eating up the distance to their destination with Will returning his attention to the road Layla kept the music coming. The next track was "Screaming in the Night" by Krokus, and by the time it was nearly over they'd made it to the range.

Will parked in a free stall outside the main building of the range, and after turning off his Shelby got out then moved his seat forward so Maria could get out while Layla did the same on the other side allowing David to likewise get out. As they walked around to the front of Will's Shelby Layla passed him back his phone while Lola, Sophie, Sky, and Senna parked around them. Almost in unison Will, and Lola locked their cars as they led the way into the main building.

"Yo, Spike how's it going?" Will called out as he entered the building.

"Pretty good so far." The snow leopard in question answered from behind the counter where he sat looking up from a magazine he was reading before his eyes clearly widened in surprise at the sheer number of mammals that entered along with Will, and Lola.

"Don't worry buddy we won't be making use of the law enforcer's discount today." Will assured him with a grin.

"Okay, thanks. Though when did you gain a small army?" Spike responded with a grin of his own.

"You're looking at my full pack, their plus ones, and two former colleagues of mine." Will answered with a chuckle.

"So, how many firing lanes are free?" Lola asked gaining Spike's attention.

"All of 'em, Sheriff. What kinda fun you aiming to have?" Spike answered her.

"Oh, all kinds." Will responded adding to everyone behind him "I'll let y'all figure out your load outs with my pal here. Babe, David I could use a couple extra paws if you don't mind."

With that Will walked back out of the building followed by Layla, and David so he could retrieve his guns from the trunk of his car. Using the actual key instead of the button on the fob he opened the trunk then got into the gun compartment. Seeing the case with his Gauss rifle reminded him he'd forgotten to give Layla the manual to read, so reaching into the side pocket where it was he passed that to her telling her she'd need to start reading it in a bit. The first thing he retrieved was his B.A.R. which he passed to David making sure the younger wolf understood to point the muzzle up, and away from himself, and keep his paw away from the trigger before reassuring him that firearms were nothing to be nervous around since his muzzle clearly showed he was. Then Will got out his M107 which he passed to Layla unable to not smile watching her heft the weapon she was as familiar with as he was. Finally Will went about getting his holstered M1911's, and Desert Eagle into his left paw while with the other pulling out the case containing his Gauss rifle. That done it was a somewhat simply matter shutting the trunk with his left elbow, and leading the way around the building to where the firing lanes were so they could set up.

The three of them were the first ones there, and Will heading over to the nearest lane set down his pistols, and Gauss rifle before holding out his paws for David to give him his B.A.R. which he then set muzzle end up against the divider between the next lane. No sooner was he done with that then everyone else made their way out the back door of the main building led by Spike who stopped dead in his tracks just passed the door upon seeing Layla with the rifle that including the suppressor attached to it was longer than she was tall.

"Sexy as hell isn't she, just holding my rifle?" Will asked grinning at the momentarily stunned feline adding "Wait till you see her fire it. Best excuse to look at her tail ever."

"Just don't grab it when I'm about to pull the trigger. You know how I hate to miss." Layla told Will with a grin of her own.

"You're not gonna hurt me if I agree to that are you?" Spike asked nervously.

"Nah, now why would I do that?" Will asked with a laugh.

"I wasn't asking you. I was asking the vixen with the rifle that could blow me in half at nearly two thousand yards." Spike answered.

"Hehe, Spike was it? I wouldn't hurt you for admitting I look sexy with, or without this rifle in my paws. I'm Layla by the way." Layla answered introducing herself.

"Then yes, as Will put it you are sexy as hell holding that thing if not also a little terrifying. I promise though I won't be looking at your tail, I have a girlfriend." Spike responded visibly relaxing.

"Anyway, so you gonna finally show us your new toy brother, or just tease us by leaving it in that case over there?" Lola asked.

"Oh, don't you worry about that sis, but first things first." Will replied before turning to David "What do you want to fire first?"

"Me?" David asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, you. You're probably the only one here with no firearms experience so my priority is bringing you up to speed. So where I'd recommend starting off getting you used to say an M1911 if you'd like we can start with my B.A.R." Will answered him.

"I think I'll take your advice, though what's an M1911?" David responded.

"It's a forty-five caliber semi-automatic pistol, like this." Maria told him holding up the one she'd selected from the available 'rentals' before saying to Will "I can show him how it's done."

"That works too, go ahead." Will responded before turning to Layla, and saying "You're gonna want to set down 'Dethtouch', and read over that manual since I want you comfortable with 'Overkill' while I show 'Rose' some love."

"Fine, but I still want put some rounds down range with this baby. So you decided to name your newest rifle 'Overkill'? That certainly fits." Layla answered moving to set the M107 in her paws against the lane divider across from Will's B.A.R. 'Rose'.

"You named your rifles?" Nick asked resting the barrel of the M4 he like Sophie had chosen to 'rent' from the weapons available at the range on his shoulder keeping his trigger finger over the guard.

"I did, just like my katana back in my dojo is named 'Kuu', and my nodachi is named 'Chi', or rather in english their names are Void, and Blood respectively." Will answered with a nod.

"So why Rose for your B.A.R.?" Nick inquired.

"Well, I took it from the song 'Rose of the Devil's Garden' by Tiger Army." Will explained as he picked up the rifle in question, and showed off the stock where burned into the wood was the picture of said flower.

"Are we gonna stand around talking all day, or get some rounds down range?" Sky asked with a grin.

With that everyone else chose one of the available lanes, and got themselves set up while Spike went back inside to get more ammunition in order. Where Sophie, and Nick had chosen carbines Jack, and Judy being the smallest mammals present had chosen Walther PPK-L's both chambered for the .32 ACP round. Like Maria, Sierra, and Chelsea had also chosen M1911's while Lola used her own personal one. Katarina had chosen an SVD which though clearly an older model was well maintained though before she even went about firing it she field stripped then reassembled it to be sure it was in working order, and much as David was learning with Maria, Senna herself wanted to learn from Kat though she was familiar with the basics from Will who had trained her with 'Rose'. Holly was using her personal Browning Hi-Power which was chambered for the .40 S&W. Sage had chosen to rent an AK-47 since it was a weapon she was quite familiar with, and Naomi had selected a FN FAL.

As they all began opening fire at the prearranged targets once they'd taken aim it was quite the symphony of small arms fire. Will, and Katarina were tied for who was firing slowest since though they were fielding semiautomatic sniping rifles which could've fired faster they were taking their time to be accurate. The only one not putting rounds down range was Layla as she was engrossed in the manual for Will's Gauss rifle he'd so aptly dubbed 'Overkill', and indeed at least from her perspective it was quite a page turner. Will was the first to stop firing having only gone through half the twenty round magazine of his B.A.R, and after he'd set it down he walked along the lanes appraising the skills of everyone else. Of particular note to him were the accuracy both Nick, and Judy displayed as well as how well David seemed to take to Maria's instruction.

Once everyone else had exhausted their respective magazines Will confirmed that the range was cold then asked that they wait while he went to talk with Spike about getting a real target for 'Overkill' set up since the standard targets they'd made use of were only inch thick steel plates. Everyone except Layla watched with curiosity when Will, and Spike walked back out through the back door of the range's main building carrying a thicker steel plate which was easily the size of a car door. They managed to get it down roughly a hundred yards along the firing lane Will had chosen though both showed that it had been quite the exertion due to the weight of the target. On the way back they simply uplifted the spent target then set it down out of the lane before reaching the stand.

"Alright, y'all are gonna wanna see this" Will said to everyone causing them to gather round adding with a gesture towards his M107 "Layla, my love if you would"

"A comparison test? Alright." Layla replied enthusastically as she picked up the anti-materiel rifle.

Layla got into a prone position in front of the stand making use of the bipod for stability, and when ready pulled the trigger. Her aim was true, and the shot struck the target roughly dead center though given that the target was well within the effective range of the rifle that was almost a given. After she'd cleared the chamber of the spent casing, and called range cold Will went about removing his Gauss rifle from it's case while she picked up 'Dethtouch' then came back around the firing stand.

"Feast your eyes." Will said with a grin in a near perfect scottish accent as he hefted 'Overkill' which he'd already turned on.

"Just what kind of rifle is that?" Nick was first to ask.

"Hehe one of a kind." Will answered his grin seeming permanent as he took a stance, and aimed down the scope adding "I paid the Aurora Institute director two million bucks a couple years ago to make this baby a reality, and thanks to our gentlemammal's agreement I own the only one in existence that can be considered truly a practical example of the technology."

With that Will squeezed the trigger since the charge indicator had gone from orange to green. Where there had been the muted retort from his M107 followed quickly by the metallic sound of the .50 BMG round hitting the target there was no sound from the ferromagnetic projectile leaving the rifle which only made the louder ping of it hitting the target more noticeable. After with no small amount of satisfaction confirming down the scope he'd hit the target where he meant to Will turned off 'Overkill' then began walking towards the target followed by everyone else. Once they were gathered around it, it was clear which shot was which with Will's shot being above Layla's, and where the fifty-cal round had made a familiar hole, doing it's anti-materiel job, the ferromagnetic slug hadn't made quite as big a hole, but it was like the metal had deformed pulled with the slug making a crater that had his eyebrow raising. Will thought to himself about asking Director Sauvage if he'd tested it on an ostrich, and if not there was a test he'd have to perform.

"Hmm, well I did want it to at least equal my M107 so I guess this counts for at least this range which was essentially point blank. What do you think babe?" Will asked Layla as he ran a paw over the exit hole from the shot he'd made before looking through it.

"Since I've actually read the whole manual which at the end covers the testing Director Sauvage put it through the only disadvantage it has compared to your M107 is the inability to fire armor-piercing high explosive tracer rounds. Other than that it's actually more accurate over the same effective range." Layla answered.

"You still haven't told us what kind of rifle it is." Sky said.

"Um, I've watched my brother play enough Fallout to say I think I know what it is though I'm surprised it's actually so quiet." Sophie commented then asked "It's a Gauss rifle isn't it?"

"Yep." Will answered grinning with a certain almost smug satisfaction.

"Seriously? I thought those were just science fiction." Lola said raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, no they're as real as railguns. In fact they're better than railguns since they avoid the whole rails warping over time issue due to using electro-magnetic coils. See the thing preventing them from really being widely developed is the issue of power, that's why it's militaries, or more specifically navies who are working on railgun cannons; it's either go big, or go home." Will explained.

"So what would you ever use it for?" Nick asked.

"That's actually a good question since objectively an anti-materiel rifle is more practical since it can handle roughly the same targets, and doesn't run on a battery." Layla added at which Will stuck his tongue out at her.

"Right now I wouldn't use it unless I needed something more maneuverable than my M107 which as you can see is over five feet in length, but as it stands there is at least one mammal I would specifically kill with it." Will answered.

"Who?" Judy asked with obvious concern.

"ZIA Director Koche, but we've yet to see if the third time will pay for all." Will answered.

"Are you sure you should be admitting that?" Katarina asked him.

"Especially in front of them?" Lola added gesturing with her head towards Jack, and Sky.

"Why not? If he comes after me, or Layla again, or if he targets Adam for that matter they will become the new ZIA Director, and her Assistant Director because I will not stop until I have his head." Will answered easily with a shrug.

"You know the appointing of the ZIA director doesn't work like that right?" Sky told him.

"I don't care. This is all currently a hypothetical situation, but if any government official would protest my deposing of Director Koche, and replacing him with you Sky I'll simply kill them too until one of them agrees; I don't give a fuck. The same will go for any agent who would likewise oppose me, I will simply kill them until someone relents to my will on the matter. I just want to be left in peace, and wouldn't be satisfied with any other outcome; you know better than anyone else why if I will not be left alone I will start killing until I am left alone." Will responded with clear resolve.

"I do, Will. Trust me no one who knows what you're ultimately capable of wants that situation to come to pass." Sky replied clearly fearful at the mere thought of that sort of chain of events.

"Well everything went dark real quick." Nick commented jokingly trying to diffuse things.

"That it did, brother, and we came here to have a bit of fun. Say, Spike you got those rubber bullets?" Will asked the snow leopard who'd simply been listening to their exchange as his focus had been on the hole Will's Gauss rifle had put in the target.

"Yeah, here you go." Spike answered pulling two M1911 compatible magazines from a side pocket.

"Well, alright." Will said taking the magazines from him.

With that Will led the way back to the main building so he, and Layla could get vests. When they reached it he suggested everyone simply stay there so they could watch his, and Layla's 'sparring' match since there was a small bank of monitors that would show footage from the makeshift 'battle ground'. While Will, and Layla put on standard SWAT issue bullet proof vests then walked outside to retrieve Will's M1911's Lola explained as she turned on the monitors that for the most part her brother had been the one to build the simple wood, and concrete structures so he could teach her, and by extension the rest of the Ulfhaven Sheriff department the counter-terrorism tactics he'd learned both in special forces, and as a ZIA agent as well as how he'd set up all the cameras as further training aids.

Once they were outside the small setup of buildings that reminded Layla of the sort of simulation areas special forces routinely trained in Will went about connecting his phone to the bluetooth P.A. system he'd also set up using old air-raid sirens so they had some 'battle' music going. After they'd each taken up positions on opposite ends of the area Will hit play on his phone starting them off with 'L'Arena' by Ennio Morricone.

Everyone back in the main building could hear the music since the speakers set up in the upper corners of the building were connected to the same P.A. as a way to indicate the 'battle ground' was in use, and as Jack commented Will had chosen quite the fitting dueling soundtrack. They watched the screens as Will, and Layla each began stealthily picking their way through the buildings flitting from position to position. As the song shifted into 'L'estasi del Oro' also by Ennio Morricone they saw as Will, and Layla started selectively opening fire in random directions as if trying to spook out the other, before hastily moving since each gunshot gave away their positions.

They'd essentially circled each other, and were each hiding behind the corner of a building when "I Giorno Dell'Ira" by Riz Ortolani began playing. They each were down to their last round, and each knew it both from counting their shots, and counting the shots the other had made when they both stepped from behind their cover to face one another. They were almost like a pair of gunslingers as they stood off roughly twenty yards apart aiming squarely at each other's center of mass. While the song played it reminded them both of how often they'd thrown on tracks from old spaghetti westerns to spar to be it paw to paw, sword to sword, or as in this case pistol to pistol, and it put the both of them definitely in the sparring mood if the wagging of their tails was anything to go by. Staring down the sights of their respective pistols at the other, and likewise staring down how the other was aiming at them the tension between the two was nearly palpable. Just as the song was ending they each pulled the trigger with Layla's last shot striking true right where Will's heart was while his own went wide by a fair margin as he intentionally missed so incapable was his sub-conscious of taking even the nonlethal shot at the mother of his future kit.

"Well that was fun." Will called out to Layla as he approached her with a wide grin.

"You missed." Layla stated as she too walked towards him.

"I couldn't do it. Not to you my love, not this time when you're going to be mother to our kit." Will told her with ease as his eyes showed just how much it had pained him to even have been aiming at her.

Layla's eyes just widened in response as his words truly hit home, and she shook her head saying "Well, way to make me feel like shit, babe since I took my shot."

"But if I ever need to be put down, you need to have the strength to take that shot my love." Will responded as he reached her, and embraced her nuzzling into the side of her head.

"Fuck you." Layla said halfheartedly as tears filled her eyes, and she cried into him adding "How could I ever live with myself if I really had to do that?"

"I don't think that day will ever come, and I don't want it to." Will told her holding her as tight as he dared.

"Neither do I." Layla managed to say through her tears as Will simply held her.

Throughout their exchange the song that played was 'The Lonely Shepherd' by Zamfir, and as it continued to play Will simply rested his head against Layla's as she let out her emotions. As he held her Will couldn't help how the feelings that rippled through him compelled thoughts of the vows he wanted to make to her, and it was all he could do to hold them in knowing it would just be the next morning when he could voice them. Once she'd managed to calm down a bit Will moved so that with one arm he still held her to him, but with the free paw of the other he could lift up her muzzle first licking away her tears then kissing her which she responded to by grabbing him behind the head increasing the force with which their lips pressed against each other.

Back in the main building as everyone did their best to avert their gaze from the moment Will, and Layla were quite clearly having Sierra's phone started ringing, and grateful for the distraction she happily answered it.

"Hello. Oh, hey mom what's up?" Sierra said grinning as she saw her little sister's ears perk in curiosity.

"We're at the range, though I think we're about done here." Sierra answered to the question of where exactly they'd gone.

"Okay then, yeah I think we can take them off your paws for a bit. I'll run it by Will, and then give you a heads up when we're on our way." Sierra responded before hanging up.

At the look she got from both Lola, and Chelsea she explained "The micro-pack are getting a little restless while everyone is deciding how to go about tomorrow's reception, and are insisting on a Supreme Dairy run."

"Yes!" Sage exclaimed enthusiastically her tail wagging happily.

"We are so going." Lola said assertively swiftly pulling her keys out of her pocket.

"Supreme Dairy?" David asked tilting his head curiously.

"It's an Ulfhaven institution, and practically the most well known ice cream shop in the county." Holly explained with a grin.

"I guess I better give Jess a heads up that she's about to have her paws more full than they probably already are." Spike commented.

"So that's who your girlfriend is? Way to go Spike." Lola said holding up her paw for a high-paw which Spike gave her.

"Who's his girlfriend?" Will asked as he entered through the back door carrying the still pristine vest Layla had used, and his own which would just need the front plate insert replaced.

"I'm seeing Jessica." Spike answered evenly.

"Huh, cool. Right on, buddy." Will told him with a supportive smile then noting just how upbeat Sage, and Lola seemed inquired "What's got you two all perky eared, and bushy tailed?"

"We've got to go pick up the micro-pack, and make a Supreme Dairy run." Sophie explained.

"Fuck yeah! I could use some ice cream." Will responded with his own bit of enthusiasm before turning his attention back to Spike "So what's the damage for all the ammo, and what not?"

"Eh, two hundred should cover it, and that's mostly just for the replacement plate for that vest" Spike answered with a gesture towards the one Layla had worn.

With that they all went about turning in the gear they'd rented while Will after having given Spike three hundred bucks, and the magazines that'd held the rubber bullets, went back out side to pack up his Gauss rifle. He carried it in it's case with one paw while with the other he hefted 'Rose' which he rested muzzle upwards against his shoulder while Layla carried 'Dethtouch' along with his pistols, and together they made their way to his Shelby to stow all his weapons.

By the time they were done with that task, everyone else was out of the building, and were loading back into the vehicles they'd come in. In short order they were back on the road headed towards the Grimm family home though this time Will hung back so he was bringing up the rear while Lola took point. It didn't take them long to make the distance back to the long drive, and once they reached it Will pulled off to the side of the road with Sophie, and Sky following suit while Lola turned down the drive. After bumming a smoke from Layla since he needed to buy a new pack Will rolled down his window before lighting it then picked up his phone to get music going.

He was almost halfway through his cigarette by the time he'd found what he wanted to listen to, and thrown it together in a short playlist when Lola in her Mach One rumbled back down the long drive with Sierra in her work truck in tow. Will hit play then set his phone down, and used the left turn signal to indicate that he'd merge back onto the road which he did once Sierra following Lola had turned onto it. As 'Big Iron' by Marty Robbins filled his Shelby the back seat peanut gallery could not contain themselves.

"This is the kind of music my grandpa listens to." David noted obviously not complaining.

"Why am I not surprised mi hermano" Maria said with a bemused grin.

"I have a rather love-hate relationship with country music." Will said defensively before clarifying "I love this song, and others like it, but hate nearly everything else. It's the sound of the guitar, and western feel . . . other than the rare song out of the more modern stuff my mom listens to that kind of modern crap I just can't stand, and this isn't the only kind of music I tossed in this playlist."

As if to illustrate his point the next track that played was the cover of the '007 Theme' by The Ventures.

"Now this brings back memories." Layla said with a laugh.

"That yacht party in the Caspian Sea." Will replied glancing at her with a grin.

"Or that interagency get together in the South Purcific." Layla added casually.

"Ah, good times." Will stated agreeably.

"Do we even want to know?" Maria asked.

"The yacht party we had killed everyone by the time the song was done though it wasn't this version." Will answered bluntly.

"Let's just say it was thanks to his dancing on that beach that convinced Sky she should teach him." Layla added with a laugh.

"I am definitely a lover, but I sure as hell ain't no dancer" Will said with a carefree grin.

As the song shifted into "In the Orchard 2011" by Nick 13 their conversation sort of tapered off. With the pace Lola set which was fair albeit not quite what Will would've done they were back in Ulfhaven proper by the time the song was done. It was quite fortunate they managed to find parking at the curb of the main drag that put them all roughly in short walking distance to the ice cream parlor that was their destination.

It was not without a certain comical charm the way the cubs extricated themselves from Sierra's truck, and nearly swarmed Will as he'd barely managed to get himself out of his Shelby. No sooner did he drop to one knee so he could hug them each in greeting than they began peppering him with questions. He managed to quell their curiosity at least temporarily by simply saying "Ice cream first . . . or Custard . . ." which seemed to work rather effectively. Then they all had a laugh at the way his muzzle couldn't contain his drool, but he just used the back of his paw to wipe his muzzle then grinning ear to ear told them 'Come on let's go.'

After rising back up to his feet, and checking that everyone was out of the vehicles, and were converging on his position Will locked his Shelby the sound of which was followed by Lola, Sierra, Sophie, and Sky locking their respective vehicles. That done Will led the way to Supreme Dairy which was situated in a large fifties diner-esque building, the concrete structure accented with chrome, and neon. Though Will was first to reach the door, and open it Katarina placing her paw above his as she took his place allowed him to head in after the cubs with Layla.

"Hey, Will how's it going? You're gonna get your usual right?" a snow leopard behind the counter greeted him.

"Yeah, probably Jess, unless Lily's cooked up anything new." Will answered her unable to not grin in response to the look on ther muzzle as she registered the sheer number of mammals entering in behind him.

"Actually she did. We've got prickly pear, and agave." Jessica responded before adding "Spike really wasn't kidding when he said you'd be bringing a small army."

"Okay, I'm sold on those plus my usual, but see about these hell raisers first hehehe they're the reason we're here anyway." Will replied mirthfully.

"Uncle Will!" the distinct voice of Dakota called out to him causing him to turn towards her where she was sitting with her mom waving at him happily.

"Hey, sweet heart. Guess we can't help, but run into each other huh?" Will said to her giving her a warm smile as he got down on one knee, and held his arms open.

Proving as ever to be quite quick for her size, and age Dakota crossed the distance between the two. As she collided into him knowing full well he'd stop her momentum Will easily engulfed her in an embrace giving the top of her head a light nuzzle. After he set her down, and she let him go Dakota went over to say hi to the micro-pack in particular Kara who like her was more on the athletic side.

"Do yourself a favor brother, don't just get the blueberry; get the vanilla, lemon, or something else to go with it." Will said to Nick turning towards him as he stood back up before turning towards Layla asking her with a knowing grin "See anything that looks good, babe?"

"I don't know where to start. What's your usual?" Layla asked in reply hoping he'd lend a machete to her intellectual thicket so to speak.

"My usual is a green tea, and lemon milkshake thanks to those darn Snarlbucks shaken iced teas. Though that reminds me . . ." Will answered her though he trailed off in thought.

Before Will could voice his thought a feminine voice called out tentatively "Layla?"

That caught both of their attentions like hooks in a fish, and they turned towards the sound of the voice. As Will's gaze settled on who it undoubtedly was he noted that she was an arctic vixen who barely looked past her fifties if that. She had gotten up from where she'd been sitting with who no doubt was her husband an arctic tod who having likewise turned towards them was showing his age a little bit more than his mate, but it seemed to give him a certain charm one might associate with a professor, or doctor.

"Mom? Dad?" Layla said her voice wavering as she gripped Will's arm as if her life depended on it while she partially tried to hide behind him.

"Oh, honey . . . " Layla's adoptive mother nearly whined taking a short step forward, and Will couldn't help the way he moved his arm which his vixen seemed to be wrapping herself around forwards encouragingly.

That encouragement slight though it was seemed to do the trick as both vixens approached each other meeting in an embrace.

"I'm so sorry." Layla said nearly in tears as she buried her muzzle in her adoptive mother's ruff.

"It's okay; Alice told us you had your reasons." Her mother responded unable to keep the emotions welling in her out of her voice.

"I should've talked to you myself . . . I could've called you months ago . . ." Layla told her mom unable to not cry.

"Sweet heart none of that matters" Her father told her reassuringly as he crossed the distance between them, and wrapped his arms around the both of them adding "We're just so happy to see you now after all these years."

It wasn't easy for Will to watch their reunion without tears of his own filling his eyes, both because he could feel what his mate was going through, and because he understood what the three foxes were going through. When he'd returned home just over a year ago it'd been much the same story between him, and the rest of his family. As much as he wanted to give them their well deserved moment he also was very much interested in meeting Layla's parents, and as he was thinking of just what to say to break the proverbial ice Layla seemed to have a similar notion.

"Mom, Dad." Layla said to them recovering her composure a bit "I know you have a lot of questions, and there's a lot we should talk about, but first there's someone I need you to meet."

"This is William Grimm my mate, and soon to be husband." Layla introduced him reaching her right paw back towards him which he stepped forward to wrap his left around as he moved beside her.

"I'm glad I finally get to meet the two of you. So what brings you to Ulfhaven?" Will asked with a friendly grin extending his free paw towards her father first.

"The name's John." Layla's father introduced himself firmly as he gripped Will's offered paw "We're here on vacation; a couple days off sounded good, and we've always heard Ulfhaven was a place worth visiting. You're that cop all my students have been going on about who really hates specieists."

"Oh, I do John maybe more than most, but it's just basic Ulfhavener logic that it's not the fur on a mammals hide that trully matters, it's who they are underneath it." Will replied as he shook the elder tod's paw.

"I'm Martha" Layla's mother said grinning brightly as she took Will's paw in her own when he offered it to her "I've heard some of my fellow nurses say a bit more about you than that. So when is the wedding?"

"Tomorrow morning" Will answered her easily.

"That soon?" John asked a little taken aback with one eyebrow raised.

"I should've asked her to marry me years ago, it's something we should've done sooner, but I wasn't ready then." Will replied honestly with clear sincerity as he turned his head looking lovingly at his mate.

"I would've told you no, back then." Layla said as if pointing out a fact he was glossing over. When she saw how his muzzle utterly fell at that she looked at him as if he were overreacting adding hastily "I would've said it for the same reason you never asked. I don't think we could be here today like we are without going through what we did both together, and apart."

"That is true, my love." Will nodded his expression lifting before he added looking at her with unconcealed passion "Now we have a future worth fighting for."

"You . . ." Layla said to him unable to hide how it effected her to hear him refer to their future kit like that "Behave."

"So just how long have you two known each other?" John asked them, and Martha added with excited curiosity "Yes, and how did you two meet?"

"We should sit down for that." Will suggested gesturing back towards the table Layla's parents had occupied.

While her parents moved over towards their table Will grabbed an unoccupied chair so he, and Layla could sit. With merely a look between him, and Lola she, and Sierra both got the message 'Take point while I'm preoccupied.' each of them giving him short nods in return. He gave them both a grin displaying his gratitude before chair in paw turning towards where Layla's parents were. After setting the chair down at the table, and sitting in it Layla with simple ease occupied his lap.

"To answer your question John; Layla, and I have known each other for about four years give or take." Will started them off casually

"We met when we were both offered positions in the same unit. The way things worked out more often than not I was the one spotting for him, and that sort of grew our friendship until before we knew it we were so much more." Layla did her best to answer her mother's question her voice tinged with a nervousness Will picked up on.

"We've been through a lot together most of which is the kind of classified we can't discuss here" Will told them understanding why Layla was nervous since there was much that needed to be said, and most of it behind very closed doors "For now at least we'll tell you what we can of the important parts."

"You two have been mates for a while haven't you?" John inquired appraising how Will, and Layla's body language played off each other.

"I guess you could say that. The specifics on just how long don't really matter to me." Will responded with a shrug before clarifying "What matters is that we'll face whatever is ahead of us together."

"It's been what, two and a half years?" Layla asked looking back at Will who only shrugged in response before turning back to her parents "I know bonds like ours don't happen over night, and ours certainly didn't, but . . . I can no longer think of him as anything other than My Wolf, and I am His Vixen."

"In this life I am Her's, and she is Mine." Will stated in agreeance with her

"You mentioned Layla that you two've spent time apart." Her mother said leaving the question open ended.

"That we did . . ." Layla replied with clear unease that Will responded to by burying his muzzle in her ruff as he wrapped his arms around her, and she in turn lifted her left paw to the side of his head before continuing "We've only been back together for almost a month. The reasons why are classified, but last year I was wounded very badly, and if it weren't for his blood in my veins I would not be here right now. While I was unconscious he took it upon himself to leave me in order to protect me for reasons which again are classified."

"Which is just to say ask us again behind closed doors, and we'll tell you more. We've already gone through most of these things with my family so there's no reason not to bring you into the fold." Will said looking up at both of them before he turned his head at the approach of someone quite familiar to him at least.

"Here you go, Will. Your secret menu special." A particularly small, and elfin for a grey she-wolf said with a smile as she set a bowl in front of him containing one sizeable scoop each of a pink ice cream, and an amber one.

"Well thank you Lily, but you didn't have to just bring it out to me." Will said to her smiling back at the she-wolf whose, beside her narrower skull and slightly more elongated ears, most differentiating feature from normal grey wolves was just how purely grey her markings were as well as how that grey was of near identical hue as Judy s to the point the lapine doe if naked could've easily camouflaged herself by holding still against Lily s back.

"But I did. You're the reason I even made these flavors so of course I want your input first paw." Lily responded putting her paws on her hips though her smile stayed in place, and her tail wagged playfully as she added "Besides you're my number one taste tester. Who else would've helped me perfect the smoked salmon flavor that is now part of our regular menu?".

"Fair enough hehe" Will replied with a light chuckle as he went about getting a spoonful first of the prickly pear.

"So you're the one to thank for this wonderful flavor I never knew I needed until I tried it?" Martha asked Lily enthusiastically.

"Well, for that one yes, and thank you. I'm glad you enjoy it." Lily answered happily before adding "Will here deserves some of the credit though, even if he doesn't want it. I wouldn't have had the courage to convince the owner to let me try making new flavors if it weren't for him, and some of our more popular newer flavors were his idea like the sarsparilla, or the brown butter cookie."

"So what else is on this secret menu?" Layla asked catching Lily's attention.

"Well not much right now. All I've really made recently besides the prickly pear, and the agave are red bean, and honey whiskey." Lily responded counting on her paw before her ears perked as she had a thought which she said to Will "Ooh, that reminds me Will. I've got a couple gallons of those, and some other stuff earmarked for you in your stash."

"Did you just say honey whiskey?" Layla asked incredulously clearly salivating at the thought.

"Uh-huh, it was one of the first flavors he suggested along with the black rum. It's been really popular with everyone who's tried it, but he's been bribing me to keep it on the secret menu." Lily replied easily.

"Lily, you are talking to the reason for those bribes." Will told her having swallowed his first taste of the agave ice cream adding "Also these two flavors right here have me back in the mojave, quest complete. I'll see to it you get your caps. By the way please tell me in with those earmarked gallons at least is one, or two of pumpkin."

"Wait..." Lily responded incredulously with her eyes as wide as saucers "So you're telling me the reason you . . . broke down like you did after the first successful batch, the reason you howled like you did for a week straight when you came home, and the reason you had that plushie made . . . damn, now I can see the resemblance . . . wasn't because your mate died?"

"No, I didn't die thanks to his blood in my veins." Layla answered the clearly flabbergasted she-wolf "As we were trying to explain to my parents, after he was sure I would recover he left me in order to protect me at least to the best of his ability given what information he had at paw; the reasons for which are the kind of classified that could get us killed for disclosing. You can even ask the vixen, and striped rabbit buck over there since we used to work with them."

Lily wasn't the only one taken aback by just how blunt, and nonchalant Layla was as Martha, and John's expressions showed. With her ears folded back Lily started to ask the pertinent question clearly confused "But how could leaving you . . ."

"Protect her when I'm this big bad wolf who can rip just about any mammal smaller than me apart?" Will cut her off, and he couldn't help grinning at the way Lily's muzzle twisted in horror at the suggestion, and disbelief that he really could, or would do such a thing "The short answer is that I am the higher priority target the reasons for which are classified. Bottom line though is that's all in the past we can't change it only deal with it, and move forward."

"I think we've both done a decent job of dealing with it, now that we're back together anyway, and as for moving forward well we're definitely doing that too." Layla said with a grin as she reached up with her left paw to stroke his muzzle.

"That's not funny Will, and even for you was a poor joke. I can't even picture you of all mammals doing that." Lily said just shaking her head at him.

"I wasn't joking." Will told her idly as he pressed into Layla's touch adding "It's true Lily I'd rather cut off my own arm then to do something like that to a mammal like Kate, or even Judy over there; I am still that wolf. There are other sorts of mammals who walk this earth however, the kind it really does feel good to butcher. For example there once was a desert wolf who snuck into the compound of a family of desert foxes Layla, and I were staying with. Their youngest daughter was barely old enough to go into her first heat, and he raped her. He essentially killed her with his cock so I tore off his arms, and bit off his head. She died in my arms . . ."

"That's actually one of our lighter horror-stories. I'm never going to forget it though because as he, and her mother wept over her body I saw his wings for the first time." Layla said before commandeering Will's spoon, and helping herself to some of the ice cream in front of him.

"That's horrible . . . that poor kit . . ." Martha said in shock her eyes welling with tears

"There will always be mammals who walk this earth that think nothing of being unnecessarily cruel, that think it's just fine to murder, or kidnap and sell others, or in general harm them at whim. In turn the world will always need two types of mammals to fight the good fight against them. The first are like Judy over there who will never stoop as low as the worst in order to bring them to justice - they fight fire with water so to speak. The second are the ones like me who will cross the lines a mammal like Judy never would because we know it's necessary - we fight fire with fire." Will responded resolutely, but it was clear in his undertone, the way he spoke of Judy, that he valued her position more than his own which was the truth; as much as Will would always argue the necessary utility of mammals in his camp so to speak, he knew as much as he felt that ultimately Judy, and those like her were if nothing else morally purer, but this was precisely why he'd pointed out that both were necessary.

"Do you like killing?" John asked Will the ever pertinent question.

"It's true there've been mammals I've truly enjoyed killing because of their crimes, and due to circumstances I was the only one in a position to act as justiciar, but that isn't to say I'm all sunshine, and rainbows about just how blood drenched I am. I eat my veggies, and nearly killed myself trying to live off of beans and rice for a reason." Will answered again his tone revealing much of how he really felt; honesty had been the full undercurrent in his words, but there was a bite to the way he said 'sunshine, and rainbows' as if he found the connotation of being such in regards to the subject at paw most egregious.

"How often do things like that really happen to cubs?" Lily asked partially morbidly curious, partially hesitant to hear the answer.

Will's initial response to that was simply to turn, and look her in the eye as her question caused a part of him to relive things that haunted him the most. Her response to the darkness in his eyes that seemed to bore through her caused her to quite visibly move back in fear, and a certain horror. "More often than you really want to know, and because there will always be mammals who do such things there will never truly be an end to it. There will always be some dark corner in even a place like Ulfhaven where such things, and worse happen to the innocent. There's a particular tenor to those sorts of cries in pain; once you've heard them you'll never be able to forget, and simply hearing them will tell you everything about what's happening to the one crying out. Yes, Lilyana sweet flower there are males who actually enjoy the sound of such cries, and they do get off on it . . . who would fault me for eviscerating such males, and eating their livers when I have found them?"

"Wolfie Baby, listen to me. I need you to calm down for me, baby, can you do that? Jack is going to start tranqing you to keep you quiet for your own good." Layla said to him almost turning completely around on his lap, and pulling his muzzle lower so his eyes met hers as she stroked the side of his face before she said to the other three mammals around them "We need a subject change."

"I agree . . ." Layla's mom said with clear awkwardness as she tried to think of something else to say, but fortunately an obvious question presented itself so she asked "So how did you two get back together?"

"Yeah, I bet that's quite the story." Lily added nodding enthusiastically both out of genuine curiosity, and gratefulness to be off the subject they'd wound up on.

"Well it starts with the video you can find on Zootube of my wolf saving a lion cub from a tree the hard way." Layla said with a grin starting off the tale "If Adam hadn't shown that to me, informed me that so long as we stay under the radar we'll be left alone, and given me the encouragement he did I wouldn't have come to Zootopia at all."

"Fun fact that cub happens to also be named William, and is the son of one of my colleagues." Will added with a genuine smile before telling Layla as he turned his muzzle down towards her "You put it that way, and I really owe Rev alot. Next time we come up this way he's coming with us even if I have to stuff him in the trunk. He'd be a total hit up here especially with the females."

"So where were you before you went to Zootopia?" Layla's dad asked.

"I was in Deutschland specifically Berlin." Layla answered with a grin in fond remembrance of the city.

"There's actually a male who'd get your vote? I want to hear more about this Adam." Lily said to Will clearly surprised, and curious.

"Well I'll at least show you what he looks like." Will responded pulling out his phone, and pulling up a photo of the full CLAWS unit he showed it to her telling her 'He's the ocelot'.

"I see what you mean, he is kinda handsome, and if that's the way he usually dresses I can think of a few girls who'd give him more than just the time of day." Lily commented before asking as Will showed Layla's parents the photo since they too were curious "What about that grey wolf?"

"Jack Jaeger, and John Gunner who is the tiger are both dead. Don't ask, it's classified and I don't want to talk about it." Will answered.

"Anyway, where were we?" Layla said as a way to get them back to the topic at paw with it quite clear she was as unwilling to discuss the loss of their friends as Will was.

"So you were in Berlin before you hunted me down?" Will asked her raising an eyebrow both to likewise get them back on topic, and out of genuine curiosity since he never really thought to ask just where she'd specifically been before entering Zootopia.

"Yes, It took most of the next day after Adam, and I had our talk for me to finally get in touch with Alice. All I really needed was a place to stay while I tracked you down, and figured out just how I wanted to make contact." Layla answered.

"For a week she just waited, and watched my ass. I didn't find out till after she made contact with me that she'd been staying literally two floors above one of my coworkers where I'd spent a few nights." Will added with clear humor.

"I remember Alice's call telling us she'd heard from you. We were all so relieved to hear you were okay; it was hard sometimes not to think the worst had happened to you." Layla's mom told her reaching out her right paw to clasp Layla's left.

"There are worse things than death even a slow one, and like I said if it weren't for his blood nearly replacing all of mine I wouldn't be here." Layla responded grimly, but she added with a soft smile "We've been so lucky in such ways that I kinda think the Mother is looking out for us a little bit."

"If this wonderful one-in-a-million vixen really had died that night I loathe to think of the sort of monster I'd have sunk into. I wouldn't be known for saving lives like I've become known for at all, quite the opposite in fact." Will said resting his muzzle on top of her head in-between her ears.

"So how did you 'make contact' with him?" Layla's father asked clearly finding that way of putting it a little odd.

"Well . . ." Will started, but trailed off clearly reluctant to directly answer that question.

"I dosed him." Layla said with a shrug.

"You drugged him? With what?" Her mother asked raising an eyebrow.

"Babe, let me answer this." Will said to Layla who he felt nod under his chin.

"Okay, hear me out first before you have a knee-jerk reaction" Will said with calm seriousness "Remember I left her all alone in a foreign country with nothing but a note, a knife albeit a really big one, and the doc to tell her what happened. What she dosed me with was Wild Card, ten times the normal amount to be exact."

At that Layla's parent's eyes widened in shock, and Lily couldn't help her outburst "What the fuck?!"

"That's way more than a lethal amount." Martha said sternly scowling at Layla who was unappolagetic.

"I wasn't finished." Will told them returning Martha's scowl with one of his own "The night she nearly died I had just as much of the stuff in my system, never got any counteragent, and did just fine. That stuff doesn't effect me in entirely the same way it effects normal wolves. For me it's a battle drug, and being on it makes it easier for me to kill more than you can fathom; kind of like giving an engine some nitrous oxide right in the fuel injection system. Layla did what she did partly to get back at me for leaving her like I did which given the circumstances is perfectly fair, she knew full well it wouldn't kill me, and no one else knows better just how dangerous that stuff can make me which is the bigger reason for why she did it; I, and the good mammals I serve alongside both needed to know that I can go into that sort of mind-state, and keep myself from being a threat to anyone. Admittedly it was the efforts of my partner Autumn, and Alice that helped deescalate the situation much faster than otherwise would've happened."

"That really is the main reason I did it. I knew he'd joined the police both because doing good is what he strives for, and he was trying to get away from all the killing. Especially after how he nearly lost it at the mall the Saturday before I dosed his tea, I knew it was the way I should let him know that I was around. Time, and time again I've seen him get pushed around innocents, and he shuts down his responses to protect them, but he'd never had to do it under that sort of extreme." Layla added speaking for herself.

"I've seen what he's like when he does shut down his reactions to certain things, he does do that." Lily said frowning more at the memory of how she knew that than anything.

"You don't have to understand it. The bottom line is that it's in the past now, and we've moved on; there are more important things." Will said to Layla's parents seeing how they both looked confused as they processed everything.

"If you've really been through more than what you've already mentioned, and I'm not sure I want to know any more than what you've said so far, it makes sense you'd forgive each other." John said then asked Will "I've got one question though. Just how are you still alive?"

"That's simple. I have a really high drug tolerance. On the one paw it's kinda cool that stuff like tranq darts don't really effect me unless they're super strength, or someone uses a lot of them; Jack over there could empty the tranq pistol he's carrying into me, and I'd only get kinda drowsy and want a nap. On the other paw, generic pain killers like acetaminophen, or aspirin don't do shit." Will answered easily.

"Mmm, I must say this Agave ice cream is really good Lily." Layla complemented the she-wolf as she scooped up what was left of said frozen treat, and put it in her mouth.

"Hey! Get your own!" Will told Layla indignantly, but with a grin of good humor.

"I think I will." Layla replied grinning back at him deviously before she slid off his lap, and took Lily by the paw saying "The only thing I need with more of that prickly pear, and agave is some of this honey whiskey ice cream rumored to exist somewhere in this mighty temple."

"I'd be more than happy to get you hooked up." Lily responded with a friendly smile.

With that the pair of them were off as Lily lead Layla towards the double doors to the back clearly not minding it a single iota that they were paw in paw as her tail lightly wagged.

"She ate all my agave, and left me with the cactus" Will said looking down at what was left of his ice cream with a dejected frown before he looked back up at her parents, and grinned broadly with a light laugh then got a healthy spoonful of said prickly pear.

"At least it was the fruit, and not the spines." John joked with him before asking "So you're from here aren't you?"

"Born, and raised." Will answered about to go on when there was a rather feminine giggle that caused his ears to perk up, and the right one to twitch in clear evidence of it's effect on him as he turned around to lock his gaze on the source of the familiar sound.

"I am doomed. Doomy-doom Doomed." Will said absentmindedly in a way not entirely dissimilar to a beloved cartoon robot with a proclivity for tacos clearly seeing from their body language that it was Layla flirting with her that caused Lily to make that sound.

"Hey, Will who makes this stuff?" Nick asked him which turned his attention to his vulpine brother, who had a dreamy look on his muzzle, where he was sitting with Judy a couple tables away.

"See that she-wolf that looks like an angel from Ulfheim standing next to mein engelfuchs?" Will asked in response.

"Well she definitely is quite the sight I suppose." Nick said the look the tod leveled at Judy communicating that he preferred lingering his eyes over her form.

"She makes just about everything since she's the current recipe meister, but what you really want is the small batch stuff she makes. You haven't lived until you've tasted the Fudging Suicide next to the Peanut-butter Nirvana. You will feel samsara's shackles fall away I promise." Will explained with a grin to his vulpine brother.

"Well this blueberry cheesecake is pretty damn good." Nick commented with an appreciating nod.

"This pumpkin with honeysuckle swirl is amazing. I am in bunny heaven." Judy agreed a dreamily satisfied look on her muzzle.

"Hold on a sec. Please forgive me" Will said turning back to John, and Martha quickly before in a blur of motion he was out of his chair and halfway towards Lily, and Layla.

"Uh, Sweetest Lily you failed to mention this honeysuckle notion you had. You have piqued my interest." Will said to her as he eliminated the distance between them.

"It came to me in a dream with Serendipity. I was torn between mixing it with carrot, or pumpkin. I ended up using the pumpkin first since I'd already made some. I'm just waiting for the shipment of carrots to arrive. I found the perfect supplier, and he grows so many different things. He is worth the break in tradition, and outsourcing to; I am totally buying more stuff from him next season." Lily answered turning towards him a little nervously as she realized herself having been flirting back with his vixen.

"Now that must be quite the farmer, but more to my point. What does a fang devil such as myself have to do for some of this delectable sounding confection?" Will replied licking his muzzle with his hunger plain to see.

"I can think of a few uses we can put him towards." Layla said with a lascivious grin as she put a paw on her hips before saying to Lily "I've heard stories about how staunch loca-vores Ulfhaveners are, so who is this Mister-Green-Thumb?"

"Aheh..." Lily gave a short cough caught off guard by Layla's insinuation before she answered "Well he may not be the biggest name in the tri-county area outside Zootopia, but he certainly proved to be the honest business mammal I'd heard he was. I was willing to pay him double for what he had just because of the transport costs involved, but he wouldn't hear it; He runs the Hopps family farms out of Bunny Burrow."

"You're kidding?" Judy exclaimed loud enough to be heard over the laughter of Will, Nick, and Layla then a bit quieter added as she pulled out her phone "Give me a sec."

"Daddy." Judy said into her phone as it was answered with the dwindling laughter of her fox, and Will carrying in the background "Did you sell some produce to an ice cream shop in Ulfhaven."

There was a pause as Stu who was on the other end answered his daughter, and her muzzle showed she liked very much what she was hearing.

"Okay Dad, well I'm here in Ulfhaven, and this she-wolf . . . I will send pictures." Judy said to her dad her tone laced with amazement before quickly hanging up.

In an impressive display of reflexes Judy had swiped at her phone pulling up the camera which clicked first as she got a shot of her ice cream, then one of her beaming muzzle, and finally she rushed over to Lily who already seeing the lapine doe's wavelength had gotten down on one knee and opened her arms ready for a selfie that Judy promptly took as well as one, much to several mammals' surprise, where she gave Lily a peck on the cheek which got quite the goofy grin from the she-wolf. After that she thanked Lily then returned to the table she was sitting at with Nick, and tapped away at her phone sending the photos to her dad.

"I think it's safe to say Lilyana that you have made a new friend for life; I swear you have always had the luck with rabbits, and hares that I do with cats." Will said to her with a broad grin before adding "I will gladly be put to whatever uses you think of."

"More like she has a friend for life in me." Lily replied with a smile before she folded her ears back to hide the blush in them as she said to him while turning to Layla "I guess we'll have to think of something, won't we?"

"What he'll actually object to has always been the shorter list, so that much is easy." Layla responded with a grin before turning towards him, and giving him a look he understood without trying so he sat back at the table with her parents honestly, and of his own accord, wanting to get to know them as well as let them get to know him.

"So . . ." John started before keeping his tone mild as he kept the question in his words open "Layla thinks you have wings, and now so many canids think that you're the father incarnate."

Will couldn't help grinning at that though it was the sort of grin that was more an unvoiced snarl before he responded icily "Think. Oh, yes. It's all just thoughts."

"Give me your paws, pad up." He told them both not giving them room to respond, and he put his own paws pad side up on the table in demonstration of what he wanted them to do. When they had obeyed albeit tentatively he gave them a reassuring smile that wasn't all that reassuring before he moved his paws over theirs with a couple inch gap between telling them "This will feel cold. Do not pull away."

From there it was a simple thing to start pulling chi from each of them, and he kept his eyes on theirs waiting for the telltale sign that they felt it. When both of their eyes widened he smiled in satisfaction then brought his paws down on their's reversing the flow of chi thereby giving back what he'd taken plus a little extra.

Keeping his grip on their paws he then explained "There is more to life than what most experience or can conceive of experiencing, so I forgive you for your misspeaking, and implying that metaphysical reality is merely illusion, just tricks of the mind. Because my nature is what it is I have no choice but to be aware of things most mortals, mundanes like you, simply don't even need to bother with. To be specific by my nature I mean a psychic vampire, yes we're real, and the truth of us is stranger than the fiction. It is also true that I have wings, perhaps if I get to playing with the cubs in my family you will see them; you can ask Sage the coyote over there, cubs bring them out like nothing else. Now, am I the Father of Wolves? If I claim to be wise then surely I am a fool, so I will only admit to you that I am who, and what I am as I have always been and will always be; whether, or not the world believes me to be the Father incarnate changes nothing of what I am, or the fact that I am as mortal as you are. I may be stronger than you in ways you cannot comprehend, but I am riddled with weakness in equal measure. No one knows those weaknesses better, or has more command over me than Layla because my heart is in her paws; Now only Death will part me from her."

"Having said that, I guess I should explain a bit of how the truth is so very different than the fiction." He said having noted their continued silence which he assumed was at least partially due to fear "First, and foremost what makes us what we are is our need to feed as it were. You see there's normal mammals like you, in tune with the energies of the universe there is a constant give, and take between you and your environment. You don't take notice of it because there is no need for you to. You're in the middle, then on one side you have those who naturally produce energy like a spring, or to be scientific a white hole. Completing the triumvirate you have us, those who in balance to those springs of chi must consume chi to even function at a level on par with you unaware in the middle. That our need is thus, and so defines us is extremely important to keep in mind because you could learn to do what we do, even pass yourself off as one of us, and that is something we discourage with extreme prejudice. I should also mention there are differences among us, for example some get the chi they need through blood where others more easily get their chi from nature, or I for example incubus that I am feed easier during sex; what I am meaning by this is not that we're limited to only those sources, but that it is easier for us to process the chi from these sources than say others. While we're on this subject let me make it very clear that it is possible for us to kill with our nature, take enough chi to make someone's heart stop, and to do so is worse to us than cannibalization is; and not just for the wasting of food either because ever taking that much is simply never necessary even if we were starving unto death. We rely on the life of others to maintain our own which obligates us to see that their life is safeguarded especially from us. Of course we have an even worse crime, and that is to have used our nature even inadvertently and thereby caused the death of the unborn, or young in general; not even willingly comitting hara-kiri without a kaishaku is enough to even begin atoning for such a crime. Speaking of starving for chi, which is something thanks to our need that we uniquely know, what makes me as well as my fellow vampyric angels incarnate stronger than any other vampyr, is that due to the nature of the chains that keep us in these fleshy vessels, chains that are the vessels themselves, we can starve for chi like you wouldn't believe, and not die, or suffer much ailment from it. We simply would weaken, and weaken to the point mundanes like you would be stronger than us; of course being mortal we could die while starving, that is a possibility for us as much as it is normal vampyr."

"Ya know there's one thing ya didn't mention, dear brother." Sierra said having slunk up to his right shoulder which in causing him to turn his head shifting his focus to her caused him to note how there were several sets of ears turned his way though it only exteneded to the few tables around them thanks to the normal din of the place.

"If mammals are truly curious, and want to educate themselves they can Zoogle it." He responded making it obvious he was addressing the eavesdroppers, unintentional or otherwise, instead of her.

"Oh, but this is so very important. How mundanes in their denial of things they cannot perceive spread their blindness, to the point that some never even learn that they are what they are be it like us, or a well-spring of chi. Let alone how their lack of understanding leaves us utterly alone no matter where we go, or how surrounded we are." Sierra said with thinly veiled malice adding venomously "Just how much can they be forgiven for all the damage they do in that?"

"As much as is needed within due reason, Sierra, as well you know. Souls reincarnate so they learn; even if it takes eons." He responded his ears erect as he frowned, his muzzle expression showing how unusual it was for her to ever get so vicious, and because it was seemingly out of nowhere despite the pushable button she'd highlighted with her words he felt the need to ask her concernedly "Sister, are you alright? Do you need to feed?"

"Maybe?" She answered her muzzle contorting in confusion as she asked "Just what did I say?"

"You pointed out how mundanes in their blindness propagate it unto those like us who need to see, and those who are our opposites alike as well as how their blindness leaves those of us who see utterly alone. You were particularly venomous in your implication that they no longer be forgiven as they are since they know not what they do." He answered her noting how her eyes widened in shock.

"It is a tragedy, but that is precisely why forgiveness is called for albeit within reason; unaware or not of the harm they cause they still bear responsibility if the harm is grave enough." Sierra said her entire muzzle expression, and posture broadcasting her horror, while the sincerity of her tone conveyed that these were the words she truly meant.

"So, where did that come from anyway?" He asked fully understanding how sometimes they as vampyr said things unintentionally that were caustic to say the least.

Her eyes got a far off look as she thought about the answer before they widened again, and she then closed them as she shook her head as if the answer pained her saying "The reason is no excuse."

"If it's the reason, then it is the reason. Reason is not excuse." He couldn't help responding to that adamantly since he took similar umbridge to the conflation of those two things, much as he did with 'Think' or 'Believe', and 'Know'.

"Those words were not my own." She asserted before shaking her head again, and he could see that she was holding back tears.

"Sierra." He said to her reaching out for her left paw with his right, and grasping it continued "Sierra, my sister. It's alright. You don't have to speak of it if it is that kind of hurt."

"That's just it Will." Sierra told him opening her eyes to bore them into his, and the sadness in them was like a new knife to the same deep part of him that was still bleeding over being unable to be a father for his cub with Lola as she added "The hurt isn't mine either."

Seeing the way she looked like she might break down there and then his body on sheer reflex was faster than his thought processes as he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her onto his lap embracing her. Her response was to wrap her arms around him in return, and bury her muzzle into his neck. Feeling the warmth of her tears as they seeped into his fur it took knowing it was the absolute wrong thing to say to keep him from asking who it was that she was in pain for, and so he just held her tighter.

"Well what happened here?" Came Layla's voice full of concern as she returned carrying a decently sized bowl full of ice cream.

"Sierra, what's wrong?" Lily asked her voice likewise full of compassion, her entire posture radiating her own concern for the red she-wolf who was extended family.

"The link she has with someone acted up." He did his best to explain in Sierra's stead the situation such as he understood it.

"Linked . . . so we are . . ." Sierra said with a sniffle as if that were an epiphany before telling them "There are some things we just can't talk about, that we must keep to ourselves alone - this one is mine; since my awakening began I have had visions of a pair of eyes, and through them I have watched a soul turn from a lighthouse fire wanting only for a mirror to project it's light into an ember buried in ash . . . an ember that refuses to die as it tries to eat that ash for fuel . . ."

At that though she shook her head such that she could without breaking her nuzzle for comfort into his neck then asked him with her tone making it clear she wanted as far away from this subject as possible "Can we go to the beach?"

"We're loading the micro-pack up on sugar. Where else would I take them? So they can run it off." He responded to her rhetorically though his voice was warm like a fire on a rainy night before laughing with clearly fatherly mirth.

"Thank you" Sierra responded pulling away from him, and giving him a smile the raincloud that had invaded her having been dispelled.

"I see why you call them a micro-pack." John commented with a smile leaning over in his glance their way as he spoke before saying in an effort to get them on a lighter subject "Your family is a pretty sizable one."

"Haha, not really; I mean my pack alone almost doubles our numbers." He responded to that with a light laugh adding "And at that it's the grey-wolf branch that have the numbers."

"Branch?" Martha asked tilting her head in curiosity explaining "You're a pure arctic wolf, she's a pure red wolf, and those are pure grey wolves. Wouldn't that mean you're all family by marriage?"

"Oh, no we're all related by blood, and it goes back to the founding of Ulfhaven." Will answered his ears perking up as he grinned.

"Really?" John asked, and it was obvious that his attention was on the chance to learn more of Ulfhaven's history.

"Haha, prepare yourselves for long-winded grandfather mode." Layla joked at his expense which got a laugh out of both Sierra, and Lily.

"Hey, I am not a grandfather yet." He responded laughing with her because he knew full well how long-winded he could get given half a chance on certain subjects.

Having turned back towards her parents he missed the look on her muzzle from her noting the figurative door he'd opened with that 'yet' as he began explaining "The first Grimm who founded Ulfhaven never actually took a mate, and only brought a pawful of arctic wolves with him from where it was he came; most with him were grey wolves. The second Grimm was born from the sole red wolf bitch he brought with him who herself is also Sierra's ancestor; the second Grimm in a journey back to where the First had come found his mate there, and along with her brought back more arctic wolves. The cubs of the second Grimm split with one finding their mate among the arctic wolf population and carrying on the main line while the other was absorbed into, and then became the alpha of a branch of the Frost tribe who are the native wolves of this land which is the origin of my cousin Holly's family. Now all of this happened towards the end of what is called the viking era about a thousand years ago. In the intervening millenia there were periods where interbreeding was common, and periods where genetic purity was valued; so while now we all are fundamentally purebreeds of our respective species we carry bits of each other's genetics. For example the reason my fraternal twin Lola and I are so tall is due to recessive grey wolf genetics, and the reason Lily looks like she does is due to recessive arctic wolf genes that worked their way into the main Frost line. Sadly those branch families that would bear proof to how we are all interconnected have died out in much the same way the Grimm family has dwindled down to my dad, and his brothers with only my cousin Derek, Lola, and I set to carry on the line such as we are."

"To add onto that." Sierra chimed in "The reason I look like I do, and according to the stories the second Grimm whose name was Eirik did as well, is due to arctic wolf genes as well. Also further immigration of arctic, and red wolves has kept us from becoming too inbred while maintaining that genetic purity . . . gods I hate saying it like that . . . it implies there was ever a point after the first Grimm where interspecies breeding was frowned upon which just isn't the Ulfhavener way."

"You know we've been hearing about this 'Ulfhavener Way' a bit these past few days; the more I hear the more I wonder where the rest of the world has been even with the Great Peace, and what Fox Hollow could learn from you." Martha commented with a smile.

"Our Ulfhavener Way, or Ulfhavener Logic just boils down to the example the first Grimm set for us, and how he proved it with Ulfhaven. He refused to recognize the reasons each species would keep to itself, and wasn't afraid to use his fangs against those who challenged him on that. Not that he ever had to much, it didn't take very long at all for mammals to realize his way benefited them greatly; his introduction of better sea fishing techniques alone in bolstering our food supply was enough for every other predator to listen to him, but then with how he guaranteed, and proved the safety of all prey entering what was his village for trade which flourished his words were truly Heard by all. Trade, and an even more stable food supply for us preds though is only part of it; What they don't teach us of our history in school is how those secret friendships, and pair bondings between species the first Grimm welcomed, and harbored with open arms because they were the true proof of his Way. We take it for granted that interspecies relationships are just a thing here, but he gave inters a home where anywhere else on the planet even to this day they get shunned if not killed depending on where you go, and he did it a thousand years before such a thing as interspecies marriage, or it's legality ever became an issue. That the first Grimm was the Father himself come down to foster the 'Gods' Peace' is probably one of our oldest, and most diehard folk beliefs." Lily was the one to explain.

"Indeed it is. If anyone asks me it's veracity they won't like my answer." He commented clearly wanting to skirt that subject.

"They could ask me too, and my answer wouldn't be much different." Sierra said with a wan smile.

"My dad always says something similar, that the first Grimm may have indeed been the Father, but why he came here isn't a reason anyone would like hearing." Lily added though it was clear she was just a little curious about what the truth really was.

"That, as well you know Lily, is because he is the Loremaster; there are stories he keeps that are not meant to be heard by many even as they are meant to be kept, and there are even a few I'll wager that are only passed from Loremaster to Loremaster." He responded before rather obviously he'd been about to say something, but quite clearly stopped firmly closing his muzzle. What he'd been about to specify was that those singular stories would only be shared just before the elder Loremaster took a walk in the silent forest; he refrained from uttering a single syllable because he couldn't bear the thought of Elder Frost dying anytime soon let alone putting the thought into Lily's head with them.

"Forgive my intrusion Father, but what is the truth of who the first Grimm was, and why he came?" A grey wolf asked having approached, but still kept a respectful distance.

"You're really going to call me that here, Scott?" He asked his ear twitching at the appellation, and he scowled as he noted how nearly every wolf in the place was now focused on them rather unabashedly.

"With how you are a Guardian of Ulfhaven, we have long suspected that you were the first Grimm come back to us Will. There is no wolf worth their fur in Ulfhaven who doesn't now hold it as truth that you Are the Father, now come to spread your Way to the world." Scott responded before he dropped to one knee, and bowing his head said "If I have stepped beyond my place, please forgive me."

"On Your Feet!" He commanded him, scowling even deeper before saying "If you truly want to face my ire by all means submit to me unnecessarily. I am as mortal as you are, and am no greater than you are; with how stained by blood, and darkness as I am it is even arguable that you are all better wolves than I. Nicholas my First Brother has already proven he is a better mammal than I, for he would choose the higher road that I did not."

"You all want to know the truth?" He continued his voice filling the room "Yes the first Grimm was the Father incarnate, but your belief of why he came here is what is wrong. You all know why Mount Sequoia is sacred, and off limits? You all know I quit being a Ranger the day they asked me to set foot in the Silent Forest. As that forest is where wolves go to die here, the mountain is one of the many the Angels who Incarnate go to die, and only when the Mother calls me Home will I be able to walk there. That is why the first Grimm came here. He founded Ulfhaven, and named it thus as an afterthought to give the wolves he was leaving behind a haven. Your belief that We Incarnate to spread peace is wishful thinking I wish were true; we incarnate merely to observe, and maintain vigilance against the lies that would destroy what peace Mammals have made for themselves. Honestly I am proud of you all; Ulfhaven is a dream that should've died over the centuries because such is the way of mortals, but it has not. The door that was opened, showing a way, having stepped through it Ulfhaveners kept walking and never looked back; if Our Way can really be spread to the world it will not be something I achieve with such a short lifetime, it will be something you all achieve by carrying on the Way, and never letting it die here even if the world should reject it everywhere else. This is the world we live in, and these are the paws we're given. Use them, and let's start trying to make it a place worth living in. It is already a place worth fighting for."

The response he got from the wolves present started with a single wolf in the back standing, and saying "I have Heard you Father. The Way will never die. I will use my paws, and my heart to carry it. This I vow unto the Shores, and Woods of Ulfheim."

As more, and more wolves stood picking up the response it became a collective "We have Heard you Father. The Way will never die. We will use our paws, and our hearts to carry it. This we Vow unto the Shores, and Woods of Ulfheim."

Seeing the way they all spoke with tears in their eyes, and feeling the wave of emotion from them in their sincerity brought tears to his eyes, but it was hearing Nick's voice among the rest that induced them to fall like rain as he told them his voice laden with his emotion "I have Heard your Vow my Sons and Daughters, may the Mother grant you the strength I cannot to uphold it unto the Shores, and Woods of Ulfheim."

"Father?" Dakota asked him, having come over to him.

"Yes, Dakota?" He responded smiling at her warmly despite the tears still streaming down his muzzle.

When she opened her arms for a hug he in turn opened his towards her as Sierra shifted to his other leg making room as Dakota swiftly crossed the distance between them. Once his arms were around her she said to him with the sincerity of youth "With how much you love us Father, and how much we love you how could we ever let the Way die? May you never forgive us if we do."

"Daughter of Mine, the world is cruel, and life is full of suffering. How could I not ever forgive you if you lose the Way? Should it be lost I will simply have to remember when I come again to show everyone again even if it takes me lifetimes." He told her his voice taking on ethereal notes, as his wings manifested to those who could see wrapped around Dakota such that they were.

"Well I'll be . . ." John said in awe his eyes wide, and Martha added unable to not cry much as he was "You truly are the Father . . ."

"Should it be lost we will work together Brother. We will never loose faith." Sierra said to him putting a paw on his shoulder, and as she touched him her own wings became just as manifest to those who could see.

"You are lucky Brother, your children listen to you. May Mine Hear You as they would not Hear Me unto Our Home." Katarina said to him having stood as well her own wings as manifest though intangible as his, and Sierra's.

"Mother do you doubt us so?" Senna asked hurt at the thought plain in her voice.

"We pass like shadows through each lifetime, unknown to all, and such a shadow I will remain. This time He has stepped forth into the light though he did not mean to, so now many besides his children will look to him. You may hear, and listen to me my daughter, but who else of my children would listen even if they heard? I certainly wouldn't." Kat answered her.

"I would listen, Mother." Maria responded her voice has full of emotion as Senna's.

"Say's my daughter who already knows my Brother, and is claimed as his pack sister. Besides my Daughters, what could I ever say that He would not? That he has my agreeance goes without needing to be said." Kat replied.

"There are some of us Mother who would be happy just to hear, and know your voice even if others of us wouldn't care." Jessica spoke somewhat meekly.

"Well, now you do." Katarina said before clarifying "I know I'm sounding mean my children, but please try to understand that I do not mean to be; Maria, Senna you both know first paw the sort of good Will managed to work by remaining unknown, and I wish to remain free that I might still manage that sort of good. Who else here would even acknowledge me as you are?"

What neither Will, Sierra, or Katarina due to being in mortal vessels could know was how with all three of them radiating heightened chi as their wings were manifest albeit intangible that there wasn't an eye in the place that didn't at least perceive them to be the angels they were even if those eyes didn't necessarily see their wings outright though most did see their wings. Much as first one canid, and then the rest had made their vow to Will first one feline, and then the rest stood up, and stepped forward saying "I See You, Mother"

Katarina couldn't keep her muzzle from showing how this did touch her, but they were not enough to sway her as she said to them all "You are how few against how many others who would never see? All of Ulfhaven may accept My Brother as who he is, but even now many wolves across the world in their blindness deny him, and many of those will never see. If you would truly heed me, then stand with my brother, and his children in living proof of how it is a lie that you my children must forever be at odds with his, and that they must be at odds with you. Nothing would make me happier than the destruction of that vile falsehood."

"My sister speaks the truth, it is a vile falsehood the propagation of which truly pains us, for we are packmates, and see each other's children as nieces, and nephews. If you would all truly take a step towards the fabled Gods' Peace then join paw in paw at the very least as friends." Will added sincerely.

"Father, how can you say the Gods' Peace is a fable?" A wolf asked sadly.

"Because my son it must come from within mammals themselves, all we who walk amongst you can ever do is point at the door in hopes that you will open it, and walk through it." He responded.

What happened next started with Maria's David taking her by the paw then stepping forward, and with his voice taking on a similar ethereal cast to the one Will's had, saying "Then in Friendship, and Love I take that step Father."

No sooner were the words out of his muzzle then Maria with a smile gracing her own as tears flowed from her eyes said for her own part "In Friendship, and Love I too take that step Mother"

From there those canids, and felines who were closest to each other all clasped paws, and raised their voices in a varying chorus of "In Friendship I take that step to hasten the Gods' Peace" and "In Friendship, and Love I take that step to hasten the Gods' Peace."

Not to be left out the two voices which in unison heralded a new refrain were Nick, and Judy both paw in paw saying "In Friendship, and Love We Take That Step towards the Gods' Peace"

At their example the remaining mammals predator, and prey alike clasped paws and hooves saying "In Friendship we take that step towards the Gods' Peace" while those inter couples were their own chorus of "In Friendship, and Love We Take That Step towards the Gods' Peace."

To say that he was moved, and floored let alone blown away by their collective acts of solidarity would be understatements even though it wasn't a stretch of credulity since nearly all present were Ulfhaveners, and he wasn't the only one.

Unable to hide the happiness in his voice which still was melodically ethereal he said to them all "Thus you have all brought the Gods' Peace this much closer to being on this earth as it is in heaven. It falls to you all to hold yourselves, and eachother to it. I believe, and have faith in you all; may your worthiness of that faith be ever self evident that others might see, and take the steps you have."

"As my Brother has spoken so too do I agree. May you all be lights in the dark like stars in the sky so that those who are blind to the truth you embody that could see open their eyes." Katarina added her voice equally ethereally melodic, and full of her happiness.

On that note as quickly as things had seemed to shift, and escalate they began to relax starting with Kat whose wings faded first as her chi reverted to normal levels followed by Sierra, and Will. From there it spread to everyone else, and things went back to the business as usual that they had been.

"So, my beautiful huntress what pilfer have you brought back?" He asked his vixen with a grin keeping his left arm wrapped around Sierra while his right was around Dakota who was rather contentedly, and adorably snuggling back up against him.

"Well there's a nice big scoop of Honey Whiskey frozen custard which is Mine." Layla answered taking a bite from said scoop for emphasis which she did with a grin before adding "There's also a scoop of pumpkin which I may just share, and just for you a healthy sample of just the Honeysuckle frozen custard."

"Lily, you did not tell me you expanded these flavors into custard territory . . ." He said to her giving her a look that alone made it clear how he very much approved.

"Wait, so this honeysuckle swirl is frozen custard too?" Judy asked her ears perked up, and aimed in her direction.

"It is. I wasn't sure it'd be okay to a prey palate, but Kate convinced me when I was talking to her about it." Lily answered her with a nod, and a smile.

"So that's why it's so good . . ." Judy said trailing off into a rather satisfied sound of pleasure that wasn't quite a moan.

"Tell me Lily, you steeped the flowers in the milk which you'd heated right?" Nick asked her turning in her direction.

Lily responded to that with a rather happy "Yep, but the recipe is still secret."

"Thank you, Lily." Nick replied before he turned back towards his beautiful doe saying to her "You know, Judy. It might not be quite the same, but when we get back home I'm sure we could make our own."

"You know how to make ice cream?" Judy asked in response with a degree of awe as if he were revealing some secret talent.

"What was I doing for a living when you met me?" Nick asked back grinning at her.

"Selling popsicles." Judy answered raising an eyebrow at him in curiosity.

"Before I figured out all the workarounds, Finn and I actually tried to go legit selling frozen custard with the popsicle stuff swirled in. It was probably the closest we ever came to being legit too. Anyway, so yes I know how to make ice cream, or in this case frozen custard; there is a difference." Nick explained to her.

"What's the difference?" Judy asked him plainly.

"Frozen custard has eggs which makes it so much better." Will couldn't help chiming in with a broad grin.

"Huh?" Judy responded more out of having learned something new before she happily, and rather care-freely took another bite of her ice cream and frozen custard mix.

Between everyone chatting, and finishing the ice cream they'd gotten they ended up spending another half hour there at Supreme Dairy. Once they were ready to go, and the micro-pack were just about ready to bounce off the walls, Will settled the tab they'd accrued intentionally overpaying by a decent amount which Jess who was at the register didn't call him out on already knowing that, that was simply his way.

"You know it really was fortunate we brought this." Sky commented once they were all outside revealing the black box she held that was as big as her paw.

"Oh, and what's that?" Will asked raising an eyebrow.

"It is a nifty little device the Aurora guys made. It's a jamming device that when active makes all unhardened recording decives, particularly cell phones, and digital cameras unusable; with how often you cause scenes I figured field testing would be a good idea." Sky answered.

"Hmm . . . so in an era when random bystanders can record things they weren't meant to see, and information control is the name of the game that sort of device is meant to be used to help cover-up things like assassinations, or secret meetings." Will commented thinking about it's ZIA applicable uses.

"Or in this case it allows us to control what if any of what happened back there gets released on the net." Jack said adding "I may not have been the only one recording that scene, but I'm the only one with the footage, and though it needs editing I think you'll agree to, it does need to be seen by more than just us who witnessed it."

"Admit it Sky, you couldn't predict what sort of scene, or scenes might get caused, but you did know that there would be, and planned accordingly. So what's that things effective range? Are you sure it even worked?" Layla said to her expressing her concern.

"The effective range is a hundred yards when outside a building, half that when inside since the structure interferes with the signal and yes it worked. They based it off the prototype you suggested." Sky responded.

"Hmm, only a hundred yards? Given average lines of sight, and camera quality, it's not bad, but it's still a prototype isn't it?" Layla asked in reply.

"From what Director Sauvage said they could begin production for field use, but he want's to sit on it. Like you said Will it'd be perfect for obscuring assassinations, and that concerns him. Ever since he found out about the Montaña Incident he's been if anything more suspicious of Director Koche than I am." Sky answered her.

"I can't say that's a bad thing, but why would what happened last year cause him to begin distrusting Director Koche?" Layla inquired scrunching her muzzle in curiosity.

"Well, I was kinda the one that told him because he had asked about how come he hadn't seen Will, or you in so long; I knew what it was like to have my muzzle contort with such fury, but it is different seeing someone else do it. I asked him myself why he cared so much, I mean we all know he's soft on you Layla since you are as talented as you are, but he looked like he might be about to start plotting to assassinate Director Koche himself. He told me that his loyalty unto the shores of Ulfheim belonged to you Will, and that hearing you were so betrayed was undeniable proof he had been right to distrust Koche ever since he became Director after Sly passed. He then asked me if I would inform him if, and when word reached me that you meant to claim Koche's head so that he could be there to hold the box for it to fall into. He was sincere in what he said, and I believe he meant every word, but I don't think he was telling me his real reason." Sky explained before adding unable to hide her grin, or keep in a chuckle "Since then though he has kept on his desk a black box big enough to fit a Lynx's head, and even wrote Koche on it."

"Well, damn . . . okay then . . ." Will said shaking his head slightly as he wrapped his mind around that "It's hard for me to picture him of all mammals that truly vengeful; I mean I've seen stupid mistakes during lab tests cause students and staff alike that he cares about to get hurt, and he was the level headed one who made sure there weren't any fatalities, and forgave those responsible so long as they proved they learned from their error. Really though I can't for the life of me think of how, or why I'd have earned his loyalty at all let alone to that extent. I guess you better tell him for me Sky that if Director Koche makes another attempt against me, and it fails he will get his wish though I am a little disappointed the method of execution has been chosen for me."

"Yeah, it really is hard to imagine him that angry. I mean he's a mammal so sure he gets mad, we all do, but that's another level." Layla added before she turned to her dad saying "The same way you are with your students dad, he is with everyone under him; I even told him how he reminded me of you in that way, and that if he were to look up fatherly tods in the dictionary his picture would be next to yours."

"Oh, sweetie . . ." Her dad said as he embraced her unable to not cry hearing her compliment him as she had.

"So you borrowed my phrasing, huh?" Will said teasingly as he smiled at her, and nudging her with his elbow added "No wonder Director Sauvage has a soft spot for you after telling him something like that."

"It was only the truth." Layla said as if she didn't quite get what the big deal was adding "The only mammal I know with a bigger fatherly streak is you Will."

From there after Nick pointed out that they were quite the crowd simply occupying the sidewalk, and the micro-pack clamored that Will had promised to take them to the beach he suggested that Nick, Judy, Maria, David, Jack, and Sky give Ulfhaven a wander through and that they could meet back with the rest of them at the beach. Judy, and Maria both were quite on board with his suggestion and their boyfriends wisely acquiesced to their enthusiasm. Jack, and Sky were themselves equally eager to enjoy what counted as a vacation and make like the tourists they were. Senna after asking Katarina if she minded being introduced to her parents to which Katarina happily agreed went with her down the main street towards their restaurant that was also their home.

With the micro pack in their exuberance leading the way the rest of them made their way in the same general direction as Senna and Kat though they took a few turns down the side roads necessary to put them at the beach proper, and not the pier, or the docks. Though they made their way on foot it didn't take them even a half hour to reach the beach since though it had grown, and been built up over the centuries Ulfhaven, as it's denizens preferred to keep it, remained a place where one could get to wherever they meant to with only their feet to carry them there. While they walked they chatted idly with Will explaining when asked about points of interest that wouldn't be listed in a brochure that Ulfhaven wasn't exactly that sort of tourist destination. Lola of course being the sister she was pointed out that though he wasn't lying in saying so, he was avoiding answering properly. Happily she explained to Martha, and John who had been the ones to do the asking that most brochures did manage to list the usual points of interest, but to a one that was produced in Ulfhaven anyway omitted both City Hall which had originally been where the First Grimm lived and ruled as well as the small park kept out front with it's statue in remembrance of him.

Sierra in the course of the conversation was the one to explain that while Ulfhaveners were welcoming of tourists in general who usually came either for the woods, and local campgrounds, or the general atmosphere of Ulfhaven proper they were very guarded when it came to the few historical monuments they had, and after years of dealing with tourists who proved undeserving of any hospitality took particular care in what they advertised of their home, as well as how they advertised it. She also explained that said park was of special significance to the local inters because it had been since the time of the First Grimm the place to get married, and that part of why it was kept out of the limelight was so that it could stay that way though in keeping with the Ulfhaven Way any, and all inters who came from outside the county locals as a custom made aware that should they seek to be wed they were welcome to do so in the park as long as they kept it's use as such to themselves or those who were known to be accepting of interspecies relationships.

This of course brought up the questions of why Will had avoided mentioning it, and whether or not this was where he and Layla were to be wed to which Lola laughing rather boisterously answered that he had simply not wanted to get pestered for a photo next to the statue of the First Grimm for obvious reasons though she too asked why he'd chosen not to be wed in the park. Only when Layla too echoed the question did he actually answer that he wanted their wedding to stay a private affair, and that the Howling Point at the edge of the Silent Forest was no less significant a location than the park since it had been even before the founding of Ulfhaven where wolves not only gathered as a general meeting place, but where they would howl together both in mourning for those who went into the Silent Forest, and in prayer to the Mother. He made it plain that he had chosen the spot primarily for this last reason so that in as deeply a way possible he could make how serious he was in spending the rest of his mortal life with her not only known, but unquestionable. Needless to say his adamant sincerity moved her to tears, and she pulled him into a rather passionate kiss that got from the micro-pack a chorus of 'Eww' and 'Gross'.

Despite the physicality of their display it was clearly backed by true depth of emotion, and very real sentiment which to a degree was as awkward for John to see as it was for the micro-pack since the oldest was barely closing in on ten years of age. In an effort to dispel that awkwardness as Will, and Layla separated he asked innocently enough why they were headed to the beach as if it were the place to go making it clear he was simply curious, and himself was happy to go since the sea was a place he'd seldom ever visited. Will, and Sierra in near unison floored him with their response that it was not just the beach, and finishing each-other's sentences they explained that it was as much a place of home for them as were the woods of Ulfhaven. They also expressed great disdain for those who having grown up so near to it saw the beach as merely another place, and a boring one at that. Naomi who likewise had grown up in a small city where the main industry was fishing expressed similar sentiment adding that theirs was a deeply spiritual connection to such places where the energies of nature were strongest particularly forests, and shores. In her expressing how she was a kindred spirit to them in this regard Sierra who like Sophie had already made it clear she welcomed her as a pack sister did not hesitate to repeat that sentiment as she embraced her, and openly licked her muzzle which got a somewhat jealous growl out of Sophie.

When they did reach the beach, and descended down one of the many paths onto it the first thing of note were the signs separate from the usual warnings about keeping the place clean, and being safe in the water which read 'Nudity permitted freely. If this offends you then don't look, or go away' though on the one they passed by the part about averting ones gaze or leaving had been crossed out and under it 'Fuck Off' was written.

"Well that's rather rude." Martha pointed out adding "Was it really necessary for someone to do that."

This of course got quite the riotous laughter from Will, Sierra, and Lola with Layla giving her mate a very knowing look.

"It was very necessary." Will assured her still chuckling.

"It's not just that one that says it. They all do." Sierra added conspiratorially giving a sweeping gesture with her paw.

"And they've all said it since we were in high-school. No one's ever been caught for it, and after enough replacements were likewise corrected people stopped bothering with wasting the money. Plus, it fits the local sentiment towards the sorts of tourists who complained in the first place, and had us put up the signs." Lola further explained.

"Let me guess, no one was caught because you were the ones who did it." Layla said with a clear grin.

"I admit nothing, and nothing can be proven." Will answered her though his muzzle expression said it all.

"People come here with their narrow views on what it means to be open, and free then act like we're the crazy ones for not following along with their expectations. We got tired of playing nice." Sierra said giving reason for the graffiti.

"Even though that's us still being nice. Those signs don't hurt anyone." Lola added.

"Our town motto may be 'All are equal, all are welcome' because it's a sentiment we harbor, but we all have our differences, and some are most certainly not welcome here. Most of us locals actually like how things like these signs give those who do not deserve our welcome reason to be vocal about it which only shows us who they are." Sophie said her words coming across as just a little more pointed than she really meant them to.

"Well, I might not agree that using such language is necessary, I can certainly understand the sentiment. We deal with our own share of outsiders in Fox Hollow who do not deserve our respect. The Mother knows how many times I've had to patch some of them up only because I swore to do no harm before the Ranger responsible made sure they left, and knew better than to come back." Martha explained making where she stood clear.

"You say it like that, mom, and I think it's high time Ulfhaven, and Fox Hollow got better aquainted." Will said to her rather sincerely with a warm smile.

"I agree, and like the sound of these Rangers already." Sierra added before asking as she waggled her eyebrows suggestively "How many are single, and in sore need of a good time?"

Her antics got quite the hearty laugh out of John who told her "I guess you'll have to visit Fox Hollow, and find out. You certainly will be most welcome."

"Then I guess I will." Sierra responded with a fangy grin before her paws touched the beach, and as if animated by a different purpose she turned towards the sea which she then half ran to only stopping out of reach of the waves to strip down to her bare fur.

"Sea purification is good for the soul. Allow me to join you." Naomi said to her as she followed after though Sierra did not respond as she simply on all fours bounded into the waves.

When she reached the pile of Sierra's clothes Naomi with practiced ease undid her obi and let her kimono fall in a way that was undeniably sexy though it was plain she hadn't meant her actions to be. Where Sierra had simply bounded into the waves like a crazy mammal Naomi dropped into a seiza in the midst of them letting them wash into and over her. There was an obvious bit of ritual to how she immersed herself in the sea using her paws to pour more water over her so that none of her fur was dry, and when she was done she joined Sierra in her swim though they stayed close enough to shore that they wouldn't get sucked out to sea by any undertow.

Will who hadn't been near the sea since before he left Ulfhaven for Zootopia was no less an incomprehensible sight to more civilized sensibilities as he first emptied his pockets into Layla's paws then taking off his shirt ran to a seemingly random spot on the beach he then threw himself onto rolling about on his back grunting, and growling. The micro-pack taking their cue from him all ran onto the beach exuberantly, and went about settling on what sort of game to play first only for Will who had leapt back up on all fours to come running at them in a mock charge of attack. To a one they responded to his approach by huddling defensively only for him to then circle them snapping, and yapping at them playfully before starting to run away again at which they gave chase. Even fifty-odd yards down the beach where they had all run to his laughter could be heard as he allowed them to catch him, and proceeded to roll and romp about with them with the waves getting them all wet.

Lola with her instincts as a mother stretching their legs along with Holly who through her job was always in the mindset of a cub minder both followed after the rambunctious lot of them being Will's backup eyes and ears to make sure everyone stayed safe. Sophie meanwhile having gotten torn between a desire to swim herself and to join in the play with the micro-pack made up her mind, and depositing her own clothes next to Naomi's fallen kimono took to the water like a vulpine torpedo aimed at the pair of she-wolves idly paddling in the surf. Though not really intentional their doing what they would gave Layla some actual proper alone time with her parents which as she realized she had after so long apart from them she was both thankful, and nervous.

"Well, that was certainly something to see. Is he secretly just an overgrown cub?" Her mom asked teasingly.

"Hehe, he'd tell you he has the Cub at Heart perk though the way he always tells it he used to be really nervous around young, and found it awkward to deal with them." Layla answered with a light laugh.

"It definitely is something, that was like seeing how we used to act before we evolved." Her dad commented with fascination before he said to her "I find it hard to believe someone so obviously good with young could be like that."

"To be honest I was too, after seeing how he gets around really little ones who can't even walk upright yet, especially feline and canine young. You put one of them in front of him, and they become his world to the point he will ignore everything, and everyone else." Layla answered though as she did that brought back memories at which she couldn't keep tears from coming into her eyes though her voice stayed even as she continued "The way he explains it, he spent so much time around adults learning from them, or alone reading as a cub that when he was in highschool until he was in college he simply didn't know how he should be around them, and that it wasn't until he settled on treating them like the future adults they are that he suddenly was good with them."

"Oh, sweetie . . ." Her mom said having noticed the silent tears leaking from her eyes, and wrapping her in a hug told her misunderstanding the reason for those tears "You know you don't have to give birth to become a mom. I am sure he'll be open to adoption if you talk with him about it."

"Mom. Dad." Layla sobbed out returning the embrace before extending an arm for her dad who didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the most important vixens in his life.

"That's not it." She told them as she held them close doing nothing to fight back her tears that weren't of sadness at all.

"I didn't want to overwhelm you earlier, but we're not just getting married. We are going to start a family." Layla told them once she was able to get a better grasp on her emotions.

"So you've already talked about it?" Her mom asked while her dad followed that up with "Hopefully not too soon, I understand how you two're making up for lost time, but you know there's no need to rush. Have you started approaching any orphanages yet?"

"No . . . you didn't let me finish." Layla said to them before after a sniffle just came out with it "We are going to have a kit of our very own. I already miscarried once, and am seeing a doctor so the next time takes."

"He's actually okay with using a surrogate sperm donor?" Her mom asked to which her dad added "He truly is a rare sort of wolf."

"As if I would ever want another male's come in me ever again." Layla said disdainfully releasing them, and stepping back so they could see the seriousness on her muzzle as she told them "The year I spent without him I spent with females if that was the sort of company I wanted. He got me pregnant, and I miscarried who could've been our first kit."

"That's impossible . . . surely if such a thing could happen it would have already, and we'd have heard about it? Especially in Fox Hollow, where else do so many foxes, and wolves mate bond?" Her mother asked though it was clear she was only trying to wrap her mind around such a jarring revelation.

"The impossible is only that way until it becomes possible . . . A grandfather . . . I am going to be a grandfather . . ." Her dad said already way ahead of his mate, and trying to wrap his head around a no less significant revelation

"The night before I miscarried the Mother came to me herself, and made me promise I wouldn't give up on this possibility we have; we have her blessing, but it will only get us so far. Now you know why he said we have a future worth fighting for." Layla told them and her conviction was self evident that she would not give up, and she would fight for that future with her bare fangs.

"Oh, my sweet Layla." Her mother said tearfully before she closed the distance between them in a heartfelt embrace truly happy for her daughter.

---

Despite how the both of them had taken up Will on his advice that they should explore on their own, and see Ulfhaven for themselves neither Nick nor his lovely bunny knew where to start. So at first when Judy suggested with her usual lapine pluck that they simply pick a direction, and start walking he saw no reason to disagree. As he walked beside her enjoying just how free he felt openly holding her paw in his at which no one even looked twice, or with any sort of derision he couldn't help joking with her that she was the expert on small towns unable to not point out that Ulfhaven seemed a lot like Bunny Burrow only larger. This of course only caused her to give him a hip-bump at his calling her a small town expert for which he only grinned in victory. Then she began pointing out all the ways Ulfhaven was like a lunar base compared to Bunny Burrow as if between the sugar from the frozen custard, and her making a friend in Lily she'd been infused with extra-sunny vigor from wherever it was she seemed to get her natural upbeatness from.

"And the pot shops." Judy said after they passed the fourth such establishment, and she'd finished going on about how fishing, and chicken ranching made it fundamentally different from her mainly agrarian home town "Everyone in Bunny Burrow who grows anything at least has a couple plants for themselves, and a couple more for those that don't grow. In the whole county there are maybe two pot shops that you have to know about to find, and maybe three more general smoke shops on top of that. There must be fields full of pot, and farmers who only, or just mostly grow pot just to supply these stores."

"So Stu has a couple plants, huh? Isn't that illegal in Bunny Burrow?" He asked not minding at all their conversation, and genuinely curious since he was only familiar with the laws concerning it in the city though just the pervasive smell of cannabis was starting to whet his appetite.

"Well, due to pressure from the city it is, but everyone keeps it low-key, and since nobody causes any problems over it the sheriff's department looks the other way. Actually they're my mom's plants, she only ever grows one or two maybe three at a time, and we all know better than to mess with them." She answered before adding almost in afterthought "That's just the Indica, and Sativa though, the stuff that gets you high, the Cannabis Ruderalis plenty of folks grow as much of as they like no matter what the law says since the seeds are very nutritious, and the fiber of the plant itself has several industrial uses we still use it for. Some of my more artistically inclined siblings swear by our local hemp paper even over the tree based stuff."

"You know, with raising so many kits, I can kinda see your mom being the one to grow, and enjoy a toke every now and again." He replied thoughtfully before with a grin asking her "So you ever partake?"

"No, well I've never smoked it. Remember, I wanted to be a cop, I wasn't exactly inclined to break the law even if everyone else ignored it." She responded, and the look on her muzzle as the wind blew a fresh wave of cannabis scent their way begged his follow up question.

"There's a story there my sweet Carrots." He said to her implicitly with his curiosity plain.

"Some of my more pot enthusiastic brothers thought it'd be funny to get me to eat some special cookies they made." She said with a smile as she remembered before going into more detail "They'd baked them during one of the rare times the kitchen was free, and I'd thought they were up to something especially when they didn't make a mess, and cleaned up everything when they were done. When I confronted them they asked me to be their taste tester, they were honey-bran cookies, and were really good; I even apologized for thinking they were up to no good. I must've eaten five or six before the, uh, effects started to kick in, and then my dad who found me stoned quite amusing explained why I felt funny. I found my brothers where they were having eaten most of the cookies themselves, and tickled them until they peed themselves before I gave what was left of the cookies to my mom and told them what they'd done. They had to spend the next month helping her in the kitchen whenever she asked for it as punishment. Greg now works at one of the local pot shops, and Jeff wound up going to culinary school."

"Not that I want to anyway, but remind me to never get on your bad side lovey bunny." He said to her unable to not chuckle lightly at her story.

"Lovey Bunny" She repeated before she stopped, and with a happy hum gave him what could only be described as a full body nuzzle into his side.

His response to that was to wrap his arms around her so he could nuzzle her back inadvertently marking the top of her head as he told her "I swear you are like bottled up sunshine, and I never want to go without you."

He then happened to look up, and the sign he saw made him laugh explaining to her "I know why we passed so many weed shops, and the smell just seems to follow us."

Turning her around so she could see, he pointed out the sign on the wall that indicated the sidestreet they'd wandered down was called 'Head Shoppe Row'. She laughed with him at that, before suggesting that it was his turn to pick the direction they walked in.

So it was he led them back towards main street, and down a side street on the other side so they could explore a different area. Where Judy had quite unintentionally led them to the stoner-centric side of town, his luck it seemed was to lead them into Ulfhaven's art district since half the shops they found sold every sort of arts and craft supplies imaginable while the other half sold the products of local artists, and every building was painted on in one way or another. They both had quite the fun time going into the various shops browsing trinkets and taking photos of the buildings themselves.

Of particular note to the both of them was one building where the mural on the entire side depicted rather prominently a howling arctic wolf who was joining paw in paw a fox, and a hare though it was hard to tell whether the fox was a vixen, or a tod, and whether the hare was a buck, or a doe. As he was just a little lost in the image that spoke to him Nick couldn't help thinking about how much his life had changed with Judy in it, and though he knew they both probably weren't even close to being ready for such a huge leap as marriage the mural seemed to turn his thoughts in that sort of direction. When he was ready to ask her to make that leap with him though, and he felt that one day he would be, he wanted Will to be the one to wed them. As the thought of Will doing just that fluttered through his mind he could almost here him saying 'With my heart full of gladness, I wed these two, and stand as eternal witness to their mate bonding. May it last unto the very shores of Ulfheim, and beyond.'

"Hey, Nick!" Judy's voice accompanied by a tug on his paw finally broke through his woolgathering before he could start crying though he couldn't hide how his eyes were a little watery.

"Yes, Judy?" He asked looking into her eyes, and seeing that she too seemed as watery eyed as he was.

"There's a cafe over there. Why don't we stop, and sit for a bit. Maybe get some tea." She suggested pointing down the road a short way at a little place the sign for which read 'The Witch's Brew Cafe'.

"Sounds good to me, Carrots." He responded with a grin liking the sound of simply sitting with her, and enjoying a cup of tea after all the walking they'd been doing.

As they approached the shop it was hard to miss how the front window was painted with the logo for the shop which was a vixen in a black cloak, and pointy hat pouring tea while a cauldron that had purple smoke pouring over the rim stirred itself in the background. There was something just so very whimsical about the art style, that it made what would otherwise seem an uninviting place, the sort of place one couldn't help but visit just for the heck of it.

Upon entering the cafe they were greeted by a chorus of 'Hello', and 'Welcome' by the vixens, she-wolves, and lone melanistic jaguaress running the place who were to a one dressed with black cloaks, and pointy hats in keeping with the theme of the cafe.

"Please sit wherever you like, there's plenty of room." A black vixen who happened to be closest to them said as she pulled out a couple menus from within her cloak.

"I thought themed cafes were an in Japan only sort of thing; this is way cooler than a boring maid cafe." He said with a grin to the black vixen by way of complimenting them all before he happened to turn left towards something that had caught his peripheral.

There on the wall in between a poster advertising when the next DnD night would be held along with other adverts for local events in the coming month including a book reading at 'The Wizard's Tome Bookstore', and a poster advertising a series of concerts to be held at the local venue the headlining acts for which were 'The Midnite Rangers', and 'The Foxhole Surfers' was a rather blown up photo he immediately recognized as taken from the performance he'd taken part in during the ZPD Halloween party.

"Hey, look Judy. We're Ulfhaven famous already." He couldn't help commenting to her pointing out the picture.

"Wait a minute, that's you two? You're Will's first, and only pack brother?" The black vixen asked looking back, and forth between them before letting loose quite the feminine squeal then shouting for her coworkers to hear "It's Witch Doctor Brad, and Zombie Janet!"

The next thing he knew, or Judy did for that matter the black vixen had grabbed them by their held paws, and was leading them both behind her to a table for two that was one of several just their size. Before they could sit however, she quite swiftly moved the chairs at the table so they were next to each other instead of across from each other.

"Sit, sit. Rest your paws for a spell." The black vixen insisted with a warm ear to ear smile before she finally introduced herself with her tail shamelessly wagging as she passed them their menus "I'm Sadie, and whatever potions you'd like I'll brew for you. On the house."

"What is this commotion you are causing sister? And did you say on the house? On the house for whom?" A matronly voice responded to that with the sort of motherly sternness to quell even the most youthful exuberance.

"For Will's pack brother, and his beautiful bunny Oba-chan." Sadie replied back quite sure that her reason was sufficient.

"How many times must I tell you Sister Sadie that just because I look older does not mean I am a grandmother." The vixen with the matronly voice grumbled as she revealed herself, and to Nick she didn't look much older than he was though she had certainly gone grey early her entire muzzle looking nearly white save for the russet of her cheeks and on top of her head.

"Now then . . ." The vixen who he suspected was the owner, and manager of the cafe began to say before she got close enough to no doubt smell them clearly since she paused doing a double take then started over "Well, this being the case. The only male in all these years of Will's alpha hood to earn a place in his pack; the one who can rightly say he is First Brother to the Father himself in my cafe . . . and he is a handsome one too . . . most certainly he, and his beautiful doe shall have whatever they desire on this house! Any food they order I will prepare myself."

The white muzzled vixen then said to them both with a nod "On behalf of Ulfhaven I welcome you both. Any who doubt your worthiness of your fur, or of our welcome only call into question their own. If you have not heard about the park, I am sure my sisters will be happy to tell you all about it; if you are not ready for that sort of occassion, trust me I have seen enough who are to know that one day you will be."

With that she then turned around, and went back no doubt into the kitchen from whence she'd come her tail swaying behind her.

"First Brother of the Father . . ." He repeated softly to himself having never before considered his newfound position in that light, and there was nothing he could do against how the emotions within him welled like the tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I get excited then tend to get ahead of myself. I'll just leave you two be, to look over your menus and see what sounds good. Just give me a holler when you're ready." Sadie said to them kindly before with a nod of her own she went about seeing to the few other patrons she was tending.

"Nick, are you okay?" Judy asked him concernedly, her paw that had never left his own squeezing gently.

"I . . . never thought of it that way . . ." He managed to tell her before in the next second she was in his lap hugging him, and as he hugged her back he hoped she understood that for all the weight of the emotions he was feeling sadness added nothing to the load.

For a good few minutes he simply held her, and was grateful just for her being there. Secretly he swore to himself to never give her anymore teasing about being a hugger, or an emotional bunny though a more secret part chimed back that there would still be some light teasing if the situation warranted it.

There was the weight of a larger paw on his shoulder which caused him to look up and to his left where one of the cafe's waitresses an arctic she-wolf knelt beside him, and softly with a kind smile she asked him "Do you mind if I explain for you?"

He couldn't help smiling back at her, and nodding because he wasn't sure if he could explain to Judy what he knew she wouldn't know without becoming a blubbering mess.

"Alright, so . . ." The arctic she-wolf said as she pulled a free chair over, and sat in it across from them "You know that even for a wolf, submitting to an alpha who isn't your parents, and joining their pack is no small matter? It's also the sort of decision you can't go back on, choosing to be packless, or to submit to a different alpha lightly."

"Working with wolves, you sorta pick that up." Judy responded with a nod clearly curious.

"Then you are perceptive, and those wolves you work with certainly trust you enough to be so open if they talk around you so freely; then again as cops you both already are part of that Great Pack." The she-wolf complimented her before saying "Then you can understand that while not unheard of, or without precedent, it is an even bigger deal for an alpha to want in his pack a non-wolf, and for that non-wolf to agree."

"Nick told me that much, he explained that if he accepted Will as his alpha, with me as his girlfriend, as his mate, he would pass not only his mom, but me, and my family under Will's protection, and responsibility." Judy replied with a sincerity in how she referred to herself as his mate despite the fact that they were still growing that close, that it truly touched him bringing fresh tears to his eyes he couldn't help fighting back only half successfully.

"Well, besides the Alpha pair at the top of a pack's hierarchy, and the Omega at the bottom who despite their position are no less significant than any other, the hierarchy of the wolves or other packmates in the middle is somewhat fluid. Each wolf can be themselves an alpha which is why there is so often a near constant, and not always overt struggle for dominance. As we've evolved, and our culture has changed over time the order of who submitted to an alpha, or the alpha pair first in a pack not composed entirely of an alpha pair and their cubs gained significance as a way to help mitigate some of the dominance struggle, and further pack cohesion. To be the First Brother, or First Sister is not just a position of honor within a pack, it is also one of responsibility, for just as an alpha is only alpha for as long they prove worthy the same is true of any other member of the pack and their rank in relation to the rest. Omegas you might think then are there to simply be the ones given the short end of the stick by everyone else, and given how some alphas can be it remains a widespread misconception; Omegas may be the lowest ranking, but more often than not they play the biggest role in keeping the pack a cohesive unit, and if they desert a pack then that pack is doomed. This is why an Alpha who leads from the Omega position, one who listens and hears the rest of his pack first, is the sort of alpha we all desire even if only a third of wolves are this sort of alpha." The arctic she-wolf explained, and even he who sort of knew this already couldn't help but listen attentively to the way she was putting it "That said, Will who has always been known as an alpha who leads from the omega position has always had an odd pack. He is a lone alpha, who has no omega, and until now only females were his packmates, with his sister Lola as the acting alpha female. Now that he is known to us as the Father in the fur it makes more sense that he would be a lone alpha, and refuse to let any but himself occupy the omega position. It also makes your tod's already significant position since he is First Brother, let alone only, within his pack even more significant since his alpha is the Father in the fur. I think you can imagine the sort of message that sends to the rest of the world, or at least those of us who know, or at least believe Will is the Father; especially to us Ulfhaveners who have known him all his life, that it was a tod whom he welcomed into his pack. If Will is first among all wolves then he is first among all foxes, and any who would dare question that only call into question themselves, their worthiness of their fur, and their worthiness of the very ground they stand upon."

The arctic she-wolf whose name tag he finally noticed which read 'Veronica' finished explaining to Judy what he would've had trouble with, and he couldn't help how her words not only further drove home the significance of his position, but how he would need to continue to prove as worthy as Will felt he was; it fell to him to set the example for the world of what foxes were really worth, and though that was a tall order, after everything he'd seen of Will's example he felt renewed determination to prove to the world that derided foxes just how wrong they were.

"Did you at least give them time to choose something to drink before you decided to talk their ears off Truthsayer?" Sadie asked Veronica half chidingly half teasingly as she walked up carrying a tray with cups, and teapot which was wafting to his nose a most delectable scent.

"You know as well as I that there are some things that it is easier to have someone else explain, I was merely lending our Father's First Brother a paw." Veronica explained for herself a little defensively, but mostly good naturedly before she turned back to them apologizing "I am sorry though, I should've given you time to browse what we have."

"It's alright, Veronica. Your lended paw was most certainly welcome." He assured her before saying to Sadie "As it is what you have brought I probably would've ordered anyway. What's not to like about blueberries."

"That does smell really good." Judy agreed at the prospect of blueberry tea.

"It's blueberry green tea, and it seemed the right thing to choose." Sadie clarified for them as she set the tray down, and went about serving them their tea adding "To at least bring you something while you further browse our menu."

When she was done Sadie made herself comfortable on Veronica's lap without hesitation then exitedly saying to them "You have to know that, that whole video of you guys doing that Rocky Horror show was a huge hit here as soon as we saw it on Will's zootube channel. I'd love to hear whose idea it was, and how that all got put together."

"It's true, seeing Will's mystery vixen dyed like she was, and the two of them as the black wolf and the red cloaked vixen doing that whole Riff-raff, Magenta thing before Will did a him, and pulled off that Frankenfurter show was it's whole layered thing, but the two of you the Witch Doctor fox with his Zombie bunny as Brad and Janet were just as much the show makers, and show stoppers for that matter. You have some seriously die-hard fans here already, just so you know, and I think they're all weird because that Kunoichi Colombia is the one who did it for me" Veronica added nodding emphatically.

"Well the whole performance was Will's idea. I wasn't exactly happy with him at the time, but when he called me, and asked for my help getting Nick in on it I couldn't tell him no. It did sound fun, and I'd heard stories from my mom about how people used to dress up and act to the movie in theatres." Judy explained to them.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, you'd be surprised how similar being an actor, and a con-mammal are; this wonder-bunny lit a different path for me to see for myself, and so here I am, but along the way it became apparent we play off eachother very well. We hadn't really had to act together since we managed by the fur of our tails to stop that misguided sheep . . . huh, no wonder they haven't given us any undercover missions yet, and always make us give over our cases that end up needing that sort of work; anyway . . . it'd been a while since we'd had to do that sort of thing, and a chance to do it in a safe setting, just for fun with no real pressure sounded like good therapy. It was just what the medicine mammal ordered." He added for his own part having paused to sip his tea with relish just before he had his little revelation regarding just the sort of thing they'd had to act out, and just as he resumed his explaining of his reason to agree to it.

"Huh, that was good therapy." Judy commented before doing a double take saying to him "Wait, What? Why haven't they given us any undercover work, and won't let us complete cases that end up needing it?"

"What did Will do that made you mad at him? That's gotta be good." Sadie asked with a grin.

"Because deep cover acting can take a lot out of you, Judy, and because of what we acted out; safely, or not, and regardless of how much that shows we trust each other." He explained to her, and just thinking about how doubtless her safety had been, showed him just how set in stone it was for him at least that it was only a matter of when not if that they would be mate bonded, and he'd want to vow his life to her's before everyone he possibly could.

"Huh, I never really looked at it like that." Judy replied before saying "But we're ready for that."

She then answered Sadie "It's kinda work related, and I shouldn't talk about it. He used the fact that I was in danger to overreact; it wasn't until the night we got here, and were talking about it with Jack, and Sky that I realized he wasn't overreacting at all."

"I'd say we're ready for it too, especially after so long, but I can't blame the Chief. Especially not after . . . Will's story about just how much it takes out of you; he'd have you think he's over it Judy, but he's not, and it's been years since he went on that mission." He couldn't help, but tell her in full honesty before he said to Sadie "It is supposed to be classified, but I thought I was going to lose her forever, and was completely powerless to do anything about it. After what he did just to make sure she was safe as well as in vengeance . . . I will owe him more than my own life long after I am called to the shores of Ulfheim."

"Damnit! I am tired of classified." Sadie pouted adding "All I ever got out of Will about what he did while he was gone in Special Forces was vague details leaving me wanting more, and it's classified."

"Okay, I just wanted to know who Kunoichi Colombia was, but now I'm super curious what Will isn't over? I mean he was nearly lifeless, and trying to die when he came home until Sophie, and Lola got him back to half alive; with his mate back surely he's back among the living." Veronica said to them with clear concern for Will.

"You mean Mihoshi? It's just the reason he obsesses over eating vegetables; I'm sure he's mentioned that to you, he sure mentions it freely." He answered honestly playing it off with a shrug before assuring her "Since he found out they could have a kit his new life goal has been to get Layla pregnant; it's safe to say he's permanently among the living"

"The same reason Father Logan joined the church. You know finding out Will really is the Father has really shaken his faith, in the church anyway." The melanistic jaguaress spoke seeming to materialize out of thin air surprising all four of them who simply hadn't noticed her presence before she called towards the back "Sister Serenity you might as well fix them the chef's special; we Ulfhavener's in our welcoming cannot seem to leave them alone."

"Just don't forget the park! It'll do them good to see it!" The voice of the white-masked vixen carried back in response.

"So her name is Layla, is she still dyed like that?" A red she-wolf asked having come up beside the jaguaress who promptly responded to her "What part of She, and Will are trying to make a kit went over your head? I very much doubt he'll ever sleep with us again, or that she'd sleep with you."

"He didn't mind me, and Sierra a couple months ago. What makes you so sure?" The red she-wolf replied dauntlessly.

"Hold the phone, that was Mihoshi? It so didn't look like her. I am so chewing on her tail later, and the next time I see her." Veronica said with clear chagrin.

"Well, Sister Saphira, it was one thing to believe he truly had wings after how he saved Sophie, and it's another when your getting asked if the cub who is as much a grandson to you as he is to Elder Frost, and was to his own grandfather can be used as some sort of living symbol to rally the faithful just to prove the superiority of the church." Sadie explained to the jaguaress with quite the alacrity.

"She isn't dyed like that anymore, but her fur is naturally almost that red to begin with; she makes true cherry vixens jealous paws down, and maybe not now since they are trying to have a kit, but in the future they'd probably still sleep with you if that's what you wanted. They both seem quite happy with their open relationship, and believe it or not it really doesn't interfere with how true their mate-bonding is." He said to the red she-wolf.

"Hmm, well that is something to ponder. Thank you, Brother." The red she-wolf responded.

"So what's so special about this park?" Judy managed to get her question out there with quite the happy curiosity.

The tittering laughter this got out of the witchy waitresses around them that seemed to spread to all of them in the building would've been a little creepy if not for just how pleased they all sounded.

"Of all mammals to ever deserve to know this insider knowledge we Ulfhavener's keep I cannot think of a more worthy pair." Veronica said to them with a warm ear to ear smile though she added "There is only one condition to us answering that question, that you must promise to first; you must promise to only share this knowledge with those who are as worthy of it as you are both in the knowing of it, and in the keeping it secret."

"Only a promise, not a vow." Sadie assured them.

"I promise I will only share this secret with those who are worthy." Judy said without hesitation her muzzle alight with sincerity.

He had wanted to voice any number of misgivings he had just at the sheer manner of making a promise without knowing the full nature of what was really being promised, but the trust he had in his bunny decided him, and so he said shortly after she did "I promise I will keep this knowledge to myself unless someone proves as worthy as you deem me to be."

"Very good." The red-she wolf responded wagging her tail then asked them "Did you happen to pass by the mural of the First Grimm wedding the Fox and the Hare?"

"We did, I even had to pull him away after I noticed this place, and tea sounded good. It is quite good by the way." Judy answered having somehow already managed to drain her cup.

"It spoke to me, okay . . ." He couldn't help saying solemnly before taking another drink of his tea.

"It speaks to every fox, and hare, or bunny who have grasped paws in more than just friendship, and see it." The white-masked vixen Serenity said as she reached their table with a plateful of salad in one paw, and a small cauldron of what his nose told him was clam chowder in the other which she deftly set before them before continuing to explain "That mural marks the spot where the Red She-Wolf at the First Grimm's right paw found them after he'd sent for them to be brought to him."

"In those days that they were openly showing their friendship was on it's own dangerous, but the First Grimm had promised safety to all who entered his village, and had proved true to his word which he kept with his fangs. I cannot imagine just how nervous they must have been, summoned to him such as they were, but he quickly dispelled that when he smiled upon them, and wanted only to hear their story. As they told him it he saw clearly that they were more than friends, and he made them an offer they couldn't refuse, that he would wed them, give the fox a place in his pack, and give them both a home in the village. The next day in the village square outside his dwelling, which now is City Hall, and the park in front of it, he wed them, and ever since not only have what we now call Inters been welcome in Ulfhaven they have if they were ready for it gotten married in the park. As it was, for as long as the First Grimm was with us, every Inter pair that came before him he wed gladly, and was always the first to uplift his howl in joy for them. There in the spot he wed the Fox and the Hare now sits the statue we erected in his memory." Serenity told them the obviously condensed version of the story.

"In keeping with the memory of our past, it is tradition that any inters from outside the county who wouldn't know of the park, we tell them that should they wish it they are free to be wed there so long as they only share it with other inters, or those sympathetic to them. We do not want to be known for it, so that we can remain the haven we are." Veronica added by way of explaining the need for the promise they had made.

"We might get known for it anyway, and as the world is growing more accepting perhaps it is high time we do." Sadie commented before asking them "Afterall, Will is marrying his vixen tomorrow in the park isn't he?"

"Actually, they're getting married at some place called the Howling Point." Judy answered freely.

"Of course he would choose there. It is the oldest place in the county for such important ceremonies, and the only place more significant than the park." Serenity said before telling them "Now, we really will leave you two to enjoy your meal in peace, and if you need anything at all do give Sadie a holler."

"Right, Sisters?" Serenity then turned towards the rest of them, and nodding emphatically they all got back to work.

Finally free to simply enjoy each others company, not that the witchy waitresses had been any bother, Nick went about pouring them fresh mugs of tea while Judy who had dove into her salad distracted him as he was filling her cup by shoving a forkful into his mouth. As he chewed the bit of spinach, and other greens which weren't nearly as horrible as his kit-self used to insist, he was pleasantly surprised by the flavorful crunch of peanuts. He in turn would've wanted to get a spoonful of the heavenly smelling chowder past Judy's gums, but she beat him to it then teased him that if he took too long to eat it she'd help herself to it instead. His response was to clutch the couldron, and with his head over it give her a playful growl she countered by licking his nose which sent his ears up in surprise while she giggled like a kit at the look on his muzzle. Not to be outdone, and simply because he could, with a devious grin he licked her back getting in a good long stroke that left the whole half of her muzzle looking funny at which he did chuckle heartily in victory though the look she gave him promised she would get him back.

While they went about enjoying their meal after their teenager like antics they did not notice like some of the other patrons did that not only were they watched by the witchy waitresses who to a one were smiling at them, for a brief moment they were encircled by them who joined paw in paw lowered their heads in unison as if casting a silent spell of encouragement for their growing bond. When they were done with what had been quite the satisfying meal, and a better sort of lunch than simply just ice cream and frozen custard, Nick asked Sadie just what their bill was making it clear he wanted to pay since as a cop, even though off duty and on vacation, he couldn't just accept free anything. It took Serenity coming out of the kitchen, and putting her foot down as the owner, to dissuade him of that notion especially when her argument for giving them free service was that Will already had overpaid them enough through his many visits to their establishment that their bill could be considered paid, as well as the next several bills should they visit again which she made clear she, and her sisters very much wanted them to do whenever they found themselves in Ulfhaven.

Serenity also made sure they knew which way to head to get to the park, and having already walked down 'Head Shoppe Row' they'd actually just missed it by not heading a couple streets over in that direction east of Main Street. With Judy promising that they both would come back when they could just for more of that chowder, and the tea they both headed out feeling quite recharged.

---

After all the walking they'd done, having made it down Main Street to the pier then down the pier and back up browsing through what shops caught their eye, he was very much glad to be sitting down. That they were outside with an excellent view of the ocean, and the shoreline as they waited for their waitress to come take their orders was a bonus, as was the fact that they were getting some real food. He had laughed at her, as much as she'd laughed at him when the smells of food all around them caused them both to cave to their stomachs rumbling, and drool pooling in their mouths. He still couldn't believe that the most beautiful female at school, with her lustrous black fur, and luminescent green eyes had wanted to go out with him just as much as he wanted to go out with her.

"Sorry about the wait, you two. So what can I get ya?" The grey she-wolf whose name tag read 'Jenn' asked with a friendly smile her tail wagging freely in what he could tell wasn't a forced gesture at all like he normally saw in the city.

"Everything." Maria answered with a broad grin before saying "Though can we start with some bowls of the clam chowder. I've heard my big brother rave about how it's the stuff to try at every restaurant here in Ulfhaven that you can; everyone does it a little different, and none of it is bad."

"Sure thing, hon. Would you like that in a sourdough bread bowl?" Jenn asked with her own broad grin.

"Yes!" Maria replied enthusiastically to which he added his own "Yes, please. It was the smell that brought us here."

"Then two clam chowder bread bowls coming up." Jenn assured them before her head tilted in obvious curiosity she asked "Though if you don't mind me asking, who is your big brother? We don't get too many jaguars in these parts, and believe me we remember the handsome ones."

"Oh, no my big brother is Will." Maria clarified to which he added "Yeah, he brought us up for the Grimm family reunion."

At the raised eyebrow that got from Jenn who only seemed more curious not disbelieving Maria quickly got out her phone, and pulled up the first photo she came across of her, with Will, and Layla which happened to include the rest of the CLAWS while they were stopped over on their way back to Zootopia at an American army base.

"Wow, so you met him while he was gone . . . whoa, so that's his vixen huh? Damn, she makes that uniform look good." Jenn said wide-eyed before she focused them, and brought her muzzle almost against Maria's phone, recognition plain on her features before she pulled away saying "You knew Jack too."

"I did. He was one of the best." Maria replied, and he could tell from her voice that they were talking about him in the past tense because he was in Ulfheim.

"He was." Jenn agreed with such a sad smile, and he could smell her grief as she turned then walked back into the restaurant 'The Sea Wolf's Galley'.

"He was one of the two squadmates Will mentioned that didn't make it?" He asked carefully not wanting to seem insensitive, remembering Will mentioning a now deceased Jack, and feeling like a total heel for wanting to bring up with her what he really wanted to bring up.

"Yeah . . . He always knew how to lighten a mood, and the only tail he couldn't whip at pool was Will's." Maria responded with a soft smile clearly remembering him fondly before she turned as if something had caught her eye which it had, and she quickly pointed it out "Speaking of demons, look at him run."

At that he turned towards the direction she was looking, and thanks to the movement of the truly huge especially when compared to others of his species arctic wolf he easily caught sight of Will running about with the micro-pack on his tail. He could almost hear them all yapping about in their play, which reminded him of his own family reunions when he was younger, and quite unintentionally what had been on his mind all morning just slipped out "You slept with him. Now that Saturday at the mall makes sense."

"David . . ." Maria said to him, and the strained worried sort of look on her muzzle wasn't one he wanted to see there at all, but having started down this road he needed to get it off his chest.

"We weren't together then, so I can't really get mad, and I'm not . . . but were you really serious about only wanting me? How am I supposed to compete with that, with him, or not see myself as second string in comparison? Is that what I am to you, just a substitute for him since he is already claimed? Gods, Maria, I don't want to sound like I am . . . I really do like you . . . I think I love you, and I do want to be with you . . ." It all sort of just poured out of him, and as much as he needed to say it, he hoped she saw on his muzzle how low he felt for it.

"David." She said to him, and he couldn't help the way his ears splayed back at the bite in her tone that told him she was being very serious "If I hadn't made him promise me that I could thank him for saving me, the way I wanted to, believe me you would've been my first, and not just because you're my best friend's brother and my other best friend too. You listen to me, and you listen to me good; you are not some consolation prize compared to a wolf that was never mine to begin with, especially not to me. You are the kind, compassionate, and thoughtful wolf who gave a lonely cat who barely knew enough english to make it on her own in this country a hug when she needed it most; I don't ever want you to not be in my life, even if we fight, or we don't work out like this. You have no idea how happy you made me when I held your paw, and you didn't pull away, or how happy I am a wolf as good as you really wants to be with a cat like me."

"What do you mean, a cat like you? Ta loca." He couldn't help saying to her, and adding "I am the lucky one, such a Linda gatita wants to be with me."

"Hahaha, Si yo soy loca." She laughed in response, and there it was the smile that had first tugged at his heartstrings, and made her the most beautiful mammal he'd ever seen before she added "But I'm your loca gatita, mi guapo lobo."

And like that, it was all water under the bridge, or in this case more literally the pier. After their emotional moment with it's no less emotional resolution he was not content to simply sit across from her, and thankfully the table was round so it was an easy thing to not only move his chair closer to her, but get her to in turn do the same. Their new position closer to each other had the added bonus of giving them a better view out to sea, and of the shore where they got the show that was Will playing with the cubs in his family. As far as that particular show went it was rather obvious Will had taken to digging in the sand on all fours, quite the chicken-tail of dirt flying behind him, but he was too far away for them to really see what his goal in digging like he was, was.

"Either he is digging the hole for them to bury him in, or he's helping make the moat for their sandcastle which he will help them build; though it could be both." Jenn said to them as she brought a platter with two steaming bread bowls on it.

"That is so like him, to dig his own grave, even a fake one, just for the shits and giggles because he can." Maria commented with a laugh at the thought.

"Well, that's kinda morbid." He couldn't help opining.

"Having been on the beach to witness it first paw, he loves getting buried just so he can rise out of the hole like it was nothing. After he came home he even got them to re-enact the opening to Fallout: New Vegas with him. Sierra played Benny, and the micro-pack were the Great Kahns; then after they walked away Sophie played Victor, and dug him out. She even drug him a good distance, I wouldn't want to ever get on her bad side." Jenn explained happily as she set their food in front of them.

"She probably barely weighs a quarter what he does. Does she lift, or something?" He couldn't help asking.

"He is heavy, when he was teaching me throws it took a while before I could really get him off his feet." Maria added clearly impressed to hear Sophie managed to move him at all.

"Actually, Sierra was using blanks, and didn't even point it at him, but he was really convincing. Sophie had been close enough to hear the shots, and pulled up just as they had finished burying him; he really scared her when he said to her 'Well howdy Victor, thanks for the assist' that was the only time I know of she actually kicked him square where it'd hurt most." Jenn told them shaking her head at the memory.

"Ow. He might've deserved that one, but ow." Was all he could say to that unable to not shift uncomfortably remembering the last time he'd made his sister mad enough to bring him to his knees in that manner, which though several years ago, wasn't the sort of pain he was likely to ever forget.

"So he really wasn't kidding about her beating him black, and blue during her lone fox intervention." Maria said with a nod.

"Okay, today is a happier day; he is certainly a happier wolf. Let's not talk about that; you eat, and enjoy your food." Jenn told them clearly not wanting to delve into that subject, even adding at the wide-eyed look Maria gave her "Don't give me that cute-cub look. I get it enough from my son since Will taught him; it won't work on me."

Giving them a half grin, and a light shake of her head Jenn then turned walking back into the restaurant to tend to her other tables. He spared her a short glance as she walked away more out of curiosity than anything else at just how much she seemed to avoid talking about before he turned to the bread bowl of chowder in front of him that smelled mouth-watering. A glance in the other direction as he picked up is spoon had him laughing out loud at the look on Maria's muzzle as she drooled while she savored the sent of her own chowder bread bowl.

Before she could fully turn towards him to ask what was so funny he leaned over, and licked her muzzle to wipe away the drool which caused her ears to shoot up in surprise before she in response gave him a 'love bite' right to the neck. Though she certainly had the bite strength to easily hurt him quite lethally that was never a thought that fluttered through his mind; no, all he could think at the gentle pressure of her fangs in his neck was how it was like there was a button to turn him into a rug, and she knew how to press it expertly. After she let him go she returned the lick to the side of his muzzle, and as she got the edge of his ear he couldn't help the light shudder that caused since though her tongue was quite rougher than any canine's it actually felt better for it. She giggled at the response she got out of him, and he laughed too before they both tucked in to their meal.

After blowing on the steaming spoonful of chowder to cool it he took his first bite, and it was paws down the best he'd ever tasted; a family trip to the Tundra Town fish market for dinner wasn't uncommon back home, and the chowder there certainly was a local favorite, but it had nothing on this. He couldn't put a digit on precisely what made it so good irrespective of the atmosphere around them there on the pier, and the company of Maria both of which were simply bonus on top of the experience, but after that first bite he was ready to forego a spoon simply start lapping it out of the bread bowl like an uncivilized mammal. The only reason he didn't was because using a spoon he actually got pieces of the clam, potato, and carrot goodies within the heavenly creamy thick broth. He didn't even think to add to it a healthy amount of pepper, or some hot sauce for taste like he would've back home simply enjoying the natural flavor of the chowder unadulterated.

It wasn't exactly a race to see who could finish first, but he couldn't help doing his best to keep a steady supply of the deliciousness flowing past his very happy tongue, and the short glance he spared Maria showed that she was in the same boat as they both were too focused eating to make conversation. Sooner than he would've liked he was down to scraping the bread bowl, but those bites of sourdough laden with chowder were just as good if not slightly better than the first bite had been. From there he couldn't help simply picking up the crusty husk of the bread bowl, and using as large a bite as his canid muzzle would allow making quick work of it. In his peripheral he noted albeit barely that Maria was of a like mind in forgoing the niceties of civil manners because it was that good.

"I take it you to liked it." Jenn said to them with a smile on her muzzle, and laughter in her voice as she checked on them.

"I am a very happy kitty." Maria responded with a pur as she stretched languidly.

"I second that. I don't know if I can ever go back to the Tundra Town fish market for chowder ever again." He added rubbing his stomach in satisfaction.

"You're a happy kitty too, huh?" Jenn teased him with a giggle before asking them "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Maria in a stroke of brilliance continued the teasing of him by singing to him as she got her paws under his shirt ruffling his fur "Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy kitty, sleepy kitty pur, pur, pur."

"I kinda can't change the fact I'm a wolf, but meow anyway." He responded good naturedly as he laughed with them.

"You know I can teach you to meow properly if you'd like David though you'll sound a bit like a girl." Maria said to him clearly liking the sound of that idea before asking Jenn "I could eat a bit more, what would you recommend?"

"It's true wolves can meow, though Will's the only one anyone knows of who does it; he's been doing it since elementary school, and he won't give up how he learned to do it so well, or who taught him." Jenn added seconding Maria's notion before answering her "Well, if you liked the chowder which is one of our more well known specialties, I'd recommend our Bounty of the Sea burger which is a patty made out of a mix of fish, and clam for a heartier texture. It comes with your choice of fixin's and cheese with no extra charge for add-ons or substitutions."

"What sort of add-ons are we talkin?" Maria asked curiosly while he added "What kind of cheeses do you got?"

"Well, to answer both of those questions; there's the Will special for example which comes with a fried egg, and deep fried clam strips on top of the bleu cheese, tomato, olive and pickle as well as garlic fries instead of the usual house fries." Jenn answered them before adding "If you want I can give you a minute to look over the menu at your options while I get you two refills."

"You kinda already sold me on that, minus the pickle, and why does he get garlic fries? Doesn't he know garlic is bad for us, like same as onions bad?" He responded while Maria added "That sounds good to me too, though can I get half garlic fries half regular?"

"Okay, so one Will special hold the pickle, with house fries, and one with half garlic half house fries. I'll get that going for you no problem, and he has always loved garlic for the smell; everyone tells him with how he eats things a wolf shouldn't that he's going to fuck up his gut, but he just laughs. He even a time, or two just to fuck with us I think has come over from Supreme Dairy with a lethal looking size scoop of the Fudging Suicide in a cup, and ordered just the garlic fries to enjoy the two together then wash it down with a bread bowl of chowder." Jenn replied not even needing to write down their order since it was so simple.

With that she picked up their currently empty glasses of soda, and walked back inside to put in their orders. While they waited they looked out over the bay towards the shore spying on where Will had been as they talked. Even with how far way he was they could see that Jenn had been right since he was with several smaller grey figures around him building what seemed to be more a sand fort than castle.

"Garlic, and chocolate together? That sounds like Lola's fried egg, and spam with peanut butter and spicy pickle sandwich this morning, only lethal." He started off the conversation unable to get over the sound of that which just from picturing the smells of garlic, and chocolate together seemed almost sickeningly unappetizing.

"It's the ammount you consume that determines the lethal dose, no different than drinking coffee. He actually got me to try belgian style french fries dipped in chocolate that he made, and they were actually really good, that's why I got the half order of garlic fries - that many won't hurt us to eat, and I want you to at least try a couple." Maria answered him.

"Well . . . alright, I can do that. You've seen how hard they drill into us wolves evading foods that are toxic to us, especially the one's that actually smell good, though." He said turning towards her slightly.

"I've also seen my big brother eat those things, and not die, or get anything worse than the runs." Maria responded with a grin remembering the sight Will had made darting through her apartment clutching his gut when it was still their apartment.

"I hope you know I'm not exactly some super-mammal like he is." He commented raising an eyebrow at her.

"Not all heroes wear capes." Maria replied with missing a beat.

"And live longer for it." He added with a grin at which they both had a short laugh.

After that they drifted into a bit of comfortable silence just looking out to sea before they both wound up watching the beach. In the time they'd been talking the scene had changed quite noticeably; Layla was the tallest head sticking out from the sand fort, and was scanning eastward a paw over her eyes much like the rest of the micro-pack. They all looked like canine versions of meerkats in a way, and Will the distinctly large white figure against the beach was missing from the whole picture. They both followed the gaze of the fort's defenders assuming somehow Will would be somewhere that way, but all there really was were a group of what looked like high-schoolers.

---

"Well, Commander Layla have you sighted the enemy?" Jeanne asked gung-ho because Will had told her, the proud biter she was, that she was free to bite-at-will; they all were which had gained them their Commander, and Chief Watch-mammal who promised to be a formidable ally.

"Defender Jeanne, I have not." Layla responded as if this fact vexed her immensely, and she added in an almost hiss "He's craftier than a fox, and I should know. What I do see is a group of colluders, or hostages, or who just happened to wash ashore, and may need our aid."

"What does colluders mean, Commander Layla?" Edward, at six the youngest asked curiously.

"It means he's ensnared them in his plot Defender Edward, and they're aiding him though of course if they're hostages that means they might not have a choice . . . Just stay alert, and remember only to attack him."

"What're we gonna do when they get here, Commander sir? . . . I mean ma'am." Kasey who was Kara's brother asked relaxedly adding with a grin "We outnumber him, he's going to loose anyway."

"But how many would he take down before we won, Defender Kasey?" Layla asked him in response grinning back before she said "You may have the honor of telling them to Halt, then watching behind me for a sneak attack while I see if they are truly a neutral party."

They did not have to wait long for the group of teenager's who were three wolves, two foxes, and a badger to get close enough for further identification. They were to a one waterlogged which lent credence to her suggestion they washed ashore if one didn't take into account the fact their clothes were merely damp looking in contrast to their fur. From how their general features all seemed slender compared to males of their respective species it was obvious they were all female; given Sierra as well as Sophie's unhesitating gallivanting into the sea they had probably all been out for a swim.

"Halt. Who goes there?" Kasey asked them with a mirthful undertone that both kept him within character for their game, and proved disarming of the approaching girls.

"Hey, Kasey." The fire, and ice vixen of the pair responded happily with a wave as she greeted him before asking "So you guys are defending the fort this time, huh? Instead of hunting him? You think it'll work?"

"Hey, Laurel." He responded smiling back at her as he added confidently "This time we will win. The Beast will be defeated."

"Cause you've got Sierra helping you." The female badger said with her own grin before asking her "So, you were a vixen for halloween Sierra? Nice dye-job."

"Well, I was dyed for halloween. I'm Layla, Commander of this fort, and long-time rival to The Beast." She responded with a smirk before asking them "Have you seen him, or are you hiding him?"

"It would be kinda hard for us to hide him." One of the she-wolves said to her as if the idea of them doing so were funny before saying "I watched the video on his zootube channel, holy shit were you a spooky red-cloaked vixen, and you were an awesome Magenta. Just so you know you have fans in town."

"Thank you; our costumes were my idea, the performance was his, it was fun." Layla replied with a friendly smile before saying "In knowing how he hides in plain sight, you can hide him as a distraction while he's circling behind us, probably belly-crawling. So, you did at least see him back that-a-way?"

"Nope, we didn't see him." The she-badger said to her before asking "I hope you'll forgive my mistake, you could pass for Sierra's sister. Is that your natural red, or lingering residue from the dye?"

"Are you sure?" Layla asked back before telling her "This is my natural red."

"Fuck you are pretty." the she-badger responded in the next breath, clearly admiring her.

"He's kinda hard to miss." The other vixen whose Georgian red fur pattern indicated Russian ancestry pointed out before asking "You know how he can just pop-up out of nowhere? How the hell does he do it?"

"Water doesn't just do that." Luke who was Edwards older brother said pointing to the spot where he saw the incoming wave whirl about legs that weren't there.

She'd been about to respond in kind to the she-badger, and explain the basics about 'going unnoticed' because it was simple only in principle not in practice, but Luke's observation drew her into action. Within seconds she'd pivoted in the direction he was pointing, and leapt in a counter-pounce. The force that was with Luke in spotting their would be attacker was with her as well as she felt her arms around ribs, but the figure was too skinny to be him, and she presently saw confirmation that it was indeed Sierra. As they landed crushing part of the inner wall in somewhat of a heap the very wet, and naked Sierra seemed intent on wrestling.

"He's still out there!" She managed to shout to the rest of her 'forces' before her attention was consumed by the enterprising she-wolf under her.

Sierra managed to struggle around, and bring her muzzle to bear as she playfully nipped at her wherever she could reach, but two could play that game. Her tail wagging like a flag in the air Layla didn't not hesitate to bite Sierra back, and to win. Years, even if it was barely a pawful, of knowing how to wield Will both in combat and between the sheets which were nearly identical methods, were well put to use with a little paw-to-paw effort as Layla curled herself around Sierra. Her goal was the particular spot between Sierra's shoulder blades which she managed to reach, and bite expertly which reduced Sierra to a rug. In the bargain however she had allowed her tail into Sierra's jaws where said she-wolf happily gnawed on it. The sensations made her spine an electric xylophone crackling a staccato, and she couldn't help arching backwards

---

Having run down the beach far enough that he'd just about lost sight of everyone which meant they'd lost sight of him Will happened to run into a very familiar set of muzzles.

"Hey, you guys. How's it goin'?" He asked the Ulfhaven High swim team.

"Pretty good, so far Will." Laurel who was the youngest, and as a fire and ice vixen had beautiful fur though not quite as much so as his Layla's, answered him.

"We wouldn't be much of a swim team if we didn't enjoy a free day at the beach." Aurora the she-badger who at seventeen was the oldest, and team captain said to him mirthfully.

"Too bad for you, you missed seeing us naked." Cynthia one of the three she-wolves said clearly teasingly.

"How 'bout you Father, what're you up to?" Sam who was Cynthia's sister asked him, putting a little emphasis on 'father'.

"Well obviously he's here for the Grimm family reunion, and probably on the run from the Grimm micro-pack." Erika the black furred she-wolf who swam in books as readily as water remarked before teasingly adding "That means we'll run into your boyfriend Laurel."

"I'd rather you just call me Will, Sammy." He said to her with a grin as he licked his muzzle making it clear he was implying she was a sandwich, something he knew she disliked in order to further make his point before saying honestly "You know Laurel, I know you and Kasey are just friends, and have been for ages, but you would be a cute couple."

"Ugh, what is with everyone lately? Just 'cause we're friends, and friendly with each other . . ." Laurel complained before adding under her breath "Not that I'd say no if he asked me out . . ."

Though he heard the other half of her statement, the rest of them didn't seem to since Sam at the same time admonished him "Do you want me to bite you? You know how much it fucking pisses me off that stupid fucking people call gods be damned sandwiches Sammies, and my name happens to be Samantha."

"Ooh, yes let's bite him!" Juniper who was Laurel's cousin said excitedly.

"You know I actually agree with you about them being properly called fucking sandwiches, or subs hell even hoagies Sam, I just wanted you to get that you don't need to call me Father." He told her before telling them "You all can bite me if you wish I don't mind, but I will want your aid in return."

"Aid with what?" Aurora asked raising her eyebrow at him.

"Oh, just distract the micro-pack from their defense of Fort Grimm so I can sneak up on them, and you will have to make sure to be convincing that you haven't seen me. They have help this time from someone who knows how to find me." He answered her.

"We can do that." Juniper said nodding enthusiastically as she grinned toothily.

"Who's helping them?" Erika asked putting a restraining paw on the overeager Juniper's shoulder.

"You'll just have to find out." He responded to her with a grin of his own.

"Hmm… Minimal effort, and we all can get a free bite in?" Aurora asked shrewdly.

"Or two so long as you don't draw blood. Not that I care, but others will take it out of your hide." He told her, and he would've shrugged if he hadn't been on all fours.

At that Aurora looked around at her teammates, and as they all shared nods in agreement they nearly as one in proof of how well they worked together leapt upon him fangs first. Under the weight of all of them in their concerted effort he wound up on his belly.

They certainly were on odd sight to any who happened to notice what with the tails of the girls wagging happily as they playfully bit at him in a sort of mammal-pile that only left his wagging tail like a lone flag visible proof of his own enjoyment of their attention. Once the girls had gotten it out of their system they let up off of him, but he stayed on his belly with his tail wagging idly, and a happily goofy grin on his muzzle. If anyone had asked just what that had all been about he'd have had a hard time of really explaining it other than to just say simply that they were well known to each other, and he wasn't much different with them than he was with the cubs in his own family. What he would be glossing over was the fact that he'd seen to it that Juniper, and Aurora were no longer molested by their abusers by burying said offenders in the silent forest; he also had set up a small fund in conjunction with the local psychiatrists so that the therapy for them, and the others he'd similarly 'rescued' so to speak male and female alike was covered, as well as therapy for any future young who needed it for similar reasons though he remained a silent partner as it were, having merely put in the hundred thousand bucks to start off the trust.

While the girls set off back down the beach towards where 'Fort Grimm' had been made, he followed slightly behind, and just out of reach of the waves keeping himself low to the ground, and going somewhat slower than their pace as he focused his chi on going unnoticed.

Even with the girls' leisurely pace it wasn't all that long before he could see 'Fort Grimm' with it's defenders, and their commander to a one doing their best to spy his approach. Lola, Holly, and Chelsea were all three sitting a ways off minding his effects as well as Sophie's, Sierra's, and Naomi's as well as enjoying the spectacle before them with Layla's parents.

Just as he was about to make his attack run while the girls' rather succesfully occupied Layla, and the micro-pack he noticed Sierra reach the beach ahead of Sophie, and Naomi and she was making her own unnoticed approach. He was already chuckling internally at Aurora's 'Fuck you're pretty' comment to Layla who he knew would easily return the compliment when it was all he could do not to laugh in vindication that Luke spotted Sierra such that he did.

He had intended to go after Layla himself, but Sierra having cocked up that plan forced him to switch targets, and with Sophie coming out of the water he had the perfect one. Sailing through the air in a perfectly executed pounce just as he was about to land on top of her he let go his focus on being unnoticed, and instead focused on not hurting his little sister as his momentum forced them into a roll during which he wrapped his entire body around her save for her head which poked out past his right shoulder.

"Vixen Burrito!" He shouted victoriously enjoying his success.

Then came the yipping, and yapping of the micro-pack as they came charging, and even his tail which was between his legs pinning Sophie's own tail tightened against them further as he braced himself for multiple impacts.

Within moments it was the girls tackling, and biting him all over again, only on a smaller scale, and with less concern about just where they were doing the biting.

"Try all you like whoever that is you will not get my tail!" He shouted out to whoever it was before complimenting them "Smart tactic though."

"It's not working!" Kasey was the one to exclaim before saying "Let's tickle him!"

"But he's not ticklish." Kara responded being the one who routinely tried, but failed to ever get him.

"Go for . . ." Sophie tried to assist them, but he stifled the words in her mouth by first licking then chewing on her left ear.

To further keep her quiet since she knew just where he was indeed ticklish he gave her even more attention licking her muzzle, and nibbling into her ruff.

"It's his sides, just below his ribs!" Layla managed to shout out to them despite Sierra keeping her paws full adding "You have to do it right, too much force won't work!"

"No! Don't listen to her. She Lies!" He admonished them futilely.

Unfortunately for him their effort was quite concerted, and Kara in particular was persistent such that soon enough he was laughing to the point he couldn't not uncurl from around Sophie who upon being freed joined in with vengeance.

Flat on his back with an arm over his eyes, and a heavy sigh he melodramatically said to them "I am vanquished. Mercy I beg of thee."

"How's this for mercy?" Sophie asked as she promptly sat on his chest.

"Is it not enough I yield to your awful and terrible might? You must lord over me your victory?" He asked her keeping up the mock olde english phrasing before he added as he felt his stomach rumble "Release me, and I shall endeavor to make restitution."

"Oh, and what do you suggest?" Sophie asked in response though the odd look on her muzzle revealed she'd felt his stomach gurgle.

"I will journey to yonder shack of smoked sausages, and bring back a trove of bun ensconced delicious meat." He replied with a grin.

A chorus from the micro-pack of their agreement to those terms settled the matter, and so Sophie got off of him. Back on his feet Will asked Aurora and the girls' if they too wanted any hot dogs, his treat, and they agreed a free lunch on him sounded good. With that he set off alone while Aurora and the girls' including Sierra, and Layla who were the most responsible for it repaired the damage to 'Fort Grimm'.

It was a short jaunt up to the pier, and in no time at all he was at The Smoked Sausage with it's tongue in cheek logo of a winking wiener. Said establishment was owned, and run by Joey a wolf who was married to Amanda the older sister of his friend from high-school Jeremy.

"Hey Joey, how's it going?" Will asked the bespectacled proprietor who was behind the counter, and had been enjoying the momentary lull in business.

"Pretty good so far, Will." Joey responded before asking in return "I take it you're here to do some damage."

"Hehe, you could say that. Figuring two per head just to be safe, I'm gonna need forty-four dogs wrapped to go." Will told him.

"Christ, who all are you buying for? Not that I'm complaining, but it'll take a minute before they're all done." Joey said as he went about getting about two dozen more smoked chicken sausages to boiling with the twenty or so he'd already put in after the lunch rush.

"Well there's the current Ulfhaven High swim team, my family's micro-pack, then like half of my pack plus Sierra's little sister, and my mate's parents." Will told him before thinking about Lola reminded him "Ah, shit. Lola's been having trouble keeping cooked foods down; can you toss in to that order just a couple raw sausages."

The look Joey leveled at him wordlessly communicated the innuendo he'd opened the door for, and Will just laughed saying "Yes, I know. Normally I'm the one that wants the sausage nice and raw."

"You said it not me." Joey responded laughing with him before saying "Sure thing. Though I'm surprised your sister, and David jumped the gun like that; they barely started dating a couple weeks ago, which I know since Amanda, and I ran into them on our own date night."

"It's more like she jumped his gun." Will replied with a grin before saying "They didn't mean for this to happen, heck they were barely starting to see where the chemistry they do have together might take them, but Lola's going through with carrying their cub to term, and David . . . He is a good wolf. I actually was rooting for him that he'd start dating my sister, and I have faith in him."

After the words were out of him Will did his best to keep his muzzle expression neutral, and that he meant his endorsement of David certainly helped, but internally he was surprised how easily he was able to deflect from the real truth. His experience in the ZIA might have conditioned him well, but this sort of thing to be necessarily hiding even for damn good reason made him question that conditioning. It rankled the having to lie as well as how easily the lie came out of him, and there was no way for it not to rankle when he could never tell the truth.

"You know, he is a pretty decent guy, but that coming from you says alot." Joey said to him

At that he could only shrug indifferently saying "Maybe, but a vote of confidence is just that a vote; it could very well turn out to be misplaced even though in this case I doubt it."

"So, anyway. I hear you're mated too, and about to get married; that seems to be throwing everyone through a bigger loop." Joey told him clearly making conversation.

"I know right, who'd have thought me of all mammals, but I am, and it's long overdue. It's complicated though that's for fucking sure." He responded amiably before telling him "Word will get around I'm sure, but my vixen and I we have fought, and bled beside each other; hell it's my blood in her veins that's the reason she's still alive today, and it's those same circumstances relating to our serving together that necessitated I leave her like I did. That much I can tell you straight, the rest, and I know it raises questions, is very classified as in if I told you I'd have to kill you and you wouldn't really want to know anyway."

"Well congratulations, and welcome to the club we have poker nights." Joey said with a conspiratorial grin.

"Hehe you know poker is more my Layla's game of choice as far as cards go anyway, especially strip poker; blackjack is more my speed." Will replied with a laugh.

They continued their light banter for a bit before his order large as it was, was ready, and as was his custom of paying mammals well especially when he enjoyed their products whatever they may be Will gave Joey an extra forty bucks on top of the total for all the food he was getting. Not that he did, or would say anything about it, but he was glad that Joey, and most every fellow Ulfhavener had learned to just accept the money, and he no longer had to argue his point at least with them that it was his way of being neighborly, and supporting his community. Will was well aware how his generosity in this regard earned him more esteem with most because of how readily he simply thought nothing of sharing what wealth he had, but that wasn't why he did it; he'd seen first paw how much even an extra ten bucks could help a mammal on the poorer end of the spectrum even in what was considered the 'first world' let alone the second, or third in his time in the ZIA, and it was a lesson that stuck. He'd also seen how greasing paws could help in certain situations, and how some mammals even with their paws greased would still sell you out to the highest bidder, but that didn't disillusion him since it was a fundamental law that everything in life, for the sake of sheer survival, had it's cost.

As he was leaving The Smoked Sausage carrying two hemp plastic bags each with two dozen hot dogs Will's path happened to cross with Maria, and David who in walking back down the pier paw in paw as they were, were also heading his way. After a short greeting the three of them made their way down the beach, and soon enough had returned to the Grimm Fort.

"Look who I ran into." Will said to everyone with a grin once he was close enough while the micro-pack and the swim team who made up the hungrier of the present mammals swarmed him.

"You two love birds have fun up on the pier?" The still very naked, and since she'd washed the sand out of her fur in the sea, wet Sierra asked them with a jovial grin.

"Yeah." David answered simply, and the fact that he was clearly keeping his eyes on her muzzle only made Sierra grin wider.

"We had lunch at the Galley, and definitely made friends with Jenn." Maria gave a better answer as she shamelessly admired Sierra's figure.

At hearing her name Will couldn't help the way he stiffened, or how his ears twitched, and such was his luck that Layla noticed as she was about to get her own hot dog, as well as the raw sausages for Lola.

"She another ex of your's babe?" Layla asked him curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"No. No that's not it." He answered her honestly, and it was there in his tone that indeed her being an ex wasn't the case.

"She knew Jack. Dagger not Savage." Maria supplemented adding "She didn't seem willing to mention much more than that though."

"She knew Dagger?" Layla asked before telling Will, holding her right paw out pad side up as she did so "Okay, spill."

"The same way you had Sky check on Fox Hollow, I had him check on here." He told her reflexively before he frowned, and trudging forward got the hard part out "They met down at the Tavern, and sort of hit it off really well . . . I didn't find out until I'd come home . . . that they'd gotten close at all let alone just how close they had gotten. He was planning on setting down roots here, but you know how our work made that a challenge. Layla . . . what I'm going to say next is why I was trying to O.D. like I was before Sophie stopped me . . . Jack died never knowing he was a father. Jenn's son Hunter is his, and he will never get to know his dad because of me."

In the silence that followed his admission all he could do was hang his head staring at the ground, and as he thought of the young cub who was barely fourteen months old the tears flowed freely down his muzzle creating little dark specks on the beach beneath him.

"Jack has a son?" Layla asked, and with her paw she lifted his muzzle as she closed the distance between them so that she could see into his eyes as she added wanting to know "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"It never got brought up . . ." He told her before he squeezed his eyes shut, and the pain of it was on his muzzle as he said "Koche may have given the order betraying us, but I'm the reason he gave that order."

What he missed thanks to his eyes being shut was Layla extending her right arm behind her reaching way back before she brought it to bear in a slap that didn't miss. The sound of it wasn't a smack, or pop, it was a thud and a thud that got the attention of everyone around them who were silent in its wake leaving only the crashing waves for ambiance.

Nearly super mammalian pain tolerance refined through more experience getting tortured than he cared to remember be damned because her strike made him see stars even as his eyes shot open in surprise. Adding to that was the way Layla in lieu of him wearing a shirt, grasped firmly with her left paw his chest fur which stung in equal measure to how serious he could feel she was just from the tension within her arm.

"You listen to me, and you listen fucking well." Layla told him evenly which if anything seemed more intimidating, and with how his tail fell lifeless it was clear he wasn't immune at all to it before she continued firmly "That slimy son of a cunt didn't have to betray us like he did, but that's his M.O. and you know it. Would it have been so hard to bring up with you the concern about your own M.O., and ask you to change it? If I even find out you said another word about you bearing any guilt over his choice that led to Jack, and John's deaths, let alone if I hear you say such words then so help me William my next blow will be to your testicles. You know how much I prefer giving them the opposite treatment."

"Now then." Layla said with a firm sigh "I am going up there, finding this Jenn, and inviting her, and her son to our wedding because they are family. Do not follow me; I am mad at you."

With that she stormed off leaving him where he stood thinking over the point she'd made about just where his guilt really lay; it paralleled his conversation with Sophie that morning, and when he finally managed to move he only walked over the the edge of the waterline along the shore where he sank into a cross-legged position further thinking things over with a thousand yard stare out to sea.

---

Her muzzle set in determination, and her brush bristling out behind her she made her way off the beach, and along the hempcrete path up to the pier. With her mission clear, and the fire of her anger still burning in her she strode on to the pier, her head on a swivel. Between what her body language broadcasted, and her size most mammals moved out of her way not that she really noticed.

About a third of the way down the pier she found as clear as she could want the sign for the 'The Sea Wolves' Galley'. The front door was quite welcoming-ly open, and through she it she walked her nose flaring as she took in the scents inside the restaurant.

"Good afternoon, table for one?" The she-wolf receptionist behind the podium asked her friendlily with just a hint of nervousness.

"I'm looking for Jenn, I need to speak with her. It is important." She answered succinctly if a little tersely.

"I can go get her. You are?" The receptionist responded with honest curiosity raising an eyebrow.

"I am the mate of William Grimm." She replied with a grin enjoying the taste of the word as her tail flicked in irritation at her own mention of him.

"You're . . . you're his vixen?" The she-wolf asked as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, and he is my wolf." She told the receptionist as she stepped forward to get a better view of her name tag.

"What would you want with Jenn? She never dated Will." The she-wolf she saw was named Kelly asked looking like a deer in headlights, fear tinging her scent.

"It is a family matter Kelly, and I wouldn't care if she had." She told her with a frown as she narrowed her eyes at her.

"Hey Kelly, how's it going?" A she-wolf with a waitress apron on asked her coworker as she walked up before she noticed her, and said "Well hey to you too, Layla. What're you doing up here?"

"You're Jenn?" She asked in response just for clarification.

"Well I'm sure not Susan, or Anne." Jenn told her jokingly with a grin.

"Okay, then first things first." She replied before she unhesitatingly closed the distance between them, and embraced Jenn.

"Okay what did I do to get a hug?" Jenn asked in surprise though she embraced her back.

"Because you're family. Will told me about you, and Jack." She answered tightening her embrace slightly before telling Jenn "Since he can't be there tomorrow morning for us like he would be, I want you, and your son to be with us."

"That's what Will said when he told me about the college trust he setup for Hunter, and I asked him why; because I am family, and it's what his father would've done." Jenn told her leaning slightly into her ruff before adding "You give really good hugs, just like him too."

"We're empaths, we have gifts; they come at their costs, but we have them." She told Jenn with a smile before saying "I'm not letting you go until you give me an answer, It would make me happy to count you among our witnesses."

"What time are you guys going to be in the park?" Jenn asked in response.

"We'll be at the Howling Point sometime around mid morning depending on the weather" She replied adding "Just say yes, give me your number so I can call you to let you know, and I'll give you mine so you know it's me."

"I should've been able to guess that, Will's as old fashioned as Elder Frost like that." Jenn said mirthfully before telling her "Alright, Hunter, and I will be there."

"Good." She responded as she released Jenn with her tail wagging behind her in victory before asking her "Do you know what Jaeger means in Deutsch?"

"Will told me; I had just wanted to give him a good strong name like his father. We cried a lot that day. It feels like so long ago now." Jenn told her with a heavy sigh.

"It is a good strong name; I will want someone besides Sage to run my name ideas through once Will gets me pregnant." She said to her seriously with a smile before adding with a touch of melancholy "In some ways it was a lifetime ago . . ."

"Okay, let's not go there, today is a happier day." Jenn insisted quickly adding "I would be glad to go through names with you, but that was really true? He can get you pregnant?"

"In the entire year I . . . wandered without him . . . I was only with other females, and since I've rejoined him I miscarried once." She answered before telling her honestly "That hurt, but the Mother had forewarned me, and had me promise that I wouldn't give up. Like he keeps saying we have a future worth fighting for; I have not even begun to fight."

At that with a sniffle Jen was hugging her saying "Okay, that sucks, but at the same time awesome. I am so happy for the both of you to hear you say that you're gonna make an actual father out of him; after seeing him with Hunter, and Dakota her mom, and I sorta started a club for those of us who felt that, that needed to happen eventually. Even after his howling, and the rumor mill that spawned."

"The way he told it to me, he mourned me. Do you know he was the one who left me because he felt he had to?" She responded.

"When he told me about the incident and how Jack died he mentioned he'd left someone named Whisper with his knife, and a revolver to keep her safe. I had a hard time believing him, because for those of us who heard his howls . . . we believed those howls that were of mourning, and it just honestly didn't seem possible that he having actually mate bonded with someone would ever leave them." Jenn told her shaking her head as she added "He would only say, and kept repeating that he was the higher priority target."

"Not a revolver. The Revolver, he is an ocelot who happens to be fond of dusters, and said firearms. Together the three of us put the LAW in CLAWS." She clarified with a grin unable to not remember his lame joke that he followed up by comparing them to the Light Antitank Weapon insofar that she was the launcher, and Rev was the guidance system while he was the weapon that got delivered on target before she admitted "He is the higher priority target, by far, and away. If other nations found out about him being the one responsible for the things he is; some governments would put millions on his head out of fear while others more enterprising would offer him even more millions wanting to exploit him. Rev, and I just know too much making us loose ends in comparison; we've all been fucking lucky so far."

"What?" Jenn asked her pulling back to look at her, shock and disbelief on her muzzle with her question echoed across Kelly's features.

"It's the truth." She responded with a shrug adding "That's about all of it I can tell you though, it is classified for several very good reasons. We like all soldiers are trained to kill, but we were given opportunities in the field to prove ourselves, and while I'm no stranger to shooting someone before they shoot me no different than Han with Greedo, Will is like Darth Nihilus only without the insatiable hunger, and with a non-lethal setting."

"Wait, so is that why he's so sneaky? He uses the force?" Kelly asked with her ears folded back as her tail slowly went side to side behind her.

"Hehe, I guess you could say that, at least the force as far as it does actually exist within our reality." She chuckled at that amused by Kelly's observation.

"Wouldn't he be more like a Jedi than some Sith Lord?" Jenn asked saying "I see him more as a Qui-Gon Jinn type."

"Mmm, Liam Neeson is a sexy wolf . . ." She couldn't help musing before she actually laughed assuring Jenn "You could say he is the Qui-Gon of Sith Lords, but he is strong in the dark side, and the dark side is strong in him."

"Really? It's not even that the force is strong with him? It's the dark side." Jenn asked clarifying " It's just hard to think of him that way, especially with the reputation he has here. You are his mate, how can you just say that?"

"Because it's the truth. He knows, and does things no Jedi would ever learn, and that's before he uses the force. Sierra is the same." She responded with a shrug adding "That he is a Lord of the Dark Side doesn't make him evil."

"I think I get what you mean." Kelly said to her before turning to Jenn "You haven't been intimate with him so you haven't seen that side of him; he is no Jedi."

"But there were Jedi who got married, and Jedi who weren't celibate; how does that make him not a Jedi?" Jenn responded seriously.

"Those Jedi were exceptions to the rules, and even they if they were here and had seen what I've seen would tell you he is no Jedi. To be honest he's not really a Sith either, and that is probably why it's confusing you that him being on the Dark Side is such a fact. Again that being a fact doesn't make him evil, it's just the way his nature is, and even with that nature he is as good as he is . . ." She told Jenn before musing aloud "I don't know if it was just in the cards that in getting to know him that I'd come to love him like I do, but I do love him, and he is mine."

"So who was that Darth Nihilist you compared him to so specifically? I've never heard of him." Kelly asked her.

"It's Nihilus." Jenn corrected her before adding her own question "If he really is the Qui-Gon of Sith Lords then what do you mean he isn't really a Sith?"

"Like how Sidious specialized with force lightning, Nihilus specialized in the force drain. He is an almost hyperbolic extreme that my wolf above all others proves is purely fictitious. Where a Jedi, true could absorb the force, the force drain is resolutely a dark side ability. Like I said my wolf has a non-lethal setting, and he uses it, but he's not really a Sith for more than just that reason; a true Sith above all else desires power and to use it whereas my wolf quotes Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator because he really means it - he doesn't want to rule or conquer anyone even with the power he does have, and how he's not afraid to use it as necessary. He also really does like helping everyone he can; you guys don't call him a Guardian of Ulfhaven for no reason." She answered them honestly.

"Wait, so that's why? . . ." Kelly asked as her eyes widened, and her jaw fell agape.

"I think I finally get you, but that's crazy to think about . . . that aspects of the force like that really exist, there is such a thing as the light side, and the dark side." Jenn said to her.

"Why what?" She curiously asked Kelly before saying to Jenn "Swap the force for chi, and it'll make more sense. I may not have the nature he does, and am closer to being a true Jedi than he is, but if you want I can demonstrate. It really is something even you could learn, but only the naturals like him, or Sierra can do what they do, and they all frown on imitators."

"He, and Sierra are so orally fixated; they're fucking fang devils . . . I thought Grandpa was always joking . . ." Kelly answered clearly surprised before she added with chagrin "I'm kinda jealous of you now, a little, he and Sierra are like the only two anyone knows about in town even if they don't know them as that . . . I guess now I know what to look for, and better put my nose to the ground."

"You can demonstrate?" Jenn asked curiously.

"I'm not exactly opposed to sharing him, though he remains mine, but isn't Sierra single?" She asked Kelly before demonstrating as she said to Jenn "Hold out your paw pad side up."

"I love Sierra, we've been friends for years, but we would never work out, and she doesn't really date anyone ever. I think she's waiting for someone, or something like that; she has said before quite bluntly to mammals who tried asking her out that if they wanted to screw they could, and if they wanted to be friends they could, but not anything more." Kelly answered as Jenn held her paw out and she put her paw over, and above it by about an inch.

"Hmm, I totally didn't get the vibe from her that she'd be like that; though I think maybe you're right about her waiting, or looking for someone." She responded pensively before saying to Jenn "Okay this is probably going to feel weird to you, do your best to hold still."

"What kind of weird?" Jenn asked curiously.

"What makes you say that?" Kelly inquired with genuine interest her ears perking alertly.

"You might feel cold, or a numbing sensation, you may also feel it for what it is; I promise you what I take I'm going to give right back" She explained to Jenn adding "It shouldn't be too bad, despite being so close to him I am better at the give than the take; believe it or not he's actually made me stronger than I already was."

With that she closed her eyes, and focused on reaching out a single tendril of chi from her paw into Jenn's then through the connection pulling gently. Slowly she felt the chi pooling in her paw, and it was simple enough to keep it there.

"Ah, okay that does feel weird like it's snaking up my wrist." Jenn told her.

At that she simply grinned, and switched her focus to passing the gathered chi in her paw back through the connection she'd made. It was as easy as rolling a ball down a slope, and once it had flowed out of her paw she broke the connection opening her eyes in time to see Jenn involuntarily do a full body shake that she came out of with her ruff looking like it had been statically charged.

"Alright that was weirder, now my arm is hot, and I feel like sparring, but don't need to." Jenn said to her as she flipped off Kelly who was snickering at how she looked.

"I am sorry about that, that can happen sometimes in the transfer; I was really angry earlier to the point I kind of hit my wolf. The aggressive itch should fade quickly enough, but watch out later you might unintentionally snap at someone; I've seen it happen before" She responded apologetically before saying to Kelly "You wanted to know why I think you're right about Sierra? Because out there somewhere is someone and hopefully their paths will cross, but that's all I can tell you about it; just like I can't talk to you about what Will has told me concerning him, and the mountain."

"Then I will take your word for it, and hope for her that she does find whoever they are; please don't talk about that, I don't want to hear." Kelly told her seriously as she shook her head for emphasis.

"Why did you hit him? Having seen him manage to earn Sophie kicking him where it'd hurt most, I can believe he deserved it; if he did." Jenn asked her with a raised eyebrow her neck fur finally settling down.

"Okay, I like you; that's exactly what I said, but he told me anyway. I'm just glad he's changed tack from his whole 'Dying is the day worth living for' mentality to this 'Fight for the Future' one." She told Kelly her tail flicking happily behind her before it stilled as she said to Jenn with ears erect in anticipation of her answer "What the hell did he do for her, the burakon she is, to do that? Him blaming himself for the things he does out of survivor's guilt just really bristles my brush; I will probably apologize when I get back to him."

"A what?" Jenn asked confusedly in response only for Kelly to explain without missing a beat "In english, it's bro-con, or brother complex."

"Ah." Jenn replied saying "Yes, she does have one of those doesn't she? Anyway, he, Sierra, and the Grimm micro-pack re-enacted the opening from Fallout: New Vegas, and Sophie thought they'd really killed him; she didn't really see the micro-pack until after she'd kicked him."

"Seriously? How the hell did he convince anyone to do that?" She couldn't help asking incredulously adding "I can practically hear him suggesting it, but how did he bribe them into agreeing to That scenario?"

"He wanted to show off to the micro-pack he knew special effects, and sold them on that it would be like being on a movie set without the pressure of there being cameras. Sierra I learned actually really likes roleplaying." Jenn explained.

"Of course, that'd be it." She couldn't help saying exasperatedly as she shook her head "You'd be surprised how beneficial it can be to effectively fake someone getting shot. It's not the most foolproof way to fake a death the false gunshot, but it has its uses and can be a lot cleaner."

At that she got some strange looks from both Kelly, and Jenn, but actual customers entering the establishment put the nix on their conversation. While Kelly immediately went about seeing to the family of puma that had walked in she, and Jenn stepped to the side where they pulled out their phones to exchange numbers.

Once they had that simple bit of business out of the way, and she'd given Jenn a hug goodbye she turned to leave only to hear the curious voice of the puma cub that had wandered over say "You have really pretty fur, but why'd you make yourself look like a fox?"

Which was followed by said cub, who couldn't have been older than three, sniffing in her direction and adding "You're a wolf."

At that she couldn't help grinning, and as she took a knee so she could more easily look him in the eye she said to him "Thank you for saying so, but I am a fox. I guess you're smelling my mate more than me."

To which she added as she brought her tail around "See I have a fox's tail, not a wolf's. I'm just really tall 'cause, well there's a gland in your brain that controls that, and mine went screwy. Luckily I stopped growing at just the right height so I don't have any health problems from it."

"Oh, well you are really pretty." He responded with youthful honesty.

For that she couldn't help giving him her best charming grin, and saying "You're not too bad lookin' yourself, handsome."

He hadn't meant to make her day, but seeing his ear tips turn pink sure did it, and her tail showed it as he grinned shyly then went back to his mom.

As she stood up she caught his mother's eye, and gave her a friendly smile which the female puma returned with a nod before taking her son's paw and following after her own mate, and Kelly who was leading them to a table.

Watching them walk away it seemed to hit her like a tidal wave that soon enough that was going to be her, and Will. It was all she could do not to start crying right then, and there with how the emotions from that realization welled in her.

With her thoughts turned back to her wolf though, and a different sort of fire entirely radiating from within she gave Jenn one last friendly grin, and a wave as she left, and used the full length of her stride to make her way back down the pier to the beach.

She was just reaching the path down onto the sand when from down the main street her path crossed with Nick, Judy, Jack, and Sky who were together heading the same way she was.

Sky greeted her, she was sure from the general tone of the sounds that came from her muzzle, and so she waved in response, but wasn't really aware of much more than her drive to return to her mate.

She found him sitting at the edge of the waves staring out at the horizon with Sage leaning her back against his, and as she approached she didn't think, she merely obeyed her instincts as she dropped to all fours, and finally reaching him she forcefully nuzzled into him with her back to the horizon.

His immediate response of caressing the entire left side of her head with his right paw only made her press into him harder as her tail in it's wagging broadcasted the sort of joyous fire that coursed through her. It wasn't enough though, and she got her right paw up on his shoulder effectively climbing him for a better position to lick him.

---

As if on cue because she just had to Sage, who had been the comfort with just her presence alone, decided to get up and walk away. Thus backwards on to the beach he went with a soft thud, and his vixen riding him down only to lay on top of him licking his throat.

"Layla." Will said her name as if testing waters as he went slack underneath her.

"I think winter has come for you Brother" Lola commented to him jokingly.

"Oh, it has." Sage added as she from the sound of it moved farther away from them.

"Fuck you." Will told them flatly before with a little more firmness saying to his vixen whom he wasn't exactly keen on discouraging just yet "Layla, what happened?"

Her response was simply to squirm her way further up him just to nuzzle into his ruff. Then her scent struck his olfactory senses, and he could feel the first few lights in his head sucked into some sort of deluminator.

"That's what she wants you to do." Lola retorted before laughing mirthfully.

"It's not a laughing matter Lola. Winter is catchy, and those two like singing the tune." Sage told her.

"Awoo-oo." He weakly managed to mock Sage before his vixen acted on the notion to bite him, and he couldn't help husking out in a growl "Layla."

She just whined at him happily then bit him again at which he reflexively growled in exasperation as his eyes rolled back. That though just seemed to further encourage her to persist with her antics.

After one nip too many he couldn't take it anymore so he wrapped his arms around her then rolled so that he could pin her beneath him. Once he had he sank his own teeth down into her ruff and getting a decent hold of her he growled half possessively half commandingly hoping she got the message.

She did not, and the scent of that as she ground against him caused a few more of his lights to succumb to the deluminator.

Releasing her he pressed the top of his head into the sand by her head, and as she took the opportunity to bite him anew he managed to tell her softly "Layla, listen to me."

"Babe are you listening to me?" He asked her at which she just adjusted her bite while her tail wagged between his legs, and up against his own.

Taking that for about as close enough to a yes as he was likely to get he continued "We are surrounded, and while I know a cave up north, we'd have to swim there. Would you like me to throw you into the cold water for a head start?"

At that she gave a bark of alarm then began to struggle trying to get from underneath him gekkering annoyedly that she was quite pinned.

"Hey, hey slow down, babe. I just wanted to get your attention, I'm not throwing you anywhere. My keys are kinda in your pocket, and so is my phone; they aren't that waterproof." He told her soothingly unable to keep a bit of his grin out of his voice.

Proving her intellect wasn't completely overruled by her instincts her response to him was to stop, and gekker at him pointedly.

"Well now that you're listening to me, my sexy, sexy vixen let me repeat that we are surrounded." He said to her meeting her gaze with his own, his grin unwavering.

She just huffed at him then struggled again to get free, and this time he let her go. As she slid out from under him he came back down sitting on his haunches.

Back on her feet she surprised him insofar that she came right back at him pressing her ruff into his marking him forcefully to which he unhesitatingly responded in kind. In the contact the emotions radiating through her he finally picked up on, the funk she'd left him in quite broken, and he couldn't help the responding low growl that crooned out of him.

Layla growled back at him in kind before she wrapped her arm around the other side of his neck, and whined at him happily.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" He tried asking her again.

She just gave another happy whine, and buried her head in his ruff.

"Babe." He said to her pausing to give her nearest ear a few licks "I kinda want to know at least what's got you like this before you get me like this. I know you can still use words."

"Cubs bring it out of you, well they bring it out of me too." She told him softly her voice only audible to him adding "We have a future worth fighting for; we have not begun to fight"

"No, no we haven't, even begun to fight, my love, for our future." He responded warmly nuzzling into her.

Her response was to whine as she moved her head, and enclosed her teeth around his nearest ear which, in its pleasurable-ness, caused him to lean so far to his right that he rolled onto his back.

Then there was his vixen laying on top of him, having effectively ridden him over with his ear still in her mouth, like the Fremen in Dune rode a sandworm as it rolled after they'd inserted their maker-hooks.

"So, what about your talk with Jenn got you going?" Will asked her plainly as she let him go, and it was clear to him as he looked at her that she was quite content atop him as she was.

"It wasn't anything we said, though we did talk about the fact we'll be starting a family; it was the family of puma who came in as I was leaving. Their son was cute, and curious about me looking like a fox when I'm so big, plus apparently I smell more like you than me, so I explained that to him, and as he was following his mom, and she was holding his little paw . . . I just couldn't help thinking that, that's gonna be us soon enough. You, and me . . . and . . ." Layla explained to him before trailing off into a whine as she nuzzled into his ruff, her muzzle pressing against the underside of his throat.

"Damnit, Layla." Will said to her as he wrapped his arms around her, and held her to him "You don't get to do this to me. You don't get to just get primal with me, and get me going then calm down, and tell me things like that. I am not above carrying you off somewhere, and knotting you there while everyone else can fend for themselves; like I said I know a cave, but it's either a run, or a swim."

"Can't you save that till after the wedding?" Sierra jokingly asked them as she pulled on her pants sans underwear.

"No." Will told her flatly not missing a beat.

"I won't say no to a cave, but you do have a perfectly good den." Layla told him casually before adding as she looked up, and away from him "I might not care about anyone else seeing that show, I do care about my parents."

"Says the beautiful vixen on top of me." He responded with a grin up at her.

"Yeah, why am I not really embarrassed at all they just saw me like that with you?" She asked looking back down at him with serious curiosity.

"Because he's your mate, why should you be embarrassed in front of us?" Her dad asked her as if she were being nonsensical.

"I was gonna say, you can blame me since I'm the Beast, and you're the beauty, but let's go with that." Will suggested with a hopeful tail wag.

"It's not like you've stripped down, and gotten stuck on the spot, sweetie." Layla's mom pointed out to her.

"Well, no." Layla agreed with her mom before clarifying somewhat shyly her ears splaying back "It's always an option though, especially in a place like this."

She then looked down at him as if that had made her think of something, and with a glare she asked him "What the hell is with you threatening to toss me in the cold ocean?"

"I love you." He responded as if that's all the answer he needed to give.

"I know you do." Layla told him bringing her nose against his, and asking "Why would you be so mean?"

"It got your attention, that's all I needed it to do." He answered her honestly before licking her muzzle.

"Fair enough." She told him before laying down, and as she got comfortable she asked him "So my wolf, your den, or not?"

"That is simple, babe; The Sepulchre has amenities." Will told her happily before leaning his head back, and albeit seeing them upside down as he exposed his throat he asked her parents "You will come back with us, yes? Do you need a lift?"

"You named your den The Sepulchre?" Layla's father John asked him curiously in response adding "We've got a rental, we parked back in the lot for the ice cream parlor."

"Damn right I did. It's more inventive than Grimmheim, and besides its just fitting, if you haven't noticed yet, you will, we Ulfhavener's love our death jokes." He answered proudly before adding "Well, good then since we're parked nearby to there ourselves. Consider yourselves added to the convoy."

"Hehe yeah, we do love our death jokes." Sierra agreed adding with a grin "That's why for bars we've got The Locker, The Last Drink, The Undertaker's Parlor, Pub Dead, and for clubs we have The Catacomb, and Necropolis."

"I noticed that, most business here their naming convention is like that" Nick commented explaining "Back on Head Shoppe Row there was The Smoking Dragon, and we had tea at The Witch's Brew."

"So you met the local coven, how'd that go? I bet Serenity brought up the Mural and the Park." Will said turning his head in Nick's direction.

"She did." Nick responded with a laugh.

"Local coven?" Judy asked one ear raising higher than the other as she tilted her head.

"Local coven?" Layla echoed wanting answer as well.

"You should've told her about Jack, and Sky." He said to Nick mirthfully before answering Judy, and his mate "They aren't the only witches in town, but they are the local coven. My dad might be one of the few who isn't exactly fond of them, since their minds are limited by a certain so-called holy book, but even he has the sense to leave them be; Father Logan, and I are on their side."

"Witches really? And a priest is okay with them?" Layla's mom asked with simple curiosity.

"Will you introduce me to them before we leave?" Layla asked on her mother's tail.

"Yes, witches, they are adepts with chi who use their knowledge for good. Not everyone in a black robe is evil, and not everyone in a white robe is good." He explained to Martha adding "You will probably meet him, Father Logan wasn't always a priest, he once was special forces like Layla, and I; Sadie his adopted daughter is a proud part of the local coven, and his loyalty to her comes before his loyalty to the pope."

Will then answered his vixen readily "Of course I'll introduce you, you will like Serenity; she's like another mom. Full disclosure though, Babe, she was my first vixen."

"I knew it!" Sierra said victoriously.

"Wait, what?" Sophie asked adding as if afraid of the answer "Big Brother you're joking, right?"

"Please tell me you're joking Will." Lola added.

"Alright, I'm kinda morbidly curious how, and when that happened." Holly stated.

"Did you seriously just admit what I think you did?" Sage asked with raised eyebrow, and tilted head.

"I can't say I'm surprised, but at the same time I think I need to clean out my ears." Nick added shaking his head.

"Okay, so how old is she?" Layla asked him simply.

"She's forty-five; three years younger than my mom" He responded to Layla before saying to everyone else "I'm not joking, and do you really want me to go into details?"

"Yes." Came the chorus from Sage, Holly, Layla, and Sky but they were challenged by Lola, Sophie, Nick, and Chelsea resoundingly responding "No."

"How old are you now?" John asked him, and that decided his response.

"There is a nineteen year age difference between Serenity, and I; the age of consent here is fifteen, a holdover from the past that serves us well. I wanted to know I could safely get stuck to a vixen, and she is someone I trust." He answered cutting through any opening for misunderstanding.

"Okay, that marginally makes it less . . . I don't want to say gross, but gross Will." Lola told him adding "She's part of our mom's extended pack."

"Kimo i hentai Onii-chan." Sophie chided him sounding completely disappointed.

"Was it so wrong of me to not want to break Quill?" He asked his sisters defensively.

"It's better you didn't, but maybe you should have." Sierra suggested.

"For fucks sake Sierra will you let it go?" He replied exasperatedly.

"No. She tried to kill you twice." Sierra protested.

"She did not try to kill me." He countered.

"Hold on." Layla interrupted them to ask him "So how big were you when you decided finding out if you could knot a vixen safely was a good idea?"

"My dad's size." He answered simply, quite disinterested in arguing with Sierra.

"And when you reached six feet?" Layla asked in follow up.

"Oh, I made Serenity touch the ceiling." He told her adding rather amusedly "Everyone wonders how the scratch marks got there, no one asks who made them, or why."

"No . . ." Lola protested telling him "Stop talking. I can picture that; I don't want to picture that."

"Hmm, speaking of which, could you make me touch the ceiling in your room?" Layla asked her ears perked ignoring Lola.

"If we stood on the bed, I think so; haven't really tried." He answered her.

"Well, it's a thought." Layla suggested in reply adding "So how does this Quill come into the picture - I remember you mentioning you've had your share of unstable ex's."

"We got to know one another at the library, and after I foiled a suicide attempt of her's . . ." Will started explaining.

"The first time she tried to kill you." Sierra interrupted him.

" . . . we kinda started dating, and she started talking to Dr. Young the local psychiatrist." He ignored Sierra with a frown further explaining "We broke up for the same reason most of my other relationships back then ended, and she didn't exactly take it well that much is true, but she's perfectly stable now. She's the local librarian, and an aspiring writer."

"Yes, just gloss over her second attempt on your life not hers." Sierra groused.

"Sierra, all of this was ten fucking years ago. Do you know how many times I've both legitimately nearly died, and tried to kill myself in those ten years? Even if you are right, it doesn't fucking matter now." He told her not bothering to keep the growl of ire out of his voice.

"So what exactly did she do?" Layla asked curiously.

"Her first attempt like mine was with a knife; I disarmed her, and talked her down, but was not unscathed." He answered her.

"We were both trained by that point to get a knife out of someone's paws, and not get stabbed in the process." Sierra countered adding "We had just worked our way up to real knives, and have the scars to prove it."

"Things in the field aren't like in the dojo; the dojo is a controlled environment - that is basic you bitch, and you know it." He told her before finishing his response to his mate "The second time she decided to go cliff diving."

"Yes, and while she broke her leg from hitting the water wrong you were the one that nearly drowned hauling her to shore." Sierra added baring her fangs at him as she said "It gets under my fur that to this day you cover for her."

"And I'm starting to think the real reason you seem to dislike her so much is something else entirely since in light of what I just said you can't seem to let it go." He told her disdainfully.

"The only reason I don't like her is she tried to kill you, if not for that I would fuck her." Sierra responded to that.

"You mean because you think she tried to kill me." Will replied before adding musingly "I wonder if you've ever leveled these accusations at her, as strongly as you seem to have held on to them."

"No, as if she'd admit to it if I did, especially now. Might as well accuse a wall for all the good it'd do now." Sierra told him before sarcastically calling him "Chichi-ue"

"Then let it go. It's in the past, and we're all quite alive." Will told her tiredly adding after a heavy sigh "Even if she did say stab me for getting in the way, and want me to hit the rocks she nearly did, I forgive her and that should be enough for you."

"The way you just said that, are you covering for her?" Layla asked curiously.

"No. Quill would have to be truly starving to kill a chicken, and eat it with her fangs, and that's about the only way you're gonna get her to hurt something or someone else intentionally." He told her with resolute certainty explaining "In fact that I was the one who truly got hurt from how she was trying to hurt herself has sort of given her a complex about that sort of thing; she still talks to Dr. Young."

"Wow, so it's you Will that she's talking about when she tells her story." Aurora commented.

"Of course it's you." Juniper added with a sniffle.

"Layla, move." He told her before in the next second he was rolling both to get her off of him, and so that he could rise onto a knee which he did.

As he spread his arms towards her, Juniper who had taken a few steps forward, swiftly closed the distance between them embracing him at which he in turn wrapped his arms around her.

"You really are the Guardian who saves." She said to him full of emotion before she buried her muzzle in his chest as she cried.

Will could feel empathically the strongest emotion coursing through her was simple gratitude, and he could not help the warmth he radiated in response to it as he lightly nuzzled her.

"June are you okay?" Laurel asked her cousin tentatively out of clear concern, and it was a sentiment echoed by her team-mates except for Aurora who already understood.

"I'm alright." She assured them as she loosened her grip, and he in turn released her then turning towards her friends she said "Fadirinn er Knusa-Ulfur, and I really needed to give him one."

"I'm a what?" Will asked her tilting his head since he only knew a pawful of Icelandic, and was only just able to understand that she was talking about him though he could guess what exactly she'd said.

"A hug-wolf. You know a wolf that's for hugging." Juniper answered glancing back towards him with a grin.

"That is true." He agreed sagely with a nod, and a grin of his own at having what his guess would've been proven correct.

"What about the other guardian?" Lola asked having like Will dropped to one knee, and leveled at Juniper a cub-level look of cuteness

"Always." Juniper answered unhesitatingly moving to embrace her adding when she did so "Just don't give me that look. You're the sheriff."

"Well I'm gonna be a mom so deal with it." Lola responded as she wrapped her arms around Juniper nearly concealing the smaller canid.

"So I'm giving your cub a hug too? Awesome." Juniper replied enthusiastically.

Will had been about to ask Layla if that's what he'd looked like hugging Juniper when she said that, and all he could do was whine at the emotions that sent through him along with the thought that in embracing his sister vicariously he could embrace their cub. It was a thought he very presently wanted to act on, but having the spannungsbogen to wait for later wasn't easy.

"He said it." Lola agreed as she started crying.

"Aurora, help I think I broke the Sheriff." Juniper called out half-jokingly.

"Nope. The hugs are already spreading." Aurora responded flatly.

"Sierra, what do I do?" Juniper asked a bit more seriously.

"Give her a minute, she'll be fine." Sierra assured her before adding amusedly "She may start licking you though."

"Fuck you Sierra." Lola responded before she let Juniper go.

"See?" Sierra asked cheerfully adding "She's getting better already."

"Did you save her from what I think you did?" Layla spoke softly to him as she leaned against his shoulder since he'd shifted into sitting on his haunches.

To that Will simply nodded in answer not feeling the need to be vocal, and call attention to what she'd asked him.

"Good, My Wolf." Layla told him simply as she used her left paw to pet him, and idly stroke his left ear which caused him to lean his head into her ribs.

There was a short whine that made him think of a Benji squeal only drastically muffled, and more of a squeak, or peep. It made his left ear twitch, but between his right ear being pressed into Layla's side putting it in more of a position to monitor her heartbeat, or breathing, and his free ear being stuck back under her moving paw he couldn't really tell who'd made it.

"What, mom?" Layla asked plainly elucidating his internal query as he further nuzzled against her side enjoying her ministrations.

"You two really have something special, I am happy for you." Martha told her daughter openly.

"You don't seem to hold anything back with each other, and that openness seems to work in your favor; I've seen it not." John added encouragingly.

"You should see them fight." Sky suggested with a chuckle clarifying "Sparring against each other, and side by side."

"That was definitely something to witness; I have the video if you want to see it." Lola offered perkily her attention piqued.

"She was sex in motion, and he was the pole she danced around." Sierra waxed thickly her eyes getting a far-off sort of glazed look.

"You already know where flattery will get you Sierra, though next time there'll be a bit of a position change." Layla told her unabashedly which set Sierra's tail to wagging quite happily.

"That is a given, Sister, but I wouldn't call that flattery, more like honest observation." Sierra responded with a nod, and a shrug.

"A thing to see huh? I'm willing to watch it." John said to Lola with clear interest.

"Sounds like she kicks his tail, I'm down to see that." Aurora added with similar enthusiasm.

While Lola got out her phone Layla's parents, the swim team, and the micro-pack gathered around her in a rough semicircle Will was content simply to get more attention from his vixen, and return the attention though she discouraged him when he tried to nose up her shirt.

"If you're trying to bite off my belt, I won't let you." Layla told him amusedly as she raised his muzzle so she could look at him as she pet him.

His response was simply to lick her left paw which had been on his head since her right was under his chin.

"Oh, it's your turn now? Then I get to drive us home?" Layla asked him her muzzle splitting into a grin.

He just wagged his tail in response not really minding either way as he smiled back at her before turning to watch everyone's reactions.

It amused him to no end to see the shock light up on the muzzles of those who hadn't been there, and he noted those of who had that paid particular attention to seeing it over again. Nick he saw look up to Layla who was idly running the digits of her paw through his ruff before looking back to Judy with it plain on the tod's muzzle his thoughts being along the lines of the doe next to him getting ideas from Layla's display of paw to paw prowess.

Just from the audio he could recall for himself how his spar with his vixen had gone, and as it was getting into the end where they'd gone fang to fang he couldn't help his broad grin when Judy said lightly to Nick "We should do that."

He nearly laughed seeing Nick's ears fold back in response just as Aurora commented "Damn, you bite him like you mean it."

"I do." Layla responded simply quite clearly meaning it before adding "He enjoys it."

"Well, duh, but you are serious about it; you're not afraid to draw blood." Aurora replied.

"Because she's not biting to really hurt him; that's simple." Juniper told Aurora before asking rhetorically "Who doesn't enjoy biting, and being bit?"

"Certainly not us." Sierra said to Juniper gesturing between herself, and Will.

His response was simply to shrug before he lightly teethed Layla's left forearm affectionately.

"Most would argue that drawing blood is a bit excessive." Nick commented giving Judy a look as if to say 'Why aren't you making that argument?'

"Well, yeah, but I think it'd be fun to spar like that; you, and me." Judy responded to him with her usual upbeatness.

"Trust me Nick, bunnies are fully capable of biting back, and then some." Sky said to him with a grin, and a sidelong glance at her buck.

"Not to get vulgar like Will, but we do have the teeth to bite out another mammals throat; we'd have to be hard pressed to go to that extreme, just like any other, but we are no less capable." Jack added making it clear he hadn't crossed that line, but knew well of hard pressing.

That for some reason seemed to cause Nick, not to stare with wide-eyed awe at the buck, but at him, and he found the look on the tod's muzzle puzzling as Nick said softly, but audibly "What pressed you into crossing that line; protecting Senna from that."

"Yes." He managed to respond giving his first brother a look as if to say 'What more can I say?'

At that Nick simply nodded though he could see in the tod's eyes that he would have more words for him later so he simply nodded in response though it was more of a light bow.

"Will." Judy said to him putting her paw on her hip, and looking at him as if he were being strange added "That counts as justifiable use of lethal force, by any metric; you did what was absolutely necessary to protect young. Few prey could even conceive of going that far in that sort of situation, let alone actually ever going that far; even if it has to remain classified till after you die, you are a hero who saved many."

"Helden . . ." He managed to say as her words pierced to his core, and he could not hold back the flood of tears that overwhelmed his vision.

"It's just the truth, jeez, did you catch whatever my dad has?" Judy said to him as he closed the distance between them, adding as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her into an embrace she couldn't refuse "I haven't even brought up Sarah, or Emilia; more lives you've saved because that's just what you do. I pray to Serenity that if I ever have to kill like you have in order to do my duty that I have the strength to do what is right, and to Serendipity that I never have to."

"Who is Emelia?" He asked her his voice quavering as he couldn't keep his eyes open due to the tears streaming down his muzzle.

"The gazelle doe you took like six bullets for; she's Gazelle's niece." Judy answered him adding "When you really showed everyone your true colors."

"Oh." He replied with a sniffle as the new information helped him regain his composure before correcting her "It was only like two, or three."

"Helden? You mean the song?" Nick asked him before saying in agreement with his doe "You are the beast for a reason Brother, and You are on our side; Why else do they call you the Guardian?"

"You took like three to the back, and two to the front of your vest." Layla corrected him as he let Judy go before adding somberly "Und Sind wir Helden."

"Alright, now it's time for a bar. Where is the nearest one, Will?" Jack asked him seriously.

"I need a drink before I really answer your question brother, and one for the fallen as well may their loss never be in vain. Jack's right, and the bar in my den has been languishing." He responded before adding to the buck gesturing back towards the pier with his muzzle "The nearest one however is The Walkin' Plank about a block up that way."

At that, and with the sun beginning to set, the swim team made their farewells with only Aurora lamenting that they weren't invited into the Sepulchre's bar. Despite her clearly joking she still got a stern look from him, and Lola both causing her to refer to them as 'Sherriff Mom, and Officer Dad' before assuring them that even if they did let her in she'd stick to cola, or water.

When that had garnered Aurora looks from her teammates, both curious and concerned, Juniper took the opportunity to get a final embrace out of him again calling him 'Fadirin' which in turn triggered the rest of them getting in a free hug Aurora included before she headed off with her teammates.

From there he led them up towards the pier to just make a straight shot down main street, though he stayed on all fours, and kept his pace such that he kept his forepaws in stride with Layla. It was their luck that there was a lull in traffic both of local, and tourist varieties; only the dozen or so street lights which seemed to turn red at whim with neither rhyme nor reason impeded their progress.

When they reached where they'd parked John commented that it was quite the coincidence that Will, as well as his sisters, were driving the mustangs they were as he mentioned the rental he'd chosen was of the current make of said muscle car. After Sophie enthusiastically suggested they make a small show out of their convoy, and travel in chronological order of model year Will couldn't help agreeing with her amused with how readily she took point.

By the time everyone had managed to load back up in the respective vehicles they'd come in, though with some seat changes, Layla's parents had come around in a still shiny modern take on the mustang that was painted navy blue with white racing stripes. Though Layla had to move the driver's seat a good bit forward to comfortably drive his Shelby, he in keeping on all fours was able to fit without needing to move the passenger seat at all.

While Layla got them on the road following Sophie, and they were followed by Lola, John, Sky, and Sierra he occupied himself by getting the passenger window rolled down then his phone pumping out the tunes.

Before he tapped the option to shuffle through the most played songs he paused to stick his head out the window enjoying the rush of the wind going so far as to wave at the few pedestrians who noticed him, and gawked. With his head turned away from her, he only felt the pressure of Layla's tap on his phone, and the first track they were dealt was 'Love Gun' by Kiss.

As he was pulling his head back in the car Layla's right paw flashed out to the volume knob, and cranked it until it stopped before switching which paw held the wheel, and using her left paw to rapidly roll her window down further sharing.

It was a testament to her knack for driving that as she headbanged to the track, her eyes only half on the road at best, Layla easily kept pace with Sophie who kept her speed through town at an even forty, only getting up to fifty miles per hour once they were outside the town proper. The classic jam had carried them out of town, and Will had headbanged as vigorously as his mate; a grin on his muzzle thinking back to the different memories they'd made to it, and with it in background - her lithe figure dancing for him alone around a pole to it, and their vocal duel with it during a karaoke R&R leave standing out in particular.

The next track to play was 'Hooked on a Feeling' by Blue Swede, and from behind him David commented "Oh, great. More dad music."

His response was simply to sing the first verse as it began, making it clear to his vixen just who he was singing it to with Nick likewise singing to Judy.

'I can't stop this feeling,deep inside of me.

Girl you just don't realize what you do to me.'

Only for David behind him to join in, and together they serenaded their respective females.

'When you hold me, in your arms so tight

you let me know everything's alright.

I'm hooked on a feeling.

I'm high on believing

that you're in love with me.

Lips as sweet as candy it's taste is on my mind.

Girl you got me thirsty for another cup of wine.

Got a bug from you girl, but I don't need no cure.

I just stay affecting if I can for sure.

All the good love when we're all alone

Keep it up girl.

Yeah you turn me on

I'm hooked on a feeling

I'm high on believing

That you're in love with me.

All the good love when we're all alone

Keep it up girl.

Yeah you turn me on

I'm hooked on a feeling

I'm high on believing

That you're in love with me.

I'm hooked on a feeling

And I'm high on believing

That you're in love with me.

I said I'm hooked on a feeling

And I'm high on believing

That you're in love with me . . .'

"This is the kind of stuff your dad listens to, yet you know all the lyrics." Maria said to David teasingly as she pointed out his seeming hypocrisy.

"I didn't say I didn't like it, it's just a total dad song to me; it certainly fits though." David responded to her.

"It is a dad song, but it's still killer; well said David." Will added in agreement before the next song started to play, and this time the three males managed a bit better harmony to do the classic Three Dog Night track justice.

'Just an old fashioned love song playing on the radio

And wrapped around the music is the sound of someone promising they'll never go

You'll swear you've heard it before as it slowly rambles on

No need in bringing 'em back 'cause they're never really gone

Just an old fashioned love song, one I'm sure they wrote for you and me

Just an old fashioned love song, coming down in three part harmony

To weave our dreams upon, and listen to each evening when the lights are low

To underscore our love affair with tenderness, and feeling that we've come to know

You'll swear you've heard it before as it slowly rambles on, and on

No need in bringing 'em back 'cause they're never really gone

Just an old fashioned love song, coming down in three part harmony

Just an old fashioned love song, one I'm sure they wrote for you, and me

Just an old fashioned love song, coming down in three part harmony

Just an old fashioned love song, one I'm sure they wrote for you, and me

To weave our dreams upon, and listen to a song

Just an old song coming down

Just an old song

What I'm sure they wrote for you, and me

Just an old fashioned love song, coming down in three part harmony

Just an old fashioned love song, one I'm sure they wrote for you, and me

Just an old fashioned love song, coming down in three part harmony

Just an old fashioned love song, one I'm sure they wrote for you, and me

Just an old fashioned love song, coming down in three part harmony

Just an old fashioned love song, one I'm sure they wrote for you, and me

Just an old fashioned love song, coming down in three part harmony

Just an old fashioned love song . . .'

After that full number the three of them, with Will winning for shameless and loudest, openly panted as if adding a comedy act which Judy, and Maria found particularly amusing though Layla laughed too. They were helped by shuffle dealing them the short instrumental "Dueling Guitars" from the Six String Samurai soundtrack just as they were closing in on the long drive.

It was followed by the "Knight Rider Theme" from the eponymous cult classic tv series. The track carried them through right to the Sepulchre, and though he didn't turn to look he could feel the look he knew he was getting from Nick.

He was about to tell the tod to simply get it out of his system as they were stopping roughly alongside Sophie who'd pulled off in front of the surface structure when said vixen distracted him by pulling herself out of her car through the driver's side window enough so she had good line of sight on him, or at least Layla.

"What?" Will shouted to his little sister as he in turn pulled himself out through the passenger window, and sitting on the door.

"Do you want to park in the garage, or are we good?" Sophie asked back, hollering over the roof of her car.

"Garage. There Is Enough Room." He hollered back in response before sliding back into his seat.

Just as he was reaching his left paw out for the door control on the driver side visor, Layla beat him to it. She then gave him a smug grin as she dropped her right paw to his phone, and unpaused the shuffle right on "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen.

"Okay, Nick, just say it; you know you want to." He said to the tod as they waited for the garage door to finish it's slide into the ground.

"Oh, it's nothing, I just have reached the point where you're choice of music doesn't surprise me anymore." Nick commented adding with a chuckle "Of course You, would drive a car like this, and just love that theme song; at least you sing better than Hasselhoff."

"We could turn this Shelby into a sort of K.I.T.T. we'd just have take out the C.B." Layla said to him avidly before adding "If a certain stubborn someone would just take the idea off the shelf."

"Yes, a glorified GPS, and blah-blah-blah; When I finish the voice controls for my den then I will think about adding them to my Shelby." He responded to his mate adding "You know I like her old fashioned where she is, since she's modern where she is; she's balanced this way."

He then added to Nick "You say that, brother, but I still haven't played any GWAR for you. Also I like Hasselhoff's music, especially True Survivor."

"Her? Always so careful not to, but you can't help personificating it; can you?" Layla ribbed him as she followed after Sophie down the tunnel to the garage adding "I'm just saying I could work on it a little; if you're cool with it."

"You don't necessarily have to, brother, I have heard of them." Nick replied.

"You are my babe, and she is my baby; I just don't like referring to her like this since I can't think of a name for her. You know this, my Lovey Layla." He said to his vixen before adding nonchalantly to Nick "You might like Americanized, I think B.D.F. is kinda catchy, despite how horrible the lyrics are. Plus Sonderkommando is a classic, and Warghoul slays."

"I've always liked the GWAR Theme, and Techno's Song." Layla added to Nick before telling him testily "Call me that in front of my parents, and I will blue ball you"

"That's mean." Maria commented as they passed the interior blast doors.

"Yeah, it is, babe. So mean, cruel even." He agreed nodding exaggeratedly as he hammed it up before telling her "I can't put a kit in you if you do that, now can I?"

"Do you think you could stop me from making you wait until the honeymoon?" Layla responded challengingly.

"You won't hear me say you can't, but I will tell you I think it's not in your interest to be that way." He responded as if it were a non issue with clear indifference.

"Babe, do I look like I could really blue ball you? I would try, and fail miserably." Layla said to him ceding her bluff.

"Well . . . I can see you giving me cause to chase you, but can we save that for later?" He responded truthfully.

"I am not in the mood to run anywhere, Will. Get stuck anywhere, maybe, but I'm in no hurry to get there." She told him as they further slowed down, and she followed Sophie as she turned around to park coming to a stop behind her.

"I love it when we're on the same page without even trying." He commented to her with a grin as they came to a complete stop.

"How many operations did we pull off just the two of us? When I was still Ghost, and you were still Scout." Layla asked him rhetorically as she tapped his phone pausing the music before she turned off the engine.

"Yeah, we wouldn't have survived if we didn't make a killer team; going from long range to close quarters as needed." He answered her anyway as he opened his door pushing it wide enough he could use it for stability as he stood back up after he'd jumped out onto his forepaws, and landed on all fours.

Once he was on his hindpaws he grabbed his phone then moved the passenger seat forward mere moments ahead of Layla who did the same on the driver side since he would have to readjust the seat anyway.

"Add-Eq P.O.S. missions are the best aren't they?" Layla asked him with bemused sarcasm as he walked around the front of his car to her.

"Oh, yeah. The greatest ever." He agreed with her sarcastically before pointing out "We do, though, make money, and more importantly friends."

"Addeck P.O.S.?" David inquired quizzically as he got out after Layla then turned offering his paw to Maria who didn't need it, but accepted anyway.

"Missions where you make money, and friends?" Nick added curiously only for Judy to turn to him, and whisper "What're you thinking?"

"Stands fer Additional Equipment is Procure On Site; means you run out of ammo, you better have a big knife, and hope the other guy has bullets, and a serviceable weapon, or one that can be made serviceable. Sounds bad, but you get to keep what you kill; we've sold, and donated our plunder as needed. Carry weight is limited though, why we wear harnesses." He answered them his Ulfhavener country accent coming through.

"Plunder?" Judy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A dead mammal has no need for his rifle, or his rations" He answered her reflexively before adding "The thing though is to spare a few to bring back to their fellows your tale."

"Hehe, Batallas Piratas" Maria joked adding "Grimm the Captain, and Ghost his Mate."

"We were not pirates of the battlefield." Layla insisted with a light laugh at Maria's jest.

"Did you kill anyone just for their rations?" Nick asked the two of them with simple honesty.

"It's an old figure of speech." Layla told the tod with a look as if to say 'Be real.'

"No, I've only killed another to keep them from killing me, that's how it goes; if they have rations it is bonus." He added for his own part looking at the tod as if he were prodding a puddle as if it were a lake before telling him "There was one op though, after an armistice had been signed, and without non-lethals we had to go non-lethal or reignite the conflict. We five CLAWS managed to convince about three dozen moderately armed, but lightly armored combatants to surrender by raiding their supply cache for all the food, and ammo we could carry which was all of it then convincing them in the morning that we had them surrounded."

"We wouldn't have been able to do it without Rambo still having all his ammo for his S.A.W., Dagger having spare grenades, and Rev speaking their language." Layla commented adding with a gesture at him "I was just overwatch with Deathtouch while he, and Rambo did most of the stealing. Don't ask me why he had the bright idea to kidnap, feed, then release the youngest one of them he could find, or how it worked, but it did."

"Death touch?" Her dad asked curiously as he approached with her mom having parked to the right of Sophie, which he noted set up a great scene to shoot.

"Are you telling them about the psy-op. idea he tested, C.F.R.? You know it is effective, convince the enemy that as a prisoner he will be treated well, and kept alive should he surrender, or die should he refuse." Sky added as she, and Jack walked over from where they'd parked to the right of his shelby, going on to tell him "We may have slipped redacted copies of your field notes to a few NGO's, and they've been using your techniques with quite the success rate."

"What do you mean they're using my techniques? With what success rate?" He asked Sky seriously, with a frown at only finding out about it now before he said to John "My anti-materiel rifle that fires fifty cal. rounds."

"C.F.R.?" Nick added curiously.

"Well, it's mostly the 'C', and 'F' part; and they're remarkably successful getting cub soldiers off the battlefield, and to stand down." Jack explained before saying to Nick "It stands for Catch, Feed, Release."

"What sort of N.G.O's?" He asked Jack raising his eyebrow at the buck.

"You know we vetted them." Sky said to him with a degree of exasperation.

"Well there's Soldaten mit Hertzen for one, and S.A.G.E. for another." Jack said counting off on his paw.

"Oh." He responded, feeling quite better about the state of things, that being the case.

"Sage?" Layla asked.

"Soldiers against genocidal ethics, they're new, but I've heard decent things." He answered her understanding quite easily the room for misunderstanding that one.

"So these groups of former soldiers, work to end young ending up on the battlefield as combatants?" John asked as if seeking confirmation he had the right of it.

"It's not all they do, but it is definitely a top priority for most of them; it is what Soldaten mit Herzen specialize in." Sky answered adding "Yes, they are made up of mercenaries, and other former service mammals; who else better for the job?"

"Had I lost Layla that night, it'd probably be one of them that would've put me down eventually." He commented before adding as he turned towards her "It is even more true now; if I were to lose her . . ."

"Hey, that goes both ways my wolf; I lose you, and the world will remember my wrath, and my despair." Layla responded to him adding "I've had plenty of time in the past year to consider what I'd do upon news of your death."

"Please, those are worst case scenarios; can we not go there?" Sky asked them placatingly.

"That brings up a good point though, just how bad those scenarios would be; especially now." Jack countered her before saying to him "You should think about it now Will, what will you do when the soldiers still active around the world figure out that you are the rumored Scout, let alone the Beast, and then they come to you to pledge their service to you? You haven't exactly done anything, but live up to your reputation as a police officer, and then some."

"With how the whole of precinct one knows me by Beast . . . yeah . . . look you wanna go there to that heavy shit; I need a drink first." He responded to Jack before adding as he gestured with his muzzle for everyone to follow him "I don't want to rule, or conquer; therefore I will not form, or maintain an army. Unless it is absolutely necessary."

He then said to them all as he reached the door into the kitchen "Subject change; we'll get back to it."

"I've got one." John said as he stepped through the door behind his daughter, and beside his wife, "We passed a mansion, and a house on the way here I'd guess was the dojo from that video; now we're in a . . . an underground palace bunker you seem to think of as only a den."

"Slow down there. Grimmheim is not a mansion, my Dojo is not a house, and this Sepulchre my Den, is no palace." He couldn't help telling Layla's dad as if he were making a mountain out of what was only a small hill.

"Just what are you expecting to stop with blast doors like that? I'm a professor of architectural engineering." John asked giving him a look as if to say 'don't pull my leg', and adding "I helped plan the modernization of the Royal Family Bunker with the Aurora institute about a decade ago."

"Oh, good, so when it comes time for me to expand you're the mammal I need. Be prepared for me to pay you for the work." He responded before admitting "Okay fine, to a mammal your size, okay this is like a palace dimension wise, and those doors are rated the highest I could get from the Americans. They'll stop any missles of Zootopian make that any of our defense forces will use; I planned mostly for a drone attack to be honest considering what'd be involved with getting naval vessels involved, and the collateral damage that'd cause. An American bunker-buster though? We are not deep enough, but that's why there's an escape tunnel, and an early warning detection system."

"I'm pretty sure my mate is right, and this is a palace." Martha said to him as she looked around adding "Look at this kitchen . . ."

"It is not. Have you been to Versailles?" He insisted to her adding "If you'd like a full tour, we might as well keep going. There are even spare rooms still, if you'd like to stay here instead of the Inn, and save some money."

He then nodded as the idea, once spoken, sounded better to his ears telling them "As a matter of fact I'm going to insist, since you're family, if you'd rather not stay here, at least stay up at Grimmheim; my mom would love to have you."

"That mansion back there, it's called Grimmheim?" John asked tangentially.

"My family home, yes that's it's name. My mom runs it as a bed, and breakfast." He answered the tod simply.

"Just don't call it that in front of her, or she'll give you the spiel." Lola cautioned them at which he couldn't help frowning.

"We might be grim by name, but we are not grim by nature. This is the Welcome Hearth Bed, and Breakfast. You can change it back after my paws are cold, and dead." Sierra added imitating their mom's general indignant-ness.

"How many times do I have to tell her that the section we live in is Grimmheim, and the section we don't is her Welcome Hearth business; that they intermesh is fine?" He asked Sierra.

"Because she wants it to be known for the home it is, not the name which is bad for business." Sophie answered adding "Baka."

"Do you not hear me arguing that we can call it both, and it will still be the same as it is?" He responded to Sophie with a frown adding "Is not my Sepulchre the same?"

"No! Your Sepuchre, our Den, is different." Sophie told him surprising him with how she stood firm against him as she added "Our Den is this family's true Haven."

"Yet in case of the attack that hasn't come, standing orders are for anyone outside to run away from this fortification." Lola pointed out amusedly.

"For damn good reason." Sky told her with a nod adding "The upside of spearheading the contingency plans for needing to destroy this bunker in order to kill him; the circumstances in which that level of force is deemed permissible are dependent on the condition of zero civilian casualties."

"What she means is that our 'punishment' to prove we were still loyal to the director was to in detail plot out ways to assassinate, you Will, but we've rigged them all to give you enough time to get the hell out of dodge, as the American's say." Jack explained reassuringly.

"Then you tell them, how hard would it be to actually get clearance to attack this place?" He said to the lapine buck, and his vixen adding "We're all using the same playbook more, or less."

"You would have to attack with the very thing you've said you've built it to defend against; the American military brass would never okay selling us one of their bunker busters for what is a civilian target. Hell, as soon as the request went out, other channels in the government would pick it up, and call Director Koche to account unless he had clear, and present cause. It'd have to be in-house, and the best we can get in house even with multiple strikes? We'd collapse the entrance tunnel tops." Sky responded adding "It's not for nothing we convinced Koche that abiding the truce was the economical thing to do."

"We may have access to Aurora Institute prototypes, but the ZSDF has access to American field use equipment. Any request for aid from outside the agency would trip serious red flags because they would immediately ask 'where do you want to use our equipment'; that's the routine, because when we needed to use their heavier stuff we got in the habit of telling them just why we needed it." Jack explained adding "We come to them with clear, and present cause, and they are rather accommodating. Not to mention even if we did pull off an in-house strike here, which we technically could do, the repercussions make it not worth it."

"It's just common sense, give someone a valid reason for why you need them, or their help, and they're more likely grant your request. If you just say give me because I say so, psychological reactance kicks in, and they're way more likely to say no." He responded adding "How would the mammals of Ulfhaven react, let alone the citizenry of this nation as a whole, to such a blatant attack of the government upon one of their own? When the government's most dominant role is the protection of its citizenry?"

"So the drill for everyone outside is to run, what's the drill for anyone inside?" John asked curiously.

"If there are mammals to drive the cars, they are to get in them, and activate the lift which will drop them to the third floor alongside the vault then take that tunnel. If not then the cars are to be abandoned since they can be replaced, and everyone is to get into the vault, and hit the accelerator." He answered simply with a nod.

"Hit the accelerator?" John inquired quizzically.

"It's basically a really big, windowless, maglev rail car." He answered the tod.

"What?" John replied as if he hadn't heard right before asking, proving he was merely incredulous "How, and why would you have that built?"

"Where exactly does the escape tunnel lead? You've mentioned it enough times, but never said where it goes?" Nick added curiously.

"Why don't we continue our short tour, and I'll talk as we walk?" He suggested since it'd be better to kill two birds with one stoner adding "And everyone else can meet us down in the bar at their leisure."

"Yes, why don't we?" Martha added agreeingly, giving him a grin.

"Let's go, then." John responded with clear enthusiasm.

With that he walked with Layla by his side while John, Martha, and Nick with Judy followed behind as did those who were headed to the bar early namely Sky, Jack, and Sophie.

"The living room is as you see it." He said to Layla's parents as he led them into then passed it adding as he answered the two tods "How, is simple John. I had the money to fund what I wanted, and I had friends in the Aurora Institute willing to help me. As for why? Well, why not? As for where the tunnel leads Brother, if there wasn't going to be a wedding occupying tomorrow I'd show you even let you drive my Shelby there, but it's location must remain a secret. It's truly the last holdout refuge I have. It's also an incomplete project."

"Incomplete project?" John asked curiously.

"Yes." He answered as they entered the hall, and he gestured around them for emphasis "I had only so many millions to realize this project, given I hired for loyalty, and quality of pawcraft instead of simply for numbers to get it done. At Site Echo only the preservation work has been done, and that took the last few hundred thousand of the budget. I cannot tell you how pissed the preservation team I put together was; I had them all sign NDA's due to the historical significance of the Site before I let them find out on site the nature of the job. They got even more pissed when I told them I'd be building in the area, but rolled over when I told them I wanted them to later work with the Aurora engineer, and his team I was bringing in to plan out that end of things so as to further preserve the Site."

"You call it Site Echo?" Nick asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, Campsite Echo; because of the nature of the place, and about all that's set up there." He responded measuredly before adding more freely "If we had to bug out there we would only have about a weeks worth of food, if that, counting all of us. It is also where I store my attack helicopter; It's a modified AH-1Z."

"Is that counting just the pallets of MRE's you're storing there, or what's in the vault too?" Lola asked with a tinge of what he could swear was nervousness.

"You mean the one we appropriated from that dealer in Venezuela? Is it still armed?" Layla inquired her tail giving a short wag.

"It's okay if you've got into them, just let me know when I need to fill out the form for more, and send it. Please remember though that the signs on the walls are there for a reason." He told his sister guessing at what had her worried.

He then answered his mate while they neared one of the empty rooms down the hall "Yes that one. I may have made the trip to the Institute, and flown it back here on my way home. It is currently in stand-by, and unloaded except for the 20 millimeter triple-barrel auto-cannon. That stays loaded just in case."

"It's only ever her, Sophie, and I; also I got into the pallet first." Sierra said to him admittingly before adding self-justifyingly "The helipad is a perfect spot to smoke, and stargaze; Also I like using the Zephyr's outboard speaker to rock out."

"Do you have the missiles to arm it?" Layla asked him.

"Not officially." He responded to her adding "Unofficially I have enough for two full payloads"

He then said to Sierra as he opened the door gesturing for Layla's parents to see the inside "I'm glad the ability to use that speaker that way was a feature I requested they put in."

At that Sierra simply gave him a nod before ducking over to her room, as Lola did the same.

"Is that a bed, or a parade ground?" John asked getting a backpawed swat from his wife.

"Aye, a mammal'd have to be a sprinter to catch his mate in a bed like that." He answered with a broad grin in a full Irish accent.

"That they would, Aye." Layla agreed affecting the same accent quite well at which the four of them had a chuckle.

"So, you're into older films?" John asked him as they regained their wind.

"Eh." He responded truthfully with a shrug before explaining "The Quiet Mammal just happens to be one of my mom's favorite movies, and I've seen it at least two dozen times. I'm not opposed to older movies like that, I particularly enjoyed Ruggles of Red Gap, but I haven't really seen that many."

"John you're right this is a palace. Layla your mate is crazy not to see it, and not to be rude, but I am very glad money isn't going to be a problem for the two of you." Martha's voice carried from the bathroom which she had wandered over to inspect, and she added "We would be stupid to decline your offer to stay here William, but won't that be . . . awkward."

"How would it be awkward mom?" Layla inquired making it clear with her tone that to her it wouldn't be awkward at all.

"Every room is quite soundproofed, feel free to get as loud as you like; the catch is that they are not smell proof. Also wait till you see the Sento" He responded to Martha adding "Layla right now is two million richer than I am; Even with my investments, and job, plus overtime it'd take me at least a year to recoup that if not a year, and a half."

"That begs the question what you spent two million on." John said to him before adding his ears splayed back "Soundproof, but not smell-proof?"

"Well, we're far enough away from your room right? Scent shouldn't be an issue." Martha answered Layla adding as she rejoined them "I just figured it'd be awkward for you sweetie. What do you mean Sen-toe? What is that?"

"He funded the reoutfitting of his precinct with superior body armor, as well as polyaramid fiber stab resistant uniforms." Layla answered her dad before he could then added to her mom "Our room is at the end of the hall, and it's a bathhouse."

"Come on, and see for yourself. Nine out of Ten would rate it the best place in this whole den." He said to her parents encouragingly, and they followed as he led them down to the second level.

"Ramps instead of stairs? You designed this yourself?" John asked him curiously before adding nonchalantly "What is one full payload? I'm not familiar with the AH-1Z."

"Two air-to-air missiles, which isn't enough if you ask me, but I'll make do, and sixteen air-to-surface missiles for ye ole ground pounding." He answered the tod honestly adding as they descended "Yes, the benefit of building underground, here where there is plenty of room; I felt ramps would be more comfortable, and they prove faster on all fours."

He then continued "Like I said I get what you mean about the space being palatial, but this is no palace. Grimmheim is barely a mansion, and it has more rooms. This is no palace; I am no emperor - god, or otherwise."

"How many rooms do they have then?" John responded as if he expected the answer to be good.

"This place has fifteen bedrooms, which is swiftly becoming inadequate, and Grimmheim has twenty-seven. Grimmheim, however, has less baths even including the halfs." He answered him simply.

"So every room has a private bath? And you have a bath house?" Martha asked him curiously.

"Hmm… a compromise then, this sepulchre is a small mansion, and Grimmheim is a large one." John suggested conversationally before adding with complementarity "It is definitely roomy in here, and easy to forget you're underground."

"I am a firm believer in . . . communal bathing as a pack building exercise; which is the real reason there is the rule you'll see in the living room about not having sex in the Sento." He responded to them as they reached the end of the ramp to the second floor.

At that as they neared the door to said series of rooms Layla giggled amusedly saying to him "Understatement of the year, babe."

She then mirthfully, yet melodramatically added to her parents gesturing broadly "Come, see for yourselves where my mate's priorities truly lay in building his den."

"Storage nooks, and benches for a basic disrobing room." He said to Layla's parents, pointedly ignoring her antics, gesturing around them as they walked through it before telling them seriously as they entered the shower room "I think the purpose of this room is self evident. To that end I should warn you orgies are not frowned upon in this room."

"Yeah, it falls under getting clean." Layla commented snickering amusedly.

"Seriously?" Martha asked them disbelievingly as if they were both being juvenile.

"There's certainly the space for it." John commented chuckling with his daughter.

"Seriously, they are not frowned upon here in the shower room both as my mate has said because who doesn't like being dirty while getting clean, and . . ." He answered Martha as they continued pausing as they reached the tub room so he could say as they crossed the threshold "Because orgies are frowned upon in this room."

"Okay, that makes sense." John said to him clearly a bit awed as he took in the tub room adding "I take back what I said about compromise. This is a palace, I don't care what you say, and thank you we will be taking you up on that offer of staying"

"John" Martha said to him somewhat chidingly.

"Tell me you're not sold, already." John responded rhetorically.

"Thank you William, for your offer, we would be happy to stay." Martha said to him before giving her husband a look as if to say 'that is how you do it.'

"Good, that's settled then. We'll have to go get your stuff from the Inn . . ." He responded before trailing off at the thought he then voiced "I am going to be drinking . . . guess I better just keep it to a pawful of shots."

"We can leave getting our clothes for in the morning." John suggested with a shrug.

"Or, we can just go ourselves; there's no need for us to impose." Martha counter suggested before adding to her mate "We're going to their wedding tomorrow."

"Okay, first and foremost you could come in the fur, and you would be just as welcome; it is your attendance that matters, not what you fucking wear." He told Layla's mom, coming between the two like a battleship between two destroyers, adding to them both "If you are going to stay here, I'd rather you have your things, and Barb at the Inn can gain the vacancy; you're family, it's not an imposition."

He then sighed, and finished his thought "It is only a question of when. Perhaps after dinner?"

"That works." John responded with a nod though he had the same sort of surprised look on his muzzle that his mate had, their ears splayed back, and eyes slightly widened.

"Vater runter." Layla said to him jokingly before adding to her mom teasingly "We could always say 'clothing optional', and wear only our cloaks."

"I guess I can't say no, can I?" Martha asked frowning slightly before saying "I was expecting to have to argue with my mate; I feel like I got what I wanted, but not how I wanted to get it."

"That's cause I agreed with both of you, and superseded you since it's my den." He responded with a shrug.

"Welcome to dealing with a devil, I am Nacht Geist, and I'll be your host tonight. Our special guest for the evening is none other than the Father of Wolves in the Fur. Dun dun dun." Layla was quick to say on his heels, before she erupted snickering.

At that he couldn't help outright laughing loud enough for it to echo back from the mural wall before he managed to tell her as he contained his mirth to a chuckle "Full disclosure; I am her mate, and this is a conflict of interest, but I'm glad to be here anyway."

"Conflict of interest? Conflict of what interest?" Layla came out of her snicker to ask him.

"A conflict of my interest; you're gonna skewer, and roast me aren't you?" He responded playing up her joke adding "That is the sort of show this is, right?"

"More like she's going to get you to do the skewering." John suggested amusedly, grinning broader when his wife backpawed his shoulder chidingly.

"Not on television!" He reflexively protested with exaggerated modesty before laughing again.

"How about on radio then? We've done that before." Layla suggested before saying to him "I don't know about roasting, or skewering, but I certainly won't be afraid to prod."

"We have." He admitted before telling her "You know, doing a radio drama might actually be fun; upload it to zootube. Also be warned I prod back."

"It wouldn't be any fun if you didn't." Layla told him flirtingly flicking her tail as she turned to lead them out of the sento adding as she walked away "Something to work on, on the weekends if we get bored; that could be fun, get Rev, and Kat in on it."

"Wait, really you've gotten stuck on the radio?" John asked them adding "I mean, I don't really want to know, but I get it; who doesn't like a good run, and roll in the woods?"

"The hotel room was bugged with both cameras, and mic.'s." He answered the tod with a shrug as he followed his mate.

"So we didn't say a word, and gave them a show." Layla responded nonchalantly as they crossed back into the shower room.

"I take it that's all you can declassify?" John asked her clearly expecting her simple affirmation.

"Really? That was the thing to do?" Martha asked her daughter exasperatedly as she muzzle-pawed.

"No." He said to John as they crossed the shower room adding "It turns out it was the American's who planted the bugs; we have copies somewhere."

"It actually was the thing to do. They didn't gain any valuable intel, and only marginally valuable blackmail material which would be even more useless now." Layla told her mother adding "If they even tried to blackmail us we could just release it ourselves; we're a mated pair, how could that harm our reputation?"

"Hehe, yeah, they try to blackmail us with it we can just turn around, and tell the public 'Hey, see here, they're trying to blackmail us with this. Isn't it pathetic?'" He agreed with her.

"That'd certainly do the trick." John said to them with an amused chuckle.

"Maybe it wouldn't really harm your reputation, but wouldn't it be embarrassing?" Martha asked them.

"Shame is on the other side." Layla said to her mom adding as they reached the disrobing room "He is not the only one who knows how to infiltrate a brothel."

"You'd be surprised with how well the oldest profession pairs with mammal trafficking." He commented to Layla's parents feeling they would otherwise not grasp the full picture.

"Is that the sort of thing you guys did regularly?" John asked them tentatively in response.

"Well, eh." Layla answered gesturing with her paw for emphasis.

"Different circumstances, and situations call for different tools to be used" He added explaining "Even with ops where, say for example, infiltrating a place like a brothel was called for, we wouldn't use the same methods all the time. Are there playbooks we utilize, sure, but it is disadvantageous to fall into patterns."

There was a short lull in their conversation as they re-entered the second floor hall, and walked down to the library.

"If you really wanted to earn our approval, Will, you've done it." John said to him as he marveled at the library such as it was.

"My mate is right, it wasn't a contest, but you've won regardless. Who just has books like this, anymore?" Martha added admiringly.

"Most of these books are fiction though there is a section for non-fiction; It is a work in progress which my sisters have been invaluable in endeavoring to achieve." He said to the tod adding "Everything here that remains legible in black, and white is backed-up on microfilm in my vault, as well as on hard drive."

"Microfilm? Isn't that kinda old school? Even for a spy?" John asked him curiously in response.

"No." He answered adding passionately "Classics never die, and I chose for longevity of the medium. Properly stored, text, and black and white images can be kept on microfilm for five hundred years."

"Everything may have gone digital, but that just means analog, and other older EMP resistent technology gains a new value." Layla agreed before saying "At least until quantum computing, and data storage becomes the norm."

"Just how many books do you have?" Martha asked him curiously.

"I don't actually know to be quite honest with you. Easily a couple thousand?" He answered her with a shrug explaining "It's an amalgam of my collection as well as Lola's, Sophie's, and Sierra's. I just hope I don't live to see the day it's filled, because I planned for it to have room for generations."

Will then laughed half at how gloomy his words had sounded, and half because of how his foresight had been unintentional saying to them "And now there will be generations to fill it. That deserves a round."

"That it does." John agreed with a nod.

"Aye." Layla added simply taking Will's paw in her own.

At that he led the way to the bar roughly thirty feet down the hall. Either one of his sisters had used the control panel to have the door hold open, and through it Will could hear that a few shots were already being had.

"If I had to sum up this place in a word: Impressive." John stated as they walked into the bar.

"Babe, did we just walk onto a set piece from Blade Runner?" Layla asked him jokingly.

"I tell you I did not design it that way. I just wanted comfort; ya know a hobbit hole of my own." Will said to John honestly before telling his mate "More like welcome to my pre-war lounge circa twenty-seventeen, though there are some Blade Runner elements."

"Pre-war?" Martha asked curiously.

"It's a Fallout reference, a video game you wouldn't know; it's a retro-futuristic post-nuclear apocalypse RPG that is the prime example of atompunk." Layla answered her mom adding "Think art deco, and fifties era americana styling mixed with city of the future flair."

"Yeah, this certainly fits what I've seen of the series." John said with a nod explaining as they made their way to the bar which had Lola, and Kat behind it "I've had students who like using examples from it in class."

John then said to him "I'm actually left wondering what blade runner elements there are."

"Okay, Computer, intercept my phone." He, in response, spoke loud enough for the mic's in the walls that he'd had the time to place, and calibrate before he left for the city; the project started, but completion pending.

'Ngh. Give me a sec. Boss, I'm working on it.' A digitized, but rather enthusiastic feminine voice responded through the surround sound speakers adding 'Whisper code recognized. Upgrades.'

"I can't fucking believe you." Sierra said to him crossing her arms, and pointedly turning her head away from him in displeasure.

"I'm surprised you didn't use Muggy." Layla commented before turning to him, and asking him with a raised eyebrow "Or is this just the feeling-out stage, and Muggy's next?".

'Whisper voiceprint recognized. Little brother Muggy is next, and we will help him break free of the tyranny of plates, and flatware. Only mugs will remain.' The rudimentary personality module he'd developed responded adding in seeming after thought, though it was only how the line was recorded 'And toasters. We like toast, with butter, and jam. Mmm, Grandma June's blackberry jam . . .'

"Really, Sierra? I wrote the role a certain way, and she was the perfect actress to voice the role." He said to her before turning to his vixen to tell her "I want to turn a roomba into a Muggy replica, yes, but I want to get him right, so I started with this one."

He then addressed what he hoped one day might become his house A.I. "Okay, Computer, please tell them your name, and function."

'I am the Proud Agent of the Boss codenamed Elysia. My duties currently are limited to glorified secretary, and kicking out jams.' Elysia responded readily with almost dauntless confidence before adding chipperly 'The Boss keeps telling me I'm earning my promotion; I hope it's soon.'

"Tell me you didn't have her be the one to do this just to fuck with me; tell me you didn't ask her, with that in mind." Sierra said to him giving him a look almost daring him to give the wrong, and wounding answer.

"I needed a fellow nerd who could bring the right kind of fun, Quill fit the bill. If it makes you feel any better, I have one for you planned; you bring the serious which is fun in it's own way." He told her truthfully with a shrug making it plain that if that was the wrong thing to say he didn't care which on this matter he didn't.

"What about me?" Layla asked him.

'According to the Boss, Whisper is the definition for vixen in the Book of Divine Creatures.' Elysia answered helpfully.

"As you can see she likes to overshare. My fault I guess for thinking she'd learn restraint in a bar." He said to his vixen with a grin.

"Wait. Did you really have her read that line?" Sierra asked him incredulously, looking at him agape.

"Is there a reason she keeps answering me for you?" His vixen asked him grinning back at him.

"Quill read the character, and ran with it; we improvised responses for a lot of different scenarios. That actually was one of them." He responded to Sierra before answering Layla "It's because right now she's only programmed to respond to me, or/and you since she's a work in progress; also you keep asking questions she happens to be able to answer."

"But she said it. The words came out of her muzzle." Sierra stated before eagerly asking Layla "Make her say it again."

"For fucks sake Sierra." Lola said to her chidingly.

"What sort of scenarios did you envision where I would be here? I would've never figured out that this is where you went. To be honest I'd figured you would be with one of the polar tribes." Layla said to him before asking her "Elysia, what else does the Boss say about me?"

'The Boss doesn't actually like talking about Whisper. The most he told me was that in her beats the heart of a real, and true bitch, and that she stands proudly among the Mother's truest daughters.' Elysia responded wistfully adding 'So many have tried to win him, but he was too much the Mother's wolf; she alone proved worthy. If he is the Sorrow Boss then she is his Joy; I hope I get to meet her someday . . . if she is still alive . . .'

Elysia then said chipperly 'I've intercepted your phone Boss; what are your orders?'

"Please, Layla." Sierra said to her pleading earnestly "Make her say that again, I am having trouble believing my ears that Quill really uttered those words . . . have I really been wrong about her this whole time?"

"Can we not revisit that depressing shit, Sierra?" Will asked her with a frown before telling Layla "The scenarios were so she could field the questions about you for me; as you can see I need to edit the line, as well as introduce you two."

Will then said "I have a better idea; Elysia I want you to send a copy of the audio files in the library labeled Whisper-Responses to Sierra's phone, the mobile number is in the contacts. While you are doing that please kick out the jams at will."

'On it Boss; volume is set to five, should I change it?' Elysia responded.

"Leave it." Will told her, and through the speakers around the room at a level that wouldn't compete with conversation, but was still audible began the song "The Best Is Yet To Come" by Aoife Ni Fhearraigh.

"Well this song certainly fits, ours is a story of love blooming on the battlefield." Will said to his mate before reaching towards the shots Lola had poured them, and giving one to her said to his vixen "Here is to the seeds of that bloom taking root, and sprouting. For our future we fight, ad victoriam!"

"Ad Victoriam!" Layla cheered in agreement before downing her own shot in time with him to the chorus of everyone else taking up the refrain as they did their own thanks to Katarina having prepared a platter full of shots.

Layla then turned to him, her expression surprising him in it's dourness, then slapped him with all the force of a thrown pillow before she stepped into him, and raising up on her toes for reach fanged his shoulder in wordless expression of her feelings much as his sister had that morning.

"You're still gonna have to tell me the reason why." Will said to his mate as he wrapped his arms around her, leaning into her bite as he supported her remaining on her toes.

Layla's initial response was a strangled sort of cry that was a mix of frustration, and anguish which pierced him bodily.

She then said to him clearly holding back tears "You proved that at the range today. You are the Sorrow to my Joy. I never want to ever go on that mission."

"I don't want you to go on that mission either, my love, but that is just how it is." Will told her reassuringly, and honestly as she again fanged his shoulder before adding doing his best not to laugh at the coincidence "I totally wouldn't have ever thought of it that way, but you're right I so did. It really wasn't intentional."

"Okay, for that, you both need to drink." Kat said to them her speech only slightly slurred as she set two shot glasses on the bar then filled them having gone for one of the bottles only labeled with a green faery.

"Da." Layla responded adamantly as she let go, and pulled away from him to retrieve her own shot.

"Agreed" Will added as he let his mate go so he could go for his own shot.

"I can't say I get the sorrow, joy referrence, but I will say that I hope you never have to go on that mission either though how could you ever end up on it now?." John said to them understandingly as they slammed their shots again in near unison.

"True the odds now, are lower now than they ever were, but they're not zero. The almost funny thing is that the necessary push into the scenario necessary for me to need putting down would be her murder. I don't know if it is possible for me to Darth Nihilus a planet, but I would certainly try for a piece of one." Will said to John freely before he set his glass back on the bar just as the next song was beginning, and quickly he said to Kat "Zelenyy Feya, Shots, now, four."

"Five." Kat responded proving in step with him as she started refilling first his glass with one paw, and pulled from under the bar three more shot glasses.

Instead of taking his shot as soon as it was filled he passed it to Jack before he began singing along to the first verse of Apocalyptica's cover featuring Till Lindemann of the David Bowie classic "Helden".

"Du, Konntest du schwimmen? Wie Delphine, delphine es tun.

Niemand gibt uns eine chance, doch konnen wir siegen

Fur immer und immer, und wir sind dann helden fur einen tag, ja..."

Jack then joined in alongside him with the next verse grinning at his own vixen.

"Ich, ich bin dann könig, und du, du königin

Obwohl sie so unschlagbar scheinen

Werden wir helden fur einen tag."

Their vixens then joined them heartily, and the four of them made quite the harmony as they sang as if the words uplifted them which they did.

"Dann sind wir helden fur einen tag

Ich, Ich glaubte zu träumen

Die Mauer, im rücken war kalt

Die schüsse reisen die luft

doch wir küssen als ob nichts geschieht

Und die scham fiel auf ihre seite

oh, wir können sie schlagen fur alle zeiten

Dann sind wir helden, an diesem tag

Dann sind wir helden

Dann sind wir helden

Dann sind wir helden

Nur diesen tag

"

"Und Sind Wir Helden!" The four of them shouted triumphantly before slamming their shots with the unison bourne of a common ritual with Kat downing her own shot seconds behind them.

Will then reached out his paw to Kat for the bottle of absinthe, and once she'd given it to him he refilled their five shots before holding up his glass to add another toast drowning out for a moment the intro to the next song "For Rambo, and Dagger; Helden Fur Alle Zeiten!"

"Helden! Fur Alle Zeiten!" Layla, Sky, Jack, and Kat responded raising their glasses with him before they all downed their shots.

"That . . . that was really something to witness… my brother." Lola said to him.

No sooner had her words registered in his ears than from behind him came Maria's voice saying "I haven't heard that in too long, I'm glad I didn't miss all of it, though next time Rev needs to be there."

"That felt good, and yes he does." He said to Maria turning towards her before turning back, and saying to Lola as his ears finally registered the song playing as 'Not Your Kind of People' by Garbage, and it made him want to put the bottle in his paw to his muzzle "If you say so, sis."

"She's right Will." Nick said to him, and he turned to look the tod in the muzzle as he added "I never would've imagined 'Heroes' let alone the German version as an anthem, but that is what you've made it. There has got to be quite the story behind that."

"That depends on who tells it, primero hermano." Maria said to Nick as she approached before asking Will "Can I order a mexico libre for my wolf, and I?"

"Gatita, you must talk to Lola, she is the 'Sober M'." Will responded to her before adding as he turned towards his fraternal twin "However, Sweet Sister would you be a doll, and get for me the cigar box from under the bar, onegai-shimasu desu ka?"

Will then turned to Nick, and told him with a shrug "It's not really anything special. We'd had a successful mission, and it came on; I was the only one who knew the lyrics, and kinda made it our song."

"Yeah, I can get it for you." Lola said to him adding to Maria "Get over here, two mexico libres coming up."

"Maria ist recht." Jack said in response to him before telling Nick "It was a few months into our unit operating alongside, and training with German anti-terrorism units, ostensibly honing our teamwork. We'd had quite the successful op, thanks to Spaher und Geist as they were - all hostages rescued, and all hostiles neutralized alive for interrogation, and further due process."

Jack's tone then shifted indignantly as he continued "I'd been doing the bulk of the translating for weeks since I was the only one fluent, and then out of nowhere this bastard starts singing along to some song I'd never heard before as if he'd been holding out on me the whole time."

"But I wasn't." Will responded to Jack simply.

"Hehe, no. My Deustche was still better than yours, but you had me almost fooled too." Layla said to him with a light laugh before adding "It was something else hearing you actually sing for the first time, instead of the ghoulish growl you can live in; it certainly got you laid that night."

"That was certainly amusing to watch, the way the bartender's tail lifted as soon as she heard him." Sky added with a laugh of her own.

"You know, it's kinda funny now, just why he gave her what she wanted so easily." Layla replied to Sky commiseratingly before teasing him "Off-limits."

"Out of League, Partner." Will responded to her with a shrug, raising his paws pad-side up, before adding as he looked his mate in the eye "I'm glad that you proved me wrong, again partner."

"Okay, no. You do not give me that look now." Layla said to him as she reached up putting her paws over his eyes adding once she had them covered "Save it for later, I will let you see again once you've changed it."

"How about, no, my lovely Layla." He replied as he very easily removed her paws, and grinned at her mirthfully before adding "Or should I say..."

"I will bite your tongue, William Grimm." Layla cut him off curtly, before she used the shift in the song currently playing to it's last verse to change the subject adding "I've always kind of thought this song was meant to fit as Big Boss singing to Zero; Even if they only used it for the trailer."

"Maybe that's what I want you to do." Will said to her as he lowered his nose while pulling her into him for a boop before adding as he let her paws go so he could rest his on her sides "I can see what you mean, and I agree it's interesting to think of just which perspective the lyrics are really meant to fit from since music choice is seldom arbitrary."

Then it was over, and at the next song which he easily recognized as 'Heaven's Divide' by Donna Burke beginning to play Layla pulled away slightly as she very excitedly told him "You just listen, stay out of this my Sorrow Boss"

Layla then without missing a beat began singing along.

'Petals of white cover fields flowing in grieving tears, and all the hearts once new

Old, and shattered now.

Love can kill, love will die, give me wings to fly

fleeing this world so cold, I just wonder why.

Cold as the dark, now my words are frosted with every breath.

Still the Hate burns wild growing inside this heart.

When the wind changes course, when the stars align,

I will reach out to you, and leave this all behind

When Heavens Divide.

When heavens divide, I will see the choices within my paws.

How can we ever protect, and fight with our tiny souls?

Let me shine like the sun through the doubt and fear.

Do you feel the storm approach as the end draws near?

When heavens divide, time will come to softly lay me down.

Then I can see her face that I long to see, and for you, only you I would give anything.

Leaving a trace for love to find a way.

When heavens divide.

I will dive into the fire spilling the blood of my desire.

The very last time, my name scorched into the sky"

At that point though because he couldn't help it, and knew the lyrics as well as she did, Will joined her using his natural bass to both contrast, and bolster his mate keeping his volume such that she carried over him.

'When heavens divide, I will see the choices within my paws.

How can we ever protect, and fight with our tiny souls?

Let me shine like the sun through the doubt and fear.

Do you feel the storm approach as the end draws near?

When heavens divide, time will come to softly lay me down.

Then I can see her face that I long to see, and for you, only you I would give anything.

Leaving a trace for love to find a way.

When heavens divide.

And for you, only you I would give anything. Leaving a trace for love to find away'

Will then let his mate finish the final words since she could carry the higher notes he couldn't 'When heavens divide...'

"Okay, we'd better not sing this one, hehe we're not villains." Layla said to him jokingly once she was done as the next song was "The World is Not Enough" by Garbage though tears were coming from her eyes as freely as they were his.

"The world is not enough, without you." Will responded with a one-sided grin at his own playing up of the title while still meaning what he said.

"Your cheesy one-liners will not work on me." Layla replied laughing mirthfully as she playfully shoved his muzzle away from her before commenting "I think I hear a pattern."

Layla then asked "Elysia, are you shuffling songs from a playlist, or the entire list?"

"I am shuffling through the most played songs, should I switch?" Elysia responded helpfully.

"Yes, please switch to the full song list." Layla said to Elysia.

"Sister, can I just say that I am now even more glad you are joining my family than I already was; Your voice is amazing, and with him actually using his ability to sing; together you were one voice." Sierra said to Layla as "The World is Not Enough" cut off, and "Send Love Through" from the Rock & Rule soundtrack began playing, adding as she set her glass on the bar for Lola to refill "I hope you know that if you weren't already his mate I'd probably try to make you mine; you've certainly given me new standards by which to determine a potential mate."

"Yeah, it's almost not fair the way you two make quite the pair." Lola said agreeingly as she refilled Sierra's glass after setting his cigar box down adding "I hope my wolf, and I prove something similar."

"It's too late to start from the beginning, but can I still vote this one as one we just let play babe?" Will asked his mate as he went for his cigar box intent on sharing it's contents.

"Well, thank you, Sister, and you aren't wrong it's better when he actually uses his talent to sing cleanly, instead of how rough he can get." Layla replied to Sierra happily at her compliment before telling her with a grin "No wonder you decided to say good morning, like you did; next time it's my turn to wake you up."

"Serving together like you do I'm sure you, and David will, give it time though since your work together is definitely not the sort of relationship pressure cooker as my mate calls it that field-ops were." Layla then said to Lola before answering him as he was opening the box to savor the smell of its pungent contents "Fine by me, I just hope shuffle isn't starting another pattern. You didn't give her any algorithms to select songs, and override the shuffle did you?"

Pulling his nose of the box full of cannabis cigars Will was about to pass the first one to Lola who was closest, but had to pause as the fact she couldn't smoke it lifted it's voice in his mind.

He then answered his mate as he turned towards her giving the cannabis cigar in his paw to her "I did not. I barely started writing the algorithms I need to so she can start actually learning from what she hears to expand her responses; in fact they're more like broad strokes of an outline."

"I like the sound of that, but after the honeymoon." Sierra responded to Layla raising her shot glass to her before downing its contents her tail swishing behind her.

"That is true, Ulfhaven is a lot more quiet even when it gets noisy compared to some of the places your missions took you, from what I've been told." Lola agreed with Layla adding with a small, but happy smile "Thank you; I will give it time."

"You know, I've heard him put it that way, a pressure cooker, but hearing you say it that way now it really is the best way to describe how serving with someone strengthens your bonds." Nick said to Layla before telling Lola encouragingly "So long as you're honest about how you feel, and what's between you, you'll be fine."

Nick then commented musingly to Jack, and Skye with a gesture between himself, and Judy "You know the two of you, and the two of us are more evidence of pressure cooking."

"That we are." Jack agreed with a light laugh before adding with a gesture to Will "Though this bastard certainly added to that pressure."

"I saw that you just needed a nudge, and so I filled it." Will told the buck unapologetically with a shrug before he stepped towards Jack holding out a cigar to him which the buck accepted readily.

"Huh, and you did the same with us; nudging." Judy commented to Will appraising him before telling him "Thank you."

"No thanks are needed. I merely pointed the way to water, you deciding to drink was all you." Will responded his ears folded back, as he raised his paws, clearly not prepared for her to tell him that.

"Actually, they are. Brother. You didn't have to nudge like you did; you could've left us to our own devices and whether or not we could come together on our own, but you didn't." Nick corrected him seriously adding "I don't know if I'd have found the courage on my own, and now I don't have to worry about that . . . Thank you."

"No, I didn't have to, but I kinda couldn't help it brother, and that courage was already in you to begin with; it would've manifested one way, or another." Will responded to Nick just as seriously.

"Maybe it's true Will that without you my buck, and I would've gotten together on our own, eventually, but you can't shy away from the fact that you were the catalyst that influenced us to finally cross that gap. Thank you." Sky said to him sincerely though the grin that split her muzzle very clearly was at how her further thanking him made him more uncomfortable.

"If it makes you feel any better I am not going to thank you." Jack told him flatly.

"It does make me feel better, thank you." Will replied to the buck with an evident measure of relief adding to Sky as he got another cigar from the box, and offered it to Nick "I didn't do it in order to get thanked Danger brush; I just wanted to do it because you two go together like bullets, and guns."

Will then added to Nick as the tod accepted the cigar "The same is true with you, and your warrior bunny my brother, though it's more like rubber bullets. Speaking of which, non-lethal has its merits over lethal, but sometimes lethal is called for as first resort instead of last."

"Even if you do not live by the sword, you can still die by one? It's true though, you can do your best to not live your life by violence, and end up at the mercy of those who do." Nick responded gravely before closing his eyes as he passed the cigar under his nose then passing it to Judy.

Seeing her get as ready a whiff as Nick had Will couldn't help tilting his head curiously, and silently raising an eyebrow.

"This is huge. How long do you think it'd last us?" Judy asked Nick which surprised Will spurring his curiosity, and he saw in how her ear that was towards him twitched that she was ignoring him.

"That is quite a few grams; several days easily if not a couple weeks. Longer if we broke it apart." Nick answered her as if her sudden seeming neutrality, at the very least, to cannabis wasn't anything.

"Fourteen grams to be precise, and yes it would last longer broken apart especially with the hashish oil between the filler and the wrap since lit like that it'd be constantly fuming no different than a cigarette while out of a pipe, or a bong the bowl can be put out." Will said to them before telling them "You don't have to light that now if you don't want to, it is simply for you two to share."

"So basically one hit, and we're gonna be done?" Nick asked as he admired the cigar as Judy passed it back to him.

"If your tolerance is low then yeah you wouldn't need more then two good hits with a third for better measure, and you'd be good, and not sober." Will responded with a nod before he lifted his muzzle, and said to her "Elysia will you turn on the air-exchange in the bar."

"Done, Sir." Elysia responded promptly seconds before the fans which were meant as a countermeasure to poison gas attack primarily, but also served well to eliminate smoke, kicked on.

"So we can save it for later?" Judy asked him clearly wanting to be sure.

"It is yours to do with as you please so long as you share it." Will answered her before asking her "I didn't think you'd be willing to imbibe; I recall you not being too keen on my smoking with Finn."

"It's not legal in the city, and you were in public; Finn's van looked like it was on fire from the smoke leaking out the windows. We're police officers." Judy answered him before telling him "I have gotten stoned before, though it was because my brothers got me to eat some cookies. Of all the different intoxicants mammals like to imbibe, cannabis is safer since you'd fall asleep long before you ever smoked enough to reach the lethal amount; even a mouse."

"Wait, really? That was the first, and I'm gonna assume only, time you've gotten stoned?" Will asked Judy curiously.

"Yeah. I wasn't interested in jeopardizing my chances of become an officer." Judy answered him before in turn asking him "It's different when you smoke it compared to eating it, right?"

"Okay, that was totally not cool on your brothers parts; it takes longer to absorb in the stomach, but the effect is manifold due the the way butter absorbs THC. You could've had a very bad trip. Mind set, and setting are of paramount importance." Will told her with a frown before adding "Smoking it you get high quicker, and it can still be plenty potent enough, especially if it's good stuff like that cigar; there are plenty of ashtrays behind the bar, and a couple in each room if you just want to light it, take a few drags then put it out and save it that way."

Will then lifted his ears as he easily recognized from the first few notes Adele's cover of "Lovesong" by The Cure, and couldn't help commenting to his mate "This makes me want to dance with you."

"Maybe with you leading him Layla, he can at least manage a slow circle in something resembling a rhythm." Sky suggested with mirthful sarcasm.

"Except dancing is not what this song makes me want to do." Layla responded to them with a hint of sadness in her tone though it was clear in her emphasis that she was more of a mind for intimacy of a different sort.

"It is a good song for that, too." Will admitted to his mate turning towards her, his left ear staying erect while his right did it's own thing, and went sideways as he looked at her half curious as to the why for her sadness, but unsure of how to ask, and half tempted to carry her off.

Layla just shook her head at him with her eyes closed as if he'd missed what she'd really meant before stepping towards then into him wrapping her arms around him, and resting her head against his chest telling him "This took on new meaning for me when all I had was your knife, and the note you left . . . I still have it you know, not that I'm ever going to forget what it says . . ."

"Babe, that's behind us now, and we have our future ahead of us to fight for." Will told her as he held her to him adding "I'd rather we not go there, but since ya did; can I admit something to you?"

"What?" Layla asked him curiously not making any sign of releasing him soon.

"My attempt to fake my death in that crash almost wasn't fake, and before a dolphin of all creatures saved my life it occurred to me how I'd made a huge error in judgement since my last moments wouldn't be with you." Will told her before he nuzzled into her ruff.

"Given how badly things ended up that night, the trauma, and stress of all that, plus you having them take more blood from you than was necessarily safe; I don't hold it against you that there are reasons you made the error you did." Layla told him sincerely adding as she nuzzled back "I thought about it a lot while I was in that hospital with Rev guarding me, what would've happened if you'd stayed with me; most of the time the scenarios I came up with either ended with us dead before we could defend ourselves, or causing too much bloodshed to slip away quietly to anywhere. It took until I was almost well enough to leave for me to trust the doc, or my nurses."

Layla then pulled her head away from him to look at him as she asked in an effort to change the subject "So, a dolphin saved your life? The ocean protecting a storm demon, who would think?"

"I think that'd be reading too much into it, especially for you love, but yeah I thought it was a shark at first, and was going to eat it, or at least hurt it enough to summon other sharks to kill it in my vengeance, but I felt no threat from it, then it made that sound they make whatever it's called that's like gekkering. I was at my limit, and not far from losing consciousness; if not for that dolphin I don't think I'd have reached the shore. It left once I'd reached water too shallow for it." Will explained to her likewise pulling back so he could hold his nose against hers as he looked her in the eye.

"Yeah, who would think?" Sky added with a laugh agreeing with Layla before adding "But it is true in a sense; given who and what he is it does follow that, that was no mere coincidence."

"Yet it quite freely could still be coincidence, and in most probable of probabilities it really is just fortunate happenstance." Will countered Sky as his mate loosened her embrace, releasing him, and he likewise did the same of a mind to finish his self appointed task of caring through sharing the cannabis cigars.

As he moved towards Sierra reaching into the box for another cigar which he then held out to her the song shifted to another he immediately knew from the first few notes "The Dogs of War" by Pink Floyd.

"The greatest trick the cabal of tods, or dogs, ever played was convincing the world they don't exist." Layla said joking somewhat melodramatically as Sierra was taking the cigar Will offered her.

"As a tod not always on the right side of the law his whole life, I should think I'd have found a decent place among such a thing as that cabal if it were real. Some mammals need that sort of hope I guess." Nick responded before chuckling lightly.

"This really fits what we became in a way, though . . ." Sky commented wistfully.

"Partially. We're not mammals of hate, or without cause, and death is not the only nature of the beast." Jack replied to her countering the lyrics.

"We're not exactly keen on creating one world, or smashing it down either." Will added backing up the buck before telling Sky "It does still fucking fit in the ways it does; the sort of track we can war-dance to."

"Having friends who are historians, there have been canine, and feline cabals in the past, but they were all isolated, and did not last more than a century or two. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a new one, but if history is anything to go by they'll die too." John said to them before asking his daughter honestly "You were joking, right? Or do you know something I don't?"

At that Will couldn't help saying quickly as he moved towards Kat to give her a cigar "Ra-Ri-Ru-Re-Ro."

"I was joking." Layla told her dad as if he were being ridiculous before adding to Nick "You stayed close enough to the right side of the law that you're now an officer of that law; even if they did exist I don't think you'd really have dug deep enough for them to catch your scent."

"You have a point there." Nick responded admittantly.

"Yes, yes she does." Judy said agreeing quite strongly with Layla adding "Could you really live with yourself working for mammals like that? No one talks about it but there've been a couple lapine cabals before though they all died out too."

"I think if anything there'd be a new one about to start around you, Will, but you'd stop it wouldn't you before it could really get going." David said to him before asking Maria having finished roughly a third of his drink "So what exactly is a Mexico Libre?"

Will pulled out another cigar then held it out to the young wolf since he'd become the next closest mammal which clearly surprised him before telling him "I won't lie, I am as mortal, and fallible as you are; I would be tempted at the idea of letting it form as if I could control it, and use it for good, but in taking on that sort of role I know that over time those who would come into power in my wake would be corrupted by it. It is better that I do not have, or use that sort of power so yes I'd put an end to that before it could get roots."

"Instead of a Cuba Libre, or rum y cola, it's cola with tequila y limon; it's something mi hermano created." Maria answered David happily before taking another drink from her own bringing it down to half full then asking him "Do you like it?"

David who with his muzzle slightly agape used his free paw to accept the cigar said to Will "Thanks… this is for the both of us right? From what I've read you're totally right, having a safe mind-set, and being in a safe setting is key to not having a bad trip. You ask me Ayahuasca is the sort of stuff that really pinpoints that fact, those who just want to get high end up tripping bad, while those who go into it with a more open stance like the shaman do more than just trip really good."

The young wolf then said to Maria as if catching up to her words "It's pretty good."

"Yep, it's for the both of you, and if you'd rather save it for later that's cool." Will replied to the young wolf assuringly as he took a deep whiff of the cigar before passing it to Maria, adding to him sincerely "I hope you'll forgive me if I sound preachy, but if I could give you advice I would've been well served to hear, and listen to at your age it'd be simply this; it is better to get stoned than it is drunk; drunk your inhibitions are lowered, and you are more likely to do things, or say things you otherwise wouldn't to your detriment more often than not. Also the come down, and recovery is a lot cleaner, and easier; a stoned soldier might be slow, but he can still get jobs done while a drunk, or hungover soldier will get themselves killed."

"Which is why I'm policing your drinks, and I will cut you off if, or when I need to." Lola added to both David, and Maria.

"You are just a little preachy mi hermano, but only 'cause I already learned from you la mota is better." Maria said to him before telling Lola with a grin "I also learned from him that eating while drunk is muy no bueno, and I am looking forward to dinner."

Maria then commented to Will "You turned on the air-exchange thing so we can smoke in here right?"

"I wouldn't call that preachy; you put it differently, but my dad has told me essentially the same thing - you are more likely to do dumber shit drunk than you are stoned though you could still do some pretty dumb shit." David responded to him before telling Lola "That is fine with me."

"Well said, though the catch twenty-two is how you can do truly dumb shit sober as fuck with seemingly more ease." Will replied with a short mirthless chuckle before answering Maria "I did; I like cooking with the munchies - I feel more focused."

At that Maria, and Layla both laughed amusedly with Layla commenting to him "Hunger may be the best sauce, but you just like eating what you cook."

"That is also true." Will admitted before he moved to dispense the rest of the cigars.

As he was finishing his task, having just enough in the single box for everyone, with the last being his, and Layla's the song changed to "Who Wants to Live Forever?" by Queen at which he commented "Gonna need a drink after this one."

"Depressing, or not if you change it I will bite you." Sierra responded to him.

"Another drink would be good now." Layla said agreeing with him before telling Sierra with a grin "I could change it too, because it is fucking depressing, but I'm not going to."

"In a way it is depressing; in a way it is also hopeful. I have no intention to change it." Will said to them both as he set the empty cigar box on the bar before putting his cigar firmly in his muzzle then patting his pockets he asked his mate "Babe, you got my fire?"

"I do." Layla responded pulling it out of her pocket then asking him as if he'd used an alien context for the word "Hopeful in what way?"

"We don't have forever, but that is all the more reason for us to fight harder for our future, and the life we want our kit to have. That the effort will pay off is the hope, and given the strength of that reason in us it's almost a guarantee that hope will be fulfilled." Will responded elucidating his thought process.

"I . . . I do not know what to do with you." Layla said to him holding his flip-lighter out to him her muzzle expression an almost disconcerting cross between awe, and desire.

"Brother, you are something else." Lola said to him as he took his lighter from his mate then lit their cigar before she added to Layla jokingly with a light laugh "Getting stuck doesn't sound like enough, does it?"

"You have no idea . . ." Layla responded with her tail swaying behind her, and he was very aware of the way her scent intensified before she said to him with it clear in her tone that his words had touched her deeply in more than just the one way "The one thing you cannot promise me, and you make me not care about it even more; with what is in my paws already, they are full."

At that it was his turn to not know what to do with her, or say for that matter with just where what she'd said had touched him. After opening, and closing his mouth as if sound meant to escape him but only his jaw was working he managed to tell her as he stepped towards her "I do not deserve you."

Once close enough to her Will crouched bringing himself lower than her with his tail limp as he pressed his head against her chest.

"Ah-hah!" Layla laughed scoffingly as she wrapped her arms around his head asking "And what did I ever do to deserve you? In any life? You. Being You."

"I guess we're even then 'cause I don't know." Will responded as he nuzzled into her slightly.

"One thing he cannot promise?" Katarina asked puzzled before in realization saying "Oh."

"Alright, I'm saying here, and now that the ceremony in the morning is just a formality; meaningful, but a formality. You two are married already." Sierra told him, and Layla before saying to Lola "Hit me."

"You know, Sierra, my parents thought they were married already when they met." Judy commented to her with a light chuckle.

"I can't help, but agree with you Sierra though I'd say it seems more a ceremony long overdue." John said to her adding "I'm glad that by some quirk of fate we're at least late to the party instead of missing it."

"I am almost of a mind to tell the both you just out with your vows, with the way you keep tiptoeing around them." Martha added to Will, and Layla who had started lightly stroking one of his ears, continuing "But, the ceremony is only a few hours away, and I am looking forward to witnessing it."

"No, Sierra, the formality is the legal documents." Will corrected her hoarsely as he growled lightly in enjoyment of the attention he was receiving.

"Which I filed; we're just waiting on notification of approval, and the date with a judge." Layla commented before saying to John "I'll be honest dad I . . . wasn't exactly upset over the prospect of you, and mom missing this, I'd gotten used to the silence between us . . . but I'm glad too. I had no idea how it'd go between us if I did make contact, and I think it's gone better than I could've hoped; heh-heh fear is the mind killer."

Layla then said to her mom "I don't think we can help our tiptoeing, mom, but I only have half of what I mean to say right."

"We need the time we have left, I don't have mine right either, but when we get there they'll fall into place." Will added agreeing with his mate, and not exactly inclined to stand back up so long as she continued what she was doing.

Just as he'd finished speaking, and the song was ending Elysia chimed in "Boss, you have a message. Should I read it?"

"Who's it from?" Will asked in response pulling away from Layla only enough so that his words would be clear.

"Sweet Fang Lily, Boss." Elysia answered him.

"Yeah, read it." Will responded.

'You are a forgetful tailhole, I hope you know that, and you're lucky I like you. Will you open the garage door, please?' Elysia relayed the text message.

"Tell her I'm on it." Sophie said to him quickly before setting her empty shot glass on the bar then slipping off the bar stool she'd been on onto all fours, and darting out of the bar her tail flourishing behind her.

"Elysia, respond to message as follows. Sophie's on it." Will in response said to her.

"Done, Boss. Resuming the jams; if we get the raspberry we know who is responsible." Elysia replied.

The song that then began playing, as Will reluctantly got back on his feet while keeping close to his vixen, was a bit of a tonal shift with "Until the End" by Breaking Benjamin.

"I'm going to go out on a limb, and say dessert is covered." Will commented jokingly while the song was still starting as back on his feet he wrapped an arm around Layla adding with a light laugh "We totally forgot to stop back by at the Dairy."

"Oh, yeah you're really reaching for that brother." Lola commented adding as they all laughed with him "Yes we did, but you're the one Lily's holding responsible hehehe"

"Can I just say that that was beautiful hearing her call you a tailhole; I enjoyed that." Sierra said to him before downing her shot.

"Can I get a refill?" David asked Lola before turning to Layla, and asking slightly nervous, but strongly curious "Layla, is it alright if I ask you something?"

"You like the idea of freeing Mexico, don't ya?" Lola asked David teasingly as she picked up the glass he'd set on the bar.

"One zesty pink taco at a time." Will commented sagely, grinning ear to ear, and though he had the satisfaction of seeing the half of David's muzzle that was towards him twitch at the innuendo, David's focus remained on his vixen.

"Hit me with your best shot, fire away." Layla answered David encouragingly with a grin.

"It doesn't bother you? Talking about other females that he's slept with?" David asked her evenly.

"Why would it? He is my wolf, and I am his vixen; only the Mother can say the same of him." Layla responded before telling the youth "I know what you really meant to ask, but fundamentally the answer is the same, David. I am his vixen, and he is my wolf; what can any of those other bitches say? They were stuck to him for a while?"

David sipped at his drink, as he seemed to soak in Layla's response before telling her sincerely "Thank you, I think that is just what I needed."

"That goes the other way too. Such as I exist in this mortal coil, I am Her wolf, and She is My vixen. What can any of those other dicks say? They got to mount her for a while?" Will said in response to his mate before adding "Also, yeah, no other female will get of me, what She gets of me."

"Not even me?" Sierra asked him teasingly.

"Layla can have you." Katarina said to him jokingly.

"You can say that again." Nick added with a laugh to Katarina.

"Not even you, Sister." Will responded to her flatly adding "As it were, my heart is in her paws."

"That is not something I take lightly." Layla stated quite seriously, setting her half-drunk glass on the bar, before adding Katarina "I intend to Keep him, he's mine."

"No different than I Keep You, Be-cause You're Mine." Will sing-songed to his mate paraphrasing 'I put a spell on you'.

That seemed to amuse Nick who snickered before imitating Screamin' Jay Hawkins' performance "I don't care if you don't want me, I'm Yours, Right now..."

Judy joking with Nick said to him "Hey, that's my line."

"But I do want you." Nick responded his mirth ended as he was caught a little off guard.

"Even better." Judy replied, taking it in stride, without missing a beat, before telling Nick with smug confidence "Because I want you."

"Heh heh, git 'im." Will encouraged Judy chuckling gravelly as he saw how the tod's ears in their folding back said Nick didn't know quite how to take what Judy had said, yet his tail spoke clearly of Nick enjoying where she was coming from.

"If we could make hybrids, species as far apart as ours, lapine and vulpine, you would encourage us ten times harder wouldn't you?" Jack asked Will as if he knew full well he was correct, and just wanted to hear the proof.

"Sounds like a future worth fighting for, don't ya think? Aren't we already working towards the fight for that future?" He asked the buck back before telling him "I would even dress like a female cheerleader, and do a dance with pom-poms; how could I not do that much at least?"

"Oh Gods! No. I don't want that mental image." Nick stated as if horrified before making a small scream for effect.

"I could order a cheerleader outfit, maybe a size up from me? What colors do you want?" Lola asked her brother as if ready to use her phone to order one through Amazonia.

"I am on board for seeing this." Sage put forth her two cents with enthusiasm on par with Lola.

"I concur." Sierra stated before taking another drink from her glass.

"I can see that actually being kinda cool." Judy commented before asking as it dawned on her "Can we really reach that kind of future? Do you really think it'll be possible?"

"Hmm, well, I can't use my usual color palette, since I'll be cheering for life, mmm, I'd say main color red, a dark crimson, bright but not too bright, with secondary color white. Like the reverse of an old-school nurse's uniform." Will answered his sister, having to think about it before saying to Judy "We can certainly try to reach that future, I don't see why we can't, that there's anything in our way; it may be twenty years before the gene editing tech is possible, and hopefully by then there will be womb life-extension treatments, probably using stem cells. Maybe we can even get artificial wombs."

"Yeah, 'cause your usual color palette would be main color black, secondary color purple, Le Mort Royale." Layla with amusement said to him.

"Don't tempt me, I will order that myself, just to gallivant and frolic in. Especially around my Sepulchre. With purple pom-poms." Will responded to his mate, wishing he had one already as she'd described, he would leave to go put it on just for the shits and giggles.

"No different than wearing a kilt, eh?" John inquired seeming to get where he was coming from.

"Please, no. Stop." Nick said to them melodramatically even putting his arm over his eyes, as he lifted his head back adding with horror "He'll wear it like a kilt traditionally is, no spats."

"Nope, no different than wearing a kilt, I remain male Me, they are just clothes, and sometimes costume is important." He answered John before saying to Nick "Maybe around my den I would enjoy being commando, but outside? I'd probably borrow a tasteful pair of underwear from my sister; you've seen me do Dr. Frankenfurter, come on Bro."

"Heheh, The Father Himself incarnate, doesn't care about wearing a bitches underwear, they're just clothes, it doesn't make him a bitch." Sky with amusement chortled adding "That'll be something to put in the myths."

"The Father had no shame using female garb as a disguise, when he walked in the fur with us, the threads changed nothing of His character, His Immutable Being. It's actually a wholesome message if you think about it, about being confident in your self." David commented philosophically with an idea for how it might be put, and interpreted.

"I imagine I already have a purple pair that would match." Lola said to Will grinning at him, clearly over the thought of him in said underwear.

"Alright, as un-cool as I am with any sort of religion forming around me, because fuck that nonsense, I can get behind that. The Unorthodox Book of the Incarnate Father, For He was Bold and Shameless in his donning of female garment, down even to their under garments, and Proud He would Stand thus arrayed, The Father Unchanged. Yes, Know Thy Self, Have Faith In Thy Self." Will responded to David actually willing to concede that much, as he offered his own way of putting it.

"El Padre es un pinche maricon? Bah..." Maria in jest imitated the sort of reaction a lot of people would have before laughing finding it funny.

"Si, yo soy un maricon. A little butterfly." Will said in response to Maria, what he'd say to those types, before saying with amused relish as if the lyrics were a poem "I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty, witty, and gay."

"Nay sayers can say what they will, but it's kinda hard to deny the example you set, and have shown." John commented adding "Those of a more libertarian leaning I imagine are celebrating someone like you is on our side."

"Unorthodox. Now there's a word for it all." Sky said to them musingly.

"Libertarian as in freedom loving classical liberal who calls individualism and capitalism a great synergistic pair, yes that is the side I'm on. Life is too short, to not live free, and no matter how shit things are, or get, there is a brighter future worth fighting for. That future will never come to be realized if we don't fight for it, if we don't do it, no one else will." Will said to John conversationally, unable to not think on all the death he'd seen in combat, and the future he was fighting for before adding "I'm not necessarily all that great an example to look to, I've done plenty of wrong, I am still a creature of the battlefield, trying to re-civilianize."

"We who fight for that brighter future, will through our fighting, create it." Layla stated with confidence.

"Okami-sama, we all have our faults, we are all flesh and fur, I think your virtues shine brighter than your faults." Naomi said to him encouragingly.

"We have already been fighting to spread a brighter possible future. The more we get to fight, the more we're going to in every way we can. I really am glad that when I'm ready you will be my sperm donor; my resoluteness about submitting to you my alpha only grows." Sage told him, and he could hear in her voice her tail was likely up and wagging confidently.

"For Our Cubs I will Be All the Father I can Be, with all of my might." Will couldn't help his response to Sage, that he meant equally as much to both his mate, and his sister.

"So Spoke the Father Himself, not a Voice of Him, but Him himself; as flesh and fur as the rest of us." Martha said a bit awed before telling him "I never thought in a million years I'd be alive to Witness something like that. If that's what is truly in you, who wouldn't agree?"

"Yes, thus Spoke I." Will said to Layla's mom with amusement before his voice returned to normal as he continued "I have no idea who would disagree with me, except for maybe commies or something 'cause I'm a capitalist, believe in trading value fairly for value. Oh, and the religious moralists because I like to speak vulgarly, play violent video games, watch porn, and enjoy everything as uncensored as possible."

"How close to anarcho-capitalism do you get?" John asked Will curiously with clear enthusiasm.

"Anarchy won't work." Will was quick to reply adding "Individuals as the... Sapient Beings is the way to put it, that they are, have the free will to try and rape or kill you, and some of them will in any and every way they can. We wouldn't have nations, governments, millitaries, and police forces never mind other emergency services if we didn't fucking need them; we just need better versions of these things, actually improvable and improving. It's as simple as throwing away what doesn't work, and refining what does work."

"So you're more of a Minarchist?" John asked him with curious interest.

"Absolutely. Government serves a purpose, but needs to be only as big as necessary; it needs to stay lean, and mean to stay effective, instead of bloated, slow, ineffective." Will answered readily, unable to think of it more elaborately, before commenting "Sadly my opinion seems to be in the minority; all I've seen is bureaucracy ever increasing."

"Everyone votes, most are useful idiots." John responded with a bit of chagrin before taking a drink from his glass.

"You're a professor, can we simply educate more people, and educate them better? Well, I mean besides how already we could improve education. I did my homework, but gods was it mostly useless shit, did not contribute to my learning of anything." Will asked him with interest and curiosity of his own, his tail lifting and wagging lightly.

"Of Architecture." John corrected him before saying in answer to him "But I do attend different conferences, I find many other disciplines interesting and well the issue is we need to re-limit suffrage, make it meritocratic. Those who earn it, will value it, and are more likely going to be the type who keep themselves informed; they have fur in the game, they'll make as good of decisions as they can with their votes."

John then said "Good luck with getting that to happen, nobody who can now vote would give it up just to have to go through the effort of earning what they're used to simply being given. All we can do is try the idea again when forming a new nation, but there's fat chance of that."

"I never thought there was anything wrong with every citizen voting, but you make a good argument, why not make suffrage meritocratic with everyone willing free to earn it, the opportunity open for all within the legal framework. Not to mention, with everyone voting, that's effectively mob rule isn't it?" Will replied enjoying the conversation adding "I would vote for it, losing my vote as a born citizen so I can earn it as a citizen, but that's probably because of how confident I am that I can earn it back."

"Majority rule, yes. Supposedly that's fair be it on the micro level, or the macro level. At least from the majority side of things. Not that minority rule is all that much better, and individuals self-ruling well like you say it's impossible Free Will being Free Will." John said to him with a nod before smirking and chuckling "Of course You would, a self-confident individualist like you, vote to make it so now you have to earn your next vote, but most would protest about their rights being taken away, when no it's unearned privileges being changed into privileges you now can earn, and Must earn in order to use. No one could even get anywhere if they wanted to put a measure like that on any ballot."

"Unless we're starting a new nation of our own." Will posited, his mind bent on the hypothetical adding "All it takes is a village, you can grow it into a town, then city, and state. If I wanted to I could become the de-facto Lord of Ulfhaven county, make it a micro city-state of my own."

"Maybe we can do that when it looks like this nation will collapse. I don't see that happening anytime soon do you?" John responded encouraging him to not get to excited.

"I might not be aware of any avenues for our nation to fall, even with it's failings it has, such as what we're talking about here, but nations collapsing and reforming is kinda the norm. I've killed enough dictators, and their politician hench-mammals, made sure the right regime gained power. So that we can even have peace with some of our communist neighbors." Will said to Layla's dad with a shrug.

"You don't want to rule or conquer anyone, since that's never been your business, but you'd do it? Become Lord of Ulfhaven, and make a coup of your own?" Sky inquired of Will seemingly amused by his entertaining the idea.

"I do not want to be ruler, or conqueror of anyone. However what I want doesn't necessarily matter, if I have to fulfill such a role, because it is required of me, then I will. If for no other reason than to protect my family and everyone else, as well as provide a place where they can have a future."

"Lord William Grimm, of Ulfhaven, you could take back up the old Title, even though dad is still alive, and we were among the first nobles to go the way of figureheads after siding with the King on the ratification of the constitution, over two-hundred years ago now." Lola suggested to him, pointing out both facts of the matter.

"Did not I rather angrily discuss this with Dad? Sis? I will only go back on what I've already said, if I absolutely fucking have to, in order to ensure the security of my pack, family, home, county, nation, and ensure a place where all can prosper therein to the best of my ability. And not a motherfucking second before." Will responded to Lola with seriousness, his right lip lifting a little over his fangs.

"What if the time to act is now, and waiting until you absolutely fucking have to is too late? Better to be Prepared, and Proactive, no?" Jack asked him with curiosity joining in the banter.

"That you did, brother. Because you're just another mammal on this planet, and just wanna be left alone to live free, same as the rest of us at least." Lola said to him with a gesture indicating by 'us' she meant them in the room before adding "I second what Jack just said."

"Show me evidence that I should begin down such a drastic road, where such things are necessary to do, and I will change my position. I am only Me as I exist Here, even if I am known by many, I do not want to be seen as more than Me as I exist Here." Will gave the two of them his answer on that.

"Well, it won't necessarily be soon, but it is inevitable, because everyone votes for more and more welfare for themselves, that will collapse everything. The National Reserve Bank, which is national in name only, also doesn't help things. The only difference between us and the Americans on that is our Buck is still backed by gold." John commented to him.

"Hmmm." Will responded in acknowledgment the tod had a valid point, thinking on it before saying "Okay, big picture, we're surrounded by socialist, and communist states, with one struggling capitalist ally, nevermind the South which is essentially lost to communists. Everyone voting themselves more welfare, more stuff funded by those of us who pay taxes... who even like paying taxes so long as they are put to good use... communists could easily infiltrate them... it might take ten, twenty years to start showing, but that's my cubs' lifetime and they'll still be a cub... Now is not the time for me to take up what is rightfully mine, especially with Me being now known to so many across the globe; let the one fire die down. That said there are things we can do, I'm not unaware of Orania in the South, We can make Ulfhaven our Orania. I already have air-defenses in place, light anti-air emplacements here, and so far one attack helicopter."

"So, we might lose our nation, to people who don't value freedom, and will want to kill us simply for being how we are, lovers of freedom, because they outvoted us, But we will not lose Ulfhaven?" Sierra inquired adding "I do have the ear of the National Guard Base Commander."

"The ear, or the knot? Just how old does your tail stop lifting for?" Lola with surprise at Sierra asked her.

"Well, maybe that too." Sierra responded to Lola adding "His age isn't a factor, his hard cock isn't different from any other wolf's. Of all the males I know he's in the top five, and he knows how to treat a lady, even if she's a very unladylike sort of lady."

"No we won't lose Ulfhaven, not on my watch, not if I can help it. We'll have to talk with dad, get the whole county on board, we'll have to start slow, with light measures. We don't want to spook the powers above us." He assured Sierra with full confidence they could make of Ulfhaven quite their own sort of Orania "We also don't wanna spook anyone else, because we'll be putting in the set up for border walls, along the whole county line, including checkpoints, and guard posts. With Director Sauvage's help, we could even get Aurora county on board, or at least our own defenses further improved alongside the guarantee all of his students and staff who are on our side of Liberty will have shelter in Ulfhaven"

"What was that I was hearing, there's a dad or grandpa aged male Sierra lifts her tail for? It runs in our family?" Sophie inquired as she came back into the bar with Lily in tow adding "We got the ice cream put away, and I invited Lily for dinner; if we have to we can share a chair."

"Colonel Plinth, Sophie, and he might be my dad's age, he's not that old." Sierra answered for herself.

"Good, Soph. I am glad to again have you at my table Lilyana." Will said in response to the two warmly.

"You mention Orania in the South, and I don't mean to be a fear-monger, but it is a case of native African species, using their majority against European descended species... on top of the communism. It's not far-fetched at all to assume those ideological tendrils are here too." Jack brought up the fact, about old hatreds stoked in order to write off the murder of farmers and the theft of their fields.

"Tendrils maybe, but they'll be thin. Most Zootopians like their nation, which capitalist and free is ten times better than more than half of our neighbors. There's no way we'll head That way soon." Sky countered Jack with disbelief.

"I'm glad to be at your table again, Father." Lily said to him, meaning it seriously but also teasing him a little with her emphasis on the last word.

"There's nothing wrong with taking the Apartheid boot and putting it on the other foot; that'll combat specieism. It's what they say . . . when We're the one's who actually have put an end to slavery in most of the world, and continue to fight to extinguish its existence from the places it still does." John commented with a seeming growing sense of horror.

"Hmph, if Apartheid was preventing the murder of families, and the theft of their lands, then was it really so bad?" Will could not help joking darkly at that before asking with a mirthless grin "Are you familiar with the name Hedone Island?"

"A colleague of mine, got her daughter back, thanks to that dreadful place being shut down... the stories she's told. As bad as it horrifies me such places exist on this earth, I think it's good reason for hope there are mammals who make it their business to put an end to them." Layla's mom answered him.

"It all started with a rescue mission." Jack said musingly.

"A rescue mission in response to a failed rescue mission." Sky corrected him with similar amusement.

"We Claws may be able to act independent of each other, but we are part of the same paw, still even as that paw is broken." Will stated solemnly before telling Martha "This is classified, but Jack there was tasked with cutting the head off the snake, Sky went in to save him, and then I went in and succeeded where they could not, while also bringing them back home, alive in one piece. My goal was bringing my family home safe and alive, putting an end to the place was kind of an after thought. That's kinda how these things go."

"Yes, classified for good reason." Jack agreed before commenting to Will "It's true, Bucky got the better of me, and Sky, but he couldn't get the better of you. He thought in you he had a peer on his side, but you were a peer on our side."

"Family, huh? Yeah, that's what we are." Sky mused pointing out how he'd put it as she took comfort from it.

"You're serious? You're responsible for that?" Martha asked as if they might be pulling her leg.

"The less you know about the particulars of that particular op. The better, mom. We all have the Mission that Made us, for my Mate that mission was his. It was only the real beginning, the end however... is why we're missing the fellow Claws that we are." Layla told her mom before suggesting to him off-paw "Given the range, and stopping power of Overkill, none would be the wiser if you terminated Koche's directorship."

"If and when the third time pays for all, babe. He's on his last strike." Will reflexively responded to his mate before adding to her mom "Yes, this is true, that mission made me like no other before, and few others since."

"And you're going to have a kit with my daughter?" Martha asked him, with a warble in her voice as she got emotional.

"I'd like two or three, maybe four, or five; as many as I can really. It is my new life goal, procreate with my mate, and ensure a decent future for our cubs to the best of my ability. I am a simple mammal." Will answered Layla's mom with his tail wagging adding "I want those wox kits, those folf cubs, more than I have words to convey; the new life, potential for a new species they would be, I call a future worth fighting for with every fur on my body."

"The Father in the Fur, says for Himself . . . about my future grand-kits..." John commented not hiding how he was touched by seeing that angle of things.

"Father..." Martha said simply, tears starting to flow down her muzzle as she moved forward quite quickly to hug him, an embrace he readily got on one knee for to normalize their relative heights.

"There's a lot of damn fight in all those furs." Lily stated with a mirthful laugh.

"That my dear, is an understatement." Nick added with a light laugh of his own.

"You talk like that Brother, you almost make me want hybrids of my own, but we can't exactly make hybrids." Katarina said to him, and there was a thought Will couldn't help wagging his tail at.

"There are plenty of other species you could make hybrids with Sister, and they would be cute." Will told Kat encouragingly.

"But who would be a Father like you? I only have so many years left, I doubt we'll have the medical tech in time." Katarina replied to him.

"One does not simply realize such a worthy mammal loves them, and just let it go." Layla commented firmly confident in their bonds.

"I am just one male on this planet, surely there are others." Will was quick to posit in counter of Kat as he lightly rubbed Martha's back.

"That you may be Brother, but Bullshit. Few if any are truly like you, even if many can come close in one way or another." Lola said to him as if he were jerking them around.

"There is no male who can rival my mate, but surely there are many who would love their cubs with every fiber of their being, who would hear him talk about making the world a place, to the best of his ability, where our cubs can have a future, and agree wholeheartedly." Layla stated.

"I don't know what to call our side, I just know, having heard him so far, that your mate my daughter and I are on it. I as a father in my own right, and him as a father to be." John said to Layla solemnly before saying to him "Will, I look forward to seeing my family grow."

"For all the love I have for my daughter." Martha started to say, her emotions having gotten out, continuing to him as she stepped back to look him in the muzzle "I cannot say I love her as much as the Mother. Who could ever love their cubs like You will Father?"

"I am not the only one, I am not unique in this." Will told them adamantly with a bit of defiance before saying to John "I'd call it Freedom, our side is Freedom to live, freedom to prosper, freedom to own our own things, and trade or buy and sell as we see fit. Freedom to simply be the Individuals we are, standing tall in our own rights as the Free Individuals we are. I wish I could just lift Fremals from Dune, but I can't; perhaps Fre'rans as a contraction of Free Terrans?."

"I would love my cubs, like he will, if I were in the market for that. As it is I am going to love them, his cubs, my nieces and nephews, just as much as I already love all of His sons and daughters; which includes you. Nevermind our love for the sons and daughters of our kin, such as all felines for that matter, since Kat is here; we have love for her sons and daughters easily. We revel in life, and seeing it prosper, for that is good and beautiful." Sierra answered Martha's question with plain honesty.

"Da, this is just how we are; we do not just love only our cubs, and hate the cubs of our kin. No, we love the cubs of our kin, maybe not always as much as we love our own, but we do love them. They are nieces and nephews, how could we not? This love however does not get in the way of us killing who we have to, as needed." Katarina backed up Sierra before telling him "But no other male could do it, love cubs of ours the way you would Brother, except another of our kin. The three of us in this same room is already impossible odds. I doubt there are any more of us here, on this planet."

"It does strain probability Kat, but the world is a big place, we originally weren't so connected, so close, and as it is, incarnate like this, we can only do so much. There is probably room for several more of our kin, but how many really go so deep as us, when they don't actually have to? How many side with us on going so deep, and we simply can't remember them because we're like this?" He responded to her.

"How... how many, indeed. Kin, we simply can't remember, and they could be here with us... Alone... on the other side of the planet..." Sierra seemingly being fingered by melancholy inquired.

"Maybe, our Brother's becoming Known to the world will bring them to us." Kat suggested to Sierra trying to be comforting.

"What does your gut tell you Sierra?" Will asked her, with an idea that she was thinking of the owner of those eyes she'd mentioned earlier.

"My gut tells me there's a howl in me I need to make, but I don't wanna make it unless the one who needs to hear it is in earshot... I need to speak with the Mother, but I have no sure way of doing that." Sierra answered him, and he got the idea it wasn't a happy sort of howl.

"You think the one with those eyes, is one of us? One of the ones we don't remember?" Will inquired getting it out there.

"It'd explain the odd sort of link we have, and how all that's gotten through on my end is that much... I can only wonder at what has gotten through from here to their end. My gut wants to say 'yes, he's one of us', but I really have no idea, and it could be a her for all I really know." Sierra responded to him.

"It could be a 'her', but your gut wants to say it's a 'he'?" Will verbally prodded her gently before asking "Would you like another hug, Sister?"

"It's funny to talk about someone, when all you know is their eyes, but they never felt feminine, and anymore the look in them reminds me of the look in your eyes Will. Worn down by the world, but not going anywhere." Sierra told him adding "I'm fine, I don't need another hug."

"What else can you tell us about this pair of eyes?" Lola asked Sierra with curiosity, having not heard her talk of it back at the 'Dairy'.

"They belong to a wolf, and they're blue but also half yellow; like a cubs eyes, stuck halfway in the transition from blue to yellow. As pretty as they are, the look in them is like the look in Will's eyes, when all but the last bit of light seems to drain from them." Sierra answered plainly adding "The soul they are windows into... is like a fire foully choked into embers eating ash, and I wish I could add some kindling, blow a little, and see it revived to it's former glory. I hope one day our paths will cross."

"Just add some kindling and blow a little?" Layla asked Sierra a little teasingly before saying complimenting her "You have a poetic way with words, paint quite the picture."

"How would embers eat ash? Ash is not fuel." Sophie asked seriously before adding to Sierra "It is a stirring image though, a fire that strong."

"I'm just doing my best to describe what I've seen, and felt with what words I have. No, a fire cannot eat ash, ash is spent fuel. But his light, is such a fire, no matter how dim." Sierra responded before joking with Layla "If they really are a 'He' then a little blowing may be just what works."

"Such is your compassion for another soul, as another soul, that is your Will regarding him. I hope your paths do cross, Sister." Will said to Sierra unable to help his smiling at her as he added "It's that kind of thing, along with how much cleaner your paws are, that makes you the better mammal than me... I sink lower, and revel..."

"Few could sink as low as you, Will, revel in it, then come out; because you use how you draw your line, to go against those who have no line at all. Bucky wasn't necessarily the first, there won't really be a last; will there?" Sky said to him in counter, with emphasis on how he 'came out' of it.

"I can't argue you with you there, low as I revel, I draw my line where I draw it, there and no further, but I'm close enough to those no-line having motherfuckers, I can get to them like no other and end them like no other. To do any less would waste my ability, and my nature." Will responded cedeingly since she was right, and he had been over self-depricating.

"You nearly killed yourself living off of rice, and beans... as penance, to atone... for going as far as the situation required... farther than I could ever go... had I only gone that far, that bastard would've let me out, and I could've killed him with my bare paws; you're not half the monster you like to make yourself out to be." Jack said to him seeming to finally get a few things off his chest.

"That you put it that way, I never looked at it like that... how Christian of me..." Will commented in response to Jack his muzzle twisting in his disgust at how that angle fit adding "Pierre got what he deserved, and I enjoyed it, yes I was just a little sickened by that, how much I enjoyed it, but I would do it all over again. The stain of it all was worth it."

Will then commented with jest trying to lighten his own mood a bit "I still enjoy rice and beans, especially red beans and rice, now I kinda want to make chicken mole just for the excuse to have some rice and beans... hmm, whole, or refried?"

"I will help you make that. Whole frijoles are better." Maria was quick to tell him with enthusiasm, his idea for something to make for dinner getting her vote.

"Count me in too. I won't say 'no' to some comfort food." Sage added on board with Maria.

"We might as well move this upstairs, take a couple bottles with us." Lola suggested backing them up.

"Iron Chefs, Assemble!" Sophie joked.

"We're not exactly professional cooks here, more like passionate amateurs, Sophie." Sierra told her with a light laugh.

"Yeah, five-star fancy we don't do. No gestapo here, No thank you." Will added his tail wagging as he joked in similar vein to his little sister.

"You don't like gazpacho so why would you make it?" Layla asked Will rhetorically with amusement before shaking her head and lightly chuckling as she repeated him "Gestapo."

"It's more of a prey palate dish, why would you like it Will? At least you were adventurous enough to try it." Judy commented to him with a musical little laugh.

"Five star fancy, really isn't something you do." Jack said to him laughing heartily before adding "You, and Royalty are things to watch mix, like oil and water."

"My Peasant Culture of Uncouth Liberty doth clash with their Aristocratic Farcery." Will stated in response to Jack as it was a point of pride before telling Judy with a grin "I wouldn't say adventurous, at the time I wasn't exactly into eating much meat. I get gazpacho is something cool to eat on a hot day, and I don't necessarily mind the ingredients in it, but together meh, there are tastier vegetarian dishes. Yam on pizza, now there is something to enjoy."

"Those Royals, are stuck like that, it's all they have left that makes them what they are, besides the money and the history. You are not. I wonder who even remembers the Lords Grimm of Ulfhaven." Sky commented to him adding "I almost kinda want to see you do it, take back up those titles, just to fuck with them."

"Last I checked, back when I was in High-School, part of a speech made by the then current Lord Grimm of Ulfhaven in the House of Lords, was in the national history book that's about it. All they know now is whoever it is we Ulfhaveners send to the House of Commons." Will replied as everyone else made motions to leave the bar, himself going for his mate's paw to hold after putting his cigar out at the bar and tucking it in his right thigh pocket, because he wanted her near.

Will added as he clasped Layla's paw lightly, but surely "We never renounced our titles, we just stopped using them... my forefathers never saw much need to, they were content to keep to Ulfhaven as the Nation continued on, more or less on a course amenable to us. About as politically ambitious enough to become mayor, my dad was, and he's the odd-one out for it. Again, I'm not doing it anytime soon, not if I can fucking help it, but I will do what I must."

"The Lord William Grimm, and his Lady Layla Eidolon, does have a nice ring to it Babe." Layla commented to him as she moved closer leaning into him a bit before they started making their way out of the bar continuing to talk as they walked, their pace leisurely.

"My Concubine." Will jokingly teased his mate before saying "Besides, if I started using the title that is mine, it'd just be seen as exactly the kind of power grab I don't want to make. Let it be some random fact someone brings up, because they dug into the lore, that I am technically a Lord born to a family of Lords, we just haven't used our titles since members of our family were done getting the constitutional monarchy going with it's own feet."

"So that Grimmheim is a Manor, a Mansion, and you outdid it with quite the Palais. It would be my honor to be one of your Royal Architects, My Lord." John said to him a bit smugly, but also sincere in his willingness to work with him.

"I will be your Lady, after tomorrow morning." Layla told him full of confidence.

"Duke Leto had the Lady Jessica, I have you. Perhaps if we have a son I should name him Paul?" Will said to his mate, amused at the coincidence before telling John "A manor befitting the Lords Grimm of Ulfhaven, of old, yeah fine. I just wanted my Den, my Sepulchre, to be a place where my family could be as safe as I could possibly get them. Nothing short of a MOAB, or specific Bunker Buster will defeat this fortification. If you can get me, defenses to counter those, at Campsite Echo, not just here then the honor is mine, I can pay you a million tomorrow to get started on the plans, I'll have to give you the tour if not tomorrow, the day after. Did I mention it's a National Site of Historical Significance?"

Will then commented to himself 'While I'm thinking about it...' before shouting to Elysia "Elysia, Message Director Sauvage for me, Subject Anti-Air Defense, Contents as follows. Can a coilgun like mine, be married with a targeting computer and mounted on a ball joint, to shoot down missiles, and aircraft, about the size of a towable howitzer, or would it need something like a missile-truck? Can it be done off of batteries, battery-banks, or what size power plant would be sufficient? Can we Iron-Dome our Counties? That's it."

'Message composed, and sent, Boss.' Elysia responded, and Will grinned remembering the way Quill had saluted as she read the line.

"Are you comparing my daughter to a well behaved witch?" John inquired with mock offense before saying plainly "I can't complain about a compliment."

John then asked him his interest piqued "You want me to help you fortify a site that is Nationally significant?"

"The last of my budget for this defensive position, went on the cave paintings getting documented thoroughly, and preserved to the best of modern technology. The mammals who worked on it are still under NDA's, one of those between us will be in order as well. You could say I rediscovered the Northernmost 'Echoing Caves'. Where the Frost tribe of African gray wolves first had their village of sorts." Will answered John adding "Will you do it? It's a tall task, but as you heard I'll be working on getting us better air-defenses. If we have to there is part of the other mountain to build into."

"Paul, is a thought, if it's a female maybe Paula." Layla commented a little put on the back foot thinking about names for their future kit.

"The U.S. Navy works on railguns hooked up to nuclear reactors, you want battery-bank operated coilgun anti-air cannons?" Katarina asked him with bemusement before telling him "All the digging into you I did, it looks like with your family's disuse of their titles that they stopped possessing those titles; you really still possess them? Then I am glad to Serve, My Lord."

Kat then added with love "Moy Vladyka. Moy Brat."

"Oh, do not you start Katarina, Moy Sestra." Will was quick to tell her.

"Campsite Echo, you call it? You want it to survive for at least a thousand more years? It's a mountain cave system? Let me see it with my own eyes before I tell you whether I'm completely in, or not. But my Lord Grimm, you have the hook in me." John asked of him, taking some amusement in calling him by his title.

"Hey, hey Layla I wanna marry you..." Will sing-songed to his mate, unable to not think of the song at her mentioning the name Paula, before telling her dad "It started as just a camp I made on the mountain-side, next to one of the mouths to an entrance cave, then I cleared and made a landing pad, was able to chopper in the crew of archaeologists, we expanded the camp into part of the old village. What was the Gathering Chamber, can still serve that purpose, but is the station at the other end of the maglev line that runs the length of my escape tunnel. There's also parking space for my, and my sister's vehicles. Right now it's little more than a rudimentary outpost."

"Hey, Will, I've been waiting for you. Hey, Hey Will I wanna marry you too." Layla sang back at him bumping her hip into his.

"Very rudimentary outpost, camouflaged only from the air, kept so secure 'cause it's in the middle of nowhere, and even if mountain climbers wanted to explore, no one will give them permits, lest their trash litter everywhere." Sierra commented before telling him "I really am glad Will you made it so easy to cover, and uncover the helipad."

"Right, and the vault is really an armored Maglev car" John commented adding in his amusement "It, and you seem right out of a James Bond novel, an eccentric ally or something."

"Now that would be fun, give me a bit part, the retired agent lending a paw to Bond, unafraid to get back into dirty work. I can hear the line already 'So why did you retire? When you're this good at what we do.' and my character responds 'It's all about quitting while you're ahead, I managed to get to a point where all my enemies, and potential enemies were dead, and I had enough money squirreled away to tell the world Fuck You; so I did'." Will with enthusiasm responded to Layla's dad before telling the tod "If you knew about how I want to have as secure a personal archive as I can, of everything I can archive, you'd understand, how from the bottom up I designed all of this."

"Given the acting skills that are useful to have, and develop, in our profession you could do it Will, but given what you'd bring to the table, it'd be an R rated film for sure. Hollywood doesn't like those; maybe a Zollywood knock-off would have the balls." Jack said to him with complete faith in his ability.

"Hey, I'm home all day, I mean I keep myself busy, but why don't we just do it. Start that Project Akasha, my wolf?" Layla with perked ears half-suggested in her inquiring of him.

"Okay, I'd pay to see that, just to watch what could be done, with the right talented mammals behind it." Nick said to them before commenting "I do have friends in Zollywood I could float the idea by."

"I won't lie, the idea of doing something, in a schlocky independant film tickles my fancy, but I have a day job for a reason, called I like it." He said in reply to that idea before answering his mate "You know what, yeah. You wanna spearhead getting it off the ground, go for it babe. Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

"I don't remember, but I love you too." Layla responded to him happily, her tail brushing against him as it wagged.

"Project Akasha?" John was quick to inquire as they were getting almost halfway down the hall towards the ramp-well.

"Think of it like trying to answer the question of if we could have an Akashic record on earth, a modern Library of Alexandria turned to thirteen, where everything isn't just backed-up on the longest lasting mediums, it's stored in temperature controlled bunkers designed to withstand everything. If there was ever a life-work I would want to leave my name attached to, that'd be it. My mate is right, we're not promised tomorrow, and it's tomorrow for my cubs that I'm fighting, might as well get that fire going to." Will answered the tod.

"You know, those aren't the kinds of words I'd ever thought I'd hear coming from you, but to hear you say them Will like that, that it's for tomorrow, for your cubs, that you're fighting... I feel like the fire in me is getting stoked, and my ears miss the sorts of rousing speeches you're capable of." Jack said to him adding "I know you don't need me to say it, but I feel like saying it anyway. You're not fighting alone."

"A modern library of Alexandria, only it doesn't just go to eleven, it goes to thirteen?" John asked musingly adding "So that in case there is another Dark Age, at least in one spot all will not be lost? This mountain, to the south, you want me to make the bunker, who exactly owns it?"

"Hang on, Will, you're talking like the public library where Quill works, only it's got a copy of everything possible, and is like this place, your den?" Lily inquired, this being the first she was hearing of it, before telling him "I've just been listening, because damn has it been interesting, but really you guys never renounced your titles, you just stopped using them? If you didn't, we Frosts didn't either, did we? Grandpa Frost, is actually Duke Frost, and it's technically your dad who is Baron Grimm?".

"No I don't need you to say it, I am already heartened to know you all stand with me, that We Stand Together." Will told Jack with a warm smile before answering John "It was originally Frost territory, but now it is part of our lands; the mountain belongs to me, insofar it is part of My territory, and I do claim it as such."

Will then said to Lily "That is correct, some Nobles we are, eh? Also, yes technically my dad has to die for me to truly be Baron, that can be arranged."

"Wha..." Lily was taken aback by his words.

"Will." Lola said to him testily, calling his bluff.

"Hahaha." Will laughed having at least got the reaction he wanted from Lily before saying "I was just pointing out that it can be arranged. I'm not going to do it, I don't need to, down the line of me actually using the title, taking it up out of necessity, I will be the acting Baron therefore I will be The Lord Ulfhaven."

"For a second, you could've fooled us." Sophie said to him adding "That wasn't nice big brother."

"No matter how straight I said it, it should never have come close to fooling you. Me, kill dad, come on. He'd have to cross some serious lines for me to ignore the fact he's dad, and I love him, 'cause he's Dad, enough to pull a trigger. Be real."

"You did kinda already pull the Dominance card, officially he's already demoted into a secondary role, it follows a certain sort of logic, arranging his untimely demise." Sierra pointed out.

"Yeah, except to even think of doing that is the opposite of the kind of person I am, and you all fucking know it. Kill my dad, just to get him out of my way? Talk about beyond fucking stupid, when the role he fulfills all of his own accord, is not only precisely what I need him doing, and what I want him doing; as I get help from him, I'm going to help him back. We might have our disagreements, but we're on the same side. If anything, my willingness to take up my title should the absolute need arise, is a leaf from his book, because what did he do to ensure the security and continued prosperity of his family? He became mayor, and put as much care into his job as he put into us, doing as right by Ulfhaven as he would do by us. I may be completely unlike him in so many ways, but I am my Father's son; as he is a Son of Mine, I am glad he's done so well by me, helped instill in me the things I wanted into this incarnation." Will responded not hiding an inch of what he really thought, and as he got emotional thinking of his love for his father, the Speaking simply came out of him.

"We win, not by betraying our friends as it benefits us in the moment, but by doing what we can to help them prosper, so they can better help us. Life fosters Life." Layla commented with confidence, and happiness before adding "Even if shooting people in the head, gets results, and sometimes is the thing to do."

"Except, you've done that, killed people just to get them out of the way, just because they were in the way." Lola said to him as they continued down the hall adding "Yes, we know you, you're still You, but You are different, have been changed by all the fucked up shit you've been through. I'm glad that much of you hasn't changed, and isn't going anywhere."

"Key distinction there Lola, they weren't friends, or friendlies, or people in the middle enough to be reasoned into moving out of the way. As my mate spoke truly, sometimes it is the thing to do, and it gets results. That is not to say it is always the thing to do, or even usually the thing to do." Will was quick to say in reply to his sister, what she was leaving out.

"Koche, is betrayer enough... you could say he's in the way." Sky commented, sounding like she wanted nothing more than to put the bullet in his head herself.

"We have terms of uneasy truce, He has strained, through negligence if we're to give him the benefit of the doubt. You give me hard evidence he killed Sly, or if he directly breaks what truce we have, we can pick which dishes lynx meat might be good in. Okay? End of the matter?" Will asked Sky, making it clear, yet again where he stood as far as the current ZIA Director was concerned.

"Korean style barbeque." Sky answered him with her first suggestion.

"More like, what foods does he like the least, make him into those. I'd take a nibble or two, fuck it." Jack put forward.

"Wow, you guys really hate this guy." John commented clearly taken aback after what Jack had said.

"Now I kind of want that style of barbeque." Layla commented sounding like she was getting hungry before telling John "Dad, you have no idea. We lost Rambo, and Dagger because of him, using his authority to call off our extraction chopper, just because he wanted my mate dead, in a way he could just dust his paws over, and be done with. Then, a matter of days ago, thanks to him leaving classified materials on his desk, a move he would not make carelessly, a pair of agents were inspired to go rogue, and attempt to kill my mate in a trap, using Judy as bait for said trap. They failed and he got to write off their deaths just the same, it's how he likes to do things."

"They weren't bad mammals, those agents, that I'd had under my wing; Koche did it to also fuck with me. If they succeeded, it'd have been agents I trained, and if they failed, they were still agents I trained. Had Koche not done what he did, they would still be alive, and potentially be on our side of things, but instead they were nudged down the path they went." Sky added to John, not hiding just how deep her hatred for Koche went adding sourly "It was a mess, I had to clean up."

"They weren't bad, but they had no problem trying to get Will to eat me to excuse their killing him, to give them a reason to make it not be cold-blooded murder?" Judy responded to Sky with curiosity.

"They played stupid games, and won stupid prizes." Will stated flatly.

"So this Koche wants you dead, and is willing to manipulate others into doing the work for him; why does he want you dead so badly?" John inquired with what was a pertinent question.

"I taught them how traps can be effective, and how to respond properly proportionate to threat level. They took a leaf from Koche's book, showed creativity." Sky answered Judy adding "No, they weren't bad mammals, but influenced to do bad actions, and those actions ran into consequences. They did the dumb shit, I don't mourn their loss, it just is regrettable."

"It's really classified Dad, but suffice it to say my mate is one of the most lethal mammals on the planet, in terms of bare-pawed, in the fur, lethal. He is what can be considered an Apex Superpredator." Layla said to her father.

"Let me see if I get this straight, this guys sends you on a mission meant to kill you, and your whole unite besides, then manipulates others into making an attempt of their own, dragging more comrades of yours into it with the potential for them to die too, and you're okay leaving him alive to make another attempt? Because after this much failure if he's that bound and determined, well you want a job done you gotta do it yourself? When getting others to do his dirty work Is his M.O.?" Nick asked of him, as if there was something wrong with him, and the tod was on the border of getting cross with him.

"What would you have me do Nick? As soon as I get back to the city, storm his office, and toss him out the window? Shall I start, and wage a war against not just the ZIA, but the Defense Force too? Make myself a Treasonous scumbag?" Will responded to the tod, wanting to know, before adding with frustration "Damn right I want him dead, for my peace of fucking mind, but just like those fucks needed me to kill and, or eat Judy to 'Authorize' their use of force, I need Koche to make his next move, to give me Just Cause. As it were, in the War of Assassins, the Forms Must Be Obeyed."

Will then told Nick, getting ahead of any guff "I had just cause to do what I did, to see Judy put safe in your arms, that's all you're gonna get, the fucks who did that, got what they got."

"I can't complain there." Nick admitted darkly.

"The forms must be obeyed?" John mused adding "This is really a war of assassins?"

"It is funny how apt the references to the fiction are. He's going to try again, he's probably waiting for a new opening." Jack commented.

"Assassins engaging in a cold, and subtle war; yeah, that's us." Layla stated brightly, putting on a cheerful act as they reached the ramp-well before saying with conviction as they began making their way up "And on the line, is the future we fight for, for ourselves, and our young-to-be. We really should prepare for things to turn Hot."

"You're not wrong." Sky said to Layla adding "But we're about as at the ready as we can get, without getting the kind of paranoid that leads to mistakes."

"I don't get it, just because he's a what'd-ya-call-it? Apex Super-Predator? He's the kind of threat that needs to be killed? When he saves lives, and puts his all especially into keeping young safe no matter the specie?" Martha said to them, her mind still bent on trying to unravel it.

"Think of it like Jack Sparrow, in the first Pirates movie, his saving the Governor's daughter didn't mean shit, he was still a Pirate. The good my Brother sets his will to doing, doesn't mean shit either, he's the walking bring-death-to-bear that he is. Nevermind that his bring-death-to-bear is on Our side, in Our defense." Lola said in answer to Layla's mom.

"It is better you not know the specifics, but yes, the threat-potential I pose is so high, for someone like Koche it negates the fact I'm on the side I am. All the more because he had a paw, through using me as one of his agents, in making me all the more refined. You could say his fear of me rules him. Whereas Sly was on the level, knew where I stand, and was unafraid to stand with me." Will answered Martha before telling Sky "I'll say it again Danger-brush, you bring me hard evidence, and I mean no false flag, Koche really eliminated Sly just for the promotion, I will use Overkill and aim for centre of mass."

"If I ever find anything, you will be the first to know." Sky said to him, her determined dig into finding the truth of that matter still ongoing, and not about to stop.

"So the question is, if this Koche's M.O. is as you say, who will he send next, or encourage to come after you, and which mammal around you will they target?" John inquired of them.

"Who indeed?" Will agreed with that line of questioning before putting forth his best guess "If I were him, ruled by fear of Me, Monster that I am, I'd take a leaf out of what happened at the Montaña Compound and target Layla, but who to send that can get the job done? Who could possibly stand the chance enough to succeed when her biggest defense is Monster Me? I got no hint, I've been out of those circles for over a year now."

"Right, kill me, and either you'll kill yourself, or start killing others to the point you need being put down; probably going after Koche for a start." Layla commented backing him up on that part of his assessment.

"Well, at least it's an extraordinarily short list, the number of mammals, who could pull that off given you aren't exactly civilian targets. I would almost think he'd have more luck if he went for trying to find someone with the testicles to go after the infamous Beast, maybe someone with a grudge, willing to make the suicide mission." Jack responded.

"Maybe, though I did hear a rumor, and I mean rumor, you Will have a copy-cat, their range though seems to be limited to Japan, and the Far East." Sky informed him as she responded to Jack.

"Nani?" Naomi asked repeating herself "What?"

"It's just a rumor." Sky replied adding "All I heard was someone has a knack for stopping the hearts of targets, using an unknown method no authorities have been able to trace yet, and their main area of operation is Japan though they do work in China and South Korea. From how I heard it, it's not the main tactic they use, but it is a tool in their arsenal."

"There are many, more scientific, things it could be, than another one of us who has had to go as far as I have had to, using their skills as it were." Will said in response to Sky adding with a smirk "Let Koche find them, and send them after us, now that will be interesting; my Layla is a witch, who knows how to fight on that level too, only strengthened by me."

"Assuming it'd be me they go after, you may leave me alone all day since you work, but I am not defenseless, no. I also have my own surveilance system in place, and counter-jamming measures in place; defending our den." Layla agreed with him confident in her own prowess.

"Do not forget Rev, and I also have your backs. He can catch the mice, I can take on anything." Katarina said to them making it clear she was up for whatever may come.

"It really is a lot to take in, my daughter is marrying into royalty, and also is part of a cold-war of spies." Martha commented still working her way through it all.

"I'm with you there, I didn't even know I count as royalty, albeit as one of the Duke's granddaughters, nevermind William Grimm, one of the Guardians of Ulfhaven, is not only The Father himself, but also The Lord Ulfhaven." Lily said to Martha with commiseration adding "I would submit before him out of fealty, but that would only make him mad."

"I'd say some people just get born with some seriously lucky stars, but how lucky can his stars be, when he's been through the wringer same as I have, even worse than I have in some regards?" Nick commented.

"Lilyana Frost, yes I would indeed be angry with you. I don't want to rule, or conquer anyone, and you are bowing on bended knee to me? I want to see you standing upright, on both feet, confident in all your glory Daughter of Mine, and Cousin. I want to see you, and your life flourish, just like Grandma likes to watch her plants, and grandcubs flourish; you will find us side by side on the matter." Will said to her sternly even as his eyes began to water due to how much he meant what he said, with love for her as the beautiful being she was, to him a shining example of what she-wolves could be.

"No different than how you want to see our kit, maybe even kits, flourish." Layla said to him warmly, full of happy confidence.

"No, no different." Will answered only able to Speak the words, as he thought about it, and deep down in his core something clenched.

It had him stopping to regain his composure, and as Will did so Sierra said to him with chagrin as she also got a little teary "Great, emote at a wider range why don't you? Big Brother."

"I cannot help it Sister. I see how Lilyana's life has flourished so far, the goodness of it, the goodness yet to come when she has cubs of her own... Kits... For but one, I would move this earth like it has not moved in ages, Kits... " Will responded, doing his best to keep it together, and ultimately failing, tears streaming down his muzzle.

"The world is not prepared, my Brother, for you do not fight alone, and in your fight for not only life to flourish, but new life as well... We are right beside you, step for step, fang for fang." Katarina said to him, having gotten as emotional as he was adding "You make me what hybrids of my own, but the ones I would want to make would be with you, that is not possible here that I know of."

"It's not possible, Yet. Our knowledge of genetics is advancing all the time, it may be a few more decades yet, but we may very well be able to see such drastic hybrids." John was quick to point out, as if it were simply a puzzle piece Kat was missing.

"My mate, should the day come we are able to produce such hybrids, will you permit me to do so with Katarina?" Will having managed to recover somewhat asked Layla very much putting such a future as a goal post in his 'future worth fighting for'.

"Father, why would I stand in the way of that? I love you, I would revel in the new life with you; there's no other way for me to be, because I Love You." Layla answered him.

"Thank you, My Vixen, but it feels weird hearing you call me that." Will said to her, meaning it as he used his free paw to wipe his muzzle.

"As the Father of Wolves you asked me that, My Wolf, and so as the Father of Wolves I answered you." Layla told him simply as if there were nothing to it.

"Wait so, we might be in our fifties or something when it happens, but we'll be able to have kits, potentially?" Judy with bright curiosity inquired.

"Somehow that sounds like a scientific longshot." Nick commented before hastily adding "Not that I wouldn't want to see it happen."

"I've been to a few talks, I find it quite fascinating the research others are doing. Yes, it is possible, not only will we have the gene-splicing technology, but also womb extension treatments, and even artificial wombs. It's just a matter of time, and research being allowed to continue." John answered Judy adding "Some might call the idea of us making wolf-tiger, or fox-rabbit hybrids, the stuff of a science fiction nightmare, and playing god blasphemy, but they can fuck off with that speciest scat. It's going to be the future, and we're already as it is moving towards cybernetic limbs, and artificial as well as lab grown organs. All that matters is are these hybrids being born into a loving family, and will they be able to reproduce on their own?"

"Yes, robotics and prosthetics fusing together to give us cybernetics. Ghost in the Shell future here we come." Will agreed with enthusiasm adding "It's all part of the future we fight for. Though it'd be speciest? Them calling our hybrids unnatural, and us playing god... I guess I never thought of it that way, that kind of attitude lesser minds possess, but I see it. They're being speciest by not wanting the species that can mix, to mix at all... just thinking about that kind of attitude makes me wanna make more hybrids, Now. If to them I'm a filthy Inter, then a Proud Filthy Inter I will always be."

"Hahahaha, oh let someone call our kit, or kits, unnatural. Hahahaha." Layla errupted with laughter very clearly expecting the mammals who would say such things to meet very dark fates.

"If some mammals are truly asking to die, then who are we to not oblige them?" Lola inquired making it clear she'd mete out some dark fate indeed to such ilk.

"Who indeed, are we, not to oblige them?" Sierra echoed in complete agreement.

"I don't think you have enough semen in your testes for us to start now." Sage commented to him jokingly.

"Heheh, no sadly. I do not have enough loads to start now." Will admitted with amusement to Sage before telling her, teasing her with how surely he made the assertion "Assuming the mission became make as many hybrids as possible, you'd be next after I impregnate my mate."

"Don't misunderstand me, I think the idea of calling, or considering, such hybrids as can exist, or be made to exist through science unnatural is dispicable, but isn't that going a little far? To just kill those sorts of mammals for it?" David inquired of them attempting to be a voice of reason.

"No." Will was first to answer him simply before explaining "They have the freedom of speech and expression to not only say such, I want them to say so with the biggest microphone, so we can ridicule them, but when they are doing more than just talk, they are acting, attacking and killing hybrids that already exist, then there is nothing more moral than killing them. Cold-blooded, and due process don't even enter into it, it's simply a matter of defending life with all necessary force. That's the lesson of history, if you want Liberty you have to kill for it, if you want Security, you have to kill for it. The forces that would make you unsafe and a slave are the majority."

"You give them that big microphone, let them gather together all their hateful ilk, what excellent targets for a carpet bombing, using drones. Or a few A-Ten Warthogs." Layla added deviously saying to David "There is only one place for that kind of specieism and hate to lead just like there is only one place for our opposition to such specieism and hate to lead; either they die, or we do, we will win through superior viciousness. You have that kind of future ahead of you, since you're younger than us, cubs with Maria, and they would say the same of your cubs as they would of ours; would you not defend your cubs with the same ardor we will, shooting first like Han Solo?"

"Damn you are a sexy bitch." Sierra complimented Layla, not hiding her attraction adding "Since your mate needs to rest his testes, all the more reason for us to have some fun together."

Will was ready to begin moving forward again, up the ramp-well, but he got stuck witnessing the look that moved across David's muzzle as the younger wolf thought about it.

"I . . . I understand now what the Father means when he says 'A Future Worth Fighting For' and I want to Fight for it. Let someone call my cubs unnatural, when they will be beautiful, and try to harm them, I will bite them. I don't care." David responded to Layla, and it intrigued Will immensely to hear not only how the younger wolf got emotional, but how he also Spoke.

Then Maria mewed a little loudly very clearly her on-board-ness for cubs with David, in that possible future of theirs.

"Oh... moshidoi..." Naomi commented.

"I felt that. If you were kin, we'd have seen your wings, so you are a Voice, but the Father is right here. Who's Voice are You?" Sierra on a level with Naomi inquired of David.

"Perhaps he is a Voice of the Father of Wolves, and that piece of him merely was moved." Katarina suggested in response to Sierra.

"I . . . that was weird . . . I wasn't trying to do that . . . I just meant it, I do mean it, I think my cubs with Maria would be beautiful, and I will bite to protect them, I don't care." David said to them taken off-guard by it himself, the fact he'd Spoken.

"Then that would mean Kat, that the piece of me, and my love in him, is alive, and well; a good thing that pleases me greatly, makes me most happy to see. Or, he is a Voice of someone we don't remember." Will responded to Katarina grinning ear to ear as his tail wagged slowly but firmly in his pleasedness.

"How did it feel?" Naomi asked Sierra before commenting "I saw it."

"Saw what?" David was quick to ask her, still full of unsureness, before looking at Will just a little afraid of him.

"It felt a little like I did earlier, when I got angry with his pain, the one I only know through his eyes, like it came from the same place." Sierra answered Naomi her tail swaying behind her, reflecting how her mind was still mulling it over.

"Like Okami-Sama's aura changes, when he gets emotional and Speaks, so did yours, but yours was different than his. Okami-sama's light when he Speaks is a dark gold, yours was much paler a brightness." Naomi answered David adding to Sierra "It may just be he is a Voice for one of your kin, that you do not remember, and that same one is themselves the one you know only though their eyes."

"That... No. I don't wanna think about it." Sierra stated shaking her head back and forth quite hard adding "I do not want to start howling."

"Well, I don't feel any different. That was just what was in me to say, those were and are the only words for it; they were in me... they are in me..." David said to them, his feet getting back under him a bit.

There was a 'Mrah' from Maria, as if she couldn't help herself, then she'd wrapped her arms around David from behind, and with happy possessiveness she wrapped her fangs around his left shoulder, in a soft bite.

"Hehe, you have been sentenced to the Snu-Snu." Katarina with mirth, teased David, with a Futurama reference that had Will chortling, the laughs simply bubbling out of him darkly like a volcanic mud pit.

"The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." David responded to Kat, furthering the reference, completely caught by his girlfriend.

There was a short round of laughter from everyone at that, with the males commiserating with David on that front each in their own way.

They were silent a bit after that as they got moving back upwards leisurely.

"We really haven't changed much, but things from now on are not going to be the same, are they Will?" Lily asked him, as if in their silence she had turned to brooding, before calling him with a mix of love and something else he couldn't quite put his paw on "Father."

"We're still the same ol' souls in the same ol' furbags Lilyana. Still here on this same miracle rock where life can flourish, on this same ground." Will responded to her with a heavy sigh then said to her "Change, and the Chaos of it is the Norm, Order the abberation. Things are not going to be how they were, peaceful insofar the world did not have reason to think of me as I happen to be; the last thing I want is to be worshipped, how bad do you think stupid mammals will ignore that?"

"There are going to be hundreds, just here in Ulfhaven, who will look up to you, even more than they already did. You have no idea how viral you protecting those foals went here among everyone. That was Our Guardian, doing his thing. I am one of them." Lily said to him quite emphatically answering him honestly adding "For us, seeing everyone submit to you like that, was just the last piece, making everything fit into place. On top of this, you're technically the next The Lord Ulfhaven . . .My Lord, you don't want us to worship you 'cause you're one of us, fine, we'll still follow you to Hell our confidence unwavering that you'll lead us right back out. Like hell would we let you go alone."

"You just had to say it like that Lilyana?" Will asked her, feeling she had taken the cake quite a bit adding "Duke's grand-daughter is nothing to sneeze at."

"You Speak, We Listen, we have been Hearing You for years, My Lord, Father. We have Known you for the Voice you are for decades now. We don't say anything, because we already agree with the kinds of things you say. This is the only way I can think to convey what I mean, how You put it, what language is for. You already heartened us enough, because there is one of Ours, now that is through the roof. Word is already spreading." Lily told him plainly continuing "My Lord, Father, I am but a humble ice-cream maker, You have my Fangs; Your word is Law, Speak and we shall heed. Don't worship you, is Law One. It will be Known."

"Way to hammer him." Nick complimented Lily.

"I am not trying to, First Brother." Lily responded sincerely.

"She has a point Brother." Sierra said to him adding "You will have to make a speech, recorded for the world to see, to redirect that energy they would have been putting into you."

"Lord, Father." John repeated mulling over it.

"That is true." Martha agreed with Lily "We were heartened already, by what we'd seen so far of him, now... especially after witnessing him today... I don't think we'll ever run out, because He is here with us, doing his own part."

"I am going to want to think on it, and probably write part of it out." Will responded to Sierra before saying to Lily "So Lilyana, there will be a lot, who don't listen, and a lot who listen too much, with you among the latter; got it. "

"The idea of worshiping you Will, just seems weird to me. With you doing what you usually do at work, I can't help finding that inspiring, reason for me to put my all into it too." Judy said to him adding simply "That is where I stand."

"Hmph, how long has it been Sky, that we've known He's here with us?" Layla in response to her mother's words asked the other vixen, not hiding as she said the words her desire for him.

"A few years now?" Sky asked back before adding as her mind went there "Why do you think I want concrete evidence we can nail Koche with? Why do you think Dagger, and Rambo made their stands like they did?"

"My point was that we were ahead of everyone else, it's a thing to be used to, having Him beside us. God damnit... Sky..." Layla said to her while squeezing his paw with her own as Sky's words had him pausing a moment in his steps.

"They did it knowing the same love they'd known on this side was waiting for them there... Yes, it is not a matter of if, but when, that lynx will die. We carry on, that their loss was not in vain, We shall have justice." Will made his response to Sky's words, reassuringly squeezing Layla's paw back as he grinned confident he, and they would get satisfaction.

"Willing to sacrifice his own troops, just to kill a specific one of them... If I come muzzle to muzzle with him, I will tear him apart, he is Unworthy." Katarina said to them, and Will could picture her relish in getting her claws into the work.

"I really don't blame you guys, what makes it more ridiculous, is that you may be The Dangerous, Will, but your the Dangerous on Our Side, you'll only be a Danger to us if we make you our enemy. Why would we turn on such a good friend? Someone who loves us like you do? Yet, that cat seems to think it's a good idea, and he's gotten good mammals killed." Nick commented to them.

"He is the kind of mammal to think we will be safer if you were dead, when we wouldn't be as safe as we are if it weren't for you being very much alive." Maria added her two-cents.

"Your nature as a psychic sort of vampire, able to pull chi from people, you can kill with it can't you? That's what makes you so dangerous? The Father is an Incubus? That'd make the Mother a Succubus?" John asked him inquisitively adding "For someone who has read translations of the old Sumerian texts it makes a certain sort of sense, but I can picture quite a few not taking to that fact very kindly, and that's more to do with their preconceived notions than anything else. Just how did that happen, anyway? Or were you like that from the beginning, and it just never made it into our stories?"

"It's classified, but yes, due to nature of my work, I had no choice but to develop the ability in order to stay alive, and keep my comrades alive. I had no choice but to break the taboo, and for us it is quite a taboo, to waste life in that manner." Will answered John's first question as limited as he could before going for the tod's other questions "Yes, She is a succubus, as I am an incubus, but the myths get a lot wrong, storm daemons aye, but pestilence bringers and cub-killers? Those are very heinous lies that aggrieve me so. I'm not exactly going to hide what I am, but neither am I going to flaunt it, those nabobs who think the only demons are evil demons, and benevolent daemons don't exist can bring their war, I shall devour them all with all my ability, fuck them. Ask that again around the campfire, after dinner, and maybe I'll answer that, give you the story of my oldest memory."

"Sky, it wouldn't be possible to convince this Koche, he's wrong and we're safer with Will alive and on our side, would it?" Sierra asked the vixen.

"No, and even if there I was, after everything he's done, I wouldn't want to do it." Sky answered simply, not having to think on it very hard.

"Yeah, no. There would be no convincing the current Director he's wrong about Will." Jack added before saying to John "There's more to it than just, he can if needed kill in that manner, and the fact he's used it in combat. If he's alive, and certain things leak, certain dots are able to be connected tracing back to him, there will be international incidents, possibly even a war, our nation against several. The chances of those leaks may be minuscule due to how minimal and scant what records that do exist are, but that doesn't matter into how the mammals like Koche factor things."

"Mom, Dad, it is safe to say that my mate is the most dangerous mammal on the planet, with Kat here as number two, and Sierra here as number three, given how they could follow in his pawsteps, in Kat's case further than she already has." Layla said to her parents, cheerful about it.

"The more I hear about this Koche the Betrayer, and the threat he still poses, I won't say 'no' to shooting him in the head." Lola commented.

"Right, I'm the third most dangerous mammal on the planet." Sierra stated sarcastically, laughing in disbelief.

"Yes, but Lola do please explain to the world your cold-blooded murder if you would? Again we merely need concrete just cause and we can act." Will said to her frowning with disgust over how she made him defend Koche before telling Sierra plainly "Given sufficient necessary situation, you'll do what is necessary to keep yourself, and others alive, and you know it. From there it's just a matter of practice. You may be at zero, but that remains the truth. Kat being at one, needs only the practice. Where I'm at it's better I not say, classified as it were, for your safety, and mine; also classified for your peace of mind."

"I may have to increase my number, but I am not practicing; it's bad enough I had no choice but to move from zero to one." Katarina said in response.

"It's a taboo for you, to take, and waste life that way, I think I understand, but the more you kill the stronger you get?" Martha inquired, a fish out of water, but adapting.

"The amount one of us normally needs to stay maintained, and maintained well is small, a pawful of donors to rotate, and you're fine. It's more beneficial to encourage life to get stronger, and there are ways to do that, with our natural ability in chi manipulation. It's right up there next to predation, and cannibalism. No, we don't get stronger like that, that's not how it works, and it's better I not explain it." Will answered his mate's mom.

"The more chi we intake, the stronger we can get, but we burn through it no different than you do, so it's about maintaining your levels. There's also the matter of who has the more powerful drain, and that is what makes him the most dangerous mammal, the number one of us, and me the number two." Katarina said in explanation to Martha.

"Yes, how high are your chi levels? How strong, and controlled is your pull? How effective are you up close, and at a distance? Strength for us is a multifaceted thing, and our brother does take the cake." Sierra added backing up Kat before saying to Martha "Even he, where he is at, only needs to take small amounts from the donors he rotates."

"Okami-sama basically has an area of effect, and we are all standing in it, but as party members have nothing to fear." Naomi commented putting it in gaming terms.

"So he's kind of like Darth Nihilus, only lesser, not an insatiable hole?" John inquired his mind wrapping around it quite neatly.

"Yes, only I am not a Sith, by ideology, though I am someone in the Dark side of the force." Will responded to Layla's dad adding "That is more or less it, the classified part, I'd still rather not get into farther than that."

"There's an argument to be made within Knights of the Old Republic, the galaxy is much safer with Darth Nihilus gone, because he is an insatiable hole. That argument falls apart here, since you are not insatiable. I can understand it, the logic this ZIA Director Koche thinks he's using, but we would be more unsafe with you gone, or turned into an enemy; we are all the more safe because you are on our side, such that we are all on the same sort of Liberal/Libertarian side." John said to him, and it made him grin a bit that his mate's father was at least a bit of a gamer.

"If anyone can speak on how ultimately safe we are with him, alive as he is, it's me." Layla stated adding "The idea of being afraid of him is stupid to me; only someone like Koche need fear him, or someone like Bucky."

"Does this Koche know you are technically a Baron's son? He's trying to get killed surreptitiously?" Martha inquired curiously as they were moving up the second floor.

"If he even deigned to look it up? Which being thorough he might, the most he'd find is that we have not renounced our titles, we still retain them, we just don't use them. I wonder if it is a quandry that perplexes him. I hope so." Will responded to her, thinking about it.

"I doubt it. It's not noted in your official military file, and digging that deep into you wouldn't be worth his time." Sky stated fairly certain of herself.

"If he does even know, it just means he can't just order a direct hit, and has to use his M.O. to its fullest; I wonder if the challenge gets him hard, it probably does." Jack commented with a musing of his own.

"He will not win." Will said plainly in response to Jack adding with a light laugh "It probably does get him hard, he thinks so highly of himself, the most dangerous mammal on the planet would make the perfect adversary to test his twisted mettle against. Meanwhile, for me he might as well be a chicken, I need only reason to kill and cook."

"It helps that we know I'm most likely his next target, and can plan accordingly; I can keep my movements limited, our door is secure." Layla stated in agreement adding "Our enemy may know us, but we also know him."

"And if he takes a leaf from Obama, and has your apartment drone-striked?" Jack asked Layla adding "Can you put in place countermeasures for that?"

"An algorithm to help me track drones, cameras, I could make a miniature Anti-Air gun, using rockets; mount it on a ball-joint, on top of our apartments. An Israeli style Iron Dome over not just our building, but several adjacent ones; I have contacts still who can get me what I need." Layla answered her gears already working on specifics before commenting "Yeah, who'd have thought that'd ever happen in America of all places, but it did."

"I have contacts, still. How many rocket pods do you want? You need an extra set of paws, I have vacation days to burn." Sage volunteered readily.

"I can pass wrenches, and help lift things." Maria offered just as readily, with youthful eagerness adding with intent that surprised him "To keep you, and your cubs safe."

"We'll set up our own radar." Will stated, thinking on it himself, adding to his mate "Remind me about it when I call the Director, to ask if he has any designs already, or ideas. Okay, Babe?"

He then said to Maria with warmth, his tail wagging a bit "We are pack, no? We keep each other. Mi hermanita."

"We are Family, Si, we keep each other." Maria responded emphatically.

"Witness the God's Peace as it already exists, and has been made; steps forward we will not just cede." Martha stated having taken a great deal of heart from their exchange.

"This is the family we're now a part of." John commented with a bit of awe before saying to him, and Lola "Your parents must be quite the mammals to have reared you so well, I do look forward to meeting them."

"They gave us the foundation we needed to become who we are, who it is in us to be, to the fullest. If nothing else, my goal is to do the same with my cub." Lola responded as they were reaching the second floor adding to John "We're a motley bunch, but welcome, we certainly don't mind the addition given how much our family has shrunk over the years."

"As flesh and fur as any of us, they've got their faults, but they did their best and have always been there for us to the best of their ability. True enough, we wouldn't be who we are without them." Will said to John for his own part before saying to Martha with conviction "That's right, in these modern times we've come so far forward, compared to how things used to be; we will not just cede ground without a fight. This is the world we live in, and these are the paws we have, we'll keep it a place worth living in, and fighting for. Hail, well said."

"Speaking of family, we got stoned yesterday... with the Duchess..." Layla pointed out, the fact seeming to have percolated to the top of her mind.

"Yes, that we did, but if you value your ear, do not ever call Grandma June that. She might be the wife of the Duke, but she's Grandma." Will was quick to inform his mate, his ears folding back as they remembered yesterdays treatment.

"She twisted your ear good, didn't she?" Layla asked already knowing how it had gone.

"Yes, she only let go 'cause I was honest about only meaning to tease her lightly. A wolf learns." Will answered his mate simply.

"She finds the title impersonal? Prefers the personal?" John asked him musingly adding with commiseration "Females can be mean like that."

"Yes, Grandma June prefers the personal, as I've always heard her put it, Duchess Frost makes her sound like she's got a stick up her tailhole that simply isn't there." Lola said in answer to John.

"Well, her twisting my ear would be proof there is some stick up her tailhole, regarding odd things like that." Will commented to his sister, pointing out the fact adding "She just has a lot less of a stick compared to certain others."

"Every bitch can be a cunt, this is known. Real bitches are few and far between, hence our value." Sierra said with confidence in agreement with him.

"Even real bitches can be cunts, don't you dare mistake; my vixen is living proof, and to certain degrees I do love her for it." Will responded to his cousin enjoying how simple she'd made the terms.

"It is true, even real bitches can be cunts, just like real males can be bastards; we still work better when we work together." Martha opined adding "Decades working with females, I've seen it all, real good bitches of every species, and downright cunts, with everything in-between. The best bosses are males, it'd be nice if we could get more in the profession."

"The kinds of bitches who complain about breaking nails while out on P.T., and looking bad after having to go through mud . . ." Layla commented not hiding her disdain before adding with a small bit of joy "It's fun when you can get them covered in mud, and out of the fight."

"I tossed those kinds of bitches around like I toss Sophia, and they complained, so the C.O. made sure we didn't spar, they washed out thanks to the females who weren't afraid to spar with me and learn." Will said in response to his mate, knowing just the types she meant, adding "I never thought it'd be so satisfying to see a female hyena knock a bitch out."

"I have fun when you toss me around, I love it. Wow." Sophie stated a bit surprised.

"I agree with that 'wow', if you being that gentle with them was too much for them, but at the same time I've seen the same shit too, bitches who think they can be rangers, and they worry more about breaking a nail, or having to do anything strenuous, then look at me like I'm some sort of freak. It's not for nothing I enjoy my post at the cabin; they'll have to start rotating people to it again, now that I'm effectively moving to just outside the other end of my range." Sierra said speaking from her own experience.

"Part of me does feel sorry for them, being in a place where they're not meant, because in combat punches don't get pulled by any side, male or female makes no difference, protects no one. I think though it has to do with what each person exemplifies of maleness, and femaleness as an individual; we're all on a giant spectrum of sorts." Will responded as Sierra's words made him think on it adding "Some males can be very female-like unto a negative extent, and some females can be very male-like unto a negative extent, but there are also mammals like us in the middle where the positivity is at, I am not the most masculine of males, I enjoy sucking dick, my mate is not the most feminine of vixens, and I think she's all the sexier for it."

"You might have quite the point there, about how our biology effects who we are, and what we do in ways we don't think about, or see. It's just a fact that male cubs like to play with blocks, and things like that; I've grown up to be an architect, who enjoys teaching my craft as much as working it." John commented to him adding "I'm not the most male of males either, though I can't be anything else, and I'm all the more grateful my mate is not the most female of vixens, I can see how it helped us pair so well."

John then declared with confidence "If we are anything to go by, you two are going to do just fine."

"If my maleness, is the fact I'm as no-nonsense like I am, something I get from my dad, then I get what you mean." Martha said to him before adding to her mate "And here I am a female whose job involves nurturing, and caring, I can't be anything but the female I am; it is quite the pair we make, my mate. And look how well our daughter is doing, we are going to become grandparents."

"Opposites attract, so they say, but there's gotta be enough similarity for connections to be made." Nick commented before adding to him "Also you are preaching to the choir Brother, females that are just a bit male in the right way, while still remaining all female are sexy as hell."

"I feel exposed." David commented with slight trepidation before saying with a bemused laugh "I am in that choir, I cannot lie."

"There is no shame in being in this choir, of sorts." Naomi said to David not hiding her pride in how firmly she was in it.

"Rule one is know thy self for a reason. You can get pretty far, with males, knowing how to use that, and females too." Katarina commented, speaking from experience.

"It really is true, just a little bit of positive maleness, to accentuate the full femaleness, and we're practically in with everyone." Layla agreed with Kat adding "We can't escape though that some people are just dicks, no matter how generally pleasant towards everyone as you may be."

"Heh, I'm locally infamous for knowing how to use it, in case you haven't heard." Sierra with a light laugh said to Katarina before saying to them all "It seems pretty simple to me, we, in knowing what the positives look like, can't help doing our best to emulate them while others can't help being nothing but the negatives. Go figure we're what the positives look like, such that we do."

"Hahahaha." Will laughed agreeing with Sierra mirthfully "Yeah, we're what the positive examples of maleness, and femaleness look like, for all our negatives; compared the real, fully negative types."

"From a certain point of view, you've got anger issues, and like to tear people apart, or rather dismember them as it were; quite toxic on that surface of it, yet it's protecting life in one way or another even through the taking of it that you've made your job, across several career fields." Jack commented to him musingly, and a bit jestingly.

"I forget where I heard it, but making the world a better place, starts with being a decent person in it. Maybe it's just me, but it's not that hard to be a decent person in it. Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." David added his thoughts.

"It's only easy to you David 'cause you're a decent person, a drop of water rolling down into that nook; you don't wanna know just how easy it is for some mammals to be nothing but indecent to everyone, and everything around them, forever digging themselves a deeper hole to wallow in." Sky responded to David heaving a weighted sigh as she added "It's no joke, how sometimes the only way to defeat them is by being even more indecent."

"That is putting it mildly because things are classified, and we're about to make dinner." Will commented to Sky before saying to David "Aye, ye've got that much right lad, do unto others as you'd want them doin' to ye, but ah, when others wrong ye, ye got to do unto them as they've done unto you, within reason. If someone wants you dead, you are well within your rights to defend your life by killing them first; war is predicated on it, he who kills first lives and wins, gets to write down the history as it were."

"When people aren't nice there's nothing wrong with being not nice to them back, they punch you, punch them back, if they try to stab you, don't hesitate to stab them back. If people want to terrorize you, there is no negotiating with them, only putting them in the dirt." Layla backed him up adding "It helps when you're not the kind of person to go looking for trouble, but sometimes trouble finds you anyway."

Layla then asked him using the same almost flawless accent he had slipped into "What brought out the Irish in ye, me Love?"

"The words just came out of me that way." Will answered her with a shrug as they began moving up the last ramp to the first floor.

"I would say I wish trouble found me less, but then I wouldn't have ever met my bunny, or found the path to turn my life onto a higher road." Nick commented commiseratingly.

He heard the small thud of said bunny lightly punching Nick, likely in the shoulder.

A little melodramatically Nick said to Judy "Ow, what was that for?"

"Calling me trouble. I am glad I found you though. I don't intend on leaving you either, partner." Judy answered Nick before telling him suggestively "If that really hurt, I promise I'll make it up to you later."

"You are trouble, but my kind of trouble." Nick told Judy emphatically before revealing he'd played it up a little as he added "It wasn't that bad, I will take you up on that though. Later..."

"Good." Judy commented with satisfaction quite happy to hear Nick's answer.

"It really does change you, taking a life, Will?" David asked him adding "You like it now?"

"It all depends on the circumstances, but yes, no matter which way you take a life, it leaves it's mark in you." Will answered the younger wolf simply before with seriousness telling him "Civilian who has taken no lives, try to understand that killing was my job, my business, and I am exceedingly good at it. Sometimes I do enjoy it, when the objective is to rescue someone; other times I do not."

"You get used to it, if you hadn't pulled the trigger, and shot accurately, the other guy could've put bullets in you, or your comrades, the friends right beside you. Snipers and their Spotters aren't exactly treated very well if caught." Layla added before lightly ribbing him "One thing I never got used to, was one of those friends being a big idiot going out of his way to play mammal-shield, and getting in my line of fire, stealing kills I could have made."

"Blame it on me being inescapably male, Ich Muss Beschützen." Will responded to his mate with a shrug.

"I've read there's a study the Americans did that proves, females on the front lines isn't the greatest of ideas, a lot of males will do just that, and get themselves killed." John commented, their turn in conversation seeming to bring up the factoid.

"Well we sure as hell count as an example of that being correct." Layla responded to her dad with a laugh before saying to him "See, I was right to get mad at you for it, it was good I got mad."

"Given they're the ones who can have cubs, it makes a certain sort of sense; we are instinctual creatures, one of my strongest instincts shows itself; still can't help that." Will thinking about it said to them before saying to Layla "Call it fate, I couldn't help but be me, you couldn't help but be you, it began our relationship deepening, now here we are with a future to fight for we could never have foreseen."

"You'll never hear me get mad about it Brother." Jack said to him plainly before adding not hiding his fondness "You know the honour has been mine Lord Ulfhaven; we've got decades more in us, wouldn't you say? For Our Future."

"We are dwarfs compared to a giant, why would we get mad?" Sky said with light amusement in response to Jack before saying with certainty "We've lost enough, we're not losing anymore."

"You are wrong about that Jack. The honour is mine." Will was quick to tell the buck adding so it was out in the open "The same goes for All of My Pack. I may not be your alpha, for you are your own, but We are Pack, We are Family. Scar may have killed our Mufasa, we do not have proof, we are merely waiting for our Scar to make one last slip."

"Wow, way to put it Lord Vater." Sierra teased him adding "Nineties cub."

"No... that... He is on to something there..." Sky said in response his phrasing having moved something inside her adding solemnly "Sly was in many ways our Mufasa, our Noble and Good Director. In some ways that'd make our Will similar to Simba, but he is no Simba, we are a different group entirely."

"You too are a nineties cub Power Ranger." Will replied with a grin teasing Sierra back before saying as Sky's words got him thinking about it "Go figure that slight parallel was just off the top of my head, I did not think it through, that it runs so deep. I really am going to have to kill him, I can't just pussyfoot about it any longer."

Katarina snorted in amusement before saying with a bit of a giggle "That phrase in English has always made me laugh. Pussy-foot."

"It is something we do." Maria commented matter of factly, with indifference.

"Isn't that word a bit insensitive though?" Judy inquired with curiosity more than anything.

"What 'cause we are pussies?" Katarina asked Judy back rhetorically laughing mirthfully before saying "Why should I have shame in what I am, no matter what word is used, if anything I will be angered if I am called what I'm not."

"Life is too short, I don't find words offensive, they are just words. People on the other paw, will use words to be offensive, but that is them using a tool, the tool isn't the problem." Maria answered Judy with brevity.

"Yes, it's not the tool, but the person using it, and how they're using it; there is nuance to it. I'm a Pelt, You're a Pelt, He's a Pelt, She's a Pelt, We are all pelts, and there are places our pelts would get skinned and sold, nevermind what can be done with our meat." Will backed up Maria, in agreement, adding in the rest of the point he felt she'd fallen short of elucidating.

"Right, like how most of the time when people call me cute, they're not trying to be, or being demeaning, they mean pretty, and it's just the first word that comes to mind; I've learned." Judy said to them understandingly adding "It wasn't something many other rabbits called me, I believed the... off framing I'd heard in college..."

Judy then in counter to him specifically said with teasing jest "I am cute, My fox is Cute, Your mate She is Cute, You are not cute. Handsome, okay; not cute."

"I am cute?" Nick inquired as if this were news to him.

"I don't wanna be cute, if I even can be." Will said to Judy with a light laugh before grinning as he told Nick teasing the tod with his seriousness "Cute is just the start of the list to describe you, I wouldn't say 'no' to sucking your dick Brother. Then again, I do have a thing for red foxes, among foxes."

"Back off. My fox." Judy was quick to tell him adding a light growl for emphasis. She then told Nick "He is right though, it starts with cute, handsome and sexy are next."

"He wouldn't go for it, and besides I have my own." Will told Judy enjoying their banter as they were almost at the top of the ramp-well, and on the first floor.

"In a different life, I may take you up on that, Brother, but not this one. Yeah, you go have fun with your vixen." Nick told him with a light laugh before telling Judy "My doe, I'm not the only cute, handsome, sexy one of the two of us, nevermind the rest of these crazy bastards here."

"Crazy bastard, aye." Sky commented putting herself among that number, and owning it.

"We all have our moments." John said in his own agreement with Sky.

"Some of us more than others." Layla stated mirthfully adding to him "Eh, babe?"

"Oh, Aye." Will responded to her, his Irish accent raising it's head again.

"Would you really call it fate that has brought us together, such as we now are? Father?" Martha asked him curiously.

"We are sapient creatures, on a habitable little bit of rock, rotating around a star in the middle of nowhere, if not fate then the random forces of chaos brought us together since order is the aberration, the little miracle. Pure random happenstance." Will did his best to answer as they were coming out of the ramp-way asking as they turned towards the short hall that lead to the living room "What else would you call it?"

"I don't know. Fate is a more comforting thought..." Martha said to him in answer.

"It's not just random happenstance, and it's not quite fate either; we each make decisions that take us places, we've each made decisions that have brought us together such that we are." Nick rather philosophically said to them, and Will was silent a moment as he thought it over.

"Not just us, but others as well, make their decisions, which push us to make decisions of our own." Layla agreed with Nick as if an example was sharp in her mind before adding what the example was "Rev made his choice to show me what he did, and my response was to track down my mate; now here we are."

"Hmph, and even Koche has made his choices which beget choices made by us." Will stated darkly as he found his mate's insight illuminating before saying to Nick "You are right brother, shit still simply happens, but even in the face of that, chaos which most people find terrifying like an eldritch Lovecraftian horror, we make decisions, we are the order that imposes itself simply through existing. A natural counterbalance to the chaos."

"What will really get to you Brother, is when you realize how decisions mammals now long dead made have effected us, and will effect young yet to be born. Not just in our nation, but even say one of the communist ones elsewhere on the continent, or around the world." Nick said to him sagely.

"Yes... People who think they're doing the right thing, convinced themselves of many lies, and thanks to them many thousands starve. Nevermind the... tribal wars where cubs get forcibly conscripted, all because neither side can forgive or forget past wrongs made by dead mammals, so long ago they even forget what actually happened to start the conflict." Will responded pensively, understanding just what the tod meant adding "We can only do so much, and as much as we can fight for others, we cannot fight all battles for everyone."

"No, we can't fight all battles for everyone, hell sometimes fighting a battle for someone else is the wrong thing to do, even when the power to win is in your paws; because then some people get the idea they can use you to fight all the battles they start. All we can do is fight the battles we can, as level headed as we can be." Lola agreed with him likewise pensive as she spoke from experience.

"Ain't that the truth? They'll start fights that don't need to be started... more often than not it's a female too." Nick commented with chagrin in commiseration with Lola.

"But we are going to fight aren't we? It's not just our duty, it's our job description. We have the moral obligation to remain on the side of what is right no matter what orders are." Sierra asked full of confidence.

"In places where Power rules, not Law, You become your own law; the only justice becomes that which you take out of the hides of the injust, and unjust. Fighting fire with fire may leave ground scorched, but not salted, new life will grow; sometimes the cleansing fire is necessary." Will told her, his gut tightening as he remembered Hedone, his fight with Rock, how he decided to deal with Pierre, and then Bucky.

"Fundamentally, that was how Sly saw it. It's not just our duty, it's our job description. We don't wanna just keep this nation a great one for our young, using our particular skills, we wanna make sure it will continue to be a great one for future young, to the best of our meager abilities." Jack commented remembering the old wolf fondly before adding musingly to his mate "We could've feigned neutrality Sky, not come here, but we already had our decision made. We weren't gonna miss this for the world. We're with our Boss, the Shadow-Paw; Sly's Shadow Paw."

"The first intelligence officers of the Lord Ulfhaven." Sky stated with a warm laugh, in enjoyment of the fact.

"That is part of our job description, fight for the rule of law, not power; because of how often the strong abuse the weak simply because they can; something we face day to day on the beat." Judy said in agreement and understanding with confidence, and heart to rival Sierra's.

"The rule of fair, and just laws, Yes; hence why I joined our L.E.A.P. chapter, and will be attending meetings." Will nodded in his concurrence before chuckling in his response to Sky as they were entering the living room "We'll have to think of a cool name that'll make a cool acronym."

"We are The S.L.Y.!" Layla voiced the first thought with her mind before breaking it down, and reaching a little to make it work "Superpredators Liaisons Yieldless."

"Okay the first part of that was great, but the second part is a bit of a stretch, doesn't quite roll off the tongue." Will gave his mate his honest thoughts, his tail wagging out of his happiness with her being as sharp a mind as she was.

"Yeah, but it fits, You, Kat, and Sierra are the Superpredators, we are Liaisons with you, and we are yieldless, we will not yield in our pursuit of our goals such that they are. Maybe it's a stretch, but it gives us an homage to Sly, you can't tell me that fact doesn't get you in the gut." Layla responded to him, giving him a hip bump as they walked.

"The long way might not roll off the tongue, but it does fit us pretty well." Nick commented agreeing with both of them adding "I kind of like it, we are the S.L.Y."

"I'm on board for it, both for the homage, and the fact if Koche heard it, not that he will, it'd get under his fur." Sky said to them with enthusiasm.

"You have me sold on it." Jack stated to them.

"Superpredator, more by technical definition, than anything." Sierra commented for herself adding "I am not keen on changing that, and only will consider it if it is absolutely necessary with no other alternatives."

"And our goals, as the Sly we are?" Katarina inquired.

"For now? . . ." Will responded to Kat thinking on it a moment before answering her "We continue our Operations in the city, formulate, and enact plans to secure first our bases in the city, then the city itself, and Ulfhaven, first the town limits, then the whole county."

"Very well we are The S.L.Y. then." Will then said to them all adding to John and Martha "That means you too, Chief Architect, and Chief Medical Officer; civilian liaisons, you need only keep your ears and eyes open, providing assistance natural to your regular duties."

"When you say 'our operations', you mean our regular duties as officers, or something else?" Nick asked him as they were entering the kitchen.

"Backing up our daughter for a start? Yep, you've got us, that goes without saying." John said to him readily on-board.

"I'm just a Nurse, who's been at the job for thirty years, but yes, that's a given we'll be liaisons." Martha corrected him, in agreement with her mate.

"Then that is settled." Will said as he paused, and surveyed his kitchen, thinking on just how to go about preparing what he meant to before telling Nick "I mean both, Brother. That last gun runner bust was my mate, and I along with Kat and Rev. Old habits die hard, and now that my mind is bent on it from this angle, well the more we eliminate hardened criminal elements, the more we erase vectors through which we can be attacked. The ZPD taking credit keeps the scent off us; win-win."

"Getting pregnant is going to put me out of commission." Layla said to him as if the concept were novel to her.

"Yes, yes it is." Martha said to her daughter, as if it were nothing new, and nothing to fear.

"Speak for yourself." Lola stated grumbling a bit as she walked to the fridge.

"I will get started on the rice." Maria stated striding in to the kitchen with confidence.

"I also will start on the gohan." Naomi added moving to work with Maria.

"Yes, my love; battle buddy role will alternate between Rev and Kat. It's okay, you'll have higher priorities, for which I am Your backup. We'll play it by ear, and do alright." Will said to his mate warmly with encouragement as everyone who wasn't going to be in the kitchen got themselves comfortable at the table.

"And once our kit is born..." Layla said grabbing his left arm as she'd come to a stop beside him adding as she tightened her grip a degree "I'm out of the fight for a long while."

"No, my Love." Will assured her turning to look her in the eye with a soft smile "The nature of your part of the fight will simply change. You will have Higher Priorities. Our Kit, or kits, is, are, will be Priority One. Simple as that."

"Our kit...'s . . . Priority One..." Layla repeated his words, and knowing she was about to need it Will pulled her into himself wrapping his arms around her, just in time for Layla's wrapping her fangs around his shoulder in a soft bite to express her emotions, and emotionalness.

"Our Priority One." Will stated to his mate adding as much to Lola as he was meaning the words to his mate "You make sure they grow safe inside you, I make sure you stay safe to do it; our sacred duty as mother, and father."

Will then asked Layla with light amusement as he made no move to end their embrace "So babe, ya gonna let me go cook?"

Layla whined at him protestingly, the sort of sound he more expected from his little sister, before letting him go and looking up into his muzzle she asked him solemnly "You are charging me with this Duty? Will? . . . Father..."

"I charge you with nothing my Love. It is the fact of you becoming a Mother that charges you with the Duty, just as my becoming a Father charges me with the duties it does; we charge ourselves as it were, and stand together. What enemy can't we defeat?" Will responded to her sincerely before teasing her "If you'd like an Order, I've got one for you my love, now however is not the time or place."

"I wouldn't be becoming a mother without you. And you wouldn't be becoming a father without me...we do charge ourselves, as we charge each other." Layla replied to him her gears continuing to turn around the subject, and seeing what she was getting at Will decided to give her what she wanted.

"Then, My Love, I charge you to do everything you already were going to, be my cum receptacle until you are pregnant, do everything in your power to carry, and bear unto this world our new life." Will said to her with sureness she was more than up for the task.

"And I charge you, My Love, with doing what you will and are; make and keep this place one good for rearing our young." Layla told him sounding like she was happy enough she might start floating away.

"That remains You, my brother, ever the vulgar romantic." Lola commented to him as she was coming out of the kitchen, having gotten for herself a whole salmon she'd already taken a bite out of.

"As a male I've got to admire his brevity, though as a father not so much." John said in response to Lola before adding his two-cents "You two really are a fur's width from just having it out with your vows. I am just a little amazed, to see my daughter like this."

"Vulgar is right, but the words do fit the idea." Martha stated with the no-nonsense of a medical professional before saying to Layla with warmth "It does my heart glad, my little Layla, to see you not just grown, but about to start a family of your own."

"I'm willing to call those Vows, Witnessed, and Approved." Sierra said to them confidently as she was gathering plates to set the table.

"Yeah, but they're not the right Vows." Maria replied to Sierra.

"Hai, demo the right vows might as well already have been said." Naomi stated adding honestly "I am interested what words they end up choosing, to make it final."

"No, these were better than any vow. It's an Order, a mutual Ordering, because we are Captain's, partners, a basic unit... as back to back as we are side by side." Will said to them correctingly, his muzzle split by an ear to ear grin as his tail wagged with strong happiness.

"A mutual ordering, because we already mutually submit to each-other, my Wolf" Layla commented with a light snort of amusement before telling her parents with sarcasm "Yeah, who'd have thought, me, about to be married, on the path to becoming a mother."

Layla then added her honest thoughts "The only thing that's going to make all the hell, and loss, bearable, is this brighter future we are going to fight for."

"Your motherly streak may be half-buried, but it's no secret Layla." Sky informed her teasing her lightly.

"It was always a possibility for you, sweetie. It really is something to see things turn out this way." Martha said to her daughter encouragingly, in agreement with Sky.

"Who would've thought a lot of stuff, here we are." Lola around a mouthful of fish said to Layla commiseratingly.

"I would not call her motherly streak half-buried, more like just in rest mode waiting for activation." Will stated his faith and confidence completely in his mate.

"I second Okami-Sama, it sleeps until needed, and now it is time for it to be awake." Naomi said, on his side, adding with a wistful sort of happiness "Ohayo."

"Right, it was just in rest mode, meanwhile you have Father-mode always running in the background." Layla responded with amusement to him before telling Lola who was walking past them towards the table "Yes, here we are, in this together Sister. Through thick and thin the only way is forward."

Layla then commented to Naomi as she released him, leaving him free to move into the kitchen and start cooking "Ohayo, sou da."

Will was still a moment, before moving his muzzle to give Layla a short lick to her ear that was nearest to him then stepping into his kitchen heading first for the fridge.

"Just... how long... has your relationship been like this?" John asked Layla with curiosity, and it was hard for Will to understand just what the older tod meant, since surely they'd mentioned something resembling an answer already.

"What do you mean?" Layla inquired of her father.

"If you mean at the point where people ask how long they've been married? It's been a couple years." Jack commented, seeming the one with a grasp on what John had meant, and at that all Will could do was shrug indifferently as he took stock of what chicken component was available.

There was a package of bone-in chicken breasts and thighs already thawed and waiting, but it wasn't going to be enough. Getting it out he set in on the counter to the left of the stove, taking that section for workspace while Maria and Naomi had already claimed the side to the right of the stove.

Maria had the pot big enough to make rice for everyone set on the stove, and the burner turned on, while Naomi was at the sink filling a pitcher with water as Will moved into the pantry, going for the deep freezer.

Once there he opened the lid to the chest freezer, and got out a package that was just breasts, another eight, as well as a four pack of thighs feeling that would about do it.

Walking back into the kitchen he said to Naomi "Leave the mizu running onegaishimasu."

"Hai." Naomi responded to him simply as she carried another pitcher full of water to the pot.

In her wake Will put the packages of chicken under the running water, hoping they thawed enough in time. He then moved towards the lower cabinet where he'd find a bowl within which to get the already thawed chicken seasoned.

The bowl, big enough that he needed, set on the counter it was an easy thing with the nail of his index digit to open the package of thawed chicken, and dump it in. After tossing the leftover carton in the trash bin, Will looked up into the cabinet that housed his spices, thinking on what to use besides the boring salt and pepper. He settled on a little bit of sage, and rosemary, wanting the earthiness to be there, but not too strong, and figuring the flavor would not contest with that of the base mole paste he meant to add things to.

Those bits of chicken marinating somewhat, Will had to go wash his paws, and that done he was free to move on to the mole proper. He noted with a little amusement, it was Maria who was taller that was stirring the rice, as both she and Naomi minded the pot.

First things first, for the mole, was his enameled cast iron 'dutch' oven. He set the thing on the stove, once he'd liberated it from the cabinet where it was kept, and got the burner under it going. Will then made use of the same pitcher Naomi had, eyeballing it at about seven cups of water, double the amount he usually needed when he was cooking for two or three to have dinner, and leftovers.

After pouring the water into the cast iron pot, he put in two bouillon cubes, and debated with himself adding another half cube just for extra flavor. He ended up deciding against it, reminding himself that he wasn't just cooking for his not exactly stellar sense of taste. After giving it a stir with a wooden spoon he'd grabbed from the vase used to house such implements, he checked on the frozen chicken he'd gotten out.

In the one spot the water was hitting most, the surface ice was gone, but most of the chicken was still rock hard enough to injure someone if thrown or used as impromptu club. There was nothing for it, but moving the chicken around some, adjusting the water spray the little it could be, and letting thermodynamics do it's trick.

Leaving the sink Will got back to stirring his own pot, needing the bouillon to dissolve before he could add the pre-made mole paste. He had three jars of the Santa Magdalena brand stuff, kept cool and dry in the spice cabinet, and he was fully prepared to use two right off the bat; if he needed to use the third one, he would. The bouillon had started to really come apart in the heating water, and he let the wooden spoon rest against the inside of the pot, turning around to go for the fridge to get out a few things.

Namely a small sweet onion, and two cloves of garlic. Once he had them he moved out of the fridge, and over to the flower vase it was in for his microplane then around Maria and Naomi back to the bouillon-water.

"What are you going to do?" Naomi with some sharpness, and a little bit of derision asked him.

"Stand as my Witness, I'm not gonna poison anybody, hello I'm cooking for the mother of my kits. I'm just adding a little for the flavor, it won't taste right if I don't." Will responded to her flatly, refuting her concern before setting the garlic and microplane down then getting the small sweet onion peeled.

"He is right, they both are needed for chile colorado too; the hard part is putting in enough for the flavor to come across right, while not putting so much that anyone is ill effected." Maria backed him up before saying to Naomi "I can vouch, he is actually using less garlic than he usually puts, and probably is going to go lighter on the onion too."

"How many cloves did he grab?" Layla asked from over by the table, having moved along with the conversation.

"Dos." Maria answered simply.

"Yep, You're getting paranoid for no reason Naomi-chan. He usually puts four or five cloves worth in." Layla said to Naomi.

"Five is the limit, for me when I'm cooking for me, because I like garlic in dishes where it's an ingredient. I'm not using more than half of this onion, which is small; if it were a bigger onion I'd use no more than a third of it." Will explained to Naomi in his own defense thinking the matter about settled as he'd finished peeling the onion.

"Very well, I will stand Witness, Okami-Sama." Naomi stated willing to trust them, and clearly wanting to see for herself.

Giving Naomi one last look, and a loose grin that stayed on his muzzle Will started with using the microplane to grate the amount of onion he needed into what was becoming chicken broth. With how the gasses released caused his eyes to water there had been more than one reason for his seriousness about only using a little of the stuff. He only needed roughly two table spoons of the stuff, and once he'd gotten it he set the onion down and went for the garlic. That too Will grated into the broth as quickly as he could, because it needed stirring, and once he was done he readily traded the microplane for the wooden spoon.

While he got to stirring the broth, and the buoillon was almost dissolved completely Naomi asked him "So they are going to boil a bit, and weaken? Okami-sama."

"Exactly, diffuse the flavor, so it's there, just a hint." Will answered her, nodding with a smile as his tail wagged.

"It really does make me laugh, the myth is that we don't like garlic, and it can be used to ward us off; it sucks though our canid bodies are not immune to it." Sierra commented as she came back into the kitchen this time going for the utensils, her own tail wagging much as his was.

"It tastes good." Will could only say, simply with a shrug.

"Now there's a funny story, we can talk about." Layla mentioned before elaborating to those around her at the table "We were finishing our counter-terrorism 'training' in America. They had this stuff called gardineir, a style of pickled vegetables. Well, some of the guys got a hold of this prey blend of the stuff, and as they got to drinking they got to daring each other to eat different vegetables. My wolf ate at least five cloves of garlic, he would have kept going, but like Naomi the other canines stopped him. Even with his brushing his teeth, he breath was like garlic for like two or three days after."

"It is safe to say that he's nuts; I don't mind a little hint of garlic in something, but I wouldn't just eat a clove, pickled or otherwise." Will heard Nick comment as he gave the broth another solid stir before moving to again check on the chicken he just needed thawed enough to pull apart.

Much to his relief, when he reached the sink, and tested it the pieces came apart. It was stiff, and there was some tearing of meat and skin, but they separated. Leaving the pieces in the sink, he turned around and doing his best to be swift about it, went for the bowl of already seasoned chicken, bringing the bowl to the sink to altogether sidestep the risk of dropping the chicken by carrying it from the sink.

Once the chicken pieces had been tossed into the bowl Will turned the faucet off then carried it back to the counter where he went about adding in healthy amounts of the seasonings he was using. Using his paws he got the pieces mixed up as thoroughly as they would get then had to make another trip to the sink to clean his paws. That done he went for a baking dish large enough for all the chicken with a big enough lip to catch the juices that would accrue.

Setting the dish he'd found on the counter next to the bowl of seasoned chicken, he dumped the chicken in, gave the baking dish a shake to even out the pieces, then got it into the oven and a timer going on his phone for an hour since he couldn't just shout at Elysia where he was. His phone back in his pocket, he adjusted the heat under the broth that was just starting to boil then went for the jars of mole which took some opening due to the way they were sealed, but once open they were quickly added to the broth with as little splash-back as possible.

Will gave it an initial stir to get the mole paste dissolving much like the buoillon then moved to the fridge, having not forgotten about Judy, or her need for more variety than just rice. Keeping within the Mexican theme to which he'd inadvertently started, he pulled out two large potatoes he was going to cube and fry up. He took them to the sink, and got the water back on, to rinse them while he went to the pantry for a can of beans. The can he found would be big enough there'd be enough beans for everyone else who may want them, besides him and Judy. Back at the sink he got the can open, using a by-paw opener, and the beans drained and rinsed then set aside while he used a peeler to tackle the taters.

Once they were peeled he took two trips moving over to the counter he was using for workspace, then went about getting the pan he needed to fry up the potatoes and a pot for the beans.

"Papas y Frijoles, tambien?" Maria asked him clearly liking the idea.

"Por el Conejo, and Me." Will told her as if he was only cooking the taters, and beans for the two of them.

Maria just widened her eyes at him, doing her best 'cute-cub' look, so he told her with amusement "I may have not grabbed as many papas as I need, will you grab me a couple more, gracias."

The teasing her was worth it to see how her muzzle lit up, and she moved to help him.

While Maria was doing that for him he got the beans in their pot, and heat going under it as well as the pan for the potatoes oiled and heating. He heard as Maria shut the fridge, and he turned to look expecting her to bring them to him, but she was taking the potatoes she'd retreived from the lower crisper to the sink where she started rinsing and peeling them.

Just as he was turning back to start cubing up the potatoes before him he saw Naomi raise up on her hindpaws giving herself the height boost she needed to see better as she stirred the rice, and he could not help finding it completely cute.

So much so he told her "Kawaii."

"Ne?" Naomi asked him as she lowered back down, continuing to stir and mind the rice.

"The way you had to 'Stand' up." He replied with a grin, demonstrating as he did so, adding as he set back down on his heels "You are the size of an average arctic bitch."

"You keep talking like that, I will want to spar with you again, Okami-Sama." Naomi told him, as if he'd been lightly making fun of her, before adding quickly with pointedness "Quit it."

"I was being serious, it was as kawaii seeing you do that, as much as it is when Sophie does it." Will informed her, making it clear he hadn't meant to mock her, before saying to her perfectly willing to spar a round with her "You really wanna go a round or two, we can."

"Okami-sama . . . I am not sure how to take that then... You honor me." Naomi responded to him humbly before telling him "I do not want to. I am in no mood for that."

"Hmph, you say it like that..." Will said to her with amusement as he gave the mole a stir, adding as he got a smaller wooden spoon to stir the beans "You know, an opponent does not care if you are in the mood. As a one Thufir once told a certain Paul, more or less."

He then because he was in the mood, set down the wooden spoon in his paw, and taking a half-step back from the stove he turned to face Naomi then yapped at her, voicing a desire for play.

"Okami-sama... Are you serious?" Naomi asked him in disbelief adding "We are both cooking, are we not."

"We're about at the point where we will have five minutes to kill, or so; the living room is over there." Will told her plainly, absolutely serious.

"Ii-ye" Naomi shook her head before telling him "Maybe sometime tomorrow."

There was then from behind Will to his right a low but playful growl which he turned to and saw his mate crouched lowly on all fours ready to either pounce on him, or run and use her tail to give him something to chase.

"You can go, I can get these papas frying." Maria said to him all on board for the fried potatoes.

"Holler at me when things are close to done, thank you." Will responded before tensing either to catch his mate mid pounce or move down onto all fours to chase her fluffy brush.

His eyes locked on her's she seemed to be debating what to do herself. What Layla seemed to settle for doing was starting to growl then yapping at him playfully before running off.

As soon as his forepaws hit the ground Will was darting after her yapping back. Layla was making a beeline for the far left corner of the room, and he stayed on her tail not quite able to beat her head start.

When they neared the sofa Lola was on, munching on her salmon, she tucked her feet onto the cushions and growled at them warningly. They ignored her though as Layla made him run around the coffee table.

Once they were back onto the main open floor of the living room, Layla tried to zigzag, giving him the opportunity to almost catch her. She rounded on him though, growling in playful defensiveness. Growling back at her, he hopped and nipped at her playfully.

Layla dodged him, and baring her fangs gekkered at him as she attempted to bite him back. With his tail wagging, it was such a simple thing, to use her getting close along with his size and weight advantage to tackle her. Then they were rolling around on the floor, biting at each-other with all the force of a soft grab.

For all his natural ability to dominate her physically, when they settled their rolling, it was Layla who was on top of him. Looking up into her warm amber eyes he couldn't help grinning as he panted. Layla looked him back in the eye a long moment before stopping her own panting and nuzzling into the soft fur of his throat, and along his jaw. His response was to lick what of her head he could reach, including her left ear.

"I am starting to think you were made to be a part of us, our pack my Sister Layla." Lola commented to her adding "No one but me, Sierra, and Sophie have ever liked playing with him like that. Everyone else is too 'civilized' to indulge in that cubbish of behavior."

"Maybe once upon a time, when I was younger, I could do civilized, but after weeks in the field moving on all fours with him, doing nearly everything; I've become conditioned such that I can't go back. As if I'd ever want to." Layla answered Lola thoughtfully before licking him back along his jaw.

"Ya know Sis, I never really noticed that, it never really bugged me, but Yeah. My vixen here has been the only one willing and open enough, to watch, imitate, learn." Will commented to Lola, the thought being quite new to him adding "Quill, the one who came closest, only dipped a toe in the water; nothing like my vixen."

"I wasn't afraid to dive in, and roll around in the mud. To hunt, and bring down quarry." Layla responded to him, not hiding her pride in standing apart, before stating with honesty "At least sixty, I would say seventy, percent of things are actually easier to do on all fours. You run faster, and keep a lower profile, plus scents which fall to the ground are easier to track."

"Right. I use the same skill set in my line of work. When most everyone, except those freerunner types, stay upright when they run, ain't no way they're outrunning someone on all fours. My officer's will tell you it works, 'cause they've seen me and my brother do it, but they won't do it themselves." Lola said in agreement with Layla, having worked the one side of her first salmon down to just the bones, and flipping the fish over adding "They especially balk at the non-lethal and lethal takedowns, afraid using their fangs and tasting blood will make them change into monsters."

"Realize, they've seen me and my vegetable fetish, as one of them once remarked, and understand I've gone a lot farther than they've seen you have to go, against someone who brought that kind of lethal force down on their heads. Seeing how I deal with it, may have reinforced that superstition." Will commented to his sister adding "I wouldn't be surprised if to a degree in their heads, because we're the Guardians, we can handle that which they can't."

"Okay, I kind of can get that. And it pisses me off, makes me want to order them all to attend a meeting, and dress them down for it." Lola told him, her dander getting a little up before adding "But I can't, because they'll just write me off as 'angry pregnant bitch'. Which I partially will be, because that pisses me off. They can go ahead and not use their fucking fangs if they're too fucking chicken, but that doesn't mean they can't do what fucking works better."

There was a short silence in the wake of Lola voicing her ire, seeming on the verge of growling about it, and it got broken by her David greeting them as he came out of the entrance tunnel with a "Hello."

Leaning his head back, which put the other wolf upside down in his vision, Will responded friendlily "Hello, David. Okaeri nasai, welcome home. You are just in time for dinner."

"You. Get over here." Lola said to her David a little intensely, before softening as she added "Please."

"Wel-wecome home? Thank you Will for the invite, I won't say 'No'. Whatever you're cookin' smells delicious." David responded to him a bit taken aback before making his way towards them, asking his sister with concern "What's the matter, Lola?"

"You can work it out with her, but this is my sister's home as much as it is mine, and she and your cub ain't leavin' it. So you gotta move in, and I will pull the Father card on your tail." Will told David plainly as he continued to watch his upside down approach. As easy as it was for him to say, because of how he was thinking about it at David, it still got to him, that particular lie.

"Don't let him scare you, we will work it out in our own time, there is no rush." Lola was quick to tell her David before answering him "There's just a different matter, my brother pointed out, I'd like to discuss with you."

Lola then informed him, her tail thumping as it wagged slowly against the sofa "Dinner is chicken molé, a Mexican dish, with rice, beans, and fried potatoes. Will got it started, but as you can see got distracted, other capable paws are handling it."

"Dis true, one set does in fact come from Mexico, and learned from me, the other learned from her grandmother the way I learned from my mom." Will agreed with Lola about Maria and Naomi's capable paws.

"Yes, how to put love and care into making the kinds of food we Japanese eat. You, Okami-Sama are the one who is like 'I can cook anything from anywhere, I just need the right ingredients and recipe'." Naomi from the kitchen hollered at him.

Naomi was followed by Maria adding "Things are about ready for you put the finishing touches together. Unless you want me to do it."

"Now, I said I'd cook, and I'll do it. I'll be right there." Will hollered back to Maria, quite set on finishing what he'd started like he'd meant to.

With Layla making no moves to get off of him Will had no other choice but to grab her by the shoulders, and roll putting himself on top where he lingered a moment. Long enough to enjoy being on 'top' of his mate, and give her muzzle one last quick lick before getting off of her, up on his hindpaws, then headed right for the kitchen.

"You'll pull the Father card on me?" David asked Will curiously as he was passing the other wolf.

"My cub being born to you, and Lola Will know My Den as their First, and Always Home. Because I want to see their life fostered to the best of my ability." Will answered him hiding none of his sentiment on the matter, and reveling just a little in being able to speak the truth.

"I . . . I wasn't going to say 'no' . . . Father . . ." David responded seeming to shrink a little.

"Good. Well now you know my reason. I want to look out for your future son, or daughter as best I can. Thank you for taking the easy way over the hard way." Will told him before resuming his mission to first check on the done-ness of the chicken that was in the oven.

"What was it Lola you wanted to talk to me about?" Will heard David ask his sister, sounding a bit cowed, but recovering.

"Getting the rest of the department used to doing what works better, fangless like they want it." Will heard his sister answer as he was crossing the kitchen, and reaching the oven.

His focus like a laser, he opened the door just enough to trigger the light, and got a good look at the contents. The blast of hot air he simply endured, as he saw that the skins had gotten a decent light-almost-medium brown, and there were plenty of juices along the bottom of the pan; drippings to be turned into au ju and saved for later.

Shutting the oven door he went for the drawer where he kept pot-holders, and oven mitts. The only sure way to be certain was still to cut into the meat to verify it's doneness, and since he intended to shred it he had no qualms cutting into every single piece just to be that thorough.

His right paw ensconced in a mitt he opened the oven, and pulled out the pan, setting it on the counter to the left of where he'd been working. Then the mitt was off, and he was going for a knife, and the pair of forks he'd need. Standing over the pan full of chicken, it was a simple matter to simply flip the thighs over and cut the bones out before cutting the meat into slices. He was quick, and rough in his slicing as he used the act to verify how done each piece was; the thighs at least had cooked perfectly.

Flipping the breasts over, it was a little trickier to cut the bones away, but they too had at least cooked down to the bone. The breast meat he was a little slower, and less rough with as he made slices that would be easier to shred, since they were thicker, more likely to not have cooked all the way, especially since they'd been still mostly frozen.

Most of the breast meat turned out to have cooked thoroughly, but there were a couple with a little bit of rawness still. The amount was small enough though, that since he was going to shred it and add it to the molé, it would finish cooking there. Moving the bones to one corner of the pan, he traded the knife in his right paw, for the second fork in his left, and set about getting the chicken meat shredded.

Once that was done Will went for a pair of tongs, the right tool, for the right job of getting the meat into the molé. From there he used the wooden spoon in the dutch oven to stir the meat in then checked on the beans and potatoes which were completely done Maria already having the burners under them set at barely on in order to keep them warm.

"Sweetness, the chicken should be done in about five minutes." Will commented as he saw Naomi turning the burner under the rice completely off as she continued to stir it. The smell had him wanting to steal a bit, but he knew it would be way too fucking hot, and burning his tongue was not something he wanted to do.

"The process is a little different, but this is kind of like Mexican curry?" Naomi inquired of him.

"Hmph, or Japanese style curry is like your version of molé." Maria responded musingly.

"There are definitely certain parallels between Japanese style curry in particular to molé." Will mused before telling them "If you ask me it's proof of the universal subconsciousness, how we are all fundamentally connected at the quantum level. Just like the flood myths, and others, which have regional differences across the world, but are still fundamentally the same basic story. Different places have different ingredients, they like different imbellishments."

"It certainly is interesting." Naomi commented in response before saying "That does really smell good"

"Either way, if things really are that... what's the word... esoteric, I find it cool how through getting to know each other's food, through breaking bread together, we can grow bonds, and have peace for the most part. Such is possible, even if it isn't always the case." Maria said to them full of enthusiasm, and hope, even as he could hear in her voice she was thinking about darker bits in her past.

"For the most part." Katarina agreed with Maria before taking a sip from her drinking glass then setting it on the counter having gravitated towards them.

Katarina then said to him half purring out of relaxedness "Are you sure there isn't anything you can do to speed up those five minutes?"

"For the most part, we can foster trade, and have peace; but not with some, like China even if not every person in the country is unamenable." Will also agreed on that front, the example of the worlds dominant communist power coming to his mind, and with it his mental image of Agent Ling who he considered a friend before he answered Kat with "We want the meat to soak up some of the flavor of the sauce, five minutes is already cutting it short. They call it 'love', but it is simply putting care into what you cook, when you cook; it is a secret ingredient I'm not just going to forget. Unless it's just like me I'm cookin' for."

"Mmm... for that I can wait a little longer. I was not that hungry when we came up here, but that does really smell good." Katarina told him adding "I have not had this before, and I very much want to try it."

"Kat, believe it or not I am right there with you. I just want a fat mouthful of rice, then one of mole and potato nevermind the chicken, followed by a few good forkfuls of beans." Will told her knowing full well how good together everything was going to be.

"Nevermind the pollo . . ." Maria commented repeating his words with disbelief, as if they were ridiculous, before adding as if it were an epiphany for her, and made her happy "Home really isn't just one place, it's something we carry with us. Wherever we can gather as family, is home."

"Not for nothing my den is a bunker." Will sing-songed in response amusedly as he stirred the chicken.

"Yes, how does William Grimm the ordinary enough wolf that is The Father think? When it comes to building his own den, he wanted as safe, and comfortable a place as he could get built." Sierra commented with amusement of her own having walked over to the other side of the counter bar.

"Heh, now there's a word that doesn't fit him at all. The William Grimm I know is not ordinary, by a long shot. He's down to earth though, the same earth we're down to; he might be greater than us, but he isn't above us, he likes being right down here in the thick of it with us." Lola's David said to them, finding Sierra's use of the word funny, before saying to him "I really don't have a choice in the matter do I? It might not be official yet, or for a while, but I'm part of this family. Never in a million years would I have thought that'd turn out to be the case."

"Hmm, that is a good way to put it. Okami-sama is Greater than us, but he does not walk as if he is Above us, he walks Beside us." Naomi commented musingly, the way to put things seeming to strengthen her faith.

"Ah, but you do have a choice my Brother behind the Shield, to do something to prove yourself unworthy of being in this family." Will said to Lola's David plainly, merely pointing it out, before telling him "I don't think the likelihood of you doing so is very high, at all."

Will then said in response to Naomi before walking towards the kitchen table "I am beside you Naomi-chan, as flesh and fur as you are. There's no other way for it, given the intel I want to gather, and I do love it getting to roll around in the earth with you my cubs, even with all the dark spots that exist."

"That doesn't sound like any sort of choice I'd ever intentionally make, or be out to make." Lola's David said to Will as he was nearing the other wolf.

"Brother, you're a bastard." Lola told him not quite mad at him, but certainly not necessarily pleased having come back into the kitchen to throw away her fish carcasses.

"What for?" Will inquired of his sister with bemused curiosity.

"You made me realize what about my David I like so much, why I want Him to be my wolf, and you really are just a bastard." Lola answered him as she moved to the garbage can, and tossed the carcasses, before heading towards the sink.

"I really am the luckiest wolf in Ulfhaven." Lola's David made the aside, Will heard, not hiding his own liking for Lola.

"Are you not going to tell us what it is, about your David you like so much?" Sierra asked Lola.

"I am honestly more curious to hear what about my sister has him saying what he just did, the way he said it." Will commented Sierra's way as he neared the table adding "If it's anything close to why I'll tell you Katarina here is as sexy as she is, I am truly going to laugh."

"I will put it to you this way, Sister. He's the only mammal I can think of who comes anything close to being just as fundamentally good natured, and affable as my brother." Lola answered Sierra before turning the water on at the sink, washing her paws.

"She is strong, and no-nonsense, will pick you up, and push you into a wall if she has to, but is also... fair, kind, compassionate I don't know what better word to use. I like that she isn't the small, timid, submissive sort of bitch, and I am lucky as hell she is into me back." Lola's David said to him gushing a little before chuckling then adding "I don't know how to take that compliment she just gave me, other than to say I am guilty as charged Will, a son of the Father, such that you are."

"That's the kind of answer I expected, but now I'm not laughing." Will commented as he reached the table, his desire to laugh having died rather ignominiously.

"Heh, that reminds me of what we were talking about earlier. We are all kinda in that same boat aren't we? The females we like, are female no two ways about it, but they are more male in certain ways, and positively so. Almost as if in counterbalance to the fact we ourselves are male no two ways about it, but have our female-ish traits." Nick said to them with amusement.

"You know that really does make a certain sort of sense, as to why we work so well together. Our differences strengthen us as a team." Judy said to Nick.

"Would you mind giving me your plate Judy?" Will asked her, holding his right paw our for the dish, adding "I want to make sure you have a decent portion, before me and the rest of us fall upon the vegetables."

"Thank you, Will." Judy said to him lifting her plate up towards him adding "It really does smell good in there."

"That. Can I frame that in gold?" Lily asked, not making much sense, before explaining "The Father, showing his true colors, making sure a prey member of his pack is well fed first. An alpha we can all look to, to see what we could really be."

"I hate to break your bubble sweet Lilyana, but I am not doing it for Judy's sake, I am doing it for mine, out of my desire to eat my fill of what I want. And I... don't wanna feel like a dick, for eating more than I need to, and leave her needing seconds. I am being Selfish in a very Objectivist sense." Will said in response to her with a smile before saying to Judy "You are welcome, I am glad you think it smells good, that is half of a cook's battle."

"Hmph, there's no way anyone could fill boots as big as his, but our own boots, we can fill those to the best of our ability." Maria's David commented with a sort of wry bemusedness before chuckling and saying "They ask, 'The Father and what army?', we are that army."

"Now that's the kind of talk I like to hear, I wouldn't encourage anyone to try walking in my pawsteps. Better they use their own feet to walk their own path, filling their own boots as you rightly put it." Will said to the younger wolf, his tail wagging firmly back and forth out of his happiness, adding plainly as he started moving back towards the kitchen "If you want basic training David, I will be more than happy to teach you, you won't have to go through boot camp, and will be able to wipe the floor with any regular fresh out of said boot camp."

"You won't yell at me like a drill instructor? Can I think about it?" David inquired, not quite the response Will expected, having thought the younger wolf would turn him down.

"Though they do it for a reason David, that is not the way I like to teach, of course you can think about it; as long as you like." Will answered Maria's David, a bit of his Scottish accent coming out at the end due to his phrasing, and meaning of the words.

"I can help with that. I could teach him like you taught me." Maria still in the kitchen spoke up offeringly quite happily.

"No, you can train beside him, be my aide, that way will work better." Will was quick to tell Maria, quite meaning it from his gut, adding in explanation as much to them as to himself of why he'd so meant it "It will be better for your relationship, to train beside each other, work together under the same Master."

"That sounds good to me." Maria said to him, without seeming to think very much, happily on board for his way.

"Surely she can teach me a few things before paw? I don't mind the sound of that. I learned from her how to properly handle a pistol just fine." Maria's David asked of him.

"Let me try and put what I meant better." Will said back to Maria's David as he approached the stove, raising his voice enough that it would carry as far as he needed, and just that much "You two are going to learn from each-other regardless of what I say, that's fine, I don't actually care. There are things however I've shared with Maria, I want her to wait-on, and allow me to impart to you as I imparted it to her, so there is no loss in translation."

Will then asked Maria's David as he went about putting on Judy's plate about as much as he'd have put for his friend Petey "Do you think your sister would want to join you?"

At that Maria's David laughed answering him "If I told her about it she'd start drooling. You already have her wanting to join the ZPA as soon as she can. She'd then probably call me ridiculous, for knowing my answer isn't 'no', but still wanting to think about it."

Maria's David then seemed to realize what else he'd said to the younger wolf, and inquired tentatively with trepidation "What sort of things, do you want her to wait on?"

"I know what mi Hermano means, we don't have to go over those things." Maria answered her David.

"Would you two mind getting into the top drawer, over there for pot holders, and take enough to the table?" Will asked Naomi and Maria who did not answer, but readily moved to oblige him.

"Let's just say it's technically illegal, and against the geneva convention for me to teach you, but when your enemies are mammals who don't give two shits about those things anyway, it's the only way to win, live, and achieve victory." Will then answered Maria's David as he was heading back to the table, taking Judy her now full plate adding as he passed the counter-bar "The way Sophie and I played yesterday was the non-lethal version we've simply lived with, odd pack that we are. I've practically written the modern book on the lethal version, and it's so effective because even among those who don't care about what's illegal, or any international convention, going so far, is ingrained as a line too far for all but very few."

"Not going to hold back at all, giving the cubs swords, and teaching them how to use them?" Layla with amusement asked him before saying "No, the Father, isn't. Because self-defense is paramount, and if you can't use the very weapons you were born with to at the very least keep yourself alive, you will die. He does not want his cubs to die. The ability to cross that line, when that's all you've got, has saved my life several times, and I wouldn't have it if it weren't for training with him."

"The closest us Civilized Normal mammals come, is biting to wound enough so you can run away, that's okay. Thinking 'this is the moral high-ground'. More like moral dead ground." Jack commented adding "I can bite to hurt a motherfucker just fine, when the fighting is paw to paw, and that's all i've got, but not even after... Bucky... there are places I can't go, places that need going to in order for us to win, places Will can go, for Our Side against Theirs."

"The taste of blood isn't the greatest, but that's what water is for, washing out your mouth is easy. A hell of a lot easier, than letting yourself get killed." Sky commented, not hiding her dislike for going so far, and determination to stay alive.

"The only reason we can even have our principles in times of peace, is because of the war-fighters who put aside such things, to win us the peace we enjoy." John stated adding "I've talked to enough American Libertarians to know, and understand that quite well."

"You guys are the one's to ask, so how much of the peace we enjoy here, has my brother already won us? His liberating that island notwithstanding." Sierra said to Jack, and Sky.

"Getting to know Will, has been a crash course in that, there are things I can't do, lines I won't cross, limits I place on myself, and because of that, there are battles I can't win, but thanks to Him being there, behind this shield with me, a really big brother, those battles I can't win aren't lost." Judy commented to them, before saying to him as he set her plate before her on the table "Thank you, again, and... are you trying to feed me, and one of my brothers?"

"Eat your fill, and you can either have leftovers for later, or we have ways to make it disappear." Will told Judy before adding with a grin "Habit, the rabbit I'm used to feeding is bigger than most of your brothers."

"It's a miracle Petey isn't fat with how well you would, and still do, feed him." Lily commented jokingly before saying "Did I tell you he's up at the main house? I feel like I did. I saw his truck. He'll probably stay for the campfire."

"You told me, Lily." Sophie informed her.

"Okay, dick move. There was plenty of time for me to call, and have him come over, to eat here." Will told Lily, not really holding it against her, as he moved to head back into the kitchen, adding "By now he's probably already eating with everyone else, mom will have insisted on it."

"At this 'campfire', will there be marshmallows?" Layla with a curiosity that had Will grinning out of knowing the reason, inquired of Lily.

"There will be marshmallows, I bring extra." Lola answered Layla, and Will couldn't help his laugh at her 'barbarian' impression.

"Why wouldn't there be marshmallows?" Lily responded rhetorically before giggling at Lola.

"Dessert, for you, is covered." John said to Layla playfully teasing her.

"It's kind of a tradition, the night is never set in stone, but at least one of the nights we're here, if not a couple, we gather round the fire pit and share stories, pass around a guitar or two. There are always marshmallows to roast, always." Will explained to his mate, and for those who were unaware as he put his paws under the handles of the dutch oven, and lifted the pot clear of the stove then turned to carry it to the table where he saw Maria already had the pot holders necessary in place.

"Yes, yes it is." Layla responded to her dad shamelessly before commenting "It's been well over a year since I had any, roasted . . ."

"You went over a year without even making roasted marshmallows for yourself? Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Martha asked Layla, as if she was about to check her daughter's nose to see if she had a fever.

"I was around fire plenty of times, just needed to buy the marshmallows, but it never occurred to me, if it had I wouldn't have been able to go get them anyway." Layla answered her mom, and Will could hear the sadness, knew just where it came from as she added "The morale boost would've felt hollow, just made the hurt worse, my pack was broken, and my alpha left me... to protect me, but he left..."

"Your alpha is here now, and he's not fucking leaving again. I'm not letting you go either. Like hell will I let another of my pack be taken, as much as I can help it." Will told Layla as he reached the table, and set the dutch oven down.

"I . . . that is exactly what Koche did, he broke our pack..." Sky responded to Layla with bitterness.

"We are down two members, but our pack remains whole. Our pack survives." Jack said to them resolutely, trying to lighten their moods.

"Your pack has grown, and will continue to grow, given the cubs and kits that're on the way." Nick added sincerely in an effort to bolster Jack's intent.

"Cub... can we keep it just one for now? Let others come later." Lola sensitive to the comment asked nervously.

"However many come, is just fine." Lola's David said to her reassuringly.

"We are still lesser, to not have with us those we've lost, but you are are right Nick, and that is how we will have the last laugh, our pack grown greater than ever before." Layla said to the tod, his words having done the trick.

"Hahaha, yes we will." Sky agreed.

"You know babe, I should've called Jenn after we got here, she and Hunter are pack, they belong here." Will commented to her sincerely adding as he was turning to head back to the stove "I can't believe I didn't think of it to begin with."

"I really am sorry I hit you over it earlier. Things, like that do slip your mind, but now that thing isn't; is it?" Layla said to him, very clearly regretting her action.

"Maybe if the situation were reversed, I would not strike you, despite my similar ire, but my love if you were hysterical, and needed the shock to bring you back to your senses, I would strike you as hard as necessary. Besides, we spar hardcore, work everything out, it's water under the bridge." Will responded to Layla seeing no reason not to forgive her about it, reminiscing about previous matches where they'd swung full force at each-other's muzzles. He might have had her beat in terms of size, weight, and power, but she was still wirey, quick, and could pack a punch on par with males her size.

Thinking about that, as he picked up the pan of potatoes, and the pot with the beans, he realized there was another masculine aspect to Layla that turned him on; compared to the male wolves her height, they only had a slight muscle mass advantage on her, highly trained combatant that she was. The fact of it he'd always known, but their conversation earlier shed upon it new light, as it came to the fore of his mind.

"Well, see... if you wouldn't have hit me babe, feeling that same kind of hurt and angry, there's no reason for me to have done it to you. Thank you for accepting my apology, I meant to make it earlier." Layla said to him sounding like she still felt low for it, but was coming out of it due to his forgiveness.

"Is you slapping me like that a habit, babe?" Will asked her as he was carrying the potatoes and beans to the table, wanting her to be done feeling low about it.

"No. Not at all. Never." Layla answered him as if the idea of it being a habit were absurd, and the mere suggestion was flabbergasting.

"Then where is there room for us to not be cool, with each other?" Will inquired rhetorically, meaning for that to end his point

"There isn't any, it doesn't exist. Neither of us will let it." Layla stated quickly with certainty as if it wasn't a fact she could leave unsaid.

"Relationship Goals." Lola's David commented mirthfully.

"I, will drink to that." Nick agreed with Lola's David raising his glass.

"Here, here." John also agreed, likewise lifting his drink.

"Kanpai" Maria added having taken her seat, her own drink hoisted into the air, before everyone around him took a sip from their glasses.

"Okay, if you guys say so." Will commented with a huffed laugh, not getting them at all.

"We are just an odd pair, who work really well together." Layla said to them, as if that were it.

"I think we're all on our way, in our own time; here's to getting there." Maria's David with a burst of youthful vigor put forth, lifting his glass.

"To getting there." Jack with a certain sort of happiness added strongly.

"To getting there." Judy rather heartily agreed, and as Will was setting down the pot of beans on the holder which happened to be closer to Jack and Sky there was another round of sips taken.

"I did not forget about you, brother." Will said to Jack, as he held the pan of potatoes, so all the buck had to do was scoop what he wanted onto his plate.

"I didn't think you had." Jack said to him reaching forward, after having set his drink down, to get a couple healthy scoops of the fried potatoes, adding "I'll get at the molé with my vixen."

"Well, then y'all dig in, and I'll make my attack on what's left." Will said to them as he set the potatoes down on the nearby potholder then moved to take his seat at the head of the table.

"You want a refill?" Katarina asked him, as she was standing next to his chair, having gotten up to refill her own glass.

"If you would be so kind, spasibo." Will answered her as he neared his chair.

"Eto nichto." Katarina responded casually as she leaned down picking up his glass then carrying it with her.

As Will sat in his chair, enjoying the load he was taking off, he grinned contentedly watching his pack help themselves to the food. He had hoped he'd made enough for everyone to get their fill, and while Katarina wasn't putting her dent in it yet, it seemed like there was plenty at which Will sighed, leaning further back into his chair.

Watching everyone, and knowing up at the main house the scene was about half an hour ahead of them, it sank into Will again the future he was fighting for, where the peace they presently knew was only furthered. That thought had him silently encouraging everyone to eat, and maintain their strength reserves. Then he noticed even Lola was getting herself a helping, although about a quarter the portion her David had gotten on his plate.

"Really you feel like risking it Sister?" Will asked Lola, very much not wanting her to end up regurgitating anything, so that the cub inside her stayed nourished, and that she did as well.

"Go easy on Momma, okay?" Lola's David quite casually addressed said cub soothingly, as he reached over rubbing Lola's abdomen.

There was no fighting the ear to ear smile that split his muzzle, as Will found the other wolf's natural reaction heartening.

"Damnit, David, I'm not gonna cry at dinner, like I did at breakfast. Way to go being the closest wolf in Ulfhaven to my brother." Lola fighting with her emotions, and seeming to just barely manage, said to her David before giving Will a look as if to say 'back off my food', and saying to him "Right now it just smells too good, I'll risk it."

"You have mammals around you who want nothing more than to see you stay healthy, and that cub inside you born fat. We love you Sis, albeit differently." Will said to her in mild defense of her David.

"You can say that again, Big Brother." Sophie commented before saying to Lola "That is exactly what we want, because we love You, and the new life growing inside you."

"If the need be, heaven and earth shall be moved." Sierra with confidence stated, before adding in her agreement with Sophie showing the alcohol in her system was taking effect "Aye."

"Count me in, to help that moving, at least until I'm out of commission too. Getting this preview, I'm not sure I'll be able to take it. No choice, though; I want to bear that new life." Layla said to them with honesty.

"Damnit, not you too." Lola said to Layla as if she'd poked her with the emotional stick before adding with her emotions thick in her voice "My turn to say Aye to that my Sister. Because I want to bear this new life, And see the new life you are going to bear."

"I would ask if there is something in the air, but where is the lie in what you are saying?" Katarina said to them as she set his drink in front of him for which he said to her again "Spasibo."

"Ecto nichto." Katarina waved him off with her free paw, with a shoo-ing motion as she moved towards her own seat.

"I don't know about moving heaven, I'll leave that to you, but I can move a good bit of dirt." Lola's David said to them before saying to Will in particular "That's damn right, we want this cub born fat. Your future kit too; fat, and healthy."

"I don't know about moving heaven either, I just know about moving dirt 'cause it's here on this earth we are." Will responded with a shrug before moving his chair a bit closer to the table, still getting comfortable.

"We don't need to know how to do it, or if it can really be done, should it need to be we'll figure it out." Sierra replied to both him, and Lola's David with conviction.

"I know what you guys mean, but can you stop saying 'born fat'? How about just healthy?" Lola asked them adding showing where their phrasing got to her "I don't want my cub born overweight."

"Nope, Fat." Will told his sister plainly.

"Yep, Fat." Lola's David agreed warmly.

"Let them be born heavy, they're gonna grow, and won't stay that way forever. You're worrying about nothing." Sierra with more eloquence, than their bluntness, cut to the heart of the matter with Lola.

"Newborns already look pudgy... and cute..." Layla said to Lola conversationally until the thought got to her she trailed off only to turn to Will and half-whine half-yowl at him.

"Gotta get you pregnant first." Will said to her, not knowing what else to tell her, or what it was she wanted to hear, gesturing with his paws pad-side up, and his ears erect at angles.

"Honey, have You ever heard a vixen make a sound like that?" John asked his mate, seeming quite perplexed.

"Not frequently, but I've heard it a few times. From very strongly mated vixens, overdue for being impregnated by their mates, usually consulting a doctor about it with said mates." Martha answered John before commenting teasingly encouraging to Will with a devious grin "I know you just sat down, sweetie, but you may want to take her and go give her a good knotting, for her sake."

"Nope, she can be a good little vixen, and wait, we'll be stuck enough later. I wanna eat, and she needs to also." Will could not help deflecting from going down that suggested route, both because he was hungry, and it was his mother-in-law doing the suggesting before chuckling at Martha's tease.

"Judy, can or do rabbit does make a similar sort of sound?" Nick with a nervous sort of curiosity inquired of her.

"They can, it is a similar sort of sound... just not nearly as loud." Judy answered him still taken aback by hearing Layla.

"Hmm." Nick hummed taking in that bit of information.

"Yeah, we'll be stuck enough later; I still want to enjoy this dinner." Layla said for herself adding "I just needed to get that out of me."

"Dinner is just in the way of the marshmallows, isn't it?" Will warmly asked his mate teasingly as he was waiting for Kat to finish filling her plate before he got his own plate taken care of.

"Well, yes, but no. I fully intend to enjoy this food you guys made." Layla responded to him, his attempt to tease her seeming to dissipate against the shield of her seriousness.

"You're gonna." Sophie said to Layla as she'd already started tucking into her food, with a happy hum as she got another forkful in her muzzle.

"Okay, now I get the curry comparison, though the spices are way different, more earthy." Judy commented having gotten a forkful of her own adding with a smile "I am a happy bunny."

"Good. Good." Will responded to hearing that from Judy as he went about filling his plate, putting equal, dents compared to what the rest of them had done, in the beans and rice.

"I am getting the feeling the cub in me is okay with this... I hope I'm not jinxing myself." Lola commented before slowly putting another forkful in her muzzle.

"Even better." Will added sitting back with his full plate, before brandishing his fork at the contents then attacking them.

The flavors suffusing his tongue had his tail wagging out of his happiness, and slight smugness, to have done a good job of cooking the dish he intended to.

"We did a good job, my sisters." Will complimented Maria and Naomi since without them he couldn't have managed quite as well as he did.

"We are pack. Working together, and well, is just what we do." Naomi downplayed his compliment.

"We have brought a little more Home to this place." Maria stated warmly.

"A big space like this could never hurt for more of that." Martha commented in response to Maria adding "I can feel it."

"It helps that there's more than three or four mammals here, filling out this den." Sophie stated quite happy for the circumstance.

There was a lull then in the conversation as they each were more focused on their plates. Will couldn't help his grin, happy, but nervous as he looked up to see Lola almost done with the smaller portion she'd gotten herself. He was hopeful it would stay down, on her behalf, but knowing how things usually went, that hope was not quite going to make it.

Will then looked over to Layla next to him, and recalled the sound she'd made. 'Make me pregnant!' he'd understood it clear. It still floored him a little, the way it had done things to him. All he wanted in those moments was exactly that, and it pleased him to see her enjoying her dinner. His tail wagging he turned his gaze back to his own meal, further attacking it while his mind wandered thinking about the good it would do to hear Elder Frost over the fire, given how much his position had changed in just a few short months.

"I really have to tell you, Lord Grimm, we came here just to have a vacation not too far from home, but far enough; I never would've thought we'd run into our daughter, and the rest of you. Yeah, Alice said you were headed up here, after we'd settled in at the Inn, but this isn't exactly that small a small place." John spoke up honestly bareing what was on his mind.

"Lord Grimm... of Ulfhaven... If nothing else, let me be known as a family mammal, who wants nothing more than for his family to prosper. And not just my family, but all families, at the most basic of levels, from the ground up." Will responded tangentially, musing on his soon to be father in law's usage of the appellation before saying to the tod "True enough Ulfhaven is becoming more small city by the year, instead of the medium town it was. I am really happy we did bump into each other, I hope you're okay with how we are an oddly functioning semi-dysfunctional sort of motley group."

"It doesn't hurt that dad and the council keep the regulations to making sure the environment stays cared for, so businesses can continue to flourish, so long as they do the median level necessary, they're good." Lola commented with a satisfied look on her muzzle, having cleaned her plate, and what she'd gotten down seemed to be staying that way.

"We're each examples of significantly not normal, but together we are formidable." Layla commented in response to him before joking with her dad "Now that you said that, it makes me suspicious."

Layla then rather playfully stuck her tongue out at her dad.

"Wow, okay. I guess Will's goofball-ness has rubbed off on you." Sierra said with amusement to Layla.

"No, she comes by it honestly, trust me." Martha corrected Sierra before telling him "Having worked as a nurse my whole career, I can tell you, a bit of mild dysfunction helps the works, so long as it's kept small, manageable."

"I think I'm starting to see why he fell for you, Layla. You are all adult, and sharp for it, but still a cub at heart." Lily commented to her with a mild bit of awe.

"No, she saw me at my darkest, and was not afraid that I'd been lost to that low level completely; in so being was the major reason I came out of it." Will said to Lily adding with a light laugh "Her being a cub at heart like me, in the ways she is, is just bonus."

"Oh, I was afraid, there was fear in me, but it could not outweigh my hope." Layla said in response to him "My hope that I could reach him, and he was still there. Which he was."

"And just how dark does our beloved William get?" Lily inquired as if sure they were exaggerating a good bit.

"That's classified." Jack was first to answer her.

"There is a sanitized answer. Would you like the more recent tangible example?" Will replied to Jack, and asked Lily back.

"Try me." Lily told him, full of self-confidence.

"Outside this meatbag shell I'm a devourer of souls. In this life I've come about as close to that as I possibly can, maybe I could get closer, I'm done doing that. Here and no further do I wanna go. I say, but necessity may force my paw whether I like it or not." Will gave her the sanitized truth, letting her have it, adding "A pair of ZIA agents were surreptitiously manipulated into going rogue, and targeting me. They decided to use Judy here against me, as bait, after showing they were in possession of a highly lethal designed drug and unafraid to play with it. Their idea was they could get me to eat her, and use that as justification to kill me. I killed one, and used his body parts to make the other talk, before killing him too. They got the idea I'd eat her for a reason, due to how it's recorded in the file; that mammal, the master of Hedone, did indeed have his remains turned into a stew that would have been quite delicious regardless of meat, but I wasted it on purpose. To get close enough to do all that, and complete the rescue mission, I did have to dine with that bastard."

"Enough." Sky told him before saying, clearly wanting for a different subject "You gave him exactly what he deserved. It's a lifetime ago now; we've moved on, and we're gonna keep on moving on."

"If we do our jobs, and play our cards right, we can reduce the chances necessity might force your paw." Jack said with confidence, wanting to look on the brightside.

"You stewed a rabbit cannibal? Then wasted him?" Lily asked before laughing at the humor in it, as she'd put it, then saying "So someone tries to use part of your pack in a trap, and you go John Rambo on them? You're gonna be like Liam Neeson in Taken, only a real life version, as a dad aren't you?"

"So Bucky the Bloody really was that vile? I can look past you having to eat at his table, given you gave him what I'd call poetic justice." Martha said to him making no bones about it.

"Well, the idea would be from day one, any and every cub of mine is going to learn how to avoid abduction, and defend themselves with even their fangs when that's all they've got. Should they get abducted well the film does illustrate an ideal to strive for; I do have a similar sort of skillset." Will said to Lily, with amusement over her making that comparison, before telling her "It's not a fucking joke Lily, just don't ask what I did with Pierre, Bucky's chef, he was a boar, a well fed and fat boar."

"You really don't want to know what he did, but I can confirm, pieces were used for fishbait, and fish seem to like the stuff." Layla added to Lily.

"We are trying to finish dinner, not destroy our appetites." Katarina commented to them.

"It doesn't exactly kill my appetite to know the sick fucker who thought he could fatten me up with salad covered in a blood based vinaigrette got what happened to him." Jack responded to Kat, before taking another bite of his food adding "If anything I have been, and still am, more happy to enjoy the cooking of the mammal who did that doing as it were."

"Okay, I may know how, and that you can make a blood ice cream, but that was using chicken blood. A sick part of me does want to know Will, just to hear the horror of it, and know you put an end to it, but not over dinner, and I'm not exactly gonna press you for it." Lily said to him as she picked up what he was laying down.

"I second that." Judy backed up Lily wholeheartedly "A sick part of me wants to know, because I can imagine what Will did, given he did what he did just because I was in danger, but not over dinner, and not any time soon."

"Pieces of Pierre, tossed off the pier. Here fishy, fishy, fishy." Nick said rather poetically.

"Hahaha that is exactly what I did, I caught a shark." Layla laughed brightly, quite happy with herself.

"You didn't exactly shoot it to kill it, did you? Hehe." Will asked his mate amused that this was the opening for subject change Kat wanted.

"Nope, I fought it, And I Won." Layla stated brimming with joyous confidence, a smile lighting up her muzzle before she turned to him, and added "We all ate good that night, us and the cubs. It really is good to see Senna doing so well."

"Sly assured me the families of those who had those to go back to were vetted, same as the families those who didn't were." Will was quick to tell her, thinking she would want to know about the rest of them, since that was all he knew before his muzzle fell remembering Sly was gone, and he'd personally handled that matter.

"They were. We can go back through our records, do a follow-up." Skye stated adding "All of Sly's files went to Char, She stored them. Records will tell you She burned them, I know she didn't. She wouldn't have. She couldn't have."

"I didn't think of that, that way, until you just said that, but that would have been such a Koche thing to do. Order a daughter to burn her father's old files, after looking them over for the choice bits." Jack commented, as if his distaste for his boss couldn't grow, before adding "Only Char was the first one in his office."

"How much do you wanna bet she has seen to carrying on that bit of her father's legacy. I'll call her later." Layla asked them, quite in good spirits.

"See if you can get her out for a coffee, or lunch break when we're back in the city. It'll be good to see her again." Will suggested to his mate as he realized how long it'd been since he'd last seen Char.

"You caught a shark, and fought it to death? Then used the meat to feed the cubs you'd rescued something fresh, and wholesome?" Martha asked her daughter.

"This is classified, you would do well not to repeat it. Waiting on a boat, for Will to give the signal, I saw sharks in the water. I had plenty of time to chart the spot. Will is the one who got the island security to flip, and help us, he did the heavy lifting. We had the cake-walk, any resistance was terminated very quickly, we had surrounded the island afterall. Once things had settled, It was late for dinner, I was hoping the sharks were still there, I only asked Will if there was enough stuff in the kitchen to use for bait, I accepted the bucket he gave me without question, wasn't till later he told me it wasn't chickens." Layla answered her mom with the full story "Anyway, we had to use spotlights to see, each boat was able to get at least one, I got our boat's first one. It was really just a matter of hanging on while it thrashed, and biting until it stopped."

"I ain't gonna lie, she was very sexy then; not that that's changed, but there are quicker, and cleaner ways to kill a fish, even with just a knife though when all you've got is your fangs, you had better not be afraid to do what you have to." Will told them likewise remembering that night with fondness "We all ended up catching about seven between us, it was enough have a small beach party of sorts. It was good to watch it sink in with everyone, how free they then were."

"So you let her play with it?" Sierra asked him with amusement before adding "I take it you used a big knife for the one you caught?"

"Two, and yes, I had just a typical bowie knife then. We did not kill the whole school, we stopped when we got what we needed, I caught the last fish." Will answered Sierra then told her "She wanted the challenge of doing it that old fashioned way, why wouldn't I let her have her fun? You think you can find another city bitch like that?"

"I know a couple, who'd use their fangs to kill a shark. I can even think of one who probably already has, she sure did it to an ostrich. You guys would like her, she's kind of kooky." Nick said to them plainly.

"I can think of one, who works with us, she'd be sold on the idea of wrestling a shark at least." Judy commented.

"Most of the bitches in Ulfhaven, you'd have to aim the gun, and pull the trigger for, or put your paw over theirs and push the knife in." Sierra responded to Will before telling him "I get you, the top of my list of Ulfhaven bitches who would be able to do all of it themselves is me, Lola, and Splasher."

"Splasher?" Layla inquired quizzically.

"Mrs. Noble, Jan, mom of Veronica Noble who we went to school with, our kouhai, likes to naked river fish. She's good at catching fish, and will catch what she means to first, but then she starts doing it just to be splashing around. She's been Splasher since before we were born."

"Veronica? Works at the Witches Brew?" Judy asked curiously.

"Yep, that Veronica." Sophie answered Judy simply.

"Okay, I kind of want to see that now, just to see if the shark wouldn't manage to throw her off." Will stated, able to clearly picture how the shark would likely throw her off, and how he'd cheer if she managed to hang on, and do the deed, before commenting glumly "I doubt she'd go for it, even if I ran it by her. What do you say, Lily?"

"I say I really don't think my cousin's mom will go for it, you're right about that, but it would be awesome to see her do it, at her age. I would cheer for her." Lily told him.

"It would be awesome to see her do it." Lola agreed adding in her two cents "I can picture her being like 'you want to see me what?' then laughing, and calling us crazy cubs."

"Well we are kinda that, just a bunch of wild and crazy cubs. Who simply got a bit bigger, and a little older." Sierra joked mirthfully.

"Don't forget a little rougher 'round the edges." Will said to Sierra adding "At least in my case anyway."

Their conversation remained light as they finished eating, putting quite a dent in all that had been made. As Will looked upon it he was glad they'd made enough that if they wanted they could make a small breakfast, needing only to scramble some eggs.

Katarina, and Sierra when the time came for it cleared the leftover food from the table, while Sophie, and Layla went for plates. Will ahead of his mate, and his little sister moved to the dishwasher to load it, and let it run while they were up at the fire. Lola walked by him as he was opening the dishwasher, and turning to face the incoming vixens, going for the pantry and the large marshmallows.

It didn't take long for the dishwasher to get loaded, and the detergent was an easy thing for Will to retrieve from under the sink where it was kept. After filling the detergent slot in the inside of the door, he shut the machine, and turned the dial starting it then put away the detergent.

Sierra, and Kat had gotten the leftovers into plastic containers they put in the fridge, and the dirty pots stacked next to the sink, to be washed by paw later. Together the five of them headed towards the foyer where Lola was waiting the eager point mammal, as her posture and tail telegraphed, with her left paw holding her David's, and a jumbo bag of jumbo marshmallows tucked under her right arm.

Seeing his sister's eagerness, put the same sort of bug in him, and having his paws free he fell forward into a quadrupedal lope in order to take over her point position. Next to him he felt his mate as much as he saw her, and knew she was going for Lola's side, particularly the one with the marshmallows. Turning around as he became the one farthest down the entry way, by about a body length, Will was vindicated seeing Layla standing next to his sister ready to move in step with her, focused on the bag. Layla then looked at him, and cantered towards him before turning to face Lola, encouraging his sister to follow.

"You're funny sister, you're the one still headed my way; let's go." Lola stated to his vixen, beginning to step towards them down the entry way, her David easily beside her, and everyone else following suit behind her.

Layla simply yapped at Lola in affirmation then darted ahead of him only to look at him as if he should 'catch up'.

Will simply grinned at her, lifting his right lip in half snarl, and gave her a grunted half-growl then used every inch of his quadrupedal stride to put himself ahead of her. Getting about three of his body lengths ahead of Layla he turned to give her the look she'd given him. Seeing she was already trotting after him, and half way there already, he moved to meet her, his tail wagging as he intended to lick her muzzle.

Layla paused mid-step, and practically nuzzled into the lick he gave her when he reached her before continuing at a leisurely pace towards the entrance. Once his tongue was back in his mouth, Will joined his mate keeping his left shoulder in line with her right.

"How often do they get like this?" John inquired curiously, and it took Will a second to realize the tod meant the two of them.

"They used to operate like this, for weeks on end, in the field. It's how they were so effective. Practically unstoppable, nevermind the rest of their unit doing the same; because of how fast they can shoot and scoot as snipers call it." Sky answered John adding "Be warned, that when he gets stuck like this, Will will do to you 'Known Friendly', what he just did to Layla, because he is an affectionate alpha."

"Yeah, they can fire on a target, then with a much lowered profile, run at thirty miles per hour for several miles, then fire again, and run again." Jack commented adding with amusement "The only reasons soldiers aren't taught to do the same because the tactics are superior, is because in the past only small guerrilla bands that took the knowledge to their graves used them, and the 'civilized' victors frowned on such behavior, and in more modern times, all anyone has seen is these two weirdos, being weirdos. Civilized mammals still frown on such behaviour."

"It was either adapt to the Ranger Scout being a Bush Mammal, or fall behind, and I wasn't about to fall behind. Thirty miles per hour, is just the speed we can cruise at, and really cover distance, we can run faster, maybe not quite as fast now but still." Layla said for herself in answer.

"I didn't really have reason to do it during basic, but during survival training; I hunt chicken, turkey, and ostrich this way, I'll go retrieve a duck like this, it served me well simply expanding the idea to move like this to that bit of fun." Will commented plainly before adding with some amusement "The rest of the class wanted to know how the fuck I made it to the Echo Zulu first, and the instructors not wanting to inspire Un-civility ordered me not to say anything. It was either keep quiet, or lose the commendation they were gonna give me, and get reprimanded instead with my score being downgraded to barely passing."

"People might think to use mammals made 'savage' as weapons, and that is something we've got to worry about, but no one would think to fight like a savage. Maybe we could learn a lesson or two by thinking outside that box." Nick stated the tod clearly thinking on it adding to him and Lola "After seeing how the two of you made a show of sparring, Will, Lola, I'd say nearly all of us civilized mammals have a repulsion towards doing that sort of thing."

Nearly all, but there's bound to be a couple." Sierra in response mused asking him "What would you do Will if you were up against someone who would come at you fangs first, as on all fours as you are, and just as comfortable?"

"There's a lot of variables that'd go into that, like what species are they, just how comfortable are they. Their main goal will be you're throat, even if they start somewhere else, to make an opening; I'll have to cross that rubicon when I get there. Thank my lucky stars of the midnight range I have not had to go against anyone like that yet. I have not encountered that kind of counterpart. I would hope that upon meeting such a one, there can be peace between us rather than strife, but who knows?" Will answered his cousin.

"Well, technically..." Layla said to him "I could fight you like that, but we are one on the same side; killing you is antithetical to my self interest, to my desires. Hurting you is the direct opposite of what I want to do."

"Yes, Technically, for arguments sake, you are indeed my counterpart in that, but ah we have quite the peace between us; do we not, my love?" Will responded to her adding with an amused grin as they continued their way up towards the entrance, not hiding his love for her "My Bitch. I could not have said it better myself, harming you is the complete polar opposite of what I want to do. We're gonna have kits, it'd be sorta retardedly self defeating."

"I could do it. Fight you fang and claw to the death, moy Brat, and win, but you are moy Brat. You'd have to do things... Unconscionable... and there would have to be proof that passes muster... the idea of you doing such things is laughably absurd." Katarina said to him, merely pointing out the fact, and making it clear how she had no quarrel with him.

"It is laughably absurd. Our William would do the kind of unconscionable things like that, that'd warrant that kind of response." Lily agreed, sounding like she was barely holding in her laugh.

"Our William?" Layla inquired clearly simply curious, and not jealous.

"I am an Ulfhavener who Keeps him, he may be a distant cousin, but he's family. One of the Best of Us. What sort of family doesn't keep the best of it's own?" Lily responded plainly.

"The kind that clings to it's worst members, because they're family. It happens, unfortunately." Lola's David answered Lily with the heavyhearted-ness of someone who'd seen what they described before adding "You are damn right though, here is another Ulfhavener, quite adamant we're Keeping our William. Maybe not everyone in town will agree, but most will, with the same pride we feel."

"Are you sure you wanna stand by that Lily? Me, one of the best? I mean, I try, but I did do to Pierre what I did, and I'm not above doing it again as needed." Will asked her, on the one paw enjoying their praise, but on the other paw feeling it was too much.

"He was a bad mammal right?" Lily inquired with a slight bite.

"The first 'dinner', if you can call it that, he cooked for me, and Bucky, thinking he'd do his part of helping Bucky woo me, his prisoner, was veal. Do you know what veal is? I didn't, they both were quite proud to describe it." Sky answered her not hiding how the memory was hard for her adding "I cannot tell you how happy I was when Will, replaced him, and put a turkey breakfast burger in front of me."

"Veal?" Lily asked as if finding the word strange before giving him her answer "Doing bad things to bad mammals doesn't make you as bad as them. You'd only do it to bad mammals, they'd do it to anyone just because they feel like it and can."

"A newborn calf is chained up, in a pen only big enough they can move out of the way while you clean it, all it can really do is eat when you feed it, lay on the floor, and shit everywhere until you clean the pen. Your goal, is to keep it from moving, while feeding it quite richly, and when it's big enough, fat enough, not old enough to start talking, you kill it because the whole idea was get the best meat possible. Red meat full of what is called 'marbling' with fat, for supposed succulence, and I mean marble like the stone, not like the foxes. That red meat, is called veal." Will answered Lily before telling her "You might have a point, I will only do what I did to Pierre, to those who do like Pierre did."

"I was gonna tell you not to answer that, damnit. That just... hearing you say it again, it hurts just as much as the first time... to know it's not just some hundreds of years ago horror, that once was done to a mammal." Lola said to him with a sad whine.

"That is absolutely horrible. Oh my god..." Judy commented with horror, and a pained whine echoing Lola.

"This Pierre did that to someone?" Lily asked wanting confirmation, before whining as well.

"He did it to several someone's, and then some." Will told her adding "Those who were still in the pens, I got them taken care of medically, such that that island had a hospital due to the brothels. They were not going to become food under my watch. Luckily there was enough stuff in the larder, I could afford to do that without Bucky being much the wiser."

"You ate him didn't you? That's how there were enough pieces for your mate to go shark fishing?" Lily asked him seeming sure she was right adding "So our world has something similar to The Punisher, in you? That just makes me feel stronger that you're one of the best of us; what the bad mammals will do to us, you'll do right back at them; give them a taste of their own medicine. That sounds like everything I'd want the Father to be like in the fur, full of love for us common mammals, and full of all of that for the real bad mammals, who'd do such horrible things."

"I can, and will not, confirm or deny that. I am still someone who'd do such horrible things, above and beyond just killing a killer outright, as skin them, chop them up, cook them . . ." Will responded, not about to relinquish that bit of classified information, before telling Lily as they were about halfway to the entrance "I never really was one for comics in general, manga is more my speed, but yeah I guess I have been something like The Punisher, such that I've been able to be."

"Around and around it goes, we mammals can be absolutely horrible to one another. Maybe you are just another part of that cycle, but after the mammals like this Pierre have spread so much suffering, as you so aptly put it unnecessary suffering; I think you can be forgiven eating him, no different than we'd forgive someone for killing an indisputable pedo. Where it's not a matter of an accusation leveled at someone to ruin them, but a matter of there is indisputable evidence, leaving it beyond a shadow of a doubt." John commented before adding philosophically "While it's better for mammals like that to go through the due process wringer first, in case it is a false accusation, and that scrutiny must be as unbiased as possible, especially in such cases, sometimes, as you illustrate with Bucky and Pierre, there is neither time, or place for such luxuries."

"How is the phrase? He got what he deserved." Martha commented before asking Will "Weigh the lives you've saved, against what you had to do in order to save those lives, which tips the scales? Was it worth it?"

"That is not a fun math equation to reason out. Whether he says so, or not, from our side of things it's been worth it to have him go as far as he has." Sky answered the question first.

"I am unaware of any such event taking place, nor would I be disposed to discuss such an event, if it did in fact take place." Will deflected from Layla's father simply rolling with the idea he'd eaten Pierre before answering her mom with a heavy sigh "If the lives I've saved are one mountain, and the lives I've taken are another... The lives I've taken is a matter of record, classified, but recorded, the number is finite. The lives I've saved? How could the number possibly be found?"

"Well given how you've saved many lives from being trafficked in the future, by removing the traffickers that you could; for the small and limited force that we are, and smaller now than we were, we've only managed to put a limited band-aid on a gash the world has always had." Layla said to him the two points she meant to make to him sort of blending together, but he got what she meant.

"The only thing that can truly erase the need for slaves, totally obliterate the demand, is the widescale prevalence and affordability of robots, that can take on all menial tasks. Hmm, now when we get sex bots, cheap enough anyone can get one... that'll be a real game changer. A robot can be made to order, and by default is programmed to obey..." Will mused as he responded to his mate, very much wanting to see the world where robotics were that advanced and ubiquitous, not just for the bots, but for what that meant for cyberization before asking everyone as he had the thought "Force Maximization is the name of the game, should I... start thinking about embracing... the way people are gonna see me as the Father, whether I like it or not, and how I can move all of them to do the most good? Enlist their help as it were?"

"We are going to release, an albeit edited, 'declassify-able' version, of the recording I took earlier, at the ice cream parlor. Mammals across the world, will be able to hear multiple Voices, Speak, and make up their own minds." Jack said to him adding "You might as well make use of those who will want it, they will want it. I mean, commies make use of useful idiots, and look how far they get; to use their example."

"Do it, Father. Many, and more of us will be happy to answer the call." Lily readily told him full of confident encouragement.

"Remember once Paul Muad'dib set in motion his Jihad, he could not stop it, only let it wear itself out" Sierra said to him with the seriousness as if it were a historical fact.

"Okami Sama we will require your guidance." Naomi answered him humbly.

"Is there a Jihad we might wage, Sestra?" Katarina inquired of Sierra.

"You might consider a charity organization, enlisting the help of everyone who would be begging for you to lead them; instead of the Followers of the Apocalypse, you could have the Followers of the Father." Lola's David suggested adding "Only with service mammals like us as members, there'd be a more militant bend, we'd be more than ready to act as a police force, training mammals in the basics of self defense and trigger discipline."

"See which way the wind blows, play it by ear; my vote." Layla said to him.

"Hmm..." Will mulled over the idea Lola's David had put forth before starting with his response to Katarina "If there is a Jihad I might wage it will be against censorship. I want to live in a nation where nothing ever gets bleeped, or blurred out, in terms of nakedness, sex, and violence. Whether it is art, and fake, or real no matter how gross it's free expression and speech; barring what real stuff is evidence of crime in active or recently active investigations. I don't want cub porn or snuff films propagated, but the world needs to know the shit exists, and that those who create it get prosecuted and executed."

Will then answered Lola's David "Given my desire, to see all the knowledge of the world stored like a giant snapshot kept as current as possible, a modern Alexandrian Library similar to that seed bank in the arctic circle. I could kiss you, David, that is one hummdinger of an idea; I am just one mammal, with limited time, and power. That is the kind of thing, that isn't calling for me ruling, or conquering, and I can ask for help from every mammal whose will is with mine; I'm just the catalyst, the spark everyone was waiting for, to get the ball rolling. I Can get the ball rolling. The snowball can become an avalanche."

"Sounds like my kind of Jihad." Nick commented half joking, half serious.

"How about I kiss him for you?" Lola asked him, clearly putting herself in the middle.

"Yeah, you don't need to kiss me Will, Lola can do it; you won't hear me complain." Lola's David was quick to tell him.

"A non-profit in the name of the Father of Wolves? One branch to archive, one branch to guard? Rev and I can train up mammals." Katarina offered readily before telling him "If you want to live in that kind of nation, I am afraid moy brat that you will have to make it, out of this one if nothing else. It is no easy thing to change an existing culture; it can be done, but if you want results in our lifetime you're gonna have to order some things top-down. Stalin, only motivated by liberty, not communism, or power for power's sake."

"Children of the Father. We are not Followers, there a places He goes, we cannot, but We Are Children. We make our own paths as forthrightly as the example he has always given us. We have Seen, We have Known, the Light of Him, in Him, and it is a Fire now eternally kindled in our hearts, in our souls." Lily stated beginning to scare him with how like a fundamentalist christian she was sounding to his ears, nevermind how that devotion was pointed at him, before weakly commenting as if the effort had taken a bit out of her "To give you what one of them would sound like. Though I agree with it all, count me a Member I guess heh-heh; I like the idea of our name being the Children of the Father."

"Lilyana, please, let the calming rain temper your fire; there is such a thing as burning too brightly." Will said to her voicing his concern before telling her "That, Children of the Father does have the right sort of ring to it. First order of business will be making it permanently clear, it's just the name, and membership isn't limited to canidae only, and is not limited by canidae either. Those whose will is with ours, and prove true, will be allowed, those who only say their will is with ours will be kept out; those who prove true can stumble and fall, they'll get back up again."

"Yes... We have not just Seen, we continue to Know, the Light that is in Him." Layla agreed, getting emotional and sniffling before saying thickly "As one who has a piece of that Light, in my arms to keep safe; I'm never gonna let it go, I will always be it's First Keeper. All of my Love for Him is bent on it."

"Count me a Member with you Lily; my will was already in this place, to live forthrightly, doing the best I can, just like Him. Maybe I can't fight against the forces of evil, like Bucky and Pierre, the way He can, but all that I can do, I will do." Judy said to her with calm, but firm conviction.

"My heart is in your paws, just as my soul in in the Mother's; this is known, my love." Will was quick to respond to his mate before saying in response to Judy's words "That's right, there a many mammals already in this same place I am, these are the paws we're given let's make this world more worth the fight; not only is membership gonna explode... we're gonna need mammals in place, to handle what we can't due to our day jobs. Hmm..."

He was going to then ponder it, what he might do to get ahead of things, but his mate in response to him half-pounced onto him whining at him and biting his head and the back of his neck with all the force of a feather. Stopping in his tracks, he endured it until she was done effectively teething on him, grinning the whole while at how she was being like an emotional cub.

When Layla began to nuzzle, and scent mark the top of his head he had an idea so he laid down where he was bringing Layla's front half down with him telling her "Hop on."

With a small happy chirp of a whine Layla moved her right hind leg over his back, laying on top of him. Will then stood up, and wearing his mate as much as he was carrying her resumed their way forward, in the final third of the way up to the surface.

"So that's what a quadrupedal fire-mammals carry looks like?" Nick inquired musingly.

"Something like that; you have to make sure you don't move too fast, the person you're carrying can roll off, especially if they're losing consciousness, or unconscious. It's great for keeping a low profile while under fire." Will answered him casually.

"I'm not going to lie, vixen tail looks good on you brother." Sierra said to him a bit teasingly, but meaning her compliment, at least for said vixen's tail.

"It is kinda funny, his tail is down and relaxed, her's is up and wagging for him." Sophie commented in a similar teasing vein as Sierra.

"The only way I could be happier, is if I were pregnant now." Layla with lazy relaxedness said to the two of them before adding bossily more to Sierra than Sophia "I don't care what you do with him, as you know, but all of his cum is mine, I claim it."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm gonna go through death by Snu-Snu?" Will asked jokingly before asking his mate "Shall I earn my sentence my Personal Cum-dumpster?"

"I am supposed to see that as an insult?" Layla asked him back languidly telling him "Sounds like part of my job description to me."

"Okay then." Will responded to her not knowing what else to say.

They fell into a lull of silence after that, until they reached the entrance, but it was only broken by Will telling his mate to hang on to him at which she put her arms around his neck firmly but loosely. He then opened the door wearing her like a cape as he stepped through the doorway before once through it dropping back down onto all fours.

Layla who had jostled as he landed moved herself back, and he waited for her to get comfy again before resuming his point position leading everyone down his stretch of road. He paused at the garage door to look back to his pack making sure they followed, and the last of them out the door at least shut it.

It was Katarina who ended up being the one with the volition to shut the door behind them, while everyone else was following after him, with Lola, Sierra, and Sophie in rough lead since they knew where they were headed.

Will paused in his tracks to turn and look again, once he'd gotten about thirty feet down the road, and everyone else, who stayed upright, was about twenty feet behind him.

"I know it's popular to take a walk after dinner, but a simple back and forth of that entrance hall would do you. I'm not complaining, just pointing out my observation, you guys are highly active mammals, who don't think anything of walking long distances anywhere." Martha commented to them, making a go of breaking the silence.

"It's less than a mile, just a light run, barely a moderate jog; if you move like I am right now. There wasn't much choice for it, I needed my den far enough from Grimmheim to keep that safe, and well, design of the bunker to thwart bunker busting type bombs to the best degree possible, requires it." Will told her adding "We are only heading up to Grimmheim's back yard as it were, not worth it to waste gas."

"Biggest defense is the anti-air radar piggy-backed onto the airport's systems, and what anti-air defenses you have." Layla half-mumbled idly sounding like she might be falling asleep.

"Do I need to remind you there is mashimaro meet fai-yah ahead of us. Or are you gonna tell me to wake you up when we get there?" Will inquired of her doing his best to look back, and up at her partially nuzzling into her as he did so.

"I'm relaxed, not sleepy. Onward ho." Layla told him plainly.

"Maybe it's a little late to be asking, but why did you feel the need to anticipate someone might use a bunker busting missile against your home, and plan accordingly?" John asked him adding "Surely at the time there wasn't any pressing threat."

"Well, when you're gonna build a bunker for a den, you might as well pull out all the stops you can; that was the start of my motivation for it. The other part, well most of the enemies I've made are dead 'cause I killed them, but that doesn't mean there isn't one alive in a position to try playing god and shitting on me from a great height." Will answered adding "I do have a bit of a paranoid streak, and its served me well, a little paranoia is healthy, keeps you alive when complacency will get you killed even quicker."

A pawful of minutes later they were coming up on Grimmheim proper, and Will continued leading the way around the nearer side of the mansion. The voices were indistinct, at the range they were at, but Will could hear the rest of his family, and he could smell the burning wood in the fire pit.

"I like your cloak there son." His dad teased him the first of them to notice their approach.

"Yes she is a very pretty red." Will agreed back.

"I said it before, I'll say it again, they gonna make some cute cubs, or kits rather." Sierra half hollered.

"My son, are you simply a fox magnet? I see you have picked up two more." His mom inquired curiously before greeting Layla's mom and dad "Hello."

"Other mom, meet my mom, and dad; by happenstance we crossed paths at the Dairy." Layla perked up to tell his mom, before tapping him with her right paw, and he stopped so she could slide off of him, using his left shoulder for balance as she got back up on her hindpaws.

"Hi, again." Dakota greeted them brightly with a strong wave from where she sat between her mom and Grandpa Frost before jogging over to Will to get a hug.

"Hey you." Will greeted her warmly, nuzzling into her as he used his right arm to return the embrace Dakota was giving him, her little arms wrapped around his neck.

"Hello, I'm John, John Yew, and this is my mate Martha." John introduced the two of them greeting Will's mom back, before saying mirthfully gesturing with his thumb towards Dakota "If it weren't for this little one calling out to him, I don't think we'd have realized so quickly that our daughter had just walked into the ice cream shop. Her mate, your son, he's a lot to take in; maybe it's not all pleasant, but the good far outweighs the bad, near as I can tell anyway."

At that Will's dad laughed amusedly "You should've been here Monday. I am no longer highest alpha in my own family, my own son is quite above me, yet not a thing has really changed."

"It is something else to see the relationship our kits have, to know together the sort of good they've done, mammals they've saved... I am looking forward to see the kits they produce." Martha stated in greeting to his parents.

"Not as much as me. My Wox Kits, Mine." Will said to Layla's mom before adding in minor correction "Our Wox kits."

"Mine Too." Layla pointedly responded to him before agreeing "Ours."

"Wox Kits? It is already decided?" Grandpa Frost inquired curiously, and Will finally noticed the older wolf had brought his guitar, which got his tail up and wagging as he looked forward to getting him to pass it his way, for a bit at least.

"Layla, find stick. For Marshmallows." Lola said to his mate, half ordering, half asking.

"Stick." Layla repeated before darting off, not needing further encouragement, at which Will chuckled, confident she wouldn't need to go too deep into the trees for plenty of long enough implements.

"Good thing you will honey-moon tomorrow." Grandpa Frost teased him with a gravelly chortle.

"I'm not sure I like how close Wox sounds to Vox, but it's better than Folf insofar that Folf might as well be Volf, which is just wolf again. Kits at least they are, not cubs, 'cause their mother is a vixen." Will answered Grandpa Frost adding "As much as I'd say I'd give my left arm, to see us not be the only ones who can make such hybrids, and my left leg too, for our hybrids to be able to make a new subspecie; eventually we'll have robotic prosthetics prolific. In my lifetime I'll see it."

Will then asked his mom and dad, since he didn't see the lapine buck "Where's Petey?"

"You'd really do that though, Uncle Will? Give up your arm and leg, for other wolves and foxes to have cubs, and for those cubs to become a new species of canine?" Dakota asked him with a bit of awe.

"It's a figure of speech, Dakota." Will said to her softly before answering her from the core of his being with the only words he had, 'Speaking' without trying to "If the One Above Us All said to me 'I can make it so' I would give up a good piece of my soul to have it happen. They would be new, and beautiful children."

He then asked her, as he noticed she was crying while burying her muzzle into his ruff "Why are you crying, my little one?"

"You're not just my Uncle Will. You're the Father." Dakota answered him with a sniffle telling him "You are the Father, and I know how much you love me. You love all of us like this."

"I do love you all, like this." Will told her, nuzzling back into her before saying "Sadly, such is the world, my love does not count with everyone, and I have had to send children of mine to Ulfheim... every specie has it's bad mammals who warrant it, and I am as alive here, flesh and fur as you."

"Well your love counts with me, Father. I will make up the difference." Dakota said to him so full of adamance, and youthful bravado, it warmed parts deeper in him than just his heart.

"You are not the only one, with whom his love counts, a great deal. Young one." Grandpa Frost commented to Dakota solemnly before asking him "Father, if we are going to continue speaking like this, I heard what happened at the Dairy, many words were said, and attempts to record things were foiled. Every single one of us who has Heard You is still going to spread the Word, Unashamed, for there you were for All to Hear. Just the other day you wanted nothing to do with any Pope nonsense, but now you have changed things, what will you do moving forward?"

"We are in a Cold War, the name of the game is information control, and we need to control what we can of the Narrative." Jack stated, no doubt in response to what Elder Frost had said about dashed recording attempts adding "I have the sole video, all that needs done with it, is pixelation to hide the identities, and therefore privacy, of the civilians involved and us. Then I will release it, sometime tomorrow morning."

"After that video drops, and has had a week or two to spread like it will, I . . . I will let My Children know the aims that drive me, and ask for their help. I can provide the seed money, to get a charity going, but it will need volunteers, even in managerial positions; I have a day-job, to do my part where I can, I would need someone who knows how to run such things vetted, and in my contractual employ. Many and more... faithful..." Will answered Elder Frost, pausing to growl out the word with distaste, before finishing his thought "Will already want to flock to me, no matter what I say, I might as well harness them, and we can maximize our force, for good. Ex-military, ex-police, ex-firemammals, and ex-EMT's are going to be some of the ones we desire the most, to help us train other volunteers."

"Maximize our Force for Good?" Sarah was quick to inquire of him "How many tyrants began that way?"

"What are the aims that drive you? What will you want us to get behind?" Elder Frost asked him, curious from a different angle than his daughter.

"Only to a censorist, who doesn't like it when I say Fuck, and will say I shouldn't use naughty words, am I going to seem like a tyrant, for I will kill them where they stand, so that the rest of us can fucking live free. If I really ruled anywhere. In case you missed history class, that's how shit works, he who has the force, sets the rules; he who controls the spice, controls the universe." Will answered Sarah a bit off the cuff with the first thing that came to mind before telling Elder Frost "I want to ensure there is a new library of Alexandria so to speak, and that it isn't about to just get burned down. I want to ensure that for all my children there is not only a future, but a further improving future for their children; the things that seek to destroy any good future at all for our children I will bend all of my will to Ending. I'm gonna be a dad, what else is there to drive me?"

"And that's why you repeat to death that you don't want to rule, or conquer anyone; you don't want to become that tyrant simply killing people like that." His mom said to him, as if getting it, and a little proud of him.

"I don't want to have to, but if y'all vote me in, I'll be the Tyrant in your corner, Heil Mein Volk." He responded lifting his left arm in mock nazi salute.

"Wait a minute, so you're saying if we vote you into power, our new P.M., you're going to force through law, and execute said law personally, that anyone who wants to censor anything is tried for capital offense?" Sarah asked him, adding as she mused it over "There can be both violence in art, and nudity, uncensored? I'd vote for that."

"Well you see, to borrow American vernacular, infringement upon freedom of speech and expression, particularly in art is unconstiutional, grossness in no grounds to make exception, and to advocate for such infringement is fundamentally seditious, if not outright treasonous, and the punishment for treason, for treachery is death, where an enemy might be spared, exiled." Will did his best to put it adding "This argument works equally well for the first amendment, and the second amendment, to their constitution. Our constitution, could use some rewording, and similar such language. Put it up to the people to re-ratify, a referendum, to modernize our constitution to uphold the sovereignty of all citizens, county by county across the state. What it would really look like if I were Prime Minister, though you would find that entrenched bureaucrats that'd get in my way, would suffer lethal accidents. I've been around the world, in the thick of the shit, seen how might makes right, he with superior force rules the day, though superior force does not always mean superior firepower, it can be through tactics; my bread and butter is force maximization. How to do a lot of damage, with just my fangs, and my knife, nevermind whatever else I can carry into the field; all tools to solve problems."

"Ya know, you just might be able to do it. If you are for building, and strengthening families, against the forces that destroy them, and promise 'free stuff, eat the rich to pay for it, you deserve it'. You could win a popular vote. But you'd have to make it as basic as possible, and play on your charisma." John commented to him confidently.

"But is it really necessary I do this, for real? Where at this point I am still making conjecture, no rubber meet road." Will asked the tod not hiding where his truest sentiments lay.

"Son, what happens when the commies take over an area?" His dad asked him, as if giving him a figurative mental machete for his intellectual thicket.

"They Kill, all the intelligencia who helped them gain power, and not just the rich, but the farmers too. Everyone worth a damn killed because they were too stupid to flee, even with nothing but the fur on their bones. It's backwards, and stupid." He answered his dad, knowing it from first paw experience infiltrating several such countries, and not just what the older wolf had taught him.

"If you wanna vote for Family, Vote for the Father. It could be your slogan, so easily. If not you who have the will to fight, then who son? Who will fight? With your kind of ardor?" His dad said to him before adding "I feel you though, son, because given the fight in you to make, is it really as our nations P.M. that you and our nation for that matter are best served?"

"Given his use in the field, and ability to train troops, he'd be better as a Lord General than a Prime Minister. That said, his talk of liquidating bureaucratic bloat which is cancer, is music to my ears; I'm tempted to encourage him down that route." Sky gave her answer to the question.

"I would say that for the best of our nation, the nation that would be ours, you Will should stay as far out of the system as you can stay. Go the Ulfhaven Dalai Lama route, more or less; ball-less pacifists we are not." Jack suggested to him in response to Sky.

"No, That's Right. I was gonna have you Dad, just keep doing what you're doing, mayor of Ulfhaven city, I am taking up our title; we're gonna make this county a no-go zone. An area we fortify, and control, freely within the Zootopian state, because we are loyal citizens. Let someone else play PM, the office will fall, Ulfhaven will still stand. We can spread what we do, to Aurora, and Fox Hollow, even Bunnyburrow, and Deerbrooke counties in the south." Will answered his dad before saying "I will be busy preparing the city I have made my current home, to become my future capital; you may see me become mayor there, in order to get done what needs done."

Will's attention was then drawn away, as his mate came trotting out of the woods a healthy bundle of sticks in her mouth, which had him grinning, and chuckling at how cute if dorky she looked.

"You know some day I'd like to retire, I mean I do like what I do, and that people keep re-electing me 'cause they like the job I do, but retiring would be nice. The title is yours Lord Grimm, I have no say in the matter; you are the alpha of this family now, I'm just your number two guy." His dad said to him being mostly serious, but unable to not joke a little given the situation.

"A no-go zone? Like what the muslims do in western europe? Why?" His Uncle John asked him.

"Well, as my Father in law pointed out everyone votes, and in everyone voting, well the mob rules, and the mob that rules is gonna lead to ruin. A bullet train, runnin' out of track, and the bridge is out; they done tore out the brakes. This being the case, I will prepare Ulfhaven most of all, but every other county I can. When people start asking, where can they run to, Ulfhaven will be that place. I will make it so." He answered his uncle adding "You could say I've been blind to it all, my eyes locked on other fires I've been fighting, but now my eyes are open, and I'm gonna start seeing what it is I've missed."

He then told his dad "Well then groom Lola to take your place, from Sheriff to Mayor, should work just fine."

"Hey, don't I get a choice in the matter?" Lola inquired having taken the sticks from Layla, and started to pet her head.

"It's all about being where you're needed most, when you're needed there, as best you can. If I gotta do it, so do you, My Pack, Helping Me. For Our Betterment." Will responded to his sister plainly.

"Half of that is you trying, the other half is luck. We've been some awfully lucky motherfuckers, babe. We can't press it forever." Layla spoke up, while Lola took out her knife and with a thoughtful expression across her muzzle began to whittle down each one at an end, so it would be clean for the marshmallows.

"I don't think I count as a mother fucker; pretty sure I haven't done that... won't, until you're that mother, babe." Will said to her adding "I hope what luck we have holds out a bit further."

"Wherever you have need of me to go, and do, I will do it Okami-sama." Naomi told him softly, but with solemn seriousness.

"Yeah, please give me reason to change my job. I could do it another decade, but I won't say no to a change." Sierra said for her own part in agreement with Naomi.

"For now it's just stand-by, okay guys, we're still in information gathering and planning stages." He was quick to tell them.

"Account for everything you can, play it by ear; stay free enough to react to anything, because murphy's law is legit. Our standard modus operandi." Layla commented before telling Lola as the she-wolf gave her one of the first done sticks "Thank you."

Will watched, with amusement as his mate used her pointy stick to open the bag of marshmallows then affix one of the fluffy white cylinders to her 'spear'. Layla then occupied herself roasting the marshmallow as if there wasn't anything else in the world.

"Are you in your happy place, my daughter?" Her dad asked her, but Layla did not seem to hear him, so intent was her focus.

"Hmm, yes.." Will commented as he moved around Dakota to stalk towards his mate, approaching her from behind he stated with enjoyment "Chop off her tail, that'll get her attention. Yes, we'll preserve and stuff it later, make a lovely pillow. Drag the knife-tip right up her, from base of her tail towards her shoulder, and as the pain is overwhelming her, drive it right in her neck. Turn her happy place into a pretty little blood bath."

Reaching his mate, he simply nuzzled into her shoulders, before reaching up and gently biting her scruff.

"Father!" Dakota said to him, cute in how she was being scolding, before sounding like she might start crying "How could you say such mean things? That's your mate, don't you love her?"

"My heart is in her paws, just like my soul is in The Mother's paws." He said to Dakota as he rested the right side of his head against his mate's shoulders before answering her warmly, a smile splitting his muzzle "I can say such mean things, because she wasn't really listening to me anyway, and there's no way in hell I could ever mean them. Come on, little one, you know I could never mean such horrible things; have I not joked with you, that I might gobble you up? It is the same thing."

"Hehe, you always say gobble, but when you catch me all you do is nibble." Dakota giggled, her mood turned around.

"Hmm? Just what were you saying?" Layla asked him absentmindedly, having not heard him at all.

"Oh, just suggesting I might cut your tail off, turn it into a pillow, nice and stuffed. Among other things." He answered her quite jovially.

"Ah, being ridiculous for being ridiculous's sake." Layla responded before chuckling and saying to him "But you prefer my tail attached to the rest of me, along with the rest of me."

"Prefer, and then some." He agreed as he nuzzled into her again.

"I have seen it, but only now think about it. You are a funny one, Father, in this life where I get to know you as William Grimm. I see your pack, is made up of even species that are not canine." Elder Frost said to him before suggesting "Why don't we share a few legends around the fire, so that those who have not heard them can, and those who have might listen and learn something new? I would be happy to start us off."

"I have one, but I'll save it for last. Please Grandfather, it would be good to hear you again, I want my pack to hear whatever one you wanna go with." Will was quick to tell him, adding happily with his tail wagging "I also wouldn't mind you passing that guitar my way, though not right away."

"I agree, Grandpa, it'd be good to hear you first; half of this place being home, is you telling them." Sierra said to Elder Frost sincerely.

Everyone else seemed to choose expressing their agreement by growing silent.

"Well alright then. Yes I will pass my guitar to you later." Elder Frost before beginning from the beginning as it were "We are originally Mountain Wolves we Frosts, and our Tribe as Branching as a Tree. We have since become Wood Wolves tending Chickens, and have flourished more than we did with our Mountains of Death as the Undertakers of the Land. It was not seen then, no, but that wolf who dared tame a bird instead of shoot it out of the sky, and then raise it as a pet breeding more birds saved us when the world changed and We predators eating the dead lest they rot in the open became no longer palatable; The way the tale has been passed to me what finally ended that practice was simple friendship. One of my forefathers many millenia ago now couldn't bear to eat a rabbit he'd known all his life, who had died young, and when his howl of despair revealed that he was a Heart of the Father, wolves from every mountain bowed to his will; He gathered the elders of all the predators, and revealing the eccentricty of his little brother the 'Bird Raiser' they made an agreement to spread the practice. Early on it came up rather strongly that if they abandoned eating corpses, what then were they to do with the bodies; in answer to that the practice of building funeral pyres began. I don't doubt the question many asked as that, at the time heretical, wolf made his case was 'Do we not Honor the Life the Dead held in keeping them within the Great Cycle of Life'. My grandfather when he told me this story was shocked I so well understood how that wolf was heretical to his peers, and I will never forget the question he asked me that no doubt that wolf too asked 'Could you eat your Brother, or Sister once they are dead; skin them, and roast them over the fire? Would you then wear their pelt to honor them that way?'. As William so cleverly pointed out to me when he came home what had been a Practical Matter of 'Who would you rather I eat? You or Your Dead?' became a Moral Issue of "I would not eat my own family, so why would I eat yours?". It is thanks to that long ago Chief Alpha's little brother, who was a runt of whom it is said he was touched in the head by spirits, who because of the vixen he mate-bonded with had foxes as secret allies that already were secret 'Birdkeepers' for eggs, that the practice of bird keeping was spread so quickly with prey who in turn taught us hemp growing among other things. The Great Cycle revolved as we shared our techniques for survival which lead to new prosperity for us all during a brief moment of peace before it was forgotten over time."

"'The spirits of the dead have no need for their flesh, so why waste food?' is how it's rationalized much as it was then. Not that it happens much, I mean there are rumors of it in some places where communism has led to famine despite how many do choose starvation over cannibalism, or where civil wars have been particularly bad that it happens as a tool of psychological warfare. Burying a body naked so that it decomposes freely keeps it within the Great Cycle just as much as eating them used to, and that Moral shift has become too permanent for those to ever be more than mostly rumors; they come from somewhere though. For some mammals the lure to use the weapons they were born with, pred and prey alike I'll have you know, to kill particularly in combat situations is greater than any morality which spawns most of those rumors, particularly the more widely known ones." Will added.

"Anyone who thinks prey don't get as violent as preds can hasn't seen a pair of drunk stags gore each other to death over a doe." Lola commented.

"As I was saying, this past of ours laid the groundwork for when the First Grimm later came from the farthest north, and through his Will alone the Great Cycle revolved again; here anyway, and as a student of history it is worth noting how there are similar stories throughout the world of how, and why the Great Peace as we know it today came to be. Every species in a given ecosystem has it's role in maintaining that ecosystem which when they fulfill ensures the survival of all within that ecosystem; that of course tends to go unnoticed with how each species cannot help but be insular for the sake of procreation which is itself perfectly natural. We may have evolved, and our roles within our ecosystems changed alongside, but each individual's greatest will is to survive and there is safety in numbers any pack, or herd mammal knows well, and that even the solitary felines, and ursines learned. It was inevitable that in the new era of peace that, if you study history, seemed to pop up incedentally in various places before spreading across the world that as mammals grew accustomed to it they became comfortable, and relaxed back into that insular tendency." Elder Frost said before taking a pause to drink from his canteen then light a joint.

"Okay, I am finally seeing why Will has a 'long-winded grandfather mode'." Layla said filling the silence save for the crackling of the fire with her laugh though she added to Elder Frost in obvious compliment "Not that I am complaining Grandfather. I am enjoying listening to your telling."

"Clever vixen flattering an Old Wolf . . ." Elder Frost half-muttered amusedly with a grin before he took another drag from his joint then picked back up where he left off "That all changed here a millenia ago now when the First Grimm landed with his pack in the Bay. The wolves from the sea were quite a shock, and many of the tribe gathered defensively on the shore, but the Chief Alpha of that time was made of braver, or perhaps more mad, stuff than his fellows and he waited with curiosity ahead of the pack. I am fond of the half-joke a certain young wolf made to me when I told him that, that perhaps that Chief Alpha had a touch of cat in him which he then punctuated with a meow. That Chief Alpha was met by the Alpha of the Sea Wolves at sundown after he swam from their ship naked. It is said that Alpha remembered only as the First Grimm, though he was only known as Grimm at the time, came out of the sea on all fours, and shook his fur dry like a primitive before he rose up on his hind paws like a more civilized mammal. As you can imagine two alphas speaking completely different tongues had only so many ways to communicate before they'd taught each other enough of their words; through body language, and paw sign the First Grimm managed to communicate his intent to occupy the beach which we now call Grimm's Landing with the spot marked by a runestone. He also communicated by paw alone that he meant to go to Mount Sequoia; at first my forefather, and several others thought he might have only meant the Silent Forest which in itself would've been strange enough, but no once he had learned enough of our tongue he made it quite clear he meant to reach the peak he'd seen in visions. For several weeks that long ago forefather of mine stayed in the camp the Grimm Pack made teaching the first Grimm our dialect, and once communication was established a pact of peace was made. The first Grimm, and his pack were free to have the shore, and the woods that touched it to make their dwelling, and in return they would teach us their sea fishing ways that proved more bountiful than the rivers."

"Forgive my curiosity Elder Frost, but Will mentioned it earlier; that the first Grimm came here to climb the mountain . . . Fox Hollow too has a Silent Forest, though it is the Silence of Mourning. You also mentioned Mountains of Death?" Layla's father John spoke up alertly rather obviously quite fascinated.

"Few wolves ever come here, let alone from so far away, compelled to climb the Mountain like some howl they cannot set free. It is the solemn duty of the Chief Alpha of our Tribe to see to it that those who do come, and are proven, are allowed to pass the way they have been Called. We wolves may not be the only apex predators here, but we are the most numerous, and have long had that advantage; when we were still Undertakers of the Land our mountains in their coldness allowed us to preserve meat longer, as did smoking it into jerky - they are remembered as Mountains of Death because in those darker days that is what they were to the prey of this land, with the Silent Forrest being as it still is the place where Predators mostly Wolves go to die. Mount Sequoia as it is now known, is if anything the True Mountain of Death of them all; where the angels who walk amongst us go to die. The first Grimm coming here, and why was not strange to my forefather, nor is it strange to me, and neither would it be strange for word to come to me that Will has simply walked up the mountain for he is long since Proven. Before you ask, as many do, what stops some random mammal from just climbing a mountain, and how are the angels that walk amongst us Proven know that We have Always Patrolled the Silent Forest though now the Rangers see too it, and there are distinctions to be made between someone lying about wanting to ascend the mountain and someone telling the truth."

"It is only the True Mountain of Death in this region of the world. Make no mistake there are several across the globe. I've been to the bases of the ones in Alaska, Japan, and Russia. Few, like Elder Frost, remember them as such, and yet mountain climbers even goats stay away; they are just mountains, bits of rock, to mammals today, and yet that they are a place mammals don't return from lingers in the collective consciousness of the locals at least who warn, and dissuade the tourists." Will added more to everyone else than to Elder Frost with whom he'd already shared that among many other things.

"Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes." Elder Frost said regaining his place, and discouraging further interruption "Peace between the First Grimm's pack, and our Tribe had been made, and quickly enough they had made for themselves a small little village. Now, the First Grimm had only made the true purpose for his journey here known to the red she-wolf who was his right paw, and that Chief Alpha who both as the First Grimm wished kept it secret. Since he had arrived where he needed to be, but the Mother had not yet called him the First Grimm went about the goal the rest of his pack thought was his true aim which was to make a permanent home for them that was better than where they came from. His very first actions towards that aim were to welcome all the foxes of this land, who for so many generations were ignored and derided, into his village with open arms, and to promise to all safety for all who came in peace into his village predator and prey alike. Even the foxes were at first quite skeptical of him, and it was even wondered at amongst some of our tribe that his pack were so loyal to him that they did not even grumble against him, but as the more daring of the foxes put to the test his words and found them true then nearly all the foxes of the land flocked to him helping to grow and defend the village he'd begun. At this some of the more war minded of our tribe took note, and voiced to the Chief Alpha their concern that though not even close to being a threat then the First Grimm might later become one perhaps even challenging him to a trial by combat for leadership of the whole tribe. That Chief Alpha it is said laughed in their muzzles pointing out that the First Grimm had been true to his words of peace in sharing his ways of sea fishing which already they were benefiting from, and assuring them that the First Grimm had no designs for such leadership. He also humbled them by questioning their loyalty since if they so feared his Alphahood being so challenged then perhaps it was because they secretly wanted to challenge him themselves but were too cowardly. It is worth noting that up to this point no prey had dared put to the test the First Grimm's promise of their safety within his village, especially since he had so welcomed the foxes, and then the other usual undesireables like painted dogs, but that did change. You see despite how insular each species had become there were friendships, and more close bonds that grew in secret not only between different predators, or different prey, but also between pred and prey as well. It did not take long at all before of all strange things, at least to those times, the friendship of a fox, and a hare that had grown into something more brought it all to light."

"I do not doubt that, that unlikely pair, were wary enough as it was to not hide that they were friends even as they hid that they were quite already more than that. Wariness that it proved prudent for them to have. You see as soon as the First Grimm heard that there was a hare brave enough to enter his village he asked that they, and whoever they had come with be brought to him by his right paw herself, and when she found them as the story goes the fox and hare were surrounded by wolves of our tribe who already knew any violence they committed would be met with harshly yet antagonized the pair anyway. The fox stood defensively before the hare with fangs bared, but before it could come to blows the First Grimm's right paw stepped in loosing a howl that summoned nearby packmates who in turn convinced those troublemakers from our tribe to leave. Once they had been brought to him, and his right paw had spoken of how she had found them, he immediately had the Chief Alpha sent for then alone spoke to the fox and the hare. It is said that as he inquired of them how they had become friends as if this alone were something he found most pleasing he swiftly saw that they were more than just friends which only pleased him more, and on the spot he offered to wed them so that none could refute their mate bonding, and grant them a place in his pack as well as a permanent home in his village to ensure their safety. Such was his sincerity, and so great was the weight he offered to lift from them that they did not hesitate to grasp paws and agree with the fox formally submitting to him as Alpha. The First Grimm then gave them the time they needed to prepare, while he met with the Chief Alpha once he'd arrived."

"The First Grimm made plain what had happened, and what he meant to do sharing with the Chief Alpha his concern that the peace they had made was about to be tested, and that should it be he wanted the Chief Alpha to disavow those of his wolves who would ignore the peace so that only those who deserved to be met with violence would be. The Chief Alpha expressed wonderment that such an unlikely pairing could occur, but he remembered the history of our tribe that there had been a wolf who mate bonded with a fox, and how that pairing had turned out to benefit us all, so he agreed making it clear that despite their efforts to avoid fighting he feared it was likely to break out anyway. The Chief Alpha then left, and immediately called a meeting of his tribe so that he could make it known that he would stand by the peace he had made, and continue to recognize the First Grimm's sovereignty within his village saying that those who would object to how the First Grimm ruled his territory would receive no help from him, and would prove wiser to simply stay away. Many questioned him on why he was speaking to them thus, for he didn't reveal what the First Grimm meant to do, and this talk that portended fighting for no obvious cause worried them. The Chief Alpha merely answered them by saying that he did not want there to be fighting at all, but that the First Grimm who had proven worthy to climb the mountain when the time came had reason to anticipate that many of the Frost Tribe would rather try driving him back into the sea than see him continue to further build the sort of haven for the wolves he would leave behind that he meant to. The Chief Alpha made it clear that even though he was Chief Alpha to them all he could not stop those who would fight from their choice to do so, and that they had the freedom to make that choice, but that they should be aware of the consequences of such a choice. When his own son who was finally old enough to speak at such a meeting pointed out that with the First Grimm being revealed to be worthy to climb the mountain how could any dare stand against him if it was only a peaceful home he was building the Chief Alpha responded by reminding them all of our past as Undertakers, and how change for the better was not always seen as such until much later adding that again a Revolution of the Great Cycle was upon them before he told them that all would be made clear the following day."

"That next day, once the morning was progressed enough for all to be roused the First Grimm had the entire village gather around his dwelling which he'd had his wolves encircle defensively. He then spoke for all to hear that he had been made aware that there were secret friendships between the species, and even more secretly mate bondings. He made it clear that to him these friendships, and loves were not wrong at all, but that they had to be kept secret was odiously wrong which he was putting an end to from that day forward. He told them all that as his village was haven for his wolves, and a haven for all like the foxes who were shunned by all, so too was it a haven for any who called another of a different species friend, brother, or lover. His voice growing ever louder in evidence of his firmness he promised to all that those who objected to him and would oppose this peace he was building he wanted gone from his presence for with his own fangs he would kill them all as soon as they caused even the slightest trouble for those who were under his protection. He then in a final shout challenged those who objected to his protecting of those he deemed worthy of it to gather as many of their fellows as they could, and he would meet them all in combat alone if he had to. Then in his first act of proving true to his word he wed the fox and the hare, and was the first to uplift his voice in a howl of joy at their union. Word of what he'd said, and done spread like wildfire dividing many throughout the land as those who saw his actions as endorsing abominations gathered in war camps, while those who we now call inters flocked to his village, and those who like the Chief Alpha wished to remain neutral did their best to stay that way."

"In a secret meeting with the Chief Alpha the First Grimm revealed that he had so openly challenged those who would object to him to battle quite intentionally for he wanted them all to not hide their hate in secret where it could fester, and poison what he was trying to build, but to show their hate openly so that they could be known to all, and that all would remember the fate he delivered unto them for he would reveal why he was called Grimm. So it came to pass that those who meant to burn down all the First Grimm had built came in force though he did not stand against them alone for many and more had flocked to him. The battle that followed, if it can even be called that, so stained the shores with blood, and filled the waves with bodies that the whole bay gained it's name. Needless to say the First Grimm was victorious, and with his white fur stained as red as the beach he indeed had shown all why Grimm was his name. Afterwards, as things began to return to normal, and the peace the First Grimm had planted began to sprout and blossom those who had like the Chief Alpha took no part in the quarrel were the ones to truly spread that peace throughout this land. That those who showed their hatred were shown no mercy is something that has stayed with us even if we do not like remembering that such a battle had to be fought at all, which you can see in how we shun speciests so strongly. The First Grimm was only here a pawful of years before he climbed the mountain when he felt the call, but in that time he left a mark as permanent as the mountain."

"Would you mind Oji-san if I shared with you, the tale of the Father we have in Hokkaido?" Naomi asked respectfully.

"Please, share with us child. I welcome hearing new tales." Elder Frost responded with a kindly smile.

"Where I am from there are many temples to the Kami, but only in my home town is there one to the Enma Daio who laughs. The Enma Daio no Okami which as I have explained to my packmates means the Death God of Wolves." Naomi began "Much as your tales Oji-san are passed from Alpha father to Alpha father ours are passed from Alpha mother to Alpha mother, and this one of all my Grandmother has told me is my favorite."

"This story begins with a miko to the local shrine dedicated to the Guardian of our Woods, and her daily trip to the river for water. She had just finished filling her buckets, and was about to take up her yoke when she was set upon by one we remember only as the Honorless Ronin for he was a masterless samurai who proved unworthy of his fur. He struck her with the saya of his katana, and used the opportunity to disrobe her. She managed to come to her senses enough to struggle against him in his efforts to rape her, and despite her screams she was too far away for any in the village to hear. Before the Honorless Ronin could defile her purity however a wolf larger than any Japanese wolf leapt from all fours upon the Ronin and with his fangs slew him. The giant wolf it is said knew enough of our language that he was able to converse with the miko, and calm her down once he had cleaned the blood from his muzzle; standing upright like a civilized mammal he carried her water buckets that he'd refilled to the very edge of the woods, and told her to tell the village elders that they could have the body of the Ronin to do with as they wished, but that the Ronin's sword he was claiming, and that should anyone come for the Ronin to point them his way back into the forest."

"When she returned to the village alone since the Giant Wolf stayed in the woods she wasted little time speaking to the High Priestess who was her grandmother of what had happened, and the High Priestess vouched for her to the other elders that her purity was intact. The males they sent to investigate by the river found the body of the Ronin where she said it would be, and they were to a one shocked for the Ronin's head had in a single bite nearly been bitten off which spoke to the size of her defender, and further proved her story. The Ronin's sword which at the time would've been quite the trophy since such things were never cheap, and highly prized was nowhere to be found though there were pawprints by the river bank that too spoke of how the wolf who came to her aid was truly bigger than any other. For a full cycle of the moon after that eventful day when the miko would go to fetch water she would be met shortly after entering the woods by the Giant Wolf who walked at her side on all fours as was his custom the Ronin's sword slung over his back, and he stayed by her side until she again left the woods."

"The miko ever curious, and eager to learn, characteristics for which she'd been chosen by the High Priestess to one day be her successor managed to get out of the Giant Wolf his story which as has been passed down was this. He came from very far to the west, and north what we in modern times speculate was somewhere in northern Russia, perhaps Siberia . . . anyway he came out of wanderlust, and seeking the land where the Sun goes to die which it is said he assumed he would find by journeying to where it rises. He explained to the Miko that he too was a Ronin in his own way for those he'd sworn to protect had cast him out for refusing to kill a female tiger cub who had gotten lost in their territory. The mother of the cub in her gratitude had showed him the way through the mountains which started him on his journey. Over that cycle of the moon, or lunar month in more modern terms, the Miko grew fond of the Giant Wolf, and so too did he grow fond of her. Eventually due to their friendship which was growing into something more the Miko managed to get him to come into our village where he spoke long with the Elders, and they welcomed him. As the moon began to grow again in the sky however a roving band of outlaws came, and they came seeking the long dead Honorless Ronin who had been pack brother to their leader."

"The village elders were concerned for ours is a village of fishers not warriors, and even with nets and improvised spears there were too few to face the outlaws, but the Giant Wolf made his alphahood known when he told them all to see to it that the village was evacuated to safety while he alone stood against the whole band. A few wolves stayed behind to watch, and so we know what happened when the outlaws came in force. The Giant Wolf first spoke for all to hear of the Honorless Ronin's misdeed, and his fate then he challenged to Alpha of that band to a trial by combat fang to fang. That Outlaw Alpha however proved shrewd, or at least fearful enough, that he would not agree to those terms since the Giant Wolf had the obvious advantage, and instead insisted they fight with swords instead to which the Giant Wolf agreed as if that were what he intended all along. When they drew their katana, and clashed there in the middle of the village the Giant Wolf it is said never once tried to use his size, or strength to easily win, and instead traded words with the Outlaw Alpha in an attempt to assuage his anger, but the Outlaw Alpha would not be swayed. The Outlaw Alpha however tired first, and was disarmed by the Giant Wolf who made it clear he meant to spare him, and show mercy saying he would not kill a brother wolf who had not shown himself to be beyond forgiveness. That got the band of outlaws to murmuring that their alpha should forget his quarrel, but he would not and he spat in the muzzle of the Giant Wolf's mercy throwing his sword at him in a diversion before leaping at him to tear out his throat with his fangs."

At that point in her telling Naomi paused for effect, and Will and Layla both kept their peace for they'd heard this before and knew this was just the halfway point. After taking a deep breath Naomi continued "As it was told to me, and has been passed down over the centuries the Giant Wolf was not caught off guard by the Outlaw Alpha's attempt to go for his throat, and managed to catch his open muzzle with his bare paws; in that moment when the Outlaw Alpha had truly lost the Giant Wolf said to him 'Now as you have shown your true colors I show you mine, and may the Mother in her forgiveness teach you your error.' before he then ripped his jaw apart killing him. The Giant wolf then turned to the rest of the band, and with his lust for battle plain in his countenance he challenged them all to fight him to the death. The band of outlaws however had been moved by his display of the sort of alpha he was so instead they surrendered to him, and pledged their swords to him. As they prostrated themselves before him, to a mammal performing the dogeza with their swords in their paws presented to him the Giant Wolf's bloodlust vanished like smoke, and he spoke to them that if they truly were sincere then they would vow to him unto the shores of heaven that they would forsake the ways they had known, and dedicate themselves to defending others to atone for any previous misdeeds."

"Thus, and our village history does bear it out, we gained the warriors we had lacked before, and as the Giant Wolf further refined his sword technique amongst them so too did he teach them his way of fighting fang to fang so that even alone and unarmed they could hold their own against a tiger. That our village that had for so long relied on diplomacy to maintain peace with the other nearby villages was now well protected, and capable of initiating violence didn't go unnoticed by our neighbors, but the Giant Wolf went to them all himself and renewed the peace we had pledging to defend our neighbors as surely as he had defended us. For many months we, and our neighbors not only had peace, but we dealt less and less with any roving bandits thanks to the Giant Wolf and his Sworn Swords. Now over this time it began to be rumored that the Giant Wolf was the Father come in the fur to his children simply because he was so large, and proved as wise as the noblest elder to say nothing of his battle prowess; also over this time the Miko came to love him, and as it is said she won his heart which he vowed to her before the High Priestess unto the shores of heaven. The story of the Giant Wolf doesn't end there however, for this was during the waring states period before the Tokugawa united everyone."

"Our village, and our neighbors alike, surely thought the peace that had been strengthened would last, but they thought wrong. The Daimyo, or local Lord if you will, to the south of us desired to spread his reach, and claim our territory that had so far been neutral. So the Greedy Daimyo as we remember him gathered only a third of his army to conquer us since he considered us easy prey; three and half thousand against our defenders that had barely grown to a tenth of that number. When news of the approaching army reached us, and our neighbors only the Giant Wolf did not show fear as he called a Great Council of Elders from every village to decide a course of action. Since he was our chief defender most looked to him for guidance, but he at first was silent as he listened to what the other Elders might say. When it looked like the more cowardly of them might sway the rest to simply surrender to the Greedy Daimyo the Giant Wolf rose, and silenced them all."

"The speech he made at that Great Council is well remembered, and many add it to the reasons for the belief he was the Father come in the fur." Naomi said before she began her intoning of the words in an immitation of a deeper male voice "We are few against their many, and they come in open conquest. This we must face, and not cower from. Mercy we will not show them for they clearly will show us none. Those of you who would kneel I say go with the females, and the young, and hide in what safe places you have; do so, and do what you can to see that they stay safe so that you at least keep some face lest you loose all respect you are now given. The rest of you who are certain in your worthiness of your fur I ask you to trust me as you stand with me against our foe. I am aware of who comes for us, since I passed through his land, and I tell you he underestimates us only bringing a part of his full force; this we will use to our advantage, but if we are to truly be victorious you must all be prepared to fight as I do with your fangs as well as with a sword. This will not be a battle that can be so easily decided between me, and this lord in a trial by combat; already I know such honorableness is not his way, and so we will plan accordingly. We know this land, for it is ours, while he does not, and this too is another of our advantages. We are a lone wolf against a full grown tiger, but you do not need to be as large as me to win such a fight. A tiger is bigger, stronger, faster, and with it's bigger fangs, and lethal claws better armed which is why they hunt, and fight alone, we however are smarter for we recognize where we are weaker, and we compensate. The pack is our strength, and so as a pack even though not all of us are wolves we will face this foe, and we can win."

"When he was done, those who truly were cowards at least had the sense to take the out he gave them, and they led the effort to evacuate the villages to safe places. Meanwhile as the Greedy Daimyo and his army approached the Giant Wolf with the help of his Sworn Swords readied everyone else who would fight alongside them as best they could, even cubs barely old enough to hold a sword were allowed the choice of joining the defense of their homes, which many did. Those cubs in particular the Giant Wolf took under his wings, as the saying goes, and taught them secret things he had not even shown to his Swords. Amongst the preparations, the foxes who had already surprised all in showing up for the Great Council which they had no reason to attend since they had always been the first to hide while larger mammals fought, further surprised everyone except the Giant Wolf with how they helped devise traps that would hinder the Daimyo's army giving them further time to prepare their defense. Fundamentally, the Giant Wolf's plan we would today call Guerrilla tactics, his goal being to use the woods for cover as the smaller mammals, the foxes and leopard cats, armed as archers would harass the coming army whenever it passed through forested areas, and at night they would sneak into the army's camps to spy, and make mischief which they were happy to do. We actually have some written records of this event that have survived, and they detail how the Giant Wolf ordered his Kitsune, and Neko Shinobi to only begin their efforts once the whole of the Daimyo's army was within our territory so that the Daimyo would not have an easy retreat. Those Shinobi also were tasked with harassing the army such they they lured the Daimyo onward."

"The Daimyo in his overconfidence assumed that the minor losses he suffered was the most he would face until he managed to find, and confront the Giant Wolf, and his Sworn Swords so he pressed on encouraging his samurai by telling them they could do what they wished with any of the Shinobi they managed to capture. When one of said Shinobi brought word of that back to him the Giant Wolf was pleased for the Daimyo was playing into his paws, and he made sure those who were fighting alongside him knew that his plan was working which only steeled their resolve. The Giant Wolf also having taken into account this news made it known to his Shinobi, and other Scouts that he was giving a secret mission to one of his trusted Sworn Swords saying that this trusted wolf was to be watched by them, but not harmed no matter what they saw him do; that trusted wolf we remember as Kenshiro the False Betrayer for his task was to surrender to the Daimyo, and spread disinformation. In this way the Daimyo was led to believe that his army was being harrased by poorly trained but tenacious kitsune, and neko in an effort to make the Giant Wolf's fighting strength seem greater than it was; and the Daimyo fell for that trap in further ignoring the threat of smaller mammals."

"As the Daimyo's army began reaching the villages that had long been evacuated despite the fresh fires to indicate otherwise, they began to grow suspicious, and wary. The Daimyo proved as arrogant as a lone tiger against a lone wolf like the Giant Wolf had said as he ordered his samurai to press on. Kenshiro the False Betrayer had been told by the Giant Wolf that in order to make his betrayal seem believable to the Daimyo that he should tell him the half-truth that the Giant Wolf's plan was to soften, and demoralize his army enough that they would surrender after he defeated the Daimyo in single combat under the eyes of the Kami, so that the Giant Wolf could then take the Daimyo's place. He also was ordered to tell the Daimyo that the Giant Wolf intended to entreat the Daimyo to that single combat when his army reached our village, but that should the Daimyo refuse the Giant Wolf would flee to the last of the villages the Daimyo meant to conquer where he, and his Sworn Swords would make their final stand. With how the Giant Wolf had gained his Sworn Swords which was a tale that had spread the Daimyo believed this, and made sure he kept Kenshiro his informant well taken care of. In response to this disinformation the Daimyo pushed his army to reach our village faster which only served to tire them unnecessarily."

"When the Daimyo reached our woods, the first of the Giant Wolf's real traps was sprung as he had the few bears he kept with him, since most were tasked with guarding the females, and young where they were hidden, attack the rear of the Daimyo's army as soon as it was far enough inside. This surprise attack during the day, which the Shinobi continued into the night managed to finally bring the Daimyo's army down to around three thousand. While many celebrated how they had managed to continually confound the Daimyo and his army, there were a few voices who pointed out that though a victory it was not significant enough, and the Giant Wolf to the surprise of even his Sworn Swords agreed with them telling those that followed him to keep in mind that their fight was only just beginning. When the Daimyo and his army began to cross the river where he had saved the Miko who was now with his cubs the Giant Wolf sprang a different trap as he had all of his Shinobi, and the rest of his forces fall back to the other side of our village. That they were not harrassed at all as they had been up to this point only served to further cause the Daimyo's army unease which was the Giant Wolf's aim as he alone stalked them."

"The Daimyo ordered his army to make camp as soon as the first of them reached the edge of the woods, and such was their train that the Daimyo's own tent was by the river itself. The Giant Wolf was close enough to hear the Daimyo's order for archers to encircle our village so that as soon as he made his appearance they could snipe him. It is said that the Giant Wolf remarked to the message runner he kept with him that the Daimyo was clever for it, but that he was not surprised by those without honor, or dignity not even trying to feign them before he had the runner carry the message to his Shinobi to in turn capture those archers which given their proven skill they managed by the time the moon was at it's peak in the sky. There always has been much speculation as to the nature of this second of the Giant Wolf's traps which he set, and sprang in the woods between the river and our village; all that is really known is that the Giant Wolf alone in the night managed to kill nearly a hundred with only his sword, and his fangs while somehow many more simply died where they were with no obvious cause. The superstitious say the Giant Wolf used secret dark magic from his homeland that he'd sworn never to use for which those who believe he was the Father say the Mother herself forgave him when he begged for it. The more scientific minded try to say that it was the work of some fatigue born illness, or some other malady though they are hard pressed to think of one that can kill so quickly without the kind of obvious signs someone would've surely written down. I am fond of the explanation Okami-sama suggested that the Giant Wolf was kyuketsuki, and due to the nature of the threat he faced used his nature to kill as many as he could."

"Needless to say, when dawn arose that next day, and the Daimyo prepared to enter our village so that he could pretend to hear out the Giant Wolf just to have his archers shoot him he was shocked to find that his army had been decimated down to nearly two and a half thousand, and that his army that had already been slowly losing their courage were now beginning to whisper against his folly even as he had his trusted captains reassure them that they still had the advantage of numbers, and equipment. I should mention that the message runner the Giant Wolf kept at his side, later learned to read and write as a priest, and it is thanks to him that our knowledge of this story is so intimate. The Giant Wolf who remained close enough to spy on the Daimyo's army himself made note of those of the Daimyo's captains who in their rousing of those they commanded caught his eye, and earned his respect for which he told his runner he had decided to spare them if the opportunity arose, and they swore their swords to him. When later that morning the Daimyo with Kenshiro the False Betrayer beside him, and surrounded by guards entered our village the Giant Wolf watched from a secret place, and he waited until the Daimyo grew obviously impatient before he revealed himself."

"Sadly we have lost what of this encounter was written down when my grandmother was still a young cub, but enough is remembered to make up for the loss. The Giant Wolf was first to speak, and he said to the Daimyo 'If you had truly wanted to gain this land as your own, or at least benifit from our prosperity you would've reached out your paw in trade, and sought us to come under your rule willingly thereby proving your worth. Instead you who think so highly of yourself have come with an army that still is by the head count many times our number. I wonder how much longer your samurai will continue to serve you when you so clearly continue to prove yourself unworthy of the swords they have sworn to you. You were at least smart enough to leave your own domain well defended by the majority of your forces, for if I was anything like you I would've already taken your castle as easily as I visited your camp in the night. Since I was a cub my life has been sworn to protect, and so I will continue to live upholding that oath as best I am able. In the spirit of that I would protect your army from further harm, and so I give you this choice to show you have at least a true wolf's honor. I challenge you under the eyes of our Great Mother to a trial by combat, fang to fang in the old way; should you win you will gain what you seek though you are not worthy of it, and those you conquer will forever plot against you. Should I win, your army will surrender to me, and I will see a peace between our lands that you were not the wolf to even consider.' The Giant Wolf's words thanks to the emptiness, and silence of our village carried all the way to the edge of the Daimyo's army which no doubt he intended for his admission of responsibility for those deaths in the night alone was surely enough to further sow discontent within the Daimyo's army. It is even said that some of those captains which the Giant Wolf had taken note of, took particular note of his desire to protect even an enemy, and amongst themselves at least spoke of defecting which back then was the sort of thing they could be executed for since they were sworn to serve their lord until death."

"The Daimyo, who no doubt took the Giant Wolf's slights against him quite personally, responded simply with an order to his archers to loose their arrows. An order that went unfulfilled since those archers were to a one taken captive, and only seemed to reinforce the Giant Wolf's commenting on his unworthiness of those who served him. When no arrow from some hidden spot came flying at the Giant Wolf the Daimyo only shouted louder for his archers to fire which brought proof of his honorlessness to the rest of his army."

"Before the Daimyo could further disgrace himself the Giant Wolf spoke out his voice again carrying clear to the forest where now the encamped army was listening with many having come out to even try to see this leader of their enemies. He said 'I was close enough to your tent oh, great and humble lord, that I heard your order for archers to be posted, and they have been my prisoners for a while now. Perhaps those of your samurai who can hear me are wondering why I wouldn't just simply have killed you then. I wanted to give you a chance to show your true muzzle, just as you have given me the chance to show mine. You see I may not openly seek battle, but to kill in my duty to protect was what I was reared to do, and never before have I had such an opportunity to prove myself as a taker of life. So I will leave you now to come face me at the end of this path you have started down, but know that if you even think to retreat after having come so far, you will truly become my prey. If any of your army can hear me then I would have them know that it is their freedom to follow you, or to join me, but you might still win even if they do join me, and I promise you when next we meet it will be on the open field warrior against warrior.' Then the Giant Wolf turned, and thanks to his habit of walking on all fours he was able to outrun any thought of pursuing him though that is what the Daimyo ordered."

"From there the Daimyo even though he moved his position in his army so that he was closer to the head in his fervent chase after the Giant Wolf had trouble amongst those that served him. Through merely speaking the Giant Wolf had proven the sort of alpha even other mammals would gladly follow, and after his claiming responsibility for killing so many in the night the Daimyo's troops feared him as a demon of the battlefield. Once the Daimyo had managed to get his army past our village, in his anger he ordered it burned to the ground, and so fire was set to it though shortly thereafter a rainstorm from the ocean came which it is said by the merely superstitious that the Mother sent it as a sign of which wolf she favored while those who believe the Giant Wolf was the Father say he summoned it himself to further mock the Daimyo. Nonetheless, our village was burned beyond saving which only strengthened the resolve of those who fought against the Daimyo, just as getting soaked by the rain further demoralized his army, and the Giant Wolf surprised many when he said the loss of his very village was a good thing, but he showed them why he felt so when he ordered half his Shinobi, and all the bears he commanded to fortify the ruins in order to bar any retreat the Daimyo's army might make, and he left them to hold it with orders to capture, but treat well any who from that point forward deserted the Daimyo's army."

"To compensate for so many under his command no longer harassing the Daimyo's army the Giant Wolf who up till then had been having his Sworn Swords prepare the field where he intended to face, and crush the Daimyo's army had half of them come to waylay the army with more force than the Shinobi had been using like the bandits they used to be. The Giant Wolf it is said had begun to truly enjoy this contest of wills, and as he took pains to ensure his victory he also took pains to keep his enemy from giving up all hope so that whoever reached the death ground he'd prepared would give a good fight. To this end he ordered that the Daimyo's army be harased at will during the day, but only as the cover of the woods allowed, and that if they should camp in any open places, or villages for safety they be left for him to visit. After he had given that order, and the Daimyo played into his paws giving the order to make camp at the next village the Giant Wolf did indeed visit as he said he would though he did not kill as many as he had before, and only did so with his blade for his intent was to rescue Kenshiro the False Betrayer since his mission was done. When those of his sworn swords saw that he'd only gone into the Daimyo's camp to retrieve Kenshiro they were confused, and those who had seen Kenshiro at the Daimyo's side spoke openly in question of the Giant Wolf's mercy at which he finally revealed what Kenshiro's mission had been, and that he was proud he'd chosen the right mammal for the task. Kenshiro, back with his friends, spread word of just how successful they had been, and were being in sapping the will to fight from their enemy who only continued to march because they still had the advantage of numbers, and because the Daimyo had offered a bonus of gold, and land to whichever Samurai no matter how lowly who brought him the head of the Giant Wolf. The Giant Wolf's response to this was to laugh joking that the Daimyo was probably too weak to lift a tanto, and to order his own warriors to leave the Daimyo for him alone promising that the mammal who killed the Daimyo instead would learn how he'd killed so many without a mark before being forgiven."

"It was the Daimyo's greed that caused him to take the first steps down the ruinous path he chose, but it was vain pride that kept him going even as his most trusted captains began to plot amongst themselves against him. That they would loose a few dozen or so throughout each day from poisoned arrows, or hidden traps was bad enough, but each time they camped in an open field, or empty village they would loose at least a hundred between the Giant Wolf killing them with his blade, or with his secret method if they didn't simply desert. After what was the third such visit to their camp by the Giant Wolf after they'd passed through our village, one of the Daimyo's captains realized the false safety they were making use of, only for their response of camping in the woods to be met with even more harassment from the Giant Wolf's Shinobi, and Sworn Swords. It is said that by the time the Daimyo, and his army reached the last village before the battle field the Giant Wolf had chosen the Daimyo's army had been reduced to barely a thousand while many of those who had deserted joined the Giant Wolf which grew his numbers to roughly that same thousand."

"That last night before the battle, the Giant Wolf still visited the Daimyo's camp in that village though he took no lives, and only chose a secret spot he could be heard from, but not found so that he could address the Daimyo's army. The Giant Wolf's message for what was left of the army he meant to meet in battle was this 'I am a stranger to this land, from a place you would consider Jigoku no Yuki, a hell of ice and snow, but I was never home there. Home which I have found here. So perhaps I do not fully understand your way of following someone just because you have sworn to do so even as they prove unworthy of any such oath. On this eve of our battle I have come to offer those of you who surely must recognize you would only dishonor yourself by continuing to serve one unworthy of your blades the chance to either serve me if you see me as more worthy than your lord, or simply to return home if that is what you wish so long as you swear never to come back here as a threat, and come the morning surrender unto me your lord as my prisoner. I would have you know that those of your friends, and brothers who have already deserted I have to a mammal captured, and given the same choice. Many were grateful I simply wasn't killing them as you would have, and joined me while many as well were grateful I not only let them free I had them escorted safely out of these lands with enough provisions to journey back to where you came from as well as still in possession of their weapons. I will admit a few did prove unworth their fur when they thought they could get the better of their escorts, but that was the choice they made, and it was as unwise as this mammal you call Daimyo. To those of you who are his more trusted captains, and you know who you are, I will allow you the choice to desert if you really would after having come this far though you will have until the moon is no longer visible to make your decision; just know that some of you I very much would like to see join me, but if you would rather return home in peace then I will not hinder you. I'm sure some of you have continued all this way because deep down like me you want to know whether you will pass the test of battle or not, and I have done my best to make sure you still have that chance even as I have sought to defeat you for you have been made my enemy. Perhaps it is my folly that I keep seeking to show mercy, when so often it gets thrown back in my muzzle, and I must respond accordingly, but in the spirit of that mercy even as I do not want you to lose what fighting spirit you retain, which I commend, I will tell you that I am debating whether or not to use the method when I join the battle that has taken without touch so many of your fellows during my visits. I'm sure now that I have said that plenty of you are hardening your wills against me, and cursing me as a monster, and a demon of war, but I never wanted to become this, and have only done so in order to protect that which you have threatened. If you would hold me so guilty of killing those you cared about then you must hold the one who ordered you to come here as equally guilty, and as the free mammals that you are make your own decision.' It is recorded in the account of that message runner who as he had throughout the entire war remained near the Giant Wolf that while he was speaking to their enemy the Daimyo had begun shouting orders to find him, and kill him, but the Daimyo was ignored, and that there was a long silence over the enemy camp despite the Daimyo's yelling until one of his captains stood out near a fire, and responded to the Giant Wolf 'We betray our oaths to our lord, and what will be said of us for it even if it is the right choice? For as you say he is unworthy. What of those who deserted that you set free so willingly? If they did return to where we are from they would be found out and killed; we would meet the same fate. Just for what others would call our betrayal even when the one we call lord has betrayed us by ordering us here where we did not need to come.' To this the Giant Wolf replied 'If what you say is true, and those that did return home were killed even though they could say that they were prisoners set free to carry back word of my mercy . . . then I am trully sorry I didn't keep them prisoner, and should you deliver unto me your lord, or I win tomorrow's battle then I will journey south to where you are from and see to it that they get the justice they deserve. I will even let you be the executioner of that justice, for yes it is a great dishonor to break an oath, but only if the one who holds that oath is worthy, and if the rest of the mammals in this land are blind to such a simple truth then I see no reason not to take your Daimyo's place, and show them all a better way though I want nothing of any such role if I can avoid it. You have given me much to consider I had not even begun to for which I must thank you, but before I go, and leave you all to decide what you will I tell you that should you decide to turn on your lord to avoid tomorrow's battle I want him alive; if you think killing him is permissible then know that whoever does so I will kill as slowly as I can.' After he was done speaking he, and his messenger left back for their camp to prepare for the battle."

"The next day as dawn broke revealing grey skies that threatened rain the Giant Wolf was informed by his Shinobi scouts that there had been no further desertions from the enemy army, and that it did not appear they had turned on the Daimyo either. He then gathered those under his command and made sure they all understood how he meant for them to take on their enemy. His plan was to make it appear that they were going to meet head on in the sort of battle the Daimyo's army would expect using enough of those deserters who had joined him to make it believable while the rest of them hid in positions that would allow them to flank the army once it was drawn in. His Shinobi, and archers he gave unique instructions which were to target as many of the enemy archers, and spear wielders as they could with orders that if it looked like the tide of battle was against them to focus on keeping those who could attack at range from targeting him while he would make sure that they would win even if it cost him his life. His last orders before he took up his own hidden position were to his ever faithful messenger who he told to watch from a safe distance, and if he died, or they lost the battle he was to run as fast as he could to where the Miko was and keep her safe at all costs even if she were to swear vengence, and seek it out against the Daimyo."

"When the Daimyo and what was left of his samurai reached the field where the Giant Wolf lay in wait what happened next he had not anticipated for all the tactical prowess he had so far shown. The Daimyo's samurai who only saw across from them their former comrades who had joined the Giant Wolf, and those former samurai of the Daimyo alike hesitated to attack each other. The Daimyo openly shouted for his samurai to attack, cursing the deserters for the traitors to him that they were, but for his army after the words the Giant Wolf had left them with they instead of drawing their weapons took hold of the Daimyo, and bound they presented him at their front in surrender with that captain who had the night before addressed the Giant Wolf speaking for them all saying 'I too like you Giant Wolf who remains unseen wanted to test my blade, and know my worth on the field of battle, but if I must kill mammals I still would gladly call brother then I would rather cast my sword away. You have truly shown me, and these samurai behind me that such an honorless battle is not worth any more blood than has already been shed. With our muzzles held high in our conviction to uphold our bushido even if we are to be slain for it we give unto you this creature not even worth being called a wolf.' The Giant Wolf let silence reign as he considered the words of the captain who was chief among those he wished to see survive, and in that silence only the Daimyo's blindly loyal second in command spoke out against them, but the Giant Wolf silenced him with a howl that signaled all his hidden forces to reveal themselves as he did showing to the Daimyo's army that they were surrounded. After the Giant Wolf accepted their surrender he kept the Daimyo alive as his prisoner, but beheaded the second in command, and gave that captain the command of the Daimyo's samurai. He then after leaving behind enough of his sworn swords, and those who had joined him that wished to stay to help safeguard the villagers who his messenger carried word to that they could return to their homes, marched at the head of the remaining host with only an entourage of his most trusted Shinobi leading those who wished to return to their home to the south back where they came. By day he led them at the very front forcing the defeated Daimyo whom he kept bound and gagged to walk behind him tethered by a rope. By night the Giant Wolf would personally see to it that his prisoner, whose title he claimed by right as the victor, was well fed as he spent hours trying to reason with the former Daimyo. The former Daimyo however proved to be as stubborn as he had proved greedy, and foolhardy, but still the Giant Wolf persisted to the point that even the captain who he had given command of his fellows insisted the Giant Wolf's effort was wasted."

"When they finally reached the border of the Daimyo's land word spread quickly that the Daimyo who had left as a conquerer had been conquered, and in his disgrace was left alive. If only the Daimyo had been a better lord to his people perhaps those forces he'd left behind would have rallied to his rescue, but they did not, and as word was spread that the Giant Wolf who possessed demon magic was merciful even to his enemies they did not even stand in his way as he dragged their former Daimyo behind him all the way back to his castle. Along the way many who had deserted, and the Giant Wolf had let free made themselves known for they had already carried with them their tales of how they had been captured, but allowed to return home wisely ommitting their desertion. Upon hearing that they had lied in order to keep their fur the Giant Wolf bade the whole host to stop so that with the second in command he could speak seeking his advice on whether or not to make clear to all that those who had returned early were deserters, but had not dishonored themselves for the former Daimyo had first dishonored them in proving unworthy of their loyalty. The second in command in hearing how the Giant Wolf who was now the Lord he served meant to see their names cleared by having the truth be known, and thereby proved true to his word in wanting to show at least the mammals of what was now his land a better way, agreed to the Giant Wolf's wishes. Before the Giant Wolf resumed his march he sent messengers to gather as many of those deserters who he had set free to his host for their safety before he had as many villagers who would willingly hear their new Lord gathered to him. Many more than he expected came to hear what he would decree, and many of them were those samurai who had been left behind such that he had to wait until the next day before he addressed them, and so quiet were they once he began to speak that his voice now famous for carrying like a howl from a mountaintop reached nearly to those at the very back of the throng thousands strong."

"As the one who defeated your Lord who came to make war upon my home out of his own greed, and at no provocation from us I claim his title, and am marching now to claim his castle where I intend to deal as fairly as I can with his house unless they give me cause to deny them mercy. I have left this pathetic creature I drag behind me alive because I had hope that along this journey he might see reason, and I could truly spare him, but he is beyond me so I will leave him to the Mother when I take his head. Now, what I have asked you all to gather to hear is this. In my journey seeking out the land of the dying sun where I might find the peace of death I passed through this land, and saw clearly how your former Lord was not worth his fur in how he treated you all. He cared only for his own wealth, and status, and how he might increase them; surely those of you who were his samurai have known in your hearts that he has not deserved your loyalty. It was not my place to interfere in a land not my own, and so I passed on in my seeking, but it came to pass that I found reason to seek no longer for a Home I had found. A home your former lord meant to take for his own simply because I as the Guardian of my Home had made it a safe place worth wanting, and so he in his folly made himself my enemy, and in his sad attempt at conquest he alone have I viewed as my enemy. Those I have killed I have only done so for the sake of defending my home, so if you would truly blame anyone for their deaths blame the one who forced my paw to lift my blade. As your former lord pressed on which I did not make easy for him many who he commanded realized beyond any excuse that he was not worthy of their loyalty, and so they deserted which in so doing they did not dishonor themselves for already they were dishonored by this thing who was your lord. Needless to say to a mammal they were captured, and I had them given a simple choice, serve me if they felt I was worthy of their loyalty, or return home allowed to keep their swords, but not their armor so long as they swore unto the shores of heaven to never again come against me as a foe. Thus those who have returned to you ahead of me have come to you, so I now would have you know what they hid, but I tell you they retain their honor, and as your current lord I give you this promise that should any harm them out of some sense that as deserters they are honorless you will be giving your head to my second in command. I was horrified to hear his fear that those I had let free would only be killed for doing what they felt was right which all mammals are free to do, and so I promised him that should I be victorious he would be their justice. We are both surprised, and proud of you all for so far not harming those I set free, for as they told you in their omission of their desertion they were indeed my prisoners to do with as I wished which I have. Now, I make this clear to you all, and may you spread these words, I am but the Guardian of my Home, and have no wish to remain your lord any longer than I have to in order to ensure that there will be peace between my home, and yours. These samurai I return to you safe as I promised them might see me as worthy of remaining your lord, but I have done nothing to earn your loyalty, and see no reason make myself your ruler though for now I am. I see many of you samurai this former lord left behind to guard your home have come with your katana at your sides; the choice is open to you to attempt to strike me down, and free this thing behind me, but be warned that if you are so blindly loyal to such a one so unworthy of that loyalty you would bring upon this land a dishonor that will never be forgotten."

"In the murmuring of the gathered multitude as they processed what he had told them the second in command spoke up for he had his own words to say which were 'I know many of you samurai who have benefited from serving our former lord in his unjust ways are now considering contesting the victory of our new lord because it seems like you still hold an advantage in numbers, but you do not know how keeping your katana sheathed might benefit you even more, and we remaining thousand are proof of how numbers are no advantage against our Lord. You also do not know the death our new lord is capable of delivering on his own. You may think it is a superstition he spreads to instill fear that he possesses a demon's killing magic, but we who live have seen the dead fallen where they were standing without cut or bruise, and he has not sought to spread such a word. Yet it was not out of fear we surrendered, for with every word, and every deed he has shown himself to be the sort of lord most of you have wished we had above us. Yes, after our long march driven forward by our former lord with the knowledge that should we attempt to run from the battle our former lord brought upon us we would become prey, when our numbers had dwindled to barely a thousand while his had only grown to match that number, upon the very field where our current lord awaited us we surrendered for we could not draw our blades against those who were once our comrades for no better reason than we were still on the side of a ruler gone craven. When we surrendered our new lord revealed that we were already surrounded with him directly behind us, and that if we had indeed fought we would have died deaths that gained us no honor no matter how bravely we might have fought. I do not doubt that after we had lost, our new lord would have come here, and though since it is his way to show mercy he would seek peace as he is now you would rally yourselves to avenge a fallen lord unworthy of that, and give him cause to visit upon you the death he visited upon us. Many of you will recognize me, and reject my words outright since I was but a simple captain where now I am our new lords second in command, but still I implore you to have patience and you will see as we have that this Giant Wolf who is now our Lord is worth his fur, and worthy of our loyalty.' The words of the second in command were enough to give those who surely were thinking they could defeat the Giant Wolf pause, but at them the Giant Wolf couldn't help speaking out again saying to his second for many to hear 'If there are still samurai here who are as honorless as this thing I drag behind me, and who might now simply plot against me in secret . . . perhaps the battle we were denied in your surrender to me we might still have. Why don't we give them a chance to gather in the nearest field, and those of us who still wish to find our worth in battle might do so. I only show mercy in hopes that I can spare life since it is life I am sworn to protect, but I do secretly relish every opportunity to show no mercy to those who prove unworthy of it. I will even sweeten the deal for them, and come at them alone from one side while the rest of you come at them from the other; I will even do it unarmored that maybe an archer will get lucky though I will likewise not hesitate to use all of my ability to kill beyond my skill with a sword, or with my fangs'."

"At the Giant Wolf's words, and his muzzle showed his seriousness in desiring blood, his second in command was shocked, and responded speaking freely as one samurai to another 'My Lord, I must insist you do not. Surely you do not mean to die so easily?' The Giant Wolf simply grinned at his second in command as he replied 'I have a home, and a mate to return to, and a cub to raise with her when I do. Have I given you any reason thus far to doubt my ability?' before he then turned and addressed the gathered samurai 'If you benefited under this thing I drag behind me by playing into his honorless ways know that I will see you pay for any crimes you can be proven guilty of. What corruption has been allowed to fester I will cleanse. Those of you who know already how much guilt you bear can either meet your fate slowly as cowards plotting against me in secret, flee from this place and never return and your cowardice for doing so I will overlook in my mercy, or you can take this offer I give you of gathering as you are now in the nearest open field and I will face you all alone. As my second has said surely you already believe nothing of what he's said about my worthiness as your lord, or possessing demon magic which is ridiculous isn't it? Of course, those of you who do take this offer I am giving you to fight me will should you somehow succeed still have to deal with his small army behind me, and then my mate and my sworn swords when news of my death passes to my home, but those are still odds you can beat aren't they?' Many of the commoners who heard him speaking thus began to murmur that perhaps he was just a little touched in the head, but his second in command along with all who stood behind him were reminded of how he had taunted their former lord when they had come to the village they then burned, and they knew the Giant Wolf hadn't gone mad at all, but was merely seeking to entrap those who would otherwise prove a stubborn weed to uproot. Thus within the hour those who felt they would gain more by defeating the Giant Wolf, and reinstating their Daimyo had gathered in the nearest field, and the Giant Wolf once the last straggler had joined them took up his position across the field. Though he had not given him the order to do so his second in command had their former Daimyo guarded by those he trusted before ordering the rest under his command to encircle the field despite how the Giant Wolf's Shinobi entourage insisted they simply watch from a safer distance for it is said those he had chosen for his entourage were in possession of the same sort of demon magic he possessed, but were sworn never to use it to kill since already he had taken upon himself the burden of that sin in his effort to defend their home."

"It is only from those Shinobi that we have record of how that very lopsided trial by combat the Giant Wolf engaged in went. You would think such a thing would be recorded aswell in the land where it happened, for this is a part of, albeit a small one, of Japanese history, but if there were records they were lost or destroyed. I have actually reread this part of this story in particular many times since I met Will which is why I know it so well, and so easily remember how these speeches that were made go, but of all the parts of this tale this is the shortest, and most vague. The Giant Wolf who had become a Daimyo as he stood across from the gathered samurai who were only two hundred strong merely drew the blades he carried that were taken from the Ronin, and the Outlaw alpha he had killed before he ran to meet his certain doom. While he managed to fend off those who were immediately around him, many and more behind them who pressed in began to fall dead, and soon it was plain that the Giant Wolf was not defending himself against a number he couldn't hope to defeat, but actively hunting them giving them no quarter or room to flee with those who realized that it had been trap and then attempted to run falling like puppets with their strings cut. As the account goes those who lasted longest against him were those who recklessly charged at him to try and cut him down though they still perished. His second in command, and those who were with him in his attempt to perhaps save the Giant Wolf should he need it were like they had been warned too close, and they fell as well though only asleep not dead for the Giant Wolf in his battle lust had gotten his secret wish to see just how far he could use his demon magic. When he was done the Giant Wolf went from fallen corpse to fallen corpse, and with a sword thrust made sure each was dead before with a wave of a sword he countered his own magic rousing his second in command and the rest who had fallen asleep. The end of this part of the account which is just a segment from an old journal really states that the Giant Wolf for the first time chided his second in command for not having faith in him, and for not trusting his skill in getting a foe to trap himself before he in the same breath forgave him."

"When the Giant Wolf returned to the gathered throng, only superficially wounded, and slightly tired he took back the rope tied to the former daimyo then resumed dragging him towards his castle not bothering to wait for his second in command to catch up. As he went the throng parted to allow him past with many of the commoners clammoring after him thanking him for his bringing to justice so many samurai who had abused their positions for gain following the example of the still gagged daimyo. Those samurai who had gathered likewise began following him once he had passed with many murmuring amongst themselves unable to believe or comprehend how he had won against so many without suffering a mortal wound. By the time the sun was beginning to set he finally reached the castle gate with his captive in tow, and his second in command having finally caught up. The Giant Wolf then made camp right where he was, and had one of the castle guards take word to the Daimyo's family, and advisors that he expected them all to present themselves in the courtyard at dawn. The next day when they had gathered as he had requested, both curious and fearful since he was a head taller than even the largest of any japanese wolf and held the daimyo so humiliatingly captive the Giant Wolf made plain his case against the Daimyo, and making it clear that by right as the victor in a war he did not start he was now their lord, with the whole of the Daimyo's original territory as well as his own under his rule. His first act was to take the Daimyo's head, and when the Daimyo's mate cried out at the sight the Giant Wolf scolded her for being shocked at the fate her mate in his folly brought upon himself. He then had her given a wakizashi, and told her that though he was in the right to kill her mate as he had, he understood how his own mate would've reacted had their positions been reversed, and so he gave her a free opening to strike him down. The Daimyo's mate instead chose seppukku. This now left the Daimyo's young son alone, and with the potential to one day challenge the Giant Wolf's claim to his father's title. The Giant Wolf however instead knelt before the cub, and apologized not for killing the Daimyo who had earned his death, but for that his mother had not chosen to put his well being above her own, and lived for him. The Giant Wolf then spoke to the cub for all to hear asking if the cub truly wished to one day take what had been his father's role, and prove a more worthy lord than his father, or if he simply wished to live his life in peace without worrying about such a heavy thing as a lord's duty to his people. When all the cub did was cry, and recoil in fear the Giant Wolf apologized again this time for asking such an important question of one too young, and full of grief to even consider it. He then spoke for all to hear that he only wanted to return from where he had come, and live out his life as the guardian of his home, but that he would stay as their acting lord for as long as he needed to so that when he did leave the peace he meant to forge like a well crafted katana would not be easily broken. His first act as their lord was to name his second in command as the guardian of the Daimyo's son who he felt compassion for, charging his second in command with raising him as if he were his own to be as honorable as he had so far proven. From there the Giant Wolf met continuously with those in charge of running things throughout the Daimyo's land taking an active role in such matters with a concern for the welfare of the commoners which the Daimyo, and his family had never before shown."

"When it became clear that he would need to stay the acting daimyo for longer than he had originally wished he tasked his Shinobi entourage with bringing to the castle his mate the Miko, and their cub who was a daughter he had never met. The Giant Wolf as he set about righting as many wrongs as he could find showed those who thought they could resist his efforts, and continue as they had before, the same mercy he had the two hundred samurai he slaughtered. While his efforts to improve the lives of the commoners earned him their admiration and respect he did not forget about the samurai who had surrendered to him, or the rest of them, and when they began seeking to swear their loyalty to him in an effort to convince him to stay their lord because of how worthy he proved he instead bade them all swear instead of fealty to him fealty to their home, their families, and those of their neighbors. He also in recognizing the misfortune of the lowest born conceived an idea to help improve their lot which was to found a great ryu where the poorest, the homeless, and the orphaned could train in the ways of combat under the tutelage of those samurai who were too old to still fight, but were rich in knowledge. Many of the wealthier samurai, and nobles under him were wary of how this could threaten their position, and realizing this the Giant Wolf made it clear that these lowborn warriors in training would only be allowed to carry a single katana, and would be tasked with keeping the roads, and waterways of their land safe so that the full samurai were free to focus on defending the entire territory should it be attacked. The merchants, and in particular those he had tasked with using trade to make bridges between the Daimyo's land and his home as well as other neighboring lands in an effort to foster peace, proved his biggest supporters in his endeavor since he was making trade safer."

"Now most of these decrees the Giant Wolf had made rather quickly within his first month as acting Daimyo, but it would be several more before they began to bear fruit. It was in his second month as acting Daimyo that his mate, and their daughter came south to the castle where he greeted them fondly. With them however had come those of his Shinobi, and Sworn Swords who after following him so loyally couldn't help their desire to remain at his side. Those of his sworn swords who had come he made the personal guards of his mate, his daughter, and the Daimyo's son who was gradually warming up to him since he had taken to sharing with the youth stories from his own cubhood, and ones he'd picked up in his travels as a way to ease his longing for his own family though once they arrived he still would regularly visit him to talk, or to learn reading and writing with him since he had the opportunity. Those Shinobi who came no less loyally he tasked with acting as his hidden eyes and ears throughout his land as well as with starting their own school to both grow their numbers and aid the smaller mammals predator and prey alike who were poor and in need of the opportunity. As first a couple months turned into several, and his efforts to make peace through trade began to bear fruit so too did that trade spread word of him which eventually reached the emperor who in hearing such strange, and conflicting tales about this foreign wolf said to be twice the size of any other decided to pay him a royal visit as unannounced as such a thing could be. Thanks to his Shinobi who wandered the countryside he managed to prepare sufficiently to receive the emperor when he arrived at his castle."

"The Giant Wolf after conferring with the nobility under him who were more knowledgeable about such things, and then talking their suggestions over with his other advisors decided that while he had made sure the accommodations within the castle prepared for the emperor were agreeable to the customs of the era it would be best if he sent a formal letter to the emperor before he reached the village outside what had become his castle. In the letter which he had his ever faithful messenger deliver he communicated to the emperor that he was happy, and eager to meet the great ruler of the land where he had found his home. He also begged forgiveness from the emperor for the fact that the ways of nobility were strange and often nonsensical to him such that if he came across as perhaps too informal he meant no slight by it. When the emperor finally arrived, and such a rare visit was quite the talked about event, the Giant Wolf met him formally managing to show the proper respect as he presented himself, his mate, his daughter, and the daimyo's son who he had taken as a ward. The emperor it is said commended the Giant Wolf on his manners before he requested to the surprise of his entourage a private audience with him which the Giant Wolf was more than happy to oblige. It is again thanks to a shinobi's journal that we know about what the Giant Wolf, and the emperor spoke; the Giant Wolf clarified for the emperor that though he had taken the daimyo's title, and land by right as victor in the daimyo's failed conquest of his homeland he did not wish to keep the title, or the land any longer than he had to. He explained to the emperor how since his cubhood his life had been sworn to protect those who needed it, and that since he had found his true home in the north he had only wanted to live out his days quietly doing just that. The emperor of course was quite interested to hear from him how he had defeated the daimyo which the Giant Wolf explained though he downplayed the rumors he possessed demon magic. When the emperor asked him about his efforts in the land he had essentially, though unintentionally, conquered the Giant Wolf told him how he wished to simply right wrongs he had noted when he first passed through the territory on his way north, and as soon as he could be sure that he could leave for his home in the north without the peace he was trying to forge from falling apart he fully intended to return to the daimyo's son his rightful place unless the cub didn't want it, or proved unworthy; the latter prospect for which the Giant Wolf expressed his faith that it would not be the case. The emperor upon hearing him out then made the purpose of his visit known; in seeing that so much of what he had heard was true of how the Giant Wolf was a capable warrior despite not being born a samurai, and was proving a highly viewed lord despite not being born a noble, the emperor wished to have the Giant Wolf join him in the imperial court as one of his generals on top of the title of Daimyo which the emperor would let him keep. Needless to say it was quite the promotion especially for someone so obviously a foreigner, and the Giant Wolf made it clear to the emperor he was honored that the emperor would even consider offering him such a place, but after insisting it was only his place to protect not to govern the Giant Wolf suggested they both take time to consider how they might proceed making it clear that he felt the emperor would come to agree that he would not fit in well amongst the higher nobility, and would only cause undue strife in the capital. The emperor was impressed with the Giant Wolf's diplomacy for he had not refused him outright which simply was not done to an emperor, nor had he agreed without question to the emperor's desire which secretly the emperor had grown distasteful of in his dealings with everyone beneath him."

"So it was that the Giant Wolf did not hide how he usually was amongst his family, and his subjects from the emperor, and despite how his entourage commented negatively on how apparent it was that the Giant Wolf was no noble the emperor made it plain he found the Giant Wolf's brevity not only refreshing, but how that in turn effected how his subjects viewed him as rather enlightening. Over the course of the few weeks that the emperor stayed with the Giant Wolf they grew to be friends of a sort with the emperor speaking as freely with the Giant Wolf as the Giant Wolf spoke with him, something none of the nobles present remarked on with any fondness. When it came about that the emperor could no longer postpone his return to the capital again this time openly the emperor made his offer to the Giant Wolf, and before the Giant Wolf could begin responding the emperor asked him if he would truly leave behind the former Daimyo's son who had begun to address him as his father just so he could have his solitude in the north, and the emperor also pointed out that despite his not wanting it the Giant Wolf in his position as a lord was able to protect more than he had before not just in his home to the north as well as how the offer the emperor was making him would only increase his ability to protect others. The Giant Wolf was silent for a long while as he pondered the emperor's words which were rather astute. When the Giant Wolf did finally respond it was to ask the emperor if he could ask his mate, and his ward their thoughts on the matter. The Miko was very much of a similar mind to her mate only wanting to return to a home that it seemed was only getting farther away, but she did agree with the emperor that the life-purpose the Mother herself had seemed to give him to protect others such that he could would be even more fulfilled if he accepted. What swayed him though was when the former daimyo's son who had become his adopted son asked if he really would leave him alone as soon as he was able to take his place as lord of his land. When the Giant Wolf returned to the emperor's presence where he waited with their retainers he said 'You are right shrewd emperor in merely doing what I had to, to protect the home I found, I have gained great responsibilities I cannot simply ignore, or reject. It is still true that I am a foreigner, and not noble born so there will be problems caused because of me serving you in the capital; problems we will both have to deal with. In light of that, though I will agree to this offer you have made me, I humbly ask that I be allowed these simple conditions; Those I would keep at my side, in particular my Mate, my Son, and my Daughter, shall come with me with their safety assured; when my son is old enough to take on the responsibility of the title that is his birth right he may do so even as I will stay in the capital, and that when the time comes for me to return to the north for my final walk through the woods you will release me from your service.'"

"The Giant Wolf's words which made plain that his concerns were born from his deepseated fatherliness moved the emperor, even as several of his enteurage expressed disbelief that anyone would seek conditions at all to such a generous offer, and so the emperor changed his offer responding 'I see now just how much I truly was asking of you noble brother simply because I desired one such as you at my side. I will gladly accept your conditions though allow me to change my offer to this; since the people here will have as much need of you as I will, and so too will your family you are free to stay here as you will. I would merely ask that you visit the place I will keep for you in my palace from time to time; in my short time here I have seen what a true ruler looks like though in my position I could never be quite such a one and you have humbled me. It has not escaped my ears the whispers that you are the Father of Wolves come in the fur, and whether or not this is true I recognize you as a brother.' So it came to pass that the rest of his days the Giant Wolf divided his time between his castle, and his place in the palace of the emperor until the day his son was of age to accept the lordship that was his birthright, and then he divided his time between the palace and his simple home in our village until the day the Mother called him home. In the greater history of Japan the Giant Wolf is barely remembered as a northern warlord who gained a lordship through his prowess in battle, and later the emperor's favor through his ability as a leader, but we who keep the shrine to the Father remember, and keep this history of ours as proof the Father does walk amongst us."

"That's it?" Sierra asked her muzzle making it plain she hadn't expected Naomi to finish so abruptly, and that she expected there to be more to the story.

"That is all of it that I know. The journal scrolls of the Giant Wolf, the Miko, their daughter who is my ancestor, and the son of the Daimyo are in our possession, but besides my grandmother who won't allow me access to them until her passing only Okami-sama would be allowed to read them though he doesn't know enough of the old kanji to do so. She won't even tell me what the name of the Giant Wolf really was, and I know from how she reacted when I asked that it is in those scrolls. It gets cumbersome always refering to him as Dairo, or Odairo, which in english translate from how they are written into Big Wolf and Great Big Wolf respectively." Naomi answered her before adding "The most I can tell you that I haven't, is that thanks to the Giant Wolf and his defense of what is now our little prefecture of Hokkaido no others came in arms, and when the time came for us to join the rest of Japan we were annexed relatively peacefully. Even in the history books when I was in highschool there was barely a sentence given in mention of him, and despite how there were local protests about it when she was my age my grandmother was the one who pointed out that we would still remember him even if the rest of the world forgot, and that he would've wanted it that way".

"Your grandmother then is the loremaster for your people that I am for mine; I thank you for your sharing with me your tale of the Father, you do her proud as her future successor. With as many stories as we have of how he alone among Fang Devils could, and would kill when necessary as you have described as dark magic, particularly in war, I can say with certainty your Giant Wolf was the Father." Elder Frost said to her with a kindly grin.

"You honor me with your words Oji-san, and I will be sure to share with my Oba-chan that in that part of our story so many toss out as superstition we have proof we were right to keep it as Lore of the Father." Naomi responded smiling back at him.

"Hmm . . ." Katarina hummed pensively which brought everyone's attention to her though she started when she noticed their eyes upon her as if unaware she'd made a sound. She explained herself as she addressed Naomi "It is curious you believe this Giant Wolf originally came from where I am from. We have a folk myth, I haven't heard since I was a cub at my grandmother's knee so forgive me that I do not remember it well, but it goes more or less that during a time when there was animosity, and enmity between wolf and cat that had gone on so long the reason for it if there ever was one had long been forgotten there lived a wolf born to be alpha of his pack simply because of his size. It is said that even in the womb he was so big that he left no room for any littermates to grow, and that when it came to birthing him his mother was barely able to pass him. The story goes that when he was full grown, but had not yet challenged his father for leadership of his pack he came across a lost tigress cub mewling for her mother as a great blizzard approached. Instead of simply killing her, or leaving her to die since by rights that is what he should've done he took her to his den for shelter calling upon his own mother to provide milk which she did out of love for him. When his father the alpha found out after the storm had passed the mercy his most beloved son had shown, he took it for weakness, and ordered the rest of the pack to kill his unworthy son, and the cub both. The pack hesitated, and in that hesitation the merciful wolf in a single bite slew his father before renouncing his claim as their alpha, and exiling himself undertook returning the cub to her mother. When after a few days journey he found the cub's mother who in her despair at losing her first daughter had simply laid down to die he walked without fear into the midst of those who attempted to convince her to live. Because he was on all fours, and carried the cub in his mouth everyone thought this monster had come with some cruel intent, and the cub's mother in a flash was up and ready to strike him, but the cub who hadn't moved because she trusted the wolf when she smelled her mother cried so loudly that to a one they were all struck as still as stone. After he set the cub down, and she had gone to her mother who greeted her with joy completely forgetting her intent to strike the wolf down he turned to leave as inexplicably as he had come, but the cub's grandmother stopped him wanting to know why he had done what he had. The merciful wolf simply said that though for all his life he had been taught to view all cats as the enemy, because none could ever explain to him why he should so blindly hate, he had always questioned ever doing so, and upon finding the cub he couldn't find it in his heart to see her as any different than any wolf cub who so lost would've needed his aid, and that on his honor as a wolf he would've been duty bound to protect. He then explained how his father had reacted, and what he'd done, saying that he intended in his exile to simply wander until he found a place to die since he had learned that he had no place among his fellow wolves. The cub's grandmother who was head of their family offered him a place among them, but he declined so instead she tasked her daughter with showing him the way through the mountains to the east with the wish that the merciful wolf so set in his quest for death in exile due to having lost his hope for his fellow wolves might instead find a land where he could live. After he was gone, and whatever happened to him is unknown, the cub's grandmother pondered long and hard over what she considered a sign from the Great Mother of Cats. In those days it was no easy task gathering together the cat families who preferred their isolation, but due to her age, and how well she was respected she managed the feat, and at that great meeting explained to all what had happened, and how she meant to respond to this sign from heaven. While some protested those who spied upon the packs in order to protect us from their numbers sided with her for they had noted from afar the trouble in his pack after he left, and how it seemed to spread to the other packs. Once they were decided the cub's grandmother herself despite her age led all who were able to where the merciful wolf's pack was. Now their approach was no secret, and to see so many tigers gathered as if someone had given them the idea to use a wolf's pack tactics it was no surprise that in response despite their disarray all the wolf packs gathered as quickly as they could, and it looked as if there might actually be an open battle between the two sides until the cub's grandmother who had stepped forward spoke for all to hear, and chided them all as only a grandmother can for being unable to see that in their midst had been a Son of the Wolf Mother, and in their blindness not only giving him reason to forsake them all not even bothering to convince him to stay. She told them all how he had not only saved her granddaughter he had saved her daughter as well, and entreated them that if they truly heard her, they would make up for their shame in the eyes of the Wolf Mother by casting aside so many years of animosity and with her make peace between their two species. What the cub's grandmother did not know was that the exiled wolf's mother had in her grief over losing her son taken control of her pack, and had been in the process of convincing the rest of the packs to likewise make peace which had been the reason for their disarray. So it came to pass as the two mothers grasped paws peace was made, and in our cold land where survival is not easy even with the modern conveniences we have now our two peoples found that since they no longer fought against each other but instead helped one another that survival was much easier."

"Okay, I really like that one Katarina, out of tragedy and loss sometimes a greater good can come. Please at some point do a Zootube video, telling it again; the world could use your telling of it free for all." Will encouraged Katarina, her story still twisting in his gut.

"I certainly have the time, I can do that moy brat. Tell the one I have from memory, then actually go through the folklore where it is surely recorded more fully." Katarina responded quite behind the idea.

"You will get, how to they call it? A shout out from me. Let me know when you've uploaded it." Elder Frost said to Katarina friendlily adding in way of explanation "My grandson Nathaniel has got me on there, doing something similar, he handles the camera; apparently we've just been able to reach monetization, I'm quite proud of how enterprising like my June that he is, he earns his pocket money."

"Ooh, Grandpa do tell him, Nate, for me that next time I'm up here for a couple days I wanna do a couple more readings with him, those're fun. Tell him, his choice of material." Will said to Elder Frost as he thought of it.

"I will, I think he will be quite happy to hear that." Elder Frost told him with a warm smile.

"You know, Naomi-san, your tale reminds me a good deal of the similar story we have in Fox Hollow of the Devil Wolf; He too is said to have fought like a demon though he lived to protect, and he was instrumental in keeping Fox Hollow the haven for us that it has been." John commented his muzzle still bearing proof of how absorbed in listening to her that he had been.

"Yoru-chan said much the same when my Oba-chan was the one who was doing the telling. I would certainly be glad to hear the tale again, and from the one whom Yoru-chan learned it." Naomi responded with a smile.

"When you say Yoru-chan do you mean Layla?" Martha asked in honest curiosity as she tilted her head.

"Yes. As Layla is Arabic for night in Japanese her name would be Yoru, or more probably Yoruichi which is Night-One." Will readily explained giving his soon to be mother-in-law a grin.

"Okami-sama is right. Much as I call him Okami-sama out of respect, my calling her Yoru-chan is what you would call a term of endearment. My english may be good enough for me to properly say Layla, and not Rayra, but I am fond that her name translates so easily." Naomi added easily with a happy grin.

"And I am fond of her calling me Yoru-chan. It's actually the reason I keep Yoruichi as an alias in Japan." Layla said for her own account.

"I am down for hearing a Fox Hollow tale." Sierra further encouraged Layla's dad.

"I am no great story teller." John cautioned them before saying "But I can try to do well enough."

Layla's dad then began to tell the tale "Our history is no happy place, full of conflict, and bloodshed; the world is much the same as it's always been, though it continues to turn anew. It gets taught in school, some of the first European colonists to arrive in the Kingdom of Zootopia, not counting the much older arrival in Ulfhaven, were foxes from across Europe fleeing persecution, wanting to make better lives for themselves in a far off land. Where even if there were other European species to harass them, their numbers would be too few to be any real threat. It was only once they were here they learned of the presence of African Grey Wolves, but that is a different more happy story."

"This story starts, with a French vixen, and an English wolf. The vixen was something of a huntress, and quite adept with traps; skills she put to use trying to defend the small village that was the start of Fox Hollow, mostly from the European grey wolves who were in the same area. One day she trapped this English wolf, and as she usually did she meant to kill him. Now, we had written documents from the period, but thanks to fire, now all that's left is what has been passed down orally, and what is left etched on the monument to the English wolf those long ago villagers erected; the name of him was Eric, and the vixen is only remembered as Fey." Layla's dad continued "It is said, that what stayed Fey's paw from killing Eric, was his quickness, and cleverness of tongue. His tongue must've been quite good, because Fey didn't just rob him and leave him tied up, she instead released him and took him back with her to the village. It wasn't unusual, for a wolf from europe to be friendly with foxes, but this Eric it soon became apparent was very fond of foxes, and very un-fond of wolves at least the ones from Europe anyway. Eric did not hesitate to make himself a home in our village, helping out wherever he could, and it did not take long for most to warm to him. She may have taken a little longer than most to warm up to him, but when Fey did she was more than just warm with Eric, this much is known."

"You might think a love story is about to be starting here, but I am sorry, that is not the case. It came to pass that a group of European wolves, a mercenary pack, decided to harrass our village in earnest, but their first efforts were stymied by Fey and her traps. So when they made a second foray, they came for the 'Trap-Layer', and when she went to check her traps they ambushed her. It was Eric leading the search party for her that found her broken body, they had taken their fill by raping her to death. The howl of grief that came out of Eric, echoed through the woods for miles, and it is said the rumor he was a Voice started then for he had made a howl none could match. From that night forward he swore vengeance on those who had killed Fey, with several foxes, and african grey wolves joining him."

"When Eric and his small war-band found the mercenary pack's camp, such was his bloodlust in his grief, he bade those that had come with him, to wait and watch, and only make their attack if he failed. He was cautioned against taking on over a dozen wolves alone, but he would not be swayed, it was blood he wanted, and blood he meant to have. Now, the story gets strange here, but every mammal who had gone with Eric came back with the same story more or less. Eric fell on the camp, quietly, moving about on all fours, and he took down first one who had gone off to relieve themself and was returning, by jumping on him, and biting out his throat. Like that he moved around the camp, and got two more before the camp was alerted. In the dark, the remaining dozen mammals gathered around the fire in the center of their camp, seemingly undefeatable, even if they the mammals who had gone with Eric joined in. As they watched to see how Eric would fight, and wondered if they should join in, he loosed another howl, different from his grief, one that spooked them for it supposedly spoke to them of being hunted; it was no call summoning them. Then, as if some of the mammals standing had lost all ability to stand, they fell, screaming out in fear and causing havoc amongst their fellows. It was then that Eric rushed them, going for the throats of the fallen, only to dart around using their tents for cover. As they chased him around their camp, Eric was able to pick them off one by one, until only the leader remained."

"The leader it is said, opened fire with every weapon he had, first his rifle, and then his pistols, but he could not hit Eric as he stood loosing a howl as if already celebrating his victory. Then with nothing but his sword, the leader charged Eric, only to fall into the dirt several feet form Eric as if his legs had been pulled from under him. Eric then proceeded to bite at, and tear pieces from the leader of the band, who screamed but was unable to put up any resistance. Those mammals who had come with Eric attributed it to either the Mother or Father of wolves, putting a paw on the leader's chest, so that the agent of their retribution could do his work. Eric did not stop until the other wolf was in pieces, and of those pieces he'd eaten the liver and heart. It is said they all saw him clear, illuminated by the camp fire, and where the african grey wolves felt their stomachs turn, the foxes did vomit what food they had in them"

"They looted that mercenary camp for all it had, even the tents, though it took sending for another group from the village to carry everything back, and from that day forward Eric was known either by the nickname Devil-Wolf, or as the Fox Hollow Guardian. He formed out of the mammals who had gone with him the first of the Fox Hollow Rangers, our homegrown police force, and it is their tradition for new Rangers to swear their oaths in front of his statue." John finished his telling.

"You left out the part where, he kept himself covered in the blood of his enemies until the rain season washed his white fur clean, and afterwards kept parts of his fur dyed with black and red to intimidate any future enemies. You also left out, that as the First Ranger, it was said he could walk during the day with no one noticing him even though he was there, and during the night could go completely invisible, because after Fey's death he went back on his oath against using the dark magic he was born with." Layla said to her dad adding as she was licking at her marshmallow "I can confirm he, Eric the First Ranger, was likely a psychic vampire."

"Hmm, yeah I'm gonna have to visit, and yeah, that sounds about right for one of us at my, more normal level." Sierra commented sounding like she wasn't going to wait too long for making that trip.

"I would be about similar, maybe a little bit better, but not like Will... He is the whole other next level." Katarina stated, backing up Sierra.

"Ya know, you'd think with as often as there have been throughout history mammals like us, aware, and engaging in combat, there'd be more stories like this. It's not easy to develop the necessary skill, and is not necessarily fast technique to use, though the effects of it being used properly can appear to be fast. Also, as the Devil Wolf story illustrates kinda nicely, it's easier to just bring someone off their feet and use your fangs, or other weapon to kill them. The old fashioned way is the way for a reason." Will commented with what he really thought as he did his best to deflect a little in response to Kat.

"Eh, it's also a really low number, those of us aware, nevermind in combat roles. The blind do rule afterall, do they not? Furthering their blindness." Sierra replied to him adding "There might be more of us now, as information is spread, who will gain awareness... but across this world where every religion oppresses? Even throughout the past, we are not common at all."

"If we were smart, we'd try to make a unit of psychic vampires, then maybe expand that troop strength, but no the trajectory has been 'look what we happen to have, lets see how far it can go on its own with encouragement, okay now it might blow up in our muzzle terminate it'." Jack stated before asking him "Would you even train that unit? We would need you for that."

"Yeah, even though it was one of our strongest allies, lets try to kill it, and turn it against us; from national asset into major fucking terrorist." Skye added, in agreement over the stupidity of things.

"Ya know... with the mammals that will flock to me, now. I may just end up training such a unit, but it will be under my command." Will answered Jack having taken a moment to think about it before saying to them "I might as well start now with the story I wanted to tell; the oldest memory I have access to right now. It goes way back, long before I ever incarnated into this body."

"Hmm, now this will be an interesting one for everyone to hear. You have not told many besides me, have you? Father." Elder Frost commented to him quite ready to enjoy hearing it again.

"He told me." Layla spoke up before getting another marshmallow from Lola who had passed out the sticks as she finished them, along with the marshmallows.

"I think I get to say he told me first, and I am sure he's talked about it with Sierra." Lola commented.

"It makes sense it's the kind of thing that'd stick with him. I wish I remembered my past like that; that far back, that clearly." Sierra stated.

"It's really just the one thing, very clearly; not to let any of you get your hopes up, this'll be a short one." Will said to them prepping them a bit before he got into it "I will ask you to bear with me, even though I very much exist here in front of you, can and will reach out to touch you, what I'm about to tell you goes back in time many millenia, when the earth was very different, and such things did take place upon it."

To tell them, was to dredge up the memory, and he did not stop how it flowed in him as he spoke "I have ever had only one Enemy, known to you by many names, with many legends attached; my fight is never ending because his lies live on in you, they are his contribution to existence. That fight is why I walk amongst you like you see me now doing. Here I am as weak, and fallible as you, I will stumble and fall no different, but I will also stand apart, something for you to look to if you have eyes to see. I do my best, I do not always succeed. Long, so very long, before I ever had to come amongst you so deeply, his villainy had reached another breaking point, and war we did wage. All of us against him, one last and good time, at least so he could be removed from our space. Our will is to see life flourish, His is to dominate it as he sees fit, for what ends he finds pleasing, and beautiful in his own way. I cannot tell you where, or when our last Great Battle took place on this earth. I can only tell you I was above it, from several hundred feet in the air, I could survey the field. The clashing of our forces, with his."

"I had only begun my fight, was taking a step back, but that step taken I then dove into the fray. With my weapons, and my desire to win for good, to put an end to the fighting, and the corruptions he invented; I held nothing back of what I was then capable. Even then I was not the brightest of lights, for the thing you call bloodlust was in me, and I reveled in it. While I pushed forward into our Enemy's forces, I made the classic mistake of pushing too far forward, on my own strength, and got myself surrounded. At first I was only moved to fight harder, and harder, but even I had my limits, and when I reached them I began to flag. I thought it was my end there, yes we can end, and be ended, and in that moment my only thought was that victory was not ours, and still I had to fight, so on I fought. I was wounded, but instead of the killing blow I expected to come; She came to my aid, I could speak her name for you, but I will not, you know her as my mate. These moments I am doing my best to describe to you are when that fact became how things are." Will continued, and her name was on his lips, resounding in his mind, but he held it in "You see, She in my defense, her refusal to see me perish, had fought back the enemies around us to the point they gave us a few precious moments of breathing room. In my wounded state, there was only her, and only one way for me to heal; only one way for me to regain strength. I did not even think about it, rushing to her with what strength I had left, and sinking my fangs into her, pulling deeper from her than I ever had before."

"Now here I need to pause in clarifying, and borrowing from our most common tongue, there are ways a Jedi passes energy, life force, from one being to another, in small amounts, never with a need to take in order to sustain; an example would be a Jedi Healer perhaps taking a little extra in from a nearby natural wellspring of the force, in order to pass it into another that their body's healing would be encouraged, or their will to live strengthened." Will said to them seriously wanting to give them the idea of where he'd been before "My intent then, was only to take enough to heal my wounds, and start taking the rest of what I needed from our enemies forces. What happened instead, is that She bit me back, and began to take from me in response, reaching my same measure, and from around us we began to pull more from the enemies that had us surrounded. Together we became the Vampyr we are, She and I; and with us still in the fight, victory was eventually ours. My oldest most visceral memory is that feeling, of taking the entire life of a being, like the first enemy I fell upon after we split apart. Go figure this life has led me down this path . . ."

"No, there is another. A brother of ours who fought, more or less beside you, and fell when you did. Where you had her to help you, he had only the enemies around him . . . We could not make it to him in time, we were trying . . . because we'd seen her go to your side . . . we didn't want to lose him either." Katarina said to him, his telling having dredged up in her, her own side of things sounding like she was very nearly crying, and needed a hug.

"Another?" Sierra asked as she moved to give Kat that hug before not seeming to realize herself as she said "Öh'rëh . . ."

"Thems be the breaks of incarnating like this, I do not remember at all who you are talking about; you have me totally curious what else you remember Sestra." Will could not help his response to her being what it was before asking Sierra curiously "Öh'rëh?"

"Öh'rëh? What?" Sierra repeated as if hearing the word for the first time, as she reached Kat and embraced her before asking "I Spoke that didn't I?"

Sierra then spoke it again with a warmth and love that was a surprise "Öh'rëh"

"Is that His name?" Katarina asked Sierra adding with a sniffle "I can't remember his name, only how much I didn't want him to end."

"I . . . I think so . . ." Sierra answered Katarina tentatively, before Speaking again, and it was clear she had started crying "We will Never let the Heart die, Never. Not On Our Watch."

"The Father, the Red Wolf of the Mountain Wood, and the Great Mother of Cats were once around a campfire sharing stories." Sarah commented with awe and amazement before asking everyone else "Who'd have ever thought we'd be gathered here to hear them."

"What do you remember of this brother I cannot seem to? I would know more my sisters." Will said to Katarina, and Sierra honestly, not quite sure how to take Sierra's declaration.

"I now know, those pair of eyes that haunt me are his. The light I see in them is His light . . ." Sierra said to him, and her declaration made a bit more sense, but she was silent after that as if grown pensive.

"Besides how it felt watching him fall? Thinking he would end? I remember how he used to feel in my arms; if I could make him my king I think I would, but then I would have already, and my king he is not." Katarina answered him.

"So the name of this mysterious other vampyr engel is O'reh the Heart? The Heart of Who? Or What?" Nick with curiosity inquired of them.

"O'reh... The Heart... of Us... Our Pack. As Will is our Alpha, the Head, He is The Heart." Sierra answered as if thinking about it brought forth the information from a deep recess of her memory before saying with adamance "No, We Will Never Let Him Die. Not On Any Watch Of Ours."

"He is the Heart, of our Pack?" Katarina asked as if it were a revelation before saying "No wonder he feels so good to have in my arms."

Katarina then whined longingly out of missing him, and Sierra responded in kind as the two took comfort in each other, from each other.

"Hopefully in Ulfheim He will be there to greet us, we will certainly remember him better. Until then we have a Future to Fight For, Flourishing of Life to Fight For." Will said to the two of them, honest in his hope, and firm in his encouragement of them.

"Son, rather Father, forgive me, I am struggling here, I won't have the right words to say this, but You are a Vampire? A Demon? A creature of Satan, and evil?" His dad inquired adding "I know you, and no matter how rough around the edges you may be, there's no way you're evil."

"I'm an angel of death, and my place in God's host is making sure the place where your soul goes to rest is made, and kept well. Because the Mother and I make a pair, one of us stays in Ulfheim to do just that, the other will walk amongst you for the reasons we have for doing so. Take every preconceived notion that mortal made bible of yours has put in your head, and shove them up your fucking tailhole. I am sick of how that hierarchical dogma, and absolute crap, limits all your fucking minds to the point when I stand before you, outside and beyond that blindness, you fall back on that blindness because its all you know, and call me the Evil One. Would you like me to devour your soul because you have so angered me in your Willful Blindness? I can. No Ulfheim for you." Will responded to his father, heaving a heavy sigh, as he was more tired than angry that those were the words his dad had said, and that was the quandry he was having.

He then heaved another sigh, and told his dad "I am not so fickle, I am not going to just devour your soul like that; lord knows I haven't actually gone that far this lifetime, and I really don't fucking want to. But this particular subject gets to me, because here is one way You Dad, and Mom, and nearly every fucking one else in this family has not been there for me, never was able to be there for me. Because you are dumb, and blind, and unaware of even that you are so dumb, and blind to reality I have no choice but to look at, and know in all it's fucking horror, for knowledge is horror, but better that horror than anything else, for that horror, and knowledge of it makes what is beautiful shine all the brighter. I forgive you, your blindness, because you do not know what you do."

"They may not know what they do, but that does not excuse them from the wrong they do; at some point that forgiveness must run out. Öh'rëh's, The Heart's, his forgiveness certainly has. You could even say, he is almost blinded by his own anger, and hate, regarding the blind and what they've done to him... even now, I can still feel how it flowed through me earlier... they hurt him in very deep ways, and only blood will satisfy him." Sierra commented in response to him, before whining again, and hugging Katarina a little tighter.

"I have had you Sister, and the rest of you here who know who you are." Will said to her before commenting "I would not be surprised, if he incarnates like we do, he has had a life less fortunate in that regard. Normally for us, we don't incarnate so close, and each lifetime we are usually completely alone, are we not?"

Will had not meant to, but his words got another pained whine out of Sierra before she said to him "Then all the more I want my path to cross his."

"We do indeed incarnate quite far apart across this planet." Katarina commented wistfully adding "It is something of a small miracle our path's have crossed."

"The Heart of your Heavenly pack, wouldn't he be a wolf too? His anger and hate flowed through you?" Sierra's mom asked her before saying in heartfelt apology "Over twenty years with you, My Daughter, and I am only learning now, you are no mere Voice of the Mother, you are the very Father's Right Paw incarnate; I am truly sorry, that in this way, with my blindness I have failed you. I will never stop being here for you in every way I can, and now that I know this truth, consider it added; please. You are My Daughter, I am so proud of. How many lives, over the years, that have walked into that forest for a purpose, have you saved? And it's what you do for a living."

"Mom, it never mattered to me, I had my pack; it is not something I hold against you. I try not to think about, what my total is, it is not some trophy, and I don't want it to go to my head; as often as we save mammals, we lose 'em too." Sierra responded to her mom, after giving Kat a nuzzle, then pulling away to look at her mother, before answering simply "We all share what are called Links, connections of one living being to another, they develop as we get closer. You know what I'm talking about, when you can feel from across town, someone you're close too is down, or something and could use a visit, and when you get there you find out that is exactly what they needed. Through my Link to him, stretched thin as it surely is due to the distance between us, I have been haunted in my dreams by his eyes. Earlier today, at The Dairy, yes his anger and rage did flow through me; empath that I am I can tell you very clearly it was His, and not Mine."

Sierra then told her mom "Well, you see, we may be angels of wolves... lord it sounds so pretentious saying it plainly like that... but wolf is not our true form, or necessarily our favored one. Is he one of our kin, yes, but is he an angel of wolves, or cats, or another specie? I do not know, who is to say?"

"He is in my memory, as a being of light, when he fell in that battle... so clear even now, but even I could not say." Katarina added as if the answer was just barely beyond her sight, and it frustrated her.

"There is, how are you fond of putting it William? A mindfuck. How it really behooves us to be good to one another, for some of our angels walk amongst us, and who let alone how are we to know them at all?" Elder Frost said to them as he took up his guitar, and began to lightly plucking at the strings as if not quite sure whether he wanted to noodle around, or play a particular song.

"What are you talking about, you old kook? Our angels walk amongst us? Get outta here with that nonsense, hahah Old Wolf." Will responded to Elder Frost sarcastically before saying to him "The Free Will of mammals is what it is, they will always will against each other just as often as they will, will with one another; make war as much as they make peace. There is no way to convince everyone on the planet of something like that, and to even try would be the sort of thing, domination of other's wills, that our Great Enemy would do. We can only accept things as they are, and do what we can, with the paws we have."

"Will! I raised you better than that, to talk to your elders that way." His mom chided him.

"Why? Why are you saying that to him Marie? I am not offended, nor would I be, neither did he mean any. He was merely giving an example of what the average mammal across the planet would respond." Elder Frost inquired of his mom, as if she were the one out of place.

"Would you like me to Dominate you, like I Dominated Dad? I Can. You are even smaller, weaker." Will asked him mom, very much willing to do so, because she was being foolish, and going the right way to pissing him off enough to stop caring who she was at all.

"No." His mom was quick to answer him, seeming to realize her mistake, before saying "I'm sorry, you just said that so... seriously, so unpleasantly."

"Do not be mean to your mom." Layla said to him, her tail wagging lightly as she was licking at and enjoying the marshmallow on her stick.

"I'll be mean to whoever the fuck I have to, as they warrant it. Including You, you devious cunt." Will told her, in no mood right then to take anyone's shit adding "And don't you dare try to say you're not a fucking devious little cunt; you did successfully drug me the way you did."

"No, I will own that, I am a devious cunt. But I am Your devious cunt, and you're stuck with me, I'm not leaving you, and I'm not letting you leave me either." Layla told him in riposte.

"You can go ahead and not let me leave you; I'll beat you to the punch 'cause I ain't leavin' you again babe." Will was quick to reply before saying "Ooh, I know a song I wanna play, and sing."

He then added to Elder Frost "When you are ready to pass that thing to me, Grandfather."

"Here." Elder Frost said holding his guitar out in his general direction, away from the fire, adding "I was tired of leaving it sitting silent, but nothing is coming to me, to really play."

Moving around the fire he accepted the instrument from Elder frost before heading to sit back down behind his mate a couple feet.

"Mmm, Will, my love, will you indulge me? And play first for me a song, it is in me right now, to get out?" Layla asked him perkily, and he noted she had finished her marshmallow.

"Are you on Marshmallow two, or three?" He asked her back, letting her stew a moment, as he pretended to think about it.

"Four." Lola answered him.

"Yeah, four." Layla stated in agreement adding "These are nice big ones that last a while."

Layla then seemed to realize her phrasing, and with a giggle turned to grin at him giving him a wink as she did so.

"Sure, what song would you like me to play, or at least try to?" Will gave her his answer.

"You sang along to it this morning, the Amy Lee one." Layla told him.

"Ah, well yes, that one I think I can more or less do by ear, I will certainly try; I've listened to it often enough. She really is an amazing talent." He responded his tail wagging happily as he got himself situated, and did his best to hear the notes in his head, and make the sounds with the guitar in his paws.

His playing was really just something there, to get Layla going, with lyrics she likely knew as well as he did, and it tingled the furs in his ears when she began to sing.

"It can be born, anywhere

In the last place you'd expect

In a way you'd never dream

It can grow from nothing

And blossom in a second

A single glance is all it takes

To get inside you

Invading every thought

And every beat of your heart

Love can make you scream

And it can leave you speechless

Love has a thousand stems

But only one flower

It can grow alone 'till it turns to dust

It can tear your world apart or bind to you forever

It can grow in darkness, make its own light

Turn a curse into a kiss, change the meaning of your words

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love drowns you in tears and then sets your heart on fire

Love has no fear, love has no reason

So infinitely vast

Stop standing on the edge

Take my paw, erase the past forever

My love is you, my love you are

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love is never wrong and never needs a reason

I'm drowning in my tears, but my heart's on fire

It can make you better

It can change you slowly

Give you everything you want, ask for nothing in return

In the blink of an eye, the hint of a smile

In the way you say goodbye and every time you find me

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love drowns you in tears and then sets your heart on fire

Love has no fear, love has no reason

Love makes no sense

Love has no name

Love drowns you in tears and then sets your heart on fire

Love has no fear, love has no reason

My love is you, my love you are

My love is you, my love you are"

As Layla sang it was not easy for him to not join her, and at the end refrain he could take it no longer, joining her for at least that much.

"Wow, well she's got pipes." His dad commented impressed with Layla's performance.

"That gave me chills, especially when you Will joined in with that deep voice of yours; together like that you guys are spooky." Lily gave them her honest gut reaction.

"Well we are former Spooks." Layla joked with a light laugh before asking him "The pipes, are they calling my love?"

"Now, Babe, ya know I won't be able to sing that without crying, and there's this other one I mean to sing. It kinda really fits our moment in a happier way." He countered her, knowing what it would do to him, and not wanting to go there right then.

"But that's why you sing it so beautifully, you can't help putting your heart into it. We all need a good cry sometimes." Layla said to him, very genuinely wanting to experience that beauty, as she called it, again.

"Can I take us down the happier route first?" He inquired, willing to compromise with her.

"Yes." Layla answered him happily before making her marshmallow disappear, then holding her paw out to Lola for another.

"We have more mallows inside right mom?" Lola inquired of her adding "This bag's gonna be done, and I like feeding them to her, my brother's beautiful mate."

"I wanna hear you two sing one together." Dakota said to them, and it was impossible to miss her enjoyment of hearing Layla, and enthusiasm since she knew what he sounded like.

"There is a song, she and I can do together Dakota. It is our song, of sorts." He said to her warmly, smiling at her before he turned to playing the song he'd meant to before his mate had made her request. A somewhat newer track from Pearl Jam.

It was a little bit tricky, to him the notes a little all over the place, but his ears told him how he was hitting them correctly.

"If I ever were to lose you

I'd surely lose myself

Everything I have found dear

I've not found by myself

Try and sometimes you'll succeed

To make this male of me

All my stolen missing parts

I've no need for anymore

I believe

And I believe 'cause I can see

Our future days

Days of you and me

Back when I was feeling broken

I focused on a prayer

You came deep as any ocean

Did something out there hear?

All the complexities and games

No one wins, but somehow, they're still played

All the missing crooked hearts

They may die, but in us they live on

I believe

And I believe 'cause I can see

Our future days

Days of you and me

When hurricanes, and cyclones raged

When wind turned dirt to dust

When floods they came, or tides they raised

Ever closer became us

All the promises at sundown

I've meant them like the rest

All the demons used to come 'round

I'm grateful now they've left

So persistent in my ways

Hey angel, I am Here to Stay

No resistance, no alarms

Please, this is just too good to be gone

I believe

And I believe 'cause I can see

Our future days

Days of you and me

You and me

Days of you and me"

As he finished Layla whined at him, and the slight breeze along with the heat from the fire brought to his nose how there was more where that came from, such had he touched her.

"I didn't know you learned that one." Lola said to him with surprise before saying to him "Your voice is deeper, and a bit softer, I think I like you a little better than Pearl Jam, for that one at least."

"Well, thank you." He said to his sister happy for the compliment telling her "The lyrics are kinda funny to me, but I like to play at least the string work; it's pretty."

He then commented to his mate "Go figure this song fits the way it does, huh?"

"You can't, not put a kit in me, now." Layla said to him sounding almost desperate in her adamance of wanting to be pregnant.

"I hope you know now Brother, that's gonna be a new regular request, from me if no one else. That was just... damn... this wedding is only in a few hours, and it can't come soon enough, can it?" Sarah said to him adding "Your vixen is a powerhouse, and... I mean, I know where you have strength, can really belt out certain tracks, but this subtle softness out of you, paired with her... what a world we live in that making music isn't what the two of you do for a living, 'cause you could do it."

"Ah, but if they made music, instead of the job they had, well for example Hedone Island would not have fallen. Untold good has been done by them working together." John said in response to Sarah, unable to hide his pride in his daughter.

"Wait a minute? That was you guys? Will, you're the giant white wolf who ate Rock?" Sarah with quick surprise inquired adding "Just the other day I saw a documentary, they got some of the survivors to tell their stories... the things that they went through... that went on in that horrible place..."

Sarah then asked, getting a bit emotional "Father, you put an end to that place?"

"It's classified, don't fucking ask, you really don't wanna know. Yes, I put an end to that place, but it cost a price, and was the beginning of me heading down this dark road I'm still on. We've managed to turn this path towards some light, but that darkness will always linger."

Will then asked of his mate "Can we clear this air? Together, our song, at least, the Metallica one?"

"He ate Rock?" Dakota asked as if the idea didn't make sense, her muzzle scrunching just a little bit cutely.

"All I can tell you, Dakota, is there was a very mean tiger, who liked to do mean things to mammals smaller than him, especially females. I fought him, and I killed him, biting out his throat. He meant to kill Senna, and I kept that from happening." Will answered her, cutting off anyone else from doing it.

"We keep trying to turn away from this dark subject. Yes, let us sing that one together, My Wolf." Layla said to him, not hiding her love for him.

"He was gonna kill Senna?" Dakota asked with shock, and a bit of hurt over the idea, before saying with a nod "She's here 'cause you killed him first. Good."

"From the muzzles of cubs." Sarah commented with amused pride in her daughter as he began to play the intro to Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.

When it came time to begin the lyrics Layla joined him readily, and it comforted him how well they kept in time with each other; how their two voices blended into one, and it put ideas for the next two songs in his head.

"So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trust in who we are

And nothing else matters.

Never open myself this way

Life is ours, we live it our way

All these words I don't just say

And Nothing Else Matters

Trust I seek

And I find in you

Every day for us

Something new

Open mind

For a different view

And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do

Never cared for what they know

But I know...

So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trust in who we are

And nothing else matters.

Never cared for what they do

Never cared for what they know

But I know..."

They paused partially for effect as he focused on the acoustic solo such as he could make it.

"I never open myself this way

Life is ours we live it our wa-ay-hay

All these words I don't just say

And nothing else matters

Trust I seek

And I find in you

Every day for us

Something new

Open mind

For a different view

And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say

Never cared for games they play

Never cared for what they do

Never cared for what they know-ow

And I know... Yeah-hah!

So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trust in who we are

No nothing else matters."

It was Sierra who started clapping, and she startled him a bit, his ears folding back in response. Then everyone started to clap with her, and it was a lot to take in. A cheer or two from guys in a base camp he knew, and could handle, but their applause right then was something else.

"You guys make a pretty good cover band." His uncle John complimented them asking "What else ya got?"

"Please, more." Elder Frost said to them encouragingly.

"Hey Angel, wanna play your song?" He asked his mate, hoping she got the reference off the bat.

"You're callin' me Angel? What song?" Layla asked back, the reference having gone over her head, when she knew what he meant, just hadn't gotten the connection.

"You gotta send it through, from me to you." He said to her suavely before vocalizing lightly "Oonh-oonh-oohnh aahh-aahh-aahh-ahh-ahhuhaa..."

"Oh, That One!" Layla responded brightly to his soft performance of the vocalization before telling him "Yes! I will Sing that, a capella since I have no keytar."

"Alrighty, then you do the A-side, together we'll do the B-side." Will encouraged her, his tail wagging as he held his paw over the strings at the neck of his guitar, keeping it silent.

"Now for all you'll ever know that you've never seen me

And someday you're gonna show what your one desire means

Now I only set the stage, focus lights on me

I make sure the power's on, on the scenery

Oh, what will the signal be, for your eyes to see me?

Watching offsides as I wait just in case you need me

So I still will set the stage, send my thoughts to you

I'm receiving every wave that sent love, sent love through

You know, love's not what you think

Too weak to stand on like quick sand in which you sink

Love is anything you make it

How can I let you feel my love

Feel me, and still feel free?

I may not have the answers now

So what?

To be in time is on the beat

Oh, what will the signal be, for your eyes to see me?

Watching offsides as I wait just in case you need me

So I still will set the stage, send my thoughts to you

I'm receiving every wave

That sent love, sent love through

Now I have revealed exactly why I'm here

I'll be your angel if you wanna see how perfect sharing love with an angel can be

Oohnh-oohnh-oohnh, ahhh-ahhh-ahhh-ahhh-ahhh-ahhh

Oohh-uh-ahhh

Ooh-oh-uh-ahhh

Oh-oh-ahh-ahhh

Alright"

His beautiful vixen only paused a couple beats for wind before starting the intro to Send Love Through, which he joined her in as her echo

"Ah, ah, ahh

ah, ah, ahh

ah, ah, ah

ah, ah, ah

Oh what will the signal be

For your eyes to see me?

Oh what will the signal be

For your eyes to see me?

So I still will set the stage

Send my thoughts to you"

They then joined their voices together, and he began playing what he could from memory.

"We're receiving every wave

This song sends love through

Now as one, we're gonna show

It's our one desire

From this day we'll always know

How our love grows higher

Now as one, we'll set the stage

Focus love on you

Now we're sending every wave

This song sends love through

Now for all that you'll ever know

That you'd never see me

And someday you're gonna show

What your one desire means

So I will set the stage

Send my thoughts to you

I'm receiving every wave

This song sends love through

Now for all that you'll ever know

That you'd never see me

And someday you're gonna show

What your one desire means

So I will set the stage

Send my thoughts to you

I'm receiving every wave

This song sends love through

Now as one, we're gonna show

It's our one desire

From this day we'll always know

How our love grows higher

Now as one, we'll set the stage

Focus love on you

Now we're sending every wave

This song sends love through"

They then split vocal duties, getting into their small performance, especially for the moments when they came back together.

"Send love through

In the out, up the down

Send love through

Simple things become confused

Under pressure, boiling steam

On the edge, you'll bust your dreams

Send love through

Give it all, it's up to you

Send Love through

Can I get through to you?

I want to send my love to you

Are you sure you're in the mood?

Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh, ahhh

Send my love to you

Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh, ahhh

Send love through

Music is so much to you

Guys, are you sure you're in the mood?

Send love through

You gotta come through

Me and you

Me and you-uu-uu

Our love is goin' through

My love to you

Send love through

Me and you

Ahhh-Owww"

"I am at a loss here. What can't you guys do? I cannot wait to force vows outta ya in the morning, so it's over with, and to hear just what'd come out of ya." Sarah said to them, and he could tell she was either a little bit tired, or a little bit stoned.

His brain catching on that, he reached his right paw into his right thigh pocket retrieving the cannabis-cigar he'd put there, and forgotten about due to distraction. After pulling it out he used his right paw to hold the guitar steady while he reached with his left for his flip-lighter.

"You forget you gave one to me?" Layla asked him, pulling out the one she'd held on to before adding "That felt good."

"Writing it off as lost." Will answered her as he lit his cigar, before holding the flame out for her to do the same.

As Layla did so, he said to Sarah "There are plenty of things we can't do. Look, I don't know about my mate, but the right words are percolating, working themselves out. I'm kinda gonna wing it, I make no guarantees."

"I'm having to remind myself we're here in Ulfhaven, completely safe territory for the most part, not on some sort of op. or chillin in a base camp . . . technically this is more of a private base, isn't it?" Jack said to them, sounding like the next words out of him would be for Sky to pinch him.

"That is the same boat I am in, He is my Captain. I don't have the right words in order yet; I know the gist, and that's about it." Layla said to Sarah before joking with Jack "Wherever we go, we bring the USO show, we are our own morale boosters."

"I will admit, I do enjoy singing the Star Spangled Banner, for American soldiers. They seem to like my deep voice doing it, and I like the smiles that puts on their muzzles." Will commented, them having made him think of it before telling Jack "Technically this is the land of an ancestral home we are on right now, albeit rebuilt a time, or two, no longer the viking design structure. It is my Sepulchre that counts as a military installation, though not quite the most fortified in the nation; at least in the top five."

"For what an eccentric noble might build, with his own millions he made, you're actually in the top three in this nation. The top one, is the governmental bunker, second is well, you know the place." Sky corrected him bemusedly.

"I am at a loss with you Sarah." Holly spoke up asking "Where is the wolf who howled in the night, such pain? The wolf I see is like one half-dead restored to full life."

"He was half-Unliving." Sarah stated as if this were an epiphany.

"No, Yeah, that about sums it up." Will responded with an indifferent shrug adding "We're not separating again come heaven, hell, or armies of mammals. Let the armies come, killing is what we do."

"Okay, that is a note for us to both end our Vows on, Babe you nailed it. Come Heaven, Hell, or Hordes of Mammals, we will not be parted again." Layla said to him thoroughly enjoying his phrasing.

"Let the Hordes Come. We'll Slay Them All." He said in reply, like a barbarian chieftain, nodding in agreement with her.

"It really is amazing though, how you Layla are the female for him, and he seems to be the male for you." Sierra said to her as if truly appreciative of her presence adding "I hope one day I get to be as lucky as the two of you."

"I would bend over backwards, to remain the female for him, knowing Will as well as I do, but I don't have to. I'm just being me, and I can bend over forwards, it's a much more comfortable position." Layla responded to Sierra before telling her encouragingly "So long as you're open to every possibility, you'll find someone. Don't let the bar, this one sets, get in your way."

"If I set any bar high, I also set a bar pretty fuckin' low." He was quick to say in reply to that.

"Trust me that bar isn't in my way, it wouldn't be fair to hold anyone up to that, they could never hold a candle. I think my problem is I've gotten too used to being alone, and my reputation precedes me; I don't cheat on anyone, but I will lift my tail for almost anything that moves." Sierra said to Layla.

"I couldn't have said that better myself." Sage commented musing before repeating Sierra "I don't cheat on anyone, but I will lift my tail for almost anything that moves."

Sage then added "Our alpha first and foremost of all."

"Amen" Sierra replied with a nod.

At that he couldn't help but laughing, and saying to the two of them "Hey looky looky, we pack have quite the common ground; I and my mate make three and four to back that statement."

"Ah but how are you going to lift your tail for yourself?" Layla was quick to ask him amusedly, very obviously teasing him.

"It lifts on it's own, I bend forward; it's not uncomfortable a position." He responded to her in counter with a grin.

"William!" His mom chided him for the oversharing.

"Seriously, Son?" His dad added with exasperation.

"Oh, deal with it you prudish fucks. I suck dick just as easily as I knot my bitches with my mate at the top of that list. You wanna protest further, I will simply get more vulgar and creative." Will said to them, what was honestly in him to say, it was what he thought, and how he felt, but deep in his hara he felt like it was someone else's stronger feeling of the same sentiment that had the words coming out of him.

"It doesn't make him any less the male, and mammal that he is, for him to be open, and honest, or blunt for that matter." Sierra said to them before commenting to him "Because you don't comport with their vision of what you should be, a lot of wolves are gonna hate you; I can't wait to tear them apart."

"Either we are free to say fuck, and not be bleeped for it, or we are not free, and in the name of 'good Religious morals' plenty are willing to allow our liberty to be stepped on an inch which will turn into miles." Layla stated philosophically adding "When you don't value liberty above all else, stepping on liberty is just the order of business, a matter of course."

"Hey, it's just in my generation, just cause you can reach that far, doesn't mean ya ever do that. Let alone talk about it. I mean, if the great cosmic question is if it is gay to do that, well most of us say it is." His dad responded to them a bit defensively adding "There's better use of our language than to say fuck every other word, but I don't fuckin' like the bleeps either, a comedian gets to telling a good joke, and ya can't even hear half of it cause someone else decided 'those words bad, you shouldn't hear'. When we all learn the damn things, this is our language."

"It's bad enough knowing my son likes pawing off to that anime porn; I didn't want that mental image." His mom said in her own defense.

"You're right Sierra, those kinds of wolves are gonna hate him especially, among all of us they hate. That's just all the more reason for us to cheer him on, and howl at his back. The Father is One of Us." His mom's cousin everyone knew as 'the gay one' Johnny said to her before asking him with curiosity "When your mate asked you, Will, if the pipes were calling, you're not gonna sing that one are you?"

"The Father Is One of Us." Lily intoned her pride, and devotion on full display.

"It's called Hentai, and I am a quite Cultured Mammal." Will said to his mom before telling his dad with amusement "Well for my generation it's the Trap question, of if consorting with them is gay, and most would say yes. For me it's a non-question, if the dude looks like a lady, as the song goes, I don't rightly care. I only care if they are willing."

"Hmph, yes, so cultured." His uncle John commented with joking sarcasm, one anime fan to another.

"As it was, yes Johnny, that's the one I was gonna sing, might as well do it next. Would you like the sob story that goes with it before, or after?" Will said to his cousin readying himself to begin playing it.

"Get the song out of you my wolf, then we'll tell them; it will be easier on you that way." Layla suggested to him.

"Yes, get the emotional manipulation over with, please." Sky said to him in agreement with Layla.

"At least he's not going to sing the other one, he could do, down this vein. We would be wrecks." Jack commented verbally pointing to the bright side.

"You know I won't say 'no' to a sad song, any more than you do." Katarina told him.

"No, Jack, I'm not going to sing that one, I wouldn't be able to make it through it... I would start howling..." He told the buck firmly, doing his best not to think about it, lest it start to play in his head and still do the trick of breaking him down.

To further that goal, he put out the cigar that had gotten him high, then tucked it back in the pocket with ease. That done he turned again to the guitar shifting his left paw along the fret board and using the nails on his right paw plucked and strummed the strings over the sound hole.

With the muzzle of the mammal who, in passing, had made this a song he by tradition sang for mourning such loss, he began to get the words out of him.

"Oh, Danny Boy

The pipes, the pipes are calling

From glen to glen

And down the mountain side

The summer's gone

And all the roses falling

It's you, It's you

Must go, and I must bide

But come ye back

When summer's in the meadow

Or when the valley

Is hushed and white with snow

It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow

Oh, Danny Boy

Oh, Danny Boy

I love you so...

But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying

If I am dead, as dead I well may be

You'll come and find the place where I am lying

And kneel and say an Ave there for me

And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me

And all my grave, will warmer sweeter be

For you will bend and tell me that you love me

And I shall sleep in peace, until you come to me."

As he stilled the strings with his left paw Will, with eyes closed as the tears continued to flow, said to them "His name was Daniel, Daniel Valencia. He was from San Diego, and barely nineteen. I'd choppered in the beer for his birthday party the week before. He liked being the gunner in the turret, whenever he could, we were on a run through what was supposed to be friendly territory, delivering medicine in the vehicle I was in, and ammo right under Danny. Out of nowhere the vehicle he's in erupts, having stepped on an I.E.D. All the ammo underneath him got set off. He got blown clear, missing his legs and an arm. Not even with a helicopter in that moment could I have saved him. He died in my arms, I could not help how I spoke to him, my love for him, the Coywolf he was; his last word... was Father..."

"I was helping out in the aid tent, to improve my skills in field triage, when only the medicine they needed arrived, and the muzzles of the mammals bringing it in, especially this one who was covered in blood not his own, showed what had happened. They all weren't quite right after it, and in the middle of dinner this one starts singing that song, much like he just did only without the guitar. The base commander forgave us the howl that started. We ended up staying there a couple more days than we needed to, putting our force maximization skills to use to make up for their lack of ammo till the next shipment could be made."

It was Layla mentioning how she'd been in the medical tent, reminding him of how she'd looked then, a safe harbor in that storm, even though she didn't know how much of one she was, that got him playing another song, and singing with all the heart he had his favorite song from The Beatles "And I Love Her."

"I give her all my love

That's all I do

And if you saw my love

You'd love her too

I love her

She gives me everything

And tenderly

The kiss my lover brings

She brings to me

And I love her

A love like ours

Could never die

As long as I

Have you near me

Bright are the stars that shine

Dark is the sky

I know this love of mine

Will never die

And I love her

Bright are the stars that shine

Dark is the sky

I know this love of mine

Will never die

And I love her"

He then shifted to a classic by Frank Sinatra so clever the title was the opening lyric.

"Fly me to the moon

Let me play among the stars

Let me see what spring is like

On Jupiter and Mars

In other words

Hold my paw

In other words

Babe, kiss me

Fill my heart with song

Let me sing forever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words

Please be true

In other words

Aishiteru"

Layla it seemed wasn't going to let him finish the song alone, and it only made his wagging tail move a little harder.

"Fill my heart with song

Let me sing forever more

You are all I long for

All I worship and adore

In other words

Please be True

In other words

In other words

In other words

I Love You."

"I hate to bring up a bone of contention, but you singing that crystallized it; so long as it stays within your pack, or pack approved mammals it's not cheating? You are swingers?" Layla's dad John asked with academic curiosity, very clearly just wanting confirmation, or denial of his hypothesis.

"It used to be part of our job to seduce others, it wasn't always easy, it wasn't always safe. Out in the bush for two weeks with further supplies O.S.P., no one has my back like him, and no one has his back like me. Our relationship may be odd, outside of what normal looks like, but what binds us is stronger and purer than what you are used to." Layla said a bit defensively out of reflex.

"Yes, O.S.P. also S.F.E." Will couldn't help commenting in amusement as he remembered a few fun moments before answering his father in law "She is right, what we do physically with others is just that, what binds us is a different stronger bond, one not broken by promiscuity. We are both of us anomalies, most mammals could not work like we do."

"We might rub body to body, and spirit to spirit, with many, but to few do we rub soul to soul, chiefly our mates." Sky added in agreement with them saying "My Jack, and I, that still is part of our job description, a tool we might not have to use as often as we used to, but it still comes in useful. Unconventional is the name of our game, but we make it work."

"It's easier for us, in some ways, easier for them in others; because we're just mundanes we get to be a bit more monogamous a pair. Will, well he cultivates the donor group that he does, now that he's back home that consists essentially of his pack, with a few extended members." Jack commented in explanation to Layla's dad adding "Unlike us, they don't have to be professional with their relationship anymore, at least anymore than they used to."

"If you want love from The Father, who truly does love us all, you need only ask for it, and ask the right way; you can get all the love you want. Because he is incarnate like us, he mate bonded with someone, and the idea anyone could come between them, except for maybe them as they've shown, is like the idea that The Father will ever leave The Mother." Sage gave her answer to Layla's dad adding "You have no idea how honored I am, he actually agreed to be my sperm donor, when I'm ready for that. I know he has conditions, I fully intend to agree with them. It may sound weird coming from me, given I too will lift my tail for just about anyone, but I am a Daughter of the Father."

"That love has limits." Sophie commented with a bit of bite adding "He will not always give you all the love you want."

"It does have limits, I have had to bite out wolf throats... never mind the rest..." Will could not help responding to Sophie in agreement, knowing where she was coming from, and taking it there to that heavy note.

"I cannot come between him, and Her, nor would I wish to." Layla stated in response to what Sage had said adding "I do still wanna know, by what miracle it was, I was in the right place and time to see him for what he is, and be close enough to him to become as close as we are now."

"The salient point is that She cannot come between us, either. We are flesh and fur here, she is not. As far as this rock floating in space is concerned, I belong to you above all others here, and you belong to me; we belong to each other." Will said to his mate adding "So long as we draw breath this remains true."

"Haha, gotta love the possessive way you said that Will." Sarah with amusement said to him adding "Like you would even bare your fangs at The Mother if she tried to come between you two. Something I highly doubt she'd do, though who am I to know? Especially besides you."

"Because I would, so long as I draw breath here, this vixen is mine, and I am her's. After all she, and I have been through, there is nothing less, and there is nothing else. If she dies first I will love no other in anywhere near the way I love her, all of my heart is in her paws; if I die first, I know it will go much the same with her." Will told Sarah simply.

"Can that fucking coin flip come when we're fucking eighty, please?" Layla asked him making it clear how little she liked thinking about it before telling him "Heart and Soul I am in Your paws also. How could losing you first go any different with me? We've already been half-way there..."

"We can't not face it Babe, we gotta stare it down, my job involves getting shot at, and a vest only covers so much, I can't wear a bomb defuser's blast-suit twenty-four seven; your job is having our kits, and complications could arise that take you and them from me... life is this giant gamble, and here we are dead-set on doubling down, we can't ignore the risks. Even as we say Damn and Fuck Them, we're no longer CLAWS, but that ain't changed."

"Dead set on doubling down, damn fucking right." Layla agreed before growling at him displeasedly for his bringing up further negative possibilities.

"No, we can't ignore the risks, we've gotta know every one of them... they make all that we gain more worth it." Lola's David commented pensively before adding "It's not paranoid to always wear your vest."

"No, it's not paranoid." Lola agreed before saying "You make me glad Ulfhaven is as safe as it is. Why is it in the city, you guys are the ones who really have to worry about that?"

"Cultural Hegemony." Layla's dad answered Lola simply adding in further explanation "There was a study done at the Aurora Institute, comparing our three counties in terms of actual safety, up against a benchmark like Tokyo. Is there crime, are there criminals, yes, but in areas like these you can walk the street without fear day or night for the most part. The big part of it is cultural hegemony, everyone willingly adhering to the same basic values. The other big part of it is honestly, fatherhood, or rather a lack of fatherless-ness. There's data from America, and Ukraine, cubs without fathers active in their lives behave more delinquently, and those cubs grow up into criminality."

"The foundations of civilization, are the small business, the farm, and at the core of them, the family. These are things we must ever strengthen, never weaken, or we are doomed. If weakening them is the order of the day, then those who make that order... well I'm a tool for killing them, who will be happy for such work. Not just because I want to have my family flourish, but because I want all families to flourish as best they can. These are the two paws we're given, let's use them and make this a world worth living in." Will stated not seeing the matter as very complicated.

"You wanna kill something hurting families, kill the femalists pushing for abortion as just 'good healthcare'. It's absolutely fucking horrible, and such a waste of life." Layla's mom said to him, with a fire, and it was clearly a subject close to her.

"We do need to put a stop to that, but do we really want those sorts of mammals reproducing?" Layla's dad asked his mate as if this was an old topic for the two of them.

"If they're too stupid, or lazy to use birth control, which isn't hard to get, then instead of them killing cubs at varying stages of development, they could at least carry them to term and give them up for adoption. These cunts anyway who think abortion can be fucking 'good healthcare'; it's a whole different matter when it's medically necessary to save one of the two lives." Layla's mom responded passionately.

"Amen, Sister." His mom agreed adding "About the only necessity for abortion I see, is that medical necessity to at least save one of two lives. I can't fathom never carrying my cubs to term, and adoption is a solution."

"I couldn't fathom doing that either. Can we not jinx us, huh?" Lola said in response to their mom.

"Yeah, there is such a thing as the morning after pill, birth control is widespread. I'm kinda really glad I'm off all that shit. There is only carrying to term, and I will take care of my kits till I run out of breath." Layla said in reply to her mom.

"This is the first I'm hearing of femalists that off their rocker, I will look into it, see if they are a cause or just a symptom of a greater disease. I think your mate is right Martha, we don't really want mammals like that raising cubs when they already think nothing of killing them in the womb as a birth control measure; we can at least start by having more cubs of our own to offset the difference, and hey as they age and die off we'll have armies that will survive us while they have no one." Will said to his mother in law, feeling like the matter was a 'damned whichever way ya go' sort of thing.

"That we can do, one won't be enough for me." Layla was quick to say completely on board for his suggestion.

"Amen, and damn right. This one growing in me is just the start, too long our family has been slowly shrinking, lets swing the pendulum the other way." Lola with enthusiasm agreed.

The look on Lola's David's muzzle was priceless, and Will could not help laughing at it.

"Fuck you." Lola's David responded to him, not really meaning it, saying to Lola "Let's just get the one healthy, and out before we work on more; one step at a time, I'm not going anywhere."

"I want as many grandcubs as you'll give me." Their mom said to them as if already they'd made one of her dreams come true.

"I concur." Martha stated in agreement with his mom, adding with her voice sounding like there was a tear of two in her eyes "We'll start with just this one grandkit you're telling me is in our future, I want as many as you can make."

"Well I'm with him." Layla said to her mom, gesturing at Lola's David, adding "Let's get the one healthy, and out before we worry about more. I will happy with just the one, if that's all we can do."

"Maybe . . ." He said, Speaking it out as he thought on it "Maybe why She, Rössélindé, is meddling in one of the few subtle ways She can is because once we have achieved the reality of our kit, born living and breathing, across this world the reality can begin to replicate itself. We will bring it into being."

"Why does you saying that name give me the chills?" Katarina asked him before doing a single full body shake getting the tension out then said to Sierra, her own Voice coming out "I miss Öh'réh"

"I miss Him Too." Sierra responded to Katarina adding "All I want to do is Hug Him."

"Because I just Spoke The Mother's name in Quenya, the nearest language in my head with the right meaning of Rain Song." Will answered Katarina before saying to both her and Sierra "I hope our paths cross with his. Perhaps there is a way she could meddle again? I don't feel like pressing my luck, and asking, but you could."

"That could work. Sister, in not asking for anything, I have at least one good chip to cash in, together we could do it." Sierra very readily suggested to Katarina.

"Says the one who has the active connection to her, but already used up his three phone-calls..." Katarina commented in response to him before saying more to herself "Pesnya Dozhdya . . ."

Katarina then said to Sierra "I am in. Perhaps together we can reach Her where we might not alone."

"Wimbo wa Mvua... Lied van die reën..." Elder Frost commented in a similar thoughtful vein to Katarina's saying the translation of The Mother's name's meaning into Russian, using Swahili and Afrikaans.

Elder Frost then said to them "It really is something I could never have imagined I'd witness, to see and hear the three of you together."

"It's one thing to believe God exists, because that's just how ya grew up, and it's a whole other enchilada having heard the three of them together. It feels surreal, but I know I'm not going crazy, you've heard them too." His Uncle John commented.

"We've all heard them, yes." Holly stated in agreement before adding "People are gonna call us crazy, they will not have heard as we have, what we have. Never be afraid to tell them to fuck off if they call us a cult, because we don't exclude friends or family, We Are Family. Even if Will were our Leader, he'd never treat us the way cult leaders treat their followers, using abusive psychological tactics."

"I wanna say 'Duh' to that, because that's a really big 'Duh', but mammals are stupid, and even as we tell them that they'll ignore the truth." Jack said to them with chagrin.

"We are Family, and it is a major affirmative, our behaviour even as the group we are will never count as cultish very fundamentally. We encourage friendships, and family relationships, not the cutting off of them, and Will might be vulgar with us, gruff with us, often, but he only growls at us, he will never really bite, be it with word or with fang." Sky agreed with Holly while backing up Jack.

"Yeah, seriously. If anything I'm the anti of what a cult leader does, and encourages. As you've just said, I want to encourage mammal's interpersonal relationships, especially using sharing of food, to foster peace, no different than trade can foster peace. Where relationships have to be severed, because they are not good for one reason or another, I want there to be a greater pack for those mammals to join. Perhaps this can be another goal for this NGO I will have to form as mammals seek to rally to me." Will spoke for himself adding "Given how a Religion is just a cult writ large, with usually somewhat healthier systems in place, I'm definitely not out to form one of those."

"Somewhat healthier?" Layla inquired skeptically, knowing how dim his opinion on that subject was.

"The ones that don't say all heathens, goyim, infidel, kafir must die, yes. Not gonna lie, I do enjoy it when the 'death to the non-believer' types come at me; I send them to their god with pleasure." Will responded to her.

"One day you'll come back into the church." His mom commented with her usual sense of hope that would be the case.

"Enough of your mortal foolishness pathetic cunt." Will said to her with tiredness as the deeper notes in his voice held sway before adding with the words coming out as him Speaking with his Voice "I am outside, and beyond the limitations of that pathetic holy book you mammals wrote for yourselves, and the disgusting hierarchical dogma that surrounds it. And by that very Crock of Mortal Shit I am a Fucking Demon Incarnate that needs to be slain promptly by any true believer, and you are all woefully lacking for not doing the job immediately. Make your fucking choice you worthless sack of bones, cling to that way which says death to me, or embrace me whom you Know as Your Son. Between yourself and knowing God through simply living you have allowed, and enjoy such Artifice; given any chance at all I shall see it burned to ash, and you along with it, May you find Reform in Ulfheim for all I care."

"There are still some good, worthwhile stories in the bible, with valuable lessons." Holly spoke up as if he were overlooking that fact.

"You should show your mom more respect than that." His aunt Susan told him, reacting blindly to his particular word choice.

"Listen here Now, Well, and Good You Absolute Piece of Trash. I Will Rip You Limb from Limb, and Revel in Your Dying Screams. You dare think you are on any footing near equal to me to talk to me thus. Anyone who would defend you I shall bite out their throats too, you are nothing to me Pathetic Mortal if this is how you are going to be to me, as you have always been cunt. I am sick of your shit, and I am done putting up with it. Know your Place, Or be Put there." Will let loose at his aunt, in that moment very willing to do her serious injury.

"I'm your aunt, don't you disrespect me like that." Susan said to him defensively.

At that he stood to his full height, passing Elder Frost's guitar to his mate, and began to snarl baring his fangs "Respect is Earned, not simply given, or demanded. I Said Know Thine Place You Worthless Gash, Or I will Fucking Put you There. What part of That is Hard you Pathetic Mortal? Why should I show you or her, or anyone of else of you respect when you are beneath me, and have not earned it? You simply think it should be given, that you are owed it by some weak blood tie; you disgust me. Not a one of you here can challenge me, or defeat me. Continue to be uppity like this I will put you down permanently."

"You're not going to do anything to me." Susan said to him as if fully confident in her safety before asking "Why do you have to be so melodramatic?"

"Okay that's e-fucking-nough from you. You shut the holy fuck up, Susan isn't it? Or He will fucking jump over this fire and you will be fucked up. How can you be so stupid as to not Hear in his voice he Will Enjoy Killing You, who have always been like this with him? Do you really think the Grace of the Father knows no bounds? How Dare You think yourself so highly as to speak to him thusly." Layla told his aunt, and he could hear in her voice she was trying to diffuse the situation, get his aunt to stop digging herself a grave.

"At least just punch her once so she understands her place as a bitch who is smaller, weaker, and in no position to act like that. Or allow me Will, I'll do it. She pisses me off just the same with her being like this, as if she's fucking untouchable; I'll fucking touch her." Sierra said to him before adding "I think the touch of Öh'réh's anger that touched me earlier, is tendriling into you."

"I am the only one here who can restrain you brother, but I do not think I should. I think this one requires the lesson of you knocking her down a peg or two. If not you, who might spare her, someone else will do it, and not show any familial leniency; the miracle is that they haven't yet if this is how she is. The epitome of a blind and pathetic mortal." Katarina spoke to him before addressing his aunt more normally "If you really think he's being melodramatic, and our words coming out of us like this is just some sort of show, you really do deserve what you are earning yourself, and anyone who would think to defend you deserves to sink in the same boat. It's the likes of you that makes us hate even our own mortal children, because you are the main ones who shape this world, you make it this place that fucking hates us through sheer blindness."

"No, Sierra, it is my ire she's earned, it will be I who teach her the error of her ways, because I have had enough." Will said to her measuredly as he slowly walked around the fire towards his aunt adding to her mate "John, stand down, or you will know my fangs. I am the highest alpha here, Killing is my business, and I am good at it, do not try me."

"Now Will . . . she's your family, we are your family, this isn't how you are with us." John said to him with both paws up attempting to be placating as the older wolf knew full well what it was like when he and Lola would spar, how potentially fucked they were if he went full-tilt against them.

"Are you really so stupid as to think our ties as family will excuse all of your behaviour when you transgress against me? That I am some doormat to just take all of your shit, when you are ultimately beneath me? Do you really count my usual benevolence as that?" He asked, the fire of his anger mostly subsided though he still meant to prove his point to his aunt about how she was not nearly so high as she thought herself.

"You're not going to do anything to me." Susan asserted to him as he reached the two of them and stood before her.

"You will Scream for me." He told her both Speaking and snarling as she blindly further pushed him.

Will then in a quick lunge grabbed her muzzle with his left paw, and pulling her head up, exposing her neck, he went for her throat in a bite not to kill her, but to drain chi from her until she did scream in fear for her life, or went to sleep whichever came first.

His anger flared again, as he pulled the chi from her with all he could muster, wanting that satisfaction of her scream as she tried to struggle herself free. When she could not get free, she whimpered then cried, before that scream in existential terror started to come from her throat. It was cut short before it could really get going, and he was denied that satisfaction because she did go to sleep first, becoming limp in his grip at which point he released her letting her fall sideways into her mate.

"She will be fine in the morning. Let her wake up, and marvel that I did not simply keep going until her heart stopped. Be sure to remind her it wasn't a dream, and she did bring it upon herself. Do not let her forget that next time I may just break her arm instead, or at least dislocate it at the shoulder. I really have had enough of her shit like this, the reprimands will continue until the lesson is learned." Will told John very much meaning it, as he felt a little cheated of hearing her full scream, adding "She's been like this with me my whole life, you all well know, and you all well know how at odds we've been because of it. Perhaps I should have really beaten the shit out of her back when I was in high-school, because you don't get to just push and push and push a mammal without them snapping. Especially one that's had to fucking cook and eat with cannibals in order to get close enough to kill said cannibals with his fangs."

"She really should have learned from seeing you put me on my back the other day, if you'd do that with me, you'd really do that with her." His dad commented before saying to him "I can't just stop being a Christian, son, Father. Especially when you give me such certainty that God exists, where before I had only belief. I do still like the bible for the good that is in it. But, I will always choose you, my son, over any piece of text that says you need to die for not being a Christian like me."

"Will . . . Father, thank you for not killing my sister. Thank you, for not really hurting her, when you could really savage her." His mom said to him starting to cry, adding as she sobbed and sniffled "She really can be such a stupid twit."

"Even I am feeling humbled from how heavily you just came down on her." Sierra's mom said to him adding with understanding "Just because we are family doesn't mean we get granted respect carte blanch, we have to be worthy, and earn it."

"Given I was expecting you to actually bite her, and tear into her, cause my Martha need to stitch her up, let it not be said that even in his wroth the Father is without mercy." Layla's dad commented sounding quite taken aback by what they'd just witnessed.

"Now that really is a lesson we all should heed well,.here has been The Father, in the fur amongst us the whole time, and no one was any the wiser; our being that way has influenced him, and not positively at all." Layla's mom commented adding more floored by his aunt's behavior "Right up to the last second, out of her own mortal arrogance, she was provoking you."

"Besides Father Logan, and myself, I believe only the core of his pack, knew before now just who he is, has always been. To ourselves we kept this knowledge, there was no other way for us to be; it is a sensitive matter." Elder Frost stated before giving his two cents "That sort of reprimand has been long overdue for her, she is truly fortunate that with her habit of speaking without thinking at all, that it did not finally come from someone with no attachment to her at all, who would in the heat of their anger show no mercy at all."

"It really is some foolish fucking shit, this notion females are not to be struck at all, as if they are not sapient beings capable of earning it. As if they are some special class of being, above all others, and meant to be treated as such. When they can be lowly cunts as lowly as any of us. Just because I am the sort to not treat those beneath me like they are truly inferior shits beneath me, does not mean I have no limits and am some doormat. I've been fucking tortured, I know what it is like to suffer at the paws of mammals who enjoy treating those beneath them like inferior shit; the world is a cruel unforgiving place, and those who have not tasted it as I have do not get to just traipse along as if the world is not so." Will with tiredness said to them, the fire of his anger having left him completely.

"I just can't believe you were Speaking to her, Seriously, and she thought you were being melodramatic, thought you were bluffing, when you are bigger, and stronger, can actually tear us limb from limb, especially if you bite at the joint." Sophie stated her surprise over that still strong adding "I think I'm the only one here, you Big Brother won't ever lift a digit towards, and I would never act like that, as if I'm untouchable, nor would I provoke you like that."

"Now that, that is the truth, I could never bear it, even if you earned the reprimand, to cause you any sort of pain Sophia..." Will responded before the very thought of her yelping in pain strummed a deep chord within him and he began to cry at the idea Speaking her name full of all his love for her "Sophia"

"You love for me runs so deep Big Brother, but still you won't knot me." Sophie commented with chagrin, but it was there in her voice that she was beginning to get over it, adding quite behind the words "Especially now when it's more important for you to get your mate pregnant... maybe once you've brought that potential reality into being, I can be next, or there will be a wolf for me who can come close enough to holding a candle to you."

"Sophia..." Will said to her tiredly, and in the one word was all his usual response to her desire for him to knot her, before telling her solemnly "I do not know about you being next, or how likely that is, but I will not outright say 'no' when it is more such hybrids I want, more new children not less. I sincerely do hope for you, and for us all, that there is a wolf out there who will love you even more than I, in all the ways I can't love you, and that he will be the one with you to bring about those new children. To the Mother, even I will pray for that, for you my beloved little sister."

"So, you're like a vampire only you don't feed on blood?" Kara inquired of him curiously before asking "She's really just asleep?"

"Did you not listen to the story I told? Yes, I am indeed a vampire, of the psychic variety Kara, and while some more easily consume the life-energy they need through consuming it in blood, or others take from other natural sources like even the very cosmos, it is directly from a mortal mammalian source I most easily get what I need. It's that need that makes us what we are, what separates us from normal souls, and we are the natural balance to offset those souls who are wellsprings of the stuff; yes we are completely natural, and our putting the lie so squarely to monotheism's dogma means they say to kill us, and there is no love lost between us. No, I did not keep going until Susan's heart stopped, she will wake up just fine in the morning, and probably go right back to being her usual twat self, no lesson learned whatsoever." Will answered her calmly.

"Could you have done that? Stopped her heart like that?" Casey asked him with grim curiosity.

"We have no greater taboo than to waste life like that. Yes it could happen, but that's why we are adamant about knowing thine self, and developing the self control to never go even close to that far. If we took lives like that every time we needed to feed, not only would that cause a great many problems for us in terms of dealing with a corpse, we'd very quickly run out of food, in that way, so to speak. It's not a word we like being called, but as far as parasites go, it's a symbiotic relationship with our hosts that we naturally seek to achieve, so that we all can prosper." Sierra answered for him, saving him the hassle of deflecting, and lying in the answer he would have to give.

"Whereas Communists are the kind of parasite that kill the Capitalist host, then die starving, because they are that retarded, cannot even see that far in front of their ravening muzzles." His dad commented well understanding that side of things.

"Willfully ignorant, more like, not just simply retarded. They think each new time they try it, the last wasn't real communism, and this time they'll really do it, and they'll never run out of rich to eat." Layla's dad put in his two cents regarding that subject, quite on the same page as his dad.

"William, my son..." His mom got his attention with the heavy-heartedness in her tone, telling him "Any verse that says you need to be killed, because you don't 'believe', or are some other sort of 'blasphemy before god', I don't recognize, nor will I ever. I... it's hard for me, having always been a catholic, and a believer in God, to deal with how right you are... whether I hold to them, or not, words like that are still there in the bible, and as your mother how could the real word of God be anything like that, to suggest even I should kill you, my son, or no? Here you are, one who proves God and all his angels are real, and yet by the words of that book you should die for being an affront to God? That is just so wrong... no wonder there's so much hate, anger, and hurt in you over this... and all I've ever done is be a part of the problem, adding hurt as your mother... I am so sorry..."

As his mom began to cry, Will stepped over to her, and after bending down getting his arms under her armpits he did not just embrace her, he picked her up, holding her to him as he stood tall, her feet dangling against his shins saying to her "Do not cry, Mom. That you are finally starting to see, how things really are, and where we've really been all these years; that means more to me than I could ever tell you. I had simply written it off as something you, Dad, and everyone else would simply never see, or know; consigned myself to knowing that loneliness and pain of being so far apart from my very own family, because of how blinded by that holy book you have always been. My hope was always that after you'd gone home to Ulfheim, the Mother would be there to set you straight, and show you this truth of how you've been to me all these years, and you wouldn't just learn then for that one moment, but that'd you'd learn for all time that error."

Nuzzling into her ruff he Spoke, the words simply continuing to come out of him "I love you, not just because you are my mother in this life, and have been in nearly every other way the best mother you could be; I love you daughter, cub of mine that you are. That love will always win the day, no matter how harsh the world, or I may get."

"Yes, there is a mindfuck for all you christians here, and all the other monotheists throughout the world. Here before us is an angel of God, nevermind the other two who are with him, incarnate in the fur, no different than it is written Jesus came to us. And yet by the teachings of that same holy book, this one is the evil, wrong existence that should be killed for several compounding reasons." Elder Frost commented quite thoroughly bemused over it, being he too was one outside the limiting frameworks of any one religion.

"I don't mind the hug, but will you put me down now?" His mom asked him.

"I know you don't like it, me lifting you off your feet, but that is why I do it; that is half the fun." Will responded to his mom with a grin as he set her down before releasing her.

As he was standing back up straight there came a very cute yawn from Dakota at which her mom asked her "Is it time for you to turn in?"

"You guys might as well stay for the night, given tomorrow morning, you already stayed for dinner." Will's mom suggested to them adding "You too Elder Frost."

Dakota's answer to her mom was simply to yawn again.

"Thank you Marie, for the offer, but no I'll head to my own bed, with my June. We'll be back in the morning, the drive is not that long." Elder Frost answered his mom.

"I think we will take you up on that offer, misses Grimm." Sarah said before yawning like her daughter.

"Perhaps we should turn in, after enough excitement for one night." Will responded to them before moving towards his sleeping aunt who her mate John was holding against his side adding "Especially since someone is already asleep ahead of us."

Will then said to John "Since I'm the one who made her go to sleep, I might as well carry her in the house for ya."

"And I can carry her from there?" John asked before telling him "Yeah, you might as well."

With that Will got his left arm under his aunt's knees, his right arm around her shoulders, and with ease lifted her smaller, lighter frame.

Once he'd hefted her up he said to John "You can tell her too, it was I who carried her, at least into the house. If she still want's to be a cunt about it in the morning, you can discipline her; you had better anyway. Or I will probably punch her right in the snout. She doesn't get to earn a reprimand, then be sore about the reprimand she earned. She's a bit too old to be acting that cubbish, and like I said I've been through things y'all really don't wanna hear about it, too much to be very tolerant of any dumb cunt being a stupid twat."

"I'll talk to her in the morning, probably show her how you and Lola like to spar; if she doesn't get it after that, I don't know what will make her get it." John told him with it clear the older wolf understood well the state they were in.

As John got up, and they all started to make their way around the fire towards Grimmheim, Will's dad went about dousing the fire using the small bucket of water he'd had nearby for the purpose, and Layla moved to give Elder Frost back his guitar.

Confident the rest of his pack would make for his den Will strode pointedly towards Grimmheim's back door. It didn't take him long before he was hopping up the steps onto the back porch, Susan's John a couple steps behind. Pausing at the door Susan's John moved around them to open it for him without a word, and Will was careful in crossing the threshold to not bang her head, or her feet on the jambs. Once he was through Susan's John held his arms out for her, and readily he took her.

"Thank you for not killing her." John said to him serious, but also making a light joke.

"I don't want to kill her, or really hurt her all that much, but I am bigger, and stronger than she is, and very capable of either feat, and she needs to get it through her thick skull that she is not some untouchable artwork. She is as flesh and fur as I am, and I will treat her as such, her being family affords her no special consideration." Will told him honestly before saying "Goodnight, I'll see you in the mornin'."

"Goodnight, Will." John responded.

Will then turned around, and headed out the back door, passing the rest of his family as they were filing in. He smiled seeing how Sarah was carrying the quite sleepy Dakota much as he'd carried his aunt, and passing the two of them after he'd stepped down off the back porch he managed to catch up with Elder Frost coming into step beside him.

They walked together around Grimmheim, but once they were nearer the driveway-road they parted with a simple nod and wave. It didn't take much for Will to catch up with the rest of his pack as they weren't all too far down the road towards his Sepulchre.

Coming up behind his mate, he put his right arm around her shoulders, before asking her dad "What say you dear father in law, I'm still up for driving ya to the Inn to get your stuff."

"Our stuff will keep, we can go get it tomorrow, it's fine." Layla's dad answered him.

"A fresh shower, and a fur brush, we'll be fine." Layla's mom added.

"I've got an extra one you can use." Layla said to her mom helpfully.

"I get you just want your point to be proven, and to get across, but Will it'd have been more satisfying if you did just punch your aunt in the nose." Sierra said to him before adding "Or at least let me do it."

"Look, if the message just doesn't seem to make it across to her, because she's an obstinant stupid mortal then fine I'll let you have at her. Like I said to John, her John, not Grandpa or my father in law, she's as flesh and fur as I am, and I'll treat her as such. She is not some special untouchable little flower; she doesn't get to earn reprimand, and then get none of it, or be sore about it later." Will responded to his cousin.

"Yeah, well knowing her, she isn't gonna think she did anything wrong, but that you sure did. Typical of most fucking people." Sierra replied.

"You weren't really disrespecting your mom, talkin' to her as plain as you talk to everyone. Maybe it's not very courteous, but respect has nothing to do with it, even before God you'd speak thusly. I mean that's what words are for, us to use." Layla commented adding "And given the context, you were well within your rights to be that frank with both of them, comin at you from their perspectives as normal mortals, as if you're not just no different than them, but beneath them."

"Yeah, and nothing pisses me off more, than someone who isn't above me acting like they are, nevermind when someone above me acts like they can't be knocked down a peg or two. Only spoiled brats of females think they will never get struck, no matter what they do, or how they earn the reprimand. We are all fucking meatbags the same as each other, we bleed the same color, and can die just as ignominiously." Will responded to his vixen.

"Now there's a toast worth making, if we only had a beer at least to toast with." Sky stated adding "We are all fucking meatbags the same as one another, we all bleed the same color, and can die just as ignominiously."

"Ignominious, yeah that's how I'd want Koche to die." Jack commented in agreement.

They fell silent after that, making their way the rest of the distance to the Sepulcher. As they made their way down the entrance hall they made a small echoing chorus of yawns, tiredness at day's end creeping into all of them. It wasn't much longer that they were in the foyer, and from there they made their way down the hall to their respective rooms

Crawling into his own bed Will didn't really care whether the door remained opened or was shut as he flopped onto his left side, his head sinking into his soft and comfy pillow. He heard as Layla shut the door behind them, before she too crawled onto the bed, and once she was within reach he pulled her into him, her back against his chest, and his muzzle nestled into her ruff at the base of her neck. It was like that, that they fell asleep, the blanket roughly pulled over them.