Ruth wearily sat herself down on one of the roots of the large tree by the sentry rock. The day had been very long and it was pretty taxing for her. It was the first time in a while she felt her age.

"I think we're pretty much done for the day. Ann, I think you can go now."

Ann looked caringly at her. "Are you sure you don't need some help getting to your burrow?" she asked.

The elder female shook her head. "Kavie will be coming along soon, and she can help me if I need it. Go ahead and spend some time with Mel and your sons."

Ann nodded. She appreciated Ruth letting her leave. Ever since Leo had told her about becoming mates with Kavie, she had suddenly realized just how old her sons were. She had then begun taking every opportunity to get the family to spend time together. She knew Ruth had gone through this before, and wanted so badly to ask her about it, but she thought that it would bring back too many memories for her friend and matriarch.

As Ruth sat and Ann lingered, she seemed to guess what Ann was thinking about.

"It goes by fast, doesn't it?" she said with a smile.

"Oh, yes." said Ann. "I can barely believe that they're really all grown up."

"It's harder, I suppose, because you'll only have one of them living with you, and it's only a matter of time before Max finds someone, too."

Ann looked down for a while, then up at Ruth. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want, I can go ahead and leave."

"It's alright. I think it might even do me some good." Ruth smiled as she thought about her daughter. The pain she felt wasn't as strong as it had been, but that small ache was still there, that would never fade entirely.

"Clea left first, I hope you remember. The first time I saw her with Bami I knew she was gone. The first few nights were the hardest. I still had Lee, and he helped a great deal. Then when he left I was alone for the first time. It was the first time I had actually felt alone, since for a meerkat "alone" is something you rarely ever are."

Ruth sighed and Ann nodded again.

"It gets easier though, I promise." she said to Ann to reassure her. "You remember that even though they don't live with you anymore, that doesn't mean they're out of your life. Plus you have Mel with you, and that has to help. If Ben had still been with me I think it would have been much easier, especially when..."

They had reached it, the part Ann was so reluctant to talk about. She wondered if Ruth still thought about them. There probably wasn't a day she wouldn't think about them, with Kavie living with her.

She touched the elder's shoulder. "Thank you, Ruth." Hearing about it from someone who had been where she was made her feel so much better.

The light grew dimmer as the two females enjoyed the quiet for a moment. Ann was preparing herself to leave when she remembered something she had heard.

"Ruth, I'm sorry but I just remembered, I've been hearing some things in the tunnels and I wanted to know if they where true."

"What sort of things?"

"Well, I didn't get to hear much. There was a small group I passed by, and the only thing I heard was something about Kavie. Have you chosen her as matriarch?"

Ruth's face was unreadable. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear." she said, then she smiled. "That however, is true."

"Were you wanting anyone to know?"

"I had hoped that I could make an announcement soon. It makes little difference, really , if some have found out. I just wonder how it got out, I asked Kavie not to tell anyone but Leo and Laita. I know they wouldn't tell...it just makes me wonder."

It made Ann begin to wonder too, but then they both realized that the sun had all but set and they said their goodbyes. Ann passed Kavie on the way to the tunnels. She had heard some other things as well, but she didn't want to talk with Ruth about them. Leo was who she needed to see, she hoped they all would still be up.


The family of four all grouped together in the burrow that Mel and Ann slept in. It was larger than Max and Leo's, so it accommodated them a lot better. The four of them could all sit comfortably with a fair bit of distance between them.

It was the first time they had all been together in a while. Ann couldn't help but sit and enjoy this. It was only when she noticed their expectant looks that she remembered that she had called them here.

"Um, Ann?" Mel asked. "Is...there anything wrong?"

"No." she said quickly. "Well, I'm not sure. I actually needed to speak with Leo."

"Then why make us come, too?" Max said, in a tone he greatly regretted when he saw the look on his mother's face. "Sorry, I meant, 'then why are we here as well?'"

"For one, I think we should really be together more, since your brother soon won't be living with us." She smiled at Leo.

"It's not for a week, Mom." Leo said.

"Yeah, a whole week." said Max. "And you're not allowed to see Kavie this whole week, huh? Such a sacrifice."

Ann shot her eldest son another look. "Max, please." She didn't know what had gotten into Max lately, but she continued. "I also wanted you here because I wanted to know if you had heard any of this as well, so that maybe Leo could explain for all of us."

"Explain what?" Leo asked.

"Well, Honey, Lately I've been hearing things...rumors...about you."

"Me?"

"Yes, and Kavie too, but since I've started hearing them I've learned that the thing about Kavie is true. So that made me wonder..."

"I think I know what you're talking about, Ann." Mel said. "I think I'd like to know too."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

Ann paused for a moment, then recounted. "A few days ago, you stopped and talked with your old friend Joe, the sentry. Then Joe announced a predator attack, and everyone hid. Then after a while when nothing happened, meerkats began to come back up, and one of them said they saw you coming out of the very spot that Joe had seen the hyenas that where coming."

The three males listened to her, and then his family all turned to look at Leo.

Leo looked a little guilty, but he didn't feel it completely. "Who saw me?"

"It's true, then?" Mel asked.

"Mom, do you know who saw me? I know it wasn't Joe, he thought I went down like everyone else then met back with him when he gave the all-clear."

Ann just stared at Leo. She couldn't believe it. "...No, I don't know who saw you, but it's getting around fairly quickly."

"So it's true?" Mel asked in a different way.

Leo didn't exactly know why he had kept his encounter with the hyenas a secret. Maybe because it seemed a little too good to be true, or it might have been that worried-mother expression his mom was giving him right now. She looked like she was about to cry. Either way, there was no point now keeping it from his family.

"Yeah, it's true."

"What did you do, son?" Mel asked, with a completely different look on his face than his mate. He seemed alert, almost excited.

"I kind of...scared the hyenas away."

"How?"

"I guess "scared" isn't really the right word. I just sort of got them to leave. I found a stick and tried to hit one of them to get them to leave. Lame, I know. I stuck the stick in one of their legs, and then I got the same one near his eye. He wasn't hurt very badly, but to my amazement they left, and they haven't even been back since."

Ann, Mel, and Max all continued to stare at Leo, each of them now all in a different way. Ann looked somehow hurt, Mel looked overjoyed, and Max looked stony. Leo wasn't sure what he was thinking.

"Leo, this means you're a hero!" his father said. It seemed all he could do not to rush over to his son and hug him. "You did it! You did what Dad always wanted, he would have been so proud of you! Heck, I'm so proud of you!"

Leo smiled slowly, feeling relieved.

"So, what are you gonna do if they come back?"

"He's not going to do anything!" Ann said. She sounded angry, with a touch of that pain Leo had sensed earlier. "If they come back, Leo is going to hide like everyone else."

"He can't do that! Now that he's done it, he's gotta keep protecting everyone, so they can all be safe."

"But he could get killed doing it!" Ann was now turned towards Mel. "He's just a pup!"

"He's an adult, Dear." Mel was turned toward her as well; it was now as if their boys were not present. "In a week he'll be someone's mate. He can make his own decisions!"

Leo felt awkward. He didn't want to interrupt the fight. He did need to inform them about those decisions his father had just mentioned, though.

"Mom! Dad!" He got their attention; they both looked back at him. "I'm not gonna say that it wasn't extremely scary doing that, but it was also so thrilling! I didn't know you could feel like that! That's why I'm gonna try to be a sentry. I mean, it's not what Grampa did, but it's as close as meerkat society will allow." He turned to his father. "Dad, I know Grampa would have wanted me to show everyone how to defend themselves, but for some reason they just don't want it. So I'll just do the next best thing. I'll warn them of danger. Then...I could maybe try and ward them off while everyone is underground."

"That is very well thought out, Leo!" Mel said. "I think I'm more impressed than I was before. Y'know what? I'm gonna help you!"

"Oh, no you're not!" Ann yelled at Mel. "This has gone far enough! It is too dangerous for him, what makes you think you can do it too?"

"But Mom, you were a sentry." Leo said.

"Yes, but I was a regular sentry! Not the kind you're talking about! Leo, you don't know. Being a sentry is difficult enough, there is a lot of pressure, but instead of just warning and running you actually want to ward them off! I just can't take this, and why are you encouraging him?" she said the last part to Mel.

Leo reached out to touch his mother's paw. She turned back to him and he looked right into her eyes. He saw the stains of the few tears that had escaped. He sighed. "Mom, I know you're scared for me. I know this is dangerous stuff I'm going to do, but this is what I want to do. Nothing bad is going to happen to me, ok? I promise."

Her lip quivered, and then she hugged him. As she hugged him, Leo could feel her shaking a bit. He didn't know if it was from anger or fear, but he hugged his mother back. He wanted her to know that he was going to be fine, that she didn't need to worry this much, because then he'd start worrying about her worrying. She could make herself sick.

Mel put a paw on both Ann's and Leo's shoulders, and joined in the hug for a moment. He then said, much calmer "Well, that was certainly a family meeting for the record." He smiled at them. "How about we try and get some sleep now?"

It took a little while for Mel to pry Ann off of her youngest son, but he managed it and steered her towards their little nest bed.

With one last look at his parents, Leo headed for the burrow he and Max shared, Max followed.

Max hadn't said a word this whole time; he just looked down, his face stony.

It wasn't until they were in the privacy of their burrow that Max said anything to Leo.

"What are you doing, Leo?"

The question caught him off guard. Leo was just about to lie down. "What?"

"What are you doing? Why are you doing this...this...Grampa sentry thing? What exactly are you trying to prove?"

Leo turned to face his brother. Max was facing him, though resolutely not looking at him. "I'm not trying to prove anything, Max. This is just what I wanna do."

"Don't give me that, Leo."

"What is your problem, Max?" He had been like this for a while. It happened slowly, gradually, since he had told Max about himself and Kavie. Max still wasn't looking at him. Leo wanted him to, but at the same time, feared what he'd see.

Then all of a sudden it was like Max was staring him down. There was something in his eyes that seemed different; it seemed to match his tone. It looked like...disdain.

"My prob..my problem? My problem is that I don't even know my brother anymore! Why didn't you tell me you were quitting the tunnels? Why didn't you tell any of us until now about this little hyena thing?! A stupid stunt like that could have gotten you killed!"

"How is it stupid if it's something that Grampa dreamed about? This is something that I really want to do!"

"No, you're gonna keep working the tunnels with me and Dad. Then Mom won't have to flip out like she did tonight."

"Max, I don't want to work in the tunnels!" For the briefest moment Leo felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

"See? You're completely different! Why do you want to pull this family apart?!"

"Why do I wha!?" Leo said, shocked. "Is that what you think I'm doing? How can you say something like that?! Max, I'm not doing that, I would never want to do that! This is my dream! I thought our whole family believed in Grampa Buzz."

"No, just you and Dad. Mom never did. It took me a while to realize it, but she's right! Leo, Grampa wasn't a hero. He just had ideas too big for him and got killed and eaten! He is not someone you should emulate!"

Leo searched Max's face, he couldn't believe what he was hearing from his brother.

"Do ya know what they are saying about you? Yeah, we've all heard it. I can't believe you haven't. They're saying that you're just like Buzz. That you're crazy, unstable, and that you've got the same ideals as him. They also say that you're going to get Kavie to make all the sentries fight against hyenas and other predators, and that you'll put all of them in danger just so you can do what he wanted!"

Leo was dumbfounded. "You don't honestly believe that, do you?"

"I don't know, Leo." Max said. "If this dream of yours is so important, then why keep it a secret?"

"It's not because I want to do that! It's the exact opposite! If everyone knew that Kavie, the future matriarch's mate was fighting off predators that is just the thing that they'd begin thinking! Max, I would never influence Kavie's decisions! Her job is to help everyone, and it's strictly hers. Just because I'm her mate doesn't mean that I can make suggestions and she'll automatically take them! I want to keep it secret for her sake!"

"Oh, of course! It's always about Kavie now, isn't it?"

"Max, what is it that you have against her?"

"I've got nothing against her! I just hate the change in you that came along with her! Now you wanna go against nature!"

"Change is nature, Max! What I want to do can save so many lives, and help so many too. Why can't you see that? And Kavie...I love Kavie, and I'm completely sorry that you've never had someone like her! It's almost like...you don't want me to be happy."

He then saw Max's stone expression crack. "It's not that. It's..."

"It's just that you can't see that I can be happy doing things differently from you. Admit it, you want me to follow you into everything! You don't want things to change!"

The stone face came back in full force. Leo noticed, and stopped yelling. He adopted a tone similar to the one he'd used just a little while ago with their mother. "You think I wouldn't want things to stay the same? I know how hard it is, but you've just gotta embrace it! It's better than hiding away and pretending that nothing's going on. Now matter what, we're still brothers, right?"

Max stayed silent, he was now glancing away again, his face motionless. All hope of reconciling was dashed in that moment.

"You're too proud for your own good, Max." Leo said. Then he turned and left.

Max did not look at Leo as he left; he merely lay down on his nest, his back facing the entrance.

"And you're too naïve for yours."


The brothers did not speak to each other the entire next day, or the day after that. It continued on and soon their parents were becoming worried that their sons would never speak again.

Leo wasn't sure. That night he had stormed out and gone topside to think, under the stars was still the best place for him to do that. He still couldn't believe the things Max had said, and he wasn't sure he was ready to forgive just yet. But he wasn't angry at Max...it was odd. He would rather talk to his brother, so maybe he could understand why Max said what he said. Maybe there was more to it than Leo thought...or maybe it's exactly what he thought.

A week had almost gone by and Leo had not gotten his chance. Max was always conveniently missing when Leo woke up, and he was always asleep when he came home. There was no way to talk to him during the day anymore, since Leo was now working as a sentry.

It was now the day that Leo could see Kavie again, and when Leo awoke he was surprised to see that Max was still sleeping. Obviously his parents wanted Max to be there when he and Kavie became mates.

Suddenly their mother came in to wake them, and suddenly it was like they were pups again.

"Come on, you two! You have to get up now! I've already let you sleep in!"

Leo sat up and watched Max slowly roll over.

"I'm glad you're already up Leo. We need to get a move on!" Ann then turned from Leo to Max. "Max, I know you're tired, but this is for your brother, now get up."

Max grunted and sat up. Then, without looking at Leo, stood up and left, Ann then followed. Well, if Max was going to be that way, Leo thought, he could be just as immature.

Since Ruth had become matriarch, she had changed many things. She had done away with many traditions that other meerkat colonies adhere strictly to. There was one small custom that Ruth made sure stayed the same, though.

It couldn't be called a "ceremony" really; it was much too small for that. Leo and Kavie merely stood in front of Ruth, and Leo promised that he would always take care of her, then Kavie walked around him in a circle, then Leo crushed a hollow piece of a branch with his foot. That was it. As time went by Leo knew he wouldn't remember much of it, even if it was so short. He also knew that he would never forget how he felt. No matter what was going on with himself and his brother, Leo felt at that moment that somehow, everything would turn out alright.


The next few weeks went by and Leo and Kavie settled into what was becoming a pretty pleasant life. Leo felt that things were really turning around. He loved being a sentry, and his little addition to the job had not been found out yet. There actually had not been a hyena sighting in a while

As Leo was settling into his new groove, Kavie was preparing to take over for Ruth once her grandmother made the announcement, which she told them one night would be soon.

Something was happening, though, that was marring Leo's complete happiness.

Joe found him one day after Leo's shift on the sentry rock. They had become much closer, especially since Max and Leo still weren't speaking. Even though he was more mature, Joe was still good for a laugh. This time though, he looked questioning, and spoke in a softer tone, looking around before speaking to him.

"Leo, can I talk to you for a second?"

Leo looked at his friend. "Uh, sure."

"It's just that...I've been hearing some...things...about you. Kavie too."

"What kind of things?" Leo wasn't really sure what he meant, but then he remembered the things his mother and Max had talked about. "Oh, wait. I think I know what you're talking about." He didn't want to go into details, he had already had to recount the events to his parents.

"I don't believe any of it, it's way too far-fetched."

Leo saw Joe's expression, like he was asking if any of it were true. "Well, you should believe some of it."

"What? Which part? The part where you're fighting off predators, the part where you're telling Kavie that the minute she becomes matriarch everyone has to start fighting hyenas, or the part about you eating rhino dung because you liked the smell?"

"The first part. Wait, what was that last one?" Leo asked, but Joe didn't seem to have heard him.

"I thought that might be it. I knew I saw you going towards those hyenas. So, the rest of it's not true?"

"No."

Joe nodded. He seemed pleased with the answer, and then he lifted his head, clearly thinking of something. "Has Kavie heard any of this?"

Leo's face then matched Joe's. "You know, I don't think so. I don't think there's any danger of her hearing, she and I are the ones being talked about. Do you think I should tell her?"

Joe shrugged. "Probably. Maybe you should find out who's behind it, and then she will be able to do something."

"Hmm, that makes sense." Leo agreed. That would be good, but how did he figure out who started all the rumors?

"But there's no way to know who it is, is there?"

"Not sure. How about we go see Brush, he's the one I heard it from."


Joe & Leo neared the tunnels and made their way down. Leo wasn't sure how much these things being spread around would affect anything; he mostly just knew that they were insulting. Plus, who would really believe any of it? Whether or not anyone would, Leo knew that neither Kavie nor Ruth would be able to do anything about it unless they knew where all this stuff was coming from.

The tunnels were surprisingly empty as the passed through quietly. Then suddenly, Joe stopped. Leo stopped and looked back at him.

"What's up? Come on."

Joe waved a paw to quiet him. "Do you hear that?" he asked. He then turned around. Leo listened intently. He could hear someone speaking further down. From this distance it was hard to determine who or even if the speaker where male or female. The two then turned completely around and began going towards the source of the noise.

As they came closer to the voice, Leo thought he could hear other voices. These were softer and more murmured. Indeed the others seemed to be speaking so softly, it wasn't until they were almost right outside the burrow that they could understand them.

"...really think that Leo would do that?" asked one of the meerkats inside. It sounded skeptical.

"Of course he would!" came the louder voice that Joe and Leo had been following. Now that they were closer, it definitely sounded female, although the cold harshness of her tone was something neither of them was used to hearing from a female.

"Yeah," chimed in another voice. "Ya gotta remember, Brush, his grandfather was Buzz! The looniest guy our colony's ever produced!"

"But Leo's more than just loony, he's dangerous." said the female. "He's going to be pretty close to power, and we all know what power can do. He'll have our new matriarch wrapped around his tail. How many of you here want to risk your lives fighting hyenas, wolves, and foxes? Would he really expect any of you to survive?"

"I'm more concerned about Kavie." said a new meerkat. "Why would she choose a mate like this?"

"I'm not sure." said the cold female. "Maybe she doesn't know. Or maybe...she's just as crazy as he is. I happen to think the latter is more believable."

The group all started mumbling to each other, Leo and Joe couldn't make out the conversations, there were so many of them. Leo wondered just how many meerkats were in there.

"We should go to Ruth at once!" came yet another meerkat's voice.

"No, it's too late today, we'd need to do it tomorrow." said the female. "We need to all go up there together, and show Ruth that we will not stand for an incompetent leader!"

The crowd of meerkats that was held within the burrow was beginning to shout excitedly.

"And..."came the female again, silencing the group with her quieter, more coaxing tone, "We need to submit to her a more appropriate replacement."

There was a pause, and then one nervous-sounding meerkat spoke up. "Oh! How about you, Molly?"

A couple of others shouted their approval of this idea. "Well, possibly. I hadn't even considered..." the voice of Molly was now filled with overdone flattery. "Yes. I do believe that I could do this colony a great service."

Leo couldn't believe this! They were all gathered around this Molly, and were going to all storm up during Ruth's announcement? Ruin Kavie's moment? Leo couldn't really figure out why the leader "Molly"'s name was registering with him. He knew he had heard of her, but it was like his mind couldn't piece the name with a face. One thing was certain, he would need to find Kavie or Ruth as soon as possible. Glancing as Joe, who nodded as if he had read Leo's mind, they rushed off before any of the group could come out.


Author's Note: Hasn't been too terribly long, but I still hope this has been worth the wait. I really enjoyed writing this one, and the events still to come are going to be ever-so-much fun to write as well! I really truely hope that everyone her on loves to write and has this much fun writing their stuff.

I paraphrased a line from Ratatouille in there somehwere. It was my absolute favorite line in the movie and it really stuck with me. If anyone can find it you get a Pumbaa-shaped cookie. (the cookie is figurative, of course)

Again, hope you enjoyed, and hope this had the right amount of emotion that I wanted. Still more to come. :-)