Chapter 16

Soon the lush forest and the ripe vegetation disappeared to be replaced by miles and miles of tall, dead trees. Bare earth lay exposed to the world, baking beneath the boiling sun. Wolf looked over Red's small frame to the horizon, seeing only more dead skeleton trees.

"How long does this go?" Red muttered. "And if there's supposed to be some big, perfect river, why is there like nothing here?"

Wolf narrowed his eyes, stretching his senses as much as they could. "All the animals must have felt something better up ahead, so they all left. If you take away all the animals, the ecosystem can die. Without animals to transfer seedlings during spring, its harder for things to grow. It looks like the insects left too."

Red nodded, speeding up so she went closer to her Granny. Jack glanced at her from where he sat, winking at her.

Red glared, speeding ahead past Granny. While she did, Wolf made a taunting wink back at him, earning a flush of rage from the blonde teen.

"Brat," Wolf muttered before moving forward, adjusting himself to what lay ahead.

Soon more greenery gave way. Ferns and grasses grew tall; trees clumped more thickly together. Red slowed to a stop, waiting for Granny to catch up. "We can't move through the trees now, they're too tight. We'll have to walk from here."

Jack's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open as the others got off. Wolf took Red's backpack along with his own, both shoulders claiming one to carry. He didn't pay any attention to him as Jack protested, "We can't go without the bikes! What if we have to walk miles?"

Red shrugged, "Then we walk miles."

"We can still take the bikes! Look at how much room there is!"

Red gave him a look. "You want to commit suicide, fine. But we're going to go find your sister. Ready Granny?"

"Ready Red." Granny strapped her own backpack across her chest.

Red finished up propping the bike against the tree. Reaching out her hand, Wolf handed the hooded girl her backpack. "We can call Nicky if you want Jack. We're more than capable of taking care of this ourselves."

His eyes hardened, "No, no I want to come with. I just want to take the bikes though!"

"Well we can't have everything we want kid, get used to it," Wolf snapped impatiently, eyes flaring. "We're wasting daylight talking about this. Let's just get moving."

"!" Twitchy said quickly, itching to get on the road.

Red gave Jack a look, "Your say, Jack. Are you coming or staying?"

"I said I'm coming with okay?" he snapped at her, stalking into the forest. Granny went in pursuit with Twitchy darting ahead. Wolf went next, nudging Red with his shoulder, making a silly face before following their partners.

Red smirked, running after him.

(**)

"So how did you guys all meet?" Jack asked.

Granny led the way with the kids walking behind, Wolf taking the tail. Twitchy just ran everywhere, checking everything out.

"Like, I know Granny is Red's grandmother, but I don't know how the rest of you all met," Jack explained, looking to all of them, eager for an explanation, "Did you all just meet at the agency or something?"

Wolf and Red exchanged an amused glance, laughing. "Well, the HEA played a part," Red decided to answer.

"It's kind of a funny story, really," Wolf added.

"To sum it up, Wolf thought I was smuggling goodie recipes to my granny while I thought he was the Goody Bandit. Did you hear about that case?" Jack shook his head. Red waved it off, "Anyway, he went into my granny's house and dressed up as her to catch me in the act. He didn't do very well but then Granny jumped out of a closet, totally tied up and there was this man with an ax-"

Jack stared.

The trio laughed at his expression, Granny chuckling to herself as she listened into their story. Red explained in better detail the events after that, of catching Boingo (who was really evil) and teaming up with Nicky to be recruited in the HEA.

"That's pretty cool," Jack said. "And Red you took Boingo all on your own?"

She looked a little embarrassed, "Well, at first I did but everyone else came and helped. If it weren't for Wolf, Granny, Twitchy and Kirk's help I probably would have died that night."

Wolf flinched.

"Quite an adventure huh?" Red addressed Wolf, who smiled back.

"Yeah, really."

Jack didn't catch the fake smile, or the way Wolf looked away, his curved ears pointing back.

However, a girl with a red hood did notice.

(**)

I would have been guilty of another death, Wolf thought that night.

After hours of walking and hours of listening to Jack's complaining, the team found a place to spend the night until they headed out the next morning. Granny and Jack went to bed, leaving the trio up. Around midnight, Red stood back to her feet, "I think I'll hit the hay Wolf. See you in the morning. Night Twitchy."

"NightRed."

Wolf didn't answer, staring bleakly into the fire. After Red went into her tent, both mammals waited for the sound of their slow breathing until they spoke. Twitchy looked to Wolf, who's expression twisted to calm seriousness to soul-wrenching pain.

Speaking softly, Twitchy spoke, "Wolf?"

It wasn't often Twitchy would use his name. Glancing to him, Wolf looked to his friend with dead eyes. Twitchy easily jumped over to him, tail twitching. Reaching a paw forward, the squirrel rested it on Wolf's knee. "Haveyoutoldheryet?" speaking with more deliberate slowness.

Wolf's hands covered his face. He hunched over, shoulders trembling as he shook his head, not looking to Twitchy.

Twitchy patted his arm, "Whendoyouthinkyou'lltellher?"

"I don't know if I ever could," Wolf answered back softly, eyes misting over as he brought his hands back down. "How can I tell her that its my fault, that everything is my fault?"

Twitchy's small ears folded back against his head. His tail flicked against Wolf's back. "You know," he said slowly, making sure his words were cautiously spoken, "the longer you don't tell her, the harder it will be for the time to come. And the sooner you tell her, the sooner you can get it over with."

Wolf's eyes moistened, a few sparkling tears beginning to drip down. He stared back into the flames, heart pounding. "But Twitch, what do I do if, if she hates me?"

Twitchy looked into the fires as well, copying Wolf's motions. "If she does, then you have to learn to move on."

"But Twitch I, I don't know if I could."

Sparking with interest, he looked to Wolf, "WhatdoyoumeanWolf?"

"I mean," Wolf's mouth hung open slightly, eyes growing wide. "I-I think I love her."

Twitchy smiled, answering easily, "All the more reason for you to tell her."

Wolf nodded stiffly, eyes moving back to the flames, rolling Twtichy's advice over and over in his mind.

Holding back a high giggle, Twitchy allowed himself to dance in victory on the inside. He couldn't help but think, Finally!

(**)

Been waiting for that for a while haven't you? xDD one of them FINALLY realizes their feelings lol xDD