"Abby…are Momma and Gracie going to be okay?"

That little voice, dripping with innocence, was a stab to Abby's heart. Emily was so very aware and intelligent for her age, like ALL the Possible women. But Emily in particular always seemed to be able to tell when something was wrong or when someone was in trouble. When Kim or Shego were on missions, it was always Emily who found her way into Abby's bed, complaining that she couldn't sleep, begging for assurances that Mom and Momma were going to be okay. Gracie was usually a help…but dear God, she was mixed up in this too!

"Oh, they're going to be fine. 'Anything's possible for a Possible." And please, let that hold true this time. Keeping the twins calm and unaware was all that was keeping Abby from breaking down. Shego…flat out, Abby owed Shego her life; and Gracie…NO! She would NOT go there! Shego and Gracie were going to be fine…ARE fine. Abby glanced at the antique wall clock and back at the twins. It was a school night after all. "Okay girls; time for bed."

Abby received the usual complaints of "not tired" and "just a few more minutes" but inevitably the girls bowed to Nana Abby's will and followed her upstairs to their room. Covers were tucked in, bedtime songs were sung, and half an hour later Abby was left alone with her thoughts.

She had to do something. She needed something to keep her mind occupied. The holster on Abby's belt rubbed against her lower back. She guessed that was as good an activity as any. A few years ago, as a birthday gift, Kim and Shego had had a small firing range built onto the house for Abby to practice for her shooting competitions. Until she got word from Kim, she need to keep her mind focused.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

She had to keep her mind clear! All night, Kim's sleep deprived mind kept dragging up images of Gracie and Eme all alone, huddled and freezing…or even worse. What the Hell are you talking about Kimberly Anne Possible? Your wife is one of the toughest, most feared women in the world! And Gracie? Gracie is the best of Eme and you all rolled up into a ball of wonderful. You know that they are alive and if they are alive, can you think of two women more likely to survive?

"There's a clearing about two miles ahead where we set up a base of operations," the pilot announced. "I'll drop you and the group off there so you can get up to speed on the search."

The base commander introduced himself as Captain Andre Dubord of the Canadian Forces Search and Rescue. They'd been going fly overs and had groups searching the countryside since yesterday. The team had groups on foot and on horseback, having covered about a third of the possible territory so far. Really, the only choice for her would be to go out on horseback. Right now, she'd be better off on her own, just her and Wade via the Kimmunicator. Protocol dictated that she radio in every two hours to keep the base informed of her progress.

"GRACIE? SHEGO?"

She scanned the forest through a set of GJ binoculars for any sign of life or that someone had been there. But all she saw before her was wilderness, endless tracks of wilderness. And that was the story for hours. The seasoned world saver reined in her horse and took a moment to survey her map. If memory served, there was a freshwater river nearby that led to Hudson Bay. Any Pixie Scout worth their badges knew that when lost in the woods, the first thing to do was find fresh water. By her calculations, about a mile northwest of her current position.

Kim pulled her horse to a halt at the river, tying the reigns to a low hanging branch so the horse could get some water. She took a minute to examine the terrain surrounding the riverbank. The soil was wet enough that GJ boots would easily leave footprints. This provided an excellent opportunity for Kim to test a new prototype Wade was working on, Bionic Optic Lenses. According to Wade, upon putting on the "glasses", a pulse from the Kimmunicator would make any footprints within thirty feet immediately identifiable. Kim slipped the glasses on and whipped out her trusty communication device. An ultrasonic pulse spread across the terrain, illuminating a wide variety of animal footprints…and ONE pair of prints about Gracie's size.

This was IT! Gracie and Shego were somewhere around here! "SR Base, this is Kim Possible. My position is the intersection of Sachigo River and sector three. I've identified a set of footprints the size and shape of my daughter's…"

"MOM!"

Kim's breath caught, her head unconsciously turning in the direction of the noise. There she was! Gracie Anne Possible was standing twenty feet away, seemingly free of any injuries and as perfect as they day she was brought home from the hospital. The radio fell to the mud and mother and daughter made a bee line to each other, leaping fallen limbs and bushes as if they weren't even there. With a great thump, Gracie was hauled up into Kim's arms, throwing Kim backwards onto the mossy ground.

"Thank you GOD," All she could do was kiss her daughter. The tears streaming down Kim's eyes weren't even an issue. "I'm so glad you're not hurt! I…I was afraid…"

"So not the Drama Mom."

"Oh but it WAS," She held her daughter even tighter, not caring one wit that the pair were smeared with moss. "When I got the news that you and Momma…where's Momma?"

That had finally provided Gracie with the opening to wriggle free of Mom's grip and haul them to their feet. Gracie had nearly forgotten about Momma herself. She was going to completely flip when Mom came strolling into camp. Momma had been making little progress with repairing the emergency beacon and now the whole thing would prove moot. They would be able to go home TONIGHT! "Well, she got a little banged up in the ejection and is still recovering but we've been surviving…with a little help."

A little help? Kim could puzzle out that last bit later. Now, she wanted to hold her beautiful wife in her arms and upon getting her back to Middleton, do things to her that would make teenage Kim Possible turn redder than a beet. She ushered for her daughter to take the lead…but then grabbed her by the scruff. Was that…was that a Gray Wolf in their path?

"Gracie…don't move."

"Wha…" Gracie looked around the forest, immediately recognizing the tone in Mom's voice. But all she could see was…oh wait! Geez, Gracie and Momma had gotten so accustomed to the wolves being around their campsite that she didn't even register what was happening. "Oh, Mom, it's okay. They're not dangerous." Gracie motioned for the wolf, the one she'd affectionately begun calling Rufus, over. The wolf trotted up and began nuzzling Gracie's hands.

"Well…if I didn't see it with my own eyes," KIM was the girl who could do anything? Her daughter had made friends with a wild animal and made it seem as tame as any dog. Her daughter was one of the most remarkable people that she knew. She let out a laugh as she reached down to pet the wolf. "So…so this pack of wolves have been living with and helping you for the past few days?"

Gracie proceeded to walk Mom through the events of the past few days, how Gracie was the first to come to, set up camp, and how she had gone about looking for Momma. Mom seemed to be hanging on every word. Gracie had been so caught up in the events surrounding her and Momma that hadn't really thought much about what was going on back home. That brought up images of Abby and the twins and a fresh pang of emotion and desire to see them again. Emily was always a little scared when Mom or Momma was on a mission and she hoped her little sis wasn't too worried.

Mom was very impressed at the campsite Gracie had set up…and still did a few double takes at the wolves seeming to stand guard.

"Momma, look what I found by the river."

There was grunting and wheezing but a slow moving Shego made her way to the tent flap. What was Gracie doing back already? It was at least a twenty minute walk to the river and thirty back when carrying the water jugs. Shego slowly made her head out and…KIMMIE! Either she had doesed off and was in the middle of a dream or her Princess had found them! She tenderly reached out and caressed the cheek that she had so often kissed…and it was oh so real. Bodily pain be damned; Shego enveloped the younger woman and kissed her as passionately as she could. Good grief, Kimmie had never tasted so good!

"Oh Eme…you crash landed and spent two days in the wilderness and you're still a vision of loveliness that makes my quiver." Kim whispered. These were unusual circumstances but Kim and Shego were still aware of their pact to keep things appropriate around their kids.

Gracie rolled her eyes. Sometimes when Mom and Momma were being ooey gooey, she felt like taking a shot of insulin. The pair finally broke apart and Mom realized that she had been so shocked at Gracie's appearance that she had dropped and left her radio at the river. Gracie had wanted an excuse to scram while Mom and Momma were all lovey dovey so she took it immediately. What was it with parents? Kids did NOT want to think about them doing "stuff". Momma had that look in her eye that as soon as they were home and in the 'rents bedroom…GROSS! BAD IMAGE! Gracie spied the older wolf, whom she'd taken to calling Patches for the splotches of cream colored fur over his eyes.

"Come on Patches; let's scram." Even Gracie was amazed at this. It was literally like the wolf could tell exactly what she was saying. The pair turned and trotted off into the woods back towards the river. In a strange way, she was going to miss this. Granted, she had survived a plane crash and had to hunt up Momma, but the few days that she had spent here? Well she KNEW she was going to miss the wolf pack. "What about you Patches? Are you all going to miss us when we leave?"

Gracie could hear Mom's horse snorting as they approached the river. Was something wrong? She could just make out the horse's head and he looked to be mad with panic. Horses were extremely skittish around wolves so motioned for Patches to stay put. All the same, something didn't feel right. Gracie's hand drifted down to the sidearm holstered at her hip. All of a sudden, the forest didn't seem as peaceful as it had a minute ago. How many wild animals were there out there who would attack a fourteen year old girl without thinking?

There was the radio, three feet out of the horse's reach. Without warning, the tree branch snapped and the horse took off running. Frack! Well, at least she got the radio. Whoever Mom was working with could send a helicopter or something as soon as they radioed in.

Without warning, a monstrous roar sounded, jerking Gracie around to see the true reason why the horse had bolted. Standing at full height before her was a massive black bear. Gracie only had time to scream before a massive ham-sized paw smacked her side, throwing her into a tree and knocking the wind out of her. The next few minutes were all a jumbled blurr.

KPKPKPKPKPKP

That smell! It hung in Moon Hunt's nose like the rotting stench of an old kill. There was a bear nearby…and it was in the throes of madness! Wolves and bears had a peaceful relationship as long as food was abundant and bears for the most part would never stray from their grounds or at least not within vicinity of the pack den. But madness eliminated all of that. A mad bear would venture straight into the den and tear the mothers and pups to shreds. He howled a warning to the pack and called for more hunters to aid him. The horse that had been left behind by Fire Paw's mate had finally broken free and run off, leaving Red Wind and himself as the only prey in the area.

THERE! There it was, a short distance away from Red Wind…and she was oblivious to it. Moon Hunt had only moments to act. He took off running as fast as his old legs would carry him. The bear raised a paw and struck Red Wind, throwing her into a tree. He HAD to reach her! With a great leap over a fallen tree, Moon Hunt entered a fighting stance, snarling a challenge though the bear wouldn't likely understand it.

You shall not harm this pup!

The bear was just as incoherent as expected. But at least his focus was on Moon Hunt and not Red Wind. It meant death to attack a bear; Moon Hunt would have to plague him until help could arrive. He circled the bear, keeping just out of reach of the massive paws and teeth, leading the beast further way from Red Wind. He ducked and dove, narrowly avoiding the attacks but the strain was beginning to wear on him. Without more hunters, this would soon come to an end. With a great lunge, Moon Hunt could feel the razor-sharp claws dig into his pelt.

KPKPKPKPKPKP

"I knew! I knew you'd find us." Shego snuggled up into her wife's arms. Princess had often commented on how when embraced by the warmth of her wife's flesh, she never felt so safe and secure. Well…Shego could only guess that THIS was what Kimmie was talking about.

"So what was it that brought the ship down?" Kim asked, wrapping an arm around her wife's torso.

"Well, the crash kind of Swiss cheezed my memory but Gracie said that the fighter was struck by lightning, frying all the systems. It was also probably what damaged the emergency beacon." Shego couldn't wait to get back to the Palace, back to the Twins, to Abby, and back to her students. "Oh Kimmie, you should be so proud of our daughter. She NEVER lost her cool! She remembered her training and did exactly what we taught her."

"What do you know? I guess we're doing a pretty good job with her after all," Kimmie smiled and planted a kiss on her wife's cheek. "You ever wonder if the kids will figure out that we are completely making it up as we go along?"

The pair shared a laugh and sighed in contentment. Kim couldn't wait to get home and put her family back where they belonged. She kept flashing back to that day when she first heard the news, how mad she was at Shego for being late. Realistically, it WOULD happen again; she wouldn't make false promises saying that it wouldn't. But dear God, she loved her wife and she hoped Shego would never forget that. The moment that the pair entered the confines of their bedroom, Kim was prepared to do things to that woman what would make her teenage self faint with shock.

Both ears perked up at the sound of a wolf howl coming from the river. Both bodies shot up at the young scream that followed. That was Gracie! That howl had to have been the wolf that she brought with her. Had the wolf…?

"I know what you're thinking," Shego ducked back into the tent and grabbed the SIG P226 sidearm. Her plasma had finally returned to her but Kim would need something. Once she returned, she could see the wolves who had been watching them run off in the direction of the river. "Those wolves look after her like she was one of their pups."

Her wife had good judgment but Kim wasn't ruling anything out. She caught the sidearm and extra clip, pocketing the extra clip and checking the one already loaded. Kim took point with Shego following close behind, the pain in her limbs now forgotten. Twenty minutes to the river! That was some of the longest trekking in Kim's life. The river finally came into sight and Kim quickly began scanning the bank for any sign of Gracie. Kim's horse looked to have bolted and Kim could see the wolf dodging the strikes with a hulking black bear. The way it was behaving, Kim ventured a guess that the creature was rabid. Thankfully the wolf had gotten itself between the bear and Gracie and it really looked to be making every effort to draw the bear away from her daughter. WHERE…WAS…GRACIE? Wait…was that…yes; Gracie was sprawled against a tree. No obvious injuries but they had to get her out of there.

"Okay, your plasma will definitely be more effective," Kim pointed towards the bear as she made a bee line for their daughter. "That thing looks rabid so take it out before it gets away."

Kim ducked and dove under a few low hanging branches and quickly knelt next to Gracie. Okay, what was wrong? She had a few cuts on her right side. None looked too deep, all her ribs felt fine. The cuts were bleeding plenty. Kim had to use only what was available so she ripped the sleeve of her shirt and began stemming the bleeding. The worst of it seemed to be that she'd had the wind knocked out of her when she was thrown into the tree.

"Gracie? Pumpkin, can you hear me?"

"Where…is…Patches?"

Kim looked towards her wife. As if in slow motion, Kim could see the bear's paw strike the wolf in the chest. A minute later, Shego lobbed a ball of plasma just behind the bear. The resulting explosion threw the bear off its feet. Before the beast could right itself, Shego mustered a beam of plasma and sent it bussing directly towards the bear's head, thankfully flying true and burning a hole clear through the bear's skull. Had the wolf still been on its feet…did a rabid bear just save the wolf's life?

"Mom…get me on my feet."

The fourteen year old ignored her mom's protests and climbed to her feet. She was a little wobbly but could keep her feet. All she could see was Patches. The bear had made a great gouge into Patches' chest and blood was pouring out. Patches had…Patches had saved her life. He had sacrificed himself to keep her safe. She couldn't let Patches die but…could her healing powers work on animals? She'd been making great progress under Momma's tutelage but…well one way or another she was going to try today. She knelt beside her animal friend and placed her hands over the wound. All focus was brought to the wound. Gracie could feel the plasma pulsing through her body and the images began to form inside her head; an artist's canvas, smashed to pieces. She had to reassemble it, piece together the broken framing and knit the canvas into one. Join the pieces…sew the fabric…join the pieces…sew the fabric. That was her mantra. Over and over she repeated it as she visualized what needed to be done.

Author's Notes:
I opened the story with the dinner scene because Abby has seen Kim and Shego overcome numerous enemies but Mother Nature is another matter altogether. I still love how Gracie continues to be embarrassed by her parents, even in the middle of Northern Ontario. I think it is working, Gracie's interactions with the wolves. I'm torn on whether or not I want to give Gracie the gift of gab as a second power or have this be something associated with all the kids' meta-human DNA that comes out in later stories. Any thoughts?