Porsha awoke with a soft groan, groggy, vision adjusting to the glacial glare of fluorescent lights. Her arms moved slightly. The IV had been taken out. And who should be there, at her bedside, but Buster. But it wasn't Buster. It was Nana.

Porsha tried to sit up, open her mouth to speak, but could do neither. Chains. She could feel them. They were weighing her down, holding her heart hostage, stanching her breath away. They weren't really real, of course, but they may as well have been. Her breath shook, her body rattled, and those invisible chains seemed to choke out anything she wanted to say. Her half-open eyes, once shining with sweetness, and a luster like gold, were vacant voids. Porsha was in pain—physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. It was all so draining.

All Nana could think to do was tenderly stroke her head. That same painful, awful silence hung over them. 'She doesn't deserve any of this…' thought Nana to herself, still petting Porsha, who leaned into touch, eyes starting to well with tears. Then, the white-and-gray wolf started to whimper. Nana drew back her cloven hoof and asked, "What's wrong?"

After a few more deep breaths, Porsha croaked out two words that broke the black sheep's heart: "…It hurts."

Nana hugged the wolf and asked her with motherly concern, "What hurts, Porsha?"

"…Everything."

The hospital released Porsha after a day of observation. The hospital staff that had attended to her heavily emphasized the young wolf's need for bedrest, as well as plenty of food and water. No stress of any kind. That was easier said than done, considering the extent of Porsha's pain. Everyone wondered worriedly what the coming days and weeks held for Porsha. For now, though, everyone was trying to focus on being there for her. Or at least, they would all try their hardest to do so.

—

Nana graciously offered to take Porsha in for the next few weeks at her manor in Calatonia, thinking a change in scenery might be best at her "home away from home". Before she knew it, Porsha was packed and prepped for her trip. The wolf fidgeted nervously, clutching her into the lone strap of her luxury-brand duffel bag with a vice-like grip. Buster waited with her outside the Crystal Hotel to give one last goodbye before Hobbs picked her up.

"It'll be alright," Buster looked at her with a gentle smile. "You'll get to have a great time with Nana and, hey, who knows, some of the gang might pop in for a visit."

Porsha couldn't help herself. Mr. Moon—er, Buster—had the most infectious smile ever. But just when a glimmer of hope seemed to be emerging, Porsha got a call from Suki.

"S-Suki? What's up?…Yeah, I'm okay, just waiting for, uh…" her ears flattened, smile sagging, "…Oh. Really? Y-Yeah, just, uh, have the team…draft a press release. Thank you." Her voice sounded terrifyingly too adult for someone so young. Porsha hung up and groaned, her lips now morphed from a soft frown to a thin line of irritation. Something was wrong.

Before Buster could even get a breath, let alone start to speak, he was bombarded with texts from everyone in the gang, even from Suki and Clay. All of them, essentially, said the same thing: Porsha's faint/hospital stay had become the talk of the tabloids—and worse, of Hot News, a "talk show" that peddled gossip and intruded on many a personal life. 'This could not be worse!', the 18 year-old she-wolf lamented, face filled with furious woe.

Hobbs' car arrived just moments later, the emperor penguin waiting until the koala and wolf said their goodbyes. The goodbye hug was sweet for Porsha, but with the forthcoming gossip geyser that was about to burst, it was also a bitter moment. Bitter…sweet? Weird mix of emotions, the female wolf thought as she opened the door and climbed into the back seat.

"Bye, Porsha. Just remember, you can call me if you need anything," Buster assured.

"I know," replied the younger animal, smiling.

"And don't forget to brush and floss," added the koala.

"Don't worry, I will."

"And please, please, be careful if you're gonna go out at night, okay?"

A warmth blossomed in her heart. Without realizing she was smiling, she replied warmly, "Ok, daddy, I will."

They both waved goodbye to each other as Hobbs drove off. It wasn't until Buster was riding the elevator up to his suite, and Porsha watched the world whiz by through the car window, that both of them realized what happened. Both animals felt a great pang in their hearts. Both of them, wolf and koala, felt tears forming in their eyes. They knew then that they were truly and wholeheartedly, father and daughter.

And yet, they also knew the road ahead would be an arduous one.