Philza stopped short, head turning as his eyes analyzed the tree lines nearby with a sense of hesitancy and urgency. In his arms, Tommy shifted uneasily as he lifted his head. Philza was quick to carefully cup the child's head, not letting him lift his head too far up. Tommy should be sleeping, Philza stopping shouldn't be waking him up or drawing his attention.

It meant that Tommy heard something too.

Philza could feel his wings twitch, his feathers' literally ruffling as they moved out from under his cloak. Whatever was setting off his instincts seemed to have thought better, for the time, and slinked off into the night. He no longer felt quite as on edge as he felt a few moments prior. He sighed with a bit of relief, and smiled when Tommy laid his head back down on his own, feeling comfortable once more.

Philza smiled, humming a soft tune under his breath as he continued to walk down the path he'd chosen to get home. It had taken a long time for Tommy to feel safe enough to sleep around Philza, in fact it had taken nearly a year for Tommy to even accept a blanket and some food from him. Now, Tommy was nearly seven years old and had willingly let Philza pick him up. Taking Tommy home just seemed like the best next course of action, and Tommy hadn't complained, and had even fallen asleep on him.

He could still remember Tommy, just shy of turning four, shivering and trembling as he hid from Philza, scared by the wings on his back and frightened at his talons that Philza had for nails. The next time Philza had found the child, he'd hidden away his unhuman features. Tommy still hadn't trusted him, and Philza hadn't known his name until nearly a year after meeting initially.

Philza hummed, rubbing Tommy's back, his wings moving as if to cover Tommy; although he still needed to see, so only one wing had been able to move around Tommy, covering him. Tommy sighed in his sleep, and Philza could tell that Tommy was actually asleep now, as he relaxed even more.

Philza smiled, tilting his head as he heard her voice calling him back to her forest. He smiled as he glanced back down at Tommy. He wanted Tommy's first time flying to be while he was awake, not while he was asleep. One hand gently moved to brush Tommy's hair out of his face and he looked up at the night sky.

He wondered if she was watching over him, or if she was waiting in the forests.

A branch broke behind Philza, which caught his attention. He turned with a frown on his face, not noticing anything out of place… other than the broken twig on the ground a couple feet behind Philza. Philza's wings fluttered, twitching in nervousness. Philza chirped, followed by a few warbles as he took a step backwards.

She was more insistent that he take flight. Philza found that he didn't care if Tommy was awake or not. If she was insistent that he fly, he was to fly and make his way back home. He turned, moving quicker than he had around Tommy before, and took flight with two movements of his wings.

It was seconds before he was in the sky, the only thought crossing his mind being to protect his family from whatever creature was stalking him at all costs. Or… no… the creature wouldn't have been stalking him, it was stalking Tommy, who was only human.

There was a low growl that emitted from his chest, which he quickly put to a stop, instead he started to purr when Tommy shifted in his arms in discomfort. Tommy relaxed again, and Phil readjusted his hold on the small child so that Tommy was more comfortable, and so that Phil didn't run the risk of dropping him. He also took his cloak, which now was a hindrance to him, and wrapped it around Tommy so that he didn't become cold.

He noticed a shadow trailing him from below. He was displeased with that knowledge. There were only three creatures that could keep up with him when he was flying. And two of those three, Philza himself could not fight.

He sighed through his nose, looking ahead of him and continuing his flight home.

"Thank you for listening," Kristin murmured when Philza landed just outside their cabin. She was smiling softly as Philza looked towards her. He smiled sweetly at her as Tommy made a noise not dissimilar to a groan and moved as if he was waking up.

"Shh, shh, go back to sleep Toms." Philza murmured, walking towards his wife as he rubbed Tommy's back. Tommy settled once again, and while Philza knew that this was probably an off night for Tommy, he thought it was sweet that Tommy found comfort with him.

"Oh, he's tiny Phil…" Kristin sounded heartbroken, moving forward and gently reaching a hand out to brush some of Tommy's hair back out of his face. "Where did you even find him?"

"He was on the streets, Kristin," Philza knew that his voice held a certain level of pain that Kristin could physically feel. "He's not even seven." He whispered, holding Tommy just a tad bit tighter. Kristin's face fell, glancing back down to the child and resting a hand where Tommy's shoulder was buried under Philza's cloak.

Philza could feel Kristin's magic wash over Tommy; instantly there was an overwhelming mix of Philza's instincts wanting to pull away form Kristin, hissing and protecting the child in his arms, and Kristin's soothing presence letting his guard drop entirely, a push back against his instincts as his wife likely blessed, or adopted, the child.

"Thank you," Kristin smiled, reaching out with her other hand to cup Philza's cheek. Philza's instincts settled immediately. "Now, let's get everyone inside, I have a bad feeling about tonight." Kristin told him, stepping to the side before letting her gaze rest on the trees.

Philza moved inside quickly, understanding the warning given to him. His mind settled as he looked around his home, a smile forming on his face as he moved around. He knew that there were some extra rooms around the house; Tommy wasn't the only child he was bringing home, just the first.

"Welcome home, fledgling," Philza murmured, moving to the couch and curling up on the couch, his wings wrapping around himself, hiding both of them from view. He heard the start of the fight, which started another war within his instincts. The urge to go and help his wife, despite knowing deep down that he would be a hindrance, and the urge to protect their young.

Sometimes, he really hated his instincts and the ways that they could make him question every decision and action.

He started humming to soothe any uneasy feelings that Tommy could be experiencing. He knew from experience that Kristin's magic often had negative effects for the first day or two. Weakness was one, and nightmares were a second.

He could feel himself starting to purr as Tommy shifted uncomfortably. He settled quickly with another sigh.

One home, three to go.

Tommy was watching his new brother carefully. His name was Tubbo and he didn't want to be here. Tommy of course couldn't understand why, it was amazing here! With the ponds and rivers that they could play in, baby animals that loved to play all the time, clean clothes all the time, and the ability to explore and go anywhere with no worries on how to get home.

And home.

A home to come back to every night with warm meals and loving parents that are not shy about affection and hugs freely given. He was able to cry and not fear that he would be punished, and he was able to have snacks whenever he felt hungry, unless it was too close to dinner time, but he always saw their regret when they had to say no. And getting to lay against someone, wrapped in a warm blanket, to listen to one of them read to settle down for the night.

It confused him why Tubbo was so… resistant to the love that was freely given. Tubbo often talked to Tommy about running away, but if Mama didn't want them out of the forests, they wouldn't be able to leave. It was something he learned when he wanted to learn what it was like to see a town or a village. They'd only been upset that he hadn't asked first, and then Papa had carried him through a town, with his wings hidden away and looking more human than Tommy had seen in a long time. It was weird. Tommy much preferred it when his papa looked like his normal self.

"What's your problem?" Tommy asked, tilting his head, watching Tubbo try and climb the tree. He wouldn't be the one to tell him that the trees wouldn't let him climb them unless mama and papa were in the area.

"What?" Tubbo turned towards Tommy, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

"I asked what your problem was." Tommy repeated, tilting his head as he watched the other. Tubbo made a face at him before looking away. "All they want is to protect you and give you a home." Tommy continued when Tubbo had been silent for several moments too long. Tubbo scoffed lightly.

"Nothing is ever that easy." Tommy frowned at him, tilting his head the other direction as he watched the other.

"It is here," Tommy uttered quietly. "All they want is to protect you, protect us." Tommy informed him. All he could think about was once feeling hunger every night, and being so cold that he wondered if he was dying. Now, he never had to worry about that.

And he wouldn't, ever again.

Tubbo didn't respond to him, but later that night, he sat next to Tommy when papa started reading a story to help everyone settle down. Tommy offered him a smile, offering to share a blanket with him. Tubbo declined, but that was okay. He was at least allowing himself to be in papa's presence.

Tubbo was curious about the new kid. Was there a worry that Tommy had been wrong and that he would be discarded now that the new kid was here, absolutely. But he wasn't letting that upset him after denying himself the care of Phil and Kristin for as long as he did.

He was still surprised to learn that he hadn't been as difficult as Tommy had been.

But the new kid was more so hesitant to do anything. He, or they as they'd explained on his arrival night, was scared that one wrong action would send him away. He wasn't sure if it should be him or Tommy to tell the other that he wasn't going to be sent away, no matter what.

Right now, though, the three of them were laying out in the sun. He was reading, or trying to read, a book on plants while Tommy talked with Ranboo. He wasn't really listening in, but he could hear their voices in the background.

He looked up when he heard his name though.

"Sorry, was telling Ranboo about your arrival." Tommy looked over at the noise of confusion Tubbo had let out.

"Oh, okay." Tubbo looked back at his book, humming slightly to himself.

"Wait wait," Tubbo looked back up and found Ranboo looking confused, probably trying to understand something Tommy said. "You tried to run away?" Ranboo asked, his voice lowering as if it was a big secret that the adults weren't supposed to know.

"Yeah? I had a few problems but Tommy helped me get over them." Tubbo nodded, humming as he moved to lay on his back instead of his stomach. He blinked slightly as he was blinded momentarily by the sun before his eyes adjusted. "Still, I heard that Tommy resisted more than I ever did." Ranboo looked at Tommy with disbelief in their eyes, an expression that was new. Progress!

"What?" Ranboo looked over at Tommy, who looked vaguely distant. Tubbo had guessed months ago that Tommy didn't talk about his past, it made him really sad… and Tubbo had found out early on that he didn't like it when Tommy was sad. It made Tubbo sad too.

"Yeah. Papa worked to gain my trust… took like three and a half years." Tommy nodded, Ranboo made a sound like they'd choked on their spit, coughing lightly as Tommy's eyes widened.

"I'm fine, fine, I'm fine," Ranboo waved off Tommy's concern. Tubbo was frowning towards the interaction, only relaxing when Ranboo had calmed down and they were no longer coughing. "Three and a half years?" Ranboo asked, looking at Tommy with a frown. "I… you were brought… home at seven, weren't you?" Ranboo was nearly whispering, and Tubbo was sure they heard something like despair in their voice.

"Yeah. But I don't talk about it." Tommy shrugged. "Come on, I want to go swimming and Tubbo needs to put his book away before we can go do that." Tommy looked towards Tubbo with a pout. It was over exaggerated, and it made Tubbo and Ranboo laugh.

Tommy watched Purpled with a frown. While he understood that he was used to fending for himself, making Phil and Kristin worry when he refused to come home at night wasn't quite okay. Tommy had never heard papa cry before, but he'd cried twice that Tommy had discovered since Purpled had been brought home.

He'd even made Ranboo cry, though the kids had hidden that fact from Phil. They knew Phil's first priority had been, and would always be, the well being of his children. Tommy didn't want to know what would happen should one make another cry.

Tommy didn't want to know if there was a limit to their love.

But, despite his better judgment, he found that he liked being around Purpled. It left him following the other when he went exploring and refused to come back for lunch. Tommy disliked being hungry, but he didn't want Purpled to be alone.

"Go away!" Purpled finally spun around, glaring at Tommy with a venomous glare.

"No." Tommy's answer was plain and simple.

It took Purpled off guard, though. It was very different from when Purpled had made Ranboo cry, Tommy had shouted right back at Purpled with anger running through him.

Tommy'd cried in his room that night, disgust running through him at the thought that he'd been like the angry people from before.

"Why won't you leave me alone? Fuck you're so annoying!" Purpled shouted, turning around and stalking off in anger. Tommy… didn't want to follow. There were tears welling up in his eyes, although he didn't know why.

Was it Purpled's words? No, they couldn't be… Tommy had been called annoying a number of times by Tubbo and Ranboo. Although at those times, it had been said with smiles and laughter and arms thrown around shoulders.

Tommy stumbled as he turned and took off running. He ignored the tears that had fallen from his eyes.

Fine. If Purpled wanted to be left alone, Tommy would leave him alone.

He missed Purpled turning with confusion on his face.

Tommy ran, and ran, and ran, ignoring the trees getting thicker and roots getting larger. He stumbled several times and it was only when Tommy had tripped and fallen that he stopped. That's when he started crying in earnest, curled up against a tree in a part of the forest that he didn't recognize.

It was several hours before Tommy found himself calmed down, he was sitting with his back to the three he'd been leaning against, a frown on his face as he let his head fall back to rest against the tree. He could barely see the sky from where he was sitting. His frown deepened.

"Tommy!" Tommy flinched from the sudden sound. It was Purpled. Tommy only continued to breathe with slow and deep breaths. "Tommy!" Purpled… Purpled was crying. Or at least it sounded like Purpled was crying. Tommy's breathing stuttered as Purpled came running through a cluster of trees.

Immediately Tommy was concerned, Purpled's hands were scraped with spots of blood, and his hair was tangled as if he had fallen through a couple bushes or something. Tommy pushed himself up as Purpled crashed into him, his arms wrapping around Tommy.

"Wha-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please, fuck, I'm sorry-" Purpled was crying, he was apologizing, and, in a sense, begging for forgiveness. "I don't want to be alone, please, I'm sorry-" Tommy was stunned. He wrapped his arms around Purpled, and he felt Purpled collapse against him with a sense of relief.

"Wha-Purpled, uh-" Tommy lowered the two of them to the forest floor. "I'm not leaving. You aren't alone." Tommy assured Purpled, which seemed to help a little bit.

"I shouldn't have said what I said, and-please don't leave me alone again." Tommy went to answer when a twig snapping made him pause. He looked around, confusion running through him. The forest was silent so what had-

The forest was silent.

"We need to run." Tommy uttered quietly. Purpled made a noise of confusion, eyebrows furrowing as he stared at Tommy in confusion. Tommy felt a bolt of fear run through him as he and Purpled climbed to their feet.

"Why?" Purpled asked as Tommy started tugging on Purpled's arm to get them moving. "Tommy-" A roar of whatever creatures was stalking them cut Purpled off. Tommy met Purpled's eyes, both of them had wide eyes filled with fear.

"We aren't in mama's forest anymore." Tommy whispered. Purpled paled.

Philza wondered if there was a way to achieve a speed faster than what he was currently traveling. Two of his kids had come home on time. The other two were no longer in Kristin's forest; which shouldn't have been able to happen in the first place!

And Kristin said she felt something unnatural nearby. Something that hadn't been around since Philza had first brought Tommy home, nearly five years ago. He couldn't lose the two, he couldn't lose his kids. He won't lose his kids.

He refuses to.

Philza's heart dropped when he heard Tommy scream.

He dived, a snarl already emitting as he kicked away a shadowed dog from Tommy and Purpled, the two were halfway up a tree and one of them was definitely crying. Could have been both of them, but Philza's eyes were locked on the dog as he clashed with it.

His children were human, natural prey to the dog. Philza had to wonder how many kids had been afraid of the dark, afraid of shadows, and had been killed because precautions hadn't been put in place to protect them.

He knew the fight was about to be bloody; he just wished his kids didn't have to see it.

He could smell blood in the air. His mind was trying to figure out if it was his or one of the kids. He snarled anyways and continued to fight with the dog, tackling it and clawing at it to the best of his ability.

It was nearly impossible to harm a shadow. But Philza had learned a bit about their weak spots since the last time he'd encountered one.

It was only when the dog went for his wings that Philza knew he needed to get out of there. Get his kids to safety and let Kristin finish this fight.

He shoved the beast away, turning and rushing to the tree. It was only a miracle that Tommy always seemed to know when Philza had a plan, as Tommy had wrapped his arms around Purpled and shoved them both from the tree… Much to Purpled's displeasure if the scream that happened was any indication. He caught the two of them and took flight.

Milliseconds later, and it was possible that the three of them would have died.

Philza's grip had to be tight around the two children, but they were clinging to him nearly as tight as he was holding onto them. Both of them were crying. Philza wanted to kill the damn dog that had made them so scared. And now that he was close enough, he could smell that Tommy had been hurt by the thing. A tilt of his head told him that Purpled was too.

"I got you both." Philza murmured, glancing down and making sure that it wasn't his talons that were making the children bleed.

There was a sense of relief as Philza landed in front of their home. He didn't hesitate to move inside, only hoping that Kristin had sent the other two to play in one of their rooms or something. He could hear that he'd been followed, clearly the dog didn't like to give up its prey.

Inside found that Kristin had set up first aid in the kitchen, although she wasn't in the house. Philza would have to explain to the kids that she was going to be gone for a while, having taken her more powerful form and had become the forest itself.

Her magic was strong, strongest at the epicenter.

"Where's mama?" Tommy asked quietly when Philza set the two of them down. He took a moment to analyze both children before answering. Tommy looked like he'd been crying for some time, same with Purpled. Both were injured to some degree, though Purpled looked like he'd been fighting with bushes for some time.

Both looked utterly exhausted, and he could tell they were both starving too.

"Mama's protecting us right now." Philza uttered quietly. Tommy frowned, but was surprisingly calm for what had just happened. Maybe it helped that Tommy was exhausted and hungry, or that Tommy was in a state of shock, or maybe it was because of how tightly Purpled and Tommy were clinging to each other.

"Let's get you two patched up, changed, and fed. Yeah?" Philza asked, reaching forward and running his hands through both of their hair. A smile on his face as they both, both, leaned into it.