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Chapter Three: All Stood Up

The RainbowFalls train station is known by Zootopia at large as 'The Gateway to the Meadowlands'." While there are many routes by car or on foot to venture into Zootopia's more northern districts, there is a significant lack of subway lines that venture beyond the steep mountains that separate the north and south. Some mammals chalk it up to the difficulties involved in mountain tunneling, while others believe it is due to the lack of economic incentive to tying The Meadowlands and Alpine Glade to the more bustling districts. Despite their relative size, the population is significantly smaller than the rest of Zootopia, and so difficult to build subway lines that would be rarely used and hard to maintain could be seen as a waste of money. The eventual answer to the transit problem was the creation of the "RainbowFalls Rail Line", An above ground train that passes through the sole valley between the northern range into the upper districts. The line encompasses the North and South Meadowlands, Alpine Glade, and the northern outskirts of Zootopia. While not the only route, it is certainly the fastest for any traveler seeking to relax in the sprawling borderline country the Meadowlands has to offer.

Needless to say, visiting home was always more of a chore than Vernon thought it should be. With all the transfers and pick-ups it could become rather grating rather fast. It was at times like this he wished his family lived far enough away to simply visit by plane.

For Vernon the walk over to the RainbowFalls station from the Haymarket terminal had been uneventful compared to the subway ride, but tiring none the less. The trip was always tiring, but it hadn't helped that the wolf had a rather rough nights sleep. After waking up to find Dawn nervously typing away on her laptop and attempting to ease her back to a comfortable sleep, the wolf was left to ponder over his own growing dread over the whole reunion affair. He wasn't nearly as nervous as Dawn, but was keeping up a brave front for her sake. Any show of weakness or worry might help spur the timid ewe into a full blown panic and that was the last thing he wanted. But as he lay there in the dark of the bedroom, cuddled up with his Honey Lamb, he couldn't help but ruminate on some of the ways the trip could go south.

His largest fear was having to deal with his brother Yuri. Vernon's Mother had already confirmed he would be showing up this year, along with Ada his Hyena mate. Yuri had always been a troublemaker, and that was saying something when Vernon reflected on his own muddied past. He always knew the perfect words to say to get under your pelt, a skill he had only honed with time. There was a snowballs chance in Sahara Square that Yuri was going to keep his yap shut when it came to Dawn. He was most definitely going to spend the entirety of the trip tormenting the lamb. If Vernon could barely contain the urge to hit him under normal circumstances, this was going to be a true test of willpower.

With Yuri he could only pray that at the very least the rest of the family would call him out on it, but that was rare. Most of them preferred to just try to ignore him. So if the wolf pushed Dawn too hard, it was going to be up to Vernon to push him back and keep Dawn's spirits up.

The other somewhat major concern was how his Father was going to react to Dawn. Much like Vernon's Mother, Dorian knew Dawn was coming as well as exactly who she was. But how he was going to handle it was another story. While Dorian was mostly easygoing, there were point of contentions with the older wolf which he refused to budge on. He could be stubborn at times, and his beliefs about certain issues were often set in stone. Vernon could remember the push back he got when he told Dorian he was going to study to become an architect rather than a police officer. Even now, despite Vernon having a position in the Architecture Department in City Hall his Father still believed that he would _'come around'_and join the force.

Dorian's feelings on interspecies couples were reasonable, but with that came his staunch distaste and disgust for anything relating to prey or predator supremacy and the criminals who've worked to perpetuate such notions. Dawn's history with Night Howler, despite her best attempts to make up for it might not count for anything in his Father's eyes. But Vernon reassured himself that once he met Dawn, and could sense her sincerity as he did, that it would be all water under the bridge. At least, Vernon hoped. There were other concerns of course. Would his other brothers behave? how would their mates get along with Dawn? But they paled in comparison to those two looming issues which the thought of managed to steal enough sleep from the wolf to create the need nap on the subway, and even that hadn't quite been enough.

Vernon rubbed his eyes as he stumbled onto the busy train platform at RainbowFalls, letting out a dull yawn as he dropped his green duffle bag to the floor. The wolf again stretched in a desperate attempt to wake himself up, before turning to the ewe he had in tow. Vernon had also been pulling Dawn's roller suitcase along. The ewe's suitcase easily doubled the size of Vernon's own bag, and was actually larger than Dawn herself. Despite the size it was an easy carry for Vernon, and he playfully insisted that the ewe seat herself on it and he would carry her up to the station which she agreed to gleefully. To the wolf it was worth it just to keep looking back and catching her silly grin as she enjoyed the ride.

"Last stop, everybody off." He chuckled.

Dawn beamed as she hopped of the suitcase, allowing Vernon to stand it up.

"Did you enjoy the ride my Queen?" Vernon grinned, his words laced with playful sarcasm.

The ewe gave the wolf a dull and un-amused stare.

"It was acceptable, now bring me a cluster of grapes as I have grown hungry." Dawn leaned her hoof on her head, feigning helplessness before breaking into a laugh.

"No, it was delightful." She smiled weakly before faltering into a look of concern.

"Are you okay Vernon? You seem awfully tired." She asked. "Maybe carrying me was to-"

"Nah." The wolf assured. "I'm fine, I'm fine. You know I'm not a morning mammal." He snickered.

Despite his assurance, the concerned look didn't fully leave Dawn's face. As the ewe went to open her mouth, Vernon decided it was best to change the topic to the task at paw.

"Welp, let's see if we can spot Wade and his girl." Vernon sighed, turning his attention to the bustling stampede of mammals.

The wolf craned his head over the bustling crowd as best as he could to make out hide or hair of the dowdy grey little wolf that was his older brother Wade. The wolf was supposed to be already waiting for them, if the text Vernon had received a few minutes ago was anything to go by. Still he was having a hard time picking him out of the crowd.

"See him yet?" He heard Dawn over the murmur of the crowd.

"Nah." Vernon said, squinting as he held his paw over his eyes to block the glimmers of sun peering through the canopy overhead. "Shouldn't be to hard to find in his off duty clothes."

"Why, does he dress weird?" Dawn half shouted as the din of the crowed grew.

Vernon turned back to Dawn, crouching down to better hear her.

"No, but he always wears this hideous 'Tundratown Terrors' Baseball cap. He loves that thing." Vernon chuckled. "It's practically a rag at this point, but that bright blue should stand out like a sore thumb in all this."

"Why not try looking for him by finding his mate?" Dawn asked. "It's not exactly hard to find a giraffe right?"

The wolf hadn't thought of that. Wade had only been dating the cow for about a month now, and so Vernon hadn't become fully accustomed to associating the two. Vernon stood back up, glancing over the crowd again. He looked from side to side before crouching back down.

"There's about seven or eight giraffes walking around here. That narrows it down, but not by much." He gave the ewe a shrug.

"So call her over." Dawn replied. "W-what was her name, G-g-" Dawn scratched her chin, clearly trying to eke out the name.

"Giselle." Vernon stated.

"Yeah Giselle." Dawn clapped. "So just call her over and I'm sure Wade will be with her.

Vernon stood back up, giving the crowd another brief glance. With a deep breath, the wolf placed a paw to his mouth and began to call out.

"GISELLE!?" The wolf's eyes darted from long speckled neck to long speckled neck.

"GISELLE ZARAFáH!?" Again he called, adding the cow's last name. But not a single giraffe paid the wolf a single mind. Vernon got a few odd stares as the crowd continued to move around the couple, which he simply shrugged off.

"GIS-"

"EASY THERE PUPPY!" Vernon felt a firm paw grasp his arm, and turned to find Wade standing right next him. "You could have just called out to me you know." Wade chuckled nervously.

Wade was a somewhat smaller wolf than Vernon, as well as somewhat leaner. His physique clearly a reflection of a mammal who had to keep up at least a modest regiment in order to perform his job. His grey fur matched Vernon's, but lacked the white around the eyes and neck. He was dressed in the kind of worn out clothes Vernon expected. An old The Beagles' tee under a worn padded green fishermen's vest and blue jeans. And on top of it all off he was wearing the hideous blue hat Vernon had come to know quite well. The contrast between the shaggy, worn and faded sports cap and Wade's cloudy blue eyes was something the wolf seemed to think was a real eye-catcher when it came to 'the ladies'. Vernon agreed, but for entirely different reasons.

"Wade!" Vernon pulled the wolf into a hug and squeezed tightly. Between the Hunters, hugs were almost as much of a test of strength as a sign of affection. "Good to see ya! "

He could feel his brother's grip weaken first, signifying Vernon had bested him at the art of the brotherly hug before pulling away.

"Still wearing that old thing huh?" Vernon tapped the brim of is brother's cap.

Wade backed away from the rough prodding, caressing the brim affectionately with his own paw.

"Of course, I can't go to the reunion without this bad boy." Wade smirked.

"You remember Dawn." Vernon gestured to his beloved little ewe.

"Oh of course, eh." Wade scratched the back of his head. "Howdy again Ms. Bellwether."

Wade crouched slightly, extending his paw to the lamb. Dawn smiled, shaking Wade's hand gently.

"Wade, I told you before. You can just call me Dawn." She chuckled.

In the time that Vernon and Dawn had officially become an item, Wade had visited with the couple at least three or four times. He and Dawn had already formally met sometime ago when Wade took the three out to lunch roughly a week or so after Dawn got out of the hospital. Every time they had gotten together things seemed to go well, although Vernon noticed that Wade was rather stiff and awkward around the ewe. He wasn't sure whether this was due to Dawn's history, or Wade's natural awkwardness around prey-folk. Vernon knew Wade was somewhat fearful of scaring innocent prey.

"OH!, Yeah, sorry Dawn." Wade replied, wincing has he released her hoof.

"So where's Giselle?" Wade jumped slightly at Vernon's question, earning him a curious glance.

"Yes, yes, I can't wait to meet her." Dawn added.

"Oh...well um, she's." Wade looked over the crowd briefly. "She's around."

Wade seemed jumpier than usual. His eyes seemed to be darting around nervously, and he kept wincing in discomfort. Vernon knew something was up, and was about to ask about it when Dawn cut him off.

"Oh! You know what, I should get us all something to drink at that Snarlbucks stall before we get on the train to up north." The ewe smiled widely as she turned to Vernon.

"Puppy, what do you want?" She asked.

"Oh, tiger size black coffee, and just bring a whole bunch of sugars. I think I need the extra pep today." Vernon engaged Dawn, but continued to dart his eyes between his twitchy brother and the sheep.

"What about you Wade?" Dawn turned to face the other wolf. "You can order for Giselle right?"

Wade winced again.

"Erm..." Wade's voice cracked. " We're fine, U-um I mean-" The wolf coughed, running a paw over his scalp. "Nothing for us I mean."

It was at this point Wade seemed to notice Vernon's stare, and the wolf could swear he saw Wade visibly gulp.

"Well, okay." Dawn seemed slightly disappointed. "I'll just get our drinks then." She flashed Vernon a final smile before taking off into the crowd toward the distant stall. With the ewe now out of sight, and definitely out of hearing range Vernon allowed his curious glance to fall into a more agitated glare. Now he was sure Wade was hiding something bad, and it was best to confront it now rather than let Wade hang himself.

"Alright spill it Wade." Vernon said bluntly.

"W-what!?" Wade jumped, taking a step back from the larger wolf.

"What's the bad news?" Vernon crossed his arms.

"I don't th-"

"Wade, we both know you are a terrible liar. That's why they never let you grill suspects." Vernon cut him off. "The quicker you get it out the easier it will be, so tell me."

Wade's head drooped in shame as he let out a prolonged and disappointed sigh.

"I-" Wade shook his head. "Giselle isn't coming along."

Vernon simply stared through the wolf. There was no way he had heard him correctly.

"What?' Vernon asked in disbelief.

"S-she's." Wade shrugged. "She couldn't make it this time around. I'm sorry, I-it was out of my paws."

Vernon could feel his stomach drop. This was not happening. Wade and Giselle were part of Vernon's deflection plan when it came to bringing Dawn home for the Harvest Festival. With both of them coming home with prey mates, the attention would be split between them giving both couples a bit of breathing room.

Without Giselle the pressure was going to fall solely on Dawn and Vernon, they being the only 'new' couple in attendance. While it would be annoying, Vernon was sure he could endure the scrutiny. But he was more worried about Dawn, and how she would fair under the constant spotlight of the Hunter brood.

"W-Wade." Vernon stammered slightly. The wolf glanced back toward the stall in an effort to spot the wayward ewe. He wiped his brow briefly before turning back to his brother.

"What are you t-telling me right now?" Vernon asked again. Hoping desperately for a different answer.

"It was a family emergency, she couldn't help-"

Vernon grasped his brother by the shoulders, giving him a slight shake.

"W-wade, Dawn is really worried about this." Vernon gulped. "I-I'm worried too, but I've been keeping a positive attitude for her sake." he shook his head. "I mean less worried, but still.."

Vernon allowed his head to hang in exasperation. The floor seemed to spin as he tried to focus on the tile to get his bearings. With no real success the wolf looked back up at Wade.

"You were supposed to help us break the ice!" Vernon shook him with more vigor, nearly knocking his cap off. "With you and Giselle the family wouldn't focus so hard on me and Dawn."

"I know bu-"

"You two were supposed to keep them from dog-piling her!"

"I k-know I'm sorry, It can't be helped!" Wade stammered back.

Vernon released his brother, sighing as he placed a palm over his face.

"I don't want them to end up hurting her by accident." He drew his paw back over his scalp. "What if they grill her on her past she doesn't want to relive? She's technically an ex-con." Vernon shook his head.

"W-well she's not a child Vernon...I mean if they do talk about it-" Wade trailed off.

Vernon let out another sigh, slouching his shoulders in defeat.

"I know, I ju-" Vernon shook his head again. " I want her to have a good time, to feel welcome. I want them to get to know the Dawn I know, you know?" He eyed Wade pleadingly.

Wade nodded softly.

"How the hell am I gonna break this to her?" Vernon asked.

"Break what to who?" Vernon's blood froze. The wolf tried to turn toward the voice, but his body failed to move. Only his eyes managed to shift to the source of the call, falling on a familiar ewe holding a drink tray. Vernon grimaced.

"H-hey Honey Lamb." Despite his best efforts, the sentence came out shaky. "T-that was fast."

"Well they weren't that busy." Dawn smiled. The ewe raised the tray toward Vernon, the cup clearly too large for her to hand off on her own.

Vernon gingerly took the large cup from the tray, flashing Dawn a weak smile.

"Thanks Darlin'." Vernon grabbed a hand full of sugar packets off the tray as Dawn took it back.

"Oh, get this!" Dawn clasped at her purse with a free arm, giving it a jostle. "I got a text from Judy while waiting at the stall. Turns out Nick and her are heading out to Bunnyburrow for a festival too."

"R-really?" Vernon gulped slightly. "Same kind?"

"I think so, although she said it was called 'Carrot Days' or something." The ewe shrugged. "I think it's the same thing with a different name. But it's nice to know I'm not the only one meeting their mates family this weekend."

"I wonder how the Hopps will take that one." Vernon murmured.

"From what I heard they already met Nick, and Judy's Mother knows, but I'm not sure about her Dad." Dawn said.

"Good luck Mr.Hopps." Vernon smirked as he popped the lid off of his coffee. Even though Vernon and the fox were on somewhat acceptable terms, the wolf could only stand dealing with him in small doses. So Vernon couldn't began to imagine what having Nick as an in-law would be like. Vernon shuddered at the thought before pouring a few of the sugar packets into his piping hot coffee. As he idly stirred his drink, he decided to shift the conversation to the train before the ewe brought the conversation back to the missing giraffe.

"Well, we should probably get to the train. It should be heading out soon." Vernon muttered.

"What about Giselle?" Vernon dropped the new packet he was opening as Dawn spoke. He felt like an idiot. Of course, how could he avoid the subject of Wade's absent date as they boarded the train without her? Bringing up the need to get to the train was only going to beg the question. The wolf let out a defeated sigh. There was no way out of this, they had come to far to go back. Much like getting Wade to spill the beans, it was best to just get the truth out as quickly as possible. But Vernon was damned if he was going to be the one to bring her down. Vernon glanced at his brother, gesturing his head toward the ewe.

"Well, this is your fault, so why don't you tell my lovely little lamb the bad news." Vernon grumbled, taking a sip of his powerfully bitter coffee as he eyed Wade.

"My fault!?" Wade sputtered. "It was a f-" Vernon watched Wade turn to Dawn as the words died in his throat. Dawn was eyeing them both in utter confusion.

"What is going on?" Dawn asked. The ewe took a sip of her decidedly more frilly coffee drink, leaving a small dollop of whipped cream on her muzzle. "Did something happen?"

"Tell her Wade." Vernon gestured to the ewe again.

Wade scratched the back of his head. The wolf gave Vernon another unsure glance, only for Vernon to respond by once again gesturing toward Dawn.

"Well..." Wade muttered, seemingly struggling to get the words out. "I-I uh-."

Vernon could see the desperation in Wade's eyes as they continually glanced between him and Dawn. He knew just how much Wade hated making mammals unhappy, it was part of the reason why he ended up falling into a mediation role among the Hunter Brothers. Despite how agitated he was at Wade at the moment, the pity he felt for the stammering wolf inevitably overrode it.

Vernon sighed. "Giselle isn't coming Lamb Fry." Vernon stated bluntly as he crouched down to Dawn's level.

"W-what?" Dawn asked in shock.

Vernon gently wiped the little dab of whipped cream off Dawn's muzzle before gently caressing her face.

"I'm sorry Dawn, apparently she had a family emergency come up and she can't come along." The wolf's ears sagged. "So it's just us."

The ewe was silent for a moment, staring at the wolf in clear disbelief.

"T-that...really? She's n-not coming?" Dawn stammered.

"I'm sorry Floofs. I-"Vernon's slowly shook his head, but it became faster and more vigorous as he began to rethink the whole scenario. Despite the fact that he wanted Dawn to meet his family, with the sudden change in circumstance it would be unfair to ask Dawn to simply press on. They hadn't come too far to go back, and it was probably better if they turned tail now for Dawn's sake. Maybe they could meet his folks some other time, without the rest of the Hunter clan in tow.

"If you want me to just cancel this and we can go home, I ca-"

"N-no." Dawn stuttered.

Vernon eyed the ewe in surprise.

"Dawn, we don't have to-"

Dawn placed her coffee down and grabbed the sides of Vernon's muzzle, keeping his eyes trained on her. He could see a determination burning behind her shining lime green orbs.

"I'm not going to run away! I'm ready to do this!" Dawn stated firmly.

Vernon was shocked, but it didn't last long before a smile crawled across his muzzle and a chuckle escaped his maw.

"You absolutely sure now?" He grinned.

Dawn released his face, and as she picked up her coffee she gave the wolf a firm and decisive nod.

"Well, ain't she a tough little ball of fluff." Wade remarked.

As Vernon rose to his feet he flashed his brother a smug grin.

"Now don't you go getting too jealous, she's mine." Vernon said.

Dawn beamed in response, fluttering her eyes at Vernon affectionately. Wade let out an uneasy laugh before turning his attention to the rising din around the train station.

"Welp, we better get moving. Don't want to miss the train." Wade said.

Vernon began to cobble up the suitcases, doing his best to keep his coffee from spilling onto himself.

"Yeah, yeah, but don't think you're off the hook about Giselle. I expect a full explanation of this 'family emergency' on our ride out." Vernon stated as he began to dutiful march toward the train.

"Don't say it like that! You know I wouldn't lie about something so serious!" Wade retorted. Vernon could hear Dawn giggle.

It didn't take very long to get settled on the train. After helping Dawn up to her seat, Vernon stowed his duffle on the shelf above them and set the ewe's rolling case between his legs. Settling into his seat, he watched his brother wade sling his satchel bag on the seat next to him before sitting across from the pair. Wade still looked fairly uncomfortable, unable to properly meet Vernon's gaze whenever he looked his way. Dawn seemed alright on the surface, but Vernon could tell by the way she had latched on to his arm that she was still processing what the absence of Giselle spelled for the pair. The awkward and uneasy silence permeated until the train finally started moving. Wade began to watch the platform slide away from the window before finally finding the courage to speak.

"It really was last minute you know." Wade muttered.

"Hmm?" Vernon replied.

"Like it happened this morning." Wade finally managed to meet Vernon's gaze.

The wolf sighed, taking a sip of his pungent coffee. He could feel it starting to work it's magic as the groggy haze began to fade.

"Alright, so what happened." Vernon asked.

"Her father got into a car accident." Wade stated.

"Oh my goodness!" Dawn yelped. "Is he-"

Wade gestured for the pair to calm down. "Easy, easy! When I say car accident, it was only sort of one."

Vernon was so thrown off by Wade's description an odd chuckle escaped his muzzle.

"How does a mammal 'sort of' have a car accident Wade?" Vernon shook his head in disbelief.

"Well..." Wade scratched his head. "See it's like this."

"Giselle's Father is getting into his forties now, and he's kind of working through a mid-life crisis." Wade stated.

Vernon failed to suppress another snicker. He didn't want to laugh at the situation, but a mammal suffering from a mid-life crisis always seemed to lead to hilarious antics in a desperate attempt to feel young again. Vernon could already picture a slightly balding mammal in a shiny new sports car, trying desperately to come off as cool or hip. Although he had a hard time imagining a balding giraffe. After all, such a mammal was so tall how could one even check his hairline?

"Recently he bought a new car, some shiny open top sports car with red and black giraffe printing." Wade continued.

"Ha, I knew it!" Vernon smirked before feeling a jab at his side. Glancing down the wolf found Dawn eyeing him with slight irritation.

"Hush Puppy, let him finish." She chided.

"Thank you." Wade muttered.

Vernon turned back to his brother, nodding at him to continue.

"Well...he was on his way to work this morning in the new car. He had the top down, and was driving way faster than he should have been." Wade sighed. "While chatting on his cell phone no less."

Vernon simply nodded, keeping his face as stoic as he could.

"That's illegal isn't it?" Now Dawn was interrupting Wade.

"Yes, definitely." Wade nodded. "Anyway, he wasn't paying attention and turned onto the wrong road. Are you both familiar with Pack Street?"

Vernon simply nodded.

"Wait a minute, Pack Street?" Dawn asked. "That road isn't zoned for large mammal traffic."

"Exactly." Wade pointed at Dawn. So he's speeding with his top down, and he doesn't realize the lamp posts on Pack Street are lower than on his usual route, and so-"

"Oh no!" Dawn gasped.

"He hit a lampost?" Vernon inquired.

"More like the lamp post hit him." Wade drew his paw up to his throat, gingerly bringing it against his neck. "Poor guy clothes-lined himself going fifty miles an hour."

"Sweet Sawgrass, is he alright?" Vernon murmured in shock.

"He bruised his trachea, and did some pretty heavy damage to his larynx. But Giselle texted me that he'll recover." Wade sighed. "Still she wanted to stay until he was discharged, so that messed up the whole weekend plan."

"Well, maybe she could still join us after he gets out?" Vernon asked hopefully.

Wade shook his head dismissively. "That's pretty unlikely, the poor guy isn't even awake yet. They'll probably keep him till at least Monday."

Vernon heard Dawn let out a sigh before feeling her lean harder into him. Looking back at her he could see she felt bad for Giselle's Father, but there was still the hint of lingering fear painted on her face. Vernon gently patted the poof on her head in an effort to put her at ease.

"Hey Honey Lamb?" Dawn managed to look up at him, her once determined glare looking a little more shaky and unsure. "Remember what I said, if anything goes wrong we'll leave. You're my top priority." Vernon gave her a reassuring smile.

"There's really nothing to worry about." Wade added. "I can tell already Ma is going to love you."

"R-really?" Dawn mumbled, now turning her attention to Wade.

"Oh yeah, trust me." Wade smiled. "Your probably got the best shot out of all of the girls at getting along with her. I may not have known you for too long, but you remind me a lot of Ma."

"Let's not be to hasty there Wade." Vernon chuckled uneasily, the wolf was slightly averse to the idea of comparing Dawn to his Mother.

"Nah I can see it. Dawn's gentle and kind. But she can be surprisingly tough when it comes down to it. I mean look at what she did at the Wine Factory. Ma would have done something like that if she were in Dawn's hooves." Wade gestured to Dawn.

"Wade, that's so sweet. Thank you." Dawn smiled.

Despite the fact that Vernon didn't really want to acknowledge any similarities between his Mother and the ewe he planned on marrying, he couldn't help but smile at Wade's sudden praise of her. This was the most outspoken he'd seen Wade be over what he really thought about Dawn, even in private talks with Vernon.

"I just...I had to fight for the ones I loved. I couldn't let Ver-" Dawn shook her head briskly. "I mean everyone get hurt because of me. I just..." Dawn paused. "I did what I had to."

"And that's exactly how Ma is." Wade assured. "She gets tough when it comes to those she loves." Wade smiled.

"And I think you've shown us just how much you love 'ol Puppy over there, so of course she'll love ya." Wade gestured to the larger wolf.

Vernon laughed. "That's true." He pulled the lamb into a side hug.

"You two both love me, so ya got that much in common." Vernon grinned.

"I don't know..." Dawn muttered. "I mean...I can't give her grandpups or anything like that."

"Neither can the rest of us." Wade chuckled. "'Cept for maybe Ulric..." He trailed off. "Or me if things don't work out with Giselle." The wolf place his hands on his knees. "I suppose if worst came to worst Ma and Pop would just have to have more pups of their own."

"What about your Dad?" Dawn asked innocently. "Surely he'd mind me being with Vernon."

Wade's grin faltered slightly. "W-well I think he'd take to you just fine." He coughed awkwardly. "I-I mean he knows a good mammal when he sees one, I mean w-we all do don't we Vern?"

Vernon nodded weakly, but inside his previous fears came rolling back to the forefront. Just how was his Father going to handle Dawn? Would he be able to look past her previous transgressions and see that she was truly changed? Vernon gulped slightly at the thought, the last thing he wanted was his Father to hurt her. It was apparent that Dawn was probably thinking the same thing as he felt her grip around his arm tighten.

"W-what about the others?" Dawn mumbled.

The grin quickly returned to Wade's face. "Oh the other brothers? You got nothing to worry about." Wade prattled off. "They're mostly harmless and anything they do that's outta turn their ladies will keep them in-line."

"You won't even meet most of them till tomorrow anyway." Vernon shrugged. "Zach and Vanna are the only ones who live near the ranch. The rest of 'em live to far away to make the trip in one day."

"Yeah, so you'll get a chance to settle in and get to know all of us a little bit at a time." Wade added. "That way it won't be so overwhelming, you know?"

Vernon could feel the tension in Dawn's grasp begin to ease. While the plan to distract the family with Wade and Giselle had fallen through, at the very least Wade was good at helping Vernon keep the ewe calm. The better Dawn felt, the better Vernon did.

"T-that sounds good." Dawn mumbled.

"That'a girl." Vernon smiled, squeezing Dawn into another hug. "I told you everything will be okay."

Dawn smiled back up at the wolf a genuine smile, free of any lingering hint of fear. Vernon could feel his heart flutter at the sight. Seeing the ewe smile was something that could never get old for him. As Vernon turned his attention to the mountains rolling past the windows he took a sip of his now repulsively cold coffee, and for a brief moment he felt as though everything was back on track.