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Chapter Four: Hello Mother

Although the Meadowlands is usually referred to as simply "The Meadowlands", It is actually large enough that on maps it is usually divided into two areas. There is the South Meadowlands, which is an average sized urban area littered with shops, restaurants, bars, and every accoutrement that most small cities have. Then there is the North Meadowlands, where the urban sprawl rapidly peters out into suburban homes and eventually long tracts of countryside. It was nice to see that some things hadn't changed in the time Dawn had spent away from the meadows of the north. They were still as beautiful and clean as ever, the endless swaying meadows now tinted in various shades of auburn signifying the arrival of the fall season. Dawn had only lived in the Northern Meadowlands briefly before her Father uprooted the family and moved them closer to the south side. Ironically it had been her brief friendship with Vernon that had prompted her families sudden move, a reason she failed to recall until her sessions with Dr. Gnu. SpiralHornAcademy, the all prey school she would spend the rest of her childhood attending didn't have bus routes that ran as far north as her old home. So she was moved closer to get her into the school as well as far away from the friendly and energetic wolf she had known.

Dawn's scrunched up her muzzle in disgust as she recalled the terrible memories she had forged at Spiral Horn. It was something she had already covered in her book so far, and not a time she liked to re-live. Then again there were very little times in her life she liked to re-live at all. It had been a drab, miserable little place with stern and abusive teachers and even crueler students. Her horrible nicknames, Smellwether and otherwise had not only followed her into the academy, but lead to the birth of newer and creatively more foul nicknames as time went on. The ewe mostly just tried her best to keep her head down, to stay buried in her books. But there were times when the actions of her fellow students dragged her out of her safety bubble and raked her over the coals. She was too smart, she was too quiet, and there-for too weird to leave alone. SpiralAcademy just became an extension of her home life, leaving the ewe with no place to turn for a reprieve from being beaten and teased. Even the teachers, not bound by rules against corporal punishment, would sometimes make an example of her if she made a mistake or heaven forbid, forgot her homework once in a blue moon. She could still feel the hot sting of a ruler across the bridge of her hooves as the memory coursed through her mind.

Dawn let out a sigh as she stood in the parking lot, staring across the wind blown field as she let the memories blow away with the current. That was behind her now, writing about it for the upcoming book was a way to finally close the door on that chapter of her life. Now it was time to face a new challenge. Yet why did the idea of Vernon's Mother and Father simply disliking her fill her with even more dread than facing another day at Spiral Horn?

"Honey Lamb?"

Dawn jumped as she felt Vernon's paw come to rest on her shoulder. She whipped around quickly to find Vernon had snapped into a defensive pose.

"Easy, easy there Floofs. It's just me." Vernon said.

"O-oh sorry Vernon. I was kind of lost in thought..." Dawn trailed off as she once again eyed the rolling meadows. "Thinking about some things is all." She sighed.

"Don't tell me the pep-talk has worn off already?" Vernon chuckled.

"No, no." Dawn reassured the wolf. "Just thinking about the old days." The ewe let out a wistful sigh as she returned to staring at the golden meadows. Farther off in the distance Dawn could make out the ridge that made up the NorthMountains. The trees adorning their slopes now a cascade of seemingly infinite colors. Savannah Central was the only of the four main districts that didn't have climate control. But being adjacent to Sahara Square and the Rainforest District kept the area largely seasonable all year round. It was impossible to prevent the weather bleeding over from both districts, and thus the leaves in the district rarely showed signs of changing unless the tree was sick. It had been far too long since Dawn had the chance to appreciate the unaltered change of seasons. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Vernon had joined her as she took in the scenery.

"Beautiful ain't it?" Vernon sighed.

"Breathtaking." Dawn smiled.

"You think that's pretty, wait till we get to the ranch." Dawn turned to find Wade walking toward the pair, satchel in tow. The wolf adjusted his worn old cap as he came to a stop in front of them.

"It's got a way better view of the mountains, and we got a river on the property." Wade added.

"Lamb sakes, you two must of loved growing up there. It sounds like it had everything a little lam-" Dawn paused to correct herself. "-pup could want."

"Well, we didn't have a trampoline. I would have loved that." Vernon lamented. Dawn couldn't help but snicker.

"Still it was great place to play and explore growing up. Even if some of my brothers were a pain to get along with." Vernon said, pulling Wade into a hug.

"You can't mean me!" Wade laughed. "I was the good one!"

"Pfft...sure you were, but I was Ma's favorite." Vernon retorted. Wade simply scoffed in response.

Dawn smiled as the two brothers teased each other, for a moment feeling a pang of jealousy for having grown up an only child. She may have missed out on a bunch of fights and arguments, but that camaraderie that Vernon and Wade seemed to share would have been well worth the trade off.

"I wish I could have been there, It sounds like it was so much fun." The ewe let out a sad sigh as she looked to the ground. It wasn't long before she felt the familiar presence of the wolf's paw under her chin as her gaze was slowly brought back up to Vernon's own. His deep green eyes shimmered as he bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Well we'll have plenty of fun there this week." Vernon smiled. "Aside from meeting my folks, this is also a vacation. And we are going to make the most of it Honey Lamb."

Dawn felt a warm smile creep across her face. It was moments like those that managed to cut through all her fear and doubt, even if it were for but a moment.

'HONK! HONK' The sudden sharp horn broke the ewe's brief reverie, causing her to jump in response. Wheeling around quickly, Dawn's eyes came to rest on a beat up looking old pick-up truck. It was clear to Dawn the truck was red, at least at one point in it's life. However the color had long since faded to more of a pinkish hue, with smatterings of rust forming at the edge of it's every hinge. It was also dimpled with dents and crumples spanning across it's metal frame. Each mar on the chassis wasn't a massive one, but it was clear that the vehicle had been through some rough patches in its time.

Dawn couldn't quite make out the driver behind the glare of the sun on the windshield, and despite squinting it wasn't making it any easier. She heard the driver's side door slam roughly, and a few moments later the driver finally walked into view.

"Hope you all weren't waiting too long now!" The she-wolf who now stood before the group hollered. The wolf was clad in a dull pink plaid shirt, and a simple pair of beat-up jeans held up by a fairly worn looking belt. She had a pelt similar to Vernon's, same grey with white features around the eyes and muzzle. Unlike Vernon however, the white area was larger, and covered more of her face which was a clear sign of her age. She was short too, at most a little larger than double that of Dawn's height.

"Ah! There she is." Wade gestured over to the she-wolf as she approached.

"Ma!" Vernon chirped.

Before Vernon could fully open his arms for a hug, Wade zipped in front of him to be first in line. The smaller wolf had practically bounded into his Mother, hugging her tightly.

"Hey there my little fuzzy fourth!" The she-wolf removed Wade's ugly cap, ruffling his head fur before putting replacing it. Wade pushed back, clasping his faded cap tightly to his head.

"MaaaAAA!" He hissed, backing away as the wolfess approached her more towering son. Vernon's arms were now fully extended, allowing the wolf easy access to the incoming hug. The older wolf wrapped a paw around him and squeezed tightly, bringing a paw up to Vernon's cheek and pinching it.

"How's my little Puppy doin'?" The she-wolf cooed.

"MaaaAAA!" Vernon whined as he returned the hug.

"Oh stop it!" Breaking the hug she gave Vernon a small and playful swat. "What, now only your mate is allowed to call you that? Remember, they didn't give birth to you."

Dawn froze slightly as her brown eyes fell on the ewe. The she-wolf cocked an eyebrow before a pleasant smile crossed her muzzle.

"Well hi there darlin', you must be Dawn." The wolf extended a paw. Dawn looked up at Vernon briefly before taking the wolf's paw in her hoof.

"It's okay, Dawn this is my Ma, Audrey Hunter." Vernon nodded toward the looming wolfess.

Dawn was about to do her best to give an earnest shake, before she found herself on the end of a surprisingly strong grip and vigorous shake. The handshake rattled through the ewe, displacing her glasses slightly with the force of it.

"Ma, this is Dawn Bellwether. She's my mate." Vernon stated, pride dripping in his voice.

Thoroughly throttled, the wolf finally released the wobbly lamb. Dawn quickly re-adjusted her glasses, offering an uneasy smile back at the she-wolf.

"Well I figured that Puppy." Audrey flashed the taller wolf a dull glance before returning her focus to the ewe. "It's a pleasure Darlin', I'm happy to meet you." Audrey grinned.

From what Dawn could tell, the smile seemed genuine and that much put the lamb slightly more at ease.

"Here I was starting to worry my Puppy would never meet anyone." The she wolf reached up to grasp the larger wolf's ear, giving it a slight tug. Dawn could see a sudden flash of fear in Vernon's eyes, and the wolf winced slightly in apprehension.

"You been treating her right?" His Mother chided.

"Ah! Yes, yes o'course I have Ma!" Vernon whined.

"That true Ms. Bellwether? He been a good boy?" Audrey smirked at the ewe, the wolf's ear still in her grasp.

"O-of course Mrs. Hunter!" Dawn nodded vigorously, stammering as she spoke. The way the meeting was going had thrown Dawn way off, and the ewe was still reeling. Audrey's grin widened to reveal her teeth before she finally released Vernon. The larger wolf cradled his ear as he glared down at his Mother.

"You can call me Audrey darlin'." The wolf tutted.

Vernon was blushing as Dawn eyed him, it was clear the large wolf was embarrassed.

"And what about you Wade?" The wolfess turned her attention to the blue capped wolf. "Where's Giselle?"

Again Wade went rigid at the sound of his girlfriends name. The wolf scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he spoke.

"I-I- um." He stuttered.

"She couldn't make it this time around Ma, family emergency." Vernon replied.

Audrey frowned as she glanced between her two sons.

"Aw, that's a real shame." Audrey said. "I was really looking forward to meeting that nice she-wolf of yours. Might actually get some grandpups from one of ya." She gave Vernon a playful rib.

Dawn cocked her head in confusion. 'She-wolf?' She thought. Looking to Vernon she could see an equally confused expression scrawled across his face. The larger wolf turned to his brother, and as Dawn's eyes joined him she found that Wade was shrinking into his shoulders. The wolf looked slightly sick as he nervously eyed the couple before glancing back at his Mother.

"Y-yeah, ha ha." Wade barked. "W-well I mean, that's h-how it goes." The wolf shrugged jerkily.

Dawn turned her attention back to Vernon, whose face had now twisted to one of anger as he stared down at his brother. It all became clear to Dawn in that moment. Wade had lied about exactly who he was bringing to the re-union, and thus left the couple completely high and dry when it came to defending them. Seemingly reading her mind, Vernon turned his attention back to Dawn, his expression now a mixture of fear and sadness.

"Welp, we should get a move on!" Audrey apparently hadn't noticed the sudden tension. "I want to be back by the time Zach and Vanna get home, we got work to do for tomorrow!" The wolfess began to saunter back to the driver side of her vehicle.

Giving the truck a hardy pat on the hood, the wolf gestured toward the back of the car. "You boys can ride with the luggage. Dawn, you can ride up front with me."

Dawn felt her heart leap into her throat. Before she could turn to Vernon to gauge his reaction, the wolf cut in.

"N-now wait a minute Ma-" Vernon immediately stepped forward, raising his paws defensively. "I think it's better if me and Dawn ride together in the truck bed, I don't th-"

"Vernon." Audrey gave the wolf a dull look. " I brought you up to be a gentlemam'. And it ain't very gentlemamly to let a lady ride in a truck bed."

"Bu-"

"Now, now, she'll be fine with me." The wolfess opened the driver's side door. "I ain't gonna bite." She flashed another grin Dawn's way.

"You can't be-"

Vernon was again cut off, this time by the slam of the driver's side door. The car shimmied on it's suspension for a moment before the passenger side opened out toward the group. Inside, Audrey leaned across the seat as she pushed the door the rest of the way open. With the door now opened wide, the she-wolf eased her way back into the driver's seat.

"Well come on now! Time's a wastin'." Motioning to Dawn she patted the passengers seat gingerly.

Dawn looked up at Vernon with worried and pleading eyes. She wasn't sure she was ready to be all alone with his Mother, not this soon. Who knows what she'd have to say to her in the privacy of the truck cab. Vernon gave her an uncomfortable and worried grimace. Crouching down to Dawn's level, he placed a paw on her shoulder.

"I-I" The wolf sighed, shaking his head. "It'll only take ten minutes to get to the ranch. There's nothing to worry abo-"

"Vernon!" Dawn whispered tersely. "What do I even say!? What do I do!?" The sheep did her best to keep her tone low despite the rising panic.

"It's all right." The wolf hushed. Despite his assurance the wolf looked uncertain. "Knowing my Ma, she'll do most of the talking."

"T-that doesn't make me feel better Vernon!" Dawn hissed.

"C'mon you two, don't dawdle!" Audrey chided. "Besides I want to get to know this ewe my son is so smitten with."

"VERNON!" Dawn suppressed the desperate shout to a half whisper.

Vernon shrugged uneasily, slowly standing back up as Dawn made a desperate grab for the hem of his coat. It narrowly slipped through her hooves as Vernon began to walk toward the back of the truck. Dawn watched as the wolf passed his brother, giving the smaller wolf a hard punch in the arm as he threw his duffle into the bed.

"OW! VERN!" Wade hissed, rubbing his arm. Vernon glared at him fiercely, and Dawn watched the wolf slink down under the stare. As Vernon loaded Dawn's case into the bed, he gave Dawn a last sorrowful look, mouthing 'I love you' as he climbed into the back.

"C'mon sweetie, hop on up." Her attention was drawn back to the she-wolf, now offering a paw to the ewe across the seat.

"This is it, no running now." Dawn thought to herself. With a deep gulp, Dawn grabbed the wolf's paw and pulled herself into the passenger seat,

Taking a moment to get comfortable, the ewe shimmed herself deep into the doughy cushion. Dawn pulled the worn old seatbelt across her chest and snapped it into place. After making sure she was secure the ewe simply looked ahead, shaking slightly as she prepared for the car to start moving. She wasn't sure if she could muster the courage to even face Audrey, let alone speak.

'CLUNK!'_Dawn turned to the sudden dull noise. It had come from a dirty little sliding window in the back of the cab. It rattled briefly before another heavy _'CLUNK' shook the pane again.

"tefff to teels!" Dawn could hear the muffled shout from the other side, it was undoubtedly Vernon's voice.

"Now, now!" Audrey tutted. "You boys both know that window has been stuck for years!" Audrey threw Dawn another cheeky smile, and Dawn swallowed hard in response.

That was clearly her mates last, desperate attempt to protect the ewe. Dawn was on her own now.

"Alrighty, sit tight Dawn." Audrey said. "We'll be at the ranch in no-time."

Dawn felt the car come alive as the wolf turned the ignition, the frame shuddering and rattling her seat as the engine roared. Dawn uneasily clutched the padding of the seat to steady herself as the car continued to vibrate in tune with the engines hum. If the outside hadn't been enough of an indication, the shaking and shuddering of the interior reminded Dawn of just how old the car must of been. If it had shocks, the springs must had eroded some time ago. With a lurch, the truck pulled up to the train exit, and out on to the open highway.

The first two minutes of the ride felt like eons to Dawn, and had it not been for her phone she would have sworn up and down it had been at least ten. The truck cab remained silent as Dawn ruminated over exactly how to start the conversation with the Mother wolf. The ewe fiddled with her hooves idly, glancing up out of the window occasionally. Due to the vehicles size she couldn't see much more than the tops of mountains and power lines passing by at a sloth's pace.

Once she nearly mustered the courage to talk, clearing her throat in an attempt to prepare. But as she opened her muzzle, only a barely audible squeak came out. She had all but given up when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Taking it out, the face of her phone displayed the name of a sender she knew very well.

'Sender: Puppy Love: Keep calm Honey Lamb. I love you. P.S. Don't worry, I'm killing Wade.'

Dawn couldn't help but giggle at the last bit, for a moment it carried her away from the situation.

"That boy is ridiculous." Dawn heard Audrey mutter.

Dawn turned to find the she-wolf looking at her, it was clear she had seen at least some of the message. The ewe shrunk in her seat.

"The boy is acting like I'm gonna break ya in half. I swear, I've never seen him so protective before." Audrey glanced back at Dawn, giving the ewe a half smile. "He must really care about you." The smirk grew into a genuinely warm smile.

Dawn felt the tension in her chest ease slightly as the wolf held the grin.

"And I know if my boy cares for you, you have to be a good mammal. Vernon's got too good a head on his shoulders to go with anything less." She smirked again at the Dawn before turning her attention back to the road.

"I-I". Dawn stuttered. "I really care about him too Mrs. Hunter." The ewe finally had eased enough to speak.

"Now I told ya, call me Audrey." The wolf chuckled. "Or Mom if you prefer." She gave the ewe a cheesy grin, causing Dawn to giggle.

Dawn turned back to her window, watching the tops of mountains eke by.

"I-I.." Dawn shook her head. "I'm sorry I haven't been so t-talkative. I've just..."

"It's alright dear. This ain't the first time I've met a girl one of my sons brought home. It's only natural to be scared." Dawn turned back to Audrey.

"O-oh good. I mean you understand." Dawn sighed, letting more of the tension strip away with it. "I w-was afraid you'd think I w-was a-"

"Afraid of wolves?" Audrey chuckled.

Dawn nodded meekly.

"Honey, you are dating probably the largest wolf in the family. My husband jokes that Vernon's got 'dire' in him." Audrey laughed. "If that wolf won't scare you, no wolf will."

Dawn chuckled weakly in response, it was a silly fear, but not the only one.

Dawn jumped as the car suddenly shook. A loud 'PANG!' came from the truck bed. She could hear a muffled shout, followed by another loud 'CLUNK!.'

Audrey, keeping her eyes on the road pounded a paw against the back of the cab.

"HEY!" She shouted. "YOU BOYS KEEP THAT HORSEPLAY DOWN!"

A few quieter mumbles were all Dawn could hear as the quiet hum of the car returned to the cab. Dawn couldn't imagine what was going on back there, but she imagined it wasn't a pretty sight. Still she had her own problems to focus on, and the fairly large knot in her stomach continued to tighten as she thought about the major question she knew she had to ask. It was a topic she really didn't want to discuss, but she had to know if Audrey knew anything about her past.

"Mrs-" Dawn paused to correct herself. "Audrey, d-did V-Vernon tell you about me." The ewe swallowed hard.

Audrey laughed. "Of course he did. Teeth to tails I've never heard that boy talk so much in my life." She grinned widely.

"It was all-" The she wolf puffed herself up slightly, in an effort to appear larger and pantomimed a phone to her ear. 'Dawn's amazing, you'll love her, she's beautiful, the love of my life!' The wolf let the air out of her lungs, returning to her natural posture as she dropped the mimicry act.

"It reminded me so much of his Father when we got together." Audrey chuckled.

Dawn was intrigued, leaning in closer to the she-wolf as she seemingly prepared to spin a yarn about her past. Dawn knew she had to bring the conversation back around to her criminal history soon, despite the desire to avoid it. However another reason she had wanted to go on the trip to the Meadowlands was to learn more about Vernon's family, and so she decided to press the wolfess to continue.

"R-really?" Dawn muttered.

"Oh yes." Audrey laughed, tapping the steering wheel with her paw a few times. "Vernon may not like to admit it but he's so much like his Pa it's almost scary." She turned to Dawn, flashing the ewe a grin. "Of course that's not to say I can't see me behind those eyes, at least a bit of me."

Audrey turned her attention back to the road.

"Dori was such a sweetheart. A big fluffy puppy dog." She let out a wistful sigh.

Turning her attention back to Dawn, the wolf gave a gentle smile.

"Vernon tell you what I do?" She asked.

Dawn nodded a meek no.

"I farm." She nodded. "I mean part of the time."

"You farm?" Dawn asked in surprise.

"Yes ma'am, my whole side of the family were farm dogs." She gave Dawn a dull look. "Probably hard to picture wolves as farmers ain't it?"

Dawn nodded.

"These days I farm enough to run a little stand at the 'Harvest Festival', I'm sure Vernon told you about it?" Audrey asked.

Dawn shook her head no. It was true Vernon had mentioned the Harvest Festival itself, but he had neglected to mention his Mother operated a stall there. Audrey let out a hard breath of air as she turned back to the road.

"I should have figured." Audrey mumbled. "Doesn't really matter too much in the scheme of things, I just do it for fun. Although I'll admit my stall is pretty popular."

"W-what do you sell?" Dawn asked.

"Roasted corn and pumpkin pies." Audrey grinned at the ewe, giving her a sly grin. "Now don't fret darlin', as part of the family you get as much free food as you want at my stall."

Dawn giggled. "T-thank you, that sounds delicious."

Audrey chuckled, and the laugh petered away into a wistful sigh.

"My family had been running a stall since I was a little pup." She stated, smiling warmly. "And when I got old enough I ran the stall, sometimes by my lonesome."

Dawn listened intently, nodding softly as the wolf went on.

"I was sixteen and a half." She laughed to herself. "I remember I was eager to make sure every mammal knew about the _'half'_bit. I was so desperate to grow up." Audrey shook her head dismissively.

"My Pa turned my loose into the festival so I could get some time away from the stand. He thought it was important I still got out and played, despite my burning desire to run the stand all day." Audrey eyed Dawn. "In my eyes I was an adult already, and I didn't have time for play."

Audrey shrugged. "But I always listened to my Pa, and so there I was, wandering around the festival looking to kill time until I got back to work." She chuckled. "I wouldn't even go on any rides, I just roamed around lamely checking my watch."

"Then I caught sight of this little stand. 'Hunter's Bounty', the old wooden sign said." Audrey said.

"W-wait?" Dawn interrupted. "Are you telling me Vernon's Father was a far-?"

"Now don't get ahead of me darlin'." Audrey chided playfully, wagging a finger at the ewe.

Audrey eased back into the drivers seat, grinding herself back into the old cushion before letting out a comfortable sigh.

"Anywho, the stand itself wasn't what caught my attention." A warm smile crawled across her muzzle. "What caught my eye was the tall drink of water running the stand."

Dawn could see a blush beginning to form under the she-wolf's fur on her muzzle as she continued to reminisce.

"Of course it would have been hard not to spot him with that stark white fur sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of festival goers. His lean and toned body, fur glistening with sweat as he helped his Pa work the stand." She cooed.

Audrey leaned toward Dawn, arching her eyebrows suggestively. "Of course it helped that he wasn't wearing a shirt at the time." She chuckled.

Dawn blushed, barely suppressing a giggle as the wolf continued her increasing lurid description.

"MHHmmHH!" The wolfess licked her maw. "That Mam' loo-" Audrey shook her head briskly. "Well, I'm getting off track."

"Needless to say I was immediately drawn to him, but what sold me were his eyes." She sighed amorously.

"His eyes?" Dawn pressed further."

"I remember approaching the stand coolly, certain I was so mature, such a adult." She grinned. "I was going to have this boy wrapped around my finger." She shook her head.

"When I made it to the front he looked up and our eyes locked. Those steely grays froze me stock still." She cooed. "In that instant I was reduced to a little girl again, I couldn't even form words. All I wanted was to go everywhere he was, and do anything he wanted to do. I didn't care about running the stall, or anything. I was struck dumb." The wolfess chortled.

Dawn was watching the wolfess in awe at this point.

"W-what about him?" Dawn asked.

"That dummy Dori." She chuckled. "He dropped the hot pie he was holding and scalded himself."

Dawn couldn't hold back as a giggle burst out, which Audrey quickly joined her in.

"Needless to say I had the same effect on him that he had on me." She grinned.

"After that, we were just it. We knew at the moment we were going to be together." She shook her head briskly. "We spent the rest of the day wandering the festival together, riding every ride there. We were just kind of lost in the glow of love."

Dawn could feel herself grinning stupidly at the romantic tale. The ewe had always been a romantic, and during her adolescence she satiated that hunger with pounds and pounds of romance novels. Needless to say the earnest, romantic story, played perfectly on Dawn's heart. She could feel the warm swell in her chest as she let out an amorous sigh. She couldn't help but picture Vernon and herself in the young couples place.

"I remember I ended up getting scolded when I finally wandered back to the stall at closing. I had completely forgot about it." She smirked dumbly.

"What happened after?" Dawn asked eagerly.

Audrey shook her head. "Aw, that's too much to tell darlin'. I remember far too much." The she-wolf chuckled. "Let's just say there were a great deal of nights spent in the moonlit fields of the Meadowlands cuddled up on a blanket and..." The wolf blushed harshly. "exploring the depths of our love."

Dawn brought her hooves to her muzzle as she felt the heavy heat of her blush return.

Audrey coughed awkwardly, switching her focus back to the highway.

"Ahem, anyway. Long story short I was pregnant at seventeen." Audrey giggled.

"O-oh my." Dawn uttered.

"I was ecstatic. I was so ready to be a Mother." She grinned widely.

"And Dorian?" Dawn asked.

"Dori was equally as excited. It honestly surprised me how over the moon he was about having pups." She sighed. "The issue was old Mam' Hunter."

"Oh, he was against it?" Dawn asked.

"Well, by that point Dori's Father's health was on the down slope. He and Dori had already been having arguments about taking over the Hunter family farm." She shook her head. "Dori didn't want the Hunter Ranch. He wanted to work in law enforcement."

"Sound familiar?" Audrey chuckled.

Dawn quickly recalled Vernon's own struggle to work in architecture against his Father's wishes.

"W-wait you mean?" Dawn stammered.

Audrey simply nodded. "I can't tell you how long it took me to get Dori to realize he was treating Vernon the same way. But anyway, Mrs. Hunter had passed away long before this all happened, so Dori's Father didn't have anyone to convince him he was in the wrong."

Audrey leaned her paws on the wheel, pointing her fingers at the road ahead.

"We wanted to have a tithing ceremony before the pups were born, to make it official." Audrey's soft grin turned to a grimace. "But Dori's Dad refused to approve of it unless Dori agreed to keep farming."

Audrey eyed the sheep curiously for a moment. "I'm sorry darlin' I forgot, do you know what a tithing ceremony is?"

Dawn nodded briskly. "Y-yes, yes, Vernon told me."

"Oh!" Audrey gave the ewe a knowing smile. "So Puppy has plans huh?" She cooed.

Dawn briskly shook her head, waiving her hooves dismissively. "Oh no, no. He told me about it for the book I'm writing."

Audrey's smile faltered slightly as she turned her attention back to the road.

"Ahh...oh well." The wolf shrugged. "I remember the night we were at the ranch, and I confronted Dori's Dad alone, pleading with him to let us be tithed."

Audrey's grimace deepened as she recalled the painful memory.

"But he was stalwart, and stubborn, and refused." She sighed. "Even when I broke down and cried he wouldn't agree to it."

"Oh my." Dawn said sadly. "That's awful."

"It got worse." Audrey lamented.

"By that point I hadn't really been paying attention to how loud our private conversation had gotten, and Dori heard me crying." The wolf cringed.

"W-what happened?" Dawn asked timidly.

The wolfess chuckled. "Dori stormed in, shouting up a storm." Audrey shook her head. "He was telling him about how amazing I was, how I was the love of his life, and how Grandpa Hunter had no right to treat me that way."

Audrey gave Dawn a warm smile. "That's why I brought this whole yarn up, because Vernon seemed as passionate about you as Dori was about me in that moment." Audrey sighed. "Well, with less shouting behind it."

Dawn couldn't suppress the goofy smile that crawled across her muzzle as she glanced back at the dirty plastic window now separating her and Vernon. Her heart swelling with love for the big mutt as she imagined his passionate performance over the phone. The ewe made a mental note to give the wolf the tightest hug she could when they finally got to the ranch.

"Of course that was enough to put old Mam' Hunter in the hospital."

Dawn's amorous reverie broke as the words drew her right back to the conversation. The suddenly dark turn filled her with unease and tension, fearing she had driven the conversation toward this grim topic.

"Lamb Sakes, I-" Dawn was aghast. "I'm so sorry."

Audrey shook her head dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Grandpa lived through it. In fact he was around to see most of my pups grow up." She chuckled.

Dawn let out a relieved sigh.

"But it was a sobering experience for him." The wolfess smiled. "At the hospital the old wolf gave the okay for the tithing ceremony. He even let Dori off the hook about farming the land."

Audrey turned on the blinker, and gently pulled off the highway.

"Then I promised to keep farming for him, since I farmed anyway." The wolf sighed. "Wasn't like I was just gonna stop because Dori was my mate."

The truck came to a stop as they pulled up to a red light, and with a flick of her paw Audrey turned the blinker on. Dawn heard what sounded like a muffled yelp from nearby, but decide to ignore it.

"Is that why you still run the stand?" Dawn asked.

"Well, at first we needed the extra money." The wolf's paws idly tapped on the steering wheel. "Dori had to go through the academy and actually start working in the police before we didn't have to rely on farming."

"But after we got set up, and could care for the pups pretty well with just Dori's pay I kept farming because I enjoyed it." She smiled. " But it also felt like I was honoring ol' Papa Hunter in some small way."

As the light changed, Audrey pulled the truck onto the lonely country lane. The wolf fell silent at the conclusion of her story, allowing an awkward silence to once again permeate the cab. Dawn took to staring down at her hooves as she began to twiddle them uncomfortably. She wasn't sure how near they were to the Hunter Ranch, but they had to be getting close. It was time to broach the uncomfortable subject of Dawn's own past. Dawn gulped slightly as she began to speak.

"I-I suppose." Dawn cleared her throat. "I suppose Vernon told you a-about my history too?" Dawn uttered.

Audrey kept her eyes on the road, but gave a short nod in response.

"T-the night howler thing I mean?" Dawn continued.

Again Audrey gave a simple nod. Dawn couldn't read the wolf's expression.

"A-and how I w-went to prison?" Dawn was starting to sweat. The previous tone of the cab now felt as though it had been replaced with coldness. Dawn could feel the pit of her stomach twist further as the wolf seemed unresponsive.

"Vernon told me all about it." Audrey finally replied, still not taking her eyes off the lonely country lane ahead of them.

Dawn looked down at her hooves again, now idly tapping them against her legs. This was it, now that she had laid it all out there she was seeing how Vernon's Mother really felt. There was no way she and Audrey were going to have any sort of relationship other than a quiet and civil dislike for one another.

"He also told me about how you put your life on the line to save the city, and to save him." Audrey gave the ewe a sympathetic smile. "You saved my boy."

Dawn was startled, she could feel her mouth hanging open in shock before she quickly closed it.

"W-w-well of course, I-I-..." Dawn stammered. "I-I love him."

Audrey smiled widely. " I know you do Darlin', though I am glad to hear it straight from the source."

"But I still-"

Audrey held a paw up to Dawn, effectively silencing the lamb.

"I know what your gonna say Dawn." The wolfess sighed. " Look, Vernon told me everything you did. He told me about the Night Howler scandal, about your time in prison and what happened a few months ago."

Dawn eyed the wolf in confusion.

"He also told me about how hard you've been trying to make up for it. How hard you worked to reform, and what you went through growing up." Audrey frowned at the ewe.

"But that doesn't excu-"

"Look Dawn. " Audrey sighed." It may not excuse what you did in the past, but I know you are trying to fix what you can. And I can't give you any grief for that."

The wolf gave Dawn a genuine smile. "Vernon vouched for your character up and down. That boy doesn't do that for just anyone. And from what I can tell just by talking to you, I can tell he's right."

The wolf hit the blinker again before turning on to an unpaved dirt road. Dawn could feel the rock of the suspension become more aggressive as they shifted from concrete to soil.

"I wasn't faking my reaction back at the station Dawn. I'm taking you at face value, starting fresh. I'm not going to dwell on that stuff if you don't." Audrey added.

Dawn couldn't help but stare at the she-wolf in disbelief. She couldn't believe Audrey was willing to overlook her past just like that. There were so many questions she felt like she should ask, but that would be going against what the wolf was asking. Instead she quickly nodded in agreement, willing to accept any kind of olive branch Vernon's Mother was ready to give her.

"Good." Audrey smiled broadly. "Then welcome to the family Darlin'."

The truck came to a slow stop as it pulled up next to a large wood framed cabin style home. The impressive A-frame loomed over the car, it's large windows shining with refracted sun-light. Dawn used the door handle to give herself a boost in order to better see the whole home. As she strained against the seatbelt she was able to see how large the property really was. The Hunter Ranch house was probably the size of two ranch houses put together. The treated wood structure dominating one whole side of the car's window view. As Dawn squinted, she could see that she had been somewhat right in her assessment. The core of the house's wood color and fading indicated that it was older then the long arm that extended down the side of the car. It was clear the house had seen several additions over the years.

"Welp, here we are." Audrey grinned widely as she gave the ewe a nudge. "Welcome to the Hunter Ranch Dawn."

Dawn smiled back at Audrey as she un-did her seatbelt.

"It looks lovely." Dawn said, reaching for the nearby door handle.

"It's just as comfortable inside, I can assure you." Audrey laughed.

Dawn opened the passenger car door, pushing it away with all her might. She had to catch herself toward the end of the heft as she nearly stumbled off the seat but she had at least succeeded. As Dawn readied to hop off the seat and onto the Hunter's land, Audrey called her attention again.

"Oh, and Dawn?" Audrey asked.

"Y-yes?" Dawn turned to find a concerned looking she-wolf. Immediately the ewe felt her tension return.

"If anyone gives you a hard time, whether it's my boys or Dori." Audrey's eyes flashed a deadly seriousness. "You tell me alright?"

Dawn nodded softly as the tension ebbed away.

"I want you to know that you have a friend in me. If you need anything, you come to me. Okay Darlin'?" The wolf added.

"Y-yes ma'am." Dawn replied nervously.

Audrey gave the ewe a simple smile before opening her own door and sliding out of the car. Soon after Dawn followed, hopping down to the dirt road below. It had only taken a few moments for Vernon to show up along side her, luggage in tow. Dawn grinned up at the wolf before wrapping her hooves around his waist and giving him as tight a hug as she could muster.

"Ma! What did you do to her?" Dawn heard the wolf shout in annoyance. Dawn glanced up to find the concerned wolf looking back down at her. She beamed back up at him.

"Vernon, I'm fine." She cooed.

"Then what's this for?" The wolf asked in confusion.

Dawn blushed slightly. "I-I just love you is all." She buried her face back into the wolf's waist as she continued to hug him. She couldn't see his face, but she could feel the wind shifting around her hooves as Vernon's tail wagged wildly.

"I- uh...I love you to Honey lamb." Vernon replied.