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Chapter Thirty-Two: The Perfect Gift

Vernon let out a pleasant sigh as he slipped another slice of his Mother's famous caramel prench toast into his maw. With the slightest press of his teeth against the syrup soaked morsel, hot caramel sauce oozed out from its center, spilling out into his throat and dancing pleasantly across his tongue. The overall delectable sweetness causing the wolf to cringe in delight as he continued to chew the scrumptious treat.

There was nothing quite like his Mother's cooking, especially when it came to anything she baked. And while Vernon knew his favorite recipes well, and could do a reasonable job recreating them on his own, they always seemed to lack that special something that only his Mother seemed capable of bringing out in the dish. A certain flavor, an indescribable quality that Vernon could never quite pin down with his own attempts. Audrey usually referred to it as being the 'love' baked into every batch, and despite how cliché and silly it sounded to Vernon, with no hard evidence for the wolf to prove otherwise, he found it hard to argue against it.

Audrey had taken the time to teach all of the Hunter pups how to cook. It was part of her efforts to make sure that he and his brothers were fit to survive on their own when the time came. And while Vernon had proven to be leagues better than someone like Xavier, who seemed to be able to create kitchen fires at a mere glance, Vernon could only describe himself as nothing more than an _'adequate'_cook.

At a certain point Vernon had come to accept that his cooking skill would never quite match up to his Mother's abilities. It simply wasn't something he could hone as easily as someone like Malcolm seemed to be able to. Nor did Vernon have a bizarre natural skill for it like Ulric.

How the twitchy, nervous wolf seemed able to duplicate their Mother's recipes perfectly was beyond Vernon. Perhaps it lied in the wolf's extremely analytical nature, and his impeccable attention to detail that made it easy for the wolf to cook as well as their Mother did. It was something Vernon chalked up to being yet another trade off, the gods way of making up for Ulric's complete lack of social skills by compensating for it in his other traits. Still, it made for a great question to pose to his Mother sometime. After all, Ulric certainly didn't bake a damn thing with 'love', the wolf didn't believe in it. Ulric was the kind of mammal who believed love to be nothing more than a chemical process in the brain. It wasn't that surprising, considering the wolf's line of work and way of thinking. Yet despite that belief, he could bake just as well as their Mother right down to that supposed phantom ingredient. And so it made her intangible reasoning behind Vernon's own failings make even less sense.

Still, at least it gave the wolf something to look forward to when visiting the Hunter Ranch. Unlike his Father's mood swings, or whether or not Yuri was posed to show up for a surprise visit, his Mother's cooking was something that was always an absolute good. A hot, tasty and filling meal was a guarantee, and the wolf had come to rely on it whenever he made his way home. Regardless of how difficult the day around it seemed to be, or however badly a mood you were in, Audrey's meals seemed to have the miraculous ability of making everything seem better. And for that reason, Vernon could scarcely conceive a better way to start off the morning than with one of his Mother's scrumptious breakfast delights.

Well, the wolf could think of a few thing that involved his Honey lamb, but Vernon wasn't keen on breaking the house rule again so soon. As far as he knew, he was still being punished for the previous evenings debacle. And Vernon surmised it was better simply to not bring it up in case his Mother had some how forgotten her decree. The last thing Vernon wanted was to once again find himself elbow deep in dirty dishes.

The breakfast table was pleasantly quiet, leaving Vernon to simply enjoy the first truly comfortable moment he had since arriving at the Ranch. That is to say, the first comfortable moment that involved any members of his family. The peaceful solitude of sharing a delicious meal with his Mother and his mate without the bickering and teasing of the other members of the pack allowed Vernon to fully unwind. To allow whatever nervous troubles and worries eating at him to simply slip into the recesses of his mind as he savored the moment as well as the meal.

Vernon felt oddly optimistic despite the day that lie ahead. While his Mother's plan to drag them to the fair against the wishes of his Father should have been something to leave his stomach twisted up in knots, the wolf felt a strange sense of hopefulness. Perhaps it had been Dawn's pep-talk from the previous evening. Or perhaps it had been the fact that Yuri had been more or less prevented from spending the evening mocking him thanks to his other brothers shutting him down. Followed up quickly by Wade's accidental reveal in regards to his mysterious mate becoming the dominant topic until they had all more or less tired themselves out.

But if Vernon had to pick out what had played the biggest role in renewing his confidence and optimism, it had to have been recovering the friendship bracelet Dawn had given to him as a pup. Just the sight of it, even in its broken state, was enough to leave the wolf feeling as if perhaps things were starting to turn around for the pair. Finding the ruined bracelet had been a sign, a good omen in Vernon's eyes, of things to come. And the prospect of being able to show it to the ewe later today had the wolf practically humming with delight as he took another bite of his breakfast.

His dreams the night before had been laced with visions of how he imagined the big reveal would go. Each one a different approach, a different take on how to surprise the ewe with his discovery, and how it had been restored. But regardless of the scenario it all ended more or less the same. Dawn basking the wolf in her beautiful warm smile as tears swelled in her eyes. In some of the dreams she would hug him, in others she would kiss him, in a few she managed to jump into his arms and squeeze him with all the strength her tiny little arms could muster. Despite all the terrible things that both of them had endured throughout the trip, this was something the wolf could rely on to make his little ewe happy. To try to make up in some way for the terrible shaming his Father, Yuri, Ana, and the others had put her through. After over two decades, their bracelets would be reunited. That is, so long as his Mother finished the repairs in time.

Vernon shifted his glance toward his Mother. The wolfess was looking at her plate, carefully cutting her own stack of prench toast before bringing a piece up to her muzzle. She had brought it a mere few inches from her muzzle before she seemed to notice Vernon's wide-eyed stare.

Audrey lowered her fork, raising the wolf a curious eyebrow in response.

Vernon didn't want to draw Dawn's attention, and so the wolf attempted to limit himself to simple facial gestures. The wolf raised his eyebrows, bobbing them decisively in regular intervals, but the she-wolf seemed perplexed by his expression. Audrey tilted her head slightly as she watched his attempts to convey his message. Vernon held back the urge to groan, instead adding a slight nod to his head in an effort to further emphasize what he thought was a rather clear message.

Audrey only seemed more puzzled, the she-wolf now squinting at him quizzically.

"What?" The she-wolf mouthed inaudibly.

Vernon rolled his eyes at her response. Thinking on his feet, the wolf glanced down at his paw, flicking his eyes back and forth between it and his Mother's eye line. As Audrey brought her attention down, the wolf very quickly tapped his wrist with his other paw, flashing Audrey a weak grin after she caught the gesture.

Audrey let out a quiet chuckle, giving the wolf a slight affirmative nod as she returned to her meal, scooping her previously cut morsel of food back onto her fork and into her mouth.

Vernon tried to stifle his excitement as an ecstatic grin forced its way to his muzzle. The wolf had felt like leaping out of his chair with joy, but an act that dramatic would have given away to the ewe seated next to him that something was off. However, the dull thumping emanating from his chair as his tail slapped haphazardly against it was the one impulse he couldn't control. The overwhelming silence at the breakfast table only helped to make the _'twapping'_noise it produced seem that much louder.

"I take it someone had a good night's sleep?" Audrey said with a chuckle, drawing the wolf's attention back her way.

'Saved by the she-wolf" Vernon thought to himself, thankful for his Mother's distracting question. However, the wolf's excitement was still far too palpable to keep from leaking out in his response.

"Y-yeah!" Vernon yelped. The energy in his voice was obvious, despite his attempts at stifling it. His words wavering as he tried to bring his cadence back to something more 'normal'. "I mean, yeah." Vernon continued, lowering his voice as he clasped the sides of his seat with his paws to steady himself. "I slept alright."

Audrey shook her head, letting out a giggle as she turned her attention to Dawn.

"And how bout you Darlin'?" Audrey asked.

Vernon turned to Dawn to see her reaction only to catch her looking down at her plate. The ewe seemed oddly quiet. Well, more so than usual. And Vernon could easily see the slight frown on her muzzle as she picked lamely at her food.

"How long has she been sitting like that?" Vernon thought to himself as he appraised the ewe's cowed sitting pose. The wolf had been so lost in his own thoughts that he had failed to notice the state his mate was in. Even though their relationship had been a relatively short one, Vernon liked to think he could read the ewe's expressions pretty well by now. And as he observed the seemingly troubled ewe, the wolf tallied all the red flags in his head that the sheep was now displaying. Her slight frown, hunched posture, lack of appetite despite the sheer deliciousness of his Mother's cooking, and seeming inattentiveness told Vernon that she was lost in her own thoughts. And the frown lead the wolf to believe that those thoughts weren't very good ones. Vernon's own smile began to slip. His previously subdued worries now creeping back up in his mind as he watched his mate carefully. The ewe remained silent, leaving his Mother's question to hang in the air for several moments as the ewe continued to play with her food.

"Darlin'?" Audrey uttered, slightly louder this time.

At that Dawn seemed to perk up, jumping slightly in her seat.

"O-Oh!" Dawn stammered, placing her utensils down. "I-I'm sorry Audrey, what did you say?"

Audrey grimaced slightly, her eyes now appraising the ewe as carefully as Vernon imagined his own were.

"I was askin' how ya'll slept Darlin'." Audrey repeated. "You get to sleep okay?"

"Oh..." Dawn muttered, her head drifting back down to her plate as she picked up her fork. The ewe stabbed a particularly soggy looking morsel onto the tines and began to swab it around on the plate idly. "I mean...I slept okay..." The ewe shrugged. " It could have been better I guess."

The wolf managed a slight smirk. "Right, she's just tired." Vernon reassured himself in an effort to push his nervous thoughts back. The wolf leaned over, wrapping an arm around the ewe before pulling her tightly against him for a hug. It was awkward bridging the distance between the two chairs, but thankfully Vernon was tall enough for both of them.

Dawn seemed surprised for a second, but quickly leaned into the hug, wrapping her hooves around the wolf as he buried his muzzle in her woolly poof.

"I'm sorry Darlin'." Vernon cooed. "I know you ain't a crack of Dawn type of mammal."

Dawn giggled softly into his chest.

"Neither are you!" Dawn retorted, giving the wolf a playful swat on the back as she continued to hug him.

"Yeah bu-" Vernon paused as his nose caught whiff of a peculiar scent mixed into the ewe's wool. The wolf took another soft sniff, burying his nose deeper in an attempt at better discerning the source of the odor. "Don't tell me her hormones are still actin' up?" The wolf thought to himself.

As the wolf took a sharper inhale, Dawn pulled herself away slightly, staring back at the wolf with a curious expression.

"What are you sniffing?" Dawn asked.

"Ya'll smell weird." Vernon said, flashing the ewe an inquisitive glance of his own.

"Vernon." His Mother said with a laugh, drawing his attention back toward the wolfess. Audrey sat with her paws crossed, a mirthful smirk on her muzzle as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Ya'll don't just tell a girl she smells bad so bluntly, 'specially yer mate!" Audrey rolled her eyes. "I raised ya'll to be a gentlemammal!"

Vernon chuckled, releasing his grip around the lamb as he slid back into his own seat.

"I didn't say 'bad'" Vernon clarified, raising a finger to accentuate his point. "I said 'weird'."

Dawn giggled, placing her hooves to her muzzle in an effort to stifle a giggle.

"I didn't think you'd be able to smell Qali on me." Dawn snickered.

Vernon raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I thought that smelled familiar!" The wolf exclaimed.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes, well Qali slept with me last night and-"

"She slept with you!?" Vernon asked aloud in mock shock, doing his best to suppress a rising smile as he prepared to tease the ewe.

"Vernon." Dawn tried to stifle her giggling.

"And here I was worried about my brothers movin' in on my gal..." Vernon chuckled. "Didn't think I'd have to be worryin' about my sisters too!"

"Vernon!" Dawn whined, trying her best to swat the wolf from her seat. Unfortunately for the ewe, the gap was far to wide for her to reach as easily as Vernon had reached her. Dawn's face was flushed, a red tinge now spreading ear to ear as she desperately tried to hide it with her other hoof.

"I mean Malcolm sure..." Vernon continued. "He may be into fellas, but with a ewe as pretty as you I could easily see him switchin' sides."

"Puppy StaaaAAAaaahp!" Dawn whined playfully. The ewe's tiny frame shuddered with each giggle fit that Vernon's continued teasing brought on. "I-it was, I-I me-" The ewe tried to stutter through her laughter.

"Ah, so ya'll girls bunked up after Ada's bed broke?" Audrey interjected. " I guess that makes sense considerin' yer both the smallest."

"Is that what that noise was?' Vernon asked, turning away from the ewe now trying to catch her breath.

Audrey nodded. "I suppose I should have expected ya'll to have heard it."

"Among other things..." Vernon replied, shifting his gaze back toward the recovering ewe.

"W-what did you hear?" Dawn asked, her tone quavering as she tried to collect herself. The dying laughter now at conflict with her rising tone of concern.

Vernon let out a soft chuckle as he rolled his eyes.

"Relax Floofs..." Vernon reassured the ewe. "It was all too muffled to hear properly, aside from Vanna shoutin' somethin' I ain't gonna repeat in polite company." The wolf added, shifting his eyes toward his Mother briefly before bringing them back to Dawn.

"Oh..." Dawn murmured, her blush returning as she placed her hooves over her muzzle.

"Yeah, sounds like ya'll had a lot of fun up there." Vernon said with a soft smile. The wolf reached a paw out to the ewe, placing it gingerly on her shoulder. "I'm glad." Vernon offered the lamb a reassuring grin. The ewe flashed him a meek smile in return, her blush still clearly visible.

"Lil' too much fun." Audrey chuckled. "Consderin' ya'll broke the legs off a bed." Audrey pointed her fork in Dawn's direction, allowing a little bit of syrup to drip off her fork as she waived the cut of toast lazily in the air.

"So is that why ya'll slept so bad Mutton Chop?" Vernon asked. The wolf leaned toward the ewe, placing his arm on the table as he flashed the lamb a sly smile. "Ain't used to sharin' a bed with a mammal other than me?"

Dawn let out a laugh. "More like Qali couldn't keep her paws off of me!" The ewe flicked a hoof lazily in his direction. "I had no idea she was so pawsy in her sleep."

Vernon placed a paw over his muzzle in an effort to keep from laughing.

"She was cuddlin' you?" Vernon asked in a gleeful tone.

Dawn cringed, gritting her teeth mildly as she broke eye contact with the wolf.

"She was practically fused to my head." Dawn replied uneasily. "She was all coiled up in my wool, and no matter how many times I woke her up and got her to stop, she'd just end up back in my wool again." Dawn sighed, leaning her muzzle against her hoof. "After a while I just gave up trying to pry her off."

Despite his best efforts, a few stray laughs slipped out of the wolf's maw as he imagined the scene in his head. The petite vixen tangled up in Dawn's woolly curls, happily snoring away as Dawn lay awake pondering how to deal with the situation. A part of him was sympathetic to his Honey Lamb's plight, surely. But the wolf couldn't deny just how humorous the whole thing must have been.

"Oh mam'..." Vernon chuckled. "What I wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall fer that!" The wolf laughed. "At least to snap a photo! Think of the Furbook comments that one would get!"

"Veeernon!" Dawn pretended to whine, but the smile on her face told the wolf all he needed to know. At the very least, the playful ribbing seemed to be picking up the ewe's spirits. "It's not funny!"

"Yer right, it ain't funny." Vernon said, putting on a mock serious expression for a moment. "It's hilarious." The wolf snickered.

"PuuuUUUPPPpppy!" Dawn whined louder, her blush intensifying as she seemed to slink lower into her chair.

"Alright ya'll, that's enough." Audrey chuckled, giving Vernon a playful slap. "Settle down a might." Audrey added, lowering her paws to the table to illustrate bringing the noise level down. "Don't wanna wake anyone else up now do we?"

Vernon nodded, clearing his throat slightly as he turned his attention back to the remaining toast on his plate. The last thing he wanted at this point was the other members of the family poking their heads down here now even if they weren't going to the fair with them. The wolf was having far too good a time to risk letting a mammal like Yuri spoil it.

Vernon cut another slim, soggy piece of toast from his stack. But as he raised the caramel oozing pastry to his muzzle, his eyes once again found themselves drifting over to his mate. Dawn had quickly slipped back into her despondent looking state, the ewe once again lamely poking at her food as she let out an uneasy sigh. Vernon grimaced as he lowered his fork back to his plate. Clearly there was more to Dawn's behavior than a simple lack of sleep. Something was on her mind, and Vernon wasn't going to feel any sort of relief unless he got to the bottom of it. The wolf opened his muzzle to speak, but he never got a chance to ask his question.

"Somethin' wrong Darlin'?" Audrey asked, stealing the query from Vernon's own muzzle as if she had read his mind.

The sudden question had caused the ewe to jerk up from her plate again, her attention now quickly drawn to the concerned looking she-wolf.

"O-oh." Dawn murmured in surprise. "I-It's nothing, really."

Vernon could see his mother's brow furrow at the reply, a clear indication the she-wolf was dubious of the ewe's statement at best.

"Alright lil' lamb, out with it." Audrey said, her tone motherly yet playful. "C'mon now, what's botherin' ya?"

The ewe shook her head briskly, stabbing another piece of food with her fork.

"I was just thinking..." Dawn muttered as she spun her fork in a syrupy pool. "I mean I was curious why everyone else isn't coming with us to the fair today."

Vernon raised an eyebrow as he pondered the ewe's question. It was a good one. One that Vernon had never thought to question when his Mother had told them as much in the first place. He was simply happy with the fact that he wouldn't have Yuri around to pester them all day, and thought nothing more than that. He knew in the case of the barbeque, Malcolm was going to have to stay home to prepare for it, but as for the others, it didn't really make sense. Vernon turned to his Mother with a curious expression of his own.

"Yeah..." Vernon said. "I mean you told us they weren't going, but I didn't ask why." The wolf paused, trying to formulate his next words carefully. "I mean, I know Pa...well..."

Vernon glanced at Dawn briefly. He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence in front of her. "It just don't make sense if we're going against what he said, but only sorta doin' that." The wolf shrugged. "Y'know?"

Audrey closed her eyes, tilting her head down slightly.

"Welp..." Audrey sighed, placing her paws against the sides of her muzzle. The wolfess was silent for a few moments as she rubbed the muscles in her snout.

"I could tell ya'll that I thought everyone else would be of better use settin' up fer the barbeque." Audrey said cooly. "But I ain't never been one to try to muddy my reasonin' about somethin', even if I ain't keen on worryin' the both of ya'll."

Audrey placed her paws on the table. Taking a deep breath, the she-wolf opened her eyes, staring back at the couple with a startlingly serious stare. It was the kind of gaze Vernon had learned to fear when he was a pup, the eyes of a mammal ready to fight.

"I know I said I wanted just the two of ya'll to come run the stand to have fun, and I meant that." Audrey said, her serious gaze remaining fixed and unwavering. "But if Dori decides to stick his big nose in where it doesn't belong, I don't want anyone getting between me and him, understand?"

Vernon blinked in surprise, the wolf still trying to parse exactly what the she-wolf was saying. He briefly turned to check on his mate, only to find that Dawn shared his shocked and puzzled expression.

"The less of the pack around to bicker if things go awry the better." Audrey continued, gesturing a paw toward the couple. "I don't need Zach, or Vanna tryin' to stand in fer me. Complicatin' things and making a bigger scene when it doesn't need to be."

Vernon furrowed his brow quizzically.

"I especially don't need any of them tryin' to say they made the call to have ya'll back at the fair." Audrey pressed her paws together, leaning her muzzle against them as she kept her gaze leveled at the pair. "If Dori wants to try to lay down the law, he's going to be squarin' it with me, ya'll get me?"

Vernon nodded meekly as just what his Mother was saying finally started to register.

" I made the call." Audrey said. "I want you both there, and I want ya'll to have fun." The she-wolf stabbed a finger down on the table.

"The fair is fer everyone." The she-wolf added, waving her finger. " Ain't no law that says otherwise. And that means ain't no lawmammal that has a ground to stand on!"

With that, Audrey's posture seemed to ease. The she-wolf leaned back in her chair, stretching and arm as her expression slipped into something more playful and calm.

"I don't want ya'll to worry about Dori, or the rest of them fairgoers." The wolfess let out another sigh. "I just want ya'll to relax and have a good time. Together." Audrey said with a smile. "'Side's, yer frail ol' mother can't run the stand on her own." The she-wolf chuckled.

Vernon couldn't help but smirk, flashing the she-wolf a dull and dubious glance. The last mammal he would ever describe as frail was his mother. If there was one mammal who could manage to put Dorian in his place, it was her. Sure, Dorian had made a number of decrees over the years when it came to his family. But most of the unjust calls didn't last very long under Audrey's tenacious and rebellious demeanor. It was moments like that which left Vernon to wonder exactly how someone seemingly as wild as his Mother even managed to settle down with such a button-downed, authoritarian wolf.

But the topic at hand had managed to stir some of the wolfs nagging doubts and worries. Drawing those uncertainties up to the surface, and pressing him to mention them.

"But what about the fairgoers?" Vernon mumbled, almost reluctantly. "I mean Ana and Ken-"

"Oh pshaw!" Audrey tutted, flicking a lazy paw in Vernon's direction. " I'm certain those two won't be showin' their face at that fair anytime soon after yesterday!"

Audrey flashed the wolf a smirk, leaning in close to Vernon as she placed a paw near her muzzle to try to hide her mouth from the ewe.

"Considerin' the way they left the fair I doubt everything is hunky-dory in the Loupon household." Audrey chuckled softly.

"But surely Mr. Ruddy, or even some of the other fairgoers could-"

"I'm tellin' ya'll they are far too meek to speak up without that agitatin' she-wolf around." Audrey cut Dawn off. "And with me watchin' over ya'll, no-one'll dare say a bad word to ya!" Audrey said defiantly, bringing her paw down sharply against the table.

Dawn still seemed uncertain of Audrey's declaration, but the she-wolf was quick to pick up on it.

"Aw c'mon Dawn, trust me!" Auddey grinned widely at the ewe. "I ain't gonna let anyone hurt one of my own as long as I'm watchin' them, ya'll have my word!"

Vernon watched as Dawn seemed to be fighting back a smirk. It was clear she was still holding on to some reservations about the whole affair just as he was. But his Mother's unflappable optimism was an infectious sort. It was impossible to fight it off when she hoisted it on you, and she knew just how to work a smile out of even the gloomiest mammal.

"B-But Dorian..." Dawn trailed off, still trying to fight the growing smile she was hiding behind her hooves.

"But Dorian nuthin'!" Audrey spat, bringing her paw down against the table again loudly. "If he even shows his big stupid muzzle around our stand I'll bop him into next week!" Audrey grinned, raising her arm in a mock punch.

That was enough to break the ewe. The sheep burst into giggling, her hooves still clasped tightly against her muzzle despite losing her composure. There was simply no winning against Audrey's enthusiasm.

"Alright, alright." Vernon said with a laugh. The wolf gestured his paws in a similar way to how his Mother had earlier in reference to the noise level.

"We're gettin' too loud again." Vernon chuckled. "And I'd rather not have Yuri spoil this breakfast."

Audrey was quick to stifle herself, bringing a paw sharply to her lips as she smirked back at Vernon.

"Here I am actin' like the pup now..." Audrey chuckled quietly.

Dawn took a few deep breaths seemingly in an effort to chase off her remaining laughter as she tried to compose herself. At the very least the ewe was smiling now, her posture improving as the wolf watched her calm down. Soon enough, the ewe actually began to eat the prench toast that had been dissolving in a sea of syrup on her plate.

"So what about the others?" Dawn asked idly as she slipped a piece of toast into her muzzle. "Surely they at least want some of this fantastic breakfast?"

Audrey let out a soft chuckle.

"Malcolm's got 'em covered." The she-wolf said with a grin. "Whenever they all wake up he can fix 'em some fancy prench toast just as good as mine."

"Maybe not quite as good as yers Ma." Vernon said with a chuckle as he scooped a large chunk of the cinnamon swirled bread onto his fork.

Audrey placed a paw to her muzzle, trying to hide the slight blush as she waived her other paw in Vernon's direction.

"Oh hush now!" Audrey cooed. "Malcolm does a fine job."

Vernon rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Just take a compliment Ma." The wolf chuckled.

Audrey cut herself another small slice of her toast, stabbing it with her fork before waiving it Vernon's way.

"It's true." Auddey retorted. "I mean, that boy's a real chef, not some home taught housewife like me."

"It is fantastic Mrs. Hu-" The ewe paused to correct herself. "I mean Audrey."

The wolf shifted her fork Dawn's way, dabbing it toward the ewe.

"That's right." The she-wolf said with a grin. "No need for formalities with my daughter-in-law."

The ewe seemed to frown slightly at the she-wolf's words. Dawn glanced down at her plate briefly before seeming to shake off whatever was bothering her. Returning her attention to the she-wolf, the ewe's smile returned.

"Thank you Audrey." Dawn replied. "Really."

"Yer quite welcome Darlin'." Audrey said, finally bringing the food on her fork towards her muzzle.

"So, what exactly is the plan fer today Ma?" Vernon asked, quirking a brow.

As the she-wolf slid the bite of food into her mouth, she leaned in her seat, allowing her free arm to rest on the table. "Welp..." Audrey rolled her eyes slightly, lazily waving her paw. " I figure between the three of us we can pack the van up in a few minutes." Audrey shrugged. "I mean, we did leave it sorta half loaded last night, so there ain't much work to do."

"And then?" Dawn asked. the ewe leaning over her plate as she eyed the wolfess expectantly.

Audrey looked toward the ceiling. "Well, then it's just a matter of gettin' to the fair." The she-wolf scratched her chin softly as she seemed to be mulling over the process.

"We can all take the loader truck out since that's really all we'll need." Audrey bobbed her head slightly as if affirming something to herself. "Then it's just a matter of loadin' the stand and getting to work."

Vernon watched as Dawn began to wring her hooves nervously, a slightly worried expression overtaking her as her eyes returned to looking at her plate.

"I h-hope I can help." Dawn muttered.

Audrey let out a single, sharp laugh. "You'll be fine Darlin', trust me."

Dawn looked back up at Audrey with a slight wince.

"B-but I can't really cook much of anything..." Dawn murmured, tapping her hooves together. "I know a few prey meals but honestly-"

Audrey rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine Darlin'." The wolfess said reassuringly. "'Sides I'll be there every step of the way. I ain't gonna let ya fall."

Dawn offered the she-wolf a small smile.

"Plus I know a thing or two about makin' Ma's pies." Vernon interjected, trying to add to the ewe's rising confidence.

"Between the two of ya'll yer gonna do a fine job." Audrey added, reaching a paw out to Vernon's head and ruffling the fur on top. Vernon moved away, swatting back at his Mother's affectionate gesture.

"MA!" Vernon whined.

"Oh hush!" Audrey tutted as she returned to her plate. The she-wolf cut herself another slice of bread and idly swirled it around the syrup pooled on her plate.

"After we're done fer the day, it's just a matter of packin' up and ridin' back home." Audrey continued, raising the sopping chunk of toast to her lips. "By then the rest of the pack should have the Barbeque all set to go. So ya'll can just keep enjoyin' yerselves."

"Ah, the barbeque." Vernon said with a comfortable sigh. "Now there's somethin' to look forward too." The wolf pat his stomach affectionately. "Nobody Barbeques quite like Mal-"

Vernon paused, his attention switching back Dawn's way as the ewe continued to eat her breakfast. The wolf hadn't given thought to exactly what he could offer his mate in terms of the family barbeque. It was a largely pred affair, and as such they never really had anything made up for prey aside from simple side dishes.

"Ma?" Vernon glanced back at his Mother, concern lacing his features. " What about Dawn?"

"Mhhm?" Audrey grumbled curiously as she chewed another mouthful of food.

"I mean, does Malcolm have anythin' she can eat?" Vernon added. "I mean, her diet is-"

Audrey was quick to dismiss the wolf with the wave of a paw.

"Malcolm already has a few prey specialty dishes planned fer Dawn, don't ya'll worry!" With a grin, Audrey turned her attention back to the diminutive ewe. The she-wolf quirked an eyebrow.

"I hope ya'll like surprises." Audrey said with a chuckle.

Dawn giggled in response.

Vernon let out a relieved sigh. It seemed as though everything was more or less covered as far as plans for the afternoon went. The only thing he had to worry about now was simply the outside forces that could cause those seemingly mundane activities to prove rather difficult. Vernon didn't doubt his Mother's assertions about the fair-goers, or his Father. He was sure the she-wolf would live up to her declarations should they be faced with any hardship while running the stall. But even the risk of such an encounter, regardless of how his Mother handled it still put the wolf on edge. He just didn't want anything to further ruin the prospect of Dawn having a good time. But running the stall seemed like the more favorable choice over remaining at the house all day. At least at the stall Yuri was guaranteed to be miles away from him, and thus unable to torment the couple.

"Oh!" Dawn jerked to attention, as if she had come to a sudden realization. The ewe quickly placed her utensils down, dabbing her muzzle with a napkin.

"May I be excused?" The tiny ewe asked. "I didn't exactly get a chance to go to the bathroom earlier and I-"

Audrey held up a paw silencing the ewe. The she-wolf rolled her eyes, flashing the ewe a smirk.

"Darlin'," Audrey replied. "You don't even have to ask."

Dawn gave a brisk nod, and Vernon watched as she slipped off the stack of phone books in her chair before disappearing below the table's edge. The wolf leaned in his seat just enough to catch the top of her woolly poof as it bobbed along the table, and watched until it shifted toward the Kitchen doorway before finally disappearing completely. Vernon watched for a few more moments, remaining quiet as he listened for the telltale shuttering of the bathroom door as the ewe closed it.

With a soft and familiar 'clack', the wolf knew the coast was finally clear.

Vernon turned in the blink of an eye, the wolf spinning in his seat to face his mother. The wolf practically hung off of his chair as he eyed the she-wolf expectantly. Audrey hadn't moved much since Dawn's departure, the she-wolf calmly slipping another morsel of food into her muzzle.

"Where is it!?" Vernon whined excitedly.

"Is that how you ask yer Mother fer somethin'?" Audrey tutted, not even batting an eye at the wolf's distress.

Vernon let out a quiet grumble, placing his paw to his head in frustration at his Mother's perceived teasing. The wolf straightened up in his seat, taking a moment to clear his throat in order to perfectly recite exactly what he knew the she-wolf wanted to hear without error.

"Mom." Vernon said calmly. "Do you have my bracelet on you?"

Audrey smirked slightly, but otherwise the wolfess remained unfazed by Vernon's address. The she-wolf slipped another slice of food into her muzzle, chewing it agonizingly slowly as she paid Vernon little mind. Vernon was clenching his teeth as he waited for a response, the anticipation gnawing at him relentlessly.

Finally, the she-wolf offered the wolf a simple, soft affirmative nod.

Vernon jerked forward slightly in excitement, but was quick to calm himself. He had to keep his composure or he was certain his Mother would continue to drag this affair along. Vernon sat straight one more, doing his best to continue to appear calm.

"Okay." Vernon said with a sigh. "May I have it?"

Audrey quietly scooped up the last of her prench toast, stabbing it with her fork and swirling it within the remaining pool of syrup and caramel. The she-wolf raised it to her muzzle even slower than before, stopping just short of her lips as the wolf waited anxiously for her response. She held her fork there allowing a deafening silence to hang for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, the she-wolf spoke, and Vernon found the food-laden fork pointed his way rather than where he had expected it to go.

"May I have it...?" Audrey tailed off, bobbing the fork slightly with each word. "What?"

Vernon groaned. The she-wolf's sudden adherence to formality was clearly just to toy with him, and the game was starting to wear thin. Then again, the wolf only had himself to blame for keeping it going. He had forgotten the most crucial part of the song and dance when it came to respectfully asking his Mother for something.

Vernon let out an exhausted sigh.

"May I have it..." Vernon offered as wide a smile as he could to the nonplussed she-wolf. "Please?" The wolf asked.

Audrey's grin grew, and the she-wolf finally turned to acknowledge her son. Placing her fork down, the wolfess reached into her breast pocket. After a brief bit of fumbling she extracted Vernon's prize.

'thwap, thwap' Vernon's tail was already off like a shot at the mere glimpse of his treasure. And the wolf quickly reached out to snag it from his Mother's paw only for her to quickly jerk it away, her smile widening into something more mischievous.

"MA!" Vernon snapped, his patience worn through.

"Ah, ah, ah." Audrey tutted, waggling a finger at the wolf.

"First tell me that I'm the best Mother in all of Animalia." Audrey snickered. "And that without my help ya'll wouldn't know hock from yer hackles!"

"MAAA!" Vernon groaned in annoyance.

Audrey rolled her eyes, shaking her head dismissively.

"Alright, alright..." The she-wolf sighed. "You boys are no fun anymore, I swear..."

The she-wolf gestured her free paw toward Vernon.

"Hold out yer paw." Audrey said, extending her own paw outward expectantly.

Vernon extended his paw, moving it just underneath his mother's, ready to catch the precious trinket. Once the she-wolf was seemingly satisfied, she opened her paw, allowing the beaded bracelet to fall gingerly into Vernon's grip.

As soon as Vernon felt the plastic touch his pads he immediately snapped it up, pulling it tightly against his chest before Audrey had even moved her still open paw.

Audrey rolled her eyes again.

"My little Puppy." Audrey shook her head. "It ain't a newborn baby bird, ya'll don't need to treat it like it'll break if ya'll look at it wrong." The she-wolf snickered.

Vernon met her statement with an eye roll of his own. He couldn't expect his Mother to fully understand why the friendship bracelet was so important to him. It had become the crucial lynchpin in his plan to salvage the weekend for his mate. While it now looked increasingly likely that it was going to take more than one weekend to wear his Father down to get his approval for a tithe, at the very least he could make the ewe's first visit to the Ranch a positive memory with his trinket.

The wolf carefully opened his clasped paw, keeping it pooled against his chest as he glanced down at the plastic jewelry.

Not much had changed in regards to how it looked, it was a simple set of plastic children's beads after all. But the fresh dabs of paint and enamel were easily noticeable in the places where parts of the letters had worn away. There was no mistaking what the bracelet said now. The comfortable deep brown satin banding holding the letters together just as they had been all those years before.

"Floofy's Best Friend." Vernon muttered appreciatively to himself, a warm smile crawling across his muzzle.

"Ain't that adorable..." Vernon's attention was stolen back by his Mother. The she-wolf was now leaning both arms on the table, allowing her head to rest on her paws as she watched the wolf's expressions. "Ya'll still get that gleam in yer eye like when you were a little Pup, it's just so cute."

Vernon let out a slight scoff, more at the statement than his Mother's attitude. He certainly was grateful, and the last thing he wanted to seem was disrespectful after what his Mother had done.

"Thank you so much Ma, really." Vernon said with a soft smile.

"Seems like it was just yesterday you were still my little Puppy..." Audrey seemingly hadn't heard him, the she-wolf momentarily lost in her memories. Her voice had wavered slightly, a sadness evident in tone as she reminisced.

But the she-wolf didn't linger on it long, and with a brisk shake of her head Audrey sat straight up in her chair. The she-wolf cleared her throat, seemingly attempting to shake off her burst of motherly nostalgia.

"Anyhoo..." Audrey muttered, adding another few throat clearing coughs for good measure. "I think ya'll should just pocket that fer now." The wolfess advised, waving a finger. "Slip it on at the stall and don't even mention it."

Vernon quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"What? Why?" The wolf was quick to respond.

Audrey rolled her eyes.

"'Cause imagine how much more of a surprise it'll be if she finds it out on her own." Audrey said with a smile. "She'll probably squeal with delight if she ain't prepared for it. Ya'll can't tell me you wouldn't love that."

In all of the dream scenarios Vernon had played out the previous evening, simply allowing the ewe to discover it on his arm without mentioning was an idea he hadn't even considered. But the way his Mother had pitched it to him easily made the idea trump every other paws down. The wolf knew that was the way he had to do it, the ultimate surprise.

Vernon nodded briskly in agreement, flashing the she-wolf a wide grin before returning to eyeing his treasure.

"Y'know..." Vernon murmured softly.

"Ya'll really are the best Mother in all Animalia." The wolf said with a chuckle.

Vernon looked up to catch his Mother staring back at him in surprise, her paw over her muzzle as her eyes glimmered with what he could only assume was rising tears. But she quickly turned her gaze away, trying to hide the fact that he had caught her emotionally off guard.

"Aw Puppy, d-don't tease yer old Momma now." Audrey tried to sound firm, but her tone quavered with emotion, and Vernon couldn't help but smile.

The familiar clack of the bathroom door pulled the wolf away from the warm moment he had shared with his mother. The wolf fumbled with the bracelet, rushing to stuff it in his pocket as the familiar woolly poof began to trace the edge of the table once more. He finally managed to completely bury it in his pocket just in time for the ewe to begin her struggle back into he seat.

"Need help Honey Lamb?" Vernon asked coolly, doing his best to play off the frantic scramble he had been in seconds before.

"N-no." Dawn groaned, as the ewe began to surface from below the table edge. "I-I've got I-It."

It took the ewe a few moments on her own, but soon enough the ewe was back in her seat. Dawn took a moment to adjust herself, straightening her skirt before finally turning her attention back to the rest of the table.

"That's better." Dawn said with a sigh.

Vernon chuckled. "Yeah sorry Darlin'." The wolf uttered, scratching the back of his neck. "I probably should have asked ya'll on our way downstairs if ya'll needed the rest room."

Dawn chuckled. "It's fine." The ewe replied, picking up her utensils again. "I just hope I didn't miss anything interesting." The ewe asked, raising the wolves a curious eyebrow.

Vernon and his Mother shared a brief glance.

"Nah, just more fair prep talk Floofs, nothin' serious." Vernon replied, flashing the ewe a grin.

"Yeah, I was just tellin' Vernon how he's still gonna be on dish duty at the stand." Audrey added.

Vernon turned to his Mother in surprise, only to find the she-wolf grinning at him with a wide a mischievous smile.

"What, ya'll thought I forgot about yer punishment?" Audrey chuckled. " 'Sides, someone's got to do 'em. The stall doesn't have a dishwasher after all."

Vernon let out a groan as Audrey and Dawn broke into a fit of giggling.

"Great, she did remember." The wolf lamented to himself, running a paw over his scalp as the girls laughed around him. The wolf's paws were still wrinkled from the previous evening. But Vernon supposed it was a small price to pay now that he had his friendship bracelet. The joy he knew it would bring Dawn to see it would be well worth perpetually soggy paws.