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A Lamb Among Wolves

Chapter Fifty-Two: Something Old, Something New

It was only after Dawn had twisted the key into the lock of mailbox number four-o'-five, and drew back the door did she realize just what a big mistake she had made. The edge of a stray letter sticking out between the seam of the box should have been a red flag; a warning telegraphing to the ewe to open the box with some degree of care. But the lull in overall mail over the course of the previous week had fooled the ewe into thinking the steady stream of fan letters had finally started to diminish, and in response, the ewe had grown significantly less wary and cautious when opening the box. Her guard had begun to slip, perhaps based on a maligned hope that the frenzy surrounding her and her mate was finally starting to die down now that the 'Last Night' case was beginning to fade from the imminent public consciousness.

Dawn's time spent under parole had afforded the ewe a great deal of privacy thanks to the various security provisions included in Zootopia's criminal rehabilitation and reintegration program. Her address, both when she lived alone, as well as when she first moved in with Vernon, had been largely limited knowledge. The information was only divulged to those to whom knowledge of Dawn's whereabouts was deemed crucial, both for the sake of her own safety and security, as well as the safety of the public at large should she succumb to her previous criminal inclinations. The short list had included her parole officer Don Polaraski, the members of the parole board, key members of the Savannah Central ZPD, and finally, the Savannah Central post office. That was, of course, where the legal use of a 'cover name' was afforded to the ewe_.This was the name the post office would be instructed to use for anything associated with Dawn's current address in order to help shield the ewe from harassment through the mail. Any mail received for _'Dawn Bellwether' would be written off as being delivered to a non-existent P.O. Box by the head of the office, but in actuality the mail would be rerouted and delivered in bulk to an_'Abigail Weathers'_ at the ewe's actual address. The end goal was to leave no mention of Dawn on the postal registry that could lead back to her actual residence should any mammal with a grudge try to dig it up.

Of course, getting that mail rerouted and delivered in the first place was easier said than done. Despite having the legal edict from the mayor's office, which was signed on by every member of the parole board as well as her parole officer, the mammals at the post office had absolutely refused to even handle her mail. Several mammals on the staff had even gone as far as threatening to burn any mail that they received under her name should it turn up at their branch. In the end, it took the a combination of Vernon's silent, but imposing presence, and Don's legal threats over Dawn's Carrot phone to force the few 'problematic' workers into complying with the law, albeit begrudgingly. Don had threatened the mammals that would be directly involved with handling her mail that they were not to so much as 'look at any of Dawn's mail the wrong way', or he would be more than happy to bring the full weight of the law down on ever single mammal working there. All the while Vernon stood in the background, maintaining the most menacing fanged smile he could muster. Looking back, the ewe knew it was rather petty to take such joy in the way the post master general seemed to tremble with each threat from Don or Vernon, but she was more than okay with that.

Of course, now with her parole being lifted in the wake of her 'heroic actions', the previous privacy curtain that was afforded by the cities rehabilitation program had not only been drawn back leaving her naked and exposed, but a blaring spotlight had been cast upon her, drawing the attention of the entirety of Zootopia and beyond. More eyes were on her now than during her career as Assistant Mayor, and perhaps even more than when she was an infamous criminal mastermind. In theory it should have been what she had always wanted: to be appreciated despite being so small and weak. No longer a mere shadow in the corner on the best of days or a punching bag for bigger mammals on the worst. Public opinion of the ewe had taken a near complete one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn overnight. In many mammals eyes, the ewe had managed to earn some form of renewed respect after what she had done for the city. So she could only imagine most would assume she should be happy to receive all the praise and attention she could possibly get, but in truth, the sudden surge of positive attention felt overwhelming at times, especially when it came to the getting her mail.

Dawn had only been out of the hospital for about three days when the first of the letters had shown up. She could never be sure exactly how much time had passed between her parole being 'officially' lifted, and how quickly her address began to disseminate into the public sphere, but checking Zoogle maps that day had revealed that her current address registered among the general listings. She could only assume someone at the post office had done it, perhaps as revenge for all the big talk and bluster from Vernon and Don, or perhaps because they, too, had a change of heart and generally thought they were doing a service. Regardless, the information was out there. And as the days turned into weeks, and the information continued to spread despite their attempts to have it removed, the swath of mail arriving each day continued to swell well beyond the capacity that her and Vernon's little post box could feasibly hold. Fan mail from mammals of every size, filled with pledges of forgiveness and admiration, admissions of new found respect, and even some rather inquisitive and sometimes personal questions. A surprising number of mammals had actually asked her and Vernon for advice; the semi-public knowledge of their relationship spurring mammals in similar couplings to reach out to them for help. And despite the almost dizzying, almost unbearable publicity currently swirling around the pair in the wake of 'Zootopia's Last Night', it was those letters, coupled with Vernon's support and encouragement, that managed to keep the ewe's head above water. It kept her focused on completing her novel, and made her all the more determined to publish it.

With the constant stream of letters, it soon became a weekly event for Vernon and her to take an hour to sit down and read as much of the mail as they could, as well as brainstorming a way to even begin to reply to it all. Of course there were still more than a few letters spattered with hate, either regarding Dawn's past actions, or her current public perception as an open 'crosser'. However, so long as they didn't arrive attached to mysterious ticking package, Dawn was more than happy to take her mate's advice and simply shred the letters without reading beyond the first sentence.

The door of the post box was only a quarter of the way open by the time her grievous error in judgment became visibly apparent; her eyes widening sharply as they fell upon the bulging mass of letters swelling from the interior of the mailbox. Her internal warning flags shot up in an instant and her reflexes were screaming as they surged into a panicked attempt to slam the door closed again before the letters began their escape, but by that point it was far too late. The compressed mass of letters that had barely been held back by the flimsy little bronze door began to spray out of the mailbox as though it had been spring-loaded.

"Mutton chops!" The ewe cursed loudly, frantically trying to catch as many of the letters as she could as they continued to pour from the box, but in the end only a small hoof-full had ended up in her arms, and by the time the pressure began to die down, the bulk of the letters spattering across the floor as though they were a spilled deck of cards.

"Shells preserve us! Seems like you got your hooves full over there Miss Bellwether." A familiar voice called drawing the ewe's attention to the short, tired looking otter standing a few feet behind her.

Martin Otterley, the couple's landlord, offered the ewe a kind smile as he leaned on the handle of the baby carriage in front of him, running a free paw through his his frayed coif of head fur. Nestled in the crook of his arm the ewe could make out the edge of a swaddled cloth.

"Surprised that hadn't managed to blow the door off the box with that much mail." Mr. Otterley laughed.

Dawn rolled her eyes, letting out a dry laugh of her own. "I'm more surprised the post-mammal could even get it closed in the first place." The ewe sighed in defeat. "I suppose it's my fault for not checking it yesterday."

"I'd say you could use a helpin' paw lass." The otter continued, gingerly bouncing the pup resting on his arm.

Dawn let out a chuckle as she crouched to the floor, clasping several of the scattered letters up into the clump already in her arms.

"I'd say the same to you Mister Otterley." Dawn replied, gesturing her head in the direction of the otter's pups before rising to her feet. There was still more mail on the floor, as well as crammed into the small post box, but if she didn't take a few moments to straighten out the clump of mail she was holding into something a bit easier to grip, most of it would end up back on the floor.

"And it's Misses Hunter-Bellwether now..." Dawn added proudly, tilting the door of the mailbox nearly shut in order to show off the new label Vernon had stuck on the face of the door. Where once it had simply said 'Hunter & Bellwether', it now read 'The Hunter-Bellwethers.'

To most mammals, it may have read as a minor change if they noticed a difference at all. A simple change from ampersand to hyphen would have probably meant very little to most, but to Dawn it meant the world.

With a laugh, the older otter made his way over to Dawn, crouching down as he began to scoop some of the stray letters into his free arm.

"Right, right....O' course deary." Mister Otterley replied. "I keep forgettin' seein' as how it happened so fast and all." The mammal shook his head dismissively.

Dawn sighed warmly. "It was a surprise for us, too, considering Vernon's parents sort of sprung it on us."

Mr. Otterley ceased bouncing the little pup cradled in his arm, the move a clear effort to allow him to gather more of the letters with ease.

"From what Vernon told me the Hunter's pulled out all the stops for ya." The otter replied, straightening the clump of mail in his arm as best he could. "Not that'd I'd be expectin' any less from 'em based on the stories I've heard."

Grabbing the last of the stray letters from the ground, Dawn rose to her feet, flashing the older otter a small smile.

"They certainly did, but-." Dawn stopped, shaking her head dismissively. "But that's far too long a story to tell out here."

With a laugh, Martin stood, shifting the letters clasped to his chest neatly into his paw as the pup in his other arm began to stir.

"I suppose me and the misses will have to have ye up fer tea sometime this week." Martin replied, handing off the stack of letters to the ewe. "And we do still owe ye a wedding present after all."

Dawn shook her head with a decisive 'no', letting out a soft chuckle. "Talk about owing, I still owe your mate a baby shower gift ."

Mr. Otterley rolled his eyes, the pup in his arm starting to whimper as the otter turned his attention back to gently bouncing it.

"Easy Shaun me boy, easy..." The mammal chuckled before glancing back at Dawn knowingly. "These pups are spoilt enough as it is, trust me! I can't put little Shaun here down for a second without him makin' a fuss!" Martin sighed, running a paw though his head fur. "He's more fussy than both his sisters combined!"

Dawn struggled to hold a hoof to her muzzle around the mound of mail in her arms in an effort to stifle a giggle. It was the best she could muster, but it did little to hide her smirk from the older otter.

Martin lowered his gaze at the ewe. "You laugh, me arms practically ready to fall off over here!" The otter said with a tired sigh.

Bringing his attention back to the small pup, the otter gently brought his other arm to rest underneath it, shifting from the more erratic bouncing motion to a gentle rocking as he regarded his pup with a warm smile.

"It's worth it though." The otter chuckled. "No doubt about it."

Dawn couldn't help but let out a soft 'aww' as she watched Martin attend to his fussy pup. Despite the tiredness in his eyes, she could see the gleam of love and adoration at the little barely furred bundle in his arms. Despite being unable to open his eyes, little Shaun seemed aware enough of his surroundings to effectively grasp his father's finger as Martin brought it close to the pup; the little mammal quickly drawing it into his mouth before he began to chew on it rather fruitlessly. Still, it seemed to be enough to appease the pup, as he let out a rather happy sounding 'coo' as he gummed it.

The sight alone was enough to stir in Dawn a fleeting vision of Vernon tending to an adopted pup or lamb of their very own. While Dawn found herself uncertain with the prospect of making a very good mother, in her mind Vernon was made to be a dad. It was easy to imagine him cuddling and nuzzling their pups regardless of how old they grew. To picture a little lamb swinging from his neck, or a little pup trying and failing to keep him from smothering it with kisses. And it was just as easy to imagine Vernon making their kids feel safe and protected, and knowing just when a situation called for him to be stern. Between Audrey and Dorian, Vernon had been given a head start in terms of the qualities one would think were perfect to raise a child. But where did a mammal from a miserably broken home like Dawn stand?

The ewe was quick to brush the thoughts aside as she turned her attention back to the letters still crammed into the mailbox. There was plenty of time to talk about pups and lambs, and the type of mother she might turn out to be. For the time being, the ewe was more than content to simply enjoy the fact that her and Vernon were together. Emotionally and legally.

Appraising the crumpled letters that lingered in the dim bronze chamber, the ewe let out a tired sigh before reaching a wary hoof inside.

"I think it's time I talked to Vernon about investing in a new P.O. Box, and possibly paying someone to screen our mail." Dawn shook her head. "If my book gets picked up, I can only assume we're going to get that much more mail, and the last thing we need is to end up getting a shrapnel bomb in the mail like what happened with Gazelle a few years ago."

"Oh aye, I remember that." The otter muttered. " The Gazelle Stalker. Grisly business that was."

"I'm just surprised her dancer lived through the explosion." Dawn muttered scraping the remaining letters into the pile clasped to her chest. "If he hadn't received it by mistake, and Gazelle had been the one to open it..." The ewe trailed off, shuddering at the grisly thought. She may not have been a 'Gazelle Head' like Judy, but the ewe was loath to wish death on any mammal aside from maybe Leodore Lionheart.

As the ewe pulled the last letter out of the box, a glimmer of gold caught her eye. There was a large seal emblazoned on the back of the envelope, one the ewe was rather familiar with, but hadn't expected to see so soon after sending out the final draft of her novel.

Dawn had nearly dropped the entire clump of letters she was holding on the ground as she fumbled to bring the business envelope up to her muzzle, inspecting it with a keen eye.

"Serval and Hoofster!" Dawn spat excitedly, the hoof holding the letter starting to tremble as nervous excitement began to take hold of her tiny frame.

"The publisher?" Martin asked, quirking a brow.

Dawn turned her attention to the otter, waiving the letter in her hoof as she spoke.

"I-It is!" Dawn chirped, biting her lip. "I sent them a c-copy of my book!"

Dawn was desperate to bite a hoof nail to ease her nerves, but even more desperate to open the letter now and find out just what they thought. While Serval and Hoofster hadn't been her first choice in publisher, it was still a largely recognizable and distinguished firm, and out of the four she had spoke to over the phone, they had been the only ones interested in taking a look at her draft.

"I have to go Mister Otterley! Have a good day! Bye!" Dawn said, flashing the mammal a nervous smile before turning on her heels and making a mad dash for the elevator. The faster the ewe had her hooves free, the faster she could find out just what decision the mammals at Serval and Hoofster had made.

"Dawn! Your key! Ya left yer mailbo-!"

The elevator doors had closed before the ewe even had time to register Martin's words, Dawn now bouncing on her heels impatiently as she watched the the numbers slowly shift from one to the next. Never had the ride up to the fourth floor felt so painfully long, and all the while the ewe's mind was in a haze, plagued with endless questions as to just what the letter actually contained. Did they like it? Did they hate it? Would they publish it or tell her to move on to another company? The ewe could feel each chamber in her stomachs twisting into individual knots as the elevator finally opened once more.

Without a moments' hesitation the ewe was barreling down the hall, all the while scrambling to keep the clump of letters pressed tightly to her chest while her eyes remained fixated on that golden seal: the ticket to her big break.

Stumbling to the front door, the ewe finally came to a an abrupt halt, and with a giddy hum allowed the rest of the mail to unceremoniously fall out of her arms and spill onto the floor of the apartment. With Serval and Hoofster's letter now clasped with both hooves, the ewe pushed the door behind her closed with her rump.

"Woah Floofs." Dawn looked up to find her mate eyeing her from the couch in the living room. The wolf's ears were standing at attention, his expression a mixture amusement and concern. "Where's the fire?"

She was running again, further scattering the crumpled pile of mail as she tore through it and straight into the living room, coming to a stop at her mates side. Dawn could barely compose herself as she jutted the letter toward the wolf so quickly it caused him to reflexively flinch.

"P-Puppy! Puppy!" Dawn stammered. "I-It's I mean-It-!"

"E-easy now Mutton Chop." Vernon replied, placing his paws out defensively. "Take a minute to breath. Get yer thoughts all lined up before ya tell me." The wolf chuckled.

Dawn tried to stand still, taking a long, deep draw of breath as she began the counting exercise she had learned from Dr. Gnu, but she only managed to make it to three before the building excitement and fear inside forced her to blurt out an awkward explanation.

"My book! Remember my book?!" Dawn spat excitedly, only for the smirk on her face to melt away as she realized just how silly what she had said must have sounded.

"Yes Honey Lamb." The wolf chuckled. "I remember yer book." Vernon pushed himself off the couch, allowing his legs to hang to the floor as he placed his paws on his knees. "If I recall y'all had me help write some of it." Vernon added with a smirk.

Dawn sighed, pressing the letter to her forehead in slight irritation at her own stupidity.

"Right..." Dawn muttered in a defeated tone. She hadn't even made it one sentence without making a fool of herself. "Of course you know about the book."

Vernon chuckled.

"What about it?" The wolf asked, leaning closer to inspect the letter still tightly clasped in the ewe's hoof. "Is this the fellas that were willing to take a look at it?"

Dawn nodded briskly, gulping sharply as she attempted to catch her breath.

A moment of silence passed between the two mammals. With nothing save for the ewe's withering pants and the faint sound of rain-forest fauna acting as the rooms ambient noise the two simply stared at one another.

"Are y'all gonna open it?" Vernon asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Dawn glanced at the letter in her hooves, the swirling torrent of thoughts assailing her mind and dragging her emotions in every direction now suddenly fixing on the actual source of all the excitement. Dawn had gotten herself so worked up over the letter even being here that she had nearly forgot about actually opening it.

But now that there was little more than a thin paper cover separating her from a possible fresh start career-wise, the nervous tension began to outweigh the excitement. The thoughts that had muddled her brain had quickly shifted entirely into the negative. And with it, the prospect of open the letter became less and less appealing.

"Oh, now what's wrong Honey Lamb?" Vernon's comment drew the ewe's attention back to him, his deep green eyes laced with concern as he placed a paw on her forearm. "Yer ears are all saggy, and yer frowning now."

Dawn reached up with a free hoof, running it over her muzzle and into the creases on either side of her frown. The muscles in her face felt so numb she had barely even felt her smile slip away.

"Y'all are lookin' paler than Trenny when he's sick." The wolf chuckled. "Where'd all that excitement run off to?"

Dawn glanced at her feet uneasily, rubbing one leg against the other as she squirmed in her stance.

"W-what if they didn't like it?" Dawn murmured. "W-what if they don't want to publish-?"

Dawn felt the wolf's paw nestle under her chin, slowly drawing her gaze up to meet his own.

"Then we'll find someone who will Lamb Fry." Vernon replied, flashing the ewe a comforting smile. "There are plenty more publishers out there."

"B-but.." Dawn's lip began to quiver. Part of her felt silly for getting this worked up about the possibility of being rejected. Her mate was right after all, there were more publishers. But the fact that this firm had been willing to read her book before deciding whether or not to make an offer on it made her all the more uneasy. To Dawn, what they had to say would actually reflect what they read, and if they had chosen to pass on it then the ewe could only assume it was her writing style that was at fault.

"And..." The wolf gently steered her chin back up, keeping the ewe from averting his gaze as he held up a claw. "All it takes is one publisher to make it a hit, and then all the big publishers will be banging yer door down to get their claws on it."

Dawn's irises fell back to the shining gold emblem sealing the letter, studying the logo as it glimmered in the mid-day sun light. The ewe bit her lip nervously.

"Honey Lamb..." Vernon cooed softly, placing a paw on her shoulder and squeezing it gently. "The longer y'all drag it out, the more agony yer puttin' yerself through fer no reason."

It was an expression Dawn had a feeling the wolf had picked up from his mother. Something about it made her picture it being said in the she-wolf's warm and familiar tone. But regardless of where it had come from, it didn't make it any less right. If she opened the letter to find the decided to pass on her novel, then she could mourn afterward, but if not, then it was rather pointless to preemptively mourn what could turn out to be a victory.

Dawn took in a slow drag of air, holding it for a few moments as she attempted to take a more serious stab at her breathing exercises. All the while the ewe kept her gaze fixed on her mate, his warm and comforting smile helping to stoke the rising courage within the ewe to simply tear the letter open and see what it said.

Dawn averted her gaze as she dug her hoof under the seal, the sound of shredding and tearing paper causing her to wince as she carefully dragged her hoof-nail across the length of the envelope. Flipping open the torn top of the letter, the ewe grasped it's contents between her fingers.

With another deep breath, the ewe slammed her eyes shut, holding her breath as she yanked the letter out of the envelope with far more force than was required. Holding the letter at arms length, the ewe's hoof began to tremble as she mustered the courage to open an eye.

"You can do it Darlin'." She could hear her mate coo softly.

Biting down hard on her lower lip, the ewe managed to force an eye open. Her lime colored orb scanning the header of the letter as it wavered in her trembling grasp.

"From the Desks of Cadence Serval and Arnold Hoofster

Dear Misses Hunter-Bellwether,

After having your manuscript reviewed by several of those on our staff, as

as well as Mrs. Serval and Mr. Hoofster personally, we are delighted to

inform you and your mate that your book proposal, tentatively titled 'Predator seeking Prey' has been accepted for publication by..."

The air left Dawn's lungs, and with it all the tension and nervousness that had been wracking the ewe up until that very moment, the moment her shimmering green irises scanned over the word 'accepted'.

"A-Accepted..." Dawn voice wavered as the grin returned to her muzzle.

Lowering the letter, she could see Vernon's own gleeful expression seemed to match, if not surpass, her own. The wolf's ears playfully skewed as he regarded her with awe.

"No!" Vernon said in clear mock surprise.

Dawn nodded briskly as tears began to spill from behind her lenses.

"They accepted it!" Dawn yelled excitedly. "T-They're going to publish it!"

The room was spinning; Dawn found herself suddenly aloft as her mate leapt from the couch and scooped her into his arms. For a moment they simply spun, the pair lost in a whirlwind of excitement as the wolf pulled her into a tight embrace. In response, Dawn threw her arms around the wolf's neck, squeezing her mate with as tight a hug as she could muster and burying her muzzle into the wolf's thick, luxurious pelt, before letting out a squeal of pure joy.

Over her own muffled squeals, the ewe could hear Vernon's own bellowing, celebratory howl ring out through the sleepy little apartment, and while the wolf had limited himself to two howls total, it didn't take long for the sound of muffled howling to begin filtering in from some of the other apartments.

Drawing back from her mate's embrace, the ewe placed her hooves on his shoulders as she smiled down at him with glee.

"We did it Puppy!" Dawn yelped. "We did it!!!"

Vernon flashed his fangs. " I knew you could do it Honey Lamb."

Turning his attention to the living room wall, the source of some of the loudest howls, Vernon placed a paw to the side of his muzzle.

"Y'all boys hear that!" Vernon announced loudly. "My mate's about to be a published author!"

"That's great Vern!" Came a somewhat muffled reply. "And thanks for getting Gary started by the way!"

Vernon winced, turning to his mate as he flashed the ewe a meek smirk. "Oops."

Dawn giggled softly before placing her arms around the wolf once more, flashing the wolf an amorous, half lidded gaze as she caressed the side of his muzzle with a hoof.

The wolf barely had time to react before Dawn had drawn him into a kiss so powerful that by the time the wolf had finally managed to draw free of her grasp, he was gasping for air.

"Sweet Sawgrass..." The wolf panted, running a paw though his head fur as he nuzzled Dawn's nose. "What 'ewe' do to me, I swear."

The wolf had made sure to emphasize the word 'ewe' before flashing the Dawn a cheesy grin.

"Oh hush." Dawn giggled, giving the wolf a playful swat with her hoof which only served to make the wolf laugh.

Adjusting his grip around the ewe, the wolf gestured over his shoulder.

"So what do we got to do?" Vernon asked, quirking a brow. "What's the next step?"

Following the wolf's gesture, the ewe's gaze returned to the letter still tightly gripped in her hoof. With a laugh, the ewe brought the letter back up to her eye line, carefully unfolding the rest of the page to read the whole letter.

"Let's see...hardcover, softcover, e-book..." The ewe murmured as she scanned the next few sentences.

"Ideally we would be looking at a November fifteenth release..." Dawn paused, lowering the letter and furrowing a brow at the wolf holding her aloft. "November fifteenth...?" The ewe murmured.

"Vernon..." Dawn shook her head. "T-That's barely a month away!"

Vernon lurched his head back slightly, raising his eyebrows. "A month?!" The wolf replied. "Do they usually publish books that fast?"

Returning her attention to the letter, the ewe continued to skim.

"It says it's unorthodox, but they also say they believe it has the potential to be a best-seller if it came out in time for Yule." Dawn's eyes were wide as saucers as her mind began to wander.

"Best seller?" Dawn murmured to herself. She hadn't even considered such a prospect. Pred-prey romance was a niche genre of literature after all, and Dawn had purposefully remained light on the details of her time working under Lionheart and the first Night Howler case mostly in part to keep the lion from writing a rebuttal in the form of his own biography. Dawn had anticipated a modest career at most with a core group of readers who related to what she wrote, and could maybe glean some sense of solidarity from her works. But just the possibility of the book becoming a best seller, against all odds was practically unfathomable.

"Can ya do it?" Vernon's question drew the ewe from her stupor.

"W-what?" Dawn replied.

"Can we get it out that quick?" Vernon added, his ears skewing inquisitively.

Dawn glanced back at the letter and continued to skim.

"It says they've already passed it through their editing department, and there was very little clean-up to be done...." The ewe murmured, her eyes scanning the most pertinent keywords to find what she was looking for as quickly as possible.

The ewe gasped, drawing the letter down sharply at she stared at her mate in shock.

"T-they want us to come in tomorrow to negotiate and sign the contract." Dawn muttered, placing a hoof to her brow to steady herself. "Lamb sakes..."

"Movin' faster than a cheetah on prom night." Vernon replied.

"I-I mean if they edited it..." Dawn murmured. "I-It's mostly ready to go."

Vernon smiled broadly, giving his mate a tender, albeit it shorter, kiss before gingerly lowering her to the ground.

"Teeth to Tails..." Vernon laughed. "Fast to tithe, fast to publish..." The wolf shook his head. "Maybe Gus ain't wrong about pups considerin' how quickly we're flyin' past these goal posts."

Dawn took a step away from the wolf, too lost in her own thoughts to really register the wolf's comment as she began to pace. The ewe scratched her head wool as she tried to run through the mental check-list of preparations that needed to be done in order to meet the date.

"I still need to pick a book cover design..." Dawn murmured. "Pick fonts maybe?" Dawn began to pace. "Oh, I'll h-have to write a bio for both of us..."

The ewe turned on her heels to face the wolf, placing a hoof to her forehead.

"We need good pictures for the book jacket!"

Vernon laughed. "We'll get 'em, we'll get 'em. Relax..." The wolf assured, turning his attention Dawn's work station. Dawn watched as the wolf squinted slightly, scratching his chin as he seemingly appraised the area.

"You aren't going to tell me my workspace is messy again are you?" Dawn asked with a dull chuckle.

"Nah, I already heard that_'organized chaos'_ cover story a million times." The wolf replied with a chuckle of his own before turning his attention back to the desk. Dawn watched as the wolf placed his arms out toward the computer, framing his paws in the air as though he was shooting a movie and trying to set the scene.

"I think the first thing we should worry about is where we're gonna fit that letter on yer ol' wall o' achievements."

Dawn blushed, shrinking into her shoulders bashfully.

"Veeernon..." The ewe cooed.

"I'm thinkin' right under the 'key to the city'..." The wolf continued, angling his paws carefully. "Right up next to our partnership license."

"T-that's our wall of achievements Puppy." The ewe corrected. "Our key...our license."

The wolf chuckled. "Well, either way, it needs a nice, proud placement." Glancing back Dawn's way, the wolf flashed her a smirk. "My Honey Lamb is forging a new career path fer herself, and that ain't no small feat. I want everyone who walks in to be able to see that."

"Vernon..." The ewe cooed, strolling over to her mate and wrapping her arms around his leg. As Dawn nuzzled into his hip; she felt the wolf's paw come to rest atop her woolly tuft of hair, tussling it gently.

Glancing up to her mate, the ewe flashed him a warm smile.

"Thank you..." Dawn murmured. "I couldn't have done this without you..."

Vernon placed a paw against her cheek, which the ewe proceeded to lean into, holding it with her hooves as she nuzzled into it affectionately.

"Nah..." Vernon replied. "You could have done it." The wolf sighed. "I'm just glad I got to be the one by yer side to see you do it."

Dawn scoffed, ready to rebuff her mates claim, but Vernon was quick to cut her off before the words had a chance to leave her muzzle.

"Before y'all get on me about bein' too selfless here, I'm admittin' ahead of time that I'm really looking forward to callin' all the folks and showing off what ya did." The wolf grinned. "I'm callin' every Hunter relative in my damn contacts list and tellin' them I'm tithed to a future famous author!"

Dawn let out a giggling snort, playfully pushing the wolf away as best she could before flashing him a look of mock surprise that barely hid her amusement.

"Ohh...Bad Puppy..." The ewe shook her head as she sarcastically scolded her mate.

The wolf chuckled, a mischievous gleam forming in his eye as he grinned down at the ewe.

"Ooh...Darlin', keep that kinda talk up and we'll have to move this party to the bedroom sooner rather than later." The wolf replied, bobbing his eyebrows impishly.

Dawn feigned a shocked gasp, but could barely hide her grin as she sidled up closer to her mate.

"You are awful!" The ewe laughed, playfully swatting the wolf with a hoof.

Vernon feigned a wince, shrinking slightly as he held his paws up in mock defense.

"Ah! Domestic abuse!" The wolf laughed, only to earn a another swat from his mate. The wolf's comment caused the ewe to puff her cheeks in irritation, letting out a huff as she gave the wolf another, firmer swat.

"That's not funny Puppy." The ewe whined.

Crouching to his mate's level, the wolf's struggled to shake off the last of his laughter, wiping a tear from his eye as he spoke.

"Alright, alright..." The wolf snickered. "Too far..."

Dawn crossed her arms, letting out an irritated huff while at the same time fighting to stifle a smirk.

"I tell ya what..." The wolf continued. "As punishment I'll get to scoopin' up the mail y'all left in front of the door, and you can get started on the calls."

Dawn was just shy of cracking out a laugh as she gave the wolf an affirmative nod of approval.

Before rising to his feet, the wolf booped the ewe on the tip of her snout, immediately breaking her facade and forcing a spat of giggling out of her as he made way across the room.

Taking her phone out of her pocket, the ewe began unlocking her home screen.

"Oh, I should call Judy first!" The ewe announced excitedly. "Her excited squeals would probably put my performance to shame."

"Wouldn't bet on it." She heard to wolf mutter with a gleeful chuckle. "How are they doin' anyway? They back in Zootopia yet?"

Dawn glanced over her shoulder toward her mate as she opened the contacts list.

"The text yesterday said they should be back sometime today." Dawn replied. "Of course Nick's still going to be in a cast until late November."

"Fallin' off a Ferris Wheel is bound to do that to ya." The wolf shook his head as he scooped some of the mail into his paws, clumping it into a fairly neat stack. "Not that I'd expect any less from some dumb fox." The wolf grumbled.

Pulling up the entry for 'Judy Hopps', the ewe hit the dial button.

"Oh Vernon, be nice." The eye replied, furrowing her brow at her mate. The wolf let out a soft grumble before shifting his attention back to the pile on the floor and changing the subject.

"He's gonna be off duty that long?" Vernon added, placing the stack of letters on the breakfast bar before crouching back to the floor.

The ewe shrugged. "I think Judy's going back tomorrow. I'll have to ask her about Nick."

"Imagine his boss won't like him bein' out fer that long..." Vernon muttered. "I ain't no psychic, but I think I see take home desk work in ol' Red's future." The wolf said with a chuckle.

"Bogo's not that cruel..." Dawn replied, waiving a dismissive hoof. "Well...not always." The ewe corrected herself, wincing slightly.

"Oh, we definitely need to send them a get well present!" Dawn added as the idea came to her, turning her attention back to her mate for a brief moment. "At the very least we should stop by when they get settled."

The wolf grumbled something that was barely audible, the only words that managed to stand out were something along the lines of 'Red' and_'dumb jokes'_, followed by a derisive snort.

Dawn giggled. "Oh hush Puppy."

The phone rang once, then again as Dawn waited. The ewe barely able to contain the building excitement as she awaited Judy's answer. But as the phone continued to ring, Dawn's enthusiasm began to wane, eventually leading the ewe to let out a disappointed sigh as she hit the doe's voice mail on the sixth ring. Placing her phone into sleep mode, the ewe turned to face her mate.

"Machine?" The wolf asked as he slapped the second stack of letters onto the breakfast bar.

The ewe let out a quiet huff.

"I don't want to leave a message..." The ewe muttered, twisting her foot into the carpet in disappointment. "I want to get her live reaction, you know?"

The wolf chuckled softly as he sidled around the breakfast bar, plopping down on a stool as he began to sift through the mail he had neatly stacked up.

"I know..." The wolf replied. With a ginger swat, the wolf tapped his paw against the nearest stool, gesturing his mate to join him. Dawn let out a small sigh before moseying up to the adjourning stool. As she began to clamber up the side of the stool frame, Vernon halted his sorting and offered a paw to help keep her steady as she made her way up to the seat. It took a few seconds to finally reach the 'summit', but soon enough Dawn had firmly planted herself by her mates side, the ewe leaning into him as she watched the wolf separate the bills from the fan mail.

"Wanna call my Ma?" Vernon asked. "I'm sure she and Pa would be over the moon to hear about the book." The wolf continued.

Dawn nuzzled softly into the wolf's sweater.

"I'm not sure if I should call them first or last..." The ewe muttered. "If we call any of your brothers first, they'll likely tell Audrey before I get to calling her." Dawn shrugged. "But it might have more 'oomph' if we saved the best for last." The ewe sighed.

"Not to mention Pa's probably at work about now..." Vernon added. "It's what, two in the afternoon?"

"Two-fourteen." The ewe corrected.

The wolf nodded, placing an arm around his mate and rubbing her upper arm affectionately.

"Even if it's a Friday, police work ain't exactly the kinda work ya'll can just cut out early on without advanced warnin'." The wolf sighed. "Not everyone has the benefit of havin' a paid internship that only has ya workin' three days a week."

The wolf let out a pleasant sigh. "Part of me will miss that if them folks at the city's architecture department decide to take me on full time."

"I suppose that means Zach and Vanna are out?" The ewe asked, glancing up at her mate with a frown as she balled some of the fabric of his sweater in her hooves.

"Suppose so." The wolf replied. "They're pa's right hand mammals. So they generally have the same shifts."

"And Wade..?" Dawn continued, running down the list of Hunters in her head.

"I think he may have moved to a night shift again..." The wolf mused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "But seein' as how Giz is a barista, and they don't live together, I don't think we got a good chance of catchin' 'em at the same time."

Dawn let out a defeated sigh, slumping deeper into the wolfs side in disappointment as Vernon continued to sort letters with his free arm.

"Same with Yuri and Ada." The wolf continued. "At least one of 'em is at work right now, I can guarantee it." The wolf stopped his sorting, gesturing a paw at nothing in particular as he continued to rattle off the list of remaining Hunters. "Xavier, Trenny..."

The wolf sighed "I figure just like Judy, ya wanna tell 'em all the news in sets." Vernon continued, running a paw through his head fur. "So even if Qali or Mal were off today..."

"Yeah..." The ewe replied, picking up on just where the wolf's statement was leading. It was frustrating to say the least. Dawn was bursting to tell the news to Vanna, let alone the rest of the Hunters she had grown so attached to in such a short time.

Whereas telling Judy the news would have most likely gone relatively quickly with how busy the rabbit always seemed to be,with Vanna Dawn had expected the call to last an hour or maybe more depending on just how side tracked they grew in all the excitement. Since the wedding, Vanna was first and foremost the sister-in-law she called to simply 'girl out', as it were. To catch up on what was happening in their lives, the local goings on, and keeping each-other up to date on Suri Nick's tour page, waiting patiently for the day 'Zootopia' would be added to the list of venues so they could reserve front row seats for the four of them. Of course, the announcement that her book was being published seemed like the perfect excuse to visit her favorite sister-in-law, along with mister misses Hunter to celebrate over a dinner. But with her and Zach on duty, even if the ewe could get a hold of her, she would be forced to keep the call brief and to the point. And with news this big sitting in the ewe's lap, she knew such a call would be impossible for her to keep short.

From there the diminishing list of family left to call only made the ewe that much more discouraged. She did want to tell her sister-in-laws the good news along side their mates, even if she assumed the Hunter girls would be the more enthused of the lot. Qali alone would probably hit the ceiling with excitement before asking exactly what it means to be published. Giselle would probably hit the ceiling too, but it wasn't exactly hard for the giraffe to do so considering her apartment had low ceilings to begin with. And Malcolm, being at work, would probably go as far as to offer free pie slices or something along the like to the patrons currently at his restaurant. But the nagging knowledge that chances were high that everyone would be far too busy to take the call, or give it the amount of time the ewe hoped for continued to dash Dawn's visions.

Vernon was right, it was Friday after all. The day which heralded the weekend and the notion relaxation. But it was also one of the busier days of the week for that very reason, especially for mammals in the service industry like Malcolm who was probably elbow deep in batter at this very moment. And from her previous conversations with Qali she could only assume the little vixen was out trimming trees with her father and sister by now, getting them ready for harvest in November. Then there was Ada...

Dawn turned her attention to the strange tribal looking bracelet her mate was wearing on the wrist opposite his tithe-mark. She had thought it strange Vernon had even brought up Yuri when discussing mammals to share the news with, nearly forgetting what the wolf had told her about the strange gift, and Yuri's attempt to start mending the fences between them. In truth, the lamb was a bit dubious that such a plan could ever hope to work considering how she had seen Yuri behave, but Vernon seemed to believe in it. Perhaps due to his 'everyone deserves a second chance' creed he liked to live by. It had been true in her case after all, hadn't it? And at the very least it meant the ewe stood a chance of seeing her second favorite sister-in-law more often than just reunions.

Throwing another bill on the significantly smaller stack, Vernon glanced down at his mate, offering her a playful smirk.

"Ully's probably not doin' nothin'." Vernon chuckled.

The ewe rolled her eyes.

"He's last." Dawn decided. "Yep, I've decided, he's last."

Vernon snickered in response as the ewe continued to toy with the hem of his sweater with her hooves, tilting her head curiously and flashing him a pleading expression. "Actually....do we even have to tell him at all?"

"Do y'all want to be open and honest?" The wolf quirked a brow. "Or would you rather he find out on his own and see how that goes?"

Dawn winced, her head drooping slightly as she gave her mate a weak and defeated nod in agreement. As with the letter regarding whether or not her book was to be published, it was best to pull of the Ulric band-aid in one swift motion rather then try to delay it by simply not telling him. One prolonged, accusatory phone call was probably better than the wolf blowing up his brother's cell phone for days on end.

Dawn sighed as she turned her attention back to her phone, idly scrolling through her contacts list for a few moments as she considered which of her friends should be the first to hear the news.

"Oh, duh." The wolf chuckled, slapping his head with a paw as if whatever had just come to him had seemed elementary. "You should call-."

The wolf paused, stopping mid-sort as he began to inspect the letter in his paws. Dawn watched his deep forest green eyes shrink as his eyelids tightened around them, his irises intensely scanning to envelope for a few moments before turning his attention back to the ewe and quirking a brow.

"Hey Hon?" The wolf asked. "What was that er...fella's name who was with my ex-girlfriend at the fair? The fancy, all trussed up fella?"

Dawn blinked a few times in surprise, the question seeming bizarre, almost out of nowhere.

"Uh...Kendrick Loupon." Dawn replied, tilting her head in confusion. "The Assistant Representative of the North Meadowlands, remember?"

Vernon bit his lip as an uneasy expression crossed his muzzle, the wolf's eyes shifting back to the letter in his paws.

"What is it Puppy?" The ewe asked.

The wolf rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, averting his gaze from the ewe as he spoke.

"I-I'm purty sure this letter is from him." The wolf replied.

Dawn grimaced slightly as she eyed the letter in the wolf's paws, hesitating for a moment before taking it into her hooves. Scanning the return address proved the letter had indeed come from the Ken's office. It bore the official government seal from the district, distinct with it's own special imprint bearing the wolf's name and position, but confirming it with her own eyes only managed to baffle the ewe that much more. After how events had played out at the Harvest Festival, and the sizable scene the wolf and his mate had been at the center of, she could scarcely conceive of a reason the wolf would have for contacting the couple.

Unlike the letter from her publisher, the ewe opened this letter with much less anticipation and fanfare, making quick work of the envelope with her hoof before slipping the letter out. Gently the ewe opened the neatly folded letter, gesturing to her mate with a nod to lean in and read over her shoulder as she held the paper in a way that made it easily visible to both of them.

Dear mister and misses Hunter-Bellwether.

I would like to start this letter by profusely apologizing for my behavior at the harvest festival two weeks ago. I'm not sure any amount of apologizing on paper will truly encapsulate just how regretful and ashamed of my behavior I am, but it felt even more inappropriate to try and call or visit your residence despite my intentions. Call it an abuse of power, but to be honest I fear I was more afraid that should I have attempted any other methods, you both may not have been willing to even hear me out this far along.'

"Got that right." Vernon said, letting out a derisive snort. Clearly the wolf had been reading along about as quickly as Dawn had been.

Grabbing the letter with a paw, Vernon tugged on it gently as he glanced down at Dawn. The wolf expression a mixture of annoyance and ire.

"I think we should just toss it right now." The wolf said, giving the letter another gentle tug. "That's as much as that smug _'native'_politician deserves."

Dawn frowned, pulling the letter free of Vernon's paws.

"Vernon, that's our hate mail policy." Dawn replied. "So far I haven't read any hateful remarks and we are several sentences in."

Vernon drew back slightly, crossing his arms and turning his snout up at the letter.

"I ain't never met a native wolf that grew out of the belief system." The wolf retorted. "And any mammal dumb enough to hitch himself up to Ana at his age-."

"Aren't you the same mammal who told me 'everyone deserves a second chance, especially if they are trying?'" Dawn cut the wolf off, placing a hoof on her hips and cocking her stance in the chair. Her muzzle turned up in a knowing smirk.

Vernon's expression faltered slightly, his ears skewing at two different angles as a look of mild surprise overtook his features.

"W-well..." Vernon stumbled. "I-I mean..."

"Ruddy was a part of that too, and look at what he did for us." Dawn continued, holding up a finger as to emphasize her point.

With a defeated sigh, the wolfs slumped in his seat, his ears sagging sharply as he regarded his mate.

"I know, I know..." The wolf muttered. "Yer right..."

Bracing his neck with a paw, the wolf turned his snout up toward the ceiling.

"It's just after how Ana was threatinin' us, I mean..." The wolf shook his head. "I just figured this is some fake olive branch er somethin', and he's buried threats of a lawsuit in there behind his pretend flowery words."

Dawn rolled her eyes, letting out a soft chuckle.

"Well..." Dawn replied. "The only way we are going to find that out is by reading on." The ewe raised a hoof, idly waving it in a small circles. "So far all he's done is apologize."

With a another sigh, the wolf leaned his elbows on the counter, reluctantly turning his attention back to the letter as the ewe held it steady once more, Dawn slumping back into the wolf's side as she continued to read.

'I would apologize for Ana's sake as well, had we not decided to separate shortly after the incident.'

"Well I'll be..." Vernon muttered, letting out a soft chuckle.

Dawn pat the wolf on his arm affectionately.

"I don't think any case Ana could try and make for herself would have a chance of standing up in court without any help from Loupon." The ewe said with a snicker.

"Provided he's tellin' the truth." Vernon mumbled.

The ewe gave her mate a playful swat with her hoof.

"Oh Hush!" The ewe chided.

'The break up was not on good terms. Not in the slightest.

I will keep it brief by saying that it had absolutely everything to do with her childish behavior at the fair, and her inability to admit she was wrong.

Of course, this does not excuse my inaction by letting her lead that mob,and failing to intercede. But if I'm being honest, for all the claims by Ana of me being 'alpha materiel', In actuality, I've lead the life of a meek, timid wolf, one often so afraid of being pulled into confrontation that I let others speak on my behalf regardless whether I truly agree or not with what comes out of their mouths. And I think that Mister Hunter-Bellwether knows just how a mammal like Ana can take advantage of such traits.'

The ewe could here her mate let out a soft, muttering whine. It was a sound of discomfort, almost as if he had recalled something particular painful.

'That said, I wish to congratulate you both on your tithe. Forgive me, I don't know how personal you want to keep that information, but I had seen Mister Ruddy officiate the license the day after he had apparently been at the ceremony, and I would be remiss not to wish you all the best. I don't believe it could happen to a nicer couple, or a more respected ewe.'

"Respected huh?" Dawn murmured. "I suppose he was just as moved by the 'Last Night Case' as everyone else."

Vernon tightened his grip around the ewe, pulling her in for a side hug.

"Well, it's not every day a mammal literally tried to sacrifice herself to save a city of fifteen-million plus mammals." The wolf replied with a chuckle. "Who wouldn't be impressed by that?"

The ewe let out a soft giggle, nuzzling against the wolf's side.

"Still, if I didn't have that I'd be just as hated as before." Dawn murmured.

Dawn felt herself being drawn back from the wolf's side, her mate placing a paw on her shoulder as he looked down to meet her gaze, his forest green eyes filled with affection.

"Ya already had my heart Darlin'." The wolf shook his head. "Far as I'm concerned that little stunt of yers was just proof of what I've seen in ya since day one." The wolf smiled warmly. "This here is one mammal ya earned the love of without needin' to do anythin' but be you."

Dawn placed the letter down on the counter before wrapping her arms around the wolf's torso, burying her face in his side as she gave him the tightest hug she could muster. The wolf reacted quickly, squeezing the ewe in a hug that matched her own in vigor and enthusiasm as she felt the wolf's lips press down through her woolly poof and place a tender kiss atop her head.

Drawing back, the ewe lifted her lenses as she lamely swabbed at her eyes with her forearm.

"Oh Puppy stop." The ewe sniffled. "You're going to make me cry."

The wolf chuckled. "Sorry Darlin'..." Vernon replied, rolling his eyes slightly as though he were mulling things over. "Although you do look purty when you cry."

"O-Oh stop." The ewe rebutted, wafting a hoof at her eyes in an effort to stem the tears as she grasped the letter with the other. "L-let's get back to the letter..."

The wolf nodded.

'I must confess, as stated at the fair i was quite enamored with your career as a politician before the...'incident', and I would feel remiss to pass up the chance to expound on it without Ana talking over me. It is a shame so much of your diligent work for Zootopia went unnoticed and un-credited considering it was no secret among political circles that Lionheart was little more than a pretty face. While studying for my own political degree, I watched your role in his campaign, as well as the debates that you were a part of, and was quite impressed. And...well, I would be lying if I said I didn't end up developing a bit of a...crush on you.'

"A crush?" Dawn murmured, a slight blush forming on her muzzle as she re-read the sentence.

"A crush huh?" Vernon growled. Dawn could feel the wolf's arm wrap around her once again, this time a clearly possessive gesture as the wolf sneered at the letter. "I mean the fella seems to have some taste...but..."

Dawn let out a giggle.

"Oh Puppy stop." The ewe murmured, giving the wolf's paw a rub. Still, the wolf's brow remained furrowed, which only prompted the ewe to reach out and pull his left paw over to her side of the counter. The ewe gingerly flipped it over, revealing the wolf's crimson 'tithing' mark before turning her right hoof over next to it to display the same.

"We're tithed, see?" The ewe chuckled before slipping her marked hoof gingerly on top of his matching paw, completing the moon between them. "I'm not going anywhere."

The wolf let out a soft huff. "I -I know..." Vernon winced slightly. "H-he just better not try anything if I ever..."

The ewe laughed that much harder, gingerly patting the wolf's paw with her hoof.

"Ooh...Possessive Puppy." The ewe cooed, fluttering her eyelids suggestively at the wolf. "I kinda like it."

Vernon quirked a brow, his expression a mixture of concern and confusion as his ears sagged.

"I-..." The wolf uttered.." Really?"

Dawn smirked. "It's kinda hot..."

All hints of the wolf's previous sour expressions dissolved as a beaming smile over took his muzzle, and his tail became a blur as it wagged frantically against the seat, which only made the ewe giggle that much harder.

"O-Oh don't tease me like this Floof's..." The wolf whined, the hint of a blush forming on his muzzle. "At this rate we ain't gonna be making any calls till tomorrow!"

The ewe flicked her hoof at the wolf playfully.

"Okay, okay..." The ewe cooed. "No more flirting until we finish the letter, we're on the last page anyway."

Vernon nodded briskly, his tail continuing to wag against the seat as though it were keeping rhythm for a band.

'I guess, I've always sort of harbored feelings for....carpid folks if I'm being honest. It was just something I tried to suppress, to bury deep down because it conflicted with my family roots, and my future goals, at least I thought so. But watching Mister Hunter-Bellwether stand up for the both of you, to proudly announce to the world his unabashed love for you regardless of species, well...it made me reflect on those old dormant feelings and gave me the courage to explore them.

And so, it may surprise to learn that I am in fact currently seeing a ewe. Granted we've only been an official couple for about a week, but it already feels like we've known each other forever.'

Dawn placed a hoof to her muzzle in an effort to stifle a gasp.

"Wait? Really?" The wolf muttered, clasping the edge of the letter with his paw as he leaned in to inspect it. "Loupon's crossin'?"

"T-that's what it says." The ewe uttered in mild surprise.

'I realize this might jeopardize my position depending on how this information plays with my constituents, but in all honesty, I really can't find it in me to care. It's such a relief to just...let it go. To embrace my feelings and see where the road takes me. I'll tell you dating a mammal like Claire is probably the first time I've felt 'happy' in a relationship, even if it is a tentative one.

And so from myself, and my mate Claire Chilver, we wish you all the best. And the next time you visit the Meadowlands, I hope we can meet for tea some time and really patch things up.

Hopefully your friend,

Kendrick Loupon,

Assistant Representative to the North Meadowlands'

"Wow..." Dawn murmured. "I-mean..."

Turning to her mate, the ewe rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"I-I don't even know how to take that..."

The apology was surprising enough, but the fact that Loupon had admitted that her and Vernon had inspired the wolf to actually date outside his species had blown her away. The ewe was fairly new to the_'crosser'_ life, her feelings for Vernon being the first of their kind for a mammal outside her species. But here was a mammal like Loupon admitting to having been struggling with long term feelings of attraction and desire toward those outside his species, let alone a prey mammal, for years. The idea was something she had only scratched the surface of in her writings; those mammals out there who lived in a quiet sort of misery as they forced themselves to suppress those feelings and live a 'normal' life. But, Loupon was the first mammal who had actually told her about dealing with such an issue to any degree.

With all the fan mail the ewe had received, most of those inquiring about life as a cross species dater, or being a pred/prey couple had come from those already established. Those mammals who partook in such a relationship but were hiding it from family and friends, or the public at large. But Loupon's admission had the wheels turning in her mind; a quiet realization dawning on her as she scratched her chin thoughtfully.

Just how many mammals were hiding? How many thought they were alone in their feelings, or are just to afraid to simply indulge them? Would her book serve to help them too? She could only hope. By Loupon's own words he was _'happy'_for the first time in a long time, and perhaps her book would not only give courage to those in inter/crosser relationships to step out of the shadows, but maybe give those mammals hiding alone the courage to seek out others like them. To find that same happiness that Loupon had found, and that she had found in Vernon.

"Clair Chilver?" Vernon muttered, drawing the ewe from her thoughts.

"What?" Dawn muttered, inspecting the name in the letter once more curiously.

"Claire Chilver..." The wolf scratched his chin. "Not our Claire Chilver?"

Dawn tilted her head curiously as she regarded her mate.

"_'Our'_Claire Chilver?' The ewe questioned, quirking a curious brow.

Turning his attention to his mate, the wolf scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Back in high school there was this ewe that was part of our friend group with the same name." The wolf muttered. "We were all real tight, she even dated Gus fer a bit."

"Oh?" The ewe added. She was starting to recall something regarding the name as well. She had definitely heard of her at least once before.

"Wait..." Dawn recalled. "Is this the ewe that basically stopped talking to everyone in your B&B group a few months back?"

Vernon nodded briskly.

"Granted she was still livin' in the Meadowlands, but she kept in touch on Furbook." Vernon ran a paw through the tuft of fur on his head. "Talked to me more than Gus." The wolf shrugged. "Least till she decided to block me."

"Messaged you a lot huh?" The ewe muttered, eyeing the wolf suspiciously.

Vernon laughed. "Hey now Floofs, it wasn't like that." The wolf shook his head dismissively. "I told y'all, you're the first and only ewe I've ever been attracted to."

Dawn scratched her chin thoughtfully.

"That doesn't mean she wasn't harboring feeling for you though, does it?" Dawn asked.

The wolf scoffed. "Who, Claire? Pft..." The wolf waived a paw in the air dismissively. "No way. I woulda' been able to tell."

Dawn crossed her arms, flashing the wolf a smirk.

"If I recall, you told me Gus had told you that there were a bunch of ewe's in high-school begging for your 'attention'." The ewe chuckled. "And you admitted you were oblivious to all of it."

Vernon rubbed the back of his neck, an uneasy expression lacing his features.

"Y-Yeah but I mea..." The wolf's eyes became focused on the counter top in such a way that told the ewe the gears in his head were starting to turn.

"They called you _'Sheep dog'_Vernon." Dawn added.

"Yeah but it's because I had so many caprid friends, not cause-!" The wolf stopped himself, placing a paw to his muzzle as he seemed to return to his thoughts. The ewe shook her head dismissively.

"When did you put the fact that you were in a relationship with me on your Furbook Vernon?" Dawn asked, the ewe now almost one-hundred percent sure the theory she was building was correct.

Vernon rubbed the back of his neck, that uneasy expression returning as the wolf now seemed reluctant to answer.

"I-Er..." The wolf muttered. "Around the time Claire blocked me..."

Dawn rolled her eyes. There was no need to say what she could only assumed had happened with Claire, she could see in the wolf's eyes that he was quickly coming to the same realization.

"Damn..." Vernon muttered. "I guess wolves are as dumb as they say." The wolf chuckled weakly.

Dawn giggled, giving the wolf a reassuring pat on the knee.

"You aren't dumb." The ewe chided.

The wolf's ears dipped sharply, a sorrowful look overtaking his features as he glanced down at the floor.

"I feel awful..." Vernon whined. "I mean, the feelin's weren't mutual but she must'a felt terrible tryin' to get my attention over and over again and failin'." The wolf shook his head.

"Vernon." The ewe cooed softly.

"Is that why she dated Gus?" Vernon asked, seemingly to himself. "Was she tryin' to get closer to me?"

"Puppy Love." The ewe finally had the wolf's attention, rubbing his knee affectionately as she looked up into his deep green eyes.

"She's okay now." Dawn replied, nodding in the direction of Loupon's letter. "She's with Ken, and from what he said they are happy."

The wolf whined softly.

"I-I know..." Vernon muttered. "I-I just feel guilty."

The ewe shook her head.

"Hey, if we ever meet them for tea, you can apologize." Dawn added.

The statement seemed to earn a weak smile from the wolf, his tail wagging lamely as he eyed his mate hopefully.

"Really?" Vernon asked.

"Of course." Dawn replied, patting the wolf's knee playfully before drawing her hoof back. "Just don't get to close to her now." The ewe chuckled, flipping her right hoof palm side up and displaying it once more to the wolf. "Remember which ewe you're tithed to."

Vernon chuckled, the wolf rolling his eyes in response.

"Now who's bein' possessive?" The wolf snickered.

Dawn crossed her arms, flashing the wolf a smug grin.

"You know it's cute when I do it." The ewe retorted.

Vernon rolled his eyes, seemingly mulling over what he was going to say in his head.

"Somewhere between cute and sexy I'd argue..." The wolf chuckled. "But it is harder to take you seriously Misses Hunter-Bellwether."

"Oh-ho-ho?" The ewe smirked, placing a hoof on her hip. "Do I need to get the leash and collar out of the bedroom drawer and remind you who you belong to Mister Hunter-Bellwether?"

Vernon let out a playful growl, before suddenly lurching forward and scooping the ewe into his arms, smattering her in a playful flurry of kisses as she giggled and flailed in an attempt to resist.

"Ooh you know just how to bring out the 'alpha' in me." The wolf growled playfully. "The calls can wait, we're headin' to be right now!"

"V-Vernon, n-no!" The ewe let out a giggling snort as the wolf continued to kiss her. "N-not yet! C'mon."

The wolf chuckled before burying his snout in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply before drawing back, throwing the ewe a mischievous glance.

"You say 'no', but them pheromones are screamin' 'yes'!"

Dawn rolled her eyes before clasping her hooves around the wolf's muzzle, effectively silencing the wolf and stymieing his efforts to kiss her.

"Oh, c'mere my big, fluffy Sheep Dog."

With that, the ewe drew him in for a powerful passionate kiss, one that demanded the playful dancing of tongues the moment their muzzles touched. Dawn could feel the fire inside begin to roar as she drank deeply of her mate, caressing his cheek and holding him tightly to her muzzle with her other hoof.

However, the passionate, frenzied kiss was short lived as the familiar sound of Vernon's ring tone began to rise from somewhere on his body. The wolf seemed rather keen to ignore it, but despite her great reluctance, the ewe managed to break the kiss.

"They'll call back." The wolf was quick to spit out, running his tongue along his muzzle.

"Vernon." The ewe shook her head, patting the side of the wolf's muzzle affectionately. "Who calls these days unless it's important? They'd text otherwise."

Vernon scoffed. "Telemarketers!"

The ewe rolled her eyes.

"Vernon you have a private number." Dawn retorted.

"Still..."

Dawn merely furrowed her brow at the wolf, her less than intimating glare she had tried to crib from Audrey at least managing to put an end to her mate's protest as the wolf let out a tired sigh.

Placing the ewe back on her stool, the wolf scooped his phone at of his pocket, answering it without even looking at the screen.

"This better be-"

The wolf immediately pulled the phone away from his face as a loud howl emanated through the speakers. It was a call so loud that Dawn could easily hear it despite the volume, and apparently so could the neighbors as the wolves next store started up again.

"C'mon Vern!" Came the muffled cry through the wall. "Damnit Gary!"

"Sorry, sorry!' The wolf announced before shifting his attention back to the phone. Vernon briefly scanned the face before a look of confusion overtook his features.

"Ma?" Vernon asked.

"Audrey?" The ewe quirked a brow. The fact that she had opened with a howl showed the she-wolf was clearly excited, but that lead the ewe to question why. Was Audrey so good at reading mammals that she had become somehow psychic, and divined that Dawn had landed her book deal from across the county?

"Get Dawn in the room and turn on muzzle time!" Audrey chirped through the phone. "Iv'e got a surprise fer y'all!"

"I'm here Misses Hunter" Dawn replied as her mate took his place back at the stool next to her. Lowering the phone to the counter, the wolf held it far enough out so both of them could easily see the screen. Hitting the muzzletime button, the camera connected on Vernon's end, however Audrey's screen remained black.

"Dori, how in the-sweet sawgrass." The she-wolf cursed. "What button was it?"

From the other end, Dawn could hear Dorian groan, and after a few moments both wolves were finally on screen revealing a very tired looking Dorian with an arm around a positively beaming Audrey. Both wolves flashed the couple a smile.

"Howdy you too!" Audrey practically sang.

"Hi mom and dad." Dawn replied, offering a weak wave amidst her confusion and excitement.

"Pa, yer home?" Vernon asked.

"I took the day off to take yer mom out to the docs." Dorian replied.

"Don't spoil it!" Audrey snapped, giving the wolf a playful swat.

"Spoil what?" Dawn asked, leaning in closer to the phone.

"The doctors?" Vernon asked. "Is everythin' alright?"

Audrey nodded so briskly her head looked like little more of a blur as the connection struggled to keep up with the speed.

"Everythin' is great!" Audrey replied cheerily. "Heck it's more than great! It's a miracle!"

Vernon scrunched is muzzle in confusion.

"A miracle?" The wolf repeated. "Ma, what's goin' on exactly?"

Audrey turned to her mate, the wolf quirking a brow.

"Should I tell them?" Audrey asked.

"That's why we called." Dorian shook his head.

"Noooo!" The she-wolf replied sarcastically. "I mean should I tell them, or do you want to?"

Dorian scratched his chin. "I think you should tell 'em."

Audrey lolled her head indecisively. "But it might be more fun if you do it."

"It's your surprise." Dorian replied.

"Our surprise!" Audrey corrected, giving her mate a tap on the nose. " Which is why I-!"

"Could someone just tell us somethin' already?" Vernon cut the wolfess off.

Dawn had expected Audrey to flash Vernon a glare for his retort, but the she-wolf simply looked at her mate, tilting her head curiously.

"Together?" Audrey asked.

Dorian sighed. "Count of three?"

Audrey nodded briskly.

"One..." Audrey said.

"Two..." Dorian added, building the anticipation.

"We're expecting!" The two wolves announced, Dorian pulling Audrey into a tighter hug and kissing the top of her head before relaxing the hug.

Dawn placed her hooves to her muzzle in surprise. But for Vernon it seemed to take a little longer for the expression to click.

"Expectin' what?" Vernon muttered, drawing the ewe's attention. Dawn looked up to her mate in disbelief, which only drew an expression of confusion from the wolf. Vernon looked as though he was about to ask the ewe 'what?' when the realization seemed to dawn on him, his eyes growing wide in shock as he suddenly snapped his attention back on the phone.

"Wait!? Y-Y'all mean!?" Vernon stammered. "I-Is Ma on the nest?"

Audrey nodded excitedly ,flashing the couple and ear to ear smile.

"I'm pregnant!" The she-wolf replied before breaking into a squeal of joy, one that Dawn couldn't help but join in on as both Vernon and Dorian's ears flattened in response.

"I can't believe that!" Dawn spat excitedly.

"I can't believe it either!" Vernon replied, running a paw through his head fur. "A-aren't y'all too...er...?"

"Old?" Audrey asked, the hint of a glare permeating her expression as she eyed Vernon. Dawn watched as her mate seemed to shrink in response.

"I mean...y'know...?" Vernon muttered. "Pup-bearin' wise?"

"I thought so too!" Audrey chirped, wrapping an arm around Dorian and squeezing him tightly. "But it turns out there was a few good eggs left in yer Ma's den!"

Dawn could see Vernon cringe visibly at the comment, but it wasn't enough to stop Dawn from asking a question that was sure to make her mate feel that much more uncomfortable.

"How?!" Dawn had simply blurted it out without even thinking, which earned a wide-eyed glare from her mate.

Audrey chuckled.

"Well, after the weddin' wrapped up, and all yer brothers and sisters went home, well..." Audrey blushed slightly. "Me and yer Pa got to mendin' thangs." Audrey gave Dawn a sly wink. "I mean, really got down to mendin' thangs."

"Ugh.." Vernon murmured.

"Multiple times." Dorian added. "All over the house, includin'-"

"By the gods Pa stop!" Vernon pleaded, the wolf bringing his finger to hover directly over the disconnect button. "Don't make me have to hang up!"

Dorian and Audrey shared a knowing laugh.

"Alright, alright..." Audrey cooed. "The no details deal goes both ways, I remember." The she-wolf chuckled. "I just figured me and yer pa would get a little revenge fer yer antics in the cornfield."

Both Vernon and Dawn blushed sharply, the two mammals briefly making eye contact before averting their gazes bashfully.

"Incidentally, we did do it in the cornfield." Dorian added.

"Oh gods, I'm hanging up!" Vernon snapped.

"Wait, wait!" Audrey held up her paws defensively, stopping Vernon just shy of hitting the button.

"We weren't gonna be long anyway, we got the rest of the pups to tell." Dorian spoke, running a paw through his silvery mane of head fur. "But before we let ya go, we should tell ya it's triplets." Dorian smirked. "All girls."

"Girls?" Vernon muttered. "Y-y'all mean I'm gonna have sisters?"

Audrey cocked a brow. "Well, y'all already have sisters." The she-wolf replied, cocking a brow. "Better to think of it as gettin' to be a big brother as not to offend yer sister-in-laws."

"Big brother?" Vernon murmured softly. "I ain't barely been a mammals big brother before."

Dawn quirked a brow. "What about Trenton and Ulric?" Dawn asked.

"Well, I mean if y'all count older by minutes." The wolf replied, shaking his head. "But I mean, I was the smallest remember? Weren't no one in the family small enough to look up to the runt of the litter."

Dawn chuckled softly, grasping the wolf's paw and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"That means y'all get to be a big sister too Dawn!" Audrey added, flashing the ewe a warm smile.

"A big sister?" Dawn felt a warm smile crawl across her muzzle as she mulled over Audrey's words. While Vernon had never gotten to opportunity to be some in his families big brother, at least the wolf had brothers. Dawn had grown up with no other siblings, and so the thought of any mammal looking up to her as part of there family was an alien concept, but a welcome one.

"I can't wait to have y'all back up for the shower!" Audrey let out another excited squeal, pumping her fists in the air and displacing her mate in the process. Dorian nearly tumbled off the couch, the camera shaking and stuttering as the wolf clambered to steady himself. "It's gonna be a hoot!"

As the camera grew steady again, Dorian sidled up back next to his wife, the wolf letting out a relieved sigh.

"How d'y'all know it's gonna be girls?" Vernon asked, quirking a brow. "Isn't it a little early to tell?"

Audrey lowered her gaze at her son. "A mother always knows."

Dorian chuckled. "Mother's intuition is the one thing that puts the 'Hunter Family' intuition to shame."

"Welp, we'll let you go." Audrey said, wrapping her arm around her mate once again and kissing him on the cheek. "We got more calls to make, and we're sure y'all got things to do so-"

"Wait!" Dawn blurted out, suddenly remembering her own small victory in the wake of all the she-wolf's excitement. "Vernon and I have something to tell you too!"

Audrey crooked her head, her ears lolling at skewed angles as she regarded the ewe.

"Oh ya do?" Audrey asked. "What is it?"

"Wait a minute!" The she-wolf suddenly snapped to attention, her curious expression gone in a flash, over taken by an even wider, beaming smile.

"Don't tell me you two are already fixin' to adopt are ya!?" Audrey seemed to practically swoon as she spoke, clasping her paws together almost as if she were praying. "Oh sweet Freyja, I don't think my heart could stand so much joyful news at once!"

Dawn blushed sharply, exchanging a rather bashful, timid expression with her mate. For the second time today the ewe's mind had shifted back to the idea of Vernon as a father, and her uncertainty as a mother. But in Vernon's case, while the wolf was wearing a bit of a blush himself, his smile was warm and inviting as he took the ewe's tithing hoof, gently clasping it in his own as he gently stroked the top of it with his thumb. The adoration in his eyes, the warmth in his smile, it was more than clear the wolf was happy with the idea. And that same feeling of confidence quickly began to spill into the ewe, slowly, but surely, silencing those lingering fears of what kind of parent she might make.

She and Vernon had each other, even before the tithe. They were a team, and together they had braced themselves for whatever life could throw at them. But glancing back to the face of Vernon's phone, and the older wolves smiling back at them, Dawn realized she had so much more now. No longer did Dawn have just Vernon in her corner to rally her onward, and to turn to when the chips were down. But she had the entire Hunter family; her family.

Audrey, a mother who's sweetness rivaled her own mothers. Dorian, the father she never had. Vanna, her best girlfriend, Qali and her boundless enthusiasm, Ada and her snark, and her other sisters. Her countless brothers, even the likes of the less than pleasant Yuri and Ulric. For better or worse they became her pack from the moment she had officially became a Hunter. And with her family by her side, she could surely rise to the challenge of motherhood when she and Vernon were ready to adopt.

Turning his attention back to the phone, the wolf offered his mother a soft smile.

"Not yet ma, but soon." The wolf replied.

"We promise" Dawn added, squeezing Vernon's paw affectionately, once again making the two half moons whole.