Swiftcurrent Creek Coast is clear

I always thought the same thing, haha.

Fox cut off mid-sentence and Peregrine experienced a split second of total confusion. He saw her looking at something and began to turn even as the loud cry of, "Dad!" reached his ears. Now he veritably whipped around, his lips parting in utter surprise when Tytonidae came barreling toward him. He froze, gaping at the pup and trying to sort through the half dozen emotions (surprise, anger and frustration, to name a few) swirling inside him at his young daughter's abrupt arrival. He only snapped out of it when she began to growl at Fox.

Although the sassy Alpha female took it in stride (his heart hiccuped at the sound of her giggle), Peregrine said very gruffly, "Tytonidae Redleaf-DiSarinno, what do you think you're doing here?" He glared down at the puppy, ears pressed forward and face stony. "You're a very bad girl," he told her, wondering how much Hawkeye et al must be panicking right at this very moment and realizing he would have to cut this meeting fairly short. The thought made his guts feel queerly empty. He was deeply disappointed.

"I didn't," he belatedly told Fox, though that much was already quite obvious. "Come here, Tytonidae," he said, still using the girl's first name so she knew she was in very deep trouble. "Fox, this is my daughter, Tytonidae. Ty, this is Fox. She's the Alpha of Swiftcurrent Creek, which is where we are right now. Although you're going to be grounded for the next ten years," he continued, eyes glittering, "on the rare chance you encounter a wolf from outside the pack, you must behave as the situation calls for. In this one, you show respect and submission, as she's the leader here and we are her guests."

He glared down at the top of the charcoal smudge's head, then glanced up at Fox and mouthed, Sorry. There was genuine regret on his face at having their moment alone stolen from them. He felt frustration stirring strongly again and he wanted to scruff Tytonidae and drag her across the ground a bit to show her her place. Never one to lay a hand on his kids, though, Peregrine restrained himself. He did make certain she remained close at hand; if she so much as tried to creep an inch away, he would forcefully drag her back beside him.

When his dusky eyes returned to Fox again, he realized with a small feeling of dismay that he hadn't told her the news about himself and Hawkeye. Would it be in horribly poor taste to convey it to her in front of Ty? He'd explained the situation as best as he could to the toddlers, so it wasn't like he was trying to hide anything from them. Still, it just felt tacky to discuss it with her there... but he'd come all this way...

"Ty," the father said after a moment, "stay here. I'm going to walk with Fox a little bit. We're not going to go far; I'll still be able to see you. If you move one muscle, I will end you." He didn't mean it literally, of course, but he leveled the youth with a look that could wilt flowers. "Get me?" Turning to Fox then, "Can we walk a minute? I wanna get out of E-A-R-S-H-O-T of this B-U-T-T-H-E-A-D," he told her, his voice exasperated but affectionate.