Redhawk Caldera unrequited sass

Somehow, telling Wildfire about the death of her parents was far, far worse than learning the news herself. Her heart had broken in a way that there had been moments when she'd truly believed that she would never survive it. The pain had been emotionally and even physically impairing in a way that seemed impossible. But this... Seeing this, being the one to say the words that caused this. Finley felt the aching void of Peregrine and Fox's absence more than ever as she moved to meet her niece's embrace and enfold her in one of her own. It was too cruel that they were both expected to go on without the alpha pair - Wildfire without her parents, and Fin without her best friends, her family.

There was nothing Finley could say as she pulled Wildfire close, doing all she could to completely envelope the girl. The usual words of comfort were lies. It's okay... you're okay... you'll be okay... Only the latter was not a lie, but it was so far off that it seemed one. It wasn't okay that Peregrine and Fox were gone. Wildfire wasn't okay now that they were. She would be, Finley knew. But it would always feel and be wrong that these two desperately important figures were no longer living, breathing characters in their lives. It was always going to hurt. Not as terrible and constant as it did now, but the rest of their lives would forever be plagued with moments when the wrongness of being without them would strike just as terrible and heartbreaking as ever.

So, Finley said very softly the only thing that she could, the only thing that was true: "I've got you, Wiffle."