Heron Lake Plateau My disintegration.

She saw no sign of Quixote, though she discovered the pregnant Alpha female sprawled beneath the shady trees, dappled with June sunlight. Towhee paused where she stood, regarding Raven from a short distance, noting her demeanor. She saw the moment when her sister noticed her, only to look back dejectedly. They hadn't seen one another since the day Phox had broken the news, despite the stiffened wound on the Beta's shoulder.

Without a word, Towhee slipped up beside her sister and dropped down on her belly beside her. She desperately wanted to just get this over with, though she exercised some restraint and drummed up some patience. She gave her heartbeat a moment to slow down a little. She took the time to organize her thoughts a little more. This was one moment where Towhee definitely didn't want to shoot from the hip. And it was her last to just sit here with Raven, beneath these trees.

"It would mean everything to me if we could be sister packs," the mercenary spoke at last, her voice strangely quiet, "someday, if not now. I want to have the space we all need to keep the peace and bring up our own families but be close enough for visits, play dates and shit." But if Raven couldn't promise that, she'd get it. She'd needed time to come to terms with the Firebirds split, so she could hardly fault Raven for any anger or sadness she felt or begrudge her whatever time it took to see this development in a favorable light. But Towhee dearly hoped it was at least a distant possibility.

"Anyway," she continued after shifting her weight, rolling so she could nip at her sister's ear, "it's time. I didn't want to leave without seeing you." There was no possibility now of walking this back, though Raven deserved a chance to speak if she liked, as well as proper notice and farewell.