Sun Mote Copse Let this moment be the first chapter: where you decide to stay

Nellie didn't know who was leading the Firebirds now that her dad was gone, but she wouldn't have suspected her mother. Her mother was kind and charming and everything, but Nellie thought she might not want to replace her now dead mate... Oh god, how was she even doing? Nellie hadn't known dad for very long, but mom... she had kids with him! She loved him, probably more than Nellie ever could now that he was gone... Her heart hurt just thinking about it, pulling her mind, body and soul away from the border - away from the pain and tragedy and the confusion her return must cause. She couldn't do this to Niamh, showing up out of no where... She'd lost both Colt and Nellie and she probably blamed herself, but Nellie was blaming her own dumb, young mind.

No one showed up for a while, and Nellie was already inching away from the border. Did they recognize her voice? Were they ignoring her out of revenge for what she had done? But then there was a flicker of golden blonde in the distance. At first Nellie thought it to be a stray clump of her own fur, but that was only for a millisecond. She squinted then shrunk and pressed herself to the ground. Momma? She whispered under her breath. The other was nearly storming at her now, but those warm, motherly eyes couldn't fool Nellie for long. This was momma and she was... happy? Angry? Both?

She let her nose touch her mom's and closed her eyes. M-Mom!... She said with a sob in between. She hadn't realized she had missed her mom so damn much - almost more than she missed dad. But she was here! To talk to, to touch, to smell... The scent of Bronco and the others clung to her, like a blanket she passed onto little Nellie. It had been so cold on her own, even though she'd deny it if anyone ever asked about it.

But Nellie wanted more than just a little blep on the nose, she was going in for a hug. She was too big to cuddle into her mom's stomach now, but she doubted that would ever keep her from trying. Fears of rejection melted away with every second her mom was here now and she wondered... How could she have ever let this happen?