Redhawk Caldera And the two of us went up in smoke

Surprise thread! Whenever you have time, love. <3 @Finley

Fox had asked him about it; so had Peregrine. But it wasn't until the words crossed Eljay's lips that Elwood really started to think about having another litter with Finley. That conversation with his son had showed him that it would be more than just bringing additional puppies into the world -- it would be an important experience for their first-born child, and also an opportunity for the Beta pair to have a, well...normal parenting experience.

He and Finley had been like ships passing in the night recently; there was nothing wrong, but they hadn't spent an excess amount of time together. They were both preparing for Fox's upcoming birth, which just made the timing for this conversation even more perfect. Returning from a short patrol, Elwood tipped his nose up and called for his mate, feeling a bit nervous even as his voice poured into the crisp winter air.

If there could be one positive takeaway from Fox's pregnancy (and there were many, though not all of them apparent to the relatively self-centered Blackthorn), it was that prepping the pack for the incoming pups had taken Fin out of herself and her own problems. Their family had healed from the matriarch's foray into selfish abandonment, but there were still some issues there that the beta was more comfortable ignoring than confronting. Fox's pregnancy gave her the perfect excuse to avoid these problems, though unfortunately it seemed as though her mate was ready to put an end to the game on the most touchy topic of all.

Fin answered the call unsuspectingly, merely happy to get a chance to spend some quality time with her mate. They had not yet broached the subject of what they would do when she came into heat this season - an omission that was likely intentional on the part of both parties. She knew it wasnt something that she wanted to talk about, and Elwood being the perceptive man he was probably didn't want to hear what she might have to say on it. Until now, anyway. 

Fin trotted lightly up to her mate, proudly swinging a squirrel to and fro by the tail she clenched tight between her teeth. She waved it at him with a flourish of her muzzle before dropping on the ground between them with a wag of her tail. "Well hey there good looking," she Crooned flirtatiously, "You want a bite of my rodent?" She winked, then furrowed her brow with a smirk, "I intended that to be sexy, but I feel like I missed the mark there a bit."

Elwood paused once his howl dissipated, dropping to his haunches to wait for Finley's response. As the seconds ticked past, he started to second guess having this conversation at all -- would it be the right time? Was there ever a right time? And how would Finley react? She did have a history of running from her problems, so if she perceived this wrong, he could find himself hot on her heels once more.

But when she arrived, his worries melted away at the sight of her smile. She playfully swung a squirrel by its tail then deposited it at his feet with a Finley-esque quip. No matter what had happened to their relationship in the past few months, he still loved her more than ever and wanted to continue their future together.

"That was sexy," he said with a laugh. He stood and stepped forward to close the gap between them, pressing his muzzle tenderly against the uninjured side of her face. He kissed her cheek, then withdrew. "I have something I want to ask you," he said, meeting her gaze.

The alarm bells should have been going off at that point. I want to ask you something? Come on. That's dangerous talk right there. Everyone knows it. Fin, usually so hypersensitive to everything ever, was oddly oblivious. We'll call it Spring fever, since the warming weather did have a tendency to incite giddiness in the beta.

So, instead of running for the hills as she ought to have, Fin merely have him a salacious smirk and a prod of her muzzle. "Oh Elwood, you dont even have to ask! I would love to go to prom with you!" she chirped, dancing closer to smother his face in kisses.

He closed his eyes with a sappy smile as her kisses fluttered against his cheeks. She was in an awfully good mood -- maybe he had caught her at the exact right time and this conversation would have a happy ending. After a few seconds of simply enjoying her caresses, he took a step back, though he was still smiling as he met her gaze.

"Maybe Fox can take you prom dress shopping," he teased. "But, really...I was talking to Eljay about...uh, about whether or not he would have younger siblings this year," he continued haltingly, his brows raising slightly in a silent question as he tested the waters before plunging in head first.

His words made her freeze. The smile that had been almost lazily strewn upon her muzzle a second before now tightened and became fixed As her mind reeled with what he had just said. Brothers and sisters for Eljay? More puppies? Birthed by her? He wanted her to. To mom again?

She stared at him anxiously, trying to stay calm - a fact that would be made much simpler if he just dropped the topic completely right now, but her silence implored him to continue in spite of that. She'd hear him out. She would not jump onto her initial reaction and ride it out like a hurricane, Finley-ing all over the place till there was nothing left but unwarranted drama and broken pieces of feelings strewn about the Caldera.

She didn't reply, but she didn't run away either -- was this a good sign, or a bad one? Elwood couldn't be sure. He studied her face carefully, recognizing the surprise and fear that flickered across her expression as she stared at him, wide-eyed. He half wanted to throw his forepaws up in the air and yell, "Gotcha!" and play the whole thing off as a joke, but deep inside he knew it was a conversation that they needed to have sooner or later. If they didn't address it now, it would just surface again in a few months -- and what would happen when Finley went into heat? It would be better to be prepared one way or the other rather than be blindsided as they had been last time.

"I kind of think it would be...nice to have another litter," he continued through tight lips. His words became more rushed and jumbled as he progressed. "I mean, Fox is due any day now -- and she and Peregrine have both asked me what our plans are. It could be a great lesson for Eljay and -- and I think it might be good for us. I know you have your doubts, but you've been a wonderful mother..." ...when you weren't running away from our family, he thought, and nearly grimaced. But what we the odds that she would freak out again? He flashed her a nervous smile, shifting his weight and snapping his mouth shut to give her a chance to gather her thoughts.

He continued, explaining what he wanted and why. The alphas were wondering if they wanted more babies. Her mate wanted more babies. Her son would benefit from more babies. And their relationship would benefit from more babies.

Fin glanced down at her paws for a moment, trying to process this all. Her ears perked when he spoke of her doubts, proceeding then to say the most absurd thing she'd ever heard.

Her eyes shot up to her mate's face and before she knew it, she was laughing. "I've been a what?" she asked, still laughing. Fin had never considered herself a good mother. She barely considered herself a passable mother. Dear lord, he must really want more kids if he was shoveling out that kind of crap.

......oh.. he must really want more kids...

Fin settled her laughter, her face shifting into a thoughtful expression. She brought her eyes to his again, but she couldn't think of a thing to say. She couldn't bear to disappoint her mate, not again, not ever again. But could she really do this again? Bring more children into the world for her to ruin?

"I don't know..." Fin murmured finally, "I just.. I don't know.. Say more encouraging things." The tightness in her chest usually lessened when Elwood said good things to her. Maybe it would work this time too.

Elwood was waiting on pins and needles for Finley's reaction, and when she suddenly dissolved into laughter, his brows shot up in surprise. She took a moment to calm herself after finding his compliment so ludicrous as to be amusing, then admitted her doubts in a few words. Her request for more praise was met with a gentle smile.

"I said you're a wonderful mother, and I mean it. You love Eljay and you want the best for him -- isn't that what being a mother is all about?" he said quietly. Sure, there were the other required tasks that she had performed over the last nine months -- feeding him, bathing him, teaching him about the world. Despite her breakdown, she had done her best. And Elwood had the feeling that Eljay would have been just as timid and skittish even if she hadn't very nearly abandoned him.

He sighed softly, then added, "I want to keep building our future together. But if it's something you're not ready for, then of course I understand." He would be disappointed if she turned him down, but he was sure that he would find a way to overcome. His needs were not the only ones important in this relationship.

Fin listened closely as he spoke, willing the knot to loosen a bit. She did love her son. She loved the crap out of that quirky little boy in his awkward, dorky grown-up body. And she did want the best for him. Were brothers ans sisters really what was best though?

Fin's gaze shifted across her mate's face. He was so damn sweet. And he was totally playing her now. But she had asked him to, so Fin allowed herself to be calmed by his words. She still wasn't sure about all of this, but the anxiety was getting better.

"What will Eljay think?" she asked after a moment, "Won't he get all insecure? What if he thinks we're trying to replace him?"

Her next question was a completely valid one. Although Elwood had mentioned Eljay at the start of this conversation, he hadn't given much detail on their son's opinion about this subject. And Finley was right -- the youth was quite needy, and it wouldn't have been at all out of character for him to worry that his parents were replacing him with a new batch of children.

But when they had spoken of it at length, Eljay had been quietly contemplative. He hadn't seemed to be frightened or angered by the idea, which was why Elwood had decided to run with it. He had the approval of one of his family members -- now he just needed Finley's agreement.

"No, I don't think he would worry about that. He seemed to like the idea of having little brothers or sisters to help raise. In fact, his biggest concern was that they would be mean to him -- and I assured him that wouldn't happen," he said with a chuckle. If anything, Eljay would have the opportunity to push his siblings around as the big brother, but he knew that wouldn't be the case. Eljay was much too kind hearted.

Elwood seemed confident that Jay would be alright with it. Fin was less convinced, but when it came to her son, she had a bad habit of being pessimistic and paranoid. The comment about them being mean to him made her smile, but only briefly. His worry meant that someone else was being mean to him, and that distracted her immediately.

"Why would he think they'd be mean? Fin asked, frowning, "Is someone being mean to him?"

When Finley pressed for more information, Elwood blinked. She had intuited something from his conversation with Eljay that he hadn't even given a second thought. Was someone bullying him? He couldn't imagine who -- none of the adults would do something like that, and Fox's babies were still nestled in her stomach.

"I...I don't know," he replied, shaking his head. "He hasn't mentioned anything like that to me." Surely, Eljay would tell his parents if something was troubling him, right?

Fin gave her mate a scrutinizing glance. It apparently hadn't occurred to him that Eljay might have had a reason for worrying that his siblings would be mean. Her son certainly took his fears to the extreme, but they didn't usual develop out of nothing. Fin felt her hackles rising just thinking of what might have happened to her baby. Her nearly full grown baby.

"We should talk to him," she said finally, "Make sure. I mean, I can't imagine who would be bullying him. It'd have to be someone here; he doesn't leave the territory." But who? And why? Her mind was racing now, the knot tightening again. The previous conversation had faded quickly from her mind. Needless to say, the whole not jumping onto her initial reaction and running with it thing was also forgotten. Someone was hurting her baby. She needed to eat them.

"That's a good idea," Elwood agreed readily. He knew better than to oppose Finley once she had her mind set on something, and he could tell that she was taking this allocation very seriously. They really had no evidence to back up their claim yet -- and he did briefly wonder if they were overreacting, as they tended to do -- but the only way to get to the bottom of it was to talk to Eljay himself.

And maybe once they solved this mystery, they would be able to revisit the topic of another litter. Finley was already proving herself to be the wonderful mother that Elwood had professed she was; her concern and love for Eljay was evident in that moment.

Fin registered his agreement, but her mind was off and away trying to figure out what had happened to her Jay. Inwardly, she did acknowledge that there was a very good chance that this could all be nothing. Maybe someone had said something jokingly to Eljay and he took it badly. That was very possible; he was very sensitive. But still, the pack should know better, and whoever didn't needed to be thrown into the lake and drowned.

"Yeah.. yes, it is... Come on!" she barked suddenly, pulling herself up onto all fours and darting off towards the rendesvous site where she knew they'd find him.

She was quick to spring into action, leaving her mate smiling and shaking his head fondly in her wake. Elwood picked himself up to follow her, knowing that it would be fairly easy to find Eljay. He was usually lingering near the rendezvous site, especially now that he had decided that he really didn't ever want to leave Redhawk Caldera. It had been rare to find him near the borders before; now it was even more of an unlikely phenomenon.

As he cantered along, his paws leaving tracks in the melting snow behind Finley, he hoped that this would all be a misunderstanding. The thought that someone was upsetting Eljay made his heart clench uncomfortably.