Redhawk Caldera it takes two baby.

"Eljay!"

Fin called out the moment her paws carried her into the field. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for her son. She hadn't even realized her mate had followed her until he was padding up beside her, and even then she gave him only the briefest of glances to acknowledge him. Her focus was elsewhere. She was a mommy on a mission.

Short post is short :3 @Eljay @Elwood

There was no sign of Eljay right off the bat; Elwood squinted as his gaze roved the rendezvous site. Rather than search for him, Finley called him to her. She was the queen of efficiency, especially when she felt strongly about something. He had no doubt that once their son arrived, she would waste no time in cutting right to the chase and addressing their concern.

He looked over his shoulder, then settled himself onto his haunches next to Finley, waiting for Eljay to grace them with his presence.

Eljay was playing with a stick a little ways from where his parents were at, and he startled when he heard his mother's voice. For a moment he wondered if his parents, as they were headed in his direction, were going to convince him to leave Redhawk Caldera again. He knew he'd have to sooner or later, but for now Eljay would much rather stay in the territory.

He shuffled up to his parents, feeling his mother being in a mood (or, well, she certainly sounded very urgent, which often meant aforementioned) and approached with a guilty look on his face, as though he'd done something bad and that was why she was calling for him. "Yes, mommy?"

It didn't take long for Eljay to materialize after he was summoned. Fin smiled when she saw him, but it dissolved into a frown when she thought again of what had brought her here. Her son seemed anxious already, likely due to her own intensity. It made her feel guilty for she knew how others affected him. Hoping to make him feel more at ease, she forced herself to calm down. She settled down onto her haunches and gave a wag of her tail.

"Hey Jay," Fin started, glancing over at Elwood before diving right in, "Your dad and I were just talking and he said you were worried that if you had brothers and sisters, they might be mean to you. I was wondering how come you would think that? Does anyone in the pack sometimes treat you in a way that you don't really like?" She figured stating it that way was the best way to get the most honest answer from him. He was too sweet to straight up call someone out for being a bully. He probably thought it his own fault, when Fin knew that was just impossible.

Elwood, too, smiled at the sight of their son. He was still amazed at how quickly time had flown; the boy standing in front of them was nearly an adult, even if he was still mentally and emotionally immature. The guilty expression on his face only betrayed his developmental age. There was no reason for Eljay to assume that he was in trouble, but his young mind assumed the worst.

As Finley took the reins, Elwood was happy to settle back. He reclined into a sitting position, his gaze shifting between his mate and his son. He was pleasantly surprised by Finley's eloquence; she addressed the point in a concise manner, but without pointing any fingers. Hopefully Eljay's feathers wouldn't be too ruffled by the sudden query. His concerned parents simply wanted to figure out what was going on.

Mommy calmed down a little, causing Eljay to feel a little more at ease, though there was a determination in her eyes that made him wonder what was going on. When mommy said that daddy'd told her about what Eljay had said about brothers and sisters, he shared a quick glance with daddy, almost looking betrayed, as if he was surprised that daddy would share what he'd said with mommy (not realising how normal this was). He wasn't really sure how to respond to her questions, 'cause maybe Nightjar was a little mean to him, but Eljay didn't think that he was unfair. It wasn't like he said anything that wasn't true.

There was a silence between them for a moment while Eljay shifted his weight and licked his lips submissively. Then he hesitantly said, "Sometimes... But it's okay, I mean... I know I'm kind of a scared lil' weenie." He looked away from his parents, feeling put on the spot. He didn't want to bother them with this, 'cause he'd brought it onto himself anyway and his parents had enough on their plate without having to deal with this, too. He wanted to be brave, like they wanted him to be.

Fin watched her son carefully as he formulated his response. She knew instantly that her suspicion had been right, even before he said a word. His gaze shifted guiltily away from hers towards Elwood. Anger began to rise in her chest, but she forced it to calm. It wasn't time yet. But soon..

Eljay's answer was like a slap in the face. Fin had never been able to figure out where his lack of confidence had come from. Elwood had plenty of confidence and Finley herself was just plain stupid with it (in most aspects). Had she been more perceptive to such thongs, she probably could have seen quite easily that he was exactly like her; incapable of ignoring criticism and all too susceptible to being far too hard on herself for her short comings. But again, self-awareness was not her greatest strength.

"Eljay," Fin said after sucking in a deep, steadying breath, "Why would you call yourself that?" A weenie. A weenie. That was not a word she or Elwood used. That was a word that could only have come from whoever it was that was being an asshole to her kid.

Elwood frowned deeply at Eljay's response. A scared little weenie? It was no secret that Eljay's self-confidence was lacking, but it was still surprising for the father to hear his son refer to himself that way. And his thoughts were similarly aligned with Finley's -- who the hell had called him that? It was unlikely that the boy would have come up with such a phrase himself.

"You're not a weenie," he insisted, his voice firm yet quiet. Evidently this was a more serious situation than he had anticipated -- and how had it gone unnoticed for so long?

Eljay could sense his parents' unease, especially mommy's. This was exactly why he hadn't told them anything so far; they were going to worry about him and Eljay wanted them not to have to. They seemed upset and as always these emotions were shared with Eljay because he just couldn't stop them from coming in.

Mommy asked why he would call himself that, and Eljay nervously licked his lips while he looked up at mommy from the corners of his eyes. "I.. I dunno, " he stumbled. He'd wanted to say'cause it's true', but daddy had already said that it wasn't. Eljay felt like he had done a bad thing now, and he didn't want to further upset his parents, so he quietly waited, hoping that the moment would be over soon.

Fin was quiet when Eljay avoided her question. Frustration was rising in her and, as usual, guilt came right along with it. It was cruel really that such a shy, sensitive, anxious boy had been paired with a fiery, temperamental and impatient mother. She wanted to grab her son and shake him until he either fessed up on who asshole tormenting him was or until she shook the self-depricating ...well... weenie... right out of him.

It was in times like these that she felt so desperately glad that she had chosen Elwood as her mate. She looked at him then, seeking his eyes in hopes of siphoning some of his calm from them. It worked a bit, but it made her no less determined to find out who was tormenting her sweet boy.

"Eljay, I know you don't want to, but I need you to tell me and your dad who it is that's treating you badly and calling you names," Fin said finally, gazing steadily at him, "You are not a weenie and it is not okay for anyone to put you down like that." She stopped there, knowing full well that her next comment would go along the lines of Those are the people that need their asses kicked off of mountaintops and drowned. And that was a bit too graphic for her baby.

Under his parents' scrutiny, Eljay wilted. He was unable to provide them with an answer to their question, instead deferring and avoiding the truth. It was frustrating, and Elwood could sense that very emotion rising within Finley. But rather than lash out verbally, she seemed to steady herself, asking firmly that Eljay comply with their request. In that moment, Elwood was proud of her; she was proving herself to be the great mother that he knew she was.

He nodded his head encouragingly, looking at Eljay with what he hoped was an open and inviting expression. He didn't add anything else to what Finley had said; he didn't want to further overwhelm the already obviously worried youth.

Eljay shifted his weight nervously as mommy asked him directly this time who had called him the names, where before she had just asked why he would call himself such. He didn't realise that they were already far ahead and onto the situation and that there was nothing he could do to avoid having to say it. Eljay didn't think that Nightjar meant to be mean, he just sort of was, and that was why he felt guilty telling on him. Besides, he felt it would just make his parents more worried to know someone wasn't being super nice to Eljay.

"Nightjar," he mumbled and he looked away guiltily, licking his lips and tail tucked a little, as though Nightjar was standing right before him now. He wanted to say something about how Nightjar did not mean poorly but he felt too nervous. He just hoped that mommy and daddy wouldn't storm off to Nightjar, 'cause he didn't wanna seem like a snitch.

Nightjar.

Her godson hadn't exactly been the last wolf she'd expected to be the culprit, but he definitely hadn't been anywhere near the top of the list.  Fin had assumed it was some newbie that had flown under the radar thus far - Someone she didn't really know well yet that she could easily hate/run out of the pack.  Not her nephew.  Not someone she had watched grow up.  Not someone she loved like her own family.

Fuck.

Fin was at a loss.  The information had blind-sided her and she wasn't at all sure what to think.  The anger she'd felt moments ago was a wave of confusion, hurt and uncertainty.  Maybe this was all just a misunderstanding.  Maybe Nightjar had been playfully teasing Eljay and her son, being the sensitive boy he was, had taken it too seriously.  Maybe there wasn't anything malicious about it at all, just...  She didn't know.  Turning, Fin looked at her mate with an expression that clearly told him that he would need to take the reigns for the moment as the idea of her little Ninja being intentionally cruel to her little Jay had run her over like a train.

LOL Elwood's response sounds so cheesy but that is actually what I teach my preschoolers!

When the answer finally came, it was simultaneously obvious and unexpected. Nightjar. Of course it was Nightjar, and yet -- how could it be Nightjar? Elwood was momentarily perplexed as his mind processed the information. His godson was a physical wolf, and perhaps not the brightest crayon in the box -- but he never would have pictured him as a bully. He was dedicated to his family and his pack, so why would he choose to pick on Eljay?

The answer to that question was fairly evident: Eljay made himself an easy target. But as soon as the thought popped into Elwood's head, he pushed it away. Even if that was the case, that didn't give the Alphas' son the right to push him around, aside from establishing the natural pecking order of a pack. And he was willing to bet that Eljay had never once threatened Nightjar's position in the hierarchy.

Elwood suddenly felt Finley's gaze on him, burning into the side of his face like hot coals, and he glanced at her quickly before looking at Eljay. "Your mom's right -- it's not right for anyone, including Nightjar, to call you a weenie. If he does it again, tell him you don't like it and that he needs to call you by your name," he advised. Naturally, Elwood was not going to tell his son to go pick a fight with Nightjar -- and he was going to do whatever he could to keep Finley from kicking the burly youth's ass, as well.

Mommy seemed to either soften or just plain break, Eljay couldn't tell. He shuffled his feet, feeling guilty for telling on Nightjar. With his mother's absence of real reply, Eljay grew insecure and he wondered if she thought it was his own fault. He'd already tried telling mommy that it was his own fault, because he was an insecure weenie and he hated himself for that, too. So how could Nightjar not? Nightjar was everything that Eljay wanted to be, and the fact his mother's attitude had changed from anger towards whoever had called him a weenie to indecision and uncertainty told him more than he needed to know; she felt the same. She wished that Eljay was more like Nightjar too, instead of his cowardly, clingy self. He didn't try to be cowardly, but things were just so scary. He didn't try to be clingy, but he just loved mommy and daddy so much, even though he wondered in that moment if they loved him as much as he did them, because the long expected affirmation that Nightjar shouldn't be calling him names didn't come from mommy's mouth.

Instead, mommy just looked at daddy and it was daddy who then chimed in and broke the silence that lingered and festered Eljay's mind. Daddy was the one to say that it wasn't right for Nightjar to say these things. Not right for anyone, including Nightjar. Even daddy seemed to think that Nightjar was worth putting on the pedestal that Eljay put him on. He was special, but not even he could call Eljay names. Eljay looked at mommy, waiting a beat or two to hear the words from her mouth, too. Oh, how badly he needed to hear the words from her mouth. He needed her to say that he didn't deserve to be called names and that he was good the way he was, that she loved him and that she liked him just the way he was.

"I'll try to talk to him about it, daddy," Eljay said to daddy, though mostly to appease his father. He wasn't really sure if he was supposed to tell Nightjar not to do it, and part of him was scared that it'd just get worse if he did that (besides, Nightjar would just think he was an even bigger weenie, and Eljay wanted nothing more than for Nightjar to see him as peer and equal!). Still feeling nervous and insecure, Eljay looked pleadingly at his mother, silently begging her to say something to prove that his insecurities and fears weren't true; that she loved him.

Elwood recognized his summons and broke the silence that had descended after Eljay's confession. Fin looked down at her paws for a moment, her brows furrowed thoughtfully. This made things far more complicated than she'd expected. What if the problem between the two boys was serious? Nightjar was the alphas' son, plus he was a far more dominant wolf than Eljay. The last thing Finley wanted was for her son to turn into a punching bag to the adolescent, but what interference between them could the betas really run? Nightjar was not some random wolf they could run out for causing trouble. He was an integral part of the pack. They would just both need to learn how to tolerate each other. Eljay would have to get a spine, and Nightjar would have to stop being an asshole. Ninja... Finley thought with a slightly pout.

Fin felt eyes upon her, and she looked up to spy Eljay. It never ceased to amaze her just how big his eyes could get. Her concerned gaze softened, though she regarded him gravely. Telling Nightjar to stop it was one thing, but if he was anything like Fox, he was going to do whatever he pleased. "I want you to come talk to us if it happens again." Fin said finally before pausing, uncertain of where to go next.

"Your dad's right - No one is allowed to put you down," she added after a beat with a touch of her prior ferocity. Her anger was growing again as she refocused. Maybe her little Ninja was being a jerkface. Maybe it was a matter of him getting a little carried away with some good-natured teasing. Or maybe it was meant to be cruel. And maybe someday in the future it would be someone else with some other intention. It didn't matter. It was never okay to hurt her baby.

Way to go, Fin! You processed it!

"And you shouldn't be listening to anyone who tries," Fin blurted out after another moment of silence, unable to help herself as the ever-revolving door of her emotions swept her away again, "Sometimes people are going to be dicks, Eljay. They're going to say mean things and they're going to try and make you feel bad just because they think they can. But that doesn't mean you let them. You are my kid, and you are perfect, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is an asshole that you shouldn't be wasting your time with. You're the one who controls how you feel about yourself, not anybody else."

It would occur to her way later that she maybe should've g-rated her words, and that her fervor had probably been overwhelming to the sensitive young wolf. And it probably wasn't best to advise him that his cousin was a dick and he shouldn't care whether or not they got along. But. You know. She meant well. Fingers-crossed it works out okay.

After agreeing to give Elwood's suggestion a try, Eljay turned his gaze to Finley. Elwood, too, looked in her direction; it was odd for the feisty mother to hold her tongue for so long. When she did answer, her words were careful and measured at first, but she paused and then suddenly gave Eljay a rousing pep-talk, complete with a couple nuggets of Finley wisdom.

Elwood couldn't help but smile at her fierce enthusiasm; the cuss words didn't even faze him. "Mom's right," he agreed, glancing back at Eljay to see how their son would take her outburst.

It took a little while for mommy to come up with an answer. She looked almost unsure, which was surprising and weird for Eljay to look at, until she eventually started to talk. First she just said to come to them if it happened again, though Eljay doubted that would fix much, as he was here now, after it had happened, sometime not long ago. Then she agreed with daddy, which was a huge relief for Eljay. His shoulders sagged a little, and only then he realised he'd been keeping them hunched up and tense.

Eljay's eyes widened at some of the other words that mommy used, essentially calling Nightjar a dick and an asshole (albeit not directly so). Mommy even called him perfect, and Eljay could not supress a smile when she did.

Yet his smile was quick to fall when she said that he was the only one who decided and controlled how he felt about himself. It was just really hard to feel good about himself when everyone wanted him to be better than he was; including himself. And everyone else's words still hurt, even if he tried not to let them get to him.

Knowing mommy thought he was perfect was good enough for him, though, and so he did not object. Eljay stiffly got to his feet and he moved towards mommy, to bury his face in the soft fur of her chest in a silent gesture of thank you.

Do we wanna wrap up then? :)

Fin stared at her son, awaiting his reaction while her mind reeled with more unspoken encouragement and swearing. She flicked an ear towards Elwood as he agreed with her, and she smiled briefly at his support. Her eyes were quick to return to her son though, for even though she always tried to glean from his gaze exactly how he was feeling, she never quite could. But that didn't mean she would ever stop trying.

His expression was just as confusing as ever - one moment pleased, the other kind of sad for some reason Finley was unable to fathom, and then he was striding forward to snuggle up against her. She stretched her neck over his to return the embrace, sliding her muzzle down into the fur of his neck. It never made any sense to her why she deserved this love and affection from her son - or from her mate for that matter - but Finley was a selfish enough creature to enjoy it when it came rather than acknowledge it was undeserved.

"Have you eaten yet? Why don't we grab something," Fin said after a moment, softly. She could recognize that this had been a rather heavy conversation for them all and there was nothing like a family dinner to ease tensions.

Yes! :)

When Eljay moved towards Finley and hugged her, Elwood felt some measure of relief. He didn't realize just how complex his son's emotions were, whirling inside that head of his; he felt fairly satisfied with how their conversation had gone, and trusted that Nightjar wouldn't be an issue any longer. At the very least, Eljay was equipped with a basic understanding of how to avoid a less than desirable situation. This could be an important learning experience for the youth.

He smiled, watching as mother and child embraced, then nodded his head at Fin's suggestion. "I could eat," he agreed, turning a warm smile towards Eljay.

Eljay closed his eyes contently as he hugged with mommy, until eventually the moment passed and mommy suggested they get food. "Okay," Eljay agreed easily and he followed mommy and daddy as they moved, presumably, towards one of the caches to get some food for themselves.