SquidgeWorld Archive

Family Ties
by Danii

"Oh Cripes!"

"'Oh Cripes!' what?"

It was their first night back, their first night back in the nine kingdoms. More importantly, it was their first time in the nine kingdoms as a married couple. They had spent near a month in Virginia's world, but when they realized the complications of the child she was carrying, Wolf and his wife had decided to return to the land of the child's father. When they had returned, they found a small cottage in the fourth kingdom which a letter from King Wendell explained, was completely tax free. It was, the King had expressed, the least he could do for those who had saved his life and his kingdom. The couple had taken quickly to the house, furnishing it with the rest of the money Wolf had won in the casino what seemed more an eternity than a month ago.

Not only was there a cottage, but a large barn, which Virginia and Wolf were planning to redo as a restaurant, or rather, a bar. It had always been Virginia's dream to open an eatery, and Wolf was more than happy to oblige her.

They were close enough to the nearest village, which was a lively little trade town called Whitesville, and so expected to do well. They'd eaten at the local bar once or twice, and they had both admitted that they could do far better than that. They hoped it was so.

But tonight they were walking. Just walking together like a love struck pair of kids, which they were. However, their walk was interrupted by the grumbling of a badger, who was sitting at the side of the path. When Wolf heard it, he stopped short almost violently.

"I asked" Virginia pressed, "'Oh Cripes' what?"

"That badger...he said...oh huffity puffity!" As he exclaimed his last words he pulled his wife over to a stump and motioned for her to sit. This got Virginia a bit worried. She petted his neck lovingly in an attempt to calm him.

"What's wrong?" she asked slowly, "What did the badger say?"

"He said" replied Wolf in a near panic, "that we have a visitor."

"A visitor?" Virginia questioned, "What kind of visitor?"

Wolf then realized from his love's slow speech that he was getting too excited, and possibly upsetting his wife. His wife who was pregnant. His wife whom he loved more than life. His wife who didn't like seeing her husband in a panic attack.

"It's not an intruder or anything..."

"Who-"

"It's my sister."

Virginia breathed out in relief. "Your sister? Well, why are you upset? I can't wait to meet the aunt of my child..." She stopped when she noticed that Wolf's face hadn't brightened.

"What?"

"Huffity Puffity! She's mad at me!"

"Mad at you?" Virginia was a little nonplused, "For what? You saved the kingdom, KINGDOMS, and got pardon for wolves all over. You're a hero!"

"Yes, and in the process, I risked my life numerous times" answered Wolf, "Not that it wasn't worth it..."

The couple shared a warm smile, then a short kiss.

"But your fine!" Virginia exclaimed, kissing him a little firmer this time,

"More than fine..."

"I know, but..."

"You've got a wife, a baby on the way, a home, a soon-to-be-thriving business and one thousand Wendells left to your name! What could she be mad about?"

Wolf gave her a look that spoke volumes.

"My sister" he answered, sitting on a stump beside her, "can be the reason a word for female canines has a bad connotation..."

"What? Is she like my mother?"

"No! No! NO!" Wolf reassured her, "only when she's upset over something.

Otherwise, she is the sweetest, kindest, loyalist, loveliest, most compassionate, beautiful, humorous, wonderful little sister a wolf could ask for."

"LITTLE sister?"

Wolf snorted a bit. "Yeah. There were four of us cubs. I was first, followed by Pawly, then Chaser, and finally little Luna."

"Luna...what a pretty name..." Virginia said thoughtfully, "If our child is a girl, maybe we could call her Luna, after your sister."

Wolf smiled, patting her belly with a gentle touch. "I'm sure she'd be honored. Knowing HuffPuff-"

"What?"

"I always called her that" answered Wolf, "My little HuffPuff. She and I were always especially close. I've always been very protective of her, not that she needs it, and I use to bite the pants off more than one of her suitors. I'm a half-wolf, but first and foremost, an older brother."

Wolf laughed to himself, obviously remembering one incident or another, and Virginia laughed at his mirth in joy.

"Tell me about her?"

"Well," began Wolf slowly, "She's tall, very pretty, and looks alot like me. Same hair, eyes, face... When we were growing up, I was the one that taught her to track and lope and hunt. I taught her to read and write too. Needless to say, we got close. She would follow me around like a duckling, even when I wasn't teaching her something, though she claims I was always teaching her something. That's why she's called HuffPuff. I said it so often when she was around, she took it as a nickname. Needless to say, it stuck.

"She grew up, though, and turned into the most beautiful young woman. The boys in the near village were always after her affection, though their parents disapproved, which only served to make them go after her more vehemently. Then, when we lost our parents to the fire, she became our little leader and took care of us all. She became our mother, despite her age, and kept us safe from our own folly. She mothered us during the full moon, since it didn't hit her as hard as us, despite the pain it caused her, and protected us from hurting ourselves and others. It was phenomenal of her, to say the least. We later moved to the safety of Grey's Woods in the second kingdom, and there she raised us until we left. She remained there as the local woodswoman and herbmistress."

"Your sister sounds thoroughly amazing, Wolf..." Virginia said after he finished, "But why will she be mad?"

"Well, firstly for the sheep-poaching..."

"Understandable."

"And secondly, for risking my life so many times."

Virginia was a little perplexed. "But your fine..."

"Yes, well, that's all well and good, but I promised her I wouldn't do anything like that... Not after we lost Pawly and Chaser to that fire..."

"I though you all got away from the fire?"

"No no, this is different. Pawly and Chaser were working in an orphanage. They had a soft touch, like you Virginia..." she smiled "But one day, a fire broke out in the orphanage. My brothers, knowing there were children in there, went in to get them. Those two managed to push out all the kids, but at the last second, the building collapsed on them, and they..."

Wolf was near to tears, despite his calm voice. Virginia took one of his hands and put it to her belly, then to her lips, where she kissed him once.

"Thank you. After that, I swore to HuffPuff I wouldn't do anything like that. She's lost so many, done so much...It was the least I could do for her..."

"It's all right, Wolf, I'm sure she will understand.."

"Let's hope so, 'cause I'd rather have the Huntsman at my throat than my sister mad at me..."

****************************************

"Wolf Greyson."

The name was said when they were about twenty feet from the house. It was said in the way little children learned to dread, that full name, no-more-Ms. Nice-guy, you-a re-in-so-much-trouble way. If Wolf had had a middle name, it couldn't have held more anger. Not that Virginia had known he had a last name.

She had thought that the name Greyson was just something he had made up to serve for the wedding certificate, but apparently, she was wrong. They were going to have a long talk. More importantly, it was said from within the house. The second he heard it, Wolf lept forward and opened the door. Virginia was close behind.

***

Within the house, sitting on a chair they had bought only that morning, was a woman. She looked a little younger than Wolf, but decades wiser, and she had a motherly look to her which was hard to miss. She was also very beautiful. Her hair was as black as her brother's, but curly, and ran down to her seat. Her eyes, so like Wolf's, were that same blue-grey, and possessed a piercing quality which Virginia assumed came with practice. Her face was deeply feminine, but she could see the resemblance a mile away. Sitting in that chair, Wolf's sister looked and felt, to Virginia at least, as dangerous as a troll army, even though she didn't move an inch. An amazing lady indeed.

"Hello, HuffPuff..." Wolf said slowly in a calming tone.

When Wolf's sister spoke, it was with the exact same voice Virginia had imagined: smooth, feminine, intelligent, and motherly.

"Hello, Wolf."

"I can explain!" It sounded almost like a howl, "You see-"

A hand shot up from Wolf's sister, palm open in a silent command for quiet.

"I'm not here to yell at you, Wolf. Not at all. I understand what you did, and why you did it. I simply came here to congratulate you."

It looked as if Wolf's mouth was going to drop on the floor.

"Not to mention, meet your lovely wife and child." At her last word, she smiled, and the brightness of her smile erased all doubt in Virginia's mind about her sister-in-law. Virginia immediately ran over and hugged her fiercely. Luna hugged her back, carefully , so as not to injure the child. As soon as his wife was done hugging his sister, Wolf did, sniffing her once or twice to get her scent in his nostrils. How he had missed her!

"How long are you planning to stay, HuffPuff?" her brother asked her, obviously hoping it would be a while.

"A good long time." Luna answered, smiling and gently rubbing Virginia's stomach, "I wouldn't trust anyone but myself to be my sister-in-law's midwife. I also plan to teach the child a few things, things I have learned, so she may better mother her own children."

"She?"

"I can tell."

"Oh."

"I do not presume to be the mother of the child" Luna proclaimed suddenly, making sure that this fact was understood, "I am merely aware that you are new to this place and are less aware of certain things. While I educate your daughter in this, I shall educate you also...Though I will not scold you, nor promise you an extra cookie for good behavior." The last was said as a joke, though it took Virginia a moment to comprehend.

"Wolf said you were amazing..." Virginia said, laughing a bit at her own momentary confusion, "And I am awed by the reality..."

Luna's smile widened. "My elder brother often exaggerates my virtues, forgetting that he taught me most of them." A second later, Luna realized she had barely spoken to her brother. Virginia was amazed. What a remarkable lady! It was hard to believe that this kind hearted, motherly girl was the same woman who was sitting in the house when they walked in. And to think, Virginia said to herself, she's only about a year older than me.

Wolf went over and hugged his sister again. "I can't believe how much I've missed you!"

"I hear you've made quite a name for yourself, saving the nine kingdoms and destroying the evil queen and all."

"Indeed, but I couldn't have done it without my love, here." Wolf embraced Virginia, then pulled her back into the conversation, "Oh my, to think we haven't even done formal introductions!"

"HuffPuff, this is Virginia. Virginia, HuffPuff" Wolf stopped for a moment as they shook hands in a laughably formal gesture, "Or would you rather be called Luna..."

His sister laughed. "HuffPuff is what my family has always called me, and it shall serve for my new sister-in-law as well."

HuffPuff then pulled Virginia close, her eyes dangerous once more in an instant.

"You are aware of what my brother and I truly are?"

"Yes, she is." Wolf answered for her, just as dangerous looking due to his anger. He loved his sister more than life, but he loved Virginia even more.

"Don't be daft. It would be difficult to keep my tail out of view in any act that would create a child!"

"Yes" answered Luna, obviously deeply embarrassed, "I am sorry. It is just that..."

"I know, Huff, I know..." Wolf disengaged his sister from his wife, and pulled her to a chair, where he sat next to her as she rubbed her cheek on his chest and whimpered softly. Virginia was amazed. That strong, self-confident woman was gone, replaced by a familiarly frustrated girl who didn't now what to do and was asking her brother for protection.

"Sometimes" he whispered to Virginia when she came over to see if HuffPuff was all right, "I forget she's the youngest. She looks so much like mother, so wise, I don't remember that she was only 10 when we lost our parents. That she's only 22 now."

"Oh my God..."

"Yes...I told you about the village boys, how they went after her? Well, one tried to get a little too close. They were friends for a while, and the boy wished to get to be more than that. He told her he loved her, and my sister, so hungry for a normal friend, believed him. He was older than her, 16, and had some ideas which he wished to try with my sister. We weren't well liked in the village, being what we were and all, but there was a peace. However, when that boy tried to force HuffPuff into something she didn't wish to do, she fought back, and because she underestimated her own strength and anger, nearly killed him." Virginia could see the rage in his face at what had been done to his sister, even though the event had happened 12 years ago. It had once scared her, knowing what her husband was capable of when upset, but now she acknowledged it as a gift, though she wished to God she would never have the murderous glare turned to her direction.

They realized that the whimpering had stopped from HuffPuff. Both looked down at her. She had fallen asleep. When she slept, the weight left her face, and one could truly see the young girl beneath. The young girl who had taken care of three older brothers, who had never had a true chance at being a carefree teenager. Wolf looked up at Virginia, willing her to understand just how much he cared for his sister, and how much she had suffered for being a decent girl.

"They came that night. They came with pitchforks and torches. We cubs were out on a hunting trip at the time in the local forest, getting dinner for the family since Father was a bit ill. The boy had told the other villagers that we had attacked him for no reason, and that our evil had to be wiped from the village.

The villagers, who had never truly liked us in the first place, latched onto the idea, and arrived at our house just as we were returning. "They burned our parents on big stakes they had erected on the front of our property. We arrived just in time to see the flames rise up and devour our mother and father, and hear their last dying howls of agony. We could smell our parent's burnt remains as we ran into the woods, half insane with grief. But it affected HuffPuff the worst. She thought it was her fault. She kept on saying she just should have gone along with it. She couldn't stop howling her pain. We couldn't even stop her at first. She was so upset, Pawly and Chaser and I were afraid to approach her. Finally, when she calmed a bit, we managed, barely, to get her to a cave, where we knew we'd be safe for a while.

"We hid there for a week, each of us hunting in a cycle, always careful to leave someone with HuffPuff. But one day, Pawly forgot that Chaser was out, and left her alone. She escaped and went back to the village. She was still not sound in the head, and when she saw the remains of our mother and father, she went and found the boy who had tried to take advantage of her and brought him to our cave."

Wolf's eyes seemed to bore into Virginia's as he spoke. "He was not alive when we returned. Nor was he in one piece, or even all there."

Virginia gasped. How could this poor, beautiful, sweet creature have been so brutal? And at 10 years old? And then she knew. It had been the same with her. She had always been a loving, trusting person, but when she discovered what her mother, the evil queen, had done, she had put all that behind her and thrust the poisoned comb into the evil witch. That boy had cost Wolf's sister her childhood, her parents, her home, and her happiness. Virginia entirely understood.

Wolf saw it in her eyes. She agreed with what his sister had done. He nodded to no one imparticular, then went on.

"After that, she went back to normal, but there was a hardness to her. She took over, as I told you, and moved us to Great-grandfather's wood, where no one would harm us. That is where my last name comes from, Virginia. I saw the question in your eyes when Huff called me that, and I will tell you now why. We are descended from the great wolf, Old Grey, who lived deep in the forest of the second kingdom. He was the wolf who blew over the straw pig house, who ate Little Red Riding Hood, who was the villain in so many stories. But he was respected in the woods, by the animals, and those who understood the truth to many of the stories, and someone our parents were proud to call family. So we are Grey-son. You and our child now carry that name, and it will be a help dealing with some, and a hindrance dealing with others. We're Grey's last descendants, practically royalty in that forest."

Virginia took a moment to let it soak all in. There was so much to Wolf she hadn't known and so much she still didn't know. But she would find it all out, and told Wolf so.

"All you have to do is ask, dear..." Wolf said finally.

"So, HuffPuff stayed in that forest?"

"Yes. She has worked in that forest as a woodswoman and herbmistress for the people since we moved there. Many people in that village owe her their lives, or the lives of their children. They all know her for what she is, but there are very few troubles."

"Wolf, how come she...?"

"Why did she just crumple?" he asked, staring at her again with pain in his eyes, "Because she hates to hurt those she loves. When I got angry at her, she knew she hurt me by accusing you, though it's understandable, considering. It's the worst thing to her, since she still feels the guilt for what happened when she was 10. She's never really gotten over the death of our parents, though I must admit, I haven't either. The moment we arrived at the burning has been imprinted in my memory for all time. The sights, the smells, the noise. And to her, it was even more devastating because she thought she could have prevented it."

"Not to mention" continued Virginia knowingly, "That she didn't want the same to happen to you..."

Wolf gave a wain smile. "I knew you were a sharp girl, Virginia."

"Thank you, husband."

"My pleasure. Now we had better wake her up and fix everything..."

"Okay."

"Go put on some bacon, dear?"

Virginia was amazed. "Food?"

"I told you, she's my sister. Just like me."

"This is going to be interesting; two of you, soon to be three. What is this poor woman to do!? I'll never get any bacon!"

"Then I'll have to give you something else..." Virginia remembered that grin. It was the same grin he had used the last time he had pulled her into their bed. When he smiled at her, everything was all right. She put on the bacon, and as the first piece began to sizzle, she heard HuffPuff waking up. Virginia half listened as Wolf explained everything to his sister, cooking the bacon to a crispy brown. When she turned to serve it, however, she found they were right behind her. Virginia nearly dropped the plate.

Wolf immediately went for the bacon, but saved some for his sister on the plate.

HuffPuff went for a slice, but stopped her hand an inch from the bacon.

"I am sorry, Virginia, that I didn't trust you. It was silly of me..."

Virginia smiled then, and handed her the remaining bacon.

"Don't be. I understand. Besides, we all have our little things..."

"Little things?"

"You know, those little things that set us off, mess us up, hold us back. For me, it was the loss of my mother, but I'm over it now. I dealt with it. And sometimes, it takes a very long time to deal with it..."

HuffPuff soaked in what her brother's wife had said, then turned to face Wolf.

"You picked a good one, brother. Hope I find one as good."

There it was. That gleam. That I-have-a-plan gleam that most men feared more than life, and most women couldn't resist. "Maybe, you will..."

Fin