"Here it is!"

Fulvus spread his wings as he looked to a large farm house. It was truly in the middle of nowhere but it was beautiful, with some repairs.

Mirrow leaned against him, her eyes bright with excitement. "This place is perfect. I'm sure that we'll all love it here, won't we pups?"

Jade looked willing to try it but Kodiak was stubborn, like Fulvus. "I still like the base better. Besides, it smells weird here," he grumbled as he wrinkled his nose against the scent.

Mirrow chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "Those are the scents of the forest, little one. You'll get used to them, once I teach you how to hunt."

"Hunt," echoed Jade in excitement as she looked to her brother. "Isn't that great, Kodi?"

Kodiak rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. How about fighting? What if someone comes here. I need to know how to defend myself and Jade!"

Fulvus strode forward as Meda leaped from the car with Natasha right behind. "Maybe when you're older but for right now it's just hunting."

Kodiak allowed a growl to roll in his throat before Meda nudged his haunch forward. "I'll teach you how to fight and you can learn some true lion moves."

Kodiak's eyes glowed as his temper subsided. He darted forward with Jade right behind. They wove between their parents pawed and charged into the old house. Meda turned her head. "Are you three slow-slugs coming? By the time that we get into the house Kodiak and Jade will have seen it all."

"I'm coming," puffed Laura as she brought herself forward with Clint at her side. "I am pregnant."

Meda smiled affectionately as she darted forward and strode into the house. It was pretty dusty but it hadn't been lived in in years. It would need some work but nothing that they couldn't handle.

"There are so many rooms," howled Jade from upstairs before she appeared at the stairs. "This place is so big!"

Meda did have to admit it was quite large. "I know but be careful. I don't need pups falling down the stairs," she teased warmly as they romped forward, leaping two stairs at a time as they came down.

Fulvus strode from the kitchen. "I think this will work," he chirped up to Clint.

Clint lowered down and stroked Fulvus. "I think so. With some work this will be a perfect place for both of our families to live and thrive."

"Too bad that we can't be here for that long," sighed Fulvus as he remembered Fury telling them that they had an urgent mission to attend to.

"You're not staying?"

Kodiak took a step forward, his eyes wide.

"Kodiak," began Fulvus but he didn't get far before Kodiak interrupted him.

"I thought that things would be different when we came here. I thought you'd stay with us. Me and mother and Jade," he rambled as he looked to Mirrow who was stopping Jade from surging forward and pressing against her brother.

Fulvus lowered his head. "I can't. I have things to do with Clint-"

"I bet you like Clint more than us," he muttered lowly but Fulvus could still hear.

"Don't mumble," he corrected his tail lashed. "That's very rude."

Kodiak stood to his full height. "What if I want to be rude?!"

"Not in my house you're not," snapped Fulvus as his feathers brushed out and his fur began to bristle. He even worked his talons against the ground.

"I don't even want to be in this house," Kodiak reported as he turned his head.

Fulvus narrowed his eyes. "Like it or not you are going to be in this house because you're in this family and until you start acting like you're grateful you can forget about learning to fight, hunt, or fly."

Kodiak looked up in total disbelief. He wrinkled his muzzle in the beginnings of a snarl. "Instead of that arrow cutting into your throat I wish it would have hit your heart and killed you!"

"Kodiak," gasped Mirrow in utter shock at what her son had just said. "Apologize to your father right now!"

Kodiak turned away with tears shinning in his eyes. "He's not my father. He's just my mother's mate," he replied dryly as he turned and bolted out the door and into the woods surrounding the house.

Fulvus sat back, his heart seeming to crack inside his chest. Fury pulsed through him but it was more grief. He couldn't believe that his son had said that to him. Is that really how he felt?

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," assured Clint as he lowered down and rested a hand on Fulvus's shoulder. "He was just angry and-"

"No," broke in Fulvus as he hung his head and pushed the hand off of his shoulder. "He meant every single word."

Meda tensed her shoulders. "That forest is unforeseen territory. He could be hurt in there or worse. I have to go after him," she gasped.

Fulvus darted forward and stopped her. "No. This is my mistake. I have to fix it and go after him.

"Be careful," fretted Mirrow with fear in her eyes while Jade lowered between her paws.

Fulvus dipped his head. "I will. You don't have to worry. I'll have him back by nightfall and we'll leave tomorrow morning." Clint gave a nod. "I want you to all fix up the house as best you can and when we get back we'll help."

When no one stopped him he charged forward, feeling the wind whipping through his fur. He pushed into the forest, numerous branches and leaves brushing against him. He shook his head madly as a lot of leaves fell from this head.

"Kodiak! Kodiak, answer me," he ordered but nothing happened. No one answered him.

Fulvus hung his head before he realized why all the leaves were falling. He looked up and he saw a small bundle of black and white fur clinging to a branch. Fulvus sighed heavily as he spread his wings. He flew upward and perched on the branch. Kodiak looked like he was going to leap but Fulvus wasn't going to let that happen.

"Kodiak, you can't run from me all the time," Fulvus pointed out in a controlled voice. He didn't want to come off as hurt or angry since that didn't seem to work with Kodiak.

Kodiak didn't say anything but he tucked his wings closer to his side.

"Are you going to speak to me, Kodiak, or are you going to just sit there. Because if you are it's going to be a long night," Fulvus pointed out as he leaned forward.

Kodiak let out a sigh. "I prefer Kodi."

Fulvus tilted his shoulders. At least they were getting somewhere. "Alright, Kodi it is. Now was what so hard?"

"It is when I'm talking to you," muttered Kodi into his chest fur.

Fulvus shuffled a bit closer. "And why is that?" He actually felt like they where really getting somewhere now.

Kodi lashed out a paw. "I don't know! You're just hard to talk to and I know that you're trying to do what's best for me but I want to be like you. I don't want to live here," 'he grumbled.

"I know but it's important that you're here. I want to make sure that you're safe. Besides, who's going to look after your mother or sister? They need you, Kodi. And I need you to look after them when I'm not here," he explained as Kodi finally turned to look at him. "I love you all so much that I can't bare to place on you the life I live. I have to go down the path I was made for. I'm not going to do that to you."

Kodi looked at his paws. "Will you ever come back?"

Fulvus's eyes widened. "Of course I will! I'll come back as often as my schedule allows. I love you all too much to be away for a long time."

Kodi chuckled as he surged forward and pressed his head against his father's chest. "I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean that I wished you would have died."

Fulvus wrapped his wings around him. "I know. Sometimes we say things that we don't mean. Now, if I'm going to leave you in charge you're going to have to do one thing."

"What is that," inquired Kodi as he took a step back and tilted his head.

Fulvus spread his wings. "You're going to have to learn how to fly," he answered as he winked at his son.

Kodi's expression brightened as he spread his own wings and growled. "I'm ready! I'm ready! Teach me how to fly," he exclaimed.

Fulvus chuckled affectionately. Now this was the Kodi that he knew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mom! Mom! Guess what! Guess what!"

Kodi leaped at Mirrow's paws and Mirrow nearly fainted. "Oh thank Lupus that you're alright," she gasped as she wrapped Kodi in a hug.

He backed up. "Yeah, I'm fine but watch this!"

He spread his wings and flapped them, rising up a few feet. "Very good," praised Clint as he and Natasha came out. "You'll be a fine flyer one day."

Kodi dipped his head. "Dad taught me."

Meda purred in amusement. "I figured. Looks like you're old man still can do something," she purred warmly with eyes lighting in affection.

Fulvus smiled before he looked up to the sky. It was almost sunset and they could probably make it back. "We should probably go."

"Now," whimpered Jade as she rubbed her paws against her eyes. "But I want you to stay for a long time."

"He can't, Jade," explained Kodi as he puffed out his chest in pride. "But I'll be here to look after you!"

Fulvus chuckled as he touched his forehead to Mirrow's. "Are you going to be alright if I go," he wondered in a faint whisper.

Mirrow nodded. "Yes. We'll manage here and once you get back it'll be stunning!"

Fulvus took a step back before he spread his wings. Jade and Kodi darted forward and he squeezed them both in a giant hug. "Be good for your mother and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"We will," the vowed in unison before he drew back and strode toward Clint, Natasha, and Meda. "Are you ready for another day, another mission?"

Clint chuckled as he pushed Natasha. "As long as it's not with these hooligans," he teased warmly.

Meda pressed against Fulvus and looked at the house. "Is this what you imagined your life being?"

He watched as Jade and Kodi began wrestling with Laura and Mirrow watching thoughtfully. He shook his head and smiled. "It's so much better!"