[Sorry about the wait!]


Pilot had just gone to see his children – still only a few weeks old. He knew that soon enough they would be old enough to venture outdoors and start exploring, and then they would really evolve into handfuls. He was so thankful for all that Deuce, Naniko, and the others were doing for the kids. He knew he would be forever indebted to them. He would have loved to have taken them home, but the pups still needed a mother for nutrition. If it hadn’t of been for Deuce, Pilot knew they wouldn’t have had a good chance at survival – if a chance at all. The only question that remained was of Dierdre’s location. He missed her dearly and could only hope that she was doing alright.



On two legs he walked, one hand straying to his neck to thumb the obsidian arrowhead necklace that hung around his neck. It had been lost a few days ago, but he had discovered where he had placed it. Dierdre had given him it as a present, and now it was something for him to hold onto. The violin had been lost in the fire and sometimes when he was alone, he wished he had it so that he might play the song he composed for her.



He almost walked by him, but then noticed the youngster standing near the edge of a small pond. Pilot slowed his pace until he came to a stop, letting his grey colored eyes trace the scene. "Hey there," he said gently, wondering who the youth might be.

Pilot admired the boy’s courage and waved a hand as if to dismiss the assumption that he had trespassed into Twilight Vale. "My name is Pilot Haddon," he told the youth, "and I’m a good friend of Naniko D’Angelo. She and Deuce Rhiannon are looking after my children. I just came from visiting." He spoke colloquially hoping that the boy would not feel threatened by his presence there.



He didn’t think that he had seen this pup around before or in the old lands. Then again, Pilot hadn’t gotten to know many from the other packs. It was plausible that this youngster had been a member of Clouded Tears or maybe even Jaded Shadows. "What's your name?" He had come to find out that many of the old packs had decided to merge into the several new ones in these new lands.

Rhiannon. As is Dierdre Rhiannon. Which instantly made him think of Deuce. Had she had another youngster and Pilot hadn’t even realized it? He was never aware that Deuce was caring for a pup this age. In fact, he looked about the same age as Phoenix’s kids, which in reality, made him less like a child. He was probably just a month or so shy of Mitis. He couldn’t think of anyone else in Jaded Shadows with Dierdre’s surname – it had to be Deuce, right?



"Jazper Rhiannon? That’s interesting. Is your mother Deuce? See my mate is Dierdre Rhiannon and she never mentioned her mother having any other children. I’m surprised I’ve never heard your name before." He took a few steps forward, rubbing a hand along his chin, thinking. "Two of the children Deuce is watching are Dierdre’s sons, as well as my own."

As the older male spoke Jazpers eyes widened. How could this be? Dierdre had never spoken of the father of her pups befor. Was it realy this wolf infront of him? If so what did that make him in relation? He lowered his head in a bow, "Excuse me sir but I am not Deuce's son." He spoke calmly even though his paws were itching to shuffle and his body eagar to move, he sat still. The only thing he moved was his tail which shifted with a sweep across the dirt ground. "I have never heard of you myself. I am...Dierdre's son. She found me on the boarder of Jaded SHadows a couple of mounths ago and took me in as her own."

It made sense. Of course. But still Pilot didn’t want to believe it. Not because he didn’t want to be related to this youth – that was not the reason. It was because then Pilot had to face the truth that Dierdre had been in Jaded Shadows the whole time after she had decided to leave Storm. In Jaded Shadows the whole time. If only he had gone in search of her, he would have found her back then and maybe she would still be by his side now.



"Dierdre’s… son?" He asked, though it was more of a rhetorical question. He pondered this, shaking his head slowly, wondering how this could have evaded him for so long. How was he just now discovering he had a third son? Sure, he wasn’t blood, but Dierdre had taken him in and that was good enough for Pilot. "I see," was all he could manage. Suddenly his throat felt as coarse as sand paper and he tried to swallow the feeling away. That, of course, didn’t help any. "Then I guess that would make you my son too."

Jazper watched and nodded as the male spoke. Yes he was die's son. Yes that did make him his son. Why did Pilot seem so unemotional then. How could he stay and speak so cooly as if everything was the same, as if this hadn't happened. The pup watche dhim shake his head. Was he not happy he had a son? Was he upset with him? Why was he acting this way.

As the questions rushed through his head he started to feel somthing. A strong emotion he had felt befor as he kicked the dirt and howled furiously at the border of Jaded Shadows, resentment. His happy face quickly turned, "Why did you come to see your sons NOW?" He asked with a growl, "Did you not love them? Did you not love her?!" He snapped at the white male. His body started to shake with anger. Why was he so angry? Was he really angry at Pilot or was he upset because he was confused. "I have a father, he's watching over me and he loves me. I have a second father, Lucifur, and he's teaching me the best he can. What are you Father?!" He spat. How dare this random male speak about being his father, his brothers father, Dierdre's love, when he had left them in Jaded Shadows for months , left them during the fire. He already had two fathers why did he need a third one? He had three mothers in the past three months, and he was happy with only having one father after the death of his birth father. No one could replace him.

The response from Jazper surprised him to where Pilot took a step backwards. He face contorted confused, angry, and hurt by the assumptions and accusations being made. Of course he loved them! They were his family, after all. The family he had never had. He loved them with his whole heart. Things had grown complicated very quickly with Dierdre, and Pilot was still sorting things out himself.



"How can you say that? Of course I loved Dierdre! And still do! When she left Storm, I was crushed. I had no idea where to go and look for her. If I would have known she was in Jaded Shadows the whole time-," he had to stop himself, for he was speaking way too fast and with a tone that wasn’t entirely friendly. Breathe, he had to remind himself. Just breathe and calm down. "I happened to come across Twilight Vale and Naniko told me about the kids. They were premature – the stress of the fire must have caused Dierdre to go into labor. If I would have known where she was during the fire, of course I would have came to her aid. And if I would have known Apollo and Sirius were here, I would have visited earlier. But I didn’t know. I was left in the dark."



He knew that so much had changed in so little time and he couldn’t expect Jazper to be entirely receiving of it. Pilot still wasn’t sure how he felt about all of this. Why hadn’t Dierdre told him she was in Jaded Shadows? He knew the answer deep inside, but he didn’t want to face it. He didn’t want to face the fact that she had cheated on him behind his back. He didn’t want to face that disloyalty.



"You don’t have to see me as a father. I would understand. But in my eyes I will always see you as a son, since Dierdre had it in her heart to make you hers. Shadowed Sun’s borders are always open if you ever decide you want a third." He turned to go, hoping that maybe Jazper would ask him to stay. He didn’t want to end this here – not like this. But he couldn’t see what else to do. Things had gotten so jumbled.

In some ways he wanted to go home and just forget about all of this – forget about Dierdre, about Jazper, and maybe even the kids. Things would have been so less complicated. But he knew that that was impossible and even in thinking it, he felt guilty. All he could do was embrace the situation and try to make the best out of it. He wasn’t sure how Jazper felt, but Pilot would just have to keep his arms open. The kids were without a mother, but Pilot had to remember that Deuce was watching after them. Though things seemed bad, he knew realistically that they could work through it. At least they were all still alive, he would remind himself. At least Dierdre survived the fire.



He half-turned when he heard the barely audible sound escape from Jazper’s lips. It was like a small whimper – a helpless squeak. Pilot paused, with his head turned as to look over his shoulder. His gaze, however, remained down towards the ground. He wasn’t sure what the sound meant. He knew Jazper had to have been feeling a bit lonely. How couldn’t he? Obviously something had happened to his real parents in order to have had Dierdre adopt him. And then Dierdre has disappeared. Now he had Lucifer, he had told Pilot. But still. He was young and without all of those people. Pilot could relate to that. He knew what it was like to be separated from your real family. He turned then, so that he was facing Jazper again. "I’m sorry I got upset with you," is what he decided to reply in a voice that was gentle but certain.

Pilot had sympathy – though he couldn’t fully understand how Jazper felt, Pilot could only imagine. He had been without his birth parents for as long as he could remember. He had grown up with two mothers in his life (though the first he couldn’t remember). He supposed the situation was somehow similar. And it was clear they both had suffered from Dierdre’s disappearance. He knew he needed to move on, get stronger from it, but he was having a hard time doing that.



He gently patted his son on the shoulder, trying the word out in his mind. Son. He now had three – though two were actually of his own blood. It was strange to think he was now responsible for actual lives, but he knew he was ready for it. Pilot had a love for children, even if he didn’t always feel apt for taking care of them. "I’m glad I found you here," he told Jazper. "I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all of that. I know it must be hard. And even if this doesn’t mean much to you, I want you to know you can always come to me whenever you need anything."