[Aiden]

Everything was colored in greens and browns, with barely any blues unless you counted the spots of sky behind the forest's canopy. The Fae was endless as they spent days trekking north, but North was just in a general sense. Some days, they'd walk westwards for hours before curving back northeast. Going straight north would have made it too easy for trackers to follow.

On their fifth night in the woods, Aiden and Maaike were nearly ambushed by two other hunters. The hunters might have creeped up on them, too, if Cailean hadn't heard them coming and started to growl. It had been useless to reason with the hunters as they dropped into the clearing with weapons ready—they only saw floating xanthos above Aiden and Maaike's heads. He and Maaike escaped quite easily though. The hunters may have looked like formidable rutilus 'vari, the hunters were tremendously weakened by their inability to see in the dark.

Most of their nights were spent out in the forest rather than inside an inn to prevent the risk of being recognized or remembered. On those nights, usually one of them would set up camp as the other hunted for dinner. They talked sometimes during the day, but nightfall was when they truly had conversations. Maaike didn't like to talk much about her past, but she shared funny stories about Magda and Cailean, and she spoke of her favorite spots in Espur. In return, Aiden described the cuisine in Dardanos, his childhood participation in sports, and a lot about his siblings. He missed his family dearly, and somehow talking to Maaike made him feel less homesick. She was full of life and determination, and he admired the light in her eyes when she recounted the former bounties she'd hunted.

The day was soon becoming dark again. They were nearing 'the territories' as Maaike liked to describe it, and the promise of safe haven spurred their pace. Large paws hit against the soggy Fae dirt as the big cat that was Aiden leapt over a mass of tree roots. His leg had healed for a while now, and the only thing left from the leg injury was a shallow scar that no longer hurt.

A foreign scent floated from up the hill, and Aiden slowed as he saw the silhouette of a man standing and leaning against one of the large trees. Brown hair, wiry build, and smelled like a therian.

((Let me know if you want me to change anything. Also, feel free to GM Aiden.))

[Maaike]

OOC: Gosh, I'm so excited for this thread.

If Aiden had picked up on her nervousness, he never said anything, never treated her differently, and Maaike was thankful for it. Hopefully, he would assume she was jumpy because of the hunters on their trail and the attacks that proved too frequent for her comfort, rather than anything of a more personal note, but she dreaded he would change their friendly sharing and sizzling banter into something deeper than she was ready for.

She asked herself several times why she hadn't just told him already. He would find out about Sammy soon enough, and part of her wanted to soften the blow by at least fore-warning him. The other part hid behind lame excuses — what if they were being watched, what if someone overheard her speak of her boy, what if he hated her for hiding it all this time, what if he abandoned her? — and she chickened out. She had a very good reason for not wanting him to leave, beyond the fear of never seeing him again: at least, if he was on Sullivan land, he would be safe. Safer, at least. And if he had been welcomed by her family and her clan, he was less likely to do a runner the second he realised she had a past.

She was not above using his integrity against him, even if it did leave bile in her throat at the thought of it, and even if she was so tangled up with good intentions and bad that she no longer knew herself why she just didn't tell him already. She would blame the evenings they had shared around the camp fire when they weren't being hunted, evenings spent swapping stories that made her realise what a fool she had been letting Ashton sweep her off her feet. Aiden was the real thing, the kind of man who stuck around and meant it, and when he found out she had lied — if only by omission — then...

In human form, because they had been taking turns leading Cailean while the other nosed a trail through the forest away from other people and animals, Maaike froze with one foot on the forest floor and the other lifted to step over a knot of roots. Cailean's reins had pulled taut as the azani smelled something, and Aiden's leopard — such a beautiful form even if Maaike's wolf did take offense at the presence of a cat — had slowed almost to a stand-still.

Pinning the man with a narrow-eyed stare, Maaike settled her weight and stepped away from the tree. She was at a disadvantage already, the man standing at least a foot above them where the soil crested over buried tree limbs, but she'd recognise his scent — the scent of her home and her clan — anywhere.

“Maaike. Weren't expecting you for a couple more months.”

Maaike steadily and deliberately put herself between the Therian and Aiden's leopard, not because she thought poorly of Aiden's ability to defend himself (even in his human form, he could be pretty damned formidable just with sheer bulk) but as a statement of intent. She didn't bother to acknowledge the greeting yet.

“He your fella?”

Maaike's lips warred with her eyebrows, a smile and a grimace all in one. Not that she hadn't had such thoughts herself, and she had come very close to jumping Aiden's bones back in that little tavern, and she wasn't even sure he would have minded, really. But first things first — Sammy. Confessions. All that.

“You know, kid, I remember you being more talkative than this. Or was that—” He thankfully stopped himself when he saw the way her eyes flared wide open and her head shook minutely before he could mention Sammy ahead of schedule. “So I suppose you're wanting permission to bring him in, then?” At her nod, the man turned ever so slightly and swept out an arm, gesturing for them to step forward and across the invisible border onto Sullivan land. “Be my guest. Don't forget to say hi to your folks afore you settle in. Niamh's been doing my nut since you missed the last check-in.”

Maaike had the grace to wince, subconsciously acknowledging both the guilt and the knowledge that she was in for a complete bollocking when her mother caught wind of her. First things first, however: “Thanks, Ronan. Um.” Xanth, she never 'ummed'. “This is Aiden. He's. Well. Aiden.” Her sheepish smile at the leopard had nothing on the cackle of glee Ronan loosed, and Maaike tried to ignore the waggle of his eyebrows.

“Cheers, mate. Go on in, but don't leave her side 'til you're cleared by the toff, yeah? We got kids in there—” Ronan did not look very pointedly at Maaike, so help her, Xanth. “—so keep your mitts to yourself.”

[Aiden]

Not knowing who the watcher was, Aiden braced his paws into the forest floor as he slowed his pace. Tilting his neck closer to the ground, the cat eyed the man intently as the muscles in his foreleg tensed to prepare for anything. This man could be yet another bounty hunter, and he could have already set a trap for them. As Maaike put herself in his way however, Aiden tilted his head slightly as he waited for the end of the stare-down.

Clearly the two already knew each other, but how? Stepping toward Maaike's side to get a better look at the man, Aiden blinked curiously at the seemingly one-sided conversation. He couldn't gauge either of their reactions. Were they safe? He didn't relax until they received permission to enter what was apparently the territories. When Ronan gestured toward the lands, Aiden lifted his head and saw that they still had to travel through parts of the forest before getting to shelter. To Maaike's parents, as well.

Were it not for his current shape, Aiden would have introduced himself to Ronan at this point. At least Maaike spoke for him, although she seemed suddenly shy about introducing him. It was surprisingly cute to see her this way, but then Aiden was admittedly just as sheepish when Ronan openly made assumptions about them. He wouldn't mind if he were Maaike's, and she were his. Sometimes when he looked at Maaike, it seemed like she thought the same too. But then there'd always be something unspoken—something heavy—that would draw Maaike back. He still couldn't figure it out.

Nodding at Ronan as they passed through the invisible border, Aiden trailed behind Maaike as they moved further into the lands. As they drew closer to the settlement, he began to smell the homey fragrance of chicken roasting over a fire and of herbs cooking in stew. Children's laughter rang among the clacking of wooden sticks.

Pausing before they got even closer to civilization, Aiden stretched his forelegs before sitting back. Spotted fur melted into lighter skin as Aiden regained his human form. The combination of hunger and fatigue slowed the change, and it felt slower with Maaike waiting for him. As his shoulder popped into place, Aiden winced and rotated his arm. Reaching for the bags along Cailean's back, he grinned widely at his long-time travelling companion. “So where's the boss, and how do I get on his good side?” He might have said it light-heartedly, but he honestly felt nervous. Clans were known to be territorial, and he wouldn't be welcome here unless the chief said so.

[Maaike]

Maaike beamed at Aiden as he shifted and asked after the Sullivans' leader. She wanted to make a comment about him assuming the role of a pack horse, but honestly, seeing the play of his muscles as he hefted the heavier bags made her tongue dry to the roof of her mouth. She clucked it at him to hide the reaction, leading Cailean by the reins further beyond the invisible border.

“I don't think you'll find it too difficult.” She shot him a reassuring smile, even though her own nerves were beginning to tremor through her. Aiden was likeable and trustworthy, and it didn't take long for people to see that, so she didn't think he'd find it hard to win Cam over, especially since they all knew Maaike to be the suspicious type. For her to bring Aiden here at all spoke volumes about their relationship, really, and certainly that she trusted him with not only her own life but that of her son, her parents, her siblings, her entire clan.

Nevertheless, she twisted to look over her shoulder as she traipsed through the undergrowth ahead of him, eyes twinkling with wicked anticipation. His nervousness wasn't lost on her, and it shouldn't be amusing but seeing a man his size unsure of himself... Well. “You can relax, Sweetcheeks. Ronon wouldn't have let us by if it was going to be a problem. That whole spiel was mostly just for show.” Mostly.

She began to elaborate, to explain the hierarchy and who was who, but the bushes rustled to her right and Maaike froze, nose in the air as her eyes narrowed on the spot. Before she could do anything more than drop Cailean's reins and brace herself, a small furry body was hurtling at her, limbs wrapping around her neck and waist like an octopus as the fur turned to hair.

“Mama, you're back!” And nothing, not even her fear of Aiden's reaction, could stop the brilliance of the smile she settled on her baby boy.

[Aiden]

Meeting the clan leader will be just like an interview, he told himself as he followed after Maaike and listened to her explanation about clan hierarchy. He'd completed plenty of interviews before, although he was usually the one asking questions. Unfortunately, he thought of the panic on his detainee's faces as he questioned them, and Aiden briefly wondered if his anxiety was due to Xanth playing karma.

Leaves rustled animatedly before a furry creature tackled into Maaike, and as the creature reverted to a talking and hugging human child, Maaike glowed with an emotion that had been missing for far too long. Seeing Maaike's delight as she embraced the small boy, Aiden's heart warmed to see her so happy. They'd been through Hel and back, and she deserved this moment.

Then he inhaled sharply. "Mama", the boy had said.

Green eyes became impossibly wide as his expression surrendered to the purest form of shock. Mama. That short and powerful word sent his mind spinning, and Aiden felt as if his brain had been clobbered with a mace. He didn't know whether to gape and point or just sit down, so he did neither. All this time, he'd suspected that Maaike was hiding something significant, but never anything as crucial as her child. He was reminded clearly of Graeme's horror when Maaike suggested the territories as their 'safe place', and he recalled that awkward pause in Ronan and Maaike's conversation just minutes ago. No wonder she had been endlessly skittish during their whole trip. He'd stupidly thought it was just paranoia. This explained why Maaike never talked about her family even when he rattled endlessly about his own, and he also realized...

Together, they had struggled and survived through a crucible in the past year. He'd trusted her with his life and everything that was dear to him. Yet she didn't trust him enough to tell him about her son...until now? When the topic finally couldn't be avoided? It hurt, although he somehow managed to make his face neutral again. Lamely, he stepped to the side to allow Maaike her mother-son reunion. He knew how it felt to miss a parent, and he'd wait for the boy to chatter for as long as the kid wanted to.

[Maaike]

Maaike watched Aiden's reaction very closely over the top of her son's head even as Sammy chattered away. It was surprising how much activity the six-year-old — almost seven, now! — could pack into a couple of months, but she supposed it helped that he had reached the stage where he got excited about everything. He had begun to open up, to stop flinching if someone made a sudden movement, to stop looking scared if anyone paid attention to him. He could open his mouth now and ask for the things he wanted or needed without being mocked for being a glutton or clipped for being an ingrate.

Maaike only listened with half an ear, though. Aiden's shock was almost palpable, and she didn't miss the quickly hidden flash of hurt. She hadn't considered that hiding Sammy's existence would actually upset him, but she had to admit now that she would feel the same in his shoes. They had shared so much already; everything, as far as she knew, except for this one little — major — thing. And, in all honesty, she had no idea why she hadn't said something sooner, why she couldn't just open her mouth and say the words, "I have a son."

“Baby, go get Grandad for me, will you?” She set her boy down on his feet and ruffled his hair, watched him scamper off with a bright grin on his face. Then turned to face the music.

“His father's dead.” Wow, Maaike, way to ease into it. And, she realised, there were actually two giant secrets between them. She wasn't sure she could ever, ever confess that she was a murderer, even if it had been in self-defence. Not to his man, this honourable, upstanding Guard. “I... He wasn't... a nice man.” She lifted trembling fingers to sweep hair out of her face, glanced around at the trees, checked on Cailean just for something to look at besides Aiden's face, the anger, hurt, betrayal she expected to see there.

“I didn't tell you because...” Her hand flapped, tangling briefly in the hair she'd just got out of her way, in a vague attempt to put into motion what she couldn't put into words. And went for broke, because she had nothing else to lose. “I trust you with my life, Aiden, with my everything, and that's why I brought you here. I just couldn't... I didn't know how...” She winced, gestured behind her in the direction of her clan, her family, and said, as if it would explain everything the way she couldn't: “He's my son.”

[Aiden]

The kid must have had so many ideas and stories bottled up during his mother's absence. Small arms waved animatedly as the boy tried to emphasize the size of an egg he'd seen, then flapped as he mentioned an angelsnake sighting. He was bursting with energy, like most children, and might have fallen to the ground at times were it not for his mother's grip. Aiden had seen Maaike in the roles of a bounty hunter chasing criminals, a criminal chased by Guards, and the vanguard against Malaki. He would never had pictured Maaike as a mother, but now as he watched them chatting in the sun, he recognized that the boy adored Maaike dearly, so Maaike was just as good of a mother as she was a hunter. That didn't alleviate any of Aiden's shock though.

Still standing in the shade, Aiden waited as Maaike lowered her kid to the ground. As the child ran off in search of his grandfather, Maaike's back straightened.

“His father's dead,” was the statement that eventually broke their awkward silence, or perhaps worsened it, for what could he say to that? Perhaps it was not so bad since the man hadn't been 'nice', but that just made Aiden wonder a lot more about questions he wasn't sure she would answer. The other therian turned away to check on Cailean, but what had been hidden behind the casualness of her speech was betrayed by her shaky motions.

Her next words drew the breath out of Aiden, for no one had revealed that much sincerity to him in a long time. Seeing the dread of rejection in those blue eyes, Aiden's neutralness cracked. He still felt miserable from being misled, and he was still trying to overcome the doubt of whether she trusted him. However, he knew the words were true. She could avoided the topic forever and led him to a different hideout, but instead, she'd shown him her home. With a small and sad smile, he stepped closer to Maaike to lightly touch her arm. “I wish we could've talked about this sooner...but...at least...I know now?”

Turning toward the Sullivan territories, Aiden lifted their bags again and started walking. He'd get over this surprise. Soon, probably. They were at Maaike's home, but being here also gave Aiden a twinge of worry. Thanatos was ruthless, and neither Aiden nor Maaike knew what the 'vari was capable of doing, or was willing to do. “Are you sure about hiding here?”

((Oh gosh, my writing's rustier than ever. Sorry for the wait! I'm glad to be back! ))

[Maaike]

OOC: It's okay. I know the feeling!

Maaike gave a tremulous smile. She wanted to think everything would be okay, that Aiden's acceptance was just that, but he turned and stalked away before she could get a clear read on him. That one flash of hurt had undermined whatever assurances she'd given herself that he'd be fine with it, that he wouldn't care that she'd hidden something so significant from him. As she trailed after him, Cailean's reins snagged loosely around her fingers, Maaike fixed her gaze on Aiden's calves (and what nice calves they were) as if they held all the answers to the universe. They might, at that, but if those answers were there, she couldn't read them.

She had the sneaking, terrible suspicion she would have to tell him everything if she wanted to prove her trust in him, if she wanted him to trust her properly again. She'd worked so hard to gain his trust the first time around. At first, purely from a standpoint of needing his help, but then later because she'd wanted it. He was a good man, nothing like her. Maaike wanted to say she was a good woman, too, but her morals only went so far. She broke the rules when it suited her, if it meant getting the information she needed. She wondered how Aiden would have dealt with Ashton, if he'd have turned himself in for murder and trusted in the judges where she hadn't.

She caught on to the scent of woodsmoke, the forest thinning slightly just ahead. There were quite a few clearings in this area of the forest so Maaike could never be sure which one her clan was currently using, but they at least kept to a rough pattern when they migrated so she always knew where to catch up with them. Sooner or later, she'd run into one of the scouts or perimeter guards, like Ronon. It was strange to be approaching with a stranger to the clan, though. If the butterflies in her own tummy were anything to go by, how must he feel to be walking into another clan's territory unannounced?

“Mamaaaaaaa!” Without warning, Sammy dropped out of the tree over Maaike's head. She'd been so wrapped up in her worries about Aiden that she'd let her senses dull. Bad form in the forest, and dangerous to boot.

“Oof.” She caught Sammy purely by instinct and he immediately buried his face in her throat. Maaike huffed. “I thought I asked you to do something for me.” The last word was barely out of her mouth when Ellery Sullivan stepped out from behind a tree to her left, quick and nimble on silent feet despite his age. The old man's eyes were on Aiden but he spared a smile for Maaike. “Grandpa. This is my friend, Aiden Roy. He's been helping me with that case I told you about?” She made it a question because Ellery's memory wasn't what it used to be, and he tended to nod off during her conversations with the rest of their family.

Ellery nodded, just a single acknowledgement of Aiden's presence. He was frowning thoughtfully, or maybe in confusion, as if he was trying to remember the exact significance of this meeting. “You're late, girl.”

Maaike rolled her eyes. “Xanth damn it, Grandpa, give me a chance. You know how far I have to travel to the city.”

Sammy's head jolted up, a comical 'O' of horror on his face. “Mama, you swooooorrreee.” Maaike patted him on the head and gave him an apologetic shrug.

Ellery finally looked at her, greying eyes sharp. “You're the one who didn't want to move back here after your Rite.” He didn't actually say the 'whose fault is it, really?' but he might as well have.

Maaike huffed. “Well, are you going to invite us in, or not? We've been walking non-stop for days. We could both use a bath and some food and to sleep for a thousand years.” She stepped closer to Aiden, physically declaring her support even though the very fact that she'd brought him here screamed volumes. Cailean's reins still dangled loosely from her fingers, but thankfully the azani wasn't trying to make a break for the nearest squirrel.

Ellery huffed right back. There was a fondness in his expression the second that she reverted to adolescent exaggeration. “Fine.” The old man stepped closer, never once crunching twigs or rustling the ferns. He held out his hand to Aiden. “Ellery Sullivan. And look, if you managed to survive a few days of cross-country travel with my granddaughter—”

“Oi!”

“—you must be gagging for a drink. Moonshine?”

[Aiden]

Not trusting himself to look at Maaike—--he was still very shocked and was worried he'd blurt out an uncomfortable question—--Aiden diverted his attention instead to the woods around them. But really, his mind raced as he thought about Sammy, Maaike's (dead) husband, the fact that they were entering the Sullivan territories with bounties on their heads, how Sammy hadn't smelled entirely therian, if things between them would change now that they were here and he knew about Sammy...

He'd only caught a glimpse of the small being in the trees before it crashed into Maaike again. Seconds later, a grey-haired man approached them quickly. The man stood straight with an aura of someone who exercised regularly, and Aiden felt as if he were being judged when he fell under the old man's blue-grey gaze. As Maaike introduced her grandfather, Aiden bowed his head respectfully in greeting. His eyes became brighter at the mention of food and bath and sleep. He was in desperate need of all three and could care less about the order they were received.

Straightening his spine as the elder approached them, Aiden extended his right hand for a firm handshake. “Aiden Roy, sir.” Maaike had given his name already, but it didn't hurt to try a proper introduction. Hearing the levity in Ellery's tone, Aiden grinned and shared a teasing glance with Maaike. “Thanks. Maaike's been on her best behavior these past few weeks, but we'll both take that drink anyway.” It might help the headache that had been building up for Aiden, and maybe when they settled down, he and Maaike could finally catch up about things. Mindful of the proprieties when entering a clan's grounds though, he paused to look at Maaike and Ellery when he asked, “Should we say hello to Rioghain first?”

[Maaike]

Ellery nodded, leading the way through a tight copse of trees skirted by thick underbrush. The branches snagged at Maaike's hair and clothes, but she pushed through, yanking Cailean by the reins behind her. The azani was worn out by the trip so thankfully wasn't trying to rip himself free, but he kept snuffling at the ground like he'd detected a particularly disdainful scent and was about to remedy the situation.

“Aye,” Ellery answered Aiden's prompt. “Who do you think has the moonshine?” The old man winked over his shoulder, pausing with his hands pushing two separate branches out and away from him like a curtain.

Maaike snorted. “I see you haven't lost your sense for the dramatics, Gramps.” Ellery let go and the branches snapped back. Maaike managed to duck and weave without them slapping her in the face, but it was a near thing. Sammy giggled as he was dipped back over her arm, skinny arms snatching around her neck until she croaked, “Mercy, boy. Mercy!”

Sammy eased up, Maaike straightened up, and suddenly they were in the clearing where her clan had settled. On the edges were a couple of lean-tos cut from slender tree trunks and leaf-rope netting. In the middle was the communal tent, larger and taller than the rest. Ellery headed for the one next to it, where Rioghain lived with his mate and two kids. The old man flung out his arms and grinned, walking backwards and somehow never tripping. Even Maaike hadn't figured that out yet.

“Welcome to the Sullivan camp, Aiden Roy. On your left, a tree. On your right, a shrub.” Maaike scoffed. “And if you'll note the rock at your feet, in three, two, one...”

[Aiden]

Oh, so they were going to raid the clan leader's stash of liquor. Aiden wondered if that was customary tradition for visitors in these parts. He wouldn't know better anyway—his aunt had never taught him much about clan politics, and his only other outside-clan encounter was with the Rowan Caverns. To Aiden, the caverns didn't really count because he had been there with Kiel and the clan had invited them. Maybe he was overthinking things, but now he really wished he'd thought ahead to bring something as a gift.

Catching the branches as they whipped over Maaike's head, Aiden scanned the large clearing beyond the trees. Where the Rowan caverns had been a dim maze of hallways and chilly rooms, the Sullivan campsite was a bright cluster of greens and browns. He could actually see the layout of the clan's space. Although there were about a dozen tents and makeshift buildings, the campsite looked clean and the area was organized around a large central tent. At the tent nearest to him, someone had left their chicken roasting over fire, and a pair of children skirted from one tent to another in some sort of racing game.

Following Ellery and Maaike, Aiden was amused as the elder theatrically pointed at areas of interest. A seawood tree, a clump of bushes, and a rock. Hearing the countdown, Aiden looked toward the ground, slightly confused, as nothing happened. Was something supposed to?

[Maaike]

Ellery looked at the rock, disappointment written all over his face. “Maybe I shouldn't have pointed it out so soon...”

Maaike rolled her eyes. “Gramps, it's not nice to laugh at people tripping over rocks.” She turned to offer Aiden an apologetic smile, careful to avoid the same rock Ellery had tried to trip Aiden with.

“Well, you say that now,” Ellery said, completely unrepentant. He grinned at Aiden, a playful twinkle in his greying eyes. “She'd have been laughing right along with me if you'd tripped over it.”

Maaike snorted. She couldn't deny it outright because it was instinct to laugh at others' misfortune and Ellery knew her too damn well. She shook her head instead, stopping outside Rioghain's tent to set Sammy on his feet. “Go play with your pals, bud.” She smacked him gently on his bare butt. When Sammy opened his mouth to argue, she pre-empted with a promise, “I'll come play with you in a bit, okay? I gotta get my friend squared away with the Boss-man first.” Sammy pouted, but nodded. He stared up at Aiden for a minute, digging his toes into the dirt. Maaike scrubbed a hand through the dirt and twigs in his shaggy hair.

“Are you my mama's mate?” Maaike nearly swallowed her tongue. “Nana said Mama needs a better mate than Daddy was, 'cause he was a bad man what liked to beat us and wouldn't ever let me play with my toys so we had to hide them when he was home. If you're nice and get me some tammish pie and a cheefle, you can be my daddy.”

Maaike gasped in horror, cheeks flushing. “Samson Sullivan, where on - What on... Where in the Hel did you get the idea you could blackmail people into...” She squeezed her fists and scrunched up her nose. “Ergh! Aiden's not - You can't just - How do I even-?” Sammy just blinked up at them, a picture of innocence. Ellery was laughing so hard he was clutching at his belly. Maaike couldn't look Aiden in the eye. Somehow, the thought of Sammy making Aiden his honourary father twanged at emotions she didn't know she had. Sure, he was ten times the man Ashton had been, but damn, boy. “I am so sorry, Aiden, I have no idea where he got that idea from.”

[Aiden]

Nudging the perilous rock with his foot, Aiden walked past it and smiled as Ellery accused Maaike of the same guilt. “I don't doubt that.” They poked fun at each other plenty of times, though the brunt of the jokes seemed one-sided and in Maaike's favor. Clumsiness and falling down was no exception. As his smile widened into a grin, Aiden shook his head ruefully. “Now I know who she gets her humor from.”

Ellery had led them to one of the lean-tos beside the central tent. Like a few other shelters, this one was supported by various beams of light wood. Canvas and hide stretched over the tent, and a woolen blanket had been unfurled over the entrance. As Maaike set her child down, the boy stared straight toward Aiden, and the directness of his question caught Aiden with shock. Was that---did he really just---Aiden felt the tips of his ears burn red. Something in his chest burned at the image of anybody beating Maaike and this small boy, but right now the emotion was drowned out by abashment from the sort-of reverse proposal.

“Oh boy...” Looking at Sammy's earnestly wide eyes, Aiden chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He glanced from the merciless Ellery to Maaike. She was oh-so-pointedly avoiding his gaze, and her cheeks were tinged with the color of pink that made her look adorable (he knew she'd punch him if he said that out loud). The thought of him and Maaike being a couple had crossed his mind more than a few times, but he'd never really put the notion to test. It was kind of a relief that the thought was finally out in the open, albeit in the form of a child's question, and Maaike's vehement denial was slightly off-putting.

However, hearing the combination of Maaike's outburst and Ellery's mirth, Aiden couldn't help it. He started laughing too. Resting an elbow on each knee, Aiden squatted to speak with Sammy. “Wait, you really think your mom's just worth tammish pie and a cheefle?” Eyes shining with mischief, he shot a brief look at Maaike before grinning lopsidedly at Sammy. “'Cause...my family has a pretty good recipe for tammish pie.” And tarts and cookies and so on. The flowers were abundant in Dardanos and frequently used in cooking.

He hadn't noticed it before, but now that they were at eye level, Aiden saw the elongated pupils in Sam's sapphire eyes. 'Vari. Though those eyes were honest and wide, they held wariness as well. The wariness reminded Aiden of a former experience, and he recognized that behind the cheerful exterior, the child might still be healing. He was tempted to ask Maaike about Sam's father later, if she'd let him. What kind of vlareon would raise a hand against his own family?

[Maaike]

Sammy grabbed Maaike's hand and hung on tight when Aiden bent close. Maaike gave him an encouraging smile, but the conversation made her eyes squeeze shut and her head tip back. Honestly, they were going to kill her with cute. Aiden would make such a good dad, and once the thought was there, it wouldn't go away. She'd never let herself wonder about it before because they were always fighting, either amongst themselves or against enemies who were trying to kill them. She wasn't even sure when 'trust enough to work together' had turned into 'trust with her life', let alone 'trust with her kid'. But here they were, and here was Sammy putting into words everything she couldn't.

She didn't like the coy look on her son's face when Aiden mentioned his family's recipe. “Mama says tammish is reeeeeeeeeeeealllly expensive,” he chirped, twisting back and forth on his feet and practically dangling all his weight from his grip on her hand. Maaike had to brace her feet so she didn't fall over, her heart aching to realise how much he'd grown in her absence. “And Matt says that cheefles are the cutest animals in the whole entire world!” Maaike had only told him the fruit was so expensive because she couldn't always bring them with her when she came for a visit. They only grew in Dardanos, so they did cost more than she'd like, but transportation was the main issue.

“Matt said that, huh?” Maaike's nephew was older than Sammy by a single, lonely year, but that apparently made him the sage of all things. “He's clearly never seen Aiden in his bengal form. Now that's cute.” She winked at Aiden. The compliment wasn't intended as a flirtation, not when her kid was right there watching, but it didn't stop the twinkle in her eyes.

Sammy gasped and bounced on his toes. “I want to see, I want to see!” Maaike shook her head. She should have known better than to offer him something worth viewing when they were trying to visit Rioghain. Sammy bounced harder and yelled, “I'll show you mine if you show me yours!”

Maaike really did choke on her own spit this time. Considering that Sammy was stark naked and he'd just been asking about mates, that line just really wasn't appropriate at all.

[Aiden]

The corners of his eyes crinkled with mirth as Aiden shook his head. Tammish flowers could be so overrated in the mainland. Funny how something so common at home could be inflated across Espur's channel. “There's a whole patch of tammish outside my place in Parthis. I'll have my brother send them over so you'll have enough to make pies and jam.” He'd faltered slightly as he mentioned his brother, although he continued the rest of this thought. With the current situations, Aiden couldn't possibly receive shipments in the corner of the Fae, let alone contact Nate. He wished he could, though. By the Hind, he really missed Nate and everyone else.

At Maaike's comparison of his cat form with the cheefle, Aiden smiled and rolled his eyes in disagreement. The bengal's cute-factor had helped him a couple times while in the Guard, but he'd rather eat a scorpion than admit to being cuter than a cheefle.

As Sammy jumped excitedly and offered another bargain, Aiden strangled the guffaw that threatened to burst out of his chest. That line didn't sound right, and already he could hear Ellery howling with glee as the old man leaned on a tree for support—the sadist. Maaike looked absolutely mortified. Gods. This kid. Trying to keep a straight face, Aiden responded, “Aw, I can't be a small cat when I'm about to meet your boss. How's he gonna take me seriously?” He hoped the excuse would work. “But maybe later?”

[Maaike]

Sammy bounced up and down so hard Maaike thought her wrist was going to sprain, half his face taken up by a brilliant grin that did things to her insides. She didn't think she'd ever seen her boy look so happy, even after all this time away from the stifling environment Ashton caged around them. “Tammish jam?!” Sammy tugged repeatedly on Maaike's hand, still bouncing and grinning. “Tammish jam, Mama! Aiden said he can make jam like Nana but out of tammishes!” Maaike bit back a smirk, deciding not to argue that that hadn't exactly been what Aiden had said. It would be difficult to explain exactly what Aiden had meant, but mostly she just liked the idea of Aiden being uncomfortable about having new skills stacked on his head. (According to Sammy, Maaike could fly even in human form and was so kick-ass she could take on and beat a vlareon.)

Lips twitching, Maaike tugged her hand free to ruffle Sammy's hair. “I heard.” She ruffled again, just because he was pulling a face and squirming. “Seriously, though, we need to introduce Aiden to Rioghain, so I need you to go play with Matt or find your Nana or something, okay?” He pouted but nodded, holding up his arms for one last hug. Maaike lifted him easily and buried her nose in his hair, wrinkling it at the stench of dried mud and bits of twig. “Hoo, boy, do you need a bath.” Sammy giggled as she tickled him, squirming down the length of her body and out of her arms. He ran off, then whipped back and glomped Aiden's leg for a second, pressing his face close. Maaike choked on the lump in her throat, eyes wet.

“Bye, Aiden! Catch you later, rawr!” Sammy made a face and claws, then disappeared into the bushes.

Maaike cleared her throat. “We should, uh.” She jerked a thumb at Rioghain's tent, unable to look at Aiden or remember exactly what they were meant to be doing. Sammy was going to be the death of her, he really was.

[Aiden]

The smile on Aiden's face grew wider as the young child jumped in glee, nearly pulling Maaike around. It warmed his heart to see Maaike at ease with her kid. He'd never seen her this happy, and that was understandable now. She'd been away from her kids for all these months. However, both of Aiden's eyebrows rose in surprise as Sammy said that he'd make the jam. Pie, he was okay with—he used his family's recipe even while in Alexandria, though he still couldn't get it to taste as good as his mothers'--jam was something else entirely. “Well, um.” Eyes focusing on Maaike for help, he could only watch with a sinking heart as she ruffled her son's hair and tried to send the boy away.

Reminded of Rioghain, dread formed a knot in Aiden's stomach as he thought about their purpose here. As he stood with unease, Aiden was just starting to worry about the chief when a small being suddenly attached itself to his leg. Momentarily shocked by the hug, his expression melted into a large grin as he waved at the disappearing kid. Forget not knowing how to make jam. He'd learn it in a day if it meant that he wouldn't have to disappoint Sammy.

As the mess of blonde hair disappeared behind a tent, Aiden turned toward Ellery and Maaike. His expression sobered when Ellery tapped on the shelter's canvas before entering the building. Watching Maaike's back as she followed her grandfather, Aiden took a deep breath. It was reasonable to be nervous, he told himself. Just don't show it.

The tent flap fluttered shut behind Aiden as he went to face the boss-man.