Family Ties

Danielle Goldstein

Sponsered to the list by: Bigbucks
Feedback: Danii
Fandom: The 10th Kingdom
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own anybody here, except for HuffPuff, which anyone can use in a story if they like, as long as they send me a copy to read (need reading material) This is a story about Wolf (and Virginia) and Wolf's aforementioned sister. It has alot of info on Wolf's past (which I make up a lot of it) and it takes place after the end (so far; a girl can hope for more) of the miniseries. If anyone wants to archive this at their 10th Kingdom site, be my guest, but email me the URL of the site so I can go there and compliment you on the site.

Summary: Wolf reunites with his sister and reveals some of his past to Virginia...

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"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..."

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"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.

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