* * *

With the rest of the pack seemingly eating away, and Sage having managed to devour a chicken sandwich in a record time—Or so says Blake, anyway.

They soon started their trip off towards the tarmac in question.

A few Witches were left ready to clear the tarmac as the snow was starting to trickle in again.

Sage had remained in her traveling gear, even if others had offered her the chance to change. But something about her bear fur was beautifully warm and cozy, acting as a second layer of protection from the elements.

However, when Andrew stood beside her, Remus could see that they acted like a powerful pair, in addition to the fact that they were more or less in sync.

"You know...I can see your glares, even if it doesn't look like it." Andrew claimed, motioning to the upper part of his face, this caused Remus to suck in a breath, followed by an apology.

"It doesn't look that bad. Promise."

"That's what Sage said, the same way. Try again..." Andy laughed, "Hey look, it is what it is." It was surreal for him that Sage's voice would carry and earn his attention outright without any feelings tied to it.

Nobody doubted Sage's feelings for Remus with or without a bond. It was just Andrew's surprise that was troublesome.

There is no telling what a blood pact could do in the grand scheme of things. It was universal at best to the two involved and the promises they made at the time.

Whether they were truthful or had underlining clauses, Remus dared Andrew to step out a line now that Sage was back home and surrounded by support.

But Andy made it difficult to stay mad. And the guilt started to swarm into Remus' mind as she blurted out the first thing he could.

"What?" Andrew asked, startled by his friend's rushed words.

"...I wish I could've stopped it." Remus ushered out, closing his eyes as he allowed the pain of their past to seep further—But it was disregarded instantly as Andrew clasped another hand over his winter coat.

"You did. You stopped a lot more shit from happening. Otherwise, Crescent Moon would still be feared. We'd have an Alpha King at our doorstep ready to keep us up with battle strategies."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"What I'm saying, Rem, is that I tried...I tried, and look what happened. I was thrown away without hesitation. It's what happened to Willow and that's how Sage ended up the way she did," Andy claimed, his gaze lowering, "We have more important things to worry about, so even if it unburies a whole lot of shit, we need to move past it. Alright?" Remus hated it, he hated that Andrew hardly acted as if they spent more than a decade apart. "I get you couldn't help but lie to me, but it still hurts."

"And I hurt you worse for dragging Sage into it, and I'm sorry," Andy apologized, hating that he even thought about the unthinkable, "If I knew she was your Mate, I would've—Fuck, I would've just made a deal with Swift Tail to get her on the first flight possible. But we tried to call from the closet human town, we made the day trip and...And there was nothing. No response, and it wasn't safe to keep trying. And to be honest, would you believe the call?"

It was relatively safe to say that he wouldn't, not on purpose, but his mind was very good at tricking him into thinking that Sage's scent was still around the house.

"Probably not, I already lost my mind...It'll take some time for me to realize that this is real. That she's real again." He spoke, but then he jumped in seeing that Sage had just managed to appear a step behind him. "Goddess Moonlight, now you're sneaking up on me?"

"You did it too. And stop talking about me!" She said, shaking a bit of snow that fell beneath her hat and onto her face.

"That's pretty difficult, Moonlight...Think that's pretty cute" Andrew commented, smirking up a storm in a teasing gesture that Sage had so quickly defended—"I just thought it was cute."

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty cute at the time, too," Remus said in defense of the created nickname, and Andrew simply shrugged his shoulders.

"And I am real, see?" She said, pulling Remus' hand out from his pocket and underneath her bear's coat to feel her heartbeat. Which earned her a laugh. "I think it's going to take me a few days to realize that you aren't just a dream hun, or that the pups will be back...Hopefully."

Andrew narrowed his eyes towards Remus, the older male didn't know the rules on pup responsibility when the parent dies or isn't fit. "I will gladly go to court...Oh shit, I guess I never did get to meet the council. Damn, what a shame."

"Not shame, I was called a pig by Luna's and they're all mean. And older Alpha's are dead—They're dead, right Remmy?" Remus nodded in confirmation, though he soon nicked it forward.

"That's for another day, 'cause I think the plane is on its way." It was hardly visible, but the passing minutes allowed the others off behind them to come closer.

Her excitement and worry intertwined, leaving her to bounce on her feet. So while both Remus and Andrew were sweating in response, Sage couldn't be contained. Until the thought of them being rather angry at herself rallied inside.

That she took so long?

"You okay, Sage?" Remus questioned, but her eyes remained connected off towards the incoming vehicle—One that she had a rather unsteady relationship with.

"Hold hand..." Sage breathed, reaching for Remus' who had nearly jumped out of his skin by the sudden contact—The warmth that emulated from such a simple touch between them.

Once she realized the stern look of discomfort drowning on Remus' face, she swallowed as she decided that perhaps he was still angry with her.

Nearly a year away would no doubt shelter some blame in her regard, and thus, she decided to pull away. Or would have, had it not been for Remus who finally kicked started himself and squeezed her in return.

Running his thumb gently back and forth. Hoping that would make up for his hesitation.

Andy had smirked to himself, watching the Mated (not so Mated) couple interact with one another, and while it hurt, there was a small sense of pride coming off the male in waves.

Perhaps all Remus needed was Sage and vise versa.

Andrew began to hum, recalling his previous plan on killing Sage's unnamed mate ringing back into his head yet again. His males were correct, Sage would never forgive him.

But better yet, he couldn't do that to Remus, he couldn't

"Uh, sir? I haven't met a Mister Alpha Hayes before, but if he's anything like Luna Sage...What's the plan that he actually kills you?" Grey whispered, though anyone could hear the said question, and while Jackson laughed, Sage hadn't been all that in differed about it.

"Well for starters you can make sure you save my bearskin, it's dear to me..." Andy said all with a smirk once he caught Sage gawk.

Though it was Remus who rolled his eyes. "I think you're going to be fine, but if you don't, I can handle that." But having the two tall males both talking to one another above Sage caused her to stomp her foot, "Papa Hayes is not going to fight. Stop."

"Are you going to protect me, Moonlight?" Andy hummed again, but Sage huffed, "Not when you call me that."

That certainly caused a reason for Andrew to withdrew, but knew that this was going to be a rather ongoing tease considering it did indeed get a reaction from her. However, before Andy or Remus could pick up the conversation, Sage found herself jumping at the sound of the plane's tires making contact with the ground.

Everything about the plane itself looked beautiful and fit to fly and land at ease, though Sage wasn't about to go anywhere near one for a while.

Not without heavy convincing and a promise that it won't go down like the last time.

It wasn't long before the plane's cabin door had unlocked to reveal the staircase, and sure Grey and Severin were joking with Jackson about the cargo ship to this piece of beautiful machinery, they truly had the better luxury in the American packs than Oak Wood could ever imagine..

However, the background conversation had taken away the anxiousness about meeting her family again, the want and need for the past few months had finally been cut down to these last final moments.

And who better to reveal themselves first than Hayden Mystic, the retired Alpha of Mystic Grimm?

A gasp had released from Sage's lips, her eyes stinging from the tears filling her vision, causing her to try to blink through them. Leaving the figure doing their best to maneuver down the plane's as carefully as could be.

It didn't take long before Sage had left her male's side and met her father closer than he would've wanted. But the gentle 'oof' sound he made as his daughter collided with his chest caused him to let out a happy chuckle.

One that was instantly echoed by the shifted Wolves of Half Crescent, and of course Andrew laughed along with them.

"Bubbles...You don't understand how much we—Everyone missed you." He said, fighting between the urge to hold her and look at her. Once his wolf was done inhaling her scent, he pulled away to cup her cheek.

"You've come back to us beautiful and strong, I couldn't be prouder of you...Daughter." He said, blessing her tear-stained face with wonderful praise before another voice added to the mix.

"Harlow!" She cheered, who hurried down the steps to join them, waiting for their father to ease up on the tiny female.

"Come on dad, she's here to stay." The blackened eyes had rallied up at the threat of his daughter leaving his hold, all he and his wolf wanted to do was lock her in the house for the rest of eternity.

"Dad, I'm okay. See?" She said with a slight wiggle, which of course her brother thought was utterly hilarious.

"And you've got a beautiful coat to prove it...Tell me that isn't a gift that matches that male's coat over there." Sage made a face and claimed to both her blood-related males that she did indeed kill the demon bear.

They set out a laugh together.

Though it was suddenly cut off once the pups in the aircraft had made a combined nose. "Harlow! I need help with the car seats!" Jade called out, and that spiked up Sage's interest.

Her gentle look back at Andrew and Remus had called them forward, though they were certainly a bit hesitant about joining the Mystic reunion.

"How hard will the Mystic family fight to keep the twins?" Andrew whispered off towards Remus, and the male sucked in an uncomfortable breath. It had taken them a good while at the pace Remus was going, though Andy didn't fault him.

"I was told I would never get to hold my son again and no longer have my wolf by my side..." Remus breathed, remembering the sentence clear as day, "Sage will never forgive me."

"I don't know how Sage acted before as Luna here, but I can promise you—She doesn't sit and let people pick on her. Something snapped, something good, I mean. But I saw it already when Jackson's mate spoke to her. I've seen her react that way a few times now. I'm just peeved at her being spoken to like a kid. She'll get those pups back. Trust her." Remus hummed and nodded his head off towards Hayes and Harlow.

Though the gruff Mystic males didn't waste any time looking between both Remus and now their newfound target—Andrew Clark.

Hayes had attempted to make the first move, but Sage stood in his way. "One hand on my males, and I'll put you back on the plane." She said, her eyes starting to ignite both her Alpha female and her nexus deep in her core, but the added bonus of unlocking her abilities had caused a slight cackle in the air.

This sight caused Andy to bump Remus in the arm with a slight bob of his head, though he never allowed himself to look far away from Sage. "You know the rules. Any male wanting to Mate with a Mystic daughter has to go through their father."

"No," Sage repeated.

"Well, I still think Clark should get a proper Mystic Grimm show of appreciation." Hayes grinned, hiding the idea of a fight between a choice pairing of words. Sage hadn't caught the underlining meaning. Or perhaps, not right away.

"Maybe. After I heal you." She deemed, and Andrew gulped at the sight of Hayes' smirk.

"Will do...Go and help your Mate with the pups, son." Harlow's eyes lingered on Remus for a moment but then back to his sister, he wouldn't deny her the chance of seeing her children again.

But the promise he held to protect them reigned still.

"Remus won't hurt them, not again." She clearly instated, and Hayes shook his head. "He did more than that, hun, but right now you need to hold those pups. Now, Harlow." It confused the former Alpha of Crescent Moon to see that Hayes was baiting the idea of being on his—their side.

But the incoming scent of pups had wafted down the plane and then some, making Sage close her eyes and inhale it to the fullest. And once she opened her eyes, she could hardly give Jade much more than a short smile when the she-wolf held Rue in her arms and Ronan by the hand.

And another sob escaped the missing mother of two outright.

______

Date: 12/02/24

Time: 4:11

Words: 2344

Author's Note:

I swear, I have been sick since the beginning of Novemeber, and here I am, with another cold!

If there are any mistake, I'm sorry, I spent over an hour just staring at my screen, my brain is not computing.