Rory was distraught to learn that during her time in captivity, the pack fell apart. She knew that it was hard on Kole when she was missing, but she never thought that he would lose sight of himself and the pack. The pack had disbanded when Kole failed to continue his leadership and many were unhappy that they were forgotten in the time of chaos. Only about 12 wolves remained.

It had been four days since Titus had returned her to the Kole and her pack, and since then Kole wasn't letting her out of his sight. At first she thought it was sweet, but now she was about ready to lose her mind. She needed some space. She could easily see how Kole had been too distracted and not been able to lead the pack like he should have- regardless of her missing or not. So much had changed while she was away and she didn't like it at all.

She was in the kitchen cooking, preparing a nice sit down feast for those who were left. Kole had actually given her a few minutes of space, but it was in his absence that she wondered where he had went.

"Peter? Where it Kole?" She asked, wondering if it had anything to do with the fact that Titus was still being held as a prisoner.

"He went to check on a few things." Peter responded, being vague on purpose.

"You mean Titus?"

"I'm not really supposed to say, but yes." Peter said scratching at the back of his neck.

"I figured as much. Watch the stove, I will be back." She demanded.

"I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight."

"Peter!" She growled annoyed.

"Fine, sorry." He said giving in under her hard stare.

Rory made her way out of the house and moved towards the pack house. She knew something had to have been happening, because there were two members of the pack standing outside the basement door.

"Move." She said, not as polite as she normally would have bene but she could hear Kole yelling and the sound of a srcuffle occurring.

Wordlessly the two moved away from the door and allowed her to continue to the basement. The first thing she noticed when she reached the middle of the staircase was that there were multiple members of the pack and that Kole and Titus were in the cell.

"What are you doing?" She demanded as she saw Kole lift his fist again. He froze, turning towards her slowly looking guilty.

"Rory." He said, "What are you doing down here? Where's Peter?"

"He's watching the food. What are you doing to him?" Rory questioned.

"Getting answers."

"I told you, he helped me. Why are you treating him this way?" She said noticing the fresh bruise on Titus cheek only a third of the way healed.

"He may have helped you, but he still did nothing to get you home sooner." Kole moved towards her with a frown on his face.

"Kole." She said only his name, her tone letting everyone know how upset she was, btu it was her eyes that pierced Kole's that told him how disappointed she was with his actions.

"Are you hungry?" Rory asked after a two minute stare down with Kole, looking past him to Titus.

"Yes." Titus said.

"Good, dinner should be about ready." Rory smiled, holding her hand out to help the man up. She felt Kole tense behind her, and saw how Titus took her hand hesitantly his eyes drifting to Kole.

---*----*---- 5 YEARS LATER -----*-----*---

That day was the turning point in her relationship with Kole and strengthened her position as Luna in the pack. Many were surprised that she forgave Titus, and treated him with kindness, but it was Kole that saw that the time she was hostage made her stronger, and more sure of herself.

The pack needed time to grow as a new unit, with so many of their own having left. It was one of the reasons why Rory insisted that no matter what the were required to have two meals a week, all together.

It surprised all of the but Peter was the one to take in the three kids, after they were not able to find any surviving family.

Rory was humming to herself, a smile on her face as she hear the soft giggles and pitter-patter of feet that ran down the hallway.

"Hey, what did I say about running in the kitchen!" Rory said as the two four year olds came into view.

"Not to." The little boy, Matthew said looking up at her with innocent green eyes, a devious grin on his twin, Klaire's face.

"Right not too, now unless you want me to tell your father about your bad behavior you better walk out of the room and go run around in the livingroom." Rory said.

"ok." Klaire giggled, before tagging her brother and fastwalking out of the room, her brother following steps behind. As soon as their toes were across the doorframe, they took off with a fit of laughter.

Rory finished pulling the last of the chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, grinning happily while she heard the front door open and Kole yell, "Honey, I'm home."

"Kitchen." She called. "How was it?"

"I did it mommy, I did it!" Her five year old, Rose clapped. Kole, Ian and Alex walking smiles on their faces at their little girls excitement.

"You beat your uncle?" Rory cheered, picking her up.

"Rory." Kole warned, stepping forward to take their daughter. Rory rolled her eyes and set her daughter on the counter, brushing off his concern. Screaming coming from the livingroom, caused Rory to turn to Alex and say, "Can you handle that? If they wake up Parker, so help me Alex..." She trailed off her warning, not wanting to deal with her two year old daughter waking up.

"Got it." Alex nodded, moving to the living room.

"Now tell me all about it!" Rory said turning her full attention to her oldest daughter.

"I sat on Uncle Ian. He thought he hurt me and so I faked cried and then pushed him over and sat on him!" Rose beamed, talking as fast as she could to tell her story.

"Oh, baby I'm so proud of you." Rory kissed her daughters forehead and reached over to get her a cookie.

"Daddy says that I am growing into a strong foxy like you."

"I bet you are." Rory nodded, leaning back into Kole as he came to stand next to her.

"Mommy, are you growing me a brother?" Rose asked looking down at her moms six month along stomach.

"I told you baby, I don't know. But either way you are going to love your sibling, boy or girl. Right?" Rory said, rubbing her stomach.

"Right." Rose rolled her eyes, having this conversation multiple times a week she knew what she was supposed to say. But regardless of what her mommy told her she was praying to the moon goddess that she was getting a brother, because Parker liked to take her dollies.

"Good. Now, go help Uncle Alex with your cousins." Kole said picking her up and setting her down.

"How's my mate?" Kole asked pulling her in for a kiss.

"Good," Rory nodded, "We're good." She rubbed her stomach happily. Alex walked into the kitchen, a kid on each leg, attempting to hold him down.

"Couldn't burn off a little more energy for me, Ror." Alex laughed gesturing to her legs.

"I tried my best." Rory laughed.

"They are outnumbering me."

"Well, you only have what- a day until Georgia gets home." Kole said, his hand rubbing up and down Rory's back.

"Next time Edna wants to take a road trip, you need to take her. I cant handle these monsters on my own." Alex said moving to forward as the kids left his legs, only to stumble and look down to see that they tied his shoelaces together.

Rory laughed turning her attention back to the cookies, putting the last batch into the oven. Rose being a fox was a complete surprise to both Rory and Kole. She was only 3 when she transformed for the first time after a major temper tantrum. They had for sure thought that she would take after her father and be a wolf, but since the duo skipped the Annual Balls they didn't have much information on the Old Kingdom.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go to the ball, but each year something more important seemed to occur. The first one, she was held captive during, the second time she wasn't wanting to travel when the new pack would be celebrating their first holidays together and she didn't want to travel with a small child and so on.

-----*-----*---- 1 YEAR LATER ------*------*----

The air was cold, and breezy. The world seemed to be a little empty without Edna in it. She felt Kole rubbing her back, but it did little to comfort her after losing the closest thing she had to a mother figure.

She glanced across the grave and saw Peter, looking worse for wear. She couldn't imagine being in his position. Not only was she his adoptive mother, but he was the one to find her. She had gone peacefully in her sleep. Slowly disentangling herself from her mate, she walked over to Peter and gently put a hand on his back in hopes to soothe some of his ache.

"She's in a better place now. Finally reunited with her mate." Peter said, glancing over at her.

"She is." Rory nodded, not sure what else she could say. Rory watched as Kole stood at the head of the gravestone and rubbed his wrists, clearly upset. As the Alpha of the pack, it was his duty to honor a fallen pack member.

"Friends, family." Kole began. "We are gathered here to not to mourn the loss of Edna, but to celebrate the life she had. A wise woman, a loving woman, and a mother to many. We all know that Edna danced to her own beat and did her own thing, and she has asked that as we lay her to rest we watch a previously planned firework show." He ended gesturing to the sky beside them and immediately fireworks were set off. It was such an Edna thing to request that Rory couldn't help the slight chuckle that left her lips.

"I love that woman." She said wrapping Peter in a hug, before moving to console her children and focus their attention on the firework show instead of the men filling in the grave.

"Isn't it beautiful." Rory said to Rose and Parker getting her youngest, Steven to look at the lights. Rose's wish came true, her newest sibling was indeed a boy. All were watching the firework show, it was in that moment that they had a moment of peace.

-----*-----*---- 1 YEAR LATER ------*------*----

"Are you crying?" Kole asked her with a slight chuckle.

"I cant help it, my boy is getting married." Rory said blowing her nose. She knew she shouldn't have been so surprised that Ian and his new found mate, Missy were tying the knot. Rory knew that they were both so happy to have found each other, Ian almost 21 before he found his mate, but the moon goddess knew what she was doing when she matched them. Missy came from a troubled family but with little time she felt comfortable with the pack and found her place by Ian's side.

"Mom, please don't cry." Ian said with a nervous smile. He stood tall, looking proud in his black suit. Ian had taken to calling her mom when she was returned after those months of capture.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so happy for you." Rory said, straightening out his bow-tie.

"I am going to go check on things, but I will be right back." It was half true, she did have to check on things and make sure that everything was perfect, but Kole had previously asked her to step out so he could talk to Ian privately.

Rory moved outside of the bedroom, before moving to the bedroom that Missy was getting ready in. Knocking slightly, she peered inside, her breath catching as she say Missy wringing her hands and obsessively moving over her dress smoothing the non-existent wrinkles.

"Everything thing ok in here?" Rory asked.

"No-I- I don't know. What if he regrets marring me? What if he realizes that I am not worthy of him." Missy said, her eyes filling with tears obviously repeating what her family taunted her with before.

"That will never happen, he loves you so much." Rory said smiling resting her hands on Missy's shoulders.

It took nearly twenty minutes for Rory to help calm Missy's fears. Rory returned to Ian's room and saw that he was looking a little green, pacing back and forth.

"Is she alright?" Ian asked, his wolf sensing what his mate was.

"She is, she looks beautiful." Rory smiled. "Now, if you are ready we can get this show on the road!"

"Ok, yeah." Ian nodded.

The ceremony was beautiful, Rose was the ring barer, Parker and Steven the flower girl and boy. Steven being almost two followed his sister down the aisle tossing the white lily blossom on the ground. As planned, after they were done they sat next to their parents. Everyone stood as Missy walked down the aisles, but unlike many, Rory was fixated on seeing Ian's face as he saw Missy for the first time in her gown.

"Are you crying?" Kole asked as Missy reached where Ian was standing.

"Of course I'm crying! I'm just so happy for him." She said wiping her tears with her finger, until Kole offered her a handkerchief.

"Me too, me too." Kole nodded kissing the top of her head. As the ceremony proceeded, Kole remembered the feeling of nervous and complete happiness he had felt when he married Rory. It wasn't until after Rose was born, having gone through a rough patch during Rory's first pregnancy. At the time Kole was happy and nervous that he was going to be a father, but he was upset that he had bit the inside of her thigh, feeling that he took away her choice and was truly stuck with him. But both his sister and Edna knocked him upside the head a few times and made him see reason.

"I love you." Kole whispered into her ear, as he adjusted Steven on his lap.

"I love you too." Rory smiled before turning her full attention back to Ian and his wedding.

-----*-----*---- 1 YEAR LATER ------*------*----

Laughter made its way into her home, as Rory stood at the kitchen sink watching as the kids were playing in the yard, while washing the dishes. She had been watching Matthew and Klaire while Georgia and Alex were having a day trip. She turned her attention back to the dishes that she was watching, glancing up when she heard screaming giggles. The ten year old boy, Levi, who had moved in a few houses down, was outside chasing Rose. Levi had been over more often than not and deep down Rory knew that Rose, despite being only eight, found her mate.

"What's going on?" Kole asked coming up behind her, kissing her forehead.

"The kids are playing with the neighbor boy."

"Again?" Kole questioned a frown on his face, finding it odd that the neighbor boy was over so often.

"Are the young ones down for a nap?"

"Yeah, George and Ryker put up a fight, but I won in the end." Kole said talking about Georgia and Alex's two youngest. George was two and Ryker was only a few months old. Georgia had decided that it was only right for her to have one child named after her, but she had thought that she was having a girl, but Georgia Junior turned out to be a George.

"I'm glad you were able to best a toddler and a baby." Rory smirked as she finished rinsing the last of her dishes.

"Ha, Ha. So what's this kids deal."

"I think Rose found her Mate." Rory whispered over the running water, so the kids wouldn't hear them with their enhanced hearing.

"WHAT!" Kole yelled, his voice reaching a high octave that Rory didn't know he possessed.

"Shh, you'll scare them."

"But she's EIGHT! That fucking punk." Kole said his face turning red.

"Don't you do anything." Rory said catching Kol's arm before he could run off and scare the boy. "They are kids, nothing will happen for many, many years. But if you scare him off, you are setting your daughter up for unhappiness."

"But he cant be her mate, he's a human."

"And I'm a Fox." Rory pointed out.

"How do you know?" Kole asked after many moments of silence.

"That's how I know." Rory said gesturing out of the window, as Levi hovered over Rose who fell and started to cry.

Rory made her way outside and tended to her daughter who luckily hadn't broken skin, otherwise they would have problems explaining to Levi why her skin healed in seconds.

"Why don't we go inside and get you cleaned up?" Rory suggested, "Levi, are you able to stay for awhile?"

"Yes ma'am." He nodded politely.

"Good." Rory nodded. "I will call your mom and let her know."

Rory and Kole prepared lunch and fed the kids while they watched a movie. Rory saw the moment that Kole realized the special relationship Levi and Rose had and accepted the real possibility that the human boy was her mate.

-----*-----*-- 2 YEARS LATER ----*------*----

"I don't think I can do this." Ian said as he paced back and forth, a worried expression taking over his face as Missy screamed from the bedroom. The screaming didn't help calm his nerves but she insisted on a natural home birth and wouldn't take the offered medicine.

"I'm not ready." He looked to Kole for answers, only to see that he was smiling. "It's not funny!"

"Ian, calm down." Kole said but took a more firm tone, when Ian made no effort to calm himself. "IAN."

Ian stopped moving and turned to his alpha.

"This is only normal. I was a hot mess when Rory gave birth to Rose. You remember, you were there." Kole said remembering the birth of his first child. "You are going to be a great father, but you have to believe in yourself."

"I don't know how to be a father. Mine was a total asshole."

"Yes, he was. No doubt about it. But that just means that you know what not to do." Kole said. "The truth is, that fatherhood doesn't come with a handbook. It will take a lot of mess ups, but every single of those mess-ups will help you grow. But I'm telling you, if you don't get into that room and help your mate deliver your child; not only will you be in a world of hurt, but you will regret missing it."

"Right! You're right." Ian nodded. "Thank you."

Kole was taken back when Ian wrapped him in a hug and took off into the bedroom that Missy was delivering in. He turned around and saw that Rory was watching him with a smile on her face and happy tears in her eyes.

"You did good." She smiled.

"Thanks." Kole said, leaning down to receive her kiss.

"I can't believe we are getting another baby in the pack and in a few short months Georgia will have her baby."

"I know. It's great." Kole nodded.

They waited for hours and before they knew it, Ian was beaming with pride as he presented his son to the world. "Everyone meet baby Kole."

"Kole?" Kole said, wondering if he heard correctly.

"We had planned on naming him after you. Since you are the only positive father I've had, I wanted my son to have a strong name." Ian explained.

"oh Ian, he's adorable." Rory said, taking the tiny fingers into her hand. It was a split moment that she pictured having another child, but Beatrice was only 7 months old and was a huge surprise. It also helped curb her baby fever when the baby started to bawl. Ian took Kole Junior into the bedroom and to Missy to get him calmed and fed.

"Do you think about having another?" Kole asked.

"Not a chance. Four is enough for me. Besides Beatrice was a surprise. A loved surprise, but a surprise none the less." Rory shook her head. "Speaking of- we better go save Peter from the kids."

-----*-----*---- 8 YEARS LATER ----*------*----