Wolf Mother
Feb. 19th, 2014 06:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katleeptTitle: Wolf Mother
Author: Kat Lee
Characters/Pairing: Granny, also mentions Ruby, Henry, Regina, RumBelle, and a few other characters
Rating: PG-13/T
Challenge/Prompt: For the Sixth Round Creation, to honor Granny, at the Once Upon A Land comm
Word Count: 1,713
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners, not the author.
"Put the gun down, and nobody gets hurt."
"Lady, it's a bear! He'll eat you alive!"
The old woman's mouth drew back into a smirk. She didn't intend for her expression to be menacing, only condescending, but with her fierce eyes and crossbow set a certain way, it added to her threat nonetheless. "I'd like to see him try," she said, glancing at the bear and noting his grin.
Then she focused her attention back on the man. "Now, like I was saying, Khan, put the gun down, and nobody gets hurt. Or . . . " She shrugged. "Pull the trigger, and we'll see how many stakes it takes to get to your middle." By the Forest Gods, she'd been watching too many cartoons while babysitting Henry lately!
"I've heard about you." The redhead glowered at her; Granny kept her expression, her calm, and her position. "They say you're some kind of den mother to the locals here."
Her smirk grew. "Something like that," she replied, "and this forest is part of my den. Now what's it going to be? I'm getting tired of this thing. I'd ready just fire than keep holding it."
"Okay, okay." The man lowered his gun and hands but not his attitude. "I'm leaving! It's your funeral, any way."
The woman and bear watched him go. Then the bear flopped onto his massive, gray back and rolled, laughing. Granny herself released a chuckle that soon grew into a hearty guffaw. There's a new idiot, she thought, every day. The only sounds in the forest were their laughter for a while, but then Granny stopped and grew solemn once more, as she always did. She had too many lives to look after and to many other things to do, too, than waste time chuckling her night away.
She looked over at the bear, who was still having a merry time scratching his back on the forest floor, pawing the empty air, and snorting. "How are ya doing, Baloo?" The bear stopped, rolled to all fours, and looked solemnly at her. "I know. I know you can't talk," she said, but she still remembered when he could.
There was so much about this forest and about her home now that had changed, and yet also so much that had stayed the same. The animals still needed her. They still needed her help, protection, and guidance just as the people did. She thought of the cocoa and advice she'd served Archie earlier, the scraps she'd set outside for the local stray cats and dogs, the friendly chat she'd shared with Belle as she'd waited for Rumpelstiltskin to return from wherever the Imp had gone that time, the friendly pat she'd given Mary Margaret's hand in passing as the Princess talked in hushed whispers with her Dwarf hands, the sweet tea she'd told Astrid Leroy had bought for her, the hug she'd shared with Henry, the dinner she'd bagged with special treats for Jefferson and his daughter, and the fight she'd had with Ruby right before she'd left the cafe for the evening.
She sighed heavily. Children never understood. She could have slain the Evil Queen herself, back when she was still truly evil and seemingly all powerful, or helped a King or even a God. Ruby still would have found reasons she thought were rightful to complain. But that, Granny reminded herself, was all part of being a pup, and especially a teenaged one at that.
She withdrew from her memories as she felt a large nose sniffing her hand. She kept perfectly still as Baloo smelled her and waited for him to sit down. Once he had and was looking at her expectantly, Granny moved slowly to the little, red wagon she'd been pulling. She hefted a jar from amongst its contents, set it before the now hopeful-looking gray bear, and removed its lid before stepping back. Baloo's massive grin was all the thanks she'd get, and she moved silently away as his long, pink tongue swept over the honey.
His nose touched her again with surprising swiftness as she began to move away. She looked down at him in surprise. It had been a long time since he'd tried hard to tell her how grateful he was, but she could see it again now in his big, watering eyes. "You're welcome, Baloo," she said and patted him on his head, "but I really must be on my way now. I have other deliveries to make, you know."
She grinned as the bear nodded and returned to her trek and thoughts as he returned to his honey. No one would think this of her, she reflected, but then, none of the townsfolk really knew what to make of her already. Few of them knew she was the grandmother to a Werewolf, fewer still knew she herself was a Werewolf, and even fewer were aware of how hard she tried to help others.
She knew she had a reputation for being a badass, and she had earned it fair and square. Nobody dared mess with her diner or her grandchild now, and it was well known that once a person entered Granny's, they were safe unless Granny herself deemed them punishable for whatever crime they'd supposedly committed. She'd offered safety to every one from Lords to Trolls in the world they had all come from, and although she had yet to wait on any Trolls in this world, she'd never rebuke a being for what they were.
She tried to help everybody where she could or, at least, everybody who deserved and needed her help. She'd even spent a few moments talking to Regina today as the Queen had forlornly watched the child she had raised singlehandedly into a fine, young man and his birth mother. Henry was far more grown than every other child Granny had ever known his age, but perhaps that was part of the reason why she had been so easily able to give the former Evil Queen words of encouragement that had made her smile. Henry might have only had attention for his birth mother at that moment, but he'd always love both of his mothers. He'd proven that time and again, as Granny had reminded Regina, and that was one true heart that was never going to change.
Hmp, she thought as the lights of the town came once more into her view. She glanced up at the moon. Her silver form was growing large and would be full in another two nights. That was part of the reason why she was making her trips now. She could have waited another night, but then, one never knew what might come up in this world or that, what new danger or mystery might arise or what friend might need her help.
She was just beginning to think again of Shere Khan, and wonder once more why he had to be one of the rare animals blessed with a human body in this world, when she spied Rumpelstiltskin pacing outside of the library. He was muttering to himself as he walked circles before the door behind which, her nose told her, Belle awaited him. She noted one hand in his pocket and smiled to herself as her keen eyes made out the lumpy shape therein.
She walked closer but not too close. One could never really tell beforepaw how the Imp would take advice, and it had indeed been a rare occasion upon which she had offered it to him, but this, she could tell, was one of those times where he sorely needed it. Besides, she knew he was determined to be good for Belle and their own true love. She knew, too, from her own experience with Ruby's grandfather, Gods rest his soul, that true love could help the most evil monsters turn good, if they truly wanted to be so.
"Ask her," she called to him, still smiling. "She'll say yes."
"Why, you old bitch!" Rumpelstiltskin snarled before he could catch himself. He quieted with a cough and glanced sideways at the door.
"She didn't hear you," she answered, her eyes twinkling merrily, and she shrugged again. "And I am what I am." She was an old dog, she thought, turning the corner and thinking again of the hunter, or to be more precise, an old wolf. And she was, too, a den mother.
She looked over the town where most of its inhabitants had already turned in for the night. This was her town, rather now or then, rather magic or what passed for normal in these parts. This was her territory. Her bushy tail swished underneath her skirts. She looked again at the moon and resisted the urge to howl, but she did smile as she looked over her land. She smiled, and her fangs glittered in the moonlight.
This was her home, her territory, and every one in it, sooner or later, came not only to Rumpelstiltskin but to herself as well. Even the Imp needed her advice on occasion. They were all hers. From her sweet and wild granddaughter and her friends to the animals in the edge of the forest and to the Evil Queen and even the Imp, they were all members of her pack in their own way, and she was -- she is -- the Wolf Mother, her place in life to protect them all until she passes her mantel along. She hopes that Ruby will be ready when that night comes, but with another glance at the waxing moon, she hopes, too, that that time isn't for a very, very long time to come.
She walks back through her diner, noting that everything is in its place as it should be and all is clean and safe. She looks in on her Little Red Riding Hood and kisses her soft, ebony hair beneath her cloak. Then, at last, she retires to her room to make ready for the new day to come and the next mounds of advice, food, and drink which she'll be passing out, but before bed, she looks out her window one more time at her moon and her town, over her pack, and finally lets whisper a howl that makes her smile.
The End
Author: Kat Lee
Characters/Pairing: Granny, also mentions Ruby, Henry, Regina, RumBelle, and a few other characters
Rating: PG-13/T
Challenge/Prompt: For the Sixth Round Creation, to honor Granny, at the Once Upon A Land comm
Word Count: 1,713
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners, not the author.
"Put the gun down, and nobody gets hurt."
"Lady, it's a bear! He'll eat you alive!"
The old woman's mouth drew back into a smirk. She didn't intend for her expression to be menacing, only condescending, but with her fierce eyes and crossbow set a certain way, it added to her threat nonetheless. "I'd like to see him try," she said, glancing at the bear and noting his grin.
Then she focused her attention back on the man. "Now, like I was saying, Khan, put the gun down, and nobody gets hurt. Or . . . " She shrugged. "Pull the trigger, and we'll see how many stakes it takes to get to your middle." By the Forest Gods, she'd been watching too many cartoons while babysitting Henry lately!
"I've heard about you." The redhead glowered at her; Granny kept her expression, her calm, and her position. "They say you're some kind of den mother to the locals here."
Her smirk grew. "Something like that," she replied, "and this forest is part of my den. Now what's it going to be? I'm getting tired of this thing. I'd ready just fire than keep holding it."
"Okay, okay." The man lowered his gun and hands but not his attitude. "I'm leaving! It's your funeral, any way."
The woman and bear watched him go. Then the bear flopped onto his massive, gray back and rolled, laughing. Granny herself released a chuckle that soon grew into a hearty guffaw. There's a new idiot, she thought, every day. The only sounds in the forest were their laughter for a while, but then Granny stopped and grew solemn once more, as she always did. She had too many lives to look after and to many other things to do, too, than waste time chuckling her night away.
She looked over at the bear, who was still having a merry time scratching his back on the forest floor, pawing the empty air, and snorting. "How are ya doing, Baloo?" The bear stopped, rolled to all fours, and looked solemnly at her. "I know. I know you can't talk," she said, but she still remembered when he could.
There was so much about this forest and about her home now that had changed, and yet also so much that had stayed the same. The animals still needed her. They still needed her help, protection, and guidance just as the people did. She thought of the cocoa and advice she'd served Archie earlier, the scraps she'd set outside for the local stray cats and dogs, the friendly chat she'd shared with Belle as she'd waited for Rumpelstiltskin to return from wherever the Imp had gone that time, the friendly pat she'd given Mary Margaret's hand in passing as the Princess talked in hushed whispers with her Dwarf hands, the sweet tea she'd told Astrid Leroy had bought for her, the hug she'd shared with Henry, the dinner she'd bagged with special treats for Jefferson and his daughter, and the fight she'd had with Ruby right before she'd left the cafe for the evening.
She sighed heavily. Children never understood. She could have slain the Evil Queen herself, back when she was still truly evil and seemingly all powerful, or helped a King or even a God. Ruby still would have found reasons she thought were rightful to complain. But that, Granny reminded herself, was all part of being a pup, and especially a teenaged one at that.
She withdrew from her memories as she felt a large nose sniffing her hand. She kept perfectly still as Baloo smelled her and waited for him to sit down. Once he had and was looking at her expectantly, Granny moved slowly to the little, red wagon she'd been pulling. She hefted a jar from amongst its contents, set it before the now hopeful-looking gray bear, and removed its lid before stepping back. Baloo's massive grin was all the thanks she'd get, and she moved silently away as his long, pink tongue swept over the honey.
His nose touched her again with surprising swiftness as she began to move away. She looked down at him in surprise. It had been a long time since he'd tried hard to tell her how grateful he was, but she could see it again now in his big, watering eyes. "You're welcome, Baloo," she said and patted him on his head, "but I really must be on my way now. I have other deliveries to make, you know."
She grinned as the bear nodded and returned to her trek and thoughts as he returned to his honey. No one would think this of her, she reflected, but then, none of the townsfolk really knew what to make of her already. Few of them knew she was the grandmother to a Werewolf, fewer still knew she herself was a Werewolf, and even fewer were aware of how hard she tried to help others.
She knew she had a reputation for being a badass, and she had earned it fair and square. Nobody dared mess with her diner or her grandchild now, and it was well known that once a person entered Granny's, they were safe unless Granny herself deemed them punishable for whatever crime they'd supposedly committed. She'd offered safety to every one from Lords to Trolls in the world they had all come from, and although she had yet to wait on any Trolls in this world, she'd never rebuke a being for what they were.
She tried to help everybody where she could or, at least, everybody who deserved and needed her help. She'd even spent a few moments talking to Regina today as the Queen had forlornly watched the child she had raised singlehandedly into a fine, young man and his birth mother. Henry was far more grown than every other child Granny had ever known his age, but perhaps that was part of the reason why she had been so easily able to give the former Evil Queen words of encouragement that had made her smile. Henry might have only had attention for his birth mother at that moment, but he'd always love both of his mothers. He'd proven that time and again, as Granny had reminded Regina, and that was one true heart that was never going to change.
Hmp, she thought as the lights of the town came once more into her view. She glanced up at the moon. Her silver form was growing large and would be full in another two nights. That was part of the reason why she was making her trips now. She could have waited another night, but then, one never knew what might come up in this world or that, what new danger or mystery might arise or what friend might need her help.
She was just beginning to think again of Shere Khan, and wonder once more why he had to be one of the rare animals blessed with a human body in this world, when she spied Rumpelstiltskin pacing outside of the library. He was muttering to himself as he walked circles before the door behind which, her nose told her, Belle awaited him. She noted one hand in his pocket and smiled to herself as her keen eyes made out the lumpy shape therein.
She walked closer but not too close. One could never really tell beforepaw how the Imp would take advice, and it had indeed been a rare occasion upon which she had offered it to him, but this, she could tell, was one of those times where he sorely needed it. Besides, she knew he was determined to be good for Belle and their own true love. She knew, too, from her own experience with Ruby's grandfather, Gods rest his soul, that true love could help the most evil monsters turn good, if they truly wanted to be so.
"Ask her," she called to him, still smiling. "She'll say yes."
"Why, you old bitch!" Rumpelstiltskin snarled before he could catch himself. He quieted with a cough and glanced sideways at the door.
"She didn't hear you," she answered, her eyes twinkling merrily, and she shrugged again. "And I am what I am." She was an old dog, she thought, turning the corner and thinking again of the hunter, or to be more precise, an old wolf. And she was, too, a den mother.
She looked over the town where most of its inhabitants had already turned in for the night. This was her town, rather now or then, rather magic or what passed for normal in these parts. This was her territory. Her bushy tail swished underneath her skirts. She looked again at the moon and resisted the urge to howl, but she did smile as she looked over her land. She smiled, and her fangs glittered in the moonlight.
This was her home, her territory, and every one in it, sooner or later, came not only to Rumpelstiltskin but to herself as well. Even the Imp needed her advice on occasion. They were all hers. From her sweet and wild granddaughter and her friends to the animals in the edge of the forest and to the Evil Queen and even the Imp, they were all members of her pack in their own way, and she was -- she is -- the Wolf Mother, her place in life to protect them all until she passes her mantel along. She hopes that Ruby will be ready when that night comes, but with another glance at the waxing moon, she hopes, too, that that time isn't for a very, very long time to come.
She walks back through her diner, noting that everything is in its place as it should be and all is clean and safe. She looks in on her Little Red Riding Hood and kisses her soft, ebony hair beneath her cloak. Then, at last, she retires to her room to make ready for the new day to come and the next mounds of advice, food, and drink which she'll be passing out, but before bed, she looks out her window one more time at her moon and her town, over her pack, and finally lets whisper a howl that makes her smile.
The End
