𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 *✧･ﾟ:‧͙⁺˚*･༓* [𝖕𝖆𝖚𝖑 𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖊]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀ

Walking through the forest, Milly enjoys the sights and sounds of the natural world. She is amazed by the towering trees, vibrant flowers, and chirping birds. She smiles and takes a deep breath of the clean air, feeling content and at ease. More so than she had for days.

She calls out, remembering why she was there, "Fluffy?"

Would he even respond to that? She could not help but wonder. He was a wolf, not a puppy—a wild animal.

But then again, why would a wild animal be so gentle with her? She was barely able to recall what happened after she entered the woods, and she had no idea how Sam had located her. However, she was aware that the wolf could kill her at any time but, for some reason, had chosen to help her.

"Fluffy?!"

She quickly turned her head after hearing a rustle behind her. She lightly craned her neck to see around the trees.

"Hello?"

The black wolf steps out quickly from the cover of the forest, seeming almost frantic to find the source of the voice. It locked eyes with her and huffed, making Milly giggle as she sat down cross-legged. She starts talking to him more than she has in days. Sam trotted over to her, sitting down in front of the small girl. It was almost comical how strange this ginormous wolf looked as he listened intently to such a small child.

"I like talking to you, Fluffy. You're very sweet."

He huffed, almost laughing at her train of thought. His large head falls into her lap, and she runs her fingers through his fur, earning a low grumbling noise from his maw.

.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.

Charlie felt a knot in his stomach as he drove his daughter Milly to Jacob's house. He knew he had to tell her the truth about what happened to her uncle, Waylon, but he didn't know how to break the news. He wished he could spare her the pain of knowing that Waylon had been killed by a wild animal. He wondered if she would blame him for not being there to protect him, and he sure blamed himself. What kind of police chief doesn't protect his community? He hoped she would understand that he had to go to the police station for work and deal with the investigation. He wanted to be with her and comfort her, but he also had a duty to his job and his precinct. He parked the car in front of Jacob's house and turned to Milly. She looked happy and excited, unaware of the tragedy that had struck their family. Charlie felt a surge of love and guilt as he hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"Have fun with Jacob, sweetheart," he said. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay, Daddy," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Milly," he said.

Milly looked at him curiously. "Is everything alright?"

Charlie forced a smile and nodded. "Everything's fine, Tweety. Don't worry."