Chapter written by @Phoenix_647.

With the sun long gone, as was the time a certain someone was supposed to be asleep, the flickering TV screen slowly faded to black. The movie may have been a bit childish, nearly anyone would have agreed, although no one complained. It's not like movie night had been the most fair in the past weeks when it came to choosing, but then again, none dared argue with the purity of the new bundle of energy they all lived with.

"Well, that was a good movie," the Husky proclaimed, jumping off the couch as a smaller yet similar colored ball of fur came down next to her. The others yawned and slowly made their way down as well, one by one saying their goodnights as some stayed around for a bit longer, while others called it a night and went down to their own puphouses.

Everest looked down at the beaming pup at the base of her paws, who although seemed like her usual hyper self, her mom knew it would only be a matter of time before she passed out. No matter how much she would try to claim otherwise, the ending would always be the same.

"Alright, Abby, time for bed, honey." The tiny Husky groaned and shook her head, refusing to accept the horrid reality known as bedtime; the biggest fear of any child to walk the Earth, be it pup or human.

"But, Mommy, I'm not tired," she pouted, despite the fact that her eyes were slowly twitching in an attempt to close themselves. Everest was beyond used to this, and she had a few tricks up her sleeves when it came to fighting this battle of parenthood.

"It's way past your bedtime already, we always got tomorrow." However, being stubborn as always, the pup planted her paws on the ground, not considering her mother's offer for any more than a moment. Everest heard the faint chuckle coming from her owner, but unfortunately for him, he had only given her a comeback. "C'mon, Ryder told me that if you went to bed when I said so, he'd make bacon in the morning."

Now that was a bargain even Abby couldn't refuse, and in an instant she had teleported to the elevator, her tail wagging like there was no tomorrow as she waited for her mom to follow. The Husky turned back, smiled, and stuck her tongue out at the boy, who only rolled his eyes as she left him to revel in his upcoming consequences.

As she brought them both to their puphouse, which had thankfully been expanded for the three of them, her beloved daughter bounded inside. Her expression was a clear indication of what question would come next. The same one that had been asked with the consistency of a broken record for the past few days.

"Can we call Daddy to say goodnight?" she requested as Everest laid down in bed, inching the pup closer to her as she took her puptag off, gaining her excitement from the implications. It never took much to get her up and going, just like her father, and being able to talk to him was no exception.

With a simple press of a button, the Husky sent out the signal as rings buzzed out of the machine, waiting for its chance to be answered. And after only a few constant rings, a familiar face appeared through the screen.

"Daddyyyyy!" Abby nuzzled closer, forcing herself into as much of the camera's view as she could possibly take up, only leaving a sliver of her mother still left in frame, if that. The Dalmatian on the other end seemed equally as happy to see her as well, smiling from cheek to cheek, despite both ends being dotted with ashes.

"There are my girls! How was your day, princess?" It may have been a simple question, but without wanting her dad to miss a single thing while he was out, she proceeded to list out every tiny detail of her day. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but that didn't stop her from dragging on for a good couple of minutes.

Of course, Marshall was as interested as ever. He hadn't been home in a few days, so he'd take about all the info he could get. Once she was done with her lengthy explanation, the Dally brought his sight over to his mate, who from what little they had talked privately, knew wasn't feeling her best.

"And what about you, Eve?" The Husky shrugged lightly, carefully cuddling Abby closer as she let out a soft yawn. Her tiny paws were reaching for her favorite stuffed penguin, yet another sign that any second now she'd be out like a light.

"It's been fine, we've had fun, but you know how it can be. When do you think you'll be back?" Both parents knew deep down she hadn't said everything, but she couldn't bring herself to down Abby in any way. It had nothing to do with her personally, just the stresses of being alone along with still easing into being a parent. She had yet to figure out what she was doing, and now, there was no one to give out second opinions.

"The fire is dying down, so I'm pretty sure I'll be back the day after tomorrow. Now, you two get some sleep, I'm not keeping you up forever. Love you both, goodnight." As both females answered with the same response, Everest set her puptag on the bedside table before nestling in for the night.

Her pup huddled closer, wrapping her gentle paws around her leg as her body slowly but surely gave in to the temptation of sleepiness. The Husky, setting her anxiety aside, couldn't help but smile as her adorable ball of spotted lavender fur cuddled her, who was showering her with nuzzles as if she was the last dog on earth.

"Do you think daddy will beat the bad guys?" Everest, although still stressing herself out over just about everything, had to stifle a giggle at her pup's innocent curiosity.

"Honey, daddy is fighting a fire, not bad guys," she explained with about as much of a straight face as one could hold. Her unknowing skill at making her laugh seemed to be a trait her father passed down, and it was one she was more than happy to see live on.

"But the fire is like a bad guy." Her analogy may have been a bit of a stretch, but the Husky could see her point well enough. It clearly made perfect sense to Abby, whose childish mind was doing the best it could with the case at hand. Oh how she missed being so young and naive.

"I guess you could put it that way, but yes, daddy will beat the bad guys. Now go to bed, I love you," she quietly whispered, softly licking her forehead as the pup smiled, milking every second of being wrapped up safely in her mother's arms.

"Love you too, mommy." It was a miracle she even managed to get her words out, seeing as she fell asleep nearly instantly, holding her mom's paw in her own, with her small stuffed penguin locked in between the two.

Everest, however, didn't bless herself with such pleasure immediately. She could only bask down at the snoring puppy in her arms, still simply in awe that this was hers. Hers and Marshall's baby, no one else's. Her own blood, one that no matter what mischief she might get into, she simply adored above all else.

If she had jumped back in time and told her past self she would've gotten the chance to be a mother to such a sweet and loving creature, she would've fainted on the spot. Abby was a blessing in disguise, filling in the part of her life she never knew she needed.

Even if she was afraid of waking up from this paradise of a dream for the past few months, she settled her head down all the same, catching the familiar smell of Marshall's scent from the stuffed animal he had gifted their tiny Husky-Dalmatian mix. And just as it did for her daughter, the cotton penguin provided a comfort to her, one that was strong enough to let her sleep with a calm mind.

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Everest's eyes slowly opened, and immediately, she was greeted with the blinding sun coming through the windows. As much as she despised the light interrupting her peaceful slumber, she knew that was her call to get up and start the day. If not for herself, at least for her daughter.

However, unfortunately for her wish to be somewhat productive, she was trapped. Abby still held her paw in her sleep, keeping her captive, bound to the chains of time that could only be unlocked when she chose so. Ever so slightly, the Husky slowly scooted her paw out of her baby's grasp, but just as luck would have it, she wasn't much of a light sleeper.

Her daughter yawned as she rolled over, and Everest held her breath in hopes of giving her more time to rest. But, her actions would always have their consequences, and it was too late for any take backs with Abby rubbing her eyes as she rose out of bed.

"Morning, honey, how'd you sleep?" she asked, perfectly playing off the facade that she wasn't the reason she was awake. Because she would never take away her chance of getting more time to sleep, right? No, of course she wouldn't.

"Good....I-is it breakfast time? Uncle Ryder said he'd make bacon, right?" Everest chuckled lightly as she remembered the bargain she had practically forced her owner into. She just hoped he had kept his end of the deal, even the thought of having to give her daughter the disappointment broke her heart. Thankfully, chances of that happening were low.

"He sure did," she answered, forcing herself out of bed as the energetic puppy was somehow already bouncing off the walls. How one could have so much energy after just waking up was a mystery to her, but one she had learned to accept. She probably wasn't much better at that age anyway.

The larger Husky slowly made herself outside, stretching as she shook her fur. Her pup was already bounding over to the elevator, only one simple goal on her mind. Already picking up a small whiff of the forcefully promised breakfast, Everest had no issue picking her own speed up as the two rode up.

The second the glass doors opened, Abby darted inside as she ran over to the kitchen. She would have jumped up on the table to grab her food, but being at her age came with the price of naturally not being the tallest. That just meant Ryder's leg would have to be her backup.

"Well someone's excited," he remarked, petting the pup's head as her mother walked in next to her, giving her a look she knew all too well.

"Abby, get down, you know what I said about jumping on people," she ordered, feeling just a tad bit guilty as her pup lowered her head in shame, whimpering as she faced her. Her paws were nervously tapping on the ground, the typical sign of her assuming she was in trouble.

"S-sorry." However, Everest only smiled and licked her, reassuring the fact that she wasn't going to be in trouble.

"It's okay, just make sure you don't do it again. And apologize to Uncle Ryder." Of course, following her mom's wish, she did just that. The boy wasn't bothered by it at all, he was used to dogs jumping on him, he had no reason to not forgive her. Although he could tell despite that fact, Everest's motherly instincts were kicking in as she gave him a death stare, warning him against even thinking of denying her pup.

"Uh...y-yeah, it's fine, don't worry about it. Now, here's your food." He carefully handed each of them two bowls of food, each one with a crispy, delicious-smelling piece of bacon laying on top. And without wasting any time, Abby turned into what could only be described as Rubble after not eating for a full day.

Even her mother, who had quite an appetite herself, was caught off guard, although she couldn't be mad. After all, it was bacon, no dog in the world would pass up such an offer. That very rule applied to her too, deciding to join her daughter in getting themselves filled up for the day.

"Mommy?" the pup innocently beckoned once the two finished their meals. The Husky tilted her head, wondering what in the world she might be asked this time, knowing full well the possibilities were practically endless. "Can we go see Grandpa Jake?"

Everest smiled, even she had recently thought of paying her old owner a visit, it had been a while after all. And just within that bit of time since then, a handful of changes had come, mainly Abby's growth.

"Hmm, well, I don't know..." she began, simply pretending to be debating, just to get the excitement stirring. And it was working perfectly, the tiny mix breed's tail going so fast you couldn't even see it from the pure childlike joy emanating from her. "Will you be on your best behavior?"

"Mhm!" The Husky nodded slowly, putting on a face of questioning and unsureness, though it was one nearly anyone would've been able to tell was fake. Not everyone, however, her daughter being the exception. She had yet to develop the ability to call her mother's bluffs.

"Well, if you promise...go get ready." Within a second at most, the pup bolted out the room, down the elevator, and to where she assumed was her puphouse. Everest laughed lightly as she turned over, seeing Ryder smiling as well. It was hard not to, after all.

"You two just need to be back before dark, alright?" The Husky nodded understandingly, bidding the others farewell as she ran downstairs, meeting her pup who had somehow managed to get herself into quite the interesting situation.

Her purple scarf had found its way around her paws, tangling her up and trapping her as she desperately attempted to chew her way out of the prison. It was an act Ryder certainly wouldn't have been pleased with after the number of times he found his own clothing riddled with holes, but this wasn't his child.

"Need some help, honey?" Despite her mother's attempt—and a failed one at that—to not laugh at her problem, Abby shook her head. She was determined to escape this on her own and prove herself. What exactly she was proving was still yet to be decided, but that tiny missing detail wouldn't stop her.

"Nuh-uh." Everest, forcing herself to respect the decision, only watched as her pride and joy continued to fight the endless war against her scarf. However, to her surprise, eventually, the puppy had finally managed to break free, smiling with pride as she wrapped the cloth around her neck. "Told you I could do it."

"And you were right," the larger Husky responded sweetly, rubbing her nose against the smaller version of herself, who wore the biggest smile on her face from such an accomplishment. "Now, let's go, it'll be a surprise for Grandpa Jake."

Abby nodded excitedly, running to her mother's snowcat and hopping up in the backseat, although needing a small push to fully get in. And with two sets of tails strapped in, the drive began.

A long and tedious journey it was, especially for such a young mind, dying of anticipation for arrival. Just like her parents, she adored the fresh, cold powder that she was told would come during a magical time known as winter. However, she had also learned from experience that this mountain didn't necessarily wait for that season.

Thankfully for her, and her mother now that she would be saved from the question of "are we there yet?" every minute, the two pulled into a familiar yet quaint cabin. The one of a good amount of Everest's childhood, and a place she was hoping could bring her daughter the same sense of coziness and excitement it did for her. And so far it seemed to be working.

He better be home. She thought to herself as Abby sprinted to the door, covering it in scratches as she attempted to get the boy's attention. If this were anyone else's house, Everest would've stopped her from giving an innocent wooden entrance the treatment of her claws, but judging from the number of her own marks carved inside, no one would even be able to tell the difference.

And finally, setting the poor door free from its brutal attack, it swung open. Jake looked outside, then down at the fluff ball standing at his legs, who was staring up with a smile and tilted head as joy flooded her brain, quickly being transferred to the man within just a second.

"Abby!" he exclaimed in excitement, picking the pup up as she jumped perfectly into his lowering arms. He almost dropped her, feeling the obvious difference between her now and a few weeks ago, but to his relief, he didn't. Otherwise, Everest would've killed him without giving a second thought. "Jeez, you've gotten big, dudette."

The smaller Husky smiled and licked his nose before carefully being lowered back to the ground. Jake chuckled and looked back at his own old Husky, almost still in awe that she was a proud mother. It seemed like yesterday he had taken her in, making himself a father figure of sorts, hence the unofficial title of grandpa being handed to him.

"Well?" Without giving him any further time to wait, Everest ran forward, not giving a single care about the wide-scale between her and her daughter's size as she leaped into the man's arms, tackling him and herself to the ground in the process. "Yeah, yeah, I missed you too."

"Mommy..." The Husky looked up at her pup, a hint of confusion appearing on her face as she took in the other's expression. Despite the usually innocent and sweet exterior Abby would have, now she only had a devious smirk on her face as she looked down at her. "You said the rule was no jumping on people, remember?"

From the sassiness of her voice alone, Everest had full certainty that her pup knew exactly what was doing as she simply smiled and walked inside the cabin. Shocked—albeit a little impressed—that her own daughter had called her out in such a manner, she silently jumped off Jake's lap, who was barely keeping his laughter in his mouth.

"Not one word from you," she muttered, making sure only he would be able to hear. The man simply nodded and stood up, the two walking into the open living room where Abby was excitedly wagging her tail on the couch as if nothing had happened. Everest simply left it in the past and joined her on the cushioned surface, the pup quickly nuzzling her as Jake sat down next to them.

"Hey, where's Marshall at?" The Husky froze and sighed, looking down from the anxiety building up inside her. Thankfully, she managed to shake the worry from head, but her daughter had already beaten her to an in-depth explanation, one that would surely clear up any confusion.

"Daddy is fighting bad guys!" she proudly proclaimed, not a care in the world for how little that actually helped. The man only looked at Everest, silently pleading for an explanation as to why Marshall was apparently off catching criminals, something that was definitely out of his field.

"Marshy is off fighting a fire, but he should be back tomorrow. So until then, I've got this little rascal all to myself," she confirmed, rubbing her paw on the pup's head, acting as a translator of sorts.

"Ohh, right okay. Well, it's good that he'll be home soon." Everest couldn't agree more, having Marshall back would be among the best ways to get herself less stressed. She didn't dislike the experience necessarily, any time with Abby was a good time, it was still just a lot for just her to manage.

"Now, what do you wanna do, honey?" Abby's mind quickly found herself in its own seemingly endless rabbit hole of ideas rushing in. Too many to choose from, such little time, how could anyone be expected to make such a decision? It was all her choice, what could possibly be the best answer...

"Can we go play in the snow?" As the sudden, although pretty obvious, idea came to mind, the pup blurted it out without a second thought. Her tail was beginning to thump against the couch, producing a sound similar to someone messing around with a whip.

"Sure, as long as you keep your scarf and hat on, okay?" The Husky Dalmatian mix nodded in agreement, barely even waiting for her mother to let her finish. She was signing her contract without reading the fine print, but in her defense, it's not like many bothered to do so anyway. "That fine, Jake?"

"Of course it is, you two can do whatever you want. You're always welcome here." With Jake already heading outside, the two pups put on their beanies and scarfs as they prepared themselves for the freezing temperatures they'd be spending the next few hours in.

"Ready, honey?" However, before a response was ever vocalized, or probably even thought of, Abby had already launched herself out the door. In the blink of an eye, she was rolling around in the freezing powder, letting out giggles as she found herself addicted to the snow, just the way her parents were.

Welp, guess that answers that question. She thought to herself, finally letting her own hair down as she ran outside, quickly finding herself lost in her own childlike glee. There was nothing like some good, quality time with Abby, in the snow no less, to help take her mind off the constant worries trying to ruin her fun.

Somehow despite only having the pleasure of experiencing it once before, she could tell her daughter adored this weather, which was certainly convenient. She could remember the countless times she'd play out here with Jake, then Marshall, and now her very own. It always managed to her thinking when she looked back and did some reflecting.

Hours flew by as the two enjoyed their time together. A snowman was built, a few snow forts from the free-for-all snowball fight, Everest was nearly scared to death when Abby snuck up a hill with a sled and almost hit her in the process of coming back down. Good times, perfect for an easy way to spend the day.

And eventually, as the time simply reached that point in the day, a handful of stomach grumbles were enough for the Husky to initiate a break. She would be long gone from this world before she let her princess go hungry.

"Abby, we brought some snacks. You want some?" With the idea of food entering the field, Abby almost immediately materialized next to her. With her tongue flopping out of her mouth, Everest fetched the box of liver treats they had agreed to bring. Both her and Marshall were overjoyed to learn their pup shared the same appreciation that they did. No one was sure if they were just glad for an excuse to make Ryder buy more, but if it was, it definitely worked.

"Can we save some for Daddy when he gets home tomorrow?" Looking back at the nearly empty box, though still full enough to enjoy, the Husky smiled lightly and set the snacks back into the basket.

"Sure, honey, I'm sure he'd love that." Even with their midday bite to eat, neither seemed ready to gear up and ride down the slopes just yet. In fact, considering how close they were, Everest had a sudden idea come to mind. "Hey, Abby, come here. I wanna show you something."

Jake smiled, already getting the feeling he knew where the two were going. Abby on the other hand was clueless yet curious as she jumped up and followed her mother through a small group of trees on the side of the hill. At first, it only seemed like nothing but woods, but a small clearing in the brush was enough to change that mindset.

It was nothing too exciting for Everest, she had been here countless times. A small, secluded area on the side of a cliff, overlooking the mountain view. A great spot for secret dates, and now a great spot to introduce to her daughter, whose eyes widened in amazement at the sight.

"This is where your dad and I would sneak to when we were young. In fact, this was the place he asked me to be with him," she explained, reveling in the happy memories of that simpler time. Though that being said, she wouldn't trade what she had now for the world. "And maybe one day you'll come here with someone you love."

Of course, the idea of love with a partner was foreign to just about anyone her age. But the pup could easily tell the happiness it seemed to bring her parents. It was an interesting thought. One she was curious if she'd get to experience herself. If it had brought them so much joy, maybe it'd do the same for her in the future.

After a few minutes of looking out across the mountain, Everest stood up and slowly made her way back to the woods. She turned back to see Abby forcing herself onto her legs as well, but a quick sight to the side was all it took to snatch her attention away.

"Woahhh," she awed in amazement, her eyes gazing off at a frozen lake. The ice-covered water sparkled like crystals from a cave, acting as a mirror as a vivid reflection looked back at her.

"You know, the lake is usually completely frozen over. That means it's safe to walk on." Abby turned in amazement, tilting her head to the side as she tried to believe what she was hearing. "Yep, daddy and I even ice-skated once when it was really cold. Now that we can't do, but if you're slow and careful, we could probably take a few steps out there."

Almost the moment she was given parental permission, the pup slowly stepped off the snow and onto the ice. And it didn't take her long to try and take a second step just to slip on the ice, despite her wobbly attempt to remain standing. Everest giggled, carefully scooting over herself and helping her stand back up, trying to keep her first kiss from going to a sheet of frozen water.

"Don't worry, daddy fell on this ice countless times. You're not the first one I've had to help up here." Abby smiled at the thought, it was one she has no issue whatsoever believing.

A few steps more helped increase her confidence, and her mother could easily see that. Each time a paw was put in front of the other, and eventually, she was fully comfortable sliding around with ease.

As the minutes went on, while Abby was getting more sure of herself by the second, Everest on the other paw was heading down the opposite path. Part of her was questioning how safe this really was, and she had yet to figure out if that was a genuine fear or just anxiety getting the best of her for the millionth time.

"Hey, honey, come back over here. Let's head back to Jake, alright?" Without even batting an eye, the pup carefreely bounded back across the lake, making her mother flinch with almost every step. Eventually, as just about anyone would moving at such speed, she ended up falling and landing right back on her paws.

At first, Everest wasn't too worried about that, but her eyes suddenly widened in horror once she got a better look. She almost fainted on the spot from the dread building up. It wasn't that she had fallen that scared her, that was nearly a daily routine.

No, it was the cracks forming in the ice surrounding her.

"A-Abby, you need to slowly crawl to me," she instructed, slowly moving closer in her direction. As someone well trained in mountain rescues, this was naturally her specialty. In fact, she had saved animals or even some people from very similar situations.

But this...this was a whole other level of fear. This was her baby that she had been with since the moment her eyes opened and entered the world. These were stakes that under no circumstances could be gambled.

Although the process was a timely one, the two were getting closer and closer. Abby was still completely unaware of what was happening, but she knew better than to try and argue with her mother when she spoke in such a serious tone.

The close they got, the more hope Everest was starting to gain. This was the best-case scenario, them both walking home unharmed and only a bit shaken up. However, the fate of the universe had other plans in store.

In the blink of an eye, the ice surrounding her gave out, and gravity did its job of instantly taking the pup out of the light and into a cold, dark prison. The Husky felt like time itself had slowed as she slowly watched her own child slip into the water, water that she knew could be very fatal in this temperature. And the fact that she hadn't learned to swim yet wasn't helpful either.

"Abby!" she shouted in horror, immediately running over to the rigid hole in the ground, this time not caring at all if the ice broke or not. Her instincts took charge as she processed the time limit she was being presented with, and without any other options, she shut her eyes and inhaled deeply before plunging into the frozen depths herself.

Despite her body trying to reject such an action, the Husky forced her eyes back open as the coldness came in with power equivalent to a tidal wave. She could barely see, it was so dark, so cold. And this was coming from someone with experience, not the point of view of a helpless child who didn't know how to save herself.

The darkness was making it near impossible to see, but even with that context, she'd be able to recognize the tiny ball of fluff anywhere. The sight of her own daughter helplessly flailing her legs as she slowly sank deeper broke her on the inside, but she couldn't let that get to her now. She didn't have that time to spare, and neither did Abby.

Swimming down into the depths, she gently grabbed the pup in her mouth and flew back up to the surface as fast as she could. Thankfully, the light shining through the hole was all she needed to see, and she tossed her pup out onto the ice before climbing out herself.

By now, her entire body was numb from the freezing water. Meanwhile, Abby was barely still conscious, shaking like there was no tomorrow. Everest finally had her train of thought back on track, and her rescue knowledge was starting to apply. The first thing to do was get her body temperature back up.

Throwing the mixed pup onto her back for a less than exciting piggyback ride, she bolted off and made her way to Jake's cabin, back through the clearing in the woods. The man didn't take long at all to notice them as he nonchalantly walked over, not noticing the urgency at first.

"Oh, there you are, I was starting to worry there for a second. Hey...what's wrong with—"

"Jake, go get the fireplace going and make something warm. Now," she demanded, her words coming out a bit harsher than planned, but whatever worked, worked. Jake was far from being at the top of her priority list, as harsh as that may have sounded.

Not bothering to ask for context, as from what he could tell the situation was pretty important, the man quickly did as he was told. In just a few moments the fire was crackling and milk was being boiled for some fresh, dog-safe hot chocolate.

Everest charged inside and set Abby down by the fire, grabbing whatever blanket on the couch she could find and wrapping her up tightly. She scooted as close as she physically could, hoping to pass off what little body warmth she still had in her.

By some miracle, the process was working, and despite how much shivering she was doing, the pup nuzzled her mother as tears fell down her already watery cheeks. The Husky let out a small sigh of relief, the danger was over. Abby was safe, still in her arms for days to come.

And with the pressure finally catching up to her daughter, the soft tears trailing down her cheeks quickly morphed into uncontrollable sobs. She hugged her mother for dear life, clinging on as all the emotions washed over her in a matter of seconds.

"H-hey, you're okay, baby. Let it out, it'll be okay. Mommy's got you," she cooed, petting her back, accompanied by multiple licks to the face. Her affection definitely helped, but that only took a fraction of the pain away. It felt like torture, a type of pain she had never felt in her worst nightmares.

The mere memory of breathlessness and coldness was too much to bear, even now being so close to Everest, she couldn't feel safe the way she normally would. Her body felt like it was shattering. The pressure in her chest was no longer just an emotion, it was a burning, physical feeling, weighing her down to such an extent to where she wasn't sure what was happening. The coldness at least was starting to wear down, but the experience as a whole, not so much.

Everest was fully aware of that too, this wasn't exactly something that would be going away anytime soon. The worst of it may have been over, but that memory was going to stick, for both of them. She had a few tears coming out of her own eyes herself, merely thinking about how close she was to losing her pup.

However, the fact that she was still here and breathing was all the reassurance she needed, even with the overwhelming guilt from ever thinking going out there was a good idea. She blamed herself, no one else.

"I-I'm s-so sorry, honey, I should have never let you go out there. I-I should've been way more careful." She honestly wasn't sure if Abby would hold it against her or not, and at this point, she didn't even feel worthy of the title of such a being's mother. However, the light feeling of her paw being licked was a pretty good way of snapping her back to reality.

"I-it's okay, mommy, it wasn't your fault. I-I still love you..." she muttered, her innocent face burying itself into her fur. And even with the circumstances she had found herself in, Everest somehow felt a genuine smile grow on her face as she hugged Abby tightly. Deep down, she could feel the warmth coming back to her, both physically and mentally.

Her daughter was safe and sound now, and in the end, that was all she cared about. The puppy slowly turned her face, looking up into the bright flame that was keeping them warm. Everest met her gaze and got herself trapped in its comforting glow.

"I love you too," the Husky whispered in return, holding her baby closer, whose emotions were finally starting to calm down. She was still quite obviously distraught, to say the least, but she wasn't crying nearly as hard, now they were more light sniffles.

Everest lightly kissed her forehead as she continued to slowly stroke her fur, gently giving her all the affection she could, knowing full well she needed it. She made sure her sweet Abby could feel at peace, and she was willing to do anything to give her that freedom.

Thankfully, it seemed to be working as a small smile crept onto her face, spreading its contagious effect. That was all she wanted to see, it was always a reassuring sign. That despite everything, she was okay, and that their family was still whole. They both still had the opportunity to live this fantasy of a life, despite the memories scarred into their minds. Everything was okay, it would stay that way too.

They were all still together, and at the end of the day, that was all that really mattered.