(Sorry for always having a long post length)
As her father and Grandpa Longneck discussed Pterano's return, Cera was able to do little but just listen, having nothing to really add. Part of her wanted to speak up for his being Petrie's uncle and thus having that much going for him to be treated somewhat nice, if nothing for Petrie's sake, but she sort of understood how that didn't really extend too far.
In all the time she'd known Littlefoot's grandfather, here at the the Valley, though she'd hardly ever seen him hate anyone. Never actually. Made her wonder, just what had Pterano been like and what else had he done that he got this sort of reaction from both her father and someone like Grandpa Longneck?
She nodded as her father said to come on home. "Uh, thanks again...Grandpa Longneck" she this time gave his full title he seemed to like to go by with the kids as she turned to him before walking off behind her father. She knew he knew what she was saying thanks for and so she didn't have to say it.
~~~~
As Pterano went into this one story, but admitted this one would be true, even if he did mutter it, Harper caught the words but didn't say much. She grinned though. She'd known it! All along she'd had more than a sinking suspicion that the kind of stuff Pterano described was far-fetched at best. Not that she'd let that get in the way of a good story.
So she listened this time as well as she had any other time, turning as Pterano paused at the familiar voice she turned to at about the same time anyway. Harper was just about to call out and dart over to her mother, forming some sort of apology and explanation for their being out so late, when she noticed the tense atmosphere between Pterano and her mother and so she stayed put.
For her part, Pterano's sister listened as her brother went on. She could hardly blame him the faltering, this was such a tense moment for varying reason for them both. She felt herself stiffen as well at his words, not from anger or anything, but from the hope not sure if it should come or not at claims of reform hidden in Pterano's words on his having planned to return the children to their nests before coming to see her.
Claims he couldn't prove, seen as she'd interrupted that plan, but...she wanted to believe it had been what he was about. Something in the way he said this was so...different.
Now, though, she had to say something, and not just because the children were all standing there as witness.
"I see...well, that's noble of you" it was unsure from her tone whether or not she believed his words, but next breath she sighed, relaxing. She could speak plain, she knew nothing she felt would surprise Pterano and like he could hardly hide his shenanigans or schemes from her, she could hardly hide how she felt from him anyway.
"You know you'll have to prove any claims of yours before I'll just believe them, after everything..." she broke off. He knew. Also she'd nagged enough just with that sentence.
"But I would feel bad if I wasn't the first of the committee who will not doubt find you by tomorrow to say...Welcome back" now she let the guarded hope show in a small smile.
Snapping back to recalling the children though, she turned to them, "But you all really should be back at your nests at this time of night shouldn't you? Well I already noticed Cera's made her way inside the Valley so come on I'll help my brother with that mission, unless he'd like to face Littlefoot's grandfather on his own" she went on with a small smile as she turned.
Harper grinned, had her mother just made a slight joke? Well it proved what she'd said before, of knowing that deep down her mother had been worried over Pterano too.
(Whew, I wasn't going to have her notice about Cera, but it seemed to be the best way to sort of close that left open end without anyone knowing maybe just yet WHY Cera was gone. We can get to that later if we wanted her to be questioned by the others or not I guess
)
