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Chapter 4
Squee! New chapter! Oh Tori is such a wonderful honorary muse
Chapter 4
January 15, 1982-3:00 PM
James coughed a little as he walked outside, hugging his jacket to his body. She'd had time to calm down, maybe they could figure out what they were going to do now,
The snow crunched under his feet, and he was stunned when the sound didn't bring either a middle aged blonde or a brown dog running to tackle him. He stuck his hands in his pockets, walking out into the wooded area around the house.
"Mand!? C'mon honey, don't do this. We need to talk, it won't change things if we avoid it."
As he kept going, he saw something move by a bush. He knelt down, smiling sadly when he saw a brown mass of fur curled up by the bare branches, shivering so she didn't pick up on his smell. He gingerly reached out a hand, stroking her head.
"Mand?"
She lifted her head from her paws, sighing sadly. He rubbed his hand along her side, wiping off some of the snow.
"Let's go inside and warm up, okay?"
She stood up and followed him to the steps, the weight of the situation really hitting James when she didn't snap and jump at him as she usually did in the snow, just walked solemnly at his side.
After half an hour of lying in the den, curled up on his lap, James finally noticed Mandy's fur fading away. This meant she was finally ready to talk. Whenever she wanted to avoid facing something, she changed since this meant she couldn't speak and could come off as a tough ferocious animal when she was anything but. She'd spent the entire time up until now whining and licking his hand, but now as he felt skin replacing hair, she was calm faced and she had stopped shaking.
Finally a naked woman was leaning against him, fingers idly tracing patterns on his chest. He touched her hair, moving slightly to wrap his arms around her.
"Mand, you okay?"
She nodded shakily, sniffling.
"Yeah. I just…I'm scared."
"I know luv, I am too."
"I can't lose you. I can't…can't raise the kids alone…"
A few tears fell down her face and James tenderly wiped them away, holding her close.
"Hey, let's not worry about that now, okay? I'm feeling better right now, and the doctor said I'm still in the fairly early stages."
"Did he say how you could have gotten it?"
"Probably from someone else who didn't know…" his skin paled then as the realization
of what he was saying struck him.
"Mand, you know I'd never…"
"No, I know James" she kissed him delicately, lips pressing against the hollow of his throat.
"I probably have it."
"What?"
She sighed, leaning against him.
"Werewolves are resistant to disease. I probably got it from Brian or someone else and it just never showed up. Maybe it took you awhile to get it, since you've been around me so long or something. I don't know."
"Christ…wouldn't it have shown up on your blood tests?"
"Don't know. I haven't met anyone else like me who has it yet."
James sighed, leaning his head back against the couch.
"What the hell are we going to do?"
She took his hand, kissing it.
"What we've always done. Pray and hang onto each other for strength. I won't leave,
you stayed with me through so many hard times when I gave you the offer, it's time I returned the favor."
James laughed softly, kissing her hair.
"I don't know what I'd do without you, Mand. We'll find a way to beat this, I promise."
She smiled, taking his mouth in her own briefly before getting up.
"I'd better get ready to pick up Jamie."
"All right luv" after she went to the bedroom, James put his mouth into his arm to muffle a coughing fit. Goddamn.
Chapter 4
January 15, 1982-3:00 PM
James coughed a little as he walked outside, hugging his jacket to his body. She'd had time to calm down, maybe they could figure out what they were going to do now,
The snow crunched under his feet, and he was stunned when the sound didn't bring either a middle aged blonde or a brown dog running to tackle him. He stuck his hands in his pockets, walking out into the wooded area around the house.
"Mand!? C'mon honey, don't do this. We need to talk, it won't change things if we avoid it."
As he kept going, he saw something move by a bush. He knelt down, smiling sadly when he saw a brown mass of fur curled up by the bare branches, shivering so she didn't pick up on his smell. He gingerly reached out a hand, stroking her head.
"Mand?"
She lifted her head from her paws, sighing sadly. He rubbed his hand along her side, wiping off some of the snow.
"Let's go inside and warm up, okay?"
She stood up and followed him to the steps, the weight of the situation really hitting James when she didn't snap and jump at him as she usually did in the snow, just walked solemnly at his side.
After half an hour of lying in the den, curled up on his lap, James finally noticed Mandy's fur fading away. This meant she was finally ready to talk. Whenever she wanted to avoid facing something, she changed since this meant she couldn't speak and could come off as a tough ferocious animal when she was anything but. She'd spent the entire time up until now whining and licking his hand, but now as he felt skin replacing hair, she was calm faced and she had stopped shaking.
Finally a naked woman was leaning against him, fingers idly tracing patterns on his chest. He touched her hair, moving slightly to wrap his arms around her.
"Mand, you okay?"
She nodded shakily, sniffling.
"Yeah. I just…I'm scared."
"I know luv, I am too."
"I can't lose you. I can't…can't raise the kids alone…"
A few tears fell down her face and James tenderly wiped them away, holding her close.
"Hey, let's not worry about that now, okay? I'm feeling better right now, and the doctor said I'm still in the fairly early stages."
"Did he say how you could have gotten it?"
"Probably from someone else who didn't know…" his skin paled then as the realization
of what he was saying struck him.
"Mand, you know I'd never…"
"No, I know James" she kissed him delicately, lips pressing against the hollow of his throat.
"I probably have it."
"What?"
She sighed, leaning against him.
"Werewolves are resistant to disease. I probably got it from Brian or someone else and it just never showed up. Maybe it took you awhile to get it, since you've been around me so long or something. I don't know."
"Christ…wouldn't it have shown up on your blood tests?"
"Don't know. I haven't met anyone else like me who has it yet."
James sighed, leaning his head back against the couch.
"What the hell are we going to do?"
She took his hand, kissing it.
"What we've always done. Pray and hang onto each other for strength. I won't leave,
you stayed with me through so many hard times when I gave you the offer, it's time I returned the favor."
James laughed softly, kissing her hair.
"I don't know what I'd do without you, Mand. We'll find a way to beat this, I promise."
She smiled, taking his mouth in her own briefly before getting up.
"I'd better get ready to pick up Jamie."
"All right luv" after she went to the bedroom, James put his mouth into his arm to muffle a coughing fit. Goddamn.