Pain in the tail (James)

[Katra Maguire]

Could this week get anymore dramatic? Katra wasnt sure as she thought about it. So many things had happened and she half wanted to strangle and half wanted to cuddle the new and old member she ahd dragged back. And she literally meant dragged. That night a week ago with James had taken a tole on both of them. She had been ready to go home after fighting James, and she needed to get him help. So instead of going straight home, she took him to the hospital first. So they could heal his wounds up better then what the pack would be able to do. The hospital hadnt asked any questions and just kept him there for a few days. Today was the first day back at the pack house for him. And she was glad to see him home. His room was still the way he had left it. She didnt think it was right to give the room out to the new members. Same with Evey and Tillie's rooms. They were still the same. The pack house was big enough to room the new members and keep those rooms the way they were.

While James had been in the hospital, she had come to visit him everyday. Always apologizing for what she had done to him. She didnt like looking at him in that bed and knowing most of the major injuries were her doing. And she had been going easy on him still! And being scared to hurt her own pups had made her more cautious. She was glad of it. She might have killed him if she hadnt been careful. But he no longer was there and he was back home, tucked into his bed. She had made sure to bring him home and keep him comfortable. It was the least she could do. Even now she was sitting on the edge of his bed and watching him. "Your sure your okay?" She asked him kindly. She was still very worried about the young wolf. The pack was just buzzing about him being back. Caleb had went on a small vacation somewhere and so when he got back she would tell him as soon as possible.

Leaning over, she ruffled up his hair and smiled at him once more. "Im glad that the real James is back. Sadly....I have to thank a vampire for that. I never would have found you other wise." And it was the truth. She had thanked Litte and then taken James, not looking back. And the vampire had disappeared. She didnt know where she was or where to start looking for her. But either way..Kat was going to find her. She wasnt going to thank her either. If that vampire stayed around James...she didnt want to see things go down hill for him again. Every time she would go see him at the hospital, the faint smell of Litte was there. So she knew Litte had went to see him at least once. But where she went after, Kat would always loose the scent. Litte must have learned to hide her tracks now. And that wasnt a good thing. Were vampires getting smarter? She sure hoped not.

[*James Silvius]

"Yes... I'm fine," James returned distantly for what seemed to be the twelfth time. His mind was on other matters. Of course, the tone of his voice wasn't going to convince Katra that he was alright, which is why she probably kept asking. But with things as they recently were, James was doing a whole lot better than pre-Kat -- and pre-Litte. He couldn't shower in the hospital, at least the way he wanted to. Yes, they cleaned him up, but he needed to do a better job.

Before Katra came to visit, Litte was here. It took some convincing and much argumentation, but James finally got her to help him get rid of the bandages and casts so he could take a proper bath. Once that was finished, there was even more controversy and strife on Litte's part to assure her that if he shifted, all his mental faculties would remain intact. He was ok this time, no voices whispered hostile things to him. So he shifted and had Litte shampoo his fur twice, then brush and blow dry it out.

He looked both human and domestic after that. In addition, his girlfriend brought him some food -- hunks of fresh meat to be exact. James ate it raw, and it satisfied his hunger. Katra brought him extra pillows and blankets at his request -- his room really didn't change, he still had the crappy box spring bed.

James wasn't only smelling better, he looked better, too. Most of his bones were on their way to a speedy recovery, one of the perks of being a wolf. The stitches were gone. However true, he could have been mistaken for a dalmatian with all the black welts spotting his body. He had long, red scars that would remain there, but he was also already covered in those. What were a few more, anyway? He was still skeletally skinny, but that would be fixed fast, and he was increasingly feeling less achey.

James shivered and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Could you close the window?" Litte had forgotten to close that, but they wanted to air out her scent, anything that would mask it, they did. He couldn't let Katra see the rest of him -- there was no way he could have gotten those casts off himself. James and Litte agreed to be extremely careful until they knew exactly what their relationship was up against.

He had to constantly remind her she wasn't a nuisance to him. Probably the most tragic part about this whole affair was his memory loss. It was frustrating, not remembering half his family. Katra had begun filling him in, but never finished. "What happened to Ella? You said she was depressed after Patrick died, but could she still have lead the pack?" he urged Katra to continue their previous conversation.

[Katra Maguire]

Kat sighed in frustration as the same reply that she had heard a thousand times came from his lips. That he was fine and that he didnt need anything. God forbid he would actually ask for something. No. He was always so silent and looked the other way and always covered in blankets. She didnt know what to do to help him anymore. When he had asked for the blankets and pillows, she had went and got them herself. She wasnt about to let him suffer. She had missed her pack brother and she was very worried about him. It was true that he looked much better then before. Before he had been covered in bruises and welts. Partly her own fault she had to keep reminding herself. But she had no choice in that matter. She hadnt wanted to hurt him. And another reason she tended to James herself was that she didnt want Tristan anywhere near James. Her mate hadnt taken it to well that she had been attacked by James when she was pregnant.

So to keep things from going south, she kept them apart. And she made sure his ever wish was met. He would recover nicely. She could see that for herself. His hair looked freshly washed and she wondered how he had managed that or if maybe one of the pack members had helped clean him. He looked better though. His eyes starting to get that light in them once more. The eyes she remembered that belonged to her pack brother. Not the hungry animal who had taken control. That wasnt James. And she made sure to check on him hourly. Even when he slept. There was a small part of her still terrified that she would loose her pack brother to the wolf again and that he would come for everyone in their sleep. But she pushed those nightmare thoughts away. She needed to stay positive and that meant looking on the bright side and staying hopeful. When he asked for her to close the window, she nodded and got up from the side of the bed.

Going over to the window she closed it gently but paused for only a minute. She caught the briefest scent of that vampire. Litte. So the little vampire had been inside the room. So thats how she had been hiding from her. Staying close by and airing out the scent. But James had enough problems on his plate. She wasnt about to add another one. The only way you would know she had smelt the scent of a vampire in the room was by the subtle stiffening in her back and shoulders. Other wise she looked perfectly at ease. She put on a smile and went back to the side of the bed and looked at him curiously. But then he asked another question. One that made her heart ache. Her eyes filled with tears for a brief moment before she pushed them away and then let out a shuddery sigh. "Well. She did lead the pack for a time. Even in her depressed state. We didnt see much of her and she rarely left her room."

Talking about Ella was like a shot to the heart. And she knew how that felt since she had shot herself before. The pain was still raw and fresh and she didnt think it would ever go away. It would always be hard to think on Ella. Her wonderful pack Alphess. And it would be even harder for her to think on Patrick. The one who had raised her. But she glanced at James and then looked away. She knew she kept stopping in her stories to him because it was hard to tell them. But James deserved to know. So this time, she would answer all the questions he had. And complete the story. He needed anything to help jog his memory. And even if he wasnt here for this part of the packs history, it could help. "But one day...she went out without us knowing. And...she got ambushed by a bunch of vampires. They drained her dry. Nix found her body and got us and we brought her back. We then buried her next to Pat. So you see James...she would still be leading if she hadnt died. Since I was the one who has been in the pack the longest...They gave it over to me." And she only wished she could be half the leader Ella and Pat had been.

[*James Silvius]

James nodded grimly and absorbed the information. Oh Patrick. Katra told James about him first. Kat was being great, she was painfully honest, and though James heard things better left unsaid. It was vital he knew everything, no matter how brutal the truth was. Still, he heard the anger in Katra's voice when he denied his pain. He didn't like lying to her, he certainly wasn't fine -- his body would be, but his mind was far from it.

James sent Katra on little tasks purposely so she had a way of taking care of him and knowing it helped. She could only do so much. An attack on his mind, however, was to be fought between himself and the wolf. Help on that was pretty much useless. He was afraid for her, Litte, and the wolves who lived here. James was a ticking time bomb. The next time the wolf came out to play, he might not be so lucky a second time around. He'd rather die before hurting any of them. It was the safety of the house's inhabitants and Litte for which he was mainly concerned for.

"You need to buy heavy tranq's. I think three would be enough to stop it," he advised. Three tranquilizers were sufficient to incapacitate his wolf, but the affects of three sedatives in his system would put his human body in a coma. It'd be unfortunate if the wolf shifted James into his human form just before injection. James was aware of this, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was keeping everyone unscathed or worse, dead. He would do whatever it took, especially after leaning he was the cause of the broken pack. He wasn't going to let himself be in that position again.

As of now, James felt sick with guilt after Katra forced out his personal part in the war. He could not believe he'd been that selfish. He felt completly responsible for every death in the pack. There wasn't going to be anymore except for his own. He considered leaving after he recovered, but wondered if this was a selfish act as well. While he may think he'd be doing the pack a favor, Katra was proof enough that if he left, he'd betray and really hurt her. Betrayal was his biggest fear. And besides, this pack was family, and family didn't abandon family, especially if times were rough. James needed them, and though he'd disagree, they needed him.

"Where is Caleb?"

[Katra Maguire]

If Katra could see into the future, she would consider this an easy day. Because what was ahead of her and the pack, sure wasnt going to be easy. But for now, she didnt know what was going to happen until it did happen. Right now, she was concerned for James who had certainly seen better days. And she wanted to take care of him as best she could. She was one of the only people who had their wits about them right now. And she wouldnt let Tristan near James in fear that he might say something stupid. Tristan wasnt exactly happy with James over the fact that James had attacked her. And no matter how many times she had told him it wasnt the boys fault, her husband refused to see the light. All that mattered was that she had been attacked and the claw marks on her ribs and near her stomach was a reason to be hateful. Yes, it had hurt like hell and she was glad he hadnt gone just a bit lower, but she was fine and so she wasnt holding that against James.

Telling him about everything was hard for her. It pained her to remind him about what had happened and who was after him and why. She knew that he wouldnt take it to well, but since he didnt get up and run away, she took that as accomplishment. No matter how difficult it was to tell him, she needed to. To keep him safe and protected. If he didnt know what was going on or why some people were after him, or who was after him for that matter, his life was in more danger then she could ever protect him from. And she wasnt going to let anything happen to him. No longer was she going to let anything happen to her pack. She was the leader and so she needed to protect them, and seeing the pain in his eyes made her hate the fact that she had to do it even more. But he kept asking questions and didnt stop. She had almost gotten through everything to catch him up. And then he talked about sedatives out of the blue.

From her spot on the side of the bed she looked back at him, only now realizing she had turned her head to look out the window. It was starting to turn to night time and she wanted to visit her tree to think some things over. But his thoughts on the tranqs made her look back at him and snap to the present so fast she could get a headache later. Three sedatives? Was he nuts?! If she hit him with that he would fall into a coma if his wolf changed back into human for as he got hit and the liquid spread through his blood system. Oh no, she would never do that. Not ever. She would maybe hit him with one or two to slow him down, but she would never take the risk of loosing him again. They all needed him. And she knew it as much as she knew she was pregnant. But she nodded anyway. "All right. But you know I will have a hard time using them on you. More then likely Ill fight you again. Im not weak and if it happens after I have my pups, I wont go easy." She told him in a warning.

Her gaze went back to the window and she tilted her head, a small plan forming. He needed a memory jog and she also wanted him to get outdoors as soon as possible. Feel free again. "How about this. Adam Vagus, a fellow pack leader and.....I guess...somewhat friend, is having a wedding in a about a week. If your well enough, I would like you to go to that wedding. See some familiar faces possibly. Jog your memory. You may take Litte with you, and I shall give her the sedatives. Deal?" She asked him and turned her tawny colored hues on him. She had no problem with the little vampire right now, and by telling him he could take her it would also show that she knew that vamp was sneaking in to the house. She would make sure no one found out. "And I would suggest lysol next time. Takes the odor away and even if it doesnt work, the smell will be to strong to pick up the vamp smell. Burns the nose." She told him.

A small smile spread across her lips and she chuckled. She couldnt believe she was helping him hide a vampire. But the blood sucker made him happy, so she wasnt going to complain. For now. But the smile on her face disappeared in an instant when he asked about Caleb. Her heart ached and she hid back a whimper. She hadnt seen that spunky wolf in a long time and it was taking its tole. The blonde wolf was normally the one to make things happier around here. And no one knew how to be a jokester better then the Tramp himself. Sighing slightly she ran her fingers through her hair. "Truthfully? I dont know James. He went on a vacation, a little going away for a while. Didnt say when he would be back. Im starting to get worried about him, but im sure he will come home. That Tramp will miss us enough to come right back into our home." But she knew she was saying those words more for herself then James. She wanted to believe he would come home. But the truth was....Was he going to come home?

[*James Silvius]

James's eyes shot sharply to Kat's at the hint of reluctance in her voice as they discussed the use of tranq's. He gave her a dangerous look, then softened his face and turned away. He didn't understand, he was a threat to the pack and the only possible way to stop his wolf effectively, if not dangerously, was a heavy sedative.

She couldn't possibly understand. Back in New York before he came to Paris again, his wolf did appalling things. In the beginning, he was aware of it. He watched and allowed it to happen. It wasn't until later was he too guilt ridden to take any responsibility. He went away inside his wolf's mind because he couldn't control himself, make it stop, and just watch his wolf destroy mortal families, benign vampires, and his own kin. He'd bitten too many mortals to count, how many werewolves did he populate the world
with? He couldn't remember. One day this would come back to haunt him.

Katra needed to put his wolf down when he inevitably assumed control again. He wasn't going to allow it to destroy this family, his only one left. He wouldn't be able to live with himself anymore. He'd rather put a gun to his head and pull the trigger before that beast got loose again. He couldn't help himself, the fate of the pack came down to Katra. But she loved James, he knew the idea of losing him again was repulsive. He wished she cared less, for her own benefit. There was no arguing with her. He'd just have to trust that she knew what she was doing.

But she'd never know what it was like...

At the idea of going to a wedding James panicked. He was ready to voice that this wasn't a good idea until he looked at Katra again. The wolf looked hopeful, almost desperate for anything to jog his memory. She could only tell him so much, there were a billion other things she couldn't tell him about himself. Going to this wedding was a start. And Katra was giving him permission to bring Litte. He'd have a nearly indestructible creature to watch him. Naturally, she'd be as anxious as him, and for what he knew about Litte since he came back, she was a sweet little thing. He honestly didn't know if she had it in her to do what wasn't best for him.

"Okay," he said quietly. I hope this pleases you.

A huge grin spread across his face when she gave him the advise about the vampire smell. This was unbelievable, the pack hated vampires, and Katra wasn't a fan either. Yet here she was, helping him sneak a vampire in his room. He owed her one. "Lysol. Got it."

James was disheartened to find his question had a grievous impact on his pack leader. He immediately regretted his asking, but was satisfied with her response. He just needed to know that particular wolf was okay. He felt Caleb was very important to him. "Okay. Thank you Katra," he believed they were finished with this tedious filling in. "You can leave if you'd like," he added.