John tore from his nightmare the young Doctor sat up panting he looked around the dimly lit room, the television was playing low and there was warm conversation in the corner. John realized he had fallen asleep on the big worn out couch.

"John? Doc? You okay?" Dimmock called from the far corner where he was playing cards with the caramel skinned female Were, Donovan.

"Yeah, I just-overslept?" John squinted at his watch.

"Or under slept." Donovan slapped her cards down happily to Dimmock's disappointment he growled in irritation. "Really Watson you're only human. Can't keep up the hours you've been runnin. Between the hospital and that halfway house, you'll burn yourself out."

"Yeah, anyway Doc it's not like Lestrade didn't say you could stay as long as you wanted." Dimmock started to shuffle the cards.

"After all you did for Constable Richards and Mayhew. Not to mention the scrapes you've been cleaning up on our primary pack. It's nice to have a live in Doc in the house. It's not like you need money. Besides who cares about a bunch of homeless halfbreeds. If the vamps don't want em-" It was Donovan talking now, unaware of John's irritation at her referring to the orphaned halflings as unwanted. It wasn't a child's fault their parents didn't want anything to do with them. They were products of lust and sometimes rape, abandoned to the streets. Weres were nothing like that, they took in an orphan as if the child was their very own. Vampires weren't like this, if a child was anything but pure blooded they tended to just abandon them and the human that carried them. John hated the practice of blood dolls, selling your blood and body for the riches of a Vamp sometimes one got more than they bargained for.

"I am grateful for your boss letting me stay here free of rent. Despite the smell of dog and the fact that anytime I meet with a non human patient they sniff at me curiously." Ever the diplomat John cut off the familiar rant politely.

"What?" Both Donovan and Dimmock narrowed their eyes looking over at the blond human.

John stretched rubbing a hand through his already disheveled hair, he frowned at his feet.

Somehow he couldn't remember taking off his shoes."Hmmm?" he yawned turning his head to look over the side of the couch at the two.

"Who has been sniffing around?" Donovan demanded.

"Just anyone really. Ever since I started living here anytime I get on the tube and then at the hospital. I had a few vamp administrators sneeze rather dramatically around me. Then the kids at Rosehouse they mentioned I stink. It's not so bad, the vamps steer clear but other Weres just get closer and-"

"Like who?!" Both Donovan and Dimmock were on their feet now, nearly knocking over the square card table in their wake.

"What's all the noise." Anderson grumbled coming into the large living area. His mouth was full and John always found his nasally voice to be annoying. However Donovan had invited him over and he had yet to leave, despite the fact he reeked of a human female.(something Dimmock liked to point out.) The tall thin pointy nose were wore a simple button up white shirt with the sleeves rolled over his forearms.

"Wankers have been sniffing around John." Donovan snapped. Dimmock glared at Anderson,

"Why is he still here. The boss doesn't-"

"The boss doesn't care. Besides Lestrade has not been here in almost a month he's so busy running with the vamps. Poor sod-"

"Just because he's not here doesn't mean he likes you fraternizing with Anderson. Besides he's a forensics idiot."

"Hey! I'm still here. And my job is just as important as yours constable." Anderson fumed, clutching the bag of crisps at his side. John winced, knowing those were in fact Dimmocks.

"It's not constable anymore you wanker it's DI Dimmock. And are those my crisps?" Dimmock took a threatening step towards the thinner were.

John rolled his eyes, indeed the young were had just come into a promotion and was happy to wear a smart although cheap suit. The whole house had celebrated and John wasn't too happy with the mess afterwards. He made the hung over rowdy bunch start to clean up the mess of paper plates, beer bottles and ripped articles of clothing. Apparently a few of the party goers thought they wanted to transform in the middle of the party to wrestle and do what Weres usually did.

John had only happily sidestepped the party and read a book in his room, only to come down and turn a hose on two overzealous Weres snarling and snapping at each other in the front yard.

"Hey Doc!" Constable Keller padded into the room wearing his sweats and a gray MET t-shirt. The young man stretched hopping over the couch he plopped down next to John, kicking his feet out onto the blonde's lap.

John had grown accustomed to the casual way in which the pack treated him. The house was an old warehouse converted into a living space. Several bedrooms were shared upstairs by the unbonded pack members that lived in the home. John understood that this was how the home was run, the pack that worked together also lived together.

Lestrade was a DI and the others followed his lead, Lestrade was unbonded although according the house gossip he had dated a human for a bit only for her to run off with some Vamp. But he never talked about it and it was apparently a long time ago. John had yet to meet the man, those directly under him lived here. The bonded pack members had their own domiciles but still popped in for dinner or a drink, maybe to watch some rugby. Lestrade was just a senior DI's of the Homicide division, and this was his team. The young doctor felt a warmth here comfortable in this close knit family environment, he had never experienced anything like this before.

John somehow was adopted in, and all just for helping Dimmock out of a sticky situation with a crazed bleeder. It happened when John had been getting off of work when he caught the scuffle. Bleeders could be so unpredictable and the young DI was trying to take her on after she'd already incapacitated two of his men. Long story short John came up from behind and brought a rather heavy bit of pipe down on her head. Thankfully she hadn't seen him, he couldn't take the chance she knew him or his sister. Even with the threat of being found out like in the army he couldn't leave the young were to be badly injured. After that Dimmock had offered him a place to stay one better than the small bedsit he called home at the time.

John wondered what this DI Lestrade was like, everyone spoke of him with such respect. He was off on some secret mission everyone was so hush hush about John knew they were worried as well because of the comments they made.

"Bastards have been scenting John-"

"Who!?" Keller was pulling his feet off of John's lap he jumped onto all fours and sniffed the top of the blond's head.

"Oi! Don't you do it too! And I didn't say they were scenting me I said they were sniffing around." John huffed leaning back away from the red haired Keller. "What's the big deal." John moved off the couch Keller and the others were all frowning in his direction.

"Seriously it's adorable how much you don't know." Donovan took the deck from Dimmock and started to shuffle, shaking her head almost amused by John's ignorance.

Anderson rolled his eyes not liking the fact the female was showing interest in the human, now that was a turn up. Humans were boring and so very very predictable at least that's how his wife was. He should have mated with his own kind.

"It's simply disrespectful considering you've been absorbed into this pack. For others to simply try and scent you is well it's a challenge. "

"Oh, god. That's ridiculous. They aren't hurting anybody besides, I'm not afraid or threatened."

"The Vamps have more sense than to touch what's already been claimed." Donovan glanced over at Dimmock, he had been beating around the bush for a month now. The idiot should hurry and just turn the human, get it over with. Coward. If he wasn't going to then she would happily make the Doctor her mate. He was smart, and well not bad to look at, a bit on the short side but she liked to dominate her males and females. Anderson after all was just a quick frolic John could make the perfect mate, that and he would be a good addition, officially to their pack. Having a doctor in the house was actually rather genius. Dimmock was being a blood fool.

Lestrade hadn't met the man yet but she was in charge while the boss was busy and he approved of her opinion and had given the nod for Dimmock to mate and turn the human. However Dimmock the idiot had yet to even let the Doctor know of his interest.

Now others were sniffing around, and why shouldn't they an unclaimed find such as Doctor John Watson was highly valued. The man had mentioned he was briefly in the army and she wondered what had ended his career he never spoke much about himself but no one questioned the younger man. He obviously didn't like to talk about it.

John rolled his eyes "What am I not getting?"

"Dimmock would love to explain it to you." Donovan grinned when the newly promoted constable started to blush, and Keller tried to stifle a laugh. "Or I could-" Sally laughed when both Anderson and Dimmock growled in objection to such a proposal.

"Dimmock?" John felt confused sometimes he wished he could have the same strong sense of smell. Had he been scented? Why would any find him to be interesting, he made it his life's mission to go unnoticed. If these Weres knew where he came from, who his family was, they would truly hate him. Possibly kill him slowly.

The front door slammed open, "I said I don't need a bloody watch dog! I can take care of myself!" a deep voice hissed.

John was suddenly crowded by the Weres in the living room, to his surprise even Anderson had joined in the huddle. Several growls filled the air and the mortal rolled his eyes once more. He had been raised around Weres rather was made to help keep them fed and alive so his father could keep them fighting in the dog fights. However he wasn't used to the their ways outside of the ring, in everyday life. They were so much more human. Not that he ever judged them to be any less valuable than himself.

His life was worthless really he had done things and stood idle as crimes were committed by his uncle or the vampire that claimed to be his uncle and his sister an enforcer a Bleeder.

"Everyone calm down!" A gravely voice demanded and John felt the tension lessen however no one moved out from around him and he hated his height.

"I'm not interested in whatever human you've marked so obscenely with your filthy scents. " The deep honeyed voice was cutting and cold, John curiously tried to peek around Dimmock who had a possessive hand at the small of John's back.

"Boss? What the hell is a vamp doing here, in the house! You invited him in!" Donovan sounded as if she was ready to be sick, her nose crinkled and she held the back of her hand under her nose.

"He's my guest and he will be treated as such! Now-" John managed to step around the protective shield, he wasn't some weak human. His blue eyes found the warm chocolate of the silver haired man in a gray trench coat. This was Lestrade he guessed and by the way the older Werewolf had stopped talking he hadn't expected John to be there or was just surprised by John's appearance.

"What the fuck-" Lestrade froze in his place, a sudden memory flashed before the older man's eyes and he turned slowly to the young vamp that had gone completely still.

"Is this a joke?" The dark haired blood drinking addict snarled. "Did you think you could get to me!"

John realized something was terribly wrong when those cold gray eyes turned their sharp fury in his direction. Suddenly the room went cold, and John knew this feeling, knew it from experience a hand went to his right forearm out of instinct and he took a step back.

Chaos broke when Keller and Anderson were the first to be sent flying against the far wall, then Donovan followed.

It was Dimmock who had the sense to transform John was pushed back by the force of it and landed hard against the wall behind him near the stunned and groaning pack members.

The Vampire advanced with a savage snarl and John realized he was the target of the attack, that unquestionable rage was aimed at him. His first thought was " They've found me." Terrified he backed up against the wall, unable to look away from his coming death.