Disclaimer: Characters not mine. I just like them.

Chapter 7 Rainy Day People

The wolf aspect of Mark remained until the next day when Glenn had to go pick up Trish. He was loath to leave Mark a prisoner in his own home, but wanted to be sure no trouble of any sort could start while he was away. He left the wolf with a fair sized bowl of beer in front of the TV, watching the Discovery Channel and a documentary about wolves. The natural kind that is. He seemed to enjoy the howling and more then once Glenn was treated to an ear shattering song contributed by Mark.

Glenn drove to the airport, ears still ringing, and trying to think of ways to explain that the overgrown wolf in his brother's house was actually his brother, and that Glenn was bound by blood and honour to help him.

He concluded that he would tell her outright. When she got curious and asked about it and that shouldn't take too long. She knew about Glenn's power, and more vaguely about Mark's. She obviously knew that he was a lycanthrope, and that he was missing, but not how he'd gone missing. The story had been big news, and caused some paranoia in the sports world about the possibility of other lycanthropic athletes. Glenn hoped that Mark and/or the wolf took a liking to her. The three of them might be stuck together awhile.

Trish seemed to float into the arrival's gate in large faux tortoise shell sunglasses, a ball cap covering her locks, and jeans that were chosen as to not attract any excess attention. She was tanned enough to look local as opposed to pasty Canadian that Glenn liked to tease her about being. Glenn thought she looked perfect no matter what she was wearing and smiled.

They greeted each other with a kiss and a warm embrace. Glenn was a bit baffled still that Trish had said yes to a date, let alone a long-term relationship. He knew of course that she loved who he was, loved his honesty and gentleness with her. He knew that she was truly happy when she was with him. He could read her mind after all... Still, he didn't quite know what he'd done to deserve it. All he could do was treat her the best he possibly could, even when they fought, which was inevitable when they traveled so much together.

"How was the flight?" He asked.

"Bumpy. Turbulence all the way down. I'm glad to be on the ground again." She replied, and Glenn took her large pieces of luggage.

"I hate flights like that."

"Ugh, they're just the worst. So, why are you staying at Mark's? Just miss him?"

"Eh, you'll see."

"It's okay to still not be all right about him being gone. You two had finally gotten really close." She said as they headed for the doors. Glenn gave her his best Mona Lisa smile. It was an expression learned from Mark, used when he didn't want to give much away on any given topic. Glenn had found it very useful. He pretended to give her bags an extra heft to change the subject.

"Geez, girl, what did you pack?"

"A little bit of everything. Just to piss you off."

"That's just great." Glenn said and rolled his eyes.

Back at the ranch, Mark was making a racket on the other side of the door.

"Mark, what are you doing?" Glenn projected while still outside.

"Messing with Trish's head... And I have to piss, so hurry up."

"May want to stand back from the door, Trish." Glenn warned.

"I didn't know Mark had a dog. Who's been taking care of it?" Glenn ignored Trish's question momentarily, and opened the door. Mark bounded out onto the porch and hopped up on Glenn. Glenn, somewhat off kilter because of Trish's luggage was knocked squarely on his ass. "Holy shit!" Trish yelled, and remained panicked until Glenn started laughing.

"Get the hell off me!" He cried, and the enormous creature was shoved off, only to head butt Glenn again. Trish finally got a good look.

"Glenn, that's a wolf. I may have grown up in Toronto, but I know a wolf when I see one." The play wrestling match that had started paused, and Mark moved off, down the steps, and around the corner of the house for a moment.

"You're half-right." Glenn said, still seated on the floor of the porch.

"How can I be half-right? That's a wolf, no matter how friendly he is." Trish insisted.

"The wolf is also Mark." Glenn said. He had a small grin on his face as he spoke.

"What?" She asked, her eyes going wide.

"It's Mark. Certain people we know found out about his lycanthropy and used many of the same forces that Mark has in the past to curse him to this form. He hasn't been able to change back since."

"That can't be." Trish's expression softened, but she still looked astonished.

"There are more things..." Glenn started.

"... in heaven and earth then are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio. I know the quote." Trish said, and rolled her eyes.

"I know you do, Trish. I suggest you take it to heart. If you can deal with us freaks, that is." Mark returned and sat beside Glenn, resting his chin on Glenn's shoulder. "Nice timing for dramatic effect, fur face."

"Yeah, you'd think I used to do it for a living or something." Mark commented, and gave Glenn's ear a lick. Glenn laughed. Mark then went over to Trish, tail wagging and head down a bit. She looked to Glenn for explanation.

"He just wants to be friendly, and to welcome you here. Give him a pat or touch on his side or the back of his neck, but don't get near his throat. Werewolves usually take offense to that." He said. She reached down tentatively and laid her hand into the thick, coarse, black fur. Mark was still as a stone until her tension eased. He then licked her arm a few times, and jumped off the porch and trotted into the sunshine on the lawn, only to start rolling. "See, simple as that." Glenn told Trish.

"How do you know that's Mark?" She asked.

"Hey, Mark, come here." The wolf stood up, shaking grass and dust from his coat. He sat on his haunches and tilted his head to the side a bit. "I don't care if it's your house. Anyway, that means you're the host then. Be hostly." Glenn said as if responding to something the animal had said. Trish would swear that the wolf rolled its eyes, but then trotted up towards the house. Glenn had regained his feet and was moving Trish's bags inside. If not for his lolling tongue and happy expression the wolf would have been an intimidating sight. She still didn't really know what to make of him, but when he butted his head against her leg, she moved inside the house.

They congregated in the kitchen, and the somewhat unsteady, but trusting Trish was seated at the table. Glenn sat beside her, and took one of her well-manicured hands into his, and placed his other hand in Mark's fur, just behind his ear. "Just relax." He said and breathed deep. Trish found herself suddenly in a place that wasn't the kitchen she'd been in.

"Oh fuck... Warn me next time you're going to pull me into your head, Glenn." A male voice that wasn't Glenn said. Trish whirled around and was met with the solid mass of a man's chest that also didn't belong to Glenn. "Been a long time, Trish. Nice to see you again." She looked up and saw Mark in full on charm mode.

"Hi Taker" She squeaked. She'd forgotten his size. Sure, Glenn was just as big, but he wasn't intimidating to her. Not anymore anyways...

"Call me Mark. I don't have much to do with that character anymore." He said. He was still as broad and tall as ever, but there was a humble look on his face. Any and all of the prideful presence that she'd seen him exude was gone.

"Uh, sure." Glenn appeared to Trish's right and she gravitated towards him. "Where are we?" She asked him.

"My head... It's where you can see and hear Mark as you knew him to be."

"What happened to you, Mark?" She asked, hanging close to Glenn, but looking at Mark.

"A spell... A curse. Take your pick. That's what happened." Mark said and shrugged.

"Who did it?" She asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He replied.

"I'm starting to believe a lot of things I questioned before." She said. Mark smirked, but said nothing in reply. He looked down at his hands and fingers.

"Hey, thumbs. I remember these." He commented and laughed at his own joke.

"Seriously, Mark, who did this to you?" Trish persisted.

"Why do you want to know?" He asked, clearly not wanting to answer yet.

"I don't know... Get some justice for you maybe."

"Honey, I'm an unregistered lycanthrope. I have no rights under the law... Whatever was done to me was completely legal, because I rejected whatever rights registration offered me."

"So get registered." She said.

"They won't register what looks like an overgrown, but ordinary wolf. From what I've read before all this went down, in this form, my DNA will show minor anomalies from a natural wolf. At best, they'd think I was genetically manipulated to run experiments on." Mark explained.

"Oh shit." Trish said softly, her voice teeming with genuine compassion. "Is there anything we can do?"

"You believe me. That's better then most." Mark said, and looked away.

"Mark, if you can get back to human form, life as a registered wolf doesn't seem to be all that bad." Glenn offered. "You've already lost the job with Vince anyways." Mark put his thumb and forefinger over the bridge of his nose.

"Aside from having to live out my life tied down to one geographic area like a prisoner, we're getting way ahead of ourselves here. I'm still all furry, and unless we get a miracle, I'm going to be this way for a long while yet." That silenced them. He removed his hand. "Hey, are you hungry? I should have a whack of stuff in the freezer if it isn't all crystallized for the barbeque."

"Hey, Mark, are you avoiding the larger issue?" Glenn asked in same tone that Mark had.

"Yes, I am. Because at this moment, the issue... is not an issue. I am this for now. I have to be Zen about it, be in the moment, or go fucking crazy. So, can we stop talking about this so I don't loose it?" More silence. "Thank you... Look, I don't mean to sound angry or depressed."

"But you are Mark. Not without justification of course. You can't lie to me. I can feel it." Glenn put a hand on Mark's shoulder, Glenn's mind creating the illusion of touch to comfort Mark. "You're used to being in complete control of yourself. It's not surprising that you feel this way. You can't hide it, no matter how much bravado you put up, so don't feel you have to try."

"You're a good brother, you know that?" Mark said finally.

"Yeah, I know. I had a pretty good teacher. You actually hungry?"

"Famished for some reason. I haven't done much today."

"Well, you have been out of it and running around a lot." Glenn reasoned.

"Ah, that explains it then."

"Out of it?" Trish asked.

"Loosing out to the wolf. I'm having spots where my human consciousness lets go and the wolf takes over. Side effect of this much time in animal form, I guess. Apparently though, I'm rather pleasant to be around during those times, so there's no danger to you." Mark said.

"He's a happy puppy." Glenn quipped.

"I retract my statement about you being a good brother." Mark replied. Glenn ignored him.

"Hey, would you two want a connection set up between you? That way I don't have to translate everything Mark says."

"Uh, that's the lady's choice entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if she was off put at the idea of her potential brother-in-law's voice piped directly into her head." Mark said.

"You're lonely aren't you, Mark?" Trish asked; her voice and expression still soft and compassionate.

"I'll be honest with you, yes, I really am. I... I could go find a pack, and maybe have the companionship I need, but then I'd have to fight for alpha, and then I'd have to commit to them. I just don't see the point when I already have a family... Such as it is." He said, giving a small smile to Glenn.

"Do it, Glenn." Trish urged.

"Pardon?" Mark had an eyebrow raised. Trish shrugged.

"If only to hear such precise turn of phrase and five dollar words being pronounced in a Texan accent, it'll be worth it." She said and smiled. Mark laughed.

"He always was a bit of a nerd." Glenn commented.

"Uh, excuse me? At least I didn't carry my C-3P0 figure around absolutely everywhere, only to get if confiscated in Sunday school." Mark said. He had a wry grin on his face.

"You told!" Glenn made the motion to start beating on Mark, the punishment for revealing a boyhood source trauma. However, the two just ended up laughing about it. It was deep, rolling laughter, and Trish thought that for once, their turbulent past was forgotten for a brief moment. She herself had forgotten that these two would have had several years of relatively normal childhood.

The next moment found Trish seated back at the kitchen table with a bit of a cramp in her leg from being so still. "Those that dream by night in the dusty recess of their minds, awake in the day to find that all was vanity." Mark's 'voice' seemed a gentle presence in Trish's mind. She smiled at the wolf and reached down to touch him, which he leaned into. Glenn was already on his feet and rooting through Mark's upright freezer.

"Geez, Mark, you got anything other then meat in here?"

"How about you try the garden?" Mark's tone was amused. "I'm sure that under the weeds, which I obviously haven't been around to pull, there will be all manner of root vegetables waiting. Maybe there will be some greens that haven't gone bitter yet to make a salad." Trish laughed suddenly and loudly.

"Wait, the guy who played up death, doom and gloom for a decade... is trying to tell me that he keeps a garden?" She asked.

"A rather extensive one, actually." Glenn reminded himself. He now wondered why Mark hadn't really made mention of it since they'd come here. Mark seemed to be avoiding it now that he thought about it.

"It's one of the few relationships I could maintain easily. Come on, Trish, let's ruin your manicure." Mark said, and headed for the patio door.