THE HUNTER
By Thomas Mc

Chapter 7 : Relationships

Finally, the storm was over. There had been a lot of sorrow to be released. Patricia looked up to see tears in William's compassionate golden eyes. He really had been sharing her sorrow. Then she looked down. How had she ended up sitting in his lap? Again, she was surprised at how normal it felt. "I'm really very sorry about your sister." He remarked.

For a moment, she just gazed at his leonine face that no longer appeared so frightening. "But what about the park?"

He chuckled and she saw his fangs for the first time. "That was my Uncle Jacob and Aunt Linda getting playful." Despite those fangs, she liked his smile. There was real warmth in his eyes when he smiled. "Sometimes she will tease him into chasing her. What happens after he catches her is more or less private."

She actually caught a hint of red in the skin under his fur. He was blushing. Suddenly she found herself blushing as well. She looked down at his hands. One was closed around her arm, the other rested in her lap. She found herself fascinated by the way they ended in very deadly looking claws and felt a shiver run up her spine. She felt his arms gently tighten around her. "There is no reason to fear me." He said tenderly. "I could never harm you." There was warmth and uncertainty in his eyes as he hesitated. "I'm in love with you."

It took a second for what he said to sink in. "What?" She exclaimed in shocked surprise as she took in his un-human leonine features. A hint of unease and fear crept into her mind as she sought to reject what she had heard.

His face fell as a cloud of sorrow seemed to engulf him. He stood up and gently set her back into her bed. "I'll let you rest." He turned his back to her and left the chamber.

As she stared at the tapestry over the door, she realized that the presence in her heart had taken on a definite texture of sadness. Her reaction had hurt him. He had professed his love for her and had felt her rejection. By now, she had come to understand that he could feel her emotions. She put her head in her hands and began to cry. How could two beings that were so different ever have a relationship.

~ o ~

Another two days had passed since Harold and Carolyn had last talked to Elizabeth Maxwell. Their relief at the news that Patricia was alive and safe was overwhelming. Sharing their happiness had eventually led to a more intimate sharing. The next day they heard the news about the body from the fire three years ago finally being identified as Patricia's sister. They had both known her and felt the loss. They consoled each other and grew closer.

Harold was thinking about how sad it was about Karen when he realized that they still did not know where Patricia was. He called Elizabeth and asked her but she only evaded the question and continued to assure him that she was alive and safe. After hanging up Harold discussed it with Carolyn. They decided to go see Elizabeth tomorrow and talk to her in person.

~ o ~

Patricia awoke again from a troubled sleep. She kept seeing the hurt look on Williams face. For two days she had been wrestling with her feelings and her thoughts. She didn't know what to do. How could she have a relationship with a creature like William? And what about her niece, what should she do about that? The affection between them was so obvious. But how could she let little Karen be raised in this subterranean world by that creature, even if he was apparently doing a good job of raising her? By the same token, how could she separate them? That might be even worse than leaving her down here.

An unfamiliar very masculine voice came from the other side of the tapestry. "Patricia, may we come in?" Something about his voice reminded her of William.

"Sure, come in." She replied.

The tapestry shifted aside and, for a moment, her heart leaped until she realized that it wasn't William. This one's hair/mane was a lighter shade and his face was not quite the same. Also he looked much older and his eyes were a startlingly deep blue. She had intellectually accepted that there must be more than one like William but it was still a shock to actually see him. Elizabeth entered right behind him. "Hello, Patricia." She turned to the new creature. "This is my husband, Charles."

"Husband?" She asked incredulous.

"Of course." Elizabeth smiled. "How do you think William got here?" There was a tinge of pink in her complexion and Charles placed his arm around her.

"But . . . but . . . how . . . uh . . . I mean . . . uh . . . how . . ." She ended lamely.

"Why the usual way dear." Her smile widened as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "We've had four children together."

"But the differences . . ."

"Are not as great as you think." Elizabeth replied. "Everything that makes him unique." She placed her hand on his chest. "It's all located in the genes of the Y chromosome. The rest of his genetic code is totally human. We are not really sure how Vincent was created, he was the first, but reproductively . . ." A shy smile spread across her face along with a slightly deeper pink. ". . . There are certainly no problems there."

Patricia stared at them stunned.

Elizabeth came forward and placed her hand over Patricia's as Charles leaned casually against the edge of the doorway. "You're wondering how it can work. You have dozens of questions . . . the appearance, the size and strength . . ." Elizabeth stared at her knowingly for a second. Her eyebrows went up. "The claws . . ."

Patricia stared back surprised at how accurately she had hit the nail on the head. She glanced over at Charles. He was standing there unconcerned, studying his own claws, and then he looked up at her. "They are pretty sharp, aren't they?" He smiled at Elizabeth then back at Patricia as he raised one hand with the claws prominently displayed. "It's easy to understand why you might worry about these."

Elizabeth continued. "One huge advantage to being married to an empath is he always knows what you feel. He knows what makes you feel good and he knows instantly what causes you pain." She reached out with her free hand and took his outstretched clawed hand drawing him close. "When a man like that is in love with you, he could never do anything that would hurt you."

The affection between them was obvious. "It's a lot to think about." She responded.

"I know dear." Elizabeth replied giving her hand a squeeze and releasing it. "We'll go and let you rest."

Arms around each other's waist they left the chamber as Patricia mulled over what they had said. She thought about the first time she had seen one of them in the park that night. She played that scene over and over in her mind. Now it took on a whole new significance when viewed as a lover's romp rather than as she had first interpreted it.

She realized now that it had been little Karen she had seen by the band shell that night. William had to have known that she was there that night and had used subterfuge to distract rather than risk hurting her in a direct confrontation.

She thought about that night in the park when she had shot at him. He must have been there for a while watching her before she became aware of him. He could have attacked her when her gun jammed and he would have been justified. Instead, he ran away. Now that she thought about it, she had felt oddly uneasy and disoriented for days after that incident.

She thought about the incident with Harold, the pain that she had felt go through her soul, the sudden absence of the warmth she had not even been aware of before that. He had been in love with her back then and had felt her making love with someone else. Tears sprang to her eyes as she contemplated what it must have been like for him.

As she thought back she realized that his presence had been there from as far back as the night she had seen little Karen by the Band shell. She considered the fact that the presence had not come back until the day she was shot. She had hurt him terribly yet when she found herself in danger, he had been there for her. He had showed up so quickly, he must have become aware of her danger as soon as she had.

She thought about the look on his face when she had reacted badly to his profession of love. She thought of all she had put him through since she had first seen him and she cried. Then there was a shift in the presence. He was trying to comfort her. Even now after she had hurt him so badly he still wanted to comfort her. She owed him her life twice over. She owed him the life of her niece. She owed him for all the pain she had caused him. She resolved, whether she ever loved him or not, she would never hurt him like that again.

~ o ~

Elizabeth looked up from her desk at the knock on her doorframe. Harold and Carolyn entered.

"What can I do for you?" Elizabeth asked.

Harold looked down. "Well it's ah . . ." He looked over at Carolyn then back at Elizabeth. "It's about Patricia." He paused a moment. "You never told us where she was." He looked over at Carolyn then back. "She is a very good friend of ours and we really want to see her."

Elizabeth gazed at them both for a moment. "I can't really tell you where she is right now. I can only assure you that she is alive, safe and she is healing. I'm sorry."

Carolyn spoke up. "Is she in some kind of trouble?" She gripped Harold's hand. "Please we really care about her. She has been my dorm sister for over three years." She looked over at Harold. "And Harold has been even closer to her. They have been very close friends since high school."

Elizabeth gazed at both of them, judging their words and actions, guessing at what they were not saying. She also suspected that Carolyn had now supplanted Patricia in Harold's affections but that had not diminished either of their feelings for her. "I can't do anything today but if you come back tomorrow I may be able to help. I can't promise anything but I will try." She was seriously thinking of taking them to see Patricia but she wanted to talk it over with Jacob and Charles first.

Harold and Carolyn left Elizabeth's office only partially mollified. It was not what they had hoped for but they both knew that it was the best they would get today. And she had left them with the hope that they might be able to see Patricia tomorrow.

That evening Harold stayed with Carolyn and they talked about their hopes and worries for tomorrow. Though sex had yet to enter into their relationship the emotional connection between them was already far deeper than it had ever been between him and Patricia. They watched a video together and ended up falling asleep in each other's arms.

~ x x x x x ~

It had been several days now and there had been no sign of William. Finally, Patricia asked Teresa about it.

"I suspect that he hasn't been by because he doesn't think you want to see him." She replied her left eyebrow rode up. "Is he wrong?"

"Please, could you tell him I would like to see him?" She pleaded.

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" Teresa responded. "He's in the library chamber." There was a twinkle in her eyes as she pointed to the outer doorway. "Down the hall, first doorway to your left. You've been there once before." She noted something down on the chart she was holding. "Just be careful on those old spiral stairs." She closed the cover on the chart and left the tiny chamber.

Patricia carefully got to her feet. This was the first time since that little adventure four days ago that she had gotten to her feet without someone there to aid her. She was a lot more stable than that last time. She passed through the main infirmary chamber, noticing Dr. Teresa sitting at her desk in the little office chamber. Once in the tunnel she could clearly hear Williams voice. He was reading the part about the battle of five armies. She had always loved 'The Hobbit' since she was a little girl. She and Karen would listen to their father for hours as he read it to them. As they got older, they had both become major fans of the entire video set.

She entered the library and looked down at the gathering of children. She was surprised to notice that three of the children exhibited the same leonine features as William except for their fur colors. One had golden blond fur, one had brownish red fur and one had bright red fur bordering on strawberry blond. There were definitely more of them than she had realized.

Wary of her still slightly shaky condition, she carefully made her way down the spiral stairs. All of the children watched her as she made her way into their midst. Gingerly she lowered herself to the floor next to little Karen.

As William continued to read, Patricia took and held Karen's tiny hand. A mist began to form in her eyes as she relived those days long ago when she and her sister had done this very thing together. After a few minutes little Karen climbed into her lap as the story continued to unwind. For the first time in years, she felt totally at ease with herself.

Finally, Bilbo made his way home and the story ended. The children were dismissed and they began to wander out. Patricia continued to hold Karen in her lap as William came over and sat down on the floor facing them. "Hello, Patricia. I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

She swallowed once. "I . . . ah . . . I reacted badly last time we talked. I'm sorry for hurting you. Can we . . ." She took a deep breath. "Can we start over . . . I would like to get to know you better . . . please."

William looked at Karen. "What do you think Karen, should we give her a chance?" He was now smiling at Patricia.

Little Karen gazed solemnly at Patricia for a moment then nodded. "Uh, huh."

"Then its set." He announced. "Would you like to have lunch with us?" He asked.

Patricia nodded. "Uh, huh." She replied, sounding just like Karen.

"Then let us go." He stood up, reached down to pick up Karen then reached a hand down to help Patricia to her feet.

William continued to hold her hand as he led her out one of the lower exits and down a few twisting tunnels until they entered the largest chamber she had yet seen. Most of the space was taken up by a couple of dozen long tables. It looked just like the cafeteria from her old high school. There were about fifty odd people, along with most of the children that William had been reading to, seated in there and eating. The room was filled with the murmur of dozens of muted conversations. The noise died down a bit as everyone became aware of their entrance. After a few moments, several called out greetings to William and the noise level slowly rose back up to its previous level as they made their way to the back of the chamber. By their glances, and an occasional overheard word, she knew that she was the subject of many of those conversations.

Over along one side of the room, she spotted another like William but he had dark reddish brown hair/mane? And was seated next to Linda. She immediately realized that they were the ones she had seen in the park that night three years ago. The male made some comment to Linda and she laughed. Their affection for each other was as obvious as it had been between Elizabeth and Charles. Sitting with them were two young women and two young leonine men around William's age. Against the wall on the other side of the chamber, she saw another leonine male with a magnificent snow-white mane. Beside him sat an elegant woman, her snow-white hair a perfect match to his. There was an almost regal bearing to them both. William noticed the direction of her gaze and informed her that they were Catherine Chandler and Vincent Wells.

Patricia was suitably impressed. Catherine Chandler was legendary in New York legal and society circles. She had been responsible for the creation of the Wells-Chandler Foundation. Her charity work was as legendary as her legal career. She and Elizabeth's father Joe Maxwell were both held up as examples of ideal prosecutors. Now she understood why Catherine had never married. What normal man could ever compete with that magnificent creature beside her?

It was common knowledge in New York that, besides her major contributions to Catherine's Wells-Chandler Foundation, Elizabeth Maxwell had continued to build on her father's legacy and that her own daughter was already following in her mother's footsteps. It had become obvious to Patricia that she had found herself thrust into the midst of several major players in the city's social and legal scenes. She also realized that she had become privy to some very big secrets that would rock the foundations of New York society if they were to become known. It was a humbling thought.

At the back wall was a large pot containing a stew that emitted an aroma that made her mouth water and her stomach growl in response. Next to it were several platters of breads, fruits and vegetables. They were all nearly half-empty. William handed her a plate and a bowl and told her to grab whatever she wanted. He then proceeded to prepare a plate for little Karen, questioning her on her preferences. She apparently loved the stew, the little crescent rolls and the carrots but hated the peas.

William led Patricia over to an open area near the entrance then set Karen down in the seat next to her. He went back to the back, filled his own plate and returned sitting across the table from her and Karen. As they began to eat, William told her a little about the family history and the origins of the tunnel community. Once while they were talking little Karen suddenly pointed over William's shoulder and said, "Disdacson, Daddy." When he looked in the direction she had pointed, she stabbed one of his carrots giggling, and then popped it in her mouth. Patricia found herself laughing delightedly along with William at Karen's little trick.

~ o ~

Elizabeth looked up as Harold and Carolyn approached her office. A lot of discussion last night had gone into the decision to allow them into the tunnels. In the end, the fact that they had already seen Jacob and Linda was the tipping factor in the decision. She stood up as they entered and greeted them.

Harold started off without preamble. "Do we get to see Patty?"

Elizabeth smiled back. "Yes, you do. I talked to the ones that are taking care of her and they have approved allowing you to visit their home." She glanced at her watch. "In fact if we leave right now we can join them for lunch." She grabbed her jacket and headed out of her office trailed by two very surprised young people. As they passed the pretty blonde clerk on their way to the elevators, Elizabeth called out. "Clarissa, we're going out for a long lunch. We should be back in a few hours."

"Sure thing, Mom." She responded as they passed through the doors. She bore a more than passing resemblance to Elizabeth.

Harold had been expecting more runaround and stonewalling and had therefore worked out a whole series of arguments and demands. This easy acceptance left him bereft of speech. Carolyn also didn't know how to respond. Hand in hand, they mutely followed Elizabeth.

Once they had exited the building, Elizabeth stood on the sidewalk scanning the traffic as if she was looking for something. A taxi pulled up right in front of them. Elizabeth opened the door and waved them in. As soon as the door was closed, the taxi took off.

"We're going to the south main park tunnel entrance, Andy." She told the driver.

"Sure thing, Elizabeth." He replied.

Carolyn and Harold looked at each other in surprise. Something weird was definitely going on here. Harold wondered if they should start to worry. It didn't take long to realize that they were headed towards Central Park.

Elizabeth turned to them, her expression very serious. "First off, the place we are going to is secret. It is very important that you tell no one about where we are going or what you see there. The lives of many very good people depend on the secrecy of this place. Before I take you there, you must give me your word that you will protect the secret of this place. If you don't think you can do that, tell me now so that I can make alternate arrangements for you to see Patricia."

Carolyn responded. "You mean we don't have to keep the secret to see Patty?" She was trying to understand.

Elizabeth replied. "If I can count on you to keep the secret we can go see her right now. If not we will return to the office and I will make arrangements to have her moved to another safe place where you can see her without endangering the secret of the place we're going to now." She glanced out the front window gauging their progress. "Keep in mind; if I take you there you will be taking responsibility for the welfare of a lot of people. I just want you to understand that before we get there."

Harold thought hard about what she had said. The fact that they had not been 'required' to make that promise in order to get to see Patricia is what decided him. He took Carolyn's hand. "I'm willing to give you my word." He looked at Carolyn. "Babe, what do you think?"

Carolyn stared into his eyes for a second then looked over at Elizabeth. "I promise to keep your secret, too."

Elizabeth gazed at the two of them for a second, judging. "Very well. We'll be there in a very short time."

Continued in Part 8

'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.