Chapter Twelve:

Sheliah let out an uneasy churr. She kept nudging Cedric's hand with her head. "Sheliah senses danger." He explained to Penny. "she usually gets like this when she senses something bad is about to happen." Penny paled. "let's hope not. I've already had enough bad juju for one week." Sheliah coiled her body around Cedric's waist. She laid her head on Cedric's chest staring up at him. She churred softly at him. Cedric stroked her head gently. "how long before dad gets out?" he asked. "he should be out later on this afternoon. They want to do their final tests on him. He seems to be healing faster than they can keep up with him." Cedric laughed. "that's how Hunter blood works. We have accelerating healing but it's of no help if our wounds are deep. We're lucky dad was able to heal as quickly as he did." Penny nodded. Cedric smiled. "I'm trying to get used to the idea that you are going to be my new mom." Penny scratched behind her head nervously. "I wouldn't get too comfortable. Bad things tend to happen when I'm around." She got to her feet. "I'm going to go get ready. I'm the one that's going to pick Sam up."

Sam changed into his usual flannel and khaki shorts. He couldn't help but feel grateful that he was leaving the hospital. He zipped up his bag. There was a light knock on his door. "ready?" asked Penny. Sam picked up his bag. He laid an arm around Penny's waist. "I'll take that as a "yes" " she mused. She helped him out to the car. Sam tossed his bag into the truck. He slammed the trunk door closed. He couldn't wait to get home. He got in on the passenger side. Penny turned the key in the ignition. She drove Sam home. Cedric hugged his dad the minute he stepped in through the door. "welcome home." Sam smiled. He ruffled his son's hair. "I won't be home for long. I promised Charlie that I would go see him once I was feeling better." Penny frowned. "when are you leaving?" Sam let go of Cedric. "tonight. I'll be taking the first flight out of here. I want you to stay here in the meantime." Penny shook her head. "there is no way in hell I'm going to let you go back there by yourself." Sam laid a hand on her shoulder. "you don't have a choice. I can't risk you getting hurt. I want you to take care of Cedric." Penny stared at him in disbelief. Sam kissed her cheek. "I made a promise to you and I plan on keeping it." She sighed. "fine Samuel but if I don't hear anything from you in a matter of a week I'm going out there." He smiled. "yes mother." Sam packed enough of his clothes to last a week or a month if need be. He headed downstairs. He rested his bag near the door. He gave Penny a hug. "I'll be fine." He reassured her. She closed her eyes laying her head against his neck. She tightened her hold on him. She secretly didn't want him to leave. He pulled away. "I'll give you a call the minute I'm in Cardiff." Penny nodded in reply. She kept her gaze down. Sam lifted her chin up. He kissed her on the lips. Penny leaned into the kiss. "Cedric will be here to keep you company. I have to do this for my brother." He picked up his bag. "I'll see you in a week. I promise." Penny watched as he walked out the door.

A helicopter touched down in front of the castle. Taniks handed Fang's lead over to one of his men. "keep an eye on him. Make sure he's properly taken care of." The guard dipped his head at him. Taniks climbed up into the helicopter. He propped his cane next to the chair next to him. The helicopter flew away from the helipad. Taniks looked out the window. The helicopter disappeared amongst the clouds. He tapped the pilot on the arm. "let Chief Fire Officer Boyce know that we will be in PontyPandy shortly."

Hoshi groaned quietly. Mandy removed the wet towel from his forehead. "at least some color has returned back to his cheeks." Mandy dipped the towel into the bowel again. She reapplied the towel to Hoshi's forehead. "hey pretty lady." Grinned Hoshi. "are you an angel?" Mandy chuckled softly. "I'm glad to see your sense of humor hasn't vanished." Hoshi smirked at her. "poison isn't going to keep me from cracking a joke here and there." Mandy kissed his cheek. "your dad is really worried about you. He stayed here overnight but he left this morning to do some fishing." Hoshi readjusted himself on the couch. "Figures the old man would hang out here. I'm not really surprised but at the same time I feel like I let him down." Hoshi took the towel off of his forehead. "my sister, Sarah attacked us out in the woods. It seems strange that she would do that. Her and I were always close to each other. In a way, I feel betrayed but I know she wouldn't do it on purpose." He wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel. "I want to seek her out again. I have a feeling that lady is behind all of this. Her aura is the same one I sensed in the café." Hoshi tossed the towel into the bowel. He let out a tired sigh. He rested his body against the back of the couch. It took him a bit to fall asleep again.

Charlie tied his boat to the dock. "ah hoy there!" shouted a voice. Charlie glanced upwards. He spotted a man wearing a dark purple cloak with a swirl mark on it. He gasped backing up. "what are you doing here?! Sam has done nothing wrong!" The man held up his hand. "relax brother I come in peace. The House has simply sent me to you on their behalf." Charlie didn't lower his guard. He carefully walked up the steps. There was a small group of House Guards standing around. Taniks was amongst them. He tapped his cane on the ground. "Mr. Jones, why don't we head inside?" he suggested. He pointed to the café with his cane. "I believe I owe you a small explanation." Charlie followed Taniks into the café. "your brother isn't the one I'm worried about." He lowered his voice so the rest of the house couldn't hear him. "it's your sister. She's the one behind all of this. We had an agent sent out here the other day who told us about the fight your son and his friend had in the woods." Charlie stared at him in shock. "we have reasons to believe that she may be working with a rogue agent as well." Charlie crossed his arms. "why the hell are you involving me in this then? I've already lost my daughter. I'll be damned if I work for you." Taniks leaned on his cane. "she has your daughter. I think it would be in both of our best interests that we team up. You know your sister on a personal scale and I know people who can rescue your daughter." Charlie sighed. "is my brother going to have to answer to this?" Taniks shook his head. "he'll be spared. I've sent one of my best agents to make sure that they remain safe." Charlie rested a hand on the counter. "fine. If you can bring me my daughter back, then consider me a part of the team." Taniks shook hands with Charlie. "I'm glad to see that we are able to come to a peaceful resolution. I hope you don't mind that we'll be hanging out here for a while." Taniks turned around. "before I leave I just want to say that I am very proud with how you and your brother turned out. You two seem to know how to handle yourselves nicely. I hope to see more progress from the two of you." Taniks pulled his hood over his face. He stepped out of the café.

Sam woke up in a laboratory. His arms were strapped down at his sides. Machines kept track of his vitals. The door to his room opened. A scientist walked into his room. "hello there Samuel. I'm glad to see that you are finally awake." Sam stayed silent. The scientist examined his body. "the serum seems to be working. You are close to being combat ready. I just wished your brother was as obedient as you." Sam snarled at him. He didn't ask to be in this position. "leave my brother alone." The scientist just laughed. "you two carry hunter's blood. I intend on having fun with the two of you." Sam's knuckled turned white. His heart rate started to pick up. His veins showed through his skin. His fangs grew out of his mouth. He snarled at the scientist again. He gnashed his fangs. "your brother is just too weak. We may have to kill him." Sam's body started to change drastically. He changed into his tiefling form. He lashed out at the scientist. His claws barely missed the scientist's neck. The scientist pulled out a taser and shocked Sam with it. Sam didn't black out. He bit the scientist's hand drawing blood. The scientist yowled in pain. He yanked his hand out of Sam's jaws. "you little rat!" Sam dashed out of the room. He went down on all fours. He had trouble trying to grip with tile with his claws. He needed to find Charlie.

Charlie was in another part of the lab. Sam picked up his scent. He broke into the ventilation system. He carefully crept around the building in the vents until he got to Charlie's room. Charlie looked really weak. He sensed his brother in the vents above him. Charlie's room sat empty. Sam kicked the bars of the vent down. He landed on top of the bars. "Sam." Croaked Charlie. He reached for his brother. Sam sniffed his brother's hand. He ripped the straps off him. He got down underneath his brother. Charlie slid onto his brother's back. Sam climbed back up into the vents. He let his predatory instincts take over. "it won't do us any good to escape." Moaned Charlie. "they've got trackers on us." Sam whimpered. He laid his brother down in the vent shaft. He sniffed his brother's body. He felt something hard attached to his brother's side. "Don't move." Warned Sam. He lifted up his brother's shirt. He ripped the tracker off him. Charlie checked his brother for his. He helped Sam remove it. Charlie climbed onto Sam's back.

The vent lead to the garbage room. Sam sniffed around for an exit. His nose lightly brushed over a hatch that lead down into the sewers. He used his fangs to carefully move the hatch out of the way. "ew." Charlie held his nose. Sam gripped the ladder with his claws. He moved the hatch over them locking it into place. He jumped down into the dirty water below. Charlie squealed in surprise as he was splashed with dirty water. Sam let out a small laugh. He pulled himself up onto the platform. "do we really have to go down here?" complained Charlie. Sam nodded in reply. "home." Murmured Sam. Sam trotted through the sewers. Charlie kept silent. He held onto his brother's neck scruff. Charlie coughed painfully. Sam whimpered. He got low to the ground. Charlie gave his brother a reassuring pat. "I'll be fine. Just keep going okay?" Sam stared at him. He licked his brother's face. "we'll deal with it when we're out of here." Charlie swayed. He leaned on his brother for support. Sam carried his brother out of the sewers. They followed a drainage pipe for a couple of miles. Charlie pointed to a forest off in the distance. "why don't we rest there?" he suggested. Sam huffed in reply. He picked up the pace. He darted across the field. The boys were soon under the cover of trees. Sam found a suitable spot for them to rest. He got down onto his hunches so his brother could get off him. Charlie laid down on a patch of grass. It felt spongy and soft underneath him. Sam felt his brother's forehead. He was running a light fever. Sam lowered his paw. He whimpered. Charlie hugged his brother's neck. "I wish mother was here." He whispered. Sam closed his eyes. He let a few tears fall.

Penny stayed awake in bed. She tried to get used to Sam being gone. A part of her wished he had never left. The rain pattered on the window pane. Penny turned out the lamp on her nightstand. She sighed tiredly. Sophie tapped on her door. "you alright dear?" she asked. "not really." Sophie walked into her room. "I take it you miss Sam?" Penny rolled over to face her. "kind of. I keep trying to tell myself that we aren't that attached but a part of me feels like we are." Sophie sat down on the edge of the bed. "We don't have a romantic relationship I just don't get why I feel so empty without him." Sophie smiled. "love makes us miss the ones we care about. There is no shame in missing him and you don't have to be in a romantic relationship to be that way. The definition of caring is that caring is a state in which something does matter, it is also the source of human tenderness. Personally, I believe that two people are connected at the heart. It shouldn't matter what you do or who you are or where you come from, there are no boundaries or barriers when it comes to the bond two people share." Penny smiled. "thanks Sophie."

Hey guys I just want to leave a little note for you guys in terms of Penny and Sam's relationship. Their relationship from here on out will NOT be romantic. A relationship between two people doesn't have to be romantic. They can just share a really powerful bond between the two of them. I personally have to problems with the Senny or Pam ship (which are ridiculous names if you ask me) as long as it isn't overly romantic. Let me you guys a personal story.

I have a boyfriend but our relationship isn't built on romance. It's built on the bond that we share. We're both gamers. We both happen to love each other but it's not overly lovey dovey. We are content with being with each other.

If you have a problem with my decision, you can PM me peacefully about it.

Also another thing that I want to point out is that I've included a couple of polls in the review section of this story. Please make sure to leave some helpful input when viewing them it helps me better my stories in the long run.

Other than that please make sure to leave feedback it does help me

And I will see you guys in the next chapter

Peace and be kind to each other

-Hosty