"A Strange Bond"

Note: A day of fun and flirting in the park leads to some deep conversation, and when a stray baseball almost injures Alpha TF gets understandably rattled. Alpha accidentally takes him beyond his comfort zone, but not exactly in a bad way. Later on, Alpha decides to set out on a hunt, and things don't go as planned.

"Chapter 21: Just A Walk In The Park"

March 24th

Alpha and Tooth Fairy hadn't visited the North Pole in quite a while, and there was a good reason for this. Preparations for the Christmas season were beginning in earnest now, and since the cafe would be much busier than it was before, what with Santa's hungry workers dropping by for lunch more often, they didn't want to add to the burden.

"Besides," Tooth Fairy added after agreeing with Alpha's suggestion that they branch out and try other things, "it'll be warming up soon, and there's a lot more we can do outside without me freezing my wings off and you becoming a 'wolfcicle'."

This, of course, was an exaggeration. They were both used to dealing with the cold, and it would take him sitting still for several hours and her spending half a day out in the snow for either of them to begin to get really uncomfortable. Since neither of them was inclined to do such things, it was hardly an issue.

"Aye," Alpha linked her fingers in his as they walked through what they now thought of as 'their' park. "It'll be ice cream weather before ye know it. Or do ye not eat that?"

"Sure, I do." He grinned and double-squeezed her hand. "I don't go nuts with sugary stuff, but it's fine in moderation. Plus, I always come prepared."

He patted his coat pocket, where he kept a travel toothbrush and a few other essentials. Alpha knew exactly what he was referring to, and she intentionally bumped her hip against his. "Oh, oops!"

"Hah! Don't you 'oops' me; you did that on purpose!" He mock-glared at her.

She lifted her chin. "What do ye want to do about it?"

Tooth Fairy lowered his voice to a growl that wouldn't have intimidated a newborn bunny. "You are looking for trouble."

"Oh?" Alpha gave her head a coquettish tilt. "And of what sort?"

She expected him to return the hip-bump, but instead he leaned over and brought his lips to her cheek. He did not kiss her, however. Instead, he blew a loud wet raspberry on her cheek before running off. "That sort!"

"Ew! Why, you overgrown child! You get back here!" Alpha wiped her cheek and gave chase, her laughter echoing his own. "Did ye forget I'm faster than you?"

Tooth Fairy kept running until he heard her just behind him, and he stopped and turned around too quickly for her to stop, catching her around the waist and spinning her once before setting her down again. "Nope, I didn't forget."

She laughed breathlessly and crossed her wrists behind his neck. "Ye know, you don't have to provoke me into chasin' ye to get me this close."

"I know, but it's fun," He rubbed noses with her, then kissed her.

"It is," She agreed between kisses. Then, mindful of the public setting and the time of day, they somewhat reluctantly continued their walk. They couldn't see anyone else in the immediate area, but they could hear children laughing and adults chatting in low voices, and they didn't want to draw any negative attention by overdoing it with the PDA's.

They hadn't had anymore serious discussions after Alpha got snippy with him eight days ago, and although Tooth Fairy covertly watched her for signs of stress, he was pleased to hear that she had taken his advice and let her people do the jobs they knew how to do. Tooth Fairy witnessed Alpha returning Robert's Super Soaker, but was too late to suggest that she empty it first, and he found it deliciously funny when the Vampire promptly squirted her in the face with it before running off. Tooth Fairy was proud to see that she took it in good humor, and he later learned that other apologies were given where they were due, and all was well.

He could tell that she was still having the occasional bad night, although she never brought it up. At first he was a little hurt by this, but then he remembered how much he had held back at first, and how hard it had been to open up to her, even after he knew full well that she wouldn't judge him. Where would they be if his magic hadn't gone into flux when it did? Not dating; he was fairly sure about that. At this point, he'd lost track of how many times she'd seen him cry, and it kind of surprised him to realize that he was no longer ashamed to do so. Not with her, anyway. She made him feel safe. And he would do everything in his power to help her feel the same way, even if it meant doing the hardest thing he could do; letting her come to him in her own time.

But today she seemed perfectly fine. Tooth Fairy was very good at reading her moods now, and he noticed nothing amiss. So, he was caught by surprise when Alpha asked him a serious question out of the blue.

"D'ye ever have the same dream more than once?"

"Uhh...hm." He blinked a few times, then frowned. "I don't think so. If I remember my dreams at all, they're usually half-forgotten by the time I get in the shower. Why?"

"No reason," She gazed off at a group of teenagers who were playing with a frisby.

"Gonna call B.S. on that, sweetheart. You wouldn't have brought it up without a reason." Tooth Fairy kept steady eye contact when she looked back at him.

"First it's 'pissed', then it's 'B.S.'? I wonder if I'm a bad influence on ye, luv." She smirked.

"Don't change the subject," He gently persisted. "Look, I'm not gonna force it, but if you do wanna talk, I got two ears and lots of time."

Alpha smiled apologetically, and sighed as she turned her eyes towards the path ahead of them. "I don't know what I want. I'm just tired of the same nightmare goin' into reruns."

"Mm...I don't know much about dreams. Sandman could probably help you out there...I mean, his magic won't have any effect on you, but he could give you some insight." He suggested.

"Wait..." Alpha thought back, and shuddered as she remembered the 'waking dream' magic that The Founders had cast on them, and how Sandman had quickly dispelled it. "Then how did he break that dream spell back then? You remember, right? I wasn't on the Council then, but everyone else sure was, with the exception of Bernard."

"Ah," Tooth Fairy nodded, then winked. "Loophole. He was able to break the spell because it was cast by a non Council member. His magic didn't actually touch any of you, and if it had, it would've done nothing."

"Oh, that makes sense," Alpha nodded. "I'm not sure if I want to bother him with something this trivial, though."

"Nahhh," Tooth Fairy put an arm around her shoulders as they walked. "He's one of the more approachable members of the Council. It's hard to catch him awake and lucid, but when you can he's always happy to help."

"He does seem nice," Alpha thought back on her limited interactions with Sandman, and even though he tended to melt into the background due to his habit of nodding off, she always thought of him as being a very nice man.

"Oh, he is," Tooth Fairy agreed wholeheartedly. "I always liked the guy. Never a harsh word to say about anyone. You should give him a call sometime."

Alpha thought about it, then decided not to. "No, it just feels rude to call someone up out of nowhere after never having done so, and sayin', 'Hi, I need your help with this'."

Tooth Fairy knew that Sandman probably wouldn't mind, but he couldn't argue with that. "Yeah, I gotcha. I think you're a little like me. You don't like to ask for help, either. You remember the first time I called you on the phone?"

"I do," She smiled, and couldn't resist the urge to tease him. "And I still have yet to learn how to make pizza."

"Wiseacre," He teased back. Then he told her something he'd never planned on admitting. "I was never gonna call you, you know."

"I guessed that," Alpha returned, not at all offended. She hadn't expected much from him at the time, and her only plan back then was to leave him alone until he was ready.

"But you might not have guessed why. I didn't wanna dump my problems on you. Partly because I hardly knew you, and partly because I was...well, ashamed, I guess." Tooth Fairy kicked a rock lightly off the path. "The day Curtis dropped you off was one of the most embarrassing days I can remember having. Even back then, I thought you were beautiful. I couldn't admit it to myself at the time, but I did. And there I was, unshaven, dirty, and wearing the same clothes I'd had on for three days. I thought for sure this woman won't ever wanna talk to me again, and she's just being nice. Then my finger hit a wrong number, and one-two-three, here we are now."

"I'm glad you did call, even if it was an accident, but this is a little different. For one thing, I'm not interested in dating Sandman, nice though he is!" She smirked.

"I don't think he's interested in dating at all," Tooth Fairy smirked back. "Spends too much time sleeping. But my point is, that call led to me getting help, and so much more. You're right, it's different what I'm suggesting for you, but he can't help if he doesn't know what's going on. And who better to ask about dreams than the man who deals in sleep?"

"Mm..." Alpha chewed the inside of her cheek, then nodded. "Maybe. And really, don't be embarrassed. I think we all act a bit out of character when we're goin' through somethin'. I just felt so bad for ye..."

"I know," He avoided her eyes. "That was part of the problem, too. I felt bad for making you feel bad, how silly is that?"

"Just proves ye have a heart, luv." Her arm, which was currently looped around his waist, tightened a bit.

He smiled and rubbed her shoulder as they walked. "Well, just think about it. You're a member of the Council too, and we help each other out, remember?"

"Aye." Alpha might have said more, but at that moment she heard someone yell 'Look out!', and she reflexively shot out her hand when she sensed danger at her left. She barehanded a stray baseball with a meaty 'SMACK', and looked at it as if she had never seen one before. Then she frowned. "Ow."

"Alpha, you okay?" Tooth Fairy took the ball from her and inspected her palm. It was a little red, but there was no sign of bruising, and he gave a relieved sigh when she flexed her fingers to prove she wasn't really hurt. "Jeez...That almost hit your head!"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Why...Roy, you're as white as a sheet. Are you all right?"

Two boys, both of whom were around the age of fourteen, left the impromptu baseball game they had going with their friends and ran over.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit it this way!" The boy was every bit as pale as Tooth Fairy, and his friend didn't look much better.

"Are you okay?" The other boy asked.

"Fine," Alpha smiled, still flexing her sore hand. "Be a little more careful next time."

Tooth Fairy's face was now beginning to redden, and he gave back the baseball. "Or, better yet, maybe play catch instead. Easier to control where the ball goes. That could've been someone's toddler."

Alpha took his hand as the boys mumbled another apology and left. As soon as she took his hand, she realized just how badly this had upset him. "Roy...Oh, luv, you're shaking..."

"I'm fine." He said shortly as they continued down the path. Then, knowing that he was fooling no one, he shook his head. "No, I'm not. I keep picturing what could've happened. People have died from that...And we didn't even see it coming."

"No, there's a lot o' things ye don't see coming," Alpha said softly, stearing them towards a bench and having him sit down. She rubbed his back as he leaned his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands. "Breathe, luv...In through your nose, out through your mouth. Here, like this."

Tooth Fairy followed along with her as she demonstrated what to do, and closed his eyes as he tried to center himself. He focused on her breathing and the gentle stroking of her hand on his back. He forced himself to draw in long breaths through his nose, held them for a few seconds, then let them out through his mouth. He repeated this until he felt his heart rate slowing down. As panic attacks went, this one wasn't bad at all.

"There ye go, yer doin' it," Alpha continued to rub his back, ignoring the curious stares they got from a group of people passing by. "It's all right."

He sighed and sat back, revealing his dry but pale face, but not looking in her direction. "I hate this..."

"I know..."

"I can't lose you, too..." He still wasn't looking at her.

"You didn't..." Alpha took his hand, and it was colder than before; she knew from experience that this was not uncommon when in the throes of a panic attack, and she rubbed his hand between hers to warm it. "And I don't plan on goin' anywhere. My reflexes are good, and I haven't lived this long by taking foolish chances. Aye...ye got a bit of a scare. But the worst that happened is me hand gettin' dinged, and it doesn't even hurt now."

"But I can't stop thinking about it."

"Roy...look at me."

He did, and the haunted look in his eyes was still there, but it faded somewhat when his eyes met hers. He blinked when she reached across him and took his other hand, and he turned in his seat to face her.

"What do ye see?" She asked.

Confused, he blinked and shook his head. "I see you."

Alpha sandwiched his hands between hers, though they were much larger and she couldn't contain them, and she continued, "Feel that?"

"Yeah..." He had some idea now of what she was doing, and he began to relax.

"Good. Where are we?"

"The park?" Tooth Fairy meant it as a statement, but it came out more like a question in his uncertainty.

"Aye...but more importantly, we are here. This is now. Whatever you're feelin' is okay. Where are we?"

"Here..." His heart was almost beating at a normal rate now.

"What is this?"

"Now..." He switched the grip so that his hands engulfed hers.

"And I love you."

The thought of what almost happened hadn't gone away, but right now it didn't seem as important as it once did. She sat before him, unharmed, and just accepted him. Just loved him. And the feeling of safety returned. He finally gave the merest ghost of a smile and pulled her into a hug. "I love you, too. So much."

"I love you more," She whispered in his ear.

Finally, he chuckled softly. "Oh, so, you wanna play that game. You'll lose, y'know."

"Ehhh, I don't know about that. I'm pretty stubborn." Alpha lightly kissed his neck just below his ear, which was the only part she could reach.

A shiver ran down his spine, and he felt himself beginning to react in another way. He immediately pulled back, but not so quickly that her feelings would get hurt. "Uh..."

"What?"

He cleared his throat, and he hoped she would understand and not get upset with him. "It's not that I didn't like it, but if we're not going any further than kissing for now...umm...maybe don't kiss me there?"

"Oh!" Alpha realized what she had inadvertently done, and she blushed. "So sorry."

"No, no, it's fine, I just..." Tooth Fairy turned crimson and rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean...you know..."

"It's all right, ye don't have to explain. If I do something you're not comfortable with, I'd rather ye told me." Alpha reassured him. "I know we haven't really discussed it, but...Not until we're both ready. Right?"

Tooth Fairy nodded, having calmed down in more ways than one, and sheepishly chuckled. "Right..."

"It's a little soon for that anyway. Well, for me it is; people move so fast these days," Alpha folded her hands, and he did the same.

"Yeah...I don't get it, either. And humans don't tend to look up very often. You'd be surprised by what I sometimes see when I'm making my rounds," Tooth Fairy tried to lighten things a little, and he smirked when she snickered and shook her head.

"No, I wouldn't."

They laughed a little too hard due to their leftover nervousness, and finally Tooth Fairy stood up and offered his arm. "C'mon, we're burnin' daylight, and I've got such a craving for a cheeseburger."

"Ooh, sounds good!"

Tooth Fairy smiled when she took his arm, but he couldn't help being somewhat regretful that this had happened at the park and not at her place, because he was pretty sure he knew what would have ended up happening. Man...missed opportunities. Not sure if that's good or bad! Okay, stop thinking about it. We're going for a cheeseburger. Oh, she's saying something, pay attention, ya dummy! "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, I slept late today, so I'll probably hunt tonight. It's just about my turn anyway. So, feel free to text me if ye want. I might not answer right away, 'cause I finally figured out how to put the bloody thing on 'silent', but I'll get back to ye." She repeated herself.

"Oh. Okay." Tooth Fairy nodded, turning serious again. "I really wish you wouldn't put yourself in danger like that."

"It's no' that dangerous," Alpha shook her head. "And I won't ask my people to take a risk I'm not willing to take myself. Wouldn't be fair."

"Mm...Just be careful, okay?"

"I always am."

I always am...

Alpha charged through the underbrush, ignoring the briars that snagged at her clothing and tore tiny tufts of fur from her exposed arms and legs. Behind her, fallen branches and flimsy saplings snapped as the hulking shape that pursued her remained unsettlingly close. She sprinted on all fours in an effort to gain enough distance to be able to call a Fairy Ring and go home.

It was hard to be 'careful' when one was being chased by an angry grizzly bear.

Even I know better than to tangle with one of these beasties! Why did I have to stumble across one just out of hibernation, and in a pissy mood?

Alpha didn't know this area well, so when she heard the sounds behind her come to a stop she thought that the bear had simply grown tired and given up. This was not the case. Before Alpha had gotten further than another twenty feet or so, the ground disappeared from beneath her.

It wasn't exactly a cliff, because it wasn't a straight fall downward, but it was steep enough to deter a dangerous predator, and it was rocky and covered with all manner of vegetation. As she tumbled to the bottom of the hill, grunting and cursing all the way down and with no idea what awaited her at the bottom, Alpha thought disjointedly about Buttercup. "Silly girl to do that on purpose, just for a bit of eye candy...ow, motherf...dammit...son of a...ow!"

Alpha fetched up sharply against a large rock, and her vision grayed out for a moment. When it returned, and the ringing in her ears had stopped, she looked all the way up the hill to see the bear staring down at her with something akin to disappointment. She bared her fangs and growled weakly as she flipped it off. "Ohhh, you bastard...I hope ye choke on a salmon..."

Nothing was broken, except for her dignity and a few infant trees she had flattened on her way down, but she knew she would be sore for at least the next few days. She groaned as she got to her feet, and texted Tooth Fairy.

'Heading home early.'

She began to put her phone away, but she saw the screen light up. He was calling her. So, she answered, trying to keep the pain out of her voice. "Hey."

"What happened?" He asked before she even finished getting the word out.

She let out her breath in a sigh and sat down on the rock. The bear wasn't trying to come down, and even if it did, she had plenty of time to get away. "I'm okay, I just took a bit of a tumble. Gonna be sore for a while, but nothing major."

He sighed into the phone, though whether it was out of relief or impatience she couldn't tell. "Do you need me to come?"

"Ye can't, luv. You have work." Alpha gently reminded him.

He was not convinced. "I can get away for a few minutes. And you don't sound so good. How bad are you hurt?"

"Haven't checked yet. Nothing's broken, though. Really, I'll be fine. I'll stop by Pearl's when I get back. She's the one who patched me up the night ye first saw me. She knows her stuff." Alpha reached behind and took hold of her tail, pulling burrs from the matted fur.

"Fine," His voice turned firm. "But I'm coming over as soon as I finish work. I have some questions."

"Aye..." Alpha heard crashing above her, and she quickly summoned a Fairy Ring and stepped into it. The bear was nowhere near her by the time she disappeared from the ravine and arrived at The Hollow, but Tooth Fairy had heard the sounds and taken note of the brief moment of phone static.

"What the heck was that?"

Alpha sighed and began to slowly walk up the road to Pearl's house. "That was the reason I took my tumble in the first place. I'm back now."

"I thought you said you were gonna be careful!"

"I was. Roy, how often do ye fly through bad weather?" She asked him.

"Don't change the subject. We're talking about you, not me."

Alpha could practically feel his fear and anger through the phone, and she said calmly, "This is the subject. In the past, you've mentioned flying through hail, thunderstorms, and blizzards. Do ye think I don't worry about you?"

"That's different. I have no choice, but you do." He said, not exactly mollified, but willing to hear her out.

"No...I don't. We can't raise livestock down here, so we have to hunt. Everyone who is able to bring down large prey goes out when it's their turn. And sometimes, like tonight, we're unlucky. I'm sorry I scared you."

Tooth Fairy huffed, but he was no longer raising his voice. "I'm still mad at you. And I'm worried sick, so keep me posted if anything changes with you. Okay?"

"Aye...I'm sorry."

"I heard you the first time." He sighed. "And, mad or not, I still love you."

"I love ye too..."

They said their goodbyes, and Alpha transformed back before knocking on Pearl's front door. The lights were already on, so she knew she wasn't waking her up.

Pearl opened the door, wearing a pink flannel nightgown and a pair of bunny slippers. Her gray hair, usually wound into a tight knot at the back of her head, hung limply around her wrinkled face. As she took in the sight of the bloodied and battered Werewolf who stood sheepishly on her doorstep, she folded her skinny arms and shook her head. "This explanation ought to be good."

"Got in a fight with gravity and lost," Alpha deadpanned.

"Horsefeathers," Pearl retorted, drawing her in to assess the damage. "What really happened?"

Alpha quickly explained, and it didn't take long for Pearl to patch her up. "Thanks, Pearl. Sorry to bother you so late."

"I was up anyway. Now...no strenuous activity for the next three days or so. No lifting anything heavier than fifteen pounds. And maybe you should figure out how you're going to explain this to Roy the next time he sees you." Pearl washed her hands at the sink.

Alpha looked down. "He knows. He's quite cross with me at the moment."

"Good."

"Och, thanks a lot..." Alpha rolled her eyes. "How was I to know there was a grizzly bear? Or a ravine?"

Pearl leaned against her counter and folded her arms. "Simple. It's late March, so they're coming out of hibernation now. You know where bear territory is. And as for the ravine, perhaps a map? What is it about bad memories that makes you so forgetful?"

"That'll do, Pearl," Alpha warned. "I changed your nappies and wiped the snot from yer nose, so don't-"

"He loves you. I've never seen such devotion. And these risks you're taking? They're hurting him. When you hurt, he hurts. You might not care much for yourself, but have a care for your man. Or one day, you might lose him." Pearl turned away and began packing up the medical supplies. She turned back when she heard a loud sniffle, and her face grew less stern when she saw that Alpha had lowered her face to her hand. "I didn't say any of that to hurt you, Alpha. You helped raise me...and I love you. You were my favorite 'auntie' growing up, you know?"

"No..." Alpha shook her head, wiping gingerly at her face with her shirt collar. She had a few scrapes and bruises on her face, but they should be largely faded by tomorrow. "You're right. I should have paid closer attention. It's not as if I do it on purpose. It's like...when my mind goes to that place, my brain switches off, and I make mistakes left and right."

"Well...might I offer a suggestion?" Pearl walked over and sat beside her.

"Please."

"When your mind goes to that place, compare notes with the other hunters. Where one might not spot a mistake, the other might. And get some sleep, if you can. You'll be sore in the morning."

"Don't I know it...Thanks, Pearl."

Note: Trouble in paradise? Well...not really. Pearl hits Alpha with a 'clue-by-four', and Alpha is in the doghouse with her boyfriend, but I have a feeling things will work out.