And here's number 5

Enjoy

A Reason to Live

Rachel turned her attention to the wolf wrapped around Kate, seeing her in a new light after her night filled with investigation. The young empath had been right. Sophie was lying about something, namely her identity. The name 'Sophie' was an alias, used to hide who she used to be. Why, though, was still unclear. She hadn't found anything bad about Max or her family. In fact, it was as Chloe had said, like they never existed. However, in that brief moment, Sophie had shifted from human to wolf form, her appearance had drastically changed. At the time, Rachel had been too stunned to make a connection, but now she thought about it, she recognized her like that. Chloe had shown her pictures of a girl who looked eerily similar. Her old friend who had disappeared off the face of the earth. Maxine Caulfield.

If finding Max wasn't reason enough to convince Chloe to live, she didn't know what was. The blue-haired punk clearly still cared a lot about her, even through the bitter resentment of being abandoned so close to her father's funeral. Given Max's reaction to the events of yesterday, she cared about Chloe too. Proving the connection between Sophie and Max to Chloe, however, might not be so easy. It stood to reason that Max didn't want anyone to know who she really was and Chloe hadn't been lucid enough to see her transformation. Surely, if Max realized that Chloe refused to keep on going without a reason, she would come out of hiding voluntarily… if she really did care enough. Rachel suspected she did.

Not only was Max hiding her identity, she was holding back a much larger secret. Probably the reason why she had disappeared and hidden for all these years. Her wolf form proved it… Max was an Ahri. Twin tails and her orb were their most predominant features. Even in human form, those features stayed with them including, Rachel thought, a cute pair of wolf-like ears. The illusion charm worked much like any other, usually cast by a mystic or wise woman or the like. With the Ahri, though, it didn't appear to have a time limit. The rest of Rachel's findings were just bits and pieces. Nobody really knew where they came from, much like most other races, and no one seemed to know where the vast majority of them had gone. It seemed that over the last thirty or so years, their numbers had dropped drastically and no one knew why. A few suspected they just decided to blend in using their illusion charm. For what reason remained unknown, as they were one of the few races that everyone loved having around. Now all that was left was to get her to admit it. Again, not a simple task.

"I think that's the best I've slept in a long time. Surprising, considering we're in a dark and dingy cave," Kate mentioned as she idly began stroking the wolf's fur, gently untangling the matted areas with her fingers.

"Dark and dingy caves have their charms," Rachel added with an amused smirk.

Kate gave her a long, hard stare, trying to gauge unsuccessfully whether she was being serious or sarcastic. "I'm not even going to ask…"

"How come you're here anyway? Thought you'd be up to your elbows in Jefferson's new project," Rachel asked as she slouched down the cave wall, sitting on the soft dirt. She had been trekking for hours to find the pair. A moment's rest was more than welcomed.

Kate gave a small shrug and recalled the previous evening's events to Rachel, who listened intently while she idly played with her feather earring.

"Well, that might complicate things a little," Rachel commented as Kate finished telling her about Sophie's passenger.

Sensing uncertainty and a small amount of… guilt maybe, coming from the young hunter, Kate frowned slightly. "Rachel, what's wrong?"

Rachel hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before answering. "It's… about Chloe."

"What about her?" Kate almost shouted. Sophie lifted her head, pricking her ears forwards as the hunter spoke.

"Last night, when Sophie was bitten, Chloe got into a fight with a vampire. She got seriously hurt," Rachel replied, hesitation heavy on her voice.

"How seriously? She's ok, right?" Kate urged. She knew something had happened from Sophie, but didn't realize just how bad.

Rachel hesitated again, slowly shaking her head. "If Victoria hadn't shown up when she did… she wasn't going to make it, Kate," she admitted glumly as she wiped a tear from her cheek at the thought of Chloe not being with them anymore.

Sophie let out a small whine as Kate lay there against her, hazel eyes going wide as she put together what Rachel was saying. "Rachel, you didn't… force her," she gasped in alarm.

She shook her head solemnly. "Maybe I should have," she muttered.

"What does that mean?" Kate asked, confused as she felt Rachel's overwhelming self-doubt and uncertainty.

"I… did something kinda stupid. I made a promise I can't keep," Rachel mumbled again. At the time, it felt like she had no choice. If she had to decide again, she would do the same. Still, was it fair on Chloe? She had acted selfishly.

"What promise…? Rachel, what did you do?" Kate urged. Whatever she had done was making her feel terrible, the young empath could sense it like a gut punch. Powerful guilt.

Rachel let out a drawn-out sigh. "She was ready to die Kate… right there in my arms. And I couldn't let her go. So… I begged her to give me a day. If she still wanted to then I said I'd… I'd… Oh, god," she sniffed as she forced back a few tears. What had she been thinking? She couldn't even say what she had promised, let alone actually do it.

"You promised to kill her… Rachel, how could you?" Kate almost shouted in alarm. Her attention was drawn to Sophie as she shifted uncomfortably. The wolf clearly felt uneasy, guilty and panicked at Rachel's admission.

"What would you have done, Kate?" Rachel snapped defensively. Yes, it had been stupid and selfish, but she was certain that most would have done the same in her position if they cared even half as much about Chloe as she did.

Kate went to reply but, suddenly realizing she didn't know what she would have done, hung her head and let out a sigh. It was all too easy to judge someone after the fact, tell them what they should or shouldn't have done. Being in the situation was very different, especially when it involved someone you cared for.

"Besides that doesn't matter. While you've been sleeping with the new student, I was busy doing some research," Rachel shot playfully as she wiped her cheek, giving Kate a playful smile.

"I wasn't… What research?" Kate quickly changed the subject instead of taking the bait. She had made that same mistake too many times before.

Rachel grinned at the blonde flustered response. "Our project for this term. Don't tell me you forgot already."

"I haven't even started it, Rachel. Chloe almost died, wants to die, and our friend here is clearly having a hard time. I hardly think our project matters right now."

The young hunter just maintained her grin, giving a shrug. "Normally, I would agree, but do you recall what our project is about?"

Kate felt Sophie stiffen slightly, as well as a small amount of worry emanate from her. Her passenger, however, who had been quiet thus far, was suddenly very eager, almost happy.

Kate shook her head quickly, digging deep in her memory banks. "Err, it's about… ugh. I was finishing my other homework before I started on the..." her voice trailed off as she snapped her head towards Sophie and then to Rachel, who's grin seemed to be even bigger, and then back to Sophie, who suddenly looked anxious.

"No damn way… She's an Ahri," Kate shouted in disbelief.

Rachel nodded as she stood up, dusting herself off. "Either that or some mutant werewolf we've never seen before. My bet's on Ahri, though."

Sophie let out a low growl of disapproval, causing Kate to giggle. "So, you're an Ahri?" she asked in awe. Sophie's passenger practically exploded in joy at the discovery, while Sophie just hung her head in admission.

"There's something else as well. She might be able to help me with my small problem," Rachel said, a slight hesitation in her voice. She could only hope.

Kate looked at the young hunter with a frown. She was slightly nervous, but also hopeful. There was definitely doubt there too. "Rach… what is it? What can the Ahri do?"

Rachel gave the blonde a slight grin. "Well, they have a few tricks. Mostly involving that orb, but they do have another trick. It's an illusion charm to change their appearance."

The young empath snapped her head round to Sophie, who refused to make eye contact, finding a patch of earth next to her suddenly very interesting. "What are you saying…?"

"I don't think Sophie is Sophie at all. In fact, I'm almost certain I know who she really is," Rachel replied, still a little hesitant. She then began to relay her own previous evening's events, with Sophie letting out low whimpers and whines as she went over the more violent details.

"I don't get it. How does that tell you anything? Sophie got hurt, of course, she's gonna retaliate," Kate wondered out loud.

Rachel gave Sophie a knowing grin. "It wasn't until AFTER Chloe got hurt that 'Sophie' here got REALLY pissed. She actually growled." Kate looked at the hunter with a raised eyebrow, as if to say 'so what?'. "Yes, I know she's a WOLF, but she growled in her human form, and then changed to her Ahri form, no not the wolf you see now. It was then that I saw who she really is," Rachel replied more confidently seeing the wolf's reaction.

Sophie had all but frozen. Kate could feel again that Sophie's, or whoever she was, passenger was very happy where this conversation was going. The wolf, on the other hand, a mix of nervousness, fear and a certain amount of annoyance aimed at her passenger, something her passenger found fairly amusing.

"Rachel, you're killing me here," Kate pleaded. Finally, a possible answer to who this girl was, another hurdle unraveled.

Rachel took out an old picture from her pocket. Taking the last few steps towards Kate and the wolf, she handed it to the blonde. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the wolf eye the picture and she could have sworn she saw her eyes bulge. "You know her, Kate. Or rather of her."

Taking the picture, Kate eyed the hunter before looking at the old picture and frowning. Two girls dressed as pirates, both wearing big grins. Kate's eyes went wide as she was hit with an intense feeling of nervousness, hesitation and a sadness that threatened to overwhelm not just the wolf, but Kate as well.

She saw the wolf fidget, looking towards the entrance of the cavern. Placing a hand on the wolf's shoulder and moving in front of her, Kate stared into her green encircled deep blue eyes, and then back at the picture. Tears now began rolling down the young empath's cheeks as the second-hand emotions from the wolf overwhelmed her.

"Max," Kate gasped weakly.

The black wolf let out a low whimper of admission. She bowed her head, allowing Kate to press her forehead against hers as a tear formed in the corner of her eye.

"I knew it was you," Rachel sighed, relief washing over her as she closed the final step. Tentatively, she reached out and ran her fingers through Max's thick fur, smiling. "Welcome home, Max."

Kate could feel Max's tension gradually fade. She was still nervous, as well as a host of other conflicting emotions, but none of them quite as strong as before. "So, now what do we do?" she mumbled as she played with the fur behind one of Max's ears, her eyes closed.

"Well, I think it's time we got some answers," Rachel replied softly as Max broke from Kate and looked at her. "I have a feeling Joyce knows more than she's letting on."

Max hesitantly pulled back a little. Sensing her unease, Kate gently placed a hand on the wolf's cheek. "It's ok, Soph… Max. I know for a fact Joyce has missed you a lot… she does try to hide it, though," she reassured her.

Taking a step towards the cavern entrance, Rachel turned back towards Kate and Max. "Come on, let's go give Joyce a surprise." She smiled as a sudden playfulness filled her eyes. Kate knew that look all too well.

"What are you thinking? I know that look," Kate hesitated to ask. That look usually meant trouble.

"Weeeell, I'm interested to see just how fast Max is, but then you're gonna get left behind," Rachel mused playfully as she turned and sauntered out into the tunnel.

"Whooooa," Kate yelped, spinning around on her heel. Rachel saw that Kate was now firmly planted on Max's back, clutching at the wolf's black fur with a shocked expression on her face. Before Kate even seemed to realize what had happened, Max bolted past the young hunter, her orb sticking to her tail like a magnet.

"Cheater!" Rachel yelled as she quickly followed behind, struggling to keep up with the orb as it dipped behind the bends and twists of the tunnel. Breaking out into the forest, Rachel caught a glimpse of Max as she shot into the woods like a bullet. Kate clung to her back, giggling hysterically as Rachel herself broke into a flat out run.

Rachel sprinted up the street towards the Price's house. Sweat ran down her face and neck, causing her clothes to stick to her skin as her sword strap rubbed against her shoulder. Max had bolted off ahead with Kate clutching to her back. Even with the extra weight, it didn't seem to slow the wolf down much, not that Kate weighed much anyhow. Maybe challenging Max to a race wasn't one of the young hunter's smartest ideas, but she enjoyed a challenge.

Approaching the faded paint chipped house, Rachel could see Max standing in the driveway. The young hunter didn't need Kate there to tell her that the wolf was feeling pleased with herself. As for Kate, she was still straddling the black wolf, wearing an amused expression.

"What kept you?" Kate teased playfully as Rachel approached the pair, doubling over panting hard.

"Like to see you keep with her... Or me for that matter," the young hunter panted as she playfully swatted at Kate.

"I'm not stupid enough to challenge a wolf to a race," Kate replied as she ran her fingers through Max's mane.

Rachel shot her a playful smile. "I wasn't talking about racing." She winked as she straightened herself out, walking towards the front door past a blushing Kate.

Confidently, Rachel knocked on the door before opening it and poking her head around it to see a disheveled Joyce coming out of the kitchen. She greeted the young hunter with a tired smile, looking like she hadn't slept all night. Rachel felt just a little guilty about that. Not only had she dropped the bombshell that her daughter had almost died, but she was now a vampire, something the young punk wouldn't be fond of. On top of that, Rachel had been questioning her all night about Max without much luck.

"Hey, Joyce, how're you doing?" Rachel asked guiltily.

"As well as can be expected. I'm just grateful Chloe's still with us... How's she doing?" Joyce asked concerned.

Rachel nervously fiddled with her blue feather earring as she looked back over her shoulder towards where Max and Kate were, but the pair had disappeared, confusing the young hunter.

"Um, if I'm honest Joyce, I haven't seen her yet today. I've actually been trying to help another friend this morning," Rachel replied as she shoved her confusion to one side.

Joyce tilted her head to one side questioningly. "I'd have thought you'd be helping Chloe. She's gonna need you… now more than ever," she shot, perhaps a little coldly, but the hunter just put that down to lack of sleep, again partially her own fault.

Before Rachel could reply, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Quickly, she checked it to find a text from Kate saying they were round the back due to Max's nerves. Pocketing her phone again, she turned back to Joyce with her confident smile.

"Actually, Joyce, I was kinda hoping you could help me with something… You see, I think that my friends… predicament might be right up your street," the young hunter replied as she entered the house, closing the door behind her.

Of five things Rachel was certain. One, Max was an Ahri. What that meant for her was unknown. Two, Joyce clearly cared for the girl. Kate had confirmed this countless times, not that she needed to. Joyce's reluctance to talk about Max proved it beyond doubt. Three, something bad had happened to Max. Something bad enough to force her into hiding, bad enough to allow a vampire to force himself onto her without retaliation just to keep her secret. Four, Joyce KNEW what had happened to Max, or at least had an idea, and finally five, Max was the missing part in Chloe's life. Sure, she had changed, but it was obvious those changes were only skin deep. She was still the shy girl Chloe had described, totally unsure of herself.

Rachel led Joyce through the house, out of the sliding double doors in the dining room. When they got there, Kate was stood by an old paint chipped swing, looking a little apprehensive.

"Kate… What's wrong?" Joyce questioned, spotting the blonde empath feeling a little confused.

Rachel passed Kate a questioning glance, who directed the hunter's gaze to a large bush towards the back of the garden. Taking a few steps towards the indicated bush, the hunter examined the dark green bush, quickly finding a pair of nervous green encircled blue eyes staring back at her.

"You can't hide in there forever, ya know," Rachel cooed encouragingly.

"Who are you talking to, Rachel?" Joyce asked curiously, quickly passing Kate a questioning look as she walked over to Rachel's side, examining the bush herself. Seeing nothing at first, she was about to turn away... until she saw the pair of deep blue eyes with a green band surrounding them staring back at her.

"Who's there?" Joyce muttered quietly.

Rachel backed off, leaving her to it. There was no need to interfere now. The eyes in the bush pushed forwards through the branches, revealing Max's black furry face. Light brown speckles covered her snout, ears folded back and head hung below her shoulders as the rest of her furry body emerged. Her tails hung low with her blue orb resting gracefully on one of her tails. The afternoon sun catching her fur gave it a shiny sheen. For a moment, Max looked like a child that had been caught in the cookie jar.

"Vanessa?" Joyce asked, taking a step towards the wolf. Her eyes went wide as her knees gave out from under her. Her arms outstretched towards the wolf in front of her, a gentle sob on her gasp of her next word. "Max? Oh, Max," she muttered as she inched forwards on her knees. Her eyes fixed on Max's, her outstretched arms encircling around her mane as she buried her face in the wolf's fur. "Max… Where's your mom? Where's Vanessa?" She mumbled as she wiped her face and got a good look at Max's furry face.

Max lowered her head letting out a small whimper. Joyce glanced over to Kate, who had taken up position next to Rachel gripping her hand. Kate's eyes were tearing up as she slowly shook her head.

"Oh, Max, I'm so sorry," Joyce sobbed as she buried her face once again into Max's fur. This… couldn't be happening. Vanessa was one of the toughest people she knew, smart and strong, making for a deadly combo. To think that she was… had… it couldn't be true. Yet, at the same time, Joyce knew. She had for a long time but didn't want to accept it. She still didn't.

After a few minutes, Joyce composed herself as best she could and led the girls into the house. She walked through the dining room towards the kitchen dabbing the tears from her eyes as she went. Rachel and Kate followed close behind.

"Joyce," Kate said sympathetically.

"I'll be ok, Kate," Joyce replied waving her off. Keen for a distraction she set about making some coffee and a cup of tea for Kate as she let out a sad sigh. "I always prayed this day wouldn't come," she paused for a moment as she carried the drinks over to the table. Placing them down, she looked over to Max with an apologetic smile, who was sat outside the sliding door. "I didn't mean it like that, Max. I just hoped this day would be with your parents too," Joyce said as she waved Max inside. "This is still your home, Max. It's been too long since you were here last,"

Getting up and walking inside, Max sat herself next to the table, still looking a little unsure of herself. She was quickly joined by Kate, who absentmindedly ran her fingers through her thick fur, gently rubbing behind her ears. The action earned a satisfied groan from the wolf.

Joyce walked back into the kitchen. After rooting around in one of the cupboards for a few minutes, she retrieved a large, slightly battered metal bowl and proceeded to quickly fill it with coffee and sugar. After giving it a stir, she made her way back and placed the bowl in front of Max, which earned a puzzled look from the three girls.

"What, you honestly think this is the first time I've had an Ahri in wolf form in my house?" Joyce chuckled pausing for a moment, nodding towards the battered metal bowl. "That was your mother's. I'm guessing you still have a sweet tooth." She smiled warmly.

Max lowered her head and began gently lapping at the steaming black liquid while Kate rubbed one of her shoulders.

"I knew you knew more that you were letting on," Rachel shot at Joyce accusingly without malice.

The older woman let out a sigh. "Sorry about that, Rachel, but there is far more to this than I think even Max here knows."

And there is number 5

So comments and reviews are welcome, Myself, Nothing You Can Prove and Faithcael would LOVE to hear from you.

Let's hear some predictions, theories and general thoughts. Fair warning, chapter 12 is a complete heartbreaker (I had to stop several times while writing it, yes I'm a soppy sap :D)

Stay Happy, see you Saturday