"There it is!" Egon's shout startled Janine awake. She had fallen asleep with her chair tipped back, & the sudden movement caused her to fall crashing backwards. Egon rushed to her side and helped her up. When he had her standing, he brushed her off, apologizing softly. They looked up at the same time, into eachother's eyes. A strand of her auburn hair had fallen into Janine's face. Egon gently brushed it back, his fingers lingering on her cheek. The light of the desk lamp played across her features, making her bright eyes & soft lips sparkle, her hair shine. She reached up & lightly traced the stubble along his jaw with her fingers. The glare from the computer screen reflecting off his glasses hid his eyes from her, so she took them off and laid them on the desk. He smiled gently & did the same for her. She was so close that he could still see her almost perfectly, but his vision was blurred just enough to give her an angelic quality. He leaned in to kiss his angel.
They didn't allow themselves this luxury too often. Both were so dedicated to their organization, it didn't leave much time for a personal life. They had tried to make it work several times, but other sciences always got in the way of their chemistry. And now, with the young Ghostbusters under their wing, they were like parents looking after their brood. Parents with four teens... No, it was better to take each moment one at a time, and follow wherever it led, for as long as it lasted...p
This time it lasted about 15 seconds, & led to a dead end.
"Whoops! Sorry!" Roland immediatley turned around, walking right into Garrett, who was trying to get off the lift.p
"Het, what's goin on up here?" He tried to get aroud Roland, not wanting to be on the lift an instant more than he had to be. "Ewwww, were they doing what I think they were? It's like walking in on your parents, man..." he murmured to his friend, but Egon & Janine still heard him. They stepped apart, blushing.
"We, uh, h-heard a shout, and a.. crash.. & came to see... i-if everything was all right..." Roland explained over his shoulder, still not wanting to turn around. Garrett tugged on the back of his shirt, coaxing him off the elevator.
"It's, ah, it's okay, just.. just a little accident." Janine started straightening papers while Egon spoke. "Actually, I'm glad you're both up here. I've found something." He put his glasses back on & gestured towards a large, open tome on his desk. Roland & Garret came over to look at it.
"Well, it turns out the Garou family didn't see the talisman as cursed. Or rather, they didn't view lycanthropy as a curse. The talisman is a tooth from the first Garou, the clan martiarch. She was born with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf whenever she pleased, the catch being that she had to change when the moon was full. She used this ability to hunt for food for her tribe. This was waaaay back in the late B.C.s, in Gaul, when women were often allowed to be warriors. Someone with powers like hers was highly honored. She discovered at one point that she could offer this gift to people outside of her descendants if she bit them when the moon was full & she was wearing something silver. She chose those who would recieve the gift very carefully, but others sought to steal the gift from her. When she finally was killed in battle, her kin burned her body to keep the enemy from using it, but the man who'd killed her managed to knock a tooth out during the fight & kept it. He discovered that, if he simply wore the tooth, he could shapeshift too-- but only while wearing it. The talisman was passed down among his descendants, & it was they who called the item cursed, to dissuade others from ever taking it. They also hunted down the surving members of the Garou famiy, but it turned out that their bodies did not transfer the power like the martriarch's did. The Hunters, as they became known, turned to hunting other magical beings for sport, hunting each in turn to extinction. They even hunted witches during the inquisition."
"Hunter... why is that name familiar?" Garrett's brow creased in thought.
Roland snapped his fingers, his eyes open wide, "Harold Hunter! The guy Kylie... went .. out with tonight. Uh-oh..."
Egon nodded. "That's right. You can guess what he wants with her."
"Well, it's not what I thought he'd wanted, so actually, I feel better now," Garrett quipped. "Besides, if he hunts paranormal critters like we do, maybe we should get him to join the team!"
Egon shook his head. "He doesn't just hunt werewolves, Garret, he hunts witches, remember? Kylie could be in great danger!"
Garrett scowled at his mentor, letting out a snort. "What, Kylie can hold her own against any old werewolf or witch! I'm sure they'll have a blast hunting them together! If he want's to hunt 'em, I say more power to him!"
Roland spoke to Garrett patiently, as if he were a child whgo didn't know any better, but you could tell he was irritated with his friend's attitude. "Garrett, what makes you think it's the werewolves & witches that are the problem?"
"Oh, gee, I dunno, maybe it's because they both have a history of eating people!"
"No they don't. Witches that eat people are just fairy-tales, and as for wolves, there has never been any proof of a healthy wolf ever attacking someone in North America! Wolves are afraid of humans. They're even actually very similar to us-- they have families & social structures. In anchient days, shamans, the religios leaders of the tribal peoples, were said to be able to take on animal forms, most commonly wolves. It was a highly prized and respected ability!
He could tell Garrett didn't believe him. They both looked to Egon for confirmation, who nodded for Roland to continue. Roland, appreciating the encouragement, went on, "As for witches, they were a type of shaman, the healers, midwives, & wisemen of Europe. Those who practice 'witchcraft' today are simply reliving the anchient customs of honoring nature & the turn of the seasons. They even have a law they call the Wiccan Rede, 'An it harm none, do what thou wilt,' which essentially states that you can live your life as you please so long as your harm no one & nothing-- including yourself-- to do it."
"Waitaminute, waitaminute.... 'Wiccan' Rede? As in Wicca? I know a girl who's into that, she's in one of my classes, really sweet. You're telling me she's a witch?!"
"Garret," Roland tried hard to keep the edge out of his voice, & also tried not to sound too patronizing, "the word 'witch' comes from the word 'wicca', or 'wicce,' an anglo-saxon word meaning either 'wise' or 'to bend', or both, depending on the resource. So yes, a wiccan IS a witch... Now, do you think that friend of yours is evil?"
"Well... no."
"Is Kylie evil?" Egon jumped in.
"No! Of course not! But what does she have to do with it?"
Roland turned to Egon, too, Garret's question mirrored in his face.
Egon wouldn't answer at first, seeming to wrestle with some inner conflict. It's not my place to tell them-- Kylie never even told me, I just know about these things. But they need to understand what's going on if we're going to protect her. And I'm sure they'll understand; Roland already is accepting of the concept... Quietly, Egon informed them, "Kylie is a witch."
***
Kylie was in a daze. She'd forgotten all about her exams for the next day, all about her fight with Eduardo that night. All about the news report that had been on the radio that afternoon, warning people to stay out of Central Park. She thought nothing of it when Harold led her under the crime scene tape that surrounded it.
They walked in silence for while, arm in arm, the full moon lighting the way.
"Kylie," Harold finally began, his voice smooth as silk, "I think it's fate that we met."
She nodded. She knew it had to be.
He halted under a lampost. They faced eachother. He hald her chin in his hand, drawing her close for a kiss.
The bite stopped him just before their lips touched. Nerve endings in his hind end sent a mix of hot pain and icyness as the breeze played through the new hole in the seat of his pants. He spun around to face his assailant.
Kylie stepped sideways so she could see what had caused Harold to scream. She expected to see a mugger. Instead she found a very large, very grungy, very mean-looking dog. Very, very large. If she didn't know better, she'd say that a wolf had escaped from the zoo. Except that it was too big to be one of those! The dog (or whatever it was) was growling softly, its ears back & head low, a scrap of fabric hanging from its ferocious maw. One ear flicked, & she saw there was a gold hoop earring in it. There was something familiar about this dog...
***
Janine tried callind Eduardo's house again. Still no answer. Roland, Garrett, & Egon had gone in the Ecto-1 to hunt for Kylie. They suited up quickly, waiting only that long for Janine to get a hld of him. Was he so tired he couldn't hear the phone? Probably. Or maybe he wasn't home at all...
***
Kylie wished she had her proton pack. Harold was fending the beast off with his cane, but the animal had managed to get a few bites in. She knew she should go get help, but she didn't want to leave Harold. Besides, she was afraid that, if she ran, the dog would give chase. Not to mention that her was so foggy that she wasn't sure she could run very fast. Through the fog though suddenly came the sound of sirens. It was the guys! How had they known?
In moments they had the mutt surrounded and were firing on the ground around it. It howled in fear and confusion, a sound that was almost human. Despite the fact that it was just using Harold for a chew toy, Kylie felt a pang of pity for the poor critter. Since it was a living being, she knew the guys wouldn't actually hit it with their proton beams. The dog seemed to know that too, as it suddenly ran straight toward them, escaping between Roland and Egon into the darkness.
Harold was panting, his eyes wild. "Th-thank-you! I don't know what we would have done if--" He stopped in midspeech when he found the proton guns trained on him.
Kylie stepped infront of him. "What are you doing?!"
"I found out more about the talisman, Kylie. It seems our little 'friend' here is a descendant of it's creator." Egons eyes and aim never wavered from Harold.
Kylie & Harold both spoke at once.
"W-what? Egon, what are you saying?"
"The talisman! You found it? Please, I must have it back!" He held out his hands imploringly.
Egons eyes narrowed. "I don't think so, Hunter."
Harold raised his hands slowly into the air. "Well, it seems you have me at a disadvantage. Might I be permitted to tell my side of the story?"
"This is crazy!" Kylie tossed her gaze back & forth between the four men. "Egon, he's hurt! We should take him to a hospital, & then fill out a police report about that dog!"
"No!" Egon & Hunter said simultaneously. Harold elaborated. "It's really not all that bad, my dear. Besides, you're group is far better equipped to deal with a werewolf than the police are. Shall we retire to your firehouse, gentlemen?"
Werewolf?! Kylie thought. Does that mean Harold will be one now? But the moon was still out & he wasn't changing... Maybe it was a good idea that they go back to the firehouse, so that she could look up werewolves in the books and make sure he wasn't affected.
Egon nodded in affirmative to Hunter, gesturing that he should get into the car.
"Would someone kindly tell me what's going on?" Kylie asked as they all climbed in. Egon told what he knew while Roland drove, Garret keeping his proton gun trained on Hunter the whole trip. Hunter stayed oddly calm & quiet.
They didn't allow themselves this luxury too often. Both were so dedicated to their organization, it didn't leave much time for a personal life. They had tried to make it work several times, but other sciences always got in the way of their chemistry. And now, with the young Ghostbusters under their wing, they were like parents looking after their brood. Parents with four teens... No, it was better to take each moment one at a time, and follow wherever it led, for as long as it lasted...p
This time it lasted about 15 seconds, & led to a dead end.
"Whoops! Sorry!" Roland immediatley turned around, walking right into Garrett, who was trying to get off the lift.p
"Het, what's goin on up here?" He tried to get aroud Roland, not wanting to be on the lift an instant more than he had to be. "Ewwww, were they doing what I think they were? It's like walking in on your parents, man..." he murmured to his friend, but Egon & Janine still heard him. They stepped apart, blushing.
"We, uh, h-heard a shout, and a.. crash.. & came to see... i-if everything was all right..." Roland explained over his shoulder, still not wanting to turn around. Garrett tugged on the back of his shirt, coaxing him off the elevator.
"It's, ah, it's okay, just.. just a little accident." Janine started straightening papers while Egon spoke. "Actually, I'm glad you're both up here. I've found something." He put his glasses back on & gestured towards a large, open tome on his desk. Roland & Garret came over to look at it.
"Well, it turns out the Garou family didn't see the talisman as cursed. Or rather, they didn't view lycanthropy as a curse. The talisman is a tooth from the first Garou, the clan martiarch. She was born with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf whenever she pleased, the catch being that she had to change when the moon was full. She used this ability to hunt for food for her tribe. This was waaaay back in the late B.C.s, in Gaul, when women were often allowed to be warriors. Someone with powers like hers was highly honored. She discovered at one point that she could offer this gift to people outside of her descendants if she bit them when the moon was full & she was wearing something silver. She chose those who would recieve the gift very carefully, but others sought to steal the gift from her. When she finally was killed in battle, her kin burned her body to keep the enemy from using it, but the man who'd killed her managed to knock a tooth out during the fight & kept it. He discovered that, if he simply wore the tooth, he could shapeshift too-- but only while wearing it. The talisman was passed down among his descendants, & it was they who called the item cursed, to dissuade others from ever taking it. They also hunted down the surving members of the Garou famiy, but it turned out that their bodies did not transfer the power like the martriarch's did. The Hunters, as they became known, turned to hunting other magical beings for sport, hunting each in turn to extinction. They even hunted witches during the inquisition."
"Hunter... why is that name familiar?" Garrett's brow creased in thought.
Roland snapped his fingers, his eyes open wide, "Harold Hunter! The guy Kylie... went .. out with tonight. Uh-oh..."
Egon nodded. "That's right. You can guess what he wants with her."
"Well, it's not what I thought he'd wanted, so actually, I feel better now," Garrett quipped. "Besides, if he hunts paranormal critters like we do, maybe we should get him to join the team!"
Egon shook his head. "He doesn't just hunt werewolves, Garret, he hunts witches, remember? Kylie could be in great danger!"
Garrett scowled at his mentor, letting out a snort. "What, Kylie can hold her own against any old werewolf or witch! I'm sure they'll have a blast hunting them together! If he want's to hunt 'em, I say more power to him!"
Roland spoke to Garrett patiently, as if he were a child whgo didn't know any better, but you could tell he was irritated with his friend's attitude. "Garrett, what makes you think it's the werewolves & witches that are the problem?"
"Oh, gee, I dunno, maybe it's because they both have a history of eating people!"
"No they don't. Witches that eat people are just fairy-tales, and as for wolves, there has never been any proof of a healthy wolf ever attacking someone in North America! Wolves are afraid of humans. They're even actually very similar to us-- they have families & social structures. In anchient days, shamans, the religios leaders of the tribal peoples, were said to be able to take on animal forms, most commonly wolves. It was a highly prized and respected ability!
He could tell Garrett didn't believe him. They both looked to Egon for confirmation, who nodded for Roland to continue. Roland, appreciating the encouragement, went on, "As for witches, they were a type of shaman, the healers, midwives, & wisemen of Europe. Those who practice 'witchcraft' today are simply reliving the anchient customs of honoring nature & the turn of the seasons. They even have a law they call the Wiccan Rede, 'An it harm none, do what thou wilt,' which essentially states that you can live your life as you please so long as your harm no one & nothing-- including yourself-- to do it."
"Waitaminute, waitaminute.... 'Wiccan' Rede? As in Wicca? I know a girl who's into that, she's in one of my classes, really sweet. You're telling me she's a witch?!"
"Garret," Roland tried hard to keep the edge out of his voice, & also tried not to sound too patronizing, "the word 'witch' comes from the word 'wicca', or 'wicce,' an anglo-saxon word meaning either 'wise' or 'to bend', or both, depending on the resource. So yes, a wiccan IS a witch... Now, do you think that friend of yours is evil?"
"Well... no."
"Is Kylie evil?" Egon jumped in.
"No! Of course not! But what does she have to do with it?"
Roland turned to Egon, too, Garret's question mirrored in his face.
Egon wouldn't answer at first, seeming to wrestle with some inner conflict. It's not my place to tell them-- Kylie never even told me, I just know about these things. But they need to understand what's going on if we're going to protect her. And I'm sure they'll understand; Roland already is accepting of the concept... Quietly, Egon informed them, "Kylie is a witch."
***
Kylie was in a daze. She'd forgotten all about her exams for the next day, all about her fight with Eduardo that night. All about the news report that had been on the radio that afternoon, warning people to stay out of Central Park. She thought nothing of it when Harold led her under the crime scene tape that surrounded it.
They walked in silence for while, arm in arm, the full moon lighting the way.
"Kylie," Harold finally began, his voice smooth as silk, "I think it's fate that we met."
She nodded. She knew it had to be.
He halted under a lampost. They faced eachother. He hald her chin in his hand, drawing her close for a kiss.
The bite stopped him just before their lips touched. Nerve endings in his hind end sent a mix of hot pain and icyness as the breeze played through the new hole in the seat of his pants. He spun around to face his assailant.
Kylie stepped sideways so she could see what had caused Harold to scream. She expected to see a mugger. Instead she found a very large, very grungy, very mean-looking dog. Very, very large. If she didn't know better, she'd say that a wolf had escaped from the zoo. Except that it was too big to be one of those! The dog (or whatever it was) was growling softly, its ears back & head low, a scrap of fabric hanging from its ferocious maw. One ear flicked, & she saw there was a gold hoop earring in it. There was something familiar about this dog...
***
Janine tried callind Eduardo's house again. Still no answer. Roland, Garrett, & Egon had gone in the Ecto-1 to hunt for Kylie. They suited up quickly, waiting only that long for Janine to get a hld of him. Was he so tired he couldn't hear the phone? Probably. Or maybe he wasn't home at all...
***
Kylie wished she had her proton pack. Harold was fending the beast off with his cane, but the animal had managed to get a few bites in. She knew she should go get help, but she didn't want to leave Harold. Besides, she was afraid that, if she ran, the dog would give chase. Not to mention that her was so foggy that she wasn't sure she could run very fast. Through the fog though suddenly came the sound of sirens. It was the guys! How had they known?
In moments they had the mutt surrounded and were firing on the ground around it. It howled in fear and confusion, a sound that was almost human. Despite the fact that it was just using Harold for a chew toy, Kylie felt a pang of pity for the poor critter. Since it was a living being, she knew the guys wouldn't actually hit it with their proton beams. The dog seemed to know that too, as it suddenly ran straight toward them, escaping between Roland and Egon into the darkness.
Harold was panting, his eyes wild. "Th-thank-you! I don't know what we would have done if--" He stopped in midspeech when he found the proton guns trained on him.
Kylie stepped infront of him. "What are you doing?!"
"I found out more about the talisman, Kylie. It seems our little 'friend' here is a descendant of it's creator." Egons eyes and aim never wavered from Harold.
Kylie & Harold both spoke at once.
"W-what? Egon, what are you saying?"
"The talisman! You found it? Please, I must have it back!" He held out his hands imploringly.
Egons eyes narrowed. "I don't think so, Hunter."
Harold raised his hands slowly into the air. "Well, it seems you have me at a disadvantage. Might I be permitted to tell my side of the story?"
"This is crazy!" Kylie tossed her gaze back & forth between the four men. "Egon, he's hurt! We should take him to a hospital, & then fill out a police report about that dog!"
"No!" Egon & Hunter said simultaneously. Harold elaborated. "It's really not all that bad, my dear. Besides, you're group is far better equipped to deal with a werewolf than the police are. Shall we retire to your firehouse, gentlemen?"
Werewolf?! Kylie thought. Does that mean Harold will be one now? But the moon was still out & he wasn't changing... Maybe it was a good idea that they go back to the firehouse, so that she could look up werewolves in the books and make sure he wasn't affected.
Egon nodded in affirmative to Hunter, gesturing that he should get into the car.
"Would someone kindly tell me what's going on?" Kylie asked as they all climbed in. Egon told what he knew while Roland drove, Garret keeping his proton gun trained on Hunter the whole trip. Hunter stayed oddly calm & quiet.