Disclaimer: see every other disclaimer I've written

A/N: Glad to see that everyone is happy to see me back, I'm glad to be back, sorry for taking so long ~beats muse with monitor~. And now, I must self-plug. I've been writing a Crow based story in my lj, so anyone who's interested in the comic/movies/tv show can check it out at www. livejournal .com /users/unprodicalgirl (just remove the spaces, I found out that this was what's causing the problem, sorry guys, I'm a shit). So that's all, enjoy!

A/N 2: I was very excited to see Luke doing chin ups, yes I was -_O

A/N 3: Yet another correction, I said in and early story that Sophia's birthday was the 21st of March, and that was the Ides of March. I was wrong, her birthday is the 21st, but that's no the Ides, it's the Equinox. That's going to be important, yes it will.

Right, now back from commercial

Thanks,

~Stigmata_Crow~

(We open to see the old women leading Sophia through the woods, with an arm around her shoulder. It's hard to tell who is who to begin with, because you are looking at they're backs. Both are of the same height, and though you can see the age through her face, the old women's hair was as black, maybe even blacker that Sophia's. Being the middle of February, it is extremely cold, but neither Sophia, nor the old woman seem effected by it. Sophia is still crying. We see them coming to an old house, one room log cabin more like it. Music: None, but while they are walking through the woods, we hear lots of howling, hooting, etc. Put special emphasis on the sounds that would normally be in the background. It's like a nature symphony, if that makes sense.)

Sophia let the old woman drag her through the woods. She was too emotionally tired to resist, and besides, something about her made her feel safe. She knew that she wouldn't harm her. She looked up and realized they have been walking for about fifteen minutes, then looked down again. She was still wearing her uniform. She was supposed to be working, but Big Charlie, the cook would understand. He would think that she just went home.

The old women led her into the cabin. There was a fire in the hearth, and it looked like it was burning for a while. There was a bed in the corner, and a table in with two chairs in the middle of the room. There was Native memorabilia all over the place, which especially centred on wolves. The most prominent thing in the room was giant dream catcher that completely covered one wall. "Make yourself at home." Said the woman. Sophia walked in and went to the table, as the women bustled about the room, putting a kettle on the fire. There was an old book on the table. She opened it up, and immediately recognized it to be written in Lupus Teangadh (A/N: For those of you who can't remember, or didn't read my first two stories, It means Wolf Tongue, the funny language I've made up). Sophia's eye's widened.

"You're a Skin Walker!" The old women smiled and nodded. "You're an Ancient aren't you?" The woman nodded again, and handed Sophia a cup of a strange herbal tea. "I was picked to be one as a small girl. I was wise beyond my years, and was immediately put into training. My family was very proud." Sophia stared at the tea. "So what did you say your name was?" "They call me Old Mother, because I am the oldest, and therefore mother and guide to all." "So you're like the Alpha?" She shook her head. "We make no decisions, we need no Alpha. We guard the lake, and advise the Alpha. We have out grown the Alpha." "So, you're Old Mother?" She nodded. "But you can call me Rose." Sophia sniffed at the tea. "What's in it?" The woman motioned for her to sir in the chair that faced away from the wall that had the dream catcher on it. "We did not meet in an accident. This was meant to happen. You have heard of the powers of the Ancients." Sophia nodded. "My power is to see the future. I can't tell you your fortune, but I can give you a good guess." She looked at the cup hesitantly. "Drink it. It's made from local plants. It will help me to see your path." She slowly brought the cup to her lips. "Trust me." She drank the tea in one long gulp. It wasn't too hot, but it tasted like she put Evil in her mouth and let it dance a jig on her tongue. Her head felt heavy and the room swirled. (Camera focus is on Sophia, looking like she's been punched in the face, and is going down. At this point the room begins to look more like a cave, at least to Sophia. The fireplace turns into a fire pit. The walls convert to stone with cave drawings on them. The cave drawings were of people turning into wolves. The room has become smoky, almost foggy. The only remnants of the former log cabin was the table and chairs, and the dream catcher still taking up the wall that Sophia isn't facing. Suddenly the came angle changes to Rose. There is now some sort of stone bowl on the table, with some sort of herbs burning in it. Beside it, to the right is a Native peace pipe, and on the other side of it is a pile of black shiny stones. Rose placed one of the stones in the burning herbs.)

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Shall we begin?"

***

(Cut to the police station. Matt is sitting with his feet on his desk, drinking coffee and reading a paper. Miranda is in her cell, playing poker with Molly. It's a slooooooooow day. And then Kanin comes barging in the door.)

John was furious. He had found out about Ruby before Christmas, but hasn't been able to get a hold of her, Tyler, or Matt for that matter, since then. In this town, when someone wants to disappear, they do.

He slammed open the door to HQ. "Where the hell have you been, Matt, long time, no see?" Matt spit his coffee all over himself. "Hey John," He said with that nervous sort of I'm-lying-through-my-teeth kind of laughter, whilst wiping the coffee off of himself with the newspaper. "Thought you went home for the holidays, where you been?" John's eyes darkened. "You know exactly where I've been. I've been looking for you." "Really, well I told you-" John cut him off. "When did ruby get back, and why wasn't I informed." "John...." "Don't bullshit me, Donner. I was working that case from Seattle. It's a federal offence to keep information from me. Now why didn't you tell me, and why the hell is she with Creed?" "John you don't understand-" "What don't I understand? Why can't you just give me a straight answer? Why are you keeping Ruby from me, and what are you doing to her?"

Matt looked at John sternly. "I've known Ruby since she was born. I would never let anyone hurt her. Do you really want to know the truth?" John nodded. Matt leaned in close. "There is something going on in this town that you don't know." "What?" Matt leaned in closer. "Arranged marriages." John looked a little stunned "What?" "This town is a little old fashioned, as you can tell. Well Ruby and Tyler were being pushed towards each other all their lives, which they were fine with them, in fact they even got engaged, much to their parents joy. But then, Tyler gets stupid one night, gets drunk and sleeps with some French tourist, and you can see how that could piss her off." John's face was still blank. "Yeah...." "So she tells him that's she's going to go to Seattle to shack up with the first guy she meets, just to make him mad. And that is where you come in." John almost shook with disbelief "You expect me to believe that? Then why did she say yes when I asked her to marry me? And why was there blood on the roof of Ruby's car." "How do I know John, go ask Ruby? Oh that's right, you can't. She won't let you. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe if a girl lies to you, and humiliates you, that she might not love you?" John's face was blank "I... I just don't know any more." John's eyes fluttered and he leaned, practically fell on the desk. "John! Are you ok?" Matt got up and pulled Kanin back to his feet. "What? Oh, yeah, just haven't been getting enough sleep lately," he said in a haze. Matt sat him down in his chair. "What's wrong?" John rubbed his eyes. "I've been having these really strange dreams lately. Wolves, running through the woods, chasing me, and when they reach me, they don't attack they just stop." Matt's eyes widened a little. "John, I think you should go home, and get some rest. Take the next few days off." "Thanks Donner."

And with that, he headed out the door. Matt heard some snickering behind him. It was Miranda. "Good lying there, Sarge." Matt shook his head. "Get back to you poker game."

***

(Cut to Tyler's bedroom. We've all seen it before, right? The one where he beats Ruby with the flowers, right? Need a refresher, think yellow and big bed, with a lot of candles like some thing from General Hospital ~glares at her mother for making her watch that~ Music: Change (In the House of Flies) by the Deftones. Tyler is in bed while Ruby brushes her hair at the mirror. Tyler is pissed off.)

"Are long do you have to brush that damn head of yours?" Ruby sighed. "What's wrong Tyler?" Tyler sneered. "You know damn well what's wrong. It's February and still no Christmas present." Ruby laughed. "Christmas present? Refer to it like that again, and I'll never sleep with you." "Yeah well, Vi is getting antsy." Ruby whipped around. "Antsy?" "She says that we either do it, and get it over with, or she'll make us." "Make us? How does that work?" "How should I know, Vi's gone fucking apeshit. And besides I don't want to find out." He reached beside the bed. "And then, if the last remark wasn't crazy enough, she gives me a bottle of the Brewery's best brandy. Vintage, 1972," he said reciting off the bottle. Ruby rolled her eyes. "Dad was always going on about that year. 'Best brandy this side of the Rockies!'" Tyler broke the seal on the bottle. "I don't supposed I could interest you in a night cap, could I?" "Why the hell not," she said with a wave of her wrist. Tyler got up from the bed and got two glasses from the cabinet (A/N: Come on, he has to drink in his room, look at him) and poured two fingers of brandy in each of them, then handed one to Ruby. "Here let me," he said as he noticed she was struggling to get her hair into a ponytail. Ruby took a drink as he fixed her hair. He pulled the hair through the elastic one last time. Then downed his glass in one gulp, and when back to the bed. Ruby began taking off her make-up.

Then they both lurched. Ruby fell off the chair and Tyler hit his knees. They both grasped their heads, and crawl towards each other, grasping like they were choking. They met each others eyes... then pulled each other into a breath-taking kiss.

***

(Cut back to the overly smoky cave with Sophia and Rose in it.)

"Hold out your hand." Sophia, though barely able to keep her head up, somehow put her hand out on the table, palm up. Rose picked up the stone that was in the bowl and put it on her hand. It was warm, but it didn't burn. Rose then picked up the peace pipe and took a drag on it. She then took the stone off of Sophia's hand, gave her the pipe, and motioned for her to do the same. She did so, but not without coughing. Rose held the stone in her hand. "Ahhhhhh, you're a strong one, no wonder Boy Cates is after you." "You...you know about him?" Rose smiled. "I know all. Now hold out your other hand." Sophia complied and Rose took both of Sophia's hands in hers, then closed her eyes. "You have your mother's strength... and your father's heart. And you'll need them. You have many trials ahead of you." "So that's the story of my life," said Sophia recovering from the drugged feeling a little. "Will everything go wrong in my life?" Rose closed her eyes again. "I see many children running on a lawn, and I see them all reaching adulthood. They're yours, Sophia." Sophia's eyes widened. "How do you know that they'll survive, how do you even know that they'll be Skin Walkers?" Rose smiled. "All in good time, girl. I don't know if they're Skin Walkers. Like I said, I don't know your exact destiny, but I can guess. I don't even see your husband, or if you have one. I just see your children. Now hush."

Rose then closed her eyes again and started to hum. Her face twisted, as if she was trying to decipher something. "You will have some influence over this town, what I cannot tell, but this settlement will forever change." She let go and opened her eyes. "Do you know what happened when we first came here, Sophia?" Sophia shook her head. "As you probably know, we were chased out of Europe by the Sáighdiura, so what was left of the Great Clans, the Altòiràrae(a variation of Highlanders, in Gaelic), the Norse, and the Obscurati (Dark Ones, in Latin) put themselves on the ships to America. They knew they couldn't stay in the colonies, so they continued to go west. As they went west, they heard stories of a native tribe that could turn themselves to wolves living on a lake near the sea. So they came here, and do you know what they found?" Sophia shook her head again. "They found them. People just like them, who were thrown from society because they were different. So they made a haven for them here, and learned each other's cultures, and integrated them. You notice that they are no signs of a government reserve here. We had no need for one. We respected each other. And from that respect, came your family. A long time ago, one of your ancestors was the owner of great power. I now sense that in you." Sophia's head leapt again, and then the room went back to being a room, the cave disappearing. Sophia looked out the window. It was now morning. Eight whole hours had passed in what seemed like minutes to her. "I think that's enough for today," said Rose with a smile.

***

(Cut to the bedroom again. Close up on Ruby's face, just as she wakes up, apparently in a lot of pain. Music: Sunday Morning After, Amanda Marshall)

Ruby's head was pounding. She didn't really know where she was or how she got there. "Oh God," she said grasping at her forehead. She immediately jolted up, and realized that she was in bed. And that she was naked. And that a very naked Tyler was lying asleep next to her. She slapped Tyler upside the head and he woke up with a start. "What the fuck did you do that for?" "So you could explain what the fuck I'm doing in bed with you!" He rubbed his eyes and looked around, realizing the situation. "Well I knew you couldn't resist my manly charms forever." Ruby was fuming. "Quit joking around and tell me what the fuck happened." "Well isn't it a little obvious what happened?" "Yes, but how? I don't remember when this even started. I don't even remember what happened." Ruby rubbed her forehead. "Oh wait, yes I do." Tyler chuckled. "I remember you being very bendy." "Thanks," said Ruby rolling her eyes. "But can we get back to figuring out how this happened?" Tyler nodded. "Okay, You and I both agree Tyler, we didn't start this, but then how did it happen." "Well what's the last thing you remember?" "Well, you were complaining about not getting any-" "Which I can't complain about anymore." Ruby gave him an annoyed look. "Then you helped me with my hair and... then there was the lots of sex." "No, there was something before that." They both looked at each other as it dawned on them. "The brandy!" Tyler leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed the bottle. He looked at the neck of it where the wax seal was. "Look there are two different shades of red wax on the bottle. Someone opened it, and then closed it and sealed it again." Tyler opened the bottle and looked on the inside. "What can you possible put in alcohol that would make us fuck like bunnies?" Ruby snapped her fingers. "Quartz! I had an interest in learning about the Keepers of Wolf Lake, and Sherman told me what different things were for. Apparently several types of quartz kick start a Skin Walker's sex drive." "What kind of a kick start are we talking about?" "Having sex with the first person they see." "So that's what Vi meant by making us. Tactful little bitch." Ruby's eyes suddenly glowed. She headed of to the closet with a growl. "I'll kill her!!" Tyler laughed as he walked towards the liquor cabinet. "This could come in handy." He put the bottle in the cabinet and locked it, for safekeeping.

(Cut to commercial)

A/N: hehehe, well that's one way to skin a cat, if I do say so myself. Hope you liked, will be one more chapter in this Episode, and then on to Episode 13. It's good to be back