The Normal Life

By Didi

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters that are recognizable and I certainly don't own the show. Don't sue me cause all you're going to get is lent, and not much of that either.

Summary: Life is full of changes and a normal life is the least of what you can expect from the citizens of Wolf Lake.

Acknowledgement: Okay Sapphire, you were right. (I bow to the master of fan fiction.) I cannot get this thing to end. AHHH... anyone that says that writing an ending is easy is so lying through their teeth. I think I've written and rewritten this chapter like eighteen times now and I'm still not completely satisfied with it. So yes, there will be an epilogue to wrap this up. (Hopefully the epilogue will be better than this, but don't hold your breath.)

Rating: R for restricted under 17.

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-Ruby's POV-

"You're all idiots."

I'm not exactly sure who was more stunned, Vivian or Donner? Both of them seemed to have lost all power of speech as they stared at Sherman Blackstone. For the matter, none of us younger generations are doing any better. None of us knew what was going on anymore.

"It's no wonder our ancestors designated a 'Keeper' for you all. Left to your own devices, you'd run the packs to the ground." And despite the sheriff's warning, he poured himself a stiff three finger Brandy. "I mean here we are four centuries after the Great Migration, and we still haven't learned a damn thing. What the heck have I been teaching all these years? Am I the only person in that classroom day in and day out?"

In all the times that I've known Mr. Blackstone, from childhood to adulthood, through those hideously long classes he's mentioning now, I don't think I've ever seen anything but a cheery disposition on his face. Even in the most difficult of times, like when he's counseling my father on the last rites duties, he still always manages to crack at joke or two. But this, the annoyance mingled with suppressed anger, this was definitely new.

And I don't think I've ever been as afraid of him as I am right now. There was something very... frightening about this very serious side of him. I cannot get it out of my mind that this man knows everything, and I do mean everything, there is to know about me and my family, and this pack.

What he knows can destroy us. And we all know it.

"Ah hell, I should just let you do the stupid and watch the pack go down in flames. No skin off my back." He sat down again and stared moodily at the fire.

There was silence with only the crackle of fire to build the tension. John looked at me, unsure as to what to do. I shook my head, I was as lost as he was here.

My little brother cracked first. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Sophia's hand immediately went to his arm. "Luke!"

"What?" shaking off her restraining hand. Luke's face probably reflected the same frustration and impatience that I can sense in John. Youth does have some benefits, such as unrestricted capabilities to speak their minds. "It's not an unreasonable question to ask. We were invited to this meeting for a reason, and he's the reason. So why shouldn't I ask what's going on if this is going to affect me?"

"You know," Sherman said, that hint of dry amusement back in his tone. "That's probably the most sensible thing I've heard you say in a long time, young Cates."

"Sherman," Donner was back in control now, you could almost see the restraints coming on around his temper. The Alpha was not a happy man. "Why don't you stop talking in riddles and for once in your life, give me something straight." I wanted to applaud him. Maybe it was time for our Keeper to stop playing games with us. I know I'm not the only one sick of having to dance to his tunes.

"That's not my job," came the almost bored reply.

"Not your job to interfere in pack business either but you seem to have no problems doing just that."

Sherman tilted his head, almost grinning. "True."

"So let's hear it," Donner pronounced, sitting down once more to regard the older man with patient eyes. Matt Donner is one of the few men I know of that seem to have this endless capacity to for the frustratingly annoying situations. "What do you have in your infinite 'wisdom' as the Keeper of our clan that will save us all?"

The look of annoyance was back in his eyes. "Didn't you read any of the stuff I gave you? Cause I sure the hell didn't make the effort to dig them out for my own health you know."

"I said I read them."

"And did you learn anything from them besides that fact that the packs had a couple of power-hungry alpha males ruling them at the time?"

There was a silence. "I learned that the pack was depleted to less than half their number each time a Diamond Black appeared. Internal wars start with each Beta taking sides, then spreads like wildfire among the clan. It's civil war, with the winners taking control of the pack. Sometimes it's the Alpha's side. Sometimes it's the Diamond Black's side. But no one really wins in the end; the rebuilding process takes the next century or two."

I felt the bottom of my stomach drop out.

I felt more than saw John shook his head in disbelief. "Are you tell me that because I'm me, some idiot out there," pointing toward the dark window, "Is going to try to...to..." he searched for a good description for what may happen.

"Try to take my head off and stick it on a pike," Donner supplied in a less than helpful manner. He seemed almost resigned to that fate.

"I don't think so," Sophia muttered darkly. "They're so going to have to get pass me first."

"And to get to you, I'll have to get through me," Luke announced in an almost ironically cheery manner.

"And round and round we go," Blackstone sang. "Where we stop..."

"I certainly do know," John said dryly. "Anyone that tries to get to the Sheriff will have to kill me first."

"Not a chance in hell." I didn't even realize that I had said it until everyone turned to me. I could feel the animal inside fighting to get out. There was almost a hot rage in me. "I've worked too long and too hard for this to just let it go. There's another way," I looked pointedly at Blackstone. "There has to be or you won't be steering up this road."

"You always were the smart one," he smiled in that knowing matter that almost seemed to irritate my father. Dad use to say that Sherman knows too much and tells to little, which is perfectly true; but what really irritates my father was that Sherman knew more now that Dad ever well. And being a male, it chafed his ego to no end; even if didn't consciously acknowledge it.

"So why don't you enlighten us?" V said softly. I looked at her. There was something there, something I hadn't seen before. Until know, I had assumed that her infatuation of Donner was the reason she had been so against John. But look at her now, at the way her eyes seemed to glow as they watched Blackstone's every move, it hit me, my dear stepmother was terrified.

And I think that scared me more.

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-Sherman's POV-

If I weren't so damn annoyed with Donner's shortsightedness and Kanin's stubbornness, I'd be laughing my ass off. I was trained, oh way too many years ago, to not say anything to those that I observe. That's what Keepers do; we keep the history of our people so the next generation can learn from them. But I've observed, probably from the onset of things, that the pack don't learn squat. You know how sometimes you get so frustrated that you just want to beat someone's head inward with a hammer? Well.... That's me. Right now. At this very moment. And everyone single one of those guys looks pretty good to be my victim right about now.

As brilliant of member as this generation has produced, they are pretty blinded by their own ideas and histories to see beyond their noses. Or maybe it's all this turbulent emotional crap that the psychologists are always trying to shove down our throats. Whatever it is, it's just pathetic from where I'm standing. What a pity!

My mentor, may the bright lady keep his evil soul, would probably kill me if he knew what I was about to do. Koma always had a rather destructive streak in him that would probably enjoy watching our people tear themselves apart. But if I allow that to happen, I'd be making Koma a really happy dead spirit. The rebellious student in me just can't quite let that happen.

"Okay Kiddies," turning the chair so that I was facing them and throwing myself into the shadows with the fire behind me. It would be better if they couldn't read me, not that many of them can. Kanin... he was the unknown factor in this. But Kanin can be brought around if I can just grab Ruby on broad, which could be the problem cause she's young enough to rebel. Matt... he'll listen to reason if Vivian don't do something stupid. Luke and Sophia, too young to do anything about it right now but old enough to understand and weigh in. That's what I'm counting on, the young to sway the older ones. "Let's go through the last lesson a couple of you are ever going to get from me. Next time, you are on your own."

Matt, the poor hapless good guy, sighed. "Sherman, do we really have to play these games?"

"I'm the Keeper, indulge me as I have indulged you all for way too long."

"I'm gamed since I haven't ever heard anything before." John Kanin, wiser than I could ever thought possible, sat down again and took his wife's hand. "Go ahead."

The others, reluctant, but helpless to do anything else, followed suit and made themselves comfortable.

For better or worse, here we go. "Okay children, who can tell me what's so special about the White Wolf? And I'm not going to put up with half ass shit like 'they're really pretty' kind of answer."

Ruby tiled her head, her gray eyes, inherited from her sweet little Regina, flashed bright for a moment as she poked around the edges of my mind. Oh no, no, little girl; I ain't the Keeper for nothing. Her face flashed a look of pure apprehension, probably the first time she's never gotten into someone's head before; strong little bitch Ruby was. "Father drummed it in my head the minute he saw me after I flipped that Whites only come when the pack needs them the most, during wars, famines, times of great uncertainty. They are guardians, protectors of the clan."

"Ten points for Ms. Cates... er... Mrs. Kanin. Now who can tell me what's so special of Diamond Blacks?" I looked at Kanin, who stared blankly back at me. Damn Richard for staying away. John Kanin should have been raised here; where he belonged, where he could have been better prepared for what's to come.

Luke raised his hand as if he was still in the classroom. It took some doing, but I didn't laugh at him as I nodded for him to answer. "Diamond Blacks are the most powerful of the males. They say that he usually surpasses the Alpha is destined to ultimately take over a clan."

I wiggled a finger at him. "You want to quote me, do it correctly." Those blue eyes narrowed for a moment as he concentrated, I hope he didn't blow too many brain cells in the exercise.

Those brows cleared as he looked up. "Sorry. I meant: he is destined to ultimately lead a clan."

"Lead a clan?" Sophia asked, her eyes glazed over with confusion for a moment. Damn Matt for purposely keeping her out of my classes. She should know this stuff much better by now. "He becomes Alpha?"

"That's what the story says," Luke answered her quietly.

"It does not," V replied impatiently. "On more than one occasion, the Alpha's supporters manage to over take the Diamond Blacks and continue to lead as head of the clan. Being a Diamond Black does not guarantee him to be Alpha."

Hum... I always thought Vivian was too busy contemplating her next move in her climbing of her social letter to pay attention to history lessons in class. "That's very true." I nodded my head slowly. "Now what other factors play out in making Diamond Blacks special."

I could see Ruby search her memories for those numerous lessons in my class. I taught them, always to give them as much information as I can; those that want more can seek me out, as Ruby has done in the past. "Social change."

"Excuse me?" Kanin looked at his wife with curiosity.

Ruby's eyes closed as if trying to see something in her mind's eye. "Social change. History lessons are usually taught from the social, economic and political point of view. Politically, when a Diamond Blacks roll around, there really aren't any constant factors; just the usual elders against youth that generally come with revolutions, at least the ones that I vaguely remember." She squinted as if to see words and charts on a blackboard. "Economically, the packs are usually thriving when a black appears. And I mean, they're living good times when he comes along. No hunger, no famine, not hardships really."

"And socially?" Matt asked quietly but his eyes already told me he knew the answer. Matthew Donner didn't graduate at the top of his class for nothing. He knows what's coming.

"Socially," her face tightened as she remembered a lesson taught. "Socially the pack was becoming stronger. Towns would be literally taken over by the pack, from major to janitor. Humans wouldn't get the same treatment as pack members; they would become second rate. That's what usually start the youth in their rebellion."

"With a Diamond Black to lead them?" Sophia asked, her eye going from her stoic father to the hesitant Kanin. She couldn't have been more obviously nervous if she were to start sweating bullets. Poor kid.

"That's usually what happens," Ruby opened her eyes, not meeting Donner's gaze as her fingers tightened in Kanin's hand. Ouch, by the look of the white knuckles, I'm surprised Kanin didn't have any broken bones yet.

You could almost see the gears in Kanin's head turning slowly, putting together the thoughts and ideas as quickly as he could. Quite fascinating to watch really, if it weren't for the fact that I could almost feel the tension outside rising as members argue over what could be happening inside the house. "I'm not sure what the 'rebellion' was all about. But if there were too many people, splitting into two distinct political thoughts, that there are those that are straining at the reins of the old ways, why don't they just pack up and move."

"Because no one just leaves the pack, Mr. Kanin," V was more than a little livid now. Cool as a cucumber she may appear on the outside but damn if she wasn't ready to sweat blood any minute now.

"Why not?" came the expected question.

"Survival," Ruby murmured softly. "You have any idea what the world would do to us if they knew? Or if we dilute the blood enough that there is no change? The survival of our people depends on our staying together, as a pack."

"Look, I'm not saying that scattering to the four winds would have been the solution to the social problems in the past," Kanin was looking around the room, more than little surprised by the confusion on everyone's face. The man was smart, I give him that much. But then again, it could be that he didn't live in this life, learned our ways that gave him the much-needed outside perspective. Light knows I cannot give it to them as bluntly. "But come on, killing each other off cause you don't agree on certain philosophy of life isn't exactly the answer either. I mean, even the American Indians knew to let their youth go when the time came."

Matt's whole body seemed to surge upward as he straightened. "Say that again?" The light flickered in his eyes, sending a wave of raw power through the air.

I was distracted for a moment by the look of awe on Sophia's face, then by the sheer rapture on Vivian's. I swear that woman lives off of power. Luke and Ruby had the same reaction, every muscle on their body tensed in reaction to authority being projected. Too many year with the old man I suppose. Only Kanin seemed unaffected, or at least he barely registered being hit by it.

"I mean that even the American Indians knew when to siphon off some of their youth, usually the most rebellious ones that were chafing at the stability of the tribe. Why do you think there were so many tribes?" He looked around at the stunned faces that faced him. "What?"

As one, they all turned to me. I think the wholly evil grin on my face was more than enough answer for them as Matt practically collapsed on the coach with a groan. "Kanin, I knew I was going to like you from the first moment I saw you."

The end... almost.

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Okay, in case you didn't read the above and is currently cursing at me. I am writing another chapter, an epilogue of a sort to close the big gaps in this story. Yes, I too am not happy with the ending of it. Check back in two weeks, I might have it done by then.