Title: Memories and Dreams
Author: GW Katrina
Beta: Rebecca
Rating: PG-13

WARNING: This story contains character deaths! If you still read it
and whine about that, I will laugh at you. This is your warning.

Archive: Anyone who wants it. I would be ever so pleased if someone
besides me did archive it. *grins*
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Authors Notes: Just something I wrote when I saw all the smoochy
couples at work. A little sad *gets out tissues* but it'll be happy
at the end. I just can't write a completely sad story. *pouts*

Memories and Dreams

Mud.

He was covered in mud. The scent of moist earth and grass clogged
his nose, and Tommy forced open heavy eyes. Confusion crossed his
face as he stared at his surroundings. It took a few minutes for it
to register where he was.

A memory flashed.

/Merton pulled him into the small house, a blinding smile on his
face. Whenever the dark-haired boy looked this happy, Tommy couldn't
help but be happy for his friend and lover.

"What do you think?"

Looking around, Tommy let the wolf out a little, and it helped him
check out the place. It was cozy, and smelled of Merton, which both
parts liked.

"How.... Where'd this come from?" Tommy asked, awed. "How long can
we stay?"

"Tommy, it's ours."

Startled green eyes looked at Merton, who was bouncing in
place. "Okay. Lost now."

Rolling his eyes, Merton dragged his lover over the couch and pushed
him down, joining him and snuggling in. "Remember how I've collected
trophies and other little things from our various fights?" Tommy
nodded, still lost. "Well, I found someone to buy a few of them.
Then I used that money to play the stock market." Merton's grin was
mischievous. "I think all my luck was saved until I met you, Tommy.
I was really, really good at making money."

"Money?" Wait, this was starting to make sense, if Tommy could just
get his brain to focus past the 'it's ours' part of the conversation.

"A lot of money, actually." The Goth was bouncing again, and every
bounce sent interesting sensations through his werewolf
friend. "Enough that we will never have to worry about much again."

"We?" Okay, he'd gotten up to the money part of the conversation.
Now, if his mouth would just stop moving ahead of him.

"Why, but of course," purred Merton, leaning in to let his lips
brush against Tommy's ear, sending shivers down the other boy. "Your
name is on both accounts. I'll give you the things later." Leaning
back, smiling at Tommy's whine for the lost contact, Merton
smirked. "What do you think about christening this place?"

*That* Tommy caught right away. With a low growl, he pounced his
laughing lover, and they began to christen their new home on the
couch./

Shaking his head, Tommy snorted. Okay, he was at the safe house.
That didn't explain why he was covered with mud. Or why Merton
wasn't right next to him, yelling at him for making the place a mess.

Sneezing the dirt from his nose, Tommy could feel the change
happening, just a bit. Everything seemed so much clearer, even
through the stench of the muck. Taking a deep breath, Tommy froze.

He smelt death.

Most people knew that death had a smell, but only the foul one. The
smell of a person letting go of all their waste, of rotting flesh.
But wolves could smell more than that. They could smell fresh meat,
the age of the death, what had died, even how, sometimes.

There was something mixed with the death smell. Both smells were
familiar, but they had never been mixed before.

With a whine, Tommy tore through the house, following his nose. It
couldn't be. It was impossible. No, no, nononononono.

Panting, he burst outside, and slid to a stop beside a mound of
dirt. One with a crude marker, scratched into wood by claws.

Merton
Friend, Lover, Mate


Falling to his knees, Tommy tore at the dirt. This couldn't be. What
had happened?

As if called, another memory tore through him.

/"Tommy!"

Growling, Tommy struggled harder with the things that held his arms.
They only made that high pitched chittering noise and tightened
their hold, making Tommy wince. He snarled, eyes searching for where
they had taken Merton.

The whole thing had started bad. Everyone in town had gotten
together for the yearly Founders Festival, when a hole of inky
blackness has appeared over the stage. Before anyone, even he or
Merton, could react, dozens of these creatures, the same shade as
the hole, with giant wings and horse heads, had poured out of the
hole, quickly taking over the square.

Tommy didn't know how they knew who was who, but he and Merton were
quickly grabbed and taken on stage. The largest of the creatures,
decorated with red markings, had done something. It had hurt, more
than anything that had ever hit Tommy had ever hurt. When it was
done, he had wolfed out in front of the whole town.

Even though he had been outed to everyone, Tommy had fought, trying
to get to Merton, who was withering in pain as the leader touched
his head. Then he had been subdued by sheer numbers.

Now, though, Merton, his mate, had cried out his name in pain. The
wolf in Tommy snarled as it tried to find it's mate, then both froze
as a blood curdling scream broke the air. The thick coppery scent of
blood filled the area, and Tommy could hear gasps and cries from the
people who were still trapped by the creatures.

Then, with another chitter, the creatures stood back, and let Tommy
see his friend. At the sight, the sudden surge of strength he had
had allowed him to rip loose one are and snap one of his capture's
neck. They quickly subdued him again, and as he looked at Merton,
there was a satisfied expression on his face.

Tommy lunged for his mate again, whining as he took in the way
Merton was slumped on his knees, some type of strange rod shoved
through his stomach. It seemed to Tommy that the rod was the only
thing holding his friend up. And that didn't seem like it was going
to work too long.

Always pale, Merton was ghostly, and his eyes were the only color in
his face. Still, even kneeling in a pool of his own blood, Merton
looked smug, a strange smile on his bloodless lips.

"Tommy," mumbled Merton, who then paused and repeated the name,
louder. "I love you, Tommy."

"Nooo," moaned Tommy. He had seen that look once before. With
Medusa. "Don't, Merton. Whatever you're going to do...."

With his eyes rolling up into his head, Merton said three strange
words. Words that made Tommy's bones ache, and were said in a voice
that wasn't really Merton's.

The creatures screamed. Whatever had happened, this wasn't in their
game plan. Tommy struggled again, and managed to tear away this
time. Lucky for him, too, since the things burst into flames seconds
later, but he was ignoring them, racing to catch a friend who was
slumping to the side.

"Merton." He could hear the whine in his voice, the noise of a wolf
in distress, but he didn't care. "Merton, come on. Don't do this,
please?"

Merton smiled again, and Tommy forced down a wince at the sight of
those blood stained teeth. "Safe house, Tommy. Want you safe. Want
you...." Whatever Merton was about to say was cut off by a thick
hacking noise, and more blood bubbled out of his mouth, and it was
the Goth who whined this time. Blue eyes fluttered, then
shut. "Tommy, safe. Love you."

"Love you, too. Don't die, Merton."

One second he had been holding his hurt, but living, mate. The
next.... Tommy threw back his head and howled./

The howl he had let loose on the stage was echoed as Tommy let loose
another pain filled howl, then dropped, sobbing, on Merton's grave.

There were vague, hurt filled memories of getting here with the
other boy's body, and digging the hole with his own hands. Then
dragging himself into the house, collapsing just inside the door,
wanting to die. Anyway, anyhow, just so he could be with the one he
loved.

Whimpering, Tommy curled up on the dirt, and let sleep claim him
again.

TBC