Title: Primitive Eyes
Author: QueenMab
Rating: PG-13.
Disclaimer: Um… not mine. Don't sue; all you'll get is my deceitful, flesh- eating cat. Wolf Lake belongs to, uh… Viacom? Maybe. Whatever.
Feedback: Pretty Please? My insecurities as a fiction writer run deep.
Summary: Okay, begins where the evil finale (and supposedly LAST eppy) leaves off. Sophia's beginning to show signs of "wolfen" behavior.
Matt Donner flew down the 2-lane road with uncharacteristic speed. The street was deserted in the early hours of the morning, which was fortunate. Any normal care he would have had as Sheriff of Wolf Lake was pushed entirely from his mind. Heated blood raced through his veins to his heart, thumping with uncontained rage.
His daughter. His daughter! The little girl he had bandaged up when she'd fallen off her new purple bicycle. Memories of the My Little Pony band- aids swarmed through his head. He had brushed her tiny teardrops away and pet her hair soothingly for what seemed like hours. The face of Luke Cates now surfaced in his mind. The momentary tranquility vanished instantly and anger flooded back to banish any previous comfort. The sheriff applied more pressure to the pedal, causing the arrow on the speedometer to increase by twenty.
After some time he caught a trace of the scent. He would find him soon. Donner swerved off the road into the parking lot of the diner. A cloud of tan dirt showered the area as he brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop. The normally even-tempered Matt Donner was now a sight to behold as he shoved the wooden door with such force it almost flew off its hinges. His eyes glowed with rage as he repressed a snarl that had been forming in his throat.
"So. I guess you're not here for the coffee then."
Donner whipped his head around to see Sherman Blackstone sitting calmly in a booth. He continued, undisturbed in the least, to sip from a mug that read "KISS ME, I'M IRISH" in bold green letters.
"A bit early for company, but I'm willing to let you monopolize me if you ask nicely."
"Where is he?" the sheriff said in a low, barely contained voice.
"Passed by about 20 minutes ago. Didn't stop though.. he was on his way home. You probably caught a whiff of him from the woods in the back. But, you're not going after him right now cause you're having coffee," Sherman finished as Donner was half turning to stalk out the door.
"I don't have time right now," he returned, once again attempting to stomp toward the exit.
"Marie wouldn't have wanted this, ya know." Sherman said it in an unhurried voice.
The last comment gained its desired effect. Donner stopped in his tracks and exhaled with obvious irritation. "Leave her out of this," he said, his back still to Sherman.
"Why? You're not."
Donner turned slowly to face him.
Sherman continued, "This isn't about Luke."
"Oh, it's not?"
"No. This is about your daughter, and her choice."
"You mean her decision to go near that–"
"Her choice to accept her nature," Sherman cut him off.
Donner rolled his eyes. "Sherman, now is not the time."
"You know, you are as stubborn as a deaf mule sometimes. Just when do you suppose would be a more convenient time to have our discussion.. after you've torn his throat out?"
Donner's eyes flashed once.
"I'm guessing that you've also been too busy with your.. hunt.. to notice your eyes lately too, eh? Either you were suddenly overcome with envy of my sinful good looks or you're on the brink of letting a bit of your furrier side out."
"Maybe it's what I want," the sheriff responded quietly, his hands clenching at his sides, making his aggravation evident.
Sherman didn't show any reaction to his claim, but lifted his eyebrow slightly.
"Maybe," he allowed casually. "Maybe not. You sat there, bleeding to death for that promise of yours. I don't see you deciding to break it just for a tantrum."
"I might as well have, Sophia already.." he trailed off, averting his eyes to the floor.
"You didn't fail your wife, Matt. It had to be Sophia's choice. You knew that, whether you want to admit it or not. You couldn't have buried your head in the sand forever. Not you, Marie, or anything else would have been able to control this."
After a moment of letting this sink in, he added, "So you can bloody that boy all you want and it won't change a thing… well except making Sophia ticked at you for a while." Sherman chuckled softly to himself.
"So this would be you handing out your long-winded wisdom again?" the sheriff said, feeling some of the rage seep out of his body against his will.
Sherman stared at him, entirely serious expression for once. "You need to support her, comfort her…" He paused. "Or you'll end up loosing her."
Donner looked up and held his gaze for a long moment.
"But!" Sherman sighed loudly as he slapped his hands on his knees and moved to slide out of the booth. "You're having coffee so I won't spend the day bending your ear." He walked towards the kitchen. "Besides, I'm hungry. All that yacking works up a man's appetite," he muttered as he exited the room, leaving the sheriff to ponder his next actions. His previous anger had brought perfect clarity, but now that some of it was diffused he found himself uncertain.
Sherman said he could loose Sophia if he didn't try to help her through this time. But Marie.. Marie had asked one thing of him as she lay drawing her last painful gasps. He had promised to have their daughter grow up normal, a happy human child without the influence of his people. That could never be now. She couldn't leave if she'd flipped. She'd stay and become like them.
He looked up abruptly realizing he hadn't even seen if she was okay. The first transition is dangerous, especially for Sophia with only his blood giving her necessary components of the wolf DNA. Donner shook his head slowly. He had become blind with anger when he saw the difference in Sophia.. even more so when it dawned on him who had "aided" her through it. Luke's scent was swarming around her like a clinging presence. The reminder made his heart pound a little harder.
He felt a sliver of the fury start to bubble within him again. Well he couldn't just sit here. He'd go to reassure Sophia later. The Cates estate was only about 10 more miles up the road. He'd stop by to visit with the boy. He would decide then whether to snap his neck or not.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Pick up, pick up, pick up.." Sophia softly chanted in the receiver as the phone rang for the third time. After a moment a familiar voice broke in.
"Hello?" came in a sleepy voice.
"Luke?!"
"Sophia?"
"Yeah, Luke listen–"
"Couldn't last without me more than a half hour, eh?" She couldn't help hearing the smirk in his voice. "A growing boy needs his sleep, ya know."
She rolled her eyes though a smile touched her lips. "Yeah well you'll sleep real well after my father finds you. I think he's out there looking."
"What? You told him?" Luke said incredulously.
"Of course not, but I came in and he just knew."
Luke groaned audibly, realizing it was probably the new fragrance she was sportin'… him.
"Okay, thanks for the heads up. I'll go into the woods for a while or something. Maybe give him a chance to cool down." Luke held the phone in the crook of his neck as he hastily threw clothes on top of the bed to wear.
He was about to hang up with the traditional goodbyes when he heard Sophia's hesitant whisper. "Um Luke, I just wanted to tell you… before I forget or whatever.. it was nice."
Luke smiled widely and the warmth in his voice was evident when he spoke. "Damn right it was."
~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting unmoving in his truck, Donner stared up at the elegant house from the far off road. He slowly turned the key in the ignition to kill the engine, never breaking his gaze. For several moments, he simply stayed as he was as if suspended in time. He finally shifted his weight to pull out his wallet from his back pocket. A jerk of his wrist and a fold of leather flipped over to reveal the shiny badge. Running his thumb over it once in an affectionate caress, Sheriff Matt Donner detached the symbol of his power, his position, his responsibility, to place it in the glove compartment. Staring at it seconds longer, he slammed the compartment door closed and climbed out of his vehicle. Sighing resolutely and toting a grim expression, he began walking toward the Cates home.
~~~~~~~~~~
Luke jumped out his window and was preparing to take off toward the trees. He knew full well that the sheriff would be a bit peeved for a few days. He'd give him some time to remember that murder was pretty much a "don't" in his particular profession. Besides, an angry father was the last thing he was ready for this early. He needed rest after all the exhausting activities of the night. He smirked with the memory and strode away from the house.
Luke's smugness left him, along with the grass beneath him, as he was grabbed from behind and flung through the air. He landed with a heavy "thud" about 10 feet away. Panting, he struggled to get to his feet.
"We're going for a walk," he heard behind him.
Luke's eyes widened as he lifted his head to see Matt Donner approaching him calmly. Getting up quickly to put a few steps between them, Luke tried to manage his normal casual cockiness without stuttering, though it was definitely a challenge with the intimidating look he was catching. "Something wrong officer?" he dared, light laughter in his voice.
He was greeted with a fist as he received a punch that could have driven a human to unconsciousness with ease. Returned to the ground once again, he was slower to get up this time. Donner watched as Luke groaned to move into a sitting position.
"That was to make me feel better."
Luke touched his jaw tenderly and winced when he felt the painful throbbing.
"Yeah…I can see where Sophia gets her violent side from," he said remembering the pitiful condition of his windshield.
The sheriff took a threatening step closer, but Luke remained unmoving.
"So, are you here to tell me to 'stay away from your daughter'? Cause you've got to know there's no way–"
"I'm here to tell you..." Donner trailed off and began looking down at the grass for a moment as if searching for the words there. "I never really thought it'd happen." He sighed silently. "I always thought she'd be like her mother, that I wouldn't have to worry about…" He finally raised his head to lock eyes with Luke.
Luke, still on the ground, had wisely remained silent until now. "Worry about her growing up to be like you."
The sheriff sighed loudly and offered his hand. "I don't like you," he said when Luke was once again standing in front of him. "But I'm willing to tolerate your existence.. for a little while anyway." He lowered his voice to a gruff whisper, "and only for my daughter's sake." He eyed the younger man steadily, as if waiting to be provoked.
Luke tried not to show his smile. "Well thank you for being so considerate."
When he saw that the restraint behind Donner's eyes was close to collapsing he was quick to add, "Look, nothing's going to happen to Sophia. I.. care about her." Luke had been bowing his head for the latter part of the statement, as if examining his own thoughts for their authenticity. He nodded at his own words before looking up again to see the sheriff watching him.
With a hard expression, Donner replied in tone of complete sincerity. "I want you to know, if you hurt her and I do mean in the smallest way... you cause her pain and we'll do this again. You just won't be getting up next time."
Luke held the intent gaze he was getting without flinching and showed his agreement with a slight nod.
~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Sorry for the low Luke/Sophia action this chapter, but I had to get this part out of the way first. =)
Author: QueenMab
Rating: PG-13.
Disclaimer: Um… not mine. Don't sue; all you'll get is my deceitful, flesh- eating cat. Wolf Lake belongs to, uh… Viacom? Maybe. Whatever.
Feedback: Pretty Please? My insecurities as a fiction writer run deep.
Summary: Okay, begins where the evil finale (and supposedly LAST eppy) leaves off. Sophia's beginning to show signs of "wolfen" behavior.
Matt Donner flew down the 2-lane road with uncharacteristic speed. The street was deserted in the early hours of the morning, which was fortunate. Any normal care he would have had as Sheriff of Wolf Lake was pushed entirely from his mind. Heated blood raced through his veins to his heart, thumping with uncontained rage.
His daughter. His daughter! The little girl he had bandaged up when she'd fallen off her new purple bicycle. Memories of the My Little Pony band- aids swarmed through his head. He had brushed her tiny teardrops away and pet her hair soothingly for what seemed like hours. The face of Luke Cates now surfaced in his mind. The momentary tranquility vanished instantly and anger flooded back to banish any previous comfort. The sheriff applied more pressure to the pedal, causing the arrow on the speedometer to increase by twenty.
After some time he caught a trace of the scent. He would find him soon. Donner swerved off the road into the parking lot of the diner. A cloud of tan dirt showered the area as he brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop. The normally even-tempered Matt Donner was now a sight to behold as he shoved the wooden door with such force it almost flew off its hinges. His eyes glowed with rage as he repressed a snarl that had been forming in his throat.
"So. I guess you're not here for the coffee then."
Donner whipped his head around to see Sherman Blackstone sitting calmly in a booth. He continued, undisturbed in the least, to sip from a mug that read "KISS ME, I'M IRISH" in bold green letters.
"A bit early for company, but I'm willing to let you monopolize me if you ask nicely."
"Where is he?" the sheriff said in a low, barely contained voice.
"Passed by about 20 minutes ago. Didn't stop though.. he was on his way home. You probably caught a whiff of him from the woods in the back. But, you're not going after him right now cause you're having coffee," Sherman finished as Donner was half turning to stalk out the door.
"I don't have time right now," he returned, once again attempting to stomp toward the exit.
"Marie wouldn't have wanted this, ya know." Sherman said it in an unhurried voice.
The last comment gained its desired effect. Donner stopped in his tracks and exhaled with obvious irritation. "Leave her out of this," he said, his back still to Sherman.
"Why? You're not."
Donner turned slowly to face him.
Sherman continued, "This isn't about Luke."
"Oh, it's not?"
"No. This is about your daughter, and her choice."
"You mean her decision to go near that–"
"Her choice to accept her nature," Sherman cut him off.
Donner rolled his eyes. "Sherman, now is not the time."
"You know, you are as stubborn as a deaf mule sometimes. Just when do you suppose would be a more convenient time to have our discussion.. after you've torn his throat out?"
Donner's eyes flashed once.
"I'm guessing that you've also been too busy with your.. hunt.. to notice your eyes lately too, eh? Either you were suddenly overcome with envy of my sinful good looks or you're on the brink of letting a bit of your furrier side out."
"Maybe it's what I want," the sheriff responded quietly, his hands clenching at his sides, making his aggravation evident.
Sherman didn't show any reaction to his claim, but lifted his eyebrow slightly.
"Maybe," he allowed casually. "Maybe not. You sat there, bleeding to death for that promise of yours. I don't see you deciding to break it just for a tantrum."
"I might as well have, Sophia already.." he trailed off, averting his eyes to the floor.
"You didn't fail your wife, Matt. It had to be Sophia's choice. You knew that, whether you want to admit it or not. You couldn't have buried your head in the sand forever. Not you, Marie, or anything else would have been able to control this."
After a moment of letting this sink in, he added, "So you can bloody that boy all you want and it won't change a thing… well except making Sophia ticked at you for a while." Sherman chuckled softly to himself.
"So this would be you handing out your long-winded wisdom again?" the sheriff said, feeling some of the rage seep out of his body against his will.
Sherman stared at him, entirely serious expression for once. "You need to support her, comfort her…" He paused. "Or you'll end up loosing her."
Donner looked up and held his gaze for a long moment.
"But!" Sherman sighed loudly as he slapped his hands on his knees and moved to slide out of the booth. "You're having coffee so I won't spend the day bending your ear." He walked towards the kitchen. "Besides, I'm hungry. All that yacking works up a man's appetite," he muttered as he exited the room, leaving the sheriff to ponder his next actions. His previous anger had brought perfect clarity, but now that some of it was diffused he found himself uncertain.
Sherman said he could loose Sophia if he didn't try to help her through this time. But Marie.. Marie had asked one thing of him as she lay drawing her last painful gasps. He had promised to have their daughter grow up normal, a happy human child without the influence of his people. That could never be now. She couldn't leave if she'd flipped. She'd stay and become like them.
He looked up abruptly realizing he hadn't even seen if she was okay. The first transition is dangerous, especially for Sophia with only his blood giving her necessary components of the wolf DNA. Donner shook his head slowly. He had become blind with anger when he saw the difference in Sophia.. even more so when it dawned on him who had "aided" her through it. Luke's scent was swarming around her like a clinging presence. The reminder made his heart pound a little harder.
He felt a sliver of the fury start to bubble within him again. Well he couldn't just sit here. He'd go to reassure Sophia later. The Cates estate was only about 10 more miles up the road. He'd stop by to visit with the boy. He would decide then whether to snap his neck or not.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Pick up, pick up, pick up.." Sophia softly chanted in the receiver as the phone rang for the third time. After a moment a familiar voice broke in.
"Hello?" came in a sleepy voice.
"Luke?!"
"Sophia?"
"Yeah, Luke listen–"
"Couldn't last without me more than a half hour, eh?" She couldn't help hearing the smirk in his voice. "A growing boy needs his sleep, ya know."
She rolled her eyes though a smile touched her lips. "Yeah well you'll sleep real well after my father finds you. I think he's out there looking."
"What? You told him?" Luke said incredulously.
"Of course not, but I came in and he just knew."
Luke groaned audibly, realizing it was probably the new fragrance she was sportin'… him.
"Okay, thanks for the heads up. I'll go into the woods for a while or something. Maybe give him a chance to cool down." Luke held the phone in the crook of his neck as he hastily threw clothes on top of the bed to wear.
He was about to hang up with the traditional goodbyes when he heard Sophia's hesitant whisper. "Um Luke, I just wanted to tell you… before I forget or whatever.. it was nice."
Luke smiled widely and the warmth in his voice was evident when he spoke. "Damn right it was."
~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting unmoving in his truck, Donner stared up at the elegant house from the far off road. He slowly turned the key in the ignition to kill the engine, never breaking his gaze. For several moments, he simply stayed as he was as if suspended in time. He finally shifted his weight to pull out his wallet from his back pocket. A jerk of his wrist and a fold of leather flipped over to reveal the shiny badge. Running his thumb over it once in an affectionate caress, Sheriff Matt Donner detached the symbol of his power, his position, his responsibility, to place it in the glove compartment. Staring at it seconds longer, he slammed the compartment door closed and climbed out of his vehicle. Sighing resolutely and toting a grim expression, he began walking toward the Cates home.
~~~~~~~~~~
Luke jumped out his window and was preparing to take off toward the trees. He knew full well that the sheriff would be a bit peeved for a few days. He'd give him some time to remember that murder was pretty much a "don't" in his particular profession. Besides, an angry father was the last thing he was ready for this early. He needed rest after all the exhausting activities of the night. He smirked with the memory and strode away from the house.
Luke's smugness left him, along with the grass beneath him, as he was grabbed from behind and flung through the air. He landed with a heavy "thud" about 10 feet away. Panting, he struggled to get to his feet.
"We're going for a walk," he heard behind him.
Luke's eyes widened as he lifted his head to see Matt Donner approaching him calmly. Getting up quickly to put a few steps between them, Luke tried to manage his normal casual cockiness without stuttering, though it was definitely a challenge with the intimidating look he was catching. "Something wrong officer?" he dared, light laughter in his voice.
He was greeted with a fist as he received a punch that could have driven a human to unconsciousness with ease. Returned to the ground once again, he was slower to get up this time. Donner watched as Luke groaned to move into a sitting position.
"That was to make me feel better."
Luke touched his jaw tenderly and winced when he felt the painful throbbing.
"Yeah…I can see where Sophia gets her violent side from," he said remembering the pitiful condition of his windshield.
The sheriff took a threatening step closer, but Luke remained unmoving.
"So, are you here to tell me to 'stay away from your daughter'? Cause you've got to know there's no way–"
"I'm here to tell you..." Donner trailed off and began looking down at the grass for a moment as if searching for the words there. "I never really thought it'd happen." He sighed silently. "I always thought she'd be like her mother, that I wouldn't have to worry about…" He finally raised his head to lock eyes with Luke.
Luke, still on the ground, had wisely remained silent until now. "Worry about her growing up to be like you."
The sheriff sighed loudly and offered his hand. "I don't like you," he said when Luke was once again standing in front of him. "But I'm willing to tolerate your existence.. for a little while anyway." He lowered his voice to a gruff whisper, "and only for my daughter's sake." He eyed the younger man steadily, as if waiting to be provoked.
Luke tried not to show his smile. "Well thank you for being so considerate."
When he saw that the restraint behind Donner's eyes was close to collapsing he was quick to add, "Look, nothing's going to happen to Sophia. I.. care about her." Luke had been bowing his head for the latter part of the statement, as if examining his own thoughts for their authenticity. He nodded at his own words before looking up again to see the sheriff watching him.
With a hard expression, Donner replied in tone of complete sincerity. "I want you to know, if you hurt her and I do mean in the smallest way... you cause her pain and we'll do this again. You just won't be getting up next time."
Luke held the intent gaze he was getting without flinching and showed his agreement with a slight nod.
~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Sorry for the low Luke/Sophia action this chapter, but I had to get this part out of the way first. =)