Connor turned to leave his father's room when he heard something panting. He turned quickly back around and, sniffing the air, walked slowly toward the bed. Whatever was making the panting noise was under there. His hand went for his dagger, and he dropped down on his stomach and flipped the bedclothes back. It was dark under there, and it took him a minute for his eyes to adjust.
From the sounds it was making, he thought it was one of the puppies but was not taking any chances. "Here, boy," he called and clicked his fingers. He could hear something crawling toward him slowly. "I won't hurt you. Come here, boy." He made kissing noises to lure the puppy closer.
When the animal stuck its head out from under the bed, Connor almost stroked. It wasn't a puppy but a kitten! He reached out and pulled the kitten the rest of the way out from under the bed. "Easy, boy. Nobody's going to hurt you," he said, stroking the kitten gently on his head. "I know somebody who'll be very glad to see you."
Cradling the kitten, he got up, put his dagger back in its sheathe, and headed back to Zora's room. Now he had an excuse to see her again. "Zora?" he called as he knocked on the door. "I found something."
Zora had still been crying when she heard Connor calling. "Connor . . . ?" she returned through a daze. "Wha . . . ?"
"Open the door, Zora. I've got a surprise for you."
Though she wondered if she could handle any more surprises at that moment, Zora did get to her feet. The sound of her boots walking across the floor echoed in the room as the cubs remained quiet, their big eyes watching her worriedly. She opened the door and stepped back but did not look at him; she did not want him to know she'd been crying.
"I went to check on my Father, but he wasn't there. Some one else was." He held the kitten out toward Zora. "He's making some weird sounds. He might be sick, because he's panting like a puppy."
"A puppy?" she repeated questioningly, her red eyes darting up at his for a moment. She looked back down at the kitten and tentatively touched a finger to his nose. "He's not running a temperature." She ran her hand over the kitten's head, scratching him gently, as she asked, "What's the matter, fella?"
It was then that the kitten caught sight of the cubs in the corner and barked. Connor was so surprised that he almost dropped him. "See! I told you something was weird with this cat!" he commented.
Zora's hand was paused in the air as she studied him. "I don't know," she admitted. "I've seen a lot of weird things, but nothing ever like this. Well, not a kitten barking, but . . . Sometimes, animals will get to thinking that they're a member of a different species. Might be his problem."
Connor set the kitten on the floor and watched as it padded over to where the cubs were. He stayed alert in case the cubs decided that this new cat was a toy, but he needn't have worried. The kitten sniffed the male cub, barked again, and then wagged his tail. "Are you sure that's a cat?" Connor asked Zora.
"Connor, look at him. He looks like a cat to me. Smells like one too."
Connor scooped the kitten up again and mashed its front paw so that its claws came out. "And it's got claws, too!" he exclaimed.
Zora had walked over with Connor. "It's the weirdest thing," she spoke, watching him intently. It was then that the kitten barked again, and its tongue lolled out of its sideways-tilted mouth. "Cute though."
Again, Connor held the kitten out toward Zora. "We could ask the others when we go to breakfast if they've ever seen anything like it. They won't believe us until they see him for their selves."
Zora had been about to reach for the offered kitten when Connor spoke; she sat down on the bed instead. "They won't believe it. That's for sure, but . . . " She sighed. "I'm not going to breakfast, Connor."
"Zora, you need to eat. I know you're upset, but you have to keep your strength up. I'd like to make a suggestion to you, but I don't know how you'd take it. How is your nose for scents?"
"Damn fine tracker." She peered curiously up at him from underneath a lock of blonde hair that had fallen into her face. "Why?"
"Did you know that you could sense when some one's lying to you? Their heart rate goes up, and they perspire more heavily."
"It's in their scent too," she agreed. "Their increased nervousness changes their scent." She shook her head. "But I never smelled it on Vang or Sebastian before."
"But you could smell it on others if they were lying. That way you could protect yourself. I don't know why you didn't smell it on Sebastian and Vang before, but you might now. I can smell it. I could help you to tell if they were lying to you. Please don't shut yourself up in here. Come to breakfast with me."
He seemed to actually care about her though he hardly knew her, and that surprised her. He'd already gotten a gigantic hint at how screwed-up her life was yet he still cared. His words also got her to thinking. "Maybe I didn't smell it before 'cause I was blinded by trust." She pressed her lips together, thinking as her eyes darted back toward the cubs. "And they haven't had anything to drink this morning." She looked back up at Connor. Of all the people in this insane place, he was the one that she had the littlest reason to doubt. In fact, she had no reason to doubt him. "All right," she spoke at last with a nod. "I'll come, but let me . . . freshen up a bit first." She needed to get rid of the stains of her tears.
Connor had put the kitten back on the floor, and he was now waiting on Zora and watching the kitten who was picking its way gingerly through the glass. He knew Zora was cut because he had smelled the blood on her, but he didn't want to make mention of it as he feared it would upset her more. He set about trying to straighten what was left of the room while he waited on her.
He heard the kitten slapping at something and turned to look to find out what the kitten was playing with. It turned out to be the necklace he had seen Katrina give Zora. He took it and very carefully laid it on the table beside the bed, still wishing he knew what was in it. He knew Zora had not opened it but had merely thrown it. By the time she had returned to the room, he had managed to get most of the glass out of the floor and into the trash basket.
Zora paused as she exited the bathroom and was met by the sight of the far cleaner room. "Guess I wasn't thinking my clearest," she admitted with a sheepish grin.
"We usually don't when we're angry or hurt," Connor told her. "Did you take care of your wounds or do you need help?" He smiled at her.
She did not tell him that she had not even noticed the cuts until she'd started to wash up and the water had hit them. Instead, she rose her hands and turned them so that he could see that the cuts had completely vanished. "Just a quick morph," she explained.
"That still surprises me," Connor told her. "I've never been around any one who could change at will. Is it only cats that you can morph?"
"Yeah," she answered with a nod. "I still don't know how I do it, but I can take the form of any cat."
Connor picked up the pan and carried it into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he came out with it full of water for the cubs. He set it down beside them, and they started lapping it immediately. "Maybe . . . when you feel better, Katrina might could tell you how you are able to do that?"
"Maybe," she agreed. "I don't want to know any more, but I still need to know." It hurt to admit it, but she knew she had to face the truth. She turned, her eyes scanning the room for the locket.
"Are you ready to go?" Connor asked her.
"In a minute," she replied as she spied the locket where he'd put it. She walked over to it and picked it up from the dresser. She took a deep breath as her fingers thoughtfully caressed the gold.
"Have you looked inside?" Connor queried. He knew that if it had been his, he would have already looked.
"Not yet," she answered. Her shoulders squared, and her stature stiffened. Finally, she opened the locket . . . and found herself gazing into a pair of eyes that mirrored her own.
"Who's the guy?" Connor asked as he looked over her shoulder. "Your mother looks just like you except that she was a tigerwoman!" Connor had already seen her in tiger form, so he mentally compared the two.
"I don't kno -- " Zora stopped in mid-word. She had peered closer at the picture of the man, and her fingers trembled as she recognized his eyes and the pattern of his stripes. "Gods!" she breathed shakily. "It's Vang!"
"Are you sure?" Connor questioned as he, too, looked at the male's picture.
"The eyes," she told him, "and the stripe pattern. They're exactly the same as his."
"He said he loved your mother. Maybe it was more?" He looked at Zora. "Maybe that's what he was afraid of you finding out?"
Zora's hand shook even as she snapped the locket shut. "I don't know," she admitted, "but I'm going . . . to have to find out." She turned her face so that her eyes looked into his. "Are you . . . You don't have to go through this, you know."
"But, Zora, I want to go through it with you! You're very important to me, and I want to be there with you if you'll let me be!"
His words astounded her and touched something deep within her heart at the same time. "Thank you, Connor."
"Would you like for me to put it on you?" he offered, referring to the necklace.
Her fingers ran over the gold. "No . . . Not now any way. I'm not ready yet."
He changed the subject immediately. "Well, then, are you ready for breakfast? We can bring the cubs back some more food after breakfast."
She nodded. "Yeah, and you know, your fella might not have had anything yet either." She looked toward the cat and meowed.
The kitten looked at the girl and barked.
"Language problem," Connor asked, "or can you understand him?"
She nodded. "He had a mouse, but he's still got room." She looked back at Connor. "I don't know if it's because of the catblood or my training, but I can understand him even though he's barking."
"What's his name?" Connor requested.
She looked back at the kitten and meowed inquisitively. At his answering bark, she turned back to Connor with a grin. "Woofy."
"Woofy? Good name for you, boy," Connor said as he reached out and stroked the kitten again. "We'll bring you something to eat."
Woofy bounded on the bed, circled three times, and then laid down. "I wonder just how much cat there is and how much dog?" Connor asked with a laugh. "Nobody's gonna believe this!" He walked over and opened the door. "Shall we go?" he invited and waited for her to exit.
Zora walked out with Connor, but even as she did so, she told him, "The others won't believe it until they meet him, but I can think of a couple who would."
"Who are you thinking about?" Connor wanted to know.
"Friends I had back in Tortuga. Ace and Kat. They ran the refuge that my Father and I were part of. Both talked to animals and cared for them more than they did for humans. Hell, Kat didn't even like humans, and Ace liked them just enough to annoy them."
"Sounds like great people! I'd like to meet them some day," he said with a grin.
"Maybe you can," she replied, "if we can get off this damn island. Might oughta warn ya, though. I've never even heard of anybody else like them."
"I know a lot of people like that," Connor told her. "One of a kind jewels! They make your life a lot richer just for the knowing of them."
"I don't know about that. Kat's a pyrokinetic, meaning she controls fire, and Ace . . . Well, I think he must use sorcery. He can get any animal to do whatever he wants, and I once even saw him pull a monkey out of a man's ass!"
"Damn! What!" Connor roared. "How in the Hell did he do that! Didn't it kill the man?"
Zora couldn't help laughing. "I don't know how either of them did it, but the man lived through it -- and became a monk!"
"Probably spent the rest of his life scared to death! I'd still like to meet them!" They had reached the dining room, and Connor walked around to the side of the table, pulled a chair out for Zora, and waited for her to sit down so he could seat her.
Zora had followed him around the table but hesitated when she saw him pull a chair out for her. She looked at the chair, then at him, and finally back to the chair. "What the Hell?" She sat.
Connor slid her under the table and then took a seat beside her. He saw his father sitting across the table from him with Smee and then looked at the opposite end and saw that the Captain had taken a seat. He looked all around, but he didn't see his brother. "Figures," he muttered under his breath. "He must be off doing his duty again. I'm not going to look for him!"
Chong was busy with last minute details, carrying stuff to the dining room. Lorne and Crys were preparing the drinks. They filled the mugs with Crys' snow and Chong's fruit and coconut juices according to the orders they'd already taken. As soon as a tray was filled, Lorne carried it in and sat it in the middle of the table. He figured the others could tell which juices they wanted. Hands reached out, quickly snatching the drinks. Lorne returned for another tray.
Jack looked around the table. They were missing people. Angel and Cordy had yet to make their appearance. Frederic was missing, and so was Dawn. Delvira was not there, but he recalled her saying that she was not going to eat. He'd just call her for the meeting after breakfast. He was about to send some one to check on Angel and Cordy when they made their appearance to let them know they weren't coming to breakfast. Jack informed them that there would be a very important meeting after breakfast and for them to be listening when he called.
Cordy looked up at Angel. "Guess the training will have to wait for a bit yet."
"Do you feel up to it, sunshine?" He looked into her eyes and was happy to see that they were shining. "That will be good exercise for both of us. I'm looking forward to it."
She smiled. "So am I." She looked back at the table and tried to remember which one was Brendan. "The one sitting on Jack's other side," she whispered to Angel. "Not Will but the other one. Is that Brendan?"
"Yes, sweetheart, it is," Angel told her.
"Brendan?" Cordelia called to him.
Brendan did not react until Jack gently elbowed him. His head then looked up. "Huh? What?"
Cordelia smiled at him. "Thank you for the medicine. That drinks tastes absolutely horrible, but it works wonders!"
He grinned and nodded. "You're welcome, miss."
As a few minutes had elapsed and still Frederic and Dawn had not made appearances, Jack looked at Faith. "Faith, would you go and see if you could find Dawn and Frederic?" He could not imagine that the two would be seeing much in each other yet neither had put in an appearance.
"I'll see about the girl," Faith replied, scooting her chair back and standing, "but the boy can rot in Hell for all I care." She walked away from the table with a sway to her hips.
Dawson watched her walk away but did not go with her. She had not asked for him to come, so he figured he'd best just sit still and wait for her to return.
"The boi should be in his room," James told Samuel. "We shall see if he will come."
"Maybe I should go see about him?"
James shook his head and replied, "Give him time. The more we run after him, the less he's doing for himself. He's not locked in, so he should be able to come if he truly wants to."
Smee nodded.
It did not take long for Faith to find Dawn, but when she did, her location surprised her. "Got the bastard trapped, huh?" Faith asked her with a glance at Frederic's door.
Dawn looked up from where she sat with her chair pressed against his door. "Yup. I'm not about to let him out so that he can try to kill any of you!"
"Try would be all he'd get," Faith told her. "Then he'd get his balls handed to him."
Dawn blushed at her blatant words yet could not help smiling. She had always admired Faith's ways.
Listening from the other side of his door, Frederic clenched his fist in rage but dared not make a sound. He had tried to come out earlier only to be stopped by a stupid girl sitting in a chair and blocking the door. Now it sounded as though she had a dangerous woman out there who thought she could beat him. He didn't know if she could or not, but he didn't want to find out the hard way and he definitely didn't want her getting his balls! That's all he needed -- to have to be an eunuch! It was bad enough getting laughed at when he was a normal guy just trying to do his duty that no one wanted him to get done! "It's not fair!" he muttered to himself even as he continued listening at the door.
"But you're late for breakfast," Faith commented. "Why don't ya leave your chair there and come eat? He can't get out of there with it against the door, and nobody's coming for his duty-bound ass."
Dawn's smile grew. "All right." She got to her feet but had to rush to catch up to and then keep up with Faith. She saw the dining room coming into view and thought she'd best grab her chance while she had it. "Faith . . . can I ask you something?"
Faith shrugged. "Shoot."
"Could you . . . I mean, would you . . . " Faith looked at her, and Dawn could tell she was losing her patience. "Would you teach me?" she asked her in a rush. "To be a Pirate, I mean? To be like you so that I could put that boy in his place and keep him there?"
Faith stopped walking and looked at Dawn. She couldn't help feeling for the girl for she knew her background was not that much different from a part of her own life.
Dawn squirmed under Faith's scrutizing gaze. "I . . . I've always admired you!" she admitted. "You always put Buffy in her place! You always put everybody in their place, and you're so brave and . . . "
"Don't try complimenting me, girl," Faith snapped to which Dawn cringed. Faith let up when she saw Dawn's reaction and smiled. "Keep your sucking up to yourself, and I'll teach ya but I won't be easy on you."
"I don't want you to be."
Frederic continued to listen and could tell that the girls were walking away as their voices were fading. Soon as he couldn't hear them any longer, he tried the door again. It just wouldn't budge. Frederic was desperate! He wanted out, and he wanted breakfast! He could smell it, and its delicious smells made his stomach rumble even more. Giving up in desperation, he began to bang on the door, hoping some one would hear him and let him out.
Faith nodded. "Good 'cause you're gonna be getting your butt handed to you a lot." Without another word, she walked into the dining room. "Found the girl. Didn't see the boy."
Jack looked at Faith who grinned back. He didn't know what she'd done to the boy, but he knew he wouldn't be coming to breakfast. He returned his attention to his food. Faith just wouldn't do anything she didn't want to do, no matter who asked her! He'd be surprised if the boy wasn't buried.
When Jack returned his attention to his food, Faith appeared to return hers to her plate, as well. However, she slipped a sweet roll under the table to Salem. She felt him take it from her fingers, but once her hand was empty, reached over to knead Dawson's leg.
Dawson grinned but did not make any other outward signs that Faith was messing with him. He didn't want all eyes turned on him.
Once the drinks were made, Lorne looked at Crys. "Are we ready to join the others?"
"Almost, sweetheart. Why don't you go ahead and take these out there and I'll join you in a bit?" Before he could voice the worry she knew was probably plaguing him, she explained, "I need to go down to the basement first."
"Vampire drinks?" Lorne asked. "I'll come back and help you. I don't want you going down there by yourself." He carried the drinks to the table and was back before she and her babies could take two paces that way. He looked around for a container and spied a pitcher. "Will this do to carry the blood?" he asked her.
She glanced at the pitcher and nodded. "I don't see why not. It holds liquid, and that's all blood really is."
Even as Jack slowly ate his breakfast, his eyes roamed the group. There were still people missing. Frederic had still not come to the table, but Jack really didn't expect him. He'd look for the boy after he finished his meal if he had not shown up. Lorne and Crys were also missing, but he knew they'd be there after they finished the drinks.
His eyes came to rest on Doctor Doom and Fred who appeared to be eating at lightning speed. He figured they were probably just trying to get back in their room so they could play around some more. He glanced sideways at Will. Might not be a bad idea. In fact, the more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded, but there was that meeting they had to get through. Then the day would be well on its way. Could he figure a way to get Will back to the room any way?
His eyes traveled to the end of the table where he could see one of Hook's boys sitting with a blonde girl. There was something familiar about the girl, but he couldn't place her and had not been able to see her face yet, because every time his eyes had gone to the couple, she had been looking at her plate. This time, he got lucky as she was staring straight at him through familiar eyes. It can't be! he thought. How long has it been since I saw her? He cleared his throat before speaking. "You look familiar. You aren't . . . Zora Sheridan, by chance, are you?"
Her wild, green eyes continued to gaze straight into his eyes. "As a matter of fact, Captain . . . I am." She smiled sadly. "It's good to see ya, Jack."
"The last time I saw you, Zora, you were . . . " he held his hand out, " . . . only this big! You've turned into quite the lovely young woman. I'm sorry about your father. He was a good man, a loyal friend, and a heckuva fighter, and I'll miss him."
A voice rumbled from behind Jack's side of the table. "We all do."
"Hello, Vang!" Jack greeted him and turned to face him. "When did you . . . " he lowered his voice to a whisper, knowing that the great cat could hear him even though only Will and Brendan could hear his actual words. " . . . start talking human?"
Vang licked a paw. "I have been for a long time, Jack. The English language is rather well known . . . " His haunted eyes met the Captain's. " . . . even in Alderberan."
"She knows?" Jack whispered.
"She found out today."
"You're in the cathouse now! If I can help, old friend, let me know." He patted Vang on his massive shoulder before turning his eyes back on Zora, still listening for Vang.
Zora had not needed to eavesdrop in order to know what Jack's and Vang's whispered conversation had been about. She stared straight into Jack's eyes again as she asked him, "Did you know?"
"What?" Jack pretended innocence. "About your father?"
Zora laid her fork down even as her eyes flashed. "No. You know what about, Jack. Don't play games with me, and don't try to lie to me. I'm sick of that crap."
"I've never lied to you, Zora. I don't know anything about what your problems are except what Vang just told me, but if I can help, I will."
She nodded but did not answer him verbally. At least he had not been lying to her, she thought as she turned back to her food.
Jack's mind wondered back in time to a conversation he had had with Zora's father and a map he had seen once. He had been amazed, because it was the first time he had ever seen a solar map and didn't know they made such things. He couldn't read, so he could not tell what the planet names were. Before that, he had not even known that there were planets out there.
He could see the map in his mind and wondered what became of it. It was a rare treasure. He had felt that his friend would not have parted with it or he would have made an offer for it. Jack loved to collect rare treasures, but he didn't show them off. He kept them all stored safely in Sparrow's cave. He wished the map was there now but feared that it had been destroyed.
He turned his attention back to Will. He felt at a loss. Everything seemed to be just out of his grasp, and he felt as though he was drowning. He reached out a shaky hand and touched Will's leg.
Since discovering that there was a tiger sitting directly behind him, Will had not even touched another bite of his food. He had been staring straight at his plate instead and nearly jumped when something touched his leg. He relaxed as he realized that it was Jack, however, and reached a hand down to his. He reassuringly placed his hand over Jack's as his eyes turned toward him.
Jack did not know why Will was so pale. He whispered, "Are you okay?"
Will nodded but stuttered out a hushed response, "Th-Th-Th-The-There's a-a-a-a-a t-t-t-ti-ti-ti-ti-tig-tiger b-b-b-b-be-beh-behind u-u-us!"
Brendan couldn't help but to hear the lads' whispered conversation as he sat on Jack's other side. Despite the troubles that plagued his mind, he grinned at Will's whispered words. The poor boy had so much he was going to have to get used to!
"He's a friend," Jack whispered to Will. "His name is Vang. He will not hurt you. I'll introduce you to him. Vang?"
Vang also had heard their conversation. He smiled reassuringly at Will as he stood and padded over. "I'm not going to eat you, boy," he whispered to him, "and any friend of Jack is a friend of mine. If you ever need a claw, I'll be there for you."
Jack whispered back to Vang, "Vang, Will is more than a friend. He's my soul mate."
Vang purred. "I'm happy for you two then."
Will gazed down at the tiger with big eyes. "You . . . You're a tiger! How . . . How are you talking!"
Vang sighed and hung his head. "I . . . I'm more than a tiger. As you're Jack's beloved, it shouldn't hurt for you to know, but keep this to yourself, gentlemen. I was once . . . a man."
Will clasped a hand over his mouth. This was just too much for him!
Jack squeezed Will's leg reassuringly even as he answered Vang, "Your secret's safe with us, Vang. I had often suspected it, but there has never been any proof. We will talk more after the meeting. Maybe we can figure out a way to help you with your problem?"
"There is none," Vang told him. "The only person who could have lifted the curse died a long time ago."
Will finally spoke back up. "Are you like Salem," he queried, "or like the catpeople?"
Vang smiled up at him though his heart was certainly not in it, and the smile was only meant as reassurance for the boy. "I am . . . I was a tigerman," he explained, "from Alderberan like the others."
It was all making sense to Jack now. Things he had only guessed about in the past Vang had now confirmed. "How does Zora fit into this?"
"Her mother was Katrina's and Celina's cousin and . . . "
"Oh my Gods! No wonder you've got problems!" He remembered back to when Zora was a little girl and he had visited her father. She was headstrong even then and had stayed hidden but followed him persistently. He had known she was there, and although her father had told her to stop following him so much, she just hid herself more but continued to follow. There had been times when he'd looked directly in the area he'd thought she had been hiding in, but he had only ever found a cat. Now it was all fitting together. Zora had been the cat, hiding in plain view! He had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "Thanks, Vang. We'll talk more after the meeting." He slipped a plate of pancakes and muffins directly behind him on the floor. "Eat up, old friend."
"Thanks," Vang purred up to him. As he started to eat, a crab scuttled forward from the shadows. "Help yourself," Vang offered.
"Don't mind if I do, mon," Sebastian replied as he picked up a muffin with his left claw.
"If you need more, let me know," Jack whispered down to him. He grinned down the table at Zora.
Zora had been trying to summon her courage to speak to Katrina when she caught Jack's grin. She rose an eyebrow at him. Just what the Hell had Vang told him this time! She growled under her breath. Oh sure, he'd let her wait until the truth was no longer avoidable before telling her, but let Jack pop back into the picture, and his mouth ran nonstop!
Connor turned back to look at Zora when she growled. "Everything okay?"
"Tiger with a big mouth," she whispered. "Look at Sparrow down there."
Connor couldn't help but to notice the grin on Jack's face. "What's that all about?" he whispered to Zora.
"Vang's filling him in! He waits all this time to tell me, but he's shooting his mouth right off to Jack!"
"You don't know that's what he's telling Jack. Maybe he told a joke?"
She shook her head. "I overheard a bit of it earlier. Cat ears, remember?"
"I have Vamp ears, but I didn't hear that. Too many other conversations."
"You weren't paying attention to them. I was."
"I'm sure they'll tell you whatever it is right after breakfast," he reassured her.
Zora sighed. "That reminds me . . . " She had whispered those words and let the sentence trail off, but now she called out aloud though her eyes returned to her plate and did not leave it again. "Katrina?"
Katrina smiled at Zora. "Yes?"
"Hum . . . After breakfast, I'd . . . huh . . . like to . . . talk to you guys . . . "
"Not right after breakfast, my dear, but after the meeting." She didn't know if Zora had heard Jack call a meeting but knew that every one had to be present. "The Captain has called a meeting for right after breakfast. Probably to discuss the battle this morning and what we need to do." Katrina really had no clue as to why Jack was calling the meeting.
"Let me know when you're done in there then."
"No, it's for all of us. Every one present in the house. That includes you. He'll announce again as people are finishing eating."
"Every one in the house or every one in his crew?"
"Every one in the house."
Zora nodded and fell silent except for a quiet muttering between clenched teeth. "Great." Though she had once admired Jack, she was now loathe to be around him again.
Jack had been about to make the announcement again about the meeting even though Crys and Lorne had yet to put in an appearance when he heard a clicking sound behind Will's chair. He turned his eyes to look at Donkey. "Psst. Will!"
Will stayed facing his plate but whispered back, "Donkey?"
"I need to talk to you about a girl."
"A girl?"
"Well, at least, a girl wolf!"
Will finally turned to look at him. "Donkey," he whispered, "what in the heck are you talking about?"
"I think I'm in love, Will, but she's a wolf and I'm a donkey! What do I do?"
"I'm not any good at talks like that," Will whispered to him, "but I know who would be. He solved my problem."
Donkey's eyes kept going around the table, making sure that nobody was hearing him. "Who?" he whispered back.
"Clark," Will told him. "I'll introduce you two right after the meeting." Using his fork, he picked up a pancake and offered it to Donkey.
"Thanks!" Donkey said even as he grabbed the pancake. He stepped back so that he wouldn't be chewing in Will's ear and began to eat his pancake.
Will nodded and turned back but did not yet return to his food. He shook his head that was now beginning to ache. Talking animals, Werewolves, aliens, and Demons! Dear Gods, was he going insane!
At sudden movement out the corner of his eye, Jack turned back from looking at Donkey and Will to notice that Prue was staring holes in Brendan. He was extremely relieved that Donkey had not asked him the question he'd just asked Will. What was going on with Prue? He glanced out the corner of his eye to his right side and saw Brendan froze in mid-action, fork poised halfway between him and his plate, and his eyes locked on Prue. He reached out and touched him under the table. "What's the matter with you? Quit looking at the woman and eat your breakfast!"
Brendan jumped at Jack's touch, and his fork fell back into his plate. His sheepish eyes darted from Prue to Jack. "She started staring at me first!" he whispered.
Across the table, Phoebe was starting a similar conversation with Prue. "Prue," she hissed, "leave the man alone!"
"He just looks so good!" Prue said. "I don't want to miss a single second of looking at him!"
"But, Prue," Phoebe reasoned, "how's he supposed to eat? You've got him scared out of his wits!"
"I do!" she whispered and dropped her eyes quickly to her plate. "What did I do now?"
"Staring at him," Phebs whispered back. "Think about it. Could you eat with somebody staring at you?"
"If it was Brendan, yes!"
"You're hopeless!"
Even as Phoebe announced Prue's hopelessness, Paige leaned in from her other side. "So that's why you haven't eaten a bite?"
"I just think of other things when I see Brendan, and food doesn't have anything to do with it!"
"At least not food like what's on your plate, but the food in his . . . "
"Paige Halliwell!" Piper hissed in a low whisper. "I may not be able to see you, but I can still hear you!"
Logan shook his head. Women! He'd spent most of his life staying away from them, and now suddenly he had six of them in his life! He couldn't wait to tell Jack the news! He didn't want to interrupt Jack's conversation with Brendan but waited for a chance to announce to Jack that they needed to have a family meeting after the main meeting.
Kitty watched her father's reaction to the four girls' conversation with curious eyes. She wondered if those four might be her new sisters. If so, did the one call Prue have as much bad luck with men as she did? It wouldn't hurt to have another woman's advice with her situation, she realized.
Sitting beside Piper, Cole finished cutting her pancake. "Open your mouth, dear," he whispered, and he carried the fork holding the pancake to her lips.
Jack shook his head. "Brendan, did you make eye contact? Did Prue stare you right in the eye?"
"Yes," Brendan admitted in a quiet voice.
"She's not looking at you now, so finish eating your breakfast! I'd like to lock the two of you in a room together just to watch how you'd react, one preferably without closets! You have to talk to her! She won't bite you even though she did look like she wanted to."
Brendan's eyes had gone back to Prue, and he couldn't help wondering what had finally caused her to cease staring at him. A part of him missed her gaze, but he quickly shook that off as though it were a pesky flea. "Jack, I told you I'd talk to her after breakfast -- now after the meeting --, but you know there can never be anything between us! Would you really wish her to die!"
"No, but I would wish every happiness to both you and her! The happiness which I know you can find if you'd just allow it to be!" Jack was happier than he'd ever been before, and he wanted the whole world to share in his happiness.
Brendan sighed and poked at his food, his appetite gone. He thought of speaking again but knew it wouldn't do any good. Jack was just too stubborn to see the horrible truth!
"This looks like the freshest one that's left," Crystal finally announced, "not that that's saying much. Cindy, a claw if you don't mind please?"
The lioness stalked over, raised a paw, and ripped a hole in the raptor's neck. Crystal turned to hold it over the pitcher.
Lorne looked away as he saw the blood gushing out. It was disgusting, and he was glad he didn't have to drink it.
Blue held onto the raptor with his talons, and once Crys was certain he was balanced well enough to keep the corpse where it needed to be, she let go of it with one hand. She arched her free hand over the pitcher, and snow drifted down from her fingers. She began turning her hand, and the snow swirled into the blood.
The smell assailed Lorne's nostrils, and he pretended it wasn't going on. He did not want to embarrass himself and throw up. As soon as the pitcher was filled, he offered to carry it back upstairs.
Crys nodded in response as she laid the drained corpse gently back onto the floor.
Holding the pitcher gingerly, Lorne proceeded up the stairs. It was too quiet down there, and the smell was overpowering. As soon as he reached the kitchen, he set the pitcher on a counter and turned to look at Crys. "How many do we need?"
She walked over to the door, peered out, and frowned. "Elvira's the only one out there, but go ahead and pour one for Angel. He needs to drink. I'll go find him."
"What about Delvira?"
"She's not out there either," Crys told him with a shake of her head. "I could knock on her door, see if she's there?"
"I could just take her one," Lorne offered.
Crys nodded. "You take her one, I'll get Angel his, and we can leave Elvira's with her as we pass through the dining room."
Lorne poured three glasses. Carrying two of them, he headed for the door. He smiled at Crys. "Don't be long, sweetheart. I miss you."
Crys smiled back at him, leaned over, and planted a gentle kiss on his red lips. "I'll miss you too," she told him, "and I won't be any longer than I have to be."
The room was noisy as Lorne entered and walked over to Elvira. He smiled as he sat the drink down beside her. "There's more in the kitchen," he told her.
Elvira looked up at Lorne from where she had been playing with Wolf. "Thanks," she told him, her black lips pulled up into a smile. She rose the glass in a small salute as gratitude.
"You're welcome," he said as he continued on, heading toward Delvira's room. He thought he heard a sound coming from the room next to Captain Hook's room. He drew closer. "Hello?" he called, but when the sound was not repeated, he returned his attention back to Delvira's room. He walked over and knocked on the door.
Delvira had barely been able to escape her subjects even long enough to luxuriate in a bubble bath; indeed, the only way she'd managed to gain even that much privacy was by promising a fireball to any who dared to interrupt her bathing. Once leaving the bathroom, however, they had been her constant shadows until finally she demanded, "All right. What the Hell is it?"
A quiet whisper rang throughout the room, and concerned faces peered at her from every spot. Finally, one of the little, female Goblins scurried just a tad bit closer to the Queen. "I . . . Mistress already knows."
Delvira looked at her. "What the Hell are you talking about?"
"Jareth," another voice spoke.
"Our King," a third added.
"He should've been back by now!" a fourth proclaimed.
"Yeah," a Fiery agreed, "not even he could be partying that long!"
Lorne knocked on the door again. "Delvira?" he called out. He heard something stirring in the room again; he'd check it before he went back to the table.
Delvira sighed and walked over to the door. She opened it just wide enough that she could peer out. "Lorne, isn't it?"
"Yes, ma'am. I brought you one of Crys' snow drinks. Is everything all right?" he asked, concern showing in his voice.
"It will all be fine in time," she answered him though her sad eyes bespoke another story. She opened the door the rest of the way. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Are you sure there's not anything I can do to help?"
She nodded even as she accepted the drink. "I'm sure," she told him. "It just . . . takes time. He will be back to us," she spoke the last both to him and to the creatures that covered her room.
"Time is never the same," Lorne answered. He knew where Jareth had gone. "The time there is not the same as the time here. Could be that this one is just taking a little longer."
She shook her head. "They . . . The acts are timed, Lorne, and time passes more quickly there than it does here."
"Would you like for me to have the Lewises check on it?" He did not know exactly what Delvira's powers were and was much more familiar with what the Lewises could do.
"I doubt they could do much," she answered him. "We seem to be blocked here."
"I . . . don't know," he said. "We simply must wait, but I'll ask them if they do have a way to help. If I can help you with anything else, don't hesitate to call me."
She nodded. "Thank you, Lorne." Her haunted black eyes turned to the door beside Hook's. "Tell me," she requested. "These Lewises . . . Are they . . . powerful Sorceresses?"
"Oh, yes," Lorne was quick to reassure her. "They are well-trained, able to use their powers, and they always do what they can to help."
"I'll need to talk to them later then," she murmured aloud with a decisive nod. "Thank you."
"You know there's a meeting, right?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "No, I didn't."
"Jack wants all the people in the house in a meeting right after breakfast. It's very important."
"Could some one call for me?" she asked.
"I will," he assured her, "and I'll tell the Lewises that you'd like to talk to them."
She nodded, a thoughtful expression creasing her face as she sipped from her drink. "Are there any others of their kind here?"
"There's at least one more Sorceress. That's Storm or Ororo. She's a Weather Witch. We have some Witches, but they don't have powers," he said with a grin. "I'll send 'Ro along with the others."
"Thank you." A smile flitted across her face.
"As soon as it's time, I'll come back for you," Lorne promised and turned to walk back toward the door where he again heard noises. He saw the chair propped against the door. "Who would have done that!" he exclaimed even as he reached out and moved the chair away from the door.
"A young brunette girl," Delvira told him from where she lingered in her doorway. "I believe her name was Dawn. She meant well, though. The boy has a . . . problem. She was only attempting to protect the rest of us from him."
"Is it something that has to do with his duty, ma'am?" Lorne asked. "What is his duty?"
She paused, considering the man before her. She liked Lorne, but she knew that she could not tell him everything about Frederic's problem. Instead, she answered mysteriously, "He can not help his duty, Lorne, so please do not hold it against him. It is . . . akin to a sickness."
"I won't, ma'am. I'll watch out for him and make sure that the lad gets breakfast."
"Is his father letting him out yet?"
"I hadn't thought about that. I didn't know Captain Hook had locked him in there."
"He is a danger to himself and the rest of us or, at least, he tries to be on the latter. He was locked in his room, but he does need to eat."
"I'll get a tray for him," Lorne said and sprinted for the dining room.
"Whatever you do," Delvira called after him, "do not turn your back to the boy!" She stepped back into her room.
Lorne made a plate and hastened back to the room with it. He tried the door, but it was locked. It was then that he spied the key on the floor not too far from the door, reached down, and picked it up. It fit the keyhole perfectly, and Lorne turned the key. "Get away from the door!" he called.
Frederic watched the door even as he moved across the room, gripping his sword.
Lorne entered, carrying the plate. "Brought you breakfast. There's to be a meeting after breakfast, but I can't let you out. Your father put you in here, and here you'll stay until he comes after you." He set the plate down on the table, his eyes never leaving Frederic. He noticed the way he gripped his sword.
"Thanks for breakfast," Frederic told him. "You could let me out."
At the boy's words, a growl sounded from the doorway.
"'Fraid I can't do that, Frederic. I'm sure your father will return for you for the meeting." He backed out the door and stared at Cindy in surprise. He closed the door, locked it, looked around for a place to put the key, and then dropped it on the floor just outside the room.
Frederic set to eating his food enthusiastically, giving no thought to the meeting. He figured it didn't have anything to do with him and that his father wouldn't let him out of the room again, but he was glad to have the food.
Lorne returned to the dining room and finally got his own plate of food. He made another plate and set it down in front of the seat next to his for Crys.
Cindy circled behind his chair, checking out her surroundings before laying down. Her eyes gazed straight at the other big cat in the room. Where had the tiger come from? It was a male, so he must be trouble.
Lorne reached out with a fork, stabbed another pancake, and dropped it to Cindy. He figured she wouldn't eat it since he'd given it to her.
Cindy looked up at Lorne with a soft growl of thanks, then set to eating.
Logan had been searching for his chance and finally caught Jack's eyes on him. "We've got to have a family meetin' after the meetin'," he told Jack.
"Okay," Jack answered him. He hadn't the foggiest idea what Wolverine was wanting to tell him and was about to return to his food when Ororo spoke quietly to her girls.
"Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige," Ororo called to each of the Halliwell sisters in turn, "you know that includes you."
Jack's eyebrows rose in confusion. How did a family meeting include the Halliwells? Next to him, he heard Brendan choking and hit him on the back. He didn't know which meeting he was dreading the most but would be glad when both were over. Then he could set about yet another meeting so that they could get their departure attempt on the way.
Kitty looked up at Wolverine. "Wo . . . " She cleared her throat and tried again, looking at him questioningly. "Father?"
Wolverine's mouth fell open. Had his ears deceived him, or had his beautiful daughter called him father? It warmed his heart. "Yes, Kitty, that includes you." He hoped he was answering her question.
She smiled and nodded. Lockheed cooed from his perch on the back of her chair, and she handed him another muffin.
Brendan was still having trouble with his food, but Jack's slapping him on the back finally made it go down. "Jack," he hissed in a soft whisper, "turn around for a minute." He turned his own back on the table.
"What is it?" Jack whispered as he turned around also.
"The Halliwells are in our family meeting!"
"Yes. I guess . . . the old man finally popped the question? That must be what he's wanting to tell us. That would put the Halliwells in the family. Why? You think it's something else?"
"Jack, that would put them in our family," Brendan agreed, his voice a hushed whisper, "but since when did Shadowcat start calling Wolverine father!"
"What!" Jack asked in puzzlement, careful that his voice didn't get above a whisper.
Brendan nodded. "I heard her. Just then. And she's in the meeting too!"
Jack's face fell. "We got six sisters now! That can't be right! Well, at least, it's not by blood, so that shouldn't affect you and Prue."
"But what the heck is going on! The Halliwells are Ororo's godchildren, but Kitty certainly isn't!"
"Good question. I wonder what the old dog's been up to! Guess we'll just have to wait and see." He turned back around to the table, hoping that Wolverine had not noticed their hurried conversation.
Wolverine had heard their conversation and was now grinning across the table from them. This was one time he held all the cards, and Jack didn't have a clue! He couldn't wait to see the expressions on their faces when they saw that they did not only get the four Halliwells as sisters but Kitty as well! He winked at both of his boys, and Brendan's mouth fell open.
"Have I got a surprise for the old man! He's bringing five, and I'm bringing one!"
Brendan looked at Jack. "What in the world are you talking about?" he whispered.
"Haven't had time to tell the old man, but I adopted Faith as my sister yesterday and she's coming to the meeting! I'll let her know after breakfast."
Brendan stared at Jack. "Wait a minute. Faith's in the family now too!"
"Yup! Growing by leaps and bounds, ain't it, Brendan? Wonder how Wolvy's gonna take that, seeing as to how the last time he saw the girl she landed on him naked!" He couldn't help but to chuckle. The last laugh was going to be on Wolverine!
Brendan could do nothing but stare.
Crystal had been accompanied by Blue and Elvira while they had headed up the stairs. She couldn't help noticing that Cindy was not with them, however, and frowned. "Guess she's upset with me?"
Elvira nudged at Crys' free hand, and Blue cooed as he rubbed himself reassuringly against her cheek. Cindy might be upset with her, but they certainly weren't! "Thanks, guys," she told them. "Where's Angel at?"
Elvira sniffed and followed Angel's scent to a closed door. She scratched on it.
Angel had been doing his morning exercise and leading Cordy through it. He heard the scratch on the door. "And breathe," he said to Cordy as he walked toward the door.
Cordelia had been doing her best to follow Angel through his yoga exercise but could not help thinking that he must do a lot more than just this. She breathed when he told her to breathe but then heard him moving across the room. Her hazel eyes opened. "Angel?"
"Somebody's at the door," he told her. He opened it, not surprised to find Crys outside as he had smelled her and two of her babies. He was surprised to see that she was holding something in her hand. "Hi, Crys. Time for the meeting yet?"
"Not yet," she told him. "Almost everybody else is down at breakfast, but you weren't there." She held the drink out to him.
"Thank you so much, sis, for making that for me! I was getting thirsty." He lifted the drink to his lips. "Wonderful, as always! Come in. Cordy and I were just working through some exercises."
"How's it going between you two?" she asked him as she entered the room.
"Much better now as I am doing my best to listen to what she says and how she says it. It's not easy. I'm used to hearing my own voice." He smiled at Crys.
"It's never easy to let another in," she agreed, "but it is well worth it . . . usually."
"You can say that again," Angel told her. "Best thing that's ever happened to me is meeting you two ladies."
Crystal's eyes had been clouded with doubt. "I just hope you don't live . . . well, regret it any way."
"I won't," he promised her, "and I will be there with you, by your side, when you start your talk."
"Thank you, Angel. I . . . I already told Lorne, but I haven't told you yet. The ones who were here before me . . . have more of a right to be here than I do. If . . . If they don't want me here any longer . . . after they find out . . . "
"I know. You said you'd leave. I can't stop you, Crys, but we can go with you." He smiled at her. "Are you sure you want the newcomers to be in the meeting?"
She ran a hand through her long, blonde hair. "Angel, I'm not sure of a lot of the things I have to do, but I do know what's right. They deserve to know the danger my presence places them in. Linda didn't even know . . . and now she's dead."
"You're not to blame for Linda," he told her. "Come over and talk to Cordy." He was wondering why Cordelia had not said anything to her yet and then saw that she appeared to be deep in the yoga exercise.
Crystal had followed Angel's gaze to Cordelia, and the Princess surprised them both by opening her eyes and looking directly at them. Cordy had heard Angel tell Crys to talk to her and figured that there was no sense in keeping the pretense up. "Crystal, I . . . I don't know all the details, but that Demon who caused the storm was looking for you. You didn't cause him to do what he did; only he controls his actions."
"I know only he controls himself," Crys agreed quietly, "but he did what he did to get to me."
"That still doesn't make it your fault. Angel's right. You can't help what happened, and Linda's death isn't your fault." She stood. "It's a very brave thing to tell the others, even if you do think it's the right thing to do. I know I couldn't tell them about my Father, and I do not know how they'll react to what you have to tell them. However, if you do end up leaving and if Angel goes with you, he will not be coming alone."
Angel smiled at Cordelia even as he moved to stand by her and slip his arms around her. "Your family will stand by you, Crys." He reached out, pulled her close, and included her in the hug.
Elvira and Blue also wanted to be included. Blue wrapped his wings as far around the ladies' faces as he could get them but could not reach Angel. Elvira circled Angel's and Crystal's legs.
