Together

Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

Many who knew her would not be surprised by her restless demeanour as soon as she entered Gatwick Airport; her close friends knew of her distress when it came to the prospect of flying. But as Riley thanked her cab driver, passing him the relevant coin of his fare, Riley tightly gripped to the handles of her carry-on, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag before nervously headed towards the main entrance of the airport.

The pristine floors and walls sparkled with purity as if the marbled floor had been scrubbed within an inch of its life, large security men patrolling their designated area while each separate flight agency had a few people manning their desks as they prepared themselves for a hectic day of travellers starting their journey. The young Doctor noticed very few people loitering at the departure billboards, no young children screaming at their parents, or wives looking up at their husbands with confusion etched onto their features as their bewilderment at their tickets engulfed them. Instead, Riley stood in the foyer, one of the only travellers inhabiting the building considering it was still very early in the morning and the children had just gone back to school after the Christmas break.

When she arrived at the Virgin Atlantic desk she patiently awaited her turn, the knots in her stomach twisting and coiling together as she anxiously tore at her fingernails, a nervous habit she wished she could break. However, she gave the attendant a breathy smile as she handed the beaming woman her passport and ticket, answering her questions with simple answers before going through the whole process of handing in her carry-on bag and marking her hand luggage before she was ready to head towards the departure gate.

As Riley looked at her watch, it had taken her under an hour to get through security, her bag was safely returned to her without problems allowing the werewolf time to move into the departures lounge. Her enhanced eyesight was able to pick up on the swarming bodies of people taking advantage of the VAT free goods, couples huddled together in a romantic embrace as they either prepared to travel to their honeymoon destination or take a romantic break. Riley just shook herself from her gazing as she joined the stream of commuting travellers and headed to the nearest coffee shop to purchase a strong cup of tea and a large bar of Toblerone. Once she had finished she located a chair, pulled out her medical journal and waited till her flight was called; trying to distract herself from the prospect of flying in two hours' time.

Nevertheless, no longer than an hour and a half later Riley was being called and she was trying her damned hardest to stop her instincts from taking over and bolting. The wolf within her was pacing, obviously the anxiety that had consumed her was making the animal uncomfortable and as she got even closer to her gate, the feeling of nausea was threating to overwhelm her. She frantically fumbled for her phone, her hands visibly shaking as she inefficiently typed a miss spelt text message to Jeremy detailing to him of her progress. She just inwardly cursed, she knew of how Jeremy would react to her text, a very small smile, smiling at her idiocy and unjustified fear of flying.

But, as she moved to her gate, the logical part of her brain, the Doctor side of her mentality knew why she was so fearful. Being part wolf meant she did not deal well in enclosed spaces, and considering she was to willingly walk into a small compartment that was to fly thousands of feet in the air and over a vast ocean she had come to think of it as a fear not as injudicious as others might think. But deep down, she knew the main reason. She had an overwhelming fear of her inability to control her emotion, emotions such as panic or claustrophobia when she was not in control or unable to escape.

Riley shakily passed over her boarding pass, trying to push passed her irritation at the gate keeper for her fake laugh and smile, her overwhelming aroma of perfume, makeup and hairspray was overbearing on her senses and Riley had to momentarily stop breathing. She just quickly grasped hold of her belongings and passport before almost running onto the plane as she tried to breathe again.

0-0-0

Antonio looked at the clock on the mantelpiece as he momentarily pulled himself from studying his intense load of emails. They had finished breakfast no more than an hour ago and Jeremy had received a text from Riley saying she was just about to board her plane; it seemed they were waiting for a phone call to say she had landed safely before hopping onto a bus that would take another three hours before arriving at Bear Valley. She was expected to arrive at about six.

The older gentleman just smiled as he took in the dishevelled appearance of his son, knowing that his mind was preoccupied enough to not warrant in the excessive grooming that he usually conducted on himself. Antonio just flung a book towards his son, watching as Nicholas snapped his head towards his father with a questioning frown on his features before Tonio motioned to the back garden and Nick readily agreed.

Nick smiled to himself when he felt the cold snow protruding between his toes once he had removed his shoes and socks; he clung onto the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head before he shrugged his expensive jeans from his hips and fell to all fours, the biting chill of the January air freezing his bare olive skin as he prepared his body for his change.

His arms and legs were replaced with well-shaped limbs and his hands now held claws and pads. Nick simply pressed his forepaws to the ground before shifting his weight onto his hind limbs. He could feel all his back clinking and re-adjusting as his body completed the change from human to wolf. He yipped to himself happily before he jumped around a little, his legs getting caught up before he trotted from his hiding space and prepared to search for the scent of his father.

He felt the wind bellowing in his almost black fur as he galloped towards the trees and started to run through the forest. He jogged to a halt when he felt the forest talking to him. He lifted his muzzle into the air in contentment as he felt the cold wind blowing through the thick winter fur he occupied. His ears were twizzling on the back of his head as he listened to the sound of a rabbit thumping nearby, upwind and oblivious to him.

He lifted one of his paws one at a time, stretching and rotating his joints. His nose and ears were now finally picking up on numerous rabbit scents, his tail wagging with excitement. Nick jogged further into the forest as he enjoyed his time alone, revelling in the few quiet moments he had when he was a wolf; it seemed his Father had given him an excuse to get out on his own, too pass some time and to collect his confusing thoughts and emotions.

Nick crouched, wiggled his hindquarters and leapt at an imaginary mouse. As he hit the ground, he wheeled around, teeth bared as he snapped at an imaginary enemy. He bounded through the forest. Jumped and twisted in mid-air as he maneuvered himself around fallen tree stumps or piles of leaves. He pranced, he lurched, and he charged and chased his trail.

However, something caught his attention. He froze, his legs snapping into a lock as he prevented himself from going any further, trying to hide as best he could. There, across the clearing was a warren or a nest of rabbits, all absentmindedly nibbling and grazing on the succulent grass of the forest, oblivious to the predator that was crouched onto his four limbs and they dug through the deep snow; his belly scrabbling against the forest floor, his muzzle skimming the ground, the earth thick with the smell of his prey.

Nick continued to stalk forward until he was in pouncing distance. He once again raised his hindquarters, his tail hitting his side as he wiggled his tail in the air. The rabbits were still unaware of his presence before Nicholas took another cautious step and leapt in the air.

He felt his forepaw land with ease on the ground, the crunching of a small body underneath his paws made him bark with excitement, the other rabbits having sprinted into the nearby burrows apart from a single rabbit that was hanging back. He yipped to himself before looping over towards the lame rabbit. When he looked down the prey was vulnerable, he brought down his muzzle and tore out the rabbit's throat, severing the carotid artery.

He placed the rabbit in his mouth, trotted back to his other kill before he lifted his head in the air. The sun was hanging to the west, estimating the time of day was about three o'clock. He seemed happy with himself before he lifted his head to the air once again, emitting a long tuneful call as he made sure to get his father's attention. No less than five minutes later, the large figure of his father's wolf form came bounding into the clearing. Nick yipped, his tongue rolling between his teeth and he gracefully threw one of the rabbits in his father's direction. Antonio gave a small bark of his own before gratefully taking his rabbit, affectionately heading to his son's side before collapsing next to him, lifting his paws over the carcass and dug into the meal that had been caught for him, revelling in the feeling of Nick's flank resting on his as the two bonded over afternoon tea.

0-0-0

Riley knew her ability to keep her emotions hidden was become more like a chore than her natural callous way of remaining indifferent; her mind was fogged with various different thoughts and sensations. The careless epitomes of human anxieties were starting to grate on her nerves as she fretfully suffered with one of her own. How she wished the wolf within her could take over, to show the human side of her double life how she had nothing to fear, but as the butterflies in her stomach turned into a swarm of hornets, she knew her wolf was struggling with her tormented emotions and claustrophobia.

However, it was not just the flying that was causing her body to fidget and nervously shove the peanuts into her mouth. She was uncomfortable with the prospects of seeing her Pack again; a year is such a long time to not see the people who are like your family, and with very few communications shared between the two of them would they be as accepting as they were fourteen years ago? She knew her transition from being a lone mutt to a pack wolf was a difficult one, with many of the pack verbally declaring their disapproval as they forced their ideals onto their Alpha, Jeremy. Each of them announcing their dysphonia about trying to tame a semi-feral animal whose only guidance had been a human mother and three human sisters. It seemed at the time, none of them baring Antonio, had liked the idea of introducing a mutt, and a female mutt into their ranks. Fourteen years ago she had been the first and only female werewolf until Elena arrived seven years ago; it seemed Riley had not recognized the gaping hole in her heart, how her heart was yearning for female companionship, a friendship she gained when Elena was bitten and survived.

But, the werewolf was getting tired of constantly trying to prove her worth to the Pack, especially Clay. She could only provide essential medications and limited surgery's so many times and as she sat in the cushioned airplane seat that was positioned directly next to the closed window she found herself pondering that tormenting question once again. Did the Pack really need her? Or was she better off on her own? She was hoping the year apart would help her to see reason but it had only caused more disturbing viewpoints and emotions to swim through her mind and body.

Nevertheless, the young werewolf Doctor was pulled from her disturbing reprieve when she noticed the flashing light blearing overhead. It seemed they were preparing to start their decent, asking their passengers to pull on their seatbelts; Riley inwardly cursed as her trembling hands made it increasingly difficult for her to line up the buckle with the clip. She let out a thankful sigh as soon as she heard the faint and welcoming click. Riley curled her hair around the shell of her ear as she fretfully tugged at the closed shutter of her aeroplane window, allowing a small slither of light to stream into the cabin and giving her a frightening image of clouds streaming passed her; the window was shut almost immediately as she felt her large lunch churning in her stomach.

Riley allowed the frown to engulf her features as she heard a chuckle from behind her. As she turned around, the man she had been seated next to the entire flight was laughing at her. As she observed him, he was probably about Nick's age though physically looked around Jeremy's. He was tall and athletic, with a deep tan and sun-streaked blonde hair that made her automatically think: California boy, even though his strong cockney accent tied him to London. It seems he was one of the lucky British men that tanned easily considering it rains for about two hundred out of the three hundred and sixty five days a year.

"Scared of flying ay?" He said with a laugh, "Then again, I do have a mate who literally hyperventilates before even boarding the plane." Riley just shook her head and let out a nervous laugh as she flicked her eyes towards her lap.

"You didn't see me in the passengers lounge." Riley breathed as she uneasily picked at the chewed fingernails of her hands, her stomach holding a swarm of butterflies as she conversed with the stranger.

"I would have spoken to you earlier, but sometimes my over excited personality can be a little overwhelming to quieter people like yourself." He beamed, curling his hands over his armrest before leaning closer towards her resulting in Riley to provide him with a reserved smile. "I take it you're a suffer in silence kind of girl."

"I'm that easy to read?" Riley questioned as she readjusted her position, her eyes flicking towards the steward who was patrolling the pathway before she allowed her eyes to fall to the man in front of her.

"Surprisingly not, but you had a momentary lapse in emotional control back there which I can only assume comes from your fear of flying." He replied with a gentle smile before looking behind him resulting in Riley gazing towards the tutting woman behind them; Riley was not surprised that this enthusiastic man went out of his way to converse with people while Riley made sure she pulled away and hid from view. "Come now Alice, tell me you haven't picked up on some of your sisters psychological garb? Not even a shred of it?" The bloke responded, causing the middle-aged woman to shove her expensive magazine to her lap as she scrutinized her companion. Riley quickly readjusted her last thought; it seemed that this man did know the woman he had been conversing with and she seemed to be the more reserved character out of the two of them.

"Why would I take an interest in something I do not find useful? Why she chose to study a degree in a pointless subject is beyond me." She huffed flashing a tight smile before briskly going back to her reading. Everything about her was tight, from her skin-hugging black ski pants to her eerily unlined face. She was about Antonio's age and Elena's height, was model thin with a waistline to envy and the self-control to maintain it. While her companion had sat drinking an endless supply of fizzy drinks she sat there sipping at mineral water garnished with a slice of lime. Riley just returned his awkward smile with one of her own as she tried to go back to her reading to no avail.

"You have to ignore her, we're on our way to an art exhibition in New York and she's not totally thrilled by it."

"I take it you're an artist then?" Riley voiced, surprised by her sudden confidence to return his statement with a question, it seemed he was only happy to hear her joining in with the conversation.

"Names Jonathan Brown and painting is my trade." He exhumed as he held out his left palm. Riley just flicked her fringe from her face before wrapping her warm fingers around his in a friendly handshake.

"Riley Thompson." She voiced. "I'm a Doctor at St Bartholomew Hospital in London." Riley inwardly flinching when she watched his jaw drop, surprised by her last statement as if he was struggling to believe the concept of her being a fully qualified physician. Once again Riley's delayed aging had become more of a hindrance considering she looked half her actual age.

"A doctor? Surely you're still in training?" he quizzed, his disbelief still evident in his tone and his expression as he observed Riley's uncomfortable squirming.

"I've been a doctor for the last six years." Riley said with a smile

"Six?" Jonathan breathed, his words failing to tumble from his lips as he once again frowned at the young woman who just smiled at him. "How old are you?" he questioned abruptly causing a small chuckle to move from Riley's mouth as Alice hit who Riley believed to be her partner.

"John, you don't just go about asking women how old they are, it's rude." Alice voiced with a malicious tone of voice, her eyes sparkling with hidden emotion as she slapped her hand to Jonathan's shoulder. However, her actions were unable to stop his balking, which made Riley feel exposed and uneasy.

"I know! But seriously look at her? You can't be any older than twenty-three." He cried as he looked between the two of them, Alice taking her own turn in staring at the werewolf doctor, her eyes taking in her 'youthful' appearance between the two seats.

"Just add another eleven years." Riley uttered as she played with the tattered corners of her medical journal

"Blimey, you're looking good."

"Thanks." Riley stated before flashing her eyes towards Alice who had returned to her magazine.

"I mean Alice looks amazing but compared to you."

"I really don't think you should be saying things like this when she's sitting right behind you." Riley countered quickly as she tried to change the subject, knowing too well just how spiteful women could turn when it came to their appearance.

"You get used to it." Alice mumbled, giving Riley her first genuine small smile that made Riley feel a little more at ease.

"So are you two married then?"

"Oh no, just dating. I mean, I'm a forty-five year old guy whose been divorced twice, made redundant half a dozen times before realizing that I was good enough to live off my earnings as a painter." He explained as he uncapped his water bottle and took a large sip.

"So this exhibition." Riley started, "Is it yours?"

"He wishes." Alice mumbled as she briefly pulled Riley's attention towards her.

"No, no it's not mine, but I'm valued enough within the artistic community to get a VIP invitation to the event." He said with a smile "But anyway, what's so important that's got you on a plane to America?" he questioned, turning in his seat as he pulled the bright blonde hair from his eyes, his brilliant cobalt orbs twinkling with interest as he unknowingly kept Riley from her tormenting mind-set.

"I've got family over here which I haven't seen for over a year. It's about time I paid them a visit."

"Surely a pretty woman like yourself must have a bloke awaiting her arrival at the airport?"

"Ha! I wish." Riley laughed as she observed Jonathan's gentle smile "The long hours at the hospital tend to deter any men."

"Maybe they don't like the idea of dating a woman who's smarter than them."

"Maybe, but as of right now it's just me."

"That's a shame." He chimed; just to be cut short when the pilots voice sounded over the radio speaker grills explaining to them of their safe arrival. One of the stewardesses smiled towards them before heading towards the front of the plane. Riley just heaved at the window shutter and sure enough the snowy wet runway was quickly falling behind them as the airport building moved in front of her. She had safely arrived in America. Once again Riley was pulled from her window when she heard Jonathan laughing; when she had turned around Alice and Jonathan were on their feet and pulling at their hand luggage. "I guess it's time we part ways." Jonathan expressed with a smile as Alice tugged at her long black hair that was flung over her shoulder.

"So it would seem." Riley replied with a smile as she took in the hustling bodies that were streaming passed Jonathan.

"Have a safe trip Riley." He smiled as he grasped hold of Alice's hand.

"Yeah, you too." She expressed and watched as the couple were swept away with the crowd, giving the young Doctor enough time to collect her belongings and make her own way towards the mouth of the plane.