Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they own me. Special thanks to Toby Whithouse and BBC3 for the playground.
Beta assistance from TJ4ev and Whimsyfox enables (most of) my grammar to pass muster for Hal.

Apologies for the wait on this one. There was a pleasantly distracting Being Human meetup back there.
And somehow, this grew to be quite long, despite Hal's grumpiness over his involvement...

Your reviews, comments and notes make my day, every time.


The morning broke misted and quiet over the Botanical Gardens as Alex circled back towards the fenced-off old railway station. There were fine droplets of dew in the grass that her boots didn't disturb, and birds were singing loudly, straight through her solitude. She ghosted herself to the other side of the fence and dropped onto the worn dirt path she had walked, laughing and joking throughout her youth. Graffiti sprayed colour peeked from behind the brambles as she descended into the shadows.

The climb wasn't necessary. She could have ghosted straight down. But the physicality of it felt good. It was a small distraction from the pull of him. Even from Glasgow, she could still feel the thread between them. Maybe Hal was lodged in her as much as she had left a piece of herself in him. His presence in the world was a guiding and persistent ache. Maybe if she went far enough, it would break. Or maybe it would never matter how far she roamed.

Alex dropped onto the old concrete of the railway platform, boots thumped and broken glass plinked and echoed. The previous night's fire smouldered, pale wisps of smoke rising up into the grey light. Hal's bottle of fancy gin sat empty and forlorn next to it.

When she appeared here last night, she'd had the vague plan of smashing it. Or seeing if it would light on fire. But it had been a Friday night, which meant she didn't have the place to herself. The misfits of Glasgow had gathered with a raging bonfire, and the ambience fit her mood better than anything. She wished she could drink away her cares with them. Instead, she had left the nearly full bottle where it would be found. She thought about tasting along with them, and wondered if she would feel drunk, but didn't. It just seemed too ghostly-creepy… and she had wanted to get away from all that.

She listened to their stories, she laughed at their jokes. She missed her own friends painfully. But somehow, not being seen by strangers was better than not being seen by people who used to know her well. She felt comforted by being on the outskirts of the group last night. But as the fire died down and few by few, the party trickled out, her confusion and heartache had returned.

Alex levitated the empty bottle and whisked it to land in her hand. The stopper had been lost, and the scent, herbal and sharp, washed a memory over her; of gin and strawberries… and curiosity and lust. God, how she had wanted him. With a sigh, she tucked the bottle into her jacket. For some silly reason, she didn't want to let it go. Just as she knew she couldn't let it go with Hal.

She would go back. She would help Tom and Allison with the werewolf situation, if she could. And Hal… well, she didn't know. She had fallen in love with him, but now? Could she still be? She needed to go back, but she also needed time to process what their bond truly meant - vampiric ambition and all. It was something they both would have to face, eventually. Either they would find a way to fix this, or she would have no choice but to leave for good.

She took one last look around the old abandoned railway station with its graffiti and overgrown tangles - this place that used to feel of home. Then, with a sideways pull of thought, she teleported back to the quiet kitchen of Honolulu Heights.

Soft light streamed in through the stained glass window over the sink, where she noticed there were dirty dishes. Tom must have left for work, but Hal hadn't yet come down to wash up after him. She could sense him upstairs.

Alex left the kitchen and stepped into the living room to see Allison reading at the dining table, a teapot steaming pleasantly next to her laptop. Her news clipping project still spanned the mural across from where she sat. She glanced up from her reading, slightly started.

"Alex! You're back. Are you okay?"

Alex put on a smile, "Already dead. I'm fine."

"The way you just left… well, I was worried."

Alex pulled the empty gin bottle free or her jacket and set it on the table before she took a seat. "Let's just say I needed some non-supernatural company last night. I'll be alright. Has Hal not come down?"

Allison shook her head, "I haven't seen hide nor hair of Hal this morning. Tom stayed up half the night with him, but I don't know what they spoke of. You should go talk to him. My Mum always says that it's never wise to let a fight brew overnight."

"This isn't exactly a fight, I don't think. I mean, it isn't anything that anyone can change. It just is."

"Things are hardly ever that simple. And when they are it's usually because someone didn't do enough research."

At that, Alex laughed, knowing Allison probably meant debating. "I doubt that in this case. But yea, you're right. I need to talk to him," Alex admitted, then glanced to the red-stringed news clippings. "Are you doing alright?"

Allison shrugged, "Vinnie still hasn't written back so I fear we scared him off. Or else he is hunting me down as we speak. I did admit to being a werewolf, after all. Time will tell," she smiled mischievously. "Last night was quite fun and productive though. Er, before you ran into us here, I mean."

"How so?"

Allison perked up, her excitement evident. "Tom took the Pack out to the woods for trail running. It was incredible! We could sense each other as we ran. Everything became heightened - even more so than the usual. It was rather thrilling."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Cool."

"Where did you go?" Allison asked, giving a nod to the empty bottle of gin.

"Oh, just an old haunt of mine in Glasgow," Alex said, then tapped the glass with her finger. "I think I contributed to some underage drinking."

"Heh, old haunt," Allison winked and Alex winced at the pun. Changing to a supportive tone, Allison raised an eyebrow and offered, "we're going out again tonight, if you want to come?"

"Yeah, maybe. Thanks," Alex said, then stood. "I'm gonna -"

"Go kiss and makeup?" Allison teased, but at the way Alex's face fell she turned to serious. "I'll be here, if you want for company."

Alex nodded, thankful, but then continued on her way to the stairs. As she climbed, she took a deep breath. She had run through it all this morning, but still didn't quite know what to say. At Hal's landing, she paused. She could hear the soft uttering of his counting, and the slight creak of the floorboards as he moved. She raised her hand and knocked. The sound stopped, and she suddenly felt sheepish and strange. She never knocked.

Hal opened the door, shirtless and flushed, a slight sheen of perspiration on his skin. He had been at his regime for some time, she realised. He was standing with his hand on the edge of the door, blocking her entry.

"Can I come in?" she asked. For a brief pause, he remained frozen. But then he opened the door wide and turned his back on her, retreating into the room. Alex followed as he reached for a towel. At the sight of him, with the morning light accentuating the lines of his torso, she nearly lost her resolve. She stopped next to the mantle, watching as he dried off then shrugged into a shirt. He turned to face her and stilled, dropping his hands to his sides.

When she realised he wasn't going to speak, she took a deep breath. "I know things about you I can't forgive," she started.

He held her gaze, neither rebutting nor was only the barest tremble as he blinked that gave away any hint of emotion. But he still held her gaze, seemingly in agreement and allowing her to continue.

"The implications of this… thing between us, and what might happen because of it? Finding out you knew, and your involvement… It was just one thing too many about your past."

Hal's mouth hardened, but still, he did not refute her.

"And yet," she paused, biting her lip as she took a step towards him. "I see how terribly hard you try - every day - to be a better person. I see how difficult all these years of doing so must have been. And... I respect you for it. Every single day is one more bested, and I couldn't help but fall in love with you."

Hal's eyes narrowed and his lips parted slightly, as if to deny her, and she knew she wouldn't be able to continue if he spoke. She stepped close and pressed one finger to his lips, surprise flashing briefly in his eyes as she held his silence. "What I feel for you," she shook her head. "It terrifies me," she whispered, then retracted her finger. "Maggie said our emotions aren't tied to the bond. So what I feel, even knowing what I do, is on me. I'm going to need some time."

Hal broke their gaze to look down at her hand. She had started worrying at the ring on her forefinger, but stopped. He continued his silence for a long moment.

"Time is game played beautifully by children," he uttered, his tone inflicting a quote she wasn't familiar with, then met her eyes once more. "We have all the time you could want, yet I haven't asked anything of you."

"No, not directly," she inclined her head then brushed the fringe from her eyes. "I almost didn't come back," she admitted softly.

"I know," he answered candidly. "There is a part of me that believes you shouldn't have."

"And the other part?"

"The other," he closed his eyes. When they opened, it was with an edge of darkness. "I want to obliterate anyone who could harm you," he said plainly, despite the edge in his eyes.

"The only ones who know are Richard and Hetty, right?" Alex asked, evading his darkness, and Hal nodded. "Why did you start working with Richard in the first place?"

Hal shrugged and sank onto the sofa. "He wasn't always as he is now. He was a forerunner. A history maker."

Alex cocked an eyebrow and leaned her hip against the sofa arm opposite him. She huffed, "by investing in real estate?"

"Richard was the first of us to publically live a double life. He was a politician before he was turned, and had gotten quite far. He refused to relinquish that side of his human life. So, he didn't. He ran for Parliament. He was very nearly found out, however. Snow never forgave him for the indiscretion."

"And that's why you went into business with him?"

"I was curious about him. At the time we met, he was somewhat of a celebrity. He had made a name for himself as a specialist investor, despite the exile the fiasco had forced upon him. When he returned to Britain, seeking an alliance, I was the only Old One to entertain him, at first. Richard…" Hal sighed. "He has been a friend, at times."

"Richard… and Hetty, they're the only ones your age now, aren't they?" she asked, discerning something as she spoke. "The only ones still out there, with all that shared history between you. If it came down to it; could you really just take them out?"

"I generally try to solve my problems through means other than murder these days Alex. But yes, the thought has crossed my mind. And," he paused. "Yes, I could," he admitted with a soft tilt of his head.

Alex swallowed, staring into his eyes. Hal was many things, and always would be, and she had known for some time that he truly cared for her. The revelation now was that this complicated, terrifying person really could love her, despite the dark trails of his past. Despite the complications between them. When he spoke the words in anger, it had come as a shock because she hadn't thought he could. But if she truly believed that, then how had her heart fallen for him in the first place? Her heart, her very spirit, had recognised something in him. Something challenging and deep and impossible to ignore.

"Tom has asked for my assistance this evening," Hal changed the topic, sensing her discomfort and breaking the silence stretching between them.

Alex cleared her throat while she attempted to clear her mind of the implication of his earlier statement. "With the werewolves?" Hal nodded the affirmative. "And you said yes?"

"I do not doubt that Tom is capable of teaching what they need to know, but still, I agreed. He hasn't yet garnered Milo's trust. Perhaps I can."


Rain was threatening to turn from a fine mist into a true drizzle on their way to the clearing. A long line of autos parked haphazardly along the edge of the road lead to their trailhead. Someone had erected a couple of tarps as a temporary shelter, and campfire and smoked meat drifted on the breeze in spite of the drizzle. Allison turned off the ignition and set the brake as Alex teleported to appear in the grass.

Hal hardened his lips into a line, surveying the scene as he stepped out of the car. "There are more that I thought."

Tom closed the car door and came around to clap him on the back, "I know. They're all good folk though. You'll be fine."

Tom looked towards the shelter and spotted Irving. He was talking with a young girl with dark hair tucked tucked under a woolen hat. She glanced their way as Irving gave Tom a nod, and her scowl brightened to a sudden smile. She put down the mug she had been holding and headed over towards them, Irving following her, befuddled. Hal's face shifted to concern at her approach. "Christa, you shouldn't be here."

"Well hello to you too," she answered.

"You know each other?" Tom asked in surprise.

"We met on Grimsay," Alex interjected. "She's friends with Adam & Yvonne."

"I couldn't very well stay there with all this going on. I wanted to see for myself," Christa shrugged then glanced to Irving, looping him into their conversation.

"Boredom is no reason to get involved with this. You should go home," Hal rationalized.

"To the lovebirds? Trust me, you have no idea," Christa deadpanned right back.

Tom exchanged a quick look with Hal, then broke into a short laugh. He extended his hand, "I'm Tom. It's nice to meet ya Christa."

"What be you doing?" Irving commanded the question to Tom in his heavy Irish accent, even though he was pointedly staring at Hal. Tom looked between them as he noticed Conal was approaching as well. "He can't be here."

Hal's posture straightened, bristling with Irving's comment, but before he could retort, Allison tutted. "Painting a whole species with the same brush are we?"

"So you're him. Tom's vampire friend," Conal acknowledged as he joined their group, skipping any introduction. "What do you want?"

Hal's eyes had darkened with Conal's gruffness. "I wish to help."

"The hell you do."

"People are going to die because of this," Hal answered Conal darkly. "I'd rather it were those who are more deserving."

Conal regarded Hal and neither of them budged. They seemed to be assessing each other in equal measure. Tom noted that for once, his friend wasn't coiled and tense as he normally was around strangers. Hal held himself with a loose detachment, calm. Somehow, it was even more threatening; as if he didn't care that Conal was questioning his motives.

Begley came running up, face alight at having spotted Tom, but Irving caught his brother, holding him back. Still, the boy broke the tension. "You're a vampire!" he shouted out loud as he realised, sensing the same thing any werewolf would sense.

"Begley!" Irving chided, keeping hold of his brother's hand even though he obviously wanted to step closer.

"Unfortunately, yes," Hal answered, dropping his gaze from Conal to address the boy. The voices from the shelter had died down. Eyes and ears were all on their little group.

Begley looked to Alex who was standing a little apart, and asked "You too?" But she just shook her head with a slight smile.

A single, clapping applause silenced any answer Alex may have given as Milo stepped free of the pack and came into the clearing. He was even more burly than she remembered. He strode towards them, his jacket doing little to hide his muscular bulk.

"Hal Yorke. I really didn't think that you'd come. I've heard some fascinating things about you," Milo taunted.

Hal didn't take the bait, just waited patiently without saying anything. Milo assessed him, then continued, "How exactly do you think you're going to help?"

"I'm merely Tom's assistant," Hal answered simply, as if this was a discussed and given thing. Alex glanced to Tom, who thankfully had kept his face impassive. "When teaching a large group it is beneficial to have a partner for demonstration. Right Tom?"

"Er, yeah," Tom shrugged.

"My, this will be interesting. Well, you certainly have our attention."

Hal glanced at Tom and tilted his head with a half smile. "Shall we?"

"What? Fight?" Tom asked, a hint of his surprise peeking through.

"It is why you brought me here, correct?" Hal said, loud enough to carry, then strode forward into the clearing, towards the group of werewolves under the shelter. Some of the people watching froze, eyes darting nervously. Hal stopped, halfway into the clearing and evenly spaced between Tom, Milo and the watching werewolves, and held up his arms.

"Yes, I am a vampire," he stated loud enough for all to hear. "However, I'm not here to bring anyone harm. I am Tom's friend, and he can attest that I abstain from the excesses of my kind. For better or worse, I am on your side in this. Tom?" Hal turned to face Tom, then dropped his stance, ready for an attack. Tom recovered from his surprise quickly. His grin was infectious as he joined Hal in the clearing. Out of the sleeve of his jacket, Tom dropped a stake into his hand and gripped it tightly in preparation. Hal's eyes smouldered into a dark smile, then he charged.

They fought like dance, like beautifully executed choreography. Seemingly anticipating every move of their opponent, Tom and Hal matched each other perfectly. They sparred in blurred speed - vampire against werewolf. Dark and light. Fierce and feral. Tom with practiced muscle memory, Hal with ruthless experience like breath. The gathered group watched every move, captivated.

It continued for several moments, a blur of movement; attack and counter, dodge and duck - until Hal caught Tom's stake. He had halted it mere inches from his chest. Tom grinned again - he was good at this and Hal was actually out of practise. Tom was in his element, and the smile tugging at the edge of Hal's mouth hinted that he had enjoyed their sparring as well. They appeared at ease with one another; comfortable in their friendship, which seemed to dampen the apprehension of those watching.

Hal took a step back, then pressed his palms together in truce. Catching their breaths and coming into stillness, Tom lowered his stake as Hal faced their audience. Something in his posture shifted, and something shifted in the air. Even the very birds in the woods seemed to grow still as silence spanned across the field. Hal's stance was usually perfect, but this was commanding. He had gained everyone's attention and culled a tenuous truce, all without uttering a word.

Hal broke the silence with one tap to his chest. "As Tom has just demonstrated, this is the most direct path to a vampire's heart," he said unequivocally. "But for those not as well practised as Tom, it is far from the easiest." Hal paused, and glanced towards Tom before continuing. "Bone and cartilage will block the way except for the strongest combatant," Hal shifted his stance. "The best approach is here, under the ribcage, with a longer stake." He motioned towards his stomach with an upwards thrust. "More difficult to keep concealed, but easier to wield. Today, Tom and I are evenly matched. But that will change before the full moon, as I'm certain you know. Additional strength does not guarantee your fight, however."

"I am certain Tom has told you that a vampire can only be killed in a finite number of ways. The body must be injured beyond it's ability to heal. Beheadings used to be handy, but they are annoyingly difficult to achieve without a guillotine. We cannot all be Highlander."

Hal's out of date cultural reference garnered a few chuckles. Christa, grinning, met Alex's eyes, but Alex couldn't hide her discomfort. Hal telling this group exactly all the ways in which he could be killed was unnerving, regardless of how she felt about him.

He folded his hands behind his back and continued. "The classic stake through the heart is the simplest method, of course, but it has to be wood. A blade will only make for an angry vampire. Another way is to destroy the organ altogether - such as with a bomb, for instance. Or, if you can manage it, forcing an ingestion of your blood. There is very little advance aside from these that will do anything but aggravate your foe. An attack to the head or throat will only enrage, even with a dousing of werewolf blood. It will burn, but not long enough. Hitting the eyes will cause temporary blindness, but will only grant," he paused and looked to Tom. "What would you say Tom?"

"Er, a few seconds or so I s'pose. But the vampire will still come after ya even if he can't see, so that don't really work."

"Precisely. In what ways would you suggest disabling a vampire?"

"Eh, well the wrist won't work for long, but further up on the arms will."

"Generally the larger the bone, the more time it takes for my kind to heal. What else?"

"Eh, a kneecap will buy you a good chunk of time, or severing a major tendon like the achilles. Really, it's best to try and slow him down, so you can get in close enough with a stake."

Hal nodded, "Which is precisely how we will practise today." Pointing towards the end of the group, he ordered, "Everyone will please count off. One," he indicated, then pointed to the next, "Two, three, four."

One by one, each individual spoke their number following Hal's lead. When they reached thirty-seven, Hal gave an apologetic smile. "My condolences to those with even numbers. You are now vampires. Please, do your worst to capture your neighbor. You have have three minutes, then we will switch. Go."

There was a brief pause, as each pair identified each other. Then, with the first mock battle-cry, chaos erupted into shouts and laughter as the group dispersed into the game.

Irving still looked dubious, glancing between Hal and the quickly sparring teams, until Begley broke free and charged the nearest person to him aside from his brother. Allison laughed then took off running. Irving looked as if he would protest, but Christa poked him in the arm.

"Run little wolf," she teased. Irving's dicey expression changed to a grin.

"Well Tom?" Conal asked, then readied his stance. Tom laughed then charged. Conal dodged then turned back. Tom quickly sidestepped, countered and shortly they were a few feet away.

Hal stood apart from it all, watching the field, glancing over everyone to ensure they all had found a partner. Alex came to stand next to him.

"You're good at this," she said and Hal didn't respond, merely kept his eyes scanning the field of practising pairs. "You really were a commander once, eh?"

Hal nodded solemnly, but still kept his attention on the field. After a pause, watching Tom practising with Conal, she wondered aloud, "What is it about Tom?"

"In what way do you mean?" Hal answered without looking at her.

"So it's odd, right? For a vampire and a werewolf to be friends?"

"You sound surprised," Hal stated flatly before answering her. "He's… sincere. Honest. And brave to a fault. And a friend, despite our differences."

"But you were friends with Leo, too. You just have a thing for werewolves or what?"

Hal glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and raised an eyebrow. "There was an obvious reason, in the beginning."

"Obvious?"

"The best place to hide is where your pursuit would not think to look," he said then shifted his gaze back to the field.

"Ah."

"As time passed however, the stronger I became at resisting, the more I relied on Leo's humanity to guide me back to my own. It is the only way to do this that really works; to surround yourself with good people. I have failed myself time and time again. But to fail Leo? To fail Tom?"

Alex considered that for a moment, watching Hal observe the field, then glanced back towards Tom. "You really do care for him, don't you?"

"He's a remarkable person, and the strongest werewolf I've ever met," Hal answered simply. She was struck by Tom's obvious grin, even from afar, and she still knew Hal meant Tom's character, and not his apparent skillset in a fight.

"Before Leo, I always thought that I could do this alone. That I needed to be alone. I was mistaken. I need those who would hold me accountable if I were to fail."

"You need Tom to hold you accountable? Can he really do that?"

"He already has. And so have you." Hal's hazel eyes met hers and she looked away quickly. He had such a consistent way to cut through to exactly what she was circling, even before she recognised it herself.

She fell silent, watching over the field of sparring bodies. Some pairs were serious, but some were giggling, such as Allison and Begley. She was gleefully leading the boy on quite the chase at the edge of the woods. Irving and Christa seemed to be having a good go of it as well. They had switched to Irving playing the vampire with hands raised and mock hissing.

Hal interrupted her observations, "You need to learn this too, you know."

"Wait, what?" Alex snapped her attention back to Hal. He tilted his head with a sly smile, then shifted his stance.

"Uh-uh. No way. I'm not going to fight you," she shook her head.

"I'm the only one here you can practise on safely," he reasoned.

"Hal, seriously?"

"Quite," he answered.

She shook her head. "I don't think so," and folded her arms across her chest.

"Prove that you can stop me. I challenge you," he added.

She huffed, suddenly very much uncomfortable. "Why?"

"If you can stop me, then you can stop anyone."

"I already know I can stop you."

"Are you certain?" he taunted, taking a threatening step towards her.

"Hal…"

"Prove it to me," he asked, softening. "Please."

She swallowed and bit her lip as he held her gaze. She wanted to look away, but there was something unusually pleading in his expression. Please.

She dropped her arms with a tortured sigh, but adopted a semblance of a defensive stance.

Instantly, Hal took the offensive and made a move for her arm. Alex wrenched away and started to back up, but he followed. She teleported, reappearing a good twenty feet afield, at the treeline. He grinned and came after her. When he got closer, she teleported again. He let her lead him in and out of the trees for a moment, but then he stopped.

"Alex, no holding back," he circled her, his body language coiled, ready to strike. "We do not have time for being delicate."

"I know," she whispered, but kept just out of reach. Teleporting to evade him was easier than actually fighting him. She was conflicted with how they stood with one another, but she still couldn't bring herself to raise power against him.

"You wanted to yesterday. Use it. Channel it," he paced opposite her. When she still hesitated, he gave an exasperated sigh and closed his eyes. He opened them to a dropped blackness, then suddenly charged her.

"Argh!" Defensively, instinctually, she blocked him with a wave of force, sending him to fly backwards and fall, skidding against the trunk of a tree.

She gasped, alarmed that she could have hurt him, but he grinned slyly as he sat up. Hal shook his head and cleared his eyes, then commanded, "Again."

"What? Jesus," she protested. He stood, brushed himself off then made to repeat his ambush of her. Again, she blocked him. Using less force than before, she was able to keep him a bay without actually toppling him. They parried a few more times then he stopped, rotating his shoulders and stretching his neck. Believing that was the end, she relaxed and glanced towards the field again.

Hal's hand around her throat was a shock. His eyes bore into hers as she struggled, but he didn't let go. She pushed against his wrist, stomped on his foot then pushed at his chest - all to no avail.

"Break it Alex. Stop me." Hal's fangs lowered before her eyes. Again, without thinking, a wave of electric charge pulsed from her. Hal dropped her as if she were afire. He shook himself clear, then smiled. "That's more like it."

Then he rushed her again, trying another angle this time. And again, she blocked him. Every time his wry amusement seemed to grow. As if he was happy to find he couldn't capture her; thrilled that they were so evenly matched. His amusement was infectious.

Soon, Alex was more confident in her ability to stop him and she played at it, toying at the game before she propelled him away. It was fun. And Hal was smiling. And it lit up her heart. The underlying tension between them was melting away.

"May I have this dance?"

Alex dropped her smile and turned around to where Milo was leaning, arms crossed against a nearby tree. "Me?" she chuffed. Mock-fighting with Hal was one thing, but she had no desire to engage with the brutish, large werewolf.

"Pleasurable as that may be, some other time. Him." Milo scanned Hal, whose demeanour did not change. Hal's stance was still loose, casual, with his hands at his sides.

"Hal, you don't -" Alex started but he raised a hand to halt her.

"No, it's fine," he said, keeping Milo's gaze, whose scarred face cracked into a grin as he stepped clear of the treeline.

The oncoming rain pattered against the thick leather of his jacket as Milo grounded his stance. Alex looked across the clearing at the sparring figures. She did not catch sight of Tom or Allison.

Milo was poised, assessing Hal. The split second he moved to charge, Hal moved to deflect him. Hal's quick block of Milo's reach was so instantaneous that Alex didn't even see what had tipped Hal off. Milo rubbed his arm but kept his grin as he paced opposite.

Hal lunged to attack Milo, who narrowly missed the blow, then retaliated with a swiftness. The fight was a blur. Milo had obvious strength and skill, but Hal was fast, anticipating every onslaught.

Alex had watched plenty of fight movies with her brothers - Ryan had gone through a major Bruce Lee kick one summer - but this wasn't anywhere near as polished or crafted. Unlike when Hal demonstrated with Tom, this fight was dirty.

Seeing an opening, Hal caught Milo by the collar and shoved him hard against the nearest tree. The breath whoomped out of the werewolf, his grin falling as he blocked Hal's reach for his throat and tried to seize his arm. Hal was already clear however.

Milo's expression hardened as he charged again. Grapple, dodge, duck; they danced, never quite engaging. Alex glanced across the field again, seeking Tom. She didn't see him, but several of the werewolves had stopped their own sparring and were shifting their attention to the fight. They were drawn to it like a crowd at a pub. For something had noticeably shifted. It was no longer clear that Hal & Milo were merely practising.

Smack! Milo's head whipped back as Hal landed a punch. Hal shook out his hand as Milo shook his head and Alex winced. That was going to leave a mark… Hal knew what he was doing. Milo recovered quickly though and charged Hal again, this time catching him slightly off guard. Milo grabbed his shoulder, fury in his eyes as he attempted to push Hal back towards the treeline. They locked, Hal meeting the onslaught, turning it into a game of strength. They shoved against each other, slipping with the sodden earth. Milo growled and shifted to gain a better purchase. Hal took the opening and gained a hold of Milo's neck, pressing into his windpipe and forcing them away from the woods. Milo's hands went to Hal's, futilely trying to tear him away.

The werewolf's eyes widened, and for a small, panicked moment, Alex thought she would have to intervene to keep Hal from killing him. He couldn't even gasp a breath. Soundlessly choking, the larger man struggled uselessly against Hal's grip; until he retaliated. Milo kneed Hal forcefully in the thigh.

Hal gasped and dropped, his leg giving out from under him as Milo broke away - just as Tom and Allison came rushing out of the woods behind them. Milo, coughed with watery eyes and rubbed his neck as Hal caught his balance, testing his weight on his injured leg.

Backing away, Milo turned to face the gathered crowd. He pointedly cleared his throat. "Observe your opponent. Find his weakness," he declared haughtily to the group, smug to be adding to the lesson.

Seeing something flash on Tom's face as he approached made Alex glance back at Hal - just as he sent a quick, merciless kick to the back of Milo's knee. Milo stumbled forward, knee dropping to the ground as he caught himself with his hands in the mud.

"Never turn your back on an enemy," Hal concluded simply.

Silence enveloped the field as Milo pushed himself up, wiping his hands on his jeans with a scowl. The silence was broken by a loud, "Whoop!" as Christa, grinning, started clapping. Tension breaking, a couple of smiles appeared as Milo glared.

Tom lunged forward, grasping Hal's shoulder in a friendly way, but catching him.

"Thanks," he whispered under a grimace as the group started applauding with Christa. Alex stepped in and took Hal's elbow, and Allison came to stand next to Tom. She had a bit of lichen in her hair.

Milo finished brushing off, then regarded Hal, and each of them at his side in turn. Returning his dark countenance to Hal, he held the vampire's eyes. With a huff, Milo reluctantly extended his hand. Hal left the handshake unanswered for a pause, but then took it. They shook hands, as skeptical allies.

"So, you really are with us then," Milo declared.

Hal's eyes narrowed, but he nodded once. "So it would seem."

Milo held Hal's gaze, appraising and dubious. The rain picked up, pattering down around them in percussive insistence and finally, Milo broke their eye contact. When he turned to walk away, his back was very much facing Hal.


"Time is a game played beautifully by children."
― Heraclitus, Fragments