Heartlessly Humane

By wired2damoon

Chapter 5: Shocks And Scratches

A/N: Thanks again to all the wonderful reviewers! This chapter is DEDICATED TO: Wake-up Soon for her wonderful, loyal support! ~wired2damoon~x

- Mitchell's POV -

"Tea, coffee?" Nina asked, as I sat at the table in her kitchen. I got the feelin' that she was tryin' to postpone our inevitable conversation more than she has already. She was pacin' back and forth in front of me, as I watched her silently, wonderin' that the hell it is exactly that's wound her up so tightly.

"No, no thanks, look, Nina I promised Annie I wouldn't be more than an hour -"

"You know, for someone who isn't your girlfriend you seem to treat her as if she is…" she interrupted, stopping her manic pacing abruptly and pointing an accusatory finger at me.

I rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore her, after all, my relationship status with Annie (or anyone else for that matter) is absolutely none of her business or concern, I refrained from tellin' her so, I figured it wouldn't go down too well in my favour, "I gotta get back soon…so, whatever it is you want to tell me-"

"-George scratched me," she blurted, automatically covering his mouth with her hand, her eyes widening.

Well, my suspicions have been confirmed.

I fuckin' knew it.

Well, I couldn't tell for sure, but I could sense…somethin'.

I got the impression she didn't plan on blurtin' it out like that, because she looked like she was about to vomit. I could imagine her being the type to endlessly go through what she was goin' to say before hand and then lets it fly out the window as soon as the conversation arises, just like George in a way. She wanted to build up to it, tell me calmly, but ended up just spewing it out.

My silence must have prompted her to continue because she began pacing again, "down in the basement, when I rushed to him, before he was fully changed he-he scratched me, on the arm. I-I've hid it from him, he told me the morning after that the scratch he has on his shoulder is what turned him into what he is and now that he's scratched me…I had to tell someone and I know that you're really old and you know about things like this and-"

"-Whoa! Nina, Nina, calm down," I hissed, bolting out of my chair and walking over to block her from continuing to pace.

"I CAN'T CALM DOWN! I'VE BEEN GOING OUT OF MY MIND WITH WORRY, ANGER, GRIEF, TORMENT, TERROR…JESUS MITCHELL, HOW THE HELL CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN!?!" she roared, finally loosing her temper like I predicted she would. Thankfully, livin' with a female poltergeist makes me oddly familiar with the woman psyche.

Reachin' out, I took hold of her forearm, gettin' a quick glance of the four, deep scratches that maimed her skin as her sleeve bunched up, and gently pulled her over to the table and sat her down, takin' the seat opposite her.

"Look, right now, I'll admit, I can sense somethin's…different about you but it's not-not the same as I sense with George…" I murmured softly, hopin' that I sounded reassurin' and soothin'. It's the same way I talk to Annie when she's upset, I just hope that it helps Nina.

"What-what do you mean something's different?" she asked, her voice an octave higher, making her sound like a curious child. I didn't want to get her hopes up, to be honest I'm not all that familiar with situations such as these, even though I am, as Nina put it, 'really old.'

"I can't explain it really, it's just that…I don't get the full blown werewolf scent off you…this is, nothin' that I've dealt with before to be honest. I-I've heard of the existence of female werewolves but…they were always scratched when the wolf was fully formed. George, wasn't when he scratched you. Now I don't know if that hinders your chances of being one, but it certainly does raise a few questions in my mind. Have you been feelin' in any way different in the last forty-eight hours?"

I watched with bated breath as she pondered my question silently.

"No, no not really. I've been too busy worrying about how this will affect me and George. Oh Mitchell, it will just kill him if he finds out! He's already so terrified at the fact that I know and thinks I'm going to run off on him…he feels like he's burdening me, I just-I don't know how he'll react if I told him this…" she mumbled, her head lowered.

My heart panged. I felt terrible for her, and for George. She really makes him happy, makes him have some sort of normality in his rollercoaster life. If he were to find out about this…it would destroy him.

"Are you goin' to tell him?" I couldn't help but ask, gently of course.

She sniffed, obviously trying to control her emotions. I had the decency to look away as she collected herself.

"I don't know…I just-I don't know, Mitchell. That's why I asked you to come tonight. I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation or…tell me something, anything that could put my mind at rest. I just…I don't know how much longer I can keep this from him…and if, when, I finally do tell him, I want to have some sort of game plan. Have information I can load him with, to have some up-side…" she trailed off, the tears edging their way down her cheeks.

I frowned, my gaze fallin' to the sugar bowl on the table, "I don't know what to tell you Nina. I'm sorry but I really don't have any experience with werewolf traits and tendencies. George is the first I've really spent any time with, I don't know if you know but vampires and werewolves aren't really the best of friends…or at least they're not meant to be. That's always how it's been.

"Lycos have been sort of, an enemy to us, a threat. They are one of the only things beside a steak through the heart that can kill us. You saw what George did to Herrick. They can literally tear us apart, meanin', that gave us means not to be best buddies. So, for that reason, all I know about werewolves are limited, I've truly never heard a case such as yours…female werewolves are very few and far between…"

She nodded upon hearing this, "so, what you're telling me is that you've absolutely no idea what is going to happen to me or what I'm supposed to do…?"

I nodded gravely.

"Right. Well, that's just perfect. That's just fan-fucking-tastic," she grumbled leaning her elbows on the table and burying her face in her hands.

"Nina listen-"

"-Please Mitchell, just…go. I-I would really like to be alone, now…" she murmured, soundin' utterly defeated, pressin' her palms flat out on the table and restin' her head on them.

I sighed, knowing well that we weren't goin' to make any more progress on the subject tonight. I stood up, and began to back out of the room slowly. I wanted desperately to reassure her everythin' was goin' to be alright but I knew that was somethin' I just couldn't promise. Shakin' my head, I turned to go.

"I'll do as much research as I can over the next few days and I'll get back to ye. I presume you're goin' to hide out here while you're pretendin' to be visitin' your sick mother in Yorkshire?" I mumbled, glancing back over my shoulder.

She sighed, not lifting her head up from the table.

I took that as a yes.

"Alright then, I'll be back in a few days, hopefully wit' somethin' that can shed some light on this. Look, just, try not to worry too much about it yet. I know it's a lot to ask, but, there's no point freakin' out about what might happen when we've absolutely no idea what to expect. Your imagination will just run away wit' ye, torment ye. So, for the time bein' hide out here, I'll make sure George doesn't come near the place, and I'll figure out how I'm goin' to sneak out without Annie askin' questions…"

Wow. Even as I said it I knew it was goin' to be majorly difficult.

"She really does worry about you, doesn't she?" Nina asked, lifting her head off the table to stare me right in the eyes.

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, "well, yeah, so does George. I mean, it's hardly safe times for any of us…"

As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I saw Nina wince painfully at my words.

"So, I'll be back in a few days, right? I'll help keep up the charade as much as I can, but I want you to know I hate lying to George and Annie…you're gonna have to tell him soon," I cautioned, looking absentmindedly at the clock, realising that I was runnin' late.

"I know…I know…it's just going to be so-"

She was cut off by the loud shrill of my phone.

I held up a hand, throwing her a small, apologetic smile, before diggin' my hand into my pocket and pressin' the green button, already knowing who it was without havin' to check the caller ID.

"Hey Annie."

"Mitchell, are you alright? You've been gone well over an hour now and well…George has been getting worried," I snorted to myself, yeah, I'm sure George is the only one that's worried…

"Sorry Annie, I was held up in the interview, I'll tell ye all about it when I get home-"

"-I thought you were gonna stay on the phone so I know you're not getting attacked," she reminded me of my promise (the same one that was probably the only reason she let me go in the first place.)

I saw Nina's eyebrows raise as she heard what Annie had said, a little smirk forming on her face.

I definitely didn't like the look of that smirk…it was too smug. Like she knew something that I didn't.

"Uh…yeah, sure, I will, I'm just gonna go into the shop, I'm outta smokes, I-I'll give ye a ring back when I'm finished, alright?" Okay, so I was sorta clutchin' at straws here, but I couldn't very well just walk out of Nina's, chattin' away to an unbeknownst Annie, without so much as a backwards glance.

"Oh…okay…" Annie replied, and my heart actually plummeted as I heard her sound a little deflated.

"Oh, by the way, is there anything we need for the house?" I asked with a fake, cheery voice, hoping that it would somehow reassure her, whilst also deciding that I will actually go to the shop, to help authenticate my story.

"Um…yeah, we need some more coffee, tea bags, milk…what George?" I heard George's voice in the background mumbling somethin' to her, "oh, and George would like some more Jaffa Cakes and Oreos and would like me to remind you that you're the one who ate all of them, you tosser. His words, not mine."

I laughed as she said that, "alright, alright, I'll give ye a ring back in a minute…see ye…"

"Bye."

I hung up and shoved my phone back in my pocket, slowly raising my eyes to meet Nina's, suddenly feelin' oddly sheepish.

"So…" she started slowly, "you're very domesticated for a vampire, aren't you?"

I squinted at her, finding that that was an strange statement.

"Uh…I suppose so…why?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "oh, no reason. Anyway, I've kept you long enough as it is. I don't want to keep you here after dark, with it not being safe and all. I certainly don't want to upset you're uh…non-girlfriend either, I'd say she'd get on my case quick enough if something were to happen to you…" she trailed off, sounding weirdly upbeat all of a sudden.

Why did that make me uncomfortable?

"Uh…right…well, like I said, I'll be back in a few days with hopefully something to help you out…" I mumbled, rubbin' the back of my neck.

She nodded, standin' up and walkin' me to the door.

"Hey," she called, as I stepped out into the cold, near-night air.

"Yeah?"

"Look after George, alright? I know he'll be worrying about me, even though I said I'd be at my mum's…" she said quietly. I nodded, knowing my overly-nervous, furry friend as I do.

"I will…I'm gonna do my best to help ye Nina," I said determinedly, looking straight up into her eyes as she stood on her doorstep.

She nodded, biting her lip.

"We are goin' to find out all about this…about what will happen," I continued as I began to walk backwards down her driveway.

She nodded again, folding her arms against the cold.

She opened her mouth and whispered softly, but loud enough for my over-sensitive ears to hear, "and hey, if we don't…we can always just wait until full moon and see what happens then…"

I bowed my head.

Yeah, there's that too…

- Annie's POV -

I'll admit, I'm a little annoyed with myself for ringing Mitchell when I did. I should have waited for him to ring me, I'm probably doing his head in with all my obsessive worrying, but, I just can't help it. I had to make sure he was still alright and even though he had just hung up five minutes ago (and I reasoned with myself that it takes more than five minutes to enter a shop, pick out groceries, stand in a line, purchase them and walk out) I still wanted desperately to ring him again.

Seriously, my fingers are actually itching closer and closer to the phone as George and I half watch Coronation Street.

"Don't do it. He'll call back when he's ready," George cautioned, oddly knowing what I was thinking (and in the process of doing) without once taking his eyes off the TV screen.

I gaped at him, hurrying to cover my tracks, "I know that, I wasn't going to ring him, George…I was just…stretching my fingers…" I winced as the words flew out of my mouth. Thankfully my fellow comrade seemed to be too engrossed with the flashing images coming from the little box in the corner of the room to pass much notice on anything.

"Ugh! I'm going upstairs," I mumbled, grabbing the phone and racing up the stairs.

I sighed as I pushed open my bedroom door and traipsed over to my big, comfy armchair, plopping down and curling my knees up, hugging them to my chest. I placed the phone on the arm and stared at it, knowing I was being ridiculous but ignored my rational side. I'd gladly welcome it back with open arms once Mitchell got home.

Seconds ticked by as I stared absentmindedly at the phone. It felt like years, decades, but I waited, having full faith that he would call back (or face an ear-full from me when he got back). I was so engrossed in staring the phone with complete and utter silence, that in fact, when it did ring, I jumped about a foot off the chair with surprise.

"Jesus!" I exclaimed, clutching my heart, before scrambling and answering it hurriedly.

"Mitchell?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too demanding.

"Hey Annie, just on my way back now. Got the stuff from the shop," I smiled once I heard his voice.

"Oh that's good, what-"

I gasped as I heard something very familiar come from behind me. I closed my eyes.

Oh no…not again…

"Annie, Annie what's-"

I stopped listening to Mitchell and turned, ever so slowly around, biting my lip, clutching the phone tightly in my hand.

"It was so scary, so…dark…" I heard a soft, whispering voice call out from the darkness.

Slowly, I opened my eyelids, right first, then left, and I was so shocked by what I saw that I dropped the phone with a loud thump as it hit the floor.

This cannot be good…

A/N: Ooh so sorry to stop it there! But the next chapter will be particularly long so I decided to chop it here. Sorry there wasn't much George in this chapter, but I promise, he is very much so in the next chapter! Also, we learn more about what's gonna happen to Nina, and of course, we're gonna learn who the owner of the mysterious voice is!! Hope you enjoyed!! ~wired2damoon~ x