Alex paced restlessly as Justin trod a careful path around her. As far as nightmares went, this one, bizarrely enough, was close to the top.
After... that had happened (Ariel, you poor girl...) Justin had insisted on seeing the room. Now here he was, walking and talking with no one in particular.
"And Mason detected no scent whatsoever?"
Alex snapped out of her trance. She had been standing by herself too long, and allowed her mind to wander.
What would life have been like if they weren't so messed up? Would Justin have been a father? And she still a mother? Would she be with Mason? The questions, the 'what ifs...?" had stolen her from the moment.
Justin was deeply perplexed, "I think we just wasted a virgin. A werewolf can usually scent any monster at all. So the question is; what could come in here without leaving a scent?"
She crouched beside him, the two falling back into their old rhythm of working together. They moved as one, taking in information separately, but at the same time.
"An illusion?"
"No, an illusion could not have picked up the baby. Maybe a monster with no scent?"
"Which would be a what...? Besides which, why would a monster with no scent need a wizard baby?"
"Point. Maybe another wizard...?"
"Once more; how come there's no scent?"
"...maybe the wizard transformed into a family member. If the spell made him or her Mason, the transformed wizard would only smell like him, right?"
They paused here. Justin's mind was turning, "No... firstly, why would the wizard transform? It seems like a waste of energy. If the wizard was transformed, why go for the baby? And why leave? If it was someone you recognized, he or she would walk out the front door without being stopped. Finally, it would take a pretty powerful wizard to transform all the way to the point that they would smell like that dog."
Alex made a face, "Fine, what do you think happened? Mason said that he only detected familiar scents- family, baby formula, etc."
Justin nodded,"Yeah, I think better start questioning his abilities. He is just a stinking son of a" he paused and changed his tone, "female dog. Because he's a werewolf."
Following her brother's eyes, Alex found herself staring at a wide-awake Alexander.
"Xander! What are you doing out here?"
He rubbed his eyes wearily, "Mumma, I thought I heard you. Can you tuck me inta beddie?"
Alex sighed miserably, "Momma is busy with her," She gave her rapist a wry look, "Friend."
Their son pouted, "I don't see why he gets to spend time with you! It's like he's all you care about! I thought you would spend more time with me now that Justine is gone and-" the rest of his speech was drowned out by whining. Justin sighed and used magic to mute the boy. Alex nodded her thanks.
She growled, "Mister, you better get your butt back into your room by the time I count to five."
At first the boy stood defiantly.
"One."
He glared with something akin to the strength of a mountain lion.
"Two."
He blinked.
"Threeeee..."
His throat made a nervous swallowing motion.
"Four."
He bolted running back to his room.
"Nice kid."
"I will kill you if you even think of him. He has nothing to do with you."
Justin's eye quirked, "Nothing?"
Alex bit down, "Don't even think about bringing him into this. I hate you, remember that? I loathe you, always have, always will. Even before you went evil, I hated you. He," She pointed at the boy's room, "Will never know you, understand?"
Justin crossed his arms, "And why not?"
Alex's eyes went wide with disbelief, "Are you kidding me with this right now?!"
Justin brought out his smug look, if for no other reason than the fact that it bothered her.
"Well?"
Alex should have had steam coming out of her ears as she drew herself to full height, her inner Momma Bear rearing its head, "Do you even... I mean... are you so stupid that you... think...?"
"I'm family."
Those words cut her. She sighed turning from him, "I can't do this."
Justin nodded absently and turned the room over.
He's family.
He was family. That's the worst of it. If he were a boyfriend, well, she would have killed him. Actually, looking back on her life, she probably would have if not for the fact he was family.
Without thinking about it, Alex went to the corner of the room, watching her brother. It was... so weird watching him pace. Years disappeared as the brother and sister came to terms with their arrangement, again. Justin, snooping, using every brain cell he had while Alex relied on luck and intuition before giving up and watching her sibling work.
"You killed Max."
"From where I'm standing, you killed Max."
Alex sighed dejectedly. Justin huffed standing up.
"I need a wand."
"HA!"
"I'm serious."
Alex rolled her eyes, "Why would I give you a wand? That's a terrible idea."
Justin advanced on her a little too quickly, "I think I need it to trace the flashes of our kidnapper."
The siblings stared each other down.
"Fine." Alex marched away. While she was gone, Justin whispered a spell. Upon her return, he rolled his eyes, "Try this one."
"That's your old practice wand, it only opens stuff!"
She gave him a daring look, "And?"
He snarled taking the wand from him, "The flash trail!" A line of gold appeared.
"Ha! One for Justin!" He handed it back to her, "Hold onto that. A powerless thing like you needs it."
Alex glared with her old hatred, their old rivalry rekindled.
"Let's go."