Don't Play Games

"What's up?" Ben asked me when Dad banished me upstairs. I had all but bolted out of the room and he had followed me.

"How could he do that?" I stared at the window.

"Things like this happen all the time, Porsche, it's not something you can stop." Ben told me and I shook my head.

"Not that jackass." I growled, "Him we'll deal with, no problems. Bran how could he let this happen to her? How could he risk it happening to me? Does he care about anything other than himself?"

"Yes, he cares a lot about himself, I don't know many people who don't, though I admit I know a few." Ben sighed, "He cares a lot about you too, he cares about everyone. He cares about everyone in a different way, but he cares."

"How?" I laughed humorlessly.

"Well, for once, he cared a hell of a lot for your mother, but he put himself in this situation where he didn't show anything. Werewolves don't like to share their emotions with the world, if you haven't noticed. And he realized she thought he had never cared for her and he saw you as a way to redeem himself. Bran spoils you rotten, treats you like the daughter he never had and had failed you have before. He knows how you work better than even I do, and he's not in your head every second of the day. He knows you don't like to be told what to do, he makes up for it by giving you options as often as he possibly can. He didn't want to have to get rid of you if you somehow lost it again and couldn't keep yourself in line anymore. He forced you into a corner despite his dislike of doing so so that you could be kept alive."

"So, I'm just a debt to be paid off?" I snorted, "That's fantastic."

"You're his granddaughter, one that's lived a lot longer than anyone he's had before." He kissed my forehead. "He does what is right, and he knows what's right. He just doesn't let anyone else see it before he does."

I hugged Ben.

"And now I want to cry about Tolinka." I told him and he sat down where he was and pulled me with him so I sat in his lap.

"Go ahead." He murmured.

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"I don't want that bastard near you, please stay home." Ben begged. I bit my lip, actually contemplating it before I shook my head slowly.

"I can't do that."

"Why not? This has nothing to do with you directly and I want to keep it that way." He said.

"Ben, you know how I feel about staying home!" I whined. "Don't do this to me!"

"I don't want you anywhere near this guy!" He sounded honest and I frowned.

"He can't do anything." I sighed.

"Obviously he can, have you seen the scars on that girl downstairs? There are scars, Porsche, scars! This has been going on for quite some time. This 'Brian' has no qualms about hurting girls like you." He looked at me. "I don't want that to happen to you."

"You won't let that happen."

"I wish I could promise it, but I can't! Look how many times you've gotten away before." He kissed me quickly. "Please."

"I'm going." I said firmly and he sighed.

"I know."

I stood on my tippy-toes and kissed him.

"I'll be fine, promise."

"Why do you make promises you can't keep?" He asked.

"It's my thing." I shrugged, "Okay, I will be as fine as possible."

"Better…" He sat on the bed.

"I love you." I offered, it was always what I said in these types of situations.

"And I love you."

I sat down next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes.

"Ben, you wouldn't leave me, would you?"

He seemed startled.

"What?" He asked softly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because…I don't know! It's just felt…weird since Tolinka came here. Like you were…disconnected or something. " I took a breath to steady my voice. "And all my friends talk about is getting together and breaking up and it just made me nervous."

"I've been doing a lot of extra work lately, for your father especially." He told me, "I'm sorry I made you feel that way, it's just been…overwhelming. No, I would not leave you."

I sighed, that's all I needed to hear.

"Get to sleep, you have a math test tomorrow."

"I already failed today's study session, I'm not going to miraculously pass the test, especially because you refuse to help." I whined.

"I am not cheating for you or on you, now come on." He chuckled.

"I'm not tired." I lied, yawning.

"Even if I didn't know you were lying, I could tell."

I don't know when he laid me down but I woke up on my bed alone and cold. I pouted. I got up and walked downstairs, drank my coffee, walked back upstairs to change into real clothes, did my hair, put on mascara, and stared in the mirror. I laughed, distracted, when Shuck came and his front paws scrabbled on the counter. Ben followed.

"Dumb dog, tripped me." But he said it with a smile as he scratched Shuck behind the ear. Shuck grinned and barked before taking his paws off the counter beside my hands and running away.

"Morning." I turned around and pecked him on the lips.

"To you too." He laughed.

I brought my smile to a frown.

"Why did I wake up alone?"

"I apologize for that." He sighed, "Your father had me on guard duty last night, last minute thing. Bran left by the way. Couldn't stay much longer else his pack would worry. He's working on this, not much longer before Charles is sent to…negotiate."

"You mean to kill everyone." I corrected. "There's something you're not telling me."

"Um…before Bran left…someone petitioned for a fight."

i blinked.

"He's not experienced enough, Bran couldn't just…let him do that could he?" I asked.

"Well…he is."

"Jamie stands no chance!" I growled.

"Well…it's his fault for pushing Paul around." Ben looked at me.

"What did he do?"

"Well, he's dominant so he got enough of a standing without fighting." Ben began, I motioned for him to hurry up, I was running late now. "I'll drive you. And Paul disagreed when he found he couldn't quite look him in the eye…"

"Paul petitioned this?"

"No…Jamie did…with Adam's permission."

"WHAT?" I screamed, my father wouldn't throw him into this unless he was ready…right?

"He knew you were going to react like this."

"Who knew?" I growled.

"Adam, Jamie, Bran…me, pretty much every 'he' you know." Ben sighed.

"We have a fight coming up, why do we have…a mini fight coming up?"

"We have a huge fight coming up because you aren't allowed to the dominance fights, you've been officially banned for the time being."

"That is unfair." I snarled.

"It's life." Ben snapped, "Jamie won't be in school today, he's training with your father. Grab your bag, we're leaving else you'll be late."

"Forget school, I'll train with him."

"You're a girl," Ben rolled his eyes. "You're not what he needs to be practicing with."

"I can pin you." I told him, doing just that. He laughed, but he wasn't amused.

"Fighting isn't pinning, I thought Mercy's daughter would know that out of all people. Anyways," And he was pinning me. "You're fast, not strong."

"I'm strong enough to beat you."

"At what?" He scoffed.

Yeah, well, it wasn't long before Mom came upstairs to see what the hell we were doing.

"Don't you have to be married to have marital problems?" She sighed. "What's going on? You know what, I don't care, whatever it is a back roundhouse isn't going to fix it in anyway."

I blinked, surprised.

"I know your strong points. I know you're a weird person for that to be a strong point." She rolled her eyes, "I know my own daughter's fighting style."

"Jamie is fighting?" I asked.

"Yes, speaking of which, we do have a perfectly good dojo, no need to use the bedroom." She chuckled.

"I'm banned." I growled.

"I told him not to do that, though I didn't foresee you using the bedroom instead." Mom shook her head.

"We didn't hurt each other." I snorted.

"Fortunately." She nodded, "You're going to be late for school."

"Can I just skip?"

"You're not going to graduate." She shook her head.

"Oh, please?" I begged.

"N-fine…don't let your father know I let you…"

"If he asks I have to tell him the truth." I reminded.

"Then forget it, you're going to school." Mom smiled.

"Aaw! No fair, Mom!"

A/N-

Still not long enough *sigh* I tried though

Notloggedin: Id laugh if u didn't review because u did by saying "How would you feel if I just refused to review now" however if u didn't say that id cry because u didn't review

yeah i know

ONLY DEAD PEOPLE! GOSH! and yeah control is an issuer all the time but in Hunting Grounds I believe Charles mentions something

yeah and there are even more in Patricia Brigg's world tho i did try to make it something else…course that didn't work the way i wanted it to

no, bran is too! in whatever book it is the man comes to mercy for help about his were' daughter and she says shed b safe with bran too my understanding is its not so much rape as it is wolf dominance things if a female isn't mated she isn't a living creature, she's pack property and they can do with her what they wish and with wolves well…it seems to be sex

of course, in Toli's case it wasn't so much rape as it was abuse which is the same thing in the end when you think about it

no no im not ur ex! gosh darn it i have been asked that a lot lately XD

good. ud better not. i have my eye on u o.O

that is so…true *sigh*

my mom does the thinking usually

i did its just not as long as i wanted it to be

MACMONKEY: Yay! im glad u love it so very much!

PLEASE REVIEW! it makes me want to write wen i have math homework

…thats a lie i hate math IT MAKES ME WANT TO WRITE WEN I HAVE SOMETHING FUN TO DO! and then the chapters are longer!

GIMH