A/N: So, hello again. This chapter is one of my favorite things that I've written for FF. And Aria isn't even in it! I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 10

When Ezra walked through the door of Bon Dieu Divinities, he was again surrounded by the heavy smell of incense. No wonder Aria had remained hidden from him, even though she was close enough to hear his conversation. He'd have to be within a few feet of her to pick up her scent from inside this cloud. Ezra approached the sales counter, but there wasn't anyone there. He glanced around and was about to call out, when he heard the tinkling of tiny bells or chimes. A curtain to the back opened and Maddie stepped through. For a brief moment she seemed surprised, but then a serious look settled over her, and Ezra felt like he was being scrutinized.

"I didn't spect I'd see you again so soon. What can I do for you?" Maddie's voice was friendly, but more restrained than the first time Ezra had come in. She'd been almost motherly in their first exchange. This time she was a bit cautious, welcoming but aware that she didn't actually know him yet. Ezra wondered what had changed, but they didn't know each other, so this interaction made more sense to Ezra and he went into the speech he'd prepared on the way over from the school.

"I wanted to apologize for how abrupt I was yesterday. I was starting my teaching job at Rosewood High and really needed to not be late. But, I couldn't wait till after school to get the moonstone, because high schools already have too many hormone driven lunatics walking the halls. And I will admit, the fact that you knew my father took me aback. Can we please have a do-over on our first meeting?" Ezra had been going for respectful, friendly, and a bit contrite. The smile that appeared on Maddie's face told him he'd done well.

"You have a silver tongue, like your Papa. I hope you don't use it de way he did, to bewitch all de young ladies." Ezra blushed at the compliment and at the insinuation.

"I swear, I do not seek out the attentions of anyone, really. But, I do make an effort to be optimistic when I'm getting to know someone." Why did he feel the need to say all of that? Maddie smirked, seemingly amused by Ezra's "effort."

"Well den, I s'pose we ought to get to knowin each oder. My name is Madeleine Romelus, but mosts call me Maddie, and you are Ezra Fitzgerald. Is dat good enough for our do-over?" Her eyes glinted with mischief and made her seem a lot younger than she had before.

"I go by Ezra Fitz, actually. Fitzgerald was a bit too heavy for me to carry around with me, especially in New York." Maddie looked puzzled.

"And your mama was ok wif dat? I seem to remember dat she put a lot of stock in names and such." Ezra had to take a calming breath. He had not come here to talk about his mother, but he couldn't demand answers from Maddie and be unwilling to be asked anything.

"The last time I saw Dianne I was 21 and she made it abundantly clear that she didn't care about anything that I might do or not do, so long as I never tried to contact her again." Ezra got through without his voice breaking, but he felt the tightness in his chest moving up toward his throat. Maddie softened and reached out her hand for Ezra to take, he obliged her.

"Your mama was blessed wif many things, beauty, brains, more money den anyone would know what to do wif. But she missed out on a lot, too. She never had no love in her heart, not for your fader nor no one else. Was it because you take after him?" She squeezed his hand as if imparting strength. It did make him feel a tad stronger. Ezra had never told anyone this, before. He cleared his throat, as a lump was forming.

"It was more because my brother, Wesley, didn't. Once she was certain that she had one 'normal' son, she didn't have any more use for me. Not that she had much use for me before that, but she really wanted to be free of all of it. I can't say I blame her for that, at least." Ezra's head had slowly fallen forward as he spoke. It felt like it just kept getting heavier. What kind of person erases their own child? What kind of person can't manage to make their own mother love them? Maddie pulled him into a hug and he didn't have the strength to stop her. As a general rule, Ezra avoided physical contact with people he didn't know well, but since coming to Rosewood he'd thrown more than a few of his rules out the window. It felt nice to have someone offer him comfort. The women in this town were turning him to mush. Hadn't he been stronger than this, before?

"Tell you what, how 'bout we go sit? I'll make us some tea and even dough I said I was keepin de rest for me, you can have a couple fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. I swear, if I keep givin dem to you young folks I'll have to make more, and I do not like cleanin my kitchen up twice." Maddie led Ezra through the curtain into a storage room. She continued on to a door on the opposite wall. It opened onto a small hall, Maddie crossed it and unlocked the apartment there.

Ezra stepped into a tidy and comfortable living room. He immediately smelled the cookies, and they smelled delicious. But more importantly, to him at least, the room smelled like Aria. He tried to take in as much of her fragrance as he could. It was more comforting to him than any hug ever could be, unless it was from her. Maddie was watching him, with her head tilted to the side. She nodded to herself as if making a decision and brought her hands together in a loud clap. Ezra jumped slightly at the noise. He needed to say something, anything, really.

"You have a beautiful home, Maddie. It's so warm and inviting." Ezra meant that, the whole place was like another hug. His apartment was still full of boxes and it wasn't really the type of space that could ever feel homey.

"I like dat it's cozy. Course it's twice de size of where I lived in New York. It must seem tiny to you, knowin where you grew up." Ezra chuckled sardonically.

"Oh, that house could feel incredibly small at times." His "portion" of the basement was particularly tight. "This place has a much better feel, I don't know, a better vibe?" Ezra knew that Maddie was probably into all that new agey stuff that she sold, but he knew less about that than he did werewolves. He probably sounded like a complete dunce. But Maddie smiled a genuine smile at him.

"Merci, I try to keep de energies positive in here. Come wif me, get some tea and doze cookies before I change my mind." Ezra followed Maddie into the happy little kitchen and sat at the small table in the corner. That's when he saw it, the same burgundy covered book that Aria had brought to class. He picked it up like it might bite him. It had Aria's scent on it, it was the same book.

"Does this book belong to Aria Montgomery?" Maddie turned from the sink where she was filling a kettle with water.

"Well, she bought it yesterday, but today she returned it. She said dat she thought she needed it but turns out she didn't. Aria's not de kind to hold onto things dat she doesn't need or want. Knows her own mind better den most people double her age. De heart can be tricky, dough, don't you think?" Ezra nodded absently, turning the book over and over slowly in his hands. Did she not need it anymore, because of the way he'd acted? What did she want to show him? "Does she have you?" Ezra snapped back to the present. Was he that obvious?

"Pardon?" Ezra had no idea how to handle this. Maddie was a friend of Aria's and most likely her parents.

"Does Aria have you for a teacher? I assume dat's how you know her." Oh, thank god. Ezra swallowed, and tried to smile.

"Yes, she's got me for A.P. English." And man has she got me, thought Ezra. "I saw her carrying this book today. I'm surprised she didn't want to keep it, she was holding onto it pretty tightly earlier. Do you have any idea why she needed it? Or did she tell you why she'd changed her mind?" Don't sound too curious, Ezra.

Maddie brought everything but the water to the table, the kettle hadn't whistled, yet. "No, most likely has to do wif one of de stories, dough."

"Which stories?" Ezra hoped they weren't stories he should know already about werewolves. Maddie gave him a patient smile.

"Open de book. It's a book of myths, probly not ones you heard before. I think Aria only knew a few of dem when she bought it. Who can say which story appealed to her? I will tell you, Aria didn't get what she wanted from de book. Aria wouldn't treat my store like a library and I don't think she ever give up a book she likes, dis one made her sad."

"She was sad?" How was Ezra going to make this right?

"Why you so worried? You met Aria yesterday, not before. Is my little bird in some kind of trouble?" Maddie was looking at him in that scrutinizing way, again. Ezra was losing track of the number of holes he was digging for himself.

"No, I just saw that she was sad this morning. It makes me sad to know she still was after school." Ezra didn't think that explanation would hold water, but Maddie patted his hand.

"It's fine, I'm sure Aria just had a fight wif Jason or sumpin." The kettle began to whistle, and Maddie got up and brought it over to the table. Ezra felt an awful twisting in his gut.

"Jason?" Ezra knew he was probably stupid for holding out hope that Jason was her brother. Maddie kept her hands moving, making the tea, but her eyes were focused on Ezra.

"Oh, I s'pose you've not talked much wif Aria, yet. Dough I'm surprised she wouldn't try to make you feel welcome. It's very important to her dat everyone is friendly and welcomin. Some packs are very closed off wif new folks. Well anyway, Jason is Aria's mate, or good as. He is chompin at de bit to get dat girl married to him." Married? Aria was getting married? No, no that wasn't possible. He tried to stay calm, but barely choked out his next question.

"Aria's still in high school. How could she possibly be getting married?" Maddie looked at Ezra with, what? Was that sympathy? Pity? She took a slow breath and sipped her tea before answering.

"Aria knows her daddy will not be happy if dey bind demselves to de oder before Aria graduates. Somes say dat Jason is pushin it too fast, I'm one of dem dat says dat. But dey have been courtin for three years, Aria is an adult, and Jason has his own place and good steady work. Thinkin Jason probly is not good enough for my sweet girl isn't much to bring to de pack leaders. Specially when dey approved of de betrothal a year gone, now."

A dull grayness was settling around Ezra. Was Aria just trying to welcome him? Had he misunderstood her feelings? She did get upset when he rejected her help to join the pack. He had zero intention of joining anything, here. He was thinking coming here at all had been a disastrous mistake. But, the images, the pull between them, the energy, he hadn't been the only one to feel all that. He knew he hadn't. But she was engaged, and had been for a year? Something occurred to him, and he had to ask. "Maddie, how old is Jason? If he has a place and works, he can't be Aria's classmate." Maddie grimaced.

"True, he's 5 years past Aria. It's not uncommon, dough. Wif as long as you all live, most don't fuss bout a handful of years. She were pretty young when he chose her, dough. I don't think Aria's ever even kissed nobody else. Somes says it sweet, I say he snapped her up fore she could give a look to anybody else. Her daddy is de pack leader, if you know." Maddie was being incredibly open with him about this. She didn't want Jason to marry Aria. Was she trying to say Aria didn't really want to marry Jason? But, Maddie didn't even say marry, she said bind.

"What does it mean for Jason and Aria to bind themselves? Is it like marriage?" Maddie looked surprised by the question.

"Do you not know about yourself at all? I know you lost your papa when you were too young for him to teach you much. But you never had nobody else to talk to? Where were Billy's parents?" Ezra shrugged, he knew the answer, but he didn't have the strength to get into anymore of his history. He'd completely forgotten that his father was supposed to be the main topic. Once Aria was brought up, he'd been consumed with that. And she would be marrying someone else, someone not him. The admission that Ezra would want to marry her didn't even faze him. Maddie was agitated, her lips were pressed tightly together, and her hands rattled the teacup and saucer when she put her tea down. "I shoulda stayed. Your mama never liked me, or dat Billy loved me more den her. I knew she wouldn't want me around you boys, but I shoulda found a way. I knew she would paint Billy to be a monster to you, but she kept you from knowin who you are. I shoulda stayed and not followed my questions here." Her eyes shone with regret.

Her revelations to him were huge, but he couldn't feel them, right then. Maybe it would sink in at some point. Maddie took his hands and looked directly into his eyes. "You need to get someone to teach you, Ezra. You need to learn and understand what it means to be who you are. If you don't you won't ever be ready to be who you were meant to be." Maddie said it with such urgency, like she really feared Ezra missing out on his destiny. Ezra didn't believe in destiny, but he had come to Rosewood to learn.

"Would you please be my teacher, Maddie? You knew my father, you know me better than anyone else in this town. Please help me." Ezra was so broken at this point, who cared if he resorted to begging? Maddie read him so easily. She pressed her hand to his cheek.

"I am so sorry, baby. I would be happy to teach you about who your papa was. Der isn't one you'd find who knew him better. But I can't teach you about you. I can answer some questions, but I never smelt de air wif a muzzle. I never felt de siren song of your moder moon. You need to learn about being lykoi from lykoi." She read the confusion in Ezra's eyes. "It's ancient Greek for wolves. You are de people of wolves, de lykoi are your people. Maybe you ask Aria to teach you. She's patient and kind and you know her already." Maddie returned to her tea, Ezra hadn't taken a single sip. He wasn't trying to be rude, he just didn't think he could get anything down.

"Thank-you, Maddie, but I don't think that would be a good idea. Aria's my student, it's better if I don't confuse our relationship by becoming her student. Maybe we could be friends once she graduates." He planned to be long gone by then. Maddie would tell him what he wanted to know, then he'd leave.

"My worst ideas are some of my favorite memories. And I'm not sure how many male friends Aria will have after Jason gets her. My thinkin is he'll keep her nice and close, once she's in his house, not her daddy's. You look wrung out, Ezra. You come see me when you want to know your papa. Here, take dis." Maddie handed Ezra the book. "Maybe you figure out what Aria wanted from it. Aria is very honest, Ezra. Any lies she tells, she made herself believe, first. Sometime only a friend can help us figure out de truf, specially when we're scared." Maddie cleared the tea set up and then brought a small box back. "You need dese more den me, I think. Only thing I hate more den cleanin up twice, is not doin all I can to help a friend." Ezra opened the box. It was filled with chocolate chip cookies. Ezra smiled weakly. He bent forward and kissed Maddie on the cheek.

"Thank-you, Maddie, for the cookies and for the advice. I'll think about it. Hey, you said you came here because you had questions. Did you get them answered?"

"Am I still here?" Maybe Ezra wouldn't be leaving as quickly as he hoped. He made his way to his car, shocked that it was dark outside. He sat in the driver's seat and setting the cookies down he brought the book closer to his face. Aria, how had he lost her when he'd never had her to begin with? Could he risk being her friend? Could he risk not being her friend? Would she even consider it, now? That night, Ezra went to bed with a belly full of scotch and cookies and he placed the book on the pillow next to his. He pretended her scent was actually her lying on the pillow next to him. No, he couldn't risk not being her friend. He had to try.

So, Maddie came to Rosewood with questions. Ezra came for answers. Why Rosewood? Maddie and Ezra's father were more than friends. How much do you all hate Dianne? Remember how you aren't going to have any reason to hate Byron in this story? You won't have any reason to not hate Dianne. Please review and give a word of encouragement, ok? Blessings to all.