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hederahelix a wonderful birthday! As always, I'm happy to consider you a friend, even if we don't get to touch base that often.
Since I don't have a whole lot else to offer fic-wise, I offer this tidbit from the next bit of Rag, set after the Seattle sanitarium raid. I'll put it up on allroads soon, and continue as well.
Things had to quiet down now, Sean thought, lightly brushing a strand of hair off Hunter’s forehead. He looked like utter hell, malnourished and grubby, but for all that, Sean had to admit—he hadn’t seen anything quite that beautiful in a while.
“He’ll be fine, kid,” Scott murmured, rumpling Sean’s hair lightly. “A few broken bones, a lot of bruises, and dehydration, but nothing we haven’t dealt with.”
“Yeah. I know.” Sean gently ran his fingertips down Hunter’s cheek. “I thought I’d lost him—When Shawn carried him out—“ He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to ever feel that again.”
“I know.”
Sean nodded. “Yeah. Get him better, Scotty. I need my Geri back.”
Scott’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Trouble?”
“Maybe. Steph’s working on the database we pulled out. I just have a bad feeling about it.”
Scott nodded. “We’ll manage,” he said shortly. “I’ll keep him sedated until I get his bones broken and reset, but if I need you for the healing, I’ll call.
“Thanks,” Sean murmured. With a last touch, he turned, heading back towards the front of the bus. //Shawn?//
//Yes?// A hand brushed his neck, and he shivered.
“I need to take a little run,” Sean murmured. “I’m still jacked up on adrenaline.”
“I think I’ll join you if you don’t mind,” Shawn purred.
Sean nodded silently. “Let me just check with Steph for a status report.”
Shawn brushed a kiss along his neck. “Meet you outside.”
Sean nodded, and paused by the small office area where Steph was furiously typing. “How goes it?”
“Through the first two layers of encryption. Give me an hour, maybe less, and I’ll get the last two,” Stephanie murmured. The typing paused for a heartbeat. “How’s Hunter?”
“Scott says he’ll be fine.” Sean glanced around the bus. “Where is everyone?”
“Danny and Rick are making a grocery run, and Chris and Nick are having a “talk.”” Stephanie said, making finger quotes around the last word.
“A “talk?” What about?”
“Well, you know that Nick was the one who got Chris’ pack put in Luc’s, so I think-“
Sean stared, eyes wide. “Excuse me?”
“Oh. I guess you didn’t. In that case, nevermind.” Steph went back to typing, face flushing.
“Steph-“
“Y’know, technically, you’re not my Ulfric. I don’t have to answer.”
Sean lifted an eyebrow.
“Fine. Nick was Chris’ Lupa. Then, their old Ulfric, of the pack they splintered from, got his hands on Nick’s kid brother and sister, figuring he could pull them back into line that way. Nick went back to Lou—the old Ulfric-“ she clarified. “He thought they were going to pull Chris and the other back, too.”
“Instead, they sold them,” Sean said flatly.
“Yeah. Then, they sold Nick out too. Along with a couple of others that were friendly with him.”
Sean’s eyes narrowed. “Why wasn’t I told about this?”
“I think Chris was afraid that you wouldn’t let Nick stay,” Stephanie admitted.
“I probably wouldn’t have. I don’t need to be worrying about someone’s loyalty. If Nick’s a security risk-“
“I’m not,” a soft voice murmured.
Sean looked up, noting absently again that Nick was fucking tall. Almost Kev’s height, and that was saying something. “You sound sure of it.”
Nick’s lip curled in a painful smile. “I don’t have anything left to lose.”
“Oddly, I’m not feeling comforted by that.” Sean stepped forward, looking past Nick to Chris. “Bolverk? Would you care to explain?”
Chris looked at his shoes. “I-“
“I didn’t think so.” He looked back at Nick. “Give me a reason I shouldn’t toss you off.”
Nick silently dropped to his knees as the Ulfric came forward. “I was given a bad choice, between my little brother and sister, and my pack. My pack despite being small, could still defend itself. My sister was fourteen. My brother was ten. I chose to protect the ones who couldn’t protect themselves. I don’t like what I did, but I didn’t feel that I had a choice. Instead, my siblings were sent to Luc’s, and I was scheduled to follow.” Tears slid silently down his cheeks.
Sean swallowed hard. “Did they make it out?”
“No.”
Chris looked up. “I killed them the day they arrived.” The defiant edge to his voice dared anyone to comment.
Nick didn’t react, just kept staring at Sean. “I could offer you my word, but I’ve proven that my word is useless. I’m basically useless. I don’t fight that well. I don’t know how to shoot. About the only thing I’m good at is cooking.”
Sean watched closely, not Nick, but Chris. Chris was a hard read—not like Hunter, where every thought was written on his face. But time did wonders. When Nick declared himself useless, Chris’ hand twitched. Like he wanted to offer comfort, but stopped himself.
As far as gestures went, it was nothing. Barely a flick of the hand. But, to Sean, it spoke volumes. “Give me your word anyway,” he said abruptly. “That you will not by deed or inaction cause harm to come to one of my pack, nor allow another to harm one while you could prevent it.”
Nick’s head came up sharply. “I give you my word.”
Sean nodded, and bent, brushing his lips against Nick’s troat. “Everyone deserves a second chance, Nick. Don’t make me regret giving you one.”
“I won’t, Ulfric.”
“Good. Bolverk.”
“Yes, Ulfric,” Chris said, voice hesitant.
“He’s your responsibility. Get him trained in weapons and start working on basic hand to hand. And Chris?”
“Yes?”
“Omission is still lying.” Sean stepped closer, letting his power, his anger, wash over Chris. “Don’t fucking do it again.”
“Yes, Ulfric.” Chris swallowed hard, and the pressure receded, leaving him with the urge to offer Sean his throat.
“At least until Danny asks you to,” Sean added, a wry slant to his lips.
Chris had the grace to flush and look down.
“Ulfric?” Stephanie said, voice sharp.
Giving Chris a last somewhat reassuring smile, Sean turned, hurrying back to Steph. //I’ll be out in a few. Got held up by pack.//
// So I heard. Nice job, love. I’ll wait for you, never fear.//
“Okay, Steph, what do you have for me?”
She silently pushed back from the screen, allowing him to see. “It’s a list of sanitariums in the US. Some of them have addresses. Those seem to be the lower security, like the one Nick was in. Then, there’s some that are only referred to by code names. Ghost town, Glass Palace. I’m guessing the one we hit was Phantom Isle.”
Sean scanned the page. “Jesus, that’s a lot of facilities.”
“That’s not all.” With a click, she opened a new window. “Look.”
With a sense of growing dread, Sean read the text. It outlined a plan to obliterate resistance in the were community…starting with its unofficial head. With them. “Shit.”
TBC
hederahelix a wonderful birthday! As always, I'm happy to consider you a friend, even if we don't get to touch base that often.Since I don't have a whole lot else to offer fic-wise, I offer this tidbit from the next bit of Rag, set after the Seattle sanitarium raid. I'll put it up on allroads soon, and continue as well.
Things had to quiet down now, Sean thought, lightly brushing a strand of hair off Hunter’s forehead. He looked like utter hell, malnourished and grubby, but for all that, Sean had to admit—he hadn’t seen anything quite that beautiful in a while.
“He’ll be fine, kid,” Scott murmured, rumpling Sean’s hair lightly. “A few broken bones, a lot of bruises, and dehydration, but nothing we haven’t dealt with.”
“Yeah. I know.” Sean gently ran his fingertips down Hunter’s cheek. “I thought I’d lost him—When Shawn carried him out—“ He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to ever feel that again.”
“I know.”
Sean nodded. “Yeah. Get him better, Scotty. I need my Geri back.”
Scott’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Trouble?”
“Maybe. Steph’s working on the database we pulled out. I just have a bad feeling about it.”
Scott nodded. “We’ll manage,” he said shortly. “I’ll keep him sedated until I get his bones broken and reset, but if I need you for the healing, I’ll call.
“Thanks,” Sean murmured. With a last touch, he turned, heading back towards the front of the bus. //Shawn?//
//Yes?// A hand brushed his neck, and he shivered.
“I need to take a little run,” Sean murmured. “I’m still jacked up on adrenaline.”
“I think I’ll join you if you don’t mind,” Shawn purred.
Sean nodded silently. “Let me just check with Steph for a status report.”
Shawn brushed a kiss along his neck. “Meet you outside.”
Sean nodded, and paused by the small office area where Steph was furiously typing. “How goes it?”
“Through the first two layers of encryption. Give me an hour, maybe less, and I’ll get the last two,” Stephanie murmured. The typing paused for a heartbeat. “How’s Hunter?”
“Scott says he’ll be fine.” Sean glanced around the bus. “Where is everyone?”
“Danny and Rick are making a grocery run, and Chris and Nick are having a “talk.”” Stephanie said, making finger quotes around the last word.
“A “talk?” What about?”
“Well, you know that Nick was the one who got Chris’ pack put in Luc’s, so I think-“
Sean stared, eyes wide. “Excuse me?”
“Oh. I guess you didn’t. In that case, nevermind.” Steph went back to typing, face flushing.
“Steph-“
“Y’know, technically, you’re not my Ulfric. I don’t have to answer.”
Sean lifted an eyebrow.
“Fine. Nick was Chris’ Lupa. Then, their old Ulfric, of the pack they splintered from, got his hands on Nick’s kid brother and sister, figuring he could pull them back into line that way. Nick went back to Lou—the old Ulfric-“ she clarified. “He thought they were going to pull Chris and the other back, too.”
“Instead, they sold them,” Sean said flatly.
“Yeah. Then, they sold Nick out too. Along with a couple of others that were friendly with him.”
Sean’s eyes narrowed. “Why wasn’t I told about this?”
“I think Chris was afraid that you wouldn’t let Nick stay,” Stephanie admitted.
“I probably wouldn’t have. I don’t need to be worrying about someone’s loyalty. If Nick’s a security risk-“
“I’m not,” a soft voice murmured.
Sean looked up, noting absently again that Nick was fucking tall. Almost Kev’s height, and that was saying something. “You sound sure of it.”
Nick’s lip curled in a painful smile. “I don’t have anything left to lose.”
“Oddly, I’m not feeling comforted by that.” Sean stepped forward, looking past Nick to Chris. “Bolverk? Would you care to explain?”
Chris looked at his shoes. “I-“
“I didn’t think so.” He looked back at Nick. “Give me a reason I shouldn’t toss you off.”
Nick silently dropped to his knees as the Ulfric came forward. “I was given a bad choice, between my little brother and sister, and my pack. My pack despite being small, could still defend itself. My sister was fourteen. My brother was ten. I chose to protect the ones who couldn’t protect themselves. I don’t like what I did, but I didn’t feel that I had a choice. Instead, my siblings were sent to Luc’s, and I was scheduled to follow.” Tears slid silently down his cheeks.
Sean swallowed hard. “Did they make it out?”
“No.”
Chris looked up. “I killed them the day they arrived.” The defiant edge to his voice dared anyone to comment.
Nick didn’t react, just kept staring at Sean. “I could offer you my word, but I’ve proven that my word is useless. I’m basically useless. I don’t fight that well. I don’t know how to shoot. About the only thing I’m good at is cooking.”
Sean watched closely, not Nick, but Chris. Chris was a hard read—not like Hunter, where every thought was written on his face. But time did wonders. When Nick declared himself useless, Chris’ hand twitched. Like he wanted to offer comfort, but stopped himself.
As far as gestures went, it was nothing. Barely a flick of the hand. But, to Sean, it spoke volumes. “Give me your word anyway,” he said abruptly. “That you will not by deed or inaction cause harm to come to one of my pack, nor allow another to harm one while you could prevent it.”
Nick’s head came up sharply. “I give you my word.”
Sean nodded, and bent, brushing his lips against Nick’s troat. “Everyone deserves a second chance, Nick. Don’t make me regret giving you one.”
“I won’t, Ulfric.”
“Good. Bolverk.”
“Yes, Ulfric,” Chris said, voice hesitant.
“He’s your responsibility. Get him trained in weapons and start working on basic hand to hand. And Chris?”
“Yes?”
“Omission is still lying.” Sean stepped closer, letting his power, his anger, wash over Chris. “Don’t fucking do it again.”
“Yes, Ulfric.” Chris swallowed hard, and the pressure receded, leaving him with the urge to offer Sean his throat.
“At least until Danny asks you to,” Sean added, a wry slant to his lips.
Chris had the grace to flush and look down.
“Ulfric?” Stephanie said, voice sharp.
Giving Chris a last somewhat reassuring smile, Sean turned, hurrying back to Steph. //I’ll be out in a few. Got held up by pack.//
// So I heard. Nice job, love. I’ll wait for you, never fear.//
“Okay, Steph, what do you have for me?”
She silently pushed back from the screen, allowing him to see. “It’s a list of sanitariums in the US. Some of them have addresses. Those seem to be the lower security, like the one Nick was in. Then, there’s some that are only referred to by code names. Ghost town, Glass Palace. I’m guessing the one we hit was Phantom Isle.”
Sean scanned the page. “Jesus, that’s a lot of facilities.”
“That’s not all.” With a click, she opened a new window. “Look.”
With a sense of growing dread, Sean read the text. It outlined a plan to obliterate resistance in the were community…starting with its unofficial head. With them. “Shit.”
TBC
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Whee---Ragnarok!
Date: 2005-09-26 11:28 pm (UTC)Re: Whee---Ragnarok!
Date: 2005-09-27 04:56 pm (UTC)Oh, there's quite a bit more. If you're still friended on