Unfortunately, since the Lewises were leaving and Jed would most likely want to know about it, Victor was faced with the daunting task of waking Jed up to tell him the news. He hardly kept tabs on Jed"s sleep schedule, but he was fairly sure Jed hadn"t gotten a lot of it lately. Still, someone would need to wake him up.
He watched Randall walking away for a moment longer, then walked in the direction of Jed"s tent. Unsure of what the proper protocol for waking people in a tent was, Victor awkwardly loitered outside for a few moments. Then, gathering his courage, he stuck his head inside.
Well, at least Jed and Redford were merely sleeping.
"Wake up, both of you," Victor said crisply. "There"s urgent news."
"You had better be on fire." Jed"s grunt came from where he was half buried under the blankets, wound around Redford like some form of octopus.
"The Lewises have decided to return home," Victor replied. "Permanently."
Redford gave a confused groan and just tugged Jed in tighter, apparently thinking he was dreaming some kind of horrible nightmare in which Victor was disturbing their pleasant rest. Victor did feel a bit sorry for waking them, but he could hardly let them sleep through the Lewises" departure.
"Are they on fire?" Jed muttered.
"No, Jed. Shall I light myself on fire to get your attention?" Victor was going to continue, but he was distracted by Jed throwing his lighter at him, hitting Victor in the chest. "Ow! b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, Jed, you needn"t resort to violence."
Jed apparently accepted the fact, not very graciously, that Victor was not going to go away. Rolling over, he peered blearily over toward Victor, looking completely rumpled and out of sorts. "Okay, princess, what the f.u.c.k."
To say Victor sighed would be putting it mildly-to be more accurate, he released an exhale of pure exasperation. "The Lewises are leaving. The treatment isn"t working for Anthony, and they see no need to remain."
Jed poked Redford"s shoulder. "You get that, Fido?"
Redford made a pitiful noise that might have translated to yes.
"They"re going to see the Gray Lady now, so you have some time," Victor informed them. He squinted in the dimness of the tent, frowning at the sight of clothes, supplies, and weapons shoved up against the edge of the tent walls. "Goodness, you"re even messy in a tent."
He ducked out before he could get anything else thrown at him-objects or innuendo both. However, bereft of things to do, Victor wound up sitting a short distance from the tent, waiting. Jed tumbled out of the tent first, hopping up and down as he tugged on one boot, a toothbrush clamped in his mouth. Redford followed him a few seconds later, a thick jacket with a fake fur hood lining pulled up around his chin. Both of them still looked utterly exhausted.
Jed spat out his toothpaste, pa.s.sing a bottle of water to Redford after he rinsed his mouth. While Redford brushed his own teeth, Jed ducked back inside the tent and emerged again with a heavy leather jacket.
It was so utterly domestic that Victor should have found it sickening. He would have found it sickening before. Now he felt a tug in his chest, a faint little spark of yearning. That was new.
Before Jed did anything else, Redford was pulled into a quick kiss, the two of them talking lowly, arms wrapped around each other. Victor could just hear Jed murmuring good morning, smiling at Redford"s return whispers. Hand in hand, they walked over to Victor, Jed leaning against Redford"s shoulder.
What would that look like for him and Randall, if Randall took him back? Victor couldn"t help but try to picture it, tentatively testing out the idea. Perhaps he would bring them both tea in the morning. Maybe Randall would smile and point out the pillow creases on Victor"s cheek. Maybe their Sat.u.r.days would be spent doing nothing but curling up on couches and reading or watching the television.
Of course, that was a very isolated view of it. Edwin and Anthony would be in the picture too. Victor couldn"t quite imagine that right then, but what he"d pictured of just him and Randall seemed quite interesting.
"Are we trying to talk them into staying?" Jed asked as they approached Victor. "Or just throwing a bon voyage party?"
"The latter," Victor admitted. "They"re right. They won"t get the treatment Anthony needs, here. Cedric has apparently given them some contacts that are in the know and work for hospitals."
"Animal hospitals?" Jed smirked widely, apparently very pleased with his joke.
Victor didn"t dignify that with a response. "Besides," he continued, "you know how well trying to talk a wolf out of anything goes: not very well."
A wide grin spread across Jed"s face, and he leaned over to kiss Redford"s cheek. "d.a.m.n straight."
"And what about you?" Victor asked. "With them gone, your original job is too, and you"ve trained the pack well enough. If O"Malley stays true to his word, they"ll be safe. I suppose you"ll be leaving as well."
Jed exchanged a glance with Redford. "We"ve been talking about it, yeah. Kind of up to Redford, really."
"I think it"s time," Redford agreed. "I kind of miss our apartment."
"You sure?" Jed actually was actively asking Redford for an opinion. Victor wasn"t sure if he should check the man for a fever or take video for evidence. "This has been good for you, babe. We can stay longer if you want."
Redford shook his head. "Been, past tense. I think I"m okay now. Or.... I"m getting to be okay. The rest is just up to me."
Jed just squeezed his hand, studying Redford"s face in silence another moment. "Okay, then," he nodded. "We"ll pack up and leave tomorrow morning."
Where that left Victor, he wasn"t sure. He hadn"t been here for a worthy cause like the Lewises, and he hadn"t helped the pack like Jed and Redford had. But he had promised the children he was teaching that he would finish reading for them, and Victor did hate to stop halfway through a book.
"Is there any way you could give me the name of a contact that would be available for transportation purposes?" Victor asked. "I may not leave when you do, and I don"t know anybody in the area."
"Why don"t we leave you the van?" Jed wrapped an arm around Redford"s waist. "I know an old army buddy coupla towns over, owes me a favor. He flies these little corporate jets around. I was thinking-" He grinned at Redford. "-if you wanted, we could fly back. Just you and me in an airplane. You can sit by every window in the place if you wanted."
"Really?" Redford"s eyes went round in excitement. "What kind of plane?"
"Little private jet, probably. Depends on what he"s got in." Jed"s smile only grew wider. "Eight seater, maybe, where you can see right up to the c.o.c.kpit. It flies so f.u.c.king fast, Redford, you"re going to get to see everything."
Redford nodded rapidly, as excited as a kid in a candy store-when suddenly he faltered, the antic.i.p.ation dropping from his expression to be replaced with doubt. "Wait, but you hate flying."
"Yeah," Jed agreed in a rumble. "But you loved it. I"ll live. Flown in a lot worse before, and I trust Mac to get us there in one piece. h.e.l.l, he dropped me off in planes that were practically falling apart, rattling around us, dead of f.u.c.king night. I think he can get us home."
Victor was just glad he hadn"t received that invitation. He wasn"t as bad a flier as Jed, but he still hated it. Jed"s description of bad flights had him nearly feeling nauseous. "Just don"t get in a crash," Victor said. "Strangely, I"ve become attached to the two of you being alive."
Jed shot him a look but, thankfully, apparently didn"t feel the need to mercilessly mock Victor. "We"ll do our best not to die in a fiery explosion, princess." He looked vaguely green around the gills the longer they talked about flying. "Solid advice, because that actually was on the agenda."
"Maybe we could go see the Gray Lady with the Lewises, then," Redford suggested, patting Jed on the back to relax him. "We may as well tell her we"re leaving at the same time."
"Hopefully, she doesn"t try and make us take home a parting gift." Jed grimaced and rolled his shoulders. "Those little fur b.a.l.l.s follow me G.o.dd.a.m.n everywhere. If one of them tries to stow away in our bags, we"re taking it to the pound."
Victor snorted delicately. "You could just admit that you like them."
"Shut your dirty mouth, princess." Jed"s grumbling and stomping protests did little to fool anyone, though. He"d been more than happy to hang out with the younger members of the pack. On more than one occasion, Victor had watched Jed play hide and seek with all the wolf pups, completely content to be the slow, smelly human that they all tracked so easily. He would miss them, despite his denial.
Victor knew the feeling.
They walked to the Gray Lady"s tent, arriving just as the Lewises were speaking with Mallory about entrance. Victor wasn"t sure if he could really bring himself to look at Randall with their most recent conversation still heavy in his thoughts. Instead, he let his gaze wander over toward Mallory, who looked more than a little exasperated at the new arrivals that would no doubt also be asking to see the Gray Lady.
"Oh, come on, Mal, just let us all in. You know she already knows we"re here." Jed clapped Mallory on the shoulder and ignored Mallory"s protests as Jed led the way into the tent. "Your Ladyship, you have guests. Hope you"re not naked."
Ladyship? Victor silently disapproved. Next Jed would be referring to her as mothership and thinking he was the most hilarious man on the planet.
"You should be so fortunate." The Gray Lady"s voice was dry. She was seated on a bed of pillows and furs, several wolf puppies playing at her feet. "You simply wouldn"t be able to handle the sight, I"m afraid."
"Ma"am?" Anthony sounded rather single-minded right then, ignoring the banter. "Randall, Edwin, and myself are leaving. I can"t thank you enough for the aid you"ve given us and for taking us in, but it"s time for us to go back home."
After sitting silently a moment, the Gray Lady c.o.c.ked her head. "So, I was right," she mused. "You are just like your parents."
"It"s not that we don"t like the pack," Anthony hastened to say. "We"d probably even be staying if circ.u.mstances were different. But we need things that the pack can"t provide."
"The point is, you are leaving," she pointed out, tone inflexible. "You are endangering the pack. Lone wolves are never a good idea, little one. Look at what happened the last time."
"We"re not lone wolves. We"re a pack of three, and you let smaller packs live by themselves just fine near you," Anthony replied. He"d folded his arms over his chest, a distinctly defensive gesture.
"You were a pack of three before. Then four. Then five. And still the hunters came." The Gray Lady shook her head. "You would put us all at risk. You are sick, young wolf, and you will not last through a harsh winter. Every instinct I have is telling me to make you stay."
"I won"t last here," Anthony said bluntly. "You don"t have the medical supplies. I"m grateful for everything you and your healers have done, but it"s become clear that I need a hospital and a proper doctor. By not letting me leave, you would kill me."
"Please." It was Edwin, taking a step forward, showing his throat. "Please, let us go. We just want Anthony to get better."
"That is why you came to us, if I recall." The Gray Lady stood, eyes snapping. "And I told you, did I not? That our help would extend only if you became part of this pack. Now you"re asking to go."
Anthony twitched, like his instincts were telling him to back down when that was the last thing he wanted to do. "We"re not asking," he said simply. "I"m telling. The healers here just don"t have the capability to help me. It doesn"t matter whether I"m really part of the pack or not."
Beside Anthony, Jed shifted a bit, eyes darting between everyone. It was a small tent full of very tense wolves. Even Randall looked as though his hackles were up. "Oh, we"re going too," Jed added, raising his eyebrows. "Just, you know, while we"re talking about it."
Victor raised his hand. "I"m actually staying for a few more days," he announced. Since the Gray Lady didn"t so much as look at him, he a.s.sumed she didn"t really care about him as much as she cared about the wolves.
With a low growl, the Gray Lady stopped any further discussion. Eyes narrowed, she glowered at all of them in turn. Edwin actually shrank back behind Anthony at the force of her glare. "I will not hold you here," she finally said, teeth gleaming in the low light, lip curled. "Go back to whatever is so important beyond our domain. But do not come here again unless I summon you." She stood, dismissing them. "And little Lewis?" She held Anthony"s gaze. "For that, I would not hold my breath."
"I"m sorry," Anthony murmured. He backed away rather than turning and walking, his head bowed. Victor had never seen a wolf do that, but since he a.s.sumed he didn"t need to do the same, he just nodded at the Gray Lady and walked out properly.
All three of the Lewises were looking rather miserable when they finally got outside. The Gray Lady"s thunderous disapproval was clearly weighing on them. Redford had a touch of it in his own expression, but Jed looked completely unbothered.
"That went well," Redford sighed.
"It did," Jed agreed with a smile, arm around his shoulders. "No one"s dead, maimed, or bleeding. I call that a win."
"I guess we should keep packing," Anthony said morosely.
"We"ll be home soon." Randall squeezed his arm. "We"ll be back in our own beds, at the lake, and you can lay out in the sun all day while we get you rabbits for stew. Just focus on that."
Anthony nodded, visibly attempting to gather his courage once more. "Right. Okay, if we get packing we can start driving home by midday."
Out of the corner of his eye, Victor saw Jed and Redford exchange a quick glance, Jed giving a quiet huff of air and an almost imperceptible nod to whatever Redford"s pleading gaze was asking. "Jed and I are getting a plane, actually," Redford said. "You could join us? It"ll be a lot faster."
"That would be great," Anthony said gratefully. "Really. When are you leaving?"
"Whenever you want. A couple of hours drive to get to Mac, but once we"re there, he"ll take us where we need to go. He owes me a coupla three favors, might as well cash them in now."
"I"ve never been in a plane," Edwin said, eyes going wide. "What"s it like?"
"Don"t ask me that question," Jed grunted. "I plan on being very drunk for it. Let"s just put it that way."
"It"s really fun," Redford a.s.sured. "You can see the tops of clouds, and everything looks really tiny."
"I liked it," Randall said quietly, hands in his pockets. "Um, on the way there it was kind of boring, really. The way back was... much nicer."
Victor smiled at the mention. On the way back from Cairo they had shared a flight, and Victor had found Randall"s company entirely pleasant. Though they had both been battered and bruised and bandaged, they"d talked far longer than Victor normally spoke with people. He had not been in the best mood, considering that he and David had broken up in the parking lot, but Randall had lifted his spirits a little.
"All right, then we"ll plan to be ready around noon," Anthony said to Jed. "Thank you again. Flying will be a h.e.l.l of a lot easier than a seven-state drive."
Victor watched them disperse. The Lewises left for their tents, and Jed and Redford for theirs. He wasn"t sure what he"d do all day without them to speak to. Perhaps he"d catch up on his reading, maybe even some of his research.
He had a collection of journals written by various medusa half bloods over the last few hundred years-Victor had retrieved them from home when he"d gone back for a week, and on a pure whim he"d brought the journals with him. At the time, he"d thought that perhaps he could finally get the courage to look for patterns as to how medusas lost their minds.
Perhaps it would also shed light on other things too.
He retreated to his tent and did some light reading, keeping an eye out for Jed, Redford, and the Lewises. At the very least he wanted to be able to wish them a safe flight. When noon rolled by, Victor caught sight of the Lewises making their way across the camp with their bags. Anthony was carrying one and kept moving it away from Edwin, who was trying to take it off of him. Randall was behind, more bags slung over his shoulders, his head down and a weary tilt to his posture. He straightened up, though, whenever one of his brothers looked back.
Victor had seen that before. It wasn"t a major moment of life, not a turning point or anything particularly influential, so it wasn"t the sort of future memory he tended to remember after looking into someone"s eyes. But as he watched, he remembered multiple versions of how it could have happened. In one version, Anthony had died. The healers had unknowingly given him medicine which had hastened the degeneration of his condition.
In this version, though, the future-now-present that was playing out in front of him, Victor knew exactly how Randall was feeling, because he"d felt it himself. He didn"t want his brothers to know how tired and stressed he was. He didn"t want them to feel burdened with his worry. Acting normal had started to weigh on him. He had been so sure that if he"d done everything right, if he"d educated himself, then everything would have worked out.
But things had only gotten worse. Anthony hadn"t been helped, and now Randall would continue having to move toward taking over seniority of their pack.
And he"d started to like a medusa, only to figure out that Victor had more than a few issues that he needed to deal with before he started to think about settling down.
Knowing all of that was enough to make Victor feel even more guilty, so much so that he contemplated avoiding seeing them off. Surely Randall didn"t need more reminders of the things that were stressful for him. But before Victor could make any kind of decision, Edwin was beside him, wrapping his arms around Victor in a tight hug.
"You"re coming to say good-bye, right?" Edwin asked, voice m.u.f.fled against Victor"s shoulder.
Victor still had no clue how to act when people hugged him, so he didn"t raise his arms to hug Edwin back. He did, however, gingerly pat his shoulder. "Er, yes, of course."
Edwin grabbed his hand and hauled Victor over to where Randall and Anthony had gathered, near the entrance of the camp. The vehicles were stored a good half-hour hike down in a cave the pack had sought out to hide their transportation. So this would be the last chance Victor would have to see them. "Hey, guys, Victor is here."
Anthony looked over, frowning. "You don"t have anything packed. You"re not coming with us?"
Victor had really hoped to be able to avoid that question. He wasn"t ashamed of staying. He did expect to get mocked for being useless or not fitting in, though. "I"m staying for a few more days. I have, er, certain obligations I need to fulfill."
Randall, Victor noticed, seemed more than a little surprised. It was Jed who spoke, though. "Honestly didn"t expect that." Standing up from where he"d been crouched next to Knievel"s carrier, Jed held out a hand. "Well, when you get back in town, look us up. We might even let you in the door."
Victor took Jed"s hand and shook it. "I will," he promised. "I might even be civil."
Jed grinned then, clapping Victor on the shoulder and nodding his good-byes. Edwin was next, with another bone-crushing hug. "You still smell funny," he informed Victor. "But I like it."
"Thank you," Victor said dryly and was then engulfed in another hug from Anthony.
"You should come around for dinner again," Anthony told him. "I won"t take no for an answer."
Victor glanced at Randall, who immediately looked away, caught in the act of staring. At least he didn"t look disgusted at the thought of seeing Victor again, which was a step in the right direction. And, if Victor wanted to be bold, he might even say there was hope there, in the way Randall kept looking over at him when he thought Victor wasn"t paying attention.
"I"d like that," Victor said to Anthony. "Let me know when you"re free."
Then it was time to say good-bye to Randall. A dozen options ran through Victor"s mind, each of them weighed for appropriateness and whether Randall would want that response or not. He settled on gently grasping Randall"s elbow and leaning in to kiss his cheek.