Perspective Shifts

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Little Jessy smiled with glee, not really knowing what she was being praised for, but it was obviously something good. Addie glanced up at her, "We'll teach you how evil pink is and save you from the evil torment of being consumed by it." he announced. Pink was definitely not one of his favourite colours, and if he could help it he'd get Jessy to like green... or blue... or something.

"Uhhhh... It kind of came up while I was researching." Addie shrugged at Rita's question. "We should be able to find what we need here, or a general store." he smiled with a hopeful expression. He also glanced over to Cyril, and something about his expression didn't sit well with Addie. He wasn't a master of micro readings when it came to body language, but he knew when they made him feel negative. "I'll help you set everything up." he suggested politely. He had some DIY skills that could come in handy, and if any knowledge lacked he could find resources on the internet.

-----

Joe kept her eyes on Mel, waiting to go. Her muscles were trembling very slightly with anticipation, and at the word "go" she would follow and not stop until they were there. She glanced to Matt and felt his regret about this. She snuffed loudly at him, but not out of annoyance.

"Well then, after you." Rami gestured, even though he knew where the place was. It was still Mel's territory and he showed respect. He knew he'd regret it if he didn't.
Joe's eyes seemed to shine, and with an elated expression she looked quickly at Matt before following. As they ran she became more aware of Matt's 'aura' and made sure to have him next to her. The look on her wolf face could almost be described as a devious happiness. Faolan also followed and covered the back of their group. He wasn't one for acts of explicit violence, but had decided to follow anyway just for in case Joe might need him.
 
Rita could tell Jessy had no idea what they were talking about, so she turned to the display and pointed, making a distasteful expression. "Urgh. Pink. We don't like pink, do we, Jessy?" She shook her head in an exaggerated way, and then turned back and smiled. "And no sissy princesses either – we'll have you playing grease monkey by the age of five, hm?" In the end she knew Jessy would like what she liked, but hopefully there would be something Rita could share with her. If engines and locks were a bit much, there were always books and games, and she could even show a passing interest in clothes.

Addie's offer of help made her raise an eyebrow, but she decided not to make anything of it. After all, just because someone offered you help didn't necessarily mean they thought you were incompetent. It was a friendly enough gesture, although she'd be impressed if he actually knew his way around a toolbox better than she did. "Thanks. I could use someone to watch Jessy while I work." It was a very gentle quip, but it caused Cyril to make a noise down his nose which took her by surprise. When she turned to him, he seemed to be trying to stifle a chuckle. She winked, and he gave a little laugh in return.

"So, you're the expert – what's next?" Cyril glanced down at the list he'd taken from her and wrinkled his nose. "Any number of things, really…" he said doubtfully. Then he brightened up a little, and looked up at her with a smile. "How about a cot?"

-----

Mel wasn't especially used to running with wolves – or anyone, if it came to it – and she tried to stay a little distance in front of the others, if only to show who was the leader here. When they got to the house, this would be important, since the watchers around the place had very strict instructions about what to do if any intruders arrived without her. As they went, she found herself moving through familiar territory and remembering other groups with whom she'd traversed this path. Etherion wasn't up to this kind of thing any more, and Aurelia was dead, but somewhere Alicia was no doubt still going strong.

Matt stuck very close to Joe, but still hung slightly behind her at every step. He could quite probably have overtaken Mel if he'd wanted to, but stamina would probably become an issue and besides, he had priorities to think of. Better to stay with Joe, just in case. He was somewhat glad that Faolan was coming with them. It meant he didn't totally disagree with Matt allowing this to happen, for one thing. It also meant there was someone else along on this trip that Matt could trust to put Joe first.
 
Addie, still playing the role of Jessy's mode of transportation, stood looking at the impressive amount of baby things that had filled the cart. He gave a satisfied nod and grinned at Rita with some amusement, "Good thing you have a house, eh?"
All of the things, and those that would still have to be delivered like the cot certainly wouldn't have space in his apartment. He then looked up at little Jessy, still grinning, "And to think you're just a wee bab'." He joked.

He noticed that she was definitely tired, wiping tired eyes and snuggling with her little toy on his now-flattened curls of hair. She was a darn cute little thing, and this thought reflected in his eyes as they also smiled at Rita. It had been quite an eventful day so far...

-----

As they approached the house that Mel was leading them to, Joe had her senses peaked and took in all the information that it was gathering. The feel of the area was that of being guarded and probably well defended by hidden means as well. As much as she wanted to speed ahead and get at Marshall, she would have to be patient.. They were here by Mel's "good graces" after all, and disrespecting any rules of hers would be very much a bad idea.

The same thoughts were running through Faolan's mind and he was quite humbled, in fact, at being allowed to accompany them. This was a vampire's territory, and not just any vampire... He glanced at his old friend Rami, who gave him a quick smirk of understanding. It was always interesting how times were changing these days. Whoever heard of an esteemed vampire helping some werewolf female get revenge on some werewolf male? It wasn't like Joe was part of a large or well known pack. The most she had by way of impressive reputation or grandeur was her other grandfather somewhere in Russia. Granted, he was highly respected and of great importance and lineage, but other than being related to him Joe had nothing to do with him.

Yes, interesting times indeed...
 
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There was an awful lot of stuff in their trolley, and Rita was busy wondering just how one small person could need so much. If this was the equipment you needed to take on a baby, how much time did you have to have free? Again she worrying that she really wasn't in a position to do this. "Yep, and just as well I don't have to eat or I definitely wouldn't have said house," she replied to Addie distractedly. Sure, she was scraping by on the mortgage repayments, but when her parents' old house had come back on the market just as she was looking for somewhere to live… she hadn't been able to pass it up.

She turned to look at Jessy, telling herself that this little girl needed someone, and that she had to at least try. It wasn't as though many people would be willing to take on the challenge of a mixed-species baby. Then she caught Addie's smile, and relaxed a little. She really was immensely grateful to him for volunteering to help her out. She tucked her thumbs into her pockets, tilting her head to the side. "Let me buy you a drink sometime," she said suddenly. "To say thanks. I mean it." Behind her there might have been the slightest sigh of frustration from Cyril, but she didn't pick up on it.

-----

Matt slowed slightly as the house came into view, noticing that Mel did the same ahead of them. He could sense Joe's eagerness and in some ways that made him anxious, but he tried to rein it in. If he was anxious now, it was only going to get worse when they reached Marshall.
There were certainly vampires here, and quite a few of them… Mel had never exactly had an army, and Matt suspected that this lot were merely watchers, people who'd come over from Etherion's sanctuary to keep an eye on the place. There would certainly be other defences in the house itself.

Mel herself was feeling a little self-conscious about leading three werewolves into one of her family's safe-houses, although in all honesty she suspected Rami would be the one to worry about if there was going to be a problem. She had come to terms with helping the wolves because Matthew had made it very clear that he would do exactly that, with or without her help, but now that he was actually one of them… She realised with a little shudder that her foster son was a werewolf. Worse than that, she couldn't simply disown him, because she liked him. Even if he had still been a vampire, she'd have hated to admit sentimentality.

When she reached the front door, she pulled up short. Little signs had been left by the vampires guarding the house that there was a werewolf in the area – just the one, and no attempts to actually approach the house. She glanced back at the others; there was no sign of any intruder. Best to get them in past the place's defences, then go back and root out whoever thought they could come snooping on her turf. With that thought, she unlocked the door, and stepped carefully into the hallway.
 
Rita's distracted reply caught Addie's attention, and a little flag of concern sprang up - did she have tight finances? How could he help with that? He could find out about it and see if there were any ways of compensation for being a single mum and... he caught himself sunning off again, trying to be a 'hero'. Rita was a capable lady, and didn't need to be rescued all the time - she had independence. Still, "Heh, looks like we should set up a budget. I can help you with that if you like? Seeing as we're both in this." he suggested to her with a wink. That was a good way to offer help without making her feel inadequate or otherwise negative, right? He hoped so anyway.

Addie's smile widened a little with the offer of a drink - that meant that the former time with that other jerk hadn't deterred her from spending time with him. His expression softened with a hint of bashfulness, "Well I can't say no to that. I'd love to - although I actually enjoy the idea of being a dad," he said looking up towards the now-sleeping (and somewhat drivelling) Jessy. His eyes returned to Rita, and caught Cyril's slight frustration and he smelled it too. He decided not to act on it though, "So, what's next? Should be load this into the car now or do you want to go do some window shopping?" he asked happily. As stereotypes would have it, he wasn't the kind of guy who hated shopping or aimlessly lugging after a shopping-inspired lady. Then again, neither was his dad when he was still around. Then an idea struck him, and he tilted his head slightly, "How about something for yourself?"

-----

Once they stopped, Joe and Faolan kept their short distance from Mel as they had done during the run. This was Mel's territory and it was again their way of showing respect. Rami seemed to be casually glancing about and at some point his eyes wandered to Joe - and something about her, he still couldn't quite pinpoint it, left him feeling cold even for a vampire. What had she in store for Marshall? Seeing as she had once been possessed by that Voice he imagined that it must have left some 'residue' behind, and might allow her revenge to be more... creative. A quick calculation wondered if this had also altered her appearance in some way. Was it just him or was her features more dangerous-looking? Like a hellhound incarnated if the changes kept at it. No, it was probably just his imagination.

Then his eyes moved to Matt.
If what Rami suspected was true, how much would the young lad be left traumatised after seeing just how bad Joe could be? Would he reconsider his devotion to her? Not that it was Rami's concern of course, but he couldn't help feeling cautious for Matt's sake. Like Mel had said though, sheltering Matt all the time wasn't an option. Faolan, he knew would be all right in his own way.

As they entered the house, the group kept quiet and close to Mel. They would follow any instructions she might give lest they be caught in something. If any of them were the paranoid type then it would certainly make them feel like a million eyes were watching them. Then again there might be no one in the house, but you never knew right? Either way it added to Joe's growing excitement that still flashed in her eyes.
 
Addie's offer of help with budgeting was actually very welcome to Rita. If he'd tried to imply that she needed him to come along and pay for everything, she'd have thrown it back in his face, but as it was she gave a little nod at the suggestion. "I need to cut out the unpaid overtime," she said thoughtfully. She probably worked twice the hours her job actually demanded… the clinic seemed to need her to, but she couldn't afford to do that if she had a little girl waiting at home. They'd need to start paying, whether for her time or for an extra nurse to cover.

She glanced up at little Jessy's sleeping face, and cocked her head to the side. "I think she needs to go home… but I do have a works outing tomorrow night, and nothing to wear." Her house was full of her mother's old dresses, but none of them fit properly and last time she'd worn one, people had actually laughed. A little complication occurred to her and she blinked at Addie, "On that note, would you be able to take care of Jessy while I'm out? I can drop her round at yours…" She didn't actually have to go to the stupid dinner, but avoiding it would probably make things even worse between her and some of the werewolf nurses. Everybody already acted like it was somehow her fault that none of them liked her.
"I can sort the dress out tomorrow, if you want to head home now." The last thing she wanted was to make Addie hold the baby and trudge around the shops after her. Not that she'd spend long shopping; she'd find something that fit and get out of there.

-----

Mel made a signal over her shoulder to tell the others to stop in the hallway, and then thought the better of it and turned to tell them out loud. "Wait here. If something with a heat signature goes any further, the security systems will kill it." It was a very simple way of guarding the house against unwanted werewolf or human incursions. She could turn that system off, but only from the other end of the corridor, and getting there wasn't exactly easy.

Matt gave a little growl at Mel's warning, and moved closer to Joe, pressing his shoulder into her side. He was still on guard and at the mention of something potentially killing them, the hair at the back of his neck stood on end. Perhaps her mood was even rubbing off on him a little as he watched Mel's retreating back. If the vampire tried anything funny, he would kill her. He'd tear them all limb from limb… and then he and Joe would both go home.

There had been some very clever old security systems in place here for centuries, mostly involving pressure pads and darts raining from the walls. Mel respected that way of doing things, but there was a lot to be said for modern technology, so the building also had three separately controlled electronic alarm systems. Triggering any one of them would get you sealed in and gassed – with a mixture of garlic and respiratory poison. She didn't do half measures. She keyed in the first access code next to the front door, and then set off carefully up the corridor.
 
Addie nodded his understanding about the 'overtime'... and then wondered exactly how much her overtime really was. Maybe he'd ask her, some other time. The work's outing perked his interest, and his face showed it. "Ah, something fancy?" he asked, although knowing that it would involve different species and they way they all just loved and tolerated each other... his voice carried the somewhat amused notion. Social occasions always seemed the perfect place to impress or compete in being better or more posh.

He shrugged slightly as he answered Rita's question, "Either way works for me. I can aimlessly wander about in shops." he assured her. It was true, too. It was a 'skill' he picked up from his dad and spending hours following the two ladies of their family as they wend on seemingly endless journeys to find the perfect fit or number or colour or... something.

-----

Faolan's eyebrows lifted just a tad as Mel explained the security system. It was a good one if you were keeping out any warm-blooded beings. Then he wondered how exactly the intruders would be killed... and then decided not to. Bad images awaited at the end of those ponderings.

When Matt reacted to Mel's warning, Joe's ear flicked towards him and she felt his guarding presence on her side. She didn't move much, but didn't shove him away either. The wolf side of her took definite note of his protectiveness over her, and that it wasn't accompanied with dominance. He knew her strength, and that appealed to her. She knew his too, and a tiny part of her human mind wondered why he didn't see it himself...

Again as they moved she had to rein in her excitement, but her muscles began twitching in anticipation. Just a little longer...
 
Rita was quietly pondering the trials that the outing would bring. "Yeah…" she said doubtfully. Some of the girls would darn well make it fancy, and then take advantage of the fact that she couldn't see herself in a mirror to make her feel like a tramp. "Not in a good way." Plus, most of the werewolf nurses had boyfriends and they'd all be trying to make one another jealous.

Still, that was a problem for another time – tomorrow night, in fact. She switched her focus back to Addie and considered what she ought to do. On the one hand, Jessy was obviously tired, but on the other, it would be nice to do this with someone else. Not because she liked the idea of a girly shopping trip, but just because sometimes looking down at yourself wasn't enough to judge a dress.
She shrugged. "I'd like that, and I could use your opinions, but it really is up to you," she assured him. "I promise I'd be very quick." Some girls would definitely have spent all day looking for the perfect... something-or-other, but she just wanted to get it done and go home.

-----

Mel shut off the second alarm, and gestured that it was safe to proceed. Of course, putting a foot wrong would have them all skewered with arrows, but she was tempted not to say anything. Then she caught the look in Matt's eyes, the way he was sticking to Joe's side, and reconsidered. "Tread carefully," she called, and carefully supervised them as they came up the corridor.
Marshall was in the basement, and that meant going past the third of the security systems. There was a fingerprint scanner, mostly for show, but the real security was a twelve-digit code which she had to combine with the time and date in a very particular way. She checked her watch and started calculating.

Matt meanwhile had finally peeled away from Joe and come to stand attentively behind her. She didn't need to glance round. "Not on your own," she said firmly. He whined slightly, and she thought she felt him paw at her ankle. She sighed. "Fine… if she'll let you." He turned back, giving Joe a level look as Mel started to type in the code.
"Give me a minute with him." If he'd been human, his tone would have been pleading, but in wolf he was having too much trouble with the words alone. He ducked his head and gave her a shy look. "A minute. Please." He could sense her excitement, but he wanted a chance to speak to Marshall first. Some things had not yet been said.
 
Addie had to crack a knowing smile as Rita answered him. He knew how some werewolf females - or even human females - could get. It was always about competition, wasn't it? Then again, being immortal you had to have something to keep you busy.

He was quite happy that she accepted his offer, and nodded. "And I promise I won't be too critic." he reassured her with a wink. From previous experiences he knew it didn't help lying about how clothing would fit, only to let his sister be humiliated by her friends afterwards... and then he'd get the blunt end of it. Then again there was a very fine balance to hold between being honest and being insulting. It was like walking a really high wire, but without a balancing stick, and there was a fire pit waiting for you down below, with fire hounds, and spikes.

A part of him wondered what Cyril would think about a shopping trip, and he glanced over at the vampire with the question on his face.

-----

The group did indeed tread carefully, watching their steps and following Mel's lead. Thankfully there were no mishaps when they finally reached her.

Joe and Faolan watched as Matt approached Mel, and the old wolf noticed Joe tensing up as Matt was answered. Many scenarios were going through Joe's mind as to why Matt wanted to see Marshall alone. One of them was that Matt wanted to punish the bastard.

On the one paw she had no trouble with this, in fact, it was very sweet and nice of him. She was his mate, and he had a right to it. Plus he was showing that he cared for her and wouldn't let Marshall's wrongdoings go unnoticed.
On the other, what if he killed Marshall before she could have her go at him?

She pondered this as Matt asked her to have a minute alone with Marshall. Her eyes focused on his intensely, searching for the intent in his. From an outside perspective this might have been seen as a challenging look towards Matt. Her nostrils flared as she breathed, but then to Faolan's surprise she brought her nuzzle below Matt's to lift his. The look in her eyes and the forward tilt of her ears told him that she was okay with it, and he even sensed appreciation. Then she gave a growl, and Faolan translated it as "Just don't kill him."
 
Addie's promise was reassuring, but she didn't want him to think she was going to start crying if he told her truthfully that something looked dreadful. She wished she could have the confidence to go out wearing whatever she wanted, and not worry about what people thought… but somehow things were different when there were other girls everywhere, judging her. "I'm sure you won't," she smiled at him. "And I don't care about fashion, as long as it fits. The no-reflection thing has its downsides."

She caught his glance over to Cyril and remembered that they had company, although said company had wandered off a little and wasn't looking their way. She cleared her throat politely and he glanced up. "Thanks for your help. We have some other errands to run, so I guess we should go, but…" she fiddled idly with her hair and trailed off, not sure what she was meaning to say.

Cyril returned her smile easily, and shrugged. "No problem. I'm glad I could help." He turned his attention back to the display he was next to, and she hesitated for a moment… it seemed stupid to finally meet a decent vampire and then just walk away. Besides, if he'd been any real threat, he wouldn't be letting her go so easily. She coughed again. "I know this is forward, but may I take your phone number? … It would be nice to see you again sometime, and besides, you've been so much help." She registered surprise in his expression, but then he smiled again and nodded, "Of course," so she handed her phone over.

When that was done she said goodbye and turned back to Addie, trying unsuccessfully to hide a blush. This wasn't her style, but then she didn't normally meet men in shopping malls, and her 'style' hadn't done much good in the past anyway.

-----

Matt stayed completely calm as Joe considered his request, even in the face of her 'challenging' look. If she said no, that would be the end of it and he wasn't going to complain. He watched her body language closely and it had him convinced that she wasn't going to allow this, until he felt her lift his muzzle. His ears pricked up as he looked at her, and then glanced to Faolan for confirmation. The old wolf's warning puzzled him and he tilted his head, his eyes back on Joe.
He gave another little whine as he looked at her steadily, and then with effort managed to say, "Never. He's… yourrs." All he wanted was to speak to Marshall before she got started.

As Mel finally got the door open, he trotted past her and jumped down the steps into the cellar. At the bottom he switched back to human, and picked his way across a room littered with strange devices and painful-looking implements. Marshall was on the far side, chained to the wall with his arms spread wide, and Matt realised there were also bars between them. Mel wasn't taking any chances of an escape.

He stopped, and gave Marshall a long look through the bars. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said quietly. "I'm a great believer in second chances, even for scum like you." It was true – he liked to give people at least a chance to change for the better. In his experience they rarely took it, but somebody had to rein Mel in and let them at least try.

He let that statement hang for a moment before he continued. "Unfortunately for you, you've had yours already. I asked you to give her back to me when she was dying, and you didn't." His face twisted into a bitter smile, remembering their fight in the tunnels. "So, I'm not here to hurt you, but I'm not going to help you either. Whatever she does to you, you deserve." He turned towards the stairs and started to walk away, but turned back as another thought struck him. "Oh… and if you say anything to hurt her while she's down here, I'll rip your tongue out and feed it to you."

Matt shifted back into wolf form as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and gave a small bark, to let the others know that he was finished.
 
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Addie gave a slight shrug - he wasn't one to say otherwise if Rita was more focused on comfort. He liked that and thought it was a positive characteristic of her.

As for Rita clearly entranced with this Cyril character... he had to really make effort to not negatively. Don't parse your lips. Don't clench your jaw. Keep calm and friendly.
Right, he could do that, and not let slip that he had to concentrate on all this. In fact, maybe he could get a hold of Rita's phone and remove the number - wait what?

... Okay, we're finally getting rid of this guy's company. That was good. The smell of him was really getting to Addie and confusing him. Not to mention his personality - it called up the protective side in Addie, to ... protect Rita from this... intruder, and that meant something.

-----

Joe was clearly glad of having Marshall unharmed, it meant that she could harm him very thoroughly to dominate him. She'd show him that she wasn't someone to mess with. She waited patiently as Matt went down to talk to Marshall, but there was definite anticipation in her stature, and in her eyes of course.
Faolan was indeed a little worried, as the only time he's really experienced this kind of scene was when his son was under the influence of his Voice. A small part of him was worried that it might return in Joe. Even Rami glanced at Faolan, feeling his concern and knowing why.

The old wolf almost wanted to tell Joe to not overdo it.

When Matt arrived in the room, Marshall cracked a smile, but didn't even spare Matt a glance. He knew the weakling was going to try and intimidate him and it was quite amusing. This was evident in his sarcastic chuckle as Matt said that he wasn't going to hurt him. "How typically submissive of you." he commented.

As for Matt's warning... he snorted it aside, and then glanced up menacingly at him. "Oh of course, and I suppose you would rip out Sally's throat out too, hmm?" he said with sarcasm lacing his voice of doubt, "After all, she was very helpful in letting me find Joe." he grinned, and awaited Matt's reaction on that. Of course, he didn't expect the mutt to really do anything to the female vampire. They had a history of being friends after all.

Joe had heard that part as she was walking down the steps, and it made her stop in her tracks. Her hackles raised, and there was a flare of mad anger in her eyes. Sally... that annoying... words couldn't explain enough how she felt about the vampire. Actions would, once she got her claws on her. Oh yes, very much so...

Still. Marshall first. He had to pay. She was going to enjoy making him do just that.
With this in mind she entered the room, and her expression was... clean but focused. No need for words, now was the time for actions to speak.
 
Rita was still too busy struggling to suppress her embarrassment to notice anything Addie was doing. Besides, he was very good at hiding how hard he was trying not to react, Cyril thought as they walked away. He watched them from the corner of his eye. This had been far too easy, and he'd managed what he was supposed to do twice over. With any luck, the wolf would slip up and show her his reservations soon, and then she'd be an even easier target.

The baby store had agreed to hold their purchases for a little while, and that meant she didn't have to lug them around. It should speed up the clothes shopping process, anyway. She headed into the first likely looking shop she saw, grabbed dresses off racks as she passed and made a beeline for the fitting rooms.
"Uh..." She should probably ask Addie for his help - or at least say something before this awkward silence got too long. "I'll see what basically fits, and then if you don't mind, you could just... check?"

The first dress she put on was too big, and the second pinched under her arms to let her know it was too small. It was always like this - she wasn't a normal size and nothing fit properly. The third one seemed ok, though, so she slipped out of the fitting room to get Addie's opinion. It was red... Did she like red? Did it even matter? She shook her head slightly; if it fit, she was buying it and going home. "This ok?" Hopefully. The faster this was over, the better.

----------

Matt tried to ignore Marshall's reaction, and instead stood watching the steps for Joe. It didn't matter what a guy like that thought, and besides, hadn't Matt beaten him and taken Joe back? That was what counted. When Joe had needed him, he hadn't submitted, and he never would.

The mention of Sally made his ears prick up, and he turned his head as Joe paused on the stairs. She'd been there before he passed out, and he'd woken up in her flat. But... to get involved, to hand Joe over to this guy just to get back at him for leaving her...? Surely she wouldn't team up with a werewolf, least of all one like this. Matt let out a low growl and shook his head. Then again, if she was innocent then why had she vanished? Well, that question could wait. Joe was coming. She had wanted Marshall, and now she would have him. He'd deal with Sally later.

As she walked into the room he walked to her side, touching her hand with his nose. The look in her face scared him a little, but he tried not to mind it. Marshall deserved whatever was coming to him. Matt looked up at Joe's face and gave a little whine. Words were still hard, so he wouldn't waste them. "I love you," he managed, "No matter what." This wasn't going to be pretty, but it wouldn't change anything. He was hers, always.
 
Addie followed Rita on the quest for a dress, glad to be out of Cyril's company. He couldn't help but shake the feeling of creepiness from the guy. Now he could properly focus on Rita and sleeping Jessy.

In the store he took the little girl pup down from his neck and held her in his arms to his side, with her head resting against his chest. Unfortunately he realised too late that she might drool on him, and it only struck home when he felt something wet against his skin... Oh, joy... he smirked to himself. Should have brought a bib along.

"Sure, take your time." he reassured Rita, and took a seat on one of the small chairs available. For some reason they were always uncomfortable, and so hard... he never could understand why. As he waited for Rita he took out a handkerchief and tried his best to dry up little Jessy's spit. It wasn't too successful.

"This ok?"

He quickly shifted his focus on Rita, and his eyes made a double-take when he saw the dress. He completely forgot about the wet spot and his eyebrows lifted with his pleasantly surprised expression. Before the look turned into a stare he remembered to reply to her question, "Uh, wow! Yes... it looks really nice!" he said, perhaps a little too happily. Though he couldn't help but be impressed.

Realising this, his mind shifted and let his 'trained at a young age in fashion by sister and mother' part take the lead and he stood up to get a closer look. With a hint of inspiration on his face he lifted his index finger to his chin, "Although... " he began and stepped back to get another dress that had caught his attention, "I think this will really have you looking amazing." he said, and handed her a black dress with a different cut and shape. It was an elegant little thing, and not too showy but definitely stylish.
Looking closely one might have noticed a twinkle in his eye, "Try it on..." he encouraged Rita with his charming smile.

-----

Marshall noticed the flick of Matt's ears, and it tickled his delight. Seeing him not wanting to believe it was even better - how naive was this idiot? A lot, apparently. He gave a low chortle, "You're no wolf, Matthew... you'll realise it soon enough when other males come for Joe. I'm sure your vampire friend will be happy to offer you more of her venom to turn you into what you really are." he sneered.

Joe was still calm even as Marshall was insulting Matt - at least in werewolf terms. She focused on her mate as she felt his nuzzle against her hand, but her look didn't change. Then she bent down and with her hands cupped behind his ears she pressed her forehead against his as she closed her eyes. Her fingers rubbed his ears tenderly as if to say that she felt the same way.

Surprisingly, she actually spoke then, in a soft voice so that only Matt would hear... "and I love you too Matt - you don't have to stay in this room if you don't want to." Her eyes became soft for him. She knew him and she wouldn't think less of him if he did excuse himself. "You're not going to like what I'm going to do to him." she said more levelly and with a sense of sadistic joy. This was going to be a violent process, and very much inhumane.

For starters, she wanted him immobilised while setting him up on the torture table... and she knew just how to beat the living daylights out of him, and what pressure points to target to keep him from taking his wolf form... She got up and advanced towards Marshall, who was looking very defiant in the face of Joe's intended punishment for him.

If only he knew what she had in store for him...
 
It took Rita a moment to notice what Addie was doing with his handkerchief, but when she did it made her chuckle. She almost offered to take Jessy whilst he wiped himself off, but then realised that you probably had to buy a dress if you took it into the changing rooms and let a baby slobber all down the front. Plus she couldn't exactly wear it to dinner if that happened. Still, his reaction seemed positive, and that probably meant she wouldn't be openly mocked for what she was wearing this time. Another glance down at herself… did she like red?

She pulled again at her hair as he stepped back, feeling for some reason very self-conscious. It was probably just having someone looking at her… it wasn't as though he was doing anything wrong, and she had asked for his help. And she had to get this done quickly so they could get Jessy home, poor thing, so really he was just doing her a favour and her mind was reacting as stupidly as ever.

She shook her head, and then eyed the dress he was holding up dubiously. Sure, it was nice, but what was wrong with the one she'd already found? She also didn't much like the way he talked about it, like a salesman or something. The doubtful part of her mind was still looking for the con, but she overruled it. More fiddling with the ends of her hair. Well, if he wanted her to try something different, why not? With an awkward little smile, she took the hanger and ducked back into the fitting room.

The good news, when she'd got it on, was that it did fit. It also wasn't too low cut or too short, which was always a relief. And black was definitely a safer colour than red – she didn't much like red, but black was always good.
Being self-conscious was not helping this situation, and Rita decided to just get it over with. She took a deep, unnecessary breath and stepped back outside, trying not to look too much as though she regretted dragging him into this. "Better?"

-----

Matt took his cue from Joe and ignored Marshall, instead bowing his head slightly as she bent down. A soft growl formed in his chest as she spoke, and he gently shook his head. He wasn't going anywhere, not leaving her with someone who had hurt her already. He knew he wasn't going to like this, but if it went wrong, if Marshall somehow got free whilst she was punishing him… it was Matt's responsibility to be there to protect her. He'd already messed that up once.

He gave a little sidelong glance back to Marshall as Joe moved towards him. He really was making this much easier, insulting Matt and not begging to be spared. He didn't regret what he'd done to her, and that meant Matt wasn't going to regret standing by while she took her revenge.
 
Addie sensed Rita's discomfort as she was heading back to change again, and for a second wondered whether he should have just left the suggestion. Her deep breath encouraged that, and he cursed himself for even thinking of the idea.

This changed when she came out again... She looked stunning! His jaw almost dropped when he saw her. All he could do was look at her like a silly fool, until his senses came to. Then he remembered that he should probably respond to - what was the question again? Oh, right!

He nodded, and then as if in quite a daze came the blurted reply, "uh huh..." Then after a few blinks he replied more properly, "I mean yes! ... You look lovely..." And before he could catch the words in their tracks, "definitely like a pretty lady." His eyes were still transfixed on her, and then his mind finally caught up.
Oh crap, did I just overdo it?...

Noooo, thought another bit, let's add this too: "May I join you on your date?"
"Uhm.. I mean... Er" he scratched the back of his neck as a distraction while his brain stumbled about to find the right word, "outing! Yes, I meant outing." ... Date? Where did that come from...

-----

Joe calmly got the key for Marshall's cell, and as she opened the gate he saw something in her eyes. There was a quick but faint panic at the back of his mind, although he brushed it aside easily. "Back for more?" He smirked.

He'd barely said it and then suddenly Joe swung her hand and landed a blow on the side of his neck. The force of it was enough to crack a human's neck, but in Marshall's case it merely knocked him out cold. She wasn't going to entertain him with a reply, but instead got right to business. There was also another trick she knew of... With his head in her hands she twisted his head slightly to the side and cut a small incision in the base of his skull at the back. Then she moved his head in a way to make something pop. This would make him unable to take on his wolf form.

Making sure that he was indeed lights out, she unshackled him and let his limp body fall to the floor. Then with a quick, strong heave lifted his body over her upper back and walked over to the table. She landed him hard on his back and secured his arms and legs tightly with the shackles on the table.

Before she began, there were a few preparations to be done. Then the fun would start...
 
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If Rita had felt uncomfortable before, it was nothing compared to how she felt with Addie staring at her and not saying anything. She shifted uncomfortably and looked at the ground, interlacing her fingers to keep from fiddling with her hair again. Why wasn't he saying anything? True, he wasn't an awkward chatterbox like her, but he wasn't exactly the shy reserved type either, and his silence was really putting her on edge. The look on his face didn't exactly help. She wasn't happy with being stared at.

Of course, there was always Jessy to focus on, and Rita had just glanced back up at her when he finally decided to say something. It sounded noncommittal and a part of her relaxed, wondering what all the tension had been about in the first place - but then he just kept on going.
The part about the 'pretty lady' had her looking straight back down at her feet, trying and failing not to blush. He'd said that before, and she'd made a similar mistake calling him attractive, but she wished he'd stop making fun of her. It wasn't her fault she couldn't control her mouth...

"May I join you on your date?"
That had her looking back up at his face, in a flash of sudden alarm. Date?! She was going to a work dinner and he definitely hadn't been invited. Why would he push this on her? And who'd call it a date - wait, did he want it to be a date?

She was about to snap back at him when she saw how awkward he'd suddenly become... and that was a familiar thing. If anyone should know what it felt like to say the wrong thing and then flounder for a way to fix it, it was her. Besides, taking him along would really throw the cat amongst the pigeons and she'd get to sit back and laugh at the chaos... She hesitated. That wouldn't be fair to him.

"Uh... well," she began slowly, trying to keep a calm tone, "I think you might get more than you'd bargained for there. I mean, they'd tear you to pieces." She'd seen unattached males come along to these functions before and the single werewolf nurses - even some of the committed ones, come to that - treated the whole thing as a death match. "Not that it wouldn't be, you know, nice." She even managed a little smile, to show that she didn't hold his slip against him.

-----

Marshall's words made Matt jump towards the cage, growling, but Joe seemed unmoved and the big guy was out cold before anything more could happen. Matt shook himself a little, irritated. He had warned Marshall against trying to hurt Joe by taunting her. But the look on Joe's face as she hauled him out of the cell and dumped him on the table said that he was definitely going to pay, for this and everything else. That was enough for Matt. He was only down here to make sure that she didn't get hurt.

This wasn't going to be pretty, and the old human part of him had niggling doubts about whether standing by as it happened was the right thing to do. Sometimes Joe went too far with her violence, and especially when she was being controlled by the Voice. He was worried about the effects of letting her go through with this... but he was weak, and because of his weakness Marshall had been able to hurt her. She had every right to ignore Matt's objections and take revenge for that.

The wolf part of Matt wasn't exactly happy with what was going on, but deep down it knew that what Joe wanted was more important. She was the one in charge. He belonged to her, defended her, and a part of that was knowing when to let her fight her own battles. He was glad of being in wolf form as he settled in the corner of the cell, waiting for whatever she was planning to begin...
 
The alarm on her face spoke books to his mind - he'd seen such reactions before, and he cursed himself again. Idiot! We've known each other how long, exactly? Not long. Not long at all... she'll think you a creep or something. He had to suppress the urge to stumble along more words which might only make the situation worse. Thankfully he succeeded as he tried to not-exactly avert his eyes from her. That might seem rude.

He gave a nervous chuckle about the females comment and relaxed his shoulders, "Right..." those situations could get nasty, depending on how much they had to restrain themselves for sake of fitting into human society. "Heh."

"Not that it wouldn't be, you know, nice."

His eyes jumped back to her, looking a little excited. Then, without thinking gave a charming half smile, "...Maybe some other time?" - and then once realisation hit him like a truck from behind at what he'd said, his expression fixed in mid-surprise and immediately his neck felt dreadfully warm. With a dart of his eyes to her feet, his mind found a way out of this getting-very-awkward situation and with a quick turn on his heels, "Shoes! I meant maybe some... uh, shoes. We should get you some." and headed for that direction of the store. Unfortunately it was only about a rack away, so his escape was only a short little trip - and also in the wrong direction.

Realising this he turned again and smiled quickly to Rita, "Which is this way... of course."

Oh this was going great. No weirdness whatsoever. Nothing to make it awkward sitting in the car next to each other when it was time to drop Rita off at her house...

-----

Joe's mind was already having fun as she thought of all the possibilities that lay before her. Where to begin? She'd made all the pre-preps that she wanted.
Well, waking the brute up would be a good start... which she did by walking to his right side and pinched his nose with her thumbs and index finger. This interruption of airflow made his brain wake him, albeit slowly. To help him out of his silly daze quickly, she took a firmer grip and with a hard twist and press promptly broke his nose.
The shock from this made him yell out in both pain and surprise and the whole table shook as he flexed his chest forward.

His eyes were wide and angry, and looking at Joe he growled at her viscously. Then surprise dawned on his face - he wasn't turning into his wolf form. The anger came back and the veins in his neck bulged as she yelled at her, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" His teeth were bared and spit went flying, "I'LL KILL YOU!"
His violent temper flared on for a moment, but Joe was still looking calm as ever.

Marshall was moving around too much for her liking. His shouting was annoying too.
With an iron grip Joe had his lower jaw in her hand, and once Marshall calmed down enough to notice that force, and how it was changing, his eyes widened for a split second. Her other hand grabbed him by the nose again, which hurt quite badly, but not as bad as when he heard and felt his jaw snap off.
There was more shouting, but out of pain, and he swung his head out of her grip. His eyes were clenched as he tried to conquer the sting of his injuries-

*click-click*

-what was that? He thought, and as he looked over at Joe he saw something in her hand. It was a pair of metal pliers. She was looking at it, and clicked them together again. Satisfied with the tool, she approached Marshall again. He wasn't too sure what she was planning, and the pliers weren't that big. He only realised her intent once she grabbed his lower jaw and dragged it wider open. The posture was painful and uncomfortable for him, but that was nothing compared to having his teeth being pulled out... One by one, and giving each one a good twist as she did so. The more he tried to move, the more it hurt.

It wasn't very long before he couldn't hold his painful screams in any more.
 
For once in her life Rita was watching the kind of mess she normally got herself into from the outside, and it was actually kind of… sweet? The way Addie reacted, anyway. The panic she'd felt dissipated; he wasn't a threat. Nobody this unsure of themselves could be too bad. Her little smile widened as he seemed to calm himself somewhat, although he still wasn't looking at her. She didn't know why he was rambling like a fool, but… sometimes words just came out before one could stop them. Besides, she had said no very reasonably and he wasn't making her feel pressured…

"...Maybe some other time?"
Ok, so maybe a hint of pressure. A little frown formed as she stared at him, trying to figure out his game, and her eyes narrowed slightly. He did still seem very awkward, and his sudden attempt to get away confirmed it… either he was a very good actor, or he was genuinely as surprised by the turn he'd taken this conversation on as she was.

Her feet stayed rooted to the spot as he set off in pursuit of shoes – in the wrong direction, but she wasn't going to stop him. What did he think he was doing? So she put on a dress and all of a sudden he completely lost control of himself? … well, the same had happened to her when he'd taken his damn shirt off, so she could hardly judge him. But still, this whole thing didn't quite add up. She put out a hand to stop him as he tried to go back past her for the shoes, and gave him a searching look. "I have shoes," she said flatly. Sure, her mother's dresses didn't fit, but their feet were the same size and the shoe collection was impressive. Besides, he was avoiding bigger issues.

"What…" she began, but couldn't figure out a way to finish that sentence. She knew what she wanted to ask, in theory, but there were no words that wouldn't make her sound like a fool. "Uhm… what are you… doing?" It was a silly half-formed question, but a vital one. She needed to decide if she wanted to shut this down.

-----

Marshall's angry shouting panicked Matt a little and he jumped to have his front paws on the side of the table, growling right in his face. Sure, he was securely pinned down, but that didn't seem to have gotten the message across that he wouldn't be killing anyone for anything. Least of all Joe for… well, Matt didn't actually know what she'd done, but something at the back of his head that must have really annoyed him.

Unfortunately getting so close to Marshall meant Matt had a very good view of what happened next, and as soon as Marshall's jaw gave way he jumped backwards with a little yelp. What came next didn't make him feel any better, but he managed to keep from whining in protest. This was well deserved - the brute had done worse to his Joe when he'd had the chance.

Matt cast around for something he could do, to show support or just to occupy himself so he didn't have to think too much about the morality of all this. In the end he found a small metal basin, and nudged it across to Joe's feet. Then he carefully gathered up the loose teeth and dropped them one by one into the basin. He tried not to think about what they were, or how futile this effort to keep everything tidy was likely to be. He had to stand by Joe, and if this was what she wanted to do, he would help in whatever silly little way he could.
 
"Uh-" came Addie's stumble of a reply as his mind sloshed like a goldfish in a moving bowl. He was looking at her again, picking up her facial cues and his still-functioning spy half analysed it. It's results said: caution. It wasn't a lot to go on, but then again under current circumstances his brain didn't have all the resources where they were needed. For one thing, the warm feeling in his neck was spreading and it had a frightful time getting even that under control.

He cleared his throat apologetically and grimaced a grin, Slipping on uneven ground? Walking on eggs? Getting completely confused as to what the heck is going on? take your pick... His free hand rubbed the side of his neck and he gave her an honest confused look, "I, er, ..." his mind groped for answers - dammit! He's had spy training, getting out of conversations or situations like these should be a breeze! Then again, he reminded himself, it usually involved someone you've never really met before, or didn't have a fear of offending and some-such.

Right now his mind just wasn't functioning. It needed a reboot. Wait, first she had asked a question... what was he doing?

"Error 404..." he settled on, and looked a little concerned as his shoulders slouched. Yep, that was it. "I'm sorry, It's just... uh, well." he was shrugging, trying to find the right words, "Forget I said the da- outing thing. I mean, we've barely met and it was stupid of me to even ask that." he started to apologise, "I'm being an idiot, sorry." he cringed.

-----

Some part of Joe's mind registered Matt's discomfort, and she saw him carrying on regardless. He wasn't liking this one bit, and it almost annoyed her. Her human self didn't mind so much, and really she didn't expect anything else from him. He was a kind and caring person after all, and she liked this about him. When she felt the basin by her feet she bent down and placed it on Marshall's chest. She then gently petted Matthew's head and gave him a warm smile. More teeth filled the basin, each one entering with a small clink or clank noise.

Marshall groaned as he heard the noises - it was not something pleasant to hear. Thankfully for him, a person only had so many teeth and soon she was finished.
As Joe set down the pliers on a tool rack, Marshall steeled a small sigh of relief. He could steady his mind again, and the wounds would heal soon. It did bother him quite a lot though that his body felt strange, like it wasn't functioning properly...

((warning... things are getting worse for Marshall... XD))

A noise caught his attention then. As he glanced over in its direction he saw Joe had a bowl in her hands. A chill ran down his spine as he saw the shiny objects in it. They were nails... sharp, metal - no, silver - nails. She'd also put on gloves to work with them easier, and casually proceeded to take one out.
He started shaking his head sideways, trying to pry loose somehow and to prevent her from starting her next act of torture.

After a slight hesitation Joe grabbed something from the rack and Marshall's eyesight was flooded with blinding pain. He groaned loudly as it made contact with the inside of his mouth. It was a railway spike that she had jammed him with while his head was to the side, to keep him from moving further. Marshall was stuck with facing her way as she then happily started replacing his teeth with those nails.

They stung worse than acid, and the metal against his jaw bones caused the most horrible of pressure and pain. He could feel the cracking and grinding happening, and he was powerless to do anything about it. All he could do right now was to clench his eyes shut and push through.
Well, that was until he felt something sharp against his right eyelid. He was met with the sight of Joe's index finger and thumb pinching it and stretching it open and forward. Involuntarily his eye saw her other extended fingernail approach, and felt it slicing the lid off. She made it excruciatingly painful... It wasn't a clean cut, but jagged and the end of it was torn instead of cut.

He couldn't even clench his jaw to lessen the pain, but he did clench his fists hard.
It didn't help much, and his left eyelid was to follow.

Happy with this, Joe ignored his expressions of pain and continued with the dentistry. Some nails were hammered in neatly, and others had their ends sticking out the side of his gums. It wasn't the cleanest job, but it was gruesome. With no eyelids, there was no closing his eyes against the horror of it, and the moment they started to tear up, the saltiness of those tears stung the open wounds until they finally healed. It felt like forever...
 
Rita was watching Addie carefully, measuring his awkwardness and confusion. Both seemed pretty genuine. She wasn't a great judge of character, but she was used to more straightforward advances than this. Could anybody pull off such utter bewilderment as an act? It'd really be something to do it this convincingly. Then again, her cautious mind reminded her, he had been a spy. Tricking people was practically his job.

His eventual reply made her blink, but as he continued talking she realised what he was trying to say - or rather, to un-say. Well, she could give him that chance, at least... although a little part of her didn't feel happy with his response. She gave another slow blink and tried not to let any reaction show on her face. A lazy shrug was added to this, "Sure, I guess." If he wanted to backtrack, that made her life simpler, didn't it? "I'll go change."

She took her time getting back into her own clothes, putting the dress on its hanger and re-doing her hair while she was at it. This whole silly outing (or should that be 'da-outing'?) was wasting time, and she had responsibilities. Looking after Jessy, caring for the patients at the clinic. Not muddling her silly head about Addie and whatever he was up to, intentional or not.

It was time to go home. She stepped back out of the fitting room with the dress folded over her arm, trying to keep her face expressionless. She found she couldn't quite meet his eyes. "Am I buying this, then?" Even to her ears the question sounded like a challenge. What was she doing? She needed Addie's help to care for Jessy, and besides, what would she have done if he had been trying to...? Best not to think about it.

-----

Matt watched Joe fetching the nails with a feeling of deep apprehension, and turned his head away as she began her work. Something deep inside him said that this was going beyond retribution already, and he had a feeling it was only going to get worse. Should he be letting her do this? Possibly not, but it would be a betrayal to try to stop her. It wasn't his place to challenge her decisions.

Nevertheless, when she set to work on Marshall's eyelids he couldn't help a little whine, and softly nudged her leg with his nose. Standing by her whilst she did what she had to was one thing, but he could let her know he didn't necessarily agree with it... She was angry. He knew she was a good person, and he didn't want what she did now to haunt her when she'd calmed down.

He didn't want to watch, but he couldn't leave her down here on her own. What sound was filtering down from upstairs suggested that Mel was busy, and Faolan wouldn't like this any more than Matt did. He didn't really have a choice.

-----

Mel, meanwhile, was preparing to go out and run her perimeter. Some of the watchers nearby had sighted an unknown werewolf, and even if whoever it was knew better than to break in here, she was going to investigate.

For a moment she considered telling Rami and Faolan what was going on - but then, far better to make them sweat it out in a house above a torture chamber, outfitted with alarms that could kill them both. She even winked at Rami as she stepped out the door.
 
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