The Ties That Bind

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As Madeline confirmed his thoughts, Maxim only looked at her with a soft smile, and after a moment turned his attention back to the trees. He couldn't help but marvel at the strength in her, and the compassion. There were times that suffering tragedy produced only a twisted, broken end result, but there were also people like Madeline, who suffered and suffered and came out the other side with such a deep well of compassion for others who were struggling it almost couldn't be quantified. He would do anything if it meant she didn't have to hurt again.

"Mm, not much of a plan, most times we come out here," he answered with a little chuckle when she asked. "Just some time to relax and disconnect from the world for a few days. Mostly in the mornings we play some games together, or do some arts and crafts for the little ones, or go on walks together to see the grounds. We'll have lunch, then we'll head out for another shift until it starts to get dark, or too many of us are hungry. Sometimes all of us go, or sometimes one or two will want to stay back. Is there anything you'd like to do?"

There was a small town, not too long of a drive away, so if there was anything she wanted to go do that wasn't at the campground they could always take the cars and go.
 
"Aside from getting to disappear in the woods by myself for a few hours?" She asked with an amused smile, knowing that was never going to happen. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy spending time with them, it was just something she'd loved to do when she was younger, to just disconnect from everything, to think about nothing, just let her instincts take over and enjoy nature. It wasn't really something she could do in the city, though she did use to go out late at night, sometimes with Doc, before moving in with Maxim, but it wasn't the same. "No, not really."

Their plans sounded perfectly fine to her, she enjoyed their company and playing games with them and the kids was always fun. Spending time with them in their other forms had also been something that she hadn't expected to make her as happy as it did, despite not being a wolf, she had felt welcomed, connected, like she belonged. "It might be nice to go swimming or something, maybe." She mused thoughtfully, before shrugging softly with a smile. "I don't know, honestly, I'm just happy to be here, out of the house, out of the city, you know?"
 
Maxim made a playful, dubious sound at the idea of her wandering off, mouth pulling down at one corner in a little grimace. "Now you're just trying to give me anxiety," he shot back, but gave a little chuckle afterwards. "I appreciate you not complaining about having to stick with us."

If he could hear her in the trees he didn't mind her wandering a bit, but too far and not only would he start to seriously worry, he was sure he would also be in a good deal of trouble should any of his superiors or coworkers found out he allowed it. Despite Madeline joining the pack, she was, unfortunately, still on the HED's leash.

"I'm glad you decided to come with us," he said with a little smile, trying to think if there was enough water nearby for her to get to play in. "There's a small river, maybe a thirty minute drive from here. But it's probably more heavily populated than you'd like." Plenty of humans enjoyed the water as much as they did, especially as the weather warmed. "Next time, we'll have to find somewhere with a better place to go. A lake house, maybe."
 
"No, if I was trying to give you anxiety, I'd remind you just how easily I could slip away if I wanted too." She teased with a playful smile, a mischievous glint in her eyes. It was fun to tease him, but she had no intention of actually doing anything like that. Though she did want to be able to indulge in something she loved so much, and she did resent the lack of freedom, it reminded her too much of her childhood, but she still wouldn't betray the trust he'd given her. She was sure he'd fought for her to even come on this trip in the first place, and she wasn't going to make him regret it. "It's okay." She reassured with a soft shrug, "I get it, I just hope that you at least trust me not to take off, even if they don't"

"Besides, being stuck with you guys isn't so bad." She lightly teased with an amused smile, perhaps she wasn't saying it directly, but it was obvious she enjoyed their company. "I don't know, this place is still pretty great." A lake house did sound nice, but really she was just happy to be around nature again. Having him so casually include her in the next trip, like it wasn't even a question, left a pleasant warmth in her chest. "I am too." She was being honest, though she wasn't really sure she had a choice in the matter. "Thank you for bringing me along."
 
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"Ah ah, don't even start," Maxim complained, giving a little laugh and shaking his head at her gall. He didn't need that little nervous flutter it gave him to think of her disappearing, thank you. He had every confidence, now more than ever, that she would eventually come back, but it was in his nature to worry and he didn't need the extra stress in his life. Still, knowing they both knew she had promised to stay, he had to almost bite the inside of his own cheek just to hold back the urge to pull her closer again, to lean their heads together and press a little kiss into her hair. It was too much, something he didn't do to the she-wolves in his pack with great frequency either, and a small part of him was also beginning to doubt his own motives.

"Couldn't go on a pack run without you," he promised with a little smile, looking briefly at her with affection in his eyes, and slowly brought their walk to a stop. "You're one of us now, after all." He would tell it to her over and over again, if she needed to hear it. A pack trip meant everyone, even if sometimes traveling in large numbers was difficult, or some activities weren't suited to her or Simon. They would adapt, make do, and find something they could all do together. "We should start to head back, hm? Were missing out on prime board game time. Before you ask, Monopoly isn't allowed. We stopped trying after the third broken board."
 
It was something she was still getting used to, the idea of being one of them. Of course, she'd already accepted his offer and was therefore officially part of the pack, and she had meant it. Still, after everything she'd been through throughout her life, and so much time spent distancing herself and vowing never to be part of anything like a family ever again, it was still a little weird to think of herself as one of them. She may know in her head that she was already part of the pack, but the feeling hadn't quite gone deep enough to really sink in yet. However, the more time she spent with all of them, with Simon, Marina, and especially Maxim, the more she felt like somehow... she'd found where she was supposed to be.

"Yeah, sure, wouldn't want to miss a chance to embarrass you with my mad skills." She teased playfully, though she could be a little competitive, she was only joking around, she would have fun, win or lose. It seemed the others were a bit more competitive if his crack about Monopoly was anything to go by, or perhaps just not very patient. It was an amusing image, picturing one of them just flipping the table and hotels flying everywhere. She laughed softly, looking at him with an amused smile as they made their way back. "Geez, just how competitive are you lot?"
 
Madeline was pack, that much had been solidified now. If it hadn't been sealed by their venturing into the woods together, than certainly it had when she'd agreed to fall into a pile of bodies to sleep together as a pack. He knew some of the pack were still wary of their new member, as they had every right to be, but they would adjust, and had accepted her presence among them with as much welcome as he could ask from them. Hopefully soon she would begin to realize that she deserved to belong with them, no matter what else happened.

He couldn't help but laugh as they started on their trip back, running a hand back through his hair and trying not to think too vividly on the times games had devolved into wrestling. "Suffice to say that Aether and Bella can be very smug, and Marina is easily riled. Also, some people thought it was much funnier than others to put baby Amethyst on the board and play 'Godzilla' instead of finishing the game when someone else had a very, very clear lead. . . The third casualty may have been due to unrelated, incredibly sudden child vomit, but let's not talk about that."

After the initial reactions, the roughhousing wasn't what he would call particularly violent, but then, wolves often had much looser standards than others. If there was no bleeding involved, he generally called it a win.
 
"Why am I not surprised?" She asked with an amused smile, she could definitely picture Bella being a bit of a smug winner, perhaps playfully lording it over Marina's head. "That's not very sportsmanlike, but undeniably funny." The image of little Amethyst gleefully scattering all the pieces every which way was very cute, and so long as nobody was taking the game too seriously, funny too. "Ugh, gross" A brief expression of distaste appearing on her face, but her tone was amused, and she was still smiling. It wasn't exactly a pleasant image, but after growing up surrounded by such a big group of kids, she had a strong stomach, and it would take much more than that to truly bother her.

"So, what about you?" She asked with a playful smile, looking at him curiously. "Are you competitive?" "Do you have a game you pick to just thrash everyone?"
 
Picturing Amethyst giggling and stepping all over hotels and cards largely against her own will while more than one wolf lost their mind about the ruined game made Maxim want to laugh and wince in equal measure. It had definitely been a funny moment for some people and an enraging one for others, and had devolved into a wrestling match that had snapped the board in half and nearly broken one of their chairs. Good times.

"Me?" He repeated with a laugh. "I would say I don't care if I win or lose, but that would be a partial lie. Most times I'm just happy to play with the others, but you have never heard me rage harder than during a round of Mario Kart." Between Bella, Marina, Aether, and himself, there was a very intense competition every time Mario Kart became part of their activities. "But I do like the classics, like Sorry, Uno, or Phase 10. Simon got a newer one called Everdell a while back that has a lot of pieces and setup, but it's very cute, and there's a decent amount of strategy involved. Too complicated for the kids and only four players, though, so we don't pull it out very often. You should play some time." No broken boards, then.
 
She laughed softly, "you know, I'd very much like to see that." She teased playfully, amused by the image of him rage-quitting over a lost race, whilst she could understand the fury of a getting caught up in a badly timed blue shell, it was hard for her to picture him like that so it was an almost absurd image. "Whose your main?" "Do you all like different characters, or is it a fight each time over who gets to be who?" She asked with an amused smile, imagining Marina, perhaps, passionately debating that she should get to be the one to play Donkey Kong.

"But yeah, I'd love to." She agreed with a soft smile, certain she'd have fun playing games with them all.
 
"It's incredibly unflattering." Maxim said with a shake of his head, smiling a little wryly at the memories of cursing someone for using a blue shell in the last five seconds of the wise, only for it to send the accused into a fit of laughter that had destroyed their next race. His wolves knew him well, but he occasionally still had ways of surprising them.

"But if you must know, I'm a Bowser man, myself," he added with an almost haughty little gesture of his hand to his chest. "None of this 'cute' baby character nonsense; if someone bumps me I want that peasant shoved off the map like they deserve." He chuckled at the thought of the many times he had made someone spin out just by shoving them bodily into an item or obstacle, knowing it slowed him down but thinking it was worth it. "And god help anyone who tries to steal Link before Bella gets there or they'll be facing real life danger."

Board games inspired less rage, he thought, and it would be good to get her involved in something that let a few of them engage in something at once without getting incredibly riled. There were still usually jokes and sometimes music involved, but Simon played games and introduced them to others with a spirit of cooperative teaching, always reminding others when they needed to collect extra items or cards they'd forgotten so everyone played 'fair'. He, at least, inspired others to do the same rather than solving cheating disputes with destructive wrestling matches.
 
She laughed softly, both at his reasoning and the image of Bella getting so riled up over getting to play her favourite character. "Solid point, and I do love Bowser, but I mean, Walugi is right there." "He's clearly the best, definitely the most fashionable." She replied with an amused smile, she had her favourite characters, but she really didn't mind trying out new ones from time to time. "Sounds like fun anyway, so do the board games, haven't played any in a long time."

"Card games might be fun too, I'd love a chance to whoop your butt at poker." She teased with a playful smile, and slightly challenging tone, she had a pretty good poker face.
 
Maxim made a soft, disgusted sound, shaking his head at the idea of Waluigi. "That wacky legged weirdo? At least Bowser doesn't have to drive with his knees next to his chin. Now I'm starting to doubt your judgment in character design." Waluigi, while he was hilarious in most contexts, was not the most pleasant to look at, and he was sure she was just teasing him now.

"Oo," he murmured with a little grimace when she mentioned cards, trying not to laugh, "Sadly you'll be disappointed there. Can't say I've ever been the biggest fan of poker. I honestly don't know if I remember which hand beats which anymore. You'll have to find some other game if you're trying to test my bluffing skills. But if you'd really like a poker buddy, you should ask Bella, I think. I'm sure you could rope a couple others in to play."
 
She let out a soft tsk and shook her head, as if disappointed in him. "Well I'm starting to think you just have basic, boring taste." "I mean, whose your second favourite character?" "Mario?" "How uncreative and close minded of you." Her tone was serious, but the mischievous glint in her eyes and the amused smile on her face made it clear she was just playfully teasing him. "Besides, it's not his fault the carts are too small for his lanky frame." "I mean, everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall." She added with a little grin, curious if he'd get the reference.

"I'd give it a go, but she strikes me as a...." She paused for a moment as she searched for the right word, an amused smile on her face. "Slightly ruthless opponent."
 
It was good to just have time to talk, to learn about each other in ways that were quite serious, and then in ways that weren't. Maxim felt privileged to have been trusted with some of her pain, but he enjoyed the time he got to simply talk to her about nothing and see the way her personality and mischief came out. She liked to tease without hiding the fact that she was teasing, liked to think of spending time with the rest of the pack but needed time to feel welcomed and invited. Little things that built up to show the bigger picture that was Madeline. Big moments were something he cherished, but the small ones were just as important.

After the initial upheaval, their walk was calm and soothing, chatting quietly as they went with the gentle sounds of nature around them. After the general chaos that had been their relationship so far, it was good to have a bit of peace. There was a gentle sort of joy settled around them as he walked, her hand a warm spot in his, her presence solid at his side as if for a moment their existence had twined loosely together. He was almost disappointed when they made it back to the campgrounds again, knowing he would have to let go of the Madeline that only came to be while they were alone in a quiet place, but having his pack all together around him was its own sort of joy, and she was part of that now too.

The cabin was lively as they walked in, but not crazy. Simon was at the table with Oscar and the children, Amethyst in his lap helping him choose which cards to play while Marina lounged on the couch nearby fiddling with something on her phone. When Maxim glanced Simon's way with a questioning expression, unable to immediately see Bella or Aether, the human only gave a small, uncertain sort of smile and made a subtle 'up there' gesture towards the loft. Hiding, then. For a little while, Maxim would let him, though he wouldn't stop Madeline if she wanted to walk up and get their post-trauma explanation reunion over with.

"So who's winning?" Maxim asked, giving Madeline's hand one last squeeze before letting go and wander over to the table where he could lean down and rest his chin atop Opal's head just to make her smile. "Is it you? No one is better at Doomlings than you, hm?"

She laughed and reached up to pat at his head as if to welcome him home, but held her cards close to her chest. "No cheating! Simon and Amy won the last round somehow."

Simon shrugged and gave a little chuckle, as if at he didn't understand it either. "I've been letting her pick all the cards. I guess we make a good team." The fact that they'd managed to get more points was a small miracle, since she was just picking whatever card she thought was cutest.
 
Her past wasn't something she chose to think about, instead locking it away where she didn't have to deal with it. She was sure she'd be in for a sleepless night, and yet, she felt surprisingly okay after telling him such a painful story. Of course, she hadn't gone into details about the true depths of her horror and pain, her guilt, her useless rage against the unfairness at it all, the feeling of isolation and betrayal, the fear of being sent back to her father, and just the sadness of being alone, the deep painful emptiness she felt in her soul knowing her brother was gone. Nor did she tell him of the aftermath of it all, that when she'd run away to the city, in her darkest moments, when it all was just too much, the pain, the rage, the fear, the injustice of it all, that it had overwhelmed her, and she'd considered just... giving it all up, letting go of everything and... going to be with her brother. It was really only the promise she'd made to him before he'd died that had stopped her, but it had been a near thing. But then, after that, she'd met Doc. The man who should have been her father, who might have been in a fairer world, an admittedly unorthodox, but true friend, the kind she'd needed to help her through it all, to give her hope again.

Now he was gone too, and she was still here, carrying on like she always did, wondering yet again why she got to live when everyone around her, everyone she truly loved, kept getting ripped away from her. Why? What was so goddamn special about her? A question which ultimately didn't matter, since the answer was nothing. Life had just seen fit to deal her a crappy hand every time she sat down at the table, and short of refusing to play the game, all she could do was hope the next set of cards would be better, that perhaps, if she was lucky, she could walk away with something halfway decent, it's not like she'd expected to find an ace in the hole. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, she'd been given one anyway. She'd been given yet another chance at a decent life, another chance to regain what she'd lost, friendship, companionship, a place where she could fit in, a place to belong to, a place to call home. She hadn't believed it, hadn't trusted it at first, in fact she didn't even really believe she deserved it, but it was here now anyway, and she'd decided, she wasn't going to let it pass her by, not without giving it a real chance anyway.

A part of her thought that even if she had told him all the painful details, it would still be okay somehow. She wouldn't have thought she'd feel that way, what with her well-earned reluctance to trust people and desire to keep people at arms length to protect herself, but she did. He'd been the one to give her that chance, he'd shown trust in her, and he'd proven to her that she could put her trust in him. He'd been there for her, been someone she could rely on, a shoulder to lean on, or to cry on, and she knew that if it weren't for him being there to support her when Doc had passed, she wouldn't be doing half as good as she was now.

She enjoyed getting to spend this time with him, a chance to just talk, about normal, everyday things, it was quiet and peaceful. He was a true friend, though, a part of her wondered, if that was all he was, why did the feeling of his hand clasping hers leave a confusing, but pleasant, warmth in her chest. She told herself that it was simply because she wasn't used to physical touch, especially not with how open and intimate it could be amongst the wolves. It made sense, it was a perfectly logical explanation, but... it rang hollow. She wasn't sure why, or maybe she was, and she just didn't want to think about it, either way, it just still felt... different. Whatever the reason, now probably wasn't the time to be analysing everything, for now, she just wanted to enjoy this trip, this brief respite from it all, the time spent with them all, and maybe most of all, even if she wasn't fully aware of it, with him.

She looked around for Aether when they stepped back into the cabin, but didn't see him anywhere. The meaningful look that passed between Maxim and Simon made it clear he was probably avoiding her, which made her feel a little guilty that he felt he needed to hide away. She wanted to reassure him that wasn't the case, but she wasn't about to make him feel pressured or forced to interact with her if he wasn't ready or didn't want to, so for now she'd just wait. She smiled softly as Maxim squeezed her hand before he let go, wandering over behind him to watch the game going on with curiosity. "The art is cute." She commented with a smile, it was simplistic but colourful. "I haven't heard of it before, is it fun?"
 
One could only take so much upheaval at once, Maxim thought, so for a while he decided he would let Madeline rest rather than confront anything strenuous. Aether's worries weren't her responsibility, after all, not the same way that they were Maxim's. In time, he was sure that she would start to feel a sort of responsibility towards the rest of the pack just as they did to each other, a familiarity and affection that made one want to be sure the others around them weren't, in any sort of need, but for now it was just fine for her to work on her own happiness and feeling like she fit in with everyone. Soon she would find her stride.

"It's entertaining to them for now," Oscar offered in response, chuckling at the way Jasper looked at his cards with an intense sort of concentration. "I think everyone likes it well enough."

"There's more strategy than you might think," Simon explained, letting Amethyst pick out a card to place down and only picking up a new one when it was time for it, holding her in his lap with the cards fanned out in front of her. "There's a little too much reading involved sometimes, so it was mostly meant for adults, but the kids wanted to give it a try and they liked it, so." He shrugged, giving Madeline a little smile as Oscar took his turn, and didn't explain more in depth about why it might be hard for the children to figure out while they were sitting right there. He didn't mind playing with them sometimes, even when they occasionally still needed cards explained to them, or advice on what was a good or bad move. "Do you want to join us? We have a few more turns left, so you can pick up the rules a little before we start a new game."

"I'll join in, too," Maxim offered, giving Opal a little kiss atop her head and stepping away to take off his jacket as he walked across the small cabin. "Jasper and I can team up if anyone else wants to join. I'll be right back." First he was just going to go up to the loft to give Aether a bit of peace. He could just barely hear Bella's voice above them, humming the softest of lullabies like she did at times when the pups took a nap curled up at her side. Even if she was highly independent and enjoyed her alone time, Maxim knew he could always count on her to look after her packmates, even when they might not want her to.

"The basics of the rules aren't that difficult, once you get through a turn or two," Simon promised as Maxim walked away, freeing a hand from the cards to gesture to a nearby chair. "If you sit next to me, I'll explain as we go. The setup is a little complicated, but I think it's a pretty fun game. You'll like it."
 
She smiled and nodded a little at Simon's explanation, understanding why an older game might be a little hard for them, though they seemed to be doing pretty well right now, as far as she could tell anyway. "Sure, sounds like fun." She agreed with a smile when asked to join in, appreciating the invitation and the offer to help her get the hang of it. As she moved to sit down in the chair Simon gestured too, her gaze followed Maxim for a moment as he wandered off, as she wondered if he was going upstairs to talk to Aether.

She figured it would be a solid bet that he was, and a part of her wondered if she should have gone up with him. It made her feel guilty that he was hiding away up there because of her, either because he was worried about what she might think of him after Maxim had told her his story, or simply because he felt awkward around her knowing she knew. Though she wanted to make it clear that he didn't have to feel that way, she felt like barging in on him when he was spending time with Bella would be disrespecting his space. There were times when she needed to be alone, and if that was what he wanted right now, she didn't want to force him to deal with her. Having Bella and Maxim around would only make it feel more awkward, she didn't know if he'd want to actually talk with her, but if he did, she really didn't think either of them needed an audience.

Besides, she liked Bella, but she wasn't as comfortable around her as she was with the others, and if she ended up empathising with Aether, she didn't feel ready to talk about her past in front of the she-wolf yet. Hopefully she'd get a chance to speak with him alone, or if he didn't want to talk, hopefully she'd at least get a chance to let him know he didn't have anything to worry about from her.
 
Simon was patient with the way Amethyst liked to fiddle with the cards in his hands, though she wasn't allowed to hold them as she often dropped or bent them and she had been told to be careful with them since they weren't hers. He let her decide what to do with some gentle coaxing and reminders when it was her turn, and joined with Oscar in letting the older kids know when they could or could not do things, or else what might be a better decision, points-wise. All in all it wasn't taken very seriously as far as anyone trying to win very hard, but Simon made sure Madeline could start to understand how turns worked and what the actions and points on the cards meant, so she could be ready to join in on the next hand.

Maxim, after shirking off his jacket and shoes, did go up the stairs to where Aether was hiding, curled up in the far bed facing the wall with Bella molded along his back. As protective as she could be, and as much as instincts could be running a bit high while they took time to embrace their wolves, Maxim wasn't exactly surprised to know she was irritated with him, though he wouldn't exactly call it mad. He let her be, not begrudging her her feelings though he also hadn't let her influence his decisions, and only gently soothed them both. Everything was just fine. Madeline wasn't mad, or disgusted, and there was nothing to worry about, but for a while he would let them take comfort in each other in relative solitude. Playing some games would give Aether time to relax the coils of tension, fear and shame churning his gut before he had to reveal himself to go on their next forest run.

"All right," Maxim said when he came back downstairs to find the cards being shuffled and setup beginning for the next game, and walked over to lift Jasper out of his chair with a surprised shriek from the boy. With an amused little laugh, he sat himself down in the chair Jasper had occupied and settled the boy in his lap instead with a playful ruffle of his hair. "You're going to lead me to victory, right, Jas?"

Jasper, recovering from the surprise and giggles, raised both fists in the air as if showing off nonexistent muscles, something he'd no doubt picked up from Marina. "Next game is ours! We'll be unbeatable!"

"We'll see about that!" Marina announced with a grin, coming over to join them at the table. "Deal me in, losers, I'm feeling lucky."

Simon shook his head at them, smiling a little when he started to set out cards with a little smile Madeline's way. "You can just ignore them. I'll give you a hand on your first go around." If she had any questions, he would help her along with rules and strategy. It would be a good way to kill time until they all had lunch and got on the move, though he wondered if Aether would go or stay back with him. He hoped everything was all right.
 
She sat quietly while she watched them play, mostly lost in thought, but she was paying careful attention so she'd know how to play when she joined in. Though admittedly, it was hard not to get distracted by the cuteness that was Amethyst's enthusiasm over certain cards in Simons hands. Watching how patient Simon was with her was very sweet, and then when Maxim rejoined them and playfully scooped up Jasper, it made clear once again how close they all were, perfectly exemplifying the adage that it took a village. Though she truly felt for the children growing up without their mother, it warmed her heart to see just how many loving, caring family they had around them.

She smiled at Marina's antics before glancing at Simon and nodding, "okay, thanks Simon." She had picked up the gist of it from watching and Simons explanation, she didn't expect to win or get that many points or anything, but she figured she'd understood enough to be able to play without embarrassing herself. Not that she cared all that much, she could be competitive sometimes but not overly so, and she was really just enjoying getting to do something fun and low-key with the others.
 
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