The Ties That Bind

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Simon was fine with helping out, basically getting to play Madeline's hand rather than his own, since Amethyst was still choosing his cards. He didn't hesitate to tell Madeline when her cards would give her an advantage, even if it was over himself, and didn't mind pulling back when it seemed she was getting the gist of it. Most of it was reading cards and waiting for your turn, after all. Strategy came after learning.

For an hour or two they played games, switching out players here and there and after a while letting the children play by themselves while the adults did something more complicated. Bella made no appearance until it was nearly lunchtime, and went so far as to take food up to Aether rather than allowing Maxim to go and coax the boy down. He would have to leave his hiding spot eventually, but for now Maxim only held his hands up in surrender and let the stubborn she-wolf have her way. She wasn't taking anything out on Madeline, only shielding Aether, so it was all right - if anything, it was Maxim she was irritated at, since it had been mostly his decision to decide to tell the other woman anything. Rather than bristle, he only tolerated the cold shoulder until it would wear itself out.

After lunch it was time to go out again, and though Aether did finally emerge he only walked out before everyone and wouldn't look them in the eyes, as if avoiding everyone would hide the way he was avoiding one person in particular. While the others got ready Maxim went out ahead to reassure him again, and Simon gave Madeline a brief, gentle pat on the back as if to console her.

"It'll work itself out," he promised with a small smile, though he was worried for his friend. If Aether was really upset, he would just come back inside and stay in the cabin with Simon while the others went away.
 
She enjoyed the time spent playing with the others, it was a simple enough game but quite fun. She got the hang of it quickly enough, but she did appreciate Simon's advice. Though she was having a good time, she was very aware of Aether and Bella's absence, it was an obvious shadow hanging over it all. She didn't let it show, but the guilt she was feeling at knowing he was isolating himself because of her, got worse as the day wore on and he still didn't emerge from hiding. She had thought, or hoped anyway, that he'd at least come down to eat something, but only Bella appeared and seemingly took his lunch back up to him.

Despite her desire to respect his need for space, she started to think that maybe she should go up there. She didn't want him to feel like he had to hide away all day, she wanted to reassure him that he didn't have to fear any judgement from her. If he didn't want to talk, she supposed she could slip a note under his door or something, she'd be happy to offer to leave the cabin for a while too, so he didn't have to hide away in the loft. Though she wasn't sure Maxim would let her wander off alone, even if she did promise not to stray too far.

Thankfully, before she could stress over a decision too much, he did come down for the walk. Though judging by the way he hurried outside with his gaze averted, he still wasn't interested in being around her, let alone talking to her. She watched Aether, Maxim and the others head out, leaving her with Simon for a moment. She turned to face him and nodded a little, though she looked uncertain. "Maybe I should stay here..." She said thoughtfully, she wanted to go, any chance to shift was one she cherished, but she didn't want to make things awkward for Aether, or the others. "I don't want to ruin his time out there."
 
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Simon gave Madeline a soft smile, grateful for her kindness even though he hurt for his friend. "You should go," he urged, rather than try and protect anyone. "You deserve to go. Maxim will keep an eye out, and everything will be fine."

He trusted the man to take care of everyone, even if it meant that sometimes people had to do things that were hard. Madeline deserved to go and run free like she wanted to, and even if he loved Aether dearly he knew that she shouldn't let the teen and his occasionally volatile feelings stop her. Bella would keep him company if needed, and Maxim would give him reassurance and support. With a little time, everything would be fine.

Outside, Aether had already started walking, though the others lingered a bit more waiting for Madeline to come alone. Maxim let him, trusting the young wolf to scout ahead and to not go so far that he was fully separated from them. He was uncomfortable, Maxim knew, but he would settle eventually. Sometimes people had to do hard things to get through to the good on the other side.
 
"Yeah, I guess so." She agreed softly, though she wasn't entirely convinced. She didn't really agree with the idea that she deserved to go, but she did know Maxim would keep an eye on things, she would just have to hope things didn't get too awkward, she didn't want to ruin everyone's good time. "Thanks Simon, I'll see you later." She said with a little nod of goodbye before she stepped outside, she was a little surprised to see the others had waited for her, but she appreciated it.

It seemed she wasn't going to get the chance to smooth things over between them any time soon, as Aether was already up ahead on his own. She couldn't even let him see the sign Maxim had showed her, since he seemed determined to avoid looking at her at all costs. There was nothing she could do about it right now, not without forcing him to interact with her which would surely have the opposite effect of what she wanted, so for now she'd just respect his need for distance, and wait for a moment when he seemed more open to talking, or at least listening.
 
Aether knew the local terrain well enough after a couple of visits, so Maxim was confident enough to let him walk off on his own, knowing he would meet up with them after scouting ahead, when it was time to shift and hide their clothes. Bella, not wanting to have to run to catch up and knowing he might want a bit of space, reluctantly stayed back with the others to wait politely for Madeline to come. She was pack now, after all, and they did things as a group.

When she emerged and everyone started to move, Maxim hung back enough to walk beside her and offered a gentle pat on the back as they moved along. "Try not to worry about it. He'll come around. He's still a teenager, you know," he added with a soft chuckle, though he knew his young ward had a great deal of past trauma to be worried about. "Things are perhaps more . . . intense than they need to be."

He said it with warmth, still, and would always take care of Aether even if it seemed the boy was being a bit over the top. But Madeline didn't need to worry about it. Just because she was involved in what Aether was feeling stressed over didn't mean it was her fault, and truly the young wolf was drawing things out by refusing to address it. Everything would be just fine.
 
She smiled softly, appreciating his attempt to cheer her up a little. "I know, I just feel guilty." She said softly, "I'm fine, though." She reassured as they walked, though she was still going to be thinking about it until it was resolved, nor was it the only thing on her mind, talking about the darker parts of her past had stirred some other things up. Not that she was going to tell him that, she didn't want him worrying about her. So though she was a little quieter perhaps, she seemed fine, having gotten good at acting as if everything was fine when it wasn't.

When they reached the spot where they'd change, just like yesterday, she stepped away so she could shift in privacy. She shifted quickly, still feeling self-conscious about being naked with other people around, even though she was well hidden. Once she had though, she took her time, wanting to be sure the others had enough time to fully shift before she rejoined them. She leapt up into a tree to stash her bag, taking a moment to just enjoy the feeling of being in this form again.

She glanced longingly off into the distance, wanting more than anything to just slip away for a while, to let her cougar instincts take over and just forget everything else for a bit. Not that it would happen, not while she was still under the HEDs thumb anyway, but she could still at least have a bit of space to herself, which given how awkward things were right now, would be a good thing. Once she was certain enough time had passed that she wasn't going to walk out on anyone half naked, she leapt down, and rejoined the others, ready to stash their things too, same as yesterday.
 
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Maxim worried a bit despite Madeline's reassurance, but there was nothing for it except to wait things out. He respected her boundaries still in not getting closer to her when she hid in order to shift, and showed her appreciation when she was able to lug their clothing up into the trees once more. Their walk was much the same as before, though they took a slightly different path, and while Aether did largely stay at the front to scout he didn't shy away when Bella or Oscar caught up to bump their bodies playfully against his in a show of support. He would come around, Maxim was sure. He just needed time to stop thinking so negatively.

By the time the sun began to get low enough in the sky that it was time to turn back, everyone was tired again but happy. When they shifted back Marina couldn't stop talking about the snake Bella had caught in her teeth before it could bite anyone - though they didn't think it was venomous, she did think it was very cool. Jasper, too, thought it had been amazing, though Opal was just empathetic enough to feel bad for the dead snake. Maxim was just glad that they were all worn out, once again, so the children wouldn't have any trouble sleeping.

Just as before, Simon had started making dinner already, with burgers on a grill and other toppings inside. Though Aether fled inside without saying hello, Maxim was glad he only took to laying in one of the bunk beds to wait for everything to be ready, rather than fleeing up the stairs. It was still its own small room, but his feet at least were still visible from the main living area.

"How was it this time?" Simon asked as the others walked by where he was cooking, giving Madeline a smile when she was close. "Have fun? Wear yourself out?" He hoped they had a good time when they were out, and would always listen patiently as anyone told him tales of their adventures, despite it not being something he could fully relate to. He was just glad they were having a good time.
 
There were no obvious signs that she was still feeling troubled, aside from the fact that she kept her distance from Aether so he wouldn't feel the need to run off, and she did disappear up into the trees like she had yesterday, but for much longer this time. She still made sure Maxim was alright with it first, though it frustrated her a little to have to do it, she didn't want to damage his trust in her, and she understood why he insisted on it. She was sure it was both due to the HED, and his own concern, not that she felt he had to worry about that. Granted she didn't have the best track record when it came to getting hurt, but when she was in this form, she was stronger, faster and more agile, a lot less likely to be injured.

Once again, she got back to her things first and shifted while she waited for the others to catch up, giving them their privacy even if they didn't feel like they needed it. She was amused by Marina and Jasper's excitement over Bella's display of speed, which was admittedly impressive. Though she could understand Opal feeling bad for the poor thing, she felt that way too, so she did her best to engage her in conversation and distract her from it. She didn't think Bella had done anything wrong, but she did feel bad for the snake, even though it was just nature really. She'd hunted animals in her other form before, but only what had been necessary and only when they'd been desperate for food as children, she'd let her cougar instincts take over, but she'd still always felt guilty afterwards.

When they made it back to the cabin, she was marginally encouraged to see that Aether wasn't running away quite so fast, even if he was still avoiding her, progress was progress after all. "It was nice." She answered Simon with a soft smile, stopping to speak with him as the others headed inside. "Nah, I'm fine, could stay out there for hours more" She added honestly, she was a bit tired, but it would take more than that to truly wear her out. Besides, exploring the forest at night was something she'd love to do again, she used to sneak out to do it as a kid sometimes, it was easier to get away without being seen then, and the cougar side of her revelled in the dark. "Do you need any help?" She felt bad that he was doing all the work himself, though she knew he probably enjoyed it, there probably wasn't much left she could do, but she resolved to at least help with the dishes and clean up.
 
Simon only smiled when Madeline assured him she'd had a good time, chuckling softly at her promise of her own energy levels. "Just the kids that are exhausted then, I take it?" He asked, having seen the way they dragged their feet on the way in. Everyone had gotten a bit of energy out, at least, and would hopefully sleep well even if they didn't drop into a big pile again.

"Mm, if you'd like," he said thoughtfully when she offered to help, stepping aside a little and holding out the spatula he'd been using to flip the burgers. "I don't mind, but you can take a turn keeping an eye on them if you want." Madeline liked to feel useful, he knew, and she was probably tired of everyone being overly nice and not letting her do anything. Rather than insist on doing his part, he moved over and took a seat on the low wall that rounded the site their cabin rested on, separating it from the rest of the land around. ". . . Is he still avoiding you?" He asked softly after a moment, voice low so as not to be heard over the slight commotion of the others getting settled inside. He hoped she hadn't worried too much over Aether being stubborn. It was a hard day, but surely everything would be all right soon.
 
She took the spatula from him with a soft smile, glad for a chance to help and pull her weight, even in such a small way. While she appreciated everyone being nice, and she understood they had their own routines, she still wanted to do what she could to help and pull her own weight, sitting around doing nothing made her feel useless or a burden, and it went against how she was raised, even if that did turn out to be a lie. Besides, if she really was going to be a part of their pack, then she wanted to act like it, with all the responsibilities that came with it, not just like a temporary house guest.

She nodded softly as she kept an eye on the patties, seeing to them with an easy confidence that suggested she had a fair bit of experience with cooking. "So far, yeah." She confirmed with a soft shrug, matching his quiet tone so they weren't overheard. "I completely understand if he wants space, I just don't want him to think he has anything to worry about, like, I don't want him thinking I'm judging him or thinking any differently of him after what Maxim told me."
 
Simon listened quietly, nodding along and just leaning on his hands, letting her fully take over the cooking. "I'm sure Maxim told him everything was okay but . . . knowing and accepting are separate things, I suppose." He gave a small, tentative smile, hoping she wouldn't be offended. "If you really want to dumb it down, you can say it's like clogging the toilet - everyone knows it happens sometimes, but nobody wants to look you in the eye if you know they did it."

It was truly a dumbed down explanation, especially emotionally, but he was trying to make sense of it for her, and maybe also trying to make her smile. He knew Aether felt shame, and didn't want to face the unknown of whether or not Madeline would treat him differently now that she knew about the part of his life that he hated the most. Avoiding some form of potential hurt could make the stress of it seem worth it, even if there was also a chance everything would be fine.

"He did the same to me, when I found out," he said a little softer after a moment, his smile gone a bit sad. "Avoided me for days. I don't think it helped that I'm not a wolf, that I don't really understand. But . . . he's my friend. If he says there was no other choice, I believe him."

Killing wasn't something humans thought of as a morally acceptable solution to most things, but even Simon thought there were those who, in a fit of desperation and with no other options they could see, would even have done the same. It didn't make it right, but he knew that Aether's old pack was better off, and that the way the past would haunt his friend for the rest of time was punishment enough.
 
His inelegant but accurate enough simile did surprise a soft amused huff from her, as she glanced at him with an amused smile. "Hmm, that's... one way to put it, I guess." She understood what he was saying, and she did understand that, she just hated that he was suffering in the meantime. Her smile faded as his grew sadder, once more growing serious. With how close the two of them seemed, she guessed she hadn't thought about how he'd reacted to Simon finding out, but it did make sense.

She hadn't even questioned if there was another choice, immediately accepting the reality that Aether had done what he'd had to do. She may not know him well, but she knew more than anyone what it was like to be stuck in a situation with no way out, where no matter what acceptable solutions you tried, no-one ever believed you, nothing ever worked, and you were forced to deal with your own way, legal, normal, acceptable or not. "I don't have a problem with what he did." She replied softly, looking at the grill rather than meeting his eyes. "I don't know all the details, obviously, but... I understand why he did what he did."
 
Simon was silent for a moment, giving her a nod at first but hesitant to add more, to say too much or not enough. "That's good," he murmured softly, quiet in the distant, muted sounds of the campground winding down around them. "Maybe he'll even let you tell him." He hoped Aether would stop long enough to allow her to reassure him.

When the burgers were ready, he helped Madeline load them into the waiting tray and carry them inside, everyone having cleaned up a bit already and settled in to wait once everything that needed to be prepped was ready. Marina hopped up to give him a kiss on the cheek when Simon set the tray down, which only made him laugh.

"My favorite person," she declared with a grin, picking one patty out carefully with her hand before being booed by several of the others. "I only touched one!"

"Use a fork like a civilized person," Maxim needled, laughing a little at her as he helped prepare the children's plates to bring to where they'd settled on the floor near the couch, already doodling together in coloring books to help them stay awake. "You're giving the rest of us a bad name." She only stuck her tongue out, predictably, and he gave his eyes a little roll but with a fond smile. "Hungry, Maddie? I'd like it if you didn't go last, this time."

Aether hadn't come out yet, Bella had gone to the bathroom just before they'd walked in, and Oscar always fed the pups first, so it was fine for her to just grab her food and mingle in with the rest of them, even if they bumped elbows here and there. She could say no if she pleased, but he wanted her to feel like she was part of the pack, in the middle of everything rather than waiting at the outskirts. Serving herself food before others was a small, seemingly insignificant part of that, but it was worth the ask.
 
"Yeah... maybe." She agreed softly, before falling silent. Not that she was being rude or anything, she just really didn't plan on getting into that whole mess right now, and she didn't think Simon wanted to either. She didn't know if Aether would be willing to have a conversation about it, or at least let her tell him that he had nothing to worry about from her, but she hoped he would, both so things wouldn't be awkward and tense in the house, but more importantly, so he could have some peace about it.

As she followed Simon inside, she couldn't help but laugh softly at Marina's antics, it was almost impossible not to admire the she-wolfs easy, boisterous confidence, and Maxims clearly useless reprimand made her smile in amusement. His request caught her a little off guard, but she shrugged a little, with a soft smile. "I'm not starving, I'll just grab mine once everybody else is sorted out." Her tone was causal as if it were no big deal, but the idea of serving herself first obviously made her feel a bit uncomfortable, and though the others might not notice, she had said no, albeit in a causal, polite way.
 
Maxim was patient, as nonchalant as he could be while waiting for her answer, though his eyes did slide over to her even as he made Jasper's burger for him. When she denied his request, he only paused for a moment, looking at her with a slight downturn at the corner of his mouth his only sign of displeasure, then calmly turned his focus back to the food in front of him like nothing had happened.

"If you insist." He said simply, and didn't mention it again. It was only a mild disappointment, nothing to bother her over in the moment, not in front of everyone. They could discuss it at another time, or he would simply try again in a less crowded setting. It was important to him that she feel included, but if going last was important to her then at some point he would have to cede. It wasn't something he wanted to cause her undo stress over.

As he walked away, however, going to where the children were to hand off the plate, Marina gave Madeline a jokingly scandalized little gasp. "Oo, you got the tiny frown of disapproval," she joked, keeping her voice low and clearly amused rather than taking the interaction very seriously. "It's like earning a gold star and then seeing it get peeled off the board again."
 
She could tell he was disappointed, but he didn't seem overly upset by her refusal, and thankfully he didn't pressure her on it. A small part of her had expecting him to get angry or insist on her obeying him, a holdover from her time spent with her authoritative father or Farkas and his ilk. Of course, she knew Maxim wasn't like that, she never would have agreed to be a part of his pack if he was, but still, that instinctive anxiety was pretty much hardwired into her at this point. Still, that didn't mean she would have caved into the pressure, she would have stood her ground.

As Marina came over and spoke to her in a thankfully quiet voice, she turned to her with a soft, amused smile. "Oh well, gold stars are overrated, cliché almost." She answered with the same soft voice, glad it was being treated as no big deal, having to explain why she'd said no in front of everyone would have been rather uncomfortable, though she probably wouldn't have minded if it were just Marina or Maxim, or even Simon. Talking about deeper stuff was a lot easier when it was a one on one setting.
 
"Spoken like someone who's never been put on the Chore Chart before," Marina said with an almost deadpan expression, then just cracked and chuckled again as she added an extra patty to her plate and nabbed the jar of pickles to get some out - with a fork this time, she might add. "Last time I got that look was 'cause I ate a cookie that dropped on the ground, but you know." She shrugged, as if it couldn't be helped. "Five second rule."

"This is why you never get sick," Bella said as she returned from helping the kids to make a plate of her own and caught the tail end of the conversation, the look she gave Marina halfway between amused and disgusted. "Just get a new cookie next time."

"It was a perfectly good cookie!"

Bella rolled her eyes, though fondly, and glanced over at Madeline with a little smile as she portioned out a little fruit for herself. "Whatever. Want me to make you a plate, Maddie? I don't mind bumping elbows with the animals."

Marina only shrugged, turning to take her plate away. "I might resent that if it weren't right."

Simon gave Madeline a little frown that asked for sympathy, having been carefully fixing up a plate for himself and an extra for Aether while patiently staying out of everyone else's way. "How do I always end up catching strays just by standing here?"
 
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She wasn't exactly sure what she meant by out on the chore chart, but her laugh was infectious, and she couldn't help but laugh softly. Her antics were amusing, and seeing Bella's obvious love for her along with mild disgust at her actions was amusing and sweet, their bond reminding her of a very sisterly dynamic. "I'm with you on that actually, the five second rule is sacred." She agreed with Marina with an amused smile, "assuming you didn't drop it in anything gross of course." Though she knew the five second rule was actually crap, it still felt real enough, and she wasn't really a germaphobe, besides, she hated waste, especially food waste.

"You don't have to trouble yourself." She answered Bella with a soft smile, appreciating the thoughtful offer, though she felt a little put on the spot since she didn't want to appear rude. Everyone else had been served already, so she felt okay getting hers, "But sure, if you want, thanks." When Simon spoke up, she turned to him with an amused smile. "You just have bad luck I guess, but you guys are not animals, you're all way too civilised." She joked with amusement, but she was being sincere, they tended to exaggerate their wildness.
 
"I don't know how I keep getting lumped in with everyone," he said with a little shake of his head as he walked away to take Aether his plate. "You don't see me tracking dirt in on my shoes."

Bella ignored the way Marina protested that she'd wiped her feet on the way in, just shrugging for Madeline and pulling out a second plate and bun to start assembling another burger. "I'm already on a roll. What kind of condiments?"

She didn't say anything about it, but casually placed two patties on the bun as most everyone else had done. If it was because she knew even from a distance that Maxim was worried about Madeline eating enough, she would never say it out loud.
 
"Just some BBQ sauce, please." She noticed the extra pattie Bella placed on the burger, but she didn't say anything, only because everyone else had been served and there was still plenty left. It didn't occur to her that she might be doing it for Maxim, just assuming that was the standard since pretty much everyone else had done the same. When Bella was finished filling the plate, she took it from her with a grateful smile. "Thanks Bella, I appreciate it."

It hadn't been the easiest day today, what with dredging up painful memories and feeling guilty and awkward about Aether, but spending time with the others, seeing Marina's playful mischief, Bella's thoughtful gesture, it really helped to make things better.
 
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