The Ties That Bind

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Maxim grimaced even as he set his mug down to get plates, as if rethinking his life choices. "In hindsight, I think I would like to wave a white flag early for the sake of future headaches." She was most definitely going to win, and he had a feeling she would recruit others into helping.

Aether had, thankfully, relaxed a great deal more than the day before, only focused on his task instead of avoiding Madeline on purpose. When she acknowledged him he paused for a beat, as if very briefly considering how to respond, and in the end only gave his head a little tilt towards her in a sort of nod of greeting while his hands were busy. Perhaps they weren't really the best of friends quite yet, but they could be friendly. They were pack, after all. They were supposed to stick together, even if they were different from each other.

As everyone started to settle with their food, spread out around the cabin with Simon still being policed by their silent but demanding young wolf, Maxim put on a couple more pancakes so they would be ready for when Oscar returned, and at at the counter near the table for space reasons. Amethyst, rather than take her own chair, pushed her plate closer to Madeline and stood next to the woman with her small arms spread across her legs, pressing down as if already attempting to climb.

"I sit with you," she declared with a determined little glint in her eyes, already lifting a leg as she started to make her way into Madeline's lap regardless of how close the table was.

"Amy, you're supposed to be good while Papa's gone," Opal insisted, not quite getting out of her chair to stop her youngest sibling but frowning at her anyway. "Say please. And don't spill!"

"Pleeeaaaasseeee?"

Bella made an amused little pfft as she settled in her own seat next to the two of them, pulling Amethyst's plate back over just to cut her pancakes into small bites. "I can take her if you want me to," she said with a shrug, though with little emphasis. Madeline had grown up with kids, and she was fond of the pups. She was sure the other woman had no problem holding a child.
 
"I'll consider the terms of your surrender." She teased with an amused smile, sitting down only once everything she could help with was done. Aether's reaction might not seem like much, but it relieved her immensely. She hadn't really expected last night's conversation to change anything major between them, did she hope they could be friends one day? Of course she did, but until then, she was just grateful they were on okay terms, he wasn't avoiding her like the plague anyway, and she counted that as a win.

She was surprised by Amethyst's sudden desire to sit in her lap, having assumed she'd want to sit with her siblings, or Maxim, or anyone beside her really, but she was touched that the youngest pup was comfortable enough with her to want too. Amy's straight forward approach didn't bother her, but she did find Opal's gentle chastisement of her younger sister's lack of manners to be sweet and amusing.

"Sure sweetie, hang on a sec." She agreed with a warm smile, and leaned back a bit so she could help lift Amy into her lap, without the worry of her hitting her head on the table edge. Even though she hadn't held a little kid in years, she automatically put an arm around Amy's waist, letting it rest loosely so she could grab her in an instant if she fell. She was probably a bit too old for that to be a concern, but it would be still be a comfortable support if she needed it. She scooted her chair forward so Amy could comfortably reach the table, "Comfy?" She asked as the pup settled, shaking her head softly at Bella, letting her know she was fine.
 
Amethyst was a friendly child, not quite as outgoing as her brother and leagues less conscientious than her sister. Madeline had been around for a while now and always gave them attention when they wanted it, so it didn't truly surprise Maxim that their youngest pup would feel just fine demanding to be held by their newest member. Given they had less chairs than people they had been putting her in someone's lap off and on anyway, and she would sit most anywhere someone would hold her and cater to her. Still, it warmed his heart a bit to see them interact positively, as it always did. He was almost glad for his vantage point away from the table to be able to observe.

Once she was settled comfortably, Amethyst was happy, draping her legs around Madeline's knees and swinging her feet off and on. When Bella was done cutting up her food and pushed her plate closer she only gave a big smile and reached for it with both hands, only to be intercepted by a utensil.

"Ah-ah," Bella chastised dryly. "No sticky hands. We use a fork, like a big girl."

Unable to withstand the draw of being a Big Girl, Amethyst only looked at the fork unhappily for a moment, then huffed and switched it around until she could hold it in her small fist and spear a couple pieces of pancake to eat. Jasper, halfway through rolling his pancake up in his hands instead of cutting it, gave a little 'awww' and plopped it back down to pick up his silverware with an annoyed look on his face, like they were stealing away all his fun.

Maxim laughed softly from the kitchen a few feet away when Opal rolled her eyes at them both, idly picking at his own food. "Good job, pups. Papa will be happy when he comes back."

Bella looked very pointedly at Marina when the other girl sat down, until Marina stuck her tongue out and picked up her knife with just enough attitude to imply she too would rather roll the pancake up than cut it. "Yeah, yeah, don't give me the mom eyes."

"Lord help me, I'm surrounded by animals." Bella gave a little eye roll of her own and glanced Madeline's way, an eyebrow raised. "Don't tell me you're one of those, too." Was she the only one who preferred not using her hands? At least little Opal was on her side, even if she did cut off pieces too big to be considered ladylike when she shoved them into her mouth.
 
She had to stifle a laugh at Amy, Jasper and even Marina's disappointment, their preferred way did seem more fun and certainly faster, but definitely far messier. With one arm still loosely supporting Amy, she used her right hand to pick up her fork, deftly turning it on it's side to cut small pieces of her pancakes so she could eat with one hand, a familiar habit from her days as head babysitter. While she ate, with Amy in her lap and the peaceful, cheerful conversation going on around her, she found herself feeling oddly content. Perhaps it seemed strange to feel that way for such a simple thing as this, but it was how she felt.

"It depends on the food." She answered Bella's question with an amused smile, certain things were far too cumbersome to eat with utensils, "but for the most part no, I prefer a fork." Table manners had been drilled into her as a child, though how exactly she was expected to behave at the table changed on a whim depending on the sort of mood her father was in. And given how chaotic meal time at the home could be, the proper way to hold one's fork wasn't really on the priority list. So she really didn't care how others ate, so long as they weren't being total slobs or wasteful. In fact, it was kind of nice to see how relaxed everyone was about it, a lack of tension around meal time was more important to her than no elbows on the table. "Sticky fingers is a fun character, not an enjoyable reality." She added with amusement, aware that her reference might be lost on them.
 
"Thank god." Bella said, somewhat deadpan, but chuckled a little at Madeline's joke. "I can't be the only civilized one around here."

"I take that personally," Maxim called from where he'd walked to the stove to be sure the last pancakes weren't burning, but with laughter in his voice. "Have an eating contest one time and you're branded forever."

Amethyst was content with having company and her plate within reach, happily eating away and just watching as the others talked. Not long after she'd settled in, Oscar did finally come back through the front door of the cabin, hair damp and a little pile of clothes and a towel in his arms, along with a little bag of soaps. He smiled at the children eating peacefully at the table, no one refusing to eat or appearing to bother anyone, and after putting his things away came back to take the empty seat Maxim had left for him.

"Kept it warm for you," Maxim said as he set a plate of food in front of the other man and went back to his own nearby.

"Thank you," Oscar murmured automatically, and looked at Amethyst with a little smile. "All right one-handed, Maddie?" He asked, but didn't offer to take his littlest away. He was sure if Madeline didn't want to hold her she would pass her off on her own.
 
"An eating contest?" She asked, sounding genuinely surprised. That was not something she would have ever pictured him doing, but the idea of it was definitely entertaining. "Now that is something I would have liked to see." She teased with an amused smile, "what was it?" "Hotdogs?" "Pies?" An image of him in his uniform, aggressively shovelling pies in his mouth with juice going everywhere as he treated the contest like a serious field mission, rose unbidden in her mind and she had to suppress a soft laugh at the absurdity of it. "More importantly, did you win?"

When Oscar indirectly asked if she was fine holding Amy, she nodded, and smiled softly. "Yep, all good." "I'm quite handy at it actually, one of my many valuable skills." She joked lightly, reassuring him she was fine in a casual way. She hoped she wasn't giving off the vibe that she was annoyed by Amy presence or anything like that, but she figured Bella and Oscar were just making sure she was comfortable and perhaps checking she wasn't just being polite about it. Which she did appreciate, but it wasn't necessary, she'd grown quite fond of the pups, and she was always happy to give them her attention if they wanted it.
 
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"You would not have liked to see that," Maxim said with a shake of his head, chuckling a bit at the idea. "It was far from pretty, and it was just Marina and I, competing to see who could eat the most pizza the fastest. I won, but I was sick for hours after so there really was no victor."

"Nah, nah, nah," Marina insisted, mock indignantly pointing a fork at him. "I won! Every competitor knows if you throw up you lose!"

Bella made a soft, disgusted sound under her breath, picking a bit more slowly at her pancakes. "I was the only spectator. I regret every moment."

"I wanna have a pizza eating contest!" Jasper cheered as he caught on to the conversation, flopping a piece of pancake back onto his plate to hold up both fists in what Maxim knew was an imitation of how Marina often postured when she was being silly or rambunctious, flexing her biceps. "I bet I'd win this time!"

"Look what you've done!" Bella said accusingly, pointing a finger Marina's way. "You've gone and corrupted the youth!"

Oscar only gave an amused, considering hum, idly reaching over to stop Opal from putting her elbow in syrup even as he ate with his free hand. "In her defense, he was almost there on his own anyway."
 
She was not at all surprised to hear that Marina had been his opponent, it perfectly fit with the she-wolfs exuberant personality, the only surprising part was that he'd been the victor, temporarily anyway. "You know, she's right, calling ralph gets you a disqualification." She teased with an amused smile, before taking another bite of her pancakes. "Guess you'll have to have a rematch to truly earn your title as the champ." Bella's annoyance at their boisterous behaviour, and the playful back and forth between them was amusing and sweet. Seeing how easily they could joke around with each other really showed how strong their bond was, they really had built an incredible family with each other, unconventional or not.
 
"Hubris was my downfall," Maxim said with a little sigh, as if bemoaning his past self's actions. "I didn't eat pizza for three months after that."

Bella huffed an amused little breath at him, glancing back at where he leaned on the counter to eat. "You'd think you'd've known better by then; you'd seen her eat."

Marina only laughed, reaching over to ruffle Jasper's hair. "If you're in the next one maybe it'll be a real challenge! Give me a run for my money!"

Jasper was grinning, happy to be included though he probably wouldn't be allowed to eat so much pizza he also vomited. "All right! I'm gonna win!"

Opal wrinkled her nose at them as if disgusted, even though she was giggling with him anyway. "Nooo, you're gonna get sick!"

Amethyst, making amused little noises at her siblings bickering with the adults, only made grabby hands at the cup that had been left behind out of her reach. "My juice." She demanded, only to frown and think hard for a moment. "Please?"

Oscar stifled a laugh, just giving her a pleased little smile. "Good job remembering manners, Amy. Now, less shenanigans, more breakfast."

The fact that the chorus of 'Yes, Dad's that came from around him did not come from any of his children had Oscar sighing deeply into his coffee.
 
A soft laugh escaped her at the group's chorus and Oscar's weary sigh, it all but radiated that, 'must we always be goofing off?' dad energy. She reached out to pick up Amy's glass, carefully putting it within her reach. "Here you go hon." She said with smile, before finishing up the last few bites of her breakfast. While she waited patiently for Amy and the others to finish, she wondered idly what the plan was for the day. Since it was their last day there, she assumed they'd be going out to shift again, though she was a little concerned about Simon.

She was sure he was fine, though she did wonder if he might not downplay his injury to keep everyone from worrying about him. Of course, given that was how she operated, perhaps she was just projecting. She was a little worried about him being left alone and stuck on the couch, or worse, injuring himself further by trying to walk on a sore leg. If it seemed like he needed any help, she'd be happy to hang back and stay, though she was sure that Aether wouldn't leave his side if that was the case.
 
Amethyst reached for her cup with both hands, careful not to spill anything even though she'd graduated from sippy cups long ago. "Thank you!" The way she tended to drink in a series of big gulps until she had to take a big breath after was less than ideal, but she hadn't spilled down her shirt so it was counted as a win.

Breakfast was as warm and talkative as their meals usually were, though Simon and Aether were sitting out, resting on the couch instead. When he was finished eating Maxim did check on their human companion, just to hear for himself that Simon was all right - he didn't think it was going to stop Aether from hovering, or the others from worrying, but Maxim was generally inclined to take him at his word when it came to his own infirmities.

"Maddie!" Jasper called, hurrying over with a soccer ball they'd brought along on the trip and holding it up towards her with a smile. "Rina's gonna take us to play! Want to come?"

There was a decent field of grass a short walk away, with plenty of room for them to kick the ball around for a while. Like a lot of children, the pups were fine playing inside, but often preferred going out in the sun and the dirt to play around. It was good to take advantage of having open land right there where they could reach it rather than having to pile into a car and drive to somewhere green.
 
Amy's enthusiastic way of drinking had her smiling softly in amusement, it reminded her of some of the younger kids back at the home. They gripped it with both hands and gulped it down like it was a serious task they had to complete, or a privilege that they'd been trusted with a big person glass. Often they were the same way with their food, inhaling it as quickly as they could so they could get back to more fun things, like trying to, and succeeding, to make the world's biggest mess, which she was usually cleaning up. Despite everything though, all the hardships, she still had fond memories of those days, they were bittersweet, but she still remembered how attached she'd grown to them.

When Jasper came running up with his ball, she looked up at him with a smile. "Oh really?" "Sure, that sounds like fun." The pups growing more comfortable around her was a nice feeling, it felt like she was starting to fit into their pack a little more. She knew she'd already accepted Maxim's offer, but she couldn't help but still feel like a bit of a stranger, an interloper who was only here because Maxim had taken her in. Not that the others were treating her that way or anything, it was just the way it was, and she understood that and didn't expect anything different.
 
"Do you play soccer?" Jasper asked, enthused with the idea of having more people around. "Rina's teaching me to hit it with my head!"

"He's almost got it," Marina said with a grin as she walked up to ruffle his hair, freshly changed into a t-shirt and basketball shorts. "Just gotta work on our aim some more."

Bella was busy braiding Opal's hair so it would stay out of her face, while Amethyst's was getting put in little pigtails by her father. Simon had been relegated to the couch, but Maxim was in the middle of quietly convincing Aether he should go and play and that their human friend would be well looked after without him.

"Gonna come show us who's boss?" Marina asked, giving Madeline a little nudge with her elbow. "Gotta take it easy on the pups, but you can hit me with a little heat!"
 
"Oh cool." She said with a smile and a hint of amusement, remembering the warning she'd been given about Jasper's aim before. "Yeah I have, but it's been quite awhile, so you guys might have to go easy on me." She joked with a little smile, but she wasn't just being nice, it had been forever since she'd played, though she used to play all sorts of games and sports with the other kids growing up. "Yeah, right." She said with a soft laugh at Marina's challenge, "somehow I feel like you'd wipe the floor with me." She was fast, fit, and athletic, but out of practice with the sport, and it had never been her favourite to begin with. Marina was all of those things, as well as strong, and competitive.

In a different sport she'd have the upper hand perhaps, but she had no doubt in an actual match Marina would destroy her on the scoreboard. Not that she cared about winning or losing, she remembered enough not to embarrass herself or slow down the others, and she'd just have fun messing around with the others. "Just give me one second." She excused herself to the bathroom to get changed, she changed into denim shorts and a singlet, and pulled her hair back into a braid. She slipped on her sneakers while she waited for the others to finish getting ready.
 
It didn't take horribly long to get the children ready, as they'd been mostly dressed and only needed to make sure they had their shoes once the girls' hair was done being pulled out of the way. Oscar was left behind to rest for a little while with Simon and Maxim, after they quite nearly had to push Aether out of the cabin to get him to tag along. Bella, dressed casually in shorts, sandals, and a cropped tank top walked out with them with an outdoor blanket in her arms and zero intention of ever kicking a ball. She did, at least, remember to bring along water for everyone, though she had Aether carry the bag in her stead.

"It's down the path a bit this way," Marina explained, a frisbee tucked under her arm for the off chance anyone got tired of kicking the soccer ball around. "We gotta go past the tent sites and then there's a bit field over there, but it's a nice walk. We can find some flowers and cool sticks on the way, huh, guys?"

"Yeah!" Jasper cheered, unable to throw fists in the air when he had to hold on to the ball but grinning regardless. "Maybe I'll find a good wizard wand!"

Aether huffed a little sigh at that, giving a shake of his head and a glance heavenward that clearly proclaimed Not Again, but was too busy carrying the backpack of water bottles and holding Amethyst's hand to bother signing.

Opal giggled, giving Madeline a big smile. "Maybe we can find some pretty rocks to take home. I like the ones with the little stripes on them."
 
Despite being dressed casually, Bella still somehow managed to look glamorous, and she was surprised both she and Aether were coming along. Bella because she didn't strike her as interested in messing around with a ball, and Aether because she'd assumed he'd be glued to Simon's side. It was nice though, and sweet to see them so happy to spend time with the pups. Everyone in the pack obviously loved them a lot, which was how it should be, though sadly she and many others knew better than anyone how rare that could be.

She smiled in fond amusement at Jaspers enthusiasm, it reminded her of herself when she was younger, her brother too, and pretty much every other kid she'd ever met before. And why not? After all a stick could be a magical wand, a staff, a sword... whatever you wanted really, even as an adult, it was hard to resist the allure of a truly awesome stick. "Oh yeah, those are nice." She agreed as she returned Opals smile, "I've got a little collection of rocks and gemstones." They weren't worth anything really, but they were pretty, and each one reminded her of the time and place she was in when she'd gotten it. "I like finding ones in different shapes, and ones worn smooth from a river."
 
"Really?" Opal asked, eyes gone a bit wide with interest. "Can I see it when we go home? I like the smooth rocks, too! They're good for skipping." She didn't know much about the value of stones in dollars, but they were fun to look at. They came in so many pretty colors.

When they got through the campground to where the field of grass was, Bella found a good spot near but not quite in shade to spread out her blanket and lay out in the sun. As Aether set down the bag of water bottles near her, Marina snatched Amethyst off the ground to take for her a little spin.

"Weeee!" The she wolf cheered as Amethyst squealed in delight, hugging the little girl close as their spin came to a stop and giving her a little squeeze. "Ready to show these big kids who's boss, Amy?" She encouraged playfully, giving their youngest pup a kiss on the cheek before setting her back on her feet. "All right, you wait right here and you kick that ball to me as hard as you can okay?"

"As hard as I can!" Amethyst agreed readily, shouting a little with her hands in the air to match Marina's energy. "I can do it!"

"All right!" Marina gave her a little pat on the head instead of ruffling her pig tails, and jogged off into the grass to receive the kick that she knew would likely go wildly off course. "I'm ready!"

Jasper, laughing at her enthusiasm, set the ball down in front of is sister and stepped back out of the way. "Okay, Amy, send it to space!"

"To space!" The little girl cheered, and kicked with enough might she nearly knocked herself over, sending the ball sailing away several feet to the side of where Marina had been waiting, though it only rolled a dozen feet or so past her.

"Good job!" Marina praised as she jogged off to go and get it, a grin on her face. "Jasper next!"

The older children, at least, had learned to regulate their strength a bit, and to aim with relative success. For them, she was more likely to entertain them by receiving the ball with her anything but her feet or hands.
 
"Yeah, of course." She agreed with a warm smile, more than happy to show her and tell her about them if she was interested. That had always been one of her favourite things to do with the younger kids at the home, with the majority of them coming from unsafe homes, many of them hadn't been shown or taught much of anything, let alone in an encouraging way. So she'd always loved being able to teach them new things, to show them new skills, patiently helping them learn, supporting and encouraging them as their curiosity and interests grew. When they'd finally master some new skill, or discover some hidden talent, she was also so proud of them, their sweet excitement and newfound confidence in themselves never failed to warm her heart.

Marina and Jasper's encouragement of the pack's smallest pup was very sweet, and brought a smile to her face as she watched Amy kick the ball with incredible enthusiasm, and a surprising amount of power. She joined in on the praise, amused by Marina's enthusiasm, which was almost impossible to resist.
 
The camping trip as a whole was a time for the whole pack to get to spend some time together without worrying about the usual day to day stresses, but Maxim counted it as a success in helping their new member integrate more fully as well. Something about being out in the dirt and trees made it easier to say the things they needed to, things that felt too heavy to carry alone, and even through a bit of turmoil Maxim counted it as a win for everyone to find the ways they fit together, the ways they could find comfort in each other. Their pack was becoming better integrated, supporting each other and becoming comfortable around one another. They had their differences still, but Maxim couldn't have asked for more.

When they came back home, refreshed, life had to go on. He went back to work after being cleared for duty, healed from his injuries, and the others settled into their usual routines. Simon worked in the HED office when they needed the extra hand, and Madeline came along on the lower stakes calls Maxim was sent on, stayed at headquarters, or spent time at the pack house with whoever was home. The children continued to take to Madeline like she had always been there, and the others largely welcomed her despite not always having time to spend together.

Despite the many distractions of life, Maxim did not go back on his promises as long as he could help it. The belongings Doc had brought with him on the day he'd lost his life were given to Madeline once they had been cleared as evidence, and when his autopsy had been finished and there was nothing else to gain from the man himself, Maxim made sure she was also entrusted his ashes. When they could clear the time for it, he promised her he would take her to the place where she wanted to scatter them, or at least as much as he could allow given they were already breaking a few laws just doing it.

It wasn't an incredibly long trip, but the car was packed with a few things in case they stayed out for a while - some water, a few things to clean her hands with after everything was said and done, a couple of blankets in case she wanted to sit in the grass for a while or just to curl up and hide. Whatever happened, she would have his full support, and that of anyone else she had asked - or allowed - to come with them.

When it was getting close to when they'd agreed to leave, Maxim went to her apartment to retrieve her, knocking lightly on the door and only opening it when he was sure it was all right. He knew it wasn't strictly a funeral they were going to be holding, but out of respect for her and for Doc himself he'd dressed in something akin to his usual work attire - dark colors, a black suit jacket and shirt, though he'd left the tie behind so as not to be too formal. "Ready to go?" He asked softly, waiting for her with a warm but sedate sort of expression, one shoulder leaned lightly against the door frame. "The others are ready whenever you are."

They were going to be there for her, as much as she would let them. He hoped she knew it came from genuine care for her and not just some misguided sense of pity. No one wanted to see her hurting alone.
 
Despite some of the painful hiccups, the camping trip had been exactly what she'd needed, a peaceful break from all the pain, fear, grief and uncertainly surrounding her. It had been a brief respite, a sanctuary where she could just relax and enjoy being surrounded by the nature she loved and missed so much, a time when she could just exist, but as much as she wished it could, it couldn't last forever. Life carried on, and she had to face everything it brought her, no matter how painful it was.

She had been quiet and withdrawn the last few days, spending most of her time alone in her apartment as Maxim brought her Doc's belongs, and finally his remains. As Maxim knocked on her door, she was sitting on her couch, the small urn holding the ashes of her beloved friends resting in her lap. Like Maxim, she had dressed in dark, semiformal clothes, wanting to be respectful without being too formal, as she knew he wouldn't have liked too much fuss.

When the others had wanted to join them, she had been surprised and a little hesitant at first, afraid it was merely a show of pity. However, she soon came around to the idea, recognising that like Maxim, they just wanted to help support her and though she might struggle to share her true emotions, she was grateful. She knew they didn't know him, but it meant a lot to her that they were willing to join her as she said her final goodbyes to him. Though she had expected to do this alone, it would be nice not to feel so alone in her grief, and to have someone else besides her there, so it would feel more like a proper send off. He was a great man, and he deserved to be remembered, even if it was only through the stories she told.

"I'm ready." She confirmed softly, though the words felt like a lie. He was already gone, she knew that, but scattering his ashes and saying goodbye, it was hard, it felt like it was making it real, that he was truly gone forever, there was no taking it back, he was gone. She got to her feet, holding the urn with both hands, treating it with immense care and reverence. "Thank you, for letting me do this." She knew that it wasn't exactly legal, but getting to lay him to rest in the place he'd loved, that held so many memories for him and her, it meant more to her than she could say.
 
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