The Ties That Bind

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Simon hesitated halfway between the dining table and the kitchen, shifting his weight back and forth like he couldn't decide for a moment. "We have . . . both?" He said, almost questioningly. "Do you have a preference? It'll only be another minute or two until the coffee is done brewing." In the meantime, he went to the kitchen and brought over two plates with a serving of pancakes and bacon each, setting one in front of Madeline and one near Bella.

"Come now, Sleeping Beauty," Maxim said, standing near Bella and almost idly petting a hand over her hair where she rested with her head down in an attempt to get her to come out. "You've made a commitment. Backing out now is quitter talk."

She turned her head to give him a weak glare which only made him smile into his coffee while he pretended he didn't see it, then finally heaved a sigh and picked herself up enough to fold both hands around her coffee and pull it reverently closer. "Simon, you're a godsend."

Aether gave her an incredulous gesture that clearly said And what am I? since he'd made her breakfast, sitting down as far from Madeline as possible but not glaring at her anymore.

"Yeah, you're all right." She muttered, already taking a careful sip of her overly sweet, caramel flavored drink Maxim would say was no longer coffee, and once she'd had a little taste gave a soft, content sigh and finally glanced Madeline's way. "Mornin', party crasher," she greeted, no animosity in her tone quite yet though she was not open and friendly like Simon, Oscar or Marina might be either. "Hope you don't mind loud music. My place is right above yours."

Maxim gave her a few little pats on the head for waking herself up, knowing she was not so cruel as to actually blast music late into the night. "Eat. Both of you have places to be."
 
She smiled a little at his dilemma, "juice please, any kind is fine." She really wasn't fussy, especially when she was already feeling like a burden on these people.

Though so far at least a few of them had been kind to her, Simon especially. She thanked him as he passed her a plate of breakfast, glancing at Aether briefly.

It was clear he was still unhappy about her presence, but at least he was just ignoring her now, which was fine by her. She started to eat her breakfast, looking up as Bella addressed her.

She shrugged a little, not bothered at all by her attitude. "Wouldn't bother me, so long as your taste in music isn't trash." She said this lightly, a hint of an amused smirk on her face.
 
Simon smiled and nodded, happy to have a decision made. "Coming right up." He would get himself a glass of orange juice as well, and brought them both back to sit down and eat his own plate of food.

Bella blinked at Madeline for a pause, as if surprised that she had fought back so quickly, and finally cracked a smile as she pulled her plate of pancakes closer, intent on eating before she had to go shower and get ready. "I take that as a challenge."

Maxim made an unimpressed sound as he settled in next to Simon, finishing his coffee while they ate. "Please don't. I fear for my peace and quiet."

"Since when have we had that?"

Simon chuckled at the dry look Maxim gave her and focused on Madeline instead as he started to cut up his pancakes. "Did you sleep all right? Let me know if there's anything you thought of that could make you more comfortable."
 
She thanked Simon for the juice, taking a sip in between bites of her breakfast. She was glad to find it was just as good as dinner, Aether could certainly cook.

She was relieved when Bella finally smiled, glad the moment of tension seemed to pass. She got the impression she was being sized up, and she wasn't going to be confrontational if she could help it but she also wasn't going to be a pushover.

Besides she was pretty playful by nature, though that had been something she'd suppressed for a long time. Smiling in amusement at Maxims comment, she turned to Simon to answer his question.

"I slept fine." She lied easily enough, smiling softly. "Thanks, but I'm fine." Though she appreciated and was grateful for his kindness, she didn't really understand it.
 
Maxim cast Madeline a little look over his mug, knowing but merciful. He was sure there was no way in hell she'd gotten a good night's sleep, but her answer pacified Simon whether he believed her or not. He had no intention of bursting the peaceful human's bubble.

"That's good," Simon said, a cheerful morning person once he'd had a few minutes to wake up, and sipped contentedly at his juice. "There's more if you want seconds." In a house full of wolves, high metabolisms were always accounted for. If it didn't get eaten now, someone would microwave it later.

"And Marina's not here yet," Bella piped up, finally beginning to eat rather than just nurse her precious coffee, "so you won't have to physically fight anyone for it."

Maxim scoffed. "Stop trying to scare people; she's not that bad," he said, and paused to look when Aether moved a hand for his attention and signed a quick message, the alpha holding back a laugh. "She bit you over ice cream because you shoved her face into a cake first."

Aether rolled his eyes and pretended to dust something off his shoulder like it was all semantics, but Bella was already biting back a laugh. "Dinner and a show. What a good birthday gift that was, huh, Simon?"

Simon only sighed, running a hand sheepishly over his neck. "I would've preferred socks. . ."
 
She caught his little look, but said nothing, grateful he didn't eiether. Simon seemed to believe her which was good, she was still pretty guarded.

"I'm fine for now, thanks." She was pretty thin and didn't have much of an appetite, besides she wouldn't have seconds until everyone else had eaten first.

She smiled in amusement at their story, especially at Simon just wanting some socks, but her mind was on other things. Wondering what they'd be doing today, and whether or not her apartment had been ransacked.

She wondered what messages she might have on her phone, she couldn't imagine they'd be any good.
 
Breakfast was a much quieter affair than dinner had been, with Bella eating half like a zombie and Simon content to let everyone go through waking up at their own pace. Maxim had already eaten and was only drinking coffee, simply waiting for Madeline to finish up and be ready to go. They would be out and about for some portion of the day, he imagined, so Simon was staying home. He didn't generally go to the office unless Maxim was going to be there reliably.

"I've had a unit sitting on your apartment all night." he said after a short silence had fallen, the others aware already of why she might need the help of law enforcement. "No one's broken in so far, but I wouldn't suggest going there any time soon. They're probably watching it, too, waiting for you to come back." And he was waiting for Farkas' men to try something, to break in where he could catch them at it and see what they were looking for. A simple breaking and entering charge would be easy enough to push, and suspicion of other criminal activities could keep them from making bail. He would take what he could get, as far as slowly putting more and more members of the network behind bars.

"I'm going to be at a store later," Simon offered, a bit hesitant to interrupt but wanting to be helpful, "so let me know if there's anything I can pick up for you. . ."
 
She had just finished her food, and was just drinking the last of her juice when Maxim spoke up. She was a little startled he was bringing it up in front of the others, taking a moment to finish her drink and regain her composure.

"I don't doubt it." She said quietly, feeling a bit awkward talking in front of them all. She was sure they already knew, but it still felt kind of embarrassing.

She wished she could go back there, if only to grab some of her things. Maybe it would even be helpful, it could flush them out of hiding.

She didn't seriously entertain that idea though, it would likely just get her killed. At least she had some stuff hidden away she could grab, it would have to do.

"Thanks, I'll do that." She answered Simon with a brief smile, having absolutely no intention of doing that.
 
Simon was not, necessarily, fooled by her answer, but other than a slight hesitation in the way he smiled at her he didn't press the issue. He had offered because he meant it, and if she didn't want him to do anything for her that was her business. He was sure Maxim would tell him if there was anything that needed to be purchased.

Aether watched them curiously but only half the time as he ate, while Bella hardly paid them any attention at all. Crime and justice were Maxim's business, not hers. She had other things to think about and didn't need worries about someone else's problems holding her back.

"We should get going, then," Maxim said, sparing Madeline from clear discomfort seeing as she was done with her breakfast. She was going to be stuck with them for a long time, he reasoned, so she would need to get used to them knowing about her business. Some of it, at least. "We'll go and pick up the things that we can."

Eventually, he suspected they would be able to access her apartment, but that would be days or weeks away, once Farkas' gave up on watching it. He needed it as bait, so he would see what he could do about not having her officially evicted for a month or two.
 
She could tell he wasn't fully convinced, but she didn't know what else to do. She felt awkward enough, and she didn't even know what to ask for, especially since she couldn't pay for anything.

"Okay." She got to her feet, tucking her chair back in whilst she waited for Maxim to lead the way out. She knew her past wouldn't be secret forever, but she was in Bella's words, a party crasher.

It wasn't exactly comfortable for people who perhaps resented her presence here to know her business, even those who were kind to her were hard for her to trust, she'd been burned too many times.
 
Maxim set his coffee cup in the sink to be washed, said goodbye on his way towards the door, and let the others have their breakfast as he guided Madeline. They stopped, briefly, at his own apartment to grab his wallet and keys, then headed out the door which he was sure to lock behind them.

"I won't tell you to relax so easily," he said as they walked through the small parking lot just outside the building, on their way to his car, "but I would reassure you that no one in this house is going to do you any harm. A prank or two, perhaps," He admitted with a shrug, "but nothing approaching dangerous. Bella is guarded, and Aether trusts hardly no one. They'll come around eventually, if you're willing to give them time."

None of his wolves would try to harm her, despite not being particularly overjoyed by her presence. Even hostile Aether would never lay a hand on her, not unless she was actively trying to harm one of their own, and the young wolf never wanted to hurt anyone even then. She was safe enough in Maxim's domain. She would just have to endure until it all felt less foreign and uncomfortable.
 
Once they stepped outside, she kept her eyes open, glancing around for anything sign of danger. She had her hands shoved into the pockets of her hoodie, listening to Maxim talk.

She let out a soft sigh as she considered how to answer, "I'm not worried about them attacking me." Well not really, a paranoid part of her was worried about exactly that, hence sleeping with her knife under her pillow last night.

"It's just... not what I'm used to." She bit her bottom lip a little, "being with Farkas and shit from my past, it's just... complicated."

She fell silent as she got in the car, not looking at him. She found it a little easier to talk to him, probably because she'd already told him a lot, but it was still hard to be vulnerable and open.
 
Maxim made a soft, doubtful sound as they got into the car, but didn't press about her own feelings. That much wasn't something he could say he knew for sure, or would likely change with a few words, so he left it alone. She was allowed to feel whatever she liked, so long as it didn't turn her against his wolves.

"I understand," he said as he got buckled in and started the car, though he was sure he wouldn't be able to empathize fully knowing only what he did. "It's an adjustment. That's why I keep reminding you that my home is a safe place for you. It'll just take time before you get used to each other. I'm not telling you to that you have to be friends, but know that we aren't your enemies either."

Until she could adjust to her new life, he would say it over and over again. His pack would not harm her, and if she needed anything he or they would assist her. 'Support' was probably a foreign concept to her, after being shackled for so long. Maxim was not arrogant enough to say that he did not also have her on a metaphorical leash, now that Farkas' men were out to get her, but if she decided one day that running was more likely to keep her alive, he would let go. He had decided already that she was a victim of circumstance, not a willful participant in crimes holding their city hostage. She deserved to be able to live, some day.
 
She glanced at him for a moment, sighing softly. "You don't understand." She said this with no blame, she didn't expect him too, there was no way he could.

"But I appreciate what you're trying to do." She seemed a little embrassed, but she was being sincere. She turned to look out the window again, finding it easier to talk if she wasn't looking at him.

"Friends scares me almost as much as enemies do." She said softly, they probably scared her more. At least she knew where she stood with enemies, there were no complicated feelings, or at least fewer.

"Where are we headed first?" She asked suddenly, perhaps attempting to change the subject.
 
It wasn't as if she was wrong, so Maxim didn't deny her. Without being in her position there was no way to understand fully. Trust was a tenuous thing, and he was sure that hers had been stretched to its limit and severed more than once. It would take time for her to feel as if she could trust anyone again, let alone a group of strangers.

For a moment he only glanced at her sidelong, then finally returned his eyes to the road and mercifully let it all go. "To the office, first," he said, "I need to check in, then we can go and get your things from wherever you've hidden them." He needed to pick up his on duty firearm, as well, though that was an afterthought for a wolf who usually fought with fists or fangs. "We can drop it back at the house after, and decide where to go from there." There would be more interviews to conduct, and possibly a raid or two to consult on that week, but they could talk at the house just as easily as at the office.
 
She could feel his gaze on her, she kept hers firmly out the window. Relaxing a little once he finally looked away, nodding a little. "Alright, sounds good."

She did wonder what they'd be doing at the office, she really had no idea what his plan was to take down Farkas, or her part in it beyond information.

"When we get to your office, will I be getting my stuff back?" She didn't care about the bag, it had only ever been used to deliver Farkas's poison, but she would like her phone and wallet back.
 
There were many ways he could have responded. Given her false hope, denied her outright, even laughed in her face. Perhaps he might have, if he were someone else, thinking of a criminal trying to get back what had been confiscated. As it was, he only gave a soft, almost regretful sigh and shook his head.

"Unfortunately your things have been entered as evidence," he explained, as gently but firmly as possible, "so it will be a little while before any of it can be returned. Your ID I can retrieve for you, since it's been well documented already, but your accounts have likely been frozen already, pending assessment that's largely out of my control. I'm sure it won't take longer than a week to release them." They had warrants for her account statements already, so he was sure it wouldn't be long before she could have access again, but he knew it wasn't what she wanted to hear.
 
She seemed disappointed, but not really surprised. Sighing softly she nodded a little, "Okay, I get it." She didn't see the point in just getting her id back, but she supposed she needed it if she did change her mind and want to run.

She could only hope she'd eventually get access to her money again, she wasn't rich by any means but she had worked hard all her life to save money, sacrificing comforts for the sake of frugality.

She glanced at him for a moment, "will they go through my phone?" She had a passcode, but assumed they could crack it. "I might have messages from Farkas or the others."
 
"Probably today." Maxim admitted, knowing there had been a lot of evidence to collect and arrests to be processed. Fully utilizing their new CI hadn't reached the top of the list yet. "If you wouldn't mind providing a passcode it would be helpful in expediting the process, but if you prefer to resist then I'm sure someone will get into it soon." He paused to let her consider, then pressed forward. "I'm aware that it's a major breech of your privacy, but if it makes you feel any better they're currently looking for evidence against other people, not you."

The point of having her as a CI was to reach convictions for others, or at the very least new evidence. Maxim had already decided that her crimes weren't worth pushing for, not when she was an unwitting victim and there were so many bigger fish still at large. She had been a practical, understanding person so far. He just hoped her cell phone wasn't the thing that turned her against him.

"I can get you a temporary replacement, in the meantime," he offered, "but please understand that the people you contact will need to be looked into beforehand, and your communication will be monitored for quite a while."
 
"I'll give you the code." She said quietly, it's not like she had any choice in the matter. She accepted it, but it didnt mean she was happy about it.

It was an invasion of privacy, though really she didn't have anything too personal on it. The texts she had didn't hold much evidence, Farkas's men usually smarter than that.

Still there were texts between her and Alex, she guessed she'd couldn't shield him any longer, though really it was foolish to think she could have to begin with, she didn't even know why she had.

"Fine, but I have no one to contact anyway." She said a little sadly, before sighing a little and deciding to get it over with. "Except one member of the pack, he's my.... friend..... sort of."
 
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