sigh of relief (nc17 at worst)

Sophia jumped when Mackenzie began to scream and nearly fell out of her seat.  She quickly gathered herself as everyone else calmed her down and fixed it.  She fixed her food and drink even though she really didn't have much wine in the glass left any way.  She looked at Jason and nodded, understanding him perfectly and sighed.

"I guess I may have to come any way.  I have no where really to go."  She sighed, remember the rape because of her pheromones drawing that man in and how her parents blamed her for it and then kicked he out of the house saying she'd bring nothing but trouble to them lie Peter.  She then thought back to Peter's wedding, her stupidity, everything she did wrong by him and Loika and Mackenzie and sighed.

"Where is the rest room... I need to be excused."  She said after another moment Mackenzie's outburst was what brought all of these thoughts to her.  She felt like everything was tense because of her and even the outburst partially her fault.

Loika stood up with mackenzie in her arms."follow me ill show you where it is. I am going to lay her down. Shes just tired and fussy. Shes been playing with her brothers all day.  The bathroom is on the way."


She took a few steps toward the house while carrying mackenzie. She stopped and looked at peter with a twitch of a smile. She was trying. For him. She then looked to sophia. "Well cmon i wont bite you. She is starting to get heavy."

Sophia looked at Loika and her eyes widened, the pink around her pupils expanded along with the pheromones she was emitting and she slowly began to follow.  She wasn't sure if she was going to come back the the table alive though.

"Oh.. um.. thank you..."  She said and looked down, scared.

Loika carried the sleeping toddler against herself. She was a top predator but she carried mackenzie with extreme gentleness. She was pretty quiet as she led the way. She wore jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. And as usual she was barefoot. She wore dogtags similar to logan's. 

Her hair was swept up in a messy bun and a barcode tattooed to the back of her neck was visible. She led the way through the house. She stepped quickly up the stairs and stopped at the top. "Bathroom is just there. Logan is right...your pharamone thing kinda smells to us. If can not do it around us we would be grateful. Ill be back." She carried mackenzie to a room a few doors away.

"i wish I could not o it really.... and Loika... I'm sorry... for everything..."  Sophia said before she almost ran right into the bathroom, shutting the door gently behind her before she fell to the floor and began to cry.  She couldn't help it.  She took a few deep breaths after a couple of minutes, flushed the toilet to make it seem as though she went and washed her face to try and get the redness off her face.

"Okay Sophia you can do this."  She whispered to herself in the mirror and opened the door.

Loika took mackenzie to her room and started getting her ready for bed. It was getting dark outside which meant most likely one of us would light the fire pit and then everyone would sit around it with a few beers laughing and talking. The last chance of the year to do so.

She changed her very sleepy little one into her pajamas and gently took her hair out of its pigtails. She brushed her hair a little then lifted her legs gently enough to not wake her and tucked the blankets over them. She kissed her forehead and made sure she was tucked in then turned out her light, turned her night light on and made her way out of the room. 

Loika was not a cryer by any means. She rarely cried. It came from all those years living in a cage. As she closed mackie's bedroom door though she couldnt help leaning her head against the door and letting a few quick sobs out. It was hard keeping this secret from peter. She didnt even notice sophia coming out of the bathroom.

Jason watched Sophia and Loika making their way from the table, it wasn't going to be that easy to make them get along, but as far as Jason knew what transpired between them was their business.`He didn't approve of what Sophia did by betraying her own brother, but it was Jason's nature to give people second chances and so he had nothing against her. Maybe it was time for them to depart now. There were far too much tension in this house and he didn't want to see the house explode in it.

Sara went about starting to clear plates and put food away. She knew loika could handle it but wanted to be helpful. She was coming back for more plates when she noticed her husband. She knew him enough to know when he was worried or at unease. She went to him and kissed the top of his head as she hugged him.

Logan felt uncomfortable at the table with sara and jason being lovey dovey and affection. He cleared his throat and stood up. "Well im going to go start a fire in the ring while you two do that." He took his beer with him and walked out to the fire ring farther out on the porch. He already knew where the wood was stored so he gruffly went to work. 

Peter stood up suddenly, he picked up his dish and went into the kitchen and put his dishes in a sink. For some reason, Loika and Sophia  were taking their sweet time. He did know what was on Loika's mind and so he was going to face it or have it burn both of them together. Walking back outside, Peter was waiting for girls to return.

Sophia looked at Loika and then cleared her throat before heading back outside taking deep breaths.  Her pheromones were all over the place from the small walk and chat they had.  Was it even a chat?  She took hr seat back and  forced a small smile pushing a stray tear she missed off her face and looked around.

"It's a lovely place Peter.... Really."

Loika jumped when she heard sophia. She innerly kicked herself for not hearing her walk out. She was too consumed in her thoughts. She hated keeping secrets like peter's death from him but she and mackenzie had promised not to say anything. Seeing mackenzie freak out like that had only twisted the knife. 

She regained her composure and slipped into thier bedroom to check her own face before coming downstairs. She poured herself a glass of jack and joined the others outside. All evidence of the wolf girl's tears were gone. She even smiled at logan starting a fire in the fire ring and thanked sara for clearing the dishes. She would wash them tomorrow. Or tonight. Knowing her night owl tendencies. 

She went to peter and sat on his lap with one arm around his shoulders and one hand holding her glass. "My father left me and my sister alot of money despite our mother's money grubbing wishes. He died this year. I used my money to build this house. I like being near the school but also having my space. After living in a cage the size of a dog crate most of your life you tend to love having space." She spoke non challantly like it didnt bother her. Alot of her exposed skin had scars. She took a sip and tapped peter on the nose. "I know you guys found my jack stash at the mansion. Very sneaky mr jackson. I moved it where you wont find it this time." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Peter looked at Sophia as she took her old seat. Then, Loika showed up. He had to get their indifference under control. "I am going to say what no one here is brave enough to do it. Loika and Sophia, you guys don't like each other and I get that. Loika wants to kill Sophia for betraying her own flesh and blood and I won't let that happen, because she's my only family left." said Peter.

"So, if you want to discuss anything, now would be the time."

As Loika spoke, saying everything, Sophia stood up and sighed, cleared her throat and looked down for a moment. Her face began to grow red as she sighed, eyes widening and pupils brightening in their pink shade.  She would of crawled into a hole and died if she could after those words but Sophia knew she couldn't.  All she could was run away again.

 "I'm leaving." 

 She said emotions building up.  She didn't want to deal with that and Loika just poured it so direct it was a slap across the face.  Her pheromone scent changed drastically to a higher scent one to get anything attacking her to back off so to say, like an animal reflex.  a few tears fell from her eyes, and she turn to the door.  She didn't want to tell Loika all the karma she had received since that day, all the bad things tat happened that she told Peter, like the rape, their parents calling her a whore, and many other things.  She only had Peter and now, she felt like that was gone now.  All of this ran through her mind as she began to walk out.

Jason watched again. It wasn't his fight to battle and he wasn't going to jump in front of anyone in this matter, in fact it was getting late and he had to get home himself. Yes, he had fun tonight, the food was good, drinks were superb and he simply enjoyed the company. He looked at his watch and got up, grabbing his coat. Sara drove in a seperate car so then he would just meet her later at he institute.

He hugged Loika and then smiled at her, "Thanks Loika, your cooking was unbeatable and I had great time. I'll see you around." He kissed Sara on a way out and then walked out to his car. This was not his fight. And he was not going to be siding with anyone.

"Sophia, wait--" started Pete, but he knew it was useless because she had enough of Loika's bullshit. He hated fighting and being the middle man in all they said. When Loika got up and Jason headed out the door.

"Thanks for siding for with your wife."
"Oh no, please don't mention it. It was my pleasure. Anything for a true love. Happily ever after my ass." said Peter, with hurt feelings. "I just couldn't wait to say something dumb to kick her out of the house. Sure... it wasn't all that hard. Because being sympathetic is so hard, I  just couldn't tame all that sincerity within my heart. Oh dear..." Peter has never sounded so sarcastic in his entire life. He got up and walked into the kitchen. He hated the feeling of being torn between two people he loved.

Loika trembled with rage and hurt. Hurt tears sprang to her eyes. She wanted to shift and run laps in the forest till she couldnt breathe. Every bit of his sarcasm was like a slap to her cheeks. "I was an idiot to think he would change. We havent fought at all lately. Hes stuck with me cause i got knocked up like a damn idiot." She hugged herself harder as she spoke.

Logan sat next to her in a sturdy lawn chair near the fire. He stoked at it occationally with a stick with one hand. He nodded as he listened to the girl. He wasnt used to being around emotional girls. He hesitated then put a hand on her head and patted it soothingly. "You know that isnt true. Hes a teleporter and if he wanted to leave there wouldnt be anyone who could stop him. He loves you and the lil rugrat. Relationships are hard kid. You have to work through the hard times to get to the good times. Im proud of you for not running earlier. BUT, the way you behaved earlier would have upset your father if he were still alive. Listen. Promise i wont have to chase you across the border and you can go run for a bit and let the beast out. If he comes out ill let him know you will be back shortly. Go."

Loika felt instantly ashamed as he mentioned her father. He was right. Daniel faelith would have given her a stern talking to. She would never have behaved like that. She sniffled and wiped her tears on her arm. "Thanks logan. I promise i wont take off. I just need to get my head clear."  She patted his hand on her head then stood up and shifted into a wolf. Her clothes fell to the ground. She trotted away, looked back at him, and then bolted off into the woods.

Sophia looked at Peter before she headed through the front door to leave.  She stopped inside when he saw him heading in an waited until he was in the kitchen and alone. She frowned and walked over to him and hugged Peter tightly in a sisterly embrace that they had not done since they were little.

"Peter, I'm sorry I just can't be here around that.  You know this.  I just can't. I don't deserve her forgiveness any way, honestly I wish that she did kill me.  I'm not the good guy.  I'll see you around Peter.  I love you.   But life is just so complicated."  A few tears fell down her face and she pushed them aside, kissed Peter on his cheek, and turned to head out he front again, walking slowly, but steadily.  It was almost as if she didn't want to leave but knew she had no choice.  More tears fell as she walked.