A/N:  Anyone else just notice the little "<B Heart" button next to the cover picture. It's for some sort of site that let's you share things you like. Must investigate.

Six

- The Because I Say So Argument-

Part I

*Annabeth*

“You should really buy a new car,” I said to Jimmy as we bounced along the tiny access road. The suspension - or whatever it was that made cars run smooth- in this truck sucked. I betted the car was almost as old as Jimmy. It was, like, from the 70’s or something. “This one is about ready for car heaven.”

“I suppose,” Jimmy reluctantly agreed.

We drove on in silence for a while. I was picking at my nails. One of the really annoying things about being a shifter was that when you painted your nails as soon as you shifted the polish got cracked and started to fall off. Okay maybe that wasn’t a really big problem but at this moment it seemed like a good problem to focus on so I wouldn’t think of what had happened half an hour earlier. It however didn’t work to distract me for very long.  

“He’s not a bad person,” I said after we’d driven a few miles in the dark. Since we were so off any kind of public road it was pitch black outside – only the snow and the car’s headlights letting us make out anything but blackness.

“I don’t think he’d be with you playing tonsil hockey with him and all,“ Jimmy said, looking amused.

“You saw that huh?” I said and forced myself not to blush. I shouldn’t feel embarrassed about kissing a guy. In fact Jimmy should be the one who was embarrassed, he was the one who had done the spying.

“We all did. That’s why Don suddenly thought going in hot…” Going in hot I was fairly certain was military for waving guns around or something. ”…was a good idea. He wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to you, didn’t want you to keep on doing anything with a werewolf.”

“You should have said not to go in. He’d have listened to you,” I said.

Jimmy smiled at me.“He don’t listen to me. Which you should be glad for.”

“Glad?” that wasn’t the word I would have used.

”I told him to bring silver bullets,” Jimmy said, tapping the wheel and speeding up some. “He didn’t listen to that, now did he?“

“Silver bullets?” The car bounced some and I banged my elbow on the door, which made me wince. “Like in the stories?”

He frowned but nodded.”Take it the werewolf didn’t tell you that silver is the only thing that can really hurt one of his kind?”

I shook my head. “It’s not like I go around asking people what kind of metal is best to kill them with.” I glared over at Jimmy. “Why would you tell Don to bring bullets that could kill Ryan? You don’t even know him-.”

“And you do little miss? You’ve been playing house with him what? A week?” Jimmy snorted. “I’ve known a few werewolves in my day, most of them I’ve wanted to or have had to kill. The rest of them have been begging me to kill them. Being a werewolf is hunger. Hunger for the kill.”

“I know,” I said leaning my head against the windshield. “He told me.”

“He told you now did he?” Jimmy said raising an eyebrow, turning to look at me instead of the road. “And you found an uncontrollable hunger for human flesh appealing.”

“It’s not uncontrollable. We get it too.”  The longing for the wild hunt. We did get that. Our wolves did anyway when we spent too much time around humans during the full moon. Especially if we were playing sports or doing something where your blood got pumping. That was the reason I had to fake migraines, sprained ankles and other stuff to get out of gym and soccer practice during the days of the full moon.

Jimmy chuckled. “It’s not like our hunger darlin. It’s your hunger when it’s at its worst ten times. And that’s a good day for a werewolf if I understand it right.” The road finally turned into a real paved road and the car stopped bouncing so badly. “I’m amazed he could even be that close to you without his wolf taking over.”

I thought about Ryan’s yellow eyes. About him saying I smelt too good. Maybe he hadn’t been completely in control. Maybe there was more to being a werewolf, more differences, than I’d first thought. That didn’t mean Ryan was a monster though. And I was going to make them see that.

“I’m guessing it’s because you’re a shifter. Shifters don’t smell quite human so that would make it easier,” Jimmy continued when I stayed silent.

“You know a lot about werewolves. How?” I asked as we turned onto the road to my house. “Is there like a book I can read to get a clue or something? There is clearly things I should know.”

“I spent some time in Europe after I got out of the Navy. There are some packs…no….” He shook his head. “…they’re not packs. More like groups of werewolves who can stand to live on the same territory, in some remote parts of Eastern Europe. I heard of them and back then I was young, daring and dashing.” Jimmy winked over at me. I rolled my eyes. ”And I thought it would be an adventure.”

“What happened?” I asked, turning in my seat, suddenly wishing we weren’t almost home. I wanted to hear this.

“Well they weren’t what I expected, they were living in houses that were little more than huts, they fought over everything. Food, seats, sleeping cots, clothes. Two or three fights broke out every hour it seemed. One of ‘em was female and she was even worse than the rest of them. Maybe because the males didn’t fight her, maybe because she’d already proven herself sufficiently by some act of violence or other. I don’t know,” Jimmy said, parking the car in front of my house. “But the place wasn’t one I’d want to visit again. I met some other when I was traveling – there is more of them in Europe and Asia then here n the US – they were much the same. Violent and uncontrolled.”

“Ryan isn’t like that,” I said, staring up at the house. The lights were on in the living room and kitchen.

“He lost control to the wolf today didn’t he?” Jimmy asked gently. “You freaked out when we came bursting in because your wolf felt scared and like her territory was being threatened. But you calmed down. He didn’t. If Don hadn’t shot him he’d have gone for me throat. I don’t doubt it.”

I reached for the car’s door. “It wasn’t his fault. You scared him, pointed a gun at him. He was in control before that. He didn’t hurt me in all the time I was there. He’s just lost and alone. We could help him.”

Jimmy shrugged and I opened the car door, jumping down to the snowy ground. Jimmy had thankfully brought extra clothes and boots – probably since riding on the ATV without proper clothes would make you cold to the bone - which meant I could drag my feet during the walk to the house. I wanted to go inside and talk to my dad, see Ryan – if they’d let me – and yell at Don. But at the same time I wanted to stay out here in the dark and not deal with it.

“Looks sad without the decorations,” Jimmy commented as he caught up with me. He had my backpack, which we’d packed with my computer, most of the food and Ryan’s jacket.  “Your momma always put up the prettiest decorations.”

“Yeah she did,” I agreed not bothering to correct him about the fact that April hadn’t been my mom. Because April had, despite the fact that I had never called her anything other than April, been the only mother I had ever known and I actually kind of liked it when people made the mistake of calling me her daughter. “Dad really misses her.”

“So do you,” Jimmy said putting an arm around my shoulders.

I said nothing but nodded. After a little while Jimmy let go of my shoulders and headed up the stairs and inside. I stayed outside watching the lights in the windows remembering last year. Last year about this time there had been sparkling lights, people had been coming over to sample April’s pre-Christmas Christmas dinners and me and dad had been attempting to perfect the art of wrapping presents (but as always failing).

We’d been happy.

My brother Tucker had still been living with us and he’d been talking big about all the colleges he was going to get offered scholarships at. I’d been pissed at Don for dumping me but around Christmas when he’d come home after just four months of college due to some sort of knee injury I’d started to forgive him for breaking up with me. April and I had been planning what gifts to buy my other two brothers since only Charlie was coming home for the holidays. My two eldest brothers, Mickey and Arnold had been going to work through the holidays. April had been appalled by that. Ironically enough, they’d both come home after she died and we had all spent Christmas together. Only no one had actually celebrated it. We’d all just been tip toeing around our dad. Charlie had brought me a gift though – an Everbloom. His witch girlfriend back in New York grew them and like the name suggested the flower bloomed forever. At least they were supposed to. I wasn’t so sure about the whole forever thing but the flower had been blooming for the whole year I had had it.

“Time to face the music,” I said to myself after my toes started to get seriously cold and my nose began running.

The house was quieter than I had expected when I entered. I took my borrowed jacket and boots off and headed towards my father’s study. There was no one in the living room, even though both the lights and TV were on. There were no voices in the kitchen either, but I could however smelt the faint trace of blood and rubbing alcohol. I supposed that meant someone had gotten Ryan some medical help. The quiet also probably meant Ryan and the others were in the basement, which locked both from the inside and out. I betted I wasn’t going to be getting anywhere near Ryan until I’d talked to my dad and he’d told someone it was okay for me to see him.

I didn’t bother knocking as I got the office, just burst right in. Jimmy was sitting in one of the two chairs in front of my dad’s desk. My dad was sitting behind his desk, flipping through an old ratty looking book. I frowned. I knew that book. It was one of three things my dad had showed me when I was ten, telling me I would one day be their guardian. I’d never seen the book outside the drawer besides that one time. I tried but couldn’t quite remember what it was supposed to be about. Maybe shifter registration or our history or something entirely else. 

“Hi,” I said, suddenly feeling stupid for just bursting in. I was going to have to explain to my dad what was going on, and to make him understand and agree we shouldn’t do anything but help Ryan. Acting like a crazy teenager wouldn’t accomplish that. “Is this a bad time?” I asked, hoping I sounded reasonable.

“It’s perfect timing. We were just about done,” my dad said, nodding at Jimmy who got up, turned to me and then tipped an imaginary cowboy hat my way before leaving the office. I wondered what Jimmy had just been telling my dad. That werewolves were bad? Or had he been trying to help? I couldn’t be sure. “Please sit Annabeth.”

I did as I was told, crossing my legs and smoothing out my sweatshirt. Suddenly I had no idea what to say. I wanted to ask about Ryan but figured that might not be the best way to start this conversation. In the end I just sat quietly and waited for him to speak. Which it didn’t appear he was going to do right away. He was looking at the ratty old book. I realized then he was waiting me out. But two could play the silence game.

“Let’s hear it then,” my dad said after nearly ten minutes of awkward silence. I resisted the urge to smile at the small victory. I’d gotten him to speak first. “Explain to me why Don comes in here all upset after following you because some nonsense about you acting weird - and taking popcorn with you into the forest - and tells me he smelt what had to be a werewolf. Then when he returns - with said werewolf - I learn this werewolf was actually being sheltered by my daughter.”

“He was caught in a bear trap. I helped him. I was going to take him to see you. I just wanted to wait until he was all better. In case you got upset,” I said quickly.

“Aha,” my dad said sounding doubtful.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s all Don’s fault for-”

“Annabeth this isn’t about what Don did or did not do. This is about you hiding this from me. A werewolf. On our land,” he said and I hated the disappointment I could hear in his voice.

“I don’t get why it’s such a big deal. I just wanted to help him. He’s not whatever Jimmy said he is. He isn’t dangerous and he hasn’t killed anyone-”

“Actually he has.” My dad looked down at the old book, before closing it and pulling out a drawer. Not the secret one, just a normal one. “And…” He looked back up, staring right into my eyes. “…when I asked him if he was dangerous, do you want to know what he said? He said; yes I am.”

I didn’t look away from my dad’s eyes, because at that moment he wasn’t just my dad, he was my alpha too, my alpha challenging me, daring me to see if I would back down. But I wouldn’t.

“So would you,” I said quietly. “If someone asked if you were dangerous you would say you were too. So would I. That doesn’t mean-”

“It means,” my dad interrupted me. “… he stays in the basement until I can figure out what to do with him. Jimmy suggested we might get in contact with a witch in Europe who apparently keeps track of the larger werewolf packs there. Maybe we can find him a place there.”

I resisted the urge to say; hell no, figuring that wouldn’t play well. But there was no way I was letting my dad sent Ryan off to some place as awful as the place Jimmy had described to me earlier. There had to be something better for him. Something that wasn’t halfway around the world, something that was normal. Or at least normal-ish.

“Is he going to be okay then?” I asked, finally breaking eye contact.

My dad waved his hand dismissively.“One of the only good things, at least for the werewolf, is that it takes a whole lot to kill them. He was pretty out of it when we talked. Once we got him in the basement Doris put him under to get the led out of his leg. Last she said he was resting.”

“Okay. Are we done?” I asked after a minute of silence.

“I’d like to ground you but I’m figuring you’ll want to spend your time with the werewolf here from now on anyway so it wouldn’t do any good.” He looked towards the window. “And since I do believe you when you say you didn’t realize just how bad keeping a werewolf hidden was…Yes. I suppose we are done.”

”Can I go see him?” I asked impatiently uncrossing my legs.

“No,” my dad said, his gaze landing back on me.

“What? Why?” I said, voice rising. “Why can’t I go see him?”

“Because I say so,” he said briskly. “And because he’s resting. He’s been drugged. It won’t make a difference if you see him, understood?” I glared at him then stuck my tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes and said, “Very mature. Now go to your room.”

“Why?” I said tauntingly. “Because you say so?”

“Exactly.” He crossed his hands on the desk. “Because I say so.”

I stood, stomping my feet, and on the way out I made sure to slam the door hard enough to rattle it. Because I say so. What a stupid ass reason.

Ink, Jimmy and Doris, the human vet that helped out when someone in the pack was injured were in the living room watching TV. They looked at me with badly hidden amusement as I marched into the room, still fuming. I hurried past them, into the hall, up the stairs and down the corridor to my room.

It wasn’t fair, I thought angrily as I slammed my bedroom door. What did it matter if Ryan was out cold from the drugs and it wouldn’t matter to him if I saw him or not. I wanted to see him. To make sure he was really okay. It was about me as much as him. About me knowing he was really OK.

“Hey,“ Don’s voice said suddenly, making me spin around.

 “What are you doing in my room?” I cried, too pissed off and frankly too tired to deal with him. “Get out.”

“Relax Annie,” Don said smiling. “I’ve come with a proposition.”