SGA Fanfic: Hunting Season (AU, PG-13) Part 4/4
Title: Hunting Season, Part 4
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Untamed AU
Length: 22,000
Warnings: some bad language and mild violence
Disclaimer: Don't own them, not for profit, blah blah blah copywrite cakes
Summary: After a camping trip John and Rodney have an accident and wind up stranded in a picturesque little town in the BC Rockies that isn't quite the Rockwellian place it seems. They have to survive until dawn, but the big question is who will kill them first - the townspeople or their new allies?
Rodney jumped as if he’d been goosed by a cattle prod. Even Yogi flinched so hard it made his skin itch like fur was about to pop out. The logical, civilized part of him wanted to just cover his eyes as the two vargyrs charged at each other and met in a blur of teeth and claws, but his new inner animal was jumping up and down, whooping and hollering, and if it had had a pair of pompoms would have been shaking them about like a muppet on crack. Even to his nerdy, pacifist, lab rat’s eye he could tell right away Sheppard had the upper hand. He came in low and so fast Rodney could barely track his attacks, but it was clear that Martin could only land one hit in three. Nearly every one of his friend’s shots landed. Blood flew, most of it Martin’s.
“Whoa,” Larrin said softly. “Your friend a ninja?”
Rodney shook his head slowly. “No. At least I don’t think so. But he was Black Ops.”
Larrin pulled her eyes away from the fight and stared at Rodney, eyebrows raised. “Really?”
Rodney nodded, his own eyes wide and glued to the unfolding carnage.
“Remind me not to piss him off,” Devin grated out, his voice a nightmare inducing basso rasp.
“Deal.”
Martin’s followers watched the fight in utterly still silence.
Sheppard caught one of Martin’s swings and with an innocuous little hip swivel sent the man flying towards one of the stacks of finished fence posts forming the walls of their little cul de sac of horror. Unfortunately, the non-pointy ends faced them, and Martin flipped in midair, landed on the tightly packed posts on all fours, stuck for a second like a giant furry mutant fly, and launched back at John. The two met in a loud impact and went rolling across the ground, sawdust and regular dust flying.
Rodney cringed, and for the few seconds he couldn’t tell what was going on he felt a panic attack start. Then the dust settled enough he could tell Sheppard was sitting on top of Martin and just pounding the ever loving shit out of the weasel. He flinched with every meaty thwack, and just when he thought he was going to get ill again, it was over. Sheppard stood over the fallen alpha and glared at the assembled vargyrs and cursed weres.
The fight was one of the most brutal, vicious things he’d ever witnessed - well, within the last year, no, nine months maybe, because let’s face it, he thought, things hadn’t been very normal since that whole Kolya thing last Fall, and he didn’t watch what the junior Alien did to the werewolves earlier, he just saw the gruesome aftermath - and it took his rattled brain a moment to realize the entire thing happened in probably a minute, maybe less….
He came dangerously close to puking again.
-oOo-
John could feel blood running down his forearms despite his fur, the dozens of deep scratches the price he paid for blocking Martin’s blows, and could actually hear it pattering onto the dusty ground over the sound of his own panting. He had to take a moment to calm down - he had nearly achieved the berserker state, which helped him get the bullshit over as quickly as possible, and his senses were still dialed up to eleven. He watched Martin’s little House closely for any new challengers as his pulse slowed - with Bill dead he doubted anyone would be psychotic enough to try, but he didn’t want to take any chances. His gaze was met at first, but in a short time every single one of them had lowered their heads, then eventually they went to their knees, their heads tilted to one side as they offered their throats to their new alpha.
It took every ounce of control to keep from screaming. God, he hated this shit.
A face in the front of the group caught his attention - it was one of the men Bill was talking to outside of the hardware/parts store. “You!” he snapped. They all flinched, and since he had to wait for everyone to look at him, he pointed at the man. “Yeah, you. You own the parts store?”
The jowly man shook his head. “No, I just work there.”
John could hear footsteps approaching from behind, and he glanced back briefly at his friends. “You have their part?” he asked with a head jerk towards Larrin.
“Yuh, yes.” His gaze darted back and forth from John to Larrin. “We always had it.”
“What?” Larrin said. “You, you bastards had it all along?” She let out a strangled growl and the air vibrated as a half dozen fist sized rocks floated up from the ground. “You kept us here, deliberately?” The rocks began to shake. “I’m gonna pulp your fucking skull!”
“No.”
Larrin glared at John, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “You dare order me?”
“Not an order,” John said quietly. “A request.”
A tense silence drew out between them, then Larrin let out a frustrated scream and sent the rocks hurtling over the heads of the kneeling vargyrs. A second later Devin’s tail lashed out and laid open the man’s cheek. She looked down at her brother. “Thank you.”
John closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten. When he fixed his gaze on the man again he met eyes even wider with fear and spoke through gritted teeth. “You are going to go get that part and bring it to the motel, and help these people install it. And you are not going to charge them for it. Understand?” He got a spastic nod. When the man just sat there, he bellowed, “NOW!” The fat guy shot to his feet and ran, hand to his face.
“Ooo, I like it when you get all growly,” Larrin purred.
“Not now,” John replied tiredly. He felt Rodney step up next to him.
“So, what are you going to do with all of them?” he asked as he grimaced at their former pursuers.
John went to pinch the bridge of his nose, saw how gory his fingers and claws were, fought the second urge to run his hand over the top of his head, then just let his arm dangle awkwardly at his side. Tired was hitting like a sledgehammer now after no sleep and the whole adrenaline fueled last hour. He opened his mouth to reply when the sound of an engine hit his sensitive ears. A moment later everyone else caught it as something big was coming through the lumber yard. He met Rodney’s wide eyes.
“Oh, great. Now what?” Rodney whined.
People were getting to their feet, uncertainty etched in their faces. A Navigator barreled around one of the stacks, brights and fog lights on, and slid to a halt not even thirty feet from the back of the crowd of vargyrs, sending up a cloud of dust. The doors were flung open even as it was still rocking on its suspension and two figures whipped out and stood silhouetted in the glare. Everyone went on alert.
Except for John.
Just before the vehicle appeared he felt a familiar tingle in the back of his mind. He glanced at Larrin and Devin - they were both ready to attack - and waved them down. “Relax,” he said, and stepped forward away from Martin’s sprawled body. He lifted his chin towards the newcomers. “You’re early,” he called out.
The shorter of the two silhouettes stepped forward, and the twin short swords in her grip glinted in the headlights. “I made Ronon leave early,” Teyla replied. And along their shared link sent, I had a premonition that you two were in danger before Elizabeth told us about the accident. I felt it prudent we come at once and not wait for morning.
John grinned. Thanks, he sent back. Glad ya did.
Ronon stepped forward as well. The big guy was holding a Desert Eagle in his grip, and the gun actually looked small in his hands. He moved in a controlled martial arts glide that made him look dangerous as hell, and John often wondered if he had military training in the past. Ronon insisted he didn’t but John wasn’t so sure. “Good thing we did,” Ronon rumbled out. “This party looks like it blows.” He kept advancing and people were moving out of his way. Then he spotted Devin. The gun leveled at him. “What the fuck?!?”
“Cool it, Shrek,” Rodney said. “He’s on our side.”
Devin’s tail switched and Larrin let out a snicker. “Oh, that is so perfect,” she said. She looked at John. “You keep odd company, fuzzy.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. But wouldn’t have it any other way.” He took in the, oh, roughly two dozen unwanted new followers he just inherited by right of combat, took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out in an exasperated blast. “All right - listen up!” he bellowed. People jumped. “As of tonight, this little game of yours is over. Done. No more. Got it?” He waited for nods before continuing. “And if I so much as hear about a missing person within one hundred miles of this town, I will come down on your asses like Arma-fucking-geddon.” His voice had risen and he could feel the veins standing out on his neck and forehead under his fur. “Understand?” The nods were much more enthusiastic. “Good. Now get the hell out of my sight!”
They didn’t really scramble, but they did shuffle off into the shadows rather quickly.
Larrin sighed. “Yeah, that worked for me,” she said under her breath and fanned herself.
Teyla came over to John, her attention however on the Travelers and her Bantos swords still unsheathed. “Is everything all right?” she asked John.
“Now it is,” he replied.
Larrin stepped forward and offered her hand. “Hi! Larrin Ryder. And this is my brother, Devin.” Devin straightened up for the first time from his crouch, and in his changed form actually looked down on Ronon. “We’ve never met one of the High Fae before,” she said with a big friendly grin.
Teyla eyed the offered hand more warily than the towering demon spawn. Then she gracefully sheathed the swords behind her shoulders and shook Larrin’s hand. “If you are a friend of John’s, then you are a friend of mine,” she said between her teeth. She shot John a vaguely worried look.
“She is,” John replied. “They both helped us a lot tonight - couldn’t have survived without them.” Then John turned to his new allies, and friends, and lowered his head briefly to them. “Thank you. Both of you.” He couldn’t hide his grin at the brief shocked expression that crossed Larrin’s face, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the thanks or the fact she was shaking hands with a Fae that wasn’t trying to gut her. And from the buzz he felt coming off of Teyla, he suspected that she was still considering it.
Ronon still had his gun out, but it was pointing down by his side. “Bet this is a helluva story.”
Rodney snorted. A groan from the ground made him let out a startled yelp and he jumped to the side. He was still by Martin, and he looked down at the fallen alpha. “Holy shit! You’re still alive?”
John came over and knelt down next to the constable, his arms resting on his raised knees. “Good. You heard my earlier order, I take it.”
Martin nodded weakly. He started to speak, grimaced, then got the words out. “Kill me,” he barely whispered.
John leaned in closer. “Oh, hell no. You get to stay alive. Your little House is done, Martin. I’m disbanding it. From now on all of you here will live in accordance to the Laws of Neutrality that apply to this area. Which is how it should have been.” John normally couldn’t stand the Clan Laws, but this was the only one that was a good one. “I’m sure you don’t want this whole little incident brought to anyone’s attention, do you?” He waited a beat for a reply, then got a faint head shake. “Good. Now, I think it’s only fitting that once you heal up, you concentrate on becoming a community leader here, for both vargyrs and humans alike. Bridge the gap that has no doubt been opened up by your little ‘game’. Don’t make me come back here, understand?”
“You’re not staying?”
“No.” John stood up. “I have a home. And speaking of which….” He looked around him, at Rodney’s tired, bedraggled face, at Ronon’s smirk, and Teyla’s faint smile. He even took in Larrin’s smug little defiant grin and her brother’s, well, overly toothy one. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
-oOo-
The sun was just beginning to brighten the eastern sky and John was sitting in one of the green patio chairs again, partially wrapped in a blanket, while Larrin and Teyla, one on each arm, were finishing wrapping them up in gauze. After a very painful shift to human and shower, they had insisted on butter-flying the worst of the scratches until he got back home and could get stitches. Oh, Carson was going to chew his ass, he just knew it. He hurt everywhere, one eye was swollen shut now, there were new bruises on top of the seat belt bites, and he wanted nothing more than to just curl up and go to sleep.
When they got back to the motel they found the parts guy there, panting like a bellows, with the oxygen sensor for Larrin’s Subaru. Devin had shifted back to normal, though his skin still had a faint metallic cast, took the box from the guy, and set to work on it by himself. He had it replaced in no time. John took advantage of his new but temporary alpha status and had parts guy get the owner of the laundry to open up for them so they could get some clothes washed before they headed home. He could see Rodney through the windows getting their fresh change of clothes out of the dryer now. One handed, of course - he had a death grip on a giant cup of coffee.
Larrin stood up and brushed off the knees of her jeans - everyone had showered and changed after their wild night. “There - that’ll hold until you get home. No gymnastics, now. But if you want to try before we all head out….”
Teyla’s eyes narrowed faintly as she helped John get the blanket settled up around his shoulders.
John let out a short bark of a laugh, then grimaced. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Nope.” Then she winked at Teyla. “Can’t blame a girl for trying. Rowr.”
John carefully sucked in his lips at the short burst of irritation he felt roll off of Teyla. He cleared his throat. “So, where are you two heading after this?”
“We were on our way to Vancouver before all this happy horse hockey hit the fan. We have some work lined up there. Temporary, of course.”
“Of course.” John shifted in the chair and saw Ronon was just finishing tying down the gear that didn’t fit in the back of the Navigator onto its roof rack. “We’ll follow you out, make sure nothing happens.”
“Why, thank you,” Larrin replied with a genuinely happy smile. “And we’ll watch for bears.” She nodded to Teyla. “It was so nice to meet you.”
John wasn’t exactly sure how she managed to convey a crap load of innuendo into that innocuous little statement, but she did.
“Likewise,” Teyla replied curtly.
“See you around, fuzzy,” Larrin said and sauntered off. Rodney was just coming back from the Laundromat, and she waggled her fingers at him. “Bye, Rodney. Watch your head.”
Rodney paused for a second. “Huh? Oh, yeah yeah yeah. Funny. Goodbye.” He stomped up onto the low porch, folded clothes in his arms against his chest, and a cup of coffee in each hand. He awkwardly handed one to John. “I’ll change first, leave yours on the bed.” Then he just tromped on into the room and shut the door.
John took a hesitant sip, and was relieved it was just plain black coffee. He sighed contentedly.
“I do not trust them,” Teyla said.
When John looked up he found her watching Larrin talking to Ronon. Well, looked more like flirting, actually, from the way the big guy was grinning. “She’s all right,” he said. “Kinda iffy on the brother, but he did keep Rodney safe.”
Teyla focused on him. “But they are Travelers.”
“I know.” John shrugged one shoulder. “And I’m an Onca. Not all books match their covers.”
Teyla considered that for a moment, then nodded to herself. “True.” She smiled down at him. “I will take your word for it, my prince.”
“I am not….”
“Ah, so much better!” Rodney proclaimed as he came out of the motel room. “Next.” He stopped practically right between John and Teyla, completely oblivious to the slightly awkward moment his two friends were having.
John slowly got up. “Yeah. Then home.” It took him a lot longer to get dressed than it did Rodney, but he managed and when he left the room, coffee in one hand, the duffle holding their dirty clothes in another, he came up blocked by a wall of backs. Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, Larrin, Devin - all of them stood there at the edge of the porch, arms crossed. Larrin glanced over her shoulder, then stepped aside to open a gap.
Martin was standing in the parking lot.
John stepped off the low porch and faced the man. He hadn’t cleaned up yet, and his face was a purple mess, his clothes torn and bloody. “You have somebody that can help you?”
“When I get home, yes.”
“Good.” John noticed the owner of the laundry was standing in the rear parking lot watching. “You. Come here.” The woman started, then rushed over. Rodney had told him he could tell she was a bear when she first opened up the door for him, and from her scent he could tell she was true born. “You’re going to be my witness, okay?” He got nervous nod in return. “Constable Martin, I am going to forgive you for the gross transgression of the Laws of Neutrality that you allowed to happen here in Briscoe. I’m going to spare your life, simply because you are an officer of the laws of Canada and hopefully know better.” He paused for a moment. “You do know better, don’t you?”
Martin lowered his head and nodded.
John chuffed. He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Keep in mind our little conversation from earlier. There is no House here, unless you really want the Clans to come down on your asses. And don’t drag my name into this - I defeated you, yes, but I did not Declare.” He knew Martin understood his words - the vargyr was so hung up on honor, he knew John did not formally declare himself at the alpha after the fight and complete the normal ritual, and his own position as such was pretty much done. “You’re all going to be good little boys and girls from here on out. Remember, this is neutral territory. Get along, and not because you’re hunting innocent people. Make things right.” He let his eyes slide briefly over to the woman, who looked both guilty and chagrined. “Do not make me come back here. Understood?”
“Yes.”
John straightened up. “Make sure the rest know. Both of you.” He got nods in reply. “Now, go home.” He turned his back on them until he heard footsteps shuffle off. He took a sip of his cooling coffee and noticed Rodney frowning at him. “What?”
“I just can’t believe you’re letting them get away with all this,” Rodney said.
John felt his stomach twist. Yeah, it did sit bad with him, but…. “It has to be this way, Rodney.”
Rodney’s hands came up and fluttered in frustration. “But….”
Teyla put a hand on his arm. “He is right, Rodney. To the greater world at large, what we are only exists in fables and works of fiction, and we have had laws in place for centuries to keep our true natures from discovery. Can you imagine what would happen if that was revealed?”
“Do rampaging mobs with pitchforks and torches mean anything to you?” Larrin said. “Burning at the stake? The Inquisition?”
“Our kind have been subjected to all sorts of atrocities in the past,” Teyla continued. “But then, Pretenders have also committed atrocities as well. That is why it is best we police our own, live under the guidance of our own laws, and try to maintain invisibility.”
“And those that do step out, usually get caught,” John said. “Mercy is practically non-existent,” he added softly.
“Okay, okay, I get it.” Rodney growled in frustration. “But dammit, I want to officially add for the record, it sucks. Worse than a black hole.”
“Yeah, it does, pal,” John drawled. Then yawned. “And I say, if we’re all packed, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Yes!” Rodney said. “Shotgun!” He dashed over to the Navigator.
John chuckled. He looked at Larrin. “Lead on.”
She looked him up and down slowly. “Gladly!” she replied with a big happy smile.
“Oh, for cryin’ out….” John shook his head and stomped off.
Both vehicles were exceeding the speed limit as they left Briscoe. Ronon was driving, and Teyla shared the back seat with John. They passed the site of the rollover, small bits of safety glass glittering in their headlights, and he found himself scanning the woods to the side for a bear. All he saw was a blur of green, then he settled back and closed his eyes. Rodney was bitching about having survived roughing it in the great outdoors for a week only to run into demon spawn and be hunted down by a bunch of inbred redneck were-whatevers. When Ronon asked him if they had banjos, Rodney practically had a cow.
John started to nod off with a smile on his face. Yeah, the last eighteen hours sucked, but the camping was fun. He made some new unexpected allies, and he was now heading home with, well, family. All in all, it was at least a happy ending, and with his life, it was more than welcome.
End Note: Now, let's see if ya caught the hint as to what's in Lorne's ancestry....
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Untamed AU
Length: 22,000
Warnings: some bad language and mild violence
Disclaimer: Don't own them, not for profit, blah blah blah copywrite cakes
Summary: After a camping trip John and Rodney have an accident and wind up stranded in a picturesque little town in the BC Rockies that isn't quite the Rockwellian place it seems. They have to survive until dawn, but the big question is who will kill them first - the townspeople or their new allies?
Rodney jumped as if he’d been goosed by a cattle prod. Even Yogi flinched so hard it made his skin itch like fur was about to pop out. The logical, civilized part of him wanted to just cover his eyes as the two vargyrs charged at each other and met in a blur of teeth and claws, but his new inner animal was jumping up and down, whooping and hollering, and if it had had a pair of pompoms would have been shaking them about like a muppet on crack. Even to his nerdy, pacifist, lab rat’s eye he could tell right away Sheppard had the upper hand. He came in low and so fast Rodney could barely track his attacks, but it was clear that Martin could only land one hit in three. Nearly every one of his friend’s shots landed. Blood flew, most of it Martin’s.
“Whoa,” Larrin said softly. “Your friend a ninja?”
Rodney shook his head slowly. “No. At least I don’t think so. But he was Black Ops.”
Larrin pulled her eyes away from the fight and stared at Rodney, eyebrows raised. “Really?”
Rodney nodded, his own eyes wide and glued to the unfolding carnage.
“Remind me not to piss him off,” Devin grated out, his voice a nightmare inducing basso rasp.
“Deal.”
Martin’s followers watched the fight in utterly still silence.
Sheppard caught one of Martin’s swings and with an innocuous little hip swivel sent the man flying towards one of the stacks of finished fence posts forming the walls of their little cul de sac of horror. Unfortunately, the non-pointy ends faced them, and Martin flipped in midair, landed on the tightly packed posts on all fours, stuck for a second like a giant furry mutant fly, and launched back at John. The two met in a loud impact and went rolling across the ground, sawdust and regular dust flying.
Rodney cringed, and for the few seconds he couldn’t tell what was going on he felt a panic attack start. Then the dust settled enough he could tell Sheppard was sitting on top of Martin and just pounding the ever loving shit out of the weasel. He flinched with every meaty thwack, and just when he thought he was going to get ill again, it was over. Sheppard stood over the fallen alpha and glared at the assembled vargyrs and cursed weres.
The fight was one of the most brutal, vicious things he’d ever witnessed - well, within the last year, no, nine months maybe, because let’s face it, he thought, things hadn’t been very normal since that whole Kolya thing last Fall, and he didn’t watch what the junior Alien did to the werewolves earlier, he just saw the gruesome aftermath - and it took his rattled brain a moment to realize the entire thing happened in probably a minute, maybe less….
He came dangerously close to puking again.
-oOo-
John could feel blood running down his forearms despite his fur, the dozens of deep scratches the price he paid for blocking Martin’s blows, and could actually hear it pattering onto the dusty ground over the sound of his own panting. He had to take a moment to calm down - he had nearly achieved the berserker state, which helped him get the bullshit over as quickly as possible, and his senses were still dialed up to eleven. He watched Martin’s little House closely for any new challengers as his pulse slowed - with Bill dead he doubted anyone would be psychotic enough to try, but he didn’t want to take any chances. His gaze was met at first, but in a short time every single one of them had lowered their heads, then eventually they went to their knees, their heads tilted to one side as they offered their throats to their new alpha.
It took every ounce of control to keep from screaming. God, he hated this shit.
A face in the front of the group caught his attention - it was one of the men Bill was talking to outside of the hardware/parts store. “You!” he snapped. They all flinched, and since he had to wait for everyone to look at him, he pointed at the man. “Yeah, you. You own the parts store?”
The jowly man shook his head. “No, I just work there.”
John could hear footsteps approaching from behind, and he glanced back briefly at his friends. “You have their part?” he asked with a head jerk towards Larrin.
“Yuh, yes.” His gaze darted back and forth from John to Larrin. “We always had it.”
“What?” Larrin said. “You, you bastards had it all along?” She let out a strangled growl and the air vibrated as a half dozen fist sized rocks floated up from the ground. “You kept us here, deliberately?” The rocks began to shake. “I’m gonna pulp your fucking skull!”
“No.”
Larrin glared at John, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “You dare order me?”
“Not an order,” John said quietly. “A request.”
A tense silence drew out between them, then Larrin let out a frustrated scream and sent the rocks hurtling over the heads of the kneeling vargyrs. A second later Devin’s tail lashed out and laid open the man’s cheek. She looked down at her brother. “Thank you.”
John closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten. When he fixed his gaze on the man again he met eyes even wider with fear and spoke through gritted teeth. “You are going to go get that part and bring it to the motel, and help these people install it. And you are not going to charge them for it. Understand?” He got a spastic nod. When the man just sat there, he bellowed, “NOW!” The fat guy shot to his feet and ran, hand to his face.
“Ooo, I like it when you get all growly,” Larrin purred.
“Not now,” John replied tiredly. He felt Rodney step up next to him.
“So, what are you going to do with all of them?” he asked as he grimaced at their former pursuers.
John went to pinch the bridge of his nose, saw how gory his fingers and claws were, fought the second urge to run his hand over the top of his head, then just let his arm dangle awkwardly at his side. Tired was hitting like a sledgehammer now after no sleep and the whole adrenaline fueled last hour. He opened his mouth to reply when the sound of an engine hit his sensitive ears. A moment later everyone else caught it as something big was coming through the lumber yard. He met Rodney’s wide eyes.
“Oh, great. Now what?” Rodney whined.
People were getting to their feet, uncertainty etched in their faces. A Navigator barreled around one of the stacks, brights and fog lights on, and slid to a halt not even thirty feet from the back of the crowd of vargyrs, sending up a cloud of dust. The doors were flung open even as it was still rocking on its suspension and two figures whipped out and stood silhouetted in the glare. Everyone went on alert.
Except for John.
Just before the vehicle appeared he felt a familiar tingle in the back of his mind. He glanced at Larrin and Devin - they were both ready to attack - and waved them down. “Relax,” he said, and stepped forward away from Martin’s sprawled body. He lifted his chin towards the newcomers. “You’re early,” he called out.
The shorter of the two silhouettes stepped forward, and the twin short swords in her grip glinted in the headlights. “I made Ronon leave early,” Teyla replied. And along their shared link sent, I had a premonition that you two were in danger before Elizabeth told us about the accident. I felt it prudent we come at once and not wait for morning.
John grinned. Thanks, he sent back. Glad ya did.
Ronon stepped forward as well. The big guy was holding a Desert Eagle in his grip, and the gun actually looked small in his hands. He moved in a controlled martial arts glide that made him look dangerous as hell, and John often wondered if he had military training in the past. Ronon insisted he didn’t but John wasn’t so sure. “Good thing we did,” Ronon rumbled out. “This party looks like it blows.” He kept advancing and people were moving out of his way. Then he spotted Devin. The gun leveled at him. “What the fuck?!?”
“Cool it, Shrek,” Rodney said. “He’s on our side.”
Devin’s tail switched and Larrin let out a snicker. “Oh, that is so perfect,” she said. She looked at John. “You keep odd company, fuzzy.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. But wouldn’t have it any other way.” He took in the, oh, roughly two dozen unwanted new followers he just inherited by right of combat, took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out in an exasperated blast. “All right - listen up!” he bellowed. People jumped. “As of tonight, this little game of yours is over. Done. No more. Got it?” He waited for nods before continuing. “And if I so much as hear about a missing person within one hundred miles of this town, I will come down on your asses like Arma-fucking-geddon.” His voice had risen and he could feel the veins standing out on his neck and forehead under his fur. “Understand?” The nods were much more enthusiastic. “Good. Now get the hell out of my sight!”
They didn’t really scramble, but they did shuffle off into the shadows rather quickly.
Larrin sighed. “Yeah, that worked for me,” she said under her breath and fanned herself.
Teyla came over to John, her attention however on the Travelers and her Bantos swords still unsheathed. “Is everything all right?” she asked John.
“Now it is,” he replied.
Larrin stepped forward and offered her hand. “Hi! Larrin Ryder. And this is my brother, Devin.” Devin straightened up for the first time from his crouch, and in his changed form actually looked down on Ronon. “We’ve never met one of the High Fae before,” she said with a big friendly grin.
Teyla eyed the offered hand more warily than the towering demon spawn. Then she gracefully sheathed the swords behind her shoulders and shook Larrin’s hand. “If you are a friend of John’s, then you are a friend of mine,” she said between her teeth. She shot John a vaguely worried look.
“She is,” John replied. “They both helped us a lot tonight - couldn’t have survived without them.” Then John turned to his new allies, and friends, and lowered his head briefly to them. “Thank you. Both of you.” He couldn’t hide his grin at the brief shocked expression that crossed Larrin’s face, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the thanks or the fact she was shaking hands with a Fae that wasn’t trying to gut her. And from the buzz he felt coming off of Teyla, he suspected that she was still considering it.
Ronon still had his gun out, but it was pointing down by his side. “Bet this is a helluva story.”
Rodney snorted. A groan from the ground made him let out a startled yelp and he jumped to the side. He was still by Martin, and he looked down at the fallen alpha. “Holy shit! You’re still alive?”
John came over and knelt down next to the constable, his arms resting on his raised knees. “Good. You heard my earlier order, I take it.”
Martin nodded weakly. He started to speak, grimaced, then got the words out. “Kill me,” he barely whispered.
John leaned in closer. “Oh, hell no. You get to stay alive. Your little House is done, Martin. I’m disbanding it. From now on all of you here will live in accordance to the Laws of Neutrality that apply to this area. Which is how it should have been.” John normally couldn’t stand the Clan Laws, but this was the only one that was a good one. “I’m sure you don’t want this whole little incident brought to anyone’s attention, do you?” He waited a beat for a reply, then got a faint head shake. “Good. Now, I think it’s only fitting that once you heal up, you concentrate on becoming a community leader here, for both vargyrs and humans alike. Bridge the gap that has no doubt been opened up by your little ‘game’. Don’t make me come back here, understand?”
“You’re not staying?”
“No.” John stood up. “I have a home. And speaking of which….” He looked around him, at Rodney’s tired, bedraggled face, at Ronon’s smirk, and Teyla’s faint smile. He even took in Larrin’s smug little defiant grin and her brother’s, well, overly toothy one. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
-oOo-
The sun was just beginning to brighten the eastern sky and John was sitting in one of the green patio chairs again, partially wrapped in a blanket, while Larrin and Teyla, one on each arm, were finishing wrapping them up in gauze. After a very painful shift to human and shower, they had insisted on butter-flying the worst of the scratches until he got back home and could get stitches. Oh, Carson was going to chew his ass, he just knew it. He hurt everywhere, one eye was swollen shut now, there were new bruises on top of the seat belt bites, and he wanted nothing more than to just curl up and go to sleep.
When they got back to the motel they found the parts guy there, panting like a bellows, with the oxygen sensor for Larrin’s Subaru. Devin had shifted back to normal, though his skin still had a faint metallic cast, took the box from the guy, and set to work on it by himself. He had it replaced in no time. John took advantage of his new but temporary alpha status and had parts guy get the owner of the laundry to open up for them so they could get some clothes washed before they headed home. He could see Rodney through the windows getting their fresh change of clothes out of the dryer now. One handed, of course - he had a death grip on a giant cup of coffee.
Larrin stood up and brushed off the knees of her jeans - everyone had showered and changed after their wild night. “There - that’ll hold until you get home. No gymnastics, now. But if you want to try before we all head out….”
Teyla’s eyes narrowed faintly as she helped John get the blanket settled up around his shoulders.
John let out a short bark of a laugh, then grimaced. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Nope.” Then she winked at Teyla. “Can’t blame a girl for trying. Rowr.”
John carefully sucked in his lips at the short burst of irritation he felt roll off of Teyla. He cleared his throat. “So, where are you two heading after this?”
“We were on our way to Vancouver before all this happy horse hockey hit the fan. We have some work lined up there. Temporary, of course.”
“Of course.” John shifted in the chair and saw Ronon was just finishing tying down the gear that didn’t fit in the back of the Navigator onto its roof rack. “We’ll follow you out, make sure nothing happens.”
“Why, thank you,” Larrin replied with a genuinely happy smile. “And we’ll watch for bears.” She nodded to Teyla. “It was so nice to meet you.”
John wasn’t exactly sure how she managed to convey a crap load of innuendo into that innocuous little statement, but she did.
“Likewise,” Teyla replied curtly.
“See you around, fuzzy,” Larrin said and sauntered off. Rodney was just coming back from the Laundromat, and she waggled her fingers at him. “Bye, Rodney. Watch your head.”
Rodney paused for a second. “Huh? Oh, yeah yeah yeah. Funny. Goodbye.” He stomped up onto the low porch, folded clothes in his arms against his chest, and a cup of coffee in each hand. He awkwardly handed one to John. “I’ll change first, leave yours on the bed.” Then he just tromped on into the room and shut the door.
John took a hesitant sip, and was relieved it was just plain black coffee. He sighed contentedly.
“I do not trust them,” Teyla said.
When John looked up he found her watching Larrin talking to Ronon. Well, looked more like flirting, actually, from the way the big guy was grinning. “She’s all right,” he said. “Kinda iffy on the brother, but he did keep Rodney safe.”
Teyla focused on him. “But they are Travelers.”
“I know.” John shrugged one shoulder. “And I’m an Onca. Not all books match their covers.”
Teyla considered that for a moment, then nodded to herself. “True.” She smiled down at him. “I will take your word for it, my prince.”
“I am not….”
“Ah, so much better!” Rodney proclaimed as he came out of the motel room. “Next.” He stopped practically right between John and Teyla, completely oblivious to the slightly awkward moment his two friends were having.
John slowly got up. “Yeah. Then home.” It took him a lot longer to get dressed than it did Rodney, but he managed and when he left the room, coffee in one hand, the duffle holding their dirty clothes in another, he came up blocked by a wall of backs. Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, Larrin, Devin - all of them stood there at the edge of the porch, arms crossed. Larrin glanced over her shoulder, then stepped aside to open a gap.
Martin was standing in the parking lot.
John stepped off the low porch and faced the man. He hadn’t cleaned up yet, and his face was a purple mess, his clothes torn and bloody. “You have somebody that can help you?”
“When I get home, yes.”
“Good.” John noticed the owner of the laundry was standing in the rear parking lot watching. “You. Come here.” The woman started, then rushed over. Rodney had told him he could tell she was a bear when she first opened up the door for him, and from her scent he could tell she was true born. “You’re going to be my witness, okay?” He got nervous nod in return. “Constable Martin, I am going to forgive you for the gross transgression of the Laws of Neutrality that you allowed to happen here in Briscoe. I’m going to spare your life, simply because you are an officer of the laws of Canada and hopefully know better.” He paused for a moment. “You do know better, don’t you?”
Martin lowered his head and nodded.
John chuffed. He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Keep in mind our little conversation from earlier. There is no House here, unless you really want the Clans to come down on your asses. And don’t drag my name into this - I defeated you, yes, but I did not Declare.” He knew Martin understood his words - the vargyr was so hung up on honor, he knew John did not formally declare himself at the alpha after the fight and complete the normal ritual, and his own position as such was pretty much done. “You’re all going to be good little boys and girls from here on out. Remember, this is neutral territory. Get along, and not because you’re hunting innocent people. Make things right.” He let his eyes slide briefly over to the woman, who looked both guilty and chagrined. “Do not make me come back here. Understood?”
“Yes.”
John straightened up. “Make sure the rest know. Both of you.” He got nods in reply. “Now, go home.” He turned his back on them until he heard footsteps shuffle off. He took a sip of his cooling coffee and noticed Rodney frowning at him. “What?”
“I just can’t believe you’re letting them get away with all this,” Rodney said.
John felt his stomach twist. Yeah, it did sit bad with him, but…. “It has to be this way, Rodney.”
Rodney’s hands came up and fluttered in frustration. “But….”
Teyla put a hand on his arm. “He is right, Rodney. To the greater world at large, what we are only exists in fables and works of fiction, and we have had laws in place for centuries to keep our true natures from discovery. Can you imagine what would happen if that was revealed?”
“Do rampaging mobs with pitchforks and torches mean anything to you?” Larrin said. “Burning at the stake? The Inquisition?”
“Our kind have been subjected to all sorts of atrocities in the past,” Teyla continued. “But then, Pretenders have also committed atrocities as well. That is why it is best we police our own, live under the guidance of our own laws, and try to maintain invisibility.”
“And those that do step out, usually get caught,” John said. “Mercy is practically non-existent,” he added softly.
“Okay, okay, I get it.” Rodney growled in frustration. “But dammit, I want to officially add for the record, it sucks. Worse than a black hole.”
“Yeah, it does, pal,” John drawled. Then yawned. “And I say, if we’re all packed, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Yes!” Rodney said. “Shotgun!” He dashed over to the Navigator.
John chuckled. He looked at Larrin. “Lead on.”
She looked him up and down slowly. “Gladly!” she replied with a big happy smile.
“Oh, for cryin’ out….” John shook his head and stomped off.
Both vehicles were exceeding the speed limit as they left Briscoe. Ronon was driving, and Teyla shared the back seat with John. They passed the site of the rollover, small bits of safety glass glittering in their headlights, and he found himself scanning the woods to the side for a bear. All he saw was a blur of green, then he settled back and closed his eyes. Rodney was bitching about having survived roughing it in the great outdoors for a week only to run into demon spawn and be hunted down by a bunch of inbred redneck were-whatevers. When Ronon asked him if they had banjos, Rodney practically had a cow.
John started to nod off with a smile on his face. Yeah, the last eighteen hours sucked, but the camping was fun. He made some new unexpected allies, and he was now heading home with, well, family. All in all, it was at least a happy ending, and with his life, it was more than welcome.
End Note: Now, let's see if ya caught the hint as to what's in Lorne's ancestry....