"So, how is she, doctor?" James Howlett asked reluctantly as the elderly, grey-haired man came out of the room, still fidgeting with his briefcase and shaking his head.

The doctor took a deep breath. He regarded the younger man with reluctant, sad eyes. "I'm sorry, James, but I really must insist again on an institution."

The muscles along the side of James’ jaw clenched. "No,” he growled quietly. "How will she get better surrounded by strangers telling her she's crazy? She needs to be with her family. She needs love. She needs me, damn it."

"But James," the doctor came forward and placed a warm, heavy hand on his shoulder. "Isn't having to take care of her and the boy at the same time too tiring? How can you possibly give them both the kind of care they need?"

"The staff helps me," he immediately supplied. "And junior is going to get better. He's going to grow out of it. He's strong inside; I can tell."

"Yes, yes he probably will," the doctor relented with a nod. "But -she- will not."

"-She- is my wife. I will not give up on her," he snarled as he threw the doctor's hand away from him.

"Very well, I'll---"

He was cut off by a soft, witless voice calling "James" from the other room. James instantly nodded his goodbye to the doctor and followed the summons. Inside the opulent bedroom was bathed only in flickered candle light, even though the sun shone brightly outside.

"I'm here, my love," James walked towards the woman sitting on the bed, drowning in covers. She had deep, dark brown hair, brushed perfectly back, out of her face. Her face was soft and pleasant, except for the paleness and grey tint of her skin.

"James," she repeated again in a whisper with a fleeting smile.
As soon as he was close enough to reach her, he stroked her cheek gently, starring into his favorite deep mahogany eyes, even though now they were slightly redden and glazed over. He returned her smile with a kind, slightly forced one before he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"No more strangers today, love," she told him.

He bit his lip and nodded and kissed her again. He stopped reminding her that she'd seen Dr. Lewbert for years a long time ago. "I promise."

"Do you have time to sit with me a bit?" She asked unassumingly, in a near childish manner.
"Always," he assured her and eased himself down on to the bed beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. She went willingly and sighed contently as she snuggled up against him.

"James," she cooed again. "Where are the boys?"

He flinched but quickly corrected himself and ran his hand up and down her arm, more to sooth himself than her.

“Junior is in his room and John--" he swallowed, steadying himself against the familiar pain that never eased.

"John isn't here," he finally answered her.

She remained very still against him and he sighed as he continued to caress her, running his hand into her hair. After a minute she spoke again.

"He's..." her voice was shaking, laced with confusion. "He's not here."

"Shhh," he whispered into her ear as he immediately tried to sooth her, not wanting her to have another episode. He pulled her tighter against him, all but desperately clinging to her.

"I'm here, Elizabeth. I'm here."

“You’re never gonna catch me like that, pretty boy!”

He stopped to catch his breath, bending over and heaving heavily against the refusal of his lungs to take in any useful amount of air. He was about eight, the same as the taunting boy in front of him. He had long black hair, pulled back into a messy ponytail, although some of it hung loose into his face.

“Cut it out, Dog,” he finally gasped when he had enough air to.

The other boy jogged back over to him, running a hand threw his oily blond hair. “What am I gonna do with you, pretty boy? You can’t even get from the front door to the well without passing out.”

“I’m not-,” he stopped to take a few more deep breathes. “I’m not going to pass out. I just need a minute.”

Dog huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re the saddest pretty boy there ever was.”

“Stop calling me that!” The other boy found enough strength to both yell and push him.

Dog laughed as he stumbled back. “There ya go! I knew you had it in you!” The boy’s face suddenly straightened and got very serious. “Can we go now before my dad finds out I’m gone?”

“Yeah.”

They didn’t get three steps before someone came out of the house after them.

“Junior!” James yelled from the door. He spotted the boys just a few feet away and waved his hand in the air, indicating he wanted them to come over to him.

“Or -your- dad,” Dog hissed, narrowing his greenish gold eyes at his friend. They walked back over to the house. One walked because he was in no hurry to get there, the other because he didn’t have the stamina to go any faster.

“Father,” he greeted politely.

James merely grinned down at his son. “You aren’t doing too much are you?”

“No, Father!” He rolled his eyes at him.

“Just be sure you don’t. You don’t want to be back in bed for weeks at a time do you? Your mother doesn’t need that added stress, does she?” James asked.

“No, sir.”

“Good. Vincent, my boy. I haven’t seen your father all day, is he okay?”

“Oh,” Dog paled slightly under the older man’s glaze and looked to his best friend. “He’s here. I think he’s just down at the stables or something.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll find him.” He smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair and tried not to grimace at the feel of it under his hand.

“Anyway!” He clapped his massive hands together as his smile stretched into a large grin. “I have quite a surprise for you, junior. Well, I guess it’s for both of you, since you seemed to be conjoined.”

The two boys eagerly looked to each other.

“What is it, Father?”

“We have a new resident at the house.” Both boys narrowed their eyes at them in unison, making James chuckle. “Rose, dear, you can come out now,” he called into the doorway.

Attentively, a small foot came outside. It was soon followed by the rest. The shy foot belonged to a girl, about the same height as the boys. She had obedient, red curls that neatly cascading down her back, and clear, honey colored eyes. She lifted a hand in greeting, but stayed relatively inside the doorway. Dog and junior starred unblinkingly at her.

“Come now, don’t be shy,” James smiled at her and took her hand, pulling her further outside. “May I introduce Miss Rose Liere. Miss Liere, this is my son James jr. and his best friend Vincent. Vincent’s father is the groundskeeper here. They’ve known each other for forever but I’m sure they’ll let you play. Won’t you boys?”

“Sure,” Dog immediately answered. “You can call me Dog, everyone else does,” he told her, showing his crooked teeth with a wide grin.

“She’s living here?” James jr. said in confusion.

“Yes, James,” he father said and patted the girl’s smaller hand in his. “Her father is a widower and a shipping merchant, so he isn’t home a lot. He thought it would be better for her to be in a house with other kids around than with nannies or a boarding school. And I think another child in the house would actually be good for your mother as well.”

The man’s eyes suddenly vacated a bit but he snapped himself back. “So, I’ll leave the three of you to get acquainted. Miss Liere, I hope you’ll feel at home here and please feel free to get me if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Mr. Howlett,” the girl spoke up for the first time; her voice was bell like, although it was strong and sure.

“James, please,” he corrected her, then turned his attention to the two boys whom were starring hard at the small girl beside him.

“Boys. Behave.” He issued the strong warning before disappearing into the house.

The three children stood in an awkward triangle, everyone looking down at their feet. Rose finally stepped closer to them and clasped her hands behind her back. “Hi...”

Junior looked up from the ground with wide blue eyes behind a curtain of black hair. “Hi...”

“Alright, we’ve all said ‘hi’. Can we -please- go now?” Dog said exasperated. “Its gonna take us forever to get there as it is since you’re probably gonna have to stop every five minutes.”
James jr.’s jaw drop as his head turned away from Rose to Dog. “Shut up!” He said as he pushed him, his cheeks bright red.

Dog laughed and slapped him back on the arm. “Let’s go, pretty boy. You commin’?” he asked, eyeing Rose.

“Yeah,” she replied, still smiling at James Jr. “Yeah, I’m coming.”




*************



Three years later....

“What the hell is taking so long?” Dog snapped as he paced up and down the marble floored hallway.

James ignored him, simply remained resting against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His calm demeanor frustrated the annoyed Dog even more and he grunted and punched the wall. At the vibration James opened his eyes.

“Just clam down,” he told his friend, “she said she was coming.”

“Pft. Calm down he says,” Dog mumbled as he paced. “Your dad isn’t going to beat the shit out of you for being late.”

“I told you to tell my father about it,” James said as he uncrossed his arms. “He’d talk to him, or let you move in with us. Something.”

Dog snorted. “Why the hell would I want to live with the pretty boy and the princess? I can take it. -I’m- not a wuss.”

“Hey! Don’t call Master James that!” A tiny voice suddenly shrieked from behind him. The two boys looked to the supplier. A much smaller girl, carrying a basket of linens was standing there. Her tiny face was scrunch up in a less than intimating scowl; she had to blow the long bangs out of her face to give him a brief view of the glare she was sending him.

Dog rounded around to her. “Buzz off, brat.”

At the approach of the tall boy she scurried back a couple of steps, pulling her basket closer to her chest.

James grabbed Dog’s arm as he stepped beside him. “Leave her alone,” he said with an exasperated sigh.

“Me?” Dog huffed. “She’s the one that came in here yelling.”

“You...” She stopped to sweep more of the tangle mass of brown hair out of her face. “You’re nothin’ but a bully!”

“That’s enough from both of you,” James snapped. Dog continued to mumble on under his breathe but the girl immediately stood straighter and pressed her lips firmly together.
Then someone tapped his shoulder and he turned around to find Rose, smiling big at him. “I’m ready now.”

“‘Bout damn time,” Dog snapped.

“Watch your mouth,” James sneered at him and sent an apologetic look to Rose.

The girl in front of them bit her lip and she gave another attempt at pushing her hair away from her face. “Go? Where...where are you guys going?”

“Out.” Dog growled. “Let’s go.”

“Can I come?” She asked, her eyes traveling between Rose and James.

“You?” Dog huffed. “You want to come with -us-? Don’t you have chores to do?”

Her face reddened and her nose wrinkled up in the familiar scowl. “You’re no better than me! You’re dad is just the groundskeeper!”

“Oh, yeah?—“ Dog stepped towards her but James’ arm shot out and stopped him. He shot him a warning glare, making the taller boy step back.

“Please, master James,” the girl asked again, pushing her bangs out of her big green eyes. “I just have to drop these linens down to the kitchen than I could be ready!” She looked down, nervously picking weaving of the basket. “You guys always look like you have so much fun, I–“

Dog interrupted her with a snort. “When are you going to realize you’re nothing but a pest?”

“She’s not a pest,” James immediately said. But when he turned back the girl he frowned. “I don’t know...we...we kind of have to leave now.”

“Yes,” Rose stepped forward, laying a hand on James’ arm. “And we’re going to the quarry. You’re a little too young to be down there. You could get hurt.”

“Yeah,” Dog seconded with a smirk on his face. “You could get hurt, little girl.”

“But I,” she whispered, then bit her lip again.

“How about when I get back?” Rose offered. “We could braid each other’s hair? Just you and me.”

The girl didn’t bother to move any hair out of her face and just shook her head. “I...I’ll probably have to help Auntie with dinner then.”

“Maybe next time, Marie,” James said, pulling Rose forward. Dog smiled and waved at her as they went passed then the three kids immediately took off in a run towards the door.


The late afternoon sun moved behind the clouds just as they came up the quarry. It wasn’t an expansive space, just a large outlet taken out of the side of a tall hill, boulders and rocks piled and scattered around it.

Dog was far ahead of the others and scurried up one of the smaller boulders without slowing down. He grinned as he looked around the place and waited for his companions.

“Man, do I love this place!” He declared, scooping up a hand full of pebbles off the ground.

James held Rose’s hand as she tried to climb up a near by rock, her eyes were carefully glued to the end of her skirt. “You just like that it’s a death trap waiting to happen,” she accused him but she had a smile on her face.

Dog acted offended, and the small stones fell from his hand to the boulder under him. “We have -never- let you get hurt, Rosie-Posie. Have we, pretty boy?”

“Nope,” James answered, as he ducked his head behind a fissure in the rocks.

Rose giggled and sat down, still mindful of her dress. “Oh, yes, two strong men I have.”

Dog barked and lifted his arms up, making a show of flexing his muscles. Rose busted out laughing and Dog looked to see if James was doing the same thing but only found the back of his legs dangling over a rock.

“What are you doin’?” He asked skeptically.

James huffed and sat up. “I can’t find those stupid gloves my father gave me. I must have left them here last time.”

“The leather ones?” Dog asked, his green-gold eyes going wide.

“Yes.”

“With the stitching?”

“-YES-, Dog, the expensive, ‘be care with these, now’ ones,” James huffed and turned back around to continue looking.

Rose sighed and shook her head, “Oh, James.”

Dog jumped down off his boulder and began walking around, moving rocks, evidently helping his friend look. “I don’t suppose you remember the last place you had them, pretty boy?”
“Yeah. Here.”

“I think you should leave the cuteness up to your face, pretty boy,” Dog huffed and went back to searching around the massive boulders.

“Maybe when you were–“ A fit of deep coughing from James interrupted Rose. She frowned as his body rocked with the coughs, until he eventually had to sit down on the ground. Carefully she slid down from her perch on the rock and kneeled in front of him.

“You’re getting sick again.” There was no question in her hushed voice.

“No,” he hurriedly answered and cleared his throat. “I think I just swallowed some dust.”

“James,” Rose gently chided. “We have to get you back.”

“I’m fine, Rose.”

She shook her head but said nothing more and they got up and helped Dog look around the quarry. They searched until the entire quarry was covered in shadows. Still, they had uncovered no gloves, only a few bug and more rocks. During the search James’ cough escalated to the point he could no longer help Rose and Dog look, but could only sit at the base of a tree and few feet away.

He looked up when they walked back slowly back to him. Both of them were covered in debris and Rose shook her head as she tried to wipe some of the dirt off her dress.

“I’m sorry, James,” she said.

His heart sunk into his stomach but he shrugged his shoulders and pushed up to his feet. “It’s alright. Thanks for trying, you guys.”

“You could tell your dad I lost them,” Dog offered.

“No, how about we don’t tell him anything.”

“James!” Rose yelled. “You have to tell him!”

“I don’t have to tell him a—“he busted into another fit off coughs, than dragged his shirt sleeve across his mouth. “Anything.”

Rose huffed and crossed her arms over chest. “I can’t believe you. What if he asks where they are?”

Dog suddenly laughed and elbowed James. “We could tell him the pest took them.”

James’ head wheeled around to him. “Really? You think he’d believe that?”
“James!” Rose yelled again.

“What?”

“No,” Dog stepped in front of his friend. “Listen, there’s no way she’d get in trouble for it. She’s like what? Five?”

“Six,” Rose corrected, her still flushed with anger.

“Alright then! Mr. Howlett would probably just buy him some new ones and drop it.”

“That’s true,” James agreed. “Any time she’s ever broken anything he’s just replaced it, not saying a word.”

“That’s because he knew it was an accident!” Rose yelled, throwing her arms down. “You two buffoons want to blame her with theft! What if he fires her aunt for it?”

“Jeez, Rose,” Dog said, taking a large step away from her. “Calm down, alright? Plan A is not to tell him anything, remember?”

“Ugh!!” She stomped her foot on the ground before shoving both of them out of her way. “You are mean, horrible boys! Both of you, just alike!”

She stormed across the field quickly and neither boy made a move to go after her. They stood as two blank states in front off the quarry and watched her ranting retreat. James’ cough finally got the better of him and he had to lean against the trunk of the tree again.

“Are you alright?” Dog asked.

“Yeah...” Suddenly he started laughing and offered his hand out in front him. “Just alike, the two of us.”

Dog grasped his hand in a shake laughing too. “You damn right, pretty boy. The two of us.”

“Come on,” James said standing up again. “We’d better get back before she decides to tell on us ahead of time.”

Six years later....

Rose giggled as she was lead down the dirt path way. Sixteen now, she grew into a luminously beautiful young lady with soft tan skin and wind kissed cheeks. Her bright red curls were pulled back into a bun high on top of her head. She was just a few inches shorter than the boy behind her whom currently had his hands over her face, concealing her eyes.

“James!” She shrieked in laughter, her hands resting of top of his. “Let me look!”

A deep, throaty laughter came from behind her. “Nuh uh, no peeking.”

“Oh! Dog, tell me where we are going.”

Dog was trailing a few feet behind them, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. He didn’t answer her, but instead followed behind them silently with his head held low.

“We’re almost there,” James assured her. “Watch your feet up here, it slopes down.”

She tugged on his hands again but they refused to budge. “I suppose I should look were I’m going then, shouldn’t I?”

“Don’t be such a spoiled sport all the time,” James chided her.

With a heavy sigh she dropped her arms down to her side and reluctantly let herself be guided forward. “Oh you two are just horrible.”

Dog snorted and suddenly stormed past them, knocking James’ shoulder with his own. Rose yelped at the jerk and her hands shot up to grab James’ elbows to steady herself.

“Hey!” James snapped at his retreating form, narrowing his icy blue eyes at the other boy.

Rose tightened her grip on James’ arms. “What was that?” she asked.

“Dog,” He grunted. His friend had been moping for several days now. He just figured he was having problems with his father again based on the new cuts on his arm. Deciding not to let the moody boy spoil his surprised he gently pushed Rose forward, continuing down the hard packed path.

After a few more steps she tried to pry his hands away again. “James, please, you know how much I hate surprises.”

“You’ll like this one,” he assured her. Then he leaned forwards and whispered, “Just trust me, Rose.”

She sighed, less dramatically this time, and dropped her arms down again. Another few steps more and she felt the ground under her change. The dry, gritty hardness morphed into a damp, spongy feeling under her thin slippers.

“You’re not walking me around the frown lawns stumbling like a moron are you?”

“No,” James grinned. “You ready?”

“Yes, James.”

She opened her eyes when she felt him remove his hands. Spread out in a perfectly symmetric semi-circle arched out were bushes covered in different colored flowers. Behind the bushes were iron statues with flowered vines wrapped tightly around them, effectively closing it off from the rest of the property. In the center was a perfectly manicured lush, green grass and a circular iron bench. Dog was standing at the back of, a scowl firmly set on his face. She smiled at him briefly before gazing at everything around her.

“James...” she gasped as she walked further into the garden.

“They’re roses,” he said eagerly, walking ahead of her. “All of them.”

She laughed, pressing a hand to her chest. “They’re beautiful. You did all of this for me?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet!” She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.

Dog grunted loudly. “Pretty boy doesn’t even know how to get his hands dirty. Me and my dad were out here all day yesterday putting his little garden together.”

James glared at Dog and the much taller boy matched him with one of his own. Rose stepped between them. “Well, I love it. Thank you, both of you.”

James came forward and carefully took her hand. “I figured you could come out here to read or draw. You said the other day how there was no place private around here.”

“Well, not between the two of you there isn’t,” she joked, pushing him slightly. Then she turned to the other boy. “Dog, can I help with the care of it? Maybe I could do some pruning every now and then if you showed me?”

Dog shrugged. “It’s your garden.”

“I didn’t plan this to give you a chore to do,” James said, frowning down at her.

“Oh, James.” She sighed, patting his arm. “It won’t kill me to have a little chore. Dog works with his father most of the day, you’re always with tutors. Everyone is running around now and I have nothing to do.”

James’ frown didn’t lessen any at her words.

Suddenly Dog was in his face. “What’s wrong with the princess wanting to come down off her throne for a few minutes?”

“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it,” James said through clench teeth. “I just meant it wasn’t her responsibility to take care of it.”

“I don’t see -you- offering to do it for her,” Dog shot back.

“Enough!” Rose yelled, eyeing both of them. “What has gotten into you two lately?”

“Nothing,” They replied at the time. They both steered away from the other, sulking in their own ends of the garden, identically crossing their arms over their chests. She looked helplessly from one to the other, but they were too occupied with glaring at each other to notice her.

Exasperated, she sat down on the iron bench and pulled out the book she had stuffed in a pocket in her dress. She looked up at them once last time to see if they were laughing at each other yet. It was not however the case. It seemed now a days it took longer and longer before they got to that point. Long enough that she always carried a book with her.

“Oh, James,” She called after a few minutes. “It’s hotter out here than I thought. Would you be a dear and get my bonnet? I left it in the foyer.”

“Sure,” he grunted.

Dog watched him carefully as he left the garden. Once he was out of ear shot he made his way over to the bench. Rose immediately shook her head at him as he stopped right in front of her.

“I wish the two of you’d stopped fighting so,” she said without looking up from her book.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You know why we fight.”

“I know nothing of the sort. Because you’re both hot-headed boys is my best guess.”

Before she could finish the word she was on the book was ripped from her hands and Dog was sitting right up against her on the bench.

“We’re fighting over you,” it came out in a near sneer. “You play us against each other over and over again. And this perpetual tie you keep calling is wearing us thread thin.”

“I-” All the air left her lungs and she tired to scoot back away from him to steady herself. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not playing anything.”

Dog threw the book across the garden in a fit of anger, causing Rose to squeak in surprise. “Stop! Just stop pretending that you don’t notice how we bend backwards for you. You have to pick one of us, Rose.”

She blinked in confusion at him, her face completely blank. “Why? I–I don’t want to pick one of you! You’re both my friends, my -best- friends. Why are you doing this to me?”

“Listen,” Dog said as he grabbed her upper arms. She squeaked again and tried to pull away but he held her tightly. “I know James has all the money and the titles and the god damn looks, but -I- can take of you.”

“Dog---”

“No, damn it!” He yelled and pulled her forward towards him. “I want you. And I’m not afraid to come out and say it like he is. I want you, Rose. We...we don’t even have to let anyone know, if you want. We can keep it a secret.”

“I can’t believe you!” She shrieked as she jerked out of his grasp and jumped to her feet. “How dare you even suggest something like that to me! Oh!”

She turned to charge towards the exit but Dog was on his feet immediately and grabbed her arms again. He turned her back around to face him. “Come on, princess. I know you like me, all this pretending and ‘proper’ stuff is pointless.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” she snapped and tried to tug herself free again. His grip tightened to a point she had to actually flinch. “Dog, let me go this very moment!”

“No.” He yanked her forward slamming her body against his and capturing her mouth in a hard, forceful kiss. She yelped against his mouth and tried to push away but one of his hands came up to the nape of her neck and squeezed it painfully, making her go limp in his arms.

“Hey!!!” Someone yelled and Dog pulled his mouth away from her to look up. James was running down the sloped walkway.

Her mouth freed, Rose tried again to separate herself from Dog. “James! James, help me! Please!”

Dog looked down to her face, his green-gold eyes darkened, then up to the charging James. With a grunt he pushed her behind him and squared up to the approaching boy.

“You son of a bitch,” was a James said before he took a swing. Rose screamed when his fist collided with the side of Dog’s face.

Dog straightened back up, rubbing his jaw. “You’d better think about this carefully, pretty boy. Pickin’ a fight with me means there’s no one to bail you out this time.”

The muscles on the side of James’ jaw were flexing rapidly even as he was breathing heavily from both the run and anger. “I didn’t pick this fight. You did.”

“Please, stop it,” Rose cried, wringing her hands together. “Both of you stop it!”

James looked past Dog to Rose for a second. Dog took the opportunity to punch James squared on the nose, sending him stumbling back into the rose bushes. He barely had time to look up, his hand over his bloody nose before Dog grabbed the front of his shirt and punched him again, this time sending him down to the grass.

“No!” Rose screamed and ran forward, collapsing on the ground behind the curled up James. “How could you?” She screamed at the panting Dog. “He’s your best friend! How could you!?”

“This ain’t over yet, pretty boy,” Dog threatened before he stormed out of the garden.

Rose’s jaw was hanging down as he left. Snapping her self back she wiped her eyes, and gently laid a hand on James’ shoulder. “James, James, are you alright? Oh, please say something.”

He only shook his head and curled into a tighter fetal position away from her.


*************

Later that day Rose waited patiently in the hall outside James’ bedroom, wringing her hands together. She looked down to the couch she was sitting on. Her and Dog use to sit there together while they waited to see if the doctor gave James the all clear to go out. Now she was waiting on her own to see if James was recovered from Dog.

“How is he?” Rose asked quietly as James senior carefully shut the door behind him.

“He’s fine,” he assured her. “Just a little upset. And swollen.”

“Oh, Mr. Howlett!” She cried. “I’m so sorry, for all of this.”

He shook his head as he sat down and rubbed her shoulder. “None of that now, it wasn’t your fault. Boys...well, sometimes boys just don’t know how to act appropriately.”

She nodded and looked down at her hands in her lap. “What will happen to Dog?” she asked hesitantly.

James senior cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll have a talk with Vincent’s father.”

“Oh!” Rose suddenly yelled and looked up at him. “Please don’t do that! His father is horrible.”

“Yes, yes he is,” he nodded. “I’ll think of something, then. I won’t allow that kind of behavior in my household.”
His face softened considerable. “Are you alright?” He asked. She nodded and gave him a small smile. He patted her shoulder and stood up. “That’s all that’s important then.”

“Mr. Howlett, can I sit with James for a bit?” She asked, glancing at the door. “I just always worry about him so.”

James senior smiled and nodded. “Of course, my dear.”



***************

Three days later...

The estate dinning room was immensely huge, but was nearly filled by the large ebony table stretched down it. Four matching crystal chandeliers hung equally distanced apart down over it, but the bright afternoon light pouring in from the large floor to ceiling window made them unnecessary. Even though there were an enumerable number of chairs around it only three at one end were occupied. James senior sat at the head of the table, with James jr. and Rose on either side of them. They were all quietly concentrating on their own plates.

“Ms. D’Ancanto, could you please make sure my wife eats all of her lunch today,” James senior asked the servant lady standing to his right.

“Yes, Monsieur,” she answer in a heavy French accent. “I sent little Marie up a few minutes ago for just that.”

“Thank you,” he nodded. “Now, James, about----”

“Master Howlett!! Master Howlett!!” A servant girl suddenly busted into the room shrieking. Rose gasped in surprise at the sudden intrusion. But James senior merely sat his silverware down at turned his head, cocking his eyebrow at the girl.

“It’s the dogs!” She yelled in his face.

“The dogs?” James jr. echoed while James senior flinched from the pain in his ears.

“What about the dogs, Ms. Perrier?” The elder asked patiently.

She took a deep breathe before shouting, “They’re dead! All of ‘em!”

“Dead?” Rose gasped, going pale. “Oh!”

The servant girl nodded frantically. “I went down there ta feed ‘em and there they were, every last one of ‘em, shot dead! The poor little things, shot right in the head!”

“What?!” James jr. jumped to his feet, sending his chair tumbling over.

James senior held his hand up at his son. “Calm down,” he commanded.

“Don’t you see it father? The -dogs- ! That bastard did this!”

“James,” his father snapped in warning. “Gentlemen do not use such words in the presence of a lady. I thought I taught you better than that.”

“I’m sorry,” he said in appeasement, clearly not meaning it.

“Dog wouldn’t,” Rose said, although weakly.

“Wouldn’t?” James jr. huffed at her. “He said it wasn’t over yet. Then father docks his pay for the month. And you say he wouldn’t shoot all the dogs. The DOGS, Rose.”

“Yes, James,” his father said sternly. “You’ve made your point quite clear. Now. Sit. Down.” The boy picked up his chair and did just as his father said, slamming his hand down on the table in the process.

“I will take care of this,” James senior went on. “I don’t want any of you to worry,” he directed at Rose and the two servant girls. They all nodded and he turned his attention to his son. “And I want you to watch your temper. It will only lead to making you do something you’ll regret.”

One week later...

“Come now, Elizabeth,” James said gently as he ushered his wife towards the bed. She had one shaking hand pressed to her head, the other desperately clutching James’.

He eased her down onto the mattress, and then helped her put her legs under the covers. She watched him as he tucked her in. “James...” she started.

“Yes, love?”

“Will the boys come to say goodnight?”

He suddenly looked up at her face. Big brown eyes were shaking back and forth as they waited for his answer. He sighed and stroked her hair. “Junior already said goodnight to you.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, confusion knitting her eyebrows together. “He did? Oh.” she stilled and James waited patiently as thoughts seemed to go through her head. “John won’t be saying goodnight to me,” she finally said.

“No, Elizabeth. John said goodnight a long time ago.” He tried to answer so that it wouldn’t upset her without having to actually lie to her.

She nodded vapidly. Suddenly she smiled and rubbed his chest. “James, my sweet love. I missed you today.”

He sat down on the edge of the mattress, his hand still resting in her hair. “I was very busy today,” he admitted. “But I was here earlier; you were napping.”

“And what kept my husband so busy that his two boys couldn’t handle it?”

James shook her words off. No matter how many times she made the mistake it never stopped hurting. “I had to fire Tom and his boy a few days ago. I’ve been looking for a new groundskeeper.”

She began hyperventilating and scooting back until she had her body pressed against the headboard. “Thom...Thomas scares me, James.”

He reached back out and stroked her cheek, shushing her. “Is alright, love, you’re alright. I know he does. But I promised I’d take care of you, remember? You don’t have to be afraid. He’s gone.”

She shook her head, her neatly brushed hair flying everywhere. Her breathing became more and more erratic and James pulled her back to him. “Thomas...Thomas and John...” She stuttered.

“Hush, Elizabeth,” he cooed as he kissed her forehead. “Tom has nothing to do with John.” He kissed her again and rubbed her back through her satin nightgown. “Please, love, don’t make yourself upset.”
She quieted but began convulsing in his arms. He shushed her again and pulled her into his lap. A common occurrence between the two, he immediately began rocking her back and forth, whispering anything he could think of in her ear. Slowly she began calming down to the point where her head lulled back against his shoulder. He eased her hair away to look at her face. She was sleeping.

With a final kiss he lifted her and placed her back into the bed. Before covering her up he walked around the other side and got into bed himself.


************


“James....” Elizabeth rolled around in her empty bed. She sat up to find him at the window tugging on his robe.

“James, where are you going?”

“Go back to sleep, love,” he said and came over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “There’s some commotion outside I’m just going to go check on.”

He gave her another kiss. “I’ll be right back.” he assured her before he left the room.

When he was gone she got up herself and reached for her robe at the edge of the bed. She pulled it on as she timidly went to the window and pulled the curtain back a fraction of an inch with a thin, shaking finger. Her eyes darted around, searching the darkness. She didn’t see anything but her other hand came up, trembling, clutching her robe at her chest.

“Lizzie.”

She whipped around to the voice. A man in tattered brown pants and a stained shirt hanging loose on him stood at the doorway. She shook her head and started hyperventilating again, her skin already deathly pale.

“No...No...you’re not here...” she mumbled, looking down at the floor.

He stepped forward, reaching hand out. “It’s me, Lizzie. That bastard husband has been hiding you from me, but he doesn’t matter now.”

“James!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. “James!”

Thomas rushed forward and clamped his hand over her mouth but it did little to mute her screams. “Be quiet,” he hissed. She didn’t move or fight him, just began twitching in his arms.

“Get your god damn hands off my wife,” James snarled when he appeared in the doorway.

Thomas whipped around to face him, turning Elizabeth with him and placing her in front of him. “No!” He screamed, his hand constricting more on her mouth. “She should have been my wife! You stole her! I’m just returning the favor.”

“Your drunk, Tom,” James snapped as he took a carefully step forward.

“ ‘Your drunk, Tom’,” Thomas mocked. “You’re always sayin’ that to me. She was going to marry me, you fucking bastard, until you came in with all your money and presents and expensive shit and stole her away!!”

“Fine,” James relented with another step. “You want to challenge me? Fine. But let Elizabeth go. Don’t you see you’re upsetting her?”

“I don’t care!!” He yelled at the top of his lungs, clutching her tighter against him.

Suddenly Dog barreled into the room, out of breathe and his chest heavy. “Dad, we have to---”

He stopped when he saw James senior standing there. Fear began boiling up in the boy’s throat and he retreated back away from him into the corner of the room.

“Vincent,” James started calmly. “Tell your father he’s making a mistake. Tell him to let Mrs. Howlett go and I will see to it you aren’t punished for this.”

“I can’t do that, Mr. Howlett. See, we’re takin’ her with us. An’ Rose too.”

James shook his head, his fist clenched tightly at his side. “I will not warn you again, Tom. Get your fucking hands off my wife or so help me God---”

“What?” Thomas barked. Then he threw Elizabeth down to the ground. “You never did realize you aren’t as tough as you seem to think you are, Howlett.”

James lunged forward but he wasn’t fast enough. He barely got half the distance before Thomas pulled out a pistol from his back and fired one shot.

“James!!!” Elizabeth shrieked in a sob, covering her ears, then her mouth, then simply folding in half and covering her whole head.

James tumbled back once then clenched his eyes shut. His body fell heavily to the ground, making a resounding thud when it hit the wooden floor.

Thomas looked up from the body to see James junior standing in the doorway. His icy blue eyes were wide, staring down at his fallen father. “You...” the boy stuttered than starting panting. “You...” Suddenly he roared and gripped the sides of his head, doubling over.
Thomas raised his gun again but still in shock at the second vicious scream tearing out of the boy’s throat.

James jr.’s body lurched the other way mid scream, folding backwards. He didn’t straighten back up so much as snap forward, sharp; blood tainted canine teeth ripping from his gums into his mouth. Panting, his glance landed on Thomas, all the blue gone from his eyes to nothing but black. His whole body did one giant lurch before he yelled out again, this time two sets of three dull bone claws erupting from his hands, only a single drop of blood running down each of them.

“Holy shit!” Dog gasped, stumbling back further into the room. “Shoot him! Fucking shoot him!!”

Thomas snapped back into reality just as James charged and raised the gun, firing a shot. The small bullet did very little to stall the charging mass and with the first swipe most of Thomas’ thigh was removed from his body. He screamed out and fell to the floor but didn’t get another breathe in before three claws were stabbed into his gut, then twisted.

“Dad!” Dog screamed, running towards them.

The other side of claws came around, ramming into the side of Thomas’ neck, effectively taking the head from the body. Dog stilled, frozen in horror. But any thought for running and saving himself was ended with James whipping around to him. He was, however, too far away and the tips of his newly acquired claws merely cut into the side of the other boy’s face.

James walked forward, salvia dripping from the corner of his mouth, towards the fallen boy. A cry of “James! JAMES!” stopped him and he turned back around. His bloodied claws slowly started to slid back in as he watched his mother bent over his father’s body, kissing him, shaking him, pulling his hair, screaming at him.

He narrowed his eyes at the scene, his breathing slowing slightly, and some of the blue clouding back into his eyes. He took two quick steps towards them when she looked up and screamed at him. She grasped his father’s body and pulled him closer to her, so he was practically in her lap.

“Stay away!” She screamed, rocking back and forth, holding James senior to her. “Stay away, demon!!”

He had barely processed her words before she scrambled her hand along the floor until it grasped the forgotten gun. Instinctively he backed up, his hands raised. His fears were misplaced because when she raised the gun she aimed it at herself, firing a single shot.

His body jerked simultaneously with her own. But she fell beside her husband and he was left standing in the middle of the bloodied room, his mouth hung open, and all the color again gone from his eyes.

He didn’t hear Rose come in or her scream his name. He didn’t even feel it when she grabbed his arm and started pulling him out of the room.

*******

She ran down the hallways as fast as she could, dragging the seemingly empty body of her friend along behind her. Bells were ringing and yelling was going on all around the house and she ran from it all. Her mind wanted to bring back the images of what she saw in that horrible, horrible room but she pushed it all back and concentrated on her feet. Trying to get away from the noise.

For only a brief second she looked back behind her, to see if anyone was following them. The action cost her because she and someone else collided together hard. She screamed, without looking who it was and gripped James’ arm tighter.

“Rose!” Marie grabbed the other girl. “Rose, what’s going on?!”

“Oh, Marie!” Rose sobbed and took one of the girl’s hands in her free one. “I...Oh, I don’t know! Marie, please. Please, you have to help me! I have to get James out of here!!”

Marie looked behind her to the swaying mass. He didn’t look at her or past her either, but she shivered from the cold black eyes. Swallowing, she nodded at Rose. “Of course, this way.”

She took James’ other arm and led them back down the hall the way she came. When they got to a panel on the wall with a landscape hanging above it Marie put her shoulder to it and pushed it open. She ushered the other two inside, where a staircase was winding down. They stumbled down the stairs, nearly falling several times from handling the uncooperative James and the miss steps of their own frantic feet.

The stairway opened up to the kitchen, which they ran through quickly and out the back door.

“Come on!” Marie whispered as she ran across the lawns. Rose and James were right behind her. With Rose’s help, Marie and she were able to push open the large barn door. As soon as it was opened Rose ran back to James, who was still standing motionless, and Marie ran into the barn.

She grabbed the first horse she saw and barely had the stale open before she was yanking it out. Thankfully the horse allowed itself to be maneuvered into place in front of a cart, although it danced skittishly from Marie’s hectic movements. In her haste to get the clasp shut it slipped from her hand, cutting a jagged line down her palm. She screamed out, pulling her hand away and dropping the cart end of the clasp.

“What is it?” Rose’s voice floated from outside. “Do...Do you need help?”

“No,” Marie snapped back, clutching her hand to her skirt. “I’m fine.” She shook her head to try and rid herself of the pain before taking the clasp up again. After slamming the two ends together a time or two she finally got it to lock.

Rose ran up to her as she led the horse out. “Help me get him in,” she commanded and they both reached for James. Together they managed to get him up into the cart. Rose gasped at the spot of blood left on the side of the cart, immediately fearing it was James’. But when Marie brought a blanket out of the barn she noticed the wound and the stain it left when she threw them on top of James.

“You’re bleeding,” Rose pointed out.

“It doesn’t matter,” Marie quipped. “Just go. I’ll keep them distracted as long as I can.”

“Oh!” Rose sighed and hugged her. “Thank you so much.”

“Just go and get him out of here!” She yelled pushing her up into the cart as well.

Rose drove the horse as fast as she could through the estate lands. Several times voices screamed at her to stop or to halt but she only pressed the horse harder and silently began praying to herself. Once she left the Howlett grounds she rode in the opposite direction of the town. The terrain changed several times during the escape and the horse complained several times but she didn’t dare let it slow down or stop.

Not till the sun began to peek over the horizon and the familiar Alberta trees gave way to thick, stalker trunks did she pull the horse back. She dropped the reigns from her chapped hands as she looked up at the horizon. After hours a straight riding she finally allowed herself to wipe the tears from her cheeks. They were dried now, crusted from the cold night air, so she had to rub with her sleeve and still her face didn’t feel clean.

With one last deep breath she got up from the front seat and stepped over into the back of the cart. James was leaned back against the side of it, the horse blanket wrapped tightly around him. Slowly she kneeled down beside him and placed her hand on his chest.

“James,” she called. “James, wake up.” He didn’t move so she shook him gently. “Oh, James, please wake up.”

His eyes blinked opened several times before they settled on her.

“James...” she repeated, searching his face nervously. He didn’t answer her, just stared blankly at her. “Say something. You’re scaring me.”

“Who...” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Who are you?”

Her eyes went wide. “I’m–I’m Rose. Oh, don’t say something so cruel like that!”

“I--” He looked down at her hand on his chest then his surroundings. “I don’t--” He stilled and looked back to her. “You...you said James. Am I James?”

“What?”

“I--” He looked down to her hand again. “I don’t know who I am–I--” Suddenly he hissed and clenched his eyes shut as he gripped his head.

“Oh!” Rose sighed and took his hands in her own. “It’s okay. Don’t strain yourself. It’s going to be okay.”

Four days later...

“Just,” Rose frowned as she looked over him. “Just come here.”


She licked her fingers and tried to slick back the long black hair hanging in his face. Thanks to the grease already in it, most of it stayed in place. But then the dirt smudged across his nose and cheeks became more evident.


“Oh, you poor thing,” she sighed and licked her fingers again to attack the grim. He stood there silently, his eyes fixed on the group of houses behind the trees.


“Now, listen to me,” she said as she straightened his shirt. “This is the last town, right by the coast. I shouldn’t think we’ll have to go any further. Oh, are you even paying attention?”


His cloudy blue eyes settled down on her, although he remained stoic.


“We’re going to tell them we’re from Prince Rupert and we left because...” she stumbled, her mind running a blank. “Oh! I can’t do this! Ugh!!” She shook her head, and took a deep breath. “Okay, we’ll tell them we’re Rose and–and—Logan. Rose and Logan Smith.”


He cocked an eyebrow at her. “You said my name was James.”


Her face softened and she took his hand. “It’s not safe to be James right now.”


“Logan,” he tried the name out loud.


“There you go. Good,” she patted his hand. “We’ll tell them we’re siblings and that–that our family lost our home in a fire.”


He wasn’t looking at her again, his eyes were back to scanning the point beyond the trees.


“Oh, let’s just go.”


She grabbed the horse’s reins and started walking forward, out of the woods and into the clearing. He followed behind the horse. The landscape was nothing like the gentle rolling hills of Northern Alberta. The little town was nestled amongst tall, jagged stones and mountains just in the distance, casting their shadow over the comparatively tiny wooden structures.


The way into town was easy to distinguish. One dirt road ran down the center, making three nearly perfectly straight rows of buildings, road, buildings.


She had no idea where she was going in the tiny mountain town, yet somehow her feet had a very distinct direction in mind. It had been days since either of them ate anything and she assumed they were pulling her towards that wonderful beef smell.

Tucked perfectly in the straight line was a shorter wooden building, though it was probably twice as wide. Men came in and out of it. Not just men, huge monsters of men who’s skin was gleaming and red from either sun or dust (not that it mattered which). Their muscles were as big as their heads and their thighs shared a similar affliction, making them waddle as they walked.


Fear scratched at the inside of her throat with dryness, but she pressed herself on, pulling the horse to towards two other waiting ones at the tie ups in front of the building.

“Logan,” she called as she reached her hand out. It surprised her how easy it was to call him that. “Come on now, stay behind me.” He made no move towards her, just dark, cloudy blue eyes fixed out her, so she had to grab his hand herself.

She took a last breathe before she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The last, quick shot of oxygen appeared to be a good thing considering how dense the air was with thick, grey smoke. It bellowed around the men as they lounged around tables, huge mugs of beer sat in front of them and not a single ash tray in sight.

Beside her she heard Logan sniff, a big deep breath. “No, no!” She chided him, waving her hand in front of his face to reduce to the cloud. “Oh! Don’t breathe in too deep; this stuff is bad for you.”

He squinted his eyes at her but she was already moving forward, looking for someone, anyone who would give them a slightly less intimidating look then the men sitting around them. Finally a blur went past her, and then came back around. It was a short, rather pudgy older lady, running around the room refilling mugs.

“Somethin’ I can do for ya, skinny?” The older lady asked as she skirted by, not even slowing down.

“Oh,” Rose faltered, being completely thrown off guard by the woman’s half-ignorance of her. “My name is Rose and---”

“I don’t care what ya name is,” the lady interrupted her and finally stilled in the front of the bar. “All’s I wanna know is what do ya want?”

“Me and my brother, here,” Rose pulled Logan forward. “We had to relocate, if you will, and we’re hoping to settle here.”

The lady shook her head and went back behind the bar, continuing her frantic pace. “Ain’t no places for sell here. Ya gonna have to buy a lot from the company, they own all the land round here, and build your own.”

“See,” Rose started to follow her but was jerked back by Logan’s refusal to move his feet. She looked up to him quickly, to find a still vacant face and sighed and dropped his hand in favor for chasing the woman. “That’s just the point, madam, we have no money.”

The woman stopped cold in her tracks and spun around to her. Her tiny eyes narrowed even more. “Any body says ‘madam’ has money, girl. You’ll find ya can’t con folks round here too well.”

Rose raised her hands in innocence before she clutched them to her chest. “No. Oh no! I wouldn’t dream of such a thing. We lost our estate, family estate. Fire!” She flinched when she realized how loud she had shouted the word. That was not how the story was supposed to be told. Not at all.


“Fire?” the woman echoed with an arched eyebrow, obviously seeing through the lie.


“We’ll work for everything,” Rose assured her. “That’s my brother there,” she pointed through the crowd to Logan who was standing perfectly still just inside the door.


The older woman snorted. “That boy looks about as sharp as a duck without a head, can’t be too handy.”


“He is,” Rose immediately countered and hoped the woman wouldn’t see through her second fib. “He’s just in shock still.”


“From the fire?” The woman guessed with a smile. Rose’s face fell as she sighed and looked back to Logan. The older woman didn’t let her suffer long. “Alright, little lady. You wanna work? That’s fine by me. Run in the back and get a apron.”


Rose’s brown eyes went wide. “Oh! What, now?”


“You damn right, now,” the woman huffed. “We’ll see ‘bout the boy later.”

***


Rose took a deep breath as she leaned against the bar. She was exhausted, never had she moved so much in her whole life. Her feet hurt from walking, her arms hurt from carrying things and her overall body was just sore. And she’d only been helping Ms. Alton for just over an hour.


With another heavily sigh she reluctantly wiped her hands on the used apron and made her way over to her ‘brother’. He was sitting in the very back, hands clasped tightly over his ears and a scowl on his face.


She felt so sorry for him. He’d been sitting like that since Ms. Alton told him to go sit down somewhere and get out of the way.


“Logan,” she said when she reached him. He raised his eyes to look up at her but didn’t remove his hands so she took them carefully in hers and lifted them away from his face. “Are you alright, you look absolutely miserable, you poor thing.”


“The noise,” he groaned, clenching his eyes shut again. “It’s so loud.”


She looked around them surprised. It wasn’t that loud, the men were talking in a low murmur, their deep voices blending together. The loudest thing there was Ms. Alton yelling, but she was back in the kitchen so even that was muted. Rose put a hand to his cheek. “You must be getting sick again. It’s probably all this horrible smoke in here.”


“I happen to like all the horrible smoke in here,” and voice behind her quipped.


“Oh!” Rose jumped and turned around. Behind her with a big, toothy smile on his face and arms crossed over his chest was another large-built man, sun-burnt skin, just like the rest of them. But he had short brown hair peppered with gray around his face and warm brown eyes to match his smile. The faint heat of a blush crept onto her face. “I’m...I’m very sorry, sir. I didn’t intend any offense.”


He laughed, loud and hardy. “I don’t imagine a sweet thing like you ever does. Name’s Smitty.”


“It’s...it’s very good to meet you, Mr. Smitty.”


“None of that now, just Smitty is enough.” She nodded and at her silence he laughed again. “You gotta name, darlin’, or’s that a secret?”


She looked down to the floor quickly, then forced back up a little bit of courage. The urge to curtsey to him was unbelievable, but she manage to suppress it to just a nod of her head. “Rose. My name is Rose.”


“Of course it is,” he smirked. “That explains that lovely shade of pink you got going on.” Her eyes went wide and he almost laughed again at the sheer innocence all over her face. But his glaze finally landed on the boy sitting behind her with hands pushed hard against the sides of his head. “He alright?” He asked.


“No, if ya want my opinion,” Ms. Alton said as she stopped beside him. “These the two I told you about, Foreman, lookin’ for jobs.”


“Well,” Smitty started, and then bit his lip. “I don’t know how its gonna go down on the job site, but I suppose I could find an ax or something small enough that she could---”


“No, you great big oaf!” the older woman wacked his arm with her hand rag. “You gotta take the boy.”


“Oh!” Smitty said as he slapped a hand to his forehead, then gave a wink at Rose. “I suppose that does make more since. Alright, kid, you ever done any mining?”


Logan only narrowed his eyes at him, the corner of his top lip quivering slightly. No one seemed to notice it though before Rose stepped in front of him. “No he hasn’t. He...he hasn’t really done any physical labor.” She felt horrible for saying it. But she had little choice but to butcher his pride in front of everyone, least they might give him something he couldn’t handle.


But to her surprise Smitty didn’t laugh or looked surprised, his face remained calm and stoic. “Well, we’ll fix that. What’s your name, kid?”


Clear blue eyes looked to Rose. “Logan,” she placed a hand on his shoulder as she answered for him. “It’s Logan.”


“Right,” Smitty answered looking between the two of them. “Alright then, Logan. Works starts tomorrow morning at sun up. Now, Miss Rose, I’m unsure of your serving qualifications. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind giving me a demonstration?”


“You’re pathetic; nothing but a cad,” Ms. Alton snapped and she stormed off.


“And I adore you as well, my dear Ms. Alton,” Smitty called after her, then turned back to Rose. “What do you say? Beer? Please?”


Rose rubbed her cheeks in an attempt to rub off the flaming blush. She nodded at him and made her way to the bar. He followed closely behind her.


Logan watched them walk away, his eyes following them all the way across the room. Then somebody knocked a plate off a table and it crashed to the floor, sending a rattling volume bomb going off in his head. Unable to stand the constant noise in the place any longer he pushed off the stool to his feet and stomped to the door, not bothering to dodge anyone in his way in his haste to get out.


Once he was outside he took a long, deep breath, then shook his head at the invasion of new scents, trying to clear them out. He actually stumbled on his feet, his body whole body felt as if it was being attacked, on overload.


His shaky feet brought him away from the tavern, to the middle of the dirt road. It didn’t improve. The whole town as too offensive for him, the stench of horses and metal and things burning and cooking and waste, it was all too much.


He turned his head suddenly, his eyes peering into the distant woods. The last four days hadn’t been this bad, the woods were peaceful and quiet and smells were pure. Without another thought he took off in a run, straight for the line of trees.

************

Five Years Later...


Rose sighed heavily as she continued to stare out of the window. Rain was still coming down hard and showing no signs of letting up soon. “Where are you, James?” She whispered quietly to herself, allowing herself the rare luxury of saying his real name out loud.


She knew the mines were shut down, men starting walking passed two hours ago. But still not her best friend. They should have done what she wanted, build a home close to the mines so he wouldn’t have far to walk, but his belly-aching about the smell of the place finally won out and now she feared they were too far away for him to walk in such a storm.


Reluctantly, she dropped the edge of the drape and turned away from the window, wrapping her shawl tighter around her. If he wasn’t back soon she would find Smitty. He’d find him for her. He always did when James—Logan, when Logan pulled one of his disappearing acts.


She sank down into the old rocking chair by the fireplace. It was a housewarming gift from Ms. Alton when they could afford the land for their own cabin just a year ago. Rose thought it to be such a sweet gesture at the time, so unlike the old woman, but soon found out it was completely scratched up on the underside and most of it Smitty had to replace. Her hand sneaked out from under the shawl to lovingly rub the smooth wood on the arm. James—no, Logan. Logan hated the chair, said it squeaked too loud, but it was her prized procession. He complained about a lot of things though, the chair only being one. He complained about having to pretend to be her brother, although she wasn’t sure why that was so offensive to him. In hind sight she should have never told him they weren’t really related. She certainly didn’t tell him anything else about the horrendous past that he still couldn’t remember.

“Oh!” She suddenly screamed in surprise. A thundering boom from the storm shocked her out of her wandering mind. It was followed by another loud bang of the heavy wood door being slammed open and colliding with the cabins walls. The open doorway was filled completely with an ominous male figure.

“Logan!” Rose called in relief as she jumped up and ran to him. “Oh, I was so worried! Where have you been?”

“Out,” he mumbled, his deep, rumbling voice bouncing off all the walls of the small cabin. Behind him a deer carcass was lying on the porch.

“Oh, Logan,” Rose sighed as she took the sleeve of his drenched shirt in her fingers and gently tugged him further in so she could push the door closed behind him. “Hurry now and go put dry clothes on before you get sick again.”

Logan shook his head, sending water drops flying everywhere. “I’ve never been sick, Rose,” he pointed out, slight annoyance in his voice from having to say the same thing so many times.

She huffed and pushed on his wide, muscular back towards the direction of the bedrooms. He allowed her to move him, shuffling his feet the whole way. “Please do not do this to me, Logan. Just change and I’ll make you something warm to drink.”

Her constant worrying tried his nerves but looking down into the tear-glazed honey eyes he surrendered, like he always did. “Sounds good, darlin’,” he said as he kissed the crown of her bright red curls.

The familiar gesture made her softly chuckle. “Oh, I swear you are spending way to much time with that cad Smitty.” With a smile she gently cupped his cheek in her hand before turning away back towards the fire.