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.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Woooo...actually plot. O.O (Fair warning: Rose says 'OH!' a lot. And its really annoying, but try not to be mad at her for it.)
Chapter End Notes:
lol, if you want to laugh at Wolverine getting his ASS KICKED, please feel free to.