Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[MzHyde]

Seeing the wolf side of Rinaa snap at her again once she has made it back downstairs, she kept back a little, closer to the stairs than to the group. She was ready to attempt to make a run for it if it really came to it, having faith that The House would do all it could to help her out. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling uneasy by Rinaa's wolf presence. She was truly only trying to help but it seemed the wolf side just didn't want it. So when Rinaa's human side managed to get a word in, she mentally sighed with relief. She tried so hard to bite her tongue so she would remain quiet, watching as Jay picked up her wolf daughter.

Fia watched as the doors opened themselves to let the two of them out, before sitting on the third from the bottom step. Hearing that Rinaa was alive was a relief to Fia, glad that her confirmation of it working did prove to be the truth. She didn't want to know how Jay would react if it killed Rinaa. Kay was also glad that Rinaa was indeed alive, as she really didn't want to try and stop Jay from killing Fia just out of spite of for the sheer hell of it. "Glad it worked" Kay said quietly.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Yeah." Jay agreed, there really wasn't any more to say on the matter. Seeing the two halves of Rinaa had been pretty insightful. The wolf side was more emotional, more volatile, but more wiling to say what she wanted to. The other side, Rinaa's regular form was holding back, thinking things through and not letting the emotion show. The wolf side it seemed didn't want any help, didn't believe that help could do anything for her. The fact that her form had split suggested that Rinaa was spending her waking hours at war with herself. Jay couldn't help but feel guilty and useless over that. There was nothing she could and she knew it.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a minute Rinaa opened her eyes and groaned. "Well I didn't die then?" "Nope, still alive, though you look like shit." Jay answered, the relief clear in her eyes. Rinaa ran a hand over her face. "Well I feel like shit." She declared sitting up, shaking out her hair. "Sorry guys, seems like you can't go anywhere without me attempting to die. Lovely start to this whole wedding. So glad Cliff didn't see that." She felt like utter shit for putting everybody through that, and for how her other half had behaved. It had put a dampener on what was supposed to be a great few days." She's gonna notice immediately you know" Cal replied softly. "I know" Rinaa sighed pulling herself upright, there was no point in just lying around.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay could tell as the only other mother (mother to be, whichever way it was perceived) currently standing in the group, that Jay was worried sick about Rinaa and feeling pretty helpless. She put herself in her shoes, knowing she'd feel the same way if it was Fia in Rinaa's position. A position she hoped to everything and anything wouldn't ever occur. Seeing Rinaa finally stir awake, she watched on from inside The House as Rinaa and Jay spoke to each other. She could tell Rinaa felt guilty putting an dampener on the beginning of a group holiday and wedding weekend, but she thought personally, Rinaa shouldn't have to feel guilty. If The House didn't put up it's defences, this never would have happened.

"You shouldn't feel guilty Rinaa...this isn't your fault" Kay remarked, whilst Fia just watched on from the bottom of the steps. She agreed with what Kay said, but she still felt slightly irritated that her attempt of help was taken so rudely and badly. She figured she wouldn't try again if it came to it. Standing up with a quiet slap of her legs, she sighed. "At least you're alive Rii, that's the main important thing" Fia remarked, before walking back upstairs. Kay turned her attention to Fia when she spoke up and shook her head slightly at how her daughter was being.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"I should have suspected this would happen." Rinaa shook her head, internally cursing herself for not suspecting something like this might happen earlier. "The House never reacted like that when I was in my time. But that was at the very beginning of my downturn. Its been almost three years since I last saw it." She sighed, running a hand through her hair, deciding that for once she'd tell the truth. "And if you didn't know, you know now. I'm in the final stages, or close to them. The wolf is the dominant one, you could see that she doesn't have the same ideas on emotional or verbal control as I do."

"Yeah, I noticed. She's a nasty one, yet at the same time she's you as you are now." John agreed. He wasn't sure why Fia was acting the way she was, but he suspected that it was at least partially due to seeing Rinaa dying. "Guess I can add spilt personality disorder to my growing list of mental conditions." Rinaa didn't know how her gallows humour would go down, and she didn't care either. She just wanted to get away from all of this, pass out asleep for a couple of hours and pretend that this all hadn't happened. "How long?" Jay asked. She didn't add the second half, Rinaa already knew what it was- how long do you have left? "I won't make it to twenty, so a couple of months at best. And at worst, well, any day could be the last." She let that sink in, before turning away "now I'd you'll excis eme, I'm going to get a key to one of the houseboats."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay listened to what Rinaa explained, just like everyone except for Fia did. When John replied about her wolf side, Kay couldn't help but feel calling her wolf side nasty was a slight understatement. However, she kept that to herself, but her back got up a bit when Rinaa jokes about having split personality disorder. It made her shoulders tense up just hearing those words again, having been 'diagnosed' with it and medicated for it when she was younger/Rinaa's age. It even made her grit her teeth tightly together.

She found herself blocking out what was being said next, the talking being like she was listening from under water and it was all echo, rather than clear words. It was only when Rinaa said about going to find a houseboat to coop up in did she snap out her own mind. "I'm gonna go check on Fia" Kay commented, patting John on the arm. "something has clearly got her back up again" she added.

 

[_gallifrog_]

'Well this is a mess' John thought. If this had been a different situation he would have been saying some quite different things about Rinaa's wolf side. But that side was Rinaa, a more twisted, angrier version that no doubt suffered from all the same things Rinaa did, feeling them deeper than she did (or would let herself). The tensing up of Kay at the mention of spilt personality disorder didn't escape him nor the fact that Rinaa looked so utterly done with life in general and wanted to curl up somewhere to be left alone, while there was something else entirely going on with Fia. It seemed for the first time that Rinaa was being fully honest with them, revealing something that none of them wanted to know, yet had been wondering about- her diagnosis. She wouldn't make it to twenty and was already well over nineteen. It had been so bad in her timeline that she'd spent almost three years away from it.

John nodded at what Kay said, while gesturing for Elliott and Jay to go after Rinaa (which they were pretty much doing already). "You do that, I need a smoke." He wasn't just saying that to get out having to discuss emotions with his teenage daughter, he really did need a smoke to help him process everything that had just happened. He leant against the porch balustrading of The House, Chas leaning beside him. John lit up and there was silence as Cal retreated to Cliff's hous with the dogs. The two mulled over their thoughts, but it was John who broke the silence. "Bloody Hells." "Understatement." Chas replied with a nod and a sigh. "I don't think I even know what's going on any more." "Neither do I mate." "I should have seen The House thing coming though, considering the defences are always active and even more so since it is linked to you a way." "About that.... I'm wondering if it was partially my fault. I don't trust her, and The House picked up that, hence the elevated threat response."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded at John's words. She had a feeling his go to reaction to this whole situation would be to go and have a smoke before dealing with any of it. She gave Chas the look that said 'make sure he's alright' before heading upstairs with her stuff still in hand. She had no idea she realised where Fia's room would even be located in The House, and hoped the building would help her for her daughter. She didn't want to get involved in this weird teenage drama, but she knew as her mother (at least..her stand in mother whilst she's here and not back home), she had to do it. It was what being a parent was all about. So she considered this the test run before present Fia gets born and grows up.

She eventually found Fia in a room and knocked on the open door, leaning beside it. "What's up kiddo?" She asked, seeing Fia partially unpacking, mostly her wedding stuff to let it all hang and any creases to drop out naturally. "hey, Rinaa gone?" Fia responded flatly. This made Kay sigh, stepping inside the kid's room, which she noted was very much her. Fia had all kinds of typical teenager things such as cd's, a desk to work at and she even spotted one old looking plush on the bed around the room, along with stacks of books of learning, the walls were painted plain, but had one feature wall painted a striking shade burgundy.

"Yeah, Jay and Ell have gone with her to find a houseboat to stay in" Kay explained, Fia was about to open her.mouth but Kay stopped her, ushering her to come sit on the bed with her. "Fia, I know it's tense being with this Rinaa because of the differing timeline things, but you can't just storm off at the first bit of conflict" Kay told her. "It's not that...I'm just getting tired of trying to help but being made out as this bad guy by one side or the other of her. I wasn't trying to be cocky or anything, I just wanted to reassure everyone that dad's theory does work, and then bam! I'm being yelled at by Rinaa's wolf side. I left because I didn't want her possibly coming at me to rip my throat out or something" Fia explained. Kay listened to her reasons and she had to admit, she had a valid point. Walking away from a possible family conflict and fight that wouldn't end well for either Fia or Rinaa, was the smart choice.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas just nodded as John blew out another long puff of smoke. "Usually The House wouldn't even let a Downworlder in the door. You've seen me physically have to grant Lucien access on those few times he's been around. I'm not sure what exactly she qualifies as, but she'd definitely more than half wolf- physically and mentally." "But it did let her in. And it doesn't exactly obey the laws of time either, it remembered Fia, even though, chronologically she's never been in there before, let alone chosen and decorated a room. So it must have remembered her in some shape or form." Chas answered, running a hand through his own hair in thought, this whole situation was a puzzle. "The key words there being 'some shape or form'." They'd seen three different shapes and forms of Rinaa all within a couple of metres of each other, and he couldn't resist making such a dark joke. Even if it didn't come out as one.

"It remembered her enough to let her, but once she got through the door, the secondary defences were sprung, which I suspect were because of my subconscious being linked to The House." "Then bam! We have the good, the bad and the ugly in front of us." John snorted slightly at Chas' comment before sobering up. 'The ugly' was referring to the half-wolf, 'the good' to the unconscious wolf form (as it had caused no problems) while 'the bad' was regular Rinaa. "And poor Fia just happened to be the one there at the wrong time." "Yeah....." John agreed, hating the fact that it was always Fia who seemed to be bearing the brunt of Rinaa's bad times. He would have ptegred if the teenager blamed him instead he'd take it personally, but at least Fia wouldn't be getting hurt over something that she had nothing whatsoever to do with.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia then went quiet after she said what she had to. She was so sick of getting the brunt of Rinaa's anger, even if it was her other half. She knew the other Fia was the cause but in her mind, why should she have to be the verbal punching bag when she was so different to Rinaa's Fia? She just wanted to get alone with everyone, and see what everyone was like before she came along. She didn't want to be the subject to so much crap that could be seen by some people as bullying. Kay wrapped her arm round her daughter, pulling her into her side, to which Fia gladly welcomed.

"I'm just sick of it mum...it's like Rinaa is deliberately in some form trying to push me out of the picture. It fucking sucks and hurts" Fia said, accidentally letting out a f bomb, which was something that didn't always go down well in her timeline. "I get that impression as well Fia. So you're definitely not alone in thinking that. It's like you two go one step forward to getting along okay then four steps back. I also get the feeling Rinaa doesn't give a shit about it either. She gets under my skin as well, when you left she made a joke about split personality disorder which did not sit well with me" Kay explained, rubbing her thumb up and down Fia's shoulder, deciding to ignore the language. "it still haunts you...doesn't it?" Fia asked, and in that one question Kay knew she had told Fia about her past in some form in the future. Kay nodded, "it always will kiddo." Kay and Fia both sighed. "But the point is, she shouldn't be using you as a verbal punching bag. Whether it's her wolf side or her" Kay commented. "Think your dad was a bit annoyed by it too...or at least, thought it was uncalled for" Kay told her, Fia nodding, glad that even if it wasn't said, just maybe her father has her back in this time as well as in her timeline.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"She's getting worse, isn't she?" It may have been phrased like a question, but John didn't mean it in that way at all. It was a blunt statement of how he saw the whole situation. "She is, and its hurting everybody around her whether it's by direct action like with Fia." Chas didn't say that Rinaa's behaviour was uncalled for but he didn't have to. It was damn obvious that he agreed that Rinaa's behaviour was not justified. But unlike John Chas wanted to know the intricacies of the situation, he wanted understand why. "Or by association like with Elliott and Jay, who are just having to adapt at everything she's throwing their way. And then there's us always a couple of steps behind and completly in the dark about everything."

"At first it was deliberate though wasn't it?" John asked, taking in another deep drag, then blowing it out the smoke surling upwards as he sought confirmation on a theory he had rattling around in his head for quite some time now. "I was thinkin' that too, when she was behind the mask, she didn't want us to get close to her, to know who she was, so she deliberately behaved prickly and standoffish, making it quite clear that she had a personal issue with pretty much anybody. Then she died and had no choice but to reveal the identity she would have choked on her own blood if the mask didn't come off. But now? I'm not so sure. I know she talked about split personality as if it was a joke, a sardonic, ill-timed, ill-judged one based off the reaction, but she clearly has..... issues. We already know there's depression, suicidal tendencies and you weren't there at the time, but she also harbours a deep loathing of herself as a person, the exact words being 'broken since the start' and 'monster'. She's on anti-psychotics, anti-depressant, stress blockers and who knows what else. Her life is split in two, it's either good and filled with friends and doing crazy things in space, or depression, darkness and treatment by so called family that consists of both verbal, mental, emotional and I'd suspect physical abuse too. You know I don't say things like this lightly, but....... she's one fucked up kid."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay then for a while remained silent, not knowing what else she could possibly say to make her future version of her kid feel better. She was after all still extremely new.to this whole parenting lifestyle. Fia also didn't know what else to say, she was used to venting to Chas or John in her timeline, not her mother. Of course, she did have her moment where she needed her mother, but for a lot of it, she found easier talking to anyone but Kay. Yet she also knew this was a personal reason for sticking around for a bit...to learn to get closer to Kay so she could go back to her time and not give Kay such a hard time.

Fia remained in Kay's comforting grip, as she played with a loose thread from her shorts that was a deliberate design on them. She found herself silently twiddling the thread to dread it then pulled on it slightly, making it so much longer, then twisting again. Kay watched on, finding a small smile creep onto her face as it reminded her of what she would do on the streets to her ripped clothing. "I get Rinaa has problems...like massive problems and dealing with the realisation that she's dying...it's wrong. It's so incredibly wrong, but I don't wanna be seen as the bad guy anymore" Fia finally said, her voice breaking a little. Kay shushed Fia, and gripped her tighter and more protectively, motherly instincts just triggering instantly. "You're not the bad guy here Fia...don't you EVER think that about yourself" Kay told her. "Teenage life sucks..I'm not going to sit here and tell you it dont because I'd be lying if I did. But you're gonna be okay and make it through" Kay told her.

Kay could only hope that Chas was getting something out of John or vise versa to break down what went on and move on from it. She knew John would feel this partially his fault The House reacted the way it did, but she also hoped eventually he would see how Fia was doing.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John could only nod as he listened. He did feel sorry for the teenager, but at the same time wished she'd just pull her shit together and move on. Chas' final words may sound like a horrible, heartless thing to say about a kid, and John had been on the receiving end of such words in his life. Maybe somebody other than him could think of a nicer softer way to put it, but if even Chas was stuck for words on the matter, what hope did anybody else have? "I don't know what she is." He said in the end, an admission he'd only make around Chas, these true remarks that conveyed so much more. "She's Elliott and Jay in physical appearance and actions, y'know those little things and tics." Chas nodded, just letting John speak.

"But she takes Cliff's eyes. And I've seen bits of all of us in her. She shoots like you do, with the exact same spin on the shotgun when she pivots and reloads, she rides a bike like I do, as if it's a race or half the demon population of London is chasing her and she writes like Cal does. I even thought I saw one a' Kay's tics in her, but that could be just wishful thinking. We had some impact on her, some impact on what she is now." As John recited what he'd noticed Chas gaped slightly, before realising that his mate was right. Despite what Rina might say, there were signs of the others influence in her (bar Elliott and Fia).

"This is such a mess." "Agreed." John went to light up a second cigarette, then paused. "I prob'ly should go an' check if the other teenger, my teenager is okay." He looked slightly terrified at the prospect of having to do an awkward emotional conversation. "Or you could say out here, pollute your lungs and hope that this gets them to bond better, maybe smoothing the issues the two have between them? If you can't do it for one of them then at least do this for the other."

 

[MzHyde]

Neither Kay or Fia put much thought about why Rinaa was doing what she was or how she was. Fia was too preoccupied with the fact she was becoming nothing more than a verbal punching bag for the other teenager. Kay didn't really have anything else to say, well, she thought of one thing but she didn't know if she should say or not. She was still getting her head around the fact that she had two Fia's temporarily in her life and in the same room at any one time.

"I might just go to the library or something..." Fia spoke up eventually, pulling out of Kay's arms. She was thankful for her mother's words, she truly was and it was the most she got out of her since the time she let them know she had a fear of storms. "Fia" Kay began, making her kid stop in her tracks, "know this baby girl....I love you. I don't know if future me says it enough or at all to you, and quite frankly I'd rather not know. But I want you to know I do love you. If this little.one grows up to be anything like you I'd be so proud of you" she told her, not knowing where the words were coming from, but they just flowed out of her heart. Fia ended up shedding a little tear and hugged Kay tightly. "I love you too mum" Fia replied.

Kay then got her phone out and text John, "she's okay but called herself Rinaa's verbal punching bag. Her bedroom is the third door to the left upstairs" then clicked send. She figured it was only right to let him know where she eventually found Fia.

 

[_gallifrog_]

It was as those words left Chas' mouth that the text came in. John glanced at it, read it, replied, then tucked the phone into his pocket again. "Looks like I'm goin' in anyway." His text back read 'I don't blame her, it wasn't pretty what the other part said. But at least it wasn't physical.' John wouldn't have known which bedroom was hers if he went in and would have relied on The House taking him where he needed to be. "I'll stay here then. If Cliff and Cal come back, I'll explain. Though I'd say Cliff is keeping her family busy with explanations, so we've got time to deal with this. We don't want them to realise what shitty guests we are just yet." His smile and joke were hollow, the seriousness of the situation betrayed in his eyes. He was grateful that Cliff's family hadn't seen any of this, it would only be placing a burden they really didn't need on them.

John nodded and made his way back into The House. He made his way up the stairs, folowng Kay's directions. Once glance at the door told him it wasn't a room he'd seen before and for good reason. It was ajar, which he took as a sign that it was okay for him to enter. Pushing it open he took in Fia's room, the various books and learning things mixed with CDs and the unusual choice of colour for her statement wall. There was no doubt a story behind it, one for another day. He raised an eyebrow at it, but said nothing, choosing instead to say something more typical of him. "It's probably worth mentioning that however shite future me is at discussing things like feelings, emotions and the like, I'm even worse. So don't expect miracles in terms of advice or words. But I've got listening nailed down....so....."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay wouldn't have blamed John if he decided to stay out of the teenage woes, she just figured it was easier to let him know how his future daughter was doing and where her room was if he ever decided to find it. When he text back, she read what he put and had to agree with every word of it. She was greatly thankful it didn't become physical, which she thought it might have done at one point. "That dad?" Fia asked, to which Kay nodded, "yeah...just letting him know which is your room so he doesn't behave to rely on The House guiding him here like I did and that you're okay...sort of" Kay smiled. Fia scoffed at the remark, but nodded none the less.

When John made his way up and found the room, she glanced up at him in the doorway before he stepped inside, which finally made Fia look up at him, listening to what he said. "I know you're awful at all that, so don't worry about it." Fia replied to him, pulling away more from Kay to sit up better. She also scooted across a bit more, making Kay do the same so there was more room on her bed for him to sit if he wished to. "Was just telling mum that I'm getting sick of being the target of Rinaa's rage, no matter the form she takes on...how it feels like she's trying to push me out of the family. She's making me feel like I have no right to be here, to being your kid" she went on, looking up at him. The last part was something she never told Kay during their chat and Kay's reaction made that much obvious.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John wouldn't know, but he continued to give a warning along the lines of 'I'm completly and utterly shite at discussing emotions, particularly mine, but I know how to listen if you are willing to talk' before any such talk in the future. It wasn't his strong point. By making it clear that the other person shouldn't have any expectations whatsoever on the matter it made it all the more surprising an genuine whne he actually did think of some advice or reassurance that in the end it was all going to be fine(ish). He'd only said it that time because ehe genuinely had no idea if he'd changed in that regard in the future and figured that he'd best warn Fia on that. It was one of the first things he'd said to her after all 'I'm not the same person as in your timeline.'

He decided not to sit down, he still smelt like an ashtray. "Good to know some things never change." He replied before shutting his gob and listening to what Fia had to say for herself. He hated how dejected Fia sounded over the whole thing and how personally she was taking everything Rinaa said. It was painful to hear, particularly the last part. "Yeah, she's really takin' it out on you, that can't be denied. I don't understand her, and even Chas is havin' a hard time doing that. But making you feel like you aren't part of this isn't what she's doing. It's the other way around. I think she's the one who feels like she isn't part of this group, like she's the one without the right to be here. We already know she hates herself as a person and has Hells knows how many mental problems. That doesn't excuse what she's doing though, it doesn't justify anything."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia still found this current time's John was just as easy to talk to as her timeline's version of him was. She was also used to his usual spiel of 'im no good at giving at advice' pre chat, so hearing it now just made her feel more at home. When he did reply to what she said, she listened, and listened intently. She was glad that it was clear to everyone that Rinaa was indeed singling her out to release her anger. It made her feel less like it was all in her head and more real.

She got that Rinaa felt like she wasn't part of the group, she remembered still the chat they had outside before the storm hit and she made a run for back into the apartment and under the bed. Nodding at what he was saying, she sighed. "I get that...I do...it just feels like because she feels like that, her anger towards me is her way of making me feel like that. I know she's never liked the fact I showed up and she accuses me of taking her limelight of seeing her folks by coming back here. I also know she thinks only her problems matter. She told me as much that one night before the storm" Fia replied. "I feel like if I try to help and show her im not the monster from her timeline, she shoves it back in my face" she added.

It was killing Kay hearing their kid talk like this, and it made her look up at John, before looking at Fia. "Fia sweetheart...you have as much right to be here and be a part of this family as Rinaa does. You're both equally part of this group. So don't think otherwise" Kay replied.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Before then Fia had never spoken about what had been said that first night on the fire escape, so John listened with interest at what Fia said. He found himself agreeing that Rinaa did have a point. The odds of one person time time travelling back to see their family were astoundingly low, and for two to do so, two teenagers from the same family no less, the odds were so microscopically tiny. Rinaa had said that their relationship was toxic, with that time line's Fia automatically making it her business to one-up the other teenager at almost everything. The second part sounded particularly blunt the way Fia paraphrased Rinaa's words. The way Fia spoke just further showed to John that this was getting out of hand. Progress had been made between the two, but this had undone all of it, putting them back to the first time these two- Rinaa full of uncontrollable anger and Fia left the victim of it.

"Your mother is right on that, you both have the right to be here. Nothing she does can change that, and vice verse. You're just as much a part of this as she is." He would have said probabaly more, as she was biologically part of it, but saying that could never end well. "I personally don't think she wants to be helped, or to let herself be helped. She's given up on herself a long time ago, time-travelling here should have killed her by rights, but it hasn't. It was one of the first things she said about her impending death- she didn't want our sympathy and pity as it wouldn't change anything. She'll die before she's twenty and that's that. Those in her time failed to do anything, so Chas thinks that she doesn't see how our timeline could be any different. But that's just speculation." He shrugged, before continuing.

"And as for the anger, well I don't suppose you've met Lucien? Werewolf, runtall, sandy haired bloke, horrible taste in hats, runs the London Furrows pack?" He knew Kay hadn't, but had no idea if the charismatic werewolf was still around in Fia's time. "As a human he's a pretty normal bloke, apart from the fangs. But his wolf side is aggressive, volatile and dangerous. Anybody whose part wolf or turning into a wolf always has anger problems. The animal side has less control relies on base instincts for everything. Hence why werewolf fights are so brutal, the slightest thing sets them off. The slightest bit if ange during the day gets immediately amped up in the wolf form. I'm not saying that's what happened with her, but it was only the wolf side that reacted badly, and tuh me, correct me if I'm wrong, but it looked exactly like the first time you met in this timeline. Not saying any of this makes what just happened right either."

 

[MzHyde]

For someone who was self proclaimed damn awful at talking to people, John was proving himself the opposite with what he was saying in both Kay's and Fia's minds. Yet this was one thing Kay particularly found a lot of the time, that he'd say he was shit at talking but he'd always come through when it mattered. Kay also noted how good he was being with Fia, which to her was showing he was a good father. Fia got that it was a weird chance that they both time travelled to the same time as each other, yet Fia didn't know Rinaa was even there.

She listened more to what he was saying, and it did help her to sort through how she was feeling. As for when Lucien came up, she shook her head. She had heard his name but never actually met him. "Heard of, not met" Fia clarified, before letting him continue to why he was bringing this other werewolf up. As he continued talking, it all became clear why Lucien was mentioned, as she now saw the similarities with Rinaa. She had read about werewolves, but it just didn't occur to her in this instance. She just nodded, "makes sense...I guess" Fia eventually said. "A part of you must have subconsciously thought of that, you said to me you walked away so a full blown fight didn't break out, if you ask me? That makes you pretty knowledgeable of not just your strained connection with Rinaa, but her wolf side as well" Kay remarked.

By this point, Fia didn't even care that John had been smoking outside not that long ago, she got up and just hugged him tightly. She needed her dad and that's all she cared about. Kay got surprised by the action but smiled at it, seeing their future kid just cling to him.

 

[_gallifrog_]

It didn't surprise John too much that Fia hadn't met Lucien. With werewolves there was a very high chance he was dead by Fia's time, more than likely killed in a a fight over leadership of the pack. It wasn't mandatory to kill the old leader, but most wolves did, it cemented their position in the pack after all. But as he explained further he could see the realisation dawning in both their eyes as to why he was bringing him up. "Just a theory, it isn't the same animal after all. But the animal that bit her was the product of illegal genetic experimentation for the military, so it would make sense that the animal itself would be a right nasty bugger." He opted out of reading the files Cliff had managed to dig up on the Astras wolf, Chas had started, but they were heavily redacted and heavily technical, so he could only do it when Cliff was around an Rinaa wasn't.

"In other words walkin' away was the good choice." He didn't get to say any more because he was the practically tackled into a hug by the teenager. That he hadn't been expecting, even if he was used to getting hugs from the other teenagers in his life Elliott, Gemma and Trish. (He never so much as hug Noah as had to restrain him when the kid decided to do something stupid). But this felt different somehow, maybe it was the knowledge that this was his biological kid or maybe it was something else entirely. He hugged her back, noting that she was shorter than Elliott. He knew Elliott would get pissed if his kid sister overtook him in height. As John would be if Elliott grew taller than him.

 

[MzHyde]

Before Fia hugged him, she listened to his theory and it did make sense to her. It made it a lot more easier to understand why part of Rinaa was so volatile. She always kind of understood it, but she guessed part of her didn't WANT to understand and accept it. She was too used to being able to get along with her Leah in her timeline, which was a massive reason why it was so hard on her with Rinaa. She was also glad that he agreed walking away was the best course of action, which solidified in her mind that he taught her well growing up. Always know your enemy and know when to walk away.

Kay saw the surprise in John's face at the almost tackle hug Fia gave him and couldn't help but silently chuckle. She watched as Fia clearly clung onto him desperately needing it, and as he hugged her back. Her height of 5"5 made her fit perfectly underneath his chin, her head just at the right height for his shoulder when hugging him. "Thanks dad" she said. "For someone who says their shit at this sort of thing, you never fail with me" she told him.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John was surprised when Fia declared that not only was he good at dealing with this kind of stuff now (which was really just him being more focused on giving some theories based on his knowledge and what Chas was guessing than actually reassuring Fia that it wasn't her fault) he somehow managed to be consistently good at it. His face clearly showed his skepticism on that fact, but only Kay could see it as Fia's head was burried in his shoulder. If it had been an entirely different situation he would have said something typical like 'looks like this parenting lark is going to be far easier than I thought' but for once he didn't want to spoil the moment. "Well good to know I can do something right."

John's phone vibrated, forcing him to break off the hug to see who it was. There were only a few people it could be after all. While Cliff was out tying the ropes Cal had taken the liberty of getting everybody connected to the local network and giving the password for Cliff's family's WiFi equivilant. The text was from Elliott. 'Found a houseboat easily enough, Cliff knows something is up, but is keeping her family out of it (thankfully). Rinaa is a mess over this, this whole split soul/personality/whatever it is goes deeper than we thought. She's upping the dose of anti-psychotics as a precaution (apparently those are for suppressing her wolf side and the associated anger that comes with it). How's Fia doing?"

 

[MzHyde]

Kay had to really force herself to not to take a photo of the moment before her, knowing it was a bad idea. So she made do with just witnessing it for herself, she noticed the skepticism on his face to Fia's words and smirked, but there was an air of love within it. His words may have been based.off theories that weren't entirely his own, but the fact he said them and they helped her see passed her own upset, meant the utter world to her. She nodded against his shoulder when he made the comment he did a small smile appearing at the same time. "I love you dad" she told him, as she felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, breaking the moment off.

She pulled away from the hug, as he did so he could check his phone, taking a deep breath and exhaling to just refresh her mind. "So...feeling any better baby girl?" Kay asked Fia as John looked at the text on his phone. "A bit. I'll get there. The talk helped a lot though" Fia said truthfully, not knowing the text to John was from Elliott or that he even asked after her. She just assumed Elliott's mind wouldn't even give her a second thought at the moment because of Rinaa. "Glad to hear it" Kay smiled, as she got the biggest twinge yet she had felt, realising this wasn't just a normal growth twinge. It was a full blown kick. "bloody hell" Kay groaned.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Elliott." John said by means explanation, turning the screen around for the briefest second just to prove that yes, it was indeed Elliott who had texted him. It was pretty damn typical for somebody to have the innate knowledge of texting him right as he was in the middle of doing something important. He read the text keeping an ear on the conversation between Kay and Fia, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly with relief as he heard that what they were doing had indeed helped. His eyebrows furrowed as he read the text and the theory that came with it. He didn't exactly approve of the fact that Rinaa was on so much medication at such a young age (having had experience with prescription drugs for mental illnesses before) but Rinaa had said they helped, so he didn't push the matter.

"Wants to know how you're" he gestured at Fia with one hand, not quite looking up from his phone "doing." He paused, not quite sure what to write back, or what Fia would feel comfortable with him knowing (John presumed she would be okay with him knowing everything as they were siblings, but it was worth checking out none the less). "What should I tell him?" He directed that question to Fia, who didn't get a chance to answer what with Kay bending over and groaning. In that split second before the bond kicked in to tell him that it was okay and this wasn't being caused by something malicious or malign John's face managed the impressive feat of switching through at least sevenetten different facial expressions ranging from panic to anger to shock to immediately checking the room for threats. "What?"

 

[MzHyde]

Kay nodded to John when he said the message was from Elliott, as did Fia before she had the brief conversation with Kay about how she was doing. Kay noticed John's shoulders relax when he overheard Fia say she was feeling better and the talk did help her a lot, which she was also thankful for. She was so glad that their parenting skills seemed to be of a decent enough standard that they could be of use to their daughter.

Fia was turned back to John when he asked what he should tell Elliott about how she was doing, and was about to reply when Kay cursed, making her turn back to her mother once again. Both girls had seen the many expressions flash across John's face, as Kay looked up, her hand instantly going into her stomach. "This one just did her first kick" Kay clarified. Fia sighed with relief it wasn't anything troublesome, but she had to smirk. "It's not funny kiddo, you got one hell of a kick on you for a growing baby" Kay said. "Kinda is to me" Fia said back.