Hunting the Hunter

"No offense taken," Michael said, putting on his coat. He shouldered his backpack and picked up one of the babies. "Are you good with taking one of the boys? The last time I took them together, one of them tried to wiggle away from me and we almost all got splinched. I've never splinched in my life, and I'd prefer not to start now. They were easier to deal with when they weren't moving."

He felt a tapping on his cheek and looked to see Hiss had slithered enough out of the backpack to tap Michael's cheek. Michael looked at the rope and frowned.

"No, I don't think we should tie them together, but thanks for the offer, Hiss," Michael said to the rope. "Oh, Li, this is Hiss, and he's a very valuable working partner at times, but probably not so much for transporting small children."

Li relaxed a little and watched the rope slither out of the back pack to tap Michael on his cheek. He nodded as he was introduced to the rope. "Fascinating." He said softly but at Michael's next words he nodded " yes I can manage" he said and picked up a blanket to wrap around the young child knowing it would get cold when they ported.

He heard him talk again and smiled " Yes, I can imagine what Hiss wants to do with them." Li looked down at the boy he held. "You should hire a nanny." He suggested as he held the boy tight " they look after magical creatures too."

"I hadn't considered that, but that's a good idea," Michael said. "Would solve a multitude of problems. Would be good for all of us. Shall we?"

Michael flicked his wand and ported with the boy he was carrying. At the house, Brian had tried to talk Khaat into eating but it wasn't going to happen. She hated the thought that James was back after her again, and, even as much as she trusted Steven and Jack, she worried for Marcus. Brian had only gotten so far as getting her to lean back on the sofa, and then her own fatigue had made her doze off.

At the sound of the first newcomer, Michael, she had automatically jumped. Brian had merely stroked her shoulder to reassure her. He saw Michael with one baby.

"Give me that," he said, taking the baby automatically and stepping in straight away talking to the baby. "Where's the other one? Where are the dogs? You brought me one baby and a rope?"

"Where's the fire?" Michael demanded.

"We'll get to that. Everyone's home and being tended to. One step at a time. Robert's getting something to eat, but then, yes, we do need to meet."

"What is this about?" Michael frowned.

"James," Khaat said softly. Michael looked at her and saw she clearly had been hurt. He sighed deeply.

"How's Marcus?"

"He took a good hard hit to the head. He'll be alright," Brian said. "But, we've got to gear up, and Robert needs what you know."

"Understood," Michael said.

Li nodded and held the child close to him as he nodded he was ready to leave. Once ported into the main house he saw Brian take the child Michael had and he spoke up " he's here " he said and walked over to him pulling back the blanket. " I thought he would be cold when we ported so brought a blanket and I have the d.o.g's." He spelt out the last word as he lifted the tiny furniture from his pockets.

"Shall I resize them or leave them this size?" he asked knowing some one would want them big again. He placed the furniture down and resized them.

"You can resize them, please," Khaat told him. "They know their way around here."

"The dossier on James is laying out on my desk," Brian told Li. "I don't think you've met him, have you? The file is quite thick, but I think it would be worth your time. He's not to be underestimated. He doesn't have many ways to get under his skin--except Khaat. But that's out of the question. And--just so you know--he's been known to somehow penetrate estate security and get onto the grounds. No one should ever be outside alone, and certainly never unarmed."

Li did as requested then once a house elf had taken the child he headed to the office picking up a fairly thick file and he began to read it as he walked back to the living room the file held in his arms as he moved to sit in front of the fire as he read it slowly so he would not miss a thing.

"Blood is Jack's brother?" he said not noticing Jack return from the first floor.

"Yeah, more the pity, hes like the black sheep of the family." Jack said walking through to the kitchen. He returned with a soda and sat down. " Hes mean and evil to the bone and just hell bent on having Khaat as his own, this hand been going on for years now."

Khaat had seen Michael head straight off to find her father, and that didn't surprise her.

"If I thought he'd bear off,.." Khaat began, thinking out loud.

"You're not going to just toss yourself to that asshat," Brian said. "I'll kill him first."

"Everyone's been saying for years that we're going to get rid of him once and for all, and it never happens," she said. "He just keeps coming. Its one thing when he comes after me, but he's tried a couple of times to take Abbey. And, according to Marcus, he's taken his daughter, Poppy, twice. Poppy might be just 12, but she's just a little bit of a thing. She's, physically, the tiniest kid in the school, according to Marcus."

"He's had Poppy?" Brian frowned.

"He has," she said. "Abbey still has nightmares from James, and apparently, so does Poppy. He has to be stopped."

Li listened to them talking and sighed he could not disagree this werewolf needed to be stopped , if for anyone sake for the children he was terrorizing by being aloud to live. "Then what is his weakness?" Li asked softly. It was Jack who spoke up though from the paper he now sat reading even though it was two days old.

"He doesn't have one unless you call an all out blood rage his weakness" He said as he turned the page to continue reading.

"So what makes you different to him, you are brothers in blood after all why don't you go into this...blood rage?" His voice  was calm yet questioning he was not trying to anger Jack but learn about blood and the difference between the two men.

"Me," Khaat said. "I'm his weakness. We haven't been able to find any other weakness. There are a lot of differences between Jack and James, but the most glaring one is that Jack understands he is human. James wants nothing to do with being human and would prefer to be purely an animal. He has no morals, no conscience, and frankly, he's the only creature I can honestly say I've not found one redeeming factor in them."

"That's because he has none," Brian said, deciding to check her leg. "Its seeping," he said. "You can't sit like that. You have to elevate it or its going to bleed like crazy again. Bleeding seems to be one thing you do excel in."

"Yeah, thanks. That's an asset," she said sarcastically, as he got up and elevated her leg on a couple sofa pillows.

"I'll get more ice to slow the bleeding but if it keeps at it, we might have to undo the dressings and see what's going on."

"Oh, it'll quit eventually."

"Yeah, well, we need that to happen before you run out of blood," he said, heading to the kitchen for some ice packs.

"Jack, how's Marcus?"

(i'm presuming jack's done helping marcus for now or he'd still be upstairs.)

Li listened to Khaat then Brian as they spoke he nodded his head "But why do you remain with your humanity?" he asked Jack who sighed and looked to Jess. Who watching Brian moved. She went to Khaat, slowly and gently she remove the bandages and aperate clean ones and a bowl of clean warm water to clean the leg again.

"Its because of me and his children, we're linked not just by marriage, I ground him as he grounds me that's why he has his humanity, as you put it, I don't think Blood ever had that with any of the woman he chose to mate with."She told Li still cleaning Khaat's wound. "When I met him after I was taken, Robert gave him an ultimatum, remain human and remain with me and the children or become...well, like blood and he would kill him with out question to protect us, Jack made the choice to remain human and be with his family but it hasn't been easy."

Li listened and nodded as he understood, the more she spoke "“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength" He said softly and bowed a small bow to Jack in respect.