Hunting the Hunter

"Well, I'll be happier when James leaves my family alone," Brian said.

"Maybe we should try to lure him out again," Khaat suggested.

"No," Brian said firmly.

"Why not?"

"First, it never works," Brian said. "Second, you've already got a hole in your leg. Did you not have enough for today? Third, I'm not using you as bait again."

"What choice is there?" Khaat said. "If we knew of something else he's interested in."

"The only thing a werewolf is interested in," Suki said, going from the kitchen upstairs, "is raw meat and sex. Not necessarily in that order."

"Suki," Brian said, a little surprised at her candor.

"Its true," she maintained, going upstairs.

"So, is she suggesting we buy him a cow or a date?" Khaat frowned.

Li could not help but smirk at the suggestion as did Jack who spoke again " Oh, Marcus is in his bed and sleeping the last I saw of him." He watched Suki head up the stairs.

"From what you said I agree, I do not think that will bring him out, in both cases." He said and looked to Brian "and putting Khaat in danger isn't an option ether." He sat down and thought. "What is it that attracts him to you, your scent, possibly, maybe some one could copy it and we could use it to bait something else." He looked to Brian then spoke to Jack. "Would he know the difference, are there subtle changes he could pick up on?" He closed his eyes in meditation as he thought hard about how to lure James out in the open.

"I don't honestly know what it is," Khaat said. "Good question. I can answer a little of the question about scent, at least from things I remember him saying. I know he always smells blood if I'm injured, but I'd expect that. He's used my scent before, in part, to track me over quite a distance. And, I know when I've been pregnant he's said he's been able to smell it. I don't know whether he was telling the truth or not."

Robert and Michael came out to join the others. "I might have a bit of a plan, but its not for today," he said. "Michael says that the streets are saying that there's a lot of tension between Fenrir and James. There's rumblings that Fenrir is almost done letting James stay with him."

"What are you saying, Robert?" Brian asked.

"If I find out Fenrir is fed up enough, perhaps I need to offer to help Fenrir get rid of him," Robert said.

"What? Are you crazy? On the same side as the man who made Remus's life miserable?" Khaat bristled. "No. Absolutely not."

Li listened to them even with his eyes closed in meditation. Jack spoke up first. "Hum.. might work the enemy of my enemy is my friend, sort of thing." he said this made Li open his eyes and look at them both. " if hes pissed at Fenrir he might not see us coming, distraction tactic." Jack said folding and placing the paper now down on the table next to him as he watched Li still sat cross legged on the floor in front of the fire.

Jess had cleaned Khaat's wound again and now waited for Brian with the ice, she had used some of her energy to slow the bleeding once more. " Robert has a point, you need to heal this first, this wound will only make you more prey, if he can smell your blood."

"Well, yes," Robert said. "If the intel reports are correct, then Fenrir has the same issue that I do. Fenrir can't afford to let James start killing again. If he does, then Fenrir has to know there won't be any end to the hunting of werewolves. It will wipe them out completely. Not to mention that I certainly don't want any more senseless deaths, period.

"You're seriously considering this, aren't you?" Khaat glared hard at him, furious.

"I'm certainly not going to rule it out," Robert said, as Brian returned with ice for Khaat's leg.

"Why should he listen to you? What can he gain from you?" Khaat said.

"Perhaps saving the lives of those in his pack," Robert said. "James is becoming a huge liability..." He stopped, looking at her. He'd struck a nerve. He had hoped that Fenrir Greyback would not be such a raw subject. "I'm not doing it today," he said, wanting to reassure her.

"Suit yourself," she said quietly. Brian sat with her again and he laid his hand on hers. He knew that her loyalty for Remus wasn't ever going to change.

"I think we all need a bit of a diversion," Michael said. "Jess, I've got a new recipe for some chocolate cherry scones with a chocolate ganache drizzle. You want to help me? We'll put on some fresh tea and coffee. And if I know Angus, that boy has some sort of decent jam stored in the pantry we can use. Tea solves everything."

Jess looked at Michael and nodded "Agreed, James has got us all a bit too tense." she said then smiled at his mention of a new recipe " sure, I'll help, be good to learn a new recipe for the ." she said and moved to the kitchen.

"So where do we start?" she asked taking out mixing bowls and a mixer in case and placed it on the table before taking out spoons and a cutter for the scones. " think of me as your helper for today." she could not help but chuckle seeing Jack peek his head around the door. "Go away Jack, there not even made yet." she stuck her tongue out at him and he pulled a tongue back at her.

Michael got out a piece of scratch paper that he's written the recipe down on. "There. That's for the scones themselves. I think Angus keeps dried cherries, if I recall. I didn't bring any, but if you find he doesn't have any, let me know. I bet we can use some fresh or frozen ones. I know Angus keeps a well stocked pantry, so I'll get things for the ganache and for the tea."

He got the tea, the chocolate and the heavy cream. "I told him she wouldn't like that plan at all," Michael said quietly. "He seemed to think she'd be good with it if got James off her back. I told him he needed to rethink it. I'm hoping this doesn't cause a big rift between the two of them, but she won't ever endorse any kind of alliance with Fenrir. I don't see that ever changing."

In the living room, Khaat looked at Brian. "I really don't want to wear scrubs. I'm going to go up and change," she said, standing up. He stood up, ready to help her.

"I'm okay," she said. "I've got it. I'm just going to apparate."

"You sure?" Brian asked. She nodded, apparating upstairs to avoid having to walk up the stairs.

Jess took the recipe and began to mix the ingredients " oh Angus has them in the pantry I think tucked at the back." she said as she Put the flour, a half teaspoon of salt, bicarb and butter into a bowl and rub in with her fingertips until the mixture resembled breadcrumbs then she mixed in the sugar. Quickly she mixed in the buttermilk, a splash of milk, vanilla and the cherries she worked it together until it formed a soft dough. After she rolled it out she used the cutter to cut the scones at about 3cm thick.

She transferred them to a lightly floured baking sheet and brush with the remaining milk. Jess moved to the cooker and placed them in to bake for 12-15 minuets until they would be golden and well risen.

"Do we have any clotted cream and jam?" Jess asked looking up at him.

Upstairs, Marcus was in a light sleep, his pounding head keeping him from sleeping soundly. He heard the all too familiar sound of Khaat's apparating into her room. He didn't think much of it, but only a moment later, he heard the same sound again. That wasn't right at all. He got to his feet, grabbed a pair of jeans and a cable knit pullover and went to her room. She was gone.

"Why the hell don't you know where she's gone?" he asked Remus's portrait above her fireplace, not expecting an answer.

"Who says I don't?" the image replied.

"What do you mean?" Marcus asked.

"She picked up the photo from her nightstand drawer."

"The one of her and you?"

"The very same," the portrait said.

"I know where she's gone then," he said. "She'll be alright. All the same, I'll go get her. Tell the others not to worry if they find us gone. Tell them..." he paused, wanting a good excuse.

"Stepped out for air, did you?" the portrait offered.

"Fair enough," Marcus replied. "Lame as that is. Tell them we'll be back shortly. I'll sound my alarm if there's trouble." Marcus picked up her jacket, went back to his room for his shoes and his jacket and then apparated out.

"What sort of a house would it be if we didn't have that?" Michael laughed. "Angus has some homemade chocolate cherry jam, I've found. It should do well, I think. And don't forget, there will be warm chocolate ganache poured over the scones." He brewed a pot of tea, a blend he'd chosen from the many teas Robert kept in the house.

"I think the ganache is ready," he said, taking each of the scones and dipping them, face down in ganache and then putting them on a rack for the chocolate to set. He garnished them with just pinch of chopped dried cherries in the center on the tops. "What do you think?" he asked.

Jess nodded and chuckled at Michael's words and nodded " so true." she said then frowned as she looked up to the stairs feeling two people had left but she knew it could not be true as Marcus was sleeping and so would be Khaat.

Jess watched Michael and smiled "They look simply delicious." She said as she took one and dipped it in the chocolate as well. "I'm sure the adults will love them as will the kids if there's any left." Jess took a small bowl and placed some cream into one and the jam into another placing them next to the now cooling scones.