Hunting the Hunter

"We had a lot of good times," Michael said. "You all still have good times. You just can't let the dark times take away all the joy of the good times you have. Its not worth that. You let the darkness win when you give into it. I'm not surprised that Khaat and Robert were able to make some sense to Jack. They both grew up accepting that there were werewolves in the world and that it didn't always have to be terrifying, much as that lame-brained brother of Jack's would like everyone to believe otherwise. He really is a stupid arse if he thinks he'll ever get a Lupin or anyone else from this house to shake in their shoes because of him.

"Indeed," Kate said, coming into the kitchen. "Where are the berries, Michael?"

"We don't have any," Michael said.

"The hell we don't," Kate frowned, going to join him to look in the fridge. "Can we not avoid a food fight this noon? There have to be some in here somewhere. Miso soup sounds wonderful, Li. I had some, just one time, but that's been decades ago."

"We're so going to be in trouble," Michael sighed, still not finding any berries. "Jess, does Angus hide the berries in here someplace?"

Jes stopped what she was doing and moved to the pantry, opening the door she began to look for them " AH there on the top shelf," she called out just as Jack walked in and reached over to them taking down the bowl he could not help but kiss her shoulder gently " Thank you Jack." she said smiling as he took several berries and started to eat them.

"Your welcome, can't have a riot, he put them there so Abby wouldn't see them." He explained as he moved back to the living room as Jess moved with them to Kate. "Here, these what you wanted?" she asked holding a large mixing bowl filled with Berries of all kinds.

Li smiled and nodded " I would be happy to make it on another day for the children and adults."

"It is," Kate smiled. "Thank you, Jack...." She was looking at him when she saw a firewhiskey bottle floating on its own through the dining room--but quickly approaching the back of Jack's head. "Duck!" she told him. "Its on your six."

Michael saw the firewhiskey bottle when Kate called out to Jack. "I think its heading upstairs," Michael said calmly, "Its either Marcus or one of the kids."

"They don't even know what whiskey is," Kate scowled. "But Marcus certainly knows. I think we should either stock him up, up there, or keep our eyes open a bit better perhaps."

"Could it be Robert?" Michael asked.

"Doubtful," she said. "I think he headed downstairs but its not my afternoon to watch him."

Jack heard the call and quickly turned and ducked laughing as he did and popped another berry into his mouth. "I must be getting quicker or use to them but they should put some sort of bell on those things" he said as the bottle floated passed him undisturbed on its way up the stairs. Jess just smirked at him.

"Wheres the fun in that" she said and he chuckled back shaking his head as he watched it float up the stairs.

" okay I'm going to follow it and make sure it not one of the kids wanting a try." Jack said " because if it is they will be in for a shock of their little lives. " He followed behind the bottle leaving Jess to look at Kate.

"I'm sure it is just Marcus, I saw an empty bottle in the room earlier when I took up some tea." Jess said as she put the finishing touches to the table.

"Hopefully, none of those tots have enough magic yet to accio a bottle of whiskey, but then again, you never know," Michael said. "I think you're probably right, Jess. It did have relatively good aim for the upstairs, actually."

Upstairs, Marcus was putting the empty bottle in the wastebasket. He had a cup of tea and a glass of whiskey, and so did Khaat. Marcus noticed that the after shave scent was fading, and he took it as a good sign.

"Marcus," Khaat said softly. "I don't want you going with me again."

"What?" he frowned. "Come again?"

"There isn't anybody that can stop him. He can't be beaten. We all know that."

"No," Marcus said, feeling rather fierce about his objection. "We don't all know that. That's a bunch of crap, and you know it. You know my job. Its the same job that Jack and Li and Angus and everyone else has. Our job is to take the wandfire so you don't have to. That's the job..."

"But I don't want..."

"Shut it one minute," he said. "Its not your choice. Its ours. And you aren't my first client. If I weren't doing it for you, I'd just be doing it for someone else. If I need you to pitch yourself to him at some point, I'll bloody clue you in! Until then, just let me do my job!"

"He's too much!"

"He's a git! And he's a nut. The only reason we haven't stopped him is that he's been ridiculously lucky, but at some point that luck will run out. And frankly, I don't know which one of us will be happier to see him stopped once and for all."

Jack followed the bottle and it headed right for Khaat's room he could hear the noise inside and what it was about he pushed open the door and stood arms folded " I believe if any one has a bigger interest in seeing him gone that would be me since hes my ass of a brother and has pulled my family apart." He spoke up looking at them both. He watched the bottle settle on a sideboard.

He looked at Khaat then to Marcus as he spoke knowing he didn't know his past but was about to learn a dark part of it. " I know hes got a thing for you, and I and every one here would tear him into pieces if he hurt you again, but he tore my family apart, he killed my mother and sister in front of me,almost lost me Jess, you were there, if it hadn't been for Robert and Brian I would have tripped over that fine line and tore him limb from limb and not thought twice about it."

"I wasn't there," Marcus said, "but I read it in James's dossier."

"Yeah, and I don't want you hurt either," Khaat said to Jack.

"Again," Marcus repeated. "Not your call. Its Jack's, and we all know he's not going to back down from James when James presents the next challenge. I'm not afraid of him, Khaat."

"Then you're an idiot," she said angrily.

"Is he?" the portrait piped up.

"Oh, what do you know?" she said.

"I was given enough of Remus's thoughts and feelings and memories to know you're angry and afraid and hurting," the portrait said. "And I have enough of his memories to know why. Werewolves have vulnerabilities. They all do. You know that. He's not undefeatable."

"You should listen to the artwork a little more often," Marcus said. "Tell me, oh wise one, if I don't go with you and Jack doesn't go with you, then who do you have in mind? Don't tell me. Let me guess. No one, right? You plan to do this all by yourself. Yeah, well, that's not happening. We don't work for you, you know. Or need we remind you again? So far as I'm concerned, we'd do a lot better if we didn't make ourselves so predictable because I don't really like it when we're sitting ducks." He looked at Jack. "Why do I feel like we've been through this argument before a time or four?"

Jack stood and listened then shook his head at Marcus saying he wasn't afraid of James "You should be Marcus, and Khaat's right we have weaknesses.." He paused and shut the door behind him then turned to face Marcus his eyes flared slightly yellow as he stood facing him. " I am telling you this only because Khaat already knows, my weakness, is my family, and I do not mean James ether and the fact I take a potion Robert made for me to control my were-side , it keeps it down enough for me as a human to control and suppress." he took out the small bottle that he keeps with him all the time.

"With out this, with out Jess to stabilize me, I would be no better than he is, a wild animal ." He slipped the potion into his pocket again looking to Marcus " That's not in the file, as its between Robert, Khaat and now you."

"I did figure you had to be taking wolfsbane or some form of it," Marcus said, not diminishing Jack's secret at all. "I'm only saying that I know his weakness is her. It's always been her. And my job is to stand right in the gap to make sure that he never gets to claim her the way he's so obsessed on doing. I have the same job you have. And I think, honestly, I'd be there whether Robert was paying me or not. Khaat has a lot of choices in her life, but she doesn't get to choose whether or not I will decide to face James again--the same way she doesn't get to decide that for you either."

"You don't understand!.." she began.

"Look," he said, "I understand. I do. So does Jack, and we appreciate that you care, but it's not up to you. Now, get ahold of yourself. He scared the wits out of you. I get it, but this isn't just about James, is it? You can't stand the thought of what you think your father feels driven to do because of you, can you? I don't think its just about you anymore. I think its about every single murder James has done, and every innocent person he's passed the curse onto. Unless we stop James, your father may not have a whole lot of choices. I'm sure Jack likes the idea of your father talking to Fenrir just about as much as you do, but James can't be allowed to kill any more." He looked at Jack. "I think I have that about right, don't I? My apologies for speaking for you, Mate. Do you see a lot of additional choices other than us continuing to try to catch him or kill him?"

Jack listened and nodded " Roberts own extract." he said then nodded " Hes right we have a choice what we do , Robert told me that, as long as we don't harm his family or any one in his care were free to chose and do as we wish." he paused as Khaat spoke them Marcus again he stayed quiet letting Marcus talk when he apologized about speaking for him he shook his head.

"Don't be, its rare to find some one who has an understanding of....werewolves with out being one, but your right, I'd like it as much as I would like one of Jess's back waxes, not on my life." He said softly "In my opinion there's only one choice to take.. kill him so he can do no more harm." His face never changed as he finished his sentence.