Small Choices lead to Big Changes - A PRP for Noah and Heather

{xP}

"Bear," responded Cole, looking up at Kam. "But that's about all we know. Trav, get the door."

Travis was shivering too, of course, being the one stupid enough to only be in his underwear, still. He waited for Cole to get inside and then bolted back to the tent to grab some things they'd (he and Sarah) would need that night.

Cole laid Sarah down on the couch. "Meg?" he asked.

Meg nodded, kneeling next to her. "Heeey, Moxie," she whispered, stroking Moxie's cheek. Her voice was soft and loving, and she used a tone one might associate with their mother. "It's me, Meg. Are you alright, sweetie?" She knew this was a stupid question to ask, but she could tell Moxie was in shock, so the smaller and simpler the demands made on Moxie's momentarily crippled brain, the better.

JJ ventured from her bedroom, clutching a flashlight and pulling a robe around her. The robe was Kam's (teeheee) so it dragged on the ground and pooled about her in an odd way. Her eyes went wide when she saw Moxie and Meg, and she froze, staring at them from the hallway.

She surveyed the scene a little bit closer, and her heart started to pound. "Where's Bo?" she whispered.

-------

[Fine wif me! >=D]

The man let out a scream that only those two children could hear. Pain?! He hadn't felt pain since he had lived! So, so long ago, blasted pain! How was this possible!? He wasn't tangible, wasn't tactile--how did the boy hurt him!?

The next strong, piercing feeling that ghost received was fear. His eyes wide in horror of the both, he flitted back. "You monster," he snarled. "You're a monster."

He disappeared.

Gracie had tears pouring down her cheeks in miniature rivers. "Jackie, how'd you do that?" she breathed. She no longer sounded scared, but instead maybe "baffled" was the correct word.

Luka stared at him. "I don't think so," she responded slowly, frowning. "What happened?" She didn't dare touch him again, instead cocooned herself into her blanket, watching him, a worried gleam in her eye.

Katrina bounced innocently in her swing, looking a bit sleepy.

Kam walking in afterthem, flicking on a light and walking over to JJ "Moxie was attacked by a bear or something, I'm not sure" he said, then looked around

"Yeah, where IS Bo?" he wondered more so to himself then anyone else.

Moxie looked up, still shaking and eyes wide. She slowly shook her head, glancing to her arm and thight where the cuts were. They were bleeding, but they wern't so deep it was causing her to loose alot of blood.

She frowned "It hurts" She wimpered.

Amanda was probably the only one who had seen Bo other then Moxie, if she realized it was him, but she didn't say anything. Instead she walked over and curled up on the couch opposite of Moxie.

Sarah was standing behind the couch Moxie was at, biting her lip and rubbing her arms. She was scared, more so for her friend then anything else.

Jag had heard everyone come in and walked into the living room "What happened?" He asked

!@!

Jack sat back, his eyes turning bright blue again "I...I don't know" He breathed, looking at his hand. He didn't feel any different..but..how..how had he hurt the ghost?

Even at Jack's age of seven, that still didn't make since.

Meg nodded, replying quietly, "Aaah, I see, I see. Yes, that looks quite painful." She glanced over her shoulder. Though her movements and expression was eerily calm, her eyes showed that she was terrified. "Jay, do you think you could go find some--"

JJ was off and back faster than Meg had expected. She just about ran back to Meg, kneeling down next to her with a roll of gauze, cotton balls, a brown bottle, and some tissues.

Meg took a few tissues and gingerly swept them down Moxie's arm, to help clean off the blood. Next, she grabbed a few cotton balls and soaked them in the liquid from the brown bottle. "This is going to sting a little bit, sweetheart," she said softly, dabbing at the cuts. She paused, looking up at Moxie. If it stung, it was working.

Cole looked down at Amanda. He pursed his lips, sitting next to her and pulling her into his arms. "What's wrong?" he whispered, staring down at her. "Common, why don't we go find a nice room for you to sleep in, no?" He cracked a weak smile. "I'll even stay with you until you fall asleep."

After she fell asleep, however, it had been decided by him just now that he'd take Travis and Jag to look for Bo. Something told him that Bo wasn't anywhere near them any longer, and this worried him profusely.

Travis entered the cabin again, now wearing sleep pants and a button up sleep shirt. He looked at Sarah, and then walked by her on the way to the loft with their things, whispering to her, "We're gonna sleep in the loft for tonight, baby." He shrugged, his eyes round in that sort of deer-in-the-head-lights fashion as he disappeared up the steps.

------

Gracie looked up at him. Her voice was steady even though she cried. "That was really cool," she whispered, reaching out her little hand and poking his palm.

[-coughs at Luka's post above?-]

Jag stood near the couch, watching Meg work. He wrinkled his brow, looking around. Where was Bo?

Kam stood next to Jag, biting his lip "Is she gona be okay?" He asked

Moxie wimpered, wincing back as she dapped at the cuts, which were slowly starting to stop their bleeding. She grabbed the nearest thing to her, a pillow, and squeezed as hard as she could. This was hurting almost as much as the actual cuts. But Moxie was smart enough to know, even in shock, that this would make it better.

"I'm just tired" Amanda said with a nod. Then she sighed, getting up. She hadn't gotten to tell him about the nightmares, but she would, eventually, maybe tonight. It just depends if he asked or not.

Sarah nodded, looking at Moxie again from her position behind the couch. She moved some hair out of her best friends face, then quietly came up the stares after Travis.

!@!

(Sorry, had been in a rush when I posted that)

"Maybe he'll leave us alone now" Jack whispered, looking at his hand. He squeezed it into a fist, looking at it.

The fist didn't seem different to anybody really. But it was special, I can tell you that.

"N-Nothing" Tyler said, drawing his knees up tighter to his chest. He had been nice, and now he was getting questioned about stuff he didn't want to talk about.

Now you see why Tyler was normally so 'angry'.

{*pats head*}

"Yeah." Gracie touched his fists with the tips of her fingers, and then hugged him again. "Thank you for makin' him go away, Jackie," she whispered.

Luka winced. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking a little hurt. She shrugged, finally just giving up.

Katrina made a quiet, sweet sound from her chair thingie. Luka walked over, picking the baby up and holding her. "What are you doin' up, cutie? Couldn't sleep?" She kissed the baby's cheek.

"Ah!" Katrina exclaimed. "Ah-ah! Yi-yi!"

_!_~_!_

JJ wiggled her hand under the pillow and let Moxie squeeze that instead. Live over fluff; she figured Moxie would prefer holding her hand instead. She glanced back at the guys, nodding a little and say, "She'll be fine, I think." She rubbed the back of Moxie's hand with her thumb, pursing her lips nervously.

Meg nodded in agreement. "Meg's going to be perfectly alright," she whispered, her voice still low, almost hypnotic. Meg continued to gently tab, watching as the cotton balls turned crimson at first quickly. As the bleeding started to slow, the handfuls of fluff more slowly turned red, until finally they'd only become a dull pink.

Satisfied, Meg employed JJ to help bind Moxie's arm. JJ sat up, keeping one hand holding Moxie's and with the other gently lifted the girl's arm. Meg hummed softly, a sort of lullaby, taking the gauze and slowly wrapping the girl's arm.

Cole put his arm around her, leading her towards the back of the cabin. He found the room where he'd taken their stuff into earlier that afternoon and opened the door, stepping in. He shuddered at how cold it was, and cursed himself for leaving the window open. He darted over to the other side of the room, throwing the billowing curtains aside and pulling the wood shut. "Sorry," he called over his shoulder. "Forgot to close this I guess."

When Sarah arrived upstairs, Travis was just standing up again and fixing the belt in his jeans. He'd gotten dressed after setting up their things and unfolding an ancient makeshift cot. He grabbed a flashlight, saying, "I'm gonna go find Bo. You stay here with the others, mkay?" He kissed her cheek, starting down the stairs.

He paused half way down and looked up. "Why don't you go to sleep, too?" He nodded, adding, "Yeah, sleep would be a good idea right now." Then he continued, gripping the railing so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"You're welcome" Then he sighed "Luka and Tyler are up..wanna go downstairs?" he whispered, looking at the clock.

Tyler smiled lightly and looked over at Luka "Look..I..just don't like talking about what I've done and do" He said, feeling somewhat nice and giving her a hint.

!@!

"Wait!" Sarah called down after Travis, standing at the top of the stairs "I wanna go to" She said, frowning and watching after him. In the time she had gotten up there she had managed to slip on some jeans under her long night shirt and sweatshirt.

Amanda sighed, rubbing her arms. She slid off the sweatshirt, revealing a tank-top underneath, and slowly got under the covers.

"Cole...don't do anything stupid when you go looking for Bo" She said. Amanda had sorta figured they would once all the girls were asleep.

Moxie winced, holding JJ's hand and watching as her arm was wrapped up. When it was finished, she looked at it "I don't even know what happened." She was slowly regaining enough train of thought to speak "I..I dropped my cell phone, and when I picked it up there was the bear. I screamed..and it scratched me..but..then there was this thing and then when it was gone, the bear was dead"

Moxie wimpered, just at the thought of it.

Kam and Jag nodded, looking around. Jag went over to stand next to the window, looking out at the woods. This story sounded WAY to familiar.

JJ kissed Moxie's cheek, and with Meg's help, she tucked the girl in. "It's okay now, Moxie, it's over now. Go to sleep, so that arm heals up faster," said Meg. The two of them nodded and stepped back. Meg said very quietly that she was exhausted would be going to sleep now, but if Moxie needed anything, someone should some and get her.

With that, Meg walked away down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. She laid on the bed without getting changed and fell asleep almost instantly. After stressful situations like the one that had just occurred, Meg became exhausted.

Travis had been at the bottom of the steps and had caught on to the end of Moxie's words. His eyes went wide and he spun around, sprinting up the steps, thinking, A thing?! Oh lord almighty, Bo, what's going on? "No, Sarah, you're staying here--you here me?" He took her gently by her arm, glaring. "You're gonna stay here with Moxie to make sure she's alright. I don't want you gettin' hurt."

During the time that Travis was reprimanding Sarah, JJ had disappeared and returned. She wore a t-shirt now and an over-sized red sweatshirt, along with a pair of jeans and sneakers. The sweatshirt hid her belly, making her look like the normal, adventurous JJ. "Alright, so where are we looking first?"

Cole lovingly tucked Amanda in, as if she were a precious little child. "I won't," he whispered, kissing her long and sweet. "I promise." He shrugged into his jacket and pulled on his boots instead of his sneakers, walking from the room and shutting the door gently behind him. He paused, opening the door again and sticking his head in. "I love you," he whispered.

--------

Luka caught on--she was good with hints, usually. She frowned, asking, "Why?" Her tone implied two meanings to the question, two meanings to that simple word.

Katrina giggled and pulled at Luka's hair, squealing, "AHHHHH!"

"Ow!" Luka gasped playfully. "Leggo, sweetie-pie!"

Gracie nodded. "Yeah," she whispered. "Can I have a piggy back ride downstairs?" She smiled weakly, sniffling and rubbing at her eyes.

Moxie nodded, watching them go. She then tried to stay awake, but nodded off into sleep, clutching a pillow to her chest and curling up in a ball.

Jag watched her go, then slipped on his leather jacket and put on a tobagan that came down to his eyebrows.

"Please let me go" She wimpered, looking up at him with big brown eyes "I won't get hurt. I swear. I'm good with the outdoors" SHe told him, now putting her hands on her hips.

"We, as me, Jag, Cole, and Travis, are going to search around the house outside first" Kam said, looking at JJ in the eyes "You arn't going. You could get hurt" His tone wasn't hateful, it was soft and loving

"Love you too.." Amanda said before laying her head down against the pillow and starring at the door. "Please don't get hurt.." She whispered, knowing he was probably already in the living room.

!@!

"Reasons" He said, looking over at her then Katrina again. He laughed, smiling lightly.

"Okay!" he said, hopping down and backing up to the bed.

Travis pursed his lips, looking at her. He shook his head. "If you don't stay here," he replied, "and you end up coming with us," He let go of her arm, sighing deeply and adding in a mumble, "then you better not get hurt, because if you do, I won't forgive myself." He shook his head, pulled on a baseball cap and a coat, and headed down the stairs without waiting for her.

JJ snorted. "Oooh, pricker bushes, oh God, so scary," she replied, gasping and putting a hand on her chest. She rolled her eyes. "I'm coming, hun. I'm bored and not tired anymore, and you can't stop me!" Unafraid, JJ stood at her full height of five feet, six inches and marched from the door out into the cold night air, flicking on the flashlight.

Cole had only stayed long enough to hear that she loved him, too. Heart fluttering and head slightly foggy, he smiled and walked into the living room. "Why did JJ just leave? You're letting her come!?!" He gave Kam a funny look--a mix of hatred, confusion, and annoyance--and then ran after JJ, calling, "Joan, get over here right now!"

JJ didn't respond to Joan because she absolutely hated that name.

----~----

Luka pursed her lips, shrugging. When she heard squeals and giggles from upstairs, she said thoughtfully, "Oh, they must be awake?"

Katrina looked up, too, making a little gasping sound and sticking her hand in her mouth. "Aaahah?"

Gracie laughed as she clumsily clambered onto his back, latching her arms firmly around his neck. "Okaaay, go!"

Sarah clapped happily and stuck a baseball cap on her head, pulling her ponytail through, and bouncing after him with a wide smile.

"No! I told her she had to stay here" Kam told him, looking almost offended that he would think he would endager JJ. He ran after Cole, slipping on a black jacket and black tobogan "JJ, stop, please!" He called.

Jag went out after them, hands in his pocket as he walked calmy out, hands in his pockets.

This is so familar He thought Where have I seen this before? One of us dissapears, no where to be found..Moxie said she saw a beast..

!@!

"I'm guessing so" Tyler said, moving from the rocking chair and over beside her "Before they get down here..look, it helps relieve stress okay?" of course, this wasn't the only reason he did what he did. Tyler felt like he would never fit in with anybody, and well, Tyler had had a bad childhood.

Jack laughed, bounding out of the room and towards the living room.

Luka held Katrina, who was busy trying to crawl over her shoulder, and looked up at Tyler. "You should try a stress ball, or maybe throwing knives or carving wood or something," she whispered to him. "At least then you wouldn't be risking your own life." She nodded, then glanced back at Katrina.

Katrina had a fistful of Luka's hair that she was now sucking on.

Luka's eyes went wide. "Katrina! Yuck! Yuck, yuck, yuck!" She gently pulled the baby's hand from her hair.

Gracie squealed and clung to his neck, her eyes sparkling. "Yeaaa!"

---------

Travis shook his head, striding from the door and almost running to catch up with the others. He was a bit vexed that Sarah wouldn't listen to him, but whatever, he'd deal.

JJ paused. She put one hand on her hip and the other on her belly. "What?!" she said curtly.

Cole stopped in front of her, blocking her path and panting because he'd just run a good several yards. "Stop," he said, crossing his arms. He flicked his flashlight on, uncrossing his arms and looking down at her. "You're pregnant and--"

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that we'll get to the middle of the forest and my water will break and it'll be this whole huge sob story and blah blah blah freakenedin'ety blah blah!" JJ spat, stomping her foot. "I can look for my big brother if I want to. And if you try to stop me I'll knee you so hard in the groin, Cole, that your sons' son will feel it."

Cole stared down at her. She was defiant, but usually not this blatantly so. He blinked, and she smiled. "Thought so," she responded calmly, walking around him and heading towards the forest.

"Bo? BO? BOWEN?" she called, turning on her flashlight and wandering towards the edge of the ridge.

"Its not as easy as you think. Besides. It doesn't matter anyway. You're the first person to actually try and see the real me" He said with a nod, then chuckled at Katrina.

"Wheee!" Jack said, running around the house.

!@!

Sarah giggled, running up beside JJ "Wow..talk about girl power.." She said, flicking on her own flashlight and looking around as well.

Kam sighed, walking up beside Cole "She's really serious about this" he said, flicking on his flashlight and looking over at Cole.

He was trying to make converations. Cause really, Kam hated the fact that Cole had gotten so mad at him.

Jag walked on, arms crossed as he looked around. Suddenly it clicked in his head.

THATS where it seems so familiar..

"I'm sure your family has--"

Gracie squealed as Jack ran around. She waved to Luka, who waved back and called, "What are you two doing? You know it's like midnight, don't you?"

"We can't sleep," Gracie lied, shrugging her thin shoulders a little.

Katrina squealed with absolute delight, her blue eyes sparkling as she waved to Gracie, too.

---~---

JJ snorted. "Sarah, don't say that, it sounds so blond." One hand remaining on her belly as if to say that she knew very well she had to be careful. She walked down the steep hill and stood at the feet of the woods, peering in and shouting, "BOWEN JETT!" She giggled afterwords, thinking that his full name sounded like some sort of plane.

Cole sighed deeply. Forgetting his animosity, he nodded in agreement. "She's protective over Bo 'cause he's always been the shyer one." He shrugged his shoulders slightly, following after Travis suddenly.

Travis was waving at Cole, Kam and Jag. "Guys, lookit this thing..." He crouched next to the dead bear, touching it. with the toe of his boot.

"Yeah" Jack said in agreement, running around the house again.

"My family what?" Tyler asked once he made sure the kids were running around again.

!@!

"Alright..sorry" Sarah said with a giggle, shrugging her shoulders "Boooooo!!!" She called into the woods, waving her flashlight around every few minutes.

Kam and Jag followed, standing behind them "Well..I'd say Moxie's story checks out" Kam said

He knelt down next to the animal and pointed at the bite marks around its neck that were now crusted with blood "Looks like a wolf or something, but worse"

Jag was quiet, still considering his idea in his head. Was Bo different to?

JJ glanced back towards the guys. She glanced at Sarah next, and then down below her, past her belly and towards the thick underbrush. She shrugged, deciding she probably wouldn't trip.

And then JJ was leaning towards Sarah, shining her flash light in her own face so that Sarah could see JJ's finger pressed to her lips. "Don't say anything to them. I'm going in just a bit deeper."

She stepped over a bush and almost lost her balance, but bravely kept going. "BO?" she shouted, using as big a breath as she could to get the sound out. "BO!? WHERE ARE YOU!?!"

"I don't understand where Bo could have gone off to, though?"

"Maybe after the sick thing that killed this big guy?" Travis said, though that didn't sound like Bo. Bo would have been panicking about Moxie, not chasing after some creature.

"What's worse than a wolf?" Cole commented suddenly, laughing a little. "A bear, I guess," he answered himself, adding, "But I don't think bears are, uh, cannibals, yaknow?"

Travis nudged the bear again, and suddenly there was a soft sound from the bushes near by. He gasped and jumped back, hiding behind Cole.

Two cubs stumbled from the foliage, seemingly unafraid of the men. Then toddled over to their mama, whining and grunting and nudging her.

Travis winced. "Freak-bear," he said softly, sympathetically. "She had her cubs at the wrong time of year, well, bred at the wrong time of year, that's why they're so little yet. Poor things."

-------

"I'm sure your family knows you," Luka replied, nodding. "They care about you, don't they?"

Katrina gave a high pitched scream of excitement when Gracie and Jack appeared again. She waved her whole arm, her eyes lighting up. "RAAA! JAAA!" she squealed, wiggling about in Luka's gentle but firm grip.

"JJ" Sarah said, following after her "Please, I don't think this is a good idea" She held her flashlight to the ground so she could see where she was stepping "What if there is another bear or something?"

Kam looked up with a blank look, shrugging "Dragon..but..as far as I know, Me and Jag are the only ones with that capability in the USA.."

"This isn't the work of a dragon anway. He wouldn't have left the bear behind" This was the first words Jag had spoken in a while

"I think you were dead on about the wolf thing though. Remember that howl?" Jag still wouldn't say his theory, but he was sort of hinting it.

Kam then looked at the cubs "Poor guys..they probably won't survive without their mom.." He said,making a face

"No Kam. We are not keeping the bears" Jag muttered, walking down into the forest alittle deeper.

!@!

"I guess. But the only one who ever talks to me is Alex, really. The rest are too busy to even notice my existance sometimes" Tyler muttered.

"Most sensible bears are hibernating," JJ replied, nodding with a relaxed expression. "It'll be fine, I promise. Common." She picked her way through the bushes, keeping her hand on her belly, her other arm out to keep her balance. Suddenly, she stopped, her eyes going wide. "Ooh," she said, moving her hand down a little and staring at her stomach in surprise. "What the heck, little guy!?"

Travis laughed, smiling at Kam and glancing at Jag. "We have to," he said quietly. "Kam, there's a few dog cages--big 'uns--right out back of the house, go grab them. These little guys shouldn't put up a fight. In the mornin' we'll call the state police people and have them take the dudes to a zoo-thing--I'd call there, but I don't remember its number." He shrugged.

"That's a stupid idea, just leave them here. Common, they'll be fine."

"They'll die."

"They'll be fine," Cole repeated, nodding. "We need to find my little brother."

Travis rolled his eyes. "He's not little anymore, Cole."

"But he's lost. We need to find him." Cole sounded distressed now, and marched past the mourning bears after Jag. "BO!" he shouted.

------

Luka reached out, touching his arm gently, her eyes wide in sympathy. "I'm sorry," she just said, keeping a grip on Katrina.

Katrina was still trying to climb away. She wanted to be on the top of the couch, it seemed, even though she also seemed to know that meant she'd probably fall off. She squealed, gripping the edge of the couch and trying to pull herself up.

"What is it?" Sarah asked, coming to a stop beside her, looking down "Is he kickin' or somethin?" She asked, shining the flashlight around. Sarah didn't like the dark...at all.

Kam nodded and bolted up to the house, grabbing two cages, and bringing them back down. he got down on his knees, holding his hands out to a cub "Commer little fellah" Kam was very good with animals so..

Jag rolled his eyes and kept walking "BO!" He called, shining his flashlight "BO!"

If Jag's idea was correct, Bo was different. From the signs, he was sure he was a beast of some kind. More likely mammel then anything

"Cole, lookit this" Jag said, pointing the flashligth at the ground to show some paw-shaped tracks, as if an animal had run off in a hurry.

!@!

"Its fine" Tyler said "YOu shouldn't be worring" he told her, smiling and picking up Katrina and leaning her back, holding her in the air above her

"Wahts up chica!?" he laughed.

"Yeah," JJ said, her eyes still quite wide. She sounded relieved, though, and her shoulders relaxed. "He did so sharply that I got scared for a moment." Laughing weakly, she shrugged a little. "He's not supposed to do that yet, so that's why I was scared. Guess he got excited or something." She rubbed her tummy lovingly and then called for Bo again.

"BO! BO?"

She walked along, more slowly now, and making sure to keep close to scary. After a short few moments of silence and a bit of contemplation, she asked quietly, "Sarah, do you think it's weird that I'm pregnant?"

Travis stayed with Kam, keeping the cages quiet so that the animals weren't startled. The cub, meanwhile, looked up at Kam with huge dark brown eyes. It was a black bear cub, so its claws weren't that sharp. It bounded cautiously to Kam, making a soft sort of grunting sound.

Its twin brother followed, nervously looking between both humans and wondering why its momma wasn't moving. It knew its mother was dead--something about her smell--but he'd love to pretend that she was still alive and was just trying to find them some food.

Cole touched the paw print with the tips of his fingers, his eyebrows high on his forehead. "Oi vey," he murmured softly, shaking his head.

"What is this, Jag?" he whispered, sounding afraid. "What kind of animal would just kill a bear and then run?"

-------

"Why shouldn't I?" Luka replied, staring at him, frowning deeply.

Katrina squealed, looking down at him and beaming. "YIIIIIIII!" she shrieked, her tiny voice adorably high pitched.

"Ohh...yeah, I heard they do that sometimes" She said, walking along with her and shining her flashlight in random places.

Sarah thought for a moment "No." She said, then turned around alittle "I actually admire you, for having the courage to carry what you really want. I try to tell people to be quiet at school" She shrugged as she said this

"Come on buddy" Kam held out his hand to the bear so that it could sniff him. In his head, Kam really did not want to call a zoo or something for these poor guys; he wanted to raise them. It was something about Kam, he always wanted to help needy animals.

Jag looked at the paw prints and then starred ahead. "Cole..don't think I'm crazy but.." he leaned over, and whispered in his ear what his theory was so Kam and Travis didn't hear. When he was finished, he backed away, eyes slightly wide

!@!

"Cause I mean, after a few weeks of school you're gonna get tired of me, or something like that, or you're gona hear something from somebody and want to hang out with everyone else" he said with a shrug

He smiled, looking up at Katrina "Yiii is right!" He laughed, rocking her slowly back and forth.

"No I'm not!" Luka replied, laughter audible in her sweet voice. "You're too interesting to get tired of." She smiled at him, yawning widely, her eyes sparkling with her smile.

Katrina waved her little arms, squealing and giggling, "Yiyiyi," she said, relaxing in Tyler's arms.

--------

Cole stood there, frozen. He tried to wrap his mind around that idea. His little brother was a freak? Was..."different?" Was a monster?

He stared off into the forest.

"How would that be possible?" Cole whispered, feeling his heart ache. Sweat burst forth from his pores, and he dabbed at his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "How would he be...different and we're not...different? How is it possible for a man to become a dog?"

The bear slowly sniffed Kam's hand, and then licked it. His brother did the same, and the two of them licked away, able to smell human food and taste yummy salty skin.

Travis snorted. "You must taste quite good," he grunted.

JJ smiled. Tears filled her eyes, and she hugged Sarah, whispering, "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me, Sarah." She pulled away, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

She walked on for a while after that in silence, lighting her path with her flashlight. The ground became more and more densely covered with brush. She frowned, and suddenly tripped a little--she dropped her flashlight.

"Dang," she mumbled, bending to pick it up. She could see its light for a moment, and it was moving. Why was it moving? That didn't matter--suddenly, it died.

She scowled, moving towards where she'd last seen the light shining. As soon as her foot touched near where the light had gone out, it no longer was touching ground, but air. Startled, she stumbled and tried to fall backwards.

This resulted in her tripping over her own foot. She was down, instinctively curling up into a ball as she rolled down the side of the steep hill. She wasn't aware that she was screaming, but oh, trust me, she was screaming.

Her screams died down when she found herself sitting in a pit like place. She pressed herself against the wall, her eyes round. It took her a minuet to get her bearings, and a good two seconds to burst into tears.

"You really think that?" Tyler asked, bringing her back down and rocking her slightly in his arms.

!@!

"I'm not sure. I mean..its all genetics, not always just passed down. Sometimes it is. Its more likey actually if you think about it for him to shift into a dog then a dragon" he said with a sigh, standing up and looking around

"I kept thinking, why is this so familiar? Then I remembered. It happened the first time Kam shifted. It was a few years ago, but we had been in the woods, on a camping trip. It was me, Colt, Kam, and another buddy of ours. Well, that one guy went off on Kam, saying something about Moxie I think, and Kam just ran at him, and right as he was about to hit him, he jumped and wings came out his back. It took us forever to find him, but when we did he was just shifting back from dragon to human" Jag explained "Mine wasn't as bad, mine was at on a trip with my uncle, who had the wierd gene, and it was when I had fallen out of a boat and was scared to death I was gona drown"

He walked over to Cole again, putting a hand on his shoulder "But its just a theory, believe me, I could either be spot or, or dead wrong" He told him, knowing it was alot to take in at one time.

"Must be." Kam laughed, and he reached out, picking up the two bears and holding his hands near their faces so that they could continue licky. In two swift movements he put them into the cages and closed the doors "Sorry little guys" he told them crouching down to their level and looking them right in the eyes "Its for your saftey"

Sarah smiled when she hugged her "No problem" She said with a nod, following after her.

Moxie stopped right as she saw JJ fall infront of her. She screamed, going to the edge and looking down "JJ? You okay?"

She set her flashlight beside her and laud down on the ground "I can't reach!" She cried, a panicing look coming across her face.

Thats when her light when out and Sarah screamed again, tears already coming on. THis was NOT happening.

"HELP! Somebody! Help!"

She stood up, and screamed help at the top of her lungs and suddenly there was a large flash, probably lighting up the whole woods, and Sarah's raised hands where spilling out light everywhere, her forearms glowing as well.

JJ was curled up against the wall of the small pit-like area, clutching her flashlight to her chest. She was sobbing, partially because her ankle throbbed violently with pain, mainly because she was terrified. She didn't know what a fall like that would do to her back, or to the baby. She felt her stomach for a moment, ignoring Sarah as she reached out to her in vain. There didn't seem to be a different; the baby gave a gentle fidget, as if it were relaxed, just startled.

JJ started to calm down, but then this bright light just completely blinded her. She called out in surprise, covering her eyes and pressing herself against the Earthen wall. With the new illumination, she saw that the pit she'd fallen into was actually a trap for animals. An old, rusty metal thing that had more teeth than she did lay right next to her. With a squeal she kicked it away, hugging herself and crying.

I'm...I'm an idiot, she thought miserably.

Cole listened, his eyes wide. He still didn't understand, but he nodded slowly, as if he did. "I..." He inhaled deeply. "Alright. I...I understand I think." Sighing softly, he was about to say more when a light shredded the darkness around them. He blinked in surprise, holding his hand up to shield his eyes. It was then he heard the helps, and he gasped.

"Ohsnapcrackleandpop." It was the first thing that came to his mind for some reason. He took off running towards the source of the light, fear pulsing through him.

The bears licked his hands as long as they could and then, as if content and understanding, settled into their cages.

Travis looked up at the light, finding it almost hypnotic. But when he heard Sarah's pleas, his heart began to pound. "JJ," he said to Kam, and then took off after Cole.

-------

Luka smiled a sleepy looking smile and nodded. "Yeah," she said. She laid her head against the couch, yawning widely once more and snuggling into her blankets.

Katrina cooed a little before falling quiet once more.

The light just kept comming out of the palms of her hands. Sarah screamed, it didn't hurt, it just was creeping her out.

Why was this happening!? Was she different like the rest of them? Kam? Jag? Jack? Moxie?

But she had never shown any signs at all..

Jag gasped as well, running towards the light at a pretty good speed, because Jag didn't look like he was an athletic type at all (Though he was still pretty fit, mind you).

Kam took off after them all, his heart beating ten hundred thousand miles an hour, it seemed. Gotta get to JJ Where his only thoughts at the moment as he ran towards the bright pulsating light.

!@!

Tyler yawned, and he was so tired that he just laid the asleep Katrina down in the makshift crib, collapsing on the long couch, on the opposite side of her and falling asleep.

Luka fell asleep, too.

-----

JJ shut her eyes and kept her head bent, listening to Sarah scream and seeing the light even through her eyelids. She wondered what was going on up there--was that Sarah making the light, or was something hurting her?

Terrified, she pressed herself harder to the wall, feeling the cold, wet Earth seep through her sweatshirt, t-shirt, and soak into her skin. She shuddered violently but kept herself firmly against the slimy surface.

Travis was one of the first to arrive on the scene. "Sarah!" he yelped, running to her and grabbing her hands. He expected to feel a burn or something, but...nothing. No heat. He hugged her to him, saying, "Sarah, Sarah, what happened, what's wrong?"

Cole saw Travis confront Sarah, and in the light he managed to see the pit, too. He dropped to his belly and shimmied across the ground, sticking his head out over the edge. "Jay! Jay, how'd you get down there?"

"I fell," Her voice was tiny and scared sounding; she didn't look up.

"Is the baby okay?"

At that question, JJ felt tears roll down her face. So Cole did care for the child. That was a relief. She looked up at him, past the thick strands of her short black hair that stuck to her cheeks and forehead. "I think so," she replied.