The Ties That Bind

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Given how they had met, and how their current relationship was friendly enough but also largely a business related transaction as well, Maxim had been willing to give Madeline credit for being standoffish towards him for a while. Trust took time, after all. He had yanked her out of her life into one that was new but likely equally dangerous, not saved her from monsters. But it was good to have his suspicions confirmed that she was slow to trust regardless.

The fact that she had been homeless herself was a surprise, though as he thought it over more it made sense. She had learned from someone who was in her position, and then taken the desperate delivery jobs as a way to save herself. Maxim couldn't fault her for her choices any more now than he had initially. Sometimes life had a way of backing you into corners you couldn't push your way out of.

"I'm glad you had someone to lean on," he said softly, and was not quite surprised that he meant it. "I'm sure it wasn't easy, living that way, but it's always better to have someone at your side." Perhaps it wasn't quite the same for her, but for wolves especially he knew the ingrained tendency was to gather, to have a warm body at your side to sleep next to and to watch each other's backs. "Does he have any pack of his own still? You don't have to tell me if you think he wouldn't want me to know."
 
"I'm not sure I agree." She said quietly, "having friends, family....., it just makes it so much harder." "It hurts too much when they inevitably leave you."

She shook her head a little, "but you're right, we did help each other out as much as we could and he was always someone I could trust and I was that for him too."

She paused to consider for a moment, "no it's fine, i won't tell you everything but he wouldn't mind me telling you most of it." "He doesn't make a big secret out of it, he just doesn't like people hearing about his past and them pitying him for it."

"He doesn't have anyone left, something happened and he lost his pack, his family, including his wife and child." She said sadly, "he blames himself for it, he thinks he failed to protect them as an alpha, a husband and a father."
 
It hurts too much when they inevitably leave you. There was terror in those words, the quiet kind that sunk into your bones and stayed there where no one else could see it. Wolf or not, human or not, every person longed for some sort of sign that they weren't alone in the world, and every person wilted under the idea that they weren't worth sticking around for. It was yet another thing to file away for later, when their partnership wasn't so tenuous.

"There's always someone who will stick around," he said, his tone gentle and matching her own. "The trouble is finding them." Perhaps she thought she had found that somewhere within Farkas' network, but even they would, quite clearly, turn on her in a flash. Maxim wouldn't press the issue for her any more than that and was willing to move on. If he pushed too hard she would only think he was berating her for feeling negative about it.

"An accident?" He asked instead, careful and gentle with his words, not wanting to disrespect the man and his experiences by pressing for too many details or treating it like just another story. "Or did they leave for some reason?" Perhaps Jackson's pack was a victim of the criminal presence in the large city, or perhaps something simply unforeseen and horrible had happened. Regardless of how he had lost them, Maxim was sure it had been a sort of mutual bonding between he and Madeline to know they had both been left alone.
 
"Not everyone leaves by choice." She said softly, glancing at her bag for a moment. "Sometimes the ones who stay.... they can be even worse." She said cryptically, almost talking to herself.

Her attention was drawn back to Docs story, as she looked angry for a moment, but it was a sad anger, full of grief. "No, they're all dead but it was no accident."

She sighed softly as the anger vanished, "it wasn't his fault but he blames himself, it's why he lost everything." The worry for her friend was clear in her voice, but there was an odd note of defeat, as if she'd already given up hope for him.

"I've tried to help him, get him to stop with the drinking, the drugs, but he just won't." "I think he's punishing himself, he's lost his home, his friends, the incredible career he had but it's still not enough for him."

 
There was a deep-seated, poisonous sense of abandonment and abuse to Madeline's words. It was something Maxim would have plucked at, very carefully, if not for the way she pressed on about Jackson and the fate of his pack.

"Not an accident?" He repeated, carefully still but with a furrowed brow at the phrasing. "Does he know who or what did it?" He supposed if the man did, he would have gone after them. Perhaps he already had, and for that Maxim couldn't fault him. Human justice and wolf justice didn't always perfectly align.

It wouldn't be the first time Maxim heard of an alpha or equivalent punishing themselves for an injury or death within those under their care, and it wouldn't be the last. It didn't mean he didn't feel for them. God knew it still ate at him simply that one of his own had gone rogue and caused others undue pain right under his own nose.
 
She shook her head a little, "no it wasn't an accident, although they tried to make it look that way." She looked angry again, "but anyone with a half a brain knew it wasn't, except the authorities I guess."

She glanced at him, looking uncertain. "Yes but I don't think he'd be okay with me telling you anymore about that." "There was a cover up, and an investigation that was purely for show."

"It's over with now, let's just leave it at that." She said softly, worried about getting him in any trouble.
 
Maxim made a slightly dubious face at the idea of the authorities ignoring whatever had happened, but knew well enough not to push her into telling him more. If it was a big enough tragedy, he could likely find it on his own in lists of unsolved cases, or else in news databases that might have run a story on so many people dying at once. Sympathy pulled at him, but he didn't think now was the right time for plucking at strings he didn't have the time to follow to their conclusion.

"If that's what you want me to do." He said, deferring for now to her judgement though he wouldn't soon forget. "I'll drop it for now."

There was no use making her more upset. If respecting her friend's privacy was more important than solving the mystery, he would respect her decision. It wasn't his choice to make.

"Doesn't look like anyone's trailed us," he said instead as they drove around the block heading for home. "Should be safe to head in. We can linger for a bit until Mercer gets back to us about the bounty." He wanted progress before he put her too far on the line.
 
She noticed his dubious expression and shrugged a little, "you don't have to believe me, but it's the truth." "There might not be any in your department, but corrupt cops are a very real problem for a lot of people, in a lot of places."

"I speak from experience." She said softly, a touch of bitterness to her tone. Though she didn't like the sound of his comment about dropping it for now, she let it go.

"Alright, sounds fine to me." She wasn't looking forward to how much she might be stuck in the house for the time being, but she couldn't deny that at least there she wouldn't have to be so on alert.
 
"No, no," Maxim said with a little shake of his head, lifting a hand as if to forestall any further explanation, "I believe you. I've seen enough of it myself."

The HED wasn't exactly the most reputable of law enforcement agencies itself, but as far as Maxim knew at least his own division had yet to find anyone on non-government payroll. That didn't mean he was unaware of the corruption in a worryingly large portion of other agencies and precincts. Part of his job was to keep peace between humans and non-humans, and at times that meant freeing someone who was being wrongfully detained by an officer that simply didn't like them.

The house was much quieter than it had been at breakfast, when they reached it. Simon and Aether were in the young wolf's apartment, if the quiet sounds of the tv were any indication, and Marina was gone at work. With the two eldest children away at school, Oscar working upstairs, and Bella likely still streaming in her own apartment behind closed doors, most everything was quiet.

"Let's drop your things off in your room," Maxim said as they came through the lobby door, stepping aside to let her in and closing the door quietly behind her. "While we're at it, let's start thinking of what else the room needs to make it livable." For now, the spare apartment was largely hers to use, though it wasn't really furnished as a living space. His own apartment would also be open for her to retreat to if she felt like being somewhere that looked more populated, but her bedroom and bathroom should at least be set up to her liking. There was no need for her to live like she was in prison.
 
She glanced at him for a moment, her expression thoughtful, but giving away no clue as to how she felt about his answer. She was a little surprised to hear him admit it, though she supposed she shouldn't be.

He was clearly smart enough and experienced enough to know it went on, and he seemed to be fairly honourable. Still considering his job, she hadn't expected him to.

Though it was difficult, mistrust was a hard habit to break, she supposed she should at least try and give him the benefit of the doubt.

She followed him inside, her backpack slung over her shoulder. The quiet of the house was nice, and she was eager to get her stuff safely stored away, though she wished she had a lock.

"Alright, but I don't need much." She said softly, and while this was true, it was also clear she just didn't want to be a bother about it.
 
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Maxim led the way into the apartment, but at the bedroom let her enter first and looked around without touching much. It was hers now, for all intents and purposes, and he would respect her space.

"Sure," he said, though clearly ignoring her need to ask for nothing. "But the curtains are thin, so if you'd like we could get you darker ones. You'll want your own bath towels, I would assume, and soaps you can tolerate. We'll need to get you some spare clothes - while I'm sure Marina would share for a while it's best to have your own."

She could borrow from them all she liked, but he was sure she would grow tired of it eventually no matter what she said. He was probably going to have to push her into it harder than she liked.
 
She followed him inside, slipping off her backpack onto the bed. She appreciated the way he seemed to be treating like her space, but it made her feel a bit conflicted.

She knew her time here was limited, and so she didn't really think of this as hers. It made her feel reluctant to let herself feel too comfortable or settled here.

He was right though, there was a lot she needed and a lot she'd like to feel more at home, but with her accounts frozen and her apartment off limits, she had no way of getting it. Or at least not without relying on Maxims generosity, which she already felt like she'd taken a lot from.

"Alright you're right." She admitted reluctantly, "but if I can't use my accounts or grab stuff from my apartment, then I can get by with the bare minimum."
 
There was really no telling how long she would be with them, Maxim knew, whether she was quickly relocated or would linger in the relative safe haven of his home for months or longer. While her desire not to be a burden to anyone - which was likely also a desire not to incur any more perceived debt - was understandable, there was no need to deny herself at least a few creature comforts.

"It's no trouble to get you a few things," he said with a shrug, resting his hands in his pockets as he turned to face her. "I'll call it a business expense, if it makes you feel better. Eventually we'll be able to get some things out of your apartment, but in the meantime it won't hurt to treat this like a long term stay. Let's look at the bathroom and see what you need."

He did fully intend to do what he'd said, but as he walked out of the bedroom he stopped to listen, hearing the distinct scrabble of nails on the stairs leading down into the lobby, then sprinting from one apartment to the next. With a curious hum, Maxim changed directions to walk to the front door of the apartment and look out, and knelt down as he located the small, furry form running his way.

"Ooh, look who's practicing being a big girl," he said softly, not quite cooing at little Amethyst in her wolf form but clear pride in his voice as he scooped her up into his arms. "You did so well, little one. You want to stay with me a while?" Unable to speak, she only gave an excited whine and wriggled in his arms until he would hold her cradled on her back like a baby, one arm supporting her and the other hand rubbing gently at her paws in case they were still sore. "Come on, then. Let's go see what the bathroom looks like."
 
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She hesitated for a moment, then finally let out a soft sigh. Though she was still reluctant, she nodded a little. "Okay thank you, but can you please keep track of what it all costs so I can pay it back eventually alright?"

Many people might say that out of politeness and not mean it, but she clearly did. She hoped he didn't think she was being ungrateful, she was in fact very grateful for his help.

She started to follow him out when he suddenly paused, she titled her head a little as she listened with him. Following behind him, she stood in the doorway watching him interact with the energetic wolf pup, which she assumed was Amethyst judging by her size.

She smiled warmly watching them, Amethyst was undeniably cute and Maxims clear pride and love for her was very sweet.

"Well hello again." She said softly to Amethyst, smiling but not standing too close in case she was shy. "That's a very impressive wolf form you've got there."
 
Amethyst in her wolf form was a fluffy, mottled brown, not unlike the color of her hair in her human form, and more leg than body as most young pups were. She laid contentedly in the cradle of Maxim's arms, familiar enough with his presence and his role in the pack to instinctually find as much safety with him as her own father. Despite the fact that she was not his child, Maxim had always had affection for her and her siblings as if they were his own blood relatives.

"She's only just started shifting in the past few months," Maxim explained, idly massaging her paws and joints even as he walked back towards Madeline to continue what they had started in surveying her new living space. "A bit earlier than either of her siblings." Changing shapes could be quite the painful process, after all, and required concentration of a sort. She was doing well for being so young.

"If it reassures you," he acquiesced with a little sigh, as if he himself viewed it as unnecessary, "I'll be sure to keep a running tab on my phone somewhere so I don't lose it. Come, then, let's take stock of the bathroom. Its best to treat this like a vacation home rather than a hotel."

Amethyst, content as could be and unable to feel fear while he had her, flopped her head over Maxim's arm to look at Madeline upside down and gave her a high pitched little howl.

"You tell her, Amy."
 
"I was about her age when I started." She said with a wistful little smile, "maybe a bit younger..." She looked suddenly sad for a brief moment, "i think anyway, it's hard to remember."

Shaking her head a little she shrugged, "Alright, thanks." She could tell he didn't seem overly keen on doing it, and so she appreciated that he still would.

She laughed softly at her little howl, holding up her hands in mock defeat. "Okay, okay." "Whatever you say, I don't want to face that scary little defender of yours." She said playfully, smiling as she followed along behind them.
 
Maxim watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, deciding whether or not to ask, but with Amethyst around decided it was best saved for later. "The first time is always difficult," he said instead, his voice soft and sympathetic but without any question she needed to answer. "Even with someone to nurture you through. It isn't unusual to want to forget."

Perhaps Madeline's troubles had started long before she had moved into town as an adult, and her beginning into her second form was less than hospitable. It was seeming more and more likely by the moment.

Amethyst gave a little chuff as she settled back in, seeming proud of herself with her tail wagging against his arm. Maxim smiled for her and continued idly massaging potentially sore joints as he walked to the bathroom and looked around.

"You'll need a new curtain," he said, thinking aloud as he made a list in his head. "Towels, a rug, toiletries. We can make a trip to a store some time soon, so you can pick out the soaps you like. In the meantime, if you don't mind it you can use my shower as needed." If the scents he and Simon had around weren't to her liking, she would only have to bear with it for a short time, and they had spare towels to give her as well. What they really needed to do was go and buy her clothes as soon as possible.
 
She shrugged a little, clearly holding back due to Amethysts presence. Though she wasn't sure she'd delve too deeply into it anyway, it was quite a painful memory.

Still it had led to some nicer ones, but they were still painful, although in a different way. She glanced at Amethyst, "let's just say, she's very lucky to have you all to help her through it."

There was a sad undertone to her words, but she kept a warm smile on her face, not wanting to upset Amethyst. She seemed a little surprised by his offer, but she did appreciate it.

"Uh ok, thanks." She suddenly remembered he shared with Simon, "will that be okay with Simon?" She raised an eyebrow slightly, asking silently if Aether might have a problem too.

She thought he might have a problem with her being too close to Simon and his personal space.
 
Madeline was a very good actor. Maxim had to wonder if she had been alone for most of her life, though in the moment it wasn't the time to ask. More and more he was quietly uncovering little bits of the dark clouds hanging over her.

"Simon is very generous," He said with a shrug rather than pushing on more sore spots by reiterating what a pack should be, now they should work together. "And it wont be forever. He won't mind."

And no one else could say anything about Maxim bringing someone into his own space, not unless they felt like being disrespectful to his face.

"I would think you would be the one concerned about it," he said with a little tilt of his head, idly fiddling with taps and checking fittings to be sure nothing in the plumbing had degraded since it was last used. "Some people are uncomfortable showering in someone else's home. But like I said, we don't mind and it won't be forever. We'll figure it all out." They would get her own bathroom up to usable functionality quickly enough.
 
She hadn't thought he would, though she'd only known him for a very short time, it was obvious to her how kind and open Simon was.

Still it would be disrespectful not to ask, especially since she knew people like Simon often had their kindness taken advantage off and she didn't want him to feel like he was bulldozed into it.

She shrugged a little, "all of it is your home though, so I'm a bit uncomfortable anyway." "But I've shared bathrooms before, and I trust you guys to be gentlemen."

She was starting to feel safe here, or at least physically safe, feeling emotionally safe would take some more work. "When do you think we could go shopping?"

"I could use some more clothes, I'm starting to feel very unfashionable here." She joked playfully, trying to keep the mood light.
 
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