Ch 22 Part 2

    Skye paced the kitchen floor while Chase and Maury looked like they were watching a tennis match. Gertie had found a way to make herself useful and was quietly waiting for the kettle to boil so she could make tea for herself and Skye while pouring  two fingers of Bourbon for the men. Each pass that Skye made past them had Maury smacking her hand lightly out of her mouth unaware that she was biting her nails. After what seemed like the hundredth time she stopped and glared at him.

    “Why do you keep doing that?” she snapped.

    He smirked at her. “I was trying to see how long it would take you to stop wearing out the floor.”

    She stared at him for a moment with her mouth slightly open. “Fuck off Mo.”

    “Mo? Mo… do you have any idea how long it’s been since someone has called me Mo? He asked.

    “Stop Maury…” Chase warned.

    “It was back in 1883…” he started and every person in the kitchen groaned. Chase stood up to usher his friend out into the other room when Angel started whining and ran for the front door. Her stocky little body skidded to a halt as the door opened and Dominic came in with two other men following him. Normally the extra men would have caused some anxiety for Skye but with so many of them coming and going lately it didn’t faze her anymore and her thoughts were currently on other things. She had noticed that they weren’t even all of her thoughts, some were Georgia’s as she thought of her “sister” and what she might be going through.

    She could feel the other soul’s frustration at not having the full use of her powers and at the same time without her Sister freed she couldn’t find her without the help of the others adding to Georgia’s unstable condition. Skye had gotten the address of the couple from the shop and knew something bad was going to happen very soon. 

    She didn’t need Georgia's feelings to know it. She saw what was in Carol-Anne’s eyes too. The only reason why she had waiting for Dominic was because the red headed woman was a part of all of this. Someone that might on some kind of level be able to understand what she was going through and according to them she was not where she was supposed to be. Where her Pack was no one knew and where her caretaker and holding vessel were was also a mystery.

    The two men with Dom were from another Pack. A tall Norse looking man with long blonde hair and a lean build trailed in behind him while another man just as tall but with short dark hair, broad shoulders and piercing grey eyes came in last. Both man looked very unhappy to be there and at this point Skye didn’t care about pleasing anyone anymore. They watched her cautiously, with a hint of distaste but the man with the disconcerting grey eyes was the one that held her attention.

    Dom stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her as Chase and Maury stepped forward to shake the men’s hands in camaraderie. She trembled in his arms and he tightened the squeeze briefly in a show of comfort before letting her go.

    “Skye?” The blonde man's rough voice saying her name startled her out of her thoughts. "Dominic explained his concerns and it worries us as well.” he said softer than she thought possible. It fleetingly occurred to her then that the man with him was like Chase. Strong, silent and protecting his pack leader.

    “We have reached out to the other Packs and there is one missing. It’s like they just…vanished.” His attention turned to Dominic. “We are very concerned that this... being… is unaccounted for.” The distaste that entered his voice again could not be hidden and he spoke to Dominic with slice of contempt while his body language showed that he did not want to be involved. Skye tilted her head in interest as she watched his body tell her the truth. His involvement was tied to all of them but if he had his way he would leave them to fend for themselves.

    His term for Carol-Anne prickled at her and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. At the same time she felt more than saw Chase come up behind her as he sensed her fast rising emotion. She looked at the man confused. “What do you mean being? She's a woman that needs our help. She doesn't deserve the pain he's caused her.” she said as calmly as she could but her body was humming.

    “Skye…” Chase warned cautiously and shot a glance at Maury who took up a space just to the left of Skye, between her and Dom. The room began to pulse gently with energy as Skye kept her eyes trained on the tall blonde man that stood solidly in front of her not blinking. The man beside him stepped forward to place his body slightly between Skye and his leader.

    At that moment Gertie stepped forward with a cup of tea seemingly oblivious to the tension building in the room and motioned to hand the cup to Skye. Both of the new men snarled at her and she flinched startled almost spilling the tea on her. To everyone's surprise Maury stepped in front of Gertie and growled his own warning at the men. As usual Chase was knowing in his silent sentinel persona but Dominic couldn’t hide the confusion from his face as his bewilderment was at the surface in the form of one raised eyebrow. 

     Like a blot of electricity slamming up from her feet up to her head Skye’s anxiety ramped up as Georgia’s anger swelled from the display of posturing.

    She felt Georgia’s soul rush alongside the electrical current to the surface and slammed into the wall Skye had built in her mind with Gertie's help. Her whole frame shook with the force of it and she swayed from the mental attack. Every man in the room stood still. Chase was still behind her ready to grab her if it was necessary, only the two new men were apprehensive at the situation but to their credit they stood their ground in a defensive stance waiting for the attack they were sure was to come. 

    Gertie stood frozen in between them all knowing that her presence had triggered the strangers. She had forgotten that even though the relationship between the Guardians and the Caretaker was strained at first that they had all become at ease with each other. Mostly Gertie as she relished the companionship of Skye’s family after being alone for so many years. Even though Maury still slung insults at her, she felt they had some neutral ground to stand on and some form of respect growing from how they both work to aide and protect children.

    Skye slammed down hard on her knees tearing Gertie from her thoughts and she quickly knelt down to her whispering softly in her ear. Every man in the room went still as they felt the energy change again. Only Dominic, Chase and Maury knew what was happening and Dom let out and exasperated sigh.

   “Something’s wrong!” Skye screamed, the noise in her head was so loud. “She wants out…now! I can’t hold her.”

    For the first time since they arrived in her home the two strangers looked like fear had finally found them. “Ryan,” Dom said loud pointing to the blonde man “You and Sig need to step back a bit please." His calm demeanor told them that he had been through this before. Confusion lit their eyes as they stepped back to watch. .” He glanced at Skye on the floor wanting to go to her but knew better. “Very slowly…” he added. They didn’t wait for an explanation as they immediately stepped backwards towards the entrance to the kitchen, with their eyes wide.

    Maury leaned down and lightly touched Gertie’s shoulder urging her to stand up and step away from Skye but before he could move her away Skye stood with celestial grace and her green eyes were gone, replaced Georgia’s golden ones. Her gaze settled on Ryan and Sig as her lip curled in anger as recognition registered but she pushed it aside and turned her golden eyes to Dominic.

    “You…Guardian…take me to my sister.” She snapped.