It's been awhile... (Ani)

Three months... well to Artemis that meant nothing. The concept of time however was lost on her. She just knew it had been awhile. She had just disappeared near the end the trip without saying a word. She had traveled around since then, not staying in a single place to long. She also had actually stayed in her wolf form mostly. But now she was a hawk, flying over the city she had familiarized with Salone.

She closed into the house where Salone lived and landed on the ground, shifting into a fly. After squeezing into the house she buzzed around a bit. She felt a bit disappointed that neither her or Penny where here to greet her. She shifted into her wolf form and walked around the empty house a bit. She eventually got to the bathroom. Shifting back she walked in. Last time she was here she was forced to use it. Maybe if she just used it now she wouldn't have to use it later. She stripped off her clothes and threw them into the sink. She fiddled with the shower until she got it to work, which took about an hour. She jumped into the shower. Now if she could remember what everything was...

Salone had gone out shopping, something that she would prefer not to do in the current state. Shopping for an hour and a half made her grumpy and caused cravings for mint chocolate chip ice cream. So to compromise against buying yet a whole nother gallon of ice-cream for her to devour, Salone got an ice cream cone. The shape shifter’s regular food intake had increased since she was eating for two people rather than one. Most people couldn’t tell from looking at Salone that she was pregnant as the tiny bump she had developed was hidden by her sweatshirt.

Getting the bags out of her car, Salone unlocked her front door. Placing the bags onto the counter she stiffened, hearing the noise of running water. Penny’s motorcycle was gone so it wasn’t her. Slowly, Salone reached into her purse that she had set on the counter, pulling out her gun.

“Hello?” She called anxiously, but clicking the safety off. Her front door had been locked and the only other way in was through the dog door. Hnngg… maybe Artemis had dropped by… uh no. Salone bit her lip, she didn’t know about what had happened did she?

The struggle that was the shower was annoying. Artemis kept fumbling with the soap. But eventually she was good and rinsed it all off. She used the strange liquid soap thing to wash her hair. Once that was rinsed out as well she stepped out of the shower, soaking wet, She shifted into a wolf and shook most of the water off. She walked through the open bathroom and walked Salone's sent caught her attention and her tail began to wag as she ran to Salone. She was holding something strange, she wondered what it was.

She got to Salone and stood on her hind legs. Right when she was about to lick her in her wolf form she shifted and licked her in her human form, unphased by the face she didn't put any clothes on. However she couldn't speak for Salone.

"Hey Salone." said Artemis. She backed up and looked over Salone. Something seemed different but Artemis couldn't put her finger on it. She was wearing a lot  of baggy clothes, which was different then it was last time they met. "It's been a while Salone."

Salone sighed in relief as the wolf came trotting around and she replaced the safety before putting it back into the purse.

“Hey Artemis,” She said wearily, jumping back a few feet when a naked Artemis licked her and slamming her hip into the island in the center of the kitchen. “Yes it has been a while; could you go put on your clothing please while I put groceries away?”

Salone tried to smile but the muscles in her face seemed to not be working properly. Her eyes seemed sad, no longer warm and brown… rather dark and sad. She was trying to be happy but it didn’t seem to be working out so well.

While Salone waited for Artemis to get dressed she put away the items she had purchased from the store. Mainly food items along with a can of paint as well for repainting the guest room, Salone took extra care to put the fruit loops out of reach. Then Salone took some left over stew out from the fridge and began to heat it up on the stove. Removing her sweatshirt she hung it up on the hook by the door.

A confused looked appeared over Artemis face. Salone was sad? From what Artemis understood the reuniting of friends was a good thing something to be happy about. Salone didn't seem very happy as just kinda brushed her off and told her to get dressed. Artemis sighed, were clothes really necessary? Artemis grumbled as she walked off, asking if clothes were really needed and never understood the point of them unless it was really cold.

Artemis walked back into the bathroom grabbed her clothes and pulled them on. They stuck her her body, which was still mostly wet from her shower, not that she cared though, at-least Salone wouldn't get annoyed at her for not wearing her clothes. She still thought it was a stupid concept. She smelt the smell of meat drift through the halls and her mouth watered. She walked out of the bathroom and back to where Salone was. She pulled on her clothes slightly so they would stick to her body less but it didn't help much.

"So what's eating you up pup?" asked Artemis confused. She heard the phrase before but she wasn't sure if she was using it right. Either way she knew something was wrong will Salone.

Salone winced at the wording, pup. Unconsciously a hand drifted to her stomach, fingers running along the slight curve that was developing.

“I suppose someone ought to tell you,” Salone sighed, motioning for Artemis to sit down at the bar. Salone leaned against it the best she could. “Artemis… Jake died three months ago.”

She swallowed past a knot that threatened to develop in her throat as she said his name, “About a month after we got back from Stonehenge… I also found out, a few hours before he died that I-“ Salone broke off, raising her right hand to wipe away at the tears that had threatened to spill over. Stupid hormones, she thought savagely before raising her eyes to Artemis again. “I’m pregnant Artemis.”

Salone moved out from behind the counter and stood sideways so her friend could get a proper view of what exactly was going on with the lower half of her stomach. Quietly she waited for her friend’s reaction, not sure what she should be bracing herself for. A curtain of blonde hair swung down hiding Salone’s face from Artemis’ view.

Salone just pointed at the bar, signaling her to hit down. She sat down on one the barstools. Her look of her confusion turned into a face of shock, sadness and happiness. Salone had move around the counter to show that she was pregnant and Artemis got up and pulled Salone into a hug. Tears rolled down Artemis' face. Damn it! Why did she have to fall for the stupid dragon, it felt like some ripped part of her out and stepped on it. She did best to hold back the tears. There was as much good news as there was bad news.

"I'm sorry Salone... I shouldn't of just left... If I would of known... damn it..." said Artemis, part of her wanted to know but she would ask later, but now she wanted to focus on the good. She pulled back from the hug and looked over Salone, now that she wasn't wearing the sweatshirt. She nodded at Salone, as if she made a decision.

"Well It's decided, I can't call you pup anymore." said Artemis confidently. "And I'm not leaving. You are part of my pack and I know how to take care of pups."

Salone suddenly found herself enveloped in Artemis’ arms and she stiffened. Not used to being touched over the past few months. But she forced herself to relax and buried her head into her friend’s shoulder, trembling slightly with relief. At least now Artemis knew. Salone used to have nightmares that Artemis wouldn’t find out till Salone had swollen to the size of a boat. Then Artemis’ reaction would have been much more entertaining, Salone would have imagined.

“It’s okay, no one could have guessed…” Salone sighed as Artemis held her at arm’s length to inspect the overall damage… not that there was much. Mainly emotional damage but that would repair with time… hopefully… “Wait, you want to move in? What happened to miss, how do you stay in one place all the time?”

Salone didn’t bother with the pup comment... She still didn’t even see the point in that since she and Artemis only had, what? Three years difference? “As for helping out with babies… we’ll see about that.”

Salone wasn’t necessarily how much she would trust Artemis around the child… heck, she didn’t even know if it was a boy or a girl yet. But Salone would find out soon how human looking it was and the gender. Penny wanted to avoid a hospital at all costs due to… well… Salone wasn’t really human anymore and Jake defiantly wasn’t.

"What happened was that you now are going to have pups." said Artemis. "Salone you are part of my pack, like it or not. I'm not going anywhere when you are going to need the help. It's not like Jake is here anymore." Artemis choked at the end of her sentence. Damn that stupid dragon why did he have to go and die. Wasn't he a dragon? Shouldn't of he not been able to die.

"Besides The more I travel the more I realize how strange this society is. Everything seems so single minded. I'm not letting your pups grow up with only one opinion. Besides in m old pack I raised pups before, how much harder could it be." said Artemis. But there was more to it. She couldn't help but think she owed it to Jake and Salone. Not that she mind but it still felt like she owed them. Also Artemis' opinions had been changing in her travels. She began to feel like an outcast, cornered among humans and animals and she didn't like it.

Salone looked faintly amused at her declaration but then she mentioned Jake and Salone felt like a knife had been stabbed into her heart and twisted around. “Look, what happened wasn’t his fault. “ Salone stated harshly, “But I do understand where you are coming from. It’s just that this is a child and not a wolf puppy. They don’t run around and bark. They grow up slower and need much more help. It’s so much harder.”

Salone moved away from Artemis and pulled open a drawer for a wooden spoon, stirring the pot as she dewelled on Artemis’ comments.

“If you do want to stay here there are some things you need to follow. First rule; no more walking around the house naked, just no. Two; no shape shifting in front of the neighbors. As far as they are concerned we are normal… so normal clothes, normal hair styles, regular bathing times. Number three; don’t touch my box of fruit loops or the nuttella. “
Don’t touch a pregnant woman’s happy food. Case closed.

Artemis made note of what Salone said about human pups. "A pup is a pup. I think I will have a good idea on what I am doing. How big is a human litter anyway?" wondered Artemis out loud. Salone then filled her in on some ground rules, how many she would follow who knows. But since she didn't know what Fruit loops or nuttella was how hard could it be to avoid? Well probably would be easier if she knew how to read.

"What's with humans and clothes? I mean they are itchy and restricting." said Artemis grumpily, her arms crossed. She also didn't know to much about not shifting. It was part of her daily life. "Also in the future... if you want me to just stay as an animal I won't hold it against you, just don't feed me that disgusting dog food."

Salone looked amused again at the question, “Generally one, occasionally two and rarely ever three.“
She looked pained at the thought of having triples, which would be bad…; this house would be coming apart at the seams if that happened. Salone made the mental note to get another dog so Artemis would have someone to tussle with and hopefully not shred any furniture.

“In American society it is not appropriate to wander around not dressed, you can get into big trouble for it. “ Salone stirred the stew again, “You don’t need to stay as a dog, Artemis. It would prefer your human company to the canine you. That way I can feed you cupcakes and not feel guilty. Hungry?”

Salone pulled down a couple bowls and filled them with some of the beef stew. Setting them on the counter she opened a drawer and pulled out some spoons. She then grabbed two water bottles out of the fridge. Salone then sat beside her friend and began to eat, sometimes pausing to glance out the window or to just think. Occasionally her fingers would drift up to her throat to rub the medallion around her neck, deep in thought.

"That's a small litter." said Artemis with a bit of shock. "With the amount of humans that walked around I thought they where larger." She shrugged it off, maybe it wasn't so hard raising a human litter if there was only one. But oh well, she already said she was staying. Although the look on Artemis face probably would be considered priceless.

"Why!" said Artemis loudly. "They make my chest feel squished and they are just plane uncomfortable!" She began to go on a rant but then her attention was caught by the stew Salone put into a bowl for her. Her mouth watered and as soon as the bowl was put down she dug right into the stew, ignoring the spoon. She cleared her bowl in a matter of seconds and was licking the gravy off of her hands, face and bowl when she began to speak again. "And that's not what I meant Salone. The reason I mentioned that is because if you want someone to watch your pups. Even if they think they are alone they wouldn't be. I just thought maybe you wouldn't want them to know someone as feral as me."

Salone nearly choked on her stew, small?! She sighed and took a drink of her water bottle.
"Artemis, you have stew on your face... and please use a spoon next time."
She added the spoon bit because watching Artemis eat like that made her queasy... generally she wouldn't be but considering the situation it would probably be best that Artemis use a spoon. At her next sentence Salone sighed again, "Your not that feral, a little rough around the edges, yes. But we can fix that. Besides we have six months to get you all straightened out before I explode."
Her face twitched in amusement again, not quite a smile but it was close enough for the time being. Salone finished her food and moved her dish over to the sink and rinsed them, placing them into the dish washer.
"If you want more stew you can have some, but come here really quick so I can explain how to use the dishwasher."
With that Salone gave Artemis a lesson on using the dishwasher.

Artemis eyes widen. "Humans explode." said Artemis with a mix of shock and awe. She wasn't one hundred percent sure what an explosion was. She licked her face clean once Salone mentioned it and looked at her confused when she mentioned the spoon.

"What's a spoon?" wondered Artemis out loud. But she did hold her bowl out for more stew. She got up and followed Salone to the dish washer. Salone rinsed her bowl out and stuck it in the strange metal box. Artemis felt a part of her heart drop as Salone washed the extra gravy and bits of meat down the sink. That was perfectly good food.