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A/N - It's a miracle. A post in less than a week :) Enjoy.

All characters fictional. New London (No relation to actual New London, NH) and Thompson State Park are fictional.

Chapter 12 - The Measure of a Man

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just Outside New London, NH

October 21, 201

"Mom?"

My mind was running through a dozen different scenarios. Amy's evasiveness about my parent's supposed death was now starting to make a little bit of sense. They had never found the body, and Amy had never outright said that she was dead. Even Dalis, all through his rant never used that terminology. I looked straight at that white wolf, staring into its amber eyes, eyes which seemed to be trying to look anywhere but away from me. Finally, she simply walked toward me...and embraced me.

"Yeah, Mike. It's me," She answered. I merely looked at her incredulously, my gaze turning from one of bewilderment to one of anger as I focused on Amy, arms still slack at my sides.

Apparently my glare got results because Amy simply motioned for me to sit on the cloth sofa near where I had been standing. Following her motion, I headed toward the couch, closely followed by both Amy and the white wolf...err my mother who sat down on either side of me. Amy spoke first.

"Mike, I'm sorry. This is the other secret I've been hiding from you. I've been trying to figure out how to tell you, but just couldn't find the words. Your bite forced my hand."

This all was making no sense. My mother wasn't one of these Lycans...couldn't be. I thought that's the whole reason they shunned me while growing up.

"Amy, I know my mother wasn't a Lycan when I was here, otherwise I cannot believe there would have been such animosity against me. And you told me that...wait...you said I was going to die because of the bite, but you..." Something from all of the old movies had to be true, I thought. "Amy. Did you bite my mother, and why is that different from what Dalis did to me?" I wasn't being harsh...or at least wasn't trying, but that's how it all came out.

"Mike," my mother started, "It wasn't a choice. Your father and I had been stargazing as we always did. It was a special night, there was a small meteor shower that would be passing over the park, as well as a beautiful moon. You know how your father was with his astronomy, heck, I think it's why he came here in the first place. Apparently there was a kidnapping and murder that he stumbled upon and tried to stop...They...they..." She couldn't finish the words before she completely broke down in tears, quietly sobbing at the loss of my father all those years before.

"Mike," Amy picked up, "The killers saw her and used a couple of dirtbikes and ATV's to chase her onto the trail that runs by the widowmaker. They pushed her off the path to silence her. I had been stalking nearby, trying to find where our pup had disappeared to, but the forest is just too big to find these bastards sometimes. I found her at the base of the widowmaker, barely alive. That wasn't a lie. There was nothing medical science could do for her, but I just couldn't leave her to die alone. She told me what she had seen, the horror of what those murderers did, and I just felt I had no choice. She wasn't going to die because of my kind, not when I could maybe do something about it. I thought I could at least help her to survive to say goodbye to you."

"But Amy," I replied, confused, "If I am going to die from the bite, why did mom survive?"

"The moon." My mother had again composed herself, and continued the story, thanking Amy with a curt nod. "Mike, Lycans were borne from a strange virus, something that no one has ever really understood. The one thing we do know is that there is a special hormone that allows the virus to take root properly. Without this hormone, the virus cannot convert the human cells properly for their first change. That is why one of the top laws of the Lycans is that no humans shall be changed. It's just too dangerous if a Lycan makes a mistake. I was the first human to be given this form in a century in this area who has survived. All of the other "bitten" showed remarkable healing initially, but their bodies ripped themselves apart under the full moon."

"But, Amy and David said you could save me. How, if surviving this virus is so improbable?"

"Mike, there are a couple of Lycan scientists in town who have been studying me, as well as their own body chemistry. Apparently the full moon makes the Lycan body secrete this hormone in barely sufficient quantities to stabilize the virus in humans. The problem is that it's a little volatile, so we've been creating a supplement, so to speak. The only issue is that it's never been tested. The scientists believe that my own body was partially to blame for the fact that I took this form. Somehow I was more compatible than others."

I couldn't help but stare in shock. These Lycans were trying to find ways to make humans into them.

Apparently my concern registered on my face, because Amy was quick to jump in.

"Mike, the drug only works in the very small percentage of the population that has some Lycan blood in them. They think it's less than 10% of the population. You are one of the 10%...I hope."

"Mike," My mother continued, "Amy here has been pushing for a small coming out to you. She and I have been trying to push for more openness with humans, and we were currently just trying to introduce you in particular to her...our race."

"Wait. What?" Came my only reply.

"No, not in that way," My mother continued. "After I was turned, Amy tried to take care of me...apparently that didn't work too well. I didn't understand what was going on, and the pain of your father's death was just too much. I pretty much withdrew from the world. "Amy got in pretty deep trouble with the alpha because of what she did. They came very close to kicking her out of the pack, but I managed to put as much of the blame as I could on myself. Apparently I made enough of an impression on the alpha that he merely heavily reprimanded Amy. Timothy, the alpha at the time, had just lost his wife to age, and we actually had known each other when I was still human, so the two of us bonded into a pair of very close friends. Over the years, I wore him down to the point where he stated he would bless the union of Lycan and man if the man was worthy. Seamus, whom I know you know, succeeded him, and is of the same mind, however, we must convince the council of elders as well as the alpha. All of them need to be in agreement for this type of exception to the rules to happen, and that has not happened in decades. They will be here soon."

Everything was still swirling through my head. Here I was being offered the chance to live, if only I accepted this offer. I wished I had a little bit to think about it, but the way everything sounded, I only had a few minutes. I had just one question that had been bothering me throughout this conversation.

"Mom, if you survived, why did you have to fake your death? Why couldn't you just say you were lost in the woods?"

"Mike," she started, "There's a lot of things the movies get wrong about Lycans, but we do have a decent healing ability, particularly when going between forms. The only thing that we cannot heal is a severed spinal cord or amputation. Mike, I can regain my human form, but cannot move my legs. My Lycan body is my only usable form, and honestly, the only one I want. This body is the only way I have been able to keep an eye on you."

I raised an eyebrow at this confession as she continued.

"I know all about your sojourns to the park every December. Every year Amy and I were there with you, watching from the shadows of the forest, wishing we could show ourselves to you."

Suddenly, there was a curt rap at the door and the door opened, revealing David with a half dozen other people, ranging in age from my age to probably their early eighties. They were dressed casually, ranging from jeans and a tee-shirt for those about my age to slacks and button downs for some of the older men. They all had that commanding presence of leadership that you can see and feel, and I realized that this was the council that Amy and my mother had been speaking of. As they pulled chairs from the dining table to face me, I realized it. Apparently I was going to have to prove myself to them.

"Agent Hart," started one of the older gentlemen, clad in khakis, a white button down with red tie and a blue sweater vest, "First, we would like to thank you for everything. David here has been telling us about what has transpired over the past few weeks, and the way he tells it, without your work, we would be mourning the loss not only of our capable sheriff here, but also David's lovely daughter. Furthermore, he told us that you were bitten by a feral during the performance of your duties in town. I'm sure you have been told of the danger of that bite."

I solemnly nodded, trying to minimize my interaction with these people, worried because I knew they held my life in their hands. All of these platitudes and thanks, however, were starting to sound as if they were intended to be conciliatory. His next words confirmed my fears.

"However, as Ms. Sullivan has also likely told you, we highly frown on changing humans for a variety of reasons. Your situation, however, falls into a potentially little exemptable category of injuries received during exemplary service to the pack. We are hopeful that the same blood that allowed your mother to attain her form will allow you the same chance. The only issue is that we need a minimum of five character witnesses present at the hearing. Strictly a formality, I assure you, but needed nonetheless. We have already heard David's opinions, and he was...rather forceful about his opinions, and his wife apparently concurred as one of my colleagues still feels quite deaf from the conversation with her in the hospital. I assume Ms. Sullivan and Mary here also wish to speak. However, that is only four. None of this council can speak, so we appear to be in a bit of a catch 22."

"Mr. Leed, if I may interject," came David's forceful voice, "I have spoken with another character witness. He will be here rather shortly. If he is not here by the time Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Hart have finished their piece, I can phone him."

"Very well, I do hope he makes it. If there ever was a case to bend the rules, this is it," Came the response. "Now, Ms. Sullivan, what has Agent Hart done to show good moral character and why should we accept him into our pack and family."

"Mr. Leed," Amy began, "As you know, I grew up with Mike. He is one of the most stable, most caring people I have ever met. Michael was tormented by the actions of our town and, for most people, they would have shut down from the way he was treated. For many in town, he was aloof and disagreeable, however, when he was shown even a modicum of respect, he proved to be dependable and trustworthy. Even Seamus there," she said as she pointed to a man about my age with close cropped red hair wearing jeans and a Dropkick Murphys Tee shirt, "Who was never close to Mike, and indeed delivered more than his share of the torment, can attest that Mike was usually willing to help with whatever needed doing, so long as he wasn't the butt of all of the jokes. Does he have his flaws, yes, but so does everyone here. Mike is still that aloof proud man that this town made him into, but I am still praying that he will realize that that aloofness is a façade no longer needed."

She turned from the council to face me, still seated on the sofa.

"This is the man I grew up with, the man I waited for. I have already accepted him into my family. This is the man that I have asked to be my mate, and I am hoping that he will be strong enough to answer yes."

The entire room stayed silent, all eyes focused on me, and I knew they were waiting for me to respond to that plea, and spoke with as much bluntness and honesty as I could.

"Amy, I've been trying to understand everything that has happened over the past few weeks, and, honestly, just what has happened in the last hour has blown my mind. However, one thing I have realized is that I do still care for you. Very much so. You were the one thing that anchored me to the area when I could easily have run away to LA or Florida and never looked back. I left town after that first rejection, maybe this acceptance is what I need to come back, but... This is not a "no", but let's just get my feet under me first, please."

The smiles that broke out from that little speech covered the room, none brighter than either Amy's or my mother's, as Amy sat beside me, giving me a quick embrace.

"Congratulations will soon be in order, I hope," Mr. Leed continued as David walked out the door, cellular in hand, "However, seeing as our fifth witness has not appeared, Ms. Hart, you have the floor."

"Gentlemen, as all of you know, I went through this same tribunal five years ago. The judgment of your predecessors spared my life, and that of Sheriff Sullivan here. Now I stand here to ask for the life of my son, a man who grew up here. Was he a perfect kid, no, but none of your pups are, or were, either. Still, he went through the same schooling all of your pups did and, if I remember correctly, taught a couple of them. Sadly, the compacts and distrust of this town unintentionally drove him away, where he ended up spending his time risking his life for all of us in the Navy. From there, he went into the bureau and, from some of the news reports, is credited with saving the life of a young pup in Boston at great risk to himself. The family of that pup, finally able to return to society that the case will be resolved, has actually been badgering me to meet him. I hope that you will allow me to give them that opportunity."

At that, she came to me, embracing me and giving me a short lick across the cheek. 'Ugh, I guess I'll have to get used to that' I thought.

As Mr. Leed stood, the door opened with a thud. Turning back to look, I saw David ushering Agent Stark in, with a dark figure that I couldn't make out behind him. Turning back to the council, I saw a series of smiles light up across the council. Mr. Leed simply motioned for Stark to go ahead.

"I may not be a Lycan, but I have been authorized to speak on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. William Thompson of a pack in Minneapolis, parents of Cpl. Ray Thompson, deceased. I have known Agent Hart, Mike for almost five years. After he left the Navy, his former CO put me in contact with him, and the decision to hire him as soon as he had recovered was one of the best decisions I had ever made. He may be a sarcastic bastard sometimes, but Mike has been a marvelous sounding board, and deserves a leadership position with counter-terror, but he refuses to slow down enough to stay at a field office. His training classes proved not only prescient but almost instrumental in quelling the events that occurred earlier today. I trust all of my agents, but if I had to choose, I'd pick Mike to watch my back over any of them."

At this, he removed an 8 ½ x 11 folder from his briefcase.

"Agent Hart, I apologize for my tardiness, but I got waylaid by Washington for a status report. I was also informed that you are to be awarded the Medal of Valor for the events of the night of October 12-13, 2011. Congratulations. Also, they are asking for your training practicum. I think they want to take it national as you requested." He moved to shake my hand and turned to look directly at the council.

"If you let this man die after all he did for you this week... well, I cannot see how anyone could make that decision. It's not even an option in my mind."

As Mr. Leed stood to try to conclude the meeting, a final, quiet yet gruff voice spoke up from the back of the room.

"If I may?"

A quick motion from Mr. Leed and the voice continued, its owner stepping forward, revealing my savior, both from that hellhole overseas and that night that short week ago in these very woods. The chestnut brown Lycan was again attired in a tactical vest and cargo pants, albeit this time without a rifle.

"I am Captain Anton Waters, US Navy, Retired. I met Lt. Hart while he was in BUDS where I was instructing. I saw the leadership potential locked within him and manipulated the assignments so that once he graduated he was assigned to the one of our teams that deal with threats to our race, as well as other...issues. He was well on his way toward becoming a team lead when an operation against the Brotherhood of Believers went very badly when the team was compromised by a turncoat. Lt. Hart was captured and spent over a year enduring physical and mental torture that went beyond what the average man could endure. My team managed to extract him, but I never expected to see him again. This is the second time I have seen him in a week, so, as you can guess, this never slowed him down. Agent Hart, would you show the council your back, please."

Looking questioningly at the impassive Lycan and seeing his slow nod, I slowly complied with this request. I turned around and pulled back my shirt, hearing the quiet inrush of air from the soft gasps before I rolled my shirt back down.

"Thank you. Gentlemen and ladies, this man could easily have spent the rest of his life doing nothing and still been a hero to most people. He chose to reenter the field and continue to try to help others. If that is not good moral character, I do not know the meaning of the word."

With that, he went to stand behind me. I just couldn't believe it. First, Stark's comments floored me. The kid being alive, I could understand... almost, but this was just too much praise for me to handle.

"Sir, may I?" I asked. Leed motioned me to the floor.

"Gentlemen, Amy, Mom, Agent Stark, David, and Captain Water, thank you for the kind words, but I don't deserve them all. Truth be told, I have just done what I needed to do to survive the past few years. After Amy's initial rejection, I entered the Navy hoping to return in a pine box. The catalyst for my entrance into the SEALs was the same. I've been lucky my entire life, knowing Amy, surviving growing up in this town and surviving some very hairy times. I am not some superhuman who has abilities beyond what a normal man can do, I am just a normal man who does his job, and does it well. With all of these situations I have been in through the past week, any other agent could have, and would have done the same. I only survived my captivity because I was too stubborn to let my captors get the better of me, and by the end, I was willing to let them win. I am just a man, no better, no worse than any other."

The silence in the room was louder than any of the speeches had been, but I had something that I felt I needed to get off of my chest.

"Finally, for all of these platitudes that have been spouted today, I just want to give you the other side. I...participated in a murder-suicide while I was in my captivity. I...I...I killed a young Lycan to save my own life."

I recounted the story of that dark day as I saw that young man's life ebb from his body after he had essentially asked me for death.

"I tell you this so that I can get it off of my chest and to give you all of the information. I want to live, and hope to continue my life to repent for that choice...for that day when I was too proud to sacrifice myself for someone else...too proud to do what I had once set out to do. I am not asking for you to save my life...to give me this gift out of greed or self-preservation, at least not fully, but to allow me to repent for the mistakes I have made in my life so far. Thank you."

As I sat down to a short embrace by both Amy and my mother, a quiet murmur passed through the crowd gathered before me. Finally the murmur died down and Mr. Leed stood as I mirrored him, feeling like a convict awaiting the pronouncement of a capital verdict.

"Agent Hart, your actions this past month have been exemplary. Your history with this town may be somewhat checkered, and you may have your share of skeletons, however, you have proven that you are not only a valuable member of society, but also one of honor. By the power invested in me as the chief elder of the pack, I recommend that henceforth you are to be accorded full status within the pack. Our alpha has already agreed, and your Ceremony of Acceptance will be November 10, 2011 at moonrise. I assume you wish your mother to do the honors?"

I was glad, and almost dumbfounded. I had been accepted by them and could look forward to surviving the month.

"Sir, if I may have Sheriff Sullivan do the honors. She is the first Lycan I ever trusted, and I cannot think of anyone I would rather have granting me this gift. To be honest, I have a feeling that she's wanted to be able to do this for a while."

"Of course, and may I be the first to say it, 'Welcome'. We are adjourned."

At this, the room erupted into applause, but I had better things to do than listen to that. I walked over to Amy and embraced her, just enjoying the feeling of having her in my arms. This whole ordeal had told me that she still meant something to me, and I to her. The kiss between the two of us just seemed to happen, but just felt so right...so natural. It was the culmination of a life in waiting.

And of course the room erupted in even louder applause.

The room began to close in on us, each of the council members congratulating me and welcoming me to the family. It seemed as if they were glad they could change history for once...to do something that had rarely been done before. They apparently still had all of their standards and laws, but I was being granted an exception from the highest levels possible, something that had previously sounded impossible. This whole thing was going to take a little bit of getting used to, the idea of me being a Lycan.

As the council filed past, I caught Seamus with a clap on the shoulder. He met me with a hearty handshake and grin.

"Seamus, Amy's letters said something about you wanting a rematch on our old plinking matches. You still interested?" All while the two of us were growing up we had competed in a local shooting tournament, sometimes a rather unfriendly rivalry, but each of us drove the other to work harder at our skills. I had always managed to best Seamus regardless of what he tried. It would be interesting to see if he had improved.

"You're on. We can use the field by the high school. Next Saturday?"

"Bring your A-game, kid."

As the council left, David filed past me at the end of them. The huge grin on his face showed that he was as pleased at the turn of events as I was.

"Mike, I guess I'll be seeing more of you. I gotta bring the council back home, so I need to run. Still owe you that dinner, though. As soon as Michelle's out of the hospital, I'll set everything up. And I won't take no for an answer. Even if I have to kidnap you."

That last line held just enough snark to infer that he was joking, but I laughed nervously at the irony of being kidnapped for a barbecue.

After David and the council left, I pulled Stark and Waters aside before they left. I had a couple questions for them.

"Sir, what's going on out there?" My question was directed more at Stark, but Waters actually answered me.

"Mike, my team's just going through the remains of the farmhouse. This group...well, it was nothing. I hate to say it, but compared to some of the larger groups out there, their victims get off easy. It looks like this local group's been decimated at worst, eliminated at best, but there are just too many of them. We hope that we can get some information from their leader about other local groups, though. From the sound of the guy, David really made an impression...well, that and he's afraid of Gitmo. I wish we had enough men to deal with these smaller cells, but there are just not enough men."

"Well now you have one more." His handshake...err pawshake?... was firm and aggressive but he didn't release my hand.

"Mike, about that kid in Germany. Believe me. You did the right thing for that kid. If you hadn't killed him they would have just tortured him more. You are not to blame. I wouldn't have hesitated, even being Lycan."

I just merely nodded. Looking to Stark, I said the words I had been dreading.

"I'll be out for a few days. Call me when arrangements are complete for John."

"No problem," was Stark's reply. "That's what I expected, and I will. Good job out there today. Your work saved a lot of lives today, both human and Lycan. As for John," he exhaled softly, "These visits never get easier. You mind helping? He really looked up to you, everyone saw that and it will mean something to the family."

"Just say when and where."

As Stark left, I saw just how late it had become. It was no longer 'today', and had become 'tomorrow'. My mother apparently hadn't changed that much...err at least in regards to her guest mentality. She had already picked up a set of blankets out of one of the closets and was bringing them toward the couch.

"You two can sleep here tonight. The couch is a pullout. I'll be in the other room if you need anything." The way that she said that, the gleam in her eyes showed that she expected something more than just sleeping between Amy and I. I really think these two were scheming about getting us together for a while, and was unsure whether to be proud or just a little skeeved out.

Meanwhile, Amy came out of the bathroom, changed, in all senses of the word, for bed. Her tall form looking just a little more regal and imperious than the last two times I had seen her in this form. She A, wasn't bleeding profusely this time and B, wasn't curled up on the floor like some oversized dog. She was just a little over six foot, just a few inches taller than I was, showing a well toned body, not looking anorexic, but also not appearing to be overly buff. Most of her body was covered by deep brown fur with a cream crest running from the underside of her muzzle, past her pert breasts to her groin. Her amber eyes peered into me, meeting mine as they filled with mirth.

"Uh, Mike. Are you trying to catch flies?"

Oops. Apparently I had been staring. I closed my mouth quickly, but attempted to recover.

"Sorry. I just never got a good chance to look at you in this form without you being covered in blood or looking like a mutt." She scowled a bit at that comment...time to extricate my foot from my mouth. "No, you look amazing."

"Thank you, Mike. I meant what I said earlier. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. It's a little complicated, but Lycans have a tendency to lock on to one mate and fixate. Well, you're mine."

"Amy, you know that there is nothing I want more than to say yes, but there is just too much going on for me to say yes without worry. I just need a little time, but I have a little compromise offer for you. Do you have enough room up here for another mutt?"

Her eyes narrowed and the scowl returned for a short second, but quickly returned to the sparkling mirth that I had seen before. "Mutt? Loki? Mike, is that your way of asking to move in?" I nodded my assent before she continued. "Of course. I have a spare bed for him. You, on the other hand would have to share" That omnipresent grin was again on her face.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You really like corrupting my dog, don't you? That's exactly what I had in mind. Let me get everything sorted out and see what happens. I admit, though that I think I will be doing a little regifting soon...Err, thinking of Loki..."

"Don't worry. One of our deputies took him for the night. He'll be fine...and hopefully he'll leave with you." I really hoped she was just joking, but the enigmatic look on her face confounded me. "Mike, I'm just glad to have this second chance. Let's not let it go to waste. We can talk more over breakfast, but it's late and I need to sleep. I know you do too. You look like shit."

As we retired, I couldn't help but marvel at the reversal of fortunes I had seen this week. First, I had closed one of the most disturbing cases I had ever seen, a case that had haunted my every waking moment for the past few months. Second, I had managed to actually find out what had happened with my parents, and even managed to reconnect with my mother, something that I had never, not even in my most off the wall dreams, expected. The next day or two was going to be very interesting. Third I had managed to reconnect with Amy, the one person I had ever trusted even remotely completely, and she was reciprocating now and...well, everything was looking up for once. Finally, and honestly the most surprising aspect of the entire ordeal, I had been accepted by a group of, essentially werewolves, and granted entrance into their family to save my life. This group seemed very willing to accept me, and I was praying that, for once, everything went right.

As Amy cut the lights in the cabin and joined me on the thin futon mattress, my senses were filled with the reality of her. I could feel the rough prickle of warm fur against my back and the slight, musky odor of her furry body as she lay down beside me, pressing her chest against my back. She sighed contentedly, bidding me good night as she gave me a lick across the nape of my neck.

I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but I knew that I needed to be there to meet it.

One Week Later...

As Amy and I stood on the green grass, a brilliant blue sky above in the cool, crisp autumn air, I couldn't help but wish some things had turned out better.

Standing before me was the flag draped coffin of a man just out of college. A man who should have had his entire life ahead of him, but the blind hatred and desire for revenge of two men had started a chain of events which had culminated in not only the death of this man, a man who I had only worked with for a very short period, but found teachable and workable, but the deaths of over four dozen additional civilians. Mothers, fathers and children, all caught up in a web of hatred and deceit from revenge. There's just never enough time in life.

Looking at that flag draped casket, I realized that I could easily join that web of revenge, and the life changing ceremony that I would take part in would only heighten that danger. I was scared for myself...I was entering a world that I had never expected and doubted I could fully understand.

As the pastor closed his hymnal, and the honor guard gave Mrs. Mitchell the flag off her son's casket, I heard the strident strains of a bagpiper rise into the cloudless blue sky, the notes of Amazing Grace pouring from the instrument. I felt my heart catch in my throat, just as it always did when I heard it. I could never explain the effect of the song on me, but I again felt the tears welling up against the wall of my emotional control. As the mourners began to disperse, I silently walked to Ms. Mitchell.

"Mrs. Mitchell. I just want to reiterate that I'm sorry I couldn't do any more for your son. If you ever need anything, you have my card. God bless."

Her only response was to embrace me, choking back tears at her loss. As she released me, I motioned for Amy to come forward, black mourning band across her sheriff's star on her pressed uniform.

"Mrs. Mitchell," she began, "You don't know me, but I'm Amy Sullivan. I...your son died trying to rescue me from a madman. I wish he didn't have to die for me, but he did. I know this probably means little right now, but thank you."

With that, she broke down, the two embracing silently. We walked back to the black suburban that would take us back to the bureau office where my personal truck was, the haunting notes of Amazing Grace echoing off the surroundings.

As we entered the car, I turned to look at Amy. "Amy, promise me one thing. Promise me that you will be there throughout these next few weeks. They are going to be strange and tough, and I'll need all of the help I can get. I don't want to lose myself."

Her piercing green eyes just stared straight into me, seemingly boring into my soul. "Mike, I'm not going anywhere. We'll all be there for you. We all owe you that much. Mike, I won't be leaving, I promise you that. Let's walk into this new world together."

I figured that it was as good a time as any. "Amy, take a look in the glove box please."

She opened the glovebox and saw the insurance sheaf, but atop it was a small velvet box. Her jaw went slack as she removed the small box from the compartment.

"Amy. You asked me last week to be your mate. Then I was uncertain and worried, but I've been trying to pull my mind together. I need all the help I can get right now, and you've been there my entire life. We've been avoiding each other for the last decade, but that's all over. Yes, I will."

As she opened the box, seeing that same emerald that I had proposed to her with almost twenty years ago, she simply smiled. Placing the ring on her finger, she simply leaned over to my seat, her lips meeting mine in a kiss that just said everything that I had ever feared about her feelings was wrong.

"Mike, let's meet the future together."

My grin could have split my face. I couldn't wait for that full moon, for the night where I would join my wife...my mate...in her true form, and join her family permanently.

A/N - Hope you enjoyed. Just one more integral chapter to go. Comments and thoughts always appreciated.

Edited 3/19/12 - found small errors and repaired. - AAcid