How would Miss Manners handle a kidnapping situation?

Chapter 4


Life just sucks all round, Willow thought sulkily. She had no

control at all over this situation. Strangers have stepped in and

taken over. She wasn't being allowed to go home to her aunt.

They, those strangers again, said it was too dangerous for Willow.

Why would it be dangerous for Willow to be around her beloved aunt?

Because they thought she was going to be furry in just a couple of

days. God, she hoped not.


She huddled further down into the car's front seat with her arms

tightly wound around herself. Now, she was being taken to

Sylvie's house. Did she have a say in this at all? That would

be a resounding no. Sylvie seemed nice enough if just the teeniest

bit intimidating. Not that Willow was intimidated by being alone

with a werewolf she just met. It wasn't like she had any previous

negative experiences with werewolves. Nope, she was completely at

ease with all that was happening. She sighed, "Yeah right."


Sylvie glanced over at Willow. The redhead hadn't said much of

anything since she had been told that for her own safety and

others' safety that she would have to stay with pack until her

control was strengthened. No more chances to be taken. Not after

the screw-up with that other new wolf.


Michael wasn't her problem. He was his sponsor's headache

right now. No, Willow was to be Sylvie's new headache. Richard

wanted to make sure that there wasn't a repeat of previous

mistakes. That was why Sylvie was to be Willow's sponsor.


Sylvie gave out her own sigh. She had enough on her plate just

trying to keep Richard from running the pack into the ground. Yeah,

things had gotten better. Jacob was no longer a threat to

Richard's leadership. Paris, the little floozy, was just an

annoyance by comparison. But Richard wasn't dealing well.

Richard had broken up with his girlfriend, Anita. Now that was a

complicated mess. Anita had moved on with not one but two men. The

pack still liked their former lupa. Some members wanted Anita to

stay lupa while others like Paris wanted Richard to pick someone

new. Sylvie just wanted peace for the pack.


Sylvie and Willow rode through the semi-quiet residential streets of

St. Louis. It had to be near dawn by now. They both were tired and

cranky. Sylvie was cranky because she had been awakened in the

middle of night by the situation. Willow was cranky because of the

situation. Nothing was said in the car during the entire ride.

Sylvie wasn't sure what to say to Willow. Gwen would probably

know the right thing to say. After all, her lover is a psychologist.

Willow said nothing because she was angry and didn't want to talk

to her kidnapper.


Sylvie broke the silence, "We're here." Willow looked up

and saw a nice quaint little house. This was the kind of house that

should have a husband, wife, 2.3 kids, and a dog. It even had a

white picket fence. They pulled into the driveway and got out of

the car.


"Gwen said she would wait up. So, you get to meet another pack

member tonight or actually this morning." Sylvie said this while

she unlocked the front door.


"Gwen, I have someone here that I want you to meet," Sylvie

called out to a darkened house.


"I'm in the kitchen," a voice replied.


Willow guessed that this was the Gwen that Sylvie had mentioned.

She followed Sylvie to a bright and cheery kitchen. A woman in a

white terry bath robe sat at the island in the middle of the

kitchen. She had long flowing blonde hair pulled back into a pony

tail. She was drinking coffee and looking over a stack of files.

She looked up and gave warm smile to Sylvie and Willow as they

entered.


"Hi, I'm Gwen and you are?" the blonde asked. She held

out her hand.


Willow felt more at ease in this new person's presence. Gwen

just seemed to radiate calm. Willow stepped closer and shook

Gwen's hand. "I'm Willow, the newly infected,"

Willow said with a grimace. Gwen gave a gentle smile in return.


"And how does that make you feel?" Gwen asked with a twinkle

in her eye.


Sylvie interrupted the moment. "Gwen is a psychologist and

can't help herself sometimes." They shared a smile.


Willow could tell that these two were in a committed relationship.

She felt a pang of loss when she remembered what she once shared

with Tara. She shook her head. She had to get her bearings about

what had happened tonight. She couldn't get sidetracked thinking

about what once was. She had to stay in the present.


"I really don't know how I feel at the moment. I do know

that my aunt is probably feeling worried about me. I was supposed

to be home hours ago." Willow looked from Sylvie to Gwen trying

to gauge their reactions.


Gwen was the first to speak up. "Why don't you call your

aunt? I wouldn't mention the lycanthropy over the phone. That is

something that you should discuss in person. The phone is on the

wall by the refrigerator. We will leave you alone to make your

call. Come into the living room when you're done. You really

should talk to someone about all you've gone through. It will

help you process all that's happened."


Willow nodded and walked over to the phone. She stared at the phone

trying to figure out what to say to relieve her aunt of her

worries. She hoped her aunt hadn't called the police yet. She

couldn't outright lie to her aunt. She has been down that path

and it only leads to evil veiny Willow. So, she will tell the truth

but just omit certain facts until she could give her aunt the whole

story face to face. With that decided she took a deep breath and

let it out.


She dialed her aunt's number and waited with baited breath for

the phone to be picked up. She didn't have to wait long.


"Hello, Willow is that you?" her aunt's voice was

frantic. Willow felt bad when she heard her aunt's voice. She

should have called sooner. Well, time for damage control.


"Auntie it's me, Willow. I'm fine. I've had a

crappy night so far but it is good to hear your voice. I'm so

sorry that I made you worry. This is the first time I've been

able to get to a phone all night. Something not of the good

happened tonight and I need some time and understanding from you.

I'm going through something big here and I will need a few days

to sort it out. I'm at a friend's house. I'll introduce

you later. Don't worry too much. I'm not plotting to

destroy the world again. I just need some time if, that is okay

with you?" Willow finally took a breath.


"Are you sure you're okay? If that is what you want. Take

all the time you need. Please just call me to check in

occasionally. I can't help my worry. You are like my own

daughter of course I worry," Auntie paused in her own babble fest

and took a shuddering breath. "You need someone to worry about

you, Willow. I'm here to care about you. You don't need to

always be strong for everyone. You know, I love you."


Willow smiled a little smile. Her auntie always gave the best warm

fuzzies. If only, her mother was like that. "I promise to check

in often. I'll come home in a few days and give you the complete

tale then. I love you too, Auntie."


Willow spoke a few more minutes with Auntie. Auntie hadn't

called the police yet. She knew that they would say that it would

was just a college student probably out having too much fun to check

in with the parents. Willow assured her aunt that wasn't it and

promised again to tell the full story later. Willow hung up the

phone feeling a little better. There was just something about her

aunt that made Willow feel like she could tackle any problem.


With that renewed sense of hope, Willow went into the living room to

have a long and serious chat with Sylvie and Gwen about the dirty

little details of being a wolf and what it means to be in a pack.

They didn't go to bed until hours later with the sun up high in

the sky.