20) I swerve for the roadrunner

Mj’s muffled whimpers and grunts woke Moxie almost instantly, and he began to shake Jay, “ wake our little sister mon amour… the shadows are creeping in her mind,” Jay rubbed his eyes and shook his head before the sound of his sisters muffled cries forced his eyes open wide.

Jay leaned forward and started to shake her gently, “ Em, Mj, Mj… wake up little sister,” he whispered, trying not to wake Ed, who had pulled over at some point to sleep on the wheel instead of behind it. Jay shook Mj a little harder. As she gasped and her eyes flew open, he watched as they instantly filled with tears. “Jay,” she whimpered, and he drew her up into an awkward hug as he soothed her, “shh, shh it’s ok, it was only a dream,” he began to almost rhythmically chant and as Mj let her brother sooth her fluttering heartbeat, she realized they were no longer moving and pulled herself from her brothers embrace before she opened the door and exited the truck.

Pushing the door closed as quietly as possible Mj stepped away from the SUV and called out to her companion, “Theron, was that just a dream,” she asked, and although she could feel his presence in every fiber of her being the creature she had come to depend on for comfort would not answer her.  Mj took a deep breath and looked out over the world as the first signs of a new day began to lighten the night sky. As she inhaled the fresh new morning air, a swelling in her chest forced the air from her lungs and she grabbed her heart.  The pain was not intense but the fact that her heart felt heavy and sick had tears streaming from Mj’s eyes, “I miss you too prince charming… you asshole, why couldn’t we do this together” she whispered into the dawn and a shadowed whisper crept through her mind, “kitten” she heard and the weight of how much she missed those words crushed her completely. Mj sank to the ground, hugging her knees as she began to hyperventilate but tried hard to clear her mind and send her message back to the man she didn't want to miss. “come home,” was all she said before standing and turning back toward the waiting faces of Moxie and Jay.

Both hunters whimpered as they watched their assassin's chin wobble with unshed emotion and as her pain radiated toward them, both Moxie and Jay each outstretched one arm and drew her into their shared embrace. Mj tried to give a quick hug, but neither hunter released her and as they squeezed her between them, she began to beat on Jay’s chest as she leaned her head forwarded, resting it on his clavical and cried, “I feel his pain all the time, stupid asshole! Come home!... damn you,” she mumbled as Moxie rubbed small circles on her back and leaned his forehead between her shoulders. Mj sniffled and allowed her brothers to bounce comfort and loving feelings between them for long enough that the warmth from the sun lit up the side of her face. Moxie stepped back and jerked his thumb in the direction of the truck, “we better wake up Eddie and get this circus back on the road.” Mj nodded and reached for the door when Jay stopped her. “careful little sister, Eddie might be the most patient and understanding wolf when he is awake, but when the ornery fucker is asleep, he can throw a mean left.” Mj nodded and gently opened the front passenger door, as she climbed in, the weight shift caused Ed to stir and mumble.

Mj watched as Moxie and Jay both flanked around the rear of the truck and stood next to Ed’s door, she locked eyes with both wolves and cleared her throat, “ED” she yelled just before the drivers' door flew open, and the older hunter tumbled out as he yelled incoherently, “Stop the veranda,” he slurred before stumbling to his feet and looking around at the trio of cackling hunters. Ed began to curse under his breath before stretching his neck and shoulders and climbing back behind the wheel. Ed glanced sideways at Mj and, smirked “ trader”, he chuckled as Moxie and Jay joined them in the back seat while Ed pulled the rig back onto the road to continue their journey. Mj could feel the eyes from the back seat as she stared out the window and about an hour into their trip Ed reached over and flicked on the radio as a beautiful melody filled the cabin followed by half of the first verse before Moxie inhaled from the backseat like he had been starving himself of oxygen, “Eddie spaghetti crank the knob, our girls on tha radio,” as Ed grinned and turned the volume up Moxie screamed along with the song. "Yes I’ve worn the golden G-string, put my hand into hellfire. I did it all to make you love me and to feel alive.” Mj glanced in the rearview mirror as Jay joined in, “ Oh, that’s just the world we’re livin in, the old boys hold all the cards and they ain't playin gin, you dare to call me crazy, have you looked around this place, I should walk away, Oh I should walk away… but I think I’ll stay.” As the two wolves in the back continued to sing very loudly and out of tune, the lyrics began to resonate with Mj and large hot tears once again began streaming down her face.

Ed glanced at Mj and turned the volume down as the last verse began to play, “What's eatin you little sister?” he chirped and as Mj opened her mouth, her stomach answered for her. The sound that escaped her body was nothing short of a terrible series of gurgles and groans, “I see, we will stop as soon as I see a rest stop… I could use some grub too and the wonder fucks in the back ate everything,” as Ed jabbed his hand toward the backseat, Moxie and Jay both began to pinch Ed’s face as he steered the SUV off a ramp toward another small gas station. Once more, Ed pulled into the parking lot and saddled up to a fuel pump while the others hopped out and stretched their arms and legs. Jay swung his arm around Mj’s shoulders and began to steer her toward the small corner store, “come on sis, let's get grub… I have to go with this time since you and Mox seem to think playing nice means making the other kids on the playground eat sand,” Mj elbowed her brother in the ribs as he opened the door and ushered them inside.

After picking up a series of candy bars, peanuts, and beef jerky, the two hunters stood side by side as the very frail elderly, very human man rang up their goods at the pace of a snail. 

Mj could feel the wheels in Jay’s head turning, and he gently leaned over, bumping her shoulder with his own. “We will bring him home Mj… even if the three of us have to go get him… we will bring him home.” Mj sniffed as Jay paid for their goods and grabbed the bags.

Mj opened the door for Jay and as they exited the store the echo of Moxie’s bellowing Cajun twang rang out as far as the ear could hear, “you know da rules bon ami” the Cajun grunted as he held Ed in a tight headlock. Jay grunted small laughs through the stick of beef hanging from his mouth as the two approached the wrestling pair. Ed grunted and struggled to spin around, but Moxie just slammed the two of them to the petrol covered concrete below “come on Eddie, ya can’t roll a Cajun bra, we grow up huggin dem gators,” Moxie did not release the older hunter he simply pivoted his hips and rolled the older hunter over the top of himself but without releasing the hold. Ed made a strange choking sound as his own weight pressed his trachea against Moxie’s fully flexed bicep. Mj tried to intervene, but Jay grabbed her by the elbow and shook his head feverishly, “don’t ruin their fun sis” he almost whined and as she glanced back toward them Ed was lying on his back with Moxie underneath him, but the older man was still clawing at the arm cinched tightly around his throat, “come on Eddie… What's the password” Ed grunted and tried everything to escape the vice-like grip Moxie had on him but finally the salt and pepper bearded wolf tapped out and growled, “I swerve for the roadrunner.” As Moxie released Ed, the hunter coughed and gasped for air while Moxie jumped to his feet and Jay pulled Ed the rest of the way up. Mj shook her head and held her hands up as the four wolves climbed into their vehicle. She twisted in her seat to look at the two in the rear, “why is that a password?” she asked, and Ed groaned as Jay and Moxie laughed. 

Jay jabbed his thumb in Moxie’s direction, “Ol’ Eddie spaghetti made Mox shoot himself in the foot a few years back when he severed to miss hitting a roadrunner… it’s sort of one of the reasons the Alpha won't let us carry handguns,” Moxie nodded as he tossed a few sticks of jerky toward Ed, “yea and a gun is easier to track down… most cops round here don't care when criminals stab each other anyhow, It's less paperwork for them ta do cher.” Mj’s mouth hung open, but all she could do was grin and shake her head. “Of course that’s the reason we don't bring guns… it has nothing to do with the fact that lead wouldn't really do jack shit to us anyway” she laughed and Ed held his hand up, “actually little sister bullets hurt wolves who are weaker, and Omegas that are not mated to an Original don’t do well against untreated bullet wounds,” Mj nodded and Jay piped up from the rear, “I also heard a couple of rogues talking about these rounds the Triad is making that are supposed to be deadly to wolves no matter what their lineage, but I can’t find any real evidence besides talk,” Ed and Moxie nodded but Mj creased her forehead in deep thought, “what if we haven't heard about it because nobody survives” she asked and although it had been a sound question the haunting possibility of answers had the entire cab of the truck silent in grim thought.//