James

"What?" I exclaim. "Five? What the hell? Shit! Crap! Okay, we'll see you tomorrow." I hang up the call, turn around, and hit Jemma straight in the face with my head.

"Ouch! James! What the f—"

"Why were you right behind me?"

"I was trying to listen to your call, of course." She shakes her head as if to say 'duh' and rubs her forehead where mine hit hers.

"I would have told you. You know you don't have to eavesdrop," I reply flatly.

"Oh, I know, it's just more fun that way. Sneaky. I like it." She winks at me and kisses the tip of my nose. "So where are we off to tomorrow? And what is there five of?" She settles down onto our bed and scrambles under the covers. I have to give it to Strand; this room is amazing, and the bed is the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on. The covers are soft and inviting, and the furniture is all very expensive looking. I'm almost scared I'll break it.

It's still odd being here and being in charge of people I don't know at all, but it's getting better.

Today I had my first ever pack meeting and officially met everyone. There are a lot of people. So many families. It really is a formidable pack. They're all very supportive though. Well, mostly, and so far, Jemma and I are feeling as though we have majority support.

I go to our little kitchenette and grab a bottle of water each for Jemma and I and take them back over to the bed. Jemma's flicking through Netflix on the TV and finally settles on a movie.

"'To All the Boys' again, Jem?"

"Oh, come on! I know you actually love it!"

"We've watched it like ten times! Can we not have something else?"

"Nope! You said my choice, and I choose this."

She sticks out her tongue like a little brat, and I can't help but laugh at her. She knows I would never make her change it. She knows by now that I'm a push-over when it comes to her. And I'm pretty sure she uses it against me—not that I mind. I'm crazy about this girl.

"So? You going to tell me then?" She pokes me in the shoulder and quickly takes the water I pass over to her.

I slip under the covers next to her and rest back onto the soft pillows. "So, tomorrow we need to go to Mornington to see Arge and Aida and Argent's cousin, Crispin. He's visiting from London and he has ... news."

"Uh huh. About what?"

"Well, that's the five part. He has intelligence that suggests that Aida was part of a planned program. Her mother being bitten wasn't an accident and wasn't isolated. It was all planned."

Her face drops, and she slowly shakes her head with her mouth falling open. "Shut the front door! What the hell? Is he sure? How long has he known? Oh my god! I mean, where are the others? What are they like?"

I can literally see her mind boggling. I know how it feels, mine is the same wobbly mess. "I'm not sure of all the details, Jem. You heard my entire conversation, which is why we're going tomorrow. Oh, also, my father is there."

She gasps. "What? Are you serious?"

I nod. "I know."

"I'm going to kick his bastard ass."

"I know." Yeah, she's pissed. She's practically fuming.

"And then I'm going to punch him in the face."

Still going. "Okay, babe"

"I mean. Wow. Okay. There's a lot going on over there. Are Aidgent okay?"

I stare at her, confused. "Who?"

"Aidgent. I can't be bothered saying Aida and Argent, so I just made them a name. Anyway, are they?"

I smile at her and lean in to kiss her crazy lips.

"What was that for?"

"You are such a dork, you know that, right?"

"Yes. And you love it."

My smile widens. "I do."

"Mmmm. Okay. Well, tomorrow's going to be fucking amazing!"

She leans back again with a huge grin reaching all the way to her eyes. She's the only person on earth who would find this exhilarating rather than terrifying, but that's her.

It's actually a nice balance. I'm the serious to her surreal. The calm to her crazy, the relaxed to her rebellious. We are yin and yang, the perfect reflection of each other. It's what keeps it fresh and exciting each day. Every morning waking up to her is an adventure, and I couldn't imagine living it with anyone else.

We snuggle in together and against my best wishes, I find myself getting sucked into the world of Peter and LJ. Again. She reaches up and strokes my face softly, twirling her fingers in my hair. She knows this relaxes me.

"Babe?"

"Jem."

"Does it scare you? All this. All the new things that keep popping up?" She keeps twirling her fingers round and round as I consider my response.

It's been a busy and odd few week, that's for sure. Discovering my father's work. Finding Aida alive after all these years. Jemma. Alpha. It's more than some people see and do in a lifetime and yet this has been our everyday.

"Yes. Honestly? It does. I never imagined that this would be my life. Chaos. I like simple, routine. This throws me off. I worry about making the right choices. And now, my choices will impact so many others. It's harder than I thought."

Jemma stops the hair stroking and turns around to look into my eyes. "Whatever you need, I'm here. I know I joke and all that but babe, I'm always here to help, to support you. To kick your ass. Whatever you need." She leans in and kisses me, slowly but with everything behind it. She's just so much in such a small package, this incredible girl. I don't know now how I ever existed without her.

I break apart from her and take her face in my hands. "You are something else, you know that?"

"I do. Now shut up and kiss me."

I chuckle and do as I'm told.

We tangle up, legs and bodies intertwined. I can feel her hands wandering up my back and tracing their way towards the neck of my shirt. She pulls it upwards and over my head, throwing it away from the bed and then drawing her hands over my chest.

Her hands make a warm path downwards but before they get too low, I grab them and slide her backwards so that she's on her back and I'm over her. I put her hands up above her head and just take all of her in.

She smiles up at me.

I'm distracted by the expression she's wearing. "What?"

"I am so the boss." She giggles and pulls me down on top of her while she laughs, and I just give in and laugh along with her.

"Yes, you are."

"Now, either continue where that was heading or let me sleep!"

***

We head out for Mornington first thing, mainly because I didn't get much sleep last night. Jemma's doing for the most part, which I won't complain about, but also, once I started to let the new information sink in, I just couldn't stop going over and over it in my mind.

My father is back. I'm going to be able to see him face-to-face and try to get an idea of just where it all went so wrong for him. For us.

That's if I can control myself.

And then there are the other potential hybrids.

I've never taken a liking to Crispin; something about him bugs me. Jemma thinks it his accent, but it's not that. If anything, it's his extreme superiority complex. The dude thinks he is something special. Yes, he does come from a long line of "true bloods" and boy, doesn't he like to remind us all.

"Hey ... You ... Are you listening to me?"

"Huh? What?"

"That's what I thought."

"Sorry, Jem. I'm just ... all over the place."

"It's okay. I get it."

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

"Nothing really. What were you obsessing about?" She says this with a very serious expression; I know she can tell when I'm freaking out about things internally, so it's no good at all trying to hide it from her.

"That dick Crispin. Dad. The other hybrids."

"Oh, so nothing important then?" She quickly gives me a wink and returns her attention to the road ahead.

"Right. Just your regular day at Mornington, really."

"Aren't you glad you're a Strand now?"

"Actually, yes!"

She laughs. "Ha! I knew it. You've always thought we were better, huh? Always wanted to be a Strand? Deep down, everyone does."

"Maybe I had the wrong person in mind with a superiority complex?"

"What? A what?"

The car slides across the other side of the road in time with Jemma's furious waving hands, and the huge bus heading towards us honks madly in an attempt to move us back.

"Jem, eyes on the road!"

She screams. The car makes its way violently back into the appropriate lane, and we continue our reckless ride. Thank goodness it's not a long one as we may not make it there in one piece if this keeps up. I always hate it when she wants to drive.

"Sorry about that! Got a bit carried away there."

"You think?" I stammered, my heart pounding. "You're a terrible driver!"

"I'm a great driver. You're a crap passenger."

"This could go on all day, but I prefer that we arrive safely, so I give up."

"Good." She winks at me without moving her head, and we continue our journey. Even though she nearly hurled us headfirst into a bus, it served to lighten the mood. That's where my day is at already; a near death experience is lighter than what we're driving towards. Sick.

The highway takes a bend to the left, and the exit sign for the Mornington house comes into view.

"Here goes nothing."

"No, babe, here goes everything! Today is going to be nuts!"

I shrug and chuckle at her enthusiasm. She finds a positive in everything. Let's see if she can find one in that evil bastard. He is my first stop today, and he will answer me. He owes me that much.