Last time on Blind Hope

Drake paused in his speech, and the audience sat in horror, waiting for him to continue. "And because nothing was going right, Bruce and Vivian snapped out of whatever had been possessing them and came up with a new plan. One to save Hope and their packs." He was interrupted from continuing when a commotion sounded outside the doors. "And there is my evidence." The doors were thrown open.

~~~~~~~~~~

To say the courtroom was silent would be a grave understatement. It wasn't just quiet. It was as if time stood still. It was as if all movement of wind and breath froze, dropping to the ground and shattering as loudly as the doors banged against the walls. No pin drop was heard. No scurry of mouse. No whisper or moan. It was as quiet as a coffin six feet under.

And then people began to move, though as if in slow motion.

"Mo-mom? Dad?" Vivian leapt over those around her, using empty chairs to propel herself forward and into the arms of the people she thought long gone. "Mom! Dad!" They dropped the bloody body of the man they were holding and caught Vivian.

Jeffery snuck around the little scene, grabbing the poor man's jacket and dragging him further into the room. At least, he tried. John, sensing the movement, one hand still holding Vivian, jerked his other hand around and grabbed Jeffery by the throat. John continued with the sobbing, snotting reunion. Jeffery's hands began tapping John's frantically. He looked over at Dorian, who still sat in shock. "Majesty!" He whispered shouted, as loud as his compressed vocal chords would allow. "Majesty! Save your savior!"

Dorian leapt from his position, momentarily forgetting Hope in his shock, and rushed to the group. "What? Who!?"

"Majesty!" Jeffery was turning purple.

"Let that man go!" Dorian's threatening voice interrupted the reunion and John's hand slipped from Jeffery's throat. Gasping, Jeffery looked down at the unconscious man.

"I know how you feel." He paused. "Just less dramatic."

"Are you the John and Tammy I've been hearing about?" Dorian's mind was still in business mode and a smile tugged at his lips. "You're alive?" He knew Hope would be absolutely thrilled.

"Yes! Yes!" Vivian laughed and cried, nearly falling to her knees in exhaustion. "This is Mom and Dad!" She held her stomach and doubled over, shouting. "Oh, gosh, I thought you were dead!" Blake hesitantly walked up, waving a little. He wrapped his arms around Vivian, keeping her father in the corner of his eye as he did so.

"Young man, what are you doing?" Blake froze. John had noticed. And he wasn't happy.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, WE CAN SORT FAMILY PROBLEMS OUT LATER! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON!?" The High Elder shouted. He was tired of interruptions, and his young investigator looked ready to keel over.

Victoria squeezed Bruce's hand from under the table, and the two of them smiled. They had been worried they would die before the truth was revealed.

Hope itched to see. She was nervous as the smells of John and Tammy reached her nose, though tinged with blood. She needed to know they were okay. She needed to touch them. She needed to rejoice with Vivian, but she knew couldn't. Vivian just found her parents - Hope wasn't about to interfere. Dory, she mind-linked, I smell blood. Are they okay?

Dorian raced back down the courtroom, leaping up beside Hope. He nuzzled her ear, and she leaned into him. "Yes, sweet. They're fine and very much alive." He wiped away stray tears Hope hadn't realized had fallen. Dorian cleared his throat, and stood up. His presence demanded attention. "Drake, John, and Tammy - someone, anyone tell what this is all about?"

"We went to Victoria's office to distract her and Bruce as Vivian and Hope escaped. At the time, we didn't know what was happening." Tammy said as John pulled the injured man - whom Jeffery was giving basic first aide to - to his feet.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tammy and John raced to Victoria's office, barging inside angrily. The extensive wounds on both Vivian and Hope filled them with intense rage.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Tammy shouted, slamming the door closed behind her. "Because I know you didn't just throw my Hope into a glass table! And I know you didn't just scar by baby!"

"You hurt Vivian too!?" Gramm shouted, leaping to his feet.

"We're only doing what had to be done." Bruce said evenly, crossing his arms. Drake burst into the office.

"Hope and Vivian are gone! I went to check on them in the hospital, and-"

"Shut up, Drake." Victoria snapped. She growled, her fist slamming into her desk and shattering it to pieces. Her fist bled, but she ignored it. "John, Tammy, Hope is no longer your concern."

"She was never a concern to start with!" John's claws popped out, and he half-way shifted. Victoria closed her eyes and turned her head away.

"Tammy, John, you're both under arrest for threatening two Alphas and will be killed." She mind-linked guards, and they came in, taking Tammy and John with much difficulty. Using her Alpha command, Victoria ordered her guards to take Drake and Gramm away.

As the office doors were closed, Victoria turned to Bruce. "What are we doing? That's our daughter we hurt!"

"Nothing is going right. Castiglione-"

"Forget him!" Victoria shouted. "Bruce..."

"I know." He hugged her and the two of them rocked back and forth. "I know, Viki." They drifted into silence. "How about we use this seeming downfall of ours to take Castiglione out?" Victoria looked up, her eyes shinning with excitement.

"I'm listening."

Victoria and Bruce decided then and there to turn their plans around and take Castiglione out. They regretting not even thinking that as a possibility before, and intended to succeed no matter the cost. It would be a top secret mission that no one could know about. The only people trustworthy enough for the mission was John and Tammy.

They went straight to the dungeons and dismissed all guards. It had taken little convincing to persuade John and Tammy to take out Castiglione when they found out he was the reason for the recent events. But they knew Vivian would try to find them, and that could be a problem.

They did the only thing they could do. They broke the bond to Vivian and the pack, letting everyone think that they had been killed.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Now we proudly stand," John said, lifting his arms in the air, "with Castiglione, the great werewolf Hunter, at our feet!" The audience went crazy. Cheering, shouting, howling - any noise of celebration they could make. However, there was still a major problem.

There were still two Alphas who tried to kill their own.

"In light of these new events," Dorian's booming voice cut the cheers instantly, "the trial is dismissed for one day. The Queen and I wish to convene with the High Elder and the jurors." Hope squeezed Dorian's hand.