Will had driven to a different motel and checked them in. More dilapidated than the other, but it had the needed facilities. At the bare minimum Ander would need to dispose of some limbs. Maeve followed them silently and sat in the one chair with that same lost expression as they carried their bags into the room. Was that how Will perceived him when he had a break with reality?
"Fuck, that was a mess." Will rubbed the back of his head.
Ander agreed, still uncertain why the werewolf had taken Maeve into the woods. She had not spoken a word since they found her. Disgusted by him, she had pulled away from his touch. He felt foolish about his musings and feelings from last night.
"Maybe we should leave her here and finish cleaning things up," Will suggested.
Maeve blinked and turned her head to look at Will. "No," she whispered.
"What?"
"You can't." she cried again.
A knife sliced into Ander's heart. The mission had gone off plan and not allowed him a chance to speak to Will. "Will, I think perhaps we need to consider all the options, regarding its offspring," Ander spoke up.
Will turned and glared at him. "What the fuck are you talking about? Its not up for discussion. It murdered seven people. Seven fucking people, those people had families too!" his deep voice reverberated in the room. "Did it give a rat's ass? No. Now those families are fucked."
"I understand that, but there is a possibility they may be dormant," Ander started.
"We already talked about that. It doesn't fucking matter. We don't need another Collins situation," he said with gritted teeth.
Ander considered his words. He understood how much those missions had bothered Will.
"He didn't want to kill those people!" Maeve raised her voice at Will and disintegrated his thoughts.
"What?" Will snapped.
"I asked him, right before I thought he was going to rip out my throat. The last thing he said before you." she drew in a shaky breath. "His last words were that he didn't want to."
"If it didn't want to, then why the fuck did it keep doing it?" his words filled with acid.
"I don't know, you cut his head off before I could ask!"
Ander studied them, not entirely certain the argument was only about the werewolf.
"That's our job! We destroy the monsters to preserve your precious safe world!"
"Do you know why he picked me up? Why he ran off with me?" she bolted up.
Will stood aloof, but his eyes remained trained on her.
"Because he was afraid for me. He was trying to protect me from you!" she raised her voice until it broke.
Ander's brows furrowed. He had not known werewolves to be so forthcoming about their motivations.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Will crossed his arms over his chest.
"I got him out of the building, just like you wanted. I told him I needed him. He thought... he decided I had an abusive boyfriend. When you attacked him, he knew exactly what you were," she said, fire in her words. "He took me to the wooded area to get me away from you and then apologized to me for damning me to his existence, running forever," the fire gone now. Resigned, she sat.
"None of that changes it was a murderer,"
"So are you,"
Will's head snapped back. Ander raised an eyebrow. Her words stung Will.
"No, we're soldiers. That was the mission objective. We completed the mission."
She shook her head. "Things are never that simple." she put her head into her hands. "I need a shower. I'm covered in puke, dirt and blood, and then I want to figure out why demons are after me. I can't do this anymore" She stood and grabbed her plastic bag and entered the bathroom.
Ander looked down at his clothing for the first time since they arrived at the building. He also was covered in blood and dirt, his shirt stiff from it. He considered changing, but then remembered he had to remove the limbs from the body. Absentmindedly, he pulled his knife out and spun it around.
"I do not disagree with your position but,"
"For fuck's sake, let it alone!" Will pulled a beer out of the cooler.
"Please, at least hear me out, then decide," Ander said patient.
"Fine, whatever. Finish before she gets out,"
"We both understand how the mutation works, despite the efforts to put into research to modify the gene," he paused. "The mission is finished. We are not charged with destroying the den, only the werewolf."
"Andy, come on, we're supposed to destroy humanity's threats. The monsters. Its pretty clear,"
"Yes, but we specifically, do not need to complete this task. We can file the report and indicate the family. Let another unit determine if the offspring are a threat. This is not about her Will, this is about." Ander paused. His next statement might send Will into a rage and cause a physical altercation. He did not desire to fight. "This is about the Collins mission and the Ashby's."
Will flinched. The guilt from those two missions ate at Will daily and often caused nightmares that Will had no recollection of.
Ander took a calculated risk and stepped forward. "You are not Wyatt, nor do you have to be. Please reconsider,"
Will's face turned beet red and his nostrils flared. Ander prepared himself for the first blow.
"Fuck!" Will exclaimed to the ceiling and took several labored breaths. "This really isn't about her?"
"No. Her objections did cause me to think deeper about it, but this is about you and I. She does not understand what it means to be a solider of night. She could not possibly grasp the war we are in or the toll it takes."
Will nodded, the redness gone from his face but his head still aimed at the ceiling.
"We still have our roles as soldiers. We do not have to destroy every creature, just the ones we are tasked with. If our souls must be sacrificed for the greater good, then let it be for a worthy foe, not children," he finished.
Will stood still and gazed at the ceiling. The bathroom door opened and Maeve emerged with wet hair and in her old work clothes plus the dirty flannel over her work top. Will did not acknowledge her.
"Alright Andy, file the report. We're done," resignation in each word he spoke.
Maeve stopped and stared at him, her glossy eyes filled with gratitude.
Will turned his head to view her. "We're done."
Frozen to the spot, Ander could not believe the turn of events. He had not thought his words would sway Will's choice. Maeve had been correct, Will had listened to him.
"Before you do that, can you check something?" she asked him with a raw voice and red eyes.
Maeve's words snapped him out of his haze. "Of course, what do you need?" he stepped toward her.
She put her hand up. The simple gesture felt like she had punched him in the stomach.
"Maybe take off your shirt at least? Please. It still covered in Kevin's." she swallowed.
He did not answer her, but went to his bag and entered the bathroom to change. He left his shirt on the sink to switch back into when he dismembered the body. Will sat in the chair, drinking. Ander could not place his expression or mood, but he there was a subtle shift in Will.
"What do you need?" he maintained his distance. She had made it clear she wanted little to do with him.
"I... well, when Kevin had me pinned down, his claws," she began, and removed the dirty flannel.
Will perched forward. His eyes blazed with fear. It was rare, but there was a reason that the myth existed about getting scratched by a werewolf.
"Please sit down near the light," Ander gestured to the bed near the lamp and window. Although they had drawn the curtains, some light escaped through. She sat on the edge of the bed while he retrieved his medical bag. Relief flooded him as he examined the wounds. They were shallow.
"How did this happen?" his voice changed to that of a doctor examining a patient. No regard for the emotional trauma behind the wound, he needed to know how the wound occurred.
"Kevin grabbed me because he was mad I betrayed him. He didn't know until then." her voice hoarse.
Ander used a flashlight to look at each individual wound. "How much did they bleed?"
"I'm not sure. I was upset when we got here. By the time I took my shower they looked like that."
Ander raised an eyebrow. She must have been confused. No human healed that fast. Either way, there was no concern she was infected. A large bruise on her shoulder near her neck caught his attention. An odd shade, not yet green, but the outside had begun to change over. It had happened at least a five to seven days ago. He examined it briefly and noted how uncomfortable she was when he neared the bruise. Of course, she was repulsed by him. He dropped his hands. He pulled out bandages and ointment, but hesitated.
"So it won't get infected?" she asked nervously.
"No, it must not have dug in its claws very deep thankfully." Being this close to her and knowing she could not stand his touch, he wanted to leave. He forced himself to concentrate on the task and bandaged her wounds. "These are so no further damage occurs during the day. They will need to be checked before you sleep but you may not need bandages if they scab over." He stood and quickly moved away from her.
"Can I have a beer?" she asked Will.
Will's eyebrows shot up. "You want a beer?"
"Yeah, its been a day," she laughed but with no humor.
Will stood and retrieved a beer, and opened it for her.
She tilted it back and emptied half of the bottle. "I thought I was going to die," she stated to neither of them in particular. "I think if you hadn't shown up when you did I'd be dead. Again," she finished the beer. "The weird thing is part of me felt so bad about being responsible for his death, it kinda made sense. I don't want to die," she clarified. "But I don't know it seemed ok if it happened because we'd been hunting him and then the tables turned. Does that make any sense?"
Ander remained silent, but Will nodded.
"Do you regret your involvement?" Ander asked.
"No," she paused. "I'm sad, confused and will have to live with the fact I'm directly responsible for someone's death. Monster or not," she looked at Will. "Part of him was human, too. He wanted to protect me, he felt guilt for involving me." she sucked in air. "But in the end he would've killed me. He would've been covered in my blood like all the rest of his victims." She hung her head. "I hate it but we did preserve life."
Ander wanted to wrap his arms around her as he had last night and attempt to comfort her. He recalled similar mixed emotions when he was a child trying to come to terms with his duty.
"I'm gonna make a few calls, then its time for dinner," Will announced.
"You want to eat?" Maeve asked, shocked.
"I always need to eat after... a mission," he grunted and walked out of the door.
Disgust flashed over her face. Ander decided he would dismember the werewolf when they returned. No need to upset her again.
"I guess after a while, a death is just another day," she said.
Ander said nothing, although she was correct. After a few uncomfortable minutes of silence, Will returned to the room.
"Alright that's settled. Time to eat." he went to his bag and pull out a fresh shirt and clean black cargo pants.
As Ander expected, he did not bother to change in the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and put on his new clothing. When Maeve realized what he was about to do, she casted her eyes to the floor. Ander inspected his pants. Dirty, but not terribly so. He brushed them off.
Not ideal for her to go out with bandages and no sleeves. It drew attention. "Would you like another flannel to wear to dinner?"
Will dug in his bag and pulled out his contacts. Maeve opened her mouth, presumably to answer him, but then stared as Will popped them in.
"What?" Will asked, blinking.
"Nothing." she shook her head. "Yeah, I'd like a flannel"
Ander retrieved one and handed it to her one fearful she would reject it. She took and put it on. He let out the breath he held and chose another flannel to wear over his long sleeve shirt.