Diana and her baby were all over the news for the next three weeks and a citywide memorial was held for the baby. They had been found using footage from the security camera that had captured Diana walking in front of two of the restaurants in the harbor. The camera couldn't pick up the vampire but it made no difference because her attacker was slaughtered. Thankfully, there was no trace of Henry anywhere. He had stayed out of direct sight and his black fur hid him in the darkness. It had been concluded that Diana and her lover had been attacked by a jealous ex. That was the only logical explanation to police considering the lack of contradictory evidence and Diana's wild lifestyle. Sean was their only lead at first but he had been in another state at the time. Timber knew that the case would go cold eventually. By the middle of October, the whole case had been forgotten by the town as their children started talking about Halloween.
As usual, Halloween was a big deal for Timber and her friends. Henry had been unwillingly dragged into their festivities over the years but he found it easier not to complain anymore. After his first complaint, he was reprimanded by all five women so he learned to bite his tongue. Now, he found that he enjoyed himself.
Timber was one to celebrate the seasons and decorate for the holidays so when October rolled around, Timber lined the front steps with pumpkins. The inside of her home had plastic pumpkins and rubber bats and black mixed in with the rusty orange color that made an appearance in September. She watched Halloween movies all month and made special popcorn on Friday nights when they watched them together. Over time, Henry discovered that he thoroughly enjoyed the season of Halloween. Timber made it fun. His favorite treat was the themed lunches Timber sent him to work with twice a week, from Mummy Dogs, to Jack'O'Lantern quesadillas. He could tell she had as much fun making them as he had eating them.
This Halloween was slightly different because Ashley was three months pregnant so the usual wild party had been canceled because she couldn't drink with them and she couldn't over-exert herself so they didn't do a dance party either. Instead of their usual antics, they decided to go out to the Mendocino Botanical Gardens for the annual Pumpkin Night party.
A couple of hours before lunch, Timber and Henry's doorbell rang. Henry answered it to find Ashley and Justin, Xianna and Dresden, Kendra, Gina, and her new boyfriend Thomas, standing on the porch, all carrying pumpkins and wearing thick scarves over their favorite thick sweaters. Henry let them in and everyone gathered in the warm living room and removed layers of access clothing. Timber's eyes followed Thomas carefully, glaring at him when he made her insides squirm.
"Hey! I'm so glad you all came!" said Timber, bringing in several copies of old newspapers to cover the floor in front of the roaring fire.
"When have we ever missed a Halloween together?" asked Gina.
"When was the last time we carved pumpkins together?" asked Kendra as she helped spread out the newspapers on the hardwood floor where the coffee table usually was.
"That's the real question. Hasn't it been about eight years?" asked Xianna, taking a carving knife that Timber handed her.
"Oh yeah," said Ashley. "We thought we were too old for trick or treating and carving pumpkins."
"What fools we were," laughed Gina.
"Well, we are too old for trick or treating," said Timber, "but I don't think we're too old to carve pumpkins."
"There's nothing you guys didn't do together, is there?" asked Justin.
"Nope," said Ashley. "We did everything together growing up and it will always be that way even when we are old."
"Yeah," said Kendra. "If you have one of us, you have all of us. We're a package deal."
"It's true," laughed Henry. "Sometimes I feel like I'm married to five women."
"Me too," said Dresden as he cut open the top of his pumpkin.
"We're worth it, though," said Xianna with a grin.
"I agree," said Dresden. "I am glad my wife has such wonderful and supportive friends."
"This is something I should just get used to, then," said Justin with a grin at Ashley from under his camouflage baseball cap.
"Yep. Our baby is going to have lots of aunts and uncles and lots and lots of cousins."
"Is the morning sickness still getting you?" asked Kendra.
"It's not as bad now," said Ashley, "but I'm hungry at weird times. Speaking of which." She looked at Timber. "You wouldn't happen to have any carrots would you?"
Timber laughed.
"Picked fresh from my garden this morning. How many do you want?"
"Just one. Carrots help me with morning sickness. There's a lot of B6 and fiber and my OB says they're really beneficial to eat while pregnant."
Timber went to the kitchen and grabbed the largest clean carrot from her harvest basket. She handed it to her friend and sat back down to continue working on her pumpkin.
"When do you find out the gender?" asked Henry as he scooped the pumpkin seeds out with a large spoon.
"Not for another four weeks," said Ashley, slopping her seeds onto the newspaper. "Justin and I are in a bit of a disagreement. I want a boy but he wants a girl."
"Wait, I thought fathers were supposed to want sons, and mothers were supposed to want daughters," said Kendra.
"How about 'I don't care as long as it's healthy'," said Xianna.
"Yeah, that's not how it works with us," laughed Ashley. "We even have a pool. Five bucks. If it's a boy, I get the money and the nursery is going to be football-themed. If it's a girl, he gets the money and it's going to be horses."
"I like horses," said Justin. "You know I ride, right? Or did you suddenly forget?"
"How can I forget?" said Ashley, poking him on the forehead playfully. "You go out riding every week." She laughed. "I wouldn't have my cowboy any other way."
"You two are so cute," said Timber.
"This kid is going to have a lot of fun making fun of you when he or she gets older," said Gina. "This is not coming out as well as I had hoped," she added, looking at her progress with the pumpkin.
"Maybe you should have put in more effort in art class," teased Xianna.
"In fifth and sixth grade?" laughed Gina. "Yeah, that would have drastically improved my ability to carve this giant squash."
The room rang out with laughter. The pumpkins slowly became jack-o-lanterns, the floor was covered in pumpkin seeds and the cut-outs, while everyone enjoyed spiced apple cider and Timber's homemade peanut butter cookies. Timber had opted to attempt a carving of her favorite character from her favorite Halloween movie. So far, it was coming along well enough to tell who it was, but the eyes were uneven and she didn't like it. Rather than fix it, Timber let it be.
Timber was feeling slightly distracted. This was the group's first time meeting Gina's new boyfriend and Timber didn't like him. It was affecting her concentration. Not wanting to ruin the day for everyone, she kept her feelings to herself, making a note to tell Gina privately before she went home.
"Well, what do you think?" asked Kendra, turning her pumpkin around so the group could see. Timber burst out in a fit of giggles. "What the hell is so funny?"
Timber spun hers around and everyone else folded in half laughing too. Kendra and Timber had both tried to carve Jack Skellington from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas."
"Yours looks so much better than mine," said Timber, examining the two carvings with a grin.
"You're right, it does!" laughed Kendra. "What did you make, Henry?"
"Just a really ugly face," he said, spinning his creation around.
"That looks pretty good, actually," said Dresden and Henry raised an eyebrow. "Well, both of the eyes are even."
"Let's see yours," said Henry.
Dresden spun his pumpkin around to reveal a beautifully carved image of a spider in a web.
"What the hell, man!" said Justin. "That's awesome! How'd you get so good?"
"I used to do tattoos before I bought my restaurant," Dresden said. "Most of the tattoos on my left arm I did myself. I'm also the head chef at my restaurant and I do things like this for special events."
"That's impressive," said Justin. "Where'd you get so good?"
"Fifth-grade art class," Dresden replied and the girls burst out into violent giggles.
"Okay, now," said Timber, "Let's clean up so I can get dinner out of the crockpot."
"Yes, Mother," said Xianna teasingly and Timber stuck her tongue out at her.
The group helped Timber and Henry clean up and then they gathered around Timber's simply decorated extendable table. Henry tossed the garbage in the cans in the side yard while Timber put a piping hot pot of chicken enchilada soup on the table with a bowl of chips to go with it.
"Timber, this is fantastic," said Ashley. "I need this recipe."
"She's been craving rice," said Justin. "I lost track of how many times I've seen her eating just a bowl of rice with nothing in it over the last two weeks."
"I'll e-mail it to you tomorrow," said Timber.
"Thank you," said Ashley.
Dinner was a quieter affair. They were all too busy eating to talk about several things at once so Xianna steered the conversation to the teaching position Timber was going apply for in the spring. When everyone had eaten their fill, Timber bagged the leftovers and labeled them for Ashley. The women grabbed their fairy wings, and everyone grabbed their pumpkins and headed over to the gardens. Timber always liked the garden. She grinned up at Henry when they walked into the party.
There were rows of carved pumpkins resting on tables with labels on them with the name of the carver. Leaves were falling everywhere in the light October wind. Stair rails were lit with orange string lights, foam headstones were scattered about, and a fog machine was going off to the left. Children were walking around in full costumes and adults were dressed casually with funny hats and passing out candy. Timber and Henry met up with the group and walked around after they set their pumpkins on a burlap-covered table illuminated with purple lights and filled out the name tags.
"Oh, here's the kid's carvings," said Ashley, pointing to the far end.
"Oh, they're so cute!" cooed Timber, but she was looking at the little kids in costumes rather than the pumpkins.
"Oh, they are!" cried Xianna.
"Come on," said Thomas impatiently. "We're here for pumpkins, not kids."
"Calm down," said Dresden. "They're women. They're hardwired to like cute things and little kids are cute."
"Yeah but - " Thomas fell silent after a stern look from Henry. He shoved his hands in his pockets and disappeared toward the tent with the bar.
"Gina, why are you dating him?" asked Henry.
"I don't really know," said Gina with a shrug. "I got tired of being single. I haven't had a boyfriend since my junior year in high school. I was too focused on my political career. I'm happy where I am so I thought I'd get into dating."
"Yeah, but that guy?" said Timber.
"He was really nice when we met," said Gina. "He was also really sweet on our first date."
"What date is this?" asked Ashley.
"The second," said Gina. "I wanted you all to meet him. If you guys didn't like him, I was going to dump him."
"I don't like him," said Timber immediately. "Don't even let him bring you home. Henry and I will take you home."
"Thanks," said Gina.
They walked around looking at the pumpkins the kids had decorated. The ones the littlest kids decorated weren't carved but painted, and Timber thought it was the cutest thing. They walked up and down the rows, occasionally stopping to chat with someone they knew. They admired all of the intricate carvings and decorations. Some pumpkins were simply and perfectly carved. Others seemed to have several hours or more to complete. After another half hour of walking, Ashley said she was tired and wanted to go home and rest before passing out Halloween candy. They all said goodbye to her and Justin and continued walking. Then Gina said she was going to find Thomas so she could break up with him. Timber watched her walk away.
"We need to follow her," she said.
Knowing to trust her instincts, the rest of the group followed Timber. They kept a good distance between themselves and Gina. Timber just wanted to be able to hear what was going on. Gina and Thomas walked away from the party and into the darkening trees. Timber heard them walk a good distance and she followed until they were out of sight of the party.
Timber heard Gina try and scream but it was muffled. She Turned and ran toward her. Gina was on the ground and fighting Thomas, who was attempting to force his way on top of her. Timber jumped over a bush and Thomas stopped moving as soon as he saw her. Dresden hurried forward and threw him off of her. Gina got up and ran right to Henry who was a short distance behind Timber. He grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms protectively.
Thomas got up and wobbled. Timber barked continuously, blocking Thomas' escape route. He tried to run away in the other direction but that path was blocked by Dresden. Kendra and Xianna came running, followed by a security guard. Timber kept barking. Thomas made the mistake of swinging at Timber. She dodged, then stood on her hind legs and pushed him down. She stood over him, growling in his face until she heard Henry's voice.
"Back up."
Timber obeyed and the security guard moved in, rolled him over, and cuffed him.
"What happened?" the guard asked.
"He tried to force himself on me," said Gina. She was shaking and clinging to the front of Henry's shirt tightly. "I was trying to break up with him. I didn't want to fight in front of all the kids but I didn't realize how far we walked."
"How did you get free?"
"My dog found me," said Gina. She had been previously instructed to call Timber a dog if she or Henry ever came in contact with other people while in their wolf forms. "She scared him and wouldn't let him leave."
"Well, I'm happy you were able to get free. In the future, your dog should have a leash and collar."
"Yes, Sir, thank you."
The guard took Thomas away and as soon as it was safe, Timber Turned. Gina was still shaking and Henry held her tight until he was sure she was able to stand on her own.
"Gina, are you alright?" asked Xianna. She understood exactly how Gina was feeling, having gone through similar experiences with her father.
"N-no," said Gina. "Can I crash with you tonight, Xia?"
"Of course," replied Xianna. She took Gina from Henry and waved goodbye to Kendra and Timber before disappearing towards the parking lot.
"Poor Gina," said Kendra. "Come on. Let's go. I don't want to stay here."
Henry and Timber walked Kendra to her car and made sure she got out of the parking lot safely. They walked to Henry's car and climbed in as they began announcing the winners of the pumpkin contest over the speakers. They drove home in silence, both thinking about what would have happened if they had not followed.
Xianna called thirty minutes later to tell them that Gina was fine. She felt spooked but she said she still felt a level of safety because Timber was close by. They were enjoying a movie and passing out candy too.
Timber and Henry sat on the porch and passed out candy to trick or treaters that night with smiles at the children knowing Gina was going to be alright. When the candy was gone, they watched a movie before crawling into bed and going right to sleep.
The following morning, Timber got a call from Gina.
"Hi, Honey," said Timber. "Are you alright?"
"I feel better than I did last night. The police chief just called me. You are a hero, though they're giving me the credit."
"I'm not following," said Timber.
"He's done this before," said Gina. "He's wanted in several counties all over California. He always uses a different name, colors his hair, and even wears colored contacts but they sampled his DNA. He's the serial rapist the police have been looking for."
"Oh my goodness!" cried Timber.
"What!" said Henry.
"Thomas is a serial rapist," said Timber, and Henry sat straight up in bed.
"He's going away for a long time," said Gina.
"That's wonderful!" said Timber. "I'm glad."
"There's one problem," said Gina. "The police want to reward my dog." Timber almost dropped the phone in shock. "Are you still there?"
"I'm here," said Timber. "Why?"
"Because it was you who saved me and kept him from escaping again," said Gina. "I don't know what to do."
"I'll be there, but I'm letting you know now, I am not happy with this and you owe me restitution."
"Yes, I'll buy you hot chocolate at the deli," said Gina with a sigh of relief. "Can I pick you up at eleven?"
"I guess. See you then."
"What do you have to do?" asked Henry when Timber hung up.
"My presence is required at city hall. I have to be in my wolf form."
"Seriously?" sighed Henry. "I don't want you to be paraded around like some circus animal."
"I was seen by the security guard and Gina said I was her dog. I should have come up with something else to say rather than call us dogs. She'll be here at eleven but first, I need to empty my stomach."
After vomiting in the toilet, Timber and Henry showered and got ready. Timber pulled out her old leash and collar set.
"You have to, Henry," said Timber when he shoved them away.
"It's degrading," protested Henry. "Why are you insisting that I trap my wife? You're a wolf, not a common dog."
"Welcome to my childhood," said Timber. "I know I'm a wolf but I had to wear these damn things when I was a kid. Just listen to me and put the collar on me or I'll bite you."
"Fine. But to be clear, I don't like this."
"I don't either but it's for Gina."
Timber Turned and let Henry put her yellow collar on her neck. A knock on the door let them know that Gina was there. She looked unhappy when they opened the door.
"I'm really sorry, you guys," she said. "I tried to get you out of it. I couldn't."
"Let's just get this over with," said Henry heavily.
Timber handed the end of her leash to Gina after Henry refused. She took it awkwardly and let Timber lead her to her car. Timber jumped into the back seat. Henry followed her and sat down beside her and scowled, announcing his displeasure. Timber just looked at him sternly and closed her eyes. She already wasn't feeling well and being in her wolf form came as a relief.
They arrived at City Hall and Timber begrudgingly allowed Gina to lead her inside while Henry followed. Timber wasn't paying too much attention to her surroundings. She was focused on Henry who was tense and uncomfortable at being forced into this. Gina led them into a room and sat down on a chair just inside. Timber stretched and laid down on the grey carpet. Henry sat down beside Gina as they waited quietly for ten minutes until the door opened and an older woman came into the room and told Gina to follow.
Timber calmly allowed herself to be steered. They got into the large room full of people and cameras. Timber unwillingly bristled her fur. To avoid reacting further, she simply laid down. She could see Henry standing on the sidelines and out of sight of the cameras. He looked as if he wanted to get rid of everyone in the room and yell at Gina. Gina answered questions about her experience and a photographer took their photos. Timber looked up at Henry, whined, and flattened her ears. Henry cleared his throat loudly and motioned for Gina to check on Timber. Gina got his hint and called an end to the meeting and brought them back to the car.
Once back inside their house, Gina took the leash and collar off of Timber and she Turned.
"I am never doing that again," Henry said gruffly. "Seeing my wife on a leash was too much for me."
"I'm so sorry," said Gina. "Timber, are you alright? You look a little green."
"I'm just not feeling well," said Timber. "I expect a rain check on the hot chocolate."
"Of course," said Gina. "Henry, how can I make it up to you?"
"By promising me that you're never going to put me or Timber through that again," said Henry. "This is not really how I imagined my Sunday going."
"I promise," said Gina. "I'll also bring you a good bottle of wine."
"I accept," said Henry.
"Alright. I'm going to take my leave," said Gina. "I think Timber needs rest and soup."
Gina left and Timber looked at Henry.
"You do look green," he said. "I'll make you some tomato soup and then you should take a long nap."
"Do you want help?" asked Timber.
"I can microwave a can of soup," said Henry with a smile. "Go rest on the couch."
Timber sat down and grabbed the remote. She spent a couple of minutes looking for something to watch. She found a documentary on African predators and then slipped into her wolf form. She laid her head on the armrest and remained still until Henry came over with her soup and a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches with ham. It was one of the few things Henry was comfortable cooking because it was simple.
"Do you want me to take you to Grace tonight before the storm moves in?" asked Henry.
Timber shook her head and began lapping up the soup from the bowl. Henry sat beside her and put his hand on her lower stomach.
"You're not warm," he said. "Maybe you have a cold. Do you want a blanket?"
Timber said no and rested her tail on his lap, telling him that she just wanted his company. He smiled, got comfortable, and began eating his grilled cheese. When Timber was finished eating, she turned around and rested her head on his lap, watched the documentary for a few more minutes, and then fell into a deep, restful sleep.
The next morning, Timber and Henry woke up to find that the predicted wind storm had moved in and the scheduled power shut off had occurred all over town as a fire precaution from PG&E. Timber turned on her battery-powered radio and found out that there was a bad fire in Sonoma and the smoke was headed their way. She sighed and got out of bed. Henry watched her get dressed in her long wool dress and grab the laundry basket. It was Monday morning and for Timber that meant laundry day but Henry wondered how she was going to do that without power. He lay in bed for a couple of minutes, then he got dressed and followed her downstairs. She was setting up two metal basins on a stand in the kitchen and the fire had already been started. The apron she always wore had fresh ash marks on it.
"Timber? What are you doing?"
"Laundry and breakfast," said Timber. She still looked pale and ill but Timber wasn't one to rest when things needed to be done.
"Without power?" questioned Henry with a raised eyebrow. "It's not like we're in the Victorian Era again. Why not just use the generator?"
"That's right, this is your first day-long power outage," said Timber. She took her basin to the garden and began physically pumping water that she had stored underground from rain over the years. When she was happy with the volume of water, she carried her basin with four gallons of water back inside and set it close to the fire. "Besides, the generator is for emergency purposes. I'm perfectly capable of functioning without the convenience of modern technology."
"I know but I didn't think you'd be willing considering past events. So, I know power outages are common here but having it out all day is new, right?" asked Henry.
"It happens every few years," said Timber. "Usually it's because of a big winter storm. I think this might be the first time PG&E shut off the power deliberately. I've already gone through a couple of outages in my life. I'm prepared. Didn't you have power outages when Haven was hit by a storm?"
"No," said Henry. "We weren't hooked up to the grid. We got our electrical power elsewhere."
"Well, I'm just heating up my pan for breakfast. Then I'm going to start the laundry. This is going to take me a couple of hours. I'm sorry."
So Timber set to work. She grabbed food out of the pantry. She mixed her ingredients together and cooked the pancakes in the large cast-iron skillet over the fire using her thick apron as a pot holder and then filled up a plate for herself and Henry. They ate on the floor by the fireplace and, once they were finished, Timber took Henry's plate to the sink. Then she carried over the basins and the platforms and set basins on the hearth in front of the roaring fire to let the water warm up.
"I thought you got all this for decoration. Who taught you how to do all this? Grace?" asked Henry.
"Of course," smiled Timber. "Emily knows how to survive without power too. Aunt Grace learned from her grandmother, who survived the Great Depression. She thought it was important for us to learn too. If there was anything I didn't learn from them, I learned from Ma Ingles in 'Little House on the Prarie' books."
"Is there anything you learned from Chad?" asked Henry.
"How to change a tire, check the car oil, use a hammer, and a screwdriver, how to ride my bike without training wheels, and how to drive. Uncle Chad was the better driver. He taught me. Aunt Grace refused because, while she doesn't let it show, she hates driving. She gets anxious behind the wheel."
"Is that why you offered to teach Emily?"
"Yep," said Timber. "I was thinking about Halloween and what happened to Gina. I think it would be a good idea for you and Dresden to teach Gina, Ashley, and Kendra how to fight. At least basic self-defense. Ashley can tackle but I don't know how well she would hold up in an actual fight with flying fists. What do you think?"
"It's a good idea," agreed Henry. "I think we should start on Saturday once the storm is over. The basics will only take a short time to learn. They're all in pretty good physical shape. I don't think it'll be difficult for them to learn."
"Wonderful!" said Timber, happily. She dipped her hand in the water. "A few more minutes. I should get my washboard and line set up. I'll be right back."
She got up, went through the kitchen, and came back from the laundry room with a washboard and something Henry had never seen before. Timber said it was a ringer. She put the washboard in one basin and the ringer she attached to the stand between the galvanized steel basins. She unfolded her clothesline and set it up as close to the fire as she could with a clean towel under it as a precaution. Then she set to work. Henry watched his wife in awe as she washed his clothes by hand in the warm soapy water. She put the clothes through the wringer and they went into the basin without soap before she hung it on the line.
Henry thought she looked beautiful with her hair tied up in a bun and her loose hair falling down in front of her face. He liked seeing her in her blue calico dress and her long white apron. Watching her lovingly wash his clothes even though she still looked a little pale from the day before just filled up his heart with joy. He knew from his experience with other women, no other wife would spend two hours scrubbing his work clothes by hand so close to the fire just because the power was out.
Timber did most things the old fashioned way, though she liked to use the convenience of modern technology when it came to washing dishes and laundry, though she still hung sheets and her cotton dresses on her line outside if the weather was warm enough. She was a homesteader and it was something that she loved doing. Most of their herbs and vegetables came from the garden in the backyard and they were either fresh out of the soil or preserved in jars that were stored in the garage. Timber also had two chickens for eggs. She made all of her bread and pasta from scratch and she used homemade cleaning products. She made their soap, butter whipped cream, cream cheese, and broth. If Timber could make it herself, she did. She even made her own dresses.
"Timber, you're a goddess," said Henry. Timber stopped scrubbing and looked him square in the eyes, smiling softly as she blinked back tears. "What is it?"
"Uncle Chad used to say that to Aunt Grace," said Timber. "He was always amazed by her skills around the house and how much she knew how to do."
"Do you not like that I said that?" asked Henry.
"No, I like it," said Timber. She went back to washing laundry. "I always wanted to be like my aunt when I was young. To get the same compliment... I feel honored. I always liked the old-fashioned idea of being a housewife, even as a child watching reruns of Little House on the Prarie. Though, until you, I never thought it was possible. I thought I was going to be a teacher."
"You know this means you're a purely domesticated wolf," said Henry with a teasing grin.
"Yeah, yeah," laughed Timber. "My wolf is still wild, but my human side is completely domesticated. I like myself this way, though. There's no reason why I can't be both. I am a mix of two different species at the same time after all. Ouch!"
Timber pulled her hands out of the water and examined her fingertips. They were bleeding. She sucked them clean and held them to her apron for pressure.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine. It happens sometimes when I scrub too hard for too long," said Timber. "This isn't really how I imagined today going. I was going to go to the store to get apples and make cider but the stores are closed."
"It's been a rough few weeks," said Henry. "Why don't we take the car down highway twenty and go hunting this afternoon? It's near a full moon anyway and you keep gas in the garage just in case."
"I could do with a physical challenge," said Timber. "Unfortunately, I have to finish the laundry first."
"What can I do?"
"Take your shirt off and keep being eye candy for me," said Timber. "It makes washing by hand so much better when I have a hot guy to look at."
"Yes, my domestic goddess," said Henry, laughing.
Timber laughed too when he tossed his shirt to the side and posed sassily for her. It was the little jokes of his that made Timber fall in love with him in the first place. Timber all but forgot about the laundry when she tackled him to the floor.