by Entervixen

Merisaine pushed Blair away , using the wall behind her to stand."No , no , he mustn't."Her eyes were feral , pinched in , anger?"Call , call the police."

Blair grabbed her shouders , trying to hold her down. She snarled deep in her throat , an unnatural sound.

Her body heat washed over him , too hot , so he loosened his grip. The woman slid aside , and he felt pain blossom in his back , his skull , everywhere she had hit. On top of all of that , though , he felt free. Like something that had been trapped inside of him was free. The scents from outside overwelmed his senses , captivating him.

"Do not get in my way again." Merisaine picked him up and slung him over her shoulder."Rest. The phone is over there. I'll be right back." She ran out the way Jim and the man had gone , leaving Blair to his newfound senses.

If Jim was fast , Merisaine was faster. The trees slid apart to allow her passage , going by in a blur. She could smell him up ahead , the metal and oil of his gun ,slight traces of Blair on his clothing.. To his left , though , upwind , was another scent. Male , and angry. She angled in htat direction.

Jim heard a rustling as something came towards him. His gun was out and pointed as Merisaine rushed up to him. He didn't have time to react as she slammed into him , knocking him to the ground. The gun flew out of his hand , skittering into the underbrush. Jim rolled over and shook his head as she crouched over him , growling at something he couldn't see as of yet.

She shot off of him as suddenly as she had come. Jim could suddenly smell the male jaguar from earlier at the crime scene. There was a solid thump as Merisaine hit the other , knocking him to the ground. They scuffled for a few seconds as Jim got his feet back under him and retrieved his gun.He reached the two just in time to see the man slam Merisaine's skull into an exposed root.

"Freeze , godddamn it!" Jim had the pointed right at the man crouched over her.

The man simply bared his teeth , revealing fangs on the top and bottom of his mouth. Jim froze , startled , which gave fang boy enough time to run past him , knocking the gun out of Jim's hand as he raced by.

"No , Detective!" Merisaine rolled to her hands and knees."Don't!"

Jim knelt next to her."Don't move. You might have a cuncussion."

Merisaine got up on her knees."Fuck that."Her breathing was hard , echoing in her chest."I will be fine."

Jim helped her to her feet."How do you know that?"

She looked at him , eyes almost glowing with golden light."Because I'm not dead , am I?"She detached herself from his grip and began walking , barely swaying."Besides , he would have killed you."

"Looks like he almost got you instead. How did you get out here , anyway? Where the hell is Blair?"

The girl grabbed his forearm , squeezing. Jim was suprised at the strength in her hands."He is fine. In shock , but fine."

Jim holstered the gun

Blair smiled at them as they came in , still sitting down."Um , I haven't called yet."

Jim was by Blair's side in a second."What happened , Chief?"

"Uh , I don't know. You'll have to ask her."

Merisane leaned against the doorframe."Let us discuss this in a different room. Say , when we get to your apartment?"Her breathing was still deep , but not as harsh , which had worried Jim.

"Whet the hell did you do to him?"

"He'll be fine. I did nothing that will cause any harm. Unless , you are mentally unstable?" She leveled a glance at Blair.

"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jim was outraged.

"Woah , calm dowm , Jim. She's right. It only would have had any adverse effect if I had been crazy."Blair looked at her funny."Are you a..."

Merisane sighed."What did I just say? What did I just say?" She looked down , rubbing the bridge of her nose and muttering to herself.

Jim stared at her."So , you speak japanese now? Looks like you have a lot to explain."

"You speak japanese?"

"Enough to recignise it when I hear it."

Whatever it was she had done to Blair flared up again. Jim and Merisaine both stared at him as the spell rolled him over , under , before letting him go.

"It is still on you?"She cocked her head to one side , thinking to herself before turning her attention back to Jim."Well , Detective , it seems that we both have some explaining to do."

"And what the hell was that?"

"I just said , let us wait , we should not talk here. But no ,naturally I get blown off..."her voice moved down the hall as she continued her tirade."Well , let us leave , so that all this talking when we aren't supposed to will not be in vain."She came back in to the kitchen a minute later , bag slung across her back."If you still want answers?"

Jim scowled at her."Okay , Your Highness."

Blair was suprised that they arrived at the flat in one piece , let alone alive. Merisaine and Jim really didn't say much to each other besides a snide comment here and there.

"Well, now we can talk in safety."Merisaine slid the bag from her shoulder."What would you like to know?"

Jim sat down in a chair."Sit down. Why don't you explain as much as you can right now."

She sat down."That is a broad subject. Pick something smaller , something easier to digest."

He nodded."Okay. How can you get thrown through a door , wrestle with someone you seem to know , have your head slammed hard enough that it's a wonder your skull didn't split , and stand here , talking like nothing happened."

Merisaine hiked an eyebrow."You do seen to ask the complicated ones , don't you. Okay , let me say this; if I was in Romania , I would have been concidered a strigoi. Even though I am very much alive and bleed like everyone else. Just not as easily."

"Well , thst could mean many things."Blair cut in." You could be a vampire , a..."Blair trailed off , staring at her."Or a werewolf."

The woman laughed."Close. But not quite."

Jim shook his head."Then what are you supposed to be?"

"I could be many things, like your friend Blair here said."She held up one hand for silence."I am not finished , Detective; please allow me to. You can think of me as being a were. It would make things much easier."

Jim had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach."Then what's your other form?"

Her lips twitched."Jaguar."

Blair was the first one to recover."You're a werejaguar?"

"Yes."

"How? Were you attacked by one?"

Merisaine shrugged."As far as we could tell , it was something that ran in the family."

"You mean , werejaguars?"

"Well , a guardian on Mom's side , and something about werefoxes in some japanese myths on Father's."Noting the confused looks both the men wore , she added,"Mom is peruvian and romanian , and Father is , was , I don't know which , japanese."

"Well , that does explain the female jaguar I smelled in you house."Jim leaned back in his chair."So , what did you do to Blair?"

"It's not so much as what I did , it's more along the lines of what he did. Blair is an empath , and he picked up on my other when he tried to keep me form rushing outside." She slanted a gaze at the sentinel.

"Well , it explains quite a bit." Blair shrugged as he looked at Jim.

"Oh , really? Then like what , Chief?"

"Well , why I can pull you back from zone outs , why we get along as well as we do , how I talk you through when things start to get to be too much. The list is endless , really."

"Merisaine cleared her throat."Be that as it may , gentlemen, it is still not the matter at hand."

"You're right."Jim nodded."Now , what are we to do about you?"

"I hardly see what I have done to get the third degree , Detective."

Jim smiled dryly."Who ever the hell it was that attacked you , would be a good start."

Merisaine nodded."His name is Salvador. He lived a block away from me when I was a child. Or , rather , when we were children. Everyone on the block was wary with me , they knew Mother , but he tended to take it rather , far."

"How far?"

Merisaine cocked ehr head to one side , deep in thought. Without a word , she suddenly stood , unbuttoning her shirt.

Blair looked shocked. Jim held up one hand."I asked how far he took it. Not how much you've developed since then."

Merisaine grinned crookedly."Funny how the two seem to go hand in hand." Shirt completely off , she pulled her hair out of the way as she turned ehr back , flexing her shoulders. Odd shaped scars ran down her shoulders and back ,with a strange grace. Jim frowned.

"It looks like you were stoned."

Merisaine turned back around , buttoning her shirt up once more. She shot a look at Blair , causing him to blush , before sitting back down."Attempted ,yes. He was going to rid us of a menace , an evil witch ,who wold steal men's hearts and women's babies, among oher things."

"I'm so sorry."

Merisaine looked over at Blair."Did you do it?Did you order him to?"Blair shook his head."Then there is no need to apologise , is there?"