(a/n: Another rather long update ahead!  ;)  Took me long enough, I know)

                Bad weather was their ally as Changmin and the rest of his group slipped from the safety of the base.  While the rain had let up, true dark was settling in and the humans were pitifully blind without their glaring, overhead lights.  Almost clingy in his new role, Changjo remained at Changmin’s side like Velcro, guiding the elder vampire along on his bad side so he’d have the freedom to use his good limb if he needed.

                They sprinted hard through the soggy ground, trying to avoid drawing attention as best they could.  As the least injured of the group, Siwon took charge of Junhong, carrying him with ease while they made their way.  Sunny volunteered to assist Youngjae and the injured stayed in the center as the other members spread out around them, watching to make sure they wouldn’t be targeted.

                Their luck almost held and Wonsik yelped at the rear when a spray of gunfire clipped him from behind, tagging the back of his leg.  “Move!” Yunho commanded, leading the charge from the base while more shots came their way, whizzing by and around their hard to see forms.  Kyung fell back to help Wonsik limp along, growling under his breath the entire time.  The humans were firing blind and they all knew it, but even they could get lucky if they unleashed enough ammo in their direction.

                With speed on their side, their foes fell back quickly, leaving the nonhumans to the veritable silence of their feet squelching over wet ground and the rain’s continuous fall.  Breath plumed in brief puffs of air as the overheated wolves pushed themselves hard, their wounds washing clean in the impromptu shower.  Chaerin kept struggling to keep up until Kangin caught her around the waist and simply slung the tired woman over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.  Surprisingly, she didn’t resist and they could only surmise the spirits had left her alone for the moment.

                “Keep moving,” Seunghyun urged with a limp, his wounds still tender but hardly enough to slow him down that much.

                No one fired back and even Daehyun couldn’t find a comment to lob past his weary determination.  Their pace slowed down somewhat when the wolves at the front seemed to be floundering, noses in the air and trying to find a scent.  “I can’t smell our trail,” Yunho growled, pulling up at last so that the rest of the group came to a stop near him.

                “We’re supposed to be going that way,” Youngjae pointed over Sunny’s shoulder, aiming for a direction a bit off from where Yunho had been leading them.

                “How can you tell?” Daehyun was quick to pipe up, gaze narrowed at the vampire’s contribution.

                Youngjae tapped his head and gave a satisfied smirk to the wolf.  “Because I remember.”

                “He’s right,” Kangin agreed, setting Chaerin down with care, one hand resting on her shoulder to help support her.

                She tiredly brushed it away, “I can stand on my own.”  Her other hand wiped at strands of hair sticking to her face and she looked up carefully, dark circles under her eyes and the fire there subdued.

                “Ow, ow, ow…” Wonsik whined when Kyung had to help him dig the bullet out of his hamstring, the position awkward at best.  “Would you just- Ow!”

                “Got it,” the wolf grinned, tossing the offending bullet to the side while Wonsik glared at him half-heartedly.  “What?  At least it wasn’t silver,” Kyung reminded him, patting the taller wolf on the shoulder in a consoling manner.

                “We don’t have time for this,” Seunghyun reminded them when he felt they stayed too long in one spot.

                “So let’s keep moving then,” Changmin added, allowing himself the privilege of leaning on Changjo for support.  he was tired.  And still hungry…  “But we need to figure out what we’re going to do next.”

                “Let’s walk and talk beasties,” Yunho clapped, waving his arm to get them moving as he gestured for Sunny to take the lead since Youngjae was giving directions from her back.

                Chaerin consented to riding on Kangin’s back this time around and he made his way closer to the front.  “We can’t be sure when Kyuhyun will get the message but I know he’ll try to contact us if he can,” he explained, keeping his focus on Yunho and Seunghyun in particular.

                “Which means what exactly?” Yunho inquired with interest.  Changmin imagined his ears would be perked up if he was in wolf form just then.

                “Likely that he’ll have a location in mind, but for now, I vote we head south,” Kangin replied without missing a beat.

                “Why south?” Seunghyun shot back.  “Isn’t it just as close to the coast if we go east?”

                “Probably closer, but Kyuhyun and his group won’t be going that direction.  Last I remember, they were heading south too,” he reminded the party.

                “So we’re supposed to cross half the length of the country for a chance to find a group we have no idea of where they are?” the Choi alpha inquired, frowning when Kangin nodded confirmation.

                “If we can find a place to use it, the laptop should help with some sort of access and direction,” Geng reminded them with the item in question held close against his chest.

                Even as he finished talking, the rain lightened up and while thunder continued to rumble across the sky, the group reached a relative dry spot.  “How ironic,” Changmin snorted as he looked around, exchanging wry looks with Changjo at his side.

                “Shouldn’t we be worried about them trying to bomb us before we get there?” Daehyun asked, glancing at the sky nervously as if one could fall at any moment.

                “I don’t know about timelines but I didn’t get the feeling it would be immediately,” Kangin had to promise them.  “And I just think we’d have a better chance overall if we manage to join up with everyone instead of trying to hoof it alone.”

                “Not to mention the eastern seaboard is packed with military bases I would rather not be around,” Youngjae added with a shrug.

                Changmin let his sarcastic comment die on his tongue at the Cho’s reminder.  Kangin’s point was relative since the vampires would probably do just fine on their own, successfully locating cover notwithstanding, but Youngjae had a valid point.  Not that there weren’t any to the south as well, a sentiment which Daehyun seemed to feel as well.

                “There are military bases all over the states,” Daehyun scoffed with a roll of his eyes, frowning at the one they’d just left in the distance.

                “What about cover?” Yunho asked, glancing at the vampires in particular.

                “We’re fine in the day but if we head south, what’s the terrain going to look like?” Seunghyun added, pacing in place with agitated energy.

                Changmin opened his mouth to say something but then Kangin shifted and Chaerin spoke, “Put me down.”  The vampire did as she asked so the young woman could shuffle into their midst, a frustrated and angry look on her face.

                “What is it puppet?” Yunho asked, her name slipping from his memory awkwardly.

                She shot him a thin eyed glare and pointed an accusatory finger around the group, “I left my brother to help keep you idiots alive and all you can do is and moan the second we’re out of threat-of-death danger!” she scowled, flailing in her agitation.

                “Chaerin,” Kangin tried to sooth, hand stalling in the air when he would have touched her shoulder again.

                “How is this even a question?!” she shouted with clenched fists.

                “You don’t know what you’re talk-” Seunghyun frowned at her outburst before she cut him off again.

                “The hell I don’t!” Chaerin snarled back, teeth bared so that the alpha growled back at her.

                “Seunghyun,” Yunho stepped in, grabbing the other male’s shoulders in a firm restraint.

                “South is where my family is,” she reminded them while the majority of the group looked at each other or the ground, traces of guilt and uncertainty clear on their faces.  “It is where your friends,” her finger tagged the vampires, “and packmates,” the wolves were encompassed next, “are!  And that is where I am going,” she added in a much quieter tone, the determination ironclad in her voice.

                “But you’d never make it alone,” Changmin couldn’t help but speak up, glancing at the rest of his companions uncertainly.

                Chaerin waved his words away dismissively.  “I’ve done my part.  I did what I said I would do and I’m going.  They won’t let me die and those idiot militarists wouldn’t suspect me.”

                “But-” Kangin started to speak.

                “And frankly!  I’d probably be better off without Krystal or L. Joe taking over every five minutes just to save your sorry, stupid asses!” she finished while tears pricked the corners of her eyes, her exhausted and slender form trembling slightly.

                Changmin grimaced and took a breath.  “She’s right you know.”

                “I know,” Yunho nodded in concession, looking into Seunghyun’s face as the alpha calmed down in the aftermath.

                “Despite a larger group being easier to track, we do have a much better chance at surviving if we stick together,” Youngjae reminded them.

                Sunny nodded and pat his arm with her hand.  “My alpha and packmate are gone,” she swallowed and took a small breath, shaken by the admission.  “But aren’t we all part of a larger pack now?”

                Her question was met with quiet murmuring around the group as dropped gazes lifted to make eye contact all around, still hesitant and guilty, but acknowledging.  Yunho and Seunghyun exchanged looks and both nodded once.  “Yes,” Seunghyun agreed as he walked over to look down at Sunny, his tall form dwarfing her.  “We are.”

                She smiled up at the alpha and Changmin could have swore he saw the other male dip his head just a fraction, one corner of his mouth twitching as if he was going to smile.  “So!” he called out, left hand swinging forward in a clapping motion that fumbled when there was nothing to meet it.  The realization puzzled him for a second, leaving him flustered, but then he went on gamely, smirking past his awkward motion.  “Now that we’re one big, dysfunctional family, can we get moving again?”

                “We’re not that big,” Kangin chuckled while he tried to coax Chaerin back into place.

                “Big enough,” Seunghyun huffed, giving Sunny a gentle push to get moving while he checked on Siwon and Junhong.

                Changmin heard the younger wolf mumble something about being alright with rest but then Yunho was taking the lead with Youngjae pointing the way.  They had to rendezvous with Yoochun and Byunghee and then they could start their insane trek across the country.  Granted, this whole mission had been completely crazy, he didn’t deny it, but at least they’d gathered information enough to give them a fighting chance in the days to come.  Hopefully.  It would have to be.  For all those they had already lost.  And for those he knew they might lose in the future.

                His thoughts went invariably to Victoria and her bright smile flashed in memory.  She probably would have punched him so hard for retrieving Niel’s body this evening, but then again, she would have done the same thing in his place.

                “Changmin?” Changjo asked at his side, fingertips brushing the whole part of his shoulder in quiet inquiry.

                “Yeah.  I’m good,” he smiled and nodded at the younger vampire, giving him a wink and a salute before he started walking with the rest of the group.  He felt the boy fall into step beside him without question.  Changjo was a far cry from Victoria, but she had turned him after all.  That was good enough for him at the moment.

                With Youngjae and Kangin pointing them back to their original hiding spot, it didn’t take them long to reach Yoochun and Byunghee.  Wounded though he was, the alpha maintained his defensive position in front of a resting Byunghee until he was certain who was coming up on him since he was upwind of their location.

                As quickly as they could, the Chos filled the alpha in on what had happened and what was going on, outlining their tentative plan with hesitant glances at the other wolves.  When no one spoke up or made a fuss, they merrily went on with Yoochun nodding attentively the whole while.  His face was pinched with hunger, being unable to hunt for himself, but they were well enough since no one had bothered them after the others had left.

                Huddling together, they tried to come up with a decent plan to get the wolves and vampires moving quickly at the same time.  There was no getting around the issue of sunlight, but they did still have the vehicle, even if it was out of fuel.  It could be pushed or carried as needed, and quite frankly, the wounded would fare better in a relatively stationary contraption.

                “We’ve still got some nightfall left to us,” Kangin reminded them with a gesture towards the overcast sky.  “Right now, we can move fast and if things look hairy in the morning, we’ll figure it out from there.”

                “But we should move while we still can,” Youngjae agreed, resting against the vehicle.  He looked like with healing bullet holes peppered across his torso, but he wasn’t the only one particularly bent out of shape.  Junhong was in a similar condition and they all looked a bit rough around the edges, with the relative exception of Siwon; he just looked tired now that the last vestiges of their battle high had finally worn off.

                “We need rest,” Yunho frowned with a concerned glance around the group.  He’d escaped relatively lightly as well but even he was showing signs of exhaustion.

                “I say we push on until morning,” Changmin urged while he gestured with his good arm.  “Cover as much ground as possible until daylight and then you guys rest up while we… hide,” he finished with distaste.

                “I actually agree with the vamp,” Siwon raised his hand, glancing askance at his alpha.  “I don’t like us being anywhere near the base.”

                Quiet understanding dawned around the group and they all seemed to reach a general consensus without further discussion.  No one wanted to move extensively, so most of them did mutter under their breath, but it was impotent irritation.  Junhong, Youngjae, and Chaerin joined Yoochun and Byunghee inside the jeep where Geng stored the portable laptop; the alpha took over the steering wheel to drive while the rest of the group pushed and carried it along as needed.

                Like Kangin wanted, they headed south, breaking from the roads and slogging through drenched terrain that grabbed at their feet and pulled at the tires of the jeep.  It was hard going and they didn’t make half as much progress as they wanted to, but their precaution was rewarded when a jet of some kind passed by without firing.  Their heat signatures were more obvious in the cooler climes, but the difficult terrain around them also provided beautiful cover for the time being.

                Dawn broke too soon for the vampires and not soon enough for the wolves as the party ground to a weary halt.  Fleeing the gloomy morning light, Changmin and the others ducked into the cover of the jeep while the wolves covered it in debris, hiding the vehicle as best they could.  Changmin could hear the wolves setting up a tentative plan for the time being.  Siwon and Yunho volunteered to see if they could find food while the others rested.  Chaerin was given a couple ration bars they’d managed to steal from the base and she passed out soon after eating.

                And then it was a tense waiting game for the vampires.  They felt secure in the protection of the wolves, but no self-respecting creature of the night enjoyed being boxed in with no backup plan in place.  Yunho and Siwon returned at several intervals, each time bringing more food with them: several birds, a couple scrawny medium sized rodents, and twice, they returned with a doe and then a young buck, both of whom they allowed the vampires to drink from first.  It was… charity but none of them argued.  They would need nightfall again before they could hunt for themselves.

                In the first couple days, they moved slow, even with good weather.  The vampires hunted at night during brief intervals, moving in pairs as they scoured the path ahead with the wolves following their trail.  An unfortunate pair of campers fell victim to their hunger before they happened upon more isolated areas of farm houses in the relative middle of nowhere.

                Changmin felt a slight twinge of regret at disposing of a cattle farmer, feeling the reproach in Kangin’s gaze, but the wolves fed well that evening and no one spoke of it otherwise.  Even Chaerin was able to fix herself up a bit before they trudged on, though she, more than the rest, appeared uneasy in a dead man’s home.

                As often as possible, Youngjae tried to tap into some sort of wireless signal so he could access the Internet.  Despite there being relatively few charging stations available, both he and Kangin were able to charge it themselves, when necessary.  The Chos convinced the rest of the group to let them at least skirt near a town for a better chance of getting a signal.

                “Look!” Youngjae pointed towards a relatively small collection of lights in the distance.  “Even without your eyes, I can totally see a McDonalds from here.”

                “Stupid golden arches,” Kangin scoffed with a shake of his head.

                “But you guys don’t eat solid food,” Seunghyun frowned, a bit lost.

                “Of course we don’t,” Youngjae laughed in amusement.  “But if it’s working, they always have Wi-Fi.”  He gave Kangin a high five as they bonded over the tidbit of information.

                “Just stay out of sight,” Changmin warned them unnecessarily.  They were antsy enough making their way through Arkansas as it was.

                “Duh,” Kangin snorted, rolling his eyes while he and Youngjae ran off, the latter holding the laptop under his arm.

                “Should we wait for them?” Yunho asked wearing a perplexed expression.

                “Probably,” Changmin shrugged.  There was no telling how long it would take them but the Chos weren’t known for finding people from tracking; all they had was memory to go on for the most part, which was usually a boon on its own.

                They were just starting to get uneasy when the pair returned with huge grins and excited energy.  “We know where they are!” Kangin announced first, leaving Youngjae with a crestfallen look.

                “I was gonna tell em,” he whined, pouting at the usurpation of his information.

                “Where are they?” Chaerin asked immediately, staring between the two with intent eyes.

                Kangin gestured at Youngjae to give the answer and he grinned.  “Near the Gulf of California!”

                “Holy ,” Yunho whistled with raised brows.

                “How far is that from here?” a recovering and finally mobile Yoochun asked into the excited murmuring.

                “Eh…” Kangin shrugged, quirking his jaw to the side.  “I think the map said something around three hundred fifty to four hundred miles.”

                “If we avoid cities, military bases, and any other trouble along the way, moving at our current pace or faster, and without any surprises, we should be able to reach them in about four and a half to five and a half weeks,” Youngjae rattled off, doing mental calculations in his head as he spoke to them.

                “That is a helluva long time for us to be out in the open for,” Daehyun glared back, expression displeased.

                “I know.  Believe me.  Snippets of the news feeds we were able to check confirmed the humans are getting ready to mobilize.  They’ve already started in some parts of Europe and Asia,” Youngjae admitted, chewing his bottom lip.

                “,” Yunho scraped his hand over his face.

                “They seem to be targeting large, wooded areas and anywhere they can reasonably suspect large numbers of ‘monsters’,” Kangin drawled with air quotation marks, “to be hiding.”

                “Idiots,” Youngjae muttered darkly.

                “They are humans after all,” Seunghyun chuckled without mirth, the smugness replaced by a disgruntled acceptance instead.

                “Come on then,” Changmin urged with a wave, finally growing accustomed to his single arm.  “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time.”

                “You can say that again,” Kangin grumbled as they gathered up to start moving again.

                Their trek was arduous and fraught with danger.  In the heart of the country, jets and helicopters could be heard at various times of the day and in different directions.  Changmin was on permanent watch duty to make sure he could spot enemies first and his sharp eyesight saved them on more than one occasion from an incoming, airborne scouting jet.  The second week into their travels after Youngjae and Kangin’s announcement found them somewhere in Texas with a completely ground down jeep, shredded, flat tires holding on by threads and otherwise worthless as nothing more than a sun blocking box.

                Changmin stiffened when he caught whisper of an explosion on the wind, the sound coming from the north.  He knew there were no forests around here exactly, but that did not make him feel good at the sound of anything blowing up.  At his recommendation, they reluctantly agreed to head straight south towards the coast where they could skirt along the southern seaboard until they reached the border.  Frustratingly, the skies were much more active and they were forced to stall, evade, and waste more time than any of them liked in order to avoid detection and conflict.  And that was before any of them fell ill…

~~~~~~

                The constant grating sound of claws on stone wore at Ryeowook’s ears but it was something they’d all become accustomed to in the time they’d spent carving out a place for themselves.  This time, it was Taekwoon using his one hand to stubbornly gouge out a larger room, expanding their space little by little.  He seemed to volunteer for it more than the others, which wasn’t entirely surprising since it was something he could do without being supervised or worried about.  Ironically, the wolves had been instrumental for the humans and vampires in helping establish a stronghold for them to take shelter in beyond the truncated cave system they’d initially found not too far from the coast.

                From their current vantage, there were no people nearby exactly, but the water was within easy reach and the mountain range at their backs provided additional cover should they need it, including a fresh water supply.  If nothing else, Kyuhyun was sure the trees would help provide a wind block should any breezes try to come from the opposite direction of the ocean.  They hadn’t heard any bombing and none of the wolves had fallen ill yet but there had been a couple scuffles with escaped half-turned making their way into the territory.  Ryeowook had been near them enough to smell the difference and until he’d gotten a whiff of the convicts, he never would have known walking death had a scent.

                Fortunately, he hadn’t yet had to dispense of anyone, with that honor or necessity falling to most of his peers instead, who had a knack for getting out of range should the enemy explode, but it still unnerved him that even the living could stink of those they killed – he was used to it on the wolves and vampires already.  Still, they were all bedfellows in this place, some of which they had actually managed to find in their regular scouting parties.  Abandoned houses existed all over the place and things like beds simply weren’t taken in a hurry so the wolves and vampires retrieved what they could, scouring the landscape and countryside for supplies and information.

                At the table set up in the center cave, Sulli methodically plotted out the map they’d acquired, marking points of habitation, possible danger, food, water etc. with the acquired walk-talkie they’d left at home base.  Scouting parties carried them on every trip and with Kyuhyun’s tinkering, they’d managed to boost the range of the signal as well.  Still, it was easier for Sulli to stay stationary and she was glad for the task.  Better active mapping than what she referred to as ‘women’s work’: mending, cooking, and the like.

                “I’m a wolf, not a to do as I’m told,” she’d explained calmly, making them abundantly aware of the difference while the other wolves just chuckled in amusement.

                In retrospect, Ryeowook had to smile about the experience himself while he busily worked at the disdained women’s work himself.  During the day, it was one of the few things he could competently do himself when he wasn’t working with Kyuhyun on trying to better harness his abilities or practicing fighting.  The latter was more important since after their second week here, he’d been allowed out on patrols himself, contributing during the night when the humans and wolves needed a break.  Actual combat was rare but after what they’d already faced, none of them were willing to take the chance.  And they could all use the practice.

                Seungho and his group were able to add an interesting element to the training regiment since their manner of fighting was different from everyone else’s and with the newest addition of Yukwon among the half-turned, he had needed some serious attention to get a handle on his newfound abilities.  Even though the change had saved his life, Ryeowook still felt bad for the former human.  When his wounds had gone septic despite the best of Donghae’s care and Hana’s constant attention, he’d had three options, two of which meant death.  Fortunately, the injured Ken had recovered very well and Ryeowook was pretty sure it had something to do with Taemin existing in the same body.

                Taking a break from his work, Ryeowook paused to get a good look around.  Despite it being daylight and sunny right now, the colder weather of winter had finally settled in, keeping the humans indoors for the most part until they could procure enough clothes to keep them warm.  With the soldiers, Minho and Minhyuk tended to the weaponry, making sure it was constantly clean, loaded, and in good working order.  They all pulled their weight but the newcomers weren’t trusted to be alone just yet, though they had proven their worth so far.  Jieun checked on them often enough, her gaze lingering among them all with various degrees of confused attraction.  Ryeowook felt for her.  There were so few females among their collective, he almost hoped most of the group was attracted to the same .  When they’d been constantly moving, it hadn’t been an issue, but now that they’d had time to settle down and try to sort things out, such things like attractions began to surface, making things interesting.

                On more than one occasion, he’d caught Henry mooning over Amber who clearly only saw him as a friend.  Even JR had a tendency to follow the women with his eyes, blushing furiously if Ryeowook caught him in the act.  Not surprisingly, it was hardest for the humans since the wolves and vampires were considerably more flexible.  The older vampires had little issue with form and in wolves, it was perfectly natural for same pairs to form, especially when there was more of one gender than another.  But the humans…

                There were so few of them left, even including the wolf-kin.  He supposed Minsoo sort of counted.  Not really but kind of, and the Hunter was recovering well.  He sported a limp that would likely never go away, though he could function and utilize his Hunter ability of illusion to good effect.  It was great for training with, if nothing else.

                Nearby, three radios were constantly manned with people listening for signals and messages attentively.  The majority of all internet signals had already gone down, much to Kyuhyun’s annoyance, and they weren’t sure if it was because the origination zones had been destroyed or because they’d simply been redirected.  Either way, intercepting radio signals had given them tidbits of information in English and Spanish.  It was how they knew the larger cities of humans had started having some issues despite being ‘safe-zones’.  Oh, the nonhumans weren’t messing with them, they had their own concerns, but it looked like the typical divides were beginning to make themselves known.  Some humans thought they deserved better treatment, more protection, and a larger share of the resources than the others, none of which sat well with the general populous.

                “Go figure,” Ryeowook sighed, glancing at Kyuhyun who was stubbornly trying to get a broken laptop repaired so he could try and work with it.  “How’s it going?” he reached across the distance to place his hand on Kyuhyun’s wrist, slender fingers wrapping around the limb comfortingly.  He still wasn’t sure exactly what they were, even given the downtime to consider it, but invariably, they were in this mess together.

                “Frustrating,” Kyuhyun admitted through gritted teeth, gaze fixated on his task, the laptop resting on a lap desk while they sat on the floor.  There weren’t enough tables to go around just yet.  He blinked after a few seconds and cracked a smile, turning his attention to Ryeowook at last.  The tool in his hand ended up on the surface and he placed his hand atop Ryeowook’s, providing gentle pressure.  “You?”

                He shrugged and gave a reassuring smile.  “I was always good at needlework,” he chuckled.  “JR should be able to wear it soon once I finish lining the inside,” he added excitedly, glancing towards the back where his brother was playing checkers with Baekho, a board scratched on the ground with stones and twigs to mark the different colors.

                “Good,” Kyuhyun agreed as he let his gaze linger on the younger vampire.

                Ryeowook could see a glimmer of something in his eyes and he felt his heart clench.  He’d been getting those looks a lot more lately and though they were often combined with concern, likely for the missing group they were all holding out for, they hit a little harder each time.  He swallowed and scooted closer, until they were nearly arm to arm, and rested his head on Kyuhyun’s shoulder.  It was easier than continuing to meet his gaze and more comforting.  Besides, he wasn’t sure he was ready to accept or give voice to what he was starting to feel himself.  Denial and ignoring it was infinitely easier.  “Where do you think they are?” he asked instead, rotating his hand so he could thread their fingers together.

                Kyuhyun’s stiffness told him it wasn’t the right question but the other vampire didn’t pull away.  His hand tightened around Ryeowook’s and he managed a very human sigh.  “I wish I knew.”  It had been nearly four weeks since they’d reached this place, during which time they’d all worried and wondered.  Even with the other group being so far away, they were starting to doubt and it was something Kyuhyun in particular fought tooth and nail.

                With a heaviness he couldn’t voice, Ryeowook tried to find something to say, searching through his mind for the best words, but almost as if it was meant to be, his mouth remained silent when they both heard the faint sound of a howl in the distance.  He looked up to meet Kyuhyun’s intense gaze and inhaled sharply.  “Was that one of ours?” he asked reactively, freezing entirely when a closer answering howl rose into the air, sharp and urgent.

                “No,” Kyuhyun whispered, lips pulling into a hesitant but hopeful smile.

                They glanced around the cave system and saw that the other nonhumans had heard both cries, but the humans only caught the second, a curious look on their faces.  Taekwoon and Sulli exchanged glances and the latter offered, “They’re coming!”  Her face broke into a huge smile that was only partially mirrored on Taekwoon’s face.

                “It was Seunghyun,” he supplied with a pensive look.

                Ken was on his feet as soon as he heard the name and he looked between the wolves with an almost panicked look.  “Did they say anything about Chaerin?”

                Taekwoon shut down at the question, his face becoming the unreadable expression they were used to, but Sulli shook her head.  “No.  It was just a searching call.  He’s looking for the right direction,” she explained, waving Ken back as Daesung stepped up to comfort him, the possessed finally looking decently rested after Donghae had retreated when his services were no longer needed.  Much.  “And that was Sungmin answering.  He’s going to find them.”

                “Kangin,” Kyuhyun murmured while he stared at the wolf and then turned his gaze to the glowing entrance.  His expression darkened at the reality they were still trapped, but sunset was coming and they’d be able to move out soon.  “They’re coming, Wookie,” he promised, holding tighter to Ryeowook’s hand.

                “I know,” he comforted, getting to his feet and pulling the vampire with him.  Sitting wouldn’t help him in the least and at least while moving, they could both stay occupied.

                They were some of the longest hours Ryeowook had ever felt.  The group didn’t reach them before sundown and as soon as the sun set enough for them to safely exit, the vampires did.  Hyosung led the Chas in the direction of the cry, wings flapping hard to get a better view, though N was still grounded.  His wings would never grow back and he watched them go with heartbreaking longing.

                Like sentinels, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook waited at the edge of their camp, feeling the rest of the inhabitants doing the same.  The humans came out for a few minutes at a time, breath pluming in front of their faces as frost glistened on the ground.  In the mountains, snow capped the higher areas and they were sure it would reach them before too long.  Untouched by the chill, Ryeowook clenched his hands hard and stared, determined to see something.

                He jumped when a chorus of howls announced their imminent arrival, the additional flapping of wings alerting them to the Chas above as well.  “Incoming!” a shrill, female voice called from above, wings straining under the load.  Both she and her passenger plummeted for the ground where Zhou and Sungmin moved to catch her, easing Kyung’s landing at the same time.

                At a slightly more controlled pace, Kiseop and Himchan came down with Geng and Sunny in their arms, the wolves looking smaller than normal.  And then the woods were filled with gasping runners and their passengers.  The vampires were carrying the wolves for a change, slender frames bowed under the weight of their diminished but still substantial charges.  Except for Siwon who carried a woman against his chest, arms wrapped around her protectively as if to shield her from the elements.

                “Kangin!” Kyuhyun cried upon spotting the vampire first, seeing Yoochun on his back, conscious but blurry eyed.

                “Kyu!” Kangin called out in return, handing Yoochun off to Luna who accepted his bulk immediately to start leading him inside.  “You beautiful bastard!” he grinned, grabbing the more slender male in a huge embrace Kyuhyun wasn’t quite ready for.

                Ryeowook felt tears prick his eyes and he took a hesitant step towards them before he heard Ken scream, “Chaerin!” and sprint for the woman in Siwon’s arms.  So he was protecting her from the elements, using the naturally higher body heat to keep her warm since she didn’t have enough protection on her own.

                “Ken,” Chaerin gasped, forcing awareness to return to her tired form as she found her brother.  As soon as their eyes met, she snapped into focus and yelled back, “Ken!”  Immediately, they were in each other’s arms, tears streaking down their cheeks and smiles all around.

                Theirs seemed the only happy greeting.  As the rest of the party returned, Sungmin carrying Seunghyun and Byunghee, and Karam carrying Junhong and Daehyun, it was easy to see who wasn’t among them: Yunho and Wonsik.  Ryeowook felt his stomach drop at the realization and turned his focus to the vampires.  Changmin was missing an arm and the other two were new, their names coming quickly to him in the greetings: Changjo and Youngjae.

                “You were right,” he heard Kangin say, Ryeowook’s attention ripping back to the pair.  He rushed over to them and finally threw himself at both, feeling Kangin’s arms wrap around him in a bear hug he welcomed.  The stupid vampire had made it back.  “The wolf sickness hit us on the way here,” he explained quietly, keeping his voice low.  “They started bombing before we got clear and it hit all the pack in some way or other.”

                “We haven’t felt it here,” Kyuhyun confirmed the silent question with a small nod.  “Effects?”

                Kangin shook his head and sighed, glancing back at their companions.  “All of them are weak, but it seemed to hit the strongest hardest,” he grimaced.  “Yunho didn’t make it,” he added quietly, teeth clenched against the memory of the wolf coughing blood and a fever that wouldn’t go down as it slowly burned him alive from the inside out.  “And Wonsik went feral or something.  He got sick and simply disappeared one morning.  We’re not sure where he went,” Kangin admitted dejectedly, feeling the loss as if he’d been family.  In a weird way… they were.

                “Oh no,” Ryeowook breathed, fingers holding tight to Kangin’s arm.

                “Anything else?” Kyuhyun asked quietly, his mind already working on the possibilities.

                “The forests burn where the humans bomb but some of the smoke smells of oil,” Kangin explained with a frown.  “It all stinks.”

                “Hmm…” Kyuhyun sighed, fingers grabbing his chin thoughtfully, his expression unreadable.

                “Inside,” Junsu’s voice broke through the general miasma of mixed shock and joy.  “Quickly,” he urged, waving at all who held a wolf next to them.  “Song.  Shims.  Will you keep watch this night?” he asked, gaze sweeping over Zhou, Jinki, and Sungmin in particular.

                They paused as one and exchanged glances, gazes sweeping the returners once before they nodded in tandem.  “We will,” Sungmin promised solemnly, gesturing for the other two to split up so they could cover more ground.

                “Were you guys followed?” Ryeowook asked, hovering close to both Kangin and Kyuhyun as they made their way inside too.

                “We don’t know.  The last leg was just a mad run to get here,” Kangin admitted heavily.  Weariness now seemed evident in his body with the rush of reunion fading.  “I’m not sure how much longer we’d have lasted really,” he shrugged, placing his eyes on the cave with a half-smile.  “Nice place.”

                “Wait until you see the inside,” Kyuhyun chuckled knowingly.

                Ryeowook smiled with him, his grin growing bigger when he heard his brother as soon as Kangin walked into the interior lighting.  “Kangin!”

                “Kiddo!” Kangin beamed, pulling free to snatch the excited human into yet another hug.

                His heart swelled at the sight, even while Ryeowook felt a pang of jealousy.  Still.  It was better that JR have a good relationship with at least one vampire.  That he reacted so positively to Kangin’s reappearance boded well for the future indeed.  Himself included.  “I’m glad they’re back,” he admitted to Kyuhyun, reaching for the hand resting near his reactively.

                Kyuhyun wrapped his fingers around Ryeowook’s palm without hesitation and pulled him into his arms, holding the shorter male close tenderly.  “Me too, Wookie.  Me too.”

                Ryeowook closed his eyes and rested his head against Kyuhyun’s shoulder, accepting the comfort.  His fingers dug into the vampire’s back and he trembled from a slew of emotions.  They were all reunited at last, but he knew the battle for their survival had only just begun again.  And every time he looked, it felt like they lost someone else again…

a/n: Finally!  We've got them back together again!  Yay!  Yes, we lost a couple more people.  *cries*  On the flip side, there are other bonds growing among the groups in turn and I can guarantee things are probably going to get interesting soon as well.  More than they already are anyway.  And yes, I know the situation looks bleak at the moment.  It's supposed to.  Just sit tight.  I have a few tricks up my sleeve and while our nonhumans are getting closer together as a whole, you can begin to see the humans unraveling at the edges.  Thank you all for your support so far and I will do my best to continue updating in a timely manner.  School is kind of weighing on me at the moment but I do want to keep this going as much as possible.  Woot!  You guys are awesome!)