WILLIAM

"So I guess I'm out of a job?" Dr. Nyx shook my hand, while Kara cooed over the new babies.

"No," I countered. "Hightop still needs you. She may be able to heal, but she still needed your help for the incision."

He turned to watch her as well, a soft marvel to his voice. "I don't think she needed me for that either."

It made sense. She was a vet, she had probably done plenty of surgeries as well. "No, we still need you. She can't do it all." I didn't want to mention that she loses her energy so quickly. With a pack of this size, she'd always be overworked.

We watched her swaddling the baby girl and singing sweetly to her and I felt a pang of longing. She would make a wonderful mother someday. And when that day would come, she'd need Dr. Nyx.

She held the wrapped bundle out to the Stollers and smiled. I couldn't help feeling a stab of jealousy when I saw the family so happy. Mother lifted in the hospital bed, father beside stroking down mother's arms. One pink armful. One blue armful. Family.

I never wanted anything so much.

Kara said goodbye to the family and nurses, and then walked over to us.

Dr. Nyx excused himself. I could tell that he was still feeling that his position had been usurped. But I could also sense the wonderment he had of my mate. The help she would be to future patients. He knew she was a vital part, but anyone would feel resentful of someone coming along and taking their well-earned position.

"Hi," Kara wrapped her arms around my waist and smiled, the shy side of her coming forward.

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Hi."

"We should let them rest alone."

I nodded and grabbed her hand, guiding her from the room. "Jer's waiting for us back at his room."

We started walking that way. "Is he okay?"

"With your help he's now the same ole' Jer."

"That's good."

A minute later we were stepping into his room.

My mom rushed at Kara and wrapped her in a hug, her head buried in Kara's shoulder. Kara gave a shock and then smiled and patted her back. "Hi Mom."

Mom was sniffling again, a new rain of tears flowing as she pulled back and touched at Kara's cheek. "You special girl. Thank you for finding our Jeremy."

"Welcome," she said delicately and then turned to Jer sitting up in the bent hospital bed.

I took Kara's hand and pulled her from Mom and to Jer's side. "This is Jeremy. My brother."

Jeremy smirked. "Older. Wiser. Better looking...."

"Not anymore old man," I countered with a chuckle looking over his skinny frame.

"Hey," he complained. "Give me a month. My sexy muscles will come back." He then eyed Kara. "Hey girl."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kara." She said pleasantly and then held her hand out to shake.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, trying to sit up higher. "Don't tell me you don't remember me, babe."

Her glance darted to me and then around the room as if that would help her. "Should I?" She was confused, as me and her certainly didn't remember each other and placed her hand back at her side.

"Oh come on girl. You and Eric were the bane of me and Jared's existence."

Her brows came down, trying to puzzle the pieces out. She turned her head to me. I know him?

He was friends with Jared.

"You were friends with my brother?" She asked him.

Jer leaned his head back against the bedside. "You're killing me girl!" He looked back at her. "You took the last cupcake from me at Jared's eleventh birthday party."

When she still looked like a deer in headlights, he continued more urgently. "You gave us a ketchup bomb at a pack barbeque, you put grasshoppers in my bag, you started fire to the Day's curtains and then said that we did it. Girl, you were a menace!"

She giggled slightly, staring down at him. "I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

His eyes widened in sincerity. "Oh, I'm talking about you babe."

She shook her head, a smile between her teeth. "That wasn't me."

My mom came and sat at Jer's bedside. "I still have the teddy bear you and Eric skinned."

Suddenly Kara jolted still and her smile faded.

"Oh my word," Jer laughed. "I forgot about that one."

Kara stood almost shocked as if she was trying to remember. Then she looked at Jeremy, surveying him up and down, even though he was half under a blanket. Her voice was quiet, "Bare Bear Jer?"

Mom laughed, "that's it."

"Shiiit. I hated that name," he chuckled, fingertips massaging his forehead.

Kara was hushed, reliving past moments. Slowly her shock wore to a snicker and she covered her mouth with one hand. "I think I remember. Were you Jared's best friend?"

Jer nodded, a grin on his face watching her.

She giggled. "I'm so sorry."

"Bare Bear Jer?" I asked the two. I had to hear that story. I remembered Jeremy having a favorite stuffed bear for years and then it was just gone. Was that it? Skinned, mom said?

Jer smirked at her, a hand her way. "You want to do the honor's princess?"

She scowled playfully but was on her way to teasing him back as I knew my Kara would.

She turned to me and held herself tall. She spoke with an undertone of sweetness on her words. "Jared and Jeremy here got us in trouble with the Kitchen Master for ditching kitchen duty..."

"Again!" Jer interrupted.

She grinned. "Again. So we had to figure out how to get them back. Well, Eric and I found my grandfather's hair clippers and later that night I took it to their precious teddy bears while they were having a sleepover at my house." She paused, lips in her teeth trying to hold back a laugh. "I mean, I was just giving their bears a haircut," she said innocently.

"He cried," Mom put in with a reassuring pat over Jer's arm. "It was his favorite stuffed animal." She looked over to Kara. "It was so hard not to laugh at the mess of that bear and how devastated Jeremy really was. I had to hold back tears."

Dad chuckled. "I hated that thing. What ten year old werewolf boy needs to take a stuffed animal to a friend's house? It was good riddance if you ask me."

"Hey!" Jer objected. "That bear was the best!"

"It was a dirty crutch," my father insisted. "Kara did us all a favor that day."

Mom smoothed Jer's grouchy face away. "I kept it because it was so funny. It was a year later that, well you know." She looked back to Kara. "The fire. I just kept it after that."

We all got a little quiet at the mention of the fire.

Jeremy sighed a happy breath and held his arms open. "Alright. Come here you little monster."

Kara snickered and stepped to his arms avoiding the wires and tubes and hugged him into the bed. He patted her back.

She stood back tall. "Sorry about your bear Jeremy."

He waved a hand around. "Nah babe. It's all good now."

She smirked. "Good. Because next time it'll be bare bare Jer, no bear needed." She flicked at his long hair.

He pulled back, a deadly finger threatening up to her. "Don't touch the hair, girl. Or there will be a real war you're starting."

She pouted over to me. "Did you hear that, dear? Your brother wants to start war with me. He's so mean."

As the chuckle poured over me, I straightened and scowled lightheartedly. "Jeremy. You watch yourself. Kara's under my protection."

His hands went up, face incredulous. "Her parents are frickin' dead and she still gets me in trouble!" He looked over to her and scowled. "Brat."

She stuck her tongue out and the rest of us laughed.

When Mom's laughter slowed, she tried to calm us. "Okay, okay, you two. Let's be nice for now. We should get some dinner. My baby looks like a twig."

Kara muttered under her breath. "Twiggy Jeremy."

"Mom!" Jeremy complained like he was ten again.

"Oh grow up," I chided him.

His head came back against the bed again with a laugh. "She calls me names, and you tell me to grow up?"

"But I'm an angel," Kara spoke to me, eyes large and doey.

"Yes you are, my angel." I pulled her tight against me and kissed her temple with a wink.

"I'm doomed," Jer groaned.

Kara snickered. "I'm sorry Jeremy. How about some Oreos to make things right?"

"Kara," he threatened a low warning. "I remember the Oreos too."

Her cheeks tightened, trying to keep a grin away. "Oops."

Mom grabbed a phone from the wall and starting punching in numbers for the kitchens. "You two need food to keep your mouths shut. I'm ordering us dinner."

"Sorry Ma," Jer laughed.

"Sorry Mom," Kara copied.