His arm hurt like hell. His arm hurt, Cam was a wolf again, and Sensei Watanabe was being even less useful than usual. He was missing work, a full day's pay, and for what? The privilege of trying to keep Cam from sabotaging Ninja Ops? The honor of being a wolf's favorite chew toy?

He wouldn't even be able to train with the gash Cam had put in his forearm. Not on academy grounds or at the track. Sensei had "released" him from the afternoon exercises, which was a polite way of saying he wasn't welcome with an injury like that, and he wasn't stupid enough to try controlling a bike with a bandaged arm.

All things considered, Hunter felt his dark mood was completely justified.

He didn't bother to look up when he heard the awkward sounds of a human being trying to get comfortable where a wolf had just been. He'd insisted that Cam follow him to the treatment room after their conference with Sensei so that he could replace the bandage on his arm, but otherwise, the silence between them was total. Wolf-Cam hadn't been much help in the conference, and Hunter didn't see any reason to make conversation now.

"I can do that for you," Cam said quietly.

It wasn't the sudden sound, or the unexpected offer, or even the fact that the offer was made in a complete sentence that made Hunter lift his head in surprise. It was the fact that Cam was right there--he hadn't even heard him cross the room--and he was practically hovering beside Hunter. It wasn't a token offer; he clearly intended to do this. And Hunter couldn't come up with a coherent protest.

"I'm almost--" He was practically done anyway. And Cam didn't need to be reminded of the damage he could do when he lost control. "You don't--"

Cam took his hand and Hunter couldn't finish. He just watched as Cam pressed gauze down behind his thumb and wound it once around his hand to anchor it, wrapping it over his wrist and up his arm in smooth, easy circles. He was way too good at that to be improvising, Hunter thought.

He stopped just below Hunter's elbow and nodded to indicate the roll of gauze. "Hold this?" He sounded so clear that Hunter obeyed without thinking, relinquishing responsibility for the situation for just a moment.

Only when Cam fumbled with the scissors did Hunter remember to think before doing whatever Cam told him to do. "Here, I'll get that--"

But Cam just gave him a look--a very human look of disgust--and put tension on the gauze with his fingers before clipping it quickly and neatly. "Clips?" he asked, holding the end of the makeshift bandage against Hunter's arm while he set the scissors down.

Hunter handed them over wordlessly. Well, what was he supposed to think? The man could barely use a knife and fork, then he came along and bandaged Hunter's arm like he was teaching an EMT class. Geez. He had no idea what Cam was capable of right now.

The clips were pressed gently into place, and Cam let go of his arm long enough to tear off a couple of strips of adhesive tape. Hunter offered his arm again when Cam went to cover the clips with tape. He couldn't stop watching, even though something told him that the best place for his eyes was somewhere, anywhere on the other side of the room.

"Okay," Cam said at last, nodding to indicate his satisfaction. "It's--" He lifted his gaze to Hunter's, and he paused when their eyes met. "Thanks," he amended softly. He looked uncomfortable for the first time. "It's just... it's fair."

He had never seen Cam look as vulnerable as he had these last couple days. It wasn't an excuse, but it was the only explanation he could come up with for the tenderness that he had been ruthlessly trying to suppress. Even as he reached out, part of him was still desperately trying to stop, screaming at him to keep that affection inside where it couldn't be used against him.

He had never been very good at listening to himself.

Cam flinched when Hunter's fingers touched his chin, but he didn't pull away. Hunter pretended to inspect the area where his fist had connected with Cam's jaw the day before, despite the fact that he couldn't make out much in the way of detail in the now red-lit room.

A little swollen, maybe, but not enough to draw attention... barely noticeable unless you were looking for it. Not quite on the same level as his arm, Hunter decided. He debated mentioning that to Cam.

What the hell.

"Doesn't look quite as bad as my arm," Hunter said, hoping it came out funny instead of mean. Or maybe rueful: he didn't hit as hard as Cam bit, apparently.

"That's not--" Cam swallowed. As quickly as Hunter lifted his gaze, though, Cam looked away, leaving him with only the vaguest sense of why Cam had stopped. "That's not the one I bit you for," he muttered.

It took Hunter a moment to figure that out, but when he did, his mouth twisted into a smile. "Oh?" he drawled. "I didn't connect with your face that time in the hall, huh?"

Cam shook his head. After a moment, he reached around and grabbed the back of his t-shirt, hiking it up over his back and twisting slightly so Hunter could see. Hunter's smile vanished. The back of Cam's shoulder was a knot of mottled purple and ugly yellow around the edges, coloring in the black lines of a tattoo Hunter hadn't known existed.

"Shit," Hunter blurted out. "I didn't hit you that hard!"

"I hit it," Cam muttered. "Again, I mean. This morning, when you... you stopped me from attacking Dad."

Cam had almost knocked the wind out of him, too. Suddenly he remembered the wolf's yelp, and the trouble he'd had sitting up afterward. He'd thought Cam was surprised, maybe upset. But his awkwardness could just have easily been pain.

Guilt gnawed at him from the inside. Damn it. Just because the guy was half wolf didn't mean he could take whatever Hunter threw at him.

"Why didn't you say something?" he growled. He was angry with himself for causing it and more than a little annoyed with Cam for allowing it. He couldn't be himself around someone who didn't fight back. Cam had always been that person--the one who challenged him, the one who couldn't be hurt... the one who was safe.

"Why didn't you?" Cam was glaring back at him, his freaky yellow eyes glowing gold in the dimly lit room. "Don't tell me you don't have bruises from yesterday! Don't tell me you're fine because I was there, Hunter! I knocked you down, I slammed you into the wall, I bit your arm!"

Funny that Cam losing his temper would help him get his own under control. "Yeah," he agreed, relaxing a little. "I haven't forgotten."

"This isn't a joke!" Cam shouted furiously. "I could kill you and you'd still be laughing about it!"

Language skills improving by the minute, Hunter thought. And the amulet was glowing, too. Interesting. He was happy to admit that he preferred Cam like this, clever and capable and angry, rather than the helpless despair of the day before.

"You couldn't kill me," Hunter informed him. "We both know it. So if you tried? Yeah, I probably would be laughing. Doesn't mean I think this is a joke."

Cam's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer. "I could kill you," he said quietly, dangerously. From almost anyone else, it would have been ridiculous. From Cam, it was a deadly serious reminder that he was that good.

Almost that good, Hunter amended. "Couldn't," he told Cam.

"Could," Cam snapped.

Hunter smirked at him. "Definitely couldn't."

For a long moment, Cam just stared at him. His eyes were freakin' gorgeous, weird glowing thing or not, and Hunter wished he hadn't noticed. Yeah, okay, Cam was hot. Not exactly a news flash. He'd rather not think about it when they were standing this close to each other.

"I can't believe we're arguing about this," Cam said at last.

"Yeah," Hunter agreed. "You're obviously delusional."

"One of us is," Cam gritted. He didn't take his eyes off of Hunter.

He knew he shouldn't do it. He recognized that look, the one that meant the wolf was calling the shots, the one that meant he should just back off and let Cam have the point. But backing off wasn't one of those things he did.

"You think you can take me?" Hunter asked softly. At least he had the presence of mind to make his tone as unthreatening as possible... but he wouldn't look away first.

Cam stared at him. It didn't hurt, Hunter thought absently. It should, a look as harsh as that, but it was just a look. Like whatever Cam was thinking was directed more at himself than at Hunter. Like he wasn't really seeing Hunter at all...

Like he was fighting himself now, instead of Hunter.

Was that good or bad, Hunter wondered?

He didn't know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut and watched. Cam seemed to struggle with himself for a long time. To hit or not to hit, Hunter supposed. To go for him or not. To make him take those words back, to prove himself--

Cam dropped his gaze, turning that intense look to the floor. The rest of him didn't move, still frozen in the same tense stance that had challenged Hunter and lost. His mouth was open slightly, teeth bared, and the expression made Hunter frown. He was still dealing with the wolf.

He had won. He should leave it alone, accept his victory and let it go... wait for Cam to shake it off. He reached out anyway. He acknowledged a vague awareness that--human form or no--he was risking his fingers by touching Cam now.

Cam jerked away. Hunter flinched instinctively, but Cam just glared at him. "Don't do that," he hissed. "Don't touch me. Don't challenge me. And do not underestimate me."

Hunter tried not to smile. "I only ever underestimated you once," he told Cam. "And it's not a mistake I'll make again."

Cam didn't look at all reassured, and finally Hunter got that he wasn't trying to assert himself. He was trying to protect a fellow Ranger. "It could cost you more than your arm if you do," Cam muttered, and now Hunter couldn't help it... he smiled.

"Cam, are you worried about me?" he drawled, making it obvious that he was teasing because he really wasn't. He couldn't decide whether to feel amused or touched, and he felt like an idiot but he was leaning toward touched.

Just a teammate, he reminded himself. Cam was just trying to keep a teammate safe. His sudden ability to keep his hands to himself when challenged was a disappointing but not entirely unexpected development. If he was talking more clearly then it stood to reason that he was thinking more clearly too.

"Yes, I'm worried about you," Cam snapped. "The wolf could tear your throat out, and I don't know whether I'm more or less dangerous to you as a human being! What are you even doing here?"

Hunter raised an eyebrow, but Cam seemed to expect a verbal response. So he gave one. "That's a really stupid question."

"Then answer it," Cam retorted. "A stupid answer should be easy enough, even for you. Why are you here?"

Okay, anger was better than despair but he'd rather it wasn't directed at him. "Because you asked me," Hunter reminded him testily. "And because you need someone to put stuff on those bruises, so shut up and turn around."

Cam didn't move.

Yeah, well, that was a shock. Hunter opened the tube anyway and circled around behind him. He squeezed the liniment onto his fingers before using his other hand to tug Cam's t-shirt up over his shoulder. The only concession Cam made was to shift his left arm slightly so that the shirt rode up easier.

Hunter studied his tattoo while he rubbed the gel into Cam's skin. It gave him something to think about other than the obvious, and he could use a distraction right about now. Something Japanese. A Japanese character or something. He didn't know enough about the language to know whether he was looking at letters or words or just a really cool looking symbol.

"What's your tattoo?" he asked, squeezing a little more out of the tube to cover the edges of Cam's bruise collection. His skin was lighter than Cam's even without the bruising... He tried to stop noticing.

"It's--" Cam stopped to clear his throat, and Hunter's eyes flicked to the back of his head before going back to his shoulder. "It means 'family'. In Japanese."

Hunter's lips twitched. Boy scout, he thought fondly. Even when Cam rebelled, he was still so... wholesome.

He dropped his hand abruptly. That last circle had been dangerously close to a caress, and he'd have a hell of a time explaining himself if he got carried away. "You're good," he muttered, letting go of Cam's shirt. He resisted the urge to straighten it out.

"Thanks." Cam tugged his shirt back into place but he didn't turn around. Instead he started putting away the supplies Hunter had pulled out when he came in.

Hunter watched him for a moment. He had always been that graceful, but the quiet... the silence when he moved was new. It wasn't that he didn't make any noise... Hunter's eyes narrowed as he contemplated Cam's movements. It was more that he seemed aware of what his body was doing, more than he ever had before. He was controlling every part of himself. And as a result, he didn't make any more noise than he had to.

It was Cam's morpher that broke the spell, and Hunter blinked. He was glad of the interruption, if only because it made him realize that he was staring. But he couldn't think of anything good that could come from someone needing to contact Cam right now.

He didn't realize what was happening until Cam lifted his amulet and acknowledged the call. Cam was talking to someone other than him for the first time... well, since this thing started. Apparently it wasn't as traumatic to address someone if they couldn't see you.

"It's good to hear your voice, Cameron," Sensei was saying. "I am sorry to disturb you, but your computer seems to require attention."

Cam's shoulder rose and fell in a soundless sigh, but all he said was, "I'll be right there, Dad."

Hunter frowned at his back when he let the amulet fall. "You sure that's such a good idea? Can't you just ask him what's wrong and tell him how to fix it?"

"First off, no." Cam closed a drawer with what looked like a little more vehemence than necessary. But then, who was Hunter to judge?

"He doesn't have a clue what's wrong." Cam turned around, folding his arms as he did so and then immediately dropping them. His shoulder ached, Hunter figured. Stuff always hurt more after you'd been paying attention to it. "There probably isn't anything wrong at all; the mainframe flashes a diagnostic confirmation every twelve hours or so."

Cam met Hunter's eyes for just a moment before looking away again. "And even if it's not that, Dad isn't exactly a technological guru. I wouldn't trust him to program an alarm clock."

Hunter considered him. He was acting... well, normal. Almost totally normal, barring the occasional weirdness. But why? Why was he suddenly fine, and was it permanent or just a passing kind of stability?

Like he'd be able to hold Cam back either way.

"Okay," he said with a shrug. They really did need him. "Your call."

Cam walked over to him, and Hunter couldn't help thinking of the possibilities. But Cam just plucked the liniment tube out of his hand and said matter-of-factly, "That wasn't a good decision."

Hunter blinked. Presumably... not the liniment. "What, to let you at the computer?"

Cam just tossed the tube on the counter and stood there looking at him. Waiting. For what? What was it with the staring lately, anyway? He got that it was a wolf thing, a way of establishing dominance, but geez. He used to have a monopoly on staring. Now Cam had gotten a clue and was giving it right back.

"Well, the fact that you know that's gotta be a good sign." Hunter shifted uncomfortably. He could handle calm Cam, and he could handle intense Cam. He wasn't sure he could handle both at the same time. "Right?"

Cam's glowing eyes closed. It made Hunter straighten, immediately on alert, but Cam just lifted his hands and pressed his palms against his forehead. Behind his arms his face crumpled in pain, and Hunter heard him whisper, "I have to get out of here."

"Cam?" He tried to pull Cam's hands free without thinking, and--somewhat to his surprise--Cam let him. The grimace on his face relaxed, but his eyes didn't open and Hunter worried. "You okay, buddy?"

Cam lifted his head and looked at him. Gold eyes shone with some inner emotion, and it wasn't anger and it wasn't violence. He knew what was going to happen before either of them moved. And he wanted it. He wanted it so bad he could taste it--

Then he could taste it, and it was... it was so... it was the brush of Cam's lips against his. It wasn't hungry, or hard, or uncontrolled, and it wasn't an act of dominance. It was gentle and restrained and frighteningly knowing. It was Cam. Cam the way he had imagined him, and maybe just this once he was willing to admit that he had imagined Cam like this.

The touch of one mouth on another was gone, and he shouldn't go after it. He shouldn't. God, he shouldn't. His fingers twitched as he tried to prevent himself from clenching his fists, but he stayed where he was and after a moment he remembered to open his eyes.

Cam was staring at him. "You don't hate me for that," he said quietly.

He knew. Hunter could tell just by looking at him that he knew, and maybe it had been inevitable. He hadn't known that kissing Cam was going to be part of wolf-sitting duty, but if he had known he'd have signed up in a heartbeat. He doubted even the knowledge that this secret hung in the balance would have deterred him.

"You don't," Cam repeated. He sounded more certain now.

It had been a question, Hunter thought. He was paralyzed by the answer. By the consequences of the answer. No, he didn't hate Cam. Not for kissing him. Not for turning into a wolf with the self-control of a twelve-year-old. Not even for making Hunter wonder how much of what he did was controlled by the wolf--and how much of the wolf was him.

And what the hell was he supposed to do with that? What did that even mean?

He liked kissing Cam.

Fuck. They really were ready for the freak show.

Cam was close again, a breath away from his face when Hunter caught his arms. It took every bit of willpower he had to stop what he desperately wanted, but he did. He had a lot of experience with denial.

"Don't," he warned Cam. He meant it to be stern, but he couldn't quite catch his breath so he settled for repeating himself. "Do not mess with me."

Cam didn't seem to hate kissing him. But Cam could pull a dammed good poker face when he wanted to, and he was under the influence of some really freaky magic. Right now, Cam knew way more about Hunter than he knew about Cam. And Hunter wasn't going to be some kind of experiment.

"Am I wrong?" Cam demanded. "If you don't... I need to know. I need--I..." He fumbled for words in a very uncharacteristic way. "I might be able to stop," he finished in a whisper.

If he didn't what? Stop? He could stop? He had started? He was doing it on purpose? If he didn't what?

"If I don't what?" he blurted out.

"If you don't go for guys!" Cam shouted. "What do you think! You're not that fucking naive, so what do you think I'm asking!"

Several seconds passed before he remembered to close his mouth.

It was long enough for Cam to turn for the door, ready to run when Hunter grabbed his arm and for a moment he wasn't sure he'd be able to hold onto him. Cam spun, jerking his arm away hard enough to make Hunter stumble. He felt a fist slam into his gut when he didn't let go and he yanked Cam closer, anchoring him against his chest.

The fight went out of Cam immediately. Which was a relief, because no matter what he said the last two days were going to catch up with him. They couldn't keep beating on each other indefinitely.

"Damn," he gasped, relaxing his grip a little. He wished he was panting in Cam's ear for an entirely different reason. "Dating you is gonna be hell."

Cam exhaled sharply, with a sound that could have been anything from a laugh to a sob. "Who said anything about dating," he murmured. He sounded so disgusted that Hunter would have been alarmed if he hadn't just watched Cam explode over his apparent obtuseness.

"You did," he informed Cam without moving. "You said you had to get out of here. And I've got an idea."

"It's a bad one," Cam muttered. He sounded... sulky? Hunter was tempted to let him go just to see his expression, but the smarter part of his brain said he'd damn well better enjoy this while it lasted.

"You haven't even heard it yet," he told Cam, not moving.

"If it involves leaving Ninja Ops, it's bad," Cam insisted. "Daylight is bad. People are worse. It sucks to be me," he added, in a way that would have been pathetic if it wasn't so funny. God, Cam was quoting him. Definitely one of the unwritten signs of the apocalypse.

"You ran here in daylight yesterday," Hunter reminded him. "Close your eyes. You'll live."

"People," Cam repeated. "All it takes is a gun and I won't live."

It wasn't a pretty thought. But his truck was just down the mountain--he could drive, and once they got there it wouldn't matter nearly as much as Cam thought it would. "These people aren't gonna shoot a wolf," he promised. "And they're not gonna shoot you. Trust me."

"Who are you talking about?" Cam demanded. He shifted restlessly, and Hunter released him with some reluctance. Turning to face him, Cam amended, "What are you talking about?"

He hesitated, even if he'd committed himself to an answer the moment he brought it up. He had made a promise to these people... but really, Cam wouldn't violate that promise. Not anymore. Not the way he was now.

"It's a secret," he said at last, and that was the truth. "Guess you'll just have to trust me."

"I--" Cam frowned. He seemed stuck, disconcerted, confused. Hunter might have found it more amusing if he hadn't seen so much of that expression recently. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll show you," Hunter said, watching him carefully. "Okay? After we see what's going down out front."

"Right, Dad," Cam muttered. He seemed willing enough to be distracted, and inexplicably Hunter was disappointed. "I wish he'd learn something about the mainframe."

Hunter grabbed his flashlight and followed him out into the still-dark hallway, wondering when Cam would stop blaming the rest of them for his own inability to share his toys. He figured now probably wasn't the time to ask. Of course, there were a lot of other things he probably shouldn't ask either, but--like Sensei said--a question unasked...

"So," he began, careful to keep the flashlight pointed at the floor behind him as he walked. "Since when do you swear?"

Cam didn't even pause. "Since when are you gay?"

Stung, Hunter couldn't keep the defensiveness out of his voice. "Since when are you?"

"What's the point of asking questions if no one answers?" Cam wanted to know.

"You started it," Hunter retorted. "My question was first."

There was a quiet moment, and then Cam sighed. "I swear. Just not usually at people."

"Yeah, well." Hunter tried to brush it off when Cam didn't seem inclined to continue. "I get that reaction a lot."

Cam wasn't smiling. He could tell by his tone. "You didn't deserve that," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I was just..." He trailed off, but Hunter could pretty well fill in the blank.

"I get it," Hunter agreed. He was still kind of freaked out himself. "You don't have to apologize."

Cam stopped in front of the door to the control room and turned to look at him. At least, Hunter thought he was looking at him. His eyes had stopped glowing, and in the shadows cast by the flashlight it was hard to tell. "Your turn."

Hunter opened his mouth, then closed it again slowly. Since when was he gay? It wasn't even a fair question. He wasn't gay, he just... he--

He didn't know.

He shrugged uncomfortably, hoping Cam would let it go.

The door slid open beside them, and it took him a second to realize that Cam had triggered it. He stepped into the room behind Cam, but instead of feeling grateful for the reprieve he felt vaguely uneasy. Maybe he didn't know about the question, but shouldn't Cam care about the answer?

The monitor that Cam usually used was flashing, but it didn't seem to worry him. Hunter watched as he sat down in his usual chair and settled his fingers over the keyboard. After that he was pretty much lost; Cam could have been doing anything and he wouldn't know the difference between good and bad. But Cam seemed fine, and Hunter had other things to worry about.

"You okay here?" he asked, a little awkwardly. He didn't want to call Blake in front of Cam.

Cam didn't even look up. "Fine. I'm just reconfiguring the diagnostic. I'll bring CyberCam back online when I'm done."

"Yeah, sure." So, great. Cam was Cam again--or as close to it as a gay shapeshifting wolf could be. Nothing to worry about. "I'm just gonna make a call."

There was no response, which under normal circumstances he would have considered typical. Now, though, he found it a little unnerving. He tried to shake the feeling off as he headed back down the hallway. He dialed Blake's cell and sent a silent wish for his brother to pick up.

The second ring stopped right in the middle and a familiar voice answered, "Yeah."

"You alone?" Blake's phone would have told him who was calling.

"No." There was a pause, and then, "Hang on a second."

He could hear an indistinct shuffling sound, but no voices. Whatever Blake was doing, it didn't involve giving Kelly more excuses. Which was good, because Hunter didn't need any more bad karma right now.

"Okay," Blake said after a minute. "Shoot."

"I'm gonna take Cam to the community center."

There was another pause. "What?"

Hunter just waited.

"You're crazy," Blake said flatly. "They won't want to see him. He's a ninja."

"He's a samurai," Hunter corrected. "And Lothor turned him into a wolf."

"He's Sensei Watanabe's son," Blake reminded him.

That made Hunter stop and consider. "Okay," he admitted. "There's that."

"They won't even let him in," Blake predicted. "How are you going to get him there, anyway? You said he's sensitive to light. Gonna wait till tonight?"

"Don't know," Hunter said gruffly. "Hadn't figured that out yet."

"Really dark glasses." Blake sounded almost like he was enjoying this. "Or a blindfold. Glasses won't work on a wolf."

"That's helpful, bro." Hunter shook his head even though he knew Blake couldn't see it. "Thanks a lot."

"S'what I'm here for," Blake replied. "You told Cam about it yet?"

"Nah." Hunter grimaced in the darkness. "He's suspicious, though."

"Yeah..." There was silence for a moment. "You sure it's a good idea? They really might not let him in, y'know."

"And they might not even recognize him," Hunter pointed out. "Maybe he's just another computer geek who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He doesn't exactly give off the ninja vibe."

"Yeah, he does," Blake said dryly. "To everyone except you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hunter demanded.

"It means no one tries to protect him but you," Blake informed him. "Cause we all know he could kick our butts. You're the only one who doesn't see it."

"I could take him, easy," Hunter scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever." Blake didn't sound convinced. "Just warn him not to mention his dad before you show up on their doorstep, okay? Or the academies. Or the fact that Lothor's his uncle."

"Any other advice?" Hunter inquired. "While you're at it?"

"Yeah. Try to keep your hands away from his mouth."

Hunter froze. Every thought stopped in its tracks, and he couldn't even come up with something to say. He couldn't even finish a question in the privacy of his own mind: How did you...

His arm. Don't get bitten. That was what Blake meant.

"Right," he agreed, his voice not quite as strong as it could have been. "I'll be careful."

Blake heard the uncertainty anyway. "You okay, bro?"

Other than the overpowering memory of kissing Cam and the sudden desire to see his fingers tracing someone else's lips? "Yeah," he muttered. "Fine. I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay." Blake's tone made it clear that he wasn't buying it. "See you."

"Later." Hunter hadn't even hung up before the voices from the control room registered. Both of them were Cam's voice, which was probably a good sign, but he didn't waste any more time getting back there.

CyberCam greeted him effusively, which pissed Cam off. No question about it; he could see it in the narrowing of his eyes and the slight curl of his lip. Cam was mad.

Mad because his clone was paying attention to Hunter? Or was the wolf just generally disgusted with CyberCam's antics? Normally Cam ignored the virtual replicant's demeanor as much as possible, which Hunter had always wondered about--why not just reprogram him?--but now something about it was definitely grating on him.

Cam's morpher beeped before Hunter could put any distance between himself and CyberCam. Cam answered it automatically, but he didn't take his eyes off of his virtual replicant. Even his father's voice didn't seem to distract him.

"I will be joining you momentarily," Sensei was saying, and Hunter thought it was a strange announcement until he remembered that Sensei hadn't really seen his son in human form since yesterday. He must be trying to avoid spooking Cam.

"Okay, Dad." Cam, luckily, wasn't paying much attention. He was still watching CyberCam, and he didn't seem to care when Sensei's rolling habitat cart glided into the control room. More importantly, he didn't seem to be going all wolf on them, and that alone was a huge improvement as far as Hunter was concerned.

"Little furry dude!" CyberCam exclaimed. "It's, like, so good to see you again! What's happening? Eaten any good guinea pig food lately?"

"Cameron?" Sensei, as usual, ignored CyberCam completely. Hunter wasn't sure if he got that attitude from Cam, or if he just didn't know how to react to the virtual replicant. "Are you all right?"

"Sure, Dad, I'm great." Cam's gaze flicked from CyberCam to his father for just a moment. "My uncle turned me into a werewolf. I can't stand to be around light. And I've managed to maul the only person willing to spend time with me. Thanks for asking."

For once, Sensei seemed to be at a loss for words.

Hunter might have felt more sorry for him if something hadn't occurred to him at just that moment. "The computer screen," he said suddenly. "You can look at the computer screen."

Cam gave him a look that said very clearly, So?

"So it's lighted," Hunter said impatiently. "That doesn't hurt your eyes?"

Cam frowned a little. He didn't answer, but he didn't have to. Obviously it didn't, or he wouldn't look at it. He couldn't even stand their flashlights when they were pointed directly at him. But the red lights they'd turned on all over Ninja Ops didn't bother him?

Cam was looking at his flashlight, he realized a moment later. "Turn it on," he said, when he caught Hunter's eye.

Hunter flipped it back on without a word, watching as Cam flinched instinctively... and didn't look away. He stared at the light for a long moment before closing his eyes. "It's getting better," he said softly.

"It doesn't hurt like it did," Hunter guessed, forgetting for a moment that they had an audience.

Cam just shook his head. He still didn't open his eyes.

"You said earlier," Sensei began carefully, "that you do not recall much of your encounter with Lothor. Is it possible that the energy discharge associated with his attack was accompanied by a great flash of light?"

"That I just happened to be looking directly at?" Cam opened his eyes, and they were glowing again. It might have been the first time Sensei had seen them do that, but he didn't say anything. "Yeah. It's possible."

Giving him a temporary light sensitivity instead of a permanent one. Hunter liked that explanation and he wondered if there was anywhere he could go to vote for it. Was there any kind of cosmic karma ballot box where he could tell someone that Cam didn't deserve to be stuck in the shadows forever?

"No one tries to protect him but you," Blake had said. Well, maybe someone should, he told his brother's memory. Cam obviously didn't do a very good job of it himself.

"That's great, bro!" CyberCam was already celebrating. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I like doing your job. But dude, the hours are lousy."

"You aren't doing my job," Cam snapped. "You're just support staff. And the hours are fine."

"Well, yeah," CyberCam scoffed. "If you have no, like, life or anything--"

"Okay, stop," Hunter interrupted. CyberCam really wasn't trying to cause trouble, but it was almost impossible to stop him once he got going. And Cam obviously couldn't take the unintentional needling right now.

CyberCam didn't stop, predictably. "You should enjoy your vacation, dude," he advised. "I mean, life as a wolf... that's gotta be cooler than being stuck at the computer all day!"

Cam stood stiffly, eyes bright, and Hunter got between him and the replicant just as he took a step forward. "CyberCam," he said, not taking his eyes off of Cam. "Go away."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Hunter-man," CyberCam answered cheerfully. "There's a lot of stuff to catch up on around here--"

"Go. Away." Cam ground the words out between gritted teeth. He was still tensed, poised to spring, and Hunter ached to reach out and hold him in place. But he had to trust Cam not to make the first move.

"You're the boss," CyberCam agreed, and the sudden silence was the only other indication that he had followed orders.

"Cameron--" Sensei's voice must have been the last straw.

Hunter lunged for the wolf even as he spun, and that muzzle twisted and snapped so close to his fingers that he let go without thinking. But Cam did stay where he was, so that was something. Sensei had stopped talking almost as fast as he'd started.

"Would you excuse us?" Hunter asked, his eyes locked with the wolf's glowing golden gaze. "Sensei?"

If it was possible for a guinea pig to sigh, he thought he heard a sigh from Sensei just then. But his voice was perfectly calm as he replied, "Of course, Hunter." He stopped abruptly, as though he had been about to add something else and then thought better of it.

Yeah. Sensei annoyed the wolf, no question about it. Hunter figured that was as much Cam's own subconscious reaction as anything. The guy was always trying to prove himself to his father; it was no surprise there was some resentment there.

The wolf didn't turn his head away until Sensei was gone. At first Hunter thought he was looking to make sure they were alone, but his gaze didn't get quite that far and his hearing was probably enough to tell him anyway. Instead he just lowered his muzzle... farther and farther, until it looked like he was drooping. Then he heaved a tremendous sigh and melted the rest of the way to the floor.

"Yeah," Hunter muttered. He was trying not to smile. "I know the feeling."

The wolf looked up at him without moving his head. His muzzle was propped up on one paw, but the other limbs were splayed out in what looked like a random arrangement. It was an interesting thought, Hunter decided, sitting down next to him. That maybe the wolf was spontaneous where Cam was meticulous, emotional where Cam was restrained...

It wasn't so much the opposite of his real nature as it was his real nature without inhibition.

He wanted that to be true. He didn't have any reason to think it was, but he was trying to find one.

A soft whuffing sound made him glance at the wolf again, and he saw those gold eyes fixed on him inquiringly. He gave a half-hearted smile, intending for it to be reassuring. The wolf just rolled his head to one side, sorrowful eyes never leaving Hunter's. The expression only made him look more pathetic, and suddenly it dawned on him that the wolf had exposed his throat.

More than an apology, he thought. A gesture of trust.

Or maybe he was just reading more into it because he wanted to, he thought with a sigh. He reached out and patted the wolf's fur awkwardly, hoping to convey comfort despite his own personal state of mind. He remembered to avoid the left shoulder this time, and he saw glowing eyes close in apparent acceptance.

He knew, in the back of his mind, that he really shouldn't pat Cam. But having started, it was awfully hard to stop. For one thing--mood swings notwithstanding--he had never seen Cam look as relaxed as he did as a wolf. He just didn't... sprawl, as a human. It was kind of cool to be a part of that, in some way.

And in the same way, he had to admit it was nice to be so close to Cam without getting his head bitten off. Figuratively and literally, lately. He also felt like... well, it was more natural to touch a wolf. As weird as that sounded. It was easier to pat the wolf than it was to kiss Cam.

He couldn't seem to keep from doing either one. So he just sat there, stroking soft grey fur and staring into the shadows. Wondering when his life had gotten so weird.