Tigers can't change their stripes

~The hotel~

"Tidur sekarang, anak saya berharga manis. Mimpi sukacita dan mimpi cinta, tidur suara anak laki-laki saya yang berharga manis. Untuk hari ini telah berakhir dan besok dimulai lagi, tidur sekarang dan tutup mata Anda, dan ketika Anda membuka mereka ... itu akan menjadi hari yang baru untuk bermain."
(Sleep now, my sweet precious boy. Dream of joy and dream of love, sleep sound my sweet precious boy. For the today has ended and tomorrow begins anew, sleep now and close your eyes, and when you open them...it'll be a new day to play.)

She ran her hand through his soft hair, watching over him as he drifted off to sleep. Her soft singing lulled him to a peaceful rest. She had sang him that same lullaby since he was born. It was something she made up, but it had always calmed him. She hummed and kissed his forehead, his face relaxing as he fell harder into a sleep. She loved watching him sleep. She looked into space as she thought about the gift John had left for him that she hadn't presented him with yet. Rajat would love it, but she still questioned his motives. Was he attempting to buy his way into their lives? Did he think she wanted him to spend his money on Rajat? She kissed his forehead one last time and went into the next room, seeing Rochelle writing up her notes from the previous days work. She was a great assistant/nanny and had been traveling with her for a few years now.

"Headed out?"

Tijgerian looked down at her outfit and shrugged. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to see him." Rochelle had come to be more than her assistant, she was like a friend. Her only friend really. She never let anyone in.

"He's your son's father, isn't he?"

"You caught that didn't you?" She smiled.

"Hard not too...they look so much alike. It's really cute actually."

"Either way, I'm not sure I want him in our lives permanently. I guess I'm still closed off."

"Go see him. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel."

Tijgerian rolled her eyes. "If you only knew how that usually worked out." She laughed a bit and shook her head, remembering their fight, literal fight. They never talked much, more or less fought. She inhaled deeply and then blew out a breath. "Guess I should just get it over with right?" She looked down at her watch.

"Have you told him you're leaving next week?"

Tijgerian looked up and remembered that she had to be in New Orleans next week for the inspection to seven businesses. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No...shit. No..." She grabbed her keys to the rental her boss supplied her with and waved at Rochelle who smiled and shook her head, waving back.

~Quinn's place~

It was shockingly easy to get into his home, as he had said she had clearance. The man she remembered as Vincent led her to the back patio that she requested. She stood outside for a while waiting, checking her watch and pacing. Maybe he was out for the night. Why was she here anyway? This was stupid...she should leave. She was about to stand from the brick platform she had been sitting on when she heard his voice, realizing he was home. She waited for him, never moving as she smiled slightly.

He walked from inside the garage, keeping his distance at first, but circling so she could see him approach. He could smell Brianna and Mathew on his clothing so he knew she would as well. He paused a minute to look her over, admiring how kind the years had been to her. She was more beautiful than ever, but also seemed to be alone...

"Greetings, Tijgerian. Welcome to my home. I am sorry I was not here when you arrived, but you were not expected and I had a meeting to deal with. It is good to see you again."

She stood and stepped closer, the small breeze carrying his scent among other things towards her. She curled her lip slightly at the pungent stench of vampire and looked away from him. It had barely been a whole day and he was still consorting with those decrepit beings. The stench was slightly faint and mixed with that of a human...but to have that on his clothing he had to have been in close contact. She shook her head and began to walk around him, never speaking or looking him in the eyes.

He watched as she moved, seeing her displeasure and guessing at the source. There was little he could do about it right now, but he had a feeling that was the last time he would have to deal with that specific problem.

"I know, Tijgerian, my clothing displeases you, but I told you on occasion I must meet in person with clients, even vampires. Had I known you were coming, I would have rescheduled so you would not have to bear it."

She stopped when she was next to him, looking up from the ground and turning her head to look at him.

"It is expected, but I'm sure you know I am no fool. The stench on your clothing is that of close...very close contact. Tell me John, do you hug up on all of your clientele?" She paused briefly and shook her head.

"I'm sorry I came. Good night"

He knew he had to think fast and the solution was perfectly laid in front of him.

"Tijgerian, the female vampire I met with tonight is a special case. I adopted her for a time when her maker died. He was a victim of the Hep V virus that has been in the news and died in a research lab I fund. I took care of her for a time and she now works for Compton as a teacher for his progeny. She, for some reason, took to me as a father figure and when we met tonight, she felt it would be alright to hug me. She has since been educated otherwise."

He paused to take a breath and continued.

"With Compton making war on another vampire household, meetings are even more rare and this one was no exception. We said what had to be said and I left. End of story."

He walked to her and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"If you can give me a few minutes to clean up, I just walked in the door. I would like to talk with you more."

She was not impressed with his explanations. "The fact you took in a vampire, even out of pity is disgraceful John." she said, already turning her body around to head out the door.

"And the worse... that it takes me catching you in the act for you to tell me. I'm sure had I not seen anything you would have never bothered to mention this fact" she added, turning her head so he could see the clear distaste in her eyes. She grabbed the door handle and turned it about half way before saying her last piece.

"I would have let it slide had you just been a neglectful father... but to know you were more keen on adopting a vampire than to father your flesh and blood? That just lets me know I made the right choice... by your own actions you've cemented the fact you WILL NEVER see Raj, not if there is breath left in my body." She said with a tone of finality in her voice that left no room for argument.

He pushed the door closed before she could finish opening it, looking in her eyes.

"Neglectful? Really? You are going to try that? I told you I wanted you to stay but you turned your back with an infant in your arms. I have always been there for both of you. I kept my distance out of respect for your choice, but you have always been safe."

He took a breath and continued, trying to keep his calm.

"No, I did not mention Arabella before because I know your feeling on vampires. Tonight's meeting was to close the final chapter in that book. How is it weakness to be kind to one who has lost their family? How is it wrong to show compassion? Had you wanted to know more about my life, I would have mentioned her but you were never that interested in what my life had been like. You do not get the right to judge me neglectful when you took the choice away from me. My role as his father is one given me by nature and it is not your place to give and take such. You want to speak of choices made, we can do that, but you have not earned the right to judge me unfit, Tijgerian. Not by a long shot. Now....Sit down her and wait for me to return. You will hear me out before you have the right to judge me, Tijgerian."

She stopped short when he closed the door, looking into her eyes as she narrowed her own, annoyed with his persistence. "Safe, if that's what you care about, sure. Safe." She would never admit to questioning her decision to turn her back on him, but right now that was not something she needed to think about. Instead, she listened to him. Before she could protest, he used his alpha tone on her and she growled in her throat. When she opened her mouth to speak, he held up a hand and walked away from her, knowing he was going get the stench off of him. She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. Regardless of what he said or did, her mind would be hard to change.

She paced the small room, looking out the glass doors onto the patio. Stepping out into the night, she looked up at the full moon and cursed. Rolling her neck, she tried to calm the beast within and closed her eyes to focus.

Quinn finished his shower, smiling. He could almost feel her from here. She did not leave. He knew she wouldn't. As he got dressed, he was careful to choose every item from sealed clothing freshly steam cleaned. Once he was ready, he walked back out to the deck and joined her. He brought two cold beers and two bottled of water with him, setting all of it on the table and joining her on the deck.

"Now perhaps we can have a more civil discussion as to why you came here, and what the future might look like."

She heard him fumbling with the patio door and kept her eyes closed. Her senses taking over and the fresh scent of man and tiger entered air around her. It was calming actually, being near another tiger. But at the same time, it could be...complicated. She dropped her arms and turned to see the beer on the table. He remembered her preferred alcohol, that was good. Walking over, she grabbed one and twisted the top off. Bringing the bottle to her lips, she lifted it and took a swig.

"The future? Well, the future looks dim John. I leave next week."

Might as well put it all out there now and rip that band-aid off, less pain that way. He had to know, and she knew it would eventually come to that.

Being this close to her was a bit distracting. He glanced up to look at the full moon and grinned. Of course it was full tonight. He looked into her eyes and smiled. He ran his fingertips along the curve on her cheek.

"Of course, you have your business to run. I understand that and can relate. I refer more to long term. I made an offer, though I know you will not accept it. You are not thee type to be tied down. I have always known that, but you will always be able to come here."

Her scent was filling his mind and he knew she could feel the moon's pull as well. He moved a bit closer, never taking his eyes from hers.

She instinctively pulled away and looked away from him, taking another pull of her beer. She leaned against the brick wall and stared out into the back yard as he spoke. She was listening, almost. It was all this feeling distracted bull that had her going haywire. It had been a while since she had shifted and she refused to do so here. There were too many dangers and dangers she could not afford to risk.

She was brought from her thoughts when she felt him inch closer to her and she looked at him. Her eyes meeting his. "Yeah...glad you understand." She said before taking the last swig of her beer. Drumming her nails on the bottle, she looked at him and shrugged. "Thanks for the beer."

He moved closer, letting her scent fill his mind.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about or was this a social call?"

He could see the look in her eyes and knew she needed it as much as he did. He could see the gold flecks swirling in her eyes an imagined his held the same.

"Maybe you'd care for a run? My land is secured...and no longer has vampires anywhere on site. I've rotated them to other projects."

She stiffened slightly when he neared her again, inches from her. She hated him for how he made her feel, she felt ways she did not want or expect to feel. These new feelings made her feel weak, as if he held some kind of power over her. Top that with no shifting for the last two weeks, she was a little frazzled and could use a good run. But she was hesitant.

She looked away from him to think about his offer, as well as the reason she was here. Turning her head back to him, she spoke. "Thank you for the gift for Rajat, but I must say...I'm a little concerned. I do hope you don't think you can buy your way into our lives. I don't want or need your money."

She looked back out at his yard and slipped her shoes off as he spoke, pressing the empty bottle to his chest, she walked to the edge of the cement and stepped onto the grass barefooted. She missed nature, she missed being in tiger form. He still spoke about the gift as she reached behind her and pulled the zipper of her dress down, unable to resist the urge any longer. Letting the dress fall to the ground, unashamed of her body or being so bare before him. She flipped her hair to the side as she placed her thumbs in her waist of her underwear and slid that down, stepping out of it. Slowly, she got to the ground and pressed her palms to the grass, her feline nature coming out as she got to her knees. She was woman....and then she was tiger.

He could see in her body language that she made her choice even before she spoke. Her question made sense.

"No, I remembered he loved red and trucks. I happened across it when I was at the Boardwalk."

Beyond that, no more words were needed between them. He pulled his shirt free, letting his clothing fall away as he shifted to join her. As they moved to the edge of the brush, he rested his head against hers.

She felt his nuzzle and growled a bit, her claws digging into the soft ground. It felt so nice and free, so wild...so normal. She began to jog a bit and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of the wind against her fur. From the jog, she took off into a sprint. She was always slightly faster than Quinn. He may be stronger, but she was faster. She ran as if she were free and flying, dodging fallen limbs and forest growth. She followed the path all the way down to an embankment and stopped, padding along the waters edge. She looked at the reflection of the moon on the waters and heard the rustle of leaves, knowing he wasn't too far behind her. She grinned inside and moved to the trees, hiding. Being in tiger form made her less reserved and withdrawn. She got low to the ground and watched for him.

He was glad she was running. This would be fun. She was always faster and this was his land. He knew it better than anyone, and knew where she would end up. He could have followed her scent but instead decided to trace a simple route to the secluded lake. When he got there, her scent was strong, but he did not see her. He new the game she was playing. He padded out to the lake's edge, lifting his muzzle to take in the lakeside scents, but kept himself aware of the surrounding area. Finally a stray breeze gave away her general area, so he purposely scanned the opposite area and waited for her to make her move.

Waiting for the right moment, she watched as he neared her area. Remaining silent and hidden, she knew he could tell where she was soon. When the moment was right, she lunged for him, paws spread wide and landed against him. Growling playfully as she nipped at him and pinned him down with all her strength. It brought back memories when they used to do this, and it for a moment almost felt like everything was normal and right. But if that were the case, she would be fooling herself.

When he felt her weight make contact, he dropped his shoulders, letting the movement throw her balance off a bit. She had him pinned for a moment, but he used his strength to roll her, ending up on top of her, looking down at her. He licked her playfully and nipped at her, growling in her ear as he felt the moon taking more hold on their game.

She was on top of him briefly before he shifted and pinned her, he was on top of her and licked her face. A growl came from her again, in warning that she knew he would not heed. His scent was swimming in head and making it hard to focus. She nipped at his neck as he lowered his head near her ear, swiping her paw at him. She rolled and escaped his grasp, circling him with an intrigued look upon her. Interesting way he wanted to play.

As they circled, he would occasionally sweep a paw out, hooking her leg and releasing it. He was playing games that they both know from birth. They had played these games long ago, and both knew them well. He ducked in low, bringing his strength to bear as he pushed her onto her back, resting his head against her neck, growling low.

She recognized his playful but forceful movements. It was a dance of their kind, something she remembered from long ago. It was a mating dance, and she was caught off guard by it. She was on her back and felt his head resting against her neck. She knew what he meant, what he was saying...and she wasn't sure she was ready for anything like that. She growled hard and loudly, rolling out from under him and taking off into a hard run. The wind in her fur as she ran as hard as she could. She had to get away from him, away from commitment.

He knew she felt it as well and was surprised when she pulled away and ran. As she bolted, he turned back toward the house, running at a steady pace. She was fast, but this was his land and he had no trouble beating her back. Once he had redressed, he laid her clothing out on a chair, as well as a silk robe in her favorite shade of teal. He had the cooks begin making a nice rogan josh and warming some flat-bread then went out to the deck to wait for her to arrive. He put on some nice soft music and relaxed in the moonlight. He smiled when she came to the edge of the woods and looked up toward him.

She had finally gotten to the edge of the woods after going in a circle, not familiar with this area. Stopping at the edge of he woods, she watched him stand there waiting for her. She could smell the aroma in the air of the food, it made her stomach growl. With everything that occurred tonight, she wasn't sure she should stay. Hearing the choice of music he had selected, she realized his intentions and snorted. John Quinn, ladies man and collector of hearts. Well, he wouldn't have hers. Shifting back, she stood and walked back towards him, not showing any sign or emotion. She picked up her underwear and slid them back on, followed by her dress as she zipped it back up. Her wild, untamed hair was all over the place but she felt relaxed and calmer now that she had a chance to run as a tiger.

She walked closer to him and spoke low. "Thank you for the evening, but I better go."