Book One: A Wolf Among Beasts

Epi - One Year Later

Beast is listening to Mozart's Requiem in D Minor K 626-3 on a record player while a young child, maybe 4 or 5 furiously tries to stretch a canvas on the floor, when she tears through the canvas, she angrily throws it all across the room towards Eli who ducks as she enters the room, she raises an eyebrow and glances across at the child who growls.

"What was wrong with that one?" Eli asks, the child huffs. "Rio" Eli scolds as she picks up the canvas the child threw and examines it. "I suppose we'll have to call this your 'white period'" Eli teases and sets the canvas aside as Beast smirks and glances to her. River glares at her mother slightly, Eli walks towards her daughter. Despite only being a year old she's growing at an unprecedented rate, she now resembles a 5 year old and is still growing, and fast. River looks to her paintbrush and then back to her mother. Feelings and images flicker through Eli who rolls her eyes slightly. "Out loud" Eli scolds. "We talked about this, you have to start talking, I can't be at your side 24 7 for the rest of your life" River pauses slightly as she thinks about what she wants to say, it's easy for her, just to let Eli feel what she wants. It was something that first happened within the first few days, Eli would just know what River wanted, more then motherly instinct, over the last year it's only gotten stronger, some times Eli sees things she's not looking at, hears things, smells things. Eli brushes Rio's hair back from her face as she waits patiently. River

"I'm missing a colour" River admits. "A red...none of them are right" River motions to her many, many red coloured paints scattered across the floor.

"Well, I recommended a Venetian red, with a dash of rust..." Beast comments, Eli nods and looks to River who rolls her eyes.

"Still not right" River argues and almost stomps her foot. Eli brushes her thumbs over River's cheeks.

"Why don't you take a break?" she asks. "Come spend an hour or two with me and Uncle Logan and then come back and have another look with fresh eyes"

"That's a good idea" Beast agrees. River nods and looks to Ricky resting in a huge armchair, he's stuck pretty close to River since her birth. River holds up her arms at her mother who smiles and lifts her up.

"Come on, bub" Eli tells Ricky who follows them out of the room. "Okay so we can either stay in, eat double our body weight in ice cream and chocolate, because...why the hell not?" Eli tells River who chuckles. "Or we can go out, take a run in the woods, stretch those teeny weeny legs of yours" River yanks on Eli's hair in jest. "Or....we can head into the city, find something to see" Eli already knows the answer, because River only ever wants to do one thing, ever since she could do it.

"Run" River answers.

"That's good" Eli smiles. "I have something to show you" River perks up then and shares a look with Ricky who barks and wags his tail happily.

................

Eli roams around in her wolf form, weaving through trees, River is situated on her back, holding on by Eli's fur. Eli trots into a small clearing. River sits up and looks around, a small lake to her left with a dock that leads to a newly built shack. Logan is sat on the porch of the shake drinking a beer and smoking a cigar. He raises an eyebrow seeing them both before smiling. Logan puts out the cigar and places the beer down as River shimmies off of Eli and runs to him, Logan smirks and lifts her up. Eli walks forward a few steps before she is back on two feet and naked, Logan grabs the over coat from where he'd stored it on the back of a picnic chair, he throws it to Eli who pulls it on wrapping the belt around her middle.

"What is this place?" River asks.

"It's ours" Eli answers, River looks around at her. "Kitty's pregnant" Eli strokes River's hair. "So she and Bobby are going to be moving into the attic apartment" River looks up at her mother. "I thought we'd be happier out here" Eli admits. "Just you and me.....the School is close enough though so you can always go up there if and when you want"

"Can I swim in the lake?" River asks.

"When you've learnt too, yeah" Eli answers with a smirk. "Wanna see your room?" Eli asks, River nods smiling back at her.

...................

River's bedroom is all greens and purples, because somehow River took her father's favourite colour and the Hulk's flesh colour and fell in love with them. And she loves the room. There is a dogs bed for Ricky, a small corner for River's art, a record player and collection of records from across the decades, a book corner, overflowing with books. Even Eli loves the room. Logan wraps his arm around her and kisses her head.

"This will be good for you both" he offers quietly. "That mansion is too over crowded, people coming and going" Eli hums listening to him but her eyes on River as she opens a box of stuffed toys to look at. "Are you okay?" Logan asks, she looks to him.

"I thought it would get easier" she admits. "That gaping hole in my heart...."

"You loved him, Eli, that's never going to go away" they share a look. Logan has been in and out of love many times over the years but there a few women he'll never get over. Eli is just a few lovers behind him. Bruce was the first one to break down her walls and settle in her soul.

...............

The sun sets and Eli carries a half asleep River into her new bedroom, Ricky following behind and finding his bed first before Eli lays River down and pulls her blankets around her, River rubs at her eyes fighting her own sleep. Eli smiles softly and strokes her daughter's hair.

"There is one more thing" Eli tells River tucking her in. "It's nearly your first birthday" River nods in agreement. "I want you to have something" Eli sits on the edge of the bed and reaches up pulling off her 'Rio' necklace and holding it in her hand. "Two Christmases ago your father gave me this necklace" Eli tells River sadly, she pulls her fingers along the chain. "At that moment I was so very happy" she assures River. "I want you to have it now" Eli admits. "A reminder of your namesake, and that me and your father did love one another.....and one day if you ever meet him, this necklace will help convince him of who you are to me....to us" River sits up letting Eli drape the necklace her necklace and clasps it behind her head, she pulls back and touches the 'Rio' charm around her neck. River reaches up to touch it too.

"Do you miss him?" River asks, Eli smiles softly and nods.

"I do, every single day" She admits. "And I always will" Eli cups River's cheek. "That man wormed his way into my heart and he is never coming out" Eli kisses her head. "But I have you" she offers pulling back. "Part of him....and you are so....perfect" Eli assures her. "Beautiful, smart....so lucky, cause you didn't get those brains from me...." River smiles looking down. "And your eyes" Eli whispers, River looks up. "I see your father in them...."

"Will you stay?" River asks. "Sleep with me" Eli strokes River's hair and nods before she climbs into bed letting River snuggle up to her, Eli's arm wraps around her and touches her arm as she kisses her head.

"I love you, Rio" Eli tells her daughter. "Always"

"I love you too, Mommy" River counters resting against her. "Will you sing the Rio song?" River asks, Eli chuckles a little and nods.

"Of course I will" Eli assures her. "Moving on the floor now babe you're a bird of paradise" Eli sings softly. "Cherry ice cream smile I suppose it's very nice. With a step to your left and a flick to the right. You catch that mirror way out west. You know you're something special and you look like you're the best. Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand. Just like that river twisting through a dusty land. And when she shines she really shows you all she can. Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grande" Eli glances down to find River fast asleep, Eli smiles sadly and kisses her head again holding her close to her. She hums the rest of the song. She really does love her daughter. More then anything. And it doesn't matter that Bruce is not there with them. Because she will make sure that he is known to River. She will make sure that her daughter knows exactly why her father is not with them. She will know just who to blame for it. There is only one man to blame for it. One man. One human man.