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Not so long ago."

I was still only semi concious when I began to regain some senses, I was lying on a bunk. Little more than a table of wood with a sorry excuse for a pillow. I couldn't see, but I could smell the odour of stale disinfectant and feel the bruises and cuts on my body. The pain was no longer crippling but still incredibly uncomfortable, particularly when I tried to move.

But I could hear.

"I don't see what the problem is James." Ruaridh sounded...aggrevated. "Just let it go, will you?"

"Oh you don't?" James soundeed even more so. "Let me spell it out for you: Human. Don't kill. Human...person....Not punchbag. Am I getting through?"

"Don't patronise me." Ruaridh growled in return.

"WOW!" James exclaimed in false admiration._ "That was a big word for you, three whole syllables. Someone did their homework!"_

Ruarid simply growled.

"Anyway, maybe I wouldn't have to be so patronising if you got through your thick skull..." He said those two words slowly, almost rythmically. "...that beating a human to death is not a good idea!"

"What do you know?" Ruaridh was shouting now " Nothing!...Absolutely nothing! You didn't have have to get involved, you couldn't just let it be! Could you?"

"And how exactly would you explain to the supervisors that you'd killed one of the stock?" James scoffed.

"What happened to you James? You used to be-"

"What? Like you?" Ruaridh gave no reply. and James continued with a low growl._ "I'll never be like you."_

The following Silence was deafening, I strange description I know, but it's all I can think of the explain it.

"Both of you out!" The silence was broken by the 'doctor'. Little more than a slaver with some crude medical experience. "I need to check it over, see if it's worth recovering." Of course, we were only worth so much. If our recovey from injury took too much of a toll on the budget...well. I'll not go into that.

"If you want to argue go do it somewhere else." I felt a needle prick in my arm. I began to feel more drowsy, a blessing considering my discomfort. "James if you have a problem, go see management. I'll not have you loitering."

James was silent for a few seconds. Maybe deep in thought. "Maybe I'll do that." was the last I heard before falling once more into unconsiousness.

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

I still stood in the shadows, I could hear the convesation continueing but I wasn't really listening. All I( could think about were Seans words. James.

I shook my head, this was stupid. There could be any number of James's in the world, the chances of the james I knew and the James Sean knew being the same were very slim indeed. I tried to turn my focus back to Sean and Dom, but my thoughts wandered.

James, I never saw him again, I woke up in a bunk only to find that he wasn't there anymore. The others said he had resigned. I was upset at this, I didn't know why. James was a slaver, he hurt me...and others, without remorse. Perhaps he enjoyed it. But In the end, he was the first, and for a long time the only, person to have shown me a kindness. No matter how small. I don't know why but, I missed him. Perhaps it was because Ruaridhs aggression had only increased since he left, he punished us with unparalleled vigour. Me especially, he viewed me as the cause of this. Maybe I was.

I was drawn from my thoughts by the sound of movement in the other room. I backed away, worried that they knew of my presence. But my worry was for naught, Dom was leaving. Giving Sean a brief 'goodbye' and walking out the door. I caught a glimpse of him as he left, he was a fox. A fox with white fur.

I decided to wait a little before going through to see Sean, I didn't want him to know I was listening. It was a few minutes before I deemed it safe to enter. When I did Sean was sitting at the table with a newspaper in front of him and a mug of tea in his hand. He looked up as I entered, His eyes were red.

"Morning sleep head!" He sounded happy enough, but I could detect a hint of remaining sadness from his conversation with Dom. "Would you like a drink? Tea, coffee?"

"Good Morning. No thank you I'm fine." To be honest I'd never had tea OR coffee and I didn't want to rush myself. "I heard talking. Was someone here?" I knew the answer, I just wanted to see if he'd be honest with me.

"Yes that was Dom, close friend of mine. I think you'd like him, he seems a bit rough around the edges but he's really quite lovavable." I noticed that Sean seemed more talkitive, like he was trying to avoid something.

"Oh...um..." I shifted on my feet a little, blushing slightly. Before asking hesitantly "Who is James?...Another friend?"

Sean didn't answer, just gave me a quizzical, and somewhat hurt look.

"I over heard a little." Answering the unspoken question. "...I...I'm sorry if I intruded. I didn't mean an-"

"It's alright." He interjected. "I understand, I just didn't want to tell you about James until you were better settled." He moved over to a couch and sat down, patting the seat next to him. I moved over and sat down, worried about what I may have set in motion, Sean didn't look angry. But he did look rather sad. Sean began to speak.

"James wasn't my friend, no. He was...he was so much more." He looked me in the eye, I could see he was on the verge of tears. I put my hand on his paw, a gesture he seemed to appreciate. "James was my partner. I loved him. I wanted to share the rest of my life with him...it wasn't to be."

Confused, I asked "What happened?"

Sean choked back a sob, "He died. car collision. he was..." He paused to choke back more tears. "He was drunk. He'd taken to drinking heavily after resigning."

My heart skipped a beat "Resigning? Where did he work?"

Sean shook his head. "I don't know, he wouldn't tell me. He said it would upset me, I didn't understand what he meant but I trusted him." He looked at me, forcing a smile "Isn't that naive?"

"No." I replied quickly. "Not naive, trusting."

"Some would say they're one and the same." He answered.

"Then they will never truly be able to trust someone." Sean had no response to this.

After a while he pointed and said; "There's a picture of him on the mantlepiece of you want to see."

Nodding, I walked towards the picture and studied the figure it represented. It showed some kind of wolf-like canine, perhaps a hybrid. He had grey & white fur and icey blue eyes. It was him.

James.

Seans former lover was a slaver. I'd seen him beat humans senseless and apply burning brands to children and he enjoyed it.

I could have have told Sean then and there. Destroyed the last remnants of his love for the man I once viewed as a monster. My final revenge. All it would take is one sentence. I know this man.

Perhaps I should have.

But I didn't.

I owed it to Sean

I owed it to James.