Where
do they go…

By
Xan Steel

Shane
and Jonna, a wolf couple, have been mates for 30 years now, and in
that time they only managed to have one child. A boy, who would be a
young man by now. Except young Jack was no more, and instead in his
place was a young woman by the name of Gara.

Gara
came into being around nineteen years after Shane and Jonna became
mates. She was very different from Jack. No longer was she the kind,
caring, and lovable goof that Jack was, but instead more inward about
themselves, and rarely helped others.

Shane
and Jonna supported Gara with all their love, but in the end, they
were completely heart broken.

Years
have past and Gara was now living on her own. Jonna felt safe enough
to pull out a small box that she had kept hidden in their closet all
this time. She sat on the edge of their bed, and put the box down
next to her, and opened the lid. Inside there were old photos. Photos
of Jack. Photos Jonna had hidden away from Gara, and refused to
destroy at the behest of her Therapist.

Jonna
sat there remembering her son. All the happy times that the photos
showed. After a while though it started getting to her as she began
to weep, as one thought kept entering her mind. Where did he go? Was
he alive, or was he dead? Did anyone know where he was? Was there any
closure for her?

Shane
had heard Jonna crying from out in the living room of their home, and
quietly went to check on her. When he got to their bedroom is when he
noticed that small box, and the photos gently scattered on the bed.
Her back was to him as he slowly entered the room to see what the
photos were of, and once he was close enough he noticed that they
were of Jack.

“Sweetie,
what are you doing?" he asked.

She
jumped hearing his voice and started to frantically grab and stuff
the photos back into the back. Shane reached down and stopped her.
“Sweetie, whats going on?" he asked her.

She
looked up at him with tears running down her cheeks, and with a
softly broken voiced ask, “Where is he?"

Shane
looked at her, not fully understanding her question. “Where's
who?" he asked.

She
spoke again with a bit more force in her voice. “Where's my baby
boy?"

Shane
looked at her for a moment before speaking again, “Hun, Gara is
still here, she never left. You can call her up and talk with her
anytime."

Jonna
shook her head. “That's not what I'm asking."

“I'm
sorry hun, I don't understand what you're asking." he replied.

Jonna
just looked at him with the most serious eyes he had ever seen on
her, as her voice raised louder with each question. “Where is my
Jack. Where is the boy I gave birth too? Is he dead? Is he missing?
If he's missing is anyone looking for him? She paused for a moment
as another question popped into her head and she spoke softly, “Did
Gara… did Gara kill him? Did the Therapist try and make us kill him
by getting rid of every last piece of Jack?"

Shane
looked at the photos on the bed, and realized that this was all they
had left of Jack. Jonna never threw them out like the Therapist had
told them too. He pulled her into a loving embrace as she broke down
in his arms. He never paid much attention to his own personal
feelings on the matter, but if he was going to be honest with
himself. Then even he had these same thoughts over the last couple of
years.

Jonna
leaned back to look at Shane and spoke, “Please don't tell Gara I
have these thoughts. I don't want her to know my pain." Shane
asked why, “Because I didn't give birth to Gara, and I don't
feel close enough to her for her to know my deepest secrets and
pain." she replied.

Shane
asked, “Do you hate her?"

Jonna
looked at him again, but he saw her looks soften. “No, I have no
reason to hate her, but love? That… that's going to take some
time. Not to mention her becoming a better person and dropping that
crappy attitude."

Shane
gave a light laugh at that. “Well, I can't disagree with you
there. She needs to hang out with better friends."

Jonna
carefully put the photos back into the box and stuck them in the spot
she had them in before. She spoke again while closing the closet
door. “There may come a time where I can reveal this to her. Until
then, she can't know those photos exist."

Shane
nodded, “I know. When we do open up to her about it, I wonder if
she'll forgive us. The child that just appeared in our lives from
out of the blue."

She
spoke softly again, “I don't know. All I know is our boy, who had
so many hopes and dreams, is gone forever. We will never see him
again."