The man in the tree stayed still in the bushes below the window, scarcely daring to breathe when he saw the shadow of Harry Underhill as he peered out into the yard behind his house. When the curtains closed, the man sprinted for the trees, ducking into the darkness they offered, dodging branches and logs, returning to where his Alpha sat, waiting.

Fenrir Greyback sat on a large protruding root at the foot of a particularly thick trunk, legs crossed, and glowering up at the nearly full moon overhead, peering through the branches and leaves of the forest canopy. "You couldn't be any louder about it if you tried, could you, Ed?"

"Nearly spotted me," Ed rasped as he came to a halt.

Greyback lazily waited for Ed to catch his breath. "Did you find them?" Greyback demanded.

"Looked in every window, and not a trace of 'em. Place reeked of Lyson, though. Underhill's got him hidden some place." Ed paused, then grinned, "He's got Veigler's little one, too."

"Yes, I know," Greyback said. He was studying his fingernails.

"And I smelled Lupin."

Fenrir Greyback looked up at this, quicker than he meant to. "What?" he hissed.

"Remus Lupin was here. Recently. Smelled him in the yard. Smelled like him and Lyson might've talked a bit."

Greyback sat up, eyes flashing with anger.

Ed looked at Greyback with one brow raised in question.

"Find Lyson. Now." Greyback's voice was a growl.

Ed shivered, magic tingling through his veins. He nodded, turned, and hurried back through the trees toward the house.

In the basement, Carl Lyson stood in front of the stairs. Behind him, tucked into a cupboard beneath the stairs, was his family. Carl's eyes shifted constantly between the walk out door and the door at the top of the stair.

His nose burned with the scent of Greyback. The pull of the Alpha command was strong, his blood felt like it was boiling in his veins. He clutched tighter the mallet he had found in the cupboard that now held his family, wishing he'd found something more lethal. It was the only weapon he had, the only thing he had besides his strength to protect his family with.

He knew they would come for him. Even as they had snuck out of the tower in Blackburn, he had known. The full moon was in less than a week now, and Greyback wanted them all under his command for the full moon. It was a wonder he hadn't come before now.

A shadow passed by the walk in steps, and Carl's body wound tighter, a spring ready to unhitch.

Ed passed by without descending the steps. Ed must be doing the dirty work for Greyback, Carl thought. He could smell both now, with Ed so close. Greyback's scent carried further, stronger as the Alpha, and he could be anywhere. Carl was willing to bet he was in among the trees that lined the small yard.

Storm whined, "I'm cold!"

"Shhh," his mother adminished him. "We're being very quiet right now, remember?" Her voice was barely a breath.

Storm sighed.

Carl stepped quickly to the bed and grabbed a blanket from the bed, handing it into the closet hurriedly. Storm pulled it over himself and covered his sister and mother with the other end carefully.

The door at the top of the stairs up to the kitchen creaked. Carl swung himself about to face them, eyes wide in the darkness. A slice of light cut across the stairs, and the shadow of legs...

"It's us, just us," Underhill hissed, seeing Carl with the mallet. "Everything alright down here?"

"Greyback is lurking," Carl replied. "Close enough to scent."

Underhill came down the steps, Marjorie on his hip, clinging to his torso. "I had hoped that I was wrong." He looked around for the other Lysons and spotted them. Marjorie wriggled down from her father's side and slipped into the cupboard, climbing over to Storm's side, who lifted the corner of the blanket for her to join him, huddled up.

Underhill and Carl stood side by side before the cupboard - Carl with his mallet and Underhill with his wand drawn. "Greyback's second is lurking outside," Carl muttered, "Ed is his name. He's passed the walk-in twice now."

Underhill was staring back up the stairs as Carl watched the windows by the walk in. "It's protected," Underhill said. "Disillusionment charms and heavy locking charms on the door. I've always kept it guarded, never trusted that door." He paused, then asked, "Is Ed a wizard?"

"Yeah, he is. Most of Greyback's leaders are. He's careful to pick the men who can take control as needed. He makes them if necessary." Carl's tone was ominous.

Suddenly there was a crash upstairs - loud - and it vibrated the entire house it seemed. Marjorie screamed, the baby started crying, and Underhill met Carl's eyes. "A bombarda," Underhill hissed and he clutched his wand, taking to the stairs, shooting a protective charm ahead of him, twisting his wrist, a beam falling across the stair door, blocking it off as it started to bang with the pressure of someone trying at opening it from the other side.

"The walk-in," Underhill said, turning, blasting the door with as many protective charms as he could think of, sparks splashing against it. He rushed to the cupboard, waving for the kids and Carl's wife to get up, to come along with him, "We're getting out," he said firmly.

The family ran for the door of the walk-in, Carl coming up behind as Underhill rushed forward to unlock the doors, muttering spells as his wand sparked, the charms protecting the door undoing as he frantically pushed to escape.

Storm had his arms protectively about Marjorie, his mother clutching his baby sister beside him. The cellar door burst, bits of wood flying through the air, and Carl shouted, "He's through!" just as the charms locking the walk-in gave and Underhill wrenched the door open. He stepped back and ushered Carl's wife and Storm and Marjorie through ahead of him, turning to help Carl in blocking their back as Ed came bounding down the stairs, hunger in his eyes and a grin on his face...

Behind them, through the walk-in came a scream and Underhill looked at Carl, who turned and ran to help his wife. They'd both erroneously assumed that only Ed was coming and Underhill quickly struck Ed with a spell, Ed cackled and blocked it with his own wand.

In the yard, Carl came up from the steps to the walk-in and found a cluster of men he knew from Blackburn, their eyes bright with the Alpha command. One already had his thick arm about his wife's collar bone, another held the baby, and a third - Storm stood before Marjorie. He held a crowbar that he'd found Merlin knows where and was brandishing it at the man before him, spitting and snarling like a rabid dog, "You won't touch her!" Storm shrieked, and the crowbar caught the man's chest with as much force as a young boy could bring. The man shouted anger and Strom brought his arms back to strike again but Carl stepped over him with the mallet and sent the man sprawling backwards to the grass.

He turned to the man clutching the baby next as his wife fought the one holding her back, her legs kicking and teeth ripping into his arm as fiercely as she could do, but he tightened his grip across her chest, limiting her mobility.

Ellie Lyson kicked into the man who gripped her's shin and he swore, jerking her backward and scooping his arm 'round to lift her legs up from beneath her, then charged toward the tree line, carrying her off. Following his lead, the man clutching the baby also turned and tore off across the grounds, Carl hot on his ankles, but the way the man held his daughter like a shield, Carl dared not to swing the mallet he carried, afraid of catching the baby.

Storm grabbed Marjorie's arm, "C'mon!" he shouted. She was crying, looking 'round for her father, but the sounds of magic crackling could be heard coming up through the walk-in door from the cellar still and Storm pulled her away from it, knowing better than to get involved in the midst of a wizard's duel.

"Come on," he urged her, and he tugged her across the grass the opposite way from where the men had gone, his heart thundering. He as scared what they'd do with his mum and little sister, but his Dad was going after them - there wasn't anything Storm could do but to be brave and keep Marjorie safe.

Storm led her into a crop of trees and brush and pulled her to the ground. "Are you hurt?" he asked, looking her over.

Marjorie shook her head.

"Good, me either," he said.

She looked terrified, wild eyed and hugging her knees, so he put a hand 'round her shoulders and said, "It's alright. My Dad and your Dad are both real strong and they'll take care of'em." He sounded so sure, she almost believed the words.

They sat in the woods, waiting.

In the cellar, Underhill had taken several spells rather hard, he could feel the bruising already building up under his skin, the tightness of his face swelling 'round his right temple was painful. But he'd gotten several good strikes in as well, including pitching one of the beams of wood across the room and knocking the wind out of Ed with a rib-crunching blow. In dodging flying objects and spells, however, Ed managed to maneuver his way to having free run of the walk-in door and he ran as fast as his legs would allow him, sending a green-lit spell backwards in the direction of Harry Underhill, who swore and ducked it, the stairs splintering behind him. He rushed up the steps of the walk-in and shot stunners and incarceration spells after Ed, but he'd gotten far enough off that the spells fell short.

"Daddy!" Marjorie screamed, seeing him, and he stopped running after Ed to whirl around and see if Marjorie needed defending, relieved to see her running toward him, unchased by anyone except Storm, who was hurrying after her, the crowbar still in his fist. But the pause made it so that Ed got away, disappearing among the trees even as Underhill scooped Marjorie up and Storm reached his side.

When Carl returned from the trees, he was limping, his face bloodied and his breath gasping. "They've gone," he panted, "They're gone, Ellie and Raine and Greyback and the lot - gone."

Underhill paled. "They took --"

"Yes," Carl was shaking.

Storm's eyes filled with tears and he looked between Carl and Underhill and the woods. "They took mummy?"

Carl's jaw set, "But we'll get'er back." He looked at Underhill. "I'm going to Blackburn."

"I'll come with you," Underhill said.

But Carl shook his head. "I need you to take care of Storm for me until I return."

Underhill said, "Nonsense, we'll get Marjorie and Storm to a friend of mine - he'll take care they're safe until we've gotten back and we'll go together to --"

Carl's voice was firm, "No, sir. I'm sorry. But you ain't the one I need help from in order to get my girls back." His jaw set in determination. "I need the Alpha."

"But isn't Greyback --"

Carl shook his head. "D'you know where I can find Remus Lupin?"