Micah:

I approach the turn off to the driveway and slow the speed of my vehicle as I turn the blinker on, I take the corner easily and let out a deep breath as I drive towards the corner that will reveal the buildings. I keep to the right and come to a halt in a parking space near the side gate. I don't waste time as I turn the engine off and reach for the door handle, in the sudden void the silence of the engine has created I can hear the loud waits of a young child. My stomach churns and I clench my jaw tightly at the distressed sounds of my daughter.

I barely take time to give a loud knock on the front door before entering the house and following the loud distressed cries. I knock sharply on the nursery door before pushing it open, I pause a moment in the doorway as I take in those in the room. Mitchell stands by Cameron's cot holding his son as he watches Jazzy pacing on the far side of the room as she holds Kali against her shoulder and rubs her back soothingly.

"I came back as soon as I saw your messages," I say as I cross the room and hold my arms out for Kali. Kali turns her tear stained face towards me and holds one arm out as she stuffs her other hand in her mouth and chews at her fingers and thumb fretfully.

"Her teeth are really bother her," Jazzy says sounding relieved as I scoop the small body into my arms.

I hold Kali close as I rock her soothingly, she rubs her face against my shoulder as she whimpers. I can feel the heat and moisture on her cheeks from her crying. I ease her away from my shoulder slightly as I look down at her face. Her cheeks are flushed brightly and her eyes are large in her face with the lashes around them spiked damply together. She works her mouth against her fist and she mumbles to me, I cup the back of her head and encourage her to rest her head against my shoulder. I move to the rocking chair and sit down, the chair starts it's soothing motion with some slight encouragement.

As I hold my little girl I begin to softly tell her about my visit with her mother, slowly I feel her small body relaxing in my arms. The sound of Kali's breathing begins to even out, her sniffling stops and a long drawn out sigh comes from her.

"Watching you with Kali is like watching someone work magic," Mitchell says quietly.

I glance at where he sits in the other rocking chair, Jazzy on his thighs with her head on his shoulder while Cameron sits on the floor playing with a stuffed bear. I glance down at the small head covered in dark curls with auburn highlights against my chest. Her eyes have a dark violet outer ring but the middle around the pupils look almost greenish where golden flecks can be seen. I watch her eyes blink several times before she closes them and snuggles against my shoulder tiredly. As Kali falls asleep I begin to tell Mitchell and Jazzy about the strange visitors that had happened by the Homestead.

"Did they smell like wet dog like the Vamps on Twilight claimed?" Mitchell asked with a laugh. I laugh softly and I give a slight shake of my head.

"No but they did smell musky," I say, a shiver running up my spine at the memory.

"We received another phone call from Les and Monica Dorrington," Jazzy says quietly. I bite back an angry snarl as I think about Drew Dorrington's parents, Les had stepped down as Alpha when their daughter married close to ten years ago.

"What did they want?" I ask uncomfortably.

"Monica would like ..." Mitchell frowns as his words trail off and he turns his head as if listening for something while beside the rocker Cameron whimpers and turns towards his parents. Mitchell places a hand on Jazzy's hip and she gets to her feet.

Kali suddenly goes rigid in my arms and wakes with a scream, I turn my head as I go to sooth her but the sight of her huge round frightened eyes and the pain clearly etched in her face shock me. Her shrill screams cut me to the core, I don't know what is wrong with her to make her scream like this. The smell of a furred kitt shocks me and I dart a quick glance towards Jazzy where she holds Cameron but he is merely fretful and squirming in her arms.

"No! You're not old enough to change yet!" I gasp in shock as I glance down at the rigid body of my screaming daughter. Cameron's whimpers register in my mind and I glance towards my nephew, I get to my feet hastily as it registers dimly in my mind that Kali's attempt to change may be unsettling him. Hurriedly I leave the room with Kali in my arms, my mind is in chaos as I try to think straight. My first impulse is to rush Kali to her mother but there is no way I am about to subject Kali to the lengthy car trip to Rosy.

With nothing to guide me other than my love for my daughter I stop in the middle of a large patch of soft grass, strip Kali's clothes off and place her on the ground. Kali's screams die down to pained grunts, I watch shocked as she slowly begins to go through her first shift. I feel a tear run down my face for the pain my eight-month-old child is going through. Finally a small smoky charcoal coloured kitt with dappled coat lays sprawled on the ground where Kali had been. I crouch down as I croon to the small creature. Her eyes are glowing as she snarls at me, lips are drawn back from gums that only contain a few incisors and her four canine teeth. Ferocious growls come from her as she clambers to her shaking legs, her soft kitten fur stands on end and she hisses and spits threateningly.

Instinct drives me to strip and fall to my hands and knees to change forms. My inner cat claws his way out from inside me to be with this small being that means so much to him. I know I change quicker than usual but it feels like it takes forever before I can yawn and expose my teeth then stretch the last itch and tingle of my change from my skin. I lift my head and look around eagerly for the small form of my daughter.

There!

A small form wobbles as it tries to walk away on unsteady legs.

Like mother like daughter!

The thought trickles through my mind with an amused laugh as I eye the tiny cub looking toward the horizon, to the mountain visible there as she wobbles a few steps. A few swift steps has me in front of Kali, she stops and lays her tiny ears back against her skull as she hisses and spits at me before giving a distressed chirp. I make the soft murmurings of reassurance I had often made for Wynn as I extend a friendly sniff but Kali is having none of it. Her hissing and spitting escalates and she even tries to smack me in the face with unsheathed claws. I move closer and try to lick her front shoulder reassuringly but Kali is a little ball of fury as she attempts to lash out with claws and tiny nubs of teeth.

I can't help feeling amused as I circle the determined little spitfire that is Kali. I nudge and lick her as I prevent her leaving the soft patch of grass but this little kitt is very determined and finally I lay down using a front leg to hold my furious daughter down as I groom her coat. Gradually the fight leaves her little body and she snuggles close as her little cloudy eyes close in exhaustion. I curl my body around hers and only move my head away from her long enough to send warning glares at those who have changed to their cat forms and wait close by.

I am aware of time passing but I stay in cat form while my daughter the kitten is curled up against my ribs. I glance up to watch Mitchell as he keeps coming over to check on Kali and I but he seems unsettled and keeps returning to the inside of the house. I am not sure of how much time has passed before Kali trembles against me and I turn my head to watch as her little body transforms back into a small toddler. My own change seems to take forever before I am able to get to my feet and scoop my daughter up into my arms and hurry back into the house with her.

"Get in a warm shower with her to warm her up," Jazzy orders as she meets me at the bedroom door with a worried frown.

I head for the bathroom where I turn on the shower and quickly adjust the water temperature. It is not the first time a warm shower has been used to settle and soothe the little girl I hold in one arm as I test the water temperature with the other hand. I step beneath the warm spray and feel the way Kali quickly relaxes beneath the gentle massage of the shower. Carefully I wash her removing all traces of the scent of her fear and pain. A quick rinse for myself and with Kali relaxed in my arms I regretfully turn the shower off and reach for a large towel. I cover Kali with the towel and tuck the sides in under my arms to hold it in place as I grab a second towel in one hand. I head for the nursery where I let Jazzy take the sleeping child from my arms. I hastily dry myself and wrap the towel around my waist even as I watch Jazzy place Kali on the change table and check her thoroughly as she dresses.

"Is she okay?" I ask worriedly as Jazzy places my daughter in her cot.

"She's totally exhausted," Jazzy says with a frown as she glances at me in concern before looking at Kali as she lays spread eagled in the cot.

"Did you think to call Mum to ask how old all of us were when we had our first changes?" I ask as I glance at my sister.

"Mum said you boys all were between fourteen and sixteen months old for your first change into a cat. I was nearly three before I changed." Jazz said and sighed. " I called Aunt Abby, Steven, Mikkarl and their brothers were around the same age as you and the others. Celeste was two and a half,"

I send Kali a worried look, I can still remember how much the changes had tired Jazzy and Donovan out until they reached four or five years old.

"Maybe one of us should call Beth Black," Mitchell says and I glance towards him. I look away angrily not wanting to even consider talking to that family but it does make sense.

"I could talk to Beth," Jazzy offers worriedly.

I glance at Kali where she lays asleep in her cot, her face is unusually pale and there are dark shadows beneath her eyelashes. I notice that her tiny hands are clenching and unclenching as if she is kneading the mattress beneath them. A hard lump lodges itself in my throat and I swallow convulsively as bile burns the back of my throat. I give a nod as Jazzy reaches for her phone.

"Mitchell," Timny says from the other side of the door.

"Kali seems okay but give us another ten minutes would you," Mitchell says firmly and turns his attention to Jazzy who is searching through her contact numbers on her phone.

"Move it Stephan!," Mikkarl snaps and I look towards the door just as it is pushed open. Mikkarl has a forearm across Timny's chest as he pushes him out of the way. Even from here I can see the muscles clenching in Mikkarl's jaw, his eyes meet mine and I see the anger and worry in his eyes, the way his nostrils flare.

"I got everything!" Chris yells somewhere either near the front door or outside.

"Micah you need to come ..." Mikkarl starts but I cut him off with a snarl.

"I am not leaving here until I know Kali will be okay!" I snap back.

"One of the American toms went Rogue. We're needed there," Mikkarl says tightly.

"What happened?" Mitchell demands before I can.

Mikkarl glances at him and gives a brief shake of his head.

"Lydia sounded nearly hysterical," Mikkarl admits. "Ed said you need to get back there ASAP," Mikkarl says looking at me. I glance at Kali torn between the need to know she will be fine and the need to go to Rosy.

"Mick? Is he coming?" Chris asks and I glance past Mikkarl to see Chris behind him in the hallway, in his hand Rosy's medical case as well as his own first aid kit.

"Mitchell, Jazzy, take care of Kali," I order as I head for the door.