Park. October 20, 1999. 0830 hrs
He had been surprised when, instead of taking a right towards school, his dad had taken a left instead.
“Dad, where are we going?”
“We’re playing hooky for the day. We haven’t spent any time together since I came back from the West coast. You don’t have any tests today do you?”
“Nope!”
“Where to then?”
“Well, what about that park that we used to visit when I was little?”
“When you were little huh?” Chuckled Bernard headed into the direction of the park. When they got there they both headed for the merry go round.
“Spin me dad! Spin me!”
Grinning Caine held on tight as he watched his dad’s muscles flex as he gripped the merry go round. Planting his feet he shrieked when his dad spun him around faster and faster before he jumped on next to him. When he stumbled his dad stepped behind him and caged him in with his body.
“Oh no! Caine, you’re stronger than I am! I can’t get across these monkey bars. My hands are slipping. I’m going to fall!”
“Dad, you’re so silly. You’re feet aren’t even off the ground.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right.” Caine grinned when his dad winked at him over his shoulder.
“Am I ever going to be as big as you?”
Bernard eyed him closely. “If you eat your spinach.”
“Yuck! I hate spinach.”
“It’s good for you.”
“How come everything that’s good for you is gross?”
“Because if it was good than what would parents have to force on ill behaved children?”
“Oh.” He looked up when his dad ruffled his hair.
“You need a hair cut. Your hair’s all in your face.”
“I like it that way. This girl in class said I had pretty eyes and now she won’t leave me alone.”
“Is that right? Ya know…you have your mom’s eyes.”
“Yeah?” Absently Caine reached up and shoved the hair out of his face.
“Yep. Come on. Let’s play some hoops.”
Right next to the court a break dancer had set up. Caine and his dad watched for a few minutes before the break dancer motioned toward Bernard.
“What do you think Caine? Should I show him the famous Lancaster moves?”
“Totally!”
His dad stood there for a moment, bobbing his head in time to the beat, before he started to move. Caine watched as his dad twisted and popped. “Go dad! Go dad!!”
“Now I walked on ice and never fell, I spend my time in plush hotels. What, what!! Old school Run DMC!!” His dad moon walked off the cardboard.
“That was so cool! You have to show me some of those moves dad!”
“For sure! Come on let’s play some ball.”
“Just relax Caine. Don’t think so hard on making the basket.”
Inhaling deeply Caine let out a long breathe before tossing the ball toward the hoop. He watched as it arced and…hit the backboard before falling to the ground. The ball bounced hard a few times before rolling toward the opposite side of the court.
“Maaaan!”
“Look, not everyone can be the next Jordan. There probably won’t be a next Jordan. Don’t worry about it Caine. You’ll find something that you enjoy doing.”
“You mean that I’m good at.” Caine glared at the basketball.
“I mean that you shouldn’t like something just because you think that I want you to. All I want is for you to be happy. Okay?”
“Okay dad.”
Several hours they finally collapsed on a hammock. They rocked in silence for several minutes before his dad sighed.
“This was fun. Did you have fun?”
“This was like summer break squished into one day dad. This is the most fun I’ve had for ages. It’s the best day of my life!”
He felt his dad’s large frame shake with laughter. “You haven’t lived nearly long enough to have a best day of your life. Just wait and see.”
“Yeah? What’s the best day of your life?”
“When your mom told me she was pregnant with you.”
Caine turned his head to see his dad staring up at the clouds with a small smile on his face. Grinning he inched his hand down until it touch his dad’s much larger one. He felt his dad flip his hand over and laced their fingers together. His hand was squeezed gently before he pulled it away.
“What does that cloud look like to you?”
Caine tried to follow where his dad was pointing. “Umm…a dragon!”
“I think it looks like a lion.”
Caine frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head. “It’s definitely a dragon.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think so. It’s either a dragon or an alligator. Definitely not a lion.”
A comfortable silence fell between them and they must have fallen asleep because when Caine opened his eyes the sun was in a different position. Out the corner of his eyes he saw movement. Turning his head he saw his Uncle Ethan glaring down at his dad. When he saw that Caine was awake he looked down at his nails.
“Ethan. Is there something I can do for you?”
His dad hadn’t even opened his eyes. Caine went back to staring at the clouds as their voices droned on. He started when his dad’s body tensed next to him.
“Are you certain?”
“Positive. Someone within our ranks has betrayed us. Alliances have been made with packs that we’ve stricken from our records.”
“They will have to be dealt with.”
“Indeed.”
“Set up a meeting for later this week. I want time to gather evidence.”
“Of course alpha…and perhaps Caine can come along. Just so he can see the inner workings of the pack.”
“Perhaps. Thanks for the information Ethan.”
“What are cousins for Bernard?” Nodding Ethan turned and walked away. Shortly after Caine and his dad left the park. And at the end of the week his father had been murdered.
_______________________
Present Day.
Alana carefully walked up behind Caine. Reaching out slowly she touched his arm. He had been frowning into space for the last twenty minutes. She was pretty sure that he didn’t even realize that he had gotten up from the table.
“Caine?”
His body tensed then he let out a shuddering breathe.
“Caine? Are you alright?” Slipping her arm around his shoulder she stared at him in concern.
“How many years had Ethan plotted to kill my father? To kill me? And who else was killed to get to us?”
“Caine-”
“No, I need to talk to Julius.”
“What are you going to say to him?” Alana demanded as Caine walked away from her.
“The truth.”
Leaning against the couch Caine watched as Julius flipped through the pages of a book. He tried to search for the right words but in the end he didn’t have to. Julius did it for him.
“You’re going to have to kill him aren’t you?”
Julius turned his head to look at him and Caine stared down into his eyes. Julius had the same expression in his eyes that Caine had seen reflected back at him in the mirror for nearly a decade.
Hopelessness.
“More than likely one of us isn’t going to come out alive.”
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NO idea where this prompt came from. And I think it feels all over the place but…meh! Added a shot to the Unscripted section, added a new page titled ‘Photo shoot’ where right now there’s only two pics of Nolan that I took earlier this week and put on my LJ. And I wanted to apologize for the delay in getting this up. My computer was acting stupid so I just dumped my CC folder and started fresh. Now my game loads MUCH better and I’ve only had to switch out a few hairstyles(note Julius’s hair but he was getting a make over anyways so yeah! Which is why he probably looks a little different yeah?). I also wanted to mention that LT has a formspring where you can ask the gang questions and get answers. It’s on the right there or just click here. And I downloaded a new plugin for the images because the old one was throwing errors. Let me know if the images look weird to you. And…I think that’s about it. Oh! Old school song that Bernard was singing is by Run DMC: ‘Rock Box’. I thought it was fitting!
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And I mean it’s not like he’s killing JUST Ethan – that’s Julius’ dad, his second cousin (?) and Dom’s… well yeah.Lol!
But overall Ethan too was his Dad’s murderer (even if other people were involved Ethan was still the catalyst right?). Was Dom involved in it too? Because if so, it really puts them all in different perspectives!
Caine just isn’t Mr. Hardman-trying-to-get-Alana-too he might have to do murder! Sweet Mother of Pearl, someone should deck Ethan a good one for his selfishness – with power comes responsibilities something in which it looks like he was never willing to handle.
(PS. Oh yes, this is my deep emotional piece ;] Next thing you know – ‘Most Dramatic Comment On Lycan Tales’ – THELOOK! Wonder what my acceptance speech’ll be…
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 1:55 PM
It has been extremely hard for Caine. This has been weighing heavily on him which is why he really doesn’t talk about it. It’s one thing to kill someone in battle but to have to plot it is a WHOLE different thing!
Yes, it’s his second cousin and Caine sees himself in Julius. Caine was about the same age when he lost his dad. And yeah, Dom was involved. She was standing right there in the background and she was one of the wolves in the first prompt who went after Caine. And Ethan was the catalyst. He set everything in motion so he has A LOT coming to him.
Sweet Mother of Pearl! YAY for Spongebob!!!
Nah, Ethan has been all about the power but he pawns the responsibilities on someone else.
Hahaha!!! I enjoyed having this conversation with you!
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Wtf jerk you take forever to come out with this shit and it’s only like 2 sentences long!?
I’mma hafta keep tabs on yo ass, ain’t I? |:<
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 1:48 PM
TWO sentences? Did you click the 2 down at the bottom? There’s a word count here jerkette!
It’s almost 2,000 words LONG! Not saying it wasn’t going to be more. I cut out pictures because otherwise it would have been longer! Blah!
What keep tabs on me? *innocent look* And why aren’t my motherfreakin’ smiley’s showing up?
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yay! update! And how cute is kidlet Caine?!
I think that Ethan might have planned his little stunt for many, many years, son.
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 1:58 PM
LOL! Thanks Az! I know, it’s been over a month! Gah! I KNOW! I thought the same thing when I went back into their house! I was all awwww!!!
Yep! He sure did. I think Caine just realized that after remembering that Ethan had that look on his face all those years ago.
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what a cutie Caine was as a kid. The relationship he had with his dad was sweet.
Julius definitely has a place in my heart! he comes across so sweet and innocent like the kids version of Caine.
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 6:41 PM
Haha! Yeah, I never got a chance to really play him as a child! I love the flashbacks though!
He and his dad were close.
I ♥ Julius. He’s so sweet and he tries to do right. He’s way better than his father.
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I wish I could reach into the screen and give Julius a hug. He needs one–he’s just a kid and he’s separated from his mom, and he realizes that his cousin might have to kill his dad (even if said dad is an asshole)
And Caine
With all those years in the asylum with nothing to do but replay the murder over and over in his head, that day in the park probably was the best day of his life so far 
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 6:48 PM
I know!!! *huggles Julius* He SO needs one. He’s going through the same thing Caine did but it’s even worse because he knows his dad is going to have to fight to the death. And he’s torn. It’s a hard place to be.
Gah! I know! He tries not to think about his past but certain things just bring it rushing back and he struggles with that. He’s never really talked to anyone about it either!
And yeah. It probably was. 
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I loved the scene at the playground; so touching and bittersweet. Caine had a wonderful father and it’s a shame that he’s gone. Yes, he’s going to have to kill Ethan and I hate to say it but Julius will probably be better off for it. So will Dom for that matter.
I know it’s not permanent or intentional but this little make shift family that Caine Alana and Julius have formed is really sweet.
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 8:33 PM
It was.
I thought it was fitting seeing as how Caine was pretty much thrust into manhood without a chance to be a child…and his dad wanted him to be a kid for as long as possible. Julius will be better off without Ethan as will Dom but both of them still have that connection to him. Blood is thicker than water. Even more so in a pack.
LOL!! Julius can’t stay aloof very long and he’s warming up to Caine…and Caine to him. And Alana just has a soft heart…which is what lead to her being in this situation in the first place.
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That was so sweet, and so painful at the same time.. It was great to see a little bit of Caine’s childhood., he really was a very happy child, so different from Julius…
Of course Bernard was a wonderful loving parent… Ethan is just pure evil, egocentric and completely selfish!
I’m sure when the time comes, Julius will not miss his father at all…
I also agree that the connection between the trio is fantastic, it feels like real family! I just wish Dom was there with Julius… I’m sure the day will come!!!
Really nice update, it was great to look back and compare little Caine with lil Julius!!!
Great job!
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 11:05 PM
Ohh…I didn’t even realize that Sandy. The parallels between young Caine and Julius. They did grow up vastly different. Interesting, interesting!
Bernard loved Caine above anything else. He was a big old teddy bear around his son. I don’t think Caine ever saw his vicious side. The side that he needed to be alpha. And no, I don’t think Julius will miss his dad at all.
LOL! Those three are a trip. Caine is always rejecting Julius for something and Alana is always sitting down talking to him. It’s weird!
Dom being there will happen…soon~ish!
Thank you Sandy! I appreciate it!
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So great to see an update! I agree with everyone here this was refreshing reflection into Caine’s childhood memories of his father and the stark contrast in what memories Julius will ultimately have with his father. Here’s hoping that Caine will be a positive male influence in his life from here on out. Lord knows he needs one badly! So much is brewing under the surface of this story! Whatever goes down with Caine and Ethan is sure to be explosive( if he’s the one to get to him first.) I am so looking forward to the next update – and BTW you pics are fantastic! Crystal clear and brilliantly detailed. Whatever you did is working for you! I loved them!
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:07 PM
Thanks! I missed these guys but with how long it took to load my game plus getting into neighborhoods and then crashing…it was stressing me out! LOL!!
Thank you! Like I said, I don’t know where this chapter came from. But once the idea came to me I went with it and am happy with how it turned out. And how strange is it that I really didn’t think about the parallels until you guys brought it up?
Underneath his gruff exterior Caine is a softy and I think Julius is growing on him…and Julius DOES need someone positive in his life!
I know! Blah! I didn’t expect it to! I didn’t blame for it either. I just hope I can connect all the threads without leaving everyone confused!
It’s SO going to be explosive…regardless of who takes down Ethan!
Oh!! haha! Thanks! I really didn’t do anything new to the pics. Used PSP instead of photoscape to edit. What I did do is add a new plugin that resizes the pictures so they’re slightly bigger. Maybe that’s the difference? But I’ll take the compliment all the same!
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I adore Julius. I love the way he rattles on and on, and the way Caine reacts to him. Though that last bit… ouch =/ I didn’t quite know what the connection was, and you know what? I realized I was dumb enough not to read this from the beginning once I found it! -.-
*goes back*
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:16 PM
Haha! He’s such a kid! I can’t imagine him on a sugar high! That would be INSANE!
Yeah…I try and make it so that it’s easy for people to hop right in and get the gist but sometimes little details from previous chapters are semi-important! Pretty much Ethan was just making sure his plot to kill Bernard went down. And poor Julius knows the laws of the wild: Survival of the fittest!
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Of all the things you’ve written, this hit me so hard. Brought tears to my eyes and the cliche lump in my throat. Caine sees his life being replayed here, but in a strange broken distorted mirror. The love and support he received from his father, Julius has never known that. It is an evil situation. Horrible. And the last line broke me apart.
Powerful, wonderful. And lovely clear water washed shots. Beautiful perfect creation!
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PhoenixFG Reply:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:23 PM
Awwww!! *hugs Beth* I don’t know if I should apologize or be glad that my words and visuals touched you so deeply!
And that’s exactly what’s going on. And in the end it’ll most likely have the same outcome. A child will be fatherless. Poor Julius. He’s so loveable but Ethan doesn’t see that. He wants a carbon copy of him but Julius will NEVER be like him.
That last line was tough. I deleted it, then rewrote it, then deleted it again before finally deciding to go with my gut and just leave it be! LOL!
Thank you Beth!!
I really appreciate it!
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Julius is such a riot – there’s just no stopping that mouth of his.
And I know Ethan is his father, but I have to think that Julius would not be so terribly sad to have him gone for good. He deserves having much kinder male figures in his life, probably why he tries to adhere himself to Caine
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PhoenixFG Reply:
May 1st, 2010 at 10:20 PM
I ♥ him!
There really isn’t! That’s what makes him so amusing!
I don’t think he’ll feel sad either. Especially if Caine is there to stick around. LOL!! Writing those two together are so much fun!
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Julius is wise beyond his years. And I think that Caine is in a really hard spot here. Despite the pain he carried all those years over his father’s death and the constant loss that you can never get rid of, he still feels regret that Julius will suffer the same fate. Honestly what choice does Caine have here?
Wonderful, emotional writing and fantastic pictures!
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PhoenixFG Reply:
May 1st, 2010 at 10:22 PM
He is. It’s sad!
And that’s so true Gayl he doesn’t want Julius to go through the same thing. But at least Julius will have his mom…perhaps. And he doesn’t have a choice. Survival of the fittest and all that!
Thank you!
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