Discovery – Part Eight by Ladyholder

Reading Time:
14 Minutes

Art by Polaris

When Tony walked into the bar that Lee had claimed as his own, he wasn’t surprised to find the regional Alpha sitting in the back with a bottle of whiskey in front of him. What surprised him was the man sitting beside him.

When he slid into the chair across from them, he ignored how the back of his neck prickled. He was safe, and he knew it, despite his hindbrain itching. “Good evening, gentlemen.”

“Tony,” Lee said before taking a drink from his glass of whiskey. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d been at home with Amanda,” Tony said. He glanced at the other man and nodded once. “Bryan. I should have realized who you were, but in my defense, I hadn’t met your father yet.”

“He doesn’t mention me at work,” Bryan Mallard explained. He took a drink of his own whiskey and then gestured with it. “He was very flattered, though, that you wanted him to be a part of your Pack.”

“Ducky is a hell of a man, and any Alpha would be thrilled to have him in their Pack. Forgive me for hoping that I could be that person,” Tony said, voice wry. “I just wasn’t aware that someone had beat me to it.”

“Sorry, not sorry?” Bryan said with a smirk before taking another sip of his whiskey. “At any rate, what can we do for you?”

“I just wanted to check in with you two after today,” Tony said. He smiled when one of the waitresses dropped a beer off with him. “Thank you, Stacy.”

“Welcome, Tony. Let me know if you need anything else,” she called as she headed back to the bar.

Tony took a sip of his beer and hummed his appreciation before he set it down. “I wanted to make sure that you two are okay after today.”

Lee sighed as he picked up his glass. “Today sucked. And reminded me far too much of some of the things I had to do while the Cold War was raging. I didn’t miss that feeling.”

“I can’t see how anyone could or would miss that time,” Tony said. He’d been a child during the ‘80’s and very self-absorbed, but even he’d noticed the sheer levels of shite that had stained politics on both a global and local level. “I’m sorry it brought back memories.” He looked at Bryan and raised an eyebrow at him. “And you?”

“Eh. I have Dad to talk things over with,” Bryan said softly. “He wasn’t always a doctor, and he’s lived a long time, and seen more than most. So, I can tell him things, and the chances of him being shocked by a situation are very small. It helps to know I have that to lean on.”

“I figured he was older than I expected,” Tony said. He’d had the urge to look into Ducky’s background before, but had refrained. Something had told him that there were a lot of secrets hidden behind the genial mask of Dr. Donald Mallard, and none of them were safe to know. “I’m glad he’s not as alone as I had worried he was.”

“Thank you for wanting him,” Bryan said. He quietly refilled his glass from the bottle in front of Lee and topped off the older man’s glass when it was tilted his way. “We’re going to sit here, finish our bottle, head back to our respective homes, and remember that shit like this doesn’t happen often.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tony said. He finished his beer and nodded at both of them. “Thank you again. I know it’s a shitty thing to be thanked for, but I know I can trust that you didn’t make it cruel.”

Lee nodded once. “No. We didn’t.”

“Good night, gentlemen.”

“Is it over then?” Aaron asked.

He had his son in his arms and was gently rubbing a hand over the small back. Tony let his hearing zero in on the baby and smiled to hear Jack’s even breaths. “It is. Lee and his Left Hand took the duty.”

Aaron nodded as he considered that. “You know you’re one of the contenders for the position of Regional Alpha, right?”

Tony frowned as he sliced the last of the peppers he was using in the fajitas. Five shifters and a human ate a lot, and Hailey was nursing, so she ate more than Mike did. Decision made, he opened the fridge and grabbed another bell pepper and an Anaheim pepper, along with the smallest onion. When he turned back to his cutting board, Aaron had scraped the already cut peppers into a bowl with a bench scraper. “Thanks. I know I’m in the running, but I really don’t want it,” he admitted as he started breaking down the produce. “Eileen, the spice mix I need is in the cabinet. Could you grab it for me?”

“Will do. Want me to load the griddle onto the range and turn everything on first?” Eileen asked from her spot, prepping the condiments.

“I can do that. You know better than I do how he’s filed all his spices,” Mike said. He had been busy grating enough cheese for them to use for the meal and had just finished the last block before dropping the parts of the food processor in the dishwasher.

“Deal,” Eileen confirmed with a grin before opening the drawer Tony had designated for his spices. She ran her fingers over the jars before she laughed and pulled one of them out. “You labeled it ‘fajitable’ and today’s date?”

“Yup,” Tony said. He glanced at Mike as he maneuvered the portable flat grill onto his range. “In about five minutes, we can start warming the tortillas on that. It’ll be a while before it’s hot enough to actually cook on.”

“But it’ll be good enough to warm up the tortillas long before then,” Mike said with a nod. “I saw the flour and corn ones in the pantry. We’re using those?”

“Yes. It’s not one of my skills, and none of us know how to make them,” Tony said with a shrug. “So, I bought them.”

“I know I can’t make them,” Mike admitted. “I can make soda bread, though.”

“Ohhh…,” Eileen cooed. “Can you make that, please?”

“And could Tony make corned beef?” Haley asked as she took Jack from his father and cradled the baby to her breast. “Or maybe a roast with Guinness?”

“That’s a great idea,” Tony agreed. “Potatoes, onions, carrots as well?”

“Yes, please. But no turnips,” Haley said with a satisfied hum. “Add in some soda bread to soak up any gravy? Bliss.”

Tony glanced over at Mike and raised an eyebrow at his partner. “A lot of our interactions as a Pack are over food, do you notice?”

“Oh, I agree. We do,” Mike said. He had a hand hovering over the griddle and glanced at Aaron. “Have we got a basket that I can store the warmed tortillas in?”

“I’ve got two,” Aaron said. He reached up and snagged two of the breadbaskets Tony had stored out of the way. “Here.”

“Thank you,” Mike said. He set them to the side and made sure to line them both with tea towels before opening the first bag of tortillas and spread them over the griddle. “This shouldn’t take too much time, Tony.”

“I figured,” Tony said. He was busy slicing the last of the vegetables and looked at Eileen as she shuttled the condiments over to the table. “Do we have guac?”

“We have guac. It’s in the fridge, covered in Saran so it doesn’t turn brown,” Eileen said.

Tony hummed in appreciation as he checked his prep work for the meat. Onions, garlic, peppers, thin-sliced meat that was covered in spices… “Andrew? Do we have a spare Corona?”

“Yes. We do. How the hell you can drink that, I have no idea,” Andrew bitched as he handed over the requested beer

“Same way I drink Coors when it’s offered. If it’s free, it’s awesome,” Tony said without shame as he opened it and set it aside. “Corona is a cheap, but not awful beer. You can legit bitch at me if you see me buy a standard Budweiser. Because those are shite.”

“Amen,” Mike muttered from his spot at the range. “Thankfully, they aren’t served at any of the functions I’ve been standing guard at. The smell would not be great.”

“Flashbacks to college?” Tony said with amusement. When Mike grunted in agreement, he laughed. “Yeah, me too. Also, it’s just gross.”

“I’m glad my campaign against shit beers has been successful there at least,” Andrew admitted. “I’ve got some light and hoppy beers and a few dark beers that will go well with the spices. No Guinness, though.”

“I’ll take a dark beer,” Tony said when Andrew looked at him.

“Light for me,” Mike said as he took the last of the tortillas off the griddle. “All yours.”

“Thank you,” Tony said. He ran a damp kitchen towel over the griddle to clear any bits left from Mike’s use of it and then spread oil on it. The liquid immediately sheened from the heat, and he smirked as he added the onions and peppers to it before starting to move them around, so they didn’t burn.

“I’m turning the extractor on,” Mike said behind him, before an arm reached over his shoulder and flipped on the fan. The steam that had been wreathing the griddle changed directions and headed straight up and out of his way. “Do we have beans?”

“In the oven in a Dutch oven,” Tony said. He scraped the veg over to the side of the griddle and turned the heat down slightly, so they wouldn’t burn. Once that was done, he dumped the meat on the hot side and started moving it deftly.

“Were you a short-order cook?” Hailey asked as she accepted a cloth from Aaron and threw it over her shoulder before shifting Jack around so he could nurse. “Because that’s impressive.”

Tony laughed lightly as he folded the veg in and added the garlic now that the food was mostly cooked. It wouldn’t burn, but would cook enough not to be a big hit of taste. “When I started college, I had a full-ride scholarship, and that was great. But if I wanted to get new clothes, stuff for my dorm room, eat out, or anything beyond school, I needed to get a job. I got hired at a restaurant and ended up working in almost every position in it. So yes, I have done short-order cooking. Never again.”

“Not your thing?” Mike asked. He was leaning against the breakfast bar and had a beer in his hand. watching him cook.

“No. I love cooking, but doing it for the masses is just too damn much,” Tony said. He snagged the Corona and poured it over the fajita mix before starting to move it all around. “Can someone get me some bowls?”

“Got it,” Mike said. The requested bowls were placed to the side of the griddle, and Tony started offloading the food into them as soon as Mike let them go.

As soon as the griddle was cleared, Tony flipped the gas off and poured water over the top to loosen any of the stuck-on bits before grabbing the same kitchen towel he’d used to prep it to help clean it. “Okay, the worst is done, and we can scrub it down after.”

“Sounds like a plan. Now go sit down and relax,” Mike directed. “I’ll get the beans.”

Tony held his hands up in surrender and took his place at the table. The satisfaction of seeing his Pack gathered around his table, eating the food he’d made for them, was immense. The edge of bittersweetness due to the upcoming changes didn’t do much to change the feeling for him, and Tony did his best to ignore the future for the moment as he watched his Pack move around each other.

He glanced over at Hailey and saw that she’d switched Jack around and smiled as Aaron started making her a plate. Eileen and Andrew were arguing over which of the beers he’d brought went best with dinner as Mike was carefully setting the uncovered Dutch oven on a trivet before he settled into place next to him. “Thanks. Mike.”

“You’re welcome, Tony,” Mike said as he looked at the spread. “It’s a damn good thing most of us are shifters. Because if we were purely human, we’d be fat.”

“I work out. A lot,” Andrew muttered as he accepted the basket of tortillas. “I had to get a personal trainer not long after he started this habit of his because I went up a pants size. And I didn’t want to go up anymore.”

“I’ve stopped paying attention to the number of calories I eat,” Tony said with a shrug. “I just need to make sure I get enough protein, and it’s better if it’s organic. Which, given the sheer number of shifters in DC, is easy enough to do.’“

“I’m not looking forward to when Jack is a teenager,” Aaron said with a huff.

“I know that as a purely human teenager, I damn near ate my body weight in food every week,” Tony said with a grin. “I’m going to guess that a teenage shifter is worse?”

“Yes. I was constantly hungry, and I still looked underweight, no matter how much I ate,” Aaron said. “How about you?” he asked Eileen.

“Oh, I was pretty much the same. If it was food, I wanted to eat it. Mom and Dad ended up making huge meals to try to fill the bottomless pits that were their kids. But then, they did have three teenagers in the house at the same time, two of whom were boys. I don’t want to think of what our food bill was like then.”

“Me either,” Hailey muttered. “We’re going to wait until Jack is at least five before we try for another. Because no. I’m not facing multiple versions of the bottomless pit. I can deal with it for years.”

“Yes, dear,” Aaron said with a smile.

“That’s a good plan,” Tony said. “I think I’m going to make sure that the Pack endowment can support us if we ever have teenage members. Or maybe invest in a beef herd.”

“Both. I vote for both,” Andrew said. He was assembling his meal with intense concentration and took a bite of his first fajita.

Tony smirked at the low moan his friend let out. “Good?” When Andrew nodded firmly, he grinned before taking a bite of his own meal. “I did good,” he said after he finished it.

“Smug is not attractive,” Mike muttered as he reached out for another serving of meat.

“I call bullshit,” Tony said with a grin.

Conversation around the table died as everyone tucked into the meal, and Tony watched as most of the meal disappeared. Success.

“Okay, why did you call us in today?” Aaron asked. He had one arm behind Hailey’s shoulders with his other hand holding a beer. “I haven’t figured out how to approach my team to see who might want to be a part of my Pack, so I’m not willing to thin down our bond.”

“That’s part of why I wanted to meet,” Tony admitted. “I’ve approached several people in my office to see if they’d be willing to join us. Abby Scuito and Gerald Jackson have agreed to meet us. Ducky Mallard has finally confirmed that yes, he does have an Alpha, and a Pack, so he’s declined my invite.”

“Who is his Alpha?” Aaron asked. He shared a glance with Eileen as she sat up and pinned Tony with a sharp look. “I’ve asked around Quantico, and no one’s talking.”

“Same here,” Eileen confirmed.

“His Alpha is his son, Bryan Mallard. Our SWAT instructor from FLETC,” Tony said with a grin. “I even remembered that they shared the same last name, but I never thought that Bryan was Ducky’s son. And Lee’s Left Hand.”

“Holy shit, that’s…,” Mike shook his head once. “I’ve gone shooting with Bryan. He’s hell on wheels, and I knew he was a shifter too. Damn. Lee’s kept that close to the vest.”

“Right?” Tony asked. “Anyway. Do any of you have someone to put forward as possible Pack members?”

“Well, I can suggest Lynn. I haven’t asked her, though because I thought I’d check with you first,” Mike said with a grin. He took a deep drink of his beer and then tilted the glass towards him. “You can’t say she wouldn’t make a magnificent shifter.”

“Do you think if Lynn were bitten, that she’d not come out a natural Alpha?” Tony asked after he boggled at his partner for several seconds. “Because I’m pretty sure she would.”

“Fair,” Mike said. He glanced over at Andrew and raised an eyebrow at him. “How about you, Andrew?”

“There’s a lawyer I’ve worked with. He’s an asshole, but he’s got a strong moral core, with ethics in who he’ll represent. He’s willing to bend things a bit when he’s defending someone, if he knows that the person he’s defending is worth it,” Andrew said. “Alan also cares deeply for his people. Who he’ll go to the wall for and beyond. Finally, he’s a brilliant lawyer. I can’t wait to see where he goes.”

“If you think he’s worth it, I’ll talk to him,” Tony said. He looked at Eileen and cocked his head at her. “Eileen?”

“I trust my team, but none of them have expressed any desire to join a Pack. I’ll keep an ear open, but honestly, most of my team is happy where they are,” Eileen said with a shrug.

Tony looked at Aaron and raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you want to see about doing a party-like thing with your team and the Pack? Make sure that everyone knows each other and see who might be interested in joining yours?”

“Only if you cook,” Aaron said with a laugh. “But not now. I’ll let Hailey make that decision.”

“Hailey?”

“Not now, no. I’m good with the Pack being around Jack, but even though I know Aaron’s team, my hackles keep going up,” Hailey said slowly. “How about we give it two months?”

“That’ll be good weather for a BBQ,” Tony said. “Not too hot, not too sticky either.”

“Fingers crossed, then.”

“What could go wrong?” Andrew asked.

“Why did you ask that?” Tony asked. He really hoped that fate didn’t hear that question and try to answer it. He really, really, hoped.