Jessie leaned bonelessly against the alley wall behind Rei Memorandi. She glanced at her watch and sighed. They were running on Musician Standard Time again, which meant they were late.
Her ears pricked up at the familiar sound of a patched exhaust system and a rusty van lettered "Deep Cold Water" drove up. Behind was another van, newer and unfamiliar to her.
Gilda stepped out the first van. "Hey there... Ooff!" she exhaled as Jessie leaped up and hugged the larger woman.
"Yer up and about!" Jessie declared, and licked the woman's face.
Gilda laughed. "Down girl! Easy!"
The rest of band piled out of the two vehicles.
Ray smiled stroked the new van. "Like her? Got it on discount!"
Eric nodded. "Yeah! Who knew a fomor ran a car dealership?"
Jessie's eyes popped out like a cartoon. "Ye didn't? Ever deal with a used car salesman?"
"It's perfect cover," Eric replied.
Jessie rubbed her hands together. "So... let's get that equipment unloaded... What?"
Her packmates fell silent.
"What's goin' on?" Jessie said looking at each one in turn.
"We're only unloading your equipment," Gilda said quietly.
"What! What! Yer leavin' me behind?" Jessie hopped up and down nervously.
"Calm, Jessie, calm yourself." Gilda held onto her and stroked her hair. "It's going to be okay..."
The lupus whined. "You're leavin' me..."
"Jessie, you have an important job here! Your appointment to be Andrea's bodyguard was approved by High King David himself."
"He ain't Elvis..."
"Neither is Albrecht Morningkill."
"Damned right!" she sobbed.
"Jessie-girl, the Big Wolves are directing us to go... so we have to go."
"Yeah? Oh yeah?" she blinked and tears rolled down her face. "Who's gonna play bass fer ya? Huh? Huh? Ye kickin' me outa the band too?"
"No, NO!" Gilda said.
"No way," Crystal echoed.
"Uh-uh," Eddie said.
Ray drew a breath. "My flashy keyboard licks may make me hip, but you and Gilda are the heart-beat, the powerhouse behind the band."
"And I'm not losing my best tracker," Eric added. "We're not Deep Cold Water without you. But for the time, you have to stay here. For Gaia."
For a few moments Jessie silently draped herself in Gilda's arms. Finally she pulled away. "For Gaia. Ah'll do it," she sniffled.
Ray came forward with a box wrapped in colorful paper. "For you."
"Huh?" Jessie sniffed it and smiled. "It smells like y'all!"
"Three days of smelly socks," Freddie chuckled. "But there's more. Go on, open it."
She ripped it open and blinked. "It's one of them there fancy recorders."
"Sixteen tracks of digital audio at 96K with a built in CD or DVD recorder," Ray announced proudly. "Microphone and line level inputs and outputs. The speakers and headphones for it are in the van."
"Just don't let the Etherite near it," Eric warned.
Jessie was truly puzzled.
Crystal jumped in. "We'll be sending you the first rough tracks in a week..."
"And I'll lay on the bass!" Jessie said, her face glowing like sunshine.
"You send it back and I'll record the drum tracks," Gilda added.
Jessie sighed and gray clouds blocked the sun. "It ain't gonna work. Ye knew it only really works when we're together."
"We still need to practice, even if we're not all together," Gilda said. "But we will be again, Gaia willing."
"And we will be," Eric said and place his hand on her shoulder.
Freddie joined them. "Because... "
"...we..." Crystal said.
"... are... " Ray grinned.
"COLD DEEP WATER!" they shouted. "Ah-WWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Well, all right!" Jessie said smiling with her pack. "I suppose I could let ya go fer a weekend or two..."
Gilda shook a finger at her. "And I've seen the Chancellor. She's a cutie. Don't let me hear anything about the two of you!"
Jessie looked shocked. "Damn woman! Yer jealous! Ah mean, she's a fox."
"I know. That's what worries me."
"I'd rather shake the bushes with a floppy-eared dawg than her!" Jessie protested.
"After we unload, let's go out to eat," Ray suggested.
"Yeah!" Jessie bounced enthusiastically. "Hey, Ah gots me an idea..."
"Your Highness?"
Albrecht Morningkill sighed as he slumped in an old easy chair. "Please don't call me that."
"A package for you. From one Jessie Smiles-of-Sunshine? And Deep Cold Water?"
"Huh?" he rubbed his tired eyes. "Oh, Jessie! Yeah! The lupus from that rock band pack. She asked for my autograph!" He chuckled lightly. "I take it that the package is not rigged to explode or anything..."
He took it out of the other Garou's hands and unwrapped it. "Well I'll be damned!" he laughed.
Within were a meticulously-made pair of blue suede shoes.
The other Silver Fang looked on with horror. "Sir... you're not..."
"Of course I am!" Albrecht said, lacing them up. "After all, I am the King."