Luna’s POV except where noted:

I don't know how long I'd been left alone. All I knew was that the warmth that I had previously been surrounded by was now gone.

The pain in my chest was intense. It still confused me why I wasn't healing. Unless, God forbid, Gabriel was somehow messing with my healing abilities.

*I whimpered in pain and felt a reassuring hand touch my forehead.*

Elijah: *My voice full of concern.* You still with us Oya?

*I looked at him through bleary eyes and managed,* Hurts. Bad. *My forehead wrinkling with pain and confusion.*

*Lija slid into the bed pulling me against his chest. The warmth radiating from him was a soothing balm for my wounds. I snuggled trying to get closer to that warmth. Throwing my leg over his hip I heard him groan. When I tried to move his fingers dug into my hip painfully. Thinking I was hurting him I started to pull my shields up around me. It was taking more effort than it should.*

Elijah: *She's trying to kill me. I felt her shields start to go up and I knew that I needed to act quickly. My voice came out more of a growl.* No. You need to leave them down.

*Figuring that he knew best I let my shield slide back down. Funny it was easier to leave them down the keep them up. I whimpered again as his fingers continued to dig into my hip. It was a minor pain compared to the one in my chest but it was momentarily distracting. When I finally relaxed against him his hand ceased its digging and wrapped around my back. I sighed and burrowed my face in his neck. Letting the darkness come for me, confident in the knowledge that as long as I was surrounded by my pard I would heal.*

 

Noah: *I had just gotten off the phone with my none too pleased Nimir Raj. I explained that Luna was sick and I was helping Maggie take care of her but I know he knew there was more to it than what I was telling. I wanted to have more answers when I went to him though. Looking up at the clock, I realized I had been on the phone longer than I intended. The security tapes would have to wait for later. I knew the Tore would take care of Luna until I got back but my presence would help her heal. Besides, I had been up all night and was just now coming down off the adrenaline high of worrying about my mate... Maggie..she had been up all night too. She didn't have were strength to fall back on either. She was probably dead on her feet. I ran out to the car and grabbed a clean tshirt I had in there for emergencies. I knew my angel would be more comfortable with something covering her even if it was just a thin short sleeved shirt. Heading back inside, and through the halls, I made my way to the lab. Zane wasn't at the door, but maybe he went for food. I knew Lija wouldnt let anything happen to the girls. Going in, I found Maggie sitting at her bench, going over brain wave read outs and looking confused, "Hey Angel, brought ya something to change into."

Maggie: *looking up to see Noah standing there with a tshirt, I was a bit confused* Change? I'm trying to figure out these read outs. Not that they are making much sense. *I reached up to rub the sleep out of my eyes. *

Noah: *thinking yeah she is about to drop but she won't admit it, I pulled the read outs away from her, piling them on a filing cabinet, then took her hand and led her into the office* Change into the tshirt unless you prefer to be shirtless too. Three bodies are better than two, and I'll sleep better knowing you're beside me.

Maggie: *sticking my tongue out to let him know I had figured out what he was up to, I grabbed the shirt and started to change. I was so tired, I barely managed to get me blouse and skirt off. I had trouble getting the back stays of my bra off and Noah finally chuckled, and walked over to undo them for me, kissing my shoulder as he did. Relaxing into his touch for a moment, I sighed, knowing Luna needed at least his presence if not really mine. Grabbing the tshirt, I tried to find the right end to put it on, and in my exhaustion, gave up, and sat down on the desk."

Noah: "While my mate had been changing, I had pulled my jeans back of and folded them over a chair. Maggie looked so damned sexy standing there in nothing but her panties, I was tempted to forget about wonder woman and find a more private room. When she sat down in frustration, she looked so cute I couldn't help walking over to kiss the pout off her lips" You know, you could skip the tshirt and just come back to lie down with us as you are. *not too sure of the mischievous glint her eyes, i grabbed the shirt and helped her slip it on* Then again, I'm not sure we should give the Tore a free show. He seems to enjoy looking at you more than enough already. *after helping her on with the thin green tshirt, I grabbed her hand and led her down the hall*

Maggie: *smiling as Noah led me down the hallway, I couldn't think of anything to say about the prospect of being in bed with both him and the Tore and very little clothes that wouldn't give my not so angelic thoughts away so I decided silence was the best route.*

Noah: *Hoping Luna was resting more peacefully now, I led my silent mate back to the padded room. She must really be exhausted to not argue with me. Walking into the room with her close by my side, I was greeted with the site of Luna's body half draped over the Lija's. Chuckling I shook my head* Even half dead she can't help trying to put the moves on an attractive man. Do you still want help keeping her warm or should Maggie and I find someplace else to crash?

Lija’s POV:

*Noah and Maggie came back into the room. Maggie looked exhausted. But she also looked very cute in the tee shirt that barely reached below her hips. I grinned
slightly and Noah cleared his throat. I looked at him grinning wider.*

"Of course I want your help keeping her warm. Besides how could I pass up sharing a bed with you Noah?"

*I blew him a kiss and pulled Luna closer to me.*

"The more the merrier."



Noah: *chuckling at the man's joke, I pulled Maggie over the bed, putting her in the middle between Luna and myself with the Tore on the other side of Luna. It was the best position to keep Wonder Woman warm and keep both the girls safe while we slept. * Yeah, Maggie is always telling me how irresistible I am. Glad you noticed.

Maggie: *having been guided to the bed by Noah, I tried not to think about the....oh my goddess... naked man lying on the other side of Luna. As Noah climbed into bed behind me, I was forced to snuggle in closer to Luna, putting the four of us in contact with one another. I lay on my side, spooning Luna, with Noah spooning me from behind. He had arm arm wrapped across me, with his hand reaching out lie on Luna's side. My arm lay across Luna, with my hand lying on the Tore. I was rather embarrassed about that, but didn’t know where else to put it. It was soon apparent, I was going to roast lying in the middle of a pile of weres. Maybe I should have forgone my modesty and forgot the shirt. Trying to appear less wired than I suddenly was, I answered, * I only tell you how irresistible you are to get what I want soldier boy.*looking past Luna to Lija, I tried to relax and said,* Yeah, we're just one big happy family.

Noah: *I could tell Maggie was embarrassed and tense but wasn't sure why. She had slept in a bed with Luna and I before when Wonder Woman was having a bad night. Not sure what to make of it, I quietly purred in her ear until I felt her relax enough to drift off to sleep. *
                               

 

Lija’s POV:

*I could tell that Maggie was a little tense. As we were all in such close proximity she had to rest her hand on my arm. " One big happy family", she said. I knew she was having trouble believing it. I gave her my best smile and closed my eyes.*

 

Luna’s POV:

*I was hot, so hot. Unbearably so. I felt like I was suffocating. I was a were, and weres didn't suffer from things like heatstroke. From somewhere in the back of my foggy brain I thought about Maggie. She would have a hard time dealing with something like this. As soon as I thought it something clicked. Maggie was that hot. That's why I felt this hot. I tried to pull back and found that I couldn't. Licking my lips I pulled my head back and tried to form coherent words.* Maggie. Hot.

 

*Wonderful. I'd been reduced to an almost caveman vocabulary. I saw Lija's eyes widen then a grin spread across that handsome face.*

Lija: Well yes she is.

*If I could have spared the energy I'd have slapped him. As it was I couldn't even roll my eyes. I'd try one more time.* Maggie. Hot. I. Hot. *Now I could actually feel the heat rising in my face. If we didn't get her more comfortable soon we were both going to be sick.*

*I felt more than saw him look from me to Mags and back. I guessed he finally understood what I was talking about because he reached over and tapped Noah to get his attention.*

*I heard them arguing about Lija just wanting to see Maggie naked. Right then I vowed when I got better I was going to make it my goal in life truly be irritating to Noah. Her temp was rapidly rising. Blindly I reached out and felt for Maggie. Finding her was the easy part. Getting her out of the shirt in the position I was in was another matter all together. Giving up on any other method, I grabbed the hem of the shirt and put as much energy into it as I could I tore at the shirt, I was gratified by a ripping sound and a rush of cool air.*

Lija’s POV:

*Luna was trying to tell me , in what sounded like baby talk, that she was too hot. But when she said Maggie was the cause, I couldn't resist saying,"Why yes she is." The look I got from the Oya told me that if she was as full strength, I'd be in the next
room...through the nearest wall. I tried to get Noah's attention finally shaking him. I told him Maggie needed to get out of her shirt, that Luna was too hot.

This started an argument about my ulterior motive for Maggie being naked. As Noah and I were exchanging 'words', we heard a loud rip. Maggie was now shirtless thanks to Luna ripping it off her. And I was soooo glad she was weak.


Maggie: *I was inside a furnace; it was so hot. Why wouldn’t anyone turn it off....I was going to burn up or at the least be sick...I couldn't move to get out. I was pinned in on all sides....why wouldn’t someone help me..Luna would help me if she was here....even as I thought it, I reached out to her mentally, sharing my distress..she tried to pull away but I wouldn't let her...just when I thought no one was going to help, a cool breeze came through soothing my skin. They must have turned on the fans to clear out the ash banks. Ash banks? I must be dreaming. Fighting my way to the surface, I realized I was in the padded room with Luna and the boys. Well that would explain why I was so hot. But where did the cool breeze come from? Still a bit sleep muddled and confused, I looked down. I saw Noah's shirt was gone and I was naked in bed with the three of them. Feeling the color rising to the surface, I tried to hide, but there was nowhere to go. Noah's arm held me firmly in place. I groggily asked* Guys, how is Luna doing and um....why am I naked?

 

Lija’s POV

*Maggie was a bit surprised to say the least that she was now shirtless. I tried to answer her question without looking at her bare...chest.* "Luna was too hot and she figured it was because you were wearing the shirt. So she ripped it off. Problem solved." *Luna was back pressed against me like a second skin and Noah was making sure I kept my eyes on Maggie's
eyes. He growled low in his throat.*

"You don't even want to mess with me boy. If I wanted to take Maggie from you I would have before now. So roll over like a good kitty and go to sleep."

*I felt Luna's fingers dig into my side. Guess she wasn't asleep. Maggie gave me strange look. Like maybe I was too close to the truth. I sighed and lay back
down.* "Okay Oya...kill me".

Maggie: *embarassed by what had happened, and that the attractive Tore was staring at my naked body, I felt Noah tense at his explanation. Noah growled and it was all I could do not to jump out of the bed then and there. I didn't think I could get more embarrassed but I could...all it took was Lija saying he could have taken me already if he had wanted. Lord was I really that obvious? Noah was about ready to start a fight and it looked like Luna was tensing up, even in her sleep. We needed her calm and I wanted to look at her wounds. Deciding caring for her was a good way to diffuse the situation, I spoke up* Noah would you grab some fresh dressings off the night stand over there and turn on the light. I want to check Luna's wounds. * The boys got her untangled from Lija and I proceeded to examine her. It was the first time I had treated a patient in the buff but Noah's shirt was ripped to shreds and I didn’t remember where my clothes were. The wounds were closing a bit but still looked nasty. I put fresh dressings on the  incisions then headed out to the hall way to clean up. When I came back, the lights were out and everyone was settled back to sleep. Luna was now curled the other way on the bed once again latched onto the nearest male body....thinking the boys must switched sides on the bed, I climbed in beside her and snuggled into the man at my back, seeking comfort and the closeness I craved ....drifting off, I didn’t even realize he seemed a bit taller lying beside me than Noah was.*

 

Lija’s POV:

*Luna curled into me her back to my front. She felt a little cooler to the touch. I nuzzled her neck breathing in her scent. I could smell the warm sweet scent of lilacs, and something else.... My eyes flew open even as the body next to mine relaxed. Maggie.

 

She must have gotten disoriented in the dark. I really should wake her up. This was not a good situation. Maggie let out a small whimper like she was having a bad dream, and snuggled closer. I relaxed, holding her next to me. I'd deal with Noah in the morning. Right now I didn't want to disturb her, and I really didn't want to move anyway.