InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Bingo!"

Obligation.

It wasn't something that was forced on her, but Fiona had always been aware of it, growing up. The pack never pushed, never demanded, but there were quiet expectations - whispers that someday, if Eric didn't find someone outside the pack, as the only girl in her generation, Fiona might need to step up. They were preparing her for that possibility, just in case. Amy never outright said it, neither did her own mom, but there were moments, especially as Fiona grew older, where it was implied. She could see it in the way Amy watched her, the gentle guidance, the soft nudges toward leadership.

Fiona didn't mind, not really. She loved her pack, and she respected Amy more than anyone. But there was always something inside her, something that resisted the idea of stepping into that role. It wasn't who she was, or maybe it just wasn't what she wanted. Or who she wanted.

She wanted stability, yes, but not the kind they expected. It wasn't just about being a steady presence like Amy. What Fiona craved was something she hadn't even put a name to until later - her desire to build spaces, real places, where wolves and other Supernaturals could be free to exist without fear or judgment.

Eric? He was the one with the real weight on his shoulders - no 'just in case' - and she saw it even if he brushed it off. He was the pack leader's son who would take over one day. But to Fiona, Eric had never been the future alpha. He was her brother-in-all-but-blood, the oldest who was too cool and too old to play with her and Eli, who would sneak off with Cappie whenever he got the chance, but he was also the one who could make her laugh no matter how heavy things got, the one who challenge her when they were playing as wolves, and he was the one who helped her get back to her parents when she broke her wrist after she fell from a tree. She had seen his carefree spirit and reckless charm, and the thought of him as the pack's leader still felt strange, though she knew it was inevitable.

But for her, obligation - even her own 'just in case' - felt different. It had never been about leading or guiding. It had never been about being there, never been about being the girl who maybe was supposed to hold everything together, the one who maybe would take up Amy's mantle in her own way, just in case Eric didn't find his mate outside the pack.

Because, then there was Cappie.

He had always been part of her life, someone she looked up to, Eli's older brother and Eric's best friend - the one who had teased her, pushed her to keep up with him and Eric. But something had shifted - something she hadn't been prepared for. Unlike Eli and Eric, she had stopped seeing him as just a brother figure, stopped thinking of him as someone she had grown up with. He wasn't just Eli's brother anymore. When that happened, it changed everything.

Because now it wasn't just about the pack or the career she wanted to pursue. It wasn't just about being there for Eric if he didn't find someone else. It was about her, about what she really wanted, deep down.

And she wanted Cappie.

It wasn't about duty or responsibility, it was something else entirely. Something that made her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her place in the world.

Because, there was no 'just in case' about her obligation to her own heart. © tessisamess