Strange friends

Chandler has been distracted since the morning after Alice left right after she just told him that she was with a guy already like it was nothing, he has been in a bad mood, and it pains him more that he could not blame Alice. It's not like he told her that he has feeling for her anything but he was feeling like he broke up with the love of his life.

He has been thinking about how he would be able to go out with her tonight because it would be weird for him, he had high hopes that when they go to the movies tonight she would tell him she was kidding earlier when she told him that she had a boyfriend but he knew that probability of that happening is very low.

Alice walked into Chaandler's garage to pick up her dog, she noticed that Chandler was not his normal self because he was a lot quieter than normal.

"Are you okay?" She asked after she picked up her dog and was about to leave but decided to ask.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Chandler cleared his throat as he smiled wryly.

"Nothing, it's just that..." Alice paused for a while and decided not to push it. "So tonight huh?" She changed the subject.

"What?" Chandler looked puzzled, his brain seems to stop working for a minute there.

"Movie tonight? Remember?" She asked as she chuckled.

"Oh yeah! yes of course, sorry I was...Never mind, I will come to your place tonight to pick you up."

"Alright then." Alice smiled as she turned slowly and walked away with her dog.

Chandler swore and groaned under his breath, he wanted to tell her that the movie date was not going to work anymore when she comes but he just told her that he was going to come and pick her up at her place. She had him confused because how she talks and smiles when she is with him makes him think that she was trying to flirt with him but if she was trying to flirt with him then why tell him that she has a boyfriend already? Chandler decided to ask her all these when they go out tonight so their relationship would be clear because he was feeling very confused now.

Three guys walked in while Chandler was still pondering about himself and Alice, the face looked new and he was sure that they were not his clients. He looked at the three of them as they moved closer to him, they all looked almost the same age as him.

"You must be Chandler?" The one in the middle asked with a smile on his face.

"Yeah," Chandler replied as he looked at their faces waiting for them to say the reason while they are in his garage.

"Chandler the popular dog trainer." The one on the left said with a chuckle, Chandler was feeling uncomfortable already.

"Yeah, that's me. Do you have a dog you want to..."

"Oh no." The one in the middle interrupted Chandler even before he could finish his sentence, Chandler heaved a sigh as he waited to hear why they are there and the one in the middle spoke up.

"We're just dog lovers like you Chandler."

"Okay, that's nice but that doesn't explain why you guys are here. If you're looking for work here I have to say that I don't have enough to pay employees yet." Chandler replied and they all laughed as they looked at each other.

"No Chandler, we are here because we wanted to be friends with the guy that has the same gift as us." The one in the middle seems to be the one doing all the talking.

Chandler was confused as he looked at them and for a few seconds nobody talked, it was like they were waiting for him to break the silence and he wanted to know what the guy said meant.

"Same gift as you? what do you mean?"

"You did not think that you were the only one that could communicate with dogs right?" The same guy in the middle was still the one doing the talking.

"Yeah, I know some of my ancestors had it. It's a family gift." Chandler replied as he looked at their faces one after the other while they burst into laughter.

"Family gift?" The one on the left side asked rhetorically as he looked at the other guys who were still giggling, Chandler was not finding it funny.

"If you guys are done please leave here..."

"Sorry about that" The one in the middle apologized as he looked at the other guys consecutively on his left and right.

"He's right you know, it's a family gift." The one in the middle then looked at Chandler who was staring at them keenly.

"Chandler, you will be surprised how big your family is."

"Who are you guys?" Chandler was getting impatient watching them ramble on.

"I'm Brian and this is Williams and Jeff," The one in the middle said as he pointed at the one on his left first and then the one on his right.

"Okay, so what do you guys want?"

"We're here to help a friend like us," Brian said as he squat down close to one of the dogs in the garage.

"Or as you said; family" Brian added

Chandler stood there looking at Brian as he called the dog closer to him and commanded it to stand, squat, roll, and even run like he used to do. Chandler realized that they could talk to dogs just like him.

"Okay I see you could talk to dogs also but..."

"Talk to dogs? is that all you can do? You have no idea that you can do more?" Brian interrupted Chandler as he stood up smiling.

Brian looked at Jeff and Williams who were still standing behind him and then looked at Chandler and smiled again. He put his left hand up in the air as Chandler watched his fingers grow instantly into claw-like fingers, Chandler was astonished and bewildered.

"How did you..." Chandler wanted to ask but he was too amazed to talk now as he watched Jeff and Williams behind Brian do the same thing also and then he watched them as their fingers went back to normal.

"You still have a lot to learn Chandler and we can help to teach you," Brian said as he looked at Chandler who was looking at them interestingly now.

"You mean I could do that too?" Chandler asked as he lifted his fingers in the air to try it too.

"Yeah and more if we teach you," Brian replied and Chandler smiled.

"I wanna learn." Chandler agrees immediately

"We have to leave now and you still have your work but you can come tonight to Joe's Pub, we will be there," Brian replied and Chandler nodded.

The three guys turned as they walked to the entrance of the garage before Chandler called them back after he remembered that he has a movie date with Alice.

"I'm not sure I will make it there tonight but I will be there tomorrow night," Chandler said as Brian Chuckled.

"I think he needs to take permission from his parents first before he goes out."

"No, it's not that," Chandler replied as he tried to explain that he had a date but then he remembers that Alice already have a boyfriend so he would choose to see these guys tonight than go on a date with a girl that has a boyfriend already.

"You know what? Forget about it, I will be there tonight" Chandler said as the guys nodded and Brian pats him on his back.

"See you tonight Chandler," Brian said as they walked away while Chandler stood there looking at them grinning.

"I think the Sherrif is suspecting us somehow," Mr. Beckham said as he walked down the stairs with a glass of water in his hand to meet his wife in the living room watching the television but she did not look like she was interested in what was showing on the TV. She was just tired because she was just coming back from the hospital where she works, it was just her and her husband in the house because Chandler left a few minutes ago after he told them that he had a date with Alice.

"Well, I think he should because we just moved him a few weeks ago and strange things started happening. Everything that happened so far, one of us seems to be around the place it happens so he believes that we know what's going on." Tracy said as she stretched out her hand to collect the water that Mr. Beckham was with.

"I met him on my way back from our cabin, although he didn't say it, I knew he was suspecting us for all this that is happening." Mr. Beckham said as he sat on the twin sofa his wife was sitting on.

"Well, it's not us so we just have to keep our heads down. It's not like he would believe us if we told him what it's all about." Tracy replied after she drank the water in the glass cup and dropped it on the table in front of her.

"So you think Chandler would believe us when we tell him?" Mr. Beckham asks as he looks at her wife who was not quite sure what to answer.

"Well, when the time is right I think he will."

"yeah, everything would change after that. I don't think he would go on any date after that."

"Why do you think so?" Tracy asked

"Well, he would see everything differently and it would be hard for him to a non-werewolf girl he would love..." Mr. Beckham paused the moment he just heard what he was saying, he looked at his wife who was waiting for him to finish whatever he was saying but he was not going to say a word more.

"Well...I married you." Tracy said and Mr. Beckham chuckled.

"That's because you're special" Mr. Beckham replied as he squeezed Tracy's hand gently and kissed her on the back of her hand and she smiled.

"Good answer." She said as she smiled again while Mr. Beckham was giggling but stopped when they heard a knock on the door.

Mr. Beckham and his wife looked at each other and it was obvious that none of them was expecting anyone and it was too early for Chandler to be back by now. No one visits them unless it's some of Chandler's clients but he was sure that they've all come to collect their dogs.

"There is no dog left in the garage right?" Tracy asked as her husband stood up, he nodded in affirmation and moved to open the door.

"Alice?" Mr. Beckham was not expecting to see Alice in front of their door as he opened the door he looked around but could not see Chandler behind her.

"Where is Chandler?" Mr. Beckham asked but she was confused.

"That's why I'm here, we were supposed to go out tonight but I waited for him and he did not show up."

"What?" Mr. Beckham was confused now.

"Chandler already left like thirty minutes ago so he should be in your place a long time ago." Mr. Beckham said as he turned around to look at his wife who stood up and walked closer to the door to understand what was going on.

"I've been home since and I didn't see him," Alice stated.

"Where the hell is that boy?" Mr. Beckham asked as he looked like he was expecting an answer from Alice but she just shrugged.

"Alice dear please come inside and have a seat," Tracy said as she opened the door wider for her to come inside.

Alice walked in and sat on one of the sofas in the living room, Mr. Beckham was walking to and fro as he picked up his phone to call Chandler but he was not picking up.

"Alright, I know what to do." Mr. Beckham mumbled as he walked upstairs, Alice have been observing him from the side of her eyes. She has never seen him this fierce before even though he looks fierce, she has always known Mr. Beckham to be gentle and polite.

"What can I offer you, dear?" Tracy asked and Alice shook a little, she has forgotten that Tracy was sitting beside her because all her focus have been on Mr. Beckham who was more worried than his wife.

"Just water would be okay." She said and Tracy nodded as she stood up to go and get water for her.

"So you understand all you have to do right?" Brian asked Chandler who just nodded in agreement.

"I just have to repeat what you say."

"Yeah," Brian replied.

Chandler was kneeling in a dark basement, the only light in the basement was the circle of lit candles that surrounded Chandler. He was just wearing his shorts while he knelt in the middle of the lit candles, Brian was in front of him with Jeff and Williams behind. They told him that he had to say some incantations so he could unlock his full potential like them, it was weird but he was ready to see what he could do apart from just talking to dogs.

Chandler was given a small totem which he held in his palm and looked at Brian as he waited for him to say the words so he could say after him but the moment that Brian was about to say anything, the door of the basement was kicked open.

"Dad?" Chandler could still see his father even though the basement was dark, he knew it was his father that just kicked the door open.

"How did you find me here?" Chandler was still confused and shocked, he knew he was in big trouble.

"Come over here son, we're going home." Mr. Beckham was not ready to start answering his questions.

Brian, Jeff, and Williams were all disappointed and angry at Mr. Beckham for interrupting whatever they were doing but Mr. Beckham cared less about them, he took a look at their faces but did not say a word to them. Chandler stood up and got his clothes, he gave the totem back to Brian and apologized, he was reluctant to go to his father but he knew he had no other option, he has lied to his parents tonight already so any other insubordination would be detrimental to him.

The moment that Chandler walked to his father he could swear that he heard growling behind him, he turned back and it was Brian. His claws were out again and he now has fangs too, he was scary but Chandler was astonished because that means he might be able to do all that too. Brian was still growling as he moved closer to them Chandler looked at his father and he was surprised that his father was not surprised.

"I wouldn't dare if I was you, kid." Mr. Beckham said as he held Chandler in his left hand. Chandler knew his father had a gun but he was pretty sure that he did not have it with him here and even if he did, he should be surprised or shocked that a human just grew out fangs and claws right in front of him.

Even after Mr. Beckham's warning, Brian was still advancing closer to them and then before Chandler could blink he saw Brian spring up with his claws ready to hit his father but in a moment there he could swear that he saw his father's eyes glow in the dark, claws came out of his right fingers too as he smashed Brian on the face and he hit the war on their left and fell back to the others that held him up. Chandler was bewildered, he could not say a thing as he just stood there until he was dragged away by his father.

"He's older and more experienced, you knew you could not take him," Williams said as they helped Brian to get up.

"I know dummy, I just wanted him to show his son that he was one of us," Brian replied as he smiled and cleaned the blood on his face from the claw marks.

"Now Chandler will know he has been lying to him since his life," Jeff added.

"Yeah, he can't trust them again but guess who he could be able to trust now?" Brian asked as he grinned.

"Us." Jeff and Williams almost said at once while Brian nodded.