Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Twilight Saga, except for Kristian and any other character not heard of or seen in both the books and the movies.
Author's Note: Had this story idea stuck in my head before I decided on which direction I wanted to take it. My OC is also a change from other Original Male Characters that I have read (and even written), especially paired up with Leah Clearwater (my favorite TwiSaga gal next to Alice!!) because seriously, size doesn't matter and even the short guys need love and can be just as good, if not better, than the tall guys!
Author's Note 2: I made some changes to the first chapter by also extending it to help progress the story better, and prevent me from getting writer's block. Not much changes though, just Kristian's last name being one of them for a reason.
Silver Dusk
1
It's the same dream. I have been having it for the past few nights now, since I decided to go to Forks. It's night. I'm in the woods, don't ask me where, and I'm running. It's not human speed, I could never hope to be this fast, but it's my eyes I'm seeing this through, and I'm running so fast that the woods have become a blur. I run faster, and faster, until nothing is visible around me. Nothing, except for the full silver moon in the sky with the a shadow upon its lunar surface in the shape of a….a wolf?
The next sound I hear is that of a wolf howling. The scary part is that it's coming from me.
And then I wake up. I looked around to see I was still on the greyhound bus with but a few people around and a whistling bus driver. I let out my breath that I didn't realize I had been holding as I leaned my head back against the seat I was occupying, looking out the window. Gone was the meadows I - or something - had been running through; replaced by tall buildings and roads filled with vehicles of all brands and designs.
Gawd, I don't even remember falling asleep. The bus trip was never usually long enough to sleep through, even on a slow day. A quick shut-eye, that was something different.
The bus came to a slow screeching stop with a hiss. The driver pulled the door lever to him, opening the slide doors for the passengers to make our exit as he called out the name of the stop. I reluctantly got up from my seat, starting to feel nervous about the trip that was ahead. As usual, I was the last in line, and sort of hidden thanks to my 5'6 frame. I didn't let it get to me though. Not for a long time now.
The driver smiled one flashy white grin, nodding his head to everyone who passed him by and made a wish for us to come again. A little old fashioned some may say, but seeing how genuinely happy he looked, I liked it. It always lifted my spirit to see someone happy to do what they were doing.
As I stepped off the bus, I couldn't help but notice a couple of cute girls walk towards the bus, and one of them, a brunette with brown eyes who looked to be around my age but an inch taller than I was looking in my direction and passed an interested grin that, in all honesty, I wasn't really used to. I gave her a small and somewhat shy smile with a nod of my head. She looked to her friends, all three of them giggling like the high school girls they likely were, though I didn't recognize them from my school. One thing that did come to mind was, did she think I was 16, or maybe even 14 like most did, when actually I'm just 17-years-old….again, thanks to my height.
Who ever said short guys…….um, actually, I'm not sure what anyone said about short guys.
The walk to my foster home was pretty much the same like everyday after coming back from my crumby job, and yes, I live in a foster home. I have been for almost a year now since my mom disappeared.
It was sometime in the beginning of my senior year - which I thankfully managed to make it to with decent grades - when I came home to the rather large and luxurious apartment we lived in to find it in shambles. There had definitely been a struggle, unless it was a mosh pit who invaded our home. My mother was nowhere to be found, and there wasn't any trace of blood or anything to give proof that she was hurt or…..
She was never found. The police didn't even know where to start. Nobody I knew of had a grudge against her or me, and the neighbors swore that they heard nothing.
Lying, uncaring, spineless assholes. How the hell can you not hear anything when someone's being attacked right next door to you?!
Another thought pushed those memories to the sad, thankfully. Today, my walk to the foster home would be different, because it would be my last. Today would be my last day at the foster home. I wasn't quite 18 yet, not for another few months, but I was actually happy to be leaving. Not that the kids, some of them, and my foster parents were bad or anything. Plus, they were running out of room, and I would have to live when I came of age anyways…..
I stopped right in front of the foster house which was a tall apartment building, closely side by side the other buildings around it. Jillian, my 35-year-old foster mother was standing on the steps, waiting for me.
Even though I harbored absolutely no feelings of attraction towards her despite my attraction to older women - ten year my senior being my limit - I had to admit that Jillian was a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair and brown eyes, and an impressive athletic physique that also showed off her…..uh, melons. She was responsible enough to cover up and dress appropriately, even if I heard rumors that some of the boys try to sneak in a peak while she's showering. Both Jillian and her husband who ran the foster home were good people and good parents to us. I was only sorry that they could never have kids of their own.
"So this is it." she said with a small halfhearted, lifting up my backpack I had used throughout high school that was now my own personal suitcase to stash away whatever luggage belonged to me in the foster house. It was very little luggage anyways, thus making my backpack appropriate.
I didn't reply as I gently took my backpack from her.
"Everything's in there." she added, her hands sliding into the pockets of her jeans.
"My ipod?" I asked, looking up at her.
"Back pocket."
I already mentally kicked myself for forgetting it this morning. I checked and exhaled in relief in a silly matter at finding it where she said. Some things I didn't mind these days ever since my mom vanished, but I did have to have my music or I'd go crazy, and you don't want to see me crazy.
You wouldn't like me when I'm crazy, Mr. McGee.
"You'll be on your own now, Kristian." Jillian reminded me. I looked back up at her. "Make your life count for something."
I swung my backpack behind me, adjusting both its straps securely on my broad shoulders.
"Thanks, Jill. For everything."
And so instead of heading into the foster house, I continued onward into the unknown, which actually was the direction of a place I used to call home.
Half an hour later on another bus plus a ten minute walk later, I was standing in front of a more wider apartment building with plenty of space all around its structure comparing it to the foster home. This was the kind of place where you at least had to have five to six digests on your paycheck to live in.
Five minutes later - one from being greeted by the landlord who returned to me my old apartment key, three for staring dreadfully at the key, and one more from using the elevator to the ninth floor - and I was standing right outside the door to my…..her…..our…..apartment. I just couldn't call it home anymore. I continued to stare blankly at the door, fidgeting the apartment key in my hands.
I had to do this, though.
Swallowing down my emotions, I slowly inserted the key through the keyhole, giving it a gentle turn before I heard the door become unlocked with a click and turned its knob with the same hand, granting me entrance. Maybe I was nervous that I would find my mom here. That maybe she'll jump out and say surprise and the past few months were just a joke, or a dream.
The state that the apartment was in told me otherwise; it was still a wreck.
Most of the stuff had been confiscated by the law in hopes of finding any leads. A lot good that apparently did.
"Home, sweet home." I sighed sadly. Bitterly.
I threw my backpack on the kitchen counter, leaning on my hands against the same spot as I took a longer look at the apartment. Before it looked like a tornado came through here, it was actually quite beautiful. Otherwise it wouldn't have cost a leg to live here.
It would be me, my mom, and my dog Wolf who died of old age a few years back, and sometimes which ever guy who had in interest in my mother, roaming around, sometimes laughing and playing, sometimes arguing like a family does.
I headed over to the couch that was missing a cushion in the far right: another piece of evidence when the CSI unit found some scratches on the surface. It wasn't like Wolf could have done it, unless he returned from the grave in revenge for my mom not giving him a piece of bacon she had made that one morning for breakfast. I flopped down with another sigh. Gawd, it was too quiet, and so cold.
My mother was a doctor, a very important one for that matter which explains why we were able to afford a place like this. It also meant that maybe I was a little spoiled, but my mom assured me that I was a good child growing up. There are some rare moments though of my childhood that told me otherwise.
Her job also meant that she mostly wasn't home, but when she was, we would just sit on the couch and either watch a movie or play either my PS3 or Wii….mostly the Wii. Wolf used to always sit between us to get affection from both sides, his head in Mom's lap and his big furry butt to me, sneaky bastard.
I bit my bottom lip. I missed him, and I missed her.
My head turned to a picture with all three of us together, held up in a silver frame. I gently took it in my hand, positioning it on my lap as my blue eyes traced every detail of the picture. I was 12 at the time when the photo was taken. We looked happy, especially Wolf who had his long tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. I guess you can call that smiling in dog terms.
Something slid down into my lap from behind the frame. It was a smaller picture that could easily fit in the palm of my hand. I turned it over and found myself looking back at the smiling young face of my cousin.
Damn. I haven't seen this one in a long while. She had given this to me when my mom took me and Wolf to visit my uncle Charlie, my mom's brother-in-law, up at Forks in Washington. My cousin was the one who also introduced me to another dear friend of mine, maybe more like a brother, who sometimes I thought about as much as I thought about her. I was an idiot for not keeping in touch with them.
It may have been small, but I finally smiled for the first time upon entering the apartment.
RING!
I jumped when the digital ringing blared in the large living room and interrupted my thoughts.
Wait. My phone was back on? What the hell was it doing back on?! Did the landlord….?!
Another ring alerted me from where the wireless phone sat on the same coffee table as the picture of us had been. I quickly reached for it and looked to the Caller ID's screen to see who in was calling me….who knew I was here, besides my foster parents and the landlord. I didn't even recognize the number.
Hesitantly as I was becoming use to the endless ringing, I pressed the talk button and brought the phone to my left ear.
"Hu…" My voice came out in a high-pitched. I cleared my throat to return it to normal. "H-Hello?"
"Swan. Kristian Swan!" I heard the anxious voice on the other end. It belonged to a girl. A teenage girl, maybe around my age. And it actually sounded kind of cute. I leaned back against the couch, deciding to give into my humorous side.
"Depends, baby? You the woman I've been waiting my life for?" I grinned.
I hear her scoff on the other end of the line.
"Even better. This is your cousin."
My eyes went wide, and for a second my body froze. I was able to regain some movement as I gently placed the picture of me, my mom and Wolf back on the table.
"B-Bella? Isabella Marie Swan?!"
"Kristian Ethan Swan."
Oh dear lord.
I groaned as my face fell into my free hand.
"You alright?"
"I just made a pass at my own cousin. How do you think I feel?!" I asked incredulously.
She giggled. I haven't heard her do that for a long time now.
"So, long time, huh?" she picks up the conversation.
"Yes, it has. How have you been?"
"Honestly? I'm happy." was her reply.
I raised my eyebrow. "Aaaand that's suppose to be a rare thing or something?"
I didn't hear a sound on the other end for awhile. I guess I knew the answer before she spoke again.
"It was once."
I smirk. "Well, as long as your happy now, that's all that should matter."
Again, there was about a moment before Bella spoke up again.
"I heard about your mom, Kristian."
…….Charlie. Shit. It just had to be Charlie.
I frowned into the phone, trying not to show any emotion. I wanted….needed her to believe I was fine. The last thing I wanted was for someone to feel sorry for me, even if it was family. Bella was not really close to my mom anyways, probably because she rarely saw her with my mother on duty most of the time.
"Why didn't you contact us?" she continued.
I licked my lips, trying to think of something to say, but any good excuses were out the window. I decided to just play it fair.
I tried reassuring her. "I'm fine, Bell…."
"It's been two months since your mother's been missing, Kristian! Charlie was worried about you when he found out about it from another cop! We both were!" her voice started to rise with her temper.
I sighed, letting her words settle in.
"I didn't even know you were back in Forks." I pointed out.
That managed to calm her.
"Yeah. My mom….she got married again two years ago. I just decided I wanted to give them space, you know?" I knew better that Bella seemed like the real adult out of the two, even though Bella loved her mom. "I guess it's been a really long time."
"You can say that again, which you did."
She lets out a soft smirk.
"So, what are you going to do now?"
I was just waiting for her to ask me that.
"I…..seriously don't know yet. I've got a job, but it sucks like hell. I've still got some cash in the bank, but pretty soon here I'll have to leave the apartment."
I could hear a click in her throat; she hesitated before she asked me, "Do you want to leave?"
I rubbed my eyes with the edge of my palm. "Honestly, Bell? I want to get out of here. Aside from the place being in complete shambles, it's just…..it's too much, Bella. It's just too much." I quickly wipe away the tear that threatens to fall.
"Then, move here."
I could hear the pleading in her voice as loud like how I liked my rock. I shook my head. "I-I can't. I don't want to be a bur…."
She cut me off before I managed to finish the word.
"My god, Kristian, you're my cousin! We're family! Not staying in touch for so long doesn't change that." Her voice became calmer. "You liked coming down here before."
Indeed I did. Being born and raised in the city, Forks was a very nice break from it. I wouldn't have minded moving there, or moving back there since it was my mom's hometown.
"It's either here, or Jacksonville."
I grimaced.
"No, thank you! I'd prefer to drink water than breathe it."
She laughed.
"Thank you!"
"Seriously, how do people not drown just by breathing down there?" I smirked.
"Oh god, you are such a geek."
"Geeks rule, baby!"
We laughed together over the phone. It felt good to laugh with her again. Bella and I were a bit alike with our shy nature, though she was more the brainiac than I was, and I had a hard time sitting through her favorite music. Not that I don't like some of that stuff, like the Star Wars soundtracks; I'm just more of a Muse or Linkin Park kind of guy.
After our laughter died down, the seriousness returned.
"Kristian, I am serious. Please, just come up here with me and Charlie." she pleaded gently. "I mean, there's so many things I want to tell you. Plus, Jake would probably be happy to see you again."
Both my eyebrows raised. "Jake? As in good ol' Jacob Black?"
"That's the one."
I didn't reply back. I lifted my head up to around the apartment again. As much as I wanted to say no, the truthful answer was all around me.
"I hope Charlie's got an extra room."
I could just feel her smile over the phone.
"Don't worry. You can have my old room if you wanna stay with him."
I looked confused for a moment. "Aren't you staying with your father, still?"
"No. Um, it's a long story."
"I see. Well, you can fill me in when I get there."
"….Sure."
I noted the hesitation in her voice, but decided not to press on it.
"So, just let us what your going to do, ok?"
"Ok." I paused for a second. "Thank you, Bella."
"That's what family's do, Kristian. Looking out for one another."
She hung up with a click of her phone. I just turned mine off and threw it aside to wherever. At least my current situation was figured out now. I should have told her I don't have a cell phone anymore, and probably wouldn't buy one before I moved to….
I nearly jumped when the phone rang again. Fuck, I must be popular today.
I quickly grabbed and hit the talk button again, not bothering to look at the Caller ID this time. It was probably Bella, again.
"Hellhole Residence, this is…."
"Swan. Kristian Swan!" I heard the anxious voice on the other end. It belonged to a male, his age I couldn't quite identify but I did recognize it as an adult.
"Who wants to know?" I demand suspiciously.
"I know it's you. I've kept watch on you for a long time now. Even when you entered the apartment building."
Wait, what?!
I quickly jumped up with the phone still against my ear as I snuck my head outside the doorway. Nobody was around.
"Who is this?"
I ran around the apartment in every room. Nobody else was here but me.
"Dude, are you following me?"
That's when another suspicion came to mind.
"Do you have something to do with my mother's…."
"Please, there's no time for that!" the man pleaded. "I've managed to hide your scent from them for this long, but they will be onto you soon!"
…..Did….did he just say he was hiding my scent? Ok, this had just gotten a lot more creepier!
"What the fuck are you talking about?! And who are they?!"
"That's not important. Not yet. I had no choice but to get you out of that other place so the others wouldn't be endangered." he admitted.
…..The foster home! So then, this guy was the reason I was able to leave so early. The fact, however, that he didn't want me to know about they only gave me more questions.
"I know it's a lot to take in in just a short amount of time, but you must believe me! You have to understand that this is for your own protection. You're the last!"
The last?
"Th-The last what?"
"In time. You have to leave now. Right now. In the very back of your bag should be a plane ticket."
"Hold on." I requested, rushing to my backpack and looking in the same pocket where Jillian had claimed to have put my ipod. Just as the man had said, I found a ticket. The destination was to Port Angeles in Washington.
That was right next to Forks….!
Well, that saves me time and money.
"Do you have it?"
I blinked, remembering I was still on the phone here. "Yeah. Yeah, I got it."
"The plane leaves in one hour. You must be on that plane."
He continued. "When you arrive there, seek out a man by the name of Billy Black. He can help you"
That's when I suddenly started to laugh.
"Am I getting punked?"
No answer.
"Seriously. Did Jake or my cousin put you up to this? Because in all honesty, sir," my voice became serious, "I don't fucking find this funny. And you can tell my cousin that I'm gonna kick her royal behind…."
"It's NOT a joke, I assure you!"
The inner side of my eyebrows lowered into a glare. "And how do I not know that? How do I know if I can trust you? I mean, if you're telling me the truth, then why didn't you also protect my mother?!" I almost shouted. I breathed calmly afterwards to control my rising temper.
"….If I could've saved Lauren. I would."
The glare instantly faded from my face, replaced by a stunned expression when the man said my mother's first name. My mother had always gone by her middle and last name that I thought I was the only one who knew her first name.
"She contacted me before they got her. I'm sorry."
"……..I'm listening."
"The airport. One hour. You must be on that plane."
I nodded silently.
"Will I meet you there as well?"
"When the time is right, we will meet face to face. That, I promise you."
The phone on the other end clicked, followed by the loud, endless hum as whoever the caller was hung up. I switched off the phone, taking….or trying to take this all in.
A big part of me still wanted to laugh this off. I even waited awhile for someone else to call, or even show up. It was like any minute now, Ashton Kutcher would burst right into the apartment with a camera crew behind him, and I would get his autograph before knocking his teeth out.
But there was a part of me, a very small part, that believed him.
And sometimes, size isn't everything. Hell, I was going to Washington, anyway.
I grabbed the picture I had been gazing at earlier, stuffing it into my backpack and made a mad dash out of the apartment as I once again swung my backpack around me. I didn't even bother with the key or closing the door. The elevator seemed like it was taking so long getting to my floor, so I took the stairs, rushing passed the landlord chatting with somebody, zipping out of the building and onto the busy sidewalks. I ran the rest of the way to the airport on foot. Screw buses and taxis. I've seen the movies where the bad guys catch the either their victims off guard like that.
Despite wasting a bit of time back at the apartment, I was lucky enough to make just in time for them to board the plane. I didn't notice that I was not breathing as heavy as I should be from all that running as I looked around for anyone suspicious-looking. Not a soul seemed to notice me, though.
"Sir? Your ticket?"
I turned to see the attendant looking at me expectantly, holding her hand out….oh, right! My ticket….!
I quickly unzipped the back pocket of my backpack and dug my hand in. I managed to grasp it and pull it out gently, surprising myself with my level of control though I was nervous for my knees to shake. Luckily they didn't.
After handing her my ticket, I took one more look around until she held out my ticket back to me.
"Have a wonderful flight, sir." she smiled.
I nodded my head at her as I took back my ticket. It wasn't until I found my seat found my seat, which I almost didn't realize was in First Class believe it or not, that I managed to finally relax.
I even got a spot by the window….!
No. I couldn't relax yet. This time, I scanned around in my seat for anyone, or anything, even if I had not one damn clue as to what I was looking for. All I found were couples, some looking happy while others complained and argued, parents trying to control their overly excited children, and other tense looking people who clearly had the fear of flying written all over their faces.
I faced forward, exhaling deeply as I laid the back of my head against the really comfortable cushion of my seat before I turned my head slightly to the window, gazing beyond it. Sometime later, the plane began its preparations. I felt the butterflies in the pit of my stomach as the plane picked up speed before taking off to the sky above. All I could do now was look down, wondering if I'd ever see Columbus or even any part of Ohio again.
I don't have a single clue as to what the hell is going on, or even what I'm supposed to do once we land. All I could do now was rest, and hope whoever I had been talking to was telling the truth about Billy Black, Jacob Black's father.
That's when I remembered about Bella! She didn't know I was coming. Oh, well. Maybe I could do one of those surprises like I've seen on the internet. I'm not sure how Charlie would like it.
Exhaustion finally began to seize my body, and this time I didn't resist.