Disclaimer: I donnot own Being Human. All I've got is an apartment, a dog, and a cat that openly hates me.
"Ugh, I. Hate. Nature!" The woman growled, pulling a stick out of her curly blonde hair. She'd tripped...again, landing her in the dirt...again.
But still, for her nature photography class she'd pulled the task of photographing a morning glory. Lucky her.
A task she'd put off for three days and didn't do, resulting in her clammoring around the woods at dawn, three hours before school, camera in hand. She'd miss her first class, but she was pretty sure no one would miss her in the physics lecture, and she'd planned to miss it anyway.
But thankfully, her hippie-dippie roommate knew where to find the blooms and had directed her to a clearing in the woods behind their house.
Finally she found the clearing, and the oak tree covered with the viney buds, ready to bloom any second.
"Oh Sunshyne, you are my hero." She muttered, shaking her head. She so owed her crazy roomate a bucket of hummus, or whatever the hell they sold that stuff in. This shot was going to be amazing. Mr. Levi was going to bow before her greatness. Roses were to be thrown at her feet and that smug bitch Janis was going to cry her fake lashes off.
Now all she had to do was wait.
And find out what that awful growling was.
And why it was getting closer.
Slowly, she turned on the heel of her scuffed up Doc Martens, fear making her body stiff.
She may have seen a man on TV wrestle a bear once, but she did not wish to emulate him.
Thankfully, it wasn't a bear.
No, it was a giant fucking wolf thing straight from nightmares. And possibly hell. Maybe Alaska too, shit was wild up there!
Too scared to do anything else she let out an earshattering scream, just as the thing slashed at her.
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Josh woke up with a sick feeling in his stomach.
He was sure that just as he blacked out to change back, he'd heard the sound of a human scream.
Slowly, almost painfully, he pushed himself up from the forest floor and into a sitting position, looking around himself and praying he didn't find anything gruesome.
There were leaves, twigs, a big tree covered in morning glories, and a gorgeous blonde sitting at the base of said tree, pointing an expensive looking camera at him and snapping a picture.
"Mornin', did ya sleep well?" She asked with a sarcastic brightness, her blue-green eyes narrowed on him.
Josh was frozen in shock, his mouth agape and doe eyes wide. He'd been caught and photographed...damn.
He should have changed under the hospital in his little hole, but no, he wanted to get out and run. He'd thought it would be safer.
He was wrong.
And now he was caught.
Oh God, what was he supposed to do?
"Hey, are uh, are you okay?" He heard her voice ask quietly, a bit closer than before.
He knew why too. He was hyperventalating, having a mini breakdown while naked on the forest floor. He couldn't breathe and there was the sound of rushing in his ears, his heart beat pounding at a too quick tattoo in his chest.
He had hurt someone, an innocent woman. He was a monster.
Sure, he'd always had that voice in the back of his head telling him what a monster he was, that he was dangerous, that he could kill, that he'd never be accepted, but he'd always battled it with 'but I've never hurt anyone.'
He couldn't say that anymore.
The woman had moved to his side now, kneeling next to him.
On the top of her left thigh were four long gashes, deep and bleeding sluggishly. Blood was soaking her jeans and Josh knew that she would need stitches.
He just couldn't tell her through his panicked pants.
"Come on now, let's get you out of these woods." She said, standing up carefully, though it made no difference as her wounds reopened again.
She cried out and wobbled a bit, almost falling over as her leg gave way. They must hurt like a bitch. They look so painful, blood and torn skin.
'They're your fault. You did that. Monster. She's a woman, you hurt a woman, you sick bastard.' A voice crooned at the back of Josh's mind. Maybe it was his conscience, or maybe he was just crazy. Either way, he believed it.
He allowed himself to be hefted up by the woman, who didn't look much smaller than him. Maybe just a couple inches shorter? She smelled like raspberries and was slowly leading him through the woods, limping the whole while and hissing in pain every once and again.
She was acting like it was he who had been attacked by the monster, not her.
"I'm sorry." Josh managed to choke out, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." He kept muttering it like a mantra, his voice broken and dry. He felt horrible.
He had hurt a human being. And he was positive that if he hadn't been hit by the change right when she walked up...he would have killed her.
They broke through the tree line and the blonde leaned against a dark wood fence as she fumbled with the latch.
She wasn't supporting his weight, just helping him move, but her leg was so torn that it had to be difficult to walk.
Josh apologized again.
She finally looked back at him as she pulled the latch through, and just gave the barest of smiles. It was sad and didn't quite reach her eyes, "I know you are."
She led him into a small house through a back door that opened to the kitchen. She threw a towel over one of the table chairs before letting him sit down. He understood, he was dirty and covered in animal blood. At least he hoped it was animal blood.
"Hey, I need you to stop apologizing and look at me." The woman said calmly, her hands were holding his face in place and forcing him to meet her eyes. Josh didn't know that he hadn't stopped.
The makeup around those big blue eyes was streaky and blurred. He'd made her cry. The pain from the wound he'd caused had made her cry. Oh God he felt sick to his stomach.
He wanted to apologize again, but when he started to she pinched his ear viciously with her sharp nails.
"Ow!" Josh exclaimed, trying to pull his face back. She just tightened her hold.
"Good, for a second there I thought you were having a freak out or something." Her voice was still calm, a southern accent with girlish lilt. She let go of his face and sat down in the chair across from him, pressing a wad of paper towels from the table onto her leg.
Josh stared as blood soaked the paper, turning it from white to red.
"That's going to need medical attention." Josh croaked out, tearing his brown eyes away. He couldn't look at them anymore so he just focused on a vase of wild flowers on the table. They were starting to wilt.
The girl made a 'hm' sound and sighed. "Yeah, I think it will. A few stitches too." She tossed the used towels into a nearby trash bin and pressed a dishrag to it instead, somehow managing tie the thing around her thin thigh. "My name is Lily, by the way." She offered, looking up to meet his eyes. The tear streaked makeup was killing him worse than the wounds.
Josh wondered if he should tell her his name. He knew if he was fast enough he could run out through the back door and wounded, she'd never be able to catch him. But still he had to know one this. "Josh. And...did...did I bite you?" Josh asked, his voi. almost breaking.
Those wounds looked like scratches, but he had to be sure. He just had to be sure he hadn't made another monster.
Lily shook her head, picking at the blood soaked tear in her jeans. They had been expensive and now they were ruined. "No, its just a scratch." Josh was stunned. Just a scratch...those gruesome cuts were just scratches to her.
He thought about apologizing again, but she was handing him something...blue plaid pajama bottoms.
Oh yeah, he'd forgotten he was naked.
He stood and turned around to put them on, 'They must be her boyfriend's.' He thought, sitting back down.
"I got them last week, but they're a bit too long for me. They're reall stretchy though, so they should fit you." Lily explained to his back, Sunshyne and her hippie friends were almost always nude, so in the past year they'd lived together she'd gotten used to nudity of all sorts.
But still, being naked at the table was a big no'no in her rule book.
Josh sat back down on his towel covered chair and once again resumed staring at her thigh.
"You're either a leg man, or extremely shocked you did this." Lily said, leaning back in her chair. She wondered how long she had before medical attention became dire.
"Oh, I don't eat chicken." Josh said, missing the joke completely. Lily looked him over with drawn brows before just shaking her head.
There was something wrong here, Josh thought. She was too calm, too nonchalant. She'd been attacked by a monster, wounded, and now she was sitting at her kitchen table like it was an everyday occurence.
"Why are you so...calm about this? Why aren't you scared or angry? I'm a monster, I hurt you." Josh questioned, his brown eyes searching her face. This wasn't normal, she shouldn't be acting like this. She should
screaming and flipping out.
She should be having a panic attack right along with him!
But instead she just shrugged, pushing her hair out of her face with a lazy moment.
"I guess I deal with stress better than others. Plus, it be pretty strange for me to run down the road screaming about werewolves. I'd rather not be put in a funny farm thank you." She smiled sarcastically, "And what about you? Tripping out like your one Xanx short of a lunatic meal. Calm down, its not like I'm going to have you arrested for assault. Not that anyone would believe me." She rolled her eyes, giving him a once over with a raised brow. "You don't look capable of hurting a fly."
Josh huffed, pointing a finger, "Hey now missy, I'll have you know I am very capable of hurting things!" He defended, now knowing how messed up it sounded until it left his mouth. Lily looked at him with a wide eyed 'I can't believe you just said that.'
expression. "That sounded a lot less creepy in my head." Josh muttered, amazed at his lack of tact. How did he make it so long being so awkward?
"Ok, I need to get ready to goto the Doctor, so is there someone I can call for you, or do you need a ride? What's the deal on werewolf morning afters?" She had her phone out, ready to hand it to him.
Josh shook his head, standing. "No... I'm meeting a guy on the road." Aidan would be waiting in his usual spot, scrubs and water bottle at the ready.
Lily stood on shakey legs, Josh reached out and steadied her. "The front door is through that archway, its straight through the living room. I'd walk you out, but I can't." She smiled and sat back down as Josh let go off her arm.
"Again, Lily, I am so sorry." Josh looked into her eyes as he spoke, ready to get out of that house and as far away as possible.
Lily just smiled, "I know Josh."
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As he walked barefoot and shirtless down the road Josh tried to ignore the stares.
Normally he told himself it was because he was a spectacle, a grown man walking half naked down the street (that last time he'd worn a dress had been particularly awful) but this time it was different.
As tR TY duffy stared at him he felt like they knew. Like they knew he'd hurt that woman, they knew he was a monster.
It made him sick to his stomach the guilt was eating at him so badly.
He got in Aidan's car and as the vampire met his eyes, Josh knew he knew.
But Aidan, like the good friend he was, didn't say anything. Just handed Josh his Star Of David and a bottle of water.
The vampire did, however, roll down the windows and turn the AC on high.
Josh's face flamed in embarassment as he washed his hands and arms.
God, he was so ashamed of himself.
Aidan started the engine and drove off, never saying a word the whole ride to SCH.
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And end. Maybe? Your choice
So, do we want more do we want less? I want a cookie.
Tell me though, should I stay or should I go? Baby youve got to let me know! Should this be a one shot that's just done and let Lily fade into that dark abyss where the other failed OCs go? Or does she stay and get all character and gain some depth and story?
Tell me now or forever hold your peace!