Summary: Magnolia Hale lost her family and her home. With nowhere else to go she goes to Sam, her best friend and the man who has always been there for her. La Push is a chance for a new beginning, but Sam isn't the only one looking out for Magnolia. Will Magnolia allow herself to be freed from her pain and allow her heart to be captured?
I only own Maggie.
"I'm sorry for you lost."
"They're in a better place."
"At least they're not suffering anymore."
"They'll always be with you." Magnolia must have heard all this a hundred times today. For once Magnolia was glad the skies were dark and gloomy. It was fitting for how she felt. The rain was cold and heavy. Magnolia's dark hair clung to her back in wet strains, while her black dress was soaked through.
"Maggie, you're going to get sick." Laura whispers, moving her umbrella to cover the both of them.
"We can't get sick, Laura." Maggie's voice was weak and emotionless. She had cried every ounce of emotion out of her. She felt empty and cold. She didn't want to feel warm. She wanted to embrace the cold. It felt safer than giving into the warmth.
"Maggie, we need to keep up appearances." Maggie felt anger as she heard Laura. A frighteningly growl escaped her as she looked at her cousin with hatred in her eyes.
"I do not care about appearances, Laura. Hiding who we are got us nowhere. They're dead regardless." She snaps. She couldn't even look at Laura or Derek.
"I know how you feel-"
"No, you don't!" She shouts.
"Magnolia, stop, everybody, is watching." Laura whispers as she looks around worriedly.
"I don't care! Do you think I care about any of these people!" She shouts as she glares at the people around her, daring them to speak up. "None of them even knew our family! They are just here to gossip and steal what they can from the house!"
"Magnolia-"
"You have no idea what I'm feeling! Or how I am doing! Or what I'm going through! You weren't there!" She screamed. Pain and hurt filled Laura's eyes. Good, Magnolia thought. "You thought a basketball game was more important than the family dinner." Her voice is cold and as sharp as knives. "I was there! I watched my family burned to death! I heard their screams!" Tears ran down Magnolia's face, but she didn't care. Let them run. She didn't care. She didn't feel anything anymore. "I had to drag my father out! I stopped the fire from killing him! I was there! You weren't!" Magnolia screams into Laura's face, pushing with all her strength. Laura went fall three feet back into one of the older gravestones. "Get the hell out of my face." Magnolia shoulders past Derek, glaring at him on the way.
The whispering started up, causing Magnolia to turn to them. "Don't you have something better to do!" She yelled. "This is a private event. Get the hell off my property! Now!" She screamed with everything she had. The people ran off quickly, leaving the depressing and cold cemetery. Magnolia gave one last look towards her mother's grave. A bouquet of red magnolia flowers rested on the grave, they had been her favorite. Magnolia closes her eyes, trying to erase her mother's screams from her mind.
She took a shaky breath before walking through the cemetery and out the old iron gates. The cemetery was just a few yards behind the old house, which now sat ruined before her. The smell of smoke, ash, and burning flesh still hung heavy in the hair. Even without her added boose of senses, she could smell it.
She walked around the house and towards her black charger. She didn't care that people were still around. She stripped off her black dress and changes into a pair of jeans, a tank top, and her leather jacket, which she got from her bag inside the car. She slipped on a fresh pair of socks and her boots. She threw the black dress to the ground, not caring if she never saw the dress ever again. She pulls her hair up into a bun, staring up at the house. "Goodbye, daddy. I love you." She whispers before slipping into her car. The soft leather seats engulfed her as she settled in. She took a deep breath before starting the car. The engine purred as she started it up. It had been a birthday present from her father last year. The car was practically brand new, the inside interior still had that new car smell and it had all the little upgrades. With Peter Hale, it was always all or nothing.
Magnolia wiped her eyes as she took a shaky breath. She turned around and drove down the driveway. Her home was gone. She had no family left, none that she was willing to be with, and she had nothing holding her here any longer. With nothing else left it only made sense to return to the one thing she still had. Sam Uley.
He had been her friend since they were kids. Their mothers were close. She hasn't seen him in years, but she knew he'd be there. He was always there when she needed him. The phone rang only twice before she heard his voice. "Hello." It was deeper than when she last heard it, but she knew it was him.
"Sam… It's Maggie." She whispers.
"Mags? Hey, hon, how are you?" He knows. She can hear it his voice. Laura must have told him the news. It made her feel better. She didn't have to go through it all again.
"I've been better. I'm going to be coming to the reservation tomorrow… I was hoping I could stay with you for awhile." She says, biting her lip. "I have nowhere else to go." She can feel the tears threatening to fall, but she needed to be strong. She was a Hale. She can't cry. Hales are stronger than that. She already cried enough. No more. She needed to take a breath and be strong. It's what her dad would want.
"Mags, you know you are always welcomed here. You're like my sister." Technically they were godsiblings. His mother was her godmother and her mother was his godmother. They always thought of the other as their sibling.
"Thanks, Sammy. I don't know what I would do without you."
"Fall in a puddle of defeat." For the first time since the fire, Maggie laughed. It felt good. It felt right. Sam always managed to do that. No matter how upset she was Sam was always there for her.
"How have you been?" Maggie asks.
"Have you heard about Leah and I?" She had. It was all her mother could talk about before the fire. Leah and Sam were going to get married a month ago, but two days before the day Sam called it off. He's now starting a relationship with Leah's cousin. If Maggie had been a normal person than she would yell at Sam, but she knew there was more to it.
"What made you change your mind?" Maggie asks as she switched lanes.
"It's hard to explain." Maggie frowns as she checks in her mirrors.
"You know everything about me, Sam, whatever it is you can tell me." Sam and his family were the only ones who knew her family secret. She also knew the legend of Sam's people. Not many knew it, but there were things out there such as werewolves, vampires, shifters, witches, those kinds of things. Sam's people were supposed to be descendants from wolves. They were to phase into wolves when the cold ones, vampires, were around. Their job was to protect their people and their land from the bloodsuckers. They were called shifters, you had to have Quileute blood in order to be one. "Are the legends true?" Maggie asks.
"I'm supposed to keep the secret." Which means it is true and Sam is one.
"You know I'm a werewolf. You kept my secret. I'll keep yours… in exchange from a room and some food." Sam's booming laugh filled the phone, causing Maggie to smile. "Plus, if you think about it, we're both dogs." The difference between the wolf shifters and werewolves were that Sam turned into an actual wolf, a process called phasing. Maggie, however, takes on the appearance of a wolf with her eyes, ears, teeth, nails, and her face. She also is stronger on full moons and had super senses, strength, reflexes, and healing. Being a werewolf, however, is dangerous because with werewolves came hunters, humans who make it their job to kill them.
Only powerful werewolves can actually turn into a wolf, mostly alphas like Maggie's aunt and now Laura. Maggie's now an omega, a wolf without a pack. It made her weaker and at more risk, but none of that concerned her. She didn't need a pack or an alpha, she just needed Sam.
"Mags?"
"Hmm, sorry. I was just… I got stuck in my head again." She jokes. She often zoned out. She thought too much.
"If you need a pack… you can always join us. I know you're a werewolf and you can't run as fast as us, but… you can always join us." She knew he was trying to help, but she couldn't be a part of his pack. She couldn't read his wolf thoughts or shift into a wolf. She would help him if he needed it, of course, but she could run with him or join him.
"You know we have to run separately. I'm not like you and you're not like me. A pack with you isn't an option. We'll be there for each other, but I can't join you."
"I'm staying at Emily's, you're more than welcome to stay with us."
"You only started dating though, right?"
"Emily moved back to be with me." Sam tells me. "And my mom… she's not happy with me right now. We thought it was best that I stayed with Emily."
"She's mad about Leah?"
"Yeah. I never meant to hurt her." But you did, Maggie thought.
"You can't help who you imprint on. Just like I can't help who I moonstruck on, you know when I find my mate."
"Do you want to find your mate?" Maggie thought about her parents. They were so happy and so in love. She can't remember a time that they weren't together. Wherever one went the other was sure to follow. They loved each other more than life itself, but now her father was in a coma, burned, and grieving from the loss of his mate. Maggie doubted he'd ever be able to wake up after losing his mate. Maggie heard the pain is so great that you either shut down or die. She didn't want that for her, but she also can't imagine never finding her mate. She can only hope he'll be strong enough to defend himself because her parents are proof that she can't protect her mate from everything.
"I do… I just am also afraid."
"It's understandable after what happened." Maggie sighs and leans her head back.
"I should go and stay focused on driving. I'm sure you have a lot to do. I will see you tomorrow."
"Okay and Mags?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. Drive safe." Maggie smiles.
"I love you too, Sammy."
