Disclaimer: see my profile
A/n this is a sort of one shot tag to "Let your Hair done," but takes place several weeks afterward, ignoring cannon after that episode. Thanks in advance for reading. Please enjoy
Fitting In
The ticking of a clock never bothered Eddie Monroe. He liked it when everything went silent in his little house and all he could hear was the tick, tick, tick of his cuckoo clock.
He stood in front of one such clock, listening to it tick away the minutes and hours that made up the winter's night. The clock didn't have a second hand so he watched the minute hand, hoping that this action might take his mind of thinking about his latest adventure with Nick.
His ears, so intent on the sound of the clock, didn't pick up the heartbeat of another person until that person was close enough to smell. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed, his eyes took on a dull ruby cast as surprise, and he had to admit, interest overwhelmed his desire for peace.
He almost didn't recognize the scent, because the person associated with it was just out of range of his senses, but he knew he had to go outside and deal with her and the reason why she'd come here.
He pulled on a light green crew neck sweater and hurried out the back door, rounding the house in moonlight and starlight that kissed the ground in silver streams. He could see her, crouched in the undergrowth across the road. Her eyes, also red in the dark glowed, reaching out to him with the promise of something forbidden that he had to nip in the bud.
He ran, moving much faster than he had in the woods with Nick. There was no need to hold back. She joined him effortlessly, until they were deep in the park woods. He stopped near a fallen tree and sat down.
She joined him, sitting too close for his comfort so he stood again, moving three steps to the left and putting his back to a huge pine that was so tall its branches started inches above his head.
"You shouldn't be here."
She flinched, her face morphed and she bared her teeth at him. He shuddered, let his face change to mirror hers and growled at her.
Her face returned to human form and tears welled up in her eyes. "Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not mad at you Holly. You should be home in bed. What if your mother finds you gone?"
"I don't know her! I don't know anyone here. I wish you'd never come and taken me away."
An owl hooted over his head, startling him as Holly began to cry in earnest. He held his arms down at his sides so they wouldn't try to hug her.
"You're right," he finally said. "We shouldn't have taken you away from the only home you remember, but you were dying."
Her eyes flicked left when something scuttled through the bushes. A rabbit, he thought insanely, just like the one he'd killed the last time he'd let his wolf out. He grabbed her arm when she tensed to spring.
"It's going to take time, but you can have a life with the humans."
"I don't want a life with the humans."
He sighed and released her arm even though the rabbit was near enough for either of them to catch it without effort. She trembled, but stayed near him. Her eyes glowed in the dark and he could hear her sniff back more tears.
"I don't know what I am."
Her words reminded him of the first time he'd changed, and how frightened he'd been when his fangs had bit through his lip.
"You're blutbaden, like me."
He nearly laughed at her confused face.
"I don't know what that means."
"Did your mother ever read fairy tales to you when you were a kid?"
"I don't remember."
"We're like the big bad wolf."
"What does that mean?"
He sighed, looked up at the full moon over their heads. "It's hard to explain. We're killers, well, other blutbaden are killers, but I haven't killed anyone in years. I'm just a clockmaker now."
"Why?"
"Honestly, I hate a mess. Blood is messy, and it calls way too much attention my way. I like a quiet life."
She just sat there staring at him, as the owl hooted again, and somewhere there was distant howl.
"I wish I had some pearls of wisdom about what you're going through, but I don't," he said into the silence between them.
"I remember my mom. She used to comb my hair with a brush she'd bought just for me.
He finally noticed that someone had cut her hair so that it fell to just above her shoulders. "I like it." He managed not to reach out and touch it.
"I don't remember anything else about her. She's nice and all, but I thought that -"
"You can't stay with me."
"Why not?"
"Because you're a young girl Holly. It wouldn't be right, and you have your mother. You'd hurt her horribly if you ran off again. Please just give it a chance."
"Why can't I just stay with you? You could be my dad or an uncle. You could teach me how to fit in."
"I can't Holly. Even if I knew how to take care of a teenage girl, it just wouldn't be right," he repeated firmly.
"I thought you were my friend."
"I am your friend. That's why I'm going to take you back to your mother."
She jumped to her feet and darted off into the forest. "I don't need your help." She called back to him.
"Holly, wait!"
The night rushed by in shades of purple and dark blue to his perfect night vision. He didn't need to see her, as her scent was easy to follow. She was young and fast and it took him much longer than he wanted to catch up to her.
"Don't touch me." She yanked out of his hand. "I can find my way home. I don't need you."
"If you don't need someone, why did you come here tonight?"
She whirled around at his words, and fell into a crouch, growling at him like a predator about to spring.
He responded with a howl, dropping forward into a stance that mirrored her almost spring.
She straightened, her face returned to that of a pretty sixteen-year-old girl. Tears shined in her eyes as she backed away from him. "I hate you."
The soft expressionless tone in her words caught him in the gut and he nearly sprang at her. He managed, just in time to reign in the insult and regain his human control.
When she turned and ran, he didn't give chase despite knowing what Nick would say about letting a teenage girl run around after dark and midnight on her own. She'd find her way back, but he wondered if he'd find his way back to the peace he so desperately needed.