the End of Earth Ch2
author: Eriisu-April
word count: 1541
pages: 5
CH 2 =========== Stray Dog Strut
"We are stray dogs, who is fooled us, you know? Nothing we get in a wave alone. We'll go undercover; we can find the dog bite, that's right!"
- The Seatbelts (Doggy Dog, Vitaminless album)
The kid was right; the motel didn't serve breakfast.
"What bad hosting," the man muttered, passing into the cold supermarket air. The air smelled stale to him, cramped and metallic from old air conditioning units. He walked strait to the bread aisle. A delicious smell broke through his weighing of the options—chocolate or powdered—right before a delicate hand plucked one and held it in front of him. He followed the arm to a strong smile.
"These kind are better; they taste like actual food," she said in a voice to match her face.
"Hmm," he gave a light smile back. "I see." He reached for the small package until she snapped it back onto the shelf.
"Or you could eat a home cooked meal with me." At his expression she chuckled. "Me and a friend," she then amended.
She held out her hand. "Name's Sue."
Hesitantly, he took her delicate-looking hand into his much bigger one. "Julian." Her eyebrows rose. Their hands dropped.
"That's a handsome name." She had moved down the aisle, so he missed the smile steadily growing at his expense. "Well, Mr. Julian, hope you're not allergic to potato soup."
='='='='=
Julian was starting to feel put out by this woman's remarks. But it seemed he had been accepted as a guest without his knowledge, so he dutifully carried the groceries up the porch steps of a two story, light blue house. The cold rain was seeping through his new jacket too fast for his liking, at any rate, and he felt the urge to shake himself. Noticing Sue was completely dry, he gave in.
"Hey!" she started, laughing. She caught some falling rain and threw it at him.
By the time the door opened, Julian had accomplished his soaking.
"Should I come back later?" the man at the door asked dryly. Sue smiled again, meeting this man's eyes.
"Hi, Charlie." She passed by him, and Julian followed quietly. He stopped short at the doorway.
"Julian, drop the bags in here," Sue said from a different room. He shook his head, and continued on.
The house was simple; more of a bachelors habitat than anything, though he saw old family photos hung on the walls. A large TV was the center of the living room, with a welcoming couch, an afghan thrown across the back. He could see a flight of stairs from the small kitchen doorway, though he didn't inquire.
The kitchen itself was small, but comfortable… until he walked in. each footstep made it seem to shrink around him. On the table-for-two sat a half emptied can of grease, and next to it a standard, police issued shotgun rested on newspaper. Safety on, he noticed. Along the walls were small bunches of drying grasses; half dried, presumably, because the air was always damp. The clumps drew his attention the most, so out of place for a man that worked fifty hours a week.
Julian set the plastic bags on the floor, and hit his head on the table with the return trip. This time he saw Sue grin. With practiced ease she rubbed the pain away from his scalp. He twitched at the contact, gave her a look of surprise.
"And what will the kids think about this?" Charlie asked, speaking slowly and deliberately in mock distress. Sue released the stranger's head and straitened, smirking now.
"Charlie, this is Julian…"
"Julian Ann." He held out his hand. Charlie took it with his own large hand.
"Chief of Police, Charlie Swan." The grips were firm.
"I saw him wandering the supermarket, and offered to make him dinner, too, since he's new in town." She added with a small scoff, "He was about to buy cheap donuts."
Sue left the room a moment. The two men took the chance to size each other up.
Charlie looked like a hardworking, quiet man with dark hair, thinning on the top of his head. Sharp eyes looked out from good cheekbones, a thin mouth set over a firm, square chin. His clothes were the expected sort of a busy man that could care less, though put together for expected company. Julian saw fair muscles work as the man positioned himself against the wall that lead back to the front room, and the exit.
"You're new here?" he asked. Julian nodded. Charlie stared him down. "Planning on staying long?"
"Not intentionally," Julian replied, rolling his shoulders. Charlie's attention shifted a few inches lower, and he fixed his shirt collar.
"Causing trouble?"
"No, sir, officer Swan."
Sue returned wiping her hands on a towel. She looked at the two of them and rolled her eyes, turning on the stove.
='='='='=
Julian was very impressed. Sue was a good cook, and the three ate in relatively comfortable silence.
"You don't have to do this," Charlie said to her. "Coming over every other night…" Sue smiled at him.
"You need a good meal now and again, too, Charlie Swan." She looked at her bowel, scooping the last bite. "And my boys aren't starving; they prefer Emily's cooking anyway."
"I doubt that," Charlie muttered quietly, beginning his third bowel. He stopped and glanced at Julian. "Can I help you?"
Julian jumped, and went back to eating. This was getting uncomfortable. A moment later he attempted conversation.
"You said something about children," he said softly. Sue smiled again. Her smiles were much brighter around Charlie.
"Yes; I live on the reservation with my two children, Seth and Leah… But I feed anybody that comes by, which is often. Those boys are always hungry," she said with a laugh, and retold a story involving a First Beach bonfire, but stopped when she looked at Julian. "Is something wrong?"
Julian shook his head again to clear it.
"If you aren't feeling well, you could stay here tonight." Charlie looked at her, about to say something.
"That won't be necessary," Julian said. He stood, and had to steady the table when it jumped from his motion. He carefully edged to the hallway and moved toward the door. "I should be going. Thank you for the meal."
Sue looked at him with clear eyes, and he looked away from them quickly. "Are you sure you're alright?" She stood as well. "Charlie was joking before. I'm not trying to pick you up or something like that."
Charlie made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a rebuttal, and she sent him a look. He studied his bowel as if the Holy Grail had landed into it. Julian stopped mid-reach for his jacket, turning to look at her.
"Why did you want me to come here tonight?" he asked.
She was silent a moment, finally answered, "You looked hungry."
Julian lost himself in thought a moment, shook his head again. He pulled his jacket from the coat rack, and opened the door. Sue followed.
"I'll drive you to the motel," she offered.
"I'll walk." Charlie stood up and walked to the door as well, obviously going into policeman mode.
"It must not rain much where you're from." Charlie nodded out the door, motioning to a monster in truck form sleeping in the driveway. Julian looked between it and his hosts. He nodded.
"Thank you…" Julian realized that she'd never given her last name.
In hopes of saving the somehow ruined evening, she smiled softly and held out her delicate-looking hand once more.
"Clearwater. Sue Clearwater."
Julian smiled in apology, though it did not reach his eyes. He brought her hand up and kissed it. Sue turned to Charlie, mixed emotions flitting across her fine features.
"I'll clean up here," she said after a moment. Charlie nodded. The stranger had already headed out, so he awkwardly clapped her shoulder. She smiled, and he left.
='='='='=
Julian smirked as he saw Charlie run back inside quickly, only to return with his shotgun. An officer through and through, he thought. He took a deep breath, and quickly covered his forehead with a large hand, groaning.
"What was that?" he asked aloud to himself.
He'd felt horrible the moment he stepped into that house. His nose was going haywire; old smells and new smells, different than what he'd ever experienced before. All except that scent, but even it was different. It all gave him a headache. The driver's door opened, and slammed closed. The air around Charlie was suddenly heavy. With a sigh from the man, the spell broke and the monster roared to life.
He didn't understand what his sudden connection to Sue was, either. She had obviously been lying, or at least giving a half-truth, when asked what her intentions were. Even if she was a very kind woman, bringing an outsider along to dinner with a—apparently very close—male friend was unthinkable. Julian shook away the very thought that it was attraction. His hand moved down his face, rubbed the tension from his eyes, and dropped.
One thing was certain; he needed to find out what was going on, and fast.
------------- Author's note
I think it's clear by now that this story takes place after Breaking Dawn. So, yes, certain characters will be here and certain romances are in place, People Who Have Read BD. And no, the main character doesn't really know what happened either, People Who Haven't Read BD. You get to find out right along with him, so this does count as a spoiler alert.
I'm going to put a quote at the start of each chapter. I've seen it done in some of my favorite fan-fics here, and it gives an interesting start to each chapter. This one come strait from Cowboy Bebop, both the title and the song.
Tell me what you think of my character's name! Julian seemed to fit, and it does have a purpose. I chose Ann on a spur of the moment, and somehow it fits, too. :)
