I do not own Need. This is a travesty. Sell it to me Miss Jones?

Chapter 2 - Alive

Blennophobia.

Nick is standing now, and his skin is bristling. His body wants to turn into the wolf. Of course it does. Nick is a were and weres are meant to hunt pixies, which is what I am. I wish I wasn't.

His body looks like it's halfway between the change. His teeth look huge and he's really hairy. If I wasn't so scared I would make a red riding hood joke right now. "What big teeth you have Nick!" But now isn't the time for jokes.

It's his eyes that get to me the most. It's like he knows who I am and knows he doesn't want to hurt me, but his instincts are telling him I'm a threat, and it's tearing him in two. He's got pain in those eyes.

"Tell me it's not true," he growls around a mouthful of teeth too big for his face.

I don't know how to respond. I don't know if I can respond. I have to remember how to form words.

I feel Issie put her hand on my shoulder and I look over at her. Devyn, Cassidy, and Betty are standing around me too and I'm wondering when they got there. I take a deep breath and realize I hadn't been breathing. How long was I not breathing?

I hear Nick take a deep breath too. When I look back at him, his features are relaxing, becoming more human. He's looking between Issie and I. He sits back down on the couch behind him and runs a hand through his hair with a big sigh.

I think about how confusing this must be for him. The last thing he would remember is getting attacked by pixie king Frank, and then waking up on my couch with me pixified. Yeah, I could understand how that would be... unsettling. It still weirds me out.

Nick opens his mouth a little and looks like he's about to say something, but he doesn't get the chance. A big lump of pink and white has just attached itself to him.

"Oh Nick!", Issie squeals. She's hugging him tight and it looks like she's crying all over his shoulder.

Issie is quickly joined by the rest of the gang. They are all welcoming him back, giving him hugs or pats on the back.

"Good to see you again kid."

"Welcome back bud!"

"We missed you Nick."

Now Nick is really confused.

My mom and I are the only ones who haven't joined in. My mom is still standing in the kitchen because... well because she hates pixies too, and even though she just apologized for treating me weirdly since I became a pixie I think she's still getting used to the idea. And I am still standing by the fireplace because I'm not sure my body knows how to move anymore.

Is Nick really right in front of me? Alive and talking and breathing? Im not dreaming, right?

Nick looks through the cheering, crying crowd at me. His face gets very serious.

"What happened?", he says.

My band of friends backs up to give him some space. They look between him and me. He is still staring at me intensely, though not unkindly. They start heading into the kitchen, I guess to give us our space. I kind of wish they would stay and tell the story instead. I already told him everything in Valhalla. But he's forgotten it now, so I have to tell it again.

And this time was going to be less fun than the last time.