Shattered Expectations

Author: Miranda Hobbs

ANNOUNCMENT: I do not, nor will I ever own or make money off this story. Twilight is owned by Stephanie Meyer, I'm just borrowing it for inspiration! Charlotte does belong to me however, thank you.

Chapter 2: Everything has changed...

****Leah's POV****

Well this was just perfect. I managed to get the girl into a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. I don't remember being this catatonic, but when I had changed, everything in my life had started to make sense. Why Sam had left me, why the boys on the reservation and my father had been acting so strangely. Maybe that was the difference. I had hated how they could see every little thing I was thinking and feeling, every memory I'd ever had. Some things were meant to be private. Now things were different. I wasn't with Sam and I had accepted that. He'd imprinted on Emily, he hadn't had any control over it. Now it seemed that Seth had no control over it.

Being a wolf came with a lot of advantages, but a lot of disadvantages too. I wouldn't wish it on any girl, especially given that we're the minority. It tended to suck too at how quickly we'd go through clothes, at least when the boys changed, they might lose a pair of pants and boxers. Being a girl it wasn't so easy. I'd taken to buying a lot of sports bras, considering the other kind got kind of pricey.

"Do you think you can keep anything down?" I asked, watching the girl.

I knew that the metabolism went into overdrive when you became a wolf. Emily constantly commented about how much the pack could eat. When your body ran something like 10 degrees above normal, it burned through food much faster. She didn't answer me. She'd found a place at the wall to stare at. I just sighed and pushed myself to stand up and left her to rest. I found Seth sitting outside in the hallway. Already it was puppy love. God, that was so annoying.

"She'll be fine. I'm going to make her a couple sandwiches and get her something to drink." I told him as I moved to go down to the kitchen. We hadn't seen how big she was, but if Jacob's visual had been right, the girl was huge as a wolf. It was going to be an interesting few days to say the least.

****Charlotte's POV****

Who could think about food when my whole world was turned upside down? When everything I believed in, grown up with was a lie? When there were monsters out of fairy tales and I turned into one of them. I could still hear the voices, I could remember everything they'd said and it was running through my mind. Wolves. Werewolves. Not the kind in horror stories or fairy tales evidently. Not needing moons to change or be cursed by some kind of cruel magic. This was different, as old as the spirits and pagan religions. I had studied some of it in high school before the accident. In Washington, you got a chance to learn some about the native cultures, given as many Indian tribes still inhabited the area. There had been stories of shapeshifters, or spirits in the shape of wolves and ravens, protecting the people. But those were just bedtime stories, things parents told their children to try to explain away all the bad in the world.

There was wallpaper on the wall, little woven designs, probably vines at one point, now faded with age. I heard the other girl ask if I was hungry, but I couldn't even think about food. It was hard to even focus on my own chaotic thoughts. It had been so strange. I still didn't understand it all. Why was this happening to me?

I felt the bed shift slightly as someone sat down on it. I felt the worst that I had ever felt in my entire life. Like every cold that I had ever had in my life had suddenly decided to revisit me. I hadn't gotten sick that often. I felt so miserably hot, every muscle in my body was aching something fierce. Maybe this was my punishment? I know that I flinched when the person touched me. I knew that it was that boy. I could smell him. I could smell everything! It was maddening to be able to smell so much.

Then he was petting my hair. That actually felt kind of nice and I relaxed a little bit as he sat there. He didn't say anything. I guess he didn't have to. He understood what was going on with me. I finally turned to look at him, searching his face for some kind of answer. I didn't know why I felt like he would have them.

"I know things are scary right now, but you're safe here and we'll help you through this." he said, quietly, watching me.

There was something in his eyes and the way his voice was so kind that made me want his comfort. I knew that he was trying to comfort me. He was trying to assure me that everything was okay.

"Am I a monster?" I asked, I had to know, was I going to eat babies or ravage villages?

"No, you're a force for good as long as you want to be." he answered.

Well that was good at least. I didn't have to worry about being a crazed animal. "Is Renesmee okay?" I asked, needing to know that I hadn't hurt that baby.

"She's a sturdy little thing. She'll be just fine. I know she's concerned about you though."

"What's your name?" I finally asked, glad I at least hadn't hurt Bella's little girl.

"Seth Clearwater. Yours?"

"Charlotte O'Grady. Charlie." I replied, it was so strange being called Charlotte most of the time, it was an automatic habit to correct myself and others when I said it. Only my mother had called me that, well and Jonathon.

"Nice to meet you, Charlie. You're at the La Push Reservation and you're welcome to stay as long as you need."

"You're sure that the Cullens are okay?" I asked, needing to know that I hadn't hurt anyone.

"Yeah, they're fine. I'm sure that they're worried if you're okay. I'll call them in a little while if Jake hasn't already." Seth assured me.

Now if you're wondering why I was so concerned about the Cullens, it was because I didn't have many people that would associate with me. The other kids from the foster homes had all lost touch, my parents were dead, and others were merely acquaintances. Bella had been nice to me, even though evidently she'd realized something about me that I hadn't known about myself. Even knowing that, she'd still remained my friend. Maybe that was why others had not been my friend, they'd realized I was some kind of different person. I wouldn't say that I was a freak, but I felt a little like it. First I was a bastard, now I was a werewolf? Who in the hell was my father? Had my mother known about this? There were just so many questions and evidently few answers.

"My sister is making you something to eat. You should probably eat and then try to get some rest. We can explain everything to you in the morning when the rest of the pack gets here."

"Pack?" I asked, moving to sit up, "You mean like..."

"Yeah, a wolf pack. There are about 20 of us here at the reservation. Two packs actually. Jake's pack and Sam's pack." Seth explained.

"Sounds like gangs in a turf war." I mumbled.

"No, we're one big family... just some of us had different beliefs then others." Seth replied with a chuckle.

I wondered what that chuckle was about and had the feeling that I would find out. Things were complicated but it seemed like they were going to get even more so before I was through. I didn't even realize it, but I'd curled myself against the warmth of Seth's thigh, even though I felt like I was burning up. His fingers in my hair were comforting. It was just a soft touch, but it was the best feeling in the world right now. My mother had sometimes done that when I had managed to get sick. I'd gotten Mono once and she'd sat with me for days, which Jonathon had complained about, not to mention the hospital bills. He'd all but accused me of getting sick on purpose just to mess up his life.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, quietly, his hand still playing with strands of my hair.

"I shouldn't want to be here. I feel like I'm boiling to death and you're just as warm as me...and yet, I'm not uncomfortable." I replied.

"Yes well, that will be explained later." he replied, but then just sat back against the headboard and stayed. He obviously wasn't going anywhere, even when his lanky and drop dead gorgeous sister walked into the room, carrying a plate stacked with a few sandwiches and a big glass of milk. My stomach growled in response as I sat up, feeling like I'd just rolled in a pig pen next to this beautiful Indian girl. It was like Bella, I felt utterly dowdy in comparison.

"I see you're feeling a little better. Seth is good like that." Leah said as she handed me the plate and glass. "Eat up, you'll feel better."

"This is my sister Leah. Leah, this is Charlie." Seth said, motioning from Leah to me and vice versa.

"We've met." Leah pointed out to him before she turned, leaving the door cracked.

"She's so pretty." I commented as I picked up half a sandwich to start eating. My stomach was gnawing at me. I knew it was a bad idea, because I'd probably just throw it up when my nerves started to get jittery again.

"Yeah, she's alright, for a sister." Seth said with a slightly crooked grin.

****Seth's POV****

I watched her as she ate. She wasn't like the other boys at least, they would have horfed down the plate and looked for more. She seemed mindful not to look like a pig. Not that she could. I realized as I watched her that this girl had some serious self-esteem problems because of just the way she held herself. I wondered what had beaten her down so much that she felt shy around someone like Leah. She'd even commented how pretty she was. That was strange to me. Perhaps because Leah, while she'd been cynical and bitter for a long time, had a large measure of bravado.

It wasn't even until we'd turned into wolves that I had truly understood how deeply Sam had hurt her. That in itself had made it easier to leave Sam's pack. What he'd done to my sister hadn't really endeared me to him. I understood that it hadn't been his choice, but Leah was still my sister. The pack were my brothers, but it was different then Leah to me. Now it was different with Charlie too. I wanted to protect her and show her that the world, however different it was now could be just as beautiful as anything. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to be whatever she needed me to be and right now, she needed a friend.

"She makes pretty decent sandwich, hmm?" he asked as she'd started on the second sandwich.

I couldn't help but smile as that blonde head nodded quickly. It was rather cute. I don't think she even realized how gorgeous she was. There was just a way she held herself, like she didn't have any confidence. I'm sure that a part of that was the fear and confusion of being a newly changed werewolf, but there was more to it then that. I would figure it out in time. "When you've rested, I can show you around, maybe even show you the good things about this change." I offered.

Charlie looked hesitant, glancing towards the window and then the door. "I don't want people to see me like this." she said.

"Like what? A normal teenager?" I asked, "It's not like you have a neon sign on your forehead saying, I change when pissed."

"I wasn't even pissed, I was scared. Edward drives like a frickin' lunatic." Charlie said, sounding a little bit offended that I thought she might get pissed off.

"My apologies then." I replied, quickly, not wanting to piss her off, "Just every one of us had something... usually anger that set us off. I had had a fight with my dad."

I hadn't understood then why my father would not tell me what was going on, why he wouldn't let me help when Bella had gone missing, why he'd tried to shelter me so much. Now he was gone and I understood, but it was still that empty place in my heart now. I couldn't take back the things I'd said or the way things had happened. I loved my father, but he was gone now and there was regret there.

"If anger had set me off, I would have had this happen a long time ago... any time I fought with Jonathon... or when my mom died." Charlie said, quietly, looking down at the now empty plate. Wait. Where had the third sandwich gone? Had she eaten it? I hadn't even noticed.

"It could have been Bella and Edward that set you off too... it set some of us off when vampires came into the neighborhood." I explained.

"Vamp... wait, what? You're not seriously thinking cause they're a little goth and strange that they are vampires... like bite your neck and feed from you vampires, right?" she asked.

"You're a werewolf, Charlie. Is it really so hard to believe that they're vampires?" I asked, watching her.

"She just never... I mean that is." she stammered, looking entirely confused.

"They're not vampires like you're thinking, but those kind of vampires do exist. They're... well they call themselves veggie vamps." I explained, reaching out to tuck the blonde hair out of her eyes.

"They're vegetarian?" she asked, then tilting her head to the side slightly, "I guess that would explain why I never saw her eat anything and she feels like she swallowed the iceberg that took down the Titanic. It's still just too weird. I can't... just... thinking..."

"You don't have to think about it right now. You just need to get some rest now that you've eaten." I replied, trying to shush her confusion and get her to quit thinking about it all. It was a lot to take in.

I could see the difficulty of the choices on her face. She wanted to know the answers, but at the same time, she didn't want to know. In many respects, I could only think that things would be easier for her if she had never known what she was, but in respect to where one comes from, she was pack. She had the right to know. That didn't make the knowing any easier on any of us. I could tell that she needed to process and that wasn't easier with me in the room. Pushing myself up off the bed, I gave her a smile, "I'll be in the other room if you need me, okay?"

"Umm yeah, other room, got it." she replied, looking at me stark straight. It was like a punch to the groin. Why in the hell did someone have eyes like that? They were so sad and lost, all I wanted to do was bring some light back into them. That would have to come later, for now, I slipped out of the room to give her some time to digest it all.

End of Chapter 2, I know it's short, but I'm still figuring it out. R/R