The Fever and the Shiver

Serena's POV

When we arrived at what appeared to be Jacob's house it was already dark and I had developed a strong fever. I was struggling to breath evenly as the chill from the water overtook me.

Jacob and the boys waited outside with a man in a wheelchair, while a woman named Sue tried to help me into dry clothes, I was afraid of her, unable to trust anyone except the three boys who I met on the beach and struggled against her touch until Jacob knocked on the door, "You can trust Sue, kid I promise nothing bad is gonna happen." I calmed down and Sue smiled apologetically as she finished dressing me. She told me to lay down and sat me on the bed. Like hell I will, what if they leave me. Worry overcame my weak body and I tried to get up and out the door to Jacob but the exhaustion had fully set in with the fever and I fell out of the bed and onto my knees with a loud, thud. Breathing just as heavily as before I struggled to get up, completely drained.

Quil and Embry burst in, "Is she alright, oh crap, Kid?" I looked up at them feeling hotter and hotter as I got up slowly. Too much too much, everything hurt and I shivered despite feeling as though I was touching the sun. I shivered harder and finally summoned my voice enough to scream from the piercing pain that erupted in my head as the heat continued to envelop me I sunk back down to my knees, Too hot, ow so much pain, my head. I felt sick, help, help, it hurts. My vision of the two blurred and the last thing I saw was Embry reaching for me as I welcomed the darkness, "Kid, Kid, Kid!"

JACOB'S POV

Dammit. Where the hell was Carlisle? The kid damn near died from her fever almost 10 minutes ago… if he didn't get here soon, she wouldn't make it much longer. What the hell was she doing in that water? I paced outside in the living room while filling in my dad and Sue, along with Sam, on the situation the kid was in.

"You're sure you boys have never seen her before?" Sue looked at us, worried both for the girl and the mystery behind her.

"No, but we don't exactly go around looking at the citizens of Forks now do we? We just found her at the beach," Embry nibbled on his nail walking back up to check on the kid.

"I'm pretty sure one of us would remember whites like that," Quil looked from me to Embry and Sam. He was referring to her very distinct, eyes which were the craziest shade of blue I'd ever seen, it was like a deep electric blue, no one else in Forks or the reservation had eyes like that.

"You're right. But she's kind of pale maybe she's a vampire…?"

"Yeah right Sam a vampire drowning? With a fever?" Fever, dammit where the hell was Carlisle?

"I think drowning will do that kind of shit to you, Sam. It's not exactly the time to think about a tan." Embry glared at him, growing more irritated with Sam's accusations.

"I'm just saying we shouldn't trust her and turn her over to the cops."

"She's sick and getting worse why the hell would we leave her at a police station!" Embry was losing his head.

"Enough, both of you!" I glared at both of them, "This isn't good for the kid."

Knock knock. Carlisle, finally. I threw the door open.

"Sorry I'm late Jacob, there was a case at the hospital and no other Doctor's could fill in for me. Where's the girl?" I pointed to my room. Carlisle and I walked in and we saw the kid panting, hard. She was whimpering with a hand on her head. Carlisle touched her arm and her eyes popped open. She began to panic until she saw us and relaxed. I sat her up and left her in the room with Carlisle while he examined her, taking her pulse and checking her pupils. I began to walk out the room but before I made it out the door the girl started gasping, Carlisle gave her a shot of something, "Morphine, for her pain right now." And here I thought Edward was the mind reader.

"Kid, stay put while the doctor takes care of you okay? I'll be right outside with the guys." She dizzily looked from the moon to me and despite shivering so much she opened her mouth

"Okay, J-J-Jacob. Th-thank you."

I smiled leaving the room and shutting the door. We all waited in silence as Carlisle worked on the kid. An hour later he walked out.

"She's hypothermic, I'm guessing from her prolonged exposure and I gave her some pills for her fever and started her on warm IV fluids since she seems exhausted and malnourished. As long as you keep her warm throughout the night and the next few days she'll be fine. Don't let her outside though it's the middle of winter and we don't want her temp to drop again this soon. I recommend that one of you stay beside her tonight since you're warmer than a normal blanket." He smiled clasping a hand on my shoulder, "I'll ask Edward if he knows anyone that's looking for her or if he's seen her. I'll tell Renesmee about your situation since I'm sure you missed the hunt today." Crap.

"I'll make it up to her next week!"

Carlisle laughed, "She'll forgive you Jacob, after all the girl in that trusts you most right now I doubt she'd listen to Sue or even Billy. So, it's safer for her that you're here. She appears to be about sixteen years old, a harsh age to lose one's memories. I'll come back to check on her in a few days." He walked out and began to call Edward, I guess Alice might have seen the kid's arrival.

I walked back into the room and Quil and Embry were at her bedside. I knew they had heard what the doc had said so I didn't have to explain anything.

"Jake what are we going to do with her? I mean, she doesn't have anywhere else to go, and it's the middle of winter she can't just stay in a jail cell or bounce around foster homes or she'll get sick again." Quil, of course he had been thinking what we all had and of course he had said it all out loud.

"Well," my dad rolled in putting a hand over the girl's head, tossing another blanket on her, "Carlisle is right, she's safer here than with anyone else." Everyone looked at me, dammit why was it always me? Crap, Sam was right, we don't know anything about her, hell, she doesn't even know anything about her. Suddenly a groan pulled me away from my thoughts, the kid was waking up.

"Jacob?" He voice sounded so small, it was kind of cute, I felt like I had a little sister or something. I walked over to her and patted her head when her eyes popped open, jeez, that color always startled me and they stood out of her olive skin and black hair.

"Hey kid, do you remember anything?"

"Mmm, fire, running." What the hell? I understand the fire considering she was hot from her fever but what did the running mean?

"Were you running from something? Kid? Do you know your name?" She stared back at me answering my questions with a blank stare. Crap, not a single thing. "Okay well I'll head over to the police station in the morning and ask Charlie if anyone matching her description has been reported missing. Quil and Embry stay with her and keep her warm tonight."

"Wait!" The kid shot out of the bed and Embry caught her before she fell again. "I don't– I don't want anyone taking me away from here. I know I'm weak right now, but I can be stronger I promise just, I want to stay–ah!" She began to shiver again and Embry laid her back down and put her back under the covers.

"Jeez, no one's taking you anywhere," Guess that decision was made, "You're staying here with me and Billy alright? Just lie back and get some rest okay?" For the first time in a while she smiled and nodded her head. I left the room with Billy, Sue, and Sam following behind.

"Jake, are you sure about this I still don't trust her."

"Shut it Sam, the decision has been made my say is final, the girl stays with us."

"And if she finds out about our true nature? What then Jacob?"

"Something tells me she won't freak out even if she did find out so lay off!"

"Boys, boys! None of this fighting will do any good." Billy smiled at me and nodded as if telling me, job well done. Sam stormed out I heard a low growl in the distance, he won't let me forget this.

"Jake! Quil and I are thinking of names help us settle a tie."

"Em, names for what your first born?"

"No idiot, the kid!"

"I think we should call her Ariel since we found her by the ocean."

"Oh wow Quil all that time with Claire has really gotten to you!" Embry laughed a little too loud.

"I think we should just call her Blue since her eyes are the one thing that really stands out."

"Guys, she's not some stray cat we found in a box."

"Well, c'mon Jacob! We can't just keep calling her 'Kid' I'm sure she hates that." Embry gave me a look that told me to go with his stupid name.

"We can just call her by her name when she remembers–"

"IF she remembers."

"I've had enough. I'll go stay in the room while you idiots name your cat."

I walked in quietly thinking the kid was asleep only to find her reading a book. "You should really rest."

"Selene."

"What?"

"She was the goddess of the moon according to this book of gods and goddesses and it's better than Blue." She rolled her eyes at the door.

"Blue is a great name!" Embry called. Idiot.

"Hm, Selene...I don't know might be a little too glamorous for a girl I found covered in sand." I laughed as she threw a pillow at me.

"I can't really remember anything about myself but I feel like I had an 'S' name." She looked at me worried with how I'd react.

"Well why do you like Selene? Because of the book?"

"The moon is clear, tranquil which is refreshing considering how chaotic my life has been in the past few hours." She seemed worried, I mean I would be too if I drowned and forgot who I was.

"Tranquil huh? Serene like the calm of the tide…" I turned on my phone and searched serene names and it popped up, "How about Serena? It literally means clear and tranquil." I looked up and the girl was beaming up at me. Wow killer smile with eyes to match.

"Alright Serena it is!" I said this a little louder so Embry and Quil would quit bickering in the living room.

"What? C'mon kid! I jump into the freezing cold water to save you and Jacob's name is better?" Embry was so dramatic. Serena laughed in response to this.

"Ariel, my name was very relevant to you!" Quil laughed glad like the rest of us that the kid was feeling better.

"Jacob wins boys!" She smiled back at us, "Call me, Serena—" She gasped and shivered. In an instant we realized that she was uncovered, I guess when she went to grab the book she forgot to cover herself. Quil put his arms around her warming her instantly. The shivering stopped and she smiled meekly, "Sorry."

"Alright that's enough. Serena, you need to rest so Quil will stay here for the night. Stay warm."

"Kay," she said groggily as sleep overtook her.

Embry and I walked out quietly while Quil covered her and moved her closer to him on the bed.

"Think widdle baby, Claire would mind the spooning?" Embry chuckled looking back at Quil and Serena.

"Oh shut it Em," Quil rolled his eyes grazing his hand over Serena's cheek, worrying just like us about whether she'd make it through the night without anymore shivering.

"Serena," Embry whispered under his breath shaking his head in defeat. Guess she'd be staying with us from now on.

A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! I've had this idea in my head for a while and finally decided to put it out there. I'll try to update later today or tomorrow since I have a good idea about what I want to do next. Until then, I'd love to hear what you guys think! Any predictions? Hopes for what happens next?