A LITTLE RAIN BEFORE THE RAINBOW
A Shiver fanfiction by ronsandharrys
Author's note: Hey guys, I'm back! (: Please enjoy this new chapter, I hope I can continue this story in the days to come. Sorry for the long wait. I just want you guys to know that I spent a lot of time on this one, I had to refresh my memory on Sam and Grace and the other characters because I really want to protray them exactly as they were described and told by the creative and wonderful Maggie Stiefvater. I had to do a lot of research as well on the pregnancy and things like Stiefvater's theory in the books about werewolves.
CHAPTER FOUR
GRACE
"How many times do I have to tell you," I walked rapidly along the bookshelves, not really paying attention to the books. "Doctor Dodge said anything is okay except for drugs, and… smoking."
"Well, I don't trust Doctor Dodge for 100 percent," Sam answered. He was sitting behind the cashier booth but I know from his sound that he wasn't really upset about our conversation. "Remember Rose, that intern on the studio who ate too much salty food? She swelled on her ankles and stomach and her blood pressure increased drastically."
I emerged from the lines of bookshelves to look at his face. Sam was frowning. "Aw, come on Sam," I said as I walked to him and waved a french fry in front of his face. "Since when did you know things like blood pressure things like that anyway? Besides, Rose's daughter was born fine and healthy in the end."
When I saw that Sam didn't relax, I put my arm around his waist – he was sitting on a high stool so he was as high as I was. He sighed and put his other arm around my shoulder. Then he laid his head on top of mine. I can smell the summer leaves and sunlight on his shirt and feel the texture of his jeans on my fingers. "Please, can't you just eat some salad or muffins? It's only four more months anyway…" Sam whispered to my hair.
I let go of him and dumped the box of french fries on the trashcan. "There. Happy?" I turned to him. Sam stood up, circled his hands around my waist, trapping me against the cashier booth, and brushed his lips against mine. "You know," I whispered while leaning my head back so I can look into his eyes. "In a few months my belly would be so large we won't be able to do this anymore."
Sam kissed me again, this time less softly and more earnestly. "Well then, we just need to preserve this precious memory as long as we can."
I giggled and resisted when he tried to kiss me again. "Don't you have a bookstore to take care of?"
Sam growled deeply just as a costumer walked inside the door. He was surprised to see us, but more surprised with the sound Sam just made. I was grinning uncontrollably and Sam looked both frightened and embarrassed.
"Do you own a dog or something in here?" the man asked us, now more confused than surprised.
The man and I both looked at Sam, waiting for him to answer. He eyed me warily, as if blaming me for the situation he stumbled into. "It's probably my phone ringtone," Sam said. He blushed and ducked his head down and I immediately felt sorry. I knew he didn't like lying to anyone, even though it was only a small white lie.
"Anyway, can we help you with anything? Any particular book you are looking for?" I said to distract the man. While the customer described what he was looking for I tangled my fingers on his hand. I looked at him and he smiled reassuringly, and after a little nudge he went to the man to take him between some of the bookshelves.
SAM
Spending days with pregnant Grace is very different from normal Grace. We spend most of our daily lives in our little cottage normally as always. But the difference that really shows on her twentieth month of pregnancy is her increase of appetite.
Grace partly thinks that her first pregnancy that ended in the miscarriage was partly because I didn't completely agree with it. Before we were expecting the second time, we had discussed it together and she told me I had to be a hundred percent participating on this. I looked at her hopeful eyes and agreed that we would try again with Cole's plan, because I know how much she wanted this. It didn't stop me from worrying, but I try to hide how I felt during those nervous nights and regular nerve-wrecking visits to the doctor because I know she would want me to be happy and supportive for her. She was happier than during her first pregnancy, and it was because I was also happier and joined into our plans for our future child.
Grace's pregnancy affected me in ways we didn't expected. I started getting more inspiration for my music, and since the past few months I have almost completed a new album. Grace was excited – I wasn't so thrilled about it because my producer told me albums might always be unsuccessful. I didn't want to start with hopes that are too high.
"You have to keep thinking positively, Sam," she said to me as we drove home from lunch in town on a Sunday noon. It was a sunny and warm day and we were both feeling warm as well, despite Grace's more and more annoying back aches.
"I know, Grace. I just think maybe it's time for me and you to find an… alternative resort. We can't just depend on my album-selling to feed three mouths," I said.
"You want to stop producing your songs and find a job?"
"No, I just want us to be ready if by any chance my album does not give us profit. We both might need to find a job."
Grace fell silent. I sneaked a glance at her, thinking she was upset. But she wasn't. Instead, she was thinking and considering about it. Her hair – now longer and darker than before she was pregnant – fell beautifully across her thoughtful face and I couldn't help but slow down the car and reach over to touch her head.
"It's a reasonable plan, I think," Grace finally said as the car arrived home. "I'll search the newspapers at home for available jobs."
"Isabel!" Grace shouted in surprise as we walked inside the house. Isabel and Cole were sitting on the couch, watching television, but as I stepped through the doorway Grace was already smothering her in a huge hug.
"You look so…" Isabel looked at Grace from head to toe jugdingly, "pregnant! How much longer until the baby is born?"
"According to Cole's calculation, about a month or more," Grace smiled. She looked much happier with Isabel at her company. It has been months since they've seen each other, Isabel still lives in California but they talk sometimes. I think Grace just feels lonely sometimes, living without girl friends. The only person she could really talk to was a boy, and it's her husband.
"Well then, you'll be seeing me for about a month or more," Isabel said and received another hug from Grace. "That is, if you two don't mind," she looked at me for approval.
"Why not? We've got plenty of space here," I smiled at her.
"Are you being sarcastic, Sam Roth?" Isabel eyed me with huge suspicion.
"Isabel Culpeper, you don't know me enough," I said. "When have I ever been sarcastic to you?"
GRACE
"So, Grace," Isabel snapped me from my daydreams. She was driving my car going to the mall, we decided to have a girl-to-girl trip by shopping for baby clothes. Even though Isabel had lived together with us for more than a week we've never really spent time together alone, especially with me finding a job for Sam's idea of "Alternative Resort". "Have you thought of names for the baby yet?"
"Not yet," I answered. "I was thinking I should just leave that part to Sam, since he's the poetic person, he can think of plenty of romantic and lyrical names."
"Oh yeah, speaking of lyrics, how is Sam's songs going on?"
I smiled, thinking of all the hours he spent in his studio with his guitar and some of his producer friends. "He's working hard on it. But he wouldn't let me listen to any of the songs yet. I don't even know why. I tried asking Cole about it, but apparently Sam did something to him that made him silent about the subject."
"Wow, that's a little weird. I mean, Sam usually plays a lot of music around you, doesn't he?"
"I know. I sometimes he would unconsciously hum some of the songs I've never heard of, but then he'd realized I was listening and stop. I've begged for him to just give me a song or two, but he persisted. He said he wanted it to be a surprise or something like that."
"Oh, his songs are all probably about you anyway…" Isabel said. "I wish someone would make romantic songs about me…"
I immediately thought about Cole but then I realized that Cole and Isabel weren't together – they never were anyway, their relationship is really complicated and I never really know what actually happened – but I know from her tone that Isabel was thinking of one specific person. But I didn't say anything to her. We just continued in silence until we reached the mall.
After buying dozens of new clothes for the baby – Isabel insisted that she pays for them all, saying that it was a present for me – we went home, this time I was driving.
The day was almost dark and the road was slippery from the heavy rain that fell that afternoon. Our cottage was located really close to the woods, and so the road we always take going home would be quiet and silent and filled with dark trees all around the edge.
"You should be careful Grace, it's really slippery out here," Isabel sounded nervous. "Maybe I should drive."
"Nonsense, we're almost there anyway!" I squinted a little bit to look ahead. I thought I saw something move on the trees in front.
Suddenly a figure appeared from the woods. It slipped and fell down right in front of my car, and I hit the brakes as hard as I could, but my heart stopped in fear when I hear a crack from outside.
"What the hell – " Isabel was even more shocked than I was.
"You OK?" I asked her.
"Of course I am! That guy isn't, though!" without hesitation she opened the car door and ran to the person. I didn't know what else to do except follow her.
The person I ran into was a teenager. A boy with black hair and skinny limbs. I wasn't moving and when my shaking fingers took his wrist I couldn't feel any pulse. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I looked at Isabel, who was bending down to listen if he was breathing.
"I think he's still alive," she whispered. Her eyes looked frightened and I was pretty sure mine looked alarmed as well.
I decided not to even think about what I just did and why a boy like him would wander around the woods in the dark like that. I turned him slightly to look at where he was wounded. There was no sign of blood, but I was pretty sure the crack I heard was from him. I took a deep breath and steadied myself. Even though almost all of this is my fault, I tried not to panic or break down, because this person need immediate help and I should be calm and clear-minded if I want to save his life.
"Okay," I talked clearly to Isabel. Luckily she wasn't a person who panics easily about something so she can help things when they are urgent. "Let's carry him into the car. You'll drive. I'll hold him in the back seat. It's to late to take him to the hospital; it's probably an hour away in the slippery road. We just have to do what we can at home."
Isabel nodded and together we carried that person inside the car. "You OK, Grace?" Isabel looked concerned seeing me lifting up heavy weights with a bulging tummy.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just drive."
I stayed in the car when we arrived in front of the house and Isabel ran inside for some help. Along the way I kept checking the guy's pulse and feeling his body, trying to find which bone was broken. The person was indeed alive, but he either couldn't open his eyes or was unconscious because of the pain.
A few minutes later Sam and Cole went inside the car and helped me carry him to the house. I saw that they were practicing guitar or editing their songs on the dining table, judging by the scattered papers and two guitars lying on the floor. The boy was now lying on the sofa, and everyone was bending upon him. Under the lights I can see now that his skin was tanned and his limbs weren't really skinny, he was slightly muscled. But he looked so young and vulnerable.
The boys started taking off his clothes, wet from the rain. They were feeling around, trying to find anything that might hurt him. There were bruises all around his chest and hands, however.
"It's the right shoulder. And some ribs," Sam declared. Isabel was nowhere to be seen.
"What should we do? If his ribs are broken, he might have internal bleeding," I said to him. "He needs professional help."
Sam just looked at me with calculating eyes. He was trying to figure out how I suddenly ended up bringing an unconscious teenager to the house. Especially because I was pregnant.
"I have a plan," Cole announced.
We both looked away from each other and looked at Cole. He looked determined. "He can't survive as a human. His systems are failing. But, if we change him into a wolf, he might be able to heal his wounds easily."
I was too shocked to say anything. Change him into a wolf? That's absurd. Sam apparently didn't think so. From his frowning face I could tell that he was seriously considering that suggestion.
"What else can we do anyway?" Cole said to me, knowing I wouldn't agree with him. "We can't take him to the hospital. It's too far away. He'll die before we even get there."
"Sam?" I asked him for his opinion.
"Why don't you just ask what he thinks?"
We all looked back at the teenager. He had opened his eyes. He looked surprised, but also in pain. "Who the hell are you guys?" he breathed.
The three of us looked at each other. Then I walked forward and kneeled next to the sofa. "What's your name?"
"Zachary. Ow – " he was holding his right arm with his left hand, he was definitely in pain.
"Zachary, I'm Grace. I'm so sorry, but I hit you with my car. You're hurt. And we want to help you. But this alternative might be a little weird for you."
Zachary looked at me. I tried very hard to look strong and confident. He seemed convinced. "I heard him. You're the couple who lives alone in the woods with the wolves. I've heard rumors about you guys. They say you change into wolves at night because you've lived too close to the real ones." He didn't look scared when he said the small town's rumours that had been going on about Sam and I for years. I was starting to like him.
"The rumors are partly right. We used to be able to change into wolves. Now we can't. But we /can/ change you into one. Like Cole said, you might have a chance to live as a wolf," I explained to him.
Zachary closed his eyes. I thought he was going to pass out again, but he opened them again. They were blue eyes, full of youth and hope. "I want to live," he stated simply.
I stood up and nodded at Cole. He quickly ran to the bathroom, where we kept an injection needle, just in case. Meanwhile Sam and I sat a little near the sofa, where Zachary was whimpering in pain. Sam held my hand tightly.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, looking at me. It seemed like he only wanted to talk to me, despite the fact that I was the one who did this to him.
"You mean changing?" I asked, glancing at Sam nervously.
He nodded.
"I'll just be honest with you – yes, yes it does. And after you change, you might feel things that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable. But it's all going to be fine. Cole's going to change too. Although it's not really cold yet, he'll be able to change a little after you so he can make sure you'll be okay."
"Okay." He closed his eyes again and didn't move.
I was thinking about what Cole and Isabel were doing when suddenly a huge movement came from my stomach. I gasped in pain – it felt like the baby was alarmingly moving.
"Grace?" Sam's yellow eyes were filled with panicked concern. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"
I was suddenly sweating and breathing really hard. "Yeah. I think it's changing. Maybe it's because I was out on the cold too long."
Sam stood up, linking his hands behind his head and sat down again. Before we could do anything Cole and Isabel emerged with all the things needed to give blood. I have no idea where they got them or if those items had been hidden away in the house all this time. Cole was ready in the dining table, his hand stretched out for Isabel to take his blood.
"Cole, are you sure about this?" Sam asked him, his voice stressed out.
"Absolutely," Cole was grinning from ear to ear. "Don't worry boy, I'll be a wolf too. Hmm…" he didn't even flinch when Isabel stuck the needle inside his veins. "I wonder if those blue eyes can get you accepted inside the pack."
"Stop joking with him, Cole," Isabel seemed almost as laid back and unworried as Cole. "Of course he'll be accepted. In fact, he might be able to become the leader in a few years."
I closed my eyes in pain. The baby wasn't moving anymore, but I knew it was only a matter of time before it completely changes. I need to keep myself warm or the baby and I might be in danger. I had to get the baby outside soon so it can change, or it will change inside me.
"Can you hold on, Grace?" Sam's concerned eyes were upon me again. He put his arm around my shoulder and his other hand upon my belly.
"Yeah, sure. You just focus on Zachary. I'm fine."
"Okay, Zacky," Cole gave Isabel a pack full of his infected blood. "Ready to grow some fur?"
Zachary looked like he was going to die. He didn't even have the strength to open his mouth. He just nodded painfully and Isabel stuck the needle to his flesh.
Within a few minutes Zachary's body started jerking and his shoulders arched inhumanly. We quickly carried him to the backyard, where he would be able to escape to the woods as quickly as he could. Cole started ripping clothes off his body as well. As a burst of cold air blew towards the house Cole shuddered and changed, followed by Zachary.
Wolf Zachary looked small but steady and his blue eyes looked so human. They darted around us – Sam, Isabel, and I – and focused on the woods opposite him. Cole, who was halfway there, howled, urging him to come with him. With great swiftness and agility, the wolf ran to the woods and the three of us breathed the sigh of relief. Zachary's bones were probably healed already. By the time he became human again in the spring, he would be healthy again.
And then my stomach lurched violently again, making me cry in pain and fall to my knees. I forgot that I was supposed to stay warm. Another series of cold wind came from the woods, making my baby almost ready to change again.
"Sam, it's changing!" I screamed as hard as I could.
"Just hold on, Grace. We're going to take you to the hospital. Just hold on for half an hour. Can you do that?" Sam's steady eyes were fixed upon me, and suddenly the baby stopped moving again and I could stand up to get inside. But the pain wasn't gone.
"I think so. Let's just go," I breathed.
"Isabel, you drive. Start the car," Sam ordered.
The next hour passed like a blur because of the pain that was blinding all my senses. All I knew was that I kept thinking: the baby is going to change. And suddenly I was lying down on a hard surface, my fingers felt cold. The pain was unbearable. I could see a pair of yellow eyes, Sam's eyes, filled with tears. The last thing I remember was his voice, saying, "It will be okay."
Note: Hey there! Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I really hope I can quickly update the next one soon. I kept the ending slightly hanging over there, I'm hoping you'll be much more interested to continue reading. I really enjoyed writing this story again. I did a lot of research for this chapter, and even reread the first book. So I really hope I can portray the characters and narrate them as good as the original writer! Anyway, feel free to comment and give advice! Thanks a lot (:
