A/N: Real life is getting busy for me, so I'm cutting updates back to once a week (Friday/Saturday). If it's not up by Sunday, it won't be up until the following weekend.
Everyone: Cheat sheet for remembering everyone attached to Chapter 2. I'm sorry this story isn't more accessible.
Twilighter: Will is/was not sleeping with Francine or Sam. Sorry for giving that impression. He occasionally showed up at their house in the middle of the night for reasons relating to sex, drugs and rock and roll, but it wasn't to supply sex. Or maybe it was the last line that confused you? That was just Will's very reluctant way of admitting that he was not unaware that Fran was attractive and that may have played a small part in his going anywhere near Sam. It didn't mean he slept with her; he's only half admitting to wanting to. They have never had sex.
Speaking of sex...
"Happy birthday."
Judy's voice was huskier than usual as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Normally, Baxter would have just enjoyed it, the way she felt against him, but today they had just finished patrol.
"Judy—"
"It's your birthday."
And she was flushed from the run and she kept kissing him and it wasn't fair.
"Yeah, and my family and possibly yours is waiting for me to get home and if I'm not there soon someone's going to come looking for us and then your brother will kill me. A couple of times. All times guaranteed to be very, very painful."
Baxter was aware he was babbling (or he would have been, if he was aware of anything but her just then) but his very naked girlfriend didn't seem to notice anything he said.
"Don't be scared of him," she said in a tone of voice he had never heard from her.
"I'm not scared of him," he said as he backed her right into a tree.
"Prove it."
"We need to get back," he said a little desperately. She just growled and held him tighter.
"Because Brian expects you? The boys have food. They can wait."
And her mouth...
"Weren't you the one who said I had to be nicer to Brian?" he asked. If he was talking about his brother, he wasn't thinking about—he couldn't even think about what he was not thinking about or they were never going to going to head home.
"The son of a bitch doesn't deserve it."
She was the one who pulled away (she'd been shaking a little), pushing past him, too angry to stay still.
"You were right, he just keeps..."
It was not a word, the sound she made next. It still managed to capture how Baxter used to feel about his older brother.
"Will's fine, Judy."
"But he might not have been! There was so much—you saw! There was all that blood and he was just lying there and—"
"He's fine."
"And what if—? Brian didn't stop! He just kept biting and clawing and—"
The air cracked; she cracked. Her skin split. One second Judy was furious and the next she was a wolf. With all the fangs and claws that came with it.
He'd gone to her because she was Judy and she was upset, but Baxter was suddenly made very aware of the reason they were supposed to take a step back from an angry werewolf. They were both fast and they had both moved apart, but they had been too close and suddenly the side of his leg felt like it was on fire.
The force of it—she was strong enough to push him around when she was a wolf—knocked him on his ass. Which was actually a good thing, since it allowed him to put pressure on his leg quickly (just in case the scratches were deeper than they looked). A whimper came from the white wolf that didn't dare come near him, just stared at him with dark, frightened eyes.
Baxter cautiously lifted one hand from his leg. It was still bleeding, but he didn't think...
"I'm fine, Judy. I'm fine."
She just whimpered again, lowering her head and her stretching out her front paws so she looked like she was bowing to him.
"I'm serious. I'm fine."
The transformation happened just as quickly as it had before and then she was scampering over to him, tears running down her face. She didn't touch him though, just knelt beside him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. See? It wasn't deep; it's closing already." He was just grateful he had managed to turn because he'd much rather have a cut on his leg than other parts of him.
Judy babbled her apologies until he asked her to go get his clothes so they could bind his leg up—he should have gotten Seth, maybe, but he didn't want to explain why they'd been standing around arguing naked in the first place. Plus, it would just make her feel worse, having everyone know and she looked miserable enough as it was.
They ripped up most of her shirt to make a makeshift bandage (she'd just have to run back to her house phased) and it seemed to hold. It helped the pain, anyway.
When it was tied up she kissed his hands and his face and threw her arms around her neck and said she was sorry some more. He wanted to hold her back, show he wasn't mad, but he had blood all over his hands and he didn't want that on her.
"Help me up," he asked instead and she did, still shaking, though this time it was from fear. They managed to get his pants on (he dried is hands on her shorts and told her to get rid of them, after). "I'm fine."
"Promise?"
"Promise. I'll see you soon, okay?"
She tried not to cry. "Happy birthday."
It was just a scratch. It happened all the time to the werewolves. Yes, he had to limp a little at first, but he was fine after a while and by the time he got to his house, you couldn't tell.
His brothers were all waiting, just like he thought they'd be, with his father and the Blacks. Levi didn't even ask why he was five minutes late, just wished him happy birthday.
Art was the only one in the family who found out because he had to take the bandage off. His brother raised his eyes at the sight of the blood-stained rag, but didn't say anything except, "ouch" and "at least it'll make a cool looking scar." Then Art got the twins to take Brian for a walk so they could disinfect what hadn't healed up already.
Bert explained to Will that Baxter had phased back while Bert didn't think the fight was over and it was an accident...and since nothing was allowed to upset Bert, it was all good.
It wasn't because of his leg they didn't tell Levi.
They didn't tell Levi because Levi was going through one of his unbearable phases. Also, when she tried to tell Levi (she said it would be better if he wasn't around when she told her brother; Will might be understanding to mess with your head, but her brother was happy in his predictability) her brother was an ass. Baxter was not surprised.
They'd get around to telling Levi, eventually, when Judy wasn't scared of losing her temper and Baxter was sure he could survive the fight for at least a couple of minutes (he was going to lose, but he didn't have to make it easy).
In the meantime, Judy kept trying to make it up to him. She tried to do his chores, she offered him a bite of everything she had to eat (he couldn't turn that down), she even tried doing his homework once. He tried to tell her to stop apologizing, but that just made her tear up again.
And somehow, because she felt guilty, he ended up celebrating Valentine's day.
Baxter wasn't sure how that happened. Valentine's Day was a stupid holiday. It was driven entirely by commercial culture and he didn't need to buy into that. Sure, he'd gotten his ex chocolates both years they had been together, but he'd been younger then and she'd made him.
The way Judy's disappointed face said he really didn't have a choice about it this year either.
Though Judy was clearly from another planet because despite how upset she seemed to be (she had zero poker face; it was kind of adorable) she tried not to make that fact too obvious.
"So, we're not celebrating?" she asked. She was curled up beside him on the picnic bench in his backyard; dinner was long gone and everyone else was inside.
"I didn't say that. I just said I thought it was dumb. But it's a couples holiday so if even one person wants to celebrate, then we should celebrate. So..."
"We don't have to if you don't like it."
"Valentine's Day shouldn't be the only day I tell you how important you are to me. If I need reminders to be a good boyfriend, I'm doing it wrong."
"That's a good answer," she said. She intertwined their fingers; the heat of her in the cold winter air was shocking—and very nice. "And you don't need Valentine's Day. I always..." Her cheeks turned red, but she didn't bother finishing the sentence, just pressed her chapped lips to the back of his hand.
"But you want a present," he concluded.
"Maybe," she agreed lightly and he couldn't help but laugh and wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer. And then maybe, since Brian was inside and she was slightly evil and gorgeous with her red nose, he kissed her.
Now he just had to figure out what to get her without spending a dime. Will hadn't killed Baxter for dating his little cousin, but he had laughed in Baxter's face when he requested money for a present.
I don't suppose you know what she's getting me? he asked Bert while they were on patrol.
She's making you dinner. Bert tripped while running. I don't think I was supposed to tell you that.
Dinner?
It made sense. What did a werewolf like better than food? If they were at her house—they'd have to be; there were far too many people at his for her to even think it could work at his place—they'd be mostly alone. Maybe completely alone, if she could get her parents to agree to go out somewhere (if anyone could do it, Judy could). It was a good idea.
He just hadn't known she could cook; he had never really seen her into that kind of thing.
Even when they were phased, Bert's thoughts didn't just rush into your head. Baxter appreciated that. When Bert made up his mind, the thought came.
Did she ever tell you why Dan dumped her?
Dan the douche? Baxter cringed. He hadn't actually meant to think that; it seemed obnoxious to put down the guy now that Baxter had the girl. Bert approved though and Baxter wasn't too embarrassed it had slipped. It was the truth. The guy had made her cry. Ass.
Yeah. Bert hesitated, then said, Well, she only told me after this really complicated best friend handshake. She made me spit. It was gross.
Could you get back to Dan, please?
Oh. Right. Anyway, he told her it was because she was too good a friend. He thought of her as one of the guys. He was a real dick about it, actually. He even told her she should get better at suck—
Stop. Baxter had mostly managed to calm the overwhelming anger that had disrupted his life the first couple months of his transformation, but he was still a werewolf. The less he knew, the less likely he'd be to punch off Dan's head the next time they met (and you couldn't really avoid anyone in La Push). Is there a point?
She thinks you turned her down because she did something wrong.
It was more like the blood loss distracted me. Baxter felt a little guilty, thinking about how necessary the blood loss had been. And how she'd felt between against—
Not that she's not glad you did, Bert offered. She's super glad. She kind of got carried away that day. Like she kind of always gets carried away...
Bert sounded so mystified that Baxter explained, It's kind of nice. And you get used to it.
Sure. It's just...I think she's making you dinner because she wants to show you she can be, well, Ruth.
It didn't escape Baxter's notice that Bert had spoken about his ex-girlfriend while out of pouncing range. It was smart. Baxter found himself turning into Levi—where were the vampires when you needed to tear something apart?
Bert tried to reassure him. Not that she thinks you still...
She shouldn't. I don't.
I know. Judy knows. She just...
I hate Valentine's Day, Baxter announced.
Jacob Black and Leah went out for dinner for the stupid holiday that Baxter hated and Levi was with Kara, so when he went over they did have the house to themselves. She had cooked—it smelt great, even if Baxter wasn't the most discriminant of eaters. And she looked adorable in an apron. The skirt gave Baxter pause. He loved it on her, especially the way she seemed to love twirling around more than ever since she was wearing it, but he couldn't remember ever seeing her in a skirt before. It made Bert seem too right.
"So where's my present?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him hello.
"In the bag. It'll keep though. We should probably eat first, while everything's still hot."
Okay, so he was torturing her a little.
"You do like it, right?" Judy asked as they sat down at the table. It wasn't too complicated—potatoes and peas and salad and steak—but it did look great. He wondered if she'd had help and then decided against asking.
"Of course I like it." And if she somehow ended up on his lap instead of sitting down beside him, well, no matter how dumb her reasons for wearing a skirt were, he was still going to appreciate it. "I would have liked anything you did."
"I know." He shot her a questioning look, though he was more interested in the firm thigh under his hand, the fabric against his knuckles. "But Valentine's Day is an excuse to do something different. It's like Halloween."
"You like playing dress up?"
Not where he wanted the conversation to go (he wanted to eat; it was a werewolf thing) but now that he had said it, it seemed impolite to take it back. Especially when Judy blushed just a little bit, but smiled in a way that really wasn't fair.
"For you."
"You know," he said as he took her hand in his and started kissing along her knuckles, "I love everything about you. Everything you say. Everything you do. Everything you cook. Everything..."
"You get really sappy sometimes." But she gave a little gasp when he started sucking on her finger. "Oh. Okay..."
"Yeah?"
"Hmm..." Then she was kissing him and it seemed sappy was working for them. He held her tightly; she tasted like the sauce he knew was on the peas, but he didn't even care that she had started eating without him (not much).
They didn't need to eat it with their hands, even though Judy swore it was scientifically factual that food tasted better after you picked it up with your hands. It was barbarous—it was also, Baxter had to reluctantly admit, kind of hot. He blamed the wolf genes and then went back to licking his girlfriend's hand clean.
When he asked if the skirt was new, she just shrugged (because Judy was Judy and it wouldn't occur to her to do something if it made her uncomfortable). "Dinah was going to throw it out, but it fits me now. You like? Oh, wait; I forgot. You adore everything about me."
"Because you're adorable," he agreed, even when she stuck her tongue out like a child. "I thought you didn't like skirts."
"I didn't. But really, I've gotten so used to be naked all the time, I sort of stopped caring if the stupid thing flies up while I'm wearing it."
Something about his expression made her giggle and blush and kiss him again, which was nice. Less nice was the nagging voice in his head.
"We should talk about what happened on my birthday."
"I've been working really hard on my temper," she promised quickly. "Levi's helping. The jerkface; he's so stupid about you. He just doesn't like you."
It was almost nice, knowing the feeling was mutual. At least Levi was never going to wake up one morning and decide they should be best friends (though Baxter hadn't entirely stopped worrying about Levi's crazy mood swings).
"I meant what happened before."
"The me jumping out naked and trying to seduce you part?"
"Yeah." When it didn't seem like she'd answer (she was concentrating on licking the sauce off his cheek), he asked, "Did you want it to work?"
She nodded. "No."
"Okay."
"It's just...I mean, it was a good run. It was fun. And I thought—well, I didn't think so much as just really wanted to be touching you just then."
"But you're glad we didn't..."
"Yeah. I think," she said quietly. Then her nose scrunched up. "Did Art show you that video?"
"The dancing cat?"
"Wasn't it so cute?" But she managed to refocus. "The one with the wolves."
"Hunting?" He knew, of course, but a guy could hope.
"Humping," she said very unhelpfully. Whispering now, she said, "They were stuck together afterwards."
Baxter was going to kill his brother.
"We're not really wolves, Judy. That wouldn't happen."
But who knew what else could go wrong? Brian was pining after a thirteen year old and Kara had bruises she kept trying to hide. Baxter could still imprint; at least the chances of him physically hurting Judy were slim (as long as they kept their claws to themselves, he found himself thinking). Still. It was a bit scary.
"Yeah?"
"We'll figure it all out before the time comes," he promised. Seth would know and might talk about it without hitting Baxter. His father might even... "I mean, I love you, but I'm not going to risk getting stuck to you, either."
"And when would the time be coming? Well, we'd be the ones—"
"That's so bad it's not even funny."
"It is so funny," she insisted. "And..."
"I don't know. When it's not just because we had a good run, maybe."
"Yeah." But she had been serious for a whole second, so she quickly burst out, "Does this mean I can open my present now?"
"Sure."
"Awesome," she said, slipping off him and skipping off to the couch to open her gift.
Once she had a present in her lap, with wrapping paper and ribbons, she forgot he existed. All her attention was devoted to giggling over the way the paper ripped. When she saw the fur, she squealed.
Out of the bag came a fuzzy teddy bear, a brown grizzly with big brown eyes. The fur on one of the ears had been chewed off over the years and one of the paws had some marker on it, but it was still in remarkably good shape.
"Do you know who that is?" Baxter asked. When she shook her head, he introduced them. "Judy, meet Teddy Roosevelt."
"Nice to meet you, sir." She even shook his little paw. "Was he yours?"
"Well, when I was little," Baxter said, as she cuddled Teddy to her chest, "It seemed very unfair that Brian had Francy to go with him everywhere. So I protested—" sobbed like the two year old he had been "—and Mom got Teddy Roosevelt to keep me company. He was my twin; he went everywhere with me. I'm sure if you show him to your sister, she'll know exactly who he is."
"Awww." Judy kissed the bear on the nose, then kissed Baxter on his nose. "Thank you. I can't believe you kept him."
"He was my twin." Judy knew him better than that. "Mom saved him; Francy found him and wouldn't let me throw him out."
"I'm glad you escaped, Mr. Roosevelt. Aw, Bax, he likes me."
Of course, he was going to say, but then he actually looked at his girlfriend sitting on the couch, teddy bear clutched to her chest and noticed that one little fuzzy paw was slipping under the neckline of her shirt.
"Is he copping a feel?"
"The fur feels nice."
Since he couldn't let a stuffed animal take advantage of his girlfriend, Baxter may have dumped the wrapping paper on the floor and crossed the space between them. And if poor Teddy Roosevelt got a little bit squished between them, well, he was a badass stuffed president, so he'd be okay.
"Mom keeps telling me to get rid of my stuffed animals," Judy said as she hooked her leg around his waist.
"You really should; I can't believe I gave you one."
"You just want me to think of you at night. Right?"
He did. He wanted her to think of him at night and during the day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner, from dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn. If Baxter had his way, all she would think about was him. It seemed only fair.
"What time are your parents coming home?"
Judy giggled, but said, "We can't here. Levi will smell something."
"Right." He managed not to sigh. Really.
"Aw, pinochle. We could go for a run." But he didn't really trust either one of them in the forest and maybe she didn't either because the next thing she said was, "Grand Theft Auto?"
"You're on."
Committing violent crimes with his girlfriend was kind of fun. And maybe, Baxter reluctantly admitted, Valentine's Day was all right.
