Lils POV
My body clock woke me up at exactly 3:30. Even though I had spent a long day with my pack the day before, I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep. Silently, I dressed, walking out to find my jeep covered in a layer of snow. In the almost eerie quiet, I brushed it off before climbing in and heading over to the Cullens'.
Jasper POV
The quiet roar of a vehicle pulled up outside the house. I checked my watch. It was too early for Jacob, and all my family were home, so it seemed that we had a mystery guest. I glanced at Carlisle who shrugged, obviously having no more clue than me. A knock on the door had me up out of my seat, almost groaning as a familiar scent met my nostrils. I threw open the door, revealing a grinning Lils.
"Jasper! It's so great to see you!" She cried, giving me a massive hug.
"Hey Lils. It's pretty fucking awesome to see you too. The wolves didn't tell us you were coming." I heard Esme tut at my language. Lils smiled devilishly.
"They didn't know." She told me. Emmett and Alice came sprinting over to say hello, both giving her massive bear hugs by way of greeting. We frogmarched Lils into the kitchen, where she greeted the rest of the family.
"So, tell us all about your adventures." Alice demanded, so Lils began.
It was about midday, and we had been talking for hours. Lils was stretched out in her seat, looking like the epitome of relaxation. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright.
"They've found a body. It looks like a rogue vampire attack." She bit out, descending into fighting mode. Her hands clutched an invisible gun. She strode out of the door and I followed, reasoning that they would need verification. In a flash, she had shifted, her enormous wolf sprinting off into the forest; I was close on her heels. We arrived not long after, met by the sight of a human body drained of blood.
"Fuck." Lils breathed, and I realized that she had shifted back. Sam came out of the trees with Jared in tow, both having shifted back as well, wearing only shorts.
"We'll get Charlie in. Officially, it was an animal, but we need to find the culprit before they can do it again." Sam said, voice tight. I knew how much it hurt him when something like this happened.
"I'm gonna go back to the Rez. I'll see you around." Lils told us, shifting once more and sprinting off.
Lils POV
Arriving back, I knew that I needed to do something. I put my PT gear on and slunk off into the forest, trying to avoid prying eyes. I started with the basics of training, pull ups, push ups, crunches and so on. Gradually, I let more and more of my anger out until I was throwing punches at a tree. I stopped, breathing heightened, noticing dents in the trunk. That wasn't possible. I checked my bleeding knuckles, huffing a sigh, and beginning a lap of the perimeter. When I had finished, I found my M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, and headed back into the forest for some target practice.
My rifle echoed through the snow as I fired, again and again and again. I couldn't understand my anger; I had seen people die before, people who I considered friends, and I didn't even know the poor sod whose body we had found. My body began to lock up, meaning that I had been out in the cold for at least five hours, so I stood reluctantly and ventured back to the house.
Jared was sitting at the table, working through the accounts, but he looked up when I entered.
"You look like you've been to hell and back." He said bluntly. I rolled my eyes.
"You should see me after a full day of training." I told him, smiling a bit. "I'll leave you to get on with that; I need a shower." Jared nodded his agreement, attention already back on the books. After said shower, I found myself wandering around a little aimlessly, once again lost for something to do. The sun was setting already, and though I was glad to be home, I missed the constancy of being a marine. Eventually, I ended up at Jake's, knocking on the door.
"Come in." Billy called, and I obliged, feeling a little apprehensive.
"Hey, is Jake home?" I greeted him. He smiled.
"No. I can see there is something not quite right, will you talk?" He asked. Although I knew that I could easily refuse, I nodded, sitting down on a chair. He watched me, content to sit in silence, but expecting an answer. I ran a hand over my face.
"I am so happy to be home, but I can't shake the feeling that I've got no purpose here." I started, wincing at the words. Billy drew a long breath, staring off into nothing.
"It is not purpose that you are lacking, rather things to do. You have always had a purpose- to protect. It is inherent as a wolf, and it is most likely why you joined the marines. Now, when there is silence, you expect gunshots. When there is nothing, you expect orders. You need to let go of being constantly wired, and try to just accept the quiet." He explained. His words rang true, and I sat in silence, turning them over. "When you came to us, you were fighting your demons constantly, then you were studying like your life depended on it. I don't know what university was like for you, but when you came back, you were always ticking, always doing something. Then of course, you joined the marines, and every single time that you are on leave, you feel that you have to be doing something. Have you ever just sat and stared at the moon, without thinking of anything else?" I shook my head. "That's a good a place to start as any, then." He said, wheeling himself to the door. He sat on the porch, just staring, and I joined him, watching wordlessly as I cleared the thoughts from my head. Time lost value and meaning as we sat, the moon rising higher in the sky.