Title: Primitive Eyes
Author: QueenMab
Rating: PG-13.
Disclaimer: Um. not mine. Don't sue; all you'll get is my deceitful, flesh- eating cat. Wolf Lake belongs to, uh. Viacom? Maybe. Whatever.
Feedback: I don't feel worthy of feedback at this point. If anyone's still reading it, go ahead but you really don't have to comment.
Summary: Picks up where the vile finale (and supposedly LAST eppy) left us desperate. Sophia is beginning to show signs of "wolfen" behavior.
Author's Note: Well, my "trustworthy" companion, Binx, abruptly crashed many moons ago and took with him a painfully large portion of my fic. I have yet to forgive myself for putting faith in technology. Then school popped up and whatnot. Anyhoo, now I have a *new* puter that will hopefully serve me better and not up and die. Deepest apologizes for disappearing for such a very, very long time. Thank you to all the excellent people who reviewed though. =)
Sophia stood in the doorway and stared out into the morning's soft light. Its warmth tentatively began to seep into her skin. Silently, she continued to will her father's truck to appear up the road in a fury of disturbed dirt. When it was obvious that this approach was not helping, she started in with the pacing once again. She momentarily glanced toward her bedroom. After giving it a second of consideration, she quickly dismissed the idea. Sleep wouldn't come now, only frustrated tossing. Though exhaustion weighed heavy on her, she knew that with all the nervous energy surrounding her father's hasty exit, she wouldn't be able to really rest until he returned.
After a few minutes of uncoordinated walking and whispers of self- assurances, Sophia realized she was beginning to mimic a victim of schizophrenia. She attempted to force herself to sit on the sofa. Thoughts of her father's expression as she'd walked in flew through her mind. He wouldn't find Luke. She'd wait till her father came back home and then talk with him. calmly proceed to explain about certain decisions she had recently made and hope he respected them. Yeah, right. Her father, Mister Restraint. He had even begun a support group, Wolf Lake's own little version of an AA. Oh yeah, he'd handle the news real well.
Briefly she allowed her thoughts to wander to the hours before. Sophia felt the cool earth beneath her back, welcoming the heat of her skin. A brush of callused fingertips and warm breath caused a shiver to abruptly rise inside her. The night air seemed to absorb her essence as it initiated her into a new, explosive world. a world full of life and energy that seemed to hum through her, down to her very bones.
Suddenly she found herself overcome by a wave of anxiety. Her father, out there, searching for him. Sophia jumped up. Glancing toward the undisturbed doorway, she retreated towards the kitchen. Pacing atmosphere was better in there anyway; she could walk aimlessly and still be able to see the road from a well-placed window.
Several minutes later she was absentmindedly fidgeting and found herself near the fridge. She thought back and she didn't remember eating till early last night with Scott. It seemed almost like a faded memory from a dream. Everything that had happened afterwards made the night before seem a lifetime ago. Her stomach growled softly, protesting the lack of attention she was giving it.
Sighing with irritation, Sophia searched for something to appease her tummy that would stay down with all the nervous butterflies crowding in it. Her eyes settled on a Styrofoam container from the diner. She opened it and attempted to gage it's eligibility for consumption. It had some left over hamburger from two nights ago. It was more rare than she usually liked it, which is why it had been neglected. After a minute of speculation she tossed it aside in favor of a time honored favorite, peanut butter and jelly. The possibility of something heavy sitting in her stomach was not desirable. So she'd go with the easy and light choice. Pulling out the necessary ingredients, Sophia went to fetch a butter knife.
A few minutes later, she had prepared her simple snack that would suffice to end the audible demands of her stomach. Checking out the window once more, she picked up a half of the sandwich and took a small bite. After swallowing, her stomach almost instantly rebelled. She forced another bite down and then, sighing, threw the remainder in the trash.
Sophia walked over to the fridge once more to find a suitable drink to wash the vile taste out of her mouth. She couldn't imagine ever eating that. The flavor was too sweet, texture entirely too dry. The peanut butter made her feel like she was trying to consume a cotton ball. Holding the door ajar with her hip, Sophia picked up a new bottle of water. Before she could unscrew the cap, her stomach muscles clenched and rumbled out their anger.
Sophia rolled her eyes in frustration. Just a minute ago she had tried to eat and almost became sick. Taking a quick gulp of cold water, she re- screwed the cap tightly. As she replaced the water bottle, her eyes fell once more on the white container. She opened its lid and lifted her lip at its content's appearance. A few more tummy grumblings later, she reluctantly popped the hamburger, now on a paper plate, in the microwave.
Running over to peer out the window again, Sophia huffed in defeat. She'd made up her mind. She was going after her father. This endless waiting was not tolling well on her and the antsy feeling that was grating on her nerves was only intensifying. She went over to the microwave, deciding at last to let the burger join her sandwich in the trash and take off out the door. The familiar beep resounded through the room before she reached it. Flinging the small door open and pulling out the plate, Sophia stopped mid- motion as the smell began to spread through the small room.
Within short moments, the previously revolting piece of undercooked meat was reduced to a few tiny crumbles. Sophia glared at the empty plate. "I suppose this would be one of our little 'gifts'."
The sound of tires skirting up near the house cut the ponderment over her new developments short. She ran towards the door her father was presently entering and abruptly stopped when she saw him. He looked up with clear blue eyes and a hand still on the door, and just stared at her for a moment. All the things she had been waiting so impatiently to tell him, yell at him or plead with him about just stuck in her throat until she was reduced to doing nothing save wait for him to break the silence. Matt let the door slip out of his hand. The resounding WHACK it made hitting the wood frame caused Sophia to jump about a foot.
"Sophia," she heard her name breathed almost like a sigh. "I need to talk to you."
Sophia's arms became gooseflesh and she tried to bite back a cry of distress. He hadn't actually said yet that he'd found Luke and ripped his beautiful body into heaps of barely recognizable meat after all. No, he hadn't said that yet, but she could smell little pockets of Luke's scent when her father took a step closer.
"Sophia, I want to tell you first off that I'm sorry."
"Sorry?!" she couldn't keep the sob out of her voice as it broke on the contemptuous word. "How could you do that?? Just go after him and hunt him down and.."
She turned away, no longer able to look at him. She continued to cry for about half a minute more before she emitted a throaty growl that she didn't even hear. Turning on Matt with her nails out, she lunged at him.
Matt, who had been about to finish, saw the green flash almost too late. He braced her forearms and worked at restraining her. She bucked and thrashed in his arms. How quickly they grow up, Matt thought mockingly to himself.
"Sophia!" he tried to get through to her as he struggled. "Sophia, listen to me!"
She merely growled and managed to connect her nails with his hand.
"Ah! Sophia! Luke's okay." He had to say it one or two more times for her to hear it.
Eventually, her snarling changed to something that sounded a bit more like whimpering. Matt looked down at the tears that streaked her face and hugged her to him. Sophia slowly sat in a heap at the floor, now exhausted from the struggle, and clutched her dad.
"Sweetheart, I am so sorry I wasn't here for you. I should have been helping you prepare for the change. I just wanted you to have everything you could and I thought. . ." As the floods of words were becoming too painful to speak he simply stroked Sophia's hair.
As Sophia slowly pulled back from their embrace she noticed blood on her shirt. Her eyes fell upon the gash on Matt's hand. "Dad!"
He didn't even look at it but only stared at her face with a half-smile on his own. "You don't know your strength yet." He finally glanced briefly at his hand. "And it seems you might have inherited a bit of your father's rarely shown temper."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Dad, and Luke?"
Matt looked a slightly uncomfortable but spoke anyway. "I trust you and guess that means I have to trust your decisions too."
He focused past her shoulder for a moment and then sighed heavily. "I'll try very hard not kill Luke but that's entirely up to him." He smiled to himself for a second and then kissed his daughter's forehead. Walking toward the stairs, he left Sophia sitting there on the floor. He called out, not turning around, "Say goodnight Sophia." Then began ascending to his room.
Watching her father disappear upstairs, she closed her eyes in relief. Everything had actually worked out and no one had ended up as a bloody heap. All in all it was a good day. She was going to have to get used to all the new changes, especially the fact that her anger could now motivate her to break pole in half if she wanted.
She was startled out of her thoughts as she felt a finger pushing the hair that had fallen over her eyes behind her ear. Her eyes flew open and she was surprised to see Luke crouched in front of her.
"Luke?"
His answer was to tip her chin up and give her a quick, chaste kiss.
She threw her arms around his neck and held him close to her for long minutes.
Sophia abruptly released him. She held out one of his arms inspecting it, then the other. She held up his chin and turned it either way to see his neck. She pulled up his shirt and ran her hand along the warm skin and then smiled when her hand came away clean.
Luke, half-laughed and tried to repress a groan. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing?"
"Checking for cuts, dislocations, missing organs."
"You know, this would work better without clothes"
She gave him a skeptic look. He tried to look sincere. "No, ya know, so you can set your mind at ease and all."
She couldn't help smiling like an idiot. "That's very thoughtful of you, but I have to get some sleep or else I might drop soon."
Luke grinned. "Yeah I suppose anyone would be tired, I have that effect."
She moved to push him backwards off his balance but he caught her arms and brought her down with him. With her sprawled on top of him and their lips inches apart he looked steadily into her eyes. "You want me to tuck you in?"
"Goodnight Luke!" they both heard Matt's voice booming from his upstairs room.
Before she could reconsider she gave him a quick hard kiss and jumped up. Sophia ran to the stairs with the last of her strength and tried her hardest not to look back.
AN: Promise it won't take half a year for another chapter. . .
Author: QueenMab
Rating: PG-13.
Disclaimer: Um. not mine. Don't sue; all you'll get is my deceitful, flesh- eating cat. Wolf Lake belongs to, uh. Viacom? Maybe. Whatever.
Feedback: I don't feel worthy of feedback at this point. If anyone's still reading it, go ahead but you really don't have to comment.
Summary: Picks up where the vile finale (and supposedly LAST eppy) left us desperate. Sophia is beginning to show signs of "wolfen" behavior.
Author's Note: Well, my "trustworthy" companion, Binx, abruptly crashed many moons ago and took with him a painfully large portion of my fic. I have yet to forgive myself for putting faith in technology. Then school popped up and whatnot. Anyhoo, now I have a *new* puter that will hopefully serve me better and not up and die. Deepest apologizes for disappearing for such a very, very long time. Thank you to all the excellent people who reviewed though. =)
Sophia stood in the doorway and stared out into the morning's soft light. Its warmth tentatively began to seep into her skin. Silently, she continued to will her father's truck to appear up the road in a fury of disturbed dirt. When it was obvious that this approach was not helping, she started in with the pacing once again. She momentarily glanced toward her bedroom. After giving it a second of consideration, she quickly dismissed the idea. Sleep wouldn't come now, only frustrated tossing. Though exhaustion weighed heavy on her, she knew that with all the nervous energy surrounding her father's hasty exit, she wouldn't be able to really rest until he returned.
After a few minutes of uncoordinated walking and whispers of self- assurances, Sophia realized she was beginning to mimic a victim of schizophrenia. She attempted to force herself to sit on the sofa. Thoughts of her father's expression as she'd walked in flew through her mind. He wouldn't find Luke. She'd wait till her father came back home and then talk with him. calmly proceed to explain about certain decisions she had recently made and hope he respected them. Yeah, right. Her father, Mister Restraint. He had even begun a support group, Wolf Lake's own little version of an AA. Oh yeah, he'd handle the news real well.
Briefly she allowed her thoughts to wander to the hours before. Sophia felt the cool earth beneath her back, welcoming the heat of her skin. A brush of callused fingertips and warm breath caused a shiver to abruptly rise inside her. The night air seemed to absorb her essence as it initiated her into a new, explosive world. a world full of life and energy that seemed to hum through her, down to her very bones.
Suddenly she found herself overcome by a wave of anxiety. Her father, out there, searching for him. Sophia jumped up. Glancing toward the undisturbed doorway, she retreated towards the kitchen. Pacing atmosphere was better in there anyway; she could walk aimlessly and still be able to see the road from a well-placed window.
Several minutes later she was absentmindedly fidgeting and found herself near the fridge. She thought back and she didn't remember eating till early last night with Scott. It seemed almost like a faded memory from a dream. Everything that had happened afterwards made the night before seem a lifetime ago. Her stomach growled softly, protesting the lack of attention she was giving it.
Sighing with irritation, Sophia searched for something to appease her tummy that would stay down with all the nervous butterflies crowding in it. Her eyes settled on a Styrofoam container from the diner. She opened it and attempted to gage it's eligibility for consumption. It had some left over hamburger from two nights ago. It was more rare than she usually liked it, which is why it had been neglected. After a minute of speculation she tossed it aside in favor of a time honored favorite, peanut butter and jelly. The possibility of something heavy sitting in her stomach was not desirable. So she'd go with the easy and light choice. Pulling out the necessary ingredients, Sophia went to fetch a butter knife.
A few minutes later, she had prepared her simple snack that would suffice to end the audible demands of her stomach. Checking out the window once more, she picked up a half of the sandwich and took a small bite. After swallowing, her stomach almost instantly rebelled. She forced another bite down and then, sighing, threw the remainder in the trash.
Sophia walked over to the fridge once more to find a suitable drink to wash the vile taste out of her mouth. She couldn't imagine ever eating that. The flavor was too sweet, texture entirely too dry. The peanut butter made her feel like she was trying to consume a cotton ball. Holding the door ajar with her hip, Sophia picked up a new bottle of water. Before she could unscrew the cap, her stomach muscles clenched and rumbled out their anger.
Sophia rolled her eyes in frustration. Just a minute ago she had tried to eat and almost became sick. Taking a quick gulp of cold water, she re- screwed the cap tightly. As she replaced the water bottle, her eyes fell once more on the white container. She opened its lid and lifted her lip at its content's appearance. A few more tummy grumblings later, she reluctantly popped the hamburger, now on a paper plate, in the microwave.
Running over to peer out the window again, Sophia huffed in defeat. She'd made up her mind. She was going after her father. This endless waiting was not tolling well on her and the antsy feeling that was grating on her nerves was only intensifying. She went over to the microwave, deciding at last to let the burger join her sandwich in the trash and take off out the door. The familiar beep resounded through the room before she reached it. Flinging the small door open and pulling out the plate, Sophia stopped mid- motion as the smell began to spread through the small room.
Within short moments, the previously revolting piece of undercooked meat was reduced to a few tiny crumbles. Sophia glared at the empty plate. "I suppose this would be one of our little 'gifts'."
The sound of tires skirting up near the house cut the ponderment over her new developments short. She ran towards the door her father was presently entering and abruptly stopped when she saw him. He looked up with clear blue eyes and a hand still on the door, and just stared at her for a moment. All the things she had been waiting so impatiently to tell him, yell at him or plead with him about just stuck in her throat until she was reduced to doing nothing save wait for him to break the silence. Matt let the door slip out of his hand. The resounding WHACK it made hitting the wood frame caused Sophia to jump about a foot.
"Sophia," she heard her name breathed almost like a sigh. "I need to talk to you."
Sophia's arms became gooseflesh and she tried to bite back a cry of distress. He hadn't actually said yet that he'd found Luke and ripped his beautiful body into heaps of barely recognizable meat after all. No, he hadn't said that yet, but she could smell little pockets of Luke's scent when her father took a step closer.
"Sophia, I want to tell you first off that I'm sorry."
"Sorry?!" she couldn't keep the sob out of her voice as it broke on the contemptuous word. "How could you do that?? Just go after him and hunt him down and.."
She turned away, no longer able to look at him. She continued to cry for about half a minute more before she emitted a throaty growl that she didn't even hear. Turning on Matt with her nails out, she lunged at him.
Matt, who had been about to finish, saw the green flash almost too late. He braced her forearms and worked at restraining her. She bucked and thrashed in his arms. How quickly they grow up, Matt thought mockingly to himself.
"Sophia!" he tried to get through to her as he struggled. "Sophia, listen to me!"
She merely growled and managed to connect her nails with his hand.
"Ah! Sophia! Luke's okay." He had to say it one or two more times for her to hear it.
Eventually, her snarling changed to something that sounded a bit more like whimpering. Matt looked down at the tears that streaked her face and hugged her to him. Sophia slowly sat in a heap at the floor, now exhausted from the struggle, and clutched her dad.
"Sweetheart, I am so sorry I wasn't here for you. I should have been helping you prepare for the change. I just wanted you to have everything you could and I thought. . ." As the floods of words were becoming too painful to speak he simply stroked Sophia's hair.
As Sophia slowly pulled back from their embrace she noticed blood on her shirt. Her eyes fell upon the gash on Matt's hand. "Dad!"
He didn't even look at it but only stared at her face with a half-smile on his own. "You don't know your strength yet." He finally glanced briefly at his hand. "And it seems you might have inherited a bit of your father's rarely shown temper."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Dad, and Luke?"
Matt looked a slightly uncomfortable but spoke anyway. "I trust you and guess that means I have to trust your decisions too."
He focused past her shoulder for a moment and then sighed heavily. "I'll try very hard not kill Luke but that's entirely up to him." He smiled to himself for a second and then kissed his daughter's forehead. Walking toward the stairs, he left Sophia sitting there on the floor. He called out, not turning around, "Say goodnight Sophia." Then began ascending to his room.
Watching her father disappear upstairs, she closed her eyes in relief. Everything had actually worked out and no one had ended up as a bloody heap. All in all it was a good day. She was going to have to get used to all the new changes, especially the fact that her anger could now motivate her to break pole in half if she wanted.
She was startled out of her thoughts as she felt a finger pushing the hair that had fallen over her eyes behind her ear. Her eyes flew open and she was surprised to see Luke crouched in front of her.
"Luke?"
His answer was to tip her chin up and give her a quick, chaste kiss.
She threw her arms around his neck and held him close to her for long minutes.
Sophia abruptly released him. She held out one of his arms inspecting it, then the other. She held up his chin and turned it either way to see his neck. She pulled up his shirt and ran her hand along the warm skin and then smiled when her hand came away clean.
Luke, half-laughed and tried to repress a groan. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing?"
"Checking for cuts, dislocations, missing organs."
"You know, this would work better without clothes"
She gave him a skeptic look. He tried to look sincere. "No, ya know, so you can set your mind at ease and all."
She couldn't help smiling like an idiot. "That's very thoughtful of you, but I have to get some sleep or else I might drop soon."
Luke grinned. "Yeah I suppose anyone would be tired, I have that effect."
She moved to push him backwards off his balance but he caught her arms and brought her down with him. With her sprawled on top of him and their lips inches apart he looked steadily into her eyes. "You want me to tuck you in?"
"Goodnight Luke!" they both heard Matt's voice booming from his upstairs room.
Before she could reconsider she gave him a quick hard kiss and jumped up. Sophia ran to the stairs with the last of her strength and tried her hardest not to look back.
AN: Promise it won't take half a year for another chapter. . .