A/N: I forgot to put a disclaimer last time so this applies to both. I don't own any characters you recognise - they're Stephanie's, and i don't own the songs either. I don't own anything really. Enjoy!
Supernova
Chapter 2: "And All The Stars Were Crashing 'Round, As I Laid Eyes On What I'd Found." – The Decemberists, Crane Wife 1 & 2.
Leah picked me up at ten past 8 that evening with two short sharp beeps of her horn. I zipped up my denim skirt as I descended the stairs, tugging a belt through the worn loops, my flip-flops snapping a little loudly when I reached the bottom. Diana watched me wearily from behind her pile of un-ironed clothes in the living room as I passed by, a bumper bag of hotdogs swinging from my hand.
"Be careful, Alexandra." She warned. We had already arranged a curfew of 11 o'clock, along with a no drinking, no smoking, no drug taking promise from me that I had only the vaguest of intentions in keeping. Of course I knew she wasn't happy about the idea of a party, but she must have been expecting it at some point because her speech sounded a little too practised.
"Of course I will be!" I called back shutting the front door before she could say anything more.
"Took your time," Leah said bluntly as I hopped into the passenger seat of the estate car and she pulled quickly away in a sharp u-turn.
"Yes. Problem?" I snapped back. I had decided that the only way to deal with Leah was to match her mood for mood, and considering the fact that I had been practising her particular mood for the past 5 years I was confident that she might have met her match.
"Nope. So you ready for a La Push barbeque?"
I rolled my eyes. "Sure."
Leah snorted shortly. "Yeah, I reckon you are. Don't worry the guys are really just big puppies." She smiled at some private joke, and then turned to fix me with her steady gaze. "So why'd you come to Forks for the summer? It's hardly the number 1 tourist attraction. You don't look like you're into hiking."
My stomach churned involuntarily, but I trained my features into nonchalance. "Nah, no hiking. Just visiting my aunt Diana."
There was a silence that made it clear to me that Leah hadn't completely bought my explanation. Instead of pressing it like I expected her to she merely muttered: "Yeh, family sucks sometimes." And switched on the radio. "So you've met Emily, and Kim. Kim is 'dating' Jared," there was something off with the way she said the word dating, as if it was somewhat inadequate, "then there are the other guys: Sam, Paul, Embry, Quil, my little brother Seth, Collin, Brady, and now the chosen one has returned you get to meet Jacob." There was an unmistakable edge of resentment in her voice by the end of the list.
"There are a lot of guys." I observed.
"I know."
"Chosen one?" I raised an eyebrow curiously.
She shrugged but there was a definite stiffness in the way she set her jaw. "Just a joke. I think Kim's bringing a load of people from the Rez School as well so it should be pretty packed."
I unbuttoned my jacket, the car was getting really warm and I was starting to feel a little stuffy. "Can I open a window?"
"What? Why? You car sick?" Leah puzzled.
"No, it's just a little warm in here."
This seemed to amuse Leah and she grinned. "Sure open away, Alex."
A few minutes later we pulled off the road and down a dirt track lined with other cars, and a few people who were meandering up towards the slither of ocean I could make out in the distance. The sun was beginning to set. Leah parked the car and I hopped out. She opened the boot to reveal six large crates stacked with food.
"Give me a hand," she said plonking one into my arms, it was heavy and I strained to take the weight, but lifting two of them easily Leah barely seemed to notice.
Silently we made our way up the path towards the beach, I could smell the ocean, salt, fish, seaweed, water, all mingled into a strangely exciting, yet comforting scent. It smelled like home, and at the same time I was very much aware of exactly how far away from home I was.
"Welcome to first beach," Leah said, a firm note of pride in her voice. "Come on."
I gazed about myself at the sight. It was stunning. My vague memories barely did it an ounce of justice. The glittering water mirrored the violent oranges and pinks of the setting sun, and the huge black rocks that dotted both the ocean and beach gave the place a surreal appearance. All along the buzzing beach bleached out driftwood was scattered and I watched as partygoers dragged them around to the fire for both seating and fuel. The air was still warm with the day's heat – cooler than Leah's car – but warm enough that I didn't need a blanket for the time being.
"Hey Leah, are those the buns?" I heard someone call out and turned to see a tall well-muscled guy with cropped black hair stride over to us.
"Yes."
"Well you took your time, Embry's about ready to eat Quil. Who's she?"
"Don't be rude," Leah snapped to the guy's obvious surprise, he turned to eye me suspiciously, and I eyed him right back.
"I'm Alex, who are you?"
"Uh," he stumbled a little dumfounded, "I'm Paul."
"Hi Paul," I smiled sweetly following Leah who had stormed off up the beach towards a small group gathered by the fire. By small I mean small in number, because even from this distance I could see that they were all huge and built similar to Paul.
"Alex? That's a boys name." He said insolently, walking along side me.
"Its short for Alexandra - Prat." I muttered a little ticked off with his attitude. Was Emily the only friendly Quileute around?
Paul's face creased up in bewilderment. "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means Alex is a nickname for Alexandra," I said getting the impression that I was talking to an imbecile, "like Paul is short for Pauline."
He clenched his fists at his sides and glared at me. "I meant the prat part."
"Calm down, Paul." I heard another deep voice say with a steely edge to their tone.
"I am calm!" Paul shot back at the stranger, clearly not calm at all.
Leah's head spun back to us, her eyes flashing fiercely in the dying light. "Get rid of him, Jared." She said to the other guy who had come up beside Paul (who was now clenching and unclenching his fists). He wouldn't dare hit me would he? "There are three more crates in my car."
"Sure thing, Leah. Hi, you must be Alexandra." He smiled at me while he steered Paul away.
"Don't worry about him," Leah assured me, "he has anger management issues. Come on, before everyone starves."
Together we carried on up the beach, and as we got closer to the shadowy group gathered by the fire I heard snippets of their conversation.
"If they want to meet with us then it's going to have to be on the border line." One guy said, his voice low, but not low enough.
"What's the point? They already know what our stance is, why would they think we'd reconsider?" Someone else pointed out testily.
"They know the treaty – they made it for crying out loud!" Another voice added fiercely. "We can't be seen to bend the rules just because that leech lover – Ouch! What was that for?"
The next voice that spoke was even huskier than the others. He had a voice like cigarettes and coffee, all rich timbre and smoky accents. As he spoke the words seemed to scratch at his throat painfully. "This is the first time someone has wanted," he paused to find the right words, "that existence. We should take that into…"
They all stopped, and I felt four pairs of dark eyes on me, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I suddenly got that guilty feeling of hearing something that I most definitely was not supposed to hear. Leah, however, was unperturbed and continued forward. I found myself hanging back, strangely uncertain, they were huge, muscled, and definitely not 'puppies'. Those eyes were gleaming in the light of the fire; I was completely intimidated by them, frozen to my spot on the edge of the circle.
One of them looked away at Leah and I saw the flash of white teeth as he broke into a wide grin. "Food!" he cried out enthusiastically, skipping off around the fire. "Emily! The food has arrived!"
"Where's the rest of it?" Another said in confusion, also pulling his eyes from me.
"Jared and Paul are getting it," Leah answered. I could feel myself beginning to relax again. She turned around with a frown to find me. When she saw I was still standing by the edge she looked baffled. "What are you doing back there?"
"Uh," I mumbled, "nothing." And I trudged up towards her unable to shake the feeling of the last pair of eyes still boring into me like pneumatic drills.
"O…K…" Leah said with a raised eyebrow. Then I stumbled with the heavy crate on the uneven ground and I was absolutely prepared to eat sand when a pair of scorching arms steadied me.
I found my footing quickly, shrugging away from the heat of the stranger. "Thanks."
"Sure, sure." He muttered, stepping back from me.
"Right. So," I turned back to Leah without a glance at my saviour, "where should I dump this?"
Leah was eyeing me with intense scrutiny. Combine that with the suffocating heat that was now surrounding me - my temper flared up fiercely. "Now what's your problem?" I demanded.
This seemed to ease her and she smiled. "I haven't got a problem."
"That's up for debate," I heard someone grumble behind me.
"Oh shut it, Jacob!" Leah growled at him. "Take this to Emily, Collin." She handed her crates to a guy who was a little bit shorter than the other three.
He looked over at me hesitantly. "You want me to take that for you too?"
I looked wide-eyed at him. "What? This is heavy." But he was already in front of me and Leah was lifting the crate from my arms to stack on top of the others.
"Light as feathers," he grinned proudly at me while I gaped at him, "see?"
"Collin." I heard the guy – Jacob, I presumed – warn in a low tone that left no room for arguments.
"Yeh, yeh, I'm going," Collin grumbled as he strolled off with the three crates apparently causing him no more trouble than three paper bags filled with air.
Leah was staring suspiciously at Jacob, who was still stood behind me so it felt uncomfortably like she was glaring at me. There was a definite tension in the air around these two so I took a step to the side, ducking away from them.
"Hey, I'm Quil," the only other guy left introduced himself, with a short wave and a grin.
"I'm Alex," I waved back, "it's not a boys name, it's short for Alexandra."
He gave me a puzzled smile. "Umm, ok. You don't look like a boy so I kind of guessed the first part."
I shrugged. "Not everyone is as razor sharp as you."
"What?"
"Alexandra!" I heard someone distinctly female call out. "You came!"
Emily, in all her broken beauty, came wheeling out of the growing darkness a plate pilled high with hotdogs was balanced in her hands. She came to a halt on the other side of Leah and Jacob with that sweet lopsided smile of hers. "If you're hungry you better take some now," she advised, slapping back Jacob's hand which had shot towards the food.
I quickly took four.
They all raised their eyebrows incredulously. "I'm hungry," I defended myself.
"Obviously," Jacob smirked.
I glared at him. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with a healthy appetite."
He raised his hands in surrender. "It wasn't an insult. I'm impressed."
"Man," I heard Quil say quietly, "She sounds like a walking Jane Austen novel."
"I do not!" I rounded on him. Then seeing their faces I realised that I may have inadvertently proved him correct. "Fine," I huffed taking a bite from one of my hotdogs.
"How would you know what a Jane Austen novel sounds like?" Jacob quizzed.
Quil faltered, looking a little flushed. "I… I don't… it's just how I'd imagine… one to… sound…"
The end of his explanation was drowned out by Emily and Jacob's combined laughter. When they had calmed down Emily handed Quil the plate. In a matter of seconds it was empty, Leah, Quil and Jacob had descended on the food like a pack of hungry wolves.
Emily was clearly used to this kind of behaviour and merely looked happy that her food was appreciated so fully. She glanced up at me. "Your hair really does look lovely."
I reached a hand automatically up to the ends. "Oh. Thank you."
"It's like being with the queen or something," Quil mumbled through his food.
Jacob clipped him sharply around the head.
Emily ignored them. "Is it much shorter?"
I drew my eyes reluctantly away from the astonishing sight of Quil and Jacob arguing over the final hotdog only to have Leah pinch it out from under their noses.
"Yeah quite a bit. Not as long as yours," I answered admiring again the inky black of her straight hair.
"Hey, Em," Quil asked, "is there anymore?"
How on earth could he fit anymore in? He was big, sure, but still human.
"Yeah, Jared and Paul brought the other crates around. Sam's cooking it up, but Embry looked ready to eat the lot so it could be all gone by now."
This thought seemed to horrify him and he swung around all wide-eyed to look at Jacob. "You coming?"
Jacob glanced at me only for a second but in the firelight I caught the warm brown of his eyes, the gaze was searing, searching, stripping me bare. An unaccustomed heat prickled across my skin. I didn't like it; it made me feel uncomfortable, and exposed. I narrowed my blue eyes at him, satisfied when a moment later he moved his stare on to the shoreline where a group of kids were kicking a ball about near a bleached out piece of driftwood. His face turned hard as stone, a mask of bitterness, anger, and resentment. "Yeh, I'm right behind you." And the two moved away up the beach.
I stood for a while, finishing off my hotdogs – Leah stole one – chatting to the two Quileute girls about everything from England to La Push. Mainly Emily chatted happily about her wedding, at this point Leah began to roll her eyes a lot and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. Turned out that the wedding was set for three weeks time – Emily told me that she would send me a formal invitation in the post since now we were friends – it was to be held in the back garden of their home, just a small affair, family and friends. I got the impression that Emily was not one to bask in the limelight, whether that had anything to do with her scars I couldn't tell. I knew that I wouldn't have her strength; she barely seemed to acknowledge them, or the fact that I kept finding my eyes drawn to them.
Eventually yet another tall, muscled guy came strolling over to us. He introduced himself as Sam and wrapped a strong arm around Emily's waist; his eyes seemed to revel in her, like he just couldn't comprehend how lucky he was. Not as handsome as Jacob, I noticed with a twist in my stomach, but still very good-looking. Leah was watching them like she just couldn't decide if throwing them on the fire or impaling them with driftwood seemed the more agreeable. Finally she merely turned away, disappearing into the growing dark without a parting word.
Sam leaned close to Emily, whispering something in her ear, she nodded in agreement, her expression now serious and business like. "Alexandra, do you mind if we leave you for a bit?" She asked with such an apologetic note to her voice that I couldn't find it in myself to be annoyed.
"No. That's fine," I smiled reassuringly, glancing down at my watch to see that it was coming up to 10. "But I need to be home by 11, could you remind Leah for me if you see her?"
"Of course." She smiled as Sam led her away with a soft goodbye.
Alone I wandered down to the waters edge. For a moment I thought about just joining one of the other groups that dotted the beach, but I couldn't be bothered, I'd met more than enough new people today. What I really wanted was a drink, but it looked like these Quileute kids weren't into that. It was probably for the best judging by their size, if one of them got drunk not even a fully armoured tank could control them. Not to mention I had promised Diana that I would refrain, and though at the time that promise was more of a 'yeh, sure, whatever you say' kind of thing, it was alcohol that got me into this mess in the first place.
It was dark now, and whereas before the ocean was shimmering with the pinks and oranges of sunset, it was now glittering with a million, trillion stars like a giant sheet of sequined silk. The last time I had been to the beach was with my little brother George. We took the 20-minute bus ride out to the coast, just the two of us, mum was taking the twins for a check up at the hospital, and David was at work. I brought him a plastic bucket, and a spade, he sat on the gritty sand scooping it into the bucket and turning it upside down. Eventually I brought another spade for myself and together we dug a moat around his wonky castle, filling it with seawater that the sand soaked up like a sponge. Then we got ice cream and I carried him down the pier to watch the fishermen. When we arrived home he was sleeping in my arms, all soft and sweeter than honey.
The water was cooler than I had expected when it lapped up over my bare feet. Suddenly I had the overwhelming urge to dive into its dark depths, feel the cold, and hear the eerie silence, to get away from the heat of the night air, the buzzing voices surrounding me. I stepped further in, the water now reached up my calves and I kept going until it was touching the hem of my skirt, mid thigh. Now the gentle surf on the shore turned stronger and I had to work against the steady pull of it. Under my feet the sand shifted and I stumbled a little before regaining my balance by holding my arms out like a tightrope walker. As a little girl I loved the circus, the tricks, the danger, the laughs, my father took me to see it whenever it came to town. I hadn't been in years.
I began softly humming; my mind conjured up the image of being suspended high above the ground, with only a thin wire for support. I stepped carefully, one foot in front of the other. The ocean dragged back against my forward movement. Don't look down. All around me the roar of the waves, the crackle of the fire, the hysterics of the partygoers distorted into a strange kind of applause. One foot, then the next, careful, don't loose it now just keep breathing, steady as you go. Stop thinking, feel your way, no thinking allowed here. The end is in sight, right ahead, a sturdy metal platform. Look some one is waiting for you. My father, he was smiling in encouragement, arms opened wide to catch me. I wobbled precariously, my heart in my mouth. Calm it down, take your time, you can do it. No panicking. No fear. No thinking. You can reach him.
But just as I stretched out, my fingertips inches from his, I was lifted abruptly away. "NO!" I heard myself scream, as I slammed back to reality. "Dad!" As soon as the word slipped out I clamped a hand over my mouth. Shit. What the hell was that?
Now, heart racing, I was quickly becoming aware of my surroundings once again. I was in someone's arms, a very muscular someone because they had scooped me up bridal style and were wading easily against the water back towards the beach. Very muscular, very tall, and very warm I observed. Curiously I twisted my head to look up at my kidnapper. Two black eyes were fixed stalwartly ahead; a dark brow was furrowed in anger? Concern? Or irritation? I couldn't tell which, maybe all three. A strong jaw was clenched, and two soft lips were pressed in a tense line. Jacob.
"Put me down!" I ordered as soon as it sunk in.
Jacob didn't look at me, but replied with finality: "No."
"Excuse me?" I exclaimed, beginning a futile struggle. "If I want to be put down you will put me down! Now let go of me!"
"No," he repeated firmly. "You could have drowned out there! Do you realise that? Do you realise how completely stupid it is to go swimming in unknown water at night on your own?" There was an oddly strained note in his husky voice, he seemed to be trying to cover it with anger but it was there.
Stupid. Yes, that covered pretty much everything about me. "I guess you don't know this, but I have been diagnosed with clinical stupidity," I warned icily, and Jacob's eyes shot to me, dark and unfathomable. "I'm selfish, rude, and more than a little dense. Careful, a lot of people are going to be pissed at you for saving me."
Suddenly his eyes were disarmingly tender. "I don't believe that."
"You don't have to. Now put me down!" I repeated turning away to watch the surf lap at his ankles. "Come on! It's like two inches deep now!"
This still wasn't quite satisfactory enough for him and he carried me the further four meters to the sand before his arms loosened and I leapt away from him, moving a good few feet further to be sure. He raised an eyebrow curiously at my reaction.
"Do you have any concept of personal space?" I asked crossing my arms. I barely knew this guy, yet he was already getting way to close for comfort. Not to mention I appeared to be getting a slight damsel in distress complex around him.
That amused him and he grinned. "Nope. Not at all."
I snapped. "Well maybe you should get some – and quickly. Not everyone likes being groped by a complete stranger!"
His grin grew. "I didn't grope you!" he laughed, it was short, sharp, more of a bark than a laugh.
"Well what would you call it?" I asked.
"Uh, saving your life?"
"I didn't need saving!" I yelled, perhaps a little bit harsher than necessary but that smug grin was ticking me off. "So for future reference, keep your dirty mitts off me!"
This caused another bark of laughter. "What exactly are 'dirty mitts'?"
I rolled my eyes. "Hands," I ground out, "keep your hands to yourself. Are we clear?"
Jacob brushed my question aside. "You call hands – mitts?"
"Are. We. Clear?" I hissed.
But before the deeply amused guy in front of me could answer in what I hoped was affirmative, a voice shouted out of the darkness at us. "Jake? Where the hell did you go?"
"Jake?" another called. "What did you run off for?"
"Yeh, don't get in a strop," someone sniggered, "Embry didn't mean to hurt your feelings! We all think that russet is a lovely colour. No way near as girly as chocolate brown!"
"Hey!" the first voice protested.
"Well it isn't," the third defended.
"Jake!" the second cried out, and I saw the three shadowy giants padding down the beach from the forest straight towards us. I had managed to identify Quil, Jared, and the guy who'd run off to fetch Emily earlier, all sporting expressions reminiscent of the Cheshire cat. Did anyone around here wear shirts?
"Oh, sorry, man," Quil said a suggestive glint in his eyes, "we didn't know you had company. Hey there, Alex. If Jake's bothering you just let us know."
Jared elbowed him. "We'll be going…"
I felt heat flood into my cheeks, as the three of them looked us over, their suspiciously sharp eyes taking in my dishevelled appearance, but making no immediate moves to leave. "Yes, actually, Quil," I said, stepping even further away from Jacob. "He is bothering me as it happens."
Quil smirked, shooting a glance to Jacob. "What did you do to her?"
"Just saved her life," Jacob said with a tone that implied I was being completely unreasonable about the whole thing.
"Saved my life?" I spluttered, ignoring the entertained looks the others were sharing. "Hardly! I was just paddling when you came and dragged me back to shore!"
"You dragged her, Jake?"
"No, Embry, I carried her," Jacob corrected.
"Groped," I coughed into my hand.
I hadn't expected any of them other than Jacob to understand me, but all three of them turned accusingly to Jake, who held up his hands in defence. "I did not grope her."
Quil chuckled darkly. "Nice man, real classy."
"Oh come on!" Jacob groaned flapping his arms in frustration. "I didn't touch her."
"Uh, yes you did," I pointed out. "I sure as hell didn't fly back to shore."
"Not like that I didn't," he said narrowing his eyes at me; I just smiled innocently – served him right.
"Jake, seriously," Jared said, coming up beside his friend and looping an arm over his shoulders. "I understand that maybe you need some sort of distraction after… you know… but at least ask the girl first. Its common courtesy."
"I thought you learnt that when you got punched in the face," Embry added.
Luckily for Embry, because Jacob looked about ready to rip his head from his shoulders, another, more feminine voice joined us. "What's going on?" Leah asked, sounding as hormonal as usual. She came to my side and glared around at the boys suspiciously. "Are you alright Alex?"
"Yep, I'm fine," I said, keeping quiet about the manhandling joke, I figured that though it would be funny to watch Jacob probably wanted children someday.
"You sure?" she quizzed fixing me with those searching eyes.
"Absolutely." I said, pulling a smile across my face. "I'm just peachy."
This didn't seem to convince her. And as I caught the relieved thank you Jacob mouthed at me Leah rounded on him as if she'd sensed his reaction. "What have you done to her?"
Quil and Embry started sniggering.
"Nothing!" Jacob yelped, holding his hands up in surrender, or like he was trying desperately to calm a particularly pissed bear. "I swear!"
Leah was still eyeing him. "Well don't. We all know what happens to your 'little projects'."
This was quite clearly the wrong thing to say because a silence so heavy I thought I might have begun sinking through the soft sand, descended on us. Jacob and Leah were caught in a death glare. Leah had her hands folded defensively and an eyebrow arched as if to say 'come on then if you think you can'. While Jacob had his hands clenched tightly into fists by his sides just like Paul earlier, only this time tremors were rocking up them with a frightening intensity.
Suddenly, Embry had jumped between them. "Come on guys, calm it down." He jerked his head in my direction sharply. "Now is really not the time."
Next, Quil was at Jacob's side. "Don't do it man," he warned, his voice low, "she is just messing with you."
Then, Jared was between Leah and I, his body angled so that I was shielded from them all. "Go run it off Jake," he advised.
Jacob growled, it rumbled through his chest like thunder, and the fierceness of it caught me off guard. I let out a frightened gasp. What the hell was going on here?
In an instant his eyes were on me, and I cowered back behind Jared. They were burning with such anger, such intense, overwhelming pain, that I was scared. He seemed to realise this because the moment our eyes met his softened and the tremors ceased, though his hands remained fisted. Jacob continued to pin me helplessly to the spot, and again I had the disconcerting feeling he was stripping me bare. I didn't like it one little bit but I was too unsettled to do anything about it.
"Jake," Quil said, tentatively. "Jared's right. Go run it off."
Jacob remained in his place still as stone.
"Just take her home Leah," Jared gritted out.
Leah was still glaring full force at Jacob. But she shrugged, and eventually dragged her eyes away. "Fine. Come on Alex."
Grateful to be leaving the heat of Jacob's stare I barely looked back as I started off up the beach to the car. As we passed Embry I heard him mutter: "Nice one Leah. Kick the guy while he's down." Then we were away, and the cooling breeze was a welcomed relief.