Chapter Nine: Supermassive Black Hole
'I thought I was a fool for no-one,
Oh baby I'm a fool for you.'
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
It was Friday morning when Lucy flew in to the rain filled airport of Port Angeles. She could have just driven home from Seattle, though she decided to take a short flight to Port Angeles and shorten her trip... yet as she walked through a puddle towards her car, she realized that she had three days with absolutely nothing to do. She had spent two extra days in New Orleans doing nothing of too much importance; shopping, looking at sights... though she had started to feel as though she was growing an odd following that lurked in shadows, and felt it was her time to leave.
While on the plane she had orchestrated an excuse for her change of appearance. After having her nose repaired, she decided to have the rest of her face fixed to look how she had wanted. She had to smile slightly at the ingenious nature of it. They wouldn't question it; everyone had known she hated her cheeks, and she was friends with some of the most superficial girls in school. The only ones that knew the real reason didn't dare say a word as it was more their secret than hers. While on the thought of the Cullens she couldn't help but groan as she opened the passenger door to her old car; it was a Porsche from the 1950's, a rare model race car that could reach up to 160 mph. She had purchased it in the 1960's at an auction because she thought it was pretty. A small, sleek black sports car with two doors and seating for "five", though it had to be five very small people. Her large trunk barely fit in the front with the seat pushed all the way back. It was nearly as large as her, though it didn't feel terribly heavy.
"Luce, Wow! You look great!" The cheerful face of Sam greeted Lucy at the door of her small brick home. Lucy stood on the porch with a smile. A slight scar had formed along Sam's forehead, though she looked otherwise fine. No one would have guessed that she had been near death less than a week prior.
"So do you!" Lucy said brightly. Sam shifted her weight as she stood on the porch before sitting on a small wooden swing that had turned to a weathered black brown with age.
"My parents are crazy now, they don't want me around you or Amber. They think you're bad influences." Sam said, rolling her eyes theatrically. Lucy frowned, her brows furrowing slightly in annoyance.
"Bad influences?" Lucy folded her arms over her chest. She had never been referred to as a bad influence, and she didn't like it. She was probably the best influence this girl could have.
"You know how my parents are, they blame everyone but me. I wasn't wearing my seat-belt, but they won't listen to that. They think you guys were driving recklessly, probably drunk." Sam groaned, leaning her head against the back of the swing. Lucy groaned at it, though Sam suddenly popped her head up and grinned brightly. "I hear that you got a ride home from Jasper Cullen, and that you spent the night over at their house."
"Who did you hear that from?" Lucy asked quietly, as though whispering made it more secretive.
"Jessica Stanley lives across the street from you. She said that Jasper has visited you quite a few times, but she never thought much of it before, since you're a freak, and freaks stay together." Sam said, digressing from her point before returning to it with a large grin. "So Emmett was right when he said that you fancied Jasper. I had no idea, why didn't you tell me."
"I do not like Jasper." Lucy told her firmly, though even as she said it she felt the corners of her lips tug up, the slight fluttering in her heart at simply mentioning his name. It was as though just thinking about him made an otherwise overcast, dreary day seem bright and sunny. It was like adding frosting on to an already delicious treat, the thought of him was so delightful that it filled her with glee. She wanted to be sick at her interest in him.
"Liar!" Sam hissed, spinning to look at her, her brown eyes glistening with excitement. "The two of you would be so cute. You're both so awkward, and old fashioned."
"Thank you for your approval." Lucy responded dryly. Little did Sam know just how old fashioned they truly were, and that she was not the first person to say that they would work well together. With every thought of him she was struck with the past, what should have been. It was ridiculous, she knew that it would never be. She could not have children, he would never be in the military, and they would never live a laid back life in the country like the fantasies in her mind dictated.
"Oh you two have to go to prom together, it will be so adorable." Sam mused. Lucy could practically see the movements like clockwork in the blonde head of hers. A rush of hope at the lure of going to prom with him swelled in her chest, though she forced it down. She didn't even like high school dances, and with Jasper's control it hardly seemed like a good idea. He probably wouldn't have even wanted to go.
"I am not going to prom with him, you'll have to find me another date. I do not like Jasper, and he does not like me." Lucy said firmly, laughing in an incredulous manner, though it was more to cover up the fact that she was trying to convince herself of the matter.
"Oh whatever; he practically stares at you in US History class, and I've seen him look at you a lot during lunch lately." Sam said knowingly, stubborn as though she were an expert on the subject. Lucy felt an unsurpassable hope rise; the thoughts that perhaps he did like her, perhaps there was hope that something could happen, that maybe all was not lost... yet then she thought had to the car ride home; he wanted her, but not in ways that Sam would have ever dreamt... ways that were not romantic in the slightest; rather they were quite morbid and depressing. Even the revelation that he couldn't kill her didn't help her dread. He wanted to kill her.
"Does he really?" Lucy was unable to help herself from asking; spending so many years with the youth had truly derailed her mind; she sounded like a lovesick 17 year old girl... she was behaving like one, she felt like one.
"It started after you worked together a few months ago; Sarah Jones said that he was watched you like a hawk when you walked in to their math class to give something to the teacher. I didn't believe her at first, but then I heard a few more rumors, and watched the two of you. I thought that you were trying to keep it a secret, or something. Jessica Stanley just confirmed it." Sam shrugged. Lucy frowned; clearly she was more oblivious to the rumors than she had suspected. Clearly, the entire high school population was more perceptive than she had been. She tried to remember that day that she had walked in to the classroom; it had been on after a big test earlier in the year.
Rain; again. It felt as though it had been raining for the past three months. An exceptional start to the new year. Physics was one of the more boring classes she had taken; it rarely changed, and nearly every teacher taught it the same. It was an easy 'A', not that she had ever needed to take a course that was easy. She quickly jotted down the answers on a pop quiz, her feet squeaked slightly on the ground as she approached the front desk.
"Here, sir." Lucy carefully handed the test in. Mr. Banner smiled at her warmly before reading over it.
"Perfect, as usual, Miss Louhi." The older man smiled at her as he grabbed something from his desk. He began writing a hall pass. "Could you take something to Mr. Reinhard for me?"
"Of course, Mr. Banner." Lucy said politely, waiting for him to finish writing his note. He then pulled a large stack of papers. He handed them to her, with the hall pass on the top of the pile.
"You know where his class is?" Asked the older man.
"Yes, I have him for Statistics." Lucy smiled warmly, grabbing the stack and walking to her desk. She threw on a large blue rain jacket and made her way out of the room with the papers held under her jacket. She ran quickly, trying to avoid the rain as much as possible. She had twenty more minutes until class got out and she could go home, yet she hated walking in the rain. It made little sense to her why a school somewhere that rained so often would have such an open layout. Luckily for her; Mr. Reinhard's class was nearly as far from her Physics class as possible while being on the school grounds. Three minutes later she was left nearly panting for breath after having run across the entire campus to get to the class. Her cheeks were flushed pink and strands of curling black hair clung to the sides of her face with droplets of water. Stomping her feet on the sidewalk outside of the class she pulled her hood back and entered.
"... with this equation you-" Mr. Reinhard continued with his lecture until he noticed the small girl. Lucy glanced around the class, her eyes set on a tall, blonde boy sitting towards the front. "Ah, Miss Louhi! Don't you have class with Mr. Banner right now?"
"Yes, I've got Physics. We had an exam and I finished early so he asked me to bring you some papers." She said, pulling the papers out from under her jacket. She set them on his desk, holding her hall pass.
"Ah, always brilliant. It is not too late to be a teachers aid for my class, it looks good for colleges." The teacher told her brightly. Mr. Reinhard had been one of her favorite teachers; a short asian man, receding hairline, and a love for mathematics that seemed unnatural. "Perhaps you could help the students out with today's problem."
"I thought that once I got in to Statistics I wouldn't have to finish your calculus problems anymore." She grinned cheekily at him, stuffing her hall pass in to the pocket of her jacket as she glanced around the room. She met eyes with Jasper and froze momentarily; he had been friendly with her, yet she had felt oddly uncomfortable around him, particularly at school. A slight spark shot through her at the dark look he seemed to be giving her.
"Just one, Miss Louhi." he pleaded with her, handing her the marker. "Make your old teacher proud."
"All right." She rolled her eyes, looking to the board. f (x) = 2x, g(x) = the square root of x , and h(x) = x - 1. What is fo(goh)? She held the the pen and began writing out quickly; it took nearly a minute for her to finish writing up the equation, making sure to use neat penmanship. "Two times the square root of x minus one."
"In four years, I don't think you've ever been wrong." He told the girl wistfully. She laughed somewhat awkwardly as she felt the eyes of all the students on her.
"Thank you, sir. I've got to get back to class." Lucy smiled politely, nodding her head before running out of the door. Once the door shut she turned curiously to glance in at the class as he began to lecture once more. Her eyes locked again with the golden eyed boy. He was frowning as he watched her. She sighed, pulling the hood over her hair before running back to class.
"He wasn't watching me." Lucy responded defensively with her brows furrowed in concentration. She glanced to her friend as though to confirm it, though Sam seemed to find it more amusing than anything.
"You do like him." Sam laughed loudly. "Four years of school, you don't like anyone. Finally, our senior year, and you have to like one of the few guys that are most off limits. And somehow, you get him."
"I haven't gotten anyone." Lucy said darkly, leaning against the seat with a frown. It wasn't to say she didn't want it. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she did want it.
"Oh please... He and Alice were always together, it was a known fact. Do you think it's a coincidence that they broke up this year?" Sam asked in her own know-it-all voice. Lucy had to smirk at the differences between the two. Sam poked fun at her for being a know-it-all at school work, and facts... yet she had a mundane knowledge of every bit of gossip that was imaginable. "You guys get partnered up, share your freakish love of history, and suddenly they're broken up?"
"One of her old friends came to town." Lucy frowned, shaking her head defiantly. Sam was definitely not helping the voice of reason within her head.
"Yes, of course. But he definitely has not been opposed to the idea of you since then." Sam said, grinning. "The girls practically threw themselves at him when they found out he was single."
"When did everyone find out he was single? Am I always the last one to find these things out?" Lucy frowned; she had thought that he and Alice were still together, despite his obvious frustration with her. He had rarely brought her up.
"Alice went to the spring dance with her 'old' friend. They were very friendly. It was like watching Emmett and Rosalie." She said as though it were an abomination for the beautiful short girl to have acted that way with another man. Yet Lucy felt a pang of sadness for what Jasper must have felt. They had spoken on the phone that night, talking about different brigades in the civil war, comparing knowledge. Matt had finally got the courage to ask the girl he'd been eying for the past year, and had ditched her at last minute. It wasn't something she minded, yet she hadn't put any thought in to Jasper not going. She had never seen him go to a dance once. "Also, Jasper seemed to be even grumpier than usual."
"That is, until he started visiting with you more often; or so I heard from Jessica Stanley, and Virginia Rhodes. I didn't want to believe them at first, I was certain you would tell me if he was coming over to your house so often, but it's true!" She proclaimed, as though in shock. Lucy felt a pit growing in her stomach. It was a mixture of the hope for what would happen, with the harsh slap of realization that perhaps she had been horribly oblivious; perhaps it wasn't a matter of what would happen, but what was happening already. It wasn't so much that it made her less interested, though it made her feel much more awkward, and nervous. Suddenly she felt overwhelmingly self conscious, worried, and fearful.
"He didn't visit me that often, and Emmett was always there, too." Lucy replied, trying to suppress her internal emotions and debates.
"How often is not that often? Why are you just telling me this now? You are flirting with your first boy ever, and you don't even include me." Sam said, eagerly awaiting all of the juicy details. "And then I find out that you went over to stay with the Cullens; something that even Bella Swan doesn't get to do and her and Edward are practically joined at the hip."
"It was only once, their family is very nice." Lucy frowned, remembering why she tried not to get in to gossip, and why she had enjoyed her boorish life. It was as though she was under constant surveillance from the girls in this town; there were no secrets. "They came over maybe once a week, I didn't think it was that important."
"Have you talked on the phone with him? How does he act around you? Does he get protective of you? You seem closer to Emmett than him, does he act jealous?" Sam was talking quickly, her words all blurring together as she clutched on to the small dark haired woman.
"We've talked on the phone a few times. He doesn't get jealous of Emmett." Lucy rolled her eyes, though small bits of memories rushed to her mind. He had recently become more snappy towards Emmett when he would goof around with her, he had even stolen the phone from Emmett while she was down in New Orleans to ask if she was all right... and they had talked on the phone more in the past month than they had before. She hadn't really thought about it, or perhaps she had been as oblivious to it as she was with everything else, though as she tried to look back at their phone conversations, they spoke at least four times a week. The had spoken about nearly everything; School, their family and friends, what they wanted to do after graduation, their goals in life, and other similar things... obviously, a lot of it had been lies. She had been forced to censor herself, as she couldn't exactly tell him that this was nearly her sixth time completing high school, and that she held four different degrees; or that she actually had no goal in life because she had already lived two lifetimes. Everything that she had done was monotonous, boring... repetitive at best.
"I don't care what you say. He likes you, and you like him. You'd be an adorable couple. I can try to find you a date for prom. But if Jasper gets crazy jealous and kills him, I told you so." Sam smirked, her brown eyes glistening. Lucy rolled her eyes as she glanced behind her to see a pair of cold eyes watching her.
"I do not like him, and we would not be an adorable couple." Lucy said firmly, standing from the swing. "I should go home, I'll see you at school on Monday."
"What are you going to wear? You should wear something super cute for Jasper." Sam said, jumping up with a grin. She was easily 5 inches taller than the girl, yet by the way Lucy was glowering made it obvious which one held the dominance in their friendship.
"I do not need to dress super cute for him. We are just friends." Lucy shook her head with a laugh.
"You're right; he seems to like you just fine dressing as you usually do. But think of how much he would like you if you did dress up like a girl." Sam grinned before the front door opened.
"Come in now, Samantha." The figure of her father appeared, he gave a brief look to Lucy before disappearing.
"I'll see you monday." Sam grumbled, disappearing in to the house.
Luckily, Sam lived a block away from Lucy, and it was only slightly drizzling as she made the way back to her house. She had pulled the trunk in to her room, but otherwise hadn't stayed in her house. She felt rather avoidant and didn't quite want to sit and dwell on everything, though her mind seemed determined to do it regardless of where she was, or who she was with. Chastising herself she stormed in to the backdoor, hoping to avoid her neighbors as best as possible, locking it eagerly behind her. Her ability to overlook things had, at one time, been a desirable trait. She never asked twice why Wilfred went out drinking, or why her mother took in strange guests while her father was away; she never bothered to ask Marietta if it was normal to brew potions, and she never felt upset at the friendship that Wilfred had formed with other women in town. She had been oblivious, naive, and trusting. Even when things should have been painfully obvious, she overlooked it, trusting others not to lie to her... yet they hadn't.
The sound of her feet resonated loudly as she stormed down in to her basement. She was a fool. Everyone that she had ever known had taken advantage of her; they had lied, and encouraged her to assume the best. She had been so focused on the people, that she hadn't paid any heed to what came out of their mouths. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes falling on a row of photographs that had been set on a large bookshelf. A picture that Marietta had taken after she returned home from being evacuated. Marietta had refused to go, yet upon her return she had taken a photograph.
"You'll want to remember this day." Marietta's cool voice said, her honey colored cheeks were warm, and friendly. Lucy hadn't wanted the picture taken, yet looking back, she did enjoy seeing that photograph. She was dirty, even in the sepia toned photograph she could tell. Her dress was worn, dirt covering it. The oversized dark jacket fell nearly to her knees, with the hem coming unraveled in many places. Her hair looked horrible, it was obvious that she had been out in the wilderness for a few days. Yet looking at it, it was a reminder of that time; returning home from meeting Jasper for the first time, the fear and the excitement; she had been scared, but hopeful. Meeting him made her feel as though the war might truly end soon. Sitting beneath it in a small box was the jacket. She had repaired it on her first day home; she had cleaned it, sewn patches on, and repaired the buttons. She had ordered a new one to be made that was folded neatly beneath it. She had bought his whole company new uniforms; she always put money towards the soldiers that came through her town, they always needed new uniforms.
A large trunk sat atop an elevated shelf a few feet off the ground. Her fear of flooding caused her to put everything a few feet above the ground. It made for an odd looking basement, yet nothing was ever ruined, so she could sleep at night. Opening it she sighed, it had been his mothers. She grabbed everything off of the shelf that had greeted her on her descent to the basement and neatly folded them in to the trunk before locking it gently and lifting it with much more ease than she recalled having the last time she moved it. The old trunk still felt heavy, though as she carried it to her car she found herself musing on whether or not she had lost some things inside of it because of the relative lightness. With a sigh she shut the door to the passenger side. She would give all of it to him, and she would no longer be reminded of him. Her feet softly hit the ground as she walked upstairs to grab his jacket. She set the jacket on her bed before rummaging through her suitcase for clothes. Stylish and modern clothes; she would look normal and up-to-date. Like a typical teenager.
She took a quick shower, and began getting ready in the bathroom. It took a total of thirty minutes for her to finish showering and do her hair and makeup. She was going to look like she belonged in the 21st century, not the 19th. The reflection that looked back at her was not from the vision; it was a new her. Whether or not Jasper fancied her wouldn't matter, she was determined to fit in, and to enjoy her life. She slid on a pair of shoes, and held his jacket to her chest as she prepared to leave. Despite her determination to get him out of her mind she found herself lifting the material to her nose, the faint foresty smell lingering in the fibers beneath her own smell that had settled in to it.
"I've been following you all week, my dear." A smooth voice came from the hall as Lucy stood in the doorway to her room. Before she could blink she felt strong, cold arms wrap around her, her neck craned to the side. "What a shame your vampire can't save you."
"What do you want?" She frowned, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't have to see the shining red eyes to know what he was, or what he wanted.
"You are quite peculiar, darling." He said, she could feel his lips smiling against her neck. "You kept me waiting for quite some time."
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand." Lucy said, mustering all of her courage. She knew that it was fruitless to fight. He was stronger, and more capable than her.
"You-" He began, but froze. "Your vampires are coming."
"Go downstairs, act normal. If they begin to assume anything, I will find you." He said with a dark smile against her neck, pushing her away. "I will be here listening to everything."
Lucy ran down the stairs quickly, it took two minutes for Emmett to arrive. Jasper was not with him, nor were any of the other Cullen's family.
"Luce! You expected me?" Emmett asked brightly as he approached the house. "You look different."
"Yes." Lucy said stiffly, her hands wringing on the jacket. Glancing down she jutted it out to him. "Jasper's jacket."
"He'll be here in a minute; he saw an elk and had to stop." Emmett rolled his eyes.
"That's disgusting, Em. I really don't want to hear about your eating habits." She frowned, folding her arms. He was eyeing her cautiously, she knew that he could hear her heart racing. She was scared, she didn't know what was happening.
"Is something wrong?" Jasper appeared suddenly, as though out of thin air. His brows furrowed slightly at her. His eyes were a glistening gold, his honey colored hair falling in to his face casually. His tone was filled with worry and concern. Rather than bring her comfort, however, it only made her feel more uneasy.
"Why would something be wrong? I'm just nervous to go back to school is all." Lucy spat out quickly, a little too quickly, her words blurring together slightly as her heart began to race more profusely. They would pick up on it, and the man would kill- She then realized that he couldn't kill her. Somehow, the thought didn't help her to feel any better.
"You're shaking, and you look like you've seen a ghost." Emmett chuckled. Jasper reached out and grabbed his jacket, glancing behind her as he sniffed the air.
"There's a vampire here." Jasper frowned, walking past her in to the house.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Lucy said, though her voice wavered slightly, her voice hitching in her throat. She stood firmly in the doorway while Emmett and Jasper walked through her entire house.
"He left through the bedroom window." Emmett frowned as he went downstairs, he and Jasper watched her with a frown.
"What was a vampire doing here?" Jasper asked her, looking much like an angry father who had just caught his daughter sneaking a boy in to the house. She felt her courage return, feeling slightly angered at his tone.
"He was trying to bite me, what do you think he was doing here?" She hissed, throwing his jacket on to the back of a chair in her living-room. "It would have gone fine had you not gotten in the way."
"You want to die?" Jasper responded angrily.
"It will not kill me, you buffoon." She spat back, walking in to her kitchen.
"You should come with us, Luce. It's not safe here. What does he want with you? How did he find you?" Emmett was concerned, though he wasn't nearly as patronizing as Jasper.
"He followed me from New Orleans." Lucy frowned, glancing at a clock in the kitchen. "Apparently the vampires down there got word of my unique blood."
"How is it unique?" Emmett asked her, folding his arms over his chest.
"I don't know, honestly. It did something crazy to the vampire that bit me, and now they're following me around." She shrugged, she had to force herself to watch Emmett, not Jasper.
"Come over and stay with us, we'll find them and find out why they're following you. We don't need another Bella." Emmett said harshly. Lucy had never seen them look so serious, or sound so grave. She wondered how she had managed to gain such strong allegiance after having only known them so shortly.
"I don't want to be a nuisance, and my neighbors are already spreading gossip about us." Lucy frowned, though it did sound appealing. She had to wonder if it sounded appealing because she would feel safer, or because she would be closer to Jasper.
"Come on, I'll go watch you pack, Jasper will go get the car." Emmett said, his eyes watching Jasper cautiously; it was as though they were silently having a conversation with no words.
"I'd like to use my car." Lucy said with a frown. "Though It won't fit all of us, and I'll have to move Jasper's trunk."
"My trunk?" Jasper looked at her confused, his voice was smooth and melodic. She gulped slightly, daring a sideways glance at him.
"Yes, your mother gave it to me, so I thought I would return it to you. Better late than never." She said, trying to act casually. Just a look at him and the room disappeared; nothing else existed. It seemed as though everything in the room stopped, she couldn't feel her heart beat, or herself breathing.
"Thank you." He told her, breaking the silence as he glanced to Emmett. Cursing silently to herself she walked past the two men.
"I'll go get my stuff, are you coming, Emmett?" She asked, refusing to turn to look at the boys as they stood side by side. She had to make sure to call for Emmett, she couldn't stand to be alone with Jasper. She didn't even want to be near him. Just feeling him near her made it nearly impossible to think of anything but him; school would be hell. Her feet seemed to hitch on each step, dreading the immanent. She didn't want to stay with the Cullen's.
"Carlisle says that he thinks it's a good idea for you to stay with us until we figure out why the vampires are tracking you." Emmett said as he appeared behind her. She couldn't help but frown; she hadn't heard him on the phone, and she didn't want to stay with the Cullen family. She loved their family, she knew that she did; they were nice, warm, and inviting... but she couldn't be around Jasper. She wanted to avoid him like the plague. She was considering even moving away; she didn't have to graduate; she could just start over somewhere new. "Pack heavy."
"Thank you, Emmett." Lucy drawled under her breath. She couldn't seem rude towards the rest of their family, but towards Emmett and Jasper it really didn't matter... she was surprised she had formed any sentences, so Emmett was the only source of outlet for frustration.
The sun shone brightly through the windows of her new 'bedroom' at the Cullen's home. She couldn't help but smile at the effort that Esme had put forth to make it comfortable for her. It was the same guest room as before, though it obviously had more of a southern style than before. It was only little things, like an older styled quilt spread over the bed that resembled something she would have made with her mother, but it was a nice sentiment. Her trunk had been set at the base of her bed by Emmett, who had refused to let her carry it. Within seconds of having arrived, Rosalie had disappeared under her car; Emmett forced her out, claiming that Rose was an excellent mechanic. Lucy snickered to herself at the thought that Rosalie truly was the perfect girl. She slowly opened her trunk, which was practically overflowing with things that she had packed. How was one supposed to pack enough of their life away to stay with someone for an indefinite amount of time?
Her book bag was the first to fall out; a large backpack that held her books, and easily weighed two tons... or at least 10 pounds... Setting it on the floor she began pulling her clothes out, setting them neatly in the drawers. Opening the top drawer she found it already filled with clothes that Esme had purchased for her. Curiously she made sure the others were empty; they were, thankfully. Lucy sighed, putting clothes away. She hated living away from her house.
Once the trunk was empty of clothes she began pulling out a wooden box that was at least a foot long, and half a foot wide. It had ornate carvings and painting on it, and looked old. Small insets of carved ivory and jewels glistened from sunlight that shone in through the window. Setting it atop the dresser besides a large mirror she opened it and reached to the back where she wound a mechanism. It had been a gift from her father when she was 15. It was a carousel music box that he had had special made in Switzerland. One of the girls in town had been given one as a gift, and Lucy had gotten jealous; it had been the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It had been a box that would play a soft melody, the most musical ringing of bells.
The small figure of a dark haired girl sat in a large, ornately decorated parlor. In her lap sat a small piece of silk with delicate embroidery around the edges. A soft image of fruit was on one corner, a decorative letter 'L' ornately done, while a needle with a dark green thread sat in it. The girl sighed somewhat impatiently as she returned to embroidering the material. It was like a scene from a painting; the beautiful room, the child, no older than 14 or 15 years old, her hair in beautiful ringlets, while she wore a lavishly done dress, as she embroidered a dainty handkerchief.
"Lucy! Your father is home!" The lilting voice of a tall woman with black hair piled on to her head. She smiled in to the room at the child.
"I haven't finished his present yet!" Lucy cried out, looking down at her lap with disappointment. "It is nearly done!"
"Lucy," Her mother began, warning her softly with her tone. The girl, however, looked down to her lap and began quickly stitching. No more than thirty seconds later she jumped up, hurriedly folding the finished handkerchief in to a box, securely tying the strings and using a tiny gold set of scissors to trim it.
"Done." Lucy said proudly, folding it neatly in to a box that had been waiting for the small handkerchief. The girl quickly ran past her mother, darting through the house with agility before coming to the front foyer.
"Papa!" The girl cried out gleefully, her green eyes glistening with tears of glee as she jumped in to the arms of a tall man with waving dark hair and the same shining eyes. "I have missed you!"
"I have missed you, too." The man dropped his small bag as he lifted his daughter, spinning her around briefly while she giggled like a small child.
"I made you a gift." She said eagerly as he set her down. The small box paled in comparison to the rest of the house, though he smiled as he took it, opening it carefully. He pulled out the small cream colored cloth.
"It is beautiful. I have brought you a gift, as well." Her father said with a smile. "Go sit in the parlor and I will bring it in to you."
"Thank you, Father!" She jumped up as she ran eagerly to the parlor. She wanted to hear all of his travels to Europe. He wanted to leave the United States due to the fear of war breaking out, and he felt that England was a better place to live than Texas.
From the moment her father entered the room holding the luxurious box she knew what it was. Her eyes widened excitedly; it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It belonged in a palace, not her home.
"Oh Papa! It is beautiful!" She exclaimed excitedly as he set it on a table for her. He looked at her proudly, as her mother frowned slightly, shaking her head. Lucy opened the lid while her father wound the back. Her eyes widened in shock as a small scene played out. The soft, chiming melody of Canon, by Pachelbel played, as a pair of small figurines danced on the top of it in glass. It was a delicate ballet. She'd never seen anything like it, it didn't even seem real. It was amazing what man could do.
"I had it specially made just for you." He smiled. Looking closer she saw the figurines; they had been hand carved, and bore a striking resemblance, to her, and one of the older boys in town who was preparing to leave for the army.
"Is that supposed to be Will?" Lucy furrowed her brows slightly as she tried to look more closely at it.
"That is the other news we have for you, my dear." Her mother said softly, touching her shoulder. Lucy didn't look up from the music box, plush velvet lined the sides, and it had countless little nooks for jewelry. The lid had crystal doors, with gold hinges and hooks that looked as though they held necklaces.
"What news?" She asked, not looking as she opened one of the doors. It was the nicest thing she had ever held, and it was hers. She would make her father a hundred more handkerchiefs and quilts to thank him for such a beautiful box.
"You know that Will's father accompanied me to England, and they are considering moving as well." Her father began, his tone was warm as he sat on a chair besides her. The fire from the wood burning, and the kerosene lamp made his face glow.
"Yes, we are quite close with their family." Lucy said, a slightly confused frown as she looked up.
"You are no longer a child, Lucy. You will soon be 16." Her father said, his eyes held a sad look. She froze, her hand shook as it held one of the doors open, her throat tightened slightly. Will had visited the house much more often than usual, and had helped her mother around the house a great deal while her father was out. "Young Wilfred has shown interest in courting you."
"This is fantastic news!" Her mother proclaimed excitedly. Lucy could hear her mother call for their best wine and the wheels in her head began to turn rapidly. Lucy wanted to cry; she had not thought about marriage, or courting. She had been perfectly happy living with her parents, and pleasing them. She wasn't ready for marriage. Glancing up with a gulp she saw her parents watching her proudly.
"Yes, this is great news." She put on a smile, trying to sound cheerful as Marietta handed her a small crystal glass with a soft smile on her face, as though to apologize for the misfortune that everyone in town would think was superb.
"I am so pleased to hear that you are happy with this, I had feared you would not prefer Will. He is a very kind young man." Her father said, hugging her tightly. "My little girl is growing up!"
"Yes." She said, trying to hold back the tears. Her mother mistook them for tears of excitement and replaced her fathers place and hugged her tightly.
"We will have my mothers dress tailored to fit you, it has been in the family for a hundred years, and we will have to buy you some more mature clothing; you're not a child anymore." Her mother said, holding a curl in her hand lovingly. Lucy smiled, kneeling back down to look at the box as it continued to play, the figures dancing along what looked like an ice rink. Will was handsome, and he came from the richest family in the town. He would treat her well. His father raised him exceptionally; he went to West Point for school, and had only come home once a year, every year.
"Thank you Mother, Father. This is truly a spectacular day." She said, putting on a broad smile. Her father began talking about his travels, though she could do nothing but allow herself to become mesmerized by her new, beautiful music box. She had known she would have to be married at some point, and Will was a good man. She wouldn't allow that to take away from the beauty of her new treasure.
Lucy sighed as she held a small bracelet from the box. It was a charm bracelet that Will had given her when he came home from the war. He had added charms to it from many of the places he had been to. Small silver bells, ornately carved crystal shapes, carved metal figurines. It must have cost a fortune back then, it had been beautiful. It weighed a ton on her wrist, yet she had worn it almost constantly. Everyone in town had doted on it. With a frown she placed it back in the box. She had never loved Wilfred, though in those days love was not what you married for. It was a marriage that would have made both of their parents very happy. There was no doubt in her mind, that from the look in his eyes he had loved her. Every day that she had lived with the guilt that she would never love him as he deserved. She had convinced herself that in time she would learn to love him, that the love that one feels for a lover is not natural, and would not come at once; rather it was formed over time. It was a bond that deepened, and grew as the relationship progressed.
Wilfred, however, had disagreed with this notion.
"I have known that I would be wed to you from the moment I first set eyes on you." He had told her, smiling warmly at her as they walked down the dirt covered road of their hometown. He held her arm in his affectionately.
"That is impossible. I was but 8 then." Lucy had laughed, her hair bouncing with laughter. The other civilians looked to them warmly; the young couple looked like something out of a picturesque painting; Her fancy clothes, his crisp new uniform with medals on it. He had been promoted before returning, and his new uniform had been made to show that.
"It was love at first sight. I knew, from one look, that you were the girl I had been destined for." He told her. She knew he had a pang of sadness at the thought that she had not felt the same. He had become more sentimental after serving in the war, as though a great fear of losing her should he not proclaim his emotions at every passing moment. She would smile, tell him how much she appreciated him, that she loved him greatly, and would eagerly await his next return. She loved him, though it felt much as she loved everyone else. He was a kind man, and they were a perfect couple; everyone had said so.
Yet, meeting Jasper had thrown away any idea about attraction between men and women. It felt as though she had formed an instant connection with him the moment they first spoke; she couldn't stand to be apart from him for the entire three days she had known him. She knew that they were only friends, yet that hadn't been to say she hadn't hoped for more. She had convinced herself that she wanted nothing more than friendship from him, that he was a comforting figure; he made her feel relaxed. He had given her hope.
With an annoyed sigh she threw herself on to the bed, burying her head in the pillows. She had never thought to ask herself why he had given her hope, or why she had gone so far out of her way to help his mother when she had hardly known him. She was caring, and loving, and wanted the best for everyone... yet she had nearly devoted everything to helping the woman find him; putting forth more effort than she had for anything before or since. There was never even a consideration that she had felt something more for him. For a hundred years she had never felt that rush of a connection with another person, and not once had she even put thought towards it. She had always assumed that the war had been hard on her, and she had no desire for romantic relationships after having to survive after everyone that she had loved die off. But with a groan she came to the harsh realization that the reason Jasper dying had brought all of her pain rushing forth back then was not because it was the final straw; but rather it was the one that had hurt the most. He had been everything she had dreamt of in a man; a charming young major in the army, as handsome as he was brilliant... he didn't look down on her for speaking her opinions, and he didn't laugh at her desire for work. He listened when she spoke; something unheard of in those days. He had given her hope that the war would end well, not for the country, but for her... that one day she would have the happy ending she had dreamt of; that she hadn't been a strange fool of a woman that had unrealistic desires.
And then, as quickly as she had found him, he disappeared. Finding someone like him would never happen; so she didn't even look. Even seeing him standing in front of her; she had known that he was not the same person. Perhaps that was why it had taken her so long to connect the two. He was not the man she had fallen in love with; he was not the man that she had built up in her mind. She had been a perfect Victorian woman; completely oblivious and naive to everything in the world, including her feelings. She had been raised to be nurturing, caring, and protective over others; and in her whole life, those were words that everyone had always used to describe her... yet on the other side of the sword they also said that she was painfully oblivious to the intentions of others, naive that everyone wanted good in the world, and annoyingly prudish. Her mother would have been proud; she had devoted herself to one man unknowingly, and had upheld the standards that her mother would have loved. Though rather than help to fuel her growing infatuation, it made her almost angry with him. It wasn't his fault, but she didn't want to like him. She had spent a hundred years alone because she had fallen for him, and some crazy ghost had doomed her to being alive forever so that she could spend forever with someone whom she had formed a crush on at 18. It wasn't fair.
A/N: Hey guys, I hope everyone is having a great winter, we got more snowfall than we've had in over ten years; it was total pandemonium. The next chapter will have a bit about Jasper and his past, and Lucy will become a lot moodier and avoidant. Also in the next chapter we will find out more about Lucy, and what happens when she touches a vampire for too long. I've been working on drawing out how I think the characters should look/what they'd be wearing in different scenes. I'm not sure if you guys would care to see them, but if you want to let me know and I'll post links, or something. :D
Please review and let me know what you think. I apologize for any stupid mistakes I may have made. I try to proofread it, but tend to skip over things. Thank you for reading!