For Life

Jacob/O.C. FanFiction.

Chapter Two: Adjusting

I pulled into the driveway at the house and sighed. This wasn't going to be difficult, but, it wasn't going to be easy. I opened my door and stepped out, holding it open so Luna could crawl out of my door instead of worrying about opening her. She was turning out to be more of a hassle than she might be worth. Her bare feet touched the ground and I watched as she adjusted to the feel of the gravel, rubbing the balls of her heels into the ground.

I moved go inside, but, when I heard the light footsteps moving to follow me, I stopped. Better to ask first and explain why he couldn't say 'no' later.

"Luna?" I asked, unsure of why it was a question; probably trying to adjust her to her new name.

"Yes?" she answered promptly. I smiled a little.

"Stay put until I come to get you," I said, looking over my shoulder. I watched as she nodded her head affirmatively, and nodded back. I turned to stare at the door and sighed, maybe Billy wouldn't be that bad.

---

It had taken nearly an hour for me to explain the events of the day in the full detail that satisfied Billy before he finally agreed that, yes, Luna could live with us. I darted out the door, half expecting to find her missing. But, to my surprise, there she was, standing in the exact spot I had left her in, staring off into the horizon. She looked so sad every time she stared off at the horizon, like she was longing to be somewhere, with someone.

"Luna?" I asked, snapping her out of her trance. Her blue eyes moved over to mine, shimmering in the golden rays of the late-afternoon sunset. She didn't respond vocally, but I knew she was paying attention to me as those sapphires stared into the depths of my soul, or at least, that's what it felt like. I cleared my throat to dislodge the lump she seemed to have transferred from her eyes to mine.

"Uh, my father, Billy, wants to meet you…" I said sheepishly. This felt like I was bringing home a fiancée or a wife, it was hard to believe that it was just temporary lodging for a pack mate. I contemplated acknowledging her as my 'sister' but it wasn't right. She wasn't my sister, and I didn't want her to be my sister.

I got caught up in my thoughts of siblings and pseudo-family dynamics, and it took me a moment to realize that her little legs had already lead her past me into the living room. I turned and darted inside, and there she was, standing in front of Billy, at a safe five-feet away, her head bent down a little and her back straight. It was then that I noticed that she was covered in dirt and that her hair was matted and messy.

She had smelled so good to me, I had just assumed that she was clean. But, it wouldn't make sense if she was, seeing as she had basically explained that she had been out in the wilderness for god only knows how long. I should have made her take a shower at Sam's before bringing her home to Billy, he shouldn't have to meet her like this. Crap, there I went again, feeling like this was some strange meeting of my father and significant other….

"My, aren't you a sight," said Billy calmly. He noticed the dirt too, but he didn't seem embarrassed by it. She stayed silent as he looked her over. "What was your name again, dear?" he asked. I panicked. I don't know why I panicked, seeing as I had already explained everything to Billy; that she was a werewolf, that she had been running with a wild pack, that we rescued her, everything.

"Luna," she answered promptly. I smiled. Something about hearing her voice form her name seemed…fitting. I was pleased with myself for choosing the right name for her.

"Luna," Billy repeated, smiling up at her. "Well, it will be a nice change to have a lady in the house again," he said, glancing over at me. I glared at him. He was talking about her and it was aggravating. He caught my glare and looked back at her, "You can have my daughters' old room, next to Jake's." And with that, Billy turned to the TV.

---

Silently, I grabbed Luna's hand and pulled her into the room next to mine. It was much larger than mine, but seeing as it had served as a room for two people instead of my one, it was only reasonable. She looked around, as if to figure out what to do with this large room. I sighed and sank onto one of the beds in the room. Tentatively, she sat next to me, keeping a safe distance but still very close.

It was unnerving having her so close, because as she sat there, her sweet scent hit me like a blunt object to the face, and I reveled in it. I looked over at her, bracing my arms under my head as I kicked one leg onto the bed, the other dangling off the edge. Her eyes were distant, her posture slouching more as her eyelids seemed to become heavier with each blink.

She was probably exhausted, she could have been running for days. I sat up, which seemed to get her attention and smiled calmly. Her face remained an expressionless interest.

"Go take a bath then go to sleep," I said, pointing to the linen cupboard with was full of towels. She stared at me, and I groaned. "You do know how to bathe yourself, right?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Of course I do," she said, mocking my tone.

"Then go do it," I said, a small snarl working into my voice. She snarled back.

"No." I let out a low growl, my fists shaking against my side.

"You're covered in dirt!" I snapped, trying, and failing, to leash my anger.

"Your point?" she said huffily. I growled loudly, but then I realized a solution.

Quickly, and without any warning, I stood and scooped her into my arms. She was taken aback for a moment, but then started to growl, her legs kicking with some force as she attempted to break free. I clung tighter. I rushed her down the hall, making it into the bathroom and locking the door before Billy even noticed. I kicked the faucet on to hot, and started the struggle to get the blue dress off of her.

It was less than easy. Every time I would grab her clothes, she would smack my hand away forcefully. I snarled, and attempted time after time, and after a moment of holding her one-handed, she managed to break free. I pushed myself against the door and snarled down at her.

"Just get in the water," I said, my eyes full of the rage I was feeling. Why was she being so…defiant?

"Force me," she said, her claws scratching at my arms to get out the door. I arched my brow, then narrowed my gaze. If she wanted force, she could get force. I grabbed her arms, which made it easy for her to bite my hand. That did it, she was getting rough force. I lifted her by the one arm I was holding and, simply, dropped her into the tub, dress and all. Water sloshed out of the tub as she sat up, snarling at me and trying to stand.

I reacted before I could think, pressing my hand to her head and forcing her underwater. She flailed for a moment, her hands grasping my wrist, as I contemplated just letting her drown, but I let her up. She sputtered as she gasped for air. I would have leaned back and smirked at her, but then I realized her hands were still tightly wrapped around my wrist, shaking.

Her eyes were wide with fear as her entire body shook. Her breaths were rapid and deep, and then two tears rolled out of her eyes. I cringed as I watched the two droplets crashed into the bath water. My voice seemed to have disappeared. I gently pulled the dress off of her, and hung it on the towel rack to dry. I gently placed a bar of soap in her hand, slipping my wrist out of her shaking grip. I stood, shoved my hands in my pockets, and turned away from her.

"Wash," I managed to say as I walked into the hallway. I leaned my back against the door, sliding down it until I was sitting on the ground. I looked over at my arm, where the shape of her hands was set in a pale ring around my wrist, the scolding wounds disappearing as I stared at them.

What the hell had I just done!? I forced her under water, I could have drowned her; I could have killed her. I sat there for a moment, listening to the light trickling sounds of water from the other side of the door. I would just have to be more careful, because she seemed to be able to anger me the way only one person had been able to before. I shook my head and stood, retrieving a towel and a t-shirt for her to wear. I would have to find some clothes that fit her later.

---

When I walked back into the bathroom, I blinked when I saw her actually scrubbing her skin clean with the bar of soap. By the look of it, she had scrubbed everywhere else and was working on making the ivory skin on her arms perfect. I would have just set the towel and shirt down and left, but her hair was still a matted mess. I sighed, she probably didn't understand the complexity of shampooing.

I moved over and sat on the edge of the tub, she must not have noticed me enter, because when I sat down she dropped the bar of soap with a splash. Her eyes met mine for a moment before they fell away. She hunched over into herself, her arms holding herself as she avoided eye contact with me. I grabbed the bottle of shampoo and squirted it on her head, watching shivers fall over her skin as it ran down her back.

Her body stiffened as my hand fell to her head. I silently let my fingers work through her short black hair, gently massaging her scalp. After a while, she leaned into my hands, her eyes closed as I continued to wash her hair. I sighed, it probably felt like she was being petted. I let my hand fall away from her warm hair.

"Lean back," I said, trying to make my voice a little more soothing. She looked up at me. I calmed more when those sapphire orbs looked up at me with a hint of fear. "Just, put your head in the water." Her eyes widened, and she slouched away from me.

"I…I'm…I…"she began shaking again, and if I wasn't certain it was impossible, I would be afraid she had hypothermia. But those blue orbs hit me again, she was afraid. I couldn't blame her, I had pretty much drowned her a few minutes ago. I put my hand at the top of her back, almost the scruff of her neck and smiled calmly.

"Cover yourself and lie back, I won't let you drown," I promised. She stared at me for a moment, before slowly obeying, her arms crossed over her small chest. I leaned her back so the back of her head was in the water, focusing on rinsing her hair free of the shampoo.

Her eyes were staring at me, almost like she was waiting for me to drop her and push her back into the water. I adjusted to grab the conditioner and I felt her hot hands grab my arm again. I looked back down at her, my eyes serious as I stared into her deep sapphire eyes. I lifted her a little and squirted the conditioner onto her head and gently weaved my fingers through her hair, and felt her grasp on my hands lighten.

"I told you I wouldn't let you drown," I said, as I leaned her back and rinsed the conditioner from her hair. Her face flushed a little and she looked away, her hands falling from my arm. I helped her up and managed, with a little effort, to wrap her in a large towel without looking at her.

She stepped tentatively out of the tub, her pale skin glistening from the water. I cleared my throat as I leaned over the tub, pulling out the stopper. When I stood, rubbing my wet forearms against my now damp jeans, she was still just standing there, sniffing her arm disapprovingly. I sighed.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked shoving my hands in my pockets. She wrinkled her nose and looked up at me.

"I smell…wrong," she said, pulling her hands through her hair. I rolled my eyes and walked over to her, pulling her in so I could sniff the top of her hair. "I smell like you," she explained.

"You smell like soap," I explained as I brushed past her to make my way from the bathroom.

"I don't like it," she retorted. I rolled my eyes.

"Just dry off, put the shirt on, and go to bed," I said, before walking out of the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. I walked into my room and fell, face first, onto my bed, my legs hanging off the side.

This was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated.

---

I must have fallen asleep, because I woke to a dark world, the green numbers on my digital clock shining through the inky blackness of my room. The time was 2:30 A.M. I stood and took off my still damp jeans, pulling some over sized pajama pants on instead. I crawled back into my bed, laying on my back and staring at the ceiling. I don't know how long I was staring at nothing before I heard the light creek of my door.

I lifted myself on my arms to look at the door, where a very small, timid silhouette was standing just inside my door.

"Luna?" I asked, my voice groggy from sleep. I saw her small nodded as she walked closer to my bed-a whopping four feet or so- before she was staring down at me, her blue eyes luminescent in the darkness. "What's wrong?" I asked.

I did feel sorry for the girl; she had had a long day. She had been chased by a vampire who she couldn't kill for god knows how long-and how far- and now she had no way to return to her pack. She stayed silent and shifted into the small space at the top of my bed that was unoccupied. She curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her as she closed her eyes.

Something inside me told me that she was far from comfortable on La Push, and that same something told me she was in here out of loneliness. I let my hand fall to her hair, which had since dried from her bath. I ran my fingers through the smooth locks and closed my eyes, not tired so much as relaxed. After a few moments, she moved closer to me, and I smiled a little into the darkness.

"You don't like being alone, do you?" I asked, still staring at the dark ceiling. She shook her head under my hand. I felt her trying her hardest to stay awake if I was going to speak. "Have you slept yet?" I asked, my eyes moving from the dark ceiling to her face.

"…I couldn't sleep alone," she said. I nodded and let my hand rest on her head as I closed my eyes, the need for a few more hours of sleep falling over me.

"Well, sleep now that you're not alone."

Within minutes I could only hear the even sound of her breathing, and I knew that I would drift into sleep soon. I flipped over, wrapping my arms around her warm body as I inhaled the scent of her hair.

I don't know what she was talking about, she still smelled like the gods.

All Characters (save Luna) © Stephenie Meyer, this was made for recreational purposes, and the writer is not gaining any monetary benefit from this.