Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own this series. ::cries silently:: Sci-Fi does.

All I own is my imagination, sad I know.

Episode 12: You're Different

She woke up from another dream drenched in sweat, her stomach begged for food and every muscle in her body cramping. Now she was angry, completely angry, she couldn't seem to get a break from him not even when she slept. She could hear the wolves howling they were miles away from her house, but she could hear them none the less. She was starting to hate the wait. She wanted to flip, but more than anything she wanted to escape. She seemed to still be in control of her mind but her body was a whole other story. She braved a glance at her clock 2:40am she screamed hoping to release some frustration knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep. She started to get up when her father knocked on her door.

"Sophie honey are you ok" he asked "yeah daddy just woke up, I just couldn't sleep" she answered "Alright honey. Call me if you need anything. I'm off to work, see you soon" he told her as he rushed down the stairs toward the front door, stopping only when he heard her yell back to him "Ok dad see you. Ohh and don't forget I'm meeting with Scott and Kit later so I'll be home a little later than usual." He could only hope that the events of the previous night would not repeat themselves.

"Dad" she called out uncertainly when he didn't answer

"Yeah honey, it's ok. Sorry, I guess I got lost in thought. I'll see you later" he continued out the front door when he heard her yell "I love you daddy" causing his to smile.

XXX

She made her way over to her radio putting in her 'Between the Trees' CD and skipping all the songs, stopping on "White Lines & Red Lights". She wanted to dance off some stress before she had to get ready for school. Instinctively her hands reached over her head as her hips swayed singing along with the lyrics to her favorite song.

Holding back

and not getting too carried away

Let the music fade

Cause you are the brightest star

And I'm in love with who you are

And you are the brightest star

And I'm lost without your love

We are in each other's arms
just like a movie scene
cause as we're leaning in
the light decides to turn green

Me and you together
this is getting better
just butterflies won't do
I don't want just red lights
I want more of these nights
cause baby I love you

Realizing the significance of the words she grunted and changed the song. 'So dancing is probably not the most appropriate thing to do at 3 in the morning' she thought to herself with a sigh.

She decided to take a shower hoping that would distract her mind. Raising the volume and letting the music drift into the bathroom, she went about her usual morning routine and started to get ready. Once showered she ate breakfast and got dressed, but the time hadn't passed nearly quick enough, the clock in the kitchen flashed 5:29 am as if it were trying to torment her. She sighed again making her way towards the door, hoping that the walk to school would help pass the time.

XXX

He jumped out of bed excited and he had no idea why. It was 6:40 and he had managed to oversleep yet again. He had to get to school in 30 minutes or he'd be dead. His mom had torn him a new ass hole the last time he was late and she was still pissed about his intrusion on Sophia and Scott's date. He couldn't get her off his mind, but he decided to chalk it up to her embarrassing him and picking Scott over him She was not easy to handle and he had to put his charm into overdrive just to get her to look at him.

His mind wandered as he grabbed his keys and bolted out his house. 'God was she beautiful' he thought staring wistfully at the spot where his car would normally sit, 'The way her eyes flash and the way she looks when she's mad' he thought with a smile. She needed to forgive him so he could get on with his life. Since the beginning of their 'friendship' or whatever they wanted to call it, he continually screwed up and she would give him easy way outs. He remembered her speech in the diner a few nights ago. It was the night when she had told him that she only wanted to be his friend and he walked out angry at her. No girl said no to Lucas Cates he sighed and that's why she had to forgive him. Turning into the parking lot, in one of his mother's SUVs, he ignored the longing his inner wolf felt and the whispered 'you love her' in the back of his mind.

When he down the halls he could smell her scent everywhere, so it took him sometime to locate her. She was already surrounded by humans and he had been forbidden to approach her in such cases. He knew Sarah would tell his mother if he as much as let out a frustrated growl. But it seemed like whenever he braved a step towards her or approach the crowd of people surrounding her, she would enter the ladies room or duck into a nearby class room. She was doing a good job at avoiding him and he was really starting to get annoyed. She had never been this mad at him.

Later that day he had decided he would wait by her locker because by this time he knew her scheduled stops by memory. He leaned against the locker with his legs crossed smelling the air. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Presley walking towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck their lips meeting at that very moment he felt Brianna's mouth against his ear, her hands in his back pockets, lust shooting through the 3 teenage bodies. Kit cleared her throat only because Brianna was against her locker, Luke's eyes opened and her caught a glimpse of Sophia before he got completely lost in what the 2 girls where doing to him. He had seen both Sarah and Sophia's eyes flash an unusually bright shade of gold, but it was too late, there was no stopping his hormones, when he heard Presley in his mind 'we've missed you baby' followed by Brianna's voice in his ear "where have you been?"

XXX

He was such an ass; he cared about no one but himself. She approached her locker and saw Brianna look right at her as she whispered in Luke's ear. She decided to wait a few more seconds before letting her anger go. She grabbed Presley's hair and flung her away and pushed Luke's chest so that he and Brianna fell away from her and Kit's locker. Before any of the skinwalkers could react Sophia was gone surrounded by her human friends. Sarah smirked at the 3 skinwalkers and ran to catch up with Scott, Kit and Sophia, her laughter tickling their ears.

XXX

He was a bundle of strange/confusing emotions. He was proud after all she was strong and his inner wolf begged for her, beautiful, aggressive, and even if she didn't know it very possessive because she had reacted the way any female skinwalker would have if another bitch approached her mate. But he wasn't her mate she couldn't even stand him, and yet he wasn't sure what bothered him more the fact that they weren't mates and that he kind of wanted them to be or the fact that she had in a way claimed him whether she knew it or not. Needless to say he was completely frustrated by the whole situation. He stood up and helped Brianna up angrier now than before. He was the future Alpha and she always embarrassed him. When he glanced over at Presley he was shocked to see that she wasn't angry but actually smiling, didn't she know that Sophia had staked a claim of sorts. Brianna made her way over to Presley helping her she called Luke's name gaining his attention. "Luke looks like the Zoo Bait wants nothing to do with you, guess you won't be the one to help her flip" she purred causing him to growl at her and walked away. She was right and he knew it, Sophia's claim was very much an accident and it meant nothing, she was acting like a human girl would and that's to rid yourself of the offenders. She had pushed him away from her and had only flung Presley away because she wanted to push him out of her way and off her locker. Sophia could have cared less about the 2 girls hanging on him.

XXX

She had completely forgotten what day it was until she had run right into an inflatable bat and backed into a plastic skeleton she sighed and pushed the bat away, it was time for their annual Halloween Scream Party and she stupidly had agreed to work this day. Just then Rusty waved and told her "Happy Halloween Soph-" but he was cut off by Kit screaming "I HATE HALLOWEEN!" at that very same moment Sophia had been mumbling the same thing, both girl looked at each other's distraught hate stricken face and doubled over in laughter.

A Few Weeks Later

Ruby knew that her freedom wouldn't last long. She could also smell the same change in the air, taste it on her tongue but she still kept running, without looking back till she ran straight into a trap. She didn't have time to react, he was on top of her fast, she couldn't fight but his eyes bore into her….. She knew who he was and she—.

She woke up crying, her hands instinctively reaching for her legs. She could still feel the pain and smell her own blood but there was no sign of an injury. She was just dreaming and a part of her knew that, yet that eerie feeling was still there lingering on the outskirts of her mind.

She shifted with some effort shaking her beautiful white fur and preparing to run when she heard the sobs. She ran towards hiding herself behind some trees, she watched her beloved John sitting at her twin's grave, writing yet another letter that she wished she could respond to. If only she could run away with him. But he would be in serious danger if she did and even she, the white wolf, would not be strong enough to protect him. She watched him stand to leave pausing as he reached her father's grave staring at it. He was reaching for the letter entitled 'Dad' suddenly stopping and he looked around, just as he Luke appeared.

Luke approached the grave with yet another letter very similar to the one John had wanted to grab. He watched as Luke placed the letter next to the other, the word 'Dad' etched into the envelope, the lettering almost identical to the other. Shaking his head John turned to leave.

He could sense her lingering presence. Luke waited till it was safe to call out

"Ruby" he whispered, she ventured out now in human form. He tossed her his jacket, "Luke" she said pulling the jacket closed around her body. When she reached him they hugged, she kissed his cheek causing him to flinch and looked at his older sister.

"I'm sorry Ruby" he said in a quivering voice "I'm sorry." She looked up at him confused "What for?" she asked reaching for his hand. "What I said the day of Dad's funeral. I was mad and hurting, I took it out on you" he paused "I had no right to be so mean to you" he squeezed her hand.

"Oh" she manage to say, his words echoing in her head. Without warning her thoughts drifted back to that day, when she had asked him to tell her a joke; a new, dirty, cruel joke she'd said hoping to cheer them both up. The look on his face haunted "Ruby Cates and Tyler Creed grow old together" it was sometime later when she looked back at her little brother "Luke what's wrong with you, you are usually very arrogant and cruel. You act tough and you pretend to be in control. And you definitely never say you're sorry, you let people assume the words I'm sorry aren't in your vocabulary." He laughed to himself softly before responding. "I guess it's time for me to start growing up and act like a man I guess. What better way to start, then to apologize to the best sister in the world." He said standing up, "I love you Ruby. Don't take this the wrong way if I say I hope to never see you again" he turned and walked away. She could only smile at her baby brother's back, "I won't Luke" she whispered, something in him was changing and she had her own ideas as to what was the catalyst to that particular change.

XXX

AN: For those of you wondering, when Luke says he hopes to never see Ruby again he only means that he hopes she finds the freedom she longs for, he hopes she gets to escape Wolf Lake for good