I suck, I'm horrible, this took forever. Sorry. Been busy, and kinda lacking on the urge to write this.
But I'm back!
"Leah!" Emily said excitedly, doing an odd, shuffling jog towards her cousin, her bags weighing her down. She dropped them once the two met and wrapped her tightly in a hug. "Oh, gosh, I've missed you!" she laughed.
"Me too!" Leah said as she pulled back, grinning. "It's been way too long." Bending down, she picked up one of the bags and Emily grabbed the other, following her cousin into the house. Harry glanced up from the TV and smiled at Emily, lifting himself out of the chair and maneuvering around to it grab her in an embrace. After that, she was hugging Sue, who led her into the kitchen.
"Where's Seth?" she asked, glancing around for her younger cousin.
Sue waved a spoon in the air, smiling in that motherly tolerant way all mothers seemed to possess. "I think he's down at the beach with some of his friends. He should be back in time for dinner."
"How can I help?" Emily asked, glancing around the small kitchen and moving towards some carrots on the counter cutting board.
"No, no, no!" Sue laughed, stepping quickly over and deterring her niece from the food. "You go get settled first. I can take care of things in here just fine."
"Are you sure?" Emily ascertained, smiling at her aunt.
"Yes, now go unpack!" Sue scolded kindly.
Emily went down the hall to Leah's room, grinning at her cousin. Leah smiled as well, and pointed to the bed. "You can sleep there. I'll take the floor. And don't think about arguing, Emily Young!" she added sternly, but it didn't quite mask the laugh in her voice. "You're the guest, so you get the bed. When I visit, you can have the floor and I'll have your bed."
Emily smiled and surrendered easily enough, opening one of her bags and pulling out the shampoo and toothpaste and other things she'd need. She carried them into the bathroom Leah and Seth used, placing them out of the way of their things. Poking her head out of the room and into the hall, she called out, "I'm going to take a quick shower. Is that fine?"
"Sure," Leah said, stepping out of the room and peering into the bathroom suspiciously, eyeing a pile of clothes on the floor with distaste. "Sorry for the mess, Seth wouldn't know the meaning of clean if it bit him in the ass."
Emily chuckled as Leah slipped in and threw the clothes in the hamper, then bent down and pulled a towel out of the cupboard beneath the sink. Finally alone, Emily stripped out of her clothes and turned on the hot water, stepping into it with a relieved sigh. She scrubbed her hair clean, closing her eyes as she rinsed out the shampoo. A knock on the door startled her, making her bang her elbow on the wall and bite her lip to keep from swearing loudly.
"Emily?" Leah called through the door. "Mom said to hurry up - dinner will be ready soon."
"Okay," Emily responded, rubbing her sore elbow. "I don't get what's so funny about hitting a funny bone," she muttered under her breath, glancing sourly towards her elbow before going back to her shower.
She quickly dried off with the towel. She paused, then groaned under her breath when she realized she hadn't brought a change of clothes. She glanced at the towel, holding it up in front of herself. Deciding it would work, she wrapped it around herself and peeked out the door into the hall. Seeing no one, she hurried into Leah's room.
She stepped into the kitchen and immediately stepped up to Sue. "Is there anything I could do to help?"
"Uh..." Sue glanced around then pointed towards the table. "Just set some plates and glasses down. Thanks," she added as Emily moved towards the upper cabinets.
Emily was just finishing setting the table when the front door banged shut. Her cousin Seth stepped inside, and paused when he saw her, grinning after a moment.
"Hey, Emily, how's it going?"
She laughed, brushing hair out of her face. "Good. You hungry? Your mom's cooking smells delicious, as always," she added, grinning at Sue as she set a pot on the table.
Sue smiled at her. "Thank you," she commented. "Seth, wash up," she added with a roll of her eyes. He grinned and disappeared down the hall.
"Harry, Leah; dinner's ready."
Harry stepped into the kitchen, sniffing appreciatively and kissing the top of Sue's head. They all sat down and started eating, before Leah grinned at Emily. "Tomorrow's barbecue will be down at First Beach. Sam should be there."
Emily smiled. "I'm looking forward to meeting him," she said honestly. "The way you talk about him makes me jealous," she added in a laugh.
Harry looked up and nodded. "Sam's a good kid. Trustworthy, honorable."
Leah rolled her eyes. "As you can see, Dad approves."
Seth rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath that made Leah shoot him a glare.
Meanwhile, Sam was sitting on his bed, elbows resting on his knees and forehead cupped in his palms, staring at the floor as if it held the world's secrets and was keeping them from him. He had to leave for patrol soon; he had to spend another night running around the La Push land, enforcing the treaty. How one person was supposed to do this job, he had no clue. The Elders assured him he probably wouldn't be alone for long.
Probably. Such a fickle word.
On top of that, Sam wasn't even sure he wanted someone else to join him. He wouldn't wish this... whatever this was... on anyone. To have another suffer as he suffered? It seemed like a selfish thing to wish for. Which made his desperate desire for someone who would understand and who could help him all the more confusing.
But what else was new these days? Confusing was a twenty-four/seven deal. Part of the package, it seemed.
Groaning slightly, he pushed himself to his feet, stretching, and walked out of the house.
He strolled into the woods, heading deeper in. Even as a human, his eyesight was better than usual. The dark wasn't as hard to navigate as it had been. He could move more stealthily than anyone he knew.
Once he felt he was far enough, he stopped, stripping off his shorts and stuffing them in some bushes, out of sight. He kicked off his shoes, shoved them with the shorts, and then....
It was a strange sensation, phasing. One moment, he was Sam. Calm if not happy, upright, human.
The next, everything inside him condensed at the center of his chest, building and roiling and becoming volatile. It burst moments after that, exploding out from his core and past his skin.
Which left him on all fours, taller than any human, with higher senses than he'd ever experienced before this change came into his life. He could smell the animals around him, hear them scurrying away. He could see easily in the dark, though different shades appeared to him than he was used to, and some colors seemed to completely drain away.
He stretched, then shook, feeling the fur around him settle into place. He sat and looked around, mulling over the course he'd take this night. He could go south, and loop north towards the beach. Or he could run north now, and head south.
Which would would leave him closer to home at the end?
Sighing, he stood and started running straight ahead, north, darting around the trees and roots with ease.
The whole night passed in a boring monotony, the same land he'd been patrolling for months now passing speedily and unchanged from the previous nights. No new scents. No new trails. Nothing extraordinary or suspicious. No point.
He dragged himself up his steps with the dawn light, eyes burning and almost closed, muscles exhausted, stomach growling loudly. The dirt clung to his skin, and his thirst scratched the back of his throat. He was so tired. He'd been running for so long, so many nights, and hardly getting any sleep during the day because he was either patrolling then as well, or working odd hours at the small store near first beach to have some spare money he truly felt he could call his own.
Sam didn't even bother showering like he usually did when he got back from a patrol. He walked straight into his room and fell onto the bed. He kicked off his shoes, shifted until he was on his back, and reached over, clicking on the small fan and sighing as the cool air blew into his face. His eyes shut, but he yanked them back open, reaching onto the bedside table to grab his cell. He set the alarm for three. He had promised Leah he'd try to make it to the barbecue with her family, and damned if he'd miss it if he could help it.
He clumsily set the cell on his bedside table and let his arm fall over his eyes, letting out a deep, weary breath.
Finally, he let himself fall into the oblivion that sleep provided. His only escape, his only relief.
The only way he had to make all his problems go away, if only for a little while.
Poor Sam. He's kinda depressing to write.
While Emily is just... happy. Lucky her.
Please review, despite how horrible an author I am for taking so long to update. Oh, and happy 2010 everyone! First two days haven't been so bad here....