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Disclaimer: I do now own Twilight. I do not own Inkheart. They are both owned by their respected authors.
The vampire stopped as Jacob came falling through the undergrowth and immediately realized that it wasn't just his arm that was hurt. Bones, torn ligaments…
"He got away," Jacob snapped mentally. Then, his wolfish features distorted in a twisted grin. "But he lost an arm." Edward snorted derisively.
"I'm sure he got it back," he hissed quietly. The werewolf growled, then whipped his head to look behind the Cullen's back.
"What is-… that's not a horse," Dustfinger stated the rather obvious. Edward turned to face him, hoping that Jacob would take the hint and beat it.
He didn't.
"Forks has had a recent history of wolf attacks."
"That's not a wolf either."
"Wanna bet?" Jacob thought sarcastically.
"You're right. It's a dingo."
"A dingo?!" Dustfinger shouted, dropping his hands and staring at him like he had fallen from the moon and sprouted wings made of peppermints. "Well… I've seen fairies and a doctor turn into a thief, guess it could be a wolf. But a DINGO?" "What do you think I am? A moron?"
"Well, what's more likely. A dingo in Washington, or a wolf that's gone through a good puberty?" Absently, he heard Jacob snort but he tried to tune him out for the moment being.
"What's more likely is I've lost my mind, you're blind, and that thing is a figment of my harried imagination. For all I know, everything that's happened lately could be a figment of my subconscious playing twisted pranks."
"I'm not blind, but I'm beginning to wonder about the stability of your mind. It appears rather fragile."
"What would you know?" he spat, his voice lowering till it was nearly a whisper and almost… meek. "You have no idea what I've been through."
"I've been through plenty more than you have, I'm sure I can relate to whatever's wrong with you," Edward muttered, shocked at himself for pulling the pity card. Dustfinger then shot him a glare that would've burned the stars out.
"I highly doubt it." "I can't BELIEVE I'm pulling that old ploy. I'm turning into a-… oh Dear Lord I'm turning into Basta." He turned and stomped for a moment before running through the trees with deliberate swiftness, leaving Edward and the injured Jacob.
"Uhg… it's not HEALING very fast," Jacob hissed, shaking his paw then whimpering.
"It's not if you keep aggravating it," Edward sighed exasperated.
"How do we explain this?" he disappeared into the trees, then reappeared in a pair of cut-offs and a rather bruised physique.
"God Jacob, what did he do to you?" he asked, eyeing him skeptically. The werewolf rubbed testily at the gash on his arm, then stared down at his slightly lifted leg. He winced as he touched the whelp on his stomach.
"He found a stick," he muttered, blushing at how stupid that sounded.
"A stick?"
"Hey! Ya'll guys are freakishly strong, figure it out for yourself!" he shouted defensively, turning on his good heel and limping down the trail. "I did tear his arm off, though."
"He'll just reconnect it again," Edward quickly shot down his small victory, prompting a glare. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, but the growing gimp beside him spoke volumes.
"Do you… do you need help?" Edward asked, shocked slightly he was actually offering. Jacob sniffed and continued walking.
"No thank you."
They finally made it back to the house, but Edward was too afraid to face the group in the living room. Luckily, he didn't have to as Carlisle was waiting patiently by the door. As soon as they were in the house, he made himself a human crutch and despite Jacob's protests sat him in a chair. Quickly he examined his wounds, but once he got to his leg he grunted softly.
"It's broken." Jacob cursed, then blushed as Nessie came into the room.
"Jake!" she shouted, running to hug him but stopping when she saw the welt on his stomach. He withered under Edward's glare.
"Hey," he muttered, then turned his gaze down the doctor. "How long to heal, doc?"
"Well, you must've walked a long way on it," he felt it again, gently kneading.
"At least his hands are cold… feels good… kind of like a-" a yelp disrupted Jacob's thoughts as he hit a particularly painful spot.
"It feels splintered." "Why didn't Edward help him?"
"He didn't want it," Edward offered, chuckling slightly. Carlisle smiled and Jacob scowled. Just then, Dustfinger entered the small room, then stopped as he saw the scene laid out before him. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, then he gave a resigned sigh.
"What happened?" he asked, voice empty of all emotion except a deep tiredness.
"He was climbing a tree, and he fell," Edward smirked at Jacob as he scowled at him. "Fell on a stick," he pointed to the gash on his arm.
"I would've pegged you as someone who never fell out of trees," the tall man said, leaning against the doorway and offering a wry smirk. He gave a dry sneeze, and the air flew up in Edward's face. It smelled of trees and fire. "I take it he does this often?" Dustfinger asked, his voice nasally from the sneeze. The werewolf opened his mouth to speak, but Edward beat him to it.
"Oh sure, Jacob's always hurting himself," he waved dismissively at the broken man. At that moment Bella waltzed into the room, Jasper following closely behind.
"Yes, he is," Bella hissed, glaring at him. Jacob shrugged and grinned sheepishly, though obviously grateful for Jasper's power. The newest vampire let her anger out like a steady stream of steam, finally deflating. "You've really got to be more careful. For Renesmee's sake if no one else's."
At that, Jacob's childish demeanor dripped from his face to be replaced with steely determination. Bella's face softened as she stared at her best friend. "You know it'd kill us," there was a loud snort from Rosalie that could be heard from the other room, but Jacob grinned despite that. "If something happened to you."
"Nah… it'd take more than that," he winked and laughed at the private joke.
"Jake!" Bella snapped, then growled and walked out of the room. Jasper watched her leave then turned to Jacob. The two stared at each other for a few moments, then Jacob's eyes became hooded and his shoulders lagged.
"That's going to hurt," Jasper pointed to where Carlisle was fiddling with something before turning to the drowsy werewolf.
"Myeah… thanks," he slurred, waving his hand at him. It was then Edward noticed the mind beginning to grow fuzzy on the outskirts of his mind. Like a radio trying to be tuned, it wavered in and out before fading down to a low buzz… and taking Dustfinger with it.
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He hadn't fallen unconscious. But it was strange and spur of the moment. He had been tired and fallen asleep… on his feet. It felt like sleep had been thrown forcefully over his head like a burlap sack. Hungrily it ate at the conscious and panicking reassesses of his mind until all he wanted and lusted for was sleep. Vaguely he remembered the floor and vaguely he remembered people saying his name. Vividly he remembered the dream.
Lowflying and free, a raven drifted down from the staggering heights and nearly decapitated him. As he stepped back he simultaneously whirled around to see the bird's destination. It stopped and fluttered a moment before landing dutifully on Marcus's shoulder. Slowly the man's face cracked into an enormous, evil grin. Seemingly, the bird mimicked his movement before letting out a caw of triumph.
"My daughter's are missing you," the crow stated. "But they're willing to let you go. This man will make sure you're in the… right hands."
"I'm glad they're so sacrificial," Dustfinger spat, backing up a step. The crow's grin widened, and the dancer just knew that it could see his fear as though it were a tangible thing.
"You could go with this kind man, and if you reverted to the way you acted before you met the Blue Jay, you'd never have to see me again." Dustfinger snorted derisively, the idea was tempting but too good to be true. Shockingly, he liked being a little more brave than a cat with a million phobias. Besides, he trusted that 'nice' man as much as he trusted Death. "Or you can come with me, and never see him again. It's your choice, but once you make it it's permanent. No going back."
"I think I'll take my chances," Dustfinger muttered, turning on his boot's heel and stalking away. Absently he heard someone calling his name and the further he walked the more he could understand it.
"Dustfinger, Dustfinger!" It was Farid. "Mo, he's not waking up." Dustfinger gave a small laugh, it always seemed that when he was turning his back on death, Mo was there.
"Since you seem to enjoy your flesh, I hope you enjoy having your future foretold… your mind read… your emotions controlled." The crow snapped.
"I enjoy few things in this life anymore," he found himself muttering.
"You're vulnerable to them…" the crow's last words echoed in his mind as he phased into consciousness. Quickly blinking against the sudden bright light, he gave a quick yelp of surprise.
"You're back!" Meggie cried happily, giving him a quick hug. He glanced over her shoulder to see the lovely Esme gently shooing the audience away.
"Yeah, well I'm still trying to figure out where I went," he muttered, gently taking Meggie off of him. She smiled and left under the motherly hen's jurisdiction.
"Are you okay, sweety?" she asked, glancing down at him concerned. Dustfinger picked himself up off the floor, yawning as soon as he was on his feet. "What happened?"
"I'm not quite sure," he rubbed the side of his face. She offered him a pitying gaze before leaving the room. Dustfinger shook his head and left the room, stalking into the living room only to stop and turn to his right at the sound of a throat being cleared.
"So, you can dance with fire and fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Aren't you a talented reborn soul," Mo chuckled, though his deep eyes shone with worry. Dustfinger snorted and knew his glare wasn't nearly as effective through mirth.
"So? What could that possibly be compared to the almighty and all-stealing Blue Jay?" the dancer's tone was light. Mo gave a small chuckle before folding up the newspaper in his grasp and sitting it on the table beside the couch.
"Much, much more," he sighed, staring fondly at his friend. Dustfinger grunted and collapsed on the couch next to him. "So what happened?" that familiar gaze turned suspicious. "Have you really had that little sleep?"
"I… no, it was like a sudden sleep-attack."
"A sleep attack… that is the single strangest thing you've ever said." Mo snorted derisively.
Dustfinger shrugged, "I think you people are wearing off on me."
"Us, or the Cullens?"
"The Cullens." He answered, his voice growing slightly wary. Mo let out a sigh. "They seem… familiar. But not quite like I've met them before, more like I've met someone like them. They feel like…" a cold wave washed over the firedancer as remembrance slapped him. "Death."
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"Death." Yet he said it like a name, instead of a thing. Alice couldn't help but scowl as she took the curling iron out of the young blonde's hair. She smiled teasingly as she stared at the vampire by looking at the mirror.
"I thought you were just going to give me some hand-me-downs," she laughed. Alice gave her best smile in response and set down the iron.
"Yeah, well… so sue me?" she shrugged innocently and stepped back to admire her work. The girl who came in looking like a tomboy, actually resembled a girl now.
"I don't think you'd quite care," Meggie thought aloud, admiring the huge bathroom. Then, she stood and the skirt ruffled down to her feet in a cascade of fabric. You are a genius, yes you are, her ego purred as she saw her masterpiece. "Geez Alice, I don't think that's me anymore," the young girl plucked at her skirt. Alice tried to smile, but a feeling of unease boiled in the pit of her stomach. Sure, she liked Dustfinger, but he was… strange.
"It's as you as you'll ever be!" A sudden wave of love washed over her and she turned on her heel just in time to hear a soft knocking on the door.
"Can I come in?" Jasper's smooth voice carried through the door.
"Yes! Just finished," Alice replied. Her husband's head popped through the door, his honey hair bouncing for a moment before he flashed a grin that made Alice's indestructible knees go weak and Jell-O like for a moment. She could only imagine what such a grin did to Meggie.
"Ah Alice, my dear, you do work miracles," he frowned and even Alice could feel the waves of indignancy rolling off of the girl.
"So I needed a miracle?" she asked, though her voice was teasing.
"I'm sure Farid would disagree," Jasper supplied, chuckling at her deep blush. He snickered and Alice elbowed him sharply.
"Don't embarrass her!" That only deepened the blush.
"Where'd Bella go?" Meggie asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
"Probably to find her husband," Alice snorted, and the grin that Jasper supplied proved her right.
Then a familiar sensation washed over her and she found herself peering at Dustfinger. He, though, was looking at Marcus.
"I don't know who you are, or what you are, but I like you better than my other choices," he called, his voice shaking slightly. The vampire smiled happily, and picked up his hand. Quickly he brought it to his mouth and prepared to bite before the hand erupted in flame. "Hey!" Dustfinger snapped, pulling his hand back and watching as the man struggled with the flame.
"Thought you said you wanted to go with me!" Marcus spat. Dustfinger backed up and rubbed his fingers together.
"What are you?"
"What are you?" Marcus spat in response. "Some sort of fire worm or something? Geez you people are hot blooded these days!" Then he growled, a smile lighting up his face. "Still can't wait. You smell excellent."
Then the image blurred and she was looking at Jasper's face. His eyes narrowed at her blink.
"Are you okay?" Meggie asked, making to come see if she was okay. Alice shook her head in effort to clear the fogging dread.
"She drifts off sometimes," Jasper supplied when she didn't answer.
"Yup, that's me. Always daydreaming," Alice laughed, then turned on her heel. "Well c'mon! Let's go show you off!"
"Me or your husband?" Meggie asked, quickly following. Alice gave a look to Jasper out of the corner of her eyes and he smiled. Why can't it be both?
And there you have it! Another chappy and I hope you liked it! :D