Temper, Temper: Chapter Twenty Eight: A Very Big Question and Answer Session
Alex would have laughed if she didn't feel the crumple of a supposed unfeeling muscle in the centre of her chest. Once again she hated coming back into the pack she had shunned for the umpteenth time now, this time the pack wasn't as accepting of her return as they had been previous times. Like it or not, their allegiance to Paul was far stronger than to hers and she had broken his heart for his family to see first-hand.
The whole pack was standing or sitting in front of her while Alex stood centre stage and uneasily presented herself for their scrutiny. Paul was sat with the pack now, not before he rubbed her forearm trying to comfort her.
"Ok this is it, a major question and answer session" Alex said with false confidence, opening up about her life outside of La Push was not something she was ready to present to the Quileute's' but of course hiding away was no longer an option.
"And you won't lie or pass on any question?" Jacob added excitedly bouncing up and down in glee at the prospect.
'What the hell am I doing?' Alex's monologue cursed while her voice easily corresponded with a simple, "No – Anything you want to ask, now is the time" At her response the younger boys rubbed their hands together in almost unison. 'This was gonna be good' Alex swore she heard the boys excited thoughts amplified.
"Let's get this show on the road then" Leah smirked maliciously before slamming the first question out there, "Who was in your old pack and what relationship did you have with each member?"
"Jesus" Alex sighed out at the in depth question, she voiced everyone else's perplexed expressions. "I was expecting what's your favourite colour to warm thing up but okay, straight in with the heavy stuff…" She murmured before Leah's victorious expression urged her on. No way was Alex going to have Leah 'one up' her now.
"There's Josh and Zeus, you already know them. Craig who–" Alex cast a nervous glance at Paul before sighing, she may as well get this dumb question over with. "is an ex-boyfriend, my dad, Daniel, Jamie and Sarah who are all friends"
"Even after they turned you three shades of purple when you went back" The snide comment from Seth came as a shock to Alex, but what more did Alex deserve after leaving without so much as a 'bye'.
"Families make mistakes" She answered simply but avoided the young Quileute's gaze thereafter. Paul's hand had clenched – a sign that he was trying to keep composure – no doubt over her relationship with Craig. 'Stupid Leah with her stupid question' Alex growled internally when she caught Paul's fierce gaze.
"When did you get taken into the Volturi?" Jared piped up from Paul's side,
Alex winced and wordlessly moved her mouth as she tried to conjure up the sentence to narrate her adventure with the Volturi but nothing came out. Paul stirred from his place but Alex held up her hand for him to stay seated.
"Um…I was therefore three months before the Cullen's rescued me, I don't remember the dates" Alex said finally.
"What happened?" Sam asked maintaining his emotionless composure and steady voice.
"I was running, I usually did it every now and again to clear my head but this time I went further than usual. Crossing country borders and…I don't know what country I was in but I smelt a vampire and I decided that I could handle it."
Alex paused and took a shaky breath; she still didn't accept that people needed to know every detail of her life. Seth looked to his left and right, ensuring his brother's and sister were as captivated by Alex's story as he was. True enough all the pack members were inched forward in their seats waiting for Alex to carry on.
"It was Felix…one of the Volturi guards, he was on his own at first and we fought for a while but he was just playing with me. I wasn't strong enough and then another one came, Jane." Alex lost her train of thought for a while and then composed herself more forcefully this time.
"So apparently Aro would want to see me and I get carted off to Volterra where Aro is all jolly because I'd make a great bodyguard. He gives me to Felix as a present for finding such a nice doggy and then I would go with them. Wherever they had business." Alex finally ended and stopped looking at the floor, raising her eyes to her audience signalled the end of the story, but it wasn't as if that was the end of the interrogation.
"Why didn't you leave?" Leah said spitefully as she leant back into the sofa she was perched to delicately on.
"Because I couldn't!" Alex's patience snapped and her tone changed as she countered Leah's nasty remark with a shout. "There's not just a couple of normal leeches, living in a normal house you idiot"
"Why didn't your pack come and save you then, even if they couldn't get past the Volturi why did it take all that time for just two of your family to come and find you?" Jacob asked quietly
"Like I said, I like to run and sometimes I would stay away for a few days. Josh and Zeus were the two I'm closest to and most of the other pack members like to go off on their own every once in a while." Alex mumbled out with embarrassment, it wasn't easy trying to explain personal family dynamics, especially hers.
"How many boyfriends have you had?" Quil asked, trying to bring the atmosphere of the room up. Alex was becoming depressed incredibly quickly at facing all these demons.
"…Five" Smiling Alex elongated the word before looking to Paul who gave her a side smile when he heard the childish question.
"Including me?" Paul added, joining in the rising mood.
"Including you" She confirmed before snarling at Leah who scoffed loudly.
With one question the atmosphere plummeted below ground level,
"Ever kissed a vampire?". It was meant to be a joke but Alex's expression silenced the chuckles and her hands clenched together tightly into angry knots.
"Not by choice" She said dangerously through gritted teeth.
When Paul heard the question and its response he tensed up, but if there was ever a time to retain composure this was it, and he could see the strain Alex held in this situation so he felt only right that he be the one to end the discomfort.
"If you and Leah were in a fight, who would win?" Paul said with a smile.
"I've already answered that question with evidence as well" Laughing Alex and the rest of the pack took the humour as an end to the session, and they dispersed from the room after saying their goodbyes.
Only Leah and Seth remained stony as they exited, otherwise the family bond was ignited again between her and the Quileute's.
Alex stared after her friend with sadness,
"He hates me Paul" she choked a little, filled with emotion from the little therapy session as well as Seth's icy demeanour. Alex leant into his side when he approached and held the material of the t-shirt Paul was wearing for once.
"He'll come around, I promise"
"I highly doubt that" The grip on his shirt tightened as Alex pulled him closer still and buried her face into the soft fabric which smelt like him.