(AN) I wrote this for Beth Javensen when she was sick, but apparently I forgot to send it to her . I figured I'd just post it and let you all see it. It takes place 2 years before WotR. It's from Daniel's POV (He's the son of Jared and Kim) and he's sixteen in it, same as Echo and Tyler Call. He had just phased a couple days previous :-) In WotR, Abby/Daniel are hardcore dating and insanely close to being engaged.
Teenage Love Affair: Boys Will be Boys
So, I was a teenage werewolf. It was kinda like being stuck in a bad horror movie, because my life was chock full of vampires, witches, and wolves. Despite that, it was really awesome. Except for the fact that, right now at least, I was dangerous to be around. It was dangerous for my little brother and sister to be around me, as well as my mom and dad, but they had no choice. Any little thing could set me off, and then I'd have to make a run for the tree line. I hadn't even gone back to school yet. I'd been on house arrest. The worst part was missing my friends, cause I was the first one to phase out of my generation. Tyler was a close second.
So, at least I had Ty, and his temper issues were much worse than mine which made me feel a whole hell of a lot better. It was still kind of lonely, which is why we'd begged and pleaded, bargained and whined, to be allowed to go to the bonfire tonight. The bonfire was also doubling as Delilah Black's birthday party. Which meant the female half of our little gang would also be there.
I'd known Echo Black since I was born. She was practically a twin sister, another appendage. Her cousin, Eva, had come a little bit later. She was a year younger, but she was so book smart that the school had wanted to bump her up two grades. Eva had refused the second bump, but had allowed herself to slide into our grade. She was right behind me when we lined up, so I'd gotten to know Eva. She was shy, quiet, and she had this freaky way of talking to Echo without actually saying anything, but she was as clumsy as I was growing up, and that bonded us together solidly.
Now, though, I wasn't clumsy at all. I was agile. I could see things miles away from us as clearly as if though it was right in front of me. I would never accidentally break anything ever again. Except when I phased accidentally in our house.
There was the other worry I had about going to this party. Besides the fact that I might get angry and phase, ripping everyone to shreds, there was the chance that I might imprint. I'd actually been running with Jacob, the alpha and Echo's dad, when I'd had that thought. It had made me falter in my steps.
Imprinting isn't really that bad. Jacob laughed when the thought crossed my mind. It's just a lot to get used to, at first.
But what if I imprint on one of my friends? Like…oh my god, what if I imprint on Eva? I thought fearfully, picturing Paul ripping me to shreds. I hadn't understood how prominent Eva was in Paul's mind until I'd first run patrol with him. That was hardcore weird.
I'm pretty sure you can't. Jacob had said, humor tinting his thoughts. Cause Paul already did. One imprintee can only have one imprinter.
What if I imprint on Echo? I asked again, my mind spinning out of control. I'd forgotten who I was talking to. He faltered a bit over that one, I had to laugh at the picture of Echo in his head, not as a sixteen year old, but as a five year old. However, I was prepared for a backlash of anger, not for what came next, a kind of serenity.
She could do much, much worse than an imprinted werewolf. Having imprinted on someone myself… I know that no regular love comes close. He said softly. Of course, I'd have to rip you to shreds anyway. It's principle, Daniel.
I winced internally now at that thought. I hoped that if anybody had to face Jacob after imprinting on Echo, it was Tyler.
Thanks, man. Tyler finally chimed in. Take one for the team, huh? I hope to god I don't imprint on her, she's like my sister. And it was true. In Tyler's thoughts, in mine, there wasn't a hint of romance anywhere in the way we felt about her. If I tried to look at it from a distance, I could admit Echo was hot and out of the league of most guys in La Push. That's all the further I could go.
Hey, let's phase back here. Tyler offered. I agreed, pulling myself back together just behind the trees to the beach. We changed quickly, anxious to see our friends again, before bursting out of the trees.
All the werewolves noticed us immediately. Their postures changed, shifting a little warily. I knew why they did that, and I tried to act like it didn't bother me. When I first phased, they had shown me what happened to Emily as a warning. I looked over at her and noticed she looked happy, even with the scars, sitting with her youngest daughter, Emma.
"Daniel! Tyler!" Echo finally yelled, noticing us. I saw her fly off the sand, darting through the people with an enviable amount of grace before she tossed her arms around Tyler first, kissing his cheek, then tackled me with what I'm sure was all the force she had possible. I noted that it felt like a small child throwing itself at me. She kissed my cheek too, grinning at me.
"You grew again." She accused, her eyes narrowing. "Both of you did."
"Not our fault you're short stuff." Tyler teased, even though it wasn't true. For a girl, Echo was remarkable tall, around 5'10. She was a half a foot taller than Eva, who came by more slowly. Eva, more reserved than Echo as always, didn't hug us, but just beamed at us with a smile most starlets would kill for.
I noticed, with relief, I felt exactly the same. I broke out in a wide smile and tossed an arm over Echo's shoulders. Tyler mimicked the action, one arm around Eva's shoulders and the other on top of mine around Echo's. I noticed everyone had relaxed, especially Jake, who seemed content that we hadn't imprinted on his daughter.
"So, Witch Babies, where's the food?" Tyler asked with a yawn. Eva laughed softly, gesturing over to the mountain of food behind everyone. Paul, who had probably only been inches away the entire time she was talking to us, swept in and announced that we should go get something to eat. We all ambled to the table, Tyler mostly silent as Eva and Paul talked over him. Tyler was still afraid of Paul after that time he had dared Eva to climb a tree and she'd fallen out of it and broke her arm. It had happened six years ago, but Paul had given Tyler such a chewing out he'd been afraid to be in the same room as him for a year.
"You don't seem so different. I wondered if you guys would be." Echo mused.
"Nah, why would it change who I was?" I asked. She shrugged.
"Maybe it does change you, the power. I wouldn't know, I've always been a witch girl."
"And a wolf girl." I pointed out. She smiled.
"Abigail Uley, for the love of all that's holy!" Sam moaned. Echo and I both turned to look. Echo let out a sigh while she smiled in amusement.
Abigail Uley, by far the hottest girl in La Push, had been rebelling against her parents for two years for pretty much no reason whatsoever. We all laughed about her new exploits, because she never did anything really bad. She got her nose and tongue pierced, cut off all her hair (the prize of most of the La Push girls. Both Echo and Eva loved their long, flowing hair) into a straight, layered bob, and had started dating a boy from Forks that nobody liked.
Besides that, she still got good grades, loved hanging out with the rest of the "pack kids", and loved her baby sister and brother dearly. It was the weirdest rebellion anyone had ever seen.
Sam moved out of the way and I saw what he was shaking his head about now. Abby's eyes were hidden by her hair, but that seemed to be the problem. Rather than completely shiny black, as it usually was, she had dyed sections of it bright pink. It hung in her face and obscured her eyes.
"It looks nice, Abby." Emily said gently. "We were just wondering why…"
"Cause I liked it." Abby replied flippantly with a smile. "C'mon dad, it'll grow out."
"You should just shave off all your hair." Isaac said with a smirk. "Then you'd look like a conehead." Abby swiped at him and Isaac ran off, Blaze trudging behind him with a roll of his eyes and a grin at me.
"I like it, Abby." Echo said with a smile. "Do you think my parents would let me do it?"
"You can get the temporary kind." Abby said smoothly, her eyes locking on both of us as she danced forward. "They just wash out…"
Whatever she said after that I missed, because at that second her eyes had slid to mine and met them for just a fraction of a second before returning to Echo's face. My world had shattered, and I slowly felt myself changing, because what had made me Daniel LeClair had floated away. My dad, Jared LeClair, my mom, Aaron, Joy, they were barely thoughts in the back of my head. My three best friends in the entire world, gone, like strings lit on fire, a fire that burnt feverishly in my heart. I wondered, for a second, if that was what Echo felt when she was on fire.
Abby. Abigail. My Abby. Something surer than myself held me to where I was. Gravity, my life, was all tied to her.
"Ow." Echo said softly, pulling away. I hadn't realized it, but I'd been gripping her shoulder to keep from completely losing it. She glared at me, rubbing the spot where I'd grabbed too tight. A part of me felt guilty, she was probably going to bruise.
"What's up with you, Danny?" Abby asked, a smirk on her sure face. "Gone all wolf, and now you're spooked by me with pink hair? Does it really look that bad?"
"I love your hair." I answered immediately, without really thinking about it. Suddenly, everyone else (with the exception of my generation, probably) realized what was going on. Sam stepped forward, pulling Abby away and behind him. Jacob had done the same thing with Echo, I hadn't even seen him get so close.
"Daniel." My dad called, dragging me back. I didn't want to go, but it was necessity. I didn't want to hurt her. I could never hurt her. And I was unstable right now. Tyler followed, his face a mask of worry. My dad finally stopped when the trees swallowed us. I felt wrong, not being able to see her.
"Abby?" My dad questioned, looking me straight in the eye. I nodded, my mouth dry. Jared smiled, patting me on the shoulder.
"Congratulations." He said.
"Man, the look on your face is sickening." Tyler commented, shaking his head.
"Dad, I just want to talk to him." A sweet voice asked. I instantly turned to it.
"Abby, sweetheart…" Sam was trying to talk her out of coming to see me. I stood straight, some deep instinct taking over. Tyler pushed me back and dad disappeared. When he came back, he was standing on the other side of Abby, her dad on her right. Tyler didn't step out from in front of me.
"Hey." I said softly. "Sorry to freak you out."
"No big." Abby said, shrugging her shoulders. I noticed a movement a little in the distance, Echo was not a couple yards back, but my attention was mostly focused on Abby's face. She was gorgeous. Her dark, sparkling coal eyes met mine, her skin like coffee with cream. She smiled, her full lips turning up at the corners. "Dad says you're mine now." She said flippantly. I nodded.
"Sorry man." She apologized, running her hand through her short hair. "Know I wouldn't want to be stuck with me."
"I don't mind. You're perfect." I murmured before I could think again. My skin darkened. I heard Echo laugh in the distance.
"That's your genes talking." Abby countered. "But…anyway, I broke up with my boyfriend last night. My dad, I guess, was kinda right about him being a big jerk."
"I typically am." Sam whispered. Abby either didn't hear or studiously ignored him.
"So…after my dad calms down, are we gonna go on a date or something?" She asked.
"Yeah, I mean, would you?" I asked, unsure of why this angel was even asking. It was weird how fast my mind had turned around. Suddenly, she wasn't this girl I'd grown up with, she was my love, my life.
"Sure. See you soon." She whispered, blowing me a kiss. Sam guided her away and I felt myself smile.
"Sickening." Tyler confirmed.
"I hope to God that I don't look like that when I fall in love." Echo teased, still standing a safe distance away.
It didn't matter, though, because Abby and I were going on a date. I grinned even wider.