Title: Learning To Hunt
Chapter: Section 5
Fandom: The Tribe
Author: PinkTribeChick
Summary: Sometimes, love is just right under your nose . . .
Extended Summary: An alternate-universe Series 4 romance story, from the point of view of Pride, Jack, and an original female character.
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Jack-Original Female Fiction Character, Pride-Original Female Fiction Character, Jack-Ellie, and Bray-Amber, with a few mentions of other pairings.
Author's Notes: Massive thanks to Ariannya and Whit for their thoughts and proofreading on various sections over the years! Enjoy, and please review! Feedback is much appreciated!
Disclaimer: All characters, situations, and song lyrics remain the property of their respective owners. Any original characters are sole property of me, PinkTribeChick.
Learning To Hunt
Section 5
Liliana walked into her room to hear Samuel cooing from his crib. Smiling, she walked over to him and picked him up, sitting him down on a blanket spread out nearby. She handed him a toy to play with while she found clean clothes for him to wear. Once she had dressed him in an orange flannel shirt and green overalls with matching flannel leg cuffs, she set to work throwing stuff into her backpack for the day. A couple of bottles of water, a packet of baby formula and jarred apple sauce for Samuel, sunscreen, a hat for herself and one for Samuel, a blanket, some food for she and Jack, and a couple of Samuel's smaller toys and his jacket, just in case there was a chill in the air. Samuel sat on the blanket playing with a stuffed animal that squeaked when it was squeezed. Samuel squealed happily when he saw Pride in the doorway.
"Hey, little buddy!" Pride said to him as he toddled over to the door. Pride picked the little boy up and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "My, you've gotten big since I saw you last!" He tickled Samuel's belly the way Liliana always did, and Samuel giggled. Liliana didn't need to see who it was, she recognized the voice.
"Hi. Taking a break?" Liliana greeted Pride. She walked over to the closet and pulled out the baby harness, then turned to look at him.
"Yeah. Bray's sitting with Amber for a while, since she's awake right now. I just thought I'd come hang out with you and Samuel for a little while," Pride said. He sat down on the blanket with Samuel in his lap and handed the squeaky stuffed animal to Samuel. Then he looked up at Liliana again.
"I wish I could hang out with you, but Samuel and I were just about to leave to go out to the lake with Jack for a little while, since Jack doesn't know how to get there," Liliana said. She smiled at Pride sympathetically as his smile faded. "I'm sorry. Maybe we can hang out later?" She put the harness down and walked over to the bureau nearby.
"Well, I have to sit with Amber again in a couple of hours. I don't think you'll be back before then. I mean . . . the lake's a fifteen minute walk away, and then it takes a little over an hour to fill all the jugs. That wouldn't leave us much time to talk when you get back. And I really want to spend some time with you two. You're the closest thing to family I've got left," Pride said disappointedly. He paused for a moment. Liliana sprayed a little perfume on her wrists and fluffed her curls. Watching her primp in front of the mirror, Pride realized that there was more to her going out for the day with Jack. She normally didn't wear perfume for a day out at the lake getting water. There was something else going on. He felt a tight knot forming in his stomach and around his heart at the thought, and he spoke again. "I didn't know you and Jack were friends." He looked at her anxiously.
"Yeah . . . we talked for a while last night and something just clicked. He's really nice," she responded vaguely. She walked back over to the bed again and picked the baby harness up, ignoring Pride's concern about the situation. She was used to him acting like an overprotective big brother and simply chose to tune it out.
"Yeah, he's nice. But be careful - he's also recovering from a broken heart," he warned with a frown. Liliana buckled the baby harness on herself, then turned to face Pride again. She smiled at him goofily.
"Please don't be overprotective. I can take care of myself, you know," she said kindly.
"I know you can take care of yourself, but it still doesn't mean that I'm not going to do everything in my power to keep you from getting hurt. That's what best friends do, Lili," he responded with a smile. "Besides, you're not exactly the strongest person emotionally in the world right now. I don't want to see you taken advantage of for that. Especially by a guy who's on the rebound from a serious relationship." Liliana crouched down in front of Pride and Samuel and cupped her hands around Pride's chin.
"I will be just fine. I know what I'm doing and I have a very level head on my shoulders. I don't have just myself to think about - I have Samuel, too. I have to do what is best for him as well. Either way, just please trust me, okay?" she said, looking him straight in the eye. He was silent and looked away from her gaze. "Please?"
"Alright, alright. But I'm not going to lie to you. I really don't think it's a good idea to get romantically involved with Jack. You can do better, Lili," Pride said in earnest. His green eyes glittered in the sunlight that was coming from the window. For a moment, Liliana got lost in those eyes, seeing a boy she had fallen in love with a long time ago. But that was ancient history. She pushed the thought away and snapped back into reality.
"I'll be fine," she said curtly in a firm tone, taking Samuel from Pride. With a little help from Pride, she slid Samuel into the harness, where he sat comfortably against her torso. She grabbed her backpack. "I'll be back later, okay? And I promise, we'll talk and hang out then, just the three of us." She kissed him on the cheek and walked out of the room.
Pride walked over to the window and watched her as she met Jack out in front of the cabin. Jack shyly took Liliana's backpack and put it in the wheelbarrow, then they walked away, disappearing down the path to the lake. Something about Liliana possibly becoming involved romantically with Jack irked him. Something beyond his lack of trust in the sincerity of whatever feelings Jack might have for Liliana. And he was irritated that he had taken a break from watching Amber to purposely spend time with Liliana and Samuel, just to be brushed aside for a boy Liliana barely knew. Pride crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, standing there for a bit longer before going back to his room.
Please review? Pretty please? I'm dying here . . . reviews are love. So gimme your thoughts, for the love of all that is holy! And thanks for reading!