INeverSawAnotherButterfly – I actually laughed out loud at that. (: Those Watsons. They have nothing better to do. Bahah (:

NOTE: Like I said before, our loveable characters haven't gone to London yet. I also want to point out that Sikes is not dead yet.

The Significance Series belongs to Shelly Crane.

Chapter Ten

Royce glanced between me and Maggie. I could tell that he instantly liked Maggie. She was beautiful, though, which I guessed explained it. Neither he nor Nolan questioned Maggie or my reason for spending the night with her on such a short notice. Maggie could persuade them to do whatever she wanted. She came with me to my bedroom, where I quickly packed a duffel bag. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be staying there. I figured Maggie could just talk Royce and Nolan into letting me stay for a while, if I needed to. I had the feeling that this whole thing with this Marcus guy wasn't over. I didn't think Nick was going to let me out of sight.

I quickly shoved a few shirts and two pairs of jeans into my bag. Maggie didn't comment on my over-packing. She just looked around my room as I ransacked my closet. I grabbed my sleep shorts and several of my brothers' shirts. Maggie moved around my room silently. She would pick up a photograph, look at it for a moment, and then place it back exactly the way she had found it. I zipped up my bag and made sure I had my toothbrush and makeup.

"You ready?" She asked me.

I took a deep breath. Why did it feel like I was moving out or something? It was just supposed to be an overnight thing, but it felt like so much more. "Yeah, I think so." I hauled my bag up onto my shoulder, glancing around my room one last time before reaching for the door.

Maggie and I walked down the hall together. Nolan and Royce said goodbye, and I told them that I would be hanging out with Maggie all day tomorrow. They believed that just as readily as they had the story of me spending the night with her. I waved goodbye as I stepped out onto the porch steps. Maggie and I walked close to each other, neither of us saying a word. I would bet that she was just as nervous as I was walking around in the dark, though, especially after what had just happened.

We reached the car at the end of the drive. Nick's car was still in front of my house. He snuck down there to get it, and he drove it up behind the car that everyone else had driven up in. I tossed my duffel bag into the back of Nick's car and thanked Maggie, Caleb, and Peter for showing up to help. Apparently, they'd all been out to dinner at Mugly's, one of my favorite barbeque restaurants. Maggie had heard me and the group of them had rushed right over. Nick and I had been lucky.

I hugged Maggie and Caleb, and then promised Rodney that I would see him at the ranch house where he and Nick still lived with their parents when they weren't at college. He was going to go get Gran so that she could meet us at the ranch. Nick had told me that she was the only one who could heal offensive marks outside of an ascended couple. Rodney hugged me hard, like he was really worried about me. I figured that maybe he would've been jealous that his little brother imprinted before he did, but Rodney treated me like I was already his sister. I really did like him.

I climbed into the car with Nick. We sat there, hands intertwined on the center console. He waited until the others had pulled away from the curb before turning to follow him. We bumped along in silence. We didn't even talk to each other in our minds. Instead, we just shared our feelings and pieces of our thoughts. Together, they mashed up into weird, half-formed sentences.

When we reached the ranch house, Rodney and Gran hadn't showed up yet. Nick grabbed my duffel bag out of the back while I opened my own door. It sort of seemed like he was angry with me, or like there were words that I should've said but couldn't bring to my lips. It made me nervous that Nick would decide that I wasn't worth protecting, that I was just a mistake. I stood at the front of the car while Nick slung my bag over his shoulder. He glanced up at me as I shuffled nervously. The ranch smelled like animals, but that was probably because of the horses. Nick had told me that his mother absolutely loved horses. I stared off towards the shadow of the stables, so intent on the building that I almost missed my significant's movements. Nick came around to the front of the car and lifted my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"I'm not angry with you," he said, his voice low. "I'm angry that I couldn't protect you the way I wanted to. I didn't want Marcus to know that we imprinted, because the Watsons are known for making our lives harder. I just need to protect you." He whispered it in my ear, his breath making my hair tickle my cheek.

"You did," I replied, brushing my fingers over his cut cheek. He winced, letting out a warm breath. "There's no voodoo magic Gran can do to fix you?"

"She can only heal supernatural wounds. I got this from Marcus's fist." Nick replied. He adjusted the strap of my bag on his shoulder and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. I figured that had to hurt his split lip, but he didn't seem to mind much. "And Elsie, I don't think there are that many words for you to say."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Nick said, smiling. He took my hand and said, "Come on. You can see my room. It sure is more interesting than the stables." I laughed. I only knew about the ranch because of what Nick had told me. I'd never actually been here. I'd met his family at Caleb's house. My heart pounded in my chest as we neared the front door. Nick reached out and wrapped my hand in his.

The door opened before we even reached it. "Nick!" His mother rushed out of the house and down the path. She threw her arms around her son, nearly wrenching his hand away from mine in the process. She took a step back and fluttered over him anxiously. It was obvious that he was the youngest son by the way she was freaking out. And then she turned to me and wrapped me in a hug. "Are you two okay? Rodney called me on his way to pick up Gran," she explained.

"Mom, we're fine. I just… I need to talk to Elsie." He said, his hand tightening on mine. I couldn't read him because he'd thrown up his mental walls. I think that bothered me more than anything else. Why didn't he want me reading him?

Nick's mom touched my cheek. "Elsie, honey," she said softly, "I'm glad you chose Nick."

"Mom," Nick said, pulling me a little closer to him. "Please."

She gave me a smile, trying to silently convey her thanks to me. I didn't really understand what she was thanking me for. I'd just imprinted with her son. It wasn't my choice. But when I looked back, I was glad that I'd chosen him. Nick was perfect for me, and I was a little more open to thinking that I was perfect for him. I still smiled back at her, though, as Nick pulled me down the hall. His mother watched us, concern on her face as he pulled me down a long hall.

Nick pushed open his bedroom door. It was very simplistic – his bedspread was black and gray, his pillows all dark. His bedside table was bare. He had a bookcase stuffed with books. Everything was neat and clean, until I reached his desk. There, he had several containers of plants. I walked up to them and ran a finger along the container. It was clear, so the roots were visible. It looked like something that I had done for a science project in high school.

"You like plants?" I asked.

Nick tossed my duffel bag onto his bed. "There are still some things you don't know about me, Elsie Meredith Gray."

I turned to glare at him. "How did you know my full name?" I demanded. I was certain that I'd never told him my middle name.

He shrugged. "I've been looking forward to digging around in your mind since the day I met you." He gave me a glaringly bright smile. I pulled at his desk chair and sat down, barely touching the leaves that grew out of the soil.

"You know, this isn't a very manly hobby." I teased.

Nick draped his arms over the back of the chair, his wrists crossing at my stomach. "I think it's perfectly fine. And agriculture is a very manly job. I could be a farmer. Or a landscaper. Or maybe I'll go be a doctor and create herbal medicines." He teased.

"You're going into architecture, remember?" I whispered. He wasn't exactly a math person, but he was looking forward to working with his family. Maybe he could be one of those "green" architectures, the ones that designed houses off of the lay of the land. I pushed that thought towards him, and he leaned forward and kissed my temple. I closed my eyes, and he gave a low chuckle in my ear.

"I need to tell you something," he said on a sigh. I turned and looked at him, my lips right next to his.

"What?" I asked, immediately going tense. He pressed his hands to my arms, still leaning over my shoulder. He took away my panic and replaced it with warmth.

"I talked to Caleb and Peter when you and Maggie went to go grab your stuff." He said. "Marcus is a Watson. They're a rival clan. They hate the fact that us Jacobsons are getting our imprints back and they're not. They kidnapped Maggie to keep her and Caleb from ascending. They don't know about Kyle and Lynne. But now they know about you." I swallowed nervously, and he pressed his cheek to mine. "They have an echoling. He can channel dreams, and he can actually hurt you while you're sleeping. Your dreams become real. And, well… the only way to keep those dreams away is if we touch while we sleep."

"So what are you saying?" I asked, having a feeling that I knew perfectly well what he was saying. My whole body tingled at the idea of having him sleep on the other half of the bed. I was sure he knew that, too.

"I'm just saying that we need to sleep next to each other." He said. "I wasn't sure how you were going to react to that, seeing as you're so independent."

I kissed his cheek and smiled at him. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad." I teased. My eyes read his face. There was something else that he was keeping to himself, though, and it bothered me. "What else is there?"

"It's just… I would have to sleep next to you every night. I want to sleep next to you every night. But your brothers wouldn't go for that. They wouldn't understand." He said. I sighed, because he was right. The only way was for me to sneak him in my window every night, and neither of my brothers were particularly the type to honor the fact that I had a door to my bedroom. They were the type that knocked briefly and started opening the door before I could answer. "So… I guess I'm asking you to move in with me." He said it so low that I wasn't sure I heard him at first.

"You want me to move in with you?" I echoed.

Nick shrugged. "Here, yeah. Traditional Aces aren't particularly fond of significants moving in together before marriage, but in your case, it's based on your safety and survival. And honestly, it's my parents' house."

I laughed, but then I remembered that he was going to be going back to college when August rolled around. It was only a few months away – two, to be exact. What was I going to do then? I didn't have the money to go to college, and I wasn't sure that Royce and Nolan would let me move in with him after only a few months. I was downright certain that they wouldn't let me move out now. "What about college?" I asked.

"I have an apartment there. It's close to where Caleb is." He said. "Maggie's going to University of Tennessee with Caleb. I'm sure we can get you in, too." He whispered, "And then you can come live in my apartment with me."

"How would you get me in on such short notice?" I asked. "Besides, if your family already has Maggie in, wouldn't that be a lot to ask for me, too? And what about Lynne and Kyle?"

Nick shook his head. "Honestly, Elsie, I'm not sure." His eyes searched mine, and then he said, "Do you even want to go to college?"

I sat there for a moment. He moved around to lean against his desk. "I don't know," I said. "I mean, I always did, but now…." I shrugged. "Maybe I'm the type that needs to take a year or two off," I offered.

"That's fine," Nick said. "If that's what you want, it's perfect." He added.

I took a deep breath, eyes closed. Nick took hold of my chin, pulling me forward to meet him. Just as our lips touched and he deepened the kiss, there was a knock on the door. We didn't even have time to pull away before the door opened. Gran was standing in the doorway, looking halfway pleased at seeing us together and halfway peeved that we were hidden away in his room. I could tell that Gran was old-fashioned. She probably didn't like the idea of Nick and me sharing the same bed. Rodney stood behind her. He had a grin on his face, like he'd just caught the two of us being the most embarrassing things in the world.

"Well hello there, pretty-girl," Gran crooned.

I smiled at her. I really did like her. She was just so… personable. And it was obvious that she wasn't afraid to march to the beat of her own drum. I loved her for that. "Hi, Gran," I said back.

She patted my cheek and then reached over and patted Nick's shoulder. "You're a lucky young man," she told him seriously, giving me a sly wink on the side. I laughed out loud. "Well, let's get this mark off of you." She said. "Nick, go on over and hold her down."

"Hold me down?" I asked, my heartbeat spiking. I'd never been good with doctors. I hated needles, I hated medications, I hated the squeakiness of waiting room chairs. But most of all, I hated the idea of being trapped, strapped down somewhere so they could do tests on me.

"Calm down," Nick said, putting a hand on my arm. He leaned his forehead against mine, kissing my cheek.

"If Marcus went to touch you out of pure hatred or malice, you're going to have to relive his touch. If it was just to be an annoyance, then it won't hurt at all. But it seems like it might've been both, so it's just a precaution." Gran told me. She took my arm and stretched it out. She laid her fingers over the mark burned into my arm. Her eyes spun green for a moment, and it was shocking enough that I almost pulled away from her. Nick kept me in place, though, one strong arm wrapped around my waist, drawing me into him. In my mind, the entire scene where Marcus had reached out to me went in rewind, a tiny bit of burning pain on my arm. It wasn't bad, but it was enough to make me gasp.

"There you go," Gran said, clapping her hands together like she'd just completed a feat. To me, it definitely seemed so. Nick brushed a lock of hair over my ear. "Now you get some sleep, pretty-girl. And don't let him bother you." She laughed loudly and patted her grandson on the shoulder. I heard her say goodbye to Nick's parents, since Rodney was going to drive her back home.

I sighed and leaned against Nick. He kissed my forehead and motioned for me to take a spot on the bed. I climbed onto it, stretching out and kicking off my shoes. Nick lay down next to me, his hand encasing mine. We laid there for a little while, looking up at the blank ceiling and talking like we always did, sharing little pieces of ourselves.

Eventually, it was late enough that I was so tired I was fighting to stay awake. I went to change in the bathroom while Nick stayed in his room. When I returned, he was pulling back the sheets on his bed. I gave him a smile, and he reached out to grab me. "You know, you're really hot." He said.

I laughed. "Thanks. You're hot, too." I told him. Nick chuckled into my neck. I climbed into my side of the bed, and Nick climbed in next to me. I turned to face him, immediately cuddling up to his side. Cuddling was something Paul and I never did. I couldn't sit too close, or else he'd accidentally hit me when he jerked his video game controller. Nick, though, laughed and drew me closer, resting his chin on the top of my head. All I could smell was him, and I really, really liked it. I sighed, and Nick did the same.

"Goodnight, Nick," I said in a low whisper.

"Night, Elsie." He replied. He chuckled again as I snuggled up into his side, trying to get comfortable. I ended up pressed right to his side. I figured that I should've felt trapped, but I didn't. It was like I finally found the place where I should've belonged. I didn't have to fight for this place. I didn't have to worry about how long I would hold it. It was mine forever, because he was mine.

I finally found someone that was perfect. For me.

Okay, so it's a short chapter, but I really wanted to put something out on leap day. Call me a weirdo. (:

AND I wanted to give you readers a leap day gift! So yay, two chapters in a row!

Plus, if anyone knows Rodney's parents' names, that would be helpful. Otherwise, I might just make up some names. Lol (:

Leave me a review! Peace (: