I only own whatever Stephanie Meyer hasn't come up with herself. Everything else belongs to her.
Thats the last time I'm going to disclaim - I'm bored of it now. This one stands for the rest of the story.
Chapter 14 – Grieving
Seth's POV
'She lost control,' finished Edward.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lucy let out a wail, except it wasn't. It was an inhuman animalistic noise, the likes of which I'd never heard in my life and which covered me in goose bumps for the first time since I was fourteen. It was undeniably grief in its purest form and it cut me to the core. Lucy was horribly, dreadfully upset and I knew immediately that there was nothing I could do to help her.
Everyone shied away at the noise. The pack was having similar reactions to me and I wasn't surprised when Leah bolted for the door quickly followed by the rest, who at least muttered apologies as they went. I stayed, as did Jake but he told Nessie to leave as she was as bad as us.
Jasper closed his eyes in an attempt to calm her down, but Esme put her hand on his arm.
"No" she said, "She needs to let it out. It's healthier for her mind. Who knows how long she has bottled it up?"
Jas nodded, "I gotta go. Please?"
"It's fine." She assured him and he was out of the door as well followed by Alice, though she looked torn.
"We need to get her out of the house." Esme said, "So people don't hear her. I know it sounds cruel but I don't think this is going to end anytime soon."
"I'll take her," I offered. Skin and smell irrelevant, I just wanted to help her, and I could clearly see that she was beyond moving herself; she was sitting in exactly the same position as when she'd finished her tale except her eyes were wide and staring and her teeth were gritted.
I scooped her up into my arms and ran out of the door as everyone else had done before me, and took her from the house. It was hard to know where to put her. Too close to the house and everyone would hear her; too far away and they'd worry. Also should I leave her? Could I? I didn't want to but the noise… I sighed; I'd just have to wait and see.
About four miles from the Cullen house, away into the forest so no human could possibly hear her; I found a little clearing, with a large tree in the centre. I carefully set Lucy at the base of it. Her wail had now turned into a keening, but it was still loud. However nothing else had changed, she was unresponsive to anything I tried and it still cut me just as deep to hear her like that.
I stood next to her for a minute, dithering, but as I could barely hear myself think above the noise, I decided to leave, even could hardly bear it to do so.
After I'd left her, I phased to let Jacob know, then ran back to the house.
Unfortunately for them, Lucy could still be heard but it was more like a fly: slightly distracting but nothing more. I was glad, I could still hear so I would know as soon as she stopped, whenever that might be.
2 Weeks Later
"I'm really worried about Lucy. I mean, it's been two weeks now. Surely you can't grieve for that long?" I asked Esme anxiously, walking out into the yard with her, still hearing Lucy's high pitched wailing.
"Everything takes its own time; it'll run its course eventually." She replied, "Although I'll admit that two weeks does seem a little long. I'm a little concerned myself."
"What should we do?"
"There's nothing we can do, except wait. It will end, that I'm sure of."
Alice bounced up, as only Alice can. "Give it a week, I think she wil have finished by then. I know its vague but it's the best I can do. Both your futures are so entangled and she doesn't help herself with her stupid invisibility thing."
"It's not stupid!" I defended bristling, "I think it's really useful. By the sound of it she can even go out in the sun like that!"
"It would be more useful if she could expand it though; cover someone else. It's a better shield than Bella's." contradicted Jasper, coming out of the forest, causing Alice to squeal and jump on him.
"Yeah, well whatever." I said, not wanting to be near any form of PDA, "I guess I can give it another week. But no longer. After that I am going to find her and try to help her."
"Good idea," smiled Esme
" 'Kay, I'm outta here." I ran for the trees.
1 week later
"Alice, you said it would be over by now!" I growled at her
"I thought it would be!"
"Then why hasn't she stopped?"
"I don't know! All I know is that on Wednesday her future disappeared. I didn't want to tell you in case it came back again."
"Jeesh, Alice, why you didn't tell me, her imprint? What if something's wrong? What if she's been hurt?"
"We both know that she hasn't been hurt; don't be an idiot!" she snapped, "and just because your silly wolf thing caused you to imprint on her, it doesn't mean thst the rest of us don't care any less about her than you do!"
I growled properly this time, as tremors started running through my body. She didn't understand imprinting and if she thought that her coven of filthy bloodsuckers cared about Lucy more than I did, she had another think coming…
"Hey guys, chill. Seth calm down, buddy. Alice, imprinting isn't just about caring for the imprint but making sure that she's happy in every way. It's like, I don't know, gravity moving or something. The imprint is the only thing that matters. Don't underestimate that." Jake said, sounding unusually serious. He'd been good on his word about not giving orders, like Sam had but I still liked to obey them, out of respect. It's just that calming down at that point was a little more difficult than usual.
I concentrated on taking deep breaths, willing the tremors to slow, to stop. The red cleared from my vision and I was myself again.
Alice looked subdued, "Sorry Seth, I'm worried about Lucy too, and I'm getting stressed because of the whole lack of visions thing. I guess I should know better than to diss your freaky dog stuff."
"Don't worry Ali, I know how you feel. It's killing me that I can't do anything to help Lucy. I feel so useless. I guess I'm sorry too."
"No worries big guy."
"Aah, what a touching scene," came a familiar voice, yet one that I hadn't heard for nearly three weeks…
"Lucy!" I cried, spinning around to see her leaning against a tree, at the edge of the 'garden', a huge smile on her face, "I didn't hear you coming!"
"You didn't hear that I'd stopped screaming my arse off, you mean," she corrected, "that would be because you were having a yelling match with Alice." She raised her eyebrows, amused.
"I, uh, oh." I was speechless, feeling kind of guilty. I'd been listening out for silence all week and in the few minutes that I hadn't been she'd stopped. Oops.
"Lucy!!" the bellow echoed through the woods as Emmett came charging out of the house and knocked her flat. I leapt forwards myself, worrying that he'd squashed her.
"Get off me you big lump!" her voice sounded muffled under his huge size as she struggled out from under him. "I can't breathe!"
"You don't need to!" he laughed, "My little sister's back!"
"You sap!" she giggled, and heaved him to one side, standing up in one fluid motion. She caught my, still worried, eye and with a smile still playing on her face said "Don't worry about me, Seth. Remember, I'm indestructible."
I felt the anxiety slowly drain out of my body and I returned her grin with a small one of my own.
But we weren't alone any more. While Emmett had been goofing around with Lucy, as per usual, the rest of the Cullen family arrived, all beaming at Lucy, like she was the prodigal son returned or something. It irritated the hell out of me.
Lucy looked uncomfortable. "I've only been gone for a few days' guys. Its not like it's been ages, right?"
"Luce," I said gently, moving to her side, "it's been three weeks."
"What? But, I don't remember…"
"You were pretty out of it when I carried you there, honey. You weren't fit to notice anything."
"I, sorry guys. I didn't mean to do that."
"We know that. It was healthier for you to let go than to keep it all bottled up the way you did. I mean you feel better now don't you?" Esme reassured her
"Yeah, it's not playing on my mind like it was before. I mean I'm still devastated that I k-k-killed Matt and really guilty but I do feel better."
"Are you sure that he was dead when you left him?" asked Carlisle
"Yeah. His heart had stopped beating, for sure." Abruptly she changed the subject. "I need to go hunting. Will someone come…" she trailed off, looking pointedly at me.
"Sure." I said, "Lets go."
"I'll see you all later. And it won't be three weeks this time, I promise!" she joked as I prepared to phase.
"Bye!" they chorused and we took off.
That was a bit quicker than last time! Hopefully the next one will seem like lightening speed! I'm hoping to get the next chapter up on Christmas/Boxing Day but it will depend on my crazy family. I will definitely have it up by January though!
This was a bit of a filler chapter as the next one will probably be but the plot is hotting up, and it will all get very exciting quite soon! :)
Review please! I only had one last chapter and that was by a regular! Please! I'll love you forever if you do! (in the same way that I love Twilight and chocolate - not freaky at all!) Anyone who does will also receive an imaginary topless poster of the Twilight guy of their choice! :D I'm afraid I can't give out real ones as I don't have one of my own :(
Looooooooooooooooong AN over. Review please!
Layla xxx