Shorter chapter but out quicker than normal. I can't do it all!

Chapter 15 – Back to Normal (ish)

Lucy's POV

Over the next few days, life at the Cullen house slowly went back to normal. Well I presumed it did, as I hadn't really had a chance to see what it was like before my outburst and consequent grieving. It was strange how I could now talk about it like it was no big deal. I still found it hard to discuss Matt but the others followed my lead and rarely mentioned him.

"So Lucy," began Emmett, about a week after I'd returned, "I'm curious. Your Mum used to call you Lucy Oops Porter?"

"Yes," I said guardedly.

"Because you don't have much spacial awareness, right?"

"Right," I repeated slowly.

"What else have you done because of this?"

"Um, well I had to leave one school about three and a half years ago because I wasn't concentrating on what I was doing, and put my hand out to catch one of these really big, heavy, modern glass doors, and put my hand right through it, smashing all the glass."

Emmett guffawed with laughter, joined with Alice's high pitched giggle and even Jasper let out a low chuckle.

"What?" I said indignantly, "I can't help it! It's just like when I landed on Seth when I jumped out of the tree or when I head butted him in the chin. These things just happen to me!"

"That sounds like clumsiness to me," sniggered Emmett, once he'd recovered – he'd burst into more gales of laughter from my other mishaps.

"It's not!" I defended, "Clumsiness is tripping over stuff and hurting people. Lack of spacial awareness is not knowing what is going on around you, which is what I have. That's what causes the accidents!"

"Sure, we believe you!" Emmett snickered.

"Do you want me to hit you?" I growled; he was seriously starting to annoy me now.

"Calm down sweet cheeks, I'm just having a bit of fun," he grinned.

"Well buddy, guess what? I don't agree!"

Suddenly I heard the door go, accompanied by the load wet thumping of a heart and the mildly repulsive smell of wet dog that signalled the arrival of Seth.

I flew to the door, bad temper already forgotten.

Seth had visited everyday over the last week and had stayed for hours. Whenever he had arrived, all the others had mysteriously melted away, giving me lots of time to have deep meaningful conversations with him. I didn't though; instead we messed around and took the mick out of each other. We were like brother and sister – our relationship was very physical, but not in a romantic way. I know that's what Seth wanted in the end, but he respected my wishes and I wasn't sure. At all.

I did want him to stay at the house constantly though; he was becoming my addiction and I was struggling to live without him even for a few hours. But even though his Mum and Bella's Dad had married about three years ago and wasn't as lonely as she used to be, she had got used to Seth living at home and he felt it was his duty to stay with her.

"I think he's just trying to score points against Edward for being most gentlemanly," stage whispered Bella when he explained that to me.

"Maybe he just wants to see his Mummy!" I replied

"I can hear you!" he'd called, causing us to collapse into giggles.

However it did mean that my nights stretched out long and empty, as everyone else stole off to have "private time". Fortunately it didn't happen every night and when it didn't Edward took it upon himself to teach me the piano, saying it was a good distraction for me. Personally I enjoyed it; it tested me in a way that I had struggled to find since I had become a vampire. Remembering which keys were where was no problem at all but moving my hands to create music wasn't so simple. However it was hugely depressing practicing by myself, while I could hear the others having fun in their own private worlds. So my free nights were spent roaming the woods, being careful of the boundary line, which Seth had pointed out to me on an early hunting trip with him.

"Hey, Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you come home and meet Mom with me today?"

"Um ok, but she's all human, right?"

"Yeah but you'll be fine. Oh, yeah, Charlie will be there as well. Maybe we can get Bella and Edward and Nessie along with us. It'll be a party!"

"Won't your Mum mind?"

"Nah, she caters for the pack half the time. The other half, she's prepared to cater for them."

"That's not what I meant. We don't eat, remember?"

"She lived with two wolves for a couple of years. She's a tribal elder. She's used to the supernatural. And anyway, Bella has visited loads and Edward often goes along with her. So she's also used to vamps visiting."

"Fine." I gave in, rolling my eyes at his obvious excitement. He was such a little kid sometimes.

"Hey Seth. You're a bit early aren't you? And whose this?" smiled Sue, as she peered around her son's broad shoulders.

I smiled nervously, proffering my hand, "Lucy, Mrs Swan."

"Please, call me Sue." She said, taking it and shaking t warmly, then pulling me in for the traditional European greeting of a kiss on both cheeks. She was totally unaffected by my temperature or even the fact that I could kill her at any point. "I've heard so much about you. Seth can't stop talking about you."

"Yeah, he never shuts up. It's so annoying, especially when I can't clamp my hand over his mouth to shut him up." Leah smirked as she walked in from the kitchen

"Because you can't catch me!"

"I can beat you in a race any time bro, I just don't bother 'cause you're too slow so it's boring!" she snarled back.

"Children! Anyone would think that you aren't part of a pack as well as blood related!"

"Why don't you all come through to our sitting room," asked Charlie, "instead of standing in the hall like a bunch of melons?"

At that we all laughed and trooped through.

The rest of the evening was very enjoyable and it resulted in me going there most nights and staying over. Sue was perfectly happy to let me sit in Seth's room while he slept, and pretty soon I became entranced by his inert form. Watching him was my new favourite pastime when I had nothing better to do, and I found that becoming more and more frequent as the others had their "own time" more often.

And so I found my life had returned to some semblance of normality for the first time in six months, though not in the way I'd ever have guessed. And I was happy.

I should have known it wouldn't last for long.

So a cliffy...

What do you think? Shorter quicker chapters, or slower longer ones?

Review please!

Layla xxx