A/N: My thanks and love to the best Beta this side of the Pecos. I love you Murfy. You da bomb.
Things are about to kick into a higher gear. Thank you to all my lovely readers and reviewers. You
folks are da bomb too.
So, without further ado...
Everything Is Different Now
Chapter 7
February 15, 2013
"Good morning, Jacob."
"Hey Marie. How's everything?"
"Just grand. Isn't this a beautiful day?"
"You know, it is, it really is."
"What can I get for you this morning?"
"How 'bout something like the Doc usually has? Some fruit, oatmeal? Maybe some toast?"
"On its way. Are you sure that'll be enough? Your appetite may need more fuel than that."
"Maybe. We'll just start with that for now. I'll load up at lunch maybe. Sound good?"
"Whatever you need young Master Jacob."
"Ah Marie. You're too sweet. Next thing I know, you'll be pinching my cheeks."
"What an excellent idea! Don't tempt me."
"Marie! What would the neighbors think?"
"They'd be jealous I think. Now, hush up and stop teasing dear old Mama Marie."
"Dear, yes, Mama, maybe, old, never."
"Ah yes, flattery. When IS your birthday dear boy."
"You just missed it Mama. January."
"Alas, well, I'll think of something. Breakfast coming up."
"Say, where is the Doc this morning?"
"She was up really early, ate a bit and headed for the stable. You can check with Barney, I'm sure he
can point you in the right direction."
"Okay, thanks Marie."
"Right direction for what?"
"To find you. Where you been hidin' this mornin'?"
"Well, I've just come from the stable. We've got new family members."
"New family members?"
"Yep. Puppies."
"No kiddin'? How many?"
"Rosie had 5. Three boys and 2 little girls. When you're finished eating we'll go take a look."
"Sounds like a plan. I haven't met Rosie yet. What is she?"
"She's a Miniature Long Haired Dachshund. The puppies' papa belongs to my neighbor on the next
ridge over that way. He also happens to be my vet."
"Wow, that's great! Weiner dogs! Little bitty sausages!"
"Hah! Yeah, don't let him hear you call them that. He's a purist."
"I'll remember. Grandpa is snooty. Got it."
"Just a bit. Don't tell him that, either."
"Yes'm. Duly noted."
"How're you feeling today? Sleep well? No aches or pains? Nightmares?"
"Pretty good. Yes. A few slight ones and only one little one."
"Hmm. Let's start at the end and work our way backward. Tell me about the 'little' nightmare. What
classifies as a 'little nightmare'."
"Uhmm, well, it's a bit odd. It's funny, really I guess."
"Funny?"
"Yeah, it ranks as 'little' cause it started out to be about Bella and then sort of morphed into being
about someone else."
"Okay, go on."
"Well, it was the usual at first. Me trying to get Bella to love me and stay with me and not become a
vampire. Bella turning her back on me and becoming a vamp after all. Her daughter was in there for
a little bit and that was scary too. Then it kinda changed and wasn't so bad after all."
"Why was that? What changed?"
"Well, um, it's kinda embarrassing."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Do I really have to say?"
"Well, no, but I'd appreciate it if you would."
"Well,...okay, you asked for it. It turned into a dream about you and it definitely was NOT a
nightmare."
"Oh. I see. Well, at the risk of embarrassing you even further, was it one of 'those' kinds of dreams?"
"I don't know what you mean, Doc."
"Hmm, yes you do. Come on Jacob. There's really no need to be embarrassed. Everyone has them."
"Do you?"
"Yes, I have at one time or another."
"How 'bout lately?"
"You first."
"Ah, you're quick, Doc, I'll give you that."
"I already warned you about that changing the subject and mis-direction stuff didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did. Okay, okay, yes, it was one of THOSE dreams. Happy?"
"Supremely."
"Very funny."
"No, I'm just happy that you finally decided it was okay to tell me. We're friends remember?"
"I know, it's just...well,..."
"What? What is it Jacob? Talk to me."
"Well,...Laura, we haven't known each other very long and I'm still getting used to being out of that
cage I was in for 6-plus years. I haven't been around a woman for any length of time who wasn't a
nasty nurse or a senior citizen cleaning lady who didn't speak English, for a very long time. I'm
sorry...I can't talk about this."
"Oh, Jacob. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push or embarrass you. I'd never do that on purpose. Please
believe me. I hadn't thought about your situation with the opposite sex the last few years. Please
forgive me."
"It's okay, Laura. I just, well, come on Jake, just out with it already! Laura, I think you're really
beautiful and the dream was about you and I understand if you think I'm a perv or something but
please don't throw me out! I'd never do anything to hurt you. I swear!"
"Jacob. I'd NEVER throw you out of here, for any reason. I promise you that. And I don't think
you're a pervert. I'm flattered actually. Really. And it's a completely normal, healthy reaction on
your part. Don't think about it as if you did something bad. It's not. It's normal."
"God! I can't believe you feel that way about it. I was so worried. You've been so nice to me and
understanding and helpful and caring and..."
"Jacob, listen to me. You are a good person. You have had some really bad breaks, some really hard
times in your life. That does not make you bad. That makes you needful. By that I mean needful of
compassion, understanding, friendship, companionship. You've been horribly mistreated and I hope
I can do a little bit to try to counteract the effects that had on you. I care about what happens to you
and I care about how you feel. But you have to promise to be honest with me and I hope you won't
hold anything back. And please don't be embarrassed about a normal, human reaction."
"You are really something special, you know that?"
"Well, I'm glad you think so. I'm really not. I just care. That's not special. That's right."
"That's special."
"If you say so. Thank you."
"You're welcome. So, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"It really doesn't bother you that I had a dream, like that, about you? You don't mind?"
"No, I don't mind. Like I said, it's flattering. You'll forgive me, I hope, if I don't ask for details."
"Hah! Yeah, I'll forgive you. Not sure I could share that with you anyway. A guy's got his limits, ya
know?"
"I thought you weren't going to be embarrassed anymore?"
"I'll need some time to work on it, okay?"
"Okay, agreed. Now, can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot."
"Do you consider it good progress that your dream about Bella and her daughter transformed into
something more pleasant?"
"You're kidding, right? Absolutely, I think of that as progress! Now, if I can just learn to skip that
first part of the dream and move straight to the, um, you know, the other bits. Sorry."
"No, no, don't apologize. Progress is progress, no matter what form it takes. I've always thought that
any step was a step forward. Standing still is the real problem."
"That's a pretty cool way to look at it, Doc."
"Well, I believe it's true. Abraham Lincoln said, 'when we cease to learn, we cease to live,' and I used
to paraphrase him and say, 'when we cease to move, we cease to live'. My college roommate had a
great way of putting it. He'd say, 'if you're not tryin', you're dyin'.'"
"That's a pretty good way to say it. Wait a minute...HE? Your college roommate was a HE?"
"Is that bad?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Who was he? What was he to you?"
"My! Surprising reaction. I didn't expect that."
"Sorry,...none of my business. I didn't mean to pry or be so rude."
"No, it's okay. You just caught me off guard with the questions. I don't mind telling you if you're
really interested. I was a Little Sister at a fraternity. He was my Big Brother. After we became close
friends, we shared an apartment. We graduated on the same day. We got stoned together, one time.
We pigged out. We were buddies. He spent my 21st birthday entertaining me and keeping me
company because otherwise I'd have been by myself. He's the only person I went to school with that I
still speak to. He's a good friend. Lives in Florida. Was that the answer you were looking for?"
"Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry, Laura. I didn't mean to go all caveman or Daddy Dearest on you."
"That's okay, Jacob. But you know now I have to ask. Why would it matter so much that my
roommate was a male?"
"It wouldn't, I mean, it would, but, I don't know. What do you want me to say?"
"Just say what you feel, Jacob. Just take it easy, be calm, it's okay, it's alright. Just tell me why it
matters. Just talk to me. Deep breath."
"Okay. I'm alright. It's just that,...I'm not sure how to say this. I feel, protective of you, I guess.
It's hard to describe. Laura, you gotta understand, nobody and I mean nobody has been nice to me,
or cared diddley-squat about me or my feelings or what happened to me in a very long time. And
then you come along, and it's like, I don't know, it's like the clouds parted and the sun came shinin'
through. You're like an angel to me. You saved me, in more ways than you could possibly know. And
because of all that, you're really special to me. God, this really isn't comin' out right."
"Jacob, it's coming out just fine. And, thank you, and you're welcome, and I'm glad, and you're very
special to me as well. Can I be honest, really honest with you?"
"You know you can."
"It breaks my heart and makes me furious at the same time how you've been treated these last years.
And if I have any say in the matter at all, you will number one, never be treated that way again, and
number two, in time, forget about all the horrible crap you've had to live through. I shouldn't really
confess that to you, but I'm the one in charge here, so I guess I made an executive decision. I want to
help you feel whole again, Jacob. I understand that you've been torn to shreds, inside and out, and
I'd like to try and help you fix that. If you'll let me. God, I hope I haven't traumatized you even worse
now!"
"No, ma'am, not traumatized. Thrilled beyond words, yes."
"Okay. That's alright then. If you're finished with your breakfast 'snack' would you like to come meet
some sausages? Mother and babies are resting comfortably."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm full for the moment, I promise not to get too close to the sausages. Just
kidding, just kidding."
"I should hope so. Come on, walk with me."
"Anywhere, Doc. Anywhere."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EIDN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Rosie? It's just me okay? Come this way Jacob. A couple of them are asleep, a couple are having
their own breakfast snack, but,...here, hold out your hand. Let Rosie sniff you. Good girl Rosie, see,
he's safe. Now, Jacob, here. This is one of the little girls, she should really like your extra body heat."
"Hey Little Bit. Hey there. Aren't you just the cutest little thing? She's so soft and she's so little!"
"Yeah, less than 5 hours old. You can just put her down there next to Rosie's head when you're done
cuddling her."
"This is just about the sweetest little baby I think I've ever seen. Thanks for letting me hold her,
Doc,...you too, Rosie. Here ya go Littlun."
"Well,...would you look at that!"
"What's she doing?"
"Can't say for sure, but if I was to make a guess, I'd say Rosie just offered her daughter to you as a
gift. She just looked up at you and pushed the puppy back toward your hand. Maybe she wants you
to babysit? Would you like to have the puppy to call your own? You'll both be living here anyway."
"Well, maybe. Yeah, I guess. I've never had a dog before."
"You're joking right?"
"No, I'm not, really. I've never owned a dog or any other kind of pet for that matter. I'm not sure I
would have picked a Weenie, but I think maybe Rosie picked me."
"It kind of looks that way. I'll be. I've never seen that happen before. I gotta call Dr. Nederland, he'll
be shocked and curious both I imagine. Until she's weaned, you can start spending time with her if
you want. Rosie and I can help you train her. She can even stay with you in the west wing if you
like."
"Okay, Doc, that might be interesting. It'd be new, that's for sure. Guess I need to think of a name,
huh?"
"That would be one of the first things on your agenda. I'll see about getting her a bed to put in your
room if you want."
"Thanks, that'd be great. Well,...thank you Rosie. That's a pretty special gift. I'll take good care
of her, I promise."