February 13
"Come back to the house, kiddo, there's mail you need to go through." Charlie said.
Layla frowned. Who would send her mail?
"I'll stop after school." Layla said. "I've got a big project to present at school today."
"I know you'll blow it out of the park. Love you, kiddo." Charlie said.
"Love you too." Layla said.
Layla pushed end on her phone and bit the inside of her cheek. Uncle Charlie didn't sound terribly pleased on the phone which kind of worried her. Sam came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Everything okay?" Sam asked, even though he heard the entire conversation.
"I've got mail at uncle Charlie's house. But I don't get mail. I didn't have anyone back in Mt. Shasta." Layla said. "I told him I'd come up after school. I'll get Emmett or Alice to drop me off."
"I can pick you up." Sam said.
"You've got patrol in an hour. Besides, I'm sure it's nothing. I'll call one of the pack to get you if it's something important." Layla said.
Sam turned Layla to face him before kissing her sweetly. Layla looked up as he pulled back and stood on her tip toes and kissed the underside of his chin, making him chuckle. He used Layla's momentary state of distraction am's smacked her backside soundly, making her squeal in surprise.
"I love how responsive you are, baby girl." Sam growled.
Layla smiled sweetly and slid her hand down the front of Sam's shorts, finding him sporting a semi hard on. He groaned tightly at her touch.
"I could say the same thing. Do you think you can drive while getting head?" Layla asked, grinning.
"I know I can. Grab your backpack and project paper and let's go!" Sam said excitedly.
Layla giggled and grabbed her things while Sam went to start the Wrangler. Layla pulled the door shut behind her and walked to the Wrangler, smirking when she got in and saw Sam leaned back in his seat with his shorts pulled down. Layla tossed her bag into the backseat and got in, shutting the door and leaning over. Sam slowly pulled out and nearly drove into the ditch when Layla swallowed him whole.
"Maybe if I take a back road and drive slowly…" Sam groaned.
Layla giggled around his dick and the vibrations made him nearly whimper. By the time Sam pulled into the back parking lot, he threw his Wrangler in park just as he came, gripping the back of his headrest and almost ripping it off. Layla started with a brutal pace and only let up when she knew he was on the edge and did that repeatedly until they got to the school. Sam was cursing every word he'd ever heard in between whimpering Layla's name. Layla licked every drop up and sat back up, smiling. Sam's chest was pumping for oxygen and he looked over at Layla's smug expression.
"You still taste so good." Layla said.
Sam pulled Layla to meet him for a kiss in the Wrangler, loving how he could taste himself in her mouth. He kissed her passionately, wishing he had time to lay her on the hood of his Wrangler and eat her until she screamed.
"I love you, my big bad wolf." Layla said.
"Better go before this big bad wolf decides to eat you." Sam growled.
Layla whimpered and glared at him as she got out and grabbed her backpack.
"When you get back from Charlie's, you are so going to ride my face, baby girl." Sam said loudly.
Layla smiled wickedly, knowing a few of the people in the parking lot could hear him.
"So I'm dinner and dessert? Oh hell yeah!" Layla replied, shutting the door.
Layla walked into the school and headed for the Cullens table, plopping herself beside of Jasper.
"Hey, Jazzercise!" Layla said happily.
"Hello Princess Layla." Jasper said.
Alice gasped softly, unheard by Layla. Edward read Alice's mind and wanted to groan. Layla was getting wise.
"I saw you." Layla said, sounding neutral.
"And I saw you." Jasper said.
"No, in a book I found at Old Quil's house. About the Civil War. It said…" Layla said, then whispered, "Jasper Whitlock. And it showed your picture." she added in an excited whisper.
"Are you saying I'm old?" Jasper teased.
Layla frowned and pulled the book out and showed him, still whispering.
"But it's you, though. See? I mean...I know other things exist besides just animals and mortal humans. And if other things exist, why not immortal people?" Layla said softly.
"She's convinced, Jazz." Edward said softly.
"It'll be okay." Alice said. "This will be, anyway."
"Can we talk about it after school?" Jasper asked.
Layla smiled excitedly and squee'd as quietly as she could.
"Oh, can one of you take me to uncle Charlie's after school? Apparently I'm a person who gets mail now." Layla said.
"Sure. It'll give us time to talk." Jasper spike quickly.
The bell rang signaling first period. Layla thanked Jasper and went to class.
…
"So, yes, technically we are mostly immortal. We can be killed, but it's difficult. We do feed on blood, but only animals and ones that are farther north." Jasper explained.
"Do you think we're monsters, Layla?" Emmett asked, sounding worried.
"You all? Uh, no way. You all don't hurt people. Monsters hurt people just for the fun of it. My mother is a monster. I mean, you can't repeatedly hurt your own child and try to sell her and put her in dangerous situations over and over again and not be a monster. So you have sharp teeth and stay cold and drink blood. That just describes a puppy, ice cream cake, and mosquitos. Only you're better than mosquitos because they're mean as hell and spread disease. So you're like ice cream cake. Basically sweet." Layla said.
Emmett pulled Layla across the seat into a hug. Layla hugged him back, glad they weren't mad at her for basically ambushing them into telling.
"You're my favorite non-ice cream cake thing ever." Emmett said.
"And you're my second favorite ice cream cake thing ever." Layla said.
Emmett pouted big time.
"I'm just kidding. You know you're my favorite. I'm your fan club, remember? Oh, Emmett, you're holding me oh I could die happy! Emmett I wanna marry you and have little baby ice cream cupcakes with you! We can live in an igloo and raise ice cubes and sell them to polar bears! Oh, Emmett!" Layla said dramatically.
Rosalie pulled up to the curb of Charlie's house and laughed. Alice and Jasper were grinning.
"Rose, I'm keeping her, okay? We're gonna have cupcakes!" Emmett said.
"Thanks for driving me. And for not getting mad at me when I ambushed Jasper. Sorry, Jasper. Well, not really." Layla said.
"We're just glad you don't hate us." Emmett said.
"I'm glad of that. I don't think I could have stood to hear Emmett whine and cry about losing his favorite person." Jasper teased.
"You can't get rid of me that easily. See you all later!" Layla said, getting out and heading to the house.
Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table with the mail and a cup of coffee. Layla dropped her backpack and joined him. Charlie handed her an unopened letter. Layla opened it and read.
My darling Layla,
The court has decided to release me on good behavior and time served and due to Derek confessing and taking the rap. I've petitioned the judge for full custody of you. I want another chance to be the mother you deserve. I am in Seattle in an apartment with a bedroom for both of us. Can't wait to have my darling daughter back.
Love, your mother
"You've got to be kidding me. They let her go?!" Layla cried out. "She wants me back! I don't wanna go, uncle Charlie!"
"We have a court date a week from today. I'm supposed to bring you and let the judge decide. I've talked to a lawyer who works with me at the station and he's going to help me present a case as to why you should stay here." Charlie said.
Layla felt her chest getting tighter and tighter as panic took over. All she could think about was everything her mother had put her through for 16, nearly 17 years. How she was finally take away, how she found her Sammy, and now it was all going to be taken away from her. Layla felt her knees hit the floor.
"Shit! Layla!" Charlie rushed over to her.
Charlie called Sue in a panic. Layla was hyperventilating and crying and it was all Charlie could do to try and keep her from bolting or getting hurt.
"Get Sam!" Charlie shouted into the phone.
On the reservation, Sue ran out of her house shouting for any of the pack who could hear her. Seth was nearby and ran to his mom.
"Get Sam. Layla is not… Sam needs to go over to Charlie's as fast as he can. Hurry!" Sue said.
Seth ripped into his wolf in an instant, heading for the forest and howling. He told Sam telepathically what his mom had said. Sue grabbed a pair of shorts and ran to her truck and headed over to Charlie's.
Sam heard the panic in Seth's voice and nearly lost it. He ran as fast as he could, making a beeline for Charlie's house. He wanted to throw up, worry making him sick. He arrived the same time as Sue. She tossed the shorts in his direction and all but ran inside. Sam shifted and pulled the shorts in as he ran inside, nearly ripping the door off the hinges. Charlie was trying to comfort Layla and calm her down with no luck. He saw Sam and immediately let him control the situation. Sue went to Charlie and sat him at the table. Sam pulled Layla to him, kissing her and pushing his own breath into her lungs so she could breathe. He pulled back and Layla clung hard to him, breathing in the scent Sam was flooding out. At this point, he wanted to get her as scent drunk as she could get. She kept whimpering and repeating "stay here, not go". Sam was bewildered.
"Charlie, what happened?" Sue asked.
"Layla's mother, my sister, was released early from prison due to her boyfriend Derek taking all the blame. She's relocated to Seattle and is petitioning the judge to grant her back full custody of Layla. The court date is in a week." Charlie said, holding out the written letter and a letter from the courts.
Sue read over the letters, feeling her heart break.
"We're going to fight it. Hard. We'll give the judge every reason she shouldn't go back to that horrible woman. Look at what anxiety and panic just her words have already caused Layla. If Sam wasn't here…" Sue said, frowning.
Sam's mind was racing a thousand miles per second. He was wracking his brain to try and think of some solution. There was no way in hell he'd let her be taken away. They'd have to do it over his cold, dead body. Sam pulled Layla's phone from her pocket and was getting ready to dial when the front door opened. Emmett came charging in with Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, Edward, and Bella behind him.
"There's no way in hell she's going anywhere." Emmett hissed.
"Our parents are on their way over, too." Alice said. "She's not going anywhere without a fight. Also, Layla, thank you for butt dialing Emmett otherwise we would never have known." She added to cover their tracks.
No sooner had the Cullens came through the front door did most of the pack start coming through the back door with Paul going straight for Layla. Sue quickly caught them up.
"Yeah, no, that's not happening. That's our girl and we aren't giving her up." Leah said. "Especially not to some poor excuse for a human being. She'll have to meet Layla's guard dog and she wouldn't survive the encounter."
"I knew I liked you the best for some reason." Rosalie said, smirking.
Layla nuzzled tightly against Sam's neck, but heard and saw everyone who was coming to defend and protect her.
This is what a real family is.
These people… this was her family.
Her silly, odd, rag tag, impossibly wonderful family.
"Jesus, Sam, not again…Seth, crack a window. He's getting her scent drunk again." Leah whined. Layla was being held up by Sam's arms alone, completely blissed out and docile. Paul chuckled, brushing Layla's hair from her face.
"Don't worry, princess. You've got everyone here and you aren't going anywhere without a fight. We will fill that courtroom and tell the judge to keep you here." Paul said.
"We will do everything possible, Layla." Carlisle said.
Layla smiled softly.
Family.
...
February 26
"Hereby, it is the decision of the court to reverse custody back into the biological mother, Charlotte Delaney. Based upon her early release, her completion of the six month drug detox program, and ongoing progress in psychological therapy, it would be in the best interest of the minor child. This decision is final. Ms. Delaney, you will report to the Washington State Child Services office at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning for transportation to your mother's apartment. Adjourned." The judge declared.
Layla sat, unmoving. She felt her world shattering around her even though it was silent. None of the pack nor the Cullens were allowed into the court room as it dealt with a minor. No sooner did she Judge adjourn the court did Layla hear the heavy wooden doors nearly splinter open. Sam was shaking so badly he nearly shifted. He jumped over the chairs and wall to get Layla and pull her to him. Emmett and Paul were right behind him.
Sam picked Layla up, refusing to let any of tree others see her or touch her or talk to her. He couldn't believe, we with all the evidence presented, that the Judge ruled against them. He needed to find a way to keep Layla. Maybe he could move to Seattle? Maybe he could take Layla and run away? Or... or... something. He couldn't lose Layla. Not for 10 seconds and not for nearly 10 months.
Sam got into the stairwell with Layla before breaking down. He slid down the wall, still holding Layla tightly. He hadn't cried since he was a small child. And there was nothing he could do to so the tears now.
...
omg one or two chapters left! How could I be this cruel?! Mean evil cliffhangers! Poor Sam. Poor Layla! Y'all better leave comments so I make the right decision am's somehow magically bring them back together!