Their Little Wolf ~ Quileute Wolves

Chapter Six: Garage Days

Eleanor sat behind Bella, delicately brushing her hair as she talked about her day. She didn't expect a response. She hadn't gotten one in months, not since her sister had been found in the woods. But she was still there for her sister every day, trying to help her heal.

"This weekend I'm going down to Jake's house. He's been rebuilding this old Volkswagen. I call it Bunny. It's really cool, Bella. You should come down to visit with me," she spoke softly, handling her older sister with a gentle care that came so naturally to the younger Swan. 

Even with a low and mellow voice, the excitement could still be heard in Eleanor's tone. She loved visiting Jake, and she loved his Volkswagen. Watching him work on it while she joked around with Quil and Embry had been keeping her sane throughout all her worries for her sister. The three Quileute boys had been Eleanor's support while she gave all her energy towards an almost comatose Bella. She would sometimes arrive tired and teary-eyed, overwhelmed from worry for her sister or with a sense of loss for the person her sister used to be. And her three best friends were always there for her, helping her mend her weary soul in the few hours they were able to spend together. They would soothe her frayed edges and calm her from her emotional state before distracting her from her worries with stories from school and playful jokes.

On the days where she seemed truly worn down and tired, they would wrap her up in her large, fluffy blanket that they stored in the back of Bunny just for her and snuggle her in between two of her best friends as they told her the legends of the tribe. The stories were something she had always found fascinating. While they were usually something that were kept inside the tribe, Eleanor had been told the stories years ago by Billy. Whenever she heard them it was like she was listening for the first time. Every time she was pulled into the story, seeing the words as much as she felt them. The legends always brought her a sense of peace, and when her best friends quietly retold the tales of their tribe, their soothing voices worked as a lullaby of sorts, never failing to pull the girl into a much-needed rest.

She thought that maybe her best friends were magic, gifted with the ability to heal a person's hurt, just as they were always able to do for her. And given that they had special powers, she thought they might be able to help Bella just from her sister being around their bright dispositions. But her delicately laid question received no response, so Eleanor just sighed and continued brushing Bella's hair with a softness that went unnoticed by her older sister.

~~~

That Friday, when Eleanor arrived at Jake's and greeted her three best friends, the boys noticed a change in Eleanor. Her eyes shined a little bit brighter, and her smile was a touch more sincere. They all shared relieved glances when they noticed her positive attitude. They had begun to worry for their small friend. They hated seeing her sad and it seemed as though Bella's moods had been infecting her like a disease. She was showing up week after week in worse conditions due to seeing her sister in such a state. But this Friday, she was smiling and when she ran up to them, giggling and reaching for hugs they all felt their shoulders drop a little in relief. Their girl was getting better, that was all they wanted no matter what they had to do to see it happen.

"Jake! Quil! Embry! Guess what?" Her enthusiasm shined through her proclamation, her words the most lively they had been since the Cullens left.

Smiling, all three boys questioned in unison with a true gladness in their voices, "What happened, Els?", "What is it, Rora?", "What, Ella?"

"Bella's going out with a friend tonight! She's out of the house! And watching a movie," she beamed at her friends, finally reaching Jake and him picking her up for a proper hug. He was going to enjoy her happy mood while he could and was reluctant to set her down, but eventually did pass her off to Quil for his hug. He too hesitated to let her go, but after a "come on" from Embry and a giggle from Eleanor he figured he should let Embry have a hug too.