TUESDAY
AUGUST 10TH, 2004
FORKS, WASHINGTON
....
"Alice, I don't know how many times I have to tell you," Lorraine drags the words out in long weary sigh. Her eyes resting on the fretting pixie-like young woman before her as she tucked in the comforter alongst the injured girl's body for the hundredth time, while leaving her healing leg bare. "You do not have to swaddle me like an infant. It's not that cold in here, so please. Stop trying to bury me underneath a mountain of blankets."
The topaz irises on the Tinkerbell personified pale face before her seemed to blow wide in horror once the other girl's words settled in the air between them. It was followed by a small wince that pulled at her doll-like appearance as she immediately pulled the heavy comforter away from the black-haired female's form, wilting with caution. She fluttered backwards a bit. The hesitation in her frame was noted as she reached down to fix the pillows beneath Lorraine's injured leg and, realizing what she was doing, slide back once more, offering a softened smile. It was noticeable that she wished to help the other girl by doing something, and judging by her fidgeting she was close to doing anything to ease her own worries at this point.
"She's right," a honey-golden blond haired male steps forth from his spot on the nearby couch, stationed in the far left of the living room, closest to the built-in fireplace. The solemn look on Jasper Hale's face was accompanied by the rigid movements as always, though lessened.
He was taller than both.
The most silent sibling out of the adopted doctor's children was leanly built, with his muscled frame holding a tautness that hid some of his stiff posture. The gold of his topaz gaze was darkened than Alice's, appearing nearly molten. He had abandoned the aged book he happened to be scrolling through to come and pull his partner back from her hovering, situating himself at her side with an arm curving across her waistline.
"You have to give her some space, darlin'." His smooth drawl was not normally heard, but when speaking to those he was comfortable with, it was more pronounced. "Let her breath some."
"But is she not cold? Or is the comforter too heavy for you, I can switch it out for a new one- or two!" Alice's musical tune was full of concern as she leaned back supportively against the chiseled pale man behind her.
The exasperated look imprinted onto Lorraine's face spoke for her.
"I just don't want you to get chilly, Lory. You're too fragile right now and I don't want you to go back to the Hospital. Carlisle warned me that your susceptible and prone to illness while recovering. I can't see... I can't see how you're acting so calm." Alice fixes her words, then gifts her with a scanning gaze, as if she were trying to see through or something.
"Alice, I am not cold nor am I going to get sick." Lorraine scoots herself further up the couch and gives the brunette a gentle smile, reassuring her. "Am I going to be fragile for a while, yeah. But I'll live."
"How do you know that? Are you not afraid anything could happen?"
The stress flickering across the pale girl's face blossoms a new fear within herself now. Her hands flex around that of Jasper's, who tightens his hold on her waistline in response to her distress. Whatever she is thinking is obviously putting Alice into a dark mindset, enough where her entire form suddenly stiffened, akin to a statue. The conflict on her beautiful expression manages to twist the ethereal image into one of horrid frustration. A grim mask comes and goes from the now haunted look in her golden eyes, which were searing directly into Lorraine's glacial-blue ones.
"I- I can't?" The words are uttered in confusion, causing Alice to edge closer to the couch as if she sought the silent comfort of her friend, while somewhat shielding her body.
Behind the dazed looking female, Jasper presses a soothing kiss to the dark locks of her hair. He loops his other arm around and clasps his fingers together as he pulls Alice backwards into his embrace with a gentle murmur that only she can hear, leaving the darker haired female confused and worried in return for her friend. But soon the concern dissipates as a lightness fills the very air around them. The somber sensation fading to the sudden calm which lingers above the three, managing to ease the brunette's tense form.
"Alice?" Lorraine stretches just enough to grab ahold of her hand, which instantly curves slender fingers through her own. The caution in her voice is one of muddled apprehension for the other. "I think you're close to having a panic attack. So, for my sake, please calm down."
Her soothing voice is enough to get the two before her to relax a bit.
"And besides, you don't have to stress so much over me. I'm in minor good condition and working to get even better. But I am completely fine now, alright."
The stoic stare Jasper sends her causes Lorraine to pause as she thinks on rewording her response. He releases Alice to settle himself on the closest chair beside the couch, just before the coffee table in front of her. "I wouldn't say completely fine."
"Okay, you're right. But still, I am not afraid because I'm here now, somewhat whole and with my loved ones." Lorraine says back with a look of her own. "Now, can we all just get back to watching television."
"Fine, but only if you'll accept these rules." Alice tells her with a no-nonsense tone once she steps back to plop down atop the waiting Jasper's lap, all while staring deeply into Lorraine's rolling eyes. Her face is blank for a moment before she continues. "Number one, if you feel any pain I'm taking you to Carlisle for a check-up. Number two, you won't argue needlessly over me helping you with mundane things."
"Mundane things? What are you talk- no... No, no I can go to the bathroom myself, thank you very much. I won't be needing any assistance for that." Lorraine waved away the brunette's frown. "I am not asking for help to go use the bathroom, Alice. I won't."
"We'll see about that, now." The pixie-like female pushes onward. "Number three, Jasper, and I will be picking up your assignments and writing down notes, until you come back. We'll be bringing them here."
"Or I could have Dad and the boys take me to your place?" The hopeful look dancing on her face tells them just how much she wished to get out of the house and into society once again. "I've missed your mom's cooking too, I'll admit. None of us can cook here and I am not wanting to get any chubbier on Ponderosa Steakhouse's meals by the time winter comes rolling in- God knows I'll just hibernate."
Alice held a decisive look on her face, swaying on the silent blonds lap as she did.
"It wouldn't hurt her getting out of the house," Jasper speaks up then, glancing from Alice's face and then to Lorraine's. He watches the slight frown on his partner's features dissipate. "Esme's been wanting to check in on her and Carlisle will be available if he's needed."
"See, even Jazz thinks it'll be good for me." The barely contained joy causes a concealed smirk on said man's lips to flicker before disappearing completely. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen."
"Don't. Say. That." Alice leans over to swat at Lorraine's right arm, softly.
A chuckle passes Lorraine's lips, and she nods distractedly at the other's orders. She closes her eyes for a moment and just simply lets herself live in the present, seeming to slouch comfortably onto the cushy couch and snuggle under the soft comforter that Alice had practically rolled her into. The brief period of silence causes her partial worry for her friend's near panic attack eases away and she gives a low exhale, laying her head back against the small hill of pillows stuffed beneath her inky tresses of hair.
Across from her the two pale forms just watch as she decompresses in the pastel green furniture; her limbs sagging into relaxation as the gravelly voices coming from the television fill the air in low tones. It is as if the very environment is leaking a tranquility, wafting above the three of them and melting away the stress from the room as the peaceful aura settles.
The unwinding cloud that circulated the room had her body slackening.
But while Lorraine's nestled form is slowly giving in to the drowsiness that overcomes her. She is completely unaware of the zeroing gaze of Jasper as he roams his eyes over her form (which was him manipulating his gifts on the recovering teen.) His sight is then drawn to the cross necklace she had looped around her slender neckline, something of her mothers. It leads his vision to the pulsating point underneath the smooth pale flesh, focusing on the veins that hold a rhythmic beat. At this he went rigid and locked himself under Alice, knowing that the scent of their mortal companion was luring enough to draw his hunter-like gaze.
Alice's secret look is one of warmth.
The slight shake of her head is all he needs to know that nothing will happen, and the small bit of thirst will quickly dissipate as it's always done whenever Lorraine is around. And with it will come the perplexing confusion that swirls within his mind before one of the two females' will draw his attentive attention again.
Jasper's eyes lose the narrow in them, just as the darkening of his golden irises lessens. He shifts his form and sends the smiling woman atop his lap a loving look in return before he slides his softened expression over the now drifting teen in front of them. "You're close to sleeping."
His remark causes Lorraine's eyes to flutter open. The sleepiness was etched onto her features and had a slight smirk tugging at her lips. "I suppose I am... Probably because of the medication."
"Then we should get going now," Alice adds on with a gentle look towards the black-haired girl. She stands from Jasper's lap with a tiny hop and then hurries to the couch before kneeling to wrap her arms carefully around Lorraine's shoulders, resting her chin on the top of her dark waves. "You'll need all the rest to recover and we should get back home before the others eat without us, especially Emmett."
"Emmett's back home?" The beaming smile that suddenly overtook the eighteen-year-old's face is wide and full of utter excitement at the mention of her friend (also the one to play video games with her and talk about sports just as much as her brothers did.)
Lorraine nudges back against Alice before entangling her arms around the pixie's own shoulders.
"How was his friend, he said something about an old childhood pal of his being in an accident?" Her gaze is quizzical and full of worry for her friend's mental health, wondering if the big guy was okay.
"He flew back in last night with Rosalie and his friend is okay, though just banged up a bit. I am sure he'll have plenty to tell you whenever you come to the house or back to class." Alice flicks her hands around in the air, waving the topic away. "But we really should get back. I'm positive Esme will want to hear all about your current condition. And I think your father will be home sometime soon?"
"Dad's coming back from the Clearwaters with some of Uncle Harry's fried Fish." Lorraine gives a fond roll of her eyes and smiles at the two. "If either of us knew how to cook, I'd offer you some food. But seeing as both of us are terrible chefs."
The exaggerated look painted across her facial features is one of trauma.
"My offer won't stand."
Alice simply giggles above her and then releases her with an affectionate smile. She leans down real quickly to give her forehead a peck before dancing backwards, pep in her step now returned.
"Don't worry about us," Jasper says with a smirk that fades as a car door shuts outside. He passes Alice to bend down and press his head against the side of hers'. His eyes shut for a moment. "You stay out of trouble, or I'll send Edward to sort you out."
Lorraine can't stop the expression of faked revulsion from flickering on her face at the mention of the solo Cullen sibling, knowing that her bookish friend would scold her properly if he came down to see her. The horror she feels is brief, but true. And by the glimmer in Jasper's face. He knows what she's thinking, and unknown to her, he feels the lingering sense of fond exasperation.
Alice then steps aside with a twinkle in her topaz orbs. "I'll call you later, alright."
With that she and Jasper walk out the front door, just when her father's form slinks in. Beside him is the weathered frame of the familiar form of her Godfather, Harry Clearwater. The man sends both Cullen's a directed glance before sidestepping them and hurrying over towards a smiling Lorraine, where he bends down to shower her with a hug and kiss. The two fall into a pattern of asking each other about their day and how much they all missed one another- ignorant to the assessing gazes of the two pale figures that slip past a peaceful looking Malcolm, who waves them farewell.
Harry cuts into a new conversation, pulling her wandering eyes back from the silver car leaving the driveway. "Sue is demanding I bring you down to see her and the kids, though Leah is too busy steaming about her and Samuel Uley's relationship at the moment."
"Now, Harry, give the poor girl some air to breath." Malcolm sighs with a laugh. "God knows Alice Cullen was trying to drown her in worry by the looks of it."
The frown on Harry's face is there and gone.
Lorraine cues this as her time to talk.
"Tell me about Seth? How's he doing."
_____
And here is the first chapter to her story! I hope you like it!
Comment, like, if you want!