Pool of Emotion
Uncle Billy
When I woke up Saturday morning, I had a terrible ache in my neck. It took me a while to wake up enough to find out why. I had fallen asleep on the floor, leaning on the wall against Bella, with my head at an awkward angle. Bella was still out, snoring softly, muttering about shadows in her dreams.
I pushed her over and she woke with a start.
"Wha...what!?" She asked, looking around frantically.
"Wake up sleeping beauty, the sun is up, it must be late morning, early afternoon." I laughed, Bella was never one to sleep in.
She groand and rubbed her neck. It must ache like mine.
"I am going to get dressed, then would you be so kind as to drive me to see my other uncle, seeing as my baby has yet to arrive." I asked.
"Sure, whatever you say." She mummbled sleepily and slowly got up to get breakfast.
I took a quick shower, then got dressed in flared blue jeans, a flannel shirt with a black tank top underneath, and black cowboy boots. I put a little make-up on, but not much. I couldn't stand the feeling of it on my face. Then I jumped down the stairs, scared the crap out of Bella, and inhaled three bowls of cereal as if I hadn't seen food in days.
"Slow down, you're gonna choke!" Bella watched me with wide eyes, causing me to laugh, in which case, I did nearly choke.
"Where do you put it all?" She asked in a mistified voice.
I shrugged, "You ready?"
"Let me shower." She said, then disappeared up the stairs.
While she did her business, I looked around the slightly familar house. It had pictures everywhere, mostly of Bella, but some had me in them as well. Charlie was right when he said I had changed. In the pictures, I had long, black hair, now it didn't even reach my shoulders, and was slightly longer in the front than it was in the back. My rounded face had shifted into angular featured, and my dark brown eyes had grown much lighter, looking almost yellowish now. I looked happy and carefree in the pictures. I had indeed changed.
I heared Bella finishing up upstairs, and could track her footsteps all the way until she was right behind me.
"Ready?" she asked.
I nodded and we got into her ancient truck and we drove off.
"I could fix this thing up for you." I suggested, listening in horror to the engine wheezing.
"There is nothing wrong with it." She said defensively.
"Of course not, but if you would let me, I could make it run just a bit smoother. I worked as a mechanic back in Texas." I said gently, she obviously loved this old clunker.
"We'll see." Was all I got out of her.
Soon we arrived at Billy's. I hurried out of the cab as I saw his door open and he wheeled himself out.
"Uncle Billy!" I ran to him and gave him a hug.
He nearly jumped out of his skin as soon as I touched him.
"Are you alright?" I asked worriedly.
"John never mentioned that you got it too." He said quietly.
"Got what?" Bella asked, but I knew what he was talking about. He would be able to recognize the signs of a shifter anywhere.
"Well, my good looks of course!" he quickly recovered, but gave me a look saying that we would be having a discussion later. I sighed but smiled anyway.
We visited for a while, Jacob came in and we had our little happy riunion, then Billy convinced Jacob to show Bella the beach, his way of getting me alone to talk.
"You're a wolf?" He asked, even though he clearly knew the answer.
"Yes." I answered.
"Since when?"
"Since I was 15." I responded.
"So young." He said looking down, "But why did John never mention it?"
"He wanted to leave it up to me who I told." I reaplied.
"But how did you learn control? How did you learn about any of the pack stuff? You should have come home." He said.
"Texas was my home. I found a pack there that took me under their wing. They helped me out." I explained.
"But you are Quilette. You belong here, in this pack." He argued.
"There is a pack here?" I questioned.
"Yes, a small one, but yes." He answered.
"I didn't know." I confessed, feeling guilty.
"You must meet them, they would be thrilled to have another member." He smiled.
I looked away and sighed, "I can't do that Billy."
He must have heard the pain in my voice, for his smile slowly faded, "What's wrong Kitty Kat?"
I closed my eyes, willing the memories away, a traitor tear slowly slipping my control and rolling down my cheek. "Something happened when dad died. I haven't been able to shift since."
"Oh sweety." He said gently, rolling over to me and wrapping me in a strong embrace. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I hadn't cried since my dad's funeral, I swore that I wouldn't, but now I found myself sobbing into Billy's shoulder, as he gently rubbed my back and told me that everthing was going to be alright.
I pushed her over and she woke with a start.
"Wha...what!?" She asked, looking around frantically.
"Wake up sleeping beauty, the sun is up, it must be late morning, early afternoon." I laughed, Bella was never one to sleep in.
She groand and rubbed her neck. It must ache like mine.
"I am going to get dressed, then would you be so kind as to drive me to see my other uncle, seeing as my baby has yet to arrive." I asked.
"Sure, whatever you say." She mummbled sleepily and slowly got up to get breakfast.
I took a quick shower, then got dressed in flared blue jeans, a flannel shirt with a black tank top underneath, and black cowboy boots. I put a little make-up on, but not much. I couldn't stand the feeling of it on my face. Then I jumped down the stairs, scared the crap out of Bella, and inhaled three bowls of cereal as if I hadn't seen food in days.
"Slow down, you're gonna choke!" Bella watched me with wide eyes, causing me to laugh, in which case, I did nearly choke.
"Where do you put it all?" She asked in a mistified voice.
I shrugged, "You ready?"
"Let me shower." She said, then disappeared up the stairs.
While she did her business, I looked around the slightly familar house. It had pictures everywhere, mostly of Bella, but some had me in them as well. Charlie was right when he said I had changed. In the pictures, I had long, black hair, now it didn't even reach my shoulders, and was slightly longer in the front than it was in the back. My rounded face had shifted into angular featured, and my dark brown eyes had grown much lighter, looking almost yellowish now. I looked happy and carefree in the pictures. I had indeed changed.
I heared Bella finishing up upstairs, and could track her footsteps all the way until she was right behind me.
"Ready?" she asked.
I nodded and we got into her ancient truck and we drove off.
"I could fix this thing up for you." I suggested, listening in horror to the engine wheezing.
"There is nothing wrong with it." She said defensively.
"Of course not, but if you would let me, I could make it run just a bit smoother. I worked as a mechanic back in Texas." I said gently, she obviously loved this old clunker.
"We'll see." Was all I got out of her.
Soon we arrived at Billy's. I hurried out of the cab as I saw his door open and he wheeled himself out.
"Uncle Billy!" I ran to him and gave him a hug.
He nearly jumped out of his skin as soon as I touched him.
"Are you alright?" I asked worriedly.
"John never mentioned that you got it too." He said quietly.
"Got what?" Bella asked, but I knew what he was talking about. He would be able to recognize the signs of a shifter anywhere.
"Well, my good looks of course!" he quickly recovered, but gave me a look saying that we would be having a discussion later. I sighed but smiled anyway.
We visited for a while, Jacob came in and we had our little happy riunion, then Billy convinced Jacob to show Bella the beach, his way of getting me alone to talk.
"You're a wolf?" He asked, even though he clearly knew the answer.
"Yes." I answered.
"Since when?"
"Since I was 15." I responded.
"So young." He said looking down, "But why did John never mention it?"
"He wanted to leave it up to me who I told." I reaplied.
"But how did you learn control? How did you learn about any of the pack stuff? You should have come home." He said.
"Texas was my home. I found a pack there that took me under their wing. They helped me out." I explained.
"But you are Quilette. You belong here, in this pack." He argued.
"There is a pack here?" I questioned.
"Yes, a small one, but yes." He answered.
"I didn't know." I confessed, feeling guilty.
"You must meet them, they would be thrilled to have another member." He smiled.
I looked away and sighed, "I can't do that Billy."
He must have heard the pain in my voice, for his smile slowly faded, "What's wrong Kitty Kat?"
I closed my eyes, willing the memories away, a traitor tear slowly slipping my control and rolling down my cheek. "Something happened when dad died. I haven't been able to shift since."
"Oh sweety." He said gently, rolling over to me and wrapping me in a strong embrace. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I hadn't cried since my dad's funeral, I swore that I wouldn't, but now I found myself sobbing into Billy's shoulder, as he gently rubbed my back and told me that everthing was going to be alright.