After All This Time

Chapter 46

"We have got to find a way to help her see that we are different," Kota whispered as they watched her sleep in Luke's lap.

"We also need to make sure her phone stays off today," Sean whispered. "She needs to sleep as much as possible. I'm glad she told us everything, that has to be some sort of progress."

"And the fact she let us reach out to comfort her is progress as well," Axel nodded. "I think if we just keep taking these baby steps it will show her she can trust us. Baby steps are still steps and remember slow and steady wins the race. We saw and experienced what happened when we tried to overstep and force her to acknowledge the bond, she ran. Keeping it nice and slow and small we have overcome so much, we just need to keep it this way."

"Agreed," The rest of them whispered.

"Can I ask something?" Corey asked. Luke looked up at him in confusion, "Is she a little?" He sighed, "I just ask because the other night when North was trying to feed her, the way she was talking—"

"Maybe," Luke shrugged then chuckled when she pouted at his movements. "Sorry Cupcake, go back to sleep." He kissed the top of her head and gently squeezed her.

"Sop Wukey," She whined as she tried to loosen his hold. "Too tight."

"Sorry Cupcake," He chuckled, "Go back to sleep, you are very tired and need to sleep."

"Kay," She whispered as she drifted back to sleep.

"It's possible," North whispered, "I've noticed it's only when she's extremely tired."

"It's something we can explore later," Owen said, "It would be nice if she is."

"Let's just sleep here so we are close to her," Axel nodded. "It will help her and us."

Jasmine slowly woke and sat up. Stretching she looked around and saw that all the men were still sleeping. She carefully got up and left the room. She remembered seeing an art room from the last time she was here. Opening doors until she found it, she found what she was looking for and smiled, biting back a small squeal of excitement and forced herself to not jump up and down at all the options.

She went back to her room and grabbed North's blanket and slipped Silas's hoodie back on. She grabbed some of Luke's candy in one of the spots that he told her about and went back to the art room. After getting herself comfortable she poured out the M&M's and started sorting them by color. It was a weird habit she knew but she had to eat all her candy one color at a time and two pieces at a time, she couldn't just take a handful of random colors and numbers and eat them. It was something she did ever since she could remember, any candy left over she threw away.

"Here you fucking go Trouble."

She jumped and clutched her chest as Gabe held out some small bowls. "Oh my goddess," She gasped.

"Sorry," He chuckled. "Luke said you would need these," He looked down at the bowls. "I see why."

"It...it..." She nervously stammered.

"It's your fucking thing," He shrugged, "It is what it is."

"I'm...I'm...I'm sorry," She stammered as she started picking up the colored pencils and crayons, "I should've asked, not..."

"Stop Trouble," Gabe said kneeling down to sit in front of her. "You haven't done anything wrong," He took her hands in his making her drop the art supplies. "This room is for fucking anyone that wants to do any kind of goddamn craft. You can come in here any fucking time you want. It's not a problem and you don't have to fucking ask, got it?"

"Oh okay," She whispered, "Thank you."

"Of fucking course," He smiled, "Can I color with you?"

"Okay," She smiled, her eyes lighting up at the thought that it was okay how she was right now. "Gabriel?" She asked nervously.

"Yeah Trouble?" He asked as he flipped through a coloring book to find a page that called out to him. He looked up at her with happiness in his eyes.

"Thank you," She whispered and he smiled.

"No fucking problem." They colored for a little bit then he said, "I thought you would fucking sleep longer Trouble since you work so goddamn much."

She shrugged and bit her lip as she shifted onto her stomach and crossed her ankles as she went back to coloring. "I don't sleep much, my brain doesn't let me."

"Maybe we can fucking find a way to help calm it goddamn down so you can get some more fucking sleep," he said softly. "You fucking need it, if you are going to stay on your fucking human side."

"Is that a problem?" She asked nervously.

He shook his head, "Not one fucking bit. We fucking meant it when we said you can be whoever the fuck you want. It doesn't fucking matter to us, we just want to be with you Trouble."

"Even if I never give you my blood anymore?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Sure your blood is the most wonderful fucking thing I have ever fucking tasted in my whole goddamn unlife," He said dropping his pencil and gripped her chin. "Sure, I fucking want more but if you fucking say no then I'll keep living without it. No means no Trouble. No matter how much I fucking want it. It goes for everyone else also. Like Vic said, we only want it when you WANT to give it to us, got it?"

"Thank you," She smiled and crawled into his lap and hugged him tightly.