Her veins were burning, her throat felt parched to a painful extent; it felt as though she was trapped in her own body being burned alive. Her eyes remained close though. It was nearing day number three and she still hadn't opened her eyes.
"Dad what's wrong with her?" Jacob asked concerned as he watched her laying on the couch. To them she looked peaceful, but on the inside Lexi was trying everything she could just to hold on. To try and fight the pain.
Billy looked at his son. "She's-"
Her eyes flickered wide open, staring at the ceiling before she sniffed the air. She slowly sat up from her spot on the couch looking directly at Jacob. "Where's Paul?"
But Jacob didn't answer her at first, he blinked rapidly and his face grew pale.
"What's wrong Jake?"
"Dad why the hell is her eyes red?"
Billy gave Lexi a curious stare. He didn't speak, wanting to see how she was going to react to this. It was his experience with cold ones in general that made him hope he wouldn't feel differently about someone he saw as his own daughter. She seemed like the same Lexi. He also noticed that Lexi made no efforts to lunge at them, which is what he would have expected from a newborn vampire.
"Come here cub." Billy finally said, opening his arms wide for the younger Swan. His heart went out to her because she was going to be going through a lot of major changes the rest of her life. And it was all because of what happened in the woods.
Lexi ran toward the man at a blinding speed, tripping over her feet as she did. Her throat was still burning her and it only increased the closer she got to Jake and Billy. She caught her balance and wrapped her arms around the older man. "What's wrong with me Billy?"
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with you. There's just more to yourself you need to learn now."
"Can you tell me why the hell she has red eyes?" Jake spoke up.
"Do you both remember the legend of the cold ones I told you about when you were younger?" Billy asked, as he kept his arms around Lexi.
Lexi nodded. "The vampires and the Quileutes. The treaty."
"Very good Alex. You're in transition." He told her. "You've become one of them. That lady in the woods who attacked you must have changed you before she was ran off."
"Are you seriously telling me I'm a vampire?!" Lexi exclaimed.
"Sadly cub."
"My best friend is a vampire." Jacob mumbled. "My best friend is a vampire, so what the hell happens to her now? You've always hated cold ones dad."
Lexi's eyes filled with tears as she heard those words, processing everything that she was told so far. A vampire? She didn't even believe in vampires or anything supernatural. She thought it was urban legends and myths.
"We treat Alex the same as we always have. She's part of our family. What happened to her was out of her control and she shouldn't be punished for it." Billy spoke sincerely. He then looked down at the crying Lexi in his arms, gently patting her back. "You're going to have to learn how to treat this responsibly though, cub? You hear me? Even though I despise the Cullens they can teach you how to be different; to not hurt people."
She slightly nodded, still in shock. "I'll do anything, I just don't wanna lose you Baba. You or Jake." Lexi barely whispered out before more tears flooded her face. "I'm so sorry Baba, I disappointed you I became the opposite of what I've always wanted to be; one of you."
"It wasn't your fault Lexi." Jacob said, walking over to them both to hug them. "Shh. It wasn't your fault, we still love you. You've never disappointed us."
Billy raised an eyebrow at his son's words. Everything Jacob said was true and Billy was going to tell her the exact same things; He had never heard his son tell Lexi "love you" in that way. He gave Jacob a questioning look and Jacob silently cursed himself for saying it. It was no secret that Billy always preferred Alex over Bella especially when it came to his son's romantic prospects. Jacob knew his dad wouldn't drop this easily.
"I gotta figure out what to tell Charlie." Billy said, gently pulling away from the group hug.
"I wanna see my dad." Lexi replied.
Billy shook his head. "Cub you know you can't see your dad with those eyes. That's not even counting the other ways he would know something is different with you."
"I'm doing fine with you guys I just want my dad."
"It's just not possible sweetheart. I'm sorry but we're probably going to have to tell Charlie something happened to you in those woods and it was too late."
"No!" She screamed suddenly at the top of her lungs. "No no no... I will not let my dad think I'm dead. It would break him."
"Lexi." Billy stated sternly but calmly. "If Charlie finds out what you are the other vamps would come after your old man."
Her whole body went numb; her knees hitting the carpet on the floor as she let herself fall over on her side. Her face dried from what she later realized was venom instead of tears. She just wanted to be held in her father's arms and smell the cheap cologne he always wore. "I never got to say goodbye." Lexi mumbled blankly, staring at the ceiling. "It's always been me and him and I can't even tell him I love him."
She barely registered as Jacob sat beside her and held onto one of her hands. He stared down at her sadly. He didn't know what to do. There were no words he could think of that would help her situation.
"Carlisle..." Jacob overheard his dad on the phone in the kitchen now. "I have a situation you might can help me with."
"What's going on?"
"Lexi was attacked and turned by a vampire in the woods three days ago. I don't need to tell you that we have to figure out what to tell her dad and someone to guide her into this new part of her life. We here at the reservation love her like our own so I'm hopeful that you can help her."
"My condolences to her. This is going to be a tough time for her either way but consider my family open to you for anything you may need. Have you already planned how to tell him the news?"
"....Gonna have to have...."
Lexi barely listened as the two talked. The fissures in the ceiling suddenly was all she could handle. She didn't want to think about how her dad was going to feel. She didn't want to think about not being able to go to school or hang out in public. She didn't want to think about anything.
"Yes and a funeral too."
She bit down on her tongue, drawing blood only for the wound to heal back up instantly. The brunette frowned.
"Lexi.."
Jacob squeezed her hand. "I know this isn't what you want to hear but I'm here for you."
She slightly turned her head to look at him. She took in everything about him. She glanced down to see his hand protectively holding hers and she felt a slight flicker of warmth. Warmth she hadn't felt since her accident. His skin heated hers to the touch and his eyes burned into hers with a fire of determination and something else she didn't know. "What am I going to do now? I have no dad and an awol boyfriend." Lexi sighed.
"You do what you always do. You make it into a Lexi situation. Make even the bad things seem good. We're going to figure this out."
"Why aren't you revolted by me now that I'm one of them?"
"Who said I wasn't?"
"Ass." They both say, chuckling.
"Seriously Alex. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."
