Sunshine and Pine (A Sequel to Everything to me)

Sunshine and Pine

I'm still staring at the pieces of vampire on the floor. I'd mourned the death of my mother so long ago, moved on from it. And this thing lying in front of me wasn't my mother. But seeing the lifeless look on her face has my head spinning. Somewhere behind me I can hear someone building a fire in the fireplace. I knew once we got to that step we'd have a very narrow escape window. I'd experienced the choking smell of burning vampire before and it would be a matter of minutes before someone caught the scent.

"Leah? What's going on?" My dad's confused voice is what finally snaps me out of my trance.

Whipping my head around to see him rubbing his head. He looked like he was waking up from anesthesia or something.

"Dad?" I whisper.

His eyes blink open slowly, and he seems to have trouble focusing on my face at this distance. I take quick steps to close the gap between us and kneel in front of him.

"Lucy. Where are we? What's going on?" He scans the room for some sense of familiarity.

"Italy." I reply.

His eyes nearly bug out of his head. "Italy?!" It's then that his eyes land on my mother's lifeless face. His breath catches in his throat. Tears fill his eyes, and with a heavy head he lets them fall freely at the sight of losing his wife for the second time.

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We'd been able to make it out of the city and onto a plane with no interruptions. The plane ride home was filled with whispered explanations to my dad. He'd remembered my mother showing up at his door and trying to convince him to come live with her in Volterra. He'd explained that he couldn't be that far away from me, and that he didn't want to live in such a dangerous place, the last thing he'd seen was my mother's blood red eyes luring him into blackness.

Sometime during the flight, the three of us convince my dad to come back and live in LaPush so that he's protected by the pack. It doesn't take much convincing, he himself was a shifter a lifetime ago. He knows the strength that lies in the promise of protection.

When we finally reach LaPush, the pack is waiting for us at Aunt Sue's house. And after a quick run down, and many jabs from everyone that we all reeked of bloodsucker, we all parted ways for the night. With no extra bed, my dad set up camp in my bedroom. I think the intention was that I'd sleep on the couch, but after seeing Paul linger at the door, rocking back and forth on his heels anxiously, Aunt Sue silently shoved me out the door with him.

I'm tense for most of the drive to Paul's house. He can feel it, and his hand hasn't moved from my leg, thumb brushing stokes into my skin.

"I'm not going to ask if you're ok after all of that. Nobody would be. But baby, can you talk to me? Tell me how you're doing?" Paul's voice is thick with concern.

If I'm being totally honest, I don't know. And my words are hesitant when I speak up.

"I think I'm mostly just shaken up from almost losing my dad... Seeing her lunging at him like that. Knowing what she wanted to do. I don't know. I think that's going to stick with me for a while. But I know he's going to be safer living close to the pack again."

"I'm glad he's coming home." Paul is quick to agree, squeezing my leg. "It's really amazing to see how much you guys love each other. I'm happy he'll be closer to you." There's something longing in his voice, but it's quickly overshadowed by the look in his eye when he looks over at me. I can't help but smile at him.

"Thank you for coming with me. I love you." I say.

"I love you too, baby." A grin lighting up his face. "And I'd like to have seen you try and fly across the world and into a leech den without me. It would've been some comic relief at least."

"Hey, try me Lahote. I'm a werewolf you know." I raise my eyebrows at him, a smile still resting on my face.

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The second Paul's front door shuts behind us, I feel his arms wrap around my waist, chin resting on my shoulder. The normal comfort that comes with his scent never comes though. And I'm left wrinkling my nose up at the sickly sweet smell of vampire lingering on him.

"Do I smell as bad as you do?" I ask, humor laced in my words.

I feel Paul's lips turn into a smile against my skin as he takes a dramatic inhale.

"You do. It'd be funnier if the scent didn't make my skin crawl."

"Shower with me?" I turn to look at him over my shoulder.

"If I ever say no to that, something's horribly wrong." He says with a smirk, pulling me towards his bathroom.

Paul leans in to turn on the water, steam pouring through the gaps in the curtain. He turns around and comes to stand between my legs where I'm leaned on the counter. With the softest touch I've ever felt from him, one finger brushes my fallen hair behind my ear. His hand drops to my waist and slowly lifts my shirt above my head. There's nothing sexual in the way he undresses us. But it's so intimate my breathing picks up.

After completing his work he gids me under the hot water of the shower, and we slowly and sweetly wash the darkness of the trip away. Until we smell of nothing but Sunshine and Pine.