𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑, sam uley

𝐓𝐄𝐍

┏━━━━.˚✧˚₊ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.━━━━┓

PLACE I CALLED HOME

A VAMPIRE, A WOLF SHIFTER, AND A HUMAN were holed up in the overtly claustrophobic truck. Talullah was anything but impressed, the scowl on her face evident as she sat squished between the two men while the radio was playing.

They conversed like she wasn't there, talking about trivial things like a garbage pick-up on the beach and what the nameless man was doing lately on the job. Slotting away all the information they were practically handing her about their lives, she noted that the dirty blond who was driving the truck was definitely in some sort of law enforcement.

The smells of both Sam and this other man were flanking her from both ends, yet she found herself inching towards Sam's space to avoid the other's. Her body seemed to lean sideways on its own as she unblinkingly at the winding road ahead of them.

She thought they hadn't noticed, but evidently she was wrong as the nameless man chuckled to himself amidst their conversation about something called football. "I've been a third wheel for my entire life," he started, lips upturned as he joked, "I'm so glad to see that nothing's changed!"

The brunette among them turned to the man, eyebrows furrowing together in minor confusion. She had no idea what that phrase meant. "What does—"

Sam was quick to interrupt with a growl that reverberated from his chest. "Nothing."

Talullah would've pried, she was comfortable enough around Sam that she felt she could do so, but the stormy look on his face told her to keep her focus on the road. So she did.

.˚✧˚₊

The paved road shifted to gravel, the vehicle's movements mimicking the unevenness of the ground they drove on. It was soon after that Talullah realized they had pulled up in front of a small home at the end of what she initially thought was a dead end.

The dark trees that surrounded the home seemed to highlight the chipping yellow paint that the house was coated in. Potted plants tested on each window sill, and as the young vampire followed them out of the vehicle, a wave of calm suddenly rushed over her. Nothing stood out to her yet, but she found that she tended to remember things more quickly when she was with Sam.

The nameless man unlatched the front door and ushered them inside the one-story home that smelt like cinnamon. Her nose wrinkled slightly, not used to the sweet smell. Talullah found herself in the middle of the foyer, looking for further direction as the men conversed lowly — like they didn't seem to remember that the girl also had supernatural hearing.

"How long did you say we have?" Sam questioned, eyes flickering around the home from where he stood with his back to the now closed door.

"Well, visitation ends at nine thirty," the man started, glancing at the watch on his wrist, "so thirty minutes, give or take. Laurence likes to speed."

Crimson eyes narrowing towards them, she crossed her arms tightly. "Are we not meant to be here?" she asked. She was no stranger to what the word 'trespassing' entailed, and it really seemed as though that's exactly what these three were doing. She considered herself above the law, the meek human law, but even then it seemed immoral to invade someone's home.

The human among them just let out a bellowing laugh, shaking his head. "If we weren't meant to be here, then why did your parents give us keys after we—"

"Dawson," Sam snapped in annoyance, watching as the man's eyes widened by a fraction.

"I get not telling them, but you didn't tell her?" the human exasperated, gesturing to the girl beside them with a frazzled look on his face. "Shit, you're stupid."

Talullah replayed his name over and over again in her head, jaw locking when she came up with nothing. But her attention quickly diverted back to the man's, Dawson's, statement. She knew she had a mother, that much was certain after Bella Swan's outburst in Volterra, but parents that were still around?

A dangerous, self-conscious, human emotion flickered in her chest as she spoke up. "When I..." she let the sentence hang momentarily before continuing with her shoulder's squared in defense, "why didn't they look for me?" It was naive of her to think they would; Aro had heavily implied that she had no one after her demise but would certainly have people who cared for her amongst the Volturi. He basically spelt it out for her on paper that she was unwanted, that only they would want her as she now was.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows together. "Talullah, they never stopped looking for you," he told her, not enjoying the timidness that rose onto her face as she asked that.

In the weeks he had gotten to re-know her, Sam knew that the new Talullah would never wear her heart on her sleeve, no matter how many fleeting glimpses of fear he saw before she plastered an angered facade on her face — like being frightened would somehow be punishable. A pang shot through his chest as he was reminded of just how much of Talullah's raw personality still existed within her despite her lack of remembrance.

It was slowly bubbling to the surface the more she returned, it seemed.

At this, both men saw her shudder slightly, arms tightening around herself as if the information made her uncomfortable. Which it did, all things considered. "Oh yeah, I don't think anyone on the rez ever really stopped," Dawson added, watching as his best friend moved closer to the unmoving vampire before them. "I entered the police force straight out of school cause of you — wanted to take a stab at helping."

That was the answer that Dawson Graves gave to everyone who dared to ask, but Sam knew the look in the man's eyes; it was a look of guilt for what happened that night all those summers ago.

The vampire didn't sense the man's turmoil over her own, a brief thought coming to her as she made eye contact with his nameplate that read Deputy Graves on it. "You were supposed to be an astronaut," she said, staring at his uniform with a look that the boys could only categorize as utter devastation.

She could recall a conversation when they were much younger in her mind, seated around a large dining table and combing through college brochures. She could recall the man before her jumping off his seat and declaring he would travel to space someday, study the stars and matter and gravity and all of it. Her voice was strained, "Astrophysics."

Dawson put his hands in the air. "Hey, relax, this is so not about me right now," he tried reassuring her, his hands then going and gesturing to the space around them, "look around! You're here. You can scold me about my career choice another day."

The mysterious coils of guilt were still wrapped around her as Dawson waved for her to venture further into the home. Her hesitation was clear despite the fact she tried to school her expression into one of neutrality. Her lips were pursed, chin high as if she was trying to deceive them — to tell them she wasn't frightened. But she grew up with these boys, and time nor vampirism would change the fact that they knew her.

Sam's hand found it's way back to her shoulder, squeezing it lightly to show that he wasn't going anywhere.

And Talullah knew he wouldn't, but that still didn't stop her from taking his arm hand in hers she took the first step forward.

.˚✧˚₊

[ wyn's note ]

hey there!! hope y'all are enjoying this so far — hugeeeee thank you to everyone reading, cause being almost at 500 views is super crazy to me! appreciate you guys :)

next chap to come in a few days, and be warned — it's a flashback chapter!

all love!