what a woman! i.

vingt trois

November 7th

It took a week for Tatum just to get her mother out of the house. A week after Bailey had gone missing. A week since Avery had last seen his mom. A week since Mr. and Mrs. Fernsby have seen their eldest daughter. A week since Tatum saw her sister. A week since Jasper Hale had seen his human crush. A week since Tatum knew something was off. 

The plans of homecoming were put to the side and eventually forgotten. There was no dress shopping, no date finding, no dancing or partying; just a worried family looking for one of its' members. 

Families from all over Forks had sent their condolences and blessings through hot dish and cookies. All the treats and gifts were shoved into the closet and completely forgotten. A lot of things were forgotten. School. Friends. Distant family. Social life. Local events. 

The only thing keeping Tatum from losing control was the little toddler she mentally vowed to keep sane for. She took care of her nephew more than herself nowadays. Her parents knew it wasn't healthy and they didn't want all the stress to be placed onto their youngest daughter's shoulders. Not again. 

So her parents decided to do something.

Or more like call someone. 

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Tatum pulled the blanket over her grey short clad legs and adjusted the baggy white shirt covering her torso. She didn't know whether to feel uncomfortable or anxious. There they were, sitting on whatever surface was available...in her room...without shirts on. 

"Sam, why are you guys here?" she wants to ask basic questions before any others. 

"We found a blood trail about five miles from here. We followed it and found nothing but a phone and a wallet. We want to check and see if you can identify it," the tallest leader says, handing Tatum a phone and wallet with dried blood bits on it. 

She looks carefully at the things. They looked very...average. Everyone had that type of phone. A lot of people also carried around a similar wallet. Tatum looks from the things to the people in her room.

"I'll know it's hers if there's a baby picture in the wallet," Tatum says, looking back down at the stuff.

"Why are you telling us that?" Paul asks. He didn't know how to act in these types of situations. Now was not his time to learn how. 

"Just in case I faint."

She sets the phone down and uses both hands to carefully open the wallet. She takes a look at the insides and feels her stomach drop. The boys watch as her eyes roll back and her breathing stops short. Sam catches her as soon as he sees her body sway forwards.

"Paul, check the wallet."

He picks up the wallet pulls out a picture. A baby picture.

●○●

Waking up is a hard thing to do. Waking up after fainting is even harder. But Tatum had the pack to help her with that. An hour of shaking her, talking to her, poking her, and blowing on her face is what it took to get Tate up again. 

"Why is my back so warm?"

"That would be from Paul leaning against you," Sam answers. Tatum didn't understand why, but her back was burning from the contact. She turns over in her bed to look at a sheepish and blushing Paul.

"Sorry, it's a condition."

"My friend said the same thing about his body chill," Tate says thoughtfully. 

Sam and Paul look at each other, acting as if they had a conversation going on telepathically. Tate watched as the two made facial expressions but said no words. It went on for about three minutes before both of them look directly at Tate. Which, she's not going to lie, creeped her out a bit.

"Are you feeling better?" Sam asks, placing his hand on her forehead. 

"I'm fine, but those calluses say you aren't," Tate grabs his hand and looks at the rough skin of his palm. She lets go of Sam's and immediately tries to grab Paul's. Tried. 

Paul jerks his hand away, not sure of what the little green-eyed girl wanted to do with it. She looks at him. He looks at her. She stares. He stares. She stares harder. He whimpers a little. Sam chuckles. They both scold Sam. Tate grabs Paul's hand. Paul has been defeated. K.O.

"See, wasn't that hard, now was it?" Tate rhetorically asks smugly. She focuses her attention back on his palm before taking her finger and lightly tracing the rough patches of skin between his palm and fingers. Paul sits down on the bed, giving her more access to trace little shapes on his hand. 

"This soothes Avery down so I thought I would try it on you too," Tatum says, looking up at Paul.

"It does feel nice, but it kind of tingles."

"I swear, if you two start making out, I'm going to throw up."

"SAM!"

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