When He Turned *18*

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I rush for the front door on nervous feet.  Swinging open the door I reveal Penn standing beside a very pissed off brunette.  Her face was slightly cherubic, rosy cheeks and all that.  She was very beautiful.  I only let the jealousy stab for a moment, she was far worse off than I. 
          "Hello, please come in," I offer moving out of the way.  Penn motion for Delia to go in front of him, she actually pauses to wince before entering my home.  Penn rolls his eyes over her head and I smile in spite of my efforts to be serious.  "It's nice to meet you Delia, I'm Cadence." 
         

"Can you cut the crap please?  We both know that you're only taking me in because you feel sorry for me.  Trust me, if I had anywhere else to go I wouldn't be here."  I feel my face go totally slack in shock, this was a 'handful?'  I'd go with bitch personally. 
          "Actually, I'm taking you in because for some unknown reason, you're important to Penn, and he's important to me.  I don't feel sorry for someone who's this much of a total-" I catch myself, not wanting to offend Penn.  "Let's get this all out now, because I don't like repeating myself.  I only have so much patience and you're already working through half of it.  I will have no problem kicking your ass out if you justify it.  So settle your little butt down, your room is at the end of the hall on the left, I'll let you know when dinner's ready.  Got it?"  Delia smiles in a way that could only be described as patronizing.  She pulls her bag out of Penn's hand and heads down the hall without another word, I stare after her in shock.  "I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from," I murmur to Penn once she is gone. 
         

          "I have to apologize too, cause that should not have turned me on the way it did.  You're so adorable when you're telling people you won't take all their crap." 
          "You're gross," I complain half heartedly. 
          "Hey, I was trying to pay you a compliment,"
          "Hm, well then you should work on your skills."  He frowns briefly. 
          "I think that this is just what she needs.  A little kick from someone who doesn't have a problem telling her what's up." 
          "Why can't you?"  I watch as a wince steals the frown for a moment. 
          "You didn't know her before.  She was the sweetest girl you'd ever want to meet.  What this whole thing has done to her...it's truly a crime.  It's hard to tell her she's wrong when you know exactly where she's coming from.  I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am." 
          "We'll help her," I promise running my fingers through his bangs. 
          "Thanks Cadence, this really means alot to me." 
          "I know, that's why it's worth it."
          "Hm, you say that now."
          "We'll see." 
          "Yeah, well, I should probably get going.  Give you two some time to bond." 
          "Ooh, can we paint eachother's toe nails?" I ask, clapping my hands together.  He rolls his eyes and drops a quick, hot kiss on my mouth before opening the door.  I sigh and have to take a moment to cool down, and stop myself from throwing open the door and jumping on him.  Delia was the priority right now, too bad. 

My feet drag down the hall, and I am so close to diving into my room on the right, but I don't.  I suck in a long breath and open the door attached to the spare bedroom.  At the sound of muffled sobs I stop.  Then it hits me, this fierce unnatural need to protect her.  It just flashed right in front of me it was there, everything, there was nothing else.  I run faster than I thought I could, bare feet slapping against the wood over the edges of my fraying jeans, and throw my arms around her.  I don't say a word, I felt it was the right thing to do.  Delia doesn't speak either, just continues to cry, now into my shoulder.   Something deep inside me was flourishing right now, and I have the disturbing notion that I had not had that until Penn and I slept together.  Nearly everything seems perfect right now, but how much had I changed?  I pull the blanket around Delia's shoulders and try to shove the thought away. 

          "Thank you," she murmurs quietly almost two hours later, "I can see why Penn has liked you for so long.  I was such a bitch to you, and you just took me right in anyway." 
          "I er- sort of feel like you're a part of me," I admit spreading my hands in confusion.  She nods sadly. 
          "It's because of the wolf thing.  Pack mentality." 
          "Weird," I mutter feeling goosebumps pop up all over my arms. 
          "I know, sometimes I really just hate it."  She isn't looking at me as she makes the confession, rather out the window, with arms crossed.  I don't focus on that, I focus on the fact that she is speaking to me at all. 
         

          "I understand."
          "No you don't," I flinch away from the hard edge in her voice, "You won't understand until a male touches you.  You won't understand until it feels like your skin is melting over breaking bones, and you definately won't understand until you don't have someone like Penn that comes with all of it to make it better.  You'll never understand."  The last words are spoken so harshly that I stand and walk right out of the room.  Just when I thought we'd were making progress. 

I stay far far away from her room for the rest of the day, until dinner time.  I walk towards the door as I would imagine someone in handcuffs would walk to a police cruiser.  It is slow going.  Finally I raise my hand and knock on the wood. 
         

          "Yes?" Delia questions shortly. 
          "Dinner," I offer neutrally.  There is silence, and the door slides open.  "How did you do that?" I ask before I could stop myself.  She raises a finger and points it to herself,
          "Werewolf." 
          "Oh, right.  Sorry." 
          "It's okay Cadence, don't freak,"  The calm reply stretches out a thread of the same familiarity that I had felt earlier.  Things are okay between us again, for this one moment.