╔══════════════════╗

SKIN & BONES
vii. RORY

╚══════════════════╝

"SO IF YOU'RE A vampire, do you actually drink human blood? 'Cause if we're gonna be friends, we're gonna have to find some kind of middle-ground."

Jasper Hale couldn't help but laugh at the sound of this. "I'm afraid we don't drink human blood, ma'am. You'll have to find something else to write about in your diary," teased Jasper.

Jaw dropped, Lorelai shook her head at his words. "Then, how exactly do you feed? Wait, don't tell me—vampires eat fast food just like the rest of us," joked Lorelai.

"Close," Jasper admitted. "My family and I call ourselves vegetarians. For our kind, hunting animals is like living on tofu. It keeps you strong, but isn't very satisfying. Lucky for the both of us, I can hardly smell your blood because of your smoking addiction. Cancer sticks can kill you, ma'am."

Lorelai rolled her cigarette between her slender fingers, ashes dusting the path behind her. She shrugged, keeping her eyes fixed on the dirt path ahead and not on the man beside her.

Today held a new development, in which Jasper finally seemed comfortable enough to walk next to Lorelai rather than follow her at a distance. She didn't realize how difficult it would be to not look at him, but she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable and scare him back into the shadows. She didn't know why she was so acutely aware of his presence, his lack of breaths, his soundless steps. Probably because this was a new development, right? No other reason.

"You're talking to an anorexic girl whose just been exposed to the world of vampires. Something tells me that these are the last things I'm worried about killing me, sir," mentioned Lorelai. "By the way, why exactly do you call me ma'am so much? It makes me feel old."

Jasper hesitated. "You won't like it."

Lorelai stopped in her tracks, supplying the boy with a skeptical glance. "What? I'm not even that much older than you," argued Lorelai. "...Or is it something else?"

"It's... your name," started Jasper. "Lorelai doesn't suit you."

"Jasper, it's my name."

"I told you you wouldn't be happy."

"Just call me Lor," she said lightly. "That's what my Dad and Bella call me."

Jasper shook his head once more. "What about... Lori?" he suggested. Lorelai made a face, clear dislike for the nickname written on her face. "Or... Rory?"

Lorelai pondered upon the nickname for a short moment until it clicked in her head. "You know, I didn't think I'd ever take you for a Gilmore Girls fan, but you know what? I like it," she admitted. "But that means I get to call you Jazz. Jasper reminds me of Casper the Friendly Ghost way too much."

Jasper mocked her. "Rory, it's my name," he taunted.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up." She motioned to shove his arm. Of course, he was an immovable statue, so her efforts never made him budge. But today, he decided to amuse her and pretend to stumble aside.

For the past month or so, Lorelai's days were spent with the Cullens. At first, she thought they were trying to keep a close eye on her in case she spilled their secrets to everyone in town. But it didn't feel that way—and this wasn't only with Jasper. Alice, Carlisle, and Esme always made such pleasant company. Emmett always knew how to make her laugh—a real, genuine laugh.

Lorelai would admit that it was strange being able to call the Cullens her friends, not just Jasper and Carlisle. Lorelai had finally gotten Rosalie to carry a conversation with her, and even Edward was trying to get on her good side. She had a strong feeling that this was only because Edward had taken a liking toward her little sister though.

Speaking of, did Bella know about Edward and his family yet? Edward didn't seem to talk much in general, so Lorelai doubted he told Bella outright. Knowing her sister, she must've fought it out of him. Stubborn as a Swan, as always.

By the time Lorelai made it home, Edward was saying goodbye to Bella in the driveway. It was impeccable timing, with the Blacks pulling up to the Swan residence at the same time. Lorelai turned to point this out to Jasper, but the words never formed as she noticed how tense he had suddenly become. Now, Jasper was always a bit tense, but this was different. Lorelai didn't know how she could tell the difference, but she just did.

"I'll see you later," Jasper briskly said before joining Edward's side at his Volvo. Lorelai's eyebrows furrowed as she studied him. He kept his eyes locked onto hers, watchful, but he made no other indication that something was off.

Lorelai's attention wandered to Edward. I don't know what your deal is, Ed-Weird, but just for future reference, the twitchier you are around Bella, the more she's gonna annoy you with questions about it, she thought. She wasn't sure if Edward heard her at first, but then she saw it. A subtle shift in his irises. In a blink, the brothers were driving away.

Huh. Maybe she should start testing his poker face in the future. She wondered how uncomfortable she could make Edward with her thoughts before he finally folded.

"Scare off your first boyfriend, B?" Lorelai clicked her tongue, checking her wrist for a watch that wasn't there. "Right on the dot— Ow!" Bella had hit her arm.

"He's not my— Never mind," Bella hissed. To the Blacks, she sweetened her tone and asked, "Come to visit your truck?"

Jacob smiled at the Swan sisters, then at the old truck. "It looks good. You got that dent out."

"Yeah, I'm secretly a master car mechanic," Bella said. "Used a wrench and everything." Lorelai snorted.

Billy wheeled forward in his wheelchair. "Actually, we came to visit your flatscreen. First Mariners game of the season," Billy explained before looking at his son. "Plus, Jacob here kept bugging me to see you again."

A mortified facial expression appeared on Jacob's youthful features, causing Lorelai to snicker and Bella to blush embarrassingly. "Great, Dad. Thanks," he sarcastically mumbled, clearly irritated as Charlie Swan's Police Cruiser pulled up.

"Pale Ale," Charlie called, holding up two six-packs as he climbed out of his vehicle.

Holding up a brown paper bag, Billy said, "Harry Clearwater's homemade fish fry." Lorelai crinkled her nose up in disgust, feeling squeamish at the sound of it.

The Swans and Blacks promptly piled into the quaint home. Charlie clicked on the television to play the game while everyone settled down. He wondered how long it would take before his daughters retired to other matters since neither of them found any interest in sports.

With a drink in his hand, Billy glanced back at Charlie. "Any luck with the Waylon case?"

Charlie's face tightened. Both of his daughters knew how hard he'd been working on this case. There'd been a series of gruesome animal attacks around Washington, resulting in countless injured civilians and even the death of Waylon—an old friend of Charlie's.

"Found a footprint out at the crime scene today," Charlie announced. It was easy to notice how worried Charlie was about the entire situation. "A bare, human footprint."

Appalled, Bella gasped. "A person did that?"

"A crazy person, walking around barefoot this time of year," Jacob mumbled.

Charlie looked to Billy. "Spread the word out at the rez, will ya?" he requested, thinking of all the nature-obsessed kids who lived on the same Natives reservation as Billy and Jacob Black. "Keep the kids out of the woods."

"Will do," Billy assured, glimpsing back at the Swan sisters. His gaze lingered a moment too long. "Don't want no one else getting hurt."

"That goes for you, too, Lor," added Charlie, his eyes going back to the TV screen. "I don't want you going out into the woods until I figure out what's been causing these attacks."

Lorelai thought it over. It would do her some good to give her father some peace of mind for once. But when was that any fun?

So, she asked, "And how do you know I'm not the one causing the attacks, Pops?"

Charlie paused, eyes narrowing as he took a sip of his beer. "Right," he said. "With what upper body strength?"

Lorelai scoffed. "Hey, what happened to, I'll always believe in you and all that other fatherly shit you used to say!"

"Come on, Dad, you should know Lor better than that," Bella chimed. And before Lorelai could thank her— "Besides, even if that killer cornered her in the woods, the wind would probably blow her away before they could do any real damage."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I'm taking that as a compliment." Then, she reached over and snatched a can of Pale Ale. "And I'm taking your beer!"

As she walked away, Charlie called, "Can't take back your dignity!"

"Oh, whatever!" Lorelai laughed, leaving the can in the kitchen (the Swan trio knew damn well she wouldn't take a sip of it without panicking at the thought of developing a beer belly).

She headed up the stairs and into her room, where the curtains were still drawn from this morning. The trees swayed in the breeze hypnotically, ruffling without any sense of uniformity. Lorelai had spent countless hours in those woods throughout her life. Still, what else was hiding out there?

She hadn't witnessed any indicator of a wild beast killing people without mercy. No footprints, no animal remains, no growling in her ear. So, what was the cause of those attacks? The only other thing she could think of that could be deadly yet stealthy was vampires. And the only vampires she knew in Forks were the Cullens.

But they weren't behind the attacks. They weren't, right?

Would Jasper even tell her that if they were?

Lorelai shook her head. She wanted to give the Cullens the benefit of doubt. She just hoped she wouldn't regret it.

Revised: November 20th, 2019
Revised: October 25th, 2024