Writer in the Dark - J. HALE

79 - ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ, ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ

AFTER THEY could finally pull away from the hug, the two of them walked back to the house along with everyone else. They remained close to each other the entire time, his arm draped over her shoulder as they talked in laughing mutterings. Later, once they got to the house, the two of them curled up on the sofa together in front of the fire. They talked for hours on end, hours and hours until Athena eventually succumbed to a slight meditative sleep as she lay on his chest. He smiled at how comfortable she seemed, how safe despite everything.

"Give me your phone," Luna, who had just walked into the room in search of Athena, whispered so lowly so it did not ruin her calm state.

Jasper raised a brow, looking away from Athena for a second, "Why?"

"Just do it for Christ's sake," Luna sighed. He gave her the phone after a little apprehension then, once he caught onto her plan, buried his face partly in Athena's hair - hiding half of it. He took it back and smiled at the image reflected back at him, a capture of utter peace for once. "You're welcome," Luna continued with a smug grin, walking off again.

-

In the morning, after a rather hilarious hunting session with Jasper, Luna and Alice, Athena decided to head over to Billys for a much-needed talk further than the one they had on the phone moments after the battle. She had a few things to bring up, certain mishaps in time and she desperately wanted to get to the bottom of a gut feeling that she had felt for days but never had the chance to focus on for more than a few minutes.

She took a  stroll through the forest, playing music and halting at different plants pocking out from underneath the snow along the way. All signs of a peaceful life, away from the turmoil of battle and dangerous things. It felt nice to be so carefree again, able to just experience the world and all its beauties for a few minutes along the walk. She paused at the water source once again, the flowing river that was now frozen and covered with snow. She tested it with her foot once, checking it would not crack under her weight before she walked across it - sliding across the icy surface with not as much grace as she usually had.

"You just missed Jake," Billy announced after she had walked through the door, pulling off snow-covered boots in the doorway.

"I know, I planned it that way," she chuckled softly, turning off her music before she pulled off her headphones. "You get very little time alone with him, I didn't want to impose," she continued as they huffed, relief that she hadn't been taken by the Volturi taking over most of his thoughts. "Anyway, I have many bones to pick with you."

He sighed, knowing full well what she was talking about, "Seth suggested it."

She followed him into the living room, pausing in the doorway as she tried to figure out why what was going through his mind at the time. "He's a teenager! You can't do that!" she half exclaimed, trying desperately to keep her voice from showing the slight anger within her.

"I didn't! He suggested it, I never agreed to it," he countered as if he had known the argument was coming and had been planning it since Seth suggested it.

She raised a brow, "He said he promised you..."

"That's a lie," he responded quickly, wondering why the wolf had lied. "I told him not to do it. Said that you could handle yourself."

"Quite right," she muttered, trying to figure out what had made him choose such a huge risk on his life.

"Another bone?" Billy asked as he settled himself in front of the tv, not turning it on.

"It's not so much as a bone," she shrugged, walking further into the room. "But a thank you for what you said to Call," she continued, settling herself next to him.

He turned, brow raised, "He told you?"

"Not in detail, but used it as an excuse while looking for an apology," she sighed deeply, remembering every emotion of that argument and how she would tell Jasper all about it later. She knew exactly how it would go, not very well indeed.

He frowned, anger towards him growing, "When was this?"

"Four days ago, roughly," she paused, wondering why it felt like such a long time ago. "He came to my house but I just sent him away."

Billy nodded, planning on giving Embry another piece of his mind later on. He locked the thought away in his mind, so she did not hear it and find out her plans. "Anything else?"

She looked at him, the question practically written on her forehead, as she whispered, "Yes."

"If it's about what I think it's about, don't," he responded half sternly and half empathetically.

"But Billy-"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just let it happen as it should, naturally," he interrupted, snapping before he sighed the brief rise in vexation away.

"You can't just say that and expect me to go on with my day without thinking that you could die at any moment."

"It's always been that way."

"Not so intensely. I mean look at you, you're nearly as pale as I am," she chuckled softly, soon joined by him, giving the relief that the tense conversation needed. "It's just an illness," he shrugged it off as if he could be cured of the ailment that weakened his body.

"You forget that I can hear your heartbeat," she responded softly, fully understanding why he didn't want to talk about it. But she felt it was necessary, so he could talk about what would happen and get it all off his chest instead of keeping it all inside for the entire time.

He opened his mouth to say something then closed it again, not knowing how to counter that point. "You always knew it was coming," he replied, keeping his voice somewhat quieter than usual.

"And I'm supposed to prepare myself because of that? Billy, I won't be able to function without knowing that you're around somewhere," she half muttered, feeling venom sting at her eyes as her body yearned for some sort of tears.

"I'll technically still be around."

"Alive, I mean," she sighed, the entire conversation feeling like a ten-pound weight on her chest. But the more they talked, the more the weight relived itself. She just hoped it did something similar for him.

"It can't be helped Athena," he trailed off, looking out of the window. Then he chuckled, "I don't quite fancy it either."

"I just wish it wouldn't happen so soon," she sighed and leaned down on the sofa, resting her head against the fabric. "It seems inescapable now. I don't want you to fade away as all the other mortals have," she muttered, the words being far too difficult for her to say at a usual volume.

"You know me, I'm stubborn. I won't be fading away," he laughed server so slightly and something in the sound had her laughing too, not as hard as the usual laughter but it was a nice difference to the tenseness. "Right now, let's continue watching this documentary and not talk of this anymore," he continued after the laughter between them had died down completely, flicking the television on.

"If that's what you wish," she agreed reluctantly, not wanting to waste time on something that made him angered or upset. Instead, like always, she was determined to soak up as much time as she could with him. Before the illness overtook his entire body and stole his life away.