The Mermaids' Pearl: Semi-Sequel to Emmett's Jeanie

Chapter 21

Maddy's POV: 

I had arrived around 5:30 with a simple snap of Jeanie's fingers, asJeanie had suggested it would be better than walking in at 6 when all the boyswould already be here. My mother had given me one last hug before I left, and Iknew it might be some time before I would see her again, but her words stillfilled me with a sense of strength and hope.

When I got here, I saw I wasn't the only early arriver as Bella and Jacob werehere already as were Leah and Gio. I was hugged by Gio and Leah, who evenwhispered an apology into my ear at her brother's stupidity. An apology I couldonly shake my head at as I would never think ill of my pearl in that way. Hehad a right to choose who his heart belonged to, even if it killed me in theend.

I was greeted in turn by the other packmembers as they arrived, as well as Jared's imprint Kim. Claire had rushed overto hug me when she arrived with Quill, and I couldn't help but smile at theyoung girl. Bella had remained by my side and chatted quietly about everythingimaginable, from school to the sights to see in the woods all around Forks,anything it seemed that might turn my head and take my mind off my own nerves.

Though my nerves seemed to dim as I watched him walk through the door. Hisbright smile lit up my heart and made my own smile genuine, until I watched itfade when he saw me standing next to Bella. I watched him tense in response toseeing me and found myself doing the same, but only because I felt he truly didwant nothing to do with me.

"Alright, well now that we're all here we can sit down to eat." (Emily)

I took a seat next to Bella who was sitting next to Jacob, and it wasn't untilI looked up to see Seth sitting across from me that my heart seemed to stuttersome. I felt a blush cross my face before I looked up to see Emily placing aglass of water in front of me along with a salad as she gave me a wink, and Iknew that it was salt water and salted lettuce she had given me.

I smiled in thanks at her thoughtfulness before I felt eyes on me, his eyes tobe exact. I stared at the deep brown eyes and felt myself get lost in thembefore my attention was drawn to another of the guys who had a smile on hisface and his head tilted in confusion towards me.

"Sooo, Madelyn, I take it you don't like meat much?" (Embry)


Seth's POV:

I had been expecting a normal packdinner tonight, imprints were always allowed but usually they already knew thebig secret. So, when I walked in and saw my imprint standing next to Bellasmiling at me, I was shocked to say the least. She was absolutely gorgeous inan off the shoulder navy shirt and cream colored skirt, her green hair washanging in soft curls with some of it pinned back.

I stared into her ocean colored eyes until I felt that the thoughts that wereforming in my mind were a form of cheating on Larissa. My body seemed to tenseat the thought and I watched her tense in a similar fashion as she looked awayfrom me and back to Bella who was now taking a seat at the table. I was goingto sit as far away as possible but then I saw the Leah and Gio had taken thosetwo spots, and the only open seat was directly across from Madelyn.

I couldn't help but stare at her, barely noticing Emily placing something downin front of her. She seemed to sense me staring at her as she turned to face meand locked eyes with me again. I watched a faint blush cross her face before itwas gone, and her eyes seem to have as much energy in them as the ocean did asI stared into her eyes.

Had it not been for Embry getting her attention and breaking both outattentions away from the other I think we might have stared at each other all nightlong and forgotten about the dinner. I shook my head a bit as I listened to mybuddy ask her if she didn't like meat with a smile on his face. I wondered whathe meant before I looked to see that she had a salad and water in front of herwhile the rest of us would be eating the roast that Emily had prepared for us.

I watched as another faint blush crossed her face before she took out a smallnotepad from a purse that hung on the chair behind her and a pencil. She openedit and quickly wrote something down and showed it to Bella, earning a smile andnod from her before Bella looked at Embry.

"She eats fish and chicken on occasion but is allergic to red meat." (B)

"Have you never been able to talk Maddy? Cause Gemma said you could but thenyou couldn't one day." (Claire)

I saw Maddy tense, as well as Emily, Sam, Bella, Leah, and Gio before sheglanced at Bella and Emily before writing something down. I watched as she bither lip, her beautiful pink soft looking lip, before showing it to Bella. Bellaseemed to read it a few times before slowly nodding as if telling her, heranswer was alright.

"She got sick and lost her voice, but she might get it back. All depends ontime, but she says don't worry about her. She's doing fine without a voice."(B)

I saw Claire nod with a smile on her face, happy with the answer for now, but Iwasn't. It felt as if they were both lying, Maddy with whatever she wrote andBella with the way she said it. Bella had always been horrible at lying andreading off someone else's lie didn't appear to be her strong suit either. Ididn't comment though, as the conversation turned to other things. Instead Iate and glanced at my imprint when she was looking at someone else.

She smiled and laughed, and even though it was silent it was beautiful to watchher laugh. She was truly beautiful. I had given up on not looking at her, andeven though I felt like cheating scum to do so I put Larissa in the back of mythoughts as I looked at my imprint as much as I could without getting caught byher. Though I'm sure the rest of the pack would give me hell about it later Iwould take that hell for the chance to see her so happy. She deserved to behappy after all, that was all I wanted for her.

Maddy's POV:

I was happy to have made it through the dinner and now be sitting on theloveseat in the living room of Emily and Sam's house. My heart was ever morehappy with the fact that my pearl was sitting next to me on the loveseat. Hewas close enough I could feel the heat radiating from his body and that alonehad filled me with a sense of peace and comfort. Though we had not spoken aword to each other, at least directly all night, sitting near him was enough.

I smiled at the story that Quill was telling us, silently laughing with theothers as he poked fun at Embry. It was a story of how when they were six orseven and Embry was terrified of Halloween decorations. I knew what the holidaywas, having seen it a few times on land. I thought the decorations were alwayspoor or sometimes rude imitations to the creatures they represented but I stillenjoyed them all the same. It appeared though that poor Embry did not alwaysthink that.

"So we were trick or treating and we get to this house and knock on the doorand just as it opens a huge fake furry spider swings out towards us and hejumps at least four feet in the air screaming and takes off down the porch!?"(Quill)

"And what were you doing?" (Emily)

"Laughing too hard that's what." (Quill)

I smiled at Embry and tried not to laugh too much as I saw how embarrassed helooked from his spot on the floor. He caught my eye and my attempt to not laughat him but he only smiled in return and shook his head. Quill had gotten up andgone into the kitchen a few seconds ago and was now on his way back with aglass of water in his hand. I thought nothing of it as I glanced at my pearlwho's smile still made my heart leap even though it wasn't directed at me.

It wasn't until I heard an 'ommmffhh' noise and saw Quill trip over thecarpet as he was walking towards me that I stiffened and lost my smile a bit.It was almost as if I was watching everything occur in slow motion as I saw thewater from the glass he had been carrying soar through the air towards me. Ifelt it hit my skin before I jumped up and rushed into the bathroom a few feetaway and slammed the door shut.

I felt my tail start to form just as Emily pushed her way into the bathroombefore I could stop her and shut the door behind her, locking it this time. Inodded in thanks before the pain took my attention away from her and back tothe phasing. I had tried to motion to Emily for more water but my arms refusedto listen as I twitched in on myself in pain.

I knew that phasing this dry would be painful but I didn't think it would bethis bad. If I still had my voice the wolves outside would have heard my screamsof pain but since it was only Emily and I in the bathroom she only saw myfacial reactions. My silent screams continued as my tail took the place of mylegs as slowly as I ever thought possible.

I felt her hand in my hair as she hummed softly to me while calling Jeanie. Iknew the next few moments would be the most painful that I could experience butthere was nothing I could do about it. What had happened, happened at thispoint.

"Emily, what's the matter?" (J)

"Quill spilled water on Maddy, they didn't see anything. We're in the bathroomdownstairs." (Em)

"Oh no, Maddy I'm sorry. Is she done transforming yet?" (J)

"Almost, is there anything I can do to make it less painful?" (Emily)

"Throw more water on her, I'll be there as soon as Emmett gets back.....so now."(J)

I heard a snap on the other end of the line before I saw Jeanie appear in thesmall bathroom with us, sitting on the countertop as there was no more room onthe floor. I saw the look of pity she extended toward me as I continued to letout silent yelps of pain even as the pair of them threw more water on me. Ifinally breathed a sigh of relief once I was done before tears fell from myeyes knowing that I would have to experience even more pain when Jeanietransformed me without me being able to verbally ask for it.

"Is it like that each time a mermaid transforms?" (Em)

I nodded no as tears continued to fall from my eyes, meeting's Jeanie's starefor only a moment before nodding to her unasked question. She could tell Emilyabout normal transformations for a mermaid, since I couldn't. We all froze aswe heard a knock on the door, and then my heart skipped a beat as I heard hisvoice on the other side.

"Hey, is everything alright Em? Like does Maddy need anything or?" (Seth)


Seth's POV:

I felt a searing pain rush throughme and for a moment I was confused why. I knew none of my pack brothers werehurt as most were sitting here with me, and the others were down at the beachwith their imprints. Not to mention that no one else seemed to feel any pain,which meant it could only be one thing.

I had seen my imprint rush from the room the moment Quill had tripped andthrown a whole glass of water on her. I had been trying my best not to evenlook at her even though we were sitting right next to each other on theloveseat. So close I could smell the salty smell that seemed to float aroundher, but I kept my glances at her to a minimum while being this close to her. Ididn't allow myself to fully look at her until I still saw her sprint into the bathroom.Not a second or two later and Emily followed her into the bathroom and lockedthe door.

I was beyond confused but even more so when the pain started and I couldn'tunderstand why. I heard bits and pieces of a strange conversation from Emilywho was on the phone with someone before I heard a pop noise come from insidethe bathroom, and I knew that meant the Jeanie was inside there now too, butwhy? The pain seemed to grow for a moment before it ceased and I stood beforewalking over to the bathroom door.

I had just reached the door when I heard Emily say something about transforms,and I was wondering what she talking about. Not our secret surely, as I wasunder the impression that Maddy didn't know yet. I knocked on the door gently,hearing the three heartbeats behind it a bit more clearly than I was from theother side of the room, confirming my suspicion that Jeanie was in fact herenow too.

"Hey, is everything alright Emily? Like does Maddy need anything or?"(Seth)

"No, we're fine Seth. Just having a girl talk right now." (Em)

"Oh, ok well if you need anything just let me know." (Seth)

"Alright Seth, thanks." (Em)

I walked back over to the sofa where a few of us were now watching the game onTv, but my attention was held by another piercing surge of pain that shotthrough me. I wondered briefly if I should just burst through the bathroom doorto see if my imprint was alright before I reminded myself........I had decided notto pursue her. I knew Emily and Jeanie were with her, though why Jeanie washere made me wary about what was really going on, but I knew she was safe. Shewould be fine.