Night Vision!!
Title: Night Vision
Media: Fanfication - 2010 Fanfiction Challenge at blackpack
Characters/Pairings: Jake/Bella, Quil, Embry, Sam, Paul, Billy
Rating: M
Notes: This was written for ssbailey in response to her prompt:
Three Things I Want To See: Embry/Quil/Jake Friendship, Pow Wow, Bella/Jacob Relationship (Sassy Bells Pwease?)
Three Things I DON'T Want To See: Vampires (that we know from the books...if you make up your own OC vamp that's cool), Whiny!Bella, & Cliff Diving
So, Sam here's LOOKING at you kid!!! I hope you enjoy this one!!! Also, a big thanks to spaceheaterlove for being my beta.
Night Vision
My day had started off great and I actually made it out of school with no homework for the entire weekend. I also got an unexpected surprise when I came home to find Jake waiting for me. But my elated mood was quickly turning foul when I discovered how little time I had to spend with him today.
"Jake, if you’re having a pack meeting, I’m coming. I have just as much right to be there as anyone and I need to know what is going on with this new trail Jared and Paul found last night."
"Bella, I know how you feel and I understand, but you can’t come to this meeting."
"Jake, I don’t understand. I might be able to help in some way."
"I’m sorry, Bells, but you just can’t come to this one," Jake said, taking me by the shoulders and turning me so I was looking at him.
I felt hurt because he was excluding me. I mean we had been inseparable since we spent the night in the tent together before the newborn attack. Jake and I have shared a bond that could not be easily broken ever since that night, the night I told him I couldn’t be without him anymore.
But this, this was really hurting me.
"Jake, don’t you trust me?" I whispered, looking into his ebony eyes.
"Bells," he said, shaking his head slightly, "You know that I trust you with...with my life, but this time you can’t come."
"Why, Jake?"
"Because, we are having a ceremony tonight," he said, brushing his thumb gently across my cheek, "Tonight we are becoming men, among our people-among the Quileutes, and we will receive our tribal tattoos."
"Oh, Jake. I’m so proud of you, but I still....." I said, but he hushed me with his thumb to my lips.
"It will be a long process," he said, staring at me but not really focusing on my face, "And we will have to phase a lot. They will start the process the moment we phase, then we will have to change again to make the damaged tissue heal more quickly. We’ll have to do this over and over until the process is complete, so we....." he said, but then paused as his eyes focused on mine, "We’ll have to be you know.....naked the whole time."
"Jake!" I gasped, "So you are all going to stand around.....naked all night until they’re finished?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Then we will have some sort of feast after it’s all over," he said, sounding somewhat less solemn.
"Okay then. I understand, but you could have just told me from the beginning," I said, giving him a peck on the lips.
"Well, it’s sort of embarrassing. You don’t just walk up to the girl you love and say, ‘hey babe, I can’t see you tonight because I’m going to be hanging out naked with the guys from the rez, you know just me and my homies and the old ones’," Jake said, in a funny comedian like voice.
"Well, since.....you.....put.....it that way," I said, doubling over with laughter.
But he was having nothing of the sort, so he picked me up screaming and laughing and tossed me onto the couch where he quickly pinned me with his large hands and massive arms, while he straddled me.
"I didn’t think it was that funny, Bella," he said, smiling down at me.
"Well, if it’s an all male pack thing, what about Leah? Does she get to come?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.
"No. Sue is taking care of Leah at their house. She said it would be easier and that she would do the tattoo herself, just like her grandmother before her," Jake said, rather matter of fact, before he started nibbling at my neck.
"Jake! Stop that! Jake!"
"You know you love it, so stop fighting me. Besides I only have five more minutes with you before I have to leave."
I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, but I would never admit that I loved his attention more than anything. I just couldn’t let him get the best of me.
After two more minutes of nibbling and pretending to bite my neck, he released my hands and arms as he held himself up on the couch, still hovering above me.
"Then the last three are mine," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling, for all I was worth, until he was almost lying on me.
I turned his head so I had access to his ear and began nibbling on his soft, silky earlobe.
"Bells, don’t do that. You know what it does to me," he protested, letting out a soft moan in the process.
"I know exactly what it does to you. I want you to think about me and remember this while you’re running around naked with the guys tonight. I want you to remember how I make you feel."
"Oh, I’ll remember, honey I’ll remember. How could I forget?" he said, as he brought his lips to mine and kissed me like he’s never kissed me before.
I was absolutely breathless when he pulled away and I thought to myself, ‘he did it again.’ He’s always getting the best of me when I’m trying to be the one getting the upper hand.
He got up off the couch and offered me his hand, "As much as I would love to stay and play with you, I have to go. The body mutilation will not wait, I’m afraid," he said, pulling me to my feet.
"Oh, don’t say that, Jake," I said, swatting his arm, "You know this is a great honor for you and the others."
"I know, I know, but I’d really rather stay and play with Bella," he scoffed, pulling me against him and holding me one last time as he began kissing lazy trails down my neck.
"Okay, Romeo. You better get going. I wouldn’t want the whole tribe to come looking for you only to find you purportedly being held captive by the girl in Forks."
"Please, Bella. Please, hold me captive all you want?" he said, falling to his knees pretending to beg.
I hugged him around his head as he nestled his face into my stomach, then I kissed the top of head and told him to get going. He got to his feet and left, but promised he would come show me his new tattoo tomorrow.
Jake had been gone about thirty minutes, I had finished my homework, and cooked fried chicken for dinner. I knew Charlie would be home in a few minutes, so I set the table but I couldn’t stop thinking about Jake. Well Jake and....No, Bella, don’t you even start that, I tried to tell myself. But it was too late, my mind had already gone there.
So, I quickly ran to the hall closet where Charlie kept a lot of his police gear. After rummaging through the closet, I finally found them, his night vision goggle headset. I ran out and hid them in my truck. If my plan went accordingly, I could have them back in his closet before morning and he would be none the wiser.
Charlie arrived right on time, we ate dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen, washed the dishes, then I told him I was going to La Push to see Jake, which was true, I was hoping to see him and maybe get a peek at everyone else too.
I rubbed my cheeks as I thought of my devious plan, trying to hide what I knew would give me away. I even splashed some cold water on my cheeks to take away some of the redness. But Charlie was already watching the evening news, so I quickly slid out the door, telling him I would be back later.
It was almost dark when I got into La Push, so I decided I needed to hide my truck. I parked behind the general store, grabbed the headset, and started walking toward the beach, where I assumed the guys would be having their ceremony, and tried to stay as close to the trees as I could as to go undetected.
I knew I was getting closer, I could smell the salty sea mist on the night air and I could hear faint chanting in the distance. I quickened my pace, not wanting to miss a moment of this very important occasion, and quickly made my way toward the beach.
I went around an inlet from the beach and climbed up onto a small cliff where I could lay down on my stomach and hopefully be able to see....well to see everything that was going on.
After getting into a comfortable position, I put on the headset and opened the lenses so I could focus them. And there, not more than twenty-five feet below me was a group of older men. I saw Billy, Quil’s grandfather, and several others, each one sitting in a chair with a cloth over their laps and a small table or stand beside them to hold their supplies, which looked like a jar of black ink, several long needles or small silver rods, cotton balls, and a bottle of alcohol.
I was right on time, because the wolves were just coming into view as they slunk out of the shadows of the trees near the beach. It sounded like the chanting had continued from one of the elders, but it was hard to tell because of the sound of the waves, so I just watched and waited to see what happened next.
My vision through the lenses of the headset was still a bit grainy, so I kept fumbling with the adjustments, while I waited for the show to begin...I mean for the ritual to begin.
I had just turned a new dial I had found while fumbling, when Sam and Paul phased. Bam! My vision was so clear that I found myself reaching out to touch.....well.....never mind, I’m not even going to think it.
There in my line of sight were two of the loveliest male specimens I had ever seen. Not that I had seen any in real life, but I had dreamed of a few. But when I finally tore myself away from Sam and Paul, and realized that Jake was phasing, along with Quil and Embry, I swallowed my gum.
I’m glad it went down easily, because I would have just had to die right there on the cliff without making a sound, because I knew if they discovered me I’d be dead anyway. Oh well, if I had died choking on my gum, they would have at least found me with a smile on my face from the very last thing I had seen before my lights went out.
A part of me couldn’t believe I was doing this, but the very small part of me that had carried forth this plan was leading the cheering squad in my brain. Then I began to rationalize with my worried and ashamed side, and told it to shut up because I was already there, no one could see me, and it was going to be a long night, so I might as well enjoy the show....I mean the ceremony.
And enjoy it I was, until I saw the first needle poke and what looked liked drops of blood from Jake’s arm. I covered my mouth and tried to keep from hurling my gum back up along with my dinner. But it wasn’t long before the guys were all phasing, then phasing back again.
The elders worked quickly to get as much ink into their skin as they could before it was time to have them phase again. This process went on for almost two hours, but each time Jake and the others phased back into their human form, it was like Christmas all over again.
I was fumbling with the adjustments aimlessly, when I hit one I hadn’t tried before which zeroed the goggles in with precise accuracy, and Jake’s.....well his entire package was delivered right under my nose, or so it seemed. I gulped and covered my mouth with my hand, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that my face was glowing. I even thought about rubbing dirt on my face to keep the glowing embers from giving me away.
The moments ticked by and I finally realized I hadn’t been breathing, so I took in a deep breath and almost started panting, pulling the much needed oxygen into my lungs. That’s when my remorseful conscience set in and I felt abashed at what I had been doing. I mean, I was no better than some adolescent Peeping Tom boy who tries to stand on the crates outside the girls locker room and take a peek.
But, the damage was done and I would just have to live with myself, and the lovely thoughts and images that were now ingrained within my mind forever.
It was getting late and I knew I needed to get back home, so I started crawling backwards on my knees and elbows trying to stay down low so I would not be discovered. But in doing so, I had to leave the headset on, so I wouldn’t damage it.
I was trying to keep from scraping my elbows and be somewhat graceful as I made me retreat, so I wasn’t paying any attention to what was going on down below.
"Isabella Marie Swan!" I heard a low, husky voice say from behind me and I nearly peed in my pants and almost fell off the cliff.
I turned around to see who had caught me red handed, but the goggles were out of adjustment so all I saw were mountains of rippling, heaving abs that were staring at me mockingly. I grabbed for the release on the headset and popped it, pulling it off, but in my haste it was tangled in my hair.
As I pulled the contraption up over my head, I looked up to see a very disturbed Jacob Black looking down at me with his hands on his hips, which by the way were barely covered by a pair of cut off jogging pants.
"Hello?" I managed to say in an innocent tone of voice, still trying to remove my hair from its tangled predicament.
"If you had wanted to see me naked that bad, all you had to do was ask. I would have been more than obliged to give you what you wanted," he said, as he seemed to be scolding me.
"I’m sorry. I was just.....I was so curious," I said, feeling ashamed and embarrassed.
"Here, let me help you before you pull all of your hair out," he said, squatting down to help me pull the headset out of my hair.
As Jake worked diligently to free me, I began pulling my head back causing resistance. I just wanted to get out of this situation. I felt like I was in a trap, but my pulling caused Jake to become unbalanced and he fell right over on top of me. I know that’s hard to imagine for a very coordinated werewolf, but he was trying to help me, a very uncoordinated person, therefore he was disadvantaged.
So there we lay, on the cliff and Jake was now tangled up with my hair and the goggles and lying on top of me. This made for a very awkward situation, so, needless to say I was completely taken off guard when Jake stopped struggling with my hair and began talking to me, his face just an inch away from mine.
"So, did you like what you saw?"
"Mmm hum, I mean, um.....well I...."
"Just exactly who were you ogling, Bella?"
"Jake, I came to see....I wanted to see.....you. Yeah, you. I mean I wanted to watch the ritual."
"You didn’t answer my first question. Did you like...."
By this time, I couldn’t take it any more. Having seen him up close and personal through the goggles, and having him tangled up and all sprawled out on top of me, was more than I could handle, so I grabbed him around the neck and brought my lips up to met his in a greedy manner.
He eagerly accepted my peace offering and somehow managed to pull the goggles out of my hair, just in time to entwine his arms around me and roll over so he was the one laying on the ground and I was perched on top of him.
The brisk night sea air was blowing my hair around both our faces and it was tickling our noses as I hovered above him. I rose up looked down at the target of my ill intentions this evening and almost begged, "You’re not upset with me, are you Jake?"
"No, not as long as I was the only one you were using the goggles on."
Oh boy. I was going to have a hard time getting out of this one, I thought. But I couldn’t let him know that I had actually thought about seeing more than just him tonight. I mean, like I said it was like Christmas. But I would play it cool and he would not get the best of me this time.
"Jake, you know that if I were to have been coming here with any intention other than being a part of your ritual, that I would only have eyes for you. I was just feeling left out, that’s all," I said, running my finger down the middle of his chest and looking at him sheepishly.
"I know Bells, and I’m sorry you couldn’t come but......who phased first?" he asked, as his understanding demeanor suddenly became serious.
"Sam and Paul," I blurted out before I even thought about it. He was doing it again.
He picked me up and moved me to the side so he could get up, then he helped me to my feet.
"Well, come on, I think they are about to eat down there and I’m not leaving you up here alone," he said taking my arm.
"Okay, but what about Charlie’s night vision goggles? I can’t leave them up here, they are too expensive and he’d kill me if he knew I had them," I said, reaching down to pick them up.
"Um, well that’s your problem. My only obligation is you, so I guess you will have to carry them down there with you," he said, and I caught sight of a smirk on his face, as he turned to start walking down toward the beach, pulling me along with him.
"But Jake, wait. I.....I’ll just go home now. I can find my way back to the truck," I said, protesting.
"Nope. You’re going with me. I want to spend as much time with you as I can. Besides, I’m sure that everyone will be so glad to see you."
No, no no. This couldn’t be happening to me, I thought. This was just a little innocent spying, no harm no foul. I just needed to make a break for it and get the heck out of Dodge. So I began wiggling my hand in Jake’s until I had it free, then I took off running back toward my truck.
I should have known I couldn’t outrun a werewolf though, even if he was on two feet. Jake caught up with me in less than a minute and was standing in front of me looking smug just as the moon shown its bright beam down on us. The next thing I knew, he was throwing me over his shoulder and marching back toward the beach.
"Jacob Black, you put me down," I demanded while kicking my legs.
He just laughed and I felt the vibrations under my hand as tried to hold onto his back, for all I was worth. When he finally stopped and bent down, I felt the blood rush to my feet and my stomach did a somersault. I found myself tripping backwards and I almost dropped the goggles, but someone caught me from behind and steadied me.
"Well, well, well, Jake. What have you found?" Jared asked.
"Let’s get a good look here," I heard Quil say from behind me. He must have stopped me from falling.
"Is this Bella? Bella Swan? Or is this some wild woman from the underbrush?" Embry asked, beginning to laugh out loud.
I was not only feeling embarrassed, I had a feeling I looked like, well, like something Jake had dragged out of the woods. I reached up and felt of my hair and to my horror it was sticking out all over my head.
"Jake! Why didn’t you tell me that I looked like a wild woman?" I said, running my hands through my hair trying to smooth it down, while holding the goggles between my thighs.
"What do we have here?" Paul asked, reaching for and retrieving the goggles from their resting place.
"Watch it, Paul. That area is off limits to anyone but me," Jake said, as he bristled up.
"Hey, give me those back," I said, grabbing at them with one hand and trying to untangle my other hand from hair.
But he was too fast as he slipped the goggles over his head and began looking around, "Well Bella, I don’t know whether to feel violated or flattered. If you went to all this trouble to....well you know.....ogle us, then we must be something special," he said laughing, which caused them all to start laughing.
"I was not ogling any of you," I said, defensively, but I noticed Jake crossed his arms over his broad chest and he cocked one eyebrow up to look at me, "I was only ogling Jake. I mean....I was wanting to see all of your things......I mean your tattoos. Yeah, I wanted to see your tattoos, that’s all."
"Okay, guys. I think you’ve had your fun at Bella’s expense, now let her calm down. If she gets any redder, she might explode," Sam said, laughing quietly as he walked away.
Paul took the goggles off and handed them back to me, blowing me a pretend kiss before following Sam to the food table set up by the older Quileutes. Quil, grabbed me by the shoulders from behind and pulled me against him whispering in my ear, "I promise I won’t tell him you were secretly lusting after my body, baby," he said as he kissed my ear and released me.
Embry ran over and kissed my cheek before running off toward the food table, but looked back over his shoulder saying, "She knows who she wants to keep her warm at night."
So that just left Jared, standing there grinning at me like a opossum, "We better not tell Kim about this, or she might come after you Bella. We’ll just keep it between us, Okay?" then he winked at me before he too walked away.
That just left me and Jake and he was standing there looking at me like I was on trial. He still had his arms crossed and that stupid smirk on his face.
"I hope you’re happy," I said, in the most disgusted and humiliated voice I could muster.
He didn’t say anything, he just moved closer to me until he was standing right in front of me looking down with a scowl on his face and I had to crane my neck to look up at him.
"So what do you have to say for yourself, wild woman?" he said softly as his hot breath fanned out over my face.
I thought it was a proper time to play the sweet and innocent card so I reached up as high as I could, standing on my tip toes, so I could slip my arms around his neck.
"I’m sorry Jake. Please forgive me?" I asked, offering my best guiltless face.
"I’m actually surprised by your behavior. I never knew you had it in you," he said, leaning even closer to me.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, for you to have done what you did, you must have been very curious or very horn....."
I knew I better stop this conversation from going any further, so I planted my lips firmly on his. I would kiss him into shutting up, thus saving me the interrogation.
He slowly pulled away though and smiled down at me, "So when do I get to use the goggles?"
"Jake, you don’t need the goggles when I’m right here just inches away from you. It’s not like I’m going off to dance naked with the guys," I said, waving my hand toward the rest of the pack who were eating and laughing near the table where the food was.
"No, no you’re right. And for that matter, you better not ever," he said, kissing me in between words, "Be running around naked with any guys except one and you’re looking at him," he finished, with another kiss.
"Are you hungry Jake?"
"Mmm hum."
"Then we better get you over to the food, before your brothers eat it all up," I said, pulling him by the hand.
"I hope you know this isn’t over yet?" he replied, slowly giving in to my prodding as he began following me to where the others were.
Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to prepare so many wonderful things for the pack and the elders to eat. Billy smiled at me and gave me a wink when I started piling food on a plate, which I intended on feeding to Jake.
"Whoa. You’re such a small girl. How are you going to hold all that food, Bella?" Billy asked.
"Oh, it’s not for me, I’m going to make sure Jake eats every last bite," then I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "That way maybe he won’t be too mad at me for being here."
"Speaking of which. Why are you here? I thought this was an invitation only gathering?" he said, looking at the goggles I had tucked under my arm, "Oh, I see you brought your invitation. But don’t worry, I won’t tell Charlie. I know us Quileute men are something to look at, even in the dark."
That’s just great! Even Jake’s dad had one up on me and I even paved the way for it, I thought.
I didn’t say anything else as I went to sit down with the others around the bonfire. Jake followed and sat down beside me, moving me sort of in between his legs so I could use one of his legs as a table for the plate.
I suppose I had a look of defeat and humiliation on my face which I thought must be working in my favor because Jake leaned over and said, "It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. But, if at any time in the near future you feel the need to use night vision goggles, want to see me naked, or even go bird watching, just ask me baby and I’m there."
Turning toward him, I stuffed an entire sandwich in his mouth, which he just smiled around and began eating. I looked up and noticed that Embry and Quil had moved over to our general vicinity and suddenly I felt out numbered.
"So, Bella," Quil said, in between bits of food, "Embry and I were just talking......and we were wondering if you could settle a little, um dispute we have. Could you, as an unofficial honorary guest of this solemn occasion, tell us who among the pack is the most, shall we say well endowed?" he asked with a snicker.
"Quil, shut the hell up," Jake shot back throwing a piece of cheese stuffed celery at him.
"No, Jake. We feel that Bella here can answer this age old question. You know the three of us have always argued this fact, ever since we were in junior high and I want her to settle this once and for all. We’re all big boys, pardon the pun Embry, and we can take it."
"Quil, for your information I can take it, but it’s not like the three of us spend hours standing in front of a mirror or something measuring things," Embry said defensively.
"This is true, though it has been the topic of many debates in the past and I think Bella can settle this once and for all. So, Miss Swan of the three of these fine specimens, brave and strong, that are before you tonight, who, my dear, is the most well endowed?"
I could not believe this was happening to me. All I wanted to do was come watch the ceremony. And now look where I was, stuck in the middle of some testosterone war for who was....was the biggest for crying out loud.
There was no way under the moon and stars that I was answering this question, especially being this close to Jake’s, um endowments. So I just started eating, stuffing my mouth with anything I could get my hands on that Jake hadn’t already eaten.
I guess Jake sensed I was nervous and trapped like a hare in a hare trap so he grabbed my hand, just as I was shoving in an olive, "Give her just a minute, boys. She’s got a mouth full," he said, leaning forward and looking me in the eye.
"I need another olive," I said, swallowing hard and reaching for another, but Jake held my hand firmly.
"Ah, ah, ah, not until you settle this once and for all, Bella," he said, in a low husky voice.
Okay, it was time to sign my own death warrant, I thought. If I told the truth, I would be in trouble, and if I told a lie, I would be in trouble, so I chose to do the only thing I could do, I would plead the fifth. I figured if I always kept them wondering, I would be safe.
I looked around nervously at them all, "Okay boys, I have only two words to say and they are fifth amendment," I said, and grabbed three olives with my other hand and shoved them in my mouth.
"See, I knew she wouldn’t settle it. She’s too afraid of what Jake would do, if she told the truth," Embry said, pointing a finger at Quil, "So you owe me ten bucks."
"Well, it’s about time for you to be going home, Bella," Jake said suddenly, jumping to his feet and sending the plate of food flying into the air, "Come on, I’m driving you home," he said, pulling me up too.
I had to admit. I was more than ready to get out of there. Things could get a bit nasty if the guys went on with this little competition. So Jake took me by the hand and we began walking back toward the general store where my truck was hidden.
"S’okay, Bella. We know the truth. You just didn’t want to hurt Jake’s feelings!" Quil shouted as we left.
I just waved and hollered, "Goodnight guys," as Jake led me away.
As we walked in silence, I thought back over the evening and came to the conclusion that I had learned a valuable lesson. That being, don’t go spying on naked werewolves with egos, cause being caught red handed could cause you to pay the rest of your life. But I smiled to myself when I thought, ‘what they don’t know won’t hurt them’ as I remembered the first two Christmas presents I saw tonight.