Fingerprints blossomed over her skin before she felt the squeezing, itching pain that accompanied them. A pretty purple that looked far too much like a hand to be anything wrapped around her wrist like some odd bracelet, a matching set marking her upper arm and it took a great deal for her to remain calm so that Quil wouldn't notice from where he was letting Renee lead him in some silly dance that didn't seem to have any actual steps.

Andy was very disconnected from the odd, random bout of pain as she slowed in her own dance to look at the marks curiously. Edward frowned where he was dancing with her, his leading never faltering as he lead them slowly to the edge of the dancing pairs by the tables where he left her without a word as he disappeared - there sibling dance ending almost as it had just begun and Andy figured that it had to have been something to do with Bella to make him react this way. Not taking any offence in the slightest, she picked her way through the crowd in search of Lynn to see if the girl could hear something that she couldn't.

Standing with Sue and Charlie, Lynn was watching Seth dance around with Billy, the two waving their arms in these jerky motions that had her friend pressing her lips together tightly to keep from bursting into laughter. Her protector was never this easy going on the reservation, something about the other wolves making Lynn nervous, or perhaps it was just the separation from Andy that made her testy around them.

The shifter looked to her as she sensed her approach, Andy raising bruise free hand and waved her friend forward, pointing to a table back near where Edward had disappeared.

It didn't take long for Lynn to reach her side, eyes already narrowed as she looked her over, sensing something wrong but not quite knowing where to look.

She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to this awareness that Quil and Lynn had towards her due to the bond they shared. It was like a sixth sense, a prickle in there mind as it had been described like they were always going to notice everything about her in a way that only increased the closer they were. She wondered what it would be like, later, after years. Would they just know? Did they need to literally just be close? Really, Andy still had too many questions when it came to the imprint and the bond that she was subjected that she wasn't entirely certain that she wanted answers to. 

Hands reached out gently searching with a delicate brush, feathering over the marks that were found and Andy gasped at the sudden spike of anger that she sensed from the girl, a perfectly beautiful snarl forming on Lynn's carefully painted lips. 

"Who did this?" the girl breathed, voice controlled and dangerously low as she didn't spare a glance at the looks that made the hairs raise on Andy's neck. 

"It's not mine," she answered soothingly, "But someone close. I need your help to figure out what's going on." 

Lynn nodded, head raising as she looked around with narrowed eyes, tilting one way or another as she listened for something over the music, nose wrinkling in distaste when she caught something. 

"Come on, quick, before one of the others get there before us," Lynn urged her, tugging her along in a way that made Andy stumble slightly as she rushed to keep up, thankful for the way that her friend was forced to slow down as she weaved through guest and tables. 

Andy shot a look behind her to where Quil had found himself being spun around in an intricate dance by Alice, the psychic sending her a knowing look when she caught her eye and easily turned her boyfriend away that drew his attention to Renee that was ready to cut in once more with a smile, Edward laughing with a strained smile as he handed her off. 

Forcing Lynn faster with a shove, Andy rushed to beat Edward to the scene, a sense of disbelief sitting in her chest once she realized that he must have planned something for Bella once she felt that distinct taste of emotions that truly belonged to only one person. 

Bella, in all her beauty, was a vision in the low lights that radiated from the home behind her and the gentle fairy lights of the yard, her white dress a beautiful contrast against the forest greens and the woodsy browns around her that just made her glow - and there stood Jacob, his curled lips and pinched brows an invasion to the perfect scene that had evolved around them, an outsider to that should not have been able to intrude. 

She would never forget the day that he had run away, how she had ended up in the woods chasing blindly after him without a clue as to how or why she was there - how something within her, regardless of her blatant dislike of him, had drawn her after him in an attempt to get him to stay. 

It felt like very long ago now, and Andy readily remembered every reason that she hated him no matter how much she wanted to be his friend in the beginning. 

Jacob always had this obsessive quality to him, this attitude that made him so stuck and focused to this unhealthy degree that caused her skin to itch uncomfortably and her head to pound. She knew that her growing anger made her blind to everything that his friends or her sister saw, but she just didn't really care at this point about the way he was when Andy felt that his actions were unforgivable - just because Bella was capable of pardoning his offences didn't mean she was required to do the same. 

Andy looked her sister over from where she stood beside Lynn, the girl incredibly still as she watched, before turning to face him fully, toeing a step forward and clenching her jaw. 

"Maybe we should move towards the rest of the party," she suggested in a way that she hoped was incredibly bright and happy. 

"Did you know about this?" he turns on her and Lynn steps forward, placing Andy behind her with an outstretched arm. 

"Know about what?" Andy asked rather calmly, easing Lynn's tension by grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. 

Jacob seethed. "This honeymoon! She'll be crushed, he'll kill her!" 

Andy blinked at him and felt a little nauseous at the thought. "Well, yeah, of course, I knew. I helped pack, but I don't understand how this is any of your concern, and frankly, I don't want to think about the sex my sister is going to be having."

Lynn snickered softly. "That's the point of a honeymoon,  Jake." 

"She'll die!" 

She released a breath through her teeth and pushed away from the red haze she felt coming from the shifter, replacing it with lulling drowsiness that usually came after the sort of rage, the rational thought and acceptance stage. She wasn't certain how he reacted to it and didn't very much care either as she went to Bella's side and silently urged her to joy her new husband and guest. 

"Jake, it's really not that big of an issue. You just need to calm down, get some space and think about it first before you get upset," Andy soothed, offering a hand out to him and finding the heat that came from him incredibly different from the kind that she had grown to love. "Why don't you join the party or take a walk before you have this talk with her." 

"I don't need any of your input you leech-loving traitor. Take your little shadow and go somewhere you're wanted," he hissed and Andy tried very hard not to react to the way that Lynn growl deeply in her chest or how Bella gasped. 

There was a way that she just understood how people were capable of reacting harshly toward others when swept away by their emotions. She had learned from experience how dangerous it was to push the wolves into one thing or another when they were so prone to feeling things so deeply, to begin with. 

"I'm just suggesting that you take some time to get your thoughts in order and clear your head before you do or say something that you regret." 

He looked hesitant for a moment before he glanced back to Bella and his anger returned to him all over again. Sighing softly, Andy turned away when she felt the wind pick up around her in a quick flash and suddenly Edward was there, standing beside his wife with the air of an avenger, all silent and brooding and fearfully calm as he looked over at Jacob with this calculative stare. 

"Don't do this now, Jacob," Edward spoke in the same soothing tones that she did, lulling him as best he could. 

It felt like a mistake, like a very big mistake and it drove Andy forward to stand before the upset boy, a hand coming to rest against his shoulder as best it could, the purple that danced across pale skin seemingly glowing in the pale light and she heard Lynn snarl anew at the sight, grabbing Bella's attention immediately with a shuddered gasp. 

"Everything will be fine, you know it will. He wouldn't ever let himself hurt her like that and you know it," Andy breathed, peering over his tense shoulders to the large black wolf that stepped out from the trees, steps graceful and silent. "Go with your family, let them help you." 

Jacob swallowed, his Adams apple bobbing, and he nodded, gaze sinking low to meet hers, searching, before he pulled back and turned on his heel, barely giving anyone the time to breathe a word before Andy felt the crack of a shift burning through her veins and she was flinching despite herself and falling against Lynn, the girls ready arms wrapping around her tight. 

It took her a moment to notice the fingers gently brushing against her cheek or the happy babble of Seth as he chattered away to fill the uncomfortable silence in the absence of the others that had been filling the space so heavily with their presence that it all felt startingly empty now. 

"Are you alright?" Quil whispered, voice a lovely sound that chased away the phantom ache that filled her and Andy nodded, smiling blindinlgy at him, lifting herself from Lynn's hold with a thankful squeeze of her fingers to pull him close to her. 

"Surprisingly still intact, all things considered," she joked, enjoying the way he fought back a bark of laughter to keep his face straight in his concern. 

But Andy could already feel his concern and agitation fading away with careful prods of her fingers as she pulled him free from the weight of it. 

"You're ridiculous," Quil told her with so much love and adoration that Andy nearly choked, her heart thudding wildly in her chest as she felt his sincerity - could practically taste its sweetness. 

"I think we'll leave you losers here," Lynn pipped up, already pushing an oddly silent Seth away. "I still have some dancing to do and I insist that Jasper spin me around like he was doing with Alice." 

Quil said something to them causing the pair to laugh, but Andy didn't focus on anything that was going on around her as she considered dragging him off into the woods and, well, she blushed at the thought and wondered how appropriate it would be considering the all the people around here who had incredibly enhanced hearing and were sure to not miss a thing. 

Gasping softly, she clutched his shoulders as she was suddenly dipped at the waist, his laughing smile teasing from where his face was turned away from her. He brought her back up with a gentle tug that sent her colliding with his chest. "Jake's fit cleared up the best dance space for us." 

Andy pushed up on her toes and kissed him softly. "I don't hear the music like you can."

"Let me lead, sweetheart," Quil whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "I won't let you trip." 

Closing her eyes, Andy linked a hand with his and kept the other resting at the back of his neck. "I'll let you lead me anywhere, love." 

*** 

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unedited 
2019-01-20