Acclimating

[Elyse]

Elyse woke up, feeling Sierra's warmth next to her.  It wasn't often she woke up before the other wolf-sister, but Elyse's dreams hadn't been so dark as of late.  There were times when she was in the dream with Sierra or Marta - sometimes even both.  Stinging Nose always went into the dream with her, and she was grateful.  Marta was a natural to the life of a wolfkin it seemed. Of course, the young girl had much to learn, but at least she had people to guide her though it.  

Elyse got out of bed and got dressed.  Last night her dreams had been her own and she was well rested.  She put on her jeans and a t-shirt.  Looking at Sierra she wondered.  Did she feel the way she felt because of the break up, or were the emotions she felt genuine, or was it just simply the feeling of being in a pack.  Elyse shook her head.  It was too soon for her to begin feeling those emotions. Stinging Nose sent her confused signals, not knowing how to interpret what was on Elyse's mind.  

Elyse went up the stairs and saw Marta sitting at the table with a plate of bacon.  The first couple of days had Marta with some toast, that had quickly changed to meat - bacon, sausage, or even steak.  It wasn't surprising.  Splash lay down of the floor next to her, eating some raw bacon. 

"Good morning, Marta," Elyse said, sitting next to the girl.

"Good morning," said Marta, looking up from her tablet.  The girl appeared to be doing math - and it seemed really simple for her age.

Splash sent her a greeting and Sting sat next to him, sharing the raw bacon.  Elyse got herself some juice and relaxed.

"Need any help?" Elyse asked her.

[Sierra]

Sierra woke when Elyse got out of bed. It was still different being in a home with so many people. At least they were all pack now. Even Enrique as human and dangerous as he was. But it was their pack, and it was home. And something that Sierra hadn't really ever expected to have.

The dreams were good as of late. Never was learning, and teaching at the same time. Chase visited often as well. She was always checking on the pups. Sting especially, but Splash and Never were far from her queries. Her wallet lay face down on the bedside table. It was time for a job or something, the funds were low and she wasn't about to put anyone else out. She might be able to sell some of the photos she'd taken but she hadn't really gone through most of them. They mostly reminded her of Snow and that always sent her off into sadness.

The wallet blinked a single light at her. She had a waiting message. A message that was a surprise. It wasn't uncommon to hear from National Geographic, but usually she had inquired first. Sierra read the message multiple times. The request was there, it hadn't happened often, but this was in Norway. That was a long way away from Moscow. It was an all expenses paid trip to get candid photos of the animals. They were doing a piece on the historic significance of the protected lands these animals lived on. And they wanted her unique talents for getting up close and personal with the animal shots in the least amount of time.

It was a great job, and they requested her. But now she had pack... What would they say? She'd come back of course. But Sierra was nervous when she went to join Elyse and Marta at the breakfast table. Never as usual came bounding after her and slide into the pair who were already happily eating on the floor.

Sierra sat down next to Elyse and smiled, she didn't want to interrupt the conversation.

[Elyse]

"Yes, I could use some help," Marta said, moving closer to Elyse. "I don't really understand division."

Elyse gave the girl an encouraging smile, and smelled Sierra before she saw her. Elyse smiled at the woman and turned back to Marta.

"Alright, so do you understand multiplication." Elyse said, and Marta nodded. "So when we divide it is the opposite. So what is six times three."

Marta thought for a bit and answered, "Eighteen!"

Elyse smiled and nodded. "Now think of it the other way. Let's say we have eighteen slices of bacon, and we want to make sure that you, Sierra, and I get the same amount. How many pieces would each one get."

Marta looked up, and Elyse could almost see the gears working behind the girl's eyes. "We'd each get six. OHHHH!!!"

It was like a light bulb had turned on in the girl's head. Marta did the next problem and showed it to Elyse to make sure it was correct. Elyse gave her a nod, and Marta grinned, turning back to her assignment.

Elyse turned back to Sierra. "Morning," she said, grinning. Sierra smelled different today. [color]"Would you like some breakfast?"[/color]

[Sierra]

They were talking math. Homework. She'd been home taught. Living in a bunker underground for most of your childhood was something that made that necessary. It had been a boring time. There hadn't been much to do anyway. But she was pretty sure that this was not something she could help with. But Breakfast, yes, that was something.

It wasn't rare to have meat and the bacon smelled wonderful. Bacon beat out rabbit or deer, but she was fond of both. And she was likely going to be eating more of it in the near future. Sierra stole a piece of bacon from Elyse's plate with a smile. "Breakfast sounds wonderful." She crunched the bacon, then liked her fingers of the grease left behind. It was a thing you did with bacon.

Sierra took a deep breath and set her wallet down with the open message if Elyse wanted to read. "I was offered a job." There was a slight pause. It was nerves. It was wondering why she was considering it when she had just gotten her pack. But she loved this, and this was a great oppurtunity. "Only problem is it's Norway for a while."

[Elyse]

The wallet was on the table for her to read, but Elyse declined as her thoughts drifted. Norway. Elyse had been there - it wasn't terribly far from where she had grown up, but Elyse found she didn't want Sierra to leave - not without her anyways, but Elyse at least had to stay where Marta was. Her feelings were conflicted, and she found that what she was feeling for Sierra was real. At least now she knew it. It was scary and she didn't want to lose her friend - either to travel or her feelings. She had no idea what lay behind her friend's golden eyes. She didn't know if Sierra felt the same.

Elyse took a glance at Marta, who had for the first time looked up from her tablet. Her eyes, dark before, now gleamed with the same golden hue that Elyse and Sierra's did. Elyse smiled at her. "You didn't happen to look in the mirror this morning did you?" Elyse asked her.

Marta frowned and then turned on her front facing camera on her tablet. The girl grinned when she saw it. "My eyes have changed too." Marta turned to Sierra. "Do you have to go?"

Elyse put a hand on Marta's shoulder. "Could you excuse us for a bit, Marta?" The girl frowned, but stood and left, her scent understanding.

"This is a great opportunity for you, and Norway is a beautiful country," Elyse said, putting her hand on Sierras. Elyse felt a jolt of emotion if she did. "I'll talk to Enrique, maybe we can go as a pack, but if not, you should go anyways."

It hurt to say that, but now that Elyse knew what she felt, she couldn't be selfish. She couldn't hold Sierra back.

[Sierra]

Sierra sighed. "Enrique can't go. I will be with the animals, and he's human - fully human the wolves won't accept him and I won't get good pictures." She shook her head. "You and Marta aren't accustomed to living in the woods, for long periods of time. This isn't some glorified camping trip."

Sierra didn't like the idea of leaving pack. "I don't like the idea of leaving you two, but I can't live off of you or Enrique either. I have to do what I do, and that's live with the animals so I can get candid photos." Photos that only someone who is fully accepted by the animals. Sierra smiled. "You and Marta smell like people. We can learn how to do this as a pack here in Moscow after I come back, when it's not about me getting close to the animals. I don't want to go alone, but I think you need to stay with Marta and help her learn her abilities so that when I come back we can do that."

Sierra hated saying it. She knew it sounded harsh and mean and she was anything but that, but this was her lively hood. Sierra had grown up in the middle of nothing, adapted to living in the woods alone, with only the company of animals. It was her life. Her home and while she desperately wanted pack she didn't think this pack was ready to live like that. And taking Marta out there to live like that could be devastating - she might lose her self like Aaron had. And that would be a tragedy when it could have been stopped.

[Elyse]

Elyse understood completely. Deep down, she had known this would be the case, but she had hoped to go. She would miss Sierra while she was gone. Elyse put on her best smile.

"I understand," she said, giving Sierra's hand a squeeze. "I will still miss you while you are gone though."

Elyse could see her in the dream, but she knew that wasn't the same. It wouldn't be the same as feeling her comforting warmth next to her at night.

"I can help you get things packed if you need it. Help you get ready."

Unable to hold back, Elyse wrapped Sierra in a tight hug. Sierra was her closest friend, and Elyse would miss her, yet she was still happy that Sierra had this opportunity. Starting to release the hug, Elyse gave Sierra a brief kiss to her lips. The motion came without thought, but Elyse did not regret it. Her feelings were now laid bare, and Elyse couldn't let Sierra leave without showing it.

"I'm..." Elyse's voice faltered as she almost issued an apology for the kiss, but it had felt right to her. Whatever happened next might be painful, but she hoped that no matter what, Sierra still wanted her as a friend.

[Sierra]

"I'll miss you too." Sierra barely got her sentence out before Elyse was wrapping her in a tight hug which she returned just as warmly. She really was going to miss the other woman. They had bonded over the past few weeks because of her break up. And it was good to have someone who understood. Sierra had been lost without Snow, now with Elyse, she not only had another pup, but she now had her own pack. They were a rag tag bunch but Sierra was coming to love them in their own way.

The hug ended as suddenly as it had started and was followed by a quick press of warm lips to hers. A kiss... a first kiss. Sure she'd been kissed by her mother and her father, but never by someone else. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Elyse she had been living alone with only animals as friends. People were just, well people and Sierra hadn't really connected with anyone outside of her family - until now.

Elyse's voice falter and stopped as they stared at each other. Sierra didn't know what to do. She'd never been kissed before. She knew she cared for Elyse. They shared a bond, a friendship, was it more?

Fear never really was an option for Sierra. She wasn't afraid of things in general - a wolf pack generally wasn't afraid. And she was safe here in Enrique's house. The fluttering in her stomach spurred her forward, she put her hand on the back of Elyse's neck and and pulled her closer to press her warm lips to hers. The sensation was amazing, and exhilarating and... Sierra lost all thoughts and words as her other hand snaked around Elyse's waist pulling her even closer.

Fear never factored into the equation even as Sierra pulled away. Her fingers tangling in the hair at Elyse's neck. "I'd like the help packing."

[Elyse]

Elyse felt pulled to Sierra as the woman took her by the back of the neck to return the kiss. The passion that Elyse had held back during her own kiss came out now as she felt Sierra put a hand to her waist and pull her closer. Elyse responded with a hand on Sierra's shoulder, and wrapping her own arm around the other woman's waist, moving to sit on Sierra's lap. Sierra pulled away, her fingers in Elyse's hair. Elyse was breathing hard. She hadn't realized she had started to hold her breath as her words had faltered earlier.

Elyse gave Sierra a very pleased smile. At least her emotions were reciprocated. She had been terrified about reaching out to Sierra like this. "Of course," Elyse said after her breathing was more under control.

Elyse stood with some reluctance, her hands moving to take Sierra's and pulling her up to a standing position. Elyse wrapped her arms Sierra's waist, looking her in the eyes. She knew her own eyes were the same golden hue, but all she could think of is how pretty Sierra was. "I want to spend as much time with you as I can before you leave. Do you know when that will be leaving?"

[Sierra]

Sierra shook her head. "No. I'm sure they'll have all the information available as soon as I respond. It seemed urgent." But then Sierra never really had gotten an summons from them before. This was a great opportunity and she was grateful Elyse hadn't pushed too hard. This was her only means of surviving. Elyse should understand that - she was in limbo herself.

Sierra grabbed her wallet before she headed in the direction of their shared space. It seemed a little more than friend sharing a room in the moment. More than it had with Snow or even with Never. Sierra sent Never a message that told him they were leaving for a little while. He'd have to say good-bye which was not fun. And as soon as they made it to their bedroom Sierra sent a response and with in moments the details came back. A flight was leaving in a few hours for her and her service dog. They still had assumed she had Snow. She frowned at that, but was grateful she didn't have to explain Never.

There really wasn't much to pack. Sierra lived out of one bag. And she didn't need anything more than that. But she set to packing her camera bag. "Can you put my clothes in my bag?" There were things from the wash folded and put away. But most of her things were still in the bag. She had never unpacked really. As they worked Sierra kept stealing glances at Elyse. It was strange knowing someone felt something for her and she was already living with them. Strange....