Shifting Times

Leal watched Tanner patch himself up and then he sat back down.

"Ok, now what?" She asked. "Cause I'm not about to get in a fight with anyone that can change forms." She smiled.


UGH

Layton glared at Tanner and groaned, flopping down next to Chevy, who pulled her into his lap. She laughed lightly and breathed him in, her gaze soon switching over to Leal. "We could play Dance Dance Revolution, Wii, X-box 360, erm... and almost every game that goes along with those consoles I guess." Layton yawned widely. "Coffee... I need coffee," within seconds she was in the kitchen making herself some coffee.

Two weeks later Leal was curled up on Layton's couch covering her eyes and sighing.

"I dot' want to wake up." She yawned.

"Get up." Chevy and Tanner laughed. "Or we'll throw you in the water."

"NO!" SHe yawned.

Layton laughed lightly, pulled her thick hair into a high ponytail and slipped on a pair of black crocs. "You leave us no choice!" Tanner yelled out a battle cry and grabbed Leal's arms, Chevy grabbing her feet, and led the way to the bathroom, where water from last night that nobody drained taunted Leal. Layton watched on in laughter as the guys dropped a screaming Leal in the bath before running out and ducking for cover. Leal stomped out, completely soaked, and into Layton's room, not worried about the access water that soaked the carpet beneath her. She pulled out some of Layton's clothes, considering they were the same size, and stomped back into the bathroom in a huff. Chevy, Layton, and Tanner began rolling across the floor in laughter, tears sliding down the side of their face. The blow drier kicked on, which only made the three of them laugh harder. Leal ran out of the bathroom, now in a pair of shorts and a tank, and attacked the three of the jokingly.

"Answer yo phone fool!" Layton's ringtone screamed. She let out a stream of laughter, stood up, and answered her cell.

"Hello?" She laughed.

"Layton! Where are you?! Me, Mom and Dad are taking a cab there because you took forever!" Landon yelled through the phone.

"Wait! You're here?!"

"Duh!"

"Ah! Okay! Sorry!" She hung up the phone and went on a cleaning frenzy. She only had time to state something along the line of, "Parents coming clean house I must," sort of Yoda-like but Tanner translated her words to Leal and Chevy.

"She's gotta get every single spec of dust whenever she finds out her precious mommy is coming." Tanner laughed lightly and unconsiously grabbed a rag, beginning to dust the tables.

"Tanner does it too! Has done it ever since he moved in with us when we were ten. My mom is sort of his mom if you count his mom giving him to my mom cause she couldn't support him. He knows how clean my mom wants something. Believe me!" Layton laughed lightly as Tanner continued to clean, occasionally glaring at her, then smiling at Leal and rolling his eyes to mock Layton at Chevy.

Leal laughed and started helping clean as did Chevy. They all worked hard until it was completely clean.

"This good enough?" She asked as she collpased on the love seat.

"Ya, thank you!" She smiled. Tanner plopped on the love seat next to her and she laid against him yawning.

"Ok, goodnight."

Right after Leal bid her goodnight two voices argued right outside the door. "George don't argue! This one's it! I can... feel it. I can feel that my little Lay-Lay inside here!" Layton blushed lightly, considering that her mom had just said her childhood nickname outloud.

"No Heather! This is it! I know it! After all, she is my daughter. I shoulder know what room my Lay-Lay is in." A loud groan, particularly Landon's, sounded outside the door.

"Ma! Pop! It's over here!" Layton finally opened the door, sending her older brother to the ground with a loud slam.

"Lay-Lay!" Both adults screamed and ran passed five other rooms, engulfing Layton in a hug.

"Ma, Pa... Can't breath!" She managed to get out.

"Oh yeah..." they both let go, only to give Landon hugging rights.

"I missed my little sister!" Landon swung her back and forth, sobbing fakely. Layton pulled away and tumbled back, running into Chevy. He steadied her and she thanked him with a smile. "Ooh, what's this? Layton's got a boyfriend?" At that both parents narrowed their eyes. Oh Lord. Today was going to be a joy. Please, please note the heavy sarcasm.

Leal snuggled closer to Tanner falling asleep. She didn't care if she didn't meet Layton's parents, she was exhausted.

"Tanner!" Someone yelled at him. She groaned rolling over. "So your a pillow now?"


Chevy felt the tension in the air. "Ok, me and Leal had better get going." He smiled.

I'll let you catch up on your own he said softly n her head.

"Leal?" He looked over at the love seat. "What's gotten into her." He walked over and picked leal up. "See y'all alter."

Layton smiled lightly as Chevy walked by, Leal in his arms. Tanner yawned and stretched his arms above his head, blinking repeatedly at the three new figures that had taken seats around him. "Ma, Pop, Landon. G'morning. How was the flight over?" He yawned (haha i yawned) again and set his left leg on the right one, leaning into the red cushions behind him. "Hey! Where'd Leal go?!"

"Home," Layton answered with a short glared before continuing her conversation with her parents about everything that had happened the passed four weeks.

*time skip maybe*

**SKip to the next day**

Leal streched her legs as she woke up. She jumpe din the air shifting cause no one was around. She flew to the mountians and looked around. Another bird flew over. She didn't reconize him.

hello. It said. She chirped her hello and started to fly away.

**That can be Tanner**


Chevy ran to Layton's house and knocked on teh door waiting to see if she was there.

Layton yawned widely and walked to the door, her attire being a simple tank and a pair of women's boxer shorts. She opened the door with another yawn, snapping her mouth shut at the site of Chevy. She grabbed his hand silently and pulled him in, all the way back to her bedroom. She shut and locked the door behind her, scratching the back of her neck. "Sorry about yesterday. My parents don't exactly like the thought of me having guy in my life again... er I mean yet. They don't want me to have one in my life yet, other than my brother, Tanner, and my dad of course. Sit down for a sec. I'll be right back." Layton rummaged through her dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a Warped Tour t-shirt before changing in her bathroom and striding back out. She plopped down in Chevy's lap with a small smile. "Again, I'm so, so, so sorry! They've been really rude to all my friends, other than Tanner, ever since last year. Don't know why though," she lied, biting her lip in regret. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't think Chevy would accept her if he knew the truth.

Chevy nodded and smiled. "Don't worry about it." He smiled. "Parents are like that sometimes."

"Yours too?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes, even mine. Course it was the whole shifter thing. I wasn't supposed to be around a girl that wasn't a shifter until I imprinted." He smiled.

"But you did." She said, "So why are tehy still worried with you hanging otu with people like me?"

Tanner spun around mid-air and dove after the other bird, flying next to it. So where you headed?

Nowhere really. The voice seemed so familiar. Just flying around. It laughed. Why? Tanner stopped suddenly, wings slightly flapping.

Is your name... Leal? He cocked his head to the side. This thing was a bird! How was it supposed to know it's name. Tanner sighed and shook his head. He was loosing it. Nevermind.

~~

"They aren't any more, they were until I imprinted, now they don't like the face that she isn't Navajo," Chevy sighed. Layton laughed lightly and burried her face into Chevy's neck.

"So who's the lucky girl you imprinted on?" Layton smiled against his neck. Chevy was silent for a moment. Did Layton say something odd? "Eh... nevermind. It must be a touchy subject. Forget I asked!" Layton blushed scarlett and stood up off Chevy. "Oh! Will you do me a favor though?!" Layton ran around the side of her bed and grabbed her dreambook, flipping to the first dream she had of that strange kid. When she looked up, however, Chevy was gone. Right as Layton closed the book and threw it on the ground she felt arms snake around her waist and soft breath on her neck.

"You really don't know who it is?" Layton smiled lightly, slightly confused, and shook her head no.

Leal:

Leal sucked in air and shot off. Why would you think I have a name? She asked as she flew faster.

You talk like a shifter. He replied

I am a shifter. She smiled.

What's your name? He asked

That's for me to know, you to find out. SHe said shifting to a horse as she hit the ground and took off at a run.

Chevy:

Chevy looked at the book in her hand. He reconized the boy. "You draw good, you have a good memory." he said.

"What?" She askesd.

"That's us, as kids, i remembered when I found some old pictures. We used to play all the time." He said.

Layton slid onto the ground, pulling Chevy with her. "Wait... then that means I... on you... and... Wait!" Layton pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

"Hey, Layton you okay?" Layton just nodded.

"If I dream about something, or more specifically someone all the time, does that mean that I imprinted on them?"

"Possibly."

"Is it possible to imprint on someone that's imprinted on someone else?!"

"It is possible... I think."

Layton spun around, eyes locked on Chevy's. "Who did you imprint on. Please tell me! I gotta know! I'm rambling like an idiot but I don't care 'cause I gotta know who you... who you imprinted on!"

~~

Tanner smirked and shifted into a horse himself, running at an even pace with the other shifter. C'mon. It won't kill you to tell me your name. I won't bite... Hard. The other shifted snorted in disgust and cut to the left quickly only to be followed again. C'mon girly. What's your name?

And how do you know I'm a girl? The female spat.

Well... it's kind of obvious in this form dontcha think?

Chevy smiled. "You dont' know?" He asked softly.

'NO! Tell me please!" She begged. He pulled her close kissing her.

"I imprinted on you." He said softly after they pulled apart. "I thought how I acted made it obvious."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Leal snorted in disguest. Of course you noticed that. SHe turned and ran faster. He shifted to a lion and jumped on her back tackling her to the ground. She shifted to the same form and bit his leg. Get off me!

Sorry. He muttered backing up, favoring his hurt leg. Please tell me what your name is. He asked.

Why, Tanner? She asked walking around him. Why should I tell you? Didn't you imprint on Leal, I mean the way you look at her and all.

How do you know my name, how do you know Leal? He hissed.

Doesn't matter. She hissed. She was gambling he had imprinted on her too. But it was a gamble she was willing to take.