Shifting Times

Leal kissed his cheek when she felt him tense in anger. "Calm down love." She whispered kissing him again.

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Chevy wrapped hsi arms aorund LAyton holding her close. "This outta be fun." He whispered softly.

It had been two weeks since Chevy, Layton, Tanner, and Leal had all had a dinner date with Layton and Tanner's parents, Landon included, and Layton's parents had warmed up to both Chevy and Leal immensely. Sadly, the same thing couldn't be said about Landon, whom still shot glares at both Leal and Chevy.

So, seeing their parents bonding with Chevy and Leal, both Tanner and Layton had decided, with Chevy and Leal's help, that it was time to meet Chevy's parents... which is what they were going to be doing... in ten minutes.

Chevy walked into his house Layton wrapped in his arm.

"Hey mom." He smiled as they walekd in. He heard Leal and Tanner behind him.

"Chevy, come in here." His father called from the living room. They all walked into the living room where his brothers, their girlfriends or wives, were all sitting wtith his parents. All his siblings sending him apologetic looks.


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Leal wrapped her arms tigher around Tanner as she looked at her adopted family. Her father never did this to any of them.

Layton and Tanner glanced at each other worridly, unsure of what to do.

*All I had...*

"Sit." Chevy's father said. Leal pulled Tanner to a couch and she sat close to him keeping her head against his shoulder.

"Why is everyone here, Pa?" Chevy asked.

"Figured we'd all get to meet these two." His father, Adahy, said.

"Why? You didn't do taht for anyone else?" Leal said harshly. Tanner squeezed her hand.

"I agree with Leal, this is unfair." The oldest of the brothers said.

"It is needed." her father repleid. "Tell me, Tanner is it, about yourself."

Layton shifted uneasily in her seat. They hadn't done it for anyone else because the girl's that Leal and Chevy's brothers had imprinted on were full Navajo. It was almost obvious. "Well," Tanner suddenly began, "I'm a pretty normal guy, other than the whole shifting thing and all. I grew up in Alabama until two years ago, then I moved to New York with Layton's family. Erm... Layton is basically my sister to me and like all other siblings we get in fights, some more serious than others," he glanced at the scar on his arm and Layton coughed to cover a laugh, "I'm hoping to start college this coming up year and I'll be studying to hopefully become a medical doctor. That's about it."

"Ah, that's nice," Layton couldn't help but slightly narrow her eyes at how fake it sounded.

Chevy wanted to yell at his dad as the questions kept shooting at Tanner. Then he turned to Layton. Chevy pull her closer wanting to let his dad to keep away. That she wasn't to be questioned til dead.

"Layton, thats your name right?" His dad asked.

"Yes." She replid curtly. Chevy smiled a little, she was as annoyed at the questoning as he was.

"How did you come to live here?"

"My Grandfather left me a house and some land on the reservation." She replied. "He passed away so I came here to see if I would want to live here, and I thought it would be a nice place to live."

"Did you know your Grandfather was an outcast?" His father asked.

"That is good as false." Chevy hissed.

"He was misunderstood because he didn't agree with Ranger. We don't agree with him either." Leal growled.

"Ranger is the Cheif, he is in charge." THeir father said his face getting a little red.

"And if he tries to hurt Layton, or another one of my friends I will kill him." Chevy hissed.

"Ranger would never hurt anyone without a reason." His father said.

"That's a bunch of bull and you know it!" Leal growled.

"We're leaving." Chevy got up bringing Layton with him and walking towards the door.

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Leal pulled Tanner up after Chevy anger boiling in her veins.

Layton hurried out of the house behind Chevy hurridly, not saying anything until they were well away from the house. "Well, your parents are a bowl full of fun!" Tanner smiled and jumped up, clapping his hands fakely. Layton slapped him in the back of his head and glared angrily.

"They're not usually..." Chevy began, looking to Leal to finish.

"that rude," she sighed. Layton just waved her hand indifferently as if those people -who knew hardly anything about her- didn't hurt her with their talk about her grandfather.

"It's fine. My grandfather was always saying stuff like not to talk with the cheif usless he believed in this and this and that this was right while this was wrong. I always thought he was an amazing man." Layton shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck deeply to keep from crying. Other that Tanner, Layton's grandfather was her only real friend that she had had before he died.

"I knew him." CHevy said. "I loved him, he was so much fun to be around and talk to. He knew everything, and would tell us stuff that Ranger wouldn't. He told me that even if it took me longer to imprint that I just needed to be patient. I think he knew."

"KNew what?" She asked.

"That we would imprint." He repeid kissing her softly. "Ignore everyone's remarks about him. Your grandfather was an amzing man. Everyone who was smart loved him and trusted him. I still don't want to believe that he is gone."

Layton smiled lightly and kissed him back gently before turning to Tanner and Leal. "I think we should go back in. If we all just talk to each other mentally I'm sure it'll be fine. We'll try to answer the questions without going to off-track or getting annoyed. What do you guys think?"

"I'm game. Wasn't that hard for, foshizzle." Tanner's attempt to make everyone just made him look stupid.

"Don't ever do that again." Layton warned.

"Yeah... so, you two game?" Tanner turned back to Leal and Chevy, eyes wide as if he was just about to play a football game.

"Fine, but if he goes to far again, we're leaving." Chevy sai.d

"That's fine." Layton smiled up at him. Chevy pulled her closer and walked towards the house.

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Leal hugged Tanner as they walked to teh house.

"That sayin or whatever. Didn't work." She smiled. "It was kinda funny though."

"Glad it was funny to someone," he grumbled, hanging his head dramatically. He smiled down at Leal as she laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.


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Layton could feel her stomach twisting in knots all over again. Chevy opened the door and pulled her after him, both sitting in their spots from before. Layton wasn't going to say anything until spoken to. She smiled at Leal and Tanner when they walked in and was about to say something to Tanner until Chevy's father interupted. "Welcome back," he bellowed and Layton just nodded.

Chevy glared at his father.

You don't have to be so rude. Even her parents were better then this! He growled in his father's head.

Don't tell me what to do. His father hissed back. I don't like here and I might just throw her out.

Touch her and I'll hurt you. Chevy hissed back.

"Alright, here are some snacks y'all." Chevy's mom said coming in and smiling.


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"Thanks, mom." LEal smiled wrapping her arm around Tanner's waist as they sat down and leaning her head against Tanner's shoulder.

"Please put some space between you." Her dad hissed.

"Their fine, honey." Her mom said kissin ghis forehead then handing him a cookie and glass of tea. Leal tightened her grasp on Tanner, she needed him for support, she wasn't going to elt him go.

Layton smiled at Chevy's mom lightly. She seemed like a kind woman. But, then again, Layton had said the same thing about Chevy's dad. "Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! Layton how old are you?"

"18," Layton answered and swallowed the forming lump in her throat.

"Going to college?"

"Yes sir?"

"What and where going to study?"

"Um... I'm going to Texas A & M to study veterinary medicine." Layton shifted in her seat nervously as they questions continued to fly.

)))(((

Tanner wrapped an arm around Leal protectively and smiled down at her, trying to get her to calm down a bit.

Chevy smiled and pulled LAyton closer to him. "Dad, I think that's enough questions. This isn't an interview, you can't change this." He said.

"He's right, there's no way you'll seperate them if they imprinted." His oldest brother said standing up and walking to the kitchen for something to eat.

"Trust me. Sometimes I wish I hadn't imprinted on that jerk." His oldest brother's girl said. "I would hate him if I didn't love him."


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Leal leaned closer to Tanner and smiled at the girl, Barlow, she was sweet.