when the panic starts to spread -- odecob

[Deleted]

@odette

jake was trying not to freak out but it was hard not to panic. he had sent odette an owl the day before and she still hadn't answered it. he hadn't thought much of it last night encase she'd been working but it wasn't like her to take more than a day to get back to him and now with her being pregnant he felt his worry slowly turn into dread and terror in the pit of his stomach. what if something had happened? what if something was happening right now? was she okay? was their baby okay? he had a feeling that if she was at saint mungo's someone would have let him know but if she was at home .. that sealed it. he couldn't wait any longer. he grabbed his jacket and hurried out of his door, locking it behind him he apparated to the doorstep of odette's house and knocked on the door. he tried not to make it too loud or too rushed but he was so worried and he chewed his lip as he tried to listen through the door. "odette?" he called through the wood as he rapped his knuckles on the door again.

[Deleted]

Odette had just got back from Hogwarts very early that morning. She had stayed the night with Max in the Hospital Wing to be there for her and Jamie, as well. She had been far too wrapped up in what had happened to pay attention to any sort of mail she had gotten or anything. So as Odette laid down on the couch to perhaps catch a few "z's," the rapid knocking on the door made her jump. The voice that followed immediately eased her nerves, however. Without another thought, Odette got up and practically glided over to the door. She swung it open and didn't even take a moment to stop and look at Jacob; she just quickly wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her head into his shirt as her bottom lip quivered, threatening waterworks.

@jacob

[Deleted]

@odette

he stepped forward when the door opened and as she came toward him to wrap her arms around her he engulfed her in his, folding them around her slender form and he hugged her close against his chest. he lowered his head to hold it close to hers as she buried her face into his chest and he swallowed slightly. he rubbed his hand up and down her back and he chewed his lip. "odette?" he said softly as he held her in the door to her house. "what's wrong?" he said, starting to feel the familiar tightening in his chest. had something happened? she didn't seem hurt and he couldn't see any signs that she was sick or hurt but she was upset. it was more painful to see her upset than anything he'd ever seen. he just stood there, rubbing her back and waiting for her to talk to him when she was ready. he could wait for an answer to his questions if it meant she could be okay.

[Deleted]

Odette was certainly never one to cry in front of others, if at all. But Odette's life had changed very drastically in the past year, so she supposed now there wasn't anything that would ever be the same. Except maybe her level of caring for Jacob. When he rubbed his hand down her back, she felt a familiar calm rush over her. She took in a deep breath when he asked what was wrong. Odette pulled herself away from his chest, but kept her arms around him, sniffing once. "It's... one of my sisters," she said slowly. Odette had only known any of her siblings for almost a year now, and she had just told Jacob about them maybe a month and a half ago or less. And what had happened, it was a touchy subject. So she felt she had to take it slow in order to process it and realize everything was okay. "My youngest, Max. She... she tried to kill herself." Her bottom lip formed a frown and she began to blink ferociously to hold back the tears. Max was okay, she didn't have to cry! Except, she couldn't help it. She had almost lost her sister. Jamie had almost lost her sister. And thinking about her siblings and how hurt they would have been... that was not something Odette took lightly. She sniffed once again. "She's okay, but... it's still a fresh wound." She shrugged once and then hugged Jacob close again.

@jacob

[Deleted]

@odette

he loosened his hold on her when she pulled back from him but he didn't let her go. he kept his arms looped around her waist, his hand still rubbing up and down the length of her back gently. he knew it would help calm her, they had been friends for too long for him not to know that and he himself needed the contact with her in that moment. he'd never felt panic like he had before in his life and he was still trying to calm himself down from it. she was okay. she was in front of him. and she needed him to be calm. "It's... one of my sisters," he nodded softly and waited for her to continue. he didn't want to push her to talk before she was ready but he didn't think they should stand outside in the cold either. he chewed his lip and moved them backwards slowly, he doubted that odette even noticed they were moving. he only moved them far enough so the door could close behind them, he didn't want to push too much. "My youngest, Max. She... she tried to kill herself." his eyes widened slightly at that and he felt a lump catch in his own throat. he hated that odette had had to go through that. he hated that her sister had felt she needed to do that. he swallowed around the lump slightly and lifted one of his hands to her face to lay on her cheek, his thumb moving to wipe under her eye gently when he saw the tears she was trying to hard to keep under control.

"i'm so sorry" he said softly as he bit his lip. he didn't know what else to say. what could he? "She's okay, but... it's still a fresh wound." he nodded again and hugged her against his chest tightly when she hugged him again. he brought his head down to rest his forehead against her neck and he stood there with her, rocking side to side slightly with the embrace. "she's your little sister. it's going to stick for a while" he told her honestly. she wasn't used to having siblings, he knew that. he on the other hand was. he couldn't imagine what he'd be feeling if jonah ever felt he was in a bad enough place that he had to take his own life. it would make him feel if he'd somehow failed as a big brother. "do you need anything?" he asked her softly, wanting to know. he'd do anything he could to help her be okay in that moment. anything that was possible. he didn't want to come across as selfish so he didn't ask how she was feeling. her and the baby were his number one concern on his mind in that very moment, making sure they were both okay but he understood that odette's mind was probably mostly on her sister, which was one hundred percent where it should be. he just didn't want her to feel like she had to feel differently by asking.

[Deleted]

Feeling Jake rub her back calmed Odette in a way she didn't think she could really explain. She felt so much more significantly calm that she didn't notice that Jake had moved to close the door until she heard the noise it made when it closed. She was just glad he was there now. Throughout all the family drama, there had been one piece that was missing and she had not realized until now that that piece had been Jacob.

When he hugged her, Odette rested her cheek agaisnt against Jake's chest and just took in a deep breath. Now that Max was better and Jacob was there, Odette felt the happiest she had in a few days. "I just need you," she replied softly. Odette wasn't one for opening up in such ways, but she felt upset and was probably the most vulnerable she had ever been. "Will you stay?" She turned her head to look up at him.

@jacob

[Deleted]

@odette

"I just need you," he wasn't going to lie, that sent a feeling of warmth through him. it was always nice to be needed and he was no exception to that rule. he hugged her tighter as she rested her head against his chest and he nodded slightly, his chin resting against her forehead as he dipped it down so it was close to her. "Will you stay?" he shifted his head just slightly as she turned hers to look up at him and he brought one hand from her back to her cheek, his thumb running down the line of her nose softly and he nodded. "of course. i'll always stay." he said softly as he leaned down to brush his nose against hers. "how about we curl up on your bed .. you look shattered still." he said as he lifted his head up and moved his hand back to her back gently. he was worried about the stress that the last few days might have put on her and the baby and he wanted to know she was really okay and rest seemed to be the one thing they suggested when a person was upset. or it was something that he'd been told. not that he was a big fan or resting himself.

[Deleted]

The feeling of instant relief when Jacob held her close swept over Odette. She held her cheek against his chest, taking in his smell as she did so. A small smile spread slowly across her face as Jacob ran his finger across her cheek and nose. It made her heart flutter a little. When he then brushed his nose against hers, she felt so happy despite what she had just been through with her family. When Jake suggested laying down, it took a moment but Odette nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Okay," she said, finally realizing just how tired she was. Odette took Jake's hand and then slwoly led him to her bedroom. It wasn't like the last time they had done this though. She wasn't shy about it now. Maybe before she would have been a little more hesitant to show Jacob, who had been her friend for years, her room. But that was certainly not an issue anymore. She had many more other things to worry about now.

@jacob