So... this is awkward.

I know Twilight has basically seen its glory days (or 'horrifying days' if you also thought Bella and Edward's relationship verged just slightly on the toxic side), and everyone's pretty much forgotten about it, but apparently I didn't get the memo. Instead, I got this idea stuck in my head, and instead of being a decent person and forgetting about it, I decided I would post it.

Don't know how far this is going to go, or why it's even happening in the first place, so you've been warned.

Enjoy!

It's Basically Like a Prologue

The sun only just started to rise, casting an orangey-golden glow that began to evaporate salty mist brought in from the sea. The early morning air smelled faintly sea-weedy and muggy, and the temperature already started rising. At least, the subtle rise in heat was only sensed by one particular… lupine soul.

The change in weather prompted a sleepy-Sunday-morning vibe to span across an already quiet town. It gave Collin Littlesea a little reprieve from the early morning overachievers that usually confined him to the forests during his patrols.

He allowed his powerful legs to carry him through lush, dark forests and to break out on one of the many small Pacific coves that dotted along the La Push reservation. The sun shone brightly on the rough, dark waters of the sea and made it glitter. He charged into the shallow water lapping up on the shore, deciding it would be nice to cool off a little before heading home. Having a thick fur coat was great in the winter and all, but not so much when the weather started getting hotter.

Icy droplets soaked through his fur, and he reveled in the chill. Collin loved running through the forests and all, but he could hardly ever test how fast he could go with all the obstacles of undergrowth and trees hindering his every move. His wolf felt the freest out on an empty beach, and sometimes he just had to indulge his animal side.

Sometimes I'm still surprised you phase into a wolf instead of a Labrador, a deep voice invaded Collin's conscious.

Collin perked up, pointed ears swiveling before his body as he tracked the thread of thought. Keen eyes picked through deep green undergrowth, and found a jet black wolf as it stepped out of the forest.

Collin knew this other wolf. It was his alpha, Sam Uley. What he didn't know was why he was following Collin on a Sunday morning – an entire day he specifically always had off and refused to turn into a wolf unless it was an emergency. If it wasn't an emergency? Well, it went without saying that it wouldn't be Sam who'd get mad.

Sam chuffed at Collin's thought process. Emily gave me a free pass this time. I have some news.

Collin snorted at him, seeing Sam's stream-of-consciousness before hearing him say it telepathically. Images flittered in front of Collin's eyes. Images of Sam having dreams of his black lupine counterpart separate from him and run away, of Sam standing with Emily as they raised children, of Sam finally growing old and seeing fine lines appear on his face. Sam was retiring, and passing control of his pack onto… Jacob Black.

Sam physically snorted at Collin. You're getting better at that.

At what? Collin asked, cocking his head to the side.

Reading the pack mind. You've always been more… aware than others, though.

Aware. That was how Sam liked to describe Collin's uncanny ability when it came to the pack link. He was able to see more and tell more, as well as see less and show less when he needed to. Some members of the pack thought it was cool (Brady and Embry), others not so much (Paul mostly and Jared occasionally). Collin didn't think there was anything to it, but apparently other wolves didn't have as much control yet, or it took them a long time to get there.

I could be an alpha trait, Sam explained, making Collin roll his eyes.

Just because I'm Jacob's cousin doesn't mean I'm alpha material, he replied. It only makes me half a Black.

Sam shook his massive head, followed by the rest of his body. It was basically the pack's wolfy equivalent to shrugging their shoulders. Just trying to find a reason to explain your 'uncanny ability.' There's no need to be defensive.

Collin snorted and padded out of the water. The soft sand sunk under his paws as he walked toward the other side of the cove. When are we going to phase into Jake's pack? Is there gonna be, like, a torch-passing ceremony or –

It won't be that exciting, Sam assured him. I'm not even sure how the protocol works, myself. It won't be for a couple of months either, but I thought the pack should know now and be ready.

Collin cocked his head to the side, noting the tenors affecting Sam's subconscious. His emotions were bittersweet, nervous and excited at the same time, mourning for a part of his life that he never thought he'd outgrow.

I think you're making a good decision, Collin assured him. I'm sure Emily's getting annoyed you still have your boyish good looks and she's getting older. As fun as this is, we can't do it forever, otherwise we'd be just like the leeches. I guess these imprints have a way of telling you when you can stop.

Not that Collin had an imprint to know, but just from seeing it firsthand with all the wolves in his pack who were happily imprinted with their soulmates (and those not), it made sense. Those wolves' biological clocks were now ticking, they had other priorities now. Sam would do fine with retirement, he could leave all the fighting and patrolling to the real studs now –

Careful, pup, Sam warned with a playful growl. Remember who taught you how to fight.

Collin chuffed at him. Just trying to keep the mood light. Now go back to your day off, I'm sure I'll end up on the receiving end of Emily's wrath if you stay out any longer.

Goodbye, Collin. I'll see you soon.

Later! With a swish of his tail, Collin tore off, heading back to his house. The sun was only just above the horizon now, and Collin was looking forward to spending his day taking a nap.

Because since he actually had forever to live and a day off work and no other priorities, naps sounded like a pretty damn good way to spend his Sunday.

. xXx .

In downtown Seattle, the sun climbed higher into the sky. The temperature also climbed up to a comfortable sixty-eight degrees with clear skies, making today a perfect day for moving.

Hallie Jessop parked her Jeep and U-Haul trailer outside of a newly constructed apartment complex. It was a stunning white rectangular building, modern and sleek in design. The sun glinted off hundreds of giant windows, making the building even more stunning. Hallie almost couldn't believe she was calling this place home.

Almost.

The seemingly hundreds of cardboard boxes spilling out of her tiny trailer reminded her that she was indeed calling this place home, and moving in. If she accomplished nothing else today, she at least needed to finish bringing the rest of the boxes up.

"How much did you manage to fit all that in one trailer?" Hallie's best friend of nearly ten years (and now official roommate), Whitney Eddison demanded as she trumped down the stairs to help Hallie unload more boxes. "I swear it's like Marry Poppins's bag in there or something."

"I didn't even bring that much stuff," Hallie said. "We don't have much left, I promise."

The slightly taller (by two inches) and slightly older (by one year) girl sighed dramatically. She then reached into the trailer to pull out two more boxes. "Well I hope you weren't expecting me to scope out the gym with you tonight. This is totally counting toward my cardio day."

Hallie laughed as she pulled out two more boxes. "Geez, Whit, if I knew you were going to be this whiney, I would've found a different roommate."

"Honey, you couldn't find anybody to replace me if you tried," Whitney replied.

They burst (literally, they both kicked the door open since their hands were full) into their new two-bedroom apartment, and dropped all of their boxes right in the middle of their unit. It was a small space, but it was also incredibly beautiful. Everything was bright and airy, from the light wood colored floors to the white walls, and the massive windows that stretched floor-to-ceiling.

The kitchen was the first feature set to the left side, with white cabinets and light gray quartz countertops. It was small, all of the appliances were set on one wall, and an island separated it from the rest of the space, but directly across from it was a small alcove with one floor-to-ceiling window where the girls decided they would put a small dining table. Straight ahead was the living room, the entire space was bright and open with more massive windows lining the whole space. It boasted a perfect view of the Seattle city line. To the left again were doors leading to the girls' bedrooms, separated by a set of stairs that led up into a loft space that the friends agreed to use as office spaces. The place was barely furnished (except for their combined dining ware, a couple of blankets, and two blow-up mattresses), but that would be changing sometime next week.

"It's even better than the pictures," Hallie breathed.

Whitney scoffed. "What was that about wanting a different roommate?"

"What?" Hallie asked. "Who said anything about different roommates, I love my roommate, she's a goddess, a visionary, a saint –"

Skittering paw steps interrupted Hallie's attempt at swooning her best friend, and she turned to the open bedroom door on the left side of the stairs. A medium-sized black, white, and tan dog with pointed ears tore out of the room, wagging his tail and panting heavily. Hallie grinned and dropped down to her knees as the dog ran straight into her lap so she would pet him.

"Sometimes – like mostly right now – I wish you'd gotten a bigger dog," Whitney said. "At least then it'd be able to carry some of this stuff."

"Don't hate on Rebel, he's the perfect size!" Hallie defended him, scratching the dog behind his ears. He was still panting heavily, as if he'd just run ten miles. Hallie glanced up at her friend. "Can you check to make sure he's okay?"

Whitney bent down and examined Hallie's dog with a clinical look in her eye. She reached out and stroked his head, checking his eyes and ears and the gums of his mouth. When she was done, she smiled and ruffled Rebel's ears. "He's totally fine. Just excited, maybe a little stressed from the move and watching you go in and out of the apartment so much. Like I said, he'll just need a couple of days to adjust. This is a big change for him."

"For me too," Hallie admitted as she straightened up. Her dog stayed rooted to her side like they were glued together, which wasn't uncommon for the pair, but he was acting a little… crazier than his usual.

"Relax, he's a Kelpie, or at least a good part of him is," Whitney said. "They're a hearty breed. He'll be fine."

"Well thank you, Doctor Eddison," Hallie teased. "Did I mention you're the best roommate ever?"

"Yeah, yeah," Whitney waved her off as she turned back toward the door. "I think I'm convinced you only agreed to move in with me because I can diagnose your dog for free."

"Yeah, the licensed veterinarian thing was a major contributing factor, I'm not gonna lie," Hallie said as she motioned for Rebel to go lay down so she could bring in the rest of the boxes. "That, and also the fact you can pick out the sickest bachelorette pads. Seriously, how did you even find this place, it's perfect!"

"Almost-licensed, and I have my ways," Whitney replied suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows for extra effect, and Hallie didn't doubt it.

Within the next two hours, all of the boxes were unloaded and the U-Haul was returned. Hallie was a little proud of herself for achieving something so… adult. She'd managed a major move (and drive) across the country by herself, no worse for wear. She was living in a swanky city apartment, about to start her first real job, and able to achieve it with her best friend and her dog. Not bad for a twenty-one-year-old. Life could not be better…

Except when it came to the mountains of cardboard piled high in the middle of the apartment. Yeah, that was a sure-fire way to knock the wind out of Hallie's sails. If packing all of her crap had been a nightmare, unpacking it all would be certifiably worse.

Hallie tried not to dwell on it, instead focusing on pulling out the two bottles of wine she found at a small liquor store on her way back to the apartment. Rebel stayed close to her side as she moved through the kitchen, getting a feel for the layout. She heard Whitney shuffling around in her room on the right side of the stairs as Hallie reached for wine glasses.

"All right," Hallie announced as she uncorked one of the wine bottles and filled the glasses. "I say we get lit in this bitch and turn unpacking all of my crap into a drinking game. Anything sentimental, we take a drink. Any article of clothing of mine that's black, we take a drink. Every time we find one of my novelty mugs, we have to finish our drinks. What say you, fellow queen of the –"

Hallie stopped short when she saw Whitney step out of her room, no longer in ratty gym shorts and a tank top. Instead, she wore a loose-fitting white T-shirt, dark blue skinny jeans, brown booties (which were super cute and super new, her best friend had a fetish for shoes), a singular long necklace, and her small brown purse. Her hair wasn't in a haphazard pineapple anymore, instead she her long bob styled in soft ringlets, caramel hair spilling across her tanned skin. Whitney's makeup was (as always) ridiculously pretty with a subtle smoky eye that accented her brown eyes. She looked incredible, like a model off duty with her long legs and willowy figure, and not at all like she was going to help Hallie unpack.

"Damn, you're hot," Hallie said. "Did we have plans or something I forgot about?"

Whitney frowned, then checked her phone. "Surprisingly no, it was me who forgot I had plans. I'm meeting up with someone tonight."

"Same person?" Hallie asked. "Or different?"

A pretty blush spread across her friend's face. "Um, same person," she said awkwardly. "We're going out to dinner somewhere, she won't tell me where though. Do I look okay, do you think it's too casual –"

"No way!" Hallie exclaimed. "You look great! I wish we were the same shoe size, I'd kill to borrow those. And really? I don't remember you dating somebody this long, she must be hot."

"Yeah, she is," Whitney admitted with a small smile. For the first time Hallie had ever heard Whitney talk about her romantic conquests, Whitney almost sounded shy about it. "She hasn't really dated a girl before, though, so I can tell she's a little freaked out."

Hallie drank from one of the two wine glasses still in her hands, eyes narrowing. "Freaked out? Do her parents know?"

"I don't know, we haven't gotten that far," Whitney said. "She wants to take things slow, which for once is… Well it's… It's kind of nice, actually. I'm good with however she wants to take things. You'd like her a lot, Hall, she's…"

As she struggled to find the words, she had the dopiest look on her face. Hallie smirked into her wine glass as she watched her best friend come up with words. It was high time Whitney Eddison found some happiness in her life. When she came out to her parents about her being bisexual toward the tail-end of high school, they didn't take it well. As soon as she graduated, she left and didn't go back. She had been lost for a little while, she didn't exactly have the best track record for long term relationships or dating the nicest people. But after taking a break, and then meeting the mystery girl Hallie still didn't know the name of, and also Hallie moving back to Seattle herself, Whitney seemed a lot happier.

"Well she must be something if she makes you speechless," Hallie said, hoping this mystery girl felt the same way about her best friend. "I can't wait to meet her."

"If," Whitney said abruptly. "If you meet her. We'll see how things go. Who knows, maybe she'll just be another nameless lover, maybe not. I won't get my hopes up. Is it okay if I go? I can cancel, an unpacking drinking game sounds like a ton of fun, and I haven't even really met my fur-nephew –"

"No way!" Hallie exclaimed. "You need to go! Boxes will still be here, fur-nephew will still be here, the only thing I can't promise will be here is the wine."

"Then I'll bring more on my way home," Whitney said. She walked toward the front door like a model, brandishing her keys with a brightness on her face Hallie hadn't seen since they were in middle school. As if Whitney read Hallie's thoughts, she turned around and smiled at her. "Thanks, Hall. You've always been the best about everything. I'm really glad you're back."

Hallie grinned back, the bittersweet twinge she felt was almost completely covered by her happiness. Was it wrong for her to be this happy? The answer was immediate: yes. Yes, it was. Going into exile should not be this happy of an affair, but Hallie immediately decided she wouldn't show Whitney that.

"Me too," she said. "Now hurry up and go, swoon the hell out of that girl. I do want her name by the end of next week, though. As best friend, it's my job to Facebook-stalk."

Whitney rolled her eyes and walked out the door. "This is why I don't tell you their names, you turn all investigative-reporter on their asses."

"Hey, journalism is my job! I'm just looking out for you!" Hallie shouted as Whitney shut the door behind her. She sighed and leaned against the counter, then looked down as Rebel trotted up to her side, tail wagging and face beyond happy. Hallie smiled. "I guess you'll have to do some type of work after all."

By way of response, Rebel turned around and walked into the living room, curling up in front of the massive windows to overlook the dimming sky and brightening city lights. Hallie sighed and took another swig. "Never mind then."